Tangerine Curd

I made tangerine curd months ago, and after making lemon curd this past week end in a pie class, I decided it was time to share this recipe!  Tangerine curd is sweet and tangy, and with the long week end coming, it would be something fun to make as part of breakfast.  It would pair well with vanilla scones, just sayin'.

Citrus curds are traditionally served with scones and tea breads or even as a pie filling.  To make curds, you beat egg yolks and sugar with citrus juice over hot water.  Once the mixture begins to thicken, you add butter, which helps it remain thicker.     The curd will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

You could also substitute the tangerines for orange, lemon, or tangelos.  I stumbled upon some pink lemons at Trader Joe's recently, and I'll be making this curd with those lemons soon.

Tangerine Curd
Yields 1 1/2 cup curd

Ingredients:
1 egg, plus 4 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Grated zest of 1 tangerine
3/4 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice
6 tbsp. cold butter

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 cup of water to a low simmer.  In a heatproof glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the whole egg, egg yolks, sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine.  Then, whisk in the tangerine zest and juice.  Place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, and whisk until the eggs begin to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.  Then, whisk in one tablespoon of the butter at a time, and continue whisking constantly until the mixture much thicker and forms a thick ribbon on the surface when dropped from the whisk.

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap right onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.  Allow the curd to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes before refrigerating.

Source: Williams-Sonoma

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Adding a parmesan cheese rind and using homemade stock are two of my favorite ways to make a a soup go from good to really good.    The parmesan rind brings the perfect saltiness and some creaminess to the soup (and can you ever go wrong with a hint of cheese in a soup?).   Homemade stock is the base to the soup, and it is so more rich in flavor.   The canned and boxed stocks from the store, as convenient as they may be, lack the flavor profiles that you'll find in homemade stock.

Making your own chicken stock is very simple, especially when you use your slow cooker.  You can just put chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, and water in the slow cooker.  I think it is pretty impossible to mess it up.  It tastes so much better than store-bought stock, and you get to control what goes in it.

You don't always have to go out and buy all the ingredients needed for stock.  Use leftovers for this stock!  When I say "use leftovers," I mean to use those vegetables hanging out in your veggie drawer that you know you aren't going to eat.  3 pounds of carrots and 8 bunches of celery for healthy snacks sounded like a better snack at the store, right? ;)  Just kidding.  You can also use your leftover roast chicken to make stock.

Some general tips for DIY chicken stock:

1. Make a vegetable bag.  Throw random vegetable pieces, onion ends, the last bit of a carrot, onion peels, etc. into a bag and freeze it.  When the bag is full, make stock.  I would not use potatoes because it will add too much starch to the stock, and you may not want to use peppers, unless you are looking for a kick. ;)

2.  Get the most out of that rotisserie chicken!  Often times, it's cheaper to buy one of those cooked
rotisserie chickens from the store compared to buying a raw chicken and roasting it yourself.   On Wednesday's, Whole Foods has rotisserie chickens on sale for $8.99 on Wednesday's, and Costco has them for $4.99.  After you finish eating the chicken, save the carcass (which you can freeze), and use it to make stock.  

3. Roasting brings out more flavor.  I roast beef bones when making bone broth/beef stock because it brings out more flavor.  I found that a leftover chicken carcass from a roasted chicken brought more flavor to the stock than using use a raw chicken.   To deepen the flavor, you could even roast the chicken carcass from the leftover roast chicken.

4. Cook it, real good and real slow!  With the slow cooker, it is so much easier to make stock because the slow cooker does all the work.  You can make stock in a stock pot over the stove, but I never like to stray too far from the stove, and leaving the stove on for hours doesn't seem as efficient to me.  Often times, I'll throw everything into the slow cooker in the evening and then the stock is ready in the morning.  

5. There are many ways to store it! If I'm not going to use the stock within a few days, then I freeze it.   Most of the time, I use old 32 oz. Greek yogurt containers to store stock and sometimes glass mason jars.  If you don't have containers, you could also use 1 quart freezer bags.  If you use the freezer bags, freeze them flat because then you can just dip them in hot water for quick defrosting.  You could also freeze stock in ice cube trays or muffin pans, too.

I'm including my way of making chicken stock below, but just use it as a guide!  The key things you need are chicken, water, and veggies.  I think onions, carrots, celery, and garlic bring those classic comfort flavors, but you could try other veggies like parsnips or even fennel.  If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, you can skip them or even use tried versions, too.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock
Yields 64 oz. of stock

Ingredients: 1 chicken carcass (2-4 lbs.)
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 quarts of water
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. peppercorns
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Place the chicken carcass in the slow cooker, and scatter the vegetables around the chicken.  Then, add the bay leafs, herbs, peppercorns, and any desired salt.  Cover with water.

Cook on low setting for 8 to 14 hours.  Strain the stock over a large bowl.

Divide the stock among storage containers.  Cool before refrigerating and/or freezing.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

Vanilla Extract

At my annual Christmas cookie exchange, I always like to send everyone home with a little treat, in addition to the copious amounts of cookies.  In years past, I made jams, apple butters, and homemade bread.  Last year, I opted for something a bit less labor intensive: homemade vanilla extract.  Besides the ease factor,  I liked doing the vanilla extract because it was my hope that each use would remind everyone of the fun, happy times from the cookie party.   Additionally, it is a favor that encourages everyone to continue spreading sweetness by baking!  

It's simple to make.  All you need are vanilla beans, vodka, and some containers.  If you start a batch now, it will be ready in time for Christmas. 

You can find vanilla beans in bulk on Amazon.  When you shop for vanilla beans, you may see vanilla beans labeled as "Grade A" and "Grade B."  Naturally, we are always drawn to "Grade A" because it sounds better.  When it comes to vanilla beans, the different grades refer to moisture content.  When you need to cook or bake with vanilla beans, Grade A vanilla beans are better to use  because of the higher moisture content.  However, when you make vanilla extract, Grade B vanilla beans are better to use because they are drier, and the lower moisture content helps produce a deeper vanilla flavor.  Grade B vanilla beans are also a little cheaper, too.

There are different types of vanilla beans, such as Madagascar, Mexican, and Tahitian.  Madagascar vanilla is often used for vanilla because it produces a rich, creamy vanilla flavor that is sweet and almost buttery.  Mexican vanilla is smooth and almost a little spicy.  Tahitian vanilla slightly floral with tones of ripe fruit.  They are all great, and you can't go wrong with any of them.  I used Tahitian vanilla beans because Tahitian vanilla extract is harder to find in stores and thought it would be neat for my friends to try something different.

Now, in terms of the alcohol, I use vodka because it is easy to find and more neutral in flavor.  You do not need to use high quality vodka for this.  Good ol' Trader Joe's has inexpensive 80 proof vodka.  I need a few bottles to make enough vanilla extracts for party favors, so I recently went to Trader Joe's to went to pick some up.  When I paid for it, the employee asked, "So, it's either been a bad week at work, or you are making something?" I explained that it was time to start steepin' beans for my party! ;)  You can also use bourbon or rum, but I prefer vodka because it allows the vanilla flavor to "shine" more.  

Once you have the vanilla beans and vodka, it's time to combine then!  Make sure you have a large container that will hold slightly more volume than the amount of the vodka.  I cut the vanilla beans in half so that it releases some of those vanilla bean specks into the extract, but you certainly don't need to do that.   Some people will cut and scrape the vanilla beans.  I opt to skip the scraping since there are so many vanilla beans that I use for making the extract.   Once the vanilla beans are combined with the vodka, just put the cover back on the container, and leave it in a dark place for about six weeks.  Every week or so, give it a shake.  Each week, the color will continue to get darker, which means the vanilla's flavor is deepening.  It starts off as an amber, and when it is done, it will almost look like a coffee color.

Six weeks later, your vanilla is ready.  You can let is steep longer - the longer, the better!   When you transfer it to smaller containers, you can also leave in the vanilla beans, if desired.  This only helps richen the vanilla flavor.   You can also use the dried vanilla beans to make vanilla sugar or vanilla salt. 

I can't wait for the cookie party and to share this vanilla extract again with my friends.   Bring on the sweetness of the season!!  

Vanilla Extract
Yields 16 2-oz. bottles of vanilla extract or 7 4-oz. bottles of vanilla extract

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. vanilla beans (about 20-23 large vanilla beans)
1 quart 70+ proof vodka (4 cups)

Directions:
Chop the vanilla beans in half.  In a large container capable of holding at least 36 ounces, add the chopped vanilla beans, and then pour the vodka over the beans, making sure they are completely submerged.  Cover the container.    Allow the container to sit in a dark place for at least 6 weeks, and once a week, give it a good shake.

Six weeks later, you can transfer the vanilla extract to smaller bottles.  You can leave the beans in the alcohol or remove them.  If you leave the vanilla beans in the bottle, when the bottle is 1/3 empty, you can add more vodka and allow the extract to steep for another 6 weeks.

Source: Inspired by many blogs and Pinterest :)

Pastrami

Hi, everyone!  I hope all of you are doing well!  Sorry that I had an impromptu blogging hiatus.  The last month turned a little crazier than expected with some home renovation projects, but I am enjoying my home even more now that everything is done.  :)

When I visited my best friend in New York, we had lunch at Katz's Delicatessen, home of the infamous lunch scene from When Harry Met Sally.  Each week, they serve 10,000 pounds of pastrami.  It just melts in your mouth, and you don't even need bread to go with it.  Needless to say, Katz's sets the bar high for pastrami.

After getting a smoker from my friends (Thanks, Jenn and Ben!!), pastrami was first on my list to try.  I spent some time reading about other food bloggers' experiences with pastrami.  While many people often use a larger cut of meat to make pastrami, since this was my first go, I opted to use a smaller cut.

Because this required some spices that were not in my spice cabinet, I paid a visit to Savory Spice Shop.  Savory Spice Shop is a Denver owned spice business, and they have locations all over the US now.  They have every spice imaginable, and they will sell you the spices in whatever amount you need.  It's nice not having to buy an entire jar when you only need a few teaspoons.  Originally, I planned to just buy spices to make my own picking spice, but when I saw their pickling spice blend, I decided to just get that instead.  It smelled so flavorful, so I knew it would be great for this.

The first step?  Make the brine!  I used my large French oven to make the brine because was the perfect size to hold the brisket.   After you make the brine, you refrigerate it, and once cold, you then add the brisket into the brine.  I used a dinner plate to weigh down the brisket so that it remained submerged.  You can let the brisket sit in the fridge for a few days, but time helps make the flavor better, so I let the brisket sit for a week.

I used a stovetop smoker, and it only took about an hour to smoke the brisket.  It was a perfect Sunday dinner, and all of my friends enjoyed it.  If you have any recipe ideas for a smoker, I'm all ears. :)

Pastrami

Ingredients:
6 oz. Kosher salt
3 oz. granulated sugar
2 tsp. pink salt (sodium nitrate)
1 tbsp. honey
5 gloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp. pickling spice
1 5-pound beef brisket

For the rub:
1 tbsp. peppercorn
1 tbsp. pickling spice or toasted coriander seed

Directions:
In a pot large enough to hold the brisket, combine 1 gallon of water with the Kosher salt, sugar, honey, sodium nitrate, garlic, and pickling spice.  Bring it to a simmer, and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.  Remove from heat, and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Then, refrigerate until chilled.

After the brine is cold, place the brisket in the brine, and place a plate on top to weight it down so that the brisket remains submerged.  Cover the pot.  Refrigerate for seven days.

Remove from the brisket from the brine, and pat it dry with paper towels.  Coat the brisket with the rub spices.  Smoke and cook the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.  Slice and serve.

Source: Adapted from Michael Ruhlman and From Belly to Bacon

Homemade Ricotta

Ricotta often gets a bad rep because many ricotta cheeses sold in the stores taste bland and grainy.  In my opinion, it's a disservice to call that stuff "ricotta."  "Real ricotta" taste rich, creamy, and even a little buttery.  It is good stuff and quite a treat.  Real ricotta can be hard to find, but ricotta is easy to make at home.

After learning more about making ricotta cheese, I found that Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta had many accolades.  Guess I need to go there next time I visit New York. ;)  Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta helped Deb from Smitten Kitchen find "ricotta nirvana," and Martha Stewart even dubbed it her favorite.  So, I was sold.  The technique for making this ricotta was easy, too!

To make ricotta, you first warm a gallon of whole milk.  Once the milk is warmed, you can begin the acidification process by adding in some lemon juice.  The lemon juice is the acid that allows the milk solids to separate from the liquid.  This happens fairly quickly.  You'll use cheesecloth to strain the ricotta.  Cheesecloth allows the whey to drain through the timing holes while hanging onto the rich curds for the ricotta.  And, then, you have ricotta.

Cheese is only as good as the milk, and I would recommend "splurging" for a high quality milk.  I used fresh milk from Royal Crest Dairy.  Royal Crest Dairy provides home delivery of milk here in Colorado.  The milk is high quality and free of all of the bad stuff often found in milk today.  The milk tastes much creamier and smoother than anything from the store, too.  And, another plus for homemade ricotta: it is cheaper to make homemade ricotta than to purchase the high quality good stuff at a gourmet grocery store.

Because the ricotta is moisture laden, it is best to eat it quickly.  "Simple is good," and you can serve a scoop of ricotta on grilled bread with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.  I'll be sharing another recipe idea with you this week, too!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Yields 4 cups

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste (optional)

Directions:
Pour the milk into a large, reactive pot and season lightly with salt, and place it over high heat.  Heat the milk to 190ºF (use a thermometer), and stir to keep it from scorching.

Once the milk reaches 190F, turn off the heat, and add the lemon juice.  Stir slowly until you see curds beginning to form, and this should happen almost immediately.  Allow the curds to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth, and place it over another bowl so that it can catch the whey.  Pour the curds and whey into the colander, and allow the curds to strain for about an hour.  You can discard or save the whey.

Eat the cheese right away, or transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready for use.





Source: The Tasting Table, inspired by Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta

Homemade Peanut Butter

With the recent peanut butter recalls due to salmonella, I have been holding off on buying peanut butter.  After returning recalled peanut butter to Costco, I picked up some peanut butter from Whole Foods, which was recalled.  Then, after returning that, peanut butter from Target was recalled.  Since I usually put a swirl of peanut butter into my breakfast oatmeal, I've missed my morning protein.  More importantly, my "three year old puppy" has missed getting his daily glucosamine in peanut butter.

"Quid pro quo.  Peanut butter for the pillow."  

While at Costco over the week end, I purchased a gigantic container of peanuts to make my own peanut butter with my food processor.  Wow, homemade peanut butter is good stuff - really good stuff.  It is so easy to make!

To make peanut butter, you need a food processor or an industrial blender, like a VitaMix.  (If you try this in a regular blender, it will likely start smoking.)  When I first turned the food processor on, the peanuts were crushed into a fine powder.  As the food processor continued, the peanuts were converted into a paste, and the paste then became a "dough ball."  When the peanuts reached the "dough ball" stage, I stopped the food processor to scrape the sides of the bowl.  After the food processor ran for a few more minutes, the peanut mixture became runny and then turned into very smooth, creamy peanut butter. 

If you desire a chunkier peanut butter, I would suggest processing the peanut butter until it is creamy, and then adding a handful of peanuts at the very end to achieve that chunky texture.

I added a small amount of coconut oil because it holds the peanut butter together so that the butter does not get top oily or bottom dry.  With the oil, the peanut butter also spreads more smoothly after refrigeration and does not get runny.

In the future, I will try more flavored varieties of peanut butter.  For instance, a dash of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract would add deeper, sweeter flavor.  Or, you could go the decadent route and add some cocoa powder with chocolate chips.  Substituting honey roasted peanuts would be a great option to try, too.

Homemade peanut butter is simple, tastier, cheaper, and healthier.  Give it a try!

Homemade Peanut Butter
Yields 1 1/2 cups 

Ingredients:
16 oz. shelled and skinned roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of honey (add more if you desire a sweeter peanut butter)
Salt, if desired

Directions:
Place the peanuts, coconut oil, and honey into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until creamy and smooth.  (Note: it took 5 minutes for the peanut butter to reach a very creamy consistency.)  While processing, periodically stop the food processor and scrape the sides of the bowl.

Once the peanut butter has reached desired consistency, place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a month.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

"Do-It-Yourself" Berry Yogurt Mix-Ins

It sounds crazy, but I make my own yogurt.  Since learning how to make yogurt, I rarely purchase store-bought yogurt anymore.   I love to make things myself, and homemade yogurt just tastes better.  Good yogurt is expensive, and homemade yogurt is even higher quality and much more economical.

Yogurt is very simple to make.  Really, I think grilling might be more difficult than making yogurt!  To make yogurt, you warm the milk, add yogurt starter (which contains cultures) or some plain yogurt (for cultures), and let the yogurt incubate.

You can use a yogurt maker for the incubation, but it is possible to make yogurt without it.  The incubation period can take from 8 to 12 hours (depending on what type of milk you use), but there's nothing that you need to do during the incubation period.  I prep the milk mixture before going to bed and allow the yogurt to incubate overnight.

And then, voila, homemade yogurt!

Generally, I make Greek yogurt, which involves a few more easy steps.  After the yogurt is finished, I place a fine mesh sieve over a medium-large bowl, which I line it with cheesecloth.  I pour the yogurt into the sieve and place this into the refrigerator, and the liquid drains from the yogurt.  (The liquid is whey.)  After the liquid drains, presto, you have Greek yogurt!

If you do not make your own yogurt, you could purchase plain yogurt and use the same technique to turn it into Greek yogurt.  (Plus, it is less expensive to purchase plain yogurt than Greek yogurt.)

I love berries with yogurt, and this recipe creates a delicious mix-in for yogurt.  You can use fresh or frozen berries.  I combined some leftover frozen berries with some fresh peaches, and it was so flavorful!  Even if you do not make your own yogurt, you could just purchase plain yogurt and make your own mix-in.

Enjoy!

"Do-It-Yourself" Berry Yogurt Mix-Ins
Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups fruit (berries, chopped peaches, etc.), fresh or frozen

1/4 cup sugar (you can use less if you have sweet berries!)

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 water
2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, mix the fruit and sugar.  Heat on medium-low until the fruit begins to release juices.  In a small cup, add the cornstarch with the water and lemon juice, and stir until lump free.  Add the mixture into the saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Add to yogurt as desired.

Source: Originally seen on Annie's Eats and adapted from the David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop