Chef Foundation

Archive for February, 2012

Minestrone soup is a classic Italian dish and this is a great idea for a starter recipe. Minestrone soup freezes well so you can make extra and freeze it in individual portions if you want to.

One reason why soup is such a good idea to use as a starter recipe is that it is not too filling. If you have spent hours making an elaborate main course, you will not want people to be full up before they get to that course! Soup can be thick and chunky, of course, but a lot of soups are light, refreshing and tasty.

Save the rich, filling soups for lunchtimes and make something lighter like the following minestrone soup recipe, for an appetizer or starter recipe.

What to Serve with Soup

If you are serving soup as a starter, try serving it with crusty bread and butter. This is probably what your guests will be expecting. Offer both white and brown bread, so people can choose whichever they prefer.

Other options include flour tortillas, crackers or a dollop of sour cream with some chives. Since minestrone soup is an Italian dish, what about serving it with some soft, fluffy Italian bread, to keep things authentic?

Traditional Minestrone Soup

This recipe makes enough soup to serve six people, so you can halve it if you want, or make the same amount and freeze some if you will not have that many guests.

This is a healthy soup recipe as well as a highly delicious one and the vegetables, beans, tomato puree, stock and other ingredients all blend perfectly to make the most wonderful soup.

What you will need:

3 peeled, chopped carrots 2 litres vegetable stock 2 crushed garlic cloves 1 chopped onion 400g can butter beans 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 chopped celery sticks 2 tablespoons tomato puree 2 peeled, diced potatoes 140g spaghetti, broken into small pieces 1/2 head shredded savoy cabbage

How to make it:

Blend the celery with the onion and carrots in a food processor until they are in small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the garlic, potatoes and vegetables. Cover the pot and cook the mixture over a high heat for five minutes or until soft.

Stir in the tomato puree, tomatoes and stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Let the soup simmer for ten minutes on a low to medium heat. Add the spaghetti and butter beans and cook the soup for another ten minutes. Add the cabbage and cook it for two minutes, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve it immediately with crusty bread.

The First Non-Stick Cookware

Cast Iron cookware is a great alternative to non-stick cookware. It holds heat better and distributes it more evenly than aluminum or stainless steel. It also holds up better in the oven too. You can use it anywhere on your stove top, in the oven, or on the grill. The process of seasoning is where you smooth out the pans rough surface and fill the pores of the metal with oil. What smoothes out the surface? When the fats are exposed to heat it removes the hydrogen molecules from the carbon molecules to leave only carbon. This carbon is what makes the non-stick surface, it builds up and smoothes out the microscopic valleys and peaks of the pan to create a smoother surface. When a cast iron cookware is properly seasoned it will need no additional oil when cooking. You also will not need any special cooking utensils, and what is better than it lasting a lifetime.

Pre-seasoned or not all new cast iron cookware comes with a food grade wax applied for rust prevention when being shipped. You are going to want to wash them in the hottest tap water you can get and soap. Some say to use a scouring pad, what is the point of pre-seasoning then. NEVER use a scouring pad on any seasoned cast iron cookware, unless it is the last resort. You can always re-season the piece, it is not hard. Here are the instructions for doing that.

If Properly Seasoned Then Food Should Not Stick

Seasoning and maintaining Cast Iron Cookware

I recommend using solid Crisco shortening, lard, or bacon grease. These can be wiped on evenly and not have heavy spots or pools like oil can leave. If you must use oil, then canola or sunflower oil will work.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Cover your cookware in a light coat of shortening or oil (make sure you cover every thing-the top, bottom, handle, and top, bottom of the lid if you have one) Once heated place your cookware cooking side down on upper rack of your oven Place a baking sheet covered in foil on the rack directly under it under to prevent dripping Bake for 60 minutes After it is done let it slowly cool down to room temperature Repeat this procedure a couple times to create a good non-stick seasoning

To maintain your cast iron cookware

If you don’t use your pans every day then you should do all of these steps to prevent the oils from spoiling in the pan, otherwise you should be able to wipe it out and use it the next day. You should follow these step at least once a week though to prevent spoiling of oils.

Despite what you have heard, you are going wash it in warm soapy water (Briefly though do not soak or let water sit in the pan for any length of time) You can use a plastic scraping tool but NEVER use a scouring pad – sometimes you can use a little salt and oil to clean the pan NEVER put cast iron cookware in the dishwasher Once washed, place the piece on a warm burner (about medium) for a couple minutes to make sure that it is dry Remove pan from burner for a second to wipe a very light coat of oil in the cooking area – use a paper towel to apply it (here I use oil and not shortening) Place back on warm burner (about medium) for about five minutes Remove again and wipe out access oil with paper towel NEVER put water into your hot cast iron cookware because it could crack or warp

Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off and make sure they are dry, you can store with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture they may attract. Avoid cooking acidic foods in your cast iron cookware because it will eat at the seasoning and the metal in some cases. If your food starts sticking or you are seeing rust you will need to scrub the pan, here you can use a scouring

A Combination Of Ingredients As A Substitute

By using substitutions when you are cooking a great meal, and if you do not have the specific ingredients for your particular dish, you will find that every ingredient has a substitute which could enhance the flavor of your dish.

With regard to tips on substituting ingredients, you will find that almost every ingredient can be substituted and will be as close to the original. Sometimes, you may have to use two or three different ingredients to be able to get the taste of the original.

The following list will give you an idea of the common substitution tips for ingredients that take place in everyday cooking.

Common Substitutes

Flour

In case you have all purpose flour and the recipe required self raising flour, add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of all purpose flour.

Baking Powder

If you do not have baking powder, you could use 1/2 cup buttermilk added to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and bring down the liquid in your preparation by half a cup or you could use 5/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 1/4
teaspoon baking soda.

Crumbs with crackers

If bread crumbs are available and the recipe calls for cracker crumbs, in place of each cup of cracker crumbs, use 1 1/4 cups of bread crumbs.

Bread Crumbs

Similarly, if you need one cup of bread crumbs, and you do not have it, just use cracker crumbs (3/4 cup).

Corn Starch

If the recipe required corn starch and you do not have it, just use 2 tbsps. of all purpose flour.

Butter

If you do not have butter when the recipe requires it, use 7/8 cup shortening for every cup of butter or 7/8 cup of vegetable oil could also be used.

Buttermilk

If you do not have buttermilk, you can use plain yogurt with the same amount. You could also use 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar.

Sour Cream

Substitute a cup of sour cream, with 3/4 cup of sour milk or plain yogurt of the same quantity

Chocolate Substitutions

3 tbsps. of cocoa powder that is not sweetened, and 1 tbsp. butter is used in place of one ounce of unsweetened chocolate. For semi-sweet chocolate, use 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate and 1 tbsp. sugar.

Lemon Juice Substitutions

A simple substitution for lemon juice is vinegar in the same amount as the recipe requires.

The above substitutions for ingredients come in extremely handy when you find that you are all set to bake or cook, and find some of the ingredients are missing. By keeping this list in your kitchen as a guideline, you can make use of the ingredients that you have at your disposal instead of rushing out to the store.

If you are like so many other families during the holidays you may be dreaming about eating your fill of a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner. People far and wide are now making their plans to be home of the holidays, or to at least they want to enjoy a warm inviting meal even if they are away from home for the holidays. However, one thing is for sure, no matter where a turkey dinner may be served and enjoyed most likely there will always be some leftover turkey meat.

Make some Easy Party Appetizers rather than a Plain Turkey Salad

If you are considering your options of what to do with any leftover turkey, rather than making a plain old everyday turkey salad consider making some easy party appetizers out of it. Just about anyone anywhere will be expecting you to serve leftover turkey as a salad or as a cold sandwich. You can surprise everyone by creating a mouthwatering pate out of the leftover meat that they can enjoy by spreading it over any number of flavorful crackers and thin specialty breads.

This is a turkey pate that is easy to make and very delicious. It will be a wonderful treat opposed to a dull turkey salad or sandwich. However, the best thing about it is if everyone is expecting the same old thing that you usually do with the leftover turkey meat then they will indeed be in for a real treat this holiday season.

Recipe for Turkey Pate

What You Need

4 cups cooked turkey 1 teaspoon liquid smoke ½ cup butter or margarine ¼ cup chopped green onion ½ teaspoon chopped thyme ½ teaspoon chopped dill weed 1 package softened cream cheese 8 ounce 2 cups finely chopped walnuts

How to Make It

Remove cream cheese from the refrigerator and set out for about 20 minutes before preparing this recipe in order to soften it to use in this recipe.

Using a food processor ground the cooked turkey and then add the liquid smoke and butter or margarine and blend well.

Add the green onion, thyme, dill weed, and cream cheese and puree the mixture.

Roll turkey pate chopped walnuts, form into large balls, and then mash into a mold or 7×4 inch loaf pan evenly. Cover with clear food wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 or 5 hours before serving with French bread, vegetable slices or spears, apple slices and assorted crackers.

Have you looked outside lately? Summer is on it’s way and with it brings thoughts of picnics, cook outs and barbeques. Here are a few good ideas to make it as pleasant for you as for your guest.

Gathering Supplies:

1. Use a fitted sheet for the table cloth. You can make it almost wind proof by placing small stones into the corner pockets.

2. Carry your plastic ware to the picnic in a used potato chip container. Make sure you have cleaned it well, as it might attract small insects.

3. Collect a few frozen juice containers then refill them with water and freeze. These can be used to keep the meats and other food cold in your cooler. Once you get to the picnic you can use the ice to make Lemonade.

4. Use washcloths as napkins. They will be easier to keep on the table and so easy at clean up time. Just toss them in a bag, then bring them home to laundry.

Cooking Tips

1. For extra flavor, always marinate your meats. You can also inject flavoring into the meats. Supplies for this can be bought at most grocery stores.

2. If you are pressed for space in your refrigerator, use zip lock plastic bags instead of bulky bowls. Don’t forget to turn them over about every two hours.

3. Always flip your meats with tongs. Using a fork will allow flavor filled juices to escape from the meat.

4. Use a small, one and a half inch, paint brush to apply your barbeque sauce to your meat as it grills. You will get better coverage and appreciate the flavors more when it’s time to eat.

Clean Up

1. Before you put your pots or pans on an open fire, coat their bottoms with a bar of soap. You will find clean up will be much easier later.

2. Coating your grill rack with a thin covering of vegetable oil will make it a breeze to clean later.

Your propane gas grill can be the host of tons of delicious and savory concoctions. This is especially true for propane gas grills with rotisserie attachments. Regardless of the season, weather or reason, you can cook up easy and hassle-free meals that keep your family and friends coming back for more.

Marinades are everything, and timing is the key to using them right. Your rotisserie can held you slow roast chickens, turkey, beef, pork and even pineapple. In fact, the options are endless. Learning to properly season what you roast before putting over the heat however, will be the key to getting the desired end results.

Always trim the fat off of the meats that you are planning to cook, or find a butcher that prepares the meat this way for you. Red meat and pork can be punctured several times with a turning fork, placed in a large bowl and covered liberally with the marinade of your choice. This can be covered and refrigerated for several hours to allow time for the seasoning to permeate the meat.

Chicken and turkey can be washed and the excess portions of fat near the thighs and rear of the birds can be trimmed off using kitchen shears. By pulling the skin away from the meat slightly at the neck area you can provide room to stuff numerous spices including onions, garlic, rosemary, sage and others. The birds can also be punctured and placed in a covered dish with marinade as well to encourage a deep, flavorful seasoning that will roast in when the bird is on the spit.

If you are using your grill in the winter, do not be afraid to implement other cooking devices as well. A good rice cooker is the best way to have a complete meal without having to get your hands dirty. A warm bed of jasmine or saffron rice can be the perfect complement to a lot of the meals that you will make on the grill. Learning to cook your vegetables right along side the meat is another way to keep the meal simple.