Any Kitchen Will Do

Give me a kitchen and I will cook.

Archive for the month “September, 2013”

27 Sep 2013

Camp Scramble

camp scramble 5We went on a final camping trip in Maryland before moving west. This time I actually remembered to take pictures of our typical breakfast – a rare multi-step pictorial is provided for your viewing pleasure. Not because pictures were necessary, but because I just went a little picture crazy and could not decide on a single one. Our egg preparation process, which reduces any extra mess, and gives Little B an opportunity to help without being to near the propane stove that often sits a bit precariously on a tilted picnic table. Although this overnight trip did not require much prep before leaving home (we actually hit the grocery store on the way to the campground), we often take a few extra steps before going camping to make meals delicious, yet simple. For example, mixing ground beef with herbs and spices and dumping it in a resealable bag makes for some flavorful burgers without having to schlepp a bunch of spices separately. For eggs we often break them into resealable bags – enough eggs for using one bag each camp morning – and the transport in the cooler minimizes the space used up by eggs and helps to scramble them en route. Simple salt, pepper and butter completes the dish. This most recent trip included the addition of cheese to officially call the result a scramble instead of just scrambled eggs. And yes, for you egg connoisseurs, I appreciate the difference between the purity of scrambled eggs and the corruption of adding non-egg ingredients. This resealable bag technique also works well at home with little ones who have not yet mastered the use of a whisk and bowl, but want to help.

Camp Scramble

8 – 9 eggs (2-3 eggs per person)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
Resealable bag – quart or gallon will work

Break eggs into bag.

camp scramble 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cheese.

camp scramble 2nd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smush and mush bag contents until yolks and whites are combined.

camp scramble 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat pan to medium high, add butter. When butter is melted pour egg mixture into heated pan and stir gently until egg is cooked.

camp scramble 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in breakfast, Camping Kitchen, cheese, eggs, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
22 Sep 2013

Coconut Macaroons

coconut macaroons

Big D is all about things coconut. Well, maybe not ALL things, like blue coconut sno cones, but definitely macaroons. I have discovered recently that my longstanding disregard for coconut was primarily based on exposure to sweetened strips of coconut. You know, the stuff in bags from the baking aisle of the store that is oft used for cookies and cakes? It is just too, pitchy and string for my taste. It always made me pucker. Our discovery of coconut flour as a low carb thickener and baking ingredient has changed my mind. Along with coconut oil I have found the coconut flour and unsweetened coconut meat are great conduits for baking – wheat free, high fiber, low carb tasty treats have come out of our kitchens over the past year. I am finally getting around to making this Big D favorite treat. These macaroons are a little too coconut-y for my taste but Big D and Little B scarfed them right down – almost the whole batch before lunch! Big D said that after they sat for a day and were chilled they had the chewy middle he loves about such macaroons, do double yay me. I looked through a bunch of recipes to figure out a good coconut/liquid ratio, but not sure there is a single source to credit, so thanks all you low carb macaroon makers out there! I plan to make a big batch right before our big move so we can nibble on them as we toodle across the country, or at least into the next state. By the way,
I promised credit to Litte B – I had a pile of macaroon for a picture, but Little B insisted on nestling each one carefully in mini muffin papers – after half an hour of manipulation she came up with the wonderful presentation you see above. Beautiful!

Coconut Macaroons

1 1/4 cup unsweetened minced coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup granulated erythritol
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp water

In a medium sauce pan combine coconut, coconut oil, erythritol, cream and water. Stir over medium heat until erythritol is dissolved – if you use finely minced coconut the mixture should be rough and not soupy at all. Remove from heat and let cool for about twenty minutes, so the mixture won’t cook the egg whites. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk egg whites until they hold shape, but stop before stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into coconut mixture. With your hands gently form dough into balls no larger than 1″ in diameter. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper – one batch should make 16-20 macaroons. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until bottoms begin to brown and tops get brown edges. Let cool before removing from parchment. Store in refrigerator or room temperature in air tight container.

Posted in baked, coconut flour, eggs, Takoma Park Kitchen, Uncategorized, wheat free | Leave a Comment
17 Sep 2013

Low Carb Layered Enchiladas

lc layered chicken enchiladas

As I have stated many times before, we are hard pressed to find good Tex-Mex food north of Austin. Actually, north of the south of Austin. Enchiladas are a dish where I find it very important to have perfect bites. If you just get tortilla and sauce, it is just off. A bite full of only filling and there is something lacking. I need filling AND tortilla AND sauce AND cheese in every bite. Otherwise, it is just a pile of stuff on a plate. A good Tex-Mex combination platter has the enchiladas perfectly rolled with just enough sauce, sandwiched between refried beans and rice. A chance of leftovers is not favorable to a combination platter. It is nearly impossible to transfer the enchiladas in a way that allows the perfect bites to be experienced in leftovers. The easy way to ensure many perfect bites when I anticipate leftovers or reheating is to approach them in layers.  One of the comfort foods from my childhood was layered enchiladas. Rolled enchiladas are good, but when you want to reheat them after playing in a late high school soccer game, the layered version has been sitting in the fridge after mom made them earlier, or even a day or two earlier. Trust me, they are much better later than the first day. Now, to make my mom’s masterpiece low carb seemed overwhelming. My approach to layered enchiladas came out so very much better than I expected! Not only was it good hot, but the leftovers were good cold, too! The texture of the coconut flatbread gave a similar effect as corn tortillas and soaked up the sauce just right, just like mom’s. I am experimenting with low carb tortillas, most recently with coconut flatbread versions. I used them for this recipe, so serving these layered enchiladas was done right before serving, as opposed to layering a casserole then baking it. I am now convinced a baked version would work, but this recipe is a quicker version without a long baking period. I hope you enjoy it, for it is filling, satisfying and has a bit of a bite that remind me of mom.

Low Carb Layered Enchiladas

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 to 2 4-ounce cans green chiles
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
4 – 6 cups cooked, shredded chicken (pre-cooked in a crock pot or strip a roasted chicken from the grocery store)
1 to 2 batches coconut flatbread or corn tortillas
2 – 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat add oil. When oil is hot add the onion and cook until translucent. Add tomato sauce, green chiles, paprika and cumin. Stir until combined and lower temperature to simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. Add water or chicken broth to thin out to the consistency of thin gravy. Let simmer for about ten more minutes, then set aside until time to serve. While the sauce simmers make the coconut flatbread, or rely on your personal preference of corn tortillas. When you are ready to serve make sure the flatbread is made and the chicken is hot. Start layering on serving plates with flatbread/tortillas. Next pour some sauce, followed by cheese and chicken. Repeat layers again, topping with more cheese. Serve immediately with sour cream.

Posted in bread, cheese, chicken, sauces, Takoma Park Kitchen, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
12 Sep 2013

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

peanut butter yogurt dip

Double duty yogurt stuff! This works as an awesome dip for fruit as well as a spoonable non-dip snack for Little B. Talk about protein and protein and some subtle sweetness from the apple sauce. The recipe is quick and dirty (but clean) so I will leave the intro the same. Make it and enjoy, even adding some extra cinnamon to make it spicier, if the apple sauce is not already enough. Yum yum! You can see Little B’s hand dipping a blurry strawberry in her eagerness – could not wait until the pics were taken….

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup apple sauce

In medium bowl combine peanut butter, yogurt and apple sauce. Stir until completely combined. Store in covered dish and chill overnight. Serve with celery, apple slices, mango slices or other fruit. Also works plain as a snack for peanut butter lovers.

Posted in cinnamon, dip, fruit, side dish, Takoma Park Kitchen, wheat free | Leave a Comment
07 Sep 2013

Fickle Coconut Flatbread

coconut flour flatbreadThe flatbread you see here is what I consider part one of an experiment. The goal is to find a quick, easy recipe to make tortilla-type rounds that are low carb and can hold stuff. I mean substantial stuff. Not a dainty piece of fish and a sprinkle of cheese, but a hefty strip or three of fajita meat along with guacamole, chimichurri, queso and sour cream. It is no small feat for a hearty flour tortilla to be able to contain such a pile, but for coconut flour recipe results that tend to be delicate, it is a bigger challenge. After doing a bit of research I came up with the following results. The recipe is a combination of the recipe found here and some of the input in the trailing comments connected to the recipe, so this is my best attempt at giving credit where due. The flatbread is useful for layering, or representing a polenta-type base, but not the ultimate tortilla I was looking for. I will keep this recipe handy, for it tastes really good and was useful and fit the quick and easy requirements I set out. A little fickle (aka delicate), but what is a good cooking experiment without a little fickle? I look forward to part two…

Fickle Coconut Flatbread

4 whole eggs
1/4 c coconut oil
2 pinches salt
1/2 c coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2/3 to 1/2 c coconut milk or water
1/2 – 3/4 cup butter or coconut oil for cooking

Combine the flour, oil, baking powder, salt and eggs in a food processor. process until a thick batter forms. Let sit until it thickens, about three minutes. Add enough liquid to make a somewhat loose batter. Pour 1/4 c of batter into a  well greased, well oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Cook on one side until the sides begin to brown and the middle starts to set, about three minutes. Gently flip the flatbread and cook for about three more minutes, until it is completely set.

Posted in bread, coconut flour, eggs, Takoma Park Kitchen, Uncategorized, wheat free | Leave a Comment
02 Sep 2013

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

bacon asparagus final

These were fun! Not only were they easy to make, mostly by Little B, but no complication, even minor, of adding seasoning or flavors. Yes, I know. That is the magic of bacon! I was tempted to marinate the asparagus first, but decided to try simpler, and it worked wonderfully. We sat on the porch and rolled them while Big D set up the fire in the grill. Is it gas or charcoal, you ask? I won’t tell Big D yo said that. Of course it is charcoal. Although level and length of heat may vary compared to gas, there is no comparison when it comes to the flavors transferred to food from the charcoal fire. For the pictured batch of asparagus we (more precisely he) grilled it. They were a little dark, because of the high fire heat, but it gave the dish a wonderful crispiness and the asparagus was bright green and just tender enough. Although easy to serve as a side dish daintily cut up alongside a steak, we scarfed them down with our fingers, which made them more of an appetizer. In the future I plan on cooking them up in a pan on the stove or in the oven. I will update you on how it goes. For now, we have a quick side dish for an all-grilled meal. The accompanying steaks were to die for, by the way…

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

1 pound asparagus spears, tough ends removed
1 pound sliced bacon, room temperature

Combine asparagus spears in multiple bundles so each one does not exceed 1/2 inch diameter (could be one to three spears). Wrap a strip of bacon around each bundle at a diagonal, so most of the asparagus is covered. Cooking approaches: 1) grill bundles over medium to high heat until bacon is crisp. Remove and let cool until warm enough to eat, or 2) heat the broiler to medium and place on broiling pan. When top side is crisp (three to five minutes) turn over to crisp on underside. Remove from broiler and let cool, or 3) heat large skillet to medium high heat. Place rolls in the pan and cook until bacon is crisp, like you would for breakfast. Remove from pan and let cool before serving.

Posted in seasonal, side dish, Takoma Park Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

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