Pick Your Own Strawberries

One of my favorite parts about late spring/early summer is local strawberries.  I was so happy to learn that I did not miss the pick your own season this year.  I was away on vacation in late May/early June and the strawberries were not in yet before we left.  We came home to an intense heat wave, with temperatures in the high nineties.  I knew the strawberries were in, but I just could not see taking my 14 month old boys (or myself) picking strawberries in such hot weather.  Once the heat wave was over, I was so disappointed to learn that the strawberry season was also over at all of the local pick your own farms that I knew of (you can check www.pickyourown.org to check for farms in your  area).  I was thrilled when I found out that Penn Vermont Fruit Farm in Bedminster plants a later variety and was still open for picking (they have a facebook page:)!  The boys and I went last Wednesday with some friends and had a great time.  Even though the boys are too young to help pick, they enjoyed sitting in the jogging stroller in the fresh air, watching us.  I managed to pick six quarts!  And I just checked Penn Vermont's facebook page and they are still open for picking this week.  So there's still time if you did not get a chance to pick any yet this year (or if you already ate all of your yummy strawberries!)

I had a recipe for No Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam that I was excited to make because I don't like feeding my babies regular jam because of all of the sugar.  It uses no sugar pectin and only 3/4 cup of honey for the entire batch of jam (that is much, much less sweetener than regular jam or jelly).  So I used about two quarts of my precious berries for the jam.  The jam tastes amazing, but unfortunately, did not set.  I put it in the freezer, hoping that it will firm up a little bit.  I plan to pick blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries throughout the summer, so I will have to tweak the recipe until I can get it to work.

I also made up some Strawberry Banana Bread (my own concoction) and some Strawberry Muffins (using this recipe:  http://www.strawberry-recipes.com/strawberry-muffin-recipes.html) which both came out awesome!

Easy Strawberry Banana Bread
makes 2 small loaves*

1/2 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 very ripe med or large banana
1/2 cup mashed strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients (through sugar).  Use a fork, spoon, or potato masher to mash the banana and mix the ingredients together.  Most of the banana and strawberries should be mashed up, with just some very small chunks of fruit remaining.
3.  In a separate large bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon).
4.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix just until they are blended together.
5.  Pour the batter into small, greased loaf pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6.  Let cool 10 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool.  We ate one loaf while it was hot (yum!) and then once the other loaf was cool, I wrapped it in plastic wrap, then foil, and put it in the freezer.  I freeze regular banana bread all of the time using this method.  It's nice to have on hand.

*I apologize that I do not have the measurements for the loaf pans.  They are approximately half the size of a regular loaf pan, not the teeny tiny individual loaf pans.  You can buy the disposable/reusable aluminum pans this size at the grocery store or dollar store.

Spring: Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

I was over-joyed the week before last when I drove by my favorite local farm stand and I saw the first asparagus of the season!  I feel so blessed to live in Bucks county surrounded by small farms.  I love watching for the first asparagus, spring onions, strawberries, radishes, and lettuce each year.  They always taste like spring to me. 

I needed a main dish to go with my asparagus, and I remembered a recipe in the May 2011, "Cooking Light" magazine that I wanted to try.  I always keep an eye out for recipes that are super easy and do not require a lot of ingredients.  I am so busy with my 14 month old twins, and my husband comes home late a lot of nights, so I have to be realistic about what I can accomplish at dinner time!  This recipe fit the bill.  It was also in the "Feed 4 for Less than $10" section of the magazine, so that's even better!  I did not freeze it, but it is so similar to a lot of my Secret Chef recipes, that I am confident you could freeze the chicken (in the marinade) in a ziplock bag.

Here is the recipe (from May 2011 , "Cooking Light" Magazine):
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soysauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned*
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
cooking spray

*I only had boneless, skinless chicken thighs so I used those, and it was fine

1.  Combine first 9 ingredients. Place half of the mixture in a zip-top plastic bag; reserve remaining mixture.  Add chicken to bag; seal.  Chill 2 hours.
2.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3.  Remove chicken from bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt.  Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until done.  Serve with reserved mustard mixture.

Hearty Beef Short Ribs and Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I apologize for not posting in ages!  I had this recipe made and photographed back in January, but didn't get around to posting it right away.  Then the boys and I took turns being sick throughout the month of February, and in March I have been busy planning their first birthday party...  yes, you heard that correctly!  Where does the time go?  They turned one years old yesterday (on St. Patricks Day!) but we are waiting until the end of the month to do a big bash for them.

This recipe was perfect for the colder weather, but now with the beautiful warm weather today, I am dreaming about asparagus, radishes, strawberries, and all of the other yummy spring foods that will be coming shortly.  I will still post it, and we can file it away for next winter!  I know there are a lot of brussel sprout haters out there, but this recipe was really good.  Give it a try!

Hearty Beef Short Ribs

4 lbs. beef short ribs
1 Tbs. grape seed oil (or olive oil)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup beef gravy
1/2 cup chili sauce (Heinz 57 or similar)
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 lb. bag of baby carrots 

1.  Place ribs on a broiler rack/pan and broil under high heat for 6 minutes per side.  Remove from the oven and drain on a paper-towel-lined platter.

2.  In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring, until transluscent.  Add garlic, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add beef gravy, chili sauce, vinegar, Wrocestershire sauce, brown sugar, and mustard powder.  Bring to a boil. Stir in carrots.  Remove from heat.

3.  Place short ribs in short cooker.  Pour sauce/carrot mixture over the ribs, and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.  Ribs should be tender and falling off the bone.

Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 lb. Brussel Sprouts, washed and drained

2 Tbs. olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  Trim stem ends of Brussel sprouts so that the leaves begin to peel away.  Discard the ends.

3.  Peel away any leaves that easily separate from the hearts (probably about one half to 3/4 of the leaves will pull off).  Halve the hearts.

4.  Place only the leaves in a large bowl.  Add 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss until all leaves are lightly coated.

5.  Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange leaves on half the sheet.  Set aside.

6.  Add the brussel sprout hearts to the bowl and toss with the remaining oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Spread the hearts over the remaining half of the baking sheet.

7.  Place baking sheet in the oven.  After about 10 minutes, check on the leaves.  Remove any that have crispes/turned brown.  Place them in serving bowl.  After another 5 minutes or so, remove remaining leaves to the serving bowl.  Allow hearts to roast approximately 15 more minutes, until lightly browned and tender. 

8.  When hearts are done, add them to the serving bowl and toss with the crispy leaves, then serve.

Cranberry Extravaganza Continued (White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies)

My cranberry extravaganza finished off with White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies.  There are several variations of this recipe around and I always wanted to try it.  I found this one on the internet.  They did not disappoint!  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and best wishes to you all in the New Year. I am very excited to see what this new year brings...  hopefully plenty of cooking adventures and blogging!



White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbs. brandy
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease cookie sheets (or line with parchment paper). 
2.  In large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.  Beat in the egg and brandy. 
3.  Combine the flour and baking soda and stir into the sugar mixture.
4.  Gently mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. 
5.  Drop by spoonfulls* onto prepared cookie sheets.
6.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Allow to cool 1 minute on cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool.

*I made my cookies using approximately 1/2 Tbs. of raw dough for each one (so on the smallish side), and I got just over 3 dozen cookies from this recipe.

Cranberry Extravaganza!

This Christmas season has been fun so far.  The boys are just on the verge of crawling and are starting to get into everything.  They love the Christmas tree.  I think they see it as their own personal entertainment center!  Even though they are keeping me pretty busy, I have found some time to cook and bake over the past few weeks.  I was on a cranberry kick and made a bunch of things, some new, and some from The Secret Chef recipes.

Cranberry Chutney
This is one of my favorite holiday recipes.  You can pour it over a block of cream cheese or brie and use it as an appetizer (serve with crackers), use it as a cranberry sauce with your holiday turkey, or serve it with other meats such as ham or pork roast.  It is in the cookbook, however, I forgot to mention in the cookbook that you can add a teaspoon or so of fresh orange zest to give it a little extra flavor.  I usually squeeze a little bit of the juice from the orange as well (approximately a Tablespoon or so).  I find it makes enough for a couple of appetizers or an appetizer and one small bowl of sauce.  The photo above shows approximately  one third of the mixture over a one pound block of cream cheese.

1 (12oz) bag of cranberries
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 large granny smith apple, cored and chopped
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves (you can substitute all-spice)

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.
2.  Bring to a boil on the stove.  Reduce heat to low and stir constantly until apple is tender and mixture thickens, approximately 15-20 minutes.
3.  Cool completely.  Store in the refrigerator.  Serve at room temperature.

Carol's Cranberry Horseradish Dip Mix
My sister recently became a Wildtree sales representative, so I discovered that this fall.  They make some great dip mixes that are perfect to have on hand this time of year--  especially for last minute entertaining.  I bought a bunch of cream cheese and crackers when they went on sale and if I need something quick to bring to a holiday event or have unexpected guests, I can whip one of the dips up quickly.  I love the Carol's Cranberry Horseradish Dip for this time of year.  Everyone likes it and the products are all-natural and peanut free.  You can search Holly's Wildtree on facebook or maybe this link http://www.facebook.com/#!/topic.php?uid=175145615830108&topic=250 will work?

Chicken with Maple Cranberry Sauce
This recipe is also in the cookbook.  It is sooooo easy but looks "fancy"!  It serves approximately 4 people.

1 cup red cooking wine (burgundy)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

1.  In a small-medium bowl, combine the red wine, maple syrup, and dried cranberries.  Set aside.
2.  In a large skillet, heat butter over mdeium heat until hot.  Add the chicken and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it warm.
3.  Add the maple cranberry sauce to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes
4.  Combine the cornstarch and 1 Tbs. cold water in a small bowl.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens and turns clear, about 1 minute.
5.  Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken.  Simmer one minute.  Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over it.

I'll continue the Cranberry Extravaganza in my next post...  with the recipe for Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  As I am sitting here writing this post, I can't help but remember last Thanksgiving.  I was pregnant with my twin boys and we had 500 cook book orders pending.  Right after Thanksgiving, I ended up getting put on strict bedrest (which continued until I delivered on St. Patrick's Day!)  Fortunately, my husband and our families pitched in and helped us pack up and deliver all 500 of those cookbooks!  I was able to do all of the correspondence and paperwork from the couch, so that kept me busy.  And everything ended up fine in the end.  The boys were born prematurely, but they were healthy and strong.  They are eight months old now and doing great.  I am so thankful for that!  And I am so thankful for all of the help our families have given us!

We ended up doing a second printing of the cookbooks, so we do have some books available again this year.  They make great Christmas/Hannukah gifts (they are especially good for teacher gifts)!  They are $16.95 (including tax).  Ordering info is in this post: Savory Secrets Cookbook Ordering Info .  I think I have about 100 books left for sale.

I also wanted to give everyone a tip.  If you are fortunate enough to have leftover turkey and need some recipes to use it up, the Chicken and Wildrice Casserole I posted awhile back can also be made with turkey! Just substitute the same amount of cooked turkey in place of the chicken.  One reader commented that she added frozen veggies to the casserole and I thought that was a great idea!  I also saw a similar recipe online that called for a can of green beans (or you could probably use about two cups of frozen).

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

The Secret Chef Marinated London Broil

The Marinated London Broil was one of the all-time favorite menu items at The Secret Chef.  It is included in the Savory Secrets cook book, so if you already have the cookbook, then this recipe will not be new to you.  Customers always raved about it and commented how everyone in their family, even picky eaters, liked it.  It's a really easy marinade recipe and it freezes great.  The main secret is to use a restaurant cut London Broil-- that just means to use what is called "Flank Steak" in the grocery store.  I meant to post this recipe on the blog weeks ago, but of course I have been busy and just never seemed to find the time.  Sorry about the slightly blurry picture.  It does not do justice to the recipe!

I will be back in a couple of days with a brief Thanksgiving post and also in December I have some cranberry recipes planned!

The Secret Chef Marinated London Broil

4 oz mayonnaise (weird, I know, but trust me!)

1/3 cup lite soy sauce

3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lb. flank steak

1.  Mix all ingredients (including steak) in a large freezer bag.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2.  Remove steak from marinade.

3.  Grill or broil about 6 inches from heat, for approximately 6-8 minutes.  Turn steak over, and grill or broil for 6-8 minutes longer, or until cooked through (it may take longer in the broiler). 

4.  Let steak stand a couple of minutes before slicing.  Important:  Cut across the grain into thin slices to serve, or even better, cut diagonally across the grain into slices.

Enjoy!

If making this dish ahead to freeze:  Freeze sreak in marinade after step 1. Thaw in the refrigerator.  Continue at step 2 to cook.