Happy Birthday MyMy

It's Myles' Birthday!!!!! Holy moly where does the time go?!
Happy Birthday to my favorite little boy! He brings us all so much joy. I can't remember what life was like before him and I don't care to. XOXO

Sgt. Pepper's Apple Pie In A Jar

It's test kitchen time again in Tennessee! Today Sgt. Pepper is on repeat and strangely after hanging my TV on the wall (all by myself) I was listening to the album and decided to make apple pie. This is how things happen here. Spend the day realizing that I don't require help to do anything and then I want to bake something to bring me back to just being a girl in the kitchen.

My fondness of mason jars goes far beyond storage. I like to bake in them. They make for convenient serving vessels and are easy to transport. Today's recipe is Apple Pie In A Jar. The Sgt. Pepper album really did inspire this recipe as there is pepper in the pie!

Sgt. Pepper's Apple Pie In A Jar:
2 servings
10 min prep, 45 min baking

3 apples (any kind you like)
juice of 1 lemon
1 T flour
1 T brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
1 tsp apple pie spices
pinch of good salt
fresh cracked pink peppercorns TT
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
2 tsp raw sugar
2 ea. 1/2 pint wide mouth mason jars
1 ea. refrigerated pie crust

Okay...so, I said this was test kitchen and I meant it. I didn't really measure anything exactly and that's what's great about it. When I said tablespoon, I used a regular one and it was a heaping measure. Just go with what feels right.
Peel, core and slice the apples thin and then in half. The jars are small so you will want smaller pieces so they fit nicely. Toss the apples in a bowl with the lemon juice so they do not oxidize and turn brown.
Unroll the pie crust and cut part of it into two square like pieces. Fit the crusts into the jars. Reserve the remaining dough for the top.
Sprinkle the flour, sugars, spices, salt & pepper over the apples and toss to coat evenly.
Fill the jars with the apple mixture. Top with remaining crust dough in whatever fashion pleases you.
Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Place on a baking sheet and into a COLD oven.
Turn the oven on to 375 degrees F and bake for 45 min or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Viola! Sgt. Pepper's Apple Pie!
Yum!

Comfort Food: College Coconut Chicken Curry

There are days when I want a home cooked meal that's full of flavor but minus the fuss of making everything from scratch. Back in college, Gracie and I often made Chicken Curry with coconut milk and an assortment of vegetables. It was easy to make but we let it simmer for a couple of hours. We made copious amounts at a time and would eat it for a week.

While I love that old recipe, I wanted something quicker and using the few things that I have on hand. I was at Target today and found a simmer sauce by Archer Farms. I'm becoming a fan of their products. I decided to try it and it was almost better than what Gracie and I used to make. So here is the easy recipe using a pre-made simmer sauce that is sure to delight and comfort on a day like today.

College Coconut Chicken Curry:
Serves 4

1 chicken breast and 2 thighs, cut into bite size pieces (or 2 chicken breasts, or 4 thighs depending on what kind of meat you like)
1/2 onion rough chopped
Handful of baby carrots, chopped
1 T oil
Salt & Pepper TT
1 jar Archer Farms Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce
3 T water
3/4 cup Rice of your choice, cooked according to package instructions

In a medium sauce pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Add the Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce. Then add 3 T of water to the jar, replace the lid, and shake it. Pour the contents into the chicken mixture. I find the sauce straight from the jar, a bit thick so the water thins it nicely.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper TT.
In another pot, prepare the rice according to package instructions.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Happy Birthday Daddy

He would have been 71 today. Though there is not a day that has passed since his death that I haven't reached for the phone to call him, and many tears have been shed, I'm still the luckiest little girl ever to had him as my father. Happy Birthday Daddy.
Gosh I miss him.

September 6, 2012

I had a piece of dark sea salt chocolate for breakfast this morning. I'm okay with it. Since chocolate is one of my four food groups, I consider it a good start to a balanced diet for the day.

Bacon and Eggs: Elevated Barley Wild Mushroom Risotto

Bacon, Barley, Beer & Chocolate, the four food groups. My first time in Turnip Truck Urban Fare, I purchased Cowboy Bacon, Shiitake and Crimini Mushrooms, Beer, and Sea Salt Chocolate from Olive & Sinclair, a local artisan chocolate maker. I also picked up some fresh thyme and chicken broth. The mission was to transport myself back to one of my favorite meals. The concept is a rip off from my buddy Sam. He works at a wonderful place in Laguna Beach, CA, Broadway by Amar Santana. They make a Risotto using Barley instead of Arborio Rice. It's genius. If you are ever in the area please eat there!

Bacon Barley Wild Mushroom Risotto:

1 cup Pearl Barley
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 lb Cowboy Bacon
1 cup Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
2 T fresh thyme
1 T Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 T Cream
Pepper TT
1 egg per serving, soft cooked or poached

Heat the chicken broth in a sauce pot. In another pot heat the butter and add the barley. Stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add a ladle full of the hot chicken broth, continue to stir occasionally. In a pan, add chopped cowboy bacon and sauté over medium heat until cooked. Add the sliced mushrooms and some of the fresh thyme and cook until the mushrooms have softened.
Continue to add the broth one ladle at a time into the barley, stirring when it's added. The barley will take about 60 minutes to cook. When almost all of the liquid has been absorbed remove it from the heat. Add the cream and Parmesan, and stir.
For serving, place the barley risotto on the serving dish, arrange the mushroom and bacon mixture around the outside and top with an egg. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan, thyme and fresh cracked pepper.

Mason Jars

Mason Jars, Ball Jars, Glass Jars, Canning Jars, whatever you call them, I LOVE them. My hatred of plastic bags and bottles started in my youth. It hasn't gotten any better over time. The sound of someone crunching up an empty plastic water bottle is enough to make my skin crawl. I have used reusable bags at the grocery store for years, only because in my many years of apartment living, the elevator seems to always be out of service when I go grocery shopping and making more than one trip up the stairs carrying bags flat out sucks. The reusable bags are bigger and stronger.

While I can appreciate the convenience of a zip lock bag, I hate they way they make my pantry look. Working in restaurants for so long has made me obsessive about being able to find things quickly and easily. Knowing exactly how many chocolate chips are left in the crinkled up bag in a bag is impossible and I inevitably start baking when there are not enough for my recipes.

Organizing my pantry using mason jars to store just about everything I can has made me a happy cooker. I can see what I need, how much is left and things stay fresh. It's nice to look at and the jars are less expensive over time than the zip lock bags that I hardly reuse.

Mason jars also make for a great cocktail glass, they are dishwasher safe and they are charming, for what it's worth. I have never had a drink from a mason jar without a smile on my face.

Consider replacing your plastic bags with mason jars. I guarantee you will smile when you open your pantry.