Monthly Archives: November 2015

Roasted Beet an Orange Salad

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A Winter Salad Dedicated To Trudy.

Our sister-in-law Trudy currently works and lives in Macau. We stay in touch each week by Skype and sometimes the topic turns to food, especially when we’ve just posted about something that isn’t easily available in Macau.  Trudy has decided that when we can send a sample of our cooking via Skype we will have reached the height of technology.  We agree!  Macau is formerly a Portuguese colony on the southern coast of China so you know there would be a few “good eats” that Trudy could Skype back to us as well!

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad

This salad is a new rendition of an old favorite.  Here we’ve added oranges, raspberries and we substituted Feta instead of Goat cheese.  We think beets taste best when slow roasted and the sharp salty taste of the Feta cheese adds to the vibrant flavors in this winter salad.  When the weather turns cold we need robust salads that include sturdy greens, healthy toppings and high flavor dressings. This Roasted Beet and Orange Salad delivers on all counts.

Lets get started. The best way to get the most out of the beets is to peel and roast them slowly with a splash of olive oil and some sea salt.  Then marinate the beets overnight for the deepest taste.

TwoFoodNuts Roaste Beet and Orange Salad:

Serves 6 to 8

For the Roasted Beets

  • 3 or 4 medium size beets peeled and sliced in 8ths
  • a drizzle of olive oil
  • 1 pinch Herb de Provence
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Wrap the beets in foil or place into a small roasting pot.  Bake in a low oven (300 F) for an hour or until the beets are tender.

Roasting beets

For the marinade:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic or Raspberry vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar

Pour over the beets and place in the fridge overnight

Balsamic Marinade

For the Salad:

  • Greens of  your choice.  (We used a mix of Arugula and Baby Spinach) Watercress would be wonderful here.
  • Sliced navel orange pieces, a few fresh raspberries
  • Crumbled Feta cheese
  • Toasted sliced almonds
  • The roasted beets

For the Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup Olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp Raspberry Balsamic plus 1 Tbsp Red Wine vinegar
  • Or  3 Tbsp plain Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp  white sugar
  • Salt and Pepper

Today we served the Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Heddy’s Ham and Cheese Croissant   A roasted chicken breast and this salad would also make a great dinner!  No more boring winter salads!

Beet and Orange salad

 

 

 

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Honey Roast Peanut Butter Cookies

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Baking Cookies Is Sharing Love!

The Chocolate Chip Cookie is probably the most baked cookie of all.  But that’s going to change as of right now!  At TwoFoodNuts central the Honey Roast Peanut Butter Cookie is King!   We are willing to bet that if you make these you are going to feel the same.

Milk & Cookies

These Honey Roast Peanut Butter cookies are easy to whip up, so lets get started!

TwoFoodNuts Honey Roast Peanut Butter Cookies:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

  • 1 cup peanut butter (we love chunky)
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup of Honey Roast Peanuts
  • 1 and 1/3 cup all purpose flour.
  • No salt is added since the peanuts are salty!

Honey roast peanut butter cookiesWe like to measure out all the ingredients so the baking is fast and accurate.  In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar to make them very creamy. A stand or hand mixer is best. Add the egg and mix for a few seconds. Add the baking soda and vanilla. Finally, add small amounts of flour and peanuts alternately until both are fully incorporated into the batter. Scoop onto a baking sheet lines with parchment and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack.  Share the Love!

TwoFoodNuts Cookie Monster

TwoFoodNuts Chow Mein Noodles

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The Perfect Side For Chicken!

We made our Sweet and Spicy Chicken for company the other day and thought it would be nice to try a new recipe as the side dish.  It seems weird that after all the cooking we’ve done that we have never prepared Chow Mein Noddles at home. It’s particularly strange since we love eating them when we go out of Asian food.  That being said, we bought a bag of the dried Chow Mein Noodles last time we were at BlueSky so we went for it.

Chow Mein Noodles

We opted to create a recipe that flavor the noodles to compliment our Sweet and Spicy Chicken. It turns out you could really serve them with anything that has an Asian twist.

Look for Chow Mein Noodles in any Asian store and most supermarkets in the specialty isle. Add some awesome crisp vegetables and complete them with a light sauce.

This can be a main dish by stir frying chicken breast pieces, shrimp or beef strips before adding the the vegetables.

Here’s how we do Chow Mein Noodles:

serves 6

For the Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup Soya sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Sesame oil (this is very pungent)
  • 2 Tablespoon freshly grated Ginger
  • 2 large Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar or Palm Sugar
  •  3 green onions thinly sliced and sesame seeds to garnish

All of these ingredients can be bought at a supermarket now a days.

Chow mein Ingredients

For the Noodles:

  •  1 package dried Chow Mein Noodles
  • Salt for boiling the noodles
  • 2 cups of sliced vegetables of your choice
  • 3 Tbsp oil for stir frying

We used mushrooms, yellow carrot, sweet red peppers,  snow peas and garlic.   We fried the mushrooms separately first.

 

Boil the noodles in salted water until just tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Place a clean tea towel in a large bowl and allow the noodles to dry off before stir frying.  The noodles now take just minutes to prepare. When your meat dish is ready to serve, heat a Wok or large skillet.

When the Wok is hot, pour in the oil and the vegetables. Stir for just 1 minute.  You want the vegetable to remain crisp but heated through. Now add the noodles and the sauce to the wok and with two wooden spoons begin to toss the veggies with the noodles. You are not trying to brown the noodles. You simply want everything to be hot all through.

Chow Mein Noodles

It’s time to plate up your creation! Sprinkle the green onions and a few sesame seeds over the noodles and faster then you can say Karate Kid dinner’s ready.

 

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

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Chicken, Always A Good Idea!

We were having some friends over for lunch today. They are originally from Jamaica so something with a bit of zip was in order. Our friend Hope often makes Elfie’s favorite chicken dish when we visit them so we wanted to reciprocate today. Our Sweet Spicy version was just the answer.

Sweet and Spicy chicken

Now, this dish lends itself to Rice and Peas, a very Jamaican dish but we thought we’d put a different spin on it and serve Chow Mein Noodles. This is the first time the noodle dish has appeared on our table but it was excellent. We’ll post the recipe for you in a separate blog.

Whether you make this for two people or a crowd the prep time is about 5 minutes. We love that. No point dropping from exhaustion by the time the dinner guests arrive! So here we go.

 TwoFoodNuts Sweet and Spicy Chicken:

Serves 6

  •  12 chicken thighs. (You can do skinless and boneless to save calories) We don’t!
  • ¼ cup grainy mustard
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 red chili seeded and minced (if you don’t like heat, leave it out or use less)
  • Grated rind of 2 lemons, plus the juice from both
  • Salt and pepper

Line a large oven-proof dish with Parchment paper (you’ll thank us at cleanup)!

5 minute prep time

Place the thighs, skin side down. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Mix everything else in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake at 350F for 45min to 1 hour depending on the size of the thighs. At the 30-minute mark, turn the meat to allow it to brown on both sides. Test with a fork. Meat should not offer any resistance. Serve with Rice or Chow Mein Noodles.

Sweet and Spicy chicken

Good enough for company but fast and easy for everyday dinners. Enjoy!

Curried Squash and Apple Soup.

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Squash Is A Favorite Of TwoFoodNuts

This summer we discovered some new varieties and methods of preparing all the  squash we got our hands on.  We cooked with Zucchini flowers, Patty Pan, Globe Squash stared in our Summer Ratatouille, and Zucchini Carbonara.We also roasted Delicata with pumpkin seeds and cranberries in early October.  The Abundance of Winter Squash is a blessing as we turn to making hearty soups to warm the soul during the cooler weather.  One of our favorites is Curried Butternut Squash and Apple.  How do you beat the creaminess of the squash combined with the sweet/tart flavor of crisp apples?  You just know these two ingredients will work well since they both come to harvest together.

curried squash soup

Curried  Butternut Squash and Apple soup was one of the first soups that our son Justin perfected.  He makes a mean Roasted Red Pepper Soup as well.  If  you don’t like curry you can still make the soup but perhaps you’ll use a bit of cinnamon and allspice instead. We feel the soup really benefits from the zing of spice, so be creative and try it your way.

TwoFoodNuts Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup.

  • 1 medium Butternut Squash peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 4 small or 2 large apples, peeled and roughly cut
  • 1 Small onion roughly cut
  • 3 tables spoon Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 10 sprigs of Thyme

Peel and cut up the Apples, Squash and onion. Spread on a baking sheet lined with Parchment Paper. drizzle with oil, add salt and pepper to taste.  Place Thyme sprigs over the top and bake at 400F for 45 minutes to an hour. The Squash should be fork tender and slightly caramelized.

roasting squash and apples

squash, apples, onions

In a Dutch oven or large pot place:

6 cups of water

1 Knorr stock package (Use Chicken or Vegetable stock depending on if you are going vegetarian).

2 Tbsp mild curry

2 bay leaves

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves minced

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 red thai chili seeded and minced (optional)stick blender

Add the roasted vegetables to the soup base and simmer for 30 min. Remove the Bay leaves and puree with a stick blender or place in a regular blender.

making soup

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cranberries, pecans and a fresh Thyme sprig!   Indulge!

curried squash soup

We hope you love this hearty and a bit spicy soup. Please remember to share the recipe with your friends and family. Leave us a comment if you have a moment.

Waffle Memories.

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Waffles To Build New Memories

When Elfie was growing up her Oma (grandmother) often made waffles for Friday lunch.  The memory of the warm smells coming from her kitchen linger in Elfie’s memory to this day.  It would only be right if we shared our Two Food Nuts waffle recipe so you can make memories for your family.  These waffles are restaurant quality and can be topped with anything that you love. However it wouldn’t be a Two Food Nuts recipe unless the result was over the top!

waffles for Elfie (1)

See what we mean!  Fluffy warm waffles, homemade raspberry sauce with fresh berries, real maple syrup and what’s a waffle without real whipping cream to complete the story. For the record, Oma did not top waffles like this.  She would have offered cinnamon sugar, end of story.

Lets get started.

TwoFoodNuts Homemade Waffles:

Place dry ingredients into one large mixing bowl.

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • a pinch of salt

Place wet ingredients into a second bowl:

  • 1 and 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp orange liquer (optional)
  • Grated peel of one orange
  • 2 large eggs yolks

Then:

  • 2 egg whites whipped until firm
  • 1/3 cup butter melted

Heat the waffle iron

Whipped egg whitesStart by mixing the wet ingredients well and then pour into the dry ingredients.  With a whisk, mix to incorporate into a thick batter. Pour in the melted butter and stir well.  Finally fold in the egg whites gently so the batter becomes light as a cloud.

folding egg whites

Spray the waffle iron with a light coat of baking spray or a bit of melted butter and a basting brush.  Fill the waffle iron to about 2/3 full and close.

waffle ironResist the temptation to open the waffle iron. This will only result in tearing the waffle. Wait until there is only a little steam coming out and you can see the waffle puffed up in the iron.

the waffleDress your waffle as you wish.  Berries, bananas, syrup, whipping cream, bacon crumble, you name it! Dig in!

eating waffles (1)

Lightening Fast Brownie Sundae

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Wow Them With Chocolate!

These Sundaes are so simple to make, but they taste like you slaved for hours. Its really a dessert that is assembled from a group of quality ingredients that you buy.

Brownie Sundae

What you need to make these Brownie Sundae:

  • Ice Cream (we love Pralines and Cream), but use anything that compliments chocolate
  • Ready made or leftover brownies cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • Sliced Strawberries, or fresh Raspberries
  • Whipping cream ( we like Readi Whip in a can) But please use Real Whipped cream not Coolwhip.
  • Chocolate Sundae Sauce
  • Chopped Pecans

We use a clear serving dish to show off the layers of this dessert.  It looks so sumptuous.  Place a scoop of ice cream into the dish, top with the Brownie cubes, add the Berries, load on the Whipping cream and top with the Chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of Pecans.

We can hear them cheering you from here!

TwoFoodNuts Brownie Sundae

Any Comments?

Cabbage Rolls with Secret Sauce

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Farm Style Cabbage Rolls.

What’s  Fall without a great big batch of Cabbage rolls?  Each year we whip up a big pan of these hearty Cabbage Rolls and eat till we burst.  We use an old recipe that was first published in the Palmer Rapids cook book. It’s a culmination of recipes from all the ladies in the town. This one certainly stood out as one of the very best and it’s a Family Tradition at our house.  Elfie’s aunt Iona, then her mom and now the TwoFoodNuts have adopted and adjusted the recipe to make the Best Darn Cabbage Roll Recipe Ever!

Farm style Cabbage Rolls

One of the best things about food like this is you can make a ton of it and it tastes as good or better when it’s been frozen. So, one mess and many meals is a great solution to busy lives.  Besides just because life gets crazy doesn’t mean we can’t eat well.  We serve our cabbage rolls with a chunk of crusty bread slathered in fresh butter.  You really don’t need anything else!

TwoFoodNuts Cabbage Roll Filling:

  • 1 large Savoy Cabbage (this is the curly Cabbage rather than the smooth type)
  • 1 Pound ground Beef
  • 1 Pound ground Pork
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cup minute rice or other instant rice
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp Sirrachi Sauce (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of the Secret Sauce
  • Bacon slices sufficient to cover the entire top of the Cabbage Rolls.

Two Food Nuts Secret Sauce:

  • 1 large can Tomato Juice
  • 1  680 ml can of Spaghetti Sauce (this is about 24 oz or 3 cups ) Harry uses Hunts Extra Spicy
  • 1 bottle Pasata (this is pureed tomatoes)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 red chili, seeded and minced (Optional but oh so good).

Cooks Tip:   This is a big job, but being organized is the best method. We remove the cabbage leaves first, then make the sauce, and finally assemble the filling.  Now you have all the parts of the recipe ready to go.  The actually rolling takes very little time.

Using a very sharp knife, cut around the core of the Cabbage. Place the Cabbage into the microwave for 5 minutes. Peel off the softened leaves and reserve. Repeat this process until you have 18 leaves.  Cut the heavy rib off on each piece of Cabbage to make it easier to roll.

remove rib

Make the sauce and set aside.  Then, in a large bowl, place all the filling ingredients and mix well.  Once all is incorporated, its time to Rock and Roll!  Set the oven to 350F

 

filling the cabbage leavesPlace the filling at the core end of the Cabbage leaf and roll away from yourself to encase the filling.

folding the cabbage leavesNow fold the sides towards the middle and continue to roll into a tight packet. No need to use tooth picks, just place the roll with the seam side down in the roasting pan. Continue until all Cabbage Rolls are in the pan.

cabbage rollPour the Secret Sauce over the Cabbage Rolls and lay the bacon evenly over the entire roasting pan.  It will seem like too much sauce, but the rice is raw and will absorb a great deal of the liquid. By the time the Cabbage Rolls are fully cooked there will be just enough sauce to serve. (If you are short on sauce, just add a bit of water).

Cover with a lid or 2 layers of tin foil.  Place the pan in the center of the oven and cook for 2 -3 hours or until the cabbage is very tender and the sauce is somewhat reduced. The bacon will not be crisp but the fat will all be rendered out making the sauce very rich tasting. The bacon also imparts a slightly smokey taste to the Cabbage Rolls. You can discard it once the cabbage rolls are cooked, but we eat it.

Oven Ready Cabbage rolls

We are so pleased to share this family recipe with you. We hope you’ll give it a try. We know you’ll be delighted with the outcome. Pick a rainy day and Rock and Roll!

 

Farm style Cabbage Rolls

Braised Rabbit

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Braised Rabbit By Elfie’s Oma!

My Grandmother made the most delicious braised rabbit I have ever eaten. It was a dish that was served on special occasions instead of roast beef or ham. We all loved the subtle taste of the lean meat with the savory gravy that Oma created out of the aromatic vegetables she added to the pot.

When I had a child of my own, my mother would often re-create the dish for us. We didn’t tell my son that we were having Rabbit because you know how kids react to new foods. One Sunday we were at the table and mom brought out the big platter with the 2 braised rabbits on it. My sweet little son, remarked, “Wow, Grandma that chicken sure does have a lot of legs”!  We all laughed and he ate three pieces before declaring this was the best chicken he’d ever eaten.  Sorry Justin!

Most supermarkets don’t sell Rabbit all the time, so today when we were out picking up a few things I got very excited to discover the find! Harry doesn’t always understand my outbursts of sheer joy in the grocery store.  I think I embarrassed him when I yelled out, “Oh look they have Rabbit”! To me it was a real score.  Rabbit is a low fat meat and sustainable to produce. Everyone should try it.

If you have the good fortune of finding a fresh Rabbit (frozen tastes very different) grab it and give this a try. You may just discover a new favorite food.

Fresh whole rabbit

TwoFoodNuts Braised Rabbit:

  • I fresh rabbit
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 large carrot cut in chunks
  • 3 celery sticks cut in chunks
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
  • 1 onion cut into chunks
  • 10 sprigs fresh Thyme
  • 5 sprigs fresh Parsley
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 Knorr chicken stock cube
  • 1 tablespoon Herb de Provence
  • 2 Tbsp flour and 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1/4 cup cream

Cut the rabbit up into pieces.  You may need a cleaver to cut through the bones. Remove the legs first, then section the meat from tail to shoulder in 3 inch wide pieces.

Rabbit pieces

Season with the salt and pepper. Add the oil to a heavy pan and brown the pieces of meat.

Browning the Rabbit

Once the meat is golden brown tumble the vegetable pieces over the meat and add the herbs.

Braise the Rabbit

Dissolve the stock package in the water and pour it over the pan contents. Now braise the rabbit for up to two hours at 300F in the oven.  The meat must be tender to a fork in order to be fully cooked.

Thicken the broth with flour and water.  (2 Tbsp flour to 1/4 cup cold water). Mix the flour and water on a jar fitted with a tight lid and shake to create a smooth slurry.  Stir into the broth over medium high heat and cook until the broth turns to a gravy.

We love to serve the Braised Rabbit with homemade Gnoochi.  Michael Chiarello has an excellent recipe that we use for the Potato Gnocchi  It’s a bit of work to make Gnocchi but the end result is light-as-air pillows to hold the gravy from the Braised Rabbit.

Elfie's Oma

We hope that Oma’s  recipe is a hit with your family!          

We have to go now and indulge in the memories and flavors of this family heritage dish. 

luv you

We love you  and miss you Oma!

 

 

Katharina Kramer is Elfie’s Grandmother.

 

Bruschetta

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Put This Dish In Your Repertoire!

We love this Bruschetta recipe because its so versatile. It can be a stand alone appetizer or a side dish to a great salad like Harry’s Famous Caesar Salad. Either way its a hit.  If you’re having guests, you can prep the topping in advance and pop it in the oven when they arrive. Look how appetizing the finished dish looks!

 image

When we talk about versatility, we mean that the type of cheese, bread, onions, or olives and all be swapped up. If your baguette isn’t fresh enough to serve at dinner, don’t worry its fine for this recipe because you’re going to brush it with Olive oil and toast i t anyway.

Here’s how Harry makes Bruschetta:

This makes 12 toasts. Serves 4 as an appetizer.

12 slices Baguette cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

  • 1/2 cup of chopped seeded tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup crumbled Feta ( try Parmesan for a substitute)
  • 2 Tbsp minced green onion or chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup chopped green or Kalamata olives your choice
  • 2 Tbsp chopped Roasted Red Peppers if you have them
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil plus an additional 2 Tbsp to brush the bread.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

4-5 Fresh Basil leaves sliced to sprinkle on top of finished dish.

image

Slice the bread and brush one side with the olive oil. Place on a baking sheet.  Place all the ingredients except the basil in a bowl and mix well.  Pop the bread under the broiler and toast lightly. Turn the bread over and toast the other side. Once the bread is toasted on both sides, top with the tomato mixture reduce the heat to 400F and return to the middle of the oven for 5-7 minutes. You just want to heat the topping not cook it.

image

Serve right away but topping with the basil strips and get ready for the compliments!

image

 

 

The “One” Tart

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One Apple, Makes One Tart That Feeds Four!

Sometimes you need a quick dessert that wows the audience. This “One” is going do just that!  You don’t need much to put it together.  We love anything made with puff pastry.  The quality of a ready-made butter pastry is perfect for this dessert. We make it early in the day, pop it into the freezer, then bake it while everyone is eating the main course.   Lets face it, a warm apple tart with a dollop of fresh cold whipping cream is always welcome.

 

Total prep time for this dessert is only 10 minutes once you have the ingredients on the work table, so lets make the “One” Tart!

apple desserts

Ingredients for our TwoFoodNuts “One” Tart:

  • 1 ready made puff pastry sheet about 12  inches square
  • 1 large Honey Crisp apple, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp melted butter
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 large pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp sliced almonds
  • 1 tsp Demarera sugar or any course sugar to sprinkle over the tart.
  • 1 cup heavy cream for whipping
  • 1 Tbsp sugar to sweeten the cream

Now you see why we call this the “One” Tart!

"One" Tart

Begin by allowing the pastry to thaw.  Roll it out on a fresh sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.  Place in the freezer while you peel the apple.  Peel the apple and cut in half or quarters.  Remove the core and slice the apple so it’s about 1/8th inch thick.  You want enough to cover the tart in a single layer.  Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter all over the tart.  It will solidify right away. That’s what you want!  Layer the apples in an interesting pattern to within 1/2 inch of the pastry edge. Drizzle the honey over the apples, sprinkle with the cinnamon, place the almonds on the apples and pinch the sugar over the top. Lightly run a butter knife around the edge of the crust about 1/2 in from the edge. This lets the crust puff a bit.

Now you can decide if you are baking it right away.  If you want it for later in the day pop it back in the freezer and the apples will stay nice and white till you’re ready.

It’s ready for the oven!  Bake for 10-15 minutes in a hot oven at 400F.  Puff Pastry does best when it’s cold before being placed in a hot oven. It causes the pastry to rise and become light and crispy.  When the “One” tart is baked, slice into 4 generous pieces and top with a heaping tablespoon of sweetened whipping cream.

French Apple tart