Another No Recipe Cooking Weekend

We all know one of those planning kinds of people. You know the ones, they sit down with a notebook and a cup of coffee, their calendar and some coupons and plan an entire week's, or more, worth of menus, and actually stick to it. I am NOT that person. Oh I tried, and tried, and tried. I failed. I threw away uncooked vegetables that went bad because I didn't stick to my plan. I just did that in fact, this morning, tossing weepy organic arugula and green beans that I forgot to use for meals during the week. Darn me. I HATE when that happens. I regretfully had to toss an unopened package of beautifully prepared chili lime grilled chicken breast strips because I got lazy and didn't make dinner a few times. I just can't plan ahead! 

A few basics in the pantry and you can make a whole
takeout menu full of recipes for pennies.

Unless.......... it's a manageable amount of food- like say, six bone in chicken breasts. I had a package in the fridge that needed to be cooked or meet a freezing fate in the freezer, so I decided it's time to make some Planned Leftovers. Easy- line a baking sheet with foils, and arrange the chicken breasts on top. Season them liberally. I used the last teaspoon of some Fines Herbes from Penzey's, some garlic salt, Montreal Steak seasoning (I use this for everything), a sprinkle of smoked paprika and some tomato basil seasoning I found on the shelf and rubbed all over the chicken. I popped the chicken breasts into a 350 degree oven and roasted them for about an hour, then I let cool, popped in the fridge, and when cold, pulled the chicken off the bone and saved for some easy meals over the weekend, and I was soooo glad I did. I think I'm going to do this again- on purpose!

Dessert is a snap when you start with a mix

Having had a fairly stressful work week, the weekend was my relax time, my time to do nothing. Cooking wasn't even on my radar. I was whiny, sad that I am missing out on the Italian American Festival and the American Cheese Society's Festival of Cheese- and come on!! Who want to miss these events? One of my Foodie Resolutions was to attend more food events in 2016- and so far it's been a tough one to meet. Not for the last of wanting, however, I have had to miss out on several awesome tastings, cooking classes, and a few other events and I'm not too happy about it. So I had a teeny meeny pity party over missing out. Cooking just wasn't in my game plan this weekend. Thankfully, that roasted chicken will come into play a couple times this weekend.

Faced with certain starvation and a fridge with some pretty tasty ingredients contained therein I opted for the easy way out- a salad. Rescued from the veggie drawer, a mostly full bag of organic baby spinach formed the foundation of my salad. I wish I'd also had some fresh basil leaves but i was forced to make do. A couple of very ripe and juicy Roma tomatoes get cut up into bite size chunks and tossed in the bowl. Half a ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed, goes in next, followed with a generous handful of cut up leftover roast chicken breast. Whip up a quick vinaigrette with some olive oil, Dijon mustard and Balsamic vinegar and toss the whole thing together with some crunchy Italian bread croutons. I didn't have any croutons and I missed that crunch. It was a great light dinner I'd definitely make again.

Sunday was a lazy day. Neither the chef nor I wanted to cook again.....and we still had veggies and chicken to use. Sounds like a crazy stir fry of some sort, with rice, was in order.

Out of boredom, I thought I'd check the pantry and maybe whip up some kind of dessert. I spied some good recipe basics on the shelf and decided a cake of some kind would be easy to pull off. Simple to throw together, mix up a one layer yellow cake mix as the package directs. Pour into 8x8 pan. Grab a can of pie filling of choice- I used red raspberry, and spoon it randomly onto the cake batter, swirling a bit. Sprinkle with a topping if you like- I had some leftover pecan brittle from the Naughtiest Bacon so I used that. Chopped nuts, coconut, a streusel recipe- all would be great. Popped into the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes and it was perfect. No frosting needed, a little whipped topping or vanilla ice cream would have been great. 

This quick dessert is a great dish to use and experiment. Use your favorite cake flavors and different pie fillings, or fresh fruit, leftover fried apples, whatever!

Summer Berry Crisp

This is a post from City Girl Country Life, centering around fresh berry season. The blog City Girl Country Life is heading into retirement so many of the recipes originally shared there will make an appearance here over the next several months. This story was originally published in May, 2015.

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Summer is officially kicked off! That means it's time for loads of fresh fruit and berries in our gardens, farmers markets and store shelves. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries...... so many delicious summer desserts can be made with these juicy summer favorites.

Last year here in Iowa we had an unexpected late snow and killing frost that really hurt the berry crops. Many of the pick your own berry farms nearby didn't have enough of a crop to even open. Not the case this year! I'm already seeing beautiful berries in the markets and that makes me so happy! Berry pies and crisps have always been favorites of mine, so imagine how thrilled I was today to run in to the store for just a couple things and find they have a great sale of fresh berries. You bet I grabbed some and headed home to bake something.

I could have taken the easy way out and just sliced some strawberries, tossed with the raspberries and blackberries and served draped over ice cream, but I wanted something really good, and really homey. Fruit crisps have always been among my favorite desserts. This classic recipe is a church cookbook staple, and something you can find at just about every potluck or church dinner. Often made with sliced apples or peaches, or even cherries, here I used a four berry combo to make a ruby red and crunchy crisp with loads of juicy berry goodness. Just a package of each kind of berry is all it takes. Wash, drain and you're ready to go. I quartered the strawberries so they'd be similar size and shape as the other berries. Let's bake!

Fresh Berry Fruit Crisp

1 package blackberries

1 package raspberries

1 package blueberries

1 package strawberries, quartered

1/4 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

Topping:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

dash cinnamon

In a large bowl toss the berries with the sugar and cornstarch. Pile the fruit in a 9x9 baking dish.

In a medium bowl mix the topping ingredients, dry ingredients first, then use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter in until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.

Bake at 400 degrees about 45 minutes until bubbly and the topping is deep golden brown.

This recipe is a super simple dessert that's just as easy to throw together with frozen berries as it is fresh. I like to stock the freezer with berries when they go on sale- freeze them on a sheet pan until frozen solid, then spoon into freezer bags. You can easily measure out the amount you need when you need it! With most recipes, just add 10 minutes to the baking time if using frozen berries.

This fruit crisp is delicious with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. It is heavenly if it's slightly warm from the oven!

Kitchen 101- Vinegar Infusions

If you are a salad lover like me you should have some great salad dressing recipes in your repertoire. I love vinaigrettes more than the creamy type dressings. They are fresh, light and very versatile- they make excellent marinades and dressings and so much more. 

A really good vinaigrette starts with just two basic ingredients- good olive oil, and vinegar. With those basic building blocks you can create some masterful dressings. Dijon vinegar is a fantastic flavor enhancer as are fresh and dried herbs, crushed fruits and spices infused in the vinegar. That's what we're going to play with today- infusing vinegar.

These days there is a huge trend in the mixology field- infusions. Vodka and other lighter liquors take on flavors of fruits, herbs and many other foods and flowers, and are crafted into cocktails. There is literally no limit to what a good mixologist can create. With an imaginative mind and a knowledge of cocktails, today's mixology professionals can create an endless menu of amazing drinks.

The same thing applies to vinegar. You can infuse vinegar with all sorts of delicious things. Herbs are great and so easy to do, and so are fruits and vegetables. Raspberries, hot peppers, garlic. So many delicious things. Those flavorful vinegars make the most incredible dressings and marinades and they last for such a long time. What a great way to preserve the fresh flavors of summer to last all year. Infusions are super easy to make so let's make a few. Supplies needed? Vinegar, a flavor to infuse, and a jar with a tight seal.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

This one is super easy. You need a chive plant, or a friend with a chive plant, and it needs to be blooming. Pick enough blossoms to fill a pint jar. Wash them thoroughly. Place in a clean pint jar and fill with vinegar to leave an inch head space. Put the lid on and tighten securely. Shake well. Store in a cool place for 3 weeks, shaking every day, til the vinegar is a deep purple color. Strain into a clean jar. Use as desired.

Herb Vinegar

Just like the chive blossom vinegar you will want enough fresh herbs to fill a pint jar. You don't have to pack it tightly. Use a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to crush the herbs slightly. Fill jar with vinegar to one inch head space. Cap and shake. Store in a cool place and shake every day for about 2-3 weeks. Thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram, chives all make great infused vinegars. Thyme is my favorite.

Raspberry Vinegar

Raspberry vinegar is a fantastic infusion that makes some of the best dressing you'll ever taste. Choose bright red fresh raspberries and place in a pint jar- I filled the jar halfway. Crush the berries slightly. Fill the jar with vinegar like the other recipes, cap and shake. Store in a cool place for 2-3 weeks to fully infuse the flavor. Strain before using.

Straining infused vinegar is really easy if you use a coffee filter. You get a beautiful clear vinegar. 

What do you do with these? Everything! The bare bones vinaigrette is 6 tablespoons olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons vinegar. From there you customize to your liking. Add hopped fresh herbs, a squeeze of Dijon or grainy mustard, a few shakes of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes of hot sauce, finely minced onion, garlic or peppers- whatever you like. Use to dress a bowl of mixed salad greens or cooked pasta for a quick salad or as a marinade. So delicious!

These are just three ideas for vinegar infusions- don't stop here! Build yourself a nice collection of flavored vinegars like several herb flavors, a hot pepper or two, something sweet and floral- like raspberries, blueberries or even peaches, and citrus zest infusions. Lemon or lime are great to have on hand. Dried spices work great too- curry, chili powder, paprika, even peppercorns. Use your imagination and stick with flavors that blend well with foods you enjoy. Use your vinegars in cooking, in dressings and as a seasoning "sprinkle" to finish dishes.