Post by nybirder on Sept 30, 2016 9:24:23 GMT -5
Cooking for Two
2013 October Recipes
1. Measuring Eggs
2. Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
3. Another Good Meatloaf
4. Creole Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo
5. Zucchini Bread in a Mug
6. Brandy Alexander Fudge
7. Measurements for Half Pkg. Gelatin
8. Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
What Does an Egg Measure?
NYBirder
For me, one of the biggest challenges in cutting down some recipes for one or two has been how to divide an egg to keep the proper proportion. In some recipes, a little bit off doesn't make much difference but in others it can really change the outcome. I did some work a few years ago to find out just how much is in a whole egg so I could do the math. There were some minor differences among the sources but they were so small that I don’t think it makes much of a difference.
Sometimes, for half an egg I just use an egg white or egg yolk. But for baking, that can change the texture in something like cakes or muffins. There is a bit more white in an egg than the yolk and no fat. Liquid egg substitutes like Eggbeaters call for 1/4 cup to equal a large egg. Since they are made of egg whites, they can also change the texture but are a reasonable substitute in a pinch. They make baked goods a little tough so I've seen suggestions for adding a tiny bit of oil (maybe 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. for 1/8 cup--I haven't tried this).
I have a couple of cookbooks for one or two that call for using small eggs or quail eggs. Neither of those sizes are sold in the grocery stores around here so I looked around for information on substituting. It takes 3-4 quail eggs to equal 1 large egg.
If you want to use beaten whole egg, here are some generally accepted measurements that I found in my notes. I did the math for single eggs in each of the sizes.
4 jumbo eggs = 5 large eggs = 6 medium eggs = 7 small eggs = 1 cup yolks and whites
1 small egg =
7 tsp. =
2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. beaten egg
1 medium egg =
8 tsp. = 2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. beaten egg
1 large egg =
9 1/2 tsp. = 3 tbsp. (rounded up) beaten egg
1 jumbo egg =
4 tbsp. = 1/4 cup beaten egg
Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
NYBirder
I used up a single ear of end-of-the-season corn on the cob to make this soup yesterday. It's a recipe I've been making for years, sometimes substituting sausage or ham instead of the bacon. Since I didn’t have any cooked potato on hand, I diced baby reds with the skin on and cooked them covered in the microwave with a little water for about 4 minutes until just tender. (If you double the recipe, a drained can of diced potatoes can be used as a shortcut.)
Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
Yield: about 4 cups, 2-3 servings
3 slices bacon, diced (or 1/4 lb. sausage or ham)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon flour
Scant 2 cups milk (I used a 14 oz. bottle of 1%)
1 (8 oz.) can creamed corn
1 ear fresh corn (or frozen or drained canned niblets—about 3/4 cup)
8 oz. cooked potatoes, diced (I use baby red new potatoes with the skin left on)
1/4 tsp. salt
Grind of pepper
Snipped parsley, paprika (optional)
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the ear. Do not discard the cob.
In a 2-3 quart saucepan, fry bacon (or sausage crumbles) until crisp and remove. (If using ham, brown lightly in oil or 50/50 oil and butter.) Drain, keeping 1 tbsp. bacon fat in pan. Add onion, celery and fresh corn. Cook and stir until tender. (If using canned, add at the end instead.)
Remove from heat. Blend in flour. Cook over low heat stirring for a minute or two until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Scrape in whatever milk is left on the cob using the blunt edge of a knife. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Add potatoes, meat, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Garnish with parsley and paprika, if desired.
Another Good Meatloaf
Beema
There must be 100 or more recipes for meatloaf, and luckily, almost every one of them prove to be delicious in its own way. This was one of those meals where I just tossed stuff into a bowl, added the meat and hoped for the best. And, one of the best it was.
1 1/2 lbs. meat loaf mixture (ration of 2/3 ground beef to 1/3 ground pork)
1 egg
2 tablespoons steak seasoning (very high in sodium, so be careful)
2 tablespoons V8 Hot n Spicy
1/4 cup cold brewed coffee
Oregano, garlic powder and black pepper (about 1 teaspoon each)
4 tablespoons ketchup, DIVIDED
1/3 of a 6 oz. box of French's Fried Onion Rings, crushed
In a large bowl, slightly beat the egg, add the seasonings and pepper, and 2 tablespoons ketchup. Crush the onion rings, add to the mixture, then with clean hands, mix in the meat. Do not over mix as it makes the meat tough. Form the meat into a loaf and then top with the remaining ketchup. Bake at 375 for one hour, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
I made this in a large glass baking dish, surrounded with quartered red potatoes and tiny baby carrots. I added just enough V8 juice to cover the bottom of the baking dish before putting the food in, keeping the potatoes from sticking to the glass.
The steak seasoning is basically soy sauce with a bunch of herbs and spices, so for those of you who don't need the extra sodium, use a low sodium soy sauce and add your own seasonings (onion, garlic, ginger and paprika etc.)
Creole Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
16281628/Lilly
Below is my recipe for Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Seafood Gumbo. I encourage you to adapt to your liking and what you have in your kitchen. This makes a huge amount of Gumbo - so does not fit so much in our Cooking for 2 format - but adapt as you see fit. For example, I do not always add seafood. And many times I cook a whole chicken and debone rather than buying a rotisserie chicken. Currently I have a spice mix I bought in NOLA that is Creole/Cajun seasoning - but I have looked up recipes for it in the past and just added my own seasonings for that part. If you use a seasoning pre-made mix - taste before adding salt! I love okra - so I added that....not normally in recipe. Like I said - adapt it to meet your likes, etc. I used to add the rice in - but then when I had leftovers the rice absorbed all the juices - so now I serve separately and add when we eat it. Also - cook to roux to your liking......I, for one, do not like my roux too dark as it becomes too nutty for me - other people love it darker! You may want to add hot sauce or put it on the table.....the last time I made it I put crabmeat in it instead of shrimp.
I will post tips for roux shortly in this same post.
Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Seafood Gumbo
Notes: The differences between Creole and Cajun style gumbos: Creole gumbos generally use a lighter (but still medium-brown) roux and may include tomatoes. Cajun gumbos are made with a darker roux and never contain tomatoes.
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick (or Andouille)
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs Cajun or Creole seasoning
6 cups chicken broth
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 rotisserie chicken, boned and shredded
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
1-2 cups frozen okra (1 can of canned works well also)
Rice, cooked
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of milk chocolate, 8-10 minutes (or longer). Read Tips on making a Roux before attempting. (Tips to follow in another post.)
2. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook five minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; stirring thoroughly.
5. Pour in chicken broth and add the bay leaves.
6. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in chicken, and simmer one hour more.
8. In last 30 minutes, add okra. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.
9. In last 10 minutes, add shrimp cooking just until pink through. Serve over rice.
Re: Creole Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
Making a Roux
16281628/Lilly
Some people say cook a roux long and slow (taking up to an hour) while other people say to cook short and fast. My son (NOLA) and I used to do long and slow. Then he learned from his Captain at the fire department (who worked directly under Paul Prudomme) – cook it fast.
Therefore, here is how you do it.
First – plan on no interruptions – period. Do not answer the phone. Keep kids away. NO INTERRUPTIONS during this process.
OK…here you go….
Get a heavy kettle out – I use a Dutch oven.
Measure everything and have it ready before hand…..have all utensils ready.
I make my roux with a 1:1 ratio of flour and fat. A roux can be made with different ratios of flour and fat – go with what your recipe tells you or use this:
Tools:
Heavy Dutch oven – do not use non-stick
Wooden Spoon with flat edge (like a spatula type spoon) or whisk – long handled is best.
Heat oil until almost the smoking point.
Gradually add flour – about a third at a time. Stir or whisk quickly (very fast) and constantly to avoid burning. If you see black specks, it has burned and you MUST start over. No choice here.
Flour has moisture in it – so when you add it to the oil it may create steam – be careful.
Continue to cook and stir (fast) until it reaches the desired color – hot chocolate is what I go for with this recipe. If at any time while cooking it, you feel it is cooking too fast or might burn – lift or remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds while continuing to stir – do this until you feel like you have control of it.
As soon as it gets to the desired temperature, remove it from the heat.
When it gets to desired color, add your vegetables – the holy trinity. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot and steam burns are of concern. Stir vegies in – this stops the browning process. After adding the vegies in continue to stir for 3-5 minutes. Continue with your recipe.
Measurements for Half a Package of Gelatin
NYBirder
Cooking just for myself, I don't make a whole package of gelatin because I feel as though I'm eating it forever. I was glad to find some measurements for half a package given in a Taste of Home recipe--Mini Orange Gelatin Molds. It's particularly helpful since it also includes the amount for sugar-free gelatin which is hard to calculate. This is a nice time-saver if you want to cut down other recipes using a whole package of gelatin. Just use half the amounts of liquid in the directions are you are good to go.
For half a package of gelatin:
Regular: 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon gelatin
Sugar-free: 1 3/4 tsp.
Zucchini Bread in a Mug
Developed/tweaked by thegeema. 7-28-2013
3 T. + 1 t flour
2 t. sugar (1 T for sweeter bread)
2 T brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
Spices (your choice – cinnamon, nutmeg or ?) about 1/2 tsp +/-
1 egg*
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 T vegetable oil +/-
1 T milk
1/2 cup shredded zucchini +/- (I will probably use + next time)
In a large mug (2 cup size +), spray or coat/oil or butter. In bowl blend dry ingredients, add egg* and mix. Add vanilla, oil/butter and milk. Microwave 1 1/2 to 3 minutes (whatever time your microwave needs to cook/bake)
Note: If you don’t like spongy bread use the *egg yolk only – save white for something else. If only using egg yolk omit the 1 tsp of flour.
P.S. I mixed in a small bowl and then put it in the greased/oiled mug to cook/bake in microwave. My microwave is 1250 watts so I use 8 power (80%) about 2 minutes.
Re: Zucchini Bread in a Mug
NYBirder
Thanks, Geema. This sounds like a good idea. I might try this to use up some of my garden yellow squash. I'll also try using 2 tbsp. Eggbeaters for the egg since I have it and substitute one tbsp. Splenda brown sugar baking mix for the brown sugar to fit it into my diet.
2013 October Recipes
1. Measuring Eggs
2. Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
3. Another Good Meatloaf
4. Creole Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo
5. Zucchini Bread in a Mug
6. Brandy Alexander Fudge
7. Measurements for Half Pkg. Gelatin
8. Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
What Does an Egg Measure?
NYBirder
For me, one of the biggest challenges in cutting down some recipes for one or two has been how to divide an egg to keep the proper proportion. In some recipes, a little bit off doesn't make much difference but in others it can really change the outcome. I did some work a few years ago to find out just how much is in a whole egg so I could do the math. There were some minor differences among the sources but they were so small that I don’t think it makes much of a difference.
Sometimes, for half an egg I just use an egg white or egg yolk. But for baking, that can change the texture in something like cakes or muffins. There is a bit more white in an egg than the yolk and no fat. Liquid egg substitutes like Eggbeaters call for 1/4 cup to equal a large egg. Since they are made of egg whites, they can also change the texture but are a reasonable substitute in a pinch. They make baked goods a little tough so I've seen suggestions for adding a tiny bit of oil (maybe 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. for 1/8 cup--I haven't tried this).
I have a couple of cookbooks for one or two that call for using small eggs or quail eggs. Neither of those sizes are sold in the grocery stores around here so I looked around for information on substituting. It takes 3-4 quail eggs to equal 1 large egg.
If you want to use beaten whole egg, here are some generally accepted measurements that I found in my notes. I did the math for single eggs in each of the sizes.
4 jumbo eggs = 5 large eggs = 6 medium eggs = 7 small eggs = 1 cup yolks and whites
1 small egg =
7 tsp. =
2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. beaten egg
1 medium egg =
8 tsp. = 2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. beaten egg
1 large egg =
9 1/2 tsp. = 3 tbsp. (rounded up) beaten egg
1 jumbo egg =
4 tbsp. = 1/4 cup beaten egg
Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
NYBirder
I used up a single ear of end-of-the-season corn on the cob to make this soup yesterday. It's a recipe I've been making for years, sometimes substituting sausage or ham instead of the bacon. Since I didn’t have any cooked potato on hand, I diced baby reds with the skin on and cooked them covered in the microwave with a little water for about 4 minutes until just tender. (If you double the recipe, a drained can of diced potatoes can be used as a shortcut.)
Bacon Corn Chowder for Two
Yield: about 4 cups, 2-3 servings
3 slices bacon, diced (or 1/4 lb. sausage or ham)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon flour
Scant 2 cups milk (I used a 14 oz. bottle of 1%)
1 (8 oz.) can creamed corn
1 ear fresh corn (or frozen or drained canned niblets—about 3/4 cup)
8 oz. cooked potatoes, diced (I use baby red new potatoes with the skin left on)
1/4 tsp. salt
Grind of pepper
Snipped parsley, paprika (optional)
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the ear. Do not discard the cob.
In a 2-3 quart saucepan, fry bacon (or sausage crumbles) until crisp and remove. (If using ham, brown lightly in oil or 50/50 oil and butter.) Drain, keeping 1 tbsp. bacon fat in pan. Add onion, celery and fresh corn. Cook and stir until tender. (If using canned, add at the end instead.)
Remove from heat. Blend in flour. Cook over low heat stirring for a minute or two until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Scrape in whatever milk is left on the cob using the blunt edge of a knife. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Add potatoes, meat, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Garnish with parsley and paprika, if desired.
Another Good Meatloaf
Beema
There must be 100 or more recipes for meatloaf, and luckily, almost every one of them prove to be delicious in its own way. This was one of those meals where I just tossed stuff into a bowl, added the meat and hoped for the best. And, one of the best it was.
1 1/2 lbs. meat loaf mixture (ration of 2/3 ground beef to 1/3 ground pork)
1 egg
2 tablespoons steak seasoning (very high in sodium, so be careful)
2 tablespoons V8 Hot n Spicy
1/4 cup cold brewed coffee
Oregano, garlic powder and black pepper (about 1 teaspoon each)
4 tablespoons ketchup, DIVIDED
1/3 of a 6 oz. box of French's Fried Onion Rings, crushed
In a large bowl, slightly beat the egg, add the seasonings and pepper, and 2 tablespoons ketchup. Crush the onion rings, add to the mixture, then with clean hands, mix in the meat. Do not over mix as it makes the meat tough. Form the meat into a loaf and then top with the remaining ketchup. Bake at 375 for one hour, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
I made this in a large glass baking dish, surrounded with quartered red potatoes and tiny baby carrots. I added just enough V8 juice to cover the bottom of the baking dish before putting the food in, keeping the potatoes from sticking to the glass.
The steak seasoning is basically soy sauce with a bunch of herbs and spices, so for those of you who don't need the extra sodium, use a low sodium soy sauce and add your own seasonings (onion, garlic, ginger and paprika etc.)
Creole Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
16281628/Lilly
Below is my recipe for Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Seafood Gumbo. I encourage you to adapt to your liking and what you have in your kitchen. This makes a huge amount of Gumbo - so does not fit so much in our Cooking for 2 format - but adapt as you see fit. For example, I do not always add seafood. And many times I cook a whole chicken and debone rather than buying a rotisserie chicken. Currently I have a spice mix I bought in NOLA that is Creole/Cajun seasoning - but I have looked up recipes for it in the past and just added my own seasonings for that part. If you use a seasoning pre-made mix - taste before adding salt! I love okra - so I added that....not normally in recipe. Like I said - adapt it to meet your likes, etc. I used to add the rice in - but then when I had leftovers the rice absorbed all the juices - so now I serve separately and add when we eat it. Also - cook to roux to your liking......I, for one, do not like my roux too dark as it becomes too nutty for me - other people love it darker! You may want to add hot sauce or put it on the table.....the last time I made it I put crabmeat in it instead of shrimp.
I will post tips for roux shortly in this same post.
Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Seafood Gumbo
Notes: The differences between Creole and Cajun style gumbos: Creole gumbos generally use a lighter (but still medium-brown) roux and may include tomatoes. Cajun gumbos are made with a darker roux and never contain tomatoes.
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick (or Andouille)
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs Cajun or Creole seasoning
6 cups chicken broth
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 rotisserie chicken, boned and shredded
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
1-2 cups frozen okra (1 can of canned works well also)
Rice, cooked
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of milk chocolate, 8-10 minutes (or longer). Read Tips on making a Roux before attempting. (Tips to follow in another post.)
2. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook five minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; stirring thoroughly.
5. Pour in chicken broth and add the bay leaves.
6. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in chicken, and simmer one hour more.
8. In last 30 minutes, add okra. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.
9. In last 10 minutes, add shrimp cooking just until pink through. Serve over rice.
Re: Creole Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
Making a Roux
16281628/Lilly
Some people say cook a roux long and slow (taking up to an hour) while other people say to cook short and fast. My son (NOLA) and I used to do long and slow. Then he learned from his Captain at the fire department (who worked directly under Paul Prudomme) – cook it fast.
Therefore, here is how you do it.
First – plan on no interruptions – period. Do not answer the phone. Keep kids away. NO INTERRUPTIONS during this process.
OK…here you go….
Get a heavy kettle out – I use a Dutch oven.
Measure everything and have it ready before hand…..have all utensils ready.
I make my roux with a 1:1 ratio of flour and fat. A roux can be made with different ratios of flour and fat – go with what your recipe tells you or use this:
Tools:
Heavy Dutch oven – do not use non-stick
Wooden Spoon with flat edge (like a spatula type spoon) or whisk – long handled is best.
Heat oil until almost the smoking point.
Gradually add flour – about a third at a time. Stir or whisk quickly (very fast) and constantly to avoid burning. If you see black specks, it has burned and you MUST start over. No choice here.
Flour has moisture in it – so when you add it to the oil it may create steam – be careful.
Continue to cook and stir (fast) until it reaches the desired color – hot chocolate is what I go for with this recipe. If at any time while cooking it, you feel it is cooking too fast or might burn – lift or remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds while continuing to stir – do this until you feel like you have control of it.
As soon as it gets to the desired temperature, remove it from the heat.
When it gets to desired color, add your vegetables – the holy trinity. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot and steam burns are of concern. Stir vegies in – this stops the browning process. After adding the vegies in continue to stir for 3-5 minutes. Continue with your recipe.
Measurements for Half a Package of Gelatin
NYBirder
Cooking just for myself, I don't make a whole package of gelatin because I feel as though I'm eating it forever. I was glad to find some measurements for half a package given in a Taste of Home recipe--Mini Orange Gelatin Molds. It's particularly helpful since it also includes the amount for sugar-free gelatin which is hard to calculate. This is a nice time-saver if you want to cut down other recipes using a whole package of gelatin. Just use half the amounts of liquid in the directions are you are good to go.
For half a package of gelatin:
Regular: 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon gelatin
Sugar-free: 1 3/4 tsp.
Zucchini Bread in a Mug
Developed/tweaked by thegeema. 7-28-2013
3 T. + 1 t flour
2 t. sugar (1 T for sweeter bread)
2 T brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
Spices (your choice – cinnamon, nutmeg or ?) about 1/2 tsp +/-
1 egg*
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 T vegetable oil +/-
1 T milk
1/2 cup shredded zucchini +/- (I will probably use + next time)
In a large mug (2 cup size +), spray or coat/oil or butter. In bowl blend dry ingredients, add egg* and mix. Add vanilla, oil/butter and milk. Microwave 1 1/2 to 3 minutes (whatever time your microwave needs to cook/bake)
Note: If you don’t like spongy bread use the *egg yolk only – save white for something else. If only using egg yolk omit the 1 tsp of flour.
P.S. I mixed in a small bowl and then put it in the greased/oiled mug to cook/bake in microwave. My microwave is 1250 watts so I use 8 power (80%) about 2 minutes.
Re: Zucchini Bread in a Mug
NYBirder
Thanks, Geema. This sounds like a good idea. I might try this to use up some of my garden yellow squash. I'll also try using 2 tbsp. Eggbeaters for the egg since I have it and substitute one tbsp. Splenda brown sugar baking mix for the brown sugar to fit it into my diet.