Salt & Pepper "To Taste" - Huh?

Happy New Year everyone!  I've missed you and have been ignoring my blog.  I hope to post more often this year.  I thought I'd start 2017 out with a cooking tip.  

So, what exactly does salt and pepper "to taste" mean?  To me, it means tasting your recipe as you go to see if it needs salt, pepper, or some other herb or spice.  Trust yourself, and remember you can add more of something but not take it away.

There are a few different definitions of "to taste" floating around and I've listed some below.  Enjoy.

To taste the food, and decide if it could be better. If you think it can, then add some salt. And repeat until you’re happy. It’s that simple. 

-thestonesoup.com

It’s a shorthand way of saying season your food as you cook it, then taste as you go to make sure you’ve got it right. 

-cookingclarified.com

To add as much salt or pepper or as much of a spice or herb as one likes so something tastes good.

-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

In the amount needed to give a flavor pleasing to someone eating a dish. 

-English Oxford Dictionary

When a recipe tells you to add a particular spice or other flavouring to taste, it means that you can add as much of that ingredient as you like. 

-Collins Dictionary

As an ingredient in dishes, salt plays two very important roles. First, it reduces bitter flavors. Second, because it reduces bitterness, adding salt allows the aromas and tastes of the other ingredients in your dish to shine through.

If you have a dish that tastes flat or bitter, a little salt might be the only fix you need. Before adding more spices or seasonings, try just adding a teaspoon or a pinch of salt. Taste again and see if the flavors have improved. Add a little more. Taste again.

-thekitchn.com

Happy 2017!  Enjoy your food!

Chicken Garbanzo Bean Soup

This soup is wonderfully satisfying and delicious, mildly spicy, and has a creamy, reddish-orange broth. It's Asian inspired and you can turn up the heat by adding more chili paste.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
6 tablespoons red curry paste
2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
4 tablespoons chili paste
2 teaspoons Kosher salt 
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups water
1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained 

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir for about 5 minutes until chicken is heated, then add the curry paste, coconut milk, chili paste, salt, ginger, and water. Stir to combine, and then slowly bring the soup to a boil, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pan. Add the drained chickpeas, lower the heat, stir, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add fresh spinach or Swiss chard to the soup for the last 15 minutes of cooking time for added color and nutrients. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve with naan or pita bread. Enjoy your food!

Ramen Noodle Salad with Feta Cheese

This cold noodle salad is healthy and filling. I'd never made Ramen noodles until using them for this recipe, not even in college. By the way, you won't need the seasoning packets that come with the noodles for this recipe. You can add your own spices, herbs, veggies, nuts, seeds, and more.

Ingredients:
5 packages of Ramen noodles

3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 of a red cabbage, chopped small
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Boil Ramen noodles for 3-4 minutes and then drain. 

Run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking process and let them drain for a few more minutes. 

Mix noodles with remaining ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well blended. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend. Serve cold.

Effie's Congo Squares / Happy 100th Birthday Effie!

Effie, the best cook in North Carolina, turns 100 today.  In tribute to Effie, I'm posting her congo squares recipe from the cookbook that was decicated to her. Happy birthday, Effie!

1 1/8 stick margarine

1 box light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips

2 3/4 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. nuts

Melt margarine.  Add sugar and cool.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes in a 10x15 inch pan. After it's done, wait 10 minutes before cutting.

Asian Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

This soup is full of the same feel good magical healing qualities of homemade chicken soup--it'll cure what ails you. I've ordered this soup in restaurants by the name of tom kha gai and discovered it's easy to make at home and just as yummy. It's a little spicy and you can adjust the heat to your liking. Here's my take on the soup:

1 can coconut milk

32 oz carton coconut milk 

2 cans fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

12 1" slices fresh ginger

1 cup sliced white onion

2 tablespoons lemongrass stir-in-paste (in a tube)

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts pulled into bite-sized      pieces

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Thai chili paste), to taste

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, ginger, onion, and lemongrass. Bring to boil over high heat. Add the chicken, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Reduce heat, stir, and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Remove ginger with a slotted spoon. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. Jasmine rice goes well on the side or add some to the soup if you'd like.

-revised January, 2022

Mom's Traditional Simple Sage Dressing

This is the sage/celery/onion dressing my mom made when I was a kid and to me, it screams Thanksgiving. It's easy to make and oh-so delicious. I use homegrown sage from my garden which is always a nice touch in a recipe.

1 loaf sliced white bread
3/4 cup butter 
1 medium onion, chopped 

4 stalks celery, chopped 
3 tablespoons fresh sage, dried & minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth

Let bread slices air dry for 1-2 hours on the counter, then cut into cubes. 

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add and cook the onion and celery until soft. Add sage, salt, and pepper.  

Stir in the bread cubes until evenly coated. Add the cubes slowly to make sure the liquid gets absorbed. Add chicken broth; mix well. 

Chill for a couple of hours and then bake in a buttered casserole dish at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Classic Meatloaf

I've had this classic, basic, meatloaf recipe in my file for years. I can't remember where I got it or if I made it up myself. Either way, it's delicious comfort food and it makes your house smell wonderful when it's cooking. It makes two 9x5" loaves that are topped with ketchup during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. I freeze meatloaf in pieces wrapped in foil so it's easy to grab a day before and have it thawed by the next. Let it cool before you freeze it. 

2 1/2 lbs ground beef (85/15)

2 cups bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 tablespoons worchestershire

2 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 cup onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Ketchup 

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and divide mixture between 2 ungreased 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for an hour and 15 minutes. After 45 minutes of cooking, add a layer of ketchup to the top of each meatloaf. Bake 30 more minutes. 

For a real comfort food fix, serve with homemade garlic mashed potatoes.  

Frank Lloyd Wright Quote

I found this great quote about dining in my favorite quotes file: 

Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity. 

-Frank Lloyd Wright

I feel this way about dining.  I feel this way about food and cooking.  

Enjoy your food!

Lower-Fat Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins have a luscious taste, are moist & dense, and the buttermilk does wonders for the flavor. The blueberries just pop in your mouth. Got milk?!

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

2 cups fat-free buttermilk, shaken
¼ lb. margarine or butter substitute
1 ½ teaspoons ground lemon peel
3 large eggs

2 cups fresh blueberries, washed

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk, margarine, lemon peel, and eggs, one at a time, sitrring after each addition. Fold in the blueberries using care not to smash them. 

Pour the batter into a lined muffin pan. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Put muffin pan on a wire rack to cool. 

Easy Buttermilk Substitute

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by mixing 1/3 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Mix well, and let the milk stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until the buttermilk flavor develops. Who knew?!