St. Patrick's Day Giveaway

Top o' the mornin' to you.

In honor of this, my 180th post, not to mention St. Patrick's Day, we're having a giveaway here at the castle. Because is there anything we like better than a cool prize that's absolutely free?

I was contacted recently by CSN Stores, a company that owns a number of sites selling all kinds of stuff -- from kids bedding to accent rugs to -- whaddya know -- some really nifty cooking stuff.

They're offering one of you, dear readers, the chance to win this 5 speed mixer.

I would love to win it myself, but somehow I think it'd be a bit suspicious if every commenter is named "Lynn."

So.

Here's the deal: If you want a chance at winning this handsome mixer, leave a comment below. If you mention the giveaway on your blog and link up, leave a second comment so you'll be entered twice. I'll randomly choose a name in a week, on Wednesday, March 24. Let's say by noon, so we all have time to get out of our p.j.'s.

And just for fun, I will pick a second name of someone who'll receive a copy of Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker.

Because I just really like that book :)

Best o' luck to you! Don't forget to leave contact information if you don't have a blog.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation for this post other than the joy of knowing one of you will get a free mixer. With which you can, we hope, whip up some magically delicious goodies.

This Week's Quiz

So which one of this week's cooking experiments was the best of the bunch? Was it the poppy seed bread sticks?

The scalloped potatoes with cheese (official name: Gratin Dauphinois)?

The chocolate bundt cake with coconut-cream cheese center?

The scallop-peppers salad?

Or the crocheted potholder? Ooops, how'd that get in there?

What do you think?

If you guessed the bread sticks, you'd be wrong. The dough was ooey and gooey and difficult to work with. I won't be making this again.

If you guessed the potatoes -- you'd be half right. We loved them. Best of all, as a Cooking Light dish, they weren't loaded down with fat. I will definitely be making these again.

If you guessed the bundt cake -- you'd be totally right. I was in the mood for chocolate, and this recipe started with a cake mix, making it pretty easy. I should have taken a picture once we cut into it because the center is filled with a thick white ribbon of cream cheese and coconut goodness. But alas, no picture. We ate the subject as it posed.

If you guessed the scallop salad, we will throw a few points your way because it was plenty tasty. But it was not the true winner.

Because really, how can you compete with chocolate bundt cake filled with cream cheese/coconut goodness?

NO-FUSS CHOCOLATE RIBBON CAKE

1 (18 1/2-oz.) package chocolate cake mix

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 T. butter, softened

1 T. cornstarch

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. coconut

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into well-greased bundt pan. In separate bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and cornstarch; beat until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add egg and vanilla, stirring until smooth, then add coconut. Plop mixture evenly over the cake batter and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (mine took 55), until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes, then remove from pan and serve.

The directions say to store leftovers in the refrigerator, but I cannot verify this by experience. At our house there were no leftovers.

Note: This recipe comes from a little book called Hospitality Clues for the Clueless.

Secondary note: If anyone wants the potato recipe, send me an email and I'll launch it your way.

Versatile, Delicious Plantains

Is this not one of the most beautiful desserts you've ever seen? It's a Banana Plantain Crisp, made by Michelle over at Big Black Dog blog.

A couple weeks ago, after a discussion spurred on by this post, Michelle and I decided it would be fun to do a plantain recipe swap. We'd both post about plantains on the same day, and also post pictures and link to each other's plantain dish.

That was back when I knew absolutely nothing about plantains.
Now? Now I know these things about plantains:

Plantains are more expensive than regular bananas, and you can't find them at every grocery store.

Just like bananas, there are different levels of ripeness. The one on the left, with the black stuff, is more ripe. The one on the right, that's kind of green, is less ripe. The one in the middle? It's . . . well, it's in-between ripe.

I learned that plantains can morph from veggie to fruit. When they're green, they're firmer and similar to potatoes; use as a veggie. When they're blacker, they're softer and sweeter; use for desserts.

Also, keep plantains at room temp. Do not refrigerate.

So what to do with my plantains?
Plucked from the depth of my ever-expanding file of recipes to try

was this wizened newspaper clipping. "Versatile, delicious plantains," it claimed. I believe this article was written sometime during the Carter administration.

The article gave me ideas.

For its first suggestion, I selected the greenest plantain,

then peeled, sliced, and boiled until tender (at least five minutes).

Drain, mash, and season like potatoes.

Not bad.

Suggestion number two: using the medium-ripe plantain, I again peeled and sliced. (Peeling, by the way, takes effort. You don't just peel these babies with your hands like you would a banana. You will need a knife, a sharp one, to pare the skin off.) Saute slices in butter until brown and a bit crispy. Sprinkle with salt.

These make a decent side dish or after-school snack for kids. They're potato-y, kind of like mini hash brown patties you'd get at a fast food restaurant.

The third suggestion was for "fully ripe" fruit. Aaaah, dessert time. I'd saved my blackest plantain for this one.

A surprise, however, was in store. When I cut off the skin, the fruit inside was mottled. My little newspaper clipping had not warned me about mottled fruit. I wasn't sure I wanted to eat mottled fruit. So using my trusty vegetable peeler, I cut off the mottled parts.

Leaving me with this. Posed next to regular bananas for the full effect.

It was a plantain stick. A plantain nugget. A little itty-bitty, mini-plantain.

Not only that, my mini-plantain was very firm. Not much different from the other two. My hopes for a glorious dessert were dashed.

Ditching the article, I decided to slice and saute what was left in butter, salt it and sprinkle with sugar. Hmmm, not bad. Probably the best of the three.

My conclusion? Go visit Michelle over at Big Black Dog blog. When it comes to plantains, that girl knows what she's doing.

So what do you think? Have you ever eaten plantains? Ever cooked with them? Do tell.

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Yummola.

That's the best word to describe this blue cheese salad dressing. Recipe thoughtfully provided by Lisa who blogs about family, faith, food, nature -- lots of fun stuff -- over at Moore Minutes.

I've tried five blue cheese dressing recipes over the last month or two. Most have been edible (well, except for the one that was mainly water and vinegar). But I was looking for that knock-it-out-of-the-ballpark recipe. I love making foods from scratch but honestly, if I can't at least duplicate the quality of what I can buy at the store, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble.

Until this recipe, I had always liked store-bought blue cheese dressing better than what I could concoct myself. But now? No stinkin' way. Lisa's recipe is superb. Better than the stuff I've been buying. Reminds me of the cold, creamy, chunky dressing you'd get at your favorite restaurant.

LISA'S BLUE CHEESE SALAD DRESSING

2 c. mayonnaise (do not use fat-free or light mayo, says Lisa. Also, no Miracle Whip)

1 c. sour cream

3/4 c. buttermilk (I used regular milk with a couple t. of lemon juice added; let sit 5 minutes)

tub of blue cheese crumbles

a few drops Worcestershire sauce

a few drops red wine vinegar

garlic salt

onion powder

pepper

dash of salt

Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and blue cheese. Add in seasonings and refrigerate.

This makes a lot, so feel free to divide if that works best for your family.

What do you think? Do you have foods you prefer to buy ready-made because you can't find a great homemade version?

NOTE: I've linked this post to Works-for-me Wednesday, the blog carnival where you can get all kinds of great new ideas. Check it out here.

Pureed Vegetable Soup

Being a "recipe cook" myself, I have long admired people who can simply look in the cupboard, check what's in their fridge, and whip together a scrumptious meal. No cookbook, no directions, no guidance needed save what they already possess, whether from instinct, practice, or lessons absorbed from a mentor or two along the way.

I am thrilled to have discovered just such a mentor, though she's one I've never met except through her book. The teacher is Ellen Ecker Ogden, the book is From The Cook's Garden, and today's lesson is all about vegetable soup.

Did you know you can pretty reliably combine vegetables that grow in the same season and come up with taste combinations that just work? (Tomatoes and eggplant and basil in the summer, for example; or potatoes and leeks in cooler weather.)

I learned that from Ellen Ecker Ogden. I also learned that she starts most of her cooking from the garden simply by heating up a little olive oil, adding chopped onion and garlic, then running outside to see what's ripe.

Sounds like a successful recipe to me.

In that spirit, I recently tried her pureed vegetable soup. The olive oil, onions, and garlic were already on my shelves. From the freezer, I plucked a zippered baggie of 1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree I had made back in the fall (for instructions, see this post from Kevin's Closet Cooking blog). From my fridge came a couple of carrots. And from my kitchen window ledge came some home-grown, dried rosemary.

Have a little rosemary, won't you? Please. I insist.

The result? The best soup I have ever made. Absolutely delicious. Here are the instructions, in case you want to try it yourself.

PUREED VEGETABLE SOUP

2 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 t. finely chopped fresh herbs or 1/2 t. dried herbs (I used rosemary)

3 c. chopped mixed vegetables (I used pumpkin puree and a couple carrots)

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 c. vegetable broth (I used 4 c. water plus 4 vegetable bouillon cubes)

salt and pepper to taste

In large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs, vegetables, and potato, and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and let simmer over medium heat, with the pot partially covered, for about 30 more minutes. Vegetables should be tender. Process in blender in small batches until it's all pureed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold.

A couple more hints from this book: You can add cream to this soup, or sherry, or fresh leafy greens before blending. You can also top with a dollop of sour cream or, my choice, plain yogurt.

So how about you: Are you a recipe cook? Or are you blessed with that instinct that lets you create away in the kitchen without written instructions?

NOTE: This post is linked to Works-for-me-Wednesday at the We Are That Family blog. Check it out for zillions of great ideas.

NOTE #2: Check out the "grow your own" roundup, for a collection of recipes that contain home-grown ingredients. Roundup hosted by Nate @ House of Annie blog.

Salad a la Marinated Peppers

Last summer's garden produced quite an abundance -- more tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers than the inhabitants of this castle could wolf down.

We had all kinds of fun figuring out what to do with the excess. One solution, discovered from someone's blog somewhere, was to slice the peppers into slivers and tuck them in the freezer in zippered plastic storage bags, ready for a rainy day.


Well, that rainy day has come. And several times now we have enjoyed these lovely orange, green, and red pepper slivers, marinated very simply -- and yummily, I might add, if yummily were actually a word -- and added to a salad. Along with anchovies, for my fellow anchovy lovers.

Or not.

The marinade makes a fine dressing. And while the simplicity of lettuce, peppers, anchovies, and vinaigrette is quite satisfying, feel free to add whatever other salad goodies make your heart sing. This recipe is hospitable that way.

MARINATED PEPPERS

a bunch of bell pepper slivers (maybe 1/2 - 1 large whole pepper)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed,
1/4 t. salt
pinch pepper
anchovies, diced, as many as your little heart desires
lettuce and/or spinach

Sliver up the peppers (or if you already have some in your freezer, just take 'em out). Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Marinate for four hours (or however long you like). Serve over lettuce and sprinkle anchovies as desired.

Recipe adapted from The Wonderful World of Freezer Cooking by Helen Quat, circa 1964.

Today's Quiz

So guess which one of these recently-tried recipes was the winner -- the one I'll be making again soon.

Was it the lemon-blueberry bread, complete with glaze?


Was it the braided cheese bread, sprinkled with sesame seeds?

( Please excuse my ooze.)

Was it the mushroom-sherry sauce, served over a fine piece of beef?

Or would our winner be the from-scratch chocolate cake, made with nearly one whole pound of butter?

Ticktock. Ticktock.

I'm waiting while you make up your mind.

Got your answer?

Let's see if you were right.

The lemon-blueberry bread, alas, was nothing special.

The cheese bread, while making a lovely albeit humongous loaf, was also nothing my taste buds are screaming to experience again.

Likewise, sad to say, the chocolate cake with nearly one whole pound of butter.

Did I mention there was a lot of butter in this recipe?

The hands-down winner, in spite of my blurry little photo, was the mushroom-sherry sauce, adapted slightly from a Julia Child/ Louisette Bertholle/ Simone Beck recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

You wanna try it yourself? Here are the instructions.

First, fry up some filet mignon steaks in a skillet with 2 T. butter and 1 T. oil. Cook on medium-high, about four minutes a side for medium rare. (Yes, filet mignon is very expensive. Yes, this is a dish to save for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary or Valentine's Day dinner.)

In separate skillet, saute in butter 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced, until lightly browned.

When meat is done, remove from heat and keep warm. (I used my oven's "warm" setting.) Pour out any excess oil from pan you cooked your meat in. Stir into the pan 1/2 c. beef bouillon (I used 1/2 c. water and about 1/2 t. powdered bouillon) along with 1 T. tomato paste. Boil rapidly for a couple minutes, scraping up whatever's in the pan, until liquid is down to 2-3 T.

In measuring cup, stir together 1/4 c. sherry and 1/2 T. cornstarch. Stir this mixture into stock mixture. Boil rapidly for one minute to let the alcohol evaporate. Add the sauteed mushrooms and serve over the beef, sprinkled with a touch of dried tarragon.

Et voila. Julia, your sauce is tres magnifique.