Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Mango Barbecue Sauce (with shredded chicken)

1 mango, peeled and cubed (leave the core out, just in case you weren’t sure)
water to cover mango pieces (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the mango and water to a boil, then simmer until the mango is tender and the water has reduced slightly.  While this happens, heat a medium skillet with the vegetable oil and cook the onion and garlic till the onion is translucent.  When the mango and water reduce, add in the molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, coriander, red pepper, and cumin.  Let this simmer for about ten more minutes and then add in the onion/garlic mixture.  Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, 2-3, and then use a blender or food processor till your desired consistency is reached.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I served this over shredded chicken and it was heaven.  It would also work really well over pork.

Salisbury.Fake baking, cookies, dessert

Baked Meringues with Strawberry Sauce

3 egg whites
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to medium peaks, then stream in the sugar till stiff peaks form and the egg whites are glossy.  Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet (NO GREASING!) and bake in a 200 F oven for about an hour to an hour and a half.  I know it sounds like a long time to bake something, but slow baking is what keeps them from becoming dark brown blobs of nope.  They might turn a little toasted marshmallow brown, but that’s okay.  They’ll be done when you can pull one off of the parchment without it sticking, and they’ll be crisp.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

1 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

In a medium saucepan, heat the ingredients till the water boils, then mash the berries to the desired consistency, and reduce the heat so the sauce can simmer for about 30 minutes.  Store in the refrigerator till ready to use.

Salisbury.Fake food, snacks

Spiced Almonds

1 pound raw almonds
1 egg white
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease the foil.  It may seem like an extra step, but trust me on this one.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the egg white with honey, cardamom, and black pepper.  Once mixed well, add in the almonds.  Spread in one even layer on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle the salt on top.  Place in the oven and let roast for about ten minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the almonds cool completely before you eat them.  Store in an airtight container.

Salisbury.Fake dinner

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Sorry there’s no photo with this one.  Melted cheese is hard to photograph before it turns kind of gloppy, and people wanted to eat right away.  Next time, though!

25 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint of mushrooms, sliced thin
1 mango, small dice
1/2 cup onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable stock
8 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
vegetable oil, as needed
5-8 poblano peppers

Heat the oven to 375 F, and line a sheet pan with either foil or parchment paper.  Rub the peppers with oil until coated, then place on the sheet pan.  Roast for about half an hour, or until the skins start to blister.  Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat, and then combine the hominy, black beans, mushrooms, mango, onion, garlic, and the spices.  Cook for about three minutes, and then add in the vegetable stock.  Cover and let cook for three more minutes, and then remove the cover.  Continue cooking until there is very little liquid left in the pan, and the onions and mango are soft.

Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel the skins off.  Cut a slit along one side and open carefully.  Remove the seeds and the core.  Once the peppers are all deseeded and peeled, spoon some of the filling onto the inside of the pepper, and top with some cheese, about a tablespoon.  Fold over the sides so the filling is tucked in, and top with more cheese.  Do this for all of the peppers.  (You may have leftover filling, but that’s okay, this makes a great burrito or taco filling as well.)

Bake the peppers at 375 for about ten minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food, snacks

Corn Crackers

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(***This was originally meant to be an imitation Fritos recipe because I was craving them and didn’t want to buy them, but I have a ton of cornmeal I should use more than I do)

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 stick of butter, melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, pepper, and salt.  Melt the butter and cool slightly.  Beat the egg and add in the butter in a slow stream so you don’t cook the egg.  Begin to mix together the wet and dry ingredients, adding a tablespoon of water at a time till you have a dough that is soft and somewhat crumbly  (It’ll stick together when you roll it out).

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet (I used one that’s a bit bigger than 9×13).  Place the dough in the center, and use a piece of waxed paper to push the dough onto the sheet.  Use a rolling pin to get a smooth, even surface (over the waxed paper, of course).  Once the dough is smooth, score the surface for the shape you’d like your crackers to be, and then bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

These are really good with taco toppings, as well as with chili.  They are somewhat dry, but it’s a cracker.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food, snacks

Turkey Meatballs

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix all of the ingredients really well in a bowl.  Roll into walnut sized balls, and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  If you want to freeze them, bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes to reheat.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Quinoa with Red & Green Peppers, Onion, and Garlic

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1 small onion, diced
1 quarter of a red pepper, diced
1 quarter of a green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red and white quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil and then add in the peppers, garlic, and onion.  Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Add the quinoa, stock, and coriander.  Bring to a boil and then cover with the lid tilted so steam can escape.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the quinoa has expanded and white threads appear around it (10-15 minutes).  Add any salt and pepper if you’d like.

This makes several servings.  Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Salisbury.Fake dinner

Creole Lentils with Smoked Sausage

2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of lentils
1/2 of a green pepper, diced small
1/2 of a yellow or orange pepper, diced small
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup smoked sausage (I used beef sausage), chopped small
1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning (my recipe for this is below)
1/3 cup tomato sauce (plain sauce)

In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil, and then add in the lentils.  Cook the lentils until they are nearly done. They’ll be somewhat chewy and you’ll still have quite a bit of liquid leftover.  This is okay!  When the lentils are about halfway done, heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil.  Add in the peppers, onion, and garlic, and cook till softened. Reduce the heat to low-medium, and continue to cook.  You might smell the garlic starting to burn, but that’s okay for this dish.  As long as the garlic doesn’t turn black, you are doing it right.  I know it sounds  weird to have burnt garlic in a recipe, but it really adds a nice flavor to everything.  Once the lentils have reached the nearly done stage, crank the heat to medium high and add the sausage to the skillet to heat through.  Pour off most of the liquid from the lentils into the pan with the onion, peppers, garlic, and now sausage. Sprinkle the seasoning on top and mix in.  Cook this until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.  Add in the lentils and remaining stock, and bring to a boil.  Add the tomato sauce, and continue cooking until the liquid is mostly gone and you have the consistency of a thick sauce.

Serve with goat cheese crumbles, and maybe some hearty bread.
Creole Seasoning:
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
5 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp salt
Mix all of these ingredients together and keep in an airtight container for up to a year.  If a spice blend doesn’t smell like anything, it’s probably no longer as potent, and you should get rid of it.

Note: The reason why this is called Creole and not Cajun is because I read recently that Creole food uses tomatoes, while Cajun food does not usually use them.  I am happy to be corrected if that’s incorrect, however, because I am always willing to learn!

Salisbury.Fake dessert, food

Chocolate Truffles

6 tablespoons butter (unsalted), cut into pieces
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup more confectioner’s sugar

In a smallish, maybe medium saucepan, combine the butter, 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, and cocoa powder.  Heat until the ingredients form a smooth batter.  Remove from heat, and add in the vanilla.  Stir in powdered sugar until a soft dough forms.  While the dough is still somewhat warm, pinch off teaspoon sized pieces and roll into balls.  Refrigerate until set.

You can play with the flavorings in these (mint, peanut butter, etc), but I’d suggest always adding a touch of vanilla to help bring out the chocolate flavor.