Posts Tagged ‘DIRECTIONS’
When made just right, mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food: smooth, creamy, warm and filling — not to mention a perfect vehicle for gravy.
But how to get them perfectly smooth and creamy? Too often ridding mashed potatoes of those pesky lumps forces you to overwork the spuds into a gummy, grainy mess. Or you end up adding so much cream and butter that the dairy drowns out the flavor of the potatoes.
If you like your mashed potatoes fluffy, the answer is fairly straightforward. Choose a floury variety of potato, such as Maris Piper or russet, pass the peeled, boiled potatoes through a ricer, then mix in just enough butter and milk or cream to moisten.
But if you’re after a silkier texture — more like what the French call pommes puree — stick with waxy potatoes, such as Yukon gold or fingerlings. You also should try a modernist technique pioneered by food writer Jeffrey Steingarten and refined by the British chef Heston Blumenthal. It adds a step, but it is well worth it.
Steingarten discovered that gently heating the potatoes for a half hour or so in warm water before they are boiled profoundly improves the result. This is because as the potatoes soak in water at about 160 F (70 C), the starch in them gelatinizes, producing a smoother puree on the tongue. The granules that contain the starch also firm up, making it harder to rupture them during mashing.
Recently our research chefs perfected yet another modernist method that yields an amazingly smooth and slightly sweet potato puree, and all without adding any butter, milk or cream. The secret is to deploy a little trick of biochemistry that converts the starch in the potatoes into sugar.
The key to this culinary alchemy is an enzyme known as diastase. Don’t let the fancy name put you off; this ingredient is quite natural (it is derived from malted grain), and you can buy it online or at stores that sell brewing and baking ingredients. The enzyme typically is sold in in a ready-to-use form called diastatic malt powder.
Like other enzymes, diastase is a protein whose complex molecular shape allows it to accelerate chemical transformations with amazing speed and specificity. When you eat a starchy food like bread or potatoes, enzymes in your gut help break down the starch into simpler carbohydrates (such as sugars) that your body can burn or store for energy. By adding diastase to our mashed potatoes, we’re simply getting a jump on the process.
The trickiest part about using diastatic malt powder is measuring the right amount. It’s potent stuff, so you really should measure ingredients by weight. After you have peeled and cubed the potatoes, weigh them. For every 100 grams of potatoes, measure out 1 gram of diastatic malt powder. So 1,100 grams of peeled, cubed potatoes calls for 11 grams of malt powder.
Now fill a pot with water and add 2 grams of sugar and 3 grams of salt for every 100 milliliters of water. Simmer the potato cubes until they are tender, 30 to 40 minutes, then drain. Stir the diastatic malt powder into the potatoes, then pass the mixture through a ricer.
The riced potatoes next get sealed in a zip-close plastic bag, which is set in a pot of hot tap water (about 125 F) for a half hour. The warmth activates the enzyme and starts it gobbling up the potato starch. When the 30 minutes is up, empty the bag into a pot, then heat the puree to at least 167 F (75 C) to halt the enzymatic activity.
That’s it. Even with no butter or cream, the result is sweet and amazingly smooth. If you are avoiding dairy or limiting your intake of fats, this technique may just renew your love affair with the potato.
MODERNIST POTATO PUREE
As with most modernist recipes, accuracy is key. We’ve provided volume equivalents of most ingredients, but for best results use a digital scale and weigh things out. Diastatic malt powder is the secret to making these dairy-free pureed potatoes smooth and creamy. It is widely available online, as well as at brewing supply shops.
Start to finish: 2 hours
Makes 4 cups
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
30 grams (2 tablespoons) salt, plus additional for seasoning
20 grams (1 1/3 tablespoons) sugar
10 grams (1 tablespoon) diastatic malt powder
DIRECTIONS: Fill a large pot halfway with hot tap water. Set the pot over very low heat. Maintain the water temperature at 125 F. To hold this temperature, you may need to turn the heat on and off occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Measure out 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds or about 7 1/3 cups) of the potato cubes. Reserve any excess for another use. Place the potatoes in a second large pot with 2 liters (about 2 quarts) of water. Add the salt and sugar, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, then transfer them to a food processor. Add the malt powder, then process until smooth and sticky. Transfer to a large zip-close plastic bag, pressing out as much air as possible before closing. Place the bag of potatoes in the pot of 125 F water and cook in this manner for 30 minutes.
Empty the potatoes from the bag into a clean pot, then heat gently to at least 167 F. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Article source: http://www.nwitimes.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/mastering-creamy-pureed-potatoes-no-fat-required/article_5fbac682-5a37-58f7-932e-d8f825c43a9c.html
Share and Enjoy
When made just right, mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food: smooth, creamy, warm and filling — not to mention a perfect vehicle for gravy.
But how to get them perfectly smooth and creamy? Too often ridding mashed potatoes of those pesky lumps forces you to overwork the spuds into a gummy, grainy mess. Or you end up adding so much cream and butter that the dairy drowns out the flavor of the potatoes.
If you like your mashed potatoes fluffy, the answer is fairly straightforward. Choose a floury variety of potato, such as Maris Piper or russet, pass the peeled, boiled potatoes through a ricer, then mix in just enough butter and milk or cream to moisten.
But if you’re after a silkier texture — more like what the French call pommes puree — stick with waxy potatoes, such as Yukon gold or fingerlings. You also should try a modernist technique pioneered by food writer Jeffrey Steingarten and refined by the British chef Heston Blumenthal. It adds a step, but it is well worth it.
Steingarten discovered that gently heating the potatoes for a half hour or so in warm water before they are boiled profoundly improves the result. This is because as the potatoes soak in water at about 160 F (70 C), the starch in them gelatinizes, producing a smoother puree on the tongue. The granules that contain the starch also firm up, making it harder to rupture them during mashing.
Recently our research chefs perfected yet another modernist method that yields an amazingly smooth and slightly sweet potato puree, and all without adding any butter, milk or cream. The secret is to deploy a little trick of biochemistry that converts the starch in the potatoes into sugar.
The key to this culinary alchemy is an enzyme known as diastase. Don’t let the fancy name put you off; this ingredient is quite natural (it is derived from malted grain), and you can buy it online or at stores that sell brewing and baking ingredients. The enzyme typically is sold in in a ready-to-use form called diastatic malt powder.
Like other enzymes, diastase is a protein whose complex molecular shape allows it to accelerate chemical transformations with amazing speed and specificity. When you eat a starchy food like bread or potatoes, enzymes in your gut help break down the starch into simpler carbohydrates (such as sugars) that your body can burn or store for energy. By adding diastase to our mashed potatoes, we’re simply getting a jump on the process.
The trickiest part about using diastatic malt powder is measuring the right amount. It’s potent stuff, so you really should measure ingredients by weight. After you have peeled and cubed the potatoes, weigh them. For every 100 grams of potatoes, measure out 1 gram of diastatic malt powder. So 1,100 grams of peeled, cubed potatoes calls for 11 grams of malt powder.
Now fill a pot with water and add 2 grams of sugar and 3 grams of salt for every 100 milliliters of water. Simmer the potato cubes until they are tender, 30 to 40 minutes, then drain. Stir the diastatic malt powder into the potatoes, then pass the mixture through a ricer.
The riced potatoes next get sealed in a zip-close plastic bag, which is set in a pot of hot tap water (about 125 F) for a half hour. The warmth activates the enzyme and starts it gobbling up the potato starch. When the 30 minutes is up, empty the bag into a pot, then heat the puree to at least 167 F (75 C) to halt the enzymatic activity.
That’s it. Even with no butter or cream, the result is sweet and amazingly smooth. If you are avoiding dairy or limiting your intake of fats, this technique may just renew your love affair with the potato.
MODERNIST POTATO PUREE
As with most modernist recipes, accuracy is key. We’ve provided volume equivalents of most ingredients, but for best results use a digital scale and weigh things out. Diastatic malt powder is the secret to making these dairy-free pureed potatoes smooth and creamy. It is widely available online, as well as at brewing supply shops.
Start to finish: 2 hours
Makes 4 cups
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
30 grams (2 tablespoons) salt, plus additional for seasoning
20 grams (1 1/3 tablespoons) sugar
10 grams (1 tablespoon) diastatic malt powder
DIRECTIONS: Fill a large pot halfway with hot tap water. Set the pot over very low heat. Maintain the water temperature at 125 F. To hold this temperature, you may need to turn the heat on and off occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Measure out 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds or about 7 1/3 cups) of the potato cubes. Reserve any excess for another use. Place the potatoes in a second large pot with 2 liters (about 2 quarts) of water. Add the salt and sugar, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, then transfer them to a food processor. Add the malt powder, then process until smooth and sticky. Transfer to a large zip-close plastic bag, pressing out as much air as possible before closing. Place the bag of potatoes in the pot of 125 F water and cook in this manner for 30 minutes.
Empty the potatoes from the bag into a clean pot, then heat gently to at least 167 F. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Article source: http://www.nwitimes.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/mastering-creamy-pureed-potatoes-no-fat-required/article_5fbac682-5a37-58f7-932e-d8f825c43a9c.html
Share and Enjoy
By Eliana Tardio | December 4th, 2012 at 2:39 am
DISPONIBLE EN ESPAÑOL AQUÍ
As a good Latina, I love FLAN. For me its just the perfect dessert for everyone at home. My only concern about this decadent combination of milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla, is about all the sugar and fatty ingredients it has.
So to quiet my mind I came up with the idea of baking a FAT FREE FLAN, and here is the result a beautiful Flan in the shape of a Christmas Tree, that I decorated along with my son. You can get the Christmas tree baking dish for less than $6 in any store.
Do you want the recipe?
Here it goes. I write better than I bake, so it has to be easy!
INGREDIENTS
1 Can of FAT FREE Evaporated Milk
1 Can of FAT FREE Condensed Milk
6 EGGS
1 Spoon of Vanilla
1 Cup of brown sugar
Big smile.
DIRECTIONS.
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a pan filled with water inside. Make sure to choose the correct size as the baking dish will be immersed in it for the “Baño María” cooking.
2. Heat the cup of sugar and a teaspoon of water in a sauce pan. Stir until the sugar melts and turns caramel colored. Pour the caramel into the baking dish to coat bottom and sides completely.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients with an electric mixer and pour into the baking dish previously caramelized.
4. Immerse the baking dish in the boiling water pan that is at the oven. Let it cook for 90 minutes.
To remove: Let it stand for 20 minutes. Remove the sides with a knife. Cover with a big plate and invert.
Your Christmas tree flan is ready! Let it cool for another 30 minutes. Let your kids help you to decorate. Use Sparkle gel! Easy to use and mess free!
Nutrition Facts:
Evaporated Milk – 300 calories
Condensed Milk – 1100 calories
6 Medium Eggs – 360 calories
1 Vanilla Spoon – 5 calories
1 Cup of brown sugar – 800 calories
Total : 2565 calories (10 portions)
Delicious Flan for Less than 300 calories.
You got a delicious FLAN for less than 300 calories per person. Now, enjoy it!
Follow Eliana Tardio on Facebook and Twitter.
Article source: http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/living-and-loving-with-down-syndrome-eliana-tardio/2012/12/04/fat-free-christmas-flan-for-everyone/
Share and Enjoy
Granny’s slow-cooked Sunday smothered pork chops was a favorite dish prepared by Hall’s grandmother, Freddie Mae Glover.
Tenacity is what Chef Carla Hall says accounts for her professional success.
The Nashville native appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” in 2008 and “Top Chef All-Stars” in 2011. She currently co-hosts ABC’s “The Chew,” with chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon, health guru Daphne Oz and fashion consultant Clinton Kelly.
On Tuesday her first cookbook, “Cooking with Love: Comfort Foods that Hug You,” (Free Press, $30) was released, but her professional journey is a tale all its own.
“I lived in Nashville until I left for college. I wanted to major in theater and went to the National Academy of Theater with plans to attend Boston University, but they were going to delay my admission,” she said.
That didn’t sit well with Hall so she spoke with her sister who had been accepted at Howard University. On a whim Hall followed suit and enrolled at Howard with a major in accounting.
“I put no thought into it. I studied accounting because I loved my accounting teacher at Hillsboro High School and was good at it. I’m an overachiever, and I wanted to do something that I felt like I would excel at, ” she said.
Following graduation she took a job with Price Waterhouse in Tampa, Fla.
“It didn’t take long for me to say, “Oooh, I don’t like this at all,’” she said.
She told her parents she was quitting her job and promptly moved to Paris to work as a model.
It was in Europe that she discovered a passion for cooking. Once back in the States, instead of relying on her degree in accounting to find a job, she started her own lunchtime catering business.
“Cooking was very intuitive for me. If I didn’t do something right I would keep doing it over until I got it right. I decided to start my own lunch delivery service, and I worked every single day for six years doing that,” she said.
It was during that time that she attended a one-year culinary program at L’Academie de Cuisine. She cut her teeth in the restaurant business working as sous chef at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. and served as executive chef at The State Plaza Hotel and the Washington Club. Eventually she left the restaurant business and transformed her lunchtime gig into a full-time catering company named Alchemy by Carla Hall.
“I find it very self-satisfying to make something that people like. It’s a way of nurturing others,” she said.
Trying out for “Top Chef” was her husband Matthew Lyons’ idea. She had never watched the show, so she decided to tune in to a few episodes. Not long after that her sous chef told her he had dreamed that she would be on “Top Chef.” The next day Hall received a call from the show’s producer who invited her to try out.
“Some woman I know mentioned me to them but I didn’t know that at the time. When I started filling out paperwork to try out for the show I went to this particular lady and asked if I could use her as a reference. She said ‘Oh, I’ve already told them about you,’” Hall said.
She became a viewer favorite during “Top Chef”‘s fifth season and quickly gained fame for her infamous “Hootie Hoo” call. That’s also where she declared her culinary philosophy as “cooking with love.” She was one of three finalists with Chef Josea Rosenberg winning the competition.
She describes her experience this way.
“Being on ‘Top Chef’ was challenging, especially when trying to run my own business without a phone and email. Plus, I don’t like being judged, and that was a life lesson for me to get over being judged. I learned a lot about myself and where my thresholds were,” she said.
“Top Chef” producers asked her three times to come back as an All-Star contestant before she finally agreed.
“I said no, not because of the challenge of the competition but because the first time I was gone made it very hard on my business. I had a commitment there. It wasn’t like I was leaving someone else’s place,” she said.
The other side of the coin was once she appeared on Season Five of “Top Chef” her business grew so much that she didn’t feel she could adequately handle the number of catering requests she was receiving. Before agreeing to the All-Star show she revamped her catering company into an online and wholesale operation she called Alchemy by Carla Hall: Petite
Cookies made with Love. Her bite-size cookies are available online at www.alchemybycarlahall.com or in various food stores. Currently Corzine Co. in Nashville is the nearest location to Knoxville where they can be purchased without ordering online.
Shortly after “Top Chef All-Stars” ended, she tried out for “The Chew” and was selected as one of five co-hosts.
She describes her other co-hosts this way: “Michael Symon is a little devious … with a wonderful sense of humor; Daphne Oz is very smart with a wicked sense of humor; Clinton Kelly is elegant and quirky; and Mario Batali is freakishly smart and very generous with his time.”
The contract for her first book was signed about the same time she started on “The Chew.” It reflects her Southern roots, which is where she says she discovered how to cook with love.
“Every Sunday we would go to Sunday supper after church at my grandmother Freddie Mae Glover’s house. She would never put the rolls or make the cornbread until we got there. I was always asking my mother if we could please call her 10 minutes before we got there so we didn’t have to wait. I’m not sure if she instilled in me the love of cooking but she showed me how to cook with love, and I sure loved eating her food.” Hall recalled.
There are more than 100 recipes in the cookbook, including golden raisin scones; Granny’s five-flavor pound cake; swamp thing (braised pork shoulder in smoked pork-corn broth); roasted red pepper risotto, as well as the recipes featured below.
Granny’s slow-cooked Sunday smothered pork chops
Yields 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in pork loin chops (each 1½-inches thick)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup canola or other neutral oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 cup chicken stock (homemade or store bought, unsalted)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground allspice
DIRECTIONS
1 Rinse the pork chops and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chops, then dredge in flour to lightly coat. Reserve the remaining flour.
2 In large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add two of the pork chops and cook, turning once until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate. Repeat with remaining chops.
3 Add onions and garlic to the fat in the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add reserved flour. Cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes.
4 In a small bowl combine the stock, water, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, molasses and allspice. Add to pan and stir until well incorporated. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Return the pork chops and their accumulated juices to the pan.
5 Cover and simmer until the chops are very tender, about 45 minutes, turning the chops halfway through cooking. Serve hot.
Pan-seared turkey with cranberry pear relish
Yields 12 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 quart water
½ cup packed brown sugar
10 whole allspice berries
10 whole cloves
10 whole black peppercorns
5 whole star anise
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (11-15 pound) turkey, cut into 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 thighs. (See note)
1 ½ cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon crushed red chile flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
Cranberry pear relish (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS
1 In large resealable plastic bag, combine water, sugar, allspice, cloves, peppercorns, star anise and ½ cup salt. Seal tightly and shake to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the turkey parts, seal tightly and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
2 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3 Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. In a small bowl combine the parsley, sage, garlic, lemon zest, chile flakes, ½ cup olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Carefully run your hand between the turkey skin and meat to loosen the skin, then rub the parsley mixture over the meat and under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
4 Rub each piece of turkey with olive oil to lightly coat. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom with olive oil. Working in batches, sear the turkey parts until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned pieces to a half sheet pan and arrange in a single layer.
5 Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece registers 170 degrees, about 45 minutes. Start checking the pieces after 40 minutes and transfer each piece from the pan to a platter as it’s cooked through. Smaller parts, like the thighs, will be done earlier and the larger pieces, like the drumsticks, can take up to 1 hour. Serve with the cranberry relish.
Note: Reserve turkey back and neck for making homemade stock.
Cranberry pear relish
Yields 5 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup dry red wine
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 (3-inch) strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound (4 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen (see note)
4 ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
DIRECTIONS
1 In a medium saucepan, combine the onion, sugar, wine, ginger, lemon zest and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, then simmer for 15 minutes.
2 Stir in cranberries and pears and simmer 20 minutes or until the cranberries and onion have softened. The sauce will become a rich scarlet color.
3 Remove and discard the lemon zest. Let cool to room temperature before serving. You can cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Note: Prick each cranberry with a pin before cooking. This will keep the berries from bursting and getting mushy as they cook.
Article source: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/nov/07/chewing-the-fat-nashville-native-carla-hall-food/
Share and Enjoy
If the summer sun is making you crave something smooth and sweet, try this low-fat berry cheesecake. Topped with a colorful layer of cool gelatin and fresh berries, it’s a guaranteed winner for you, the kids or the guests at your next carry-in. Because it has no crust, it also is low in carbs. Don’t tell anyone how healthy it is, and they’ll never know.
Neufchatel cheese is a variety of cream cheese with a little more moisture left in the paste than regular cream cheese, so it is softer and has fewer calories and less fat.
If you don’t feel like raspberries, change up the gelatin to any flavor you like and add fruit to match — cherry, strawberry or peach would all be great.
Photo by Aimee Blume
Aimee Blume / Special to The Courier Press
Low-fat cheesecake with raspberry gelatin topping and fresh raspberries is guaranteed to be a healthy winner this summer.
Low-Fat Raspberry Cheesecake with Gelatin Topping
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
2 8-ounce packages Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 large eggs plus 3 egg whites
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 box sugar-free raspberry gelatin
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 3-ounce container fresh raspberries
DIRECTIONS
1 Beat both cream cheeses and the sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 5 minutes, then beat in the sour cream on low. Lightly whisk the 3 egg whites in a bowl, then add to the cheese mixture along with the 2 whole eggs, flour, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Pour into a shallow ceramic baker, square, oval or round. Choose a container deep enough to leave at least 1 inch of room at the top for the gelatin layer.
2 Place the cheesecake pan in a roasting pan and add enough warm water to come ¼ of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake until the cake is set but the center still jiggles, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven; keep the cheesecake inside with the door closed for 20 minutes.
3 Remove the cake from the water bath and transfer to a rack. Run a knife around the edge, then cool completely. Place in refrigerator.
4 In the meantime, mix gelatin according to package directions. Let cool to near room temperature and whisk in the 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream and all but 10 of the berries.
5 Pour over cake and chill completely. Top with reserved berries and serve.
Source: Adapted from Food Network
Article source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/13/light-and-healthy---low-fat-berry-cheesecake/
Share and Enjoy
