For the past couple of weeks, well, actually the past 14 months, I've been pondering on the respective merits of the Bosch and KitchenAid. This hasn't been a full-time pondering, and I certainly haven't lost any sleep over it, but when I'm making something that requires mixing or kneading, which happens fairly regularly, I do think about the equipment.
I brought the Bosch mixer with me to New York and still have the KitchenAid in Utah. The Bosch gets used a lot more in NY than it ever did in Utah, simply because it's all I have. But this also means I've used it for a lot more than making bread (which was its sole use in Utah), so I have more experience with it on which to base my ramblings.
In a nutshell, I LOVE the Bosch for making bread. I can make a batch of 6 loaves of whole wheat bread at one time, and it turns out perfectly. It's fast and efficient. It kneads without stressing the motor It's easy to use. I can make multiple recipes after each other and the motor doesn't seem to get hot. It's a workhorse, no question about it. My Bosch also came with a blender attachment (the blender attaches to a different part of the base). The blender works really well, too. In fact, I think it's the best blender I've ever used.
BUT. . . I miss my KitchenAid. I LOVE the KitchenAid for virtually everything else like cookies, frosting, whipping cream, etc. The KitchenAid is incredibly easy to use and has a limited number of parts to clean. It doesn't hold the capacity that the Bosch holds, but that's not a problem for anything but bread (at least that I've noticed so far). The motor does seem to get warm, but the mixer keeps working. My mom's KitchenAid is over 50 years old, and it's still working (it has had the motor replaced, however). That original design has stood the test of time - my KitchenAid and attachments look almost just like my moms (and mine is only 20+ years old).
So the question I get asked is this: If you could have only one - either the Bosch or the KitchenAid - which would you choose? Based on what I know and how I cook, I would probably choose the KitchenAid, but I'm really glad that I don't have to make that decision. And I'll be really glad when I can get my KitchenAid to my NY kitchen. But what do you think? Is one better than another? Any preferences? Let me know.
Now. . . the piece of equipment I would love to have in my kitchen but probably never will because it's completely impractical, not to mention expensive and BIG, is an industrial size Hobart mixer. Think of it as the KitchenAid on steroids. It is one BIG, BAD mixer, but I fell in love with it at Seneca Lake Camp. It does have a few drawbacks for use in the normal home kitchen (like it's size and the fact that it takes two people to lift the mixer bowl when it's full), but think of the possibilities of being able to make 12 - 16 loaves of bread at once, or 10 dozen cookies, or a full sheet cake pan of brownie mix. Hmmm - with only two people most of the time to cook for, it may be a bit of overkill. But a girl can dream. . .
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What's for Dinner? Try Pork Tenderloin
We had the LDS missionaries over for dinner Monday night, along with Mark's brother Anthony and a friend, Josh. With Mark and me that made 6 for dinner - and I knew time was going to be tight because of work - and we had another obligation that night where we needed to be out of the house by 6:15 p.m.
Here's the menu:
Pork tenderloin
Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
Gravy
Steamed carrots
Fresh rolls
Chocolate cake
It all came together FAST - literally less than an hour - and tasted great. And we were out of the house by 6:15. Not bad.
Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/4 cup Dijon whole grain mustard
1 TB dried rosemary (or 2TB fresh)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
4 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
Balsamic vinegar
In a bowl, combine apple juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and pepper. Put pork tenderloins in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, add marinade, seal tightly. Place in a bowl in the fridge and marinate at least 3 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally (every 60-90 minutes).
Drain and discard marinade from the meat. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. (I used 2 9 x 13-inch pans.) Drizzle roast with balsamic vinegar (about 2 TB total drizzled over the 4 tenderloins). Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until meat reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
NOTE: Don't be alarmed by the amount of mustard in the marinade. I know it sounds like a lot, but the final product doesn't taste like mustard.
Gravy
3 TB vegetable oil
2 TB butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 1/2 cups cold water + additional water if needed
1 1/2 tsp beef base
1 1/2 tsp chicken base
Drippings from baked tenderloins
Heat vegetable oil and butter in saucepan until butter is melted. Add flour and continue to cook and stir about 90 seconds or until mixture is almost starting to brown. Add apple juice and water and stir with a whisk. Add beef base and chicken base. Cook and stir over medium heat until gravy thickens. When the tenderloins are done, add the drippings from the roasting pan(s) to the gravy and stir to incorporate. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water to desired consistency.
(Cooking tip from a chef: Add COLD liquid to hot roux for lump free gravy. I've never had a problem with it.)
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, or red skinned potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
Rinse potatoes and cut into chunks. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread in a shallow baking pan (I use the large cookie sheets with a 1" side). Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Stir about half way through baking time.
Diane's Rolls
This is my go-to recipe for rolls in a hurry. They always taste great, they can be put together quickly, and I always have the ingredients. It takes less time to make the rolls and form them than it takes to go to the grocery store. Literally. Let the rolls raise while the meat is cooking, then pop the rolls in the oven while the meat is resting. Wah-la! Fresh rolls for dinner. NOTE: I'm including the instructions for the way I make the rolls using instant yeast. If you just have regular yeast, let me know and I'll send you the standard instructions (or refer to the instructions in the family cookbook).
2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4-6 cups flour
2 TB instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
In mixer bowl, add ingredients in order: water, sugar, oil, eggs, 4 cups of flour, and yeast. Mix until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt and mix to form soft dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour or as needed. The dough will be soft. Knead (I use the dough hook on the mixer) for about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Form dough into 36 rolls and place on baking sheets. Cover with a towel and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
NOTE: I use parchment paper on my baking sheets and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Also, flour amounts and baking times seem to be slightly different in NY than in Utah. I think it may have something to do with the humidity, altitude, and possibly the flour itself. Start wtih the amounts and times listed, and increase if needed.
Chocolate Cake
1 chocolate cake mix, made according to package directions
Before baking the cake, sprinkle with:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
No frosting needed!
I'm estimating the cost for dinner for 6 people at around $20.00.
Here's the menu:
Pork tenderloin
Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
Gravy
Steamed carrots
Fresh rolls
Chocolate cake
It all came together FAST - literally less than an hour - and tasted great. And we were out of the house by 6:15. Not bad.
Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/4 cup Dijon whole grain mustard
1 TB dried rosemary (or 2TB fresh)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
4 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
Balsamic vinegar
In a bowl, combine apple juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and pepper. Put pork tenderloins in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, add marinade, seal tightly. Place in a bowl in the fridge and marinate at least 3 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally (every 60-90 minutes).
Drain and discard marinade from the meat. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. (I used 2 9 x 13-inch pans.) Drizzle roast with balsamic vinegar (about 2 TB total drizzled over the 4 tenderloins). Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until meat reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
NOTE: Don't be alarmed by the amount of mustard in the marinade. I know it sounds like a lot, but the final product doesn't taste like mustard.
Gravy
3 TB vegetable oil
2 TB butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 1/2 cups cold water + additional water if needed
1 1/2 tsp beef base
1 1/2 tsp chicken base
Drippings from baked tenderloins
Heat vegetable oil and butter in saucepan until butter is melted. Add flour and continue to cook and stir about 90 seconds or until mixture is almost starting to brown. Add apple juice and water and stir with a whisk. Add beef base and chicken base. Cook and stir over medium heat until gravy thickens. When the tenderloins are done, add the drippings from the roasting pan(s) to the gravy and stir to incorporate. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water to desired consistency.
(Cooking tip from a chef: Add COLD liquid to hot roux for lump free gravy. I've never had a problem with it.)
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, or red skinned potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
Rinse potatoes and cut into chunks. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread in a shallow baking pan (I use the large cookie sheets with a 1" side). Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Stir about half way through baking time.
Diane's Rolls
This is my go-to recipe for rolls in a hurry. They always taste great, they can be put together quickly, and I always have the ingredients. It takes less time to make the rolls and form them than it takes to go to the grocery store. Literally. Let the rolls raise while the meat is cooking, then pop the rolls in the oven while the meat is resting. Wah-la! Fresh rolls for dinner. NOTE: I'm including the instructions for the way I make the rolls using instant yeast. If you just have regular yeast, let me know and I'll send you the standard instructions (or refer to the instructions in the family cookbook).
2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4-6 cups flour
2 TB instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
In mixer bowl, add ingredients in order: water, sugar, oil, eggs, 4 cups of flour, and yeast. Mix until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt and mix to form soft dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour or as needed. The dough will be soft. Knead (I use the dough hook on the mixer) for about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Form dough into 36 rolls and place on baking sheets. Cover with a towel and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
NOTE: I use parchment paper on my baking sheets and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Also, flour amounts and baking times seem to be slightly different in NY than in Utah. I think it may have something to do with the humidity, altitude, and possibly the flour itself. Start wtih the amounts and times listed, and increase if needed.
Chocolate Cake
1 chocolate cake mix, made according to package directions
Before baking the cake, sprinkle with:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
No frosting needed!
I'm estimating the cost for dinner for 6 people at around $20.00.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hot Fudge Sauce
We served this with ice cream for dessert on the last day.
Hot Fudge Sauce
1 square butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag (12-ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Over medium heat and stirring constantly, melt together all ingredients except vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture is simmering. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Sauce thickens as it cools. Makes about 2 cups of sauce.
Hot Fudge Sauce
1 square butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag (12-ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Over medium heat and stirring constantly, melt together all ingredients except vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture is simmering. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Sauce thickens as it cools. Makes about 2 cups of sauce.
Quick Trick Lasagna
Quick Trick Lasagna - the trick is that you don't have to cook the noodles first!
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion
1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 (32-ounce) jar or can spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef and onion. Season with garlic and onion powder. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and water and simmer while preparing other ingredients. Mix together the ricotta and eggs.
In a greased 9 x 13-inch pan, layer 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with meat sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.
NOTES:
You can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta - I just like the flavor and texture of the ricotta a little better than the cottage cheese.
For the youth, we made all the lasagna the day before, covered it with plastic wrap (the acid in the tomatoes will eat through aluminum foil after a while), and refrigerated until time to bake for dinner. If you make the lasagna in advance, allow about 20-30 minutes extra baking time.
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion
1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 (32-ounce) jar or can spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef and onion. Season with garlic and onion powder. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and water and simmer while preparing other ingredients. Mix together the ricotta and eggs.
In a greased 9 x 13-inch pan, layer 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with meat sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.
NOTES:
You can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta - I just like the flavor and texture of the ricotta a little better than the cottage cheese.
For the youth, we made all the lasagna the day before, covered it with plastic wrap (the acid in the tomatoes will eat through aluminum foil after a while), and refrigerated until time to bake for dinner. If you make the lasagna in advance, allow about 20-30 minutes extra baking time.
Quick Vegetable Burger Soup
We served this soup to the adult leaders for lunch on Saturday, along with the homemade French bread. Because I knew we would be busy with making the bread Saturday morning, and didn't know how much time that would take, I didn't want anything too involved for lunch. This was a great choice.
Quick Vegetable Burger Soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 (1-lb) cans (4 cups total) stewed tomatoes with onions and peppers
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 large package (20-ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 tsp brown sugar
Brown ground beef, drain. Stir in everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Quick Vegetable Burger Soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 (1-lb) cans (4 cups total) stewed tomatoes with onions and peppers
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 large package (20-ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 tsp brown sugar
Brown ground beef, drain. Stir in everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Southwestern Egg Casserole
We served this to the adult leaders on Saturday morning. (The youth ate oatmeal on the trail.) I like making this for groups because it holds well and still tastes good even when served at room temperature.
Southwestern Egg Casserole
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese or cheddar jack blend, shredded
12 eggs
3/4 cup flour
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
half of a 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained, or to taste
1/2 cup picante sauce or salsa (extra chunky salsa works well)
Additional salsa to serve on the side
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic pan. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pan. Beat eggs, add flour slowly, then mix in evaporate milk and whole milk. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Carefully spoon chiles over the surface, tehn sppon salsa over all. Bake about 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve additional salsa on the side.
NOTE about baking dishes: Be sure to use glass or ceramic for this dish, or any time you are baking eggs. Don't use metal dishes when baking/cooking eggs - the eggs will react to the metal and turn a greenish/gray color. They're still safe to eat, just not very appetizing. (Chalk this one up to a lesson learned the hard way!)
Southwestern Egg Casserole
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese or cheddar jack blend, shredded
12 eggs
3/4 cup flour
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
half of a 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained, or to taste
1/2 cup picante sauce or salsa (extra chunky salsa works well)
Additional salsa to serve on the side
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic pan. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pan. Beat eggs, add flour slowly, then mix in evaporate milk and whole milk. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Carefully spoon chiles over the surface, tehn sppon salsa over all. Bake about 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve additional salsa on the side.
NOTE about baking dishes: Be sure to use glass or ceramic for this dish, or any time you are baking eggs. Don't use metal dishes when baking/cooking eggs - the eggs will react to the metal and turn a greenish/gray color. They're still safe to eat, just not very appetizing. (Chalk this one up to a lesson learned the hard way!)
Hot Bean Dip
This recipe originally came from Anne Peters Hutchings, my friend and neighbor all the years we were growing up. It's always been a hit.
Hot Bean Dip
1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 TB taco seasoning mix
1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until hot. Stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.
If you are in a hurry, you can heat everything in the microwave or in a heavy pan on the stove.
Hot Bean Dip
1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 TB taco seasoning mix
1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until hot. Stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.
If you are in a hurry, you can heat everything in the microwave or in a heavy pan on the stove.
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