Hot Spiced Cider

Posted on September 8, 2011 by okieranchwife

I’m looking forward to the cool nights of Autumn so I can make this cider and sit by the firepit with my husband. Very cozy.

  • 6 cups Apple Cider
  • 20 Whole Cloves
  • 4 sticks Cinnamon
  • 1 whole Nutmeg
  • 10 whole Allspice Berries
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon Orange Zest

Combine ingredients except lemon and orange zest over medium heat. Heat to boiling and reduce heat to medium low simmer about 5 minutes. Add lemon and orange zest. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Return to heat and gently warm the cider. Strain out the soilds and serve warm.

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Chicken Alfredo

Posted on September 8, 2011 by okieranchwife

We do eat a lot of chicken around here. This dish is a bit of a guilty treat because it is a bit rich with the Alfredo sauce. I grow several types of garlic and I like to use a Creole type called Ajo Rojo in my sauce. It has a bit more bite and heat than regular garlic.

  • 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour or Wondra
  • 6 Chicken Breasts, skinless 
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • 3 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed
  • 1 tablespoon Onion. minced
  • 1 1/2 cups Half & Half or Whipping Cream, your choice
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper, black or red
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, coarse chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh Thyme, fine chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place flour in shallow bowl. Coat the chicken with salt and dredge in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown about 3 minutes per side. Place chicken in a 13×9 baking dish and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in the same skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook until onion is tender but not browned about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add half & half, cheese, pepper and thyme. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened about 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chicken. Bake for about 12 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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The care and feeding of your cast iron cookware

Posted on September 8, 2011 by okieranchwife

I love, love love to cook in cast iron. I have a small collection of skillets, deep pans, and one Dutch Oven that I found at thrift stores, Goodwill and discount stores. Here in Oklahoma the main ones are Walls and Big Lots. The new cast iron are pre-seasoned and good to go right out of the box, however, if you find a treasure at a thrift store you may have to season it before you use it. This is my method.

Pre-heat the oven to 150 F.  Place the cast iron item with no oil in it in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the cast iron out of the oven and liberally coat it with oil only on the inside. I prefer to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some people prefer Crisco, vegetable oil, canola oil. Use what you prefer.  Return the cast iron to the oven and raise the heat to 225 F. Leave it in there for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and wipe the excess oil out of the cast iron. Buff the inside to a dull shine and let cool on your stove top. After it is cool, wipe the inside down with a thin coating of oil and store. Cast iron likes to be used, often. If you don’t use it, the oiil can become rancid. If this happens, heat the cast iron, wipe out the rancid oil and reseason.

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I-40 ‘Tater Soup

Posted on September 7, 2011 by okieranchwife

I-40 runs east to west right across the middle of our state, while it is good to getting from point A to point B fast, you do miss some of the best scenic areas. And you miss those Mom & Pop diners where you can get some good down home comfort food. I’m sure you can find a soup like this at one of them. This is one of my brother’s recipes. He does good soups!

  • 4 large Russett Baking Potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 medium Red Onion, medium chopped
  • 1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, seeded and small chopped
  • 1 can (15 ozs) Low Sodium Chicken broth or Home made
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Frozen Green Peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • Sea Salt or Kosher Salt to taste
  • 4 slices of American Cheese (or the equivalent of any type of cheese)
  • Optional Garnishes: Crumbled Bacon, Sliced Green Onions, Shredded Cheese

Bake potatoes until cooked and tender. Scoop out the potato and mash. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat and saute onion and green pepper until tender about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir milk, mashed potatoes, peas, pepper and salt.  Simmer the soup about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add the cheese and cook until it melts, about 2 minutes.  If the soup becomes too thick add a bit more milk. Ladle into bowls, garnish and serve with warm bread.

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Homemade Ketchup

Posted on September 7, 2011 by okieranchwife

There’s nothing better than homemade condiments. I like to make my own because I can control the amount of sugar in them. And I never add any High Fructose Corn Syrup!

  • 1 can (6 ozs) Tomato Paste
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 1/8 cup Brown Sugar or Sugar Substitute
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • 1/4 dry Mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves
  • 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix well and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 3 weeks.

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Penbryn Cheese Pudding

Posted on September 6, 2011 by okieranchwife

Penbryn is a really nice Welsh Cheese. Now since I usually don’t have Welsh Cheese in my fridge, so I use Cheddar Cheese. And it works well. I had this dish on a trip to England and really loved it.

  • 4 ozs Cheddar Cheese, grated
  • 3 ozs fresh, soft and plain Breadcrumbs 
  • 1 oz softened Butter
  • 2 Eggs, separate yolks from whites and keep both in separate bowls
  • Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pint Whole Milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry Mustard

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 7 inch pie plate.

 Lightly beat the egg yolks. Gently warm the milk and add to eggs yolks. Mix slightly. Add the butter and mustard. Mix well and add breadcrumbs along with 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stiffly whip the eggs whites and fold into the yolk mixture.  Pour the mixture into the buttered pie dish and cover with remaining cheese. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes. The pudding should be well risen, golden brown and just set in the middle. Serve with crusty bread.

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Wild Rice Ratatouille

Posted on September 6, 2011 by okieranchwife

Wild rice isn’t really a rice at all. It is an aquatic plant member of the grass family. The Native Indians’ diet in the Upper Great Lakes region was based on the wild rice harvest. Although not a native plant of Oklahoma, I really like the nutty taste since it paires well with almost all meat proteins and vegetables. And a little goes a long way. Thank goodness since it is more expensive than regular rice.

  • 2/3 cup uncooked Wild Rice
  • 2 cups Water
  • 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
  • 1/3 cup Extra VirginOlive Oil (EVOO)
  • 1 medium Onion, sliced
  • 1 clove Garlic, peeled and pressed
  • 2 medium Zucchini cut in 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 medium Sweet Green Peppers, seeded and cut in strips
  • 1 small Eggplant, cubed
  • 2 medium Tomatoes, halved and sliced in sections
  • 1 teaspoon dried Basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, wash rice with warm water. Drain. Return rice to saucepan and add water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes until rice is tender or until all liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally.

in a large soup pot, heat EVOO over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, green peppers and eggplant and saute until browned. Reduce heat to low, add tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 15 minutes. Stir in wild rice and cook an additional 10 minutes to reduce any excess liquid from the vegetables. Serve with crusty bread.

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Deviled Eggs

Posted on September 6, 2011 by okieranchwife

Back in the 1960’s, I always saw these eggs on my mom’s table whenever we had guests. I loved ’em back then and still love ’em now.

  • 1 rounded tablespoon Sugar or Sugar Substitute
  • 2 teaspoons White Vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted Butter
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil Mayonnaise
  • 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled
  • Paprika (Smoked Hungarian Paprika gives a nice different taste)

Cut the hardboiled eggs in half. Scoop out the yolks. Mash the yolks into a fine paste. Add remaining ingredients except paprika to the yolk and mix well. You can use a piping bag with a fluted tip to fill the eggs halves with a fancy design or you can use a teaspoon to fill them. Sprinkle paprika on top of the filled eggs. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

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Chicken in Wine

Posted on September 5, 2011 by okieranchwife

Known in France as Coq au Vin, this is good in whatever language you speak.

  • 4 slices Bacon, cut into 1/2 ” pieces
  • 4 pounds skinless Chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks and breasts)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1 small Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 rib Celery, finely chopped
  • 5 ozs Shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 10 ozs White Mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
  • 3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour or Wondra
  • 1 1/2 cup dry Red Wine as such Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 8 ozs Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Home made
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Parsley (Flat leaf Italian has more flavor than the tight curled variety)

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a 5 quart cast iron Dutch Oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until well browned and crispy.  Place bacon on a paper towel to drain.  Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add half of the chicken parts to the Dutch Oven and cook over medium high heat until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Place browned chicken on a plate and brown the remaining chicken. Take chicken out of Dutch Oven and add to the already cooked chicken in a bowl. Add onion, carrot, celery, shallots and mushrooms to the Dutch Oven and cook about 10 minutes. Place this mix in a bowl and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven melt the butter. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Don’t let the flour burn. Whisk in the red wine to deglaze the Dutch Oven and whisk until smooth. Stir in broth and tomato paste. Heat to boiling, whisking frequently for 2 minutes.  Add back in all of the cooked chicken, vegetables, bacon and bay leaves. Heat to boiling. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

To serve discard bay leaves, skim off any excess fat and garnish with parsley.

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Spicy Toasted Pecans

Posted on September 5, 2011 by okieranchwife

These are really nice Christmas gifts . I like to give food or handmade items to my friends. If you give these, I’m sure your friends will ask for the recipe!

  •  3 tablespoons unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce of your choice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper or Red Cayenne Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • 2 1/2 cups Pecan Halves (about 10 ozs)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Over medium low heat melt the butter in medium saucepan. Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, hot sauce, pepper and salt. Remove the pan from heat and stir in pecans. Coat the pecans with the butter sauce. Turn out into a shallow baking pan and spread out in one layer. Place baking pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until nicely browned about 8 to 10 minutes.

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