Orchard Bread, The Whole Year Round

Using different fruits you can make this tasty treat all year and celebrate the turn of the seasons too!

What's filling, sweet, and easy to carry and won't make you feel like you have a car tire around your middle? Orchard bread. Call it fruitbread, fruitcake, cherrybread, orchard bread, whatever you like. The basic concept is the same. Lots of delicious dried mixed fruits + a sweet bread base.  It's delicious, it's wonderful any time of year, and if you wrap it properly, you'll be able to eat it before it turns into a doorstop. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup golden raisins

3 Tbsp amber rum

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

kosher salt

It doesn’t have to be this particular brand, but you want to make sure that it says unsulphured on the bottle so the recipe turns out right.

1/3 C packed brown sugar (dark or light will work, but we suggest light) 

1 1/2 cups packed dried strawberry halves 

1/3 c dried cherries

1/3 c dried cranberries

3 c walnut halves, lightly toasted 

3 eggs

2 Tbsp unsulphured molasses (so this recipe wouldn't work with blackstrap) 

2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Tools:

small microwave safe bowl, 9x5 inch loaf pan, parchment paper, large bowl, whisk, a small bowl (doesn't have to be microwave safe this time), silicon spatula, tin foil.

To start off, grab your small bowl, and toss in your golden raisins and rum. Cover them with a plate and microwave until their warm, not steaming, roughly a minute. Set that to the side, keeping it covered and check back on it in 15 minutes to give it a stir, and then again at the 45 minute mark. Leave it alone for a further 15 minutes, making it roughly an hour in total. At that point the raisins should have absorbed most of the rum. Drain off any liquor that's left to either use again at another point, or drink it yourself if you're over age. 

Now preheat your oven to 300*F and make sure that there is a rack in the middle of the oven. Grab your loaf pan and parchment paper. Measure out two sheets of parchment paper, one going lengthwise and one going crosswise. You want enough paper here to push down into the corners of the pan and still have 'handles' hanging over the sides. Start from one corner and work to all of the others, slowly smoothing the paper into the corners so that it's flush. Any bumps or wrinkles in the paper or going to lead to bumps or wrinkles in the bread. Use a stick of butter and apply a layer to the parchment paper, making sure to coat everything within the pan. 

Next up, grab your flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp of your salt and then your brown sugar of choice. Whisk all of it together in a large bowl and make sure to break up any clumps as you go. Set aside your whisk and add in your strawberries, cherries and raisins and toss to coat everything. Add in the walnuts and toss again to combine and coat the walnuts. 

Take a clean small bowl and your whisk and beat together the eggs, molasses, and vanilla until everything is well mixed. Now grab your spatula and add your fruit-nut mixture, folding and mixing to combine and coat all of the pieces with the batter. You want to make sure that there aren't any pockets of dry ingredients on the bottom or at the edge of the bowl. Pour the batter into your loaf pan, scraping the bowl to get any remaining bits into the pan. Tap the pan against the counter several times to release any air bubbles, and use the spatula to smooth the top into an even layer. 

Bake the cake for an hour, rotating the pan after 30 minutes. If your bread is browning too much at the halfway mark, you can cover it loosely with a tent of foil. When the top is a deep golden brown, it's done! Remove it from the oven and place to pan on a wire rack to let it cool. 

When it's finally cool, grab the handles you left yourself and remove the loaf from the pan. Use a bread knife and cut it into thin slices and serve. IF you have any leftovers, they can be wrapped well in wax paper and store it in an airtight container for a week at room temperature. 

You can serve it with various butters or fruit jams for a delicious snacks or breakfasts. You could also work up a quick icing with milk and powdered sugar and drizzle it across the top. 

Courtesy of Peggychoucair

So, what do you think? Are you up for doing some experimental baking this weekend? What other fruits would you add into the mix? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook. 

If you ended up here instead because your stove isn't working properly, give us a call! You can get hold of us at ((214) 599-0055) or by going to our website to set up an appointment that works for you.

Ginger-Pear Braised Beef

A dish sure to impress, warm, savory and sweet, all at once.

I Don’t Care, Take Me To The Recipe!

You need something nice enough to impress guests and delicious enough that they’ll remember it rather than be bored by more ‘traditional’ guest meals. The answer? Go old-school. Grab a hunk of beef and cook it with ginger, cider, and pears to give it a delicious, warm taste that they won’t forget, but that hasn't been done a million times over. 

Ingredients: 

3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt 

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbsp neutral-tasting oil. Ex vegetable, canola, or grapeseed

5 yellow onions, thickly sliced

1 tsp dried thyme, crushed

2 tsp ground ginger

1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup sparkling hard cider, pear, or apple (although pear is preferred) 

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 ripe (but still firm) Bosc, Bartlett, or Anjou pears

¾ tsp cider vinegar

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 

Tools Needed: 

Knife, cutting board, kitchen twine, Dutch oven, large bowl, slotted spoon, paring knife, peeling knife. 

Start off by grabbing your pears. You’re going to peel the skin off, core them and then chop them into 1-inch pieces. 

Next, grab your beef and set it on a cutting board. Dry it with paper towels and then tie it into a uniform shape with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals. So your best bet is to start off by wrapping one long strand around the length of the brisket to get the ‘mid line’ and then going at 2-inch intervals up that, so you end up with something similar to a corset around your brisket. Now season liberally with salt and pepper. 

Take your Dutch oven over to the stove, put it on medium-high heat, and warm 1 tbsp of your oil until it’s shimmering. Add the beef to the pot and cook until it’s deeply browned on the bottom. This should take 3-4 minutes, so set a timer and walk away. You don’t want to bother the meat during this process so that you get an even crust on that side. When the time is up, and it’s reached a deep brown, turn it and repeat this for the other three sides. Remove the brisket from the pot and set it aside in a bowl. 

Keep the pot on medium-high and add the remaining oil, and warm until it’s shimmering. Add your onions and an additional 1 tsp of salt and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally until your onions are softening and releasing liquid. (This should be roughly 4 minutes.) Turn the heat down to medium-low and keep cooking for an additional 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot; turn the heat down as needed so that your onions are simmering and not burning. Seriously, “burn” does not taste good in this recipe. Add the thyme, ginger, and flour and continue to cook, stirring until the onions are sticky and golden, roughly 5 minutes. Add your cider, broth, and ½ tsp salt. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen and dissolve any browned bits. 

While that’s going, open up your oven, and move a rack to the lower middle, then preheat the oven to 300*F. 

Add the beef back into the pot, and make a slight ‘nest’ in the onions for it. The onions and aus-jus in progress should cover ¾ of the meat. Put the lid on the pot, place it into the oven and allow it to cook for 1 hour and 35 minutes. After that, you’ll add in the pears, stirring them very slightly into the onions. Return the pot to the oven and continue to cook covered until the beef is extremely tender. This should be roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes more. 

Transfer your beef to a cutting board, and using a large slotted spoon, move the onions and pears onto a serving platter; cover loosely with foil to keep warm. 

Pour the liquid from the Dutch oven into a measuring cup and let it rest for 10 minutes, or until all of the fat rises to the surface. Tilt the cup to the side and use a soup spoon to skim off the fat and dispose of it. (Or, if you’re like us, drizzle it over your dog’s food.) Add the vinegar and most of the parsley to the liquid and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. 

Finally, cut the twine off of your brisket and cut it against the grain into ½ inch thick slices. Place the meat on the platter with the onions and pears, pour the juices over the meat and serve. 

If you’re not sure what to have as a side dish, we’d have to suggest roasted sweet potatoes and a fresh loaf of crusty bread. 

Now that you’ve tried it, what do you think? Delicious, right? Let us know over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. 

Mushroom Forest Pinwheels

The Perfect Treat for A Spring Day

I Don’t Care, Take Me To The Recipe! 

These savory mushroom pinwheels are perfect for a picnic to enjoy the change in the seasons. Whether you’re looking at the sunset or just having friends over for a movie, this is a great treat.

Ingredients:

Filing: 

12 ounces crimini or shitake mushrooms, finely chopped *see note at the bottom

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme 

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Dough

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1 Tbsp baking powder

1tsp sugar 

½ tsp kosher salt

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

¾ cup buttermilk, cold

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 egg 

Truffle oil for brushing 

Tools: food processor, silicone spatula, frying pan, cutting board, knife, large rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone liner, multiple bowls of different sizes, a whisk, a wooden spoon, a grater, pastry brush, a serrated knife, 

Recipe:

Making the Mushroom Filling: 

Toss your mushrooms into a food processor and pulse eight times for one second each. This will give you finely chopped mushrooms. 

In a skillet over medium heat, melt your butter. Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring consistently until they begin to soften, roughly 2 minutes. Add your mushrooms and ¼ tsp salt, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook. Your mushrooms will release liquid and that will evaporate with further cooking. This takes between 9 and 12 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, add your Parmesan and stir to combine. Taste the mix, and if needed, add salt and pepper. Grab a plate and spread the mixture into a thin layer to allow it to cool to ambient temperature.

Preheat your oven to 425*F and move a rack to the middle of the oven. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. 

Making the Dough: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Once those are evenly mixed, add the grated Gruyere and whisk to combine. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and melted butter to combine. (Important Note: The butter will clump, it’s ok. Don’t freak out.) Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour. With your  wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it forms a sticky dough. Its going to still have chunks at this point, that's fine. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until it holds together and is mostly smooth. do NOT over-knead. Seriously, if it’s holding together, you’re good. 

Pick up the dough and lightly sprinkle more dough underneath if needed, as well as over the surface. Roll or pat the dough into a 12 by 18-inch rectangle and brush any excess flour off. 

Take your mushroom filling and evenly spread it over the dough. It’s going to be a very thin, patchy layer. Turn the dough so that the longest side is facing you, and roll the dough into a very tight and even roll. Pinch the seam along the entire length of the roll to seal it shut. 

Using your serrated knife, trim off the very ends of the roll and discard them. You want to have the roll mostly flat at the end. Cut the roll into 1 ¼ inch pieces, coming out with roughly 14 rounds. Arrange them, cut-sides up on the baking sheet. You want to have about 2 inches of space between the rounds. 

Use a small bowl to mix your egg and 1Tbsp of water together then brush the top and sides of each round with the mixture. Pop the sheet into the oven and bake until golden brown. You’ll want to cook them for 9 minutes, rotate the pan, and then cook for another 9 minutes. 

Allow the rounds to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish. If you’re using truffle oil, this is the point to brush them with a light coating. You can serve the rounds at room temperature or toast them lightly in the oven at 300*F for 8 minutes. 

You can also store any leftovers in an airtight container for several days, reheating as needed. Not that we expect many to be leftover after the first serving. 

*If you choose shitake mushrooms, make sure that it’s 12 oz after they’ve been stemmed. While the stems of the crimini mushrooms are perfectly fine to include in the recipe, the shitakes are not. 

So, what’s your opinion on this one? Does it sound tasty enough for a weekend attempt? Or are you still a little unsure? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. 

And if maybe your appliances are making you make some faces, give us a call. We can't fix it if your face gets stuck like that (thanks, Mom) - but we can do something about the machines. You can get hold of us at our website, or by calling us at ((214) 599-0055).

Spaghetti & Meatballs

With a few secret ingredients…

We're adding a few secret ingredients to this week's recipe. They might sound strange, but they do actually make a delicious addition and add additional vegetables to a meal that is already delicious and easy to convince pickier family members to eat. 

Ingredients

1/2 pound lean ground turkey (you can go with lean ground beef, but it will slightly alter the taste.) 

1 cup breadcrumbs (you can make your own, or grab a jar of Italian breadcrumbs at the store) 

1/2 cup butternut squash puree

1 clove garlic minced 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon crushed black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1 (26 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, pureed in a blender 

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp onion powder Or 1/2 cup fresh diced onions 

1 tsp thyme 

SMALL pinch marjoram 

SMALL pinch rosemary 

1/2 cup water 

1/4 cup carrot puree

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of cayenne pepper 

1 bay leaf

1 pound of spaghetti, whole grain or whole wheat if you can, but it's not mandatory

Purees 

1 large butternut squash

1 lb carrots 

Tools: Chef's knife, cutting board, baking pan, aluminum foil, large pot, blender, food processor, instant pot 

Let's get started with making the purees for the recipes, and if you find you like this, you might find ways to sneak them in other recipes. Grab your carrots and give them a quick wash, then peel off the outer layer. Next, chop them into large chunks (three inches long or so is best for working with an instant pot.) Pour one cup of water to your instant pot, set up the steamer basket or tray, and add your carrots. Set the lid on top, set the pot to steam for 5 minutes, and walk away. This has been a game-changer for us; rather than having to steam veggies for 20-30 minutes, all we need is 10 minutes and our instant pot. Once that's done, grab your food processor and chuck in the carrots.  

Here we're going to say Learn From Our Mistakes. Do not try and puree or blend all of your carrots at once. Don't do it. Whether you're using a food processor or a blender, you will burn out the motor. We know, your blogger did it. Go one to two carrot chunks at a time, with a tablespoon of water, until it's fully blended and there aren't any solid pieces left.  As you finish one section, pour it into a separate bowl, and move on. 

Now once you finish your carrots (or while they're steaming in the instant pot), you can start working on your butternut squash. Start off by splitting it in half. Grab your chef's knife and go down the middle vertically. OR you can cut it horizontally and then cut each of those in half to get at the interior. Once you have your squash split, grab your spoon and scoop out the 'guts' and seeds. You can chuck them, roast them or plant them as you see fit.  Now set your oven to 400*, and lay the squash face down on a lined cookie sheet (or round sides up, if that makes more sense.) You're going to roast the squash for 50 minutes or until soft. Your squash is likely to come out not only looking brown and wrinkled in several spots but also with a bit of the sugars on the sides. It's completely normal and not to be worried about. This time you're going to snag a spoon and scoop out the meat of the squash. Run that through the food processor or blender for two minutes or until smooth. You'll want to add water as needed to make for a smooth consistency and make it possible for your blender to work easily. 

And now, let's go on to the spaghetti! 

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, breadcrumbs, butternut squash puree, garlic, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until well combined. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil. One trick that works well for making meatballs is using an ice scoop. We don't advise a melon-baller because the meat is too sticky to come out easily. 

Now, coat a large nonstick skillet or frying pan with cooking spray and set it over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil, stir it once around the pan, and then add your meatballs and brown them for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally.  You're not looking to cook them fully at this point, but instead to brown the outside for a delicious taste later. 

In a large pot, add the pureed tomatoes, water, carrot puree, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil, onion, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaf, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center. Remove the bay leaf; they're not particularly tasty.

Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Ideally, you want your water to be as salty as the ocean.) Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before you drain your pasta, take a half cup of water and mix that into the sauce. Next, drain the pasta into a colander.  Spoon a little bit of your sauce into each bowl, then pasta and then more sauce, and top with meatballs. Enjoy! 

What did you think?  Are you willing to try it? We can honestly say that we've made it and enjoyed it for ourselves, and because the vegetables are pureed, they're not easy to spot by sight, taste, or smell.  Let us know what you thought in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. 

Now, if on the other hand, your oven went out while you working on this, or refused to hold a consistent temperature, we can help! You can reach out to us by calling ((214) 599-0055) or on our contact page. You can set up an appointment time that works for you and let us take care of getting your home back and running smoothly.

Week-End Stir Fry to fill you up for days

We love this recipe and we hope you do too.

We're going for a filling meal with this one - one that's going to last for several days in the fridge. You can downsize if you want to, OR break portions down and freeze them for later noms. You can also swap out different proteins, based on what you want. You can add more or less of individual ingredients until you're happy with the amounts and variety of food. This is one of our favorite ways to use up left over bits and pieces of different veggies at the end of the week. 

 Ingredients: 

Bell peppers (preferably red, possibly orange and yellow. But we don't advise green peppers for this meal.) 

Carrots 

2 can Baby Corn

2 can Water Chestnuts

Broccoli

Snap Peas

White Onion

Chicken  - Preferably already breaded, but if not, you can DIY it. 

Rice Noodles  (or soba, both will work) 

Hoisin Sauce

Brown sugar

Fresh garlic

Sesame seed oil 

Tools: Grater, Chef's knife, cutting board, frying pan or wok, 6qt pot, measuring cups and spoons, Slotted spoon and chopsticks 

Instructions: 

We could just go with "chop the veggies," but we're not doing that to you. For the peppers, go ahead and start by cutting them into quarters and cleaning out the pieces of the white pith and the seeds. Then cut them into strips, and cut those strips into either chunks or halves, depending on how much you like peppers.  For your carrots, we suggest using a mandolin grater or cutting them on an angle. You want them to be relatively thin so that they'll cook up easily. For your onion, you want to dice it. Next grab your broccoli and break it down into small florets so that sauteing will be enough to cook it. 

Next, grab a wok, a caldera or an oversized frying pan. Set the heat to medium, and when the pan is hot, pour in two tablespoons of sesame seed oil. Next add your garlic and onions and add those to the pan, tossing occasionally. Once your onions have gone for a minute, add in the carrots and broccoli, moving them around the pan so that nothing burns. Once the carrots are bendy, add in your red peppers and snap peas. You want to cook them until they are nice and sauteed. Finally add in your water chestnuts and baby corn. Those you're adding in just so they're heated through. At that point, pour everything into a heat proof container and set it to the side. 

In a separate pot, bring water to boil, and add your soba noodles and boil for 6-7 minutes or until cooked, but still slightly firm. Reserve one cup of the pasta water, and drain the rest, setting aside the noodles.

Cook chicken in wok, as if on a frying pan, checking and turning regularly to keep anything from burning.  Once it's fully cooked, you can remove it and chop it up if you want, or leave it as is.  

Now for our sauce. This one is... as odd as it sounds, mostly based on how you're feeling today. Start off by peeling and chopping your garlic, and tossing it into your wok, to sauté. We're not going to say how much to use here, because it's based on a) how much food you've made and b) how much you like garlic. We would advise starting with a ratio of 1 clove: 1/2 cup of brown sugar :1 tbsp of sesame oil: 1/2 cup of water, but there's no reason to stick with that. Now add in 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of sesame oil, and 1/2 cup of water, mixing slowly and thoroughly. 

Once your sugar is fully melted and integrated, grab your chicken and add that back to the pan, coating all sides. Now add your veggies and repeat the process, and finally your soba noodles. 

If you want to add in a bit of kick, you might consider adding some crushed red pepper or Sriracha during the making of the sauce, but that's up to the individual. 

Let us know what you make over on our Facebook page or down in the comments. We'd love to see photos of what your meal ends up looking like! 

Now if you're looking for help because your stove is having issues, refusing to light, refusing to stay lit or is sputtering, we can help! You can call us today at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page and make an appointment today.  We'll work with you to find a time that works for your schedule.