Hershey's Best Brownies

One bowl. Simple. There are lots of brownie recipes claiming to be the best, the ultimate, and so on, but sometimes I don't want over the top and complicated, I just want straightforward and simple. And I want chocolate. This is a recipe everyone should have -maybe you already do. It is just the thing to make when you want to stir up something chocolatey with a minimum of fuss, to bake and eat warm from the oven within an hour, or maybe to carefully wrap and share later with someone -or both!



Never underestimate the power of a brownie. Brownies given to someone who's a bit down can sometimes work magic, but beware. I know of one young woman who rather carelessly handled homemade brownies. A food gift of a couple of homemade brownies given to a guy she knew, intended only as a friendly gesture, was misinterpreted as a declaration of love and romantic encouragement, and led to all sorts of embarrassment and hurt feelings on both sides. All you young bakers, be mindful of who you share brownies with!



Hershey's Best Brownies
Adapted from: Hershey's Homemade

Melt in microwavable bowl: 1 c. butter

Add: 2 c. sugar and 1 T. vanilla

Stir in one at a time: 4 eggs

Stir in until well blended : 1 c. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa

Add:
1 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Stir in well.

Add:
12 oz. milk chocolate chips
Pour into buttered 9 x 13 Pyrex dish and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack and cut. Share responsibly.

Sesame-Hoisin Wraps

These wraps are good -really, really good. And incredibly flexible, AND super easy to make. There are five components to them, but each is an absolute snap. Really.

First is the wrap itself, which you buy. Any type of flour tortilla works here. I used Guerrero brand Gorditas last night and I really liked the slightly thicker tortilla, but use whatever -regular, whole wheat or those green ones.

Second is the meat, which is sliced thin and marinated. A quick 30 minutes will do or it can easily be left all day or overnight in the fridge. It then requires only a quick toss in a hot pan just before serving, or cook ahead and reheat it, or even serve it cold. I have made this with many different kinds of meat, pork tenderloin, chicken, lamb, and duck breast (what we had last night), and all were really excellent. I'm sure that firm tofu (broiled with a Hoisin sauce glaze perhaps?) or even a firm-fleshed fish would also be really great.

Third is the salad. I like to make the salad with half a head of finely shredded cabbage with a few things added (cilantro and bean sprouts are favorites, if I remember to buy them), but sometimes we just have cabbage (like last night, because I didn't remember) and it's easy enough to simply buy a bag of already shredded cabbage, or use whatever is at hand or preferred.

Fourth is some cooked plain white rice, optional for making the wraps I suppose, but I like warm rice with the salad and dressings, and some prefer the sesame strips over rice rather than in the tortilla. I try to make everyone eating at my table happy.

And last, but certainly not least, is the condiments: toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce and/or Hoisin sauce to drizzle on the meat strips, and one of two dressings for the salad. I can never decide which of the two salad dressing options I like best, and it's easy enough to simply make both.

I usually serve this as a wrap for dinner (with all above components wrapped in the tortilla, OR just meat and salad in the tortilla with no rice added, OR some, especially young children, prefer to have just meat wrapped in the tortilla with salad and rice served on the side), OR as a simple meat stir-fry served over rice with salad alongside, OR as a supper or composed salad -warm rice with cold cabbage salad and dressing on top, with or without the meat topping it all off (like I said, this is incredibly flexible). I usually make the composed salad with leftovers for lunch the next day.

I absolutely adore the contrast of the warm rice and cold crisp cabbage salad and dressing, both with and without meat. Depending on how many were at dinner and how ravenous they all were, often the meat is gone the next day. So, if the night before one makes the dressing(s) and salad, leaves the meat to marinate, and has all the rest at hand (don't forget the Hoisin Sauce), it is possible to walk in the door at the end of a long day and have this on the table in the time it takes for a pot of rice to cook while warming the tortillas and stir frying the sesame strips. And leftovers make a great lunch -however you put them together.

Oriental Sesame Salad Dressing
Mix together:
1/4 c. each canola oil and seasoned rice vinegar
1 T. each soy sauce and sugar
1/2 - 1 t. sesame oil and/or chili-sesame oil
juice of one lime
1 t. - 1 T. sesame seeds

Asian-style Apricot Salad Dressing
Blend in mini-food processor:
1/4 c. each apricot-pineapple jam and canola oil
2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1 T. each soy sauce and honey
1 minced garlic clove
2 t. toasted sesame seeds
1 t. sesame oil

Cabbage Salad
Toss together any or all of the following:
1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 red pepper, finely minced
3-4 green onions, finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1-2 c. fresh bean sprouts
1/2 c. cilantro leaves

Sesame Duck (or whatever) Strips
Cut into strips and place in a gallon Ziploc bag: 4-6 duck breasts, 1-2 pork tenderloin, 1-2 lbs chicken breast or boneless thighs, or lamb
Add:
1-2 T. grated fresh gingerroot and grated or pressed garlic cloves
2 t. sesame oil
1/4 t. salt
Leave to marinate 1/2 hour or longer. To cook, heat a large skillet over high heat, add a tablespoon of canola oil, and stir-fry just until barely pink. Remove from heat. Serve with a drizzle of soy sauce and/or Hoisin sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds -and with whatever else you choose! Enjoy.

Meatball Gyros

This morning I did a few of the little things I've been wanting to do, but have been too hurried lately to actually take time for. Besides the usual feeding and watering of all the animals, I took time for holding the newly hatched chicks and growing rabbits, and doling out treats of leftover pancakes for the little piggy, comfrey for the rabbits, and kitchen scraps for the chickens. I also rotated the flock into a fresh pasture, then watered the blueberry bushes, and cleaned all the rabbit trays.



It's been awhile since I baked bread, but after coming back inside, I pulled out my big green bowl I use for making bread. I added Bob's Red Mill 5-grain rolled cereal to the basic ingredients of yeast, water, buttermilk, honey, egg, and flour, mixed and kneaded it all into a soft bread dough, and then left it to rise. We have a small radiant heat panel mounted on the wall in a closet where a small bed barely fits. It is a funky little extra sleeping space with a tiny window that some visitors find absolutely charming -and others find claustrophobic. It is the perfect spot for raising bread dough...



...and keeping newly hatched chicks like these (click here) for their first few days (we have nine so far this morning!). Of course, I don't brood chicks, proof bread, AND sleep guests all at the same time in it -it's a VERY small space- but I did put my bread dough in the warm closet with the wee little peeping chicks this morning.



I cut up a chicken and put the pieces and marinade ingredients for Chicken Marbella (click here) into a gallon Ziploc bag to marinate in the fridge for a few days. I also cut duck breast into strips and put them into a (different) Ziploc bag to marinate for Sesame-Hoisin Wraps tonight, and I made and froze some beef meatballs for making these gyros for tomorrow night (or possibly this weekend in which case they will go into yet another Ziploc bag). If I ignore my to-do list that gets longer with each passing day, and all the weeding and housecleaning left undone, I ALMOST feel as if I'm on top of things here! ALMOST.



Meatball Gyros
1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground beef or lamb
1/2 finely minced onion'
4 pressed garlic cloves
1 egg
2 T. yogurt and whey
2-3 T. olive oil
1 T. each lemon juice, dried oregano, mint and parsley
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
Combine, form meatballs, and freeze overnight. Put into a gallon Ziploc bag if not using right away.

To cook, line a baking sheet with foil, spray or oil and arrange meatballs on pan and bake 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until done, OR pan fry in a caste iron skillet.
To serve, tuck a few meatballs into a pita bread along with a few tomato and cucumber slices, a bit of diced onion, and some shredded lettuce. Drizzle with Greek Yogurt Sauce (Tzatsiki) and top with crumbled feta.



Greek Yogurt Sauce
Combine:
1 1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1 pressed garlic clove
1-2 T. minced fresh dill weed
1-2 T. red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1-2 T. olive oil
1/2 - 1 t. salt

Radishes and Roosters

"Farming is the worst way to make a living, and the best way to raise a family." -Farmer



The sheep are content with the abundance of grass available for grazing. The new ducklings were moved yesterday from a brooder (where they were making an impressive mess) to outside where they are pretty much terrified -though I expect they'll be more enthusiastic about their new home once they discover SWIMMING. Sadly, one of the little pigs died (she had been sick) and we are nervously keeping an eye on the remaining healthy one. The seven new little rabbits are growing and I have selected the four to keep for breeding, and hopefully our pea patch bunnies bred successfully and we will have more babies like this (click here). The hens are laying well and our rooster, Taj Mahal takes his job of guarding and bossing them all around very seriously. Yesterday, I heard a pip from the incubator (like I said, he's been doing his job well) and the chicks are due to hatch out in the next few days. Farm life is always filled with ups and downs, endings and beginnings -and lots of hard work.

I spent a delightful hour or two yesterday, spinning under the lilac after several hours spent in combat with weeds that appear these days to be on some sort of plant steroid. My spinning project is progressing very slowly, so I was pleased to make some progress with it. I have been knitting a bit but my fiber activites have taken a back seat these days to other activites (like weeding and working). The past five summers I was at the Farmers Market once a week selling yarn and bags (click here) -and spinning. This is the first year I'm not there and I miss my weekly spinning time and all the wonderful people.

There are less than a half dozen things on the list of foods I don't really like. Radishes, pretzels -and arugula is at the top of the list. I think it tastes like a cross between skunk and old tires. "Wow," said a friend of mine when I described my perception of it to her. "You really don't like arugula!" I can live without ever eating any arugula but it's really a shame to not like radishes since they are the first thing to come out of our garden every spring. I grudgingly tolerate a few token slices in a salad, but I don't happily bite into a whole radish fresh from the garden like my husband does. I hate the idea of growing produce I don't like to eat, so I have been looking for radishes prepared in a way I'll enjoy. Though I liked the radish salad from the Victory Garden Cookbook I made over the weekend by tossing sliced radishes with a simple vinaigrette, no one was really terribly keen on it (and its aroma by the next day was declared downright offensive by everyone).

But a couple night ago I prepared a bunch of radishes another way I saw suggested in The Victory Garden Cookbook. I tasted them -and immediately went and pulled and prepared a second batch so the rest of the family could have some too. Seriously, THIS is what to do with radishes: Pull a sizable bunch fresh from the garden, wash, tail and top and then chop them (quartered or eighths), and saute them in a bit of slightly browned butter (this part was really by accident but I think it was a rather happy coincidence and I will continue to allow the butter to brown a bit before adding the radishes) until they are browned a bit. They shrink down in size quite a lot, and cooking them takes the sharp bite out their flavor and the result reminds me of sauteed turnips. Tonight, along with preparing a huge bowl of spinach salad for dinner, I am going to roast a rooster a la Julia Child, and saute lots of radishes in a bit of browned butter -an early summer celebration.

Eggs and Chickens

"Put all your eggs in one basket -and watch that basket." -Mark Twain



"Parenthood is like being pecked to death by small chickens." -Bly on CryingWhileEating

Mango Chutney

Several times a year, usually completely out of sync with the typical seasons for growing and preserving things here in the Pacific Northwest, mangoes are in season somewhere else in the world and the price for them at the grocery stores here drops. Many years ago, I discovered this recipe for making mango chutney and it has been a staple condiment of ours ever since. It's always in our fridge and often on our table, and the making of it is now as much a kitchen ritual for me as making the zucchini relish from my childhood. Awhile back, I was a bit too enthusiastic in making and canning mango chutney. Unlike our once-a-year season for zucchini, mangoes go on sale several times a year, which prompted me, each and every time I saw them on sale, to buy large quantities, turn them into this chutney and 'stock up'. As a result, we became a bit overstocked -so much so that it was necessary to put myself on restriction from making it for a few years. Finally, we are down to a half dozen pints of stored mango chutney, mangoes were on sale last week when I was at the grocery store, and last night I filled our house with the exotic aroma of chutney cooking. My oldest daughter, not a big fan of chutney but a huge fan of mangoes (I also bought some for eating fresh) said, "That's a terrible thing to do to such lovely mangoes, but hey, if it makes you happy...." Oh, it did!

Mango Chutney
Adapted from: Preserving the Taste by Edon Waycott

Combine in a large bowl, cover and leave overnight (or a night and a day) in the fridge:
8 large mangoes, peeled and chopped
2 c. cider vinegar
2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, (peeled), cored, and finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 - 1/3 c. grated peeled fresh gingerroot
1 c. raisins
1 T. each coarsely ground black pepper (1 t. regular), crushed red peppers, ground cinnamon and yellow mustard seeds
1 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. each ground cloves and salt

The next day (or evening) pour all into a 7-8 quart preserving pot and bring to a boil, uncovered over medium-high heat, and stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes until syrupy. Ladle into 9 hot, sterile pint jars to 1/2 inch of top and seal. Water bath process 10 minutes. Season 3 weeks before using.



What to do with all this preserved Mango Chutney? My husband puts it on baked potatoes instead of sour cream, and it elevates plain white rice beyond plain. It's good with any curry dish like my mother-in-law Lolita's Turkey (or chicken) Curry (click here), and Anjum's Goan Meatball Green Curry (click here), and dishes like Tandoori rabbit or chicken (click here). Also, a few tablespoons mixed into ground turkey makes for an extraordinary turkey burger (or meatballs). These are just a few of the ways we enjoy this incredible condiment, and the possibilities are endless. It also makes a great gift for those who like this sort of thing -and most do.

Talking About Food

"When I'm talking about food I am talking about life." -Nigella Lawson



We had a fabulous long weekend over the Memorial Day holiday with family and lots of good food...four went to the Mariners vs. Yankees game Friday night, five played a rousing round of the boardgame LIFE on Saturday night, and nine were here for a cookout on Sunday...grilled pork chops in an Italian marinade, goat ribs and a salmon fillet cooked over the fire-pit...a rustic cherry jam tart, gelato in coffee mugs with an assortment of tasty embellishments, and a ridiculously easy and incredibly yummy Apricot-Pineapple Icebox Pie...Nutella cupcakes (click here) from The Quince Tree blog...My Baja-style Shrimp Meatball Tacos (click here)...Eggs Benedict for breakfast one morning, and 15-Grain pancakes the next...a huge Caesar Salad, my Grandma Leona's Baked Beans (click here), an amazing potato salad with lots of diced celery and Zucchini Relish made by The Soup Queen, and a radish salad I made out of The Victory Garden Cookbook...our first spinach from the garden this season...ten Pekin ducklings and seven little rabbits to raise...several bottles of good wine, mojitos in wide-mouth Mason pint jars and orange Fanta for the teens...mangos to make Mango Chutney with...and since Monday was National Cheeseburger Day, we had (Duh!) Cheeseburgers! I hope you also had a relaxed and enjoyable food-filled weekend.