Cook it Slow

January is cold; a month to make and break resolutions; the month bills from Christmas start arriving.  It's also National Slow Cooking Month, something I'm slow writing about this year!

I love cooking with a slow cooker -- or what my family refers to by the trademark name -- crock-pot.  I use a crock-pot for appetizers, chili, sauces, stews, entrees, entire meals and even a sandwich.  Some of the recipes were specifically for the crock-pot but others, like the one I'm sharing today, I adapted from the oven to the crock-pot.

My husband loved eating at my mother's house.  One of the entrees she cooked that he really enjoyed was round steak smothered with onions, tomatoes and seasonings and baked a couple of hours until tender.  That entree -- Swiss Steak -- was never one of my favorites.  My mother used a lot more tomatoes and onions than I liked, plus she only added water to the ingredients which made for a flavorless gravy.  Shortly after we got married, my husband asked if I would make Swiss Steak for supper sometime.  I told him I would, but I'd need to find a recipe first.

I don't remember where I found it, but my husband deemed the first Swiss Steak recipe I tried a keeper and I've been cooking it ever since.  The recipe was actually very similar to my mother's recipe.  The round steak was pounded, coated with flour and browned in a skillet, but it used fewer tomatoes and onions and, instead of water, a jar of beef gravy.  For years, I cooked it in the oven but, on a particularly hectic day, discovered it was equally delicious cooked in a crock-pot.

One day in the late 1990s, I realized I had a late afternoon appointment the same day I'd planned to cook Swiss Steak for supper.  The meat had been thawing in the refrigerator for two days so it had to be cooked that day.  I could fix the Swiss Steak according to the recipe which would make for a very late supper, or I could try cooking it in the crock-pot.  Suppertime is always a stressful time of day for me even under the best of circumstances, so I opted for the latter.

Since crock-pot cooking is different from cooking in an oven, I had to make a few changes to the recipe.

• I don't pound the meat because low and slow cooking in the crock-pot tenderizes even the toughest cut of meat.

• The first couple of years, I skipped browning the meat because I'd read it was an unnecessary step in crock-pot cooking.  One day, on a whim, I decided to see what would happen if I browned the meat first.  I don't think browning the meat improved the flavor, but I think it made the finished product prettier.  If I have time to brown the meat, I do; if not, I don't.  It's delicious either way.

• When I cook Swiss Steak in the oven, my baking pan is big enough to hold the ingredients in one layer.  Due to the size and shape of my crock-pot, I have to layer the ingredients.  To compensate for that, I put some tomatoes, onions and gravy over each layer, instead of putting everything on the top layer.

Two layers of ingredients.

Layered and ready to cook.

Cooking Swiss Steak in the crock-pot takes longer, but it makes suppertime so much easier for me.  All that's left for me to do is fix a couple of sides -- baked potatoes and steamed broccoli in the winter and fresh corn-on-the-cob and a salad in the summer -- and supper is ready.

January might be National Slow Cooking Month, but crock-pots are wonderful to use all year long.  After all, what's better than coming home to a hot cooked meal any month of the year?

Swiss Steak

4 to 6 Servings

1 (2 lb.) round steak, cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil*

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (12 oz.) jar beef gravy

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.  Add meat, two pieces at a time, tossing to coat thoroughly.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add meat and cook one minute; turn meat over and cook the other side for one minute.  Put a layer of meat in the crock-pot; put some onion, tomatoes and gravy over meat.  Continue layering until all ingredients are used, ending with gravy.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  

*If you don't brown the meat first, omit the oil and proceed as directed.

© Margaret's Morsels 

Cooking Q & A: Summer Edition

I've never gone this long without posting a new blog.  Even when I was in the hospital in 2010, I still managed to post something!  I was planning to post several new blogs this summer, but that didn't happen.  We were on the road all but three weeks of our son's summer vacation.  One trip was personal; the rest were business.  We ended up driving over 5,000 miles through nine states in the Midwest, Northeast and South before we were done.  Fortunately, we were able to come home a few days between trips. This gave me just enough time to get the laundry and mail caught up before heading out again.  Although I had every intention of writing while on the road -- I took my notes and a USB full of food pictures -- at the end of a long day, I was just too tired to write.  No sooner had we gotten home than it was time to get back into the routine of work, carpools and chauffeuring my son to and from sports practice several times a week. Things are finally back to normal and I'm putting the finishing touches on a new blog.  In the meantime, I want to answer the questions readers emailed me over the summer.

"I want to make your Strawberry Delight Cake.  Where can I find strawberry glaze at the grocery?"  Oscar

Strawberry glaze is sold in the produce department in either a pouch like the one pictured above or a plastic bowl.  It's available in regular and sugar-free versions.

"I see a lot of recipes that call for coating food with panko.  What's so special about it?"  Stefanie

Japanese bread crumbs -- also called panko -- are often used to coat foods that are fried.  These bread crumbs don't absorb as much oil when fried so the food has a crispier crust.  

"Is it better to buy pecans that have already been chopped or should I chop them myself?"  Deidre

I think pecans taste better when you chop them as you need them. Around the holidays, many organizations sell one pound bags of pecan halves -- like the one pictured above -- as a fundraiser.  I buy several bags, store them in the refrigerator so they'll stay fresh and use them whenever a recipe calls for pecans.

"What's the best way to dry salad greens?"  Alissa

Nothing dries greens faster or better than a salad spinner.  I always thought this was a useless kitchen gadget until I actually used one.  My salad spinner is over 20 years old.  It has a crank on top you turn which spins the inner basket.  Some newer models have a cord you pull to make the basket spin.

"How do I know whether to sift ingredients before or after they're measured?  Also, how do I sift ingredients if I don't have a flour sifter?"  Caitlin

If a recipe calls for 2 cups sifted flour, you sift the flour before it's measured. If a recipe calls for 2 cups flour, sifted, you measure the flour before it's sifted.

My mom had a flour sifter with a crank.  I never liked it so I bought one that had a spring action handle.  Unfortunately, the handle always got stuck so it was too much trouble to use.  Anymore, I use a mesh strainer to sift dry ingredients.  I put the ingredients in the strainer and use my hand to tap the side of the strainer so the ingredients fall through the mesh into a bowl. I have three strainers -- small, medium and large -- so I can use the one that's the right size for the job.

"How do you keep food like hot dogs from sticking when frozen?"  Greg

When you want to freeze food like hot dogs, hamburger patties, cookies or rolls, put the food on a baking sheet in a single layer, making sure the items aren't touching.  If you're freezing something sticky, line the baking sheet with parchment paper first.  Put the baking sheet in the freezer until the food is frozen.  Transfer the food to a plastic freezer bag or storage container.  It won't stick together when stored because each piece was individually frozen beforehand.

"If a recipe calls for fresh herbs, can I substitute dried herbs instead?"  Valerie

You can substitute fresh herbs for dried and vice versa, but use a 3:1 ratio and not equal amounts.  Dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh herbs so you'd need less dried herbs than fresh.  For example, if a recipe calls for three tablespoons fresh herbs, you'd substitute one teaspoon dried herbs.  When cooking with dried herbs, add them at the beginning of the recipe so they have time to release their flavors.  If you're using fresh herbs, add them toward the end of cooking so they won't lose their flavor.

"Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget that's not considered a necessity?"  Whitney

I absolutely love the pineapple slicer I bought a couple of years ago!!!! After eating fresh pineapple, it's hard to eat the stuff in the can.  If this slicer ever broke, I'd definitely buy a new one ASAP!  Click here if you want to see how this device works.

"I've seen in your pictures that you use a lot of store brand or generic products.  Are there any you won't use?"  Judy

I don't like off brand gelatin or canned soup.  I also don't like off brand refrigerated baked goods, such as crescent rolls, biscuits, pie crusts or off brand frozen biscuits and garlic bread.  However, I do like and use off brand frozen deep-dish pie crusts and pancakes.  

"What's the difference between pure and imitation vanilla extract?  Which one do you use?"  Brooke

Pure vanilla extract is made with vanilla beans and a solution of alcohol and water.  Imitation vanilla is made from artificial flavorings and leaves a bitter aftertaste.  Pure vanilla extract is more expensive, but I think it's worth every penny!

"Do you scoop or spoon dry ingredients into a measuring cup?"  Sam

My mom taught me to spoon ingredients into a measuring cup and level them off with the back of a table knife.  By spooning ingredients into the cup, you don't run the risk of packing them down which could cause an inaccurate measurement.

The most accurate way to measure ingredients, though, is the way we did it when I worked in a bakery.  We'd measure the ingredients on a kitchen scale, adding or subtracting ingredients until we had the right amount.  Not only was it accurate, it was much quicker than measuring cup after cup of flour or sugar.

"I remember reading a list of marinating tips in one of your blogs, but I can't remember which blog it was.  Could you please post the link to those tips again?  Thanks."  Cara

The marinating dos and don'ts were from a blog I posted in 2010 with the recipe for Marinated Pork Tenderloin pictured above.  The tips can be viewed here.

"Can I use cooking wine instead of regular wine in recipes?"  Grace

You can, but I don't advise it.  Cooking wine tends to be saltier than regular wine.  The caterer I worked for in the early 1990's used to say, "If the wine's not good enough to drink, don't use it for cooking either!"

"Oh-Em-Gee!!!!!!  I love the cake plate your Easter Carrot Cake was on.  Any chance you could tell me where you bought it?"  Ashleigh

I'm glad you liked it!  It's actually a lazy Susan and not a cake plate!  I ordered it from Amazon.com.  Here's what it looks like without anything on top.

 

"What is gravy flour and where can I get it?"  Jill

Gravy flour, also known as Wondra, is a finely ground all-purpose flour that dissolves instantly and is unlikely to form lumps.  It's sold in the baking aisle with all-purpose, self-rising and bread machine flour.

"You must have a lot of recipes.  How do you store them?"  Shannon

Yes, I do have a lot of recipes.  Sometimes I think I have too many recipes! I'm old fashioned and write my recipes on recipe cards and insert them into clear plastic recipe sleeves to keep them clean.  When I first started cooking, I could store all my recipes -- even the ones I hadn't tried yet -- in the strawberry recipe box pictured above.  As my recipe collection grew, I kept my tried and true recipes in one box and moved all the untried recipes to another recipe box.  Nowadays, I keep all my untried recipes in the four boxes pictured below and my tried and true recipes in the picture albums shown above.  The picture albums take up less space than recipe boxes! 

Thanks for emailing all the great questions!  If you've got a question and didn't see it here, email it to me at margaretsmorsels@yahoo.com and I'll do my best to answer it in the next Q & A installment.  Check back soon for the recipe for one of my favorite Italian dishes!
  

© Margaret's Morsels

Spotlight on Summer: Picnic Fare and Quick Cooking

Last week, I posted links to previous blogs that contained recipes for cool and creamy foods.  Today, in part two of the series, I'm doing the same thing, but with foods that are good to take on a picnic or can be prepared on busy summer days with very little effort.  Click the words in bold to go to the page with the recipe.

Picnic Fare:

What better way to celebrate summer than with a picnic?  Picnics are fun, but be sure to keep food safety in mind:  keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold!

Chicken Salad:  This has been my favorite chicken salad recipe for over 20 years!  When I take it on picnics, I serve it just like I do at home:  on a plate with croissants on the side.  If you want to use it for sandwiches, keep the chicken salad in the cooler and assemble the sandwiches when you're ready to eat.  This will keep the sandwiches from getting soggy.

Deviled Eggs:  I like to take chicken salad on a picnic, but my mother liked to take fried chicken.  To accompany the chicken, she always took a batch of deviled eggs.  They're better made the day before so you can pack and go the day of the picnic.  Make sure to leave them in the cooler until you're ready to eat.

Fruit Salad:  My grandmother made this simple salad -- apples, bananas, crushed pineapple and orange juice -- for my mom and her siblings; my mom made it for her kids and now I make it for my family.  It's ideal for a picnic because it doesn't contain mayonnaise, sour cream or Cool Whip. Serve it straight from the cooler as a refreshing fruit salad or as dessert.

Peanut Butter Cookies:  No one will ever guess these cookies only use three ingredients.  They bake in just minutes so you can whip up a batch at the spur of the moment.  They're also easy to pack and mess free since they're not frosted.

Mini Mason Jar Cakes:  Mason jars aren't just for canning anymore.  You can use the four ounce jars to make cute desserts -- cakes, cobblers, pies and crisps -- that are wonderful for a picnic or casual get together.  Don't forget to pack spoons!

Fruit Tea:  Soft drinks and Kool-Aid might be easy to pack for a picnic, but they're not as refreshing as an ice cold glass of fruit tea.  This dressed up sweet tea uses lemon juice, pineapple juice and, the secret ingredient, ginger ale!

Quick Cooking:

Life tends to move a little slower in the summer.  The weather is warmer, days are longer and there's more to do outside.  Who wants to be stuck inside cooking?  These recipes let you put dinner on the table without having to do a lot of work or get the kitchen too hot.

Sauteed Pork Chops:  You won't heat up the kitchen when you cook these pork chops.  They cook in just 11 minutes!  The only thing you need other than the ingredients is a skillet with a lid.

Easy Pork Chops and Apples:  This dish is as easy as they come.  You don't even have to brown the pork chops or cut and peel the apples.  Cook a vegetable separately and you've got a meal that's very easy to prepare.  

Hamburger Macaroni Casserole:  A reader once described this dish as homemade Hamburger Helper, but better.  The macaroni doesn't even have to be cooked separately.  Everything is cooked in the same pan and, from start to finish, takes less than 45 minutes to cook.

Marinated Baked Chicken:  This dish takes very little work, but you do need to plan ahead since the chicken has to be marinated overnight.  The marinade is super easy to mix up:  you use equal parts of Italian salad dressing and soy sauce.  The recipe can easily be doubled or, if necessary, halved.

Broccoli with Lemon:  This recipe starts with fresh steamed broccoli.  If you don't have time to steam the broccoli, microwave a package of fresh broccoli florets that's sold in a microwave-safe bag.  You can mix up the rest of the ingredients while the broccoli is in the microwave.

Potato Salad:  You might not think of this dish as quick, but it can be when you don't have to peel, cut and boil potatoes.  Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash cut Russet potatoes -- which cook in only 10 minutes in the microwave -- can be substituted for fresh potatoes.  No one will ever taste the difference.

Check back next week for this series finale:  foods that won't heat up the kitchen.

© Margaret's Morsels

Kitchen Essentials

According to theknot.com, June, August, September and October are the most popular months for weddings.  I believe it, especially when I think back to the number of weddings I've attended during those months!  Since wedding season is upon us, I thought I'd share two blogs I posted in early 2012.  These blogs came about after a friend that was getting married asked me to compile a list of my "must have" kitchen tools.  I hope these suggestions will come in handy, whether you're registering for wedding gifts, moving out on your own for the first time or looking for tools to make cooking easier.

Prep School:  This lists the tools a cook needs to prep food for cooking.  It isn't all inclusive, but these are the tools I rely on when I'm cooking for three or twenty three.    

Cooking School:  This lists the items I rely on once the measuring, chopping, peeling, juicing, pounding, grating, straining, mixing, whisking, rolling and cutting have been done.

© Margaret's Morsels