Not From a Box
Updated: May 30, 2007 - 2:21 p.m.
Welcome to Not From a Box, my recipes page. This began as a separate site, but I soon realized I would be updating it even more infrequently than initially contemplated. The time has come to close down the site; however, it now resides here, all in a single post. New additions will be mentioned in current diary posts.
YOUR INPUT: If you should happen to make anything you found here, I encourage you to let me know how you and yours liked it. Also, feel free to submit your favorite recipes to me (email, please!), and I will post them (giving you due credit, of course).
Contents:
Black Bean and Corn Salad (5.30.07))
Microwave Peanut Brittle (12.19.06)
Raspberry Lemon Smoothie (7.28.06)
Peanut Butter Lovers� Fudge (12.22.04)
Mrs. Cross� Squash Pie (11.22.04)
Piecrust (11.11.04)
Apricot Tart with Cornmeal Crust, submitted by Hairburner (11.4.04)
Kitty Litter Cake (10.24.04)
Chocolate Covered Pretzels (10.17.04)
Mission Statement (10.14.04)
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Easy and flavorful. This is the stuff Tim made for the Mother�s Day cookout. I couldn�t stop thinking about it, so I finally asked if he used a recipe. Leave it to my jock brother to get a recipe out of Sports Illustrated. He tweaked it a bit, and here�s the end result:
(best if prepared one day in advance)
Ingredients:
16 oz. frozen corn (or 4 roasted ears if you�re looking for some extra credit)
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbs. lime juice (approx. 1 1/2 limes)
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and crushed black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Cover and refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
Microwave Peanut Brittle
I was apprehensive about making peanut brittle? I thought it would be uber messy? Ha! Peanut Brittle is easy! And kind of fun and interesting to make!
Yes, I will make it again. And again and again.
I�m so cool now. I make my own peanut brittle.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Preparation:
Stir together peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in 1 1/2-quart casserole or 4-cup glass measure. Cook in microwave for 7 to 8 minutes on high, stirring well after 4 minutes. Add butter and blend well. Return to microwave and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until peanuts are golden brown. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir gently until light and foamy. Pour onto greased (buttered) cookie sheet and let cool completely. When cool, break into pieces and store in airtight container.
Raspberry Lemon Smoothie
So, I�ve given up ice cream until September 22, but that doesn�t mean my summer has to be void of icy cool yummy sweetness. This smoothie tastes so good, you won�t believe it�s made entirely of low-calorie, nutritious Good Stuff. Trust me � it�s like a sherbet shake!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
6-8 oz. lemon yogurt
1 cup frozen raspberries
4-6 ice cubes
Preparation:
Process all ingredients in blender until smooth. Best served in a tall, funky glass, garnished with a fresh berry or two of your choice.
(photo forthcoming)
Peanut Butter Lovers� Fudge
I meant to post this over the weekend but oh, well�
Need a last minute gift for a peanut butter freak? This is a family favorite recipe. We�re all peanut butter freaks, including my sister-in-law, Jackie, and my niece, Emma. Every year, Jackie tells me I don�t need to buy her any gifts, just bring her some of �that fudge.� I like it because it�s not sickeningly sweet. Maybe that�s because it has flour in it. Yes, flour. I don�t care for most fudge � to me, it�s like eating a gob of cake frosting, and I�m one of those people who likes cake for the cake, not the icing.
Note that this recipe contains NO CHOCOLATE. It�s all about the peanut butter, baby!
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
Combine and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from stove. Add:
6 oz. creamy peanut butter
3� oz. marshmallow Fluff
(I usually don�t measure these. I buy the small jars of each and scoop out half (check weight on label).
Stir well until completely dissolved. Stir in:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Pour into 8x8 buttered pan. Refrigerate before cutting.
Easy to make, yummy to eat, and if given to the peanut butter freak on your gift list, guaranteed to rock his or her world.
Enjoy!
Mrs. Cross� Squash Pie
As promised, something to put in your piecrust.
One of my favorite things to make (and to eat!) is squash pie. Not pumpkin, not sweet potato. Squash.
It also happens to be very easy to make. Not a lot of ingredients, not a lot of measuring, not a lot of steps -- just dump everything into a bowl and mix it.
Now, if one chooses to make a squash pie using canned squash, I won�t be judgmental. However, I highly recommend taking the extra step of cooking some butternut squash. A couple of important things to remember, though: (1) drain the cooked squash WELL; and (2) pur�e the squash WELL. I use a food processor and process the squash until its consistency is like baby food. The pie texture will be all the smoother for it. I�ve even had a several people who said they didn�t like squash pie because of the texture say that they liked mine. Also, I should point out that this recipe goes easy on the spices, compared to other recipes I�ve seen.
Mrs. Cross was a neighbor of my grandmother�s. Here�s her recipe:
(makes 1 large pie or 2 small pies)
28 oz. squash (3� cups)
10 oz. evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
nutmeg
Cook peeled, chopped squash about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well; pur�e well. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except nutmeg. Pour mixture into crust (may have 1/2 cup extra). Sprinkle top with nutmeg. Bake on bottom rack at 450 for 15 minutes and at 350 for 40 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge is clean.
Yum.
Piecrust
This entry is dedicated to Suzanne and Sandy, who each had piecrust questions for me this week.
As Thanksgiving approaches, our food cravings turn to one thing:
No! Not turkey!
PIE!
What kinds of pie are on YOUR Thanksgiving table? We usually have squash, apple, and mincemeat-apple.
Big surprise, I don�t like pre-made piecrusts. They�re chewy and have a weird chemical taste. I�ve heard a number of people say they like pie, just not the crust. I think they have probably never had a homemade pie crust, and if that�s the case, then their dislike is understandable. Some think making piecrust is difficult, but really, it isn�t. Granted, the rolling out and getting the crust into the pie plate can be tricky, but it gets easier with practice. Trust me. Also, I�ve seen some unusual piecrust recipes that would seem to make the process needlessly difficult. Therefore, I give you my grandmother�s BASIC piecrust recipe:
Mix 2 cups sifted flour and 1 tsp. salt.
Measure 3/4 cup shortening. Cut in 2/3 cup of the shortening until fine as meal.
Cut in remainder of shortening to large pea size.
Sprinkle 4 Tbs. ice water over mixture. Mix with a fork.
Makes top and bottom crust for small pie, or single crust for large pie.
Remember, the less you flour, roll, and handle the dough, the less tough it will be. Also, I have tried using a pastry blender but found it to be ineffective for this task. The dough just gets stuck between the blades. Instead, I use two butter knives to do the cutting in. To transfer the rolled dough to the pie plate with minimal risk of breakage, I loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it over the pie plate.
Next week: Something to put in the crust.
Apricot Tart with Cornmeal Crust
Submitted by Hairburner
Here is the recipe for the tart. I stole it from Bon Appetit four years ago. Seriously, this thing is so good that there is never any left over. Make sure you put the preserves thing on the bottom, though you can use a little less sugar. Also, I don�t always make the sauce � seems a little like apricot overload. I have been considering making this with a cr�me anglais instead of the preserves on the bottom, but I haven�t gotten around to it yet. Maybe this year.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
Apricot Filling:
5 cups water
12 ounces dried apricot halves (about 2 2/3 cups)
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3 Tbs. sugar
Apricot Sauce (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
For crust: Whisk flour, cornmeal, and salt in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each dough disk in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
Meanwhile, prepare apricot filling: Bring 5 cups water to simmer in heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add apricots and poach until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil 9� diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Unwrap 1 dough disk; press onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Spread apricot preserves over bottom of crust. Place poached apricots over preserves, covering crust completely and overlapping slightly. Using pastry brush, brush beaten egg over edges of crust. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch round. Remove top piece of parchment; using 1� diameter cookie cutter, cut hole in center of top crust. Turn crust over onto filling. Remove second piece of parchment paper. Press around crust edges to seal. Cut off excess dough to make top crust flush with tart pan sides. Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.
Bake tart until cornmeal crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer apricot tart to rack. Cool 30 minutes. Remove tart from pan and cool completely. (Apricot tart can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Serve tart with Apricot Sauce and whipped cream, if desired.
Kitty Litter Cake
I�m already breaking the rules! This recipe calls for cake mixes and packaged cookies, and because it�s more about the presentation than the quality, I�m allowing them. Of course, if you prefer to make the cakes from scratch, be my guest -- I love you, man!
I found this recipe/project a few years ago while looking for something to make for Halloween. Every year, I say I�m going to make it but have yet to do so. This year! Yes, this year! Lauren, Jeannie, and Leah are coming over on Saturday night for Game Night (I�m losing too much money at Jeannie�s Poker Nights), and I plan to serve this -- if they�ll eat it.
Also, for anyone going to someone�s Halloween party dressed as a cat, BRING THIS!
Ingredients:
1 (18 oz.) box spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 (18 oz.) box white cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla sandwich cookies
1 large box vanilla instant pudding mix
12 small Tootsie Rolls (the short, fat ones, not the teeny midgies)
green food coloring
1 litter box (a NEW one, please!)
1 plastic scoop (NEW!)
Preparation:
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans). Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble. Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in blender or food processor. They tend to stick, so scrape often. [I don�t see why you couldn�t crush them in a plastic bag using a rolling pin, if you prefer.] Set aside all but about 1/4 cup of the crumbled cookies. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix using a fork or shake in a jar [or bag?].
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You probably won�t need all of the pudding. Mix with the cake and �feel� it. You don�t want it soggy, just moist. Gently combine. Put mixture into NEW litter box.
Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave-safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape the ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. [YEAH! Make �em look real turd-like!] Repeat with three more Tootsie Rolls and bury in mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.) Heat remaining Tootsie Rolls, three at a time, in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Place the box on newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a NEW pooper scooper.
Dig in!
Let me know if you make this!
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
con ve nience n
1: fitness or suitability for performing an action or fulfilling a requirement 2: something (as an appliance), device, or service) conducive to comfort or ease 3: a suitable or convenient time 4: designed for quick and easy preparation or use <~foods>
Here, �convenience� will not be cut and dry. It�s a gray area, and I get to call the shots. Personally, I take issue with cake mixes, anything labeled �cheese food�, and so-called meals in a box. I understand the occasional need for convenience, but I groan when I see these prepackaged, processed convenience foods being used by people on a daily basis, as a substitute for real food. Instead of relying on fast food or a frozen pizza for convenience, how about homemade soup, stew, or chili? All are relatively simple to make, and all can be frozen. Make it a rule to always make double and freeze the extra. Then, instead of reaching for that frozen pizza when you are limited on time or just don�t feel like cooking, have some soup. Convenience doesn�t have to mean junk.
I�m not insisting on baking your own bread, starting an herb garden, or killing and grilling. Of course, if one wanted to do any of those things, I would not object. It�s just that I know they�re time-consuming and labor intensive. I grew up on a farm, so, believe me, I know.
* * * * *
Starting super easy. No cooking or baking. Just making.
I really want to encourage those who think they cannot make anything. This one is for the Jello burners of the world.
CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS:
Easy to make, yummy to eat, and you just might impress a few people.
Ingredients:
1 bag pretzels (regular, not �thins�)
1 bag milk chocolate chips (not semisweet)
Shortening
White jimmies (optional)
Directions:
Sort through the pretzels. Set aside the unbroken ones. The keepers.
Line a cookie sheet or tray with waxed paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, melt about half of the milk chocolate chips and a dab (a teaspoon or so) of shortening in the microwave, on high, at one-minute intervals, stirring well after each interval, until chocolate is completely melted. Usually takes two to three minutes. (Or use a double boiler (if you prefer old school) or fondue pot (if you have your parents� set from the seventies because that retro stuff is back in again). Whatever works for you.)
Dip a pretzel into the melted chocolate, making sure to cover both sides. Place covered pretzel on lined cookie sheet.
Before chocolate sets, sprinkle white jimmies over pretzels for a �salted� effect.
Refrigerate trays of pretzels until completely set.
Store in refrigerator.
If you�re still unsure of yourself�
Explain-y Directions and Notes:
I use Bachman �traditional twist� pretzels. Avoid the thin twists, as they are more likely to break during the dipping process. If you want to use minis or rods, go for it.
Expect to get about 16 to 20 unbroken pretzels per bag. My worst so far has been 8 useable pretzels in a bag. Anything over 24 is exceptional.
I estimate one bag of chips for every bag of pretzels.
Use MILK chocolate chips, not semisweet. Just trust me on this.
Use really good chocolate. It makes a difference. I use Guittard or Ghiradelli.
DO NOT add water to melted chocolate, not even a drop. The chocolate will become grainy and useless.
You don�t have to include the shortening (that�s Crisco) when melting the chocolate. It�s just to make the chocolate even smoother.
If you have leftover melted chocolate and no more pretzels, dip some of the broken pieces -- treats for you!
I dip the pretzels by using my thumb and forefinger to hold the center of the pretzel. No gadgets.
Do as you please with all the broken pretzels. I bring mine to work or the bowling alley.
Don�t be a butthead like my brother and think you need to use unsalted pretzels. As anyone who has ever had PMS will tell you, salt and chocolate are a divine combination.
Instead of white jimmies, I use red and green jimmies at Christmas, pink at Valentine�s� You get the idea.
You can do it!
* * * * *
These pretzels have become a standard requirement for our Girls� Night Out slumber parties. I don�t think Suzanne would let me in her house without them.
Also, I brought these, at the hostess� request, to an Oktoberfest party. Someone at the party told me I was talented. Yeah, I can melt chocolate and swim a pretzel in it. �Thank you.� Ah, the unknowing. At least it wasn�t the Einstein couple who arrived late and brought a pu-pu platter. To an Oktoberfest. To be enjoyed with knockwurst and strudel. Yeesh.
My coworker, Mary the Pest, asked if she could buy a batch from me for her daughter�s birthday. If only she knew how easy they are to make. It almost seemed criminal to take her money.
* * * * *
So, give out all your Halloween candy without hoarding any for yourself (except for the peanut butter cups and peanut M&Ms -- you can send those to me (heh)). Have a chocolate pretzel instead.
Mission Statement
Welcome to Not From A Box, made with a pinch of attitude, because cooking and baking need not be difficult or time-consuming.
Seriously, I am sick of this business of passing off Instant Crap Mix in a Box as home-cooked meals. Mmmmm, Mom made dinner tonight. She did? Then why did the ingredients look more like supplies for a science project? Just add water and stir. Isn�t that the recipe for sea monkeys?
Over-processed sustenance that is roughly the nutritional equivalent of a cup or two of sugar � that�s what so-called �convenience� foods are. You wouldn�t eat lemon meringue pie for dinner would you? Okay, maybe you would, but would you serve it to your growing children? It�s no wonder we�re such a fat fucking nation.
With just a minimal amount of planning, I think people could wean themselves from the convenience food crutch. Don�t be lazy! Hey, you know where all that laziness comes from? It comes from eating food devoid of nutritional value, on a regular basis. It�s bad for you, both physically AND emotionally.
What�s that? You don�t have time to cook real food? You don�t know how to cook real food? Guess what? You don�t need an abundance of time or skills. Trust me. I know you�re busy. Everyone�s busy. I�m busy. I get home from work somewhere between 5:45 and 6:00, and that�s if I don�t make any stops along the way. My point is, I understand.
I�m not talking gourmet cooking. I promise, no two-page ingredient lists or trips to specialty stores to track down unheard of herbs imported from another continent. I further promise, nothing that takes (much) longer to prepare than it does to eat.
I am not necessarily promoting health conscious, low-fat, low-calorie, or low-carbohydrate food (although some may be just that, and it will be duly noted as such). Sometimes, you just have to believe that real ingredients are generally better for you than stuff made from packets of processed powder and chemicals. There likely will be more baking than cooking here, because that�s what I enjoy more. Who knows? This could end up being all about baking. �Cause I can do that if I want to.
Suggestions and feedback are welcome.
* * * * *
A case in point story.
Last year, Noelle strolled into the bowling alley with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. I could immediately tell that they were not homemade. The guys started devouring them and asked her if she made them.
N, full of pride, smugness, and herself: Yes, I made them today.
Evil me, eyebrow raised: You made them?
(Now, normally, I wouldn�t be so overtly judgmental. It�s just that I had already had enough of Noelle and her constant need for attention from all the guys, all the time. That and all the other stuff about her that was driving me nuts.)
N, sternly: Yes. I made them.
Me, still being evil, but in a subtle manner: Oh, okay. I thought they looked like the slice and bake kind.
N: No. They�re not slice and bake. Not exactly.
Me: (Silence; no expression.)
N: Okay. They�re the ones in chunks.
Me, roaring with laughter: Oh, my, God! The chunks that are already on a tray in a box? For people who can�t even slice up a tube of dough? If that�s what they are, fine [not really], but you can�t say you made them.
N, getting hot under the collar: Yes I can. I made them. I made these cookies.
Me: You turned on the oven.
N: I MADE THEM!
Testy beyotch.
So, are you with me?
Trick or Treat - November 02, 2007
Autumn Has Left the Building - July 19, 2007
The Nail - June 04, 2007
Ungolding - June 01, 2007
Bollocks - May 29, 2007