Monday, August 22, 2011
I spy with my little eye... Summer Squash!
And boy do I love Steamed Zucchini smothered in lots of butter!
 | ||
| Zucchini Blossoms are so pretty! Interesting Fact: The male blossoms are narrow-stemmed, while the female blossoms attach to the stem with a large bulge that is, in fact, the nascent squash! |
Zucchini Blossoms are also edible!
Ingredients:
1 medium sized Zucchini or Yellow Squash (Summer Squash)
Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
 |
| Did you know that Summer Squash is merely a young Zucchini or Yellow Crookneck Squash that is harvested immaturely when its rind is still tender and edible? |
Directions:
Wash your zucchini.
Slice your zucchini into 1/2 inch thick rounds,
and cut each round in half (quarter up if rounds are too large).
Fill a pot with enough water where it just barely reaches the bottom of a steamer basket.
Once the water comes to a boil, add vegetables and place a loose fitting lid on top to cover.
On the stovetop, steam zucchini for six to seven minutes.
In the microwave, steam for six to eight minutes.
When done, transfer zucchini to a bowl and smother in butter
and add a little salt and pepper for flavor!
 |
| Summer Bounty from the SouthShore Ranch |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
By the look of this meal, you'd think I knew what I was doing when throwing it together,
but once again, I don't.
It turned out good too!
And it was super easy to prepare!
And the kids et it too!!
 |
Yee-haw! Your cowpokes will love this meal! |
Cowpoke Stew
A SouthShore Ranch Original
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
3 lbs lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
3 medium red potatoes, peeled & diced into small bite-size pieces
1 can beef broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 to 2 cans Green Beans (optional)
1 to 2 cans Green Beans (optional)
Seasoned Salt, to desired taste
Directions:
- Brown beef until fully cooked.
- Drain off excess fat.
- Add minced garlic, potato pieces, beef broth, and tomato sauce.
- Stir, cover with lid and let cook on Med to Med-High heat for 35 – 40 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until potatoes, are fork tender and liquid has cooked off, turn down heat to Low setting.
- Stir in 1 - 2 cans of cut green beans during last 5-minutes of cooking, (replace lid).
- Add desired amount of seasoned salt for flavor.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
I may have cracked the code for the perfect Pork Lumpia!
I absolutely LOVE Lumpia!
If you are unsure of what a Lumpia is, it is simply this:
It is A Fried Spring Roll popular in Indonesia & Philippines.
Just think of it as a skinny version of an Egg Roll!
When I lived in Okinawa, I had so many Filipino friends who made many
different kinds of lumpia filled with vegetables, shrimp, pork, ground beef and even chicken!
I really miss living in Okinawa!
Because making Lumpia is a bit of a process, I tried my best to offer a picture tutorial of how to make them!
Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Pork
1 1/2 cups carrots, ground up in a food processor
1 bundle of green onions, finely chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Salt & Pepper
Meat Tenderizer (No MSG)
2 packages of Lumpia (Spring Roll) Wrappers
1 small bowl of water
1. In a large mixing bowl combine ground pork, processed carrots, minced garlic,
and finely chopped green onions.
2. Lightly beat two eggs and pour into meat mixture.
3. Measure two Tablespoons of soy sauce and pour into meat mixture.
(What do ya think if my crazy blue nail polish?
BbGirl and I were manicure girls today and she painted my finger nails blue!)
4. Add Ground Ginger.
5. Add a little Salt and Pepper for some flavor.
6. Mix in some Meat Tenderizer for a little more flavor!
7. Thoroughly mix together all the ingredients.
Pull out your Lumpia Wrappers and let's get busy!
8. Using one sheet at a time, place a lumpia wrapper on your work surface
in a diamond shape, with the corners facing up and down.
9. Drop a spoonful of meat filling near the center of the wrapper.
10. With your spoon, push the filling down a little bit, and spread into a log shape.
11. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up over the filling.
12. Fold the two sides of the wrapper towards the middle.
13. Roll the wrapper upwards.
14. Before, the lumpia is completely rolled, wet your fingers
and moistend the edges and tip of the lumpia wrapper.
15. After it is moistened, finish rolling the pastry..
..taking care that, with your fingers, the end piece is pressed firmly against the lumpia to seal shut.
16. Set Aside.
17. Repeat steps 8 - 15 until all wrappers and filling is gone.
18. Preheat cooking oil, for deep frying, to 365°F.
19. Deep fry the lumpia in small batches, turning frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes per batch,
or until they are browned on the outside and reach the internal temperature of 160°F.
20. Remove to paper towel lined plate and repeat with the rest of the lumpia.
Serve warm with Sweet & Sour Sauce, or Soy Sauce!
Yields about 5 dozen Lumpia
Note: Lumpia holds up well in the freezer! I like to freeze my lumpia in gallon sized ziploc bags for later. Just make sure to increase your frying time to about 6 minutes, when taking it from freezer to deep fryer, and always remember to check the internal temperature of your food before serving it!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Streusel Topped Banana Oat Bread - A SouthShore Ranch Original!
0 comments Posted by SouthShore Chick at 8:00 AM
Streusel Topped Banana Oat Bread
A SouthShore Ranch Original!
INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 med/large (3 small) mashed, very ripe bananas
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
DIRECTIONS:
- Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease bottoms only of two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans or one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray.
- In large bowl, mix sugar and butter.
- Stir in eggs until well blended.
- Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened.
- Stir in Old-Fashioned Oats.
- Divide batter evenly between pans.
- Sprinkle with Streusel topping (Recipe below) and gently press into bread batter.
- Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.
- Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack.
- Cool completely for about 2 hours before slicing (otherwise bread will fall apart).
Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
¼ cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
In small bowl, mix all ingredients with fork until crumbly.
-------------------------------------------------------
Good morning Friends,
It's all hustle and bustle here on the SouthShore, as we dive into the new school year! Today is the first day of school for the kids and they are scrambling around trying to get everything together before the bus pulls up the drive.
To kick off the new instructional season, I have planned a fantastic breakfast treat! Once again I've been hard at work, in my kitchen, ironing out the kinks to a perfect recipe! Please feel free to send me your comments, and tell me what you think! Have a great day everybody!
I love you all!
Bec
Monday, August 15, 2011
As much as I would love to stamp my name all over this recipe and call it my own, I can't. This classic loaf as told by Better Homes & Gardens, "Brings to mind the rough country breads found in France & Italy". I give you my word that you will be pleased with the outcome of this super easy to make loaf! This bread reminds me of the San Francisco Artisan loaves my mama used to bring home from the market when I was a child, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It's time to pull out your bread machine, and dust it off. Let's make some french bread!
 | ||
| Je vous présente, une baguette de pain! (Did I say that correctly?) |
French Bread
Ingredients:
For: 1 ½-pound (15 Slices)
1 cup water
3 cups bread flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
Yellow Corn Meal
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 Tbsp water
For: 2-pound (20 slices)
1 ½ cups water
4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
Yellow Corn Meal
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 Tbsp water
Directions:
- Select loaf size.
- Add first 4 ingredients to machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Select dough cycle.
- When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down.
- Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Divide 1 ½-pound dough in half.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 10x8-inch rectangle.
- (Divide 2-pound dough in half; roll each half into a 15x10-inch rectangle)
- Starting from a long side, roll up into a spiral; seal edge.
- Pinch and pull ends to taper.
- Place, seams down, on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Combine egg white and 1-tablespoon water; brush some over top of loaves.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 35 to 45 minutes or until nearly double.
- With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about ¼ inch deep across the top of each loaf.
- Bake in a 375° oven for 20 minutes.
- Brush with remaining egg white mixture.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
- Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.
;;
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
