the humble table

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Virgo Biscuits * Biscuit Magic!

Named as such for the heavenly steamy perfection that wisps as you crack one open to slather with butter - and for my great aunt Edith who was famous for her her good cooking and yeasted “Angel Biscuits”. I’m going yeast free for a while so try these traditional buttermilk and baking powder biscuits to see if they’re not just like yo’ mama & grandmama used to make!

Preheat your toaster oven or stove oven to 425 and if you’re lucky enough to have a convection oven then you probably don’t need my take on biscuit magic here but read it anyway and send me a few pointers if you will!

Whisk together in a mixing bowl:

1 & ½ c. Shawnee All Purpose Flour (I think Hodgson Mills is lovely but I now have to order it by mail) 1 T. aluminum-free baking powder 1 t. sugar ¼ t. sea salt

Pulse in food processor or work into flour until you feel pea-sized or smaller lumps:

4 T. salted organic butter *NOTE: use an extra ¼ t. of sea salt (½ t. total) if you use unsalted butter; Trader Joe’s and Horizon make wonderful super fresh tasting organic butter with a wonderful texture and consistency - it maybe a $2 price difference but so worth it for your best baker’s bang. If you make your own butter please invite me over SOON!

Make a nest in the flour & butter mix and pour in:

1/2 to 2/3 c. 2% or higher buttermilk depending on how soft or hard your flour is you may need a little more than half a cup as I did.

Stir gently with a fork just until it forms a rough ball and is slightly sticky. You can always add some bling to your biscuits at this stage - maybe some chives and Havarti cheese or some green chilies and Monterey Jack! My momma used to let us roll the scraps in cinnamon sugar when we were kids.

Turn out on floured surface and then flatten and shape into 6"X4" rectangle about ½" thick which you will fold in half and press gently out to the same dimensions; repeat this two more times sprinkling the work surface below it with a little more flour between pressings.

I recommend using your hands to flatten the dough avoiding the rolling pin as over working the dough makes tough biscuits by activating too much gluten.

Dip a round pint glass or 3" biscuit cutter in flour and press into the dough surface going straight down to make sure the edges are clean cut so the biscuit will rise easily as it bakes. You should be able to get 6 fluffy biscuits with an extra smaller one coddled together from the scraps so you can taste test for doneness.

I like to nestle the rounds together to keep them from drying out during the quick high heat and I brush the tops with melted butter or heavy cream before they go in. Bake them for about ten minutes at 425 degrees and then crank the broiler up for about one minute or so to get a golden crust on the tops - be careful not to burn them!

Soooooo good with butter and jam or honey! Eat them in bed with someone you love! These will stay fresh in plastic bags for three days but I doubt they’ll be around that long. They heat up nicely in foil or a plastic sandwich bag for 20 seconds in the microwave.

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spicy-sweet easy to make chicken (no, okies - it's not the squirrel i just posted, lol) molé & spanish rice - gonna blog this recipe at the humble table!

[alexisguerreros]

Taco With Tortilla Made Of Cheese

   A tortilla made of cheese. That’s all you should need to hear before you run out of your house on the way to get one. It’s a tortilla. A TORTILLA MADE OF CHEESE!!! The regular tortillas are hand pressed when you order them which is dope and not too common. To me, tacos are…

Taco With Tortilla Made Of Cheese was originally published on Alexis Guerreros

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^I actually CAN’T wait to try this!^ @cookingwithskrillex @cookyourcupboard @cookingcaveman @paleocookingbook @glutenfreecuppatea @tacotuesday420 @foodiepalooza @kitchenwenchery @pantryandtable @chefcriminalmambo @thefrugalvegetarian-blog @epicurious @eatsleepraverrepeat @eatallthecheese @okiesupertaster @okiefood-blog @creativecooking @localmilkblog-blog All kinds of gooey chewy kudos to Mr. Guerreros for successfully incorporating foodie humor into his routine - that’s the first time I’ve seen that done effectively! Hit this link and scroll down to watch a video of him serving it up live at the Gotham Comedy Club in NYC: http://alexisguerreros.com/alexis-guerreros-tv-comedy-debut/#comment-57

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8.02.16: Homemade Fettuccine with Ham, Sweet Cherry Tomatoes & Zucchini Ribbons

This dish is a bit labor intensive without a pasta maker machine but definitely worth the trouble because it’s simple and ridiculously delicious.

1 c. organic flour (King Arthur’s but semolina durum wheat is better for pasta making if you can get some)

https://www.amazon.com/Hodgson-Mill-Semolina-Pasta-2-Pounds/dp/B004IMYB1A

2-4 T. cold filtered water 1 whole egg ¼ t. sea salt

Pulse flour & salt in food processor to distribute, crack egg in small bowl to make sure no shell gets into the dough - beat lightly then pour into the mix and pulse a few times. Add a dash of water and pulse - adding a bit more until dry dough ball forms. The dough should not feel moist on your hands but if it is slightly tacky you can dust a bit more flour on it after removing from the processor and then knead very briefly on lightly floured surface. Make a mound, enclose it completely in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes (if your kitchen is humid or warm put it in the fridge).

Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet, add slivered shallots or minced garlic for a more robust flavor, a pinch of red chili flakes, cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half and about ¼ cup white wine. Let the veggies cook down a bit until shallots are wilted and tom’s start to release their juice, then add some fresh ground black pepper, generous pinch of oregano and about 3-4 ounces of thin cut baked ham sliced into thin strips. Make your zucchini ribbons by dragging a carrot peeler down one side of the squash repeatedly and then do so on three more sides until there is a long cube left - chop that into thin squares and add into sauté mixture for a couple minutes.

Scatter some flour on your counter and cut your pasta dough in half. Roll one section out going in one direction only so it becomes about 16" long. Cut the sheet in half to equal 8" in length. The pasta sheet is thin enough when you can see the imprint of your hand underneath it showing through. Lightly flour the surface of the pasta sheet on each side and roll the dough up to make cutting the noodles easier and more uniform. If it starts to stick dust a bit more flour on it and stash it in the freezer a couple minutes. Cut the fettuccine rounds 1/8" wide or larger if you prefer and unroll after each strip is sliced placing it on a floured towel over a tray to air dry a bit. Repeat the process with the remaining dough half.

Salt 6+ cups filtered water and bring to a boil in a covered pot on high heat. Once boiling, remove lid and add pasta slowly in small portions so it doesn’t stick together or get caught on the sides of your pan. Reduce to medium heat cooking only 1-2 minutes until it’s floating and is slightly translucent around the edges. Scoop out with a slotted pasta spoon or straining basket and let cool slightly.

You can add a bit of olive oil to keep the pasta from congealing but that will also inhibit your sauce from coating the pasta evenly so you may prefer a few drops of warm water instead. Toss the fettuccine into the sautéed ham & tomato mixture with a few handfuls of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano and some fresh Italian parsley.

Salt to taste. Very satisfying and not too filling on a hot summer day!!

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7.15.16: Perfect Apple Flap Jacks

This is what happens occasionally when I’m happy and I want to cook or I cook because I’m happy - and super famished as well. Keep your cook happy, you will be rewarded with heaps of gracious delectable yum-yums!!

Whisk together in bowl:

2/3 c. organic white flour (I like a soft winter wheat - King Arthur Org. Flour is a bit hard but I haven’t been able to find Hodgson Organic at my regular grocery for a while now) 1/3 c. gluten-free 1to1 baking flour (This will lighten your cakes considerably with the addition of rice flour giving them a delicate crisp on the surface and super pillowy fluffy silky texture - Bob’s Red Mill version is pretty good) 1T. granulated sugar 2t. aluminum free baking powder 1t. ground cinnamon 1/4t. sea salt

Peel 1 medium-small apple and grate half of it into flour mixture, toss with hands to coat the grated apple bits; now cut the other half into smallish cubes and toss into the flour again coating it like the grated bits.

Beat together in separate bowl:

1c. 2% organic milk 2T. canola oil 1 egg 1/2t. Mexican vanilla

Pour liquid ingredients into flour mix and stir briefly with a fork into just moistened as a bit lumpy is what you want.

The batter will be fairly thick but not stiff but depending on the type of flour you use you might want to add a dash more if milk to loosen it. Scoop 1/3 cup of the batter into preheated non stick skillet and spread it out lightly in a circular motion - wait until it gets a golden cook around the edges with a few popped bubbles in the batter - about 1-2 mins. over medium low flame (wipe your skillet between pouring to avoid carbonized crumbs if you’re not using a flat griddle) and then flip over - the other side might not take as long to cook as the batter is already heated through.

I brewed some amazing fragrant apple-hibiscus Teavana tea sweetened with honey to accompany these puffy-cakes. They are deceptively simple, easy to quickly whip up and soooo delicious! They will come out effortlessly perfect if you get the ingredients right. I served them with real organic butter, org. honey or org. maple syrup and a dollop of org. Greek yogurt BECAUSE organic tastes better and is better for you! A couple dollars more is night vs. day in home cooking!!

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7.12.16: Swai Rollatini & Stuffed Shrooms

Finally a break in the heatwave and I feel like cooking again!! It’s been 110 degree misery of salads and take out for almost a month! Creds here go to Chef Lidia for motivating me to make some real food:

http://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/baked-rollatini-sole-recipe

I used swai fillets (because that’s what I had on hand) which are thicker than flounder so the cook time is extended a wee bit and they don’t roll as nicely; you might try carving a shallow mid fillet to accommodate the bread crumbs but I just tamped the stuffing down a bit to adhere to the more delicate swai flesh.

I don’t keep wine around as the sulfites in it are inflammatory and can trigger nerve pain from an ongoing back injury I have so I substituted a dash of mirin instead. I also sprinkled a bit of cayene pepper over the fillets and mushrooms instead of red chili flakes but paprika would be good if you don’t like much heat. Butter the dish for the mushrooms and they also need to get dabs of garlic-parsley butter before you stuff them. I found working right over the bowl of bread crumb mix worked best for gently packing their interiors before lightly mounding the mix on top. Squeeze half a lemon into the baking dish with about 2 teaspoons of mirin for 6 medium mushrooms and drizzle a bit of olive oil in before putting them in the dish.

Be sure that your baking dish is large enough to place most of the lemon slices alongside the fish so you get a nice goldy singe on them! You’ll want to make sure they are de-seeded as well because they’re delicious to eat right along with the fish - that subtle sweet kick of mirin really worked on the citrus. Space is limited in the little toaster oven I used to avoid heating up the kitchen too much with my gas range so I had to caramelize my lemon rounds under the broiler after I lifted out the filets.

Buono Appetito!

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6.15.16: Spicy Shrimp With Creamy Cheese Polenta

This recipe is so easy and very loosely constructed but I want to thank Chef Lidia Bastianich for her polentera genius in telling me to add a fresh bay leaf to the pot! Start by slowly sifting cornmeal into a saucepan filled with slightly warm salted water and continue to whisk gently while doing so as to avoid the formation of lumps and as it begins to heat you will get a sense of how much more corn meal to add for the consistency you want. Once it has thickened you can cover it and let it bubble gently on simmer for about ten minutes stirring occasionally.

Fire up a nonstick skillet on medium high flame and dust your shrimp with paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, a dash of salt and some olive oil. Throw the shrimps in and let them brown 1-2 minutes or so each side over a medium flame - of course they will continue to cook off heat a bit so don’t need to be cooked very long or they will be tough with a chewy rubbery texture! I added a pinch of garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, butter, some red chili flakes and Parmigiano Reggiano to the polenta. Just a few slivers of the green tops from scallions or fresh chives will garnish this nicely!

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6.12.16: Spicy Black Bean Breakfast! Start your eggs boiling and pulse canned organic black beans in a mini-processor to medium purée (you can drain most of the liquid off and rinse them to reduce the sodium before you process them).

Bloom spices in evo/canola: ground cumin, crushed chile pequin (teeny red ball shaped chilies below), garlic powder, ground chili powder (ancho is nice if you can find it) and paprika + salt; adding a dash of chipotle hot sauce may push the heat too high but it’s delicious especially if you like food that bites back. Steam cauliflower and set aside while you lightly toast oregano perfumed pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sauté in evo/canola with chopped kale, savoy cabbage, minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper - finish with some butter and salt. Peel hard boiled eggs and slice into wedges sprinkled with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

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Paseo After Midnight

My capacity for adventure is often superseded by the constraints of time and energy but I still quench my desire to wander with mini rambles whenever I can! The community gardens at 6/12 in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District were beckoning to me last week end during a moonlit stroll:

http://www.sixtwelve.org

I was also charmed to find great puffy clouds of post wedding baby’s breath curbside at the church across the street for the taking. With any luck some day I might do the same!

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6.9.16: Easy Delicious Zabaglione! I needed to use some left over egg yolks and look what I found! http://www.nickstellino.com/Recipes/Menu/Recipe/Default.aspx?men=50&rec=765 All I had on hand were slightly unripened nectarines but this recipe works great with them! I added a dash of fresh lemon juice to the sliced fruit and lightly dusted them with sugar. Also, instead of the orange liquor I just added some lemon zest and fresh juice to finish the foamy egg topping. This can easily be made with a whisk - just keep the heat low so the egg yolks don't curdle and add the sugar gradually and continue to whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens. A word of caution - if you don't use alcohol the recipe calls for the sugar might not dissolve completely so I suggest you use extra fine granulated sugar instead. The yummy fruit syrup from the nectarines can be drizzled over the top just before serving for an even more succulent and tantalizing effect!

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6.4.16: Fast Brussels + Balsamic Chicken

A quick delicious simple marinade can be made by mixing ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, freshly ground or cracked black pepper with an optional dash of honey and a few sprigs freshly minced rosemary (depending on the quality of your vinegar - you may not need the extra flavor).

Lightly pound some chicken tenders to cook evenly and swirl them in a bowl with the marinade then place directly on a flat grill or iron skillet on medium flame for 2-3 minutes each side. Flash blanch, steam or boil a pound or so of fresh organic (they are sweeter & less tough) brussel sprouts and drain or set aside to cool. Let the cooked chicken rest a few minutes uncovered while you cut the sprouts in halves.

Mince a large shallot and put that in a bowl lightly drizzled with olive oil and set aside (the hot brussels will sweat the delicate shallot without detracting from subtle flavor and texture). Chop two or three scallions on the bias and toss them in with some olive oil, black pepper and the brussel sprouts, then place them cut side down on the same grill you used to cook the chicken so they can absorb the meat’s flavor and caramelize. Grill these lightly enough to retain their fresh green color and texture, remove them and toss in a the bowl with shallots and olive oil, add some pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh or dry oregano if you have it.

The addition of the oregano really elevates the brussels - they are the star feature here in my opinion and I wish I had made a lot more than what I cooked! You could add some pancetta to them as well but I try not to mix proteins as it can slow the digestive process. I also like to perfume and flavor the pepitas (pumpkin seed) with a wild crafted “oregano” from Northern Mexico by keeping them in a glass jar with a couple pinches of it.

The dried herb I use is like "Mexican" oregano but is different from the one you can find at most specialty stores or grocers; it has a slightly more bitter flavor with an almost buttery faintly tarragon-like flavor. I believe it's actually a variety of wild yarrow or sage stalk that grows in the Sierra Madres. I get big jars full of it from a friend’s mother who lives in Coahuila - it also makes a great tea to elevate immunities when paired with cinnamon bark and a little manzanilla (chamomile).

Just message me and I will send you some at very little cost! I’m working on getting seeds that I may have available at a later time.

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5.31.16: Cooking with Monsieur Pépin!

http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/2011/09/17/escoffier-quenelles/

C'est magnifique! J'adore Les Quenelles de Pépin!

The only changes I made to his recipe were the substitution of swai fillets for the lemon sole and whiting, some fresh tarragon in the food processor with a pinch of lemon zest and black pepper; you might also consider using two egg whites and less cream if your eggs are small. I also substituted half cup of whole milk to the “heavy” cream for the sauce and sautéed the mushrooms with about half a medium white onion and two garlic cloves finely chopped (shallots would be great here instead of onion & garlic if you happen to have some on hand) until they were slightly caramelized before adding the fish broth.

You can lightly brown the fish dumplings along with this sauté for added oomph but I wanted make sure they fluffed up in the oven so I didn’t with this batch but might try a few on the next round. I also left a few whole mushroom pieces for enticement and used cornstarch to thicken the sauce with the addition of fresh ground black pepper, chopped tarragon and a pinch of lemon zest. I dusted them with a little fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano this time but intend to do a light gratin on the next round with the addition of some old baguette crumbs (Panko crumbs seem inauthentic but I’ve seen Chef Pépin use the stuff) paprika, garlic powder and parm-regg of course.

I also would probably have served these over steamed tarragon (make a baggie with cheesecloth for it and throw that in the rice cooker) jasmine rice if I was not watching my carb count. I plan on doing a coconut curried version of this with fresh cilantro and Thai chilies in the future, love his technique!

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5.29.16: Dystopian Frolic More alley surfing in Norman along the underbelly of the newly artsy East Main Street...

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5.28.16: June is Now July

The humble table loves other tables of modest decorum as well. We rambled over to our customary haunt at The Gray Owl for some slow brewed java and quiet talk on the back patio. The wind was up and had scattered trumpet blossoms like confetti across the deck. I sat there and listened to the sound of air tunneling down the alley and barreling over the power lines making a wild humming fuss. That reckless erie sound was soothing to me somehow and I realized there are more days now when I would rather listen to and watch nature than people.

Speaking of days, the day lilies and trumpet vine are blooming early again this year, almost two months earlier than when I first arrived to my humble little farm house. The snowy white and pale pink buds of the baby native sand plum tree I discovered last spring also opened so early that they were destroyed by a late freeze in March so now I’m deprived of watching teeny fairy sized fruits ripen.

This is two years of pre-mature early spring growth which correlates to rising global temperature spikes. Onward to Iceland!! On that note I’m going to geek on a PBS documentary called “Islands Without Cars”.

Photos:

Wax potatoes are my favorite spuds; they brown up beautifully and cook quickly in the microwave for a baked tater treat! I adore the addition of fresh chives and mayo in the scramble and for the creamy fluffy eggs I just poured in some milk and a driz of olive oil.

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5.4.16: Playtime Means Treats!

Perfect spring day - Ruby is such a diva with her stuffed Angry Birds head but she will actually set it down if I trade a stick for it!! Ms.Thing needs a visit to the groomer, her black Scot-terrier nails are like sharp little daggers in my calves if she jumps up. :(

Paleo Cookie Treats for Dog and Human:

1 cup sweet potato, peeled, cooked & mashed (1 cup organic pumpkin puree is a good substitute and will lower the carb content)

1 mashed banana or ½ cup applesauce (can be used instead of eggs) 

1 egg + ¼ cup egg whites or 2 eggs 

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter  (Bee’s Knees or Earth Balance w/Coconut Oil are my top choices so far)

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup honey or ¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  These babies get spooned onto a coconut oiled cookie sheet in heaps of about 2 tablespoons spaced one inch apart and then baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are slightly golden and they smell done. They should have a soft bread like interior like a muffin while slightly crisp on the outside. Let them cool ten minutes and then toss them in a zippered freezer bag for walks - should make about two dozen cookies. These are mildly sweet but very flavorful and my scoodle will gulp them down whole practically choking herself if I make them any smaller, they should be almost the three inches in diameter to encourage some chewing before swallowing!

*REMEMBER THAT CHOCOLATE IS TOXIC TO DOGS - IT MAKES SOME HUMANS BREAK OUT TOO!!*

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5.2.16: Double Decker Gluttony

After two weeks of dodging tornadoes and escaping with only minor hail damage to the semi-new car I feel I’m long overdue for a treat so it’s time for some French toast made with sour dough and a gooey mess of fresh blueberry sauce! The only tip for the basic egg soak on the bread is a little sugar or syrup in the batter to help brown the “toast” or some orange juice & cinnamon + a little vanilla is nice too. My recipe for the silky sweet blueberry topping is a guesstimate on the ratio of ingredients but you should always taste as you cook to make the needed adjustments:

In a small shallow skillet I added 1 T. of fresh lemon juice & about a ½ t. of lemon peel zest to about 1 c. organic blueberries, ¼ c. organic cane sugar, a dash of freshly grated nutmeg, ¾ c. water, 3 T. of wild berry preserves, 2 T. of organic maple syrup + a dash of sea salt and then let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally until the fruit softened and released it’s juice and color. I thickened the mixture with 2 T. of corn starch dissolved in ¼ c. water and added a little of the hot liquid from the skillet to temper the cornstarch mixture before stirring into blueberries over low heat and gradually increased the heat to medium low to encourage thickening.

You can always finish the sauce off with a little butter and additional maple syrup or water if you need to adjust the consistency.

Happy Brekkies to you!

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4.20.16: The Toucan of Beetles!

The Humble Table had a curious visitor today. Perhaps he/she rode in on the grapefruits or oranges? I have to use all my oranges up fast before they dry out any more! I’m going to make a yogurt, orange and honey sorbet, perhaps with a skosh of rum & vanilla… yay... and perhaps a few brownies on the side to celebrate the numerical significance of today.