Category: Teach Beatitudes

French Fries / Chips

friesBefore we begin…

  • Potatoes fall into the categories of either starchy or waxy.
  • Russet and Idaho potatoes have a higher amount of starch and less moisture than waxy potatoes, so they are great for baking and frying, but don’t perform well for potato salads or casseroles
  • Waxy potatoes like Red Bliss, Fingerlings or New Potatoes have less starch and more body, so are good choices for potato salads, but NOT this recipe.
  • Yukon Gold is a good example of an all purpose potato.  It does reasonably well for either application.

Ingredients to feed 4 people

1-2 potatoes per person
1 C water and 1 tsp salt (per potato)		 Optional Condiments:
Ketchup, sour cream, ranch dressing,
Grandpa’s Jalapeño Ketchup

Step by Step

  1. Cut russet potatoes into approximately 1/3 inch thick strips
    – Just for fun you can cut them into 1/4 inch medallions instead of strips
  2. Soak in salted water overnight
  3. The next day, blanche potatoes in salted water for about sixty seconds to boil and partially cook
    – Potatoes should break apart when bent at this point, so be careful.
  4. Toss gently with oil and salt
  5. Put on a baking tray and cook at 450º for about ten minutes
  6. Flip over fries and cook another 10-15 minutes until golden brown
  7. Sprinkle with salt while oil is still very hot
  8. Some people enjoy a very light sprinkling of black pepper too

Oh, one more thing…

  • French Fries REALLY don’t come from France.  Research has shown that they really come from Belgium, where historians claim they were frying potatoes as early as the late 1600’s
  • The first record of French Fries being served in America was 1802 when Thomas Jefferson served them to guests at the White House.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sift together
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 Tbl Dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 C melted butter into bowl of mixer
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
2 lg eggs
Add 1 Cu buttermilk
Add dry ingredients (above)
Add 1.5 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp vinegar in bowl
Add to mixer bowl

Add to lined cupcake pan
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes
Rotate halfway through

Cream cheese Frosting
10 TBL butter
8 oz creme cheese
3 C sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
> strain blueberry jam
> add 3 tbl jam into frosting
> mix well till pink
> spread with offset spatula

Serve chilled

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

 

ALTERNATE RECIPE

    • DRY INGREDIENTS
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 1.5 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder
    • WET INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp red gel food coloring
  • 1 C buttermilk – room temp
  • 1 egg – room temp
  • 1/2 C coconut oil melted
    • FOLD TOGETHER JUST TO COMBINE
  • Pour into cupcake molds (only 1/2 way up)
  • Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes (clean toothpick)
  • Let cool
    • PREPARE MARSHMALLOW COATING
  • 1/4 C Water
  • 1 packet gelatin
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
    • In your sauce pan
  • Add 1/4 C water
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/3 C light corn syrup
  • a pinch of salt
    • Heat to 240º  F  (115º C)
  • Drizzle into the gelatin mixture while mixing
  • Beat on medium until it is fluffy and bright white
    • PIPE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INTO CENTER
  •  

 

Potato Chips TWO WAYS

Steps for all below recipes

  1. Slice russet potato into very thin slices on mandolin – about 1/8 inch
    If doing by hand, be very careful, but get as thin as possible.
  2. Soak in the very cold heavily salted water for 20 minutes
    1. If making salt and vinegar chips, also add 1/2 C vinegar to soak
  3. Strain potatoes
  4. Spread on towel to dry completely or pat try
    They must be absolutely dry to brown properly

Oven fried potato chips

  1. Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with canola oil.  Spread till thin and covered
  2. Place slices on baking pan in one even layer.  Don’t overlap.
  3. Brush the top with oil as well, then sprinkle with salt and  just a bit of ground pepper
  4. Place in oven at 400° for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through
  5. When you flip them, sprinkle with Maldon salt, and a touch of pepper
  6. Drain on paper towel.

Canola Potato Chips

  1. Heat 2 quarts canola oil in Dutch oven to 350-360º
  2. Drop chips 1 at a time into hot oil – 1 second between each chip
  3. Move continually with a spider strainer
  4. Adjust temperature to try to maintain the 350º temperature.
  5. Remove to a paper towel and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot
  • Use Coffee Filter to strain used oil back into a container
  • Discard if it starts to get dark, stinky or smokey

Naan

  • 1/2 C natural yogurt
  • 1/2 C whole milk
  • 5 oz warm water
  • 2 tsp yeast
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBL EVOO
  • A little vegetable oil, to grease
  • 1 C bread flour, Add more as necessary to create a soft/loose dough
  • 2 TBL ghee (melted clarified butter) plus extra to brush
  • 1 tsp nigella (black onion), sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
  1. Put the yeast, sugar and two tablespoons of warm water in a bowl and stir well. Leave until it begins to froth – about 5 minutes
  2. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl
  3. Stir the yogurt into the yeast mixture, then make a well in the middle of the flour and pour it in, plus the melted ghee. Mix well.
  4. Gradually stir in the water to make a soft, sticky mixture that is just firm enough to call a dough, but not at all dry.
  5. Tip out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and a little less sticky.  You should have a damp and very springy dough that offers no resistance to kneading.
  6. Put into a large, lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat.
  7. Cover with a baking tray and leave in an oven drawer (oven set to 250º)  until doubled in size: roughly 90-120 minutes.
  8. You can refrigerate the dough at this point until you’re ready to use it.
  9. Tip the dough back out on to the lightly floured surface and knock the air out, then divide into eight balls; or roll the dough into a log, and then cut into 8 equal pieces, and roll each one into a tight ball.
  10. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan over a very high heat (about 450º).
  11. Prepare the melted ghee and any seeds to garnish.
  12. Flatten one of the balls with your fingers into a flat circle, slightly thicker around the edge, but not too thick, then put it in the hot pan.
  13. When it starts to bubble, turn it over and cook until the other side is browned in patches.
  14. Turn it back over and cook until there are no doughy bits remaining.
  15. This should cook quickly, and should be slightly crispy in places, but still soft inside – but not doughy.
  16. Brush with melted ghee (sprinkle with seeds, if applicable)
  17. Put finished naan in the oven to keep warm while you make the other breads.
  18. Topping:  Yogurt, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, red onion, corriander

NOTE:  Step 12 is very important.  Too thin, and it will be like a cracker.  Too thick, and it will be doughy.

Naan is similar to Turkish Flatbread called Bazlama, a type of Pide, although Gazlama is cooked in a very hot oven (450º) for 5-7 minutes, rather than a hot pan.  In this manner, a dozen can be cooked at the same time.  It is much more efficient for a restaurant type setting.  Let the oven come back up to temperature each time it has been opened.  Lahmacun is another type of Turkish flatbread.

Lavash is another type of flatbread.

Note: Eating with utinsels is like making love through an interpreter.

Grandpa’s Peanut Brittle

  • Prepare all ingredients ahead of time.  This goes quickly.

Ingredients

  • STEP ONE
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • OPT:  1/2 tsp Hazelnut Extract
  • STEP TWO
    • 2 tablespoons softened butter
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • STEP THREE
    • 1+1/4 C nuts – all peanuts or mixed
      • 1 C dry-roasted peanuts or shelled raw peanuts
      • 1/4 C other nuts

Instructions

  1. STEP ONE:  Combine ahead of time in small mixing bowl – set aside
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/8 tsp salt
    • OPT 1/2 tsp Hazelnut Extract
  2. Prepare buttered sheet pan
    1. It works well to line a metal baking pan with parchment paper and then spray lightly with Pam.  This ends up being a little less greasy than butter.
  3. STEP TWO:   Combine AND MIX butter, sugar and corn syrup into a large (4-6 cup capacity) glass bowl.  (Mixture may more than double in size)
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  4. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes (700 W)
  5. STEP THREE:  Add peanuts and microwave 2 more minutes
    • CAUTION! The sugar mixture will be VERY hot (beyond the boiling point), so use care
  6. If it does not stir easily or start to foam and expand, microwave for an extra 60 seconds, but no more than 60 seconds.   It MUST FOAM and start to grow in size.  This is an indication that the required temperature has been reached, otherwise your brittle will not be hard.  NOTE:  It will nearly double in size.  THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT USE A SMALL MEASURING CUP.
  7. Carefully stir in the remaining ingredients created in Step 1.
    • The mixture will bubble and may splatter when you stir in the ingredients, so please be VERY careful!  The steam also is very hot.
  8. Pour onto a buttered sheet pan or quarter sheet cake pan
  9. Use a heat resistant silicone spatula sprayed with Pam to spread the mixture thinly and evenly in the pan.
  10. Cool until firm (at least two hours – or one hour in the fridge) then break into pieces. Using an awl or other pointed tool to break apart.
  11. Store in an airtight container.

OOPS!

I microwaved my corn syrup too long and it solidified.  After adding a bit of water and reheating it, here is the recipe I used.

Homemade Peanut Brittle in 6 steps:

  1. Cook sugar mixture.  Add sugar, and water to a medium saucepan and stir well. Stir in corn syrup. Cook mixture over medium heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up!), stirring occasionally, until it comes to a gentle boil. Cook until temperature reaches 250F.
  2. Stir in peanuts.  Add peanuts and stir the mixture constantly until the candy thermometer temperature reaches 300 degrees F.
  3. Remove from heat. 
  4. Add remaining ingredients.  Immediately stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam and change texture.
  5. Pour into sheet pan.  Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer.
  6. Cool and enjoy. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before breaking apart and eating.

Corn Syrup Substitutes:

If you need to substitute corn syrup in this peanut brittle recipe, you can substitute cup for cup of:

  • honey
  • light molasses
  • agave nectar
  • brown rice syrup

You could also substitute a combination of these ingredients and please note that with any of these substitutions, the peanut brittle will have a lightly different taste, texture and consistency as well.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups salted roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Measure out peanuts, butter, baking soda and vanilla and have them ready.
  • Add sugar, and water to a medium saucepan and stir well. Stir in corn syrup. Cook mixture over medium heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up!), stirring occasionally, until it comes to a gentle boil.
  • Attach your candy thermometer to the edge of the pot, and make sure it is submerged in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until temperature reaches 250°F (121°C).
  • Add the peanuts and stir the mixture constantly until the candy thermometer temperature reaches 300 degrees F.
  • Remove mixture from heat and immediately stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam and change texture.
  • Carefully pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer.
  • Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minute) before breaking apart and eating.
  • Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.
 

Notes

To make ahead: Peanut brittle can be made several days or even weeks in advance.  It stays fresh at room temperature for 6-8 weeks weeks.

 

To store: Store peanut brittle (once it’s completely cooled) in an airtight container at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks.

 

To freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months.  Allow the brittle to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe, airtight container.

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