Tag Archives: recipes

Cowboy Soup – The Day After Wagon Wheel Ribs

Posted on by
6

cowboy sparerib soup n

The leftover stock from oven-cooked Wagon Wheel Baby Back Ribs is the base for one of the best soups we’ve ever enjoyed. 

This soup doesn’t really have much to do with cowboys, except that if we were cowboys, this would be what we’d want to eat around the campfire. A cold night, wolves howling in the darkness, shooting stars above, a roaring fire cracking and sparking, a properly chilled Riesling… (We’re the kinds of cowboys who pack stemware.)

Cowboy Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover liquid from Wagon Wheel Ribs
  • 1 pound leftover baby back ribs, meat cut from bone and sliced into bite-sized chunks
  • leftover bones, cracked
  • leftover potatoes, beans and onions
  • fresh sweet corn from one or two cobs (1 – 2 cups)
  • 1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
  • bay leaf
  • additional potatoes, cut into large chunks, salted and seasoned as desired
  • additional spices and seasonings such as chili powder, jerk rub, Cholula sauce, Mongolian fire oil, oregano, mesquite seasoning, salt and pepper, as desired
  • sour cream

Directions

  • Place leftover ingredients from Wagon Wheel Ribs (liquid, meat, bones, potatoes, beans, onions) and bay leaf in a medium-sized pot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer.
  • Meanwhile, place olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add chunks of additional potatoes, seasoned as desired with salt, pepper, Cholula sauce and jerk rub. Cook till tender.
  • Add potatoes to soup. Stir in sweet corn and gouda cheese. Add additional seasonings if desired.
  • Serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream.

Wagon Wheel Baby Back Ribs

Posted on by
4

wagon wheel spare ribs

Look Ma, no grill! Seasoned just right and slow cooked in the oven in a large pan along with potatoes and onions, these baby back ribs come out sweet, spicy, tangy and falling off the bone. See recipe below.

Oftentimes camp cooking proves to be the mother of invention. On a rainy, windy evening in Seward, outdoor grilling was out of the picture. But our appetites were already set on baby back ribs…

This one-pan method for baby back ribs is sure to be a crowd pleaser and is as close to no-fuss cooking as you can get. Cleanup’s a breeze, too. We use a 12.5″ Swiss Diamond pan – our wagon wheel – for this kind of cooking. It’s heavy, oven-safe and non-stick. Mirin, a very sweet rice wine used liberally in Japanese cooking, gives this dish a pleasant sweetness complementing the heat.

Wagon Wheel Ribs

Ingredients

  • 1 set baby back ribs, cut into individual-sized servings of 2 to 4 ribs each
  • a few small potatoes, some cut into large chunks, others left whole
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped coarse
  • 2 cups black beans, already cooked
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarse
  • mirin (or substitute a little sherry and honey)
  • olive oil
  • Cholula sauce
  • Mongolian fire oil
  • mesquite seasoning (optional)
  • a chili-based dry rub with some heat such as Jamaican jerk rub or any rub featuring powdered chili, oregano, cinnamon and similar seasonings
  • sea salt
  • freshly cracked pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (The oven in our camper only goes down to 300 degrees. You can cook these ribs more slowly and at a lower temperature if you prefer.)
  2. Rub plenty of the dry chili-based rub into each set of ribs. Set aside.
  3. Place roughly equal portions of mirin, Cholula sauce and olive oil in a large, oven-safe frying pan (one that has a lid) and mix together over low heat. Stir in a little Mongolia fire oil or similarly spicy oil. Stir in mesquite seasoning, salt and pepper. There should be enough liquid to amply cover the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the ribs to the pan, turning each piece so that they are coated with liquid. Place meat side down, cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the ribs over so that they are bone side down. Add garlic, onions, potatoes and beans. Cover the pan and return to the oven. Cook for an additional hour.
  6.  Test the meat and potatoes with a fork for tenderness. Meat should easily come off the bone. (Save the liquid for delicious Cowboy Soup.)

A dry or semi-dry Riesling is an ideal wine to pair with spicy pork ribs.

Sweet and Sustainable: Alaska Prawns and Shrimp (and a Great Place to Find Them)

Posted on by
8

spot prawns on soba n

Zaru soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) topped with Thai-seasoned Alaska spot prawns makes a perfect summertime meal. See recipe below.  

The windshield has a crack running through it, there’s a little rust and a dent or two on the body, and some of the paint is chipping off the hand-lettered sign affixed to the vehicle’s side, but we look for Patrick Johnson’s little black truck every summer when we’re cruising around Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and we hit the brakes when we find it. If we don’t happen across his truck, we go find him at his Shrimp Guys Seafoods shop in Soldotna. Patrick sells sashimi-grade seafood smelling as fresh and briny as the seas it comes from.

Alaska shrimp & scallops sign n

Maybe it’s my East Coast upbringing, but experience has taught that fancy shops with glitzy signage are usually not the best places to look for quality seafood. The first time we saw the above sign, which is attached to Patrick’s older model black pickup truck, it took me back to days in the Carolinas where small-time operations were hands down the best places to pick up fresh blue crabs, white shrimp, oysters and maybe a flounder to enjoy with a bottle of something white and dry for the evening meal.  

Alaska spot prawns fresh_n

Alaska’s prized spot prawns, ready to be peeled, seasoned and treated every so briefly and gently with heat.

There are two secrets to great seafood: cook it while it’s fresh, and don’t cook it long. If seafood smells bad, it is. That “bad” smell is not seafood; it’s bacteria growing on seafood. A quality seafood shop (or the seafood counter in a well-run grocery store) will smell pleasantly of the ocean – a little briny, vaguely sweet.

As to cooking shrimp or prawns, a former mentor in South Carolina gave me advice that applies to everything from broiled salmon to fried summer fluke. He was showing me how to prepare the white shrimp I’d caught in a cast net and iced earlier that day. (Read in a slow, South Carolina drawl.)  Jack, a little butter, a little lemon and a little garlic – that’s all they want. And a minute-and-a-half in the pan. Remember, they’ll keep cooking after you’ve removed them from heat, so a minute-and-a-half really means you’re cooking them for two minutes. But get them off the heat before two minutes, or you’ll ruin them. side stripe shrimp n

Smaller than spot prawns, these Alaska side stripe shrimp have the soft texture and signature sweetness of the ama-ebi served by sushi chefs. They are excellent served raw and dipped in soy sauce with a hint of wasabi. Any leftovers make a superb omelet or open-faced shrimp melt sandwich. 

Zaru Soba with Thai Seasoned Spot Prawns (serves two)

Ingredients (This recipe is a snap to make with pre-made seasoning and dipping sauce.)

  • soba (Japanese-style buckwheat noodles)
  • 6 spot prawns, peeled, vein removed and cut open butterfly style along their length. Give them a squirt of lime or lemon and set aside.
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
  • Spicy Thai-style seasoning mix, or mix your own from powdered chili peppers, powdered garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and sesame seeds
  • green onions, sliced thin
  • English cucumber, cut julienne – about 1 1/2 inch of cucumber per serving
  • nori (dried seaweed) cut into thin strips
  • wasabi
  • mentsuyu – chilled dipping sauce – available at Asian grocers or in the Asian section of most regular grocery stores. Or make your own from soy sauce, mirin, sake and bonito flakes.

Directions

  1. Use a bowl to coat prawns in seasoning and let stand.
  2. Boil soba according to maker’s directions. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and drain.
  3. Mix mentsuyu with cold water, according to maker’s directions. Mix in wasabi to taste and add a few slices of green onions.
  4. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add seasoned prawns. Use tongs to turn so that both sides are cooked – about 90 seconds total. Place on a plate to stop cooking.
  5. Place cold, drained soba noodles on two plates. Add prawns. Garnish with cucumber, onions and nori. Serve with individual side bowls of cold mentsuyu dipping sauce.

Enjoy this dish with a chilled bottle of Bianchello – a beautiful white wine from Central Italy that seems to have been created for light seafood dishes.

For sashimi grade seafood, contact Patrick Johnson at 907-394-4201 or email him at akjohnson98@gmail.com. You can find his shop at 44526 Sterling Highway, Soldotna, Alaska

 

Braised Elk Roast Camper Style: One Pan Cooking in The Wagon Wheel

Posted on by
2

elk roast n

Elk roasts liberally rolled in freshly cracked pepper and slow cooked with sweet onions, baby Yukon Gold potatoes and the chef’s choice of additional vegetables is an appealing meal that can be prepared virtually anywhere. Recipe below.

Over the years we’ve become big fans of Swiss Diamond cookware. Covered eggs cooked over very low heat in their non-stick frying pans are a revelation. Nothing sticks, and as long as the manufacturer’s instructions regarding overly high heat are followed, the surface on this cookware remains in excellent condition through years of regular use.

My favorite Swiss Diamond pan is their big, 12.5  inch frying pan. We call it The Wagon Wheel and it’s perfect for everything from baking a pizza to frying fish to slow cooking a roast in in the oven. The challenge with a pan this large is fitting it into some ovens – such as the one on our Lance truck camper. In fact, even storing a pan of this size in a camper is no mean feat.

So I removed the handle. Permanently. It’s around somewhere, safely tucked away along with the hardware used to attach it. On the camper, we don’t need the handle. Oven mitts suffice.

The elk roasts were a gift from a friend. The recipe is uncomplicated. The finished meal is hearty and has great eye appeal – the perfect meal with a glass of old vine Zinfandel on a rainy evening in Seward, Alaska.

Braised Elk Roast

Ingredients

  • 1 pound elk rump roast or similar cut from wild game or beef
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped coarse
  • whole small potatoes
  • other vegetables as desired: parsnips, carrots, brussels sprouts, garlic cloves, mushrooms and even chunks of pumpkin or squash are all good candidates
  • olive oil
  • freshly cracked pepper
  • sea salt
  • sherry or red wine
  • additional seasonings such as rosemary, sage or thyme, if desired

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. (Our camper oven only turns down to 300 degrees F – a little hotter than perfect, but still fine.)
  2. Heat light olive oil or similar frying oil over sufficiently high heat to create a sizzle when the meat hits the pan. Sear the meat on all sides. Use tongs to hold the meat if necessary. About 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove meat and set aside.
  3. Lower heat on pan to medium low. Deglaze pan by adding sherry or wine and use a spatula to gently scrape the brown fond created during searing. Slightly reduce liquid over medium to medium-low heat.
  4. Meanwhile place seared roast in a bowl. Roll the roast in olive oil, salt and freshly cracked pepper to give the roast a coating.
  5. Add additional olive oil to the pan as necessary. Add onions and other vegetables along with salt and pepper, stirring briefly to thoroughly coat with oil. Add the meat, cover the pan with a lid, and place in oven.
  6. Cook covered for an hour for a small roast, longer for a larger roast. Add additional wine or a little water to maintain a broth on bottom of pan, if necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armed With Lemon, Cream Cheese and a Kitchen Torch

Posted on by
11

lemon cheesecake brulee_n

How to improve the creamy texture and flavor of lemon cheesecake bars baked atop a sugar cookie crust? Sprinkle with sugar and torch it to add a crunchy layer of caramel! 

After creating a delectable two-toned crème brûlée and a chai crème brûlée, we became hopelessly smitten with our kitchen torch and the multi-sensory delight it produces when applied to sugar crystals. We applied the technique to a different dessert with a creamy texture, cheesecake, and ended up with very satisfying results. We baked the cheesecakes in a rectangular pan so they could be cut into squares about two bites each, which is the perfect size – a miniature feast for the senses.

In recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk, we make our own. In addition to being less expensive and more natural, our homemade version has none of the tin-can aftertaste common to many canned products, and none of the harmful BPA manufacturers use to line cans. With the help of a stick blender, it’s easy to whip together 1 cup of powdered milk, 2/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of boiling water, and 3 tablespoons of butter to create 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk. This homemade version keeps well covered in the refrigerator.

Lemon Brûlée Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fine granulated sugar for brulee-ing, approximately

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8.5″ x 4.5″ glass loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, flour and vanilla until dough forms.
  3. Press evenly into the bottom of prepared dish. Set aside.
  4. In another bowl, whip cream cheese.
  5. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Scrape sides and mix again.
  6. Pour in egg, lemon zest and juice.
  7. Mix until mixture starts to thicken, 20-30 seconds. Scrape sides and mix again briefly.
  8. Pour overtop cookie bottom and smooth the top.
  9. Bake 20 minutes or until cheesecake is completely set.
  10. Cool, then refrigerate.
  11. Cut into 16 squares and separate.
  12. Sprinkle the tops of each square with 1 teaspoon of sugar and spread around with finger to evenly distribute sugar. Torch the tops until the sugar melts and turns an amber color. (If you don’t have a torch, place under the broiler.)

Let the top cool for a few minutes, then serve immediately.

Swirled Cloudberry Jam Scones

Posted on by
15

 

scones cloudberry swirl b n

Cloudberry jam swirled into these buttery scones creates an attractive twist on a breakfast, brunch or snack-time favorite.

With our date for departing Point Hope set for less than four weeks from now, we still have several jars of cloudberry jam on hand. I went to bed last contemplating creative ways to use this luscious pantry item and woke this morning inspired: Why not roll the scone dough jelly roll-style?

Since traditional scones dough is not very sweet, it lends itself to the savory or the sweet depending on what is mixed into it. This recipe would work nicely with any type of jam or savory spread.

scones cloudberry swirl a n

Swirled Cloudberry Jam Scones

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) frozen unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unflavored yogurt
  • cold water
  • 3/4 cup cloudberry jam

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Grate frozen butter into flour mixture. Stir well.
  4. Whisk together eggs and yogurt.
  5. Pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and knead together. Mixture will be sticky.
  6. Add cold water to mixture while kneading, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together.
  7. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
  8. Roll dough into a rectangle. Dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.
  9. Spread jam onto rectangle, avoiding edges.
  10. Roll dough up jelly roll-style.
  11. Cut log into 3/4 inch pieces.
  12. Place cut scones onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
  13. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
  14. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
  15. Serve with lemon curd and a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Pecan Banana Coffee Cake: More Tasty Experiments With Black Bananas

Posted on by
4

Banana coffee cake_n

This moist, flavorful cake topped with crunchy pecan streusel is ready for a hot cup of joe. Four bananas per loaf make for a fairly nutritious slice, as cakes go, and a good excuse for seconds!

If you read about our banana mochi bread, you’ll know we are experimenting with the bounty of black bananas recently bestowed upon us! After sampling the banana mochi bread, Jack “requested” the next creation contain nuts. (He made me strike the phrase “petulantly demanded.” Editors… sigh.) To satisfy his request, this recipe for banana coffee cake included pecans in the batter and also as part of the topping. Jack said, “Mmmmm.” Guess that was the best compliment he could muster with his mouth full. One loaf went in the freezer, and one remains out for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Banana Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake –

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup soy milk (regular milk would work, too)

Topping –

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • generous tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well blended.
  3. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined.
  5. Add bananas and milk, beat until combined.
  6. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and mix until just combined.
  7. Pour half the batter in each loaf pan.
  8. In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients.
  9. Crumble half of topping mixture on top of batter in each loaf pan.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  11. Let cool on wire racks.
  12. Enjoy while still warm with a fresh cup of joe.

Sometimes Things Freeze in the Arctic (Mochi Cake With Black Bananas)

Posted on by
7

Mochi Banana Bread_n

A delicious way to use the unusable, banana mochi bread has the moistness and flavor of banana and the dense, rich texture of mochi cake. Slathered with cream cheese this is a delicious afternoon snack.

Guided by a philosophy of not wanting to waste anything, we are sometimes the recipients of fruit past its prime. This week boxes of bananas arrived for snacks for our students at Tikigaq School in Point Hope, Alaska. Unfortunately, many had frozen on the plane on the way up. Most people will not eat thawed-out, blackened bananas. And then there are people like us.

The obvious response to these bananas was banana bread. I have a tried and true fruit bread recipe which I’ve used for bananas, blueberries, cloudberries, and pears. But this is the time of year to be a bit more creative in order to use up pantry items. With this in mind, I give you mochi banana bread. Mochi is a Japanese creation which uses sweet rice flour to make a dense, rich, but not-too-sweet dessert. With previous success baking a chocolate mochi cake, I wanted to give bananas a try.

The results of this experiment were a sugary-crisp crust enclosing the nicely dense banana bread I was going for. Blog worth! (Of course, we only publish the good stuff!)

Banana Mochi Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cup mochiko (sweet rice flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1 1/2 cups smashed overripe bananas (about 6)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (substituting applesauce will lighten the bread)
  • 1 tsp Penzeys double strength vanilla extract (or 2 tsp regular vanilla extract)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix dry ingredients.
  3. In bowl of stand mixer, mix together all wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
  4. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mix until just incorporated.
  5. Pour batter into loaf pan.
  6. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
  7. Cool loaf pan on wire rack until it can be handled. Then remove loaf from pan and continue cooling on wire rack.

Sour Cream Double Corn Muffins

Posted on by
3

Sour cream double corn muffins_n

Speckled with red bell pepper and corn kernels, these corn muffins are waiting for a bowl of chili to happen.

With our time left in Point Hope numbered in weeks, we are going through the annual process of creating recipes based on what remains in our pantry. The last of the tri-tip roasts in our freezer inspired Jack to recreate his “Chili Done Large.” We’ll be closing out our lunches in style.

To accompany his chili, I brought out an almost-finished bag of corn meal. Usually the time-tested recipes on product packaging are pretty good, but this time relying on the maker’s recipe was a mistake. The corn muffins came out dry and bland. Time to create my own moist and flavorful version that would stand up to the merits of Jack’s flavor-packed chili con carne!

I wanted my muffins to have a rustic texture and also be moist. Coarse ground cornmeal and sour cream would be the key ingredients. The addition of whole sweet corn kernels added texture and complexity. Minced dried onions helped add another layer of flavor. And finally, I added dried bell peppers as “confetti” to give some color and zest to the muffins. A little butter smeared on to the muffins along with a drizzle of honey make these a satisfying balance to a bowl of spicy, smoky chili.

Sour Cream Double Corn Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • generous pinch salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp applesauce
  • 1 tsp dried minced onion
  • 2 tbsp dried red bell peppers
  • 1 cup thawed frozen corn

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 cup muffin tin. Set aside.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients except for corn.
  4. Pour dry ingredients into wet and stir until just mixed.
  5. Fold in corn.
  6. Pour batter into muffin tin.
  7. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Muffins should be just browning on the outside. A toothpick inserted in center of muffin should come out clean to indicate doneness.

Twisted Cinnamon Loaf Overnight French Toast

Posted on by
13

cinnamon twist french toast_n

Swirling with, pecans, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup, this decadent creation puffs up like a soufflé in the oven. You and your guests will be inspired to linger over a leisurely morning table with a second mimosa.

We recently baked a loaf of twisted cinnamon bread, which is never better than on the morning it comes out of the oven. Since our Arctic kitchen is quite arid, items left out tend to dry out quickly, which gives us the opportunity to get creative with leftovers.

Overnight French toast is not a new recipe for us. But starting with a base of this wonderful twisted cinnamon bread was new. Soaking the bread overnight in an egg and cream mixture causes the bread to puff up magically during baking. Drizzled with maple syrup and served with a strip of thick bacon this cinnamon loaf French toast was a great way to start a weekend!

Twisted Cinnamon Bread Overnight French Toast

Ingredients

  • 8 inch-thick slices twisted cinnamon bread
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk or soy milk
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients for pecan topping:

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Butter an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish.
  2. Lay slices of bread on bottom of glass baking dish.
  3. Thoroughly mix together eggs, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  4. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover dish and place in refrigerator overnight.
  5. Bring bread mixture out of refrigerator and set on counter to come toward room temperature while preheating oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Prepare pecan topping by mixing butter, pecans, and brown sugar.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes then top with pecan mixture.
  8. Continue baking another 20 minutes, until golden and puffed.
  9. Serve with maple syrup.