Go Fish

Good Housekeeping's recent article on anti-aging mentions that its smart to consume omega 3s in fatty fish like salmon as part of anti-aging diet. Benefits of eating salmon including: lowering your choloesteral levels, increases collagen levels, reducing the visibility of wrinkles, and gives your brain a boost by leading to improved moods and attitiude. Silly me. I just thought it tasted good!

Anyhow, besides sharing the benefits , I thought I would share with you a favorite quick, easy to make recipe. It works well as a serving for one and can be doubled as needed.

Oven Roasted Salmon
Serves One

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
4 oz salmon filet (skinned)
Salt and Pepper, or your favorite seafood serving.

Prep Steps (10 minutes start to finish)
1. Place 2 Tablespoons of butter in a baking dish with a 2" sides.
2. Place dish in oven. Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees. Butter will melt during the pre-heating.
3. In the meantime, season both sides of the salmon filet
4. Place salmon in butter dish. Cook 6 minutes.
5. Flip salmon. Cook another 6 minutes.

Observations

• Almost any dry-rub seasoning can be used in this recipe. I like the CharCrust brand, particularly the Ginger Teriyaki and the Garlic Sun-dried tomato dry rubs. Approx. $3.99 a box at the local supermarket or butcher shop.
• For a quick meal, serve with sides of wild rice and steamed asparagus. Yum.

Note: Dedicating this blog entry to Ralph L - May you never have another lousy fish dinner!

Frosting - The Sweet Finish

We’ve all been there: sitting through an office party that featured a supermaket bakery cake, thick and lush with chocolate frosting made largely of shortening, sugar, cocoa and vanilla flavoring. But at $16.99 a cake, I'd make my own cake and frosting. While I do love the junky frosting, I'd just rather have the frosting taste as good as it look. Its easier than you think to whip up a great batch of frosting.

Frosting is part of a baker's foundation. Here's a simply, easy to make, great tasting frosting that's multi-purposed. Use it for a frost a cake, top off a batch of brownies, or as a creme filling for cookie. (If you're looking for a great cake recipe, try Hersey's Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe.)

Ingredients
6 ounces unsweeten chocolate
1 small can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup cane sugar

Prep Steps:
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.
2. In a blender, mix the evaporated milk and the sugar for 2 - 5 seconds.
3. Add the melted chocolate to the blender on high speed until the frosting is thick and shiny.
4. Empty the frosting into a bowl. Allow it to set for 30 minutes.
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow it to set for an additional hour.

Ordinary Girl Observations:
- Recipe only works in a blender
- When melting chocolate in the microwave, estimate 15 seconds per 1 ounce (1 block = 1 oz of Baker's chocolate)
- Don't refrigerate this frosting. It keeps at room temperature for several days. Since it lasts for days, consider making a double batch.

Source: Rosie's Bakery Baking Book

Make Your Own Muffins

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And muffins are amongst the most popular items. But have you seen the cost of buying a muffin these days? $2+ at a Starbucks or Panera. $1+ at the market. Save your money and make your own fresh baked muffins using the recipe listed below. Cost per muffin: $.35.

Ingredients:
6 cups of your favorite cereal
3 cups sugar
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 quart buttermilk
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs lightly beaten

Prep Steps
Combine dry ingredients
Add wet ingredients
Mix well
Store refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 6 weeks

Cooking Instructions:
Bake muffins at will
Add 1/2 cup of batter in greased muffin tin
Bake at 425 for 15 - 18 minutes.

Ordinary Girl's Observations:
- Divide batter into 3 equal portions. Add 2 cups of your favorite cereal. Makes 3 varieties to enjoy.
- Favorite combos include: Raisin Bran & Granola; dried blueberries (1 cup) & banana crunch; dried cranberries (1 cup) and honey bunches of oats.
- Makes a nice take along gift. Just wrap in a ribbon!

Try this recipe. Send me your feedback and let me know what your favorite combination is.

Getting Serious with Baking Substitutes

Ordinary Girl's Top 10 list of ingredient substitutions that are handy in a pinch. Simple, practical, and economical substitutions when you're short on time and can't dash out to the supermarket.

Baking Powder: Sift together 1/4 cup cream of tartar & 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Sift three times. Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 wks.

Buttermilk: For 1 cup, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or 1 tablespoon lemon.

Brown Sugar: For 1 cup packed, mix 1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses.

Chocolate (semi-sweet): For 1 oz, 1 (1 oz) square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 teaspoons of sugar.

Corn Syrup (light): For 1 cup, 1 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar and 1 cup of honey

Corn Syrup (dark): For 1 cup, 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup molasses

Bread crumbs: For 1 cup, 1 cup of crushed cracker crumbs OR 1 cup of ground oats.

Marscapone Cheese: For 1 cup, 3/4 cup cream cheese beaten with 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.

Tapioca (instant): For 1 teaspoon needed, 1 1/2 teaspoon of flour.

Vanilla Bean: For 1 bean, use 3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

Note: Ingredient substitutions can cause a slight change in taste or texture. The degree of change depends on whether the substitution is a major or minor ingredient in the recipe.

Oh My Gosh, It's Homemade Vanilla Extract

Occasionally, I'll be sharing my recipes and thoughts for great home-made gifts that can be made on the cheap. If you're living on a limited budget like myself, you'll appreciate the minimal effort required to pull the gift together, its low cost, and more importantly, its taste.

Idea #1: Oh My Gosh, It's Homemade Vanilla Extract
Vanilla is the stuff from which baking dreams are made. Vanilla extract recipe below is a simple, easy to make, great gift to receive. Once you've sampled this home-made version, you'll think twice before purchasing the store-bought version again. Start this recipe now, and you'll be ready for the Christmas gift giving season!

Background Information.
Never hurts to be knowledgeable about your spices. Here's a little background information for you. Vanilla is a flavoring, native to tropical America, specifically Mexico. The name comes from the Spanish word "vainilla," meaning "little pod."[ Its derived from a type of orchard. If you're interested in learning more about the history of this favorite spice, its lore/legend, or alternative uses to baking, click here.

Recipe
Ingredients

2 cups of brandy or bourbon
2 vanilla beans, cut into quarters

Instructions:

• Place the brandy and vanilla beans in a jar.
• Seal the jar tightly
• Let the mixture sit for 2-3 months at room temperature in a dark place to let the flavor develop.
• Remove the pieces of vanilla beans before using.
• This extract will keep indefinitely in a well-sealed jar.

Gift ideas:

• Give a cup as a stand-alone item. Hand paint or decorate the jar. Wrap the jar in some ribbon and add a tag
• Give some in a jar, accompanied by some of your favorite recipes that include vanilla as an ingredient.
• Pull together a gift basket of vanilla flavored gifts: Jar of homemade extract, bag of french vanilla coffee beans, and some Vienna/vanilla creme cookies, etc.