Mrs. Marlowe-Inspired Southland Cheese Rolls

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Those of you who don’t watch the New Zealand police drama called The Brokenwood Mysteries, will not understand the reference to Mrs. Marlowe; those of you who do are smiling right now. If you haven’t seen the series, you must give it a watch. The story takes place in the small town of Brokenwood, a town full of murder, and quirky characters. I seriously could go on and on about this show, I enjoy it so much, but I want focus on Mrs. Marlowe (played by actress Elizabeth McRae), the kindly octogenarian with many talents, who belongs to almost every organization in Brokenwood, attends every public event, engages in gossip, is as good of an interrogator as main character Detective Mike Shepard (Neill Rea) in her zeal for getting information, and is known for her cheese rolls. People will attend events just to get their hands on her cheese rolls.

Mrs. Marlowe sharing her thoughts with Detective Mike Shepard. 

Naturally, I had to find out about these. It turns out they are an actual thing, and I found a recipe for them in Annabel Langbein’s cookbook. The filling is phenomenal, but I had difficulty rolling this up in slices of white bread, and getting it to bake up properly. The other day, I was re-watching the series from beginning to end (there are six series at all) and came upon an episode where someone had made the similar sausage rolls with far less success than Mrs. M. One reason for this, she postulated, was that an egg wash had not been used. According to Mrs. Marlowe, “[An egg wash is] absolutely essential. They get really claggy without one.”  So I tried it again with an egg wash, and mine still turned out, umm, claggy. So, I decided I was going to use puff pastry. Wow! What a difference. I know these are not traditional, but they are really good. They go very well in place of a roll for dinner, along with a soup or salad, or, if you cut them smaller than I did, a tasty snack. 

 

Mrs. Marlowe-Inspired Southland Cheese Rolls

Adapted from Annabel Langbein

 6 oz. evaporated milk

1/2 c. cream

1 small Melissa’s shallot, grated (about 2 T.)

½ t. dry mustard powder

¼ t. white pepper

9 oz. edam cheese, grated

1½ T. dry onion soup mix

1 pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)

 Place evaporated milk in a pot with cream, onion, mustard powder and pepper. Heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat, add cheese and soup powder and stir until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened. Allow to cool before using (it will thicken further as it cools). This mixture can be made in advance and stored in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

 To bake rolls, preheat oven to 375° and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.

Allow puff pastry to thaw. Place each sheet onto a lightly floured surface and roll flat to seal fold lines. Spread cheese mixture over top of each sheet almost to the edge. Roll up firmly, jelly roll-style, placing seam side down and, with a sharp knife, slice into two-inch sections.  Place seam side down onto baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden (15-20 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

 

Slow Cooked Chicken Noodle Comfort

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I was reading an article the other day about how comfort food has overtaken steaks in popularity. People want to feel warm arms around them in a comforting hug, but because that isn’t always readily available, they will take their hugs in food form.

 This recipe is the result of my longing for delicious comfort food, and rummaging through the cabinets. It was more work than I had intended it to be, but it was so warm and soothing and wonderful, that I didn’t mind cutting up those carrots or slicing those mushrooms in the end. If you want to make it easier on yourself, buy your vegetables pre-sliced. Yes, I know it uses canned soup, in fact three of them, but honestly, when you think of comfort food, do you ever think of kale? I didn’t think so. If you want to feel virtuous, eat a kale salad on the side.

Slow Cooked Chicken Noodle Comfort

 

1 10.75-oz. can cream of chicken soup

1 10.75-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 10.75-oz. can cream of celery soup

3 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth

2 t. onion powder

1 t. seasoned salt

½ t. garlic powder

¼ t. seasoned pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ c. julienne carrots

1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms

½ c. chopped fresh parsley

1 8-oz. bag frozen peas

1 8-oz. pkg. wide egg noodles

 

In the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot, whisk together soups, broth, and seasonings. Nestle chicken breasts in soup mixture. Sprinkle with carrots and fresh mushrooms. Cook on high for four hours. Remove chicken breast(s), shred, and return to crockpot. Add egg noodles, parsley, and peas, and cook 30 minutes longer.

 

 

The Transitional Two-Tier Tray

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It’s that awkward time of the year between December and mid-February when I feel particularly “theme-less.” I no longer want the wintry look of December (although truth be told, we have snow on the ground right now), but feel it’s too early for Valentine’s Day.

On a whim, I decided to gather up all of my small hunt theme items and put them together on my tray; I’m liking the look. I do need to find some red napkins to mirror the Huntsmen’s jackets, and will be looking for those shortly.

The cups, personal favorites, are by Noritake, and the pattern is called “Ireland Pursuit.” They have a hunting scene on one side, and a thatched cottage on the other. All I need to do is turn them around, and I’ve got a start on my St. Patrick’s Day theme.

The ceramic trio of spaniels, while indeed not hunting hounds, belonged to my husband. He had three cocker spaniels when I married him, and this just seemed like a nice nod to him and appropriate addition.

The coaster on the top shelf was a gift from a friend who kindly sent me a set of these. That friend’s name is Sue Cox, she’s a mystery novelist, and you can find her latest book The Man in the Microwave Oven here. Yes, this is my blatant promotion of a friend.

 

I recently added the fox vase that you see on the top tier, and I love him so much! My plan is to put a little vining plant in him — string of pearls is what I have in mind — but I haven’t found one locally, and it’s too chilly to order online.

As I look at this, I’m reminded that I have a hunter’s horn Christmas ornament that I use on my tree that would work perfectly here. Not that I’m going to rummage around and look for it, mind you, but I think next year I need to make that ornament more easily accessible.

I must admit that I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of changing up this tiered tray every month. What new additions are you making to your home decor this month?

 

Copycat P.F. Chang's Spicy Green Beans

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Despite the fact that P.F. (for Paul Fleming, in case you didn’t know) Chang‘s China Bistro is quite a popular chain amongst the vast array of Asian-theme restaurants, I don’t particularly care for it. It’s not that I haven’t tried to like it, I have, I just tend to think it’s overrated. That said, I do like their green beans...a LOT. Occasionally, I’ll get a taste for those green beans and whip up a batch. With this ubiquitous copycat recipe, there is absolutely nothing to it.  It makes a wonderful side dish no matter your cuisine, or a tasty meatless meal when served on top of a mound of rice.

Copycat P.F. Chang's Spicy Green Beans

 1-2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ t. red pepper flakes*

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. sesame oil

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

 Sauce:

2 T. low sodium soy sauce

1 T. rice vinegar

1 t. sugar

¼ c. water

1 t. cornstarch

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Sesame Seeds

Red pepper flakes

In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, and allow it to heat for 30 to 45 seconds until just barely shimmering. Add garlic, scallions, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Stir-fry quickly for about 30 seconds. Add green beans and stir constantly until they’re almost fully cooked, three minutes. Push beans to the side, give the sauce a good stir, and add it to the skillet. Cook the sauce for 30 seconds; let the sauce come to a boil, then turn the heat to low. The sauce will thicken slightly. Stir the sauce into the green beans to coat. Cook beans and sauce for another 30 seconds, and then remove the skillet from the heat. Place green beans and sauce onto a serving plate or a bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Serve.

 *Feel free to adjust down if you prefer a milder taste.

 Happy Meatless Monday!

 

 

 

101 Amazing Uses for Cinnamon by Nancy Chen REVIEWED

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You learn a lot about people once you marry them. Case in point, prior to marrying the late Mr. O-P, I thought that everyone liked cinnamon. No, he didn’t, not at all. That was disappointing to me because, as a cinnamon lover, it changed the way that I cooked and baked.

Now that I’m on my own, I do what I want, when I want, and that includes adding cinnamon to as many dishes and beverages in as many ways possible. That’s why, when I was offered a review copy of 101 Amazing Uses for Cinnamon by Nancy Chen, I jumped at it. If you are the cinnamon lover than I am, this book is for you. If you can take or leave cinnamon, this book is still for you because I think you will find its many uses nothing short of amazing. 

 

Did you know, for example, that you can make your own cinnamon syrup for coffee, throat lozenges to soothe your scratchy throat, make your own cinnamon broom (I love those when they hit the grocery stores in the fall), even ward off pests in your house plants by using cinnamon? You can, and details on how are all in this fabulous book.

This is going to be one of those reference books that you will find yourself paging through again and again. In doing so you will learn more things about a spice you’ve no doubt taken for granted than you ever imagined. This book provides a wonderful introduction to cinnamon including exactly what it is and where it came from, as well as tips on buying cinnamon, and how to recognize good from bad.

 

The coffee lover in me was thrilled with cinnamon coffee syrup. Why go out for expensive, artificially flavored cinnamon coffee, when you can have the real thing at home? Coffee is not the only beverage that pairs well with cinnamon; you can make loads of cozy drinks using cinnamon including Baby’s Dream Cinnamon Milk to aid slumber, Mexican Super Food Hot Chocolate, and Better Than Coffee Shop Cinnamon Chai.

If you enjoy beverages of an alcoholic nature, cinnamon will not let you down. It makes a wonderful addition to Winter Sangria and Mulled Wine, not to mention a spicy rim rub.

In addition to being used on its own, cinnamon is also a component in many spice mixes. Plenty of recipes are provided in this book to allow you to make your own. Apple pie spice mix, Chinese five spice powder, curry powder, garam masala seasoning, to name a few.

 

You can use cinnamon to flavor meat, or use it as a seasoning in making Chinese chili oil and dishes from Moroccan and Indian cuisine. It goes without saying that it is used in desserts, and there are delicious recipes for them as well.

It may surprise you to learn that cinnamon is also used in numerous beauty treatments. It is also known to boost circulation, lighten hair and stimulate growth, act as an exfoliant for dried lips, a body scrub, a teeth whitener, and even dry shampoo. Divided into clearly marked categories by the use of convenient tabs make it easy to find what you’re looking for.

There is a comprehensive bibliography at the end, divided by chapter, that comes in handy should you be interested in further reading. If there is a downside to this book, it is the lack of an index, a glaring error in my opinion, but in this case, not a deal breaker.

Appealing for every member of the family (including children who can learn to make fragrant cinnamon stick ornaments for the Christmas tree), this is a must for both your culinary and personal libraries. It would also make a great gift for mom on Mother’s Day, not to mention an excellent host or hostess gift should you ever be invited out to dinner again.

I give it four out of five stars; an index would have earned that fifth star.

Thanks to Melissa’s Produce for alerting me to this wonderful volume, and providing me with a complimentary copy.

 

Rosemary Potato Salad

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While I understand how eating vegan can be quite healthy for a person, I love dairy way too much to be able to do that. That said, I do find some tasty side dish recipes in vegan cookbooks. Today while perusing Caitlin Shoemaker’s latest book, Simply Delicious Vegan, I came across this recipe for potatoes (one of my favorite vegetables), and had to give it a try.

Because I am who I am, I changed up her recipe to suit my own tastes. I prefer creamier potato salad, so cut back on the potatoes by half. I like the zing of vinegar, so I doubled that amount, and used Duke’s mayonnaise because, well, for me, there’s only Duke’s and nothing else. With the changes, I found this quite tasty. But cooking is all about experimentation, and suiting your own tastes. Make my recipe, make Caitlin’s, or simply make your own.

 Rosemary Potato Salad
Adapted from Simply Delicious Vegan

1 1.5-lb. bag Melissa’s Baby Ruby Gold potatoes
1 t. salt
2 ribs celery, diced

For the dressing:
½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ t. chopped fresh rosemary
½ t. chopped fresh thyme
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. salt*

* I used Hawaiian red

Wash potatoes and cut into 1” pieces.

Place potatoes and salt in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for eight minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop from cooking further.

While the potatoes are cooking make the dressing. Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary.

When potatoes have finished cooking combine potatoes, celery, and dressing. Toss well to coat. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool, overnight to thoroughly meld flavors. Serve chilled; leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Abrams as a part of their Abrams Dinner Party Program in exchange for an honest review.

 

Slow Cooker Pasta Sauce (That Your Italian Grandmother Would Love)

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 I feel fairly confident that you have never had a spaghetti sauce made quite like this before. Here’s what happened: I had a craving for meatloaf, so I pulled out a favorite recipe and made one. It was very tasty and I enjoyed it for a couple of days, and then, quite frankly, I’d had enough. I thought about cutting it into slices, wrapping each slice in plastic wrap, putting those slices into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag, and putting them into freezer, but as I have no doubt mentioned to you in the past, it is like playing a game of freezer Jenga every time I attempt to add something new. My goal is to take things out of the freezer, not to put things in. That freezer, that wonderful, magnificent freezer, that I bought in 1979 is still (knock on wood) working. That was back in the day when appliances were worth the money you paid for them. I was freshly out of college, living on my own, and that was one of my first major purchases. Sure, other college kids were buying furniture, I figured that I could sit on the floor, a freezer was what I wanted. But, as freezers tended to be back in the day, it wasn’t frost-free. Defrosting that freezer is something that I have not done since I moved into this house nine years ago. Now do you understand why it looks like the Arctic north? But I digress.

Where am I going with this, you ask yourself, well, I’ll tell you. I went from craving meatloaf to craving a good spaghetti sauce. I had Italian sausage that I could use and indeed, I had a couple of pounds of frozen ground chuck, but as I looked at that meatloaf from the other day, I thought, why not just cut it up into tiny little cubes and use it in the meat sauce, so I did. It was excellent! Because there was so much flavor in the meatloaf itself, I think that imparted an additional flavoring into the sauce. Now, all of this said, I’m not suggesting that you make a meatloaf and cut it up. Go ahead and, as listed in the recipe below, use ground chuck. This is a good sauce whether you make it the way I did with the meatloaf or not, but keep in mind that leftovers have many uses. More than you might think. Be creative. Always.

 

Slow Cooker Pasta Sauce

(That Your Italian Grandmother Would Love)

1 lb. sweet or spicy* Italian sausage, sliced 
1 lb. ground chuck

2 Melissa’s shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. minced fresh parsley

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce

2 6-oz. cans tomato paste

½ c. red wine**

2 T. sugar

1½ t. dried basil

½ t. fennel seed

1 t. Italian seasoning 

1 bay leaf

½ t. oregano

½ t. salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ t. Montreal steak seasoning

 

In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat, cook sausage and beef until browned; drain on paper-towel-lined plate. Once drained, add it, and the rest of the ingredients to a 6-quart crockpot, give it a mighty stir, and cook on high for four hours.

 Mangia!

 *I like food with a bit of zing, so I used spicy sausage, use what your family likes.

**If you don’t have red wine, use coffee or beef stock. In the name of all things holy, do NOT use water! Water has no taste. It will add nothing to your delicious homemade sauce.