Brats and Apples

We have lots to report here at Storkbite’s house.  Storkbite is content to ride in shopping carts, so we find ourselves at the suburban-like grocery store stocking up.   It’s not that we have fallen out of love with our vegetable CSA box, but we need greens and proteins to keep us fueled up on the eternal days of February.

Brats

My husband might as well be from Wisconsin because of his love for all bratwurst.  He lovingly recalls his trips to Usinger’s in Milwaukee as a boy.  We recently celebrated the life of his grandmother with a huge bratwurst fest which was delicious, fitting and totally appropriate.  I decided to make use of some of the red cabbage that is clogging up my refrigerator.  I contrived a hot red cabbage slaw which was simply shredded red cabbage, a dash of white balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar cooked down on the stove top over medium heat until tender.  It was an excellent addition to store bought brats on toasted buns.

Baked potato fries were served on the side.  We still have about 20 lbs. of potatoes.  I’m accepting your ideas on how to use them up!

Tarte Tatin

Thank you Tatin sisters for making a mistake and bringing the rest of the world the upside down apple tart.

This is a very simple dessert that looks a lot more complicated that it is.  For a real recipe you can find many which will indicate how to cook the apples and make a crust.  When I don’t have time to make a pie crust, I generally use puff pastry from the frozen foods section.  I actually enjoy the puff pastry crust better that my own for the tarte tatin.

The key is to quarter the apples so they remain large and firm.  In a cast iron skillet or shallow cast iron baking dish that can be used on the stove top.  I have a special tarte tatin pan by Le Creuset that I received as a wedding gift and use all the time for many things in addition to tarte tatin.

I melt 3 tbs. of butter on the stove top together with 1/3 c. sugar until is caramelizes in the pan and turns nice and brown.  I add the peeled apple quarters and let them cook for two – three minutes.  Turn off the  heat, cover the apples with a thawed sheet of puff pastry and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the pastry puffs and is golden brown.

Let cool for a half hour then insert a knife around the exterior to detatch from the sides of pan prior to inverting the tart on a serving dish.  Serve warm a la mode.

Potatoes: I’m running out of ideas.

The good news is that our potato drawer is getting back in check.  The bad news is that I’m starting to feel like a potato and so is Storkbite.  She won’t even eat them anymore, unless of course they contain bacon.

I’m hitting a wall with feeding my toddler.  She needs high fat and high protein foods, and I don’t.  The good news is that she loves eggs.  The bad news is that yogurt is no longer her favorite food group. Yogurt was my easy button.

In keeping with the potato and toddler theme.  Here is what I have come up with to satisfy both:

Jacket Potatoes

There is a lot to love about a twice baked or “jacket potato”.  It’s way better that mashed or baked potatoes because it’s both.  They are simple.

I roasted whole sweet and regular potatoes for about an hour at 400 degrees.  I let them cool, cut their tops off, scoop their innards and throw everything in my KitchenAid mixer.  I mix on low, added 2 tbs. butter, chopped chives, crispy bacon bits and parmesan cheese.  I put that mixture back into the potato shells, sprinkled with bread crumbs and olive oil.  Put them back into a 350 degree oven and let them bake for 15 minutes.

I added some roasted carrots to the side and garnished with sour cream.  Delicious for dinner, even better for lunch!  Storkbite devoured these.  A real hit all around.

Toddler Lunch

I am hoping that any day now my brain will issue forth many fabulous ideas about what to feed my toddler.  Nothing in a box from the store will do.  It’s too expensive and contains too many items I cannot pronounce.  She isn’t eating her green veggies, so I’ve had to get sneaky.  These toddler size omelets were a real hit and so easy.  I made a whole stack of them and kept them on hand for lunches for a week.

It’s simple, saute chopped kale with some olive oil and garlic.  Chop it up again after it’s cooked.  Let it cool, mix in a beaten egg and then spoon a bit of it into a hot oily pan.  1 egg and about  1 cup of cooked kale made approximately six small omelets.

I cut them up in to chunks so she could grab pieces with her fingers. This was brilliant.  I need to make another stack soon with spinach, or carrot, or…

IKEA For Dinner

A trip to IKEA happens once a year and it’s almost always overwhelming.  However, this time I brought home IKEA FOOD in a large bag.  We had the whole experience right at home.  Meatballs and  ligonberries!  This was all just cause to eat more potatoes which in  this case I roasted for about 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

I can’t be expected to be clever every night of the week.

Thanksgiving – Part IV – Phew!

I’m thankful that it’s all over!  Storkbite’s Papa reminded me all day that cooking is my hobby and not his.  However, after all the preparation, the fluffing, the Stork wrangling, and the cooking it was well worth it.  We had a tremendous dinner — so tremendous in fact that we forgot to photograph the sides and desserts which were all extraordinary.

I was unable to get the traditional bird of paradise flowers that have always graced our table in the past so we instead took the last of the mums.  When I got married I had to “merge” relish tray traditions and add green olives and green onions to my already perfect Indian Trail relish, black olives and Helen’s pickles.  It just meant that the tray got bigger and was harder to pass around.

We also have a tradition in my family that the littlest one gets to use her baptism silver cup and spoon at all holiday meals.  I think that my brother and I used ours until we were at least pre-teens but that is neither her nor there.  Storkbite’s juvenile service was quite sweet and made for excellent toys half way through when she was tired of sitting pretty and eating her turkey bird.

The salad is about the only item on the menu that never changes. It is only served on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Grapefruit Salad

• 2 Ruby red grapefruits
• Boston lettuce
• Pomegranate seeds
• Red onion slices
• Shaved fennel
• Poppyseed vinaigrette

Simply lay two nice pieces of lettuce on a chilled plate and layer the remaining ingredients.  Add some fresh poppyseed dressing and that’s it.  It’s so beautiful, festive and oddly 1950s.

The turkey threw me for a loop yesterday.  I thought that I was very late to get it in the oven, but the darn thing cooked so fast that it had to “hold” until all the guests were properly sated on cheeses and prosecco.

I made all the traditional sides including, sweet scalloped yams, pearl onions with their darling little hats, and roasted turnips and carrots with thyme and sea salt.  Storkbite’s uncle brought over delicious collard greens with bacon and mashed potatoes.  The sage dressing from the bird was Storkbite’s favorite and the perfect potato snowflake rolls were mine.

I just wish that I liked my beautiful bird better.  The 14 lb. hen did turn out awful pretty and there is plenty of it left over for some turkey sandwiches today.

The dessert hour was probably the best part.  We had the pies and tarts that I already mentioned in addition to a blackberry pie and apple pie which are the traditional desserts from Storkbite’s other uncle’s girlfriend’s Texas table.  Did you get all that?

And after it was all over, the baby and hosts tried to get a family photo worth a hill o’ beans for our holiday card.  Unfortunately this was the best we could muster after a long hard afternoon of eating and drinking.