A Great Website to Check Out & More

I have several events coming up in the next week.  On Saturday, I will be doing a book signing in Clarinda, Iowa at the "Garrison Coffee House" from noon to 2:00 PM.  The Garrison Coffee House is located at 106 N. 16th St. on the square.  Stop by and check out my GREEN socks for St. Patrick's Day and yes I'm Irish.

On Monday, I will be making "Crab Cakes" on the "Hometown This Morning Show" on KQ2 television.  I'm on between 6:45 and 7:00 AM.  Please watch and let me know how I'm doing.  Thanks.  If you miss it, I will try and get the link on next Tuesday's blog.

My wife sent me a link to a great food blog called Emily Bites.  I  checked it out and she has some great recipes for people watching what they eat.  We have tried several of her "Cupcake" recipes.  They're not your mother's cupcakes.  Two of the recipes we tried were called "Lasagna Cupcakes" and Cheeseburger Cupcakes" and they were very tasty.  She has many recipes that use a muffin tin to hold her cupcake and muffin recipes.  Please check Emily out and let her and me know what you think of her blog site.  Here is the link Emily Bites.  Thanks.

I had a few questions on last week's blogs about "Deep Frying" and will answer them in tomorrows blog.  It has to do with filtering the grease after you are done frying.  Be sure to read it.

My wife is a member of WeightWatchers and I'm sure that is where she got Emily's blog.  She also received an e-mail about a "3, 2, 1 Cake" recipe.  The funny thing was I had already received it from someone else and was going to tell her about it.

Well, we have tried the recipe and it is quick, easy and tasty.  What more could you ask?  To begin with, it is low-cal, it satisfies your snack need and you can mix up the flavors so it's not the same all the time.  It will be on the blog Thursday.

The recipe Friday is for "Flat Bread Pizza (Mexican Style)" and it is easy and quick too.  Please pass my blog link to all your friends and family.  Thanks and have a great week.

Butterfly Coconut Shrimp

Butterfly Coconut Shrimp

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Raw Shrimp, shell-on deveined (16-20 Ct.)

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

4 Whole Fresh Eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut

1 ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Oil for frying (peanut or canola)

Directions:

If frozen, thaw the shrimp in cold running water before removing the shell but leaving the tail-on.  Take a sharp knife and continue the cut down the back of the shrimp till almost through.  This is how you butterfly the shrimp.  Next, combine the flour, salt and pepper in a low sided pan.  Place beaten eggs in a low sided pan and combine the coconut and bread crumbs in another low sided pan.  Line the pans up starting with the flour mixture, than the eggs and finally the coconut mixture.  Have a sheet pan or two ready with wax or parchment paper on them.  Take shrimp holding by the tail, one at a time, and dredge it in the flour.  Shake off excess and dip in the eggs.  Again, shake off excess and layout in the coconut mixture.  Using the other hand, pile some coconut mixture on top of shrimp and press down to help coat the shrimp.  Remove letting excess fall off and place on sheet pan.  The tail will normally stick up.  Repeat the process with remaining shrimp.  You can fry them now or place sheet pan/s in the freezer to freeze.  This allows you to put them in large freezer bags and for later use.  I will do up a large batch so that we have coconut shrimp for several meals.  See dipping sauce recipe below.  Remember to dispose of any leftover flour, egg or coconut mixtures.  Fry in either a deep fryer or a heavy pan with about 2 inches of oil.  It is best to fry at 350 to 375 degrees for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and floating.  I use the higher temp because it will drop as you place the shrimp in the oil.  Don’t over crowd the fryer or pan.

Note:               Dipping sauce for the shrimp use ½ cup Orange Marmalade and

                           ¼ cup Frank’s Sweet Chili Sauce (mild) and combine well.

Note:               You don’t have to butterfly the shrimp.  You can leave them

                           whole or even use a different size.  Just remember to adjust

                           your frying time.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Safety When Deep Frying Food.

Yesterday, I talked a little about how to deep fry foods.  Today, I want to cover safety when deep frying.  But I'm going to start with talking more about the fat/oil and how you can extend it's life.

The fat/oil used in restaurants isn't just used for one day and thrown away.  It will generally last from 4 days to maybe two weeks.  There are several factors that come into play on the life cycle of the fat/oil used.  Some of those factors are quality of product, amount of use, filtering of fat/oil and cleaning of fryer equipment.  At home, the storage of the fat/oil comes into play too.

To start, yes, the quality of the product does play a big role in it's life.  Peanut oil (in my option) is the best type of  oil to use when deep frying.  It costs more to buy but, if properly taken care of during use, costs less to use.  That's because it can last longer than cheaper oils when properly used.  The better quality of products used to start relates to a better quality product to eat when done.  I fully believe this to be true.

So we have started with a quality product (fat/oil), filled the fryer properly, heated the fat/oil to the correct range, cooked the food the appropriate amount of time and now have a quality finished product to eat.

But that was just the first time we used the fat/oil.  What happens next?  When we're all done cooking, turn off the heat source because the longer the fat/oil is heated the shorter the life of the product.

Next, let the fat/oil cool to a temperature between 175 and 225 degrees.  This temperature is still hot and you need to be careful handing the fat/oil.  But to filter the fat/oil, we need some heat but want to make it safer for the individual doing the filtering.  The filtering takes food particles out of the fat/oil and other impurities.  This helps prolong the life too.

Now that the fat/oil has been filtered, we need to store it until the next use.  It is best to store the fat (animal fat) in the refrigerator.  The fat will become solid as it cools (even at room temperature) but will not last as long if left out at room temperature.  The oil was liquid before you used it and will remain that way after you use it.  It can be stored at room temperature (it won't hurt to refrigerate it) and last a long time.

However, with either one, you may want to use it up as you do other cooking.  You don't have to wait to deep fry again to use it.  Now the more you use it the more likely it is to pick up flavors from the food you have been deep frying.  So as it ages, you might not want to use the oil in a cake or something.

How long will it last?  That is a total variable because everyone will use it differently.  The fat/oil will take on a rancid taste as one indicators of it going bad.  The fat/oil will darken.  It will foam more in use or smoke and/or smell when heated.  You can get test strips to dip in the fat/oil that helps indicate the need to stop using this fat/oil.  Restaurant supply businesses would have these test strips.

Because we are dealing with a hot fat/oil there are greater chances for accidents and/or injuries.  You when to be extra careful when working with hot grease.  Burns are a major worry but so to are fires.  Remember to have first aid supplies on hand as well as a fire extinguisher for grease fires.  DO NOT USE WATER TO TRY AND PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE!  Baking Soda or salt will work on a grease fire but DO NOT USE FLOUR OR SUGAR.  There are gloves you can buy that make it safer for the clean up too.

Have fun and enjoy deep frying foods while being safe.  Another DON"T for any of you that "deep fry turkeys."  DON'T DO IT IN A BUILDING OF ANY KIND, OUTSIDE ONLY!!

Butterfly Coconut Shrimp is the recipe tomorrow.  Enjoy, be safe and be healthy!

Deep Frying Food, What You Need To Know.

I think everyone likes "Deep Fried Foods" even if they are not the best for your health.  I'm sure the everyone, too, has a favorite deep fried item.  I know that I have several including this week's recipe for "Butterfly Coconut Shrimp."  Just a reminder (to keep my dietitians happy) that one needs to eat these foods in moderation like everything else in your food (not weight loss) diet.

That being said, let's start with, "what is deep frying?"  Deep frying is one of many different cooking methods for preparing food.  In deep frying, food is submerged in hot animal fat or cooking oil.  The way to do this is by using a deep fryer (home version & best way) or a heavy deep pan (Dutch oven is best) to hold the fat/oil and allow the food to submerge safely.

Animal fat is also known as lard and is not used much any more.  It contains the unhealthy fats that everyone is trying to stay away from these days.  McDonald's use to fry their french fries in animal fat when they first started.  That is what gave them the reputation for the best tasting fries because the animal fat gives such a great flavor to foods.  Today, most people fry foods in Peanut oil or Canola oil for best results.  They have a higher smoking point and give a longer life to the oil.

Home deep fryers allow you to just set the temperature.  However, if you use a Dutch oven or some other heavy pan to heat the fat/oil on the stove a thermometer will be needed.  You want to get one that can be clipped on the side of the pan so you can see the temperature throughout the cooking process.  It will take a little practice to get the temperature setting correct and know ruffly where to set the mark in the future.

To keep the food that is being deep fried from absorbing the fat/oil, it is important to fry at the proper temperature.  That temperature is between 350 to 375 degrees for most foods.  Because the fat/oil temperature will drop (especially with frozen foods) when food is put into the fat/oil, I recommend using 375 degrees as the temperature you heat the fat/oil to before frying any food.  This way the temperature should not fall below the 350 degree mark.

The hone fryers usually have a oil filling mark in them to indicate the minimum and maximum level of oil needed to fry safely.  When using a Dutch oven or other heavy pan, be sure to leave enough room for the oil to expand when food is place in it.  You will also need room of an inch or two above the oil level after the food has been placed in the oil.  This room is to help keep the oil from overflowing the pan and starting a fire or getting someone hurt.  Remember to never overfill a fryer (no matter which type you use) for safety first but also for a quality finished product to eat.

I will continue with more about deep frying tomorrow including safety, filtering and storage.  Remember on Friday I will have the recipe for "Butterfly Coconut Shrimp."  Have a great day!

Another TV Segment & Book Signing.

March is off to a great start as the high temperature today is going to be somewhere in the 70's.  Please continue with the above average weather.

I was on KQ2 again yesterday morning.  I showed how to make a simple bread recipe.  It was "Irish Soda Bread" and just in time for you to make it for St. Patrick's Day.  The recipe was on this blog last Friday.  As soon as  the video is put on their website, I'll put the link on the blog.

I have a big day coming on St. Patrick's Saturday.  I'll be doing a book signing in Clarinda, Iowa at the "Garrison Coffee House" on 16th St.  That's right on the downtown square.  The signing will be from noon to 2:00 PM.  Please stop by and say hello.  You can check out my GREEN socks.  My daughter will be there and she just hates those socks.  This will be the 27th year for them.

The blogs this week are going to talk about deep frying food and safety too.  It's very important to pay attention to what you're doing when working with very hot grease.  Burns are no fun.

The recipe this week comes from our trip to Mexico.  The 8 of us eat lunch one day at the "Shrimp Factory" in Cabo San Lucas.  We had the "Coconut Shrimp" as recommended by someone flying next to my cousin on the flight down.  He said it was the best he ever had in his life.  I'm trying to recreate it and believe it came out quite good.  At least that's my wife's take on it.  The recipe will be on Friday.

Don't forget to "Spring Forward" this Saturday night as you go to bed.  Daylight Savings Time starts and the evening will be lighter longer.  Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

(1 loaf)

Ingredients:

4 cups All Purpose Flour

4 tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tbsp. Baking Powder

½ tsp. Salt

½ cup Butter, melted

1 cup Buttermilk

1 Whole Egg

¼ cup Butter, melted

¼ cup Buttermilk

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Stir in the melted butter, cup of buttermilk and egg until well mixed.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead (see note) slightly.  Form dough into a round loaf and place on greased baking sheet and let rest.  While dough is resting, in a small bowl combine the melted butter with the buttermilk.  Brush the loaf with the mixture and then cut a long X in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.  Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Brush the loaf again with the butter and buttermilk mixture and let cool on a rack.

Note:               Kneading is the process of helping to create gluten or elasticity in

                           the dough.  To knead the dough take one end of the dough and

                           pull it over to the other side of the dough and push down on it.

                           Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat the lifting and pushing

                           down.  Continue this for one turn of the loaf.

Note:               Many traditional “Irish Soda Bread” recipes include raisins.  I

                           don’t like raisins and so I don’t include them.  You can add

                           a cup of raisins to this recipe if you wish.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Slow Cooker Corned Beef Dinner

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner

(6-8 servings)

Ingredients:      

4-5 lb. Corned Beef

1 ½ .lb. Carrots, sliced

2 ½ lb. Red Potatoes, quartered

1 large head Green Cabbage, sliced into wedges

Directions:

In a 6 quart slow cooker, place the rinsed corned beef.  Scatter the carrots and potatoes around the corned beef.  The corned beef usually comes with a spice packet.  Sprinkle the spices over the beef, carrots and potatoes.  Add 2 cups of water to the slow cooker and top everything with the cabbage wedges.  Place the lid on top and set the slow cooker on low heat for 8 hours.  Remove all the vegetables to bowls and cover to keep warm.  Remove the corned beef to the cutting board and cover loosely.  Let the corned beef rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the vegetables.

Note:               Irish Soda Bread goes great with this St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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