Saturday, February 3, 2007
Wonder why I call it that? Because with this recipe you just add 1 more of all of the main ingredients and before you know it, you’ll have a healthy recipe for 1 to 3 people.
Chicken Stew for One
Ingredients:
1 half chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil
1 carrot - cut in large chunks
1/2 stalk of celery - cut in large chunks
1 potato - cut in large chunks
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn
1/2 of a small onion - cut in large chunks
1 1/2 cup water
1 bouillion cube (actually I use Minor's or Penzey's Chicken Base)
1 garlic clove (optional) - minced
salt and pepper
herbs of your choice
Directions:
Cut chicken breast into large cubes. Add oil to dutch oven and brown chicken cubes. Add onions and garlic and continue to brown for several more minutes.
Add remaining ingredients including water. Stir to mix and cover loosely. Cook about 20 - 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Thicken with 1 heaping tablespoon flour and water mixed together. Cook another 5 minutes and serve.
Serves 1. (Just double or triple this recipe to serve more)
Note: You can substitute any vegetables you have. These just happened to be the vegetables I had on hand.
Friday, February 2, 2007
In the fall while on vacation we went to a lovely old mill called Falls Mill in Belvidere, TN. It was originally built as a factory in the early 1800′s for carding cotton and wool and spinning cotton thread. In 1968 it was bought by a Colonel Crum and his wife and they converted it to grain milling. The milling operation continues today and is being run by Jane and John Lovett. The flour and meal products today are ground on 2 sets of grinding mills turned by a 32 feet tall water wheel.
We had a very interesting morning there and were given a tour by John Lovett. The grist mill is also a museum and has equipment that has been used throughout the years. One of the things I got a kick out of was the corn elevator. Corn is carried in the elevator in a metal bucket from the floor bin to the cleaner on the second floor. The corn elevator is in the white columns you see in the picture below. There is also a collection of nineteenth century textile machinery on exhibit with plans underway to restore them which will also be run by the water wheel.
Behind the elevator is a Scouring Mill which is used to remove the dust and polish the grain, it was patented in 1897.
Falls Mills sells their products in the store which include cornmeal, grits, bran and wheat flours and whole grain pancake mix. We brought home several of their products and I have really enjoyed using them. The cornmeal is the best I have ever eaten. The texture is different than commercial products. In the cookbook I bought from them they say it is because stones slice the grains rather than crushing it. The stones processing the grain turn slower and don’t heat up the grains, so the taste doesn’t change and the grains contain more of the fiber, bran and whole grains. Below are some of their products for sale at the store.
Here is a cornbread recipe I tried from their cookbook.
Mom's Cornbread
Yield: 12 Muffins or 1 pan cornbread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 cup white flour
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (can substitute plain yogurt or milk)
Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and just enough buttermilk for a good pouring consistency.
Grease pan and bake in 425 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until brown on top.
Serve with honey and butter.
Elaine Lovett - Fall's Mill Cookbook
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
I’ve been tweaking this recipe for several weeks now. It is a really easy dinner roll recipe especially if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer. From start to finish you can have these rolls on the table in less than 2 1/2 hours with about 15 minutes of kitchen time. This is a very sticky dough so unless you doing what I did in the notes below don’t be concerned, it is supposed to be that way. You can also use all water in this recipe with excellent results.
Batter Dinner Rolls
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 packages dry yeast
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup butter - melted + 3 tablespoons butter for brushing on rolls before baking
Directions:
Pour warm water (110 - 115 degrees) into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Let sit for about 5 minutes to make sure your yeast is working.
Add half the *flour, salt and butter. Add egg, start the mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth.
Add the rest of the flour and mix about 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down batter from sides of bowl, cover bowl with wax paper and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Punch down and let rise a second time until doubled. (You can do only 1 rise if you are short on time.)
Meanwhile, grease 1 1/2 dozen large muffin cups. Stir down batter, scoop with an ice cream scoop into the muffin cups filling 1/2 full. Let rise in warm place until batter reaches tops of muffin cups, 20 to 30 minutes.
Brush with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until brown in oven at 325 degrees. Remove from pan and serve.
Note: The rolls as pictured had an additional 1/2 cup flour so that the dough wasn't as soft. To make cloverleaf rolls as shown, roll dough into long roll about 15 inches long and cut into slices 1/4 inch wide. Roll into balls and place 3 balls in each muffin cup.
* Stir the salt into the flour as salt can kill the yeast.
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