Evaporated vs. Condensed Milk

Okay, I will admit it:  I have a pet peeve with recipes that tell me in no uncertain terms to use either condensed milk or evaporated milk.  Here in Switzerland, there’s only one kind.  Why?  Because there’s only one kind – they are one and the same.  How many think there’s a difference?  A difference so substantial that it has to be explicitely stressed in recipes something to the effect of, “Whatever you do, DON’T substitute X for Y!  It won’t work!”  I’m here to tell you it WILL work, and what the differences are:

Simply put, evaporated milk has gone through a process that removes up to 60% of the water found in the fresh milk.  In other words, it is evaporated… or in other words, condensed.  Condensed milk, on the other hand, has gone through a similar process, but has tons of sugar added.  That’s why it has a long shelf-life.  Tons – that’s why it’s much thicker.  62 calories per tablespoon thicker.  No matter what the USDA or the FDA says, there’s nothing healthy about that.  Period.

The only difference it makes to your recipes is how much additional sugar you’ll have to consciously add to your recipe if you use evaporated milk rather than sweetened condensed milk.  But I’d say that if you have to actually see and handle the amount of sugar you’ll have to compensate for, it will go a long way to helping you reduce calorie intake, sugar intake, and be more aware in general of what you’re feeding your body.

Use whichever you want.  Make your own (there are dozens of recipes online – because I’ve never made it myself I won’t post a recipe that’s not “tried and true”) so that you know exactly how much sugar is in there.  But just don’t get hung up about the terminology – condensed is evaporated is dehydrated.

TomAto, TomAHto.

Copycat Ranch Dressing Dry Mix & Dressing Recipe

For those of you who live in the States, you may be able to go out to the store and buy a large container of this; but if you read the ingredients list, and look up those chemical codes, you might be surprised to find out just how little that concoction resembles anything your grandmother would have recognized as “food.”  I prefer to mix it myself; then at least I know what I’m eating!  If you want to go all natural, grow and dry your spices yourself (here in Switzerland there are no added preservatives to most spices I buy), and try to find powdered milk that is just that – milk that has been dehydrated and pulverized, with no added sugar or chemicals.

I keep a large container of this at hand; it makes a great salad dressing (obviously), but can also be used in Bisquick biscuits, soups, or any meal that wants a quick zing added.  Mix it up and keep it in an air-tight container.  To mix up the dressing, make sure you use a generous-sized bottle as it will thicken, and you will likely need to add additional milk to bring it to the consistency you want.

Ranch Dressing Mix

½ C. powdered milk (unsweetened!)

1 Tbs. dried parsley, crushed

1 tsp. dried dill weed

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried onion flakes

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend at high speed until it forms a consistently smooth, fine powder. Store in an air-tight container.

Ranch Dressing

Combine

1 Tbs. mix

1 C. mayonnaise

1 C. milk; if you want a buttermilk taste, add 1 Tbs. lemon juice to the cup of milk.

Stir well.  It will thicken up because of the powdered milk, so make sure you use a large container or bottle.  If you want a “Lite” dressing,  I assume you’re smart enough to figure out the changes to ingredients on your own… 😉

Otherwise use 1 Tbs. in any recipe calling for an envelope of ranch dressing mix.

Coconut Macaroons with Cranberries

These are my husband’s favourite winter cookies, and he’s not a big sweets-eater so that means something!  I make these with slightly less sugar, but adjust it according to your own tastes.  The cranberries add a lovely tart counter-taste to the coconut.

4 egg whites

1+ 1/2 C. sugar

4 C. flaked coconut

1 C. finely chopped dried cranberries

More sugar for rolling

Beat the eggs until they form soft peaks when you lift the beater. You should save the egg yolk for later use.  Next add the sugar slowly, beating every time. Then mix in the coconut.  Sprinkle some sugar on your palms. Then take a small piece of dough & roll it into a ball ~ 1″ diameter. Continue doing that until there is no more dough left.  Or, as I do when I want even and neat macaroons, use a small melon baller.  Arrange the balls on the baking sheets. Bake @ 160°C (320°F) ~ 16 – 18 minutes on papered trays until they are light brown. The cookies should be soft on the inside so don’t over–bake them.  Cool on a wire rack.

Southwest Beef Empanada & a Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Photo Credit: Betty Crocker

I’ll be making these once again this week.  This recipe was originally from Betty Crocker; one of my pet peeves is product placement in recipes; this is the 21st century, and bloggers are global which means that many people do not have access to Uncle Doohickey’s Gobbers, and have no idea how much “1 package” is!  When it comes to recipe ingredients, I’m a scratchaholic.  The Bisquick is a clone recipe I’ve already posted, and here you’ll find a good recipe for taco seasoning mix; there are hundreds out there on the web, but this is one I’ve used and like.

SOUTHWEST BEEF EMPANADAS

FILLING:

1  lb. (450 gr.) lean ground beef

1 oz. (30 gr.) taco seasoning mix

2/3  C. water

2-3 small potatoes, finely diced

8 oz. (225 gr.) carrots, finely sliced or diced

1  Tbs. dried minced onion (or 2 Tbs. fresh, finely chopped)

 

DOUGH:

4½  C. Bisquick mix 

1  C. boiling water

 

Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper, or grease with butter or oil of choice.

In a pan, sauté the diced potatoes and carrots in a splash of coconut oil or olive oil a minute, then add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until done; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, the water, & onion. Reduce heat to medium; cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a bowl stir the Bisquick mix and boiling water together until a dough forms. On a surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix, roll the dough in the mix to coat; knead. Divide dough into 6 balls. Pat or roll each ball into 7-inch (18 cm) round. Place on the baking sheet. Spoon about ½ C. beef mixture onto one half of each round. Moisten the edge of each round with water and fold over the beef mixture, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Cut 3 small slits into the top of each crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

 

TACO SEASONING MIX

In a small bowl, combine the following ingredients:

 

¼ tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 Tbs. flour

1 ½ tsp. powdered beef bouillon

½ tsp. sugar

3 tsp. dried chopped onion

2 ½ tsp. salt

4 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

 

Mix well, and store in a sealed jar.  This should be enough for ~25 tacos.

Macadamia-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Macadamia nuts – if you’d like, substitute cashew nuts instead.

This is a recipe I adapted from a fish recipe, as I prefer fish in the water and not on my plate.  It’s delicious, flexible, and doesn’t really take that long to prepare.  It’s one you can get ready the evening before and let it chill until you are ready to cook.

 

1 ½ lbs (675 gr.) chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

S&P t.t.

Flour for dredging

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 Tbs. milk

1 C. macadamia nuts, finely chopped and put into a wide, shallow bowl for coating

3 Tbs. coconut oil

 

Lemon wedges – for garnish

fresh parsley, finely chopped – for garnish

 

Beat the egg whites & milk together in a wide shallow bowl.  Season the chicken strips with S&P.  Dust each piece lightly with flour, then dip into the egg mixture, & roll gently in the finely chopped nuts to coat.  Refrigerate for  30 minutes to an hour (use that time to set the table, make your side dish of rice, etc).

When you’re ready to cook,  heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat & saute the strips for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until crisp & brown.  Garnish with lemon wedges dipped in chopped parsley & serve immediately with hot rice or side dish of your choice.

Homemade Sambal Manis

We love Sambal Manis, but recently the shop we’d found it in went out of business – so I had to make my own.  Sambal Manis is sweeter, milder, and with a sweet-sour taste, compared to Sambal Oelek / Ulek (there are a variety of spellings), which is basically straight chili paste.  I personally have an aversion to handling raw chillies ever since I nearly ended up in hospital to have my eyes flushed, while handling them in a Mexican restaurant I worked at!  So I used the Sambal Oelek as a basis.  I searched online for recipes, and there are quite a few, but none were very specific as far as proportions with prepared Oelek.  I experimented and noted what I did, and came up with a keeper!  It requires a few unusual ingredients, all of which I just happened to have as I do a lot of international cooking.  But if you want to make this yourself, just look for the ingredients in a good international shop, or an Asian supermarket.  It’s well worth it if you like to jazz up your meals with a bit of spicy flavour!

50 gr. Sambal Oelek /Ulek

4 Tbs. coconut sugar or palm sugar

2 tsp. Tamarind paste*

1/2 – 1 tsp. salt

 

Combine well in a non-reactive bowl (glass), making sure the sugar is mixed in well (it tends to be quite compact).  Store in a glass jar in the fridge, and enjoy!  Make sure you wash any utensils, as well as your hands, thoroughly before touching any sensitive body parts such as anywhere near your eyes!

* If you want more sour than sweet, you could add a bit more tamarind paste.

 

Just sayin’…

Schinken-Kaese (Ham & Cheese) Strudel

This recipe is simple, delicious, and prepared quickly.  It’s one of those meals you can throw together in minutes, and perfect for a cool evening.  The cheese you choose will determine the distinctive flavour; I tend to use a sharp cheese, such as Gruyére cheese aged in a cave, or réserve if you can’t get anything more aged.  Cheddar might have too dominant a taste, but to each his or her own!  You can always experiment!

Schinken-Kaese Strudel

1 Phyllo pastry dough, rectangular

2 eggs

200 gr. grated cheese of choice

1 C. cream cheese

150 gr  Ham, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

A sprinkling each of chives, salt and pepper

A bit of cream to brush to dough

Chop the ham & onion finely, then mix the eggs, spices & cheeses into the blend.  Mound along the centre of the phyllo dough leaving the ends and sides free; wrap and press the seam together carefully, then pinch together at the ends.  Flip over, seam-side down, and brush with the cream; take a sharp knife and cut a few slits along the top of the dough to allow steam to escape.  Bake at 200°C ~20-30 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve it alone, or with either a steamed vegetable of choice, or oven fries baked on the same tray as the strudel, surrounding it (bake according to their packaging directions; it may require more or less time than the strudel, so you may need to add one or the other seperately to time it well).

Afghani Mourgh (Afghani Lemon & Garlic Chicken) with Mint Couscous

This is a recipe I made on Sunday, and it was delicious!  This is a great recipe for trying out the Salted Lemons, and it was a success.  If you’re like me and only come up with these glorious cooking schemes a few hours before you need it for dinner, you can skip the overnight marinating, and just get it marinating as soon as you can.  It’s a simple dish, refreshing, and a nice change of pace!

TIP:  If you don’t have any fresh mint on hand, take a bag or two of peppermint tea (after all, it’s dried mint in a bag!), tear them open and pour them in.  I used both fresh mint, and 1 bag each (for the meat, and the couscous) for the meal.

Serve this with fresh plain yogurt, and hot peppermint tea.

Afghani Mourgh (Afghani Lemon & Garlic Chicken)

2 lg Cloves garlic

1 Tbs. finely chopped Salted Lemons (OR:  ½ tsp. Salt plus Juice & pulp of 1 large fresh lemon, 3 to 4 Tbs.)

2 C. Plain, whole-milk yogurt

black pepper (amount to taste)

2 lg Whole chicken breasts, about 2 pounds (boneless and skinless).  You can either use them whole, or slice them into strips.

a small handful of fresh mint sprigs, washed and finely chopped (leaves and stem)

1/2 an onion, finely diced

 

Chop up the salted lemons into half-pea-sized bits.  Any juice that comes with it can be poured into the marinating bowl, and add a bit more from the preserves jar if needed.  If you haven’t yet made the salted lemons, then simply add the salt and lemon as above.  Finely chop a couple cloves of garlic, and stir all together.  For a finer mixture, mash them together with the back of a spoon until you have a paste.

Add the plain yogurt & pepper, then the chopped peppermint and onion.

Skin the chicken breasts, remove all visible fat & separate the halves, or slice as you like it.

Turn the meat into the marinade, and stir until well-coated. Cover the bowl tightly & refrigerate. If you thought of it ahead of time, allow it to marinate at least overnight, up to a day & a half. Turn when you think of it.  Otherwise, let it marinade as long as possible.

To cook, remove breasts from marinade & wipe off all but a thin film. Broil or grill about 6 inches from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes a side, or until thoroughly cooked. Meat will brown somewhat but should not char. Once the meat is slightly brown, pour in the marinade and allow it to cook down somewhat.

Serves 2-4

Mint Couscous

2 C. uncooked couscous

1/2 an onion, finely diced

a small handful of fresh mint sprigs and leaves, washed and finely chopped

2 to 2 1/2 C. boiling water

 

In a heat-proof bowl, pour in the uncooked couscous, then stir in the onion and mint; add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour in the boiling water, stir quickly, and cover.  When the liquid is absorbed, fluff the couscous with a fork and test; if it needs more boiling water, or flavouring, adjust accordingly.

Farmer Bread & Butter Pickles

These pickles are one of my favourites, and I made them a fortnight ago.  The recipe comes from the same Kansas-farmer grandmother as “The Best Cookies You’ll Ever Make,” and they are one of my comfort foods.  There are hundreds of “bread and butter” pickle recipes out there in cyberland, so I’ll describe their taste:  Sweet with a savoury aftertaste and sometimes just the opposite (think sweet & sour sauce), perfect for hamburgers, sandwiches, tuna salad or straight-up!  They’re easy to make, and what I love most about them besides their taste is that fact that I know exactly what’s in them – no chemicals I can’t identify, preservatives that I can’t pronounce, or ingredients that are undeclared.

4 large cucumbers, thinly sliced (not too thinly)

2-4 small onions (shallots), thinly sliced

1 sweet red pepper, diced or thinly sliced

2½ C. vinegar

2½ C. sugar

7 tsp. salt

4 tsp. Mustard seeds

½ tsp. Turmeric

Combine all, bring to boil, stirring  & lathing frequently.  Simmer about 20 minutes (depending on how crunchy you want them).  Pack into clean, hot jars, cleaning the rims of the jars off if necessary, and then seal at once. To Seal, screw the lid on tightly, place in a sink ½ full with hot water, and let soak;  the jars will seal themselves with vacuum within a few minutes.

This recipe makes 5 average-sized (pint, or 1/2-litre) jars.

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