Mom’s Cornflake Stuffing
I grew up on this stuffing. One year, Mom bought a massive monster of a bird, almost 30 pounds, and stuffed it to the brim with her cornflake stuffing. The roasting pan was not sturdy enough and Mom ended up losing almost half the stuffing to the floor when it collapsed. She didn’t bat an eye. We still had enough stuffing to feed a half dozen people and have leftovers for Thanksgiving sandwiches for a week.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Butter or Fat
2 large Onions, chopped
3 large Carrots, diced
1 large Green Pepper, diced
4 Celery stalks, chopped
2 pieces Wheat Bread
Eggs
4 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt, Pepper, Old Bay Spices
Cornflakes
1. Heat the butter or fat in a large skillet and add your vegetables. Sauté until soft but not too done. In the last minute or so of heating, liberally add salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasonings.
2. In a large bowl, add the corn flakes. Drizzle a little bit of water onto the bread and break it apart with your hands into the corn flakes.
3. Add the vegetables, mixing gently to avoid breaking too many of the corn flakes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is sticky but not soaked, usually 3 or 4 eggs.
5. Bake in a roasting pan or stuff your bird loosely as the stuffing will swell when cooking. You can use the rest around the bird itself in the pan to soak up the juices from the turkey or just bake it in a casserole. If you choose to stuff the bird, make sure the stuffing is cooked to a safe 165 degrees in the center. For optimal safety, bake the stuffing separately.
This stuffing is very versatile because you can add or exchanging just about every vegetable you would like to it. My mom always used Old Bay, but Bell seasoning can be used as well, or even Adobo if you prefer that flavor profile. Go nuts, be creative! This will give you a softer stuffing, which has its advantages. My family’s favorite use for this stuffing is as a base for pan fried Thanksgiving sandwiches, but that’s another recipe!
Basic Crepe Batter – Tips and Tricks to Get the Perfect Crepe Batter Every Time
Berry Stuffed Crepes, photo by Brisbane Falling
As a child I was always barely waiting for my mother to make crepes and eat them filled with home made sour cherry preserves! Back then is when I learned how easy it actually is to make the crepe batter whether you are mixing it by hand or using a food processor or blender. Just follow a few basic guidelines and you’ll always have perfect crepe batter!
Making the crepe batter requires a different technique based on the tools you have at hand to make it. If you have a blender or food processor you can just put all the ingredients together and mix until you get a smooth consistency. If you mix it by hand using a whisk start by beating the eggs then add a bit of flour and milk at a time. Sifting the flour will also help avoiding the flour to clump up but if you don’t have access to a sifter just add the flour one tablespoon at a time and try to spread it all over the batter surface rather than dumping it all in one place. Doing it this way is a bit more tedious but it will ensure that your final batter will be smooth and free of flour clumps.
Consistency wise, I prefer having the batter a bit thicker when using a spreader tool on a heavy cast iron crepe pan or an electric crepe maker, or runny if I use a light pan and spread the batter by tilting the pan. The best consistency is achieved when you poor the batter from a ladle 8 to 10 inches above the batter into the rest of the batter and it forms a continuous stream which does not splash when falling in the rest of the batter. Also you have to keep in mind that if you are refrigerating the batter for a couple hours to leave the flour absorb all the liquid, you will end up with a thicker batter. To compensate for this I usually check the consistency before cooking the crepes and add more milk to achieve the desired consistency.
The basic ingredients and quantities for the basic crepe batter are as follows:
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt to taste
This will create a thicker batter best suited for use with a spreader. Add about 1/2 cup of milk for a thinner batter that will easily spread by tilting the crepe pan.
This batter will work for both sweet and savory crepes but if you want to make just sweet crepes you can add a bit of sugar and vanilla for more flavor!
Bon apetit!
Do you love crepes? So does the author who blogs about them and electric crepe maker machines at http://electric-crepe-maker.com.
How to Make Homemade Yeast Rolls
This is a refrigerator roll recipe that is nice because you can use however much dough you need tonight and keep the rest in the fridge for tomorrow night. Just leave the dough you don’t plan to use in the fridge and shape and rise the rest. You can use this dough for cinnamon rolls also.
Six Tips for Cooking the Perfect Pancakes
Pancakes are the staple of a delicious breakfast and the highlight of a casual brunch. But for many weekend chefs, the first pancake inevitably ends up in the trash can or the belly of the family pet. So what’s the secret to perfect pancakes? How can you master the art of cooking right from the very first pancake? Here are a few of the most frequent pitfalls of the pancake artist:* Leaving lumps in the batter. Although many people feel that good pancake batter should be lumpy and uneven, many chefs actually encourage cooks to completely mix the batter until it’s the consistency of rich cream. This allows the gluten to be released from the flour. For best results, whisk the batter thoroughly for several minutes to allow air into the mixture.
* Cooking right away. It’s hard to wait for breakfast, especially when it’s something as delicious as pancakes. But batter needs some time to set – at least one hour minimum, but three hours is ideal. This allows the starch to grow and expand and air bubbles to release. For lighter, fluffier pancakes, mix your batter and then cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge.
* Using a pan that is not properly seasoned. For best pancake results, start with a flat non-stick frying pan. Season the pan with a bit of vegetable oil first by heating the pan and then roll up some paper towel and carefully rub the oil into every inch of the heated pan. Leave the pan to cool down and then remove the unused oil. While not everyone can devote an entire fry pan just to pancakes, you’ll find the most success if you never wash a seasoned pan. Instead, wipe it down after cooking with a wet cloth.
* Using a pan that is either too cold or too hot. Stove temperatures vary, so there is no “perfect” setting to make pancakes. Ideally, the frying pan should be so hot that it almost smokes. But if it’s giving off plumes of bluish smoke, then it’s too hot and your pancakes will burn. If you’re not sure if your pan is ready for cooking, throw on a few drops of water. If the water instantly evaporates on contact, your pan is too hot. If the water sits for awhile and takes its time to boil, then you need to turn up the temperature a few notches. You’ll know the pan is the right temperature when the water droplets sizzle on contact and then evaporate after a few seconds.
* Pouring too much batter. Most amateur pancake chefs make the crucial mistake of overdoing it on the batter for the first pancake. This usually results in a thick, oily cake that is burned on the outside and raw in the middle. For thin crepe-style pancakes, use just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan by turning the pan in circles. For thicker pancakes, use about half a ladle or about two or three tablespoons.
* Flipping the pancake too soon. Once you’ve poured the batter, let the pancake set for a few seconds, or until small bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges begin to look solid. Then take a spatula and gently jostle the ends of the pancake before shaking the pan to jar the cake loose. Firmly place the spatula under the entire pancake and then flip it in one quick motion. Stack pancakes on top of each other to keep them from cooling down too quickly while you continue cooking.
Follow these tips and your first pancake will wow your guests and loved ones – instead of your dog.
Terry Telford is the publisher of Kingston East News and an avid promoter of Kingston Ontario. He highly recommends the fine dining experience at Bistro Stefan.
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Muffins and Quick Breads
Muffins
Muffins and quick breads are really the same bread baked in different pans. The secret to making a good muffin or quick bread is in the mixing. The batter should be stirred (never beaten) only until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be rough and lumpy, but this is ok. The remaining lumps will dissipate during baking. If the batter is over-stirred or beaten, the muffins will be small with peaked tops. They may have tunnels running through them with a tough, rubbery texture. The texture and flavor both will suffer from improper mixing.
The batter should be placed in the greased pan and baked immediately after mixing. Allowing the batter to stand will result in a loss of leavening and an inferior muffin. If it is necessary to hold the muffins before baking, place them in the refrigerator for up to 20 minutes.
There are two different methods used to make muffins and quick breads: the muffin method and the cake method. The muffin method is easier and produces a coarser, open texture. The cake method produces a finer, more cake like texture. The cake method is normally used for richer muffins containing a larger proportion of sugar and shortening. The two methods follow.
The Muffin Method: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Combine the egg, milk, and melted shortening. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.
The Cake Method: For a more cake-like texture cream the un-melted shortening with the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beat well, then stir in the milk and other wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients, stirring only until all are incorporated.
Orange Tea Muffins
A sweet muffin that uses the cake method to produce a fine textured cake like texture.
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 Tablespoons grated orange zest
½ cup orange juice
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pans. (Makes 12 – 15 muffins.)
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat well. Stir in milk, orange juice, and zest.
Add the flour mixture, stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat.
Fill muffin Tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Cheese Surprise Muffins
This muffin is a savory muffin that uses the muffin method, combining wet and dry ingredients in one easy step. Do not beat.
¾ cup flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated American cheese
½ tablespoon finely chopped green pepper
1 egg
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted shortening
½ teaspoon grated onion
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin pans. (Makes 8 medium sized muffins.)
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the corn meal, cheese and green pepper and mix well.
Combine egg, milk, melted shortening and onion.
Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat.
Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
