Soft, Chewy Ginger Cookies and how to cure a certain type of Nausea

We have an announcement... there's going to be a new addition to the That Means We Get Pie Household.  Our third kid is officially on the way!

He or she will be arriving sometime in March and it's too early at this point to know what the sex of the baby will be, but the preparations have begun.  Time to go to Costco to stock up on the diapers.  Time to prepare the nursery.  Time to dig out the old baby carrier/car seat out of the basement again and to lug the boxes of maternity closes into the bedroom to see if Liz still likes the style.

And speaking of Liz, I feel for her situation right now.  By the 7th week of all her pregnancies, the morning sickness kicks in.  But it's not morning sickness, it's morning, mid-day, afternoon, evening and occasionally midnight sickness.  With the first boy's pregnancy, it lasted about 2 months, but for the second's, it lasted the entire 9 months.  And along with that, her sense of smell has enhanced by ten.  So I have to be REALLY careful about what and when I cook, because just the wrong smell will trigger a race to the bathroom.

Now since she can't have the normal regiment of medications, we have to find new ways to calm her stomach.  One of the more homeopathic methods is to eat ginger.  It has a natural stomach calming agent.  But the problem is that eating it raw is not that appetizing.  And Liz doesn't care for the crystallized ginger, so we must find alternatives.  Ginger ale works well, as long as there's real ginger in it.  A number of the store-bought brands have ginger flavoring, not real ginger, so we need to check the ingredients carefully. 

But I can make these ginger cookies in large batches and they really help her out.  They are moist, not like the crispy gingersnaps.  They are flavorful because of all of the other spices.  And they are encrusted in sugar, so it definitely satisfies the sweet tooth..  I'll add an extra teaspoon or two of ginger to help satiate Liz's stomach.

Now if you're not cooking for a pregnant lady, you can use the recipe below.  They taste wonderful and if you keep then in a airtight bag or container, they'll stay chewy for a week or two. 

Ginger Cookies
Makes about 20

3/4 cup butter flavored shortening, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
Some white sugar for rolling

Dump the shortening and sugar into a mixer and beat until creamy.  Add the egg and molasses into the mixer and mix for another 2-3 minutes.  In a separate bowl, add the flour and all of the spices and stir to combine.  Slowly add those try ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.  Add water to loosen the dough a little.  Then roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls in your hands.  Then take each ball and roll it around in some sugar on a plate until the exterior is coated.

Place them on a ungreased cookie sheet, bake a 350 degrees for 8 minutes, then check, and cook for another 3 minutes.

So make some of these cookies, eat a half a dozen and say it's to help settle your stomach.

No-Bean Chili to warm you up as it cools down

Our neighborhood has an HOA.  It's not huge, just big enough to plan a few community activities and to maintain the parks.  They held a small summer party a few weeks ago with games and events for the kins, but they just announced the next event: a chili cook-off.  ::evil laugh::  They've fallen into my trap....  Seriously, I like entering these competitions.  I've only won one of them, but it's great to see how other people cook, what combinations they use and to see if my recipes can compete.  So it's time to make a big batch and have the family be guinea pigs at this weekend's football gathering. 

By the way, if you're having a large group over to watch a game, this will feed the masses without a problem.  It's filling, it's delicious and it'll sit in their stomachs comfortably.

Now my recipe is missing one traditional ingredient that most people believe should be in chili:  Beans.  Yes, no beans in this one and not at the request of my wife to cut down on the explosive flatulence.  No, I just like it better that way... Why?  Well have you ever had a chili at a restaurant that didn't have beans in it. I'll bet you haven't, because beans serve a great purpose in commercial chilis... filler. Beans are usually cheaper than meat. And we've all grown up with beans in our chili as our parents were stretching it out to feed the masses, so we'll accept beans in the chili without question. 

I don't hate beans, I like adding them to all sorts of items, like burritos, other soups, casseroles and salads.  But if you leave the beans out the chili, they don't dilute the other strong and delicious flavors.  No bean chili allows the sweetness of the tomatoes, the mixture of the different type of meats and all the delicious spices to shine through.  If you really like the taste of the beans, then feel free to add some to this recipe.

You can make a chili as bland or as spicy as you would like.  If you've been reading for a while, you'll know that I'm a heat freak.  But for the sake of all your taste buds, this recipe will be at the base level of spiciness, with very few items that will add any type of burn to your tongue.  How much heat you put in your chili is COMPLETELY up to you.  I've found that there are three different ways to do it in this chili, and it all depends on what would please your palette.  First, you can add a little more cayenne pepper.  This adds pure heat and the flavor is not as potent as the other two options.  Second, you can add additional chipotle peppers and adobo sauce.  Chiptole peppers are ripe jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and then, most often, packed in an adobo sauce.  You can chop up a couple of peppers and add a teaspoon of the sauce, which adds a great smoky taste along with some very potent heat.   Finally, you can add any other hot pepper you like.  You can finely chop some serranos and saute them with the meat for a little spice.  You could also mince up a couple jalapenos and add them in the middle of the process for a burn to help clear out your sinuses.  Or finely chop ONE habenero (using the requisite swim goggles and rubber gloves to protect yourself), add it into the mix, and reach a level of heat that will corrode the lining of your esophagus.

If you have any leftovers, place them in serving size containers and take them to work for the next week.  It will also freeze pretty well.  Fill up a few small airtight plastic bowls and they'll survive in the freezer for up to a month.


No-Bean Chili
Serves 8-12
1 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 more tablespoons oil
1 pound sirloin steak, chopped into small pieces
1 pound ground pork or sausage
1 pound ground beef
2 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons chipotle sauce (adobo sauce)

To add heat - choose one of the following - do NOT do all of the options unless you want to go to the emergency room or spend a very uncomfortable night in the restroom:
1 Alarm -  Add 1-2 extra tablespoons of cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon Mexican hot sauce with the other spices
2 Alarm -  Dice 2 average size serrano peppers and saute with the onions and peppers.  Also add two more chipotle peppers and some of the adobe sauce from the chiptole peppers (to your taste) when all of the ingredients are combined
3 Alarm -  Dice 3 average size jalapeno peppers and add with the tomatoes.
4 Alarm -  Dice 1 habenero pepper and one jalepeno, wearing the proper protection, and then add, seeds and all, with the tomatoes.  And also add some of that adobo sauce as well when everything is combined.  Add enough to your taste, if you have any tastebuds left.

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Dice up the onions and the peppers.  In the bottom of a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and the pepper and saute for about 3 minute until the onions begin to become translucent. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute.  Remove to a bowl for the time being.  Add the additional oil and all of the meat and cook until thoroughly browned.  Pour the onions, peppers and garlic back into the pot and stir to combine.

Drain the excess liquid off of the diced tomatoes, then pour the diced and crushed tomatoes into the pot.  Stir to combine.  Next add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, and salt and combined thoroughly.  While the chili warms, chop the chipotle pepper and add it to the mix along with the chipotle (adobo)sauce.

Continue to cook over medium high heat until it begins to boil.  After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium low and cook over medium-low heat (2 on a scale of 10) for another hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve in a large bowl and garnish with grated cheddar cheese and chopped onions. 

So make a big batch and may you rule your local chili competition with an iron fist!!

Calzones and the giant Stromboli for Sunday Night Football

So you want to do pizza for the next football gathering, but you've done the same old pizza over and over and over again.  You need a change.  Well, don't stick with the flat option, fold it over.  You could make calzones or strombolis.  Fill them full of toppings and fold it over or roll them up. Either way, you can create hand-held pocket of goodness that you can dip into a bowl of marinara while you sit down in front of a good Ute game.

Now you can make them any size you want.  Some people prefer the smaller version of the calzone, maybe only 6 inches long, almost the size of a Hot Pocket... I hear Jim Gaffigan off in the distance... Some like making a gigantic one and cutting into pieces.  Same with the strombolis, some like the short, newspaper-looking rollups, some like one large monstrosity that can be sliced into dippable strips.

No matter what you like, they're as easy to make as any other pizza, they just take a little longer to cook.  And each start out with the same ingredients.  So here's how to make each.

Calzones and Strombolis

Serving sizes listed under each option

1 quart pizza sauce (two batches of my sauce)

Enough dough to make 2 12" pizza crusts (one batch of my dough)

1 1/2 - 2 pounds grated mozzarella
Any toppings you like, but have an amount equivalent to what you would put on two 12" pizzas
2 eggs
1 cup water
Basil, oregano or Italian seasoning for decoration

Prepare the sauce and the dough beforehand.  Also slice all vegetable toppings and brown any meats that may need it, like sausage, hamburger, etc.   Crack the eggs into a glass filled with the cup of water and beat until mixed.  Now to the assembly...

Small Calzones

Makes 6-8 small calzones

Separate the dough into 6-8 pieces and stretch each out until you have 6-7" rounds.  Coat one half of the circle with pizza sauce, keeping the edges (about 1/2 inch) clean so we can pinch it closed later. Add the toppings on top of the sauce.  Feel free to pile them on.  Then add about a cup of cheese over the toppings.  Fold the uncovered side over the covered side, stopping short of the bottom edge by about a quarter inch.  Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge, tucking the top edge under and pinching them together to close the calzone.  Make a few slits on the top of the calzones so the pressure inside of it will vent during cooking.  Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the calzone with the egg wash.  Then sprinkle the Italian spices over the top for decoration.  Place the calzones in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until they turn a golden brown.  Use the leftover sauce for dipping

Large Calzones
Makes 2 large calzones

Separate the dough into two pieces and stretch each out until you have two 12-14" rounds.  Coat one half of the circle with pizza sauce, keeping the edges (about 1/2 inch) clean so we can pinch it closed later. Add the toppings on top of the sauce.  Feel free to pile them on.  Then add about as much cheese as you'd like over the toppings.  Fold the uncovered side over the covered side, stopping short of the bottom edge by about a quarter inch.  Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge, roll the edges up slightly and pinch them together to close the calzone.  Make a few slits on the top of the calzones so the pressure inside of it will vent during cooking.  Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the calzone with the egg wash.  Then sprinkle the Italian spices over the top for decoration.  Place the calzones in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until they turn a golden brown.  Cut it up into sections, strips, or wedges.  Serve with the leftover sauce for dipping.

Small Strombolis

Makes 6-8 small strombolis

Separate the dough into 6-8 balls.  Roll out the dough until you have approximately 6-7 inch squares.  Add sauce to the dough, but leave the outer inch of the crust clean so it can be rolled up later.  Add a layer of toppings, then add a little less than a cup of cheese.  Now to the rolling...  start at one edge and roll to the other.  You can also roll it corner to corner instead or anywhere in between to make them look pretty.  Once rolled, brush with the egg wash and decorate with the Italian seasoning.  Place

Large Strombolis
Makes two gigantic strombolis

Separate the dough into two balls.  Roll out the dough until you have approximately 12-14 inch squares.  Add sauce to the dough, but leave the outer inch of the crust clean so it can be rolled up later.  Add a layer of toppings, then add a little less than a cup of cheese.  Now to the rolling...  Since we're dealing with such a large item, only go from one edge to the other.  Tuck the end under and pinch them closed as well.  Once rolled, place it on a large cookie sheet.  Also, create a small aluminum foil tray around it (to contain spillage just in case it breaks open).  Brush with the egg wash and decorate with the Italian seasoning.  Place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it turns golden brown.  Cut into strips or large pieces and serve with the leftover sauce.

So no matter what option you choose, make a big batch for the football friends and get away from the average pizza.

Buffalo Wontons for an afternoon in front of the big screen

So you need a finger food for the next football party?  Well, what about putting our wonton skills to good use?  We've already made some Cream Cheese Wontons and Crab Rangoons using these little sheets of goodness.  But they don't have to be just a Chinese delicasy. 

Wontons are extremely flexible foodstuffs.  You can use them in any cuisine to create some crunch, but they also make great appetizer mediums. You can stuff them with just about anything.  In this example, we've shredded some chicken, mixed a hot wing mixture, sealed them and then fried them up in hot oil.

You don't have to limit yourself to a Buffalo sauce.  You can replace it with your favorite barbecue sauce, or the chipotle sauce from the adobo chiles, or even a teriyaki glaze.  Just dress up the meat before rolling it up and and provide a comparable dipping sauce and you're ready to go.

Buffalo Wontons
Makes 20-25

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces bleu cheese (optional)
1 package (roughly 20-30) wonton square
Small amount of water in a shallow bowl

Fully cook the chicken breasts.  Once cooled, using two forks, shred the chicken.  Easiest way to do this is to stab one fork into the meat, then pull against the grain of the meat to pull small shreds of chicken off the breast.  Place the shredded chicken into a bowl.  Place the buffalo wing sauce and butter in a small glass and microwave for 25-30 seconds until the butter melts.  Pour the concoction into the chicken and stir until evenly mixed. 

Lay one wonton on the counter.  Place a little less than a tablespoon of filling in the center.  Sprinkle a small amount of bleu cheese on top, if you want.  Wet your finger using the water in the bowl and drag it around the edge of the wonton.  Moistening the edge of the wonton will help seal them.  Fold the wonton into whatever shape you wish (see the options below), making sure that the edges are pressed down to keep them sealed during the frying process.  Place them on a cooling rack and let them sit for 5 minutes.   Fill a saucepan or large sauce pan with enough oil to come 1 1/2 - 2 inches up the sides and heat to 350 degrees.  Fry the wontons in small batches for 3 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Let them cool and drain on the colling rack.  Server with a mixture of 1/4 cup buffalo sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon melted butter.

As for how you fold them, it's up to you.  As I mentioned back in the cream cheese wonton post, there are a number of options...

The easiest way to seal it is to fold it over from the opposite corner, creating a small triangle. Make sure to press down all of the edges to create a nice, tight seal so when they are frying, none of the cream cheese escapes.

Another way to wrap the wontons is into a little log, kind of like a football.  You place the filling the center and the roll it up like a burrito.  Then you pinch the ends together and tuck them under.  Make sure to moisten the exterior of the wonton where the ends tuck under to.  This will ensure that the ends will stay in place and not open up in the oil.

The next way to wrap is to fold them into these little packages.  It's just one more step beyond the triangle.  You bring one opposite corner over to make the triangle shape and press together the outer edges.   Then take the corners on the left and right side and fold them across.  Moisten the wonton where the two sides come together so they will stick together

The final one I'll show you is the flower shape.  These are a little more difficult than the others because you're working with all four sides at the same time.  After you moisten the edges, bring the centers of all four sides of the square up to the top and pinch them together.  Next, pinch the wonton together to seal it down by the cream cheese, not along the wonton edge.  This allows the 'petals' to flare out when you cook them.

Now you can fold them any way you want.  You could envelope fold them.  You can fold all the corners up and crimp them closed so they look like old-time money bags.  You could also roll them like above, but twist close the ends so they look like pieces of salt water taffy.  They all taste the same.

Remember, you don't have to use Buffalo Wing sauce. Any type of sauce will work.  Just swap out the buffalo for barbecue sauce, teriyaki glaze, chipotle sauce, salsa, almost any flavor you love. 

So make a batch of them for the next football party, provide lots of dipping sauce and see how fast they disappear.

Southwest Egg Rolls for tailgating

We're back to football season and this month, we're going to highlight a series of foods perfect for a tailgating session or a Sunday afternoon in front of the NFL Sunday Ticket. 

No salads here.  It's going to be snack food, spicy stuff and hearty meals that are going to sit in your stomach well into overtime.

You know that I love food, but I am in no way a food snob.  I can fully appreciate a specially grilled lamb shank with some overly embellished aoli sauce.  But there's always a place for a crispy fried chicken sandwich drenched in hot wing sauce.  Nothing wrong with going to almost any restaurant out there if you enjoy it.  Sometimes you just feel like going to Chili's or Training Table or even IHOP for some waffles on a Saturday morning.

Along that line, I've eaten at Chili's a couple of times and we've sampled a few of their appetizers.  I really like the Southwest Egg Rolls.  Now they aren't really egg rolls at all.  They're more miniature chimichangas.  They're smaller tortillas filled with chicken,  cheese, beans, corn, and other veggies and deep-fried, so they still fall into Jim Gaffigan's "A tortilla with meat, cheese, and vegetables" mexican food rule.  Pair them with a bowl of salsa and they are the perfect snack food. 

You'll need to prep them a little bit ahead of the party so you can freeze them first.  The frying works better if you freeze them after assembly.  But when you're ready, plop them in the fryer for 5 minutes a piece and they're ready to eat.

Southwest Egg Rolls
Makes 10 egg rolls

2 chicken breasts
1/3 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion
2/3 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1/4 cup canned diced jalapeno
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mexican hot sauce (Tabasco, Cholulu or Tapatio)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mexican blend or monterey jack cheese
12 7-8 inch tortillas

Cook the chicken breast and either chop the breasts into small cubes or shred them with a fork.  In a large skillet or high sided saute pan, saute the red pepper and onion for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the corn, beans and spinach, mixing together until the spinach is warn and thoroughly mixed in, about 4 minutes.  Add the jalapeno, cilantro, spices and the chicken and stir for another three minutes so everything is thoroughly combined and warmed.  Add the cheese and continue to stir until all of the cheese has melted.  Remove from heat. 

Scoop out a couple heaping spoonfuls of the mixture into the center of one tortilla.  Fold in the sides, then roll up the tortilla and sew closed with a toothpick or a spaghetti noodle.  Repeat until the filling is exhausted.  Place in the freezer for at least 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the the freezer and fry in a saucepan of 350 degree oil for 5 minutes.  Place them on a cooling rack for a few minutes, then serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream.

So make a few tonight, sit in front of the tube and eat the entire plate by the end of the first game of the day.