The Organized Kitchen: Mise en Place Pantry redo

 Okay, I love organization. I love being able to find what I want when I'm looking for it. I hate the feeling of being surrounded by chaos. Mise En Place is a French culinary term for everything being in its place. 

Some or most of you have probably heard of master organizers like The Home Edit and Marie Kondo (the Konmari method), some may have even heard of the Clutterbug method. I love them all. At some point down the road, we will explore all of these types and more. 

Today, I am going to tell you about my pantry mess.

First, if you follow Clutterbug, I am very much a micro-organizer known as a Cricket with some Ladybug tendencies. I prefer things out of sight and well organized, but if things are needed to be out, I prefer it to be visual. Why is this important to know? My current pantry situation drives me nuts!  It's chaotic, messy, I have to move things all the time to reach what I need. It drives me crazy!

Recently, I had decided I needed to buy a new freestanding pantry cabinet to fix my organization. My apartment does not have a lot of kitchen storage, so I have had to be creative.  I have had issues finding what I need easily in my current set up. This not only leads to chaos but can lead to waste if you don't know what's in your pantry and things go bad or don't get used. 

I really wanted as much out of sight as possible for a couple reasons. 1. It looks tidier and is less chaotic looking. 2. I have cats, and 3. It's just the way I prefer to organize. 

One day, I was looking around my apartment and looking at what I had. Did I have enough to rearrange my pantry situation without buying a whole new cabinet. It's more economical and sustainable to use what I already have available. I thought I could make it work so I started rearranging. 

My big swaps were with my baking items which were shelved on the island and my pantry items which were on a large 8 cube storage organizer with baskets and open shelving. I got to work and was able to get all of my pantry items on the island. 

This island stays pushed against the wall until I need something, so it is hidden but much more organized. 

I then took the storage organizer and made that into my cleaning and miscellaneous storage area. It holds extra coffee mugs, wine and wine glasses, glass storage and plastic storage containers, and some cleaning supplies. These are all organized in baskets. 

The wire rack was left alone because I had recently re-organized it. The only thing I changed was adding cookie cutters and muffin cups to the glass container on the top rack that was empty. This is multipurpose for decor and for use.  My canned goods were recently added to turntables on the 2nd rack so I can see what all I had better. These are now categorized and spread across three turntables instead of all stacked on one. The bottom shelf still holds miscellaneous small appliances. 

I did buy secondhand a secretary desk that I can use as a baking supply station. I love it and it keeps things organized and hidden. I also have put my flour, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda into large glass jars. I already had butterscotch chips and other chocolate chips in small mason jars. The cabinet holds other baking supplies in the bottom that are used less frequently. 

So, why did I share all of this with you? It's important to know what your organization style is and what works for you and your household. Just because something doesn't work doesn't mean it can't work if you just make some adjustments. It's always better to be able to re-use something you already have than to buy something new if this is an option. I'm not saying you can't treat yourself to something new if that works for you. However, if cost or time is an issue, maybe think about what other ways you can rearrange to give yourself a working system. 

My kitchen is still a work in progress, and I know I will make many more changes, but today I am happy with the results of my Mise En Place Pantry Redo. 

The Global Kitchen: South Africa- Bobotie and Sultana Yellow Rice

Bobotie is a classic dish from South Africa. It is pronounced ba-bo-tea. It is a casserole made with ground beef that is curry seasoned and topped with an egg custard. It is rich, savory, spicy, and smells amazing. 

A little history

The roots of Bobotie date back to the 17th century. Dutch traders set up camp in the area now known as Cape Town as a stopping point on their way to and from Indonesia. They brought spices, cooking techniques, and recipes with them. It is thought the original Bobotie recipe came from Indonesia and was adapted to fit the ingredients available in South Africa. 

Today Bobotie is considered by many to be the national dish of South Africa. It has become popular on menus featuring South African cuisine worldwide. 

Bobotie was transported by South African settlers to other parts of Africa and today can be found throughout Botswana, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Interesting fact: this dish is on the everyday menu at the buffet restaurant Boma at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. 

The Recipe

                                      

It is the curry powder and the Bay leaves that really make this dish shine. I used a Garam Masala bought from Burlap and Barrel. 

This dish can be made in many different ways. It can also be made as a one pot dish which is great for fewer dishes, right?

The protein used can be either ground beef or ground lamb whichever you prefer. 

Traditionally the recipe incorporates dried fruit and a fruit jam or chutney. In my version I used Saltanas or Golden Raisins and Apricot Fruit Spread. The dish is not really spicy but has a variety of flavors that add complexity. The dried fruit contrasts with the curry flavor, and in my opinion the Sultanas are great when you get that small bite of raisin. The sweetness really adds something. 

Accompanied Side Dish- Sultana Yellow Rice

South African Sultana Yellow Rice compliments any meal. It gets its vibrant color from Turmeric and curry and its sweetness from the Sultanas aka Golden Raisins. It is traditionally served with Bobotie. It has a wonderful aroma that is not overpowering and compliments meat and beans well. Sultanas are plumper, sweeter, and juicier than regular raisins. It is a seedless white grape variety. 

There are health benefits to using Turmeric as well. It is known for it antioxidants, but also helps fight infections, reduce inflammation, and treat digestive problems. 

The best rice to use is Basmati or Jasmine. I used Jasmine rice. I used olive oil in place of butter. For the curry powder I used the same Garam Masala I used in the Bobotie. I used beef broth instead of chicken. The Sultanas really make this dish shine. Local tip: Harvest Market has Sultana's in their bulk section.

Another tip: this recipe works well in the rice cooker. I did have to cook it a second time on the white rice setting due to all of the ingredients added. You can use regular raisins instead of the Sultana's if you can't find them. However, the dish will be less sweet with the different raisins. 

The Sustainable Kitchen: eco-friendly tips in the kitchen to celebrate Earth Day and beyond

 Being more sustainable in the kitchen is overwhelming I know. I listened to a podcast last year that really made it less overwhelming for me. It stressed how it's impossible to go from nothing to a complete green lifestyle at once. The key is to start with one thing that you can change and go from there. 

In this post I am going to give some options of ways you can go green in the kitchen. I don't want it to be overwhelming so if you decide to make a change...start small. Pick one thing you think you can do. To be honest, I don't do all of these things either. I still am working on small changes as well. 

1. Eat less meat

    This does not mean you have to go vegetarian or vegan. It can be as simple as cutting back on meat one a month or once a week. Incorporate Meatless Mondays into your schedule. It's a great time to experiment with new recipes. 

2. Cut back on paper products

    Again, this does not mean you can no longer use paper products. It could be picking one thing to replace first then add on later. It could be switching to a more sustainable type of paper product like bamboo. You can choose to use dish towels or Swedish dishcloths instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper, use bamboo paper towels. Instead of paper bags try to use reusable bags. 

3. Use less plastic

    This is not recycling that comes later. This is replacing your plastic with other eco-friendly options. You can use reuseable bags instead of plastic bags, replace plastic containers with glass ones, use produce bags, use resuseable water bottles and coffee mugs.

4. Recycle/Reduce/Reuse

    Start a recycling program, find ways to reuse items (ie: glass jars), reduce what you use. Don't buy what you don't need.

5. Waste Food Less

This goes hand in hand with step 4. A good way to do this is to meal plan. Only buy what you need. And leftovers are your friends. If you don't eat all of your meal, don't throw out the leftovers. Either eat the leftovers for lunch, learn to make less, or better yet share a meal.

6. Compost

    There are certain things we don't eat of say veggies and fruits like stems and seeds. There are green and brown materials that can be composted. The ideal compost ratio is 2/3 brown to 1/3 green. You should turn your compost weekly and add water so the contents stay moist.

7. Buy food in bulk

    Not only does this reduce your packaging (plastic/paper), often it is cheaper. The trick...do you have the space to store the bulk items. Don't buy bulk anything that is going to go bad or be wasted. 

8. Shop local

    Shopping local has many benefits. It is cheaper to transport and uses less energy to transport. If you buy local, you are supporting small business owners and not large corporations. This also means a lot more of your items are US made products. Shopping local at farmers markets and greenhouses also means that your produce is fresher, lasts longer, and is better quality.  

9. Buy sustainable products

    When you are in the market for new products think sustainable. How does the item impact the environment, is there a better made product, is there a cheaper alternative, or is there an alternative that I can reuse? Things that are popular are silicone items (like muffin cups, hotpads, baking mats, etc), jars for storage, long lasting items when looking or things like cookware, and buying from companies that are eco-friendly (ie burlap and barrel).

10. Educate yourself

 

    A couple ways to educate yourself is to listen to things like podcasts, listen to experts, and  shop at places that focus on sustainability. A podast/blog I have liked is Brightly Eco.  They cover all types of items that are sustainable and have an online shop, they also cover everything from kitchen to fashion to pet supplies. They have the Good Together podcast that has a lot of good information. 

Another way to educate yourself is to check out a refillery. Springfield IL has a local refillery, The Keep Store, It is a local refillery that is almost zero waste. You can bring your own containers, or they have containers there you can buy, You can also leave a container if you have extras. They have everything from personal care items to kitchen items, kids items, toys, soaps, etc. You can order online for pickup and they have recently started a Terracycle program for drop off recycling for certain items. 

The Family Kitchen: Mom's (Secret) Chocolate Chip Cookies

 My mom made the best cookies. Her sugar cookies and chocolate chip were family favorites. I know everyone says that, but my mom's cookies were amazing! We would have one or the other if not both at almost every family event. Christmas, Easter, etc.

For years, I knew there was something special about them. She had to add something special to make them taste different than every other chocolate chip cookie I had ever had. They were just better. I would make them, and they just were never the same. 

I finally asked her what her recipe for her chocolate chip cookies were and you know what she told me? It's the recipe from the Nestle Toll house bag! I immediately thought of this scene from Friends!

To be honest, I did not believe her! There had to something different because they tasted so much different than when I made them. In all honesty there was not a secret ingredient, but there was a secret tip!

Are you all ready? Big family secret coming here.... you have to cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes. It totally changes the taste! Don't ask me how or why but it does. Once I started doing that...amazing my cookies finally started tasting like the ones mom made!

So if you want the recipe go buy yourself a bag of nestle toll house chocolate chips and its right there!

Just don't forget to cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes!

                                                  

You can make adaptations as you like. My dad loves these cookies with raisins instead of chocolate chips. You can add nuts, a different type of chocolate chip, add dried fruit, etc. For these cookies, I ran out of all-purpose flour, so it is mixed a bit with whole wheat flour and I only had mini chocolate chips so that's what I used. I prefer using dark chocolate chips myself. They still taste pretty good but do have a bit of a different taste than normal. 

                                             

The other thing I would do different is bake them a bit longer. I baked them for 9 minutes but anywhere from 9-11 minutes is good. These turned out very chewy and thin. You have to taste test while baking cookies right? I also used a cookie scoop but some of the cookies were pretty big. To make them last longer I would probably use a smaller cookie scoop, if I had one! These babies have been portioned out and frozen, so I don't eat them all tonight! A great tip for portion control. 

Oh the possiblities: Review of the Ninja Foodi Neverstick Possiblepan

A while back, I was in the market for some new cookware. My dilemma was I don't have a lot of storage space. I definitely did not have room for a whole set of pans. I did some research and stumbled upon the Ninja Foodi Neverstick Possiblepan. I read reviews and did some research and decided to bite the bullet and buy one. I love this pan!

Some basic features of this pan are:

• It does the work of different tools (frypan, sauté pan, skillet, saucier, saucepan, steamer, strainer, spatula, cast iron skillet, roasting pan, and baking dish)
• It is oven safe up to 500 degrees.
• It is dishwasher safe  
• It is all range capable including induction ready
• It has a 10-year guarantee for the never stick technology. It is heated to 30,000 degrees F and is PFOA, cadmium, and lead free. 
• It includes a nylon spatula that is curved on one side for easy to reach on all sides of the pan and the glass lid includes a resting spot for the spatula. 
• The pan has a 4-quart capacity. 

My review:

• Cleaning is so easy! The non-stick is really fantastic! Most everything comes off with just the sprayer. I have not had to do any strong scrubbing to get the pan clean. 
• I've had it for a few months with use a couple times a week at least and it looks brand new still!
• The space it takes up it great considering all it does. 
• I love the straining basket. I can make pasta in this and drain it. Honest review: I have discovered if I cook the pasta in the straining basket the water can overflow. I can cook it in the pan though without breaking spaghetti then pour into the strainer to drain and it does not overflow that way.
• Honestly, I have not tried the using it in the oven, I have a tiny oven and it won't fit with the handle. 
• It is plenty big enough for all of my cooking needs. 

Overall, I am very happy even thrilled with this purchase. It is a bit on the pricey side for one pan but when you look at all of the things you can do with this pan and how great it is I believe it is well worth the price. Especially if you are looking for something that is multipurpose but saves on space. The price point for this pan runs between $100-130 on amazon and is available in the colors of sea salt gray, macaroon blue, smoked paprika, vanilla bean, cherry tart, and olive green. 

There is also a Ninja Foodi Neverstick Possiblepot! I am very excited to try it out and a review will be coming for it as well. It is multipurpose and can be used on stovetop and in oven, much like the possiblepan but the items it replaces are a bit different. 

The Family Kitchen: Mom's Chili recipe

There is nothing like home cooking...especially Mom and Grandma's! I was fortunate to have great examples of ladies that loved to cook for their families, my mom, my Grandma Hazel, and my Grandma Dru. 

    

Stories are told around these recipes and kitchens. It makes life's moments special. I have very fond memories revolving around times spent with family in the kitchen. Making cookies, Grandma cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and Mom's Chili!

I have certain recipes of my mom's and grandma's that I will be attempting to reproduce with my own little spin on occasion. 

Today is one of my favorites of moms to make, her Texas Chili. I have added some things like a can of diced tomatoes and kidney beans, as well as making my own seasoning.

In our family, we traditionally serve this over spaghetti, but instead I am serving this with a cheddar green chili cornbread muffin. I am currently out of spaghetti and already had the cornbread made. Of course, this is always topped with some shredded cheese...in this case, Cheddar.

Some other great things to add to chili are rice, quinoa, crackers, macaroni, sour cream, jalepenos, and peppers.

                                      

What are some of the ways your family eats chili? 

I look forward to sharing some of my family's favorite recipes in the future.  

The Holiday Kitchen: Passover Dinner with friends

Every year my best friend hosts a Passover Dinner as a way for us to celebrate Easter. It has become a beloved tradition and is filled with good friends and great food. Yesterday, I got to help her put together parts of the dinner. We then had a great time as we enjoyed the meal. 

My favorite part of the meal is the Matzah Ball Soup! It is an Ashkenazi Jewish soup dumplings made with a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and oil. The balls are mixed together and formed and cooked in a chicken soup and is a staple during Passover. 

This was found in a region of Central and Eastern Europe with extensive history and cultural significance in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Israel, and the Jewish diaspora. It is a simple recipe if you want to make it from scratch but there are also matzah ball mixes that you can use and this is how we tend to make our matzah ball soup. Matzah is made of unleavened flatbread. Matzah is integral in the Passover festival, where leavened bread is forbidden. This soup is also referred to as Jewish Penicillin. It is comfort food at its best and is great to eat when feeling under the weather. 

                        

Another favorite Passover dish is the Haroset. It is a sweet, dark colored relish made with apples and walnuts and is meant to recall mortar which the Israelites used when enslaved in Egypt. This dish originated in Israel. It's main ingredients are apples, chopped finely, walnuts, crushed, grape juice, honey, and cinnamon. 

The Haroset is part of the seder plate which is used during the seder ceremony. During the seder it is served with matzah crackers and with horseradish. Personally, I love the mix of the horseradish with the haroset. It gives it a lot of flavor but more importantly it is very symbolic of the Israelites life in Egypt and the sweeting of their burden of bitterness and suffering while in slavery. 

                            

The main dish in the Passover meal can be fish, chicken, or beef. Pork and shellfish are forbidden as well as rabbit and certain types of fish without fins or scales We always have brisket. My friend always make it and it is fantastic. She uses a recipe that features both Pomegranate juice and Thyme. The flavor is so good a little sweet and a little salty. The meat is slow roasted. This is not the exact recipe we used but it is a pomegranate brisket with all the same ingredients. 

The side dishes are really up to your own taste. There is a great dish called Tzimmes but I am the only one that likes it so we don't make this one much anymore. It has carrots, sweet potatoes, prunes, orange juice, grape juice, and brown sugar. 

You can use any kind of fruit, and any vegetable (except corn, peas, green beans, dried beans) for your side dishes. We make a couple potato based dishes. One is a mix of potatoes, red onion, carrots, and cabbage. The other is a mix of potatoes, red onion, red pepper flakes, and thyme if you have it. We tend to use red potatoes. You can add any other of the veggies you want unless mentioned in the exepts above. We don't have a recipe for this but you can season however you like.