Hamburger Gravy - But Not Like You Had at School

I never dreamed I'd be blogging about Hamburger Gravy. Shoot, I haven't eaten it since my school days and have never made it! But I was feeling a bit queasy the other day and didn't feel like eating anything except mashed potatoes, which reminded me of being home from school sick as a child and only wanting to eat mashed potatoes.

My mother told me I needed to have some protein along with my mashed potatoes, had only ground beef on hand, first thought shepherd's pie/cottage pie, but the oven was otherwise occupied. So she said she'd make some hamburger gravy. Made me shudder because that was one of the regular items on my elementary school's menu, and it was ...

... ghastly. And gluey and grey and greasy and gross. (Hey, the Five G's of Gastronomy!) Never fear, she said, it won't be like that. And it wasn't. She had a real hit on her hands. Even my dad ate some, all the while reminding her of his loathing of ground beef and making rude remarks about what the dish was called in the army!

Anyway … I thought I'd try, all these years later, to replicate her superior version of the horrid elementary school staple. The first "must" is proper browning. You have to give that ground beef and chopped onion a good 20 minutes in the pan, at least. Before you proceed with the recipe, the beef has to be well browned and starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.

I was rather shocked that Mr Delightful liked it (along with a glass of rather decent pinot noir). If something passes muster with both him and my dad, well, it has to be okay. What is your favorite childhood comfort food (nursery food, for my British readers)? And what was the worst thing on your school's lunch menu?

Hamburger Gravy

(Makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup lower sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water (or milk)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon country Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1 In a large skillet, cook oil, ground beef, chopped onion, salt and pepper, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks and browns. Take your time with the browning, or you'll be sorry! Cook until very well browned and sticking to the bottom of the pan a bit, about 20 minutes. Of course, you don't want to burn it, but that pan bottom should be full of lovely brown bits. 

Note: If you're using a ground beef with enough fat, skip the olive oil. And if there's a lot of fat left after cooking, remove all but two tablespoons of it.

2 Stir in the flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up all those brown bits. Stir in the water, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and marjoram. When it's bubbling and thickening, loosely cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until it is as thick as you like. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over mashed potatoes (though the rudely-named version my dad mentioned was served over toast). 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Hummus-Crusted Chicken - Easy Sheet Pan Dinner

Hummus-crusted chicken came onto my radar when I was trying to think of another easy Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner. Since I had just made a batch of hummus for myself (Mr Delightful doesn't do dips), I thought this chicken would be a good way to use it all up and sneak a little of it to Mr Delightful in a non-dip kind of way!

You can make it with your favorite store-bought hummus, if you have one. I don't, because they're all way too garlicky for me. And, besides, I just like my homemade Hummus better, and it's organic. I have to leave out the garlic altogether these days, but my recipe includes just the right amount of garlic for those who aren't allergic.

I'm going to do one thing differently next time: Don't you think pressing on a sprinkling of sesame seeds for a little crunch would be a nice touch?

I use a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan or an 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan for dinner for two or three, and a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan when it's dinner for one. You just do a few minutes of prep in the morning, put it in the fridge, then pop it in the over when you're ready. The sort of streamlined cooking perfect for a busy day.

If you like this post, please be sure to Pin it and share it on your social media. And I always love your comments! 

Hummus-Crusted Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

(Makes one serving, just multiply for more)

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 6-ounce (170 grams) boneless skinless chicken breast
About 1/8 teaspoon salt
About 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons hummus, depending on the surface area of the chicken
About 1/8 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon or so of sesame seeds
6 ounces (170 grams) cauliflower and broccoli florets
6 ounces (170 grams) orange-flesh sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices

Optional: a little cinnamon-sugar for the sweet potato slices 

1 Use a 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil to oil a quarter sheet pan (foil-lined or not) for one or 1 tablespoon for jelly roll pan for two or half sheet pan for three. Place the chicken breast(s) in the middle of the pan. Season the top side with some of the salt and pepper. Spread the hummus on the top and sides, just a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with paprika and sesame seeds.

2 Spread the cauliflower and broccoli florets on one end of the pan and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil per serving, tossing to coat well; sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Spread the sweet potato slices at the other end of the pan and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil per serving, turning to coat well; if desired, sprinkle the tops with a little cinnamon-sugar.

3 Cover and refrigerate until time to bake. Preheat oven to 400F/205C/Gas6. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

Nonnettes (pronounced no-net) are individual spiced cakes filled with a bit of marmalade, jam or curd. They originated in the Burgundy region of France during the Middle Ages. And to think, I've only just recently heard of them! So of course I had to make some. My starting point was the three versions posted by Phil of the delightful blog As Strong As Soup.

Les Nonnettes are moist and sticky and can be made with different combinations of spices, zests and fillings for variety. I've gone with the classic ginger and orange in this case, but plan to also make them with cardamom. There are no eggs in the recipe. But I might add one next time anyway.

I was going to use homemade marmalade in these, but I discovered the only marmalade left in my jam cupboard was a jar of kumquat marmalade I'd made in April 2014! It looked fine but tasted a bit off, so I used apricot jam instead. I don't think the marmalade would have killed us--at least I hope not, since I tasted it! 

I don't know what nonnettes were baked in back in the Middle Ages, but I used a 12-cup standard muffin tin because heaven knows I'm the last person who needs to be buying another specialty pan! 

As always, I've formulated my recipe to exactly fill that standard pan. If you use a different sort of pan, you will likely come up with a different number of cakes than my own precisely twelve.

Have you ever made, had, or even heard of, nonnettes? Please tell me I've not been alone in my ignorance!

Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

(Makes 12)

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) honey
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) milk
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) water
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter
1 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Finely grated zest of a medium orange
6 teaspoons orange marmalade or a jam
5 tablespoons (1.25 ounces/35 grams) powdered sugar

About 4 teaspoons of juice of the zested orange

1 Butter well a 12-cup standard muffin tin. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat together the brown sugar, honey, water, milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Note: Why such a large saucepan for that small quantity, you might ask. Because then you can add the flour mixture to the pan, instead of the other way around, and just have one messy thing to clean up.

2 In 1.5-quart mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, whisking well to "sift." 

Note: I rarely sift flour anymore. It really only needs aerating, which can be done quite easily with a half minute or so of vigorous whisking.

3 Add the flour mixture to the warm honey mixture and whisk together until combined. Stir in the orange zest. 

4 Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. If the batter feels quite warm, cover* the muffin tin and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

* I love that my muffin tin comes with a cover!

5 With your oiled finger or similar sized object, make a hole in the center of each cup and put in 1/2 teaspoon of marmalade or jam. Bake for about 16 to 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently in the center. Let the cakes cool in the tin for about 5 minutes so you can handle them. They have to be removed individually from the pan, rather than just turning them out, so that the jam doesn't run out. 

Note: I used the handle of a wooden spoon and rubbed olive oil on it about every three cakes. You need to put the jam in shortly after making the hole or it will simply close up. Next time, I'll make the hole about an inch deep and bring the batter back over the hole after it is filled.

6 While still warm, whisk together a simple glaze of sifted powdered sugar and orange juice. Apply the thin glaze to the warm cakes with a pastry brush. Cool completely before storing in an airtight tin. Good served right away, they are said to be even better after being stored in the airtight tin for a day or two and will keep for up to a week. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Ground Beef Chili with Beans - Instant Pot (or Not)

I like all kinds of chili: all meat, all beans, ground turkey, chunks of beef, pork, chicken. But Mr Delightful was in the mood for my Ground Beef Chili with Beans, and I decided to adapt it to the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. And, if you're not using an Instant Pot, you can easily adapt it to slow cooker or stovetop.

If you have an 8-quart Instant Pot, definitely double this recipe. And I think--but can't guarantee--the 6-pot could handle a double batch. 

The first time I made it I used 3 tablespoons of ground dried New Mexico red chiles, and it was a bit hot. I liked it a lot, but Mr Delightful's comment was "It's not painful, but I think you could cut way back on the chile powder."

So next time I made it with just 1 tablespoon, and that was good, too. I think 2 tablespoons would be ideal for me, but the 1-tablespoon batch still had plenty of flavor. Of course, it all depends on how much heat you like and on the chiles. There is so much variation, it's safer to start low and add more later.

I'll make a double batch next time and freeze several meals. And I'll let you know if the 6-quart Instant Pot did indeed handle a double batch. How do you like your chili? Painful or mild?

Don't forget to Pin it and share it!

Ground Beef Chili with Beans

(Makes almost 2 quarts, about 6 servings )

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium (about 8 ounces/227 grams) yellow onion, chopped
1 medium (about 6 ounces/170 grams) green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) 85% lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons ground dried New Mexico red chiles
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 14.5-ounce can organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 1/4 cups (8 ounces/227 grams) dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

3 1/2 cups (28 fluid ounces/828 ml) water

1 Plug in the Instant Pot. Select the Saute program. Leave the indicator on Normal temperature. When the word Hot appears on the display, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the stainless steel cooking pot of the Instant Pot. 

2 Add the oil and chopped onion to the pot, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped green pepper and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks and browns. 

Note: I only cook the onion first like that when I'm chopping the onion and green pepper with a knife--the onion might as well be cooking while I'm chopping the green pepper, right? But when I do my chopping in the food processor, they both go into the pan at the same time and get cooked for 10 minutes.

3 In small bowl, measure out the ground chiles, cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano and thyme. Stir it into the meat mixture and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, deglazing the cooking pot. Stir in the dried beans and water. Press the Cancel key. 

4 Put the lid in place and turn the steam valve to Sealing. Plug in the Instant Pot. Press the Pressure Cook key. Leave the indicator on High Pressure and change the cooking time to 45 minutes. If "Keep Warm" indicator is on, press it to cancel.

5 When the beep sounds, the display will say "OFF." Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally, then do a quick release by turning the steam valve to Venting. Carefully remove the lid. If the beans are not done to your liking, put the lid back on, turn the steam valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for a few additional minutes.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Olive Oil Apple Cake - Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

This Olive Oil Apple Cake pairs soooo beautifully with tea that I chose to include the recipe in this post along with my Rishi Tea & Botanicals review and giveaway. It is an easy cake, but special care must be taken when mixing in the olive oil. Be sure to add it in a slow, steady stream, fully incorporating it as you go. And do use a nice fruity extra virgin olive oil.

As you know, I drink a great deal of tea, so I think it's really important that it be organic. Though I still at times drink black teas that are not, I try to drink mostly organic. Very few places near me carry organic loose leaf black teas, so an online search a few years ago led me to Rishi Tea & Botanicals, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If you prefer tea bags, you'll be glad to know they added tea bags to their line in 2013. Be sure to visit the Rishi Tea FAQ page to learn all about their tea bag materials. I found it fascinating, and I don't even use tea bags! But if I did, these would make the cut with me.

This little pot (13.5 fluid ounces/400 ml) with its stainless steel strainer lid is perfect for those tea drinkers who like to do multiple infusions of the tea leaves.

The tea I'm drinking today is Rishi Tea & Botanicals Organic Earl Grey Supreme, top grades of Yunnan Dian Hong black tea with real first-press bergamot oil from fruit grown in Calabria, Italy. After experimenting with different amounts, times and temperatures, I concluded that for a standard 12-ounce mug (which actually holds 10 ounces of liquid), or a little pot for two standard teacups, I'd go with:

Tea 2 teaspoons/4 grams, Water 10 fluid ounces/296 ml, Temperature 200F/93C, Time 5 minutes. That made a cup of tea with a good balance between the tea and the bergamot. A greater quantity of tea leaves, higher temperature or longer time resulted in a much stronger bergamot flavor, and that might be your preference. You always need to experiment with a new tea to get it exactly right for you, and then just make it that way every time.

I hope you'll try both the tea and the cake and enter the giveaway below. One very happy tea drinker (or tea gifter!) is going to win a $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop. What is your favorite type of tea: loose, bags, black, green, white, matcha, etc? Rishi calls their herbal tisanes "botanical."

If you win the drawing, what kind of teas will you order?

Olive Oil Apple Cake

(Makes one 8.5-inch/10-cup Bundt cake)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces/298 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of one medium orange
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml or 5.625 ounces/160 grams) extra virgin olive oil

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) apples (Pink Lady or Granny Smith are good), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

1 Butter well and flour an 8.5-inch/10-cup Kugelhopf pan (the same one I use for my Babka recipe) or Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Note: I also like to bake it in this 9x4x4-inch Pullman loaf pan, which also holds 10 cups. It is my very favorite bread and loaf cake pan--I have two!

2 In 1.5-quart bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cardamom, mace or nutmeg, and salt. With electric hand mixer on low speed, whisk the dry ingredients together for 1 minute to "sift."

3 In 2.5-quart bowl, combine sugar, eggs, orange zest and extracts. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4 With mixer running on medium speed, gradually pour the olive oil in a thin stream into the egg mixture, so that it is completely incorporated.

5 Remove about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and fold the remainder into the egg mixture. Toss the apples with the 1/4 cup of flour, then fold them and any loose flour into the batter.

6 Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, then drop the pan a few times from a height of just a few inches to settle the batter. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes "the toothpick test." Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and continue cooling on wire rack for 2 hours. Before serving, you might give it a dusting of powdered sugar. And a little whipped cream is never a bad idea!

Tea Making Tips

The mistake many people make with tea is following the old "rule" of one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot. All black teas are not alike. Higher grades of tea generally have larger leaves, so a teaspoon of them will weigh a lot less than a teaspoon of small leaves. Of course, not everyone weighs their tea. What to do?

When making a new tea, I will weigh out 3 grams of tea leaves (and see what that measures) or you can just measure 2 level teaspoons or a gently rounded 1/2 tablespoon per 8 ounces of boiling water (unless a lower temperature is recommended) and steep for 5 minutes. 

Then I taste it and decide whether I should adjust the amount of tea either up or down or adjust the steeping time up or down by a minute. After a time or two, you will have it fine-tuned for that particular tea and can make it just the way you like it every time (without getting the scales out -- I'm not that obsessive!).

It's also helpful to have an electric tea kettle that heats to a variety of temperatures.

Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

Rishi Tea will send winner: $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop.

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents, including Alaska, Hawaii, AA, AP, APO, AS, FM, GU, MH, MP, PW, PR, VI (Sorry, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday May 29.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday May 30. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday June 2, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: Rishi Tea provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean