Arizona

It’s been a while since we’ve had the time to do our state dinners.  For other Monday Meals, we’ve just been using what we have had in the garden, which includes a multitude of tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, and turnips.  But finally we got to Arizona and we made empanadas.

These are basically little meat pies.  The filling seems to be pretty much identical to what I use when I make chimichangas, only the chimichangas are wrapped in tortillas while the empanadas are wrapped in pie crust.

We liked these little things.  We had about twenty of them, along with lots of sides, and six of us at all but two of the empanadas.  Still, if I’m going to make the filling, I would probably make chimichangas instead because then I wouldn’t have to make the pie crust (I use purchased tortillas) and I don’t have to heat the oven (chimichangas are pan-fried.)

The recipe comes from the Better Homes & Gardens Heritage of America cookbook.

1 cup chopped cooked beef or pork (I used about a pound of ground venison)

1/4 cup chopped green chilies (I used one of those little cans.  I think they are about 6 ounces)

2 Tbsp raisins

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion (I probably had more than that)

1 tsp garlic salt (I substituted about a tsp of minced garlic and a little bit of salt)

1/8 tsp cumin (I had whole cumin instead of ground, so I used more than 1/8 tsp)

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I had red pepper flakes)

Pastry for double crust pie

Milk

Salsa and sour cream

For filling, in a mixing bowl combine the meat, chilies, raisins, onion, garlic salt, cumin, and red pepper.  (I actually cooked all this together for a while after the meat was browned.  I wanted to onions to soften a bit and for all the flavors to combine.)

Roll out pastry and cut into circles with a 3 1/2 inch round cutter.  (This makes small empanadas, so if you want them bigger, use a bigger cutter.)  Place about 1 Tbsp filling on each circle.  Moisten edges with water (I didn’t); fold each circle of dough in half, pressing edges with a fork to seal.  Prick once or twice with fork to allow steam to escape.

Place on baking sheets.  (I didn’t grease the pans, but it probably would be good to do so because the pastry stuck to the pans.)  Brush with milk.  (I did this, but I don’t know why the recipe said to.  Stephan said it was probably to aid in browning, but we think using an egg wash (beaten egg thinned with water) would have worked better.)  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.  If desired, top with salsa and sour cream.

 

 

Alabama

We had been doing our state-themed dinners the second Monday of each month, but this month seemed busy for some reason.  But anyway, we finally got to Alabama!  For this state, I chose a black-eyed pea salad and Sally Lunn bread.

Black-eyed pea salad

Sally Lunn has kind of a cake-like texture, and it’s baked in a tube pan.  I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it, but I really liked it.  There are a ton of Sally Lunn recipes out there, but here is one from Taste of Home.  A quick Google search will bring up about a billion more.

Sally Lunn

The black-eyed pea salad was really good, too.  Here’s the recipe, from Better Homes and Gardens’ Heritage of America cookbook:

Black-eyed pea salad

2 cups cooked black-eyed peas or one 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes (I did not peel them, and I don’t feel there was a need to)

1 cup cooked corn (I used frozen)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I suggest you add to taste)

1/2 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed

1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

(I also used a pinch of salt and 1 1/2 tsp sugar for the dressing)

In large mixing bowl, stir together black-eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, green onion, and jalapeno pepper.  Cover and chill for several hours.

For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine salad oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, mustard, and pepper (and salt and sugar).  Cover and shake well.  Chill dressing for several hours.

Just before serving, shake dressing well; pour dressing over the vegetable mixture.  Toss gently to coat.  If desired, garnish with collard greens.  Makes six servings.

To feed all our hungry people, we also had a broccoli risotto, a root vegetable risotto, and some sauteed beet and collard greens.  It was all delicious!

 

Wyoming

For Wyoming, the Heritage of America cookbook suggested Cowpuncher Stew.  It’s basically just a beef stew (though we used venison), but the additions to the sauce made it much better than I expected.  Coffee, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce made it very rich and tasty.

Here is the recipe (with notes.)

Cowpuncher Stew

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, but in 1-inch cubes (we used venison)

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 1/2 cups strong coffee

2 Tbsp molasses

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I used a little bit more because I love Worcestershire sauce)

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed (We didn’t have just dried oregano, so I used a dried Italian seasonings blend)

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I used maybe a smidge more, but it did not make the stew spicy at all.  If you want spicy, add more than this)

4 carrots, but in 1/2 inch slices (I was woefully short on carrots)

4 small onions, quartered

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up (I made up for the carrots with extra potatoes, and I didn’t peel them)

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (this is for thickening at the end, and we used cornstarch instead of flour)

Coat beef (venison( cubes with a mixture of 3 Tbsp flour and 1/2 tsp salt.  In a Dutch oven brown half of the meat at a time in hot oil.  Return all meat to pan.  Stir in the coffee, molasses, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, red pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cover; simmer 1 1/2 hours or till meat is nearly tender.

Add the carrots, onion, potatoes, and 1 1/2 cups water.  Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes or till vegetables are tender.  Combine the 3 Tbsp flour (cornstarch) and 1/4 cup cold water; stir into the stew mixture.  Cook and stir till mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Makes 6 servings.

 

Alaska

Um… yeah.  We skipped a couple of states.  First, I was all planning to do Wyoming, and then I got to thinking ahead about Alabama.  Stephan said he wanted to wait on Alabama until we had collard greens from the garden to use, so we agreed to skip Alabama and do Alaska next.  And with all that discussion, I forgot about Wyoming.  Fear not, we’ll get back to Wyoming.  Probably next month.

The Alaska recipes mostly required a lot of ingredients that we don’t have or are really expensive — like Alaskan salmon.  Oh, we might be able to get it, but it wouldn’t be fresh and it would be super pricey.  And we don’t have elk or moose or reindeer around here, nor access to the meat.  So we chose something a little easier: Sourdough Pancakes.

To make sourdough pancakes, you have to have sourdough, which you have to start in advance.  So I started Tuesday to work on dinner for Monday.  That was unusual, and honestly kind of a pain.  I was really hoping the pancakes were worth it.

When the evening arrived and our guests were eating, there was some discussion about whether the sourdough was noticeable.  Some said yes, and some said no.  Overall, I decided it wasn’t noticeable enough to make it worth all the work.  But in case you are interested, here is the recipe, which is from the Better Homes & Gardens Heritage of America Cookbook.

Sourdough Starter:

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 F)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar or honey

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water.  Stir in the remaining water, flour, and sugar or honey.  Stir till smooth.  Cover bowl with 100% cotton cheesecloth.  Let stand at room temperature (75 to 85 F) 5 to 10 days or till the mixture has a sour, fermented aroma, stirring 2 or 3 times each day.  Fermentation time depends on the room temperature; a warmer room hastens fermentation.  (Note: we keep our house around 65 or 68 F.  It may have gotten as warm as 72 on a few days, but it mostly was cooler than the recipe suggests.  Still, after five days, the starter did smell sour.)

Sourdough Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups sourdough starter

1 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbps sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

2 Tbsp cooking oil

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl combine starter, egg, and oil.  Add to flour mixture all at once.  Stir mixture just till blended but still slightly lumpy.  (I didn’t see the “still slightly lumpy” part and really tried to get the lumps out.  Perhaps as a result, the batter seemed too thin, so we added another cup of flour.)

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet.  Cook until pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and slightly dry edges.  Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

 

Wisconsin

This past Monday, we featured Wisconsin in our culinary tour of the United States.  I really should have asked my father-in-law for his input since he grew up in Wisconsin, but I ran out of time (and energy and motivation.)  So I consulted the trusty Heritage of America cookbook, which listed Wisconsin Beer Cheese Chowder as an option.  Sure, why not?  So I made it.

It was okay.  I liked the veggies in it, which made it hearty, but the beer flavor was a bit too strong for me.  Now, I like a beer now and then, but maybe not in my soup.  All in all, if I’m going to have a cheese soup, I’ll choose this one, which I made when we featured Vermont.

Still, if you’re interested, here’s the recipe, from the Better Homes and Gardens Heritage of America Cookbook:

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Chowder

1 1/2 cups small broccoli flowerets

3/4 cup shredded carrot

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

3 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened

8 ounces fully cooked Polish sausage, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

3/4 cup beer

In a medium saucepan combine broccoli, carrot, chicken broth, and onion.  Bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or till tender.  Do not drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter.  Stir in flour, dry mustard, and pepper.  Add milk all at once.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 1 minute more.  In a mixing bowl stir about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese; stir till well combined. Stir cream cheese mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Stir sausage, cheese, and beer into thickened mixture.  Cook and stir over low heat till cheese melts and sausage is heated through.  Stir in undrained vegetables; heat through.  Makes 4 servings.

 

 

West Virginia

My goodness, I’ve been tardy in updating you on our adventure.  I was out of town two weekends in a row, so our Monday night meals were more haphazard than usual.  But finally we tackled West Virginia!

And it wasn’t easy, either.  Our trusty Heritage of America cookbook listed only “chutney” as a West Virginian recipe, and offered nothing to serve with the chutney!  A Google search didn’t come up with a lot more.  Finally, though, Chef found out about pepperoni rolls, which apparently are offered at convenience stores all over West Virginia.  Recipes varied, but basically it was to put pepperoni in bread dough and bake.

Well, that part was easy.  I used my favorite pizza dough recipe (see below), divided it into eight equal pieces, and rolled each piece into a rectangle.  I layered the pepperoni on top, and then rolled it up.  That’s all that most recipes said to do, but I also brushed it with an egg wash (beaten egg diluted with water) and sprinkled grated Parmesan cheese on top.  We thought these might be a little dry (we were right) so Chef made a really amazing tomato sauce to go with it.  (He made a ton, and I used it the next night for pizza and the night after that for spaghetti!)

I decided that these are okay for a snack, but it just didn’t seem substantial enough for a meal.  And maybe the sauce should go inside along with the pepperoni.  But then you kind of have a calzone, which is different.  So maybe it’s okay to just make these with the dough and meat and dip them in the sauce.

To make it easier, I’m sure you could use frozen bread dough or canned crescent rolls or something.  In fact, several of the recipes said to do just that, but I wanted to make the dough from scratch.  Here’s the dough recipe I used, from Betty Crocker:

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water in large bowl.  Stir in sugar, salt, oil, and 1 cup of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make a dough that is easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead about 5 minute or until smooth and elastic.  Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until almost double.

(I baked the pepperoni rolls at 375 for about 20 minutes.)

 

Washington

The Heritage of America cookbook listed Marinated Venison Chops and Pumpkin Soup as typical Washington fare.  Thankfully, we have a lot of venison in our freezer right now.  We didn’t have any venison chops (or, as I said a couple of times, “venison pork chops” — duh.)  But the recipe said steaks were an acceptable substitute, so that’s what we did.  Also, Chef pointed out that Washingtonians (?) would probably have mule deer rather than whitetail deer like we do in Indiana, and that since our whitetail deer are pretty much corn-fed, they are already pretty tender and don’t need much marinating.  But I marinated them anyway!

I figured the pumpkin soup would be pretty much like a butternut squash soup that Chef makes often, but this was chunkier and heartier, and I liked it.  Chef had to tweak the recipe quite a bit, though.  The end result was wonderful, though.  That man of mine sure knows how to cook.

Marinated Venison Steaks (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Heritage of America cookbook)

1 pound of venison steaks

1/4 cup choice of vinegar (the recipe called for red wine vinegar, but I had a little apple cider vinegar and a little Balsamic vinegar, so I combined them)

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

dash pepper

Place steaks in a plastic zipper bag or shallow dish.  Combine all other ingredients and pour over steaks.  Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight (ours marinated for more like 20 hours), turning occasionally.

Drain venison.  Broil or grill (we grilled because our oven was full of bread and bread pudding) to desired doneness.  (The recipe states 10 minutes broiling for medium-rare, 12 minutes for medium, and 14 minutes for well-done.)

Pumpkin Soup (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Heritage of America cookbook)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp butter

1 15 oz can chicken broth

1/2 cup finely chopped potato

1/2 cup loose-pack frozen corn

1/4 cup finely shopped red or green sweet pepper

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup half and half

ginger powder, mustard powder, chili powder, cumin, and sugar to taste (Chef added all of this because he felt the soup lacked some serious flavor.)

In large saucepan cook onion in butter until tender but not brown.  Stir in chicken broth, potato, corn, sweet pepper.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir pumpkin, salt, and pepper into broth mixture.  Slowly add half and half, stirring constantly.  Heat through.