Saturday, July 11, 2020

Polly's Gnocchi Cream Soup

One of my favorite menu at  Olive's Garden - just recently is Soup and Salad.  Gnocchi Cream Soup with Chicken is very tasty, but it gives me a slight issue from being lactose intolerant.  Taking a chance with 4 large potatoes pressure cooked a night before, I decided to make the soup myself with lactose free milk.
It turned out quite well.

Mix with flour and egg.
Knead gently to form into ropes.

Set the gnocchi aside to dry.
Pack the rest in a plastic bag with extra 1/4 to 1/2 C flour with the Gnocchi to keep from sticking to each other.  Freeze for next use.
Cook diced celery, onion, carrot, chicken pieces.  Add 1 C of milk.
Before adding the other half cup of milk, mix 1/4 C of flour with some milk form the 1 cup left to make into slur.  Add to the soup. 
Stir to mix well.  Cook about 5 minute stirring constantly over medium low heat.  This will assure the soup will not taste with raw flour.   Slowly add the rest of the milk.
Add gnocchi.  Stir the bottom gently.
After the gnocchi surface, cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Stirring.  Careful not to burn the bottom.
Serve warm. Serve only 'warm' gnocchi soup to young children.  Remind them to be very careful of hot gnocchi that might cause a burn.

Polly's Family Favorite Meatloaf

The McCormick Meat Loaf seasoning mix has been my secret ingredients to make my family's favorite meatloaf.
Ingredients:
1 pkg McCormick Seasoning Mix
2 lb organic ground beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten.
1/2 C Milk
1/2 chopped onions
2 slices soft bread crumbs or 1 C crackers, broken into pieces
Add last: 1/2 C Ketchup, organic, with no heavy corn syrup
Mix all ingredients.
Transfer to loaf pan and shape the meat loaf.
Bake in 375'F oven for 1 hour or until cooked through.
Use turkey baste to remove as much fat in the loaf pan close to 1 hour so the sides of the meatloaf can be browned more.  Dispose of fats in empty milk carton, etc.

Prepare Topping Sauce:
1/2 C Ketchup or Del Monte Chili Sauce
1/4 C Brown Sugar
A couple of dash of Tabasco Sauce
Mix and top the cooked meatloaf and bake 10-15 min longer till it bubbles.




Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Cakey

I found this "Lunch Box Special" recipe card.  It is titled Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 C quick oats - processed in NutriBullet
2-1/4 C Flour unbleached
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Sticks Butter, soft
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1 Cup Semi-Sweet chocolate chip pistoles - chopped
1-1/2 C chopped Walnuts, but I added Pecans instead.

Bake in 350'F.
Result - Cakey cookies.  Not what I like.





Polly's Pocket Apple Pies

Driving back and forth between South Bay and Sacramento can get boring sometimes.  On the way home, I often stop by the horrid drive-thru that seems to have strategically placed itself on highway 680 up hill.  I stop to get either Coffee and French Fries or Soda and French Fries.  The last few time, I tried their Apple pies.  I thought, why not - should be easy to make it myself.  Even though it's for the conveniences, sometimes, they don't have them.  So, here it is.
2 Granny Smith apple diced.
Cooked to soften in 2 TBsp butter and 3 TBsp organic cane sugar, 1/8 tsp salt.
Make the dough: 
Apply egg wash.

Bake till golden.

Candied Pecans

I like pecans for snacking.  And this is just a bit of a change by adding brown sugar to it.
Melt brown sugar over medium low heat. Add a drop of water, if needed.  Add Cayenne Pepper or other goodies to give variety.
Spread pecans on a sheet.
Coat pecans with the melted brown sugar syrup.  Let dry.

Making TSA XIAO Meat - Grilled Pork

I wanted to try making CHAR SIU Bao at home.  But I don't like the CHAR SIU meat they make because of the added food color.  When I found the pork shoulder meat at COSTCO, I thought, I would give it a try. Here is the photo journal of the process.
I marinated the pork shoulder meat in brown sugar, soy sauce, Tonkatsu sauce, wine, and some salt.







Making the TSA XIAO Roux.
Stir fry the vegetables you want to add, if any.  These are chopped onions and bell peppers.
Chopped TSA XIAO meat
Combine Soy Sauce and Chinese Five Spices, salt, and  black pepper.
Potato starch roux.
Bring the mix to boil.
Add the potato starch roux.  Stir to cook until it becomes thick.
It is ready when roux turns transparent.
Add roux to meat and vegetable.  Combine and let cool.  It is now ready to fill the BAO dough.