Just Lemon Curd (or orange or lime or grapefruit)

My super easy lemon curd 

I used to have a ton of recipes for lemon curd.  Double boilers and fretting about over cooking or separating.  Those days are long long gone.

Enter my easiest most delicious lemon curd ever.  Don't blink, this is the easiest lemon curd you will ever, ever, make.

When it's chilled, fill tart shells, put it in crepes, cakes, on toast!  Spread it on crumpets, scones or biscuits.  Use it anywhere you'd use jam or jelly.  Leave it covered in the fridge and eat it with your finger.

In a medium saucepan, combine:

1 egg plus 2 whites.  (I break 3 eggs into the pan and carefully remove 2 yolks but do it however you get there!)
3/4 + 2 teaspoons cup sugar (yes, I'm this persnickety)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2/3 cup lemon juice (I cheat and use half fresh and half jarred!)
1 Tablespoon butter
pinch of salt

Whisk everything except butter and salt in saucepan.

Ok, now put it on medium low heat and stand at the stove with it and whisk it slowly and gently and constantly.   Don't let it boil, obviously, you'll have a disgusting mess.  If you think it's getting too hot, slide it off heat for a moment, keep whisking then slide it back onto the heat. I dare you to tell me you don't have 6 spare minutes to make the best lemon curd, E.V.E.R.

Cook it until it's thick and beautiful and the consistency of thick moisturizer!  It should leave a line on the back of a wooden spoon.  I use the "can I see the whisk marks on the bottom of the pan" test, that's when I take it off heat.

Add the salt and butter off heat.

Strain the mixture into a beautiful glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, right down on the surface of the curd or a yukky skin will form and you'll lose some of it, we cannot have THAT!

Push it to the back of the counter for a while then put it in the fridge to chill and thicken and set up.

I wasn't going to share my recipe but guilt got the better of me. 

I did a youtube video of the process...  go take a look, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvD-bsU0BQQ

You need Hollandaise right NOW, this is how you can get it.....

This is a quickie, driveby recipe.  I have a video on youtube with the recipes as well, the link is below. 

While I have you, here's the hollandaise I make:

  

TRACY'S QUICK CHEATERS HOLLANDAISE

Make it with a stick blender

In a narrow jar

2 egg yolk

2 tsp each of water and lemon juice

pinch of salt, pinch of cayenne

In a 2 cup measure, microwave till boiling

1/2 cup unsalted butter (I measure 120 gm)

*IF you use salted butter, omit the salt in the egg.

Blend the egg and water/lemon then slowly drizzle the boiling butter in while you blend the whole time. 

It's thick and creamy and delicious. It keeps in the fridge for a long time, I scoop some out and put in a hot jar to reheat as required

Enjoy!! 

Here's the video! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPxBoun5zak&t=13s

thanks for watching, enjoy! 

Pinto Beans in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, easy, no soaking... OH and they're yummy!

I make pinto beans in my pressure cooker, today in the instant pot.  I never plan ahead well enough to soak and boil and season and cook... I'm a dump and run kind of gal and this recipe is the perfect side for those us who plan badly.

TRACY'S PRESSURE COOKER PINTO BEANS

RECIPE

1 LB bag of pinto beans
1 onion (plus garlic if you're so inclined)
1 can tomato with chili, I use Hatch but Rotel is the name brand
fat of some sort
water
salt pepper

***you can add whatever you like!  chilies, green roasted or red, garlic, celery (? some people do) you can add peppers, roasted or not, the list of possibilities is endless!

Drop fat in hot pressure cooker.  Fry the onion till it's tender and a little coloured.  Add the can of chili and tomato and water to come to 2 cups measure.  Add the beans and dpressure cook on high for 48 minutes.  Natural or quick (gentle) release and you're done!

METHOD and PLAY by PLAY pics

turn pressure cooker to saute and when it's hot, add some fat and the chopped onion

   

Add water to just shy of the 2 cup mark, add the can of tomato with chili, the liquid should come to the 2 cup mark.  Add the picked beans

   

Stir it all up, set the pressure to high and time 48 minutes.  It won't take too long to come to pressure because the pot was hot.  You can either quick release or just leave it, I tend to forget about it and just leave it,  open and look how beautifully cooked they are!  perfect, not mushy but cooked through, yeah, they are yummy.  THIS is when you salt and pepper and serve up.

   

  

Try these beans, they're easy, delicious and you don't have to plan ahead.  

I hope you made these and enjoy them. 

/enjoy

InstantPot Fried Rice, yeah, you sure can fry rice in a pressure cooker without having any old rice ready to go...

So, I'm back on a pressure cooker kick and after my week of nothing but pad thai noodles I thought, hey, I've never shared my fried rice in the electric pressure cooker.

No, you don't have to wait to have old rice, just make this, it's quick, easy and absolutely delicious. It's infinitely customizable so add what you like!! it freezes beautifully, if you can get any to save, so make a ton... healthy and yummy! DO IT!

TRACY'S PRESSURE COOKER FRIED RICE

IN THE INSTANT POT

This is another one of those more of a method than a recipe, add what you like, remove what you don't, but try it, you're gonna love it RECIPE: 10 oz (weighed!) each of water and rice 1/2 lb ground or sliced meat, pork or chicken or whatever you like 1/2 cut up onion sliced up green onion (the white parts) garlic/ginger paste or fresh chopped some chopped up carrot, celery, cabbage, bean sprouts, peas, corn if you like, whatever you have that you like, chop about a handful of each and have it ready when you start 2 eggs oil light soy sauce oyster sauce sesame oil hot chili oil (optional) green onions
METHOD
Fry the veggies in some oil with whatever protein you like, I used 1/2 lb ground pork Add the rice and fry it for a few minutes add the soy, oyster sauce and water, stir to combine Lock and load, high pressure, 3 minutes, let rest for 10 Add peas and bean sprouts if you're using them. Stir well. Push rice to one side, set to saute and when it's hot, add a little oil and the eggs to one side of the pan, scramble and cook them then mix in with the rice. Add a little sesame oil and green onions and serve and eat eat eat

Here is the link to the video on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPWmckwtiMw

I hope you like the rice, let me know how to shush it up for your family!?

/enjoy

So I made Pad Thai in my Instant Pot Pressure cooker and you need to do it too

I made Pad Thai, well my version of it, be nice, it's just dinner.  I made it in my pressure cooker because I can and because I wanted to see how the noodles would work without soaking at all.  Spoiler alert, they work beautifully.

Ok, here's the quickie, it's a method rather than recipe, there's a video link below to my youtube so you can see what I did.

TRACY'S PRESSURE COOKER INSTANT POT PAD THAI

RECIPE

some oil in bottom
ground pork or chicken or pieces of chicken or beef or whatever protein floats your boat
(in the video link below, I used .75/lb of ground pork, with chicken, I use a HUGE chicken breast and slice it thinly)
sliced onion
crushed garlic
garlic/ginger paste (optional)
pad thai paste
light soy
chili oil (optional)
thinly sliced veggies, anything works, carrots, cabbage
rice noodles
green onion
bean sprouts (I use canned and use half a can in this video)
water

METHOD

partially brown the meat in the oil,
add the veggies and garlic and onion and carrots and whatever other veggie you like
add pad thai sauce/paste, soy and chili oil if you like
add 1 1/2 cups water
lay half packet of rice noodles on top

lock and load, 3 minutes high pressure, release immediately
stir the noodled into the meat and veggies
stir, add bean sprouts, green onion, stir and close lid, tightly, and just leave it on warm for TEN minutes

stir, add peanuts, the greens of onions and eat!!  squirt with lime!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xkR_nxt614

It's quick, it's easy because it's in one pot, it's all good, it's absolutely one of my 'go to' recipes and I hope you like it as much as we do.  I also like that it's infinitely customizable, add what you like, make it vegetarian, use leftover veggies (put them in for the ten minute rest, not the pressure cook) use all the meats, add shrimp, add scrambled egg...  just do it :D

I hope you enjoy,

/tracy

My easiest ever (enriched) cream scrambled eggs

I don't like to post silly small things I cook BUT a friend asked, so here it is.  My eggs. This pic is the eggs with a little hollandaise drizzled on, seriously, c'mon,

I like to bake eggs, I put some cream in a shallow small dish and crack a couple of eggs on/in the cream, I add salt and pepper and bake in a 450 oven for 12 minutes, for me it results in a set white and creamy yolk and of course, the warm cream all around.  I wondered, a few years ago, if I could do the same with scrambled eggs and if I could do it on the stove, just for me. I learned I can and I do and I did... here ya go, you're going to thank me later.

TRACY'S EASY CREAM SCRAMBLED EGGS

2-3 TB heavy cream
2 eggs
salt, pepper
butter
toast, you MUST have hot buttered toast.

Ok, here's the youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVQlSxk_l9Q

Here's some pics, c'mon, eggs, cream and butter? 

  

go

do it

/enjoy

DRIVEBY Method recipe for the best crispy chicken thighs you'll eat

This is one of those quickie drive by method rather than recipe posts. This doesn't need amounts, it's a how to cook it, measurements aren't required.  Cook what you have, only a few? cook them in a smaller pan.  Got a ton to feed, use a gigantic pan.  I'm all about the easy way out here.

 My local grocery store has chicken thighs on sale frequently.  The bone in, skin on, chicken thighs are the tastiest bit of the chicken, the most tender and has the worst PR.  You can't overcook it, it is delicious, juicy and if you aren't a fan, try it again.

DRIVE BY RECIPE; TRACY'S DELICIOUS CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS (oven method)

INGREDIENTS and METHOD

chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
salt, pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Trim excess fat and skin from the thighs but leave enough skin to  cover and protect the meat.
Season both sides with salt and pepper
Place in a lightly oiled pan so they fit closely together.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 1 hr and 30 mins. 
YES, and hour and a half, do it.

Don't open the door, mess with the chicken, nothing, just wait then eat.  The skin is shatteringly crisp, potato chip crisp, peel it and eat it.  The meat is tender, soft, juicy, succulent and all those great words you use to describe chicken.

I did a youtube video of the process, I am slowly trying to get my youtube channel organized to be a direct link from here, we'll see how I manage it... In the mean time, just go make this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUHud9CUVzY


/enjoy

This is the recipe and method for my giant round Boule, the one I take to all the functions, I'll add pics and a video but this is the recipe and method to get you started

This is a quickie howto, I'll do a video and play by play pics in the week BUT I'm occupied for a couple of days and want to get at the measurements and method up for those of you who will do it without the play by plays. 

TRACY'S SINGLE BOULE

In a kitchenaid mixer or something with a dough hook, dump the following, yeah, just dump it in.  I make this bread weekly so, it works. 

600 grams of all purpose flour. (can you use bread flour? sure, but it's more expensive and I don't see any reason to bother)
Heaping tsp of salt 
2 1/2 tsp yeast. (I heap it a little probably)
about 2TB Olive oil (more if you want)
2cups water, slightly warm, pour it in all at once
 
Mix with dough hook till it clears the side of the bowl and is shiny, it takes a while, grab a coffee or a glass of wine and stand there, watching it 


with WET hands, shape the very soft, very loose dough into a ball, quickly, drop it back into the bowl, cover with plastic
Leave to double+, it takes about an hour, maybe

Gently tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, form it into a ball without squashing all the air out of it, smooth the top and place it, seam side down in a parchment lined bowl. 

NO need to flour the parchment, nothing sticks. 

Cover it with plastic loosely, I put it in a dry cleaner bag, leave it to dome generously or double in size. 

PUT a 6qt lidded dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450, at least 45 mins.

Slash the top of the boule with a serrated knife if you feel chefy

Carefully transfer the boule, in the parchment, (lift the corners) into the dutch oven.

Cover and bake 20 mins, remove the lid and bake another 10

Remove the boule to a rack, cool, eat!!!!!!!!!!! 

My Mincemeat Ring (also the link to the mince tarts video) ... easy to make, delicious, lovely at Christmas or anytime

This is the recipe and video for my Mince Ring, basically, like the mince tarts video, it's just me talking incessantly because I don't have the ability to edit hahahahaha

My Mince Ring 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plTi9T-_B54&t=25s

DRY

2 cups a/p
2 T sugar
3 tsp baking powder
salt
SIFT into a bowl then dump (don't Mix the liquids together)

WET
2/3c milk
1/3c plain oil

Mix with a fork till it's a shaggy dough, then knead, roll out between sheets of parchment paper, spread with mince, roll like a log, transfer to parchment lined pan form into a ring. Cut slits. 

BAKE at preheated 425 for 20 ish?

Ice while HOT with 1/2 cup icing sugar plus enough lemon or orange juice to make a thick but runny icing.

Leave as long as you possibly can before you devour it. OR slather each piece in brandy butter, that's what I'm going to do on the video, which is being done now...

MINCE TARTS

Method video, no recipe here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_KPDS_RZYc&t=75s

YOU must make Brandy Butter to go with: 

BRANDY BUTTER

100 gm softened butter, whipped like crazy

250 gm icing sugar, whipped like crazy into the butter

up to 3 TB Brandy, any more and the mix will curdle then where will you be???  

Keep it at room temperature to serve, covered, chill to hold but bring it back to room temp to eat on anything, everything. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support during 2017, it's been a rough year and I haven't done as much as I'd like.. keep watching this space, I'm going to own 2018 

xoxoxo 

Tracy

My soft boiled eggs, doesn't make sense but it's super easy and always perfect

So, let's be clear, I didn't invent this method, I found it in some ancient cookbook that I had when I was living in Canada, 25? years ago? I love discovering odd ways to cook then doing it and finding it works beautifully.  This is one of those methods.

There's a hundred thousand ways to make soft boiled eggs, in the oven, pressure cooker, toaster oven, microwave and on the stove in lots of water, no water and just a little water.  I'm on team 1/2 inch.  I've been doing soft boiled eggs this way for as long as I can remember, in two different countries, actually three because I made them like this when I lived in England.

This isn't a recipe, it's a method.  Don't blink seriously it's that fast.

Put 1/2 inch of water in any pan you own with a lid.
Bring the water to a boil, no, no salt or anything.
Add as many eggs as you want, I usually want one or two.
Put eggs in wildly boiling water, cover, set timer for 6 1/2 minutes, that's six and a half.

Make toast or whatever you want to eat with your eggs.

Remove eggs from water after timer goes off and peel under room temperature water, cool enough so you can handle the eggs.

Place on plate, toast or sandwich or however you're going to eat them.

Devour with greed and love.

Here's the silly video I made to go along :)

  make eggs, they're delicious and perfect every.single.time.

xox

/enjoy

Well, it's NOT food but it's about me and stuff I made that has been published in a magazine, so take a look!

I made a bunch of geometric art quilts because Connor was in England and I had uninterrupted time. He doesn't take up any actual time any more, he's 18 now, but he takes up mental time and when I'm in mom mode, I don't art very well.

He was away for a month and I spent time in the studio (the dining room in my house, one day I'll have a REAL studio but I digress.....) I spent free mental time in the studio but I also needed instant gratification.  I could not face cutting fabric into itty bitty teensie tiny pieces of pieces purely to sew it back together so I played with shape and form and made the whole cloth quilts by adding fabric till they told me they were done.  Sort of like how I cook isn't it?

I spent time sewing and cutting and fusing and playing and lo and behold NOW they're in a magazine with my howto and I am tickled and have to yell it from the rooftops.

As I said, I sew and I do art quilts and cut fabric up and then sew it back together, usually while I wait for food to cook. The difference is that THIS month, MY technique for making geometric art quilts is in a magazine.

So, in the spirit of blatant and insane self promotion... I present to you... ME! HAHAHA

      

Because you WANT to buy the magazine and you can wait, here's the link to the paper edition 

https://www.interweave.com/store/quilting-arts-october-november-2017-print-edition 

IF you can't wait, here's the link to the electronic edition

https://www.interweave.com/store/quilting-arts-october-november-2017-digital-edition

These are (some of) the actual geometric art quilts 

Points, Spin and Corners

      

Then I thought I should make pieces that look like someTHING rather than shapes so this is what I did

Gladiolas and City

  

and Poppies

So, this is some of the work I do in the art quilt world.

I also do scribble quilting and some artjournal artquilts but today, we're just talking about, and I'm celebrating, my geometric art quilts.

Thanks for the time, the read and the great support I get from the foodies and the arties.

I appreciate it every.single.day.

/tracy

Masterbuilt and customer service

**UPDATE**

SO, the smoker is up and running, up and running and smoking beautifully and did I say I am so impressed with Masterbuilt for their ultimate customer service. Thanks Masterbuilt for doing the right thing rather than the "the paperwork says ... " thing.  I'm a customer for life and am still happily recommending everyone else stay a Masterbuilt customer too.  Thanks

*UPDATE* 9/18/17

So, the parts they sent didn't work, neither of them.  Now, Masterbuilt, rather than replacing the unit, are sending me parts, one part at a time and are having me frankenstein an entire new unit, including saving the door? and racks and swapping control panels.

I AM not a mechanic or comfortable rewiring anything.  I am not not not NOT happy.

Time will tell if this turns into a great "in the end they replaced the unit" story OR if we are all jumping ship to a new smoker company.

/tracy


So, let me tell you a little story, about my day. I had a great experience and I'm making you know about it.

Firstly, I am happy to whine, complain and moan with the best of them when I have bad or questionable service. I am also even happier when I do NOT have to do any of that.

I have to tell you all that recently I had an issue with my beloved Masterbuilt electric smoker. (seriously, I love that thing!!!)

(I can't take a pic of mine, it;s well loved and certainly NOT photo ready anymore hahaha)

Anyway,  I contacted the company via twitter and was instantly contacted online then contacted by phone and then they followed up via twitter to be sure I was happy.  Well, I AM happy!

The entire issue has been dealt with quickly, professionally, exceptionally, and it exceeded my expectation.  The customer service rep was delightful and charming on the phone, I tell you, I cannot sing their praises high enough.

It's easy to moan but I sure don't have to here.  If you are in the market for a smoker, seriously look into these Masterbuilt electric smokers.  OH and in the spirit of full disclosure, no, they don't pay me and I do NOT get stuff for promoting, this is all me, all my own gushing just because I'm simply tickled with the company.

I'm working on more recipes for the smoker with other meats and actually some veggies, yeah, so watch this space.  IF you do buy one, be sure to tell them you saw them here, I want them to know how delighted I am with the customer service and overall experience.  I wasn't going to name names but I am, way to shine, Clarence, way to shine.

/tracy

Mini crustless quiche in those little jars, so easy, so handy, so delicious, did i mention so easy?

I like little quiches and I can never ever be bothered to deal with pastry in the morning.  I have been making little mini quiches in little mini muffin tins for about a hundred years.  when I got my pressure cookers a few years ago, I went through a phase of seeing what I could cook in little jars in the pressure cooker.  The list was LONG and basically I haven't had any failures yet.  I started making quiche in these little jars a few years back and never thought they were particularly recipe worthy or video worthy.  A friend asked me if I would please do a recipe and a video so here it is.

You don't need any fancy equipment.  I use these little 4 oz jars but you can use ramekins or whatever little vessels you have  NO need for any high ticket items.  I do own some silicone mini holder things that work fine but I think I actually prefer the little jars for cooking, storing, cleaning and just I may be a card carrying little jar addict.

  

Here's the

TRACY'S MINI CRUST-LESS QUICHE 

IN LITTLE JARS; IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

INGREDIENTS

eggs
milk
salt, pepper, herbs if you like
green onions
any other item you like in a quiche
peppers
onions
garlic
bacon
cheese
cooked vegetables
tomatoes
anything from the garden
anything from the freezer
anything from the pantry

truly, the list is endless, use what you like.

METHOD

Butter jars or ramekins well.  Half fill them loosely with whatever filling you like.  Fill the jars with eggs (one per jar/ramekin) and some milk mixed with salt, pepper and herbs if you like.

Place jars, uncovered, on trivet in pressure cooker over TWO CUPS of water.
LOCK AND LOAD on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes, leave for 3 minutes after timer stops.
Release remaining pressure, remove to rack (with tongs!) and allow to cool before covering and storing.  OR run a knife around the edge, and tip out onto a plate and eat eat eat

Here's the video, these are so easy, seriously, just go make these

PRESSURE COOKER molten chocolate lava cake

   

My Lava Cake recipe; 

Melt:

1 cup of semi sweet chips

1 stick of butter

Combine to smooth and set aside. 

In mixer: 

Whip 3 eggs until very thick and pale. 

Slowly add 

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

Beat until very thick, add chocolate mixture and fold quickly.  Divide between buttered ramekins or small dishes.
PRESSURE COOK, on HIGH
over 2 cups of water and a trivet for TEN minutes, quick release

Increase the time if you're cooking from fridge or from frozen. 

Quick, simple, delicious.  Not too sweet yet desperately chocolatey.

Here's the how to:

/enjoy

FLUFFY pancakes, they're airy delights that don't take too long to make and have maximum pleasure from eating them

THESE are the pancakes you want to make, light, airy, sort of guilt free and totally souffle'y, yeah that's a word, try them, they're different and sometimes, different is good, very good

TRACY'S FLUFFY PUFFY PANCAKES

These are light, fluffy and super easy... a nice change from stodgy american pancakes with all the same flavor and maple syrup carrying capabilities.

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs, separated
3 TBS milk
splash vanilla
4 TBs self raising flour
2 TB sugar

beat yolks with flour, milk and vanilla
beat whites with 2 TB sugar till soft peak

combine bowls :D  then cook on  low heat until cooked through
eat with butter and syrup or honey, also so so so yummy

*I put it on fast during the cooking hahahaha  I'll fix it but for now, this is it

/enjoy!!!