Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Whipped Cream Substitute


This week has been a hard week in homeschooling, getting my kids to do their work has been insane and so I reverted to bribing their bellies.  Pumpkin Pie to be exact.  It is their favorite and I had a fresh pumpkin strait from our garden ready and waiting to be used.  It was also the most perfect opportunity to post this wonderful Whipped Cream recipe since I have been trying to get it posted for quite a while now.  When opportunity knocks. . .TAKE ADVANTAGE!  With the Holidays right around the corner now is a better time than any to post it, so thank my kids!

Non-Dairy Whipped Cream

1 cup Coconut Cream*
*  *  *  *
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 TBSP White Sugar
1/2 TBSP Vanilla Pudding
1/8 tsp Gelatin

The recipe is best in a stand mixer, but if you only have a hand mixer, that will work too.
 
1) Refrigerate Coconut Cream for a few hours or over night.
2) Chill mixing bowl and beaters in Freezer for about 1 hour.
3) Combine 2nd list of ingredients in a small container.
4) With mixer on "Whip" or "Aerate" whip Coconut Cream until stiff (a couple of minutes is likely sufficient) and then sprinkle 1/2 of the dry mix over it and whip it for about 10 seconds then repeat with the last 1/2.

Makes nearly 2 cups.

*If you do not have coconut cream, use coconut milk following the first instruction leaving the can in the refrigerator over night. After opening the can, separate the thick milk from the thinner liquid.  Use the thick part along with 2 TBSP of the thinner liquid for every 3/4 cup of thick milk.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Pozole


For dinner tonight we are having Pozole. Pozole is a Mexican soup that is usually made to celebrate an important event, like Christmas or New Years. So you are probably wondering what are you celebrating?  AND believe me you're not alone.  My husband, who is Mexican, always wonders that when I make it!  Tonight's celebration- How about getting through this week; it was a LOOOOONG week for me, filled with too many appointments!  This is one of my favorite soups and definitely one of my favorite mexican dishes. It is very easy to make and does not take much time and is also great for a tight budget and definitely a Gluten and Dairy free diet.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! 

Pozole

5 Medium-Large Chicken Thighs (skinned, bones in)
4 Large Dried Ancho Chiles, stem removed and seeds dumped out
3 Large Dried Guajillo Chiles (New Mexico or California Chiles will work if you cannot find Guajillo)
3 Medium-Large Cloves of garlic peeled and minced
*  *  *  *
4 cups of Chicken Broth (1-32 oz box of chicken broth)
3 Tsp Oregano
Salt to Taste
*  *  *  *
2 - 29 oz Cans of White Hominy
1/4 head of Iceburg Lettuce, Chopped in Shreds
1 Small White Onion, Finely Chopped
4-6 Limes, Halved
Additional Oregano for garnishing
Raddishes sliced thinly (optional)

1) Place dried destemmed and seeded chiles in the bottom of a large pot, followed by chicken and minced garlic over the top (so the chicken will hold the chiles down, preventing them from floating).  Fill pot with water so that water covers chicken by 1 inch.  Boil until the chicken is cooked through.
2) Remove chicken from broth and set aside.
3) Remove chiles from broth and then one by one remove the flesh from the skin.  It is easiest if you start at the tip of the chile and slowly pinch it toward the stem opening.  It does not matter how you do it, just that somehow you peel the skin off, or else you soup will be gritty. (If you are not particularly fond of spicy hot foods, you may want to keep the Guajillo flesh separate; blender it with a little broth, and add it to your soup like you will the garnishes.)
4) Boil the broth til there is about 5 cups left and skim off excess fat.
5) Take the chicken off the bones and remove fat deposits while you shred the chicken with your fingers.
6) Take a small amount of the broth from the pot and add the chile flesh to it.  Blender it til smooth.
7) Check that there are no bones stray in the broth, then blender the remaing broth and put the broth, chile mixture, and chicken back in the pot.
8) Add second set of ingredients to the pot, bringto a boil, then decrease heat to medium-lo
9) In a separate pot heat up the White Hominy with about 1 cup of water to prevent burning the hominy at the bottom of the pan.

Serve by first placing  heated hominy in bottom of the bowl, then add a scoop of the Chicken and broth, and finally top with the Lettuce, Onion, Radishes and additional Oregano if you choose.  Squeeze some lime juice over the top and enjoy! There is not a Mexican I know who does not top the soup with all of the fixin's including my kids, but I, however, like it with no more than just oregano and lime.