A Flavour of Egypt

...The desert wind that sifts the shifting sand
O'er buried cities and tombs of vanished kings,
Sad with the knowledge of forgotten things
And old with memories none may understand...

Egypt, one of the oldest civilizations in the world! I will never forget the excitement on hearing that Cairo would be my first overseas assignment with the British Diplomatic Service. That was over 20 years ago, but I can still feel the blanket of heat which engulfed me as I stepped off the aircraft, and if I close my eyes I can almost smell the sweet jasmine trees which lined the dusty streets.

A country steeped in history and culture – from the winding warrens of the Khan El-Khalili souk where I would wander for hours haggling over perfume bottles, spices and other treasures – to the wide open expanse of the desert where I would de-stress from the daily noise and traffic by riding on horseback for miles, then take in a spectacular sunset over the pyramids at Giza.


One of my most memorable journeys was driving through the Sinai desert by Landrover on my way to Israel. I was lucky enough to see some usually elusive Bedouin tribes who greeted me with curious, toothless smiles from afar. If ever you question infinity, it must be on such a journey with nothing other than sand stretching before you for hundreds of miles. There was, however, a sensual beauty in the starkness and solitude of the desert. I saw there, that there are many shades of sand – ranging from burning terracotta to liquid gold. Each shade determined by the sun and the moon. How small I felt in such a wondrous world.

...Dead kings knew love and passion ere they slept,
Dead cities once were glad with colour and light.
Dust now, and sand.... The wind passed through the night.
I turned to you and hid my face and wept. [Poem by Teresa Hooley]

Maggie Repp, February 2011


Baid Mutajjan- Fried Hard-boiled Eggs
Often sold in the streets of Egypt!
Peel your hard-boiled eggs and fry in olive oil until golden all around.
Dip eggs in a mixture of:
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Enjoy!

My friend Maggie and I have teamed up with Joan of Foodalogue's Culinary Tour: Egypt. I am not an expert on Egypt, so I have asked Maggie to guest post here on Big Red Kitchen and share a bit about her time in Egypt. What a wonderful tour she had, I can picture, smell, and taste Egypt through Maggie's colorful stories she has shared with me. Thanks for letting us join you on this trip Joan!

Click here for the Egyptian Tour Roundup on Foodalogue.

Robin Sue

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Giant Goetze's Caramel Creams

I like to goof off in the kitchen and make the wacky things I dream up. It probably has to do with my brain never shutting off. I could stare into space for hours, and in that time I have accomplished everything from writing my next post, to what I am going to cook next, including grocery list and the play by play. I can even solve all the world's problems and come up with that snarky answer I should have given that lady that insulted me. No rest in this head of mine.


I have always liked Goetze's with that chewy caramel and the cool creamy center, such a great combination of texture and flavor. For giggles I made these giant, crispy, Caramel Creams. I like the added crunch from the rice cereal.


I made caramel rice crispy treats and pressed it into a 9x13 inch jelly-roll pan that had been lined with buttered parchment paper. Filled it with a double batch of butter cream, let it chill a bit and sliced the roll into 1/2 inch slices.


To wrap like a giant candy, cut the sealed end off cellophane bags, place a giant caramel cream in each and twist both ends shut with a twist tie.


It's huge.


If you must eat one, do it over several days to reduce the risk of a gallbladder attack.

Giant Caramel Creams
For the caramel:
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick butter
14 ounce bag caramels

Over a double-boiler heat milk, butter, and caramels until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in:

6 cups crispy rice cereal

Press into a 9x13 inch jellyroll pan that is lined with buttered parchment paper. Let cool. Meanwhile make the butter cream.

2 boxes powdered sugar
2 sticks butter
2 T. milk
2 t. vanilla

In a large mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar until smooth, slowly add milk and vanilla while mixing. Frosting will be stiff. Pour frosting out onto a long piece of plastic wrap and shape into a long tube by enclosing cream in wrap and rolling out to the length of the caramel crispy mixture. Place "tube" of cream in the center of the crispy mix and remove wrap. Using the parchment paper pull the edges of the rice crispy over the cream and sealing cream in the center. Be sure to pinch the edges together. Wrap the entire roll very tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until it is set. Remove from wrap and using a sharp knife, slice, using a sawing action, into 1/2 inch slices. Wrap each slice and chill or freeze until ready to serve. Makes about 21 slices.

Are they good? Yeah if you like ridiculously sweet, crunchy, chewy, caramel, creamy treats. One would satisfy a few folks.

Robin Sue

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Where Food Meets Fashion: Lasagna Purses

Three things men should know about women...
1) Never try to guess her weight
2) Never try to guess her age
3) and never, ever look in her purse.

If you stick by these rules you may be OK, for a little while anyway. You never know with us. Purse, handbag, messenger bag, clutch, satchel, duffel, we use all kinds of names to identify our bags. Today I am going with "purse" as I like to think of a purse as a strapless, small and dainty bag, containing the most important of feminine items- lipstick, money, keys, and gun phone. Or in the case of these Lasagna Purses- cheese, sausage, and sauce. The perfect accessory to any one's lunchbox, soup, or salad, you must admit Lasagna Purses are very stylish. There are other Mini/Petite Lasagna labels out there, but I needed mine to button at the top, keeping all the contents tucked safely away where no little girl could drop it up-end-down on her school dress. The top enclosed design lends itself to the perfect finger food. And that gathered, golden crust on top is the purse's best feature. Crispy. Chewy. Good.

Although one should never peak into a lady's purse, you must see the contents of this one's compartments.


Delicious.


Lasagna Purses
For the sauce:
3/4 pound Italian sausage out of the casings, cooked, crumbled, and drained. Add:
2 cups favorite Marinara or pasta sauce, and simmer over low heat until needed.

For the Ricotta Filling
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 cups shredded Italian Blend cheese
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and set aside until ready to use.

48 Egg Roll Wrappers
olive oil for brushing

Place one egg roll wrapper in each of the 24 greased, standard muffin tin wells. Press each down gently until it fills the bottom of each well, taking care not to rip the wrapper. Using half of the Ricotta Filling, fill each wrapper with a spoonful of cheese, about 1 tablespoon. Top each with a spoonful of sauce, then repeat the layers: wrapper, cheese, sauce. One at a time, fold the excess wrapper of each purse toward its center. Brush liberally with olive oil and bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove each purse from the pan carefully and place on a pretty platter. Let set about 5-10 minutes before serving, they are HOT. Also good at room temperature. These freeze well. Makes 24 Purses.

*Note- to cut in half, it is easier to turn the purse over and using a sharp knife saw through from the bottom to the top.

My children are loving these in their lunchboxes.


More Italian...
Meatballs
Bracciol
Lasagna from Scratch
Spinach Gnudi
Pizzelles

Need more in your freezer?
Cheeseburgers
Chicken Sandwiches

Robin Sue

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Dulce de Leche Filled Banana Cupcakes with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Have you ever heard Chris Young's song "Voices?" It's a country song about a guy that hears voices all the time, not wack-a-do voices like he's crazy or anything, voices from all the important people in his life that remind him of who he is and where he came from. I have voices like that too. One that really stands out is my Ma's. Like last Friday morning when I was informed at the last minute that my son needed to bring a cake for a charity auction that very evening. I ruffled through my stacks of dessert recipes, pulled out my laptop and scrolled through my bookmarks, and fantasized about what to bake. But then I heard Ma's voice in my head saying, "Robin, go with what you know." Thanks Ma. I did. I am coming to realize my Banana Cake is one of my specialties, especially when filled with Dulce de Leche and topped with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.


Look at those browned butter bits in there.


I started by baking my banana cupcakes and once baked and while still warm, I cut out a small cone from the top of each cupcake. I filled each well with 1 teaspoon Dulce de Leche, I like to use a baby spoon to do this, then popped the tops back on and pressed down so they would stay in place.


Using my super large 1M decorating star tip, I piped roses on to each cupcake and topped them with a Goetze's Candy which makes a very cute ornament.

To make a rose, place your decorator tip in the center of the cupcake and circle outward three times. Be sure to use firm and even pressure, do not be stingy with the frosting. Practice on waxed paper if you must, you can always mix that practice frosting back into the bowl.

To make a bakery swirl, place your tip at the outer edge of the cupcake and swirl inward three times making a lovely star at the center. Kelly of Something Shiny shows the two different looks very nicely on her Tiffany Inspired Cupcakes- look at the 6th photo from the top.


I took three 8x8 inch bakery boxes and placed 4 cupcakes in each, stacked them one on top of the other for a very impressive TOWER-O-CUPCAKES. So that the cupcakes could be seen through the top box, I cut a heart shape out of it and taped a piece of cellophane on the inside of the heart shaped cut out.


I tied the boxes together using butcher string and affixed my label.



Let the bidding begin!


Banana Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter , softened
2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional- I did not add this time

Mix all ingredients on high speed in mixer for 2 minutes. Divide between 12 standard cupcake liners placed in a standard muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Dulce de Leche- One way to make dulce de leche is by taking a can of sweetened condensed milk and boiling it for a few hours by first removing its label and placing the can on its side in a large pot. Cover with water, about an inch over the can and cover pot. Bring to a boil then lower heat a bit and simmer for 4 hours. Be sure the can stays covered at all times with water. After 4 hours turn off heat and let the can cool. Mine did not explode and I even used a can with a pull-tab top. OR you can purchase canned Dulce de Leche, usually found in the Latin food isle of your grocery store or near the sweetened condensed milk.

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat butter and salt until browned. In a large bowl place cream cheese and pour browned butter over top and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until mixture is light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition until all the sugar is added and mixture is smooth. Makes about 5 cups frosting. You will have extra, this freezes well.

I use these Paper Ovenable Muffin Trays for all my cupcakes and muffins.

For more pretty roses, click over to i am baker for her beautiful Rose Cake. If you like pretty cakes, you may get lost in her site and never come out.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Love is like powdered sugar, it gets all over the place.

Robin Sue

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Forgotten Cookies

We have all seen these cookies before, you know the ones you whip up before bedtime, place in preheated oven, then turn off the oven only to find delicious, crispy, light and airy meringue cookies in the morning. Fun stuff. Here is my version which turned out more like macaroons since I left out the sugar, used dates for sweetening, and the coconut for flavor. They are cripsy and chewy all at the same time. Nice.

Forgotten Cookies
Just before bedtime, heat oven to 350 degrees
beat 2 egg whites, stiff, fold in...
2/3 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
10 dates (Sun*Maid- deglet noor), pitted, chopped

Place 12 small dollops on greased cookie sheet (I used a silpat). Place cookies in pre-heated oven then turn oven off. Wake up to crispy-chewy cookies. Makes 12, you decide how many to eat.

About- 44 cal, 2.5 fat, 1 pro, 5.3 carbs each. I used this site for nutritional value.

*Other great add-ins might be chopped almonds and dark chocolate.

These are not going to be as gooey as the typical macaroon which contains sugar and sometimes flour, depending on the recipe you are used to using. This version has a cripsy outer crust and a chewy center, but not gooey. I enjoyed this low carb treat after a tough workout at CrossFit last night, along with a big heap of spicy roasted chicken protein love.

More cookies?
How to Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies
Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge Cups
Peanut Butter Blossoms

Have a great weekend!

Robin Sue

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It's as Simple as...

Upon my return from Puerto Rico last week, a friend asked me if I took home any new food ideas. Sure! There is always something to learn from a different culture than our own. The simplest was discovered in a cafe in Old San Juan. While I ate my toasted Mallorca- a sweet bun toasted with butter, I spied an elderly couple eating a papaya, one half each with a wedge of lime, that was it. For one thing I have never tackled half of a papaya by myself nor with a squirt of fresh lime, I had only eaten papaya cubed up in fruit salads. But it was too late, the waiter had plunked down my Tortilla Espanola and I dove in with reckless abandon, although the thought of that papaya did not leave me. I decided that as soon as I got home and found a nice papaya in my grocery store, I would serve it as I had seen it that day in the cafe. Yesterday my papaya was the perfect green to yellow color, with a bit of give when I pressed it with my thumb, so I cut it in half length-wise, spooned out the seeds, and placed half on my plate with a squirt of fresh lime juice. Fantastic. I could not eat an entire half myself but I did manage a quarter. That's what I enjoy about getting away- taking home even the simplest of ideas.

What food treasure ideas have you taken home from a vacation?

Robin Sue

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Hawaiian Chicken

It seems as though once you add pineapple to any recipe, that recipe becomes "Hawaiian." Like Hawaiian Pizza with ham or bacon and pineapple. Does anyone like it? I do once in a while. Today I give you Hawaiian Chicken. It is a crockpot recipe that turns out very nicely and when served over jasmine rice is a wonderfully comforting meal. Plus these flavors in the mid of winter really do cheer me up.

Hawaiian Chicken
3 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat removed
one large can crushed pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 red pepper diced
1 large vidalia onion, thickly sliced
1 cup chicken broth or water mixed with 3 T. corn starch
1 T. soy sauce
1 pkt Italian Dressing mix

Place all ingredients in the Crockpot and mix well. Cover and cook over high heat for 4-5 hours. Stir once per hour. The onions will retain some crunch, which I love. Serve over rice. Serves 10-12.


So I'm in this Brownie Bake Off at school at the end of the month in which I have to make 2 9x13 inch pans of homemade from scratch brownies. I am going with the classic brownie- chewy, very chocolaty, with a nice crispy crust on top. I have completed my first trial recipe and achieved the perfect flavor and crust but the center was too custardy, not even chewy. Now I just need to tweak the recipe to get chewy. I found this post on Fine Cooking to help out, and they also have this very cool Create Your Own Brownie Recipe Maker which gives all kinds of ideas for add-ins. There are probably millions (I exaggerate) of combinations. Trail #2 coming soon.

More Pineapple Recipes...
Pepper Jelly Ham
Sweet and Sour Sauce

Brownie Recipes...
Fancy Brownies
Nutella Fudge Brownies
Dulce de Leche Brownies

More Crockpot Recipes...
4 Crockpot Recipes in PDF download
Italian Sausage Cacciatore
Crockpot Grinders

Robin Sue

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It's Like a Yoo-hoo for Adults

I will go ahead and throw my hat in the ring and declare myself a conformist and present you with a Valentine's Day treat along with the millions of other food bloggers. I have to at least give you one VD goodie, right? Well here it is, this totally classy (cheesy) bottle of ChocoVine. Chilled. It's red wine and chocolate. Total junk, but I love the stuff. So pass up on Yoo-Hoo's and go for the ChocoVine this Valentine's Day. Some one will love you for it. I have no idea who, but someone.

More VD Treats...
Valentine's Day Candy Leis- no comment
Knock You Naked Valentine Brownies - do not eat at the office
Chocolate Pots de Creme- swoon
Bananas Foster- for that fiery relationship

I guess it's a bad thing to shorten Valentine's Day to VD.

Robin Sue

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Herbs de Provence Will keep Me in The Game

Starting this coming Monday we CrossFitters with be participating in a Paleo/Zone Diet Throwdown. We will split up into two teams, Paleo v. Zone, and for four weeks we will stick with the prescribed diet of our team, complete workouts at CrossFit, and compete for points by doing things like pull ups. I am team Paleo. Not that I buy into that whole caveman thing, in fact I don't believe in Evolution. I am a Creationist. Gasp. But I do believe in (some) modern science and the latest findings in healthy eating. Sure there are many camps on the subject of healthy eating, that's why I put more emphasis on moderation and figuring out what works best for me. For the next four weeks, I will not modify. Don't worry BRK will still be BRK with its wide variety of culinary offerings. I will have to hire taste testers though. Or spit the food out like those coffee tasters. Smirk.

So what is Paleo? Here is a brief summary...

Lean meats, fish, and eggs, fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, olive and coconut oils. No dairy, tubers, grains, sugar in any form, legumes, alcohol, caffeine, or salt. Nothing processed or cured.

That's about it. Humph.

Our CrossFit may vote on modifying this a bit by allowing small amounts of salt and things like vinegar and bacon swinging us in the direction of Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint. We'll see.


Knowing that I have to cut out salt, or maybe have to reduce it to a certain amount, I will be using plenty of my favorite herb blend- Herbes de Provence, a blend of rosemary, cracked fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, Turkish oregano, lavender, chervil and marjoram. I use Penzeys' version. This herb blend adds so much flavor and the thing about it that I really love is that it makes every bite taste a little different from the last. Great on fish and chicken as well.

Herbes de Provence Pork Chops
6 thin cut boneless lean pork loin chops
2 large vidalia onion, sliced
3 apples sliced, thinly
3 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar, optional but not Paleo
fresh cracked black pepper
2-3 tsp. Herbes de Provence
Sea salt, optional but not Paleo

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add apples and onions, balsamic, and some pepper. Cover and lower heat to medium low. Cook stirring occasionally until onion and apple mix is caramelized or nicely browned but not burnt. Remove to plate. Sprinkle each side of pork chop with Herbes de Provence and pepper. Salting is optional but not Paleo. Place pork chops in skillet and turn heat up to medium high. Cook about 2 minutes on each side- my chops were about 1/3 inch thick. Top each chop with onion mixture, cover and heat through for about 1 minute. Makes 6 servings, you decide on how many of those servings you want to eat, all of us need varying protein/carbohydrate intakes.

I served this with my favorite berry- the avocado, with a good sprinkling of fresh lime juice.

You are not here for this healthy junk are you?

Here are some Super Dooper Super Bowl recipes...
Crockpot Grinders
Jalapeño Popper Dip
My Big Fat Italian Sandwich
Garlic Ranch Pretzels
White Castle-like Sliders
Italian Sausage Cacciatore Sandwiches
Chicken Taco Stuffed Shells
Redskin Pie Hahahahaha!

Go Commercials!

Robin Sue

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More in the Freezer: Cheeseburgers

In an effort to health up my family's lunches, I am steering away from those frozen prepackaged sandwiches that saved me back in my busy December, to homemade frozen sandwiches, and so far so good. The Frozen Chicken Sandwich was a huge hit with my kids so I moved on to trying the Cheeseburger by simply increasing the size of my White Castle-like Sliders.


Start by sprinkling a large 11x17 inch pan with dried minced onions and pressing 2.5 pounds of ground beef over top. Sprinkle with season salt (I use Penzey's) and bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes.


Remove from oven and cut into 15 equal sized patties. Place onion side up on a cookie sheet and top each with a piece of cheese. Freeze for one hour.


Place each frozen cheeseburger on a bun and wrap in waxed paper and secure with a small piece of masking tape.


Place wrapped burgers back in the bun bag and toss in the freezer until your family is ready to pack them in their lunches. Microwave reheating times will vary, but mine took only about 45 seconds while still wrapped.

These sandwiches have made for very happy children and a relaxed Momma! Great for busy nights too.

Need more in your freezer?
Chicken Sandwiches
Lasagna Purses


Oh and if that rat Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow today, he may see my meat cleaver. Happy Groundhog Day!

Robin Sue

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Why I Went to Puerto Rico...

To stroll the colorful streets of Old San Juan.


To sip piña coladas on the beach at sunset.


To spend time alone with Himself.


For the Mallorca and quiet breakfasts in the courtyard of our guest house.


To try new foods like Mofongo Relleno de Churrasco, or mashed green plantains stuffed with skirt steak...


and a Frita Cubana.


To count pigeons.


To enjoy the locals.


To lay on the beach, listen to the waves, and feel the sunshine on my face.


To Recharge. Refresh. Recreate. Reboot. ReRobin.


A huge thanks to Ma and Dad for watching the three littles so that Himself and I could escape!


Big Red Kitchen's Puerto Rico Recommendations...

Coqui del Mar- a friendly, quiet little guest house in the Ocean Park neighborhood.
Kasalta- breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all fantastic! We ate here 3 times.
La B de Burro- excellent Mexican Food and a very happy place.
Inca Chicken- great chicken and mofongo.
Numero 1 Pamela’s Caribbean Cuisine- nice dessert and piña coladas right on the beach.

Do you have a favorite escape?

Robin Sue

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