Foodie Friday: The Quarantine Cooking Edition
We’ve got you covered: roasting, baking, recipes and more!
Social distancing (and the fact restaurant dining is closed!) has forced all of us back in the kithen. We are all cooking more, so we turned to our friend Chef Randall Toenges to take all of our home cooking questions! (listen to the podcast above)
First things first, Chef Randall says he likes to always take inventory of what he has. Look in the fridge, the freezer, all your cupboards and decide what is more perishable before you start cooking and meal planning. While this might seem extreme, it should be one of your routines to maximize your fridge and pantry.
Roasting
Veggies
Looking to use up some of those perishable veggies in your fridge? Think roasting. It will give your veggies a new life.
A new trend is to coat your veggies and take the heat a little higher. For instance, make a garlic mayo to spread on veggies and take the oven to 400 or 425.
Bacon
Also, try roasting your bacon! Be sure to get a sheet pan, cover in tin foil, place a cooling rack on top, lay the bacon out and throw it on the over for 15-20 minutes. This is also a great way to make candied bacon – just throw some brown sugar over the top before putting it in the over. Easy, delicious, and hardly any clean up!
Beets
Beets are a little different because of their density. if roasting, roast in their “jacket” (don’t peel it), let them cool, and the jacket will come right off. Now you can slice for salads, etc.
Amy’s Beet Recipe
Peel and cut your beets into 1 inch cubes, toss with oil, raspberries (fresh or frozen), and raspberry vinaigrette (or red wine vinegar). Cook at about 400 degrees for about an hour. (stir once or twice)
Chef Randall says to kick up the recipe a bit – try adding adobo sauce!
Freezer Burn
Is there anyway to recover flavor on something that is freezer burnt? Chef Randall says if it’s a protein (chuck roast or chicken) try using it to make a broth. Anything that is freezer brunt is still usable, it might just have a different (strange) flavor. You could even try using strong flavors to help mask it – so think mole or adobo again!
Baking Bread
If you are new to baking bread, decide if you want to try a lean or rich dough bread. A lean dough usually uses water, flour, yeast, salt and makes a crispy, crunchy bread. And a rich dough, usually made with milk or butter, will make a soft and chewy bread.
Remember to let it to knead for 8-20 minutes in a mixer. Allowing the dough to develop the gluten is an important part of the process.
Tip for a crispier dough: introduce steam into the oven… like a tray of ice cubes on the bottom rack.
Lettuce
To keep lettuce fresh, wash it in cold water, dry with a paper towel, spin it and store in a plastic bag with holes in it.
— Additional content from this conversation —
CLICK HERE for Randall’s “corn pancake” recipe!
Other Chef Randall Recipes:
RECIPE: Strawberry Shortcake with Buttermilk Biscuits!
Foodie Friday, brought to you Prime Cut Meats!
PRIME CUT MEATS
Address: 2434 S University Dr, Fargo, ND 58103
Phone (701) 476-1444
(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Check out the show page on Facebook. Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKFGO & follow JJ on Twitter @JJGodon701)
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