Anzac Biscuits

Happy Australia Day!  Anzac biscuits (history, recipe) are a classic Australia Day treat, with their origins (like the day itself) in the WWI era, when there was a need to send a tasty treat on a long sea voyage, and also one that did not require eggs as Australia's typically-bellicose dairy farmers were fightin' round the world.


Recipe

1 c quick cooking oats
1 c flour
1 c sugar
3/4 c coconut flakes
1/2 c butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix up the dry ingredients (oats, flour, sugar, coconut).  Melt the butter and mix in the syrup.  Mix the baking soda and boiling water, then add to butter, then add all that to the dry ingredients.  Spoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

I'm not much of a baker, so this first batch was a bit of a learning experience.  Still, not too difficult.  I used honey instead of "golden syrup."  I had to split the batch between two trays, and the one closer to the burner got a little overdone.  In retrospect, I should have pulled them out once they looked done; they were very soft, but toughened up a bit as they cooled.  Overall, plenty of tasty biscuits.  And as another plus, your kitchen will smell like delicious baked goods and/or melted butter.

Beer Bread

I haven't been much inclined toward baking, but I also kind of hate buying a whole loaf of bread that I'll use sporadically and then throw out half.  So why not try my hand at something more interesting that I'll actually want to use?  This just looked so simple it was worth a shot.

Recipe

2 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 12 oz beer

Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine dry ingredients, and slowly mix in the beer.  Get the dough nice and even, put into a *greased* loaf pan, and bake about 45 minutes.

Notes

I understand none of the chemistry of how this works, but whatever. Having tried it twice with very positive results, I think if beer wasn't a major component, this would be the recipe you have your kids bake you.

The recipe also promises to be easily customizable, whatever you want or have on hand in terms of flour, sweetener (except I will save you the Googling - baking powder and baking soda are not substitutes).  I fully encourage experimentation, with corresponding labels such as "honey-lager bread" or such.

Steak alla Pizziaola

This recipe came from the folks at Lodge, makers of fine cast-iron cookware.  And lovers of good meat and veggies:

Recipe

Meat
4 strip steaks

Plant (& Fungi) I
1 onion, sliced
3 red bliss potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers

Plant II
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
3 sprigs thyme
a sprinkle (or a few) of red pepper flakes

salt, pepper, olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 and your (Lodge, of course) skillet medium-high with some olive oil.  Sprinkle the steaks with salt & pepper (or Montreal seasoning), and brown about five minutes per side.  Set the steaks aside, replenish the olive oil in the skillet, and in goes the first batch of plant (and fungi).  Saute for about 7 minutes, then add the second batch, stir up, and cook a few more minutes.  Put the steaks on top and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Notes

There's a ton of chopping (you want the potatoes small so they soften; at least you don't have to dice the garlic), but well worth it - chop everything in group I into a big, beautiful bowl of plant (and fungi) parts before you get started.  The small-ish steaks I used came out pretty well done, but still delicious!  Make as much as your skillet can hold (OK, so about as prescribed) because it's good left over

Beer-Glazed Chicken

...a.k.a Commander Roostro's revenge - unsuccessful, of course, but a close call...  Originally from Rachael Ray online.

Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup light beer (e.g., lager)
3-4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
"evoo" salt & pepper

Heat some evoo in a large skillet medium-high.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear until golden-brown, a few minutes per side.  Then add the beer, honey, and thyme.  Bring to a bubble and let the chicken cook/sauce thicken for about 5 minutes/until cooked through.

Notes

I loved boneless, skinless thighs that my old Morton-Williams carried.  Unfortunately Key Foods' best dark meat option was the full thigh, which was not nearly cooked through by the end.  The sauce was delicious, at least.  Worth trying again and getting right.