Homemade Butter…in a jar!

My Kitchen Aid stand mixer has started to sound a little like a jet taking off. I’ve taken to wearing ear plugs when mixing.

I was reminded of a somewhat quieter time of butter making. It was pioneer day at elementary school. We used a jar. Add cream to a jar and pass it around a roomful of school kids and soon enough you’ll have butter. Pretty cool. In the interest of peace and quiet, I decided to give the jar a go again.

I poured cream into a mason jar, screwed the lid on tight, noted the time and started shaking. After what felt like an inordinate amount of time, my cream had reached the whipped cream stage. I though about stopping there, since my husband would be happy eating whipped cream even if it was on cardboard. I glanced at the clock and noticed that only three minutes had slipped by. Surely I could give it another three minutes or so. The next five minutes went by fast. The whipped cream suddenly gave way to a solid mass of butter sloshing around in buttermilk, no earplugs required.

Cows munching on grass produce milk that is particularly high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA wasn’t identified until the mid 80s, but quickly piqued many nutritionists’ interest. CLA is purported to have anti-cancer properties and helps fight inflammation. Meat and dairy from grass-fed animals can produce 300-500% more CLA than cattle on a typical fed-lot diet of corn silage grain/corn.

I am not one to shy away from using butter. It seems that after the trans-fat debacle, good, old-fashioned butter is back in favor with many health experts, though most still say that you should enjoy it with moderation. I’m in the camp that butter from grass-fed cows is actually healthy for you, so I eat it with impunity!

Ingredients
Heavy cream (from grass-fed cows, preferably)
Salt (optional)
Note: a pint of cream will yield 1 cup of butter

Method

  • Dump the cream in the jar with a tight fitting lid and start shaking.
  • First the cream will turn into whipped cream. Keep shaking.
  • Then it starts to get stiff and looks like whipped butter. Keep shaking.
  • The butter will turn a pale yellow, and liquid will separate from it.
  • Drain the buttermilk and reserve. The buttermilk isn’t cultured so it isn’t the delicious thick kind my granddad drank, but you can use it in baking recipes in place of milk.
  • Next, the butter needs to be washed. Any buttermilk left in the butter will cause it to go rancid quickly. Place the butter in a bowl with cold water and knead using a wooden spoon or your hands. Press the butter against the side of the bowl to squeeze out the buttermilk. Drain and repeat the “washing” until the liquid is clear.
  • Salt to taste, if desired.

I find that homemade butter spoils quickly (I may not be washing it enough). When I make a batch, I only keep out what I plan to use in a day or two. I store the rest in the freezer. In both the fridge and the freezer, I make sure it is wrapped up tight.

This post is part of The Healthy Home Economist Monday Mania.

Make your own…

My friend Bill doesn’t claim to be much of a cook. He told me that once in college he wanted to make a white sauce, or béchamel, if you want to be fancy. He mixed the flour, melted butter and milk. He stirred and stirred and it wasn’t thickening. He called his mom for guidance. She suggested that he add a little more flour. He did, but it still wasn’t thickening. He called her back to say that it still wasn’t working. She then suggested that he turn up the heat a bit. Bill said, “Heat?”

So when this non-cook tried his hand at making yogurt, granola and bagels, I took note. Apparently Slate Magazine had posted an article about how cost-effective it is to make certain pantry staples and it convinced him to give these a whirl.

As far as being cheaper, the article reported that yogurt and bagels are indeed cheaper to make at home (bagels check in at around 23¢ each and yogurt is around $1.75 for 4-cups). Granola is a toss up ($1.45 per cup). Bill said that he would definitely make yogurt and granola again. The jury is still out on making bagels. Bill wasn’t thrilled with his results.

These are easy, but require a little patience. No worries though, we all have a little patience to spare, right?

Homemade Yogurt
Bagels
Granola

Spicy Chai

My Aunt sent me a chai recipe. She makes hers with a chai masala spice and black tea. If you can find the chai masala spice, mix it with black tea and your work is done. If not, follow this recipe.

I always buy spices in bulk. They are a fraction of the cost and you can get just the quantity you need. Cardamom is a good example. A 1.75 ounce jar runs about $12. In bulk, the same amount is a little over $3.

While it is tempting to use ground spices for this, don’t. The chai will get sort of slimy and will be hard to strain (yes, this I know from experience).

Ingredients
1/2 of a star anise star and/or 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon bark (or 2 short sticks)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2-3 cardamom pods opened to the seeds or 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
3 cups water
2 heaping tablespoons loose black tea
3 cups whole milk
Sugar or honey

Method

  • In a 2-qt saucepan, add spices to 3 cups of water.
  • Boil for a few minutes then remove from heat and let steep for 5 to 20 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger it will be. I steep it for the full 20 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of whole milk to the water and spices. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat.
  • Add the loose tea and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey or sugar.

Makes four 12oz cups.

What I will do for a good ginger scone and hot cup of chai

chaiI will brave Washington, DC traffic in rush hour to get a ginger scone and hot cup of chai from Teaism, one of my favorite DC cafes. I also love their cilantro scrambled eggs with naan and never leave without getting one of their salty oat cookies. But their chai and scones are worth the agony of sitting on the beltway.

Chai is an Indian spiced tea. It’s become quite popular and you can find it in many coffee shops and markets. While I’m not a picky eater in general, I am a picky about my chai and there are few places that meet my high standards. I don’t like it overly sweet and I don’t like it with a cloying vanilla flavor. I don’t want it to taste like a ginger snap. I like it complex, slightly sweet but with a nice bite. Teasim makes the perfectly balanced chai. Since I live six hours away, it was necessary for me to learn how to make my own perfect cup.

If you must be lazy, you may order both chai and ginger scone mix from Teaism’s website.

Ginger scones

These are a snap to make. I altered this recipe from the blog, Orangette. I used honey and white whole-wheat flour and was very happy with the results. If you want to be decadent, use white flour and sugar.

Crystallized ginger can be found in better food markets. If you can’t find it, ask your grocer to pick it up for you or make your own.

These are best served warm with a pat of butter.

Ingredients
2 cups white whole-wheat flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the butter. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. You may also use a pastry knife or a fork. The goal is to incorporate the butter into little pea-sized or smaller pieces. This will give you a flakey scone.
  • While gently stirring the mixture, drizzle the honey over it. Add the ginger and stir to mix.
  • In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together. Save a tablespoon for the glaze and pour the rest into the flour mixture, stir gently to just combine. Using your hands, press and knead the dough into a rough ball. It will be a little dry. If it isn’t holding together, add a little water.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and knead it. Do not overwork the dough, a half dozen kneads should do it. Pat it into a round disc about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges.
  • Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush them with the reserved milk/egg mixture.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Cool briefly on a rack, and serve.

Makes eight medium-size scones

Up next, spicy chia…

Chicken and Spinach Burritos

It’s perfect weather for roasting a chicken and one of the best things about cooking a whole bird is the leftovers.

I look at cooked chicken as fast food. I can knock out a meal in a few minutes with minimal effort. Throw it in pasta with some vegetables; add some cauliflower, curry and cooked rice for a quick Indian meal and of course you can always make soup, especially if you made stock from your roasted bird. And as with most leftovers, you can throw it into a burrito.

Chicken and Spinach Burritos
This is a good dish to make when you don’t feel like cooking. It’s quick and healthy. You can add whatever you have on hand. Add a can of black beans if you want to stretch your dollar a bit more.

Ingredients
2-3 cups of cooked chicken
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
3 generous handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chopped jalapeno (optional)
3 ounces of cream cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon salsa
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
4 Whole-grain flour tortilla
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Heat olive oil in large skillet.
  • Wrap tortillas in foil and place in a 350° oven to heat for 10 minutes.
  • Add onions, garlic, jalapeno and chicken to skillet. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes.
  • Mix in chili powder, salsa, yogurt and cream cheese. Cook until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened.
  • Add spinach. Cook on low just until spinach starts to wilt.
  • Remove from heat, add cilantro.
  • Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll tightly and place seam-side down.
  • Top with salsa and plain yogurt or sour cream. Serve with a salad.

Serves 4

The Best Collard Greens, Ever

I am certain that my husband makes the best collard greens in the state of New York, if not the world. He was sweet enough to share his recipe. Keep in mind that the word recipe is used lightly here. Collard greens are one of those things that most Southern cooks don’t use a recipe to make. You get the basic concept and improvise. I’ve never seen him use a measuring spoon when making greens.

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of collard greens (Well washed. My Aunt Georgia once washed a particularly dirty bunch in her washing machine.)
6 slices of thick-slab peppered bacon
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
Cayenne pepper and hot sauce to taste


Method:

  • Fry bacon in a large soup pot, remove and set aside, leaving bacon fat in the pot.
  • Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until onions are tender.
  • Chop collard greens and cook until wilted.
  • Add vinegar, sugar and salt.
  • Add chicken stock and bacon, cover and simmer for at least 1 hour. My husband, like a true Southerner, cooks it for at least three, since the flavor deepens with time. Stir greens occasionally, adding water if needed (you don’t want the greens to stick to the bottom of the pot). Season to taste.