Indentured Oven Fried Chicken

This is a typical Sunday meal that the cooking slave would have fried in a big black iron skillet out in the kitchen back of the main house.

Now the recipe calls for baking powder. This one makes its own. Slaves family always used Royal Baking powder. When the company went out of business in the 60's, slaves great-grandmother called and demanded the recipe! Which slave will share with you now, one of its most dear secrets. (You can find it on the web now days, but humor me).

Slaves Baking powder:

To make 1 tsp. baking powder,

½ tsp. Cream of Tarter

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp cornstarch

Mix this well and put in airtight container.

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Ingredients

2 ½ to 3 Lbs Chicken thighs skinned but with the bone

1 cup low fat buttermilk

5 oz garlic flavored croutons

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp white pepper

(optional – 1 tsp cayenne pepper)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder divided (See recipe above)

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

smoky sweet pepper flakes

Butter flavored cooking spray

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Skin the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels – don't rinse. Put in square baking dish, pour over 1 cup buttermilk and cover, set aside. NOTICE I saved the skins to freeze.  Next time I want a bacon substitute, I fry them up!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line 10 x 15 baking pan with foil, place in rack and spray it with cooking spray.

Put croutons in resealable freezer bag, seal and crush them up with a rolling pin. They don't have to be pulverized but you can work out some aggression with this.

* If you don't have croutons (slave got them because they were cheep) Use 1 cup cornflakes and add another ½ tsp garlic powder.

Mix your dry ingredients Except only add ½ tsp of baking powder, and pour into bag with crushed breading then mix well. Just seal and shake it around until it is completely blended. Pour this into a shallow bowl.

In another bowl, whisk mustard and ½ tsp baking powder into the mayonnaise until all mixed.
Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towel.

By now the oven should be at 400 degrees. Spread out wax paper on the counter line up the bowls and get ready to assemble.

One piece at a time, brush with the mayo mixture, painting a light coat. Next, press into crumb mixture to coat it well and place on rack: towards the center but not touching each other. Once all are on the rack, spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle with a bit of red pepper flakes; put in oven. The longer they sit, the less crisp they will be.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Test with a meat thermometer. Poultry should reach 170 degrees. Or until the juices run clear and meat is no longer pink. Under cooked bird of any kind can really make you sick: Over cooked and it will be dry, tough and you just might get pieces thrown at you.

Remove and cover with a piece of foil. Let it rest for 3 or 4 minutes, the temp will continue to rise.

Present it on a platter lined with dark green turnip leaves that have been well washed! decorate around the platter with wedges of orange.

Let the chicken be the star and keep the rest of the dinner simple, maybe steamed corn, and steamed peas. Today we can do these in the microwave, if you don't have a steamer basket yet.

My great grandmother showed me on the farm that first you put your water on to boil and then you went out to pick the ears of corn. She would break off an ear from the stalk, strip the leaves back and brush the silk and told me to take a bite right there in the field. It was as sweet as a piece of candy! This was just field corn not the special “Sweet Corn”

So when she cooked the vegetables on the stove in her 3rd floor apartment she always added butter and sugar. 
 

Today slave still adds just a pinch of sugar and sometimes some powdered no-salt chicken bullion - maybe a tiny bit just to remind you of the taste. Don't be afraid to let the natural goodness and color of the vegetables come through to satisfy your Master and His guests. Slave thinks He will request this dinner often! So crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Always the property of Master,

socialslave

This Trepid Traveler

Master Indy has agreed that slave should post these. They are notes on the journey it is making. Looks like its going to be a tough trip.

One of slave's New Years Eve Resolutions was: #2013resolution After half of a century finally out growing the defense mechanism of smoking.

“Quitting is easy, I've done it a million times!”

For a couple of months slave has been “cutting back”. It has honestly gone from a usual of 40 cigarettes a day (2 packs) to 10 a day (½ pack) However in times of stress – well that's another story. For example:

On the day before Valentines, slave found out that the florist had screwed up and was only going to deliver half the order while charging 50% MORE! Can you say panic? This was followed by four calls, through the stupidest cyber-jails – is there anything more frustrating? Then emails confirming and threatening and a lot of finger-crossing. Fortunately it turned out OK so far.

What slave's point was while that was going on it suddenly noticed the ash tray was filled and a second pack was half empty. All UN-noticed! This was not because smoking was enjoyable. It was like the whole process was happening behind my back.

I can't get in to see my medical doctor for a month and a half. I was going to ask for some of those miracle pills advertised on TV. The ones that make quitting so easy.

“It ain't easy doing something that is worth doing.”

Master will NOT be disappointed in this. Slave has made the commitment. The local LGBT Center has a grant to help people stop smoking so slave signed up. The first meeting with the counselor was last night. Very helpful, and I learned several tricks to help.

Master knows how hard this is going to be and is so very supportive. I confessed my fear of losing such a big part of my identity. He had me make a sign that hangs over my computer right now.

"Don't fear this, embrace smoking being over”

"Any struggle is worth it to please Me.”

"Focus on this being the ONLY thing I will allow you to quit!” :-)

He had me set up two jars. In one, I put a dollar for everyday I go without a cigarette. The other is for a dollar per every cigarette I do smoke. 

 

So slave shares this with you as a way of serving. 23 hours without a smoke. It has worn a patch all day. Frankly so far the only, (maybe 12 times), I've reached for a pack, I have been able to stop and think: OK, not going to do that. Don't think that this will be so easy, it may be the toughest thing that I do this year.

When it gets overpowering, I have closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. I've slowed my breathing and relied on my trust in my Master. He understands. He knows. Slave will not disappoint Him or slave, itself.

It is hoped that you, slave's readers also understand and will mentally support this one in its journey.

Thank You all

socialslave

Individual Beef Wellingtons

This famous British dish was named in honor of The Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The traditional dish uses a 2–4 pound beef roast layered with mushroom duxelles (DUKE-sell) and pate du foie gras (pah-TAY do-FWAH-gra): and then wrapped in a puff pastry.

Baking meat in pastries goes back to the mid-evil days in England. When miners needed food they could put in their pockets and carry down into the tin mines. There's a Cornish saying: “The Devil is afraid to come to Cornwall, for fear of being baked in a “pasty”. (PAH-steas).

Not only is this dish expensive, but in my opinion, the pate du foie gras is produced by animal cruelty. Google it.

This is a poor man’s version that is much eaiser. Slave makes use of frozen beef patties from the local “Big Box Store”. They keep in the freezer for those times a quick meal is needed.

This dish takes planning ahead but it is VERY impressive!

Ingredients

4 frozen beef patties w/kosher salt and pepper to Master's taste

1 ½ Cups Low Salt Beef Stock

3 or 4 shallots and a small jar of Shiitake Mushrooms*

    *You can use onion and button mushrooms but the taste just isn't as good.

2 Tbs Canola Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

4 slices of smoked Gouda cheese

4 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 Lg Egg and 2 teaspoons water.

1 pkg Pillsbury Croissant dough The one without the perforations!

Directions

Just like you were making a pizza, everything is cooked ahead of time except the dough. In this case it needs to be chilled at least an hour in refrigerator before assembling. Ready?

Mince the mushrooms and shallots very fine.

Add 1 tbs of oil to a 12 inch skillet, bring to a medium high heat.

Stir in mushroom-shallot mix, sprinkle a pinch or two of sugar over it, cook stirring occasionally until the liquid is cooked out, about 5 minutes. Splash in some balsamic vinegar to deglaze. Let that cook out, remove the mixture (which is now “mushroom duxelles”)with a slotted spoon.

Add 2nd tbs oil, season and brown the patties on both sides about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Add the beef stock, reduce to a simmer put lid on. Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. This is the step where the beef gets cooked to the done-ness your Master prefers. With hamburger this should be well done. By cooking it in the stock, the flavor will be held but much of the fats will steam out. Once this is cooked, both the patties and the dish of mushroom duxelle must be chilled for over an hour in the refrigerator. Slave suggests you do these steps after dinner the day before and let it cool overnight. 

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and water to make an egg wash.

Using a shallow baking sheet with ½ inch sides, line with parchment paper. ..or substitute foil and spray with cooking spray.

You want to wrap the beef mixture. So, like wrapping a package figure out what size you need the dough to be. If unsure try it with one of the cooled patties and a piece of wax paper.

Open the croissant dough and unroll onto another sheet of wax paper, then place a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and roll out with a rolling pin until it is the right size. Remove the plastic and run a table knife down the center of the dough, then the same on each side making 4 pieces.

Assembly:

Working on wax paper makes this much easier. Be quick to keep the pastry cool.

In middle of each piece of dough, place a slice of Smoked Gouda and then a Tbs of the mushroom duxelles. Go ahead a divide it evenly between the four.

Spread the Dijon mustard on a patty and place it, mustard side down on the mushrooms. Continue with the other three.

Brush the exposed pastry with the egg wash. Fold it up and over to seal. Now invert (seam side down) and space on the baking pan. Brush egg wash over the sides and top of each. Cut the center of the top with a big X for steam to escape. This will keep the pastry from getting soggy.

Bake until starting to turn golden brown, 16 to 19 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

For this meal, slave chose to serve steamed asparagus and a side of tropical mixed fruit, drained, drizzled with a tsp of Maple syrup and heated in microwave. Serve with a cup of no fat unflavored yogurt that has a ½ tsp of cinnamon mixed in to act as a topping.

Slave understands that this might sound difficult. However as a cooking slave, you just prepare ahead of time. If you fail to plan: you plan to fail!

Confession: the day it made this, slave was feeling very sorry for itself and very far away from its Master. Yet He understood and publicly posted this:

“@Dan63301 I may rarely taste your food, but you impress with your offerings” ... “YOU be proud 1st slave!”

Forever His,

socialslave

How Will You Serve Today?

There can be no tomorrow. Yesterday no longer exists.

My focus must be on my gravely climb and unfortunate twist

I learn to let go of the past:

while future outside my grasp

I have more than enough to deal with today, trust me on that I insist!

Please allow slave to point out that we can not rely on the future. It comes with no guarantee. Don’t count on being able to fix the mistakes that we make today. There are an infinite number of ways things can go wrong. If something can, there is a good chance that it will. Understand this but do not let it immobilize you in your quest of life and love. Grab your chances by the gonads and don't let go. When you find a way of life that satisfies you: follow it. Nobody is going to walk in your shoes! Never expect them to understand.

When you discover that inner joy that comes with serving, explore it. Nothing is perfect. There will be times your feelings get hurt, times when you disagree, even times you get mad. Might slave suggest that you hold off on your tantrum. There are things more important than a misunderstood word. Avoid sabotaging your life with “hurt feelings” or thinking “Master doesn't care” “He doesn't think I have any value, maybe I don't”. Oh yes, you will feel that.

It is OK to feel that. However slave urges you to be slow to react. Consider what it implies. If you really did not have any worth, are you saying that Master does not know what He is doing? That He is no judge of value? Don't you have trust?

For that matter if you truly believe that you have no value, why are you offering less than the best to your Master? When these confusions and hurts swirl around you, take time to touch a symbol of the relationship. That could be a ring, a collar, anything that carries the connotation of what it is that you share. This will help you remember what is truly important. It is important to Him too.

Humans are human. They make mistakes, they lose their tempers, they make fools out of themselves. But they also admit it and apologize.

February 14th is nearly upon us. Please listen to what brings you that inner joy. Center yourself.

Just because He did not send you a card, don't snivel and pout about it. Don't let it keep you from what makes you feel so good. Pay more attention to your “To Do's” than to your “What if's”!

Don't forget, its a Master's Market! So what if He never uses the “Love” word? Words can imply anything, what remains is the touching of two or more hearts. It is slave's hope that you have a Happy Valentines Day! Oh and, almost forgot to ask. Will You be my Valentine?

Forever His

socialslave

The Apple of my Eye Cheesecake revised

                                                    

A Valentine's Day Desert that is wicked tasting but eaten guilt-free!

Combine two great symbols of love: apples and chocolate to show how special your loved ones are. Don't need to tell them how very low fat it is.

Ingredients:

• Large (9 in) prepared lower fat graham-cracker crust
• 2 (@8oz) tubs of no fat cream cheese
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 large Egg + 2 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute)
• 2 small containers (@ 4oz each) of no sugar added applesauce
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 tubs (5.3oz) No Fat Greek style yogurt unflavored
• 12 drops red food coloring

Topping:

• 2 apples peeled, cored and cut into less than ½ inch chunk (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1½ cups chocolate morsels(I used milk chocolate – but semi-sweet will work)
• 1/3 Cup no fat half and half

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer whip-soften the cream cheese until it is ah.. creamy. Gradually add sugar about a third at a time and scrape down the bowl with each addition. Add the eggs one at a time with more scraping of the sides of the bowl. A rubber spatula works great for this. Remember to shut off the mixer each time you shove that spatula in there!

Now take the bowl out of the mixer the rest with be done by wooden spoon.

Add vanilla, applesauce, food coloring and yogurt. Stir vigorously!

With the prepared crust sitting on a cookie sheet, pour mixture to near the top. You will end up with more than you need. I keep some ramekins handy. I pour any extra filling into them and bake alongside. This give you an excellent “sample” to taste test!

NOTE: these prepared pie crusts are in a foil pan. Great for lifting just a crust but not one loaded with filling. Always use on a cookie sheet that will support it. This also will catch any cook-overs and helps to keep the oven clean.

Bake for at at least 45 minutes. The very center will still be jiggly but not the outside edge. The filling will continue to cook and “set” after it is out of the oven. Let it cool for about ½ hour – then chill in refrigerator for 5 – 6 hours, even better overnight. Keep covered with inverted plastic that came with crust.

Topping:

Have a medium sized bowl handy with the lemon juice in the bottom.

 

Peel, core, and chunk the apples and put them into bowl as you work. Stir it around with your hand just so that the juice gets to all of the apple. This will keep the apples from turning brown.

In a microwave save bowl pour 1 Cup of the chocolate morsels with the 1/3 cup of non fat half and half. Heat on high in microwave for only 30 seconds, stir with wooden spoon and repeat in 30 sec intervals until the chocolate is melted. When it is all smooth, remove from microwave and add the remaining ½ cup of chocolate morsels and stir until they are melted in.  

Be careful with this if it is to runny, it will never set. That can lead to a big mess of chocolate everywhere. But that's a whole different post! This mixture will make what is called a “ganache”, a smooth firm topping. (great if you feel like dipping maraschino cherries or strawberries).

 

Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl with the apple and stir until well mixed and chunks are covered. All you need to do is coat the apples and seal them with the chocolate. With a slotted spoon dish this out and spread this on top of the cheesecake. You will want to do this before the chocolate hardens as it cools. Don't take it all the way to the edge, so you can crimp the cover back on. Cover and keep in refrigerator.

Note: as you can see from the picture I spread the chunks on the cheesecake then poured chocolate over it the first time. This caused it to run over the edge! So I thought best to mix in apples first.

 

Resist the urge to add more things, don't get carried away. Keep it a simple gift of love.

 

Remember even if you find yourself alone on this February 14th, this “self gift” offers comfort to one who needs it: You!

Owned by my Cherished Master,

socialslave

Coming to Terms

Terms: we read them, we use them, some unhappy people have to serve them. They can be single words, phrases, whole contracts, or even how we define a word.

It will soon be Valentine's Day, just in case you haven't noticed all of the red hearts and the word “LOVE” everywhere you look. Don't let it be a day of hurts. 

 

              “Love is the Hearts sense of touch”

                                                                  codypony

No one can achieve or maintain that Madison Ave. image we see plastered everywhere. Focus on who has touched your heart instead.

Like every snowflake, we are each different. When two people agree and share the same feeling of the word love, a fantastic and rare bond exists.

When the two feelings are different, well that could be a tragedy. Unless the two come to “terms”. Just as no two people are the same, no two “relationships” will be the same. The secret is the agreement or understanding they have with each other.

Appreciate what you have. We cannot let the definitions of others limit what or how we feel. If we can lay claim to nothing else in life, we can own our feelings. Seek out your own agreements and terms. Let that be what you celebrate on February 14th.

Recently I read a blog where the question was ask: what if all you loved were taken away from you, everything and everyone you hold dear? Then by a miracle, after what seems like an eternity, it was all returned. Your loved one's are back. They're within your reach. You can again see their smile. Would you be so quick to say: “Please, I'm trying to watch this show.” Or “Can't you see I'm busy?” Would your outlook be changed?

It is said that if we change the way we think, we change the way we feel. Not long ago, my doctor told me that I had to realize that I was growing older. Got to change the way I feel about it so my thinking must change. Why didn't he tell me to change the weather? That might be easier to do. LOL, maybe just wait for the weather to change itself?

The point slave is making is that to survive, to be happy, to “live”, is to come to terms with that life. Cherish who is important to you.

My Master's,

socialslave

Wintertime Therapeutical Beef Stew

A cure for the cold winds right in your Crock Pot

In this slave is going to add a bit more knowledge. Cooks over time have learned certain vegetables just go with meat. The French even have a term for it: “mirepoix” (pronounced: meer-pwah) This is a combination of onions, celery, and carrots. Usually in a ratio of 2:1:1. At times potatoes or tomatoes are substituted in some recipes. You will find this mixture in the stew. This recipe introduces it slowly as the right mixture will be found in the package of stew vegetables. Google it for more information.

Another point slave would like to make is that there is a difference between Bullion, Broth, and Stock.

Bullion has a much salter taste.

Broth is a lighter more finished and delicate taste

Stock is strong and meaty, which is used in this hearty stew.

Ingredients

 

• 2 pounds Chuck Roast, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons corn oil
• 1 yellow Onion rough chopped in big pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups beef stock, at room temperature
• ½ Can diced tomatoes
• 4 ribs of celery cut ½ inch
• 2 cans small (golf ball size) new potatoes, quartered
• 1 pkg frozen stew vegetables thawed

 

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet to a medium-high. Sprinkle the meat with kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper to taste. Then brown in the hot oil. Keep turning the chunks until there is some good dark color on all sides. This takes a total of about 10 minutes. While that browns, mix flour, ginger and nutmeg stirring together until well blended in a medium sized bowl. Stir in 2 cups of stock a little at a time. If you have a whisk this will be easier but you can do it with just a fork and some more effort. You don't want lumps of white flour floating around.

Turn the slow cooker on HIGH. Put the browned meat in. Now back to the skillet: Put in the butter and add the remaining 1 cup beef stock and let it bubble for a minute to deglaze. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Slowly add the additional stock mixture while stirring until it is well incorporated. Then pour this over the meat in the cooker, cover and let cook for one hour.

Add the potatoes, celery, and diced tomatoes (but not the packaged stew vegetables yet). Continue to cook the stew on High for an additional 6 hours. (Total of 7 hours) Now add the thawed package of vegetables: replace the lid. Cook for 1 final hour. Once the stew is cooked, reduce the temperature setting to low and you are ready to serve.

Stew is a great way to warm up in cold weather. It is usually served with a type of bread. I suggest one of those pop-open tubes of French or Italian breads that you bake yourself. If your store bakes Ciabatta rolls, get them to warm up in your oven. Their texture is great for dipping into the bowl and salvaging those last few drops.

Some prefer a green salad served first to feel like they have a full sized meal. However I would not suggest fixing a heavy desert with this. Possibly a couple of cookies and a cup of hot chocolate.

 

Note: left over stew served the next day can be even better because once you chill it, any fats will harden into a layer that can be lifted off before re-heating. 

slave finds this comforting. Especially when Master has been out in the cold. I can place this before him and as He eats I can gently press my forehead against his back, no words are necessary.