Easy, DIY Perpetual Buttermilk

We all know the common substitute for a cup of buttermilk using 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar and adding milk to measure 1 cup.  I have never been very satisfied with this substitute.  I do keep some dry buttermilk in my fridge (Saco), but I, by far, prefer using liquid buttermilk.  The problem is that I sometimes don't remember to pick it up.  I now keep liquid buttermilk on hand by making my own.

It takes only a small amount of commercial buttermilk to make homemade buttermilk, so before the buttermilk is gone I make a new batch. Once a batch of homemade buttermilk is made, it is possible to keep using the homemade buttermilk as a starter so one can keep making fresh buttermilk for quite some time.

The proportions to use are 1 part buttermilk, 4 parts milk and 1/8 t. Kosher salt per cup of milk used.  The method is as simple as placing the ingredients in a clean jar, shaking well, and letting the jar sit on the counter for 24 hours.  At that time the mixture should be thick and smell like buttermilk.  Place in refrigerator to store. 

Save some of this buttermilk to make the next batch of buttermilk.  Just keep saving some of the previous buttermilk batch to start the next batch.

 

I wish you could see how nice and thick this buttermilk is, much thicker than the commercial buttermilk I started with.

Any milk can be used to make this: whole, low-fat (which is what I usually use), skim and even goat's milk.  To make crème fraîche, stir 2 T. of the buttermilk into 1 cup of cream, cover and let stand 8 to 24 hours or until thick.

The recipe for 1 cup of buttermilk:
1/4 c. commercial buttermilk (or buttermilk from a previous batch)
1 c. milk
1/8 to Kosher salt

Combine ingredients in a clean jar, shake well.  Let sit on counter at room temperature for 24 hours.  Store in refrigerator.  Save enough buttermilk to make the next batch.

Each batch of buttermilk will last about two weeks.  If the amount of buttermilk gets "out of hand", it can be frozen.  I wrote a post about how freezing buttermilk here. 

The next time there is a bit of buttermilk on hand, give this a try.

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Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad-Eating the Alphabet

  

I will not be posting a Saturday Sweet today as this is the day to post for this month's Eating the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  You can, however, find a recipe for a Double Berry Giant Eclair in Thursday's post.

The letters for June are I and J, and they are, indeed, a challenge.  The only two vegetables I could think of were iceberg lettuce and jicama.

Although it is somewhat looked down upon now, when I was growing up in the late 40’s and 50’s, iceberg lettuce was the most common lettuce found at the grocery store so people ate a lot of it. Creative cooks dreamed up many ways to serve it.  After all, this was the era of peach and pear halves made into faces and bananas made into candles.

In my area of the country, a popular “ladies’ lunch” dish was Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad.  This dish consisted of cream cheese and other ingredients that were combined and stuffed into a cored head of lettuce.  The whole thing was tightly wrapped, chilled for several hours or overnight, then sliced for serving.  Generally, the slice of lettuce was smeared with a mayonnaise-based red dressing.  Because the slice of lettuce was cut up and everything mixed together to eat it,  this was also sometimes called a Knife and Fork Salad.

In the spirit of reviving an old favorite, today I am sharing a recipe for Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad.  I have include two dressing choices, one for vegetable salad and one for fruit salad.

When selecting a head of lettuce to stuff, look for one that is heavy for its size and that has the core centered as much as possible.

The stuffing mixture is very flexible so if I have an 8-oz. package of cream cheese on hand, I use half of it.  If I have to buy cream cheese, I sometimes just buy the 3-oz. package.  Either can be used.

Almost any ingredient that one wants can be mixed in with the cream cheese.  Vegetables such as grated carrot, minced onion, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, celery, cucumber are common.  For a fruit salad chopped fresh or canned fruit such as apples, cherries, peaches, pears, pineapple, mandarin oranges or strawberries can be used.  Usually nuts are added to this.  Chopped cooked chicken, ham, tuna, salmon or bacon can be added for a more main-dish salad.  Consider the recipe below just a basic guide.

Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad
1 medium head Iceberg Lettuce
3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened (regular, low fat or fat free)

2 T. shredded Cheddar
2 T. minced onion, regular or green
2 T. minced red pepper
2 T. chopped black olives
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except lettuce in a small bowl and mix until well blended.  Set aside.  Smack core of lettuce against the edge of a counter to dislodge it.  Twist and remove the core.  If cavity does not seem big enough to hold all the cream cheese mixture, reach in and remove additional lettuce with a clean hand.  Stuff the cream cheese mixture tightly into the lettuce cavity.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.  At serving time, remove from refrigerator.  Cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife.  Lay on serving plates and smear lettuce with a thick red dressing such as the ones below.  Makes about 4 servings.

Quick Red Dressing (for vegetable or main-dish salad.
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. chili sauce or ketchup
2 T. pickle relish
1 t. lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.  Chill to blend flavors.  Makes about 3/4 c.

Cranberry Dressing (for fruit salad)
1 c. jellied cranberry sauce
1 c. mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. whipped cream (opt.)

Beat cranberry sauce and mayonnaise with an electric mixer until well blended.  Stir in lemon juice.  Chill to blend flavors.  For a richer dressing, fold in whipped cream.  Makes 2 -3 c.

There is still time to join in the fun and help us finish up the rest of the alphabet.  You can find all the necessary details on Brenda's Eating the Alphabet page.

Click on the links below to see what other bloggers have dreamed up for the letters I and J.

Linking to these great parties:
Weekend Potluck
Weekend Bloggy Reading
Party Junk
Strut Your Stuff
Share Your Creativity
I'm Lovin' It
What'd You Do this Weekend
Marvelous Monday
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Recipe Sharing Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
On the Menu Monday
Make the Scene Monday
Mop It Up Monday
Manic Monday
Sweet Sharing Monday
Monday Funday

Friday Finds

It is getting to be summer, and that means salad season.  This week for Friday Finds I am sharing some delicious looking salads that I came across this week.  A couple of these recipes have been around awhile, but it is always good to be reminded about them.

 Balsamic Pea and Bacon Salad

Hot Eats and Cool Reads

The Balsamic twist to this pea and bacon salad sounds really good.  I like that it has mozzarella cheese, too.

Broccoli Salad

Growing in Grace

Another salad with bacon added.  I so like bacon in anything.  The touch of red onion is also very nice.

Salad with Diced Apples and Creamy Lemon Dressing

Winter Past Cooking

I have to admit that it is mostly the dressing that I want to try from this one.  Although the combination of fruit, eggs, lettuce and cheese is intriguing, too.

Chinese Chicken Salad

A Bright and Beautiful Life

The dressing for this one sounds great, and I can use some of the DIY Hoisin Sauce that I made last week.

Mexican Chicken Salad

A Bright and Beautiful Life

From the Orient to Mexico.  The dressing for this one uses cumin, a flavor that I like a lot.  She makes a chicken/veggie relish mixture that you could eat without the lettuce if you wanted to.

I will be trying all of these before the summer is over.  To see what other bloggers have found in their travels around the web this week, pop on over to Friday Favorite Finds at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Double Berry Giant Éclair-Dessert Challenge

The two ingredients for this Month’s Dessert Challenge, hosted by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain, were raspberries and strawberries.

After thinking about it for some time, I decided that I wanted to make a giant éclair and put the raspberries and strawberries in the filling.  I also wanted to make a dish that could be easily adapted to low or no sugar so that I could serve it to people with diabetes.  By using sugar-free pudding mix, sugar-free whipped topping, and substituting sugar-free chocolate syrup for the glaze, this can be
done.

There is some challenge to splitting the baked éclair base in half, so don’t worry if you get a hole or two.  An easier alternative is to just spread the filling on top of the éclair base and drizzle some chocolate ice cream topping over the filling.

This dessert needs to chill, but it keeps well for several days, so it makes a great make-ahead dessert for a get-together or party. 

Double Berry Giant Éclair
1 c. water
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 c. flour
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Bring water and butter or margarine to a boil.  Lower heat and add the flour, stirring until the mixture is smooth and leaves the sides of the pan to form a soft ball.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Beat in eggs, one at a time until each one is very well blended in.  Add vanilla with the last egg.  Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.  Spread dough out to about a 8x12-inch rectangle.  Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and carefully flip the éclair  base over.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  With a sharp knife slit the éclair base all the way around.  Working from the outside edge in, continue slicing until the éclair base is cut in half.  Carefully remove the top half to a baking sheet until needed.  Prepare filling:

1 small pkg. cheesecake flavor instant pudding, regular or sugar-free (vanilla or white chocolate can also be used)
1 c. milk
half of an 8-oz. carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, regular, lite, or sugar-free
1 (6 oz.) container fresh raspberries
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries, cut in half horizontally if large

Combine milk and pudding in a medium mixing bowl and beat with a whisk for 2 minutes.  Add whipped topping and mix until very well blended.  Fold in raspberries and strawberries gently to avoid crushing raspberries.  Spread filling evenly over the éclair base.  Top with the other half of the éclair base.  Spread with the chocolate glaze:

1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

In a saucepan combine milk, cocoa powder and sugar and mix well.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a full-rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minutes.  Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla.  Mix well and allow to cool slightly.  Spread over top of éclair.  Place in refrigerator to chill.  Cut into squares to serve.  Garnish with additional raspberries and strawberries if desired.  Makes about 15 servings. 

To see what other bloggers have dreamed up with raspberries and strawberries check out the links below.  If you are interested in joining in the fun, visit Sheryl's Dessert Challenge Page.

Linking to these great parties:

Full Plate Thursday

Fantastic Thursday

Brined Potatoes for Salad

Potato salad is a staple at our house during the summer.  I seem to be making it just about once a week.  My grandmother felt that the best potato salads were made by mixing the dressing ingredients into hot potatoes so the flavors would blend while the potatoes cooled.  For many years, I cooked potatoes in their skins, quickly peeling and chopping them while they were hot and putting the dressing ingredients on as soon as possible.  Though this process made good potato salad, it was kind a a pain to do, and I often managed to burn my fingers.

Sometime ago I ran across a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that looked as though it would accomplish the same thing in a simpler way.  They used a combination of dill pickle juice and mustard.  It was poured over hot potatoes which were then allowed to cool in the refrigerator.  I decided to try this method.   I did add some vinegar to the pickle juice/mustard mixture.

Because the brining requires the use of a jelly roll pan, I now semi-steam potatoes for potato salad in the jelly roll pan in the oven.  This makes one less item to wash, and the potatoes do not absorb as much water as they do if boiled.

I’m sure that most people have their own favorite recipe for potato salad, so I am not including a recipe for dressing ingredients or what goes in the salad besides potatoes.  Here, however, is the method I use to prepare potatoes for potato salad.

Brined Potatoes for Potato Salad
3 lbs.  potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks-I have used russets, red, and Yukon Gold potatoes, they can be peeled or unpeeld
1/2 c. water
3 T. dill pickle juice
1 1/2 T. yellow mustard or mustard of choice
1-2 T. vinegar
1 t. salt

Place potato chunks in a non-stick sprayed jelly roll pan.  Add the water.  Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until just tender.  Most of the water should have evaporated, pour off any water that is left.  Mix together pickle juice, mustard, vinegar and salt until well blended.  Pour over potatoes and gently mix well.  Cover pan with foil that was used to bake the potatoes.  Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  Add other ingredients and dressing ingredients of choice to make salad.  Chill to blend the flavors.

No matter how you cook your potatoes, I encourage you to give the brining idea a try.  I feel it really enhances the flavor of the potato chunks.

Linking to these great parties:
Cast Party Wednesday
Wicked Good Wednesday
Show and Share Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday
Work It Wednesday
Two Girls and a Party