WOW, it has been a long time since I've been here with food news! I won't bore you with all that is going on because I know you have your own stuff happening. It IS Christmas after all. Today, is Christmas Eve! Happy Birthday, Jesus!!
New News: I'm excited about a new food blog I've found! The woman writing it is, like myself, diabetic & trying to lose weight. She has some great looking recipes which I will make, then write about. It is obvious, she is much better about portion control than I am! That's my goal (not resolution but G-O-A-L) for 2011...learning to be better on portion control. I normally serve healthy food but eating too much of even healthy food is not a good thing! My tongue and mind stay in a constant battle! Judging by the extra weight I carry around...the tongue wins too often! LOL
So, here's a quickie recipe to try while you're off for the holidays. It's a Tweaked recipe, of course, and very flexible and adaptable for your taste and/or food restrictions. I call them Baby Quiches. They are healthy in both ingredients and portion size. More healthy that regular quiche because they do not have a crust. I make them in a muffin pan, so I get 12 with one batch! Two fit neatly into a snack size baggie for transporting to work. Remember, you can Tweak it any way you like. I like to take the time to caramelize sweet onions first, so worth the time but if you're in a hurry don't bother. It's a low, slow process for just the right sweetness, color and texture - don't short-change yourself or the recipe if you don't have time to do it right. (Yes, that's the perfectionist in me raising her ugly head but she's right about this! LOL). You can use any variety of veggies, meats or cheeses. I like porcini mushrooms for the depth of flavor and complexity they bring. Spinach is always good. Onions...well, we've covered that but you can just saute some with the veggies as an alternative to the caramelized bits of heaven. I DO saute the veggies and meats after chopping them into small pieces. Makes the cooking time shorter and you can more evenly divide them into the individual muffin cups.
Baby Quiche 350 degree oven
5 LARGE eggs, takes more if using smaller ones
2-3 mushrooms
1 1/2 sweet onion sliced about 1/4" across to make rings (if caramelizing)
spinach (frozen or fresh - fresh is quicker - you just throw it in, frozen must be thawed & squeezed)
meat of choice - good place to use left over meat, bacon, sausage, or ham - chopped small pieces
Shredded cheese of choice - measure by the handful - to your taste
milk or half & half - again, add what it takes for the amount of eggs
salt, pepper, nutmeg
Spray muffin pan with cooking or baking spray, set aside. Saute veggies, starting with onions, then add meat (or not), then add mushrooms last. Do not over cook. Divide meat/veggie mixture between muffin cups. Put eggs in bowl, beat, add milk or half&half, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Mix well. Add cheese to egg mixture and divide into muffin cups. Bake till set, only takes a few minutes for them to set and start turning a pretty light golden brown - DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Cool on rack, store in fridge. I put them in the snack baggies when cooled and then just have to grab them and go.
Here's some tips I've learned, often the hard way. You never know exactly how much your 5 eggs will make. Most of the time, if they really are large eggs, 5 is enough but I've had to jump up to 8 when my 'large' eggs weren't as large as the last ones I bought. When I need more, I just beat more eggs and add more milk and pour on top of what is already in cup. Don't overfill, they will rise. Use the regular size muffin pan, not the little ones...you do want to taste them and use them for a meal, after all.
I've made these with broccoli, bell peppers, hot peppers - anything your little heart desires will work as long as the veggies and meat is cut up in small consistent pieces. I've even added some grainy mustard to the egg mixture before and loved it. Get creative! It only takes a minute, come on! All in all, these are a hit around here. I made a batch to send to my Honey's guys at work. They liked them, too.
Okay, this is me, signing off for the last time in 2010. The week after Christmas we are heading out to Costa Rica on a short-term mission trip. I'll see you in 2011. May your Christmas be Jesus-filled and your tummies delight with healthy food! Love you all! Look out 2011, here we come!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Crock-pot...My new Best Friend!
Whoo hoo...I am excited to share my "tweaked" news today! You may be familiar with this already but it was new to me and I'm thankful for stumbling across it. I'm talking about making your holiday dressing in the crock-pot, slow cooker, whatever you call yours. I was taking the dressing to daughter #1, Angela's house for Thanksgiving. We were going early so I had concerns about the dressing getting too cold and having to reheat or worse yet, having it dry out. Over space is always a premium commodity and I went looking for alternatives. I've made it in my electric roaster before, so I knew there were options to be had. I researched online and found many people such as myself were asking if crock-pot dressing was do-able. It is!!!!
You simply mix up your dressing of choice and throw it in the crock-pot for 7 hrs or so. I started cooking mine at 6-ish, turned it on high for the last hour we were home (8-9) so it would stay hot while we made the 45 minute - 1 hour drive to her house and then plugged it back in for the rest of the time. No oven space needed, no dried out dressing and all the convenience of having it stay hot while we ate lunch. We had a buffet, no need to even serve it up! What a deal. We will be doing this in the future, I promise!
I tried a new herb/Italian sausage dressing this year. I made the same recipe minus the Italian sausage for our church Thanksgiving lunch and took an empty pan home. Son Kristopher said he thought our Thanksgiving dressing was too spicy, I'm guessing it was the fennel and maybe rosemary he noted. I made homemade Italian sausage for it so it could be tweaked to taste next time. Daughter-in-love Britney said she thought that's what it was, too. I'd never used rosemary in dressing before but I like to try new things so I went for it. Angela liked it, I liked it, didn't take a poll but no one threw it in the trash, so that's a good thing. The big deal for me was learning to cook it in the crock-pot!
Since I was using fresh Italian pan sausage, I cooked it before adding to the mix. I also cooked the onion, garlic, celery. Don't think I need to cook the veggies next time, they had plenty of time to cook. The meat did, too, actually. I cannot state emphatically enough the difference fresh herbs make! Especially the sage.
My mother loved sage dressing. She always made the dressing for family gatherings. She used canned sage...a lot of canned sage. So much canned sage the dressing turned green. I'm not kidding, it was green dressing ...very sag-gie green dressing. For many years after leaving home I would not use sage, I thought it was nasty based on the green dressing experience. I finally ventured in experimenting with it...in TINY doses. Then I discovered fresh sage and a whole new world opened up for me! I never looked back!
I do use ground sage, a TINY bit, to make chicken and dumplings. When I roll out the dumplings they are dusted with it and/or a little poultry seasoning during the rolling process to infuse the herbs into the dumplings themselves. Even if you make cheater dumplings from canned biscuits you can roll them out and do the same thing or dredge them in a herb/flour mixture before adding to the stock. Every layer of taste adds more complexity and interest. You can add chopped fresh sage to the dumpling mixture for a touch of color interest, too!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. If you tried new recipes, share, please! I would love to hear about it. Give that crock-pot dressing a try, I think you'll love the ease of it all.
Eat well, eat healthy, be happy!
You simply mix up your dressing of choice and throw it in the crock-pot for 7 hrs or so. I started cooking mine at 6-ish, turned it on high for the last hour we were home (8-9) so it would stay hot while we made the 45 minute - 1 hour drive to her house and then plugged it back in for the rest of the time. No oven space needed, no dried out dressing and all the convenience of having it stay hot while we ate lunch. We had a buffet, no need to even serve it up! What a deal. We will be doing this in the future, I promise!
I tried a new herb/Italian sausage dressing this year. I made the same recipe minus the Italian sausage for our church Thanksgiving lunch and took an empty pan home. Son Kristopher said he thought our Thanksgiving dressing was too spicy, I'm guessing it was the fennel and maybe rosemary he noted. I made homemade Italian sausage for it so it could be tweaked to taste next time. Daughter-in-love Britney said she thought that's what it was, too. I'd never used rosemary in dressing before but I like to try new things so I went for it. Angela liked it, I liked it, didn't take a poll but no one threw it in the trash, so that's a good thing. The big deal for me was learning to cook it in the crock-pot!
Since I was using fresh Italian pan sausage, I cooked it before adding to the mix. I also cooked the onion, garlic, celery. Don't think I need to cook the veggies next time, they had plenty of time to cook. The meat did, too, actually. I cannot state emphatically enough the difference fresh herbs make! Especially the sage.
My mother loved sage dressing. She always made the dressing for family gatherings. She used canned sage...a lot of canned sage. So much canned sage the dressing turned green. I'm not kidding, it was green dressing ...very sag-gie green dressing. For many years after leaving home I would not use sage, I thought it was nasty based on the green dressing experience. I finally ventured in experimenting with it...in TINY doses. Then I discovered fresh sage and a whole new world opened up for me! I never looked back!
I do use ground sage, a TINY bit, to make chicken and dumplings. When I roll out the dumplings they are dusted with it and/or a little poultry seasoning during the rolling process to infuse the herbs into the dumplings themselves. Even if you make cheater dumplings from canned biscuits you can roll them out and do the same thing or dredge them in a herb/flour mixture before adding to the stock. Every layer of taste adds more complexity and interest. You can add chopped fresh sage to the dumpling mixture for a touch of color interest, too!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. If you tried new recipes, share, please! I would love to hear about it. Give that crock-pot dressing a try, I think you'll love the ease of it all.
Eat well, eat healthy, be happy!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Green Chilies & Chicken Polenta Casserole
Got a new recipe for you. This past week I spent time with my friend, Tonia, in New Mexico. We made the trip out there to retrieve her year's worth of roasted Hatch peppers she left behind when they came back earlier this fall. They are worth the trip, believe me! Going to a potluck dinner at her mountain home church found us contemplating our contribution to the meal, aside from the two mouthwatering Rum cakes she made.
Tonia made a casserole from polenta and the beloved Hatch chilies.Yummy! We brought back an empty casserole dish...no leftovers to indulge ourselves on. The recipe today is...what else, but a Tweaked recipe I made last night expanding and exploring the world of uses for Polenta...there are many, this is but one. Polenta, if you are not familiar with it, is made of a course ground corn and used instead of potatoes or rice. There are endless uses for it and I intend to try many of them!
Green Chilies & Chicken Polenta Casserole
(makes 1 Square casserole dish) 425 degree preheated oven
1 1/2 C dry Polenta
4 1/2 C chicken stock
1 medium onion - 1/2 fine dice, 1/2 big chopped
4 large cloves garlic crushed
chicken meat from 4 thighs, cooked to make broth
garlic powder, salt, pepper
3 roasted large green chilies chopped, can use frozen or 3 small cans chopped green chilies
shredded white cheddar cheese - use shredded cheese of choice except Velveeta, real cheese!
Cook chicken in large stock pot with at least 6-7 cups of water. Season with large chopped onion, crushed garlic, salt & pepper to taste. Once chicken is done, remove from stock and de-bone once cool enough to handle. Chop chicken & mix with chopped peppers, 1/2 of small diced onions and 1/2 handful of cheese. Set aside while you cook polenta, it will need your undivided attention. Have your casserole dish prepared by spraying with cooking spray all over bottom and sides.
Put 4 1/2 Cups of the broth in a heavy pot, non-stick is good. Save left over broth. When it comes to rolling boil, slowly add polenta stirring continuously as you pour it in. You must stir a lot! It starts thickening up quickly. Cook according to directions, you may need to add more broth is it gets too thick too quickly. Add salt, garlic powder and pepper to polenta to taste. DO NOT USE GARLIC SALT. When it's done, add 1 1/2 handfuls of shredded cheese to polenta, makes it creamy!
Spread a little over 1/2 cooked polenta to cover bottom of casserole dish. Sprinkle light layer shredded cheese over polenta. Spread chicken-chilies mixture over that. Add another layer of shredded cheese. Spread remaining polenta over meat layer. Top with more shredded cheese and add remaining small diced onions.
Bake @ 425 for 20 minutes. Longer if making larger casserole. It is ready when bubbling all over and starting to brown on top. Let it sit to cool some before cutting into squares and serving.
The dish was hearty, tasty and satisfying. It is very easy and quick to build casserole once chicken & stock are ready. I wanted a very savory polenta, so I added the spices even though I cooked it with the broth. You can use water for the polenta, and it would be more appropriate for a different use, say a sweet polenta. But I was after a more intense savory dish. You can use any chicken parts you want, I just prefer the tastier thigh meat. Use either hot or mild peppers, depending on your family preferences. I like hot. I am eager to experiment with other types of peppers, too.
I used a hot sauce of blended chipotle peppers and adobo sauce on the side of mine. My Honey used a milder version of a sauce made from the bit of the chipotle peppers, tomato sauce and sour cream. You could use a picante sauce or nothing at all. Let me know if you try this.
I plan on making a fall polenta with pumpkin soon, my head is spinning with ideas! Stay in touch and eat well!
Tonia made a casserole from polenta and the beloved Hatch chilies.Yummy! We brought back an empty casserole dish...no leftovers to indulge ourselves on. The recipe today is...what else, but a Tweaked recipe I made last night expanding and exploring the world of uses for Polenta...there are many, this is but one. Polenta, if you are not familiar with it, is made of a course ground corn and used instead of potatoes or rice. There are endless uses for it and I intend to try many of them!
Green Chilies & Chicken Polenta Casserole
(makes 1 Square casserole dish) 425 degree preheated oven
1 1/2 C dry Polenta
4 1/2 C chicken stock
1 medium onion - 1/2 fine dice, 1/2 big chopped
4 large cloves garlic crushed
chicken meat from 4 thighs, cooked to make broth
garlic powder, salt, pepper
3 roasted large green chilies chopped, can use frozen or 3 small cans chopped green chilies
shredded white cheddar cheese - use shredded cheese of choice except Velveeta, real cheese!
Cook chicken in large stock pot with at least 6-7 cups of water. Season with large chopped onion, crushed garlic, salt & pepper to taste. Once chicken is done, remove from stock and de-bone once cool enough to handle. Chop chicken & mix with chopped peppers, 1/2 of small diced onions and 1/2 handful of cheese. Set aside while you cook polenta, it will need your undivided attention. Have your casserole dish prepared by spraying with cooking spray all over bottom and sides.
Put 4 1/2 Cups of the broth in a heavy pot, non-stick is good. Save left over broth. When it comes to rolling boil, slowly add polenta stirring continuously as you pour it in. You must stir a lot! It starts thickening up quickly. Cook according to directions, you may need to add more broth is it gets too thick too quickly. Add salt, garlic powder and pepper to polenta to taste. DO NOT USE GARLIC SALT. When it's done, add 1 1/2 handfuls of shredded cheese to polenta, makes it creamy!
Spread a little over 1/2 cooked polenta to cover bottom of casserole dish. Sprinkle light layer shredded cheese over polenta. Spread chicken-chilies mixture over that. Add another layer of shredded cheese. Spread remaining polenta over meat layer. Top with more shredded cheese and add remaining small diced onions.
Bake @ 425 for 20 minutes. Longer if making larger casserole. It is ready when bubbling all over and starting to brown on top. Let it sit to cool some before cutting into squares and serving.
The dish was hearty, tasty and satisfying. It is very easy and quick to build casserole once chicken & stock are ready. I wanted a very savory polenta, so I added the spices even though I cooked it with the broth. You can use water for the polenta, and it would be more appropriate for a different use, say a sweet polenta. But I was after a more intense savory dish. You can use any chicken parts you want, I just prefer the tastier thigh meat. Use either hot or mild peppers, depending on your family preferences. I like hot. I am eager to experiment with other types of peppers, too.
I used a hot sauce of blended chipotle peppers and adobo sauce on the side of mine. My Honey used a milder version of a sauce made from the bit of the chipotle peppers, tomato sauce and sour cream. You could use a picante sauce or nothing at all. Let me know if you try this.
I plan on making a fall polenta with pumpkin soon, my head is spinning with ideas! Stay in touch and eat well!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Pumpkin Pancakes
Eating seasonal food, fresh seasonal foods, is one of my favorite things about Fall. I have yet to find a squash I didn't like or a way to fix it.....ok, I'm not terribly fond of overcooked, watery squash. But then again, I'm not fond of anything overcooked. Winter squashes come in a variety of colors and color is good for you when it comes to food...and in my case, sanity. Gotta have color in my world.
Squash's cousin, pumpkin, is another fav. I saw on the news where the pumpkin crop is not going to be as good this year, consequently, less available and more pricey. They suggested you buy canned pumpkin while you can find it because it might get harder to find closer to the holidays. I did just that, bought two can of plain pumpkin puree for the pantry. I'll get more when I go next because my mind keeps thinking of new ways to use it. I wanted to make pumpkin pancakes this morning. SO... I did. I figured there was a recipe out there somewhere for it and sure enough, you can find several. I was on Everyday Foods website to get a turkey meatloaf recipe I saw made on the PBS show, so I just looked to see what Ole' Martha Stewart had to offer.
Squash's cousin, pumpkin, is another fav. I saw on the news where the pumpkin crop is not going to be as good this year, consequently, less available and more pricey. They suggested you buy canned pumpkin while you can find it because it might get harder to find closer to the holidays. I did just that, bought two can of plain pumpkin puree for the pantry. I'll get more when I go next because my mind keeps thinking of new ways to use it. I wanted to make pumpkin pancakes this morning. SO... I did. I figured there was a recipe out there somewhere for it and sure enough, you can find several. I was on Everyday Foods website to get a turkey meatloaf recipe I saw made on the PBS show, so I just looked to see what Ole' Martha Stewart had to offer.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Portabella Ravioli with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Hey there....no, I didn't fall off the earth, just cocooned till Book 1 was finished and...Ta-Da...it's finished! It is with the first read editors. This is a big step, it was like turning over my newborn. Thankfully, I have faith and trust in both, so I know they will do their job of editing and still take care of my baby!! Tomorrow, I start writing Book 2 in the series. I have my outline in place, some research done and I'm eager to start.
So, I've got a new Tweaked Recipe for you. This is a take on a recipe I saw on Lidia's Italy...tweaked, of course! My Go-To staple, Portabella Mushroom Ravioli, makes the base of this simple mouth tingling delight.
I used a heavy cast iron skillet for the sauce and a tall pot of boiling water to start the ravioli.
Portabella Ravioli with Spicy Garlic Sauce
1 bag HEB brand of Portabella Mushroom Ravioli (can use ravioli or pasta of choice) $2.50
4 healthy sized cloves of garlic sliced, not too thin, not too fat
ground hot peppers - I used 1 hot, 1 med & 1 kind of sweet pepper, all dried, ground in coffee grinder
salt & pepper to taste
1 to 1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
Bring water almost to boil meanwhile warm a dry skillet over flame. Once water is boiling, drop ravioli in. Immediately put oil in skillet, when shimmering, add sliced garlic to toast over medium low heat. Watch garlic carefully, it gets bitter if burned and it burns easily. It only takes a few minutes, it's worth standing over. When garlic is starting to turn golden, add ground hot peppers - 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons, and toast together with garlic gently for a minute. Add salted pasta water, 1 ladle full at a time for a total of 3 or 4, depending on size of ladle. Turn heat to medium. This cooks down to make sauce. When Ravioli is about 1/2 done, transfer with slotted spoon into simmering sauce, it finishes cooking in sauce as it reduces. Salt & pepper to taste.
This is simple, easy, quick, cheap and makes your mouth do the happy dance. I will add a bit more ground hot peppers next time, and there WILL be a next time, because we like spicy hot stuff. It was satisfying on it's own, so I didn't add a side dish. Dried peppers in the market are cheap, so do not go with the bottled stuff if you can get around it. A pepper plant in a pot will give you a lot of peppers to dry and use throughout the year. The three peppers I used made enough ground leftovers I could make the dish 2-3 more times without needing to grind more. It's in a ziplock bag in the spice drawer, will keep nicely.
P.S. You can clean your coffee grinder after chilis by grinding up a piece of bread, works like a charm! I didn't have bread, so I put in handful of flour, whirled it around a bit and then wiped it out. That worked well, too.
Let me know if you try it. Seriously, this was incredibly easy & fast. Budget friendly, too!
So, I've got a new Tweaked Recipe for you. This is a take on a recipe I saw on Lidia's Italy...tweaked, of course! My Go-To staple, Portabella Mushroom Ravioli, makes the base of this simple mouth tingling delight.
I used a heavy cast iron skillet for the sauce and a tall pot of boiling water to start the ravioli.
Portabella Ravioli with Spicy Garlic Sauce
1 bag HEB brand of Portabella Mushroom Ravioli (can use ravioli or pasta of choice) $2.50
4 healthy sized cloves of garlic sliced, not too thin, not too fat
ground hot peppers - I used 1 hot, 1 med & 1 kind of sweet pepper, all dried, ground in coffee grinder
salt & pepper to taste
1 to 1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
Bring water almost to boil meanwhile warm a dry skillet over flame. Once water is boiling, drop ravioli in. Immediately put oil in skillet, when shimmering, add sliced garlic to toast over medium low heat. Watch garlic carefully, it gets bitter if burned and it burns easily. It only takes a few minutes, it's worth standing over. When garlic is starting to turn golden, add ground hot peppers - 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons, and toast together with garlic gently for a minute. Add salted pasta water, 1 ladle full at a time for a total of 3 or 4, depending on size of ladle. Turn heat to medium. This cooks down to make sauce. When Ravioli is about 1/2 done, transfer with slotted spoon into simmering sauce, it finishes cooking in sauce as it reduces. Salt & pepper to taste.
This is simple, easy, quick, cheap and makes your mouth do the happy dance. I will add a bit more ground hot peppers next time, and there WILL be a next time, because we like spicy hot stuff. It was satisfying on it's own, so I didn't add a side dish. Dried peppers in the market are cheap, so do not go with the bottled stuff if you can get around it. A pepper plant in a pot will give you a lot of peppers to dry and use throughout the year. The three peppers I used made enough ground leftovers I could make the dish 2-3 more times without needing to grind more. It's in a ziplock bag in the spice drawer, will keep nicely.
P.S. You can clean your coffee grinder after chilis by grinding up a piece of bread, works like a charm! I didn't have bread, so I put in handful of flour, whirled it around a bit and then wiped it out. That worked well, too.
Let me know if you try it. Seriously, this was incredibly easy & fast. Budget friendly, too!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Bits-N-Pieces Soup
The beauty of Bits-N-Pieces Soup is that it is probably different every time you make it! The name does not conjure up visions of fancy cuisine by an elite chef in a five star restaurant but it is healthy, economical, eco-friendly and just plain tasty.
The name, Bits-N-Pieces Soup is also very descriptive because it is made from bits and pieces of veggies, like the stalks of broccoli when not needed for original dish, are saved and frozen for later use. You can make stock from them, use them to make a soup and/or base for anything else later down the road. Food is not wasted and nutrition is boosted by using the bits and pieces leftover from something else. I routinely freeze scraps, un-used pieces (for instance, the white ends of green onions when I only need the green tops) for another time. I gathered all my ziplock freezer bags labeled....you guessed it, Bits-N-Pieces....and made a delicious soup for dinner the other night.
This time I had broccoli stalks (I peeled & chopped), end pieces of onions, the stalks of Swiss chard (chopped), and a few carrot nubs. To that I added, fresh garlic, more onion, 1/2 pound (half a bag) of lentils, 2 bay leaves, 2 red sweet chilies, 1 red hot chili, 4 small potatoes (large dice) just barely past their prime but too good to waste, 1/2 link of venison sausage and 4 skinless chicken thighs. It turned into a pot of dense goodness just oozing with nutrition. I served it with flat garlic Indian bread brushed lightly with olive oil, then heated till fragrant and we literally licked our fingers when done!
I compost veggie peelings & seeds (unless they are winter squash seeds - I save some to plant and roast the others- hmm, snacks!) but I save the hunks, nubs and pieces for Bits-N-Pieces bags. Dinner doesn't have to be fancy every time to be delicious and we do not have to be wasteful any of the time! My cousin, Terry, saves left over cooked veggies, like green beans, corn, etc in a large freezer bag for a soup starter. People pay good money at the supermarkets to buy soup starter kits and you can build one as you go by making your own Bits-N-Pieces bags. Did you know that if you save the paper-like skins from yellow onions you can use them to flavor stocks and soups. You can use any color skins but the yellow contribute a rich color to stock as well as flavor. You can let them cook down to nothing or strain them out but certainly use them, do not let them go to waste. Put them in your Bits-N-Pieces bags!
I also save and freeze leftover breads and rolls. Last night I made a salmon loaf using bread crumbs I made from leftover Italian bread I let dry out, then crumbled using a rolling pin and plastic bag. You can use a food processor for that job but why spin the light meter when a rolling pin gives you the same result and a workout at the same time? Maybe this post needs to go on The Simple Life at Hacienda Hill, too, the blog I write where I talk about going greener, getting back to basics, shedding the excess in our homes, etc.
I don't know about you but it nearly kills me to have to throw out food that is not used or has gone bad. So, friends, if you do not already practice this, get out a freezer bag and start. Fresh veggies are better for your family's health and provide an ongoing contribution to your Bits-N-Pieces bags. Before you know it, you, too, can make Bits-N-Pieces Soup! Cook healthy, wisely and eat well!
The name, Bits-N-Pieces Soup is also very descriptive because it is made from bits and pieces of veggies, like the stalks of broccoli when not needed for original dish, are saved and frozen for later use. You can make stock from them, use them to make a soup and/or base for anything else later down the road. Food is not wasted and nutrition is boosted by using the bits and pieces leftover from something else. I routinely freeze scraps, un-used pieces (for instance, the white ends of green onions when I only need the green tops) for another time. I gathered all my ziplock freezer bags labeled....you guessed it, Bits-N-Pieces....and made a delicious soup for dinner the other night.
This time I had broccoli stalks (I peeled & chopped), end pieces of onions, the stalks of Swiss chard (chopped), and a few carrot nubs. To that I added, fresh garlic, more onion, 1/2 pound (half a bag) of lentils, 2 bay leaves, 2 red sweet chilies, 1 red hot chili, 4 small potatoes (large dice) just barely past their prime but too good to waste, 1/2 link of venison sausage and 4 skinless chicken thighs. It turned into a pot of dense goodness just oozing with nutrition. I served it with flat garlic Indian bread brushed lightly with olive oil, then heated till fragrant and we literally licked our fingers when done!
I compost veggie peelings & seeds (unless they are winter squash seeds - I save some to plant and roast the others- hmm, snacks!) but I save the hunks, nubs and pieces for Bits-N-Pieces bags. Dinner doesn't have to be fancy every time to be delicious and we do not have to be wasteful any of the time! My cousin, Terry, saves left over cooked veggies, like green beans, corn, etc in a large freezer bag for a soup starter. People pay good money at the supermarkets to buy soup starter kits and you can build one as you go by making your own Bits-N-Pieces bags. Did you know that if you save the paper-like skins from yellow onions you can use them to flavor stocks and soups. You can use any color skins but the yellow contribute a rich color to stock as well as flavor. You can let them cook down to nothing or strain them out but certainly use them, do not let them go to waste. Put them in your Bits-N-Pieces bags!
I also save and freeze leftover breads and rolls. Last night I made a salmon loaf using bread crumbs I made from leftover Italian bread I let dry out, then crumbled using a rolling pin and plastic bag. You can use a food processor for that job but why spin the light meter when a rolling pin gives you the same result and a workout at the same time? Maybe this post needs to go on The Simple Life at Hacienda Hill, too, the blog I write where I talk about going greener, getting back to basics, shedding the excess in our homes, etc.
I don't know about you but it nearly kills me to have to throw out food that is not used or has gone bad. So, friends, if you do not already practice this, get out a freezer bag and start. Fresh veggies are better for your family's health and provide an ongoing contribution to your Bits-N-Pieces bags. Before you know it, you, too, can make Bits-N-Pieces Soup! Cook healthy, wisely and eat well!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Enchilada Victory!
The tweaked Chicken Enchiladas worked!!!! I love it when a plan comes together! Yesterday I talked about coming up with a plan to make chicken enchiladas from leftover chicken and dumplings. It was all very basic, really, just had to think it through.
I had to heat the C&D (chicken & dumplings) to get them to drain enough in the colander. While this was going on I chopped onions & peppers and grated the white Vermont cheddar. Once the C&D drained, I just had to take a fork to shred the chicken and chop the dumplings all at the same time. That was a time saver.
I had used the usual suspect herbs in making the C&D like sage, rosemary, thyme...the things used in poultry seasoning....and considered I better add some yellow Vermont cheddar and the chopped peppers to the C&D to mask the normal C&D flavor a bit more. I also grated some onion to go in the C&D mixture. Worked like a charm.
For the C&D stock to magically turn into enchilada cream sauce I added some of the white cheddar, a bit of finely grated mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
I rolled the tortillas up in a wet dishtowel & warmed in microwave for 40 seconds, just enough to make them more pliable. Then filled and rolled the enchiladas, placing them in a 13X9 baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. I poured the 'secret' sauce over them, lifting to make sure some of it got under them as well. Covered them with the rest of the white cheddar, topped that with chopped white onions and added a bit of Smoked Paprika for a touch of color and that subtle smoky taste. Baked @ 450 till bubbly hot and starting to brown just a touch. Served the enchiladas with refried beans (traditional style but no fat ) sprinkled with grated yellow cheddar cheese and finely chopped purple onion.
First, let's just say upfront that nothing smells better than cheese and onions baking together so the mouth gets ready for that early on! The texture was great, the dumplings were indistinguishable from the chicken. The sauce was melted and creamy, just like it is suppose to be. No trace of the former C&D could be tasted...I seriously tried to find any trace but there was none!
Ok, I've shared all that to say it doesn't take much to serve leftovers in a different form. While it may have sounded like a long process, it really wasn't. It just took some thought. The preparation went quickly and smoothly because I thought through what it would take to pull it off. I consider that sort of thing an interesting challenge. It's all in how you look at it. It can drudgery and too much trouble or it can be an interesting challenge. We get to make choices about how we approach things. If we have to cook anyway, might as well make it fun!
Also, let me say it is ok to get experimental. You will have your own victories and you will have flops. I DO!!! No one makes a home run all the time. I made a stir-fry dish not too long ago with brown rice. I cooked it all in a large cast iron skillet. It had soy sauce in it...see where this is going? It looked awful! It was shades of brown and gray thanks to the cast iron skillet, brown rice & soy sauce. It tasted good but it was rather hard to get around the visual. Since I had used left over rice and meat in the first place, I wasn't so bent on holding on to those leftover! LOL See, this was considered a major flop even tho it tasted good. It happens!!
You just have to stop being intimidated...or lazy (which ever applies) and try. New recipes are created when people tweak an old one. Consider yourself a culinary explorer and jump in. My friend, Mina, is the recipient of leftovers on occasion and she loves it. Share that which you are tired of eating or transform it into something new and exciting. Tweak it!!
I had to heat the C&D (chicken & dumplings) to get them to drain enough in the colander. While this was going on I chopped onions & peppers and grated the white Vermont cheddar. Once the C&D drained, I just had to take a fork to shred the chicken and chop the dumplings all at the same time. That was a time saver.
I had used the usual suspect herbs in making the C&D like sage, rosemary, thyme...the things used in poultry seasoning....and considered I better add some yellow Vermont cheddar and the chopped peppers to the C&D to mask the normal C&D flavor a bit more. I also grated some onion to go in the C&D mixture. Worked like a charm.
For the C&D stock to magically turn into enchilada cream sauce I added some of the white cheddar, a bit of finely grated mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
I rolled the tortillas up in a wet dishtowel & warmed in microwave for 40 seconds, just enough to make them more pliable. Then filled and rolled the enchiladas, placing them in a 13X9 baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. I poured the 'secret' sauce over them, lifting to make sure some of it got under them as well. Covered them with the rest of the white cheddar, topped that with chopped white onions and added a bit of Smoked Paprika for a touch of color and that subtle smoky taste. Baked @ 450 till bubbly hot and starting to brown just a touch. Served the enchiladas with refried beans (traditional style but no fat ) sprinkled with grated yellow cheddar cheese and finely chopped purple onion.
First, let's just say upfront that nothing smells better than cheese and onions baking together so the mouth gets ready for that early on! The texture was great, the dumplings were indistinguishable from the chicken. The sauce was melted and creamy, just like it is suppose to be. No trace of the former C&D could be tasted...I seriously tried to find any trace but there was none!
Ok, I've shared all that to say it doesn't take much to serve leftovers in a different form. While it may have sounded like a long process, it really wasn't. It just took some thought. The preparation went quickly and smoothly because I thought through what it would take to pull it off. I consider that sort of thing an interesting challenge. It's all in how you look at it. It can drudgery and too much trouble or it can be an interesting challenge. We get to make choices about how we approach things. If we have to cook anyway, might as well make it fun!
Also, let me say it is ok to get experimental. You will have your own victories and you will have flops. I DO!!! No one makes a home run all the time. I made a stir-fry dish not too long ago with brown rice. I cooked it all in a large cast iron skillet. It had soy sauce in it...see where this is going? It looked awful! It was shades of brown and gray thanks to the cast iron skillet, brown rice & soy sauce. It tasted good but it was rather hard to get around the visual. Since I had used left over rice and meat in the first place, I wasn't so bent on holding on to those leftover! LOL See, this was considered a major flop even tho it tasted good. It happens!!
You just have to stop being intimidated...or lazy (which ever applies) and try. New recipes are created when people tweak an old one. Consider yourself a culinary explorer and jump in. My friend, Mina, is the recipient of leftovers on occasion and she loves it. Share that which you are tired of eating or transform it into something new and exciting. Tweak it!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tweaked Chicken Enchiladas
Old Mother Hubbard
went to her cupboard
to get her poor doggy a bone.
But when she got there
the cupboard was bare
and so her doggy got none.
We have all had the Old Mother Hubbard moments when we stare into the pantry and wait for inspiration to hit only to find slim pickins' in the inspirational food supply. We've all heard, too, the plaintive cry, "There is nothing to eat!" from the family....what they are really saying is, "There is nothing easy already made just for me to eat."
Such was my experience early this morning when, on a writing break, I contemplated dinner for tonight. Sunday I made a large lasagna. We had it for dinner with our friends and I sent lunch the next day with my Honey. Still, I had one half the lasagna, so I divided it into two healthy meal size packages for two and put it in the freezer for another time. No matter how much he liked the lasagna, my Honey's appreciation for it would have waned quickly had I served it again now.
I made chicken and dumplings for dinner last night. Being the self-proclaimed Queen of Food Tweaked a Bit, I used the ricotta cheese mixture I had left over from making the lasagna in lieu of milk in the chicken and dumplings. It worked like a charm. I didn't add it until the dumplings were done so as not to over cook the ricotta and the result was a rich stock base. I'll remember that trick.
My Honey claims to have been traumatized as a kid by his mother making a month's worth of meneudo at a time and having to eat it until it was gone. Most mothers, at one time or another, have gone overboard on something and the family starts to revolt when it is served again!! With my mother, it was pinto beans. I say all that to say there is nothing wrong with serving leftovers but it goes much better with the family if it doesn't look the same every time. Shake it up, change the presentation, use the leftovers but serve it in a new way. I learned this a long time ago. We cannot afford to waste food and none of us are too good to eat leftover foods. Thus my determination to find ways to use common foods in new ways. Tweak them a bit, don't you know.
I had an idea of how to use the leftover chicken and dumplings, I'm going to make chicken enchiladas from them. I thought about making a different kind of stew by adding veggies but that would be more like the presentation used last night when served in a bowl. I stood and looked into my pantry and nothing jumped out at me so I came back to my desk thinking about how I would have used leftover chicken...then the flash of brilliance, chicken enchiladas. Hmmm....this might be tricky but I believe it can be done!
Then I pondered the ingredients needed for enchiladas. Tortillas - check. Mexican cheese - nope, but I do have some awesome Vermont white cheddar and let's not forget the dumpling stock already has the ricotta, so I think I make that work. Green chilies - nope but I do have some chilies from my garden, both hot and mild that will be a sufficient substitute and add some color.
Here's my plan...I'll drain the chicken and dumplings from the stack base and heat the base in a pot while I shred the chicken. Then I'll chop the dumplings up and mix them with the shredded chicken. I used a thinned rolled dumpling this time so it should work out better than if I had used biscuits or made a softer dumpling. I'll dice of the peppers, adding some to the chicken mixture and some to the stock. I'll also add some of the cheese and diced onion to the chicken mixture. From there things go back to normal enchilada preparations.
Unless I tell him or he reads this post, my Honey will probably not know the enchiladas were made from chicken and dumplings. As long as it works and turns out well, he wouldn't care anyway but the whole idea is to use our food supply efficiently and provide nutritious meals for the family. This is being a good steward of the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This, Friends, is Food Tweaked a Bit!!!!
I'll let you know how it turns out.
went to her cupboard
to get her poor doggy a bone.
But when she got there
the cupboard was bare
and so her doggy got none.
We have all had the Old Mother Hubbard moments when we stare into the pantry and wait for inspiration to hit only to find slim pickins' in the inspirational food supply. We've all heard, too, the plaintive cry, "There is nothing to eat!" from the family....what they are really saying is, "There is nothing easy already made just for me to eat."
Such was my experience early this morning when, on a writing break, I contemplated dinner for tonight. Sunday I made a large lasagna. We had it for dinner with our friends and I sent lunch the next day with my Honey. Still, I had one half the lasagna, so I divided it into two healthy meal size packages for two and put it in the freezer for another time. No matter how much he liked the lasagna, my Honey's appreciation for it would have waned quickly had I served it again now.
I made chicken and dumplings for dinner last night. Being the self-proclaimed Queen of Food Tweaked a Bit, I used the ricotta cheese mixture I had left over from making the lasagna in lieu of milk in the chicken and dumplings. It worked like a charm. I didn't add it until the dumplings were done so as not to over cook the ricotta and the result was a rich stock base. I'll remember that trick.
My Honey claims to have been traumatized as a kid by his mother making a month's worth of meneudo at a time and having to eat it until it was gone. Most mothers, at one time or another, have gone overboard on something and the family starts to revolt when it is served again!! With my mother, it was pinto beans. I say all that to say there is nothing wrong with serving leftovers but it goes much better with the family if it doesn't look the same every time. Shake it up, change the presentation, use the leftovers but serve it in a new way. I learned this a long time ago. We cannot afford to waste food and none of us are too good to eat leftover foods. Thus my determination to find ways to use common foods in new ways. Tweak them a bit, don't you know.
I had an idea of how to use the leftover chicken and dumplings, I'm going to make chicken enchiladas from them. I thought about making a different kind of stew by adding veggies but that would be more like the presentation used last night when served in a bowl. I stood and looked into my pantry and nothing jumped out at me so I came back to my desk thinking about how I would have used leftover chicken...then the flash of brilliance, chicken enchiladas. Hmmm....this might be tricky but I believe it can be done!
Then I pondered the ingredients needed for enchiladas. Tortillas - check. Mexican cheese - nope, but I do have some awesome Vermont white cheddar and let's not forget the dumpling stock already has the ricotta, so I think I make that work. Green chilies - nope but I do have some chilies from my garden, both hot and mild that will be a sufficient substitute and add some color.
Here's my plan...I'll drain the chicken and dumplings from the stack base and heat the base in a pot while I shred the chicken. Then I'll chop the dumplings up and mix them with the shredded chicken. I used a thinned rolled dumpling this time so it should work out better than if I had used biscuits or made a softer dumpling. I'll dice of the peppers, adding some to the chicken mixture and some to the stock. I'll also add some of the cheese and diced onion to the chicken mixture. From there things go back to normal enchilada preparations.
Unless I tell him or he reads this post, my Honey will probably not know the enchiladas were made from chicken and dumplings. As long as it works and turns out well, he wouldn't care anyway but the whole idea is to use our food supply efficiently and provide nutritious meals for the family. This is being a good steward of the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This, Friends, is Food Tweaked a Bit!!!!
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Mixed Olive Tapenade
Last night we had our friends, Nancy & Steve, over for dinner. A casual little affair, perfect for a Sunday evening. The menu consisted of an appetizer of Mixed Olive Tapenade on Parmesan Pita crackers, a simple salad, lasagna and garlic bread served with tea and/or a sweet red table wine.
My Honey wakes up in a new culinary world everyday and he was quite taken with the olive tapenade. I have made it before but apparently, not recently enough that he remembered. It's a simple, easy to make appetizer you will not find at every social gathering, so give it a try.....assuming you like olives!
I've included an 'official' recipe below for those that like pictures but the beauty of this olive tapenade is that it is as flexible as any recipe an come. I used three kinds of olives for mine this time - green Spanish olives, black olives and Calamata olives. The calamata are a bit more expensive and there is nothing wrong with using just the black olives...I did the first two times I made this dish and loved it! The black olives need to be the base ingredient. Green olives brighten the flavor but could quickly over power. For last night's batch I used:
2 cans pitted large black olives, 1 jar of 'salad' green olives (the cheaper, already half sliced, crunched kind) and 1/3 a jar of the Calamata olives. I also crushed 2 medium sized garlic cloves and threw them in the food processor, too. As the olives blend and get chopped, drizzle olive oil in to the desired consistency. You want it spreadable, not runny. Do not add salt because, well, you ARE using salty olives after all. You can store this stuff in the fridge but let it get to room temp before serving.....cold olive oil, yuk! This combo of ingredients made enough for the four of us last night with dinner and another batch I put in the fridge, so it would be plenty to serve at a larger gathering.
Here is a good tip, whatever you decide to serve it on needs to be rather plain, the olive tapenade stands alone in an independent "Here I am" kind of way, so anything too complex would be distracting. I served HEB brand of Parmesan Baked Pita Chips. They are bite sized and made a good partner. My Honey spread the tapenade on a hunk of garlic bread. That worked well for him!
Let me know if you try this and what you think. It was a hit last night. Remember, the best food is that which you tweak just a bit!! Recipe below, too.
Black Olive Tapenade with Crostinis - Appetizer
OK, it's just canned, drained and chopped black olives with oil on toast. A French appetizer, tapenade is typically made with capers, black olives, anchovies and olive oil. Just put it all in a food processor until it's the consistency of hot dog pickle relish. Crostini is Italian for "little toast" made with olive oil, salt and pepper. The Chef's latest recipe is sophisticated and simple, like a black evening dress -- a perfect party starter.
Black Olive Tapenade is a quick budget appetizer that you can make your own. There are many variations that the Mediterranean region has adapted -- so feel free to do the same. If you have sun-dried tomatoes in oil, add it; don't like anchovies, leave them out; capers too expensive, add a little chopped garlic instead; got some window-box herbs, add a few sprigs.
This versatile appetizer can be served on your favorite cracker or cut pita triangles. It even goes well as an extra topping on pizza. Black olives are a favorite budget item this Chef never tires of.
Ingredients for Tapenade (serves 4)1 15oz. can of pitted black olives - drained
1/3 cup of olive oil*
Pepper to taste
All the following ingredients are optional -- use any or all.
3 large sun dried tomato halves with oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic - jar or fresh
1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - including parsley, sage or oregano
1 tbsp. capers - drained
1 whole anchovy from can
1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
Crostini2 French rolls - 6 inch size or just 1/2 loaf - sliced.
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle bread slices with olive oil and salt and pepper. Toast in oven or toaster oven for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.
Directions for Tapenade
Simple, just combine all the ingredients you have on hand and blender, or food process, until finely chopped. Ready to serve on Crostini toast, crackers or pita triangles. You can prepare way ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
*Ok to use less olive oil, too.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Truth About Liver
Let's talk about liver. Liver is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Me, I like it...my Honey, wouldn't eat it. One day we were having lunch at a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio and one of the specials was liver, grilled with onions. Thought I'd give it a try. It was awesome! Not like the liver my mother used to overcook but so tender it melted in your mouth. It apparently looked and smelled as good as it tasted because my Honey asked for a bite. He was a confirmed liver hater from way back! I had never eaten grilled liver before and I was converted to a devotee that very day. So was my Honey, much to both our surprise. We have since been back and he ordered it for himself.
The big perk about liver is how extremely healthy it is. Love it or hate it, you just cannot get around the health benefits. Check out the graph below...nutrients and calorie count just can't be beat!
Last night I tried grilling it at home like the restaurant prepared it. We had asked how they prepared it last time we were there. Let me tell you, nothing could have been easier. Cut liver into equal portion sizes. Heat grill or cast iron skillet to screaming hot. Lightly salt meat, place in pan or on grill. Cook quickly, till first side is grilled and brown. Turn over and cook another couple of minutes on second side. Seriously, it only takes a few minutes! DO NOT OVERCOOK! After taking it off heat, let it rest before cutting. Throw sliced onions in skillet when the meat is removed. They will cook quickly, too. I served it with black beans and rice with a green salad. Yummy! That's as easy as it gets, a touch of salt, hot grill or skillet and presto, grilled liver & onions! Takes longer to slice onions that to cook liver!
If it's been awhile since you tried liver, give this a shot. My Honey sat at the table last night saying he NEVER would have thought he would eat liver again, much less love it!! Put on your Big Girl or Boy panties and try it because your health is worth it. It fights all those nasty things like cancer, emphysema, it has cardiovascular benefits, boosts your immune system and increases energy! If you already like it, grilled liver is a new experience you will love!
Happy eating!
The big perk about liver is how extremely healthy it is. Love it or hate it, you just cannot get around the health benefits. Check out the graph below...nutrients and calorie count just can't be beat!
Last night I tried grilling it at home like the restaurant prepared it. We had asked how they prepared it last time we were there. Let me tell you, nothing could have been easier. Cut liver into equal portion sizes. Heat grill or cast iron skillet to screaming hot. Lightly salt meat, place in pan or on grill. Cook quickly, till first side is grilled and brown. Turn over and cook another couple of minutes on second side. Seriously, it only takes a few minutes! DO NOT OVERCOOK! After taking it off heat, let it rest before cutting. Throw sliced onions in skillet when the meat is removed. They will cook quickly, too. I served it with black beans and rice with a green salad. Yummy! That's as easy as it gets, a touch of salt, hot grill or skillet and presto, grilled liver & onions! Takes longer to slice onions that to cook liver!
If it's been awhile since you tried liver, give this a shot. My Honey sat at the table last night saying he NEVER would have thought he would eat liver again, much less love it!! Put on your Big Girl or Boy panties and try it because your health is worth it. It fights all those nasty things like cancer, emphysema, it has cardiovascular benefits, boosts your immune system and increases energy! If you already like it, grilled liver is a new experience you will love!
Happy eating!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Morning, Sunshine!
A couple of times a year, my Honey and I fast as a spiritual disciple. I am diabetic, so a total fast is out of the question. Fasting is a denial of flesh, so fasting can be as individualized as you make it. For us, we found a Daniel Fast works. This fast is based off the dietary disciplines followed by Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, after being taken captive by Nebuchadnzzar, King of Babylon. You might recall they were taken captive and being groomed to serve in the King's personal service, given rich food and wine to drink as part of this grooming. Daniel and his buddies asked permission not to eat and drink this fare lest their bodies be defiled. He asked for vegetables and water rather than the rich food of the king.
So, a Daniel fast is one where we partake in grains, veggies and fruit, abstaining from meat, breads, sweets, etc. This diet is totally do-able!! I've said all that to say this: As a part of our fasting menus, I've discovered Morning Star Farms vegetarian products. I've tried many, discarded those that were less than tasty and keep an open mind as I run across additional products they come up with. My latest discovery is their Asian Patties. Looks like meat but is made up of soy and other veggies, and spices to tantalize the tongue! This is my new favorite. We are not currently on a fast but I buy them anyway just 'cuz.
They make an excellent breakfast food when topped with an egg, cooked with a soft yolk (my preference). Thus my tweaked a bit name 'Morning, Sunshine!' I've also had a lunch or dinner meal of the Asian Patty/egg with sliced avocado and no-fat refried beans...Yummy! I stay away from bread as much as I can but I bet they would make excellent sandwiches, too.
Another Morning Star meatless patty I like is the one with black beans and corn (can't remember the name off the top of my head but I bet it has Southwest in it somewhere) covered in a fresh salsa. I like the Mushroom Lover's Burger (sans bun, of course) covered in sauteed onions and mushrooms...another Yummy!
Trust me, going meatless is not as painful as it might sound. For my Honey, the hard part is giving up bread and tortillas (remember, he makes a taco out of everything)...and sweet stuff. I am blessed not to be bothered by those issues.
Ok, there you have it, another sound, healthy food idea to try in our continuing efforts to nourish our bodies and souls without the junk and fat. Keep your food colorful, the way nature made it and God intended. If you don't think Jesus would have eaten it, neither should you!
So, a Daniel fast is one where we partake in grains, veggies and fruit, abstaining from meat, breads, sweets, etc. This diet is totally do-able!! I've said all that to say this: As a part of our fasting menus, I've discovered Morning Star Farms vegetarian products. I've tried many, discarded those that were less than tasty and keep an open mind as I run across additional products they come up with. My latest discovery is their Asian Patties. Looks like meat but is made up of soy and other veggies, and spices to tantalize the tongue! This is my new favorite. We are not currently on a fast but I buy them anyway just 'cuz.
They make an excellent breakfast food when topped with an egg, cooked with a soft yolk (my preference). Thus my tweaked a bit name 'Morning, Sunshine!' I've also had a lunch or dinner meal of the Asian Patty/egg with sliced avocado and no-fat refried beans...Yummy! I stay away from bread as much as I can but I bet they would make excellent sandwiches, too.
Another Morning Star meatless patty I like is the one with black beans and corn (can't remember the name off the top of my head but I bet it has Southwest in it somewhere) covered in a fresh salsa. I like the Mushroom Lover's Burger (sans bun, of course) covered in sauteed onions and mushrooms...another Yummy!
Trust me, going meatless is not as painful as it might sound. For my Honey, the hard part is giving up bread and tortillas (remember, he makes a taco out of everything)...and sweet stuff. I am blessed not to be bothered by those issues.
Ok, there you have it, another sound, healthy food idea to try in our continuing efforts to nourish our bodies and souls without the junk and fat. Keep your food colorful, the way nature made it and God intended. If you don't think Jesus would have eaten it, neither should you!
Friday, September 3, 2010
The 411 on Garlic
As a solid fan of using real garlic that I have to peel and chop myself, I found this article from America's Test Kitchen interesting. I know some people think using fresh is too much trouble but, for me, it is the only way to go. And don't even get me started about garlic-salt!! Anyway, here what the good folks at America's Test Kitchen has to say about their efforts. Share your thoughts!
Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.
Dehydrated garlic is simply minced fresh garlic that is dehydrated before packaging. Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic that’s been pulverized and, unless you buy a high-quality brand, often includes a slew of artificial ingredients and flavorings meant to improve flavor and extend shelf life.
We compared garlic powder and dehydrated minced garlic to the real thing in our recipes for pasta with garlic and oil, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. In the Caesar dressing, flavor differences were minimal; the assertive flavors of lemon, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce masked any processed garlic taste. In the pasta and garlic bread, however, tasters preferred the unmistakable bite of real garlic.
Our opinion? In most instances, nothing compares to fresh cloves, especially when garlic is the predominant flavor in the recipe. We don’t recommend dehydrated garlic, which takes a while to rehydrate and is quite mild. However, there are a few cases in which garlic powder makes sense. We like its mild roasted flavor in spice rubs for meat or in dishes such as roasted potatoes. (Unlike minced fresh garlic, garlic powder will not burn in the oven.) Substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of fresh garlic.
Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.
What is the difference between dehydrated garlic and garlic powder? Are they ever an acceptable replacement for fresh garlic?
Dehydrated garlic is simply minced fresh garlic that is dehydrated before packaging. Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic that’s been pulverized and, unless you buy a high-quality brand, often includes a slew of artificial ingredients and flavorings meant to improve flavor and extend shelf life.
We compared garlic powder and dehydrated minced garlic to the real thing in our recipes for pasta with garlic and oil, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. In the Caesar dressing, flavor differences were minimal; the assertive flavors of lemon, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce masked any processed garlic taste. In the pasta and garlic bread, however, tasters preferred the unmistakable bite of real garlic.
Our opinion? In most instances, nothing compares to fresh cloves, especially when garlic is the predominant flavor in the recipe. We don’t recommend dehydrated garlic, which takes a while to rehydrate and is quite mild. However, there are a few cases in which garlic powder makes sense. We like its mild roasted flavor in spice rubs for meat or in dishes such as roasted potatoes. (Unlike minced fresh garlic, garlic powder will not burn in the oven.) Substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of fresh garlic.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A Ranting Confession from a Frustrated Cook
I have a confession to make...yesterday I came dangerously close to smacking my husband at the kitchen table. He hurt my feelings in the most insulting of ways. I spent the morning preparing, testing, adjusting spices and ingredients to finally declare my new creation 'superb' and considering myself something of a culinary genius. Go ahead and laugh if you must but this stuff was awesome!!
I proudly set the table for dinner in anticipation of the 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' I just knew were coming. He is awesome about showing appreciation for good food and...as I said, this stuff was GOOD. He commented upon arriving home how wonderful the food smelled and did his usual rush around to get ready to eat. I, in my command of serving and presenting (snicker, snicker) laid before him a meal fit for a king. Three bites into the meal, he turned from the king to the jester when he..I can hardly bear to say it even now..he covered up the taste of my fabulous, well planned and prepared meal with southwest spicy mustard!! Yep, before my disbelieving eyes he globed the mustard on his plate and smothered my masterpiece in it with each bite. I was speechless! And you know that is not a common state for me!!! Seriously, I could not speak...words were not allowed to escape my mouth because I could find nothing to say that wasn't incredulously angry, hurt and bewildered! I just wanted to smack him and smack him till it hurt!
I do believe he noticed the distinct chill in the air at the table and the lack of normal, casual dinner-table talk but I think he was pretty clueless about the horror I was feeling over the mustard. His defense, should he ever realize he needed one...(and don't you think he did?)...was that he did taste it first before he used the mustard, the wildly spicy, overbearing, and taste hiding, hot albeit sweet conglomeration! I know this would be his defense because it is the same one he uses when he disguises my food under the mile high layers of ketchup. (Can you hear the low grumbling growl still rumbling deep inside my being?) He might as well spit on my food, it could not have been more offensive.
I really work at serving him healthy, good quality, great tasting food. I give it much thought and planning, I invest myself in most that I serve him. I say 'most' only because sometimes he request something generic and boring. I CAN do generic and boring but not often! What he does not take into consideration is the effort and trouble I take to present him with this food. His unsophisticated palate does not notice the subtleties of spice combination or the blending of one flavor enhancing another. His overriding lust for sugar dominates everything and it makes me crazy! His little eyes spotted the mustard, his brain screamed "SUGAR" and that was all he thought about. My proud moment of culinary accomplishment went down his pie-hole covered in mustard!!
Thankfully, we needed cat food, so I made an urgent dash to the store to get out and get out quickly! I did not want to see his face, hear his voice or smell the delights I had wasted on the man. I walked around the store until I could breathe normally again. Then I walked some more because I was still emotional about it. Frankly, I walked until I thought things through...over and over again. I tried to rationalize his behavior, make it more palatable (pardon the pun) if you will. I know the issue is all mine and I own it but there is surely a compromise somewhere in this that we both can live with. After 11 years of fighting the ketchup battle, he finally acknowledged that it is the sugar in the ketchup that he likes. I have a witness, so he can no longer deny it. Now, it feels like we are back at square one with the mustard. Prior to smothering my creation, he said he loved it, so I know he wasn't just trying to cover the taste, but come on!!! I've mentioned, in calmer moments, how it bothers me to have my efforts thwarted and nullified by the ketchup. You could throw camouflage paint over the Mona Lisa and say you're just making it better but you are still ruining the original masterpiece!
I walked through Wal-Mart until I was free from explosive anger, free to actually allow myself to love the man without the smacking and free enough to buy him a snack...a sweet snack (is there any other kind, he would ask). He's like a kid, he waits for me to come back in anticipation that I brought him a treat! No kidding, every time. As I walked in the back door he was saying he tried to call me but realized I left my phone at home (he thought that was an oversight, it was not!). He said he had been sending me mental messages and asked if I got them...he wanted me to bring ice cream home. I told him I did not bring ice bream but I did bring flavored yogurt (which he later said he did not like the taste of, I thought of suggesting he cover it in mustard...) and an Almond Joy bar. He devoured the yogurt instantly and washed it down with the Almond Joy.
Tonight's menu....a slab of bologna & stale bread covered in ketchup and mustard. He'll be in @#%$*^$ heaven. Sad commentary, that.****sigh****
I proudly set the table for dinner in anticipation of the 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' I just knew were coming. He is awesome about showing appreciation for good food and...as I said, this stuff was GOOD. He commented upon arriving home how wonderful the food smelled and did his usual rush around to get ready to eat. I, in my command of serving and presenting (snicker, snicker) laid before him a meal fit for a king. Three bites into the meal, he turned from the king to the jester when he..I can hardly bear to say it even now..he covered up the taste of my fabulous, well planned and prepared meal with southwest spicy mustard!! Yep, before my disbelieving eyes he globed the mustard on his plate and smothered my masterpiece in it with each bite. I was speechless! And you know that is not a common state for me!!! Seriously, I could not speak...words were not allowed to escape my mouth because I could find nothing to say that wasn't incredulously angry, hurt and bewildered! I just wanted to smack him and smack him till it hurt!
I do believe he noticed the distinct chill in the air at the table and the lack of normal, casual dinner-table talk but I think he was pretty clueless about the horror I was feeling over the mustard. His defense, should he ever realize he needed one...(and don't you think he did?)...was that he did taste it first before he used the mustard, the wildly spicy, overbearing, and taste hiding, hot albeit sweet conglomeration! I know this would be his defense because it is the same one he uses when he disguises my food under the mile high layers of ketchup. (Can you hear the low grumbling growl still rumbling deep inside my being?) He might as well spit on my food, it could not have been more offensive.
I really work at serving him healthy, good quality, great tasting food. I give it much thought and planning, I invest myself in most that I serve him. I say 'most' only because sometimes he request something generic and boring. I CAN do generic and boring but not often! What he does not take into consideration is the effort and trouble I take to present him with this food. His unsophisticated palate does not notice the subtleties of spice combination or the blending of one flavor enhancing another. His overriding lust for sugar dominates everything and it makes me crazy! His little eyes spotted the mustard, his brain screamed "SUGAR" and that was all he thought about. My proud moment of culinary accomplishment went down his pie-hole covered in mustard!!
Thankfully, we needed cat food, so I made an urgent dash to the store to get out and get out quickly! I did not want to see his face, hear his voice or smell the delights I had wasted on the man. I walked around the store until I could breathe normally again. Then I walked some more because I was still emotional about it. Frankly, I walked until I thought things through...over and over again. I tried to rationalize his behavior, make it more palatable (pardon the pun) if you will. I know the issue is all mine and I own it but there is surely a compromise somewhere in this that we both can live with. After 11 years of fighting the ketchup battle, he finally acknowledged that it is the sugar in the ketchup that he likes. I have a witness, so he can no longer deny it. Now, it feels like we are back at square one with the mustard. Prior to smothering my creation, he said he loved it, so I know he wasn't just trying to cover the taste, but come on!!! I've mentioned, in calmer moments, how it bothers me to have my efforts thwarted and nullified by the ketchup. You could throw camouflage paint over the Mona Lisa and say you're just making it better but you are still ruining the original masterpiece!
I walked through Wal-Mart until I was free from explosive anger, free to actually allow myself to love the man without the smacking and free enough to buy him a snack...a sweet snack (is there any other kind, he would ask). He's like a kid, he waits for me to come back in anticipation that I brought him a treat! No kidding, every time. As I walked in the back door he was saying he tried to call me but realized I left my phone at home (he thought that was an oversight, it was not!). He said he had been sending me mental messages and asked if I got them...he wanted me to bring ice cream home. I told him I did not bring ice bream but I did bring flavored yogurt (which he later said he did not like the taste of, I thought of suggesting he cover it in mustard...) and an Almond Joy bar. He devoured the yogurt instantly and washed it down with the Almond Joy.
Tonight's menu....a slab of bologna & stale bread covered in ketchup and mustard. He'll be in @#%$*^$ heaven. Sad commentary, that.****sigh****
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tacos y Tostadas con Todo
Ah, leftovers! Sometimes they are a delight and other times they become science projects in the back of the fridge. As I've mentioned before, there is no crime in serving leftovers, just make them look new and exciting. Food doesn't have to be boring.
I made Spanish rice one meal for guest recently. I never throw away food but most certainly never leftover rice. One night this week, I was able to utilize that rice in a new presentation. I tweaked it and called it Tacos y Tostadas con Todo (tacos and tostadas with everything)! Recycle, repurpose, renew, refresh….whatever you call it, use that good, healthy food in different ways. I made crispy tacos and tostadas with it. This meal takes less than 10 minutes to cook from start to finish.
Tacos y Tostadas con Todo
Left over Spanish rice
1 lb ground turkey (beef or pork will work, too)
½ large onion chopped, diced – whatever
1 can black beans – rinsed
Cheese of choice –grated
Cilantro - chopped
Salt
Pepper
Garlic – I use fresh but powdered will do in a pinch
Smoked Paprika
Dash of cumin – just a small dash, we ant a hint of flavor, not chili taste
Avocado – diced or mashed optional as garnish
Sour cream – optional as garnish
Salsa – optional as garnish
Onion – small dice for garnish optional
Crispy taco shells or Tostadas
Sautee ½ onions till translucent, add crumbled ground meat. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika & Cook to almost done, Add leftover rice and stir. When combined and hot, add drained black beans and cilantro, stirring gently. Throw in cheese and blend gently as it melts. Fill taco shells and/or spread on tostadas shells and top with favorite garnish. I listed a few but the possibilities are endless. We all have our favorites.
It's a Mexican combo plate in a shell you hold in one hand! What a delicious deal, it just doesn't get any easier or better than that! It's quick, cheap, uses leftovers and sooooo tasty!
Vaya con Dios, mi amigo. Comer bien y ser saludable! (Go with God, my friend. Eat well and be healthy!)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Little of This, Little of That
Our schedule has been rather chaotic of late with a fundraiser for an upcoming mission trip, preparing for a short albeit much needed mini-vacation, preparing for the new school year agenda for the kids at church, house-guest, etc. I said all that to say this: meals at home have been rather hit & miss, finding us eating out, or grabbing something on the run and my body is craving some normalcy in the food department.
The summer squash in my little garden is starting to wane but I still get to harvest at least every other day. The other night I just wanted veggies . My Honey is more inclined to want meat with his dinner, so I roasted some chicken. I cut the squash up in thick slices and put them in the steamer basket of my rice cooker. I added a little water to the pot you usually cook the rice in, added a little sea salt, a sprig of Sweet Basil and a sprig of Tarragon and let it steam away. The whole kitchen smelled divine and the squash absorbed the flavors of the herbs…..yum!!! I swear, I could have just stood at the counter and eaten the squash right out of the steamer and been a very happy (foodie) camper!
I made a new discovery that now bears the title of "My New Favorite Find". It is Great Value (Wal-Mart brand) All Natural Southwest Spicy Mustard. This stuff is good and so very versatile! I've used it on sandwiches (of course), sausage wraps, and even canned salmon I broke into large chucks. I'm not big on canned food but canned salmon can be handy as well as healthy. Broken up in large chunks, topped with a little of this mustard and sitting on thick cucumber slices made for a delightful light lunch. It had the depth of flavor from the salmon, the tangy sweetness of the mustard and the must have crunch of the cool cucumbers to round off the meal.I stumbled on the mustard one day while purchasing a variety of mustard for the sausage wrap sale and trying to be economical. It is, indeed, a great value! Give it a try.
I've been reading suggestions for healthy road trips snacks. My Honey is like a kid; if you keep the snacks flowing he's a better traveling companion! We are about to embark on a 14 hour drive and are on a shoestring budget for the trip so I'll be packing all the food for meals and snacks. I need to keep my Honey happy but I'm not willing to let junk food come along for the ride. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear it.
Frankly, I can't wait for summer to be over, school to resume and menus to feature fall foods! Late fall is my favorite time of year and, eating seasonally, just the best! Lots of food to tweak! Stay in touch!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Fish Achiote & Summer Squash
It takes a sincere love of gardening to be a backyard gardener in south central
Bumper harvest of yellow summer squash again today! Though diving into the big masses of squash plants leave my arms itchy, I eagerly go in search of the delightful and abundant fruit as a child might in search for colored eggs at Easter! I was rewarded for my efforts and my harvesting bag is heavy with proof. The hot peppers, name of which I do not recall – this is my first year to raise this particular pepper but will not be the last – provided another healthy batch for the harvest bag. Sadly, I had to make a hard decision regarding the tomatoes. I have been infested with those beautiful but wickedly deadly to tomato plant caterpillars! Ekk! I decided to pick the green tomatoes in effort to save them at all. My friend and fellow gardener, Helen, gave me some organic spay she swears kills off those plant eaters. I still have some blossoms on one of the plants so I'm hoping to salvage an opportunity for fruit on those. I'll just make green tomato chutney or chow-chow out of the green tomatoes and be thankful for them!
I do have a meal recipe for today. Last night I was craving fish but wanting something easy, quick, and tasty without much energy required. I had some white fish fillets in the freezer so I got creative. First, I cheated and started 3 russet potatoes whole in the microwave for 'baked potatoes'. Eight minutes is all it takes for medium-sized potatoes. Then I took two yellow squash and sliced the across to 'sort of fry' in a wok in a little olive oil. Dusted with some 'Uncle Chris' Steak Seasoning' and a small bit of corn meal, these make a nice substitute for squash or anything else that is usually fried. I do not fry food very often at all, so this method is more common in my kitchen. You think you're eating fried food but it's not really. Then I addressed the main entrée, the fish. Remember it was frozen when I put the potatoes in the microwave. I cut it into planks across the fillet while still fairly solid and just let is sit while I cooked the squash…I wanted to use the same pan, no need to dirty another! Once the squash were all finished I wiped out the pan, and then put in enough water I thought it would take to cover all the fillets. As the water heated, I crumbled in a ball of Achiote paste about the size of half my thumb and added a few dashes of Uncle Chris' Steak Seasoning. Once the seasoned water came to a full boil, I slid the fish into the water and poached till done. This is a fast process unless your fillets are thick.
Achiote paste, should you be unfamiliar, is a staple in Mexican,
Dinner was delightful, healthy (no goopy stuff on potatoes, 1 each and 1 left for Honey's lunch today) easy and quick, less than 30 minutes from start to finish. If you use two pans, you can start the fish before finishing the squash; just remember the fish cooks very quickly so do not start too soon or cook too long. Me, I'm lazy… The simple potato with a touch of real butter (no processed stuff please), the crunch of the cornmeal on the squash leading to the soft interior of tasty seasoned delight combined with the jolt of flavor in every bite of the firm but soft fish meat was a treat. It sang a song of summer flavors and colors. Try it; it's worth the effort to hunt down the Achiote paste!
Let me know if you like it! I love hearing from you.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Watermelon Gazpacho Thriller!
Summertime is in full swing and nothing says summer in
Gazpacho, should you not be familiar with the name, is a cold soup, usually made with a fresh tomato base, and came from
The recipe I made was, as you might expect, tweaked a bit to suit my taste and supply of fresh ingredients. Some watermelon gazpacho recipes called for only watermelon as the main base, the one I made had both watermelon and fresh tomatoes from my garden. They were too pretty and tasty to ignore! This recipe does not make a lot but you can modify to serve more. Here is what I did:
Ingredients:
Appx 2 lbs. ripe summer tomatoes, chunked
1 med. white onion, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 med. cucumber, peeled, chopped
1 clove garlic, halved
small bunch cilantro chopped
Small bunch fresh sweet basil (can use Thai or other variety or skip altogether)
2 skinny hot peppers chopped – use based on heat tolerance – I like it hot!
Appx. 2 lbs. watermelon, seeded
A baseball-sized piece of stale French bread, broken into pieces - optional
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt, to taste
granulated sugar, to taste – optional, I did not add sugar but you can
1/4 C. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, all I had was apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
1. Cut all of your fruit and veggies as directed above. Combine veggies, garlic, watermelon, bread, and paprika. Stir. Add salt, sugar, and pepper to taste. Add olive oil and vinegar.
2. Blend mixture until smooth. If you don’t have a large bowl and a stick blender, you’ll have to work in batches in blender or food processor. It’s a pain but it’s worth it.
3. Test for seasoning and add more if needed.
4. Strain through a wire mesh strainer if desired. Or skip this step and eat it as is! I did not drain. Put in fridge for at least an hour or more to blend flavors. Can be made day before if serving for a dinner party. Just garnish right before serving.
5. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil over top, or sprinkle with a mixture minced watermelon, onion, mint, and tomato (if serving in bowl, I drank it from a cup!)
Let me know what you think!! I love to hear from you.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Pasta Bob with Sausage
I feel very blessed that I love to cook. It’s a necessity in life; no way around it so enjoying it just makes life more pleasurable for me. Apparently being experimental with food is hardwired in me because I venture beyond the mundane entrees that rotated routinely on our dinner table when I was a child. I was determined to fix something different than the usual fare; thus my love of cooking as born.
Being a frugal sort dictated the ongoing search for ways to feed my family ‘food for all the senses’ on a budget. Anyone can put together an elaborate dinner when money is no object, it takes skill and creativity to do the same for us regular folks that stretch our food budget till it’s thin enough to read through. Today’s recipe is one for our bunch. It is versatile, an inexpensive dish that is colorful, quick to prepare and leans toward the healthy side of the road (depending on your choices). It makes a complete meal in one pan. What more can you ask of one dish?
Originally, I made this dish with vermicelli, you know those yellow boxes in the pasta isle that are about as cheap as it gets. I have moved on to whole wheat angel hair pasta that I break up into small pieces. Both are tasty, both quick...your choice. I made this dish for my sister-in-love, Ann, and her husband, Bob. Ann warned me Bob would not eat it so not to be offended. Bob not only ate it, he had seconds! So, when I think of making this now, in my head I call it Pasta Bob…which is a nickname for Pasta Bob Will Actually Eat!
Pasta Bob with Sausage
2 boxes Vermicelli OR 1/2 box (16 oz) whole wheat Angel Hair pasta broken into 2” pieces
1 pkg of turkey link sausage OR link sausage of your choice sliced diagonally in ¼-1/2” pieces
1 can Ro-tel or generic tomatoes with chilies – heat level of preference
½ onion sliced
¼ lb (appx) of asparagus cut into 1 in pieces or broccoli flowerets
1 small can sliced black olives (optional)
2 tbl Olive oil only if using turkey sausage, none if using regular sausage
Bring water to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, sauté onions & sausage in skillet. Drop pasta into water when rolling boil. Only takes a few minutes, do not leave the room! When pasta is almost done, drain. Add asparagus (or broccoli) to onion & sausage mixture at end of cooking time; do not want veggies mushy! Add pasta, can of Ro-tel and black olives (if using). Mix together over heat for only a couple of minutes.
Our choices determine the healthiness of our food even more than our budget. Right now fresh asparagus is on sale for $1.50 at Wal-Mart. Using ¼ of it for this dish leaves me with the rest for other dishes. I use 2 stalks for a morning omelet, so I get veggies to start my day. Two carrots can go far. One large bell pepper stuffed with brown rice & veggies can feed two people…even my people! You can pack a lot of nutrition into quick meals with just a little planning and some judicious shopping; repeat after me: color, texture, nutrition, budget!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Beef and Bean Stew - Crockpot Easy
I love to walk in the door and smell food waiting on me. I am blessed to work from home and be able to have dinner ready for my Honey when he gets home from work. I’m no June Cleaver (tho I did have on a pearl necklace & earrings when he got home yesterday) but I try to give my man the gift of walking in the door to wonderful aromas.
On Sundays I like to get up a little early and put a complete meal in the electric roaster on low to cook while we are at church. By the time we get home, we can smell lunch from the back porch and we’re practically drooling by the time we’ve changed into our more comfy clothes. A little forethought can make this happen for you, too.
Today’s recipe is from our family cookbook, Dinner Will Be Ready When the Smoke Alarm Goes Off! I’ve Tweaked it a bit, of course and it is one that you can tweak in a variety of ways. It only requires dusting off the crock pot that is hiding somewhere. All you ‘working out in the world’ people can do this one and walk in your door to have dinner waiting with wonderful aromas wafting out to greet you, too. If you go with the traditional beef stew option everything is in the crockpot.. If your mornings are too rushed and crazy to assemble before work, brown the beef and mix ingredients the night before, then just pop into crock pot & set on low before you head out!
Remember to start with your meat at room temperature when you can. Pat the meat dry before cutting up so it will brown better.
Beef & Bean Stew
1 pound boneless beef (round or rump)
1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic -- minced
4 medium onions -- quartered
1 19-ounce can beans in sauce** see note below
1 teaspoon honey
1 10-ounce can beef broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Options: You can add cut up potatoes & carrots to this for a more traditional beef stew or add side veggies to complete meal. This is great over mashed potatoes if you opt for leaving veggies out.
Cut beef into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in large saucepan; add meat, garlic, and sauté until meat is browned. Once you lay it in pan, do not move around till brown, then turn and repeat for each side. Add onions, beans, honey, beef broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Transfer to a crock-pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. It will keep till you get home.
***Use beans that will hold up to stirring, like Great White Northern, pintos, kidney beans. Pork-n-beans or navy beans tend to fall apart and get mushy. I have used Ranch Style and it changes the flavor a bit but it is good, too.
Life is too short to make a chore out of everything; so enjoy cooking for your family, the love and good attitude improves the flavors and makes meal time more pleasant.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Portabella Mushroom Ravioli
Perfect working in the garden weather this morning…I can see it plainly through window of my office as I sit inside writing instead. I shall venture out soon however. Writing about food with the veggie garden as my view seems appropriate and inspiring.
Today I am sharing one of my all time favorite Go-To recipes. It is so simple, nutritious and tasty while being the most versatile and potentially limitless in color. The hardest part of this dish is waiting for the water to boil. It starts with a bag of HEB brand Portabella Mushroom Ravioli for a whopping $2.50! This is the base of your meal and your imagination can run wild.
I first served these plain as a side dish. Just cook, drizzle with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and it is wonderful. Then I ventured out and added a handful of frozen green peas immediately before draining them. Same ole’ olive oil, etc. Then one day I decided to add some sausage sliced diagonally to the pot as the ravioli cooked. Hmm! There is no end to the combos you can come up with. My favorites have been asparagus, broccoli, and sliced carrots, left over and shredded chicken…..ok, too many favorites to list them all but you see how versatile this meal can be! Remember, if you are not using fresh veggies, use frozen and only throw in right before you take the ravioli out of the boiling water, except for carrots which need just a few minutes but still just to tender crisp!
Oh, I almost forgot…you can serve with a pasta sauce of choice, too! See? Versatile!
I usually keep two or more bags in the freezer and those last minutes meals are healthy and quick as can be. For the two of us I only cook one bag; that makes enough for dinner and then lunch for one the next day.
Portabella Mushroom Ravioli
1 bag of HEB Hill Country brand Portabella Mushroom ravioli
Chopped fresh or frozen veggies of choice – optional
Chopped, sliced, or shredded (left over meat great) meat of choice – optional
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Boil water, add salt. Drop in ravioli when rolling boil. Stir to separate. Add any veggies last minute, just to heat thru…except frozen green peas, no cooking time at all for those tender little fellows. We like them to POP when bitten into to. Drain well when ravioli floats! Stir in olive oil and seasonings or pasta sauce. Serve hot for happy taste buds and content tummies!
Let me know when you try this and how it worked for you!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Grown-up Green Bean Casserole!
My Honey loves the old standby Green Bean Casserole. I’ve never been much of a fan. When they are having a holiday meal at his job he always signs up to bring it and I make it for him but am thankful I don’t have to eat it. So I got to thinking, what is it about Green Bean casserole I didn’t like? And…can I make it better?
First thing I didn’t like is how mushy it gets…remember, I do not like mushy veggies! Even in casseroles. I like food that is an adventure for your senses…mushy foods just do not bring out the adventurer in me. I want to sink my teeth into something of substance. I’ve seen people use French cut green beans that instantly turn into much when you stir in the other ingredients. Yuk! No texture, no green beans flavor either. So, first thing to go is the canned beans. I opt for frozen cut green beans. *You can thaw them but do not cook them!!! * That’s important. Fresh green beans will need a 1 minute long dip in boiling water and then straight into cold and/or ice water. *Do not cook them*
I’m careful about salt these days and some canned soup can be very high in salt. It is easy to make a simple homemade sauce to replace the canned soup but if you go with the cans, do not add additional salt to the dish during preparation. People can add a bit at the table if they need more but canned anything, unless otherwise stated, has enough salt! So, assuming we are going with soup from a can for convenience sake, I prefer cream of mushroom. Here’s a tip** Generic cream of mushroom soup is every bit as good and a lot less expensive. I use it exclusively now.
As with the green beans, I want mushroom flavor and texture so I add fresh mushrooms for both. You can get them in bulk or in the package but make sure they are plump and pretty! Mushrooms of your choice but plain old white buttons work well. I like to lay sliced portabella mushrooms on top for that special appeal and richness of flavor.
Canned onions are a staple in the dish but they can be stale tasting. I decided to give them an edge by adding fresh bread crumbs I’ve run through my coffee grinder. To clean out the grinder and remove any coffee residue first, I take a slice of plain bread or a hunk of un-sliced and buzz it. It cleans the grinder our very well. Another tip**when you buy French bread or any other kind of bakery bread save any that didn’t get eaten in freezer bags. I save all left over rolls, breads, etc and then use them to make my own breadcrumbs when I need them. Nothing wasted here! You can use store bought bread crumbs if you have to. Adding the bread crumbs to the canned onions give them a boost and they go further, to boot! Wal-Mart has a bag of the fried onions that is far cheaper than the cans & you get more, too!
Here’s my Food Tweaked a Bit version of Green Bean casserole:
1-2 bags of frozen cut green beans (depends on size you are making)…generic work fine!
2 cans of generic mushroom soup or 1 large family sized can
1 large Portabella mushroom sliced or pkg of Portabella slices
1 pkg white button mushrooms sliced or chopped…not too small, you want the texture & flavor!
1 bag or can of fried onions
Bread crumbs…….
In large bowl mix thawed but uncooked green beans with soup and chopped or sliced button mushrooms. Stir gently but mix well. Spread out in 9X13 baking dish (or two smaller ones) that have been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Lay thick Portabella slices down the center of casserole…you can use more if you prefer. *Do not add onions and bread crumbs at this time, they will burn before casserole is done.* Bake in 425* preheated oven till bubbly. Remove from oven to add fried onion & bread crumb mixture over top. You can put just around the edges or cover whole top, my Honey’s preference! Everybody loves the crunch!!! Place back in oven till bread crumbs start browning a bit and onions are releasing their fragrance.
This version brings the comfort of the traditional dish, with more distinct flavor and texture your mouth will appreciate. It’s a more sophisticated, grown-up version of the holiday dish we all grew up with. It’s still easy to prepare, relatively inexpensive and far more interesting! Let me know how this works for you.
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