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.
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!
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