The annual Presby Pancake Breakfast has come an gone. We served between 250-300 students at Western Carolina University. It left everyone involved exhausted even though we only served half the students we normally do, due to the weather. It was snowing! After making pancakes in bulk, using a 5 gallon bucket, a paint stirrer, and 5 griddles...even the chocolate chip pancakes start to lose their appeal. But it was worth it. And lets not mention the 50 gallons of Presby Punch. It was made in 2 1/2 gallon batches this year instead of 5 gallon batches. Each 5 gallon batch contains the following: 3 liters each of lemon-lime, orange, and raspberry sodas; 2 cans of pineapple juice; 1 can of orange juice concentrate; 1/4 c. sugar; 1 pkg each cherry, fruit punch, and orange kool-aid mix; 1/2 gallon of Sunny Delight; and 1/2 gallon of tea syrup*. Then you fill to 5 gallons with water. Tea syrup...200 tea bags, 5 gallons water, 10 lbs sugar. Need I say more? (by the way...this is the reduced sugar version!). The original recipe called for 20 lbs of sugar in the tea syrup...and 1/2 c. in the punch! But students need to study...all night right? Anyway, Pancakes...I don't want to see any for a while.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Tradition! (orange pear cranberry sauce)
What makes a holiday? The family traditions? The expectations? According to the World English Dictionary a tradition is the body of customs, thought, practices, etc, belonging to a particular country, people, family, or institution over a relatively long period.
If you want to change up your feast this year and have cranberry sauce not from a can...here is a wonderful recipe using the best America has to offer.
Orange Pear Cranberry sauce (makes 2 1/2 pints)
Ingredients:
3 oranges
2 c. diced pears (about 4 whole)
3 c. fresh cranberries (1 16 oz bag)
1 1/2 c. red grape juice
1 tsp cardamon
2 tbsp honey
dash salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
From each orange, peel a 1x3 in. strip and put in a large pot. Juice the oranges, and add to the pot along with the grape juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and cardamon. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add the pears and cranberries. Simmer over med-low heat for about 25 minutes. Remove the orange peel. Let cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate up to 1 week, or process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
This is especially comforting as Thanksgiving rolls around and we remember the traditions that make this holiday special. As my pastor pointed out this morning, not everyone likes Thanksgiving. The symbols of this holiday revolve around food: turkey a bird native to N. America; corn, also native to N. America; and cranberries (you guessed it!) native to N. America. But many people cannot afford to eat lavish meals at the holidays. Some cannot even afford to eat at all. So if you are fortunate enough to have the traditionally holiday spread, give thanks for our countries founding and survival. Give thanks for what is special to you. And remember the violence our country is founded on, and the people less fortunate than you who do not get the lavish Thanksgiving feast. Perhaps you could even donate to a local food bank or volunteer at a soup kitchen!
If you want to change up your feast this year and have cranberry sauce not from a can…here is a wonderful recipe using the best America has to offer.
This is especially comforting as Thanksgiving rolls around and we remember the traditions that make this holiday special. As my pastor pointed out this morning, not everyone likes Thanksgiving. The symbols of this holiday revolve around food: turkey, a bird native to N. America; corn, also native to N. America; potatoes, native to N. America; and cranberries (you guessed it!) native to N. America. But many people cannot afford to eat lavish meals at holidays. Some cannot even afford to eat at all. So if you are fortunate enough to have the traditional holiday spread, give thanks for our countries founding and survival. Give thanks for what is special to you. And remember the violence our country is founded on, and the people less fortunate than you who do not get the lavish Thanksgiving feast. Perhaps you could even donate to a local food bank or volunteer at a soup kitchen!If you want to change up your feast this year and have cranberry sauce not from a can...here is a wonderful recipe using the best America has to offer.
Orange Pear Cranberry sauce (makes 2 1/2 pints)
Ingredients:
3 oranges
2 c. diced pears (about 4 whole)
3 c. fresh cranberries (1 16 oz bag)
1 1/2 c. red grape juice
1 tsp cardamon
2 tbsp honey
dash salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
From each orange, peel a 1x3 in. strip and put in a large pot. Juice the oranges, and add to the pot along with the grape juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and cardamon. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add the pears and cranberries. Simmer over med-low heat for about 25 minutes. Remove the orange peel. Let cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate up to 1 week, or process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Mushroom Cream Sauce
Tonight for dinner Price and I had Alaskan salmon over couscous topped with a mushroom cream sauce. It is important to note the Alaskan part of the salmon, because Alaskan salmon is wild caught. Atlantic or farmed salmon is something no one should ever eat. Not only does it taste icky, it's bad for the environment too! Anyway, while Price and I were at GreenLife grocery this weekend, I pick up a 6oz pack of King Oyster Mushrooms. And so the salmon with a mushroom cream sauce was born. The recipe for the cream sauce is something I picked up this summer while taking a fungi class. It works with most types of mushrooms and is especially good with oyster, king oyster, and shitake mushrooms!
Salmon with a Mushroom Cream Sauce over Couscous
Ingredients for 2:
2 4-6 oz wild salmon filets
1/2 c. couscous
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 c. water
6 oz mushrooms, stipes (stems) removed.
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c. white wine
1 tbsp flour
1 c. milk (not skim!)
Directions:
Bring the couscous, oregano, minced onion, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and water to a boil. Stir once, cover, and set aside off the heat.
Meanwhile, slice the mushroom caps and melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. While they are heating up, add the remaining olive oil to another pan and add the salmon, skin side down. Salt the salmon just a little. Cook the salmon 5-10 minutes until flaky, flipping at least once. Stir the mushrooms around like a stir-fry. Add the wine. Turn up the heat! When the wine has boiled away, whisk the flour into the milk and pour into the mushrooms. Add a little more oregano if desire. Turn the heat to low. When the sauce has reached sauce consistency, dinner is ready (if the salmon is cooked that is!). Fluff the couscous with a fork, spoon half onto each plate. Top with a salmon filet and the mushroom cream sauce.
Enjoy!
Salmon with a Mushroom Cream Sauce over Couscous
Ingredients for 2:
2 4-6 oz wild salmon filets
1/2 c. couscous
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 c. water
6 oz mushrooms, stipes (stems) removed.
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c. white wine
1 tbsp flour
1 c. milk (not skim!)
Directions:
Bring the couscous, oregano, minced onion, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and water to a boil. Stir once, cover, and set aside off the heat.
Meanwhile, slice the mushroom caps and melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. While they are heating up, add the remaining olive oil to another pan and add the salmon, skin side down. Salt the salmon just a little. Cook the salmon 5-10 minutes until flaky, flipping at least once. Stir the mushrooms around like a stir-fry. Add the wine. Turn up the heat! When the wine has boiled away, whisk the flour into the milk and pour into the mushrooms. Add a little more oregano if desire. Turn the heat to low. When the sauce has reached sauce consistency, dinner is ready (if the salmon is cooked that is!). Fluff the couscous with a fork, spoon half onto each plate. Top with a salmon filet and the mushroom cream sauce.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Books and Food and Locavores?
Warning: Food is a very personal subject close to many people's hearts. It can be offending to be told that you are not eating "right". This post is not to criticize how people are eating, but to show my opinion on how I eat. If this doesn't work for you, that's ok. But please try to keep an open mind as you read this...and maybe explore a little before you make your decision on where your food comes from.
I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It has to be one of the best books about food that I have ever read. Where Michael Pollan explores our corrupted and non-sustainable food culture in The Ominvore's Dilemma, Kingsolver shows that it is possible to each locally without giving up good food or flavor. She basically said that if there is something wrong with our food system, then let's not support it. It was more work than just going to the grocery store or supermarket, but local they ate. The goal for her family was to eat local food without sacrificing quality. Basically, vegetables and meat from their garden and neighboring farms or the farmer's market, dairy from the closest organic dairy farm, etc. And it worked...and after the year for their project was up, her family didn't want to go back!
After reading The Ominvore's Dilemma I told Price we could eat whatever we wanted, as long as we knew where it came from. Now I have a new project in mind. I might not be able to go quite as local as the Barbara Kingsolver and her family, but this summer, Price and I are going to try and eat locally grown food. There is a local mill that sells flour, a local bakery that uses it to make their breads...There are local produce stands and farmer's markets that sell everything from meat and eggs to veggies and handmade clothing all from within about 150 miles from here. Local can mean 2 miles or 200 depending on the amounts available where you are. But I will try...
And I will start this winter by eating as much nonprocessed food as possible. Who wants to support the overgrown corn and soy industries anyway? If you don't know what I am talking about look it up. I'll even give you a few places to start.
The Ominvore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Food, Inc.
Fast Food Nation
Slow Foods USA
Ark of Taste
I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It has to be one of the best books about food that I have ever read. Where Michael Pollan explores our corrupted and non-sustainable food culture in The Ominvore's Dilemma, Kingsolver shows that it is possible to each locally without giving up good food or flavor. She basically said that if there is something wrong with our food system, then let's not support it. It was more work than just going to the grocery store or supermarket, but local they ate. The goal for her family was to eat local food without sacrificing quality. Basically, vegetables and meat from their garden and neighboring farms or the farmer's market, dairy from the closest organic dairy farm, etc. And it worked...and after the year for their project was up, her family didn't want to go back!
After reading The Ominvore's Dilemma I told Price we could eat whatever we wanted, as long as we knew where it came from. Now I have a new project in mind. I might not be able to go quite as local as the Barbara Kingsolver and her family, but this summer, Price and I are going to try and eat locally grown food. There is a local mill that sells flour, a local bakery that uses it to make their breads...There are local produce stands and farmer's markets that sell everything from meat and eggs to veggies and handmade clothing all from within about 150 miles from here. Local can mean 2 miles or 200 depending on the amounts available where you are. But I will try...
And I will start this winter by eating as much nonprocessed food as possible. Who wants to support the overgrown corn and soy industries anyway? If you don't know what I am talking about look it up. I'll even give you a few places to start.
The Ominvore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Food, Inc.
Fast Food Nation
Slow Foods USA
Ark of Taste
Monday, November 8, 2010
Crock Pot Beans, Who Knew?: Butternut Chili
I decided to give soup mixes to some people as Christmas gifts. When you make a soup mix, you use dried beans. I have never tried soup mixes with dried beans. I thought they would be difficult to make. And then I discovered...I don't remember where, that you can make beans in a Crock Pot. While beans can be cooked directly and eaten, they are easier to digest if you soak them first, then cook them. And who knew, you can soak up to 2 cups dried beans in a 3 quart crock pot overnight for yummy beans the next day! 2 cups dried makes 5-6 cups cooked. So after realizing how easy dried beans were...here is a recipe for Butternut Chili. It is vegetarian, but feel free to add meat if you want.
Butternut Chili
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed dry beans (I used kidney, cranberry, and great northern)
1 small diced butternut squash (about 1 cup)
1 lg carrot, diced
4-6 cups V8 or other tomato juice
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
Cheese, sour cream, and cornbread for serving
Directions:
Soak beans in crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Add the beans and fill 2/3 way full with water. Drain beans into colander. Rinse crock pot. Return beans to crock pot. Add butternut, carrot, V8 and spices. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir once while cooking and before serving. Serve over cornbread if desired. Top with cheese and sour cream.
If you want to add meat, reduce beans by 1/3 c. dry. Brown 1/2 lb. ground beef, turkey, pork, or chicken. Drain. Add to crock pot with butternut.
Enjoy!
Butternut Chili
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed dry beans (I used kidney, cranberry, and great northern)
1 small diced butternut squash (about 1 cup)
1 lg carrot, diced
4-6 cups V8 or other tomato juice
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
Cheese, sour cream, and cornbread for serving
Directions:
Soak beans in crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Add the beans and fill 2/3 way full with water. Drain beans into colander. Rinse crock pot. Return beans to crock pot. Add butternut, carrot, V8 and spices. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir once while cooking and before serving. Serve over cornbread if desired. Top with cheese and sour cream.
If you want to add meat, reduce beans by 1/3 c. dry. Brown 1/2 lb. ground beef, turkey, pork, or chicken. Drain. Add to crock pot with butternut.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Take a look at school lunch...
A lot of people, most famously Jamie Oliver and Mrs Q., are taking a look at school lunch. If you are interested in school lunch reform, check out the links below.
Lunch with Mrs. Q.
Fed up with school lunch: the school lunch project.
From the Files of Mrs. Q: Teacher Eats School Lunch, Blogs Result (abc article)
Jamie Oliver on HULU
Jamie Oliver's website
Jamie Oliver: Food Revolution
There are plenty of people interested in school lunch reform, Jamie Oliver and Mrs. Q are just a start...and they link to other people.
Lunch with Mrs. Q.
Fed up with school lunch: the school lunch project.
From the Files of Mrs. Q: Teacher Eats School Lunch, Blogs Result (abc article)
Jamie Oliver on HULUJamie Oliver's website
Jamie Oliver: Food Revolution
There are plenty of people interested in school lunch reform, Jamie Oliver and Mrs. Q are just a start...and they link to other people.
Food for the Home Cook: Apple Chewies
I am not a chef. While some of these recipes are adapted from existing recipes, many of them are my own creation...no recipe in sight. Others have been so changed from their original that I doubt if I told the creator I based a recipe off theirs that they would recognize it. I just love to cook. More than that, I love the challenge of cooking with seasonal ingredients, or like now, when there are few veggies in season, seeing what I can make with the ingredients I have on hand. It is fun to me to do a big grocery shop at the beginning of the month, brimming with ideas, knowing I will change what I make, and see how long I can go before the next "big shop". Only picking up something small (like sour cream today) to complement the final product. All of these recipes should be accessible to the home cook. To people without gourmet food stores or weird ingredients. Most are simple, but a few like the one below, require intermediate knowledge. But if you are a beginner, it's ok to dive in. What's the worst that can happen? You feed the result to the dog (p.s. this is a dog safe recipe!).
Anyway, enough rambling. After a meal of butternut chili (for another post) and homemade corn bread, we had APPLE CHEWIES!
Apple Chewies (makes about 3 dozen cookies)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 lg egg, at room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. rolled oats or multigrain hot cereal (this is what I used)
3 small apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix first 4 ingredients together, set aside.
Measure out oats, set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until creamy about 2 minutes.
Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth.
Stir in oats and apples. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy!
Anyway, enough rambling. After a meal of butternut chili (for another post) and homemade corn bread, we had APPLE CHEWIES!
Apple Chewies (makes about 3 dozen cookies)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 lg egg, at room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. rolled oats or multigrain hot cereal (this is what I used)
3 small apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix first 4 ingredients together, set aside.
Measure out oats, set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until creamy about 2 minutes.
Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth.
Stir in oats and apples. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
It's amazing! Price and I have been so busy the last few weeks that I haven't been home to cook. Not to say I didn't cook. I made a bunch of Halloween snacks for my annual halloween party. But to cook two meals at home in a row? I think it might be a record (just kidding!). Anyway, with a major cold front coming in, what could I make but soup? (Price chose soup, I chose the type). I was trying to think of what I could make with the ingredients already at my house, especially the ones about to expire (think bacon). What better soup for bacon than potato? So here is my healthy version of loaded baked potato soup. (Warning: while this soup is absolutely delicious, it takes about an hour to make)
Loaded Baked Potato Soup (serves 2, but feel free to double it!)
Ingredients:
3 medium to small russet baking potatoes
1 large carrot
1 c. broccoli, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried savory (or marjoram)
1 tsp dried thyme
dash cayenne pepper
dash ground black pepper
2 cups milk
3 tbsp all-purpose flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and regular)
Shredded Cheese blend for serving
Bacon Bits for serving
Directions:
Peel and dice the potatoes and carrot. Put in a pot of cold water with the salt, boil until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in the microwave or blanch briefly (boil water, add broccoli, remove from heat, let sit 3 minutes, drain, run under cold water to stop cooking). Drain the potatoes and carrot, mash lightly with a potato masher to get small chunks. Add the milk, seasonings, and flour. Whisk briskly over medium heat until flour has dissolved. Add the broccoli. Heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cheese and bacon.
I found this recipe to go well with stewed apples, but if you have another idea, feel free to use it!
Enjoy!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup (serves 2, but feel free to double it!)
Ingredients:
3 medium to small russet baking potatoes
1 large carrot
1 c. broccoli, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried savory (or marjoram)
1 tsp dried thyme
dash cayenne pepper
dash ground black pepper
2 cups milk
3 tbsp all-purpose flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and regular)
Shredded Cheese blend for serving
Bacon Bits for serving
Directions:
Peel and dice the potatoes and carrot. Put in a pot of cold water with the salt, boil until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in the microwave or blanch briefly (boil water, add broccoli, remove from heat, let sit 3 minutes, drain, run under cold water to stop cooking). Drain the potatoes and carrot, mash lightly with a potato masher to get small chunks. Add the milk, seasonings, and flour. Whisk briskly over medium heat until flour has dissolved. Add the broccoli. Heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cheese and bacon.
I found this recipe to go well with stewed apples, but if you have another idea, feel free to use it!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A Different Kind of Pasta
When I asked Price what he wanted for dinner last night, he told me "Pasta with Shrimp" So...Here is what I came up with. Not only is it easy. It's yummy too!
Spaghetti Alfredo with Shrimp and Broccoli (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 box thin whole wheat spaghetti
1 bag frozen broccoli steamers (green giant)
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo
2 cups frozen precooked deveined shrimp
smidge of chipotle chili powder
Directions:
Boil pasta according to package directions for "al dente". Meanwhile, microwave the broccoli according to the package. In a skillet, add the shrimp and chipotle chili powder. Cook until heated through. In a small sauce pot, heat the alfredo. When all ingredients are cooked, drain the pasta and mix in the remaining ingredients, in this order: alfredo, broccoli, and shrimp. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Spaghetti Alfredo with Shrimp and Broccoli (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 box thin whole wheat spaghetti
1 bag frozen broccoli steamers (green giant)
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo
2 cups frozen precooked deveined shrimp
smidge of chipotle chili powder
Directions:
Boil pasta according to package directions for "al dente". Meanwhile, microwave the broccoli according to the package. In a skillet, add the shrimp and chipotle chili powder. Cook until heated through. In a small sauce pot, heat the alfredo. When all ingredients are cooked, drain the pasta and mix in the remaining ingredients, in this order: alfredo, broccoli, and shrimp. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Easy Homeade Tomato sauce with Wacky Mac Bow Ties
One of my favorite foods is pasta, many of you know that already. And so, I come up with a lot of ways to make pasta. Especially with a tomato sauce. And so below is the recipe for a wonderful homemade tomato sauce.
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce with Wacky Mac Bow Ties
Ingredients:
1/2 package Wacky Mac
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small onion, diced
1tbsp dried basil
1/2 to 1 c. shredded cheese blend
Directions:
Cook Wacky Mac according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese. When sauce bubbles, pour over warm pasta. Add the cheese. Melt the cheese into the pasta over low heat. Serve warm with stewed apples or applesauce, and a side salad if necessary.
Enjoy!
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce with Wacky Mac Bow Ties
Ingredients:
1/2 package Wacky Mac
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small onion, diced
1tbsp dried basil
1/2 to 1 c. shredded cheese blend
Directions:
Cook Wacky Mac according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese. When sauce bubbles, pour over warm pasta. Add the cheese. Melt the cheese into the pasta over low heat. Serve warm with stewed apples or applesauce, and a side salad if necessary.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Pocket Pies: Apple Pie
It's apple season (I think I mentioned that before), and one of my favorite things is apple pie. Not because I really like pie, in fact, I am happier without the crust. But because pie reminds me of my grandfather. I don't know if apple pie is his all time favorite, but I do remember that at family holidays we had apple pie for Granpa. (We had pumpkin too! Though I don't know why...everyone always ate the apple). Anyway...one of my favorite places to get apple pie is at a local orchard that has a bakery. They make fresh apple pocket pies every day. Kind of like the kind you get at McDonald's, only better. Much better. And since I have had a chance to get by there this year, I decided to make my own. (My mother-in-law was thrilled to get some of these...they had extra crust!). So here is the recipe. Oh, and the filling can be used outside of a crust as stewed apples. Just in case you were wondering.
Apple Pocket Pies (makes 8)
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pie crusts (Pillsbury is the best!), or make your own.
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
1/2 c. water
Directions:
Slice the crusts into 4 pieces each. Stew the apples with the remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally, until soft. This takes about 30-45 minutes. Draining the liquid, fill each pie section with apple, fold over, and seal. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven about 20-25 minutes. Cool and Enjoy!
To make a regular pie, spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray, put in one crust, add the apple, top with the other crust, and vent. Bake in a 350 degree oven 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy!
Apple Pocket Pies (makes 8)
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pie crusts (Pillsbury is the best!), or make your own.
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
1/2 c. water
Directions:
Slice the crusts into 4 pieces each. Stew the apples with the remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally, until soft. This takes about 30-45 minutes. Draining the liquid, fill each pie section with apple, fold over, and seal. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven about 20-25 minutes. Cool and Enjoy!
To make a regular pie, spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray, put in one crust, add the apple, top with the other crust, and vent. Bake in a 350 degree oven 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
My favorite things
When I talk to people, they ask me science questions, and expect me to know the answer. A lot of times I do, but sometimes, well, I take after my father and make something (that seems to make sense) up. I am a scientist. At least, I am trained to be one. I have my Bachelor's of Science in Biology and Chemistry. You see why people expect me to know things.
I also love movies. Especially movies about food. While Julie & Julia is good, No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Simply Irresistible with Sarah Michelle Gellar (yes, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress) are at the top of my list.
I love books, recently I have been reading biographies of famous women...Like Julia Child and Julie Andrews, but also of chefs and food critics. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl is especially good.
And of course, I love food. How do I choose my favorite foods?
Cheese is at the top of my list. But is it cherve (fresh mild goat cheese) or queso queso (think the cheese in Mexican quesadillas) that makes my life complete? And at parties, does anything beat a cheese tray with Havarti, Brie, and Gloucester with fresh fruit and chutney?
Pasta is always good, my favorites have tomato sauces, but cheese (of course) is good too!
Mexican food...quesadillas, tacos, rice, beans, burritos. I love them all. Especially Tex-Mex. After all, the way I think of a burrito and the way a Latino thinks of a burrito is very different.
Pancakes are delicious. Regular, whole wheat, multigrain, buckwheat, spelt. With chocolate chips or blueberries. Cranberry whole wheat pancakes are especially good.
Apples have to be my favorite fruit. Don't ask me why. But put them with peanut butter or cheese and crackers and I'm good to go. Or apple sauce with pasta (especially tomato based). But if you ask me what my favorite fruit is in summer I would say strawberries. Or plums. I am whishy washy when it comes to my favorite foods.
Eggs, beans, free range chicken, hormone free bacon, carrots, honey, tea, potatoes, polenta, squash...so many foods, so little time.
And so my favorite things are all food...or related to food. Though books are good too. And clothes, and shoes, and friends, and dogs.
Ok, Rags is my favorite thing (wait, are animals things?)
You know, there are just to many wonderful things in this world to pick favorites. So why bother? Just favor (back to favorites) many things and you will be happy for it.
Besides, the best things in life aren't things at all.
Sunsets, oceans, mountains in the fall, friendships, love, pets, a good story, fresh air...........
I also love movies. Especially movies about food. While Julie & Julia is good, No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Simply Irresistible with Sarah Michelle Gellar (yes, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress) are at the top of my list.
I love books, recently I have been reading biographies of famous women...Like Julia Child and Julie Andrews, but also of chefs and food critics. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl is especially good.
And of course, I love food. How do I choose my favorite foods?
Cheese is at the top of my list. But is it cherve (fresh mild goat cheese) or queso queso (think the cheese in Mexican quesadillas) that makes my life complete? And at parties, does anything beat a cheese tray with Havarti, Brie, and Gloucester with fresh fruit and chutney?
Pasta is always good, my favorites have tomato sauces, but cheese (of course) is good too!
Mexican food...quesadillas, tacos, rice, beans, burritos. I love them all. Especially Tex-Mex. After all, the way I think of a burrito and the way a Latino thinks of a burrito is very different.
Pancakes are delicious. Regular, whole wheat, multigrain, buckwheat, spelt. With chocolate chips or blueberries. Cranberry whole wheat pancakes are especially good.
Apples have to be my favorite fruit. Don't ask me why. But put them with peanut butter or cheese and crackers and I'm good to go. Or apple sauce with pasta (especially tomato based). But if you ask me what my favorite fruit is in summer I would say strawberries. Or plums. I am whishy washy when it comes to my favorite foods.
Eggs, beans, free range chicken, hormone free bacon, carrots, honey, tea, potatoes, polenta, squash...so many foods, so little time.
And so my favorite things are all food...or related to food. Though books are good too. And clothes, and shoes, and friends, and dogs.
Ok, Rags is my favorite thing (wait, are animals things?)
You know, there are just to many wonderful things in this world to pick favorites. So why bother? Just favor (back to favorites) many things and you will be happy for it.
Besides, the best things in life aren't things at all.
Sunsets, oceans, mountains in the fall, friendships, love, pets, a good story, fresh air...........
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Beyond Eggs, Turkey Meatloaf
So eggs don't always half to be the star of the show. Sometimes, they are the glue that holds the main star together. Like my turkey meatloaf. Not my favorite, but it made Price happy. He requested meatloaf for his birthday. It actually turned out really good, considering I had never made meatloaf before. I served it with Mashed Apple Sweet Potatoes, the recipe for that is also below.
Turkey Meatloaf (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp dried onion or 1/2 c. chopped fresh onion
1/4 c. dried mixed vegetables
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 8 oz can plain tomato sauce
Directions:
Mix all ingredients but tomato sauce together. Add a little of the tomato sauce (about 2 oz) to the mixture. Put mixture on a cookie sheet and pat into a rounded "loaf". Pour the remaining tomato sauce onto the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.
Mashed Apple Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
3 small or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp melted butter.
Directions:
In a pot, boil the apple and sweet potatoes until soft. Drain. Mash with a potato masher. Add remaining ingredients, then stir.
Enjoy!
Turkey Meatloaf (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp dried onion or 1/2 c. chopped fresh onion
1/4 c. dried mixed vegetables
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 8 oz can plain tomato sauce
Directions:
Mix all ingredients but tomato sauce together. Add a little of the tomato sauce (about 2 oz) to the mixture. Put mixture on a cookie sheet and pat into a rounded "loaf". Pour the remaining tomato sauce onto the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.
Mashed Apple Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
3 small or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp melted butter.
Directions:
In a pot, boil the apple and sweet potatoes until soft. Drain. Mash with a potato masher. Add remaining ingredients, then stir.
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Eggs, Mini Quiche
So one of my favorite egg dishes is quiche, if it is done properly. I truly love a good quiche for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, I do not like green things in breakfast quiche...save that for dinner everyone! Here is my favorite way to make quiche...Individually in a muffin tin! They aren't truly "mini" like the appetizers, but they are the perfect size and design for taking to lunch at work, or on a picnic, or even just to have a meal for one or two. I can only eat one quiche this size, but Price can eat two. Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your own needs. I have put a "basic" recipe below.
Mini Quiche (serves 6).
3 eggs
1 refrigerated pie crust circle, cut into six circles with a cookie cutter (there will be scraps)
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp filling mix and match from below
Fillings:
3 tbsp browned ground breakfast sausage and 3 tbsp cheese
3 tbsp bacon bits and 3 tbsp cheese
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp cheese, and 6-8 torn spinach leaves
6 tbsp cheese
6 tbsp browned sausage or bacon bits
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp cheese, 3 sliced mushrooms, and 6 torn spinach leaves
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp diced tomatoes, 6 torn spinach leaves, and 2 tbsp cheese
There are more fillings, but you can come up with them!
Directions:
Mix the eggs, milk, and cayenne pepper together. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Add one pie crust circle to each tin and press down. Evenly add the filling to each cup one ingredient at a time. Cover with the egg mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Mini Quiche (serves 6).
3 eggs
1 refrigerated pie crust circle, cut into six circles with a cookie cutter (there will be scraps)
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp filling mix and match from below
Fillings:
3 tbsp browned ground breakfast sausage and 3 tbsp cheese
3 tbsp bacon bits and 3 tbsp cheese
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp cheese, and 6-8 torn spinach leaves
6 tbsp cheese
6 tbsp browned sausage or bacon bits
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp cheese, 3 sliced mushrooms, and 6 torn spinach leaves
2 tbsp bacon bits, 2 tbsp diced tomatoes, 6 torn spinach leaves, and 2 tbsp cheese
There are more fillings, but you can come up with them!
Directions:
Mix the eggs, milk, and cayenne pepper together. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Add one pie crust circle to each tin and press down. Evenly add the filling to each cup one ingredient at a time. Cover with the egg mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Eggs, Scrambled with Smoked Salmon
Ok, I know how this sounds...smoked salmon on scrambled eggs? But trust me, it's really good for breakfast with fresh fruit and a muffin or for lunch or dinner (with fresh fruit and a muffin!). I strongly recommend Apple Cinnamon muffins. It is fall after all! Anyway, enjoy!
Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon (serves 2)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 oz cream cheese
1 tsp butter
1/4 c. milk
1/2 dried dill
4 oz Smoked Salmon
more dill for sprinkling
Directions:
In a bowl, scramble the eggs. Add the milk and dill. Stir and set aside. Slice the smoked salmon into small pieces, going against the grain. In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the eggs and cream cheese. Using a whisk, whisk gently until cooked through. On each plate, put half the eggs. Top with half the salmon and a little dill. Serve and Enjoy!
Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon (serves 2)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 oz cream cheese
1 tsp butter
1/4 c. milk
1/2 dried dill
4 oz Smoked Salmon
more dill for sprinkling
Directions:
In a bowl, scramble the eggs. Add the milk and dill. Stir and set aside. Slice the smoked salmon into small pieces, going against the grain. In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the eggs and cream cheese. Using a whisk, whisk gently until cooked through. On each plate, put half the eggs. Top with half the salmon and a little dill. Serve and Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Eggs, Basic scramble
I love eggs (I think I mentioned this before!) and scrambled eggs are one of my favorite ways to eat them. I remember the way my mom made them growing up. They were (are?) yummy. In fact, scrambled eggs were one of the first dishes my mom ever taught me to cook. And I could never get my eggs to taste like hers (turns out I was trying to cook them to fast...so stick to medium heat!)
Anyway, here is my mom's recipe for scrambled eggs (sorry I'm giving away your secret ingredient!).
Scrambled eggs (serves 1, but easily doubled or tripled, etc)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1tbsp milk
1 to 1 1/2 tsp shredded cheese blend
Dash of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (the secret!)
1 pat of butter for the pan.
Directions:
Mix the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne pepper and cheese in a bowl. Whisk until scrambled. Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet.When butter is liquid but not sizzling, add the egg mixture. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, then slowly turn/mix the eggs with spatula. Serve immediately when eggs are cooked through.
Notes: A good rule of thumb when making eggs for more than 2 people is this: 2 eggs per person + 1 additional egg for every 3 people. You can always give extra to the dog.
Add-ins: (add to the egg mixture before cooking) Do just one or all of them!
Diced onion
Diced green onion
Diced bell pepper
Cooked crumbled sausage
1 tsp fresh parsley
Diced tomato
Diced cooked ham
chopped mushroom
Enjoy!
Anyway, here is my mom's recipe for scrambled eggs (sorry I'm giving away your secret ingredient!).
Scrambled eggs (serves 1, but easily doubled or tripled, etc)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1tbsp milk
1 to 1 1/2 tsp shredded cheese blend
Dash of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (the secret!)
1 pat of butter for the pan.
Directions:
Mix the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne pepper and cheese in a bowl. Whisk until scrambled. Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet.When butter is liquid but not sizzling, add the egg mixture. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, then slowly turn/mix the eggs with spatula. Serve immediately when eggs are cooked through.
Notes: A good rule of thumb when making eggs for more than 2 people is this: 2 eggs per person + 1 additional egg for every 3 people. You can always give extra to the dog.
Add-ins: (add to the egg mixture before cooking) Do just one or all of them!
Diced onion
Diced green onion
Diced bell pepper
Cooked crumbled sausage
1 tsp fresh parsley
Diced tomato
Diced cooked ham
chopped mushroom
Enjoy!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Eggs, Huevos Rancheros
Eggs, Eggs, Eggs. What a funny word! Anyway, I love eggs. I have tried white eggs, brown eggs, duck eggs, turkey eggs. I think eggs are one of the funniest foods in existence. You can turn them into quiche, a fritatta, they can be baked, poached, scrambled, boiled and fried. They can be used to make other foods or eaten on their own. What a wonderful food. And as I have been eating less and less meat, other forms of protein become more important. Especially as they go over just as well in Fall as they do in Summer. So I am going to do a series of posts on some of my favorite ways to serve eggs. Here it goes!
Heuvos Rancheros (Ranch style eggs) Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 15 oz can black beans
2-3 green onions
1/2 c. salsa
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
For serving, as desired
Tortillas or Tortilla chips
sour cream
avocado or guacamole
additional salsa
shredded cheese
Directions:
In a large skillet, mix the beans, onions, and seasonings. Put over medium heat. When mixture starts to bubble, make 4 wells and crack one egg into each well. Fry until cooked to desired doneness. Serve each person 2 eggs over the tortillas or chips. Top as desired.
Enjoy!
Heuvos Rancheros (Ranch style eggs) Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 15 oz can black beans
2-3 green onions
1/2 c. salsa
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
For serving, as desired
Tortillas or Tortilla chips
sour cream
avocado or guacamole
additional salsa
shredded cheese
Directions:
In a large skillet, mix the beans, onions, and seasonings. Put over medium heat. When mixture starts to bubble, make 4 wells and crack one egg into each well. Fry until cooked to desired doneness. Serve each person 2 eggs over the tortillas or chips. Top as desired.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Pancakes
Everyone has a comfort food. And with so many options, how can you pick just one? But when I think of pancakes, I think of my dad and Aunt Jemima's Pancake mix (the one that uses egg and oil and milk). Don't forget the Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. Though I think that is because I liked the bottle so much when I was little...and these things became habit.
When I was little, dad let me stir. Then he let me measure. Then crack the eggs. And finally, when I was old enough, I made the pancake batter for our holiday pancakes all by myself. I used to love it on that rare Sunday when everyone was up in time for pancakes before church. Or when we had company and Mom made scrambled eggs and sausage to go with the pancakes. And on Christmas morning, we would add fresh fruit to the spread. Have to keep things interesting you know. Now that I'm all grown up, I make my own pancakes some Saturday mornings, before Price and I leave to go to the Farmer's Market. It's our own new tradition, that Saturday Breakfast. And pancakes remind me of all the wonderful breakfasts I had with my family growing up. However, a mix loses it's appeal after doing Presby's famous pancake breakfast where 500+ students get served pancakes. So here is a recipe for pancakes from scratch...I like them with whole wheat...but you can use only all-purpose flour if you want.
Whole Wheat Pancakes (makes 12-15 pancakes)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 stick (4tbsp) butter, melted
1 1/4 c. milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients. Mix in melted butter. Add liquid ingredients. Stir with a whisk for 1-2 minutes. Batter will be lumpy. Using 1/4 c. ladle poor batter onto hot griddle. Cook through, flipping once when batter starts to bubble.
Optional add-ins: since Price likes blueberries, and I am a chocolate chip fan, we add these straight into the pancakes on the griddle instead of adding it to the batter, that way, you can mix and match!
Good add-ins:
dried fruit
fresh berries or chopped fruit
chocolate chips
nuts
Enjoy!
When I was little, dad let me stir. Then he let me measure. Then crack the eggs. And finally, when I was old enough, I made the pancake batter for our holiday pancakes all by myself. I used to love it on that rare Sunday when everyone was up in time for pancakes before church. Or when we had company and Mom made scrambled eggs and sausage to go with the pancakes. And on Christmas morning, we would add fresh fruit to the spread. Have to keep things interesting you know. Now that I'm all grown up, I make my own pancakes some Saturday mornings, before Price and I leave to go to the Farmer's Market. It's our own new tradition, that Saturday Breakfast. And pancakes remind me of all the wonderful breakfasts I had with my family growing up. However, a mix loses it's appeal after doing Presby's famous pancake breakfast where 500+ students get served pancakes. So here is a recipe for pancakes from scratch...I like them with whole wheat...but you can use only all-purpose flour if you want.
Whole Wheat Pancakes (makes 12-15 pancakes)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 stick (4tbsp) butter, melted
1 1/4 c. milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients. Mix in melted butter. Add liquid ingredients. Stir with a whisk for 1-2 minutes. Batter will be lumpy. Using 1/4 c. ladle poor batter onto hot griddle. Cook through, flipping once when batter starts to bubble.
Optional add-ins: since Price likes blueberries, and I am a chocolate chip fan, we add these straight into the pancakes on the griddle instead of adding it to the batter, that way, you can mix and match!
Good add-ins:
dried fruit
fresh berries or chopped fruit
chocolate chips
nuts
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Fish Tacos
I love tacos. Come to that, I love all Mexican food, whether it is a good taco or not. Recently I have discovered two restaurants with really good fish tacos. One is an authentic Mexican restaurant called El Pacifico. They have fish tacos on corn tortillas and serve the tacos with a white onion/cilantro mix and picante sauce. It is a really amazing recipe. The other is Rolling Stone Burrito, a favorite of mine, that does something resembling tex-mex. They serve their fish tacos on flour tortillas with chipotle sauce, cheese, lettuce, and spinach. I can't seem to get enough of either of these recipes. And so, of course, I had to make my own version at home.
Fish Tacos (serves 4)
Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas
1 lb firm white fish such as Halibut, Cod, or Whitefish
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
Optional toppings: (choose your favorites, amounts for 8 tacos)
1 c. shredded lettuce
1 c. shredded cheese
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 c. chopped onions mixed with 1 tbsp cilantro
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. guacomole
1 sliced avocado
Directions:
Rub the fish with the cumin and oregano. Put the olive oil in a skillet and add the fish. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat then flip. As the fish starts to cook, shred it with a fork. When all of the fish has shredded and cooked (some pieces will be a little brown, but none should be carbonized), drizzle on the lime juice and remove from heat. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Serve with rice and the desired toppings.
Enjoy!
Fish Tacos (serves 4)
Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas
1 lb firm white fish such as Halibut, Cod, or Whitefish
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
Optional toppings: (choose your favorites, amounts for 8 tacos)
1 c. shredded lettuce
1 c. shredded cheese
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 c. chopped onions mixed with 1 tbsp cilantro
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. guacomole
1 sliced avocado
Directions:
Rub the fish with the cumin and oregano. Put the olive oil in a skillet and add the fish. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat then flip. As the fish starts to cook, shred it with a fork. When all of the fish has shredded and cooked (some pieces will be a little brown, but none should be carbonized), drizzle on the lime juice and remove from heat. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Serve with rice and the desired toppings.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Apples Galore: Apple Sauce and Apple Butter
I have become very adept at making apple butter and apple sauce. They taste yummy, and aren't that hard to make. But I guess I should go back to the beginning.
It all started when I went to the Farmer's Market and saw the most yummy McIntosh apples ever. Then I went to the next farmer's market and found red delicious apples that I couldn't resist. Then I was talking to Ruth, my landlady and she had a lot of apples and didn't want them all. Before I new it (and 10 dollars later) I had more apples than I knew what to do with. So what do you do with apples? Puree it, add sugar and spices of course!
The apple butter is finer, and is distinctly flavored of cinnamon and cloves. Also, it is sweeter. The applesauce is chunky, and is spiced randomly with very little added sugar. And all complements of my happy VitaMix blender. What fun!
I hope everyone has fun this Fall with the season's apples. Make a pie, drink some cider, maybe even eat Apple Butter!
Enjoy
It all started when I went to the Farmer's Market and saw the most yummy McIntosh apples ever. Then I went to the next farmer's market and found red delicious apples that I couldn't resist. Then I was talking to Ruth, my landlady and she had a lot of apples and didn't want them all. Before I new it (and 10 dollars later) I had more apples than I knew what to do with. So what do you do with apples? Puree it, add sugar and spices of course!
The apple butter is finer, and is distinctly flavored of cinnamon and cloves. Also, it is sweeter. The applesauce is chunky, and is spiced randomly with very little added sugar. And all complements of my happy VitaMix blender. What fun!
I hope everyone has fun this Fall with the season's apples. Make a pie, drink some cider, maybe even eat Apple Butter!
Enjoy
Friday, September 3, 2010
Turkey Burgers
I have been told over and over that Turkey Burgers are dry. And in a restaurant that's true. But I have found the secret to the perfect turkey burger at home. I learned this from my brother-in-law: brush the skillet or grill with olive oil before you cook the burgers and they will come out wonderful and extra moist. Below is a recipe for a turkey burger that goes very well with the butternut squash fries of the previous post.
Mexican Styled Turkey Burgers
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
6 hamburger buns
6 tbsp mayo
6 tbsp guacamole
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
dash of chili pepper
Olive Oil for brushing
Lettuce, tomato, and provolone, if desired
Directions:
Divide the turkey into six patties. Brush skillet or gill with olive oil. Grill or cook in skillet until cooked through 10-15 minutes turning at least once. Mix the paprika, oregano, and chili pepper into the mayo. Brush one side of each bun with 1 tbsp mayo and the other with 1 tbsp guacamole. If cooking with cheese, melt 1 slice provolone on each burger in last minute of cooking. Put one patty on each bun, layer on lettuce and tomato if desired. Top with other bun half. Serve with butternut squash fries.
Mexican Styled Turkey Burgers
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
6 hamburger buns
6 tbsp mayo
6 tbsp guacamole
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
dash of chili pepper
Olive Oil for brushing
Lettuce, tomato, and provolone, if desired
Directions:
Divide the turkey into six patties. Brush skillet or gill with olive oil. Grill or cook in skillet until cooked through 10-15 minutes turning at least once. Mix the paprika, oregano, and chili pepper into the mayo. Brush one side of each bun with 1 tbsp mayo and the other with 1 tbsp guacamole. If cooking with cheese, melt 1 slice provolone on each burger in last minute of cooking. Put one patty on each bun, layer on lettuce and tomato if desired. Top with other bun half. Serve with butternut squash fries.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Butternut Squash Fries
A bunch of people at Price's office have joined Weight Watchers and they found this really yummy recipe for butternut squash fries (they taste a lot like sweet potato fries).
So here is the recipe. I tried it with Turkey burgers and it was excellent.
Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled.
Salt to taste
Chili pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Slice the round bottom (the part with the seeds) off the squash and reserve for another use.
Slice the top of the squash into sticks that resemble thick fries.
Brush a cookie sheet with oil. In a single layer, add the squash sticks. Brush those with olive oil too.
Sprinkle a little salt and chili pepper on the sticks. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes until soft and slightly crispy on the outside.
Enjoy!
So here is the recipe. I tried it with Turkey burgers and it was excellent.
Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled.
Salt to taste
Chili pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Slice the round bottom (the part with the seeds) off the squash and reserve for another use.
Slice the top of the squash into sticks that resemble thick fries.
Brush a cookie sheet with oil. In a single layer, add the squash sticks. Brush those with olive oil too.
Sprinkle a little salt and chili pepper on the sticks. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes until soft and slightly crispy on the outside.
Enjoy!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Raspberry Jam
Price and I picked 2 quarts of raspberries from our neighbors raspberry patch (with their permission of course!) and today I was going to make raspberry jam. I had everything ready. And when I looked at the raspberries that were left....They were covered in mold!
So I threw them away and thought forlornly of raspberry jam....so I went and picked a quart of raspberries from the raspberry patch. (Our neighbors did say we could have all we wanted :) ).
So I started the jam recipe...only to realize I had only 1/2 as many raspberries as I needed...so instead of picking yet more berries, I made half as much jam. But it should still taste good. I just hope that it sets this time!
By the way...I used the recipe on the Sure-Jell package. Last time I didn't use pectin and the jam never set...so I have syrup. This time I decided to go the pectin route. I hope it turns out better!
Enjoy the last days of summer!
So I threw them away and thought forlornly of raspberry jam....so I went and picked a quart of raspberries from the raspberry patch. (Our neighbors did say we could have all we wanted :) ).
So I started the jam recipe...only to realize I had only 1/2 as many raspberries as I needed...so instead of picking yet more berries, I made half as much jam. But it should still taste good. I just hope that it sets this time!
By the way...I used the recipe on the Sure-Jell package. Last time I didn't use pectin and the jam never set...so I have syrup. This time I decided to go the pectin route. I hope it turns out better!
Enjoy the last days of summer!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Veggie Lasagna and No Boil Noodles
Tonight was the church potluck. So I decided to make Veggie Lasagna. And I tried the Barilla No Boil Noodles. They worked really well. You have to cook them for longer though...and make sure that the sauce is a little runny to begin with. I added water. I am not quite sure of my recipe, but the basic idea is like this:
Dice an eggplant. Make sure to cut off the peel. Saute with diced white onion in a skillet with a little olive oil. Add some sliced mushrooms and zucchini (again). Add a jar or 3 of tomato sauce...actually, just one jar. Then put a little in the bottom of the pan. Layer the noodles. Mush in some ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. More noodles, more sauce, more cheese, more noodles, more sauce, more cheese, more noodles. At this point you should have run out of the veggie sauce. So pour a new jar over the lasagna. Add more mozzarella. Bake, covered 50-60 minutes at 360. Uncover to melt cheese. Serve and enjoy. P.S. You can use meat, cooked and drained, instead of the veggies, but I don't recommend it!
Enjoy!
Dice an eggplant. Make sure to cut off the peel. Saute with diced white onion in a skillet with a little olive oil. Add some sliced mushrooms and zucchini (again). Add a jar or 3 of tomato sauce...actually, just one jar. Then put a little in the bottom of the pan. Layer the noodles. Mush in some ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. More noodles, more sauce, more cheese, more noodles, more sauce, more cheese, more noodles. At this point you should have run out of the veggie sauce. So pour a new jar over the lasagna. Add more mozzarella. Bake, covered 50-60 minutes at 360. Uncover to melt cheese. Serve and enjoy. P.S. You can use meat, cooked and drained, instead of the veggies, but I don't recommend it!
Enjoy!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
O What Red Red Raspberries
Our landlords (well their son) have a raspberry patch. I call it a patch because at one point they had planted raspberry bushes in neat rows, but now the raspberries have taken over and new bushes are growing wild on their own every which a way. And yet...these little red gems are utterly amazing. I have never tasted sweeter raspberries in my life. After our landlords picked all of the raspberries they could possibly eat and use, they told us that we were free to pick as many as we wanted...there were still a lot left. So far we have picked 2 pints of raspberries and have been munching on them for lunch. But I think they would make a good freezer jam. Speaking of freezer jam, I made some with blackberries that is superbly easy to make and wonderful to eat. It keeps in the freezer for up to 1 year or the fridge for 3 weeks. When you are ready to eat it you put it in the fridge to thaw and eat it within 3 weeks. Here is how to make it:
Berry Freezer Jam
Ingredients:
4 cups berries, any type
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch freezer jam pectin (different from liquid or regular, though it is a powder)
Directions:
In a bowl, crush the berries with a potato masher until there is a lot of juice and no whole berries left. In a larger bowl, mix the sugar and pectin. Add in the fruit. Pour into 4-5 8 oz freezer containers. Close the lids and let sit for 30 minutes. Freeze or chill and enjoy!
This recipe tastes great on rolls, biscuits, or for PB&J.
Enjoy!
Berry Freezer Jam
Ingredients:
4 cups berries, any type
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch freezer jam pectin (different from liquid or regular, though it is a powder)
Directions:
In a bowl, crush the berries with a potato masher until there is a lot of juice and no whole berries left. In a larger bowl, mix the sugar and pectin. Add in the fruit. Pour into 4-5 8 oz freezer containers. Close the lids and let sit for 30 minutes. Freeze or chill and enjoy!
This recipe tastes great on rolls, biscuits, or for PB&J.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Reusable Shopping Bags: Baked Eggplant over Polenta
About a year ago, when my husband I were still in the mist of wedding planning, my then future mother-in-law saw me pull a reusable shopping bag out of my purse at the store. She was intrigued by the trend...and curious as to how to make one. She is a crafter. Her income comes from her ability to make and sell things people want. And people want reusable shopping bags. After all, in today's society, everything is about being green...which means using bags over and over again, among other things. This past weekend we went to Price's parents for Lenore's (my mother-in-law) birthday party. Lenore was so excited about her new craft: reusable shopping bags! Showing me her pattern...and the fact that they fold to fit into your purse (yay!) Lenore then asked me which one I wanted. I was very happy. Those of you who have seen me shop, especially at the grocery store, know that I am happiest when I go through the checkout line with my colorful cloth shopping bags. I have my rainbow bag, my sunshine bag, my blue foldable bag from Bath and Body that now makes trips to CVS with a green bag tag, and now...my little food and garden bag! I am always trying to resist purchasing another bag...because they work so well at the farmer's market, the grocery, carrying things to church or the bookstore. And now I was just given one (though I think I am being used as quality control, if this bag can survive a week with me, most people will have it for years).
Speaking of the farmer's market...I love going and seeing what sorts of seasonal produce is available. Of trying to come up with recipes based off what I already have at home and what I can find at the produce stand or farmer's market. Today we stopped at a produce stand on the way home from Price's parents and got a peck of peaches, a gallon of blackberries, a pint of blueberries, and an eggplant (really fits in with all of the fruit, right?).
Well, the eggplant is going to be for dinner one night next week. Price loves it when I make my version of eggplant parmesan...whether there is cheese or not! So try it and enjoy!
Baked Eggplant over Polenta
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, ends removed
1 c. all purpose or whole wheat flour
2 tbsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1 1/2 tsp marjoram, and 1 tsp garlic powder
1 c. polenta
3 c. water
olive oil, for brushing
spaghetti sauce
parmesan or romano cheese, to serve
Directions:
Mix the flour and seasoning together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, preferably nonstick. Brush the lined sheet with olive oil. Brush each slice of eggplant with olive oil and dip into flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over each slice. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Meanwhile, mix the polenta and water together with a little salt to taste. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Stir for 1-2 minutes after boil. Set aside for 5 minutes to set. Heat the spaghetti sauce in a small sauce pot. Serve the eggplant over the polenta with sauce poured over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
1 small eggplant will feed 2. Personally, I like the white or striped eggplant you can get at the farmer's market, however, a large purple one from the grocery works well and will feed 4, but you will need to double the amount of polenta in the recipe. Pasta may be substituted for the polenta, but I think that polenta gives the dish a really good texture. For those of you who don't know, polenta is an italian style of cooking corn grits.
Enjoy!
Speaking of the farmer's market...I love going and seeing what sorts of seasonal produce is available. Of trying to come up with recipes based off what I already have at home and what I can find at the produce stand or farmer's market. Today we stopped at a produce stand on the way home from Price's parents and got a peck of peaches, a gallon of blackberries, a pint of blueberries, and an eggplant (really fits in with all of the fruit, right?).
Well, the eggplant is going to be for dinner one night next week. Price loves it when I make my version of eggplant parmesan...whether there is cheese or not! So try it and enjoy!
Baked Eggplant over Polenta
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, ends removed
1 c. all purpose or whole wheat flour
2 tbsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1 1/2 tsp marjoram, and 1 tsp garlic powder
1 c. polenta
3 c. water
olive oil, for brushing
spaghetti sauce
parmesan or romano cheese, to serve
Directions:
Mix the flour and seasoning together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, preferably nonstick. Brush the lined sheet with olive oil. Brush each slice of eggplant with olive oil and dip into flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over each slice. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Meanwhile, mix the polenta and water together with a little salt to taste. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Stir for 1-2 minutes after boil. Set aside for 5 minutes to set. Heat the spaghetti sauce in a small sauce pot. Serve the eggplant over the polenta with sauce poured over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
1 small eggplant will feed 2. Personally, I like the white or striped eggplant you can get at the farmer's market, however, a large purple one from the grocery works well and will feed 4, but you will need to double the amount of polenta in the recipe. Pasta may be substituted for the polenta, but I think that polenta gives the dish a really good texture. For those of you who don't know, polenta is an italian style of cooking corn grits.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Blackberry Bushes
Our neighbors have blackberry bushes that they kindly allowed us to pick from. After 15 minutes of many scratches I succeeded in picking an entire pint...at which point I gave up. Here is a photo of a blackberry bush Price and I saw when we were hiking off of the Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this summer. Blackberries are amazing in smoothies, pies, cobblers, and on top of pancakes, cake, and ice cream. So enjoy the berries that have been so wonderful this year...and don't forget the cherries too.!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
The End of the Reign of the Zucchini
Our zucchini plants caught a fungus. One has already succumbed and died. The other two are holding on for dear life, producing their last few zucchini breaths. We will probably only have 3-4 more zucchini. It is sad, but we knew that eventually the zucchini would go out of season. We have done really well with it! And we froze quite a bit.
We are now entering the reign of the winter squash, where currently the acorn is king. But we have butternut and spaghetti squash coming in too! Hopefully we will have pumpkins soon. And of course...we will have tomatoes into September. The sun golds are slowly producing less as the brandywines amp up their production. Our garden goes on!
So far this year we have had approximately 15 pounds of zucchini, 12 quarts of sun gold cherry tomatoes, 6 brandywine tomatoes, 16 ears of corn (with more on the way!), assorted cucumbers and our winter squash. Yay for gardening. Even if I do say I hate it sometimes.
So its the end of the summer season and the beginning of the fall. Time for the best of both worlds. So enjoy the fresh produce while it is still available and enjoy!
We are now entering the reign of the winter squash, where currently the acorn is king. But we have butternut and spaghetti squash coming in too! Hopefully we will have pumpkins soon. And of course...we will have tomatoes into September. The sun golds are slowly producing less as the brandywines amp up their production. Our garden goes on!
So far this year we have had approximately 15 pounds of zucchini, 12 quarts of sun gold cherry tomatoes, 6 brandywine tomatoes, 16 ears of corn (with more on the way!), assorted cucumbers and our winter squash. Yay for gardening. Even if I do say I hate it sometimes.
So its the end of the summer season and the beginning of the fall. Time for the best of both worlds. So enjoy the fresh produce while it is still available and enjoy!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I miss real food: Pesto Pasta Primavera
After being at Highlands for a fungi class for almost two weeks, I have come to a few conclusions.
1) Cooking for one is no fun.
2) To many mushrooms can make you sick, not just the breathing of the spores, but the eating-even if they are supposed to be edible.
3) The diet that we have been eating, my entire class, has been different up here than it is at home, even though we prepare our own food.
4) I miss real food.
So I am giving you a recipe that I made recently for Price and I, Pesto Pasta Primavera, which is definitely real food!
Pesto Pasta Primavera (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/3 box whole wheat spaghetti noodles
6-8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small banana pepper, diced
2-4 small green onions, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp pesto paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 diced sausage link such as polska kielbasa, if desired
(You can substitute one pack of pesto mix according to package directions for the olive oil, pesto paste, and garlic paste)
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. In last 3 minutes of cooking time, add the zucchini, onion, and pepper. Drain. Add the olive oil, pesto, and garlic paste. Stir well. Add the tomatoes and sausage if desired. Serve immediately.
P.S. This can be made with any vegetables available such as summer squash, spinach, mushrooms or carrots.
P.P.S. I have learned in my mushroom class that it is very dangerous to eat mushrooms raw as they can absorb chemicals from the surrounding environment (they will get cooked out). This means that even a safe, edible mushroom can make you sick if consumed raw.
Enjoy!
1) Cooking for one is no fun.
2) To many mushrooms can make you sick, not just the breathing of the spores, but the eating-even if they are supposed to be edible.
3) The diet that we have been eating, my entire class, has been different up here than it is at home, even though we prepare our own food.
4) I miss real food.
So I am giving you a recipe that I made recently for Price and I, Pesto Pasta Primavera, which is definitely real food!
Pesto Pasta Primavera (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/3 box whole wheat spaghetti noodles
6-8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small banana pepper, diced
2-4 small green onions, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp pesto paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 diced sausage link such as polska kielbasa, if desired
(You can substitute one pack of pesto mix according to package directions for the olive oil, pesto paste, and garlic paste)
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. In last 3 minutes of cooking time, add the zucchini, onion, and pepper. Drain. Add the olive oil, pesto, and garlic paste. Stir well. Add the tomatoes and sausage if desired. Serve immediately.
P.S. This can be made with any vegetables available such as summer squash, spinach, mushrooms or carrots.
P.P.S. I have learned in my mushroom class that it is very dangerous to eat mushrooms raw as they can absorb chemicals from the surrounding environment (they will get cooked out). This means that even a safe, edible mushroom can make you sick if consumed raw.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Canning Salsa: Bean Dip
I wanted to do something with the 3 quarts of cherry tomatoes that Price and I had collected from our garden. So I decided to make a half recipe of salsa. I couldn't make a full recipe of salsa because that would have taken 6 quarts of tomatoes. I was expecting to make 2-3 pint jars of salsa with maybe a half-pint (cup) jar thrown in. I followed the directions, scalding the tomatoes, peeling, coring and seeding them. And...when all was said and done, I made exactly 1 pint jar of salsa :( I tried. Hopefully it will taste good. Price and I will try it when we next need salsa. Anyway. I hope all of you enjoy your salsa, whether homemade or from a jar. And enjoy the recipe below!
Bean Dip (serves 4-8 as an appetizer)
Ingredients:
1 12 oz can refried beans
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. shredded mexican blend cheese
3 small green onions diced
1 small banana pepper, diced
1 tsp olive oil
tortilla chips for serving
Directions:
In a small sauce pan, add the olive oil, onions, and pepper. Saute 3 minutes until peppers soften and onion begins to caramelize. Add the beans and salsa. When the mixture begins to warm, add the cheese. Once the mixture has warmed to the desired temperature, and the cheese has melted, remove from heat and put into a serving bowl. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top if desire. Serve immediately with chips for dipping.
Enjoy!
Bean Dip (serves 4-8 as an appetizer)
Ingredients:
1 12 oz can refried beans
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. shredded mexican blend cheese
3 small green onions diced
1 small banana pepper, diced
1 tsp olive oil
tortilla chips for serving
Directions:
In a small sauce pan, add the olive oil, onions, and pepper. Saute 3 minutes until peppers soften and onion begins to caramelize. Add the beans and salsa. When the mixture begins to warm, add the cheese. Once the mixture has warmed to the desired temperature, and the cheese has melted, remove from heat and put into a serving bowl. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top if desire. Serve immediately with chips for dipping.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Comments Section
We now have a comments section. Please feel free to leave a comment in the space provided below.
Is a frozen dinner food?
As a person who loves to cook, I am always looking for the opportunity to make more food. Yet for the last week I have been eating sandwiches and frozen dinners due to my class schedule. They are very good. Local bakery bread, goat cheese from a local farm, humanely treated organic deli meat. But does it count as actual food? These are not the foods of foodies, though I enjoy eating it. So I ask, does eating a frozen dinner (Amy's Organic) make me any less of a foodie? I don't know, but it has been nice to get a break from cooking after cooking for 2 weeks straight. Though when I started, I was looking to cook after not being able to. Go figure. By the way, I recommend the Amy's Organic Mexican Casserole. It's really good.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Garden Bounty
Look at what Price picked from our garden! A quart of sun gold cherry tomatoes, a brandywine, a cucumber, and three zucchini. And here I am at Highlands missing it all! Well, not all of it, I brought a brandywine with me and it tastes amazing. Everyone should have this wonderful delight. And to be fair, my class is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It is definitely more fun than my class on mammals. I thought...no I'll just cancel this class on fungi. I am tired of class. I want a break before school starts in the fall. And that mammals 2 week class wasn't a lot of fun, what will make fungi different? But I have nice roomates, and everything has been a great learning experience (including about cooking mushrooms!) and fun. So I just miss not being able to do anything with that produce. Especially that brandywine and cucumber. Maybe if any zucchini and tomatoes are in when I get home I will can some tomato sauce. Until then, I will enjoy my mushrooms!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Mushrooms, Mushrooms Everywhere
I am taking a class on fungi. True, it's actually a little early for the fall season, but it is actually the last summer class offered for the year. Today we went on our first mushroom hunting expedition. And had some interesting luck. We talked about edibles, not quite edibles, poisonous, and deadly mushrooms. All good categories to have. It was a lot of fun! The 11 of us found about 100 mushrooms of about 10 different types. And we had some for dinner! One of the guys (well, and older gentleman who is a mushroom hobbyist) cooked some of the mushrooms we found (they were ok) and did this amazing dish with shitakes in a cream sauce. It was wonderful.
I am learning a lot about mushroom terminology (the cap of the mushroom is called the pileus, for instance) and reproduction. Soon we will be learning all sorts of things. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. And I hope all of you head to the grocery store for shitakes! Enjoy.
I am learning a lot about mushroom terminology (the cap of the mushroom is called the pileus, for instance) and reproduction. Soon we will be learning all sorts of things. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. And I hope all of you head to the grocery store for shitakes! Enjoy.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Stress Baking: Apple Carrot Cupcakes
When I am stressed, I bake. On Wednesday I was very frustrated by inept postal workers. Having recently gotten married, I have been changing my name for everything...so last Wednesday, I tried to change my name on my passport and the guy just didn't want to deal with me...he didn't know how to change my name and gave me many useless forms that didn't even involve a change of name due to marriage. So I left, and I will go back to somewhere else to change my name later.
Anyway, the stress of Wednesday led me to bake. And I made Apple Carrot Cupcakes with a buttermilk cream cheese frosting (the buttermilk was leftover from when I made my chocolate birthday cake). So here is the recipe in case you want to try (when you are not stress baking). I gave some to my landlord's grandkids and they absolutely loved them, come to that my landlord liked them too!).
Apple Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (may use 2 c. all purpose flour-total-instead)
2 c. sugar
1 c. shredded apple
1 c. shredded carrot
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 lg eggs
1/2 c. green tea
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
6.5 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
Directions:
For the Cake:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Scramble the eggs, then mix in all of the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Fill cupcake pans with batter. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until done. Makes 24 cupcakes. Allow to cool before frosting. (P.S. don't forget to line or grease the cups before filling!)
For the Frosting:
Mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Slowly add in 1/4 c. of the sugar. Continue to mix. Add in the buttermilk, then the rest of the sugar. Whip on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Immediately use to frost cakes. Refrigerate any leftovers...it will be good for up to 1 week.
Anyway, the stress of Wednesday led me to bake. And I made Apple Carrot Cupcakes with a buttermilk cream cheese frosting (the buttermilk was leftover from when I made my chocolate birthday cake). So here is the recipe in case you want to try (when you are not stress baking). I gave some to my landlord's grandkids and they absolutely loved them, come to that my landlord liked them too!).
Apple Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (may use 2 c. all purpose flour-total-instead)
2 c. sugar
1 c. shredded apple
1 c. shredded carrot
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 lg eggs
1/2 c. green tea
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
6.5 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
Directions:
For the Cake:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Scramble the eggs, then mix in all of the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Fill cupcake pans with batter. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until done. Makes 24 cupcakes. Allow to cool before frosting. (P.S. don't forget to line or grease the cups before filling!)
For the Frosting:
Mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Slowly add in 1/4 c. of the sugar. Continue to mix. Add in the buttermilk, then the rest of the sugar. Whip on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Immediately use to frost cakes. Refrigerate any leftovers...it will be good for up to 1 week.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Zucchini (again...): Homemade Zucchini and Pepperoni Pizza
As I continue to figure out what to do with my huge gobs of zucchini...I would like to share some happier news. My landlords, who do a lot of gardening (they grow most of their own produce for the entire year) just decided to go into the honey trade (as a hobby!). Their son already does honey as a business...anyway, my landlord came over today and gave me the biggest jar of honey I have ever seen. It looks good and I can't wait to try it. Maybe I will make ice cream with it! Anyway, while he was delivering the honey, my landlord asked if I wanted corn (apparently not wanting the honey wasn't an option-good thing I wanted it!). So I said "well we'll have our own corn...in a month or 3." He laughed and brought over corn. Yay! It's not zucchini... I see roasted corn and tomato salsa in my future with pork tacos...and grilled corn with, yes, a side of baby zucchini, and boiled potatoes on grill night (steak for Price and chicken for me). I love corn, and potatoes, and tomatoes, and, yes, even zucchini.
As we went down to the garden today (2 cucumbers and 5 sun golds later) we saw the first blooms on our winter squash (variety as yet undetermined, we bought a mixed pack of 4 types and we see 4 types of leaves but without the actual squash I still don't know which plant is which)...Anyway. We should be set on produce for a long time. I am just glad we can get some things at the farmer's market to go with what we are growing (carrots, lettuce, berries, etc) Not to mention the yummy goat cheese that is for sale at one the local farmer's markets on Saturday...I love cheese.
Anyway, we used some of our zucchini tonight. We had pizza with homemade sauce and fresh mozzarella, the way pizza is supposed to be. Everyone probably has their own toppings they want for pizza, and I'll probably post a different pizza later, but this is what we had tonight. Enjoy!
Homemade Zucchini and Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pizza crust, extra thick, Pillsbury
1 8 oz can Hunt's unseasoned tomato sauce
1 tbsp garlic paste for sauce (from a tube)
1 tsp garlic paste for cheese (from a tube)
1 tsp pesto (from a tube)
1/2 c. whole milk ricotta
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 c. small turkey pepperoni
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh basil
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Spread out the pizza crust on the cookie sheet. Poke all over with a fork (it will rise better, trust me). Brush with remaining olive oil. Gently tear the thyme and oregano and sprinkle over the crust. Bake in oven for 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce, tbsp of garlic, and half the basil and parsley (gently torn). Set aside. In another small bowl, mix the ricotta, remaining garlic paste, pesto, and the other half of the basil and parsley. Put sauce on pizza. Spread out zucchini, then gently smoosh globs of the ricotta mixture on top. Spread the mozzarella out where the sauce shows through the ricotta. Add the pepperoni. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
Remember, this is pizza! While I strongly suggest preparing the crust as directed with the olive oil and baking before topping, the herbs used can vary based off toppings. Also, dried italian seasoning works well....Otherwise, customize as desired. Versatile food (like pizza) should be fun. So have fun!
As we went down to the garden today (2 cucumbers and 5 sun golds later) we saw the first blooms on our winter squash (variety as yet undetermined, we bought a mixed pack of 4 types and we see 4 types of leaves but without the actual squash I still don't know which plant is which)...Anyway. We should be set on produce for a long time. I am just glad we can get some things at the farmer's market to go with what we are growing (carrots, lettuce, berries, etc) Not to mention the yummy goat cheese that is for sale at one the local farmer's markets on Saturday...I love cheese.
Anyway, we used some of our zucchini tonight. We had pizza with homemade sauce and fresh mozzarella, the way pizza is supposed to be. Everyone probably has their own toppings they want for pizza, and I'll probably post a different pizza later, but this is what we had tonight. Enjoy!
Homemade Zucchini and Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pizza crust, extra thick, Pillsbury
1 8 oz can Hunt's unseasoned tomato sauce
1 tbsp garlic paste for sauce (from a tube)
1 tsp garlic paste for cheese (from a tube)
1 tsp pesto (from a tube)
1/2 c. whole milk ricotta
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 c. small turkey pepperoni
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh basil
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Spread out the pizza crust on the cookie sheet. Poke all over with a fork (it will rise better, trust me). Brush with remaining olive oil. Gently tear the thyme and oregano and sprinkle over the crust. Bake in oven for 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce, tbsp of garlic, and half the basil and parsley (gently torn). Set aside. In another small bowl, mix the ricotta, remaining garlic paste, pesto, and the other half of the basil and parsley. Put sauce on pizza. Spread out zucchini, then gently smoosh globs of the ricotta mixture on top. Spread the mozzarella out where the sauce shows through the ricotta. Add the pepperoni. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
Remember, this is pizza! While I strongly suggest preparing the crust as directed with the olive oil and baking before topping, the herbs used can vary based off toppings. Also, dried italian seasoning works well....Otherwise, customize as desired. Versatile food (like pizza) should be fun. So have fun!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Freezers and freezables
Apparently, you can freeze almost anything and it will still be edible in some form when you are done. Meats, cheese, bread, vegetables, fruit. All are freezable. Even, as it turns out, zucchini. As I looked up recipes for zucchini, baked good after baked good appeared. Zucchini bars, brownies, breads...all included my most dreaded wonder ingredient, zucchini. However, how to keep my plethora of zucchini for future use? I looked it up online, and shredded or sliced, zucchini is freezable to be cooked in recipes later. The catch? I had run out of freezer space.
Price and I had been talking about getting a freezer for months. But where to put it? Could we afford it? Finally, we had no choice. If we didn't get a chest freezer, soon, all of our produce that keeps growing would go to waste. So tonight we drove all the way to Target, a 45 minute drive, to get the smallest chest freezer possible. And for the reasonably low price of $171 (including tax) we became the proud owners of a 3.5 cubic foot freezer. And can maybe seat that fourth person at our kitchen table now. So freeze your food, if you have the room.
Price and I had been talking about getting a freezer for months. But where to put it? Could we afford it? Finally, we had no choice. If we didn't get a chest freezer, soon, all of our produce that keeps growing would go to waste. So tonight we drove all the way to Target, a 45 minute drive, to get the smallest chest freezer possible. And for the reasonably low price of $171 (including tax) we became the proud owners of a 3.5 cubic foot freezer. And can maybe seat that fourth person at our kitchen table now. So freeze your food, if you have the room.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Zucchini Giant with a picture!
While Price and I were out of town so often, we grew a 3 1/2 lb zucchini giant! Most of our other zucchini weigh between 5-10oz (less than a pound!). To the left you can see our zucchini giant with a regular sized zucchini! Sooo....remember that little zucchini taste better than big zucchini, but that big zucchini are good in baking. Remember that medium zucchini are the most versatile and can be used for anything...also...next time you bake...slip in some zucchini. I took some leftover chocolate cake to a church picnic and no one noticed the zucchini! Anyway, have a nice night...Oh I wish my brandywines would ripen...then I could complain about tomatoes instead!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Berry Season: Blackberry Ginger Peach Cobbler
Every year it seems, I go through a different craze. There was the year of the watermelon, and the year of the asparagus. You get the idea. This year, the summer bounty I am most enjoy are berries...any kind. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, even cherries are all at the top of my most wanted list. It might have to do with the fact that I have become addicted to smoothies...it might have to do with the fact that they just seem to taste better this year. But whatever it is, I love it! Yesterday, Price and I went hiking and found blackberry and blueberry bushes coming into season. We grazed as we continued to hike. It was wonderful...and of course there are always the fresh berries available at the farmer's market! Yay! Anyway, enjoy your berries, and maybe even make a cobbler like the one below (it also used peaches another summer wonder). Enjoy!
Blackberry Ginger Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
1 12oz bottle of ginger-ale
2 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 c. fresh blackberries
2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp brown sugar or 2 tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. bisquick
Directions: In a 8x8 inch pan, add the fruit and honey/sugar or agave nectar. Add 1/2 the bottle of ginger-ale. In a small bowl, mix the bisquick with as much ginger-ale as necessary to make a dough. Pour any remaining ginger-ale over the fruit mixture. Pour the dough over the fruit mixture and spread out to cover. Top with the cut butter scattered over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the crust is cooked through and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.
Blackberry Ginger Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
1 12oz bottle of ginger-ale
2 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 c. fresh blackberries
2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp brown sugar or 2 tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. bisquick
Directions: In a 8x8 inch pan, add the fruit and honey/sugar or agave nectar. Add 1/2 the bottle of ginger-ale. In a small bowl, mix the bisquick with as much ginger-ale as necessary to make a dough. Pour any remaining ginger-ale over the fruit mixture. Pour the dough over the fruit mixture and spread out to cover. Top with the cut butter scattered over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the crust is cooked through and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ever since I was a little girl I have loved chocolate cake. Maybe it stems from the fact that my mother made chocolate cake for my 1st birthday and by the time I was 2 I was hooked. I wanted chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Of course, by the time I was 4 I wanted Ariel from the little mermaid to make an appearance on my cake. Mom reasonably argued that vanilla icing was key to having Ariel represented on my cake...so the annual chocolate cake with vanilla icing birthday cake was born. My favorite were the years when I only had a small party (after I had outgrown the Disney character cakes) so Mom was able to make my cake for me herself...Devil's food with vanilla icing.
My dad's favorite though, is the opposite. He loves yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...milk chocolate is important...my mom's version with vanilla and dark chocolate icing mixed. I remember the year I was gone for my birthday. When I came back, Dad had made a cake all by himself (mom had gone to pick me up). He was so proud of that cake. It tasted pretty good too. Apparently lopsidedness doesn't effect flavor. But when he said "I made your favorite" I started laughing. Because he didn't make a chocolate cake with vanilla icing, he made yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...At least he tried.
Then there was the year that Price made my cake...this was back when we were still dating. (It was after this incident that I gave up on Price ever actually cooking for a special occasion...Valentine's Day hadn't been that great either). Again the cake tasted good...and it was the right flavor this time...but, of course there is always a but. He didn't have the right size cake pans. And so he patched together a layer cake with icing. It was a the ugliest cake I have ever seen...and I am not a huge fan of icing...Price looked pitiful and I ate the cake. It did taste good after all.
Mom brought my cake from a bakery last year...which leads me to this year. I wanted a real cake...an actual cake, with little to no icing. My favorite kind...chocolate. So I looked online and I found a recipe by Robin Miller on the Food Network...and I adapted it of course. So here is my chocolate cake...and Happy Birthday to Me! (please forgive the zucchini (again) but I have to do something with it!)
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 c. boiling water
1 small zucchini, shredded (about 1 c.)-may use shredded apple, carrot, or spinach instead
1/2 c. chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and slowly whisk in wet ingredients. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9 x 12 inch baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Enjoy!
My dad's favorite though, is the opposite. He loves yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...milk chocolate is important...my mom's version with vanilla and dark chocolate icing mixed. I remember the year I was gone for my birthday. When I came back, Dad had made a cake all by himself (mom had gone to pick me up). He was so proud of that cake. It tasted pretty good too. Apparently lopsidedness doesn't effect flavor. But when he said "I made your favorite" I started laughing. Because he didn't make a chocolate cake with vanilla icing, he made yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...At least he tried.
Then there was the year that Price made my cake...this was back when we were still dating. (It was after this incident that I gave up on Price ever actually cooking for a special occasion...Valentine's Day hadn't been that great either). Again the cake tasted good...and it was the right flavor this time...but, of course there is always a but. He didn't have the right size cake pans. And so he patched together a layer cake with icing. It was a the ugliest cake I have ever seen...and I am not a huge fan of icing...Price looked pitiful and I ate the cake. It did taste good after all.
Mom brought my cake from a bakery last year...which leads me to this year. I wanted a real cake...an actual cake, with little to no icing. My favorite kind...chocolate. So I looked online and I found a recipe by Robin Miller on the Food Network...and I adapted it of course. So here is my chocolate cake...and Happy Birthday to Me! (please forgive the zucchini (again) but I have to do something with it!)
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 c. boiling water
1 small zucchini, shredded (about 1 c.)-may use shredded apple, carrot, or spinach instead
1/2 c. chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and slowly whisk in wet ingredients. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9 x 12 inch baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Pickling Adventure
Having never made pickles before, I looked up a lot of recipes. I came to the conclusion that I did not want to can pickles (after an adventure with blackberry syrup...more on that in a future post), and so I finally found a refrigerated pickle recipe that looked relatively simple. And yet, something always goes wrong. In the process of sterilizing the pot I was going to use--a large pottery casserole..It received to hairline cracks that now cause a leak. I was patient to...I didn't just dump boiling water in the pot, I allowed it to slowly come to boiling...but apparently the stress of the heat was to much for my poor pottery. So...I switched to a large pot...It was sterilized, the ingredients were added, but...IT WOULDN'T SEAL! So on to plan C then. I put the veggies in mason jars with the pickling liquid and stuck it in the fridge. They probably won't last the full three months, but I am sure they will taste just as good. If you would like to try my version of pickles...see below (P.S. this is adapted from a recipe to begin with-will I every give up experimenting?). Otherwise, enjoy pickles from someone else's hard labors or the grocery.
Pickles
4 c. water
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/8 c. pickling salt
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 lbs mixed chopped vegetables or fruit such as zucchini, carrots, cucumber, radishes, turnips, onions, etc.
Mix the water, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Add the garlic and dill. Divide the veggies equally among mason jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the veggies until covered. Put on the lid and refrigerate 48 hours before eating to allow the full flavor to develop. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months. Discard if liquid becomes sour smelling or fermented or cloudy.
Enjoy!
Pickles
4 c. water
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/8 c. pickling salt
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 lbs mixed chopped vegetables or fruit such as zucchini, carrots, cucumber, radishes, turnips, onions, etc.
Mix the water, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Add the garlic and dill. Divide the veggies equally among mason jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the veggies until covered. Put on the lid and refrigerate 48 hours before eating to allow the full flavor to develop. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months. Discard if liquid becomes sour smelling or fermented or cloudy.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tapas Night: Figs, Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, and Salmon Avocado Bites
Tonight, my husband and I had tapas for dinner...so, OK, I'll admit it, they weren't all tapas...some were Italian appetizers. Anyway, the point is, every once in a while Price and I have small bites for dinner. Tonight we had bruschetta (see the post from July 13 for the recipe), rice stuffed zucchini blossoms, and figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto. It tasted amazing! I discovered tapas night about 2 years ago when I found a tapas cookbook. I had been to a tapas restaurant before, but making them at home? And there were so many I wanted to try...smoked salmon and avocado bites, sausage balls, goat cheese on crackers, the list goes on and on. And so I decided that tapas night was the answer. It allows me to try all of the recipes in one meal. And it's fun! So tonight I give you tapas. Enjoy!
P.S. the tomatoes in the bruschetta were from our garden and tasted amazing! the basil was from my herb garden, and the mozzarella was from a local farm. The baguette for the toasts was from a local bakery...but I did cave a little bit from all of the local...you can't beat imported olive oil. Tonight mine came from Italy. However, supporting local is good. We want our local economies to thrive. So buy and eat local whenever possible. Stop the chains!
Rice stuffed zucchini blossoms (serves 4)
Ingredients: 4 fresh zucchini blossoms, stamens removed; 1/2 c. brown rice; 3/4 c. water; 1/4 c. milk; 1 tsp dried lavender petals; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste
Directions: Mix all ingredients except the blossoms in a pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir and cover. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill each blossom with 1/4 of the rice. Serve immediately.
Salmon and Avocado bites
Ingredients: 1 avocado, sliced; 1 4oz package smoked salmon; 4 tbsp mayo
Directions: Layer each slice of avocado with a little mayo and a slice of smoked salmon. Skewer with decorative pick if desired. May be kept refrigerated up to 24 hours.
Figs with prosciutto
Ingredients: figs, halved; 1 roll prosciutto with mozzarella, sliced into strips; olive oil; salt; pepper
Directions: Brush each fig half with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap with prosciutto and skewer with toothpick. Put in oven until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
P.S. the tomatoes in the bruschetta were from our garden and tasted amazing! the basil was from my herb garden, and the mozzarella was from a local farm. The baguette for the toasts was from a local bakery...but I did cave a little bit from all of the local...you can't beat imported olive oil. Tonight mine came from Italy. However, supporting local is good. We want our local economies to thrive. So buy and eat local whenever possible. Stop the chains!
Rice stuffed zucchini blossoms (serves 4)
Ingredients: 4 fresh zucchini blossoms, stamens removed; 1/2 c. brown rice; 3/4 c. water; 1/4 c. milk; 1 tsp dried lavender petals; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste
Directions: Mix all ingredients except the blossoms in a pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir and cover. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill each blossom with 1/4 of the rice. Serve immediately.
Salmon and Avocado bites
Ingredients: 1 avocado, sliced; 1 4oz package smoked salmon; 4 tbsp mayo
Directions: Layer each slice of avocado with a little mayo and a slice of smoked salmon. Skewer with decorative pick if desired. May be kept refrigerated up to 24 hours.
Figs with prosciutto
Ingredients: figs, halved; 1 roll prosciutto with mozzarella, sliced into strips; olive oil; salt; pepper
Directions: Brush each fig half with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap with prosciutto and skewer with toothpick. Put in oven until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Roller Coaster Days: Tomato Bruschetta
Some days just don't seem to go according to plan. Like yesterday...the day started off alright, but when I was leaving to go to the eye doctor, I bumped into my cousin's rental car...Luckily, he didn't care. I come back to my parents, pack to go home and find out that my great Uncle had passed away (my family is having a rough time). Then my husband and I go to lunch, go to my favorite grocery store. Everything is looking up. We have a really yummy, if really spicy, dinner in downtown Asheville (at a restaurant that allows dogs on the patio-Rags got to come). Salsa's has these lava bowls...I had no idea food could get and stay so hot. Chicken in a coconut sauce over black beans and rice...heaven! Then we are driving home and I find out that things are going crazy with the approval of the new pastor for our church. So I have been up, down, up, down, up, and down again...but I get home and look at the garden...things look up again. Isn't it nice to end on a good note? The roller coaster that was my day finally ended as I went to bed.
From our garden we found a huge zucchini (which we left to try and get seed for next year) plus 2 reasonable sized zucchini which we harvested. Our first cucumber was harvested last night, plus some hardy little carrots that managed to survive. We will try a different way next year...the soil is just to rocky here. And we had 11 cherry tomatoes, they are supposed to be gold but some over-ripened into a lush red. But they will still taste good! If only we had our Brandywines!
Tonight we are having a tapas night based off some good finds a gourmet grocery and our garden. I can't wait...fresh figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, and a rice stuffed zucchini blossom. I can't wait to see how the zucchini blossom turns out. We haven't tried that before. Anyway...Here is my favorite recipe for bruschetta...of course it changes from time to time.
Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients: 1 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup diced mozzarella cheese, 3 tbsp good olive oil, 6 fresh basil leaves, 12 slices french bread
Directions: Using 1 tbsp of the olive oil, brush each side of the french bread and broil to make toasts. Mix together the tomato, cheese, and remaining olive oil. Gently tear the basil leaves into pieces and mix into the tomato mixture (this must be done right before it is stirred in). Serve on the warm toasts.
Enjoy!
From our garden we found a huge zucchini (which we left to try and get seed for next year) plus 2 reasonable sized zucchini which we harvested. Our first cucumber was harvested last night, plus some hardy little carrots that managed to survive. We will try a different way next year...the soil is just to rocky here. And we had 11 cherry tomatoes, they are supposed to be gold but some over-ripened into a lush red. But they will still taste good! If only we had our Brandywines!
Tonight we are having a tapas night based off some good finds a gourmet grocery and our garden. I can't wait...fresh figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, and a rice stuffed zucchini blossom. I can't wait to see how the zucchini blossom turns out. We haven't tried that before. Anyway...Here is my favorite recipe for bruschetta...of course it changes from time to time.
Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients: 1 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup diced mozzarella cheese, 3 tbsp good olive oil, 6 fresh basil leaves, 12 slices french bread
Directions: Using 1 tbsp of the olive oil, brush each side of the french bread and broil to make toasts. Mix together the tomato, cheese, and remaining olive oil. Gently tear the basil leaves into pieces and mix into the tomato mixture (this must be done right before it is stirred in). Serve on the warm toasts.
Enjoy!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Looking Deep into the Ocean: Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Rice
Have you ever just sat on the beach and looked at the ocean? Seen a storm come in over the sea? There is something mystical about the ocean, powerful, peaceful, free. The ocean has the power to sooth a hurt soul, to cleanse a spirit. If you moisturize properly after, the sea will clear up your complexion, walking on the sand is like getting a free pedicure. Sometimes, all you need is a peaceful view of the ocean, and you're free. The ocean is mighty, it can destroy ships and swamp islands. Perhaps it is the oceans mysterious moods that captivate us so much.
Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. Only 2% of that water is actually potable. Most of this water is in the sea. Yet we rely on water for much of what we do. In fact, without water, humans, and countless other species on earth, could not survive. If we admire the beauty of the ocean, it allows us to understand conserving our earth’s resources. We must preserve our earth in order to truly be free.
A recipe from the sea:
Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Rice (serves 2)
Ingredients: 1/2 c. frozen shrimp, 1/2 c. frozen scallops, 1 chopped zucchini or summer squash (small), 1/2 c diced onion, 1 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp taco seasoning, 1 box italian cheese rice, 2 tsp olive oil
Directions: Make rice using package directions. Meanwhile, add olive oil to large skillet. Add onion, shrimp and scallops. Saute 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Saute until cooked through and squash has started to brown. Serve over rice.
This recipe is easily doubled and tastes best when both types of squash are used.
Look deep into the ocean. Accept all of it’s mystery. Look deep into the ocean. Allow yourself to be set free.
Enjoy!
Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. Only 2% of that water is actually potable. Most of this water is in the sea. Yet we rely on water for much of what we do. In fact, without water, humans, and countless other species on earth, could not survive. If we admire the beauty of the ocean, it allows us to understand conserving our earth’s resources. We must preserve our earth in order to truly be free.
A recipe from the sea:
Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Rice (serves 2)
Ingredients: 1/2 c. frozen shrimp, 1/2 c. frozen scallops, 1 chopped zucchini or summer squash (small), 1/2 c diced onion, 1 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp taco seasoning, 1 box italian cheese rice, 2 tsp olive oil
Directions: Make rice using package directions. Meanwhile, add olive oil to large skillet. Add onion, shrimp and scallops. Saute 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Saute until cooked through and squash has started to brown. Serve over rice.
This recipe is easily doubled and tastes best when both types of squash are used.
Look deep into the ocean. Accept all of it’s mystery. Look deep into the ocean. Allow yourself to be set free.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Storms: Turkey Avocado Wraps, Herbed Mayo, Pasta Salad
Storm. It is a word that describes many things. A thunderstorm, a lightening storm, a hurricane, a tornado, a wind storm. A stormy mood. I have those. I am sure that those around me do not always enjoy my storms...but I enjoy watching actual storms come in across the mountains. Price and I will go up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and watch storms come in from far away. The sky goes dark and lightening comes up and hits a tree with a resounding crack. I know of little that can be more appealing. It is especially fun when you go up with a picnic and eat lunch or dinner as the storm comes in. I usually take Turkey Avocado Wraps and Pasta Salad...along with apples or bananas or pears and cookies. The recipes follow...Enjoy!
Turkey Avocado Wraps (serves 2)
Ingredients: 2 tbsp herb mayo (see recipe below), 1/2 lb sliced deli turkey, 4 big lettuce or 6 small lettuce or spinach leaves (anything but iceburg!), 2-4 tomato slices, 1 sliced avocado, 4 red onion rings, 2 slices good cheese such as gouda, provolone, or munster, 2 sun-dried tomato wraps
Directions: Spread half the mayo on each wrap. Layer half the lettuce, tomato, turkey, onion, cheese, and avocado on each wrap. Fold in a burrito fold.
Wraps may be refrigerated and served up to 6 hours later.
Herbed Mayo
1 cup mayo
4 tbsp of any combination of any of the following herbs: oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme, or savory
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Can be stored in air tight container for up to 1 week.
Pasta Salad
Ingredients: 1 box whole wheat pasta, 1 large diced zucchini, 1 large chopped carrot, 1/2-1 16oz bottle italian dressing, 1 large diced tomato or 8 quartered cherry tomatoes or 16 halved grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese for sprinkling...if serving as a meal add 1 c. pepperoni mini’s
Directions: make pasta according to package directions adding the carrot to the pasta water at the very beginning. Add the zucchini in the last 3 minutes of pasta cook time. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Add dressing to taste and mix in the tomatoes and pepperoni if using. Chill thoroughly before adding the cheese. May be made up to 24 hours in advance. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Enjoy!
Turkey Avocado Wraps (serves 2)
Ingredients: 2 tbsp herb mayo (see recipe below), 1/2 lb sliced deli turkey, 4 big lettuce or 6 small lettuce or spinach leaves (anything but iceburg!), 2-4 tomato slices, 1 sliced avocado, 4 red onion rings, 2 slices good cheese such as gouda, provolone, or munster, 2 sun-dried tomato wraps
Directions: Spread half the mayo on each wrap. Layer half the lettuce, tomato, turkey, onion, cheese, and avocado on each wrap. Fold in a burrito fold.
Wraps may be refrigerated and served up to 6 hours later.
Herbed Mayo
1 cup mayo
4 tbsp of any combination of any of the following herbs: oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme, or savory
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Can be stored in air tight container for up to 1 week.
Pasta Salad
Ingredients: 1 box whole wheat pasta, 1 large diced zucchini, 1 large chopped carrot, 1/2-1 16oz bottle italian dressing, 1 large diced tomato or 8 quartered cherry tomatoes or 16 halved grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese for sprinkling...if serving as a meal add 1 c. pepperoni mini’s
Directions: make pasta according to package directions adding the carrot to the pasta water at the very beginning. Add the zucchini in the last 3 minutes of pasta cook time. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Add dressing to taste and mix in the tomatoes and pepperoni if using. Chill thoroughly before adding the cheese. May be made up to 24 hours in advance. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy 4th!
May you have a wonderful Independence Day celebrating with family and friends. Eat good food! Watch fireworks! and remember all the Veterans and Military currently serving our country.
Happy Independence Day!
Happy Independence Day!
The Eco Impact of Food: Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Anyone who has read the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen or seen Food, Inc., Supersize Me, or any other type of movie or book like this knows that the way we consume our food from ground to table, is a system that needs help. Our current industrial food system needs help...it's not good for the environment or good for our health. Anyway, at some point in the past year I have slowly evolved from eating whatever to actually looking at what I'm consuming. I'm not going to pitch a fit if the food I eat isn't super healthy or eco-friendly. I like junk food as much as the next person. But my choices have slowly gotten more healthy, more whole, less synthetic and processed ingredients. And its not because I don't like french fries and soda, it's because anyone who actually knows what goes into their food will attempt, in the long run to choose better.
I don't eat beef. When I cook at home, I try to pick humanely treated, hormone free, naturally fed meat. If you want to go vegetarian, fine. But picking humanely treated meat will definitely lower your meat intake. 1) It costs more 2) It tastes better so 3) a little goes a lot further.
I have a garden...with zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, and winter squash...
I buy local at a produce stand and the farmer's market...
I go to organic, all natural grocery stores...
And I buy mainstream foods, because sometimes you just can't do without that Oreo.
I look at the eco-impact of the fish I eat...Look at salmon for example. The wild population in Alaska is the best kind to eat...the population in Washington state is being overfished. And farmed salmon releases a lot of pollutants to the water and the fish are fed a vegetarian diet...salmon are carnivores!
So eat what you want...but know exactly what you are eating, because maybe, just maybe, that will help people become more aware of what we are doing to our earth, to give them a motivation to protect it. To eat in a way that is good for our bodies and our environment...Just...KNOW WHAT YOU EAT!
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 can red kidney beans, 1 c. brown rice (cooked according to package directions), 1tsp ground chili pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh, 1 bay leaf, 2 bun-sized sausage links such as polska kielbsa (sliced), cheese, sour cream and salsa to serve
Directions: Mix the beans, herbs and spices, and sausage in a pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to heat through and add flavor. Serve over the rice with the cheese, sour cream and salsa according to your preference.
Enjoy!
I don't eat beef. When I cook at home, I try to pick humanely treated, hormone free, naturally fed meat. If you want to go vegetarian, fine. But picking humanely treated meat will definitely lower your meat intake. 1) It costs more 2) It tastes better so 3) a little goes a lot further.
I have a garden...with zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, and winter squash...
I buy local at a produce stand and the farmer's market...
I go to organic, all natural grocery stores...
And I buy mainstream foods, because sometimes you just can't do without that Oreo.
I look at the eco-impact of the fish I eat...Look at salmon for example. The wild population in Alaska is the best kind to eat...the population in Washington state is being overfished. And farmed salmon releases a lot of pollutants to the water and the fish are fed a vegetarian diet...salmon are carnivores!
So eat what you want...but know exactly what you are eating, because maybe, just maybe, that will help people become more aware of what we are doing to our earth, to give them a motivation to protect it. To eat in a way that is good for our bodies and our environment...Just...KNOW WHAT YOU EAT!
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 can red kidney beans, 1 c. brown rice (cooked according to package directions), 1tsp ground chili pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh, 1 bay leaf, 2 bun-sized sausage links such as polska kielbsa (sliced), cheese, sour cream and salsa to serve
Directions: Mix the beans, herbs and spices, and sausage in a pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to heat through and add flavor. Serve over the rice with the cheese, sour cream and salsa according to your preference.
Enjoy!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Out to Breakfast: Avocado BLT Scrambled Eggs
Mimi's Cafe...true, it's a chain, but their food is wonderful. Mixed Berry pancakes, french toast, ciabatta sandwiches, avocado blt omelets, sweet muffins...it's like finding your favorite breakfast over and over again. Now the avocado blt omelet left a bit to be desired, but here is a recipe for avocado blt scrambled eggs you can try at home to make your palette soar.
Avocado BLT Scrambled Eggs (serves 2)
Ingredients: 1 avocado, peeled and sliced; 1 tomato, half sliced, half diced; 4 slices of bacon, cooked, 1/2 c. spinach, chopped; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/2 c. shredded cheese blend; 1/2 tbsp butter
Directions: Mix the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne pepper, and half the cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggs, spinach, and diced tomato. Scramble the eggs until cooked. Divide the eggs onto two plates and top each with half the remaining cheese, and half each of the bacon, tomato slices, and avocado.
Enjoy!
Avocado BLT Scrambled Eggs (serves 2)
Ingredients: 1 avocado, peeled and sliced; 1 tomato, half sliced, half diced; 4 slices of bacon, cooked, 1/2 c. spinach, chopped; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/2 c. shredded cheese blend; 1/2 tbsp butter
Directions: Mix the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne pepper, and half the cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggs, spinach, and diced tomato. Scramble the eggs until cooked. Divide the eggs onto two plates and top each with half the remaining cheese, and half each of the bacon, tomato slices, and avocado.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 2, 2010
You can inherit a love of food...
My grandmother loved food. She was growing up during the Great Depression, so I am not exactly sure how this love of food developed, but I remember with great clarity wacky cake (a recipe developed during the Great Depression for a desert that didn't have a lot of flour or sugar) served with fresh whipped cream. I even managed to overdose on the whipped cream as a little girl...to the point where I wouldn't eat it again for many years.
My grandmother was a gourmet cook who loved Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals. She was vibrant and funny, and very stubborn. She was definitely in charge of our family, a crazy matriarch who made sure her opinion was not only known, it was followed.
I remember the first time I tried hot tea...with my grandmother. Raspberry flavored, always raspberry. My grandmother loved fresh raspberries and anything with a raspberry flavor. When I went to college I found this little candy shop that sold locally made twists (kind of like twizzlers) that came in a raspberry flavor. Granma couldn't get enough of them. So I always brought some when I came to visit.
If it is possible to inherit a love of food, Granma would definitely have been the person to inherit from, but not anymore. She died last evening. May all of our family remember what a wonderful woman she was.
A crazy, wonderful, loud, stubborn liver of life.
My grandmother was a gourmet cook who loved Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals. She was vibrant and funny, and very stubborn. She was definitely in charge of our family, a crazy matriarch who made sure her opinion was not only known, it was followed.
I remember the first time I tried hot tea...with my grandmother. Raspberry flavored, always raspberry. My grandmother loved fresh raspberries and anything with a raspberry flavor. When I went to college I found this little candy shop that sold locally made twists (kind of like twizzlers) that came in a raspberry flavor. Granma couldn't get enough of them. So I always brought some when I came to visit.
If it is possible to inherit a love of food, Granma would definitely have been the person to inherit from, but not anymore. She died last evening. May all of our family remember what a wonderful woman she was.
A crazy, wonderful, loud, stubborn liver of life.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Culinary Tours: Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream Cheese
Have you ever been on a culinary tour? It's the most amazing thing ever if you love food. My downtown just did their second Taste of Downtown (insert town here) recently. It was amazing. 11 restaurants served samples of their food to 250 people as we walked around our downtown. I had some of the best hummus I have ever tasted, tropical fruit soup, couscous salad, red beans and rice, smoked salmon, local brewed beer and wine, chocolate cake, and much much more. It was wonderful to spend an afternoon walking around with my parents and husband, eating yummy food. Anyway, if you like smoked salmon, a recipe follows:
This one is simple and can be done for a tapas dinner or an appetizer for a party. Please, please get ecologically friendly wild salmon from Alaska...the Washington population is being over-fished and farmed salmon isn't really good for you or the environment due to the salmon's vegetarian diet (they are carnivores people!) and waste issues.
Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream cheese Ingredients: 1 4oz pkg smoked salmon, 1tbsp dried dill, plus more for garnish, 4oz cream cheese, and whole grain crackers. Directions: Mixed the dill with the cream cheese. Spoon small amounts onto crackers. Cut salmon into the same number of pieces as you have crackers covered with cream cheese. Put 1 piece of salmon on each cracker. Sprinkle with a little more dill. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
This one is simple and can be done for a tapas dinner or an appetizer for a party. Please, please get ecologically friendly wild salmon from Alaska...the Washington population is being over-fished and farmed salmon isn't really good for you or the environment due to the salmon's vegetarian diet (they are carnivores people!) and waste issues.
Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream cheese Ingredients: 1 4oz pkg smoked salmon, 1tbsp dried dill, plus more for garnish, 4oz cream cheese, and whole grain crackers. Directions: Mixed the dill with the cream cheese. Spoon small amounts onto crackers. Cut salmon into the same number of pieces as you have crackers covered with cream cheese. Put 1 piece of salmon on each cracker. Sprinkle with a little more dill. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
Have you read...: Pasta with Goat Cheese Marinara
Have you ever read...
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I think this book was when I first started to really understand what it means to love food. Don't get me wrong, Julie Powell did a great challenge attempting (and succeeding in cooking) to cook through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking which officially resides on my cookbook shelf now. By the way, the filets de sole are amazing. But I realized all of the food that is out their.
And then I discovered "My Life in France"...it's funny, sweet, sad, and poignant by turns. And it is Julia Child's biography and makes her come alive. That's when I realized...I have more cookbooks than I know what to do with, I subscribe to Food Network Magazine, and I love food. If that is not the definition of a foodie, what is?
Molecular Gastronomy is the science of food. As a biology and chemistry major I find this field utterly fascinating. After all, what does make an egg do so many weird things...from meringue to boiled, eggs can change in texture and taste just by what you add to them. To understand more, Read Molecular Gastronomy by This.
Ruth Reichl...I don't know what to say except that Garlic and Sapphires is the funniest food read I have ever had...and her other books are pretty good too.
Anyway, those who love food should also love reading about food. But just to keep the recipe collection going:
Pasta with Goat Cheese Marinara (serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 box whole grain spaghetti noodles, 1 large fresh tomato or 3 roma tomatoes, diced, 1 8 oz can tomato sauce (unseasoned), 2 green onions, diced, 1 zucchini, chopped, 4 Tbsp goat cheese chevre, plain, 3 large fresh basil leaves,torn, 2 tbsp garlic paste, 2 sprigs oregano, torn into small pieces, 2 sprigs parsley,chopped, plus more for garnish.
Directions: Make pasta according to package directions. In a large saute pan, add the fresh tomato, onion, and zucchini. When it starts to simmer, add the garlic paste, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add sauce. Return to simmer. Slowly add in goat cheese. Pour over drained pasta and serve immediately garnished with parsley and more goat cheese if desired.
The zucchini adds a nice flavor and good nutrients, plus, I have way to much in my garden right now!
Enjoy!
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I think this book was when I first started to really understand what it means to love food. Don't get me wrong, Julie Powell did a great challenge attempting (and succeeding in cooking) to cook through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking which officially resides on my cookbook shelf now. By the way, the filets de sole are amazing. But I realized all of the food that is out their.
And then I discovered "My Life in France"...it's funny, sweet, sad, and poignant by turns. And it is Julia Child's biography and makes her come alive. That's when I realized...I have more cookbooks than I know what to do with, I subscribe to Food Network Magazine, and I love food. If that is not the definition of a foodie, what is?
Molecular Gastronomy is the science of food. As a biology and chemistry major I find this field utterly fascinating. After all, what does make an egg do so many weird things...from meringue to boiled, eggs can change in texture and taste just by what you add to them. To understand more, Read Molecular Gastronomy by This.
Ruth Reichl...I don't know what to say except that Garlic and Sapphires is the funniest food read I have ever had...and her other books are pretty good too.
Anyway, those who love food should also love reading about food. But just to keep the recipe collection going:
Pasta with Goat Cheese Marinara (serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 box whole grain spaghetti noodles, 1 large fresh tomato or 3 roma tomatoes, diced, 1 8 oz can tomato sauce (unseasoned), 2 green onions, diced, 1 zucchini, chopped, 4 Tbsp goat cheese chevre, plain, 3 large fresh basil leaves,torn, 2 tbsp garlic paste, 2 sprigs oregano, torn into small pieces, 2 sprigs parsley,chopped, plus more for garnish.
Directions: Make pasta according to package directions. In a large saute pan, add the fresh tomato, onion, and zucchini. When it starts to simmer, add the garlic paste, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add sauce. Return to simmer. Slowly add in goat cheese. Pour over drained pasta and serve immediately garnished with parsley and more goat cheese if desired.
The zucchini adds a nice flavor and good nutrients, plus, I have way to much in my garden right now!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Happy Days: Take a dog to lunch
This is the story of a not happy day. But I hope the telling makes your day brighter...
Everybody has days when things just seem to go wrong. Recently, I was going to meet up with my husband for lunch. He works year round, whereas I am still in school with a flexible schedule so some days I go meet him for lunch. Anyway...Rags (my dog) was not cooperating. Amazingly enough, Price and I had picked a restaurant that allows dogs on the patio. It's a local sandwich shop that has a variety of yummy selections and Rags was supposed to come with us. I wasn't quite ready to leave, but I looked out on the porch and Rags was sitting there just like he was supposed too. I shut the door for a minute and finish up some things and then go to find Rags. Leash, check. Harness, check. Dog, ummm, where did he go!
So I call. Usually, especially when he only has a 5 minute window, he comes right up, tail wagging. Nope, not this time. I call and call and call. Finally, my landlords get tired of hearing "Ragsie, here boy, come on Rags, let's go for a ride!" (I would too, if I were them) and suggest I call a different dog he likes to play with instead. Well, there is no sign of Sophie either. So I call-on the phone-my husband to tell him that I won't being coming to lunch on time, if at all.
After giving up, canceling lunch, and getting ready to bake myself into oblivion (I cook when I'm stressed), here come's Rags, barking at my landlord's grandson on his bike. This earns him a doggie time out inside while I call Price to see if he can meet me for lunch. He can, and we meet at the restaurant. He gets our order, things are going well, Rags is finally behaving, and...
It starts to rain. We are outside...at a restaurant...with a dog...There is no getting out of the rain. After a very soggy lunch...I go to a store and buy Rags a dog toy. Yep, that's me, sucker to the very end. After all of that, I succumb to the puppy eyes of my two year old little gray furry creature...and buy him a dog toy. You can see which one of us is trained. And it's not the dog.
P.S. The food at this restaurant is amazing! The sandwich selection is unreal...in the winter they have marvelous soup, and I have never had better pita chips anywhere else in the whole world. Maybe soon I'll figure out the whole posting of a picture thing.
Anyway, Enjoy your food.
And Have a Very Happy Day!
Everybody has days when things just seem to go wrong. Recently, I was going to meet up with my husband for lunch. He works year round, whereas I am still in school with a flexible schedule so some days I go meet him for lunch. Anyway...Rags (my dog) was not cooperating. Amazingly enough, Price and I had picked a restaurant that allows dogs on the patio. It's a local sandwich shop that has a variety of yummy selections and Rags was supposed to come with us. I wasn't quite ready to leave, but I looked out on the porch and Rags was sitting there just like he was supposed too. I shut the door for a minute and finish up some things and then go to find Rags. Leash, check. Harness, check. Dog, ummm, where did he go!
So I call. Usually, especially when he only has a 5 minute window, he comes right up, tail wagging. Nope, not this time. I call and call and call. Finally, my landlords get tired of hearing "Ragsie, here boy, come on Rags, let's go for a ride!" (I would too, if I were them) and suggest I call a different dog he likes to play with instead. Well, there is no sign of Sophie either. So I call-on the phone-my husband to tell him that I won't being coming to lunch on time, if at all.
After giving up, canceling lunch, and getting ready to bake myself into oblivion (I cook when I'm stressed), here come's Rags, barking at my landlord's grandson on his bike. This earns him a doggie time out inside while I call Price to see if he can meet me for lunch. He can, and we meet at the restaurant. He gets our order, things are going well, Rags is finally behaving, and...
It starts to rain. We are outside...at a restaurant...with a dog...There is no getting out of the rain. After a very soggy lunch...I go to a store and buy Rags a dog toy. Yep, that's me, sucker to the very end. After all of that, I succumb to the puppy eyes of my two year old little gray furry creature...and buy him a dog toy. You can see which one of us is trained. And it's not the dog.
P.S. The food at this restaurant is amazing! The sandwich selection is unreal...in the winter they have marvelous soup, and I have never had better pita chips anywhere else in the whole world. Maybe soon I'll figure out the whole posting of a picture thing.
Anyway, Enjoy your food.
And Have a Very Happy Day!
Hello World!: Apple Zucchini Bread
So my husband likes technical things and whenever he is looking at a computer he types "Hello World!" Apparently it gives a good indication of the way the keys work. But it seems apt for my first post since well here I am on cyber-space. Anyway...I wanted to do this blog because of my huge interest in food...eating food, cooking food, growing food, anything that could possibly relate to food. I wasn't always this way. Once long ago I wouldn't eat anything other than chicken, corn and mashed potatoes for dinner. Definitely have moved beyond that.
Currently my excitement about food relates to my garden, my first! and all of the wonderful food that is in season that I can buy at the local farmer's market. Amazing lettuces, carrots, cucumbers...and just recently the first raspberries and blueberries for the season in my area! Speaking of my area...I live in the Appalachian mountains in North Carolina...no more details for you!
My garden is currently producing more zucchini than I know what to do with. My husband and I had zucchini soup yesterday...it tasted good but it was a disgusting shade of green. I think it would make a great dish for Halloween! A more promising recipe is one I adapted to make Apple Zucchini Bread today... I already had everything I needed so it worked out well. I'll paste the recipe below.
Apple Zucchini Bread
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 cup chai tea or black tea; unsweetened, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 cups shredded zucchini, 1 cup shredded apples, 1 1/2 cups granola
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine first 7 ingredients and set aside.
Combine eggs, oil, tea, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until well blended. Stir in zucchini, apples, and granola. Add to dry ingredients; stir until moistened.
Put into greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.
P.S. you can adjust the baking time to make muffins...20 minutes. and nuts can be used instead of granola...but I like granola...and I already had it!
Enjoy
Currently my excitement about food relates to my garden, my first! and all of the wonderful food that is in season that I can buy at the local farmer's market. Amazing lettuces, carrots, cucumbers...and just recently the first raspberries and blueberries for the season in my area! Speaking of my area...I live in the Appalachian mountains in North Carolina...no more details for you!
My garden is currently producing more zucchini than I know what to do with. My husband and I had zucchini soup yesterday...it tasted good but it was a disgusting shade of green. I think it would make a great dish for Halloween! A more promising recipe is one I adapted to make Apple Zucchini Bread today... I already had everything I needed so it worked out well. I'll paste the recipe below.
Apple Zucchini Bread
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 cup chai tea or black tea; unsweetened, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 cups shredded zucchini, 1 cup shredded apples, 1 1/2 cups granola
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine first 7 ingredients and set aside.
Combine eggs, oil, tea, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until well blended. Stir in zucchini, apples, and granola. Add to dry ingredients; stir until moistened.
Put into greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.
P.S. you can adjust the baking time to make muffins...20 minutes. and nuts can be used instead of granola...but I like granola...and I already had it!
Enjoy
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