La Casa De Nanan

Pasta with bacon, mushrooms and asparagus

2012-01-27T08:56:00.000-06:00

I have been away from my blog for quite a while for a couple of reasons. Number one, my 16 year old niece is visiting from Colombia for her school break - 2 months of her school break - she returns home on Tuesday - whew. She is a much more picky eater than my Sweet William and cooking here has been out of the ordinary and just not that interesting... Secondly, I found out during this time that I am at the very least gluten-intolerant. I have had to change my diet radically and since I have been trying new ways of cooking old favorites, I have been working on getting my food to where I can just make it and document it and then blog about it. I am not sure this will turn into a gluten-free blog - but I am sure many of the recipes will by virtue of being cooked by me will in fact be gluten-free.

Last night's pasta dish was inspired by none other than my own personal muse, Junebug! Her dish, Perline Pasta Purses with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala, made my mouth water when I first saw the photo - and secondly, when I read the description! If you can get those ingredients - I suggest you try her recipe!!!!!! Now, I can't do regular pasta and I am not amazing enough like June and her Big Guy to make my own Pancetta, so I had to alter the recipe a bit. (Yes, they make their own pancetta and smoked bacon - I am so jealous!)

I started out with Gluten free Spirals - these things are pasta - and they taste like pasta - just be sure to fix them al dente - according to the directions on the box - and all is good in the pasta world!

I had no pancetta, much less home-made pancetta that is to die-for delish, so I used regular thick cut smoked bacon - 6 slices cut up medium dice.

I fried these beauties until golden brown and delish and then drained and reserved on some papertowles.

Meanwhile, I diced up a medium and half a red bell pepper I had left over from Camille Ana's snack.

After you remove the bacon, discard most of the bacon fat - except for about a tablespoon, fry up the onion and peppers in the bacon fat with a bit of olive oil.

When the onions and the peppers and cooked down and browned a bit, add sliced mushrooms. You might need to add a bit more bacon fat and olive oil for them to fry down at this point. You want them nice and brown.

Add your asparagus when the mushrooms are brown. At this point, my Sweet William returned home from work cranky as can be. He had not eaten lunch because it was pasta and didn't want pasta for supper - aarrggghhhhh. So, I reserved some of these veggies in a small saucepan for him and continued with the recipe for me. (I had also cooked a pot of rice and some roast beef because he eats rice with his pasta anyway...)

When I was searching the cheese drawer for my parm, I found this bit of cream cheese that I needed to use up, so I decided to toss it in the pasta to make it a bit more creamy.

The original recipe called for deglazing the pan with Marsala wine - but alas, I am out of that fabulous nectar of the gods and had to go with Sherry. It worked just fine! You finish the dish with about a half a cup of heavy cream and if you need to thin the sauce, use some of your reserved pasta water from when you cooked your pasta. I added about a cup of shredded park at the very end and mixed it well. The dish was to die for! Serve with bacon sprinkled on top! William has no idea what he missed out on!

MaPitre's Cornbread Dressing

2011-11-24T13:38:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, my maternal grandmother, MaPitre would make one dish for the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals - and that was Cornbread Dressing. I looked forward to this dish the entire year because it contained some of my favorite ingredients and their combination is sheer bliss. I have been the one who has carried on the tradition and I now prepare this dish each holiday - and the family loves it. I will not change it.

To cook the base of the dressing you will need 1 part ground pork and 2 parts ground beef, 3 stalks celery, 3 onions, 1 bell pepper, 5 garlic cloves, and salt to taste.

Slice the celery fine - don't want lots of long strings in the dressing. Put in your food processor.

Peel and large dice your onions - into the food processor they go! Same with the Bell Pepper!

I like using the nifty garlic peeler my Dad got me - it works well!

Puree all of the vegetables in your food processor, you want them to disappear into the dressing.

Cook down and brown the meat and vegetables, breaking up well the meat.

Meanwhile, bake off 2 boxes of corn bread mix - make bread, not muffins.

Boil for 15 minutes the most special ingredient - chicken livers - 1 lb!!!!

When all are done - put aside to cool, then store safely overnight.

Morning of the big day, place the meat base into a large pot on the stove, crumble the livers into the mix. Stir through. Yum!!!!!

Add enough crumbled cornbread to make a dressing - I used about 2/3. The other 1/3 I used in my regular stuffing. I also added some chicken broth to moisten the dressing. Heat through.

Meanwhile, take your pecans and ground them fine in a food processor. This will be the garnish for the dressing.

Serve your "Cornbread Dressing" and just fail to mention the lovely Chicken Livers - they will never know!!! I swear - they will love it - one and all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry & Navel Orange Sauce

2011-11-23T10:48:00.000-06:00

What is Thanksgiving without Cranberry Sauce? - Well it just isn't! I am thankful that I have a gorgeous Naval Orange tree in my back yard that has produced hundreds of fabulous sweet fruit this year! I decided that I would incorporate some of the Navels into the Cranberry Sauce.

This Sauce requires 3 simple ingredients: Cranberries - 12 ounces, a couple of Navel Oranges (the zest and supremes of one, the juice of the other), and a cup of sugar.

Toss everything except the orange supremes into a pot.

Reserve the supremes, cut into 3 pieces each on the side.

Bring mixture in pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes then fold in the orange pieces. Cool to room temperature and then store in the icebox until Thanksgiving tomorrow! Serve at room temperature.

Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich

2011-11-21T09:58:00.001-06:00

Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best! Nothing is better than a fried egg sandwich - and it has to be on white bread and it has to have a slice of American Cheese to hold it all together!

Melt some butter in a small frying pan - make sure you use real butter!

Gotta use white slice bread!

Toast your slice white bread!

Get ready your slice of American Cheese!

Use some nice yard eggs - 2 would be nice - but you can manage with 1. Add a bit of salt to them - and pepper if you like that.

As soon as your bread is toasted - put your cheese on it to melt a bit.

Fry your eggs between over medium and over hard... you really don't want the yolk running down your fingers.

Organize the eggs on the cheese to finish melting it. Yum! Assemble the Sandwich and enjoy!

Now - Doesn't that look good enough to eat!

Bacon Risotto

2011-11-15T08:51:00.000-06:00

Everything is better with bacon - and that includes risotto!!!!! I have been being really good about feeding William brown rice of late, that I decided to treat him to - not only white rice in the form of risotto - but to throw in some bacon! I say if you are gonna be bad - be bad all the way! OK - I wasn't all that bad - we had seared scallops and boiled corn on the cob - but hey - he was convinced he was living on the edge - and thus happy! Life is good!

The ingredients are simple: 2 cups arbirio rice, 6 slices of bacon, 2 small onions, 1/2 cup pinot grigio wine, chicken stock, 1 cup freshly grated park, salt to taste.

I started out browning the six slices of bacon, cut into small dice in a large non-stick pan.

I removed the bacon to drain on paper towels. I was heating some chicken stock on the back burner, while I sautéed the onions in the bacon grease until tender.

I added the rice and toasted it for a few minutes.

I next deglazed the pan with the wine. I stirred the rice until the wine was evaporated.

At this point, I started adding the stock, a couple of ladlefuls at a time. I kept stirring the risotto frequently to achieve the creamy state you see. I did not add more stock until most of the stock in the pan was absorbed. After about 25 minutes, the rice was cooked. I added the parm and stirred it into the risotto.

Meanwhile, I seared the scallops in a bit of Pam.

I boiled the fresh, sweet corn on the cob for about 15 minutes - talk about sweet!

I kept the bacon on the side for people to add as much as they wanted to their own portions and so that the bacon could stay crispy.

My Sweet William could hardly wait to dig in!

Beef Fajitas

2011-11-11T18:26:00.000-06:00

It is Friday Night and time for some quick snacky-type food. It is Fajita time! Quick and easy to prepare - and totally delicious. This is one of my go-to dishes for when I am tired and my Sweet William is in the mood for beef. It contains ingredients I usually always have on hand. And William really likes it - score!

Start with some beef cut into strips like for stir-fry. I use the following spices: salt, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Mexican Oregano, Smoked Paprika, New Mexican Chile Powder.

For about a pound of beef I use about a Tablespoon of each of the spices - give or take... It is all to taste. Mix it all up and set aside to marinate for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile, time to cut up the veggies. I started with the bell peppers. This time I used a yellow and an orange bell pepper. Use the color and the quantity of your choice!

Next it is time for the onion.

I (gasp) only had one onion left, so that is what I cut up. Guess where I am going tomorrow!

Now, I know mushrooms are not traditional in fajitas - but as you can see - if I don't use these up - I will have to throw them out - so into the mix they go!

Heat some oil - I used olive oil - in a non-stick wok or other deep pan.

Stir-fry the meat in batches - I did it in 2 batches - on high heat. Remove to a bowl and reserve.

I then did the bell peppers, and then the mushrooms. I added the onions to the mushrooms when they had a nice golden brown to them.

I returned everything to the pan to heat through again. Oh, my - that looks good enough to eat!

And that is just what Sweet William and I did! Yum!

Southwestern Pulled Pork

2011-11-10T18:17:00.001-06:00

Recently, my friend June over at JBug's Kitchen Antics cooked a lovely looking Oven Roasted Pulled Pork and then proceeded to feast on the lovely roast not once but several times in different applications - all which made my mouth water! Now, I finally got around to making my own version of Pulled Pork. I had to change up the recipe because I have a tomato allergy, if you remember. I love the flavors of the Southwest, which is where June happens to live - so to honor her, I went with those flavors!

I started with my large oval Magnalite pot and some bacon drippings.

I used a beautiful boneless pork butt, and the following spices, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, Mexican Oregano, New Mexican Chile Powder, salt.

After coating the roast on all sides and rubbing the spices into the meat really well, I put the roast into the pre-heated pot to sear.

Meanwhile, I preheated the oven to 250 F and I collected a beer, a can of Green Chile Enchilada sauce and some chicken base ( 1 Tablespoon dissolved in 1 cup of water).

When the meat was nice and seared on all sides, I added the liquids and covered.

I placed the covered pot in the 250 F pre heated oven for 5 hours. Today it is 55 F outside and I have my house open - loving it - so the oven is warming up my kitchen - HA! The smell is heavenly!!!!

After 5 hours, I took the lid off of the pot and tried to turn the roast over - but it fell apart! It was that tender! So I just left the lid off and put the pot back in the 250 F oven for an hour for the sauce to thicken a bit. I then took the pot out of the oven and skimmed the grease off of the top.

The meat just fell apart - there was no need to use a fork. The flavor - sublime!

My Sweet William enjoyed his sandwich with lettuce and ketchup! The best part is we have a bunch of left overs to make other great dishes in the coming days and weeks!

Crawfish Étoufée

2011-11-07T18:33:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while you just have to have a good Crawfish Étoufée! That is why I cooked one today.

I started with a roux made of about a half a cup of canola oil and half a cup of unbleached all purpose flour.

While I was browning my roux, I diced up 2 onions, 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 jalapeño pepper.

I gathered together my other mise-en-place, my mushrooms...

and my certified Louisiana crawfish tails!!!!

When my roux was a dark brown color,

I added the onions and peppers and started to smother them down. I also turned the fire down to medium low.

When the onions and peppers were soft, I added some mushrooms, about a cup or two.

I smothered down all of the vegetables for about 10 minutes.

I dissolved about a tablespoon of chicken base in 4 cups of hot water and added this to the pot.

Stir to mix well and then add the crawfish tails.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. A foam and oil will rise to the top of the mix - skim this off and discard.

I cut up some green onions for garnish.

I had also cooked a pot of long grain brown rice.

And finally, the finished pot of Crawfish Étoufée!

William and I feasted - it was fabulous - and I have some left over for lunch!

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya or Arroz con Pollo (with brown rice)

2011-11-06T14:03:00.000-06:00

The story goes that William took one bite of my Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, or Arroz con Pollo, and that was it - it was love at first bite. We have been together ever since. Today, I am experimenting and making it with brown rice for the first time ever. I am cooking as I write this and I will see how it turns out as this posting progresses.

I started out sautéing 2 onions, 2 stalks of celery and 1 orange bell pepper cut in small dice in about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil with a bit of salt.

When the vegetables started to brown, I added a diced up half of a smoked beef & pork sausage - because that is what I had left over from supper the other night. I sautéed this mixture for a while.

I then added the chicken. I had 3 leg quarters, which I divided. I sautéed this mixture for about 10 minutes and then added 2 cups of brown rice and sautéed the mixture for a couple of more minutes.

I added 6 cups of water with about 2 Tablespoons of Chicken Base and about a Tablespoon of Kitchen Bouquet to darken the Jambalaya. I like my brown Jambalaya to be brown!

Bring mixture to a boil and cover.

Cover your pot and set your timer for 40 minutes and reduce the fire to low. When the buzzer went off - I found:

Yep - the rice wasn't enough... So I added 3 more cups of brown rice. Covered it and set the timer for 40 more minutes.

So, now I am waiting for the rice to cook. I hope it works out ok...

And after 40 more minutes, the rice is still hard - heavy sigh... So I covered the pot and set the timer for 20 more minutes and snacked on a dinner roll.

I have to say - that extra 20 minutes were perfection! I cut up some green onions for garnish and served us our late lunch.

William cleaned his plate and gave me 2 thumbs up! I found the flavor fabulous, the chicken super tender, and I enjoyed the nutty texture and flavor of the brown rice in the Jambalaya. I am looking forward to supper - HA!

Round Steak Soup with Potatoes, Carrots & Wild Rice

2011-11-01T08:47:00.000-05:00

June Bug did it again! At JBug's Kitchen Antics, she often inspires me to cook something on the spur of the moment when something on her blog looks so darn tasty! On Sunday she made Beef and Barley Soup and that bowl of love and goodness she blogged about just had my mouth watering and my tummy grumbling! I followed her lead and searched my fridge and pantry and found the ingredients to assemble a lovely beef soup! I just wish I would have had those crispy fried onions to garnish my soup!

My ingredients: leftover round steak, 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 med. onion small dice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced, 1 jalapeño de-seeded minced, 2 small carrots small dice, 3 potatoes ( 1 idaho, 1 red, 1 yukon gold) small dice, 3 Tablespoons beef base, 1/2 cup Wild Rice and multi grains and brown rice mix. Water and Salt to taste.

I did add about 1/4 cup of some nice Sherry for extra flavor - yum!

To prepare the soup - I browned the onion, jalapeño, and carrots in the olive oil a bit then added the garlic and ginger and cooked that down a bit - oh my goodness - that just smelled like heaven - let me tell you! I put in the potatoes and the meat and the sauce from the meat. I added water and beef base. I added the wild rice mixture and some salt - tasting the broth to make sure it was flavorful enough. That is when I decided to put in the sherry. June had used Marsala wine - which I have - I just happened to grab my sherry first - HA! I let the whole pot simmer for an hour to thoroughly cook the Wild rice and the other grains.

The soup was rich and thick and delicious - thanks June for the inspiration!

Hot Pepper Jelly

2011-10-31T12:50:00.001-05:00

My Aunt Rowena recently celebrated her 82nd birthday and there is almost nothing she likes better than hot pepper jelly. So, of course, I made some for her!

I used 3 cups Apple Cider Vinegar, 12 cups of sugar, 3 orange and red bell peppers very small dice, 3 jalapeños - no seeds very small dice, 4 serranos the whole peppers very small dice, & 8 Tablespoons of pectin.

I have a nifty thing that cuts the veggies into very small dice - but you can use your knife or a food processor!

Place all ingredients except pectin into a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the pectin, stirring like crazy. Fill your jars and process them - I did for 8 minutes and they all sealed.

When the jars had sealed and cooled a bit, I turned them upside-down to finish cooling so that the peppers could be suspended in the jelly and not just stuck at the top of the jars.

Persimmon Preserves

2011-10-19T17:14:00.001-05:00

I spent the morning making my first batch of persimmon preserves. I have two persimmon trees in my garden and they really produced a bumper crop this year - over 300 fruit. I figure I have about 4 more batches to make over the next few days as the fruit ripens.

I cored, washed and quartered the persimmons and tossed them in a large pot to simmer.

I added a couple of cups of sugar and a pinch or two of salt and about a half a cup of water and let the contents of the pot simmer for a while. I added the pectin and then did the canning process.

While the persimmon preserves were cooking, both my Aunt Rowena and my sister, Camille came in and said the house smelled like freshly baked bread!

This batch made a total of 16 cup jars and 17 1/2 cup jars of preserves - not bad for a morning of work. I think it tastes somewhat like pumpkin!

National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

2011-10-18T17:06:00.003-05:00

Today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day - and yes - I did go there! I used a box mix and a can of frosting and sprinkles and it was fabulous! Hope you had a fun day, too!

Proud Moma!

2011-10-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

Camille Ana's first Report Card - I am soooooo proud!

Southwestern Rainbow Orzo Pasta

2011-10-12T18:11:00.001-05:00

My sister gave me a fabulous bag of Rainbow Orzo Pasta and I had to do something special with it - well, part of it. I still have 2/3 of the bag - lucky me! What makes this pasta extra special is that the red pasta is dyed with red bell pepper instead of tomato - so I can actually eat it - score! I decided to cook the orzo with an acorn squash - yeah I gotta sneak that squash by William when I can - and some green chiles in an onion and garlic chicken broth. YUM!

These are the ingredients: Rainbow Orzo Pasta, Acorn Squash, 1 onion small dice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small can green chiles, chicken base, water, extra virgin olive oil, salt to taste. I halved and de-seeded the acorn squash and cooked it until tender with water in the microwave.

Meanwhile, I sautéed the onions and the garlic in the olive oil in a non-stick pot until nice and brown - I then added the pulp from the cooked acorn squash and the green chiles and the chicken base. I covered with water and brought the mixture to a boil.

I transferred the mixture to a larger pot and let the stuff simmer for about an hour. I then divided it - putting about 1/3 into a small non-stick pot and adding 1/3 of the package of the orzo and about 1/3 of a cup of whole wheat elbow pasta. I let that cook until all of the liquid was absorbed and the pasta was tender. During that time, I cooked some wild-caught salmon and had William make a nice green salad.

It was quite a tasty supper and I look forward to making a pork stew with the left-over squash/green chile base and cooking the rest of the orzo another time or two! Lucky me!

Potato Salad

2011-09-18T14:47:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, you just want a good potato salad. You know the kind made with mayonnaise and mustard. Today is one of those days for me. I make potato salad various ways, sometimes without olives, sometimes without dry mustard, and sometimes I mash my potatoes. Today, I did the opposite of all of those.

This time, my ingredients were: potatoes, yard eggs, salt to taste, 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, stuffed olives, 2 Tablespoons Dill Relish, 2 Tablespoons Sweet Relish, 1 Cup Mayonnaise.

I boiled the potatoes for 5 minutes then added the eggs and boiled both for 15 more minutes. I drained them and stuck the eggs in an ice bath. While the potatoes were cooling, after the eggs had cooled, I peeled and then separated the eggs. I put the yolks in a bowl. They are the base of the sauce for the salad.

I decided that I wanted Cayenne Pepper in my Potato Salad at this point - so I added 1/2 teaspoon! Hey - I'm allowed - no? I also added 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard and a teaspoon of salt.

I added a couple of Tablespoons of each Relish, both Dill and Sweet - because I like both of them in my salad.

Time for the olives - I added about a dozen or so - because that was how much was left in the jar...

Then, I added the Mayonnaise and mixed up the sauce with a fork, mashing up the yolks really well.

I tasted the sauce and decided that it needed more mustard.

So I added another teaspoon of dry mustard. Remember, potatoes are bland and can take a lot of seasoning. Make your sauce really flavorful or your potato salad will be bland and boring - and do you really want that?

Meanwhile, the potatoes have cooled off nicely. I could have peel them and cut them into smaller pieces, but I didn't feel like it when I put them to boil.

I put the eggs whites in a large bowl and broke them up with a potato masher.

Then, I cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces with a knife, the skins that fell off, I discarded.

Add the sauce to the potatoes and egg whites.

Mix well, and test to make sure it tastes good! I would let it sit for a while and let the flavors marry prior to serving - but, you don't have to. Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

2011-09-15T19:23:00.001-05:00

Today was a stressful day - there was a wreck on the highway in front of my house this morning right after I got CA off to school. Luckily, no one was too seriously injured. It took 3 hours to clear the wreck and then I had to go to grocery shopping - no more dog food in the house - among other things! So, tonight for supper, I decided I wanted some comforting French Onion Soup! Of course - I did burn the heck out of the first batch of onions - but, don't tell anyone - ok - it has been a stressful day!

These are the ingredients: a bunch of onions (2 per person), 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, salt to taste, 1/4 cup dry sherry, 1 Tablespoon chicken base and water (or chicken stock), bread, Shredded Gruyere cheese - a good handful per bowl.

Oh - and some Thyme. My Thyme plant died - so I used dried thyme - just to taste - about a quarter to a half of a teaspoon.

Start by sautéing your onions in the olive oil with a bit of salt over medium high. You want to slice your onions - I cut the long slices in half for easier eating.

After a while, the onions will brown, keep stirring every so often. When golden brown and delicious, deglaze the onions with the sherry. Cook until the sherry is evaporated. Add the chicken broth. Enough to cover the onions and fill as many bowls as you will be serving. Also, add your thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about a 15 minutes. Meanwhile, grate your cheese and toast your bread. A baguette is best, but I didn't have any, so we used what we had, good old sliced bread.

Assemble your soup in an oven safe bowl and top with the bread and cheese. I used my toaster oven because it does not get my kitchen as hot as my regular oven. Place under the broiler and melt the cheese until golden brown and delicious!

Enjoy! and relax...

Yummy Pizza!

2011-09-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

Today, Camille Ana wanted sometthing: "delicious that doesn't need a fork, knife or spoon." My friend Leigh recommended Pizza - perfect! I started the dough right away! My basic pizza dough is: 3 cups unbleached a/p flour, 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, a good pinch of salt, 1 1/3 cup lukewarm water, seasonings to taste (I used garlic & herb salt today).

I always make a basic pepperoni pizza with tomato sauce food Camille Ana - she is easy.

I didn't photograph William's - he had ranch dressing, leftover beef fajitas, cheese and pepperoni - yum!

I am more adventurous. I start with jalapeños.

I add green olives - the kind with the pimento in them.

The leftover beef fajitas were looking fabulous - so I added the last of them.

I tossed on some shredded jack and cheddar cheese.

I finished off my pie with a few slices of pepperoni.

Now, doesn't that just look good enough to eat - it sure did! And, it was fabulous!

Hash Browns

2011-09-05T01:04:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, you just have to have brunch on a late Sunday morning when you are experiencing day 4 of a Tropical Storm and over 9 1/2 inches of rain! I just needed the comfort of hash browns and all the other good stuff I could scrounge up on the side. That included scrambled eggs with cream, bananas, and buttered toast and of course coffee and juice! Hash browns could not be easier. The hardest part is waiting for the potatoes to brown!

I use 4 - count 'um - 4 ingredients: 4 or 5 russet potatoes, 1 medium onion, 3 Tablespoons of butter, and salt to taste.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and small dice your onion.

Add the onion to the butter and start to fry it - do not brown the butter at this point. You just want to get your onions soft while you prep your potatoes.

Meanwhile, peel and wash your potatoes. Then small dice them. Add them all at once to the pan.

Toss to coat with butter and mix onions throughout and season with salt. Add about 1/4 cup of water and cover for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are mostly tender.

Remove lid, raise temp to med - med-high. Start the browning process slowly. Every once in a while, turn the potatoes with a spatula, being careful not to break up the potatoes or to let the potatoes burn!

Cook until your potatoes are golden brown and delicious. Mine took about 20 - 25 minutes - well worth the wait. Check the seasoning and re-season if necessary. Serve hot!

These Hash Browns are not only excellent with breakfast and brunch, but with lunch and supper, also!

Hummus

2011-09-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

Well, while my pita was proofing yesterday, I decided to make Hummus - which is a perfect pairing with pita bread! Hummus is super healthy and just as easy to make. You toss every thing into a food processor and Bob's your Uncle! Here we go!

1 can garbanzo (chick peas) beans, 1/3 cup sesame tahini, 1 garlic clove minced fine, zest and juice of 1 lime (or lemon), 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup water, salt to taste.

Drain and rinse the beans - toss in the processor bowl.

I used my handy-dandy rasp to mince the garlic clove into the mix. William is not big on garlic these days so I only used one clove. If you love garlic - use more!

Next, I used the rasp to get every bit of zest from the lime before I juiced it. I used lime because we really prefer the flavor of lime to lemon. If you prefer lemon, please use that.

I then added the 1/3 cup tahini - yum ground up sesame seeds!

I then added the 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I added a good pinch of salt.

I added about 1/2 cup of water and then pulsed the mixture.

You want a smooth consistency. I think the green flecks from the lime are kind of pretty. Carefully transfer to an airtight container, can be stored in the icebox for a few days.

Hummus is excellent served with warm pita bread, olives and crisp lettuce!

A nice glass of rose doesn't hurt either!

Pita Bread

2011-09-03T21:23:00.004-05:00

Camille Ana and William love Pita Bread - and guess what - I do, too! We have all been craving some good home made Pita Bread and today I was happy to make some for all of us. You see - we were kind of stuck in the house with that pesky Tropical Storm Lee dumping over 8 inches of water on us. I figured I might as well do some baking. Pita bread is actually really easy to make. I am always amazed when it actually poofs in the oven - and it really does! Pita is a yeast dough, even if it is a flat bread. Now, don't be afraid of the yeast. I used to be. I am afraid no more - Yeast is my friend. Just be sure you have yeast that isn't too old and you will be fine. I keep my yeast in the freezer - they love it there!

The simple basic ingredients: about 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, 1 Tablespoon yeast, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar, a good pinch of salt, about 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water (about 105 F).

Put 3 cups of flour into the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer.

Add the 1 Tablespoon of Yeast to the Flour.

Add 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar to the Flour and Yeast.

Add a good pinch of salt to the mix.

Add the water to the mix.

Mix until a ball forms. Add flour or water as necessary. With it being so humid here with the Tropical Storm - I had to add more than a cup of flour to the mix! Craziness! You want your dough soft - but not sticky. Then knead for 7 minutes.

Remove the ball of dough and form a ball that you place in a bowl that you have coated the sides of with olive oil. Turn the ball of dough around in the ball to coat the dough with the oil lightly.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place. I was baking ribs, so I placed the bowl on my stove.

An hour and 20 minutes or so later - I would say my dough had doubled in size - what do you think? I punched it down and then made the bread. Pre-heat the oven to 500 F.

I cleared off my counter and spread some bench flour.

I cut the dough into quarters with a pastry cutter.

Then, like cutting a pie, I cut the quarters in half, to have 8 pieces of dough to make 8 pita breads roughly the same size.

Take a wedge and roll it in your hands to make a ball with the dough.

Then, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, trying to keep a round shape.

Try not to get too thin with the dough, or leave it too thick. You have to get it just right - like goldilocks.

As you can see, I am not always successful at getting my pitas round, but hey - they are homemade! I like to let them rest for about 5 minutes before I put them in the oven after I roll them out. I made these rather large. I would normally make 16 breads instead of 8, but I figure we could just break off what we felt like eating and leave the rest - since we are just family snacking on this batch.

I carefully place 2 pitas at a time on the hot pizza stone and quickly close the oven door. They begin to poof almost immediately - it is amazing. They take about 6 minutes to cook - so watch them carefully. I remove them carefully to a wire rack to cool with tongs and put 2 more on.

That is all there is to making Pita Bread - so go ahead and make ya some, why don't ya? You'll be glad ya did!

Hunger Action Month

2011-09-01T01:24:00.003-05:00

SEPTEMBER IS HUNGER ACTION MONTH

September is Hunger Action Month- a national movement to raise awareness and take action to help the 50 million Americans who experience hunger.

Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, including my local Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, is working to engage citizens to take action and help spread the word about how pervasive hunger is in every community.

Many, myself included, take meals for granted. I have a refrigerator and pantry fully stocked but to some that is a luxury. Some parents have to look their child in the face and say there is no dinner tonight. Some parents are choosing between buying gas to get to work and buying food for the family. It is harsh, but it is happening in cities all over the country.

Hunger is closer than you think. Nationwide, 50 million Americans suffer from food insecurity. In Louisiana 1 in 8 people is struggling with hunger. 1 in 5 children in Louisiana is at risk for hunger. In any given week, nearly 42,000 people receive food through Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.

But hunger’s impact is felt by many more than the millions living with food insecurity: hunger impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce development – our general welfare as a nation. It is an issue in every community – and food banks work tirelessly to combat hunger and aid those living with the everyday disaster of hunger.

In contrast to what many believe, hunger does not only affect the homeless. Hunger is a daily struggle that can impact anyone. Many families are just one paycheck away from needing to rely on a food bank, food pantry or soup kitchen.

Local food banks are on the frontlines of the battle against hunger. It is only through the food, funds and time donated by members of the community that food banks can lead the fight. September is your opportunity to get involved with the fight against hunger as each individual has the power to fight hunger. There are many ways to help including hosting a food drive, volunteering, sharing hunger facts through social media, preparing food for an elderly neighbor or visit the 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar for more ideas on daily ways you can take action.

Throughout the month of September follow the hashtag #fighthunger to hear how members of our community are taking action and to hear about other ways you can help Second Harvest Food Bank. For more information on the Power to Fight Hunger campaign visit www.no-hunger.org.

For more information:

Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana

Feeding America

Hunger Action Month

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-08-31T20:55:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I felt like eating chicken pot pie - so that is what I had for supper. William had chicken stew over rice - HA! I was happy - he was less than thrilled. C'est la vie! William just does not like pot pies - nor is he a fan of chicken stew - but, hey - I gotta cook stuff I really like sometimes, too.

These are the ingredients: 6 chicken thighs - med. dice, 3 tablespoons canola oil, 1 medium onion - small dice, 2 stalks celery - small dice, 3/4 cup a/p flour, 2 large russet potatoes -peeled - small dice, 3 cloves garlic - minced, 3/4 cup shelled edamame, 2 cups mixed vegetables, salt to taste, chicken base and water, 1/4 cup dry marsala and 1/2 cup heavy cream.

Brown the chicken well in a non-stick pot with the oil.

Add the flour and cook for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes.

Dissolve one Tablespoon of Chicken Base in at least 3 cups of water. Add to the pot.

Add the mixed vegetables and the edamame and the garlic and enough water to make sure that there is enough sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the temperature to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Adjust the water as necessary. Taste to adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile - preheat the oven to 425F. Pre-bake the bottom crusts of the pies. I also sprayed the pie plates with non-stick spray - just to make sure the crust would not stick.
When the pie crusts are pre-baked and the potatoes are tender - Remove from the heat and add the Marsala and the cream - stir through.

Add the cooked, hot mixture to the hot pre-baked pie shells and top with the raw pie tops. Put back in the 425F oven until golden brown on top.

These were so good, I will be giving one to my Aunt Rowena tomorrow! And, I know that William ate enough that he is not going to bed hungry - hehehehe.

Great Minds think alike! Yesterday, my friend June at jbug's KITCHEN antics made the most delicious pulled pork pot pie!!!!!! OMG - you have to check it out!

Pork Stuffed Mini-Sweet Peppers

2011-08-27T18:34:00.002-05:00

I love stuffed peppers and I love little bites of delicious food.

I saw these little beauties at the market and I thought - man - I have to stuff those babies full of love and goodness and PORK! So I did!

This is what I used to stuff the little beauties. 1 lb ground pork, 1 yard egg, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced, 2 tablespoons green onions small diced, 2 tablespoons sweet Marsala, 1/2 cup freshly grated parm, 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, salt to taste. I mixed all these ingredients together in a bowl and then just halved the peppers.

They were already clean inside, all I had to do was load them up with the pork mixture. I just piled it up on the cut side.

This was the entire package of peppers with the entire mixture of pork on the half sheet pan - it fit perfectly! I popped it into a pre-heated 350 F oven for 45 minutes - until golden brown and delicious!

Here they are - right out of the oven - lovely hot bites of love and goodness!

We had them for lunch with creamy mushroom and cauliflower spaghetti - YUM!!!!!

I have also been snacking on them as I have photographed them this afternoon and I can confirm that they would be an excellent room temperature snack for a football game!!!!! You know how guys love meaty snacks! Enjoy!

Eggplant and Pork with Hot Garlic Sauce

2011-08-22T19:35:00.002-05:00

Food Jag - I have a food jag - for Eggplant and Pork with Hot Garlic Sauce. Just can't stop eating it - so I had to start making it. Luckily for me - it is eggplant season and my Uncle Clair planted lots of eggplants and he likes to share! And since I am making it AGAIN - I figured I would blog about it.

So here are my ingredients. I have to immediately start with a disclaimer - this dish does not contain yellow onions - I sure as heck don't know how that onion just appeared in this photo or what I was thinking - but ignore it - OK? I'll give the rest of the quantities as we go along - I cut my left middle finger when I was chopping the eggplant and this typing is hurting something awful.

For the prep: I dissolved 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken base in a cup and a half of hot water.

I added 1/2 cup of low-sodium soy sauce.

I added 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.

I then added a tablespoon of agave nectar and stirred the mixture up and set it aside for a while.

I sliced the pork into thin strips and dusted them with cornstarch.

This adds a bit of crispy goodness to the pork and helps to thicken the sauce.

I grated about a teaspoon of ginger from a rizone I keep in the freezer.

Now, for the garlic - gotta have a lot of garlic for Hot Garlic Sauce!

I minced the garlic fine. Time to move on to the eggplant!

I like to peel my eggplant, it is a personal preference. Some people like the skin - I don't.

I also like to sprinkle salt on my eggplant to draw out the bitterness. I let it sit for about 30 minutes - then rinse off the salt really quickly - don't want the dish too salty!

I make my own hot pepper oil by adding red pepper flakes to olive oil and heating the mixture for about 5 minutes on a low temp on the stove. The red pepper flakes settle on the bottom and I just use the picante oil. I added about 2 tablespoons of my hot pepper oil to my wok and heated the wok on high.

Add the cornstarch dusted pork and stir fry.

My pork was spattering oil at me, so I used a handy-dandy screen! Work smarter - not harder!

When the pork is nicely browned, remove to a bowl, reserving the extra oil in the wok.

Add the eggplant and stir fry until brown and scrumptious.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 20 seconds, then add the pork and the 2 cups of liquid mixture.

Simmer until the eggplant is tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning - adjust as necessary.

Cook a pot of white rice and garnish with green onion. Enjoy!

J-Bug's Salmon Dip

2011-08-15T13:13:00.003-05:00

It seems my inspiration these days is one nifty lady named June Bug! In July, when she was on her way back from vacation in the lovely Pacific Northwest with her Big Guy and the Maxer dawn, she made Pacific Northwest Salmon Spread, a recipe she originated. This stuff looked so good, I had to try it! Of course, I did change it up a bit, because I couldn't get my guy to plank the salmon - I seared it on the stove with sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil - but - hey - we do what we can - ya know?

These are the things I put in my version of J-Bugs salmon dip. Cream cheese - 8 ounces, Sour cream - 1/2 cup, 1 lb salmon pre-cooked, 1 lime zest and juice, about 8 green onions, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, salt to taste.

Put everything, except the salmon into a food processor and then mix it until the ingredients are well blended. I then added the salmon and pulsed slowly and just a bit to incorporate the salmon.

Put the mixture into a container that seals well and store it in the icebox for at least 12 hours for the flavors to meld. This is important - it does taste much better if you wait!!!!!!!

Enjoy with crackers and I would even go so far as to suggest a nice glass of rose! Enjoy! Thanks J-Bug!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole á la Mags

2011-07-20T10:04:00.003-05:00

I was reading one of my favorite food blogs the other day by Mags, The Other Side of Fifty, and ran across a recipe for a Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole that looked so delish I just had to make it. (Disclaimer: this post will contain no photographs from me – please check out the blogs I have linked for lovely photos!) Yesterday, June, at JBug's Kitchen Antics, made her version of the casserole, which looks just as tasty – and evidently was, looking at that cleaned out casserole dish – HA!
For my version, I started out by cooking a rice cooker pot of 2 cups of brown basmati and long grain rice with a chicken bouillon cube, 2 large cloves of garlic and 1 bay leaf.
I defrosted and small diced 6 chicken thighs. I have a whole Smoked Ham my sister brought be from a smoke house in Northern Louisiana and I small diced about 2 cups of that yummy deliciousness.
I small diced 1 small onion and 1 red bell pepper. I dissolved 2 bouillon cubes in 1 1/2 cups of hot water. I measured out 1 cup of 2% Lactose free milk (its what I have on hand) and 1/2 cup heavy cream.
I grated 1 cup Gruyere cheese. I broke apart 1 wedge of garlic and herb Laughing Cow Cheese. I broke apart 5 wedges of light Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese (only Swiss I had on hand - Camille Ana loves the stuff hehehehe)
When the rice was cooked, I sautéed the chicken in a large non-stick wok until nice and brown – I seasoned the chicken with salt. I added the ham and browned that a bit. I put them in a large metal bowl. I added the cooked rice to the chicken and ham and mixed well.
I added a tablespoon of olive oil to the wok and browned the onion and bell pepper. I then added about a tablespoon of unbleached AP and cooked the raw flower taste out of it. To be honest – I browned it a bit – I couldn’t help it – being Cajun – you know…
I then added the bouillon water and brought the mixture to a boil. This thickened the mixture to its fullest potential. I took the mixture off of the fire and added the milk mixture and the cheese and stirred until the cheese was melted.
I added the cheese mixture to the meat mixture and mixed well. I placed the mixture into a large casserole and topped the whole thing with panko crumbs. Tossed the casserole into a preheated 375 F oven and baked for 25 minutes – raised the temp to 450 F and baked for 5 more minutes to brown the top. Removed from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes, then served with roasted Brussels Sprouts I cooked at the same time as the casserole. Yum!

Nanan’s Breakfast Burrito

2011-07-18T09:45:00.003-05:00

It is a rainy Monday morning and I felt like eating a breakfast burrito – the way I make them – which is different each time depending on what I find in the pantry and the icebox. Of course, there are always 2 ingredients which remain constant – tortillas and eggs! For today version:

I started with a slice of bacon and a small Vidalia onion my Dad brought me from Georgia – they are in season – ya know! I small diced both.

I browned the bacon first – till nice and crunchy – I love crunchy things.

While the bacon was browning, after I diced the onion, I found some button mushrooms and I small-diced those babies.

I sautéed the onions until a bit brown in the rendered bacon fat. I added the mushrooms to brown them.

I also added 1/4 teaspoon ground Turmeric – this is a super spice full of good stuff for you – you can Google the spice and find out all the benefits – you will want to start using it for sure! It also adds a lovely yellow color to things – think mustard – and I love yellow! Double win in my book – hehehehe.

Stir everything around and let the heat do its thing!

Meanwhile, I shredded a bit of Gruyere cheese. I like to wrap the cheese in paper towels to prevent my icky fingers from touching the cheese and retard the mold growing process as much as possible – it works for me. I keep the paper towel in the zip-lock type bag with the cheese & change it every use.

This is how much cheese I put on my whole where tortilla. I really like the whole wheat tortillas. I am trying to incorporate more and more whole grains into my diet – here is an easy way. They are tasty – bonus!

Here are the stars of the show – beautiful yard eggs!

Take a gander at the color of that yolk!!!!!!

Time to add the scrambled yard eggs and the crispy bacon to the onions and mushrooms! Stir to mix. Turn down the fire to cook the eggs slowly so that they are tender.

Meanwhile, warm the cheese and tortilla in the microwave – 30 seconds is perfect in mine.

Then place the egg ingredients on the cheese on the tortilla – wrap it up and carefully start eating after waiting patiently for about 2 minutes – if you can. This baby is HOT! You can add salsa or hot sauce. You can make it with any ingredients you would like. Potatoes, refried beans, bell peppers, jalapenos, chicken, ham, sausage, chorizo, etc. – the possibilities go on and on. Go ahead – experiment with flavors you like. Make it your own. Enjoy!

Shrimp Soup

2011-07-15T12:45:00.002-05:00

I wasn’t going to post about this soup – because I was too tired when I made it to document the process – but it turned our so delicious – I will share it with you anyway. You see, the reason I am so tired lately is that I have MS. I was diagnosed on the 24th of June I will finally see a specialist on August 5th. New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and so is the Medical Community, so it can take some time to get in with a specialist…
Anyway, back to this lovely soup. I was craving veggies and a soup with a broth and shrimp – so I put this together and it turned out to be a perfect combination!
I started by sautéing 1 medium yellow onion in olive oil I had seasoned with red pepper flakes (not too hot – just a bit of heat to it) until brown. I grated in about a Tablespoon of fresh ginger in that I happen to store in the freezer – that actually makes it easier to grate, by the way. I then grated in 3 very large cloves of garlic and cooked that for about 30 seconds with about 1 teaspoon of turmeric. I then started adding some small dice carrots - about a cup – I used baby carrots I had that were on their last legs. I also very small diced a couple stalks of celery and tossed that in, stirring frequently. I also had a large sweet red pepper I small diced and tossed in. I love the smell of these veggies cooking down! I then added water – enough to cover by double. I had a green plantain on the counter and I peeled and small diced it and tossed that in the soup to make my Sweet William happy. I looked in my pantry for some brown rice and found some Barley! I know what you are thinking – because I thought it, too: Barley with shrimp????? Well – I figured – let’s just try it! I tossed some in – about a cup or so. I added some salt and tasted the broth and adjusted the seasoning to my taste. Meanwhile, I defrosted and peeled a quart of 16-20 shrimp I had in my freezer from last year – they are still in perfect condition!!!! Not “shrimpy” at all! So, I let the barley cook until tender about 25 minutes or so, but you know it still has a certain bite to it even when it is cooked – and that is nice! I add a bit more water to the broth and added about a cup of edamame beans (already shelled) and the shrimp. I brought the mixture to a boil and turned it off. I added a half cup minced green onion and half cup minced cilantro. I added the zest and juice of a lime. I tasted the soup and adjusted the salt. I served. Talk about good!

Fig Preserves

2011-06-25T15:05:00.002-05:00

I love figs. Any way you can think of eating them – I will. I have a fig tree in my yard and it is fig season. Yesterday, my dad picked me some figs and I ate them raw – YUM! This morning, he picked up a huge mess for me to make a batch of preserves. I was able to put up 20 - 1/2 cup jars and 15 - 1 cup jars! Plus, a bit for me for breakfast this week. Making fig preserves could not be easier. It is figs and a bit of water and some sugar, or in this case agave nectar.

William was a sweetie and helped me cut the stems off the figs and cut them in half.

This is the agave nectar I used – yep – I used a whole bottle for the amount of figs I had – and it did not turn out too sweet. We have had a major drought this year and I think that made the figs less sweet.

Toss the figs and the agave nectar and about 4 cups of water in a large pot – I used one of my massive Magnalite, heavy-bottomed soup pots.

Before long it cooks down and looks like this. Skim the foam off the top and discard it. Simmer the mixture to reduce and cook the figs.

At this point you might want to start to warm up the water in your canner.

I did not feel that the mixture was getting thick enough – that it had enough natural pectin in it – it rained yesterday. So, I added a package of natural pectin – the kind with the calcium. That thickened it up nicely. It is all a matter of personal choice.

Doesn’t that look good enough to spread on buttered toast!

I processed the jars in the boiling water for 8 minutes. Every one did seal! I love that boink sound!

Now, we have some fig preserves to last us for a little while! In a few days, there will be more figs ready to make another batch – yippy!

Pork Burgers on Crescent Buns

2011-06-04T13:19:00.003-05:00

William was HUNGRY – as usual on a Saturday morning (he just can’t stomach breakfast) – so I quickly defrosted some ground pork. Took out a roll of refrigerator Crescent rolls and made quick burgers. Strawberries on the side and fresh aji as a condiment and we had an excellent and quick lunch.

This is what went into the mini pork burgers. Ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground New Mexican chiles.

Doesn’t that look nifty - I then mixed all of that together and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to let all of the flavors meld. I shaped the burgers into long triangles to match the non-rolled up Crescent rolls.

William had his with a slice of bacon. They were tasty and delicious! Quick and Easy!

Bacon-Wrapped Boursin Stuffed Jalapenos

2011-06-04T13:08:00.003-05:00

Easy and perfect little apps for any occasion, these beauties have 3 simple ingredients.

Yep – you guessed it – bacon, Boursin cheese, and jalapenos.

Using one slice of bacon per jalapeno half, par-bake the bacon until half baked at 400 F.

Meanwhile, slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and pith with a small spoon. Careful now – try not to touch that stuff. Please, wash your hands well after doing this.

Stuff each jalapeno with Boursin cheese – don’t be skimpy – I use a butter knife! Remember to wash your hands really well again. Please don’t touch your eyes!!!! Wrap each with a slice of bacon insuring that the end seam is on the bottom and the cheese is on the top. William claimed 2 slices of my bacon and does not eat jalapenos so I had to improvise…

Bake at 400 F until nice and crispy. If you use the same rack system I used above to par-bake the bacon – the grease drops to the pan and the poppers are not as greasy as they might be baking just on a baking sheet. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before you try to move them so that they will stiffen up a bit. Serve warm. They will disappear before you know it!

Chicken Curry & Fried Potatoes

2011-06-03T20:23:00.004-05:00

I have to admit it – I was inspired again by the fabulous JuneBug! She made Chicken Curry last night and it looks so good – I had to make my own version since I am just in a crazy blogging mood. Lucky for me – Curry is one of the few exotic things that William REALLY likes – so I take advantage of that fact as often as I think about it (HA!), as I really do love Curry myself. I also figured it would be a good way to sneak in the leftover roasted cauliflower from last night into our meal! Also last night, he was sad we didn’t have potatoes with our steaks, so I decided to make him Fried Potatoes with the curry – and he was quite happy!

Here is what you need to make our supper: 5 chicken thighs large dice, 2 small onions small dice, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground Coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste) 1 can coconut milk (unsweetened), 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, small bunch of green onions sliced thin, 2 cups left-over roasted cauliflower, 1 small sweet potato peeled and sliced, 2 small Baking potatoes peeled and sliced, cooking oil for frying the potatoes, 2 cups cooked white basmati rice, and 1 banana peeled and sliced.

Brown the chicken in the olive oil.

Meanwhile, fry the potatoes on medium-high heat (350 F). Notice how the oil is cloudy – this indicates that the potatoes are not cooked through. Also, cook your rice.

Add the spices and cook for a few minutes to release the wonderful flavors to their ultimate potential. Then add the onion and ginger. Cook for about 3 more minutes on medium-high heat.

Add the coconut milk and the brown sugar and be sure to scrape the fond (all the good bits) off of the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.

The oil in with the fries at this point is clear – this indicates that the potatoes are cooked through. If you like your fries soft, you can remove them now. If not, cook them until they are the color brown you prefer.

When the potatoes are almost finished – add the cauliflower to the curry and heat through.

Carefully take the fries out of the hot oil with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined platter and sprinkle immediately with a bit of salt. If you happen to run out of paper towels – like I did last week – you can always use brown paper bags in place of the paper towels. As you can see, we like our fries a bit brown and crunchy.

Your rice will be cooked by now.

The cauliflower will have heated through and you can serve up the curry – a nice touch is green onion for color and added crunch.

I like fruit with my meals, so I served sliced banana. I sliced it at the last minute so it would not turn brown. If you do your mis-en-place (prepare all of your ingredients) prior to starting to cook, and you start cooking everything at the same time, all of the parts of the meal should be finished at about the same time!

The chicken curry was fabulous – and the two sides went perfectly with it! Thanks JuneBug!

Mushrooms with Marsala & Garlic

2011-06-03T10:03:00.003-05:00

Aren’t those just orbs of gorgeousness? They are super delicious to boot! Easier to make than just about any other side dish for grilled steak – ok – except baked potatoes. But, these babies taste SO MUCH BETTER! And they cook quicker than the potatoes do! Not that I don’t love baked potatoes – I really do!!!!!

Yes, we did have grilled steak last night. I tried a new dry rub and it is still in the works – but I think I almost have it perfected… Will post about that another time…
Mushrooms, half a head of garlic minced, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, about 1/4 cup sweet Marsala, salt to taste.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic.

Add the mushrooms whole stirring occasionally until they are nice and brown on all sides. Then deglaze the pan with the Marsala.

Season with salt (and pepper if you wish) and serve hot! Yum!

Saucy Shrimp Fajitas

2011-06-01T19:21:00.003-05:00

Yeah, baby – that looks good enough to eat to me – and I sure as heck did! I just felt like eating some shrimp this evening and decided that frying was too messy and involved – even though I just love fried shrimp. So I went with Fajitas – which are so easy to make it is unreal. You just season up some shrimp (or whatever meat you choose to eat), and slice up bell pepper and onion. You cook them all up on very high heat to get them to burn a bit and cook as quickly as possible and serve them with cheese and guacamole and you have supper! Of course, I have to be different. William and I are like raccoons and like to eat our food wet – so I made ours with a bit of a sauce.

The ingredients: 1 quart of shrimp – peeled, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 2 teaspoons ground New Mexico Chiles, 2 Teaspoons Cumin, 2 Teaspoons, Oregano, 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika, 2 Teaspoons Coriander, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 large red onion sliced thin, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper sliced thin, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and 1 can green Chile Enchilada Sauce.

Mix all spices and garlic together and sprinkle onto shrimp and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Slice your onion and bell peppers.

Add one teaspoon of olive oil to pan and sauté your shrimp on high heat until just cooked. Remove from pan.

Add remaining olive oil and onions and bell pepper and sauté until crisp-tender (about 3-4 minutes).

Return the shrimp to the pan and add the enchilada sauce to the pan. When the sauce starts to bubble – you are done – it is ready to serve!!!!!

Have some tasty tortillas handy. I also had cheese and some Aji (Fresh Colombian Hot Sauce) available.

That looks lovely – and let me tell you – it smelled good, too!

Would you like to join me for supper – come on over!

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup for Tara

2011-05-23T19:51:00.002-05:00

I just got a new Doo. I decided to get a blue streak in my hair and I knew the one lady to do it – Tara. Tara does my sister’s hair – and does a fabulous job. She does WHATEVER my sister asks her to do. She is also one of those lovely ladies who has hair that is pinkish-red and is a vegetarian. I had met Tara for Thanksgiving 4 years ago when my sister had her over and I cooked a special vegan Sweet Potato Soup especially for her, along with a couple of other veggie dishes. She has been asking my sister for the recipe for the soup – which I did not know. When I went to see Tara on Saturday – this is what she did for me:

And – it is perfect! While my hair was processing – she went on about that soup. Now, to be honest – I am not sure exactly what I put in that soup – I just know it was vegan. So, I decided to make a vegan sweet potato soup again and document it here and dedicate it to Tara. I will let her know it is here and she can now make it for herself! I think the next time I visit her – perhaps for a purple streak – I will bring her some soup…

I think she would really like that – don’t you?
Here is how I made it this time:

1 Tablespoon of Olive oil, 2 stalks of celery small dice, 1/2 orange bell pepper, small dice, 2 yellow onions small dice, 3 cloves garlic minced, 2 large sweet potatoes peeled – large dice, 4 stems fresh thyme, 1 large bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, salt to taste, water…

Put everything in a pot and simmer until tender. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Puree until smooth. Taste to adjust seasoning.

I felt it needed more nutmeg and a little something else – and that something else was Jamaican Allspice! Just about 1/8 teaspoon…

Now – that is a bowl of love and goodness! It would make and excellent starter for any meat lover in your family as it is rich and thick and luscious! They will never know it is vegan!

Unless you tell them – of course – and you would never do that! Enjoy, Tara dear!

Lunch at Chateau de Bayou

2011-05-20T12:52:00.002-05:00

I had lunch at Chateau du Bayou today and it was yummy. Their website is: Chateau de Bayou. They start you off with a basket of warm fresh rolls and herbed corn muffins – they do offer and bring more if you eat them all!) along with plain and herbed unsalted butter.
You can find their lunch menu here: Chateau de Bayou Lunch Menu. I had the Bayou Platter fried, as you can see with oysters, crawfish and sweet potato fries. I don’t know the fry cook – but he sure knows what he is doing – perfectly crunchy – not greasy – moist and tender inside – perfection! My Aunt Rowena had the same thing, only with Shrimp (large, tail on) and Oysters with Regular Fries.

My cousin, Lacy had the special – Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Bang Bang Sauce (an Asian sauce) with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Spring Vegetables (including precious baby zucchini). The Salmon was mild, not “fishy” at all – the sauce divine. Lacy’s friend, Rachel, had a bowl of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo which was thick and heavy on the herbs – be forewarned.
The service was a bit sketchy – being a new restaurant, I am sure they will get smoother as time passes and the staff gains experience. I would still give them a thumbs-up – it did not negatively effect my meal.
The décor is lovely. Dress is casual. I would recommend that you try Chateau de Bayou soon. I look forward to going to supper there soon!

BBQ Shrimp

2011-05-18T19:11:00.004-05:00

Yes, indeed! It is shrimp season again. My dad is in town and he bought these beauties, that were swimming this morning, for about $20 – enough for BBQ shrimp today and a paella and some fried shrimp tomorrow – for 4 adults and a child each meal! That works for me! New Orleans’ restaurant Pascal's Manale originated BBQ shrimp that is totally different from BBQ that you will find anywhere else in this world. It does not have BBQ sauce in the traditional sense in it – not a tomato product in sight. Other restaurants in the city do their own version of the dish – but I find the original is the best. One day I ate the dish with the express purpose of analyzing the ingredients. I came up with my own version and I like my version just as well as I like theirs. I have seen what is purported to be their recipe – but, I am just not sure… I never wrote down my recipe before, but I use what is on hand… If I have lemons – I use lemons, not limes… You can use red onion instead of yellow onion. If you like rosemary – go ahead – put that in – it is just fine!

Here we go… besides the shrimp – I used: 4 tablespoons Zatarain’s powdered Crab Boil, 2 Tablespoons Mexican Oregano, 2 Tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Salt to taste, 1 large yellow onion pureed, 2 large cloves garlic pureed, 2 limes, 4 large sprigs fresh thyme, 1 stick butter…

Oh, and one bay leaf!

Melt the butter with the herbs and spices and the L & P sauce and halved and juiced limes.

Puree the onion and garlic in a food processor.

Add the onion and garlic puree to the simmering butter and spices.

Don’t forget the bay leaf – I almost did! Stir well. Add about a cup of water and simmer on high for about 5 minutes.

Add your beautiful head-on fresh – never frozen – wild-caught American (Louisiana if you can get it) shrimp! If not, frozen de-headed will do. Shells on is the best for flavor! Put the lid on – keep the fire high and let those babies cook quickly. When just cooked – serve with French bread and lots of napkins!

We just put the pot in the middle of the table and bowls for the shells. You have to have the bread to sop up the sauce!

Now, doesn’t that look good enough to eat? Well, I did just that! Yum!

National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day!

2011-04-20T17:18:00.004-05:00

Today is National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day – and yes – I went there! I used a butter yellow box cake mix – oh yes I did. I melted a stick of salted butter with a half a cup of brown sugar until they bubbled nicely. While the butter and sugar were melting and bubbling, I lined the bottom of a glass rectangular pan with pineapple rings from a can (gasp – another convenience product)– the kind packed in water. And I also used sweet cherries from a can packed in heavy syrup I found in my pantry because my hubby does not like Maraschino Cherries. I poured the butter/sugar syrup over the pineapple/cherries. I poured the cake batter over that. I baked it in a 350 oven until golden brown – not sure how long – I didn’t look at the clock. The result – a cake that was juicy and tender and NOT too sweet – just the way our family likes it. We kept 1/3 and sent 2/3s to my Aunt Rowena’s house! Sharing is caring!

It is good to celebrate National Holidays!

Kumquat Marmalade

2011-04-12T18:47:00.002-05:00

My Dad loves Kumquat Marmalade. He planted a little Kumquat tree expressly to have that very thing. Only problem is, he does not make Kumquat Marmalade, and neither did my Moma. So, for years, the Kumquats the little tree produced just withered on the ground. Then, last year, my Dad asked me to make him some Marmalade. I had never done that before, but I said: “What the heck!” And, it turned out really well, but it was only about 2 cups of Marmalade. This year, he harvested the Kumquats earlier. Got a whole gallon of those little guys. And above you can see the bounty. Not only did I make Marmalade again successfully for the second time, but I canned them for the 1st time – successfully!!! Love the sound of the “pop” when the jars seal! I also made some Mixed Berry Preserves, but I am not going to discuss them right now. Sorry, guys.

I started with a simple syrup of lots of sugar and a bottle of Agave Nectar and some water. I also used the zest of a lemon and a lime. The Cointreau I added to the jars I canned for me and my sister, Camille – Dad doesn’t do alcohol.

I then sliced up the Kumquats and took out what seemed like the 20 million seeds. This took some time – it is a good thing I really love my Dad!

Yep – that’s a whole bunch of seeds!

This is the good stuff simmering on the stove. Remember to skim the foam off of the top. Taste it to make sure it is sweet enough – ok! I also put a pinch of salt in – because I put a pinch of salt in EVERYTHING. It does not need extra pectin to thicken up – there is pectin in there naturally, ya know!

Another beautiful look at the finished product! The little 4 oz. jars are for my Dad – he likes small containers of stuff. I like that size myself – I need to get more jars that size for sure! The extras are in that glass bowl and small tea cup in the back ground with my tall red drinking cup! Not bad! They came out darn tasty!

Apple Pie–my way!

2011-03-22T15:38:00.002-05:00

I had a couple of dozen organic apples hanging out on my counter – threatening to go rot. I could not let this happen, so last night I decided to make a couple of apple breads today.
Then, I changed my mind this morning and decided to make apple cake.
I started to peel the apples, and cut them into bit sized pieces. I am not a traditionalist – I do not think it is necessary to cut apples into wedges – I like bite-sized food. I cooked them on the stove in a skillet with a stick of butter and about a cup of brown sugar. I added about a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg and another teaspoon of Jamaican allspice and about a 1/4 teaspoon of “fiori di sicilia” (I got this seasoning liquid that is a combination of citrus and vanilla from King Arthur Flour – it is lovely – and a little bit goes a long way). I cooked those apples until tender and then sprinkled about a tablespoon of cornstarch onto the whole thing and stirred it up to thicken up the lovely juices.
By this point, I had decided that I wanted to make a couple of pies. Yeah, I tend to change my mind a good bit these days – I guess that is one of the reasons I have not been blogging so much – I haven’t been able to follow the format I set for my blog… Oh well, I guess I’m evolving.
I decided to use just one pre-made icebox pie crust per pie and fold it over in a rustic form. I baked them in a preheated 350 F oven until golden brown and delicious.
One is for my family – one for my Aunt Rowena and her family!

I tell you what – my house smells really good right now!

National Banana Bread Day and Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day!

2011-02-23T17:09:00.002-06:00

Today, I felt like doing something a bit different. I celebrated National Banana Bread Day and Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day by whipping up a batch of each. I really made up each of the things using old recipes I have used before, but just changed them to use up ingredients I had on hand – substituting as I felt the need. I really didn’t measure much – and I did not take photos as I processed the food.

First, I hade one lonely overripe banana – so I made pan of Mini – Banana Bread Muffins. I had a few fresh blueberries left in the icebox, so I popped one on top of each one.

And, there you go! I shipped a few to some friends in Lafayette and Colorado – hope they make it ok. They did come out a bit dryer than I normally like them – but, I think that will work in the shipping process…
Next, it was time to take care of the pups!

I have to admit – that these are not the most beautiful of Dog Biscuits – but, they are actually quite tasty…
Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 T olive oil, 1 cup water with 1 T chicken base dissolved in it, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup unbleached A/P flour. I mixed the first 5 ingredients (up to the oats) in the Kitchen aid stand mixer – then added the rest of the ingredients. I noticed it was a bit wet so I added some more flour and oats. You want to be able to roll it out and cut it into shapes. I put it in the icebox to rest and cool for a while. This is not necessary – but I was cooking the muffins, so I figured what the heck…. It did give the dough time to relax and made for a tender Dog Biscuit, I think I will do that again in the future. It also gives time for the oats to absorb some of the liquid… I rolled out half the dough on the floured counter and I let Camille Ana cut up some of the dough with a butter knife until “her hand got tired” – about half the dough. Then, I rolled out the rest and quickly cut it out with the pizza cutter. I baked them at 350° F until golden brown and delicious – about 25 minutes… Yes – we did try them and they are tasty – sweet and savory peanut – buttery crackers… I would not want them as a regular snack – but the pups LOVE them! Since there are no preservatives in them – they only store for about a week and a half before they start to grow mold down here in our humid climate – but I found enough local pups to consume them fast enough that we don’t need to worry about that little issue.

Oh – only one little negative side effect on some pups – they tend to get a little gas with all the whole grains… Oh, well – it isn’t like they get them all the time!

Aji de Bogota!

2011-01-20T17:05:00.002-06:00

I made Aji in Louisiana using the ingredients I could find there (and blogged about it) – but it just did not taste the same as here in Bogota… I also found out upon my return that my in-laws did not make Aji while I was gone. Shame really – it is so easy – and they love it so much. This is my second batch of Aji since my return and I have been back less than a week! We do have some left from the first batch with avocado in it – but I prefer the basic version – so I made some more this afternoon – in less than 5 minutes!

Here are the ingredients you need: 1 onion, 1 lime – zest and juice, aji (chili peppers – I used 2 tobasco peppers), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 bunch of cilantro leaves and small stems, water.

This is how I purchased the Aji at the store – the 50 g cost about 25 cents. This is enough Aji to make sauce for a month for the entire family of 20-something people!

I just chop up the onion and the aji in big pieces – I discard the ends. I do use the seeds of the aji – I like the sauce picante!!!!!

This cilantro looks rather wilted – we purchased it 3 days ago – but the smell is still lovely and the color vivid – we waste very little here!

After I zested the lime and added it to the blender for flavor. I asked my brother-in-law, Wisseman, to squeeze the lime for me – he is so proud his hands are on the internet! I add the lime juice for flavor and to preserve the color of the cilantro.

I put the salt on top and added some cold water from the tap. The tap water here in Bogota is really tasty and safe to drink!

Now, everything is ready to go! All that is left to do it put on the top and turn this baby on!

Spinning around all happy together! I love the colors!

I let the blender run long enough to make sure everything is chopped small enough! If I need to, I add more water!

Now isn’t that a beautiful condiment with the flecks of green and orange!

We put it in plastic containers that hang out in the icebox and we put them on the table with spoons at lunch and dinner so that people can add the sauce to their food as they wish! The smell is fresh and the taste is also – and picante!!! I love it!!!

El Pan de Cerveza at 8800 feet!

2011-01-20T12:01:00.002-06:00

I did it – I made beer bread in a toaster oven in Bogota, Colombia at an elevation of 8800 feet successfully the first time and I did not make a massive mess! I knew that things would be different at this high elevation – I live below sea level in the marsh of Louisiana – baking is different than here to say the least. And I have never tried to bake a quick bread in a toaster oven. I did learn a few things along the way and I will share these things with you!

Here is the stuff I used: Stuff I brought from home include: 3 tablespoons of baking powder (I brought the tablespoon and 1/2 cup measuring things in my carry-on at the last minute – ha!) and 1/4 cup agave nectar. The ingredients from here: 3 cups flour, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1 can Aguila (Colombian) beer, 1 cup shredded cheddar, and 1/4 cup melted butter.

Here is Abuelita Ana Oliva, (my Mother-in-Law – MIL) shredding the cheese for the bread – isn’t she adorable! She and I laugh all the time in the kitchen!

I sifted together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large pot. We do not have large mixing bowls. There is just NO storage space in this kitchen – so we multi-purpose items.

I added the agave nectar, the cheese and the beer to the dry ingredients and mixed them up while my MIL melted some butter in the microwave.

I buttered the bottom of the pan and put in the dough. I poured the rest of the butter over the top of the batter. I placed some foil under the pan in case of overflow – you never know!

I put a piece of foil on top of the pan to prevent the top from burning prior to the bread cooking through. I set the temperature at 400°F on Convection mode and let her go! I kept a close eye on the toaster oven to see what would happen. Well, that bread rose a good 2 inches above the rim of the pan. I am glad I put the foil underneath the pan because the butter did drip down the sides. The top would have burned if I did not cover it. I did turn down the temperature to 300°F after 30 minutes. I let it bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes and it was cooked perfectly.

It turned out of the pan easily and was double the height of my beer bread in Louisiana. The next time I make it – I think I will only use 1 1/2 Tablespoon of baking powder and see what happens – I will let you know! The Aguila Beer added a certain bitterness to the bread which I really liked. Next time I will add a bit more sweetener, I like the bread sweeter… Results: the family loved it – it was gone in less than 30 minutes.

There were about 12 members of the family here that night. I will definitely have to make it again!

Granadilla

2011-01-18T12:16:00.001-06:00

I am in Bogota, Colombia – for an entire year with Camille Ana, staying with my in-laws in a tiny apartment. When we are the fewest amount people – we will be 7 in a 2 bedroom apartment – made into a 3 bedroom with the conversion of the den into a bedroom – but there are 2 full bathrooms – and that works out just fine! The kitchen/laundry room is super tiny – and extremely efficient – I really like it. One of my favorite things about being in Colombia is the bounty of fabulous tropical fruit not readily available to me in Louisiana. Here it is cheap, organic, plentiful, always ripe and delicious.

My first full day in country, we walked a mile – no biggie here – the weather was perfect – sunny, slight breeze and upper 60s – to our favorite fruit and vegetable store: Frutifruver de la Sabana – it is a local chain of stores – you can also purchase meats and fish there. We did take a taxi back home, even though we could have come back with the assistance of one of the bag boys pushing the cart for an inexpensive tip. A bag of about 10 Granadilla is about a dollar. Granadilla are similar to Passion Fruit. They have a semi-hard exterior and arils inside – also like a Pomegranate. The arils are sweet – but a bit tart at the same time.

You can crack open the shell and eat the arils with a spoon for a nice refreshing snack or you can scoop our the arils and blend them with milk and a bit of sugar and then strain the mixture to make a nice juice. I will show you how to do this later.

I got Nellsiton (as William is known to his family here) to photograph me enjoying my first Granadilla back in Bogota!

Yes, indeed! I love the flavor. And the texture of the arils is fun!

The arils like to stick together and are slippery at the same time!

Yummy!

I have make sure I get all the good stuff out of there!

Granadilla really tastes as good as it is beautiful! If you ever get the chance – try it!

Garlicky Roast Beef & Gravy, White Rice, and Buttery Golden Potatoes

2011-01-08T18:55:00.003-06:00

Well, we are leaving in a week to go to Bogota, Colombia for an entire year and I am continuing on my simple cooking streak. This meal is just about as basic as it can get! It tasted great and was quite comforting. All the picky eaters in the house feasted and were happy – so that made me happy.

Let’s start with the beef: 3 lbs. of beef – I like round – top and bottom – cut in large chunks, 1 cup A P unbleached flour, olive oil, 1 head (at least) of garlic minced, salt and cayenne to taste.

I put about a tablespoon of salt and a half a teaspoon of cayenne on the beef and mixed it well to coat all of the pieces.

I added the cup of flour to the seasoned meat, then tossed to coat.

In the meantime, I put several tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of my Magnalite pot – any heavy - bottom pot will do – cast iron is great (can’t use that with my stove – shucks), and heated that up on medium high heat.

Here is the beef all nice and coated with the flour.

Start browning the beef in the hot oil a few at a time. Do not crowd the pot! You want the beef to get nice and crusty brown!

As the beef gets brown and crusty and shrinks up a bit, you can add more to the pot. Use your eyes and your nose to make sure nothing burns and to know when to turn the pieces to brown them on most sides.

While the meat is browning – prepare your garlic. I did a head and a quarter – because I had a quarter left over from other uses!

As the pieces brown, transfer them to a bowl and add other pieces to the pot.

If the bottom of the pot gets too dry, add more olive oil – go ahead – don’t be shy – it is good fat!

Mince up that garlic!

When all of the meat is brown, return all of the meat to the pot, add the garlic. You can discard any extra flour.

Add water to the pot – enough to almost cover all of the meat.

At this point you want to stir everything a bit and turn down the fire quite low.

Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for a few hours. Check it every so often to make sure it does not stick on the bottom, the fire is not too high – or too low, and that the liquid level is correct.

This is what it looks like when it comes to a boil and the sauce gets thick and it cooks for a few hours – yum!

I liked the color of the beef and gravy – but I have to say – I like it a bit darker – so I pulled out the secret weapon – Kitchen Bouquet!!!

A couple of tablespoons later, I had the dark color I really like! Shhhh – don’t tell anyone – hehehehehe!

Time to fix some rice! As I have said before – Cajuns and Colombians love rice! I really like Basmati rice – so that is what I made. I used two of the little cups you see in the photo. I love my rice cooker!

I washed the rice and then added water to the number 2 line mark on the little pot. How easy is that?

I put the lid on and pushed the on button.

About 25 minutes later I had a nice – perfect pot of rice!!!!

Well, we have our meat and our rice – now we need our potatoes! I used 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1/4 stick of butter, and salt to taste – about a tablespoon.

See, they fit in this little pot perfectly. I did add about a half a cup of water to help the potatoes cook.

Covered and on the stove – I turned the fire on medium high and let it cook. I do have a confession to make. I went in my front room and after a little while I heard the smoke alarm going off in my dinning room on the other side of the kitchen. I always say: If the smoke alarm ain’t going off – I ain’t cookin’! Sure enough – the pot of taters was overflowing a bit – oops. So I cleaned off the stove – opened some windows and turned on some fans. Added a bit more water to the potatoes and set the fire under them a bit lower. No harm – no foul!

See, they are perfect!

The food was so good, and I cooked so much, we ate seconds for lunch the next day – with no complaints from William! I also served a simple salad of tomato and avocado. Perfection!

Basic Boiled Beets & Happy Holidays!

2010-12-30T16:14:00.002-06:00

Sometimes the best foods in the world are prepared in the most basic way. My sister brought me some organic beets grown by a local farmer, purchased from a roadside stand for a few dollars. I cut the tops off and rinsed the dirt off and boiled them until tender.

See – the only ingredients in this dish. Water and beets. And I sprinkled a bit of salt on them when I ate them. But, not much. I boiled them for about a half an hour or so – not that long. And not a rapid boil, neither. A slow simmer.

I didn’t even salt the water. The water does turn a pretty purple color. My Magnalite pot did not get stained. Just a little scrub with dish soap and it was clean!

When the beets were tender, I drained them and let them cool. You can peel them warm, but I like my beets at room temperature. I cut off the tops & bottoms with a knife.. William helped me here and took these photos – he is such a sweetheart. He also liked my idea of putting a bag on my garbage bucket – he wanted me to be sure to point this out to you – easier clean-up!

I then put the knife down and just used my hands to peel the sweet wonders.

As you can see, the skin slips right off. My hands washed clean in seconds with the dish soap, also!

You are left with a lovely, totally edible beet! We had ours with some lovely Halibut a dear friend, Lilly, brought us from Alaska and white rice and spinach sautéed with mushrooms and cucumbers. Our meal was simple and fabulous!
I have not been posting much lately – I have been preparing to leave my home and hubby for a year – yep – Camille Ana and I will be going to Bogota, Colombia for an entire year!!! She and I need to learn Spanish. She also needs to get to know her Dad’s side of the family – we will be living with his parents! Camille Ana will be going to school for a year! I plan on going to language school in the mornings, also! Thank goodness for MSN Messenger and Skype!!!! We leave on Jan. 15th. As you can imagine – organizing your life before you leave for a year is complicated – I guess that is why I simplified my cooking - as with the beets! I hope that when we get settled in Bogota, I will be able to start blogging from there on a better basis!!! Happy Holidays to all!!!!

My Pantry…

2010-12-06T16:47:00.001-06:00

I love reading other food blogs. I came across this fabulous blog titled: The Perfect Pantry. The lovely lady, Lydia, who created this blog discussed what ingredients go into creating a perfect pantry and what dishes you can create using those fabulous ingredients. One of the fun features she does is highlighting Other People’s Pantries! Each Saturday, she posts photos people send in of their pantries – it is nifty. I love seeing how other people store their foodstuffs. I thought I would share my pantry with Lydia and the world and she featured my pantry on December 4th! Nifty – no? Check it out: Other People's Pantries # 142 - My Pantry!!!!!