Move Over Blueberries….

…You don’t have to rule the pancake world! Other berries can play too!!

Inspired the other day by Trisha’s blueberry pancakes but not having any blueberries (or sour cream) on hand, I had to make a few changes to the original recipe.

I almost always have fresh strawberries in the fridge and so I thought “why let blueberries have all the fun?”

I just cut the strawberries into smaller chunks so they would distribute evenly in the pancake batter and have a chance to “cook” a bit in the brief time that a pancake stays on the griddle.

I also went a little heavier on the lemon zest than the recipe advised, because really, “who doesn’t love a little lemon?!”

With the substitution of some low-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, these pancakes turn out so light and yummy. You don’t feel weighted down after eating 3 or maybe like 6. (they were small!)

Make sure to use real maple syrup and for a little something extra, warm the syrup and add just a tiny dash of cinnamon to it.

Also a good trick is to cool all the extra pancakes on a rack and then package them for the freezer in singles or enough to make a serving. They can be pulled out and heated up in your toaster – just like those ones that “pop” out of your toaster only with out all the artificial flavors/colors.

Wrap Versus Fold

May12

The question at hand…

is a burrito really a quesadilla that has been wrapped instead of folded? Or perhaps a quesadilla is really a burrito that has been folded?

Either way they are delicious on the grill – which is exactly what I did with my burritos the other night.

I actually took the step of grilling my marinated chicken tenders on the grill first, then stuffing them with some other fresh ingredients into a flour tortilla, rolling it all up burrito style before grilling the whole thing again.

I felt the need to secure them with a toothpick during the grilling because I am a classic “over stuffer” and I was worried everything would end up at the bottom of the grill. I also took liberties and sprayed my favorite butter “product” on them before grilling just to keep things tasty. Don’t judge me because I use this product – it is just really convenient, especially when I am “un-frying.” If you are feeling “au natural” you could brush them with olive oil or melted butter.

Here is what I put in mine…

Yup – you are not seeing things, those are indeed lentils. Why? Cause that is what I had hanging around in my freezer, leftover from my last lentil purchase from TJ’s.

Just as yummy as black beans and hey even “Mikey liked it.” ( oh and in case you were wondering that is Cilantro)

Here is how they got assembled….

Please don’t notice that I may have left the chicken on a teensy bit long. But it was still somewhat juicy and good due to the long marinade!

And here is what they looked like being served after grilling….

I took the toothpicks out before plating and added a lime-cumin cream made from Greek yogurt. ( just add salt, pepper, lime juice and cumin to the yogurt)

And here is what you got when you ate them! Yum…….

(See, that chicken held up even with all its “charred bits.”)

The best thing about these that I realized is they could be stuffed, wrapped and grilled ahead of time and then you can wrap them in foil for reheat later when the party crowd arrives. ( or frozen for that matter) I used an 8-10″ tortilla size and stuffed each with 1 good size chicken tender plus the fresh ingredients. This meant that 2 burritos per person with dipping cream/salsa makes a great portion especially if served with rice and sliced fresh avocados!

Production Notes:

The Marinade…good for about a 1.5 lbs to 2 lbs of chicken cuts of your choice

1/2 cup of fresh lime juice

1 -2 tsp of seasoned salt ( your favorite brand)

1 healthy Tbsp of minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 healthy Tbsp of agave nectar ( or sweetener of choice, like honey, maple syrup etc)

couple healthy squirts of Sriracha ( use another kind of hot sauce if you like it better)

Whisk it all together and marinade the chicken at least 2-3 hours. The heavy amount of lime juice might “cook” the chicken a bit if you go overnight but I think it would still be okay.

“Shake then Bake”

May6

As a child of the seventies, my husband grew up with all the conveniences of “modern food” that were being introduced at that time. Gourmet popcorn for the microwave, help for your hamburger meals, stuffing for your stove top and Mr and Mrs everything you can imagine. Also very popular and somewhat new (introduced in mid to late 60s) was the coating mix for your pork chops.

It is this product that he stills requests at dinner time. Often.

As for me…since my mother was way ahead of the curve in terms of natural foods, I spent my childhood wondering about these mystery foods I saw on TV and who ate them.

Now-a-days I find myself creating my own coating mix more often than opening a box of his favorite. And guess what? He likes it just as much!

Standard breading technique and a few ingredients are all you need!

I used plain breadcrumbs mixed with grated parmesan cheese and Penzey’s Northwood seasoning to create the crispy outside coating. To make it stick, I first dredged the chops in plain flour and swiped it through a beaten egg before coating it in the crumb mix. If you really wanted to keep the dirty dishes down you could “shake” on the flour in a plastic bag and also do that with the crumb mixture. ( might be kinda messy to do that with the egg:-)

Just line them up on a rack to allow the hot air to circulate and crisp all sides. ( I lined mine with sprayed foil for easy clean up) and bake at 375 in a pre-heated oven for 30-45 mins depending on the thickness of the chops.

You can’t even tell the difference between mine and the commercial product!

And no pork chop would be complete without some apple sauce!

Jumping On The Bandwagon!

Apr18

or maybe I should say…Jumping on the “meatwagon!”

FAIR WARNING: Vegetarians you may want to avert your eyes now!

I finally decided to tackle beef short ribs. The universe seemed to be calling to me to cook them, as I kept seeing them being prepared on TV and on blogs lately.

They always seemed so fancy and maybe just a tad bit hard to cook but I am here to announce – they are delicious and easy, I don’t know why I waited so long!

Behold the lovely subject….(cue “angel music”)

I broke out the “special occasion” bacon fat and got these beauties browning in a hot pan.

Next up was the “mire poix” of veggies. (celery, onion, carrots) Don’t judge me -I used shredded carrots!

Now it was time to put the meat back in for its long slow braise!

Two and half hours later, I took an immersion blender to the pot of yummy goodness and behold…

A life changing meal…

Braised beef short ribs with roasted cauliflower and carrots

The Recipe

I was cooking for two but still ended up with more than enough sauce, you could double the meat and not anything else and still have enough sauce for 4.

2lbs +/- (4 ribs) Beef short ribs, bone in

Plenty of salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp bacon fat or fat of choice that can withstand high heat.

1 cup each, finely diced onion, carrot, celery

2-3 cloves garlic finely minced

1 dried bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3-4 springs of fresh thyme

1 can ( 6oz) tomato paste

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

1-2 cups of water

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Coat the ribs in salt/pepper and brown patiently on each side in the hot fat. Remove meat, set aside and turn heat down. Add onions, celery and carrots to pan and cook down for a few mins. Add the garlic and cook a few mins more. Be careful not to burn garlic. Add the dried spices and the fresh thyme. Add the tomato paste. Stir and kinda “toast” everything for a few minutes. De-glaze pan with the apple juice and Worcestershire sauce. Add the meat back in – nestle it among the liquid and veggies. Add enough water until liquid and veggies are about a 1/4″ under the top level of meat. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven ( preheated) for 2 and 1/2 hours.

Remove the meat carefully and set aside for a few minutes, while you discard the thyme springs. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining liquid and veggies into a thick sauce. Add a little hot water if it needs to be thinned. If you don’t have an immersion blender (why not?!) transfer the pan contents to a blender and carefully blend. Meat can be added back into the pan/sauce and kept warm or reheated after coo0ling and storing.

Too Much Quinoa!

Apr12

“Wait! There can never be too much quinoa!” That was just what you were thinking, right?

Well I love this new darling of the culinary world as much as the next person, but sometimes you just get tired of eating the same leftovers again and again – even if it is a super food!

It started out innocently enough with plans for a quinoa salad that I could munch on for a couple of days this week. I got my rice cooker out because that is how I cook my quinoa – it’s perfect every time.

I also had some leftover carrot and celery sticks, and some extra fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes in the fridge.

So I started a mirepoix:

When the veggies were softened, off the heat, I added: a pint of split cherry tomatoes, 2-3 tablespoons of chopped basil, 1 jar of capers, (3.5oz -drained) 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley, the juice and zest of 1 large lemon and 1 tablespoon of Herb de Provence seasoning.

Looks good just as it is right?

I mean personally I could stop right there and eat this by the spoonful. Or on toasted bread or mixed with pasta. Or with a can of white beans. Which is exactly what I added because I thought that might really give some “heft” to this salad. Again, at this point with the beans added, you had a complete meal all done. You could just stop there.

But I decided it would be terrific with my cooked and cooled quinoa.

All 6+ cups of it!!!

Why 6 cups?? Because as I was pouring out a dry cup of uncooked quinoa, I thought.. “why don’t I double it because it is great to have in the fridge to throw in stuff. Right?” So two cups of dry quinoa went into the rice cooker with 4 cups of water. Math not really being my strong point, I didn’t think about the fact that this would yield at least 6 cups of cooked quinoa.

So I ended up with a giant party-sized bowl of salad. It needed a little seasoning adjustment, salt, pepper-more lemon at the end because although the initial mix was super flavorful, it got a little diluted in the “sea of quinoa.”

My advice is next time use half as much quinoa or double the amount of the other stuff and invite 12 people over.

Check out a “winter salad” version here.

Chicken Paaaarmm

Apr5

This actually means “Chicken Parmigiana” in a Boston accent!

I was watching one of the many cooking shows that are on these days and one of the cooks ( I won’t name names since I like her and it isn’t her fault that she doesn’t have good Italian food in the boondocks!) made Chicken Parmigiana. Which of course made me immediately crave it. After all this IS the stick by which I measure all Italian restaurants the first time I visit them. I also found it weird to actually hear it pronounced properly. It has been so long since I have actually heard it fully pronounced that I almost thought it to be a different dish. Even the small local joints around Boston spell it “Chicken Parm” on the signs! But the most interesting thing about watching her make it that day, was she never used any Parmesan cheese in the crust of the chicken! I swear she didn’t use any at all, but when I cross checked the recipe on her website, I noted that she added some to the fresh marina sauce and then as a sprinkle on top. But not on the crust of the chicken.

But no worries – I still like her and it inspired me to do a quick posting to set the record straight.

You must dredge your chicken cutlets in a combination of seasoned breadcrumbs and finely grated Parmesan cheese. ( The good stuff too, don’t cheap out here.) Than you simply pan fry the cutlets in a shallow bit of olive oil or if you are feeling a little like a Boston pizza joint; you drop them into the fryolator. But the goal is a crispy, crispy Parmesan crust. (and fully cooked chicken)

Exhibit A…

Now you can do a couple of things with this…

You can put it on a nice Italian roll with some Provolone cheese and some red sauce for a “Chicken Parm Sub” or you can serve it with red sauce and your choice of pasta for a “Chicken Parm Dinner.” And yes, we like to melt some Provolone cheese on top too.

Exhibit B….

You can get fancy and add some fresh chopped herbs on top – but they don’t do that in Boston. Just saying.

My Easter Egg

Mar31

When there are no little kids in the family to hunt for eggs and the Easter bunny ( A.K.A mom and dad) doesn’t leave chocolate for you anymore, (mostly because you live in another state) all you have left on this holiday is a great meal and maybe some church if you are inclined.

For me it is about a great meal and this how I prefer my Easter eggs…

With some great sautéed asparagus, ham and toast. Happy Easter!!

“Hakuna Frittata”

Mar25

Loosely translates to “no worries egg dish”

Although a frittata IS an easy egg dish and a great way to use up whatever is hanging around your kitchen, for us, making one instantly has us singing tunes from “The Lion King.” As in “Hakuna Frittata” – corny right?

(Kinda of like when I make “empanadas” and we sing the song “Desparado!”)

Anyway this one started out because I had a bag of spinach hanging around needing to be used up and some of the baby gold potatoes.

So I sliced up the baby gold potatoes (about a 1/4″ thick) and layered them in a well-sprayed, oven proof 10″ saute pan with some butter on med heat to start softening while I prepped (de-stem the spinach, crack eggs and pour cream) the other stuff. Turn the heat off and add all the goodies in first on top of the potatoes:

1/2 of an 8oz bag of spinach (raw), about 4 oz. crumbled feta, about 8 sundried tomatoes chopped small, plenty of salt and pepper, a shake of garlic powder for a little “warmth.”

And than the liquids get poured carefully over this – I used about a cup of “half and half” ( I was out of milk) and 8 large eggs. Make sure you whisk the eggs and cream (or milk) together first. A little more salt and pepper on top.

Pop this into a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 mins or until the middle is set and fluffy. Kinda like this….

Now be patient and let it cool a bit – this is best served, and slices cleaner, if you let it cool significantly. This frittata is filling and satisfying, yet deceiving in that it is light. But it is by no means “diet food.” My husband loved it and that is saying a lot since he doesn’t eat anything that might seem at all like “diet food.”

Might I suggest a glass of wine and some crusty warm bread with this?

The Master of Gravy

Mar20

Yup that is the one we are talking about.

I know what you are thinking…

… “who uses that product and who uses it in meatballs?!”

Well my Father-in-law did and since he made some great Italian meatballs for a learn-to-cook–later-in-life Irish guy, I use it too. Unfortunately we never accurately got his recipe before he passed away. (readers take note… this is important stuff to do before it is too late!) So I am always fiddling around with my meatballs to see if I can capture his essence.

www.gravy.com will tell you that the product has “NO chemical preservatives, artificial color, flavors or additives are ever used.” I am not sure it is health food but it doesn’t seem terrible – check out the website and you can make your own decisions about this.

As for my meatballs – they turned out great, even if I say so myself. I took the time and care to chop and use fresh herbs (makes all the difference) and I also measured everything and wrote it down so you could try them too. And they are baked, so they are just a tad easier and healthier than the pan-fried ones!

The recipe

1 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground beef (80/20 blend)

2 garlic cloves, super finely minced/mashed (use 1 clove if you are not a huge garlic fan)

pinch hot chili flakes ( don’t leave this out – it needs it)

yah I know I use a fork – I just don’t like getting all messy!

1/2 TB dried Oregano

1/4 cup fresh, finely minced fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh, finely minced fresh flat leaf parsley

plenty of salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 TSP Gravy Master®

2 cups freshly ground bread crumbs (about 1/3 of a day-old Italian loaf) mixed with 3/4 cup of milk to form a thick oatmeal consistency.

Gotta test the first one!

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. Mix it all very lightly in a bowl. Heat a small skillet on the stove and cook one up real quick as a tester for flavor. If it needs anything more, make the adjustments, and start forming the balls.

I personally like small ( 1″ diameter) balls. They cook quick, fit nice on my sheet pans, and tuck perfectly into leftover meatball subs. They can also be pressed into action out of the freezer ( fully cook, then freeze) as perfect little reheated appetizer with toothpicks stuck into them for dipping!

Take the time to make them even size. rounder is nice too but hey… sometimes they are gonna be a little “square”

Line them up in even little rows on parchment lined sheet pans and if you are paranoid like I am about them sticking anyway, spray the parchment with a little cooking spray first. Bake them for 14 mins. Feel free to turn them halfway thru if you think you can manage not to break them apart in the process. You may want to add another minute or two to cooking time to make up for time spent outside of oven turning.

This general cooking time assumes that you will be putting them into red sauce for a little further cooking and heating. And although the baking in the oven yields them fully cooked – they are just so.. kinda like al dente pasta… so if you are not going to simmer them any further in some sauce – feel free to leave them in an extra 2 mins or so.

Cool and freeze any that don’t go into the sauce. Yields 36 balls. (including the tester)

Enjoy over a heaping mound of pasta with some extra cheese on top!

Green Bling

Mar15

Most girls would consider “bling” something along the lines of diamonds. Maybe even just some really nice costume jewelry.

But for me “bling” comes in the form of food. “Food bling” is one those items that wasn’t on your grocery list. You weren’t even thinking about it when you walked in. But there from across the aisle, hiding behind some stacked bulk sale items, it catches your eye. Suddenly you have forgotten what you even came in for. Because all you can think about is rationalizing this “bling” purchase that you can’t live without!

My “green bling”

When I saw this gorgeous asparagus, so fresh and healthy looking, everything else just faded away. I disregarded any seasonality, had no idea if it was organic, I just knew I had to have it. (Okay I admit, it was on sale too – that helped.)

But how would I use it?

With something equally glamorous of course….

“red rice”

My mom discovered this lovely colored, nutritional wonder on a recent trip. Upon returning home she has incorporated it into her diet and was nice enough to give me some extra cooked rice last time I was visiting. I was waiting for just the right partner to use it with.

Behold the red rice salad…

First I jazzed things up by sauteing a small diced onion, minced garlic, and a pinch of red chili flakes in some olive oil. Than I added my freshly washed and cut asparagus. ( no pre-blanching for me – just let the water from washing them add a little “steam action” to your pan.) Once those were on their way, I added in my cooked rice – really just to heat it through and marry the flavors. Keep an eye on it – if it seems dry add some more olive oil or just a little water if you want to keep the fat/calories down. Salt and pepper to taste. ( don’t be shy with this – it is a simple dish) At the end I splashed in a little rice vinegar to perk things up. (That easily could have been lemon juice instead.) Topped it with a little crumbled feta. (low fat even!) Serve warm, serve room temperature, serve chilled. (but not cold) But whichever way you choose, you will be able to fully justify this “bling” once you taste it.

P.S. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day!

“Storm Stew” (guest blogger)

Mar8

Since I am extremely busy with work and midterms at school right now, my poor husband has had to fend for himself. But recently he has more than “fended for himself” – he rolled out a wonderful take on “pork cacciatore.” Here is what he had to say about his process and a few photos he took along the way….

Yet another blizzard day here in Boston and since I had the day off – I knew that it would be a perfect day for a big pot of Italian cooking. (Well at least Irish- American – Italian cooking!)

I started things off by consulting one of my wife’s many cookbooks and settled on Marcella Hazen’s The Classic Italian Cook Book, circa 1973. I figured if it has been around that long, she must know what she is talking about. Page 93 “Tomato Sauce I” got me started on a grocery list and a mission.

Next up was the meat. I like a “meaty” sauce and ever since my buddy Marky advised putting a chuck roast in the “gravy” I have never done it any other way. Except today. Today was a pork day. So a piece of pork butt went in.

Under advisement from a sleepy wife in the early am I heated the oil HOT and seared the meat.

Under advisement from a sleepy wife in the early morning, I heated the oil HOT and seared the meat.

After searing the meat and putting it aside, I chopped up a classic “mire poix” of celery, carrots and onions. ( ok maybe I asked her for a little advice on this part too.)

so what if my pieces are a little big – I like it that way!

Next up: add the mushrooms.

Now it is more like a Cacciatore!

I added in some tomato stuff, seasoning, garlic and put the meat back in and then the hard-part – waiting for it to cook and fully develop into the masterpiece I know it will be!

oops – A bit of a mess in the kitchen but I KNOW it will be worth it!

And it was! Totally delicious served as is – meat and sauce- but even better with the starch of your choice: garlic bread, rice, pasta or roast potatoes!

wifey says…What a wonderful and yummy dish to come home to! Thanks honey!

Snow Day Chili

Feb11

Chili and a blizzard go hand in hand. So that is what I made this past weekend when the “blizzard of 2013″ hit our Boston area!

After hours of digging out, (but kudos to the neighbors with snowblowers for doing most of our heavy lifting!!) coming in to chili to warm us from the inside out was perfect!

Chili is such a great thing to eat in general but it is always good on hot dogs, burgers, tortilla chips,salad and my favorite: baked potatoes! I remember when the “Wendy’s” restaurants arrived in New England with their salad bars and baked potatoes. (Yup Wendy’s had salad bars and a good ones too at that time.) My dad and I would sneak down there on the night it was his turn to make dinner and get the salad bar with a cup of chili and the chips. We would crumble up the chips and pile on the cheese. Sometime we got the baked potatoes with the chili and extra fresh chopped raw onion of course! They still offer a “taco salad” and the baked potato with chili but somehow it is just not the same.

My version is fancied up with a little sweet Italian sausage and a can of “Ro*tel” to keep it easy. It is also not crazy spicy (like some of my other chili’s – Holy Mole!) so everybody can enjoy and add their own level of heat with hot sauce of their choice.

Production Notes

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, out of casing and crumbled

1 lb ground beef (leaner is nice)

1 onion, chopped small

1 lg garlic clove, minced

1 can (10oz) original “Ro*tel”

1 can (13oz +/-) red beans or black beans or whatever bean you like

2 Tb ground cumin ( less if you don’t love as much as me)

2 Tsp ground chili powder

2 Tsp smoked paprika (sweet not spicy- or spicy if you like it)

2 Tsp ground Ancho Chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 Large can (28oz) crushed tomatoes

2 Tb brown sugar (you can omit or cut in half if you don’t want it too sweet)

1/2 a can ( the 28oz one) of water

Brown the meats (no extra oil needed) in a heavy bottomed dutch oven, until done. Scoop meat out and set aside. Pour out about 1/2 the fat. In the remaining fat in the pan add the onions and garlic and saute a few minutes. Add all the dry spices and kinda toast for a minute. Deglaze the pan with the tomatoes and Ro*tel. Add the meat back in, stirring to combine everything. Add the water – you may want less for thicker chili or more for thinner chili – also depends on how long you want to/plan to simmer. Add additional hot sauce at this point – I like a good vinegar based one like Tabasco or Texas Pete but you can use your favorite. Add the beans (drain them first) and simmer on low for anywhere from 1- 4 hours to let flavors develop and deepen. This could be transferred to a low slow cooker for the day too. Serve with all the fixin’s! Freeze the extra until the next snow day! It makes a lot!

Even the trash needs shoveling out!

Chicken Corn Stew

Jan26

Ingredients:

1 forgotten random frozen chicken breast on the bone (split breast)

1 large-ish onion peeled and quartered

a pinch of whole peppercorns

1 peeled but whole garlic clove

salt – liberal amount

water – about 6 cups

slow cooker and about 4-6 hours to run it on high

“almost-caramelized-but-not-quite” onions – start with about 1/2 of a large fresh one.

2 +/- tbsp butter

couple diced bacon strips if you happen to have some on hand.

couple cups of frozen corn

roux: 2 +/- tbsp flour Or slurry: 2 +/- tbsp water and 2 +/- tbsp arrowroot, mixed

chopped up leftover fresh herbs hanging around the refrigerator from who knows when. (thyme, sage, rosemary, etc)

a couple of red potatoes. dice small and/or parboil if you wish.

Method:

Combine the top 6 ingredients together in the slow cooker and turn on high for 4-6 hours. Turn off and let cool while you brown-almost caramelize- a fresh 1/2 onion sliced thin (In the bacon fat/slices if you are using – plus 2 tbsp of butter) in a heavy-bottom large pan. Now add the flour for the roux method and cook a minute. (otherwise skip this step and move on)

Deglaze the pan with the strained stock from the slow cooker. Whisk and cook a few minutes. If using slurry method instead of roux, add your slurry now and whisk.

Add the fresh herbs, the cooked chicken meat from slow-cooker breast, the frozen corn, and the potatoes. Salt and pepper liberally. Thin with plain hot water if need be.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked and you can no longer stand the yummy smell filling the house. Serves 4 heartily.

Week DAY lasagna

Jan14

When I found myself home on a weekday recently, puttering around pretending to clean the house, my thoughts turned to lasagna. I hadn’t had it in a awhile and was hankering for a “red sauce fix.” And since I had the time – I decided to splurge and use the regular noodles that you have to boil first. Typically I enjoy the quicker week NIGHT version that employs the “no boil” noodles from Barilla but I was feeling fancy and had some time on my hands so…

…boil the noodles I did.

…and clean out the freezer of the late-summer red sauce I had packed away from my garden tomatoes.

I swore to myself that I wasn’t going to make enough for an army – just one small pan. (lasagna is always measured in ‘pans’ around here no matter what the vessel is actually made of) But of course there were tons of extra noodles and lot of rich ricotta cheese with its eggy-parmesean goodness added to it. So what’s a gal to do, but make two pans. One pan is the first pan – all perfect and “saucy” -the way I like it. The other pan is the scraps. Leftover torn bits of noodles, light sauce cause you had to stretch it. You get the idea.

Can you tell which one is which? What about now, with cheese on top?

I decided to freeze the “nice” one…

…in case I wanted to whip that out for company one day and bake the “patch job” since it was just for us. It was perfectly delicious even with out all that extra saucy-goodness that I normally endorse!

Production Notes:

I happened to have a random 1/4 lb of frozen sweet Italian sausage hanging around the freezer that I browned up and added to the red sauce but you could easily omit this for a very satisfying vegetarian lasagna. Toss in some crushed fennel seed instead to get that “sausage essence” without actually using it!

An Unlikely Couple

Jan8

Ketchup and ginger ale.

Who would have thought these would make such good companions. Not I.

So when my husband came home from work one day and told me that one of his coworkers made a pork roast marinated in nothing but ketchup and ginger ale, I felt sure he had misheard the lady. BUT a quick check of the internet (What did we do before Google?) told me that not only did he hear the lady correctly, but aprox 363,000 other people were on-board with this marriage of beverage and condiments.

So I whisked together 1 cup of each and marinated overnight a 3.5 lb +/- standard pork roast (butt or center cut, not tenderloin although I think that would be yummy but too fancy and lean.) I threw the pork and the marinade into an oven proof dish and into a preheated 375 degree oven.

I couldn’t resist deviating. I added 1 medium onion sliced around the roast for a yummy addition. The whole thing roasted for about 20 mins per pound and needed absolutely no attention. Easy AND delicious!

… Before …After

By the way – It seems the general consensus on the internet is to use this marriage of flavor for meatballs ( think “cocktail style”) and there was also a lot of chatter about beef brisket. Both of which would be delicious! I personally think this would be absolutely great on pork chops, ham, Kielbasa, hotdogs, grilled chicken, shrimp, cardboard or maybe even a sneaker – it was just that delicious. Also I think this could easily be done in a slow-cooker.

Full Disclosure

Although I like to cook and eat organic, unprocessed and locally grown just as much as the next person – that is really isn’t the focus of my blog. So for the record I just used Heinz and Canada Dry (no diet).

Just keeping it real here in blog-land.

Served up with twice-baked ranch potatoes and balsamic rosemary braised Brussels and carrots!

The Not-So-Lucky Chicken

Jan3

There are a lot of lucky “food traditions” surrounding New Year’s Day. Across the world certain lucky foods are eaten on the first day of the year (Hoppin’ John) or at the stroke of midnight. (12 grapes)

But chicken wouldn’t be one of them. And a surprise to many New Englanders… Lobster! Lobster is considered a poor choice because lobsters move backwards and could lead to setbacks, regrets, and dwelling on the past. Chickens also scratch and move backwards too and could lead to the same kind of year!

Oh! And chickens also have the added bonus of taking all your luck as they fly away. Basically any “winged” food is off-limits on New Years Day.

Phew! Good thing I made this chicken dish well before New Year’s Eve!

This is just seared chicken breast that I cut down and dusted with some basic seasoning blend before browning in a hot skillet. (Because everything needs to be “browned” in this house.)

After that I combined the chicken with cooked al dente pasta, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fresh green onions and put it all into an oiled baking dish. I whipped up a quick basic white sauce (flour,butter roux – add warm milk) and then emptied the cheese drawer of its bits-n-pieces. Pour this cheese sauce over all, toss to combine and at this point you can either bake it for 30 mins at 350 degrees or refrigerate and bake-off for a later dinner time or even freeze it for another day altogether.

Just don’t eat it on New Year’s Eve or Day!

Meatloaf # 354

Dec19

We couldn’t possibly go too long without another meatloaf variation so here it is…

“Mexican Meatloaf!”

Mexican spiced meatloaf served with Spanish rice and a black bean/onion/ sweet bell pepper sautéed side dish. Garnish with fresh lime and crema.

In general, my meatloaf always seems to be on the “tender” side. I have trouble with the ratios of liquid to non-liguid, so although these experiments are often tasty – they are always falling apart soft. And because I LOVE the combination of tomato and beef my meatloaf experiments almost always involve a small can of tomato paste. Because of this, the meatloaf has a red color and I use a meat thermometer to be sure everything is fully cooked.

The other thing about this particular meatloaf was the use of Mexican style “crema” – it tastes like a “less-sour” sour cream and looks a bit like mayonnaise. Truth be told it was actually more specifically a “Crema Salvadorena.” Here in the Boston area, items like this are grocery-store staples, but in a less ethnic area you could probably find this in a dairy cooler with other specialty items. If you are feeling fancy and you happen to have some “creme fraiche” lying about, use that. But really you could just use American sour cream. (If you would like a short but fun side trip on the internet discussing in great detail the nuances between all these products; here is a link to that)

So to conclude…

Just take your favorite meatloaf recipe – the basic one that uses breadcrumbs, egg and meat- and substitute out the milk or water for more interesting liquids like crema or tomato paste (or both!) and use spices that tickle your fancy. (cumin, taco seasoning and Ancho chili powder in this one!)

…and Olé! …or Voilà! … or Ecco! …or…well you get the idea!

“Juicy” BBQ Pork Roast

Dec13

And by “juicy” – I mean both moist and made with actual “juice!”

Pomegranate/dragon fruit juice – you know the one that comes in a small, curvy bottle.

Here is the supporting cast of characters….

Think “sweet and spicy” pulled pork on rolls with bread/butter pickles! Also great over mashed potatoes which is how I ate it!!

I simply whisked all these guys together with the diced onion and added it to the slowcooker with the pork.

..but I did take the effort to “put a little brown” on the pork roast first by searing it in a pan. And then it was “everybody in the hot tub!”

I think it was worth it to take the time to “caramelize” the outside (fancy cooking term) but you can decide if you want to clean the extra pan. Also worth noting…make sure you set your slow-cooker to the correct setting for the day. i.e. lower if you are going longer or higher if you are going shorter. Otherwise you might come home to a delicious but REALLY falling apart pork due to an overly long time on high setting. (Not that I am speaking from experience or anything.)

Production Notes

Actual recipe for sauce…

2lb +/- pork roast

16oz Pomegranate juice or juice blend ( I happened to have a “lite” version on hand)

3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 med onion diced

6oz can of tomato paste

1 tsp ground Ancho chili powder

2 tbsp “Galena Street” seasoning from Penzey’s or whatever your favorite BBQ seasoning is

1 tsp ground Cumin

S&P to taste

Whisk to combine and add to slow cooker with meat and onion or simmer on low heat for a while to serve as a side sauce with just about anything!

Everybody Loves Kale

Dec6

Well at least my mom and I do. My husband…um… well… he does love spinach, does that count?

But he did admit to liking the incredibly healthy salad that I served at Thanksgiving this year.

(Yes, I am still talking about Thanksgiving recipes – lots of food equals lots of blog post opportunities!)

Roasted asparagus, carrots and parsnips with fresh Bosc pear and walnuts on top of chopped raw kale. Served with a wedge of Parmesan sage cornbread.

Thank you Giada for that delicious recipe and the salad dressing – so simple and seasonal!

But as soon as the holiday was over I found myself with lots of fresh chopped kale on hand.

So I did what I always do..

“Just add pasta!” And some crumbled sausage and tomato sauce! And of course some cheese on top, because everything is better with cheese.

This turned out to be an easy, healthy, delicious way to get those greens in for a second round. And you can freeze individual portions for lunches later on.

Production Notes

Just use your favorite sweet or hot Italian sausage – crumbled and browned in a skillet. You don’t need much as a little goes a long way to flavoring the whole thing. I used about 1/3 of a lb of sausage to a 12oz box of tricolor penne and I mixed in a “big can” can of chopped tomatoes. Mix the kale in while the mixture is hot from the skillet, along with some Italian seasoning. Throw in a pinch of crushed fennel seed and some red chili flakes to bump up the flavor. Add the cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree oven till hot and toasty. (20 mins+/-) or cool, cover and freeze.

Spicy Beef Chile REMIX

Nov18

So you may have noticed I have been cleaning out the freezer lately and finding new ways to slip the leftovers past my husband!

This dish was inspired by the bag of sweet red bell peppers I picked up on sale and some leftover frozen spicy beef and green chile stew.

The original chile I made was QUITE SPICY -but we are kinda “spice amateurs” in my house. You may find that 1 1/2 chopped “Chipotle Chili in Adobo” is not even nearly spicy enough for you! You can see the original recipe for the stew here.

Re-Imagining the stew into stuffed peppers was easy – just add rice! Brown rice to be exact. Since it was being mixed with something I knew I could sneak in a little “shot of healthy!” (shhh don’t tell hubby.)

I just scooped out the peppers, mix the defrosted stew with some cooked and cooled brown rice. Stuff the peppers, pour a little hot water around them- about an half-inch and into the hot oven (covered) to steam them. After about 35-40 mins I took the cover off, add some shredded cheese on top of the peppers and baked further until the cheese was melty.

Serve with some sort of yogurt/sour cream/crema mixed with lime juice and ground cumin!

Hot Sauce And Cereal

Nov12

Sounds weird, but not what you think…

Corn-flake fried chicken tenders flavored with Frank’s® Buffalo Wing Sauce!

Served with homemade diner style mac-n-cheese and bleu cheese dressing for dipping.

SO YUMMY if I say so myself!

The whole thing started with a stroll thru the hot sauce aisle – that started an immediate craving for wings. But being a bit lazy I decided that I didn’t want to deal with bones. So as I picked up some chicken tenders, I thought about how I would get a crisp exterior on them before tossing them in the tasty mix of hot sauce and margarine. (That’s tradition, don’t mess with tradition.)

As I was putting a box of corn flakes in the cart, I noticed on the back they had printed their recipe for “corn-flake” fried chicken. (If you haven’t tried this kind of fried chicken, try it.) So it was fate. I knew exactly how I would make my crisp chicken tenders. Buffalo-style.

I marinated my tenders in a mix of milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper. I think an hour is a minimum and longer would be better. Buttermilk would be good too, instead of milk, but who has that lying around?

Crush up plenty of corn flake cereal. It is good to have most of it pretty small, like bread crumbs, to get good coverage. But you also want some not as finely crushed so you have all the texture of the “crevices.” Now set up your stations: flour* – egg – crushed cereal. (standard breading technique, ya’ll) Tip: Let them rest on the rack for a few if you plan on shallow or deep-frying, so the coating can really adhere.

I was baking these – so I sprayed my pan and the rack I would be baking on with non-stick spray. Lay the tenders carefully on and now spray those with some “spray butter.” (This is a great – but – chemical- laden product that I keep on hand for “healthy” un-frying in the oven – you can lightly drizzle the tenders with some melted, organic, low-sodium, butter instead) It is important that the coating on the tenders have some kind of “fat” moisture so they will crisp up in the oven.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-40 mins depending on the size/thickness of your tenders. Watch carefully to be sure they don’t burn. Flip once if you dare – carefully – to crisp the other side. Drizzle with melted margarine-hot sauce mix and serve more on the side for dipping if you want.

The leftovers make spectacular sandwiches!!

Production Notes

The amounts I used…

2 lbs +/- boneless chicken tenders

1 cup milk

1/2 cup +/- hot sauce

*flour (or for gluten-free: use cornstarch or masa) for light dredging

1 egg

3 1/2 cups corn flake cereal (measured pre-crush)

Non-stick spray

“Spray butter”

For the sauce:

1 stick of margarine and 3/4 cup +/- hot sauce – melt together on low in sauce pan

Sauce Matters

Nov2

I made some very tasty meatballs not too long ago. They started with the standard mix of ground beef and ground pork. I added some grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, onion powder, pinch of hot chili flakes, generous amount of chopped fresh rosemary, salt/pepper and an egg to hold it altogether.

Here is where it gets special: roasted garlic.

Yep – you read that right. Roasted garlic.

I happen to have a head of roasted garlic hanging out in the fridge from a garlic roasting session a few nights before. (garlic mashed potatoes!)

So I thought “why not throw that into the mix?!”
After everything was mixed I even cooked up a little test patty in the skillet to make sure it was as yummy as I imagined it would be. And yes it was.

I proceeded to brown up all the meatball’s carefully and patiently in batches.
Some would be for that night’s dinner and some would go into the freezer.

At this point I made a crucial error.

I decided to pack the meatballs in a casserole dish and pour some red sauce over them and sprinkle the cheese -that way Hubby could just heat them up in the oven while the pasta boiled. Great plan right? Wrong. I was too lazy to make up a quick sauce and all the homemade was frozen solid so I decided to break out the “last resort” pantry jar of sauce. This is the one that I bought on sale on a whim that I keep on hand in case there is absolutely nothing else my husband can manage to make other than boil some pasta and open a jar. Now I am not going to reveal the brand – but let’s just say it wasn’t a “high end” brand.

Later that night, after following the heating and boiling instructions, he enjoyed a lovely meatball and pasta dinner. He declared the whole thing “delicious!” And it wasn’t terrible by any means, but when I got home much later to finally enjoy the fruits of my labor, I realized my error. The sauce was really not great.

Lesson Learned:

No matter how great the meatballs, the sauce has got to be nothing short of great!

The Other “Chowdah”

Oct27

That would be corn chowder. (or “chowdah” as they say around here in Boston)

Clam gets all the fame but frankly I like a hearty cup of corn chowder much more than clam. Okay confession time: I hate clams and always have. Gasp! A native New England-er hates clams! Plus my dad who was from California preferred the red “Manhattan style” clam chowder that came out of a can! Double Gasp!! So that is what I thought all clam chowder smelled and looked like for a long time.

Basically I am saying it is not my fault that I don’t like clams.

Now my husband – he LOVES clams. So the real challenge was getting him to realize you can have chowder without clams!

Just add bacon. That makes everything okay. And he loved it. I know he genuinely loved it because he ate it two or three times over the next few days after I made it. And he hardly ever eats a leftover.

The Recipe

2 cups of corn kernels – I happened to have some leftover roasted on the cob from this summer in my freezer – but any will do.

2 cups potatoes, cooked but still firm and diced large – peel if you want. I don’t. ( I used leftover baked potato)

4 ozs of bacon – diced small – low sodium is nice to use.

1 medium onion diced small

1 can (14.5 oz) of creamed corn – a secret trick for “upping” that corny flavor and texture.

4 cups of whole milk – best if not super-cold from the fridge

2 cups of “half and half” – same temperature tip as the milk

1 tsp +/- of dried dill weed (Secret ingredient secured from my mom’s recipe – thanks!)

1 garlic clove, peeled but whole – for subtle flavor and to be fished out later. (Also thanks to mom for that one!)

salt and pepper to taste and a big pat of butter to enrich the soup before serving if you are feeling a little decadent.

Saute the bacon in a heavy bottom pot until it is about halfway rendered. Add the diced onions and continue cooking. When onions have softened a bit and turned golden, add the corn, potatoes, dill and some salt/pepper. Toss around the pan a bit. Add the creamed corn, milk, half and half and garlic. Turn down the heat so the milk/cream won’t scald but will still continue to gently cook. (barely a simmer) This might take some playing around with your burner heat. Watch it carefully. Let cook on low for at least an hour to really marry the flavors and the dairy will thicken just a bit. Taste for seasoning – add that butter if you dare and serve.

“If you want it thicker” Tips:

You can do an old-fashioned flour roux if you like at the beginning once the onions and bacon are merrily on their way.

You could add a slurry of “masa” (finely ground corn flour) and water to “up” the corn flavor and keep it gluten-free. 1 cup liquid to 1/2 cup masa. add it after you add all the other stuff.

Mom suggests you take an extra cooked potato and blend it down with a little of the soup or even some hot water and use that to thicken the soup. That is how she does it.

For the vegetarians

Just leave out the bacon and use fat-of-choice to saute the onions. Problem solved.

Can These Two Be Friends?

Oct21

I had some chicken thighs defrosting and a hankering for some “Indian food.” So instead of following a recipe, I just got out two spices I think of as “Indian.”

In reality “madras curry” is a British invention and “Sate/Satay” is from the Indonesian islands, not actually India. Fusion cooking right?

I coated my chicken in a heavy dose of the Sate seasoning and browned them in the skillet first.

After that, I removed the chicken and tossed in some sliced onions and my very own green peppers grown in my garden! (Toot-tooting my own horn!)

After that I added diced sweet red bell pepper, a couple fresh garlic cloves, lots of curry powder and some tomato paste and let that kinda “toast” for a minute. If you like it hot, add something hot like chili flakes or hot peppers. I de-glazed the pan with some stock and threw everybody into the hot tub! (slowcooker)

Cook for many hours, until you can’t stand how good it smells and add some frozen peas (my husband is obsessed with them) about 30 mins before serving (not shown here) and serve with the Naan you found in the freezer this morning, which started this whole fusion-travel-food journey in the first place!

Too Early For “Tom?”

Oct13

Last month the lady I work for made a turkey for family supper on the weekend and told me about it.

And that is all it took. The ripple effect was powerful.

First me, than my neighbors, probably half of the staff at the hospital my husband works in. Definitely the bus driver I chatted up on the way home one day soon after we ate the meal.

And now you: my faithful and growing list of readers.

Many of you will start to find yourself craving a full-blown turkey dinner. The whole bit. The stuffing, the mash, the squash, and the pan gravy. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce. Or the peas.

So, I ask you, is September too early for Tom? Or is it just dress rehearsal?

(p.s. I used my own garden grown fresh sage in the stuffing! Just ~~bragging~~ sayin’)

Cottage Pie

Sep29

AKA “Shepard’s Pie” is a favorite around here. I grew up with it and I consider it a childhood comfort food. But I also like to change it up sometimes depending on what I have around the house. Or maybe just to challenge myself into using what is on hand and not running out to the grocery store!

Today I happen to have some ground lamb in the freezer. Whenever I find ground lamb on sale I buy it – but you could use ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork. In fact, I am sure I have made it with all of these at one point.

Traditionally it is made with 3 things: ground meat, creamed corn and mashed potato on top. You can’t get more basic than that. Other than S&P and some paprika on top, it is a pretty plain Jane kind of dish. But embellishments are encouraged. I once knew a lady who used a packet of gravy mix on the beef layer to give extra flavor. I have seen folks add peas and carrots to it. On a TV show I saw someone do an upscale version with decorative “piped” mashed sweet potato. Just adding some diced onions in with the browned ground beef is nice. The list of variations is endless.

But I was keeping it simple with only 7 ingredients. And I only had frozen corn kernels in the freezer and no “creamed corn.”

I didn’t want it to be dry – after all a little gravy is what makes it so yummy. So I turned to the pantry and opened a can of cream of mushroom soup – low sodium. Thinned with a little milk and I had myself some gravy.

A little minced garlic is lamb’s best friend! And don’t forget to make the mashed potatoes yummy with some butter and milk too!

Of course you should season everything to taste and if you want to sneak a little grated cheese on top during the last 20 mins or so of baking – I won’t tell!

P.S. The best thing about a dish like this? you can make it ahead and leave cooking instructions for whatever hungry husband might wander into the house!

Bruschetta Burgers

Sep22

One night while on the way home from work in downtown Boston, I remembered that we had no buns for the burgers I was craving that night for dinner. What to do? I definitely didn’t feel like getting in the car after a long train/bus commute home to go to the store for just one item. In such a big city you think there would be a small grocery store or two, but no. Only one in the whole city and it was way across town.

So I improvised, popping into one of those sandwich places that are normally so crowded during the day but not at all at night as busy commuters rush home. I am not going to openly plug them but they make their own flat bread in brick ovens for the sandwiches and are famous for making custom salads too. I was excited to buy fresh, hot, tasty, flat bread for my burgers.

All the way home (Resisting the urge to immediately tear into the warm bread. ) I modified my burger plans to “fit” the bread. I decided to make the burgers thin; so two patties per bread. The bread is rectangular so this would work better. Than I remembered I had some provolone cheese so I knew I would reheat the bread and get the cheese all melt-y before adding the burger patties.

But then I decided regular ketchup would never do. Too pedestrian for such a gourmet approach to a burger.
Since I had tons of fresh tomatoes still coming out of the garden I knew “fresh” was the way to go…

A classic “bruschetta” of chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, thin sliced red onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

Add in as much as you like and enjoy a “bruschetta burger!”

Dinner BEFORE Breakfast

Sep1

Ask anybody.

I am not a morning person. Never was. Never will be.

BUT the other morning I found myself up and out of the house very early in order to drop my husband off at work on time. After I dropped him off I found myself with some time to spare before heading to my work. (What is that you say?…head into to my work early… surely you jest?! LOL!) So I headed back home with my thoughts solely focused on breakfast, a cat nap and coffee before it was time for me to depart to the coal mines. But as I drove, my thoughts turned to dinner plans for the night. As I pulled in the driveway I knew I had a plan. A “cabinet stew” of ingredients that were hanging around, needing to be used up.

45 mins later….

…one cup of coffee, one casserole prepped and in the fridge awaiting a dinner re-heat, dishes done and oh yeah, some breakfast!

Now if only I wasn’t going to be late to work…

Ham and spinach macaroni and cheese.

The Recipe

1 box (16oz) elbow macaroni, cooked al dente and drained

1 pkg (8-10 oz) “ready-to-go” spinach leaves. (I just opened the bag – you can wash again if you want)

1 cup +/- diced cooked ham (leave it off for the vegetarians!)

1 cup +/- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 small onion finely diced

1 clove garlic finely minced

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups +/- milk

1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg

5 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (you know – the little “tub”)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese for topping – a little or lot – your preference

Soften the onions and garlic in the butter. Add the nutmeg to toast for a minute. Add the flour to make a traditional roux. Add the milk slowly while whisking to make a thick white sauce. Turn off heat. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese. Taste and add salt/pepper as desired. Meanwhile in a large oiled baking dish combine the spinach, noodles , ham and Gorgonzola cheese. (This works much better if you commit to a large mixing bowl first and then pour it in the baking dish. If you do as I did and NOT use a mixing bowl ’cause you are lazy… then add the spinach in first with the HOT, cooked noodles on top of the spinach to kind wilt it down and make enough room to stir in the ham and Gorgonzola.) Pour the white sauce over the top. Stir to combine. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until time to “bake off” as the pro’s say.

When the time arrives… Bake covered with foil in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 mins. (if you put it in straight from the fridge you may need to go longer or hotter) Uncover, add grated Parmesan cheese across top and bake 15 mins more till hot and bubbly.

Makes way too much for two people so invite 4-6 friends over to share.

Thanks Neighbor!

Aug26

Recently a neighbor of ours had some extra gravel from a home improvement project so he very nicely offered it up to me. He knows I like to use the extra gravel to keep weeds at bay and neaten up some of the landscaping around the house.

So he dumped the un-used portion where it would be most convenient to spread. Thanks!

It turned out to be a huge pile!! I have definitely got some work ahead of me! So of course when I asked him if he would like anything in exchange – he is such a nice guy – he said “don’t worry about it.”

But I couldn’t help myself – what could I do to repay the favor? I decided that the best thing would be to make him dinner. As a typical bachelor and a 20+ year Army veteran (entering at 18 years old ) with 3 tours of duty in the middle east, I am pretty sure he orders pizza more nights than not.

Dinner it would be!

A guy like that needs “man” food! Something homemade that would stick to his ribs…

Marinated Steak Tips on the grill

Fresh Corn Casserole

Warm Cheddar Biscuits

Sliced Tomato from my garden

(oh and no dishes to wash!)

The recipe

The steak tips were simply marinated in half a bottle of steak sauce, mixed with half a bottle of water and a couple squirts of Sriracha.

The biscuits came from a little blue box, but I fancied them up with a dash of Cayenne and some grated sharp cheddar. (Sorry I am not an accomplished baker – I take the help when I can.)

The fresh corn casserole was the real star of the show. I used the recipe from The Pioneer Women, but added my own touches in the form of half a medium onion diced, a couple shakes of garlic powder, some grated Asiago cheese for the top.

Just Another Post About Grilling

Aug21

The real star here wasn’t the grilled steak but the fresh “salsa” on top!

An impromptu blend of leftover roasted corn on the cob that I removed with a sharp knife, thin sliced red onion, finely chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, basil and a diced tomato. All this was tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, a squirt of lime juice and salt/pepper. The sliced avocados have a squirt of lime juice and sprinkle of salt on them too.

Best served outside on a hot evening with a cold drink!

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Standard breading technique and a few ingredients are all you need!

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The Recipe

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Exhibit B….

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But how would I use it?

Behold the red rice salad…

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Ingredients:

Method:

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