Do I fly or drive???

This is one I really struggle with!  Once a year, I go to Alabama for a cousins' reunion.  And for the last two years, I have gone to Virginia over the holidays to visit with my son and his family, along with other family members from points North and South!

The cousins' reunion has been a tradition since 2009 that we all look forward to.  Until the last two years, I drove down.  Ten to eleven hours on the road for two days both going and returning.  Yes, it was very tiring. . . and stressful, going through several large cities, which I seem to always hit during rush hour.  Both my kids and my cousins had been after me almost from the beginning, "Why don't you fly?"  One year, my daughter-in-law even sent me a proposed airline itinerary.  I deleted it.  No, I am too independent and territorial to deal with airline policies and procedures.  My skin crawls at the idea of strangers going through my luggage.  And, what do you mean, you are taking my carry-on bag from me at the airplane door to store underneath the plane???  The ground crews toss your bag around like it is a rubber ball.

And what about those huge, HUGE airports, crowded with people and little kids pitching temper tantrums right in front of you as you are desperately trying to get to your next gate in time to board your flight???

Last year, I was supposed to have a two hour layover in Philly on my return from Virginia, plenty of time to catch my next flight, right?  WRONG!  When all passengers were seated on the plane in Virginia, I noticed they had not closed the airplane door.  What does that mean?  Then the announcement came. . . "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but all passengers need to deplane and go to gate. . ."  I made a quick call to my daughter-in-law (she has traveled all over the world extensively and knows all the ins and outs).  "You aren't going to make your connecting flight in Philly. . . "  NOT what I wanted to hear.

She did some research and called me back.  "Okay, there is a flight to Rochester at 9:00 pm tonight.  See if you can get on that one."  

What?  Twelve hours in a huge and crowded airport?  I'll go nuts.

Although this year's flight went reasonably well (keyword here "reasonably") I still found myself thinking maybe I will drive next time.

In the end, I know, given my age and how my body and brain shut down once I get really tired, it is better for me to fly.  And I've learned to accept the fact that things are going to go wrong and won't go smoothly.  Once I learned that, it is somewhat easier for me to deal with that monster known as airline travel.

Little things mean a lot

Sometimes it is the little, unexpected things that bring joy.

Earlier this week, I had lunch with four friends that I used to work with.  We get together on occasion for lunch and it is a fun time.  We don't exchange Christmas gifts.  But one in our group, Carol, walked in with a bag from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  At the end of lunch, she gave each of us a candle.  But these weren't just any candles!

The were glass enclosed and each one had a different title on them.  Mine said "Baked with Love."  She had chosen each candle based on the interests of the one receiving it.

"How did you know I like to bake?" I asked.

"From your facebook posts!" was her answer.

We were in awe that she had taken the time to find such unique gifts!

It made my day!

Quote for the Day

All of us could learn a lesson from the weather. . . it pays no attention to criticism.

Memories of the Adirondacks

 

Back in my younger days, in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, I spent many pleasant times in New York State’s Adirondack Park.  It was my playground.  In the summer and fall there was canoe camping, car camping in some of the fantastic state campgrounds, day hiking and backpacking, and in the winter there was cross country skiing and snowshoeing.  My mind is racing, as I write this, of all the fun times I had there.

 

I have climbed 17 of the 46 High Peaks, including a few on snowshoes in winter.  My friend, Nancy Lauterbach and I, who unfortunately passed away some years back, spent many great times all over the place up there.  One trip, in particular, stands out as truly splendid.  We were spending a long weekend at a B&B in Keene Valley.  The innkeeper helped us shuttle cars, dropping us off first at our ending to leave a car and then taking us to our beginning.  We spent a wonderful day ski touring the Jack Rabbit Trail from Lake Placid down to Keene Valley.  The weather and snow conditions could not have been any nicer.  For most of the day we had the trail all to ourselves.  The scenery went from snow covered evergreen trees on a flat trail to rolling terrain through a forest of barren trees.  In the middle of the day we stopped at Mt. Van Hoevenburg to enjoy a lunch of hot bowls of chili before continuing on our way.

 

On that same trip, on another day, we decided to climb Cascade Mountain.  What a fiasco!  The snow conditions that day required full crampons on your snowshoes.  Our snowshoes only had a V-shaped metal piece underneath – not crampons.  We struggled along since turning back was not in our vocabulary.  We weren’t doing too badly, albeit slow going, until we came upon an incline, close to a 45 degree angle that was a sheet of ice.  “That’s it, I’m not going up that!” Nancy swore. 

 

“Oh, come on, Nancy, we can figure this out!”  She wouldn’t budge and neither would I.  We were so close to the summit and I wasn’t quitting.  Finally I realized if we held on to the small evergreen bushes/trees along the side, we could pull our way up.  Nancy wasn’t buying it!  I started up without her.  “Hey, this isn’t hard at all!”  I called back to her.  You can do it!  Piece of cake!  It took me maybe ten minutes to get to the top unscathed.  I turned around and tried to talk her into coming on up.  Finally she started up, cussing me and calling me every bad word she could think of along the way.  I had to go behind a bush so she couldn’t see me laughing at her.  She made it to the top and then glared at me, “Just how do you expect us to get back down this death trap?” 

 

“I don’t know.  We’ll figure something out,” I laughed.  As usual, the view from the summit was well worth all our struggles to get there.  On our way back down, we ran into a young man with a full backpack.  We asked him how to get down “that icy spot.”

 

“Oh, that is the fun part!” he smiled.  “I’ll show you”

 

He had an ice pick that ice climbers use.  He taught us to sit down with the pick to your side.  If you wanted to go down slowly, you pushed the pick harder into the ice.  If you wanted to go faster, you put less pressure on it going down.  He demonstrated, then quickly climbed back up, gave the pick to Nancy, who by this time was beginning to think this could be fun!

 

She laughed all the way down and couldn’t wait to get back up to the top to try it again.  After her second trip down, I said, “Hey, Nancy, mind if I get a turn?”

 

That young man probably told everyone he knew about these two crazy women he ran into on Cascade Mountain that day!

 

Rollins Pond Campground is a very popular state run campground that offers miles of paddling opportunities.  You could spend almost a week there and paddle a different destination each day.  One night, the boys were in their tent asleep, thankfully our dog was in her cage in the van.  It was just me and my husband sitting around the campfire.  Suddenly this large animal walked through our campsite and behind our fire pit.  It took a few seconds to realize this was no dog, but a bear, not even 8 feet away from where we were sitting.  “Don!. . . Bear!”  Those were the only words I could get out.  Seconds later we heard a loud crash.  The bear ran into our canoe at the edge of the pond.  That is one night I will never forget!

 

I led many outdoor trips for the local chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club over the years.  You listed your hike/paddle/whatever in the newsletter and people signed up.  While I did try to screen the participants to ensure they would be able to handle the trip, that was not always fool proof.  Sometimes their definition of their skill level and my definition were not always on the same page.  Take Charlie (not is real name) for example.  It was February and my canoe trip was not until May.  As soon as the trip was announced, I got a call from this older gentleman.  He was so enthusiastic.  He had bought a brand new Wenonah Kevlar canoe and was anxious to get it in the water.  “Oh, yeah, I can handle myself well in a canoe,” he assured me.

 

Fast forward to May.  We were paddling from Blue Mountain Lake down into Utowana Lake and camping at a leanto.  As we all parked our cars, unloaded our gear, Charlie was ahead of us.  This was the first red flag.  His canoe was sitting on a dock, fully loaded with gear, NOT in the water.  We gently told him it might work better if he loaded it in the water.  I had paired him with an experienced paddler who was very patient with him.  Soon we were off and paddling down the lake.  I remember thinking everything was going to be fine.  The weather turned sour and it was either raining – which kept the black flies away – or the rain stopped and the black flies were out in force.  Most of us had prepared to deal with the black flies and we had rain gear. . . then there was Charlie. . .

 

The next morning, I crawled out of the tent to a sunny day.  The only person I saw was Charlie.  “Good Morning, Charlie!”  I smiled.  “How are you?”

“TERRIBLE!  When is the next train out of here?”

 

Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

 

Over about a ten year period, I hiked the 120 mile Northville-Placid Trail.  I have many fond memories of those days on the trail, some over weekend trips but mostly over weeklong trips on the trail.  Some with close friends, Nancy among those, and others with folks that signed up for my trips through the ADK.  I had the pleasure of introducing a few people to the joys of backpacking who were ever so grateful to me for.

 

On one of those trips, it was just Nancy and me, for a week long trek.  She brought along a 2 pound roll of German sausage.  Now 2 pounds on a backpacking trip is a lot of weight!  I didn’t really care for it, although I ate some of it with crackers.  It really was way too much for the two of us.  We talked about ways to get rid of it, but truthfully, throwing it away on the ground, or in an outhouse was just more than we could justify.  About the third day out, we ran into a couple who were hiking the trail end-to-end over three weeks.  For that kind of trip, you REALLY have to pack lightly!  We struck up a conversation with them and immediately, it was clear, these guys were GERMAN!!!  I looked at Nancy and she looked at me.  Finally, I think it was her that asked them if they would like to have our German sausage.  Their faces lit up with joy!  They had been eating rice cakes, dehydrated food, and crackers.  You would think we were giving them a treasure chest full of gold!  They were happy to get the sausage and we were glad to get rid of it!

 

I love all kinds of cooking and baking and learned to do camp dutch oven cooking with my canoe and car camping trips. . . kind of hard carrying a heavy cast iron oven on a hike!  As much as I love camp dutch oven cooking, even more so did I thrill to the response I got from campers who didn’t know what that was all about and were not expecting a delicious meal cooked over hot coals deep in the woods!    Years after one of those trips, I ran into one of the participants. . . I had actually forgotten about him, but he remembered me!  He raved about how he remembered that dutch oven meal and what a big surprise it was for him.  That was his first ever canoe camping trip!

 

These and so many more precious memories will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I have truly been blessed by my experiences in the outdoors of the Adirondacks

Dogs

 “A dog doesn’t belong in the house.” . . . . “Dogs carry germs.”. . . . “Stay away from strange dogs, they could bite you.” . . .

Growing up in a house where I heard these comments over and over from my father, it is a wonder I grew up to passionately love dogs.  I realized at an early age that he had a lot of strange beliefs, not just on dogs!

I do love dogs very much.  I have often said I love dogs more than some people I know.

Dogs have an enormous sense of what is going on in your mind and your heart.  They know when you are heart broken and respond by cuddling close to you and licking your hand and looking at you with those eyes that say, “I’m here for you.”  Bring a newborn baby into the family and they will wag their tail and show a protective nature toward that new bundle of joy.

Don’t bother remembering when it is time to feed them.  They will let you know with that look of anticipation in their eyes. 

I have owned a Labrador Retriever since 1985 – five of them.  Teri, Cash, Molly, Morgan, and Bailey.  I still have Morgan, age 11, and Bailey, age 8.  To my way of thinking, the Lab is the ONLY breed in the world!  They are just so loving and so adaptable to your lifestyle.  Feed them and give them a good home and you have a loyal friend for life.  There is something undeniably special about a Lab that sets them apart from other breeds.

 

An absolutely, fantastic, wonderful read!

I am a voracious reader.  Nothing destroys stress and emotional pain in me more than a good book. . . and there have been hundreds of them throughout my life.

Enter Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  Wow!  I was not prepared to be totally gripped by this story.  It is not a book I would normally be attracted to.  But I have a habit of seeing someone with a book and asking them what they are reading.  This man's face lit up as he began telling me about this book.  Either he was a good actor or he had led me to something I should look into!

It is the story of a beautiful nun from India who falls in love with a British doctor and their union produces twin boys.  She dies bringing them into the world and the father disappears for the next 30 years.  There are so many plots and characters to this story.  The reader is taken from Ethiopia to New York and back to Ethiopia again.

Verghese is a phenomenal storyteller and you will be grabbed from the beginning pages.  

Those who know me will tell you I rarely rave to others about a book I have read.  This one is an exception.  It is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles, and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.  A definite page turner!

On smoking meat

 I get it.  We live in a fast paced, dog eat dog world.  It is a struggle just to get by in a minimum sort of way.

It is easy for me to say, “Slow down. . . take time for YOU.”  My sons are adults and I am long past the constant running here and there, keeping up with their sports and school schedules.  But, SLOW DOWN!  Take time for YOU!

Enter smoking meat into my life.  I had wanted to try it for quite a few years before I took the dive.  It seemed so difficult.  What if I ruined a piece of meat?  And how do I go about finding the right smoker for me? . . . there are dozens of models out there.

About ten years ago, I turned “thinking about it” into “just do it.”  Before I knew it, my 18 inch Weber Smokey Mountain smoker was spread out all over my living room floor and me wondering if I could really put this thing together.  An hour or so later, it was standing up, fully assembled in my living room and the dogs sniffing and marveling at this thing Sherry brought home.

With the help of the internet and cookbooks, I was on my way.  I smoked a whole chicken first, the easiest and idiot proof.  I admit to being a bit nervous at first but I was overjoyed at the way it turned out.

Then I discovered a whole different side of this new interest that I never saw coming.  Aside from the excitement of preparing the chicken for smoking and getting the smoker up and running, I felt a sense of joy and contentment sitting by the smoker, letting my mind go blank as I stared at the puffy white clouds in the blue sky above, watching the dogs chase each other around the yard.  I would get up once or twice every hour to check the thermometer on the lid of the smoker and if needed, adjust the bottom vents to control the temperature.  My body had slowed down, my mind wasn’t crowded with endless pressure.  Why did I wait so long before doing something that brings me so much joy?  The aroma coming from the smoker was just divine.

Over the years I ventured out from a whole chicken to baby back ribs, even a brisket, pork, and a roast beef.   Not once have I ruined a piece of meat!  Instead, I have had some of the best tasting meat you could ever imagine.  Every year I say I am going to do a Thanksgiving turkey.  But honestly, when there is snow on the ground and winter has set in, I lose interest in firing up the smoker.  Someday. . .

I am a strong advocate of a charcoal smoker with chunks of wood (apple, hickory, cherry, even wood from old wine barrels).  You get the best flavor that way.  Leave the pellet and electric models to those with a “fix it and forget it” mindset.  The Weber Smokey Mountain comes in three sizes and is used by beginners and professionals alike.  It is easy to use, a snap to assemble, has no moving parts to break down, and a large water pan that adds moisture.  

Carrot Soup with Nutmeg

As summer winds down, I begin thinking of my many soup recipes.  This one definitely is a favorite.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons white wine

about 4 cups carrots, peeled, and sliced thin lengthwise 

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of ground nutmeg

1 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons minced fresh mint or parsley for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the wine and carrots, stirring constantly, until the wine evaporates, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add milk and process with a hand blender until mixture is smooth, adding more milk if needed to thin the soup.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with mint or parsley as desired.

This can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheated just before serving.

Taco Salad

Although I'm into Mexican cuisine, I've never made Taco Salad.  Found a friend that had a recipe and made it.  DELICIOUS!!!

Ground beef cooked and sprinkled with Taco Seasoning

Chopped romaine lettuce

Cherry tomatoes chopped in half

Grated cheddar

Catalina dressing

Fritos corn chips, original flavor, loosely crumbled

Combine all ingredients and serve.  It's best to add the corn chips just before serving so they don't become soggy.  I make a big batch of this, refrigerate or freeze in serving size containers and add the chips at serving.

Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry

This one is a real winner!  It's the marinating that sets it apart and the chili paste gives it a nice kick.

1 pound, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.  Place the chicken strips in a bowl and add the lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch.  Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, and chili paste.  Set aside.

Heat a wok over medium high heat until it is almost smoking.   Add 2 tablespoons oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic.  Stir fry for 15 seconds or until the garlic is aromatic.

Add the chicken strips.  Let them brown briefly, then stir fry, stirring and tossing the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns white and is nearly cooked.  Remove the chicken from the pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok.  When the oil is hot, add the salt and asparagus.  Stir fry the asparagus, stirring and moving it around the pan for one minute.

Add the red bell pepper.  Stir fry for one minute, then add the oyster sauce mixture.

Add the chicken back into the pan.  Stir fry for another one to two minutes to heat everything through.

Apple Salad

This one comes from one of my vintage cookbooks, Menu Magic, published in 1975 by the First United Methodist Church in my hometown, Pensacola, Florida.

5 diced apples

chopped pecans, cut into small pieces, or use walnuts

Mix the above together and add the following dressing just before serving:

1 egg

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Beat the egg until light, add other ingredients.  Cook slowly over low heat until syrupy, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.  This salad goes well with turkey and pork.

A Summer Salad

Ah. . . Nothing says summer like a delightful fresh salad.  Here is one I found recently and I really like it.  You can do a search on my blog, upper left hand corner of "salads" and find many more of my favorites.

Green cabbage, shredded

Red cabbage, shredded

Carrots, shredded

Green onions, chopped, including the green part

Apple, cut in match sticks

Dressing:

    Olive oil

    Sugar

    Lemon juice

    Mustard

Combine all the salad ingredients.  Then combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.  I didn't include amounts because sometimes I make more than others.  Roughly, 3/4 cup olive oil, a tablespoon or so of sugar, splash or two of lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of mustard - I use Dijon mustard.

Chinese Walnut Chicken

This one comes from one of my old, old cookbooks, The Hour Magazine Cookbook by Gary Collins, copyright 1985.  Gary Collins had a TV program in the afternoon featuring many great cooks so he compiled this cookbook.

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 egg white

2 large whole chicken breasts, skinned and deboned and cut into cubes

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon bourbon

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons oil

1 green onion, cut into 2 inch slivers, both green and white parts

2 slices fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Hot cooked rice

Combine cornstarch, water, and egg white.  Add chicken cubes and toss until well coated.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, bourbon and sugar.  Heat wok and add 2 tablespoons of the oil.  Stir fry chicken about 3 to 5 minutes till done.  Remove from wok.  Add remaining oil to wok and stir in onion, ginger, and garlic.  Stir fry one minute.  Add soy sauce and bourbon mixture and cook until sauce has thickened.  Stir in walnuts.  Combine this with chcken.  Serve over rice.

Wild Rice with Fruit & Nuts (crockpot recipe)

This one appealed to me because it is different than my usual style of eating.  I think you'll like it too.

2 cups wild rice, rinsed

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped raisins

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Combine wild rice, cranberries, raisins, apricots and almonds in crockpot.  

Combine broth, orange juice, butter and cumin in medium bowl.  Pour mixture over rice and stir to mix.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Stir once, adding more hot broth if needed.

When rice is soft, add green onions and parsley.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook 10 minutes longer and serve.

NOTE:  to toast almonds, spread in single layer in cast iron skillet.  Cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.  Cool before using.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I have long used chia seeds in oatmeal and baking.  Recently I found recipes for chia pudding.  Delicious!  Here is one recipe I have tried so far.  Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse.

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons honey or to taste

Mix the cocoa and brown sugar.  Stir to remove all lumps.  Fold in chia seeds.  Pour in milk (use a little less than a cup for a thicker pudding).  Stir for about a minute.  Let mixture sit for a few minutes and stir again.  Repeat the stirring/sit process for 20 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but better overnight.  Drizzle with honey to serve.  You can also add toppings, such as nuts, blueberries, or strawberries.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

This one comes from my Southern Plate cookbook, by Christy Jordan, a collection of excellent Southern comfort food recipes.  Wonderful to read and even more enjoyable to try the many recipes.

6 or 7 slices of bacon

1/2 onion, chopped

32 oz. can french-style green beans

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper

Cut the bacon into one inch pieces.  Place the bacon and onion in a skillet and cook over medium heat until browned, stirring often.  Remove to a plate.  Add the green beans to the bacon grease and continue cooking over medium heat until they are cooked to the desired tenderness.  Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Return the bacon and onions to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Beef Pot Pie with Cornmeal-Cheese Crust

1 lb. stew meat, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 3/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 recipe Cornmeal-Cheese Crust (see below)

In a large sauce pan, brown the beef in hot oil.  Remove beef with a slotted spoon.  Cook pepper and onion in drippings until tender.  Add beef, undiluated tomatoes, corn, water, tomato paste, chili powder, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover, simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare Cornmeal-Cheese Crust.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough for crust into a 12 x 8 rectangle.  Spoon beef mixture into a 2 quart rectangular baking dish.  Carefully top with crust.  Cut slits in top of crust for steam to escape.  Bake, uncovered in a 425 oven about 20 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

Cornmeal-Cheese Crust:  In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently until all is moistened.  Form into a ball.

Italian Beef and Spinach Pie

This one comes from my Better Homes and Gardens Treasured Recipes cookbook.  Every recipe in the book is a winner.  

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 pound mild bulk Italian turkey sausage

3/4 cup chopped red and/or yellow sweet pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup water

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup light ricotta cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup chopped tomato

Drain the thawed spinach well pressing out excess liquid; set aside.  Line pastry shell with a double thickness of foil.  Bake in a 450 oven for 8 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until set and dry; remove from oven.  Reduce oven temperature to 350.

In a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, sweet pepper, mushrooms, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in the water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella.  Spoon the spinach mixture into baked pastry shell.  Top with the meat mixture.  To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of pastry shell with foil.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Remove foil.  Top pie with tomato and remaining mozzarella.  Bake for 2 minutes of until heated through and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Tacos!

Here is my favorite way to make tacos.  Aside from the fact that they are just plain GOOD - I like how you can use leftovers of other items in them - like shredded cabbage, for example.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 bell pepper, diced

1 shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt

1 pound lean ground beef

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Add the bell pepper, shallot, and garlic with a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the ground meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.  Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.  Stir well, continuing to break apart the meat into small crumbles.  Cook until the beef has browned.

In a jar, combine 1/2 cup water and the flour and shake for 30 seconds.  Pour the mixture into the meat, stirring well and cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes, until saucy.

You can fill the shells and top with grated cheese or use the following sauce:

Taco Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of crushed pepper flakes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

In a saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Allow mixture to cool completely.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Hamburger Chop Suey

This one comes from one of my "old-old" cookbooks dating back to the early 70's.

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Crisco, melted

5 stalks celery, diced

1 (1 lb.) can bean sprouts, drained

1 cube beef bouillon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 can Chinese noodles

Brown meat and onions in shortening.  Add celery, bouillon, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Make a smooth paste of the cornstarch, brown sugar, and soy sauce.  Stir into the meat and cook another 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thick and clear.  Add bean sprouts, cook until sprouts are heated.  Serve over the Chinese noodles.  6 servings.

Fix and Freeze Breakfast Burritos

For a long time, I didn't care for Mexican food.  Then a friend insisted on going to a Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Hey!  This is good food!  Without realizing it, my distaste for Mexican food stemmed from the fact I had only had fast food Mexican.  Go to a good Mexican restaurant, or a good cook's kitchen and you will be glad you did!

These burritos are easy to put together, freeze, and take out to serve when you like.

1 lb. frozen potato tots

1 lb. ground pork sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced

10 large eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 (12 inch) flour tortillas

12 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese (I often use just cheddar)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the tots according to package directions until crispy (about 10 minutes)

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and cook, stirring until browned, about 6 or 7 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in the skillet. 

Reduce heat to medium.  Add bell pepper and scallions to skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally until softened.  Add eggs, reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly until eggs resemble small curds and are no longer wet, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes. 

Tear 8 (15 x 12 inch) sheets of foil.  Place one tortilla on one sheet.  Sprinkle tortilla with 1/3 cup cheese.  Top 1/3 cup scrambled egg mixture, 1/4 cup scrambled sausage, 6 tots and 1 teaspoon cilantro.  Fold sides of tortilla over filling; roll up.  Wrap burrito in foil.  Repeat this process for the rest of the tortillas.  Freeze, or heat as desired and eat immediately.  Serve with salsa.  Freeze burritos in foil for about 2 hours or until solid.  Place frozen burritos in a zip loc freezer bag.

For thawed burritos:  Remove foil, place thawed burrito on a towel-lined plate.  Microwave on HIGH until heated through, about 2 minutes.

For frozen burritos:  Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through cook time.

Spiced pork chops with glaze

I found this wonderful recipe in my Weeknights with Giada cookbook.  I love it and so will you.

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed

4 (8 oz) boneless pork chops, about an inch thick

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 scallions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 stick butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes at room temperature

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chops with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the red pepper flakes.  Add the meat to the pan and cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side.  Transfer meat to a platter and cover loosely with foil.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, honey, garlic, scallions and rosemary to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally until the honey has dissolved.  Lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly reduced.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the pork chops with the glaze and serve.

Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a delicious and quick prep meal.  Enough for 6 servings.

1 (16 oz) package linguine

1 (7 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 (4 oz) package crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons thin fresh basil strips

Prepare the linguine according to package directions.

Drain the tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons oil.  Cut the tomatoes into thin strips.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in the reserved tomato oil and olive oil for one minute or until garlic is fragrant.  Stir in tomatoes and remove from heat.

Toss together the tomato mixture, cooked pasta, and feta cheese in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

 

Last minute dinner idea

I never made it to Wegmans today to get something for dinner.  I can only blame that on laziness.  It is a crappy day out and I just didn't feel like getting out in a drizzing "rain and snow mix."

So I scrounged through my pantry to see what I could come up with.  The idea was just to get something worth eating with at least a hint of nutrition.  

Here's what I came up with:

pasta

tuna fish

canned black beans

canned artichoke hearts

salt and pepper

paprika

What a surprise!  It was good!  The paprika definitely added pizazz.

I mixed everything up and found I had enough for another meal.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato

This one comes from my Vegetarian India cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey.  I love this book.  Indian cuisine emphasizes vegetables and grains.  The author visited throughout the country of India to find how everyday home cooks prepare food.  The recipes are delightful, ingredients are readily available in this country, and the preparation time is minimal.

Try this one!

1 lb. slim, tender eggplants

2 medium plum tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons finely chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 to 3 teaspoons lime juice

3 teaspoons mustard oil or a good quality extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the broiler until very hot.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

Using a fork, prick the eggplants all over.  Prick the tomatoes in just a few places.  Place both vegetables on the prepared sheet and put under the broiler.  Broil, turning the vegetables a little when one side is charred.  This may not happen evenly so keep checking.  Slim, tender eggplants take about 15 to 20 minutes, about the same as the tomatoes, but larger eggplants will take possibly up to 40 minutes.  The vegetables need to get very brown and become soft inside.  Remove them as they get done and put them in a sieve set over a bowl.

Set the vegetables aside until cool enough to handle, then peel them and remove their pulp.

Chop the vegetable pulp finely and put in a bowl.  Add the salt, pepper, green chilies, shallots, mint, cilantro, lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the mustard oil or EVOO.  Mix and taste for balance of seasonings, adjusting as necessary.

Put in a serving bowl and drizzle the remaining oil over the top.  This can be served cold or at room temperature.

Crockpot Adzuki Bean Soup

3 cups dried adzuki beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger root

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro 

Soak beans overnight, drain, and add to crockpot with olive oil, carrots, ginger, garlic, onion and cumin.  Cover with 2 quarts water.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Add lime juice and cilantro, stir to combine and serve.

Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup

Like most of us, I make a lot of soup recipes during the winter.  Here is a newer one in my collection.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 pounds ground meat

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 16oz. jar marinara sauce

5 cups water

1/2 head cauliflower, finely chopped

1 small head cabbage, sliced

Place in crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours.