Marinated olives

     I haven't been very faithful about blogging my recipes.  Just been too busy with retirement.  But this Thanksgiving I made some pretty darn good and pretty easy marinated olives for an appetizer.  They are better as they sit in the marinade.  Simple and not too many ingredients.

1 can black pitted olives drained and rinsed.
1 can green pitted olives drained and rinsed.
1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar to cover olives while you fix the rest of the marinade
juice of 1large lime ( about a 1/4 cup)
juice of 1 large lemon (a little less than 1/2 cup)
juice of 1/2 of orange juice (a couple of heaping TBSPs)
slivers of 4 large cloves of garlic  (Cut large cloves in very thin pieces.)
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 heaping TBSP minced basil
1 heaping TBSP minced parsley

s/p to taste.  You'll need more pepper than salt.


1. Put the olives in a bowl and cover with apple cider vinegar.
2. Combine the juices of the lime, orange and lemon.
3. Add the other ingredients to lemon and lime juice.
4. Stir to combine juices and herbs.
5. Drain the olives well  of the vinegar  and add to the bowl of citrus juices and herbs.
6.  Stir to mix up olives and the other ingredients.
7.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.  Better over night.

This looks nice if you add the zest  of orange and or lemon peels. Put out a bowl for toothpicks and a basket of soft bread.  Don't be surprised  if you see people dunking the bread into the juice.  It's oh so good!

Donnie and Nessa's Anniversary Mango Salad
     I was happy last Sunday to celebrate an anniversary with my daughter and son-in-law.  I was inspired to make this salad.  I do not know why I had never thought to make this before.  It was super simple.
     As I was making this salad,  I felt my mom guiding me through it.  Anessa was her first grand daughter.  They shared a very special relationship. It really was delicious!


chunks of 5 ripe firm mangoes (better that they be just this side of ripe)
1 red pepper seeded and cut into chunks

1 yellow pepper seeded and cut into chunks
If I had had a green pepper I would have used it instead I used 1 celery stalk, the outer greenest stalk cut into chunks
1/2 purple onion diced
1/4 cup of roughly cut apple mint (it's what I grow out front but I am sure ANY mint would do.)
1/8 cup roughly cut cilantro ( for cilantro haters use parsley)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp baking soda (I just read that this makes things taste sweeter.)
if I had an avocado that was firm ripe, I would have diced it .

                        Lentil Veggie Stew

     As so often happens in my cooking I get very inspired and influenced by foods when  I eat out.  My friend Ginna and I went to lunch at the Khyber Pass, an Afghanistan restaurant.  She had a vegetable sampler plate that she was willing to let me share. The smells and flavors were amazing.  So, inspired by the lentils that were served, I came home and made NOTHING like it.  I just am not familiar enough with the spices.  But trust me, I am now on a quest.  I often go to ethnic markets and buy random spices.  I love the smells and exotic flavors.  I bought ponch phoram a few months ago. I had used this particular spice on chicken. I am sure that you could make this stew without it. Or use the 5 spices that make up this Indian blend.

• Cumin seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Nigella seeds
• Fenugreek seeds
• Mustard seeds

     This stew came about because I was going to be eating by myself and I am beginning to make a little headway with the weight loss.  So, I decided I'd eat a vegetarian low fat meal, something my son and husband are not fond of eating for dinner.  They never complain but I can tell they'd rather have meat of some sort. Voila, this stew was born. I have to explore this kind of cooking a little more to get some of the flavors right or closer but I used what I had on hand. This was very comforting and filling stew.  I make my family lentil soup during Lent but this was decidedly different. Okay, here goes...

Ingredients
1 tsp butter
1/2 diced onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 celery stalk diced
1 carrot diced
1/2 yellow pepper diced
1 large tomato (I used a heirloom beefsteak) diced
2 dried chili peppers cut
4 bay leaves (they were smallish)
1 tsp ponch phoram  (this I found was an Indian 5 spice not to be confused with Chinese 5 spice)
6 cups liquid I used 3 homemade veggie broth and 3 water)
2 cups of lentils

2+ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Optional
mixture of dry mint 1/2 tsp (dried from my garden but I bet you could use a tea bag) and dried oregano 1/2 tsp (also from my garden) I added a pinch of this to my bowl of lentils.

1. Put the first 3 ingredients in a pot. Just soften garlic and onion.
2. Add the rest of the veggies and stir until mixture is incorporated.
3. Add everything else except the lentils and bring liquid to a boil add lentils.
4. Boil for a few minutes and then cover and lower to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-20 min.
5. Serve with a little yogurt, chopped cilantro and small wedge of lime.

Stir Fry Sauce

     Before I forget....
Stir Fry Sauce For Shelley
2 TBSP soy sauce
 2 TBSP rice wine vinegar 
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
 1 tsp. grated ginger 
1 tsp sesame oil 
2 grated garlic cloves


 Put all in a bow and whisk. Taste it and adjust by adding more soy or more vinegar a 1/2 tsp at a time. Stir fry your meat and then add this when you add your veggies. When you serve sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and scallions. Most recipes add sugar but I find that the rice vinegar is sweet enough. Let me know what you think. And you can be as critical as you need to be.

Heavenly Inspired Turkey Meatballs Over Rice

     I believe in angels.  I believe in an after life. I believe our heaven will be more of what we learned to love on earth. I love to cook and feed people.  Sometimes I will dream whole scenarios where I am cooking for someone.  While I am cooking, I believe, I get divine intervention from all of the wonderful cooks in my family who have passed on. I call them my Cooking Angels.  
     Last night I had a dream where my niece called and asked me to pick up her boys and take them home and feed them because she had been delayed.  THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE.  So it caught my attention.  Not knowing what they like to eat I made the meatballs that are described here.  I have never made these meatballs.  I am sure though that I have read about them and maybe even eaten them. I asked her this morning if her boys liked meatballs. She said they did. So here is my version of these meatballs.  If you know my cooking you will immediately see my additions. You can omit the addition of veggies and proceed through the recipe without them.  It's just my tricky way I got my kids to eat more veggies.  So here you have my.....

Heavenly Inspired Turkey Meatballs Over Rice

In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil. When boiling add 1 tsp of salt. Add 1 cup of white rice. Lower heat to a simmer and put on lid.

1 TBSP cooking oil in a skillet. Put over medium  heat.


Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey (could use beef)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 TBSP milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs seasoned
1 TBSP grated zucchini (I used the middle sized holes.  In the one pictured, I did not.  I used the largest.)
1 TBSP grated carrot  (See note above.)
1 TBSP grated onion    (See note above.)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper (In the more adult version I added red pepper flakes and kale.)
For the one I made tonight I also sliced 1/2 of a bell pepper, 1/4 of an onion and 1 zucchini. I garnished with the  canned pineapple chunks.

parsley to garnish

1. In a  bowl, whisk the egg and the milk and add the ground turkey. 
2. Using your fingers lightly mix in the rest of the ingredients. 
3. Form into a ball smaller than a ping pong ball. If the mixture feels too wet add a tsp. of breadcrumbs at a time to get meatballs to hold their shape. 
4. Without overlapping place meatballs in skillet. Brown meatballs. This will take about 5-6 minutes.

Sauce
http://www.facebook.com/cindy.peck.5Ingredients
1 cup of grape jelly (In the one I made tonight,  I didn't have grape jelly so I used 1 TBSP guava jelly, 1 TBSP Boysenberry jelly,  1 TBSP lime juice  and 2 passion fruits.)
1 cup of catsup (Can also add chili sauce.  Apparently Heinz makes the one used in the original recipe.)
In the more adult like version I used 1/2 cup of red Zinfandel wine and 1/2 cup of juice from the can of pineapple. I also added 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar because it was just too sweet for me.)

1. Put the ingredients over a medium heat. Stir until jelly has melted.
2. Pour over the meatballs. Stir to coat the meatballs. Simmer for about another 5 minutes. Now I would put a spoonful of rice on the plate and add pineapple rings and green pepper rings that I would have cooked in the sauce after the meatballs had browned. But as is, this is a pretty tasty dish. I would also use brown or a combo of brown and wild rice instead of the white but it takes lots longer to cook brown rice.  
3. Parsley to garnish if you're  feeling fancy.

No Fishy Fish Here

     The one common complaint I hear from non fish eaters is that fish tastes fishy.  I agree that there is some degree of truth to that but some fish is so mild that it will taste anything but fishy. By the way, some people actually like fishy tasting fish.  I for one, LOVE anchovies and sardines. Pretty fishy stuff if not done properly and with finesse. But back to non fishy fish.  Talapia is NOT fishy.  It is a white, often farmed grown fish which is very mild tasting.  One friend told me, years ago, that talapia was a "bottom feeder" and that was disgusting. I wondered then, as I do now, whether she was aware of what our cattle eat these days.  Anyway, far from the politics of food, this is number 6 in a series of meals that I am creating for my niece. Happy to announce that her chicken thighs last night were a hit and they were MOIST!!!! I have to say that I wish I could run over and take Channel a few herbs and pantry products that would make this recipe making easier for me.  But that is not what I am doing.  I am using what she already has on hand and making a scrumptious meal out of those ingredients. There is a lot more clock watching with these recipes because of the brown rice.  Next time I may write the recipe for baked brown rice. There are also nice leftovers for a great fish sandwich.  So...okay...here goes  

Super Simple Supper #6

Golden Pan Fried Talapia with a white sauce and veggie relish

brown rice almonds

Heat a skillet over high heat.

A foil lined baking sheet sprayed with PAM.

Oven set at 250.

Pot with lid for the rice.

Any time during the day when you have a few minutes you could throw this salad together.

It would be very easy to slice some carrots, zucchini  and cucumber using a potato peeler and splashing 2 TBSP of vinegar and 1 tsp. of oil to make a cold veggie side dish. A dash of salt, sugar and  pepper and there you have  a really pretty and easy salad. 

Rice (About 4 servings.)

Ingredients

Begin with the brown rice. It'll take the longest. Begin the rice about 45 min. before you start the fish.

1 TBSP. minced onions
1 TBSP minced mushrooms
1 TBSP  minced celery

1 tsp of oil

1 cup brown rice

2 1/2 cups of water

salt

1 Splash of oil 

1/4 cup of almond

1. Saute onions, celery and mushrooms together in a pot that has a lid for about 5 min.  Stir often.  Lower heat.
2. Rinse the rice in water and strain. Add rice to pot. Add the 2 1/2 cups water.
3. Bring to a rolling boil.  Boil for 5 min. Stir.
4. Reduce to med./ low and cook for 20-30 min. 
5. After 30 min. put the lid to the side of the pot so that there is a gap where vapor can escape.
6. Simmer until almost dry. (You can check the water level by tipping the pot to one side to see if there is any liquid.) When almost dry, turn off heat and let sit for 10 min.
7. In a skillet, can be the one you use for the fish, just wipe it clean, put about 1/4 cup  of almonds. If whole,  pound and make into crumbs. Then with a little butter or oil in the pan stir the almonds around over med. heat until you can begin to smell them. Sprinkle over the rice.

Fish

Ingredients

1 TBSP oil 

1 TBSP butter (margarine is okay)

4 talapia fillets rinsed in cold water and dried with a paper towel  (this step is very important)

1/4 cup of milk

2 egg 

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

finely minced parsley

1/2 tsp of garlic powder 

1 tsp of lemon zest (or lime)

lemon (or lime)  slices and minced parsley for garnish over each fish after you put on the sauce.

s/p

TO BUY AND TO ADD NEXT TIME; 1/2 TSP DRIED THYME ADDED TO THE BREAD CRUMBS WOULD BE EXCELLENT. A small jar of capers for garnish would also be great. 

1. Put the oil and margarine in a skillet and put over med. high heat. If it starts to smoke before you have put the fillets in, lower the heat. (You could use PAM but for this dish you want the flavor of the butter.)
2.  In a bowl whisk the milk and egg whites until well blended and frothy. Add a pinch of salt.
3. To the bread crumbs add the finely minced parsley, garlic powder and lemon zest. Fluff with your fingers until well incorporated.  Do not smoosh!
4. Dip the dried talapia fillets in the bread crumbs and then into the egg.  Do it again. In the crumbs and then in the egg. Now carefully place the fillet in the pan. Do not crowd the pan.  It will be easier for you to do one fillet at a time.
5. Fry gently over this med. high heat for about 4-5 min. on each side.  Using a spatula carefully left and flip the fillets. You want a nice golden brown color on both sides. Gently left the corner of the fish and check.  Continue with all the fillets placing them on the foil lined baking pan.  Put them in the oven while you finish the meal.

Sauce

Ingredients

2 TBSP minced onion

1 TBSP minced green pepper

1 TBSP carrots

1 tsp minced celery

3 TBSP mayo

1 tsp sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice (or lime juice)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp of salt

dash of pepper

1. Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a fork.

This sauce is meant to go on the warm  fish cold.  One heaping tsp. should be enough for each fillet. Garnish the fish with a thin slice of lemon and some parsley.

NOTE: THIS FISH WITH THE SAUCE MAKES A GREAT SANDWICH THE NEXT DAY!

Make it with what you have on hand Stuffed Chicken

     There will be no picture for this because although I am writing for anyone who might be interested, my real only talent lies in making pretty delicious meals from what I have on hand.  My daughter, Anessa even came up with a cute name if the Food Network ever got wind of this. So, with that in mind, I told my niece to list everything she had in her pantry, refrigerator and freezer.  I then took  that list and created a few meals that are healthy, not complicated and somewhat fast. Maybe I can get my niece to post a picture of the chicken and I can add it later. If you would like me to do this for you, send me a list of what you have to work with and I'll do my best to come up with something heavenly.This is

Simple Supper #4 Stuffed Chicken Thighs.

Preheat oven to 350
Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut another sheet a foil that you will tent over the chicken.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Ingredients;
4-6 boneless skinless thighs slightly flattened by putting them one at a time between 2 sheets of waxed paper and banging with a heavy skillet.  I am looking for flat and pretty uniform.  Not paper thin.
About a TBSP of EVOO to rub onto the chicken.
garlic powder, salt and pepper to season the chicken
NEXT TIME BUY AND ADD DRIED ROSEMARY.

Filling
about 1/4 cup shredded zucchini dry it on a paper towel.  (Use the rest for salad.)
1 heaping Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 diced poratabella mushroom divided 1/4 cup for the filling the rest for the sauce (You will use some for a sauce.)
1/4 of an onion sliced very thinly
1 TBSP shredded carrot (Use the rest for your salad.)
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs.  (If your bread crumbs are not seasoned add a little salt and pepper.)
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese

1. Rub chicken with EVOO and sprinkle with salt pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, put in all of the other ingredients.  Toss gently with your fingers. Try not to mash.  Keep everything light.
3. On the baking sheet, take one chicken thigh and add 1 TBSP of the filling to the middle.  Roll to cover the filling and make sure thigh is seam side down.  The chicken does NOT need to overlap.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off. Tent the foil over the chicken and return to the oven.

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin cleaned, peeled  and cut into cubes (Make sure that this is pumpkin for baking not just the jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Use the canned pumpkin, if yours is not a baking pumpkin.)

1 carrot washed peeled and cut into about the same size as the pumpkin

1 sweet potato washed peeled and cut into cubes same size as other veggies.

1/8 inch of cinnamon stick or a pinch of dry

1 TBSP  butter or margarine

1. Toss veggies into boiling water. Add 1 tsp. salt.
2. Boil for about 10 min. Until cubes are soft. 
3. Drain (save 1 cup of the water) and remove cinnamon stick and in the same pot, mash the potatoes to the consistency you like.If the mash is too stiff add a little milk or water that you used to boil veggies in.
4. Add butter or margarine.Stir, cover and set aside.

Sauce

Ingredients;

1 heaping TBSP sugar free jam

1 heaping TBSP balsamic vinegar
Mushrooms

NEXT TIME BUY AND ADD ONE DRIED CHILI PEPPER

In a small saucepan or in a microwave safe dish, put a little EVOO and saute the mushrooms a little. Add both the jam and vinegar and stir. Heat for about 1 min. in microwave. Stir again.  Should be syrup consistency.  If you are using stovetop put in a pan and over low heat stir until it's the right consistency. Spoon over the chicken.

Except for the salad you are good to go.  

Pumpkin Spice Cake No Sugar, No Eggs No oil No Fooling Cake

     This is by far the most amazing feat of substitutions that I have ever accomplished! The original recipe was pretty healthy but I think I kicked it way out of the park.  I do not like buying boxed cake mixes because I find that they are TOO SWEET!  But my family LIKES dessert once in a great while. So this Sunday, in my traditional fashion of not letting leftovers go to waste, I got on line and found a recipe that used some pumpkin puree. I had made a pretty delicious pumpkin, butternut squash and carrot puree the week before which froze beautifully.  I am sure that you could use just pumpkin puree. So that is where the substitutions began. I will list the original ingredients and then my substitutions in bold. I am not a baker and I really do not have a lot of experience baking.  Those with more experience, I am sure, could fiddle with this recipe and give me some pointers.  The cake was very light and almost "fluffy" as my daughter said.  It was plenty sweet. I would LOVE feedback!


Ingredients
1 cup ground old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour           1 1/4 cup cake flour, 1/4 cup ground flax seeds and  1/4 cup ground walnuts
1/4 golden raisins         I did not use raisins.
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup butter               1/4 cups applesauce
2 eggs                          1 cup puree mixture
1 1/2 cups sugar           2/3 cups agave nectar


1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour a cake pan.
3.  Put the ground oats,  cake flour,  the ground flax seed and ground walnuts into a mixer. Mix.
4. In a small bowl  mix all the spices and incorporate into the dry flour.
5. Mix the applesauce, the puree and the agave in  the same small bowl and stir to incorporate.Pour into dry ingredients and mix on low for 30 sec. and on medium for 2 minutes.At this point I tried to remember what a cake batter looked like.  I would have added more wet stuff /puree if too dry and more flour if too wet. But it looked about right to me.
6. Pour into the bundt pan and bake for 40-45 min.
7. Cool on a rack until completely cool.
8. Frost and sprinkle with apple and nut mixture.

Cream Cheese Frosting (Totally made this up. )
Ingredients
8 oz. of low fat cream cheese at room temp.
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 of an apple grated
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Put cream cheese, agave syrup and vanilla into a bowl.ingredients into a  small mixing bowl and beat on low for a couple minutes.
2. Add a little more agave if frosting is too stiff or refrigerate if too wet.
3. Frost cooled cake.
4.. Sprinkle walnut and apple mixture on frosted cake.

Supper Simple Sunday Dinner #3
     Sunday dinners have ALWAYS been special in our family.  Going way back both Zach and I remember that Sunday meant something special in the food department.  I remember going to my grandma's house and a lot of cousins being there.  After I married into the Peck family I remember going to Zach's mom's house for big family Sunday dinners.  As the families expanded and people moved on and away, I still tried to keep Sunday dinner's special.  I know that people don't like to hear this but even when I worked, I tried to make dinner time special every day.  We all sat and ate together and rarely was it take out.  But on Sunday, I really tried to make a "fancier" meal. It has always been important to me to have the family gather around good home cooked meals.  Now Sunday dinner usually means a roast of some kind. I usually have Donnie, Nessa, Ellie and sometimes a random person or persons that Zach has invited. Although the meal includes a roast, I still keep the lid on the food budget.  The cooking of this cheap cut of meat appears a little tricky but it is not after you run it through your head a couple of times. So here goes, Supper Simple Supper #3. Notice that the salad is the largest plate.  I always make a salad with every dinner.AND it usually takes up half my plate.

Night before;
Take a cheap 2.5-3 lbs round roast and salt all sides.
Wrap the roast  in plastic and put into fridge.
Day of meal
 3 hours before meal; Preheat oven to highest temp. Take meat out of fridge and let come to room temp. Pat meat dry with paper towels.

Ingrdients for Rub
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 TBSP oil

1. Mix the herbs together in a small bowl.
2. Take 1 TBSP of the oil and put into a pan.  Wait until  the pan is almost smoking and brown all sides of the meat.
3. Let meat rest. When cool enough to touch, rub the meat with the rest of the oil and apply the herbs.
4. Put into the oven on a baking sheet that you have covered in foil.
5. Cook meat for 7 min. per lb.
6. Reduce heat to lowest oven temp. and continue to cook meat for aprox. 3 hours. After 1.5 hours with a meat thermometer check to see if meat is at least 115 internal temp. If not, crank oven up 50 degrees.  Try  not to  open the oven until the end of the cooking time except at the halfway point to check temp.

Salad Ingredients  (6+ servings)
6 med. tomatoes (from my garden)  thinly sliced
1 large English cucumber ( take a fork and after washing scarp down the whole length) cut into thin slices
juice of 2 limes
s/p
olives about 1/4 cup any kind
garlic chives (from my garden) can use scallions white and green parts sliced thinly
EVOO

1. Arrange tomatoes and cucumbers on a platter.
2. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over the cucumbers and tomatoes.
3. Salt and pepper the veggies.
4. Add olives scattered around the platter.
5. Garnish with scallions.
6. Refrigerate.
7.  Just before serving. use just a spritz over the platter of EVOO.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (8+ servings)
4 large russet potatoes scrubbed and cubed DO NOT remove skins.
8 cloves of garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
water enough to cover potatoes
1/2 cup non fat yogurt
1/2 cup + vegetable stock
s/p

1.  Cover potatoes with water. Add salt.
2. Add next 2 ingredients.
3. Boil until potatoes are soft.
4. Drain and remove bay leaves.
5.  In the same pan mash potatoes and add the next ingredients. Add veggie stock if it is too dry.

Roasted yellow squash and butternut squash (6+servings)
Preheat oven to highest temp.
4 yellow squashes
1 butternut squash oil to coat
about 1/4 or less EVOO
s/p to taste

1.Cut squash into as uniform a size as possible.
2. Arrange on a baking sheet and toss with oil. Make sure squash doesn't overlap.
3.  S/P toss again.
3. Put into oven and drop temp to 400.
4.  Bake for 20-25 min.

Falling Into Pasta

Butternut Squash and Ground  Turkey Pasta

Serves 4 generously

Supper Simple Supper #2

 *5 okay 6  ingredients/ less than 30 min.

Includes a Pantry Splurge

(The garlic and onion are in just about everything I make. The  herbs are not essential but really who wants a bland tasting pasta dish.) 

     As promised here is  the recipe for the butternut squash pasta I made last night.  This came about because my daughter bought  butternut squash to make for Ellie, our 17 month old grand daughter.  Ellie likes ravioli filled with butternut squash but apparently didn't like the butternut squash on it's own. Nessa brought it over because they're not found of it either. Too bad for them. Grand slam for us! So I decided to make it into some kind of pasta dish for supper. It really did look quite "fallish" as I was making it. The flavors were just right and I can tell you that it tasted even better today for lunch.

Ingredients: 

1 TBSP grapeseed oil for pan (You can use PAM or EVOO but I prefer not to use olive oil in applications that  heat the oil.  I read somewhere that olive oil is healthier if used room temp. Grapeseed oil does not have a flavor and has a higher smoke point than EVOO. )

1 onion diced

4 cloves of garlic pressed or grated

*2 cups of butternut squash cut into cubes (could use any other hard skinned squash)

*2 cups of kale roughly chopped  (could use spinach or chard  instead)

*1 lb. of ground turkey (although any lean ground meat would be fine)

*2 large tomatoes diced

*1 TBSP tomato paste

*Spinach pasta I broke it up and used about 4 cups  (I thought that it'd be easier to eat.)

Better if the following are fresh and then they should be coarsely chopped. But if dry, crush in the palm of your hand for several seconds.You could also use a ready made dry Italian herb mixture.

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1/2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

S/P to taste

1TBSP EVOO for the top of the pasta. (This can be eliminated if you want to cut calories but it does add such a nice flavor and the cheese sticks better to the pasta.)

1/4 cup of parm cheese to garnish (Let's just be honest, I used a lot more than that! I usually put it out on the table and let everyone have at it!)

PANTRY SPLURGE:  Sun dried tomatoes sprinkled over the top garnishes this dish very well.

Steps:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. (I always put a couple bay leaves in the water.)
2. Dress large skillet with oil. Add onion, garlic and  ground meat.  Breaking the meat with a potato masher is easier than using a wooden utensil or spoon. 
3.  When onion is soft (about 5 min.), add kale and butternut squash. Stir to combine. (Cook for about another 5 min.)
4. Mix the tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs in a small bowl.  Stir to combine and then add to meat and squash. Stir gently. Cook until squash is soft but still has a bite about 10 min.
5. When water boils add a Tbsp. of salt and the pasta. (The package I got said cook pasta  for 3 minutes. I suppose I could have just added pasta to meat and squash mixture. It would have had enough time to get cooked.) Drain and add pasta to meat and squash mixture. Gently toss into the mixture.
6. ADD SALT AND PEPPER. Toss again.  TASTE.  UNDER SALT SLIGHTLY BECAUSE THE CHEESE WILL ADD PLENTY OF SALTY FLAVOR.
7. You can lower the heat at this point and put on a lid on if you want to make a salad
8.  Just before I put the parm cheese, I spritz the top with the EVOO then dust with the cheese.

I made a tossed green salad with celery and cucumbers and green Zebra  heirloom tomatoes. The picture above does not show the tomatoes, the pasta or the cheese that I  added.

Amazing Thighs

     I am sorry that I have been away so long.  Lots happening in my life.  I have become very busy. Retirement is a different mindset that has taken time to get me to wrap my head around it.  Still working on it.
    This past week I have had 3 different people ask me to post some recipes.  So I started my Blog again. These requests have come from busy woman who want to make meals a gift to their families.  No more microwave processed dinners. No more drive thru meals. Healthy, simple, delicious meals made at home.   In the next few days I will also include a list of what a well stocked pantry, freezer, and refrigerator should have. To begin, you could add an item or two of something you do not usually buy. I promise these items will make your meals fabulous. I also highly recommend you start a little herb garden.  Basics; cilantro, parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary, oregano and basil.  However, basil is a pain as is cilantro.
      Most of these will be very easy meals with few ingredients and simple prep and cooking time. I will add sides that I have made with this main dish. However, sometimes I will post more complex meals or ideas on how to make the Super Simple Suppers with more ingredients. Ingredients with * are what I consider the 5 main ingredients. I will post pictures if I am making this dish.  Tonight I am actually making a pasta dish.  We haven't had pasta for a long time. I'll post that with a picture tomorrow if I remember how to upload the pictures.

Amazing Thighs

Ingredients

1 TBSP EVOO for your pan or spray with PAM (I actually like Grapeseed oil for cooking and EVOO for no heat applications)

*6 boneless skinless thighs (pound between wax paper using a heavy sauce pan)

*1 cup flour in a plastic bag with salt, pepper, dried thyme and garlic powder (1 tsp salt  about 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)

*1 carton or bag of mushrooms (as many as you can afford, slice to make it more affordable)

*1 baseball sized onion sliced thinly

1 TBSP butter

*1+ cup of apple juice or Marsala wine (or any other sweet wine) 

PANTRY FUN INGREDIENT: GARNISH WITH CAPERS

1. Prepare your plastic bag with flour and herbs. 

2. Oil and heat your pan.

3. Put  1/2 of your chicken pieces in the bag and shake gently until completely covered. Place in the pan. Do the other half  of the chicken and place in the pan.  

4. Cook chicken for about 4 min. on each side.  (You are looking for a little brown.)

5. Take your chicken out of the pan and set aside for a few minutes.

6. Add the butter to the pan. Add the onion and mushrooms.  Cook until the onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft. (From what I have read, the body actually knows what to do with butter and it adds so much flavor but use whatever you are comfortable with.)

TASTE SAUCE AND ADD SALT AND OR PEPPER

7.  Add the  apple juice. Stir all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add your chicken.Add a TBSP of apple juice at a time to the sauce to loosen it up if it needs that.  Make sure to put the sauce, mushrooms and onions on top of the chicken when you serve it.

                                                                 SIDES

A plate of sliced tomatoes with a little lime juice, salt and pepper would go really well with this dish garnished with scallions and parsley. Steamed green beans are nice with this dish too. (Fresh are great but use those steamer bags. Very good too.) Personally, I would  also love this with some garlic mashed potatoes. Bring a couple of scrubbed  cubed potatoes (skins on)  and water to a boil. I put a bay leaf in the water and about two cloves of garlic per potato.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Take off heat and start to mash to the consistency you like.  I like lumpy.  Add enough chicken broth to loosen the potatoes if needed. You won't really need butter or milk. Taste and add salt and pepper. 

Cindy's Chicken Salad

     I have been eating chicken salad for every "event" that my mom and aunts have hosted over some 50+ years.  I have also included it in many menus for many events I have hosted. Over the years I have tweaked it but it remains virtually the same. The beauty of this salad is it can be quadrupled or halved and it retains the same flavors. Also this is a salad that can be eaten on bread or on lettuce leaves. It can be a one dish meal or a nice side dish.  I often serve this salad with a fruit salad and a pasta salad. Or...in the fall and winter, some potato or pumpkin soup.  Just so you know, you can use the roast chickens that the stores sell now days. It makes it a FAST salad. But I learned something watching the Cooking channel and I now use this procedure almost exclusively the night before when I am going to poach the chicken myself.

This recipe makes enough for 10 servings with leftovers if you are lucky.  Much better the next day.  :)

Chicken Prep

The night before
1 whole raw chicken, rinsed and cleaned out, covered in water to which 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of salt have been diluted.

Chicken Poaching Water

1 whole chicken
3 bay leaves
4 smashed cloves of garlic
1 onion quartered
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP whole peppers
The night before


1. Drain the chicken.
2. Put the raw whole chicken in a pot of water to cover the chicken.
3. Put 3 bay leaves
4. 1 tsp whole pepper.
5. 1 TBSP salt
6. 4 garlic cloves, smashed.
7. 1 large onion cut in 1/4's
8.  Cook for about 1.5 hours in the following manner.  Bring water to a boil and then drop to a simmer.  Cover the pot. Check chicken.  Chicken is done if you can wiggle the leg and it comes away from the body. Cool the chicken.
Ingredients:
 Debone the chicken and cut into small chunks. (Pull the chicken away from the bones.  Remove the fat and skin.)
3 ribs of celery diced
1 cup of green grapes cut in half
1 cup red grapes cut in half
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 green onions diced
1/2 cup cashews
1 small jar of marinated artichokes.
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh tarragon leaves chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1 cup of plain yogurt
1/2 cup light mayo (I like the mayo that has lime juice in it.)
1 large (heaping ) TBSP Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp. curry  powder
1 heaping TBSP of Agave syrup

1.  Combine all of the above and whisk.
2. Taste and adjust s/p.

Directions:
Pour dressing on the chicken and fruit and toss carefully.

It's Autumnal Weather Food

 

It's been a long time since I posted.  I have been traveling but I am still cooking and I have been eating many delicious foods. I hope to post more recipes soon.

So today it rained.  No news in that, you say.  Wrong. We've had spritzes but no real rain for a looooonnnnnggggg time. It got my fall weather juices flowing. So I made a stuffed pork tenderloin, minted peas, a  green salad with thin apple slices and  goat cheese and jalapeno cornbread.

 The Pork
2 lbs pork tenderloin sliced almost through fat side up ( a big momma!)
1/4 olive oil
3 heaping tabsp. grill seasoning (I love Kirkland's)
1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1 TBSP sugar 1 tsp salt  mix to combine
1 green tart apple very thinly sliced
1 large onion thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
1. Slather the pork with olve oil and then take a palm full of grilled seasoning and cover the pork inside and out with the seasoning salt.
2. Marinate the apple and onion in the sugar, salt and vinegar for about 1 hour.
3. Drain and fill pork cavity.
4.Line a roasting pan with heavy duty foil.   Place pork slit side up in a roasting pan.
5. Bake at 500 for about 20 min..
6. Lower heat and cook for about 45min. top 1 hour at 350.
7.  Remove from heat and cover pork with the foil.

Jalepeno Corn Bread
Preheat oven to 350
1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix (Don't turn your nose up at this.  I've tried it many ways and this is still the best!!!)
1 egg beaten
1 can of creamed corn
1/2 cup shredded cheese ( I like the Mex. mix)
2 jalapenos peppers diced finely  (remove the seeds if too hot)

1. Combine all of the ingredients and fold carefully.
2. Spray muffin tins or small loaf pans with Pam.
3.  Follow cooking directions on Jiffy pkg.

Salad
1 large green apple sliced thinly
*I have sometimes used a purple onion too.  (1/2 of an onion sliced thinly.)
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 big handfuls of salad greens
1/2 cup of goat cheese crumbled
pepper to taste

1. Marinate the apple in the vinegar, sugar and salt for about 30 min.
2.  Remove the apples add the oil and whisk the above dressing.
3. Put salad greens in a bowl and add apples and goat cheese. Toss dressing  to coat.
4. Add peeper and toss again.

Peas
1 pkg. frozen peas
1 box of sliced mushrooms
1/4 stick of butter
1 tsp. mint jelly
1 tsp. finely chopped mint

1. Follow frozen pea directions but add the mushrooms, butter and mint jelly.
2. Just before serving toss in the mint.

This meal served 4 generous dinner portions (second all around) with left overs which I will use for sandwiches tomorrow.

Warm sweet and sour coleslaw

     For lack of a better name, I gave this salad the name slaw.  But it could also just be a condiment to fish, pork or chicken.  In any case, I am sure you have had something like it when you have had the German coleslaw. This dish came from my need to make something that might entice my son to eat the fish I had just purchased.  Ono is a VERY mild fish but my youngest does not really like fish except when I fry it in a beer batter. So I was wondering what I could do, beside marinate the fish, so that he might like it a little more. Like most of what I make, I used what I had on hand.  I had a purple cabbage and a green cabbage in the fridge.  By the way, these two veggies will last forever!!! Sliced fennel would have also been great but I didn't remember or see the fennel bulb until the next day!  Darn!  Oh well...next time. I decided that I would make the cabbages into something I could put some grilled ono on.  I did not want to add sugar to make it sweet but I did want to make it a little more exotic since the ono was marinated in lime juice, ginger, rosemary and garlic.  So I invented this slaw.  I think you will agree, it turned out pretty dang good and will be on the table again. I used a slightly sweet wine which I think for this dish is essential because I did not add sugar.  The wine was also "left over."  Waste not...want not.

 Vinegar and wine soak for onions

1)  Put onions in the wine and vinegar.  *1/2 cup of sweet white wine (Reisling)
*1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar  (reg. color will do just fine) Make sure the onions are covered.

2)  Add salt and toss.

2 TBSP butter
 1/2 of  a small  green cabbage shredded about 3 to 4 cups
1/2 of a  purple cabbage shredded about 3 to 4 cups
1 large softball sized white onion sliced thin (*soak in vinegar & wine . See amounts below.)
1 small baseball sized purple onion sliced thin (*soak in  vinegar & wine.  See amounts below.)
1 tsp of fennel seeds
*1/2 cup of sweet white wine (Reisling)
*1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar  (reg. color will do just fine)
1 tsp. of salt for the vinegar and wine
1 TBSP orange blossom water (I get this in a bottle at the Mid. Eastern produce store.  I think one could get a similar effect by grating a 1/4 tsp. of orange rind.)
s/p to taste




1)  Melt the butter but do not let in brown.
2)   Drain and save wine and vinegar from cabbage and add cabbage to pan.  Stir to coat cabbage and wilt over med heat.
3)   Add the onion and continue to stir.
4)   Push all the cabbage and onion to the sides of the pan and add the fennel seeds to the middle of the pan. Cook for about 3 to 4 min.
5)  Now stir the seeds into the cabbage and onion.
6)   Add all of the liquids. (The wine and vinegar that you saved from soaking the onions are the liquids.)
7)  Reduce the heat and cook stirring occasionally. Cabbage should still have a little crunch.
8)  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Fresh Beet Salad

      I  love salads!!!   Hot, room temp, cold, veggie, pasta, main dish,  side, seafood salads are all fantastic additions to any meal or a meal in themselves. I have been re-evaluating my diet lately.  I realized that at one time in my life I gravitated towards salads.  They were the first things I was allowed to create in my mother's kitchen and my dad claimed I never made the same salad twice.  I have decided to go back to the way I used to eat.  I think this is a good time in my life to come back around to this way of eating.  With this in mind, I am going to record some of my favorite salads   The first one has morphed into the one I will share today.  The original used lemon and oil as a dressing.  It is still delicious but I like this one ever so much more. See what you think.  This recipe makes 4 servings with a little leftover for lunch the next day.
   
6 beets the size of baseballs ( Save the tops)
juice of 1 large lime (not key lime) 1/4 cup more or less
1 can of corn no salt  (fresh is better but I didn't have any)
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 green onions sliced on the diagonal green and white parts
1/4 of parsley coarsely chopped.
s/p to taste

1. Wash and  put beets w/o the tops into a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for about 5-7  min. Sharp knife should be able to pierce through the beet.
2.  Cool.  Then peel skin.  The skin should just rub off.  If it doesn't it really doesn't matter if it doesn't more fiber!
3.   Cut the beets into cubes.  (In half then halves into 1/3 and then cut into cubes.)
4.   In another bowl mix the yogurt and the lime.  Pour over the beets and mix.
5.  Add corn, onions and parsley.
6.  Taste and add salt and pepper.
7.  You can chop up the beet greens and add to the salad.   This is an individual preference.  I love beet greens!

Japanese Cooking Made Easy

     My husband is the Athletic Director at Monte Vitsa and he hired Kinomi.  She is the trainer.  Because the District pays her so little, we decided long ago to buy her breakfast every Sunday after we go to mass as often as she is able to meet us.  She meets us and we get to feed her before she dashes off to a soccer game rain or snow, sunny day or blustery day.  To say that she is a wonderful trainer and person falls short of how much we have grown to love her. During one of these breakfasts, I asked if she'd be willing to come and teach me a few of her favorite Japanese dishes. She had come to make tamales at my annual "tamalada."  She had enjoyed that very much.  I knew that I would love whatever she taught me.  What a treat!  Kinomi doesn't eat much in the way of meat and especially doesn't like chicken nor cat fish.  (Funny story about that.)  But because she knows that we do eat meat, she included some delicious chicken dishes and a ground beef dish.  Like me, she gave me many examples of ways to "change things up." Everything we made was so super easy and quick.  She says that this is food that we would find in a home not necessarily in a restaurant.
     The ingredients were easy to find and nothing was so unusual that one would have to go to a specialty store.  This kind of cooking is very affordable and super fast.  Nothing about it is fussy or pretentious.  Kinomi said that this would be food that would be served family style and most definitely considered "home cooking."  That is not to say that one could not kick any of these dishes up a notch.


     I am going to start with the way I would serve this meal next time I make it.  I am going to begin with the soup.  Normally, Miso soup is a hot salty soup with no umph.  Today's Miso was very good.  You'll see in a minute that a "mother's " touch made this soup a stand out. One could sprinkle tofu as well as the green onion to garnish this soup.

Miso Soup

Miso paste
4 cups of boiling water
2 to 3 TBSP Miso paste
kale rough cut about 2 cups  (cabbage, or spinach can be substituted)
2 eggs whisked
1 green onion cut on the diagonal into very thin slivers.  Use white and green parts of the onion.

Reduce the water to a simmer.
1. Using a ladle, fill it with a TBSP of the miso paste.
2.  Dip the ladle into the water and  using a tsp.  stir until  the miso is dissolved in the ladle.  Dump that into the water.
3.  Do this again at least twice more.  Taste and see if more paste is needed.
4,  Pour the eggs onto the back of the ladle which is suspended over the simmering water.  Stir the egg into ribbons.
5.  Serve with a garnish of green onion.

     My next course would be the eggplant salad.  That's what I called it because it can be served at room temp or cold.  Man is this good.  Kinomi says when her mom makes this, she makes Kinomi her own dish.  It is that good.

Nasuno tsu yuzuke

sesame oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet  (This oil imparts a nuttiness that is essential.)
6 smallish Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise in thin slices
1 green onion sliced into thin diagonal slices
juice of 1 whole lemon
1 tsp.fresh grated ginger  (Must be fresh ginger.)
1/2 to 3/4 of a cup Mentsuyu sauce
1/4 cup of water

1.  Saute eggplant in the skillet.  Turn when just golden around the edges.  Kinomi uses chop sticks to turn the eggplant.  I used tongs.  :)
2. In a flatish dish with a bit of a lip, place all of the eggplant, onion, lemon juice and ginger.  Toss to coat.
3.  In a bowl, mix the Mentsuyu sauce and water.  Taste.  If too salty add more water.  If not flavorful enough add more Mentsuyu.
4.  Pour over the eggplant.  Let cool completely or refrigerate until serving.


     My next dish would be Nikujaba.  This is so very tasty and so delicious.  It will remind you of many dishes you have eaten at home. Kinomi says the flavor improves as it sits.  And she claims it's best if eaten the next day.

Nikujaba
oil to coat the bottom of the skillet
1 lb ground beef  leaner is better
4 medium sized  russet potatoes cut into chunks
1 cup of diced  white onion
5 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP Mirin
2TBSP cooking sake
some water

1.  Brown the beef.
2. Add the potatoes and onions
3.  When everything has been added, taste the sauce.  Adjust by adding water if too salty.
4.  Reduce heat and let simmer with lid off for about 20 min. until potatoes are soft but not mushy.
5.  The longer this sits in the sauce the tastier but be careful not to let the potatoes get mushy.

     I would end this meal with the chicken.  She did not give it a name but it was very good and fast cooking.  I could see eating this on a picnic cold. Very simple and very good.

preheat heaven to 375

3 lbs of chicken wings tips of the wings cut off
3 cloves of grated garlic
juice of 1 lemon
enough soy sauce to cover the chicken in a single layer in a pan.
2 or 3 tsp of sesame seeds

1.  Wash and cut off the tips of the chicken wings.
2. Coat the wings in the garlic, onion and soy sauce.
3.  Let marinate for at least 30 min. or overnight.
4.  Put on a foil covered baking dish.  Cook for 30 min at 375.   15 on one side 15 on the other.  Check to make sure liquid is clear.
5. While still in the oven, last few minutes sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Melt in your mouth Ribs

    First I have to tell you, I am NOT a ribs kinda gal.  Usually too sweet and cloying in my mouth. 2nd. the inspiration was a recipe I got out of a family recipe book that one of my husband's cousins organized.  I have NEVER met this woman in person but through facebook I have grown to LOVE her.  She is funny, witty, endearing, sweet and just plain fun. I promised her that I would make her Cherry Cola Ribs. Credit where credit is due, I did follow her Cherry cola sauce recipe but kinda went my own way on the rub and the baking of the ribs.  I used beef ribs and would change the rub a bit for pork.  Someday, I'll do pork.
      I had some fantastic ribs once many years ago when Jason was still at UCSD.  Costco had some giant tea bags and he made a rub and placed those ribs on the bags.  Heaven on earth.  He, like me, didn't remember much more than that about those ribs.  I have always wanted to duplicate them.  Tonight Zach ate 9 ribs and raved about them the whole time.  Granted, my hubby likes sweet so this was right up his alley. I ate the ribs without the sauce and they were perfect for me. Please don't misunderstand me, I think the sauce was spectacular but too sweet for me.  Most likely, this sauce is perfect for the rest of the world. I just don't do sweet.  I know there is something wrong with me.  I admit it and have done penance for years.
     What follows then is a marriage of sweet meets savory.  It's a good union and one that will last through the ups and downs of fickle tastes.
     I served this with a pea salad that I folded into a tri colored pasta.  I made some corn on the cob and called it a meal!!!!!  Oh so good.

Ingredients for the rub and cooking vapor
7 lbs of beef ribs
1 packet of peach  instant tea mix  makes 1 quart
1/4 cup Montreal Seasoning from Costco
1/4 cup onion flakes
2 TBSP of garlic powder
2 TBSP of onion powder
2 heaping TBSP of fresh ground pepper
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 jumbo onions peeled and cut in half
4 bay leaves
 2 tsp dried oregano
2 cans of cherry cola
1 cup red wine

Ribs
1. In a mixing bowl mix the first 7 ingredients.
2.  Pat  the ribs dry with a paper towel and rub the mixture onto both sides of the ribs.
3.  Place the onions cut side down in a roasting pan.
4.  Put the coated ribs on the onions.
5. Add the last 4  ingredients to the edges of the pan w/o disturbing the ribs.
6.  Cover your pan with heavy duty aluminum tightly sealed around the edge of the pan.
7.  Bake for 4 hours at 250.

Cherry cola Sauce
3 cans cherry cola
2 cups cherry jam or preserves  I used seedless Boysenberry
2/3 cups Dijon Horseradish Mustard
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP Hot Pepper Sauce   I used 2 heaping TBSP cayenne pepper

1.  Boil the cherry cola until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook on med. heat for 35 min.  Stir occasionally.
3. Take off heat and let cool.
4.  I did not BBQ my ribs.  I just spooned about half of the sauce onto the ribs and placed the ribs back into the oven for about 20 min. without a cover.
5.  I reheated the rest of the sauce and served at the table.

Made enough for 4 servings. 4 ribs each. Zach ate enough for 2 people.  I was fine with 2 ribs.

Even the onions were amazingly delicious!





 

Kinda Healthy Stuffed Zucchini

      I think stuffed zucchini is a "comfort food." My mom made them as did Zach's mom. I think they were pretty popular in the 70's.  My take is a nod to the  moms who influenced my cooking.  Of course, the recipe  is all mine in that I just let my kitchen angels guide me as I remembered the next step.  However, again I need to say that if it were not for my youngest child I would not be able replicate this recipe at a later date.  Now it is here for anyone who wants to duplicate it.
      I love to get an idea for a menu when I am at the store.   I was at my favorite little produce store  (North Park Produce) and saw the perfect stuffing zucchini;  long and straight with no blemishes.  I picked up 6.  They were each about the size of my hand from middle finger to wrist.  This menu tonight reminded me of Europe in particular France.  I am not sure why.  We did not eat anything I made tonight in any of the countries we visited.  But it just screams French Bistro or at least little eatery on a corner tucked away in some side street.  It is simple, filling,  not fancy and very comforting.
     I used a combo of ground meats because North Park Produce sells ground chicken, which I love and can't always find.  I used a fatter ground round with it. (80% fat)  2 to 1 ratio.  2 lbs ground beef and 1lb ground chicken. Having said that I made up the whole batch with all the ingredients.  I know later this will make a good meatloaf or hamburger patty or meatballs etc. I had plenty left over to freeze and make something else another day.  I think the 2 to 1 is just about perfect for this recipe.  I used parmesan cheese because they also sell wonderful cheeses at NPP.  But any hard cheese would work though.   The sauce I made is so embarrassingly simple I hesitate to disclose it but it is perfect in it's simplicity
      I served this with a spinach, mushroom and herb fritata and a spinach/ tomato salad that I dressed with a lime, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and EVOO.
     Be comforted and enjoy.


Ingredients
6 zucchini  (see above for size)
1 lb ground chicken
2 lbs ground beef
2 tsp ground garlic owder
3 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 tsp crushed oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp  rosemary finely chopped
1/4 cup diced parsley
1 cup of bread crumbs

1 cup of parmesan cheese

Sauce
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 large garlic clove
10 basil leaves

Garnish with basil and mint ribbons.

1.  Bring a big pot of water to a boil.  Carefully place zucchini in the water when it reaches a boil.
2.  Boil for about 10 min.  (Zucchini should be able to be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.)
3.  Drain and let cool for a bout 5 min.
4.  Cut each zucchini in half the long way.  Turn cut side down on a paper towel.  Continue to cool.
5.  With a teaspoon starting from the stem side scoop out the flesh from stem to tip.  Be careful NOT to go through the skin. Save the fleshy stuff.  Put it on some paper towel or in a colander to drain.
6.  Turn cut side down again on the paper towels  while you make the filling

Filling
7.  In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except the zucchini.
8.  Mix with your hands gently until all ingredients are incorporated.
9.  Chop up the fleshy part of the zucchini that has drained and add it to the meat mixture.
10.  On a baking sheet lined with foil place the zucchini.
11.  Using a spoon fill each hollowed out part with the meat mixture.  DO NOT PACK but fill generously. 12.  Sprinkle with the cheese.


Sauce
13.  Place 1 can of stewed tomatoes and one 6 ounce can of tomato sauce with 10 basil leaves, 1 clove of garlic and the  green onion  into a blender.
14.  Pulse and pour onto the zucchini.
15.  Bake at 350 for about 20 min. to 30 min. or until meat is cooked.
16. Garnish

Cauliflower Smash that tastes like mashed potatoes

     I sometimes wonder why I bore so easily.  I managed to stay married to the same guy for 37 years.  Stayed in the same career for 36 (although I went up and down in grades and in and out of the classroom.) Furniture, wall color, dishes, glasses, garden flowers, all get dumped, tossed, changed, updated too often according to my husband.)  And, when it comes to food, especially veggies, I just gotta mess with them.  Now don't get me wrong,  I love just about any veggie any way.  But I do get tired of making the same steamed or roasted etc. veggie every night.  So I am always looking for a different way to make the veggie side. I know I have made this dish before but given the nods of approval last night,  I think I nailed it. And once again, I have to thank Trevor for making me write this down so now I can replicate it.  (Kinda...)
 
     I think that the cauliflower is an under appreciated vegetable. I like to finely dice it and make it into a salad.  Yum!  I steam  it and put a lemon brown butter sauce on it.  I also just like it roasted with a touch of salt and lime juice.  But admittedly, it's not my go to veggie. BUT...now I think that has changed.  I agree that I did add  a potato to this dish but I am making it again w/o the potato.  I also think this presentation is pretty healthy and there are many ways to change it up.  No Mexican "crema"  use Greek yogurt.  No Greek yogurt use sour cream.  No potatoes, use the boxed flakes.  Although I don't advocate using dehydrated potato flakes, this might be the one exception. (BTW, I do use these flakes to thicken my soups sometimes...works great!)  I think you could even use buttermilk.  No goat cheese, (but this does taste so good) use any other white melting cheese.      I suppose if you like garlic mashed potatoes you could cook the cauliflower and potatoes with a few cloves of garlic.  I also think if tangy is not your thing, you could substitute butter and cream or milk. I would go with a mild jack cheese.  You could spice this up in many ways too.  For example; cook a diced chili in with the veggies and use a pepper jack cheese.  I think just about anything you would normally do with a mashed potato you could do it with this dish.So think of the cauliflower as a blank palate and you can add layers of flavors and textures.  I don't think you can go wrong.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 medium sized cauliflower no brown spots.  Broken apart into florets
2 med. sized peeled russet potatoes cut into chunky quarters (3/4 size of your hand)
2 bay leaves
4-6  cups of chicken broth (enough to cover the cauliflower and potatoes)
(You can also use those flavored cubes pre mixed and diluted in hot water.)
white pepper/kosher salt   (no salt if you use those cubes)
3 oz of goat cheese
1/4 cup of "Mexican Crema"  comes in a jar or sour cream or buttermilk
about 2 cups or so of the liquid you drain from cooking the cauliflower This will depend on your personal preference.
Garnish with chives and parsley


1) Place the potatoes, cauliflower bay leaves and broth into a pot.  Make sure veggies are covered with the broth.
2)  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with a lid.  Cook on a med. low heat for about 10-12 min. until veggies are tender and soft.
3)  Drain liquid but save at least 2 cups. Remove the bay leaves.
4)  Put potatoes and cauliflower back into the pot and begin to mash.  Use some of the reserved liquid to make this process easier.
5)  Add the goat cheese and "crema" by folding in each until incorporated. Add more liquid if you want a smoother mash.
6)  Garnish with the chives and or parsley.

Made at least 6 servings.

Green mole and chicken breasts

     I did tonight what I do best.  I took the left over mole sauce from last night and made it into a whole new meal.  Trevor and his girlfriend Jen agreed with me.  The sauce was amazing!   We could have just eaten the sauce as a dip with tortillas.  Yes it was that good.  So what did I do?
1.  To about 3 cups of leftover sauce from last night I added 5 drops of bottled green habanero sauce.
2. I roasted 2 serrano chilies and 2 jalapenos.  Seeded and diced them into the sauce.
3.  I added 1 cup of leftover white wine from dinner last night.
4.  I cooked this sauce over medium high heat until bubbly.
5.  Turned off the heat and let it cool a bit.  Then I stuck in an emulsion blender and blended for about 5 min.
6.  I salt and peppered the chicken breasts and added poultry seasoning which I make myself which has no salt and is a combo of sage, oregano and rosemary.  I cooked them in 2 TBSP of butter and 2 TBSP of EVOO for about 7 min. each side on med. high heat in a cast iron skillet.
7.  I sauted swiss chard with 1 sliced onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic.
8.  I served the chicken on a bed of the chard and topped with the sauce. OMG!  Delicious.