I was honored to be asked to be the Godmother to my new baby nephew this month. Today was his baptism and then afterwards we all came together at my Mom's house for a little get together. I made my pal G's awesome bacon potato salad and I made the simplest fruit salad in the world.
1 pt. Strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 green apple, sliced and chopped
1 bunch red grapes, rinsed
1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and chopped
1/4 pineapple, peeled and chopped
1 key lime, juiced
I mixed all of these fruits together and refrigerated them while we were at church. When we got back I poured them into a pretty serving bowl. Evertything, including the cut apples, stayed crisp and no browning or mushiness.
Good fruit salad simply uses the best available seasonal fruits and some lime or lemon juice to keep things bright and tasty. Enjoy it this summer!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thursday's Dinner: stove top citrus chicken, stuffing muffins, green beans, roasted fingerling potatoes
You know, I am tempted to create a Thirsty Thursday segment and feature a different drink every Thursday. Not necessarily an alcoholic drink mind you, but something different and refreshing. Can you tell it is fully Summer here already? My favorite summer drink is an Arnold Palmer, simply take 1/2 freshly brewed iced tea and mix it with 1/2 freshly squeezed lemonade and serve over lots and lots of ice, also delicious with mint garnish! YUM!!!
I bought these multi-colored fingerling potatoes a few weeks ago. God bless potatoes because they are A) super versatile and B) keep forever if you store them in a cool, dark, place away from apples. Anyhow, these were the last of the fingerlings, some bright red, some white and some a deep purple color. I cut them into thirds and drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt and put them on a rimmed baking dish and let them bake for 40 minutes or so while I cleaned the kitchen and got the rest of dinner ready.
To make the stuffing muffins I chopped up 1 carrot, 1 rib of celery, 1 small onion and 2 cloves of garlic and sauteed them in olive oil on the stove top. Then I added most of my leftover chicken broth from last night and let that simmer. Next I took some whole wheat bread and corn bread from the freezer and broke those up into chunks and put them in a medium sized mixing bowl. I then added the hot broth and vegetables to my bread mix and stirred to combine. I packed them into greased full-sized muffin cups and baked them with the potatoes for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
Stove top chicken was simply chicken breasts seasoned with adobo seasoning, cooked 7 minutes on each side and deglazing the pan with apple and lemon juice. YUM! So easy.
I took some frozen green beans (I buy bulk organic frozen green beans from Costco) and put them in a covered glass dish with butter and adobo and microwaved them for 5 minutes as the chicken finished.
I also made an onion mushroom sauce for the chicken to use up some leftover mushrooms. I chopped the 'shrooms (about half of an 8 oz package), half of a small onion and sauteed them in olive oil and butter, then I added about a TB of flour to the veggies and stirred and let it all cook for a minute or two. I then added the last of my chicken broth, some salt and pepper, and let it all cook down at a slow boil for several minutes while I was setting the table and plating food. Very nice quick sauce, would have been better with some fresh parsley.
I changed my mind about making pot roast and carrots and onions because I forgot that we are leaving tomorrow for my hometown and I am trying to not create any leftovers since we will be gone until Monday night. I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day. I plan on visiting the graves of all my relatives (not just the veterans) since I will be home. I am just Southern enough that visiting their graves feels a bit like just... visiting. I mean you go with your family, you talk, you reminisce and tell funny stories, you bring your loved ones flowers. All in all a nice thing. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and if I make something particularly awesome over the weekend I promise to blog about it.
I bought these multi-colored fingerling potatoes a few weeks ago. God bless potatoes because they are A) super versatile and B) keep forever if you store them in a cool, dark, place away from apples. Anyhow, these were the last of the fingerlings, some bright red, some white and some a deep purple color. I cut them into thirds and drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt and put them on a rimmed baking dish and let them bake for 40 minutes or so while I cleaned the kitchen and got the rest of dinner ready.
To make the stuffing muffins I chopped up 1 carrot, 1 rib of celery, 1 small onion and 2 cloves of garlic and sauteed them in olive oil on the stove top. Then I added most of my leftover chicken broth from last night and let that simmer. Next I took some whole wheat bread and corn bread from the freezer and broke those up into chunks and put them in a medium sized mixing bowl. I then added the hot broth and vegetables to my bread mix and stirred to combine. I packed them into greased full-sized muffin cups and baked them with the potatoes for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
Stove top chicken was simply chicken breasts seasoned with adobo seasoning, cooked 7 minutes on each side and deglazing the pan with apple and lemon juice. YUM! So easy.
I took some frozen green beans (I buy bulk organic frozen green beans from Costco) and put them in a covered glass dish with butter and adobo and microwaved them for 5 minutes as the chicken finished.
I also made an onion mushroom sauce for the chicken to use up some leftover mushrooms. I chopped the 'shrooms (about half of an 8 oz package), half of a small onion and sauteed them in olive oil and butter, then I added about a TB of flour to the veggies and stirred and let it all cook for a minute or two. I then added the last of my chicken broth, some salt and pepper, and let it all cook down at a slow boil for several minutes while I was setting the table and plating food. Very nice quick sauce, would have been better with some fresh parsley.
I changed my mind about making pot roast and carrots and onions because I forgot that we are leaving tomorrow for my hometown and I am trying to not create any leftovers since we will be gone until Monday night. I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day. I plan on visiting the graves of all my relatives (not just the veterans) since I will be home. I am just Southern enough that visiting their graves feels a bit like just... visiting. I mean you go with your family, you talk, you reminisce and tell funny stories, you bring your loved ones flowers. All in all a nice thing. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and if I make something particularly awesome over the weekend I promise to blog about it.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Weird Wednesday: Peanut Butter and Jelly Soup, Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast, Corn on the Cob
So my weird Wednesday offering this week is a "Peanut Butter and Jelly Soup" -- a savory concoction made with hot pepper jelly garnish, peanut butter, chicken broth, lemon juice, light cream, salt and sherry. I don't have any sherry so I omitted it, but in all other respects I stuck to the recipe. It was creamy (of course) and savory and smooth, but totally the wrong season for it. This soup would make a wonderful first course to any Fall meal, even Thanksgiving! But I am so glad I made it. It is going into the keeper file for me.
The chicken breasts I simply placed into a hot pan with olive oil and sprinkled them on both sides with BBQ rub. As they cooked I would occasionally deglaze the pan with some apple juice and then sort of baste them in the pan juices. I cooked them on medium heat until they were just done so they were juicy and yummy.
Easy-peasy corn on the cob recipe, simply shuck and rinse your corn, then wrap them in plastic wrap and microwave them for 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the cob. When you grab them with a hot mitt and they "give" a bit under pressure you know they are done.
I also made a simple tossed salad with shredded carrot and torn romaine leaves.
Southern Peanut Butter Soup with Pepper Jelly:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 celery branch, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; add onion and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix until well blended. Stir in chicken broth and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain broth. Stir the peanut butter, salt and cream into the strained broth until well mixed. Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a teaspoon of chopped peanuts and a dollop of jelly.
The chicken breasts I simply placed into a hot pan with olive oil and sprinkled them on both sides with BBQ rub. As they cooked I would occasionally deglaze the pan with some apple juice and then sort of baste them in the pan juices. I cooked them on medium heat until they were just done so they were juicy and yummy.
Easy-peasy corn on the cob recipe, simply shuck and rinse your corn, then wrap them in plastic wrap and microwave them for 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the cob. When you grab them with a hot mitt and they "give" a bit under pressure you know they are done.
I also made a simple tossed salad with shredded carrot and torn romaine leaves.
Southern Peanut Butter Soup with Pepper Jelly:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 celery branch, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; add onion and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix until well blended. Stir in chicken broth and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain broth. Stir the peanut butter, salt and cream into the strained broth until well mixed. Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a teaspoon of chopped peanuts and a dollop of jelly.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tasty Tuesday: meatloaf, rice, steamed asparagus
I came to a realization tonight; we are no longer a 1 pound meatloaf family. In the past when it was just me and the hubby and then when the kids were small I used the same recipe for a meat loaf I always have, 1 pound of meat, plus enough eggs, oatmeal, peppers and onions to make it tasty. This was always a sufficient amount with enough for leftovers the next day, provided I served enough veggies on the side anyhow.
Tonight we wiped out that meatloaf. I guess to insure leftovers I need to make a 2 pound meatloaf. Which means rejiggering my recipe somewhat, but at least it will all still fit in my baking pan. When I make meatloaves I usually make 2-3 at a time and the portion them by weight into foil lined baking pans. I wrap them and freeze them and then pop them out of their baking pans like ice from an ice cube tray so I can use my pans in the mean time for baking bread. When I am ready to make the meatloaves I do one of two things, either pop them back in the pan to defrost in the refrigerator all day (preferred method) or I painstakingly peel every bit of foil from them and defrost them in the microwave and then put them in the pan and bake them.
I also made a package of broccoli cheese rice/pasta mix. It is sold in bags on the rice and pasta aisle and cooks in 7 minutes, the asparagus I simply snapped the ends, drizzled them with olive oil and salt and and steamed them with a scant amount of water for about 5 minutes. Let's just say my energy level took a big dip today and I wasn't quite ready to shuck and cut off the cob 4-5 ears of corn.
I have been thinking today about families who face the very real danger of food insecurity; people, our friends and neighbors who literally do not know where their next meal is coming from. Every time we say grace at the table I send a silent prayer to the God of my understanding to protect those people. I also donate regularly to the Food Bank in my town and I encourage you to do the same. It is so hard to concentrate in school when you're hungry, it is hard to seek work, it is hard to love one another when you can't remember the last time you had a full meal. Get involved! There are so many wonderful organizations out there.
Feeding America is a great one, I worked with them in High School when they were still known as America's Second Harvest. There are lots of good charities out there. And get your family involved. When you serve a simpler or even vegetarian meal, take the money you've saved from making a more complex meal and plop it in a bowl right in the middle of the table. Explain to the kdis where that money is going. My daughters' religious education classes make regular contributions to the church food pantry. Every week I let them select something THEY like to eat to contribute. It brings it home to them; "Maybe some other little kid will like this cereal!" If you had enough to feed your kids tonight, then please also feed your spirit by making a contribution! Thank you!
“Lord, to those who hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice." -- a Latin American prayer
Tonight we wiped out that meatloaf. I guess to insure leftovers I need to make a 2 pound meatloaf. Which means rejiggering my recipe somewhat, but at least it will all still fit in my baking pan. When I make meatloaves I usually make 2-3 at a time and the portion them by weight into foil lined baking pans. I wrap them and freeze them and then pop them out of their baking pans like ice from an ice cube tray so I can use my pans in the mean time for baking bread. When I am ready to make the meatloaves I do one of two things, either pop them back in the pan to defrost in the refrigerator all day (preferred method) or I painstakingly peel every bit of foil from them and defrost them in the microwave and then put them in the pan and bake them.
I also made a package of broccoli cheese rice/pasta mix. It is sold in bags on the rice and pasta aisle and cooks in 7 minutes, the asparagus I simply snapped the ends, drizzled them with olive oil and salt and and steamed them with a scant amount of water for about 5 minutes. Let's just say my energy level took a big dip today and I wasn't quite ready to shuck and cut off the cob 4-5 ears of corn.
I have been thinking today about families who face the very real danger of food insecurity; people, our friends and neighbors who literally do not know where their next meal is coming from. Every time we say grace at the table I send a silent prayer to the God of my understanding to protect those people. I also donate regularly to the Food Bank in my town and I encourage you to do the same. It is so hard to concentrate in school when you're hungry, it is hard to seek work, it is hard to love one another when you can't remember the last time you had a full meal. Get involved! There are so many wonderful organizations out there.
Feeding America is a great one, I worked with them in High School when they were still known as America's Second Harvest. There are lots of good charities out there. And get your family involved. When you serve a simpler or even vegetarian meal, take the money you've saved from making a more complex meal and plop it in a bowl right in the middle of the table. Explain to the kdis where that money is going. My daughters' religious education classes make regular contributions to the church food pantry. Every week I let them select something THEY like to eat to contribute. It brings it home to them; "Maybe some other little kid will like this cereal!" If you had enough to feed your kids tonight, then please also feed your spirit by making a contribution! Thank you!
“Lord, to those who hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice." -- a Latin American prayer
Monday, May 23, 2011
Meatless Monday: Pressure Cooker Potato Corn Chowder
Dance class from 4:15 - 5:30, softball practice/game from 5:30 - 7:30; what's a busy Mama to do? Nights like these are why I love my pressure cooker.
This chowder was adapted from a stove top recipe I've made many times.
Pressure Cooker Potato Corn Chowder
Olive Oil
Chopped 1/2 Large onion
Chopped 2 cloves garlic
Chopped 4 large red skin potatoes
Tabasco (to taste)
2 C corn niblets (frozen)
1 qt. container of veggie broth (or chicken)
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
1 Tb of cornstarch dissolved in water
Salt/Pepper
Saute onions and garlic in the bottom of the pressure cooker in olive oil (if not meatless Monday, throw some bacon in there.) Stir and saute till fragrant and then add chopped potatoes (at least 4 cups of spuds). Season the potatoes with salt and pepper or favorite seasoning blend, add veggie broth. Put lid on pressure cooker and cook on high for 5 minutes and then release pressure. When potatoes are done mash some of them slightly with a potato masher to thicken broth, add cornstarch if necessary. Stir in sour cream and frozen corn niblets, allow to warm through but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, can be topped with shredded cheddar cheese and vegetarian Baco-Bits. I'd serve this soup with a nice salad and some whole wheat bread or biscuits for a complete meal.
This chowder was adapted from a stove top recipe I've made many times.
Pressure Cooker Potato Corn Chowder
Olive Oil
Chopped 1/2 Large onion
Chopped 2 cloves garlic
Chopped 4 large red skin potatoes
Tabasco (to taste)
2 C corn niblets (frozen)
1 qt. container of veggie broth (or chicken)
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
1 Tb of cornstarch dissolved in water
Salt/Pepper
Saute onions and garlic in the bottom of the pressure cooker in olive oil (if not meatless Monday, throw some bacon in there.) Stir and saute till fragrant and then add chopped potatoes (at least 4 cups of spuds). Season the potatoes with salt and pepper or favorite seasoning blend, add veggie broth. Put lid on pressure cooker and cook on high for 5 minutes and then release pressure. When potatoes are done mash some of them slightly with a potato masher to thicken broth, add cornstarch if necessary. Stir in sour cream and frozen corn niblets, allow to warm through but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, can be topped with shredded cheddar cheese and vegetarian Baco-Bits. I'd serve this soup with a nice salad and some whole wheat bread or biscuits for a complete meal.
Menu for the week of May 23rd
Here's my menu:
Meatless Monday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday: Meatloaf, salad, fresh corn off the cob,
Weird Wednesday: Peanut Butter Soup with Hot Pepper Jelly, Grilled chicken breasts, sauteed green beans
Thursday: Pot roast with caramelized onions and roast carrots
Fish Friday: Grilled Citrus fish with Mango Coulis, rice with pine nuts, wilted spinach
Meatless Monday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday: Meatloaf, salad, fresh corn off the cob,
Weird Wednesday: Peanut Butter Soup with Hot Pepper Jelly, Grilled chicken breasts, sauteed green beans
Thursday: Pot roast with caramelized onions and roast carrots
Fish Friday: Grilled Citrus fish with Mango Coulis, rice with pine nuts, wilted spinach
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday's Dinner: Chili in the Pressure Cooker and Cornbread
My daughter's softball practice/game take up the entirety of our evenings from 5-7, which means I give the kids a good snack before practice, they get a nice snack after the game and then they are ravening little wolves by the time we get home for dinner. I know I need to have food pretty much ready to go when they get back.
I almost made crockpot chili which is a really good busy night recipe, but due to unforseen circumstances with my toddler (total meltdown and nap refusal) I wasn't able to get dinner started until my older daughter got home at 4. Hence breaking out the old pressure cooker.
My particular pressure cooker is a Cuisinart brand, self contained pressure cooker. It does not go on the stove top but is an all in one gadget capable of cooking at high and low pressure, sauteeing, and has a "keep warm setting" that was going to be my salvation.
Pressure Cooker Chili:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 C (or more) of chopped onions
1 1/2 chopped bell peppers (any color)
1 C of frozen corn niblets
2 cans of black beans (or equivalent fresh beans)
1 small can of tomato sauce (and equivalent amount of water)
3 TB of chili powder
1 tsp of ground cumin
I coated the bottom of the pressure cooker in 1 Tb of olive oil and turned it on to sautee. I added my chopped onions and peppers and let them get fragrant, then I added my beef and got some quick color on it and broke it up with a wooden spoon, I added the spices and let them all cook for a minute or two. Then I added my tomato sauce, I had frozen some sauce last month so I added it in with an equal amount of water and put the lid on the pressure cooker and turned it all on for 5 minutes under high pressure. When I removed the lid I stirred in the beans and corn and put the lid back on under the "keep warm" setting and left.
When we got home the girls were filthy from the red clay infield so I sent them to the shower while I made a quick pan of corn bread. Some tips for making corn bread (whether from a mix or from scratch) is that you should preheat your oven and pan together. Put some fat in the pan (lard, olive oil, vegetable oil, bacon grease anything but butter really) and place it in the oven as it preheats. When you put your corn bread batter into the pan, having it preheated gives you that nice evenly browned bottom that is the hallmark of good corn bread. When the bread comes out of the oven, take a stick of butter and run it over the surface of the corn bread, then cut and serve! Awesomely delicious!
I almost made crockpot chili which is a really good busy night recipe, but due to unforseen circumstances with my toddler (total meltdown and nap refusal) I wasn't able to get dinner started until my older daughter got home at 4. Hence breaking out the old pressure cooker.
My particular pressure cooker is a Cuisinart brand, self contained pressure cooker. It does not go on the stove top but is an all in one gadget capable of cooking at high and low pressure, sauteeing, and has a "keep warm setting" that was going to be my salvation.
Pressure Cooker Chili:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 C (or more) of chopped onions
1 1/2 chopped bell peppers (any color)
1 C of frozen corn niblets
2 cans of black beans (or equivalent fresh beans)
1 small can of tomato sauce (and equivalent amount of water)
3 TB of chili powder
1 tsp of ground cumin
I coated the bottom of the pressure cooker in 1 Tb of olive oil and turned it on to sautee. I added my chopped onions and peppers and let them get fragrant, then I added my beef and got some quick color on it and broke it up with a wooden spoon, I added the spices and let them all cook for a minute or two. Then I added my tomato sauce, I had frozen some sauce last month so I added it in with an equal amount of water and put the lid on the pressure cooker and turned it all on for 5 minutes under high pressure. When I removed the lid I stirred in the beans and corn and put the lid back on under the "keep warm" setting and left.
When we got home the girls were filthy from the red clay infield so I sent them to the shower while I made a quick pan of corn bread. Some tips for making corn bread (whether from a mix or from scratch) is that you should preheat your oven and pan together. Put some fat in the pan (lard, olive oil, vegetable oil, bacon grease anything but butter really) and place it in the oven as it preheats. When you put your corn bread batter into the pan, having it preheated gives you that nice evenly browned bottom that is the hallmark of good corn bread. When the bread comes out of the oven, take a stick of butter and run it over the surface of the corn bread, then cut and serve! Awesomely delicious!
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