tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3824111385353568682024-02-19T04:42:45.316-08:00Cooking, like love,should be entered into with abandon, or not at all...
(in which I explore all things gastronomical...)JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-32420952828139373842013-08-05T03:12:00.000-07:002013-08-05T03:12:45.957-07:00Vegetable Soup for a Fall Evening (and to clean out the veggie drawer)One of the things I love most to make is soup. I'm not sure what it is I like about it, but I like being so present in the process. As with all my endeavors, the most difficult part is deciding where to begin. I've solved that problem with a lovely little recipe from <a href="http://www.altonbrown.com/">Alton Brown</a>. In reality, it's probably exactly the same steps as I'd take if I'd never seen it, but its simplicity was inspirational.<br />
<div>
<i>On a side note, I hate those reviews where the reviewer writes, "This is an awesome recipe! I used vermouth instead of vegetable broth and my grandmother's organic marigolds to replace the broccoli. But this is completely my family's favorite recipe!" So I'm not posting his recipe here, or even a link to it. </i><br />
<div>
For the curious, it's his "Garden Vegetable Soup" recipe and you should goog it because it's a great recipe. But here is mine:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2 Tbl. EVOO heated in the bottom of a dutch oven over medium heat. <br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Add to the hot oil approximately 1 c. scallions, white onion, or leeks (white part mostly) or even a combination of these. The goal is to use what's in the fridge. Plus a couple of garlic cloves, minced, or pre-minced garlic to equal about a tablespoon. Add a bit of salt (AB uses kosher and so do I) and cook for 7-8 minutes until they gain some transparency and soften.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Add a total of 3 cups of vegetables in a combination of ones that get a bit mushy and ones that don't. I used</div>
<div>
1 very large russet potato, diced with a few bits of skin left on here and there</div>
<div>
1 cup of fresh sugar snap peas</div>
<div>
2 large carrots, sliced in rounds</div>
<div>
Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Add 1 quart of organic vegetable broth, increase the heat to high and simmer. Then add 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped and 1 cup of cauliflower diced to the size of a kidney bean, season with pepper (red, black or white) and cook for about 5 more minutes.<br />
<br />
Reduce heat to low and cook until the veggies are fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Add fresh herbs, dried herbs to your taste. I like tarragon, sage, or parsley. I prefer just one at a time, but you may find a blend you like- go for it. And then do not miss this bit of AB genius, add one really good squeeze from half a lemon. Salt to taste and enjoy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-7333646876037486282013-08-05T02:59:00.000-07:002013-08-05T02:59:25.732-07:00Yum! Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins<br />
<br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<ul>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup coconut oil</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"> 1 cup pumpkin purée (pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup buttermilk</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">2 eggs</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons molasses (I often forget this, but you shouldn't)</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup whole wheat flour</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup dark brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">3/4 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon allspice</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">3/4 cup dried cranberries that have bathed overnight in a couple tablespoons of Henesseys</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">demerara sugar and coarse sea salt</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>
</h2>
<ol class="procedure-steps instructions">
<li class="instruction">
<div class="procedure-text">
Preheat the oven to 400°F.</div>
</li>
<li class="instruction">
<div class="procedure-text">
Line 12 muffin cup or grease with
butter or whatever you use.<br />
<br /></div>
</li>
<li class="instruction">
<div class="procedure-number">
Place the oil, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, and molasses in a medium bowl. Stir with a
fork to blend.</div>
<div class="procedure-text">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li class="instruction">
In a large bowl, whisk together
the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and baking soda.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry
ingredients until just mixed. Fold in the cranberries.
<div class="procedure-text">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li class="instruction">
<div class="procedure-number">
Divide the batter among the muffin
cups and top with a light and lovely mixture of the salt and sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If your oven is like mine, bake for 10 minutes, rotate the
tins, and bake another 10 minutes.</div>
<div class="procedure-text">
Allow the muffins to cool in their tins for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.</div>
</li>
</ol>
JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-61815619719449331472013-08-05T02:58:00.001-07:002013-08-05T02:58:43.654-07:00Buffalo Chicken CasseroleSo-- I'm having a hard time understanding how someone (me) who doesn't really like chicken can have SO many chicken recipes on her page. Hmmm?? But this one is good, maybe great. Looks disgusting though. One 9x13 baking dish... gone in 60 seconds. (ok. not quite that fast- but there were only four of us eating it)<br />
<br />
The inspiration for this recipe is from <a href="http://www.theblackpeppercorn.com/2013/04/buffalo-chicken-tater-tot-casserole/">The Black Peppercorn</a>, along with some really great photos that make it look A LOT BETTER than mine.<br />
<div class="ERSIngredients">
<ul>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 lbs fresh chicken thighs</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">olive or other oil for saute</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">¾ cup cream cheese</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 5oz bottle of Trader Joe's chili hot sauce (see note* below)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 teas garlic salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 package (1kg) Tater Tots</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">A couple handfuls grated monterey jack cheese (you could use a mexican cheese blend instead, or just cheddar, or whatever you like. Pepper Jack?)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 - 1/2 cup diced celery</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced green onions, green and white parts</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ERSInstructions">
Make the buffalo
sauce by melting the cream cheese in a saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the
hot sauce, and season with garlic salt. Let the sauce simmer for a few
minutes and then remove from the heat and let cool.</div>
<div class="ERSInstructions">
<br />Preheat oven to 350F.</div>
<div class="ERSInstructions">
<br /></div>
<div class="ERSInstructions">
Cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2" strips and saute until minimally cooked (it will finish cooking in the oven).<br />Mix the buffalo sauce with the chicken and spread it in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.<br />Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese on top of the buffalo chicken mixture.<br />Lay the Tater Tots, still frozen, lengthwise in rows, evenly on the chicken and blue cheese. One bag Trader Joe's Tater Tots is more than enough to cover the casserole
dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. I'm pretty certain I used more than a cup of cheese.<br />Bake in the 350F oven for 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with diced celery and green onions before serving. </div>
<br />
*Hot Sauce- My original plan was to use <a href="http://www.franksredhot.com/">FRANK'S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wings Sauce</a>. But somewhere in the middle of my shopping excursion to TJ's I discovered I really didn't want to make another grocery stop and remembered that the Black Peppercorn recipe had you making your own. The Trader Joe's I shop at has three different types of hot sauce, jalapeno, habanero, and the chili. That was my most difficult decision. Ultimately I went with the least hot according to the scale on the side of the bottle. It was plenty of heat.<br />
<br />
I served it with a green salad, but I think a cole slaw would have been a better contrast to the heat.<br />
<span itemprop="name"> </span>JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-63324594963053293582011-12-12T22:10:00.000-08:002011-12-13T00:13:51.125-08:00Yummy (Chicken) Tortilla Soup RecipeI am just not doing well with the blogging for my personal sites. Maybe now that I'm in the habit and have fewer commercial "blogs" to do, I'll get back into it. <div><br /></div><div><b>Abuela's Sopa de Pollo * </b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">*proper spanglish, I promise. Trust your abuela.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Like most soups, Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great place to use your leftovers. Leftover tortillas, leftover chicken, even leftover tortilla chips. But working from scratch is good too. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Ingredients below include variations for spiciness and heat.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1½ Tbl</span><span> olive oil</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">¾ cup chopped yellow onion</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">3 – 4 cloves minced garlic</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tsp garlic or seasoning salt</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tsp <a href="http://www.ortega.com/products/products.php?id=7">Ortega (canned) diced jalapeno pepper or 1 Tbl Ortega diced green </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.ortega.com/products/products.php?id=7">chilies</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">¾ tsp dried oregano</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tsp chili powder (slightly heaping)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp white pepper </span><b><i>or</i></b><span class="Apple-style-span"> 1 tsp black pepper </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">¾ tsp ground cumin</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">7 –8 cups chicken stock or broth</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 Tbl<a href="http://www.mimaseca.com/en/"> masa</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>1 14 oz can S & W </span><span><a href="http://www.swfinefoods.com/products/tomatoes/product-Ready-Cut-Diced-with-Green-Chilies-Spices.htm">Ready-Cut - Diced with Green Chilies & Spices</a> </span><span>or <a href="http://www.ro-tel.com/products.jsp">Ro-tel diced tomatoes</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">¼ cup fresh cilantro, snipped</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">¼ cup black bean corn salsa, or ¼ cup refried black beans</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span">2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 ½ -2 cups crushed tortilla chips or</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">4-5 corn tortillas, sliced in ½” strips</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span>Swirl olive oil into dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until somewhat softened. Add garlic and chilies, saute for a minute before adding cooked chicken, salt and spices; then saute for a minute or so longer to blend flavors. Add tomatoes and broth, simmering for about 10 minutes before adding masa, cilantro, salsa and/or refried beans. Simmer until flavors have blended -15 minutes or so. Add tortilla strips or chips and simmer 5 - 10 more minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>Ladle soup into bowls and top with your favorites from the list below</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">.</span></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Toppings:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Crushed tortilla chips</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Ripe avocado cubed</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Cotija or med- sharp cheddar cheese, grated</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Cilantro snipped for topping</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Mexican crema, greek-style yogurt or sour cream</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Red onion, diced</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Black olives, sliced</span></li></ul><p></p> </div>JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-60806164224368231832010-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:002010-11-03T14:56:32.516-07:00Homemade Pizza-- Yum!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnskMOEUDQtjnLrKSQ0BvxFR98ZZOcdkLsnWo6RKL8rWGB6JJlJ-RwQIqzjFzsiFAS4VTGatDNIDtD1f8vTBWa_BJOqps3iudDOeKbIZ1ZeTxCEduecNe1G4XMG-ZZPt9tBJl1aiEMPAU/s1600/PeachPizza.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnskMOEUDQtjnLrKSQ0BvxFR98ZZOcdkLsnWo6RKL8rWGB6JJlJ-RwQIqzjFzsiFAS4VTGatDNIDtD1f8vTBWa_BJOqps3iudDOeKbIZ1ZeTxCEduecNe1G4XMG-ZZPt9tBJl1aiEMPAU/s200/PeachPizza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532026401482737010" border="0" /></a><br />Man it's been a long time since I posted here.<br />I had a great time making pizza with my Peach last night!!!<br />When she asked if she could help, my heart did these wonderful flipflops and I couldn't stop smiling. I love playing in the kitchen with my (grand)kiddos!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Peachies Pizza Dough 1 </span>(yeah, there are several variations on it...)<br /><br />In my opinion, the best way to get a yummy pizza crust is to bake on a stone (or quarry tiles) in a very hot oven. Put the pizza stone on the rack in the middle of the oven (I usually take out the other rack) when you turn the oven on. Cold stone, cold oven. Preheat the oven temperature (and the stone) to at least 425F. This is going to take a good half an hour in most home ovens.<br /><br />If you don't have a stone, use a baking sheet, keep the temperature high but don't preheat the sheet in the oven. I've tried it, and it's very hard to keep the dough from sticking if you don't grease, and burning if you do.<br /><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><br /></span><ul><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a small bowl, dissolve 1 - .25 oz. package of yeast in 1 cup warm (110F) water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.</span></li><li>Combine 2 cups bread flour, 1/2 teas. salt, and 2 teas. granulated sugar (I use unprocessed, but not turbinado) in the food processor bowl.<br /></li><li>Add 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil to the yeast mixture.<br /></li><li>Place the cover on the food processor and add a bit of the yeast mixture to the flour mix. I use the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pulse</span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> feature until I've added all the yeast and oil, and then run the processor for 10 - 15 seconds. If the dough is still sticky and unmanageable, add bread flour by scant tablespoonfuls, pulsing after each addition, until the dough is sticking to itself and makes a ball in the center of the bowl. You should not have to add more than 4 tablespoons. </span><br /></li><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and with floured hands, knead a few times until dough is smooth and pretty. The Peach was really good at this!</span></li><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Cover and rise until expanded, about 30 minutes.</span></li><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Roll or stretch into your favorite pizza crust shape. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Handle as little as possible</span>. </span>Whether you place this dough on a stone or a baking sheet, cover your peel, parchment paper, or baking sheet with a thin layer of cornmeal, before putting the dough on, to keep in from sticking.<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Cover with toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. </span></li></ul>Sometimes the top of the crust doesn't want to get really brown before the topping ingredients need to come out of the oven. If you find you have a problem with that, brushing with olive oil before baking may be helpful.<br />Have fun!JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-51945389199280254492009-05-03T14:17:00.000-07:002009-05-03T15:46:03.298-07:00Good Food for Hard TimesI don't know how this economy is going for you, but things are a little tight out here on the west coast. One of the first things we did to tighten our belts was to cook in a lot more often. Judging from the blogs I follow, most of you are doing the same thing too.<br />The next thing we did was to start baking, rather than buying, nearly all our bread. It's been SO much fun. We do it the lazy way, using the bread machine to work the dough and the oven to bake it. The Hamilton Beach breadmaker I was blessed to inherit from my sister does a good job mixing, kneading, and raising the dough, but is horrible for baking in.<br />Finally- I've become a refrigerator tyrant. We try really hard to use it all-- leftovers, scraps, whatever's in the fridge is game (sometimes almost literally ;-) for the next meal. So far, mostly good... a few failures, which I'm choosing to call <span style="font-style: italic;">lessons</span>, have occurred, but by and large it's made me a much more creative and confident cook.<br />We utilize pasta about twice as much as we did before; which is to say almost daily. Yesterday at lunch I made a One-dish (one skillet in this case) with Lemon Pappardelle and canned tuna from Trader Joe's.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pappardelle and Tuna --- Quick and Yummy</span><br /><br />Cook the Pappardelle according to package direction, or make your own (Check out the video on Food2- <a href="http://www.food2.com/series/42">www.food2.com</a> - with Adam Roberts!)<br /><br />Meanwhile, drain two cans of Trader Joe's albacore tuna in olive oil and reserve about 2 Tbl to heat in a skillet. Enter chopped fresh onion and fresh garlic chopped to the skillet to taste. (no- I'm sorry, I can't tell you how much. I don't know what your kids will eat or, most importantly, what you've got in the pantry, which is what this is about). After sauteing for a bit, I added some<br />roasted red pepper also from TJ's and a can of their artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated) to heat with the onion and garlic for a minute or so. I added about a tablespoon of lemon juice and, the tuna, after giving it a quick dice. Add freshly ground black pepper (in this instance, it was a blend of white and black) and one lemon sliced and put a lid on the skillet for a couple of minutes whilst the pasta drains.<br />Pasta in a bowl, the contents of the skillet on the pasta, a bit of grated parmesan or.... a bit of lemon zest and --- yum!<br />Hugs!JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-24625951621649413052008-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:002008-06-01T11:29:13.902-07:00In Wine there is Wisdom...Started my Sunday morning with a forwarded email message. I don't like forwarded messages, and I rarely read them. But, in this case, the sender was someone who rarely does that, and he personalized the subject line (in a very flattering way, no less), so I bit.<br />Here's the message...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria."<br /><br />In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces.<br /><br />In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop. However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine and beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering or fermenting.<br /><br />Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health<br /><br />Therefore, it is better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit. There is no need to thank me for this valuable information.</span><br /><br />Happy Sunday!!!JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-11431784061243046912008-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:002008-01-05T08:49:01.408-08:00blogging-- or notReally- I need to do this more often or not at all.<br />2008- may it hold more happiness than 2007-JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-9515032904094132972007-08-29T12:07:00.000-07:002007-08-29T12:58:12.075-07:00Comfort Food....I am not responsible for the caloric or nutritional content of the following:<br /><br />For Justin, with hugs and kisses to my almost birthday boy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TATER TOT CASSEROLE<br /></span><ul><li>1 -1.5 lbs lean ground beef or ground sirloin</li><li>1 pkg (bag) frozen peas or mixed vegetables</li><li>1/4 c. dried minced onion, or half cup of chopped fresh onion</li><li>1 - 1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup (don't use low salt for this recipe) </li><li>3/4 - 1 pkg frozen tater tots</li></ul>Preheat oven to 375 degrees<br /><br />You can use either a rectangular baking dish or a round casserole, but which one you select determines preparation (see below).<br /><br />Rectangular: press 1.5 lbs of uncooked ground beef into the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with black pepper and garlic granules, or a salt-free seasoning mix like Emeril's, or?? Add a layer of the frozen veggies, utilizing the entire package. Sprinkle with onion and pour the undiluted soup over, smoothing to make sure it's in every nook and cranny.<br /><br />For the round (3 qt) casserole, it works better to barely cook the ground beef with the onions first; place in the bottom of the casserole, then add the veggies and soup.<br /><br />Either way, top with the tatertots, lengthwise on the rectangular dish, upright if in the casserole. Some people add shredded or grated cheese at this point. I never have.<br /><br />Sometimes I like to add a little Worchestershire sauce to the soup concentrate before I pour it on.<br /><br />Bake at 375 for about one hour. You'll know it's done when the soup is bubbling up through the crispy tater tots. Happy! Happy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MEXICAN LASAGNA (or ENCHILADAS SOMBRERO)</span><br /><br />Ingredients must include:<br /><ul><li>1 - 1.5 lbs of ground beef or turkey</li><li>1 can cream of mushroom soup<br /></li><li>8 -10 corn tortillas</li><li>Canned enchilada sauce like La Victoria (about 3 cups)</li><li>3 - 4 cups grated cheese or Mexican cheese blend</li></ul>Preheat the oven to 375.<br /><span>Brown the ground meat in a skillet with onions, garlic, diced green chilies, leftover salsa, whatever sounds good... While the meat's browning, cut or tear the tortillas into slices or wedges. Stir the mushroom soup into the ground meat mixture, and remove from heat.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Lightly grease the bottom of your casserole or baking dish and cover the bottom with a light layer of enchilada sauce, followed by a layer of tortilla. Then add a layer of the cooked beef followed by a layer of grated cheese. The next layer is tortillas again, this time followed by enchilada sauce, ground beef, , cheese, tortillas, enchilada sauce and grated cheese. Substituting sour cream for the middle layer of cheese is awfully yummy, too.<br /><br />Lower oven temp to 350 and bake for 45 mins - 60 minutes depending on what type of dish you're using.JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-9242922990274319012007-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:002007-08-25T09:31:33.939-07:00Happy Birthday Justin!!!!I'm SO praying you don't read my blog! Well.... at least not often, and not today.<br />It's my baby's (my <span style="font-style: italic;">oldest</span> baby) birthday next week, and his beautiful roomies have planned a surprise party for him tomorrow. I'm bringing a version of pollo asado to grill, along with some yummy tortillas from <a href="http://www.iowameatfarms.com">Iowa Meats</a>. If you've been there, you know. If not, go! you need the butt rub...<br />Anyhooo~<br />Here's what I did...<br /><br />Blended the juice from<br /><ul><li>6 valencia oranges</li><li>3 lemons</li><li>6 limes</li></ul>with half a large bermuda onion, 3 cloves garlic, a tablespoon or so of Cholula Original Seasoning, and a handful of cilantro. Poured it over 14 lbs of chicken thighs to marinate in zip bags for about 24 hours.<br /><br />I'll let you know how it turns out...JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-45443028804788357042007-07-08T18:29:00.000-07:002007-07-08T18:31:09.769-07:00The rest of the shrimpbecame the filling for crepes.<br /><br />Using your favorite crepe recipe (mine came out a little heavy this time, not sure why) fill with<br /><br /><strong>Shrimp & Spinach</strong> (are you noticing a pattern here? I'm on a mission to use stuff while it's still fresh)<br /><br />Heat approximately 4 tablespoons of your favorite combination of EVOO and butter (eliminating completely one or the other if you wish) in pan over medium heat (size-wise, you're going to have a little more than a quart of filling when you're finished; judge accordingly). Toss in about 1/2 cup of diced onion and saute until almost transparent; then add 1 cup of diced water chestnuts and 2 cloves diced garlic. Continue sauteing until onion is tender and transparent.<br /><br />Turn heat to low and add 3/4 lb of coarsely chopped cooked jumbo shrimp, tails removed, and approximately 2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves, cleaned and stems removed. Add 2 tablespoons of dry white wine and one tablespoon of half and half. Season with sea salt, white pepper and fresh or dried rosemary to taste, adding approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon juice as the mixture reduces (about 2 minutes)<br /><br />Remove from heat and toss in 1/3 lb of crumbled feta cheese. Roll in crepes and garnish with bits of feta & spinach and a fresh or sun-dried tomato strip.JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-17839852152430793592007-07-08T12:35:00.000-07:002007-08-25T09:30:25.458-07:00Shrimp (what to do with 1.5 lbs...)In the interest of expanding my shrimp repertoire from stir-fry and shrimp cocktail, and not passing up a deal at Whole Foods late last week, I have two new shrimp recipes to share. The first, a Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Salad and the second Crepes with Shrimp and Spinach.<br /><br />The salad has a bit of a story. Last week I made <a href="http://www.emerils.com/recipes/by_name/corn_and_goat_cheese_queso_version2.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Emeril's</span> Roasted Pork <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chimichangas</span></a>. His recipe is accompanied by a Corn and Goat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Queso</span> that is <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yaya</span>!</strong> if you're a corn and cheese lover like me. I didn't make the whole recipe of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chimis</span> so I had some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">queso</span> left over. It was positively yelling "shrimp!" to me from the shelf of my fridge.<br /><br /><strong>Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Salad</strong><br />3/4 lb of cooked jumbo (16/20) shrimp, basted with olive oil, skewered and grilled until just heated through<em>. But least I mislead, I did not grill my shrimp. I had neither the fortitude nor the charcoal to heat up the grill. So I sauteed in a mixture of olive oil and butter with one crushed glove of garlic until they barely started to curl. Cooled and removed the tails. Why not remove the tails first you may ask? I like the flavor imparted by the tail left on during <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">sauteeing</span>.</em><br />1/2 recipe of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Emeril's</span> Corn and Goat Cheese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Queso</span>, about 1 1/2 cups <em>(also in the interest of full disclosure, when making the recipe I used one tablespoon of canned diced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">jalepenos</span> rather than the fresh, and half and half rather than cream)</em> Reheat the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Queso</span>, adding 1 teaspoon more of diced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">jalepeno</span>, and about 1/4 cup of half and half, and a bit of salt. When heated through, add the shrimp along with any cooking liquid and with tails removed, stir to coat and allow to cool.<br />Dice two Haas avocados and toss with approximately four cups of washed baby spinach leaves, and add the shrimp <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">queso,</span> tossing once more lightly. Serves six or so as a side salad.<br /><br /><strong>Story of the salad, continued</strong><br />My daughter and I were invited to fourth of July with her best friend's family. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Hmmmm</span>, what do you take to a potluck party attended by bastions of the local restaurant scene? The family owns/has owned three of the top local eateries. It's a bit intimidating. Really... But, the salad disappeared, rather quickly actually. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Yay</span> me!!!! I got the last few bites. though.JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382411138535356868.post-477783992259759822007-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:002007-08-29T15:00:33.644-07:00Here goes...I've been promising to do this for awhile, so here we go!<br />I'll put recipes on here for all those events, post a pic or two. Have some fun chatting about three of my favorite things; friends, food, wine (and beer)...<br />I'm pretty excited. This will work until I really get the website thing figured out.<br /><br />I thought I'd just be posting menus and recipes from our friends and family gatherings, but last Wednesday I had the unparalleled delight of having one of those exquisitely perfect evenings out. I attended the winemaker dinner at the <a href="http://www.winevaultbistro.com/">Wine Vault and Bistro</a> featuring wines from <a href="http://www.fourvines.com/">Four Vines Winery</a>. I realize that second sentence has too many superlatives, but I'm standing by them. Good wine, good food, good company- It's heaven on earth to me. I have no idea what I'll write when I have great wine, great food, great company, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. Until then, if you have the opportunity to go, don't pass it up!JustPeachyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062114480613821413noreply@blogger.com0