Calabacitas or Summer Squash and Corn

 A lovely Mexican and Mexican American summer dish, made with summer squash and zucchini, cooked with green chiles, bacon and corn.   

4 cups diced yellow squash and zucchini squash, mixed together

about 2 cups fresh or frozen corn cut off the cob 

4 slices of bacon cooked until crisp, then set aside

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3-? cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped (use as much as you like)

about 1/4 cup, seeded and chopped green chiles of whatever heat level you prefer, I like to use roasted Hatch green chiles when available.    you can use more chiles if you wish, I often use ½ to 1 cup if the chiles are milder in flavor

1 cup heavy cream 

3-4 tbsp. bacon fat left from cooking the bacon

 Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside.   Remove all but 3-4 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan.   Cook the onion,  and squash until lightly browned, stirring often.  Add the garlic and green chiles, cooking until the garlic is fragrant.    Add the corn and cook until the squash and corn are both tender.   Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat, cooking until the mixture is nearly dry.   Salt and pepper to taste.   Serve as a side dish or even as a main dish for a Mexican/Southwest themed meal.   It is addictive. 

 If you wish to add a protein to it, add cooked diced or shredded chicken, whatever amount you have or wish.   Some people will top this with cheese, but I find that with the cream it is gilding the lily.    

Creamed peas and new potatoes

 Growing up, creamed peas or creamed new potatoes were a springtime treat.  We rarely grew green peas in the garden, but when we did they were well received.    We more often grew potatoes and new potatoes were considered quite special.    If we happened to have both at the same time, they were often fixed together as one dish and are so very good when done this way.   You can also add other vegetables, such as carrots or pearl onions.   In times past, creamed vegetables were a popular way to serve vegetables and old cookbooks have numerous recipes for making them, the main way was to cook the vegetables in water until tender, drain and add to a plain cream sauce.    I sometimes will use more than one vegetable when doing this dish, for example, green peas mixed with carrots and the potatoes.  If you want to switch things up a bit, you can add cheese to the cream sauce.   You can even make the creamed vegetables, put into a baking dish, top with cheese and bake until browned.    

4 tbsp. Butter

3 tbsp. Flour

2 cups milk or half and half

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups cooked peas

Heat the butter in a largish sauce pan and then add flour. Cook a minute or two, then whisk in the milk and simmer until it thickens. Add the cooked peas and simmer a couple more minutes over very low heat. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

If you wish to add the potatoes. Wash and peel, or leave unpeeled if you prefer. Simmer in water until tender. Drain very well, cover the pan and allow to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the white sauce and peas. Stir the potatoes into the finished creamed peas, taste for seasoning and serve.  Or just add the cooked potatoes to a cream sauce with out the peas.   

To make this a cheese sauce, add a cup to cup and a half of grated cheddar and a tablespoon or two of Parmesan to the hot cooked cheese sauce, stirring until the cheese has melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.   Use as above.    

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

I have been seeing recipes for this for ages, always looked interesting but just never bought the stuff to try it. I finally did and it was good. All of the recipes were pretty close, so I was able to figure out a basic framework and then changed it to my tastes and you should too.  Lots of ingredients or flavors you cab make your own here.    Very good!

 

1lb ground pork (or use ground meat of choice or even no meat, if you prefer vegetarian)

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 or ????? peeled and chopped cloves of garlic, I used 5 and could have had more, I love garlic

1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded or finely chopped

about 1 cup shredded carrots

(or use a large bag of slaw mix, like I did)

you could use other shredded or chopped vegetables, preferably ones that aren't too juicy or wet

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp or more sesame oil (I like lots)

about 1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)

if you like hot stuff, add some chile paste or some crushed red pepper.

In a large skillet or deep wok, lightly brown the ground meat with the onion, when mostly dry, add the garlic and stir fry for a bit, then add the cabbage and carrots/slaw mix, with remaining seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage is willed and tender. if you like, you can add some chopped green onions for pretty. Taste for seasoning, adding more anything you feel is lacking. With the soy sauce it probably won't need an extra salt. With rice it makes a full meal. you could also use it to fill a wrap.

Scalloped Corn

 The south has a variety of corn casseroles that are all quite similar, but still different in how they taste and look.   There is spoon bread, like a cross between corn bread and corn custard.  Their is corn pudding, which is a type of corn corn custard.   And then scalloped corn, my favorite.  Not quite as delicate as well made corn pudding, but not as heavy as spoon bread.  It is also set apart from the other two by having a crunchy buttered cracker topping.   

2 cans of creamed corn, or about 4 cups homemade creamed corn (the cans are handy and, honestly, taste just as good)

1 pkg thawed frozen sweet corn or about 3 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob and the cobs scraped

3 eggs, beaten lightly

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup melted butter, divided

1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs or other butter type cracker, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a large casserole dish and set aside.   In a large bowl add the creamed corn, thawed or fresh corn, sugar salt and pepper, and mix well.  Then stir in half of the cracker crumbs and half the melted butter.   Mix well, then pour into the casserole dish.  Mix the remaining cracker crumbs and melted butter, mixing well.  Sprinkle them evenly over the top of the corn mixture.   Bake about 30-45 minutes, until well browned and bubbly.  Cool slightly before serving.

Did one wish to attempt to improve on perfection, you could add some grated sharp cheddar to the corn mixture and then more on top with the cracker crumbs... I would suggest about a cup to the corn mixture and half that amount to the topping.   One could use some crisp bacon or diced ham in the pudding as well.    

Mulligan Stew

 My Grandma Casey was an old time farm wife and used to making do.  She was an incredible cook and could take a little bit of nothing and turn it into a feast.  Two things she made like this were in incredible were macaroni and tomatoes (I have that recipe elsewhere on this blog) and something she called Mulligan Stew, both were heavenly served with hot cornbread.  The Mulligan stew as I remember it, was made at the end of the summer garden and included tomatoes, cabbage, onion and green peppers.  The cabbage, onion and peppers were fried /browned in some bacon grease, then tomatoes were added and all simmered until tender.  I still make this every so often, with a pan of cornbread and remember those family dinners at Grandma’s and all the love we had with each bite.  

If you want to try making this, feel free to adapt the ingredients and amounts.  There really isn’t a set recipe, as it was made with what was on hand.  If you want a bit of heat, add a couple chopped hot peppers or some crushed red pepper.  

1 small head of cabbage, cleaned, cored and chopped

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1-2 green peppers, cored and chopped

about a quart of peeled and diced tomatoes 

¼ cup or so of bacon grease or oil

Heat the bacon grease in a large pot and then brown the cabbage, onion and green peppers.  When nicely browned, add the tomatoes with their juice and simmer until everything is tender, adding water as needed to prevent sticking.   If you want to use the crushed red pepper, add when add the tomatoes.  Serve up with lots of cornbread.  Hot sauce on the side if you like more heat!

Savory Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

 1 lb button mushrooms,  Portobello if possible, washed and cut into halves

1 bag frozen pearl onions

4-5 peeled garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp. soy or tamari sauce

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp, dained

3 tbsp of bacon grease, from the cooked bacon, trying to save as much of the browned stuff in the bottom of the pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degree, using the roast setting on your oven if you have that, if not just usual bake setting.  Toss all of the ingredients except the crisp bacon crumbles, place in a large baking dish and roast about 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the mushrooms are browned and any liquid has reduced to a thick glaze.      Place in a serving dish and stir in the bacon crumbles.   These are addictive!  

If you don't care for onions, omit and add another 8 oz package of mushrooms. 

Stir Fried Leeks and Mushrooms

 2 leeks, peeled, cleaned and sliced

1 onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

about 2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 pound lean pork, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

oil for stir frying

 Marinade for the pork:  3 tbsp soy or tamari sauce, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger, 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp of cornstarch.   Mix this all together well, then add the pork cubes, making sure all the pork is covered with the marinade.   Set aside for at least 10 minutes. 

 An additional 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 3 tbsp chopped ginger, set aside

Heat a wok or large deep skillet then add about 3 tbsp oil and swirl it around the pan.  Add the mushrooms and onion, stir fry it until the mushrooms begin to brown a bit.  Remove to a large bowl, then add the leeks.   Stir fry the leeks until they too start to  brown, then remove them to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Add an additional 3 tbsp of oil to the walk, swirl it around and then add the pork.  Stir fry the pork until it is all white and starting to look done.  It won't take very long,  add the remaining garlic and ginger, along with 1 tsp of sesame oil, and fry until fragrant.  Return the vegetables to the pan, mix all together and then allow it to sit a minute or two before eating.   

Brussels Sprouts with Country Ham

I love Brussels sprouts and always looking for new ways to cook them.  Usually I will just roast them with salt and pepper, but sometimes I like to do something a. bit different.   This is one I tried and it turned out to be one that I liked, a lot!   If you can't find or don't care for country ham, you can used regular ham or even some cubed bacon and you fry until crispy.

Brussels Sprouts and Country Ham

1/4 cup bacon fat
4 ounces country ham, finely diced
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sprouts shaved 1/4-thick crosswise on a mandoline
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the bacon fat in  a large skillet over medium heat. Add the country ham and cook, stirring frequently, until the ham just starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot, apples and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, until wilted and almost shiny, 4 to 6 minutes. 
Add the apple cider and vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and remove from the heat. Continue to stir until the butter has completely melted and formed a creamy sauce. Serve.

A Simple Salad

Here is a very simple salad is is a perfect side dish or light lunch.   The ingredients are variable and you add what you have or like and in whatever amounts you like.   Feel free to experiment.   Very simple, equal amounts of any or all of these, diced in the roughly the same sized pieces.

cucumber, peeled or not as you wish
radishes
sweet peppers
carrots
tomatoes
green onions

I then dress it with a good olive oil and a couple grindings of salt and black pepper.   Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Spinach Feta Casserole

I love the Greek dish, spanakopita or spinach pie.  It is a delectable dish made with lots of melted butter, filo pastry and a rich spinach and feta cheese filling.   However, it is kind of a pain in the butt to make, with all the layers of filo leaves, each leaf brushed with lots of melted butter.  Because of all the melted butter, it is also quite rich.   Wonderful for a special treat, but not something you would want to eat all that often.  However, the actual spinach filling itself, is not all that rich and for me is the best part anyway.   So I took my favorite spanikopita recipe, changed it a bit to meet my tastes and baked it without the filo pastry.   I love it and it is a lot lighter.   If you use low fat feta, it would be even lighter.   Either way, this is a tasty side or even a main course.   I hope you will like it as much as I do.

-->

Spinach Feta Casserole

3-4 eggs, beaten

12oz bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed or about  2 lbs. of fresh spinach, chopped

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or diced

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. dill (fresh or dried, if using fresh use only about 1 tbsp. finely chopped)

a small bunch of green onions, cleaned and chopped (in the original recipe, but I don’t use them)

½ cup chopped parsley (optional—in the original recipe, but I don’t use them)

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.   Grease an 8x8 inch square pan and set aside (or use any other dish of approximately the same size).

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and cook the onion until it starts to brown a bit, then add the garlic.   Stir it around for a few minutes, then stir in the spinach.   Cook until the frozen spinach is heated or until the fresh spinach is very wilted.   Remove from heat and cool a bit.    Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, yogurt, pepper and dill, then stir in the feta.   Finally, add the cooled spinach and onions and mix well (if using, add the green onions and parsley now).  Spoon into the prepared pan and bake about 45-60 minutes.  I knife stuck in the center should come out clean and the edges should be starting to brown.   Cool slightly before serving. 

You could add some things to make this a bit different:  Some crumbled bacon or cubed ham (finely chopped prosciutto fried with the onion would be to die for!) added to the mixture.   Topping the casserole with some grated Parmesan before baking would be tasty.   Making a topping of buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan would be tasty and pretty as well.  Also, there is no reason you should limit yourself to just spinach, any tender spring green would be very good in this.   Use you imagination!  

Grandma Casey's Candied Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving is coming and I want to post some of my family's favorite things and things that I am usually asked to make for family gatherings.   One of them is candied sweet potatoes.   This is an old recipe, one my grandma used to make back in the Ozark hills.   It is very simple and easy to make.   The amounts vary, depending on how many you want to make.  I usually make about 1 sweet potato for each person that will be eating them.

5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

about 1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup butter, cut into bits

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Place the sweet potatoes in a 9x13 in. pan,  pour the sugar evenly over the potatoes, then dot with the butter.   Bake the pan of sweet potatoes about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring 2-3 times.   You want the potatoes to be very tender, the sugar will form a very thick syrup and the potatoes will be lightly browned around the edges.  If  some blacken a tiny bit around the edges, don’t worry about it.   That bit is especially tasty.  

German Potato Salad

I happen to be a fan of potato salad, both the traditional one with mayonaise and served cold, but I really love hot potato salad, usually called German potato salad.   It is a warm, sweet and sour delight that goes especially well with roast pork or baked ham.    When I was younger my mom always seemed to make it when we had a baked ham.   My brother in law Gary is a big fan of it too.

6 average sized potatoes, boiled in the jacket, cooled enough to peel and then thinly sliced
6 slices of bacon, finely diced, fried crisp and drained
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cups water

Fry the diced bacon and fry until the bacon is crisp.   Drain and reserve the crisp bacon pieces.   In the bacon grease, saute the onion until golden brown.   Add the flour, sugar, celery seeds, salt and pepper.   Fry about a minute, then add the water and vinegar.   Cook stirring, until thickened and bubbling about a minute or so.   Add the reserved bacon pieces and the cooked, sliced potatoes.   Stir well and serve.  Enjoy!

I have had, but never made myself, green beans like this.    You take your cooked green beans and mix with the bacon and the cooked sweet and sour sauce.   I also have a feeling that cooked beets would be very tasty done this way too.

Roasted Root Vegetables

I have always loved roasted potatoes, onions and carrots, but friends have been telling me to branch out a bit.   So this weekend I bought some celery root, parsnips and rutabaga.   I also had the old stand-bys, carrots, potatoes, whole peeled garlic cloves and onion.   I peeled everything but the potatoes, then cut all into pieces about the same size...about an inch square or so.   I drizzled everything in olive oil, added salt and pepper, then spread in a single layer on an edged baking sheet.   I preheated the oven to about 450 degrees, then placed the pan in the oven.   I let them roast about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so.   If there is a bit too much oil in the pan, you can briefly drain the vegetables on some paper towels before serving.     If you happen to have some fresh rosemary or thyme or parsley or chives, chop finely and sprinkle over the roasted vegetables before serving.   Enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup

I have never tried cooking with leeks, although my friend Fr. Emmanuel kept telling me how delicious they are.   So this weekend I decided to try making a leek and potato soup.   It turned out quite tasty.   Here's how I did it.

4 tbsp. olive oil or butter or bacon fat
2 bunches leeks, sliced and cleaned (see below)
2 tsp. sugar
2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
3 cups diced potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the leeks by slicing off the dark green portion and root ends.   Discard them.   Slice the leeks lengthwise, then slice in half inch half moons.   Place in a large bowl of cold water and rinse well, then drain.   While draining heat the chosen fat and add the drained sliced leeks.   Fry gently on medium low heat, stirring every 10-15 minutes, taking care not to let them scorch.   Sprinkle with the sugar.   After about 30-40 minutes, add about 1/2 cup chicken broth.   Cook until the broth evaporates and the leeks brown more.    Add more chicken broth, stir and dissolve the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan.   Do this three times in all.    Add the remaining chicken broth and diced potatoes.   Simmer until the potatoes are very tender.   At this point  you have three choices.
1) Eat the soup as it is.
2) Take a potato masher and mash the cooked potatoes to thicken the soup slightly and leave a rustic chunky soup.
3)  Puree the soup until smooth, adding heavy cream until you have the thickness you prefer.

You can garnish your finished soup with bacon crumbles, grated cheese or croutons.   It also goes well with a nice crusty bread.   And as always, enjoy!

Southern Style Green Beans

As I've said before, I come from a long line of country folks.   My family has been in southeast Missouri since the early 1800's.   My Grandma Casey was an awesome cook.   She did all kinds of those good ole southern foods...fried chicken, fried peach pies, chicken and dumplings, cornbread and biscuits.   Everything she did was good.  Vegetables were generally simmered for a long time and flavored with bacon fat or lots of butter.   One thing that was especially good were her green beans and new potatoes.  She would simmer fresh green beans for an hour or so, flavoring them with some bacon and onion, then adding halved and peeled new potatoes.   When done the potatoes would be very tender and the the green beans would be very wilted, soft and melt in your mouth.   They are very delicious too.   Now I rarely cook green beans like this, usually just steaming them until barely tender, but every so often I get a craving for Grandma's green beans.    This is how I make them.


a couple pounds of green beans, either fresh or frozen.   if fresh, stem and tail them, then break into pieces and wash well

2-3 slices of bacon, chopped (optional)
or 1 tbsp. bacon fat or olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
6-8 medium sized new potatoes, peeled or well scrubbed, then halved or quartered

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon if using.   Fry until crispy, then remove.   In the bacon fat or olive oil fry the onion until it is soft and beginning to brown.   Add the green beans and potatoes with enough water to barely come to the top of the vegetables.   Simmer over low heat about an hour or until the potatoes are tender and the green beans are limp and starting to fall apart.   Allow to nearly cook dry, but take care that they don't burn.   You may need to add small amounts of water.    Make a big pan of corn bread and enjoy!

Cream of Tomato Soup

When the weather starts getting cooler I love making and eating soups of all kinds.  Often I will make soup and take to work for us to share and one that is often requested is cream of tomato soup.  I like mine thick and creamy and with a rich tomato flavor.   Here is how I do it.

3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
5 heaping tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 cups milk or half and half
4 cups crushed or pureed tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste

Heat the butter and oil together and add the chopped onion with a sprinkle of salt.  Fry until the onion begins to brown a bit.  Add the flour, baking soda and Mrs. Dash and stir well until the flour begins to brown a bit.   Pour in the milk (or half and half), whisking constantly until it begins to boil and thickens a bit.   Whisk in the tomato paste and then add the crushed tomatoes.   It may become very thick when you add the tomatoes and if it is too thick, add a bit more milk until you get the right thickness.   Heat until thoroughly hot.   Eat with crackers or the traditional grilled cheese sandwich.   Enjoy!

An Indian Meal

Aaron and I both love Indian food.   One of our favorite restaurants is an Indian restaurant in Lawrence, KS and I often fix Indian food at home.    I have a large selection of Indian and curry cookbooks too.    One of my all time favorite Indian cookbooks is the Best Ever Indian Cookbook.   It has mostly northern Indian recipes, which is probably the style of cooking most common to Americans.   And there are enough meat recipes to keep most carnivores happy and with a smile on their faces.   If you are not a carnivore, either a vegetarian or just trying to cut back on meat, you can omit the meat in many of these recipes and substitute paneer (Indian cheese), boiled eggs, tofu or another kind of vegetable.   The sauces tend to be what makes the dish.   And I find that Indian recipes really lend themselves to substitution.   Use what you have and adapt the recipe as you go along.    I also find, that with a few exceptions, Indian cooking relies on spices that are most common or easily found:   cumin, cilantro, green chiles, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, ginger, etc.   And I have also noticed that many grocery stores, even here in Topeka Kansas, are stocking more things that used to be a bit hard to find...coconut milk, five spice powder, naan, curry pastes, etc.   And you may even be lucky enough to have an Indian import shop in your area where you can buy things.   We have a very nice one here in Topeka,  Cosmos, where I love to shop and always find the staff to be most helpful and kind.   They also offer cooking classes as well.

Tonight is Indian food night for Aaron and I.   I am going to make Kashmiri chicken, curried mushrooms with coconut and curried pineapple.   I'm also going to attempt making my own naan for the first time.   I have the dough rising as I type.   Should be a good dinner, wish some of you fine readers were here to enjoy it with us.    These recipes all came from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook, as referenced above.   If you like doing Indian cooking, I highly recommend this book.   Enjoy!   (I know Aaron and I enjoyed both cooking and eating these foods!)

Naan

2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
4 tbsp. warm milk
8 tbsp. warm water (more or less)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp. melted butter or ghee, for brushing the breads

Place the yeast in the warmed milk and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. to give the yeast time to activate.   Then place in a large bowl with everything except the water and melted butter.   Mix and add the water, about 2 tbsp. at a time until you have a soft dough.   Knead about 15 minutes, until very smooth and elastic.   Allow to rise, covered, in a warm place for an hour or so, until doubled.    When double, preheat the oven to the highest setting, at the very least 450 degrees.   If you have a baking stone, it is perfect for baking these.   But if not, place one or two baking sheets into the oven to heat.    When the oven is hot, knead the dough another couple of minutes, then divide into four balls.   Roll each ball out on a floured board about 1/4-1/3 inch thick.    Place each two rounds of dough on each baking sheet and return to the oven, baking 3-4 minutes, or until puffed up.    Remove from the oven and place under the broiler for a few seconds or until the top is slightly browned.   Brush with the melted butter or ghee and serve warm.   Makes 4 breads, enough for 2-4 people, depending on how hearty their appetite is.

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

4 tsp. curry paste
4 tbsp. tomato ketchup
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. five spice powder
1 tsp. white sugar
8 pieces of chicken, skinned (I used a package of boneless thighs)
2 inch piece of fresh ginger root
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Make a marinade of the following:  curry paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, five spice powder, sugar and a pinch of salt.    Stir until sugar is dissolved.   Then rub this mixture over the chicken pieces and allow to sit in the refrigerature for about 2 hour or overnight.   Allow to sit on the counter about 10-15 minutes before cooking.

Peel and then grate the ginger root.    Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet and fry half of the ginger with the crushed garlic until golden.   Take care not to scorch it.    Add the chicken with any marinade and fry until the chicken is sealed on all sides.   Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the oil begins to separate from the sauce.

Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon juice, remaining ginger and the chopped cilantro.   Mix well.   Serve hot with plain rice and/or naan.

Spiced Coconut Mushrooms

2 tbsp. vegetable ooil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 fresh red or green chiles, seeded and chopped (more if you like it really hot)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
3 cups thickly sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat the oil and stir fry the garlic and chiles a few seconds.   Add the onions and continue to stir fry a few more minutes, until the onions begin to soften and color.    Stir in the mushrooms and stir fry about 3 minutes.   Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Boil rapidly until the liquid reduces and coats the mushroom slices.   It only takes a couple of minutes.    Place in a serving bowl, sprinkle cilantro on top and serve hot.



Chile and Mustard Flavored Pineapple

1 lb. of fresh pineapple cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (or to taste)
6-8 fresh curry leaves (optional)

Put the pineapple, water, coconut milk tumeric and first 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, salt and sugar into a large skillet or wok.   Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and allow to cook about 15 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat the oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds.    Stir fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop, then stir in the chopped onion.    Cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion is soft and begins to color.      Add the second 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper and curry leaves if using.   Remove from heat and stir into the pineapple mixture.    Stir well, then remove from the head.    Eat hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Curried Vegetables

Aaron and I have both really gotten into Indian food.   We love eating at Indian restaurants and I've played around making Indian food at home.    Here is one of our favorite recipes.   I usually make this and then make some kind of curried meat to go with it.   That, rice and naan (an Indian flat bread), will be our supper.    These vegetables are also really good reheated the next day.

1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp. curry paste
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into small pieces
1 small eggplant, cut into cubes
1 cup of diced carrots
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven and then fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds for a minute or so. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and ginger, continue to fry a couple more minutes, stirring frequently and taking care not to scorch. Then stir in the curry paste and continue to fry a bit longer. Stir in the cauliflower, eggplant and carrots. Stir fry 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the remaining ingredients, except for the butter. Simmer on low heat about 15 minutes or so, until everything is tender and the juices thicken a bit. Stir in the butter and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.

(You don't have to limit yourself to just these vegetables. Anything that cooks quickly, yet still retains its shape and texture can be used.)    Enjoy!

Vegetables

I haven't written too much about vegetables and that might lead you to think I don't cook them very often.   However, I always include at least one vegetable in every meal I fix.   Usually I cook them lightly steamed with just a bit of butter for flavoring.   Often I fix a bag of Birds Eye Steamfresh  frozen vegetables.  I like them as I think they are very high quality and they also provide just enough for Aaron and I to share.    Sometimes to be different I will season them like this:

Just before steaming the vegetables as directed on the bag, heat about 3 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet.   Add about 1 cup frozen pearl onions or a small onion peeled and thinly sliced.   Stir fry in the hot oil until tender and just beginning to brown.   Peel and chop 3-4 cloves of garlic and add to the skillet.   Stir and fry very briefly, until the garlic just barely begins to color and smells very fragrant.   Be careful not to scorch as it will give it a bitter taste.    Steam the vegetables as directed and then stir into the onion, garlic, oil mixture.  Stir well to combine and then serve.

Another favorite of both Aaron and I are steamed carrots.   I peel and slice however many carrots I think we'll eat or use a small bag of baby carrots.   Simmer in water to cover until tender.   Drain and add a tablespoon or so of butter and either a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar or honey or maple syrup.   Cover and allow the carrots to sit a few minutes before serving.   Enjoy!

What to do with canned tomatoes?

When I was growing up the family always had a big garden at my grandma's.   By the time I came along most garden produce was frozen, but Mama still canned a few things, mainly because the family preferred them canned as opposed to frozen.   Mama would can corn, peaches and tomatoes.   We ate a lot of Mama's canned tomatoes, especially in the winter months.    Mama would use them for making chili, vegetable soup, breaded tomatoes ands sometimes Daddy would just pour some in a bowl and eat them with a spoon.   To be honest, I still like eat canned tomatoes that way even today.   But my favorite way to eat Mama's home canned tomatoes was macaroni and tomatoes.    Mama is gone now, but after much trial and error I've finally recreated her recipe.   It makes a good side dish, but I'll often have it for the whole meal with a pan of crusty cornbread to go with it.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 tbsp. butter
3 14-oz. cans of tomatoes (I use no salt diced tomatoes)
4 cups cooked macaroni
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter and fry the onion until it starts to brown a bit, then add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.   Finally, add the cooked macaroni, salt and pepper to taste.   Allow to sit a few minutes before eating.   It calls out for a pan of cornbread to eat with it.

Breaded Tomatoes

4-6 slices of white bread, cut into cubes and dried in the oven until lightly brown
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 14-oz cans of tomatoes (no salt diced tomatoes is what I use)
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. butter

Heat the butter and then fry the onion until it begins to brown.   Add the tomatoes and simmer a few minutes.   Just before serving, stir in the dried bread cubes, salt and pepper to taste.   Enjoy!