There's always thyme to cook...

Source: A Bird in The Oven by Mindy Fox

8 Russet Potatoes, washed, peeled, thoroughly dried and cut into 1/4-inch sticks

vegetable oil, for frying, leaving plenty of room from the top of the skillet

salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Mayo:

Mix together some mayonnaise and

Sriricha, to taste, add more less depending how you like it.

In a deep skillet, heat the oil to 325 degrees F. Use a deep-fat thermometer to check the temperature. Carefully, in small batches, fry the potatoes to a deep golden brown. Carefully remove the potatoes from skillet using a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Let the oil get back to temperature in between batches. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Wordless Wednesday: Chili

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Baked Green Bean Fries

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

We are definitely trying to eat somewhat healthier these days and when I saw these on someone's board on Pinterest I had to give them a whirl. Loved them. So easy and we were pleasantly surprised at how good they were. Really good change from the deep-fried we get at restaurants. We had them plain, as a side dish, but I think next time I'd serve them with an aioli for dipping, too.

and now I'm addicted to Pinterest. Just what I need. More computing.

Baked Crispy Green Bean Fries
Source: http://nutritionfor.us/2011/11/baked-green-bean-fries-and-good-living/
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 pound of fresh green beans, trimmed, blanched and cooled
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon of olive oil, for the baking sheet

To blanch green beans: Rinse green beans and trim off the ends. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a couple teaspoons of salt. Carefully put the green beans into the boiling water. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, more or less. Check for doneness. Immediately drain the green beans in a colander and put them into ice cold water to bring the temperature down. Drain the beans and make sure that they are dried well before using.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a nonstick cooking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.

Pour flour into one bowl or a large ziploc bag. In another bowl, beat the eggs. In another bowl, mix breadcrumbs with spices.

Take the green beans and mix them in the flour. Shake off any excess. Then dip them into the egg, a few at a time, then completely cover them in the bread crumbs. Place on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Repeat with the rest of the green beans.
Bake for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy.

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Wordless Wednesday: Blue Skies

2012-01-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

Moo Shu Chicken and Vegetables

2012-01-19T15:28:00.001-05:00

Another big hit. This one is fast and easy. The original recipe called for just vegetables, which is good because we do like vegetables, even the picky one loves vegetables. But I added some chicken anyway. It was excellent. I had some fresh peas and threw those in, too!

I cheated with the rice, no surprises there, and picked up some fried rice from the takeout place. I love takeout.

Moo Shu Chicken and Vegetables
Source: EatingWell - September/October 2008
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/moo_shu_vegetables.html
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken cutlets cut in small pieces
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables like broccoli slaw
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

chopped scallions
whole wheat tortilla's
Sriracha sauce

Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until done. Remove to a plate. Add the eggs to the pan, stirring gently, until just set, about 3 minutes. Remove to the plate with the chicken.

Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Keep cooking until the vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved eggs, chicken, peas and hoisin; cook, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin. Warm the tortilla's for about 30 seconds in the microwave, if using.

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

http://www.marthastewart.com/313104/light-italian-wedding-soup

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

2012-01-15T11:42:00.002-05:00

Brrr, it's really cold out there. For now. The way the weather has been here it could be in the 50's again next week. Or not. Either way this soup will make you happy! Great flavor, it's a nice dump soup, just dump whatever you want in there. I wanted to add a little whole wheat pasta shapes, but I forgot. Go figure, I finally made a recipe just like it was written, pretty much. If you can't find escarole, use kale or spinach. Add pasta, barley, beans, whatever you like. To me it's that kind of soup. Hearty and filling.

Light Italian Wedding Soup

with Turkey Meatballs

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food January 2012

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

1 pound ground turkey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

32 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

1 large head escarole, or 2 small , cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped (you can use kale or spinach, if you can't find escarole)

*Optional -- you can add small pasta, like tubetti, ditalini, shells, whatever you like. Don't overcook the pasta.

In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, about a teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more or less. Using about a tablespoon for each, roll mixture into small meatballs.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes (with juice); bring to a simmer. Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, until meatballs float to surface, about 10 minutes. Skim foam. Add as much escarole or kale to pot as will fit.

Continue to simmer, gradually adding remaining escarole. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes more or less. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve soup sprinkled with more Parmesan.

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Roasted Mushrooms

2012-01-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

Here's another winner from the book All About Roasting by Molly Stevens. Quick-Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan. Usually I stuff mushrooms or saute them but this time I roasted them, it gave plain old white button mushrooms a lot of flavor. A little something different. This was outstanding.

Of course the recipe called for something I didn't have on hand, cremini mushrooms. But white buttons worked out so well in this, I'd use them again. The whole dish took less than twenty minutes using the high heat method. Funny but high heat usually means burnt in my case. Not these, they came out perfectly fine, there were no leftovers, and the smoke alarm never went off. You can also serve on toasted baguette slices, just chop it a bit. And it would be nice chopped on top of some whole wheat pasta.

Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Source: All About Roasting by Molly Stevens
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon pine nuts (I used a bit more)
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or use less dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Watch them carefully, they tend to burn rather quickly. Transfer to a plate to cool. Chop them if you like. I left them whole.

Put the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and drizzle with melted butter and olive oil. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the mushrooms to coat. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for about 10 minutes. Turn them and then roast for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving dish and toss with the pine nuts. Grate the cheese over and serve.

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-10T07:38:00.001-05:00

Stuffed Zucchini

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Tomatoes and zucchini go so well together. Add some cheese and bread crumbs and you've got one fantastic dish! This was excellent. And so easy. I was looking forward to leftovers, but there weren't any. So I made them again.

Zucchini Boats
Source: ProudItalian Cook

3 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise, ends trimmed

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

plain bread crumbs

fontina, provolone or mozzarella (or any good melting cheese), diced

a little white wine (optional)

olive oil for drizzling

basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine the garlic, oil, salt and pepper.

Scoop out the seeds of the zucchini in the center with a spoon. Brush the surface with the oil mixture. Arrange the tomato halves down the center of the zucchini, pour a little bit of white wine in the dish, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the cheese in between the tomatoes. Turn broiler on and place them back in the oven. Broil until golden and bubbling. Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan. Garnish with chopped basil.

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Roasting!

2012-01-05T15:24:00.000-05:00

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks would be All About Braising by Molly Stevens. So when she recently came out with All About Roasting, it was on the top of my wish list! I have the book only a few days and already made two dishes. Both simple. Both easy. Both fantastic. And I have at least ten more recipes bookmarked!

Roasted Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Salt. I made it exactly, well pretty much exactly, as it was written and it went over big. They loved it. No leftovers to pick at tomorrow, the picky one would have had a third helping. We all thought it was that good.

Roasted Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Salt
Source: All About Roasting by Molly Stevens
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 pound of sugar snap peas, peel off the fibrous center string, if it's there, trim stem ends)
2 tablespoons white or black sesame seeds (or both)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Arrange the snow peas on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 14 minutes, or until they are browned and crisp in spots and starting to shrivel. While they roast, spread the sesame seeds out in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until they start to turn golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and let them cool on a plate. When cooled, mix them with the salt in a mortar or spice grinder. Not too fine. As soon as the peas are done, transfer them to a serving bowl and sprinkle the sesame salt mixture on top of the roasted snap peas. Serve hot, warm or even cold!

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-03T16:05:00.000-05:00

Southern Pecan and Apple Salad

Frozen Cocktails

2012-01-01T10:56:00.002-05:00

A frozen chocolate cocktail.

When I saw it at ValSoCal I knew I would be making this for New Year's Eve. I need more practice with the sugar on the glass but otherwise these were a big hit! I added a little chocolate syrup to make it more chocolatey, some silver sugar to make it a little more festive and it was a delicious way to celebrate the New Year!

Frozen Hot Cocoa Cocktail

Source: ValSoCal

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 ounces of hot cocoa mix

3 cups of milk

3/4 cup vanilla vodka

4 to 5 cups ice
chocolate syrup, for garnish

mini marshmallows, for garnish

chocolate shavings, for garnish
sugar, for the rim
hot cocoa mix, for the rim

Put some water into a saucer. Dip the rims of the martini glasses into the water and shake off any excess. Dip them in the sugar to rim the glass. You can also rim the glass in hot cocoa instead of the sugar.

In a blender, combine cocoa mix, milk, vodka and 6 cups of ice and blend until smooth. Serve in martini glasses and garnish with the mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup and some chocolate shavings!

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Happy New Year Graphic -- more clip art can be found here

A few favorites...

2011-12-29T20:41:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year!

These are just some of my favorites over the years...

Apple, Dried Cherry and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing

Caesar Salad

Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice

Tomato-Basil Soup

Standing Rib Roast

Muffin Pan Potato Gratins

Grilled Potatoes with Spicy Aioli

Potato Latkes

Biscuit Tortoni

Lemon Custard Cakes

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Simpler Times French Toast Casserole

2011-12-26T13:19:00.000-05:00

Overnight French Toast casserole is a favorite in our house. Especially this one. Simpler Times Blueberry French Toast Casserole. Always a request from my son and his friends, especially when they were back on break from college. But planning ahead is not really my thing, or theirs, so we sort of skipped the overnight part and gave it abut an hour for the bread to soak up the custard. A little mash and stir helps that along and even with just half an hour to soak, it comes out perfect. This time I even went for the real bacon and not the pre-cooked. No comparison! A pretty perfect breakfast. Tomorrow it's back to the cheerio's!

Simpler Times French Toast
Source: David/ Lakeguy (GW Cooking Forum), original recipe by Chef & Innkeeper Cindy Belford, Simpler Times Inn
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 whole Challah or Brioche cut in 1" cubes
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (original recipe called for 1 cup, I used 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups milk or half & half
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Put bread cubes in large bowl. Whip eggs, sugar and nutmeg until light in color and thick. Add milk, stir and pour over bread. Cover and place in fridge overnight, if you can't make it ahead, let it soak for at least an hour and mix the bread well in the custard mixture.

In the morning, mix 1 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup pecans into the bread mix and put into a greased pan; sprinkle rest of the blueberries on top, then the pecans. In pan, melt butter and brown sugar until bubbly. Pour mixture over blueberries and pecans.

Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until puffed. Serve hot with syrup.

Zuppa Toscana

2011-12-24T08:32:00.000-05:00

I had some leftover kale from a salad and I went looking for recipes. And I found a great one!

This was a delicious soup, in spite of the fact that I totally forgot to add the heavy cream at the end. I could blame the fact that it's holiday time and everything is so hectic. But I really can't because this happens to me even at the calmest of times. The crumbled sausage? That had to be sliced because partially thawed Italian chicken sausage doesn't crumble too easily if you forget to take it from the freezer in good time. I did manage to get the casing off but I guess if I was slicing it didn't matter anyway. Then I almost killed Grandma again with the pepper. One half teaspoon was probably more because I wasn't paying attention, it just might have been a tad much. Even the kids had more to drink with dinner! And the sausage was the spicy kind. But everyone loved this one. Even grandma, with a lot of water on the side. Definitely a keeper.

Zuppa Toscana
Source: Annie's Eats
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 lb. Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups cannelini beans
2 cups fresh kale, chopped or torn in small pieces (stems removed)
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (use heavy cream if you want a richer tasting soup!)
Salt and pepper

Place a large stockpot on the stove over medium heat. Remove the sausage from the casings and crumble into the pan. Cook until well browned.

Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels; set aside. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté about 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the potatoes, beans, kale, and chicken broth to the pot.

Return the sausage to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Stir in the milk or cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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Cider Baked Apples

2011-12-17T23:40:00.001-05:00

In a long, long list of favorite desserts, baked apple is way up there. Way, way up there. Practically tops! This recipe is simple and easy and I added the pecans because we love apples and pecans. You can add anything you like, the recipe is easy, simple and so good. And being the somewhat lazy cook that I am I didn't even bother to baste them, instead halfway through cooking I just turned the apples upside down and finished baking. Being not completely lazy, I served them right side up!

Cider Baked Apples with Pecans

Source: Food52, member recipe by Sally

Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

2 1/2 cups apple cider
6 Fuji apples (or any firm cooking apple)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour the cider into a small skillet and bring it to a boil. On medium heat, continue to boil until the liquid reduces by a little less than half. It should be somewhat syrupy, but it won't be very thick. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil out.

While the cider is reducing, peel the skin from the top third of each apple. Use a melon baller or an apple corer to dig out the core. Place the apples in a baking dish. Stuff the pecans into the apple cavities. Sprinkle some pecans in the baking dish.

Stir the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar into the cider syrup. Pour it into the apple cavities, allowing it to overflow into the baking dish. Bake the apples for 40 to 50 minutes, until they are soft and tender, but not mush. Baste the apples occasionally in the cider syrup. Add more cider if it needs more liquid. The actual cooking time will depend on the size of the apples, larger apples may take longer.

Serve the apples warm with the syrup and pecans spooned over them. It's also nice topped with ice cream, whipped cream, yogurt or a cream anglaise.

Kale with Sauteed Apples and Squash

2011-12-16T14:39:00.001-05:00

I decided to eat healthier. Well try anyway. But as I am finding out, healthy tastes good. Very good. I found this recipe for a salad with winter greens at Serious Eats. This was actually a great salad but I had to make a few changes. No pears in the house. Not a fan of the texture. So I added apples and squash instead. Added some bacon, too, for old time's sake. I can't eat all healthy, all the time. But a couple slices goes a long way for flavor. Next try, fish. Maybe. That will definitely be a hard sell to the picky family. Vegetables were easy.

Kale with Sauteed Apples and Butternut Squash

Source: Serious Eats, adapted from Good Food to Share by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 Fuji apple, halved and cored and diced
1 cup of butternut squash, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 handfuls of Kale, remove the tough stems and cut or tear into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup walnut oil
3 slices cooked bacon, torn in small pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
Grana Padano cheese, shaved (or Parmesan or Pecorino)

In a small, dry frying pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Watch because they burn easily. Remove from the heat and remove from pan, pour onto a plate to cool. Set aside.

Dice the apple and the butternut squash. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the apples and squash, salt and pepper to taste, and saute until browned and softened. Add the bacon and saute for a minute or two with the apples and squash.

Combine the greens and pine nuts in a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, and shallot. Add the walnut oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly. Top with the roasted apple, squash and Grana Padano and season with a few grinds of pepper. Serve immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sending out a very big thank you Marigene from In The Middle of Nowhere and her sister Judy from Grace and Miss Mouse Soaps. They had a wonderful giveaway on Marigene's blog and I won a most generous gift of the most fantastic scented handcrafted soaps. You can find tons more at Judy's site, Grace and Miss Mouse Soaps, handcrafted in Vermont, take a peek!

Thanks again ladies, I am thrilled!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Mexican Rice

2011-12-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

Rice or Soup? The recipe said fluff with a fork, mine turned out more like swirl with a spoon. Even after cooking it for over forty minutes. So instead of fluffy it was kind of wet and soupy, but it still tasted great. I'd make it again for sure. Maybe use a little less liquid. Maybe not. We liked it soupy. Usually it's crunchy :)

Mexican Rice
Source: About.com
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 of a medium onion
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
4 tablespoons of chopped parsley (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
wedge of lime

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Saute for about 2 minutes until softened. Add dry rice and cook with the onions for about 5 minutes or until rice becomes a golden brown color. Add the garlic to the rice and saute for another minute.

Slowly add the broth and tomatoes. Add the parsley if you're using it. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed. Squeeze some lime juice on, fluff with a fork and serve.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

2011-12-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Chicken Fajitas

2011-12-08T08:12:00.000-05:00

And another fabulous fajita recipe, this one from Martha Stewart Living! This was excellent and pretty simple to make. Lot of great flavor, it's another keeper. This recipe by Susan from Savoring Time in the Kitchen that I usually make is a little different. Chicken Fajita's, the same, but different? But so good!

Chicken Fajitas

Source: Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

For the mojo de ajo:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 3 small limes

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the Fajitas:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into slices

1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into slices

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breast cutlet, cut in strips

8 small flour tortillas, warmed

For Serving:

guacamole

salsa

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

jalapeno rings

Make the mojo de ajo: Cook oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until garlic is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice, red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Make the fajitas: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil, and gently swirl to coat. Add onion and bell pepper, and season with a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is browned in spots, and pepper has softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken. Stir frequently, until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the mojo de ajo, and stir to coat. Cook for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with warmed tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, jalapeno rings, and cheese.

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Wordless Wednesday: Fresh Breads

2011-12-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

Spatchcocked again...

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love this technique. I was a little skeptical that it would take a lot less time to cook, but it worked. Definitely cut the cooking time down a lot, and it was perfectly juicy and cooked through. My normal my roast chicken is iffy. Even with the silly popup timer and an instant read, my roast chicken most of the time comes in two styles, overcooked and undercooked. But not any more. Perfectly done.

Decided to be somewhat adventurous this time and took out the breast bone and the ribs. Pounded it a little, too. Flat chicken. Perfectly roasted. Easy to serve and slice. This recipe from Food52 had fantastic flavor. I adapted it a little, using lemon juice, leeks and a pinch of crushed red pepper in the compound butter, and roasted teeny potatoes in the pan to soak up the flavors.

And on the bright side, yesterday's dinner is today's pulled chicken sandwich.

Spatchcocked Roast Chicken with Lemon and Leek Compound Butter

Source: Food52

Printable Recipe

4 tablespoons softened butter
zest and juice of one lemon

1 leek, sliced, white part only
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, roughly chopped (I used dried)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

big pinch of crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large chicken

For the compound butter:

In a food processor, combine the butter, lemon zest, juice, garlic, thyme, mustard, leek, slat and pepper.

For the chicken:
Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Remove the gizzards from the chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set it on a cutting board. Flip it onto its breast and using kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting carefully down each side of the bone. The entire inside of the chicken will be exposed when you’re finished. You can also pull out the breast bone, if you want to, or flip the chicken over and press down hard to crack it, the chicken will lay flatter this way.

Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper, and then flip the chicken over so that it lies flat. Trim any excess deposits of fat from around the cavity and tail end. Gently slide your fingers under the skin and ease it away from the meat, around both sides of the breast and both thighs and legs. Carefully smear the compound butter, underneath the skin, being careful not to tear, if you can. Reserve about a tablespoon of the butter, and then spread the reserved butter evenly over the skin, followed by a sprinkle of more salt and pepper.

Lay the chicken flat in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it.

Roast for about 30 minutes, then baste. Decrease the heat to 375°. Put potatoes or whatever vegetables you like around the chicken to roast. Cook for another 30 minutes, basting once again in the middle, and continue to roast until the chicken is done. Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before carving; serve with the pan juices, the potatoes and some crusty bread for sopping up the juices.

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Wordless Wednesday: Tiny Yellow Pear Tomatoes

2011-11-29T16:46:00.001-05:00

Joining the November Blog Hop & Giveaway: Favorite Vegetable Recipes on the FaveDiets blog.

Sliced Rutabaga with Butter and Pepper

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Every time I'd go to the grocery I'd see those big, brown, waxy things and think WHAT IS THAT? It's not like I grew up with an adventurous cook, my mother was basically a broiler, mostly an over-cooker or else we ordered in. So a giant brown waxy thing was never at our house. Frozen spinach was. Canned string beans, too. The brown thing? Never.

A few years back I took a cooking class with a group of friends, and we got to prepare one of those big, brown, waxy things! A RUTABAGA! Turns out, they're really good. Not so easy to find around when you are looking for one, but they seem to be everywhere when you aren't! But finally found one when I wasn't looking and figured I'd buy it anyway. A google search brought me to what looked like a great recipe for rutabagas. It was. It was delicious. Simple, quick and so good. Now I need to find another rutabaga and make it again!

Sliced Rutabagas with Browned Butter and Pepper
Source: Food and Wine - April 2010, recipe by Jimmy Bradley
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large rutabaga (the big dark brown vegetable, covered with wax)—quartered, peeled and sliced very thin on a mandoline, or with a vegetable peeler
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, melt the butter until just starting to brown. Add the sliced rutabaga, sprinkle on the salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat. Toss frequently, until tender and browned in spots, about 12-15 minutes. Season with more pepper, if desired. Serve.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Pumpkin-Maple Cream of Wheat. No lumps.

2011-11-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

My husband doesn't go for hot cereal unless it's oatmeal. Loves it. Cream of Wheat is definitely not on his list. Hates lumps. And with my skills, the Cream of Wheat does tend to get lumpy sometimes. Not this time, I was careful! Besides, I like the lumps. I like Cream of Wheat and I like pumpkin. So when I saw the recipe for Pumpkin-Maple Breakfast Pudding at Faith's blog, An Edible Mosaic, I had to try it. Made me think of a sort of pumpkin pie in a bowl for breakfast. I even had the maple sugar on hand. One of those purchases I had no clue what to do with it, had to have it, and it came in really handy!

You can find the recipe for Pumpkin-Maple Pudding at An Edible Mosaic.

I used the Cream of Wheat instead of semolina and I garnished with granola and walnuts for added flavor and texture.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Shaved Zucchini and Fennel Salad

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

This one is pretty close to the Shaved Fennel and Mushroom Salad I've made in the past. The zucchini and red onion make a really nice addition in this salad from EatingWell magazine. I added the mushrooms to it. Nice, fresh and easy for a quick lunch. Or with dinner.

Shaved Zucchini, Fennel and Mushroom Salad
Source: EatingWell - July/August 2011
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2-3 zucchini
1 bulb fennel, quartered and cored, fronds reserved
4-5 white button or cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
a little bit of fresh lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup slivered red onion
6 tablespoons shredded Manchego, Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Very thinly slice zucchini lengthwise into long strips with a vegetable peeler, mandoline or a knife. Place the strips in between two layers of paper towel and let stand while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Very thinly slice fennel bulb and the mushrooms with a knife or mandoline. Chop enough fronds to equal about 1/8 cup. Whisk oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, fennel, fronds, mushrooms and onion; gently stir to coat well. Serve sprinkled with cheese and freshly ground pepper.

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Wordless Wednesday: Colorful Superballs

2011-11-14T11:59:00.001-05:00

Spatchcock Chicken

2011-11-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Spatchcock a chicken. Now that's a technique I never thought I'd do. I giggled just saying it. Yeah so much for maturity. QUIET, ANONYMOUS BARB :)

When you spatchcock a chicken you remove the backbone and flatten it. It cooks quicker, more evenly, and it's easier to carve. Like baking bread with yeast, to me butterflying a chicken sounds like a major challenge. So I've been wrong. This was easy enough. Makes me think I may get out the yeast and the lukewarm water and bake a bread. Well maybe not. But this was easy. Really easy. And good. really good.

I found the recipe for Devil's Chicken in a very nice cookbook, A Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox. It also describes how to butterfly the chicken. It's actually a pretty simple technique. Or ask the butcher to do it for you. You can say "butterfly my chicken" and get the same results as spatchcock. The book has a lot of ideas for chicken and also some very nice sides to go along with the roasted bird. Love this book, I have about 12 post-its in there already. The Devil's Chicken, it's a definite keeper.

Roast Chicken Diavolo with Peppers, Onions and Potatoes
Original recipe from A Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 (4-pound) whole chicken, butterflied
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon plus zest
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
coarse sea salt
olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 large onion, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
baby Yukon gold potatoes, or any potato you like, bigger potatoes cut in small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425° F with the racks positioned in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pull off excess fat around the cavities of the chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken and pat dry all over very well. Lightly grease a large baking dish with oil. Place the chicken, skin-side up, into the pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest and juice, chopped herbs, black pepper, and hot pepper. Spread the mixture over the chicken, and under the skin of the breasts. Season with salt and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Place the potatoes, peppers and onion onto the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit olive oil. Gently toss the vegetables to coat with oil, then arrange in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the chicken on the upper rack and the vegetables on the middle rack and roast for about 20 minutes. Add the wine to the pan with the chicken and continue roasting for 10 minutes more. Remove both pans from the oven and transfer the peppers and onions to the pan with the chicken. Return the chicken and vegetables to the oven and continue roasting until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes more, and the juices run clear.

Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes or more, then transfer the chicken to a cutting board to carve. Serve with the potatoes, peppers and onions. Spoon the juices over the top.

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Stuffed Rigatoni with Squash and Spinach

2011-11-10T07:39:00.001-05:00

It's been a chore to cook lately. My poor chicken. Sits ignored in the refrigerator, for the second time. Had such good intentions for that bird. Was even going to try a new way to roast it. That didn't happen so into the freezer it went. Decided to thaw it and try again. Big fat bird didn't thaw in time. Strike two. We ended up with pasta. Stuffed with ricotta and spinach. So into the frig went the chicken. I swear it stares at me every time I open that door.

Seems when dinner is just tossed together it doesn't look so pretty, but have to say, it sure did taste good! Tonight is that chicken. It might look pretty. Maybe.

Stuffed Rigatoni with Squash and Spinach
Printable Recipe

1 package Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Rigatoni (or any stuffed rigatoni or ravioli you like)
1 butternut squash, cut in cubes
1 bag of baby spinach (or 2-3 handfuls)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons butter
olive oil for pan
salt and pepper, to taste

Roast the squash at 350° F for about 20 minutes or until it starts to soften. While the squash roasts, cook rigatoni according to package. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.

In a skillet on medium-high heat, saute the garlic in some olive oil. Add the cooked squash. Brown the squash, then add the rigatoni. Stir gently to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach and stir gently. Serve.

Wordless Wednesday: Reflections

2011-11-08T10:50:00.002-05:00

Chicken Picatta

2011-11-04T22:49:00.003-04:00

One of our all-time favorites is Chicken Piccata. I make it often, usually when I can't think of what else to make. My Miss Picky loves it and even made it herself a few years back for a class assignment. You can read about that here on this post. That was the beginning of High School, now she's applying to colleges. That went fast. But she still loves that Piccata, even when it isn't for a grade. On the side was zucchini spaghetti! Julienne zucchini with sauce and Parmesan and garlic. Lots of garlic.

Woodie's World Famous Chicken Piccata
posted by Woodie many times at the Cooking Forum
Printable Recipe

4 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned (I cheat and buy the thin sliced chicken cutlets!)
salt and pepper
flour (enough for coating)
3 tablespoons butter
juice of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine

Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter and place chicken on top. Use a meat pounder, the side of a saucer, the unsharpened side of a heavy knife or other object to pound the breast into a thin piece that’s uniformly thick (about an inch). Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth and wine. Boil down until it’s about one-half cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.

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Suzy's Kitchen Bouquet for Flashback Fridays

Wordless Wednesday: B-I-N-G-O

2011-11-01T22:24:00.000-04:00

Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port

2011-10-27T07:54:00.003-04:00

This was a delicious sauce. And so quick and easy. Not overly sweet, even though I used sweet cherries. The original recipe called for pan juices but we grilled the lamb chops instead and the sauce still had great flavor. I wouldn't change a thing except I'd give the dried tart cherries a try next time. Definitely a keeper, it was great with chicken the next day, too!

Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
source: Bon Appétit, April 2008 - Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

6 lamb chops, sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 chopped shallots, fine dice
3/4 cup ruby Port
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dried tart cherries (I used sweet dried Bing cherries)
3 tablespoons cherry jam
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots to skillet; sauté 1 -2 minutes to soften. Add Port, broth, cherries, jam, vinegar, and cardamom; boil until cherries plump and liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over lamb. Sprinkle with parsley.

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Time flies

2011-10-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

Tomato Salad

2011-10-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

A simple vinaigrette with supermarket tomatoes.

Tomato-Onion Salad
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

tomatoes, quartered

red onion, sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh parsley, chopped

Basic Dressing:

approximate, it's all to taste!

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil (more or less to taste, we like more vinegar than oil)

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the dressing in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over the vegetables, chill in the fridge for a bit. Serve.

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Love!

2011-10-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan and Tomato-Mushroom Ragout

2011-10-10T20:49:00.000-04:00

I suddenly had a craving for polenta. Not the kind in the tube I usually make, the slice and fry. Although it's pretty good all fried up with butter and all, but this time I wanted a soft, creamy polenta, to go alongside a nice, grilled steak.

Lot of recipes out there for polenta, fast or slow. White cornmeal, yellow, coarse, fine. I went with the sort of slow recipe, gives me a little more time to screw it up! And I had yellow cornmeal in the pantry. Probably from the last time I had to have polenta and never got around to it. I made a few adaptions to the recipe, and topped it with a mushroom ragout. So good. Sort of like Cream of Wheat hot breakfast cereal but with corn flavor and it even had the same lumps like my Cream of Wheat. I am really lousy at constant stirring, so we all got used to the lumps.

We loved it. A lot. Even the lumps. And it was perfect with the skirt steaks.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan and Tomato-Mushroom Ragout
Source: original polenta recipe by Nancy Grubin - Bon Appétit, June 2000
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Tomato-Mushroom Ragout:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, fine dice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 8-oz packages sliced white button or cremini mushrooms (or both)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup Madeira
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for drizzling

For the ragout, melt a tablespoon of butter in with a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown. Add the tomatoes. Simmer about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add the Madeira, scrape all the bits from the pan, then add chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes more.

For the polenta, bring the broth, milk, salt and pepper to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until mixture is very thick and creamy, whisking frequently, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, then whisk in the butter. Remove from heat.

Spoon the polenta into plates, top with fresh grated Parmesan, the ragout and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve.

Wordless Wednesday: Fronds

2011-10-04T11:03:00.000-04:00

Whole Wheat Pasta

2011-09-30T00:13:00.002-04:00

We didn't love whole wheat pasta last time we tried it. I guess it depends what sauce you make with it. Red sauce just didn't work for us. Turns out we prefer a garlicky broth kind of sauce with the whole wheat. Very light sauce. I tried to duplicate a dish we get at one of the local Italian restaurants that we like. This is the one on the pasta list that has the little heart ♥ next to it, meaning it's heart healthy. The restaurant version has black olives, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms. I threw a little bit more into mine. Broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, yellow tomatoes and fresh peas that somehow weren't eaten all up. And no black olives. Lots of garlic. And a splash of sherry for good measure. I would call this "empty out your refrigerator" pasta and it was really good. Although on the restaurant menu it had a nice long Italian name and it sounded much better than a clean the frig (or fridge, if you prefer!) pasta. But I have a nice cleaned out refrigerator for now.

Empty Out Your Refrigerator Pasta ♥ or Healthier Pasta Primavera
Recipe by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

olive oil for the pan
1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions
(2) 8-ounce packages cremini mushrooms
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red pepper cut into chunks
1 yellow tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
splash of Sherry
salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Do not overcook.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; sauté about 3 minutes. Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté for 2 -3minutes. Add the red pepper and tomato; sauté for another 2 minutes more. Stir in a splash of Sherry and the broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes. Add the peas and cook another minute or so. Taste for seasoning and then add the pasta and a little bit of Parmesan cheese; stir well to coat. Remove from heat; and serve with additional cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Use any vegetables you like, any pasta you like.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Wordless Wednesday: Mushrooms!

2011-09-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

Celery Root

2011-09-22T15:18:00.000-04:00

What to do with a celery root? It's not the greatest looking thing. It was a gift from a friend who went upstate and stopped at a Farmer's Market. She never saw one and had no clue what it was, but got two for me to try and do something with them. I made mashed potatoes with the first one. Just okay, we didn't notice much flavor from it. The next one will become a slaw, or maybe even just roasted.

Celery Root and Potato Puree
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (keep the cubes in a bowl of cold water until ready to use)
1 large celery root, tough outer parts removed, cut into cubes
1 cup heavy cream, half and half or milk (I used milk)
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into pats
salt, to taste

Special Equipment: food mill, food processor or a potato ricer

Place the potatoes in a large pot. Make sure to add enough water to cover vegetables by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Add the celery root and cook until both vegetables are tender. Strain the celery root and potatoes.

Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Put the celery root and potatoes through a food mill or a ricer over a large bowl. Add about the hot cream and butter. Stir until the cream and butter are thoroughly combined. Taste for seasoning. Keep warm until ready to use.

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Wordless Wednesday: Root Vegetable

2011-09-20T20:06:00.002-04:00

Free clip art from Crafty Jenny

A fairy tale...

2011-09-16T07:42:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time there was a little old blogger, not really that old, who occasionally cooks and frequently has takeout. This lucky blogger left a comment on a fabulous blog and was awarded with a gift. I just love a good fairy tale ending.

One of my regular blog stops is at Savoring Time in the Kitchen. I love seeing what's going on in Susan's kitchen, so what a nice surprise to see that back in July, Susan was visited by the Fairy Godmother! And she had an invitation for everyone to leave a comment and maybe the Hobmother would pay a random visit to a lucky blogger and spread more smiles and more joy! Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. So what a cool surprise to find that the Fairy Hobmother actually paid me a visit! Just showed up one day and whacked me right on the head with a very nice Amazon gift card. And she could visit you!

Now I am sharing my good fortune with you, all you have to do is make a wish and leave a comment and a wish! An Amazon kind of wish, not sure a Fairy Hobmother can grant world peace or a cure for the common cold, but she does wonders with appliances. She lives here, at this place, it may look like an online appliance center in the UK, but it's really a secret meeting place for Fairy Hobmothers, who like doing laundry with ecobubbles! So cross your fingers, wish on a star, a lucky penny, throw a coin in the fountain or just leave a comment and a wish, an Amazon.com kind of wish and you just may get a visit. I did. Now to decide just what to get, my wishlist is HUGE!

It's been my lucky day so I'm going out now to pick up a Mega Millions Lottery ticket, hey, you just never know!

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR WISH IN THE COMMENTS FOR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE AT AMAZON FROM THE FAIRY! My wish came true, now it could be your turn.

Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Another favorite herb

2011-09-13T12:41:00.000-04:00

Brown Rice with Mushrooms and Peas

2011-09-09T08:14:00.005-04:00

I had leftover peas from the chicken dish I made the other day. A small half bag. Destined to be lost forever in the freezer, squished in and passed over for the corn, the string beans or whatever else was in there, only to be found a year later, a solid block of green freezer burn. So I had to use those vibrant green beauties.

I'm getting a bit tired of potatoes, lately we've had them roasted, frenched, baked, boiled, mashed and smashed, it was time for rice. And I had mushrooms that looked perfect but I just didn't feel like stuffing them. Not to mention I was out of kitchen practice and didn't feel like getting involved. A roasted chicken with rice was easy enough. So made it even less fussy and cheated. Boil in bag rice. Brown rice. I still tried to be somewhat healthier even if I cheated. Ten minutes in the micro. No crunch. Have I mentioned that I am rice challenged? My family was getting used to crunchy rice by the time I discovered this gem. Really is perfect for a last minute decision. And this was very last minute. My fingers were just about to dial that takeout number. Good thing, too, because this dish went perfectly with the roasted chicken and was a HUGE hit. Even with the pickiest.

Brown Rice, Mushrooms and
Recipe by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

olive oil, for pan
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups brown rice, cooked to package directions (4 cups cooked rice)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the shallots soften and start to brown. Raise the heat to medium-high, add a little more olive oil, if needed, and then add the mushrooms.

Stir occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked and slightly browned. Add the wine and chicken broth and stir. Reduce the broth and wine for about five minutes. Season to taste. Stir in the cooked rice and cook until the juices are all absorbed into the rice. Mix in the peas, leave on the heat for another minute or two and then serve.

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Classic!

2011-09-07T07:22:00.000-04:00

Back to cooking...

2011-09-05T20:27:00.001-04:00

Finally! It's been so long I almost forgot how. And I finally made something to blog about! Been on the to try list since before the summer of heat waves, torrential downpours, an earthquake and a hurricane. Have to say a hurricane is enough to make you forget how miserable the heat was. Pretty scary when you have to evacuate. We were very lucky to come home and not to have any damage. Extremely lucky!

School starts tomorrow so we can all get back to some kind of routine here. My routine will definitely include cooking. There is nothing left to order in, so I tried Chicken Vesuvio Chicago Style from Cathy @ Wives with Knives (original recipe by Marie @ Proud Italian Cook) and it is a great way to get back into cooking. Delicious!

Easy recipe, except I did have some issues with browning. Zero patience. Couldn't wait to get it browned in batches, so I got it sort of browned and then threw the whole thing in the oven. So it might not look so browned and pretty or even close to perfect but it sure does taste fantastic. Very forgiving recipe. I added a can of artichoke hearts and some sliced shallots. It did brown in the oven, but presentation isn't my strong suit! They're just happy to have a home cooked meal finally. Let's see what tomorrow brings :)

It's been a very long summer here. But remind me when I start complaining about blizzards. Anyway, it's good to be back.

Chicken Vesuvio
Source: Cathy @ Wives with Knives
Author: Marie @ Proud Italian Cook
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (I cut the breasts and thighs in half)
salt and pepper
dried oregano
granulated garlic
potato wedges, about 4 russets or 6 reds
equal parts white wine and chicken broth (1-1/2 cups of each)
10-12 whole garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas (I used a bit more)
*I also added 2 sliced shallots and a can of artichoke hearts

Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic.

Coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet with olive oil and brown chicken pieces and potato wedges. Remove to a large roasting pan.

Add garlic cloves and shallots to the skillet and cook until golden brown.

Deglaze pan with wine, then add chicken broth. Cook down for several minutes and pour over chicken and potatoes. Add peas and artichokes the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Bake at 375°F until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

My kitchen is closed for a few days...

2011-08-06T09:12:00.002-04:00

Taking a blog break! Not much cooking lately. It's been a week of take-out!

Have good days. I'll be back soon.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-02T20:46:00.001-04:00

Red Pepper Summer Soup

2011-07-30T12:59:00.003-04:00

They're chilling with Jamie Oliver over at I Heart Cooking Clubs and what better way to chill than with a cold soup. Have to say, we're kind of iffy with cold soup so I served it room temperature. We loved it. Definitely a keeper, and easy as can be. Didn't have to use the oven and heat up the kitchen, on top of the stove worked out really well. Love this recipe. Very quick and very easy. Had more than a few grape tomatoes that were a bit past their prime as far as serving in a salad but cooked down they added tremendous flavor. Tried it with a little drizzle of cream on mine and it was a very nice addition, not needed but nice. I used three red peppers and one yellow. And added some smoked paprika. I also used sherry vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and it gave it a nice flavor. So I didn't follow exactly, but it was a perfect soup for these very warm days.

So we're ended up lukewarm with Jamie Oliver this week instead of chilling, but hot, cold or warm, this is a really fantastic soup.

Red Pepper Summer Soup
Source: original recipe found in Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
15-20 grape tomatoes (optional)
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 quart chicken stock
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 small red chile, chopped (or jalapeno)
olive oil, for the pan and for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
small bunch of fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used a sherry wine vinegar)
1/4 cucumber (seedless)
cayenne pepper or smoked paprika (if you like)
a touch of cream (optional)

Add a couple of dashes of olive oil to a large saucepan. On medium heat, gently fry the red peppers, onion, garlic and chile with the lid on for about 20 minutes. Stir every five minutes or so.

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil then simmer the soup gently on medium heat with the lid on for about more 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Use an immersion blender to puree or you can very carefully pour the soup (it will be hot) into a blender (in 2 or 3 batches) and blend at high speed till smooth and silky. Add the vinegar and basil and whiz it again. Then strain through a strainer, if you like, and taste for seasoning. Let it cool in the frig. Serve this soup cold with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or even a drizzle of cream. Garnish with the diced cucumbers and celery, a little cayenne or smoked paprika.

Joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to Chill with Jamie Oliver!

also joining

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

AND

Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

For more mosaics, stop by the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Wordless Wednesday: Purple Potatoes

2011-07-26T22:18:00.001-04:00

Steamed Artichokes

2011-07-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

We love artichokes. And it's one of those things. My intent is good, but I buy a couple and never get to them. They sit and sit in the vegetable bin until it's too late to use them. What a big waste. This time I was determined not to let them go when I saw them. I tried steaming, thinking it would be easier to do than stuffing. Steaming was easy enough, and very good! So I know I can definitely stuff the next time. Or Roman Style. Got raves from Susan at Savoring Time in Kitchen and Cathy at Wives with Knives. These babies are no longer going to waste. I never should have waited so long.

Steamed Artichokes with Tarragon Mayonnaise
Source: artichokes.org and Whole Foods Market
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

Artichoke Preparation:
Wash artichokes under cold running water.

Pull off lower petals which are small or discolored.

Cut stems close to base, so they will stay put in the pot.

Cut off top quarter and tips of petals, if desired. It really isn't necessary to remove the tips. They soften with cooking and pose no threat to diners, but people like the look of a trimmed artichoke better.

Gently spread the center to get to the purplish, thorny center leaves. with a spoon, scrape out the purple, thorny fuzz!

Plunge into acidified water to preserve color. (A tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per quart of water. )

Optional: The trimmed artichoke stems are edible. Cut brown end about ½-inch. Peel fibrous outer layer to reach tender green of stem. Stem may be steamed whole with the artichoke. Cut into rounds or julienne for salads or pastas.

Use this same technique for making stuffed artichokes, too!

Steaming:
Pour enough water into a large pot to reach a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover pot and arrange trimmed artichokes, bottoms up, in the bottom in a single layer. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium and steam until tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Cooking time will depend on size of artichokes. When the leaves pull out easily and the base can be pierced with a knife, they're ready. Drain well and transfer to a large platter.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauces.

For Tarragon Mayo, just mix some fresh tarragon with a cup of mayo, some chopped shallots, two teaspoons fresh lemon juice , and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. To make the lemon-butter, whisk together melted butter, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste; transfer to a bowl. Serve artichokes warm, with lemon-butter and tarragon mayo on the side for dipping.

For more mosaics, stop by the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Cinnamon Horchata

2011-07-21T09:37:00.003-04:00

There's a party going on at I Heart Cooking Clubs and this time they are bringing Jamie Oliver drinks. The problem for me was I couldn't find that many to choose from that I wanted to make. I know, I know, so I'm a little picky about my beverage of choice. I prefer vodka on the rocks. Not that I'd ever turn down a pina colada or some pretty, fruity drink, I just didn't feel like it. It's too hot. Actually I didn't feel like anything during this heat wave except a little air conditioning. Make that a lot of air conditioning.

But then I found it. Looking through the books, imagine rice pudding you can drink? It sounded pretty good, we love rice pudding so why not give it a try? Jamie calls it Orchata in the book, I always thought it was Horchata. But spell it any way you like, but spell it GOOD! If you like strawberries, omit the cinnamon and sub the berries.

Miss Picky and her friends thought it was ok. Interesting. But not bad. Different. But not bad. They each drank the whole glass. The Griller also thought it was different, but not bad. I thought it was ok, it was nice and refreshing on a really hot day. And it was interesting. And it did remind me of rice pudding flavor. Next time I'd try it with the berries. I like berries with my rice pudding.

So it is Horchata or Orchata? Jamie left out the H. I put it back in :)

Cinnamon Horchata

Source: original recipe from Jamie'sAmerica by Jamie Oliver

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 quart whole milk (I used 1% low-fat milk)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar (more or less to taste!)
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

Prepare the rice according to the package instructions, then strain and run under cold water so it cools down quickly. Put the cooled rice into a blender with the milk, ground cinnamon, and sugar. Blend until smooth, then taste and add more sugar, if it needs it.

Strain rice mixture into a pitcher with ice. Discard the rice from the sieve. Snap cinnamon sticks in half and place into pitcher with the horchata. Pour into glasses. Sprinkle over a little more ground cinnamon and serve.

Joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to Bevvies Week with Jamie Oliver!

also joining

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Oh Fudge!

2011-07-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Fizzies!

2011-07-18T07:11:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of Fizzies? They were a fad years ago and now they're back. So being somewhat of a kid at heart, when I saw them at Dylan's Candy Bar, I had to pick up a pack to try. For my kids. Yeah right. For them.

Just add a tablet to a small glass of water. Comes in a few flavors, I got orange. Sugar free, made with Splenda. Not bad actually. The Picky Kid at first thought it was candy and popped it in her mouth, minus the water and the glass. Her expression made laugh. Then we tried it the right way and they didn't love it, except for waiting and watching it fizz up. I thought it was good, would taste better with ice cold water. But it was fun. Once.

It would be nice if they brought back Marathon Bars or Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompah Candies, they were half chocolate half peanut butter in a candy shell, and nothing like M&M's peanut butter, which are also pretty good. What were your favorites from way back when?

The Fizzies were fun. Now on to the next fad...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joining Mary at The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

July Potluck with Jamie Oliver

2011-07-17T07:30:00.002-04:00

Time for another Jamie Oliver potluck at I Heart Cooking Clubs and since dinner for us was grilled burgers I thought cole slaw would be perfect. So I made Jamie Oliver's Mexican Street Salad. I loved it, it had a real tangy flavor from the lime. I should have let it sit a bit before I served it but as usual I was rushed. The kids didn't love it. I think next time I would mix the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and jalapeno in a jar to combine it really well, rather than separately, I think the kids would have liked it better that way. I added avocado's because everything is better with avocado. At least we think so! I'd make this one again. Maybe add a little ancho chili powder or some cumin to the dressing, maybe even a little chipotle, too!

Mexican Street Salad (Cole Slaw)
Source: Original recipe can be found at JamieOliver.Com
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 small green cabbage, shredded
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
8-10 radishes, trimmed and finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
a large bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped (more or less to taste)
1 or 2 large jalapeño's, finely sliced (more or less to taste!)
1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper, to taste
diced avocado

Shred the green and red cabbage into two separate piles. Put just the white cabbage into a large bowl with the radishes, carrots and most of the cilantro. Mix everything together really well, then add almost all the chopped jalapeno, the red onion and red cabbage and pour on some extra virgin olive oil. Add most of the lime juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper, then toss together and taste. Just keep adjusting everything to your taste, if it needs more heat add some more jalapeno. When everything is just right, top with some diced avocado and a little swirl of olive oil and serve.

Joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to July's Potluck with Jamie Oliver!

AND

Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

The Annual Kitchen Bouquet Ice Cream Social

2011-07-16T08:36:00.002-04:00

I wanted to join Suzy again this year for her annual Ice Cream Social over at Kitchen Bouquet but I'm not exactly prepared. Not that I ever am, so I fudged it. Literally. I am joining in with a fantastic sundae I had to celebrate my 50th birthday last week and it really was the best sundae I ever had. It was also my Wordless Wednesday this past week because when the waiter put it down, we were almost speechless. If you've ever been to Peter Luger's, you'll agree. They call it the Holy Cow Sundae and that is exactly what you'll say when it arrives at the table! It's a simple sundae, and it doesn't get any better. Hot fudge, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, Luger's calls it Schlag, and a big dollop of Schlag in the coffee is good, too! You can never have enough fresh whipped cream. Top with a cherry and some chopped nuts and you have ice cream perfection.

HOLY COW!

Stop by Kitchen Bouquet for the 3rd annual Ice Cream Social to celebrate National Ice Cream Month! It's a great time to celebrate ice cream, it's been so hot lately!

and

A Musing Potpourri
is also celebrating ice cream this weekend starting Saturday afternoon, so stop by and have even more ice cream!

Celebrity Cook-along: Bobby Flay

2011-07-14T16:42:00.003-04:00

Joining Lynn @ Happier than a Pig in Mud for her Celebrity Cook-Along.

This time we're cooking with the Bobby Flay!

This is a repost of a delicious recipe I first made last year. And it's one I have made many more times since then. One of our favorites. Bobby Flay is occasionally on The Morning Show at CBS. Didn't always love Bobby Flay, but I do now. Especially considering the shows that the Food Network has on these days. I barely watch any more. I have quite a few of his books, his recipes have all turned out great for us. That time on The Morning Show he was making little bites of potatoes. And they looked so good so I looked the recipe up online to make it.

We loved this sauce! Spicy Tomato-Chipotle Aioli. I adapted it to my way of lazy cooking. I think it would be good on most anything! We were having steaks and somehow that sauce managed to get on the steak, too. So good. I think it would be nice with chicken and with shrimp as well. And definitely on a sandwich or a panini.

The recipe called for grilling the tomatoes, grilling the potatoes and there was no way the Griller would be fussing with that, not to mention I used some teeny potatoes. So I had that panini grill, I got my money's worth out of it already, and threw the parboiled potatoes on that! Squished them down pretty good, until they got good and somewhat crispy. The tomatoes I broiled with a little salt, pepper and about three cloves of garlic. I threw the garlic in towards the end so they didn't burn. Then I strained the tomatoes and whizzed everything in a food processor. Today's sauce will be on tomorrow's sandwich! Steak Panini with cheese and Tomato-Chipotle Aioli. It's not just for potatoes any more. Can't wait.

Parboiled potatoes grilled and "smashed" on the panini grill

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Spicy Tomato-Chipotle Aioli

Grilled, Smashed Potatoes with Spicy Tomato-Chipotle Aioli

Grilled Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Aioli
Source: Bobby Flay - CBS The Early Show and also Food Network
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 1/4 pounds new potatoes (yellow and red) or baby Yukon Gold (You can use a large potatoes and slice them thick or small ones and cut in half, or leave the small ones whole and smash them)
Salt
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1-2 chipotle in adobo sauce (depends how hot you like it)
1 teaspoons Ancho chile powder, or more to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook until potatoes are tender, but still firm, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, let cool and cut each potato into 3/4 -inch thick slices. You can microwave until just tender as well.

Heat the grill to high. Or you can use a panini grill.

Brush the tomatoes with the some of the oil and season with salt and pepper. While the potatoes are cooking, place the tomatoes on the grill and grill until charred on all sides and soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop. You can also just roast them at 350 for about an hour until they get soft and start to brown. Or broil for about 10-15 minutes. Turning them once.

You can strain the tomatoes to get rid of the seeds and the skins.

Place the tomatoes, mayonnaise, garlic, paprika, chipotles and chile powder in a food processor and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.
Brush the potatoes slices on both sides with some of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the grill, close the cover and grill until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. I used a panini grill and made them "smashed" potatoes. Carefully transfer the potatoes to a platter and garnish with the parsley. Serve the aioli drizzled over the potatoes or on the side.

Also joining

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

and joining

Suzy's Kitchen Bouquet for Flashback Friday

Wordless Wednesday: Cool off with a Hot Fudge Sundae!

2011-07-12T19:25:00.001-04:00

Avocado Gadget

2011-07-10T20:17:00.003-04:00

This one gadget that is definitely not needed at all, but it really does work and Miss Picky liked using it!

The Big Kid prefers a knife, even though he's the one that picked up that gadget for me!

Would have worked much better if the avocado wasn't over ripe! But it did work.

We like our avocado plain, just salt and pepper, a little squeeze of lime, and a sometimes a little sprinkle of cayenne.

but if we're having guacamole then we're adding stuff!

Stuff like white onions, chopped jalapeno, diced tomatoes, freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper. Cilantro is iffy in our house. Not everyone likes it and Miss Picky can taste a quarter of a leaf that accidentally got into hers.

An easy after school snack for the Big Kid when he was in High School.

Guess who had to clean up?

Guacamole

1/2 white onion, chopped
2 or 3 chopped serrano chiles (more or less to taste, you can also use jalapeno)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ripe avocados
1 lime, juiced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced and drained

Depending on how chunky you like, use a food processor and pulse to combine onion, chiles, cilantro, salt and pepper, or a molcajete if you have one. Or just a knife!

Coarsely mash the avocados. Fold in reserved onion mixture, then tomato. Serve with tortilla chips.

Debbie at Confessions of A Plate Addict is having a wonderful giveaway, stop by and check it out, there are five ways to enter. Eight place settings of one of Pfaltzgraffs newest patterns, Lido Beach.

Chickpea Salad

2011-07-08T10:48:00.001-04:00

This is my son's all-time favorite side salad. He has it as a snack, with dinner, I can never make enough of it. I got the "recipe" from the lady who owns the deli where he works, she was nice enough to tell me what was in it as far as the dressing. It's just a simple salad, but so good. Orders were the next time please leave out the carrots.

Chickpea Salad
Source: T @ the Deli
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 hothouse cucumber, diced (washed and seeded, not peeled)
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 carrot, shredded (optional)
little bit chopped parsley

Dressing:
approximate, it's all to taste, more or less!

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (more or less to taste, we like more vinegar than oil)
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the dressing in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over the vegetables, mix well, and chill in the frig for a bit. Serve.

Joining

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

and Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

Wordless Wednesday: Weekly Menu

2011-07-05T14:43:00.000-04:00

Barbecued Thai Chicken

2011-06-30T20:01:00.003-04:00

They're Firing Up the Grill with Jamie Oliver over at I Heart Cooking Clubs!

So I while I was looking for recipes I found more than a few that I couldn't resist. For starters, Caprese Salad with Grilled Peppers, Jamie's very nice twist on the classic. Simple enough with a nice grilled flavor from the peppers. Loved it! And Barbecued Thai Chicken. Fresh lemongrass is not the easiest to find here, sometimes I manage, and when I do find it, I freeze a few stalks so I'll have it. And this recipe seemed like the perfect one to go with to use up those last few precious stalks from the freezer. Now the hunt begins again for more.

Barbecued Thai Chicken
Source: original recipe can be found at JamieOliver.com
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

8 chicken legs (I removed the skin. You can use other parts as well)
a bunch of fresh cilantro (save some on the side for garnish)
2 sticks of lemon grass
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons olive oil
a thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled

Add the lemongrass stalks to a food processor all of the ingredients and whizz to make a paste.

Rub the paste all over the chicken pieces. Place in a ziploc bag or a bowl to marinate for about an hour. Pre-cook the chicken in a baking dish on 350°F for about an hour, then remove from oven to finish on the grill.

Grill until cooked through, crispy and brown on the outside. Sprinkle the reserved cilantro leaves over and serve.

Caprese Salad with Grilled Peppers
Source: Original recipe at JamieOliver.com
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 red peppers
2 balls of good-quality mozzarella cheese, size of a small fist
400g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved (about 14 ounces)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
a bunch of fresh basil leaves

Place the peppers directly onto the gas flame of your stove or under a very hot grill and let them blacken and blister. Turn now and then with kitchen tongs. When blackened all over, pop them into a bowl and cover with cling film. Or in a brown paper bag and fold the top so the steam doesn't escape.

Leave the peppers to steam for about 10 minutes, then remove the cling film (or from the bag and leave them to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, rub off the blackened skin and brush away the seeds from the inside.

Tear the mozzarella balls into chunks and divide between four plates. Then tear the peppers into strips and divide over the plates of mozzarella. Scatter the tomato halves over the top.

Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Tear the basil leaves up and sprinkle them over the salad before serving.

Joining

The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday with some fresh basil from my garden!

and joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to Fire Up the Grill with Jamie Oliver!

and

the fun of Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share!

and

Souper Sundays (and salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

and

be sure to check out Margot at Joyfully Retired for the July edition of "Whip Up Something New!"

Wordless Wednesday: Another Herb!

2011-06-28T19:57:00.000-04:00

Fresh with Jamie Oliver

2011-06-25T15:49:00.002-04:00

It's strawberry season! And over at I Heart Cooking Clubs they are getting fresh with Jamie Oliver this week. Not just berries, anything that is summer fresh! Except my berries weren't exactly fresh but they were perfect for joining in. It was buy one get one at the grocery store, and these were sitting in the frig a little too long. I looked for something I could use with the berries and found Jamie Oliver's Creamiest Rice Pudding with the Quickest Strawberry Jam. That was be perfect. I had everything the recipe need. Almost. I guess that's why it's called adapted!

Yeah, well, the recipe said meringue cookies. Since I wasn't running to the store on a Saturday morning with the other hundreds of people who forget one thing, I made do with amaretti cookies leftover from the Tortoni's! It was actually a great sub, and to keep it going with the almond flavor, I used almond extract instead of the vanilla sugar and topped it with slivered almonds.

To hull the berries I used a very cute, very cool gadget! And even better, it really works. The claw scoops out the leaf and the hull of the berry with just a twist and a pull. Reminds me of a B movie. THE CLAW! And to think I was skeptical. Love this gadget. Says it will core tomatoes, too! I'll let ya know.

Creamy Rice Pudding with Quick Strawberry Jam
Source: original recipe from “Jamie at Home” by Jamie Oliver and the Food Network
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

For the jam:
2 pounds strawberries, hulled, washed and drained
1/2 cup sugar

For the rice pudding:
5 cups whole milk (I used 4 cups 1% and 1 cup heavy cream)
7 ounces medium-grain rice (I used carnaroli rice)
3 tablespoons sugar, more or less depends on your taste
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 ounces amaretti cookies, crumbled
a few wild strawberries and some slivered almonds, to garnish (optional)

Place the strawberries in a wide, stainless steel pan and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Scrunch the strawberries up with your hands or a masher. You want all the sugar to dissolve in the strawberry juice before you put the pan on the heat and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on a medium heat, and every 5 minutes or so come back to your jam to skim off the foam. It should be thickened, but don't worry if it's still a bit liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and put aside.

Meanwhile, place the milk, rice, sugar and almond extract in a deep saucepan. Bring to a medium simmer and put on the lid. Cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is thick and creamy. If it ends up being a bit too thick, you can thin it down by adding a little more milk.

To serve, divide the rice pudding between your bowls. Spoon over a big dollop of the strawberry jam, then slowly swirl it in so it ripples through the rice pudding. Sprinkle over the amaretti pieces and scatter with a few strawberries and some almonds, if you like.

Joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to celebrate Getting Fresh with Jamie Oliver!

and

The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

and I am usually off season, but finally I have something seasonal, so I am joining The Tablescaper with Seasonal Sundays!

Hot and Sour Soba Noodles

2011-06-23T08:33:00.001-04:00

I was over at Joy's Book Blog, to leave a comment on her Weekend Cooking post, and she had a great review on a cookbook by Martha Rose Shulman. On occasion I read the Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman at the NY Times site, so when I noticed that Joy mentioned Hot and Sour Soba Noodles on her list to try, I knew I had to look that one up! And I am so glad I did. It's very easy and uses a different technique to cook the soba noodles from the other recipe for cold soba noodles that I normally use. Soba is pretty easy to overcook when you don't pay attention to things. That's me, there was that time I served a bowl of mush noodles :)

Miss Picky got a little taste while I was making it and then proceeded to eat the dressing by the spoonful. Raved about it. OK, where is my Miss Picky and what did you do with her? She is never that excited by food. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe, more peanut butter, and more soy sauce. And I added some shredded red cabbage and some chopped scallions. And when I made the dressing I completely forgot about the vinegar but it was too late. Next time. I do well with recipes that can tolerate my lack of concentration. This was a great recipe. Next time I might even use fresh zucchini instead of the cucumbers. A bit different from the original noodle recipe that we love, that I posted about here.

Thanks, Joy, for a great review, I'll be adding that book to my collection very soon!

Hot and Sour Soba Noodles
Source: recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times Recipes for Health and the book, The Very Best of Recipes for Health
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons peanut butter (to taste, I used 3 of the Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter, and nuked it for 20 seconds so it would soften enough to stir in the sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons hot red pepper oil (to taste)
pinch of cayenne
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 pound Japanese buckwheat noodles
1 cup diced or julienned cucumber
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
2 scallions, white part, sliced very thin rings
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional, I think peanuts would be nice, too!)
Lettuce, baby spinach, radicchio or arugula for serving (optional)

Heat the peanut butter for about 10 to 20 seconds in a microwave to make it easier to mix. Combine with the soy sauce, vinegar, hot red pepper oil, cayenne, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper. Whisk together. Whisk in the sesame oil, canola oil and broth. Set aside.

To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt, if desired, and the noodles. When the water comes back to a boil and bubbles up, add a cup of cold water to the pot. Allow the water to come back to a boil, and add another cup of cold water. Allow the water to come to a boil one more time, and add a third cup of water. When the water comes to a boil again, the noodles should be cooked through. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain and toss immediately with the dressing (whisk the dressing again first). Add the remaining ingredients, and toss together. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve. I chilled it in the refrigerator before serving.

You can serve this on a bed of lettuce, spinach, arugula, whatever you like and even add shrimp, chicken or tofu to make it a meal. We had it as a side dish. And loved it.

Joining

Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Souper Sundays (and salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

Wordless Wednesday: Tabasco

2011-06-21T19:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you want a little, sometimes you want a lot.

Flank Steak Marinade

2011-06-20T08:23:00.001-04:00

My friend, San mentioned this Pioneer Woman recipe to me, knowing I would love it. and I knew immediately we would. And we did.

When I first saw the recipe I read apple cider vinegar. I had a big bottle of that, I was good to go. Too bad it really said apple cider. No vinegar. I had no apple cider in the house. No apple juice. I had the vinegar and that actually sounded promising to me. But then I noticed little snack packs of apple sauce. Not the added corn syrup too sweet kind, the natural one, no sugar added. Just apples. This would do. It did fine. Better than fine. It lent a nice sweetness to the marinade, along with the honey. And I added a little cumin and more chile powder. Next time I would add a little heat, too. Just to keep Grandma on her toes!

It was really good on grilled chicken, too!

Flank Steak Marinade
Source: original recipe @ The Pioneer Woman
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider (I used apple sauce because I didn't have cider or juice)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (I used a bit more, medium hot chile powder, and threw in some extra ancho chile powder and a bit of cumin)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place flank steak in a large plastic bag, the kind that zips closed. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over flank steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

Grill until desired doneness, to internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F. Allow meat to rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.

Pat from Milli Fiori Favoriti is having a great $100 HomeGoods giveaway on her review blog, stop by and check it out! HomeGoods is opening lots of new stores, check on Pat's blog if there is one opening near you!

For Pat's HomeGoods Giveaway, CLICK HERE!

Mosaic Monday: Grilling!

2011-06-19T11:04:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

Our Griller will be grilling his favorites for us today. A little something for everyone. And always a hot dog.

Stop by The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Corn Chowder

2011-06-18T07:09:00.001-04:00

I admit it, I love convenience foods. Junk food, fast food, takeout, airplane food, school cafeteria food, and yes, even hospital food. Could be because I grew up with a mom who had zero interest in cooking. Zilch. But she knew where to go for the best restaurants and she loves fast food. She had four staples in her home cooking repertoire, broiled rib steaks, frozen cream spinach, baked potatoes and cream of corn soup. The kind of soup where you buy two cans of creamed corn and just add milk. Heat and stir. We loved it. My kids love it, she still makes it for them. And especially my Dad loved it. So in his honor and because Pops is Tops at I Heart Cooking Clubs, I made a corn soup that I know he would have loved. It's from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It even uses low-fat milk, and just a bit of butter.

We loved it!

What's not to love? It's got corn, potatoes, butter and milk!

Chives and thyme, fresh from the garden.

When I served it, I sprinkled a little bit of crumbled bacon on top!

Corn Chowder
Source: Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 celery stalk
1 medium onion
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups 1% milk
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into little cubes (I shredded the potatoes, instead of cubes)
2 cups frozen corn (or fresh, scraping the cob to get all the corn flavor in the chowder!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives and/or parsley (optional)
2-3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
Pull the leaves from the celery stalks and set them aside. Chop your celery and onion.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the celery (not the leaves), onion, and thyme. Stir until the vegetables start to brown.

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir for a few more minutes. Pour in the milk, add the potato and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but not mushy; about 10 minutes or so.

Chop the celery leaves, trim the ends off the scallions and slice them thinly. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the corn and celery leaves. Bring the soup back to the boil, then serve. Sprinkle with chives, and you can garnish with crumbled bacon, too, if you like.

Joining

I Heart Cooking Clubs to celebrate Pops is Tops with Jamie Oliver!

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Souper Sundays (and salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

Celebrity Cook-along: Pillsbury Doughboy

2011-06-16T09:20:00.000-04:00

Joining Lynn @ Happier than a Pig in Mud for her Celebrity Cook-Along.

This time we're cooking with the Pillsbury Doughboy!

The Griller was out doing errands the other day when I called him up to get me a tube of Pillsbury Crescent rolls. He's a good guy, picked them up for me and I threw the tube in the frig. It's a blue tube, it said Pillsbury, I assumed it was fine. I'm thinking chocolate croissants with this tube of flaky, greasy goodness, no matter I can't pronounce some of the ingredients, they make excellent chocolate croissants.

These will not make good chocolate croissants. He got the wrong blue tube. I don't like garlic with my chocolate. They did however, make fantastic Ranchero Crescent Rounds. Little Southwestern Black Bean and Cheese Quiches. Except these had an Asian flair because we love Sriracha.

and since they weren't round, I managed to deal with that, too...

They came out so good! Topped with a little fire-roasted salsa, I intended them for an afternoon snack, my kids are starving after school, milk and cookies would never do. Instead they had them for breakfast, they couldn't wait. My kids are not breakfast cereal kids for breakfast, you have to be inventive.

The changes I made were by accident, I never read the complete directions, no shock there! I only used one can, they weren't the rounds and I filled to the top instead of a tablespoon of filling. Instead of slicing them into the rounds (I didn't read that part!) I unrolled it and used a glass. It worked out fine, except I had leftover scraps, which I baked plain. They were good plain. In a standard six muffin pan, it made nice sized little quiches. Would definitely make these again! They would also be very nice for a brunch.

Rancheros Crescent Rounds
Source: Pillsbury.com - recipe by Amy Murphy Bake-Off® Contest 44, 2010
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Place ’N Bake® refrigerated crescent rounds (16 rounds) or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce (I used a teaspoon of Sriracha Sauce)
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/3 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup salsa

Heat oven to 375°F. If using crescent rounds, remove from package, separate into 16 rounds. If using crescent rolls, remove from package, but do not unroll. Using serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 rounds; carefully separate rounds. Place rounds on ungreased large cookie sheet. Press down center and pinch edge of each round to make indentation (about 3/4 inch deep and 2 inches in diameter).

In small bowl, beat egg, sour cream, salt, pepper, chili powder, pepper sauce and 1/4 cup of the cheese with fork or wire whisk until well blended.

Place 1 teaspoon of the beans in each crescent bowl. Spoon 1 teaspoon egg mixture into each bowl (do not fill to top). Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon of the remaining cheese.

Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until bowls are golden brown and filling is set. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon of the salsa.

Joining

The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Wordless Wednesday: The Beach

2011-06-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

Southern Pecan and Apple Salad

2011-06-12T07:50:00.001-04:00

I knew I'd love this one. Bitter greens, peppery arugula, sliced apples, caramel pecans. Stop right there. CARAMEL PECANS??? I am so sugar challenged that I once went through five pounds of sugar trying to make toffee. I should have known then. But this seemed so easy. Two ingredients, low heat. Yeah right. On low heat the butter melted, the sugar did nothing. Stir. Raise the heat, stir and the sugar seemed to be melting. One big stir and it seemed fine. Not burnt but one big glob. I put the nuts in. Not good. It clumped into one big sugar ball with nice pecans stuck to the big glob.

I salvaged what I could and they were actually really good. At least the ones I was able to chip off the ball of caramel. Is caramel supposed to shatter and chip?

I loved this salad, it would also be nice with blue cheese crumbled, I guess it wouldn't be Southern, but it would taste good!

Southern Pecan and Apple Salad

Source: original recipe - Jamie's America: Easy Twists on Great American Classics, and More by Jamie Oliver
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipes

olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves
3 teaspoons orange zest
juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red or green apples, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
2 heads Belgian endive, separated into leaves
2 cups mixed greens (such as arugula and radicchio)

Lightly rub a cookie sheet with olive oil or use a silpat-lined cookie sheet; set aside. Heat a large saucepan over low heat; add butter and sugar. Simmer a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture darkens. Gently stir in pecans until well-coated; be careful not to splash yourself. Transfer nuts to cookie sheet; use the back of a spoon to separate them into one layer. Allow to cool so caramel hardens.

Combine orange zest, orange juice, mustard, vinegar, and oil in a large salad bowl; stir well with a whisk. Taste and adjust the flavors, if needed, and season with salt and pepper.

Add apples and greens to dressing. Break cooled pecans apart; add half of them to bowl of salad. Toss mixture gently with your hands. Divide among 6 plates; top with remaining pecans and serve.

Join I Heart Cooking Clubs to cook Potluck with Jamie Oliver!

Souper Sundays (and salads and sandwiches) with Kahakai Kitchen

and

The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Chicken Fajita's

2011-06-09T11:53:00.000-04:00

Miss Picky loves chicken fajita's and when I saw how fantastic it looked on Susan's blog, Savoring Time in the Kitchen, I knew I would be making them for my pickiest eater. Go ahead and look on Susan's blog, not only are the fajita's on Susan's blog awesome, so is everything else she posts! Well, maybe not those big giant beans that look like Lima's, they look so good, and Susan can make even Lima's look delicious, but I'm picky when it comes to Lima Beans :)

I did notice it said soy sauce in the recipe. Hmmmm. Soy sauce is pretty versatile, Susan hasn't steered me wrong yet so I went ahead and made them. And so glad I did. Miss Picky loved them. We all did. I used a fire-roasted salsa from Trader Joe's and thin chicken cutlets that I cut in strips. It said cubes, we like strips and besides, I'm not known for following directions, why start now?

What's really nice is that you can make it way ahead. I wish I thought of that this time. I rushed. I always rush to get dinner on. Some folks thrive on hectic. I know I do. But this was so easy, it makes a great last minute dinner, too!

Chicken Fajita's

Source: Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Printable Recipe

4 large, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed (I sliced mine in strips)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup salsa
1 clove minced garlic

1 red pepper, sliced (I used red, yellow and orange, no green!)
1 green pepper, sliced
1-2 onions, sliced
1 clove mined garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup salsa
1 lime

Preheat oven to 450 (convection setting, if possible)

Toss cubed chicken breast with 1/4 cup soy sauce, canola oil, salsa and minced garlic and place on a large, rimmed baking pan and place in pre-heated oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile cook the onions and peppers in a large sauté pan until done (use a very large pan that will accommodate the chicken when it is done). Note - I prefer to caramelize the onions separately from the peppers since I like the onions nicely browned and the peppers crisp/tender. When the vegetables are done, combine them with the additional 1/4 cup of soy, salsa, canola oil and garlic and allow the mixture to simmer for just a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add the cooked chicken to the vegetables in the saucepan, then add the juice of a fresh lime and toss.

Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, avocado and salsa. This can easily be made earlier in the day and reheated before serving.

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

More Wordless Wednesday can be found here!

Something's fishy with Jamie Oliver

2011-06-06T00:05:00.018-04:00

I Heart Cooking Clubs is cooking with Jamie Oliver and this time something's fishy! Not the easiest theme for my family. Fish doesn't always go over well with them. So I didn't even try. This time I made something I knew I would like, and the big kid might like it, too.

SQUID!

Before you say ewwww, I was also in that camp, the one where I thought squid and calamari was disgusting. Disgusting until one day I developed a shellfish allergy. And no more linguine with clam sauce, no more oysters, scallops, crab or shrimp. Nothing alarming at first, a few hives. Didn't think twice. But by the third and fourth time I was covered. Squid became a necessity for someone who absolutely loves most shellfish. Raw, cooked, it's the one thing I miss. Linguine with white clam sauce and a side of Benadryl? Not a chance. So for now I am stuck with squid, and it turns out, I really like it. Which surprised me. And I loved this recipe. Chargrilled squid with the guacamole! Great recipe, me and the big kid really enjoyed it. I used the grill pan, talk about smoke. Smoking hot. And smoke alarms! But then the smoke cleared, the calamari was done, and all in all, it was a very good dish. I put in on top if some baby arugula. Topped with some chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno's and a squeeze of lime.

So thanks, Jamie Oliver, maybe one day I will outgrow this allergy and I can try one of your delicious shrimp dishes next. In the meantime, I will be making this one again.

Chargrilled Squid with Rustic Guacamole
Source: Jamie Oliver, original recipe found @ JamieOliver.com
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 squid tubes, cleaned and kept whole, and tentacles
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lime

Guacamole:
2 very ripe avocados
1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped fine
a few sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1/2 a red onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 tomato, chopped
juice of 2 limes

Guacamole: Squeeze the avocados out of their skins into a bowl, removing the pits. Add most of the chilli and cilantro, the onion, tomato and lime juice. Mix everything up with a spoon, breaking up any bigger bits of avocado as you go. Taste for seasoning; and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Put a griddle pan on a high heat to get nice and hot. There are two ways to prepare squid – choose whichever you prefer, or do both to get a feel for it. For both methods put the tentacles aside. The first way is to place a knife inside the tube and lay it on your chopping board, then score across the squid at 1/2 inch intervals with a small sharp knife. The knife inside will prevent you from cutting all the way through so you’ll be left with ‘concertina’ squid. This method lets heat and flavors in and looks good. The second way is to put the knife in the tube and cut through the side, open it out then lightly score every 1/2 inch in a criss-cross fashion with a blunt knife. This means the squid will curl up and absorb extra flavor. (I did the second method)

Season the squid with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil then toss to coat. Add it to the screaming hot griddle, scored-side down, for 1 to 2 minutes (you may need to do this in batches). Use tongs to turn the squid over once it has nice char marks. Give it a minute on the other side until it curls up then immediately transfer to a bowl and hit it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, the lime juice and another small pinch of salt and pepper. The legs can stay on the griddle for a bit longer to get crispy.

Spoon the guacamole onto a platter. Cut the legs up a bit and add to the bowl of dressed squid. Cut the concertina and scored squid into bite-sized chunks. Pile the squid over the guacamole and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Scatter over the reserved cilantro and chilli then tuck in.

Join I Heart Cooking Clubs to cook something fishy with Jamie Oliver!

and

Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

Strawberries with Chocolate Mint Whipped Cream

2011-06-05T12:02:00.001-04:00

Chocolate mint is a very nice mint, it has a delicious scent, sort of like a peppermint patty! Mint with a subtle taste of chocolate. It's a bit invasive to say the least so mine has been in a pot, right next to the spearmint on a table in the yard. It keeps coming back, year after year after year.

The first strawberries were peeking out of the pot this afternoon so I grabbed all four before the birds could get them and supplemented with some store bought berries to make a really nice dessert. Strawberries with Mint Whipped Cream. I had made it before and thought the chocolate mint would be so nice with the berries. It was. It was delicious with the berries. Nice hint of chocolate mint, was perfect with the sweet strawberries!

Strawberries with Chocolate Mint Whipped Cream

Source: original recipe @ Martha Stewart, Everyday Food - May 2007
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup sugar
1 packed cup fresh mint leaves and stems, coarsely chopped (recipe called for 2 cups, but we found it fine with one and I used chocolate mint leaves)
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

mint sprigs for garnish

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, mint, and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil. Remove from heat; steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Let cool (makes about cup).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in one cup syrup You can re-whip the cream to stiffen, if necessary.

Starting with strawberries, spoon alternating layers of strawberries and mint cream into four serving glasses. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Stop by The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Biscuit Tortoni

2011-06-02T07:54:00.001-04:00

When I was little, my Dad would take me and my brother out for the afternoon on a Saturday to give mom a break. We'd do errands, whatever mom needed. When we came home we'd pick mom up for dinner and go to our favorite local place, a family style Italian restaurant. I always finished with a Tortoni. Biscuit Tortoni in a paper cup topped with a maraschino cherry. And my Dad always had a taste. I smile just thinking about it. I had my first date with my husband at that place, but was so nervous I never had the Tortoni :) Now it's gone but definitely not forgotten. So I made Tortoni. It reminded my husband of his favorite ice cream, Good Humor Toasted Almond Ice Cream Bars! And my kids, they loved it. And they smiled when they thought of their Grandpa, who also took them to that restaurant and everywhere else when they were little! Just to give me a little break :)

I did a google search for Tortoni a while back, a few years ago, and found such a great recipe on Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy and she gives a little history about the Tortoni. Just like I remembered. It was so good the when I made it that first time, but I never did get to it again. Not sure why, her recipe is so easy, it took no time at all. So I remembered and looked in my bookmarks and had to have it again. And it was so good, they want another batch. I need to buy more cookies and ice cream. Fast. Why did I wait so long?

and so once again I didn't follow directions completely and used a pint instead of a quart. And one 7 oz bag of Lazzaroni Amaretti Cookies.

Tortoni
Original source: Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup blanched and sliced, slivered or chopped almonds
2 1/2 cups amaretti cookies (I used a 7 oz. bag of Lazzaroni Amaretti Snaps Cookies)
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur (more or less to taste)
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 quart homemade or premium quality vanilla ice cream, softened (I used a pint)
Maraschino cherries, drained and halved for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chopped almonds on small baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Or you can toast them in a nonstick skillet (no oil, dry) on the stove over medium heat. Be careful to watch them so they don't burn.

Put the cookies in a Ziploc plastic bag and crush the cookies into small pieces with a rolling pin, a meat pounder or your hands. Be careful not to turn them into tiny crumbs. Place crumbled cookies in a medium bowl and toss with the almonds. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until thickened. Pour in the amaretto and whip until medium peaks form. Spoon the cookie mixture into the whipped cream, reserving 3/4 cup or so for topping.

Add the almond extract to the softened ice cream and stir until blended and very smooth. Fold the cookie/whipped cream mixture into ice cream.

Spoon into little pastry cups or ramekins. Sprinkle each cup with some of the reserved cookie mixture and top with a cherry. Freeze until firm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Sweet Tooth Friday hosted by Alli n Son!

Sweet as Sugar Cookies for Sweets for a Saturday!

and

Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details

Wordless Wednesday: Chocolate Mint

2011-06-01T00:47:00.000-04:00

Whip Up Something New @ It's all about me!

Greek Salad Sandwich

2011-05-30T17:11:00.002-04:00

Saw this sandwich over at Debbie's blog, Mountain Breaths, and I knew this was for me. I used store bought hummus, but would love to try it next time with the homemade. I was making some variation of this sandwich no matter because it just sounded so good to me. So I used fresh zucchini instead of cucumbers, It was really good. Too bad the picky people I live with would never try feta. Their loss. They do eat hummus though, so maybe I will be nice and make one of these for them, minus the feta. If I decide to be nice :)

Greek Salad Sandwich
Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2011
Source: Debbie @ Mountain Breaths
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

hummus:
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
extra-virgin olive oil
small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
or you can use store bought hummus

1/2 of a small red onion
Greek salad dressing, or use red wine vinegar, oil, and any herbs you like
coarse salt
ground pepper
3 oz. crumbled feta
8 slices rustic bread or pita's
1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
chopped kalamata olives

In a food processor pulse the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Or cheat and use store bought hummus!

In a small bowl, toss the red onion with enough dressing until it's all coated. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mash the feta with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Brush all slices of bread with the dressing. On 4 of the slices, spread chickpea mixture. Top with the cucumber, tomato and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the feta mixture on the remaining 4 slices of bread and place on top of the sandwiches.

Be sure to check out Gnoe at Graasland for the June edition of "Whip Up Something New!"

Joining Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

Wildflower Cards!

2011-05-29T18:05:00.000-04:00

Someone gave my daughter these cards to plant the other day! They'll turn into lovely wildflowers. Hopefully. My thumb isn't the greenest but it seemed like a cool thing. The seeds are embedded in the cards. You tear the cards, I had to cut, I couldn't tear it, and then you plant them in the ground, and water well. And maybe, just maybe, in a few weeks we'll have a mosaic of beautiful wild flowers.

For more mosaics, stop by the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Best Breakfast Eggs!

2011-05-26T10:47:00.004-04:00

Jamie Oliver said "forget coffee, a little gnaw of chili in the morning will wake you up!" and boy, was he right. I'm up! I'm wide awake! But I still needed my coffee. Jamie called these Beautiful Breakfast Tortilla's, I'd call them Best Breakfast Eggs. These were really the best! Not to mention quick and very easy. Nice way to start the day. Now if I could get someone else to do the dishes and wash the pans I'd be all set.

Beautiful Breakfast Tortillas
Source: Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver, you can find the original recipe here and watch him make it!
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 limes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium-sized tomato halved and diced
1 fresh green chile, seeded and minced (I used pickled jalapeno rings, chopped)
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves picked and chopped
a handful of freshly grated Manchego or Cheddar cheese
4 corn or flour tortillas (I used flour)
6 large eggs
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced very thin
a good pat of butter
chile sauce (as hot as you want!), to serve (I used Sriracha)

Mix the avocado with the juice of 1 lime and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and put aside. Arrange the tomato, chile, cilantro leaves, and grated cheese on a plate, to top eggs after they cook.

Reheat the tortillas in a hot dry pan for about 20 seconds on each side until warmed through. Wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them warm while you start the eggs.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with the minced scallions and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in the eggs. Lightly tip the pan as the eggs cook, and when you see a layer forming on the bottom of the pan, sweep a rubber spatula around so you large pieces of cooked egg surrounded by the custardy egg. Stir gently, keep an eye on it for a minute or so until the eggs are starting to scramble but are still loose, remove from heat and gently stir again. The eggs should be loose, do not overcook!

Get 2 plates and lay a warm tortilla on each one. Divide the scrambled egg between them, top with the chopped tomato, avocado, and chile. Sprinkle the cilantro and grated cheese on top. Lay another tortilla on top, and drizzle over some chile sauce. Cut your remaining lime into wedges to squeeze over the dish and serve.

There's a Jamie Oliver party going on at I Heart Cooking Clubs. This time it's Mad about Herbs! Stop by and see what's cooking!

And see what's cooking this weekend over at Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share!

Be sure to check out Kristi loves Books for the May edition of "Whip Up Something New!"

*** I think Blogger is still having some issues, so if you can't comment, you can always email and let me know. It's been intermittent on some blogs the past few days. You may want to occasionally check this link...
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THANKS!

Wordless Wednesday: My Kitchen Window

2011-05-25T07:14:00.000-04:00