Finally getting to be soup weather!

I love the cooler weather. And I am looking forward to soup. Lots of soups. Hearty soups. So I went looking through past blog posts to see what's what. These are two I had forgotten about and I'm glad I went back to look. They will be on our table again very soon.

Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice

Source: original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC

adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice

1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup arborio rice

one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets

1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup frozen baby peas
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

(MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.  If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!

 

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup
 adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Source: Food Network, recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices crusty bread, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, another 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It will be hot so be careful.

Once all the soup is blended add the cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

Arrange the bread on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle the slices of bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil the bread until warm and golden, keeping an eye so they don't burn. Stir to toast all sides. Serve the soup in bowls with the croutons. 

I'm joining

 Beth Fish Reads for Weekend Cooking.

 

Foodie Friends Friday
hosted by 
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Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Cottage

Simple Meals Friday with at Mexican Wildflower

Kahakai Kitchen 
with the 
Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes 
(soups, salads and sandwiches)

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

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Tomato Paella

This is a delicious recipe and a nice change from the usual side dish. I didn't grow tomatoes this year but the vine tomatoes from the supermarket have been very good so far. Miss Picky even liked it, but did comment on the flavor, a bit different for her but we couldn't figure out if it was the saffron or the smoked paprika. Either way she decided different was ok and had a second helping.I used the broiler to dry it out a little more and it made a nice crust on the top. Best part according to my kids who fight for the burnt edges. Not a problem actually because I have a tendency to burn food.

I used a strawberry gadget to core the tomatoes. Worked liked a charm on the tomatoes.

Paella With Tomatoes

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

source: NY Times, recipe by Mark Bittman

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dining/051mrex.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dining/05mini.html?ref=dining

Printable Recipe

3 cups stock

1/2 cup -1 cup white wine

4 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced or whizzed in a food processor

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon tomato paste

big pinch saffron threads (optional)

2 teaspoons Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika), or any other paprika you like

2 cups short-grain rice like Spanish Calasparra, Bomba rice or Arborio rice

chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm the stock in a saucepan.

Put oil in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, saffron and paprika and cook for another minute more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, about another two minutes. Add the wine and stir, let it cook down for another minute or two, then stir in the stock.

Arrange the tomato wedges on top of the rice and drizzle with juices that accumulated in bottom of bowl. Put pan in oven and roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, return pan to oven for another 5-10 minutes. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock and roast another few minutes. When rice is ready, you can turn the broiler on for a few minutes to give the tomatoes some color and crisp the rice on top.

Carefully remove pan from oven, it will be extremely hot. Sprinkle with parsley. 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

 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House

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Wordless Wednesday

More Wordless Wednesday can be found here!

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Mexican Rice

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.

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.
 

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Brown Rice with Mushrooms and Peas

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.

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Cinnamon Horchata

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's America 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.
 

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Fresh with Jamie Oliver

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!

and
  Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

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That first snow...

Well, we got it, the first snow of the season last week! Weird because it was almost 50 degrees the day or two before. But there it was, we woke up to a nice covering of snow. I know some folks don't like it, but we do! And the perfect thing to go with a cold, snowy day? Minestrone Soup! Any soup, I think, but this day it was Minestrone. A friend had invited me for lunch, she made Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice. I liked it so much I made it again the very next day. Perfect timing with the snow! Has everything but the kitchen sink. Maybe not string beans. Didn't have those, but you can throw them in, too, if you want them. Sprinkled with a little Parmesan. This is perfect soup for a snowy day. Hey, it's perfect soup for a sunny day! And even better the next day when the rice soaked up all the soup! It was a total comfort dish, like risotto, without all the stirring! Risotto with Tomatoes and Vegetables!

Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice

Source: Sheri

original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC

adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice

1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup arborio rice

one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets

1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup frozen baby peas 
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

(MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.  If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!

 

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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Risotto

Tried something new this week. New to us. Risotto. Never made it before, never ordered it at a restaurant before and it does take a little bit of attention to make. Attention. Something I don't always have. Usually never! I grew up hearing the words "focus" so you'd think "focus" was my first name! I was never exactly in a rush to try to make risotto.

My friend, San, mentioned this recipe from epicurious and it just sounded so good. Creamy, lemony, all words that peaked my interest. But the constant attention I'd have to give it, just wasn't sure. Eh, I should try, how bad could it be? I managed to get around the constant stirring by adding a bit more broth at one time so I was able to do something else and not have to constantly stir.  Have to say, though, I was getting antsy, kept tasting, nope, still crunchy after 20 minutes, taste, nope still crunchy after 30 minutes. Then finally after what seemed like an hour, but it wasn't crunchy any more, the risotto was perfect. Creamy, lemony, just like I thought it would be!

Keep adding broth and stirring and taste it, until it's done, it may take more broth, and more time than the recipe says. But it's worth it in the end.

Lemon Risotto
Source: Bon Appétit, May 2002
Printable Recipe

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (I needed more)
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
grated zest AND juice from one lemon

In a large saucepan, bring broth to simmer over medium heat. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir for about a minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

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The "to try" list...

I like trying new recipes out on my unsuspecting family. In my recipe folder on my computer are tons of recipes I would like to try, and tons more bookmarked for online. And every once in a while I hit it right, actually more than once in a while, since I know what NOT to make for them. But I do like to widen their horizons and mine! Still working on blue cheese, but I am completely positive that it will never happen. Not ever. I love it, always have since I was a kid even, but two out of three tried and intensely disliked. The picky one just plain refused. But they do try for the most part and indulge me in my "to try" list for the most part.

So I know they eat wild rice, black beans and corn. All mixed up together in a salad and cold, not so sure. Throw in some roasted poblano peppers, and they did try the Wild Rice Salad from Martha Stewart's Living. and they loved it. I didn't serve it cold, we ran late and it never did have time to get cold. This was a great dish!

Beets and tomatoes, they eat both of those. This was a very good salad! and Grandma was very happy because there was not one hot pepper, not one smidgen of cayenne, jalapeno or anything else to curl her toes in any of the recipes! She got a little nervous when I mentioned poblano pepper, but it's such a nice mild pepper, and so good roasted, she was fine with it. Have to give her credit, she can be adventurous when it comes to food once in a while. She at least tries. Hear that Miss Picky? Ok, but grandma is pretty vocal when she doesn't like it. Grandma and Picky are pretty similar, sometimes!

Roasted Poblano Pepper

Wild Rice Salad
Source: Martha Stewart Living, July 2008
Printable Recipe

3 cups water
1 cup wild rice
Coarse salt
2 fresh poblano peppers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 cloves)
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears) (I used frozen kernels!)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
Freshly ground pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup) (I forgot to add these and it was fine!)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is al dente and some grains have split, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain.

Roast poblanos directly over a gas-stove burner or under a broiler, turning often with tongs, until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes. Rub poblanos with a paper towel to remove skins. Cut a slit down the side of each poblano, and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch dice. *MY NOTE - I use a paper bag and fold it closed. and after about ten or fifteen minutes, I rinsed the pepper under cool running water, while rubbing the skin off to get all those black skin bits and seeds off! Saw that on TV once. It worked and it's one less bowl to wash!

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add poblanos, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in corn, and cook for 3 minutes. Add wild rice and black beans, stirring to coat, and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Let cool slightly, then transfer to a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in scallions, cilantro, and lime juice. *I garnished with some avocado slices. 

Beet and Tomato Salad
adapted a bit, I added red onions, sliced very thin and a little lemon zest! I was running out of time, so I cheated and used precooked beets from Trader Joe's, They weren't canned! But roasting is really easy and tastes so good!
Source: Martha Stewart Living, September 2007
Printable Recipe

6 red beets, trimmed, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 to 6 ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), preferably heirloom, cut into wedges
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup small mint leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets, cut sides up, on parchment-lined foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold foil over beets to enclose, and crimp edges to seal. Bake until tender, about 35 minutes. Let cool. Peel, and cut into wedges. (Beets can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight.)

Arrange beets and tomatoes on a serving platter. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice, and season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Scatter mint over top, and serve.

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Lightening up General Tso!

Cooking up a storm lately! The spring weather must be giving me some extra energy or something. Tomorrow it's back to ordering in, it's been enough of a streak for now! I think stir fry is one of the easiest meals to make for dinner. So I tried looking for something new. We always have Chicken with Cashews. So I went looking for something a little different. Found this one at Martha Stewart. It was very good. but next time I'd use a lot less sugar! and maybe a little less pepper, almost took out Grandma, LOL!

Lighter General Tso's Chicken
Source: Everyday Food – October, 2008
Printable Recipe
(adapted)

1 1/4 cups long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 garlic cloves, sliced (I used 3 minced cloves)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar (next time I'd cut it to 1or 2 T)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cook rice according to package instructions. In a bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and add the rest of the cooked chicken and any juices, along with the snow-pea mixture to skillet. Toss to coat. Cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

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Kebabs! Satés! Dinner on a Stick!

My friend, Woodie, went and did it. She had mentioned chicken wings made with Mikey's Jerk Marinade (a family recipe!) a few months ago and I couldn't wait to try it. They were a big hit here during the Superbowl.

and now Woodie was talking about visiting her relatives again and having Mike's marinade sloshed all over some chicken kebabs. Now that got me craving all over again! Only I wanted beef, not chicken for what seems like the 112th time this month. So the Griller did me a favor and ran to the butcher to pick up some sirloin and a skirt steak for Miss Picky! A skirt steak kebab will work for her. and all those grilled vegetables. Served on a bed of rice from the local Middle Eastern/Israeli grocery here in town. They called it Mejedra. Rice, lentils and onions. Lots of flavor. I've googled it.  Tons of spellings,  and recipes. I think I could make it myself. But they make it so good, why bother? So I didn't.

Here's the link to the marinade with the wings...   Mikey's Jamaican Jerk Wings!

Here's the link to the Tuna Satay... Tuna Satés with Wasabi Mayo!

Jamaican Jerk Vegetable and Beef Kebabs, Tuna Satés ready for the grill!

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for an hour, use two skewers for each kebab to prevent the food from rolling around or falling off! We didn't lose a piece to the grill, we did lost a piece or two to the Griller! He's had dibs on first taste!

Grilled and ready to plate!

Tuna Satés with Wasabi Mayo
posted by Ilisa at The Ramen Chronicles blog
Printable Recipe

You can cut this recipe in half for a smaller group.

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
juice of one lemon
5 tablespoons wasabi paste, or to taste
4 12-ounce tuna steaks, cut into 1-inch cubes

Stir all ingredients together. Put tuna cubes in a bowl and cover with 1 cup (or more, if needed) of the wasabi mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Put remaining wasabi mixture in a bowl for dipping and refrigerate overnight.

Either sear tuna in a very hot pan with olive oil, just a minute each side, or stick it on a prepared skewer and grill over very hot coals for a few minutes each side. Serve tuna satés with chilled wasabi mayo for dipping.

Mikey's Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Source: AnnieWoodie
Printable Recipe

4 Scotch Bonnet chilies (or any hot pepper, amount depending upon your taste - we use much less than called for!)
1 bunch scallions (both white & green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 shallots - halved
1 small onion - quartered
2 cloves of peeled garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons ground allspice
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of water

This is enough to marinate 4 pounds of meat

Combine chiles, scallions, shallots, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, oil, soy, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and water. Blend in a blender until smooth. Marinate from a few hours to several days and grill until done.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Today was a rainy, dreary kind of day. The rain is supposed to turn to snow. Maybe. Maybe not. We shall see. Definitely in lazy mode tonight and didn't feel like takeout, but didn't feel like preparing a huge feast either. Sweet and Sour Chicken worked out well. Ten minutes to brown rice using the Success method. Ok, so it's not really a method, it's a product! Success boil-in-bag brown rice. We like it! Ten minutes in the microwave. Less if you like crunchy rice. They call it fool-proof. Obviously they never heard about me! but somehow I made it perfect this time. Dinner ready in less than 30 minutes. The only change to this one was to add broccoli florets. If you don't like fruit with your chicken, leave out the pineapple. Another keeper!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips (1 cup)
4 teaspoons cooking oil
1 cup fresh pea pods, tips and stems removed
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks (juice-pack), drained
3 cups hot cooked brown rice

For sauce, in a small bowl stir together chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and garlic; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet cook and stir carrots and sweet pepper in 3 teaspoons of the hot oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add pea pods. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet; set aside.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Add chicken to skillet. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from center of skillet. Stir sauce; add to center of skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add vegetable mixture and pineapple chunks; heat through. Serve with hot cooked brown rice.

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Visit Kathleen from Cuisine Kathleen to join in on her 2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Party! Guaranteed to be a fun time! Party starts on March 26th at Kathleen's, anything Irish goes, recipes, stories, pictures, anything! Sign up with Mr. Linky on March 26th at Cuisine Kathleen to join!

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Black Beans and Brown Rice

Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet started the "Great Cooking Magazine Challenge!" a while back. Every once in a while, I'd have a huge pile of cooking magazines to go through and I thought Suzy had a great idea to try to make a new recipe every once in a while!

Well, there's another huge pile of magazines on my night table! The February issues are in, and I made a small dent in the pile this weekend. So I thought I'd try one from the new issue of Martha Stewart Living! Black Beans and Brown Rice. With Avocado and Red Onion! It was a big hit! The rice was a little crunchy. I have issues cooking rice, maybe my kids by now think rice is supposed to be crunchy? Nah! I should have cooked it a little longer, but hey, the Jets were winning, I wasn't concentrating. The kids didn't mind the crunch! They loved the whole dinner! It was served with chicken marinated in Lime-Chipotle Sauce. That sauce is addictive, and really great with Tortilla chips!

It was pouring so Mr. Griller was not leaving the Jets game or his cozy recliner to stand in the heavy rain to grill chicken cutlets! He's not a very enthusiastic tailgater, especially when it's pouring. and we weren't actually tailgating! So I baked the cutlets. Thin-sliced from Perdue, beats pounding them myself. I am all for the easy way out! Took no time, and they came out really moist! Best yet! They marinated a few hours in the frig with the Lime-Chipotle Sauce, I made a double batch so we'd have some to drizzle on top of the chicken and some to have with the tortilla chips. Have I mentioned enough how addicting this sauce is? It really is.

I tend to keep things in the freezer so I have them on hand when I need them and poor Mr. Griller doesn't have to run out to the store for me at the last minute. Lemons, limes, and fresh chili peppers. All freeze really well whole. Zest the lemon and limes frozen, but if you need the juice, nuke them for a bit. I use a microplane to grate the frozen jalapeno's, seeds and all, gives the recipe nice heat! No thawing necessary!

Served the Black Beans and Brown Rice on the side with tomatoes, avocado, red onions and a squeeze of lime.

Black Beans and Brown Rice

Source: Martha Stewart Living, February 2010

Printable Recipe

FOR THE BEANS
8 cups water, plus more if needed (I used about 1 cup of water because I used canned beans)
1 bag (1 pound) dried black beans, picked over, rinsed, and drained (I used 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
1 jalapeno chile, halved and seeded
2 medium onions, quartered (I used only one)
5 garlic cloves, smashed (I used 3 cloves)
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
** I also added a little more than a tablespoon of cumin

FOR THE RICE
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water

Make the beans: Bring water, beans, jalapeno, onions, garlic, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to a simmer in a medium pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed.) Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, make the rice: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the rice. Cook until rice is slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add water, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and gently simmer, covered, until rice absorbs water, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with beans.

SERVING IDEA Serve beans and rice with fresh cilantro, diced red onion, chopped tomato, cubed avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and hot sauce.

My notes: I used 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained, and added a little over a cup of water. Also added a little over a tablespoon of cumin. Mixed it all up and let it simmer about 30 minutes to develop the flavors!

For the recipe for the Lime-Chipotle Sauce click here!

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Soup Weather!

We had more snow on Sunday! A dusting, maybe a little more, but enough to cover, combined with the wind, it's been freezing cold and we needed soup here! This is the perfect chill chaser...

I can't follow directions exactly, never could. Just ask my first grade teacher, my second, my third, the list goes on. And I know this because it says so, in red, on all those old report cards my mother saved. But not a problem when it comes to cooking, it's usually fixable. I cooked the rice separately, but the mushrooms and leeks, in my case this time, shallots, sauteed all together. This time instead of the porcini powder, I used dried porcini's and reconstituted them in warm water, then used the mushroom broth in the soup as well as the chopped porcini's! Served with a quiche and a salad, easy dinner for a cold, snowy night!

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Source: Martha Stewart Living - September 2003
Printable Recipe

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup wild rice
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake (stems removed), and chanterelle, sliced into bite-size pieces
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Porcini Powder
1/2 cup sherry or Madeira
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil.  Add salt and wild rice. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain; set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and tender, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and mushrooms.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter; add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushroom powder; cook 1 minute. Add sherry and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more.

Add stock to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; return turn to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, cream, and parsley; adjust seasoning, and serve.

PORCINI POWDER (1/3 cup)
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

In a spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse porcini to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. You can use this in soups, stews, sprinkled on steak, in sauces, risotto. Adds a nice depth of flavor.

I made a quiche for dinner, it's easy, and you can throw whatever you have in the frig in and end up with a really good combination. This one had slices of tomato, cheddar cheese, broccoli, mushrooms and shallots. It was filled! and now my refrigerator isn't! Good way to use up whatever you have.

Mrs. Anderson whoever she is came up with the best idea since sliced bread. The pie shield. Comes in two sizes and it's so much easier than crimping tin foil around the crust. My edges always cracked off when I did the tin foil thing. Works great! You can see on the slice, I still have my edge!

 The basic recipe I use for quiche is here.

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Fire-Roasted Salsa!

My absolute favorite thing to cook, and to eat, is Mexican Food, Tex-Mex, Southwestern, anything along those lines. So after last week's labor intensive Julia recipe, I went with an old favorite, Grilled Chicken marinated with Chitpotle-Lime Sauce, and served it with Black Bean Sauce. Topped with Chevy's Fire-roasted Salsa, and some Spanish Rice. The Griller grilled the tomatoes and the jalapeno's, thus making this a very easy recipe for me. Except for the part where all the rice spilled on the floor. Still finding those two hours later! Not even the dogs bothered with that! Dessert was a car ride away to Red Mango Yogurt. Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt. Good stuff.


Chevy's Fire-Roasted Salsa

from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
Source: Perrys' Plate
Printable Recipe

6 medium tomatoes
6-8 jalapenos (I use 2-3)
1/4 medium Spanish or Yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid mesquite smoke (I omitted)

Preheat grill on high. Remove stems from tomatoes, then rub some oil over each. Leave stems on jalapenos and rub oil on them, too.

Place tomatoes on grill. After about 10 minutes, add the jalapenos. In about 10 minutes, turn the tomatoes and peppers. When almost all of the surface of the peppers are black, remove them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off they are done. Remove from grill to a bowl.

Remove skin from tomatoes and place in a food processor. Pinch the stem end from each pepper, remove any skin that has burned, and place into food processor with tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree on high for 5-10 seconds. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes about 2 cups.


Black Bean Sauce
adapted from Simply Recipes
Printable Recipe

3 cans black beans, drained, rinsed
1 quart chicken stock)
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Add any other chili powder you like, Ancho, Pasilla, Guajillo
Some cilantro, use a bunch or less, to taste (we like less!)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare Black Bean Sauce while chicken is marinating. Place 2 of the 3 cans of the beans in a soup pan, and add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours. Add additional chicken stock if needed. Remove the bay leaves, and then puree to a smooth consistency with an immersion blender. You can use a food processor or blender as well. Add the last can of beans and stir in, simmer for about 20-30 more minutes, then serve, with grilled chicken.


Spanish Rice
source: Internet
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce, or canned diced tomatoes or Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies
3 cloves minced garlic (or a little less than 1 teaspoon powdered)
1/4 medium onion (or a little less than 1 teaspoon powdered)
2 tablespoons oil
Red pepper, diced

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the red pepper, garlic and onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Add in broth and tomato sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 - 25 minutes until there's is no liquid and fluff with a fork.

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Kick-off to Summer BBQ...Day Two! and a Magazine Challenge!

Found another great recipe for a Magazine Challenge and it's grilled so I'm doing two events in one for this installment! and the sun came out. Finally! The Griller did not need his umbrella this time! Funny how if it comes out good, the Griller takes full credit and if it comes out bad, the problem was with the recipe :) It was all good today! Except for dessert. That was my problem!



Debbie of Mountain Breath's is hosting the First annual Kick-Off to Summer BBQ at her blog, Mountain Breaths. and Suzy from Kitchen Bouquets has the Great Cooking Magazine Challenge for anyone, anytime who finds a great new recipe from a magazine. or a lousy recipe? This one I used was good one though! Really great! Definitely a keeper. Potatoes were awesome! Helps when you cook them long enough. I learned from my last mistake. The rice pudding was good. I like the heavy cream version much better, definitely creamier. This one came out very thick. but then again, I did mess up. Everyone liked it though.

Middle Eastern Sliders
Source: Rachael Ray Everyday Magazine, June-July 2009
Printable Recipe

4 pita breads
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 romaine heart, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dill pickle slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
3/4 cup store-bought hummus

Tip: You can also use Greek-style yogurt instead of the hummus and add feta cheese crumbles to the salad.

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Stack the pitas and wrap in heavy-duty foil; place on the grill and cover to warm.

In a large bowl, combine the beef with the cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; shape into twelve 1/3-inch-thick patties. In another large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes and pickles; toss with the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pitas from the grill. Transfer the beef patties to the grill, cover and grill for 2 minutes on each side for medium. Spread each pita with some of the hummus, then top with some of the salad and 3 patties. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano
(Patates Riganates)
Source: epicurious.com -- The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean by Aglaia Kremezi
Printable Recipe


3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup beef stock or chicken stock
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
(I also added sliced shallots)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil.
Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Add the stock, toss and bake for 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice, toss and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and serve at once.


Rice pudding recipes are all over the internet, so I went with this one, and I left out the cornstarch. I added some vanilla. and I used a lot less sugar. I should have used even less, way too sweet for us. I used about a 1/2 cup. I must have screwed up somehow because when all was said and done, I had way too much liquid, so I poured some off from the pot before I mixed the eggs in. Added some of the hot rice mixture in with the eggs to heat it a bit so it wouldn't scramble and then dumped the whole mixture in the pot. Brought it to a boil. Then lowered the heat and simmered for a bit. It turned out nice, creamy when it was hot but got way too thick when it got cold. Maybe because I used arborio rice? My other choice in the pantry was the boil-n-bag kind. Good thing I didn't use cornstarch or it's be so thick it would have stuck to the pot.

Greek Rice Pudding (Ryzogalo)
Source: ehow.com
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups of water
3/4 cups of short grain rice
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
Ground cinnamon

Put the rice and water into a three-quart saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Stir constantly while cooking.

Heat the milk but don't boil it. Stir it into the rice along with half of the sugar. Cover and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Dissolve the cornstarch completely into a quarter cup cold water. Add it to the rice. Stir constantly so the rice doesn't stick or burn. Simmer for five minutes to cook the cornstarch. Remove it from the heat, cover it and let sit for 10 minutes.

Combine the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar. Add this to the rice and stir briskly until it is all well combined. The heat from the rice will cook the egg yolks and finish thickening the pudding.

Pour the pudding into individual serving dishes and sprinkle it with cinnamon. A single toasted almond on each serving is also a nice garnish.

You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar to suit your taste.

Add raisins if you like. (I don't!!)



and here we go again! Another pot holder bit the dust! Managed to put this one out before it was totally destroyed! Never throw a potholder on the stove while the little red warning lights still say HOT! My smoke alarm, also known as the timer gave us the warning! Am I the only one who uses the stove top as counter space?

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