First you take an onion...

Quarantine Sourdough... or what I did on spring break part 1

2020-06-20T02:16:00.000-07:00

One would think being on lockdown during a pandemic would give a person so much more time to blog! In my case, apparently not.

I have, however, over the past few months, discovered the joys of sourdough baking. I would like to genuinely thank the early pandemic yeast hoarders for basically forcing me to explore sourdough.

I wouldn't have done it without you.

Rather than go into explicit details right now, I'm just going to post of photos of my journey and get back to the actual process later.

Name- Tamagotchi
Date of birth- 4/6/20

First attempt- utter failure
This was AFTER baking

Second attempt- getting there...

Found the sweet spot!

Experimenting with scoring patterns

And different shapes

Then I figured out how to make/bake two loaves at once

In part 2, I'll give you the links I used to start my own starter, and how easy it is to make this bread once you have active sourdough!

Pork Loin Chops with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

2019-01-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

I'm mainly just putting this here so I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time I make it.

4 thick-cut pork loin chops

salt and pepper

2 T. butter, divided

generous handful of mixed dried gourmet mushrooms

1 1/4 C. hot water

1 C. sliced button mushrooms (white or crimini)

1 C. sliced fresh shitake mushrooms

1/3 C. marsala wine

1 t. dried herbes de provence

1/2 t. salt

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. milk

In a small bowl, soak dried mushrooms in hot water for about 30 minutes, or until softened and hydrated. Strain soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, squeezing most of the liquid out of the mushrooms. You should have about 1 cup of liquid. Set aside for later.

Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, melt 1 T. butter over medium-high heat. Brown pork until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt remaining butter in pan; saute all mushrooms until moisture has evaporated and they're starting to brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Return pan to medium-high and deglaze with marsala, scraping up any bits and reducing to about half. Stir in herbes de provence, salt, and HALF the mushroom soaking liquid. Return pork and mushrooms to pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch and milk into remaining soaking liquid. Remove pork from pan. Bring mushroom mixture to a boil, and add the soaking liquid mixture. Boil until thickened, stirring constantly. Spoon sauce over chops to serve.

This is delicious with polenta, but I also often serve it with fancied-up mashed potatoes. Rice would be good, too!

Salami and Potato Frittata

2019-01-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

I love frittatas. They're relatively quick and easy. They're great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can put just about anything in them and they'll be fantastic. All you need is eggs, cheese, and whatever you happen to have languishing in the fridge/pantry. Some of my favorite ingredients are spinach, broccoli, chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, ham, bacon... but pretty much anything goes. This time, I had some sliced dry salami left over from Christmas meat and cheese platters, a hunk of mozzarella, a large bag of potatoes, and a random Roma tomato. I don't normally put anything on them as a topping, but the diced tomato dressed with red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard was a perfect addition of fresh flavor to the richness of salami and cheese. Served with your favorite salad (Fresh Express Pear Gorgonzola Salad Kit pictured here), it makes a hearty, delicious meal in almost no time!

This recipe is EXTREMELY flexible. Use whatever variety tomato, potato, onion, and/or cheese you happen to have on hand.

Salami and Potato Frittata

1 C. finely diced tomato

2 t. red wine vinegar

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. extra virgin olive oil

pinch kosher salt and black pepper

Combine all ingredients; set aside.

1/4 lb. thinly sliced dry salami, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 T. oil

4 small-medium potatoes, diced (about 3 C.)

1 C. chopped onion

1 1/2 C shredded cheese

10 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Select a large saute pan with an oven-safe handle. I used to exclusively use one of my cast iron pans for frittatas, but recently discovered even my cheap non-stick pan handles are oven-safe to at least 375°. Who knew? On stovetop, cook salami over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until just beginning to crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, leaving as much rendered fat as possible in the pan. Add oil, potatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper to pan; cook over medium-high for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions and continue cooking until onions are translucent and potatoes are starting to brown, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle salami pieces and cheese evenly over potato mixture. Pour in beaten eggs. Place pan in oven and cook until eggs are set, about 7-12 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a tablespoon or so of the tomato mixture. It's just... that... easy!

Slaw of Opportunity

2018-12-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

Links to the honey lime chicken thighs and coconut lime cilantro rice recipes will be provided below.

So I've been making variations of this slaw for the past few years, and I have recently come to the conclusion that, aside from one constant, the rest of the recipe is infinitely variable.

The one constant is... drumroll please...

A package of instant ramen. Top Ramen... Maruchan... doesn't matter what brand... you know what I'm talking about.

Depending on the ingredients you add, it may not taste remotely Asian at all.

Here is the recipe for the slaw pictured above, along with a few suggested substitutions...

crucial ingredient-

1 package of instant ramen, noodles crushed onto foil-lined baking sheet

seasoning packet, reserved

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast crushed noodles until slightly golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

dressing-

In a small bowl/tightly sealed container, combine the following:

instant ramen seasoning packet

2 T freshly grated ginger

1/4 C rice wine vinegar

1/4 C canola oil

1 T soy sauce

1 T white sugar

1 T mirin

1 T toasted sesame oil

10 heavy dashes Maggi sauce

Whisk or shake until well combined. Set aside.

*Notes- if you don't have fresh ginger, use powdered. If you don't have powdered, omit completely. No big. No rice wine vinegar? Use whatever you have. No mirin? Add a smidge more sugar (or not). No Maggi? Got fish sauce? No? Fuggetabouddit. Make the flavor profile your own.

WHAT I HAD IN THE FRIDGE---

2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, grated

2 large green onions, sliced

however much shredded cabbage... I was just free-wheeling at this point...

choppped cilantro

WHAT YOU MIGHT USE---

Any vegetables you can cut into slaw-like pieces (including peas)

Don't forget fruits (including dried)

Toasted or candied nuts. Go nuts.

Proteins... diced chicken, bacon, USE YOUR IMAGINATION

Don't be afraid to add cheeses.

Combine toasted noodles, dressing, and whatever happened to jump in the bowl. Toss vigorously. Cover and chill until you feel the correct vibe coming from the bowl, at least one hour. Taste for seasoning. Accept that it's good enough for now, but start thinking about future corrections. Serve.

Skillet Honey Lime Chicken

This is honestly one of the fastest, easiest, most delicious recipes I've ever made.

Cilantro-lime Coconut Rice

One of my go-to recipes!!

Mango Avocado Salad

2018-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing quest to use up the lovely items I've been getting from Imperfect Produce before the fruit flies get to them, I came up with this salad. It is light, creamy, and refreshing, especially when paired with a well-seasoned grilled protein.

Jerk-seasoned pork chop, cumin grilled zucchini, jasmine rice, and mango avocado salad

2 T. mayo

1/2 lime, juiced

1 t. Dijon

few dashes hot sauce

salt & pepper, to taste

2 large mangoes, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 avocados, diced

3 green onion, sliced

1/3 C. fresh basil, chopped

In medium bowl, gently combine all ingredients until well mixed. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Liver... and... onions... ew

2018-07-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to come right out and tell you, I hate liver. Hate eating it. Hate cooking it. Absolutely loathe it. Hate everything about it from beginning to end. However, it was my ex-husband's favorite thing ever, so we came to a compromise. I would cook it once a year for his birthday. In the 30 years we were together, I kinda nailed it. There will be no photos in this post, as I am never going to touch that stuff again in my life, but I can't let my recipe just die either.

Here it is... the ultimate liver recipe...

1 lb beef liver... or calf liver... or whatever the fuck OMG JUST GET SOME DAMN LIVER, YOU MONSTER!!!
1 qt buttermilk
2 t salt
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 c flour
2 t salt
fresh ground pepper
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/2 lb thick sliced bacon, cut into 1" pieces

The SECOND you get in the house with your supplies, head directly for the kitchen. Find a medium sized bowl (preferably with a corresponding lid). Remove liver slices from original container and place in bowl. Pour half the carton of buttermilk over. Add salt, onion, and garlic powders. Toss and mix everything until completely coated. Cover and let it sit there and think about what it's done.
In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain and reserve all fat and drippings.
Saute onions in 2 T. bacon fat, sprinkling with a little salt, until transparent and just starting to caramelize. Remove onions from pan and hold with bacon.
Place flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag, shaking to mix. Carefully... very carefully... grab the smallest corner of the nearest piece of EW!!! Shake off as much buttermilk as you can and throw it in the bag of flour. Shake shake shake the bag... grab a corner and shake the liver slice some more... ew... then put it on a rack to, once again, contemplate it's life choices. Repeat with remaining slices.
Heat remaining bacon drippings, adding more butter if needed, until almost smoking. Dip each liver slice back into the buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour, then omg IthinkIneedatherapysessionrightnow... carefully lower into hot fat. Fry until coating is golden and blood is just starting to rise to the top. Turn and fry for another few minutes, until golden brown. The liver should be barely pink in the middle when cut. Set onto warmed serving plate to rest. Throw onions and bacon back into hot pan to reheat. Scoop over fried liver slices. Serve to the child of Satan who eats that crap.

I don't eat it... I just work here.

Creamy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad

2018-05-16T15:00:00.002-07:00

For those days when you've got everything to make a salad... except lettuce...

Creamy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 large tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice
1 large avocado, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 C. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
2 T. mayo
2 t. sugar
1 T. white vinegar
1/2 t. dried dill
ground pepper to taste

Place cucumber in a strainer and toss with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse under cold water. Dump into a few layers of paper towels and squeeze lightly to drain. Combine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Salad with Citrus Dressing

2018-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

After months of eating winter food (aka basically meat and starch), my body finally got through to my brain and screamed "YOU NEED SOMETHING FRESH!!" Thanks to my Imperfect Produce deliveries, I had the inspiration to come up with this dressing and most of the ingredients for the salad. It was, of course, DELICIOUS! Using standard citrus is fine... I just had Cara Cara oranges and Meyer lemons, so that's what I used. Mix it up with whatever you have and/or like.

Citrus Dressing-

1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 t. orange zest
1/3 C. fresh orange juice (Cara Cara or blood orange, if available)
2 T. fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemon, if available)
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. honey
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. salt

Combine ingredients in jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake until emulsified.

Lightly toss greens of your choice with dressing, just to coat. Top with items of your choice, and drizzle with a little more dressing.

This particular salad contained-

baby spinach
arugula
roasted beets
avocado
diced pears
dried cranberries
goat cheese
candied walnuts (click HERE for recipe)

Want to learn more about Imperfect Produce? Click here to get $10 off your first delivery!

Baked Chicken Thighs With Creamy White Wine Tarragon Sauce

2018-03-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I got a flat tire. Fortunately, I was close enough to the house to get home safely. Unfortunately, I no longer had a way to pick up the pizza I was going to get for dinner, or go to the grocery store. Time to get creative with what I had.

This turned out so much better than I ever expected, and is definitely going into the "keeper" file!!

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
onion powder
salt
pepper
1 T butter
1 C white wine
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 t dried tarragon
more pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Season both sides of chicken with onion powder, salt, and pepper. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high. Brown chicken (in batches, if needed); place in 9"x13" baking dish. Deglaze skillet with wine. Combine soup and seasonings in medium bowl. Add wine/pan drippings to soup; whisk until smooth. Pour evenly over chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Imperfect Inspiration

2018-03-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been in a cooking slump lately. No time... no energy... but mainly, no inspiration. Then, a friend of mine posted about a service I'd never heard of before - Imperfect Produce. They source produce that would otherwise be wasted because it doesn't meet grocery store standards (or it's just surplus), and deliver it to your door for 30-50% less than retail prices.

I was intrigued.

I asked for her referral link and went to the site to see if they delivered in my area. Sure enough, they did. Reading through the site, I got more and more excited. I have to admit, I have not been great about keeping fresh produce in the kitchen lately, so I figured this would force me to use whatever came before it went bad. I signed up for one medium box of mixed fruit and veggies, delivered once a week. Our delivery day is Wednesdays, so I customized my box and waited.

It was torture.

Delivery day finally arrived. I was out of the house, but I received a text saying the driver was nearing my house. I start heading home. I get another text saying the box had been delivered. I start driving faster. I pull up to the house, dash to the porch, and grab my box with all the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning (even though I knew exactly what was in it... lol!).

Holy mackerel... isn't it beautiful???

The first meal I made was pork chops with wild mushroom, herbes de province, and marsala sauce, black truffle oil mashed potatoes, and buttered peas (because I forgot to grab asparagus when I was at the store). Absolutely heavenly. Items used from IP box- organic shitake mushrooms, Italian parsley, potatoes.

The next night, I made Meyer lemon chicken Piccata, roasted asparagus with gremolata, and parmesan angel hair pasta. Items used from IP box- Meyer lemons, Italian parsley.

Then, I really got on a roll and made crispy pork belly tacos...

If heaven were made of meat, this is what it would look like.

Crispy pork belly tacos with cabbage/apple slaw and avocado. IP box ingredients used- Pink Lady apple, avocado.

At some point, I plan to post the recipe for at least the pork belly tacos, but that will take more plotting and planning than I care to do right now (especially since the fonts and spacing on this post seem to have suddenly gone wonky... it's really grating on my OCD).
If you're like me and want to add more fresh produce and inspiration to your diet, check this company out! Also, please feel free to use my referral link below to get $10.00 off your order!

Click here for more information and $10.00 off!

Eggnog Cranberry Bread Pudding

2017-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

As another holiday season comes to an end, I hope everyone has had wonderful times filled with family, fun, and lots of tasty food! Personally, I ended up with a rather obscene amount of eggnog and cranberry orange relish after all the other leftovers had been dispatched. What to do... what to do...

To be honest, I'm not at all sure what made me devise this recipe, but I'm sure glad I did! It's not terribly sweet, and I think even people who don't care for eggnog will enjoy it.

1 large loaf cheap French bread (you know... the kind that's mostly air...)
5 large eggs
2 C eggnog
1 C leftover cranberry orange relish
2 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 stick butter, melted

Tear French bread into bite-sized pieces and place in large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, eggnog, cranberry relish, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir egg mixture into bread and let stand for about an hour. Place bread mixture in greased 2 1/2 qt baking dish; drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with additional cranberry relish, maple syrup, bourbon sauce, or whatever moves you.

I even had some for dessert!

Seared Ahi With Wasabi Mayo And Asian Slaw

2017-12-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have access to some of the freshest fish and produce around. I try to take advantage of that whenever possible! This does take a bit of prep work, but most of it can (and should) be done ahead of time, making this super-quick to actually get on the table.

Wasabi mayo-

1/2 C mayonnaise
2 t wasabi paste
1 t grated fresh ginger
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t sugar
Pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Slaw-

2 T vegetable oil
2 T grated fresh ginger
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 T brown sugar
2 1/2 T soy sauce
2 T mirin
1/2 t sesame oil
3 T rice wine vinegar
2 C thinly sliced napa cabbage
1 C thinly sliced green cabbage
1 grated large carrot
1/2 C thinly sliced red onion
1/2 C thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/2 C thinly sliced bok choy
1 C bean sprouts
1 C julienned snow peas
1/4 C sliced green onions

In a small saucepan, add oil, ginger, and garlic; saute until soft. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat. When cool, whisk in sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.

Mix all vegetables in a large bowl. Toss with dressing just before serving.

1 lb. fresh sushi-grade ahi steaks, about 3/4" thick
1/4 C soy sauce
1 T grated fresh ginger
1 t minced garlic
2 t wasabi paste
2 T vegetable oil
coarsly ground black pepper

In a baking dish large enough to fit ahi steaks flat, combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and wasabi; mix well. Coat all sides of fish and marinate for 7 minutes. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan until smoking. Remove fish from marinade, coat generously with pepper, and sear for 45 seconds on each side. Remove to plate and slice.

Serve sliced ahi over slaw, drizzled with wasabi mayo, with furikake seasoned rice on the side.

Cranberry Orange Cheese Spread

2017-11-24T12:26:00.000-08:00

My husband's holiday favorite! Even if I have someone else bringing appetizers, I still make this. It's fast, easy, make-ahead, and most of all, delicious!

2-8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
few dashes hot sauce
pinch of kosher salt
8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
2 T. orange marmalade
1/2 t. garam masala or curry powder
3/4 C. Craisins

Combine all ingredients except Craisins, mix thoroughly (I use my KitchenAid). Spread into shallow dish, top with Craisins (pressing in lightly), cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers.

*Note- I just discovered this stuff is brilliant on a leftover turkey sandwich!!

Most delicious vegetarian-friendly stuffing

2017-11-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law is vegetarian. Even though my Thanksgiving dinner has always been vegetarian-friendly, I have tried to come up with dishes that she can eat while also satisfying the rest of us carnivores. This year, I think I have come up with the ultimate stuffing recipe that EVERYONE loved. The guys were shocked when I said it was completely vegetarian!

1 large bag stuffing cubes with seasoning packet
1 small onion, chopped
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1 C chopped crimini mushrooms
2 T. butter
1 C cooked wild rice
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 large apple, diced (I peeled the apple because Brian doesn't like the peel, but you don't have to)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 C vegetable broth
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter until tender. In a LARGE mixing bowl, combine stuffing cubes, sauteed vegetables, wild rice, cranberries, pecans, and apple. In in a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together mushroom soup, vegetable broth, stuffing seasoning packet, and pepper. Combine soup mixture with stuffing; mix thoroughly and let stand for about an hour. Scoop stuffing into a large greased baking dish. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

Chicken and Snow Pea Stir-fry

2017-11-18T00:13:00.000-08:00

I came up with this recipe back when I had a garden containing an abundance of snow peas. It is both fresh and hearty, and one of my favorite things to eat.

Chicken and Snow Pea Stir-fry

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced or cubed
3/4 lb. fresh snow peas
2 t. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 lb. fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 can sliced waterchestnuts, drained
2 T. oil (give or take)

sauce-
1 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. Mekong seasoning sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 t. chili flakes
1/2 t. garlic powder

hot cooked Calrose rice

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Heat wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add oil and quickly stir-fry chicken until just cooked (a little pink is okay at this point); remove to plate. Reheat wok, adding more oil if necessary.
Stir-fry onion for 1 minute; add ginger and mushrooms, stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas; stir-fry 1 minute; add water chestnuts, stir-fry 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, return chicken to wok and add sauce mix. Stir-fry until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Linguine and Clams

2017-11-16T18:42:00.003-08:00

I belong to a cooking group on Facebook (big surprise, I know). Recently, one of the members suggested we have a weekly contest. Every Wednesday, we take photos and post what we made for dinner that night. Everyone votes by "like", and whichever photo gets the most votes by the next day is used as the cover photo for the week.

Last week, I was wracking my brain to come up with something. Something beautiful. I had a couple ideas in mind when I happened to drive past one of our local fish shops. The reader board said they had Manila clams. BINGO!! Of course, it was as tasty as it is pretty!!

And yes, this dish won.

Linguine and Clams

1 lb. linguine
2 T. olive oil
3 lbs. Manila clams (steamers)
3/4 C. white wine
4 T. butter
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pinch red chile flakes, or more to taste
few sprigs of parsley (stems and all)
1/2 C. minced parsley, reserving some for garnish
Grated Parmesan

Cook linguine for minimum time according to package directions (you want it to be al dente); drain. Toss with olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, scrub the clams and place in a large pot with the wine and parsley sprigs. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes or until all of the clams are open (mine were done just about the time they came to a boil... try to not overcook them). Remove clams to a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth, to remove any debris. Remove clam meat from shells, reserving a few in shell for garnish.

Melt butter in the same pot you cooked the clams in. Add garlic, chile flakes, and parsley. Sauté for a couple minutes, then add the strained cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Add the clams and pasta. Toss everything together to heat through, allowing the noodles to soak up most of the liquid. Garnish with clams in shells, reserved minced parsley, and Parmesan.

Fluffy Angel Berry Dessert

2017-08-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Best Husband Ever and I finally got a chance to take our full-week vacation at our family lake place. It's not too far away from home, so I invited our neighbors to come join us for dinner.

Ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and corn... oh my!!

Even though I don't usually go out of my way to make any sort of dessert, I got an idea in my head... and you all know where that leads. Light, fluffy, refreshing, easy, and NO BAKING!! It was the perfect ending to this classic summer meal!

Angel food cake ring, cubed

16 oz container strawberries, sliced

18 oz container blueberries, washed

5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 t vanilla

2 C milk

1 C plain Greek yogurt

16 oz container Cool Whip

In large mixing bowl, combine zest, juice, vanilla and milk. Whisk in pudding mix until it starts to thicken. Add yogurt, whisk until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in 2 C. Cool Whip, reserving the rest for topping. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

In a large bowl, layer 1/3 each of cake, berries, then pudding mixture. Repeat twice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with reserved berries and/or Cool Whip, if desired.

This is especially pretty if assembled in a large clear glass bowl.

Slave To The Craving

2017-08-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Everyone gets a craving for certain foods. Sometimes it's just a passing whim; the thought "Oh that sounds good", fluttering around the edges of your mind. Other times, it's a full-on invasion of your brain. Something that simply will not leave you alone until you've had it.

This meal has been a complete onslaught in my head for the past week (at least). I had to have it.

Yesterday, I finally had the time, ingredients, and energy/motivation to get this deliciousness on the table. Craving vanquished!

Kafta, tabouleh, tzatziki, and pita

First, get the tabouleh and tazatziki going. They only get better the longer they sit.

Tabouleh

1 C. bulgur wheat

2 t. kosher salt

boiling water

1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped

3-4 green onions, sliced

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 large tomato, diced

juice of two large lemons

1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

1 t. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place bulgur and 2 t. salt in a large mixing bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover by at least 1". Let stand for 45 minutes. Drain VERY well in a fine-mesh strainer, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Place bulgur in a large mixing bowl (just use the same one you used to soak in), add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Mix again before serving.

Tzatziki

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated

1 t. kosher salt

1 1/2 C. plain Greek-style yogurt (I love Zoi brand... so thick and creamy you don't even need to strain it!)

1/2 C. sour cream (yeah I know... not traditional, but trust me)

2-4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 t. dried dill (or 1 T. fresh)

juice of half a lemon

1/2 t. kosher salt (or to taste)

freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Place grated cucumber in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Thoroughly mix in 1 t. kosher salt and let stand in strainer for about an hour. With your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Stir well and taste for additional seasoning before serving.

Kafta

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (80/20), or equal parts ground beef and lamb

1 T. finely minced garlic

1/3 C. grated onion

1/3 C. finely chopped parsley

1 large egg

1/4 C. plain dry bread crumbs

1 t. kosher salt

1 T. ground coriander

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground allspice

1/4 t. cayenne

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

6-10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; mix with hands until well blended. Take a small handfull of meat mixture and press around a skewer to form an oblong, about 1 1/2 x 5" (see photo below). Place on baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 12 hours). Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove meat skewers from refrigerator, brush lightly with oil, and grill until desired doneness, about 15 minutes. Let rest a few minutes while you heat the pita of your choice on the grill.

Stir-fried Pork and Noodles

2017-02-17T03:16:00.000-08:00

Words cannot describe how delicious this is!! Somewhere between pad thai and peanut noodles, this recipes hits all the sweet/salty/savory Asian flavors your face is craving!

In a small bowl, whisk together-

1/2 C soy sauce

1/3 C water

1 T toasted sesame oil

1 T honey

1 T mirin

1 T fish sauce

1 T rice vinegar

juice of one whole lime

5 cloves of garlic, mashed (about a tablespoon)

2 T fresh grated ginger

1/2 t Korean chili flakes

3 T hoisin sauce

1 1/2 lbs. pork loin

Thinly slice 1 1/2 lb pork loin across the grain, into strips 1 1/2" wide. In medium bowl, toss pork with 1/2 C of marinade. Set aside. Let marinate an hour or so.

3 T extra crunchy peanut butter

Whisk PB into remaining marinade to make sauce. Set aside.

Prep-

snow peas

rice (pho) noodles, 14 oz. noodles soaked in boiling water for 10 min., drained

1 lg carrot, grated

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 C cilantro, chopped

Cook-

Heat large wok to just smoking. Add 2 t oil. Drain marinade from pork and stir fry until half done. Add snow peas, and stir fry about 30 seconds.. Add carrot, noodles, and sauce mix; stir and cook one minute. Add green onions and cilantro; cook and stir another minute. Remove from heat. Garnish with more hoisin and cilantro, if desired.

More fun with leftovers... hash!

2017-02-07T09:41:00.001-08:00

Hash has become one of my favorite go-to dinners when I have leftover cooked meat. You can make it with just about anything... beef, pork, chicken, even meatloaf! Plus, you probably already have all the other ingredients on hand. Diced raw potatoes, carrots, and onions are great, but if you have some leftover roasted vegetables, that's even better! Got some cooked beets? Make it red flannel hash! The possibilities are almost endless. Hash is perfect to serve any time of day, too! Break out your biggest cast iron (or other ovenproof) skillet and whip up a batch soon!

This particular batch was diced meatloaf, diced raw potatoes, carrots, and onions, leftover roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, with farm fresh eggs baked on top. I love it when people give me fresh eggs from their chickens and ducks!

Since this recipe is always made with whatever you happen to have on hand, all amounts are approximate and/or to taste.

diced cooked meat of your choice

diced raw potatoes, carrots, and onions

other chopped veggies you may have (bell peppers, celery, etc.) - optional

chopped leftover roasted vegetables - optional

fat of your choice (butter, oil, BACON GREASE!!!)

milk or half and half

salt and pepper

eggs

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat fat in a large ovenproof skillet. Fry raw potatoes, carrots, and onion until just starting to brown around the edges. Add meat and cooked vegetables (if using) and fry for a couple minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Start adding milk, a little at a time, until the whole thing looks like it's about to fall apart into mush. Continue to cook (don't stir it too much at this point) until a nice crust starts to form on the bottom. Remove from heat. Make depressions in the hash for your eggs, and break them in. Season the eggs with more salt and pepper. Put the whole shebang in the oven for 8-9 minutes. The whites should be set and the yolks runny. Serve immediately, before the eggs overcook.

In defense of Top Ramen... and leftovers...

2017-02-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Oh, packaged dry ramen... you get such a bad rap. You're cheap, easy, and not particularly attractive on your own. Your little foil packet of seasoning can leave one dehydrated and puffy if misused. Leftovers don't have a much better reputation with a lot of people. I am here to say you CAN make something tasty, beautiful, and marginally nutritious with a package of ramen and pretty much anything you have in your fridge. It only takes a small amount of creativity.

BEHOLD!!

Ain't it purdy?

For this particular bowl, I started the ramen according to the package directions. At the 2 minute mark, I tossed in some leftover cooked broccoli and carrots, just long enough to heat them up. Add the seasoning packet TO TASTE! This is where a lot of people go astray with instant ramen. You don't have to add the full packet! I usually start with half, then add a little more if I need to. Top with fried ham, a boiled egg, sliced green onions, sliced mushrooms, and a little sprinkle of furikake seasoning (look for it in the Asian section at most grocery stores. I get mine at Walmart!). I had some pork egg rolls in the freezer, so they joined the party too.

Here's another one with leftovers from a previous stir-fry dish of some sort... baby bok choy, carrots, snow peas, fresh shitake mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, Chinese bbq pork, sliced green onions, and a poached duck egg. Omnomnomnom...

I know Top Ramen and leftovers will never make the culinary elite greatest hits, but you can make them into something much greater than you think!

Tamale Pie

2017-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Easy, hearty comfort food at it's best!

Tamale Pie

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, mashed

1 (15 1/2 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 C. tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 1/2 oz.) can corn, drained (or about 1 1/2 C. frozen)

1/2 C. sliced black olives

1/3 C. chili powder

1 t.oregano

2 t. cumin

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 C. EACH milk and cornmeal

1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. In large skillet, brown beef, onion, and garlic; drain. Add tomatoes (with liquid), tomato sauce, kidney beans, corn, olives, chili powder, oregano, and cumin; simmer 10 minutes. Spread mixture into 3 qt. casserole. In a medium bowl, combine eggs and milk, then stir in cornmeal. Spoon evenly over meat mixture, making sure cornmeal is well distributed. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until top is set and lightly browned.

Sloppy Joes

2017-02-05T11:20:00.001-08:00

If your idea of Sloppy Joes is frying up a pound of ground beef and dumping in a can of Manwich sauce, you really need to try this recipe! With only slightly more effort, you can make something from scratch and adjust it to your own tastes.

Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/4 C. chopped red bell pepper

1/2 C. chopped celery

1 large carrot, grated

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 T. yellow mustard

1/4-1/3 C. brown sugar

1/3 C. ketchup

1 heaping teaspoon chili powder

few dashes Worcestershire sauce

Brown meat with the onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrot; drain well. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat to desired thickness (about 20 minutes). Serve over toasted hamburger buns.

Mongolian Beef

2017-02-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

In almost the time it takes to boil rice, you can have this delicious dinner on the table! Throw in a veg and some frozen egg rolls or pot stickers, and you have a complete meal on the table faster than getting takeout!

Mongolian Beef

2 T. oil

1 lb. beef of your choice (I use the "special trim" beef I get from Cash & Carry... flank steak, sirloin, or top round would work just as well), very thinly sliced across the grain

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 T. grated fresh ginger

4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Marinade-

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. soy sauce

2 T. water

2 t. mirin or rice wine vinegar

Sauce-

2 T. hoisin sauce

1/4 C. soy sauce

large pinch Korean chili flakes

1 t. sesame oil

2 t. sugar or to taste (you can omit this if using mirin)

Salt to taste

Combine marinade ingredients, mix with beef and let stand about 30 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat wok with 1 T. of oil and stir-fry beef until half done (should still have some pink). Remove from wok and set aside. Heat remaining oil; stir-fry ginger and garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add back beef and sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are almost done, then add the scallions. Do a few quick stirs. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Italian Plum BBQ Sauce

2016-08-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Around here, Italian plums are the zucchini of fruit. Almost everyone has a tree in their yard and come harvest season, they're desperately trying to find someone to take bags of them off of their hands.

Italian plums (stock photo)

I am one of the unfortunate souls who does not have a tree in their yard, although (to be completely honest) I am more than happy to not deal with the tree itself and just take other people's overflow.

The other night, I was gifted with over 30 lbs. of ripe plums and have been trying to come up with new and exciting things to do with them before they go south. So far, I have made a plum cobbler, two pints of Chinese plum dipping sauce, and three pints of this WONDERFUL bbq sauce. It's sweet, spicy, tangy goodness works especially well with poultry and pork.

3 1/2 C chopped Italian plums

2 C ketchup

1/2 C finely chopped onion

1/2 C maple syrup

1/4 C honey

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 t. paprika

1/2 t liquid smoke

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t ground black pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until plums are soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender until smooth (you can also do this in a food processor). Makes 3 pints.

Tonight, I applied it liberally to grilled Cornish game hens.