Fresh Family Food

Buckeye State Ice Cram

2013-05-22T05:56:00.000-05:00

Buckeye State Ice Cream
I have never been to Jeni's ice cream stores and have never tried it when I have seen it at the grocery store. Likely I won't try it due to the nut contamination thing....so I sure am enjoying the recipes at home. This was one of our more recent tries....and will probably be repeated at some point in this house. It was a tiny bit too sweet for us, especially when topped with some of the chocolate bombe topping (like Magic Shell or Dairy Queen's dipped cones), so I think the next time I will probably decrease the corn syrup by half and maybe be a little bit short when measuring the sugar.

This ice cream was like eating a peanut butter cup....very tasty:)

The chocolate bombe topping (not pictured...stay tuned for another day)...who knew this stuff is so easy to make? Just melted chocolate and coconut oil. A fabulous addition to all these ice creams I'm trying.

Buckeye State Ice Cream from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 TB plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1-1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups sugar
2 TB light corn syrup
2 TB honey
4 oz. chocolate (55% to 70%) chopped

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water, set aside. Mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Whisk the cream cheese, peanut butter, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

3. Combine remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and honey in a large sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil of medium-high heat. Boil for 4 minutes. (Keep a watchful eye on it to make sure it doesn’t boil over the sides of the pan) Remove from heat and gradually whisk in cornstarch slurry.

4. Place pan back on burner and bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring with a spatula until slightly thickened – about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat (again).

5. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. Keep whisking… Once it’s smooth pour the mixture into a 1-gallon freezer bag and submerge in the ice water. Let sit until it’s chilled, at least 30 minutes.

6. Pour ice cream base into the frozen canister and being spinning.

7. While the ice cream is spinning, drizzle a bit of the chocolate bombe or plain melted chocolate through the opening at the tip of the ice cream maker.

8. Pour ice cream into a storage container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm.

Cumin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

2013-05-20T06:47:00.000-05:00

Cumin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

These were one part, one fabulous part, of a great dinner. I made the pumpkin seeds in the morning and was requested to make another batch. In fact, I made two batches with the pumpkin seeds on hand being the limiting ingredient. Eleanor loved these so much that she went to the store and got even more so she could have them in her lunch the next day. I guess the sour lime and the sugar make for some good flavors.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Heat the oil in the pan. Add the pumpkin seeds and shake until mostly brown, about 4 minutes.

Add cumin (I used ground instead of seeds since that's what I had) and sugar and lime juice.

Stir. Remove to cool on a pan and sprinkle with salt. Let cool on a pan and break into pieces.

Marga-tini, Cilantro Style

2013-05-17T17:56:00.000-05:00

Paul and I teamed up to create (or recreate) this fabulous beverage. We went to the Harley Davidson museum last weekend and then stopped in the restaurant for a drink and an appetizer...just because it was such a beautiful Sunday. Harleys have been a Milwaukee product for 110 years. Yep, 110 years. It's a classic Milwaukee thing...and one of my favorite memories was Eleanor and her friends at the 100th selling lemonade as the bikers rode up and down our street. It was a blast...like having a parade nearly 24 hours a day. The kids would stand out-side and wave to the bikers. And the lemonade stand was fun with bikers from all over the world (yes, world) stopping at this lemonade stand and to chat a bit. They also sold blueberries for 1 cent each and these little girls would count them out for the Harley dudes. The entire Milwaukee area was quite a party that weekend with,"Welcome Home" signs for the bikes. Ah...great memories.

I have to admit that I haven't been at the museum before since I'm just not that into motorcycles; however, I enjoyed the historical perspective and how the company has adapted over the years. The location is beautiful and makes me regret not having seen this before this month. The restaurant where I had the inspiration for this drink is a beautiful setting...nice architecture, river-side setting, and the cilantro-rita drink. I'm sold.

But making these at home seemed like a fun challenge. I love to try something and then work to re-create it. This one, while maybe not exact, pleases me with the final product.

I ordered this and knew that a re-creation was in order. The only thing I saw on the menu was the ingredients...and I really don't know if I got those right; however, this was our creation.

Simple syrup:
1 c water
1 c syrup
5 sprigs cilantro
Bring to a boil and boil until clear. Let cool to room temperature and remove cilantro. Refrigerate syrup until ready to use.

3 oz vodka
1-1/2 oz lime juice (taken from a mixture that is 1/4 c sugar and 1/3 c lime juice)
1 -1/2 oz simple syrup
Cilantro and ice in martini shaker with the above, pour into glasses. Serves 2.
The picture is without lime garnish and red pepper flakes...that's Paul's recommendation for next time. And there will be a next time.

Red Quinoa Salad

2013-05-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

Red Quinoa Salad......great flavors from a recipe off the Trader Joe's red quinoa bag. I have to admit that I feel a bit torn about using quinoa since reading about the devastation the harvesting of it for Americans is causing....it's just that I really do like it so I think I will have to invest in the fair trade option.

Now that I have cleared my conscince about eating red quinoa I can talk about this recipe. It really wasn't anything amazing or unusual or special...yet the end result was really good.

The original result had some grape tomatoes which I omitted and called for cilantro dressing. I prefer a lighter dressing so the other flavors come through, so I made it as outlined below:

Ingredients
1 c red quiona, rinsed
2 c chicken broth

Cook until the quinoa is done and the broth is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. Fluff with a fork and add about 1 T olive oil.

2 c corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
juice of 2 limes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced

Roast corn in a skillet until it is cooked and add to the quinoa.
Add the other ingredients, stir, and serve.

I think this would also be good with mango or feta or red pepper. It's just a good all around idea for something pretty nice to have in the refrigerator. And now with a fair trade option I can feel even better about eating this.

Mango Cilanto Guacamole

2013-05-13T06:02:00.000-05:00

Two Peas and Their Pod Mango Cilantro Guacamole

Hmmmm...can you ever have too many recipes like this? Can you ever have too many mangoes? or too many avocados? Sometimes I think that I probably wasn't meant to live in the midwest. I probably should have lived somewhere with greater food choices for more months of the year....like somewhere with a grove of fruit trees nearby. A gal can dream, can't she?

But then, we see the arrival of spring and I am so appreciative of the warmth and the sunshine. And I really do like winter.....just maybe not the length of it at times. Until I live somewhere with a lemon grove and some avocado trees, I'll have to get my fix with recipes like this.

Since it lacks tomatoes, Eleanor is a fan of this kind of guacamole also...guess that means I will need to make more next time.

1 avocado, insides mashed with a fork
2 T chopped red onion
juice from 1 lime
1/4 c cilantro
1 mango, chopped

Stir all together and serve with tortilla chips.

Main Dish Cole Slaw

2013-05-11T04:00:00.000-05:00

Asian Chicken And Cabbage Salad
I love everything about this recipe....lots of healthy vegetables and some Asian flavors. I liked the description in Bon Appetit....kind of a detox from vacation and heavy eating salad...light flavors work great. The authors in the magazine call it Redemption salad. Well, whatever you want to call it, it makes a great quick and healthy dinner.

I made it on on warm spring day and we all loved it. I made it fairly close to the original recipe; however, I took the shortcut of using already shredded cabbage from the grocery store as a time saver. Gee, add that and rotisserie chicken and making the dressing in the morning and it was a dinner that came together in just a few minutes.

Recipe:
1 chile, chopped, with some seeds
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/4 c lime juice
2 T soy sauce
2 t brown sugar
1 t fish sauce
1 t grated and peeled ginger
5 c shredded cabbage
2 medium carrots, shredded
handful chives
2 c rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 c baby spinach, thinly sliced
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c chopped dry roasted peanuts
1 t sesame seeds

Whisk chile, oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, and ginger in a bowl. In a large bowl add cabbage, carrots, chives, chicken, spinach, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing. Top with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Salty Caramel Ice Cream

2013-05-10T04:30:00.000-05:00

Salty Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

I have to admit that I'm a bit intrigued about the Jeni's ice cream craze. I mean, hooray for Jeni for making some interesting flavors and having a cult-like following. Unfortunately for us, the manufacturing for the product doesn't work well for an allergy family. Although, if we're looking at this in a positive light, maybe that's a blessing since it's a bit expensive and not so good for the waistline.

That being said, I'm pretty darn happy to have an ice cream maker and the ability to replicate some of her flavors. I love the combination of sweet and salty, so I thought that trying her Salty Caramel flavor sounded like a fun challenge. I still have some Sicilian salt from my parents' vacation last year, so it seems like a perfect place to use 1/2 teaspoon of this. Making caramel is not my forte, so it seemed like this would be a good challenge on that front as well.

I have to say, this was a fun Sunday project for me. It dirtied nearly every bowl in the house (um...slight exaggeration) and required reading through the directions thoroughly. That being said, it came together fairly quickly.

Rave reviews to this recipe all around. It was going to be hard to beat the key lime gelato....this one is right up there on the homemade sweet treat scale as well.

I love the blog, the bittenword and the link takes you to the recipe. I made it just as it states in their blog. And if you have a few minutes, wander around that blog a bit....it sure is a fun place to stop.

Key Lime Gelato

2013-05-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Key Lime Gelato

I'm a little worried now about having this ice cream maker in the house....freshly made ice cream is just so darn good! And freshly made gelato rocks as well.

We're huge fans of lime having fresh lime juice squeezed into water or on tacos just makes everything a bit better. And now....we can add lime gelato to the list of yummy lime treats.

We were having a spring-like day for the first really really nice day of the season since spring has been slow to arrive this year. I made the base early in the day and then added the lime zest and juice after going to the grocery store in the early evening. Some friends stopped in as the gelato was churning. I think that the only thing better than fresh key lime gelato is getting to share key lime gelato with friends. It was a bit of a celebration as the children in the group had played at state solo ensemble that day. A great way to toast a job well done!

I made this pretty close to the original.....why mess with a good thing? I used 3 cups milk total but 2 1/2 was whole milk and the other 1/2 was cream.

Plain Base

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185°F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold (the original says at least 4 hours; however, mine chilled for 2 hours or so).

Gelato

Plain Base

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, preferably Key lime

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers (see Note), frozen

Make the Plain Base and chill as directed.

Gently whisk the lime juice and zest into the base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Just after churning quickly stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Of the two things I have made in my brand spankin' new ice cream maker, this one is my favorite. Next up is Jen'ls salty caramel, so we'll see if this one can hold its place.

Cucumber Infused Water

2013-05-07T04:30:00.000-05:00

Infused water....seriously good stuff as I have raved about it before. A slight bit of flavor just makes all the difference when trying to increase water intake.

A different version is made every time I try.

This one had some:
mint
lime
cucumber

Nice and cooling for a warm day which was full of running and being outside and enjoying the sunshine. At last.....fabulously appreciated:)

Crockpot Potato Salad

2013-05-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

Potato Salad

Don't put away the crockpot yet! I was thinking that as we usher in spring we can forget about hearty stews and the crockpot; however, the crockpot does have some summer value as well. That is, make potato salad without heating the kitchen.

As I have mentioned, our slow spring really is arriving in the upper midwest. And with our great appreciation for warmth and sunshine comes our craving for summer-ish foods. Like grilled salmon. And potato salad. I figured it would be a good time to put the crockpot to spring use by trying out this recipe.

Potato salad...it just kind of says summer doesn't it? I recognize that potato salad can be a bit of a personal statement. My friend, Jean, shared her mom's potato salad with us...and let me assure you that it's top notch. Likely there is not a recipe since her mom is a farm woman...but it's got some vinegary flavors that are unique. I crave it at times and Eleanor has begged Jean to bring just a tiny bit back after Jean visits her mom in rural Wisconsin.

Paul had two roommates when I met him. And they were two opposites for sure. In fact, one of them said that they only agreed on three things.
1. The Graduate was a good movie.
2. Ingrown toenails hurt.
3. Potato salad should be creamy.

Here's my response.....Agree on #1. Don't know on #2. Disagree on #3. I think there's room for all types of potato salad in the potato salad repertoire. While I was making this I was hoping for a bit of the vinegary goodness, because that just may be my poato salad rule.

Agua de Jamaica

2013-05-01T06:38:00.000-05:00

This picture...well, the computer may need to be turned. I have tried to adjust it on my phone and I have tried on the computer but am not having any success.

Sometimes I just get a craving for this....hibiscus flavor with a touch of lime. Hibiscus flowers are one item that's not stocked at my little grocery store, so it's something I need to stock up on when I'm at the Mexican grocery store. I'm glad that I can at least get some Tazo passion tea when the craving hits.

Crockpot Pork Tacos

2013-04-29T05:19:00.000-05:00

Pork and Pineapple Tacos

As I have mentioned quite a bit in the last few weeks....we have the winter that won't go away in the midwest. In Milwaukee we no longer have snow but it's been cold and the spring flowers aren't here yet. We're ready...and midwesterners are a hardy bunch and will be an appreciative group of people once warm weather finally arrives. I'm OK with the delayed warm weather this year because warm weather means that our exchange student will return to Germany:(

Keep the crockpot going since it isn't grilling weather yet!

Ingredients

3 lb. boneless pork roast
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (16 oz) jar tomatillo salsa (green salsa or salsa verde)
1 (4 oz) can green chiles
2 poblano peppers, chopped
tortillas
toppings for tacos: queso fresco, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, more green salsa (We used sour cream, salsa and a sliced poblano)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for 6 to eight hours.
Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper. In a colander, drain juices from crock pot.
Mix shredded pork with pineapple/salsa mixture that remains in colander and serve in tortillas with desired accompaniments.

Thai Chicken Wrap

2013-04-27T06:51:00.000-05:00

Even though I struggle with lunches, sometimes I come up with a good idea. And sometimes I'm the only person who thinks it is a great idea:)

When we grill (usually on a weekend) we like to make a few extra items. So, we made some chicken breasts for these yummy wraps. It's a good way to get a few vegetables in our bodies at lunch....carrots, red peppers and baby greens with a few pieces of chicken breast. Then I put some Thai peanut sauce on it and wrapped it. I brought a while wrap to work thinking I could eat half each day...it's just too good to wait so I ate the whole thing (it was a very large tortilla).

I felt a bit bad about myself eating it...until I talked to our department director who said that she had stopped at Wendy's that day to get a wrap or flatbread type thing...she got fries with that and a diet soda instead of the milk she ordered. And the fries....never were on her order...but it was a rainy cold day and she had warm fries next to her. I think we all know how that turned out!

Anyway, she did make me feel a bit better about eating the whole wrap. I'm sure that I'll get to return the favor at some point!

I have found a great lunch idea...easy...healthy...and really really good.

Infused Water

2013-04-26T06:40:00.000-05:00

The infused water craze hits our house! We're big fans of hydrating...with all the workouts that happen with this house as the base it's a good idea to stay hydrated. The struggle is that plain water is a bit....ahem....boring. A few years ago we stayed at the Renaissance in Mission Viejo (on hotel points, of course) and that was our first experience with different infused waters. We had dabbled with a few kinds at home...but now that the craze has hit the midwest, we're really into always having a pitcher of some type of water infusion in the refrigerator.

Now that my sister lives so close to that area we won't be staying at that hotel, so good thing infused water is everywhere! In fact, Eleanor has noted that it is offered at college campuses.

We've found it's a great way to increase our water intake and use up fruit if it looks like it won't make it into us otherwise.

Ingredients? Amounts? The great thing is that just about anything goes.

Extra mint...no problem
Oranges...slice one and throw it in
Last strawberry in the container....slice it and add it to the mix

Throw some water and ice in the pitcher to cover the fruit and let it develop for a few hours or overnight.

There are a ton of websites with ideas on good combinationsand some give approximate amounts.
Fruit Infused Water Ideas

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

2013-04-24T06:29:00.001-05:00

Beef Stroganoff

Not sure why I was cruising cyber-space the other day when I came across this recipe and it just sounded good. As followers of this blog know, I'm not a huge beef eater. But, it does sound good to me every now and then...and this is a crockpot recipe...and we are having the winter that seems like it will never end. Why not have this? Secretly I had hoped that planning a hearty meal like this would usher in spring....you know, just to prove my meal planning wrong:)

This was a nice hearty dish and needed minimal work on the end of the day. Note my mish-mash of noodles...just using up some odds and ends from the pantry.

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza

2013-04-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

Strawberry Balsamic Pizza

Not sure how I ran across this recipe, but I thought it sounded fabulous, with a few modifications, of course.
We were grilling on Sunday....just wishing for springtime in Wisconsin and I thought we should grill a few extra chicken breasts to have on hand. I knew I would be using a couple for this. We were also grilling a few sausage samples from a European sausage shop in Milwaukee. We're avid watchers of Wisconsin Foodie on PBS...and this was a featured location a couple episodes back. So glad that we finally made it to
the place. It's one of the things I love about Milwaukee...easy to hit this place, a Mexican grocery store, and Asian grocery store, and an Italian grocery store in a morning.

Back to the pizza....
The link above will take you to the original version of this; but I made so many variations I'll need to outline them below.
I made my thin crust...the no rise kind; however, I made it before work and let it rise (and probably fall) all day. Easy to form into a pizza shape when I got home from work.
The original recipe called for strawberry jam....just a bit too sweet for me, so I didn't use that.
In addition to making the crust in the morning I fried 3 strips of bacon and kept that in the refrigerator for easy assembly. I really can't do more than that after a long day at work. And a long day it was....as we were leaving my co-worker told me to have a good weekend. Yep, it felt like 5 days' worth of work in one.

Pizza crust
Top with mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 c)
sliced chicken breasts (2)
bacon pieces
cut strawberries (3)
sprinkle with balsamic vinegar (about 2 teaspoons)
Top with Parmesan cheese

After it came out of the oven I topped it with arugula.
Great flavors and textures.......this will be made again!

Pho Noodle Bowl

2013-04-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

What's not to like about this recipe? Lots of fresh ingredients make up this great dinner.
Paul and I went to a fairly new Vietnamese restaurant a couple weeks ago and enjoyed the noodle bowl. For sure it was something I wanted to recreate at home, so we tried it the other night. I roughly doubled the ingredients in the recipe I found...and it was a bit too saucy. I probably should have used a bit more restraint when I poured the sauce over the vegetables. Anyway, this was fresh tasting and will be made again in this house.

My next adventure at the restaurant will be #42 since the diner at the table next to us had that and it looked fabulous. I asked what it was....he told me #42 and he confirmed it was yummy!

Pho Hay Tuyet
That's the restaurant near my house.

Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

Follow the link to get to the recipe; I made it exactly as listed...just a double batch!

Lemon Chicken soup

2013-04-17T06:47:00.000-05:00

Ah....lunches. I haven't talked about my struggle in getting those together in a bit. I do struggle...and even a bit more with needing to make one more lunch this school year at the same time I don't have as many leftovers. It's a pretty good trade-off....we get our exchange daughter instead of the extra food!

However, that has meant a few more sandwiches for lunch since that works well. However, Eleanor isn't a huge sandwich fan, so I made soup the other morning. This recipe was quick and made the perfect amount for two days'worth of lunches for the girls and one lunch for me. In fact, it was so good that I'm going to do the same thing this next week since I still have some of the fresh dill left.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
handful baby carrots
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup tiny pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Lemon halves (for serving)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth; season with pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over.

Black Beans and Rice

2013-04-15T06:41:00.000-05:00

Black Beans and Rice

What can go wrong with this? Black beans, rice, feta cheese. I really liked the idea of adding ginger to the mix.....not something I would put with the more Mexican cuisine flavors; however, it worked. And it worked well.

The red peppers would have been nice from a color standpoint....but flavor-wise this was a good and quick dinner. Thanks, Bon Appetit!

Red Quinoa Salad

2013-04-14T07:10:00.001-05:00

Red Quinoa Salad

I found this recipe while browsing for a quinoa recipe. I have to admit that I'm feeling a bit torn about using quinoa since reading about how devastating it is for Bolivia to have all of us eating it; I'm referring to this NYT article. Yikes.....just when you think that you're doing something good. I mean, a plant based food....should be better for the planet. It's a "good for your body food". I think I'm helping some farmer in a 3rd world country. I feel so unaware since I hadn't thought about the price increase for the people of Bolivia when I eat this grain. So, now it's with a bit of guilt that I share this recipe.

I made this, and I made chicken soup just to have a couple items for lunches this week since I have been a bit lazy and relied on the sandwich a bit more than I had in the past. I was pretty well stocked with granola from last weekend, so I didn't make any more. That's my usual weekend duty....make sure I have a few of these types of things for filler for the week. I am a meal planner, in general, since it makes the week go much smoother. Here's my list of meals for the week:

Pho Noodle Bowl
Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Pork Tacos
Chicken Wraps
Vegetable Paninis
Vegetable Curry

Warmer weather doesn't seem to be on its way to Milwaukee this year. For sure not this week, so the crockpot meals are still sounding good. Soon we'll have spring greens and fresh local items....

Also, this weekend I have a craving for hibiscus infusion water. That's probably from being at XOCO a couple weeks ago! My plan is to get to the southside of Milwaukee for some good Mexican cooking ingredients. It's been a pretty laid back weekend for us with a bit of yoga, running, cello, gym-time, violin, homework, cleaning, and organizing. Club swimming resumes Monday, so it's back the usual level of entropy around here!

Red Quinoa Salad

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large carrots, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces mixed salad greens
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk the paprika with the turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom and 1 teaspoon each of black pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots with the onion and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the spice mix and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender.
In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix and the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 17 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.
Spread the greens on a large platter. In the same bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the zest, and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix; season with salt, if needed. Add the quinoa, cranberries, parsley and roasted vegetables and toss well.

Bang Thai Curry

2013-04-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

I had this recipe in my file for a number of years but didn't make it. We like (OK...love) curry dishes; however, there are only so many meals to make and so many times we want curry. But, I'm not sure why I waited. This one is going into the rotation of meals at this house since it comes together quickly and is tasty.

The restaurant, Bang Thai, was formerly in a 'burb to the north. We don't eat out very often...but when the restaurant was around we were really into very few meals out of the house. And even fewer meals to the north of our house since we tend to want to head more downtown than suburban when the urge to eat out hits us. Anyway, we knew the owner from the Y, and we are always looking for good Thai food, so we did stop once or twice.

This recipe is a keeper.....glad I kept it this long and will make it more frequently now that it's in my mind. I did not get a picture of this delightful dish, so next time I make it I hope to remember to do that.

1 T green curry paste
3 T vegetable oil
2 c chicken breast
2 t curry powder
2 c coconut milk (I used lite...and Trader Joe's brand)
1 c water
1 c cubed potatoes
1/2 c cubed white onion
1/2 c cubed tomato (I omitted)
3-4 t fish sauce (I used the brand from the Asian grocery store)
1 t sugar
1/4 c green onion
cilantro

Heat pan and then add curry paste and oil. mix well stirring 1 min. Add chicken and curry powder. Stir well and add coconut milk. Add water, potato, and onion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potato is tender. Add tomato (if using), fish sauce, and sugar. Cook 5- 10 minutes.

Top with green onion and cilantro and serve.

Brussels Sprout, Bacon, and Cheese Pizza

2013-04-09T19:01:00.002-05:00

This was a good find....and really, how can one go wrong with bacon, goat cheese, and Brussels sprouts?

I saw this on Nicole's website, preventionrd.com. Of course my own spin was needed on this one; however, I did stick as close as I could remember to the original. Sometimes I will print off the recipe or take the computer into the kitchen; however, this one was a read, memorize, and make. Hmm....guess my memory isn't as good as I thought it was. I think her version with balsamic vinegar sounds better than my version....although mine was good too.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pizza adapted preventionrd.com

1 lb pizza dough (I used the quick recipe with part whole wheat and part white flour)
4 pieces of bacon, chopped
10 brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 oz fontina, shredded
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat to 500 degrees.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet, stirring often, until just crispy and lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain a bit of the grease. To the bacon drippings, add the brussels sprouts, red onion, garlic and saute 2-3 minutes or until brussels sprouts are slightly softened. Remove from heat.

Stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Sprinkle the dough with the fontina, leaving a thin border around the edge. Evenly distribute the brussels sprouts mixture, then top with the bacon. Top with goat cheese.

Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the toppings are cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

I was a bit concerned on the crowd pleasing score....but no worries. Everyone raved about it!

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, Goat Cheese Pizza

Fruit Breakfast Pizza

2013-04-07T06:51:00.000-05:00

This idea was from Bread in Five and turned out to be one of the most favorite breakfasts I have ever made (and I make a lot of breakfast in this house). I used the quick crust no rise dough recipe, topped it with fruit and goat cheese. When it was done, I poured just a bit of lavender syrup over the top. I think it really helped that we had some good berries from Florida.....the good fruit is getting closer to the upper midwest. And the days are getting (slightly) warmer and longer. I think I'm ready for some good produce from the CSA and my tiny garden!

Lavender Simple Syrup

2013-04-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Zoe's lavender simple syrup

I'm a huge fan of the Artisan Bread in 5 concept and books. Why am I such a huge fan? Many reasons, I guess. I like the fact that bread is incorporated into a healthy diet. I'm a skeptic on the whole gluten free thing with the exception for the people who really can't tolerate it. I do think that there are people whose bodies can't do gluten; however, many people are jumping on board and it seems a bit extremist.

Remember the whole fat free craze? People went fat free and lost weight.....only until we got fat free processed food. Sugar free eating was a sure-fire way to lose the pounds until the snack well sugar free snacks were everywhere. Then people went all Atkins. Guess what, they lost weight. Until there were easily accessible snacks that went along with this diet. I remember a friend telling me that it worked.....but when discussing the diet he admitted that he had to give up his 2 regular sodas a day. And when he opened the cupboard he couldn't find anything he could have. Gee, did that have anything to do with losing weight? Gluten free is the diet du jour. Someone I know swears that must be a problem for her friend.....sure it has nothing to do with eating fast food. But, the artisan bread in 5 folks are giving bread some good press. Seriously, I just think eating bread in moderation with whole ingredients is better than eating processed food, for most of us.

We all have limited time...and make our choices on what to do with that time. It just seems like a pretty good use of a morning or an evening to fuel our bodies with wholesome ingredients....the purer the better. But, we all have to do what works best for our lives at the time. I have a coworker who feeds her kids pizza rolls and hot dogs....because she's a busy mom trying to juggle a lot of things. No need to be embarrassed to tell me that....no judgement here. We're all just doing what works for us....our budget of money and our budget of time. I just feel best eating more wholesome food. I don't like to support the whole corn syrup thing, so it's an ingredient I try to avoid when hiding in other foods. I don't boycott it completely....just try to not support that industry. I can co-exist happily with a pizza roll and hot dog friend....doesn't make anyone a bad mom or a bad person. Let's just all support each other since we're doing our best.

I try to eat somewhat locally....a challenge in March in Wisconsin. It's a goal; but those berries from Mexico do end up on my table too. One of the things I really like is that our local Sendik's store has a label on the produce sign stating where it is from. The country of origin is on there at least; it's a start to know where the produce started. I think we can all agree that it really does taste best if it is grown closer to where it is sold; however, without a huge freezer and gobs of time to preserve things it's not an option where I live. Having the labels on the signs.....it helps in making some choices. It's funny how those choices can sometimes be misguided. For example, I tend to by Crystal sugar since it's from Paul's area of the world, yet the workers have been on strike there for a bit and I found out my inlaws try to avoid it for that reason. I guess if you think too much about every choice there isn't much time for much else.

Hmm, so I'm making lavender simple syrup with Crystal sugar and lavender that is not grown in Wisconsin from a recipe from a midwestern baker who promotes gluten. -Sigh- I guess we're just at my comfort level. She lives in the city, if that's a reason to endorse her:)

I found the recipe for the fruit pizza intriguing as a breakfast idea. Although I'm more of a savory breakfast gal, I can appreciate some goat cheese and fruit in the morning. And I do love the flavor of lavender. I had gotten some lavender a couple years ago at Penzey's; however, I don't think they sell culinary lavender anymore so I may need to find a new supplier. My sister has some in her yard along with rosemary in huge bushes, so maybe a trip to Socal to harvest some is in order. Needless to say, her dogs smell fabulous after a run through those plants!

I think I'm just yearning for some early summer days when the CSA boxes come rolling in and the local markets are in full swing. It really isn't too much longer now. Wowza...thinking about strawberries right off the plant. I guess this will have to do until we get a few more months into summer.

In theory, I would do this Zoe's way. That is, keep the lavender blossoms in the syrup and strain as needed. For me, in my life right now, I just need to strain it and have it ready to go.

Sunday Dinner

2013-04-05T03:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I just want ice cream for dinner. Or maybe popcorn. But, being the meal person in my family, I made this instead. It was good...pretzel coated chicken, the sweet potato salad made earlier in the day, roasted broccoli, and mashed potatoes. All great......can't wait for leftovers!

Fresh Family Food

Buckeye State Ice Cram

Buckeye State Ice Cream from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at HomeIngredients:2 cups whole milk1 TB plus 1 tsp cornstarch1-1/2 oz cream cheese, softened1/2 cup peanut butter1-1/4 cups heavy cream2/3 cups sugar2 TB light corn syrup2 TB honey4 oz. chocolate (55% to 70%) chopped

Cumin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Marga-tini, Cilantro Style

Red Quinoa Salad

Mango Cilanto Guacamole

Main Dish Cole Slaw

Salty Caramel Ice Cream

Key Lime Gelato

Cucumber Infused Water

Crockpot Potato Salad

Agua de Jamaica

Crockpot Pork Tacos

Thai Chicken Wrap

Infused Water

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza

Pho Noodle Bowl

Lemon Chicken soup

Preparation

Black Beans and Rice

Red Quinoa Salad

Bang Thai Curry

Brussels Sprout, Bacon, and Cheese Pizza

Fruit Breakfast Pizza

Lavender Simple Syrup

Sunday Dinner

Buckeye State Ice Cream from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 TB plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1-1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups sugar
2 TB light corn syrup
2 TB honey
4 oz. chocolate (55% to 70%) chopped