Marco Pasha

STUFFED ARTICHOKE APPETIZER

2012-02-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Artichokes always reminded me of a flower bud ready to bloom. Indeed they're giant thistle flower buds. I enjoy their versatility in cooking. Although the outer leaves are though and not edible the very ends of those leaves are fleshy and delicious. I cook artichoke hearts in olive oil, make artichoke dip with them, cook them in stew, stuff them and use them in salads or stuff and eat the outer leaf ends and heart. The stuffing I make is easy. For two large artichokes I used vthe following:

1 Cup of bread crumbs or (Panko)

2 Large cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 Cup of Parmigiana Regiano cheese-grated

1/3 Cup chopped fresh parsley

4 Tbsp of olive oil divided (2 Tbsp for stuffing)

1 Cup Water.

*Salt and Pepper to taste*

Mix everything in a bowl and set aside.

Trim the spiky/thorny tips of the artichoke leaves with a pair of kitchen scissors. Cut straight across the top and gently pull apart the leaves and place it in a large pot or microwave safe dish adding water (check your microwave guide for fresh vegetables) par boil for 10 minutes until most of the water is evaporated (add more water if needed-they absorb water as they soften). Remove carefully from pot and turn them upside down to drain any excess water. Once cool enough to handle, place a teaspoonful of the stuffing between each leaf. Place the stuffed artichoke on a foil lined oven tray and drizzle the remaining oil over it. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until leaves turn brown.

There is no proper way of eating this other than scraping off the soft part with your teeth and discarding the leaf. Continue eating the stuffed leaves this way until reaching a fury or fuzzy part in the center. This part is the "choke" and it can be scraped or scooped with a spoon or cut out with a knife revealing the beautiful fleshy "heart". Now, this is the part that you can dip in lemon juice, vinaigrette or any sauce your heart desires. I prefer squeezing lemon juice on mine. My choice of beverage was beer but my husband opted for a glass of white wine which was an excellent choice.

This certainly isn't a date night dish and don't make any plans of kissing the frog and turning him into a prince with all the garlic. Just have lots of napkins and paper towels to avoid having to lick your fingers.....

GROUNDHOG DAY

2012-02-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was "Groundhog" day and just like many people I tuned into my radio while having my breakfast. A critter similar to this one was going to predict the weather. I'm not kidding there are thousands of people who will take time to go to witness this event. One of our close friend and his wife travel to Gobbler's Knob, near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania every year to experience this event. They spend the night there and wake up wee hours in the morning to witness this little critters prediction. It's such a big event that organizer's wear tuxedos and top hats. To think that this whole celebration started with a superstition is amazing. According to the legend if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on "Candlemas" Holiday (it falls on February 2 in Christian calendar) there will be six weeks of winter. With the mild weather we're having here I 'm afraid that "Phil's" predictions are not very accurate for us but from what I read and see is that it has been a harsh winter in Europe so far.
Apparently this tradition started here in the United States in 1887 and it has never stopped but received more recognition after Bill Murray's "The Ground Hog Day" ( reporter who relived the day) just like our friends who went to Pennsylvania multiple times and watched that movie multiple times.... From what I understand other States hold similar ceremonies and every State has a big name for these critters. He is called Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, in New York he is Staten Island Chuck, in West Virginia he is French Creek Freddie, in Georgia he is General Beauregard Lee, in Michigan he is Woody the Woodchuck, in Ohio he is Buckeye Chuck. In Ontario Canada he is known as Wiarton Willie or in Nova Scotia he is Shubenacadie Sam.

Honestly, I will not travel anywhere to observe these critters' events. I have a whole family of woodchucks living under my tool shed and I call him "Chucky the Pestfamily". They eat all my vegetables and flowers and procreate so that we're never out of a family of woodchucks in the neighborhood. I'm considering whether or not to hold a "shadow watching" meeting behind my shed next year and if so, you're all invited to show up at 5:00 AM behind my shed at the "Holey Hill"

ONE SAUCE TWO WAYS

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

I saw these fresh blueberries at the local vegetable market. My husband likes them a lot (I'm not very fond of them). He'll eat them fresh or in pies, cereals and cakes. I know they're very nutritious, good for your health and filled with antioxidants etc.. but I still can do without them. Anyway, I made a blueberry syrupy compote to top our pancakes for our Sunday brunch which we both enjoyed. I saved the rest for later as a desert.

Here's recipe #1:

1 Cup blueberries

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Cup sugar

2 tbsp of rum (or lemon juice ) to retain color

Place everything in a medium pan and boil until blueberries are soft and you're done.

Omelet with Vienna sausage was my favorite

Recipe #2

For desert, I crumbled corn flakes and placed them on the bottom of the parfait cup. I topped it with blueberry syrup, blueberry yogurt and more corn flakes. I guess I gave him enough blueberry health for one day.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

2012-01-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a soup person. What about you? Maybe you're like me. When the weather is cold outside I love to have a hot bowl of soup with a thick hardy bread slathered with butter. Yesterday I made this nutritious, aromatic belly warmer of a soup which my husband rated it 10+ on his scale!!! (his scale is always favorable on my side). You'll try and let me know where your scale will be ( this soup is very easy to make).

1 Medium head of cauliflower;

2 Tbsp of olive oil;

1 Large clove of garlic whole;

1 Medium onion coarsely chopped;

1/4 Tsp Curry powder;

5-6 Cups of water (add more if needed)

*Salt and Pepper

Chopped parsley and paprika to sprinkle on top

Core the center stem and remove the green outer leaves of cauliflower.
Place all ingredients in a large pot filling enough water to cover over top of the cauliflower. Boil until all vegetables are fork tender. Turn of heat. Once its cooled, blend with a hand infuser or blender until smooth. Transfer back to a large pot (if using blender) to warm, sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Close your eyes and savor the smooth taste.

PIGEON PEA SOUP

2012-01-26T14:32:00.000-08:00

I first ate pigeon peas at a vegetarian friend's house. She had made rice with pigeon peas. It was delicious. She is also a dietitian and told me that they were very nutritious and high in protein. So next time when I went shopping I bought a bag of these legumes. They're brownish and mottled rounds and are very tiny. Once I cooked them in meat stew. It was good but it gave us indigestion afterwords. This time I wanted to try to make soup with them without the discomfort, so I used a little cook's trick and boiled them with one tablespoon of baking soda for ten minutes prior to cooking. After they cooled of I painstakingly separated the skins from seeds (ugh..!) and revealed the beautiful yellow peas underneath. Anyhow, my efforts paid off and my soup was delicious. Instead of split pea soup it was pigeon pea soup in pork stock. I had prepared the stock from the pork bone that I've saved from our pork dinner on Sunday.

1 Cup Pigeon peas (see above preparation)
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Large onion roughly chopped
1 Large carrot diced
1 Large celery stalk chopped
1 Clove garlic
1 Tsp sage powder
1 Tsp curry powder
5-6 Cups of stock/broth (mine was pork)
1 Cup of shredded pork from the bone
* salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion with oil in a large pot and stir in all the other ingredients and boil until vegetables softened. Once cool put through the blender until smooth. Return soup to pot and cook for five minutes more. Plate and serve with croutans on top. (I use one day old Italian bread cut into cubes and then fry in melted butter). It is smooth, silky and a great belly warmer and no discomfort. Enjoy.

LASAGNA ANYONE???

2012-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last evening I decided to make lasagna for supper. However, I found out that I had used the noodles for another experiment and the box was half empty. Not enough to make lasagna. Then I said to myself "Self! make something with what you have.." Well, my wheels turned and I came up with individual pieces of noodles rolled up and cooked just like lasagna. I had eight and a half pieces left in the box , so that's all I used.

Lasagna noodles

Bechamel sauce (see last recipe)

2 Cups Marinara sauce (mine was ready made)

1 Clove of garlic chopped

1 Cup of fresh Broccoli Fleurette separated

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese cut into strips

Boil lasagna noodles until half cooked and leave them in the hot water in the pot. At this stage we want to keep them semi firm. Make Bechamel sauce.Set aside. Blanch broccoli, strain and saute in chopped garlic. In a bowl mix, cheese, Bechamel sauce and broccoli.

Carefully remove one noodle at a time from the pot and fill one corner with this mixture and roll.

Place them seam side down on oiled oven proof dish side by side.

Pour prepared Marinara sauce over them and sprinkle with cubed (or sliced) Mozzarella cheese (the little one on the left is the half lasagna noodle tucked in the corner). I guess I don't waste anything..

I served it with fresh sliced tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with basil as our salad and a nice robust red wine.

My husband sprinkled his portion with additional cheese for a richer taste but I preferred the way I prepared it. Which ever way, it was delicious and delectable. Enjoy!

EASY PEASY TUNA CASSEROLE

2012-01-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was thinking of what to make for dinner I remembered my mom's casserole. When we were kids (a very loooong time ago) she made this frequently. I called up mom and asked if she remembered her tuna casserole recipe. After jogging her memory she remembered. She also told me that she made them with fresh peas and carrots (not frozen). As she was trying to remember how she made the biscuits I told her she needen't to worry about that, I will be using store bought dough. She laughed and said that she also made them from scratch... I apologized to my mom and told her that I was not as patient as she is. Well, it is true I'm not known for my patience. You might have gathered by now that I'm also a very practical person. I cook the same way. I usually don't like to follow rules unless they are essential to the result. My version of cooking is fast, simple, easy and tasty.

For the casserole:

2 6 1/2 oz. can of tuna fish in water; drained

2 Cups of frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1/2 cup of water

2 tbsp of butter

1 medium size shallot, diced

1/2 package of uncooked pasta (elbows, little shells, etc. )

5-6 Refrigerated biscuits

Saute shallot with butter in a pan. Add peas, carrots and water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain any water and add tuna fish. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

For the Bechamel sauce (white sauce):

1/4 cup of flour

2 tbsp of butter

2 Cups (or more) milk

Melt butter in a pan and add flour while stirring gradually and add the milk. Keep stirring until it reaches a flowy pudding consistency (add salt and pepper to taste).

Mix pasta, vegetables, tuna and Bechamel sauce thoroughly and place it in a oiled oven proof dish. Top with the biscuits and bake it in 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes or until the to is golden.

I guess my husband liked it a lot....

QUICK LUNCH

2012-01-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very cold day. I postponed my grocery shopping to another day and decided to clean my house instead. After a long strectch of cleaning I felt my stomach grumbling, reminding me that it was time to have lunch. We usually don't have lunch on Sundays due to having a late brunch. However, working up a sweat and cleaning the house I realized I needed a break. I opened the fridge and oops! I was out of sandwich fixings. However, I spotted a tub of left over rice, a jug of tomato juice and brie cheese. My lunch menu was formed. I poured the tomato juice in the pot and added the rice with a pad of butter. I buttered opposite sides of my wheat bread and placed a slab of brie cheese in the middle and made grilled cheese sandwich. Once the tomato soup was done I sprinkled it with dried basil. It was a belly warmer for sure. Getting up from the table and going back to house chores was quite difficult.

SWEET SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS & ONIONS

2012-01-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

One of my husband's favorite sandwich is sweet Italian sausage with caramelized onions and peppers. There's really not much work involved or any big preparation. Just my type of meal for a warm and cozy evening. I sauteed peppers and caramelized the onions and added the
sausage to the mixture. Once it started to sizzle I poured cane sugar liquor which I had available at that time. Actually, any type of liquor is fine and save some to drink with your delicious meal. Enjoy...

CHICKEN WITH FRESH GREEN BEANS

2012-01-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is fast and easy to make. I cook my vegetables with the chicken to save time and an extra pot. Since I like dark meat, last night I used chicken thighs and drum sticks but it can also be made with chicken breast with bone. I think the bone gives broth the added flavor. I use fresh dill with salads and other green vegetables. It gives flavor and aroma to sauces as well. Paired with jasmine rice this meal was very tasty. I also made (not pictured) fruit salad to go with all this.

2 Chicken drum sticks and 2 thighs (bone in)

1/3 Cup chopped green peppers chopped

1 Medium onion chopped

1 Clove of garlic chopped

2 Tbsp of chopped dill (1 tbsp of dried dill will work also)

1/4 Tsp sage

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 Cups of fresh green beans

1/3 Cup of chicken broth

1 Tbsp of flour

(*Salt & Pepper to Taste)

Saute chicken in a large preheated skillet with skin sides down, turning occasionally until the skins are crispy. Remove from pan set and aside. In the same skillet saute onions and green peppers. Add garlic, dill, sage and place the chicken back in the pan and pour the vine over. Cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes . Place the beans back into the skillet. Add the chicken broth, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove and separate chicken pieces from the beans onto a warm platter. Carefully strain the broth from the skillet onto a sauce pan, reserving the vegetables. Add flour to the broth and stir until thick and smooth. Pour over chicken.
I drizzled the gravy over the rice also but it is not necessary. I pictured the Jasmin rice I used because I really like the flavor. Its not overly fragrant.

SNOWMAN LIKES HERMITS...

2012-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Doesn't he look like as if he is reaching into the cookie tin?? ( I didn't stage it)Well he is a funny character anyway.
I made "Hermit" cookies for New Year's Eve. It is an old recipe but I tweaked it a little with my left over spice concoction and candied fruit from the "Stollen" recipe. The result was better than I expected. Soft, chewy spice cookies that are easy to bake... Who wouldn't like them with a cup of coffee???

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 Cups flour (all purpose)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp half and half or milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp of my mixed spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, allspice)
1 cup of mixed candied fruits and raisin mixture.

Sift together flour and spices set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for few minutes. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture, sugar, egg, milk and beat well. Stir in fruit and remainder of the flour. Drop by rounded spoon onto greased baking sheet and bake in preheated 375 degrees oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. They are ready to eat as soon as cooled.

CHILLED CELERIAC

2011-12-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

Do you like celery? If you do, you'll love celeriac. Some call it celery root or celery knob it also has a long botanical name but I find it too difficult to pronounce or spell. Anyhow, its bulbous, not so hard, unassuming and visiually not very attractive vegetable. Despite its hard apperance it is easy to cut and it smells a little stronger than celery. A lot people are put off by its looks.

With their tentacles and gnarly look, they look like they're out of a sci-fi movie. I can understand the reason why these little gems may not be so popular, but like anything else you can't judge a book by its cover. They are filled with vitamins and are very healthy (check Wikipedia for more health information).

When I cook this dish for my company, I wait for them to take the first bite, then when they smack their lips and enjoy what they're eating, I tell them what it is and they're surprised by its sweet taste.

Celeriac is very versatile, it can be cooked to be eaten chilled or warm. It's a good addition for soups or stewes. It can be grated into salads, or mixed with yogurt or mayonnaise or thinly sliced and fried. I like the chilled version and prefer it with lots of lemon.

4 medium size celeriac
1 large onion chopped
1/3 cups of olive oil
2 medium size carrots cleaned and cut into rounds
1 Cup of water
1-2 twigs of fresh dill chopped
2 tbsp of lemon juice
*salt & pepper

Wash celeriac and cut any shoots from the root, peel the outer skin and discard. Cut the vegetable in to quarters or cubes and set aside. Saute onion in oil, until translucent in a large pot, add carrots, celeriac and water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Place in a platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and dill. Place in the refrigerator until chilled. Enjoy the experience.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY SOLISTICE, HAPPY KWANZAA & HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-12-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

WISHING YOU MUCH JOY AND MANY BLESSINGS THIS SEASON AND GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN THE COMING YEAR.

SPIRAL PASTA WITH PESTO

2011-12-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

This past summer when I was preparing the pesto sauce I said to myself -"self ! make a lot of this sauce, it will come in handy on busy evenings". Yesterday was that day. I planned on making a light dinner... I opened the refrigerator door and "ta..daa.." my green gem was right there.. I planned my menu around the pesto sauce! Imagine that!. We had spiral pasta, pepper chicken and avocado salad.

My recipe for Pesto Sauce is easy:

2 cups of basil washed and gently chopped;

1/2 cup of pignoli nuts,

2-3 cloves of garlic,

1/2 cup of parmasen cheese

1/2 cup of olive oil (little more if needed)

Put everything in the blender, blend until thick and smooth.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CORNISH GAME HEN AND OTHERS

2011-12-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

I never thought my husband would be a Brussel Sprouts fan. Most man aren't. Take my father for instance. If he sees any vegetable on the table he makes sure that he helps himself to other dishes and claims that his plate is too full to add another thing. Should you press him on this, he says that he is not a rabbit. Anyway, last Saturday I went to the local green grocer and found these gems on a stalk. (I forgot to take a picture of the stalk!!!!!) .

1 1/2 Lbs of Brussels Sprouts washed & trimmed

2-3 pieces of bacon cut into small pieces
1 medium size shallot chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp of soy sauce
2 Tbsp of white wine
1/3 Cup of water

Place the bacon in the large frying pan and cook until crisp. Add to this shallots and garlic; stir until translucent. Add soy sauce, wine, water and the sprouts. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until sprouts are bright green. Remove from heat and serve.

For the Cornish hen, I cleaned and halved it (it is just right size for the two of us). I then brushed both halves with a mixture of soy sauce, sage and olive oil. Baked them at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. They were succulent. (Check out my chef brush next to them)

I made a healthy salad with all the trimmings/ Iceberg lettuce, Radicchio, tomatoes, chopped dill and parsley with oil and lemon juice dressing.

Of course I had to make a starchy something to go with all this delicious food ! For that, I made "Uncle Ben's" wild rice (which cooked in merely ten minutes)- time saver and delicious. Thank you "Uncle Ben"..

We concluded our meal with a nice cup of coffee and the Stollen that I had baked a week ago. I had a yen for it for whole week, but I waited for its flavors to blend.

CAULIFLOWER O' GRATEN

2011-12-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

I like cauliflower. I make soup with it, I pickle it I use it in salads and dips. Some people like broccoli but not cauliflower. I wonder why? Anyway this is an easy way to prepare this nutritious vegetable. I usually use the fresh ones but this time I used frozen to save time and steps. If I'm cooking with fresh cauliflower, first I cut the stem part and put the whole vegetable in a pot and boil it for 15-20 minutes. After cooling I split it in half to carve out the core, brake the flowers apart and proceed with my recipe. Frozen cauliflower is already separated into fleurettes, so its no brainer ......
1 bag of frozen cauliflower (don't thaw)
2 Tbsp of butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
1 Tsp nutmeg
1/2 Cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup sharp Cheddar cheese mixed with Mozzarella

Place frozen cauliflower on a baking dish (if some are clumped separate them by pulling apart under running tap water).

Melt butter in a medium size sauce pan and add flour. Stir until butter is absorbed into flour. Add nutmeg. Using a whisk slowly add milk to the mixture and keep whisking until there are no clumps. It has to be in the consistency of a light pudding. Add Mozzarella cheese, stir and pour over the frozen vegetable. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese mix. Bake in 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes.

STOLLEN

2011-12-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to bake Stollen, a cake tradiationally baked during Christmas time in Germany. Years ago my German friend gave me her recipe but I never attempted to make it. She used to bake this for her family every Christmas. Remembering the old days, I decided to give it a try last Saturday evening. I didn't realize that it was going to be too involved. The dough had more rest then I did. I was exhausted at the end. I followed her recipe with a little variation, I've added few ingredients of my own. The preparation process is very long, but its worth it at the end. My hubby tasted it and declared that it was the Gutt!!!

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2cups all purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon Cardamom

1 1/4 cups milk (lukewarm)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 Cup raisins

1/4 cup candied orange peel

1/4 cup candied citrus peel

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Rum

To be used later:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 package of sweetened vanilla powder

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon hot water

Combine raisins & candied fruits with rum. Soak for 1 hour.. Combine yeast, milk, sugar & cardamom in a large bowl & place in a warm place for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the yeast mixture and kneed into a dough. Drain liquid from fruit mixture and kneed it into the dough. Transfer dough into a large and clean bowl and cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for one (1) hour.

Place dough onto floured surface gently flatten and divide into thirds.

Flatten each half into oval about 10x6 and 1 1/2 inches thick. Fold one long side of the oval within the dough 1/2 inch to the other side. Do this for all pieces.

Transfer dough on parchment lined baking sheets and allow to rise again 30 minutes (in the mean time preheat the oven to 350 degrees).

Place dough in the middle of the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden color. Remove from oven.

Sift together the powdered sugar and vanilla powder. Add hot water to make a thick paste. Brush butter over hot Stollen once butter is absorbed, brush the sugar mixture on all sides.

Wrap and store in a cool place. Do not refrigerate.

LAST DAYS OF GRILLING

2011-12-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

My hubby decided to take advantage of the warmer sunny days before the really cold days arrived. He braved the evening cold and grilled our meal. Thankfully I had marinated the steak a day before. He grilled tomatoes, red and green peppers which I had also prepared a day before with sprinkle of curry, garlic powder and drizzle of olive oil. While he was out in the back with his flash light grilling away, I made jasmine wild rice. He wanted me to memorialize this day and took this photo and asked me to publish it.

SPICED POUND CAKE

2011-12-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Last night we came home early from work ate early and guess what? I was bored. My hubby knows that my boredom means trouble for him so he was hiding in the TV room pretending to be grossly involved in a political forum or something. What to do????? I decided to bake a cake. That always takes my boredom away. "What to bake?" was the question..... There are so many cookie and cake recipes to make for the holidays, its mind boggling. I like anything with ginger in it. So I decided to bake a spice cake. The alchemist in me decided to mix all my favorite spices together since this was going to be an experiment. I took all the spices out of the cupboard. I mixed them in a small jar with my cute measuring spoons (look at the last three, labeled, "dash", "pinch" and "smidgen")
.

*Spice mixture:

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp ground cloves

1/2 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 dash (1/2 tsp) powdered anise

1 dash cardamom

1 dash allspice

They are all in that little jar on the left. I wanted to bake a very light and easy cake. A second look in my refrigerator indicated that I didn't have molasses which is a must for spice cake. What to do???? I found my apricot sauce which I had made this spring when apricots were abundant (same recipe as apple sauce).

Take my word for it, the sauce made the difference, the cake turned out to be very moist (I think applesauce would do the same thing).

Ingredients for my version of this Ginger Pound Cake:

1 1/2 Cups of flour

1 Cup of Sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 tsp of *spice mixture

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp baking soda

1/2 cup shortening

1 pinch of salt

1 Cup apricot sauce mixed with 1/2 cup of water (total of 1 1/2 cups)

Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add shortening, egg and apricot sauce. Mix everything with your mixer's high speed for 5 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl. Pour into a well greased and floured pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. (I did the tooth pick method to test for donnes). The aromas wafting from the kitchen persuaded my husband to come in and ask me if I wanted to have cup of coffee with this deliciously aromatic cake. When I sliced it, it was amazingly moist and with each bite we were marveling at the taste of all the spices. Needles to say my house was starting to smell like Christmas...

FILLET OF FLOUNDER STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT

2011-12-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

I could eat fish everyday as long as it is from the ocean. I inherited my love of fish from my uncle who was an avid fisherman. He taught me everything he knew about fish and fishing when I was very young. I learned how to catch, scale and carve. I love to eat the whole fish, head and everything. Some people can't stand the sight of a whole fish. I can't understand why. Some people can't stand the smell of the fish. I love that smell of the ocean/sea that a fresh fish has. I can't help but remember an experience at a dinner given by one of our friends who is an avid fisherman. He was serving the catch of the day when I overheard one of the guests say to her husband that " I can't eat this fish it has a fishy smell and has a head ". Excuse me but should the fish smell like beef???? the flesh of the fish head is very tasty. I recommend for everyone to taste it at least once.
Well, to each is own as they say.. I'm a whole fish girl, in fact I'll eat anything that comes from the ocean/sea. However, today I bought this filleted flounder (on my way back from work) and picked up crab meat while I was at it. I also bought some fresh spinach and mushrooms. My menu was completed. Here is the recipe for my own version of stuffed flounder:

4 Flounder fillets

2/3 Cup crab meat

1/2 Onion finely chopped

1 Clove of garlic minced

2-3 Twigs of finely chopped celery leaves

1/3 Cup of white wine

1 Tablespoon of butter

1Tablespoon of olive oil

* S & P

Rinse and pat dry the flounder fillets and place them on a plate white sides up. In a small frying pan sautee onions and garlic in oil for few minutes, add the celery leaves, crab meat, wine and stir gently. Turn off heat. Spoon the mixture on the largest end of the fillet and roll. Gently place the rolled stuffed fillets seam side down in an oven proof dish side by side and dot with butter cover with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 15-20 minutes or until done. (* Salt and Pepper to taste for those who aren't on any special diet).

I made my spinach salad with mushrooms and orange segments. It is a little different than the classic version but it is very refreshing especially with fish. I used my own concoction of equal parts of lemon juice, prepared mustard and olive oil as dressing for it. My hubby made mashed potatoes as our side dish.

A LA MINUTE PIZZA

2011-12-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Getting home late after work and preparing a meal is not a hassle for me. I just pick up whatever is in the fridge or pantry and throw them together. Last night I found ready made pizza dough (I'm sorry if I offend those who make their pizza dough from scratch), tomatoes and some hot dogs in the fridge. I have to use short cuts when I'm pressed for time. After stretching the dough unto pizza plate, I spread the tomato sauce, and sprinkled garlic powder, oregano and basil, then I placed the sliced tomatoes on one half and topped them with mozzarella cheese and placed the uncooked hot dogs on the other half (my husband's side!!). Popped it in the preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. While we were waiting for our pizza to cook, we had the vegetable soup that I had made with turkey broth after Thanksgiving and froze for a late evening like this. We enjoyed our crispy crusted pizza with a glass of red wine.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

2011-11-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite soups of the season. It's easy to make and it tastes delicious.

2 Medium Size butternut squash (cut lengthwise and seeded)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 Stalks of celery
1 medium size onion, chopped
2 ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears (or apples) diced
1 Tsp. ground cumin
1/2 Tsp. ground cloves
1/2 Tsp. dried crushed rosemary leaves
3 Cups of chicken broth
2 Cups of water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a tray with foil. Rub 1 tbsp oil on the squash and place on foil face down in lined tray. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until very tender. Cool until easy to handle and scoop squash from skins and place in a large bowl. Discard skins. Sautee onions and celeryin a pot for 10 minutes, stir in spices, add diced pears, squash, broth and water. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Using hand held infuser blend squash mixture until pureed. Enjoy.

BREAKFAST IN THE EVENING

2011-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

I didn't feel like cooking last night and we decided to have one of our favorite meals we call "Nightbreak" or breakfast in the evening. Why have breakfast only in the morning, right..??. My husband and I enjoy breakfast at any time of the day. To me "Nightbreak" also translates into taking a break from cooking.

In this plate I have freshly baked biscuit, a dog in blanket (biscuit dough wrapped around a hot dog and baked), soft boiled egg, string cheese, Gruyere cheese, fig jam, orange marmalade. We had freshly brewed tea to go with this meal.

CHEESY BAKED MACARONI

2011-11-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

While my parents were staying with us I had to cook fast and nutritious meals for all of us. Having octogenarian parents I thought I'd make comfort foods that they've enjoyed in their earlier years. This is a simple recipe and all the ingredients are right from the pantry.

1 Box uncooked pasta /penne, elbow or bow tie will work
1 container cottage cheese (12 oz.)
12 ounce finely shredded cheeses (Monterey Jack, Colby, Cheddar & Mozzarella) * (can be substituted with cheese of your own choice)
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup breadcrumbs (plain or flavored)
1 Tbsp. Olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside in a bowl.

Combine all cheeses in a large bowl and using an infusion blender process them until smooth. Add this mixture to pasta and stir well. Pour this mixture into a well greased baking dish. Combine Parmesan cheese with bread crumbs and oil in a small bowl and spread evenly over pasta mixture. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or heated through and the top is browned.

HERE IS WHERE I WAS FOR THREE MONTHS

2011-11-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

After a prolonged absence from blogging I'm finally getting back into the groove to resume writing, cooking and taking photos. I've missed my dialogues with my fellow bloggers and Internet friends. No, I was not on vacation; I just had a very dark cloud over my head for a while. My survivor instinct in me pushed me to test the limits of my ability to cope with everything that was thrown my way and I never let anything get me down. We lost my mother-in-law and her sister-in-law (my husband's aunt) on consecutive days in July. Two weeks after that, my mom collapsed in my arms and was in the hospital in critical care. Soon after she came home, her house along with four other houses on the block was flooded by hurricane Irene. I went to rescue my elderly father and and mom in the eye of the storm to bring them to my house. I went under lose electric wires and around fallen trees in a rain storm so severe that I couldn't see the hand in front of me but I made it safely back home with them. The next day I had to take my mom back to the hospital because she had brisued ribs as a result of the her rescue by the fire department and she was in excruciating pain. We spend six hours at the emergency room. The next day I had to roll-up my sleeves and start the clean-up process at their home. Below are the pictures I took the day I entered their house and this was the mess I encountered in their kitchen and their living room. The black muck you see in the picture is what the flood water left in the house, pure mudd and a horrible smell!!! I was able to hire an environmental clean-up company who worked five days to clean-up and dry out their house. After demolishing the walls and the floors for two days, they brought in 12 huge dryers and 2 huge dehumidifiers to dry for three more days. The sound of those machines operating at the same time was deafining...
While the house was being dried we were not allowed to go in, but that didn't stop me from sneaking in to get something for my mom or dad for whatever they needed. Running between my house, their house, work and stores I had no time for anything else except to get a wink of sleep. In between all this, we had to make another trip to the hospital emergency room in the middle of the night for my dad this time. Thank God, his was just an indigestion but surely gave us enough scare to call an ambulance. Being a regular at the ER has its advantages like getting to know the emergency doctors and nurses by their first names bases and they get to know you. They offer you a chair to sit down or a cup of coffee to drink in the middle of the night.
Later in October after what I had hoped would be the last ER visit my mom collapsed in my arms again necessitating another trip to the ER. When the ambulance arrived we were ready to answer all the questions about her medication. This time we spent ten hours at the emergency room and my mom was admitted to critical care yet again.

Lets not forget that I had to go to work in between these episodes of emergency hospital visits, house renovations. I also had to cook for five people when I got home, all while continuing to suffer neck pain, headaches and ear aches from a previous car accident. Oh, I forgot to mention that during mom's illness we had to hire a home health aide for her and my father. Later we realized that she was lazy as a daisy and had a lot of demands, not to mention that she didn't cook. We had to let her go few days after mom & dad moved to their home. Now we have a lovely lady attending them who is also quite a good cook.

The light green apparatus is the dehumidifier

As you can imagine, all their furniture, appliances, rugs, floors, utilities even the small appliances had to be replaced. Anyone who has had a similar experience will understand what it is like to start a new ...

I don't want to bore you with all the little details of my experience but I could say that I learned a lot during these 72 days. First I learned about myself, I learned who my true friends are and those who are not.

The pictures below should give you an idea of what I accomplished by the end of this journey. I lost 17 pounds and I'm tired but I'm also very happy that I was able to do all this for my parents. This experience has enabled me to re-connect and spend quality time with them, which is very precious to me when they are at this stage of their life. I tried to do what was best for them in their new-old home to spend the rest of their lives comfortably and happy.

As they say "Now you know the rest of the story".