tune 'n fork

Tuna Summer Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 17:27:00 +0000

Puppy Love by Donny Osmond

What does tuna fish and Donny Osmond have to do with each other? Well, I'll tell you! It's the early 70's and I'm at my friend Vera's house. We're in her bedroom listening to Donny Osmond on her turntable and swooning amid giggles and sharing dreams. Then suddenly she says, "Hey! You wanna make some tuna fish sandwiches?" I say ok and we head to her kitchen. She starts pulling out an onion and chopping it into tiny dices and she put her bread in the toaster! This was already different than my usual. When I said as much, she gave me an instant lesson on the finer notes of the best tuna fish sandwich I'd ever had. And I still enjoy that same recipe today! But lately I happened onto this fresh new version and I'm swooning again - except this time it's over food!

Tuna fish can be elegant!

I know in my childhood tuna got a

real bad reputation when our moms tried

to put it in a casserole with some noodles and

canned soup.

Tuna fish sandwiches in your

sack lunch from home were

kinda ok but everyone knew someone

was packing one before lunchtime

because tuna tends to announce itself.

This recipe today though is fun to make and

tastes super fresh!

It's also crunchy and colorful!

Who's ready to play with their food?

Tuna Summer Rolls

makes 4

print recipe

1 can albacore tuna in water, drained

1 cup chopped bok choy cabbage

1/4 red onion, diced

1 carrot, shredded

4 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sriracha or favorite hot sauce

salt

cilantro

radish, sliced thin

4 rice paper wraps

Place the tuna, bok choy, red onion, carrot, mayonnaise, and sriracha in a bowl. It's a beauty to behold!

Give this all a good stir and season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Take one of the rice paper wraps and run under warm water, wetting both sides. It'll still feel crisp and hard but it will soften in less than a minute. Place it on a clean and dry chopping board.

It'll look like this at first. You can wait for it to completely soften but there's no need. I like to add a little decoration down first because the rice paper becomes transparent and you can see the fun design! I start doing this part while the rice paper is still softening. I lay down some radishes and cilantro leaves.

Next I will add 1/4 of the tuna mixture on top of the radishes and keep it to the center of the wrap.

Next you will fold in the sides of the wrap. You'll find that the wrap is now very soft and stretchy and a little sticky. That's good because it likes to hold onto itself!

Now you'll fold that bottom part up close to the tuna mixture like a burrito, tucking the end up and over the food bump. Then you will roll it up and the end will roll flat onto itself and stick like magic! Roll it as tight as you can. More tight than I did in these pictures! Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.

They're so pretty! See how the radishes show through? You can eat them as is or slice in half. If you're a dipper, they'd be delicious with an asian-inspired dressing or even a drizzle with some mayo and sriracha! Enjoy!

Lamb Stew with Farro

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 19:56:00 +0000

An Acre of Land - English Folk Song performed by PJ Harvey and Harry Escott

This stew is really lovely and perfect for a stormy and dreary winter's day. It needed a song with a hauntingly beautiful melody to match the mood. This video is a montage from the movie "Dark River" starring the incomparable Ruth Wilson. Harvey and Escott's recording delivers all the mood! And today's recipe brings the food for the mood!

This recipe is one of the best results of me

messing around in the kitchen using my

culinary school knowledge and coming

to a very happy conclusion.

Knowing which ingredients to use, using the correct

method, as well as introducing them in a

particular order - these are the tools I still

use today. Cinnamon with lamb is a perfect

pairing as it performs the same job that

mint does when it is used -

it cuts that lanolin flavor in lamb that

can be off-putting. In this stew it

also adds an enticing profile to the aroma.

I hope you enjoy this very satisfying stew!

Lamb Stew with Farro

serves 7

Print recipe

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground lamb

1 t. cinnamon

1 T. oregano

2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (use a color other than green for some color)

1 potato, peeled and chopped, set aside in a bowl, covered with cold water

16 oz. crimini mushrooms, cut into large chunks

1/4 c. tomato paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 c. flour

2/3 c. red wine

1 qt. beef stock

1 c. cooked farro

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a deep stew pot over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground lamb, breaking it into pieces as you do. Stir and cook until the meat is browned. Add the cinnamon, oregano, and rosemary and stir to coat. Cook for a minute to let the herbs and spices bloom. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes, giving the vegetables time to soften a bit. Add the mushrooms and stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to distribute the paste and to allow it to coat the ingredients. Stir in the garlic and let cook for a minute. Sprinkle the flour over the contents of the pan and give it a stir to give everything a fuzzy coat.

The flour is what will thicken the broth and give the stew a luxurious gravy. Cook for another 3 - 5 minutes, stirring to cook off the raw flour flavor. It will be thick but don't worry. Next you'll add the red wine and stir and cook for another couple minutes. The liquid will be quickly absorbed. You'll be cooking off the alcohol, but that flavor will stay and give such depth to the flavor of the stew. Add the stock and stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the water off the potatoes and add to the stew and increase the heat. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked farro and stir to heat through. Season to taste. Serve with some crusty bread!

Sugar Cookie Melts with Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 19:13:00 +0000

WHO DO U LOVE? by Monsta X ft. French Montana

Several years ago my daughter, Katy, got me into K-Pop music and dramas. Her clear favorite was, and still is, Monsta X. And I couldn't disagree with her choice. Their music pulls you in and next thing you're dancing and just plain happy! If you really want to see their dance skills, watch this video. You won't be sorry! The recipe today is one that makes you just as happy as listening to Monsta X!

I've had this cookie recipe in my recipe collection for awhile and I'm not sure

why I haven't shared it before. It's my take on the sugar

cookie from Paradise Bakery - the first sugar cookie that made me

question whether mine was the best I'd ever had!

Their cookie was so light! It almost melted in your mouth!

In news on the Arizona front,

our Meyer Lemon tree is absolutely bursting - literally!

I've been putting lemons into everything - sweet and savory!

I decided to put some into these sugar cookies and,

to use more of these lemons, even frosted them with

a Lemon Curd Buttercream Frosting.

These cookies really don't need frosting but

the result was perfect "dance in the kitchen" deliciousness!

I hope you think so, too!

Sugar Cookie Melts

made about 48 small cookies

Print recipe

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar

1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (224g) coconut oil

1 t. vanilla extract

1 large egg

4 1/3 cup (600g) cake flour OR 4 cups (520g) AP flour and 2/3 cup (80g) cornstarch

3/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

for the lemon version add the zest from two lemons

superfine sugar, for coating the cookies

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Cream together the sugars and the butter and coconut oil, and lemon zest (if using) in a large mixing bowl until well combined - about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and combine. Add the egg and combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until it combines together.

Fill a cereal bowl with about a cup of superfine sugar - often called baker's sugar. It's with the other sugars at the grocery store, usually in a container that looks like a milk carton.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Scoop the cookie dough with an ice cream scoop, I used my smallest which is about 2 tablespoons. Release the dough into the bowl of sugar and turn to coat. Place on the lined sheet tray, spacing them out with about a half inch between them. When all the dough is scooped, I used my plastic bowl scraper, which is flat, and gave them a gentle squish, just to flatten them out a little.

Then I put them into the freezer for at least an hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°. Place the cookies on a parchment lined sheet tray about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, the edges should just be starting to get a touch of brown on them. Let cool.

If you want to go full board with the frosting, here's that recipe.

Lemon Curd Buttercream Frosting

Print recipe

1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups (410g) powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

zest from one lemon

1 cup lemon curd, store bought or this easy recipe from Allrecipes

Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the lemon curd and zest and mix until combined. I like to use a pastry bag to pipe after the cookies are completely cool. Store any remaining frosting in the refrigerator, letting it come to room temperature when you want to use it.

Roasted Chickpea and Tomato Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 19:28:00 +0000

Come As You Are by Nirvana

Probably my all-time favorite Nirvana song. Acceptance. Recognition. You don't have to fix yourself up - caked with mud - and no worries that when you get here I'm gonna blow you away with secret expectations. At least, that's what it's saying to me! This recipe is about finding the less than perfects sitting around my kitchen and inviting them to make this beautiful dish.

During this global pandemic I don't think I'm alone

in finding myself scrounging around my

kitchen, trying to figure out what I can make out of what's on hand.

Thankfully, this is a technique I've had to

resort to many times, especially during our

lean university years - all 13 of them!

I'm still in love with the "put it all in a pan

and roast it" craze. I used it to make my White Bean and Chevrè Dip.

I wanted to use that methodology again but

just use what I had already.

But the beauty of this approach, though,

is that it's so open to substitutions.

I had some cherry tomatoes that, like me, are past their prime

yet still have something to offer.

I had part of a red onion in my fridge that had also

seen better days but was still had life.

A sprig of rosemary that's almost bin worthy, but not yet.

And a bit of white wine left in the bottle, even sweet wine, I believe,

found a new purpose.

I've gotten into the habit of keeping different types

of cheeses on hand specifically for this way of preparing foods.

The huge log of store brand goat cheese helped add

the tang that you'd normally get from tahini.

And canned chickpeas.

I'd say they look ready to work together!

If you could smell how tasty the aroma is!

A quick stir and remove the rosemary.

Use as you would a hummus and spread on veggies or crackers or crostini.

Or use as a spread on sandwiches or a burger topping!

The tomatoes give it an orangish tinge - sort of

like pimiento spread and it packs the tanginess of

a pimiento spread - but it's not!

Enjoy!

Roasted Chickpea and Tomato Hummus

makes 1 pint

1 can chickpeas (garbanzos)

cherry tomatoes

1/4 red onion, sliced

4 oz. goat cheese - or cheese of your choice

1 garlic clove, minced

olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

rosemary sprig, or any herb you have

black pepper

kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Place chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and rosemary sprig in a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil, enough to coat everything nicely, and use your hands or a spoon and toss it all around. Clear a spot in the center and add the block of goat cheese. Drizzle some olive oil over the cheese as well as some black pepper. Pour wine into dish around the cheese and onto the other ingredients. Roast, uncovered, for 25 - 30 minutes, until there's a golden brown on the tomatoes, cheese, and chickpeas. Remove and stir, picking out the rosemary sprig. Let cool then add to a food processor. Blitz on high, adding more olive oil, if needed to help with the consistency. Season with kosher or sea salt to taste. Store in fridge.

Miso Ginger Pork Marinade

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 22:35:00 +0000

Got It Good by Jem

Maybe it's the usual feeling of renewal and hopefulness that the spring season brings, but I'm feeling like good things are on their way. And I'm not just talking about this recipe today. Ok, I guess I am! It is a good one that came to me in a flash. And sometimes those flashes turn out really good. I hope you think so, too!

You know how things not on your list

make their way into your shopping cart?

Recently a three-pack of pork sirloin roasts

found their way into mine.

They were separated and thrown into

the freezer for "some day."

Last week became that "some day" for one of those roasts.

I wasn't sure how I was going to prepare it

but when it's turn on the weekly menu came

around I settled on some skewers.

I don't think I've used pork on skewers before

so I thought about how I'd add flavor and what that

flavor would be.

I came up with these as starters.

Since I usually make my marinades by eye and estimations

I made sure I actually measured the ingredients

AND wrote them down.

I busted out a gallon storage bag and started

pulling out ingredients that went with the sake, Tamari, and miso paste.

The usual profiles I look for when creating a marinade are a fat,

an acid, and some sweetness.

I think what I came up with is a real winner!

You'll find the sake in the liquor section of the store in the specialty wines.

The miso paste can be found in the asian food aisle or

sometimes it's in the health food refrigerated area by the tofu.

Tamari is usually right by the soy sauce - and it's gluten free!

I prefer tamari because it's flavor is more mellow than soy sauce.

Please do not use toasted sesame oil, especially at that amount.

You will hate me and yourself, I promise.

I cut the pork roast into cubes and cut up some onions and

bell peppers to join the party.

I had some grape tomatoes that needed used

so onto the skewers they went as well.

I used my broiler but the grill is just itching to

come out to play after a long winter's rest!

You don't even have to use skewers!

Just put the chunked up veggies with the meat

cubes in a roasting pan and broil away!

Broiling will give them gorgeous caramelized edges!

I hope you enjoy this lovely marinade -

and don't think it can't be used for other

meats as well!

Miso Ginger Pork Marinade

1/4 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 T. tamari (similar to soy sauce)

3 T. miso paste, I used a yellow one

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup untoasted sesame oil or avocado oil

2 T. honey

1 heaping teaspoon Chinese five spice blend

Simply squish the ingredients together in a storage bag or whisk together in a container. Add your meat and let marinade for about 4 - 6 hours in the fridge. Get out about an hour before cooking to let meat come to room temperature.

White Bean and Chèvre Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 20:15:00 +0000

I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival

The recipe today is one I gained through the grapevine. This is true in a couple ways. The actual methodology is one that is sweeping through social media now but using tomatoes and feta, brie, or ricotta. It is a brilliant idea with so many applications, it lends itself to an abundance of interpretations. I wish this version had been my idea but it's not. While visiting my oldest daughter in Texas, she is the one who whispered this combination in my ear. And just as Creedence didn't do the original recording of this awesome song, they did, however, make a smashing version of it!

Perhaps you've seen the quick videos on social media

showing how to make a quick pasta dish using a

casserole dish, some tomatoes, and a brick of feta or brie.

I've not only seen them but I've actually made the dish!

Here's my version using a brick of feta.

I stirred the mixture up straight out of the oven and added

cooked rigatoni and a dusting of grated parmesan.

It was insanely delicious and man, women, and CHILDREN

wolfed it down like there was no tomorrow!

In my books, that's a certifiable hit!

My daughter, Becca, and I were talking about the

possibilities this method presented.

She came up with one that, at first, I wasn't

sure of. But, after thought, decided it deserved a try.

Her idea was to use beans, as in legumes.

She would put the beans in with the tomatoes and pasta.

But we also thought that the beans in place of the tomatoes

would make a really good sort of dip.

I said I'd puree them up to make a creamy dip.

She would opt to keep it chunky.

I prepared a bit of both!

Isn't that pretty?

I used some chèvre, or goat cheese, and tossed in a tiny bit of minced

garlic and some chunky chopped onions.

I sprinkled some italian seasoning mix over the top

and poured a lovely bath of extra virgin olive oil and white wine

for them all to enjoy while they roasted away in the oven.

I held back on the salt as there was already potential

for salinity in the dish.

I used the post bake photo as the lead photo in the post but

when I stirred it up, while still piping hot, it created this

absolutely creamy, fragrant mixture that could be a dip

or a beautiful side dish to chicken or fish - or anything, really.

The onions softened up, the cheese completely melted at

the spoon's first touch, and the beans just happily went along

with the flow!

I scooped out half to put in the food processor to create a smooth dip,

per my own preferences. I add the juice of a half lemon to help loosen

it up for the blades. I squeezed the other half lemon over the chunky

part still in the casserole dish. At this point, I added some flaked sea salt

to season to taste.

To serve, I drizzled a bit more extra virgin olive oil over the top

along with some more flaked sea salt and some paprika.

Side by side, chunky and smooth.

Both a delicious dip.

Both with potential to be more.

Both now residing in my fridge.

And as easy as this is to make,

both could be in your fridge in no time!

White Bean and Chèvre Dip

Printable Recipe Card

2 - 15 oz. cans white beans, I used cannellini, drained but not rinsed

1/2 onion, chunky chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 - 4 oz. log of goat cheese (chèvre)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 - 2/3 cup white wine

italian seasoning blend

1 lemon

paprika, optional for garnish

kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Place drained beans in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Add chopped onion and garlic and stir until blended. Drizzle some of the olive oil over the mixture and stir to coat the beans and onion. Create a space in the middle of the mixture and place the log of chèvre in the center. Pour the white wine over the beans and onions. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top, being sure to get some on the cheese. Sprinkle the italian seasoning over. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, making sure there are golden bits on the cheese and beans. Remove from the oven and stir everything together. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the top. Season with salt to taste. Keep chunky or blend it up in a food processor. Serve with extra olive oil and paprika as a garnish.

Barley Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 21:46:00 +0000

Chewy Chewy by Ohio Express
I've recently discovered barley and I am in LOVE! It had always been something you'd find in a soup during the cold and blustery time of the year - a backdrop, a co-star, perhaps even a third wheel. It is indeed a chewy entity, but not overwhelmingly so. It's the perfect state of chewiness. And it's so healthy! I love what it does for my body! If you haven't had a proper introduction to barley - please, let me do the honors!

I recently made a decision to dive deeply into a Mediterranean diet.

It's not a "plan" or "program."

You simply pretend you live on the Mediterranean and eat what those folks eat.

They're some of the healthiest people on earth!

Eating this way means LOADS of servings of vegetables and fruits - I aim

for nine total daily. Typically I get to around seven total.

This means whole grains, cereals, legumes, and nuts.

This means dairy is a side note - usually cheese from goats or sheep - or cultured

cow milk, as in yogurt. This is a win for my lactose sensitivities.

Proteins sourced from animals mainly come from

fish or chicken, some pork, and an occasional red meat fix.

Sweets are seldom and truly a special treat.

And olive oil is, literally, everywhere.

And I made the daring decision that I wasn't going to

worry about the amount of olive oil,

just to see what happened.

The decision to embrace this way of eating is what brought about the

renewed acquaintance with barley.

It is no longer the co-star in a hearty winter soup.

It is the base of many meals.

It comes pearled and hulled.

The hulled barley, harder to find, is the more nutritious, but

pearled is good for you, too.

It cooks up fairly quick.

I like to start checking it about 10 minutes before

the recommended cooking time as I like it still chewy.

I do not want a mushy grain.

I also give it a rinse with some cold water after I strain it.

I make up a container and keep it in the fridge

and make meals from it all week.

Taking a cue from the rice bowls I've seen, I start with a scoop of

a half cup of barley in a bowl.

After that I take a walk around my garden and peek into my fridge

and produce box on my counter.

I look for color first.

I make sure that what I choose provides a vision for my eyes!

I mix fruits and veggies together with reckless abandon,

fancying myself some mad culinary scientist.

This week I found a carrot, green onion, and arugula in my

garden containers.

An avocado and tub of tomatoes from the store rounded out my search.

Later, I decided to throw in a nectarine from Costco that needed to be used.

Sweet, pungent, crunchy, chewy, juicy - and bursts of vivid colors.

I was ready to assemble!

This is what I discovered about olive oil - and fat, in general.

It brings food alive!!

It makes their flavors pop and gives them a pleasing mouth-feel.

When partnered with some good sea salt or kosher salt, you just can't beat it.

So the trend of telling us to eat more vegetables but omit fat sets

us up for a short-lived relationship with those veggies.

They need each other!

After all my add-ins are peeled, cut, prepped in whatever fashion I choose,

I pile them into the bowl on top of that barley.

Then I drizzle extra virgin olive oil,

sprinkle some kosher salt over and some black pepper,

then give it a stir.

Right before my eyes, a masterpiece of delicious and nutritious

ingredients emerges!

And I can't wait to dig in!!

Barley Bowl

Printable Recipe Card

1/2 cup cooked hulled or pearled barley

1 carrot, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1 handful or arugula leaves, chopped

5 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 small avocado, peeled and chopped

1 nectarine, chopped

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

Place barley in a deep bowl and add all prepped produce to it. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine and taste. Add more olive oil, salt, or black pepper, if desired. This feeds just me for lunch! But you could definitely make it larger to serve a family.

Coconut Lime Shrimp

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 02:41:00 +0000

Coconut by Harry Nilsson
Oh come on! You HAD to know that there was no other song for a recipe like this! You know it's the first thing that popped into your head - and you were singing and jiving along before you even got to the first sentence of this post! Haha! It's ok! Ever since the song played on the air, nobody can say the words "coconut" and "lime" in the same sentence without someone within hearing distance singing the words! That's the sign of a good song - a song that brings about happy and carefree feelings! And this recipe does the same for me. I hope you find it does the same for you!

My husband and I were lucky to be on

the island of Kauai last January.

Even though it tends to rain a lot on that

island, hey, you're in Hawaii!

Somehow Hawaiian rain just feels

better than mainland rain!

Hard to let it get you down!

Of course, I started doing research on

the places to eat before I got there.

I was happy to find so many really

good options.

The very first place that got my

attention was a place called

Savage Shrimp.

Isn't that a great name?!

It's in a little shopping

village in Poipu.

Once they had my attention with the

name, they kept it with a perusal of

the menu!

I was salivating already and

the reviews promised that

I would not be disappointed!

I mean, it's shrimp!

My FAVORITE food on

the planet!

It's a walk-up-to-the-counter-and-order

kind of place.

Then you go out and hopefully score a seat

at one of the tables on their deck.

I knew what I was getting before

I got there - the Bahia Shrimp Plate!

It was peeled shrimp scampi

in a coconut milk broth.

They used some tomatoes and OJ

and it was phenomenal

served over rice!

So much so that I made time

to go back and have it again!

I knew that I was going to

have to attempt a recreation of

some sort when I got home!

I was surprised at how easy it was

to come fairly close.

I used a more traditional

lime and coconut flavor

combination

(see, you're singing it again!)

and I just am so very happy with the result!

Another time, I'll try to do a more

exact copy of their OJ

and tomato version!

Either way,

Go get some shrimp and

get cooking!

Coconut Lime Shrimp

Serves 4

Printable Recipe Card

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup sake

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, preferably not light

1/2 - 1 teaspoon sambal oelek

zest of one lime

Juice of half a lime

1 " finely grated fresh ginger, or to taste

kosher or sea salt to taste

3 cups of cooked white long-grain rice

I usually buy my shrimp raw, in the shell. Sometimes it's deveined, sometimes not. I don't mind the task of peeling and deveining. I've become pretty quick at it over the years. It's pretty much the only "labor" involved with the dish. You decide how you want to approach this part. Just please don't use precooked shrimp. I often save the shells and make a fish stock from them. When I'm done peeling and deveining I had a good-looking pile of shrimp like this:

Set aside the prepared shrimp and heat the olive oil in a shallow pan. Once the oil is hot I add the shrimp and do a quick saute for about one minute. You aren't cooking the shrimp all the way at this point - just giving them a head start and getting that shrimpy flavor into the oil and pan. Remove the pink but uncooked shrimp from the pan and place on a plate.

You can see that they are pink but still not quite opaque down their backs. Set them aside.

If you need to, add a little more olive oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic. Remove from heat if the pan is still pretty hot. You don't want to burn that garlic! Stir the garlic in the pan for a minute and then add the sake. Turn up the heat and cook the sake until it's reduced by about one half. When it's reduced, reduce the heat and slowly add the coconut milk by pouring it into the pan down the side and letting it ooze out into the sake and garlic. Add the sambal oelek - as much or as little as you like. Give it a stir and turn the heat back up and let it come to a low boil. You are essentially making a coconut milk reduction. Let it boil until it thickens up a bit and the bubbles become larger in size. It's not going to be a super thick sauce in the end. When it's about done, add the grated fresh ginger and the lime zest and stir. Also, add the shrimp back in at this point along with any juices that were released on the plate. Cook for another minute or two until the shrimp have cooked through. Right before serving over the rice, add the lime juice and salt to taste and stir in. Put some rice in a bowl and ladle the shrimp and broth over. You can garnish with some fresh lime wedges or more lime zest. A sprig of cilantro wouldn't be a bad idea either! I know you'll enjoy!

And for the sake of being real, after I took the top photo - but before I dug in - I went back and added more shrimp - because SHRIMP!!!!! This is the "for reals" photo! Haha!

Shaved Cauliflower Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 21:21:00 +0000

Made In England by Elton John
Elton John and this Cauliflower Salad recipe - what do they have in common? Well, they both have their origins in England! And I like them both! And they're both very interesting! And I think I'll just get on with telling you about today's recipe!

Last month we went to London.

We had heard about a great exhibit
that the Victoria & Albert Museum
was putting together about
Pink Floyd.
It was going to be called
"Their Mortal Remains"
and all the press about it
sounded fantastic!
We were dying - we wanted to go real bad!
Was it crazy to want to fly across the
ocean to another country over
the love of a rock and roll band?
Probably!
Did we want to do it anyway?
Heck yes, we did!

We threw the idea out to some
friends of ours and they were
crazy enough to think it was worth
it as much as we did!
The next thing I knew,
we were planning an epic vacation
around this Pink Floyd journey.

AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

The museum did an outstanding job
curating all the memorabilia.
To make the occasion a little more fun,

we'd found an old photo of the

original Floydians -

Syd, Roger, Nick, and Richard -

and dressed up in outfits like they
were wearing in the picture!

We felt like we were being outrageous -

we barely turned a couple heads!

Haha! London!

I guess that city has seen everything!

We filled our days with all the city
sights and were usually

pretty tired and hungry at the end of the day.

About 4 days in I had had my

fill of fish and chips - not to say there's

anything wrong with the meal!

Quite the opposite!

I love me some tasty genuine

fish and chips and mashy peas!

But, having been to England before,

I knew the Brits can cook up some

amazing food beside the traditional favorites!

We had already made our way back

to the flat we were renting

so we wanted something fairly close by.

And most of what we had passed between

our flat and the Gloucester Road tube station

were more pubs.

We started exploring our options

via Trip Advisor and Yelp

and I saw that a Gordon Ramsay restaurant -

Maze Grill Park Walk -

which got very good reviews - was

just a few blocks away -

in the opposite direction than we usually took.

I lost my interest in hitting up celebrity

restaurants a few years ago after

getting several clinker meals at them.

But I was huuuuungry

and the menu looked so good!

I booked a table and we headed out.

It was so close!

I can't remember everything I ordered -

but I will never forget the Shaved Cauliflower Salad!

I'm so glad I ordered the larger portion!

I'm pretty sure I made little

mewling sounds while I ate!

Who knew that such a simple combination

of a very few simple ingredients

could yield anything but a simple dish?

I knew I was going to have to make

this once I got back home.

I made it the other day and was

finishing up with it and taking the photos

when my sister popped in.

Neither of us had eaten so I shared.

She liked it!

Like ALOT!!!

It's always a good feeling when you

find happiness and then are able to share it!

And I'm sharing this happiness with you!

To shave my cauliflower,

I used a mandolin slicer.

But you can shave yours with a knife -

just cut your cauliflower as thin as you can get it!

Shaved Cauliflower Salad

serves 4 - 6

Printable Recipe Card

1/2 head cauliflower, trimmed of leaves and shaved or cut thin

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 - 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Combine the cauliflower, toasted almonds, fresh dill, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Toss to mix. Pour the juice of the lemon over the mixture and then the olive oil. Toss to mix well and coat the ingredients. Taste and then add kosher salt to taste. Serve within a couple hours.

Honey Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 14:40:00 +0000

Cook With Honey by Judy Collins

I was a little dismayed that I had already used Sugar, Sugar by The Archies and briefly considered using it again for this post anyway. But then I wandered around my iTunes library and found this perfectly acceptable pairing from my Judy Collins collection. Honey has been on my brain lately. I'll be telling you why shortly. But, in the meantime, click on the link in the song title and take a trip to 1973!

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity

to spend the day at my brother and sister-in-law's

bakery and cafe in Bountiful, Utah.

It's called Beehive Bakery and Cafe

and they serve delicious soups,

salads, and sandwiches as well as cookies,

brownies, pies, and all sorts of

goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth!

It was fun to be back in a

commercial kitchen again!

Honey has been my principal sweetener

the past several months and I've learned

to use it in both savory and sweet dishes.

My Honey & Spice Pork Roast is an

example of one of the savory recipes

I've come up with.

And today's recipe is a sweet offering.

I came up with this recipe while

making the long drive back home to Washington.

I wanted to have a treat that reflected

the flavors I think of when I think of

the Beehive State.

Naturally, I think of pioneers and the simple ingredients

I think they might have used such as

honey, and things like oats and other grains.

I got really excited when I remembered

toasting oats for a cookie

I made during my internship.

I definitely needed to do the same thing

for this recipe because that single process

alone knocks the flavor meter out of the ball park!

I will be toasting up oatmeal and keeping it in

my freezer just to have on hand for this recipe!

I could put some honey in the dough - as well

as make a syrup to glaze the cookies as they

come out of the oven.

My goal was to have that favorite textural

combination of mine -

an initial crack upon biting, yielding to a soft interior.

I am very happy to say I accomplished this

with exceptionally stellar results!

I must warn you that this cookie has

highly addictive tendencies!

Swooning could also happen!

It's simple nature is beguiling.

Enjoy with a tall glass of cold milk

or iced tea (or hot tea for that matter.)

As for flavor, you'll be thinking "snickerdoodle?",

"peanut butter?", "oatmeal?".

The toasting of that oatmeal creates

a flavor quite unique and you'll, of course,

need to taste one after another, to decide

what it tastes like to you!

I've resolved that it tastes just like it's name -

honey and oats - in their most

glorious form!

Honey Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

Printable Recipe Card

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup coconut oil, divided

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

4 cups flour (500 g)

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For syrup:

1/4 cup honey

2 Tablespoons warm water

sugar for coating

Place the oatmeal in a food processor and pulse until it is broken down to smaller pieces.

Melt 2 - 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a large skillet and add the chopped oats. Stir to coat with the melted coconut oil. Continue to stir frequently and cook over medium high heat until toasted to a golden brown color - right about when the pan starts to smoke a bit.

Your house will smell heavenly and family will come running thinking you've popped popcorn! Remove from the hot pan immediately as it will keep toasting if you don't. Set the toasted oatmeal aside to cool down completely. You could put it in the fridge or freezer to help speed up the cooling process. You really don't want to add it while it's warm as it will melt your ingredients and that will make a cookie with a much different texture. Spreading could also be an issue.

Place the sugars and the butter and remaining coconut oil into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a paddle until soft and combined - about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and honey and mix again to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the cooled oats until well blended. Add to the mixer bowl and stir just until the ingredients come together.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Place some sugar in a small bowl. Scoop the cookie dough with an ice cream scoop and place in sugar bowl. Toss to coat with sugar and then place on the sheet tray - keeping them about 2" apart. Repeat until all the dough has been scooped. Use a flat surface like a glass to slightly flatten each mound of dough. Freeze the dough for at least an hour.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place cookies on a parchment lined sheet tray and bake for 10 - 12 minutes - until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom edges. Mix together the honey and water for the syrup and brush lightly over top of the cooling cookies.

Remove to a cooling rack and continue to cool. Enjoy!

Berry Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 23:04:00 +0000

Yankee Doodle Dandy by James Cagney
This was one of my favorite songs to sing when I was a little kid. I mean, any song that has the word "doodle" in it is going to be fun to sing, right? Just try to sing this and not feel happy! And I am certainly happy and proud to be a Yankee. Not as in the baseball team - but a true Yank! I've been called a Yankee or Yank when I've been in the southern United States as I've always been a northerner. I've also been called a Yank when traveling abroad. And I own it loud and proud. I hope you're celebrating this great nation this Independence Day!

This might very well be the most

dangerous post I've ever done!

I'm happy to report that my

eyelashes are working just fine

and doing what they're put there to do!

Let me explain!

When I decided that I wanted to do a

patriotic themed Rice Krispie Treat

I was thinking freeze-dried berries

to represent the red, white, and blue.

I knew they sold them at Target.

And then one day I got the idea -

POP ROCKS!!!

It was one of those thoughts that,

once it showed up in my head,

nothing else would do.

But where have all the Pop Rocks gone?!?!

Certainly around the 4th of July they should

be in every store, right?

No!!!

Every store I visited said they

didn't carry them.

And after they said that, the store clerk stared off into

space as I saw

them reeling back the years

to their childhood and their own fond

Pop Rocks memories.

"We should carry them though!",

they'd say with a sigh.

YES, YOU SHOULD!!

But I did finally find them.

At a regional grocery store here

in the Pacific Northwest called Yokes.

At the checkout stand!

Holla!!

So I set about making these goodies up.

As I sprinkled on the blasting candies,

I was not prepared for the immediate action!

I usually pour them into my mouth so

I wasn't aware that they actually LAUNCH!

The Rice Krispie Treat acted as a

launch pad for these NASA rockets!

They were flying all over!

And, luckily, I have quick eyelashes

as they not only blocked but

grabbed and held onto one of the missiles!

I'm not sure but I think one of these

IN your eye would not be pleasant!

So, please make these treats,

but if you use the Pop Rocks,

and you definitely should,

be alerted to their popping nature.

I mean, it IS part of their name!

That should have been my first clue!

Berry Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats

printable recipe card

4 cups Rice Krispie cereal (119 g)

1 package freeze-dried strawberries

1 package freeze-dried blueberries

1 packet strawberry Pop Rocks

10 oz. mini-marshmallows

3 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup cream of coconut

pinch of kosher salt

zest of two lemons, divided

2 ounces almond bark or white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Prepare your pan by liberally greasing the bottom and sides with butter. I use a plastic baggie over my hand to do this and then save the baggie for smushing the prepared mixture into the pan. Set aside.

Put the strawberries in a gallon zip-loc bag and squeeze air out and zip close. Use a rolling pin or heavy object and crush the berries into 1/4-1/2" pieces. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and empty the crushed berries into the strainer. Shake and let all the fine powder fall into the bowl below.

This is important because it helps keep the look of the treat more "clean." When the powder of the berries is added it will create a more purple treat - which is fine but not very patriotic! Do the same with the blueberries. I'd use that leftover berry powder in a smoothie or as part of the flour in pancakes!

Combine the big pieces of berries with the cereal in a bowl. You should have about 6 cups of berry/cereal mixture. Add a pinch of kosher salt to the bowl. Set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the mini-marshmallows. Stir over medium high heat until well melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream of coconut and the zest from one of the lemons. Stir well. Add the cereal/berry mixture and stir until evenly coated. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan, whichever size you choose to use. Use the saved buttery baggie to push the mixture evenly into the pan. Set aside.

Place the almond bark or white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stirring after each 30 second interval. It should take 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil and the zest from the other lemon. Place in a pastry bag and snip the tip off. Top the Rice Krispie Treats with a zigzag pattern from corner to corner on the diagonal. Open the pack of the Pop Rocks and sprinkle over the top of the icing. And stand back! Place in the fridge or freezer to help the icing firm up - about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and then cut into bars. Enjoy!

Piggy Piggy Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:47:00 +0000

If You're Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band) by Alabama

Today's post originated as I sat in a taco shop while visiting my daughter in Texas a few weeks back. I was in the process of thanking the Lord that I was introducing corn back into my diet and that it was going well - and that I got to enjoy the end results of some really great culinary thinking! A song about Texas was in order. And this just happens to be one of my favorites! And if you're gonna eat in Texas - you gotta really like to eat good food!

My daughter and her family

moved to the Dallas area about a year

and a half ago.

They, in fact, live on the very

southern edge of Plano.

It's a much further commute to see them

than when they lived in the Salt Lake City area.

And, for this reason,

I don't get to see them as often.

(Insert HUGE sad face here.)

The plus side of the situation

is that we're all getting to know

a new part of the country -

well - new to us.

We've visited before,

but only briefly.

Now, the strategy seems to be

that they search and explore

and then, when we come to visit,

they share the best parts of

what they've found.

That's a pretty sweet setup, don't you think?

Of course, me being fairly

interested in all things in the

culinary world,

they scope out some great food places.

Not just restaurants

but amazing markets as well!

This last visit turned into a

burger and taco adventure-

more by happenstance than design.

Nevertheless - I had some

really great meals!!

And one of the best was at a

place called Torchy's Tacos.

They hit all the marks -

creative menu with entertaining

names for the selections,

trendy and fun decor,

helpful staff to patiently

explain things to us

northerners.

I was fairly hungry so I ordered two -

The Rebel Yell and the Crossroads.

The decision was difficult -

only reached by promising myself

that I could and would return

to taste the others.

They were both equally good.

Honey and Spice Pork Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:54:00 +0000

Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
My husband just fell off his chair in shock - I can guarantee that. I can foresee the future! I can already hear the "WHOA!" from the den when he reads this. My children - and grandchildren - across the western United States most likely also issued words of surprise. You see it's a well-known fact in my family that I've never learned to appreciate Tom Petty's music. But my husband is a fan in a very BIG way! And because Father's Day is this weekend and he is an amazing father, I give this recipe and post to him. And all the other men out there who seem to find an emotional connection with this song!

My husband's fierce love of Tom Petty's music

instilled in him the mission to be sure

his grandchildren were fans as well.

He starts young.

Like birth.

His method has worked.

I believe they all love Tom Petty

to differing degrees.

But he struck gold with our

third grandson.

This kid is obsessed - and he's only six years old!

He has known the words to

"Free Fallin'," "Mary Jane's Last Dance,"

and "I Won't Back Down" for

the past couple years.

My husband is super proud

of his accomplishment!

As a matter of fact,

Petty is coming to Seattle

for a concert in August and all

of my Washington family have tickets - including

my 10 and 6 year old grandsons!

I will be shopping!

I have one song that I enjoy

listening to.

My love for Stevie Nicks makes

"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"

a pleasure!

Although giving Tom Petty a spot

in my blog's playlist might be enough

to make my husband happy,

I've also come up with a recipe

to cook up a pork roast that

will make his day as well.

This will actually be a

two-part post.

I'll give you the recipe to cook

up the pork this week.

And, believe me, you're going to want to!

Cook up two while you're at it

and put the leftovers in the freezer

for next week's post.

Just do it.

The spice rub is similar to the one

I posted with my Father's Day Ribs
five years ago but still enough
difference to warrant a new recipe.

I swapped out a few ingredients.
The big difference came when a
thought popped into my head
just before rubbing the roast down.

HONEY

From nowhere I got the idea
to rub the roast down with honey first.
Why not?
I shrugged my shoulders and proceeded to
lather up the meat with about 3 tablespoons
of beautiful dark local honey.
After that I got up close and
personal with that roast while
applying the rub.
I think the honey helped that rub
mix stick really well!

A seven hour appointment
with the crockpot and this guy
just fell apart!
Basically, I reached in and pulled out
the bone and then took my fork and
just stirred. The meat just gave in
and mixed with the juices in the pot.

At this point, the options are endless
as to what you can do with it.
Or simply eat it as is -
by the forkful -
which is what I can't seem to stop doing myself!!
And next week I'll share what
started the whole quest to experiment with a
new shredded pork recipe.
Stay Tuned!

Honey and Spice Pork Roast

Printable Recipe Card

1 2-3 lb pork shoulder roast, bone in

3 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons cumin

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the dry spices and herbs in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Rub the roast all over with the honey. Sprinkle half the spice mix over the roast and rub. Turn the roast over and repeat on the other side with the remaining mix. Be sure to coat the sides of the roast as well. Place in a crock pot and cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Turn to low and cook for another 1 - 2 hours. Remove the bone and, using a fork, stir to shred the meat. Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Basmati Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 24 May 2017 22:07:00 +0000

Midnight At the Oasis by Maria Muldaur
I've traveled quite a bit but never to the Middle East. So in choosing a song for this week's recipe I grabbed at the first song that popped into my mind when I thought "Hmmmm. A song that reminds me of the Middle East....." It was 1974 and I was 14 years old growing up in a busy steel town in northwestern Pennsylvania. And this song was the only information I had regarding what life must be like living as a nomad in the desert. I could picture it - the beautiful oasis surrounded by tall palm trees. It was all imagery overload for an impressionable young teen. My mother pursed her lips whenever it came on the radio so that told me that "kick up a little dust" was probably more than shuffling along the sand dunes really quick. Hahaha! But this song formed my view of life in the Middle East until well into adulthood. Too bad I hadn't known about the spices - that would have completed the picture so nicely!

While in Salt Lake City, Utah

recently, we joined my brother and sister-in-law

for lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant.

I was worried if I'd find something

I could eat within the AIP guidelines.

Luckily there were a few options!

I looked longingly at the bread, though!

Gluten and grains!!!!

I miss you!!!

Sadly, I can't remember what I ordered.

I know it was good.

Apparently not memorable.

But as soon as my husband's plate

came out with the most beautiful

yellow rice on it, I had eyes

for nothing else!

Naturally, I asked if I could have a taste.

Of course, being rice, he said I could

have as much as I wanted!

And it's a good thing because

I WANTED IT ALL!!

I wasn't sure if the yellow was

from saffron or turmeric.

And I thought I tasted cinnamon as well.

I got the server chatting

and she ended up giving me a

brief rundown on the ingredients.

Onions, and garlic.

The yellow was turmeric, not saffron.

She did not think there was

cinnamon in it.

I could see nuts as well.

I remember raisins but that might

just be me adding in what I

thought would have been in there.

All I know is that I needed to

figure out how to make this for myself!

I finally got around to doing

just that last week.

I'd done a little studying to see

which methodology I would use.

I settled on the same way I make

Mexican Rice - where you toast

the rice before you add the liquid.

I also toasted the nuts and spices as well.

Giving heat to the spices releases

their flavor and aroma.

The ingredients in the pan look

absolutely fabulous right before

you add the liquid.

And the bouquet is phenomenal!

I know the addition of the raisins

will alienate the raisin haters out there.

But, if you could just get that

hard and chewy idea out of your mind and

think of plumped up pockets of sweetness

that shoot squirts of honey-like juice

throughout your mouth

instead, maybe you'd give it a try?

If not, leave them out!

Or try pieces of dried apricot?

Whatever!

Just try this rice!

It's super tasty!!

Middle Eastern Basmati Rice

serves 8 - 10
Printable Recipe Card

2 cups Basmati rice

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 - 1 cup golden raisins and/or chopped dried apricots

3 cups water or chicken stock

kosher salt, to taste

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Place the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse well with cold water for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Warm the oil in a large skillet and add the diced onions. Cook over medium high heat until they start to soften - about 5 minutes. Add the rice, almonds, turmeric, and cinnamon and stir to coat with oil. Add extra oil, if needed. Toast the ingredients over medium high heat until it starts to get a little brown on the edges of the almonds. The rice might start to pop. Add the garlic and stir and heat for another minute. Add the raisins and/or dried apricots. Add the water and stir and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook on low for 12 minutes without removing the lid. Don't be tempted to peek! After the 12 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the rice. Add salt to taste. Garnish with the sliced green onions. Enjoy!

Beachy Steak Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 20:57:00 +0000

Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
The recipe I'm sharing today came along at just the right moment - and SAVED me! Yes - saved me! And as it's a fresh-mex beachy kind of dish, who else could I invite to the occasion but The Beach Boys. My oldest daughter was the one who narrowed it down to this particular song of theirs. It is a song of comfort - of soothing. Which is exactly what happened the moment I ate this for the first time - and every time since.

Who knew salad could be

a comfort food?!

I always thought comfort

from food had to include

some sort of velvety

sauce and squishy textured

food that sort of melted

into all the recesses of your mouth.

But apparently not!

So we're over the Rice Krispie

Treat stage - and might I add that

they all turned out fabulous

and were well received!

But through it all,

I have STILL been doing

that AIP diet.

I am in the reintroduction phase

and it's a slow one so I still won't be

having any grains or legumes until June/July.

Still no tomatoes, potatoes,

cheese, or corn.

Some of those are

coming up soon though!

Eating out has been interesting.

I can usually find something

wherever we end up going.

And that something is

usually a salad.

And I have become quite

a salad snob.

It's so disappointing when

I order a salad and I'm

served something that

somebody just shook out of

a plastic bag back in the kitchen.

This kind of salad

MAKES ME SAD!!!

Like I'm being punished.

I can't adorn my salad

with juicy tomatoes yet.

Or dress it up with a

delectable sharp cheese.

Nuts are problematic, I've found.

But can't we make the foundation

of a particular dish the best

it can be?!?!

Well, I found a place that does.

Or at least it tastes like it does.

I went to Costa Vida with my

family a few months ago.

If you haven't been there,

you go down a line similar to a Subway

and you get to choose what you

get in your particular dish.

It's a mexican cuisine

which features fresh ingredients.

So I start out:

I'll have a salad - a LARGE one.

No - neither a corn nor flour tortilla.

Cilantro Lime Rice? No tomatoes? YES PLEASE!!

I'll have grilled steak.

No tomato salsa.

No pinto beans, or black beans.

No cheese of any kind.

No crispy tortilla strips.

At this point the kid

looks back at me as sadly

as I feel I must be looking at

all the "NO" ingredients.

He says he feels bad -

"I gotta give you SOMETHING!"

So I ask if he has some cilantro.

Yes! I can have that!

He offers the mango salsa.

I see tiny bits of tomato

but it's mostly mango -

which is a big YES!

So I ask for that

and call it good.

I pay and head to the table

ready to partake of yet

another sad salad meal.

I stir up the ingredients

and bite into

AMAZING FLAVOR!!

I seriously thought I was

going to cry!

That salsa absolutely

married everything

in that tin plate

into a perfect union!

The rice added some starch

so I didn't miss the tortilla.

The steak gave the salad

a hearty staying power.

The flavors were vibrant.

The lettuce was crunchy!

And I could hear

"Don't worry, baby.

Everything will turn out alright."

If I could eat a salad

like this, I could endure

this long road.

And I've eaten this salad

many, many times.

It makes up fast for me

as I tend to cook up a batch

of rice just to keep on hand.

Turning it into Cilantro Lime Rice

is super easy.

So you're actually going to get

three recipes today -

Pineapple Mango Salsa

(different than the one I

gave with the tilapia post),

Marinated Sirloin Steak,

and

Cilantro Lime Rice.

You're welcome!

Beachy Steak Salad

serves 4

Printable Recipe Card

1 head romaine lettuce, washed, drained, and sliced

2 top sirloin steak filets

1 - 6 oz can of pineapple juice

1 Tablespoon avocado oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pineapple

4 small mangos

1/4 red onion, small dice

1 lime

kosher or sea salt

1 cup cooked rice

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped.

For the steak - pt 1:

Place the pineapple juice, avocado oil, and garlic in a large ziplock baggie. Add the steaks and close the bag, pressing out as much air as you can. Squish around the ingredients and then place in the refrigerator for about 8 - 12 hours to marinate.

For the salsa:

Peel and core the pineapple and chop into small pieces. Peel and core the mango and cut into pieces the same size as the pineapple. Place both in a bowl with the diced red onion and squeeze half the lime over. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

For the rice:

In a small saute pan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the cooked rice and stir to coat. Continue to heat until the rice is heated through. Squeeze the other half of the lime over the rice and season with salt. Stir in a handful of the cilantro. Set aside.

For the steak - pt 2:

Remove steaks from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 30 - 40 minutes. Remove from the marinade and pat dry. Drizzle with avocado oil and season with some salt. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Add the steak and cook until done to preferred doneness, cooking both sides. Remove and let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes, covered with foil. Slice thinly.

To serve the salad you can toss it all together in a bowl and serve immediately

or do it buffet style like they do at Costa Vida. Start with the rice in the bottom,

then the steak, then the lettuce, then the salsa.

Top it off with more cilantro. Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 22:51:00 +0000

Easy by The Commodores
Hahaha! I always get a good laugh when I hear this song! I have a very particular moment attached to it from my teen years. I'm riding in the car on my way to the mall and it comes on the radio. My mom is driving. I'm riding shotgun. I start to sing along, naturally. I loved this song. My mom is listening quietly - or thinking about what she's going to do later, I don't know, she's just quiet. But, she is, in fact, listening to me sing. And suddenly starts chastising me for singing such a song! She was only listening to parts of the words - namely the chorus - where I'm singing "Yeah, I'm easy! Easy like Sunday morning!" She pontificated on my poor judgment to sing a song that would lead young men to believe I was a girl of loose morals! I should know better than that - putting ideas into their heads! Haha! And then when the guttural cry at about 2:47 (my favorite part) takes place - and I do it justice - she is completely exasperated! I cautiously smile and let her know that she needs to hear the whole song and know that I'm not advertising myself at all! To my surprise, she gave up the sermon and let me enjoy the rest of the song - and even smiled herself! Haha! But I share it today because this recipe is soooo easy! Like a Sunday morning! Oooooo!

I think this might be the last of the

Rice Krispie Treat experimenting!

My intention was to do another

flavor combination -

like Coconut Lime -

which would have been awesome!

And even though, by nature,

Rice Krispie Treats are as easy

as it comes,

I wanted something

even EASIER!

What would happen

if I just let the coconut shine

on its own?

As it turns out,

something pretty

spectacular happens!

Toasting coconut

releases the best parts of

the ingredient!

And those toasted bits

of tastiness are scattered

all over with those

rice krispie bits!

I reinforced the flavor

by adding some

Cream of Coconut

to the marshmallow mix

and some coconut flavoring oil

to the melted almond bark on top.

BAM!!

HOME RUN!

The pictures I'm sharing

are of the last lone treat

that survived.

Nobody could stop the nibbling!

So get toasting some coconut

and sing along with Lionel

about how easy life can be!

Ooooo!

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Makes 12

Printable Recipe Card

5 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

1 1/2 cups coconut, divided (I used desiccated coconut)

3 Tablespoons butter

1 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows

pinch of salt

1/2 cup Cream of Coconut

1/2 package of almond bark, melted

1/2 teaspoon of coconut flavoring oil

1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all of the coconut on a cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Place in oven and toast for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring and checking after five minutes and every two minutes after that until done. Remove and let cool.

Prepare pan by greasing with butter. Use a plastic sandwich baggie over your hand to spread it around and save the baggie to use when pressing the finished mixture into the pan.

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the mini marshmallows and stir until melted. Stir in the Cream of Coconut. You can find this product at the grocery store where they serve cocktail ingredients. Sprinkle in the salt. Stir in the cereal and one cup of the toasted coconut. Mix until well blended and the marshmallow mixture is evenly distributed among the cereal and coconut.

Spread mixture out into the prepared pan and use the baggie over your hand to help press it out even. Set aside.

Melt the almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl for one minute, stirring every 20 seconds, until completely melted. Stir in the coconut flavoring oil and the coconut oil. Spread out evenly over the top of the treats and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup toasted coconut. Let cool so bark sets back up. Serve!

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 22:41:00 +0000

No Salt On Her Tail by The Mamas and The Papas
This is a sweet, sweet song from this iconic band of my youth! It's about letting her go - letting her be free. And who is "her"? I guess it could be anybody who is leaving. And I thought this sweet song was fitting for today's post. Even though my "baby girl" left the nest years ago, she is getting married. And that's always a new chapter in a parent's life as well as that of their child's.

This weeks' Rice Krispie treat

took a few turns before it came to

a final stop in this form!

It's all fun experimenting, though!

I found some Salted Caramel

candy melts at the craft store.

Something told me to buy them.

I listened.

And they were the "win"

in this final version.

Let's talk, for a minute,

about any sweet treat

that's been "salted."

It's meant to be an accent -

a very subtle knock on your

palate that whispers

"hello - let me introduce you to caramel or

chocolate."

At times I get a salted sweet

that's more like a jack hammer

shouting "I'm salt,

I'm salt and it's all

about me!"

And that's both

obnoxious and gross.

Salt is meant to enhance

the sweetness - and it

does a fabulous job

if used sparingly.

Now let's talk salt.

Please, oh please, oh

PLEASE do NOT

use table salt for this.

Do a taste test and you'll

find out why soon enough.

Regular table salt is actually

quite bitter.

Sea salt, or kosher salt

is fresh and clean.

That's why it's called for in

so many recipes!

The saltiness is milder -

more mellow.

I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

for this recipe.

You can find it any where that

sells gourmet salts -

perhaps even your own grocer!

But you'll most likely

be able to find a container of

it in a store like Marshall's

or TJ Maxx.

I'm super excited to share these

at the wedding reception!

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

makes 16 rounds

Printable Recipe Card

6 cups (165 g) Rice Krispie cereal

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 10 oz. bag mini marshmallows

1/2 cup caramel sauce (I use this recipe from Serious Eats)

6 oz. salted caramel candy melts (Choco Maker)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, divided

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, crushed or flaked

Prepare a cookie sheet by greasing with butter. Use a baggie on your hand and then save the baggie to use when pressing the treats into the pan later. Set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter and then add the mini marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the caramel sauce until well blended. Add the cereal and stir until well blended. It's a little moist but that's what you want!

Spread out into a sheet tray evenly. It'll be a thin layer but that's ok because we're going to be rolling it up! Use that saved baggie to get a nice smooth top!

Once it's spread out, you'll want to roll it while it's still a little warm. Rub about a teaspoon of butter onto your hands. Start on the long side and simply fold over about one inch.

When you have that initial turn established, it's easy to just keep turning or rolling it up into one long log, lightly squeezing and packing it as you go.

It's still malleable so go ahead and squeeze as tightly as you can and still maintain a round shape. When you're done, slice with a large serrated knife into 16 equal portions. Lay each round, flat side down, back onto the sheet tray. Melt the salted caramel candy melts in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds. When they're all melted, add 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and stir until it's melted, too. Scoop into a pastry bag and squeeze out about 2 Tablespoons of the mix onto the center of each round. Smooth with an offset spatula if you like. Let set. You can put it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the setting process if you like.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the same manner, stirring in the remaining 1 teaspoon coconut oil at the end. Place in a pastry bag and drizzle over the top of the rounds and the set salted caramel center. Before it sets, sprinkle lightly with the sea salt. Let set. Enjoy!

Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 20:43:00 +0000

We're Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes
I LOOOOVE this song! It recalls school days - early school days for me. Not because the song was popular in my elementary days - Jack White wasn't even alive back then! But it's skippy, happy-go-lucky rhythm makes me think of the days when I'd walk over to play at my friends' houses. There were four of us that were good friends - myself, Kathie, Meg, and Julie - and we lived in a teeny tiny little town in Pennsylvania nestled around the Allegheny National Forest. We loved to jump rope, play house, or meet at the playground. This song about friends just floods my mind with memories of those childhood friends. And Rice Krispie Treats are for kids, right? I'm finding out that that may not necessarily be so!

I'm continuing with my

Rice Krispie Treat

experimentation for my

daughter's "wedding cake."

This one isn't too inventive

but I did have to do a few batches to

get the ratio just right.

The first batch was too hard

to bite into.

The reasons were twofold.

Firstly, I melted chocolate chips but

didn't use enough butter

to keep the chocolate soft.

So when they cooled,

the chocolate hardened up

too much, making them difficult

to eat. They were also dry.

Secondly, I cut them too big.

The same size as the Lemon Lavender ones,

but that's just too big of a bite

with the hardened chocolate.

A friend mentioned a different

way to shape these treats

and it got me to thinking that

it would be a pretty display

if they were different shapes.

So I came up with this flat

version for these -

and I'm super happy with them!

I buttered a bread pan

and lined it with a piece of parchment

paper just big enough to give me

some handles to help lift

out the treats when they were cooled.

I sliced them into 12 equal portions,

laid them on a sheet tray

and drizzled away with melted

peanut butter chips and

milk chocolate chips (no added

butter so they would set up again.)

Of course, we needed a sprinkle of

powdered sugar to give them the

true Muddy Buddy look!

It's all about perfect ratios!

And I think I have this one down!

They are so moist!

And decadent!

Truly gonna be one of

my favorite

guilty pleasures!

And it's so quick!!

I'm still on that Autoimmune Protocol

diet so I had to keep my sampling to a

minimum - but these were extremely hard

to resist! I finally had to find

a home for them elsewhere!!!

Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats

makes 12

Printable Recipe Card

6 cups Rice Krispie cereal (165 g)

1 - 10 oz. bag mini marshmallows

1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/4 cup powdered sugar

butter for pan

Prepare your pan by coating it with butter. Use a sandwich baggie as a glove to smear it around. Save the baggie to use to press the mixture into the pan later. I used a bread loaf pan to get the shape in the picture but you can shape them any way you'd like. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 5 Tablespoons of the butter with the peanut butter and 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter and add the mini marshmallows and stir over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted and smooth. Stir the mixture from the saucepan in and mix to combine evenly. Add the Rice Krispie cereal and stir to coat evenly with the mixture.

Place mixture into the prepared pan. Use the already buttery sandwich bag "glove" to press the mixture evenly around the pan. Set aside to cool.

Place the peanut butter chips into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 - 1/2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds until melted. Do the same in another bowl with the milk chocolate chips. Place each in their own pastry bag and snip off the tip. Drizzle over the top in whatever pattern you like. Let the drizzles set up - it helps if you put the treats in a fridge. It speeds it up a bit. Sprinkle over the top with the powdered sugar through a sieve. Dig in!

Lemon Lavender Rice Krispie Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 20:08:00 +0000

Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
Have I ever told you about the time Stevie Nicks and I shared a soul? No? Well, I'll save that for another post. But today I'm sharing a dessert that's scented with lavender. And in my mind the thought connection goes like this - lavender ~ lace ~ romance ~ Leather and Lace by two of my favorite artists of all time. Stevie Nicks is spellbinding when she performs. Don Henley is my favorite Eagle and his voice is balm to my soul. Another thing about Henley - he reminds me a lot of my uncles in his appearance - hairline, eyes - he could be related. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday

but romance is in the air in my

home right now as my

youngest is getting married in a

couple months!

All the preparations!!

Well, neither she nor her fiancé

like frosting and have

chosen to not have the traditional

wedding cake.

So what do they like?

Rice Krispie Treats!

And a walk through Pinterest

has informed me that they

aren't the only ones!

I wasn't too keen on

the idea of just regular ones

so she gave me permission

to try to come up with some

fancy variations.

In fancying up these treats

you need to keep texture in mind

and be sure that you don't

add anything that's going to mess

up its ability to hold a shape.

Or make it mushy.

My plan is to wrap each piece

individually with clear wrap

and label with a pretty label

as to its flavor and then

stack them on tiered stands

for the guests to help themselves.

Fingers crossed!

I have a list of about

eight different flavor combinations

with which I'm going to be experimenting.

The ones that turn out well

will be shared with you here!

And served at the reception!

The Lemon Lavender duo was the first

combo I tried.

The first batch was horrendous and

went straight into the trash.

Waaaaay too floral!

Choke!

Gag!

But I bet I had really lovely breath!

Haha!

I cut back the lavender by more than half

and it was still too floral -

left a bitter finish in the back of

the throat.

Third try was perfection!

I really needed to add some sort of topping

to make it pretty and special

so the melted and flavored almond bark

worked very well.

Whole lavender buds are

completely edible!

You might find some in your natural

foods section at the grocery store.

No sugar free treat this week,

but something very lovely indeed!

Lemon Lavender Rice Krispie Treats

makes 12

Printable Recipe Card

6 cups Rice Krispie cereal (160 g)

3 T. butter

10 oz. mini marshmallows

1 teaspoon lavender flower powder

2 Tablespoons lemon juice powder*

zest of one lemon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

juice from 1/2 lemon (1/4-1/3 cup)

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Topping:

4 sections almond bark

1/4 teaspoon lemon oil

whole lavender buds

Grease a small 6" X 10 1/2" X 2" pan with a small amount of butter and set aside. I like to use a sandwich baggie to do this, putting my hand inside the baggie and picking up the butter and smearing it around. Save the baggie to spread the mixture in the pan. Clean hands!

Measure cereal in to a bowl and add the lavender flower powder. To make a powder I placed some whole buds into a food processor and pureed until reduced to a powder. Add the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice powder and stir to mix. Set aside.

In a large pot, melt the 3 Tablespoons butter over medium heat and then add the marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows have completely melted. Stir in the cereal mixture and mix until thoroughly coated. Scoop mixture into the prepared pan and pat down until even across the top. (Use the buttery baggie left over from greasing the pan.)

Put the lemon juice in a small bowl and start adding the powdered sugar until you get a nice glaze consistency. If it gets too thick, thin with more juice or a little water. Add the melted butter and stir. Pour over the top of the cereal mixture in the pan and spread to coat evenly. The glaze will run down into all the cracks and give the treat a vibrant lemony tang!

Melt the almond bark in a dish in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring after each, being careful to not scorch it. When it's completely smooth, stir in the lemon oil and spread evenly over the top of the treats. Sprinkle with the whole lavender buds while it's still wet.

Let sit until it hardens back up again - or, if you're impatient like me, stick it in the fridge or freezer and it will be set up in a few minutes.

Once the almond bark is set, carefully remove the treats from the pan with a spatula and cut into 12 equal portions. Enjoy!

* - I bought my lemon juice powder from King Arthur Flour.

Roasted Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:28:00 +0000

You Make Me Feel Brand New by The Stylistics
I got desperate today and felt like I just HAD to have a dessert type of food. So I figured I'd give roasting some apples a try - without any sweetener. I was expecting average at best. But folks, I could have cried! These were sooooo good! And soooo easy! And I truly felt new life being breathed into my soul with every bite! I felt brand new! And I felt that maybe I will be able to see this experiment to the end! Sugar Free Roasted Apples - who knew?!?!

There once was a woman who wasn't

allowed to have sugar for awhile.

This made her very sad because

she LOVED dessert.

Every day she went without sugar

she felt much better

but, still, she missed it so much!

One wintry day, she felt like

she just couldn't handle it any more!

Snowy cold days were usually

when she would make something yummy

and sweet in her oven -

warming her home and her tummy

at the same time.

With hope and optimism in her heart

she heated her oven to 375 degrees.

She went to her refrigerator to see

if she could find some inspiration.

She also couldn't eat anything with flour

or butter or eggs so it was a challenge.

She noticed that she had an

abundance of apples in all sorts of

varieties and colors.

She selected five of them

and washed them and peeled them

and cut them into big chunks.

She sprinkled them with a little salt

because she knew that doing

that would bring out the sweetness

already in the apples.

Then she added a bit of cinnamon, too.

Then she went to her pantry to see

what other ingredients she was

allowed to eat that she could add.

She found some coconut oil

and a bottle of vanilla bean paste.

After heating the coconut oil,

she stirred in some of the vanilla

and covered all those apple

slices with it.

The apple slices thanked her!

The woman placed the apples into

a sprayed baking dish and,

with a prayer in her heart that

the lack of sugar would not

hinder the satisfaction she craved,

she put the dish into the oven.

Within minutes her home

was filled with the scent of

apples and cinnamon - much to the joy of

the inhabitants therein!

She peeked now and then and

was pleased to see the transformation

of the apples with tiny bits of

caramelization here and there.

The caramel color told her that

the natural sweetness in the apples

was being made even sweeter.

Her spirits soared!

After 40 minutes she

removed the apples and stirred

them around to coat them with the

drippings in the dish.

She scooped some of the

soft apples into a dish.

"Oh! If I could only have some cream

to go with these beautiful apples!"

she cried.

But then she remembered

how often she had used

coconut milk to fill the need

for cow's milk!

She warmed some coconut

milk and then ladled a few spoonfuls

over the steaming apples.

She raised a spoon of the

scented fruit to her lips

and tasted her creation.

She made a loud

"MMMMM!"

and then exclaimed

"Oh my goodness!!"

and all those around

became desirous to taste

the apples, too.

And she shared.

She felt like a new woman!

She was filled with hope

and with a new determination

that - if she could have

something that tasted THIS GOOD

and still be within the confines

of her diet - she would be able to

be completely satisfied!!

Her apples were good!

They were very, very good!

Fit for a queen, even!

With triumph in her voice

she exclaimed,

"Who needs sugar!!"

"Not I," said the woman.

"Not I," said her grandchildren.

"Not I," said her daughter.

"Not I," said her husband.

And the woman happily dreamt of the next day

when she would roast more apples.

Roasted Apples

serves 5

Printable Recipe Card

5 - 6 apples

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or

beans from half of one vanilla pod

1/2 cup coconut milk, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and core the apples and cut into large chunks.

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place apple chunks in it.

Sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Melt the coconut oil and then stir in the vanilla. Pour over apples and stir to coat evenly.

Place in heated oven and roast for 40 minutes or til starting to brown on edges.

Remove and serve with cream or coconut milk.

Mini Lamb Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 21:08:00 +0000

Hold On by Wilson Phillips

This has been my mantra for 31 days now. My post will explain further. But I've been doing something very difficult - for me - with hopeful promise of better days ahead. And at the end of each day I congratulate myself for making it one more day - and send myself encouraging thoughts to just hold on for yet one more day. Day by day. That's how you do hard things.

Right after my last post I went to an

appointment with my endocrinologist.

I've had concerns with the growing number of

autoimmune issues I've been having.

She had some encouraging words for me

and gave me some homework.

First, to read a book about the root causes of

autoimmune diseases.

Second, to check out something called the

AIP diet - which stands for Autoimmune Protocol.

The book was very clinical and difficult for me

to get through but I pressed forward

and learned about some hopeful new thoughts

about my situation.

Then I checked out the diet.

This isn't a diet to lose weight -

with which I am very familiar!

This is a diet designed to heal your gut.

It's not meant to be a lifetime way of eating.

It's diagnostic to see what foods

could be making your body ill

and attack itself.

You begin by eliminating a vast amount

of food from your diet by either a weaning process

or by cold turkey - your choice.

Then you go through a 30 day elimination

phase without these foods - designed to

give your gut time to settle down and heal.

Then you begin reintroducing foods back

in a slow and methodical manner.

There are a few differing opinions in

the AIP diet community as to which

foods are OK to eat and which are not.

But the majority of the foods are agreed upon.

It took me a good long week to

rumble with myself as to how would be

best to approach this huge undertaking.

I chose to start cold turkey because

I wanted to start getting results faster.

Cold turkey - even though we had a two week

vacation the first part of January!

Was I nuts?!?!?!

Probably - but we are ALWAYS traveling

and trying to find a long stretch of time

where I'd be home just wasn't feasible.

So, January 1, I started.

My list of NO foods are as follows:

Grains

Dairy

Legumes

Soy

Nuts

Seeds

Eggs

Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)

Shellfish

Canola, sesame, sunflower, flaxseed oils

Sugar

Chocolate (let's pause for the impact with this one!)

The YES foods:

Meats

Poultry

Fish

Fruits

All vegetables that aren't nightshades

Coconut, olive, avocado oils

Animal fats

And I allowed myself Rice

Scary right?

I eat simply now.

And the results?

I feel better than I ever have!

I am beginning to think I've never known

what it's like to not feel bloated and gassy.

It's a beautiful feeling!

Weight loss has been a pleasant

side effect for me.

Today I start to reintroduce.

I've made up a calendar for when I get to

say hello to all the foods I've eliminated.

Shellfish is my first one.

March 15 is chocolate.

I'm LIVING for March 15!

One of my YES foods is lamb.

I haven't cooked much with lamb

but, when your choices are limited, you

expand your horizons, right?

I came up with this recipe and am

really happy how it turned out!

I thought I'd share it in case others out there

might be looking for foods within

the protocol.

Or even if you just wanted to

try lamb and were afraid to try!

I made them mini for my grandkids

(who, incidentally, ate them up!)

but you could turn it into a loaf or larger meatballs!

Mini Lamb Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

serves 4

Printable Recipe

For meatballs:

1 lb. ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Shape into mini meatballs and place in a mini-muffin tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

While meatballs are baking make the Mushroom Sauce.

Mushroom Sauce:

8 oz. of mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used light)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with the oil. Sprinkle with the salt and cook until they start to get a dark golden brown. Stir in the chicken stock and cook until it reduces by half. Remove pan from heat and stir in the coconut milk. Return to heat and continue to cook it down until it reduces by half. Remove cooked meatballs from the oven and toss into the pan with the mushroom sauce and stir to coat. Serve while hot.

Almond Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 21:52:00 +0000

What Strangers Are These by Will Ackerman (featuring David Cullen)
I chose this song simply because it was what was playing in the kitchen while I made this delicious Almond Butter - and it just felt so perfect. The atmosphere in my kitchen was cozy and the mood was that of a simple life - which is nice to feel at a time of the year that can feel anything but simple! Guitar music is the ultimate feeling of peace for me - and I could just close my eyes and imagine that my Dad was sitting there with me. Please do yourself a favor and click on the link and spend a few minutes in YouTube land with this beautiful guitar duet that oozes comfort and peace. Oh - while enjoying some delicious Almond Butter on toast - or apples - or celery - or on a spoon even!

I was making a recipe a while back and it

called for some almond butter.

I didn't have any in the house.

Nor did I have much confidence that

our local grocery store would have it either.

I did, however, have almonds.

Lots of them.

How difficult could it be to make your own?

It didn't take much research on the internet

to find out that it was anything but difficult!

It's actually one of the simplest

things in the world!

Provided you have a food processor, that is!

And I do!

I read about needing to have a processor

with a big enough motor to handle

the length of time you'd need to be

running the motor.

Some of the instructions called for toasting,

and some didn't.

But if I'm faced with the option of

"to toast or not to toast"

I'm gonna be toasting!

And by doing this I stumbled onto something!

By putting the almonds into the processor

while still warm or hot,

it reduces the time required

to turn those nuts into butter!

Mine was done in less than 9 minutes!

The only other ingredient you need

is kosher salt -

and the amount is completely up to you!

It's also up to you just how chunky or

smooth you want to take it!

This makes a great gift and stores beautifully

in the refrigerator - and doesn't get too thick

so it's impossible to spread.

It stays nice and creamy!

If I don't happen to have the whole almonds

I have been known to use sliced or slivered as well!

Try it!

Almond Butter

makes 1 1/2 cups

Printable Recipe Card

3 cups whole raw almonds

1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a sheet tray and roast for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the warm roasted almonds into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal "S" blade.

Turn on the food processor and process a minute or two. You'll see the almonds start to climb the walls of the bowl.

Remove the lid and, using a spatula, scrape those almonds back down into the bowl! I'd probably be trying to make a run for it if I were an almond in there, too! Turn the processor back on and over the next several minutes you'll watch the nuts go through a transformation as these pictures show -

They'll become a big mass.

And then -

that mass will start to crumble back down.

And then, suddenly, it will start to resemble butter.

And you can stop here, if you like. It will be a

thicker product, is all.

Or you can do what I do and process it a bit more for

satiny smooth butter.

If only you could smell what I got to smell when I took these photos!

Oh my goodness!!

I like mine so that it actually can be poured.

When you've got your butter to the consistency you like, taste and add salt to your liking. I'd start with a teaspoon. Now you're ready to enjoy!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 19:20:00 +0000

Smooth by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
Were you hoping for a Christmas song to go along with this December post? I normally would but there is absolutely no other song that can go with today's recipe than this one. And the reason is this - Alfredo Sauce is THE SEXIEST SAUCE ON THE PLANET!! Italian fare has long been considered the substance of romantic dinners and, within Italian cuisine, this sauce is the most popular. Rarely do I run into someone who prefers the red over the white. And I happen to think this song is one of the sexiest songs on the planet! I mean, there's Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. And Suzanne, written by the late great Leonard Cohen and performed beautifully by Neil Diamond. And If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot. These are all top contenders in my book. But Smooth is perfect for the creamy nature of this incredibly easy sauce. So get your dancing feet ready - because you just won't be able to stop yourself! And, as the video in the link above shows, it's the kind of song that gets under your skin and makes you want to run out and dance around in your underwear! My neighbors should take that as a warning. LOL

One of the more revelatory moments

when I teach my cooking classes

comes on the class we cover pasta sauces -

specifically this Alfredo Sauce.

The students are always amazed at how

easy and quick it is to make -

rivaling the pathetic packets they

are used to buying at the grocery store.

Furthermore, I've had students who

claim that their husband won't eat Alfredo

Sauce - only to hear the next week

that the alfredo-hating spouse

had eaten an entire pan of pasta

made with their freshly made Alfredo!

Making your own Alfredo

deserves a try, folks.

There is no comparison between the

packets and homemade.

And it is super quick as well!

Consider it a gift in this hectic holiday season.

It's basically a cream reduction

with flavorings and very few ingredients!

And before you start gasping at

the word "cream," I beg you to

consider that you don't

need much - and it's being shared between

a group - unless you happen

to have one of those alfredo-hating husbands

who will end up eating the whole pan!

And this need not only be served

over pasta! Vegetables are elevated

to royal status when covered with it.

And just stop and ponder, for a moment,

the pleasure of dipping a hunk of bread!

Sigh!

So let's get started!

Alfredo Sauce

serves 4

Printable Recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup white wine, optional

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Start by heating the oil in a medium size saute pan over low heat. You don't want to burn or even brown the garlic - all we are doing is warming it.

After the oil is warmed, add the garlic and stir to coat with the warm oil.

Gently heat for a minute. Next, add the white wine.

Adding the wine is optional, but the comment I hear most is that no matter what they do, people just can't seem to replicate that flavor they get in the restaurants. If they aren't using wine, that's probably why. It's going to cook down until it is almost completely evaporated. But if you aren't comfortable cooking with wine, then skip this step. After you add the wine, you can increase the heat to medium and cook until it almost disappears. After the wine, you will slowly pour the cream in.

I usually drizzle it down the side of the pan into the remainder of the oil and wine and garlic contents. I give it a stir or swirl the pan. You'll see small bubbles begin to form. At this point, increase the heat to medium high if you want to speed up the process a bit. You will see the bubbles go through a transformation as these pictures will show:

At this point I like to add a few tablespoons of pasta water if I'm going to use it over pasta.

That's optional, though.

Now you will add the cheese and stir to distribute it. Then you are free to add the cooked pasta to your pan and stir to fill all the crevices of that pasta! Taste and season, if necessary. Usually it's not.

I promise that each one of those penne tubes are going to ooze this fabulous sauce with each bite!

This whole process takes 10 minutes or less.

Waldorf Rice Pilaf

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:13:00 +0000

Take A Chance On Me by ABBA
Amid all the craziness which has taken me away from home for the past month, I'm fortunate to have some awesome friends that keep me centered. My friend had me over to her place yesterday so we could do some cooking together. Before we got started she asked if we could listen to some music. Of course!! Then she kind of timidly says she has been on an ABBA kick lately and what did I think of that. I LOVE ABBA! And I share this happy news with her! And we, once again, get confirmation as to why we're friends! Shortly after, my sister-in-law shows up and she's singing and humming along, too! I'm thinking we're a very clever group of women and I'm choosing this song of theirs because we have been talking about taking chances on some things. Read on -

Recently my friend and I met for lunch at our favorite

Thai restaurant as I was buzzing up

through her town on my way

back to my home in Washington.

As we caught up on the latest,

we got talking about health issues and

she informed me that she was trying to

start eating a vegetarian diet.

I, too, had considered doing this

off and on over the years.

The more we talked the more it

felt like this was something

I could and should try.

To a point.

I can't abide the idea that I would never ever have

shrimp again in my life.

That would not do.

But I remember listening to a TED talk

by Graham Hill about being a

weekday vegetarian.

I watched it again and I

decided that I would start weaning

myself off of so much meat.

I think I made it 3 days the first week.

Mostly because meat is such an

ingrained part of my diet.

I would be choosing it because

it was the knee jerk reaction

for me to do so.

And suddenly, with my mouth full of

a ham and cheese sub or a cheeseburger,

I'd remember my decision

and my shoulders would drop

and I'd plant my palm on my forehead.

Well - tomorrow I'll do better!

Choosing to go meatless

takes a very conscious effort

and planning ahead.

I'm up to about 4 days a week

of being a vegetarian.

Little steps.

When I was back down by my friend's

again, I suggested we get

together and make a vegetarian recipe.

Something that we could perhaps

use on the Thanksgiving table.

I set about thinking up a recipe

and used the traditional feast

dishes for inspiration.

I love Waldorf Salad.

But I wanted something more

savory than sweet.

So I quite simply

took the ingredients and added

some onions and fresh rosemary

and turned it into a rice pilaf dish.

And we all agreed it was quite good!

This is a dish I could serve with meat

for those who wanted it

and be completely happy with this

as a main dish for myself.

The quest is on, folks!

Enjoy!

Waldorf Rice Pilaf

serves 4 - 6

Printable Recipe Card

1 cup rice

2 apples, we preferred the honey crisp

1/4 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. golden raisins

1 c. apple cider

1 orange

1 stem rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice - you can use my instructions here using 1 1/2 cups of water.

Heat the apple cider in a saucepan and remove from heat. Add the raisins and let them soak for 15 minutes to plump them up.

Chop the apples, leaving the skins on. I cut them in a large dice so the warmth of the dish doesn't cook them. I want that crunch of the apple. To keep them from going brown, I squeeze the juice of an orange over them and toss. Set aside.

Remove the raisins from the cider and set aside. Place the saucepan with the remaining cider back over high heat and boil to reduce it to about 1/4 cup. You can also add the extra orange juice from the apples, if you like.

While the cider is reducing, toast the walnut pieces in a skillet over medium heat. When done, remove to a plate, wipe out the skillet and add the olive oil and heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. We're just looking to soften them up a bit.

When the rice is done, toss it in the skillet with the onions and celery and toss to coat. Add the toasted walnuts. Add half of the finely chopped fresh rosemary and the plumped raisins. Add the reduced cider. Heat until just warm, if necessary. Before serving, add the chopped apples and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the remainder of the fresh rosemary. And I'll tell you, we all felt the fresh rosemary was what made the dish special!

Spiced Acorn Squash Rings

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:57:00 +0000

Beautiful Monster by Ne-Yo

Today's post is about a plant that I was convinced was a creepy, crawly, life-threatening monster - until it revealed itself to be something quite beautiful and tasty! The guys in the white suits that literally pop into the scene behind Ne-Yo in this music video are just how I perceived this plant to grow and inch toward me while my back was turned. This is very spooky and Halloweenish activity, folks. Read on - if you dare!

Several years ago

I started a garden space using the

"lasagna gardening" method.

I didn't have access to a tiller to

"dig up" a garden in the traditional

manner I was used to.

This new method was circulating through

my area with great interest at the time

so I decided to give it a whirl.

And it worked!

And I loved it!

As my various seeds grew and

prospered in abundance, I noticed

one plant in particular that was

growing at warp speed.

It seemed to grow even while I

stood and watched!

The only problem was,

it wasn't anything I had planted!

It was rogue!!

I could tell it belonged in the cucumber

or squash or pumpkin family.

But it wasn't a variety of any

of those that I had planted.

And it seemed to be much happier

with the new garden setting than

anything else.

When I would go out to tend my garden

I would conjure up images of

the scary movies I watched as a kid

where plants, such as this one,

would attack people from behind

and devour them!

Believe me, after this plant had literally

overtaken most of my garden space and

started it's tendrils towards the neighbor's,

I didn't dare turn my back on it!

For the longest time

this plant annoyed me.

I didn't have the heart to pull

it out, though, until I knew what it was!

Eventually it got some blossoms

and I waited anxiously to

see what those blooms would yield!

Oh, happy day, when

I saw that a bounty of acorn squash

would be visiting my harvest

basket that year!

Now I didn't mind it's uninvited

intrusion at all!

Now it was beautiful!

Acorn squash are so simple to fix,

and apparently, very simple to grow!

To me they are the quintessential

fall squash as we ate them

so often as I was growing up.

Usually I just cut them in half,

scoop out the seeds, and bake.

But today I wanted to show

you how you can slice them

and make them "pretty."

They also cook faster since

they are cut smaller!

Always a bonus!

Spiced Acorn Squash Rings

Serves 6

Printable Recipe Card

1 large acorn squash

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoon five-spice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a sheet tray with cooking spray or use your oil mister. Set aside.

Lay the acorn squash on it's side on a cutting board.

Slice an inch off the pointy bottom part and an inch off the stem top part. Then slice the remaining squash into 6 rings anywhere from 1/2" to 1" thick. Using a small biscuit cutter or a paring knife, trim the seeds from the center of each slice.

Place each side, cut side down, onto the prepared sheet tray and spray or drizzle the olive oil over the tops.

Mix together the salt, five-spice, and pepper in a small bowl and then sprinkle over the top of the slices.

If you don't have the five-spice on hand you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. This is not five-spice, but it'll give you a sweet and smoky flavor combination.

Bake for 20 minutes and then turn and sprinkle with more of the spice mix. Then bake for another 15 minutes, until golden and the squash flesh is soft when pierced with a fork. Serve warm and enjoy!