It already has. See egg prices.
I've been trying to eat more beans and legumes, but thanks to my EPI it's been next to impossible since I can't digest legumes well. Tofu looks to be a good source of protein, but not iron. Any vegetarians out there that can't eat legumes? I'm interested to hear about it. Comment and let me know!
As for my sourdough adventure, I finally have a fool proof perfect loaf consistently. Making the starter is easy, and so is getting an insanely high oven rise. I bought a digital scale, and got a great recipe that I altered to accomodate my flour and my kitchen, it wasn't hard. If you're struggling with your loaves being flat, cut back on the water, don't let it proof for more than two hours, and preheat your pan and lid for a half hour at 500. Put one ice cube under your parchment paper when you put your dough in to bake, cover and follow the recipe. I've been leaving the temp at 500 for ten minutes, then turning it down, since opening my oven door releases so much heat. Twenty minutes after first putting the loaves in, I remove the lids. I get even more rise after that, my last loaf was almost pointy. I'm using a banneton and for my second loaf I use an oil smeared bowl to let the loaves rise in. Both are very tasty.
I recently learned that sourdough is a great choice for diabetics since the way the natural yeast that cause it to rise eat the sugars in the wheat and make those lovely CO2 bubbles in the finished bread is very, very different from using yeast in the way most bread is made. Adding sugar to feed added yeast for a fast rise leaves all the wheat basically undigested by the yeast, where as is sourdough, the yeast has nothing else to eat except the wheat (flour). So the finished sourdough has so much less sugars in it and is a better choice for diabetics looking to watch their glycemic index. Amazing! I love chemistry and science! Happy eating!
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Sourdough Starter, part 1
While shopping at Eastern Market, I came across a new vendor, a baker, who was selling sourdough bread. Since it had only three ingredients, flour, water, and sugar, all GMO free, I bought it. It was delicous, and motivated me to finally get a sourdough "starter" started. A starter is basically a simple mix of flour, water, and yeast that's left to sit out and ferment (yeast ferments, like for beer), which is how the classic sourdough bread gets its unique flavor.
I opened up my Joy of Cooking, read about it, and followed the basic recipe, water, flour and yeast mixed in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon, then I loosely covered it with cheesecloth, since it needs to "breathe" and isn't supposed to be covered. It took less than five minutes, and I just set the bowl off to the side where I could mostly ignore it until it was time to stir it the next day.
I waited about 24 hours, and stirred it, then covered it up with the cheesecloth again. I waited about another 24 hours, and my better half did the stirring this time. I didn't know he'd stirred in the "hooch" (a greyish liquid that formed on top) until the next day, when I decided to stir in the hooch, too. Then I separated it by splitting it in half into two bowls, using measuring cups, one cup into each bowl, and "fed" it by adding more water and flour since the hooch meant that the yeast was hungry for more flour to eat. I'm waiting to see how it looks tomorrow, and if there is more hooch, I'm going to pour it off before I add more flour and water. This is my first time making a sourdough starter, so far, it's much easier than I had imagined.
I opened up my Joy of Cooking, read about it, and followed the basic recipe, water, flour and yeast mixed in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon, then I loosely covered it with cheesecloth, since it needs to "breathe" and isn't supposed to be covered. It took less than five minutes, and I just set the bowl off to the side where I could mostly ignore it until it was time to stir it the next day.
I waited about 24 hours, and stirred it, then covered it up with the cheesecloth again. I waited about another 24 hours, and my better half did the stirring this time. I didn't know he'd stirred in the "hooch" (a greyish liquid that formed on top) until the next day, when I decided to stir in the hooch, too. Then I separated it by splitting it in half into two bowls, using measuring cups, one cup into each bowl, and "fed" it by adding more water and flour since the hooch meant that the yeast was hungry for more flour to eat. I'm waiting to see how it looks tomorrow, and if there is more hooch, I'm going to pour it off before I add more flour and water. This is my first time making a sourdough starter, so far, it's much easier than I had imagined.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Breakfast salsa with scrambled eggs
Sometimes I feel like something other than the usual scrambled eggs, or eggs and cheese, so I made a delicious and fast salsa. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Ingredients:
three tomatoes, plum or beefsteak, I used plum, diced
half an onion, diced
jalepenos, seeds and pith removed, diced finely
rice wine vinegar
slice fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
freshly made scrambled eggs (three eggs, beaten, cooked on low while stirred in a preheated frying pan)
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, toss. Serve over scrambled eggs.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
three tomatoes, plum or beefsteak, I used plum, diced
half an onion, diced
jalepenos, seeds and pith removed, diced finely
rice wine vinegar
slice fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
freshly made scrambled eggs (three eggs, beaten, cooked on low while stirred in a preheated frying pan)
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, toss. Serve over scrambled eggs.
Enjoy!
Beets with goat cheese, and steamed beet greens.
Beets are easy to grow, and high in iron. Their greens are edible too.
Beets and goat cheese
Ingredients:
beets, at least three
coconut oil
salt
pepper
goat cheese
Steaned beet greens
Ingredients:
beet greens, trimmed of stems
sliced onion
diced clove of garlic
salt
pepper
bacon fat or peanut oil
Wash your beets, cut the tops and bottoms off, and peel them with a paring knife or peeler. Slice into 1/4 inch slices (give or take, it's not critical to be exact). Toss beet slices with a tablespoon of coconut oil and either grill, or saute over low heat in a frying pan until tender, may take about 20 minutes. While they cook, place beet greens, onion, garlic and oil or fat in a preheated on low frying pan. Cover and let steam, stirring occasionally while the beets cook until tender in your other pan (or on the grill).
When the beet slices are tender, remove from pan, place in serving dish, and spoon some goat cheese (1 tsp or as much as you like) on top, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
About the same time your beet greens should also be done, the onions will be soft. Place steamed greens in serving dish, salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Beets and goat cheese
Ingredients:
beets, at least three
coconut oil
salt
pepper
goat cheese
Steaned beet greens
Ingredients:
beet greens, trimmed of stems
sliced onion
diced clove of garlic
salt
pepper
bacon fat or peanut oil
Wash your beets, cut the tops and bottoms off, and peel them with a paring knife or peeler. Slice into 1/4 inch slices (give or take, it's not critical to be exact). Toss beet slices with a tablespoon of coconut oil and either grill, or saute over low heat in a frying pan until tender, may take about 20 minutes. While they cook, place beet greens, onion, garlic and oil or fat in a preheated on low frying pan. Cover and let steam, stirring occasionally while the beets cook until tender in your other pan (or on the grill).
When the beet slices are tender, remove from pan, place in serving dish, and spoon some goat cheese (1 tsp or as much as you like) on top, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
About the same time your beet greens should also be done, the onions will be soft. Place steamed greens in serving dish, salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Apples with Brie and Brown sugar
One of my favorite fast and easy to make treats!
Ingredients:
four apples, any kind
Tablespoon butter
Tablespoon brown sugar
2 oz brie cheese
Peel and slice apples, place in baking dish. Cut butter into four smaller pieces and place on top of apples. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Brie is soft and doesn't slice well, so do your best to put it evenly over the top of the apples so when it melts it covers the tops. Place in oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for ten minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
four apples, any kind
Tablespoon butter
Tablespoon brown sugar
2 oz brie cheese
Peel and slice apples, place in baking dish. Cut butter into four smaller pieces and place on top of apples. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Brie is soft and doesn't slice well, so do your best to put it evenly over the top of the apples so when it melts it covers the tops. Place in oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for ten minutes. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Tonight's dinner utilizes my bumper crop of zucchini. This time of year, someone always has some, and wants to give them away. Find that person and become their friend! This recipe serves one person; for more than one, increase the pasta and zucchini proportionately.
Zucchini pasta:
One half zucchini, any size
one serving size pasta, any type
two garlic cloves, or 1/4 tsp powdered or granulated
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS olive oil or butter
Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese to taste, I like an ounce or more of it, 1/4 cup grated, give or take.
Put a pot of water on to boil your pasta in, and while you're waiting for it to come to a boil, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut it into 1/8" or so thin strips, trying to keep them stacked as you cut so you can flip it and cut it again making long thin pieces similar to spaghetti. Set aside. Mince the garlic. Put the oil in a skillet on low heat, and when it's warm, usually a minute or less, add the garlic. Give it a slight stir for a few seconds, then add the zucchini. Stir it to coat, add a 1/4 cup of water, and let it simmer for about five minutes, until it's tender crisp, you don't want to overcook it, leave it a bit firm, but tender. By this point the pot of water you put on should be at a boil, and if it is, add the pasta and cook it, about eight minutes. I like mine al dente. Cook yours how you like it. Drain the pasta once it's cooked, put it in a serving bowl or back in the pan you just drained, and add the zucchini mix. Add the parmesan cheese, or asiago if you like that better, and stir. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Zucchini pasta:
One half zucchini, any size
one serving size pasta, any type
two garlic cloves, or 1/4 tsp powdered or granulated
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS olive oil or butter
Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese to taste, I like an ounce or more of it, 1/4 cup grated, give or take.
Put a pot of water on to boil your pasta in, and while you're waiting for it to come to a boil, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut it into 1/8" or so thin strips, trying to keep them stacked as you cut so you can flip it and cut it again making long thin pieces similar to spaghetti. Set aside. Mince the garlic. Put the oil in a skillet on low heat, and when it's warm, usually a minute or less, add the garlic. Give it a slight stir for a few seconds, then add the zucchini. Stir it to coat, add a 1/4 cup of water, and let it simmer for about five minutes, until it's tender crisp, you don't want to overcook it, leave it a bit firm, but tender. By this point the pot of water you put on should be at a boil, and if it is, add the pasta and cook it, about eight minutes. I like mine al dente. Cook yours how you like it. Drain the pasta once it's cooked, put it in a serving bowl or back in the pan you just drained, and add the zucchini mix. Add the parmesan cheese, or asiago if you like that better, and stir. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
I usually just boil my sprouts and cover them with butter and lemon juice, but I thought I'd try something differen: roasted ones.
You'll need:
Brussel Sprouts (enough for two servings or however many you want, it really doesn't matter how much)
Salt (to taste, I like half a teaspoon, nice and salty!)
Pepper (1/8 teaspoon or however much you like)
Juice of one lemon
1 TBS butter or olive oil (or any other kind of oil/fat you prefer)
Wash and trim the brussel sprouts, then put them in an oven safe dish for baking, I used my cast iron skillet. Add salt, pepper, and butter, put it all in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for about five minutes, then give it a good stir to coat the sprouts well. Bake for about 20-25 more minutes until the sprouts start to get a bit crispy and are cooked, put a fork in one to see if it's tender crisp if you're not sure.
Enjoy!
You'll need:
Brussel Sprouts (enough for two servings or however many you want, it really doesn't matter how much)
Salt (to taste, I like half a teaspoon, nice and salty!)
Pepper (1/8 teaspoon or however much you like)
Juice of one lemon
1 TBS butter or olive oil (or any other kind of oil/fat you prefer)
Wash and trim the brussel sprouts, then put them in an oven safe dish for baking, I used my cast iron skillet. Add salt, pepper, and butter, put it all in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for about five minutes, then give it a good stir to coat the sprouts well. Bake for about 20-25 more minutes until the sprouts start to get a bit crispy and are cooked, put a fork in one to see if it's tender crisp if you're not sure.
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Easter Dinner
Stuffed Chicken
Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffed Chicken:
One whole roasting chicken
1/2 loaf of bread for stuffing, cut into cubes (see bread recipe below)
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 tsp sage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cranberries
Mix the bread cubes, water, butter, cranberries and spices in a bowl, then stuff into chicken's cavity.
Put in pan, or on a cookie sheet, it doesn't matter in an oven at 350 for an hour and a half or two, depending on the size of your bird, and yes, use a meat thermometer!!! It must be 180 degrees Farenheit to be safely cooked to eat. Put the meat thermometer into where the stuffing is, and I also check the temperature by the thigh bone, too.
This takes about 10 minutes at most to prepare, there's really no excuse not to cook at home from scratch!
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BREAD:
2 tsp yeast
2 TBS sugar
1 cup warm water/room temperature
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 TBS butter or olive oil
I confess, I use a bread machine to do my mixing, but since bread rises at it's own mystifying rate, I don't let the machine cook it for me, I just let it do the mixing. Once it's mixed (about an hour, go watch half a movie while you wait), I take it out and put it into a well greased bread pan, throw a wet washcloth over it and kill another hour taking a nap, painting my nails, whatever, right? When it's twice the size you started with, bake it for about 25 minutes on 350 F. You can smell it when it's done, usually right before your timer goes off, and it'll have a nice golden top to it. Stick a butter knife in it, it should come out "clean" with no gooey dough sticking to it. mmmm, fresh bread.
It takes about 5 minutes to put the ingredients into a bread maching bucket. yeah. That's it. and it's WAYYY cheaper and tastier than store bought bread. You're welcome.
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BROCCOLI WITH CHEESE SAUCE:
One bunch/head of broccoli
1 block of cheddar cheese, grated or cubed. yes, you can actually grate your own cheese. Think of it as excercise!
2 TBS flour
2 cups milk
2 TBS butter
1 tsp salt
I cut the stems off the broccoli bunch (before I even take off the rubber band if it's store bought) then put them cut stem side down in a steamer basket over some water. Turn it on low, go have a 20 minute phone call, or better yet, make the cheese sauce).
That took what, all of one minute? Not even!
Cheese sauce:
It's a basic white sauce with melted cheese in it. Put 2 TBS butter in a pan on the lowest heat setting, let it melt, then add the flour and mash it together. Now very, very slowly, add the milk while you're mixing it all together. I use a tiny wire whip and sort of mash it together as I stir CONSTANTLY at this point. Once the milk is in, turn up the heat and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly or you'll get lumps. Add your cheese, and stir while it melts. oh, nom!
Pour over your broccoli in a nice serving bowl.
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MASHED POTATOES:
ok, if any of you have used the boxed kind, please, never, everrrrrrr do it again, promise? this is SO easy!
Potatoes, how many is up to you, I usually do three - five.
1/2 cup of butter (or bacon fat if you've got it)
1 cup milk if you have it, or water if you don't (enough to get the potatoes nice and mashed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
(diced onions optional)
Cut up any kind of potatoes, one, two, five, whatever, however many you want to eat, ok? put them in a pan with water to cover them. Bring to a boil. Yup. Boil that water! You can do this, and I do it at the same time as the broccoli is cooking, they take about the same amount of time, and boiling water could not be less work, really. About 20 minutes or so, stick a fork into a potato chunck, it should slide in easily, if not, boil them more. Try again in five or ten minutes and when they're soft, drain them in a strainer, and put them back in the same pan you boiled them in, toss in your butter, salt, pepper and anything else you want in there (like bits of bacon?). Use a potato masher to mash them up. They SHOULD have lumps, and it takes about two minutes.
Prep time: two minutes
mash time: two minutes
Entire time spent on potatoes: about five minutes.
Enjoy!
Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffed Chicken:
One whole roasting chicken
1/2 loaf of bread for stuffing, cut into cubes (see bread recipe below)
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 tsp sage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cranberries
Mix the bread cubes, water, butter, cranberries and spices in a bowl, then stuff into chicken's cavity.
Put in pan, or on a cookie sheet, it doesn't matter in an oven at 350 for an hour and a half or two, depending on the size of your bird, and yes, use a meat thermometer!!! It must be 180 degrees Farenheit to be safely cooked to eat. Put the meat thermometer into where the stuffing is, and I also check the temperature by the thigh bone, too.
This takes about 10 minutes at most to prepare, there's really no excuse not to cook at home from scratch!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BREAD:
2 tsp yeast
2 TBS sugar
1 cup warm water/room temperature
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 TBS butter or olive oil
I confess, I use a bread machine to do my mixing, but since bread rises at it's own mystifying rate, I don't let the machine cook it for me, I just let it do the mixing. Once it's mixed (about an hour, go watch half a movie while you wait), I take it out and put it into a well greased bread pan, throw a wet washcloth over it and kill another hour taking a nap, painting my nails, whatever, right? When it's twice the size you started with, bake it for about 25 minutes on 350 F. You can smell it when it's done, usually right before your timer goes off, and it'll have a nice golden top to it. Stick a butter knife in it, it should come out "clean" with no gooey dough sticking to it. mmmm, fresh bread.
It takes about 5 minutes to put the ingredients into a bread maching bucket. yeah. That's it. and it's WAYYY cheaper and tastier than store bought bread. You're welcome.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BROCCOLI WITH CHEESE SAUCE:
One bunch/head of broccoli
1 block of cheddar cheese, grated or cubed. yes, you can actually grate your own cheese. Think of it as excercise!
2 TBS flour
2 cups milk
2 TBS butter
1 tsp salt
I cut the stems off the broccoli bunch (before I even take off the rubber band if it's store bought) then put them cut stem side down in a steamer basket over some water. Turn it on low, go have a 20 minute phone call, or better yet, make the cheese sauce).
That took what, all of one minute? Not even!
Cheese sauce:
It's a basic white sauce with melted cheese in it. Put 2 TBS butter in a pan on the lowest heat setting, let it melt, then add the flour and mash it together. Now very, very slowly, add the milk while you're mixing it all together. I use a tiny wire whip and sort of mash it together as I stir CONSTANTLY at this point. Once the milk is in, turn up the heat and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly or you'll get lumps. Add your cheese, and stir while it melts. oh, nom!
Pour over your broccoli in a nice serving bowl.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
MASHED POTATOES:
ok, if any of you have used the boxed kind, please, never, everrrrrrr do it again, promise? this is SO easy!
Potatoes, how many is up to you, I usually do three - five.
1/2 cup of butter (or bacon fat if you've got it)
1 cup milk if you have it, or water if you don't (enough to get the potatoes nice and mashed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
(diced onions optional)
Cut up any kind of potatoes, one, two, five, whatever, however many you want to eat, ok? put them in a pan with water to cover them. Bring to a boil. Yup. Boil that water! You can do this, and I do it at the same time as the broccoli is cooking, they take about the same amount of time, and boiling water could not be less work, really. About 20 minutes or so, stick a fork into a potato chunck, it should slide in easily, if not, boil them more. Try again in five or ten minutes and when they're soft, drain them in a strainer, and put them back in the same pan you boiled them in, toss in your butter, salt, pepper and anything else you want in there (like bits of bacon?). Use a potato masher to mash them up. They SHOULD have lumps, and it takes about two minutes.
Prep time: two minutes
mash time: two minutes
Entire time spent on potatoes: about five minutes.
Enjoy!
Steak and eggs
Who doesn't love steak and eggs? It's usually pretty pricey in restaurants, so I decided I could do it at home for a LOT less.
Ingredients:
one or two eggs, however many you want to eat
1/3 of one New York Strip Steak (get a whole one at a good meat counter and have them slice it into three pieces and wrapped separately)
Warm up your skillet, add some butter or lard or bacon fat or whatever you enjoy, put the steak in on one side, crack your egg on the other, the steak is thin enough it'll cook through in about the same time as it takes to cook an egg over medium.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
one or two eggs, however many you want to eat
1/3 of one New York Strip Steak (get a whole one at a good meat counter and have them slice it into three pieces and wrapped separately)
Warm up your skillet, add some butter or lard or bacon fat or whatever you enjoy, put the steak in on one side, crack your egg on the other, the steak is thin enough it'll cook through in about the same time as it takes to cook an egg over medium.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Pheasant
A new aquaintance gave me a bag of Pheasant breasts recently, which is a very rare treat - I haven't had Pheasant in over 20 years. It's very delicious as I recall!
To cook them, first I rinsed the breasts, drained them, and put them in a preheated (on low) cast iron skillet with my very best olive oil, some fresh rosemary, and some minced garlic.
I really want to enjoy the flavor of the meat so I'm only going to add a bit of fresh ground black pepper on top when they're cooked through.
While they're gently and slowly cooking, I'm boiling some redskin potatoes and steaming some kale and onions to have on the side.
I hope you can come across some wild Pheasant to, and enjoy it as much as I'm about to!
To cook them, first I rinsed the breasts, drained them, and put them in a preheated (on low) cast iron skillet with my very best olive oil, some fresh rosemary, and some minced garlic.
I really want to enjoy the flavor of the meat so I'm only going to add a bit of fresh ground black pepper on top when they're cooked through.
While they're gently and slowly cooking, I'm boiling some redskin potatoes and steaming some kale and onions to have on the side.
I hope you can come across some wild Pheasant to, and enjoy it as much as I'm about to!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Pork chops with rice
I wanted to make something easy and fast tonight; some nights we're a little more tired, right? So, tonight, it's Pork chops with rice.
Ingredients:
Pork chops, thin or thick cut, one per person you plan to feed
1 cup rice
1 qt tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbs basil
1 tsp rosemary
salt & pepper
one onion, chopped
Heat your skillet, and rub the fatty edge of the pork chop on the heated surface to grease it. Brown both sides of your chops (while browning, chop your onion). When your pork chops are browned on both sides, place, still quite raw, on a plate to the side. Turn heat to low, and put rice, tomatoes, water, basil, salt, pepper and onion in pan, then carefully lay your browned pork chops on top. Put a lid on it and let it just barely simmer for 30 minutes, turn the heat off, let rest for ten. I discovered that it's really delicious with soy sauce drizzled over it when you're ready to eat it, but that's optional. Makes great leftovers, too!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Pork chops, thin or thick cut, one per person you plan to feed
1 cup rice
1 qt tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbs basil
1 tsp rosemary
salt & pepper
one onion, chopped
Heat your skillet, and rub the fatty edge of the pork chop on the heated surface to grease it. Brown both sides of your chops (while browning, chop your onion). When your pork chops are browned on both sides, place, still quite raw, on a plate to the side. Turn heat to low, and put rice, tomatoes, water, basil, salt, pepper and onion in pan, then carefully lay your browned pork chops on top. Put a lid on it and let it just barely simmer for 30 minutes, turn the heat off, let rest for ten. I discovered that it's really delicious with soy sauce drizzled over it when you're ready to eat it, but that's optional. Makes great leftovers, too!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Breakfast Hash Browns with Egg
A classic that you can make for two people for under $2 in less time than it takes to drive to McDonald's.
Ingredients:
butter or lard
three potatoes
onion
salt & pepper
egg
optional: garnish (I used a piece of basil for the photo)
Put a large cast iron skillet on the stove and turn the heat on medium. Now get your ingredients ready:
Rinse three potatoes, and cut them in half, lay the cut sides down. Cut each half into thin slices and hold each slice in place as you go, don't let it fall apart into pieces, (like when you cut an onion so you don't cry from the exposed flesh giving off fumes that make your eyes tear up). Now turn the halves 90º and repeat the slicing. You'll wind up with nice matchstick pieces in just a few minutes. Do the same to your onion.
Put two tablespoons of butter or lard (not the kind with preservatives, get it from a local farmer) in your skillet and put the potatoes and onion in. Stir it like a stir fry for half a minute, then go make your coffee or tea. Read the news for five minutes, stir it again.
It'll cook fast because you sliced everything thin and small, it's all about surface area (chemistry class, woo!): the more surface area, the faster things cook. :)
When your potatoes are soft enough to eat, take them from the pan and put them on a plate. Now crack an egg in your pan, and cook it how you like it, scrambled or fried. When it's done, put it on top or to the side of your potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Salsa
I admit it, I'm lazy. If technology can make it faster, I'm all for it. With that said, I use my blender to make my salsa.
Ingredients:
•1 qt of tomatoes •1 large onion (I prefer vidalias for this, but any kind will do)
•1 clove of garlic
•1/4 tsp cumin
•1 jalepeno (seed it if you want it less hot)
•1 whole dried chipotle or 1/4 tsp dried
•1/2 tsp salt
I find that cutting the onion into quarters before putting it in the blender helps.
Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into a bowl and eat with your favorite chips. I prefer organic blue chips.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
•1 qt of tomatoes •1 large onion (I prefer vidalias for this, but any kind will do)
•1 clove of garlic
•1/4 tsp cumin
•1 jalepeno (seed it if you want it less hot)
•1 whole dried chipotle or 1/4 tsp dried
•1/2 tsp salt
I find that cutting the onion into quarters before putting it in the blender helps.
Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into a bowl and eat with your favorite chips. I prefer organic blue chips.
Enjoy!
Chili
Chili is great on those winter days when you're snowed in and you didn't have time to go to the grocery store to stock up ahead of time.
Ok, yes, it's true: it takes hours to simmer, but you can do all sorts of stuff while it sits there doing its thing, the actual time you're involved in making it isn't that much, really.
One should always have dried goods around, and I keep mine in mason jars; they're airtight and store foods perfectly. I keep on hand a variety of legumes, like pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans to name a few. Those are what goes in chili most of the time.
Ingredients:
•One onion, any kind, chopped.
•two cloves garlic, minced •Dried beans (see above), how much is up to you, I used four cups to make a big pot for leftovers.
•bay leaf
•red pepper flakes, cayenne, chipotle powder (or whole dried), jalepenos, whatever you've got laying around or want to buy, don't be shy with the heat, it's chili, it's supposed to be spicy hot!
•tomatoes (I used two quarts of the tomatoes I'd canned in the fall, but you can use any kind, whole, canned, whatever).
•cumin (I used 1tsp)
•salt (1 tsp)
•1 tsp chili powder (less if you're not cooking this much, but leftovers can be frozen, too!)
First, get a large pot, and put your beans and water to more than cover them in it. Either soak overnight, or do a quick soak: bring to a boil and let sit for an hour. Drain and Rinse. Put the beans and enough water to more than cover them back in the pan, and bring to a boil, cook for an hour, use a lid if you like, it uses less energy that way, but make sure to turn the heat down so it doesn't boil over! Drain them and rinse them again. Now they're ready to cook. (yes, you can use the canned ones, but they're more money, and have preservatives most of the time).
Put the drained and rinsed and cooked beans in your pot again, add the tomatoes, and cook it on a low to medium heat, enough to make it just barely simmer. (again, a lid will keep the heat in, and you can turn your burner down and use less energy, saving money for other things).
Meanwhile, cut the ends off your onion. Make a shallow slice down the outside, and peel off the dried skin. Cut it in half, lay the open cut sides down on your cutting board. Make long slices and hold them next to eachother so the onion's oils don't make your eyes water. Now cut at a parellel to your first cuts and you have perfect cubes of onions without crying. so easy. Put the onion in the pan with the beans and tomatoes. Mince your garlic, add that to the pan. Add the bay leaf, whatever peppers you want (start with 1/4 tsp of each and taste, work your way up to your individual spicy heat tolerance). Add the cumin, chili powder and salt. Set a timer for a half hour and go do something else with your time. When it goes off, stir it up so it isnt' sticking to the bottom (it shouldn't be), set another timer, another half hour, go back to what you were doing. The idea is, give it a minimum of attention (stir it, check on it, add water if it boils off too much, etc), and watch a movie, do laundry, whatever while it cooks for the next two hours or so. Taste it once in a while, add what you think it needs (remember a little bit at a time, you can always add more, but you can't take it out!). When the beans are nice and soft, serve some up and eat it. I like to put cheddar cheese in mine, or vinegar and crackers.
Enjoy!
Ok, yes, it's true: it takes hours to simmer, but you can do all sorts of stuff while it sits there doing its thing, the actual time you're involved in making it isn't that much, really.
One should always have dried goods around, and I keep mine in mason jars; they're airtight and store foods perfectly. I keep on hand a variety of legumes, like pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans to name a few. Those are what goes in chili most of the time.
Ingredients:
•One onion, any kind, chopped.
•two cloves garlic, minced •Dried beans (see above), how much is up to you, I used four cups to make a big pot for leftovers.
•bay leaf
•red pepper flakes, cayenne, chipotle powder (or whole dried), jalepenos, whatever you've got laying around or want to buy, don't be shy with the heat, it's chili, it's supposed to be spicy hot!
•tomatoes (I used two quarts of the tomatoes I'd canned in the fall, but you can use any kind, whole, canned, whatever).
•cumin (I used 1tsp)
•salt (1 tsp)
•1 tsp chili powder (less if you're not cooking this much, but leftovers can be frozen, too!)
First, get a large pot, and put your beans and water to more than cover them in it. Either soak overnight, or do a quick soak: bring to a boil and let sit for an hour. Drain and Rinse. Put the beans and enough water to more than cover them back in the pan, and bring to a boil, cook for an hour, use a lid if you like, it uses less energy that way, but make sure to turn the heat down so it doesn't boil over! Drain them and rinse them again. Now they're ready to cook. (yes, you can use the canned ones, but they're more money, and have preservatives most of the time).
Put the drained and rinsed and cooked beans in your pot again, add the tomatoes, and cook it on a low to medium heat, enough to make it just barely simmer. (again, a lid will keep the heat in, and you can turn your burner down and use less energy, saving money for other things).
Meanwhile, cut the ends off your onion. Make a shallow slice down the outside, and peel off the dried skin. Cut it in half, lay the open cut sides down on your cutting board. Make long slices and hold them next to eachother so the onion's oils don't make your eyes water. Now cut at a parellel to your first cuts and you have perfect cubes of onions without crying. so easy. Put the onion in the pan with the beans and tomatoes. Mince your garlic, add that to the pan. Add the bay leaf, whatever peppers you want (start with 1/4 tsp of each and taste, work your way up to your individual spicy heat tolerance). Add the cumin, chili powder and salt. Set a timer for a half hour and go do something else with your time. When it goes off, stir it up so it isnt' sticking to the bottom (it shouldn't be), set another timer, another half hour, go back to what you were doing. The idea is, give it a minimum of attention (stir it, check on it, add water if it boils off too much, etc), and watch a movie, do laundry, whatever while it cooks for the next two hours or so. Taste it once in a while, add what you think it needs (remember a little bit at a time, you can always add more, but you can't take it out!). When the beans are nice and soft, serve some up and eat it. I like to put cheddar cheese in mine, or vinegar and crackers.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Chile Rellenos
I'm a big fan of stuffed peppers, and these are delicious and easy to make. Total cost: $5 Time: 1 hr & five minutes, 40 of which you can do something else while it's cooking.
Three pablano peppers.
one cup uncooked rice
six tomatoes or one 16oz can tomatoes/tomato sauce
three minced cloves garlic
one whole onion, chopped
one portabella mushroom cap, chopped
one tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
two cups water
Put the rice, tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushroom, salt, pepper, and water in a medium saucepan, cover and put on high. Bring to boil (about five minutes on a gas stove, longer on electric). Turn heat down to it's lowest setting and leave it there for ten minutes. Meanwhile: Put your pablano peppers on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler. Stand there and watch them, you want them to blacken and blister so the skin comes off later when you take them out of the oven, but you have to turn them over and 180º so they blister all over. Don't walk away, and try a nice pair of tongs to turn them with, like when you barbeque. While you're doing this, the timer for your rice will probably go off, just turn off the burner and let the rice sit there. Ignore it. Go back to your blistered pablano peppers: After they're blistered and or blackened (it's just the blisters you're after, but the blackening just happens, it's no big deal, trust me if you're turning them every minute or so) remove from the oven and, using a sharp paring knife (the only other knife you really need besides the chef knife), remove the skins. This part is not crazy easy, but it's doable and well worth the effort. Have a glass of wine while you do it. Once the skins are off, cut off the tops and remove the seeds from the inside. Right about now the rice should be done, too, it takes about ten minutes to "rest" after the burner is turned off to fully cook, but even if it's not cooked all the way, it will finish inside the peppers after you stuff them with the rice mixture. So, stuff your peppers. Just use a big spoon to put the rice mixture into the peppers, feel free to gently push it down into the pepper, hence the "stuffing" part. Place them upright, rice sticking out and upwards, in an oven proof bowl so they don't topple over. I just use one of my fiesta ware bowls; a pyrex bowl or any baking dish would work, too. Bake them at 350º for 40 minutes. Grate up some mozzarella or parmesan cheese if you like and sprinkle the cheese over your peppers before you eat them - they heat of the pepper will melt the cheese. Enjoy!
Three pablano peppers.
one cup uncooked rice
six tomatoes or one 16oz can tomatoes/tomato sauce
three minced cloves garlic
one whole onion, chopped
one portabella mushroom cap, chopped
one tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
two cups water
Put the rice, tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushroom, salt, pepper, and water in a medium saucepan, cover and put on high. Bring to boil (about five minutes on a gas stove, longer on electric). Turn heat down to it's lowest setting and leave it there for ten minutes. Meanwhile: Put your pablano peppers on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler. Stand there and watch them, you want them to blacken and blister so the skin comes off later when you take them out of the oven, but you have to turn them over and 180º so they blister all over. Don't walk away, and try a nice pair of tongs to turn them with, like when you barbeque. While you're doing this, the timer for your rice will probably go off, just turn off the burner and let the rice sit there. Ignore it. Go back to your blistered pablano peppers: After they're blistered and or blackened (it's just the blisters you're after, but the blackening just happens, it's no big deal, trust me if you're turning them every minute or so) remove from the oven and, using a sharp paring knife (the only other knife you really need besides the chef knife), remove the skins. This part is not crazy easy, but it's doable and well worth the effort. Have a glass of wine while you do it. Once the skins are off, cut off the tops and remove the seeds from the inside. Right about now the rice should be done, too, it takes about ten minutes to "rest" after the burner is turned off to fully cook, but even if it's not cooked all the way, it will finish inside the peppers after you stuff them with the rice mixture. So, stuff your peppers. Just use a big spoon to put the rice mixture into the peppers, feel free to gently push it down into the pepper, hence the "stuffing" part. Place them upright, rice sticking out and upwards, in an oven proof bowl so they don't topple over. I just use one of my fiesta ware bowls; a pyrex bowl or any baking dish would work, too. Bake them at 350º for 40 minutes. Grate up some mozzarella or parmesan cheese if you like and sprinkle the cheese over your peppers before you eat them - they heat of the pepper will melt the cheese. Enjoy!
Guacamole
It's so easy to make your own, why would you ever buy this? Total cost: $4.50
ok, here's how to make your own, fresh Guacamole:
Four ripe avacadoes (you don't have to squeeze them! they turn dark when they're ripe!)
one small tomato or 1/4 of a regular one, about two Tablespoons worth, fresh
1 lemon, juiced
one tablespoon minced onion, fresh
1/2 tsp cumin
If you don't own a decent chef knife, buy one, it'll be one of the best purchases you ever make.
Use your knife to cut each avacado all the way around, the pit will act as a sort of "stop" for the knife to guide against. Twist the cut avacado halves in opposite directions, and they'll separate easily with the pit remaining in one half. Use your knife and with a quick axe like motion, strike the pit with the sharp edge of your knife, it should stick in the pit. A gentle twist will release the pit from the flesh of the avacado's flesh. Now get a big spoon, and literally scoop out the flesh from the skin. So easy and fast! Repeat with your remaining avacadoes and put the green flesh in a medium to large sized bowl, you're going to mash it up in a minute like mashed potatoes after you do these next steps:
pour into the bowl with the avacado flesh the juice of one lemon. add the cumin, minced onion, and diced tomato. Now mash it up with a fork.
If you want, you can add salt, pepper, or whatever else you like to taste. Have fun with it!
Takes about five minutes if you take your sweet time. :) Enjoy!
ok, here's how to make your own, fresh Guacamole:
Four ripe avacadoes (you don't have to squeeze them! they turn dark when they're ripe!)
one small tomato or 1/4 of a regular one, about two Tablespoons worth, fresh
1 lemon, juiced
one tablespoon minced onion, fresh
1/2 tsp cumin
If you don't own a decent chef knife, buy one, it'll be one of the best purchases you ever make.
Use your knife to cut each avacado all the way around, the pit will act as a sort of "stop" for the knife to guide against. Twist the cut avacado halves in opposite directions, and they'll separate easily with the pit remaining in one half. Use your knife and with a quick axe like motion, strike the pit with the sharp edge of your knife, it should stick in the pit. A gentle twist will release the pit from the flesh of the avacado's flesh. Now get a big spoon, and literally scoop out the flesh from the skin. So easy and fast! Repeat with your remaining avacadoes and put the green flesh in a medium to large sized bowl, you're going to mash it up in a minute like mashed potatoes after you do these next steps:
pour into the bowl with the avacado flesh the juice of one lemon. add the cumin, minced onion, and diced tomato. Now mash it up with a fork.
If you want, you can add salt, pepper, or whatever else you like to taste. Have fun with it!
Takes about five minutes if you take your sweet time. :) Enjoy!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Potato soup
This couldn't be easier! Takes about ten minutes to put together, 20 minutes to cook while you do whatever else, needs no tending.
Potatoes, cut into large pieces, skin on.
Onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
1/3 tsp cardamom
1/3 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp white pepper
water
1 bay leaf
sprig worth of rosemary, or 1 tsp dried/fresh
1/4 cup butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer
Wash and cut up in large pieces some potatoes, however many you like, one, two, or six, whatever. As long as they fit in your pan, eh? Add water to cover them and bring to boil. Meanwhile, chop up an onion, or some leeks and add those, too, and turn down the heat if it boils too hard, a good simmer is fine, medium heat usually works fine. Put in a bay leaf, and a chopped clove or three of garlic, depending on how much garlic you like. Add white pepper, cardamom, coriander and sage. Add butter, or, if you're using olive oil, put it in right before you serve it to preserve the delicate taste. Mash up the potatoes and remove any skins you see and/or don't want to eat.
Pork Chop rice skillet
I got this recipe from a Southern Cooking cookbook. It takes about ten minutes or less to put together, and another 30 minutes to let cook. It's one of my favorites.
Pork chops, any kind, one or two per person. (About four fit in an average fry pan for this recipe and serve two or three people, depending on their appetites)
tomatoes, 16 oz can, whole or diced, or three fresh ones chopped
green pepper, chopped
clove garlic, diced
tablespoon basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
water
Heat a large fry pan, then rub the edge of a pork chop in it to get it greased so the pork chops don't stick. Put the chops in the hot greased pan. Fry them a minute or so until they're not pink on the outside, flip and do the same to the second side. Remove them to a plate. Add the rice to the pan, the green peppers, and onion. Add tomatoes and about a half can (cup and a half) of water, basil, garlic and pepper. Stir to mix up, put pork chops back in the pan on top of the rice mixture, turn heat to very low, almost off, cover, let it cook a half hour, then serve. You can watch tv, or surf the web, or do laundry, all sorts of things while it cooks. There's no flipping or stirring, just let it do it's thing.
I like to pour a good soy sauce like Yahama over the rice and pork chop when I eat this. It's delicious and all three of my kids love it, too.
*Don't use tinfoil with tomato dishes to store the leftovers, the tomato's acid eats through the aluminum. I use a plate over a bowl if I don't have a storage container available. It works fabulously.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Iron rich foods that don't break the bank
Some of you might say "gross!" but half the population is female, and we have issues sometimes. Grow up and deal with it. Due to some ongoing, serious and untreatable (without *major* surgery)"lady issues" I've been experiencing for some time now, I've become anemic, which at least explains why I'm so exhausted all the time. So, I've looked into how to get more iron in my diet with the almost nonexistent budget I have , or should I say, don't have, lol. It wasn't hard to find iron rich foods on a tiny budget.
Fortunately for me, I just so happen to love mussels, and they're almost as high in iron as clams. Mussels are much cheaper than beef, chicken or pork, traditional sources of iron, and they are much, much higher in iron as well! Win, win! I've also recently discovered kale, which I have been growing in my garden all summer, and which also is high in iron. Both are low cost and easy to prepare in a variety of ways.
My favorite way to eat mussels is to boil water, drop them in (after thanking them for giving their lives to nourish mine), let the water come back to a boil, strain them, and then dip them in melted butter with fresh squeezed lemon juice. It couldn't be easier, and it takes less than 10 minutes start to finish. If I want something a bit different, I cut up some tomatoes, garlic and onion and add a cup or so of white wine to the water and cook it all up together and then use some bread to soak up the yummy soup-like broth. Fantastic!
Kale is just as easy, I soak it for anywhere from 10 minutes if I want to eat it then, up to overnight if I'm planning on eating it later, to make sure all the dirt comes off. Seriously, it can't be easier: throw the kale in a big bowl of water and walk away. Come back whenever and pour it into a strainer, then put it back in a fresh bowl of water and swish it around, then strain it again. It's usually clean at that point and ready to eat raw in a salad or sauteed in a pan with a bit of olive oil as greens. Or chop it up and add it to a soup or rice dish. So simple, fast and easy. Kale is chock full of not only iron, but almost everything else. It's a multi vitamin on a fork! So yummy, too.
I've taken to rationalizing the occassional steak purchase, too, even though it doesn't have nearly as much iron in it as clams or mussels; it's always going to be an iron source for those who don't eat shellfish, and let's face it, steak is delicious!
I know what you're thinking: "why doesn't she just take iron pills?" well, I've started to. I'm taking a multi pronged approach to a serious problem. Generally, though, I prefer to absorb nutrients the old fashioned and best way: from food. Pills are not a long term solution in most cases and I try to stay away from them and just solve the underlying problem instead - there's fewer side effects!
Spinach, while high in iron, isn't a good source because it's also high in phytates which basically take the iron with them right out of your body. Cooked spinach has fewer phytates than raw, so it's still an ok source for iron, but not the best. Our bodies have to be able to access the iron, so it's important to understand absorbability quotients. Iron from raw spinach is poorly absorbed, so don't think you're getting enough iron from it when you're not. Try kale. I think you'll love it. I do.
bon appetit!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Steamed Mussels with Brussel Sprouts on the side
Since I found out I'm anemic I decided to put some extra iron into my diet, and one of the best, cheapest and easy to make dishes is mussels, so tonight I'm making a delicately flavored pot of Steamed Mussels:
One saucepan with two TBS butter on medium-low heat
Add, in no particular order:
Chopped onion
Minced fresh garlic, as much as you want, at least 1 TBS
Chopped tomato
Chopped fresh parsley, as much as you want, at least a TBS
Chopped Red bell pepper
1/4 tsp salt/ or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper/ or to taste
1/8 tsp white pepper
pinch rubbed sage
1 TBS chopped basil
Sautee vegetables in butter first, add 1 Cup white wine, any kind, as long as you'd drink it :), bring to boil & add anywhere from 1 lb to 3 lbs of fresh live mussels. Steam for 2 minutes, if they're not open, steam for one minute more, no longer! - you *don't* want to overcook those tender mussels!
Brussel Sprouts are easy, too:
Cut the ends off, steam them for 20 minutes, put into a serving bowl with 2 TBS butter and juice of half a lemon.
ENjoy!
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