The Land of Enchantment Stew

Here in New Mexico, we have a few tricks up our sleeves when it comes to keeping warm in the wintertime.  It can be pretty brutal...and as soon as I label it "brutal"...I hear from a friend in some other place dealing with 40 degrees below zero...then I sort of relax. 

Many of you that don't reside in our Land of Enchantment, are aware of our obsession with chili, especially green chili.  When I moved here 12 years ago I lived in Albuquerque.  So late summer arrives and suddenly anywhere I went in the city, I was slapped and overwhelmed with the mouth watering smells of roasting green chili.  I knew I had moved to paradise.  Being from Southern California, unless you go to a specialty food store or have a "chili source", you just don't have exposure to New Mexico Green Chili.  Oh yeah you mention green chili to the average Californian and they reach into their pantry and pull out a can of "Ortega Chili".  Only thing these have in common is their color and nothing else...just not the same thing.  Back to landing in New Mexico 12 years earlier...suddenly I am bombarded...in the best way bombarding can occur with green chili options on my pizza, in pasta dishes, on burgers...my gawd, even the "golden arches" offers a green chili double cheeseburger! 

There is this certain addiction to the spicy green morsels that brings excitement to those of us that drool over it, when chili season arrives.  We go thru the chili dilemma..."should I buy from my same source as last year?  should I wait till a few weeks have passed or buy from the first early crop from Hatch? (The main city in Southern New Mexico where the chili is grown), should I roast my own this year on my barbecue? should I try extra hot this year?" and on and on.  All New Mexican style restaurants in the state and I mean all know exactly what you mean when you order "Christmas" as your style of chili, which simply means having both green and red chili poured over your meal...how's that for obsession?
I could go on about the New Mexico chili fix, like at Thanksgiving having a bowl of fresh chopped chili at the table or having it mixed into your stuffing or having a bowl of red chili in place of gravy...but enough!  I have to stop somewhere, even though as I write this post, I know that I am going to have to go grab some green chili and simply serve it up in a tortilla with cheese...oh yum!

So back to our secrets for keeping warm, one of them "Green Chili Stew." is a staple here not only in our cold months, but it is especially fantastic when it's freezing outside.  There are variations on this recipe all across the board, and being a foodie I have asked and asked the locals how they prepare theirs...basics are the same but the subtle differences are why its exciting to have it at so and so's house or at this or that restaurant...it's never exactly the same.  Here's my slant on the stew that I guarantee thousands of households will be serving tonight here in Nuevo Mexico...their very own recipe that is...

Roberto's Green Chili Chicken Stew

4 chicken breasts

16 seeded, skinned & chopped roasted new mexican green chili

(set aside 4 of the chopped chilis)

1 large yellow onion

2 stalks celery

4 large cloves garlic

1 large carrot

5 russet potatoes peeled and chopped

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups cream of mushroom soup (I use fresh, but canned condensed with do)

2 tablespoons coriander seed

1 tablespoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons dried mexican oregano
1 tablespoon dried cilantro

2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon smokey paprika

2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt to taste

1 tablespoon dried green chili powder (if available or substitute cayenne)
1/2 cup flour

Except for the salt, place all the spices into your spice grinder and process till a fine potent powder - set aside

Place chicken breasts into a small pot of water and add 2 bay leaves, one stalk of celery, one yellow onion quartered and about a teaspoon of black pepper corns

Bring water to boil using medium heat

Make sure not to over cook the chicken, just process till barely done - cube to desired size and set aside covering with foil

Do not get rid of the water the chicken cooked in but do strain the broth

Take all the vegetables and chop them (not too large not too small but do chop the potatoes a bit bigger) 

In a large dutch oven, saute in olive oil till they begin to soften

Add the ground spices to vegetables along with 12 of the green chili and cubed chicken

saute another two minutes

(allow your nose to take in the magic you have created at this point)

Add the stock and the cream of mushroom soup to the pot.  Mix well and cook over medium heat for one hour

At this point add salt to taste and the remainder of the chopped chilis

Depending on the heat level of chili you are using, the stew may be overwhelming so add in more of the water you cooked the chicken in till it's not a punch of chili that is too strong.  Of course you can begin with mild chilis if you cannot tolerate the heat and leave out the green chili powder/cayenne powder

Now take the 1/2 cup of flour and mix with about two ladles of the water from the chicken and mix well then pour it into the pot of stew and stir till incorporated
This will help thicken the stew just a bit.  If you prefer thicker stew, add a whole cup of flour or to taste

Give this mixture another 45 minutes

Serve it up in this awesome way

In a deep soup bowl, place one heated flour tortilla per bowl formed to bowls inner contours

Smear a small amount of refried beans onto the bottom of the tortilla along with grated cheddar and a dollop of sour cream or plain yoghurt
If you are serving to those that don't like the heat very much, serve extra sour cream or yoghurt at the table...this really can mellow out the chili spices (wimps!  ;-) )

Pour the stew into the tortilla reservoir and savour, savour, savour.

You will love this stew...

Enjoy

Comer mucho!

robert

You and the Sensuous Fungi

Heh! got your attention with that title I bet!  Hey fellow foodies!  It's been awhile and boy do I have serious reasons, from a town evacuation due to fire to a fantastic trip to Costa Rica just this month and a whole slew of others...but the point is, I am ready to resume foodolicious!  I really have liked all those friendly little "prods" from followers..."Robert...what ever happened to your food blog,  Robert...I need some new recipes, Robert...is Foodolicious still alive"...to this I respond simply,

"Si!"

Today I write about my passion for mushrooms.  I would love to write all about how to go out and pic the wild ones, since I do that.  But the truth is I learned from an absolute one-hundred percent "shroom nerd"  Oh my gawd!  This man lives and breathes everything fungi!  I was fortunate enough to cross his path and get him to take me up into our local high mountain ranges last year and show me everything there is to know.  I am so grateful that I can pick in the wilds and not go into hallucinogenically induced spasms or worse...well we know what worse can be.  But my point is, here on my blog, I won't get into the "hows" of wild mushroom foraging because it's just too risky.  The way I learned is the way everyone should...at the side of a willing and knowledgeable Mycologist...like my source...but be warned in my case, that was all the guy could friggin talk about...but that's a good thing for your continued healthy well being!

But the mushrooms you can buy in your local grocery store, sold as button or white mushroom can be real palitable and real cheap if you do like I do.  So I am giving away my secret even if local fellow "los Alamosites" read this.  I go to my local market early in the morning then I go over to the produce department where the loose mushrooms sold in bulk reside.  So that the mushrooms remain fresh in the basket in which they are placed, they bag the old unsold like every two days and sell them for a fraction of the per pound price.  I snag these, sometimes three or four big bags at a time.  At home I slice them up, place them in my dehydrator for 24 hours and then they go into airtight jars.  Voile! 

Now for the fun part...the prior part isn't really that fun...shop, slice, sort, toss. It's the anticipation of what you can do with these dried morsels that is exciting.  Oh and by the way, when you dehydrate mushrooms, the flavors intensify! 

So here are some of my favorite things to do with dehydrated mushrooms:

1)  Take a handful and invent a marinade or use bottled dressing or use bottled dressing and add your personal touch to it, such as chili flakes, dill, fresh lemon juice, etc.  Then simply place the mushrooms in a container with the dressing, give it 24 hours and you have a really tasty snack.

2)  Enhance many meals by simply placing them into your spice coffee grinder and turn them to powder.  Then add this delicous powdered mushroom spice to sooo many dishes. 

3) Rehydrate them and add to soups, sauces, casseroles, etc. Do this by adding boiling water or broth to a bowl containing the mushrooms. At this point simply cover or add spices of your choice for added flavoring, such as garlic powder.  Cover the bowl and give em at least 30 minutes.

4)  Chop em up while dry and top your pizza with them for an almost chewy consistency or rehydrate first and then add for the normal texture.

5)  Make a delicious wintry cream of mushroom soup...you don't even have to rehydrate them for this.  Add them to your cauldron of liquids and spices and just puree the cooked product with an immersion hand blender.

6)  Invite over your vegetarian friends and impress them with re hydrated mushrooms used to make veggie burgers.  There are a zillion recipes on the Internet...or make up your own.

See! the fungi can be versatile and reasonable if you buy them the way I do...heck maybe even a tad sensuous...  ;-)  This year, was not a good one for wild mushrooms here.  I lucked out with one great patch of Oyster Mushrooms but overall, the rain just came too late to New Mexico.  So my dehydrated wild mushroom supplies from last summer have dwindled and I now have to rely on the store bought variety more so.  But I cross my fingers for next year, because there is nothing like a wild mushroom in taste...I suggest finding your own "shroom nerd" or taking a class at the local college.  It's just too risky to go out with mushroom field guide in hand...some in the species that are delectable resemble those that are deadly...just sayin.

Happy Fall!

robert

A repost just for the furry ones in our lives..................

Many of us have at least one of em...they greet us with penetrating eyes no matter what. They are all about unconditional love...and they really mean it too! Well, they do appreciate a treat now and then to keep the unconditional love thing fed.

Today I focus on the love we have for our canine companions and the love they give us in return. I am not as consistent as I should be in making this healthy treat for our three, but when I do, the level of excitement does seem elevated even though all excitement seems to be at the same "happy canine over the top level" for food and hikes and car rides and elk poop. So make this healthy yummy biscuit recipe for your furry ones and get out the excite-o-meter and see if yours don't exude a higher level of happiness when you give them one or two or three or.......

Healthy Dog Biscuits

1 1/4 cups cornmeal

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried oregano

1 1/4 cups water

1 beaten egg for glazing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Blend all the dry ingredient and add the water and knead into a workable dough or use a food processor with the dough hook attachment.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch.

Cut with a cookie cutter (they will still eat em if you don't have a bone shaped one)

Prick with a fork for texture and decoration.

Brush top of cookies with the beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes.

Keep em in an airtight container....there are no preservatives after all. Oh yeah, you can sample these yourself without any weird stigma attached because they are made of ingredients we humans eat all the time.

bow wow wow!

ciao!

robert

TVP!

Oh my...did I ever have more than just an aha moment in the kitchen today.  Ok so my discovery may be nothing new to you vegetarians out there but for me it was an amazing culinary "trick"...and a very healthy one I am discovering from all the delving I have been doing into this "TVP"...among the top features....NO FAT AND NO CHOLESTEROL!

So my mother in law asked me if I wanted a bag of it because she wasn't going to use it after all...she had encountered a meal prepared by Seventh Day Adventist's it seems...and she was very impressed with the flavor and texture of this mystery product...Again, you vegetarians are probably rolling your eyes by about now...well a mystery to us it was.

I am talking about Textured Vegetable Protein.  It's a granulated product that is made of soy and is used as a meat substitute...so those words in of themselves are enough to make me turn the other way but every review I read about TVP was very good...I kept reading things about how delicious it was and how the texture made it a great meat substitute.

So I had this unopened bag of TVP by Bob's Red Mill... you know the brand that has its very own little section in all the grocery stores now Bob's Red Mill TVP.

So it was a toss up between making a veggie burger or taco meat.  I was in the mood for tacos so I just made my taco meat recipe and substituted the TVP.  I will tell you foodie readers right here and now I could fool anyone if they did not know it wasn't beef.  Everything I read was true.  It is delicious and the end result is a texture that is like crumbled ground beef.  This culinary venture is about as far left into the world of vegetarianism as I have every drifted, I shredded some almond jalapeno jack cheese substitute to further the experiment...there was not one negative thing to say about the meal...cept maybe that I wasn't sipping a cold blended margarita or a cold mexican beer.

TVP Tacos ala Villegas

1 cup TVP Granules

1 cup chicken broth

1 medium sized yukon gold potato or any other buttery flavored spud

1 medium sized chopped yellow onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 tsp Chipotle Powder

2 tbsp chipotle salsa

1 tablespoon Ground Cumin

1 tsp Ground Mexican Oregano
1 tsp granulated garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp Knorr Brand "Caldo de Tomate" Knorr Caldo de Tomate

(this is what I use to salt my meat also...don't add any additional salt)

In a bowl, add the TVP Granules to the chicken broth and stir well.

Allow the TVP to soak up all of the liquid for 15 minutes

Either Boil or Microwave the potato and discard skin

Saute in canola oil, the onion, garlic and the spices

Add the cooked potato and mash with a fork, till it's in very small chunks

Add the TVP and the salsa

Mix well

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes

Fill a taco shell with the TVP taco mixture and your regular taco toppings

I hope I find at least two vegetarians that didn't know about this  ;-)

robert

HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY!

Once the hot weather is with us, we begin to crave lighter fare and ice cold thirst quenching drinks to go with.  I for one begin to get experimental with healthy salads.  Sometimes they don't even include lettuce.  I love salads such as cherry tomato salad with feta cheese and fresh basil, carrot salad with pineapple and golden raisins and healthy cole slaws too (and some unhealthy ones...such as my Blue Cheese Cole Slaw post earlier this year)

Today I share with you a very healthy recipe I created from a salad I ate often, many years ago in Los Angeles at a food chain called Koo Ka Roo Chicken...I think they still exist?  I loved their chilled lentil and cucumber salad.  I have changed it a great deal but lentils and cuke's are still the main ingredients.  This dish pairs well with so many things; you could grab a rotisserie chicken at your local market, you could serve it with a fresh crusty loaf of rustic bread and butter and fine wine, you could serve it with humus, greek olives and pita bread...the list is endless, once you try this salad you can decide what you want to serve it next to...

Zesty Lentil Cuke Salad

3 large cucumbers - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 roma tomatoes - cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 green onions - finely chopped

2 cloves garlic rough chopped

2 cloves garlic - put thru a garlic press

1 cup green lentils

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 small onion - finely chopped

2 tsp sumac powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh flat leafed italian parsley - finely chopped

1 tbsp dried crumbled mint

1 tbsp cumin powder

3 fresh limes

1 large lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Place the Lentils into a pot of water (water should be twice as high as lentils)

Add the bay leaves, the chopped garlic cloves and the small chopped onion

to the water - I add some MSG free chicken stock paste..about 1 heaping tablespoon

Cook the lentils over high heat just till boiling point is reached, then lower heat to medium low for 45 minutes uncovered.  Check for doneness...lentils should have a slight firmness to them...(you don't want them to get mushy)

Strain lentils in a mesh strainer, discard the bay leaves but do not rinse

Allow the lentils to cool to room temperature

In a large bowl add the chopped cucumber, tomato and green onion

Using a garlic press, press the two remaining cloves of garlic into the bowl

Add the dried mint and the chopped parsley and mix well

Place into refrigerator to chill till the lentils cool

The Dressing

Juice the lemon and the limes into a pouring cup

add two tsp of sumac powder

2 tsp of Ume Plum Vinegar

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

With a wire whisk, mix the above together while drizzling the 1/4 cup olive

into the cup.

Once emulsified, add to salad mixture and mix well.

Refrigerate for several hours, making sure to remix the mixture a few more times...the dressing quickly settles on the bottom of the bowl

Zesty Zesty healthy salad eatins to you!

robert





Easy, Cheesy & Elegant!

Greatings all!  eeeerrrrr... greetings that is...hmmmm or perhaps I do mean "greatings" cuz I can only hope that you find my food blog posts are simply and tastily "great - things" to introduce to your palate....clever or corny?......hmmm...anyhow...

Greatings all!

So this morning I have another breakfast recipe at popular demand...people want me to write about more breakfast ideas it seems.  So here you go!  This one is soooo easy and soooo cheesy and soooo elegant in presentation that it always gets raves before and after eating.  This especially does well for a special occasion brunch or mother's day or for one of those events where you suddenly decide "tonight we are having breakfast for dinner!"

This recipe is so versatile you can decide which ingredients to use depending on the taste's of individual family members.  Here I list my slant on the recipe...I find it to be a burst of fantastic flavor with just a few ingredients...but like I said, the skies the limit!

Elegant Eggs in Ham Cups

Eggs

Slices of ham from deli section of your local store

(I have them slice black forest ham at the slicer setting of "2")

Minced Onion

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Chipotle Salsa

Chives - dried or fresh

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

A muffin tin

(recipe presents itself best in small sized tin because the egg fluffs to the top ridge of the ham, but the large works if that is all you have)

Spray the muffin cups with a non stick cooking spray

Carefully form a slice of ham down into each cup...they don't have to be perfect, in fact I think having them not wrap into each cup perfectly adds a bit of good rustic-ness. If you get a tear in the bottom of the ham...not to worry, it will still hold the egg intact

Sprinkle a bit of minced onion, chipotle salsa and shredded cheese into the bottom of each

Crack an egg into each well, being careful not to break the yolk

Add salt and pepper to taste along with a bit more cheese and a tad of chives

Bake in oven for twenty minutes or longer depending on how well done your guests/family/love interest/doggies/neighbors/strangers...etc etc

want their eggs

The coolest thing about these morsels is that they hold the cup shape as you remove them to plates for a smashing presentation!

Serve this with a tall thin glassed mimosa*** or fresh juice and of course with your

best breakfast potato recipe and croissants or toast and fresh fruit


***I mix cranberry and orange juices with the champagne for an exotic twist
For the non drinkers at your breakfast, you can serve the juices mixed with crushed ice
and a sprig of fresh mint

Great things happen at breakfast too!

robert

Stock without MSG....that's a good thing

Making your own stock is not only easy, but makes everything you cook using this golden herbed liquid taste better.  It really does.  For those of you already making your own stock you know what I mean.  For those that want to but just haven't gotten into the stock groove yet...well once you get the routine down...it be easy!

There are so many good reasons to make your own stock starting with how much money you will save.  One reason I began making my own stock years back was that I found everything that tasted really good off the grocery store shelves also was really good because of the MSG in the ingredients...and not just an ingredient, but almost always, nearly the first ingredient!  OH and did I mention that those products are always expensive!  ;-)

The routine I have gotten into makes it easy to make the stock.  I either make a huge batch once a month or smaller batches twice a month.  SO.....next time you make a roast chicken or purchase one of those pre-made rotisserie birds don't throw out the carcass.  Just chop it up a bit and throw the pieces into a freezer ziploc bag and label it "for stock" and put it into your freezer.  Oh and lets say your cutting up a bird for a recipe and your about to throw out the wings or the weird mysterious looking chicken parts you find sometimes in a pre-cut up whole chicken package...toss those into the ziplocs too.  In no time you will have a good collection of chicken pieces.

The beauty of the process is that you don't even need to thaw out the pieces to make stock.  Just toss them all into a big dutch oven or french oven or a deep stock pot, fill with water to just about an inch from the top. Next add two large onions quartered...technically you don't even need to peel the onions...but I do anyhow.  Add about 5 cloves of fresh garlic, three stalks of celery with leaves...and your just about set.
But the magic to making the stock flavor pop lies in the herbs you wrap in cheese cloth (bouquet garni).  I use two sprigs of rosemary - fresh or dried, 3 big bay leaves, a teaspoon of whole black peppercorns, 4 large dried sage leaves, 5 sprigs of thyme - fresh or dried...now roll up the cloth and tie up the ends with cotton twine, leaving one of the twine ends longer so you can easily pull it out of the pot when it's time.

Easy or what?!  Just cook all the ingredients over medium heat for about four hours.  Strain the ingredients thru a metal sieve into a large vessel.  Now here is what I do to make the process even simpler.  You know those large yoghurt containers... Save them and their lids.  Just about to the top yields four cups.  I fill them up, put on the lids and place them into the fridge.  Next day, remove and skim off the fat from each container and freeze them.  All you do when you need one is to thaw it out on the counter top or in the microwave...although I was told that it's not necessarily a good thing to thaw foods in plastic containers using a microwave...either way...that's all there is to it.  Generally I don't add salt to the stock till I am using it for whichever dish I am preparing...then I add salt as needed...otherwise, you might end up with a salty finished project...and who wants that.....just sayin....

Stock it to em!

robert

After a break in the foodie-ism realm...I am back

So many readers kept asking where my daily blog was.  I was touched that so many had become daily followers of Foodolicious.  So for you fellow foodies, I am back. 

Warm weather is upon us finally and finally using the grill not only makes sense but feels right in this sort of weather...like it's a necessity.  I have many recipes up my big sleeves revolving around the grill...but today...I am keeping you in the kitchen...it's not that hot yet...unless you live in Phoenix or Palm Springs or Saudi Arabia....but soon the grilling recipes...I promise.

Last year in my vegetable garden I grew about 20 plants of basil.  The plants thrived and Basil loves to be picked because it motivates and invigorates the plants to keep putting out new branches during their growing season.  I highly recommend fish emulsion to help Basil thrive.  I love to make Cherry Tomato salads with Feta and Fresh Basil and Fresh Cucumbers...such a taste of summertime!  What I do most with my basil though, is to make huge batches of pesto.  I spoon this green heavenly paste into ice cube trays, freeze them and pop them out and using my food saver, seal them in plastic bags and have them readily available all year long in my freezer.  You only need a few cubes too for so many scrumptious dishes.  In place of regular tomato based sauce on pizza, to make Pesto Focaccia Bread, tossed with fresh pasta and on and on.  As I mentioned before, just a small jar is so expensive off the shelves in your local markets, that your money saving endeavor growing your own Basil will thrill you and your wallets! 

Just last month this simple and extremely savory idea came to me!  Why not spread the pesto on individually sliced eggplant in place of fresh Basil leaves on my Eggplant Parmigiana recipe?  So that is just what I did.  It packed so much more flavor with the pesto enhancement that I knew I had to share it here on Foodolicious.  This recipe is amazingly simple and very healthy too, in my recipe I bake the slices of eggplant which makes for a lighter fare than deep frying the eggplant as many traditional recipes call for. Nor do I do any breading.  Remember not to include any additional salt in this recipe because the pesto is salty enough on its own because of the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.   Vegetarians go cwazy for this dish too...it's one dish that doesnt cry out for meat, the eggplant is enough on it's own...(for us meat eaters that is ;-0 )

Pesto Eggplant Parmigiana

Three medium sized Eggplants - peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

 (I favor the round white with lavender hue but any plump type will do)

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese - shredded

1 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese - shredded

1 cup pesto sauce

Your favorite Marinara Sauce

Extra virgin olive oil

Heat your oven to 350 degrees

Brush both sides of the slices of eggplant liberally with olive oil and bake them on cookie sheets until they begin to turn golden brown

In a medium sized rectangular glass baking dish,

spread out a layer of the marinara sauce

followed by a layer of eggplant, each slice spread with pesto sauce

Place a layer of the cheeses over the eggplant

Repeat the layers twice or if you want extra thick Parmigiana, use more eggplants

and a larger baking dish and make more layers making sure to finish with a layer of the cheeses

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes

Note:  I don't sweat my eggplant slices, as many recipes call for... frankly I don't notice  any difference doing so first.  It is also time consuming...this recipe is very very easy and very very tasty...you'll see...Oh! and serving this with a green salad such as the amazing salad I posted in early January http://foodolicious.blogspot.com/2011/01/wild-mamas-of-tuscany.html and a good expensive bottle of red wine will make this complete...

Buon Appetito!

Robert

Braising with Beer can be so good!

Mention most any meal that includes Sauerkraut and you get my attention.  Some cringe at the thought of all that yummy tangy fermented cabbage but...it's a really healthy "super food" it is believed.  It keeps the flora and fauna in your intestines flourishing because of the fermentation in Sauerkraut, therefore aiding your body in good effective digestion and as a result boosting your immune system...some studies even point to anti-flu properties.  I just know that I love the stuff.  From time to time I make a dish that I created based on "Brauts and Beer"  that I changed a bit.  It's way more alive in spicy flavors and I use Kielbasa Sausage instead.  There are only a few ingredients in this recipe.  If your taste buds crave sauerkraut now and again, try out this dish.  Often I am inspired to make it when I find a Kielbasa in the discounted meat section because it's about to expire.  They freeze well, so I purchase several and throw em in the freezer for future use.  There are other versions of Kielbasa on the store shelves such as chicken and turkey...they all work fine.  I just tried the smoked chicken sausage Kielbasa type and it was fantastic. 

Spicy Kielbasa and Kraut

1 Kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 bottle of Corona Beer or any other similar ale

1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp caraway seed

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp granulated garlic

2 cups sauerkraut

In a thick bottomed pot heat 3 tbsp canola oil and add the sausage, the chili flakes, the caraway seed and the dill

Cook over medium heat till the sausage begins to slightly brown stirring a few times

Add the bottle of bear and allow to reduce by 3/4 of the original amount

Add in the sauerkraut and allow to reduce till just a small amount of liquid remains

Serve over mashed potatoes

Guten Appetit!

robert



Making spaghetti with a pizzazy slant...

Sometimes the best "keeper" recipes are from every one's kitchen "aunt".  She has been around for a long time.  Her recipes can be basic and yet be very flavorful.  I have a few of em that I have held onto for decades, referring to them every now and again for either Aaron and I or for a dinner party.  The auntie I am referring to is good old Betty Crocker.  I have two cookbook's by her. One is very old and one is from the eighties.  I remember looking through my newer of the two and thinking that she was so "innovative" with recipes like Avocado Soup.  I even started wondering about who the heck this Ms. Crocker was?  You always see a painted likeness of her...not a real photo...turned out I lost interest in finding out...it just wasn't all that important...I just knew that I never had a flop with one of her recipes...One of my favorites is very simple and yet not so simple in taste.  It's Betty's Tuna Spaghetti.  The marriage of the tuna with the garlic and the herbs and the half-and-half make for an out of the ordinary Spaghetti dish...sometimes a red marinara gets old...and sometimes Tuna Spaghetti hits the spot perfectly.

Betty's Tuna Spaghetti

1 package thin spaghetti or Angel hair pasta

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 can tuna (9 1/4 ounce)*

1/2 cup sliced pimiento stuffed green olives

1/4 cup grated Parmesiano Reggiano (she used regular...Reggiano is sooo way better...sorry Bet)

Cook Spaghetti as directed on package and drain

Cook garlic in butter in 2 qt saucepan over medium low heat...you don't want to burn the garlic...just cook till beginning to get golden brown

Stir in half-and-half, basil and the oregano

Heat just till begins to boil

Add in tuna, olives and cheese...stir together for one minute

Pour over hot spaghetti

*I have altered this at times with canned salmon and using just 2% milk instead of the half and half

Ahhhh the anti-vampire principles of garlic!

robert

Spring is starting to wake up and stretch!

Outside, my tulips are just peeking out thru the pine needles but the outside temperature is still keeping the ground too hard to till. The non stop yet gratifying work of a vegetable garden soon begins.  Many of you know that I do a huge 800 square foot organic vegetable garden every year.  I have learned through trial and error what works best for me here at 7500 feet of elevation.  The gardening rules here are different than in sunny, at sea level Southern California.  So wherever you live be it high or low, arid and dry or humid and moist...a vegetable garden is possible, achievable and it's therapeutic, it's grounding, it's nutritional, it's exciting and sometimes, it's a royal pain in the butt...but all in all I don't think I would ever go a season without one. 

If you have never attempted to grow your own food and want to, I suggest starting small, unless you are going to attempt a community garden with many hands to rely on.  At this time in Southern California you can already be tilling and working in all the plant muscle building nutrients such as mulch, cow/horse manure, dried leaves, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.  You have the advantage of a long growing season and you have the ability to plant seed directly into the ground.  I don't have that luxury here...our season in Northern New Mexico is quick.  So I pre grow my vegetables in little seed containers in a mini standing greenhouse...this guarantees me a head start and much yield success...I have to transplant into the finally warm enough ground right around Mother's day.  At lower elevations you don't need to do pre seed starting unless your looking for speedier crops I suppose.

First time veg gardeners...I suggest easier crops like beans, corn, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, herbs such as dill, basil and cilantro...these will guarantee you success...but you still have to give lots of attention in the form of water and feeding.  I only use organic fish emulsion and sea bird guano.  I purchased mine in Oregon from this establishment http://www.3rlighting.com/organic/guano.html  I have had great success with high nitrogen guano. 
You might live somewhere where you only have to walk into a good nursery to purchase some.  I do a mix of the two products, the emulsion and the guano, mixed together in a gallon container.  Just be careful to keep the fish emulsion off your skin or wash it off right away...its non toxic...but the smell will really gross you out if you leave it on your skin for any length of time. 

Mulching around your plants will guarantee healthy happy vegetable plants...which means more plentiful yield too.  I use fresh nitrogen rich grass clippings from the neighbors ...just make sure they are not feeding their grass with any fertilizers other than cow manure or any other organic compound manure.  What I have found works best water-wise is to do some serious soaking in the first few weeks to get the plants root systems established...once this is accomplished...then you can cut back on the H2O.  The three to four inches of mulch around the plants will keep the moisture in.  You never want to have a vegetable plant sitting in dry soil.  It's just common sense...your planning on eating what these plants produces for you...so don't stress em out!  Treat them like your babies and they will in turn reward you. 

If you end up with problems from pests such as flea Beatles or aphids...and you will.  Whether it's an extreme invasion or minimal is partly up to you.  I choose to spray them off with a good jet of water...you can try purchasing lady bugs...they love aphids.  I did deal with an extreme case of Flea Beatles last season and found out that I could treat them organically with Diatomaceous earth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth ...If you end up with a problem you can't identify thru books or internet sources...well there is always your local nursery.  There is always someone there that knows the trick to organically control whatever you have going on.  Here we have Deer, Raccoons, Fox...I do a large enough garden where I simply realize that a portion of the yield is going to feed the local wildlife.  My very first year, 9 years ago I was woken up by Aaron at 6 o'clock in the morning to find out that my Bok Choy was being immensely enjoyed by a huge doe.  Worst...when I approached and tried to scare off the deer...she simply looked up at me and went back to eating...

Weeds thrive because your watering on a regular basis, plus your feeding the ground...I try to control the problem...but it's not an easy one.  After a good summer rain shower when the nitrogen level in the atmosphere is so plentiful...you excitedly can just about watch the vegetable plants grow...unfortunately, the weeds do too!  I suggest trying to pull em out on a regular basis instead of waiting till you can barely tell the vegetable plants from the weeds...In some cases, some of the weed pests have real aggressive root systems that will weaken the vegetable plants if you let them.  If nothing else, weed in the immediate vicinity of your plants.  Here I need black plastic, to generate and maintain heat in the soil...our summer nights are chilly this high up...my point is, the plastic helps a little in the control of the weed garden.  Another way to look at it is that a few weeds are very tasty and nutritional. I always harvest Purslane...vegetarians love it mucho! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

So...you put in the all the sweat filled work, your back needs yoga more than usual...then a few months later you take the first bite of a vibrant red, sun and vine ripened tomato that you were responsible for helping thrive...and in that instantaneous moment of realization as you pick the tantalizing fruit...holding it in your hand, you take a bite...and you know...oooh you know, as you wipe the sweet tomato juices from your chin...that you're never going to get this flavor and juiciness from a store bought (not including farmers markets!) tomato...you sigh in the knowledge that it's so worth it...a 100 % guaranteed of no "Monsanto modifications" here!

I hope today's blog entree will inspire some of you that have always wanted to attempt a vegetable garden...but found an excuse not to..."but I will be on summer vacation"..."but I kill everything I try to grow"..."the gophers will eat everything"..."nothing grows in my yard's soil"...etc etc etc etc etc.  Just do it.

Robert

A cole slaw with a cheesy twist...

When I saw this recipe being made by Ina Garten, otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa on Food TV, I immediately knew I had to try it because I love Blue Cheese so much.  I never would have thought of a cole slaw laden with the chunky moldy stuff.  It's a perfect compliment to barbecue or a good stacked sandwich.  I use Cholesterol free mayonnaise in place of regular (as her recipe calls for) and it's still stupendous in flavor. 

Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

1/2 small head green cabbage
1/2 small head red cabbage
4 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled
2 cups (16 ounces) good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled Roquefort blue cheese
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves


Cut the cabbages in half and then in quarters and cut out the cores.
Set up the food processor with the slicing blade
(according to manufacturer's instructions) and place the pieces of cabbage, one at a time, lying horizontally in the feed tube. (If they don't fit, cut them to fit lying down.) Place the feed tube pusher on top and turn on the processor. Don't push on the feed tube pusher or the slices will turn out too thick! Continue with the remaining red and green cabbage quarters. Transfer into a large bowl, discarding any very large pieces. Before you pour the dressing on the salad, save a handful of the grated vegetables to decorate for serving.

Change the slicing blade for the large shredding blade and cut the carrots so they also lie down in the feed tube. Since the carrots are hard, replace the feed tube pusher and press firmly with the food processor on. Transfer to bowl with the cabbages.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, both mustards, vinegar, celery salt, kosher salt, and pepper. Pour enough mayonnaise dressing over the grated vegetables and toss to moisten well. Add crumbled blue cheese and parsley and toss together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hail Blue Cheese Fanatics!

robert

The kind of bread pudding that does a muy pronto vanishing act at your dinner table...

There is nothing like warm, fluffy, cinnamony bread pudding especially in the cold of winter.  Oh my goodness...with a fresh steamy cup of coffee...what else does one need?  Well...for the period of time you're savoring the pudding, it almost feels like you don't need anything else in life except the amazing deliciousness of this bread pudding that I make.  It's a good recipe, best when you use older bread and even better when it's cinnamon raisin bread.  I took a basic recipe and changed it and boy does it vanish quickly.  Not only is this a comfort dessert deluxe that your dinner guests will more than appreciate, but it's very inexpensive to make too.  You can be more healthy by substituting all low fat milk and using egg substitute...but this is bread pudding for gods sake!..enuf said.  ;-)

Robert's Cinnamony Bread Pudding

4 cups dried white or cinnamon raisin bread cubes (6-7 slices)

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place the cubed bread into oven for 15 minutes to make bread dry

Remove from oven and allow to cool, then add raisins to bread

Increase temperature to 350 degrees

In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla

Mix bread into egg mixture and pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole

Bake uncovered for 50 minutes...or just until very puffy and knife comes out clean when inserted into center of pudding

Cover immediately with plastic wrap and allow to cool

u r going to luv this!

robert





Mock Oyster Casserole

(click on pick for bigger view)

I shall never forget Ruth Dudley...In the early nineties when we met her, we were simply looking at the vacant "fixer upper"  for sale in North Long Beach. This tiny but feisty white haired woman stepped out of her little reddish colored cottage house right next door and stated in a shakey high pitched frail voice "Don't waste your time!  it's a piece of junk in there!"...For the next several years she told us over and over how thankful she was that we hadn't listened to her advice.  She had been a widow for twenty years, with no family..Major, her husband and herself had decided not to have kids.   She adopted us and we adopted her.  We added some excitement and youthfulness to her life and she added grandma like comfort to ours.  She was so thrifty with every single penny she had...all of her meals were so delicious yet so cheap to fix.  Her slow cooked all day round steak melted in your mouth when she was done preparing it.  Her chicken wings in a white sauce with homemade egg noodles absolutely satisfied your appetite just like a favorite meal from grandma.  One of my favorites of Ruth's she called Mock Oyster Casserole.  It is one of the simplest things I have ever made...its so basic.  The most elaborate part of the recipe is when you cook the chopped eggplant.   it has been many years since she passed...she was 89 years old when she left us.  But her cooking and kindness will live on in Scott's and my heart forever...

One of her favorite things to say was..."the most important thing in life is to have friends and the good memories that come from having those friends"

Ruth's Mock Oyster Casserole

1 small eggplant peeled and cut into small rectangular pieces 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup ground ritz crackers

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup of milk

Small pieces of butter

In boiling water, cook the eggplant pieces for about 8 minutes to soften and semi cook

Taking a small casserole dish

First lay down a layer of eggplant, then some cheese and some salt and pepper then some ritz crackers

Repeat the layers to the top of the casserole

now drizzle the milk over the top and scatter a few small pieces of butter on top

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes

It really does taste like oysters...in a good way for those that think oysters are disgusting...give this a try.  It's so darn easy what do you have to loose? 
Ruth would absolutely be tickled knowing that I was giving out one of her recipes today on my blog  ;-)

robert

Very fast refried beans in your pressure cooker...soooo much better than canned

Since I was a little kid, I have always loved hot cheesy refried beans.  I remember back in the late 60's being at our favorite Mexican restaurant and asking if I could have my moms off of her plate if she didn't finish them...and often would plead for a side order of refrieds.  At home I couldn't wait till my mother's big pot of beans was nearing their end because that meant that she was going to be making her refrieds...I don't know what she did exactly, I think she would put them into a skillet and add bacon drippings, smash them with a spoon if I remember correctly and then allow some of the liquids to evaporate for delicious refried beans.  Well...I wish she were here today so I could share my quicker and easier way to make refried beans.  I don't wait till the beans are almost gone.  I cook a big pot and make refrieds out of all of it.  Sooooooooo good!  And if your hungry and want a real quick meal...a tortilla and bean and cheese burrito...well there is no better marriage!

Fast Pressure Cooked Refried Beans

4 cups dried pinto beans - fresh is best if you have access, but bagged off the shelf is fine too

1 slice of bacon - finely chopped

1/2 yellow onion chopped

2 tbsp bacon drippings

salt and pepper to taste

cheddar and jack cheese

Sort through beans to make sure there are no rocks or scary looking bad beans

In a large pressure cooker saute the chopped bacon with the drippings and the onion

Add in the dried pinto beans and stir to coat well

Pour in enough water to cover the top level of beans by 3 inches

Cover and lock lid and cook over high heat

When the hissing begins. lower the heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes

Turn off head and allow to de pressurize on its own

Remove approximately 2 cups of bean liquid, set aside

With an immersion blender process the beans till velvety smooth

Add salt and pepper to taste

Now add in about 2 cups monterey jack cheese and 2 cups cheddar

Mix with large spoon
If your beans are too thick add in some of the bean liquid you reserved till the consistency is creamy but not runny
A variation I sometimes do is to grab your jar of jalapeno peppers from the fridge and pour in some of the chile liquid

Taste...if you did it right...your eyes will roll back in their sockets and you will let out a little coo of culinary ecstasy.

This recipe is specifically for a pressure cooker.  You can follow your stove top or crock pot recipe for making pinto beans and then follow the recipe from the point of using the immersion blender

hasta luego!

robert



A really healthy and good tasting waffle

On many mornings I love to have fresh waffles for breakfast.  So after seeing all the not so good for you ingredients in Krusteaz brand instant waffle and pancake mix several years ago I started making my own from scratch waffle batter.  There have been a lot of experiments along the way between then and now...mostly good.  The waffle I normally make now always consists of the same ingredients with the only variations being adding or deleting the banana and sometimes I use blueberries too.  So if you own a waffle Iron and it sits waiting for you to bring it out of the cupboard...here is a reason to bring it out and waffle away!

Robert's Healthy & Yummy Waffles

This recipe quantity is for a round waffle iron, if you own something bigger, then adjust

ingredients in recipe accordingly

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp oat bran

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

2 tbsp bluecorn meal

2 heaping tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp unflavored non fat yoghurt

1 ripe smashed banana

1/4 cup lowfat milk

Mix all ingredients in a 2 cup measuring cup

Batter should be on the thick side

Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto hot waffle iron and spread out quickly

with the back of a spoon to fill about 90 percent of the cooking area

Close lid and follow your waffle irons directions

I usually let mine cook for about 6 to 7 minutes...I like waffles to have a crunch to them

Serve with real maple syrup

Here's to waffle mornings!

robert

Oh my gawd! I need a good breakfast dish to feed a bunch of people!

If your like me, you commit to a last minute "ok everyone to our house tomorrow for brunch".  Then you suddenly freeze wondering what dish would feed many...Quiche?  Well unless you pre slice into small portions, quiche vanishes quickly.  Yes you could make a few quiches...but I am all about the easy prep over the tedious in most cases.  I have had this egg dish recipe for several years.  It's easy, it's big and its satisfying.  You could easily make this the main breakfast/brunch dish and surround it with juice, coffee, fruit and bagels, even mimosas and your set.  It presents well too, I bake it in this big deep sky blue ceramic rectangular pan I have...it goes straight from the oven to a trivet on the table.  Enjoy this for some lazy Sunday morning or when spring time arrives out on your patio. 

Chile Puffed Eggs

8 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups small curd cottage cheese

8 ounces shredded monterey jack

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup chopped green chiles fresh or canned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a medium sized baking dish

Whisk eggs in a large bowl

Add flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, the jack and cheddar, and melted butter and mix well

Add chiles and mix in well pour mixture into prepared baking dish

Bake until puffed and firm to the touch - about 50-60 minutes

Cool slightly and cut into squares

eggs are the bomb at breakfast!

robert