Did Christmas Eve much in the same way as last: the feast of the 7 fishes, an Italian traditional. No, not Italian, and many of the dishes I served were of the Cajun/Creole kind, and the Jewish kind, too.
7 seafood "dishes": jar of pickled herring, smoked salmon roll-ups with cream cheese, capers, and onions. Hubby wouldn't eat but did admit they looked pretty (would be nice for a party). Shrimp salad in Louisiana remolade sauce served over shredded iceberg. "grilled" oysters in the oven: drained, coated with bread crumbs and parmasean. Crabmeat au Gratin. Fried calamari and the NRA (new recipe alert) Cod Stew, a healthier take on a traditional Italian dish. Great for winter. Easy, too.
Christmas Cod
serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 white turnip, peeled and diced
2 minced cloves of garlic, divided
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
1 can white beans
4 4-oz. portions of cod
salt and pepper
1 halved lemon
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, add veggies, bay leaf, and half of the garlic. Cook for about 7 minutes or until veggies tender. Add the paprika, the rest of the garlic and the drained can of beans. Heat till warm.
Season fish with salt and pepper, and any other desired seasonings. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Cook cod for 3-4 minutes on one side. Flip, then cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Serve veggie-bean stew in bowls and top with cod. Finish with a squeeze of the lemon.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
All Things Computer
What to do on a snowy day when you are totally unmotivated? Well, I started with cleaning out old emails, and the day progressed to all manner of computer - Facebook (business - Eldercare Kentuckiana, as well as personal), LinkedIn, Rainmakers, emails, Twitter, and now the recipe blog.
Our second week of CSA (community supported agriculture) featured the following produce: red potatoes, Daikon radishes, butternut squash, Swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, and yes, 2 more lbs. of broccoli. Last week's broccoli did get used for cornbread and cream soup. Also, yesterday, served a healthier version of broccoli salad.
Toss washed broccoli florets with dressing made of chopped onions, green onions, raisins, walnut oil and salad vinegar (has a bit of malt in it, but not as heavy as straight malt vinegar). Tasted good even without the mayo and the bacon.
Tonight, will make a NRA (new recipe alert). Tuscan Bean Soup, with the Swiss chard, butternut squash, and garbanzo beans. To be accompanied by Impossible Broccoli Pie, a once a year favorite, (recipe in an older post) and a salad of apples, walnuts and dried fruit with the red leaf lettuce.
Our second week of CSA (community supported agriculture) featured the following produce: red potatoes, Daikon radishes, butternut squash, Swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, and yes, 2 more lbs. of broccoli. Last week's broccoli did get used for cornbread and cream soup. Also, yesterday, served a healthier version of broccoli salad.
Toss washed broccoli florets with dressing made of chopped onions, green onions, raisins, walnut oil and salad vinegar (has a bit of malt in it, but not as heavy as straight malt vinegar). Tasted good even without the mayo and the bacon.
Tonight, will make a NRA (new recipe alert). Tuscan Bean Soup, with the Swiss chard, butternut squash, and garbanzo beans. To be accompanied by Impossible Broccoli Pie, a once a year favorite, (recipe in an older post) and a salad of apples, walnuts and dried fruit with the red leaf lettuce.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Cooking and Cleaning
A stay-at-home day to cook and clean (can't run the roads all the time).
Making vegetable soup with bison soup bone as I write. With this unseasonably cold weather, the soup will help.
Tonight's meal will be chili made with Quorn. I've mentioned Quorn on this blog before. It is meatless, soyless, very low-fat, and has lots of fiber. It is made in the UK from mycoprotein, a fungi. Mushrooms are one example of fungi. It's a good product for chili, casseroles and spaghetti sauce. You can also buy it formed into patties, and I made a "chicken" Parmesan from it once.
I'm not against meat, but $2.00 of this product will be fine for my low-fat, high-fiber chili.
Making vegetable soup with bison soup bone as I write. With this unseasonably cold weather, the soup will help.
Tonight's meal will be chili made with Quorn. I've mentioned Quorn on this blog before. It is meatless, soyless, very low-fat, and has lots of fiber. It is made in the UK from mycoprotein, a fungi. Mushrooms are one example of fungi. It's a good product for chili, casseroles and spaghetti sauce. You can also buy it formed into patties, and I made a "chicken" Parmesan from it once.
I'm not against meat, but $2.00 of this product will be fine for my low-fat, high-fiber chili.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Community Supported Agriculture
In our quest for the best tasting local meats and vegetables, we signed up for a winter CSA to get us through till March. A true CSA is a pact between local farmer and consumer. The consumer pays up front and then the farmer provides according to how well the crops are doing. We signed up with Grasshoppers Distribution because they work with many farmers to get the best vegetables, meats and cheeses. This year you can also get soup, coffee, and bread.
Hubby picked up our first basket Wed. night. We elected for the small share of produce, 1/2 gallon low-temp pasteurized milk, and 3 lbs. mixed meat. This week, in addition to the milk, our share included kale, something green that resembled baby bok choy, turnips, sweet potatoes, and 2 lbs. of broccoli. That's a lot of broccoli. Our meat for the week was a whole chicken.
Last night I cooked the kale with Louisiana andouille sausage (and sneaked in a turnip - not hubby's favorite), oven-roasted sweet potatoes, with butter and Indiana maple syrup, and that old fave from the 80's, broccoli cornbread. Everything tasted really good. Not sure how I going to hide all the turnips, though!
Hubby picked up our first basket Wed. night. We elected for the small share of produce, 1/2 gallon low-temp pasteurized milk, and 3 lbs. mixed meat. This week, in addition to the milk, our share included kale, something green that resembled baby bok choy, turnips, sweet potatoes, and 2 lbs. of broccoli. That's a lot of broccoli. Our meat for the week was a whole chicken.
Last night I cooked the kale with Louisiana andouille sausage (and sneaked in a turnip - not hubby's favorite), oven-roasted sweet potatoes, with butter and Indiana maple syrup, and that old fave from the 80's, broccoli cornbread. Everything tasted really good. Not sure how I going to hide all the turnips, though!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Flashback: Remember TVP?
Those of us of a certain age may remember TVP, Textured Vegetable Protein, being sold mixed in with fresh ground meat as a budget stretcher. It is a soy product.
Well, lo and behold, was at grocery with hubby recently, and we were looking for a speciality flour for one of his bread machine recipes. I saw the bag of dehydrated TVP granules. "I didn't know they sold that to consumers".
It is used in a lot of the lower-end microwave "beef" dinners.
It is very high in protein, an excellent source of calcium and a bit of iron. Hubby was open to trying it once I explained what it was.
I hydrated some granules for my homemade meatballs this week. Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of what is mixed with. It is easy to work with - hydrate for a few minutes with boiling water, then cook in the microwave - 4 minutes did the trick for meatballs. Would also work well with meatloaf. I would suggest a 1/2 dry for each half-pound of ground meat.
Although I bought it for nutritional purposes, it is also a great budget stretcher. The meatballs were delicious.
And, like I said, flashback. TVP was used extensively in the 1970's during the time of stagflation, and a hard-hit coffee crop that drove coffee prices to $4 a pound. I never imagined seeing it again, but am glad we did. We don't eat a lot of beef as hubby prefers pork, but for meatballs and meatloaf, this will become my go-to stretcher.
Well, lo and behold, was at grocery with hubby recently, and we were looking for a speciality flour for one of his bread machine recipes. I saw the bag of dehydrated TVP granules. "I didn't know they sold that to consumers".
It is used in a lot of the lower-end microwave "beef" dinners.
It is very high in protein, an excellent source of calcium and a bit of iron. Hubby was open to trying it once I explained what it was.
I hydrated some granules for my homemade meatballs this week. Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of what is mixed with. It is easy to work with - hydrate for a few minutes with boiling water, then cook in the microwave - 4 minutes did the trick for meatballs. Would also work well with meatloaf. I would suggest a 1/2 dry for each half-pound of ground meat.
Although I bought it for nutritional purposes, it is also a great budget stretcher. The meatballs were delicious.
And, like I said, flashback. TVP was used extensively in the 1970's during the time of stagflation, and a hard-hit coffee crop that drove coffee prices to $4 a pound. I never imagined seeing it again, but am glad we did. We don't eat a lot of beef as hubby prefers pork, but for meatballs and meatloaf, this will become my go-to stretcher.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Beginning of a Year of Eating Well
Where has the time gone? Can't believe it been so long since last posting. Well, that's about to change. This evening, we get our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) basket. We had the garden and farmer's markets during the summer (and one local one continues on all year), but wanted "real food" to help get us through the winter. There were many options. We chose the small produce share, JD's Country Milk (low-temp pasteurized) and 3 lbs. mixed meat. This will take us through till March. When the ground becomes frozen, we can expect preserves or bread instead of the produce.
I have slowly been trying to wean us off processed foods, but you know, it just seems somehow un-American! Went to a chain BBQ place for first time last Sunday (had a 2-1 coupon), and the amount of food brought out was embarrassing. Enough for 4, honest. Certainly, a good value, but... the salt, the fat...
And I love Schwan's. Nice to have in the freezer, and they do offer a "Live Smart" line of lower fat and lower sodium products.
So, on to the adventure.
Plan B: Spaghetti Squash
I like spaghetti squash, hubby less so. Usually, only buy one once a year. An Indiana farmer's market had them for a ridiculously low price (they weigh so much, they aren't cheap). Hubby was feeling in a generous spirit, and the squash came home. I don't recall what Plan A was for supper, but somehow did not work out. So, I looked around and spied the squash. Just so happens, the most recent Kroger recipe booklet had a recipe that I clipped. ( I modified it somewhat.) Conrad remarked it a "keeper", so perhaps we will be having spaghetti squash more often.
Spaghetti Squash
1 Spaghetti Squash, washed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, preferably no-salt (cheese has plenty of salt)
3/4 cup feta cheese or taste
3 Tablespoons chopped black olives (I used Greek)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash and pierce squash several times with a fork. Microwave starting at 5 minutes and checking till soft. Let cool until able to handle safely.
Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
Scoop out stringy pulp from the squash (discard seeds) and put in bowl. Plate your squash and sauce to your liking. Add cheese and olives and serve immediately. (You can also put the olives in the sauce.)
I have slowly been trying to wean us off processed foods, but you know, it just seems somehow un-American! Went to a chain BBQ place for first time last Sunday (had a 2-1 coupon), and the amount of food brought out was embarrassing. Enough for 4, honest. Certainly, a good value, but... the salt, the fat...
And I love Schwan's. Nice to have in the freezer, and they do offer a "Live Smart" line of lower fat and lower sodium products.
So, on to the adventure.
Plan B: Spaghetti Squash
I like spaghetti squash, hubby less so. Usually, only buy one once a year. An Indiana farmer's market had them for a ridiculously low price (they weigh so much, they aren't cheap). Hubby was feeling in a generous spirit, and the squash came home. I don't recall what Plan A was for supper, but somehow did not work out. So, I looked around and spied the squash. Just so happens, the most recent Kroger recipe booklet had a recipe that I clipped. ( I modified it somewhat.) Conrad remarked it a "keeper", so perhaps we will be having spaghetti squash more often.
Spaghetti Squash
1 Spaghetti Squash, washed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, preferably no-salt (cheese has plenty of salt)
3/4 cup feta cheese or taste
3 Tablespoons chopped black olives (I used Greek)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash and pierce squash several times with a fork. Microwave starting at 5 minutes and checking till soft. Let cool until able to handle safely.
Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
Scoop out stringy pulp from the squash (discard seeds) and put in bowl. Plate your squash and sauce to your liking. Add cheese and olives and serve immediately. (You can also put the olives in the sauce.)
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