Green Play-Doh

A friend sent me a text message last week.
It was a photo of his sushi lunch with an FYI that the green Play-Doh was spicy.

I.
was.
jealous.

I love sushi.
I want sushi.
I crave sushi.

The nearest sushi is a 3-hour drive away.

I need sushi.
...and the spicy green Play-Doh.

Wasabi Tuna Salad Rolls will have to do, for now.

 Wasabi Tuna Salad Rolls

(adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 green onions, chopped

1 6-ounce can tuna, drained and flaked

1 large flour tortilla (I like the spinach variety.)

1 cup fresh baby spinach

In a small bowl, combine the wasabi, soy sauce, and mayonnaise.
Stir in the green onion and tuna.
Top the tortilla with a layer of spinach leaves.
Spread the tuna salad evenly over the spinach.
Tightly roll the tortilla to enclose the salad.
Slice into 1-inch thick pinwheels. (Yield: 1 sandwich)

Get the Good Stuff

Last Christmas, Hubs brought home a small, wooden cutting board from the area NAPA Auto Parts store. It was a token of appreciation for his business, and like all good promotional materials, the blonde wood board was imprinted with the business name on the handle. At the time, I joked that as sometimes readers of this blog, they were nudging for a shout out.

This cutting board was stowed away in the cupboard with all the other blocks of wood and polypropylene slabs that I use on a daily basis. It has been pulled out a few times for small tasks, but today, 6 months later, it is finally making its blog debut...whether this was the intention of the NAPA managers, or not.

It is pretty appropriate that NAPA's slogan is "Get the Good Stuff." Jalapeno Poppers are definitely the good stuff. One summer, I think that I made these for almost every get-together we attended...and a few that I didn't. Never ever did I come home with a leftover pepper. People love these creamy, cheesy bites of loaded jalapenos and smokey bacon. They can't get enough of the good stuff.

Good Stuff Jalapeno Poppers

25-30 jalapeno peppers

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (We like to use the Mexican Blend.)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 400F.
Slice jalapeno peppers in half and remove seeds.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Blanch peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
Drain well and pat dry with paper toweling.
Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
Fill each pepper half with a teaspoon of cheese mixture.
Arrange filled peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for ease in clean up).
Sprinkle bacon on top of each popper.
Bake for 5 minutes until cheese is melted. (Serves 25ish...2 pepper halves per person...as if anyone only eats 2)

Here's the Thing...

Here's the thing...(you know, there is always a thing)...from some of my recent blog posts, you may have deducted that lately, I have been a home canning machine. My basement pantry shelves are lined with jars and jars of concoctions lovingly created from my garden produce, the rewards of the farm garden, and the gardens of several friends. I am not going to kid you. It is A LOT of work. We are approaching the time when I never want to see another Mason jar or jar ring or big speckled pot of boiling water.

I have chopped and mixed and stirred and sterilized and simmered and boiled and sealed countless jars and still am not quite done. We will eat well this winter, and several lucky people will receive some awesome homemade Christmas gifts. I have worked hard, but here's the thing...when I am in the middle of canning, I don't always cook well for the moment.

Hubs comes home and sees me laboring over a pot of simmering tomato sauce and boiling kettle of water, and guesses that I don't have anything ready for dinner. This guess is often right, and his offer to go pick up take-out is usually welcomed. I just can't seem to multitask well enough to plan for dinner and canning. I get a big #fail.

What isn't a big #fail is when I take one of the products of those canning sessions and use it to create a simple meal that fits around the boiling pots on my stove-top. Basic Salsa is a classic recipe with incredible flavor. I think it is the perfect blend of tomato and spicy peppers with just a hint of smokey depth from the cumin. We love it, and I make sure to can up enough so that we never have to scoop our chips into commercial salsa. But, here's the thing...that same Basic Salsa can be simmered with a few tablespoons of butter to make a sauce for shrimp that is a busy home canner's dream for dinner. 

While I often serve Spicy Salsa Shrimp as an appetizer with crusty bread, it makes a perfectly simple dinner when a tossed salad is added to the menu (if you have time and energy, make pasta or rice to toss with the shrimp, as well). We eat it right from the cast iron braising pot, topping slices of warm bread with the shrimp and double dipping (sorry, I know that is gross, but it is just Hubs and I, we have pretty much already shared all our germs) to soak the crusts with more savory, seasoned sauce. The thing is that if I do just a little planning ahead, dinner doesn't need to be a #fail when I am busy with canning. Spicy Salsa Shrimp is a #win On My Plate.

Spicy Salsa Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup salsa (Basic Salsa is awesome for this.)
the juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, but it really does make it better)
1 crusty loaf of bread (baguette, etc), sliced

In a large skillet (I use my braising pot.) melt butter over medium heat.
Add salsa, lemon juice, and shrimp.
Increase heat to medium-high and until shrimp are thoroughly cooked, approximately 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro.
Serve with sliced bread. (4 main dish servings; 8 appetizer servings)

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday. Want to celebrate? It is a gorgeously crisp and sunny autumn day that is begging for a night on the patio. I will light a fire in the fire pot, and we can just chill. OK???

Well...maybe not. My Hubs has plans to meet friends for dinner out tonight. But, sometime soon, we need to get together for some casual fun. Deal? Let's have Chicken Enchilada Dip.

 

Chicken Enchilada Dip

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (I season my chicken with fajita seasoning or even Montreal Steak Seasoning prior to grilling.)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonaise

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers

1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (use more is you like more heat)

In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Captain 11

When I opened up my food photo file and saw this Fresh Corn and Radish Salad photo waiting to join the blog, all I could think about was Captain 11 demanding that every kid that claimed residency in Iowa sing the Iowa Corn Song. Of course, nobody really knew it, but he would coax the chorus out of the reluctant stars of his after-school television program.

We're from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land
Joy on ev-'ry hand. We're from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That's where the tall corn grows

I am not from I-O-way, and I (unfortunately) was never a member of the studio audience for Captain 11. (Although, I wanted to visit that set really badly when I was a kid.) However, it *is* that time of year when the tall corn yields tons of sweet corn. I love a fresh ear of corn grilled to perfection, smeared with some salty butter, and gnawed straight from the cob, but sometimes, I want something with flavors a bit more complex On My Plate. 

Fresh from the field sweet corn is so tender and sweet, it doesn't even have to be cooked. Tossed with smokey cumin and bright, fresh lime, it makes a splendid summer salad. A little jalapeno and some thinly sliced radishes add a bit of heat and bite. Mmmm. This is *why* the tall corn grows.

Fresh Corn and Radish Salad

(adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon Agave syrup

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil (more or less...original recipe called for 1/4 cup, but I thought it was too much)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups fresh sweet corn, cut from the cobs

6 medium radishes, thinly sliced (I used my mandoline slicer.)

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (but, I think that cilantro would be a good flavor pairing, too)

1/4 small red onion, finely diced

Whisk together lime juice, jalapeno, Agave, cumin and olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, radishes, parsley, and red onion.

Toss with the dressing.
Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
(Best served at room temperature, and be warned that the radishes may bleed if the salad is dressed too far in advance of serving.) Serves 4.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Hubs and I sometimes catch this program on The Food Network. We drool over the dishes presented and always have a discussion about what the best thing we ever ate would be. Naturally, Hubs tries to get brownie points by listing things that I make, but I push him to think about the wide variety of foods we have tried while dining out.

Our condensed list includes Kung Pao (beef is my favorite, but Hubs often chooses the shrimp) at The Homesteader, The Special Cucumber Roll at Sushi Masa, Pan-fried Walleye at The Wild West, Betty Davis pizza at Charlie's Pizza House, Fried Pickles at Sanford's, The Big Easy breakfast at Phillips Avenue Diner, and to top it all off...Cajun Shrimp Tortellini at Rumors.

When we first dined at Rumors, it was only Frank Day's Bar ("Fine Dining" sign made of plywood and tacked up in front beside a sign recommending the entertainment). Since the days of just a long, skinny, vintage-mirror-clad dining room seating maybe 20 people, they have gone through several expansions, chefs, and menu changes. At times, the food has suffered. Unfortunately, we have returned from several dinners at Rumors feeling both ourselves and our wallets thinner. Then, our hopes will be brightened by a few visits where it seems that Shelley has things back under control. We will be sucked back in only to be hit in the gut with a poorly executed meal again. I miss the old days of the mini loaves of home-baked bread and the original samplings of wonderfully to-die-for Cajun Shrimp Tortellini. Those meals will always be standouts as the best thing I ever ate, and I hope that they return.

So...you think I am going to share the recipe for Cajun Shrimp Tortellini. Sorry, but I am not. While I have made it at home a few times, I would rather save this as a dish for going out...something to look forward to and enjoy with friends dipping onto my plate to savor the creamy, spicy, deliciousness.

Today, I am going back to The Food Network show that prompted this post. With Chopsticks: The Best Thing I Ever Ate featured Slippery Shrimp from Yang Chow in Los Angelos. While I have never been to Los Angelos to sample the real deal, that didn't stop me from searching online for the recipe. Shrimp dredged in corn starch and fried before being tossed with a spicy sauce sent Hubs and I into drooling fits. I had to make them.

While the shrimp should traditionally be served with rice, I took a cue from Buffalo Chicken recipes and lightened the meal up a little by serving them over a salad. This has become a favorite meal during the long, hot days of summer, and certainly worthy of a mention on The Best Things I Ever Ate (at home) list.

Slippery Shrimp Topped Salad

(adapted from Epicurious)

1 pound large shrimp

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 cups oil (or enough to have about an inch or so in your pan)

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons water

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger root (use the microplane to grate it)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2-3 tablespoons ketchup

1-2 tablespoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (this makes it HOT)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine

2 tablespoons Agave syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced into ribbons

1 medium cucumber, sliced

parsley, chopped

chives, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp. (I removed the tails just because it was easier to eat on our salad, but leaving them on makes a pretty presentation.)
Toss the shrimp with 1/4 cup cornstarch to completely coat the shrimp. (Make sure you "open" the butterflied section and coat the entire shrimp.)
Combine the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a bowl and set aside.
Pour the oil into a large, wide pan (wok would be perfect, but I use my Le Creuset braiser) and heat over medium heat until hot.
Add the shrimp in batches and deep fry until golden about 45 seconds, turning the shrimp as needed to crisp all sides.
Set the shrimp aside on a cooling rack over a baking sheet or on paper toweling to drain.
Drain the oil from wok, leaving 1 tablespoon.
Reheat the wok and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper.
Stir for a few seconds (this will only take seconds or the garlic & ginger may burn), then whisk in the ketchup, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, vinegar, wine, Agave syrup, salt, 1/4 cup water, and the reserved cornstarch mixture.
Cook and stir until the sauce is thick.
Add the shrimp, toss until covered with sauce.
Meanwhile (or even before you start cooking the shrimp) chop the lettuce, use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of carrot, slice the cucumber, chop the parsley and chives, and slice the green onions.
Toss all together and arrange on salad plates.
Top with the Slippery Shrimp (may drizzle with a creamy dressing, if you choose, but I think the shrimp add enough flavor to the salad).
Serves 2 as a main dish salad and 4-6 as a side.

Chicken

A few weeks ago, Hubs and I spent a Sunday afternoon tearing out the decking for our old house front porch. The porch has been sagging forever and featured prominently on our to-do list for several years. However, as usual, the farm had been eating up every one of Hubs' spare minutes. I was excited that he had finally found time that day, and eagerly loaded the sections of rotting, old flooring into the back of the pickup as Hubs cut them out. It soon became apparent that this wasn't just a quick job. Under the porch, framing and supports were also rotten or non-existent. Basically, my rocking chairs might as well have been held up by butterfly wings. Fixing the porch correctly would be a big job.

As (bad) luck would have it, the temperatures decided to soar that first week of porch renovation. A heat index of at least 110 degrees was the norm. It was miserable in the sweltering heat, but I tried to help the best I could with the project. This is when one of my biggest fears reared its ugly head --my fear of heights.

Don't laugh. I know that it doesn't seem like replacing my porch floor should have anything to do with feeling all wobbly and jittery, but it did. Hubs glided back and forth over the exposed joists like a gymnast on a balance beam. I, on the other hand, was paralyzed with fear even though I was only 3 feet off the ground. I was chicken. Bwuck. Bwuck. Bwuck.

This chicken lunged from one point to another grasping whatever I could to hold on. I should be glad that I had control of the camera to document this renovation project, and there are no shots of me with fear in my eyes (or shots of me with hurt and anger in my eyes...but that is another story). I was a chicken, but I did what I could to keep the project moving. Ultimately, a beautifully solid floor is in place, has been sanded, and has one coat of stain. I am waiting for the humidity to allow the stain to dry enough for another coat...and praying that the painter dude shows up soon to finish the (overdue since last year's hail storm) repainting of the rest of the house. This chicken felt the heat and (kinda) rose to the occasion.

Chicken that also feels a little heat and more than rises to almost any occasion is Chipotle Chicken with Creamed Spinach. This smokey chicken dish is originally from Rick Bayless and has the perfect amount of heat. It is special enough to be a "for company" dish, but easy enough to grace a weeknight table. We love serving it with crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce, and leftovers are fabulous for lunch the next day. I am not chicken to have Chipotle Chicken with Creamed Spinach On My Plate.

Chipotle Chicken with Creamed Spinach

(adapted from Rick Bayless)

3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup chicken stock

10-12 cups baby spinach, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the chopped canned chipotles with 1/2 cup of the cream in a Ziplock bag.
Add the chicken breasts to the bag, seal and refrigerate for several hours. (The longer you marinate, the more the chiles season the chicken.)
After marinating, preheat the broiler.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably.
Set 6 inches below a very hot broiler and cook until richly brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn the chicken over, drizzle the remaining cream around them and return to the broiler.
Cook until the chicken is deep golden and no longer squishy feeling when lightly pressed, 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to 4 warm dinner plates and keep warm in a low oven.
Scrape the cream mixture into a large saucepan and add the broth and the spinach.
Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the spinach is wilted and the cream is reduced and thick, about 3 minutes.
Season with salt, then spoon around the chicken breasts to serve.

A Carnivore's Tale

We went out to dinner with some friends the other night and in the course of our chit chat this blog became a topic of conversation. My friend told me that she religiously checks out the photos of my fridge for Fridge Friday; then she carefully leaned in and asked, "But, where is the meat?" I laughed as she listed the veggies and condiments and milk and cheeses that are usual fixtures in my open fridge door posts, but had to admit that aside from a package or two of deli meat, there is seldom any meat in my refrigerator. (There is half of a roasted chicken in a Ziplock on the middle shelf of last Friday's post, though.)

You see, Hubs and I purchase most of our meat directly from the producers. We buy one-half or a full beef from an area rancher (usually a neighbor) and have it processed at the local locker. Pork is purchased the same way, with lamb coming directly from our farm. Whole chickens are supplied by a nearby Hutterite community. Chicken breasts and seafood are purchased at Sam's Club in bulk packaging with individually frozen portions. While my fridge is lacking, my freezer is usually overflowing with protein sources. Trust me. We are carnivores.

However, I am very guilty of the food safety sin of defrosting whatever I have determined will be that night's dinner on the kitchen counter. *I know.* It isn't the proper method. No need to hit me with a ton of comments about how I am going to poison everyone with my cooking. My kitchen is very cool (unless I am baking), and when the frozen product starts to thaw a little, I then will toss it in the fridge. But, most of my Fridge Friday shots are done in the morning before I really know what I will have for dinner that day, or while whatever has made the cut for that day's menu is still thawing on the counter. Therefore, my fridge doesn't reflect what true carnivores we are. Sorry. :-)

Now, this couldn't be a carnivore's tale without a meaty recipe, and Chipotle Meatloaf should please the most carnivorous among us. I adapted Cooking Light's version to use half ground turkey and half ground beef for a "meatier" flavor. Turkey alone is very lean, but doesn't always have the gusto that I want in my meatloaf, especially when paired with the spicy chipotle chiles. (Go ahead and use all ground turkey if you want a main dish lower in fat. There is nothing wrong with changing a recipe up to suit your own carnivore tastes.) You may not be able to locate the meat in my fridge, but here is some Chipotle Meatloaf On My Plate.

Chipotle Meatloaf

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 chipotle chile in adobo (freeze the rest for another use)
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle chiles)...use more, if you like the heat
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 egg whites
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
cooking spray
Sauce:
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute chopped onion in a bit of olive oil or cooking spray.
Chop the chile.
In a large bowl, combine with onions, adobo sauce, and remaining meatloaf ingredients (through ground turkey).
Place meatloaf mixture in a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and brush over meatloaf.
Cover and bake 30 additional minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. (Serves 6)

¡Ay, caramba!

"Hay Grinder on fire. Got it out." That was the text message that Hubs sent to me this afternoon. ¡Ay, caramba! We have had a few awful hay fires in the past, and my mind immediately raced to the memories of those blazes. Tons and tons of hay were lost then. Thankfully, today's sparks caused minimal damage and hay loss. Hubs' quick action and the help of the fire department prevented a huge catastrophe. 

Tonight, as my exhausted Hubs naps in his chair in front of the TV, the only heat is my laptop charring my legs as I menu plan for the rest of the week. ¡Ay, caramba! Lately, I have gotten so lazy about planning our meals. Usually, I just open the fridge or freezer and hope that something jumps out at me. It is a hit or miss way to get a meal On My Plate, and I just hope that whatever jumps hasn't been in the fridge long enough to actually (and not pretend) be coming to life again and really jumping.

One recipe that a friend recently shared with me easily fits heated last minute planning. Taco Soup uses basic pantry items and can even be heated in the crockpot, if time is short. I adjusted the original recipe to suit what I have on hand most of the time, and you could alter it to suit your own tastes. Add a can of black beans to stretch the servings further; change out the diced tomatoes to plain or those with jalapenos; brown diced green peppers with the onions and ground beef. (My friend makes a veg version by using meat substitutes instead of the ground beef. She also recommended ground turkey as an alternative.) Serve it up as a soup, or use it as a topping for baked potatoes. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, even shredded lettuce, diced onion, and tomato. My choice was with Deluxe Corn Muffins (with a can of green chiles added to the mix) on the side and crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, and freshly chopped cilantro on top. It's not On My Plate, but rather, in my bowl, and nobody will be shouting "¡Ay, caramba!" when you ladle up Taco Soup.

Taco Soup 

1 pound ground beef 

1 cup chopped onion 

1  15 oz. can kidney beans, undrained

1  15 oz. can chili beans, undrained

1  15 oz. can fat-free refried beans

2 cups frozen corn

1  15 oz. can tomato sauce

1  15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 1/2 cup water (If you want it more like a chili consistency, reduce or leave out the water.)

1 package taco seasoning

1 package Hidden Valley dressing mix(not buttermilk)

Brown the ground beef with the onion in a soup pot.

Combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Serves 6-8)

Some Like It Hot

Some like it hot. I don't. I usually shrink from arguments. I might state my opinion, but I don't try to force it upon others. I might have some choice words for someone that is being an arrogant jerk, but I have to be pushed pretty hard before I will let them spew out into an ugly argument. I tend to try to stay out of the fire. I don't like the heat, but some like it hot. That is their choice. I don't have to be a part of it.

Some like it hot in food, too. I do like spice flavoring up my dishes, but I am not a fan of heat that burns off my taste buds. I think that there is a balance to properly seasoned food. Some cooks get it; others don't. Heat just for the sake of heat isn't good flavor; it is just another episode of Man Versus Food. (Which honestly, makes me feel ill if the remote lands there. I can't watch that man stuff his face with one gastric disaster after another.)

When I canned up some of my garden tomatoes into salsa, I tried to find that proper balance. We like really flavorful salsa. I love the melding of sun-ripened tomatoes and spicy jalapenos on my tongue. I like the smokiness that almost comes across as heat in the back of my throat when I add a little cumin to the mix. Chopping and stirring and simmering and processing vegetables into beautiful jars of salsa to carry some of the wonderful summer heat into winter is such a satisfying task. I like it. It is a heat that I really enjoy to put Basic Salsa for Canning On My Plate.

Basic Salsa for Canning

8-10 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (I don't seed or pull out the spines. We like that kick.)

12 cups chopped tomatoes (I don't peel, but you could, if you prefer.)

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped green peppers

6 cloves garlic

1 (5 ounce) can tomato paste

3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a large (heavy) pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
Ladle into sterilized pint jars; seal.
Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes. (5-6 pints)

Fridge Friday: Episode 10

Hey! It is Fridge Friday! Did you think that I forgot about giving you little peeks into my fridge? Never. I may have neglected your inquisitiveness, but I didn't forget. I am back this Friday with a gem.

Check it out. That is my hotel room fridge. We have all the basics: water, wine, leftovers, and a Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat. What could I possibly blog about from that fridge, you ask? Honestly, nothing. Or, at least nothing that I would want to eat when combined and heated in the little in-room microwave.

Instead, I am going to tell you that when we left home, Hubs had his mind made up that we were going to eat Mexican food. All day, I salivated at the thought of perfectly seasoned and grilled shrimp folded inside a warm corn tortilla with some creamy coleslaw to make the most awesome shrimp tacos. I wanted. I wanted badly. With beans and rice. Then, we got to the big city and Hubs decided he wanted pasta. So much for Mexican food. *shrug*

However, that doesn't mean that I couldn't still share a great Spanish Rice recipe with you. I have been making Denise's Spanish Rice for several years and pairing it with Spicy Black Beans whenever I serve a spicy Mexican/Tex-Mex themed meal. It is, in my opinion, excellent. Why wouldn't it be? It has bacon. Everything that includes bacon is good. Period.

So...it is Fridge Friday, and I have just a miserable hotel room fridge, and I didn't get Mexican food, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't jump at the chance to have Denise's Spanish Rice On My Plate.

Denise's Spanish Rice

6 strips bacon

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel...mild or hot, your choice)

2 cans roasted green chiles

1 cup long grain white rice (I use Jasmine)

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy.
Set aside on paper towels to drain.
To bacon grease, add the butter and melt.
Add the onion and peppers, sauteing until the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until soft, being careful not to burn.
Add the tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth.
Simmer about 5-10 minutes to blend flavors.
Add the rice, cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, until tender. (May need to add more liquid.)
Before serving, crumble bacon over the top of rice. (Serves 4)

Fridge Friday, episode 5

Yes, I know it is Saturday. I had tried to get my act together for Fridge Friday this week, but a lot of other things pulled at my time and attention. Like keeping my house dry without any windows on the entire west side, and making sure the holes in the roof were covered, and cleaning up shards of glass from the floors and furniture (and in places that make no sense whatsoever), and crying over my beloved peonies, and replanting my garden after it was leveled. Yes, we had a hail storm last Saturday. An ugly hail storm that first dropped baseball-sized hail and shattered everything, then pelleted us with 3-4" of marble-sized stuff. It was incredible...incredibly awful.

Honestly overall, we were lucky compared to many. The entire town was hit hard with thousands of dollars of damages to virtually every structure, but our almost 100 year old stucco siding withstood the storm without damage. I can't say the same about the roof we had put on when we bought the house; the contractor stuck his hand clear through a hole into the attic. (Talk about ventilation.) But, interior damage for us is minimal with glass clean up on our hardwood floors being a pain, but so much better than the yards and yards of wet, glass-filled carpeting that is being pulled out of homes all across town. The 3 vehicles we had here at the house were all totaled with broken windows and fist-sized dents, but they are just things. Things can be repaired and replaced. Nobody was hurt. We have insurance. Life will go on.

Which brings us back to Fridge Friday. It is Saturday, and other than a hastily thrown together pizza, I didn't cook yesterday, but I hate to lose the momentum of this weekly post. I did take time to snap a pic of the VERY bare fridge. What do you see? Anything worth talking about? When I shared this pic on Twitter, someone said they thought I would use the blueberries or possibly dip back into the jar of artichokes. What do you think? 

I thought about being super lazy and just telling you that the Gladware containers on the second shelf were leftovers from our take-out Thursday night dinner from The Homesteader in Gregory. They seriously have the most awesome Kung Bao Beef ever...especially for a steakhouse. (Yes, I said steakhouse.) The Vietnamese owners also do homemade eggrolls on Thursday nights (the top container). Nom. Nom. Nom. I don't think that I have ever turned down their Kung Bao on my plate. 

However, even though I haven't cooked much this week, there is something in the fridge for which I could easily share the recipe. Have you noticed that jar of Candied Jalapenos on the second shelf in all of my Fridge Friday shots? Last year, I canned up a ton of these, literally. Hubs brought home a 5-gallon bucket full of jalapenos from the garden at the farm. After making so many poppers that I thought I would pop, I found a few other tasty uses for those heated peppers. 

Having a jar of Candied Jalapenos on hand, along with a block of cream cheese and a box of crackers is seriously the easiest snack or appetizer ever. People love these sweet, but spicy little gems. I have never put out a plate for snacking that wasn't licked clean when it returned to the kitchen. Hubs tops burgers with the Candied Jalapenos, and I have chopped them up and mixed into a pretty plain Jane potato salad for an extra kick. The hardest part of the canning preparation is slicing the jalapenos, but I used my mandolin slicer and it was a breeze...just don't cut yourself (or if you do...stay tuned to the blog, I have a surprise coming up in a future post). So, give it a try. Even after the stormiest of days, I am happy with Candied Jalapenos On My Plate.

Candied Jalapenos

4 pounds fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

2 pounds onions, diced

1 head fresh garlic, chopped

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

6-8 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

1 teaspoon ginger

Slice jalapenos into thin slices, dice onion, chop garlic. (Gloves are a must for this...and PLEASE don't touch your face or eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands. Those oils are nasty.)
In large pot, combine peppers, onion, and garlic with the remaining ingredients. 
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10-12 minutes, making sure sugar is dissolved.
Fill prepared canning jars with boiling mixture, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Adjust lids.
Water bath 5 minutes to seal the jars.

Fridge Friday, episode 3

I have found that while Fridge Friday has so far accomplished its intended duty of prompting me to blog more regularly, it has also made me infinitely more aware of a few other things.

1. I clean my fridge more often. I have to. You are looking at it every week. Yikes. Maybe I should start posting regular photos of my bed so that I will make it more often than just when someone is coming over? Umm...Not.
2. I plan my menus a bit more, if only for Friday. It might surprise you, but I don't often menu plan. I go to the store, buy what looks good and come home and find something to do with it. 
3. And, I have learned that snapping photos inside a refrigerator is tough. The lighting sucks. That little bulb glares like an interrogation room spotlight.  Unscrew it, and you have coarse, grainy light through my camera lens. Of course, that is pretty much the norm for my food pics, so what am I worried about?

 So...anyway...I have been away a lot of this week, but did a big grocery purchase yesterday. Here is my fridge today:

What catches your eye? The English cucumber on the bottom shelf? The pearls of fresh mozzarella in the bottom left deli drawer? That HUGE bunch of asparagus cut fresh from my backyard? Silk soy milk? I know, there is still a lot of butter in the bottom right corner. That is what we use. Olive oil and real (unsalted) butter are my fats of choice. (I keep canola oil and a can of Pam on hand for baking, but they stay in the cupboard a lot.) Oh! Did you notice the bowl of fresh cherries on the middle shelf? It might be a little early for good fresh cherries, but I couldn't resist throwing them in my cart while shopping.

What catches my eye are the poblano peppers on the second shelf. I was giddy to find these mild chile peppers at the store. One of my favorite meatless meals is Grilled Chiles Rellenos served up with Spanish Rice and Grilled Zucchini.  Of course, you wouldn't have to go meatless. The recipe that I pulled from an issue of Real Simple magazine is a great side with chicken or steaks, too. It is healthier than traditional battered and fried chile rellenos and gives a slight nod to Latin flavors with the addition of raisins for a bit of sweetness with the spicy filling. How spicy your Grilled Chiles Rellenos will be depends on your choice of chili powder and salsa. I like using Chipotle Chile Powder and my home canned salsa. Those options provide some awesome heat. However, more mild versions with regular McCormick's Chili Powder and some store-bought salsa have been just as quickly devoured. The beauty of all recipes is that they are just ideas. Mix it up. Do your own thing; even add some ground beef or turkey to the filling, if you so desire. I just want you to enjoy your own version of Grilled Chiles Rellenos On Your Plate.

Grilled Chiles Rellenos

4 poblano chiles

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8 ounce) package monterey jack cheese, shredded (for a more mild flavor use a Mexican blend cheese)

1/4 cup raisins (more or less, or not at all if this doesn't interest you)

1/4 cup salsa (I like a chunky salsa for this.)

2 teaspoons chili powder

Heat the grill to medium. (We like a charcoal grill for more flavor.)
Cut a slit lengthwise in each chile and carefully scoop out the seeds and ribs.
In a medium bowl, combine the beans, cheese, raisins, salsa, and chili powder. (This is the point where you would add cooked, seasoned, and crumbled ground beef or turkey, if you want to try a non-meatless version.)
Stuff the peppers with the filling.
Place peppers on grill and cook, turning frequently, until they are soft and the cheese has melted. (Serves 4)

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

I had the opportunity to extend my 15 minutes of fame this week. The local newspaper, The Winner Advocate, contacted me and asked if I would like to contribute to their "Cook of the Week" feature. Some would think that this would be a piece of cake after being interviewed on camera for the Eye on Keloland piece, but I was still horribly nervous. I don't know that fame and fortune are in the cards for me. My stomach ties up in knots, my mouth goes dry, my palms sweat, and hives threaten to break through the surface of my skin and make me itch. Probably the worst symptom of my nerves is my babbling mouth. I think that the local editor and reporter, Dan Bechtold, was glad to be free of my chatter (and my crazy, barking pups) at the end of his visit to my house.

I also think that he was glad to have a doggy bag of My Favorite Cheesy Garlic Bread tucked under his arm as he swung his camera bag over his shoulder and folded away his notes. It is good stuff, and I thought that the readers of the "Cook of the Week" article would like to check it out. Along with the garlic bread, I pulled together a full menu for a summer dinner. I think that planning an entire meal often stumps people, especially putting together side dishes. This is a casual summer dinner menu that would work equally well for hosting guests, or just for any night of the week. The side dishes could be incorporated into many other menu plans, as well. All recipes are effortless, and I hope that you don't just read all about them, but do give them a whirl. I know that I really enjoy them On My Plate.

Simple Summer Dinner Menu
Salad
Chopped Salad with Spice Buttermilk Dressing
Main Course
Pollo en Mojo (Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce)
Side Dishes
Onion and Garlic Rice
Steamed Green Beans *no recipe
My Favorite Cheesy Garlic Bread
Dessert
Blueberry Gallette

Chopped Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

½ teaspoon dried chipotle powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 green onions, sliced thinly (and whites & greens separated)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 ounces Monterrey Jack Pepper cheese, cubed

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, white portion of green onions, and garlic.
Combine chile powder, salt, and pepper and add to mixture.
Add romaine, tomatoes, corn, cheese, green portion of the green onions to a salad bowl.
Toss and combine. (Serves 4)

Pollo en Mojo (Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce)

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
5 cloves garlic
coarse salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Combine garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin seed, smoked paprika, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour into a Ziplock bag with chicken and seal.
Marinate at least 1 hour, but as long as overnight.
(I have also added the marinade to the frozen chicken breasts and allowed to marinate all day as the chicken defrosted in the fridge.)
Grill over hot coals until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. (Serves 4)

Onion and Garlic Rice

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup uncooked rice (NOT instant)
2 cups chicken stock

Heat olive oil in small sauce pan with a tight fitting lid.
Add the garlic and onion, stir and cook until onion becomes translucent. Be careful not to burn garlic.
Add rice and continue to stir until all the grains are coated with the olive oil.
Add the chicken stock, reduce heat to low and cover with the lid.
Cook for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat, but do not remove lid.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff with fork and serve. (Serves 4)

Waffling

March 25 was International Waffle Day. Yep. That was yesterday. A good food blogger would have had a submission ready to post early in the day. A good food blogger might have tempted you with perfectly crispy or decadent fruit-topped waffles for breakfast, chocolate waffles for dessert, or savory waffles for dinner. The blogger might even have gotten creative and thrown in some Waffle Fries just to stir things up.

Obviously, I am not a good food blogger. There are many AMAZING food bloggers out there, and I can while away an entire day reading their recipes, soaking in their tips, knowledge, and humor, and drooling over their food porn photos. Their skills (in the kitchen, with words, and behind the camera) entrance me. What I do here is just share what's On My Plate. As the heading says, this is just my menu with a little life thrown in.

As for my life and my menu on March 25...friends can tell you that I love a good holiday celebration. So of course, waffles had to be the main attraction on International Waffle Day. The evening before, I had mentioned the possibility of banana waffles to Hubby, and while he didn't verbally protest, I did get "the look." I wasn't willing to give up, though. Hitting my online recipe sources, I was actually searching for a bacon waffle recipe (because everything is better with pork fat, right?) when I stumbled upon a Mexican Cornmeal Waffle recipe that had caught my eye some time ago.

What better way to celebrate Waffle Day than with dense, cornmeal waffles as a base for a cumin and green chile spiced ground beef and kidney bean mixture, shredded lettuce and cheese, dollops of sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce? I gave my nod to International Waffle Day with a taco salad on a cornbread waffle On My Plate.

Mexican Cornmeal Waffles

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups canned tomatoes with green chiles
1 can red kidney bean
shredded lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
taco sauce

Mix flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Beat the egg yolks, add the milk, and combine well with the cornmeal mixture.
Beat the cornmeal mixture until smooth.
Add the melted butter to batter and mix well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.
Bake in a hot waffle iron until golden brown.
Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, chopped onion, and garlic.
Add all other seasonings (may adjust to taste), tomatoes and beans; simmer uncovered at least 20 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and flavors have blended.
To serve, layer waffle topped with meat mixture, shredded lettuce and cheese, sour cream, and drizzle with taco sauce.(Serves 6)

What a Crock

There are recipes for all kinds of dishes to be prepared in crock pots. Breakfasts of slow-cooked oatmeal; lunches of soup; pot roasts and even the mashed potatoes to serve with them; cobbler like desserts; and just about anything in between can magically simmer in the crock pot while you cut the apron strings to the kitchen and get on with your life. That isn't to say that I believe that everything can/should be prepared in a crock pot. It is kinda like Speedos...just because they are there doesn't mean it's a good thing. A successful crock pot meal requires common sense and most of all attention to your own tastes. Don't like a roast chicken that isn't browned? Don't attempt the crock pot recipe. Want a chili with the blended flavors of chiles, seasoned meat, and beans (for us Northerners) bubbled all day? The crock pot could be your perfect tool.

My crock pot isn't used a lot. Honestly, I am not happy with the texture of many foods after cooking for hours. But, I love the ease of tossing in a few ingredients and not giving dinner a second thought, except to appreciate the aromas drifting through the house. Trial and error has provided a few chosen recipes for the crock pot that I turn back to time and again.

One of those tried and true recipes is a flavorful and spicy method for preparing shredded meat for tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, nachos, casseroles, and even soups and stews. The original recipe called for beef roasts, and I can attest that it is fabulous. I have also prepared it with lamb and deer roasts with equal success. However, I recently swapped out a few ingredients from the original recipe to create Chipotle Pork. Hubby and I loved it, swooned over it, ate like little piggies and couldn't get enough of it. It is not a crock to have Chipotle Pork On My Plate.

Chipotle Pork

3-5 pounds pork loin roast
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
3-5 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
1 (7 ounce) can salsa verde
1-2 cups slice onion
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

Place roast in crock pot and season with pepper, chili powder and cumin.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
Shred the meat with a fork and simmer in the sauce on high for additional 10-15 minutes. (Serves 8)
(To make the original Chipotle Beef (or Lamb or Deer) replace the chicken broth with beef broth.)

Rooting for a Copycat

This morning, I had a root canal. Honestly, it was a simple and almost painless procedure. I actually felt as if I spent more time in the waiting room than in the dental chair. Afterward, I took the recommended hefty dosage of ibuprofen and promptly crashed into an incredibly restful nap. I was still free of any major discomfort when I awoke and found myself feeling as if I would be missing out on something if I didn't take the opportunity to go out in the "Big City."

I hadn't made plans because I was unsure of how I would feel after my rendezvous with the dentist. I didn't want to burden any friends with my whining because let's face it, it is no newsflash that I can be a whiner when I don't feel well. I had thought it best just to be on my own. With Advil keeping my whining at bay, I grabbed my phone and made a call.

Luckily, a friend was up for a last minute dinner out. In less than half an hour, we were sitting at a local establishment sipping a glass of wine and catching up on our lives. When the waitress asked for our order, we had been chatting so much that I hadn't even bothered to look at the menu. It didn't matter. I quickly selected an entree that I have enjoyed on previous occasions. Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia is a spicy dish served over angel hair pasta. The fish is mild and flaky, but the creamy sauce makes your mouth burn with the pleasure of the jalapenos. This spicy tilapia is even brought into the lunch menu in the form of a panini. I have sampled that several times, as well, and am always extremely happy with the choice. In fact, I like it so well that I have developed my own copycat version of the recipe. No need to schedule a root canal and make the 3 hour drive to the "Big City." I now can make and enjoy a Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia Panini to land On My Plate any time, friends and wine always welcome.

Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia Panini

4 tilapia fillets
1 cup Club crackers, finely crushed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 small jalapeno, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
8 slices hearty country Italian bread
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
8 slices provolone cheese

For the tilapia:
Crush crackers and combine with pepper.
Dip fish fillets into beaten egg, and then coat with cracker crumbs.
Fry in 350 degree oil until breading is golden and fish flakes easily.
Remove to an oven-proof plate in a warm oven.
For the sauce:
Melt butter on low heat. Add jalapeño and garlic. Sauté until jalapeño is softened, but be careful not to burn garlic.
Add flour and stir while heating about a minute.
Add chicken broth and cook stirring until sauce thickens. Stir in sour cream.
Set aside until ready to assemble the panini's.
For the panini:
Preheat panini grill.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil or spread with butter.
Assemble sandwiches with oiled/buttered side of bread to the outside, layering provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, tilapia fillet, cream sauce and final slice of bread.
Place sandwich on grill.
Grill until bread is toasted and the cheese has melted. (Serves 4)
(To create the Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia with angel hair pasta, skip the breading of the fish and pan sear; double the sauce; add a handful of baby spinach leaves to the boiling pasta, just to wilt; layer pasta on the plate, then tilapia fillet, and top with sauce; garnish with chopped and seeded tomatoes and a grating of Parmesan cheese.)

Peter Piper Picked A Peck of Pickled Peppers

Peter Piper is famous for picking his peppers. Good for him. I wish for a peck of peppers. It seems that the pepper plants in my little raised garden bed are slow to mature this year. They are only just beginning to set on tiny little peppers. Picking will be peck of time down the road. This schedule has left me a little worried. The calendar may say August, but our first frost can't be that far away. I hope they make it as I have plans for those colorful globes of flavor.

Honestly, I am truly not that much of a pepper fan. I can't seem to properly digest raw peppers. The result is always a horrible heartburn. However, Hubby and friends are great fans of a Pepper Slaw with Chipotle Dressing that I discovered a few years ago. They claim that it has the perfect blend of full flavors. I will take their word for it. I do know that it smells great, is beautiful to look at, and seems to be a great side for almost any grilled dinner. I don't know if it is worth a bottle of Tums for me to enjoy, but I am really glad that someone does. When I can pick a peck of peppers, Pepper Slaw with Chipotle Dressing will land On My Plate...or someone's. ;~)

Pepper Slaw with Chipotle Dressing

5 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, sliced
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, sliced

Puree first 6 ingredients in blender. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)
Toss sliced bell peppers and dressing together in a large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours. (Serves 8)