Gomboblog

Christmas Eats

2012-01-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

I actually don't care for a lot of "holiday" food.

I don't like stuffing--let's be honest folks, it's soggy bread.

I don't like yams that are full of sugar and covered in marshmallows--if you're gonna eat a yam or a sweet potato, just treat it like a potato! Don't try to mask its taste with all that extra stuff.

I only like cranberries if they are from fresh berries. Cannot stand that canned stuff.

I don't like green bean casserole or any other casserole that has a cream-of-X soup in it or is covered with those crispy fried onion bits stuff.

I don't like ham a lot of time--unless it's a really expensive kind. If it's the kind from the regular market it's just got a strange texture and squeaks on my teeth.

But, I LOVE the holidays. So I have to do my own thing. One thing I adore is Christmas breakfast. I love breakfast in general, which is not cereal. Cereal is a great snack. Breakfast is warm and buttery and requires a fork. Christmas breakfast especially. The oven must be turned on. And it should take a good long time to eat it, while we sip coffee or tea and watch the sun move across the window.

Christmas Breakfast

Fruit Parfait (fruit, angel food cake, fruit dip)
Cinnamon Toast (from Trader Joe's)
Baked Egg in Ham Cup with Fontina and Dill

Baked Eggs

Christmas Dinner

Beef Wellington with Red Wine Sauce
(Gana and I had a good cut of meat,
but the kids' I made with ground beef.)
Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Served up with a Cabernet Sauvignon

Eggnog Shortbread Trifle, AKA a little bit o' heaven

Tea Floats

2011-12-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

This was our dessert last Sunday, while celebrating the fourth Sunday of Advent:

Tea Floats!

Zhenas Gypsy Organic Chocolate Chai Tea

with a scoop of Trader Joe's Vanilla ice cream

and a sprinkling of chocolate chips to punch it up a bit

I can't get this picture to flip. My computer is in the hospital (read: the basement),
so for the time being I'm using Gana's laptop
and he doesn't have the same programs I'm used to using.

Any time is tea time when it comes with ice cream and chocolate chips!

Chia Pudding

2011-12-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late to the chia party. All the health conscious people I know have been recommending chia seeds for a while. I finally tried them recently. Guess what? I'm in love. They go in our morning oatmeal daily. they get sprinkled in and on top of bread. They get tossed into smoothies.

Today I debuted them for dessert!

Actually, Meg made this by herself.

Chia Pudding

(enough for our crowd!)

1 1/2 cups organic black chia seeds

about six cups unsweetened almond milk

sugar to taste

about 2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Let it set for about 45 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so. This will thicken by itself. It will be sort of like tapioca pudding.

Top with fresh whipped cream.

Can dessert be healthy? I say "Yes!"

Family Time

2011-12-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

For four Sundays leading up to Christmas we observe Advent as a family. We eat something delicious, including dessert! We light our candles, sing a hymn or two, and Daddy reads some Scriptures.

Sometimes we follow that with a craft or Mommy reading a Christmas book--Max Lucado, Tommie dePaola, or classic Dickens. Tonight we watched Christmas movies after dinner.

We had Brats and Roasted Cabbage Wedges for dinner. And for dessert, Pumpkin Ricotta Fritters. Nutella hot chocolate for the kids and Turtle Doves for Gana and me.

Pumpkin Ricotta Fritters

(I have no idea where I originally got this recipe! I've been making these for years. I've changed it only slightly. I'd love to give proper credit to it's source, but I don't know where that is.)

1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1/4 powdered sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling on the top
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of salt
oil for deep frying
honey for garnish

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix until smooth.

Heat oil until the handle of a wooden spoon causes bubbles to form around the tip when immersed.

Drop batter by heaping teaspoon full into the hot oil. Fry until done, turning once.

Drain well on towel. Transfer to another serving dish (or as I did in small paper sacks) and sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

For one serving:

Heat 1/4 cup of whole milk with a few spoonfuls of Nutella. Whisk until blended. Add about 3/4 more milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Heat slowly while whisking it to make it frothy. Serve in a mug, topped with freshly whipped cream and marshmallows.

Oh, yeah..............

Asian Chicken Chili Soup with Micro Greens

2011-11-28T13:13:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, poached and diced
12 cups chicken broth
4 bell peppers cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoon sweet asian-style chili sauce
2 packages Trader Joe's Organic Micro Greens (I only mention the brand because I don't know how much I used in ounces! So, two packages it is.)

Bring the broth, soy sauce and chili sauce to a boil. Add peppers and chicken and simmer until the peppers are tender-crisp.

Right before you serve add the micro-greens. Serve immediately, while the greens are wilted, but not yet boiled to death.

Served this with egg rolls on the side, instead of the usually toast or bread.

Curry Sweet Potato Soup

2011-11-22T22:18:00.001-08:00

Fair warning: there may be an awful lot of soup recipes this Autumn and Winter.

Maybe it's the weather or my mood. I just want a bowl of comfort food every evening for dinner or every afternoon for lunch--much to my husband's chagrin. He doesn't feel like he's had a meal unless it involves a good bit of chewing. Therefore soups are not necessarily his favorite.

So, I'll throw in a few stews and chunky soups to make him happy.

Today I got a late start on dinner, however--didn't actually think of what I was making until almost 5pm. I don't recommend putting off your dinner plans so late--especially if you have little children who come into the kitchen looking pathetic saying, "What's for dinner? I'm so hungry." And then they say, "Can I eat this?" taking a pizza crust off a used plate that a child at co-op today left on the counter. Mama, you'd better think fast.

This came together so quickly; soul and palate satisfying. Curry Sweet Potato Soup, served up with apples and buttery toast. It tasted like Autumn.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
--George Eliot

3 pounds sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick of butter
1 quart chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk
salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons curry powder or your favorite curry paste
a pinch of cayenne pepper

Bake sweet potatoes until soft. Let cool briefly (or plow ahead like I did, risking injury. Just depends on how much time you have). Squeeze the potato flesh out of their skins. Discard skins. Set potato mash aside.

In a large pot melt butter. Saute onion and garlic until golden and soft.

Add the sweet potatoes and broth.

With an immersion blender process in the pot until almost smooth. (I like the leave a bit of texture.)

Add curry and salt and peppers.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, letting flavors blend. Add the evaporated milk and heat through.

Serve up immediately, garnished with apple slices.

Avocado Fries

2011-11-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

One word: phenomenal. You will love these. I think it may be my new favorite way to eat avocado. It may not be the healthiest way to eat a vegetable (well, technically, it's a fruit, although that's hardly an excuse), but I dare you to eat just one!

Here you go:

Oil for frying
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 firm medium avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges.
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 in. oil. You'll know it's at the right temperature when you put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and it bubbles all over the edges. This is about 375° on a deep-fry thermometer.

2. Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/2 tsp. salt in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates.

3. Sprinkle the avocado slices with the remaining ½ tsp salt. Dip each slice in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, then panko to coat. Set on board in a single layer. You'll want to prepare them all before you start frying, because they fry very quickly.

4. Fry until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Don't overcrowd the pan and let them touch. Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados. Sprinkle with coarse salt and grated parmesan.

(I found this recipe on Circle B Kitchen.)

I served these with a basil dipping sauce and the kids devoured them.

Cheesy Bacon Pulls

2011-10-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Football season is here! This is what you should be eating tomorrow after church while you watch the game.

1 unsliced loaf of round sourdough bread
8-12 oz. sharp cheddar, thinly sliced
6 oz. applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup melted butter
2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, chives, parsley, etc. Whatever you like!)

Using a sharp knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust.

Place cheese slices between the cuts. Sprinkle with bacon and herbs, making sure they get in the cuts.

Pour melted butter over the bread, evenly.

Wrap the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Unwrap and return to the oven. Bake until cheese is fully melted, about 10 minutes.

For a little extra kick add sliced jalapenos with the fresh herbs!

I warn you. You will be hooked.

Homemade Ricotta

2011-08-25T10:51:00.001-07:00

One of my oh-so-creative and foodie friends popped by yesterday and together we whipped up some homemade ricotta. Yes, we actually did. That's just how we roll.

Actually, it was all her idea and what an idea it was! So delicious I could have eaten an entire baguette by myself and the whole dish of cheese, too!

The recipe was so simple that I think it just might be something I whip up on a Sunday morning and use to stuff some crepes with lemon and honey. I'm drooling right now if you must know.

Here it is:

4 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine these ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. DO NOT STIR.

When it's boiling, remove from heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. You'll see that there will be curds and whey. If for some reason it's not properly separating, add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice, gently stir and let it sit 5 extra minutes.

After the 15 minutes, strain it through a cheese cloth lined sieve or colander. The longer you let it set the firmer (and more flavorful) the cheese will be. We let ours drain for about 30 minutes, I think.

Baguette toasted with olive oil, topped with ricotta, tomatoes from the garden, cucumbers and coarse sea salt.

Toasted baguette with olive oil, topped with ricotta, yellow baby pear tomatoes from the garden
Fresh snipped basil and coarse sea salt

My personal favorite:
Whole grain baguette brushed with olive oil, topped with ricotta, fresh snipped tarragon
Drizzled with local honey and sprinkled with sea salt.

I could eat this all day long and not get tired of it

Cabbage, Fennel and Apple Slaw

2011-08-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I WISH I had taken a picture of it, because it was pretty. But, I didn't know it would taste so yummy or that Captain would say, "This is the best salad you ever made!" He's begged me to make it again and has laid claim to the small portion of leftovers. Who knew a kid could love cabbage, fennel and apples so much!

Anyway, here's the recipe, as best I can remember it:

Dressing:
3 Tablespoons oil
2 1/2 Tablespoons vinegar (I used a lemon-thyme infused vinegar my friend, Kristina, made for me!)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons sugar

Salad:
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced crosswise
1 Tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
2 firm Fuji apples, julienned

Whisk together dressing and add to salad. Toss to coat. Sea salt to taste.

We enjoyed this tonight with grilled steaks and mashed potatoes.

Grilled Shrimp and Multigrain Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Cilantro Dressing

2011-07-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Summer Eating

2011-07-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Round about October when the Autumn weather turns a tad chillier I'm in the mood for stews and thick soups and things that bubble in the crockpot all day. By the time Winter is in full swing I want to put everything in the oven, cover it with cheese and bread crumbs. I enjoy things roasted and toasted and served with something deep and rich to drink like a hearty red wine.

Awwww........but in the Summer it's a different story. I want to eat things full of color, crisp and vibrant. If it can be cooked on the grill outside it will be. Whenever possible we pluck a few things from the garden, just minutes before we prepare the food. The meals are lighter, but we linger over them. We often eat outside.

Homemade pizza on a whole wheat crust.
Goat cheese with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.

Homemade pizza on a whole wheat crust.
Goat cheese with fresh grilled corn and jalapenos.

I make a lot of pie in the summer.
Here's an unbaked blueberry and strawberry pie
with a crumb topping.

Grilled lamb steaks.
Millet Salad
(millet, yellow bell peppers, green onions,
cucumbers, and feta with a lemon and basil dressing).

What to eat after church when everyone is so hungry
and you only have a few minutes to throw it together?

Caesar Salad (romaine, anchovies, kalamata olives,
artichoke hearts and Parmesan Romano cheese)

Cheese toasts

Am I the only mother whose children beg her to buy brussel sprouts?

Served with grilled dill salmon

Most people I know who hate brussel sprouts have only had some strange version of frozen or canned and reheated. I wouldn't like them either in that case. We eat them a variety of ways, but here is a simply way that I bet you'll like:

Lightly steam the brussel sprouts until they are a vibrant color, but not soft. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet until quite hot. Carefully, dump the hot steamed sprouts all at once into the oil and toss until they are all dark and toasty on the outside. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

My most recent obsession: Jalapeno Poppers.
Seriously, I've been eating these several times a week!

These are stuffed with Port Salut and wrapped in uncured applewood smoked bacon.

Puttanesca and Herb Green Salad

If you've never tried Puttanesca, I highly recommend it. A welcomed break from marinara and alfredo, which seem to be the only two pasta sauces with which Americans are familiar. Although it does have tomatoes in it, it is really nothing like a marinara, which is sweet and heavy. Puttanesca is bitter and briny and wonderful. Quite oily and perfect with a crusty bread! Gana much prefers it to other tomato based sauces. There is a very decent recipe here: Puttanesca I.

Dahl

2011-06-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

I love food that starts with a counterful of fresh produce.

Sauteed onions, jalapenos, garlic, tomatoes and spices.

Dahl, Poori, and Lime

Comfort Food

2011-06-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather recently passed away. Not living in the same town anymore I wasn't able to help much with funeral preparations. So, I volunteered to cook. It was an act of love for my Grandpa whom I love and miss dearly (he loved to eat), for my Grandma, and for my Mom. And, to be honest, it was something I did for myself. I needed some good comfort food and cooking is therapeutic for me.

I had some lovely help the day before with prep, namely my cousin Liz and my Aunt Becky. Several ladies of my parents church pitched in and made dozens and dozens of delicious cookies and served the day of the funeral. I cannot thank them enough.

Feta Olive Tarts with Rosemary

Antipasti

Breadsticks (from Trader Joes) with roasted garlic

Layered Salad

Baked Ziti

Homemade french bread with whipped butter and herbs

Cookies, lovingly made by the women of The Revival Center

Cheesecake and fruit

"I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking. Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn't happen in restaurants." --Delia Smith

Food has a way of bringing people together. Diners let their guards down over the appetizer. Over the main course cares ease and the mind starts to be refreshed. Over dessert and coffee people bond and heal and share their lives. Sometimes it feels as if one had the right menu we could reconcile the world.

Mother's Day Eats

2011-05-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

I had a very FULL Mother's Day. Full schedule and a full belly!

After breakfast (along with cards and gifts from the kids and Gana) we went to church. Then it was home for snacks including:

Spicy Shrimp Inari

Then Gana grilled and we enjoyed a huge lunch as a family (while the Lakers lost their dignity).

Fiddlehead ferns with salt and vinegar

Pork Tenderloin with Lavender Sea Salt

Artichokes with a Parmesan dipping sauce

So, I let the kids do the dishes while I took a brief nap. Then I had a hot date:

Luc took me out for Cold Stone where we had a Love It sized All Lovin' No Oven.
(Cake Batter ice cream with cookie dough, whipped cream and fudge.)
The best part--He paid and treated me like a lady!

Came home, had a little rest and then it was my next big date, with Israel. He took me to the movies (Gnomeo and Juliet) and bought me a big popcorn.

I came home and crashed. My pregnant digestive system was screamin'! And I was one happy Mama!

Leftover Passover

2011-04-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

When life gives you charoset,

make pie!

Charoset is a mixture of apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and red wine. There are many variations (some including figs, ginger, etc.) but that's the basic recipe. You eat it with matzoh during the Passover Seder. It represents the mortar used by the children of Israel while slaves in Egypt.

It's very tasty. But still, we made too much. What's a mom to do? Surely, one cannot throw out red wine soaked apples and walnuts! No way! I threw together a chocolate crumb crust on the bottom and a basic crumb for the top. Baked to golden perfection.

Fresh

2011-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

Look at this lettuce from our very own winter garden! (My apologies to the folks still covered in layers of ice and snow who cannot have a winter garden.) I also have some broccoli, cabbage, arugula, mesclun, and onions. Eating something this fresh is not only satisfying to the taste buds, it's soul satisfying, too.

Recent Meals In Our Home

2011-01-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

Chicken Broccoli Soup topped with a poached egg and Parmesan cheese

Curry Chicken Salad served on a bed of greens from our garden
and with slices of papaya

Garbanzo Beans topped with Gouda,
Served with Cornbread

Homemade Noodles (Tutorial here.)
Sausage, peppers and onions

Christmas Eats

2011-01-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

Now you will see where I get my intense foodiness. This is the feast my mother prepared on Christmas!

Salad with pears, pomegranate seeds, and candied walnuts

Rustique Bread

Burgundy Mushrooms

New potatoes with parsley and tons of butter

Beef Wellington

Yule Log, a family favorite.
It would not feel like Christmas dinner was complete
without a slice of this and a cup of tea!

We like my Mom's Yule Log so much, she has to make three!

Veggie Burgers

2011-01-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

Veggie Burger with all the fixin's
Homemade baked fries

I roughly used the recipe from here: Ultimate Veggie Burger. But, instead of stuffing the veggie burger, we put it on a bun and dressed it like a regular burger. Served it up with some potato wedges baked with olive oil and sea salt. Also made the buns from scratch using Laine's French Bread recipe.

These were so good that even the kids devoured them and have asked me to make them again! Score one for Mommy!

Lavender Champagne Rice

2011-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Pork Loin Medallions,
Carrot Bean Sprout Salad with Wonton Crisps,
Lavender Champagne Rice

The pork was forgettable. The salad was good, just because the dressing was so tangy and sweet (a little lemon vinegar, honey, spices). But the rice was out of this world! Unfortunately, that is the food in the background instead of front, center and focus!

It was a basic rice pilaf. When I sauteed the onions to start, I added about a tablespoon lavender. (Do this on LOW so you don't burn the delicate lavender!). I replaced about half the liquid with champagne which we had leftover from our New Year's celebration.

It was so very tasty, I am definitely going to make it again!

My Thanksgiving Table, 2010

2010-12-26T23:21:00.000-08:00

We celebrated with a total of 27 people (including me). The primary language spoken was Mongolian (only one of the 27 didn't speak at least a little Mongolian). Family. Extended Family. Friends. Missionary kids.

But the food was all the real American deal! Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin soup and salad, brandied cranberry sauce, asparagus strudel, angel biscuits, carrot souffle, and a relish tray. Dessert? Apple pie, struessel topped pumpkin pie, cake, and Kahlua coffee.

In all the merry-making, I only remembered to take a picture of the table and the soup. You'll just have to imagine how breathtaking the rest was.

In The Kitchen With Meg

2010-11-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

This morning we put in our winter garden. This afternoon we spent time under a blanket on the couch reading The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis while the kids made paper crafts. It just felt like a Fall day, a perfect Fall day.

We needed an appropriate meal! Meg had this meal in mind for weeks having dreamed it up on her own. So, today we had a hearty pork stew seasoned with herbs from the garden and a hint of nutmeg. Served in a pumpkin. After creating the stew we stuck it in the pumpkin and baked it for about 15-20 minutes so the pumpkin got just tender. Then when you scooped out your stew you could also get a bit of fresh pumpkin off the sides.

When prepping the pumpkin, Meg very thoughtfully cut a notch for the ladle. What a girl!

And then Meg said, "Mom, this needs bread. Some sort of bread that's good with lots of butter." It wasn't time to start a loaf of french bread, so we made some buttery biscuits. They came toasty from the oven at the same time as the stew.

Mmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmm!

An Autumn Dinner....despite the heat

2010-11-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

We are having a little heat wave in the Golden State. But, this is what I had planned, so this is what I made. Plus, I am feeling a bit under the weather and soup is the ultimate comfort food.

Homemade Wheat Herb Rolls

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

The bread recipe can be found here.

Here's the soup recipe:

Approximately 2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked

Approximately 4 Tablespoons butter

One large onion, chopped

Two stalks of celery, chopped

One medium potato, chopped

Six cups chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you are vegetarian)
One-third cup pure Maple syrup

Approximately 1/4 cup half-and-half and a little more for garnish

Chives fresh from the herb garden for garnish

After you bake the sweet potatoes, scoop out the insides and set aside. Discard the skins in your compost bin.

Saute the onions and celery in the butter until tender.

Add the broth and potato and cook about 10-15 minutes until the potato is soft.

Add the sweet potato mash and the syrup and stir. Here is where I took the immersion blender (hand blender) to it. (If you don't have a hand blender you can puree it in batches in your food processor or blender.) Puree until smooth. Reheat while stirring and then add the half-and-half. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the broth you used, very likely you will not need to add additional salt. Serve with a dollop of half-and-half and a few sprigs of chives.

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore beautiful food?

First Meals In Paris

2010-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

On the way to Paris from Rennes, our train stopped in Le Mans. We had just about 45 minutes so we hastily chose a little eatery and enjoyed lunch. I ordered a Camembert sandwich and a glass of Riesling.

Gana had a chitterlings sausage and pomme frites.

For dinner we ate at Cafe du March, which was just steps away from our hotel.

We started with two glasses of champagne. I had the fried duck with pomme frites. Gana had a steak. I had a glass of white wine and Gana had a 1664 beer.

In true French style, we finished with a plate of assorted cheeses.

And café créme.

Note: Coffee tastes better in Europe. Must be something about the milk.

The Picnics

2010-08-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

We spent 10 days in Europe--France and Italy to be exact. As everyone knows, two things are true of Europe. 1) It's expensive. 2) The food is wonderful.

Our answer to these two things is PICNICS! First thing in the morning we'd go to a little market or shops and buy the fixin's. Wonderfully authentic things like cheese, sausage, fresh bread, fresh pesto, local wines or beer. After a busy morning of sightseeing when we were ready for lunch, we'd find a spot (from the edge of the Seine, to a courtyard of an old church) and have a picnic! (Thanks to Rick Steves, we took a few essential picnic supplies with us: small tablecloth, cups, knife/corkscrew/bottle opener, salt and pepper, forks.) It saved a lot of money and really, how can anything beat a perfect picnic?!

Details of the trip are on the Family Blog. But, here is a visual taste of the best, tastiest and most romantic picnics you've ever seen. Please don't drool on your keyboard.

Keema and Lady Fingers

2010-08-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Picked these beauties up at Farmer's Market on Saturday.

Many people think they don't like okra, mainly because they haven't had okra done right! Here's how to cook it without too much......er....slime:

Okra has to be treated very respectfully. It is not a mere peasant like a potato which you can disrespect and mash up and it responds deliciously. Okra is a little too aristocratic for that. If you don't treat okra just right it will not hesitate to slime you.

First give your okra a gentle rinse in cold water being careful not to break or bruise it.

Then lay it out on a fuzz free towel (or paper towel....although I rarely if ever have paper towels). Pat it gently dry. Then let is air dry. If there is any water left on the little beauties when you cut them they will slime.

When they are completely dry cut off the very top, being careful not to dig into the core. When the seedy core comes in contact with water it gets gelatinous.

At this point you can do what you want with them. Fry them, add them to gumbo, stew 'em with some tomatoes, etc. They are healthy and delightfully yummy.

Here we have Keema (which is Indian-style minced meat. I used lamb.) and Lady's Fingers (which is what I learned to call okra when I spent a summer in Pakistan). We ate this with a jalapeno slaw, cucumbers with yogurt, and Poori (tutorial here). Served with La Crema Pinot Noir. I made a lot of everything, really hoping we'd have left overs today. I guess I made it a little TOO TASTY, because it's all gone! I guess it's grilled cheese for lunch today.

Here's another tasty recipe using okra. It has a lot of ingredients, but is sooooooo worth it. It's one of my favorite soups.

I heart Summer

2010-07-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Grilled Squash, Corn and Bean Salad, and Rustique Bread

2010-07-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Cut squash lengthwise in half. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Grill on both sides until slightly tender and toasted. Serve hot. Then hear your son say, "Mom, I never thought I'd say this, but can I please have more squash?" Was the best squash I've ever had. Helped that it was fresh--really fresh, like not even 12 hours off the plant.

Pinto beans, raw corn fresh off the cob from Farmer's Market, tomatoes, hot peppers (from the garden) and cucumbers (from the garden). With a very light dressing made from the herb and lemon infused vinegar made especially for me by Kristina from iFit Gourmet!

Red, White and Blue enough to make you green with envy

2010-07-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

A post from my daughter Meg, age 9:

Meg's Holiday Pizza

Ingredients:

Philo dough

Sugar

1 stick butter

1 block cream cheese

Splash of vanilla

teaspoon of lemon juice

strawberries

blueberries

Directions:

Put the philo dough between two damp towels. Get a round pan and put one layer of philo dough on pan. Brush on melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Keep doing this until the last layer. Then bake it at 350F until done. Then cool completely.

Make the sauce: Whip the cream cheese in a medium bowl, put a splash of vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar to taste. Spread it on the cooled pastry. And decorate it with strawberries and blueberries. Or choose what you want to put on it.

Daja: For dessert, we also had Ciliege e Vino (cherries in wine) over ice cream. OH. MY. WORD. You should try this. It was really fresh and sweet and a bit spicy. Over some organic natural vanilla ice cream it was SMOOTH.

Our first Fourth in our new house. Our house is beautifully situated for Independence Day celebrations! Next year, we just might do it big! From the upper balcony (yes we have more than one), you can see the most amazing view. And on the horizon line you can see about 20 different firework displays! We had a blast!

Truly Fresh

2010-07-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Pizza is a health food.

Whole wheat crust, spread with marscarpone, topped with chevre, and the following things from our own garden: zucchini, yellow zucchini, green onions, chocolate beauty peppers, and basil. Drizzled with olive oil and baked until toasted and savory. It was like the pizza they will serve in heaven at the marriage supper.

Curry Potatoes

2010-07-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Generous amounts of coconut milk and fresh lime

Served with brown rice

2010-07-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

H/T: The Kitchen Madonna

Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Greens With Bacon

2010-06-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Sweet Potatoes

A healthy chunk of butter

Salt and Pepper

A pinch of Cumin

A bit of brown sugar

Red pepper flakes

Grill in packets over medium high heat, 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Collard, mustard, spinach and kale with peppered bacon and garlic and a splash (or two) of white wine. Simmered down and delicious.

A Perfect Meal For The First Day of Summer

2010-06-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

Sliders with blue cheese

Butter lettuce salad with slices of yellow zucchini from our garden

and sliced almonds

Fat Tire

Happy Summer!

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.

~Sam Keen

The Cutest Deli Tray Ever

2010-06-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

It makes me happy just looking at it.

My Sister-in-love, Serena, made this adorable deli tray for my niece's first birthday. Cheese, turkey and butterfly crackers.

"They're so friendly.

Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"

--Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail

Food is never just food.

2010-06-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.

Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, 2009

Happy National Donut Day!

2010-06-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today being Donut Day, we made homemade cake donuts. I ate five. Not proud of that, I'm just saying.

Head over to In Other Words.....

2010-06-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

.....for a hearty discussion on my Food Philosophy! Find out why I like to eat so much and what I think about food! It's a little bit philosophical and a little bit theological and a little bit poetical. Just like me.

Food. It's Not Just Fuel.

Tonight's Dinner

2010-05-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Salmon loaf ready to go in the oven

The oven, circa 1960

Zucchini Fritters

A new fritter recipe that turned out really tasty!

two zucchini, finely chopped

a bit of red onion, finely chopped

one cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

three eggs

two cups of flour

one cup of milk

salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste

Mix well. Drop by rounded spoonful and fry slowly in a pan with about 1/4 inch of oil. Flip as you would pancakes. Serve hot!

Sangria

Artichokes

2010-05-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Artichokes with garlic infused olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Seafood Soup

2010-04-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

My vegetables and fruits have sprouted. My herbs are in full-swing. But, today was chilly and a gentle reminder that it is not yet summer. It is still soup weather.

I sauteed some celery and onion in butter. Added one small potato, chopped. Sprinkled with flour to make a roux. Added whole milk and a scoop of marscarpone. To this creamy goodness, I added shrimp, calamari rings and scallops, and a little asparagus for color. The result was a bowl of amazing.

Served up with a garden salad with cranberries and pecans and a glass of white wine.

Chili Basil Eggplant With Tofu and Noodles

2010-04-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Not exactly like our favorite dish at our favorite Thai place, but I'm getting closer.

O! The immense pleasure of eating something that was attached to earth not 10 minutes ago

2010-04-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mixed herb salad from home-grown, freshly picked herbs.

Basil, arugula, and cilantro

Easter Eats and Drinks

2010-04-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

Easter Menu:

Honey-Baked Ham (lovingly brought by our guests!)

Carrot Souffle

Mache salad with sugared pecans and blue cheese

Challah

Relish Tray

Drinks:

Sangria with frozen fruit (to sip while we cooked and played outside)

Rober Mondavi Riesling with dinner for the adults

Apple Limeade with dinner for the kids

Dessert:

Bavarian Chocolate Torte

Coffee

THE RECIPES

Carrot Souffle

2 cups cooked carrots

1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 heaping tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat carrots with mixer or in blender. Add all other ingredients and beat well.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until set.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans. Bake five minutes longer.

Mache Salad
(followed losely from Outdoor Entertaining by Williams-Sonoma)

Pecans:
1/2 cup (2oz) pecan halves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Vinaigrette:
1 shallot finely chopped
1/3 cup (3 oz) olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
4 oz. mache (mache is sometimes called Lamb's Lettuce. If you can't find it, arugula or baby spinach would probably make a good substitute)
4 radishes
1/4 lb. blue cheese crumbled

To prepare the pecans:
Preheat oven to 350F. Rinse the pecans in a sieve and set aside to drain. In a small bowl combine the sugar and dry mustard. Add the pecans and toss until evenly coated. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes or until dark brown. Set aside and cool completely. Better yet, make in advance, up to a week and store in an airtight container.

To make the dressing:
Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients. Let stand for 30 minutes or up to four hours to blend the flavors.

To serve the salad combine the mache leaves and thinly sliced radish slices in a bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette (I had dressing left over, so be careful not to over dress the salad) and toss evenly to coat. Top with the pecans and blue cheese.

Meringue with Strawberries and Chocolate

2010-03-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

This was our dessert last night at our Seder, which I found on About.com searching for Kosher Foods. You know how difficult it is to find a dessert that contains no flour, leaven, milk, or butter?

But this was worth the search! Very tasty, very easy, quick to serve and it looks beautiful on the plate--which is half the point of eating in my book!

The kids have asked that we eat it every Passover.

Recipe can be found here.

Monochromatic

2010-03-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Cauliflower, potato and tofu curry with coconut milk and lime.

Brown rice

Very tasty, but all one color.

Tofu Talk

2010-03-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

(Originally posted at In Other Words....)

A reader emailed me asking for tips or recipes for eating tofu. Your wish is my command!

Vegetarian tostadas.

I used the already-seasoned pepper garlic tofu and a homemade cactus salsa.

Tofu is a really versatile food. It's has many health claims, that I'm sure you've all heard. It's also pretty cheap! A package costs 1.50 or less. So, if you use a package to replace the meat in a meal that's a great price!

But lots of people don't like it or THINK they don't like it. If at first you don't care for it, cook it differently the next time. Because truly it's a very adaptable food! Here are some tips and then some recipes:

~When learning to cook and eat tofu I think it's best to start with the Extra Firm. Tofu comes in a variety of firmnesses (Is that a word?). New tofu eaters usually like Extra Firm.

~Rinse it well and let it drain between paper towels or cottoncloths--gently pressing it, before you cut it up.

~I think it's best to start eating it in foods that have a lot of flavor, like curries, sweet 'n' sour, Thai, etc. For example: you can add it to your usual curry dish in the place of the meat, for part of the meat or in addition to the meat. You can add lots of other vegetables and make a nice stir-fry. But here's the key to getting tofu to soak up flavor: heat it up first. Then add some marinade or spices. For a stir-fry try soy sauce, ginger, crushed garlic, and sesame oil. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Then cook it up with the other vegetables. (If you live in the States, you can buy tofu with flavors already added. It's a fun short cut.)

~To get the tofu to have a more "meaty" texture (if you're really looking for a meat substitute) you can freeze it first. Then when it thaws it has a different texture.

~For really decadent tasting desserts buy silken tofu. I t purees so nicely. Here's a recipe for WONDERFUL vegan chocolate cream pie that uses tofu. It's so wonderful no one will believe that there are no eggs or cream in sight!

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 cup silken tofu
1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup sweetener (sugar, rapadura, etc.)

4 T. Cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until really smooth in a blender or food processor. Poor into prepared crust and chill until set.

~Try mixing half silken tofu and half peanut butter. Blend in a blender.Use as a sandwich spread. The kids like this!

~Crumble tofu and fry it like ground beef with spices. Add to enchiladas, lasagna or spaghetti. If you want it to resemble meat use the freezing tip. If you want it to be like ricotta cheese, don't freeze it first. This is a great way to trick people into eating tofu! People in my family used to say that they hated tofu. But, I make these type of dishes with tofu all the time. And they eat it up.

Happy Tofu Eating!

Good Eats And Drinks On The Cruise

2010-03-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

In January, I spent an epic four days with my girlfriends on a cruise to Mexico. There's pictures on the other blog, but I wanted to post the food and drinks over here. We ate well. We ate a lot. Some nights I ate two dinners and most mornings I ate two breakfasts!

Fish tacos, ceviche, and Coronas in Mexico.

Teppanyaki

Having my cake and eating it, too.

Eggplant Parmesan

Melting Chocolate Cake

(tastes like every other chocolate dessert you've ever had was supposed to taste)

Kiss On The Lips

Blue Moon

In Defense of Food--A GIVEAWAY!

2010-01-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Kristina, is having an awesome giveaway! I'll tell you how to enter, but, first let me tell you about the prize and why I like it so much, even though I've not read it!

Kristina is a personal chef and my personal fitness guru. (Didn't know I had a fitness guru until I typed that sentence.) She does a fantastic book review of Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, An Eater’s Manifesto. Now, I haven't read the book and you know how you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover? This book has me totally sold on the cover alone! It says: Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. Is that not just the best and most simple and therefore the most intelligent nutritional message you've ever heard?

See, I get overwhelmed when people start telling me that I shouldn't eat this and that I shouldn't eat that, that I shouldn't combine this thing with that thing and that I should only eat at these times and not that time. Heavy. Way too heavy for me. I adore food. I really do. I love to eat. I love beautiful food. I love colorful food. I like to cook, try new recipes, spread my culinary wings. And when I feel like eating, I eat. The good thing about this is that we generally have healthy stuff in our house. I rarely if ever buy convenience foods, prepared meals, junk food, artificially colored foods, or things with an enormously long shelf life. So....if I get hungry and I go whip up a snack or grab some left-overs chances are it's moderately healthy. And so I indulge my edible whims whenever I want. And it seems to have worked for me, so far.

Pollan's "rules" are so simple that they do not overwhelm me. They are do-able. And I practice many, if not most of them to various degrees already. Here they are:

1. Avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or that include d) high-fructose corn syrup. (speaking of HFCS, has anyone seen these propaganda ads? Hilarious.)

2. Avoid food products that make health claims. (I just never buy it when there is a "new" product that is so good for you we can't live without it. I'm always skeptical of over-the-top health claims.)

3. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. (cheaper this way, too!)

4. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. (I love our weekly trips to the Farmer's Market.)

5. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.

6. You are what, what you eat, eats too.

7. If you have the space, buy a freezer.

8. Eat like an omnivore.

9. Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.

10. Eat wild foods when you can.

11. Be the kind of person who takes supplements. (I don't know what he writes about this. Sometimes I think the health claims of supplements are overstated, too. But, high quality naturally derived supplements can be good.)

12. Eat more like the French, or the Italians, or the Japanese, or the Indians or the Greeks. (or the Mongolians?)

13. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism

14. Don’t look for the “magic bullet” in the traditional diet.

15. Have a glass of wine with dinner. (Oh, OK. If you insist.)

16. Pay more, eat less.

17. Eat meals. (This is so great. This is not just a nutritional message, it's a social/cultural one, too. What ever happened to family dinner? We don't just need healthier drive-thru food or low-fat snacks. We need meals!)

18. Do all your eating at a table. (Read my instructions on How To Make Dinner.)

19. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.

20. Try not to eat alone.

21. Consult your gut.

22. Eat slowly.

23. Cook and, if you can, plant a garden. (We are moving in a couple weeks to a house with a yard big enough for me to have a garden. So, all you green-thumbs, please give me all your tips.)

Does this book not sound like a total winner?! Finally some common sense in the nutrition world!

So, if you'd like to win your own copy, visit Living In Balance blog and leave a comment before February 28! HURRY! HURRY! Tell Kristina The Gomboblog sent you!

Breakfast Challenge Day 5 (By Meg)

2009-09-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

Granola

I add some nuts & cranberriers.

Breakfast Challenge Day 4 (By Meg)

2009-09-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Bars Made With Leftover Oatmeal

The Peanut Butter Bars Took Over 15 Minutes.

:-)

Breakfast Challenge Day 3 (By Meg)

2009-09-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Challenge Day 3 Easy Egg Fritata

Breakfast Challenge Day 2 ( By Meg)

2009-09-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Baked Oatmeal.

Soaking the oats the night before.

Cracking the eggs.

It's ready.

The boys put thumbs up!

Breakfast Challenge day 1 (By Meg)

2009-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a healthy breakfast challenge.

The Breakfast Challenge was fun. :-)

Soaking steel cut oats:

Cover overnight:

silly faces:

Ratatouille

2009-07-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday and sometimes on Saturday we go to the local Farmer's Market.

This passed Tuesday I got some beautiful eggplant, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, and purple basil.

Ratatouille served with a loaf of fresh garlic cheese bread.

Visually Pleasing

2009-07-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Whole wheat spaghetti with garlic tomato sauce

Pan Rustique

Baby yellow and green squash with browned butter and Parmesan

The squash looked like a little pile of flowers. Very pleasing to the eye. It was so pretty, in fact, that the kids have begged to have it again and they are not huge squash lovers.

A Light Summer Meal

2009-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

During the summer, I prefer light--often vegetarian fare.

A few days ago I made this meal which Meg called "very refreshing."

Hummus, Cucumber Yogurt Salad, an assortment of grape and cherry tomatoes, an assortment of olives, feta and whole wheat pita.

With it Gana and I enjoyed an Armenian Pomegranate Wine.

Here are the recipes:

Mediterranean Hummus

1 sprig fresh Rosemary

2 cloves garlic, peeled.

1 pound garbanzo beans

approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

approximately 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

approximately 1/4 cup water

salt to taste

1. Soak beans overnight. Drain and then boil in fresh water until very soft. Drain.

2. Strip the leave from the stem of the Rosemary and put in a food a food processor with the garlic. Pulse until chopped. I left some leaves almost whole, though. I think it looks nice.

3. Add beans and process. Add evoo, vinegar and water, alternating until the hummus is to the consistency you like. Taste occasionally to adjust the flavors. Add salt.

4. Chill for several hours or overnight to have the flavors blend.

I served it with a little olive oil drizzled on top and sprinkled with paprika.

Persian Cucumber Yogurt (Maast-o Khiar)

I followed this recipe very loosely. I used the Mediterranean cheese-style yogurt from Trader Joe's. I omitted the shallot, because I didn't have one. And I used a little less dill than it calls for. I also used two cloves of garlic.

Put garlic, salt, and dill in a mortar. Crush with the pestle. Let sit for a few minutes so the salt can work on the garlic. Crush it some more until it's like a paste. Put it in a bowl with the prepared cucumber and yogurt. Clean out the mortar and pestle. Crush a few peppercorn with the pestle. Add to the other ingredients and mix well.

Let sit for one hour to blend flavors.

Spicy Korean Sesame Bean Sprouts

2009-06-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

By popular demand, via Facebook:

1/2 pound bean sprouts

2 T. toasted sesame seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 green onions, diced

1 pinch salt

1-2 T. crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

1. Place cleaned sprouts in bowling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well.

2. In a large bowl mix all other ingredients. Add warm blanched sprouts to the mixture and toss to coat.

Can be served warm or cold.

Fresh Noodles

2009-01-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

Mix the following in the blender or with a mixer until nice and fluffy/frothy:

2 eggs
2 T. butter
3 T. cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

Add:

2 cups of flour

Stir and then knead for a few minutes until nice and soft. (You may have to add another tablespoon of cream.)

Cover and let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes. (Do not skip this step! Letting it rest is really important!)

Cut in half and roll out VERY thin.

Cut noodles with pizza cutter to size and shape desired.

Cook in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes.

Drain. Serve hot.

We ate this last night with sausage, peppers and onions. Mmmmmm........

I did not take a picture of our completed meal. It slipped my mind once my senses were filled with the aroma of garlic sausage, peppers, and onions. But, here's a picture of our happy table.

Asparagus Strudel

2008-11-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

(Sorry that the picture is sideways. For whatever reason my photo editing program is not letting me rotate it!)

(From my good friend Donna.)

1 pound asparagus spears
2 medium leeks, white parts only
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
6 ounces melted butter
8 ounces grated Gruyère cheese
3 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh snipped chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
12 sheets packaged phyllo pastry

Trim and cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths. Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and chill in cold water. Drain or pat dry. Reserve in a bowl.

Slice leeks across thinly and wash thoroughly. In a pan, melt 2 ounces of the butter. Sauté leeks and shallots in butter until transparent. Remove from heat.

Add asparagus together with cheese, eggs, parsley, dill, chives, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the leeks and shallots. Fold together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay 1 leaf of phyllo on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Continue until there are 6 buttered layers. Place half of the asparagus mixture along one short end, tuck ends in and roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth while you prepare the next roll.

Make second strudel with remaining phyllo, butter and filling, and place on same baking sheet. Brush rolls with any remaining butter and sprinkle with herbs (I used dill.)

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden. Cool lightly and slice into 2-inch pieces

His and Her Meals

2008-11-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

One evening recently it was very late when we arrived home. We needed to whip up something quick for dinner.

As Gana stood over one sizzling pan stirring his Mongolian fried rice (beef, rice, potatoes, peas, carrots, onions and a generous amount of oil).....

I stood over my pan stirring a potato soup with green onions and white truffle cheese...

We couldn't help but laugh. Yep, we are still happily incompatible.

Thai Rice With Shrimp (made in the crockpot!) and Salad

2008-11-14T23:59:00.001-08:00

2008-10-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

"An empty stomach is not a good political advisor."

(Albert Einstein)

Watching political debates is a family affair. And what goes better with politics than food?

Here we had build-your-own-veggie-burritos. I just adore colorful food!

And chocolate ice cream on sugar cones.

Of course, if I wanted to prepare a totally politically themed meal it would be pork and nuts...and some arugula just for those Obama supporters.

Easy Entertaining

2008-09-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Some people don't entertain a lot. Maybe it's because it's intimidating. But, it need not be.

We decided years ago that showing hospitality would be a way of life for us. By default that meant that I would not stress about it!

Our son's godfather was in town recently and so we had some mutual friends in for dinner. The day was unbearably hot, so the dinner was very simple. But, the fellowship was great!

Barbecue beef sandwiches and watermelon.

Here is my sister's coleslaw recipe which topped the shredded beef.

Add the following to a bowl of shredded cabbage and carrots:

3 T. honey mustard
2 T. apple cider vinegar
3. T. Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss to coat and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.

What the dudes did while dinner was in the works:

Girl Food

2008-09-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

I love girl food.

So, does The Kitchen Madonna.

Men everywhere are confronted with girl food. They try and escape it with triple decker hamburgers, barbecue, and beer. They ignore it with raw kibi, lamb kabobs, and Turkish coffee. They thumb their nose by eating blood sausage, meaty oily olives, and glasses of Tio Pepe. They don't even ask why we do it, just that they don't have to do it....

Girls like light foods. Tomato aspic if you are from the South and have an old fashioned streak. Quiche if you came of age in the 1980's. Lobster salad will work just about anytime. Same goes for chicken salad made with purple grapes, pecans and dill weed served with a plate of fresh and dizzyingly varied fruit. And who can argue that squash casserole does not fit into the girl-food paradigm? How about slices of pineapple on a chilled iceberg lettuce with grated cheddar cheese and mayonnaise - preferably homemade and if there is a kitchen madonna about? Let's go on and make the sweeping conclusion that girl food is a cross- cultural phenomenon, and it will not go away. I bet Rachel and her Hebrew sisters had it in their red tent thousands of years ago.

Read the rest here.

The Importance of Food

2008-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

"Food is our common ground,

a universal experience."

- James Beard

Poori

2008-09-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

(puffy Indian bread, Originally from The Book of Curries and Indian Foods)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 T. vegetable oil
about ¼ cup warm water
oil for deep frying

Sift flours and salt into a medium bowl.

Stir in cardamom and 1 T. of oil; mix in enough of the water to make a soft dough.

Knead dough five minutes on a lightly oiled surface, with a little oil rubbed into hands to prevent sticking, until dough is soft and pliable. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 pieces; roll into balls. Dust balls with flour and cover with damp cloth. Roll each ball out to a 3-inch round, keeping unrolled balls and finished rounds covered with a cloth.

Half-fill a deep pan or a deep-fryer with oil and heat to 375F or until a 1-inch piece of bread browns in about 50 seconds. Fry poori one at a time, turning over once, for 30-60 seconds. Keep patting top of poori gently with a slotted spoon as they cook in order to make them puff up. Serve at once.

With the poori, we had curried cauliflower and potatoes (so yummy--with coconut milk and just enough lime), keema. (Basic recipe below, although I didn't have any okra so I made it without.) and rice.

Pakistani "Lady Fingers"

(Keema)

1 pound minced lamb or beef
3-4 T of oil
4 medium onions roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic minced (or mashed with mortar and pestle)
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes
Tomato paste
A sprig of fresh coriander, roughly chopped (or a sprinkling of dried)
8 oz or more of okra, “Lady Fingers” (fresh or frozen)

Dry Masala:
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
a pinch to half a teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin

Cook the meat in a medium sized sauce-pan with 3 onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Add all the dry masala. Add ¼ cup water. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until the meat is cooked.

When all the water has evaporated and the color of the meat has changed to a pale brown, add the oil and let it “roast” stirring it with a wooden spoon.

Add some tomato paste to taste and coriander.

In a large pan fry the okra and the onions gently (about 4-6 minutes). Add to the meat (keema) and mix gently.

Put in a casserole dish with a lid. Serve with brown rice, naan, or poori and yogurt.

A Peasant's Lunch

2008-09-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I love to just have something very simple, yet hearty for lunch.

Today we all shared a loaf of homemade bread, accompanied by some humus.

Simple Bread

(This is a recipe I've adapted from Laine's French Bread.)

1 1/4 cup warm water

2 heaping teaspoons brown sugar

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine and set to the dough cycle. When cycle finishes remove dough from machine. Shape. Let rise for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 425F for 20 minutes. While still hot from the oven brush the top with butter.

Variations:

Place in standard loaf pan, place on baking sheet for french bread shape, make rolls, bread sticks, etc.

Add Italian herbs to ingredients. Sprinkle top with garlic salt after brushing with butter.

Use your imagination!

Progressive Dinner Stop One

2008-05-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

Last night our homeschool co-op had their monthly Moms' Night Out. This month it was a progressive dinner. The first stop was my house for appetizers.

Antipasto Sticks

Green apples and candied almonds in small Parmesan bowls.

Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea

It was a very enjoyable evening with delicious food at every stop and continuous laughter!

Eggplant Mozzarella Sandwich

2008-05-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

I love a good sandwich. And this was a good sandwich! And being that today was wicked hot, it was nice to not slave over the stove. I served it with a Caesar Salad. A very nice and light summer dinner.

A Lovely Summer Meal

2008-05-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Everyday Food.

Tandoori-style Chicken Burgers

(Nice flavors, delicious yogurt sauce, cilantro, cucumbers and best of all, it doesn't heat up the house during a heat wave!)

Watermelon

Refreshing Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea

(This tea is naturally sweet without any added sugar, refreshing, and subtle. I might live off this tea this summer.)

Casual Entertaining

2008-05-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we decided to throw together a little backyard shindig for no particular reason. No birthday. No holiday. We just wanted to let our hair down with friends--relax without any agenda.

So, we set up the fire pit in the back yard. I threw together some salads, fried chicken and hot dogs. Some guests also brought some yummy grub to share. Delicious and fun!

We told people to come any time after 4pm. We didn't actually get to bed until close to midnight. It was so enjoyable around the fire, that no one wanted to leave and we didn't want them to either!

The children played in the tree house and all over the yard. About 10:30pm I put on some VeggieTales for them so they could simmer down and give the neighbors a little break from the hysterical laughter and playful screaming. :-) A little winding down before they went home.

Here are some not-so-great pictures of the food. Trust me, the food was better than the pictures!

The best fruit salad! The sauce is what totally makes it addictive!

Red or white?

See those glasses on the table. I'm so excited about them. See, I have some lovely and delicate stemware that I did not want to take outside to the bonfire. So, on Friday I went to the thrift store just to see if there was anything there. I knew I couldn't spend much, so I prayed that God would lead me to a great deal. I found plain (and a little bit sturdier) stemware--12 pieces for $6.00! What a blessing!

Also if you notice the very beautiful and clever chiller the bottles are in....I got it from Taste of Home Entertaining. My mother is a rep. Everything there is both beautiful and clever. Visit her website here.

Buttermilk Twice-Dipped Fried Chicken Tenders

Also in the background you can see Chinese Cashew Cabbage Salad.

Here are the recipes:

Fruit Salad

Prepare the dressing:

Dressing:

2 T. butter

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 T. cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

3 egg yolks

Heat in a saucepan over low heat, until thick, stirring constantly. (This scorches easily. So, do not leave it for a second!)

Cool.

Dilute with heavy cream to desired consistency.

While sauce is cooling prepare a bowl of fruit. The sauce is enough for a very large bowl.

Pour sauce over prepared fruit, stir gently to coat. Serve.

Cabbage Salad

1 package ramen noodles, crushed (Throw away seasoning packet!)
10 ounces cashew pieces
1 head green cabbage, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce

Toss together cashews, cabbage and green onions. In jar with tight fitting lid shake together sugar, oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over salad. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. Before serving mix in ramen noodles and toss well.

(Don't add the noodles too early if you like that fun crunch!)

Buttermilk Twice-Dipped Fried Chicken Tenders

(I usually play with a recipe so much that I don't feel I need to site the original source. What it ends up being doesn't really resemble the original recipe much. However, this recipe is completely take from Rachel Ray. It's great! Yummy hot or cold. I think it's a perfect picnic food. Click here for the recipe.)

Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic Toast and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2008-03-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

My mom prepared this, my dad grilled it. This is a new family favorite. It will be a repeat! Very, very good. And when grilled, asparagus turns out beautiful!! And the toast was awesome. I love roasted garlic.

Recipe here.

Resurrection Morning!

2008-03-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

For some of our Easter traditions and meditations, click here, here, and here.

Easter breakfast is a big to-do in our family. Here are some of what we enjoyed this year:

I cut the pineapple into egg, chick, and bunny shapes.

Blueberries and whipped cream

Creme Brulee Coffee and White Hot Chocolate, both with whipped cream

Fruit, sausage, eggs, and Cherry Coffee Cake.

I don't have a picture of the coffee cake, but you can see it in the right hand corner of the above picture. It's our Easter morning tradition. It's soooooo good. Here's the recipe, (originally from here). You won't be dissappointed:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use Cinnamon-Plus from Pampered Chef)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Combine butter and sugar and large bowl. Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs and sour cream.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to cream mixture. Beat after each addition. Add vanilla.

Spread 1/2 of this mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with Cherry-pie filling. Spread remaining 1/2 of mixture over pie filling.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, flour and pecans in a small bowl. Cut in butter with two knives. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My first catering experience

2008-03-14T23:50:00.001-07:00

Almond Cheesecake

Fruit Bouquets

Toffee Brownies

Taste Testers Needed

2008-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thankfully my huband was happy to volunteer--slice after slice, as I played with variations.

This is almond cheesecake with carmel. I was practicing presentation for a little catering gig I have this Friday. It's the first time I'm cooking for someone else's party.

Post-partum Meal

2008-03-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

I love being in community with other believers. We take care of one another. So many times people have brought me meals. I was able to return the favor recently and make a meal for a post-partum family in my church.

Quiche

(Made with Jack cheese and brie.)

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1 orange
3 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 1 pound)
1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped jicama
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup lemon-flavor yogurt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red curry paste
small papayas, peeled, bias-sliced in half lengthwise, and seeded (optional)
Fresh chives (optional)

Directions
1. Peel and segment orange; halve or quarter each segment. In a large mixing bowl, combine orange, chicken, grapes, jicama, and celery.

2. For dressing, stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, soy sauce, and curry paste in a small bowl. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours.

If desired, serve in papaya halves and garnish with fresh chives. Makes 6 servings.

Last Night's Cell Leaders Meeting

2008-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Greek Sausages

Tabouli

Tsatsiki

Spinach Feta Pie

Post-Birth Breakfast

2008-03-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

My sister had a baby February 23. This is what I made her for breakfast the morning she gave birth. Fruit, whole milk vanilla yogurt, and scones with lemon curd.

Gomboblog

Christmas Eats

Tea Floats

Chia Pudding

Family Time

Asian Chicken Chili Soup with Micro Greens

Curry Sweet Potato Soup

Avocado Fries

Cheesy Bacon Pulls

Homemade Ricotta

Cabbage, Fennel and Apple Slaw

Grilled Shrimp and Multigrain Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Cilantro Dressing

Summer Eating

Dahl

Comfort Food

Mother's Day Eats

Leftover Passover

Fresh

Recent Meals In Our Home

Christmas Eats

Veggie Burgers

Lavender Champagne Rice

My Thanksgiving Table, 2010

In The Kitchen With Meg

An Autumn Dinner....despite the heat

First Meals In Paris

The Picnics

Keema and Lady Fingers

I *heart* Summer

Grilled Squash, Corn and Bean Salad, and Rustique Bread

Red, White and Blue enough to make you green with envy

Truly Fresh

Curry Potatoes

Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Greens With Bacon

A Perfect Meal For The First Day of Summer

The Cutest Deli Tray Ever

Food is never just food.

Happy National Donut Day!

Head over to In Other Words.....

Tonight's Dinner

Artichokes

Seafood Soup

Chili Basil Eggplant With Tofu and Noodles

O! The immense pleasure of eating something that was attached to earth not 10 minutes ago

Easter Eats and Drinks

Meringue with Strawberries and Chocolate

Monochromatic

Tofu Talk

Good Eats And Drinks On The Cruise

In Defense of Food--A GIVEAWAY!

Breakfast Challenge Day 5 (By Meg)

Breakfast Challenge Day 4 (By Meg)

Breakfast Challenge Day 3 (By Meg)

Breakfast Challenge Day 2 ( By Meg)

Breakfast Challenge day 1 (By Meg)

Ratatouille

Visually Pleasing

A Light Summer Meal

Spicy Korean Sesame Bean Sprouts

Fresh Noodles

Asparagus Strudel

His and Her Meals

Thai Rice With Shrimp (made in the crockpot!) and Salad

Easy Entertaining

Girl Food

The Importance of Food

Poori

A Peasant's Lunch

Progressive Dinner Stop One

Eggplant Mozzarella Sandwich

A Lovely Summer Meal

Casual Entertaining

Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic Toast and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Resurrection Morning!

My first catering experience

Taste Testers Needed

Post-partum Meal

Last Night's Cell Leaders Meeting

Post-Birth Breakfast

I heart Summer