I just made this up today as part of an empty-the-freezer project. You could certainly use all fresh ingredients, but it's delicious made with freezer staples (except for the potatoes).
Four 6 oz. frozen rainbow trout fillets
1 12 oz. package frozen chopped onions
2 12 oz. packages frozen super sweet corn
1 12 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
1 bottle clam juice
2 Tbsp granulated garlic
5 medium gold potatoes, 1/4 inch dice
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add frozen trout fillets, skin side down. Cook until fillets are fully cooked, without turning or moving. The fillets will change color, becoming paler, as they cook. When they are fully cooked, remove from pot, being careful to get all the skin. Place on rack, skin side up. Let cool slightly, then peel off skin and reserve. Break up cooked fillets into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
In pot in which the trout was cooked, add package chopped onions. Cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add 2 packages super sweet corn. Add package chopped spinach. Stir all vegetables together and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add granulated garlic. Add clam juice. Add approximately one cup water. Adjust the water based on how much water was released by the frozen vegetables.
Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and salt. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, 15 minutes.
While vegetables and potatoes are simmering, cut reserved trout skin into thin strips, 1/8 inch wide. In small skillet, heat 2 tsp. vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry skin strips in batches until very crispy, 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet and pace on paper towel. Let cool 2-3 minutes. If necessary, separate skin strips.
Once potatoes are fully cooked, add bite-sized trout pieces back into pot. Add heavy cream. Heat through, 2-3 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Ladle into soup bowls. Top with crispy fried trout skin. Enjoy.
I just made this up this afternoon to coat a salad of spinach and iceberg combined with some leftover red-skinned potatoes, garlic sauteed napa, and broiled coho salmon. It will be a constant in the fridge from now on.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1 extra large garlic clove-peeld
8-10 sun-dried tomato halves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Place all ingredients in blender or smoothie maker. Run at full speed for 30 seconds. Push mixture down sides, then run another 30 seconds.
If mixture is too thick, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. May be used immediately. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Note: As the processed dried tomatoes sit in the dressing, they may absorb more liquid. If this happens, add water 'til desired consistency is acheived.
Two pounds boneless beef stew meat (I used beef ribs)
One 32 oz. box unsalted beef stock (or homemade if you are lucky enough to have some around)
Three bay leaves
One large or two medium turnips
Five medium carrots
One tablespoon olive oil
One 16 oz.bag frozen pearl onions
One 16 oz. frozen peas
One large parsnip
One 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower
One quarter cup heavy cream
One tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions:
Cut off ends of three yellow onions. Peel. Cut in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Over medium high heat heat three tablespoons olive oil in large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot. Add onion slices to hot oil. Cook until brown, stirring every three or four minutes. This will take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Cut bacon crosswise into quarter inch lardons. In heavy skillet over medium high heat cook lardons until some of the fat renders, approximately three minutes. Add to browned onions in dutch oven. Cut beef into bite sized pieces, approx. 1/2 to 3/4 inch dice. Brown in batches n bacon fat. As each batch is finished, add to dutch oven. Turn heat off under skillet, but do not discard any leftover drippings.
When all meat has been added to the dutch oven, add the stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours.
While the dutch oven simmers, cut off ends of carrots and turnips. Peel. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. I generally roll cut the carrots, and slice, then roughly chop the turnips to avoid symmetrical pieces. This is purely an aesthetic choice: it will have no effect on flavor.
Reheat the pan drippings from the bacon cooking/beef browning steps over medium high heat. If needed, add one tablespoon olive oil. When hot, about one minute, toss in the entire contents of the bag of frozen pearl onions. The moisture from these will help deglaze and loosen any luscious browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Scrape up all these bits and continue cooking the pearl onions until they are heated through and some are browned a tiny bit. This whole step will take about six minutes. After this, put all contents of the skillet into the dutch oven. Add the carrot and turnip pieces to the dutch oven as well. Stir and cover. This will cook about another thirty minutes before serving.
Peel parsnip and cut into one inch pieces. Put in microwave-safe two quart dish, add about an inch of water, and cover. Microwave on high for five minutes. Once done, add contents of bag of frozen cauliflower. Cover and microwave on high for another six minutes. Once this is done, uncover and let cool two minutes. Drain. Put cooked parsnips and cauliflower into food processor. Add cream and butter and process for about thirty seconds, or until smooth. Salt to taste. Scrape back into microwave-safe dish and recover.
Add frozen peas to the dutch oven, raise heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking for three minutes.
If cauliflower and parsnip puree has cooled too much, return to microwave and reheat.
To Serve:
Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of puree into center of wide shallow bowls. Ladle 1 and 1/2 cups of stew around puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves as you find them.
As we continue to be iced in, I had to come up with something tasty made with what I had around the house. Granted, my freezer/fridge/pantry staples are such that we'd never go hungry, but I was out of the golden raisins and sun-dried tomatoes that I'd normally add to this. So I improvised and it turned out just fine.
4 Tbsps olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup frozen pearl onions
1 medium carrot, peeled and roll cut into medium dice (about 3/4 inch pieces)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch dice
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 3/4 inch dice
1/4 cup mixed pitted olives, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. capers
2 tsps. Italian seasoning (mine contains oregano, basil, fennel, thyme, rosemary, but use whatever you have)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp. apricot preserves
3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Red pepper flakes
Lemon wedges
Heat oil over medium high heat in deep, heavy pan. Add chicken pieces and cook 'til browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Put frozen pearl onions into hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add carrot and cook another minute. Add shallot, garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini. Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, olives, capers, and wine and cook 2 minutes, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add drained tomatoes and 1 Tbsp apricot preserves. Stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Just before serving, stir chopped parsley into pan and stir for 30 seconds. Spoon stew into shallow bowls and add red pepper flakes and lemon juice to taste. Enjoy.
This is just something I threw together this morning with staple fridge and pantry items. If you don't have carb issues, you can use sugar or honey instead of the Splenda, or may use apricots in heavy syrup. With my 10 inch crepe pan, this makes about 8-10 crepes, but different size pans will produce different numbers.
Timing is everything when making crepes. The batter should be made at least 5 minutes, or up to 2 hours before you start cooking the crepes to let flour particles absorb liquids. This is the time to make your filling. Once you start cooking the crepes, each one will take less than a minute, so you won't have time to do more than give your filling a stir.
I use a blender and a good French copper crepe pan, but you could improvise if you don't have these. However, whatever pan you use to cook the crepes should have sloping sides to make turning and removing the crepes easier.
Crepe Batter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for 15-20 seconds. Scrape sides if necessary and blend to combine thoroughly. Set aside for 5-10 minutes while you make your filling.
Stewed Apricot Filling
1 can unsweetened apricot halves in juice, reserving one TBSP juice
3 Tablespoons Splenda
Open can of apricots and cut each apricot half into slices, approximately 5-6 per half. Put apricots, juice, and Splenda into small saucepan over medium-low heat. Your goal here is to heat, not cook, although it won't hurt if this comes to a boil. Just be sure not to burn it!
Cream Cheese
I like plain bricks of old-fashioned cream cheese, because I find the texture more predictable than the whipped or spreadable varieties, but suit yourself here.
In a small bowl, beat 4 oz cream cheese and the Tbsp reserved apricot juice together to blend. Set aside.
Cooking the Crepes
Note: Cooking each crepe takes less than a minute, so the following steps happen fast. Have all your tools at hand and don't turn your back, or your crepes will be tough. Another Note: It's really easier to turn the crepes with your fingers. They're less likely to be torn this way, but you'll need to move fast.
Heat crepe pan over medium high heat until a few drops of water sprinkled on the cooking surface skitter across the pan an evaporate almost immediately. Put a tiny pat of butter in the pan and use a paper towel to wipe out excess. Save the paper towel to wipe out the pan if crepes start to stick or if crumbs are left behind when you turn or remove a crepe. It is very important that the pan be crumb-free before pouring batter for another crepe.
Pulse the blender for 3-5 seconds to re-stir batter. Pour enough batter to coat pan bottom (about 2 Tbsps for my pan), swirling quickly to distribute thinly over entire bottom. If a bit of batter goes up the pan sides, it's fine. Cook until the batter is no longer wet, about 20-30 seconds. During this time, loosen the edges all around with a silicon spatula. Turn and cook other side for 5-10 seconds. Remove from pan. Stack crepes as they are completed. I usually pulse the blender every two crepes to make sure the batter stays stirred, but your own experience will guide you here.
Assembly
Personally, I prefer to fold crepes and eat them with a knife and fork. This is especially true when, as in this case, the filling is very juicy and there is a syrup to drizzle on top. Here's how:
Think of each crepe as a clock face. Between 12:00 and 3:00, place a slightly rounded teaspoon of cream cheese. Between 3:00 and 6:00 place 3-4 slices of apricot. Now, fold the half of the crepe from 6:00-12:00 over the 12:00-6:00 side. Fold again into quarters, so that the 12:00-3:00 cream cheese quarter is on top. Place onto a plate. Drizzle a bit of the juice from the apricot over the crepe. Enjoy.
A final note: The variety of fillings for crepes is limited only by your imagination. This recipe is a one I just came up with this morning because I was hungry, and last night's ice storm made heading out to the store unappealing, if not impossible. Use whatever you have on hand and let me know what you come up with!
After deciding to try going without using our freezer for at least part of the year, I had to find something to do with all the bags of frozen pearl onions I bought when they were on sale around Thanksgiving. French Onion Soup sounded good and tasty for the colder weather we're expecting this week. These amount make about a gallon of soup. Reduce amounts to suit your preferences. This is very low carb, despite the addition of a little flour and sugar, but it is definitely not low fat. Yum!
3-4 lbs. beef marrow bones, sawed into 2-4 inch lengths.
3-4 medium sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.)
5 10 oz. bags frozen pearl onions
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3-4 large cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup white sugar
1 bottle dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt to taste (I used 3 Tbsps in the whole batch, but you'll likely want more.)
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put marrow bones in baking dish and roast for 1 hour.
After roasting, put the bones in a large stock pot with 3 quarts water. Bring to rolling boil, then reduce heat slightly and cover. Cook, at a slow boil for 30 minutes. Remove bones from pot and use knife to loosen marrow, if needed. Return bones and any loose marrow to the pot and cook for another 30 minutes.
While bones are roasting, peel and slice sweet onions. After the hour of roasting is complete, put beef fat in electric skillet. Add half stick butter and heat to melt butter. Set heat to 300 degrees. Add sliced onions and bags of pearl onion to skillet. Stir to coat onion with the butter and beef fat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.(This will have gotten you past the marrow loosening; the bones will have another 15 minutes to boil.) The goal is to caramelize the onions, cooking them until they are mahogany-colored. If they start to burn, reduce the heat a bit, but don't worry about a few very dark patches.
Add garlic and cook another 5 minutes.
In a medium size bowl, make a slurry with the 1/2 cup flour and a half cup of the wine. Add to onions and garlic and stir thoroughly to distribute the slurry. Cook about 3-5 minutes to remove any raw flour taste. Add the sugar. Stir.
Pour in remaining wine, stirring to completely incorporate wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove any bits of onion clinging to the pan. Cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed and very syrupy.
Remove beef bones from stock pot. Add onions to the stock pot and stir. Add salt. Cook until mixture boils, 2-5 minutes. Use immersion blender to completely chop and incorporate onions into the stock. The texture will be that of a thick, slightly chunky, sauce. Taste, and add salt as needed.
To serve traditionally, ladle soup into earthenware bowls. On each bowl, place a thick slice of toasted baguette. Sprinkle with a generous handful of gouda, swiss, or mozzarella cheese. Place bowls under broiler for 1-3 minutes, until cheese melts and begins to bubble.
To serve without adding the carbs of the bread, put a skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when dropped onto the cooking surface. Drop 2 oz preferred cheese into small heaps in skillets. Cook until cheese spreads and begins to bubble slightly. This will only take a minute or two, be careful not to burn the cheese. Place each cheese "crisp" on top of soup. Let sit one minute to soften bottom crust of the cheese.
This is the base I use to make creamy salad dressings. You may add herbs or substitute other cheeses, or go without cheese altogether. For this batch I used feta, but often use parmesan instead. This is almost completely carb-free and has decent protein and calcium. Obviously, amounts dictate calories.
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup full-fat mayonnaise
a few Tbsps half-n-half or milk
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Peel and finely chop garlic clove. On cutting board (or using mortar and pestle) combine garlic and salt and mash together to form a smooth paste. Stir in crumbled cheese (or finely shredded if using non-crumbly cheese).
If you prefer a somewhat thinner (more pourable) dressing, add half-n-half or milk by tablespoons, whisking after each addition. Go very slowly here as it can get too thin more quickly than you might imagine.
Put this dressing in a jar or squeeze bottle and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld. In the refrigerator, this will keep for at least a month. (To be honest, I've never had it around long enough to go bad, I eat it at least every other day.) This also makes a great dip for veggies or chips.
Combine yogurt, mayo, and garlic-salt paste in bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
Finally, for all those who have requested this, here's the recipe for the slaw. I can't even begin to say how many this serves, because I've never not run out of it long before appetites for it were exhausted.
I've never really made this exactly the same way twice, so you should feel free to make additions and substitutions as you like. If you want this to be a bit more filling, you may toss in some cooked spaghetti, rice, or ramen-type noodles. We also like to top this with some thin slices of soy-sauce and garlic marinated flank steak, or shrimp. Now that I think of it, edamame would probably be good, too, as would daikon.
One gadget I use to cut the jicama is a mandolin. You can cut these 1/8" matchsticks by hand, but the mandolin saves a lot of time.
Slaw:
1 head celery cabbage - about 1.5 lbs (Napa works, but isn't quite the same flavor)
1 small head bok choy - about .5 lb
8 oz. snow peas - fresh, not frozen
1/2 medium jicama - about 3/4 lb.
12 oz. bag broccoli slaw (you can handcut the brocolli stems into 1/8 inch matchsticks, if desired)
Slice the celery cabbage crosswise very finely, about 1/8 inch - almost chiffonade
Slice bok choy crosswise very finely, also about 1/8 inch slices - if the leaves on the bok choy are very broad, make three of four lengthwise cuts before slicing crosswise.
Cut snow peas lengthwise into 1/8 inch matchsticks. Just discard the string edge, rather than prestringing the pods. (Using kitchen shears to do this works very well.)
Peel jicama and shred on mandolin, or cut into 1/8 inch matchsticks.
In large bowl, combine celery cabbage, bok choy, snowpeas, jicama, and broccoli slaw. Toss to evenly distribute all ingredients. Cover bowl with shower cap, or damp towel and refrigerate.
Dressing:
1/2 cup Vietnamese spring roll sauce
2 Tbsp. cup soy sauce
1 inch piece of fresh ginger,very finely grated
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, crushed
Place all ingredients in medium bowl and whisk 'til completely combined and smooth. Alternately, put everything in a food processor and let 'er rip.
Add-Ins:
Chopped peanuts
Sesame Oil
Fire Oil
Serving:
Right before serving, pour dressing over slaw and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle 2 Tbsps. white sesame seeds and 2 Tbsps black sesame seeds over slaw and toss lightly. Sprinkle Add-ins as desired.
I came up with this one this morning to use up some Farmer's Market vegetables and some old wrinkly potatoes. I also had some large scallops in the freezer and thought that sounded good. Mediterranean cooking at its most Teige. : ) If you want to reduce the carbs even further, omit the mashed potatoes. Also, lemon zest may be used where I list Lemon Verbena, although the dish will be more acidic. Scott is allergic to citrus, so I've developed some tasty alternatives. The amounts below serve 4 for lunch.
Ratatouille-inspired Vegetables
6 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. frozen pearl onions
4-5 large fresh garlic cloves
3 small (4-5 inch long, 1-1.5 inch diameter) zucchinis
1 Japanese eggplant - 2.5 to 2 inch diameter x 10 inches long
2 medium (2.5-3 inch diameter) fresh tomatoes
Thyme - 1/2 tsp. dry or 2 tsp. fresh
Oregano - 1/2 tsp. dry of 2 tsp. fresh
1/2 tsp. finely minced fresh lemon verbena leaves
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Roll cut or dice eggplant into small pieces, approx. 3/4 inch
Roll cut or dice zucchini into small pieces, same size as eggplant
Peel and minch garlic
If using fresh herbs, remove leaves from stems and finely mince thyme and oregano together.
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbps. olive oil to pan. Swirl to coat. Add frozen pearl onions. Cook, shaking pan every few minutes 'til onions start to caramelize, approx. 7 minutes. Pour onions into small bowl. Set aside.
Return skillet to medium high-heat. Add 4 Tbsp. olive oil to skillet. Add eggplant pieces and immediately toss or stir to coat evenly with hot oil. Continue cooking 'til eggplant softens, about 5 minutes. Add last Tbsp olive oil, the garlic, and the zucchini. stir and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add pearl onions, chopped tomatoes, thyme, oregano, lemon verbena, and 1/2 tsp. salt to eggplant and zucchini in skillet. Stir. Reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking 'til juices thicken, about 10 more minutes. Cover, and reduce heat to low. If vegetables start to become too dry, add water 1 Tbsp at a time to maintain thick, but moist texture.
Garlicky Mashed Potatoes
3 medium russet potatoes, preferably a little old or flabby
3 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
Fill medium saucepan with 2 inches cold tapwater. Peel potatoes. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place in water in saucepan. Peel garlic cloves and place in saucepan with potato slices. If needed, add cold water to barely cover potatoes and garlic. Put over high heat until water boils. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking until potatoes are tender, approx. 10-15 minutes. Drain.
Put potatoes and garlic cloves through a potato ricer into a medium metal bowl. Add cream, butter, and salt and stir until smooth. Do not overstir, however, as potatoes will become gummy if overworked. Put 2 inches of fresh water in the pan you used to boil the potatoes and bring to simmer. Cover bowl holding mashed potatoes and place it over the simmering water to keep the potatoes warm.
If scallops are frozen, be sure to thaw thoroughly before starting Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Mince garlic cloves
Pat scallops dry with kitchen towel.
Place heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and butter. Melt butter and wait for for foam to subside. Add scallops to hot oil around edge of skillet and cook for one minute. After this one minute, add the garlic to center of pan and cook with scallops for one additional minute. Turn scallops and cook for two additional minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
To serve:
Working quickly, spread a quarter of the Garlicky Mashed Potatoes (approx 1/3 cup) in a 5-6 inch circle on a dinner plate. Carefully spoon a quarter of the Ratatouille-inspired Vegetables (approx 3/4 cup) into potato circle, leaving 1/2 inch edge of potatoes visible. Place three scallops on each plate, on top of the bed of vegetables. Over the scallops, spoon a bit of the liquid remaining in the skillet, including some of the garlic bits. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and salt to taste over all.
By popular request, I've figured out measurements for this so y'all can make them too. I'm posting the really easy version to demonstrate that anyone can do this.
1 frozen deep dish pie crust
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
2 Tablespoons chopped onion (the frozen stuff works fine)
9 large eggs
3/4 cup half-n-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese
Remove pie crust from freezer to allow to thaw.
Thaw frozen spinach. (If you're in a hurry, you can just microwave it for 4 or 5 minutes, then run some cold water over it to make it cool enough to handle.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place spinach in kitchen towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. (You may also just squeeze it in your hand, but be sure to really squeeze.)
Check thawed pie crust for cracks. Press edges together to make repairs, if needed.
In food processor, combine eggs, half-n-half, onion, and salt. Pulse a few times to blend. (This may also be done by hand in a large bowl with a whisk or fork. Beat thoroughly to blend completely.)
Add drained spinach. If using the food processor, pulse a few times. If working by hand, break up spinach before adding it to egg mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Put pie crust on cookie sheet. Spread half the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust. Pour egg and spinach mixture into pie crust. It will be very full.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until blade inserted in middle of quiche comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes to melt cheese.
Remove from over and allow to cool. To store, let cool for an hour, then cover with plastic wrap. Press lightly onto quiche to reduce condensation. Refrigerate. (This also freezes beautifully; just wrap the whole thing, or put in big ziplock bag before placing in freezer. alternately, cool completely, cut into slices, and freeze each individually. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw before eating. You may put it in the oven to reheat, if desired. You may also microwave it, but the crust texture will suffer.)
To make a lower fat version, you may use Egg Beaters and skim milk instead of the whole eggs and half-n-half. It will still taste good, but the texture will not be as lovely. You may also dispense with the crust entirely, baking this in a greased pie pan or spring form pan.
4 ears sweet corn with husks
2 slices thick cut bacon
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Dust of Death (hot paprika will do)
1 pound cleaned, shelled shrimp
1/4 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc.)
salt to taste
(optional) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Chop silks off corn cob. DO NOT remove husks. Place corn in cold oven. Set oven to 350 degree F; start. Corn will stay in the oven as it rises to temperature, for a total of 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for five minutes. Remove husks and cut kernels from cobs. Place kernels in bowl. Set aside.
Cut bacon into 1/4 inch dice. Mince garlic cloves.
Place large skillet over medium high heat. Once skillet is hot, add diced bacon. Cook til bacon is browned and fat is rendered. Add butter to skillet. Melt. Add garlic, thyme, paprika, and Dust of Death. Cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp. Stir to even coat with spice mixture. Add wine. Cook, stirring often, til shrimp is barely cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in corn kernels. Cover and cook til heated through, about 3 minutes.
Serve in shallow bowls. (Pasta bowls are good.) Sprinkle with salt to taste and Worcestershire if desired.
This is wonderful served over grits, for those who are less carb and/or calorie sensitive. If you need to cut back further on your carbs, reduce to 2 cobs of corn, for 1/2 ear per serving. This is pretty high protein either way.
One of the difficulties of creating recipes out of what I cook is finding substitutes for unique ingredients. A prime example is Daddy's Dust of Death, which is a homemade smoked chili seasoning my husband, Scott, makes. The girls named it Daddy's Dust of Death when they were little and had lower tolerance for spicy.
Scott makes a batch of this every summer, when the peppers and chilis at the Farmer's Market are at their peak. There is no really set in stone recipe, but the essentials typically involve fresh dark green pablonas and red, ripe jalapenos. A ration of probably five pablonas to one jalapeno is about right. A batch at our house requires at least thirty pablonas and six jalapenos.
Cut and discard the stem ends of the chilis; cut fruits in half. Remove seeds, but you don't have to remove all the rib. Leave to dry for a day or two, cut-side down, to flatten a bit. On the third day or so, heat up a smoker using fruitwood or hickory for smoke. Smoke the chilis for 45 minutes to an hour, til they are quite dark and rather crispy. Remove from the smoker and cool.
If the chilis are still moist at all, put them in a dehydrator for a few hours, until they are quite dry. Grind to powder in a spice grinder and place resulting powder in an airtight jar for storage.
This is excellent on anything that benefits from paprika, but the smokiness adds a much fuller dimension than that obtained using any commercial product I've found. If you have the equipment, this is well worth the effort.
Preheat grill to high (or start, heat, and spread charcoal)
Cut sweet onion into 1/2 inch slices. Spread onion slices on large plate and microwave for 4 minutes on high.
Heat sauerkraut in microwaveable bowl. Two minutes on high should be fine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Get out four shallow bowls or plates for arranging servings.
Place grill basket on grill. Put onions into basket and toss. Put brats on grill.
Using tongs, turn brats and stir onions every 2 minutes. After three turns, turn heat to low and cover. After 4 minutes, lift lid, turn brats, stir onions. Lower lid and cook an additional 4 minutes on low.( NOTE: Depending on the size, of your brats, cooking times may vary. If you're not sure if they're done, cut one in half to check.) Lift lid; remove onions and brats to clean plate/platter.
To serve; toss together onions and room temperature sauerkraut. (If desired, add optional caraway or dill before tossing.) Divide among four shallow bowls or plates. Slice brats into 1/2" rounds. Place one brat's worth of slices per dish. Spoon 1/2 to 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard over brat. Lightly toss before eating.
This is a great way for the carb-sensitive to join in a family barbecue. This combination is excellent served on a sesame bun toasted right on the grill for the family members who don't have to watch carb-intake. A little barbecue sauce is good on this too, if you can take the sugar.
Recently, I've been more serious about dealing with my slightly elevated fasting blood sugar levels. I have a strong family history of Type 2 diabetes, and had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my 18 year old daughter, and am overweight, so having blood sugar issues didn't come as any surprise. I don't rise to the level of actual diabetes, but am in the broad, and often undiagnosed, category of pre-diabetic.
Over the last month, through regular testing and experimenting with foods, I've figured out ways to keep my sugars within normal range, which may even keep me out of the pre-diabetic category. I've discovered that I just can't eat at all after 8 pm, If I want to have a <100 morning/fasting sugar level. I've also lost ten pounds in the last month - yay!
As is the case with all diabetics, both pre- and full-fledged, carbohydrates in the diet are problematic for me. This is not to say that I can't eat any carbs at all, but especially since weight loss is a continuing goal, I'm being pretty careful. Fortunately, I like vegetables, and although they do contain carbs, most of them are pretty much "free" food. I also like a huge variety of meats, fishes, nuts, dairy, and shellfish, so it's not all that hard to stick to this way of eating.
The nutritionist at the Bloomington Diabetes Center, and many current recommendations allow up to 45 grams of carbs per meal. For me, 45 grams per meal stops my weight loss dead in its tracks, so I stay below that number. I do obsessively read labels and have a number of calorie and carb counting websites bookmarked, and have confronted this problem as yet another area that I can conquer through information gathering and compulsive record keeping. In other words, it's right up my alley!
So for the next months, I plan to use this blog to share recipes I create, and information I discover. Up front disclaimer: I'm no nutritionist, so I make no claims about exact carb counts, etc. in any recipe; my goal is to share ideas for really tasty foods that are working for me. I also hope that I may keep myself accountable through regular sharing. I ask y'all for your support through this ongoing experiment that is life.
Peel ginger. slice into 1/8 inch thick slices. Put all ingredients into 2 quart microwave safe bowl. (I use a 2-quart glass measuring cup.) Microwave all ingredients on high for 3 minutes. Stir thoroughly to dissolve sugar. Microwave on high for another 3 minutes. Stir again. Microwave on high for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat one more time.
Remove from microwave and let cool slightly. With slotted spoon, remove ginger slices from syrup and place on cooling racks. Let dry for 1 hour. Place in air tight container and use as needed.
Pour ginger syrup into glass jar. This may be cooked further into hard candy, or used as pancake or waffle syrp, or poured over ice cream, or used to sweeten tea.
I don't know why we didn't discover roasting vegetables earlier. I think we were all so obsessed with tender-crisp flash steaming that we just never considered the possibilities offered by high-dry heat. for whatever reason, I'm glad I got past it and started using my oven for more than bread-baking.
It's hard to cook a small amount of this; once you start chopping, ingredients seem to expand exponentially. But it's okay, because extras make great leftovers, or you may use them in a soup or stew.
A note about the use of Frozen pearl onions: if you choose to use unfrozen onions, be my guest, but my time is too precious to spend time peeling pearl onions. In addition, frozen tend to not overcook in the time required to cook the harder root vegetables. As with all my recipes, make adjustments as preferred to suit your own taste, time, etc.
2 Large carrots
2 large parsnips
1 small rutabaga
2 large turnips
1 bag frozen pearl onions
2 Tablespoons EVOO or grapeseed oil
coarse sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel and chop carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, and turnips into half inch dice.
Pour oil into large, shallow baking dish. Add all ingredients but salt and toss to coat with oil.
Place in hot oven and roast for 15 minutes.
At the end of 15 minutes, open oven and stir vegetables.
Roast another 15 minutes.
Ant the end of the second 15 minutes, inspect vegetables. they will most likely need at least another 15 minutes of roasting, but if they are becoming too brown, you may want to lower the oven temperature to 400.
Stir and return to oven.
Continue roasting until desired amount of carmelization is achieved. Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse salt to taste.
Okay, I'll say up front that I rarely take the time to constantly tend this as required for a traditional risotto, so I should probably call it something else. But it maintains the slight toothiness of a risotto, although you could certainly cook it for a little while longer if you prefer a softer texture. It's important to use a short grained rice, like an Arborio or sushi rice; if you use anything else the texture will suffer.
This works well as a prepare-ahead dish, as it reheats nicely in a microwave or on the stovetop, with only a slight loss of texture. The ingredients below make 4 slightly rounded half cup servings. It's easy to increase, if preferred.
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 Tablespoons EVOO or grapeseed oil
3-4 large cloves garlic
1 bunch kale
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups hot water
Peel and coarsely chop garlic cloves.
Remove thick stems from kale and cut leaves into chiffonade. If the leaves are very large, cut them in half lengthwise before cutting the chiffonade.
In heavy, large, lidded pan (I use cast iron) heat the oil over medium high heat. Cook garlic for a minute, taking care not to let it brown.
Add rice to pan and stir constantly until rice is slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add kale and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add half cup of the hot water to rice, stirring constantly until water is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add another half cup hot water, stirring until the water is mostly absorbed, 1-2 minutes.
Add ground fennel seed, salt, and remaining water. Bring to a simmer (this shouldn't take more than a minute or two).
Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Continue cooking for approx. 25-30 minutes. Uncover and taste for texture. If the rice needs to cook a little (or a lot) longer, that's fine, but you my need to add another few Tablespoons water. Recover, and cook until the desired texture is achieved.
Serve and enjoy.
If you like, you may stir Parmesan or Romano cheese into this before serving. A grind or two of pepper, or red pepper flakes and lemon zest are nice additions, too.
4 large baking potatoes 1 large leek - white and light green parts only 1 small/medium head savoy cabbage 4 Tbsp butter* 1/2 to 1 cup half-and half or milk* salt to taste
Peel baking potatoes. Cut into rough 1 -2 inch chunks. Place in large pot, cover with water. Bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, or 'til tender. (Insert fork into potato chunk. if there is any resistance, continue cooking.)
While potatoes are cooking, Cut leek in lengthwise quarters. Slice crosswise very thinly. Cut Savoy Cabbage in half lengthwise. Remove core. Cut each half lengthwise into 4-6 pieces. Slice crosswise very thinly. (You're going for something close to a chiffonade, but not quite that thin.)
In large, deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add leek. Cook, stirring, 'til leek is translucent and beginning to soften. Add cabbage. Stir and cook with leek til very tender, probably 15 minutes. Reduce heat if anything starts to brown.
Using a slotted spoon, remove still warm potatoes to a colander. Reserve liquid in pot in which potatoes cooked. Put potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl. (If you don't have a ricer, a masher will do, but won't produce quite the same texture.) Add half cup half-and-half or milk. and whisk. If potatoes seem too stiff, add more dairy, up to one cup.
To potato mixture, add the leeks and cabbage, using a spatula to get all the butter. Stir thoroughly to mix completely. Add salt to taste.
Enjoy!
*If you are vegan, or concerned about fat content, you may substitute vegetable oil for the butter, and use the liquid from the cooking pot instead of the dairy. The texture of the dish will be different, but it will still be very tasty.
Two servings (more if so desired, but you'll want at least half.)
3 large fresh tomatoes (only really good ones are worth the trouble) 5 large cloves garlic 15 fresh basil leaves 6 Tablespoons EVOO 3 oz. fresh mozzarella
4 1 inch thick slices bread (I use Italian, but I imagine others would be good, too) 6 Tablesppons EVOO i large clove garlic
Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4 inch dice. Finely chop basil leaves. Crush garlic. Combine tomato, crushed garlic, 6 Tbsps. EVOO and mozzarella in large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours. add salt to taste.
Cut bread slices into 1 inch cubes. Slice garlic. Put 6 Tbsp EVOO in skillet and heat to medium high. Add garlic and cook until garlic begins to brown. Remove garlic. Put bread cubes in skillet and toss to coat with oil. Cook, turning frequently until Bread cubes are golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
To serve, divide bread cubes between 2 bowls. Top each bowl with half the tomato mixture. Grind some black pepper over bowls and enjoy.
(This is also good with feta instead of mozzarella.)
1 medium eggplant 1 large yellow onion 1 medium zucchini 2 pabloma peppers 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 5 large cloves garlic 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt
If using charcoal grill start charcoal. Cut off ends and peel onion. Cut lengthwise into eighths. Cut off ends and cut zucchini lengthwise lengthwise into quarters. Cut off stem end of eggplant and peel. Cut lengthwise into 1/2 thick slices. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place cut vegetables in bowl and oil with the grapeseed oil. Grill vegetables on both sides until soft. At the same time, place whole peppers on grill and cook 'til skin is black and blistered, turning often. When peppers are done, remove them to bowl and cover with towel. Remove vegetables from grill and place in oily bowl.
Peel and coarsely chop garlic. Put tomatoes and garlic in deep skillet. Bring to boil. Add basil leaves. Add salt. Reduce heat to low.
Coarsely chop grilled onions, zucchini and eggplant. Peel and seed peppers. Coarsely chop. Add all to tomato mixture on the stove. Bring back to boil. Turn off heat. Serve.
This is also good served at room temperature and like all stews, tastes even better the next day. Enjoy!
