Recipe Bot

With the move date pushed back a week and 90% of our kitchen already in the new house, I deemed it necessary to stock up on some food. I scored some great deals last night!

In my grocery basket:

1. Amy’s V-Burgs were buy 1 get 1 free. I got California (new to me) and All-American (not new to me). In the store bought v-burg category, I like Amy’s more than Dr. P, Boca and Morningstar.

2. Athenos Feta Cheese for 40 cents (I had a coupon from my HLS swag bag for a free container up to $5.99).

3. Van’s Waffles! I haven’t had waffles in forever. I’ve been missing Waffle Mountains oh so much. These weren’t on sale but you can’t win ‘em all.

4. What’s that blob? Dates! Read on…

Before we go any further, can we stop and appreciate this UPC label?

Last night Harris Teeter won over Trader Joe’s for one reason and one reason only.

The Red Box Machine.

We rented The Back Up Plan starring J. Lo. It was just meh. Cute but not a-must-see in my opinion.

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Medjool date vs. Deglet Noor date

I picked up 3 organic Medjool dates from a bulk bin at HT last night. I love bulk bins because I can get as little as I want/can afford.

According to Wikipedia, the deglet noor date (on the right) is one of more than 100 varieties of dates but it’s the most known in the world.

Deglet noor dates are not as sweet and moist as Medjool dates. Here’s a comparison chart I found from Brown Date Garden.

The dates I’ve been eating are the deglet noor variety from Costco (I’ve also found Medjool dates at Costco and TJ’s but they are twice as expensive).

Ooey, gooey, soft and chewy.

Now I know why Medjool dates are more expensive than the Deglet Noor dates. They tasted like sweetened pumpkin puree! It took every bone in my body to save the last one for a daylight photo.

…the sacrifices I make for this blog!

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This morning marked the return of the Waffle Mountain!

Topped with Chobani 0% Greek yogurt, banana, cacao nibs, and chia seeds. There was not a lick of nut butter in the house to swipe on my waffle. I’ll take the blame for that one.

I usually eat these like a slice of pizza but I keep a fork and knife on hand just incase things start to fall apart. That, and to give you a ‘bite’ photo.

The rest of today:

• More packing/throwing out junk
• Workout…?
• Eat mah new food!
• BAKE!?

It’s supposed to be in the 70s here this weekend–a welcomed change for sure! Have a great Labor Day weekend or just a great regular weekend .

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Quote of the day:

“Mom told me there are people from your website who said they want to marry me….”

~Chef Peter

Pepper rice is as easy to cook as the simple steam rice. Pepper rice is good for people suffering from fever and body ache and who lose appetite. Pepper Rice is nutritious and tasty , that makes it a perfect dish for your next meal..

Ingredients:

2 cups of Rice

¼ Part of a Cabbage

4 medium size Onions (chopped)

2 medium size potatoes (chopped)

2 medium Capsicum (chopped)

2 teaspoon of butter

9-10 medium pieces of garlic (chopped)

Salt

Red chili powder

 2 teaspoon of Pepper

Medium 3-4 pieces of grated cheese

Procedure

 Step1: Take 2 spoons of butter in a non-stick pan and let it melt in low flame.

           Stir the chopped Onions and the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes till it becomes transparent.

 Step2: Take rest of the ingredients (Potatoes, capsicum and all the spices; salt, chili powder and pepper)

          And cook for 3 minutes in low flame.

 Step3: Put the rice in the mixture and pour water, cover and let it boil for 15 minutes till it is cooked or water is absorbed.

 Step4: Finally add the grated cheese over the cooked rice and serve it  hot.

What a boring title for a post…I’m surprised you’re even reading this. But really, I just couldn’t think of anything else to call this. You should trust me when I say it’s worth making, though, because you’ll love it. I’m sure of it.

Since I fell off the face of the blogging planet, I haven’t been able to talk much about Billy’s new fructose-free diet. It’s been about two months since he totally cut everything fructose out, and it’s been a big adjustment for us in terms of what we can cook and a huge adjustment for him since basically can’t eat anything. For the last three weeks or so, he’s been in the “introduction” phase where he can introduce one thing off the “bad” list of foods every three days. The first thing we decided to introduce was tomatoes because, let’s face it, they’re everywhere.

Since everything else in this recipe is on the “safe” list, we thought this would be a good way to introduce tomatoes.Bad idea. Apparently the fructose in tomatoes can basically kill a person. (Maybe that was an exaggeration, but just go with it, would ya?) We thoroughly enjoyed this okra and tomato creation, so I wanted to share it with you all in hopes that those of you who are anti-okra might give it a shot, but tomatoes are definitely a no-go for Billy.

Okra and Tomato Saute

{Print this Recipe}
Here’s what you’ll need:
Serves: 2 to 3 (as a side dish)
- olive oil
- 2 shallots (or 1 small onion), diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 to 10 okra pods, cut into 1-inch rounds
- 8 to 10 oz. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- salt and pepper

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat, then add the shallots and saute until soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and stir around until it becomes fragrant, about one minute. Toss the okra into the pan and let it cook away until it begins to soften and loose some of it’s (notoriously) slimy texture, eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the okra begins to brown around the edges, add the tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine, then let the mixture hang out in the pan until the tomatoes begin to release lots of juice and start to burst a bit. Season the whole thing with salt and pepper (you can add a little red pepper flakes for some kick, too). Once the tomatoes are added to the pan, it’s really up to you how much longer you cook it. I usually let it go for about five minutes, but I really just base it on how juicy the whole thing is.

Before ever trying this recipe, we only cooked okra one way — fried. After we planted a few okra plants this spring, we decided we needed to figure out a few other uses for it, and that’s how this recipe was born. It’s too bad that we can’t really make it anymore, because it’s a great variation for a vegetable you don’t see or use very often.

Every bite of this reminds me of summer. Sweet, juicy tomatoes with a nice crunch from the golden brown okra. After making this a few times, I’m pretty sure that okra and tomatoes were meant to be together. They really make a great combination. This is such an easy side dish to throw together and can pretty much go with any meat or a few nice grilled shrimp.

Fried okra is still my favorite preparation for this little green vegetable, but this is definitely a good way to mix things up and to taste a whole new side of okra. Even if you’re not a fan of okra, I would suggest giving this a try because the “okra” taste is less pungent once it’s sauteed down with the tomatoes. It might give you a whole new feeling about this weird, slimy vegetable. :)

Now hands up and let’s be honest people, who kinda enjoys having a cold because it means you get to have a hot toddy because it quote makes you feel better. Just me then!!

This recipe is dead simple for a non fancy cocktail maker like myself and it has a great Hollywood history – the drink appears in classic flick Car On A Hot Tin Roof from 1958. It’s medicinal roots date back colonial times when it was thought to have been brought back from expats living in India. Traditionally the toddy palm was tapped for it’s sap and fermented to make palm wine but as with most things it’s been adapted over the years. 

The whisky and lemon in the drink help sooth a sore throat aggravated by coughing as well as acting as a natural aid to sleeping which everyone knows is the best remedy to any ailment.

Ingredients

50ml Scotch Whisky

Fresh lemon juice

1 Lemon

I Tablespoon honey

Ground cinnamon

Cinnamon stick

5 Cloves

Boiling water

To make just pour the whisky and honey into a heatproof glass. Add half a glass of boiling water and stir vigorously. Spear five cloves into the skin of a lemon slice and place into the glass; add a sprinklinh of cinnamon and a large dash of lemon juice Stir again and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Enjoy!

Do you see my single plum in this photo? It’s the only one from the very same tree that gave me such bounty last year, and I’ve been patiently waiting for it to ripen so I can shake it down and eat it.Meanwhile, my zucchini plant continues to take over the neighborhood, despite my threats of ripping it out on September 1st. Alas, here it is the 3rd and I’m actually offering up another zucchini recipe. This is so easy
Read the rest of Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Cream of Zucchini Sauce

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But since in this case at hand, I found me a good piece of beef, I decided to make the dish, which has long intrigued me – the meat in Arabic.I used:
350 g of meat;
200 g rice;
1 onion;
1 lime;
50 g sour cream;
a few sprigs of parsley;
200 ml of tomato juice;
sunflower oil for frying;
salt and pepper – to taste.
Twenty-four hours pickle meat in a mixture of sliced limes, chopped onion rings and chopped parsley.
Free the meat from the marinade and roll in flour.
Fry the meat with two sides in sunflower oil over medium heat.
Add the lime, onion and parsley. Stew 15-20 minutes on low heat.
Mix tomato juice with sour cream and pour the meat sauce. Stew for another half hour.
Fall asleep on the skillet rice, leave stew on low heat, adding water as necessary.
We wait until the rice is tender.
And now the table!
From personal experience:
* If you do not want to figure bitter, cut away peel from lime.
* If you want the dish was more tart, instead of parsley, coriander take.

As you are planning your dinner party schedule this holiday season you may want to consider serving your foodie friends a strong spicy Scandinavian drink known as “Glogg”.   “Glogg” is a traditional Christmas drink, has a high alcohol content and can go quickly to one’s head so be sure to keep that in mind when serving.

It takes approximately 25 minutes to make and the recipe provided usually yields 8 servings.

To make the glogg you will first need to assemble the following ingredients; 1 ½ cups robust red wine, 1 ½ cups ruby port wine, 1 cup vodka, 6 pods of green cardamom, 5 whole cloves, 2 tablespoons grated orange zest, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 ounces slivered almond, and  ½ tablespoon raisins.

Once your ingredients are assembled, combine the wine, port and vodka in a nonreactive pot.   Add cardamom, cloves, orange peel, and cinnamon and gently warm the mixture over a low heat.   Do not let the mixture boil otherwise you will ruin it.   Allow the mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes or more.  The longer it steeps without boiling the better.   Once the mixture is done steeping pour it into heatproof glasses, garnish with almonds and raisins and then serve.

Some would be gourmet chefs tend to shy away from seafood because if not cooked properly it can be rubbery and tasteless.   Here is a easy and flavorful recipe for steamed mussels served in a rosemary broth that you may want to consider serving at your next intimate gathering.

First you must assemble the following ingredients; ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, 1 minced large shallot, 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, 2 ½ pounds scrubbed and de-bearded mussels, ½ cup dry white wine, lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs for garnishing purposes.

With all your ingredients assembled you can begin cooking.   Start by taking a large heavy pot, add the butter and place it over a medium high flame.   Add the shallot and minced rosemary to the pot.  Sauté the mixture until the shallot is soft.   This will take approximately 3 minutes.  

Next add the mussels and the wine.   Bring the mixture to a boil.  Once the mixture has started boiling cover the pot with a heavy lid and steam the mussels open.  This will take approximately 6 minutes.   Be sure to discard any mussels that do not open after the steaming process is complete. 

Divide the mussels and broth among four deep soup bowls and garnish with a lemon wedge and a spring of rosemary.   Serve the mussels with a big loaf of fresh crusty bread, imported European cheese and a nice vintage bottle of white wine.

If you are looking for an extra special salmon dish to serve at your next dinner party you may want to consider serving Thai spiced salmon with boiled rice and stir fry vegetables.   This dish has a delicate taste that is pleasing to the palate and is sure to leave your guests crying out for more.

To make Thai spiced salmon you must first assemble the following ingredients; 1 inch piece grated fresh gingerroot, 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 4 medium salmon fillets with the skin left one, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, freshly boiled rice and stir fried vegetables.

Once all your ingredients are assembled you can begin cooking.   Mix the grated gingerroot with the crushed coriander seeds and the chili powder in a small bowl.   Add the lime juice and sesame oil.   Place the salmon fillets, skin side down and side by side, on a wide nonmetallic plate or dish.  Spoon the spice mixture over the salmon making sure to spread the mixture and coat the fillet evenly.   Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill the salmon in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors plenty of time to penetrate the fish.   Pour the oil into a wide, heavy bottomed skillet and heat it on high.   Once the skillet is hot add in the salmon, skin side down.   Cook the salmon for 4 to 5 minutes without turning.   The fillets should become crusty underneath and the fish’s flesh will flake easily.   Next  transfer the fish immediately to warmed serving plates and serve at once with the boiled rice and stir fried vegetables.   Either a white or red wine will pair nicely with this dish.

If you are looking for an intensely flavorful mushroom bruschetta to serve at your next gourmet dinner party you may want to consider the following recipe.   It goes well when paired with a lightly dressed salad of delicate field greens and a robust red wine.

First you will need to assemble the following ingredients;

• 1 ounce butter
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 9 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 4 to 5 shallots finely chopped
• 2 ½ pounds sliced Cremini mushrooms
• 1 ½ pounds sliced oyster mushrooms
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup dry sherry
• 1 ½ tablespoons dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly grounded pepper, Sel gris ( a fine sea salt) to taste
• Sliced sour dough baguettes (16 to 24 slices)
• Enough Chevre cheese to generously spread on top of the sliced baguettes

Once all your ingredients are assembled take out a large pot and place into it the butter and olive oil.  Next heat the butter and olive oil over a medium to low flame.   Be sure not to scorch the butter.    Next add the garlic and shallots to the butter and oil mixture and sauté for one to two minutes.   Then add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté for seven to eight minutes.   Add chicken broth, dry sherry, and herbs and cook until the liquid has evaporated.   Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and sel gris.  Spread chevre evenly over the baguette slices.   Top with the mushroom mixture and serve with a nice robust red wine.   This dish will serve approximately 8 people.

Most often cited in literature the olive has earned its place of honor on our dinner tables.   Actually considered a fruit by some, olives are cholesterol free, low in calories and come in three main varieties; black, Spanish and kalamata.

The next time you are preparing a gourmet meal for your foodie friends consider serving an olive marinade.   Olive marinade can be made up to one month in advance and stored in an air tight container in your refrigerator until you are ready to use it.   It can be used as an appetizer or spooned over a salad, pasta or chicken dish.

To make the olive marinade you will need to first assemble the following ingredients;

• one 6 ounce can of drained black ripe pitted olives
• ¼ cup good quality olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or basil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon salt.

Combine all the ingredients into a plastic container or bag and seal.   Shake the mixture to coat all of the olives and then place it into the refrigerator to marinate.  Leave the olives in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

The residents of Vidalia, Georgia are dead serious about their famous crop – Vidalia sweet onions.   So much so that every year, during the spring, they hold a five day festival that pays the ultimate homage to this tasty vegetable.   The festival is incredibly popular and has even been featured on the Food Network.

If you would like to celebrate the Vidalia onion along with them this year but are unable to be at the festival in person, consider making Vidalia Sweet Onion Bisque.   The recipe can be altered to taste with such additions as crab meat, lobster meat and sweet summer corn.

To make Vidalia Sweet Onion Bisque you will need to assemble the following ingredients;

• 6 sliced Vidalia Onions
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 24 oz. water
• 1/2 quart heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 36 oz. chicken stock

Once you have assembled all of your ingredients it is time to start cooking.   Begin by adding the butter and Vidalia Onions to a stock pot and cook until them until they are tender.   Next, add the flour into the sauce pan and blend it into the Vidalia onion mixture.    Then, add the water and stock to the pan.    Proceed by bringing the mixture to a rolling boil.   Once it boils you must reduce the heat to simmer.  Let it simmer for 30 minutes.    Add cream, salt, and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley.    

Ingredients:

    * 2 nice red apples
    * 1 teaspoon apricot jam tops
    * 1 fig
    * 1 tablespoon finely shredded walnuts

Procedure

We start the day before Soak figs in wine. Then he chopped Slice. From apples carefully slice the top and remove the resulting core has a hole. Apricot jam Mix the chopped nuts and fig mixture and fill the center of the carved apples. Cover the top and back side cut preheated oven bake about 30 minutes. If we want to serve dessert colorful, we can use in addition to red and golden apple. But it filled with blueberry jam.