Comfort Food

Weather is unpredictable this time of year. Traveling in January is just a bad idea.  My car has very low ground clearance, so although it has snow tires, it can't clear more than a few inches of snow.  I planned to go to my Dad's three weeks in a row and couldn't make it because of snow or ice or both.  I finally made it last week and decided to stay longer than usual.  After being away from home all week, I was ready for comfort food.
Mr. C had eaten all the frozen dinners. He was ready for a home cooked dinner, too.  Bread is sparse on Dad's diabetic diet; that is what I was craving.  I decided to make buttermilk biscuits.  Ah, warm, buttery bites of goodness.

As you can see, I had plenty of help.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

5 tbs unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Combine all the dry ingredients.

Grate butter into dry ingredients and toss to coat.

Pour in buttermilk and toss to combine.

Turn out on flexible mat. 

Compress dough lightly by folding mat over dough.

Pat dough into a 1/2 - 3/4 inch high circle or square.
Cut out biscuits with cutter the size of your choosing.

Place biscuits on a try lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 500 F for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Dinner

Refried Beans with Monterey-Jack cheese

Buttermilk Biscuits

Broccoli

Browned New Potatoes

I am glad to be back home. I've missed you! 

See you again, soon.

Grrrrrr!!!

Sunday I wrote about Frito Salad, Hay Stacks to some.  Just wanted to read it over in the morning before posting.  Monday it was gone. . .  who knows where?? Cyber limbo.  So here is the short version:

We moved from Michigan to Ohio when I was 12. It was a big change, especially school.  Changing from a eight-grade one-room school to one that was not only much larger, but needing to change classrooms for each class was confusing and overwhelming.  On the plus side, my comute to school went from more than an hour to about 20 minutes.  It didn't take very long to make friends because we saw each other six days a week. Our parents worked at the same hospital and we all attended the same church.  The best thing, though, was that on Saturday nights there were other kids to hang around with.  We seventh graders could make  Chef Boyarde pizza in a box. It was deciding whose kitchen that was the hardest. It didn't taste as good as pizza we make now, but it was fun making it together.    

            

Another food that I ate for the first time was Frito Salad.  Open and heat a can of refried beans, a package of grated cheese, jar of salsa, sour cream, Fritos and shredded lettuce. What could be easier?   Frito Salad is great pot luck meal, too. Everyone brings one layer. I worked with a Mexican nurse's aid at a hospital in California. She made the best refried beans I have ever had in my life.  I still swoon!  I don't know what she put in them, and we couldn't get her to bring them very often.

Somehow Frito Salad became our traditional Colts football meal.  We've added a few more layers over the years. Mr. C likes his mom's pickle relish, I like ranch dressing and guacamole. We weren't sure if we would be having Frito Salad  this next weekend. The Colts and Titans were tied until the last 3 seconds. Gotta love Vinatieri!   Crossing my fingers for the next game and more Frito Salad.   

Dinner Inspired by Cuban Beans and Rice

 Our usual Sunday Colt's football lunch is frito salad, at least that is what I grew up in the mid-west calling it. In California it is called hay stacks. Friday Gena posted a recipe for Cuban Beans and Will's Mexican Rice on her blog A Bluebonet in Beantown. It looks scrumptious. I have not had the time to try it until today. Well, sort of. Not being much of a plan ahead kind of cook, I didn't have any black beans or enough tomatoes. I can't leave a recipe alone anyway. Sorry, I don't measure spices. It works better for me to add by taste.  Here is how I made it into a ond dish meal.

Start the rice.  

Wash 1-1/2 cups short grain rice until water is clear. 

Puree 1/2 large can organic diced tomatoes. (They were in the fridge.)

Add cumin, hot chili powder, bay leaf, pepper
and powdered veggie chicken broth (McKays) to taste.

Put all of the ingredients in the rice cooker. Add water to 2 cup line.

Push start.

While the rice is cooking, 

Chop 1/4 orange pepper (that's all I had), 1 celery stalk, 1/4 cup onion.

Slowly saute in olive oil. 

While the veggies are sautéing,
crumble 3 Morning Star Farms breakfast sausages.
(Thaw in warm water first.)

Finely chop garlic to your taste. I used 5 small cloves.

Add to skillet to warm just before other veggies are soft.

Season to taste with  chicken powder, salt, pepper.

Rinse and drain 1 small can of beans.
The Cuban Beans recipe specified black beans. 

I used pinto beans. Add beans to the sautéed veggies and 

cook until they just begin to brown. It gives the beans a nutty character.
Don't over brown or the beans will be tough.

Oops, for got the carrot. Run get 2 small carrots. 

Peel and shred. Add to the bean mixture. Cook until carrot is slightly soft.

The rice is simmering.

Add to the beans and vegetables, and a handfull of crushed oregano to the rice cooker. 

The mixture was a little too dry. I added about 1/2 cup of water.

The rice was nearly done.
The beans and veggies just needed to warm and flavors to meld.

I am terrible at cleaning as I go.
There's just enough time to tidy up,
grate the cheese, set the table, and get the drink
before the rice and beans are ready.

The rice and beans are ready!

Garnished with colby cheese, sour cream and cayenne pepper.

Thanks, Gena, for the inspiration. 

If I was changing my recipe adaptation, I'd add more tomatoes.

 Mr. C prefers it just the way it is. 

This would serve 2 big eaters or 3 smaller portions.

There is enough left for a side dish for tonight's supper.

I can't wait!

Black Beans and Pasta

1 container of frozen pasta and broccoli
(made earlier in the week), thawed

2 carrots, grated

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/3 can black beans, throughly rinsed

1 veggie hotdog, finely chopped 

Saute until carrots and celery are tender.

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. Savory leaves to mixture.

3 oz. tomato paste

Add enough water to make sauce 

Add chicken seasoning to taste

Serve with cheese on top if desired.

Cotehele's Recipe

Lima Bean Soup

1/4 c onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano pepper, minced
Simmer in butter until softened. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste.

2 small sweet potatoes, small dice

1/2 cup frozen lima beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
In a sauce pan add (in succession so all are done at the same time) enough water to cover. And 1 cube veggie broth.   Simmer until done.

Add skillet vegetables to sauce pan.

Serve with sour cream and pita bread cut into small cubes and warmed in butter.

Yield: 2 servings and about 1 cup left over.

Cotehele's Recipe

Lentil Stew

Preheat oven to 375F if baking.
Combine in a dutch oven (or 9 x 13 baking pan)
1 3/4 cups lentils, rinsed
2 cups water, add more as needed
1 whole bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
pepper, freshly ground to taste
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned tomatoes (I use fresh when available)

Simmer until lentils are slightly underdone.
(If baking: cover tightly and bake 30 minutes)

Stir in:
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
potatoes, cubed (I use 2-4 depending on size)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. parsley, finely chopped (I don't use this)

Simmer until vegetables are cooked to your liking.
(If baking: uncover and bake for 40 minutes omitting pepper and parsley.
Add remaining ingredients and sprinkle 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded on top.
Bake uncovered 5 minutes until cheese melts.)

I sometimes add veggie sausage with the vegetables.

Rather than sprinkling cheese and baking, the stew can be served with cheese and sour cream on the side.

The recipe credit is Catherine Kornweibel, Easton, Pa.


Serves 6.