New Recipes

I love the ease of finding inspiration online. 

A few key words in Google search and up pops a plethora of recipes. 

 My sister-in-law gave us a few cans of vegemeat for Christmas.  

It is kind of like getting a box of Sees candy, a treat that is not easy to come by where we live.  Google "scallops and rice" and there are not as many recipes as I'd thought there would be. But, I don't know anything about using scallops. Looking over some of the recipes, I discovered ingredients that go well with scallops and made up this dish for supper.

I started the rice first with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. It flavored the rice just a bit and made it easier to scorch. I would leave it out next time.

Onions, garlic and mushrooms were sauteed in olive oil. Scallops added as well as 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbs. honey.  Simmer until reduced.  

Served over flavored rice with a carrot and rasin salad.  

 The dish was a nice blend of flavors. 

Carrot and raisin salad was a good compliment.

The remaining half can of Scallops were used for tonight's dinner.  A lot of dinners begin with sauteed onion, garlic and mushrooms, to which I added diced red pepper and spinach, salt, pepper, marjoram, cayenne pepper and white wine.   While the pasta cooked, I finished the vegetables with a sauce of half-and-half, asiago and provolone cheese.  This was really good. I love anything with butter, cream and cheese.

Sorry for the picture. There really is a difference 

between a camera phone and a camera! 

Pizza

November is just about to end.

 I've been waiting all month to make pizza. 

So far this month I've spent about $180 on groceries. 

I needed to be sure Mozzarella was in the budget.

Cheese is one of the more pricey grocery items. 

And, yippee, there is enough money left to get cheese! 

Pizza crust usually takes all day to make. I use a French bread dough. 

The crust is chewy, rises nicely and browns just right. 

We went for a walk so I got a late start making the dough.   

 I decided to try a friend of mine's recipe. 

She has good instructions, so I won't repeat them here.

Rhome makes pizza for her family of ten every Friday. 

You can read about her made from scratch pizza here.  

Makes me crave pizza just looking at hers!

Four pizzas is a bit much for two people, so I halved the recipe.

 I got in the habit of weighing dough when I started selling my 

baked goods  at the local farmer's market. I like the uniformity it 

provides for the finished goods.

Dough for one pizza

While the covered dough was resting, 

 I made the sauce. 

Stretched the dough for a pie.  Rhome's are perfectly round.  

But, the imperfections give the pizza character.  

Okay, I couldn't get it perfectly round. 

 

Ready to make the pizza.

Ready for baking. 

I baked it at 550 degrees for 9 minutes 

on a pre-heated baking stone.

Mr. C and Sweet Girl worked up a hunger at the park.

Yummy! 

Savory Bread Pudding

I am enticed by all things British. Lush landscapes, perfect gardens, historic churches, little villages, narrow lanes, and manor houses. Of course we learned to love tea the first time we were in England.  The meals we had were wonderful. I don't understand why British food is panned. A quick supper Mr. C  loves is Beans on Toast.  I always keep a can of Heinz Vegetarian Beans in the cupboard for when I need a quick 5 minute meal.  The U.S. version. The British version of doesn't have enough vinegar to suit.


One dish I have never tasted is Bread Pudding.  It is a concoction of eggs, dry bread, cream, and most often made with fruit, vanilla and sugar. The bread that need using up was a few slices of frozen round herb bread. I am an adventuresome eater, but sage and thyme wouldn't make a very palatable bread pudding.  I found this recipe for Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese and adapted it for our Saturday afternoon meal.

Savory Bread Pudding

3-4 slices of crusty herb bread, cubed
a little olive oil for toasting
 
2 Tbs. butter
4 ounces fresh mini bella mushrooms, diced
4-6 Tbs. onion, finely chopped
4-6 Tbs.  celery, sliced
4 slices Morningstar breakfast strips, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
freshly ground sea salt and pepper

1 1/4-1/2 cupa 1% organic milk
1/2 cup powdered skim milk
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/3 cup asiago cheese finely grated

Cut bread into small cubes.  Heat olive oil in wok. 

Put bread cubes in the wok and toss to coat with oil.  

Heat and toss until bread is toasted on several sides.

Prepare vegetables and breakfast strips.

Melt butter in skillet.

Saute mushrooms, onion, celery and breakfast strips in butter until soft.  

Add finely diced garlic to warm. 

Toss vegetables with toasted bread.  

Place in an oiled dish.

Mix together milk, eggs and salt. Add cayenne pepper to taste. 

Pour over bread-vegetable mixture covering most of the bread. 

Top with grated Asiago cheese.

I baked this at 350 about 15 minutes,  

turned down the temperature to 300 . . .

and went for a walk with Sweet Girl and Mr. C.  

The bread pudding baked about an hour total.  

It would normally bake at one temperature for about 45 minutes. 

Mr. C likes toasty food, 

but I would prefer a thicker layer of pudding baked a smaller dish. 

Sweet Girl was ready to eat too.

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!

Glorious Day

It was a glorious, sunny, warm day with very little breeze. So unusual for November weather. Put the top down on the car running some errands. My Sweet Girl loves the wind blowing on her face.

Still eating leftovers for supper tonight. 

Lima Bean Soup

Grilled Cheese and Veggie Hot Dog Sandwich

Mr. C is on holiday a few days this week. I can't wait to go to Traders Point Creamery for lunch. Last time we ate on the deck overlooking the gazing fields. It reminded me of Switzerland's wide gables and lush green fields.

Pasta with Broccoli and Cheese

1 box of small size pasta (I used mini-penne)

Make a white sauce using

2 Tbs butter 

2 Tbs flour  

1-1/2 cup milk

3-4 garlic cloves, minced, softened in butter

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped, softened in butter

 6 oz. sharp cheese

1 cup broccoli flowerettes, cut into small pieces

Boil until crispy tender.

Mix cooked pasta, white sauce and cooked broccoli together. Serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings.


Cotehele's Recipe