It’s summer, so zucchini is everywhere! I’ve shared plenty of recipes and can’t get enough of it. Every year, our garden is the exception to the rule of overabundance of zucchini. I love the kidding around about leaving zucchini on a neighbor’s porch… I sure wish someone would! If the garden disappoints, I run the roads for free and cheap zucchini. Sometimes, I get a monster for 30 cents!
Read MoreI wanted a simple but fancy looking kind of strudel-ish, sorta Danish-ish coffee cake for a Mother’s Day treat, and I started looking quite a bit ahead for things I might “practice” on before the big day. I am that annoying cook/baker who usually has puff pastry in the freezer, ricotta in the fridge, and Demerara sugar in the cupboard. I will have frozen fruit, if not fresh, waiting for a recipe, as well.
Read MoreWhen I saw this recipe on https://cookingwithayeh.com/lemon-garlic-pasta/, I knew I’d make it my own. And I did! It had elements of things I already loved, like Artichokes French, or my family’s standard fare, Macaroni with Garlic.
The recipe is easy, and with my changes, remains simple and quick. You can have it on the table in 15 minutes from start to finish. I didn’t find this to have a “lovely creamy silky sauce,” as the recipe promised. It was delicious, and worth making. I like mine soupy, Honey likes his more dry. I put the extra pasta water on my own dish.
Read MoreThis delightful brunch dish is perfect for a holiday weekend. It is easy to blend up the batter while the oven and cooking dish are heating up. Adding the batter to the hot dish starts the cooking quickly and helps it rise. While sometimes called a German or Dutch (after a German word “Deutsch”) pancake, this dish is similar to a Yorkshire pudding. Here in America it is served as a breakfast dish with powdered sugar, syrup and maybe berries or other fruit. In England, Yorkshire pudding is a similar dish with the same core ingredients: egg, flour, milk. Yorkshire pudding was often served with thick gravy as a first course, as the meat drippings were used to grease the pan. This is my BRUNCH version of this dish which has sliced cinnamon apples, provolone cheese and crumbled sausage. Of course add any variety of ingredients you have on hand (banana slices and peanut butter) or flavors your family loves (green chili and cheddar cheese), to make this a holiday brunch favorite for your bunch.
Read MoreHoney and I wanted a nice dinner, so we asked Siri to direct us to a Chinese restaurant we hadn’t been to before. We plugged it into the GPS and off we went, discussing our hopes for good Rangoons and hot and sour soup. After a 25 minute drive, we arrived, practically salivating; hoping for ginger and garlic flavors!
You guessed it! “Please call ahead, take-out only.”
What a blessing to discover a Mexican restaurant right next door!
The best revelation was Potato Flautas! I already dream of flautas, but now they have joined the ranks of OMG foods! Enjoy!
Read MoreI found a Frito Skillet Taco recipe online. As you know by now, a recipe is merely a suggestion. I’ve been ruminating.
This recipe called for salsa, but I omitted it. It called for water—I substituted tomato sauce. It said to put half the Fritos in with the meat. I was repulsed at the thought of soggy Fritos! The black beans were my addition, and I expect the meat could be replaced by refried beans, don’t you think? I used True Lime with Garlic. It shakes right into the recipe like it belongs there… like Adobo might, or a dash of hot sauce. I’d put cilantro in the pan while it’s cooking.
Read MoreIn a family of vegans, I sometimes like to see if I can veganize a recipe without losing something I’m used to tasting. Since portobellos are so meaty, it’s not usually a problem. The original recipe for this was a TikTok and made with shaved beef; not a particular favorite. I used Italian sausage, but it’s not mandatory. There are several plant-based sausages out there if you want the flavor without the meat.
Read MoreOh, heavens, it’s after the holidays and we’re probably cookie’d out! I’m trying to be…but I’m not sure if that’s possible. I had two of my childcare guys (they graduated, but we had a special gathering for them) over to celebrate their December and January birthdays. They are cookie monsters for sure, and not as big fans of frosting as their little sisters!
Read MoreAlways one to try new foods, a friend suggested Bison last week and it was quickly found in my local supermarket. Bison is lean meat with abundant protein, iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins. Pan browning this ground bison in large one-inch cubes made for a hearty, savory dish. Kale is the ultra-green veggie! Full of nutrients, kale is a cruciferous vegetable high in vitamin C, vitamin D, antioxidants, fiber, and some iron! Sautéed kale along with onions and mushrooms was the perfect pairing for this Western-inspired dish! Good and good for you!!
Read MoreWhen Honey and I were dating, we volunteered at the high school concession stand while his youngest son played football. The Sloppy Joes-preparation consisted of a lot of browned ground beef in a roasting pan, a few jars of tomato sauce, and a several packages of Sloppy Joe seasoning mixes. It was used for chili dogs; and over tortilla chips, with cheese. It reminded me of school lunches, so I never ate it.
Read MoreAt the time of this writing, I have zucchini bread in the oven. It’s full of shredded zucchini, much more than the recipe asked for. I’ve loaded it with cinnamon, raisins, and cinnamon. Doesn’t everyone have a favorite zucchini bread recipe? I always double mine, just because one loaf always seems to go home with somebody. This way, I get the joy of eating it and the joy of sharing it. I can’t believe I hadn’t already shared it here!
Sometimes my sense of humor doesn’t quite mesh with someone else’s. That’s OK with me, since I appreciate all forms of humor except at someone else’s expense. After years of being the shortest person in the room, and . . . the teacher, I have learned to laugh at my own vulnerabilities. There is a particular joy in defusing an awkward situation. You have to “check yourself,” and you have to offer a way out. My way is playfulness.
What does this have to do with food? Well, here’s the part you might not find funny. I always tell “my kids” that I’m going to cook them with beans and rice. Yes, that’s right. And they know, right there—I might be kidding!
Ribs can be a delicious and a nutritious choice of meat. Yes, ribs are higher in fat cut or meat, but this is a desired cut when following a carb cycling program. I have been using several strategies with my clients to help them lose body fat. And though it sounds counterintuitive, eating more fat will help you lose fat.
Read MoreAs we progress into our second year of this pandemic, I have been working extra hard to find the joy in cooking at home. I’ve been tired and tweaking things in my life to feel healthier. Dinners were beginning to taste like they were in black and white. Then my sister slid this little recipe link into a text message!
I had already done a grocery order via Shipt, but I made a list and ventured to the grocery store for anything I lacked to make this recipe.
We all look forward to getting more fresh food as we stay with our efforts not to binge on comfort foods as we know them. Who doesn’t love a good egg roll? For me, the crust is lovely on the outside, but the inside has a kind of oily, un-fried “skin” around the yummy filling. I usually peel it off the skin and throw it away, since there’s no refund on calories or carbs that don’t taste good.
The joy of cooking with a wok is inspiring. And so is the feeling of guilt-free veggies! I like to put breakfast sausage in my Egg Roll in a Bowl, rather than just pork, because it adds a punch to the flavor.
Read MoreTo round out the gifts of 2020, I was advised to stop putting the following allergens into my body: sugar, gluten, and dairy. This is no joke for someone who loves her daily bread. I was also advised to go “plant-based.” I haven’t joyfully embraced this change, yet.
Read MoreRecently, I’ve been having some dental work to replace the old amalgam fillings from childhood with some new composite to make my mouth look less like I have molars full of coal. I had some great fun getting those cavities, let me tell you. My sweet tooth should have had a mouth of its own, so it would have wreaked less havoc in the teeth surrounding it.
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