365 in 365 - #82 & #83 - Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes and Mexihash Fritatta

This past weekend, I was lucky enough for my husband to offer to go food shopping for me.  Yes, ladies and gents....HE offered!!!!  I think it was his way of getting me to cook real food.  You see, he had been complaining that his belly button was touching his spine because there was nothing in the house to eat.  Yep...that is right.....nothing in my house to eat.

So.....I was kind and did not give him the grocery list from hell.  I gave him a 5 x 7 piece of paper, with items listed on only 1 side.....and I did not write too small......teeheehee......

About 90 minutes later, Jason came home laden down with groceries.  So, like a dutiful chief cook, I prepped all the veggies for the the week and took the meat off of the rotisserie chickens.  Have I ever mentioned that I just love rotisserie chickens?  All the work is done for you.

Unfortunately, I did not really get to cook until tonite.  So, with cutting board placed firmly on the counter, knife in hand and a boatload of veggies, tortillas, eggs, chicken, spices, herbs, pots and pans all laid out in front of me.....I began.  Slowly at first an then the frenzy ensued.  

I took all the red bliss potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces, drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper, placed them on a cookie sheet and roasted them in the oven on 400' until browned and crispy.  They came out rather good.  

Then I chopped the following items into 1/2 inch pieces:

2 large purple onions

4 poblano peppers

4 jalapenos

6 roasted red jalapenos 

2 teaspoons of dried oregano and 2 teaspoons of cumin, threw everything in a very large non-stick skillet with olive oil, salt & pepper and cooked them until they were tender.  Then I added the potatoes, stirred and moved over to the eggs.  

I beat 12 eggs and then poured them over the veggies and stirred until the eggs were fully incorporated.  Put the burner on the lowest setting possible, put the cover on the pan and let it cook until it was done. Oh my flippin' stars....there is plenty to put in the freezer for next week.  

And......I made a ton of chicken quesadillas for Jason's lunches for the week to add to the store house full of polenta and sausages with peppers and onions that I made on Sunday.   

I guess I showed him who should shop for groceries from now on.......this thought just dawns on me and I am slowly getting a huge Cheshire cat grin on my face.

From my purple kitchen to you...

Enjoy,

S. 

Gifts - just because you can......

I came home from work today to find a brand new, shiny PURPLE Cuisinart hand held mixer sitting on the kitchen island.

Yesterday, while I was making royal icing for the lime shortbread cookies, my other hand-held's little motor finally gave out after at least 20 (human) years of service.  Does anyone know how old that is in blender years?

Have a great evening!
S.

365 in 365 - #81 - Creamy Polenta

Tonite, I made the creamiest polenta for dinner and used it as the base for spicy Italian sausages with green peppers and onions in a light tomato sauce.

The sausage, peppers and onions is a variation on the classic Italian submarine sandwich.  Growing up, this sandwich was a common find on "roach coaches" and in sandwich shops.

For the Polenta
5 cups of water.
Note:  You can use chicken stock, if you like, but I prefer the more neutral flavor of water.  
1 1/2 cups of coarse grind cornmeal
1 stick of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of cream
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

Bring the water, butter, salt and pepper to a simmer.  Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and stir until thickened.  Add the cream, stir to incorporate.
Add the parmesan and stir.
Taste for seasoning.

This also works very well as a base for chicken cacciatore, grilled veggies or a thick stew.

From my purple kitchen to you.
Enjoy,
S.

365 in 365 - #80 - Fiesta Lime Cookies

Here is yet another variation for the shortbread cookie dough.

Use the basic dough and add the zest of 6 limes....yes, 6 of them.

I used the juice from the limes in the royal icing...it is so sweet and tart that it makes your mouth water.

These are definitely a lime flavored cookie, but still have that refreshingly citrus punch.

Jason has eaten about a dozen so far.

Enjoy!!!
S.

365 in 365 - #79 - Intensely Lemony Cookies

I'm having so much fun with this simple shortbread cookie dough......

First of all, let's talk about lemon juice.  Please don't tell me that any one of y'all uses that crap (pardon me) in the lemon shaped container in the grocery store.....PLEASE, say you don't!!!  There is nothing like fresh lemons....for desserts, for fish, for poultry, for garnish, for iced tea, as a decoration....they are so fresh and simply reek of summer.

One of the things that I like to do is to purchase a whole bunch of lemons when they are at their most inexpensive, zest and juice them all at once to use later for baking and whenever a recipe calls for lemon juice.  I store the zest in tightly sealed clear plastic wrapped little packages in the freezer (1 tablespoon per packet) and fill old-fashioned ice cube trays with the juice, let it freeze and then store the frozen juice cubes in a heavy weight plastic bag in the freezer.

For these intensely lemony cookies, make the basic shortbread cookie dough (butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and flour) and add 4 teaspoons of lemon zest and bake as usual.

For the royal icing, instead of water, substitute fresh lemon juice and cover the cookies with the icing.

The first batch of cookies is currently in the oven and the house is beginning to smell of warm lemons.

Jason is just about ready for dessert.

Have a fabulous evening!
S.

365 in 365 - #76 - Fried Green Tomato Tarte Recipe

This tarte came out fantastic.  I mean, completely mouthwatering total YUMNESS!!!!!

This recipe makes 2 tartes / pies in a standard glass pie plate.

Ingredients list: 

1 loaf of Ciabatta bread, made into bread crumbs in a food processor

Dried basil

Shredded parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 pound of thick cut bacon or turkey bacon if you don’t eat pork products

Real maple syrup

1 large onion, diced

8 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature

8 ounces chevre (goat cheese) at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream at room temperature

3 jumbo eggs at room temperature

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 green tomatoes, cut into ½ inch slices

1 cup unbleached white flour with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, mixed together

For the "crust":

4 cups of fresh breadcrumbs - please don't use the kind that comes in the cardboard container from the grocery store.  I use fresh ciabatta bread and pulse in the food processor.   

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

Combine all the dry ingredients, then add the olive oil and stir to combine.  Place half of the bread crumb mixture in each pie plate, spread across the bottom and sides and press to form the crust.

For the tomatoes

Cook the bacon in a jelly roll pan in the oven on 350` F until just about done.  Brush with maple syrup and return to the oven to crisp.  This is heavenly bacon.  If you prefer to not use a pork product, you can do the same thing with turkey bacon, but you will have to add some olive oil to the pan if you use the turkey bacon.  We will use the fat from cooking the bacon to fry the tomatoes.

Finely chop 4 strips of bacon and set aside.

Caramelize the chopped onion in olive oil

Dredge the cut side of the tomato slices in the flour and tap off the excess

Fry in the fat from the bacon until browned on each side and set aside on some paper towels to drain.

Reserve 2 slices of tomato and do not cut in half

Cut the remainder of the tomato slices in half 

Place half of the onion in each tarte and spread evenly with a fork trying to not disturb the bread crumb crust

Divide the bacon in half and sprinkle over the onion in each tart

Place “whole” slice of tomato in the center of each tart

Arrange the remainder of the slices around the center tomato slice, like the petals of a flower

If you have any left-over slices, place them in the center of each tarte on top of the cheese custard.

For the filling

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and the goat cheese with the cream

Add one egg at a time and incorporate

Add the shredded parmesan, basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Scrape the bowl to get all the cheese off the sides and mix to a smooth consistency

Pour over the tomatoes in each tarte shell

Preheat oven to 350' F and bake on the middle rack for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown

Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

I promise this is outrageously wonderful!!!

From my purple kitchen to you,

S.

365 in 365 - #78 - Dark Chocolate, Dried Tart Cherry and Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

OK......I keep playing with flavors for the shortbread cookie dough and am woking on several new flavors.  Father's day is Sunday, I wanted to make something special that my father and my father-in -law would love.  Both of these extraordinary men love dark chocolate, cherry and pistachios.

So, I took the shortbread cookie dough recipe and added 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder to the butter mixture, then after adding the flour, I added 1/2 cup chopped pistachios and 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries.  I baked at 400' for 15 minutes, removed from the oven and let cool.

For the chocolate royal icing, I added 1/4 cup of dark cocoa powder to the recipe.  This royal icing recipe sets up beautifully and is nice and chocolately.......

These are really delicious!!!

Have a great nite,
S.

365 in 365 - # 77 - Sun Dried Tomato, Pine Nut and Basil Cookies

Y'all are gonna think I am nuts....but I am working on a very mature flavor profile for cookies.  The following works, and works VERY well.


Sun Dried Tomato, Pine Nut and Basil Shortbread Cookies

This recipe makes 36 cookies

For the cookies

1 cup of butter at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes, the kind not packed in olive oil

Beat until completely mixed

Then, add 2 1/4 cups flour, a pinch of salt and beat until mixed

Preheat oven to 400' F.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into discs, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick

Place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown

I frosted my cookies with royal icing, but you can frost them with any plain icing that you like.

Basil Scented Royal Icing - These amounts have been adjusted for the recipe so that not very much is left over

2 teaspoons meringue powder

1 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/3 cup basil leaves, process in food processor until smooth

Add the water, basil and vanilla mixture to the powdered sugar and meringue powder by 1/8 cups to start with and beat on medium with a hand held mixer until mixed and thickened and fluffy.  You may or may not need all of the liquid that remains. 

Spread about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie and let the icing dry.  This icing will dry to a firm consistency, but will not be so hard that it will crack or crumble.  You can use a bit more if you like.  Also, using a pastry bag with a very small tip works well too.

Enjoy!!
Susan

365 in 365 - #76 - Fried Green Tomato Tart

I finally found some green tomatoes and thanks to a few people from a Facebook group that I belong to (What's for Dinner), I was sent several recipes for fried green tomatoes.  I have taken steps / ingredients from several of the recipes, mixed and matched them and am adding my own touch for the fried tomatoes.  I think one of the best ideas was to fry the tomatoes in bacon grease.  

Let's talk about bacon grease....there is nothing better for frying than this lovely and extravagant culinary wonder.  I love bacon...but my absolute favorite is maple bacon.  I don't mean the flavored kind that you purchase packaged in the store.  I am talking about thick cut applewood smoked bacon that is cooked on a rack in a jelly roll pan in the oven and then just as it gets crispy, it is brushed on both sides with REAL maple syrup from New England (New Hampshire / Vermont).  There is nothing like real maple syrup.  So, I am going to crumble the bacon and use it in the tart and then use the bacon grease to fry the green tomatoes in......this will be heavenly!!! 

I am also adding caramelized Vidalia onions to the tart......this should be a wonderful addition.  

I also bought a loaf of ciabatta bread, from which I will make fresh bread crumbs to coat the tomatoes with.  I am still considering what herbs I might add to the breadcrumbs......maybe none because of all the flavor that the bacon grease will have. 

Additionally, I am working on a mix of cheeses, cream and eggs for the filling.  I am very excited about this test recipe.  

For the tart shell, I am making a savory shortbread dough and considering what herbs I may add.  

Keep your fingers crossed......as soon as I have a workable recipe, I will post it for y'all.

Have a great evening,

S.

365 in 365 - Who Wants Cookies??

OK....here we go.....I have decided to see how many of my dear family, friends and readers would buy shortbread cookies if I made them to sell.   I am not looking to be the next Martha Stewart or Paula Dean, but I am interested in putting a smile on your face and a cookie or 2 in your tummy.

The flavors that I have already developed are:

• White Chocolate, Apricot & Macadamia
• Chocolate & Chile
• Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Pistachio
• Lavender & Mint
• Basil & Ginger

I have had several requests and am very interested in exploring this, especially for the holidays.  I will most likely also sell our family Pumpkin Chiffon Cake during the holidays.

So....your thoughts, feed-back and flavor choices are requested.

Have a great evening!

S.

365 in 365 - Royal Icing Recipe

I wanted y'all to know that I have updated the royal icing recipe for the cookies and it seems to be working very well.  One of the issues that I was having was with the flavor of this concoction and the original amount that recipe made.  First, there was no flavor except for sweet and secondly, there was tons of it left over and no cookies to dress, unless I wanted to make a triple batch of cookies.  So, here is the recipe with all the updates:

Royal Icing - These flavor and the amounts have been adjusted for the shortbread cookie recipe so that not very much is left over

1 teaspoon meringue powder

1 - 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix the meringue powder into the powdered sugar, add 1/8 cup of the water and vanilla mixture to start with and beat on medium with a hand held mixer until mixed and thickened and a bit fluffy.  You may or may not need a little bit more of the vanilla water that remains. 

Spread about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie and let the icing dry.  This icing will dry to a firm consistency, but will not be so hard that it will crack or crumble.  You can use a bit more if you like.  Also, using a pastry bag with a very small tip works well too.

I will be working on various flavors of this icing and once I get those nailed down, I will share these as well.

365 in 365 - #75 - Basil & Ginger Shortbread Cookies

This idea for a cookie came to me by way of a co-worker.  He had been talking about a gelato that he had at a restaurant somewhere and mentioned that the flavor was basil & ginger.  I thought that was very interesting, so on my way home, I stopped at the store and bought some fresh basil and some crystalized ginger.   I decided to go with the crystalized ginger because of the sweet heat that it provides and because of the texture......sort of like a raisin, but with an attitude.   Now, don't get me wrong, raisins have their place....in oatmeal cookies, in trail mix, etc., but not necessarily in my mouth.   They are not my favorite dried fruit.

When I got home, I took a small leaf of basil, wrapped it around a little piece of ginger and popped it in my mouth.  Can you hear the choirs of angels singing??  Well, I sure did.  The flavor was incredible.  That sweet, almost licorice note from the basil with the mild, sweet heat from the crystalized ginger made me sit up and sing.

So, I made the basic shortbread cookie dough, and kept the vanilla in the mix, but added 2 teaspoons of dried basil and 1/2 cup of minced crystalized ginger.  Baked them and before the cookies could cool off and have the royal icing applied to them, my husband at 7 of them, right off the cookie sheet.  He unhinged his jaw and they were G-O-N-E, gone!!!!

Now, the next time I make these, I will use fresh basil to see what happens with the favor and will let y'all know how that turns out.

But in the mean time.....these are pretty darn great.  Taste testers loved them.  One person was not that fussy about them, but she is not crazy about ginger.  Most importantly, I have several other flavor combinations up my sleeve for this simple cookie dough and as I work through the recipes and the amounts of ingredients, I will post them for you.

In the mean time, please try this flavor combination......they are phenomenal.  Here is the entire recipe for you:

This recipe makes 30 cookies

For the cookies

1 cup of butter at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons of dried basil

1/2 cup of minced crystalized ginger

Beat until completely mixed

Then, add 2 1/4 cups flour, a pinch of salt and beat until mixed

Preheat oven to 400' F.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into discs, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick

Place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown

I frosted my cookies with royal icing, but you can frost them with any plain icing that you like.

Royal Icing - These amounts have been adjusted for the recipe so that not very much is left over

1 teaspoon meringue powder

1 - 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix the meringue powder into the powdered sugar, add 1/8 of the water and vanilla mixture to start with and beat on medium with a hand held mixer until mixed and thickened a bit fluffy.  You may or may not need a little bit more of the vanilla water that remains. 

Spread about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie and let the icing dry.  This icing will dry to a firm consistency, but will not be so hard that it will crack or crumble.  You can use a bit more if you like.  Also, using a pastry bag with a very small tip works well too.

From my purple kitchen to you!!!

S.

365 in 365 - New Web Site under development

I'm so excited......I met with a web designer today and am moving forward with building a new web site.  I just loved meeting with the team.  Such a sweet woman and very nice gentleman.  Why can't all business meetings be this friendly, relaxed and fun???

Please know......this blog will remain perfectly accessible and will not be changing or moving.  In fact, we will link this very blog to my website.  I love my blog....it has become an extension of my heart and soul, something that I share with my readers.  After all, readers are just friends I simply have not met yet.  Everyone that I know always says, "Susan, there is not a stranger that you haven't met, is there?"  And I say, "Nope, if I don't know them all, I will".

I will continue to post here on a regular basis and will let everyone know when the website goes live.   More recipes are coming......I promise.

Have a great nite!!!
Susan

365 in 365 - #74 - Grilled Salsa

Summer is a great time to play with your food.  As children, we were most likely told to not play with our food and that may have stuck with us throughout our lives......until now.  This home cook blesses you to go forth and play with your food, don't be shy, no one is watching and no one will make you stop.....

Cooking flings open the doors to experiment with different flavors, cooking techniques, new combinations, making a mess, throwing parties and just plain having fun.  

Grilled anything takes on a much different and deeper flavor.  This includes grilling all kinds of fruit.  If it can hold it's shape through cooking, it can be grilled.  

Any of the following fruits can be grilled and used in this recipe:

• Peaches
• Plumbs
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Papaya
• Star fruit
• Cherimoya (I'll have to check the spelling on this one)
• Granny Smith apples (with the skin on)

For the salsa:

1 fresh pineapple, trimmed and sliced into about 1/2 inch slices  and brushed with a bit of olive oil

1 purple onion, sliced, brushed with olive oil

2 limes, cut in half and brushed with a bit of olive oil

Grill the fruit and onion on each side until grill marks are nicely visible.  Limes need only be grilled on the "cut" side.  Time for cooking depends upon how hot your grill is.  Try to avoid direct flame on the fruit.

Jalapeno (1 - 3) and / or serrano peppers (1 - 3) washed and brushed with a bit of olive oil and grilled until charred.  For this part, be sure to wear gloves......peel off the outer charred skin, seed and mince.

1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Chop the pineapple and onion into about 1/2 inch pieces and combine with the remaining ingredients, squeeze in the lime juice, stir and serve. 

This works very nicely on baked / grilled fish, salmon burgers, with tortilla chips, on beef burgers, with turkey chicken and pork / ham.  

I simply know that you will enjoy this wonderful salsa.

Have a wonderful day!!!

S.

365 in 365 - #73 - Candied Jalapenos

I have several recipes that were posted before the 365 recipe challenge began.  I am re-posting them into the 365 challenge because it will make them easier to find and will give me a chance to review them and update the recipes with any changes that I have made.  


Typically, candied jalapenos are made from pickled jalapenos.  But that just takes too long for me.  Who wants to get a 5 lb jar of pickled jalapenos, try to fit a bag of sugar in the jar and then wait days for them to be ready?

I have come up with a great and easy recipe.  However........


First and foremost - be very careful with this recipe.  Please keep in mind these very important safety tips when working with boiling sugar and water mixtures:

• Boiling sugar and water is basically a clear form of molten lava and can cause severe burns. 
• DO NOT make this recipe with small children in the kitchen or with them trying to help you.  If you have small children, it might be best is you make these after they go to bed
• DO NOT inhale the fumes from the pan....these can irritate your airway and make you cough...you will be able to smell the peppers throughout the house/apartment.   If memory serves me correctly, the chemical that makes peppers hot is what is used in the pepper spray that police use.  
• DO NOT leave the handle of the pan sticking out from the stove
• DO NOT put your finger into the pan to try and do a taste test
• DO NOT try and sample the peppers with a spoon - these take time to cool.
• Leave the pan on the stove and let the jalapenos cool......this will take at least 2 hours, if not more.  
• When preparing the peppers, wear plastic / vinyl gloves....and DO NOT touch your face, ears, mouth, nose or any other body parts until you have removed the gloves and washed your hands. 

I actually made the mistake of cutting too many peppers (over 100 peppers) and didn't wear gloves.....let me tell you, my hands burned for days......and nothing helped with the burn.


Start with 30 - 45 peppers, wash and slice into 1/2 inch rings (I keep the seeds and veins).  
In a large heavy pan, add 3 cups of sugar, 3 cups of water, 3 tbsp of light corn syrup, 
In a piece of cheese cloth, place 1 cinnamon stick and 6 cloves and tie to secure the contents, Let the liquid get warm enough to melt the sugar & add the jalapenos, being very careful so that you don't get splashed with the boiling sugar water.
Simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally, or until the liquid boils down by about half so the syrup gets nice and thick and let cool.  
If you want a thinner consistency to the syrup, cook the peppers for about 30 minutes.

My husband LOVES these peppers and I make a batch every 2 weeks.

If I'm feeling very ambitious, I will cut the peppers in half, and seed and devein them......as noted above, be sure to wear gloves.  The Christmas gift for our party guests was a Mason jar filled with red and green candied peppers and a card with serving suggestions on it....think Goat cheese on garlic bruschetta topped with candied jalapenos, chopping the peppers and adding them to cornbread...and maybe a few other ideas.

Other tips: strain some of the spicy sugar syrup for use in Margaritas, Mango iced tea, brownies, home-made chocolate truffles or for any time you feel like adding something sweet and spicy to a drink or dish.


If you like sweet and spicy, you will like these.


Enjoy,
S.

365 in 365 - #72 - Dried Cranberry, Ginger and Walnut Shortbread Cookies

For something a little different, try these flavors instead of the lavender and mint.  This flavor combination has an amazing sweet heat that will make your taste buds stand up and sing an operatic "Hello"!

Use the basic shortbread cookie dough recipe found in #71.

Instead of the lavender and mint, add:

• 1/3 cup minced dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup minced crystalized ginger
• 1/3 cup minced walnuts

Cook and frost just like the original recipe.

These are really good.....the crystalized ginger makes a world of difference in the intensity of flavor.

I just love crystalized ginger......as a snack by itself,  in savory and sweet treats and in another flavor combination that I am sure you will find very interesting....but not quite yet.  This combination is being saved for a rainy day.

I hope y'all enjoy!!
S.