A Very Crabby Monday

Wow !!! It's been a long time since I've sat down and put a post together- quite honestly with our crazy schedules around here I haven't spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and neither has the Chef. So now that spring is in full swing, the herbs are growing like crazy in the garden and it won't be long til fresh veggies again grace our table, it's time to get back in the kitchen.

Normally on a night the Chef is working I don't cook a "real" dinner for just me. But today I thought it would be fun to throw a little something together and see how it turns out. Taking a quick inventory of the freezer I found tilapia filets, some flaked crab meat, some green beans from the garden......rummaging through the cupboard yields some breadcrumbs  and fresh garlic, and a quick trip out to the deck results in a handful of freshly minced chives. I'm all set !!

Crab Stuffed Tilapia

3 tilapia filets
about 1/4 cup flaked crab meat (do yourself a favor and use the real deal, that fake stuff just won't do)
about 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp or so shredded lemon peel
salt, freshly ground black pepper
pinch of thyme
big pinch of chives
3 tb butter
1/2 tsp chicken base or stock concentrate

Rinse the fish and set aside.

In small bowl toss the crab, bread crumbs, seasonings and set aside.

In small skillet melt the butter and briefly saute the garlic until softened but not brown. Add about 2 tb water and chicken base, stir til dissolved. Mix into crab mixture.

In a small plate place a fish filet. Divide stuffing into 3 equal portions and place one part on fish. Fold the filet over and secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining fish.

Place in buttered baking dish, top with a small pat butter and sprinkle with lemon pepper, lemon herb seasoning, whatever you like. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

I served the fish with garlicky green beans- I cooked a small amount of frozen green beans in a little water til almost done, added a couple tbs butter and a minced garlic clove and continued cooking til just barely tender and still a little crispy.

And that is my big kitchen experiment for the day. Tomorrow is the Chef's day off so he will be hard at work in the kitchen and I will come home to an amazing meal.......ahhhh what a life !!

Happy New Year !!

I've been trying to come up with some good ideas for a Year In Review type post, to summarize the year we have had out in Happy Acres (no....that's not a joke, that is actually the subdivision name given to our little lake community when the lots were platted.....) but it's kind of hard to come up with something that covers the vast array of experiences, emotions, disappointments, surprises and turnarounds that have some to represent City Girl's 2011.

To start out our year, the Chef and I abandoned the city and headed west in search of a simpler life and happier times. We found a mixed bag. Simpler, yes. Easier, not even close. Our big plans for growing our own food and living with less became a mandate very early on. But Mother Nature was not going to cooperate and the weather  prevented us from having the garden we envisioned. Not that we didn't have a fantastic garden- we sure did, but it wasn't what we'd planned and  we learned a lot of Dos and Don'ts for next spring.

The crappy economy caught up with us and created a very challenging job situation for both of us. We hung on with both hands and went along for the ride, eventually landing in new jobs where we FINALLY are both happy and productive again.

The weather was a challenge. The long COLD wet spring prevented us from tilling a new garden spot until the last couple days of May- so we missed out on many early veggies and didn't have the time to prepare a brand new garden bed the way we wanted to. We were also forced to locate our garden right next to the dreaded walnut tree, and even though every expert on the planet said we'd never harvest a single tomato from that garden, a cupboard filled with canning jars full of tomatoes, "sun dried" tomatoes and salsa tell a different story. We beat the walnut tree !! We also got a late start on our pepper plants, which have a very long growing season- but in spite of that we managed to harvest enough of the super hot peppers to last us a couple years. A little ghost chile goes a long long long way ! And at the end of the garden season, we started a late planting of peas to try and recoup what we didn't get because the bad spring conditions and, guess what, now she decides that we don't need ANY rain. So.... here it is, January, and I have miniature pea plants, still bright green, still alive in the garden, but forever stunted by the lack of water.

And here we are in 2012, the first garden catalogs just beginning to arrive. We have plans - some work around the house, some things we'd like to buy. Places we'd like to go. The most important thing is we have a future and we have hope. And we have each other. I found something I'd like to share with you- I think it is a good plan for all of us to follow when starting over, whether it's the new year or just a fresh start.....

Life Choices- Optimism may improve your health and success


People don't often think about how optimism impacts their lifestyle, career and relationships. But a positive attitude can help avoid stressful situations, maintain better health, and may even allow one to heal more quickly when not feeling well, according to some experts.


"Optimism and the desire to be successful are the basis for a person's happiness and good health," asserts Elena Korneeva, a psychophysiologist. 


Korneeva promotes a happier, healthier lifestyle with these guiding principles:
* Joyful inspired and outspoken people make great company. These traits will attract people both professionally and personally.
* Laugh. People with a good sense of humor are the life of any party, at any age and in any social stratum.
* One who can sincerely laugh at their own mistakes can overcome most difficulties. A sense of humor is a trait of a harmonious person.
* Make an effort to truly understand and empathize with your conversation partners.
* Don't be afraid of situations that haven't even happened yet. By avoiding fear of the unknown, one can better focus on a positive solution.
* Optimism and humor makes a better parent. With these tools, children will bring joy rather that try the patience. Positive and creative parenting yields positive and creative children.
* An integral part of success is a healthy lifestyle, absent of bad habits. Eat varied, small meals four to five times a day, get sound sleep, and take part in sports and leisure activities.


"With optimism we fill our life with new meaning, and it helps us find a way out of a circle of troubles," says Korneeva.  -Adair County Free Press, December 28, 2011



Happy New Year !!
The Chef and The Baker

Christmas Dinner for Two

Celebrating with the families yesterday meant a nice quiet day at the lake for The Chef and me. But dinner for two at our house doesn't mean hamburger or tuna salad. Since we didn't have to cook for a crowd, a great big turkey was a little out of the question and we opted instead for one my very favorite things of all- to cook and to eat- roast chicken.

Roasting a chicken is one of the easiest things to master. They key ingredients are simple: a chicken, an apple, an onion, salt and pepper, butter and a MEAT THERMOMETER. Always choose a chicken as large as you can find for roasting. They cook better and more evenly and are much juicier. If your chicken has been frozen, make sure it is COMPLETELY thawed before roasting. Always rinse the chicken inside and out, make sure you remove giblets, if included, and pat the skin dry with a paper towel. At this point you probably want to know what the heck the apple is for. I always, always, always stuff whole poultry (chicken, turkey, cornish hens) with a quartered apple and a quartered onion. If it's cornish hens, cube the apple and onion smaller, and if you're roasting a turkey, add a carrot or two and a stalk of celery or two, with the leaves, cut into big chunks. Sounds weird, but you'll thank me later.

Pat the chicken dry all over and rub all over with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and if like (and I do !!) sprinkle your chicken all over with herbs- today I used Fines Herbes from Penzey's, crumbled thyme from my garden, freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt.

Put the chicken on a rack on a roasting pan and add 2 cups or more of chicken broth/stock to the bottom of the pan. Roast at 325-350 degrees until the chicken is browned, the skin is crispy and the meat thermometer registers 170 degrees (ALWAYS test in the meatiest part of the thigh, being careful not to touch bones when testing). I basted the chicken 4 or 5 times during roasting with the pan juices and had to add a cup of water once. This is especially important if you want to use the drippings for gravy. I stink at making gravy so since we're having a rice dish, I'm not making gravy. After removing from the oven and testing the temperature, let the chicken rest for 15 minutes or so to redistribute the juices before carving.

With our chicken we had a little rice pilaf, green beans almandine, roast acorn squash from our garden and homemade cranberry sauce. All easy to make, all delicious !!

We kind of "wing it" when making rice, but it's pretty easy adjust seasonings to what you like.

Wild Rice Pilaf

1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper
1 tb Fines Herbes
butter

I melted the butter in a small saucepan and sauteed the onion and garlic briefly, then added the rice, a little salt and pepper, and about a tablespoon of dried chives. I added 3 cups of chicken stock to the pot and brought to boil, covered and simmered about 30 minutes- the rice isn't fully cooked at this point. Then I added 1 cup long grain rice, brought to boil again, covered and simmered for about 10 minutes then removed from heat and let stand about 15 minutes. Before serving, fluff with a fork.

Green Beans Almandine- probably one of the easiest sides ever. I melted a tablespoon of butter in a skillet and toasted a palmful of slivered almonds until golden and butter is just beginning to brown. I cooked frozen green beans just until done (steamed) then drained well and tossed with the almonds, butter and a big pinch of sea salt.

The acorn squash came from our garden and have been hiding out in the cabinet just waiting to be eaten. Another super easy side dish, I made these just like my mother always did, split in half, removed the seeds,  and filled each with a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of brown sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon. Roasted in the oven alongside the yummy chicken, they take about an hour to an hour and a half.

I looooove cranberry sauce. I just can't imagine roast bird of any kind without them !! And I do buy canned sometimes but with a half a bag of fresh cranberries hiding out in the freezer it was super easy to throw them in a small saucepan with a cup of sugar, pinch of salt, cup of water and......a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce for a hidden kick.

We still have cake balls from yesterday so no dessert was necessary, and I will be sneaking slices of bread with butter and cranberries later tonight !!

2011 is on the way out- and I'm not too sad to see her gone. It was a year of pretty intense ups and downs, and ending on a high note, with everyone in this house happy at work, healthy and looking forward to the future- all I can say is Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!

A Tale of Two Lasagnas

Headlines can be deceiving. This actually has nothing to do with lasagna. Well.......not directly anyway. Today while talking over how to plan our day tomorrow, what time we have to be everywhere, what we need to bring, etc, we realized that not only will we be having lasagna for dinner at my family's Christmas Eve, we are also having lasagna at The Chef's family's Christmas Eve. That's a lotta pasta !! Oh well, we did the same thing on Thanksgiving- turkey at one house and turkey at the other.

Since we don't have to cook the meal I get the easy way out- making desserts again. This is a time in my life when new traditions are being created so I've chosen to make something new for one dessert- Red Velvet Cake Balls. And in keeping with some of the old traditions I'm hoping to recapture with my family, I've chosen a very old recipe, Watergate Cake.

Ohhhh cake balls. I've been reading about these guys for some time now, looking at all the photos on Pinterest of the fabulously decorated cake balls (mine will NOT be that fancy !!) The actual cake balls are super easy to make- the dipping and decorating are pretty time consuming. But...the chef is at work til late, and I have nothing else to do out here in the country so....melting white chocolate, dipping cake balls and experimenting is on the agenda for me tonight.

I have seen cake balls in every flavor imaginable. Red Velvet Cake is a childhood favorite of mine. My mother, when I was a young girl, worked at the Hyatt House in Des Moines. They had an amazing pastry chef on staff and always had the most incredible desserts. Once in a while she would bring something home for my sister and I, and Red Velvet Cake was my favorite of all. Their chef used the classic Waldorf Astoria recipe, and that is also what I always use when making this heavenly cake.

To make the classic Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake:

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
2 tb cocoa (heaping)
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs together with mixer. Make a paste of food color and cocoa, add to creamed mixture. Add buttermilk alternating with flour and salt. Add vanilla. Add soda to vinegar and blend into batter. Pour into 3 or 4 greased and floured 8" cake cakes (I used a 9x13 pan for this recipe). Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. Cool completely.

To make the cake balls, crumble the completely cooled cake into large bowl. Using store-bought cream cheese frosting, start by mixing in about 1/2 the can of frosting- mix thoroughly, adding more frosting if needed until mixture is evenly moistened but NOT gooey.

The frosting "dissolves" into the cake and should mix in completely.

Cover mixture and chill for a couple hours minimum. Roll chilled mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Freeze for an hour or so to set the mixture, then dip into melted chocolate or candy coating of choice. I am using about a pound of white chocolate.

Return to cookie sheet and chill until firm, decorate as desired.

Mine aren't as fancy as some I've seen but for a first timer, they were pretty delish !!

Another old favorite of mine is Watergate Cake. Once a staple in church cookbooks and potlucks, it has pretty much disappeared from the dessert menu. But it will always be one of my favorites. I'm making a much simpler version this time because I have to drive quite a ways with it in the car, but if I were making this for dinner guests at my house, I would make 2 layers, split them, brush layers with Di Saronno before filling and frosting with the pistachio mousse, which would have had about 1/4 cup of the milk swapped out with Di Saronno.

Watergate Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package white or yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup 7Up or Sprite (use can use sparkling wine for an extra touch)
1 3 oz package instant pistachio pudding mix
1/2 cup or so chopped maraschino cherries
additional pistachios, chopped, if desired.

Mix all ingredients in large bowl.

I added a little bit of green food coloring to brighten the color. You don't have to.

Pour into prepared cake pans. You can do layers, Bundt, 9x13, cupcakes- whatever you like. This time I am doing 9x13 because I have to transport the cake and it's much easier than trying to hold up four layers in the car.

For the frosting I use a "mousse" style frosting I have been making for years and works great with any combo of pudding/cake flavor.

1 envelope Dream Whip

1 box instant pudding (pistachio for this recipe)

1 1/2 cups cold milk

food coloring if desired (I used a bit of green)

Combine all ingredients in bowl, whip with mixture until firm peaks form. 

Frost cake, decorate as desired. Store in fridge.

I'm not overly thrilled with the cake as a 9x13 cake but the bright red cherries and green fluffy frosting do look a little festive! I think this cake flavor would make great cake balls too !!

Anything to avoid Christmas shopping

Everyone knows I hate shopping. The Chef hates shopping. We confine even our grocery shopping to once a month because we HATE the stores. So of course, two Grinches wouldn't want any part of Christmas shopping. Heck to the NO !!

It was pretty comical- the great lengths we went to in order to avoid actually leaving the house for the store. The Chef declined an invite to go with a buddy to Mens' Disneyland- Best Buy and Guitar Center. He busied himself with concocting a big pot of lentil soup. We agreed to go to the store when the crowds die off for the day. He did housework !!!

 He hinted at cookies, and his favorite is Oatmeal Raisin.

So while he did the housework, I threw together his favorite cookies- Oatmeal Raisin. No walnuts or pecans in the house but I did find a tub of slivered almonds in the cabinet. I roughly chopped them, tossed them in a hot dry skillet for a few minutes and threw them in the dough with the raisins.

Frog's Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter (NEVER NEVER NEVER use margarine or you will have hockey pucks, not cookies)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups oats- I always use Quaker Old Fashioned- the long cooking kind

1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1 cup raisins

Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Add nuts and raisins. Add oats last, mix well.

Spoon onto cookie sheets in rounded tablespoons. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

The Chef and I have several "He Said She Said" recipes - you know what I mean, we each make the same thing but in a very different style- like pizza, spaghetti sauce, and lentil soup. My version is thick and homey and very German. His version is very Italian style- lots of tomatoes and big bold spicy flavors. The broth is rich and tomatoey with just the slightest hint of heat from the banana pepper.The vegetables are cut in big chunks and make it seem more like a stew than a soup. This is a serious, stick-to-your-ribs big bowl of awesome !

Joe's Lentil Soup

1 bag lentils, rinsed and picked over (DO NOT soak !!)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup fresh or frozen cut green beans
4 stalks celery, sliced
thyme, bay leaf, chives, parsley, salt and pepper
4 cups chicken stock
4-6 cups water
3 tb beef soup base
1 kielbasa sausage, cut into chunks
small handful dried banana pepper slices with seeds (We have dried banana peppers from our garden. If you don't have banana peppers (fresh is ok to substitute) or can't find them you can substitute a pinch of crushed red pepper but use sparingly, it's much hotter than banana pepper)

In large soup pot heat 2-3 tb olive oil. Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot for a few minutes. Add all ingredients to pot.

Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender. Serve in big bowls with lots of crusty bread for sopping up the broth.

After all this cooking and good food we seem to have a big case of the LAZIES..... and it's doubtful that any Christmas shopping is going to be finished up. Grrrrrrrrr........it's just prolonging the agony......

Joe's Version of Church Cookbook Food

Comfort food. Gramma's famous casserole. Church potluck. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy and good inside. Around our house we don't normally make those "church cookbook" kind of dishes. But every once in a while we get that serious craving for really good comfort food. And what fills that bill better than Tator Tot Casserole ??

Everyone has a version of their own. Some people use tomato soup, others cream of mushroom soup. Some add veggies, some don't. My version and Joe's version are also vastly different. Tonight Joe shares his version.

Joe's Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
1 small bag cheese
tator tots- enough to cover pan

Brown ground beef and onion, drain and season with salt and pepper. Combine with mushrooms, green beans, mushroom soup and just a splash of milk.

 Mix well and turn into 9x9 baking dish. Bake at 400 degree 20-30 minutes until heated through and beans are cooked. Meanwhile, place tator tots on cookie sheet and bake until almost done.

Remove casserole from oven, cover with hot tator tots.

 Sprinkle cheese over.

Return to oven until cheese is melted and just beginning to brown and sauce is bubbly.

Sooooooo yummy !!  Cut through the cheese, scoop the yummy casserole onto a plate and KEEP AWAY FROM ME !!!!!

Joe's Amazing Sunday Sauce

Something really wonderful happens in an Italian family's kitchen. Mama, gramma, nona, whatever she may be known as, often spends hours and hours laboring over a hot stove, chopping garlic and onions, mincing herbs, crushing tomatoes, stirring and stirring and stirring so her family can enjoy a giant platter of that amazing Italian tradition- Sunday Sauce.

Well we don't have an old Italian grandmother working in the kitchen, rather a tall, dark and handsome Italian chef !! But his version of Sunday Sauce........ ohhh yaa.......

Joe's Amazing Sunday Sauce

2-3 cups diced tomatoes (canned with juice)

1 cup tomato paste

3 cups water

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tb crushed dried basil

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

several grinds freshly cracked black pepper

about 1/4 lb pork- Joe used trimmings and odd pieces of pork loin roast

olive oil

Heat olive oil in large pot and brown the pork all over. Add garlic to pan and cook and stir a minute or so. 

Add all remaining ingredients, stir to combine well. Allow to simmer over low heat for at least 6 hours until pork is very tender and sauce is reduced. Serve over pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Some people use other meats in their sauce, and that's ok too. If you like meatballs, throw them in there. Or slice up some Italian sausage or crumble some in there (brown in a skillet first to remove excess fat). Each family has their own version of this sauce, as unique as the people in the family !

*Picture of Italian gramma cooking is courtesy of www.soyezlabienvenuechozmoi.blogspot.com. She is not our grandmother.