Barbecue Soup

My mom came back from a trip to the Outer Banks last month, raving about some soup she'd had there. Apparently it was good enough to warrant a scouring of the internet for the recipe that could copy such gastronomical bliss, and (lucky for me) she was successful.

Listed as "Get a Husband Stew," it makes the prodigious claim of being the soup with the power to change your marital status. That, sir, is no small boast. And if that wasn't enough to rouse my interest, Mom said that while she didn't get any more husbands after fixing this soup, it certainly did delight and thrill the husband she had already acquired.

She dubbed it "Barbecue Soup"--maybe on account of not wanting any more husbands--and she changed the recipe a bit from what she pulled off the web and then when I copied it from her I did things ever-so-slightly different. Please feel free to make any changes you see fit, though I can't guarantee the husband-attracting effects if you deviate from what I've got below:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup diced sweet onions
4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 cooked rotisserie chicken
3 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
4 cups water
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hickory smoked barbecue sauce
dash of tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 10-ounce bag of frozen corn kernels
4 potatoes, diced
2 bay leaves

Saute the ground pork in the olive oil, breaking up the meat with a spoon until it's browned and cooked through.  Add the garlic, diced onion and celery (which I dice very small because I can't stand big hunks of celery. It's a thing with me) and continue to saute over a medium heat, cooking until the onions are soft and translucent.

While that's cooking, remove the skin from the chicken (heh, as if we're counting calories or something) and shred the meat.  Add it, along with the cans of diced tomatoes, water, ketchup, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, bell pepper, corn, potatoes and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes are done, about 20 minutes.

Go ahead and adjust the salt, pepper and hot sauce if needed--and I'll warn you, it's very thick.  The original recipe called for 1 cup of water but it's easier to keep things from burning if there's more liquid in there and I like things soupier as it is.  It's great with a side of biscuits. Or really anything--you could serve raw squid eyeballs on the side and it would still be a fabulous soup!

World's Easiest Dessert, I Promise.

Long time, no see? Thanks again for the emails--it's really nice to know that if I ever went truly missing that you'd all send out the Navy Seals to come find me. Makes me feel appreciated!

I have another post in the works for later this week but for now I thought I'd share with you the excitement I'm feeling over discovering the world's easiest dessert. I know that's so hyperbolic but truly it is the easiest--just you wait and see.

It comes from Apartment Therapy's Kitchn Blog which I faithfully follow and it's banana ice cream with only one--count it one--ingredient. Bananas. Yup, bananas and only bananas.

All you do is freeze some bananas (they were on sale this week so I grabbed a dozen or so and popped them directly into the freezer) then peel them (that's important).  Then puree them into ice cream in your food processor until they're the proper consistency--something similar to soft serve ice cream which you can then let ripen in the freezer if you want it more like the hard packed stuff.

A couple of tips:
1. I froze mine with the skins on which worked fined, it kept them from tasting like freezer, but it's hard to peel a frozen banana the way you would an unfrozen one. Just clip off the top and tail a bit, slice it crosswise in half, then slice each remaining half again lengthwise. They're pretty easy to peel that way, you'll just freeze your fingers a bit.

2. It's particularly good with homemade hot fudge sauce and a dab of whipped cream on top--it's so creamy and fresh tasting. And did I mention healthy? So healthy. Your mouths will rejoice.

 

And lest you think I've been doing nothing at all around here, this is my proof that I haven't been a complete slacker. My garden is coming up nicely in front as you can see--love those columbine and daffodils. I'm afraid I haven't been as diligent on the computer as I used to be, there have been so many other things that have seemed to occupy my attentions lately--more on those later.

I've been reading--The Night Attila Died by Michael Babcock which was completely fascinating.  Of course it went into the history of Attila but from a completely different angle. Babcock is a philologist, or one who studies the history, forms and meaning of language and while the common thought is that Attila died of a hemorrhage on his wedding night (one of many wedding nights I'd add), Babcock reconstructs the historical records linguistically to put up a case for his murder. It's Sherlock Holmes meets Henry Higgins meets CSI.  Only without any singing or dancing of course.

Then I followed that up with Round the Bend by Nevil Shute who is one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read A Town Like Alice drop everything and go read it--though honestly, I do think Requiem for a Wren (also published as The Breaking Wave) is even better. It's a novel about a British man after World War II who goes to the Persian Gulf to start up an airfreight business and his relationship with the man he's known since his teen years who is the zen-master of airplane maintenance. 

Hard to describe but Shute's characters and stories are always wonderful and this one has a bit of religion and philosophy that get you thinking. It's not what you'd call a churchy book--not at all--but it's a book about religion and what that means in relation to our lives and livelihoods and place in the world.  Five stars.

And finally, next week I'll be a guest on the local radio program "Kids These Days" with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids talking about helicopter parenting. At least we're taping the show next week, I'm not sure when it will air--I'll have to update this when I learn more. It ought to be fun, I'm sure I'm bound to shock a least a few with my dangerous parenting antics like letting my children play with chainsaws and all that (you know I'm kidding, right?) See you there!

World's BEST Potato Salad with Comeback Sauce

I know this isn't exactly a Weight Watchers delight and would probably best be posted in the summer (because isn't that the proper time to be enjoying potato salad?) but honestly, this is the BEST potato salad that will ever bless your tastebuds. The word "bless" is not an understatement.

I saw the recipe on Prissy Green and her superlatives intrigued me. I printed it off and set it aside, wondering if it possibly could be a recipe great enough to induce my husband to eat potato salad. Let's just say he's not a fan.

Anyway, along came our yearly family Christmas party, where the women bring Fabulous Salads of Wonder for the females and the men pig out on meat and sugar and the kids drink their body weight in soda.  It's a great system I tell you.  Having been assigned to bring a salad I decided to break the single greatest commandment of cooking: Thou shalt not experiment with new recipes upon thy guests as thou art begging for destruction (or at least abundant embarrassment). But true to her word, Prissy Green's brag that this would be the most talked about dish at the table was completely fulfilled--in a good way. Even Andrew said he liked it.

The key to the dish is (besides lots of fatty bacon) is roasting the potatoes and using the famous southern Comeback Sauce. I think Prissy got the salad recipe from a Comeback Sauce recipe book or label or something like that but I just googled "comeback sauce recipe" to make my own. The sauce takes approximately five million ingredients (give or take) and if you name a condiment in your kitchen I can pretty much guarantee it's in there but that's what makes it so magical.  I can't find the site where I got the sauce recipe anymore, but I've simplified it a bit and here's my version. Enjoy.

Potato Salad:
3 pounds small red potatoes, in 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 slices bacon, crisp and crumbled
1 cup diced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons Comeback Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine potatoes, olive oil, pepper and salt in a bowl and toss to combine. Bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. Cook bacon until crisp, reserving drippings. Crumble into a bowl and add potatoes. Cook onion in bacon grease until soft and translucent (on low heat is best, high heat makes onions more bitter).

Carmelize onions then add garlic and cook a half minute more. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Add onion and garlic to bowl with potatoes and bacon and toss gently to keep potatoes in tact.  Let stand another 15 minutes. While waiting, combine Comeback Sauce, honey, vinegar and parsley in a bowl and mix well. Toss with potato mix and serve immediately.

*Note: for a party-sized bowl I doubled the recipe. I liked it served at room temperature or slightly warm but it wouldn't be bad cold either.

Comeback Sauce
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 medium sweet onion
1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip though I used light mayo)
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon tabasco
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons water
dash of salt

Puree garlic, onion and mayo in blender, add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Chill overnight to meld flavors.

Yak Nym

I've wondered what "yak nym" means--probably "fat from the belly of an ox" or something equally tempting.  But this stuff is much better than any ox you could get. It's a fast dinner, goes well with a side of rice and steamed vegetables, and stretches meat a long way so you eat a little less of the red stuff. And if you're like most Americans, less is better.

1 green onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sliced gingeroot
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound thinly sliced flank steak (or other comparable cut)
bamboo skewers

Soak skewers in a bowl of water for 30 minutes while preparing meat. Mix all remaining ingredients except the beff in a bowl. Then, once sugar is dissolved, add beef and marinate 2-3 hours.

Skewer strips of beef on bamboo sticks then broil on high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Serve immediately with rice and steamed vegetables.

Mediterranean Pesto Sausage Soup

Seems I've been on a soup kick. Is that so wrong? Soups are healthy, filling, easy to make and are usually fairly economical as well.

We eat them at least twice a week, especially in the winter and this one was a new recipe I recently came across that is Fabulous. With a capital F.

olive oil
1 pound smoked pork sausage
1 red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound red lentils
28 ounces chopped tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
½ cup fresh basil, julienned
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
4 ounces pesto

Saute the smoked pork sausage in the olive oil until broken up and browned. Add the red onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender.

Add the lentils, tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender and breaking up.

Add salt, pepper and pesto and serve with julienned basil for garnish.

Spanish Potato Soup

You go along, thinking you've seen every soup under the sun and then one day without any warning you come across a new recipe and just like that your world is a little bit better.

It's got that regular old potato soup base but then with addition of paprika and tomatoes it becomes something so much more . . . so much better.

I LOVE it.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 large sweet onions, finely diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 large potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons paprika
1 28-ounce can pureed tomatoes
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon crushed thyme
9 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups light cream
sliced olives for garnish

Heat the oil in a large stock pan, add the onion and garlic and potato and saute for five minutes until the onions begin to soften.  Add paprika and cook another few minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes and chopped tomatoes (I just used half canned and half fresh because that's what I had on hand but you can go either way with it). Add the thyme and brother and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

In a small bowl mix the corn starch with a bit of water to form a white liquid and add to the soup. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes until thick.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and serve with olives on top.

Baked Potato Soup

If you're not already eating hot, chunky, stick-to-your-hips-to-build-up-those-reserves food this winter I guess this may not be your thing but as for me, I'm working hard on the hot, steaming carbs.

Soups are a staple around here and this one is a favorite (because what's not to like about potatoes, cheese and bacon?) And if you happen to have extra mashed potatoes left on Friday you can use those quite nicely.

Sometimes I'll give it a Mexican flair with a good dose of paprika and chili powder.

2 large potatoes
1/2 cup minced onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese
4 slices crumbled bacon
3 tablespoons green onion

Bake potatoes at 425 for 40-60 min till tender, cool. Scoop out of skins.Saute minced onion in butter till tender. Add flour, salt, pepper and mix well. 

Add milk slowly, whisking as you go to keep it smooth. Add it all, whisking constantly. Cook till thick and bubbly. Lower heat and cook 1 min more. Add scooped potato and 3/4 cup cheese. Stir till cheese melts. Garnish with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Chocolate Pecan Tart

Pie is my favorite dessert but of all the pies pecan is my least favorite. It's a little too sweet and jelly-like for my taste I guess. I haven't really sat down to examine all my feelings on the issue.

But several years ago I went to a class taught by my friend Dani that gave out some pecan recipes and this chocolate pecan tart changed my thoughts about the traditional holiday dessert forever.  It has the same base as a pecan pie but thinner so it's not quite so syrupy and jellyish and then you have a thick drizzle of dark chocolate ganache over the top that cuts the sweet down to size.  Of course the vanilla ice cream on top helps a bit too.

At any rate, it's a fabulous recipe and one I'll be making for Thanksgiving along with Upside Down Apple Pie. Here are some of the other recipes I'll be making. Tried and true, you can't go wrong with any of these.

Perfect Thanksgiving Stuffing (adapted from another of Dani's recipes)
Cranberry Onion Sauce (good for turkey or pork loin it's savory-sweet)
Sesame Cheese Crescent Rolls (different but absolutely and completely wonderful)
Smoked Gouda Rolls (that's "how-da" to you)
Sweet Mustard Sweet Potatoes (I'm a sweet potato fan but I refuse marshmallows)
Sweet Potato Souffle (A side dish? A dessert? You be the judge)
Orange Glazed Carrots (because there's not enough beta carotene at Thanksgiving)
Baked Brie with Honey Garlic Sauce (the greatest appetizer ever invented)
Sparkling Pomegranate Holiday Punch (a classy punch for the feast)
Fancy Two-Toned Drinks (a magic trick for your table)
White Hot Chocolate (for when we decorate and listen to holiday music)
Chocolate Truffles (easy to do and tasty too)

9" prebaked crust in fluted tart pan
1½ cup pecan halves
4 large egg yolks
⅓ cup dark corn syrup
½ cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semi sweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
vanilla ice cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the pecans over the bottom of your prebaked pie crust. In a saucepan combine the egg yolks, corn syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, ¼ cup cream and salt. Heat over low heat while stirring constantly. Do not let mixture boil. Cook about 7-10 minutes, until it becomes slightly thicker.

Stir in the vanilla and pour whole mixture carefully over the pecan-lined crust. Bake for 20 minutes until filling is puffed and golden and beginning to bubble.

Cool for 45 minutes before taking crust out of tart pan. Combine semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon cream and melt either in microwave on low power or in double boiler on stove until chocolate is thin enough to drizzle. Add more cream if necessary.

Drizzle back and forth over tart in criss-cross pattern then serve with ice cream on top.

Making Homemade Tortillas

My friend Ruth brought over her fancy schmancy tortilla maker--the kind that plugs in and squeezes out the dough before cooking it perfectly between two non-stick plates--and I was in awe.  I was completely sold and decided right there that I had to have one too (she should work for Amway because she's obviously a born salesman).

I'd tried to make tortillas once before, I'd even bought one of those little steel hand presses where you put the dough between the plates and squeeze them together with a lever but had had miserable results.  The dough stuck all over the place, the tortillas were anything but round and I secretly wondered if Mexico had been running a scam all these years and that tortillas were actually impossible to make by hand. I threw the tortilla press in the back of the cabinet and the only workout it's had since is when Lillian gets it out to use with her playdough.

But after seeing Ruth's tortilla maker and using her recipe and hearing her methods I was convinced I could do it and I gave things another go. And what do you know? It worked pretty well.  Here's how you do it:

Step One
Mix 2 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I know traditionalists use lard and I'll have to try that sometime because I've heard it's the only way to make them authentic).  Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or mixer and pulse/blend the ingredients until it has the texture of coarse crumbs. Then add 2/3 cup warm water and mix until the dough becomes a ball that isn't too sticky--you can add a touch more flour if necessary.

Step Two
Now wait.  Turns out, this was the crucial part I was missing. You must let the dough relax for the gluten to do its business. Then the dough will be pliable without being too sticky and it will all go so much easier.  So form the dough into 12-15 small balls and set them out to relax for 30 minutes.

Step Three
Press the dough in your tortilla press (or roll them out with a rolling pin if you're up for it). You don't need to grease anything because heaven knows there's enough grease in them already.

Step Four
Lay the flattened circle of dough in a cast iron skillet heated to a medium-high heat. You could use a non-stick skillet instead but the cast iron gives it a nice texture, color and aroma.  You don't need to use any grease, just the dry hot skillet will do the job.  Cook it for 15 seconds or so on one side then flip it to the other side and cook it some more.  If you're doing it right it'll puff up in little pockets of steam.

It might take you a few tortillas to get the hang of it but be patient, it will come in a very zen way.  By the time I was done I was getting some actual circles rather than the amoeba-shaped specimens I first produced.  But no worries, even the ones that looked like mutant organisms still tasted good.

I still like the ease of the electric tortilla maker but compare the cost ($40-$70) to the cost of the press ($14) and that kind of settles things.  And for me the even bigger issue is the space saved.  I have so many gadgets in my kitchen I don't know where I'd put a big electric thingy but the smaller press nestles perfectly in my cast iron skillet when not in use and that seals the deal.

French Country Cassoulet

Have you ever asked yourself "What would a casserole looked like if it actually got dressed up once in a while and made an effort?"

Well wonder no more, I have here the answer for you.  I think "casserole" came from the French word "cassoulet" and, as with so many things involving taste buds, the French know how to do it right.

This is just a fancy casserole but oh . . . OH (that's a moan) is it tasty! And as a bit of a tangent: I've been wanting one of those fancy Le Creuset enameled iron pots for ages--they're really the only thing for browning on the stove then transferring large amounts of food to the oven for slow, savoring roasting. 

The 6-quart pan is big enough to roast a chicken but runs for about as much money as a Toyota.  No, seriously. They're upwards of $300 and there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING that can induce me to spend that much on a pot, I don't care if it is French.  Did you know that just to replace that cheap little knob on the top is $15? Aliéné!

I did, however, find the same pot--the VERY same--made by Lodge (the company that produces great Dutch ovens and cast-iron cookware) for a mere $50.  Now that's what I'm talking about.  Still, not a bit of nothing but certainly more financially doable than $300.  But what about the quality, you say?  Well, let's just say that after 10 years my Lodge pot cracks. Darn. I'll just buy another one. In fact, I could buy FIVE more and still be floating high.  I think I'm safe.

Anyway . . . on with the recipe.  Not only will it make you weep from the aromatic fragrance of it cooking, it just gets better each day of leftovers.  Yes, it is a bit heavy on the proteins but so what? It's winter . . . live a little. And serve it with a big loaf of crusty bread.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 ounces thick-cut bacon
1 pound fat sausages of your choice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (or great northern)
8 ounces carrots, sliced
1 14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut the chicken into large chunks. Thickly chop the bacon and cut the sausages into thirds if they're large.  Heat the oil in your Dutch oven casserole dish and cook the meat in batches, or until just browning on each side. Remove from oil and set aside.  Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. 

Stir in the beans, carrots, tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt and pepper to taste.  Add enough of the stock to just cover the meat and beans, you don't want things swimming around.  You can always add more stock during the cooking if needed.  Cover dish and cook 1 hour.

Add more stock if necessary. Spread crumbs over the top and cook uncovered for 40 more minutes or until browned. 

You can also try adding other vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli or beans for variety.  Last time I made this I also threw in about 12 ounces cooked orzo I had frozen in the freezer to use it up and the pasta was excellent in it.

Thai Chicken Pizza

I told you we were into pizza lately.  In fact I'm making them so fast that I can't keep up with the postings.  This one here was passed on to me from a friend but I think she got it from California Pizza Kitchen (which we don't have here in Alaska, sadly). At least, that's what she told me and she's very reliable when it comes to recipes.

Grace said it was her favorite pizza and I'd give it an A myself.  I guess that's what happens when you marry Thai and Italian cuisine.  Heh.

For sauce:
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons water

For pizza:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pizza dough
cornmeal or flour, for handling
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 green onions, slivered diagonally
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in thin slices
½ cup white bean sprouts
¼ cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute. Divide into 2 portions for use on chicken and pizza; set aside.

To make Thai chicken: Cook the chicken in olive oil over med-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes do not overcook. Set aside in refrigerator until chilled through. Once chilled, coat the chicken with 1/2 cup sauce. Set aside in refrigerator.

To make the pizza spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over pizza dough within the rim. Cover sauce with 1 cup cheese. Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by the green onions, pepper strips, bean sprouts, and carrots. Sprinkle an additional 1 cup cheese over the toppings and end with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts.

Transfer the pizza to oven; bake 18-20 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro over the hot cheesy surface.

***

Congratulations to Shannon of Emmetsburg, Iowa for winning the Galloping Goats soap products made with goats' milk.  She's going to love them--I have some myself and they make me very happy!  And thank you to everyone who entered, and for those who leave such nice notes with their entries.  You just make my day.

Chicken Rockefeller Pizza

We have been on a huge pizza kick lately.  Well, actually, we've always been on a pizza kick but I finally took a stand and said, "NO MORE PEPPERONI!!!"

Yes, I said it just like that.

In fact, I could go the rest of my life and never eat another piece of pepperoni and would consider my days a success.  We'd fallen into that bitter meat trap and as pepperoni is nearly the only topping everyone could agree on so by default that had become our staple.

But no more.  I told them that it didn't matter if they shriveled and died from the pining but I was instituting a moratorium on any pizza swimming in that nasty pool of red grease. I went out and bought a book on pizza, got some recipes from friends and then picked up the menu from Moose's Tooth (our favorite pizza place on the planet) so I could try and immitate their succulent non-pepperoni varieties.

You see here the Chicken Rockefeller pizza from Moose's Tooth (or rather, my own knock-off) and it was so good I had to restrain myself from just sticking my face right there in the center of the whole thing and digging in instead of waiting for the rest of the group to get to the table.

You will love it.  Fie on pepperoni. A pox on the nasty stuff. I'll be sharing some of our other successes these next few weeks--there are so many great combinations we've tried that I've got weeks of materials.

1 pizza dough recipe (see mine here if you want) 
cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded chicken
4 pieces crumbled bacon
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped spinach

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle cornmeal on your baking surface then spread out your pizza dough on the surface.

Drizzle olive oil over dough and brush to cover. Sprinkle minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, then spread cream cheese over the crust.  Sprinkle minced red onion then provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan over top and sprinkle remaining toppings as well.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

***

Don't forget to get your favorite avocado recipe posted and into the Taco Night contest running through the end of this week! You've got a chance at $100 if your recipe is drawn as the winner--there are already some good recipes in the comments, see the post here for all the details.

Linguini Puttanesca

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick dinner and while it is one of those dishes where it's guaranteed to offend nearly everyone at the table (Diner A doesn't like olives, Diner B doesn't like capers, Diner C doesn't like any of the above plus distrusts the little green leaves throughout) I like it and that's pretty much all that counts, right??

Trust me. It's good.

6-8 roma tomatoes, finely diced
½ cup diced olives
3 tablespoons capers
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
16 ounces linguini
parmesan

Mix everything but the linguini together (if I'm in a hurry I tend to resort to pulsing the tomatoes in a food processor) while the linguini is boiling. Once the noodles are draining throw the tomato mixture into the hot, empty stock pot and let it heat slightly.  Toss the noodles back in the pot and mix them well to coat.

Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan.

Crabapple Butter

I have two big crabapple trees but usually by the time the weather gets cold I'm too tired to bother messing with them.

Then I saw this post on how to make crabapple butter and I knew what I was going to do with all those bright red little guys.  I picked three big buckets full of crabapples then rinsed them off and tossed them into the pot with a bit of water (don't worry about the stems or cores, you'll strain those out eventually).

After ten or so minutes of stirring them around in the boiling water until they start breaking up they're ready for the next step. I pushed them through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon which produced a large bowl of pink crabapple mush (which you see sitting on my counter there).  A little sugar to taste, a little cinnamon for a kick and then I was ready to boil it down to its butter form. 

I boiled it and boiled it until my house smelled like heaven and I had a big pot of sweet-tart crabapple butter.  Not only is it good on toast but it's good on pancakes and as a filling for cinnamon rolls or pastries. 

In fact, you can use crabapple butter anywhere you'd like a boost of fruity sweetness (I particularly like it on top of my oatmeal) and I imagine they'd be great in these Sticky Apple Butter Biscuits.

If you want a bucket of your own you can have what's left on my trees.

Bragos Bruschetta and an Avocado Contest

Today we're talking avocados (which just makes me so happy) because I have both an avocado recipe and an avocado contest.

This recipe is called Brago's Bruschetta and I got it from my mom many years ago and I haven't a clue where it originated. It might as well have spontaneously sprung up from the earth as far as I know but it's definitely worth sharing.

Bruschetta are little appetizers similar to crostini and are rather like cross-wise slices of baguettes with toppings.  The recipe was originally meant to be used this way and it's certainly good as an appetizer but I much prefer eating it as a sandwich or as a pizza topping.

You can make up this fresh salsa (which is what it essentially is) and put it on a split roll as a tasty sandwich or on a pizza crust for a fabulous pizza. Then you can grill it or toast it so that cheese melts perfectly and the garlic is beautifully mellow.  Your choice, but I'm just saying that melted is better.

4-6 large roma tomatoes, finely diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
4 cloves minced garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
1 large diced avocado
1/3 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
½ cup chopped fresh basil, julienned
¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 medium pizza crusts or 4 split rolls or 2 sliced baguettes

Combine all the ingredients except the bread option in a large bowl and let it set for a couple hours to mellow.

Spread the mixture on a pizza crust, sandwich roll or on individual slices of baguette, depending on the purpose.  Then, toast it or don't--it's your call.

***

And now for the contest--Avocados from Mexico is sponsoring a contest here at Scribbit where you can submit your own original avocado recipe and take a shot at winning a $100 iCard gift certificate.

Here's how it works:

If you have a blog, post your own original avocado recipe then come back here and leave a link to your post in the comments section of this post.

The contest officially starts October 4th and runs through October 30th, the winner will be randomly chosen using a random number generator, and will then be announced here on November 1st. They are encouraging recipes for avocado salsa, guacamole and tacos though I will accept any recipe where avocados are an integral and vital ingredient (see my recipe for Diablo Verde Shakes as an example).

Tweeting about the contest using the hashtag #taconight is great and encouraged. Each Thursday, the first five tweets to @Guacgrl showing a picture of your "taco night" will receive a $25 iCard.

If you need a hint as to how to easily leave the hyperlink to your recipe in the comments section I would suggest doing it with HTML code this way (you can cut and paste it using the URL of your recipe post):

Sample HTML that you'd type in comments:  I've posted my recipe for <a href="URL of your avocado recipe post">Avocado Pancakes</a> at my blog, Everything Green and Bumpy.

How it will appear in comments: I've posted my recipe for Avocado Pancakes at my blog, Everything Green.

Got it? If you have questions let me know in an email and I can help you out. I'm sorry if you don't have a blog and want to participate--they don't want emailed recipes, only posted ones. Sorry.

You can always just leave the whole URL in comments but sometimes it gets cut off and it always gets confusing and messy. If you do it this way then people reading the comments can easily click on your recipe link and go see it at your site.

Please know this is being sponsored by Avocados by Mexico and I'm getting a $100 gift card of my own by participating.  For the finer, intimate and grossly overblown legal details of the contest please see the Official Rules and Privacy Policy Page that I have set up at the bequest of many lawyers.  But don't get me wrong. I love lawyers--even more than I love avocados.  Well, at least one lawyer in particular. . . .

And now, get thinking about avocado recipes! A hundred dollar iCard could be yours! I'm buying a new purse with mine--what will you do with yours?

Goat Cheese Frittata

I told you we were going to spend the weekend celebrating . . . well I've been fantasizing for about eight months of having a celebration dinner with the family where we'd have our traditional and festive raclette but then with a crazy and wonderful twist.

You see, I'm kind of a cheapo. Andrew says it's better to say "frugal" but I'm one of those types that tends to think you can't save enough and cheaper is always better.  If you couple that with my parenting style it means that I don't buy my kids fancy stuff. They get enough obviously but I think it's better for kids not to be lavished with gifts so we usually keep things simple. And cheap. Have I said I'm cheap?

But this time . . . after the year we've had and after having to skip birthdays and Christmas presents and after having the kids be so supportive I wanted to do something wild. I wanted to surprise them in a way that they'd never been surprised before.  We went and got them each the thing that they wanted most in the world, something that they'd never even hope to get for a regular birthday or Christmas then I wrapped each gift and stuck it on their chair at the dinner table so that the tablecloth hung down to hide the bows and wrapping paper.

I was so excited about my plan that I had a hard time sleeping the night before but at dinner when they went to sit down and each pulled out their chair they blinked a few times and looked at the packages as if they hadn't a clue as to how a fancy box could have grown out of the seat. Once they realized what it was, it was like all the Christmas mornings we've ever had wrapped into one. We'd invited Grandma and Grandpa over to join in the fun and as each child opened his or her gift they couldn't stop saying thank you and how they never expected anything like it (which is part of the reason we could treat them--if they'd expected it we wouldn't have done it).

Anyway, it was probably the most memorable family celebration ever and a great way to say thank you to the kids.  And you know what? One of the things I've learned this year is how important it is to be generous, especially at the right times. But at any rate I thought you might be able to enjoy the moment vicariously nearly as much as I have.

As a conclusion to the evening we got together and watched a movie. Usually it's a disaster when we try to all watch the same movie, inevitably someone is unhappy in the selection but I'd picked up Shorts after seeing a funny preview and it turned out to be one of those movies that entertain when you least expect it.

It's made by the same director/producer who made Spy Kids (if you saw that one) and it's got a lot of the same tongue-in-cheek feel. It's about some kids who find a magic wishing rock and the crazy things they wish for and it's funny enough to be entertaining for adults too.

Some of the jokes had us rolling and the cast was great. The story is told in short segments (hence the title) that jump forward and backward in the plotline to fill in details. But I can promise that we ALL thought it was fun, from the 8 year-old up to Andrew and I. Definitely worth a rental and a great finish to our evening.

. . . and finally I get to the main subject--frittata--which is nearly as good as raclette. Though with that goat cheese it's particularly good (I love a soft goat cheese like Montrachet). More great recipes for breakfast and brunch.

1 tablespoon olive oil:
2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried sage
9 eggs
¾ t salt
½ t pepper
4 oz crumbled montrachet or goat cheese

Saute potatoes and onions in olive oil.  Cook 5 minutes, then cover and cook until tender (about 15 minutes).  Add marjoram, rosemary, salt and sage and stir to combine.

Then beat eggs, adding salt, pepper and cheese.

Pour egg mix into potato mix, garnishing with slices of red peppers in a spiral pattern on the top and cook on the stove until set, 2 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake at 350 until set in center, 15 min.

Homemade Meyer Lemon Jelly

I've been so wonderfully busy with domestic endeavors these past couple weeks. It's harvest time (for what that's worth) and I'm bringing in the crops right and left.

I mentioned the Williams-Sonoma cookbook, The Art of Preserving a while back and I was intrigued by the idea of making jellies and jams without packaged, store-bought pectin as I've always done in the past.

Well I'm here to say that it works! And not only does it work very well, if you make this lemon jelly I promise you that your house will smell magnificent.

The jelly is light and fresh-tasting and not only would it be perfect on toast or homemade bread but it would make a lovely filling for a jelly donut or a layer cake. Lemons are wonderful that way you know.

The recipe called for meyer lemons but I didn't have that kind on hand and it worked fine with a more generic variety. I'll warn you though, the recipe needs to be watched rather carefully. Making your own pectin isn't hard but when the directions are specific you'd better stick to them or things will go all wonky on you.

Take 2 pounds of the freshest lemons you can find--not overripe or stale because the younger fruit has more pectin in it. Slice off the stem-end of the lemon but leave the blossom end intact as that's the end that has more pectin in it. Using a blade on a food processor or a mandolin, slice the lemons as thinly as you can and throw them into a large stockpot with 3 quarts of water.

Bring the lemon water to a boil and then reduce your heat and gently boil things for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture set for 30 minutes (you can let it set longer if necessary--overnight if you must). Strain the lemons, seed and pulp from the liquid through three or four layers of cheese cloth. This should give you about 5 or 6 cups of liquid (the recipe said 5 but I got 6 and it worked fine for me).

Now here's the trickiest part:

Combine the liquid, 2 cups of fresh lemon juice and 6 cups of sugar back in the stockpot and bring to a boil. Immediately once everything is well combined you'll notice that the juice is suddenly light and clear and shiny. That's your pectin reacting with the sugar and the acid from the lemon juice and it's supposed to do that. Trust me, it's very pretty.

Boil the mixture fairly hard (though not too aggressively, you don't want it overflowing or going too foamy on you), stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the jelly begins to "sheet off the back of a spoon." I had no idea what "sheeting" meant so I wasn't quite sure when the jelly would be ready. After ruining a batch I figured it out.

The best thing to do is to take a plate and stick it in the freezer, ready to go so that when you have boiled the mix for 10 minutes and it appears to be ever-so-slightly thicker on the back of your spoon you can then take out the frozen plate, put a teaspoon of the liquid on the plate and see if it sets up. If it does, that's prooof that the jelly is ready. Mine set up just a little bit on the plate but after boiling my first batch too long I decided to put the jelly in jars anyway and see if it was done despite my apprehensions.

I warn you, it may look completely runny and watery but it really only takes about 10 minutes to see a slight change in the consistency off that spoon and over boiling it is disasterous because it makes the lemons taste bitter and burnt. If you want that fresh lemon taste you can't overboil it. I know, I ruined my first batch doing that.

Once the 1o minutes have passed then immediately pull the pot off the stove and ladle the jelly into four waiting half-pint jars that have been properly cleaned and sterilized. Screw on the lids and invert them on the counter for 5 minutes, then turn them back right-side up and they'll seal themselves nicely. There is enough acid in the lemon jelly not to have to worry about a water bath.

It should keep nicely for a year or so--if you can wait that long to eat it.

Ham and Two-Cheese Spoon Bread

Have you ever had spoon bread before? It's not exactly a bread and it's not exactly a souffle, we'll call it a cornmeal souffle, shall we?

In keeping with my breakfast theme this month, this savory breakfast dish is great on its own or as a side to sausage. If you're thinking healthier, a bit of homemade applesauce on the side makes it a wholesome and hot send-off in the mornings.

2¾ cups milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
¾ cup cornmeal
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
cooking spray
1 cup diced onion
8 ounces diced ham
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan
4 large egg whites

Combine milk, sugar, dried thyme and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When mixture begins to simmer gradually add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, stirring well with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened and smooth, stirring constantly.

Transfer cornmeal mixture to a large bowl. Add yolks, stirring with a whisk. Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, saute 6 minutes or until tender. Add cornmeal mixture. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add ham; saute 5 minutes or until ham browns. Add cornmeal mixture. Stir in cheese. Beat egg white to stiff peaks (don’t overbeat) and fold into cornmeal mix.

Bake in 1½ quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray for 50 minutes until puffed and golden brown and set in center.

Adapted from Cooking Light

White Chocolate Blueberry Bread Pudding

With fall coming on strong I'm back in the habit of making warm breakfasts to get the kids off right so I'll be featuring some of our favorite breakfasts--or brunches. Or shoot, you can even eat these for dinner, it's not as if I'm setting any rules here, people.

With fall fruits and berries in season you could probably substitute raspberries, blackberries or cherries in place of blueberries if you so chose.

2 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound day-old bread cut into cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup blueberrries
2 ounces white chocolate, broken into tiny chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened

Grease a casserole dish and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the milk and vanilla. Add eggs and sugar and whisk thoroughly.

Line bottom of baking dish with a layer of bread cubes then top with blueberries and chocolate chunks. Finish with the remaining bread cubes on top. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the top until the dish is thoroughly soaked and then dot the top with the softened butter.

Leave overnight in the refrigerator, then in the morning take it out and preheat the oven to 375. Cooke for 50-60 minutes or until set and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Pinto Bean What??

I'm guessing plenty of you out there are going to take one look at this and say, "D'uh!"

But honestly, I really didn't expect it to be that bad. I have this explicit faith in recipes, common sense, the human palate and food bloggers--that somehow each is enough of a safe guard that together they prevent disasters like this from actually making it to your table but what can I say? Momentary insanity? Sure--that'll work.

Anyway, I found this recipe on a rather trusted food blog I frequent and I thought, "Hmmmm . . . pinto bean pie? Now that's interesting. I wonder if it's any good? How funky would that be if it was tasty?"

Which is probably where my road to insanity started. It didn't help that I was in the process of soaking beans overnight to make chili when my stove suddenly had electrical problems and shut down (turns out it was the connection to the outlet and easily fixed) but the mini disaster left me with a whole pot full of beans and nothing immediate to do with them when my cook top was out of commission.

So I pulled out this recipe and gave it a try.

I was told (and incorrectly I will add) that the "texture and flavor is like pumpkin pie." I happen to love pumpkin pie. I've eaten lots of pumpkin pie. I know pumpkin pie and you, sir, are no pumpkin pie!

Too thick, too beany in its consistency, too flavorless and too dry. The recipe claimed it was a "Depression-era pie, rather like vinegar pie" (wow, another winner--wonder why we don't see Sara Lee going to town with that one?) but historical significance didn't change the fact that it was not, I repeat NOT, a good dessert. None of us finished our piece--and let me tell you, this is a family that is addicted to sugar as bad as any street junkie. They must have their fix each night and if I don't have dessert ready after dinner they'll pull out graham crackers and Nutella for a hit but not even that was enough to get them to finish it, they just ate the whipped cream and part of the crust and left the rest to rot.

When I told them where I'd come up with such a crazy recipe and why I thought it had been worth a go as a vintage classic ripe for revival Grace piped up with, "Well there's your problem. You said it was from the Depression. Depression, Mom. As in 'depressing'? And though they call it the 'Great' Depression this pie proves there was nothing 'great' about it."

And we all agreed.

But in case you're wondering what it has in it . . . just don't say I didn't warn you.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of unseasoned cooked pinto beans (can use a one 15oz. can if you prefer)
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon clove
A pinch of salt

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the sugar, butter and eggs in blender.

Add the beans, and blend until it’s thick and smooth. Add the spices and vanilla.

Pour pie filling into an unbaked pie shell, and bake for one hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

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