Herbals and accidental audiences!

As my fake audience is well aware, this isn't a "real" blog. It's more of an "online notebook" than anything else. I prefer writing over typing but this is where I save stuff on the comp. With that being said, if a non-me human does happen to stumble across this, please don't be shocked at the nonsensicalness and ridicary within.

PS: Homeopathy is complete and utter bullshit. But I do love gardening, and making shit myself rather than buying it (more because I'm a cheapskate than worried about ugh the non-naturalness of it all), so pharmacognosy is obviously where it's at.

I like herbal remedies that have been proven (scientific studies and testing), but to what extent and usage is somewhat a concern.

Most of these are aimed at alleviating my obnoxious and life disrupting piriformis disorder bullshit which deals with my back/butt and leg muscles gettin' all effed up.

Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxing type stuff is what I try to look for.

Arnica: anti-inflammatory and bruising, muscle sprains, strains and bumps
Passionflower: relaxation
Skullcap
Wild Yam
Cramp Bark

just more relaxy herbs since I get so angry-stressed at everything:
lemon balm
valerian
kava

Samhain******************************

Samhain feast:

squash soup

autumn butter n bread/cake type things



luna balls!

Self ritual-
purification, healing

tarot- divination.

BLT pasta salad!

Today I remembered that about 5 years ago I had the idea to make a BLT risotto, which turned out very deliciously, and I totally need to try to make again and type up the recipe. But anyway, I got to thinking about what other things I could BLT it up with and was sorta in the mood for some pasta, and thus the BLT pasta salad was born!


1/2 pound of macaroni pasta
2 TB milk
2 TB olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup mayo
 5-6 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, "diced"
5 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
3 cups spinach (or arugula), torn or cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper


Make the pasta. Let it cool while you slice and dice your ingredients. Whisk together the milk and olive oil and toss with the pasta. Add the garlic.

Let it all soak in while you make your bacon and finish prepping your ingredients, if (like me) you haven't already. Now mix dat shit all together. Mix it real nice.

Now eat it! It's amazing isn't it?

******************Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers Idea:

Stuff peppers with either monty jack cheese or potato mixture and goat cheese! Make mashed turmeric spiced potatoes with sauteed onions and garlic and peppers??



Stuffed zucchini?

Make tomato sauce with roasted tomatoes and peppers and onions and garlic....

Roast peppers in sauce 30 minutes at 350.

1. Make tomato sauce, boil or roast potatoes?
Roast onion

2.

How to make Udon and dashi

from this blog: http://rasamalaysia.com/mie-goreng-indonesian-fried-noodles/

KITSUNE UDON RECIPE
Makes 2 bowls of udon
INGREDIENTS FOR DASHI:

4 1/2 C water
1/4 C loosely packed kezurikatsuo (shaved bonito)
3″ piece of dried dashi kombu (optional)

INGREDIENTS FOR ABURA-AGE:

1/4 C water
15 niboshi
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs mirin
1 Tbs sugar
4 squares of abura-age (thin deep fried tofu)

INGREDIENTS FOR UDON:

200g dry udon or 300g fresh Udon
4 C dashi
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs mirin
2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 scallions cut on the bias
4 slices of naruto or kamaboko cut on the bias (fishcake)

METHOD:

For the dashi, bring the water to a boil in a pot. Once it boils, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer (boiling makes the stock cloudy). Put the kezurikatsuo into a disposable tea bag, or wrap it in cheese cloth and tie the top. Drop the satchel in the water along with the kombu if you are using it. You can also just put the kezurikatsuo straight into the water and strain it when the stock is done. Let this steep for about 15 minutes, then discard the tea bag, or strain the stock into another pot and discard the solids.

For the Abura-age. Add everything except the abura age into a small pot and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the abura-age and simmer, flip several times until most of the liquid is absorbed and the abura-age is a deep brown color. Transfer from the pot to a small bowl and allow it to cool a bit. When it’s cool enough to handle, press out some of the excess liquid. You don’t want to squeeze all the liquid out, just enough to keep it from being salty.

Boil a large pot of water and boil the udon for the length of time specified on the package. If the instructions are in Japanese, click here to figure out how long you should boil it for. Make sure the noodles are al dente as they will be sitting in a bowl of hot broth and you don’t want them to go soggy before you’re done eating them. When they’re done, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking.

To finish it all off, put the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar into a pot and heat until it comes to a simmer. Taste it and add salt if you feel like it needs more. Add the noodles to heat through, then divide them into two bowls. Top with the seasoned abura-age, scallions and naruto then pour the broth over everything. For a little extra color and kick, you can serve this with shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice chili flakes).


SOBA (JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT NOODLES) RECIPE
Serves 2 people
INGREDIENTS:

Soba noodles (2 rolls)
8 pieces of sliced Naruto or Japanese fishcakes
1 scallion (cut on the bias)
1 bunch spinach (lightly boiled, squeezed dry of water, and cut into 2-inch length)
1 box buna shimeji mushrooms (lightly boiled and set aside)

DASHI:

4 1/2 C water
1/4 C loosely packed kezurikatsuo (shaved bonito)
3″ piece of dried dashi kombu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

METHOD:

For the dashi, bring the water to a boil in a pot. Once it boils, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer (boiling makes the stock cloudy). Put the dry bonito flakes into a disposable soup bag and tie the top. Drop the satchel in the water along with the kombu. Let this steep for about 30 minutes, then discard the soup bag. Add the seasonings to make the soup base.

Boil a large pot of water and boil the soba for the length of time specified on the package. When they’re done, rinse them under cold water and set aside.

Transfer the soba into two bowls, top them with spinach, naruto, buna shimeji mushrooms. Pour the dashi broth over everything. Serve immediately. If you like an extra color and kick, you can serve the soba with shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice chili flakes).

AKISOBA (JAPANESE FRIED NOODLES/焼きそば)
INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. yakisoba (rinsed with water and drained)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 oz. pork (cut into small pieces and marinated with some soy sauce)
2 oz. cabbage (roughly chopped into pieces)
2 oz. carrot (cut into thin strips)
Some scallions (cut into thin threads)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1/2 teaspoon mirin
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat up wok with oil. Add garlic and stir fry until light brown in color. Add pork and do a few quick stirs before adding cabbage and carrot. Stir a few times and add noodles and all the seasonings. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables and noodles are cooked, for 1-2 minutes. Transfer out and serve immediately with some benishoga (Japanese picked ginger).

COOK’S NOTE:

You can find fresh yakisoba noodles at Japanese stores or Asian stores. Usually, they come with yakisoba seasoning sauce. You can use the sauce or make yakisoba from scratch using my yakisoba recipe above.

Organic v non "dirty dozen"

Apparently there are better and worse fruits and veggies to eat, in terms of pesticide residue and other noxious substances. So the dirty dozen especially are things that you are going to want to buy organic.

"Dirty Dozen," and (starting with the worst) they are:

celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and grapes (imported).



And you can feel good about buying the following 15 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that
the EWG dubbed "The Clean Fifteen," because they were shown to have little pesticide residue:

onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew melon.

HIlarious things: v. Craigslist

A LARGE OVERWEIGHT ATTRACTIVE WOMAN--50ish

Hello!

I am dating to find you. I am complicated, but in a good way. I am emotional in an awareness way. I am intelligent until I am neck deep in my fear of snakes. I am annoyed by loud noises and loud talking inconsiderate people. My saracastic wit for the most part is welcomed at other's expense. I exercise tact and and political correctness with compassion and respect. I stop at stop signs. I don't file, I pile, however, I know where everything is. I watch mindless T.V. programs to decompress from my counselling profession. I have expensive toys, but they are not my identity, however they own me, particularly my dream car--BMW 325ci.

I was a human to a Beagle dog who now resides in doggie heaven. I am open to good garden variety sex when my partner finds or knows how to open the gate to my garden. I am a DeNiro and Pacino fan. Yes, they have aged, but then who hasn't? I am electronically intelligent and keep up with current technology. I am a homie only in the Canucks playoffs--no, I don't put a flag on my BMW. I have a gaggle of six women who are challenging close gal pals. I don't have kids, nor am I looking to mother yours. At best, I would hope to become a friend to yours.

My figure is in proportion, albeit a BBW, 5'7", green eyed, and my fashion consists of being figure flattering, it fits, and I am comfortable in it. No, I do not wear spandex. High heels are a dim memory of the past, but I can be persuaded back into the tormentors. Marilyn Monroe red lips and same colour nail and toenail polish. Always French perfume. I have educated words that tumble out of my mouth, with several overused, known to all expletives for necessary emphasis. I am not humourless, but the humor has to have a bit of satire or bite to it. I enjoy unpredictable movie plots, and please would they retire Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

What about you? OMG! Well, be within driving distance of my house and be female free. If you need clarification on what I mean about that, well, hmm...I will leave that with you to figure out. I think the first thing that would get my attention about you would be that you can handle me without handling me. I have large energies. I feel the highs the lows of life and all in between. In car terms, I consider myself a Ferrari---well tooled, needs regular maintenance otherwise becomes very expensive to fix unlike a Taurus car, although my sign, sigh, is Taurus.

I will also notice if you are groomed--albeit in your own style. Yes, I enjoy a metrosexual style, however, understated. Men's shoes get my attention. Sorry, runners, tennies, jesus beach shoes do not get thumbs up. Then, I would notice your voice and how you use your words. I would notice if your car is clean or if there are candy rappers and old MacDonald's bags inside. Yes, I frequent MacDonald's. MacDonald's is not the point. I would see how and what excites you about your life, your work, your interests, and your friends.

I am not at ease around a James Dean pouter, nor a Tony Robbins freakin' save the world kinda guy. A suit through the week and a weekend warrior can work. I am always up for a good debate on differences. Politics can evoke lively entertainment type discussions but become boring if either is looking for justice in that system. OK, how many more words .....it's late 2:23 a.m.....oh, yes, I am a night owl

Looking forward to inviting you into my life ....and being in yours! Respond with current pictures

Barbara

******Gardening!

Gardening:
Herbs I have enjoyed growing:
basil, oregano, chives, parsley, thyme, sage, thai basil, lemon balm, chamomile
rosemary, lavendar

Flowers I love growing:
poppies, borage

Flowers to try growing:
Mandrake, forget-me-not, lupine

Green goddess pasta salad and Asian influenced peanut sauce marinade

To do tomorrow: mix marinade, get chicken into bags, bring some veggies and get fruit packed up.

Add herbs to dressing, cook pasta, shred cheese and slice vegs.

Don't forget rum and coke.

Green Goddess Dressing:

1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 TB scallions (or chives), minced finely
1 TB tarragon, minced finely
1 TB watercress (or spinach), minced finely
1 TB cup parsley, minced finely
1 tsp oregano, minced finely
1 fillets white anchovy, minced (sub 1 tsp fish sauce for the more squeamish)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB lime juice
1/2 TB white wine vinegar (or just double up on lime)

Stir together mayo and sour cream with all the green herbs. In a small bowl mix the anchovy, garlic, lime juice and vinegar and whisk into the sour cream and mayo mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Goddess Pasta Salad: 

For 1/2 lb macaroni or other favored pasta salad noodles

1 large cucumber, sliced into thin rounds and then quartered
1 package cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 small bunch green onions (5-6), sliced into thin rounds
1/2 lb cooked chicken, shredded or cut into chunks (shrimp is also an excellent substitute)
2-3 ripe avocados
1/2 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1 TB fresh tarragon, chopped
1 TB parsley, chopped
1/2 TB cilantro, chopped (opt.)

Stir together noodles and 1/2 cup of dressing. Add all veggies and herbs and stir well. Add remaining dressing just before serving.

Note: I have updated this to include tarragon which I used to not be super into, but have since grown to love it. A few years ago one of my friends gifted me a tarragon plant and I popped it into my garden because I can't just go murdering innocent baby plants because I "am still learning about" their flavors. I was absolutely shocked about how well it did and how it kept coming back every year (as perennials are wont to do), growing in wonderful harmony right up next to--and all up in--my sage plant.


Peanut Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8-1/4 canola oil
3-4 TB creamy PB
1 TB miso
2 TB white wine, sake or even beer in a pinch
1/2 lime squeezed
3 clvoes garlic, pressed or minced very fine
3 slices ginger about 1/4 inch thick, minced

Mix toether and store in a snapple bottle to pour onto chicken once it thaws.

Aztec Chicken Soup!

They make this great soup at my local co-op and I decided to try to make it myself!

2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion
*maybe add bell pepper*
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 chipotle peppers in adobo (set aside 2 TB of adobo sauce)
1/2 lb chicken breast or thighs
15 oz diced tomatoes (about 2 cups if you want to use fresh)
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (or canned I suppose)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
dash salt and pepper
tortilla chips
opt. 1/3 cup cilantro, lime wedges, avocado
 

Sweat the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and chipotle peppers, and saute for a minute or two longer.

Add the chicken pieces and let them brown up a bit, or until the outside is no longer shiny and pink, but dull and white. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Simmer 10 minutes, add your spices and your corn and then simmer for 20 minutes longer, until your chicken is cooked through. Pull a piece out and cut it in half to check to see if it's cooked. If so, remove the rest of the chicken and chop or shred it up. Return to pan.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve with tortilla chips, and garnish with cilantro, lime and avocado.


Serve with lime wedges, avocado slices and crispy tortilla strips or chips!

Midsummer Madness

Gathering herbs: tonight they are especially potent! Mint and lemon balm especially! I'm 'bout to make some tasty mint water.

Harvest herbs and hang on doors
Women wear braided circlets of flowers and clovers
Men wear chaplets of oak and grasses and flowers around their heads

Fires, bonfires!
"The fire of Midsummer is traditionally kindled from the friction of two sacred woods, fir and oak. Nine different types of herbs are thrown upon the Midsummer fire. These consist of mistletoe, vervain, St. John's Wort, heartsease, lavender, and a choice of four others chosen from herbs typical of this season such as yarrow. Folks would feast, dance and jump the fire for luck and fertility. The herds were driven through the embers in days long ago to purge disease and illness from them. When the fires had burned down, folks would carry ashes back to their homes to sprinkle on fields, the four corners, and lay embers on the hearth. Ashes bring powers of protection, health and luck." WitchVox

Water is the other important aspect of Midsummer. In times past folks swam in waters that flowed towards the rising sun as it climbed in Midsummer morning sky. Bathing in springs and rivers on Midsummer brings healing, cleansing and protection. The dew of Midsummer is said to bestow health to whomever drinks of it. Especially powerful is fetching running water of Midsummer morn and mixing it with ashes from the bonfire, sprinkling it around the house, yard and on oneself bestows protection and luck.


Midsummer is the time of sweet strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and more. New potatoes, lettuce, peas, carrots, radishes and onions are ready for picking. Tarragon, chamomile, sweet woodruff, St. John's wort, hyssop, lovage, mint and other herbs are fresh and delightfully robust. Bee balm, phylox, oxeye daisies, roses, lily of the valley, calendulas, St John's wort, marigolds and others are in bloom, it is a time of olfactory abundance. Foods and decorations center around what nature has bestowed, rich, colorful and flavorful - mint iced teas, dandelion salads, strawberry shortcakes, geranium leaf sorbet, berry pies, daisy chains, lavender wreaths, rosemary garlands. The pure enjoyment that only summer fresh foods, sweet summer flowers and joyful company that only midsummer can bestow.


http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=3525

St. John's Wort

TIme for sun worship and ritual, cleansing stones under the strong rays of the healing sun.

Colors
Blue, green, gold, yellow and red.

Customs
Bonfires, processions, all night vigil, singing, feasting, celebrating with others, cutting
divining rods, dowsing rods & wands, herb gathering, handfastings, weddings, Druidic
gathering of mistletoe in oak groves, needfires, leaping between two fires, mistletoe
(without berries, use as a protection amulet), women walking naked through gardens
to ensure continued fertility, enjoying the seasonal fruits & vegetables, honor the
Mother's fullness, richness and abundance, put garlands of St. John’s Wort placed
over doors/ windows & a sprig in the car for protection.

Lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade

Herbs
Anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, wild rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender,
fennel, elder, mistletoe, hemp, thyme, larkspur, nettle, wisteria, vervain ( verbena),
St. John’s wort, heartsease, rue, fern, wormwood, pine,heather, yarrow,
oak & holly trees

Edible beauty: flowers to munch

 Common edible flowers:

 dandelions
red clover
pansies
violets
day lilies
hibiscus
carnation
squash blossoms

many flowers of edible herbs are also edible:
 mint
basil
chives
bee balm
sage
cilantro
rosemary
thyme


Allegedly, edible flowers were all the rage in the Victorian era, when it was considered oh-so-sophisticated to do so. I used to be much more ridiculous about my gardening, eschewing the perceived "aesthetic only" plants, especially flowers, but basically any plants that were not edible or useful in some way. I had no time for that. But the last few years I've really grown to love my aesthetic flowers. Now, I still prefer things that are at least companion plants, if not edible, but I will allow at least 25% to be taken over by those silly and oh-so-lovely non-edibles.

Kale is yummmm

Kale chips two ways and kale smooooooothies! This is an excerpt from my cookbook!

http://www.amazon.com/Heartbreak-Recovery-Kitchen-Recipes-Remedies/dp/0615374921

Basically you rip a bunch of kale into bite sized pieces, you grease it up a bit with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, pop it into a 325* on some parchment paper in the oven for 18-20 minutes and then toss with about a teaspoon sea salt and a few tablespoons grated parmesan cheese!

Or, if you wanna be like Linds, grease with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Afterwards splash with a few teaspoons of lime juice and soy sauce.

Often I used only olive oil (or sunflower, or coconut) and salt!

Tropical kale smoothies:

a banana

handful kale

1/4 pineapple

mango orange juice

ice

Kale can also replace the spinach or other greens in saag paneer.

Fun fact: saag refers to greens in general, not just spinach. Palak paneer is always spinach. So play around! I've made saag paneer with kale, turnip greens, spinach, and even swiss chard. Yuuum.

Poblano pepper slaw!

This yummy slaw went on top of my banh mi style tacos!

1 poblano

1 avocado, cubed
4 cups cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons orange juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Remove seeds, stem, and membranes from poblano. Cut into thin, bite-size slivers. In a large bowl, gently combine pepper strips, cabbage and cilantro. Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing and stir well to coat.

Lazy/easy but amazing zucchini pasta

Zucchini pasta:

Saute two medium zucchini (sliced into thin rounds) with 3-4 cloves garlic and chile flakes in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until zucchini becomes translucent and softens, about 10 minutes.

Boil about 8 ounces pasta in the meantime.

Fucking great! Grate some parmesan or asiago if you wanna get fancy.

Heart chakra

Food related feng shui....
Also opening or essay of some sort about love and heartbreak.


Heart chakra (Anahata)
12 petaled lotus is the symbol
Located at the center of chest, between the breasts.
Connected with love, understanding, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, letting things go, all encompassing love, internal selfless love vs. external sexual love.
This is the middle of the seven chakras.
The bottom three are connected with the physical world and the top three are connected with the spiritual, intellectual, intangible world (or internal perceptions of the physical world) and the middle, heart chakra unites these two concepts, linking the mind, body and soul.

Things to open or stimulate and heal the heart chakra:
Colors: green, pink
Stones: emerald, rose quartz (really any pink or green stones are often listed) malachite, jade, rhodochrosite
Sound for chanting: yam
Element: air
Oils, incense: rose, lavender, jasmine,

Yoga poses and visualization for heart healing:
Camel pose is supposed to be good, as are locust, cobra, and fish

Visualization for opening your heart chakra and moving on:
Sit comfortably in a cross legged position, or corpse pose. Close your eyes and take deep, steady breaths, breathing into your very core. Visualize a glowing ball of brilliant green or pink light surrounding your heart center and pulsating with joy and happiness. Feel its warm glow and picture yourself, radiantly happy, your loved ones all around you. Imagine the ball getting bigger and more radiant until it completely ensconces you and your friends and family, wrapping you totally within its protective light. Imagine yourself healing and bouncing back from anything that has caused you pain or harm. Feel the forgiveness rushing through you as you learn to let things go. Let go of past enemies, hatred and any unpleasant situation that has caused grief in your life. Look forward with a heart full of compassion and all-encompassing love and joy.

******Feng Shui, seared tuna and fortune cookie ideas

Type up grill recipes:

1. XXFENG SHUI!!!
BAGUA heart love corner. also work, prosperity would be good. LUCK etc.
crystals energize, two of things, bedrooms are important: keep depressing things out of bedroom, no stuffed animals on bed, family pictures on nightstand, etc.

Love corner is: if you envision your house as a square, the bagua map is a 3 X 3 layout, with 9 components. The main entrance would lie on the bottom of the square, with the love corner being at the top, right hand corner. Activate it with pink and reds, appropriately, but also pairs ( ie two candlesticks, two dove statues) crystals and other things that just generally make you happy ad confident. Below that is Children/Creativity corner, decorate with whites and things that inspire you!

ALso SW corner is love- find both house corner and bedroom corner. A few basics for the bedroom: never have your bed with your head at a window, or feet facing the door. Mirrors in the bedroom are bad and should at least be covered at night, beams above the bed are similarly detrimental. Sharp severe corners send piercing bad energy all about so soften them with lovely fabric or avoid them altogether. Keep uncluttered and activate your power spots and this is a great start, but only a small aspect of this ancient, multifaceted art (learn more about the ins and outs of Feng Shui in books or online!)



2. Tuna proportions
4 5-6 ounce tuna steaks

3 tablespoons sesame-chili oil (or 1 1/2 TB sesame oil and 1/2 TB sriracha or hot sauce)
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons furikake (or crumbled, toasted nori sheets, reduced to tiny flakes in a blender, or other means)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)

Mix sesame oil, soy sauce and lemon juice together. Marinate the tuna steaks in anything but a metal container for 10-15 minutes and then rub each side with about 1 heaping teaspoon of furikake (or nori flakes and sesame seeds) and place on a hot grill. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side for seared rare tuna deliciousness. Leave it for 4-6 for cooked through goodness.

Serve with outrageous marinated veggie kabobs

Outrageous Marinated Veggie Kabobs
4 servings
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cups mini sweet peppers (try hot peppers like poblano or anaheim or even jalapeno, if you like it spicy)
2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks (or 1 1/2 cups of cubed pineapple)
6 green onions, white parts and about 2-3 inches of green sliced into inch long chunks

Marinade: use a bottle of good, trusted bottled marinade or Italian dressing if you're in a hurry, otherwise whip together this quick and tasty all purpose marinade. It's great, we promise!
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1-2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (or dijon if you prefer)
2 tablespoons mint
1 tablespoon basil (or other favorite herb such as oregano)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger powder (or just use 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper)

Whisk together marinade ingredients and soak your veggies for at least 10 minutes and at most 45 minutes. Compile your veggies onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for a half hour prior to grilling), skewering as you see fit. As you thrust the veggies onto the stick, imagine all your woes being pierced and engulfed in flame, never to plague you again. You can make 4 veggie packed kabobs or try to stretch it and make 6-8 kabobs with a moderate amount of veg. Grill over a hot grill until veggie are done to your satisfaction, about 5-10 minutes depending on the heat. Feel free to throw in some of your favorite vegetables: eggplant, mushrooms and real onions make rather nice additions. If you're especially brave, try threading pineapple and jalapeno chunks onto your sticks for a flavor explosion in your mouth!


Fortune cookie stuff

X---MINE:

Seek solace in solitude. Do what YOU want for once!
Be YOU and the rest will follow.
Seek love and find joy in the beauty around you.
Be yourself and if they don't like it, well FUCK 'em! (or screw 'em if you want to keep it PG-13)
Your body is a temple; treat it like one. Provide offerings of dark cocoa and honey to the mouth altar.
If something's not working for you, STOP and try a different approach.
You will do something wild and crazy today.
Take a moment and just breath.
Getting mad? Go for a walk around the block.
Create a saucy, confident alter-ego. Let HER do the talking.
Do the opposite of what you're "supposed" to!

TO DO

Things to cook:
POrk!!

lot'sa cheese

lotsa lettuce!

a few tiny zucchini

****************************

Movies to watch
Valley of the dolls
Mommie dearest

Chimichurri Pork Chops

I really love a good green sauce. Cilantro chutney, pesto of various sorts, Caribbean green seasoning,  and of course the fragrant, lovely chimichurri. It's a good way to get some green stuff in your system when you love cheese as much as I do. I love to use it in fajitas, in tacos, spread on turkey sandwiches, added to meatballs (because we all know how much I fucking love meatballs) and even as a dip for veggies and/or crackers.

Chimichurri:

1 1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup oregano
2 green onions...
3-5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 whole lemon, juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes!
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Blend herbs, garlic and oil and such until well mixed and liquified. Use half for stuffing, remaining half for a condiment!

Pork chops stuffed with chimichurri:

4 boneless, butterfly cut pork chops
1/4 cup grated cheese (such as asiago, feta, or other hardish cheese)
1/4 cup chimichurri


Pre heat oven to 350 and bake chops for about 30 minutes.

Fried Rice Da Kine

My grandpa on my father's side was half Portuguese and lived in Hawaii for most of his life. And although he was kind of a dick and I didn't really learn as much from him as my wonderful Irish maternal grandmother who taught me how to bake and paint and crochet (among other artsy things), he did pass down this tasty Hawaii fusion fried rice da kine.

Modern Hawaii style food is a wonderful mish-mash of cultures and based largely on ease of preparation and creativity, so substitutions are always encouraged. Don't have oyster sauce? Use some hoisin! Don't have that either? Just go with some soy and a splash of sesame oil! If you don't have any of those things, I highly recommend getting sesame oil and soy sauce ASAP because they are very versatile and fried rice is one of the best and most wonderful leftover conglomeration. If you can't find linguica sausage, andouille is an acceptable substitute. 

Fried rice breakfast da kine

3 cups cooked rice from yesterday
2-4 TB oil (coconut, peanut, grapeseed are my faves, but canola works too)
1 small onion or shallot, minced
1 carrot, diced (optional, throw in some peas too if you like!)
1 jalapeno or poblano, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 linguica sausage (or andouille)

2-3 tsp soy sauce
2-3 tsp hoisin or oyster sauce or sesame oil
1/2 -1 tsp kochujang or sriracha or any sort of hot sauce you have around*

3 green onion, sliced

opt. garnish:
4 TB cilantro
1 lemon or lime
2 eggs per person (I like to top with an over easy egg instead of scrambling it in)


Cook onion in a preheated wok  with 1-2 TB oil on high heat, stirring constantly. Add carrot and jalapeno. Stir until softened, then add garlic. Add a tsp or so of oil whenever things look like they need to be lubricated.

If veggies are starting to get too cooked or pan too full at this point, remove from pan until later. Add sausage and stir until cooked through. Remove everything from pan, add 1 TB oil, and then finally the rice. Stir vigorously until well coated with oil, and add all the remaining sauces.

Add all cooked veggies and sausage back to pan and stir until well incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, cilantro and squeeze half the lemon on top to give it a bit of a yummy zest.

Stir one more time and enjoy!


*NOT Tabasco. Leave that to haole cooking like buffalo wings and such. 

Easy recipes for Broski

Recipes for Brother: Mexican stuff for preggie lady, some nice Asian style easy dishes....we're thinking easy, low prep stuff...

Ideas:
Chorizo/goat cheese stuffed mushrooms

Feta kalamata potato salad

find a good chicken tortilla soup recipe

quinoa? black beans and quinoa pretty easy and healthy..

bean burgers!!

sofrito soup?

try to give some enchilada recommendations... see if you can easy up the guajillo spinach...do it last as a final test?

Falafel type thing tonight?*******

1 can garbanzo beans
1 small red onion
1/2 bell pepper
3-4 cloves garlic
handful of parsley
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
2 TB flour?
1 egg ?
handful of breadcrumbs?
olive oil..dash

tahini sauce:
tahini and yogurt and garlic and cayenne and .....

Hangover soup, beer cheese soup and curries!

Beer cheese soup tonight, hangover soup tomorrow... also maybe curries (after farmer's market tomorrow!!)
(scaled back by 1/4, changed cooking techniques, added peppers!
Sweat veggies in butter 10 minutes
add flour, cook another few minutes, add half and half gradually, add beer, chix broth mustards and worcestershire, simmer for 10 minutes, till creamy and thick, add cheese last (off heat) till combined.
1 c carrots, onion, celery
1/4 c hot peppers!
3 cloves garlic
s n p
2 c chix broth 1 1/2 c beer
1/3 c flour (maybe less)
2-3 c half and half
2 cups cheddar, sharp
2 cups mixed cheddar, jack, white cheddar...
1 tsp worcester 1/2 tsp dry mustard


Hangover soup:
Makes 2 servings.
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 14 to 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (Jeanne likes the kind with herbs, Lyndsey skips the tomatoes altogether) (you don’t really need this much, only about a cup or so)
1/2 green, red, or yellow sweet bell pepper, seeded and chopped (or jalapeno...)
*(not really necessary)1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed slightly, left whole
2 cloves of garlic, minced coarsely
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or not smoked)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper (a few shakes of salt, a couple of cranks of pepper)
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (or maybe 2 cups, see what it looks like after adding 1 cup) *I included the spinach only as vegan option for the soup- but I’d like to say somewhere that whenever I say Chicken broth, it could easily be veggie broth
Pesto Toast

Dump all ingredients into a large pot. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach. Top each serving with a piece of Pesto Toast.

Pesto Toast: Arrange four 1/2-inch baguette slices on a cookie sheet. Spread with pesto (or combine 1 clove minced garlic 2 tablespoons butter and brush it on). Broil for 1 minute or so or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (or leave it off, depending on your mood).


Tom Kha:
(reduced by 1/2)
1 jalapeno
1/2 inch knob of ginger- peeled and sliced into coins
2-3 cloves garlic
1 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves peeled off, bottom 2 inches of stalk*
1/2 can low sodium chicken broth plus 1/2 the can water (or not: about 2 cups)
1/2 can coconut milk (use lowfat if you are so inclined)
1/4 pound of chicken breast (1/2 breasts) sliced into strips (omit for vegan meal)
1/2 package mushrooms, sliced (small handful from co-opt)
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 a lime (about a tablespoon)
1/2 cup of fresh spinach
2-3 green onions, sliced into rounds

1. Combine all the above (but only use half the can of coconut milk, save the rest for later) and bring to a boil in a soup pot of some sort.

2. Add the chicken and mushrooms to the boiling pot and bring the heat down to med. low. Let simmer for 10 minutes and then remove the chicken. Bring back to a boil for 4 minutes to intensify the flavors then strain the soup, reserving the solids. Shred the chicken, and if ya wanna get wild, dice the jalapenoes, garlic and ginger (this is optional, most people just chuck out these goodies but I like to put them back in the soup, cause YUM). Return the goods to the soup and heat it back up.

3. Mix the lime juice, and the soy and fish sauces with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir into the soup and simmer for a few more minutes to thicken. Finally, toss in the spinach and green onions, take off the heat, and let everything marinate for a few more minutes before serving, possibly with rice.

*Or, as I often do when lemongrass is unavailable, just sub 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon lime zest for the lemongrass)

**Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

1 small red onion
1 lg anaheim pepper (or jalapeno plus bell pepper medium small)
chipotle.....
1 lg carrot

3 cloves garlic
1 28 oz can tomatoes

1 15 oz can, drained and rinsed black beans or red beans...
1/2 cup lentils.
spices:
chili powder
chile powder
cumin
garlic onion powder
paprika
pickapeppa sauce (worcestershire for non vegetarians)
cinnamon

green onions

Delicious Citrus Beurre Blanc!

Citrus Beurre Blanc

1/4 cup dry white wine
2 TB cup orange juice (or water)
2 TB cup lemon juice *
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoons chopped shallot
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


In small saucepan combine wine, orange juice, lemon juice, and shallot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup and is almost syrupy. (Be patient. It takes 15 to 20 minutes.)

Turn heat to medium-low. Stir in lemon zest. Add butter, a piece at a time, whisking until each piece is melted before adding the next piece. (You might have to drop the heat to low. If the sauce gets too hot it will curdle.) Purists like to strain out the tasty bits of shallot and zest, but we leave ’em in. Sprinkle with fresh herbs just before serving over cooked fish, chicken, or veggies. (Keep the sauce warm in a thermal coffee mug, but be sure there is no residual coffee aroma in the mug. Ugh! Or keep it warm in a double boiler. It doesn’t reheat well: it likes to curdle.)

*Tip: Remove the yellow zest with a microplane or fine grater before you squeeze the juice from the lemon. It’s easier that way.

Hotdogs for cookbook with Mom:

You can show how saucy you are by the choice of tortilla chips you put on top. Blue corn? You’re a traditionalist. Buffalo wing flavor? You’re a fire-eating devil. Ranch flavor? You’re a fusion cooking wiz.

3 12-ounce cans or bottles Mexican lager beer (like Dos Equis, Pacifico, Sol, Corona)
1 small sweet onion, sliced
1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded cut in thin strips
1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded if you want (they’re hotter if you don’t, so how hot is hot enough for you?) and sliced

8 all beef hot dogs

¼ cup Creole mustard (or your favorite – but Creole is just the best)
¼ cup sweet pickle relish

8 hot dog buns, toasted

Tortilla chips, crunched up

In a Dutch oven or other big pot bring beer to boiling. Add onions and sweet and hot peppers. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Add hot dogs and simmer 4 minutes more or until vegetables are very tender and hot dogs are plump and heated through. Fish out the hot dogs and cover with foil to keep warm.
Drain vegetables; coarsely chop 'em if you want. Stir in mustard and pickle relish. Serve hot dogs on buns piled with the vegetable mixture and sprinkled with some tortilla chips.

Baked Beans!******************

Why don't I eat more delicious beans? They forking rule!
From: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/giant-chipotle-white-beans-recipe.html

for 1 lb of beans...

Tomato sauce: (or a romesco sauce instead!!?)
olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes
15 oz tomatoes
??chipotle?
Sausage

Some sort of herby pesto...
2/3 cup spinach or kale...
1 cup feta cheese?
1 1/2 bread crumbs, toasted in olive oil

1. Make tomato sauce
2. Pulse pesto in a blender
3. 425 degree oven
4. Grease a glass casserole pan
5. Toss everything together, sprinkling cheese and bread crumbs on top
6. 25-40 minutes till cheese is browned and things are tasty looking

Cookbook Today

Birthday foods:
Grilling around 7 or 8? Lunch out for sushi?

Chicken thighs get marinated, make some tasty rice thing involving those mushrooms... or grill the mushrooms too but I dunno bout that or I could even do chorizo stuffed shrooms.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 TB lime
1-3 TB pickapeppa
1 lg or 2 regular jalepeno, hungarian wax or other smallish pepper with seeds, chopped (wear gloves when handling chiles)
2 scallions, green and white parts, chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
2-3 cloves garlic
1 TB dried thyme
allspice-cinnamon-cumin-coriander-curry-brown sugar
mustard

1 tsp kosher salt (or soy sauce?)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 boneless chicken thighs

************Quest for Risotto

I've made risotto a few times but it's only been ok. I'm still searching for that unique flavor combo that will wow me. I want something above and beyond the standard peas and pancetta or parmesan and herbs.

quinoa mushroom risotto
1 cup quinoa-8 oz mushrooms- 6 oz rehydrated porcini or other fancy tasty shrooms- 1/2 cup onion-garlic-
3 cup broth- 1/4 cup wine- parmesan cheese-
Saute onion and garlic, add mushrooms, then quinoa, then wine, then broth slowly until absorbed. Sprinkle cheese on last.

BLT risotto

Pink Lemonade

I was recently thinking that a nice vodka laced strawberry lemonade would really be killer to bring to ladies night to replace the usual bottle of shitty wine with slices of fruit standard. Oh sangria. How I've come to despise your inevitable inclusion.

Standard Pink Strawberry Lemonade

1 part strawberries

1 part fresh lemon juice

2 parts water

1 part sugar

Purée strawberries, strain to remove seeds. Make a simple syrup: heat up the water and stir in the sugar, cooking over low until sugar dissolves. This shouldn't take too long at all. Mix purée, lemon juice together and add to the simple syrup once cooled.

Blushing Dominatrix:
1 12 oz can frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate
1 10 oz bag frozen strawberries
3 cups water (2 cups ice and 1 water?)
2 1/2 cups vodka

Blend in blender

This person's recipe also sounds great. Needs more vodka though.
http://thesupergreatadventure.blogspot.com/2011/05/super-great-strawberry-guava-lemonade.html

Take pleasure wherever you find it: The Basil Martini

This is a fairly simple, and wonderfully herbal, martini which is kind of like a martini meets vodka tonic plus basil. I am very partial to simplicity in my drinks. Greyhound, gin and tonic, dirty martini, moscow mule: these are the kind of drinks that knock my socks off. I might throw in a few sweeter martinis and cocktails from time to time because my friends all seem to love them when I make them, but I really have to be in the mood for something sweet. This often coincides with my premenstrual times...fancy that.

Like my limonada, this utilizes a basil simple syrup that is very easy to make.

3 basil leaves, torn slightly
2 oz vodka
1 oz basil syrup
3/4 oz water
3/4 oz tonic

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake the ever-loving shit out of it. Strain into a fine and fancy martini glass and get crunk.

Rice links and brainstorming

Random rice dishes I'd like to try:

thieboudienne--"spanish rice" o arroz--arroz con pollo--Jollof rice



http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/cincodemayo/puebla_history/recipes/food/views/Puebla-Chicken-and-Potato-Stew-109026

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Black-Beans-with-Chorizo-and-Chipotle-Cream-353420

Rose petal sorbet

Rose petal sorbet

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

3 cups water

20 rose petals, washed

12 ounces sugar

1 cup of lemon juice

2 Tablespoons rose petal water

Grenadine (optional)

Crystallized Rose Petals (optional)
Directions

1. In a saucepot bring the milk and water to a boil; add rose petals.

2. Let infuse for about 10 minutes; strain the liquid and add the sugar.

3. Allow a few minutes to dissolve; add the lemon juice and rose petal water.

4. Chill and put in the ice machine.

5. To serve place two scoops of sorbet in a martini glass.

6. Drizzle over the top a little grenadine and garnish with crystallized rose petals (if Desired).

I'm addicted to meatballs: kofta style.

I really love meatballs. I'm not totally sure why. Perhaps because they are the perfect, bite sized vessels for flavor variation. It has always boggled my mind how very many versions of balls of meat exist throughout the world. From Mexican albóndigas, Italian polpette, to the unfortunately named British faggots, meatballs can be found on every continent.

Some of my favorite meatballs are fusion type balls. Few things top buffalo chicken meatballs dunked in some homemade blue cheese dip (can be as simple as a shitload of blue cheese suspended in sour cream) and I can always get behind a good plate of Swedish meatballs surrounded by dainty egg noodles, but one of my very favorite type of meatball is the kofta. Kofta can be found in the cuisines of the Middle East, South Asia, and Mediterranean, and there are a great many varieties.

I am partial to the spices of Indian kofta and although it is much more time consuming and involves way more ingredients than my usual meatballs, it is sooooo worth it.


1 lb ground meat, I like a mixture of pork and beef
2 TB ginger, minced
a shitload garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions (1-2 cups), chopped
1/4 cup green or red hot peppers of your choice, chopped

2 TB dried chiles (i.e. chili flakes or crumbled whole chiles such as pasilla or guajillo or ancho)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 egg
1 cup panko

Saute garlic, ginger, green onions until softened in a large heavy pan. In a separate small pan, toast the spices from dried pepper to fennel and then grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and mix into garlic ginger stuffs. Add turmeric and garam masala, and remove from heat.

Mix ground meats with egg, veggie mixture and panko. Form into golf ball sized balls. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice for a nice meal, or make into kebabs and serve as apps. Meatballs are the best!

Lasagna Bolognese

My ridiculous, time consuming, many steps involving lasagna bolognese:

1. Roast up several of the following veg: roma tomato, bell or poblano peppers, garlic cloves, package of sliced mushrooms, zucchini or yellow summer squash

2. Boil your noodles (but not totally- about 2/3 the amount of time), and assemble sauces: bolognese and a tasty white sauce, also pre-heat the oven.

3. Gather your cheeses (parmesan and feta), your veggies, and your sauces all together with your pan.

4. Assemble la lasagna alternating noodles, sauces, cheese and veg! Yum. Bake for a good while.

Decadent Lasagna

8 oz lasagna noodles boiled for about 8 min (or a few min less than suggested cooking time)
2 med. zucchini (about 2 1/2 cup) sliced
8 oz mushrooms sliced
opt. 1 bell or poblano, garlic, onion wedges*

white sauce of gloriousness
4 TB butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 plus 2 TB white wine, 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 1/4 cup half and half

1 1/2- 2 cups bolognese sauce (homemade if possible but jarred is ok too)

1/2 cup feta 1/4 cup shredded asiago

Preheat the oven on broil, start a pot of water boiling for noodles, and toss the zucchini and mushrooms with 1-2 TB olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Broil in your 3 quart glass casserole for ten minutes, stir and remove. Set oven to 375. Make white sauce.

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium and toss in your garlic, let it shimmer for about a minute and add your flour, stirring vigorously till mixed, immediately add the white wine slowly till well mixed. Add chicken broth and whisk till incorporated all together and simmer till sauce begins to thicken. Lower heat to very low and slowly add half and half mixing well and stirring constantly for about 5 more minutes.

Should be a nice layer of mushroom liquid still in the bottom of the glass cass. so just add about a ladle full of white sauce and then plop down a layer of noodles. Layer thusly: 1/2 of bolognese sauce, 1/2 of veggies, 1/3 of parmesan, 1/3 of feta, 1/3 of white sauce. Another layer of noodles, repeat and finally after your last layer, go nuts with the cheese and pour the rest of the white sauce on top of everything.

Bake in the 375 oven for 25 minutes covered, and remove cover then finish for ten minutes, turn broiler on and broil for the remaining 5 minutes.

Eat immediately, it's amazingly delicious and will bring out the extravagant fancy lady in ya!

COOK BOOK***************

Work to do today:
Lemon slush:

recipes we need: quinoa, paella or pelau...vegetarian type stuff (bean burgers, moroccan stews, indian)

Salsa:
tomato, reconstituted chile, garlic, shallot

tomatillo, garlic, shallot, fresh chile
or at least blend it and take out the cheese


MISO sidebars:

white, red and brown are the main kinds (though a great many more varieties exist)
fermented soy product (variations, not just soy beans) look for the least amount of ingredients. Avoid MSG or other additives.

shiromiso is white miso, more mild and sweet, and used primarily for light brothy soups, marinades and sauces- this is what I keep on hand all the time.

akamiso is usually known as red miso and is more savory, it's very versatile and used for stir-fries, heavier soups and stew or really almost anything you might like to use miso for.

Hatcho, brown or dark miso generally is saltier, more intense and used for stews and heavier dishes that need some salt action.

Samosa Stuff*****************

rewrite:
Samosa Innards:

1-2 pound lbs potatoes (about 3-4 medium)
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup (236 ml) frozen green peas
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon salt to taste
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 whole-grain tortillas (may use gluten-free)

Cook the potatoes, unpeeled, in boiling water until they’re tender (pierce easily with a fork). Remove from water and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (6mm).


Heat a deep non-stick skillet and add the onion. Cook on medium-high until onion begins to brown. Add peas, tomato, ginger, jalapeno pepper, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring, until peas thaw.

Add potatoes to skillet along with salt, curry powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove cover and cook until most liquid has evaporated. Check to see if more salt or lemon is needed.

Warm tortillas according package directions. Place 1/6 of filling in center of wrap, fold bottom edge up, and fold sides over filling. Serve with mango chutney, if desired.

Servings: 6

(CHANGES:
removed tofu and water- doubled potatoes...add maybe chickpeas? fiddle with spices)

salsas and paella pelau blk beans quinoa edamame burgers

Salsas for divorciados..

some recipes I'd like to add:
blk beans/quinoa
pelau
paella...arancini di riso?
blkbean/edamame burgers

**Sesame soy balsamic dressing **duplicate

Sesame Soy Balsamic:

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 TB mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. mustard (opt.)

2 tsp. sesame oil
1/3 c. Peanut or canola oil


Whisk the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, mayo, mustard and sesame oil together in a medium bowl. Slowly incorporate the peanut oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly.

Chickpea spread: faux tuna stuffs

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup tofu, mashed well
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or vegannaise)
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt and red pepper (basically Bay Seasoning which helps tunasaladness)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 rib celery, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
generous grating of black pepper

Mash the chickpeas well with a potato masher. Add all remaining ingredients and taste, adding more seasonings if necessary. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve as a sandwich filling, as a dip with crackers, or atop a bed of greens.

Some people say that adding seaweed helps with the fake fishiness. I have yet to try that but I would suggest giving it a whirl. 1 tsp of crumbled or powdered nori or dulse is what I would try. 

Limonada: a yummy basil lemonade vodka cocktail

This is really more of a refreshing summer cocktail that I love to make after my basil in my garden has begun to flourish, but I just couldn't wait after I had a hankering last week. Fresh basil is the key here and cannot be substituted without making it a totally different drink, which is just fine too.

1/2 oz basil simple syrup
2 slices of lemon
3-4 basil leaves, torn slightly
ice
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz limoncello (homemade or purchased)
club soda to fill

Muddle basil simple with lemon slices and basil leaves in a collins or similar highball glass (feel free to use a pint, but you might need to adjust proportions because it's much larger).

Add ice, then vodka and limoncello. Fill with club soda and pour into a larger glass. Give it a couple swirls to mix it up and pour it back into your original glass.

Garnish with lemon slice and sprig of basil. Drink outside, preferably by your burgeoning garden.

The art of letting things go

Interacting with other hotheaded individuals requires a certain willingness to just sometimes fucking let things go. It's a tough balance, knowing when you should let things go and when you are getting walked all over and need to stand up for yourself and NOT let things go. It's unhealthy both ways: always letting things go and never letting things go. I guess that's where that cliched saying: "Pick your battles" came from.

To Do:
Make my stupid shrimp crap
Shrimp notes: more chile stuff- only needs to cook about 4-5 minutes, not six. I ate with quinoa and poured about half the sauce over that and that was delicious. I'd say just the shrimp by itself is weird- needs presentation suggestions. Even just a toothpick and crackers or lettuce leaves to wrap in or avocado slices!! Just something- the quinoa was great with it!
Lounge about outside.... s

******Miso-tahini dressing

Alabaster dressing:

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tsp white miso (”shiro” miso)
1 TB tablespoons sesame tahini


TWEAK
changed proportions somewhat...
add: lemon juice
garlic
1 TB water to thin

Coffee encrusted burgers

Basic Coffee rub that my mom likes because it's basic and easy:
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee
2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt


My Convoluted Coffee Rub:
2 TB ground coffee (real and FRESHLY ground, no pre-ground Folger's)
1 tsp brown sugar
 Burger seasoning blend:
(just a hearty few dashes of each or 1/4 tsp)
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano powder
cumin
coriander powder
kosher salt
black pepper
1/8 tsp:
(or light sprinkling)
cayenne
cinnamon

Mix together well.

For 1 LB ground hamburger

2 lg cloves garlic
1/2 of your coffee rub

Mix about half of coffee rub into burgers and then form about 6 thin-ish patties. Coat each patty with a healthy sprinkling of the coffee rub and grill or saute for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

TO DO WED.

1. COOKBOOK!!! Organization
2. Call Ashley about a ride to ladies' night
3. Work on cleaning, do some light planting
4. Buy a bunch of stinkbombs to begin letting off my Ameir's room since he can't be bothered to NOT fucking smoke passive-agressively.
5. Drive stupid Dustin tomorrow so I can use the car to run errands: groceries, dirt, deposit check, maybe go to place (or just send it in mail)

Basic Cheesy Mushroom Orzo

Creamy Orzo Mushrooms

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced very fine
2 TB butter
8 oz pkg sliced mushrooms

Start water boiling for 1/2 package of orzo. Cook according to package. Saute garlic in butter with mushrooms in a pan for ten minutes, till mushrooms cook down and get browned and tasty.

1 cup 2% milk
1 cup shredded cheeses, asiago and irish cheddar

Pour milk into pan with mushrooms, heat on very low, add cheese slowly, stirring vigorously, till cheese begins to melt. Add orzo to help get everything allll melty and nice.



Crazy cheese sauce to try:
1 TB garlic paste
1 c feta, queso fresco, or parmesan..
1/2 cup whole milk
1 TB each: onion, olive oil and chile paste of some sort...
Blender...

*****tandoori and dahl

Today:
Chicken tandoori and some sort of dal and rice? Maybe a veggie curry w. coconut if we want to get fusioney

Tandoori for 1 lb of chicken:
paprika, cayenne, turmeric, coriander, pepper and salt, cumin?, ginger (to add? cinnamon, saffron)
sprinkle of salt rub stuff and Debbie's stuff, curry powder

Dal Recipe:
ABout 1 cup of lentils
mustard seeds
hot pepper
onion?
about 2 tomatoes worth of tomato
ginger
coriander
garlic
turmeric
cumin

1. Cook lentils.
2. Meanwhile, heat up some oil or butter (or ghee) add onion, and chilies and cook, add garlic and mustard seeds and remaining spiced and heat for 15 seconds to incorporate flavors
3. Add the tomatoes and some water and........
4. Cook down for 5 miniutes or so then add lentils
Could add some milk to make it creamy...

Sprouty sprouts

Here are why sprouts are awesome:
Chock full of vitamins (vitamin D, vitamin C), antioxidants, protein, and isoflavones.

Super duper cheap- that is-if you make them yourself, which is incredibly easy

HERE'S HOW!

Take a large glass jar: a cleaned out pasta jar or some such- don't worry bout the lid, won't need it.
Cheesecloth, or some sort of screen, or even a clean bit of nylon stockings!
Rubber band, or old ponytail holder to secure the screen to the top of the jar
Something to sprout: lentils, quinoa, various dried beans including (but not limited to) mung, chickpea, (NOT kidney beans or black beans)

1. First soak them for required period (overnight for lentils)
2. Drain, rinse and drain again, turn jar on its side, shake beans to spread out evenly
3. Rinse and drain each day, at least once, more if you live in a hot humid climate (like 3 times a day)
4. Keep in a dark place until they start to sprout, in about 4-5 days (depending)

Alternately you can simply keep them (especially adzuki and lentil) in a colander, soak for 8 hours in warm water, then rinse twice (or more) a day till sprouted. Cover with tin foil maybe?

*******LISTS

Chapters to work on:
LUSH HOUR
recipes including booze


Start making lists of you BEST or most unique recipes that you really need to push to include:
Pelau
Enchiladas-baja fajitas
Quinoa stuff...cous cous...moroccan stuff
Thai soup
lentils..quinoa chicken?

****Lentils and quinoa and chicken oh my!

Lentils:

onions
carrots
celery
garlic

2x as much stock as lentils

Braise for 45 minutes covered on low (check on after 30)


Cook quinoa (also with a 2 times as much water or stock as quinoa) covered for 12-15 minutes on low.

Meanwhile, cut up some chicken and season with salt, pepper or any other tasty seasonings you enjoy (add my own here)
Mince some garlic (depending on how much you LOVE garlic; I use a ton)

Heat up 2 tsp - 1 TB of olive oil on medium high and add the chicken pieces once it gets hot. Cook for 2 minutes on that side before flipping the pieces and cooking 2 more minutes on that side, add the garlic and cook until chicken becomes brown and glazey and delicious (about 6 minutes total) flipping periodically to check. Remove the chicken from the pan, add a splash of oil, spices/herbs and stir the quinoa into the oil and garlic, keeping the heat on and stirring till everything is heated and mixed. Serve the chicken pieces over the lentils and quinoa! Squeeze some lemon over all this and it's AMAZING!

***********Blank space******************

***************Ostara feast!

Night one of Ostara feasting!
Traditional foods= seeds, pantry cleaning things (cured meats, ham and root veggies), eggs,
mead or fruit juices
Spring veggies, fruits of the season
cheese

mushrooms, chicken

celery, carrots, old potatoes, onion

Chicken noodley type soup or gumbo or....

see Duck and Wild Mushroom Gumbo
Plans, currently 3ish. Start making food around 4 eat a yummy feast with my potato (chicken soup or gumbo with salad maybe potatoes)

Drink my tasty wine and do some ritual planting, meditation/yoga and good luck work


Chickeney soup:
saute chicken, then onions, garlic, carrots, celery in butter, add mushrooms then broth

Pub Grub

Traditionally, English Pubs were primarily focused on strictly getting hammered, with a noted absence of the "pub grub" we Americans are so titillated by, but this has been changing in recent years. Since the 1950's and 60's when some pubs began serving meat pies or chicken and chips, later expanding to include fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, pasties, bangers and mash and so forth. Since the 90's, gastropubs have been on the rise, focusing on more gourmet options while often tweaking classic pub food.


My faves:
Pasties, Shepherd's Pie, and bubble and squeak.

**Websites

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/science/22creature.html?_r=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Sleep

****Senegalese soup to keep working on...

Version 1:
1 lg onion (try leeks?)
3 cloves garlic
2 TB canola* oil
2 TB curry powder
1 TB curry paste (ginger, coriander, turmeric)
3 cups chicken stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small (about 2 cups?) cubed butternut or acorn squash
1 cup leftover chicken or turkey
1 TB sriracha
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 c- 1/2 cup low fat* coconut milk
1 lemon to squeeze over
sour cream-cilantro garnish if desired


1.Saute onion, garlic, cayenne till softened
2. Stir curry powder/paste 1 min(extra seasonings: ginger turmeric plus green curry paste)
3. Add stock/tomatoes, bring to a boil simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add cooked chicken/sambal 10 minutes
5. Whisk in peanut butter slowly, then the coconut milk
6. Turn to low, add cilantro and lemon juice, taste for anything else it needs

Version 2: IIRC, this was not as final and impressive as I'dve liked. Still needs work....

Final version senegalese soup! Or at least tonight's version

1 lg red onion (try leeks?)
3 cloves garlic
1-2 TB canola* oil
2 TB curry powder
1 TB curry paste (ginger, coriander, turmeric)
3 cups chicken stock (one and a half cans)
1 plus 1/2 can 14 oz petite diced tomatoes (or 1 can and 1 whole, diced tomato)
1 small (about 2 cups?) cubed butternut or acorn squash*
also carrots or spinach?*
1 breast chicken, cut into bite sized cubes or 1 cup leftover (cooked) chicken or turkey
1 TB sriracha or other good hot sauce
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter (or even less)
1 c- 1/2 cup low fat* coconut milk (sub milk if desired)
1 lemon to squeeze over
*sour cream-cilantro garnish if desired


1.Saute onion, garlic, till softened, push to sides, add chicken cubes and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Add squash and carrots, stir.
2. * actually do this after onion/garlic-Stir curry powder/paste 1 min(extra seasonings: ginger turmeric plus green curry paste).
3. Add stock/tomatoes, bring to a boil simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add cooked chicken (if using), soy sauce, and sambal 10 minutes.
5. Whisk in peanut butter slowly, then the coconut milk.
6. Turn to low, add cilantro and lemon juice, taste for anything else it needs. (Spinach last if using?)


Notes:

In yellow curries: coriander, ginger, turmeric.
soy sauce. Sour cream, lemon zest to dollop. Squeeze lemon atop if desired.

***Fajitas and tacos TDB.....

New things to make:
Italian Rice Balls
Tasty veggie soups (ala ristatante)
Onion soup


Fajitas:
marinate chicken now!

slice up that pepper and some onions, saute in pan- let onion caramelize!
saute chicken pieces as well

Marinade:
oil, beer, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic, lemon, splash soy or fish sauce or just salt

How to make my piriformis go away!

Here's what I did today:
slept on couch for last few days
did my stretches a few times: downdog, cat-cow, pigeon king, bridge, table, plank, piriformis stretch on BOTH sides!
took some advil midday
spent the day not doing too much lifting/bending, light walking and stretching, a few yoga move and core strengthening things
either standing properly, sitting upright and with legs level or on couch in my handicapped position
took a nice warm shower and stretched afterwards
then tried on clothes and Carolyn came over and it was pretty much better after that point!

**Tom Kha type soup

My favorite Tom Kha!

3 stages

1. Flavoring the broth
2. Poaching the chicken
3. Adding the last items

1. Several jalapenoes, 1 inch knob of ginger- sliced into coins, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1 can low sodium chicken broth plus 1/2 the can water, 1 can coconut milk (use lowfat if you are so inclined)
Combine all the above (but only use half the coconut milk, save the rest for later) and bring to a boil in a soup pot of some sort.

2. 1 breast of chicken, sliced into tenders, 1 pkg mushrooms or any other veg of choice such as: bell peppers, etc.
Add to the boiling stuff and bring the heat down to med. low, let simmer for 15 minutes and remove the chicken. Bring back to a boil for 4 minutes to intensify the flavors then strain the soup, reserving the solids. Shred the chicken and dice the jalapenoes, garlic and ginger (this is optional, most people just chuck out these goodies but I like to put them back in the soup, cause YUM). Return the goods to the soup and heat it back up.

3. 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 - a whole lime, several handfuls of spinach, several green onions, sliced
 Mix the lime juice, and the soy and fish sauces together. Stir into the soup along with the spinach and green onions, and let everything sit and get to know each other for a few more minutes before serving.

**Burlesque StuffBlank !

Mushroom Spinach Enchiladas with a Guajillo Cream Sauce

Spinach-mushroom enchiladas with guajillo cream (or something similar) sauce!

Sauce:
2-3 guajillo chiles, soaked in boiling water for 15-20 minutes
1/4 c pepper soaking liquid (or more depending on chile size-consistency should be like tomato juice)
3 TB tomato puree* (more to taste, I like mine more on the chile side, some like it more tomatoey)
1-3 cloves garlic
sliver of onion
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground oregano (or 1 TB fresh)
2 TB lime, lemon juice or 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 the container? heavy cream

Blend in blender and bring to a boil in a small saucepan, then simmer lightly with some heavy cream or coconut milk (around 1-2 cups) for 3 minutes or so

*Tomato Puree: you can use fresh tomatoes or canned and blend them in a blender, tomato paste mixed with sauce, or buy fancy Passata

Filling:
1-2 TB butter
1 small red onion or 2 med. shallot
1/2 pkg. baby bella mushrooms
several cups of spinach
2-3 cloves garlic
2 TB wine
3 TB tomato puree
(3 TB cream sauce)

8 corn tortillas
1/2 - 1 cup of cotija or some tasty goat cheese (or monterey jack, or even no cheese at all, use coconut milk and veganize it!)

1. Heat butter in a wok, or some sort of pan into which everything will easily fit. Add the onions or shallot when butter starts to bubble. Stir on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, add mushrooms and cook for 4-6 minutes, till mushrooms soften, add garlic in middle and let it heat up for 20-30 seconds then add the wine and simmer for 1 more minute, add tomatoes, 2-3 TB of sauce and spinach. Heat through, about 3 more minutes.

2 Dip tortillas in sauce, then sear in hot oil in a cast iron skillet on med. high heat for around 30 seconds, fill with tasty filling, roll and dollop some sauce and cheese on and eat immediately. Or, for company, you can do this and then place into casserole pan and heat up in a 400 oven for 5-10 minutes. Or just go the casserole route if you like it, what do I care? I do it sometimes too when I'm feeling really lazy!


**Most casserole versions so well known to we of the Western World are actually heavily Americanized (like much of what we consider to be "ethnic" cuisine: see sushi, spaghetti n' meatballs, and most Chinese food in this country). Shockingly, the very word enchilada does not mean "casserole" but a past participle of the word "enchilar" or "to add chile to" and the enchilada originated as humble street vendor food that lacked any filling whatsoever and was a mere corn tortilla dipped and fried in chile wash.

Though, to be fair, apparently the actual definition involves corn tortilla stuffed with meat and covered in a chile sauce and I certainly don't consider the meat to be a hard and fast rule! We eat meat on it's own so often in this country, why waste an opportunity to enjoy vegetarian food when it's more tasty than the meaty alternative!

***Maafe!!

several spoonfuls of cooking oil, to sauté meat and onions
1 lb chicken or pork, cubed
1 m onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 - all of a 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
salt and black pepper (to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
one hot chile pepper, or ground red pepper to taste (optional)
several chopped vegetables: cabbage; carrot; eggplant; summer squash: potato; squash; sweet potato; turnip or rutabaga

1/2 - 1 cup peanut butter
1 cup stock (divided in half)

Heat oil in a large cooking pot or dutch oven. Sauté the meat and (or meat then onions) onions over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients except the peanut butter and half of the stock. Simmer until all ingredients are tender (25-30 minutes). Add stock to lubricate if necessary.
Reduce heat. Add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously. Add any remaining stock.
Serve over cous cous or rice.

Veggies:1st: eggplant, onions, bell pepper, 2nd w. stock: carrots?, potatoes

My recipe:
2 TB oil
1 m eggplant
1 sm onion
1 sm bell pepper
1 lg jalapeno
2 m potato
2 TB tomato paste
1 c stock
1 cup (ish) diced tomatoes
1/2 c peanut butter
Spices:




1. Heat oil, brown meats (or eggplants) till golden brown, remove.
2. Saute onions and other veggies till softened, add garlic, ginger?, and meats back then add tomato paste and mix. Stir till tom paste falls apart and then add diced tomatoes and stock (or water) and potatoes, cook till veggies are softened and tomatoes start to reduce down, about 10 min, add peanut butter, 10 more min.

DAily vulgar Post

Don't forget to go to a potluck on WED at Wendy's!!!

Yep. Today has been pretty crap-tastic. Had the worst walk to the daycare EVER. My bum hip has been acting up again so I had a very lengthy, cold, dismal and music-less trudge. The iPod, of course froze up and when that happens, all you can do is wait until it DIES so it reboots itself. Supposedly you can push a mere button and do this, but, like a child throwing a tantrum and holding his breath till he passes out, mine stolidly refuses to comply with my impatient, manual, button pushing.

And then the stupid goddamned bus-lady didn't think it would be a good idea to listen when I requested a stop that she was going to ignore due to the bus being full. The 2nd bus actually pulled in front of us as we approached, and took in the people at my stop and we were forced to wait, behind them, at the stop sign. At any point she could have opened the fucking door for me, but that would have been ridiculous. Instead we went, not one, but THREE fucking past where I had been pulling the stop signifier before she deigned to allow me my egress. About 4 blocks in the opposite direction of an already long and fucking painful walk. Thanks, you asshole.

Gumbo and maybe also Jambalaya

1/2 lb chicken

3 TB oil and 3 TB flour
1 m red onion
1 bell pepper
2 ribs celery
3 cups chicken stock

1/2 large andouille sausage

creole seasoning: garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, black/white pepper, paprika, cayenne, ?
bay leaf
thyme
s and p
worcestershire


1. Make a blonde or lighter roux if you are a first timer. Heat the oil and whisk in flour, stir constantly over low medium heat for 10--15 minutes or till you can wait no longer and are worried it might burn. Go longer and hotter for a darker, more Cajun style roux. Cook at least till it looks like peanut butter or a cafe latte. Darker roux will be a darker brown, more like a lighter, reddish coffee color.
2. Immediately add onions, bell pepper and celery to hot roux and saute till softened.
Begin adding stock by the 1/2 cup. Add chicken, sausage (brown 1st) and seasonings. Simmer 45 minutes to an hour. Serve over rice.


Recipe 2, based off of Emeril's crappy duck and mushroom!

2 small chicken breast
equal parts (about 1/4 each- a little more oil than flour) oil or butter and flour
1 pkg. mushrooms
1/2 lg red onion
2 ribs celery
1 moderately sized bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle irish red beer
1 can stock
seasoning: garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, black/white pepper, paprika, cayenne, ?
bay leaf, thyme, s and p, dash worcestershire

1. Sear the chicken in a hot pan you will be cooking in...
2. add the oil and deglaze, add the flour and make your roux
3. 10-15 minutes
4. add onion, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms, cook till softened about 5 minutes
5. add beer, stir, add stout, spices and chicken pieces, bring to a boil
6. simmer for 45 minutes
cook some rice to go with it in the meantime.

***Chile braised chicken!

Chile Braised Chicken for tonight

One large, boned breast chicken (equal to 1 lb)

2 guajillo (or ancho) chiles, 1 chipotle in adobo (and some leftover sauce from the other day)

soaked then blended with 1/4 c. of chile soaking water

1/4 an onion, sliced, 2 cloves garlic- cumin, oregano

Brown chicken, then add chile mixture, about 1-2 c. water (to cover).

Bring to a boil then simmer on low, covered for 15 min.

**Tilapia with a Lemon infused Pan Sauce

Rewrite this recipe- test for proportions:
 (the sauce was crappy, here's what it needs: Butter, lemon, pepercorns, garlic, chix broth and wine and something else?)

Sauteed Tilapia with lemon-peppercorn pan sauce

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (maybe 1/2 instead)?
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons butter
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Combine 1st 3 ingr.
2. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

3. Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.


Serve over bed of spinach and with some cous cous/peppers and maybe something else?

***Snippets and snails and little boy tales.

Well maybe not the snails...

Lyndsey Cooking Snippets:

Milder hot peppers for green-tongues: the slightly smoky, sexy poblano

****Chorizo Shrooms, Peanut noodles and Cajun Chicken burgers

NOTE: start working on Garlic lover's pasta salad from Co-opt and also reworking the peanut noodles.
Appetizers:

Chorizo and goat cheese stuffed shrooms (see cookbook)
chorizo, goat cheese, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, honey, breadcrumbs
Marinade (see recipes)
Toss shrooms in the marinade. Preheat oven to 375. Cook shrooms for 5-10 minutes while you saute the chorizo, garlic and stems. Let cool briefly, remove shrooms from oven. Mix chorizo and goat cheese with some bread crumbs and spoon into the mushrooms. Reduce the vinegar and honey while the mushrooms finish cooking (also cook the burgers- maybe in oven?)

Peanut noodles
dressing:
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 (plus 1-2 TB to taste) soy sauce
sesame oil
2 TB (?) wt. wine or rice vinegar (maybe just one of each)
2 TB (?) lime juice
1/2 TB sriracha* (or red pepper flakes)
1-2 TB ginger, grated (or 1 tsp pwdr)
several cloves garlic
2 -3 tsp brown sugar or honey?
opt. 2 TB sesame seeds
water by the TB, to thin as necessary

for 3/4 lb noodles
sweet peppers
gr. onions, diced
carrots, shredded
cucumbers, julienne
Mix sauce together, cook noodles, toss with sauce and veggies! Serve chilled or warm.
Make this ahead.


Main dish:
Cajun Chicken burgers
Seasonings: 1/2- 1 tsp of each
blk pepper-paprika-garlic pwdr-onion pwdr-wt pepper-sea salt
fresh
1 TB fresh thyme
2 tsp oregano

TB (or so) spicy brown mustard
1/4 c green onions
1/4 c sweet peppers
several cloves garlic
some feta (to stuff inside)

Make burgers several hours ahead so all you need to do at the last minute is mushrooms and then cooking burgers while mushrooms finish up.


Ingredients from co-opt garlic pasta salad include: Garlic, peas, lemon juice, veganaise, parmesan cheese pieces, oregano and that's about it other than noodles.

**Vichyssoise

Yum, best thing ever!
A fancy name for an easy and hopefully tasty soup

2 cups 1 1/2 inch cubes raw potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic
about 1 1/2 cup leeks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
*3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshy ground black pepper
pinch white pepper
*1-1 1/2 c half and half or just milk?

Notes:
1. Saute leeks in butter, add broth and simmer for 25 minutes, meanwhile potatoes should be boiling off while the leeks simmer.

2. Blend everything together, let cool and add milky stuffs (carefully, a bit at a time, testing; it barely needs it, could easily be veganized)

3. Serve with crumbled bacon, stir

Julia Child's tips/recipe:
equal parts potato and leeks
cream is not totally necessary, but a nice touch
mix everything together, simmer 25-30 minutes partially covered

Can't recall what route I took- I basically synergized two different recipes and styles of cooking because it's a very simple recipe that requires no tampering. The question is, cook the potatoes and leeks together or seperately, I believe I went with separate but I'm not totally sure...whoops.

blank

Daily Post

Today I'm working on a Gumbo recipe and maybe some enchilasagna. Also gardening.

Electric Skillet Meatloaf

Tonight is meatloaf night! Yay. Unfortunately we're going to des moines for the weekend so I don't want to get too much yummy foods. Ah well. I'll figure it out.

Electric Skillet Meatloaf!

1 lb ground beef

1 small carrot

1 small bell pepper

1 small or 1/2 a large onion

4 cloves garlic

1/2 c tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, blendered

1/2 c catsup

1/2 c panko

thyme, chili powder, worcestershire, soy sauce, pepper

1 egg

Blend veggies in blender, mix with beef, then seasonings, wet stuff and finally bread crumbs

Shape into 4 tiny loaves and cook at 300 for about 30 minutes or 2 hours for a big loaf.

Gardening for realsies.

Oh, my am I getting excited. So here are some herbs I am thinking definitely yes to planting- can not go too crazy this year because I am restricted to containers.

Add eggshells to containers...also compost (start mincing things)

Lemon balm and oregano I would really enjoy. They are also both in the mint family (nother thing I'd like to plant) so they would do well I think in containers.

I was also thinking zucchini, and maybe cuke but I'd like to try something new, maybe peas. I'll need to construct some ladders though. I think for this spring equinox I will do a big purge and get rid of a bunch of shit that I truly do not need.

Veg: zucchini, cuke, peas?, tomato, lettuce

Herbs: oregano, lemon balm, mint, parsley, chamomile, rosemary, basil

Plant chamomile next to lavendar

Maybe pull dying pepper from thyme planter and add sage there?

1 large square container (could potentially make another LARGE container)

3 med. large (5 gall. containers)

3 (maybe) small herb cont.

2 rather small herb cont.

Deadly plants:
Digitalis and Aconite
datura, wolf's bane, digitalis (aka foxglove), and monkshood (aka aconite)

New Recipes

Enchilada lasagna synergy! Add other veggies? Beans?

Sauce: ancho cream sauce?

Mushroom and spinach saute filling

Noodles or tortillas?

Garlic shots, chili sauce and inspiration

1. Put together a hasselback potatoes recipe

2. Work on your lasagna recipe

3. Also enchiladas...

4. Lasagna enchilada synergy?? or the cajun lasagna...

Authentic chile sauce:

Do this soon...

Small batch (1-2 person) of Wendy's Garlic Shot

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all

6-9 cloves of garlic (depending on the size of cloves)

a nice wedge of red or white onion (about 2 TB or so)

1 smallish carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks

a few dashes of turmeric

2 tsp apple cider vinegar (and/or lemon juice)

dash of soy sauce or crank of sea salt

1 tsp hot sauce

Blend the first 3 ingredients together to as fine a puree as can be managed. Strain this somehow (cheesecloth, those wire strainer-dealies or whathaveyou) add the remaining ingredients to this and drink the delicious juices to ward off the winter sicknesses and bolster the immune system. Save the pulp accumulated for other tasty purposes, I've added some lime and cilantro and eaten it with chips and also used as a base for tomato pasta sauces and chilies.

Best Potato Salad********************

About 2 -3 cups of cubed, boiled potatoes (20 min. covered, med. heat)

If you like your inalata patate nice and lubed up use less, if you like to keep mayo to a minimum, use more

1/2 cup mayo (lowfat if you so desire)

1/2 cup sour cream (ditto)

1/2 lemon, juiced

2-3 TB chopped scallions

2-4 cloves garlic

1 TB white wine vinegar

1/4 cup mixed fancy olives: kalamata, picholine, nicoise are my favorites (or just pick one kind)

1 celeriac (celery root) peeled and shredded coarsely

TBC...

Oh the weather outside is frightful cocoa

2-3 TB unsweetened chocolate

2 TB honey or sugar (or omit sugar and chocolate and use a cocoa mix)

1 small-large dash of cayenne (depending on your spice tolerance)

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp ground or freshly grated allspice

1 stick cinnamon

2 c milk

Grate chocolate. Heat everything except chocolate in a saucepan, take off heat and stir in the chocolate, stirring periodically with the cinnamon stick until melty and delicious.

This is great to add some spice (literally) to your cocoa, and it pairs well with vodka. Rum would do in a pinch but don't even try whisky. Trust me, it's uber gross. Now I'm off to trudge through mountains of snow to see an Elvis impersonator!