The Kitchen

Welcome to the 2022 Kitchen! It is new and empty now. I hope you all will gather here and fill it with food, conversation, recipes. cookbook suggestions, and fun.

Thanks for preheating the ovens, Jim!

Sausage and Egg Stratta

I put this together to bake tomorrow morning…

Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing pan

- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 handfuls dark, leafy greens such as spinach, arugula or baby kale, chopped (about 1 cup packed)
- 1 cup diced salty deli meat, such as Canadian bacon, ham, or cooked bacon. I used cooked breakfast sausage
- 8 ounces (about 2 1/2 packed cups) leftover bread torn into 1-inch pieces, such as English muffins, bagels or sourdough bread
- 3/4 cup shredded mild melting cheese such as Gruyere, provolone or Gouda

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Whisk the eggs, milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Fold the greens, meat, bread and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese into the mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the strata is puffed, golden brown at the edges and set in the center, about 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Note: can be mixed up the night before and stored in the fridge. If so, take out and sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.

>3 drneutron: yummy...

>3 drneutron: Oh, that sounds so good!

OK, the first challenge of the new year, food wise----I just picked up my on-line grocery order, which was filled very nicely with one exception. Instead of the two bunches of green onions I requested, I was supplied with two beautiful bunches of fresh dill, which are now making my kitchen smell like my grandmother's summer garden. That's a gift. However, there were no pickling cukes provided, and I don't have a clue what else to do with so much of this lovely stuff. Any suggestions?

>5 laytonwoman3rd: I’m not a big dill fan so have no suggestions for recipes but if it were me I’d do what I always do with excessive amounts of fresh herbs: chop and freeze for later.

First thing that comes to mind is salmon. Dill's a must when broiling or baking it for me.

>5 laytonwoman3rd: -- Mix it into yogurt, lemon juice, finely diced cucumbers, and salt to make a tzatziki. Throw that on grilled chicken, then toss it on a salad or in a taco with some heirloom tomatoes.

>8 NielsenGW: All of that sounds lovely. Except that my order didn't include any heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers or yogurt. I do love it with chicken, but usually with a cold chicken salad. I sometimes use it when I make chicken broth or chicken noodle soup. I'm just not used to having it on hand fresh when there isn't a bounty of produce from the farmer's market.

>7 drneutron: Yes, a bit of it is definitely going on a couple hunks of salmon that I took out of the freezer when I got home. Still leaves quite a lot over, though.

>6 PawsforThought: I think that will have to be it.

Dill is used so heavily in Swedish cooking, so I'll drop this site here for you to peruse. Hopefully you'll find something that works.
https://www.swedishfood.com/

>10 mstrust: Oh, my mouth is watering! Thanks for that link, Jennifer.

>5 laytonwoman3rd: A bit is good for tossing in tuna salad, but that would barely take a single stalk. I often see it in pictures of prepared salmon, but since I rarely seek salmon I haven't used it for that.

>12 quondame: We always put a bit of dried dill weed in tuna salad here, and sprinkle it on baked potatoes as well. It's good in scrambled eggs too. After fixing dinner tonight, I just decided to chop the excess roughly and put it in a freezer box. I never had so much fresh dill on hand at one time before. I've tried growing it myself, but never had much luck. If I'd known it was coming I would have ordered green beans too, and pickled some with it.

>13 laytonwoman3rd: All herb plants die under my care, but dill dies first by a good margin. So I don't. I know I have a recipe with dill - possibly the leak and mushroom filling which is one of the world's great wonders. Yep, But only a bit.

Mushroom Leek Turnovers
Gourmet Vol 2 pg. 678

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

½ cup pecans
3 medium leeks
9 Tablespoons butter
1 lb. mushrooms
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp chopped fresh mint
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup sour cream
8 13x19 sheets phyllo dough

Bake pecans on cookie sheet for 10 min at 350° F. Chop Coarsely.

Saute Leeks in 2½ T butter until soft and lightly browned, add mushrooms and 1 T butter. Cook until mushrooms are soft and moisture has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Add mint, salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and nuts. Cool slightly.

I do this, putting the filling in cheese cloth and giving a good squeeze before and after sitting:

For a drier filling, place mixture in a colander over a pie plate, cover exposed top closely with plastic wrap and leave in refrigerator 3 hours to overnight.

Make phyllo triangles:
Melt remaining 6 T butter. Cut each sheet of phyllo into 4 equal strips. Brush each strip with butter and place 1 T of filling in a lower corner, leaving a 1 inch bottom boarder. Fold corner up over the filling to form a triangle, then fold the triangle up and over. Keep flipping triangle up and over to end of strip.

Bake on greased cookie cookie sheet and bake at 375° until crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 min.

I also roll out bread dough, cut in circles roll to make bigger and stuff with filling. Let rise and deep fry. There are few more wonderful foods.

Taco Soup is on the menu tonight, recipe courtesy of one of my library patrons who was photocopying it and insisted I take a copy. It's been one of my go-tos for a few years now, and I love it because it's versatile in allowing substitutions (I usually use ground turkey, and sometimes I'll sub chicken and white beans for the black ones).

1 lb. hamburg
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
28 ou. can diced tomatoes
15 ou. can tomato sauce
15 ou can black beans
8 3/4 ou. can corn
2 T. (1 pkg) taco seasoning mix

Brown ground meat in oil. Add garlic and onion, cook ~5 minutes until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients, juice and all. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve topped with crushed taco shells or Tortilla chips, sour cream or cheese.

I know we have a Kitchen thread here in the 75ers, but I wonder if we could also have a "heart healthy" kitchen thread here...although I'm not volunteering to start or manage it. Any volunteers? I often see recipes on the kitchen thread that look so amazing, but they do not fit the way my doctor wants me or my husband to eat (e.g. not good for us: ingredients such as 9 Tbsp butter, 1 cup diced salty deli meat, 1/2 cup half-and-half, etc.). We could also recommend heart-healthy cookbooks (although with recipes I actually like...since the last one I bought had tons of great recipes that tasted like...nothing...after I made them). :(

We can set up a new thread, but I think heart healthy, or generally healthy, recipes are welcome here. As is talk of cookbooks, tips, anything else kitchen related that might help folks be more healthy.

How about a Heart Healthy banner at the top of such messages?

How about a Heart Healthy banner at the top of such messages?

Jim, that would work. Thank you. I guess it would be better not to chop this thread in half. I do now know how to modify recipes that would work for the health situation in my family.

>5 laytonwoman3rd: Late to the party, but I'm half Czech-American and our family loves Koprova - Czech Dill Soup. Here's my Great-Aunt Lillian's recipe:>

Peel 4 medium sized potatoes and dice. Boil in 2 C water, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 C dill greens. Boil 4 eggs. When potato mixture is boiled make a thickening of 1 1/2 tbsp. flour, 1 1/2 c sour cream, 1 tbsp. butter. When slightly thickened, add 4 boiled eggs diced. Be sure to add enough salt because it brings out the flavor. Garnish with a little paprika.

>19 karenmarie: Mmmm....love any kind of potato soup, and that sounds very good! Thank you. I guess we have neighboring ancestors, as my paternal great grandparents came from Slovakia when it was still part of Austria/Hungary.

If anyone would like advice on how to make a recipe healthier, you could post it here and ask me about it, I've learned how to alter recipes and keep them tasting good.

I like mixing cocktails and have a cocktail themed thread this year. So you'll probably get some cocktail recipes from me.

Coffee Grog

pot of coffee
4 oz cream
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp sweet butter
lemon and orange rinds
salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
6 oz light rum

Cream the butter and sugar together well. Sprinkle with the salt and spices and mix.
Place two teaspoons of the mixture in the bottom of two coffee mugs and add a one inch strip each of lemon and orange rind and 3 oz of rum. Stir well. Add 2 oz of cream to each mug and fill with hot coffee. Stir and serve.

Sunday was a lazy day, so it was time for a lazy day pork:

Mojo Pork Roast

The day before: In a blender, combine 3/4 c orange juice, 1 c cilantro, 1/4 c mint leaves, 8 garlic cloves until finely chopped. In a large bowl, whisk together zest of 2 oranges, 1/2 c lime juice, 3/4 c olive oil, 1 T oregano, 2 t cumin, and salt/pepper. Add the blender mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Place a 3 lb pork shoulder roast (ideally without the bone) in a large freezer bag. Pour the marinade over and refrigerate until the following night, rotating as frequently as you see fit.

The day of: Remove pork from bag and place on a wire rack set up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast pork in oven at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 375 for 1 to 1.5 hours. When done, allow meat to rest under a foil tent for at least 20 minutes.

During the rest time, feel free to make some rice, some beans, or anything else you want to accompany this with. Heck, you can just slap a slice on a squishy bun and go to town.

May I request recipes?

I would like people to post their best recipe for chicken offal. I’m not stranger to offal in general - it, and blood food, is a regular part of my diet but I have never tried chicken offal before. I’ve seen one of the supermarkets here selling chicken livers, heart and stomach fairly cheaply but I’m at a loss when it comes to how to cook them.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m open to a variety of styles and cuisines. (And if you have other offal recipes that aren’t chicken, feel free to post those too.)

For chicken livers, only one thing comes to mind -- whisk up your dredge of choice and deep-fry 'em. They get interesting creamy that way.

For the others, keep us posted -- you've piqued my interest.

>25 NielsenGW: Hmm, I don't usually deep-fry food - the only thing I deep fry is doughnuts, and that's only at Christmas.
But maybe just once to try it.

My mother's recipe for chicken liver spread was exquisite...but quite deadly, I'm sure. I recall it was very heavy on the butter. I don't think I have a copy, nor am I sure I could, in all conscience, share it if I found it. It would feel like offering you a cigarette, or something.

>27 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Good things I don't have any health issues! If you think of anything else, please share!

We make liver paté from calf's liver but it's not spreadable - has a texture similar to meat loaf and needs to be sliced with a knife. I think it's actually borderline healthy, even though it has a certain amount of fat in it.

Here's a recipe for using chicken gizzards and livers:

DIRTY RICE
from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen

Seasoning mix: (If you have a good Cajun seasoning mix on hand, that should work)

2 tsp. Ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp black pepper
1 ¼ tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2 Tblsp. Chicken fat or vegetable oil
½ pound chicken gizzards, ground
¼ pound ground pork
2 Bay leaves
½ cup finely chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tblsp unsalted butter
2 cups basic chicken or pork stock
1/3 pound chicken livers, ground

¾ cup uncooked long grain rice (preferably converted)

Place the chicken fat, gizzards, pork and bay leaves in a large heavy deep skillet over high heat; cook until meat is thoroughly browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the seasoning mix, then add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic; stir thoroughly, scraping pan bottom well. Add the stock and stir until any mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan comes loose; cook about 8 minutes over high heat, stirring once. Then stir in the chicken livers and cook about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir thoroughly; cover pan and turn heat to very low. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. (The rice is finished this way so as not to overcook the livers, and to preserve their delicate flavor.) REMOVE BAY LEAVES and serve.

>29 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you, that looks interesting! I’ll have to figure out what to replace the pork with as I don’t eat pork, but perhaps just another type of meat?

>30 PawsforThought: Any ground or finely chopped meat would probably be fine...I would guess ground chicken or turkey might be the best substitute in this particular recipe. Rabbit, or duck, if you were so lucky! I think this is one of those recipes that developed "of necessity" to make a small amount of good meat stretch for several people. I also suspect that true Cajuns often used the meat of animals we don't generally eat---possums, squirrels, etc. This is the "restaurant version", but making use of what you have on hand makes sense.

>31 laytonwoman3rd: Ground chicken will definitely be the easiest to find. Ground turkey isn’t as commonly available here and costs more, too. And while I would happily try both rabbit and duck, I’ve never in my life seen either in a store.

Possum and squirrel? Reminds me of stories I’ve been told about my grandfather who would “acquire” wild birds of various kinds to supplement dinner.

We can buy frozen duck and rabbit here in some of the meat markets. My brother raised rabbits for meat years ago, but he said it was an awfully labor-intensive process for not much meat, and he gave it up after a few seasons. Possum and squirrel are true "game" animals, and only people who may have the opportunity to hunt them on their own lands are likely to eat them. I think they are both too much like rats to appeal to most people as food. Some wild birds are very good eating--when I was a kid we ate pheasant, grouse and wild turkey quite often. There's no one left in my family with the inclination to "acquire" them now.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: I loved the hunter sourced quail and pheasants we got for a few festive meals - though getting the shot out was a chore.

>34 quondame: Oh, boy...do I remember that! My mother would always warn us to watch out for the birdshot when she served them...there were always a couple pieces that escaped the cleaning process.

I made this easy and tasty Korean Slow Cooker Beef for last night's dinner.
Just need to start making this early in the day so it's ready in time. I cut the chuck steak into smaller pieces as I didn't allow for the 8 hrs cooking time, used a little less sugar and also left off the toasted sesame seeds.

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 3 1/2 lb)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 medium white onion, cut in 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

4 1/2cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

1) Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim and discard excess fat and silver skin from beef roast; cut beef roast into 3 or 4 large pieces. Place in slow cooker.
2) In medium bowl, mix broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Add white onion chunks to slow cooker; pour broth mixture over beef and onions.
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef to cutting board; cool slightly, and shred into large pieces with fork.
3) Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat cornstarch and rice vinegar with whisk until smooth. Increase to High heat setting; beat in cornstarch mixture with whisk until completely blended. Return beef to slow cooker; cover and cook about 30 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
4) Spoon beef, white onions and sauce over rice; top with green onions, cilantro and sesame seed.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, my grandfather didn't poach anything as nice as grouse or pheasant (we eat grouse at least a few times a year thanks to friends of the family who hunt) but more along the line of wood pigeons and such.

Our family was (and continues to be) lucky to own enough land to hunt on, and the surrounding acreage is owned by another family we've been good neighbors with for generations, so that's accessible to us as well. Poaching isn't much of an issue in Northeastern PA, but then again, pheasants and grouse have become very scarce and are usually only found if they've been raised and released into the wild specifically for hunting.

>38 laytonwoman3rd: You don't need to own land to hunt here, but you need to be part of a hunting group and you apply for a number of animals to be shot. Depending on how many animals are to be shot that year, and how many hunting groups there are, you may or may not get the number you asked for. I don't think poaching birds is a big issue now, but poaching animals of prey (particularly wolves) continues to be an issue. That's not for eating, of course.
The main thing people hunt here is moose.

But my grandfathers poaching days were a long time ago, mostly pre-WW2 (and all pre-1960's).

A recipe for those in the Asian Book Challenge (and everyone else as well!)...

BABA GHANOUJ
Yield - 2 cups

1 eggplant
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup tahini (good quality)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (may be toasted first, if desired)
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pita, warmed and cut into triangles

Bake eggplant (with pierced skin!) for 45 minutes at 400 degrees F. Allow to cool. Peel eggplant and put remaining eggplant plus all other ingredients in food processor and mix together until well blended. Put in refrigerator until well chilled. Serve with warm pita triangles. Yum!!!!!!!!!

---Adapted from a recipe submitted by Winky to allrecipes.com

>40 SqueakyChu: Thanks!

>42 SqueakyChu: You're welcome. Now that I'm thinking of this recipe...and have an eggplant in my referigerator...guess what I'll probably be making later today? :D It is so easy to make that you can make it frequently and quickly (except for the eggplant baking time).

>42 SqueakyChu: Eggplant is always the long pole in the recipe - I have to leave it salted for 1/2 hr for my my killer caponata, well, for any caponata, but mine is extra awesome if you like capers and mushrooms and all the olives.

>43 quondame: Ooh! Yeah! I have a caponata recipe I love, but I'll take yours as well! Please and thanks! Maybe i'll make caponata today instead of baba ghanouj! :D

Eggplant/Mushroom Caponata

1 eggplant (diced, skin on) 460 gm 113 cal
1 (box of mushrooms quartered 166 gm 36 cal
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup of basil infused olive oil - 3 T 700 cal
1 medium onion, diced 207 gm 87 cal
3 stalks celery, chopped 162 gm 23 cal
1 cup of chopped plum tomatoes 244 gm 55 cal
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of pine nuts 24 gm 160 cal
1/4 cup of capers 42 gm 35 cal
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste 170 gm 130 cal
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of olives pitted and chopped 78 gm 130 cal
I use 1/2 green and 1/2 Kalamata, both from the deli, not canned or bottled
Optional - If you want a sweeter flavor:
0-2 T Sugar (brown best) to adjust taste
I used part juarez vinegar and reduced an additional 1/4 Cup into it at the last step.
Total 1370 gm 1519 cal 1.11 cal/ gm


Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté garlic, eggplant and mushrooms until eggplant is lightly browned. Remove mixture from skillet and drain. Add celery and onions to skillet, sauté until tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Drain capers. Add eggplant (mushroom/garlic), capers, pine nuts, vinegar, sugar, tomato paste and salt. Simmer 5 minutes more. Adjust taste if necessary. Add olives. Remove from heat. Chill in refrigerator.
12 servings of 127 cal.

I put this together in 2007 when I was prepping for the bypass surgery I passed on. Hence the detailed measurements and calorie counts.

>45 quondame: Got it! Thanks! I'll have to figure out the sodium content before I give it a try as I think my olives (canned) are all high sodium. I'll let you know when I try it! I actually like the detailed measurements.

>46 SqueakyChu: As to sodium, you get 1gm of this caponata recipe. That's it. So sorry.

Posting this simple experiment that turned out well.

Fireplace Bananas Foster

Cut the stem off bananas and slice length-wise almost cutting the fruit in half. Stuff with one to two tbs of brown sugar and one tsp cinnamon. Take one tbs butter, per banana, and break into piece inside the fruit.
Wrap tightly in foil, making sure all openings face up when in the fire. Use tongs to place the foil packages in the red hot ashes and cook 10 minutes. You'll hear the butter sizzling as it cooks.
Remove with tongs onto a heat-proof dish. Banana should be soft and sugar melted.

Mmmm...I hope there was some vanilla ice cream to go with.

No, this was a breakfast dessert, ha. But now I wish I'd had it.
I edited the directions slightly to make it clearer.

I found this simple Lentil Soup recipe by Sami Tamimi on his instagram, the recipe since disappeared but I just discovered that I posted it on my LT thread 4 years ago.

sami_tamimi
Shorbat Adas (Split lentil soup) شوربة عدس. It's so easy to make, delicious and nutritious and it always reminds me of home in Jerusalem. Fry one chopped onion in 2 tbls of olive oil until translucent, add one cup of split red lentils, 6-8 cups of chicken/veg stock or water. Add 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook on a low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are soft and mushy. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with fried onion or shallots, chilli flakes and chopped coriander or parsley. I like to serve the soup with radish, spring onion, bread and lemon on the side.

Thanks, this looks really easy, and I'm always looking out for lentil soup recipes. I'm a fan of the Backburner Soup at Polly's Pies, a small chain in California. It's made with lentils, carrots and I don't know what else.
I should be receiving my first package next week from the Spice of the Month Club.

>52 mstrust: Oh I miss the meetings at Polly's Pies! The local SCA group met there for event planning sessions.

>52 mstrust: I made it a few times until my pinterest pin led to nowhere. Quite disappointing when that happens.

>53 quondame: >54 avatiakh: Two fellow Polly fans! My favorite meal was a bowl of Backburner soup, a fluffy roll and a slice of French Silk pie. Perfection! Our local was the Santa Ana location.
I'm going to try again to find the recipe.

>55 mstrust: I've only been to the Long Beach and Cerritos Polly's. Anything further would have been a bit of a haul from west LA for dinner.

>23 NielsenGW: I made this tonight and it was delicious - thank you!

>57 AMQS: Heck yeah! I'm glad you like it! The leftovers are decently versatile in various cross-combinations of starch and veg (if you left any, that is).

Made a brilliant dessert for V-Day weekend:

Buttered Popcorn Pot de Creme

In a bowl, whisk together 6 egg yolks, 1/3 c sugar, 1/2 t salt, and 1 t vanilla extract.

In a pot, bring 1 c heavy cream and 3/4 c milk to a bare simmer. Remove from heat and toss in 4 cups buttered popcorn, already popped of course. Stir and allow to steep for 15 minutes. When done, strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and press down to get all the juices. Throw out the solids.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Very slooooowly, drizzle the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper them properly. Pour mixture into 4 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a high-sided baking tray and fill tray with warm water until an inch up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes.

When done, allow to cool at room temperature for a while, then chill in fridge until needed.

You can, if you dare, brulee some sugar on top for a crackly top, but it's good either way.

Sounds great, and kudos for creativity!

We made one of our favorites last night and I decided it was about time I shared it here. This is something that we’ve adapted from a recipe that was in a Sunset Fresh Ways with Pasta cookbook we bought a gazillion years ago. I’m not sure what ever possessed us to try it because it’s a weird combination of ingredients, but we liked it and continued to keep it in the meal rotation. Once we found out that the leftovers reheat in the microwave very well we started doubling the ingredients and tweaking amounts to our taste and making more so we could have the leftovers.

We call this “Prosciutto Pasta”.
(Bonus points for originality, right?)



Ingredients (obviously precise measurements are not crucial):
16 ounces dry linguine
1/3 – 1/2 pound prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips (see note below)
1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup thinly sliced green onion (including tops)
1 (7 oz or so) jar pimento stuffed olives, drained
1 1/2 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or grape tomatoes quartered)
Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Note on the prosciutto – have the deli slice it thicker than they normally slice prosciutto. I usually tell them I want it sliced more like they would slice salami. That’s because you give it a quick sauté and if it’s super thin it will just disintegrate.

Directions:
Cook linguine according to package directions and drain.
While linguine is cooking, heat oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring often until lightly browned (about 3-4 minutes).
Add onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften (about 2 minutes).
Add olives and cook, shaking pan often, until olives are hot (about 2 more minutes).
Add the tomatoes and continue to stir until they’re warmed up and softened a little.
Pour prosciutto mixture over linguine and mix lightly.
Sprinkle cheese on top to taste.

We like to serve a dry Rosé or Grenache with this.

As I said. The leftovers reheat well but if you don't want to make that much the recipe is pretty easy to cut in half.

That sounds delicious! I'd toss a few red pepper flakes in, for the excitement of it. The combination would be excellent over a piece of fish, as well.

Berry Bars

1 c berries (I used a mix of blueberry and blackberries)
1 tsp berry extract (I used blueberry)
1 1/3 c sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 c flour
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Grease the sides of a 13x9 pan and lay parchment paper on the bottom.
In a small saucepan, add the berries and 1/3 c sugar and mix. Cook over a medium heat until the berries have softened and mostly popped. Remove from heat and stir in the berry extract. Use a large spoon or potato masher to crush the fruit, then strain out the juice and set the crushed fruit aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixer, cream the butter and 1 c of sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla and crushed fruit and mix. Add the flour and mix well. If the batter is too dense, add juice from the crushed fruit a tbs at a time until the consistency of cake batter.
Spread in the prepared pan (I didn't spread it to the very edges, leaving it at about 1 1/2 inches thick) and bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

>63 mstrust: This sounds good. Do you use it as a breakfast bar? dessert? both?

I made it as a dessert, but the next morning I realized that it wasn't that different from a blueberry muffin, so I had one. I've found them a little addictive.

My spice club package arrived. I went to their website a few days ago and was able to pick my first choices and I got them. Two pouches of samosas seasoning, and two pouches of African gboma dessi seasoning that is used with chicken thighs, fish, onions, lots of garlic and habanero peppers in a pot to make a dish that is a chunky stew. There's also one pouch of their "spice of the month" ajwain from India. They look like tiny flower seeds but are a fruit, described as an intense flavor combining thyme, oregano, and anise with a hint of bitterness. Used in cookies, soup, savory snacks, paratha bread, tea, and as a digestive aid. It says to add a pinch to butter, ghee or oil in a hot skillet and add meat or veg.

Easy Croissant Pudding

I make this from time to time and this particular recipe was a winner last night.
NB - I tear up 5 large croissants and I never bother with the sultanas.

9 croissants
½ cup sultanas
200 ml milk
300 ml cream
⅓ cup caster sugar + 2 extra tablespoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Cut the croissants in half and place them into a baking dish. Sprinkle the sultanas over the top.
Place the milk, cream, caster sugar and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and use a whisk to combine. Cook over a medium heat and stir regularly with a whisk until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from the heat.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Slowly pour the milk and cream mixture into the bowl, whisking as you pour it in.
Pour the egg mixture over the croissants and sprinkle the extra caster sugar over the top of the croissants.
Place the Croissant Pudding into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the croissants are golden.
https://createbakemake.com/easy-croissant-pudding/

I know I've mentioned many times how much I enjoy the virtual cooking classes at United We Eat, supporting the refugee center in Missoula.

This month's Zoom class (Wednesday March 23rd at 5:30 MST) features Ukrainian chef Sophie Skripka teaching Ukrainian dishes and culture.

https://unitedweeatmt.org/products/virtual-cooking-class

"Typically we offer an option to tip the chef, but Sophie has asked that all tips and other donations go via to World Central Kitchen, which is currently on the ground in Poland serving hot meals to Ukrainians fleeing war, as well as partnering with restaurants in Ukraine to help feed displaced people. Your donation will help feed Ukrainians during this desperate time."

You can donate to World Central Kitchen here https://donate.wck.org/team/412002

I made Southwest Quinoa Salad
this morning, and figured I'd share the recipe:

2 t. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 c. vegetable broth
1 c. canned corn, drained
15 ou. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 T. minced fresh cilantro

Vinaigrette:
3 T. fresh lime joice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. honey
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the 2 t. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sate until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Ad the quinoa and vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 12-16 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain any excess water. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the lime vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until combined. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl and stir in the corn, black beans, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Add the dressing and stir gently to combine. Serve warm or cold.

As I'm writing this out, I realize I added more oil to the pan when I cooked the garlic and I typically double the corn. I also cut down on the chili powder a little bit, because a whole teaspoon is a little spicy for me, and I prefer it cold.

Yesterday I made Cheese and Jalapeno Biscuits using the King Arthur recipe but replacing the chives with pickled jalapeno slices chopped and lightly coated with the same self-rising flour I used for the biscuits:

2 cups (227g) King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour Southern Biscuit Self-Rising Flour
4 ounces (113g) cheddar cheese, freshly grated or cut into 1/4" cubes*
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, optional
1/4 cup (10g) chives, chopped, optionalchopped jalapeno slices
1 cup (227g) heavy cream

They had a problem. There was a flour-ry texture to the baked biscuit. The taste was good, they were light and had the proper flake to crumb texture, but there was the residual flour texture in the corners of the mouth. My guess would be either that they needed a bit more shortening or that the vinegar in the jalapenos had some negative impact. After I cut the biscuits I mixed bacon bits into the scraps of dough for a test and that one was best of all, and I didn't notice any flour texture.

Oh, and if I make them again I'm going to use cayenne instead of black pepper.

Any suggestions?

I've been using a lot of ginger lately, so I watched a few Youtube how-tos, and planted a chunk of ginger this morning.
You look for a piece that has the most eyes, those little nubs on the side. Soak the piece in water for 24 hours, then plant it eye-side up. The plant looks a lot like a lucky bamboo. When you want fresh ginger you just cut a piece from the root.

I've gotten into gardening in a big way over the last few months.
I wanted to do something with my strawberry mint plant yesterday, it's doing so well that I recently had to re-pot it. So I put a big sprig in lemonade and more in plain seltzer, good in both. Then, of course, I melted dark chocolate and coated some of the larger leaves and put them in the fridge to firm up. It was good, and really interesting. There's the flavor of green strawberry first, then mint, and an aftertaste of ripe strawberry. I thought my husband would have just one to appease me but he finished off the plate of them. And the chocolate covered mini marshmallows I'd made too.

My spice of the month arrived. I didn't get my first pick, which was bulgogi seasoning, but I got an Ecuadorian stew seasoning called fanesca and Middle Eastern Za' atar, plus a packet of sumac blend that can be sprinkled on vegetables or cheese, or made into a dip.

>73 mstrust: What fun! Have you posted the site that you use? Could you post again? Thank you! 😁

Karen O

I've posted the website somewhere around LT but I don't remember where, so here it is: https://spicebreeze.com/
Nearly everything I've received from them has been a spice blend I'd never heard of before.

>75 mstrust: Looks great! Thanks!

Karen O

Welcome!

I came across this little bit of info: pluots are in a lot of grocery stores now, and they are a hybrid of the plum and apricot, leaning more towards the plum. Expect to see a fruit called the aprium coming out. It's still a plum/apricot hybrid, but leaning towards the apricot.

Tomato Cheese Tart

1 refrigerator pie crust
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 egg
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c soft mozzarella, cubed or strips
1 tsp fresh jalapeno, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 c milk
salt, pepper and olive oil

Roll out the pie crust in a little flour, then fit into a tart pan or 8x8 non-stick baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, mix the cheeses, egg, milk, jalapeno, garlic, basil, and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Spread evenly over the crust.
Lay the tomato slices across the top. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Lay strips of mozzarella in between the tomato slices. Refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Oh, that sounds goooood!

It really was! Mike even asked for the leftovers for breakfast the next morning, and he had pulled a face the night before when he heard the phrase "tomato tart".