A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

1...2...3...Beer Bread!

 

I've made some beer bread in my life.  Not because I'm a huge beer drinker, mostly just to use up beers leftover from entertaining.  This bread was made with a bottle of Guiness leftover from Gene's birthday party...three weeks shy of two years ago (and there are still three bottles left!)   With it's dense, chewy texture and quick and easy prep, it's a great bread to eat with soups and casseroles, especially now that the days are turning darker and cooler.  It's also easily customizable by adding 1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin, applesauce, or apple or pumpkin butter. The beer blends well with the fruit/squash that makes such nice dinner company for stews, chowders, and creamier, chunkier fall soups.

The recipe was given to me by our friend, Jeff, whose question was "Can you remember 1-2-3?"  Well sure!  Maybe not what came after that but I can remember the first part.  Okay, kidding aside, it's easy to figure out if you think about it. One beer, got that one covered....two cups of flour wouldn't quite fill a loaf pan so it must be the Tbsp of  honey (or sugar) and three cups of self-rising flour. Play with more ingredients if you feel like it. Stir.  Bake.  Feast.

Thanks, Jeff!

Folks Who Use My Recipes: Lisa's Potato, Onion, and Thyme Tart

 My friend, Lisa, of   The Cardboard Schoolhouse  sent a pic of the Potato, Onion, and Thyme Tart she made from a post I did a little while back.  How cool does that lool?  So pretty! Makes me want to make it again. Soon. So yummy!

 

Fast Creamy Tuna, Chicken, or Bacon Pasta

One of the greatest kitchen skills my Mother taught me was the skill of substituting ingredients in recipes.  I did not realize until sometime in my 20's that not everyone knows how to do this. I know several wonderfully talented home cooks (and some professionals too) who cannot extrapolate beyond the printed recipe in front of them.  That's not a criticism, merely an observation.

The ability to look at a recipe and match up the ingredients in it with ingredients in the pantry that are similar but not the exact items is a learned skill. This recipe is a perfect example. The final dish is simple, with few but specific types of ingredients that are quickly prepared and easily modified into numerous recipes all containing  the elements of:  cream, starch, vegetable, and protein.

For this recdipe, I used rotini pasta, light cream cheese with grated Parmesan, frozen peas, and Hormel bacon pieces.  For stove top tuna casserole, I use elbow macaroni, light cream cheese with shredded cheddar/monterrey jack mix, a large can of tuna, and either peas or frozen broccoli that I've chopped up smaller to heat through faster. But as long as you have something creamy, a pasta or rice, and a colorful vegetable, you can make a fast, easy, and tasty meal..

Restaurant-Style Chicken Piccata

My very very favorite meal in the world is Chicken Piccata. I first had it in an Italian restaurant in Las Vegas.  When I came home I found it on Macaroni Griil and Zio's menus but they've since taken it off.  What's a girl to do?  Learn to make it herself, of course!

The dish, in its most simple form, is easy to make and complex in flavor:  sweet, savory,salty, and tart all at the same time.  The definition of the culinary term "piccata" is actually a buttery lemon sauce with parsley.  Capers have become a de rigeur part of the equation, giving more tartness and a bit of brine to the overall dish.  Other flavors restaurants often add, as I do at times also, are pancetta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, and/or pine nuts.

I chose this as my first adventure back in the kitchen following my gallbladder surgery and it was almost a religious moment to taste those flavors again that I love so much.

Lucy Approved Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

My cousin, Colleen. posted this collage to Facebook with the caption "Lucy approved!" so I had to blog them. The enchiladas look divine and Lucy's adorable enthusiasm about them say this recipe is definitely a winner!  I'm adding rotisserie chicken and tortillas to my grocery list for this week.

Simple preparation with complex flavor, this a great work night family recipe and could even be prepared the night before for more dinner hour ease the next night or even frozen for a later date.

Thanks for sharing with us, Colleen and Lucy!.

Suzanne's Cookies, Cookies, and Turnovers

 Mmmmmm...look all the cookiesand  goodies my sister, Suzanne, has been baking at work (Casey's at South Campbell and James River Freeway).  AND she even brought us doughnuts the morning before my gall bladder surgery.  One of her husband's, Charles, white-iced, cake doughnuts was the very first thing I ate on the morning after my surgery, that would be TODAY.  No nause, no puking, no discomfort (except for my incicions, of course). I will always remember that dughnut with great pleasure!

By the way, the butterfly is in honor of Suzanne's youngest daughter's, Sydney, favorite and the lady bug is honor of her oldest daughter's, Jordan, favorite.  They've loved butterflies and ladybugs since they were little girls.  So cute.

My first post-gallbladder dinner is not quite decided yet and I intend to keep off the 20 lbs I lost, but tonight I feel like celebrating--no chicken and rice soup, no dry toast, no plain baked potato. I won't go crazy but I can't wai to eat a real meal again, and cook again!  I've actually missed cooking (even the smell of food made me nauseated for weeks) more than eating so the next couple of weeks should be great for Gene. In  a couple of days I'll be able to take over the kitchen again.  Not that he's a bad cook, but I'm sure, even though he doesn't complain, that he's tired of cooking and taking care of me.  I'm so thrilled to see a light at the end of the pain and nausea tunnel!

Huge thanks to everyone who's helped me:  Gene, my sister, my niece Jordan, Auntie Miranda, Ann:  thank you thank you thank you!

Love the heart cookie! 

Mmmmmm...turnovers! Someday soon....

Copycat Benihana Chicken Fried Rice

 Just like a kid, I love having dinner at Japanese steakhouses like Benihana but sometimes I want the rice and/or veggies without the 1 1/2 hour program and all that food in the different courses.  When I have the desire but not the patience, I make my own at home.  Chicken Fried Rice is a great one-pot meal in the style of Jambalaya or other stove-top one-potters.

Easier and faster than it looks, just think about how quickly those Japanese chefs whip up the fried rice before moving on to the steak/chicken/shrimp entree.  And the leftovers are great for lunch the next day or my work lunchbox.

 

Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

  I woke up this morning to a chilly house with open windows and a definite fall breeze wafting through the air and guess what I said?  "Yipeeeeee! It's finally fall!", which just happens to be my very very favorite season of the year.  I love the crispness, the colors of the "dead or dying leaves" as a friend calls them for the  tourists who travel to see the fall colors, the smell of wood fires, wearing hoodies, and even the slight decay in the air.  Spring, Summer, and Winter are all great, but Fall is, by far, the best time of the year.

And the cooking? Ahhhhh, the cooking:  Crockpot Chili, pumpkin fudge, Apple Pie in Finnish Cream Pastry, Baked Acorn Squash with Apple Butter, cranberry bread-- all the good stuff, Baby.  Here's to pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING!

This Pumpkin & Roasted Red Pepper Soup is one I found on Jackie Mills' blog:  Delcious Diabetes Cooking.  Great soup recipe and fabulous blog. Stop by when you get a chance. Diuabetic or not, you'll find lots of Good & Good For You recipes to make throughout the year.