"Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon??"

Until I really started to experiment with different recipes, I only cooked chicken. No for real..... I only cooked chicken. I would sometimes have something with ground turkey, i.e. - spaghetti, tator tot casserole, maybe lasagna on a special occasion - like the first time I cooked Tim dinner at my house!! This is what started the whole recipe search. I had to find more ways to make chicken. Eventually I would come across a pork chop, beef, or shrimp recipe.

So I ventured out of my comfort zone. I learned quickly to only try one new recipe at the time.The most disastrous night was the Spring of '14 (yeah like 3 months ago)..... I wanted to have an Asian night. I had on the menu pork pot stickers, "bang bang" shrimp, and crispy wontons all with their own sauces. None of them worked out... the pot stickers did just what the name suggests - stuck to the pot. The breading on the shrimp fell apart even before I put the sauce on them. And the "crispy" wontons were soggy.... I was so disappointed, I actually cried :(

Anyway, it was a lesson learned the hard way. And to this day I haven't reattempted to make those disastrous dishes.

Staying with my chicken roots I came across this recipe Dijon Chicken with mushrooms and onions. I had just scored a large box of white button mushrooms for $.89 so it was fate that I found this recipe. And not to mention I had a jar of Dijon mustard in the fridge going to waste. I substituted chicken thighs for breasts.

I gathered my ingredients and supplies.

 See those big yummy mushrooms???

 I coated my boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked until just browned on both sides, then set aside.

 I added the sliced mushrooms and sauteed' until brown. I learned in my recipe research to never salt mushrooms as you cook them or else they won't brown. Salt allows them to release too much liquid!!

Next came the sliced onions and seasoning and herbs. I love slightly toasting dried herbs. I think it releases their flavor - it may not even be true, but it works in my head.

After the mushrooms and onions have cooked, I deglazed the pan with the wine, scraping up all the little fried bits stuck to my pan. I added the rest of the liquids and put the chicken back in the pan. 

Cover and let simmer for about 20 - 25 mins depending on the thickness of your chicken.

 The sauce was amazing, but anything with wine sauce is good to me!!! Kendall loves mushrooms and asked for seconds of just mushrooms. I served it with  squash and zucchini cheesy bake.

Enjoy!!

Snuggly Food

It's been raining for days here. While I actually enjoy rainy days, I crave comfort food.... or as I call it Snuggly Food!!!

One of my Mom's best dishes was Tator Tot Casserole. I've made it over the years and literally have it down to a science - no written recipe needed. It's easy, inexpensive, and most importantly.... it's oh so snuggly!!

I gathered my supplies and ingredients..... Can you tell I shop at Kroger???

1lb. ground beef or turkey, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups of your favorite cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of chopped onion, 1 bag of tator tots
**you'll see the little green pepper - it's the first from my pepper plant. It broke off before it got any bigger**

I chopped my onion and pepper and sauteed' for about 3 mins (I don't like crunchy onions). I added my ground turkey and browned until done. I drained the excess fat.

  

 Meanwhile, I dumped the soup, sour cream, couple of sprinkles of Nature's Seasoning, and half the amount cheese into my casserole dish. Mix all these ingredients together before adding the meat mixture. After mixing up all the gooey goodness, top with the remaining cheese and a layer of tator tots. I stand them upright so I can pack them in!!! The more, the merrier!!! Top with S/P.

Right before going in the oven!!!

At 375 degrees, I cover the casserole for 30 mins, then uncover for the reamaining 10 mins. It's done when the tots are golden brown and it's heated throughout.

Okay okay okay........ So we were so hungry by the time it came out the oven, that I kinda forgot to get a pic of the finished product. Sooooooo..... Use your imagination!!!

 

Both KB and Tim had seconds.... It was the perfect meal for a rainy day. After dinner we snuggled on the couch for Jeopardy. Hence the reason I say Snuggly Food :)

Enjoy!!

"Oh, Jack talkie Thai"

Quote:  Gaylord Focker in Meet the Parents....

Something you will learn about me is that I love one-liners

• Movies - "You're killing me Smalls"  "You wanna go to jail or you wanna go home"
• Popular - "struggle is real"  "that's what she said"  "GTFO"
• Personal - "rookie"   "holy bajankies"  "don't tell me what to do, I'm grown"

So when we have Thai food, I always think about Meet the Parents - "Oh, Jack talkie Thai"!!! I say that quote repeatedly while I cook and eat. Anyway, I'm sure you've figured out that I cooked Thai food last night. I've tried several different recipes, but primarily use 2 - one for seafood/meat and one for veggies/noodles. What could be better than shrimp and a new jar of curry paste???

I gathered my supplies and prepped the veggies. One thing I did different this time was make my own shrimp stock. I usually use chicken or veggie stock, but I already had the shrimp shells; so I wanted to know what difference it made - if any. I also added water chestnuts, peppers, toms, and carrots.

Something you might notice in this pic - my green onion. Don't throw away the root of your green onion!!! I put the root in a small container of filtered water. It will grow another stalk. It won't be as thick or sturdy as the first, but I get at least one more growth before I discard. Just a way to reuse your veggies!! Also, I use an herb saver for my cilantro. I cut 1/2" from the stem before placing in filtered water in the herb saver. I change the water every couple of days and cut new stems. Mine lasts for weeks!!!


As I said before, I wanted to try this shrimp stock thing. I filled a pot with about 8 cups of water, added S/P, lime zest and the shrimp peels.

I brought it to boil, then simmered for about 45 mins.


**** I went outside to water the plants and came back in to check the stock.
Well........... Let me say this - If you want to keep your house from smelling like a fish market, then DON'T make your own stock!!! I quickly turned on the stove fan and lit a candle. Unfortunately, the candle I had was flavored "Beach and Sand" - now I was in a fish market at the beach!!!! UGH!!! ****

I wasn't turning back now. So I strained the shrimp peels and returned the liquid to the pot to reduce by half. I hoped the fan and candle would help a little.

Next I sauteed' my onion and garlic. I added the curry paste and spices to toast and brown for about 1 min before adding my stock.

Yes.... That IS about 1/2 of the jar. It's ok, I promise!



I added about 2 cups of stock and reduced before adding the coconut milk.

After reducing, I added the coconut milk, covered and let all those flavors simmer and meld together.

 Meanwhile, I sliced my rolls and drizzled the toast slices with olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, and kosher salt.

 About 5 mins before serving, I added my shrimp and veggies to poach in the "liquid gold". I served over plain white rice, topped with sliced green onion and cilantro, the toasts and of course a nice glass of Shiraz.

I have to say, I will stick with my usual stock. Not only because of the smell but the dish didn't taste as "clean" (if that makes any sense). Here's the original recipe to follow: http://simply-delicious-food.com/2012/08/22/coconut-prawn-curry/

Enjoy!!

Perfect Sunday Afternoon

There's one thing that Tim knows how to cook - BBQ!!!

He makes his own sauce from scratch, and it has the perfect combo of sweet and savory and spicy. This time he made a double batch so I could keep the leftover in the fridge.

So Sunday we prepared a slab of pork spareribs with Tim's homemade BBQ sauce, broccoli salad, and baked beans.

I was in charge of the broccoli salad. I found a recipe on Pinterest (of course) and made just a few changes. Here's the original recipe: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crunchy-asian-ramen-noodle-salad/

I usually have to substitute based on what I have in the pantry or fridge. I used some leftover slaw mix, chopped broccoli, halved grapes, green onions, a lil cilantro, and the Ramen noodles. I only made one change to the dressing - amazing, I know!! I only omitted the sesame oil, but you'll see why.

I chopped my veggies, whipped up the dressing, and tossed together.

The original recipe required the Ramen noodles to be toasted in the oven, but Tim was finishing the ribs in the oven. So I improvised - I used the sesame oil that was going in the dressing to toast the noodles on the stove.

It was perfect!!! Even KB came into the kitchen asking what smelled so good.


I added the noodles just before serving.

And Tim said he didn't eat Ramen noodles!!! I'm sure he was just being nice, but he ate it. KB ate the grapes and broccoli out of it. I love salads and this was perfect with the ribs.

After dinner, we went downtown Augusta to listen to gardencityjazz.... The band was good - very Reggae!! We also saw the super moon from the river.

It was a perfect ending to a Perfect Sunday.

Southern Cooking at its Best

First of all... I love fresh, locally grown produce, handmade crafts, and other locally resourced goods. 

So as soon as I was able to, I visited the Saturday Market in downtown Augusta. I was impressed by how much it has grown since last year and by the caliber of vendors this year. I went there looking for specific items and was lucky enough to find them.

My spoils from the market....
 Green tomatoes (toms), local honey, chocolate mint, lemongrass, 3 pairs of earrings, a bracelet for me and a bracelet for KB.
(I LOVE jewelry!!!)

So I started on my menu for that evening's dinner.

Of course the green toms had to be fried, and I had already picked up some Mahi-Mahi filets. I love a combination of sweet vs. spicy. It's one of my favorite flavor combos. After doing some research on Pinterest (I also LOVE Pinterest!!!) I had my menu completed.

Honey Cajun Mahi-Mahi, fried green toms, spicy remoulade sauce, and "clean out the fridge" salsa!!

I was so excited. Tim had been on call (and worked) the entire weekend. He deserved a great meal, and I wanted to show off a little.

I started the assembly process for the green toms, chopped my veggies for the salsa, seasoned the Mahi, and whipped up the remoulade.

I fry veggies/meat in a traditional Southern method - flour dusting, egg wash, breadcrumbs, hot oil...

I also prefer a good crisp!!!

I seasoned the filets with Tony Catcher's Cajun seasoning. It's my "go to" along with Nature's Seasoning.

Isn't that bubbling honey beautiful??

"clean out the fridge" salsa is something I've done to use up leftovers in the fridge. I also do it with hot and cold pasta, rice and casseroles. For this salsa I had cooked fresh corn (sliced off the cob), raw snow peas, red toms, yellow pepper, cucumber, and jalepeno. A little salt and pepper (S/P) and fresh squeezed lime juice and it was done...... Easy, right??

The finished product!!!

I can always tell when Tim enjoys my cooking/food/menu. He does this "mmmm" "mmmm" "mmmm" sound every other bite!! It makes me feel good knowing I can make something so beautiful and taste so good.

Enjoy!!!