Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

CHICKEN SAUSAGE, KALE, AND WHITE SWEET POTATO SOUP

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I almost always have a four sausage package of Aidells dinner sausages in the freezer. So on nights when I’m not eager to spend hours in the kitchen, I have the main dish almost on the table before I cut open the package. I usually just pour a little water and olive oil in a small frying pan, cover the pan, and let the water evaporate while the sausages are heating. When the water is gone, the olive oil browns the sausages. When they are browned all around, dinner is ready.

When we were younger, we could both happily put away 2 sausages each. Not anymore. I usually have one and Mr. C. one and a half. So that leaves me with left over sausages. And yes I could just serve them the next evening, but if at all possible, I try to use them in a new and inspired way.

I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but here on Camano Island, an hours’ drive north of Seattle, it is wet and windy. Drizzly wet and very windy. In other words, absolutely perfect weather for soup. So with soup in mind, I concocted this recipe based on our leftover dinner sausages.

And as usual, this basically vegetable soup contains the quintessential foursome – onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. (Can you even begin to think about a vegetable soup without these key ingredients? Of course not!)

Anyway, after that I went a little off grid by adding a bit of dry Marsala wine to the mix. But by then, I was already heading towards Italy, so Marsala only made good sense. (It’s made in Sicily after all!)

After that I pretty much resigned myself to this being an Italian style soup. The only deviation being no pasta (diced white sweet potato* instead) and kale. (Got to get our dark greens in as much as possible. Plus the stuff grows wild in our back yard!) But the rest of the soup couldn’t be more Italian if had been constructed in Italy by one of my Italian sisters. (I consider myself Italian if only by inclination. But by inheritance, I am mainly French, with a smattering of German and Swiss French thrown in for good measure. I figure my heritage is geographically close enough to Italy to make no never mind! So for all practical purposes, I feel Italian even without a pedigree. I figure God was just a little geographically challenged the day I was conceived. Could have happened that way. Right?) Anyway – I love Italian food. And this soup turned out to be really easy to prepare, delicious, low in fat, and chock full of really healthy ingredients. And perfect for a wet and windy fall evening. And very Italian tasting. So of course, I suggest you make this soup at your earliest convenience. It truly is tasty.

As always, keep thinking positive thoughts and keep being kind even to those with differing opinions. And I know, that isn’t easy. In fact I am writing this to remind myself to put my money where my mouth is. If this nation is ever going to heal, we need to learn more about the word respect. What it really means, and what it stands for. And then live the meaning and stand up for the principle. This is my favorite definition of the word. Respect – due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2-4 chicken dinner sausages, any flavor, thinly sliced

½ lg. onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. dry Marsala wine

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 c. chicken stock

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced or crushed tomatoes (Italian if possible)

1 c. diced white sweet potato* (I cut the pieces fairly small)

2 loosely packed cups of chopped kale

½ c. fresh basil chiffonade

grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese, for passing

Heat the olive oil in a covered stock pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook just until browned. Remove from pot and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Marsala and cook until all evaporated.

Stir in the salt, pepper, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, chicken stock, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the diced sweet potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato chunks are just tender. Add the kale and browned sausage to the pot and cook for five minutes until kale is wilted. Stir in the basil, adjust seasoning, and serve very hot. Pass the Parmesan cheese. Great served with cornbread (several recipes on site) or Garlic Bread or Garlic Toast. (Both recipes on site.)

*White sweet potatoes have a slightly drier texture than orange sweet potatoes, as well as a flavor that’s less sweet. While white sweet potatoes do not contain as many nutrients as their orange relations, they are still a healthier, lower calorie, and higher-fiber option than starchy, regular potatoes like russet or Yukon gold. White sweet potatoes can be roasted, baked, grilled, or mashed just like orange sweet potatoes. The main difference is in the flavor. They simply are not as sweet.   

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

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Last evening was November 3rd. And frankly what I thought Mr. C. and I needed more than anything else, was comfort food to the max. Well that and a couple of good stiff drinks! I knew the election results wouldn’t be in until later this week (or maybe longer than that), but none the less, I was worried and I wanted as much positive in my life as I could get. At the same time, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So grilled chicken sausages, mac and cheese, and more of my delicious Oven Roasted Delicata Squash “Fries” with Buttermilk Herb Dipping Sauce. (I tell you true, I am totally addicted to this recipe for delicata squash. Can’t seem to get enough.)

Anyway, like I said, I didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the kitchen last evening. I wanted fast and easy. So I went on line and found the bones for this recipe on the joyfoodsunshine.com site. I changed the preparation instructions a bit and added a couple of ingredients (black pepper and Dijon mustard) that I felt the dish needed, but mainly I followed Laura’s great recipe. (Oh, I lowered the amount and type of salt too. I really can’t help myself!)

And before you ask, of course I had made stovetop mac and cheese before. But I was feeling particularly lazy yesterday and didn’t want to have to think too hard. I wanted someone else to do the heavy lifting, while I just supplied a bit of my years of cooking experience to the mix. So that’s just what happened.

Now I know you too must have several great recipes for mac and cheese. But I would be willing to wager up to a nickel, that none of your recipes are as fast or as easy to prepare as this recipe. Or as delicious! I’m serious. This recipe makes one fabulous pan of creamy mac and cheese.

So give this recipe a try. I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen and keep being adventurous. Peace and love to all.

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour 

¼ tsp. kosher salt  

freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. granulated garlic  

1 c. whole milk

¼ c. sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard 

2 c. dry (8 oz.) elbow macaroni, cooked al dente*  

2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese** (fairly packed down)

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Cook for a couple minutes or until lightly browned.  

Remove from heat and whisk in the milk, sour cream, and Dijon mustard until smooth.

Return to heat and cook until the mixture is thickened (about 3-5 minutes) whisking the entire time. Do not let the sauce boil.

Once the mixture is thick, transfer the just cooked al dente pasta into the sauce using a large slotted spoon. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Stir until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of the pasta water. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving. (This helps the sauce stick to the pasta.)  

*Remember, if the sauce has to wait for the pasta to be cooked perfectly, so be it. No problem. Just don’t make the pasta wait for the sauce. In other words, don’t cook the pasta ahead of time.

**I use Tillamook Sharp Cheddar for this recipe. (The one in the red package.)

CREAMY BACON, SWEET POTATO, CORN, AND RED BELL PEPPER CHOWDER

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And yes, I am still the worlds worse food photographer.

I made this chowder last evening mainly because in our last farm box we received several small white-fleshed sweet potatoes. Of course as luck would have it, we already had some on hand. Now granted, we love sweet potatoes. But there is a limit to how much of any kind of food I want to eat or serve several nights in a row. (And yes that includes chocolate and hamburgers!) So then, what in the heck to do with all the bloody sweet potatoes? Mr. C. suggested just baking them, and serving in the normal manner. Which in this house means baked, split in two, slathered with butter, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. OK, that sounds good for 2 of them. Maybe even 4 of them. But that still leaves me with a small crops worth still to be dealt with. But I’m always up for a good challenge. So to the internet I proceeded.

I’ve been on a real soup and chowder kick lately, so that’s the direction I decided to take. And oh am I glad I did. I found the basics for this recipe on the runningonrealfood.com site. When I told Mr. C. about the recipe, he asked me those three little words every cook knows are eventually going to come out of someone’s mouth when chowder is mentioned – “is there bacon”? I told him bacon was not in the original recipe, but it certainly would make a fine addition. So this recipe includes bacon. It also includes a wee bit of crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley. (I use crushed red pepper flakes a lot in my cooking. Not much, just a few flakes to keep things interesting. I also include fresh parsley whenever possible.)

As you glance through the recipe, you will note, that with the exception of the tiny bit of fat rendered as the bacon fries, there is no other fat included. There are also no dairy products. So this is a fairly low fat and healthy chowder. And truly, it doesn’t need any shredded cheese or sour cream. It is perfect unto itself. And I could have left it as such. But no, I decided to accompany the chowder with buttermilk biscuits. And not just any buttermilk biscuits.

I had developed a recipe for Huntsman Cheese and Chive Buttermilk Drop Biscuits that I was anxious to try. So I did. And I am here to tell you, the biscuits were outrageously delicious and went really well with this amazing chowder. So my next post will be for the biscuits I served last evening. But back to this recipe.

The first thing I need to mention is that this chowder is truly delicious. And to make it all the more appealing, very easy to prepare. And for all of you for whom time is of the essence when preparing dinner, there is no long simmering required to produce the lovely depth of flavor base for this chowder. And truly, I can’t think of any reason even the most picky of eaters wouldn’t enjoy this dish. So there you go. Dinner in a pot.

So as always, keep preparing and serving delicious food to your family.   And especially with winter just around the corner, remember that nothing says warm and cozy, healthy and happy, safe and cherished, like a big old bowl of soup or chowder. (Of course chocolate chip cookies work well too.)      

We are all going to be subjected to a long and isolated spell of being housebound until Covid-19 is brought under control. And having to stay inside because its winter is definitely not going to make life easier for any of us. In fact, just the opposite. But the more we as cooks can do to help our families cope with the boredom and stay as healthy as possible, the better. And there’s no better way I can think of to make that happen than by preparing interesting, healthy, and delicious food. If nothing else, it will be fun to tell your family all about a new dish when you are invariably asked what’s for dinner. If it happen to be this chowder you are preparing at the time, I would advise starting the discourse with the first ingredient listed below. Peace and love to all.

4-6 strips of meaty, thick bacon, cut into small pieces

1 c. chopped onion

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. (more or less) cubed sweet potato  

3 c. vegetable broth, or additional broth if you like a more liquid base for your chowder

2 tsp. chili powder  

1 tsp. paprika  

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 c. (more or less) frozen corn

1 T. chopped fresh parsley  

Fry the bacon until very crisp in a heavy soup pot. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook until the onion starts to soften. (The onion will also start to get a little brown from the bits left behind while frying the lean bacon.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the sweet potato, broth, chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the diced red bell pepper and simmer until the sweet potato is fork tender. (Just cook until tender, not mushy.) This only takes a few minutes more. Then add the corn.

Remove about one half of the soup to the bowl with the cooked bacon. Using an immersion blender, whirl the remaining soup until it’s kind of creamy but there are still some small chunks. Then add the unblended soup back into the pot along with the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring just to a boil, stir in the parsley, and serve piping hot.

Please note: to make this chowder vegetarian, sauté the onion and celery in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Then add the garlic and go from there.       

   

OLD BAY SEASONED FRIED FISH WITH LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

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Fabulous fried fish and yummy aioli

Yes I know! There are already recipes for fried fish on this site. And there is a very good reason for that. WE LOVE FRIED FISH! And variety is the spice of life. And if I’m not mistaken, we aren’t alone in loving both tasty fried fish and variety. But for unknown reasons, it seems to me that the last couple of times we ordered fish and chips from a takeout restaurant, there wasn’t much flavor in either the batter or the fish itself. Of course the batter was crispy because the fish had been deep fat fried. But in a couple of cases, the puffy coating was thicker than the fillet. (I hate that!) Or even if the coating was thin, there was no discernable flavor. So either my taste buds are going to hell with the rest of my body, or restaurants are dumbing down their recipes to reach a greater majority of customers. And if that’s the case, I plan to take no part in their plan. If I am going to eat a fried product, it had better taste pretty darn good! If that means the only fried fish I can enjoy is in the privacy of my own home, so be it! I’m prepared to not only accept the responsibility for delicious home cooked fried fish, but also to gladly assume the means by which it is accomplished! And I promise never to forget the tasty sauce in which the perfectly fried fish is dipped. (This was actually part of my wedding vows. Just kidding. But maybe it should have been. Not kidding!)

So now that you know why I tried a couple of new recipes for coating and serving the Icelandic cod Mr. C. brought home the other afternoon, let me tell you a bit more about each recipe.

I have been using Old Bay Seasoning off and on for 50 years. I learned about the product when I lived in Delaware. Being as close as I was to the Chesapeake Bay, I learned all about eating soft shells crabs and crab cakes. And as much as I love living in the Pacific Northwest, I still miss sitting at a brown-paper covered picnic table, right next to the bay, eating crab in as many forms as possible. So of course, many years later when I could actually afford to buy crab once in a while, I had to learn how to make crab cakes. And every person I asked told me the secret. Yup. Old Bay Seasoning (OBS). (And no, I haven’t posted my recipe for crab cakes on this site. It’s in my first cookbook, but for whatever reason, I have been remiss in not including it on this site. But that will soon change. Crab is now on my grocery list. So stay tuned.)

Anyway, the other evening I decided to use OBS once again in the seasoned coating for this recipe. The thing I have learned about coating fish, or chicken, or pork, or whatever, is that it almost always requires more seasoning than I think it should. I used the full 6 teaspoons of OBS because my container has been in my cupboard for several years so if has lost some of its potency. So you might want to start with a bit less if yours is fresh. The coating was delicious and easy to throw together.

The aioli was just a happy combination of my favorite aioli flavors. I wanted a simple sauce to go with the highly flavored coating on the fish. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of prep time. Mission accomplished.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes. And don’t be afraid to make your own fish and chips. Or what we usually enjoy – fish and some kind of oven roasted potato wedges. I recommend Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes or Oven Roasted Steak Fries.

As always, have fun in your kitchen and let food cravings be your guide. Allow me to explain.

During this stressful time, I recommend giving in to your food cravings. My friend Vicki and I were just talking about this very thing a few minutes ago during a phone conversation. It seems like more than ever, comfort food, especially food we remember from either our childhood or earlier and easier days seems to be calling to both of us. For her recently, it was chili dogs. For me it’s been soup and homemade bread. I simply can’t get enough of either. So why not succumb? If it helps relieve your own stress, or makes someone else in your family feel more comfortable, then as cooks, I say let’s make it happen.

A couple of days ago, Mr. C. told me he was hungry for Grilled Lamb Patties with Tzatziki. I added Hummus and Soupa Avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) to the list. (All highlighted recipes on this site BTW.) So all those dishes are on the menu for tonight. And I know we will both love the dinner. And it will give me such joy to be able to please him in such a simple and homey way.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to please most people. It just takes a little bit of time and a whole lot of attention to everyday conversations. When your spouse happens to mention a favorite dish, or your child talks longingly about cookies or popcorn or steamed veggies (like that’s ever going to happen), prove to them you were paying attention. (Even if you have to remind them of the fact that you truly were listening so they’ll remember what a grand spouse or parent you really are! We have to take our strokes where we can get them!)

And speaking of making your family members feel loved and comforted, check out the pictures of our fuzzy family members at the bottom of this post.

And of course as always – peace and love to all.

½ c. cornmeal

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

4-6 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning   

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

½ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. granulated onion

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

vegetable oil

1½ lbs. cod fillets (or any other firm white fish) dried with paper towels

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, Old Bay seasoning, dried parsley, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and pepper together in a shallow container.

Beat the egg in another shallow container.

Pour enough oil in a large frying pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Then give it a dribble more. Heat the oil over medium heat and dip each fillet first in the beaten egg (allowing excess egg to drip off), then into the cornmeal mixture.

Pan-fry the fillets until they are brown on the first side (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook the second side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Great with the Lemon Garlic Aioli.

LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

¾ c. cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

3-5 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper 

Mix it all together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with your favorite fish recipe or as a dip for fresh or cooked veggies. 

Max sound asleep in the living room listening to Mr. C. play piano
Miles snoozing in front of the fireplace as his brother sleeps peacefully nearby. Life is not too rough for our boys.

SAVORY BRAISED BEEF CUBES

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Some days I feel like cooking a gourmet dinner. Other days all I want is a big old salad with meat and cheese and a horribly caloric dressing. Oh, and don’t forget the croutons. Then, there are the times like a couple of days ago when all I wanted was a savory and comforting dish that went well with potatoes.  Kind of a modified meat and potatoes day.

So I thought of Swiss steak. And sure enough I have a couple of great recipes for Swiss steak on this site that I always enjoy. (Swiss Steak with Mushrooms and Swiss Steak with Cheddar Cheese Polenta.) But I didn’t happen to have any fresh mushrooms on hand, and I had two lovely Yukon Gold potatoes I really needed to use before the peels turned green and the potatoes started to think about reproducing themselves. (Sprouting.) So cheddar cheese polenta was out. And of course, I’m always game to try new and interesting looking recipes. So to the internet I proceeded.

And I found the bones for this recipe on the tasteandtellblog.com site. I changed the ingredients somewhat and the manner in which the meat was cooked, then proceeded from there. I simply turned a stove top recipe into an oven braise. Let me explain.

First of all, I like to braise meat. Braising is a combination cooking method; combining the dry-heat method of searing the meat to begin with and then cooking the meat until tender with the moist heat of a long and gentle simmer in liquid. And frankly, whenever possible, I braise meat in the oven. (Stove top braises make more work for me because then I am always checking the pot, stirring the liquid, and even tasting the sauce.) So using the oven is definitely my preferred braising method.

Really, all you are doing in a braise, is taking a tough cut of meat, adding a few flavorful ingredients, and gently cooking the entire mess in liquid until all of the ingredients are magically transformed into a tender, succulent, delicious masterpiece. (I bet that got your attention! It even got my attention, and I wrote the darn sentence!)

Anyway, if you are in the mood for a savory, meaty, fairly inexpensive, and simple main dish to prepare, this might fit your bill. I know it certainly fit ours the other evening.

As always, keep counting your blessings, keep striving to keep your life and the lives of those around you interesting, and if you have an older neighbor who might be in need of a bit of cheer, be the one that makes it happen. Baking cookies? Take a few over. Making bread? Make a small loaf to share. Even a simple wave or “howdy neighbor” can mean a lot to someone who is unable to see family or friends during this pandemic. Think of ways to make life better for others. If nothing else, it takes your mind off yourself. Peace and love to all.    

1 lb. beef steak, cut into serving sized pieces (tough cuts work well for this recipe, like round steak or boneless chuck) 

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ onion, diced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. beef stock, or more as needed (I use water and Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)

1 sm. bay leaf

¼ tsp. dried thyme   

½ tsp. paprika

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1½ tsp. red wine vinegar

2 T. minced fresh Italian parsley

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy covered pan. (This is a great time to use your cast iron Dutch oven.)  Add the seasoned beef and cook, flipping halfway through, until browned on both sides, 5-6 minutes. Remove the browned pieces to a container. Set aside.

Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes.

Slowly whisk in the beef stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar. Return the beef to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated. The liquid does not have to cover the meat.

Cover the pan and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 90-120 minutes, or until the beef is fork tender. Check after 45 minutes to see if more liquid is required. (If anything, I err on the side of caution. When in doubt, I add more liquid. Can’t really hurt.) You might also want to taste the liquid at this point and adjust seasoning as required. Return to oven and braise the beef until the sauce has thickened (and is almost gone) and the beef is tender.

Remove from oven, discard the bay leaf, and serve sprinkled with the fresh parsley. 

Great served with mashed or oven roasted potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles.  

HONEY SOY SAUCE GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS

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I am forever looking for ways to serve chicken. And of course, of utmost importance, the chicken must taste good. Duh! And more often than not, I want recipes that take only a short time to prepare. Add to this wish list, accompanying dishes that are also easy to fling together. I know, every tired cooks dream meal.

Well, the other evening I took a recipe I found on the cafedelites.com site (great site BTW) and adapted it to fit my needs. And I’m here to tell you, the chicken was a winner. And it had been a dream to prepare.

First of all, you get to do the prep work way before it’s actually time to do any real cooking. I like that. You now have time to take off your apron*, and maybe sit down and read or get some other household chore accomplished. And then when it’s actually time to cook, by first donning your apron* of course, it’s only a few minutes before the whole meal is on the table. (There’s an asterisk by the word apron for a reason. You can go to the bottom of this post to read all about it.)

So the other evening by preparing this dish, throwing some rice in my rice cooker, and steaming some fresh broccoli, a really tasty dinner was on the table in no time flat.

Now I know what you’re thinking. And yes I have been talking a lot lately about simple recipes. It’s because not only am I getting older and standing up for long hours in the kitchen is becoming harder and harder, it’s because for some of you, your lives have become busier because of the coronavirus pandemic. Where before you got your kids off to school and you found your home looking exactly as it did when all of you got home that evening, now it’s probably twice as difficult to keep it tidy, much less clean. Children are not tidy by nature. They are messy little creatures with no compunction not to leave a trail wherever they go. So my hat is off to all of you for whom your whole carefully choreographed life has been turned upside down. The only thing I can do to help, is provide you with easy recipes that I am sure your family will enjoy. (Sounds terribly altruistic, but in helping you I am definitely helping myself even more. So no loud applause please!)

As always, be safe, be sensitive to the needs of your family, and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. As cooks, we are very important to keeping our families healthy and comforted. Good, home cooked food is a blessing each of us can give to our family members. Peace and love to all.

3 T. honey

3 T. low sodium Tamari or soy sauce

2 finely chopped green onions

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. freshly minced ginger

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. vegetable oil

2-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, as much fat removed as possible

sesame seeds

Whisk the honey, soy sauce, green onion, sesame oil, white vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper together in a shallow glass container. (I use a glass bread loaf pan.)

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and add to the container with the marinade. Toss the chicken in the marinade until all of the meat has been introduced to the marinade. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. (I marinate mine for about 3 hours.) Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to cook the chicken.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large enough frying pan to fit all of the chicken in a single layer. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving as much of the marinade as possible, and fry the first side until it’s a lovely dark brown. Turn the chicken and continue cooking until it’s done. Chicken should reach an internal temp of at least 165 degrees to be considered “done”.

Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken and cook it until it boils. As it boils it will thicken considerably. It can also burn because of the honey. So watch it carefully. To make sure the marinade, now a glaze, is safe to eat, take its temperature. Foodborne bacteria die at 165 degrees F, so this is your target temperature. When the chicken is done and the glaze (formerly the marinade) has reached at least 165 degree, take it off the heat, garnish it with sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Serve with steamed rice and a simple green veggie or salad, and dinners ready.

*For anyone who knows me personally and has been to our home for a meal, you have undoubtedly seen me wear an apron while I am cooking. Or even after the food is cooked and I am serving the food, or even when I am eating the food. This is not a once in a while thing. My wearing an apron is a habit I formed decades ago. And at the time, it wasn’t for health reasons. It was simply because I wanted to keep my clothes from getting stained. That is still a valid reason for wearing an apron, but there is more to it than soiled clothing. There are the health benefits for not only myself, but for the person or persons for whom I am preparing the food.

When we enjoy food prepared outside the home, there is always a risk of getting infected and suffering from serious illnesses. That risk is not confined to eating restaurant food however. It is equally applicable to home cooked food as well. (Maybe even more so because home kitchens are not subject to safety and health inspections the way restaurant kitchen are.) As home cooks, our clothes that we have been wearing throughout the day have lots of germs on them. And these germs can easily be transferred to the food we prepare. A simple step like wearing an apron can go a long way in reducing this risk. 

Wearing an apron prevents our clothes from coming in contact with the food, hence any germs, dust, cat hair, cleaning products etc., stay within the apron and off whatever food we are handling. Wearing an apron also keeps any loose clothing firmly secured to our bodies and therefore away from open flames, etc. From a practical standpoint, an apron (or 15 like I have) is one more way to stop the spread of disease. And of course, sloppy people like me from walking around in stained clothing.

 

CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE TOPPED VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

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The leaves are changing color and dropping at a prodigious rate. The sky is replete with clouds in every shade of grey. And every once in a while a bit of blue sky allows us a teasing glimpse of the sun. In other words – it’s fall in the Northwest. And with fall comes my ingrained desire to build comfort food. And of course the first dish that comes to mind is soup. But what kind of soup? (That is always the question.)

So I decided to open my first self-published cookbook (Cooking with Family and Friends) to check out the soup recipes in case there was one that I had inadvertently forgotten. My instincts were spot on, because right there in black and white on page 29 was a recipe for lentil soup. And in the note at the bottom of the recipe were the words “Andy loves this soup generously sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese.” How had I let this lovely soup avoid my detection for all these years? Anyway, to make a long story short, the other evening I prepared this soup, with a couple of upgrades, and there was a very happy man sitting with me at the dinner table that evening.

Now one of the lovely aspects of this soup is that it is vegetarian. I try, most of the time unsuccessfully, to cook at least one dinner every week that doesn’t contain meat. We have actually cut way down on our meat consumption, but I still try to eliminate meat completely as much as possible. Not because we aren’t carnivores through and through. But because too much meat isn’t good for either one of us. So when I can serve a soup like this one that has all the flavor and heartiness of a meat dish, I feel extremely proud of myself. And with a soup like this one, neither of us miss meat in the slightest.

So if you too would like to build a healthy and delicious soup for yourself and your family, give this recipe a try. Just don’t forget the feta cheese. Its creamy salty deliciousness just can’t be beat in combination with lentils.

As always, make your kitchen a happy place. Keep it clean and tidy so you can feel refreshed whenever you walk into it to start your meal prep. A nice vase of flowers, or a couple of candles, or some special photos or your children’s art work on the refrigerator to welcome you and the rest of your family into the heart of your home.

When I was raising my children, we had, by today’s standards, a fairly small kitchen. However, there was still enough room for a small round ice cream table with 3 chairs. And even though the dining room table was large and just on the other side of the kitchen wall, plus each of the kids had their own desk, guess where they wanted to do their homework? Yep. When my three youngest children were young, that’s exactly where they wanted to be. At the kitchen table. Maybe not all at the same time. But I was never alone in the kitchen. And that was because the kitchen was warm and cozy, I was there, and I was going about the business of preparing a meal for them. They could see me and talk to me about their day. As far as I was concerned, that simple everyday occurrence was magic. And I wouldn’t exchange those memories with my children for any amount of money. As the kids got older, they shifted to doing their homework at the dining room table. But they were still always close enough to speak with me or hear me clanking cooking pans. (And no, they never once did their homework at their own desks.)

So I offer a toast to happy kitchens! And peace and love to all. And please enjoy this simple soup recipe. It really is delicious.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for table

1 onion, chopped

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery (including leaves), thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tsp. curry powder, divided

2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. dried mint

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. dry lentils, sorted and rinsed (I use Bob’s Red Mill Lentils – Heritage Beans)

6 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

2 c. water

2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach

2-3 T. fresh lemon juice

crumbled feta cheese (French feta is our favorite)

Heat olive oil in a large heavy covered soup pan. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven.) Add the onion and sugar. Slowly sauté the onion until it is very soft and starting to turn a light caramel color, about 30 minutes. Stir in the carrot and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons of the curry powder, marjoram, seasoned salt, dried mint, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and the rinsed lentils. Sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring almost constantly.

Add the broth and water, stir well to combine, making certain you lift any delicious brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, stir again, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 1 hour. Stir periodically.

When the lentils are soft, and just before you are ready to serve, stir in the spinach, remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and lemon juice. (Start with 2 tablespoons. Add more to taste.) Adjust seasoning.

At table, offer crumbled feta cheese and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling. Great served with warm bread.    

CAJUN SMOTHERED CHICKEN

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When I was growing up, my grandmother usually cooked our main Sunday meal. Supper was served after church at about 2:00 pm. And the entrée (which is really too refined a word, but apropos) was most often chicken. (I did grow up on a chicken farm after all.) And any dish that my grandmother prepared that included chicken was always delicious. Always. Even though as an all-around cook, she was lacking in many areas. But that’s neither here nor there. Her chicken dishes were fabulous. And my favorite was basically fried chicken that she had dumped some heavy cream or whole milk over and then baked in the oven until the chicken melted in your mouth. Basically – smothered fried chicken. And then to top things off, she served the chicken with mashed potatoes. OMG. There just wasn’t any food better in my life in those days than grandma’s smothered chicken. So of course it had to be one of the first things I wanted to learn to build for my own family.

And for years I completely failed at making this simple dish as tasty as my grandmother’s. Until the day I realized I was not starting with the same product. Grandma started with a fresh (and I do mean fresh), grain fed chicken fried in butter. (Home churned butter from our cows.) And then baked in heavy cream, again from our cows. While I was starting with a chicken that was fresh all right. Freshly purchased from our local grocery store! And I’m here to tell you, there is simply no comparing the two, even if in reality they are the same critter.

So for years I beat myself up trying to reproduce grandma’s chicken. Finally I figured it out. And decided that I was going to have to add a whole bunch of flavor to the gravy if I was going to produce anything with any flavor at all. The chickens I was able to obtain were never going to be anywhere near as flavorful as the ones my grandparents raised.  

My recipes for Smothered Fried Chicken and Chicken Paprika are already on this site. And they are darned delicious. But yesterday I wanted to come up with a Southern smothered chicken with a Cajun twist. So I went online and found the bones of this recipe on the Immaculate Bites web site. I did make some changes, but mainly this wonderful recipe is compliments of Imma. So thank you Imma for sharing your wonderful recipe.

Now, this is not a low calorie or carb dish. This is a down home, Southern comfort, diet be damned, treat. And absolutely perfect when what you need is a bit of pampering.

And can’t we all use a healthy dose of pampering right now as we ride out the pandemic, race relation havoc, wild fire and hurricane devastation, not to mention the upcoming presidential election. I think for Mr. C. and me, October is going to be dubbed “Comfort Food Month” here at Chez Carr! At least for this year. Hopefully next October will be another story and we can enjoy our usual restrained eating habits in preparation for the holidays. (Right, as if that ever happens!)  

Anyway, we really enjoyed this chicken dish last evening. I served the chicken with steamed rice and fresh green beans. Absolutely yum.

So as always, look on the bright side of life. And do whatever you can to make life better for not only yourself, but for everyone with whom you come in contact. Your smile might mean the difference between a bad day and a good day for a stranger. Your smile might help someone remember that kindness and courtesy are still the prevailing sentiment in our country. And your smile might remind someone that the essence of decency is still alive and well with the mass majority of US citizens.

Most of us are not racist, or homophobic, or xenophobic, or consider ourselves better than others. Most of us are just trying to live our lives as best we can. So please don’t let a few militants detract you from doing what you know in your heart is the right thing to do.   

I love this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King “Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.”

Peace and love to all.

Frying the Chicken:

1 whole chicken

1 tsp. kosher salt

2-3 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or more to taste

¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

pinch cayenne pepper 

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. granulated onion

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. granulated garlic

2 T. vegetable oil  

1 T. unsalted butter

1 med. onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces – 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 breasts – each cut in half. (I leave the skin on the chicken legs, but remove it from the thighs and breasts.) I use the wings and backs to make the chicken stock for the gravy. (See recipe below.)

Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with the kosher salt and Cajun seasoning. Whisk the flour, cayenne, paprika, white pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme, and granulated garlic together in a shallow container. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour mixture until well coated. Shake off excess flour. Save the rest of the seasoned flour.  

Heat oil and butter in a lidded cast iron or heavy skillet over medium heat. (I use my shallow lidded Le Creuset Cast Iron Braiser pan for this recipe.) Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate. (The chicken doesn’t have to be completely done at this point.)

Add the onion to the skillet; sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove onion and garlic to the same plate with the chicken. Do not wash the frying pan.  

Making the Chicken Gravy:

3 T. unsalted butter

3 c. chicken broth, or more as needed (see recipe below)

¾ c. whole milk

Add the butter to the pan. Then add the remainder of the seasoned flour left over from dredging the chicken. Stir with a heavy whisk until it comes together and forms a dry paste. Let cook for a couple minutes over low heat until the roux starts to brown. Stir the whole time. (The darker the roux, the more flavorful the gravy.)

Then very slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk like crazy. (You don’t want any lumps in your gravy.) And make sure you get every last bit of the stuck on brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Therein lies a lot of flavor. Then add the milk and cook for about 5 minutes until the gravy is nice and thick. Return the chicken pieces including any juices, onions, and garlic to the pan. Mix all together. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning. Bring gravy to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and remove from heat.

Bake the chicken and gravy in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Halfway through the baking time, stir the chicken to prevent sticking. Add more chicken stock if the gravy looks too thick. When done, the chicken should be falling off the bone tender. Remove from oven and let sit covered for 5-7 minutes.  

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a green veggie or salad.

Please Note: You can use other chicken cuts based on your preference.

Simple Homemade Chicken Stock

4 c. water

1 T. chicken bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken base)

wings and back from the cut up chicken

1 lg. carrot, cut into chunks

1 celery stalk, plus leaves – chunked

¼ lg. onion, chunked

1 lg. bay leaf

2 tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. poultry seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

Place in a large covered soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for a couple of hours. Use as the broth for this recipe.

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, KALE, AND PASTA SOUP

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So once again it’s the beginning of soup season. Well that is, for most people. Not me. I love a good old bowl of soup year round. But I do have to admit, every year at this time the urge to make soup gets stronger. And yesterday was no exception.

I had just baked a batch of Chewy Sourdough Baguettes (recipe on this site) and thought a nice hearty vegetable soup would be the perfect accompaniment. (You realize I probably should have stated that the bread would be a perfect accompaniment to the soup. But for me, I know what comes first in my list of priorities!) Anyway, I had some Andouille sausage that needed to be eaten and I always have kale growing in a half wine barrel on the West side of our house. (The stuff grows like a weed. You can’t kill it. And the kind I have is a perennial. And I swear it lives to reproduce itself. I find baby plants in the ground all around the wine barrel.) But back to this recipe.

So researching under Andouille sausage and kale, I found the bones of this recipe on the healthyseasonalrecipes.com site. I changed things up a bit, but I still want to thank Katie for this fantastic recipe.

Now something you should know. We like our soup to have flavor. Shocking admittance, right?!?! But I have tried too many simple recipes like this one where any lovely flavors introduced into the soup completely disappear during the cooking process. (Where do you suppose they go?) Anyway, I’m really not sure how that happens, but I’ll bet you have had at least one similar experience. You start with a flavorful meat, add some veggies and herbs, and end up with a blah broth. Well, not if you make this soup. Ain’t going to happen.

(A neat trick I’ve learned over the years. When using a nicely flavored sausage like Andouille, brown it first in the oil you are going to use to cook your veggies. Then remove at least part of the cooked sausage, set it aside, and add it back towards the end of the cooking time. Then when you eat the soup, you get a nice burst of sausage flavor, not just a piece of meat with all the taste sucked out of it. But back to this recipe.)

Now let’s talk anise seed. DO NOT LEAVE IT OUT OF THIS SOUP! If you don’t enjoy licorice, fennel, or caraway, you are probably not going to like the flavor of anise seed. Therefore you might not enjoy this soup. But if you do like the flavor, you are going to love this dish. But don’t get me wrong. This is not a recipe for licorice soup. The flavor is there and it is a distinctive taste, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s simply YUM!!!

So if you would like a recipe for an easy to build soup, with simple ingredients, that doesn’t have to simmer for hours, this is the recipe for you. Plus this healthy vegetable soup is just different enough to appeal to taste buds that require constant gratification or bore easily. (Guilty as charged!)

My only mistake I made when preparing this soup was that I didn’t double the recipe. So if you have a large family or want planned-overs, I suggest you double the recipe.

As always, please vote in the upcoming election. But before casting your ballot, continue to search for the truth, consider global consequences, and above all – trust your instincts. If a food item looks rotten and smells rotten, then it probably is rotten. Throw it out! Same goes for words out of someone’s mouth. If someone is spouting hate, and derision, and condoning behavior you find repugnant, then that too is a sign of rot. And it too should be thrown out. Bad behavior should never be condoned or excused. So please, vote with your brain. Pretend you have no party allegiance. And forget the way you voted in the past. What does your brain (and your heart) tell you about each candidate? Then vote accordingly. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz. Andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, then again, and diced into small pieces

¾ c. diced yellow onion

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper  

1½ tsp. dry marjoram

½ tsp. anise seed

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

½ c. dry white wine

4 c. chicken broth  

½ c. pasta (I use small elbow macaroni)

4 c. chopped kale

grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, opt. garnish  

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced sausage and cook until it is browned. Remove the sausage from pan and set aside.

Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery, stirring often, until the veggies start to soften and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. While the veggies soften, stir in the salt, pepper, dried marjoram, and anise seed. When the veggies are softened, stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the wine and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.

Add the uncooked pasta, reserved Andouille sausage, and the kale. Cover the pot and return to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pass the grated cheese at table. Great served with fresh sourdough baguette slices.   

     

LIGHTLY SMOKED BAKED STEELHEAD TROUT OR SALMON

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Over the years we have enjoyed this dish prepared by Andy’s sister Katie and husband Rick many times. Rick lightly smokes the fish, then Katie takes over and semi-poaches/bakes the lightly smoked fish in the oven. And every time we love eating this dish and threaten to learn how it’s prepared.

So a few months ago, we were all together and Rick taught Mr. C. how to smoke fish. And then I watched Katie do her magic in the kitchen to add even more flavor to this easy preparation. And wow, we followed their guide and the other evening we had a delicious dinner featuring this easy to prepare new favorite.

The first thing we learned was that Rick and Katie prefer to use Steelhead trout for this recipe (see below for information about this delicious fish) instead of salmon because it contains just the perfect amount of fat. Plus it’s high in omega-3 acids. Who knew? Not me, that’s for sure. But the proof is always in the pudding (so to speak), and their smoked and baked salmon was always the best we ever tasted. (Restaurants should prepare their salmon entrees this well. They would increase their profit margins considerably.)

So now you have a choice to make. (Not whether or not to make this dish. You should just do so at your earliest convenience.) No, your choice is whether to buy Steelhead trout or stick with your favorite   salmon variety. So, take your pick. And truly, any choice you make is going to be the right one. You simply can’t go wrong with this preparation.

No wait, that’s not exactly true. You could inadvertently bake the fish too long. Don’t do that! This is the time to pay attention and check the temperature of the fish frequently.

As always, keep cooking fun and wonderful new dishes with which to thrill and delight your family and friends. (Social distancing protocols in place of course!) And while you’re at it, have fun doing so! Food simply tastes better when it’s prepared with love. (One of the magic ingredients.) Peace and love to all. (And please vote!)

1-2 lb. Steelhead trout or salmon fillets, lightly smoked* (we all prefer Steelhead Trout**)

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. dry white wine

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

lemon slices 

Melt butter in a small pan. Stir in the salt, pepper, white wine, lemon juice, and parsley.

Place salmon in a single layer, skin side down in a baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the fish and place lemon slices on top.

(Please note: I used the ingredients listed above. But you can add fresh dill or capers, or change the ingredients altogether to better suite your own taste. This recipe is more about the method than the ingredients. My choice of ingredients just happened to work out well for us.)

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 12-25 minutes, depending on thickness. When the fish is done, it should register no more than 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Or you can check for doneness by using a fork to pull back on a section of the thickest part of the filet. If the salmon is done, the flesh will look opaque and a knife will slide easily through the flesh. Remove from oven and let rest for about 2 minutes before serving.

*Rick suggests and Andy concurs that about 45 minutes using alder chips is the perfect amount of time and the best smoking wood for this recipe. Thank you gentlemen. And thanks again to Katie and Rick for this wonderful recipe.  

** Native to the West Coast and Alaska, steelhead trout are a silvery fish with a similar taste and look as Pacific salmon. Steelhead trout lack the fatty mouthfeel of some salmon, offering a more delicate flavor and flaky texture. Steelhead trout are often mistaken for salmon, as they both have bright orange-pink flesh that cooks to opaque. Steelhead trout can be substituted for salmon in most recipes.

Compared to Atlantic salmon, which is often found in thick cuts, steelhead trout are smaller and thinner, and cook more quickly. Steelhead trout are often confused with rainbow trout. While they’re of the same species, rainbow trout spend their lives in fresh water, and steelhead trout are anadromous (spend parts of their lives in fresh and salt water). Rainbow trout tend to be smaller, with paler flesh and a gamier flavor.