OK, I hate to boast, but I truly believe that cauliflower was invented mainly for this soup recipe. Because, regardless of the other good recipes I have for this simple cruciferous vegetable, this preparation is now my favorite. And I’ll bet a years-worth of broccolini, that it’s going to become your favorite way to eat cauliflower too. And never mind that you probably already have a recipe for cauliflower cheddar soup. You simply must give this recipe a try. Roasting the cauliflower imparts such a goodly amount of richness, that in combination with all the other ingredients, there is no way this soup could be anything but delicious.
I served it last evening with just baked Chewy Sourdough Baguette slices, and it made the perfect Sunday evening meal. And it had been ever so quick and easy to build. So, another point in its favor. The only mistake I made was in not making a double batch. Because for lunch today, we are going to have to fight over the leftovers. Good thing Mr. C. is always such a gracious loser.
As always, keep having fun in your kitchen and keep on preparing healthy and delicious food for yourself and your family. I’m flat out of advice on matters I have no business mentioning on a cooking blog in the first place. So, I will simply leave you with my standard hope and prayer for each and everyone of you. Peace and love to all.
Oh, and if you were concerned about me offering to give up broccolini for a full year, please do not worry. I can’t stand the stuff, so I wouldn’t be eating it anyway. But thanks for any unease my words may have caused you.
1 med. head cauliflower, cut into very small pieces (use the stems and florets)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 T. unsalted butter, divided
1 shallot, finely minced
2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced
1 med. carrot, grated
1 lg. stalk celery, finely chopped
2 c. water
2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Vegetable flavored base
3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. whole milk
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, loosely packed
½ tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
chopped chives, opt. (you can substitute green onion in a pinch)
garlic croutons, opt. (see recipe below)
Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower pieces start to get brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a covered Dutch oven or soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the carrot, celery, water, and bouillon base. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the roasted cauliflower.
While the veggies are cooking, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese and hot sauce. Transfer to the Dutch oven and stir until well blended. (If the soup feels too thick, add a bit more water or milk.) Taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately topped with croutons and chopped chives.
Garlic Croutons:
1-2 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)
2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread (really any kind of bread you want)
granulated garlic
Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently.
When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Remove from heat. Cool and store in an airtight container.
OK, I’m not going to sugar coat my next statement. (Would be hard to do so anyway since there’s no refined sugar in this recipe!) OK, here goes! The reality of this recipe is that it will never produce carrot muffins with the same lovely mouth feel and moistness associated with their cousins made with real butter or veggie oil and refined sugar. Never. Can’t happen. But what this muffin does offer is a healthy alternative while still delivering the tasty mixture of ingredients offered in the original product. But super tender and moist? Not going to happen. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like biting into flavored cardboard. But meltingly moist these muffins are not. But a great deal better for us? Indeed they are! And oh, so easy to build. And the fact that they come in portioned amounts, is also in their favor. (Can’t cut a large piece for yourself like you can with my Healthy Carrot Quick Bread, which incidentally is pretty darn delicious and healthy too.)
So, if you too enjoy muffins for breakfast, but feel a little guilty if the muffin is full of fat (even if it’s healthy fat) and sugar, then I suggest you give this wonderful recipe from ifoodreal.com a try.
As always, be cognizant of how your own cooking tastes. I know it may sound terribly simplistic, but if you don’t like whatever it is you just prepared, chances are your partner isn’t going to care for it either. Of course, kids don’t count. Because they are often picky eaters. (It’s in their job description after all! #1 – be a picky eater. #2 – bug your parents on a daily basis especially when they are right in the middle of a task that requires their full attention. #3 – never mind, you get the picture!) Anyway, my point is, don’t take it personally if whatever you fixed is not well received by your spouse. And especially none of this “well I worked hard on this dish and you had better damn well eat it” attitude either. Martyrdom is not an appealing characteristic in a spouse or partner. And a terrible trait for children to learn. This is the time for humor. Because if you try new recipes, you can expect to prepare your share of dishes that are not as well received as others.
Believe me, your family will forgive you a bad dish. But it’s hard for anyone of any age to sympathize with someone who gets all bent out of shape, and mean, when a good laugh would be the proper response. Food should never be the source of family friction. The dinner table should be the place where kids learn good manners, where they witness responsible adult behavior, where they can express themselves, ask questions, and learn to accept that life is full of “not your best effort” as well as “that was really great”. After all, it’s how we respond to failure that defines us as much as how we graciously experience success.
Peace, love, and happy cooking to all.
2 lg. eggs
⅓ c. honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. rolled oats
1½ c. coarsely grated carrots, packed
¾ c. unsweetened applesauce*
⅓ c. golden raisins, cut in half if they are fairly large
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
⅓ c. unsweetened coconut flakes
⅓ c. chopped nuts, plus more for the topping (I prefer pecans)
cooking spray
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, and vanilla together. Stir in the rolled oats, grated carrots, applesauce, and raisins. Let sit for about 15 minutes. (This little bit of time allows the oats and raisins to soften a tad.)
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Add to the egg mixture and gently mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the coconut and nuts.
Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, plop batter into a greased non-stick muffin pan. (Should make about 15 muffins.) Top with additional chopped nuts. Press the nuts lightly into the batter before throwing the pans in your oven.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t over bake.
Remove from oven and let muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Gently warm just before serving. Muffins take well to being frozen.
*If you don’t have applesauce on hand, make your own. Peel and seed 1 large apple. (I used a very large Honey Crisp apple.) Cut into small even sized pieces and place in a small covered heavy pan with a tablespoon of water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook the apple until tender. Check periodically as the apple cooks. Add a bit of additional water if necessary. When tender, mash it up.
And yes, another easy chicken recipe that I firmly believe everyone in your family will enjoy. Of course, if you have young children you might want to forego the crushed red pepper flakes. But all the other ingredients should be fine. I say this as if I had perfect knowledge and insight into feeding a family. Which of course, I do not. So, as I began writing this post, it brought to mind Mr. C’s comment this morning regarding knots. That’s right. The kind of knots made with rope or twine or shoelaces, or whatever.
Anyway, it all started this morning with the Daily Quiz in the Seattle Times. Monday through Saturday we attempt to answer the quiz questions while we eat our breakfast. And this morning’s topic was hobbies. And question 11 read as follows: Practitioners of this hobby make loops, hitches, splices, and coils. And we guessed the answer correctly. Knot tying. Then we took it a step further and tried to name all of the different knots we knew about. And it was actually quite a few. But the one thing that stopped us right in our tracks was that, yes, we knew the name of several kinds of knots, even knew how to actually tie a few knots, but couldn’t feel with any certainty that we knew the correct name for any of the knots we could produce, some of which we use every day! (And we think we’re so smart! Wrong!)
Anyway, as Mr. C. was walking away from the breakfast table, he turned to me and uttered this humble truism, “the depths of my ignorance have yet to be fully plumbed”. And I thought to myself, don’t we all fall into that category. Especially me when I try to impart cooking tips when I’ve never received any professional culinary training.
Most of my knowledge comes from spending a great deal of time in my kitchen. And listening to or reading what great culinary experts have to say on many different subjects. So, after this morning’s lesson in humility, I thought maybe it was time for a general apology. And I have a request. When I make a bold statement that you know to be absolutely incorrect, first of all, please forgive my ignorance. Then please let me know the error in my statement. I can then edit the post or at least offer an alternate possibility. Thank you. Now back to this recipe.
I made this easy to prepare dish the other evening and served it over steamed brown rice. And you know, the thing is, I didn’t begin to like brown rice until recently. Before I just thought it was like eating kernels of cardboard. But I have learned to prepare the rice in such a way, that both of us can really enjoy both its flavor and texture. I use 1 cup of brown rice, 1¾ cup water, some seasoned salt, a bit of freshly ground black pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of either veggie or olive oil, depending on what I’m serving with or on the rice. Then I walk away from the rice cooker for about an hour. Perfect brown rice, every time.
I hope you enjoy this lovely recipe from Sara at dinneratthezoo.com. If you haven’t visited Sara’s site, then I highly recommend you do so at your earliest convenience. She is great!
And as always, keep having fun in your kitchen. Keep finding the joy in life. And don’t be afraid of not knowing everything. No one knows all there is to know, even about any one subject, be it great or small. So, just for the fun of it, I am delighted to share with you the technical description of a function most of us perform on almost a daily basis. It’s called the shoelace knot.
(From Wikipedia) “The shoelace knot, or bow knot, is commonly used for tying shoelaces and bow ties. The shoelace knot is a doubly slipped reef knot formed by joining the ends of whatever is being tied with a half hitch, folding each of the exposed ends into a loop (bight) and joining the loops with a second half hitch.”
Peace and love to all. (And good luck tying your shoes next time!)
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ c. low sodium soy sauce
⅓ c. water
⅓ c. dark brown sugar
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 tsp. + ¼ c. cornstarch, divided
3 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
5-6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
Whisk the sesame oil, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place the chicken and remaining quarter cup cornstarch in a resealable plastic bag, shake to coat evenly. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sesame oil mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 30-60 seconds or until just thickened.
Add the cooked chicken and green onions to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Great served over steamed rice.
This was one of my kid’s favorite salads when they were growing up. Us big kids too. The original recipe, including the ingredients listed below, called for iceberg lettuce, shredded chicken, and fried Chinese rice (cellophane) noodles. But Mr. C. and I have now come to terms with the fact that we are approaching incipient old age. (When, pray tell, did that happen?) So, although we would love to hold fast to our culinary guilty pleasures, the reality is that we need to watch our cholesterol, sugar, and fat consumption. And serving this salad using napa cabbage (more nutrients than iceberg lettuce) and foregoing the fried noodles is in our own best interest. (And yes, I dearly miss the fried noodles!)
And as for the chicken, we sometimes include it. Especially in the summer when it’s hot outside and a cold salad makes a perfect meal. But mainly anymore, we enjoy this salad as an accompaniment. And what a delicious and different salad this makes. It’s crunchy, and refreshingly Chinese without the almost requisite inclusion of soy sauce.
So, if you too love a salad with bold flavor, a delightful crunch, that is way different from the usual green offering, give this recipe a try. You will love it.
As always, live on the wild side. Pick up a head of napa cabbage instead of romaine, arugula, or even spinach. Because napa cabbage has a lovely mild flavor with kind of a peppery kick to it.
And while you’re at it, you might even pick up a container of distilled white vinegar. And yes, that’s plain white vinegar. (You’ll need it anyway for this recipe.) Because some of you who are on the young side, may not believe what I am about to tell you, but it’s the truth. Scouts honor.
Some of us started cooking before white wine, red wine, balsamic, raspberry, Champagne, rice, apple cider, sherry, etc. vinegars were widely available. (And yes, I own them all. Now!) But as a brand new cook, plain white vinegar was all I used. (It’s all I knew about.) And there are still some dishes that I make routinely that simply would not be as delicious without this unassuming inexpensive ingredient. For example, my dressing for potato salad, Sunomono (look it up), some barbecue sauces I make, some salads containing cucumber I adore, just to name a few. So, if you don’t already own this amazing ingredient because you have been embarrassed to be seen with it in your grocery cart, get over it! Buy a bottle with the full knowledge that you are the savvy one. You are the cook that really “gets it”! And the bigger the container the better. (It never goes bad.)
So dear friends, I wish you a wonderful weekend filled with good food, good comradery, and good health. Peace and love to all.
4 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. granulated sugar
¼ c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ head napa cabbage, finely chopped (you can use iceberg lettuce in a pinch)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
3 thin slices fresh ginger, minced
2 T. slivered almonds
2 T. sesame seeds
1 c. shredded cooked chicken, opt.
Whisk the vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and lemon juice together.
Just before serving, place the cabbage, green onions, ginger, almonds, and sesame seeds in a salad bowl. Pour on most of the dressing. Toss to coat. Add additional dressing as needed. (You want the cabbage nicely coated but not swimming in the dressing.) Serve immediately.
You know what they say about butter. That “butter makes everything better”. And in the case of a beautifully cooked tenderloin or filet mignon, they are 100% correct.
Now some would argue that the meat alone is perfect and should be enjoyed au naturale. To this I say – phooey! If they truly want their meat “naked”, then try cooking it without as much as a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Now, that’s “natural”. But I’d bet my last pound of unsalted butter that no one would admit to enjoying a good steak without the requisite liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper just before cooking begins. Especially salt. Because salt stays on the surface of meat without dissolving. This helps the meat juices stay within the muscle fibers thus helping ensure a juicy steak. Of course, along with the salt, it is important to cook the steak at a very high temperature. The high heat helps form an evenly distributed and crispy brown crust. And in the case of meat cooked using this recipe, a lovely buttery crisp crust.
FYI: Our good friend Jim, who is truly a meat expert, prepares his steaks a bit differently. He brings the meat to room temperature, then at least an hour before he cooks the meat, he liberally sprinkles it with salt and presses it into the meat. Then he sets it aside. Salting ahead of time like this ensures the entire cut gets evenly flavored. When salt is applied to raw meat, juices inside the meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the meat.
Anyway, my point is, au naturale meat can be over-rated. Of course, I’m a lover of creamy and savory. So, for me, a lovely, flavored butter melting on a perfectly cooked steak is pure heaven. I could eat a great steak prepared this way weekly except for the obvious reasons. A) too much red meat is not good for me. B) Too much butter is not good for me. C) Expensive meat is not good for our budget! So, I prepare this kind of an entrée only for very special occasions.
So, if you too have a special occasion coming up, I would recommend serving this steak. And I know. For special occasions we love to go out for dinner too. But with Covid, dining in one of our favorite restaurants has not been possible. So, I have made sure that any special occasions are still celebrated with as much fanfare and fine dining as possible. But, like you, I am really looking forward to having someone else do the cooking, table clearing, and dishes. But even as write that sentence, I’m reminded that the slight annoyance of not being able to dine out is only a problem to people for whom poverty is not a reality. And then I sit back, say a thank you prayer to every deity imaginable, and then lift my butt out of my comfortable chair and walk into my well-stocked kitchen and fix us something good to eat. We are the lucky ones. We have food in our freezer, clean water, a warm home, and enough of everything necessary to live happy and productive lives. I hope and pray the same for you.
Peace and love to all.
2 beef tenderloin or filet mignon steaks (at least 1½-inches thick)
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
2 T. unsalted butter
Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. (Having the steak at room temperature helps ensure that your cooking times are more accurate and the meat cooks more evenly.) Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Cook immediately.
Or use Jim’s method: salt the steak at least an hour before cooking. Then proceed to either cook as described below, or grill over high heat. Either way produces a really good product.
Using a cast iron pan if possible, add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and allow the skillet to become scorching hot before placing the steaks in the pan. Sear the first side undisturbed for 2 minutes. Carefully flip the steaks and sear the second side for 2 minutes. (This will give your steaks a lovely and tasty crust.)
Transfer the skillet directly to your pre-heated 425-degree oven. (The skillet handle may be hot, so work carefully.) For rare, bake for 3½ minutes. The internal temperature should reach 120 – 125-degrees. Medium rare, roughly 4-5 minutes to an internal temperature of 125-130-degrees. After that, don’t bother spending your hard-earned money on tenderloin or filet mignon. Might just as well buy a cheaper cut of beef and make stew!
When your steaks reach the desired internal temperature, remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, and lightly cover with aluminum foil. Leave alone for about 5 minutes.
To serve, plate the steaks topped with slices of your choice of flavored butter. (See choices below.)
Garlic Rosemary Butter
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
1½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1½ tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 lg. garlic clove, finely minced
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the rosemary, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)
Garlic Lemon Butter
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 T. minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)
Blue Cheese and Fresh Thyme Butter
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 T. crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the blue cheese, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)
Dried Porcini Mushroom, Garlic, and Fresh Chive Butter
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 sm. garlic clove, finely minced
4 tsp. chopped fresh chives
1 T. dried porcini mushroom powder*
pinch sea salt
Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the garlic, chives, mushroom powder, and salt. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)
*Porcini mushroom powder can be purchased online or you can make it at home. Place dried mushrooms in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)
Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms. And of course, any dried mushroom can be ground into powder.
Horseradish and Fresh Chive Butter
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 tsp. horseradish, or more to taste
4 tsp. chopped fresh chives
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the horseradish, chives, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)
And yes, that measuring cup stays in the container. We only allow ourselves 1/4 cup of cereal for breakfast. Of course, that’s not all we eat. We usually have half a piece of fruit, a couple bites of breakfast meat, an egg, toast, and yogurt too. So yes, our breakfasts are very hearty.
So, it’s just another routine day here at Chez Carr. Got out of bed, threw on my bathrobe, trundled out to the living room, drank my Americano while reading the paper, took my shower, got dressed, fixed breakfast, ate breakfast, did the dishes, put on my “head”. (“Head” meaning apply the minimum amount of makeup to make me less scary looking). After making myself presentable, I then sat down at my desk and read the email posts that interested me, made a quick revue of Facebook posts, and got my daily dose of reality by reading Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American. Pretty darn interesting way to begin a day, right? (Actually, at my age, any day that I wake up still alive and kicking is cause for celebration!) But, if somewhere each morning I’m fortunate enough to find even one small morsel of delight in my daily morning routine, I’m pretty much assured that the rest of my day is going to run smoothly. And today’s delightful bright spot was this granola.
And yes, I make granola all the time. In fact, there are several great granola recipes already on this site. But this one was especially fun to make because it includes freeze-dried fruit. And I’d never worked with freeze-dried fruit before. And I find that I like freeze-dried fruit – a lot! At least I like the blueberries. I also purchased freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries, and I can’t imagine that I won’t find them just as delicious. Eating freeze-dried blueberries is just about as good as eating the crunch berries in Cap’N Crunch, without the corn flour, sugar, oat flour, brown sugar, palm and/or coconut oil, salt, sodium citrate, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, malic acid, reduced iron, niacinamide, (one of the B vitamins), yellow 5, strawberry juice concentrate, zinc oxide, blue 1, yellow 6, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid (4 more B vitamins), BHT (preservative), and tocopherols (preservative). (And no, I do not routinely eat crunch berries. I wish I could because they are truly a guilty pleasure. But I must draw the line somewhere. And my Cap’N Crunch line is drawn in indelible as well as inedible ink!) But back to freeze-dried fruit.
There is however one itsy, bitsy problem inherent with freeze-dried fruit. It’s damn expensive! So, as much as I would like to eat it every day, it ain’t going to happen! At Chez Carr, freeze-dried fruit has now been relegated to the list of “once in a while if you’ve been really, really good” that includes, but is not limited to, that crème de la crème of steaks – filet mignon, saffron, a pound of fresh cracked crab (that I don’t have to shell), and Scharffen Berger baking chocolate.
But if you happen to have some freeze-dried fruit just lying around, I would highly recommend that you use it in this granola recipe. Of course, if you don’t happen to have any around, this granola is still wonderful without its inclusion. Let’s face it, the next time I prepare this recipe, there won’t be any freeze-dried fruit in my cereal either!
As always, be happy with what you have. Some things, like freeze-dried fruit are lovely, but going without them is OK too. In fact, if we all got everything we wanted, and all our wishes were invariably granted, how would we ever know the pure joy that simple pleasures can bring?
I treasure what I do have. And I don’t pine away for the things that are out of my realm of possibility. My dad taught me to be happy. And I will always be more than grateful for his insight. Peace and love to all.
⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil
⅓ c. maple syrup or honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ c. roughly chopped whole almonds (or nut of choice)
1 c. coconut flakes
1½ c. dried blueberries
1 c. freeze-dried blueberries, opt. (I used a 1.2-oz. package)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon together. Stir in the oats and nuts until the oats and nuts are evenly coated.
Spoon the granola evenly onto a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 11-14 minutes or until the oats are a lightly golden color.
Remove from oven and stir in the dried blueberries. Allow the granola to cool undisturbed for at least an hour or until completely cool. The granola will crisp up as it cools.
Stir in the freeze-dried berries. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Wonderful served with milk or for a special treat, serve as a parfait with yogurt.
I made this bread a couple of days ago to go along with the Navy Bean Soup I was planning for dinner that evening. It had just started to snow, so soup and homemade bread were inevitably called for. (And yes, of course the soup recipe is on this site!) I found this recipe on thestayathomechef.com site. All the herbs, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese in this simple bread recipe absolutely resonated with me. And as it turned out, with good reason. This bread is perfection itself. Easy to build and an ideal complement to any meal. And not even a tiny bit of butter required. Just a beautiful blend of savory flavors. But consider yourself warned. This is not a quiet, timid little bread. This is a full blown, in your face, blast of flavor in tender bread form.
I made a couple of very insignificant changes to Rachel’s recipe because I could, but she is the real hero of this post. So, thank you Rachel, and keep up the good work at thestayathomechef.com. I am now a devoted fan.
Now, if you are a seasoned bread builder, one glance at this recipe should be enough to send you directly to your kitchen to start playing with yeast and flour. If you are new to bread baking, then you are really in luck. Because this bread is incredibly easy to produce. Even if you consider yourself “gluten challenged”. Which, BTW, is a legitimate condition with which only one person I know is actually afflicted. That being our dear friend Jim. So, you probably only suffer from cold feet. Just don’t let cold feet stop you from making this bread. Pluck up your courage, and just go for it. You will be so happy you did. Because making homemade bread is a beautiful thing. And we all need more things of beauty in our lives.
As always, have fun in your kitchen. I know I say that a lot. But for me, our kitchen is one of my top happy places. I get to experiment. I get to create. And I even get to fail, sometimes miserably, without any real harm to anything but a few ingredients. (And maybe my pride.) But that’s OK. Because, basically, it’s OK to fail.
View of the corner of my happy place. Usually I can see the bay and snow covered mountains. And lots and lots of sky. The day this was taken however, I was looking out on falling snow. My sink is never a bad place to find myself!
I used to tell my children that I wanted them to fail at least half of the time. Because so what? At least they would have tried something new. And maybe that meant that they simply failed to enjoy whatever it was that they had just tried. Like they failed to enjoy playing baseball. Or they felt that hitting a small round ball into a tiny little hole yards and yards away for the shear fun of it was lunacy. (I can relate to that, although Mr. C., son Sven, and a few other good friends would, I’m sure, beg to differ!)
It’s that old – glass half full/half empty thing. I see a glass half full. And I see some failure as an expected result of living a full and rewarding life. Hope you live your life to the fullest also. Little failures and all. Peace and love to all.
1 T. instant dry yeast
1 T. granulated sugar
1 c. slightly warm water
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried rosemary, lightly crushed
1 tsp. dried basil, lightly crushed
1 tsp. dried oregano, lightly crushed
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, or more as needed
⅓ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and water with the dough hook. Let sit for a couple of minutes. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic, 2 cups of the flour, and the Parmesan cheese. As your mixer kneads the bread, gradually add in as much of the remaining flour as needed to achieve a smooth, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. (Using my stand mixer, this dough clings to the hook and practically leaves the bowl spotless when enough flour has been incorporated.)
Pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball completely covered with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough in half and shape into two separate round loaves. Place loaves onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the loaves with olive oil. Cut a shallow X on each loaf. Let rise covered for another 20 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown. The internal temperature should reach at least 195 degrees.
Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Bread is wonderful gently rewarmed before serving.
I’ve never been a great lover of sweet and sour pork because I basically hate pineapple. And invariably when sweet and sour pork is offered at a Chinese restaurant, there are big honkin’ pieces of pineapple cluttering up the dish. Now for most people, like my dear husband, that’s just fine. But I just have to say, “no thank you”. But I was hungry for Chinese food the other day. So, while searching for a Chinese pork recipe, I found this recipe on the dinneratthezoo.com site. The recipe didn’t actually label itself as sweet and sour, but that’s exactly what it tastes like to me. So, that’s how I’m going to title it.
But regardless of what this lovely dish is called, it is an absolutely marvelous way to make 2 boneless pork chops expand to feed at least 5 people. And in such a delicious and easy to prepare manner. Steam up some rice, add a veggie dish like my recipe for Asian Green Beans, and a glorious Chinese dinner is on your table in no time.
This being Valentines Day, and me feeling a bit lazy, I’m going to make this preface short. Plus, it’s still snowing and sure as shootin’, tonight’s forecast for rain will wipe away all vestiges of this white, fluffy ground covering by tomorrow afternoon. So, I’m going to kick back and spend some quality time just looking out the window.
As always, enjoy life to the fullest. Relax when you have the chance. And given the opportunity, spend a couple of hours just watching nature take its course. We live in such a beautiful world. Take advantage of that as much as possible. Peace and love to all. And Happy Valentine’s Day! Oh, and I hope you enjoy this fabulous dish!
For the sauce:
¼ c. honey
⅓ c. soy sauce (reduced sodium if possible)
½ c. ketchup
3 T. brown sugar, packed
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced
Combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the honey mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes or just until thickened. Set aside.
For the pork:
1 lb. thick boneless pork chops, cut into ½-inch pieces or 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1 egg
¼ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
2 T. sesame seeds
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
Beat the eggs, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Stir in the pork pieces. Place the flour and cornstarch in a gallon sized zip-lock bag. Pinch the bag for a few seconds until the flour and cornstarch are well blended. Just before ready to fry the pork, drain off any excess egg and pour the coated pork cubes into the flour mixture. Carefully zip the bag shut and toss the pork cubes until evenly coated.
In a frying pan large enough to accommodate all of the pork pieces in a single layer, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
Add the coated pork. Over medium heat, fry the first side until crispy and golden brown. Carefully flip the pieces and again, fry until golden brown.
Pour the sauce over the cooked pork and gently toss. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately. Great over steamed rice.
So, how many ways are there to take fresh green beans, a vegetable that’s semi acceptable to most young children and veggie hating adults because of their fairly benign flavor, and turn them into something special? A preparation that will practically guaranty that everyone at table will delight in packing away these low-calorie, nutrient rich (vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin K and silicon needed for healthy bones, skin, and hair), skinny green darlings? (Even if they are – a vegetable!)
Well of course there are several ways to make green beans sublimely edible. And some are even on this site! But last evening, I was in the mood for Chinese food. (When am I not???)
So, I started thinking about how to use the green beans we had received in our last farm box to best advantage? (Did I mention I was in the mood for Chinese food?) Yah, I did. Anyway, soy sauce had to be part of the equation. And I am a true believer in the culinary merits of toasted sesame oil. Throw in a bit of garlic and Sriracha for good measure, and you’re set on the right path. Of course, I had a little bit of help with this recipe from Amanda at thewholesomedish.com. (It’s basically her recipe with a couple of additions I read about in the comments section of her blog post.) But I put my own spin on the recipe, so I’m taking credit for that much at least! Now, let’s get to the main reason for posting this recipe.
Green beans fixed this way are DAMN DELICIOUS! And very easy to prepare. And the sauce can be made ahead of time. The green beans can also be snipped and set aside until needed. (I love it when I can do my prep work well ahead of when we actually feel like having dinner.)
I served the beans last evening with SWEET AND SOUR SESAME PORK and plain steamed rice. (Recipe for the pork to follow in the next couple of days.) And between the two dishes, I felt like we were dining at a very fine Chinese restaurant. (And I hadn’t even worked up a sweat!) (Plus, there was no hidden MSG anywhere to be found!)
So, if you too love Chinese food (American Chinese food that is), I recommend you prepare both of these recipes next time only Chinese food will quench your craving.
And, of course, always give in to your cravings. (Even if they are for chocolate chip cookies.) Because this is it folks. What we are experiencing right now, is our reality. And not to make too fine a point on the obvious – but we and everyone we know and love, are going to be a long time dead! (Some sooner than later!) But while we are still alive – we should LIVE!
I take prednisone. Granted, only 4 little milligrams to assuage the pain and lethargy caused by rheumatoid arthritis. (I’m lucky!) But still there could be nasty side effects. But like I told my rheumatologist, I would rather feel good now and suffer the consequences when I’m older. If there are any consequences. But while I’m still able, I plan to continue living life to the fullest. And if that includes chocolate cupcakes or cookies every so often, then I say – bring it on! Because I am still alive and happier than I have any right to be. I’m married to a wonderful man. I have some of the best friends and fabulous relatives imaginable. And my children are amazing, productive, and remarkable individuals. So, I am truly a blessed person. But please know, I do not take any of my wonderful life for granted. I cherish every moment. I pray you are as happy and content in yours.
Peace and love to all.
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. granulated sugar
freshly ground black pepper (just a smidge)
¼ tsp. Sriracha, or more to taste
1 – 1½ lb. fresh green beans, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and Sriracha together. Set aside.
Add the green beans to the skillet. Stir them as they start to cook and char a bit. Then, reduce the heat and carefully add the soy sauce mixture to the hot skillet (liquid may spatter a bit). Stir to coat the beans in sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir the garlic into the green beans. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Then, serve immediately. (Do not over-cook. These beans should still be somewhat crisp.)
Max in front of the fire on this cold and wintry day. (We finally got the snow that was predicted!)Our courtyard from the dining room. In back of our house from the dining room.
For the last several days, weather predictors have been threatening Northwestern Washington with snow. (Like that’s a big threat for people like me!) Because those of us for whom snow is the coolest thing ever, would be overjoyed to see big old fluffy flakes of precipitation fall from the sky. Even though, in our case, almost any amount of snow will render us house bound. (Our driveway and road leading out of our neighborhood are anything but level.)
Lots of snow on Mt. Baker, but so far, none on the deck from which I am taking this picture. That’s Barnum Point in the foreground surrounded on three sides by Port Susan Bay.
But for retired folks like Mr. C. and me, who are already basically tethered to our house because of covid-19, so what? And snow is so pretty. And so much fun to play in. (OK, it used to be fun to play in when I was still skiing. Now however, I stick to admiring it from the comfort of my well heated and comfortable home.) But you understand what I mean. And besides all of which, even though I fervently wish for snow, I have as much say in the matter as my fellow thinking Americans who would like to see one of our former presidents (no name given to avoid a lawsuit) airlifted to a tiny island in the middle of a vast sea of sharks, never to be heard of again! But for reasons unknown to me, I was not handed the responsibility for weather in our region, or for mandating punishment even if said punishment is richly deserved! So, I do the next best thing.
I prepare hearty comfort food that makes us feel like there must be snow on the ground. Which, of course there is. Somewhere. And beef stew, with light as feather dumplings nestled on top, is perfect “snow weather” food. So, of course I hope you give this recipe a try. The stew is delicious. And when topped with dumplings, your entire family will feel like it must be a special occasion. (Snow, or no snow.)
So as always, make each meal a special occasion. And don’t hate snow. None of us can either stop it from falling or hasten its appearance. It simply is what it is. So, stock up on hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies or brownies. And graciously accept the inevitable. And after all that effort, and if you still have a modicum of energy left, prepare a hearty and tasty meal to top off another great day of just being alive.
Peace and love to all.
For the Stew:
4-6 slices thick lean bacon, diced
1 lb. lean beef (round steak or top sirloin is great)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
1½ tsp. paprika
½ c. flour
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. chopped celery
2 carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 c. beef stock
1 c. red wine (I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy)
1 T. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
½ tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 T. dried parsley
2 medium potatoes, diced
4-6 c. fresh or frozen vegetables (corn, beans, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.)
Fry bacon until crisp in a large, covered soup pot. Remove bacon to medium sized bowl. Don’t discard bacon fat. Meanwhile, remove any fat or grizzle from meat and cut into bite size pieces. Sprinkle meat with seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika. Place flour in a bag and add meat cubes. Shake until well coated. Brown meat in bacon fat. As pieces brown, remove to the same bowl as bacon. If more fat is needed to brown all the meat cubes, add a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil.
After all the meat has been browned, add onion, garlic, celery, and carrot slices to the pot. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, lifting brown bits off the bottom. Add beef stock, red wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Bring to boil and add cooked bacon, meat cubes and any accumulated meat juices. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is almost tender. Stir periodically.
Add potatoes and simmer until they are almost done, about 30 minutes. Add fresh vegetables and cook until crisp tender. Add frozen vegetables and continue cooking until the stew is simmering gently.
Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop dumpling balls into the stew. (The dumplings will double in size while they cook, so make them as big or small as you wish.)
Cook dumplings at a slow simmer for 10 minutes with pan uncovered. Then cover the pot and simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. (Make sure you don’t peek while the dumplings are cooking for the last 10 minutes. They need to steam in order to be nice and fluffy and lifting the lid will release the steam.) To check if the dumplings are ready, use a toothpick to test if the dumplings are cooked through. The toothpick will be clean if the dumplings are cooked enough. Then serve the stew immediately.
For the Garlic, Onion, and Chive Dumplings:
1 egg
6 T. whole milk
2 T. veggie oil
1 c. all-purpose flour, fluffed
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 T. chopped dried onion
2 T. finely chopped fresh or 1 T. dried chives
In a bowl whisk the egg, milk, and oil together. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, and chives together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix.
