Gotta give it up for Adele---what a voice, what a song.
Anyhoo---what with working 12 hrs when I'm on, and studying when I'm off, I have had to let the cooking bug bite at me for some time. But not today.
Seeing a recipe for Garlic Rice got the fire burning again, and I just had to do it.
After setting the boombox to Watercolors (God, I miss the Jazz Cafe), I set to my task.
1. Crack open a bottle of Landshark
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on med-high heat
3. Add minced garlic. And yes, you have to mince it yourself. Don't use that crap
in a jar. Not only do you get the taste of freshly minced garlic, but you have
the added benefit of that lovely garlic aroma on your fingers, which I particu-
larly enjoy.
4. Stir, stir, stir. You want a nice golden brown--not burnt. If you burn it you
have to start over. This only takes about 30 seconds.
5. Dump in your 4 cups of pre-cooked rice. (This is a great way to use leftovers).
6. Add garlic powder, about a teaspoon, and some salt (maybe 1/2 tsp). Add a little
black pepper to your taste, and that's it!!!
Sooo yummy. I'm saving it for tomorrow night. I've browned 2 chicken breasts, then
put them in the oven with a little chicken broth and a can of cream of chicken soup, covered, and cooked on 300 for about 45 minutes. It's gonna be great with the rice.
I'm not able to name songs this time, because Watercolors was offering a live per-
formance of Jeff Golub, and I went with it. Very jazzy. Helped me get my groove on.
L.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Friday, November 18, 2011
Linquine---let's do it!
Has it been a year??? Well, judging from the lack of recipe requests, etc, who cares?!!
I had the most enjoyable time at lunch in Shreveport with my college lady, Cindy S.
We dined at Macaroni Grill, and shared many cooking stories and tips---my kind of gal!
Tonight, with Bill still at the deercamp, and me finally over the rejection of layoff, I decided to throw together some pasta. Here's how it went:
After waiting the appropriate amount of time that I expected to be stood up by my former employer who called herself my friend (I was attempting to return the good-for-nothing Sam's card that had been issued to me several months ago for business purposes), I finally fell in to the pasta and cream sauce cavern.
I had grilled several chicken breasts earlier in the week, and Bill and I had shared one on our BigAss salads, and I had 2 left. I was totally thrilled that the one I chose to add to my meal tonight was slightly underdone(means that once reheated it won't be dry). I had Sirius smooth jazz (also known as watercolors (ugh) on the boombox , but I also had Al Green !!!! on the ipod, blasting simultaneously from both ends of the house, and I was a happy camper no matter where I was!
The technique:
In a pot of softly boiling water, cook linguine until al dente. While doing this,
chase puppy to regain control of towel that hangs on oven door. If regained and rehung, you must also drag puppy across floor while his sharp little teeth are imbedded in your pantcuffs. This can be a source of great amusement, or an intense state of pisstivity, or both, depending on your stress level, alcohol or nicotine titration, or a combination of both. Once pasta is ready, brown about a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, and toss in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Throw in a good pinch of salt, the underdone chicken breast filet that has been sliced, and about 1/2 cup of half and half. Look at the sizzle! Quickly add the pasta, and stir, tossing in some parmesan cheese and a double pinch of herbes de provence while turning off the heat. Voila!!! Pasta supper to die for. Don't forget the crunchy, chewy bread.
Also, be sure to save a small piece of chicken to toss to the dog for reassurance when he finally comes out of hiding.
L.
Regain composure until "hooked on a feeling" by BJ Thomas comes blasting through the speakers, and you unashamedly find yourself with the air mic to your mouth. And you know what? Why not follow it up with a rousing rendition of the Temptations' Can't get next to you? I mean, push me and we'll go on to Psychedelic Shack. Hell, let's just go there anyway!!!!
By now the puppy is hiding from his unbalanced master, you need a rest from all the dance activity, and you have enjoyed yet another tummy orgasm of pasta and sauce!
I had the most enjoyable time at lunch in Shreveport with my college lady, Cindy S.
We dined at Macaroni Grill, and shared many cooking stories and tips---my kind of gal!
Tonight, with Bill still at the deercamp, and me finally over the rejection of layoff, I decided to throw together some pasta. Here's how it went:
After waiting the appropriate amount of time that I expected to be stood up by my former employer who called herself my friend (I was attempting to return the good-for-nothing Sam's card that had been issued to me several months ago for business purposes), I finally fell in to the pasta and cream sauce cavern.
I had grilled several chicken breasts earlier in the week, and Bill and I had shared one on our BigAss salads, and I had 2 left. I was totally thrilled that the one I chose to add to my meal tonight was slightly underdone(means that once reheated it won't be dry). I had Sirius smooth jazz (also known as watercolors (ugh) on the boombox , but I also had Al Green !!!! on the ipod, blasting simultaneously from both ends of the house, and I was a happy camper no matter where I was!
The technique:
In a pot of softly boiling water, cook linguine until al dente. While doing this,
chase puppy to regain control of towel that hangs on oven door. If regained and rehung, you must also drag puppy across floor while his sharp little teeth are imbedded in your pantcuffs. This can be a source of great amusement, or an intense state of pisstivity, or both, depending on your stress level, alcohol or nicotine titration, or a combination of both. Once pasta is ready, brown about a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, and toss in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Throw in a good pinch of salt, the underdone chicken breast filet that has been sliced, and about 1/2 cup of half and half. Look at the sizzle! Quickly add the pasta, and stir, tossing in some parmesan cheese and a double pinch of herbes de provence while turning off the heat. Voila!!! Pasta supper to die for. Don't forget the crunchy, chewy bread.
Also, be sure to save a small piece of chicken to toss to the dog for reassurance when he finally comes out of hiding.
L.
Regain composure until "hooked on a feeling" by BJ Thomas comes blasting through the speakers, and you unashamedly find yourself with the air mic to your mouth. And you know what? Why not follow it up with a rousing rendition of the Temptations' Can't get next to you? I mean, push me and we'll go on to Psychedelic Shack. Hell, let's just go there anyway!!!!
By now the puppy is hiding from his unbalanced master, you need a rest from all the dance activity, and you have enjoyed yet another tummy orgasm of pasta and sauce!
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Joy of Brining
Wow--has it been a long time!!!
Just have to say a few words about brining---it's the cook's best friend, aside from the always handy pressure cooker. I've become quite adept at brining: I decided to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving, and, true to my life form, my family takes my cooking, like my nursing, with a grain of salt. So, after a couple of months of telling mom that I was going to brine and cook a turkey, what happened? My grandmother decided to pay someone to fry a turkey. To make a long story short, I brined and roasted a turkey breast, and there wasn't quite enough of it to satisfy appetites after tasting the over-fried (and left out in the elements!!!!! what's up with that????) fried turkey.
Okay---got that off my chest. Here's what I do now: If I just want to have a chicken breast or two for supper (like tonight's grilled chicken on salad), I simply thaw the meat in a container big enough to accomodate them, with 2 or 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and water. If you have apple juice, throw that it, along with any herbs you like (I like rosemary).. then flatten the breasts with a cast iron skillet and grill stove top. Tonight's music lineup included the moody blues, led zeppelin, heart, fleetwood mac. Bill, after working hard all day building railings for the patio, sipped Ancient Age and 7 up, and it was Espresso Martinis for me. Which explains why I'm still up.
Brining----do try this at home.
L
Just have to say a few words about brining---it's the cook's best friend, aside from the always handy pressure cooker. I've become quite adept at brining: I decided to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving, and, true to my life form, my family takes my cooking, like my nursing, with a grain of salt. So, after a couple of months of telling mom that I was going to brine and cook a turkey, what happened? My grandmother decided to pay someone to fry a turkey. To make a long story short, I brined and roasted a turkey breast, and there wasn't quite enough of it to satisfy appetites after tasting the over-fried (and left out in the elements!!!!! what's up with that????) fried turkey.
Okay---got that off my chest. Here's what I do now: If I just want to have a chicken breast or two for supper (like tonight's grilled chicken on salad), I simply thaw the meat in a container big enough to accomodate them, with 2 or 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and water. If you have apple juice, throw that it, along with any herbs you like (I like rosemary).. then flatten the breasts with a cast iron skillet and grill stove top. Tonight's music lineup included the moody blues, led zeppelin, heart, fleetwood mac. Bill, after working hard all day building railings for the patio, sipped Ancient Age and 7 up, and it was Espresso Martinis for me. Which explains why I'm still up.
Brining----do try this at home.
L
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Stuffed Pistolettes for Shirley
Let me tell you about Shirley. She's the most lovely person at the hospital. On the occasional Sunday morning at the hospital, the unit clerk will set the call bell to page and Shirley will sing a gospel song, piped into all the patient rooms. Once when one of my patients was on her way to heaven, the family heard this, and requested that Shirley come in the room and sing to mama, which she did without hesitation. Then, a little while later, when the mom passed, Shirley came back in the room and sang again. This resulted in the family asking her to sing at the funeral. She has the voice of an angel, and the sweetest disposition. I made pistolettes once and took them to work, and she flipped over them. She has asked me to make them for her son and herself for Christmas and I am more than happy to oblige. So here's how you do it:
Cut the ends off 12 pistolettes, and with a long fork, scoop out the middle. (I always save the insides in a freezer bag for breadcrumbs later). Then, with the Temptations singing Standing on the Top, chop 1 onion, add it to 1 lb ground beef in a skillet, and cook.
Cook a small pkg of chopped broccoli according to pkg directions, omitting salt.
Once the meat is brown, drain it and add 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, sprinkle in a little garlic powder and some cajun seasoning. Then add 1/2 lb velveeta, and cook on low to melt cheese. Jackson Browne is singing Your Bright Baby Blues, and all is right with the world.
Once the cheese is melted, add the broccoli to the meat mixture, and begin stuffing the pistolettes. Once each one is stuffed, replace the end that was cut off earlier, and secure it with a toothpick. Toby Keith is singing Who's Your Daddy? (you are, baby!)
Once all pistolettes are stuffed and their lids are secured, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. If you are serving them right away, place them in a 450 oven and cook 8-10 minutes til light brown. Careful---they burn easily.
I'm not cooking these, so i placed them in the freezer, and will deliver them to Shirley with baking instructions.
Sure hopes she knows what a blessing she is.
Speaking of blessings---here's a personal footnote:
Those of you who know me know that Dan is history---and all I can say about that is good riddance.
But I have been monumentally blessed with a husband who truly loves me, and although I think I'm a pretty neat chick, I don't know why in the world this man can forgive and forget the way he has. Of course, the hurt I felt in the marriage was little by little over the years, culminating in the break-up, but still I would never have expected him to do what he has done to prove to me that he's the right man for me, after the way I hurt him. So I will do all I can to encourage him and let him know he's loved and appreciated. My mom will be so happy!
L
Cut the ends off 12 pistolettes, and with a long fork, scoop out the middle. (I always save the insides in a freezer bag for breadcrumbs later). Then, with the Temptations singing Standing on the Top, chop 1 onion, add it to 1 lb ground beef in a skillet, and cook.
Cook a small pkg of chopped broccoli according to pkg directions, omitting salt.
Once the meat is brown, drain it and add 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, sprinkle in a little garlic powder and some cajun seasoning. Then add 1/2 lb velveeta, and cook on low to melt cheese. Jackson Browne is singing Your Bright Baby Blues, and all is right with the world.
Once the cheese is melted, add the broccoli to the meat mixture, and begin stuffing the pistolettes. Once each one is stuffed, replace the end that was cut off earlier, and secure it with a toothpick. Toby Keith is singing Who's Your Daddy? (you are, baby!)
Once all pistolettes are stuffed and their lids are secured, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. If you are serving them right away, place them in a 450 oven and cook 8-10 minutes til light brown. Careful---they burn easily.
I'm not cooking these, so i placed them in the freezer, and will deliver them to Shirley with baking instructions.
Sure hopes she knows what a blessing she is.
Speaking of blessings---here's a personal footnote:
Those of you who know me know that Dan is history---and all I can say about that is good riddance.
But I have been monumentally blessed with a husband who truly loves me, and although I think I'm a pretty neat chick, I don't know why in the world this man can forgive and forget the way he has. Of course, the hurt I felt in the marriage was little by little over the years, culminating in the break-up, but still I would never have expected him to do what he has done to prove to me that he's the right man for me, after the way I hurt him. So I will do all I can to encourage him and let him know he's loved and appreciated. My mom will be so happy!
L
Friday, December 11, 2009
Texas Torte
There's a Christmas party at my second job at 5pm today, but I won't be able to attend, because I agreed to work at the hospital to allow the Rehab nurses to attend their own Christmas party. Still, I wanted to contribute something to my coworkers, and in keeping with the mexican theme they came up with, I decided to make this dish. I got this recipe many years ago from a lady I worked with, who, sadly, died a few years later of cancer. So this is dedicated to Kathy.
I set the oven to 350 to preheat, the Ipod to shuffle, and was greeted with Grover Washington Jr's "One Must Forgive". This man was probably the best smooth jazz sax player ever, and I could listen to him all day. This was a pretty long song, and the prep for this dish is fairly quick.
In a large bowl, I broke 2 eggs, added 2 tablespoons flour, 1/3 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a 4 oz can of chopped green chiles. With a fork, I mixed all this together, then set about grating the cheese. Of course this can be done with a food processor, but that takes all the fun out of cooking for me, and it was pretty therapeutic to grate cheese to this beautiful song. I was nearly finished grating the 1/2 lb of monterey jack when the song went off, and Five O'clock World by the Vogues came on. This was a short song, and I barely got half of the 1/2 lb of cheddar grated before it went off, and I was serenaded by Seal singing Don't Cry. I finished up the grating, mixed everything together, and poured the mixture into a parchment paper lined 8x13 pan. You can use non stick spray, I just prefer the paper.
Into the oven, and I set my chicken timer for 35 minutes, and cleaned up to Just Ask the Lonely by the 4 Tops. Now I wait, listening to Alright by Darius Rucker. Don't you just love that guy?
Anyway, I will deliver this yummy dish at 1pm today when I go into town, and I hope they enjoy it.
My thanks to Kathy.
I set the oven to 350 to preheat, the Ipod to shuffle, and was greeted with Grover Washington Jr's "One Must Forgive". This man was probably the best smooth jazz sax player ever, and I could listen to him all day. This was a pretty long song, and the prep for this dish is fairly quick.
In a large bowl, I broke 2 eggs, added 2 tablespoons flour, 1/3 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a 4 oz can of chopped green chiles. With a fork, I mixed all this together, then set about grating the cheese. Of course this can be done with a food processor, but that takes all the fun out of cooking for me, and it was pretty therapeutic to grate cheese to this beautiful song. I was nearly finished grating the 1/2 lb of monterey jack when the song went off, and Five O'clock World by the Vogues came on. This was a short song, and I barely got half of the 1/2 lb of cheddar grated before it went off, and I was serenaded by Seal singing Don't Cry. I finished up the grating, mixed everything together, and poured the mixture into a parchment paper lined 8x13 pan. You can use non stick spray, I just prefer the paper.
Into the oven, and I set my chicken timer for 35 minutes, and cleaned up to Just Ask the Lonely by the 4 Tops. Now I wait, listening to Alright by Darius Rucker. Don't you just love that guy?
Anyway, I will deliver this yummy dish at 1pm today when I go into town, and I hope they enjoy it.
My thanks to Kathy.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Uh Oh Time For Beans and Cornbread Again!
Okay, so the Thanksgiving holiday is over and done, and this year no turkey!!! My mom baked a wonderful Petit Jean ham (15 pounds), and once all the carving was done she asked me if I had a pot big enough to cook it in (with beans of course!). Well, I did what all good foodies do---I lied and said yes. I mean, I can work this out, right?
So this morning, with the rain falling softly outside, and everything lovely and dark out, I got to work on that bone. Naturally, it was too long for my pot, but that wouldn't stop me. After trying the meat cleaver (didn't work), I just put that big boy in the pot with a good 1/3 of it sticking out and started boiling. I turned it often, so both ends would cook (and to keep the food spoilage police from my door), and once done, I stripped it so clean you would have thought buzzards had been on it.
With all those lovely chunks of ham floating around in the simmering broth, I poured in a bag of great northerns, and let it go. Ipod was set to shuffle, so all the while I listened to a veritable cornucopia of music, including Tears for Fears, Nickelback, Conway Twitty, Gary Allen, and Harry Chapin. Good company when cooking, I say.
I also say: Bring on the cornbread!!!!
So this morning, with the rain falling softly outside, and everything lovely and dark out, I got to work on that bone. Naturally, it was too long for my pot, but that wouldn't stop me. After trying the meat cleaver (didn't work), I just put that big boy in the pot with a good 1/3 of it sticking out and started boiling. I turned it often, so both ends would cook (and to keep the food spoilage police from my door), and once done, I stripped it so clean you would have thought buzzards had been on it.
With all those lovely chunks of ham floating around in the simmering broth, I poured in a bag of great northerns, and let it go. Ipod was set to shuffle, so all the while I listened to a veritable cornucopia of music, including Tears for Fears, Nickelback, Conway Twitty, Gary Allen, and Harry Chapin. Good company when cooking, I say.
I also say: Bring on the cornbread!!!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Mellow Day
Now that I've gotten my soup craving under control (last week I made Potato soup, Creamy Vegetable, paired with crawfish cornbread---yummm, and Cheesy Crawfish Tail soup), I'm ready to move on.
After working at my sweet little second job, I came home at 3 to the red and yellow bell peppers I bought on sale just for this meal. It's a mellow kind of day--cloudy outside, no stress from work, no one coming over, and just me, the peppers, and jazz music on the tv.
First, I cut the tops off the peppers and cleaned out the insides. Rather than your standard tomato sauce meatloaf rice concoction that is usually associated with stuffed peppers, I decided to take inspiration from a former friend. I cooked ground beef with onions and garlic, and added a can of undiluted cream of mushroom soup and some sliced mushrooms, seasoning with worc. sauce, creole seasoning, and celery flakes. I then spooned this mixture into the 4 decapitated peppers and replaced their heads. Into a preheated 350 oven to cook til the peppers are softened, then take the lids back off and top with grated cheddar cheese. Back into the oven to melt the cheese, and you almost have a crustless version of hamburger pie! I plan to serve this with wild mushroom risotto (you can buy this in a box at Target, and it's FABULOUS).
I got so into the rhythm of the cooking steps and the music that I didn't even take note of the songs floating around me, but the silky sounds couldn't have been a more perfect accompaniment to what I was doing. A glass of Barefoot cabernet doesn't hurt, either.
Enjoy!
After working at my sweet little second job, I came home at 3 to the red and yellow bell peppers I bought on sale just for this meal. It's a mellow kind of day--cloudy outside, no stress from work, no one coming over, and just me, the peppers, and jazz music on the tv.
First, I cut the tops off the peppers and cleaned out the insides. Rather than your standard tomato sauce meatloaf rice concoction that is usually associated with stuffed peppers, I decided to take inspiration from a former friend. I cooked ground beef with onions and garlic, and added a can of undiluted cream of mushroom soup and some sliced mushrooms, seasoning with worc. sauce, creole seasoning, and celery flakes. I then spooned this mixture into the 4 decapitated peppers and replaced their heads. Into a preheated 350 oven to cook til the peppers are softened, then take the lids back off and top with grated cheddar cheese. Back into the oven to melt the cheese, and you almost have a crustless version of hamburger pie! I plan to serve this with wild mushroom risotto (you can buy this in a box at Target, and it's FABULOUS).
I got so into the rhythm of the cooking steps and the music that I didn't even take note of the songs floating around me, but the silky sounds couldn't have been a more perfect accompaniment to what I was doing. A glass of Barefoot cabernet doesn't hurt, either.
Enjoy!
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