I know that summer has arrived because I am now able to get great, wonderful, delicious tomatoes. You know, the kind that are grown in dirt, get dirt spattered on them when it rains, and ripen on the vine, causing the vines to droop, which makes the tomatoes suck up more dirt.
I am convinced that it's the dirt that makes summer tomatoes so delicious.
Today I was purchased 10 pounds of delicious tomatoes. Now, they weren't Jerseys, but Big Boys are almost as good. For those of you in the Midwest who have never heard of Jersey tomatoes, they were developed by Rutgers University's School of Agriculture way back on the 1950s and were the staple of homes back east in the summer. My mom preferred Jerseys to Big Boys, but she always had at least two or three Big Boy plants, along with her dozen or so plants of Jersey tomatoes.
Back to the tomatoes I purchased. These tomatoes were so good. So sweet. So non-mealy. So firm. So delicious! I made the usual tomato salad that I grew up with -- that is: cut up tomatoes -- for Alan and me I use three large ones; add to that a cut up onion in rings -- pull the rings apart; five or six leaves of basil, fresh; salt and pepper to taste. That all gets mixed together, and then a couple of sprinkles of EVOO is incorporated into that mess, and there you have it-- tomato salad the way my mom made it. The only thing missing is Italian bread to dip into the juice that accumulates in the bottom of the bowl -- the best part as far as I'm concerned.
If only I had thought to go over to Panera's to get a loaf of bread, but I didn't, so I just drank the juice. Hey! It's tomato juice, just not as thick as what is in the can, but just as tasty.
What else did we have with the tomatoes? (I could have made a meal of just them.) Well, we had corn on the cob with butter, a small steak (1/2 each of a New York steak); and rice made with lemon pepper and butter. That was it. What a tasty meal. And the juice dribbles over to the steak which makes the steak taste even better!
Wish you all could have been here. And, I'm really looking forward to BLTs during the summer. That's really the only time we like them. And, stuffed tomatoes --stuffed with tuna salad or chicken salad. And fresh marinara sauce. And on and on and on.
ttfn
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Chicken again
Well, I've come around to chicken again to feed us tonight. I'm at a loss as to how to fix it. Actually, I would love to make some chicken salad and put it into a nice, juicy home-grown tomato, and call it a meal. However, I don't have any tomatoes. Maybe I'll make the chicken salad anyway.
Then, I'm thinking I should make chicken marsala. Now there's a recipe I know I've never posted. And, I'm not sure I make it correctly, but we like it, and I've served it to visiting friends, and they liked it as well. And...you can substitute veal for the chicken (or vice versa) as well.
The big plus is that it's very easy to make.
What you need:
1/2 boned chicken breast per person (I usually throw a couple more in the pot if I have guests)
EVOO
4 garlic cloves chopped
salt - 1 tspn
pepper - 1 tspn
flour - 1/2 cup
Marsala wine - 1/2 cup (more if you like)
Heavy cream - 1 cup (you can use half & half)
Mushrooms are optional, about 1/2 cup freshly sliced. Alan doesn't like them so I leave them out unless we're having guests.
Mix together in a plastic baggie the flour, salt, and pepper. Put the chicken breasts into the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Set aside.
Preheat the pan. You know it's hot when a drop of water sizzles when you drop it in the pan. Drizzle over the pan bottom to lightly coat it with some EVOO. Put into the EVOO the chopped garlic. Stir until it is just brown. Be sure not to burn it. I know I give this instruction a lot, but not burning the garlic is important.
Lower the heat to medium. Take the chicken and put it into the pan. Shake the excess flour mixture off each piece of chicken before putting it in the pan. and brown the chicken, each side cooking for about 5 minutes. After the chicken is browned, cover the pan and cook for 15 more minutes. This should give you a good starter for the marsala gravy.
After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pot. Now is the time to add the mushrooms if you're going to use them, the heavy cream and the marsala wine. Mix them together to blend them (use a wisk) and put the chicken back into the pot. Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. If you think you need more gravy, add more cream, not more wine.
Serve.
Now, I am really hungry, but I'm sticking to chicken salad because it's so warm and it's a good "salad" night.
ttfn
Then, I'm thinking I should make chicken marsala. Now there's a recipe I know I've never posted. And, I'm not sure I make it correctly, but we like it, and I've served it to visiting friends, and they liked it as well. And...you can substitute veal for the chicken (or vice versa) as well.
The big plus is that it's very easy to make.
What you need:
1/2 boned chicken breast per person (I usually throw a couple more in the pot if I have guests)
EVOO
4 garlic cloves chopped
salt - 1 tspn
pepper - 1 tspn
flour - 1/2 cup
Marsala wine - 1/2 cup (more if you like)
Heavy cream - 1 cup (you can use half & half)
Mushrooms are optional, about 1/2 cup freshly sliced. Alan doesn't like them so I leave them out unless we're having guests.
Mix together in a plastic baggie the flour, salt, and pepper. Put the chicken breasts into the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Set aside.
Preheat the pan. You know it's hot when a drop of water sizzles when you drop it in the pan. Drizzle over the pan bottom to lightly coat it with some EVOO. Put into the EVOO the chopped garlic. Stir until it is just brown. Be sure not to burn it. I know I give this instruction a lot, but not burning the garlic is important.
Lower the heat to medium. Take the chicken and put it into the pan. Shake the excess flour mixture off each piece of chicken before putting it in the pan. and brown the chicken, each side cooking for about 5 minutes. After the chicken is browned, cover the pan and cook for 15 more minutes. This should give you a good starter for the marsala gravy.
After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pot. Now is the time to add the mushrooms if you're going to use them, the heavy cream and the marsala wine. Mix them together to blend them (use a wisk) and put the chicken back into the pot. Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. If you think you need more gravy, add more cream, not more wine.
Serve.
Now, I am really hungry, but I'm sticking to chicken salad because it's so warm and it's a good "salad" night.
ttfn
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Grilled chicken
I love grilled chicken. It just tastes so different from either fried or roasted chicken.
I marinate the chicken for a couple of hours in my own special dressing, and then I have a grill pan (with the ridges) and that's what I used to "grill" my chicken.
My special dressing is something that has evolved (a proper use for that word, having nothing to do with any changes in my body which has devolved over the past 66 years) over several years. I have gone from wine vinegar to raspberry vinegar and now I'm using balsamic vinegar for the base.
Here goes:
In a bowl mix:
1/2 cup olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed, NOT the stuff that comes from a bottle)
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon Lowry's seasoned salt
1 teaspoon Emeril's Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salad seasoning
This will be thick. I take two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halves) and put this dressing and the chicken into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for about two hours.
You don't need to use any oil in the pan because there is enough oil covering the chicken from the marinade so that the chicken won't stick.
Turn the heat on high under the pan. When the pan is hot (put a drop of water in it and it sizzles) pull the breasts from the bag, do not wipe off any of the marinade that sticks to the breast, and place in the grill pan (a regular pan will work, but you won't get the same "effect" as you get with a grill pan) and cook the first side for 3 minutes, turn down the heat to low, and cook the other side for 5 minutes. If you have a gas range, do not turn down the heat. The electric stove retains enough heat for this to work well -- the turning down of the heat for side two.
I do wish I had a gas stove. I used to have a gas stove. I had one for 30 years and then had to learn to cook all over again, almost. But I have to say that a flat top stove is wonderful for keeping clean and shiny. I always hated taking apart the gas stove to clean it above and underneath. And I'd no sooner get the stove all clean and shiny and then something would boil over, just waiting for the next cleaning date.
To my niece who hates broccoli -- it's a good side with this cooking of the chicken, and I learned today that broccoli is great for burning off fat from your body. I'm not sure that's true, but maybe I'm not eating enough broccoli for it to work as a fat burner for my body type -- which is fat!
ttfn
I marinate the chicken for a couple of hours in my own special dressing, and then I have a grill pan (with the ridges) and that's what I used to "grill" my chicken.
My special dressing is something that has evolved (a proper use for that word, having nothing to do with any changes in my body which has devolved over the past 66 years) over several years. I have gone from wine vinegar to raspberry vinegar and now I'm using balsamic vinegar for the base.
Here goes:
In a bowl mix:
1/2 cup olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed, NOT the stuff that comes from a bottle)
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon Lowry's seasoned salt
1 teaspoon Emeril's Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salad seasoning
This will be thick. I take two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halves) and put this dressing and the chicken into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for about two hours.
You don't need to use any oil in the pan because there is enough oil covering the chicken from the marinade so that the chicken won't stick.
Turn the heat on high under the pan. When the pan is hot (put a drop of water in it and it sizzles) pull the breasts from the bag, do not wipe off any of the marinade that sticks to the breast, and place in the grill pan (a regular pan will work, but you won't get the same "effect" as you get with a grill pan) and cook the first side for 3 minutes, turn down the heat to low, and cook the other side for 5 minutes. If you have a gas range, do not turn down the heat. The electric stove retains enough heat for this to work well -- the turning down of the heat for side two.
I do wish I had a gas stove. I used to have a gas stove. I had one for 30 years and then had to learn to cook all over again, almost. But I have to say that a flat top stove is wonderful for keeping clean and shiny. I always hated taking apart the gas stove to clean it above and underneath. And I'd no sooner get the stove all clean and shiny and then something would boil over, just waiting for the next cleaning date.
To my niece who hates broccoli -- it's a good side with this cooking of the chicken, and I learned today that broccoli is great for burning off fat from your body. I'm not sure that's true, but maybe I'm not eating enough broccoli for it to work as a fat burner for my body type -- which is fat!
ttfn
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ewww!
Well, because of my back problems, Alan's been doing the "cooking" for four days now. Actually, he's been eating, I haven't. Tonight, I decided to open a jar of marinara sauce, the brand of which tasted really good last time I used it. After a two-year break from this particular brand (which is local) the taste was completely different and really awful, or I just got a jar from a bad batch.
So, tonight we had spaghetti with jarred spaghetti sauce topped with parmsan cheese and a salad. I should just not have eaten again. it was really, really bad. Poor Alan.
Lesson learned -- make your own sauce and freeze it.
My sauce:
1 large can tomato puree (I used an Italian brand)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion - diced
1/2 carrot - diced
six large leaves basil, chopped
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley.
In large pan saute in olive (EVOO) the garlic, onion, and carrot. When the garlic is lightly browned, add the tomato puree, stir. Add the basil and the parsley, cover and cook for two or more hours.
This is my favorite meatless sauce. And it freezes well.
ttfn
So, tonight we had spaghetti with jarred spaghetti sauce topped with parmsan cheese and a salad. I should just not have eaten again. it was really, really bad. Poor Alan.
Lesson learned -- make your own sauce and freeze it.
My sauce:
1 large can tomato puree (I used an Italian brand)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion - diced
1/2 carrot - diced
six large leaves basil, chopped
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley.
In large pan saute in olive (EVOO) the garlic, onion, and carrot. When the garlic is lightly browned, add the tomato puree, stir. Add the basil and the parsley, cover and cook for two or more hours.
This is my favorite meatless sauce. And it freezes well.
ttfn
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Catsup/Ketchup
I hate the stuff. I think it tastes awful. I used to "can" ketchup each summer and that mixture I loved. The thickened tomato soup that comes in a jar now doesn't taste anything like the recipe which was in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 1966 edition.
The reason for this talk about catsup/ketchup (CK from now on) is that I'm currently out of CK in my pantry and refrigerator. That's because I made one of Alan's favorite dishes the other night. It was a staple of his mom's when they lived in Kenya because she could get the main ingredient easily. The main ingredient is SPAM. Yes, that's right, SPAM, that stuff that comes in a blue can.
Anyway, last night I was going to just make hamburgers for dinner, but then I realized I was out of CK and Alan would never eat a hamburger without CK, whereas, I would never eat a hamburger with CK (unless it's made by McD's).
So, I had to have pork chops instead, which meant making a full dinner with the trusted three sides -- a starch (lima beans), a green veggie (green beans) and a salad (always a salad), a lot more work than I wanted to do.
Back to CK. I posted this recipe for SPAM which has to be served with rice. I can't stand the taste of it, but Alan loves it, so three or four times a year I make it for him. I eat the rice and maybe a spoonful of the SPAM dish. And, I'm probably repeating the entire previous post. But I have an excuse. I'm getting old and forgetful. I do remember my name today, though. A good sign.
Apparently children love the taste of this dish. I don't know why, but they do. And if you go back and read the recipe I posted a few weeks ago, you know why I'm out of CK. It takes quite a bit of that nasty tomato condiment to finish off the SPAM dish properly.
I'll be out of CK for the next couple of weeks. My shopper went to the store for me yesterday and she doesn't go again for a couple of weeks. Am I sad to be missing CK in my fridge or pantry? Not at all, but now I will have to wrack my brain to think of some other way to make a hamburger so that Alan will eat it. Maybe I will douse it with bar-b-q sauce. That might work.
PS: I don't particularly like BBQ sauce either. I guess I'm hard to please.
The reason for this talk about catsup/ketchup (CK from now on) is that I'm currently out of CK in my pantry and refrigerator. That's because I made one of Alan's favorite dishes the other night. It was a staple of his mom's when they lived in Kenya because she could get the main ingredient easily. The main ingredient is SPAM. Yes, that's right, SPAM, that stuff that comes in a blue can.
Anyway, last night I was going to just make hamburgers for dinner, but then I realized I was out of CK and Alan would never eat a hamburger without CK, whereas, I would never eat a hamburger with CK (unless it's made by McD's).
So, I had to have pork chops instead, which meant making a full dinner with the trusted three sides -- a starch (lima beans), a green veggie (green beans) and a salad (always a salad), a lot more work than I wanted to do.
Back to CK. I posted this recipe for SPAM which has to be served with rice. I can't stand the taste of it, but Alan loves it, so three or four times a year I make it for him. I eat the rice and maybe a spoonful of the SPAM dish. And, I'm probably repeating the entire previous post. But I have an excuse. I'm getting old and forgetful. I do remember my name today, though. A good sign.
Apparently children love the taste of this dish. I don't know why, but they do. And if you go back and read the recipe I posted a few weeks ago, you know why I'm out of CK. It takes quite a bit of that nasty tomato condiment to finish off the SPAM dish properly.
I'll be out of CK for the next couple of weeks. My shopper went to the store for me yesterday and she doesn't go again for a couple of weeks. Am I sad to be missing CK in my fridge or pantry? Not at all, but now I will have to wrack my brain to think of some other way to make a hamburger so that Alan will eat it. Maybe I will douse it with bar-b-q sauce. That might work.
PS: I don't particularly like BBQ sauce either. I guess I'm hard to please.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
EVOO
My niece Lori told me today that she had never used EVOO in recipes before I wrote this BLOG. So I decided to write a little bit about EVOO and explain why I use it instead of some other "oil" in cooking.
EVOO is extra virgin olive oil.
First, EVOO, is the best oil you can use because it is actually good for the heart. It doesn't clog the arteries as other "oils" do. Cooking oil is the worst of all in that respect. I only use cooking oil when I bake because frankly, the taste of EVOO is strong and it changes the taste of pies and cakes. BUT, I do use it when I bake pizzas because EVOO does go with that type of baking. Can you tell the difference? If it has sugar, don't use EVOO, if it doesn't have sugar, use the EVOO.
I did a little more research some months ago on EVOO, and found that it is good for those who suffer arthritis. Frankly, I've been using EVOO for years, and if it is supposed to help with arthritis I hate to think how much worse the arthritis I have would be. I have a cousin, though, who swears by it and he doses himself up with a couple of tablespoons every day. I just can't do that, sorry. I love EVOO with bread and in cooking, but to just spoon it into my mouth? I don't think so.
EVOO is a laxative. When I was pregnant with my second child I was having a difficult time -- I was very, very constipated. Back then you just didn't take any medicines to help with problems you might have because you were pregnant. So, I called my mom, and she told me to take a couple of tablespoons of EVOO and that would solve the problem. It did. And ever since then, that's been the family remedy for constipation. I guess that's more info than you all wanted, but there it is.
So, cook with EVOO. Fried foods CAN be good for you! And use it for its medicinal purposes. Just hold your nose and swallow it. Holding your nose when you're swallowing something eliminates tasting what you're putting into your mouth.
Now that I've explained about EVOO, maybe I should give you a recipe (or two).
Flavored olive oil is easy to make, and a lot less expensive if you do it yourself rather than buying it at the store.
Garlic flavored oil is really easy to make. Just peel five or six cloves (sections of a whole garlic) and smash it slightly. Put those cloves in a small bottle of EVOO, wait a few days, and you will have a great dip for bread.
You can also use any of your favorite herbs in the same way. If you want thyme flavored oil put a coule of stalks of thyme into a bottle and wait a few days. Yum! It's especially good to use this flavored oil for frying chicken. It gives it a different flavor. Also, use it as a rub on lamb. You will really enjoy the flavor.
Enough for now. But writing about EVOO gives me an impetus for updating this particular BLOG more often.
ttfn
EVOO is extra virgin olive oil.
First, EVOO, is the best oil you can use because it is actually good for the heart. It doesn't clog the arteries as other "oils" do. Cooking oil is the worst of all in that respect. I only use cooking oil when I bake because frankly, the taste of EVOO is strong and it changes the taste of pies and cakes. BUT, I do use it when I bake pizzas because EVOO does go with that type of baking. Can you tell the difference? If it has sugar, don't use EVOO, if it doesn't have sugar, use the EVOO.
I did a little more research some months ago on EVOO, and found that it is good for those who suffer arthritis. Frankly, I've been using EVOO for years, and if it is supposed to help with arthritis I hate to think how much worse the arthritis I have would be. I have a cousin, though, who swears by it and he doses himself up with a couple of tablespoons every day. I just can't do that, sorry. I love EVOO with bread and in cooking, but to just spoon it into my mouth? I don't think so.
EVOO is a laxative. When I was pregnant with my second child I was having a difficult time -- I was very, very constipated. Back then you just didn't take any medicines to help with problems you might have because you were pregnant. So, I called my mom, and she told me to take a couple of tablespoons of EVOO and that would solve the problem. It did. And ever since then, that's been the family remedy for constipation. I guess that's more info than you all wanted, but there it is.
So, cook with EVOO. Fried foods CAN be good for you! And use it for its medicinal purposes. Just hold your nose and swallow it. Holding your nose when you're swallowing something eliminates tasting what you're putting into your mouth.
Now that I've explained about EVOO, maybe I should give you a recipe (or two).
Flavored olive oil is easy to make, and a lot less expensive if you do it yourself rather than buying it at the store.
Garlic flavored oil is really easy to make. Just peel five or six cloves (sections of a whole garlic) and smash it slightly. Put those cloves in a small bottle of EVOO, wait a few days, and you will have a great dip for bread.
You can also use any of your favorite herbs in the same way. If you want thyme flavored oil put a coule of stalks of thyme into a bottle and wait a few days. Yum! It's especially good to use this flavored oil for frying chicken. It gives it a different flavor. Also, use it as a rub on lamb. You will really enjoy the flavor.
Enough for now. But writing about EVOO gives me an impetus for updating this particular BLOG more often.
ttfn
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