GREEN BEANS COOKED IN OLIVE OIL

This is a very simple dish and for that reason I thought twice before posting it.  I usually make  this  in summer and put it in the fridge and take it out just before we are ready to barbeque. By the time we're ready to eat it 's at the right temparature. It's very refreshing when chilled. I usually squeeze  lemon juice to make it more summery. This dish can be eaten as entree, side dish or even as a salad. I used the frozen beans yesterday because I was pressed for time.  If you have time and can find thin beans or haricot verdes or even cut the regular beans thin,  that'll work and it will be tastier.

1 Lbs bag of frozen French cut beans thowed (or fresh haricot verde)
1 Large onion
1/4 Cup Olive oil
1 Cup diced  (or any other style) canned tomatoes
1 Cup or more water
a pinch of sugar 
salt to taste

Sautee onion in a large pot until they're translucent. Add tomatoes, beans and water (If not on a special diet a pinch of sugar can be added at this stage), stir and cover. Cook in medium heat until beans are soft. Place on a dish, chill and enjoy. How simple is this???

FUN AND EASY MASHED POTATOES

My mom is a great cook. She has a huge collection of recipes from all around the world. She used to cook unusual and delicious foods for holidays. When we were kids we used to look forward to our Sunday meals. Every Sunday meal was different than the previous one. Funny thing is, our meals would start with only four of us and ended up six or eight people around the table. It seemed like our  friends always had an excuse to stop by our house just as we sat down to eat and of course my mom would invite them to come in and eat with us. It was my mom's pleasure to entertain. Her food was always delicious and fun. She taught me how to enjoy cooking.  She tells me that she is reaping what she sowed in the past. I'm so glad to be able to give back and hope that she and my dad enjoy the meals I prepare. Last Friday I took my mom to her doctor. On the way back I told her that I was going to prepare her a surprise dish from the past.  So when we returned home while she rested I got busy in her kitchen preparing their meal for the evening. This recipe is from my mother's archives. I changed it a little but it still tasted the way we all remembered and she was glad that I remembred.
 This is a good recipe to induce children and non-vegetable eating adults to eat vegetables (like my dad).

For this recipe you'll need:

4 or 5 medium to large potatoes mashed
1 Clove of garlic
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup fresh or  (1 Can  beets) cut up
1 Cup frozen peas thawed
1 Cup finely shredded carrots

Make ahead: 
Firm mashed potatoes and divide into five equal parts. Set aside.

For Beets: Boil beets with garlic until soft  (If using canned beets, drain half of the liquid from the can reserving the rest to boil with garlic). Mash until smooth with infusion blender (or in the small food processor). Set aside.

For Peas: Saute peas with half of finely chopped onion until soft. Cool and mash until smooth. Set aside.

For Carrots: Saute with the rest of the onion until soft. Cool and mash until smooth. Set aside.

To assemble: (I used grape shaped mold). 
Place a stretch film (*Saran wrap) inside and over the sides of your mold covering all crevices.

Mix pureed beets with mashed potatoes until well blended. Pour into prepared mold, press into place.
Place the second batch of plain mashed potatoes on top this mixture and press down with the back of a spoon.
Mix pureed peas with the 3rd batch of  potatoes. Spread this over the 2nd layer.
Place the fourth batch of mashed potatoes over peas until it's all covered.
Mix pureed carrots with the last batch of the mashed potatoes and spread it over the last layer.  

Invert the mold  on to a platter, remove the stretch film. Voila! Your piece d' resistance is ready to consume. I used a knife to cut the slices. I guess it can be scooped out also. It was a good accompaniment for breaded Tilapia and Jasmin rice. 

My hubby took the picture of his plate...

LENTIL WITH SWEET POTATO

Some people don't like lentils, but they are excellent source of protein especially for vegetarians,  this is a good source. Lentils are versatile. They can be cooked in many ways and they always taste delicious. Especially this lent season I'll be cooking lots of lentils. They are nutty, aromatic and down right good for you. I toyed with this recipe for a while only because some legumes take a longer than others. I also  found out  that there is a way to accelerate the cooking time. When boiling add one (1) tablespoon of baking soda in the pot, voila they become tender and less gaseous. The magic is in the baking soda.  I used the brownish tinted lentils for this dish.  Have a Blessed Lent.

1 Cup of lentil washed and picked over
2  Tbs of olive oil
1 Large onion chopped
1 Clove of garlic minced
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Cups of water (or vegetable broth) + 2 cups of water for par boiling
1/8 Tsp cumin
1 Large sweet potato (or yam)  boiled and skinned and chopped.

* S and P to taste

Par boil lentils with baking soda for 10-15 minutes, drain and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add tomato paste and vegetable broth, cumin and bring to a boil. Add lentils and cover. Cook until lentils are soft to touch. Add sweet potatoes and stir (if you like soup consistency add more broth to make it soupy).

STUFFED ARTICHOKE APPETIZER

Artichokes always reminded me of a flower bud ready to bloom. Indeed they're giant thistle flower buds. I enjoy their versatility in cooking. Although the outer leaves are though and not edible the very ends of those leaves are fleshy and delicious. I cook artichoke hearts in olive oil,  make artichoke dip with them, cook them in stew, stuff them and use them in salads or stuff and eat the outer leaf ends and heart.  The stuffing I make is easy. For two large artichokes I used vthe following:

1 Cup of bread crumbs or (Panko)

2  Large cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 Cup of Parmigiana Regiano cheese-grated

1/3 Cup chopped fresh parsley                       

4 Tbsp of olive oil  divided (2 Tbsp for stuffing)

1 Cup Water.

*Salt and Pepper to taste*

Mix everything in a bowl and set aside.

Trim the spiky/thorny tips of the artichoke leaves with a pair of kitchen scissors. Cut straight across the top and gently pull apart the leaves and place it in a large pot or microwave safe dish adding  water (check your  microwave guide for fresh vegetables) par boil for 10 minutes until most of the water is evaporated (add more water if needed-they absorb water as they soften).  Remove carefully from pot and turn them upside down to drain any excess water. Once cool enough to handle,  place a teaspoonful of the stuffing between each leaf. Place the stuffed artichoke on a foil lined oven tray and drizzle the remaining oil over it. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until leaves turn brown. 

There is no proper way of eating this other than scraping off the soft part with your teeth and discarding the leaf. Continue eating the stuffed leaves this way until reaching a fury or fuzzy part in the center. This part is the "choke" and it can be scraped or scooped with a spoon or cut out with a knife revealing the beautiful fleshy "heart".  Now, this is the part that you can dip in lemon juice, vinaigrette or any sauce your heart desires. I prefer squeezing lemon juice on mine.  My choice of beverage was beer but my husband opted for a glass of white wine which was an excellent choice.                                                                                                                                                      

 This certainly isn't a date night dish and don't make any plans of kissing the frog and turning him into a prince with all the garlic. Just have lots of napkins and paper towels to avoid having to lick your fingers.....

LASAGNA ANYONE???

Last evening I decided to make lasagna for supper. However, I found out that I had used the noodles for another experiment and the box was half empty.  Not enough to make lasagna. Then I said to myself "Self! make something with what you have.." Well, my wheels turned and I came up with individual  pieces of noodles rolled up and cooked just like lasagna. I had eight and a half pieces left in the box , so that's all I used.

                                                       

Lasagna noodles

Bechamel sauce (see last recipe)

2 Cups Marinara sauce (mine was ready made)

1 Clove of garlic chopped

1 Cup of fresh Broccoli Fleurette separated

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese cut into strips 

Boil lasagna noodles until half cooked and leave them in the hot water in the pot. At this stage we want to keep them semi firm.  Make Bechamel sauce.Set aside. Blanch broccoli,  strain and saute in chopped garlic. In a bowl mix, cheese, Bechamel sauce and broccoli. 

Carefully remove one noodle at a time from the pot and fill one corner with this mixture and roll.

EASY PEASY TUNA CASSEROLE

 I was thinking of what to make for dinner I remembered my mom's casserole. When we were kids (a very loooong time ago) she made this frequently. I called up mom and asked if she remembered her tuna casserole recipe. After jogging her memory she remembered. She also told me that she made them with fresh peas and carrots (not frozen). As she was trying to remember how she made the biscuits I  told her she needen't to worry about that,  I will be using store bought dough. She laughed and said that she also made them from scratch... I apologized to my mom and told her that I was not as patient as she is. Well,  it is true I'm not known for my patience. You might have gathered by now that I'm also a very practical person. I cook the same way. I usually don't like to follow rules unless they are essential to the result.  My version of cooking  is fast, simple, easy and tasty.  

For the casserole:

2  6 1/2 oz. can of tuna fish in water; drained

2  Cups of frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1/2 cup of water                                                                         

2 tbsp of butter

1 medium size shallot, diced

1/2 package of uncooked pasta (elbows, little shells, etc. )

5-6 Refrigerated biscuits      

                                                         

Saute shallot with butter in a pan. Add peas, carrots and water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain any water and add tuna fish. Set aside.  

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

For the Bechamel sauce (white sauce):

1/4 cup of flour

2 tbsp of butter

2 Cups (or more) milk

Melt butter in a pan and add flour while stirring gradually and add the milk. Keep stirring until it reaches a flowy pudding consistency (add salt and pepper to taste).

Mix pasta, vegetables, tuna and Bechamel sauce thoroughly and place it in a oiled oven proof dish. Top with the biscuits and bake it in 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes or until the to is golden.

I guess my husband liked it a lot....

QUICK LUNCH

Yesterday was a very cold day.  I postponed my grocery shopping to another day and decided to clean my house instead. After a long strectch of cleaning I felt my stomach grumbling,  reminding me that it was time to have lunch. We usually don't have lunch on Sundays due to having a late brunch. However, working up a sweat and cleaning the house  I realized I needed a break. I opened the fridge and oops! I was out of sandwich fixings. However, I spotted a tub of left over rice, a jug of tomato juice and brie cheese. My lunch menu was formed. I poured the tomato juice in the pot and added the rice with a pad of butter. I buttered opposite sides of my wheat bread and placed a slab of brie cheese in the middle and made grilled cheese sandwich. Once the tomato soup was done I sprinkled it with dried basil. It was a belly warmer for sure. Getting up from the table and going back to house chores was quite difficult.



SWEET SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS & ONIONS

One of my husband's favorite sandwich is sweet Italian sausage with caramelized onions and peppers. There's really not much work involved or any big preparation. Just my type of meal for a warm and cozy evening. I sauteed peppers and caramelized the onions and added the
sausage to the mixture. Once it started to sizzle I poured cane sugar liquor which I had available at that time. Actually, any type of liquor is fine and save some to drink with your delicious meal. Enjoy...

CHICKEN WITH FRESH GREEN BEANS

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is fast and easy to make. I cook my vegetables  with the chicken to save time and an extra pot. Since I like dark meat, last night I used chicken thighs and drum sticks but it can also be made with chicken breast with bone. I think the bone gives broth the added flavor. I use fresh dill  with salads and other green vegetables. It gives flavor and aroma to sauces as well.  Paired with jasmine rice this meal was very tasty. I also made (not pictured) fruit salad to go with all this.

2 Chicken drum sticks and 2 thighs (bone in)

1/3 Cup chopped green peppers chopped

1 Medium onion chopped

1 Clove of garlic chopped

2 Tbsp of chopped dill (1 tbsp of dried dill will work also)

1/4 Tsp sage

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 Cups of fresh green beans

1/3 Cup of  chicken broth

1 Tbsp of flour

(*Salt & Pepper to Taste)

Saute chicken in a large preheated skillet with skin sides down, turning occasionally until the skins are crispy. Remove from pan set and aside.  In the same skillet saute onions and green peppers. Add garlic, dill, sage and place the chicken back in the pan and pour the vine over. Cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes . Place the beans back into the skillet. Add the chicken broth,  cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove and separate chicken pieces from the beans onto a warm platter. Carefully strain the broth from the skillet onto a sauce pan, reserving the vegetables. Add flour to the broth  and stir until  thick and smooth. Pour over chicken.
I drizzled the gravy over the rice also but it is not necessary. I pictured the Jasmin rice I used because I really like the flavor.  Its not overly fragrant. 

CHILLED CELERIAC

 Do you like celery? If you do, you'll love celeriac. Some call it celery root or celery knob it also has a long botanical name but I find it too  difficult to pronounce or spell. Anyhow, its bulbous, not so hard, unassuming and visiually not very attractive vegetable. Despite its hard apperance it is easy to cut and it smells a little stronger than celery.  A lot people are put off by its looks.

With their tentacles and gnarly look, they look like they're out of a sci-fi movie.  I can understand the reason why these little gems may not be so popular, but like anything else you can't judge a book by its cover.  They are filled with vitamins and are very healthy (check  Wikipedia for more health information).

When I cook this dish for my company, I wait for them to take the first bite, then when they smack their lips and enjoy what they're eating,  I tell them what it is and they're surprised by its sweet taste. 

Celeriac is  very versatile, it can be cooked to be eaten  chilled or warm. It's a good addition for soups or stewes.  It can be grated into salads, or mixed with yogurt or mayonnaise or thinly sliced and fried.  I like the chilled version and  prefer it with lots of lemon.

4 medium size celeriac
1 large onion chopped
1/3 cups of olive oil
2 medium size carrots cleaned and cut into rounds
1 Cup of water
1-2 twigs of fresh dill chopped
2 tbsp of lemon juice
*salt & pepper

Wash celeriac and cut any shoots from the root,  peel the outer skin and discard. Cut the vegetable in to quarters or cubes and set aside. Saute onion in oil, until translucent in a large pot, add carrots, celeriac and water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Place in a platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and dill. Place in the refrigerator until chilled. Enjoy the experience.

SPIRAL PASTA WITH PESTO

                     This past summer when I was preparing the pesto sauce I said to myself -"self ! make  a lot of this sauce, it will come in handy on busy evenings". Yesterday was that day.   I planned on making a light dinner... I opened the refrigerator door and "ta..daa.."   my green gem was right there..  I planned my menu around the pesto sauce! Imagine that!. We had  spiral pasta, pepper chicken and avocado salad. 

My recipe for Pesto Sauce is easy:

 2 cups of basil washed and gently chopped;

 1/2 cup of pignoli nuts,

2-3 cloves of garlic,

1/2 cup of parmasen cheese

1/2 cup of olive oil (little more if needed) 

Put everything in the blender, blend until thick and smooth. 

BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CORNISH GAME HEN AND OTHERS

I never thought my husband would be a Brussel Sprouts fan. Most man aren't.  Take my father for instance. If he sees any vegetable on the table he makes sure that he helps himself to other dishes and claims that his plate is too full to add another thing. Should you press him on this, he says that he is not a rabbit. Anyway, last Saturday I went to the local green  grocer and found these gems on a stalk. (I forgot to  take a picture of the stalk!!!!!) .

1 1/2 Lbs of Brussels Sprouts washed & trimmed

2-3  pieces of bacon cut into small pieces               
1 medium size shallot chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp of soy sauce
2 Tbsp of white wine
1/3 Cup of water

Place the bacon in the large frying pan and cook until crisp. Add to this shallots and garlic; stir until translucent. Add soy sauce, wine, water  and the sprouts. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until sprouts are bright green. Remove from heat and serve.

For the Cornish hen, I cleaned and halved it (it is just right size for the two of us). I then brushed both halves with a mixture of soy sauce, sage and olive oil. Baked them at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. They were succulent.  (Check out my chef brush next to them)

                                                                                      
I made a healthy salad with all the trimmings/ Iceberg lettuce, Radicchio, tomatoes, chopped dill and parsley with oil and lemon juice dressing.

Of course I had to make a starchy something to go with all this delicious food ! For that, I made "Uncle Ben's"  wild rice (which cooked in merely ten minutes)- time saver and delicious. Thank you "Uncle Ben"..

We concluded our meal with a nice cup of coffee and the Stollen that I had baked  a week ago. I had a yen for it for whole week,  but I waited for its flavors to blend.

CAULIFLOWER O' GRATEN

I like cauliflower. I make soup with it, I pickle it I use it in salads and dips. Some people like broccoli but not cauliflower. I wonder why? Anyway this is an easy way to prepare this nutritious vegetable. I usually use the fresh ones but this time I used frozen to save time and steps.  If I'm cooking with fresh cauliflower, first  I cut the stem  part and put the whole vegetable in a pot and boil it  for 15-20 minutes. After cooling I split it in half to carve out the core, brake the flowers apart and proceed with my recipe. Frozen cauliflower is already separated into fleurettes, so its no brainer ......
1 bag of frozen cauliflower (don't thaw)
2 Tbsp of butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
1 Tsp nutmeg
1/2 Cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup sharp Cheddar cheese mixed with Mozzarella

Place frozen cauliflower on a baking dish (if some are clumped separate them by pulling apart under running tap water).

Melt butter in a medium size sauce pan and add  flour. Stir until butter is absorbed into flour. Add nutmeg. Using a whisk slowly add milk to the mixture and keep whisking until there are no clumps. It has to be in the consistency of a light pudding. Add Mozzarella cheese, stir and pour over the frozen vegetable. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese mix. Bake in 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes.

LAST DAYS OF GRILLING

My hubby decided to take advantage of the warmer sunny days before the really cold days arrived. He braved the evening cold and grilled our meal. Thankfully I had marinated the steak a day before. He grilled tomatoes, red and green peppers which I had also prepared a day before with  sprinkle of curry, garlic powder and drizzle of olive oil.  While he was out in the back with his flash light grilling away, I made jasmine wild rice. He wanted me to memorialize this day and took this photo and asked me to publish it.

FILLET OF FLOUNDER STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT

 I could eat fish everyday as long as it is from the ocean. I inherited my love of fish from my uncle who was an avid fisherman. He taught me everything he knew about fish and fishing when I was very young. I learned how to catch,  scale and carve. I love to eat the whole fish,  head and everything. Some people can't stand the sight of a whole fish. I can't understand why. Some people can't stand the smell of the fish. I love that smell of the ocean/sea that a fresh fish has. I can't help but remember an experience at a dinner given by one of our friends who  is an  avid fisherman. He was serving the catch of the day when  I overheard one of the guests say to her husband that " I can't eat this fish it has a fishy smell and has a head ". Excuse me but should the fish smell like beef????  the flesh of the fish head is very tasty. I recommend for everyone to taste it at least once.
Well,  to each is own as they say.. I'm a whole fish girl, in fact I'll eat anything that comes from the ocean/sea. However, today I bought this filleted flounder (on my way back from work) and picked up crab meat while I was at it.  I also bought some fresh spinach and mushrooms. My menu was completed. Here is the recipe for my own version of stuffed flounder:

 4 Flounder fillets

2/3 Cup crab meat

1/2 Onion finely chopped

1 Clove of garlic minced

2-3 Twigs of finely chopped celery leaves

1/3 Cup of white wine

1 Tablespoon of butter

1Tablespoon of olive oil

* S & P

Rinse and pat dry the flounder fillets and place them on a plate white sides up. In a small frying pan sautee onions and garlic in oil for few minutes, add the celery leaves, crab meat, wine and stir gently. Turn off heat. Spoon the mixture on the largest end of the fillet and roll. Gently place the rolled stuffed fillets seam side down  in an oven proof dish side by side and dot with butter cover with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 15-20 minutes or until done.  (* Salt and Pepper to taste for those who aren't on any special diet).

I made my spinach salad with mushrooms and orange segments. It is a little different than the classic version but it is very refreshing especially with fish. I used my own concoction of  equal parts of lemon juice, prepared mustard and olive oil as dressing for it. My hubby made mashed potatoes as our side dish.

A LA MINUTE PIZZA

Getting home late after work and preparing a meal is not a hassle for me. I  just pick up whatever is in the fridge or pantry and throw them together. Last night I found ready made pizza dough (I'm sorry if I offend those who make their pizza dough from scratch),  tomatoes and some hot dogs in the fridge. I have to use short cuts when I'm pressed for time. After stretching the dough unto pizza plate, I spread the tomato sauce, and sprinkled garlic powder, oregano and basil, then I placed the  sliced tomatoes on one half  and topped them with mozzarella cheese and placed the uncooked hot dogs on the other half (my husband's side!!). Popped it in the preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.  While we were waiting for our pizza to cook, we had the vegetable soup that I had made with turkey broth after Thanksgiving and froze for a late evening like this. We enjoyed our crispy crusted pizza with a glass of red wine.

BREAKFAST IN THE EVENING

I didn't feel like cooking last night and we decided to have  one of our favorite meals we call "Nightbreak" or breakfast in the evening. Why have breakfast only in the morning, right..??.  My husband and I enjoy breakfast at any time of the day. To me  "Nightbreak"  also translates into taking a break from cooking.

  In this plate I have freshly baked  biscuit,  a dog in blanket (biscuit dough wrapped around a hot dog and baked), soft boiled egg, string cheese, Gruyere cheese, fig jam, orange marmalade. We had freshly brewed tea to go with this meal.

CHEESY BAKED MACARONI

While my parents were staying with us I had to cook  fast and nutritious meals for all of us.  Having octogenarian parents I thought I'd make comfort foods that they've enjoyed in their earlier years. This is a simple recipe and all the ingredients are right from the pantry.

 1 Box uncooked pasta /penne, elbow or bow tie  will work
 1 container cottage cheese (12 oz.)
 12 ounce  finely shredded cheeses (Monterey Jack, Colby, Cheddar & Mozzarella) * (can be substituted with cheese of your own choice)
 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
 1/2 Cup breadcrumbs (plain or flavored)
 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside in a bowl.

Combine all cheeses in a large bowl and using an infusion blender process them until smooth.  Add this mixture to pasta and stir well. Pour this mixture into a well greased baking dish. Combine Parmesan cheese with bread crumbs and oil in a small bowl and spread evenly over pasta mixture. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or heated through and the top is browned.

Fried Yellow Zucchini & Carrots

I happen to like fried vegetables in summer. Something about the aromas and the appearances bring back a lot of fond childhood memories. The dredge I learned from my grandmother is the best so far. It forms a nice coating of crunch around the vegetables. Even if they are covered with garlicky yogurt or sauce they still retain their crunchiness. I use this dredge for vegetables as well as sea food.

I cut the vegetables into slices horizontally using the mandolin but it can be cut diagonally or any other way you like.

Slice all vegetables set aside.


For dredging:

1 Cup of flour
1/2 Cup of beer (any type)
1/4 tsp each (garlic powder, cumin, curry and rubbed sage and *salt).

Mix all together in a bowl to make a tacky paste ( flour or more liquid may be added to reach that consistency).

For frying:
1/2 Cup vegetable oil 

Heat oil in a skillet and slowly and carefully  add the dredged vegetables. Turn with tongs after one side is slightly browned. Once both sides are browned, place it on  a paper towel to absorb extra oil. In the meantime you can prepare the garlic yogurt and red sauce.

2 large cloves of garlic crushed
1 Cup of good plain yogurt. Mix well

My husband prefers using red sauce on his veggies.  I gave him the  pasta sauce I had made a day ago. (Store bought pasta sauce can be used with additional garlic, oregano and basil. 
                 
*Salt, pepper and hot sauce can be added as   preferred.