First Pandemic Visitors
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First Pandemic Visitors

I’m back, healthy and cooking. It has been awhile, but I really did not stop just hid in the house like most others these days. Being a senior, I decided to take a break from the outside world work on the house, garden and have been volunteering for some Presidential and Senate campaigns. So, if you are getting those text asking who you might be voting for or are you registered before you hit delete or ignore it could be me asking the question be nice.  Anyway, the other day we had Mike and Gail over for the first time since they became engaged. I cooked up a meal that was pretty good if I do not say so myself.

BBQ Vegetable kebabs of, yellow (summer) squash, zucchini, mushrooms, Onions yellow and, red bell pepper.

Teriyaki Steak tips from Dom’s the Patriots version is better in our opinion although these melted in your mouth. These I simply put on skewers and BBQed until done.

Herb rubbed Flank Steak see here this is one of our favorite recipes. I will add I have learned to rub off the marinade with paper towel and overnight marinating to 24 hours works best.

BBQ Corn- I soaked the corn in husk all day but I am sure 1 hour would work. Then BBQ on the grill for about 15 minutes. We were fighting a threat of a horrendous thunderstorm, SO Lyn took the husk off and wrapped in tin foil. Oh, the storm did happen we soon had a river in the road in front of the house, and it lasted for hours the storm and the river. It ahs been years since we saw storm to that extent.  

Here are a few corn you might like Roasted Corn Salad,  Local Corn, Ginger, Corn Chicken Soup

Anyway, after a little discussion and the fact that we all had been symptom free and Gail who is back to work was tested negative a few days before, that masks were not needed. Thank goodness it is hard to drink wine with a mask. Wine and cooking are just a natural thing to me. Was a great evening.

Well look at that I’m babbling something my family expects from me.

Enjoy your summer and remember to check to make sure you are registered to vote it’s easy it takes seconds click below. Encourage your friends and family to double check.

Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary
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Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary

Up front this would work better with bone in, and fresh rosemary but you have to do with what you have because running out to the grocery store to pick up one or two things thing is a tough decision these days, especially for seniors.

This week has been a pork week from sausage patties with our breakfast for supper last night to tonight’s 30 Minute Pork Piccata. See ther is the What’s for syndrom and its only 9:30 AM.

I had two boneless pork chops in the freezer from Butcher Box and since our last anniversary in Maine where I had Brined pork chop and have been playing with this to duplicate. Came close but not there yet. Anyway

I tried this with what I had, I should have cut the chops in half to make thinner but it still came out Ok. This is definitely a work in progress for me and can’t wait for my herb garden to start to flourish.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Bone-In Pork Chops, About 1/2 Inch Thick
  • 1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 2 Tablespoons Juniper Berries
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary Note: I had to use dried so I heated in oil first, fresh would be so much better
  • Sea Salt

How

  1. Use the back of a knife to crush the juniper berries and peppercorns.
  2. In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat along with the juniper berries, rosemary, and peppercorns until lightly smoking, then fry the chops for turning every minute, until no longer pink. 5-6 minutes estimated time.
  3. Sprinkle with sea salt, and serve immediately.

BTW left over made great pork rollup for Lunch the next day.

Oat Flour Pancakes
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Oat Flour Pancakes

It is amazing how hungry one gets when you are doing nothing. These days especially when it is raining or snowing, we do a lot of nothing, physically that is. Since my rainy day venues have been closed to casual walking and I’ll melt in the rain I fall into that trap. These days our thoughts go quickly to what’s for lunch or dinner even breakfast. I’ve always been an early riser but have extended this to 5 AM, I know half the day gone. Those early risers like me understand. Lately we have been trying to hold off on breakfast and find something that is filling and taste good. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Back in 2012 I gave into one of Lyn’s cravings and made Lyn’s Blueberry Oatmeal pancakes. They were good and on this last Saturday Lyn hinted about this recipe she had found by Julie Harrington for her weekly Sunday breakfast in bed.  It was very good and surprisingly filling making lunch a small salad. Did not suppress the “What’s For …..” you got to have something to look forward to.

Anyway

These oat flour pancakes are whole grain and gluten-free, making them a perfect fit for any pancake enthusiast!

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup oat flour (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine oat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, add milk, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, and eggs; whisk together.
  3. Slowly add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until it just comes together. (do not overmix)
  4. Let batter sit for 5-7 minutes. It will thicken.
  5. Lightly spray a hot griddle with cooking spray.
  6. Use a 1/2 measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle.
  7. Let the pancakes bubble before flipping. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
  8. I also mashed a bunch of blueberries and heated in some maple syrup.

Notes

Make your own oat flour:
Place either rolled oats or instant oats in a food processor at high speed. Process until it turns into fine oat flour.

Batter makes 6 medium-sized pancakes.

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Weird Spring

Its been a weird spring March warmer than usual and Now April colder

  • Woke up to 3″ and snowing in AM
  • heavy but very pretty
  • a few hours later
  • the next day back to my new retirement office
Conservation area behind my house with trails winding among the boulders and bolder walls left by glaciers 10,000 years ago.

Quick Chicken Parm from the gut.
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Quick Chicken Parm from the gut.

We braved the outside world Sunday armed with mask, bloves and bottle of purell and went to Whole foods during senior hours. Beside the better quality products we get a kick out of being carded. There was a line so we waited a proper 6 feet apart. I was surprised to see a few people without masks perhaps they were survivors and had anti bodies. While there, we grabbed some air chilled boneless chicken breast and also a package of bone in. Yesterday while food savering, is that a word we have a Food Saver and use it, we agreed on chicken parm for dinner.

I did the Pan-fried Chicken Cutlets then put sauce on bottom of pan, placed the cutlets spread mozzarella cheese then sauce (left over from ragu but did not have sausage in it) spinkeled so grated parmigiano. cover with tin foil. I out in refrigerator since it was still early afternoon. When i took out I placed in preheated oven at 350 degree and cooked fro about 15 minutes. removed foil and place slices of provolone cheese back in oven until melted.

This is always a good go to comfort meal that is really easy.

Served with Wine
Breakfast Sausage Ragu cooking from the gut.
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Breakfast Sausage Ragu cooking from the gut.

We took advantage of a special that Butcher Box was offering bacon and breakfast sausage. My son had recommended the bacon so I figured what the heck. Now with the pandemic you have to make do with what you have. The first thing we had to do is figure out if it had maple syrup in it. Mike never got the sausage so he did not know but suggested smell it. Not a bad idea so I opened the package and smelt away and it did not. Good thing is I still had my sense of smell and taste, if you know what I mean. I cooked a tiny pattie just to make sure and the nose did not fail me. Anyway Lyn made her sauce and I cooked the sausage etc. It was a mild breakfast sausage and I added some Italian seasoning while browning. When browning I like to flatten it and let brown flip then start to crumble, rather than start to crumble as soon as you put in pan. In my opinion it produces a moister browned meat.

I added green pepper, mushroom, spring onion after the meat was browned cooked for a minute then added some of Lyn’s sauce

Cooked the pasta and served.

We did have salad on the side

All in all it came out pretty good for a cook from the gut meal. I think the mildness of the sausage made it possible.