I think I enjoy the cooking more than eating, there is nothing better than to watch the smile grow after someone’s first bite. Note from Steve: I am a flow of thought writer and apologize up front if I lose you. My family is used to it.
½ cup olive oil 3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed or minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon) 1 tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a blender.
Blend using an dressing setting until smooth and creamy.
We have recently gone to trying each weekday is a specific dinner topic. Monday is meatless, Tuesday is taco, which brings us to Wednesday salad day. I open the fridge and look there was fresh picked mixed greens from the salad bowel I have growing on the deck and some crunchy lettuce that Lyn likes. this was not going to cut it to boring so I went to the pantry and spotted the half box of red lentil pasta. I quickly googles and got some ideas. this is what I came up with.
INGREDIENTS
4-5 oz of red lentil penne or rotini pasta 1 medium zucchini (about 1 lb) quartered then cut into 1/2″ pieces 1 pint cherry tomatoes – halved 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2 ” pieces (or some of each) ⅔ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced 1 or 2 mini cucumbers cut in 1/2″ pieces 1 – 7 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained 2 oz thinly sliced red or sweet Vidalia onions 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano salt and pepper (to taste) 1 recipe homemade creamy Greek dressing about (about ⅔ cup) chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into long quarters and then slice into a ½ pieces. In a large bowl toss zucchini pieces in 1 tablespoon olive oil and dried oregano. Add the bell pepper and mix. Season with salt and pepper and arrange on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes until soft and lightly browned on the edges. Take out of the oven and let cool while you are preparing the salad.
Slice onions, place in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let the onions soak for at least 15 minutes to get rid of the harsh onion flavor.
Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain on a colander, run cold water over it and set aside to cool and drain completely.
Make the dressing according to my Homemade Creamy Greek Dressing recipe.
Cut cherry tomatoes and pitted kalamata olives into halves, chop cucumbers into thick quarter slices and roughly chop pickled roasted red peppers.
Assemble the salad. Place the cooked, drained and cooled red lentil pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add rinsed and drained canned chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, soaked and drained red onion slices, kalamata olives, pickled red peppers and now cool roasted zucchini.
Pour ⅔ of the Greek dressing in and toss the salad together. If it looks like it could use more dressing, add more to your own preferences.
Garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley and serve right away at room temperature or chill in the fridge and enjoy later.
Creamy Greek dressing about (about ⅔ cup)
INGREDIENTS
½ cup olive oil 3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed or minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon) 1 tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a blender.
Blend using an dressing setting until smooth and creamy.
got some collard greens, something Im not used to cooking and Lyn said julienne it
So a splash or garlic infused olive oil, a diced apple, hand full of unsalted peanuts, dash of honey and cooked down salt and pepper to taste. Got to say was good.
2 tablespoons sweet paprika (smoked would be interesting)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken at end
Boiled egg noodles, for serving
How
Spread the onions in the bottom of an 8-cup slow cooker. Toss the beef with the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and place on top of the onions. Top with the bell peppers and garlic. Stir together the broth, paprika, tomato paste and caraway and pour over the beef. Add mushroom Cover and cook until the meat is very tender, using slow cooker setting for 4 hours. Uncover turn to sauté when bubbling add cornstarch mixture and let stand at least 5-10 minutes until thickens. Serve over egg noodles add a dollop of sour cream.
I had some red cabbage from Misfits and wanted to do something different I found this refreshing idea.
Our cilantro was starting to go to seed thanks to the 5 day heat wave so this worked perfectly.
But I did add some apple cider vinegar it jsut needed something to kick it up a notch.
INGREDIENTS
½ head red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 large carrot, cut into fine julienne
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro leaves
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp orange juice
½ tsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp white pepper
My optional 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Added a little kick in my opinion
How
In a salad bowl, toss together cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together remainder of ingredients to make a light dressing. Toss cabbage mixture with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings.
My son has been making be proud, for the longest time his specialty was nachos which were very good but he has grown to be quite the home cook. He recently discovered my mother’s genes may have cursed him and he suffers from gout. This used to be considered the rich mans desease so maybe its not a curse after all. I’m sure he wouold say otherwise.
Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It’s characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe.
Foods considered high in purine content include: Some fish, seafood and shellfish, including anchovies, sardines, mackerel, scallops, herring, mussels, codfish, trout, and haddock. Some meats such as bacon, turkey, veal, venison, liver, beef kidney, brain, and sweetbreads. Alcoholic beverages. We bought him a copy of The Holy Gout Cookbook the other day.
Anyway here are a few things he made recently the peanut chicken I’m gong to try this one it looks good.
He also made this for another meal
I think he substituted the chicken for some shrimp that Gail had made.
As you may know we belong to Misfits which has been great help during these times. * If you decide to try use this code we both get a discount. COOKWME-FG1DCQ and when I saw the Jicama as a choice this week In grabbed it. It had been awhile since we discovered so i tried the ole faithful slaw and then tried chips and fries. I recently had made sweet potato chips so figure what the heck.
Jicama (HEE-kah-ma), sometimes referred to as yam bean, Mexican turnip, or Mexican potato, is an edible root vegetable native to Mexico.
The vines of the jicama plant can grow up to 20 feet in length, but the leaves and seeds are actually toxic. The root is the only edible portion of the entire plant—the tough brown skin that gives way to juicy, white flesh on the inside. The flavor is sweet and starchy—think of a cross between a water chestnut and an apple.
Many call jicama a superfood, equating it with kale, acai berries, and quinoa. Jicama, along with sunchokes, packs a prebiotic called inulin, a big contributor to a healthier gut. In addition, jicama is rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Lastly, jicama is naturally low in calories, making it a smart starchy substitute for those watching their weight.
Salad or slaw depending on what you want to call it
INGREDIENTS
1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped (optional)
1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup lime juice
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of paprika
Salt
How
Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large serving bowl.
Pour lime juice over all. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Season generously with salt.
2 Let sit a half an hour before serving.
Fries and Chips
Tried these in oven and Air-Fryer watch closely they will burn quickly
Air-FryerOvenAir-Fryer
These are best served warm but did reheat nicely. You won’t get them super crispy but they good.
Ingredients
16 ounces Jicama, peeled and cut into medium sized fries (1 pound)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
How
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, combine spices. Gently toss the jicama fries with the oil and lime juice, then sprinkle with the spice blend.
Spread fries evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fries are golden.
Serve immediately – they taste best hot out of the oven.
Air-Fryer
same as above but watch closely and I turned half way through both methods. Oh the oven I made on a rack and used convection
Lyn came over a little while ago and said do you think…. We use Misfit Market for our veggies, well for most. They now allow you to choose which you want rather than the surprise package both have their benefits. Coming up with recipes for stuff you normally would not get and now especially these days ordering stuff you really need. Well last week we choose to get some collard greens which Lyn likes to use as wraps but I challenged her to find something different. After making what she came up with this morning I can’t wait until lunch.
1 In a large bowl, combine greens, radish, carrot, and shallot. Set aside.
Please note: Do to the current shopping situations we did not have a lot of radishes so I made sticks rather than slices to stretch it out.
2 In a small saucepan, stir together vinegar, sugar, canola oil, celery seeds, salt, mustard, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Pour over collard mixture, stirring to combine.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Lyn found this online @ behealthful so I made a batch this morning and now I can’t wait until lunch.
What and How
Ingredient
1/3 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Online it said to add to a jar and then shake like heck. we prefer the blender on dressing setting. it takes a while to settle but think it blends the flavors better. I made a double batch.