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Archive for the category “garlic”

01 Aug 2014

Spicy Poblano Meatloaf

spicy poblano meatloaf

I know it is only August, but temperatures up here in Alaska continue to be cool during summer and my thoughts already turn to warm, fall dinners. Some of you are walking around in swimsuits trying to survive three digit temperatures and staying in the swimming pool as long as possible. We never put away our jackets and fleece, still needing them regularly, and daylight is down to a paltry 17 hours each day. We actually get to see sunset colors before bedtime! You are allowed to laugh, but regardless of the inspiration, I came up with this meatloaf. I remember when I was a kid I would make fun of the meatloaf my mom would make. Not because it did not taste good, it was awesome. It was just a thing. I was not alone in this form of entertainment – my dad and brother joined in too. They liked the loaf just like me and always had seconds. I am still not sure why we decided to make fun of it, but one day mom had a little too much of the kidding and declared she would not make meatloaf again. She was serious. I don’t remember ever having it again after that night.  Regardless of the edge over which we pushed mom, I still consider meatloaf a childhood comfort food. An important thing to not forget is the smushing of ingredients with hands. There is no way to properly combine ingredients without using hands. Don’t even consider excluding the step. I will probably make a summer salad tomorrow when the temperature gets up to a sweltering sunny 70 degrees, but today I cuddle under a warm blanket with my plate of loafy food watching the fog and rain.

Spicy Poblano Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 Tbsp avocado oil
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder (adjust amount to preferred spiciness)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 cups grated cheese (suggest cheddar or colby/monterrey jack mixture)
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add avocado oil to medium frying pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot add pepper, onion, celery, cumin seeds and garlic. Sprinkle generously with salt. Stir and cook until soft and browning begins. Add the chili powder, cumin, cilantro and parsley and stir. Continue cooking until liquid is reduced and some browning begins. Set aside mixture and let cool slightly. In large bowl add ground beef, eggs and cheese. With your hands mix together the three ingredients until well combined. Add cooked mixture and combine well. Load the meat into and press firmly in a 9 x 9 square baking dish. Place in oven and bake for one hour, until loaf separates from edges of pan and cheese bubbles up and begins to brown. Remove pan from oven and let cool for about ten minutes, letting the liquid settle. Serve with a vegetable side, like a creamy cabbage collard mix.

Posted in baked, beef, cheese, cilantro, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, garlic, onion, parsley, Uncategorized, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
22 Jul 2014

Stuffed Bell Peppers

stuffed pepper plated

We had some lovely visitors from Texas recently. While they were here we had big plans to cook a lot of stuff for them, but we ran out of meals and time. These bell peppers were still hanging out in the refrigerator after they left, so I needed to do somstuffed peppers panething wonderful and amazing with them. It was not their fault they were usurped by a brunch buffet, grilled ribeye, bacon wrapped asparagus and pizza. I used to never like stuffed peppers. They were often overcooked, filled with flavorless rice and left me hungry. When I first made stuffed peppers for myself I decided they needed to eliminate the unsavory elements. Heh. Get it? Unsavory? Okay, I will stop. I first tried stuffing poblano peppers, which turned out great. This time I worked with the previously spurned colorful bell peppers. Bottom line, I added flavor and subtracted rice. The peppers turned out to be a lively, satisfying meal on a rainy day after much errand running. Next time the peppers will not be second or third fiddle, but instead the first choice. Yummy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

5-6 bell peppers, any color
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground sausage
1 egg
1 cup Colby/Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red chile flakes
1 cup beer (recommend an IPA)
5-6 slices Monterrey Jack cheese
Salt to taste
1 batch chimichurri (optional)

Remove top of each pepper, also removing pulp and seeds from inside. Rinse, shake out excess water and place in 8 x 11 inch baking dish. Divide onions equally among the peppers by dropping them into the bottom of each. Sprinkle onions with salt. In a large bowl combine beef, sausage, egg, grated cheese, cumin, garlic, salt, black pepper and chile flakes. Squishing it all together with your hands is the best method. Firmly press the meat mixture into each pepper until it is level with the top. Bake for 45 minutes. Place a slice of cheese on top of each pepper. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until peppers are soft and cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about ten minutes. Suggest serving drizzled with chimichurri.

Posted in baked, beef, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, onion, sausage, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
17 Jul 2014

Herbilicious Chicken

herbilicious chicken

It is so herby and so delicious it must be herbilicious! And chicken to boot! We even made it twice in one week, which is very rare in our house – not only making the recipe, but making chicken. We are a protein kind of house, and most often rely on beef and pork to keep up our intake. Chicken is okay, but not our first choice. A dish has to be really good to get a double-make in a week. Our little balcony garden is growing like gangbusters and the nibbling birds cannot keep up, so we actually get to eat some of our harvest! Our oregano and sage look a little sad, but the cilantro, basil and parsley are very happy with the circumstances, and they do what they can to try and keep up with the towering collard greens. After not doing much gardening in recent years I am now reminded by our little plot just how much better food tastes when I grow it myself. It is amazing how much the sense of taste is influenced by the feeling of such an accomplishment. I can only imagine this dish would also be herbilicious with other herb combinations, so walk out in your garden and grab some handfuls. Let me know how it goes!

Herbilicious Chicken

6 – 8 chicken thighs, skin on
1/4 cup butter
3/4 – 1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In large frying pan over medium high heat place all thighs in the dry plan, skin side down. Cook until skin begins to brown, about eight minutes. Turn thighs and cook for five more minutes. While chicken cooks roll the parsley, cilantro and basil together and slice them up, then finish with a rough chop. Add butter to pan and flip thighs so they are all coated with butter. Add herbs and garlic, again turning the thighs so they are coated. Cover pan and cook for ten more minutes, until juices from chicken run clear. Add cream and stir thighs until cream mixes with juices and herbs. Lower heat and let simmer until cream is heated and chicken is cooked completely, about five more minutes. Serve immediately.

Posted in cilantro, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, parsley, wheat free | Leave a Comment
06 Jul 2014
1 Comment

Funky Fries

jicama friesI don’t use jicama in my recipes very much. Most often I include it on crudites platters to add variety from the typical celery and carrot sticks. Just last week at a potluck there was a delicious, crunchy salad made with jicama. It was very good, and took me to researching a bit more about using it for other things. You may be sick of hearing about this by now, but we continue to seek out low starch, healthy replacements for otherwise unhealthy comfort foods. When we recently succeeded in making burger buns there was a logical inquisitiveness about the traditional side dish – french fries. I really like the baked fries I made a few years ago, but they rely on potatoes, which are not a routine part of our diet anymore. I know from experience that jicama is crispy and a bit sweet, and in my opinion more flavorful than the traditional potato used for fries. I was skeptical about my hunt for the jicama at the local stores. Everything we buy arrives here on barges or planes (nope, no driving to Juneau!). Although local stores place orders for goods, there is always a mystery about what will actually arrive when, so it is hard to predict much of anything. I was overjoyed when I walked in and there they were, in their muted brown glory – a big pile of jicama! I even found a rather symmetrical one, for they can come in rather lumpy shapes and sizes sometimes. The peeling of it was easy, as usual, and the chopping duties were shared with Little B. I figured these fries could handle some stronger, savory flavors like garlic, onion and parmesean. I was right! The big pile was eaten up by the three of us and our visiting family, so I cannot speak to how robust (or not) leftovers would be. If I ever find out in the future I will let you know. Serve them along with some ketchup (or plain, or with mayo or whatever you like) and you have fries!

Funky Fries

1 jicama
1 Tbsp avocado oil
¼ cup parmesean cheese, finely grated
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice jicama into strips no thicker than ¼ inch. Slice strips in half. In a large bowl toss fries with the avocado oil. In a plastic bag combine cheese, garlic, onion and salt. Add fries and shake until coated. Place fries evenly spaced on a baking sheet, for too little space in between can prevent crisping. Depending on the size of the pan and the jicama, you may need two or more pans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the fries. If you are baking with two pans make sure you switch their position in the oven – my oven bakes faster on the bottom rack if there are two in at the same time, so switching after tossing helps them all cook evenly. Return to oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes more, until edges are crispy and brown. Serve immediately. Recipe varied from the one found here.

Posted in cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, onion, side dish, vegetables, wheat free
24 Jun 2014

Ranch Dressing

ranch dressing

Summer means salad, especially a salad with nice, tender, young collard green leaves that you see above. They have a nice peppery taste that is less bitter than older collard greens. These particular greens came straight from our little container garden on our balcony, which made them taste even better! It also means raw veggies straight from the fridge as side dishes. Most vegetables better for you raw, and they also contribute to reducing the heat in the kitchen on a warm June day, even in Alaska. Since making our own stellar homemade mayonnaise we are confidently surging forward in using it for sauce bases, which includes this lovely dressing. I have always preferred homemade ranch dressing over the bottled stuff, and have usually relied on dressing mixes. When I started reading labels more closely I discovered some mixes have untoward ingredients, like monosodium glutamate. That stuff puffs me up like a balloon. Others have ‘modified food starch’. If you look up such an ingredient you may find it can sometimes include wheat. Not fun, especially for Big D. There goes the mix permanently off the grocery list. Geez…. Of course, if other people can make homemade versions, then why can’t I? We certainly have a spice cabinet stocked sufficiently to do so. I feel silly not having tried it before. Now I feel happy having it continuously available in my fridge, whether it is summer or not. You will see it here often!

Ranch Dressing 

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp dried basil leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2-4 Tbsp water (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except salt, whisk together until well combined. Add some water if dressing is too thick. Add salt to taste. Chill overnight to allow flavors to blend. Store in the refrigerator.

Posted in dip, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, onion, parsley, sauces, wheat free | Leave a Comment
01 Jun 2014

Almond Pizza Crust

no flaxseed pizza crust

A long time ago Big D and I started a tradition of pizzabeer. No, that is not a typo. We would go to a spot – whether it was in Alaska, Virginia, Nevada, Texas…wherever we were, we would sit and eat pizza, drink beer and have long, winding talks about where we were going together. Sometimes they were about short term goals, other times they were longer term. Regardless, they were talks over food and beverage. Without some effort it is difficult to have wheat free pizzabeer. When making pizza these days we do it at home and we regularly use a wheat free crust figured out a couple of years ago. It is delicious, but includes flaxseed meal and coconut flour, which gives it a nuttier taste than what we like for some pizzas. This version of a wheat free crust is made by relying on almond meal and cheese. It makes for a crust that can hold the excess of toppings we are wont to use, while not adding a ton of strong flavor. Just think about it – when you eat pizza are you tasting the crust, or is it the toppings? I realized when I was pondering pizza that what I missed most was the toppings, not the crust taste, and the ability to pick up a piece of pizza and take a big bite. There was a simple concept I realized a few years ago when trying to eat healthier – if I am craving a food it was important to figure out what I craved – was it taste, texture, occasion or appearance? The craving focus varies by dish, but it was easy to identify for pizza. Other examples include the creamy of ice cream, the crunch of chips, the heaviness and nuttiness of a piece of bread. Now, back to the crust. We stumbled upon this more subtle tasting version one night when we wanted pizza and were woefully short of coconut flour and flaxseed meal. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? Oh, and look at my new pretty! Big D got me a new pizza stone! It is all fancy with an enamel finish that does not stick and gets crazy hot. Works as well as the more porous versions I have had in the past, but much more versatile.

Almond Pizza Crust

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 Tbsp almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 eggs, beaten

Toppings (Used in the picture)

1/2 cup pizza sauce or tomato paste
1 cup mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, grated and mixed
20-24 pepperoni slices
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
Sprinkling of finely chopped basil and oregano

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (if using a pizza stone prepare as directed). Combine together in a medium bowl all ingredients except the eggs. When well combined add the eggs and stir with a fork until a moist dough forms. Spread enough dough onto the pizza stone or baking dish to have a layer about 1/4 inch deep. The pizza stone in the picture needs about 1/2 the dough, and since it is preheated the dough begins to soften as soon as it touches the surface. A stone without an enamel finish may not work with this crust. Bake the crust for no more than five minutes, allowing it to set and just begin to brown. Lower oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove crust from oven and add sauce, toppings and cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until top is browning. Let cool for about ten minutes, allowing crust to set and toppings to cool. Slice and serve.

Posted in baked, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, garlic, parsley, tomato, Uncategorized, wheat free | Leave a Comment
07 May 2014

Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Crumbles

pork chops goat cheese crumbles

Sometimes when I cook I have a plan. Not all the time, but most of the time the results come out just the way I wanted. For these pork chops I had a plan, and the results were good, but not quite what was predicted. I planned on having delicately browned rounds of goat cheese, floating atop the baked pork chops. There ended up being no rounds and no floating. In the future I will again attempt making the floaty goat cheese rounds, but for the time being, here is the yummy, crunchy, unexpected results of the first attempt.

Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Crumbles

4 – 5 pork chops, medium thick cut, bone-in
1 cup salsa verde
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 ounces goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops generously on both sides with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place chops on large baking sheet. Spread salsa verde over the top of each chop. Place in oven and bake until pork is fully cooked, about 40 minutes. While the chops are cooking prepare the cheese. Heat a dry a frying pan over medium heat. Place thin slices of goat cheese in the pan, leaving about one inch of space around each slice (you should be able to get 8 – 10 slices out of a 4 ounce roll of cheese). After about one minute the goat cheese will soften and the bottom will be brown. Gently scrape off the soft, white cheese to reveal the bottom layer that is browning on the pan cooking surface. Place the white cheese in an empty place in the pan. Gently scrape the browned cheese off the pan and place the cheese ‘crisp’ on a piece of parchment paper or cutting board. Continue the scraping process until all the cheese has been crisped. Let the crisps cool for about five minutes, then roughly chop the crisps into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle the chops with cheese crumbles and serve.

Note: although all the crumbles were yummy, the lighter brown crumbles retained more of the goat cheese flavor.

 

Posted in baked, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, pork, wheat free | Leave a Comment
05 Apr 2014

Spinach Soup

spinach soup

I like green veggies. Ever since I was a kid I especially liked spinach when the other kids thought ‘yech’! My mom once told me a story about spinach, my brother and I. We went to daycare when we were little, and one day when we came home we would not eat our spinach. Apparently we were told by other kids we were not supposed to like it, so we did not eat it. Talk about peer pressure! We eventually succumbed and joyfully continued to eat it, but we did have the blip. It is still my favorite vegetable, so here is a great soup that includes spinach and made with bits and pieces from the fridge. It turned out savory and filling, which is a wonderful thing. The soup freezes and reheats well, so is a great lunch addition. Another way the soup is helpful is as a supplement. There is a little cafeteria in the building where I work. They don’t have very exciting food, but they make a decent salad. I like the salad but sometimes find it lacking, so I like to bring along some soup to go with the salad. I get to sit in the cafeteria, nuke my soup and slurp it down, along with gnawing on salad, while watching the wind blow or rain fall outside. Simple and relaxing addition to the middle of a hectic day.

Spinach Soup

3 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ sweet onion, finely chopped
6 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup chicken stock
3 ounces cream cheese
3 ounces beer, suggest an IPA
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Nuts as garnish (we used spiced nuts we always make and have on hand, but raw or roasted would work, too)

In large sauce pot melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and  onion, cooking until garlic and onions begin to brown. Add spinach and toss until it wilts and begins to darken, about five minutes. Add beer and simmer until soup is hot. Add cream cheese, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted. Use a hand blender and puree until spinach is macerated and soup is smooth. Simmer on low for about five minutes. Sprinkle individual servings with nuts and serve immediately.

Posted in cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, onion, soup, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
31 Mar 2014

Meaty Squash Bake

meaty squash bake

This dish was purely delish and purely a result of leftovers. We had spaghetti squash left over from serving as a side dish with the rolled chicken, and a lovely brisket our friends brought over was still calling to us from the fridge. Knowing we would have leftovers from the leftovers, I wanted to make sure it would be something that would freeze and reheat well. I think we hit the jackpot! I don’t know of many savory leftovers that can’t be combined and topped with cheese, do you? The nice thing about it is you can also cook up some fresh spaghetti squash, and maybe some ground beef for it if you don’t have leftovers to manipulate. It freezes well too! As you see, I made this in my mom’s kitchen, and while I was visiting her I definitely cooked more than we and our visitors could possibly consume, so freezer friendly is a good thing.

Meaty Squash Bake

1 pound chopped meat (leftover brisket, chicken, pork, etc)
2 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 eggs
2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl stir together squash, garlic powder and salt. Add meat and stir again. In small bowl whisk together eggs and cream. Add cream mixture to squash and meat. Fold until everything is coated with cream mixture.  Pour mixture into 9×12 baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes until outer edge of cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for about ten minutes before serving.

Posted in baked, beef, casserole, cheese, eggs, garlic, Mom's Kitchen, squash, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
26 Mar 2014

Rolled Chicken Breasts

stuffed chicken rolls

Big D does not prefer fowl white meat. Whether it is turkey or chicken or other, more exotic birds, he goes for the dark meat as much as possible. He will eat the white stuff, but only out of necessity. When he has to resort to a chicken topped salad when dining out he will eat it, but begrudgingly and with thoughts of thighs dancing in his head.  I have similar preferences, but they do not run as deep, so when I was visiting my mom I took advantage of white fowl connoisseurs and made a recipe I have long pondered. Besides the satisfaction of pounding flesh into oblivion, the balance of flavors was supreme, with the mildness of white chicken meat and kick of the stuffing. Since the chicken was thin, the cooking time was kept short and the dish was moist, in a good way. Never hesitate to pound the meat just a little bit more, for it won’t hurt the chicken, and it can’t help but release anything lingering and seething in you. I almost called this recipe ‘stuffed’, but since I did such a good job of pounding the ‘rolled’ version of the name seemed appropriate. I served the rolls with some baked spaghetti squash and viola! Dinner!

Rolled Chicken Breasts

6 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 pieces bacon, cooked crisp
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
4 ounces tomato sauce
12.5 ounces diced tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken breasts with kitchen mallet until no thicker than 1/4 inch. Chop spinach finely, crumble bacon and combine them with feta and basil in medium bowl. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Lay a breast flat on your work surface with the longest section going left to right. Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup (divided equally among the breasts) of filling in the middle of the flat meat. Starting from the left or right carefully roll the breast until it overlaps with the chicken on the opposite side of the filling. Place stuffed breast in a 9×9 (snugly) or 10x 10 (close but not so snug) or similar sized baking dish. Repeat with the other five breasts and place them in the dish. Place in preheated oven, covered. Bake for about 20 minutes. While chicken is baking combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic powder and onion powder in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. When the mixture begins to bubble turn the heat down and summer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Add salt to sauce if needed. When chicken finishes cooking for 20 minutes remove it from the oven. Sprinkle half the cheese on the chicken, top with the tomato sauce and then the rest of the cheese. Return the pan to the oven uncovered and cook for 15 – 20 more minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before serving.

Posted in baked, cheese, chicken, garlic, Mom's Kitchen, onion, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

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