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Archive for the category “vegetables”

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
27 Jul 2014

Creamed Cabbage Collard Mix

creamy collard cabbageLots of nights I open the fridge to figure out what needs to be cooked sooner rather than later, then I have a guide for our evening meal. Other times I go out on our balcony to see what needs to be harvested from our little container garden to use as a guide. This dish was a result of both guides. There was a partial head of cabbage in the fridge, and the collard greens on the balcony needed to be thinned so the smaller, younger leaves could thrive. The savory combination was a wonderful complement to a spicy meat dish and added the requisite fiber to the meal. I encourage you to grow your own garden, keep your fridge stocked with fresh vegetables and let them inspire what lands on your dinner plate. Cook well, eat well!

Creamed Cabbage Collard Mix

1/2 medium head cabbage, roughly chopped
2 – 3 cups collard greens, stems removed
1/2 cup mayonnaise or 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add mayonnaise or cream and chili powder. Heat until mayonnaise is melted or cream is bubbly. Add cabbage and greens. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Stir until vegetables are coated. Let cook for about ten minutes, stirring every few minutes until cabbage and greens are wilted, but still slightly crispy. Remove from heat and cover until time to serve.

Posted in cabbage, Douglas Kitchen, side dish, 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
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
02 Jul 2014

Baked Portobellos

stuffed portabello
I have mentioned in the past my long relationship with portobello mushrooms, their meatiness without being meat, and how well they work as a base for pizza and all things baked. This recipe relies on the mushrooms to utilize leftover chopped onions and sausage. Easy to put together and slide in the oven, I set them up then piddled while they were busy cooking. I was able to to shower, we made ice cream for dessert and even cleaned up the house a bit. Don’t worry. The flavor combination was nice a balanced, with the dressing flavoring the mushroom and the sausage and onion dancing well together. After dinner there was not much left to do but cuddle and read and chat with my family on our big green couch. That is the way I like spending weekday evenings after a busy day – a full stomach from a satisfying meal, and do nothing time, which dones more than nothing for us. That, or the beach, but the beach was for another day.

Baked Portabellos

4 large portabello mushrooms
1/2 – 3/4 cup ranch dressing
1/2 pound ground hot Italian sausage
3/4 cup white onion, chopped
8 slices cheese
1 batch guacamole (optional)

Gently cook sausage in a frying pan over medium heat, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, but not too small. It can be left slightly pink (it will finish cooking on the mushrooms). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mushrooms cap side down on work surface, leaving the stems attached. With the back of a spoon spread dressing on the gills of the mushrooms. Place sausage pieces on the gills, surrounding the stem. Sprinkle onion on top of the sausage. Place two pieces of cheese on top of each mushroom, lining them up unevenly so most of the sausage and onion is covered. Place mushrooms on baking sheet. Place sheet in oven and bake for 45 minutes to one hour. The cheese should be melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Serve plain or with guacamole.

Posted in baked, Douglas Kitchen, onion, sausage, vegetables, 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
21 Mar 2014

Peruvian-ish Posole

posole

Posole. A basic, comforting soup I have enjoyed at restaurants across America that touted Central and South American cuisine. Not having made it before, I dug around to try and identify the when and where of it’s origin. To no avail, I might add. I have most often found it in Mexican and Peruvian restaurants, so then my goal was to figure out the differences between the two versions. I also recently watched a documentary about it being a dish prepared and served in New Mexico hundreds of years ago. Was there a difference? Not much. Peruvian leans more towards tomatillos and green or serrano chiles to give it depth and spice, while the Mexican versions rely on the red chile. New Mexico, of course, relied on their extra special (read Hatch) chiles and local meats. Other variations I discovered switched between the use of pork and chicken. Finally, I decided to come up with my own, since everyone else seems to be doing the very same thing. My goal was to make it similar to the bowl of posole I had in a little, Peruvian restaurant we stumbled upon in a Las Vegas strip mall. No, not on The Strip, but in a mall that is strip like where multiple business share a parking lot. The place was decorated very basically, with varnished plywood walls, folding tables and beat up stackable banquet chairs. The decor accommodated large crowds to watch soccer games or have big parties. We were surrounded by bright posters advertising Peruvian beer, and inundated with loud, quick-paced dance music. The food was amazing and I could only imagine a pre-Colombian Incan family cooking something similar over a fire, in the shadow of Machu Picchu. They may have used alpaca instead of pig, but I am not going there, except in the wearing of a sweater. One thing I love about all my posole experiences is the fresh, raw toppings traditionally served on the side. They give a spark to the otherwise flavorful, yet basic soup. Since I was making the soup for a dinner party I wanted to make sure it was good (duh), and that the topping variety accommodated all the eating habits of guests. I love my friends dearly, but if their diet evolution is anything similar to mine, there is a need for variety in meal preparation. Here is what I came up with, and I must say it was delicious. My dear friends enjoyed it, including Little B. As you can see from the picture, the toppings were many and everyone got to make their own special soup. As usual, the leftovers got better and better a few days later. And as usual, the fun and memories of the people involved in the evening will last even longer.
Peruvian Posole
1 1/2 – 2 pounds pork shoulder
2 Tbsp high heat fat (lard or coconut oil recommended)
2 cups roughly chopped white onion
1 cup roughly chopped carrot
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups pork broth (if there is not enough from cooking the pork, add water)
1 cup dark beer (suggest Negro Modelo or a porter)
4 – 6 cups hominy, canned or prepared fresh (simmered in water for two hours, drained)
1 pound tomatillos, shucked, rinsed and roughly chopped
4 large green chiles, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced with meat included
Salt to taste
Toppings

1 small red onion, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
2 limes, cut into 1/8 wedges
1 bunch radish, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pico de gallo or salsa

In 8 – 10 quart stock pot place pork shoulder over high heat. Turn shoulder as each side browns, until all sides have color. Add water and scrape bottom of pan to release browning tidbits.  Cook pork over medium heat until pork easily shreds, about two hours. Remove pork and liquid from pot and set aside, retaining the liquid separately. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. Set heat under the now empty stock pot to medium high and add lard or coconut oil. When it is melted add the onions and garlic. When they start to sweat add the carrots. Add paprika, coriander, oregano and cumin. Stir and cook longer until you can smell the spices. Add broth and beer. Cook until it begins to boil softly. Add pork, hominy, tomatillos and chiles. Stir and cook until a soft boil begins. Taste test to see if you can taste the flavors. If not, sprinkle liberally with salt and stir, then taste again. There should be a difference. if not, add more salt. Turn heat down to simmer, making sure there is still a very soft boil. Cook for an additional two hours. Place toppings in separate bowls with spoons right before serving. Serve spoon in large soup bowls and pass around the toppings!

 

Posted in avocado, cabbage, cheese, garlic, lime, Mom's Kitchen, onion, pork, soup, tomato, Uncategorized, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
17 Feb 2014

Simple Chopped Cabbage Bake

baked cauliflourThe other day we had a busy stove top. Three of the four burners had things simmering or sauteing or boiling. I wanted to make cabbage, but the last, small burner was hidden among the pots and pans, willing to do the job, but just not roomy enough. I still wanted cabbage, so I looked around and spotted the oven. Of course! Usually I cook up cabbage on the stove top because the oven is busy, so I got a little chuckle about the reverse happening. Okay, so it is not funny, like a gag in a movie or a stand up comedian, but when I think of, say, Thanksgiving when four things need to be baked at once, including the turkey, there is always a wish to have a dish that can be done on the stove top. Okay, not actually chuckle worthy. It was so good I was surprised I had not thought of doing it sooner. Silly. Maybe it is silly. I will stop, because it actually does not matter. This dish is so simple I am not even doing an ingredients list.

Just take half a head of cabbage and chop it into one inch pieces. On a large cookie sheet toss the cabbage with 2 Tbsp of bacon grease or extra virgin olive oil (add some salt of you use olive oil). Tossing it is most effective with your hands. Place pan in unheated oven. Turn oven to 350 degrees. After about ten minutes toss the cabbage and bake for ten more. Some cabbage will be darker, beginning to caramelize, and the rest should be soft enough to eat. Serve immediately.

Posted in baked, cabbage, Douglas Kitchen, side dish, Uncategorized, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

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