December 09, 2005
Breakfast for Supper
Raise your hands: Who likes breakfast for supper? I love breakfast foods for every meal of the day. Unlike other foods like meatloaf, breakfast foods are delicious at every hour.
Tonight our family dined on a delicious breakfast casserole. It had hash browns, ham, eggs, and cheese. Then we fixed toast to compliment. When I told our neighbor what was cooking, she almost gagged. She told me that it was like eating spaghetti for breakfast. I completely disagree.
Hash browns, pancakes, eggs, French toast, etc can be served for every meal of the day. Just ask Perkins or Village Inn. Breakfast foods are the signature items at these restaurants. Most people don’t go to Perkins at 1:00 AM for their fried chicken. They go for the award-winning omelets.
A.M. or P.M. makes no difference when I decide on whether or not to serve my favorite breakfast casserole. One taste, and I could convert any exclusive morning breakfast eater for life.
November 29, 2005
Supper Rut
Have you even been in a Supper Rut? I am currently in one. It seems that every week of every month I fix the same suppers. It’s either some casserole or some frozen dinner. I am determined to break myself out of this supper rut, and I have a plan to do so.
Step 1: Organize
My main problem is lack of time and energy when it comes to supper time. When I get tired or run out of time I end up fixing the same meals to simplify things. I intend to research on the internet and find completely different recipes than I am used to making. Once I find a recipe I will print it out and put it in a booklet. The next recipe I find goes underneath the first, and so on.
Step 2: Cook
After I find some new recipes I will have to experiment with them. I will begin with the first recipe in the booklet. If I like the recipe I will let it remain in the binder. If I dislike a meal, it will get torn out of the binder.
Step 3: Repeat
Once I have gone through the entire notebook of recipes I will be left with many recipes that I really like. I can simply start the whole process over again. I will open the binder to the first recipe and start from the beginning. It is that simple. If I ever have a night where I am short on time, I will pop a frozen pizza in the oven.
Before I know it, I will have a whole new selection of suppers to choose from. Then, if I get stuck in another supper rut, it will be a rut with a LARGE selection!
November 26, 2005
Stuffed With Stuffing
Stuffing is my all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dish. This year there was a discrepancy in my family about how to make the stuffing. Thanksgiving dinner was made at my house, so I was calling the shots. Stuffing was done my way at Thanksgiving this year!
In the Turkey
The traditional way to fix stuffing is by cooking it inside the turkey. This way the stuffing soaks up the turkey juices and keeps the bird moist. It is a WONDERFUL way to eat stuffing, but a slight hassle. Not only do you have to take time to stuff the turkey before cooking it, but you also have to take the stuffing out of the turkey. After cooking a bird for three hours, it can be extremely hot inside. If you sacrifice your hands for some first degree burns, this way of fixing stuffing is perfect.
Out of the Turkey
My final decision about how to fix stuffing this Thanksgiving was to bake it in a dish beside the turkey. This way there was no mess and hassle of stuffing the bird, but it still had a “homey” feeling to it. My mother was pretty disappointed we cooked the stuffing this way because she is a very traditional woman. I told her that the next time Thanksgiving was at her house, she could cook the stuffing any way she wanted to cook it.
The stuffing was absolutely delicious. We have plenty left and we will probably be dining on stuffing for about a week. I learned a valuable lesson: cook food and stuffing any way you need to fix it if you are the host.
November 15, 2005
Pasta Craze
Breathing is one of the most natural acts humans can do. Have you ever been so afraid, or so nervous that you hyperventilated? Okay, maybe you didn’t hyperventilate, but you felt short of breath I’m sure. Breathing and stress go hand-in-hand. With simple breathing techniques you can reduce stress substantially.
Breathing to reduce stress is similar to breathing when playing a musical instrument. You should breathe first with your abdomen, not with your chest. To demonstrate proper breathing, exhale all your air until there is absolutely nothing left. When you can’t take it any longer, inhale. The inhalation breath is in it’s truest form. Your diaphragm expands allowing more air to rush into your lungs. After your belly expands, your chest will rise. This is correct stress relieving breathing.
In a quiet room, dim the lights and pay attention to your breath. You should be breathing through your nose. Nose breathing is the most relaxed kind. Your breath should also be silent. Breathing should be a time of relaxation and calmness. The less you can hear, the better.
With every breath you take, imagine your stress slipping further and further away. Picture all of the tension oozing out of your body. Do this breathing until you fall asleep, or feel completely relaxed. You won’t believe how refreshed you will feel!
Posted by Kay Dee at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)November 04, 2005
Fried Spaghetti: The Strangest Meal
Have you ever had fried spaghetti? Everyone has had the traditional tomato sauce and pasta spaghetti dish, but has anyone actually had fried spaghetti? I fixed my husband and I this for supper tonight and was surprisingly delighted with the way it turned out. Fried spaghetti is extremely unique, but definitely delicious!
The ingredients of fried spaghetti are simple: 1lb cooked pasta (any type), 1 chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and catsup. After this cooks in a hot skillet for about ten to fifteen minutes, you pour the eggs over the top and cook for another five minutes. Then you serve and garnish with catsup. Mmmm, delicious!
This meal not only sounds strange, but looks strange as well. First of all, who puts catsup on spaghetti? You would never guess how wonderfully the two ingredients go together! My husband and I loved the meal and will probably make it a regular around our house.
To make this meal healthy, use whole grain pasta and egg substitutes. This will make the meal good for your heart and full of nutrients. Our family is big on health, and fried spaghetti fits right into our menu.
October 30, 2005
Spooky Chili Potion
Just because Halloween is on a Monday this year doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Here is a great recipe that is fun for the kids and pleasing for your mouth
Potion Ingredients:
1 large dragon eye (onion)
1 ½ lbs ground werewolf (ground beef)
1 28 oz can of witches blood (tomato juice)
½ teaspoon dried cat’s hair (oregano)
1 15 oz can mouse hearts (red beans)
1/8 tsp bile (mustard)
2 Tbsp ground ants (chili powder)
½ cup grubs (chopped celery)
1 tbsp fly eggs (uncooked rice)
1/8 tsp flaked bat skin (crushed red pepper)
1 15 oz can newt droppings (corn)
Instructions:
First brown the ground werewolf. Next add the chopped dragon eye and heat until chopped eye parts become opaque. Mix in the mouse hearts and the witches blood. Bring this mixture to a boil. Next, add the dried cat’s hair, flaked bat skin, fly eggs, grubs, newt droppings, ground ants, and bile. Say the magic spell, “Bon Appetite”.
Posted by Kay Dee at 03:31 AM | Comments (0)September 17, 2005
A feel for veal
Veal can be a tricky meat to flavour. I mean, fish goes well with lemon, mushrooms with beef, and sweet flavourings with chicken. But veal is one of those meats that can either taste amazing or horrible - and it all comes down to how you flavour it. An old favourite from my files turns veal chops into something altogether cosmic. I broke out this recipe to test out that grill pan I was previously raving about.
Veal Chops With Olives, Port Sauce & Yellow Pepper Aioli
I sliced chops from a veal roast, then cut them in half. Or you can buy regular chops and ask the butcher to remove the bones. If your chops are large, cut 2 in half. If you don't have veal stock, use a mixture of beef and chicken stock. You can char the pepper under the broiler, too.
Ingredients:
OLIVE PASTE
12 black olives, pitted, chopped
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
PEPPER AIOLI
1 small yellow bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp of dijon mustard
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
PORT SAUCE
1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp each: port, white wine
3/4 cup of veal stock
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 tsp each: dried rosemary, dried thyme
VEAL
4 small boneless, 1/2 inch thick veal chops (about 1 lb)
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt + freshly ground pepper to taste
For olive paste, put olives and oil on a small plate and mash together with a fork.
For aioli, preheat the barbecue to high. Grill yellow pepper, covered, on direct heat, turning, until charred on all sides, about 20 minutes. Let them sit until they are cool enough to handle. Discard peel, stem and seeds.
Chop the garlic in a food processor. Add yellow pepper and its juices, yolk and mustard. Process this into paste. With the machine running, drizzle in oil until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper.
For the sauce, heat oil in a small pan on medium. Cook the shallots, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the port and wine. Simmer for 2 minutes, until reduced. Stir in the stock. Boil until it has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Crumble in rosemary and thyme. Remove from heat. Cover and keep warm.
For the veal, rub both sides of the chops with oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat the grill pan on medium until the edge of the rim is very hot. Sear the veal 6 to 8 minutes, turning once (it should still be slightly pink inside.)
Place puddles of the sauce on 4 serving plates. Smear the top of each chop with olive paste. Place the chops on the sauce, then drizzle chops with aioli.
Posted by at 06:56 AM | Comments (0)