Wild Rice Salad

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Yummy, yummy! Ruth and I have been making variations of a wild rice salad at work for eons! Using a fully-cooked package of wild rice makes it a quick and easy dish to put together, too!

The basic is:

  • 3 cups cooked wild rice
  • a dried fruit
  • a nut
  • some cheese
  • some chopped vegetables
  • a dressing

Simple and easy!

The salad above was:

  • 3 cups wild rice
  • dried berry blend
  • chopped broccoli
  • chopped carrots
  • chopped celery
  • sliced almonds
  • dressed with an olive oil and lemon balsamic vinaigrette

It's simplicity - and it's yummy! AND it tastes even better the next day!

Other variations include our latest Berry Wild Salad, Cranberry Wild Rice Salad, Spring Fling Salad (we made a huge amount of this when we won "Best of Main Line" a couple of years ago.) And the salad that started it all, Wild and Easy Cranberry Salad From Fall River Rice.

No matter how you do it, it comes out great!


Limoncello, anyone?!?

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A few years back, we were up in the Boston area and ended up at a store called All Things Sicilian. Victor's Sicilian. We had to go in...

They have some fun stuff, but one thing that caught his eye was a Limoncello decanter and cups. He had vague memories of Limoncello (after a few, EVERYONE has vagie memories...) but really like the set - and it came with a recipe.

Home we came, and limoncello we made. OY! The stuff is G-O-O-D!! Potent, but oh, so flavorful! It's easy to make, but takes a couple of months from start-to-finish to do it right. And the longer you take, the better it is!

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This is (double) batch 4 or 5 now... The whole house smells of fresh lemons. Life is good!

** since originally coming up with this, we have cur the sugar tremendously. This is the revised recipe.

  • 15 organic lemons, well scrubbed
  • 1 1.75 liter bottle vodka (80 or 100 proof - higher proof=stronger)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

Wash the lemons well and pat dry. Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel.

Step One:
In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar), add the vodka and the lemon zest. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. (There is no need to stir - all you have to do is wait.) As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.

Step Two:
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thick and syrupy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Cool the syrup and then stir into the limoncello mixture. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.

Step Three:
After the rest period, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

It shall be the perfect summer sipper!


A Clean Kitchen...

Some people see a clean kitchen as a thing that should not be touched. I see a clean kitchen as a blank slate for creating a mess.

Well... not really, but, I do seem to have a bit of an untidy streak when it comes to cooking! It's not that I go out of my way to make a mess, but, I also don't go out of my way to stop everything if some four goes flying or something drips where it shouldn't. I figure I'll just get to it later. Have to keep the creative juices flowing, and all that. Besides, the puppy needs her treats, too!

That being said, I cannot begin working in a dirty or messy kitchen. It needs to be clean and organized. The sink needs to be clean and empty. The dishwasher has to have room in it... Counters clean. All the normal stuff. Fortunately, I never have to worry about a dirty kitchen - Victor takes care of cleaning it! Oh, I almost-semi-kinda-clean up after myself, but Victor is the King of Clean! We have a relationship made in gastronomic heaven!

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Tonight I started out with pork chops. Awhile back I had bought two pork loins and cut them into chops m'self. (I think it was something like 2 bucks a pound cheaper for the whole loin than the chops. I have a knife - I'll save the extra 20 dollars and cut them myself!)

I also had a hankerin' for scalloped potatoes. Cheesy scalloped potatoes. Au Gratin cheesey scalloped potatoes. Peeled 2 potatoes and sliced thin. Sauteed 1 smallish onion in butter with a handful of diced prosciutto that was in the freezer. added some flour, milk, garlic, and a bit of S&P, and into a buttered casserole dish. I topped them with buttered cracker crumbs that I mixed a bit of garlic powder, and S&P. 350 for an hour.

Meanwhile, I cleaned up a bunch of broccoli rabe. Rinsed well, and into a saute pan with butter and olive oil, fresh garlic, S&P. Cooked it all down.

Grilled the chops, plated the broccoli rabe, placed a chop on top, added the potatoes, and yum, yum! Dinner was good!

The casserole will need to soak for a week or so, but otherwise - only 1 pan dirtied!

And later on, there's homemade bread pudding! (Made with the last of the Portuguese Bread!)

Life is good - and the kitchen is all clean. Ready for my next adventure!


London Broil is Falling Down...

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Ooops.. Wrong song. It's still freezing outside, but I'm in the mood for cookin' on the grill! Usually, when I grill, I like to do everything on the grill. Tonight, though, I decided I needed to dirty pots and pans, as well! Besides, it's too damn cold outside to stand there and properly watch things!

Inspiration for tonights dinner came from the leftover gorgonzola butter that was in the 'fridge. It was screaming "Twice Baked Potatoes" and being a person who always listens to my food, I readily complied. I even started out by actually baking the potatoes in the oven! Didn't microwave them to get 'em started. What a difference it makes. I highly recommend it!

I cut a small oval off the top of the potato, peeled off the skin, and scooped out the meaty filling. I added the gorgonzola butter, some sour cream, a bit of S&P, mashed it all together, and spooned it back into the shell. Then back into the oven for about 20 minutes.

I had some mushrooms in the 'fridge, and a couple of green onions, so I sauteed the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, added the chopped green onions, a splash of red wine, then some beef broth, and cooked it down a bit, thickened with a bit of cornstarch, and a lovely sauce was made.

Meanwhile, I took the London Broil and merely salt-and-peppered it. Nothing else. Put it on the grill. Cooked it rare.

Sauteed some french green beans in a bit of olive oil, S&P. Sliced some of the Portuguese bread from a few days ago, and called it dinner!

Dirtied 1 pot for the sauce, 1 oval baking pan for the potaoes, and 1 saute pan for the beans. Not a bad nights work!


Sometimes I Just Wanna Steak

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Okay. It's 37 degrees outside (feels like 28, according to the weather service...) Perfect grilling weather, don't you think?!? Well - I did. And I did!

I had a couple of bone-in New York strip steaks that were just the ticket, tonight. Served with grilled potato, grilled sweet potato, and grilled asparagus, and a gorgonzola butter, I made a complete meal without dirtying a single pot or pan!

The steaks were done rare, with just a bit of S&P and a light dusting of garlic powder. The potatoes and asparagus were rubbed with a bit of olive oil, then S&P.

Gorgonzola butter is merely mixing butter and gorgonzola cheese. It melts on top of the steak, pools on the plate, and makes a great dipping sauce for the rest of the meal!

Quick, easy, and clean-up's a snap!


Stew Do Português De Dorrie

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O stew do Português de Dorrie é delicioso! E, é realmente fácil fazer!

Roughly translated, it means "Dorrie's Portuguese Stew is delicious! And, so easy to make!" And it is. Both.

I really don't remember how long ago Dorrie gave me this recipe. She's made it for me a couple of times over the years, and I've made it a few times, myself. (Hers is always better, but I think that has to do with the amount of love she adds to each pot!) It's just a few ingredients, but it's amazingly wonderful! It's a rich stew of pork, linquica, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Simple, but with a powerful flavor! I actually made it this morning, let it simmer for a while, and then reheated it for dinner. Almost like making it the day before, cuz it always tastes better the next day! Here's the recipe...

It's one of those recipes that just fills the house with wonderful smells and sends the olfactory system into overdrive. I was actually in the kitchen every three minutes "tasting" it - just because I could!

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I then decided I needed some good bread to go with it - and was too lazy to go to the store. So I made 2 loaves of Portuguese Bread. A recipe I found many moons ago. The bread has a great crusty crust and a really light interior. GREAT for dunking and sopping up the sauce from the stew! And great for sandwiches!

The nice thing about dinner tonight, is there's leftovers for lunch tomorrow! And with a loaf and a half of bread, we're sitting pretty!

A vida é boa!


A Cake for Nursie

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I started with a cake mix! Okay, you can pick yourself off the floor, now. Believe it or not, I actually keep a couple of boxed cake mixes in the cupboard, for those days when I want a quick treat. I am particular, though, and won't buy just any partially-hydrogenated variety! (I usually buy the A&P/SuperFresh Yellow Cake mix because it's one of the only ones out tere without partially hydrogenated fats...)

Now... just because it's a cake mix doesn't mean I'm not going to futz with it. After all, I have my reputation to uphold, right?!?

I found a great, quick recipe, and just happened to have all the ingredients on hand:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • (I added a tsp of vanilla)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer. With electric mixer, blend all ingredients until moistened on low speed, then 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour into greased and floured Bundt or tube cake pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan as this is a very moist cake.

It gets better.....

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I bought this weird cake pan many moons ago to make an artichoke cake for a friend. (I'll look for a picture...) Anyway... It sucks. Every cake I have ever made in it has stuck, no matter what I used to grease, flour, whatever. And today's cake was no different...

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It gets even better.....

I put the cake in about 2pm and was kinda planning what I was going to do for dinner when, at 2:25pm Victor comes into the kitchen saying "We're supposed to be at the bank in 5 minutes!" Ooops!!

I looked in the oven, knowing the cake had at least 20 more minutes, and probably more, so... I lowered the heat to 275 and ran out the door.

We get home at 3:40pm and lo and behold, the cake looks perfect! Out of the oven it comes, and onto the rack to cool. Life is good.

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It may have stuck, but damn, did it taste good!

And the cake pan?!? I threw it out.


Pork Chops, Grits, and Brussel's Sprouts

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Okay, a strange-sounding combination, I'll admit. But dang, it was a good dinner!

Last month sometime, I marinated 2 boneless pork chops in an Asian-inspired marinade. I ended up cooking something else for dinner that night, because we ran out of gas for the grill just as I was about to put them on. The chops went into the freezer, marinade and all. I pulled them out Tuesday PM to grill Wednesday, but they were still frozen (and I wasn't in the mood to fuss with them) so... they stayed in the 'fridge until today. (I actually don't remember where I got the idea, or what I actually marinated them in... Old age is setting in - rapidly...)

In the meantime, I had seen a recipe in Bon Appetit for "Fallen Grits Souffles with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese." It sounded intriguing, and about six weeks ago we bought new individual souffle cups at Crate and Barrel with a Christmas gift certificate. Time to experiment! The recipe calls for 8 souffles, and, while it seems that we can eat for eight at any given meal, I cut it down for two. I wish I had made more..... They came out light and luscious, and definitely didn't need any of the extras in the Bon Appetit recipe!

The Brussel's Sprouts are another story. They are - by far -my favorite vegetable! ! picked up two baskets of them on Wednesday, and cooked one for dinner Thursday. Well... in reality, I burnt one for dinner Thursday. I was not having a good day, was writing a couple of steaming emails, wasn't paying attention and... burnt to a crisp. Can we say "Karma" boys and girls?!? We ate frozen corn and soaked the pan over night.....

But I digress... I really wanted my Brussels's sprouts, and while they may not have been a perfect culinary match for an Asian-inspired pork chop - neither was a grits souffle. Sometimes ya just have to throw caution to the wind and eat what you feel like! Besides, I wasn't inviting Craig Claiborne to dinner.....

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The Grits for 2 souffles:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup instant grits
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 large eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter 2 1-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Combine first 4 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring just to simmer; remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain; return milk to pan. Add salt; bring to boil. Gradually stir in grits and cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and grits are tender, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Mix in butter. Season with black pepper. Stir in egg yolks. Cool slightly.

Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into grits in 2 additions. Divide mixture among prepared dishes. Place dishes in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.

Bake soufflés until tops are puffed and beginning to brown and center is set, about 30 minutes.

Here's a link to the Bon Appetit Recipe...

For the Brussel's sprouts, I just trimmed and cut in half, and then placed them in a pan with some butter, water, and S&P. They steamed until the water evaporated, and then browned nicely in the remaining butter. (The step where I burned them, Thursday!!)

It was a yummy dinner, fer sure!


Mexican Is Good!

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I'm a bit of a Mexican Food snob. I admit it. I grew up with tamale parlors, taqueria's and burrito joints within walking distance (I'm old... kids used to walk.) Anyway... since moving east, I just haven't found the local Mexican restaurant... There is one that's okay in the shopping center where i work, but it's not the stuff of memory. It's's too "east coast" watered down. By default, I tend to make my own. Nothing fancy, but not taco-shells-out-of-a-box, either. The internet is great for getting spices, and I usually pick up something when I'm home. Scratch cooking is good cooking, I always say.....

That being said... TJ's has had a few Mexican-inspired sauces come and go over the years, and a new one just arrived! And I LIKE IT! A LOT!! I made a really easy beef filling tonight using it...

I took a pound of stew meat and a bottle of sauce. Put it in a pot with a lid and let it simmer for about 2 hours. The meat was tender and tasty. It had a great flavor and was very reminiscent of "Gordo's" in San Francisco on 9th Avenue... (a favorite burrito place!!)

But this wasn't burrito night. It wasn't exactly 'taco' night, either... After stewing the beef, i made rice with chopped green chiles and chipotle chile powder, refried black beans, fried corn and flour tortillas, avocado, grated a couple of cheeses (Monterey jack and cheddar) chopped a tomato, added a bit of salsa, and called it good!

I ate too much, but my stomach is smiling.....


I'm still cooking!

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It's not as if I haven't been cooking lately... Really... It's just that I've been doing a lot of other things, too - and somehow, this has gotten shuffled to the bottom of the deck.

The other night, I pounded a couple of chicken breasts, stuffed them with mushrooms, celery, onions, and parsley, then baked at 350 for about 45 minutes. I made some spelt pilaf, braised some escarole, made a simple dill cream sauce (thin white sauce with cream and dill...) and it was yummy! Prep time was about 10 minutes, and the cooking was all unattended. Well - except for the escarole, which was about 3 minutes - maybe...

Victor had made a pear cake the day before, so dessert was taken care of, too. A day without dessert is like - a day without dessert! I'll have to get Victor to post the recipe! It's actually an apple cake, but... we had pears...

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Right now, there's some cubed beef on the stove simmering with some Mexican Red Sauce. It smells great! More about that when it's ready!