Spies Like Us....

I really am just your typical wife and mother. My average day is filled with laundry, dishes, and nothing out of the ordinary. Really. Except when it comes to cooking. Sometimes, I find myself giving in to a very devious and secretive alter-ego that begs me to slip something unconventional into my family's dinner, just to see if I can get by with it. Now before you get the wrong idea, it's always something they SHOULD eat, but otherwise refuse to. Deceitful ? Possibly, but it's not like they asked me, "Hey mom, did you throw in some extra vegetables again tonight?" If they asked... I PROMISE I would tell them. But alas, they don't ask, so I continue to get away with my covert missions. Tonight's menu consisted of chili... PUMPKIN chili that is....(Insert evil laugh here) baahaahaaahaa

My verdict is, it was okay. You really cannot taste the pumpkin, but it was a little bland for my taste. Next time I make it, I will probably omit using chili powder alone and instead stir in a store bought chili seasoning kit like "Williams Chili Seasoning". It also has green and yellow peppers which are STRICTLY prohibited in my kitchen...unless no one is looking.... I threw these in the food processor and processed the living daylights out of them until they were unrecognizable. So there you have it. Just a few of my stealthy secrets. Cue the Mission Impossible Music...This recipe will self destruct in 5 seconds....

PUMPKIN CHILI

1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 TB canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (14 1/2 oz) tomatoes, undrained
4 1/2 tsp chili powder (or chili mix seasoning)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Saute peppers in oil in a large skillet until tender. Add garlic and cook for one minute longer. Crumble meat into skillet and cook until no longer pink.

Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in pumpkin, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with toppings of your choice.

I like my.....

Apparently, my kindergardener had an assignment where they had to finish the sentence, "I like my....." and then had to draw whatever they picked. As depicted below, my son decided he likes large sombrero like hats. Who knew?! Anyway, it got me thinking... everyone likes different things. Especially when it's cold outside, it just seems the perfect time to pull out all of those yummy soup and/or chili recipes.

Potato soup has always been a favorite of mine and holds many memories of growing up.  Particularly on Halloween night, my mom would make a big pot of potato soup before we would head out trick or treating.  Talking to her today, she told me my dad is wanting potato soup almost every day for dinner lately... which she thinks is CRAZY; not me... I'm with you dad.  I like my potato soup too !   This recipe is a little different, but it did not disappoint.  The added veggies were obviously a plus but also, the ham lends a subtle smoky flavor.  Delicious ! 

So what have we learned today boys and girls?  To each his own I suppose.  You say potaTOE, I say potato, and Grant likes LARGE hats.  Alrighty then !  Stay warm everyone !

Cream of Potato Soup
8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, diced
a few sprinkles of onion powder
1 stalks of celery, diced (or substitute a little celery salt)
1 cup diced ham
5 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 TB dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup sour cream

Add everything except milk, cheese, and sour cream to a Crock Pot. Cook soup on high for 5-6 hours. Add milk, cheese, and sour cream 30 minutes before serving. Stir well to blend.

Not Your Average Gumbo…

 

So for my first new recipe of 2013 the Perry’s are kicking it Cajun style !  This recipe rocked and everyone ate it which = SUCCESS !  I was very cautious with the spices, but the hubster thought it could have been spicier.  I think it was pretty close to perfect if you’re serving little mouths.  It is a bit time consuming, but worth it.  I actually cooked this Saturday afternoon and reheated for tonight’s dinner. The recipe said it could take up to 30 minutes for the roux to develop into a brown color, but I found my light weight cookware to bring it up to temperature in about 10. This is just where you will have to experiment and watch carefully.  That would be my only caution.  Try it out…this of course is a SEAFOOD FREE Gumbo… but I’m sure you could try different varieties of “protein” in it. Also, as far as the “veggies” went, I basically turned them into a puree before cooking so nothing could be identified….(it’s what I do)… I halved this recipe as it originally yielded 9 servings.  I will print it in its entirety and you can adjust as needed.  We served it over rice and like I said, it was very delicious.  I’m not usually a Cajun food fan so was pleasantly surprised at this little gem.  Fish or no Fish…I definitely think it’s a keeper ! 

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

2 TB Cajun seasoning, divided 

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

3 lbs skinless chicken

1/2 cup  plus 2 TB  canola oil, divided

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 large onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper

2 celery ribs finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups water

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 lb fully cooked andouille sausage sliced

2 TB Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

 

1. In a small bowl, mix 1 TB Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 pepper; rub over chicken. In a Dutch oven, brown chicken in 2 TB oil in batches; remove chicken from pan and set aside. 

2. Add remaining oil to same pan; stir in flour until blended. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until browned. (Can take up to 30 minutes…be patient and keep stirring!) Add onion, peppers, and celery; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

3. Gradually add water and stock. Stir in the sausage, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, chicken, and the remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper (I did not add any more seasoning to mine at this point).  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for one hour or until chicken is very tender.

4. Remove chicken from pan and shred and then return to pot. Serve over rice.

2012, where did you go ?

Wow, it has been QUITE a while since I have last posted anything on this blog.  The last few months of 2012 have been a roller coaster, yet ironically, I have nothing outstanding or noteworthy to show for it.  Just a year of changing schedules, increased work demands, and my family's hustle and bustle to blame for blog inactivity.  And I use the term "blame" loosely. I'm not bitter about it, honest.  I've just had bigger fish to fry...pun INtended (for those of you who know my opinion of fish.)  I do hope to continue this blog journey though. It has been very fulfilling and fun to seek out new recipes and share the outcomes.  And I must say, my family's healthier eating journey that we began last year did pay off with my hubby and I achieving a combined total of 32 lbs less than where we were last year at this time.  I would like to claim that as a grand success, but alas, I would be amiss if I didn't admit to actually having lost more than that at one time, but with the stress and business of the holiday season... we find ourselves pulling ourselves up from our bootstraps and starting over once again.  I will share something that gives me hope for the coming year and it comes from God's word, which is a pretty good place to look if you need encouragement....
"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."  John 6:35
Jesus in this verse promises us that when we come to Him, He fulfills our every need. But the thought recently occurred to me, I do not make it a practice to eat one meal and expect to never get hungry the rest of the day, or for that matter, the rest of the week. So how can I expect to be spiritually "full" if I only ingest God's word sporadically ?   It's a thought that has challenged my heart and I hope to incorporate as part of my healthy lifestyle in 2013. I need so much more than just fruits and vegetables in my diet, I need the living, breathing word of life to nourish and sustain me.  I'll end with one of my favorite verses,
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."  Psalm 34:8
I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I serve the one who does. I also know that when I go to Him, He never disappoints me, and so as I enter 2013, I look forward to seeing what sort of "dish" He decides to serve me this year.  My spiritual taste buds are ready !

Messin with Mashed Taters...

I will confess up front, I am probably more excited about this blog post than any other....I would even say I'm almost GIDDY !   Mashed potatoes, pretty cut and dry right ?  Oh contrare.... I came upon a recipe that called for a combination of potatoes AND cauliflower and decided to try it out on some friends tomorrow at a luncheon I'm hosting, because seriously, do you THINK I could pass this by my family ?  Um no.  Case in point, the hubster walked in from outside and smelled the distinct aroma from the stovetop and immediately started in..."Why, Why would you do this to our house?"  To which I replied, "Let's play name that smell !"....Gracie joined in and declared, "this isn't a very fun game".  Okay so why my excitement you ask ?  BECAUSE, after I had put everything together and tasted it for myself, I just KNEW I had to get a sneaky spoonful in SOMEBODY tonight to confirm my suspicions...this recipe ROCKS !  Gracie helped chop my potatoes so in thanking her for the wonderful job she did, I said, "You have GOT to try these mashed potatoes, they are incredible!"  Now, I will confess, she walked away from the kitchen and didn't actually watch me prepare the potatoes so had no idea the cauliflower came anywhere near the same pot....(insert evil laugh here).  She took a bite without hesitation and declared that yes indeed, they are tasty !  VOILA !   SO, what have I learned tonight. 1) I WILL make this recipe again....2) I WILL prepare the cauliflower during the day, freeze or refrigerate the evidence for later mix ins....3) I WILL light a candle to detox the house before they get home. 

Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
3/4 to 1 cup of milk
1/2 to 3/4 cup of butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Chicken Broth

Bring potatoes to boil in broth until tender. While cooking, in another pot bring 1 1/2 cup additional chicken broth to boil and add cauliflower. Cover and steam until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and place in blender with milk and butter. Puree until very smooth. Drain and mash potatoes and add cauliflower puree along with seasoning to taste.  YUM !

Inspired by the Toll House cookie !

Back in the 1930's, Ruth Wakefield decided to try to make a chocolate cookie by chopping up bits of Hershey's chocolate bars. Instead of the chocolate melting and creating a "chocolate" cookie, the chocolate held it's shape and voila, the chocolate chip cookie was born.  I LOVE this story, and not just because it involves chocolate...although that certainly helps.  But I love the fact that Mrs. Wakefield had a plan and although the plan didn't turn out like she expected, she still created something fantastic. I think recipes are like that. A lot of times, what you may plan to make for dinner turns into something totally different when you realize you left something out or don't have all the needed ingrediants. That's what happened at the Perry Palace tonight.  I was planning on making an old standby, "Pepperoni Bread" only to discover I was running dangerously low on pepperoni. So I improvised !  I made half of the recipe with my traditional turkey pepperoni and shredded cheese and then the other half with deli sliced ham and swiss cheese. What resulted was a delicious revelation...the filling possibilities are now endless !  I had visions of spinach, chicken, and sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, sausage, artichokes, and oh wait a minute...I'm getting a LITTLE grandiose for my family...but YOU...YOU my friends could take this recipe and run with it !  Run, Run like the wind Bullseye!  Sorry, now I'm getting carried away.  Here is the recipe.  Feel free to alter, change, or copy as your little heart desires. 

Pepperoni Bread

2 1/2 cups flour (I used a mixture of all purpose white and wheat flour)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp yeast
1 TB olive oil
1 cup very warm water

Combine all the dry ingrediants in a bowl. Add the water and oil and mix. Turn onto floured surface and knead for about 1-2 minutes until it forms a firm but smooth ball of dough. Let rise in a warm place in a greased covered bowl for 20 minutes.
Place dough on greased cookie sheet and roll out into a rectangular shape filling the pan. Cover with pepperoni then cheese (or other topping of choice). Gently roll into a long tube pinching ends and seam to seal. Using a sharp knife, make 4 or 5 slits in the top. I sprayed the top of mine with olive oil spray and sometimes sprinkle with garlic powder or additional cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a bit before slicing.  Can serve with hot marinara sauce for dipping. 

"This stuff is made in NEW YORK CITY ???"

As we have learned from the TV commerical, Pace picante' sauce is NOT made in New York City...nor is the Perry's version of salsa.  When the Perry's get tomatoes, the Perry's make Salsa !  My dad's garden has had an abundance so I am happy to share my recipe for the spicy condiment.  You can control the heat by how many peppers you want to add remembering that the heat is found within the membrane and seeds of the jalapeno. 

I always forget how amazing freshly made salsa tastes.  It truly is worth the trouble !  Give it a try !  

Salsa

8 cups chopped tomatoes (skins removed)*
1 3/4 cup finely diced onion
1 1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
3 jalapeno peppers (chopped) I usually take the seeds out of at least one
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 cup sugar
1/16 cup salt

Bring to all to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon into hot jars and add lids and rings to seal.

*To easily peel tomatoes, place tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute and carefully remove. The peels will come off easily...PROMISE !