Spaghetti Squash

I have mentioned spaghetti squash to several people and have been surprised when they either hadn't heard about it or had no idea how to prepare it. It is a fabulous, lower carb alternative to pasta. Here is how to prepare it:

You will need
1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt
pepper

Using a large, very sharp knife, cut the squash in half and use a spoon to remove all the seeds. Rub the inside with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Place cut side up on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Keep an eye on it and pull it before it burns. You will know when it is done when it pulls away from the skin easily. It should look like this:

Let it cool for a few minutes and then use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash out. See how easy it is to do?

You can use this in place of pasta with most any sauce. Be sure and drain the liquid off. Otherwise your dish will be watery. I will often lay it out on a flour sack cloth towel to absorb some of the moisture.
It is also delicious when tossed with just olive oil and herbs and garlic.

Give spaghetti squash a try instead of carb loaded pasta!

Pizza bites

I am always looking for quick, easy lunches I can fix for myself when Jason is working. I found a winner with these pizza bites.

mini french bread
tomato sauce (I usually have a jar in the fridge)
seasonings (I used Shirley J pizza and pasta season mix)
shredded cheese
pepperoni


Slice your bread fairly thin. Mix tomato sauce and seasonings to taste. Top each bread slice with a little sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and any toppings you might have in the fridge. Toast until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I use my toaster oven for this. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes. Just watch it close.

So yummy, so simple, so quick.

Cheese Cake Fried Pie

As requested by so many of my Facebook Friends, here is my recipe:

Cheese Cake Fried Pie

Filling (this is to easy!):
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 jar of marshmallow cream

Mix well in a bowl.

Everyone has their own favorite pie crust, so I am not even going there!
Just roll out your crust and cut into circles. I didn't bother pulling out the biscuit cutter. I had a wide mouth mason jar sitting on the counter waiting to be put away so I used it.

Place a scant spoonful of filling in the middle of each circle. Dampen your finger with water and run it around the edges of the circle. Fold the circle in half and kind of redistribute the filling with your hands to even it out and get rid of the excess air. Use a fork to seal the edges nice and pretty.

I fried my pies in a heavy bottom skillet with about an inch or so of canola oil heated to about 375 degrees. It only take a few minutes. When the pie starts to float, flip it over and brown the other side. These will burn quick so watch carefully!

Drain on a wire rack and paper towel. For an even better time, dust the hot pie lightly with powder sugar. Enjoy!

How to sauce a tomato

I have been so busy canning this year. One of the easiest things to put up is tomato sauce. I use my Kitchenaid Fruit and Vegetable Strainer attachment to make things go quicker.

Wash tomatoes and then quarter. You may need to cut larger tomatoes into 6 pieces.

Insert the raw, cut tomato into the hopper of the strainer and use the plunger to feed into the strainer.

The good tomato parts come out at the left.The skins, seeds, and cores are discharged into the waste bucket at the right. No fear, this will go to the compost pile :)

Pour the good tomato sauce into large pots and let it simmer until it is reduced by half. This may take 4 or 5 hours, depending on how juicy your tomatoes were. I set a timer and stir about every 7 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking on the bottom of the pot.

I can my sauce using a water bath according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation instructions. This is the only safe source for research based canning information.

My KitchenAid and Attachments make canning so much easier :)

Confessions of the Corn Princess

I nearly overwhelmed myself with corn this year. I put up over 350 ears of corn! Jason has taken to calling me his Corn Princess.  I am okay with that :)
I just love Esau corn. For those of you who "ain't from round here", let me educate you for a moment. Chester Esau grows sweet corn down in Dumas, Arkansas. His workers (mostly family) then pick it and put it into sacks. Each sack has about 70 ears of corn in it. You don't have to drive all the way to Dumas to get this golden treat. There are several places around the state who pick it up from Esau's corn shed and resale it. It costs between $18 and $20 a bag and is well worth it!

So how does one go about creaming corn? Here is a step by step guide with pictures:
As soon as you get home with your corn, lay out an old sheet in the middle of your kitchen floor and spread the corn out in a single layer. Yes, it sounds "corny", but you gotta do it. The idea is to cool the corn down so that it doesn't start going bad on you. The quicker you can process your corn after you get it home the better. If it is going to be overnight  BE SURE TO DO THIS!!!

Next you need to husk your corn. Just grab a section of tassle and pull toward you. Then pull the opposite side. Be sure and get as much of the silk off as you can resonable remove at this point. Also, I leave the stalk at the bottom to give myself a handle during the cutting process.

Wash your corn under cool, running water. Remove any silk that may still be on the cob. A small nail brush works well for this. Just label it and keep it for this purpose only.

Now for the cutting. Get yourself a SHARP knife and a big, clean dishpan.  Hold the cob in one hand (by the "handle" if you were paying attention before) in the dishpan. Take your knife and lay it almost horizontal. Then shave the kernels off the cob moving from top to bottom and then rotating the cob to get to the next section. You are trying to only remove about the top 1/3 of the kernel.

On the left side of the cob is what you want. See how the top of the kernel is just shaved off and the rest is sitting there all juicy and glistening?  The bottom part is BAD. Do not cut off the whole kernel. You will end up taking some of the cob and your corn will taste, well, cobby. You also won't get any corn cream from those kernels.

Once you have shaved the whole cob, turn your knife over so that the dull part is closest to the cob. You want to be at about at 45 degree angle. Now scrape your knife down the cob. This removes the yummy good stuff inside the kernel. This corn "milk" or "cream" is what makes cream corn. Repeat all around the cob, working from the top to the bottom.

This picture doesn't show the correct knife angle. I was trying to show what the good stuff looks like as your scrape the cob.

This is what the cob looks like after you scrape it. See how the cob is intact and each kernel cell has been excavated?

Once you have finished with all your cobs, stir the batch and then spoon into microwave safe bowls. I use my pyrex casserole dishes. Fill each bowl about 3/4 full, cover, and then microwave. You want to cook it for about 5 minutes after it starts bubbling good. This process is called blanching. It halts the enzyematic reaction and keeps your corn tasting fresh.

After the corn is done, remove it from the microwave and immerse the bowl into a tub of ice water to quickly cool it. This is called shocking and stops the cooking process. If you just leave the corn to cool on the counter then it will actually continue to cook the flavor and nutrients out.

Once the corn has cooled, transfer it into labeled freezer bags. It should keep in the freezer for a year.

 You can also freeze the corn in the husk for grilling later. Just wrap it tightly in a garbage bag and place in the freezer. It won't last as long as blanched corn, but it is fun to cook on the grill.

If you prefer corn on the cob: Husk, wash and cut your corn to length. Then immerse the corn on the cob into a pot of boiling water for 9 minutes or so (blanching). Remove and place into a pan of ice water (shocking).  Drain and place in freezer bags. It should stay good for up to a year in the freezer.

"Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits." - Thoreau, Wild Apples

I have had several people ask me about canning apple sauce and apple butter. This website gives the best directions I have ever seen. I could do a whole post about it, but why beat a dead horse? Go here. Learn something. Make yummy food for your family. :)

http://www.pickyourown.org/applebutter.htm

I learned that if you pester your wonderful, sweet, adoring, doting, and handsome boyfriend about bringing you apples, he might just bring you more than what you can reasonably deal with in a short amount of time. Especially if you have a pressing project at work and a sickly mother. Anyone need a few apples? ;) After putting up 35 jars of apple sauce and 45 jars of apple butter, I am nearly tired of looking at apples. And I still have enough to can some apple pie filling, dehydrate some apple chips, and make a few pies. After all, "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." -- Jane Austen.

Tastes like Love

I made a cake tonight that reminded me VERY much of a chocolate cake that my Mamaw Mae and I used to make. It had to taste the batter and the first thought that came to my mind was "That tastes like love!" My Mamaw Mae showed her love in many ways. One of those ways was by letting me cook with her. I encourage you to try this recipe with the little ones in your life.

Vinegar Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 cups water
2 Tbs vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Shift dry ingredients together. Stir liquids into dry ingredients and mix well. Hand mix is better than using a mixer for this cake.
Pour into a greased and floured 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Notice that this cake doesn't use egg. You can let your kiddlets lick the bowl and not freak about raw egg :)

And what is a good chocolate cake without a good icing?? Here is how I make mine:
Soften 1 stick of butter or margarine. Add 4 Tbs cocoa. Add powdered sugar and a dab of milk and vanilla until it looks right. I can't tell you exactly how much because I don't really measure. Just eyeball it. And maybe test now and then to see if it tastes right.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
6 cups beef broth
1 pkg (1.35 oz) hot and sour soup mix*
1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quick cook barley
4 eggs**

Brown ground beef, celery, and onion in dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat until meat is brown and veggies are tender (6-8 min) Drain if neccessary.
Add broth, soup mix, tomatoes, beans, and barley. Cook covered over low heat stirring occasionally until barley thickens (11-13 min).
** optional addition: Break eggs, one at a time into saucer. Holding dish close to surface, slip egg into simmering soup. Cook until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard (3-5 min). Do not stir.
Laden into bowls and top each with poached egg. Serve immediately.

I didn't do the poached egg step because I was cooking ahead to pack for lunches for myself and Jason. This soup is incredible either way!!

*hot and sour soup mix is found by the Asain food at your grocery.

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls

I made these delicious meat balls recently for Jason. They are fairly easy and super yummy! Try these for your dinner table. They would be great for tailgating or for an appetizer for the holidays. They are also hearty enough to serve as an entree.

2lbs ground turkey (or beef)
1 egg
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup crushed crackers (or oats)
1 can Pet milk
3 T ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
Mix this and form into balls, place into baking dish, set aside.

In a saucepan combine:
1/2 cup clear vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
Heat until sugar melts. Pour over meatballs; bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Jason ate several right away and then took some on the road. I take that as a sign that this recipe is a keeper.

Salmon with Mustard Sauce and Asparagus

So, I got some flak from my baby sister about making 'elaborate' meals. This post is to share a delicious recipe and to show her how easy it really is to make a healthy, yummy meal at home. This isn't my original, but I don't remember when I got the recipe, so my apologies to the author.

Roasted Salmon with Mustard Sauce and a side of Asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsps white wine vinegar
2 lbs fresh asparagus
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
4 salmon steaks
1 Tbs olive oil, plus extra for grilling pan

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Mix mustard, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Put half in a separate bowl for basting and reserve the other half for drizzling at presentation.
-Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper. Using a brush, lightly baste each side with the mustard sauce. Place on baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes or so.
-Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss asparagus with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill (or use heavy bottom skillet on stove), turning occasionally until brown and tender (I like my asparagus slightly crisp).
-To serve, place salmon on large platter and drizzle with reserved sauce. Add asparagus to platter and serve. I sometimes add baked potatoes and fresh made garlic bread, since we are meat and tater people :)
The cost breaks down like this:
asparagus: $3.99
salmon: $4.00
grey poupon $1.13
oil $.10
vinegar $.10
sugar $.05
salt and pepper $.03
for a total of $9.40 / 4 servings gives $2.35 per serving.
A reasonable price for a delicious, healthy meal created with love.