Tuesday, November 9, 2010

¡Ay, caramba!

"Hay Grinder on fire. Got it out." That was the text message that Hubs sent to me this afternoon. ¡Ay, caramba! We have had a few awful hay fires in the past, and my mind immediately raced to the memories of those blazes. Tons and tons of hay were lost then. Thankfully, today's sparks caused minimal damage and hay loss. Hubs' quick action and the help of the fire department prevented a huge catastrophe. 

Tonight, as my exhausted Hubs naps in his chair in front of the TV, the only heat is my laptop charring my legs as I menu plan for the rest of the week. ¡Ay, caramba! Lately, I have gotten so lazy about planning our meals. Usually, I just open the fridge or freezer and hope that something jumps out at me. It is a hit or miss way to get a meal On My Plate, and I just hope that whatever jumps hasn't been in the fridge long enough to actually (and not pretend) be coming to life again and really jumping.

One recipe that a friend recently shared with me easily fits heated last minute planning. Taco Soup uses basic pantry items and can even be heated in the crockpot, if time is short. I adjusted the original recipe to suit what I have on hand most of the time, and you could alter it to suit your own tastes. Add a can of black beans to stretch the servings further; change out the diced tomatoes to plain or those with jalapenos; brown diced green peppers with the onions and ground beef. (My friend makes a veg version by using meat substitutes instead of the ground beef. She also recommended ground turkey as an alternative.) Serve it up as a soup, or use it as a topping for baked potatoes. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, even shredded lettuce, diced onion, and tomato. My choice was with Deluxe Corn Muffins (with a can of green chiles added to the mix) on the side and crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, and freshly chopped cilantro on top. It's not On My Plate, but rather, in my bowl, and nobody will be shouting "¡Ay, caramba!" when you ladle up Taco Soup.



1 pound ground beef 
1 cup chopped onion 
1  15 oz. can kidney beans, undrained
1  15 oz. can chili beans, undrained
1  15 oz. can fat-free refried beans
2 cups frozen corn
1  15 oz. can tomato sauce
1  15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 1/2 cup water (If you want it more like a chili consistency, reduce or leave out the water.)
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley dressing mix(not buttermilk)

Brown the ground beef with the onion in a soup pot.
Combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Serves 6-8)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Whole Enchilada

I *think* that I might finally be done canning the tomatoes from the garden. I still have a large bowl of cherry and yellow pear tomatoes on the counter for snacking and salads, and kept a couple big ones for slicing on sandwiches this week, but otherwise, all of the ripe tomatoes have been processed into some kind of salsa, sauce, juice, or jam. Yes, there is a tub of green ones that are tempting me into trying pickled green tomatoes (I have made my fill of green tomato salsa.), but I don't know if I want to go there. I am so over the canning thing for this year. I am ready to give up the whole enchilada.

Finally tally is 193 quart, pint, half-pint, and 4 ounce jars lining the pantry shelves from my garden produce. Not all are tomato-based, but most are. It will be nice to just grab a jar from the pantry shelf when I want to make spaghetti, throw together a quick snack with the salsa or the jam, make a traditional pizza, or whip up a pan of enchiladas. Yes, even enchiladas. I am testing a from scratch recipe for enchilada sauce that seemed to go over pretty well in my trial batch. Let's hope the jars of sauce don't disappoint this winter. Beef or chicken, I will be happy with enchiladas made with From Scratch Enchilada Sauce On My Plate.



5-8 pounds tomatoes
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup chili powder
1/2 cup salt
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons oregano
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 can tomato paste


Chop tomatoes and place in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.
Add the seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until tomatoes have cooked down and flesh has released from the skins.
Remove from heat.
Process tomatoes through a food mill/cone colander with pestle/sieve/or similar utensil to strain the seeds and skin.
Return sauce to heavy pot and bring to a simmer.
Ladle into prepared jars (I used half-pints) and secure lids.
Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

How Do You Chop Water?

The other day, I received a text message from a friend. He asked if I had ever made Tabbouleh. I replied that while I love this fresh salad offering at Sanaa's 8th Street Gourmet, I had never made it myself. "Why not?" he asked. I really had no answer for him. I almost always have all of the simple ingredients on hand, and I own one of Sanaa's fabulous cookbooks (Secrets of Healthy Middle Eastern Cooking) that includes her recipe. Why not? Why not NOW?

My friend and I made a pact to recreate this flavorful, healthy salad and submit dueling blog posts. I assured him that even with limited cooking skills, he could do it. "It is just boiling water and chopping," I said. "How do you chop water?" he asked. Oh boy. I *hoped* this was a good idea.

As it turned out, it was a GREAT idea, Jonathan created an incredible salad that "fills my mouth with flavor and my stomach with complete satisfaction" and posted an awesome blog post about the process. I Think I Burnt The Salad even includes the video of Sanaa making the gluten-free version of Tabbouleh.

The Tabbouleh that I prepared is a variation of the traditional recipe that includes bulgur wheat. While not gluten-free, it is still packed with the gusto of the bright flavors of the parsley, onion, and tomato. I could hardly wait to drizzle it with a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice and gobble it down. My hearty, but healthful lunch of Tabbouleh, Roasted Garlic Hummus, and (purchased) flat bread was one of the best ideas ever On My Plate.

(Adapted from Sanaa Abourezk) 

 1/2 cup Quick Booking Bulgur Wheat (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup water
4 cups finely chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped onion
5 cups finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (really, fresh is so much better than bottled stuff)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Bring water to a boil.
Add the bulgur wheat; stir.
Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until tender.
In a salad bowl, combine the cooked bulgur with the tomatoes, onion, and parsley.
(Can be prepared ahead to this point and dressed just prior to serving.)
Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil and toss to coat. (6 servings)

5 More Seconds of Fame

You know my long and rambling post about low water pressure and the pressure to do something with my green tomatoes? The one where I made the Green Tomato Pie from South Dakota Magazine?

Well...John Andrews blogged about me blogging about their pie. I have 5 more seconds of fame online in the Editor's Notebook at South Dakota Magazine. Check it out, if you like.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Lick The Platter Clean

An apple a day...wouldn't be enough for an Applesauce Spice Cake with Buttermilk Syrup. I used three peeled and grated apples AND a cup of chunky applesauce to make this lick-the-platter-clean, delicious, fall dessert.

The original recipe only called for two apples, but I had three in the bowl on the table and tossed in the additional one "just because." The extra little pieces of apple disbursed through the batter creating moist pockets of superb. fruity goodness in the cinnamony cake. Yum.

But, as yummy as the spicy cake is, it is the syrup that had my guests wanting to lick the plate when I served this dessert after a simple meal on Halloween. You KNOW a recipe is a hit when someone swirls their fork around to make sure that they get every last drop of the caramel-like Buttermilk Syrup. I was ready to avert my eyes and look away if the plate raised up from the table to meet the eager tongue, but good manners reigned strong...mostly.

Why don't you bake an Applesauce Spice Cake with Buttermilk Syrup for yourself and see if you can stand not to lick the plate? I don't think that I can resist it On My Plate.




1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
3 apples, peeled, cored, and grated
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons nutmeg (I always use fresh grated nutmeg & grate right into the batter...never sure if I have the right measure, or not.)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream softened butter and sugar. 
Mix in eggs one at a time until well incorporated. 
Stir in applesauce and apples until combined.
Sift in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. 
Stir until all dry ingredients are moist. 
Don't over mix. 
Pour into a prepared 9" x 13" baking dish.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Serve with buttermilk syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup
  
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large pot (Really LARGE...when the buttermilk and baking soda heat together, the foam is insane. Pick your largest pot and go buy one bigger to make the sauce...or clean up boiled over foamy sugar off your stove. You have been warned.), combine butter, buttermilk, corn syrup, sugar, and baking soda.
Stir and bring to a boil. 
Boil 7 minutes, stirring constantly. (This is when the foam really gets out of control.)
Remove pan from heat. 
Allow foam to subside, then stir in vanilla. 
Serve warm.