Fridge Friday: Episode 10

Hey! It is Fridge Friday! Did you think that I forgot about giving you little peeks into my fridge? Never. I may have neglected your inquisitiveness, but I didn't forget. I am back this Friday with a gem.

Check it out. That is my hotel room fridge. We have all the basics: water, wine, leftovers, and a Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat. What could I possibly blog about from that fridge, you ask? Honestly, nothing. Or, at least nothing that I would want to eat when combined and heated in the little in-room microwave.

Instead, I am going to tell you that when we left home, Hubs had his mind made up that we were going to eat Mexican food. All day, I salivated at the thought of perfectly seasoned and grilled shrimp folded inside a warm corn tortilla with some creamy coleslaw to make the most awesome shrimp tacos. I wanted. I wanted badly. With beans and rice. Then, we got to the big city and Hubs decided he wanted pasta. So much for Mexican food. *shrug*

However, that doesn't mean that I couldn't still share a great Spanish Rice recipe with you. I have been making Denise's Spanish Rice for several years and pairing it with Spicy Black Beans whenever I serve a spicy Mexican/Tex-Mex themed meal. It is, in my opinion, excellent. Why wouldn't it be? It has bacon. Everything that includes bacon is good. Period.

So...it is Fridge Friday, and I have just a miserable hotel room fridge, and I didn't get Mexican food, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't jump at the chance to have Denise's Spanish Rice On My Plate.

Denise's Spanish Rice

6 strips bacon

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel...mild or hot, your choice)

2 cans roasted green chiles

1 cup long grain white rice (I use Jasmine)

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy.
Set aside on paper towels to drain.
To bacon grease, add the butter and melt.
Add the onion and peppers, sauteing until the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until soft, being careful not to burn.
Add the tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth.
Simmer about 5-10 minutes to blend flavors.
Add the rice, cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, until tender. (May need to add more liquid.)
Before serving, crumble bacon over the top of rice. (Serves 4)

A Hit and A Miss

Today, I made my first pot of from-scratch baked beans. 

Reporting this accomplishment produced shock waves among some friends. They knew that I made baked beans. They knew that some family members are in love with my beans. But now my true secret is out. They are not from scratch. (I am sorry...but not really.) My usual creation always starts with a can of Bush's, adds onion, garlic, bacon, ground beef, brown sugar, molasses, dry mustard, and other seasonings along with a variety of pre-cooked beans. I love the calico look of combining butter beans, navy beans, black beans, and pintos all in the same pot...but they really aren't homemade baked beans. (Again, I am sorry...but not really. They ARE good.)

Not even knowing that I wanted real, homemade baked beans, I was intrigued by a recipe on Phoo-d's Blog for Bourbon Bacon Baked Beans. Real, homemade, from-scratch baked beans. The ingredients were collected, and today, I sauteed and simmered and simmered and simmered. The aroma of molasses and bacon wafted through the house during the 6 hours of cooking time. My stomach growled in anticipation of these slow-cooked, from-scratch baked beans. And, when they were finally ready, I was...slightly disappointed.

Don't misunderstand. The recipe is good. It just wasn't quite what I want in baked beans. I loved the smokiness that came from the bourbon and the coffee, but the combination of the pineapple and brown sugar was just too sweet for me. I also like more of a kick to my beans, and only a pinch of hot pepper flakes didn't make my taste buds sing. While I did create a perfectly serviceable pot of from-scratch baked beans, in the future, either this recipe will be tweaked or I will try something new. It wasn't a hit for me.

Anyway...after I had dropped all of the ingredients into the pot for the beans, I realized that I had focused so intently on the fact that I was finally making real baked beans that I didn't have anything planned to serve with them. Duh. Something told me that regardless of how the beans turned out, dinner would be a miss for the Hubs if it was only beans.

An informal poll on Twitter came away with suggestions for corn bread, ribs, and sausages. While I did defrost a couple racks of lamb ribs to be smoked at the farm tomorrow (and served up with the leftover baked beans), it was sausages that won the chance to appear on my plate beside the beans tonight, simply because they could be defrosted easily. However, just because the sausages were a second thought, didn't mean that they got second rate attention. I pulled a sure hit recipe from my files for my kielbasa.

Sausage Sandwiches with Sauteed Pepper and Onion Sauce are a blend of flavors that do make my taste buds sing. How can you go wrong with onions and pepper fried up in olive oil? Generally, I wouldn't have thought to pair red wine and kielbasa, but it works. Really. No disappointments. It isn't a miss with Sausage Sandwiches with Sauteed Pepper and Onion Sauce On My Plate.

Sausage Sandwiches with Sauteed Pepper and Onion Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced

3 bell peppers, cut into strips

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 pound kielbasa, cooked and cut in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into 6-inch long pieces

1 cup red wine

2/3 cups sliced black olives (kalamata are even better)

4 hoagie buns or other firm rolls, toasted

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over med high heat. 
Add onions and sauteed until onions are soft. 
Stir in peppers and saute until peppers are lightly browned. 
Add sugar and paprika and stir to coat.
Transfer mixture to a plate but leave drippings in pan. 
Add remaining oil (1 tablespoon) to skillet.
Add sausage and heat until browned and heated through. 
Transfer sausage to plate with onions and peppers. 
Add wine to skillet and heat until reduced by half. 
Return sausage/pepper/onion mixture to skillet and stir in olives. 
Cook until heated through. 
Fill each toasted bun with sausages; top with onions and peppers; spoon juices over.
(Can also make open-faced and top with Provolone cheese and heat under broiler until bubbly and melted.) Serves 4

The Pits

Is there anything that you have done in the past, learned the hard way that you shouldn't have done it that way, but STILL do it again? No? None of you are slow learners like me? Really? Be thankful that you have the brains that God gave a goose, because some of us aren't that lucky. It's the pits.

Example: I have a wonderful cherry/olive pitter from Pampered Chef (which after just looking on their website doesn't seem to be available any longer...sorry). The only tiny complaint I have about this amazing, little gadget (and I am not a gadget person, as a rule) is that it doesn't have a spatter shield. As the rod pushes through the cherry stem and pops the pit out the bottom of the fruit, juices spatter everywhere. I am left with what could be the crime scene of a million bludgeoned mosquitoes. Red, blood-like droplets cover every surface within spitting distance.

The first time that I pitted cherries, I was wearing a white shirt and had a stack of freshly washed dishes in the sink beside me. It was awesome to have everything covered in sticky, sweet, bright red spatters of cherry juice. Not. *eyeroll* You would think that I would have learned from that mistake, but unfortunately, I have a very hard head. I am left with the remains of a crime scene pretty much every time I pit cherries, and today was no exception. I wanted to make Cherry Studded Brownies and a Fresh Cherry Sauce to serve with them. And, wouldn't you know it...while I put on an old apron to protect the ancient t-shirt that I usually just wear as pajamas, I didn't think twice about everything on the counter around me. Splat. Splatter. Splosh. Slap! Yes, someone should have slapped me over the mess I made. I am the pits.

But, I think the mess was well worth it when this evening my dinner guests and I dug into ramekins of rich, chocolaty brownie studded with sweet cherries. Scoops of vanilla ice cream melted under the warmth of the candied, fragrant drizzle of fresh cherry sauce. Mmmmm. It is not the pits to have Cherry Studded Brownies with Fresh Cherry Sauce On My Plate.

Cherry Studded Brownies

(recipe adapted from Hot Polka Dot's Cherry Brownie Clafoutis)

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
30 sweet cherries, pitted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
Spray 6 dessert dishes or ramekins with non stick cooking spray and set them aside on a large baking sheet.
Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. (Can use a double boiler, microwave, or as I do, just a really heavy cast iron sauce pan on very low heat.)
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. 
Stir in the cocoa powder. 
Add the melted chocolate mixture.
By hand, stir in the flour and salt until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared dishes, filling 3/4 full. 
Arrange 5 cherries in the top of each baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are shiny and a toothpick inserted into the middle doesn't not show wet batter...some moist cake crumbs may cling to the pick.
Cool on rack for 20 minutes. (Serves 6)

Fresh Cherry Sauce

1/2 lb fresh cherries, washed & pitted
2 cups water
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract

Combine cherries, water, and sugar in saucepan.

Simmer for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Skim occasionally.

Stir in orange extract.

Serve drizzled over ice cream or other desserts.

Roasting

Temperatures are in the high 90s and even boiling into the 100s these days. Humidity levels make us feel like we are breathing water. We are roasting, literally. And, even though I should be focusing on cool, no-cook meals to keep our energy levels up for all of the farm work, yard work, roofing, painting, glazing, and sweating we do each day, I am roasting dinner. 

I know that it isn't very environmentally conscious to turn down the A/C to Brrr! and the oven up to Hot!Hot!Hot!, but I can't help myself. The call of Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin is too strong. The sweet, but savory glaze baked onto the moist and tender pork and paired with hearty potatoes and almost candied carrots sing a siren song that I can't resist regardless of the summer heat. I am roasting, and Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin is On My Plate.

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

2 cups baby carrots

12 baby red potatoes, halved

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon garlic pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pork tenderloin (12-16 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425F.
Bring carrots and potatoes to a boil in a large saucepan; cook until just about fork tender, but not soft.
Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine mustard, honey, mayonnaise, oil, and garlic pepper in a bowl.
In a roasting pan, coat the pork with half of the mustard mixture.
Toss the carrots and potatoes with the other half of the mustard mixture and spoon around the pork in pan. 
Roast uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until meat thermometers reads 160 degrees.
Stir the vegetables once while cooking. (Serves 4)

Children of the Corn

I was a main character in my own horror movie today. No, I didn't fall prey to demonic corn-cult worshipers. It was much more urban than that. The black walnut tree that I have watched mature from a mere seedling when we bought this house was hacked up by some over-zealous tree trimmers working for the area telephone company. I no longer have a tree with branches, I have a pole with a little green stuff on top.

I am not an idiot. I do understand the importance of keeping a 6-foot radius clear around the overhead telephone/power lines. I don't want my trees rubbing against the lines and shorting out phone service or icing up in winter and taking down the entire grid in a storm. But, I also don't see why a ladder or truck couldn't be used to properly trim the trees instead of just standing on the ground and whacking off any branch that you can reach. I don't get it. I guess I just don't have the lack of caring (or common sense?) that would make me a good tree trimming employee.

To the telephone company's credit, they did respond very promptly to my call with the complaint. Someone was at my home within just a couple hours to investigate the damages. After our conference under the branchless, shadeless tree, the contractor for the tree service was brought over to discuss the next actions. The pole (that was formerly known as a black walnut tree) will be completely removed tomorrow, along with some proper trimming of other trees that could possibly cause issue for the lines in the future. Replacement is still being considered. I am weighing those options. The ending of my tree chopping horror movie is still being drafted. What other innocent souls may perish upon the return of the evil tree trimmers remains to be seen.

What does this have to do with corn? I don't know. It is just that last night I threw together what we thought was a great corn recipe and I had been trying to think of an avenue to share it here on the blog. In no way shape or form is Creamed Corn with Roasted Green Chiles and Spinach a horror. Even though it does require grasping the sweet corn nearest you and blindly whacking the corn from the cob, there is no evil in its preparation. I promise. It is also a pure common sense (possibly even for those that have none) alternative for serving up some of that sweet and juicy sweet corn that is flowing in from the gardens and fields.

So...that's my story. While I don't have any recommendations for a good tree trimming service, I do have what I think is a great side dish of Creamed Corn with Roasted Green Chiles and Spinach On My Plate.

Creamed Corn with Roasted Green Chiles and Spinach

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2-3/4 cup diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 4oz can diced roasted green chiles (I used chiles from last year's garden that I had roasted, chopped, and frozen in ice cube trays...then popped into freezer bags for storage...3 cubes for this dish.)

fresh corn cut from 4-5 ears of sweet corn (or, if you must, frozen corn will work when sweet corn is not in season)

1/2 tablespoon flour

1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

4 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the onions and saute until translucent.
Add the garlic, being careful not to burn.
Add the sweet corn and stir to coat with butter & onions in the pan.
Allow corn to cook slowly and almost caramelize or brown, but not burn. Stir, but not too frequently, you want a little crust.
Add the green chiles and heat through.
Add the flour and stir to coat the kernels of corn and cook out the "raw" taste.
Add the cream and bring to low simmer.
Reduce heat and simmer to desired thickness for the cream.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the chopped spinach, stir to combine with other ingredients and coat with cream sauce.
Cover skillet and simmer until spinach is wilted. (Serves 4-6)

What a Dip!

What a dip I am. I start a new promotion for the blog in order to keep myself motivated and STILL, the blog is neglected. I was busy...out of town...not feeling well...working...too happy with sunshine to come indoors...buried in chores and everyday life...just give me a minute...I know I can come up with another excuse. Really. Excuses are easy for dips like me.

But, there is no excuse necessary for some dips. Roasted Garlic Dip is so rich, so cheesy, so deliciously wonderful that you might even forgive me for being such an unorganized, blog-neglecting dip. Seriously. I am a dip who loves Roasted Garlic Dip On My Plate.

Roasted Garlic Dip

1 head garlic

16 ounces cream cheese

2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a half inch off top of head of garlic. 
Place garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle top with olive oil.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour. 
Allow to cool slightly. 
To "harvest" the roasted garlic, squeeze the cloves from the husk.
(You may want to roast a couple of heads of garlic, as this is so sweet and wonderful that you will eat the cloves straight from the skin before they ever can dream of becoming part of the dip.)
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. 
With a food processor or electric mixer, blend cream cheese, Asiago cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and parsley until well-blended.
Add garlic and blend again.
Spread mixture in a greased casserole or baking dish and top with shredded mozzarella. 
Bake 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. (Serves 8-12, depending on appetites)

Fridge Friday: Episode 9

I am cranky today. There is too much on my to-do list, and not enough hours in this day. The wind is a hot and blustery 20 mph pain in my backside with 30-40 mph gusts just to remind me that it can (and will) do whatever it wants. The dogs are barking at imaginary sounds, people are pestering me, and my bottle of Aleve is almost empty. It is one of those days, but here is my Fridge Friday fridge...

Is it just me and my grumpy mind, but does my fridge pretty much always look the same? Most likely, it does. Why wouldn't it? I tend to buy the same types of groceries over and over. On the top right, we have milk, OJ, and a few sodas; the top left holds assorted condiments and at this point, an impressive stack of blocks of cream cheese (I wanted cream cheese for the Candied Jalapenos, but forgot that I had already purchased some. *shrug*). The middle shelf always has the eggs, pickles, extra butter, and some veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, red & green cabbage this time), and today has a bowl of limes and a lemon. Bottom shelf is another mish-mash of fresh veggies (zucchini, green onions, spinach, celery, sweet corn, brussels sprouts), an icy cold beverage, and luscious blueberries and strawberries. There is also a Gladware container with a package of ground beef and some bacon perched on top of the beer. More odds and ends of produce in the bottom right drawer and some cheeses in the bottom left. I am a bit of a creature of habit, and pretty much always put things in the same places. I could probably be a hundred miles away and tell you were to find the jalapenos in my fridge (bottom right drawer, by the way).

Part of the agenda for the day includes Hubs smoking a pork butt at the farm for dinner with some family tonight. The cabbage will be made into coleslaw at some point, and I will fry up the bacon and ground beef to add to my big pot of Cowboy Beans to round out the side dishes for the meal. I don't have those things made yet (and if I don't get my butt moving and get this blog post done, we might just have to have pulled pork and no sides...like that would fly *eyeroll*). So, I am going to zero in on the bowl of limes. Last night, I zested and juiced a few of those tart jewels and whipped up a batch of White Chocolate Lime Cookies.

I am torn by these cookies. They are everything that I love in a cookie: sweet, but not too sweet; tart with real lime; soft and chewy; and EASY. I think that is what makes me feel so guilty. They are so completely, utterly, totally, easy because they start with a cake mix. (OK, serious bakers can click away now. Sorry.) Think what you want about my baking skills, but it has been a trying day and at this point, you might have to just shoot me before I would give up these White Chocolate Lime Cookies On My Plate.

White Chocolate Lime Cookies

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature (melting it makes the cookies texture tough)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lime zest (don't skip this, it is worth it)

1 1/4 cups which chocolate chips

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons grated lime zest (again, do it; really)

5-6 tablespoons FRESH lime juice (don't open a bottle, squeeze a lime, please)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment.
With mixer, combine cake mix, softened butter, eggs and 1 tablespoon lime zest until blended and smooth.
Stir in remaining white chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 10-13 minutes or until set at edges and just barely set at center.
Cool 1 minute on sheets; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lime zest and enough FRESH lime juice make icing just thin enough to drizzle off fork.
Drizzle icing over cooled cookies. (4 dozen cookies)

Did you think I was going to let this post slip by without another voyeur slide show of other people's fridges? Of course not. I love it when you are willing to share your fridges here on the blog. 

Also, be sure to check out Jeanne at Jeanne Eats World and her fabulous Fridge Friday posts. Scallops on her plate tonight. Doesn't that sound good?