Paleo Chili by Stace

My kids love to eat my chili.  My daughter wrote a story about it in the 3rd grade -- "looks like vomit but tastes delicious."  Boddhi says it is his favorite thing I make.  I adapted my mom's chili recipe from when we were kids.  My mom made a delicious chili with ground beef and homemade pinto beans.  I was such a picky eater back then, and I often left the chunks of beef at the bottom of the bowl, but I loved the complex flavors of the liquid -- so thick and warm, spicy and comforting.  I would eat mine with tons of saltine crackers --yum!   Bob would drown her chili in ketchup (yuck!) everytime.  This always made the rest of us laugh.  I guess she preferred a bit more tomato in her chili.

So I adapted my regular chili to make it paleo compliant (no beans).   I decided to replace the beans with Japanese sweet potatoes.  I also decided to use pork breakfast sausage and ground pork for the meat.  

Ingredients:

1 purple onion 

4 cloves garlic

4 Japanese sweet potatoes

1 lb compliant pork breakfast sausage

1 lb ground pork

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1 jar salsa 

seasonings:

chili powder

cumin

cayenne

garlic salt

cacao powder

I started by sauteing chopped purple onions in ghee. I let those cook until translusent.   Then I added the garlic (finely chopped) and let that cook until fragrant.  Next I added the sweet potatoes (cubed) adn let them cook slowly until tender.  I added chili seasonings (to taste) to the the onion/garlic/sweet potato mixture and let that cook.  I cooked the meat in another pan and seasoned it with the same seasonings.  Then I added the meat to my veggie pot when done.  I then poured in the sauce and salsa and seasoned with all the seasonings again. I let that simmer until the flavor was right!  Serve alone or with plantain chips :)

This picture was taken after we ate half the pot!

Posted by Stace

Cauliflower Pizza by Stace

It has been a long while since I have posted any recipes.  Fall seems like the perfect time to start again.  My family has been following the GAPS diet for a little over a year now.  It has taken us that long to get used to things and develop new traditions and memories around new foods.  Sadly, I had to say goodbye to many of my favorite family foods in order to begin this healing diet, but thankfully we have found yummy, nourishing replacements.

We have all had significant healing while on the diet, and my husband and I lost around 90 lbs between the two of us.  We've had more energy, more stable moods.  We started other healthy routines as the energy returned to us -- like running and regular exercise. I could go on and on, but this post is about pizza. 

So Friday night pizza is a tradition for our family -- something we look forward to, and we all enjoy helping prepare the food.  So we desperately needed a GAPS legal pizza recipe.  We tried many crusts -- coconut flour, almond flour, hazlenut crust (so very bad), but the cauliflower crust has the absolute BEST flavor of any we've tried.  Roasted cauliflower crust even rivals a traditional pizza (in my opinion).

So here is the recipe.

You need:
2 cauliflower (organic or homegrown or whatever your budget dictates)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano (or other seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon rosemary (or other seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon garlic (minced or salt form or whatever you have). 
1 Tablespoon of almond or coconut flour (optional -- just thickens it a little)
nut milk bag or cheesecloth or paper towel
food processor or high powered blender (or some way to rice cauliflower )
pot for steaming cauliflower (i use the steamer basket on my stock pot)
baking pans and parchment paper
oven at 400 degrees


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Start by chopping cauliflower into florets.  Wash florets then add them to your processor/bllender.  I usually do about 1/2 cauliflower at a time in the Vitamix.  Continue processing the cauliflower until it looks like rice.  Pour the riced cauliflower into steamer and steam for about 10 min -- until soft.

Let cauliflower cool a bit (I usually try too soon and burn my hand).  Then put into nut milk bag (cheesecloth or paper towel) to squeeze out excess liquid.  You want it pretty dry.  It will start to look like play dough as you remove the liquid.

I transfer all strained cauliflower to my kitchenaid mixer but you can use whatever you have.  I add 3 eggs (for 2 cauliflower) enough to have a wet dough.  I also add the salt, oregano, rosemary and garlic (to taste).  You can add whatever seasoning you like.

I line my baking sheet with parchment paper and pour out the crust (it will be liquidish -- just shape into into a circle or square or whatever you like).  Recently I like making it into mini pizzas (which can also be used as tortillas!).

Place baking pan in 400 degree oven.  Bake for about 45 minutes (or until nice and browned).

Remove them from the oven when browned:

These (above) are a nice stack I took out to use for tortillas.  I served them with carnitas meat, guacamole, lettuce and tomato (yum!).

You can leave yours in the pan for pizzas.  We like to make our own sauce.

For sauce we use:
either one jar of organic tomato puree (glass jar no bpa) or we boil tomatoes, peel skins and puree ourselves.
if I have a jar of organic tomato paste i add that too (to thicken).  If I don't I add grass-fed gelatin (bernard jensens).
we add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar for pizza sauce flavor
also seasonings like salt, garlic, oregano, basil (whatever we have to taste).

Add your sauce, cheese (if you like it) and toppings.  We use raw cheese when we have some or dubliner cheddar.  I often have mine with no cheese (as I still have trouble with dairy).  We like to crumble up cooked grassfed beef and add spinach, mushrooms, onions, jalepenos (whatever we have in the fridge). 

Put pizza(s) back in oven for 5-10 minutes (until cheese is melted or ingredients look like they are coming together).

(above) is a picture of my most recent cheese-less creation.

Above all have fun and enjoy your food!

Posted by Stace

Christmas Cooking by Stace

Food is the reason for this blog -- making memories with family and friends around a shared, joyful experience. I am excited that holiday baking time is finally here. I love this time of year the most because of the warm, settled, happy feeling I get when cooking and baking with family. There is nothing like steaming up the kitchen with loved ones when it is cold and gray outside. Our family tends to slow things down a lot this time of year-- we have more patience for little fingers in ingredients, and we just enjoy each others company without the stress of deadlines, homework, sports etc.

I was going to scale way back this year (due to new baby and no sleep), but I would miss out on the fun of cooking with family -- so we have scaled back a little. We have settled on the following menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas:

Tonight -- Potato soup with homemade bread (my family cannot get enough of this simple bread recipe -- we eat it fresh from the oven with some fancy salted butter, and it is gone in minutes!). We usually have a seafood gumbo for Christmas Eve dinner, but we had that for Thanksgiving this year (thanks to Pa Pa Skipper), so we wanted something different.

Christmas Eve goodies: - we are making this orange chocolate chunk cake (I am so excited about this-- I love orange and chocolate combinations). We are making Christmas cookies (our tradition Boddhi loves to make these -- we have made them the past 3 years-- usually deliver some to meals on wheels recipients but not this year). We are also making peanut butter balls (not our traditional family recipe because I don't want to use paraffin wax -- but this one is very similar -- just a different chocolate coating).

Christmas brunch - We are having a simple breakfast of chocolate chip scones (recipe from The Art of Simple Food), bacon and eggs (I might do a frittata if I am up to it -- saw one with apple, bacon and cheddar that looks delicious).

Christmas dinner - We are making pan fried pork chops (similar to our fried chicken recipe), mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, and cabbage.

That is it I think. What are you guys making? Mom, Steph and Bob -- feel free to edit this post and add what you are making for the Holiday.

Will be thinking about you all (family on both sides) since we cannot be together this holiday. We love you and miss you.

Enjoy your Christmas in the kitchen with loved ones.

Posted by Stace

Crawfish Etouffee -- by Stace

When Bob and I lived with my dad, he used to make us all kinds of Cajun comfort food -- gumbo, shrimp etouffee, fish couvillion (not to mention his everyday recipes that had a Cajun flare -- like spaghetti or hamburgers).

Occasionally it would be just Bob, Dad and I sharing a yummy meal together in our small dining room, but more often my Dad would invite a friend or two to share the meal (for Cajuns more =merrier). I love my Dad's cooking (love my mom's too when she cooks -- My Dad's Aunt Sylvia taught my mom to cook Cajun), and I always think of cooking as a social thing when I think of him. I can remember sitting at a bar stool watching him prepare a meal (it just came to him -- like with most Cajuns -- they don't need recipes). He would talk -- to himself and to me --while he cooked, adding a bit of this and dab of that until the smells coming from the pot made your mouth water in anticipation. As an adult, I have called him many times to ask a question about his roux or ingredients.

Right now I am 33.5 weeks into this last pregnancy of mine, and I feel like I can't get enough food. I am craving comfort foods -- meats and carbs, and I can't seem to get enough. I made a cabbage soup this weekend, and it was delicious, but I could have eaten the whole pot and not felt full (will post that recipe later).

So today I decided I wanted crawfish etouffee and french bread for dinner. I have never made etouffee, so I had to do a little research. I read about the history -- the different types (Creole and Cajun) and read more than a few recipes. Once I felt I had a good feel for the recipe, I called my Dad to run it by him (tomatoes or no tomatoes, butter or oil roux). Then I got to work -- adding my own flair and preferences. I am very pleased with the results (and so full I can't walk). There are many etouffee recipes out there and many philosophies about how it should be made -- follow your own instinct on that, but here is what I did:

I started a roux using grapeseed oil (this is the oil I had on hand. you could use vegetable or canola or whatever you like) and white flour (I think I used 1/2 cup of each and kept adding a little more flour until it was thick enough). If you have not made a roux before, you will need an iron skillet, a wooden spoon (preferably) and some uninterrupted time to stand over it (you can't leave a roux). You start on a medium to medium low heat (just keep an eye on the roux and you will be able to tell the right temp). You want to stir the flour and oil mixture slowly (it helps if you have a partner in the kitchen to stir while you prepare other things). It is also lots of fun to add music and a bottle of wine (to drink not to cook with --my dad always says you need a bottle of wine to make a roux -- by the time you are finished with the bottle, the roux will probably be done -- I of course had no wine with this batch as I am pregnant and my cooking partner was my 4-year-old).

(above) roux in the front and veggies simmering in the back

While my helper stirred the roux, I started the veggies in another iron skillet. I used the Cajun trinity (bell pepper, onion and celery) as well as my own trinity (onion, garlic and habanero). I put a little olive oil in the bottom of an iron skillet and let the vegetables cook until softened. Once the veggies were soft, I added my crawfish (about 1 pound) to the pot with the vegetables (along with a little salt) and let all of that simmer while I worked on the roux. You will want to start your white rice somewhere around now as well.

I let my roux brown until it was the color of a light milk chocolate (for gumbo I go all the way to dark, dark chocolate, but I felt the medium brown was good for the etouffee). I added the roux to the crawfish mixture and then used a bit of leftover broth to clean up the roux pan. I added the broth to the crawfish mixture as well -- and probably another cup of water. You want it to be the consistency of a stew -- not too thick or too thin, so keep adding liquid until it looks right to you.

I let the etouffee simmer on low for another 10-15 minutes to let all the flavors blend together. Season to your taste with salt, cayenne, white pepper or a cajun mix like slap ya mama. I only added a tiny, tiny bit of slap ya mama because the habaneros bring enough heat of their own.

Then I poured it over a scoop of white rice and added a piece of this delicious, homemade french loaf.

french loaves rising

What you need:

1 pound crawfish tails - they had some in the seafood freezer at HEB -- pricey but worth it. I have also had luck in the past with small Hispanic groceries carrying frozen tails for A LOT cheaper.

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow or white onion

2 stalks of celery

3-4 cloves garlic

2 habanero peppers (these grow really well in Texas and you can also find them at your local Hispanic grocery store).

1 bunch of chopped green onions to add right before serving

salt (to your preference)

cayenne pepper or a cajun mix like slap ya mama (you only need a sprinkling if you use habaneros in your recipe)

1/2 cup white flour (for roux)

1/2 cup oil (for roux)

cooked white rice

and a french loaf (if you like them).

I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow :)

Enjoy!

--posted by Stace

Smoothies by Stace

This summer has made me a smoothie lover. I cannot get enough of them. Dustin has been making them for Boddhi -- as a quick, nutritious meal he loves to eat -- since he was very small, and Mike has been making them as an after school snack regularly, but I have never really been that interested in them until now (maybe it is a pregnancy thing). I love having them for breakfast or even as a mid-afternoon snack.

Here is what I am putting in my smoothies lately:

I use the magic bullet processor (comes with lots of different cups so each person can prepare their own smoothie while they wait).

I bought a bunch of organic frozen fruits (to use instead of ice) -- strawberries, peaches, mangoes, blueberries, but I enjoy using the strawberries the most.

For example this morning I used a half banana, 4 frozen strawberries, 1 T honey, 2 scoops of organic, whole milk yogurt, and filled the rest of the cup with raw milk. The result was a perfect blend of creamy, fruity sweetness. Boddhi wanted the same thing with added oranges (yuck!), but I obliged. He loved it and nearly drank the whole thing.

Dustin has used chocolate chips in Bo's (as a substitute for an ice cream treat), and he usually uses no sweetener. If you use 1 whole, ripe banana you really don't need the honey. Boddhi loves to help out -- chopping the fruit and putting it all in the cup.

Dustin really wants a juicer, and he says he would be more inclined to eat more green vegetables if he could juice them. This would allow us to make green smoothies (which I am very interested in) -- adding kale, spinach or carrots to our smoothies. No one around here eats enough vegetables, so I am all for the idea (just have to find one at a reasonable price).

I know Bob makes smoothies all the time too. Maybe she would be willing to add her favorite combinations to this post? Feel free to chime in Mom or Steph?

And to our (few) readers: what do you like to put in your smoothies?



10/09/2011 - Edited to add: We have been making different (superfoodish) smoothies lately. My favorite flavor combination is:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Super Smoothie

1 frozen banana
4 frozen strawberries
2 scoops whole, plain yogurt
1 heaping Tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
1 heaping Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon royal jelly
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
enough raw milk to cover the ingredients

mix it all in the magic bullet or blender -- tastes like a yummy chocolaty treat!

Dude makes this breakfast smoothie every morning -- he calls it the "green monster" (vegan)

3 cups or so coconut milk (he makes his own -- will post a link to this recipe later)
2 frozen bananas
2 T raw. organic cacao powder
1 T bee pollen
1 T spirulina powder
1 T liquid chlorophyll
1 T Maca powder
1 T Hemp protein powder
handful of goji berries
handful of cashews

Blend all ingredients and enjoy :)

posted by Stace

Recipe Links by Stace

Here are some great links I have been using lately:

Raspberry Ricotta Scones by Smitten Kitchen - I made these yesterday morning. OH SO YUMMY! I had mine with a cup of hot raspberry tea (great for pregnant women!).

Homemade Naan - Bobbie and I made this to take to the beach while on vacation. We whipped up some homemade hummus and made hummus sandwiches -- soooo good. We added greens and tomatoes to the hummus and rolled them up -- great beach food.

Fry Bread - I made this bread a few months ago because I had a craving for something savory. I cooked up some grass fed beef, homemade black beans and we made fry bread tacos ( I could only eat half of mine). We topped them with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and whole milk yogurt.

Pita Bread - I am always on the look out for bread recipes. I hate store bought pita bread, naan and tortillas, so I love to experiment with new recipes at home. Saves money and tastes soooo much better than the processed kind. I used this recipe when I made hummus sandwiches for the family a while back. We stuffed the pita with hummus, added spinach, tomato, olive and topped with whole milk yogurt (with some dill mixed in).

posted by stace

Flour Tortillas - by Stace

This is Bobbie's recipe (I will let her add origins, memories etc.). We have been using it for a while now as a super-easy way to make homemade tortillas. Boddhi cannot eat the store bought ones (and nor should we) because of the hydrogenated oils --[by the way did you know that eating hydrogenated oils and processed fats inhibits your body from absorbing good fats that your brain needs to function?].

This recipe is so quick -- you can have yummy homemade tortillas cooking in a matter of minutes. Dude and I have also used this recipe to make chimichangas. We just par cook the tortillas, then add the ingredients, seal the dough and fry (yummy!).

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the oil and water. Knead until they come together. Then pull off small bits of dough and roll into balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tortillas on a floured surface. Heat on each side in an hot skillet (I prefer iron) and enjoy! This recipe makes 6 tortillas.

posted by stace

Pizza Dough by Stace

Friday night is the perfect night for pizza and movies.

Nothing beats a handmade pizza for bringing the family together around a project. One person rolls out dough while the others chop and grate. Then everyone gets to sit down together to watch a movie.

I started pizza / movie night originally as a way to limit tv time during the week. Whenever Boddhi asked me if he could watch a movie, I would just say "on movie night you can." Then watching movies became something special (and rare) and not just a way to get him out of my hair.

I have tried a few different dough recipes, but my favorite for flavor and texture comes from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. I usually double this recipe for my family -- then we make half the pizzas and freeze the rest of the dough for the next week (then I don't have to make dough every week).

Pizza Dough

Stir together

• 2 tsp dry yeast

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Add and mix well

• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/4 cup rye flour

Allow this to sit until bubbly (about 30 min)
Mix together in another bowl:

• 3 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with

• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Mix by hand or in electric mixer with dough hook. Dough should be soft and elastic -- soft and slightly sticky. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 2 hours).

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you like think like me) and form into nice smooth balls. Allow the dough balls to rest wrapped loosely in plastic for an hour or so. Flatten each ball into a disk about 5 or 6 inches, flour lightly, cover and let rest for another 15 min. Place a baking stone on the lowest rack i the oven(remove other racks for easy access) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Gently stretch one of the disks into a round about 10 inches across. Put on a floured peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush dough with olive oil and, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered, top with your choice of ingredients.

We like hamburger pizza (grass fed ground meat cooked with habanero peppers from the garden) and also veggie pizza with spinach, purple onion, tomato, olives and feta cheese. Boddhi prefers plain cheese, and the girls eat just pepperoni.

Enjoy your pizza :)

Posted by Stace

Vegetarian Recipe Links -- by Stace

We have been eating vegetarian meals on weekdays for about two weeks. We tend to eat a lot of our meat on the weekends, so it has made sense to try and find new ways to prepare veggies and beans for during the week.

We only order 5 lbs of local grassfed beef per month, but lately it seems like we buy other easy things like hot dogs if we are too busy to cook. We do not want to spend money on bad meat from the grocery store, so we are trying to find inexpensive, healthy veggie meals for weeknight dinner.

Here are the recipes I am using this week:

Monday: Egyptian Edamame Stew (went over well -- Boddhi did not eat it, but I saved him some brown rice and edamame without the other stuff, and he gobbled it up)
Tuesday: Bean Bolognese (yummy! I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. It really tastes like a rich pasta dish, and it has no meat - I was full all night -- did not even need a midnight snack. I gave Boddhi some pasta with plain beans, and he enjoyed that).
Wednesday: Creamy Avacado and White Bean Wrap (I will let you know how it turns out, but I am really looking forward to this one!)
Thursday: Eggplant, Mushroom Tomato Casserole (not so excited about this, but I have been wanting to try an eggplant recipe - will let you know).
Friday: Homemade pizza (this one is always a hit with everyone. We use the pizza dough recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters and the kids have fun rolling out the dough and creating their own individual pizza. We do use some of our grassfed beef for the pizzas on occasion, cooked with habanero peppers from the garden --so yummy).

I have also found that if I force myself to commit to a menu plan, I spend so much less at the grocery store. I just buy what I need for my recipes (plus fruit, bread etc.), and I am all set for the week. Weekends are usually casual and unplanned -- I am trying to let Dude and the girls take over on cooking and cleaning during the weekend since they really do not have a lot of time to help during the week, and I end up cleaning up after them all (which is not my job just because I am at home!).

What works for your family?

--posted by Stace

Pasta with Asparagus -- by Stace

Ingredients:

1lb Asparagus (or more depending on your taste)
3 (or more) cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb fettuccine pasta


boil water for noodles
cook noodles, drain and set aside
Heat olive oil
add garlic and pine nuts
stir until toasted
add asparagus and cook until tender (not too tender)
add oil, asparagus, pine nuts and garlic to the noodles (add salt to taste as needed)
toss all ingredients together and serve

Great summer dish!

Hot Cocoa - by Stace (snow day food 1 of 5)

We had a snow day today, and we made lots of warm goodies to eat.

When I heard the girls were coming home early, I knew I wanted to have some hot cocoa ready. The last dreary weather day we had, I concocted some cocoa out of a few ingredients I had on hand and had it waiting for the girls when they came home. They were grouches when they walked in the door but all smiles and giggles when they saw the cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles.

I started with a stainless steel bowl of dark chocolate chips over a pot of boiling water.

When the chips melted, I poured in half and half, sugar and a little coconut oil (tip from a blog and I cannot remember which one now). I whisked this slowly letting the heat rise (but not boil). I just kept adding sugar and milk to taste.
This is a thick, rich cocoa (it is like drinking a chocolate bar!). My teens loved it, but could not finish the whole cup (fill cups about 1/2 full and add whipped cream and sprinkles).


For the whipped cream -- we bought a carton of heavy whipping cream, added sugar (to taste) to that and whipped it in the stand mixer until it looked pretty.

Enjoy!

ingredients:
1/2 package dark chocolate chips
1 cup (about) half and half
4 T sugar (about)
1 t coconut oil

melt chips, add half and half, sugar and oil
whisk slowly over boiling water
test heat occasionally (do not let cocoa boil)
serve with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Shepherd's Pie -- by Stace

There was no special occasion, holiday or memory attached to this recipe (yet). I just had about 8lbs of potatoes growing impatient in my pantry, so I needed a recipe that would use a lot of potatoes.

I searched the Internet for potatoes and meat and found some great recipes. I took a few and changed them according to the ingredients I had at the house (because I was too lazy to go to the store).

Here is what I came up with:

Pototoes:
I used about 5 lbs of potatoes for this.
Chop potatoes into cubes and boil until tender
Drain potatoes
add 2-4 egg yolks (depending on how many potatoes you use), milk, butter, plain yogurt, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the potatoes and mash.
Some of the recipes called for sour cream or cream cheese or heavy cream -- but I used what I had, and I liked the result.


Meat mixture:
1.5 lbs ground meat
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas and corn is what I had)
chicken broth
roux (4 T butter 4T flour)

pour 2 T olive oil into skillet and cook chopped onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
add ground meat and brown
add salt and your preferred seasonings to taste (I used a bit of Tony Chachere's).
add vegetables and 2-3 cups (about) chicken broth
let cook until veggies are somewhat tender
add roux until mixture thickens

Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish
Cover the meat mixture with the potatoes
Place in preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes begin to brown on top).

Everyone loved this dish (except Boddhi who called it yucky). We ate over half the pan, and still put away 4 servings for lunches (which we finished off today).

This is a hearty dish (so filling) that uses meat, potatoes and veggies. This will definitely be a comfort food recipe that I use from now on. I intended to take a picture, but we ate it so quickly that it was not pretty anymore. Here is a picture I found while searching for recipes though (I wanted you to see what it looks like when done).


Enjoy!

-posted by Stace

Fried Chicken Dinner -- by Stace

I have been perfecting this recipe off and on since Michaela was born. I made my first fried chicken dinner for a family friend when Michaela was a tiny baby. When I was pregnant with Boddhi, we started making this recipe often, and even though we have not made it in awhile, Michaela had been requesting it regularly for her birthday dinners. She LOVES it, and can eat a ton. I made it this year for her birthday, and we sat down and ate it on my grandmother's fancy china. It was fun, and I have a picture I will share at the end of the post.

Double Battered Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

chicken tenders (we like boneless, skinless chicken)
flour (fill a gallon ziploc bag 1/4 of the way full with flour)
seasonings (season the flour to your taste -- we use Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere's seasoning -- and I add a lot to the flour).
milk -- pour some into a bowl
add eggs (about 2 -- add to milk and beat)
oil (we use organic sunflower or organic canola) -- pour oil into iron skillet (covering bottom of pan --about 1/2 inch high) and heat on medium heat (test it with some batter and see if it sizzles)
jalapenos -- chop jalapenos and add to oil (seeds and all) -- this adds a nice flavor to the chicken (it does not make it too spicy though)

I dip the chicken tenders into the milk and egg mixture once then throw them into the bag of flour and seasonings. I shake them around and then put the chicken back into the milk and egg mixture and then back into the flour mixture. After they are coated in flour, I place them gently into the hot oil (you do not want the oil too high or too low -- the chicken should fry gently and steadily). Turn the chicken over when it is crisp and lightly brown on one side. Fry it until golden brown on both sides -- then place gently on a plate covered in a paper towel.

Cream Gravy -- After you fry all the chicken, turn your oil down to low heat and add some flour to the oil, stir slowly while the flour absorbs the oil and browns a bit. Add milk to the mixture until it is the right consistency (we like ours a little thick -- but keep adding milk to thin the gravy according to your taste). I add salt and a little seasoning.

Mashed Potatoes:
wash and cut organic potatoes (we have used organic red, but recently we used organic russet-- we leave the skin on ours, but you can remove them if you prefer). Organic is important for potatoes as they tend to absorb a great deal of the chemicals and pesticides used on them.
put them in a pan to boil
boil until tender (falling apart)
mash with butter and milk
add salt to taste

We also make yeast rolls and broccoli with this meal.
Enjoy!


Posted by Stace

Recipe link: Potato Soup - by Stace

I have been searching for a good potato soup recipe, and I think I am going to try this one tonight -- the smoked Gouda hooked me. It is so cold, and we need a hearty, warm soup. We are putting up our Christmas lights today, trying to get our house in order, preparing for some serious holiday baking this weekend.



Here are the notes I took from the video (in case it gets deleted)

Ingredients:
1 T dried basil
½ stick of butter
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda
6 small diced potatoes
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups ck broth
roux (4 T butter 4T flour)

in a stock pot on med high melt butter down
add celery onion and carrot
cook until onions are translucent
add basil
add garlic
stir for 3 minutes
add potatoes
stir for 3 minutes
pour in ck broth
boil for 20 min
add roux and whisk (1 T at a time and whisk)
let it cook until thickened
then whisk in half and half
simmer 20 min
stir in cheese
melt it down, slowly stirring cheese in
sprinkle with cracked pepper when served

edited to add:
We made this for our Christmas movie marathon night -- it was so much fun. Lydia chopped celery, Michaela chopped onions, and I chopped carrots; we sat at the table chopping and talking -- enjoying each others company. Then we all sat down to a DELICIOUS and filling soup (with rosemary sourdough bread). Afterward we watched Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Cricket on the Hearth -- with a warm cup of hot cocoa. This is one of my favorite Christmas memories from this year.

posted by Stace

Corn Bread Dressing by Stace

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Mama Katie, Papa Leo, Bob & Jovan, Lauren and my family are together for Thanksgiving this year (but sadly missing our sister Steph). Bob and I are are sitting at the kitchen table while Mama Katie runs around frantically preparing corn bread dressing and Papa Leo is calmly preparing the turkey.

I did manage to get out of my chair long enough to retrieve my mom's recipe box from the top shelf of the pantry, so I am posting her yummy corn bread dressing recipe.

I will paraphrase her memories about this dish while she cooks it.

Mama Katie says: It was my first Thanksgiving as a new mother, and I did not know how to cook. My mother-in-law and her sister, (Cajun Queens of cooking) were slowly educating me, offering me recipes and tutoring me to make things like beans and rice, gumbo, homemade biscuits, chicken & dumplings and Thanksgiving dishes for my new, tiny family.

The first time I prepared this, I added a whole chicken. You can add a lot of meat to this recipe and make it a meal in itself. I brought my offering of dressing to the big family Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! (which encouraged me to make it again and again). This has been a Thanksgiving tradition for our family since that first Thanksgiving over 35 years ago.

Stacey adds: This is one of the only dishes my mother prepares at Thanksgiving anymore. Papa Leo usually prepares most of the meal, dishing up tender turkey, sweet and bacony green bean wraps, smooth homemade mashed potatoes, sliced and baked sweet potatoes, fresh from his garden carrots, and homemade cranberry sauce.

Stacey says: This dressing is amazing, much better than the stove top I made and took to church on Sunday :(

Enjoy this time with your family. We are thankful that we have time to be together, time away from the everyday schedules, pressures and stress -- to relax, tease each other and enjoy good food together.

Recipe for corn bread dressing (feeds 10-12):

Ingredients:
-- 2 9x11 pans of cornbread (we used a mix today but my mom usually makes it from scratch). Here is a corn bread recipe from the web in case you need one.

--turkey giblets (whatever comes in your turkey)

--8 stalks of green onion (use all of them)

--6 stalks of celery (less or more depending on your preference)

--seasonings: sage (we have some fresh from Papa Leo's garden), garlic, onion, curry powder, red pepper, pepper and paprika, a tiny bit of salt (to taste).

--4 or 5 chopped, boiled eggs

--almost 64 oz of chicken broth (to add moisture)

--Grandma Werth suggested oysters, but we have never used them in ours

Instructions:
Crumble the cornbread into a bowl and add chopped onions, celery and eggs. Pour chicken broth into the mixture (you want the texture to be wet not crumbly). Add finely chopped giblets. Add seasonings to taste. Place mixture into pans (either 2 9x11 pans or one 12x17 pan). Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (moisture will have absorbed into the dressing).

--posted by Stace

Recipe Links - by Stace

Here are links to some recipes I have used recently.

It is the season for soup, and I love soup for many reasons.

1- it is a good way to make a little meat go further
2-it can be yummy even when you have no meat
3-it is cheap (usually)
4-it warms the house and makes everyone feel cozy and at home

Today I made Wesley's 15-bean-soup (check out her Soup Sunday posts). I soaked the beans overnight, and then put everything in the crock-pot before we left for church, and it is ready now. We will have it tonight with whatever hard bread I can find at the grocery. This recipe made a lot of soup, and we will be eating it all week (yum!).

My sister is coming to town, and I am in the mood to make some banana bread, so I am headed to get some too-ripe bananas from the store.

Wesley's 15-bean soup

Southern Plate's Chicken Stew
This stew lasted a week, and we loved it. I made it on a Sunday, and we ate it with crackers. I ate it all week for lunch, and the five of us still made two more dinners out of it, one with some delicious garlic breadsticks.

I made our Chicken Tortilla Soup for friends on Friday night, and we still have a little of this left over. I will make up some dishes for the girls to take to school and freeze the rest tonight.

What are you cooking?

Tuna Pasta Salad by Stace (getting the ball rolling again)

I miss this blog! So I am posting some yummy summer recipes (this may be my only one. I need to try out some more) to get us going again. Life took over for a while, but I do enjoy sharing these memories, and I want to start adding to them again.

This is a great summer dish - easy, quick and delicious. Dude and I started making this in our apartment in McKinney, the year we were married, the same year I was completing my student teaching and he was searching for a steady job to help support us. It was a lean year (understatement) and we needed some new ways to eat tuna fish!

We have tried this with many noodles over the years, but our favorite is the organic, veggie, spiral noodles we found at HEB recently (in the bulk section -- good price too...about 1.50 a pound). We have used spinach pasta with good results, and Target sells a looped, veggie pasta (name escapes me right now) that is pretty good too. I have never actually measured the mayo or miracle whip or other ingredients. The following measurements are estimates. You just add until it looks moist and tastes good.

Ingredients:
16 oz Tuna (canned or vac-pac)
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 T dill relish (optional)
2 boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
16 oz of veggie pasta
3 T capers (optional)
3T chopped olives (optional)

Directions:

• boil water and cook pasta according to directions (al dente is best). Drain and set aside to cool.
• pound tuna with meat tenderizer (to get out those chunky pieces that clump together)
• add mayo, miracle whip, eggs and relish
• mix until moist
• add to cooled pasta and mix thoroughly
• add capers and olives and toss (or serve on the side so picky eaters do not have to pick them out)
• serve cold

Lyd (16) made this for us two nights ago, and it was delicious; she did a great job. This is the one meat dish that she would eat when she was going through her vegetarian phase. Bo (our toddler) even eats it (tons of it) even though he does not like tuna plain, so I guess it is a good way to get the kids to eat tuna, better than tuna casserole anyway. Enjoy! I would love to see some good summer recipes on here. Feel free to share.

Edited to Add - (07/21/2011) - Just made this for lunch today, and I used a combination of organic whole milk yogurt and a tiny bit of organic mayonnaise instead of the mayo/miracle whip mixture. I also have been using dried dill weed instead of relish (since Nicole suggested it). Boddhi cannot eat miracle whip or regular mayo, so we have had to tweak a few recipes. I may try to use all yogurt next time and see how it turns out. I intended (but have not yet) to try making my own mayo -- maybe another time.

posted by Stace

Baked Ziti - by Mama Katie

Food Memories: This is a new recipe that Stace and Dude introduced to me. I love it and everyone I have shared it with loves it.

Ingredients:

1 Jalapeno pepper seeded (optional - the sauce is already spicy)
2 lbs. ground turkey or ground beef
2 jars Arriabiatta Sauce (from Target is the best)
Ziti pasta
large container of grated parmesan cheese
sliced or grated provolone cheese


Cook pasta and set aside. Brown the meat in a large pan. Add chopped jalapenos to taste. Add the jars of sauce. Stir in the amount of pasta that you prefer. I like it to still be a little saucy and not too dry.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Add a layer of the pasta/sauce mixture, then a layer of parmesan and crumbled or grated provolone mixed. Repeat that step again. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and all is hot.

This freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave. May have to add a little water for moisture.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - by Stace

My husband and I invented this recipe at our first house in Fort Worth. We enjoyed cooking it together while listening to music and drinking wine. As our girls have gotten older, we have included them in the cooking; they enjoy "doing it themselves." This is a kid favorite that our girls request often. I hope to be able to make it with my grandchildren someday, sharing the stories of warmth and togetherness it brought to our blended family -- one of our first original traditions :)

Ingredients:
1 pound of trimmed chicken breasts
3 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 box of organic chicken broth (32 oz)
4 T butter
1 can crushed organic tomatoes
1 can black refried beans
1 can whole black beans
1 or 2 cans Hatch red enchilada sauce
2 bags (32 oz) frozen corn
1 bag corn tortillas
16 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
1 large avocado

Directions:

• Sauté onion and jalepeno in saucepan (with olive oil)
• Add chicken and cook until tender. Set aside to cool
• While chicken is cooking, pour 1 box (32 oz) of broth into saucepan
• Let broth get hot, then add butter
• After butter melts, add crushed tomatoes
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes
• Add beans and Hatch sauce
• Add onion and jalepeno (from chicken pot)
• Add chicken (simmer 20 minutes)
• Add corn (simmer 30 minutes)
• Cut tortillas into strips and fry in oil
• Salt strips and place in bottom of soup bowls
• Top soup with Monterey jack cheese and avocado slices

Notes: You can use a whole chicken if you like. Boil it, set it aside to cool. Then remove skin and tear apart for soup. My husband has a thing about touching chicken while it is on the bone, so we usually use boneless, skinless chicken breast (so we don't gross him out).

01/26/2011 -- More Notes - I made this soup again last night, and I used a slightly different process. It was the best soup yet! I started with boiling a chicken (added sloppy slices of onion and carrot along with salt) in one pot. Then I melted butter in my dutch oven, added diced jalepenos and Serrano peppers (because we ran out of home grown habanero and that is what the grocery store had available). I let those cook for a minute or two, releasing the oils. Then I added fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. Next I took the broth right from the pot of chicken and added it to the dutch oven. I then added my other ingredients one by one. The soup was smoky and spicy -- just the way I like it, so I thought I would share...

posted by Stace

Homemade Waffles - by Stace

Momma Katie's waffle memory: This recipe started with my mom. I am not sure where she got it. I never remember not eating them, so she had to have used this recipe from the time I was very young. All that tried them loved them. I remember the smell of them cooking on her large square heavily used chrome waffle iron. She always melted the butter and heated the syrup to go on the waffles.

Stace's waffle memory: I remember mom making us homemade waffles for breakfast and sometimes dinner (a recipe passed down from her mother, that I now use every Saturday); she would stand above the waffle iron, passing out waffles to grabbing children below; we went back for seconds and thirds before she even sat down with her first. I always ate mine plain with butter—no syrup. They were that good.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 T sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
4 T butter (melted)
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
1 ½ cups milk

Directions:

• Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl, sift together or mix thoroughly
• Add wet ingredients (butter, egg yolks and milk) and stir (batter will be lumpy)
• Beat egg whites until fluffy
• Fold into waffle mix right before pouring
• Pour about a ½ cup of mix onto waffle iron and cook
• Top waffles with just butter or load them up with peanut butter, syrup and bananas. Some of our kids like them with chocolate chips, strawberries and whipped cream.

posted by Stacey