Grilled Chipotle Chicken

I found this Recipe on another blog. I didn't make the sauce because Divingabe won't eat anything with yogurt and I didn't have sour cream.

1 teaspoon Cumin
3/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Pepper Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
 
Mix  seasonings together
Rub the seasons over  the chicken on both sides
Set the Chicken aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before grilling( I put it in fridge a few hours before)
Grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 to 175 degrees
Remove the Chicken from the grill and cover, let it set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to set

 Really liked this recipe. Will make again.

Unusal Macaroni Salad

This is my tried and true macaroni salad. Divingabe loves anything pasta and this is one of his favorites. When making this thought of you Myra, this might be one that you will enjoy.

I found and printed the recipe from TOHBB. It is slightly sweet,but oh so creamy and good.Hellmann's has a bit of tartness,also the vinegar makes it less sweet.I didn't add the peas and sugar. The condensed milk adds the amount of sweetness that we like.


16 oz. Package curly rotini (used elbow)
3 carrots grated ( used organic carrots)
1 small white onion chopped finely
1 small green pepper chopped finely
3 stalks celery chopped finely
½ cup grated cheddar cheese ( I use a little more)( I like the mexican blend)
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups Mayonnaise
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar( didn't add)
1½ cups frozen peas( didn't add)
Cook macaroni drain and cool( I like to lay the macaroni out on a cookie sheet to cool). In a large bowl add carrots, onion, green pepper, celery, peas and cheese. In another bowl mix together milk, mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add this mixture to the first bowl and then gradually add macaroni to all( I like to add the macaroni a little at a time and mix so you get the desired amount of macaroni that you want). Refrigerate over night.

NOTE: Make sure your macaroni is cooled completely before mixing or else your macaroni will absorb a lot of your liquid. Cooling your macaroni well will ensure a very creamy and delicious salad.  

Farmer's Market Summer Tomato Pie

I was looking for a tomato recipe to try and found a post on TOHBB. It was for a request for a pie recipe that a person couldn't find. One of the members, MarineMom (Joan) found this one and I though it looked pretty good so wanted to give it a try.
I added more bacon than the recipe called for and used a mexcian cheese blend. I also didn't use breadcrumbs, I crushed  Townhouse crackers.


Farmer's Market Summer Tomato Pie
3-4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 pie crust, baked
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 medium sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup (4 oz.) sharp Wisconsin white Cheddar cheese
1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. fine breadcrumbs
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove, drain bacon on paper towels and reserve. Leave 1 tsp. bacon grease in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside

Place tomato slices on paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw out as much moisture as possible.
Saute onions in leftover bacon grease in skillet over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
Spoon onions into prepared pie crust. Blot salted tomatoes with more paper towels and place ontop of onions in pie pan.
Mix together grated cheese, mayonnaise, pepper, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and spread mixture over tomato slices. Mix Parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of pie.
Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

We both loved this recipe. We both gave it 5 stars~

Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

We shopped in Best Yet Tuesday and picked up some great sale items. Big head of broccoli-77 cents, local eggs-77 cents, whole Perdue chickens-77 cents a pound.

I love broccoli but Gabe won't touch it. More for me!

I adapted the recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Broccoli Parmesan Fritter

8 oz. Broccoli ( 1 small bunch)
1 large egg
1/2 C flour
1/3 C Parmesan cheese ( I used Kraft canned)
1 small clove garlic  minced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
pinch of red pepper flakes or black pepper.
oil for the pan

Cut up the broccoli. Place in microwave and steam the broccoli. Once it's cool,  add to food processor for a few short pulses.

Add egg to a med. size bowl.

 Beat the egg, add flour and Parmesan and garlic. I didn't add the salt. I added a few shakes of my favorite Tony Chachere's.

Add some EVOO to the pan and fried them up.

Place fritters on a paper towel  to get rid of extra oil.

Short Stroll

It's finally gotten nice, I can actually go out and enjoy what's left of the summer. I also realized that it won't be long before we are headed back to Florida so I better get my NY fix in before we head back down.

Divingabe was in Moriches Sunday with Neil at the artificial reef. It was a shallow dive, about 60 feet and I wasn't sure if he would bring home a lobster or mussels.( He didn't but said there were lots of black fish but it's not black fish season yet, they are only allowed to fish for them during a certain time of the year)

I headed over to Long Beach to do a short walk and take a few shots.

Mussel in the surf

seaweed

sort of looked like a heart

Beach Plum Bush

I don't know if we will still be on the island when the berries are ready this year. Would love to make some beach plum jelly. Myra, you up for trying something new?

Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

 This recipe looked good and it was the perfect time to make them since I had so many tomatoes. I put the recipe up on the TOHBB and told the ladies I would be making it so -Ta Da!

It passed the taste test but just sneaked in. I've gotten use to spicy food and this didn't have much kick. I added andouille to divingabe's. You may want to spice it up to your taste.

6 medium/small tomatoes ( used 4 large)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 small eggplant , diced
3/4 c. ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)Used cottage cheese
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/3 c. bread crumbs( Used crushed Town House crackers- sorry Susan no Ritz in the house)
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)
2. Cut the tops off the tomatoes, and scoop out the seeds and flesh, reserving 1/4 cup for the filling. Lightly salt the insides of the tomatoes, and place upside down in a colander so the excess liquid can drain out.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the bell pepper and eggplant, and continue cooking for 8 – 10 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Add the egg, bread crumbs, oregano, and basil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable mixture, and mix everything well (at this point, you can blend the filling in a food processor to make it smooth, but it’s not necessary).
5. Scoop the filling into the tomatoes until slightly higher than the top of the tomatoes. Place in a glass baking dish, and drizzle lightly with EVOO.
6. Bake for  30 minutes, or until filling is golden brown and tomatoes are tender.

recipe adapted from - A Cup of Flour Blog

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

We needed to go to Walbaums and the way home we stopped at Betty's to pick up peppers and an eggplant for the ratatouille.

                              This is going to make two meals.
I'm so happy to be back on TOHBB  and saw a recipe Janie posted and knew I would making it the next day.

2 small onions,thinly sliced
2 med. eggplant,skin on and diced

2 large red and green peppers, seeded and diced                 
6 plum tomatoes,quartered ( I used regular tomatoes)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes ( didn't measure-eyeballed it)
1 tsp. salt
6 oz can of tomato paste
handful of fresh parsley and basil chopped( forgot to get basil)
salt and pepper to taste

Layer the ingredients through 1 tsp.salt in your crockpot in the order listed. Dot with tomato paste on top. ( my tomato paste had the garlic and red pepper flakes mixed in). Cook and cover on high for 3-4 hours.Remove lid, stir to combine. Add fresh parsley and basil, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve .

I didn't want to take a photo of it in the crockpot since the crock is black. This might entice you to make it. You won't be disappointed!How can you not like a recipe that is so easy and good!

Janie from TOHBB wrote this review. It was on the recipe when I found it. If you make this recipe you might want to read some of her tweaks.

 I don't trust my slow cooker at all so I made this one on top of the stove on a very low heat setting ~ It was wonderful to smell it as it cooked down and frequent peeks revealed the slow burps of one beautiful mixture gently simmering~ aside from being a real beauty the taste is so fresh , yet rich and very bold ~ I set it up a little differently as I really wanted all of the flavors to mingle and pass on some of their great juices down onto the bottom layer ~ Much like a chain reaction. All the way down to the bottom layer ~

I did all of the prep work first, by slicing and chopping up all of the veggies. Each in their own little pile ~ Once that was completed I started to layer. onions, red pepper, green pepper, eggplant and garlic and tomatoes. I also added a small drizzle of olive oil in the middle ` I made 3 layers~ and only peeked after an hour an an 1/2 ~ With the back of a wooden spoon I gently pushed down on the top of the veggies. After 3 hours some juice started to build up so now I lightly pushed the tomato paste down into the mixture as well. No stirring. Just gently push down on the top layer. After 4 hours I removed the lid as now quite a bit of liquid has gathered . A low simmer uncovered for abotu 15 minutes took care of that and the end result is a thick geogerous Tomato Based Fresh Vegtable Spread~ While Tomato and Garlic Bruschetta's are delicious ~ This one has to be perfect for the Summer ~ another reason to plant a Garden ~   Janie ~ I served it on baked Low Crab Tortillas ~ cut into bite sized pieces ~ I also gave our small sampling dish a light drizzle on top with some olive oil before serving ~ Just be sure to reseason and I like to add a little more minced garlic towards the end of the cooking process.

 
 

Got Melon?

Divingabe picks up melons for me at Tom's farm stand. I love them and as you can see the deers get a special treat.

I was about four feet away when I took this photo. She was not going to give up the melon that was left!

I'm not sure if this is one of the orphans. When she was eating the babies weren't around and as she was looking for more melon the twins showed up.

Not sure if she's their mom. She was checking them out and they left together. Hope the kids found a family!

Look Up

                                                Check out the night sky. Lots of falling stars to wish on.

Linda's Own Salsa

I had so many tomatoes from my very generous friend Rita  and Divingabe loves salsa. We go to BJ's and I buy a huge bottle which he snacks on while usually watching Judge Judy at 4pm. His appy before dinner:-)

I looked up a few recipes and I was missing ingredients and there was no way I wanted to go out to King Kullen.I didn't have any Rotel or canned green chilies and could do without them. Summer traffic is horrible!

I weighed up 3 pounds of the tomatoes.
Blanched them in boiling water, put them in a bath of ice water
Removed skin and all the seeds, diced them.
I had three stalks of celery left in the bin that I threw in.
Added about 8 jalapenos and 3 green peppers.
The celery and jalapenos and green peppers I added to my Cuisinart and pulsed them a few times. Wanted it to be chunky.I added about a tablespoon of Tony Chachere's.

Added everything to a very large pot and boiled for a short time and then simmered till it got to the consistency I wanted.

When Divingabe came home from his dive I told him that I made him salsa. He said it was sweet! There wasn't a bit of sugar in it. I didn't want the extra calories. I really liked it and he ate it so it must of been good.

Two Cooks In The Kitchen

We wanted different things for dinner. Divingabe wanted to use some of the jalepenos and I wanted a light dinner. I sort of indulged yesterday. I had a fresh bagel (which I so MISS in Florida) with  lox spread,oh heaven! A light salad and a few zucchini chips would suit me and my sweetie made his french bread jalapeno,andouille sausage pizza.

I had a few cucumbers and made this cucumber salad. I have a few friends who omit sugar and I made this without sugar. It was good! I might include the sugar next time but I really didn't miss it and I do have a sweet tooth.

Cucumber Salad

2 Cucumbers thinly sliced
2 or 3 Tomatoes cubed (can use more,depends on the size of tomatoes)
1/2 red onion sliced ( raw onions don't like me so didn't add
1/3 C Oil ( used canola)
3 TBL. Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tbl.Sugar (didn't use)
3/4 Tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/4  Tsp. Garlic

Slice cucumbers and dice up the tomatoes. Mix oil,vinegar,salt,pepper and garlic. In Florida I have a small magic bullet which I love to use to mix up dressings. I used my little whisk.
Pour over cucumbers and tomatoes and put in fridge for a few hours.

The zucchini chips are in the oven. EASY recipe. Thinly slice the zucchini. I used 2 small zucchini. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

I sprayed the parchment paper with Smart
Balance. Zucchini is very bland and I wanted to add some zip to them so I went to one of my favorites that is a staple in Gregory's house. Slap Ya Mama! I can only find Slap Ya Mama when we go to Cedar Key in Florida and always pick up a few and make sure I have a new one to take home. My friend Paddi in Montana told me about Slap Ya Mama and I couldn't find it in NY. When I opened Gregory's spices cabinet, there it was, I should of known he would have it. He said it's a staple when he's offshore.

Add the zucchini in single layers on the cookie sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with salt. Slap Ya Mama on mine.

Preheat oven 170 degrees and cook for 2 hours-see note below

next time I'll cook them on a long rack and increase the oven temp. They weren't crisp. I had them in the oven almost 3 hours at 170. Smaller rounds were crisp and they were pretty good.

Long Islands Big Duck

The Big Duck has been around as long as I remember. It was originally further down the road from where it is now but it's still on Flanders Road. It was built in 1931 to sell ducks and duck eggs. A baking note, I loved using duck eggs. I worked with a girl who had ducks and use to bring me eggs whenever I wanted to bake. It was a win-win deal. I would bake cookies and cakes and would make extra for her and we all enjoyed every bite.

The building is 18 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 20 feet tall. The eyes are made from Ford Model T tail lights and the interior space is 11 feet by 15 feet. The designed is the shape of a Peking Duck.

Long Island, especially around the east end had many duck farms. They are long gone, farms now McMansions. More information on The Big Duck.

Lemon Brownies

This recipe sounded interesting to me and thought I would give it a try. I found it on this link
The Girl Who Ate Everything.


They came out THIN but boy are they good!

Brownies:
3/4 C AP flour
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 Tsp. sea salt ( I used Koser salt)
1/2 C ( 1 stick) Unsalted Better, softened
2 large eggs
2 Tbl. Lemon Zest
2 Tbl. Lemon Juice

Tart Lemon Glaze

1 rounded cup powdered sugar
3 TBL.Lemon Juice
3 TSP. Lemon Zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
Juice and zest 2-3 lemons,depending on their size and set aside.
Beat the flour,sugar,salt and softened butter until combined with your kitchen Aid or electric mixer
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon zest and juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at med. speed until smooth and creamy for about 2 min.
Pour into the baking dish and bake for 20-25 mins. or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not over bake.
When the brownies are cooled, make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice and whisk all three together. Spread the glaze over the brownies. Let glaze set. Since the weather was in the upper 90's  when I made these I popped them in the fridge.
Suppose to make 24 small brownies but I like to cut large ones.

A Productive Day

My Divingabe went out to the US Bass yesterday and Rita called last night and said she had some tomatoes and peppers and a few cucumbers for me. I headed out early before the crazies were out on the road and was so surprised at the haul she had for me.

Thank you RITA!

The first thing I made was salsa. I looked up some recipes and ended up with my own, which came out really good. If anyone wants the recipe I'll add it to the blog.

Linda's Own Salsa

I had to make more of the Jalapeno Relish. Rita's husband likes it and down to my last jar. I made a double batch so I should be good for a few weeks.

A reminder- the recipe is on the blog if you want to check it out.

Jalapeno Jelly

I have been making this jelly for over 20 years. It was my first canning experience and I love looking for new recipes to try.
Divingabe's friend Ted loves MT. Dew. I saw a recipe for Mt. Dew jelly that he might like and will give it a try when we go back to Gregory's.

My original recipe is at Gregory's house and this one is pretty close to the original one. It's very, very easy and if you have never canned before it's a great recipe to start with.

3/4 lb jalapenos ( I used habaneros also)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
Few drops of food coloring-red or green

Wash,seed,core the peppers.Wear plastic gloves then you cut up the peppers. Once you cut up the peppers puree in food processor or blender with one cup of the vinegar. Pour into a med. sized pot. Add the additional vinegar,and sugar and bring to a boil while stirring. Allow to boil for 10 min, constantly stirring. Add pectin and and bring it to a rolling boil for 1 min.
Remove from heat and skim if needed. Add the food coloring now if you want it.

Add the jelly into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/4 head space. Wipe the rim of the jar and seal with lid. Place on band and water bath for 10 min or the amount of time for your size jar.
Remove, cool and store. How to water bath for canning

Zucchini and Eggplant Bake

I knew when I saw this recipe that it was going to be a good one and it's definitely a make again!

Gabe,who is not into vegetables really liked this and said it was like a vegetable lasagna without the noodles.

This recipe adapted from My Favorite Things. She is also on facebook under The Breakfast Club-ordinary people who love
 love extraordinary food.

3 medium zucchini,thinly sliced (4 cups)*
2 large red sweet peppers, coarsely chopped ( 2 cups)
2 medium onions,coarsely chopped ( 1 cup)
1 medium eggplant-peeled and coarsely chopped (5 cups)
2 cloves garlic,minced
3 tablespoons olive oil*
4 eggs
1/2 cups light mayo *
4 ounces pecorino-romano cheese, grated (1 cup)*
8 ounces shredded mozzarella (2 cups)
12 rich round crackers,crushed (about 2/3 cup)*

star indicates my changes to recipe:
I use a mandoline to slice the zucchini
In place of the olive oil I used Smart Balance spray to coat the pan. Sauteed the zucchini first and then rest of the ingredients.
Use any kind of of mayo, mine was fat free
Didn't use Pecorino cheese, only Romano
No crackers on ours, didn't want the extra carbs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 3 quart rectangular baking dish
In a 12 inch skillet cook zucchini,sweet pepper, onion, eggplant,garlic in hot oil over med. heat for 10-15 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally
Get an extra large bowl and whisk the eggs and mayo unto combined. Stir in Pecorino-Romano cheese and 1 cup mozzarella.
Add cooked vegetables,toss to combine.
Evenly spread vegetable mixture in prepared dish
Top with remaining mozzarella and cracker crumbs
Bake uncovered for 20-25 mins or until top is lightly browned and knife comes out clean from center.
Let stand 10 mins before serving

Angel Message Link

                                                       
                                                             
                                                                            Message   from above might help.

Cucumbers plus Bonus Tip

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.


9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.


13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Bonus Tip!To a pitcher of ice, slice 3 or 4 thin slices of cucumber and a couple of slices of lemon. Fill with water and let it set in the fridge for awhile. I let mine set for about an hour. It is so refreshing with just a slight hint of cucumber. You can always add more or less cucumber depending on your taste. So much better than diet drinks or those little packets of "add ins