Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad

A friend is leaving for Maine for three weeks and picked up quite of few ears of corn and asked if I wanted some. 

I'm not overly fond of corn, Gabe loves it so I told her I would love to have a few ears .

Fresh corn is one of Gabe's favorites but he will only eat it if it was picked that day. Since he was going out to dinner and didn't want it, I remembered this Recipe. Had all the ingredients and it was a perfect time to make it since Gabe doesn't care for black beans.

4 ears fresh corn, shucked ( used 2 ears)
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 poblano pepper, halved and seeded ( used jalapeno)
One 15.5 ounce can seasoned black beans, drained and rinsed ( used plain black beans)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro ( used Vietnamese Cilantro)
5 tablespoon lime juice 
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder ( used chili- garlic sauce in place of the chipotle powder and cumin)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put 2 inches of water in the bottom of a large pot big enough to hold the corn.Bring water to a boil.Place the corn in the water and wait for the water to return to a boil. Cook the corn for 5-7 minutes or until soft.

Once corn is cool cut off the cob.

Cut up red pepper and jalapeno. I added the red pepper and jalapeno to Cuisinart and pulsed a few times.If you don't use a Cuisinart chop into small pieces.

Rinse the Black beans.

Add corn, red pepper and black beans to a large bowl.

Cut the cilantro into small parts and in another bowl add the lime juice and the Chile- garlic sauce,olive oil and mix well.

Pour dressing over the corn combination.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

So easy and very, very good.

MM 54 weeks

Max very focused. Gabe had his orange float and he was ready to get back in the water.

We take the harness off before he goes in the water. It was starting to shrink and since we want it to last awhile put the choke chain on if we need to grab him. 

I like head shots. His personality seems to really come out in them.

Blessings

Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant

 I LOVE this type of noodle! It's not the pasta Gabe enjoys but the recipe sounded good and I wanted to give it a try.

Picked up a eggplant at the local farmers market. A very nice man was giving out samples of melons and I sampled my share and felt I needed to buy something from him and the eggplants were a good price so I picked up a few.

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
8 ounces soba noodles
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided(used sesame oil)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed(didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt(didn't use)
3-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Thai-style chili sauce
4 medium carrots, grated
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 cup diced English (hot house) cucumber( used regular cucumber)

1. Preheat  broiler. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Broil until skin is blackened and flesh is soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside until cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Extract as much water as possible, then place in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon peanut oil.
3. Mash garlic and salt together to form a paste. Place in small bowl and add vinegar, tamari/soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, chili sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Whisk until the above is well-blended.
4. Peel the eggplant and discard the skin. Chopped  the flesh in the food processor. Add the eggplant, carrots and sesame seeds to the noodles, then add the dressing and toss well. Just before serving, garnish with cucumber

I really liked this, Gabe was so so. I'll make it again. When did he say the next diving trip was? Recipe was adapted from Here

Ham Spread

I usually buy boneless hams at BJ's which we enjoy and while in Florida Publix has semi-boneless which are excellent.

King Kullen reduced spiral hams and it was such a good price I just couldn't resist getting one. It had a BIG bone which is now in the freezer waiting to go into the soup pot.

Recipe is from allrecipes, which is a favorite of mine and always love reading all the comments. Love it when other cooks leave tips on a recipe.

3 cups ground ham ( pulsed it in Cuisinart)
2 hard cooked eggs ( also pulsed in Cuisinart)
2 tablespoons chopped celery
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons chopped onion ( used a red onion)
1 cup mayo ( cut this to taste)
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

Mix the ham, eggs, celery ,onion  and the relish in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix mayo and mustard and mix well. Pour the mayo mixture over the ham mixture and stir to coat. Put in the fridge to chill.

Gabe loved this! Contains all his favorites and recipe was very similar to what his grandmother use to make. 

Kristin Kimball - The Dirty Life

Kristin, a 32 year old from New York City, lived in a rent control apartment. A freelance writer she traveled to Pennsylvania to interview a organic farmer named Mark. 
Kristin fell in love with farming and then Mark and together moved to a 500 acre farm in upstate NY.

Part of this book seemed like fiction to me. The amount of help and support they recieved from the community I wondered were they in Mayberry R.F.D? The day they arrived on bikes 10 years ago they were invited to a church dinner and the people they met that night are now lifelong friends. 

Loved the book and if you would like to find out more about Essex Farm please click HERE

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

When I look at a photo I want to see what something looks like once it's cooked. Many of the casseroles I wait to shoot because I need them to firm up. This wasn't going to get firm but I wanted to show you what it looks like cut into "bars".

It's an excellent recipe and will make it again. It's healthy and very filling. Make up a batch and cut them into what ever size you want for breakfast and heat it up and you are good to go.

Banana's were on sale last week and I picked up blueberries at a great price. Didn't want to go with something sweet and trying to eat healthy.

I adapted the recipe slightly from SkinnyTaste. Gina has a beautiful blog and enjoy visiting it.She figured out how many calories and WW points are in this so make sure to check it out if you make this.

1 cup old fashion rolled oats ( I used steel cut oats)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided ( used pecans)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon ( I always use Saigon Cinnamon, love the taste)
Pinch of salt ( I made it a very tiny pinch)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk ( used 2% milk)
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 bananas peeled and sliced ( I used 1 1/2 banana's)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Heat your oven to 375 degrees

I sprayed my 2 quart baking dish with Pam.

In a large bowl add the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and half of the 1/4 cup of walnuts. Mix well.( Save the other half to sprinkle on top).

In another bowl add the milk, maple syrup, butter that was melted and cooled, vanilla and the beaten egg. Mix well.

Place the sliced banana in the bottom your greased 2 quart dish. Added some blueberries on top of the banana's. I didn't cover the banana's and used about 1/2 a cup. 

On top of the blueberries I added the oat mixture which was well combined.

Made sure the blueberries and banana's with the oats and then I poured the liquid carefully over the oat mixture to make sure it was covered.

Added the rest of the nuts and a few berries to the top and into the oven it went for 35-40 mins. The top will be brown and the oats will have set.

If you can, let it sit for 10 minutes.

MM 53 Weeks

It's been so hot that the basement Max didn't want any part of has now become his favorite place.

When he's not in the basement he hangs out between the kitchen and the deck.

No words needed

Hazel's Pizza Party

Honestly, I love my computer. It not only brings news, which the television no longer delivers into my home but anything I want to know, is there on a click.

Before facebook and pinterest I was lucky to find Reddit. I hang out over there a lot. This article explains Reddit better than I could.

One of the major networks did a short segment about one of the subs/ random acts of pizza. It started with the idea that no one should be hungry and a person would post why they needed a pizza and someone would get a pizza to them. 

This appeared a few days ago.  When you subscriber to a sub/ reddit  all the top stories will go in your "front" page. This was the top post on pics. Someone was walking past the Children's Hospital and happen to look up and took this picture. Note: Picture no longer available

The photo received 1100 comments. HuffingtonPost did a short video and you get see the little girl who got enjoy pizza thanks to the  kindness of people on a web site I'm sure she never heard of.

Next day they followed it up with a photo of the girls and a link to  the Hazel Fund which donations were made by people who saw the post.

 Good job Reddit!

Cucumber Cilantro Salad

I have a few cilantro planted in a large pot on the deck along with parsley and a tomato plant. I also have Vietnamese coriander, which I found at Halsey's Holly Hill Greenhouse when I helped Mary get annuals for her yard. Mary  has a herb garden and wanted me to pick out what she needed to plant this season.  While selecting the little herbs I found  Vietnamese coriander . I added it to the collection of herbs and suggested that she try it. The lady checking us out said  Vietnamese coriander grows huge and does not go to seed like the cilantro she usually buys so into the garden it went.

I went back to Holly Hill and picked up the last pot of  Vietnamese coriander. Guess the little plant knew I would give it a good home and maybe it wanted to do a road trip to Florida with us.

 I used the vietnamese coriander in place of the cilantro just to try it out and it was perfect in this dish. 

The recipe is from A Week Of Menus, which I found on pinterest. I adapted it because I didn't have Korean chili powder (gochu gahloo).When I go back to Florida will have to pick up a jar in one of the Asian markets in Gainesville.

2 cups chopped cucumber (  removed the seeds)
1 cup chopped Cilantro ( used vietnamese coriander )

Dressing

1 tablespoon soy ( used light)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Korean chili powder or crushed chili pepper flakes ( I used the garlic- chili sauce-the one with the Roster on it)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients together except toasted sesame seeds which I added last

Pour sauce over the cucumber and cilantro

Toss gently and refrigerate.

Connie's Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

No idea who Connie is but sure enjoyed these crab cakes!

The recipe is from Allrecipes. I love reading the comments and usually find a tip or two.

I don't have a garden but was able to pick up zucchini for 99 cents a pound. Can't wait to plant a garden, I'll make sure to plant plenty! Love my zucchini recipes. 

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini ( used the Cuisinart & pulsed a few times)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs ( used panko)
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM ( Trademark)
1/4 cup flour ( didn't use)
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying ( used olive oil )

Washed and dried the zucchini and cut in large chunks and added to Cuisinart. Pulsed a few times till it was the consistency I wanted.

Removed the zucchini from the cuisinart and added to another bowl with the melted butter, panko, onion, egg which was beaten and the Old Bay Seasoning. Mixed well.

Shaped into patties but didn't use the flour.

Fried in the olive oil until golden brown on each side.

MM 52 Weeks

                                      Waiting for Gabe to toss the float

                                                    And it's off to the races!  

         

Spaghetti Squash Crust Pizza

The first thing I want to tell you, this is good! The pie did not burn on the edge. Parchment paper meets broiler

I cooked it on parchment paper as directed and later added the sauce and the cheese. I placed the pie in the broiler. Next time I either have to cut the paper very close or bake without it. 

When the pie was done, I took it outside for it's photo shoot and there was a shadow which makes the pie look uncooked in a section. It was done and boy, was it good.

Recipe was from the blog Joe and Sue. I go there quite often and usually find something that I have to make.

Adapted the recipe.

The Crust:
4 cups cooked spaghetti squash ( I used 2 cups, make sure all excess moisture has been removed. I used a strainer )
1 egg
2 eggs whites ( didn't use)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 teaspoon oregano, dried (didn't use)
1 teaspoon parsley, dried ( didn't use)
Salt and Pepper ( didn't use)
Slap Ya Mama- few good shakes- I subbed this for the oregano, which I really don't care for and the parsley. Slap Ya Mama has plenty of sodium and pepper so no need to add more.

Directions for the crust:

I measured the spaghetti squash  and added to a large bowl. Mixed in the egg and added the mozzarella. Added the Slap Ya Mama to taste..

Before you place on pan make sure all excess moisture has been removed. Give the squash a time out and let it rest a few minutes. If you see any liquid in the bottom of the bowl drain it off .

Preheated the oven to 400 degrees. Joe and Sue said its a must to use the parchment paper so I cut my circle and placed it on the pan. 
Placed the squash mixture on the parchment paper which was on the pan and pressed it down to make a nice crust. I also wanted to make sure all moisture was out so I took a paper towel and pressed it on top to soak up any the moisture that didn't come out when strained.

I baked for about 20- 30 minutes. It didn't look firm at 20 so cooked it till it was firm to the touch.

Since I cooked it early, around 6 in the morning I didn't put it back in the oven till I wanted to add the sauce and cheese.

Added my favorite bottle sauce,  in this heat the only way to go and spread it over the pie.

Added the cheese and place it in the broiler a few minutes until cheese has melted.

Let it "rest" before you cut into it. The slices will peel off easier. 
Next time I might spray the parchment paper.

The slap ya mama was a nice touch. I like spicy and I added just the right amount.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

A visit to Best Yet in Riverhead is always productive. Not only do they have the best selection of produce the prices are affordable. 

The spaghetti squash was fairly large. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. Places the squash in the microwave and  cooked until done. Time to cook depends on the size of your squash.

Adapted the Recipe . I didn't have chicken but I have a few bags of quinoa that I picked up at Traders Joe's in Gainesville. 

1 large spaghetti squash
1/4 C butter ( didn't use)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno, minced ( used 1 1/2 habanero  minced)
1 red pepper, chopped ( didn't use)
1 teaspoon. cumin
1 teaspoon oregano ( didn't use)
1 teaspoon chili powder ( used Slap Ya Mama to taste)
1-2 cups shredded chicken ( used 1 cup quinoa)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn ( didn't use)
1 small can mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste ( Slap Ya Mama has plenty of sodium and no need to add more, my preference)
1/2 cup Cilantro ( growing nicely in a pot on my deck)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese ( used Mexican blend)

As stated above I cooked the squash in the microwave.  It was pretty big so it took about 20 mins for each half.

While the squash was in the microwave I cooked the quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth. I boiled the chicken broth in a small pot and added quinoa and turned down the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes and can tell when it's done when it pops. Fluffed it up and was ready to use.

Added the chopped onion, habanero, garlic to a pan and saute in olive oil.

 I scooped out the cooked squash, left a tiny bit in the shell. 

Added the squash to a large bowl and added the cooked onion,habanero and garlic. Fluffed the quinoa and added to the mixture.

Rinsed and drained the black beans and mushroom. Add to the bowl with the squash mixture.

Seasoned mixture with the cumin and Slap Ya Mama to taste.
Added the cilantro and the Mexican Cheese.

Once combined added to the squash shell and bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Extremely filling! I was the only one eating this. Gabe would never touch quinoa.  

Zucchini Corn Pancakes

Vegetables have always been a favorite and as you can tell I love my "little" cakes. This Recipe caught my eye and knew I would like it.

As usual I adapted the recipe. The recipe calls for flour which I did not use. Love  Panko spicy bread crumbs and they were excellent in this recipe. I also used fresh oregano and omitted the basil.

4 large eggs, beaten ( I used 3 eggs)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt*( didn't use salt or pepper, see note below)
1/2 tsp. ground pepper*
1 tsp. dried basil( didn't use)
1 tsp. dried oregano( used fresh)
3 cups grated zucchini 
1 cup fresh sweet corn off the cob or frozen ( used 1 can of corn, drained)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( or your favorite cheese)
1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour( used 4C Spicy Panko)

Directions to the original recipe is above in the link which is marked RECIPES. 

 * I didn't use the salt and pepper because the 4C has plenty in it and I don't like adding additional salt.

In large bowl I added the two eggs and mixed well. 

Added the washed and peeled zucchini to the Cuisinart and grated to the consistency I wanted. 

Removed the zucchini from the Cuisinart bowl and added the zucchini, drained corn, oregano  and cheese to the egg mixture and once combined I added the breadcrumbs. Once breadcrumbs were added I also like to add a shake or two of Slap ya Mama.

Formed into patties and fried in the olive oil and I added a touch of butter to the oil.

Very good recipe and will make again.

MM 51 Weeks

 The heat is oppressive and so thankful we are walking distance to the bay.

As you know, Max is a digger. The float that he retrieved was buried in the woods. He found it, hidden treasure left by Rip.

We bought two of them for Rip, we would throw them out and he would look at us thinking, so when are you going out to get them!

Gabe started Max off slowly in the water. Max doesn't like to be rushed. The  harder you push him to do something he won't even think of doing it.

When we got to the bay we let him go in. He avoids the boat ramp which is extremely slippery. He slipped once and ended up in the water before he wanted to go in and now avoids it at all cost.

Started with sticks and would throw them in close to the shore and now he doesn't have a problem swimming out to get the float.

                                                               Our Patriotic Puppy 

Honey Soy Chicken

I didn't plan to make this Recipe. On the menu were thighs that were suppose to marinate 4 hours and I forgot about that and went with this recipe instead. Glad I did, Gabe really liked it.

When I looked at the recipe I knew I had everything I needed, or so I thought. That sesame oil, it was here right? Plenty in Florida but none in NY and it's not a 3 minute drive to the store. Needed to sub and went with Hot Chili Oil. Wasn't sure if it would work but took the chance and it did!

2 pounds chicken thighs ( I didn't debone them but took off the skin and cut off the extra fat)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil ( used the hot chili oil)

5 tablespoons honey

4 cloves garlic ( used my garlic press )

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a oven proof pan with aluminum foil. Don't skip this! Hint- make sure your cover the edges. It makes a mess.

In a bowl mix up the oils, honey, soy, ginger and black pepper.

I dipped the  thighs in the above mixture and placed it on the pan and with the remaining sauce over any chicken that didn't have enough on it.

Bake 40 minutes.

When you take it out of the oven let the chicken "rest" for about 5 minutes. I don't know why she wanted to rest it but I did. Next time I think I would just dig in.

You could save some of the sauce that wasn't used for the chicken and heat it and serve over the chicken.

Broccoli Strawberry Salad

This is one of those recipe's that is going to be passed from person to person. It's that good and so easy.

Carol, from the Taste Of Home Cook's Corner board posted this and as soon as I saw it I knew it would on my plate asap.

Check out Carol's pictures and her comments on this delicious recipe. She found the recipe HERE.

Salad:

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries-( I added more once the recipe was put together)

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1/4 cup salted cashews halves ( I don't care for nuts so I subbed chickpeas. Next time I'll roast them first before adding them)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese- ( subbed a Mexican Blend)

Dressing:


2 tablespoons low fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar


Mix the broccoli,onion, drained and rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl


Carefully add the strawberries to the broccoli mixture.



Combine the yogurt, honey and vinegar and mix well and add to the broccoli salad, making sure everything is well combined.


Top with cheese.

Featured May 22, 2015 on Five Friday Finds

Rotisserie Style Chicken From your Oven

This is a recipe I printed off the TOH board. The person's name that submitted the recipe wasn't on the printed recipe. Sorry I can't give credit to who ever posted it. It's really good one and I'll be making it again. 4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 onions, quartered 2 whole chickens - used a roaster Few other things I added Slap Ya Mama spice - I added about 1/2 teaspoon 4 cloves of garlic which I added to the cavity along with the onion Directions: Rinse and dry your chicken or chickens if you are going to cook two. Mix all the above spices together and rub into the chicken and I also added the mixture under the skin. I added the chicken to a very large bowl or you could use a  large plastic bag and covered and put in the refrigerator overnight. Next day I preheated the oven to 250 degrees Placed the chicken on a rake in a roasting pan. The cavity which was also rinsed and dry before I added the spices I added the onion, which I used one and the garlic cloves. Bake 5 hours or until to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees. Always check  in the thigh, just like when I cook a turkey. It may take longer with a roaster, my wasn't a big fat one. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before you cut into it. We liked it. Very moist and the skin was crisp. Easy way to make rotisserie chicken. My friend Carol reviewed this recipe. If you would like to read her review click HERE.

MM 50 weeks

Max has a birthday this month. His papers are in Florida so not sure what his birth date is. I sort of remember it was around Gabe's father's birthday which is the 7th. I'll go with that till I get back to Florida and check the date.

It's been so warm and I have admit, Max is a spoiled pup. He loves the a/c in Gregory's house and we don't have it in NY. We do have the bay that is walking distance and when he needs to cool off he can go for a swim.

We weren't sure if he would like the water and he was somewhat timid about going into the water. When we're on the road that leads to the bay now, he's excited and can't wait to get in.

                     Getting a few treats, see you in September Luna!