A New Way for Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

This one is specifically aimed at the parents out there who have a difficult time convincing their littles to consume anything green. A friend of mine made this recipe for me last night and I scolded her for not making more. It's ridiculously easy and I can almost guarantee it will get your kids (and my BFF) to eat their green beans.

It's also a great dish to make when you're busy in the kitchen, maybe preparing chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. Let's face it, you can only tend to so many pans at once. This one doesn't need tending. In fact, the less attention it gets, the better. If you stir it too often, your beans will fall apart completely and you'll end up with very tasty mush. The only reason you stir it is to get it to caramelize somewhat evenly.

This concoction is very much a southern dish. It's fried in a skillet and utilizes bacon grease, so it may not be an every week staple as is. My brain is already hacking at this recipe to make it more healthy and keeping it kid friendly, so I bet I'll have an alternative that you can serve guilt-free on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, however much you think you need when you make it . . . double that. We had five cans of beans collecting dust in the pantry, but didn't want to use them all up at once. Normally, three cans should be enough for six people, but we all wanted seconds and there was none to be had.

For now, however, I will stick to the recipe as it was given to me. Sorry, y'all! The beans didn't last long enough to take pictures.

Skillet Green Beans

4 slices (about 1/4 lb.) bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 medium-sized onion, chopped
3 (14.5 oz) cans cut green beans, drained

4 T butter

up to 1/4 c sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Brown bacon and onions in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat then remove

Remove all but 1 Tbsp of the grease if you find it excessive (or leave it in, it's up to you)

Add beans

Drop butter on top and allow it to melt on its own

Stir occasionally, and gently, with a wooden spoon, while you tend to other things

When you're almost ready to take it off the stove, return bacon and onions to the pan, then add sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine

Give it another few minutes to let the sugar caramelize

Do not panic if the edges of your beans or onions get dark; they should. However, if at any time, you fear they're getting away from you, or cooking too fast, reduce the heat. It's ready when everything else is. Just remove it from the stove, and serve.

This recipe is also budget friendly because canned green beans are often on sale. My local mom and pop grocery store has at least one brand on sale every week. That's probably why they ended up in my pantry. (I've never been a big fan of canned veggies.)

If onions are a deal breaker for your kids, then leave them out or use onion powder instead. That will give you that sweet, oniony flavor and the kids won't see it.

Rest assured, I will be playing with this in the near future and figuring out a way to make it a bit more healthy without skimping on the flavor. We could probably start by switching out the sugar for honey or agave nectar. In fact, I bet honey would taste even better than the yumminess I tasted last night.

Happy Cooking!

I'm Turning into a Hippie

Okay, so maybe it's not that bad, but I've become addicted to making my own yogurt and granola. I've been crocheting like a maniac, working on projects for myself and projects to share with you.

Today; however, I'm sharing my much-experimented-with recipe for basic granola. In the interest of giving credit where credit is due, I must tell you that this granola began as this recipe from Stephanie O'Dea. I've made it several times, and not quite the same each time. I've tweaked it to change the top flavors while leaving the base the same. This is one of those recipes for which I always have the ingredients in the pantry.

Currently, in my crock pot, sits the tasty goodness that will become white chocolate cranberry. Tomorrow's experiment will be blueberry almond, and ready to go the next time I have the desire is the same combo I've been eating for the past two weeks. It contains pistachios, almonds, mixed berries, and dark chocolate. It's very loose, so it's great for cereal in the morning or stirring into a cup of plain yogurt, but I especially like it with about a half cup of ice cream.

In this recipe, I leave three key ingredients up to you. I've listed some of my favorite flavor combinations below.

Okay, enough talk. Let's get down to earthy, crunchy business...

Convertible Granola

5 c rolled oats (NOT the quick cooking kind)
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c nuts of your choice*
1/2 c shredded coconut
dash salt

1/4 c oil
1/2 c honey

1/2 c dried fruit of your choice*

1/2 c chocolate chips, flavor of your choice*

Dump first group of ingredients into (5 or 6 quart) crock pot and mix thoroughly.
Add oil and honey, and mix to coat dry ingredients.
Cook on high for up to 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
When there's only about 30 minutes left on your cooking time, add dried fruit and stir.
Remove granola to a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan to cool.
Once cooled, add chocolate chips, stir, and place in an airtight container.

Granola will stay fresh for a couple of weeks. I keep mine in the refrigerator so it will keep a little longer.

Notes:
Every slow cooker is different, so cooking times will vary. I always set the timer on my crock pot for 3 1/2 or 4 hours, but often finish earlier than that. End the cooking when you decide the granola is browned to your liking. Sometimes, I need to stir more often, or turn down the heat as I near the end of cooking.
To make the honey easier to get out of the measuring cup, I add the oil first, then use the same 1/4 cup measure for the honey. The oil coats the cup so the honey pours right out of it. It makes cleanup easier too.
It doesn't matter whether your nuts are whole, chopped, or sliced; it's your call.
You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut. If you choose sweetened, watch that it doesn't burn.
Don't skimp on the oil, but do consider the flavor of the oil you're using. I usually use sunflower oil because it has hardly any flavor.
I find the chocolate chips add some sweet without a ton of extra sugar, but I try to use dark chocolate since it adds some antioxidants to the mix.

*Mixtures of mix-ins:
pecans, cranberries, and white chocolate
almonds, blueberries, and dark chocolate
almonds, extra coconut, and milk chocolate (sound familiar?)
walnuts, apricots (chopped), and dark chocolate

My next experiment may involve agave nectar instead of honey.

Happy Crock Potting!

What Do You Mean You've Never Had Eggplant!?

Those were the exact words that flew from my lips when my landlady's daughter told me she was looking forward to my latest culinary experiment. I mean, I realize we're in the southwest, but seriously. This is still America! You've got the Olive Garden!

Turns out, her mother had never tried eggplant either. Well, that sealed the deal. By golly, there would be eggplant lasagna in their collective future. Even if they hated it, I would ensure they would at least have the opportunity to try eggplant in the near future. After all, it was in season; it was on sale (crazy cheap, which means, as usual, I bought way too much); and I was craving it.

Now, for those of you in the know, eggplant lasagna is basically just a variation of eggplant parmigiana. And, if you've been following along, you'll recognize that the components of the recipe are pretty much the same as those for my spaghetti (squash) pie from a few weeks back. So here's a tip: make both the same week (or day even) and freeze one to have later. Better yet, double both recipes and freeze one of each.

A lot of good Italian cooking is simply variations on a few good themes. In this case, a sauce bolognese and a cheese mixture with eggs used as a binder. The major difference between this recipe and most other lasagnas of any type is that the eggplant is not just part of the show; it's the star. I'm leaving the noodles out because I really shouldn't be having the wheat.

Knowing that, make sure when shopping for your ingredients, you invest in the best you can afford. This is especially true, always, when purchasing things like olive oil. So here we go . . .

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Before you begin

Slice your eggplant lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices and lay it out on oiled and/or lined cookie sheets. Bake it for about 4-5 minutes on each side at 425 (f) and hold it aside.

There's really no need to season it because it's got such good flavor on its own and it's a substitution for noodles which tend to suck the flavor out of a dish.

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Noodle-Free Lasagna

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

24 oz. tomato sauce*

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c. ricotta

1 c. grated or shredded parmesan, divided

10 oz. (about 2 1/2 c.) shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

enough eggplant prepared as above to make 3 layers in your baking pan

Saute beef and onion until meat is just cooked through and onion becomes translucent.

Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook about two minutes more.

Drain and return to pan.

Add sauce and bring to boil.

Lower heat and allow to simmer for about five minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, ricotta, 1/2 c. parmesan, 8 oz. mozzarella, and seasonings.

Lightly oil a 9x12x2" or 9x13x2" baking dish with olive oil.

Pour a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the pan.

Layer in eggplant**, then 1/2 of cheese mixture, then 1/3 of sauce.

Repeat.

Add a last layer of eggplant** and top with the last 1/3 of sauce.

Sprinkle top with reserved cheeses.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until heated through and top is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes (sauce will bubble, but test center).

Let stand about 10-15 minutes before serving.

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*You can use your favorite canned/jarred spaghetti sauce, plain tomato sauce, or your own secret family recipe. It's up to you. Remember, it's your kitchen.

**When you lay out your layers of eggplant, alternate the direction of the layers so it doesn't completely come apart when you slice into it.

**********

Variations

Use sliced or crumbled Italian sausage instead of ground meat.

Go vegetarian (but not vegan) by substituting mushrooms instead of meat.

If you prefer meatballs, saute them in the pan, then in the sauce, just as you would with the ground beef, but reserve them and serve them on the side.

Use zucchini or yellow squash, prepared the same way as the eggplant for a light, summer dish instead of a hearty, winter meal.

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When I double a recipe like this, I like to put it in those disposable plastic baking pans so I can just put one in the freezer. You can assemble it and freeze it, then take it out another time and throw it in the oven. It will take a full day (sometimes longer) in the fridge to defrost.

Happy Cooking!

I Still Don't Own Cookware

I know. No, the irony is not lost on me. One of the things I did before I left Boston was place a WalMart order for many of the items I would need when I arrived. It was timed so that it would hit me within a day or two of my arrival. I figured I'd eat out the first night or two anyway, so I'd be able to settle in a bit before I had to actually cook for myself.

Well, I forgot I was traveling during the holiday season and maybe, just maybe, things might sell out before my order was picked. That's exactly what happened.

I cheaped out on certain items, like cookware and knives, because they're the most important tools to me and when I buy them for real, I intend to purchase top notch (as I always have). Meanwhile, I figured I'd live with the throw-away stuff for a few months. Hence, the order for housewares from WalMart rather than Macy's.

On the other hand, I decided to treat myself to a really good slow cooker because even the cheapest of the cheap last quite some time and it would just be a sin to buy a "disposable." No, I didn't get the Ninja, but I probably will if I decide to upsize from a tiny studio to a full-sized apartment with a bigger kitchen.

Anyhow, the knife and cookware sets I chose were out of stock when I ordered them. No big deal. I could pick up the same sets in-store when I did my grocery shopping, right? Weeeeellll ... I decided to just grab a three-piece knife set with only the basics. It cost me almost nothing and I figured I didn't need more than that for now.

But cookware ... All those years selling housewares turned me into the biggest cookware snob. When I actually looked at, and handled, the pans I had initially chosen, I was so happy I hadn't been able to buy it. It was way worse than junk. I picked out a different set that cost only a few dollars more, but after spending over four hours at WalMart (long story short, I shopped for a LOT of items that night, including groceries), I was in no mood to lug it home. I figured I'd make do with the crock pot, microwave, and toaster oven for a few days and simply order the cookware online (yay for free shipping). It's due to be delivered some time today.*

Of course, since I haven't been able to boil or saute, I've had to be resourceful. Thankfully, I was wise enough to ensure that I purchased ingredients for several slow cooker and oven recipes I wanted to try. In fact, only one or two of the recipes on my list required any sort of stove-top preparation, so I postponed them temporarily.

Anyhow, I have two recipes and one fabulous tip to share with you this week (links are in the titles):

Baked Oven Fries

This technique is supposed to produce excellent, crispy, golden brown fries. Meh. I didn't see any major difference between the way I normally make my own oven fries and following this procedure. I did follow it pretty much to the letter just so I'd be sure to come up with results based on the changes vs. my usual method. I found the cooking time needed to be much longer in order to get the potatoes to crisp. It also uses more oil than I normally would.

The verdict: I'll go back to the method I've used for years. It works for me. I will also post my own method soon, but not just yet, because I'm trying to work a way of seasoning the potatoes without using the processed crap (packaged onion soup mix) that I usually use while still getting that flavor.

I kept the meal itself simple. I just microwaved leftovers that I'd packed in the freezer and threw together a side salad. (BTW, for the dressing on that salad, I mixed a little Italian dressing with the honey mustard sauce from last week's post and, YUM!)

I swear if this chicken were a man, I'd marry it.

OMGWTFBBQ** Chicken

No, that's not really what this recipe is called, but it may as well be. It is unbelievable! I did not tweak it at all. The only change I might make is to double the amount of chicken OR serve it over rice to catch all of the amazing sauce it makes. Seriously, this sauce is so good, I could drink it. Actually, I think the recipe says to oil or grease your crock pot before you put the chicken in, but I didn't and I had zero problems with cleanup. I had to freeze the leftovers immediately because I didn't want to end up in a food coma.

I actually paired the chicken with baked sweet potatoes and a side salad. An excellent choice, I might add. There was so much sauce that I didn't want to waste, so I put it in a container in the fridge and had it a few days later with just a left-over sweet potato. When I say amazing, I mean A. May. Zing! This recipe alone is reason enough to buy a slow cooker. Make sure it's a 6-quart. As I already stated, you could easily double the amount of chicken (and bacon, of course) without needing to double the other ingredients and still prepare it in a 6-quart cooker. However, if you decide to upsize any more than that, go with an 8-quart.

So what would I do if I decided to tweak it? I'd throw chunks of onion in there. That sauce would be even more fabulous with a large vidalia or a couple of medium yellow onions.

Also, the cook time is perfect. My chicken was basically still frozen when I put it in and it cooked on low for about 7 hours. It came apart with a fork, just like the best pulled beef or pork does.

Now about that extra bacon

One of the reasons lettuce and tomato were on my grocery list this time around was that I haven't had a BLT in ages. I'm not kidding; it's literally been about 20 years. I figured if I was going to wrap chicken in bacon and end up with a few slices left over, I may as well make myself a sandwich. Well, duh! I didn't buy bread. I did cook up the rest of the bacon after basket weaving it per this tip. In fact, I broiled it, then I drained it thoroughly and froze it. I still ended up with a couple of stray slices, so I crumbled them and used them on a huge salad for lunch one afternoon. However, the woven slices look too good not to use in a BLT or club sandwich.

Happy Cooking!

*Remember, I pre-program my posts, so I haven't lived without stove-top cooking as long as it may appear.

**OMGWTFBBQ is the title of chapter 7 of my friend William Vitka's first novel, Infected.

Not Quite Top Chef

My BFF will be the first to tell you she's not the best cook in the world, but it's not because she's incapable. She's just not one of those people who can open the door to the pantry, grab a few items, and throw together a whole new creation.

What she IS good at, however, is finding quick and easy recipes that taste amazing. So I thought I'd share with you the latest. My personal goal (one of these days) is to remake this one from scratch so I have complete control over ingredients. Meanwhile, I'll make it once in a while with the gluten-free pre-breaded goodies from Perdue.

I could gladly eat chicken tenders for every meal.
Give me a side of onion rings and I'm a happy camper.

*Mom's Breaded Barbecue Chicken

1 package pre-breaded chicken of your choice

bottled barbecue sauce of your choice

Lay chicken pieces out on ungreased baking sheet.

Sparingly drop barbecue sauce on chicken. (The goal here is not to douse the chicken in the sauce but to add some flavor by getting the breading to absorb the sauce.)

Flip.

Repeat on other side.

Bake according to package directions.

I'm not kidding. It's really that simple. And how does it taste? Would I share a recipe with you I didn't love? This is definitely one of those dishes to throw together when there's literally zero time to cook.

Happy Cooking!

*I call my BFF "Mom" online to protect her anonymity.

Feed Me, Pinterest

Okay, I realize I just recently posted about my budding affection for Pinterest. Since then, my recipe board (titled Feed Me) has gotten a bit out of hand. It currently weighs in at well over 1000 recipes, many of them for the slow cooker/crock pot. So I've decided to sort through them in a somewhat unique way.

I've begun another board for recipes I really want to try and a third that contains recipes for which I've purchased the ingredients and will be testing soon. I figure once I've tested the recipe, I'll decide whether to categorize it, so I can find it again, or delete it.

One recipe that is on the "purchased" list is one I've had several times and I already know I love it. It came to me courtesy of my BFF and it's like Thanksgiving dinner in the Crock Pot. I swear it's my favorite slow cooker recipe ever. Who doesn't love the combination of turkey, cranberries, and stuffing? If only it had mashed potatoes, it would be perfect. By the way, if you intend to try this recipe on my recommendation, remember one rule: once you've turned on the slow cooker, do not lift the lid. It needs to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Resist the temptation to check it until the lower time has elapsed otherwise your stuffing will come out hard and uncooked.

I think I'm going to take the same approach with all those great craft ideas I've pinned as well. If I don't stay organized I'll have a terrible mess on my hands. And that, my friends, would defeat the entire purpose for me joining Pinterest in the first place. So keep an eye on the blog and I'll provide as many recipe reviews as I can without getting too repetitive. Or follow me on Pinterest and get the scoop there.

Meanwhile, if there's a recipe you see on my pinboard that you'd like to nominate, drop the link in the comments below and I'll put it on the list. I mean I wouldn't have pinned it if I had no intention of trying it anyway, right?

Happy Pinning!

Farmer in the Queen City (recipe)

Babcie's Summer Salad
(scroll down for recipe)

Manchester, NH had a population of about 90,000 when I was growing up there. It's not a huge city, but I'm sure it was a bit of a culture shock for my grandfather who moved there from a farm in Poland shortly after the end of World War II.

If I were to walk onto my grandfather's property now, dressed the way I remember it from my youth, I'm sure I'd be the one in shock. You see, I currently live in a suburb of Boston, MA whose metropolitan area has a population about three times that of the entire state of New Hampshire and I'm horrified that my neighbors have a pair of chickens in their yard. When I was a kid however, Dziadzio's (pronounced Juh-joo, Polish for Grandpa) mini farm in the city didn't even phase me. It was a great place to visit and I was there almost every day. At one time or another, Dziadzio had three chickens, two ducks, a dog, countless rabbits (they really do multiply quickly), and a flock of pigeons.

But his menagerie was not my grandfather's claim to fame; THAT was his garden. My grandparents' home sat on a double lot which afforded the space for the animals and a huge vegetable garden along with (concord) grape vines, and fruit trees that bore peaches, plums, pears and crab apples. Needless to say, with all those pigeons, Dziadzio never needed to buy fertilizer. Our family was eating organic WAY before it was cool. I know this had at least some influence on his son-in-law (my dad) whose own yard boasted a good sized garden and a peach tree. I was raised to love raw vegetables and taught to use them in ways that emphasized, rather than masked, their natural flavors.

Babcie (Polish for Grandma and pronounced Bahb-chee) was an amazing cook and she had the best resources at her fingertips. Most plentiful were the tomatoes and cucumbers used in the recipe I share with you today. This is one of those family recipes that never really had a name. It's been handed down, one generation at a time, with instructions like, "Throw in a dollop of sour cream. I don't know how much; until it looks good." That's how my family cooks. I assume that's how most families cook. My Aunt always called it "Polish Salad" or "Babcie's Salad." Call it whatever you want, but try it. I love this stuff.

Babcie's Summer Salad

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

two good sized cucumbers or one English cucumber, sliced a little thinner than 1/4"

two medium tomatoes, sliced in chunks or one pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

one half of a medium onion, sliced paper thin (optional)

In a non-metal bowl combine vegetables.

Add sour cream and toss to coat veggies.

Add vinegar and stir lightly. (Do not give into temptation to add more vinegar.)

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, but 4 hours or more is ideal.

Stir again and serve cold.

(Quite) A Few Notes about Ingredients:

I rarely peel an English cuke, but I always peel the traditional cucumbers (if they're from the grocery store) as they are usually heavily waxed to keep them fresh in transit.

Yes, you must halve your cherry or grape tomatoes. The juice of the tomato is necessary for the dressing.

I leave out the onions when I make this for the kids, but it's so much better with them in it.

Keep it simple. You may assume cider or champagne vinegar would improve this dish, but the whole point is to use simple, easy to find ingredients that really play up the natural flavors of the vegetables. The vinegar draws some of the moisture out of the veggies and makes a simple dressing that's wonderful.

Yes, you may use reduced fat or fat free sour cream and it will taste exactly the same.

And Here's Another Use:

After your veggies have set in the fridge for a few hours, toss them with about 8 oz. (dry weight) cooked, chilled pasta. (Yes, I love pasta salad.)

Or you could do what I did last week and drop a scoop on a bed of lettuce and have a terrific salad for lunch.

Kocham cie Babcie i Dziadzio.

Yes, I Am a Domestic Goddess (Recipe)

My Mom is a very good cook. She's not a gourmet, certainly not a culinary snob, but she can follow a recipe and make the most of it. She can also walk into the kitchen, raid the pantry, and make a delicious meal from whatever's on hand. Most impressive is her ability to duplicate, or even improve upon, a (simple) restaurant recipe just by taste.

I was fortunate enough to inherit her skills and the good sense to pay attention when I helped Mom and Babcie (that's Polish for Grandma) in the kitchen. They taught me the basic techniques I needed to survive on my own and be able to cook for myself and others. Just about everything else I know about cooking and cuisine came from watching the Food Network, and before that, various cooking shows like the Great Chefs series and, of course, Julia Child. So when I throw together a recipe I really love I try to write it down immediately. Why? Because if I'm asked to share a recipe I tend to get blank stares when I say things like, ". . .then throw in a little tomato paste and a ton of garlic." How much is "a little?". . .What do you mean by "a ton?" I get it. Some people can cook by feel and some need a real, honest to goodness recipe to follow. With that, I give you a recipe that was a big hit a couple of weeks ago along with a way to use the leftovers AND a variation that tastes completely different.

I didn't have the presence of mind to take any pictures of the original recipe and the leftovers were gone by the time I thought of it, so the photos you see are of the variation that uses sausage.

Auntie's Pasta

2 Tbsp canola or olive oil

2 tsp butter (real butter, not margarine!)

1/2 c onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, chopped (or substitute 1/2 t garlic powder)

1 (12 oz.) box of penne or ziti, cooked until it's almost done, then drained

1-1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized cubes

1 c frozen green beans

grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat oil and butter in a deep, nonstick pan on medium heat until butter is completely melted

Add onion and sautee until translucent

Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and chicken and sautee until chicken is almost cooked through

Stir in pasta and vegetables

Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are heated through and the chicken is done (about 7-10 minutes)

Dish up and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve with a side of garlic bread

Total time in the kitchen: about 45 minutes

Serves 8 generous portions

A Few Notes about Ingredients:

That little bit of butter will add a ton of flavor without adding a lot of saturated fat, so please don't leave it out. If you want to reduce the fat content then reduce the amount of oil slightly.

The pasta I prefer is a tri-color made with actual vegetables to sneak some veggies into the kids' diets or a whole grain pasta. Either is better tasting and more nutritious than that plain old white stuff. The reason you slightly undercook your pasta is that the steam released from your veggies will cook the pasta the rest of the way. If you add fully cooked pasta, it will get mushy. I add quite a bit of salt to my pasta water because I don't add salt to my recipes.

If you aren't crazy about green beans use frozen peas, carrots, or corn. Just make sure your veggies are frozen and not canned.

What to Do with the Leftovers:

The next day, once everything is sufficiently chilled, toss the whole deal with your favorite Italian dressing (about 2 Tbsp per serving) and serve cold. This makes an awesome pasta salad.

Variations:

Auntie's Pasta made with turkey sausage

Instead of chicken and Italian seasoning, use a good quality sausage (I used a turkey and cheddar sausage we all love) and oregano. (Credit for this variation has to go to my BFF who grabbed a package of sausage out of the freezer and asked, "Do you think you can turn this into that thing you made last week with the chicken and the pasta?")

You could also go with sliced steak and summer savory, but I'd leave off the parmesan cheese.

I welcome any other ideas you might have for variations. Please leave them in the comments section.

Happy Cooking!