Guacamole is delish

Raine made a great batch of guacamole the other night. Having our in-house cook working most nights, prevents us from benefiting from her home-made dinners. Lucky us, we had the benefit of her company the other night for a Mexican-themed supper.

The guacamole was smooth and creamy in texture. And while I didn't see Raine actually make this batch, she's been eating my version for years. Here's how I make it:

Guacamole

2 avocados
2 crushed garlic gloves
1/2 lime squeezed of juice
1/2 cup of fresh pico de gallo (fresh salsa)
Salt and Pepper to taste
fresh cilantro (depending on your taste - a pinch or a bunch)

On a side note, we actually prefer using ground turkey or venison with our Mexican food. The meat takes the flavor of the spices so nicely. Hamburger tends to fall flat. This night we used venison.

Where to find a cheap and good food store

I’ve been shopping at the Aldi grocery store for a good 10 years. There’s been one in Madison since the early 90s, but I really started using this store when I lived in Holland in the early 2000s. This German company has discount food stores throughout Holland. On a weekly basis, I would go to Aldi, put my 1 Guilder coin in the shopping cart to release it from the chain of carts, bring my own bags and go to town on buying the household basics. The prices where always the lowest while the quality was quite high.

When we moved back the states, I continued being a committed Aldi shopper. At least once a month, I buy my basics like olive oil, (voted the best in Holland for several years running) at $4 a bottle, baking supplies, fresh orange juice, produce and German and Belgian chocolates.

This weekend, I found a package of two turkey breasts marinated in a Dijon sauce for around $3.50. Tonight I cut them into medallions, browned them, sautéed mushrooms, onions, added white wine, cream and butter to finish off the sauce. The meat was absolutely tender, and melted in the mouth.

If you have an Aldi in your city, give it a try. It’s nothing fancy, everything is boxed and set on pallets for the most part, however, the quality and price is just right. If you can’t get to an Aldi, you can always try its sister store, Trader Joes. This store is the purveyor to the wine and cheese set who love eclectic and upscale foods. And yep, the Albrecht family in Germany own both.

Tortellini with Porcini Mushrooms

So our daughter, the aspiring chef, made dinner for us today before heading to the restaurant where she works. Since she was about 8 years old, she has loved cooking and baking. This summer she got a job working at a brand new restaurant in Madison, called Talula. She started as a dishwasher, "moved-up" to friday night fish fryer and week night dish busser. She is one of two women in the kitchen and wants more. This fall, she may actually move to the sauce and line cook. Ultimately, Raine wants to go to chef school. Her dad and I would like to see a baccalaureate degree first. Then, she can cook for us and her customers for ever!

Anyway, today, before going to work at Talula's, Raine was our personal chef for the day. She made our dinner, inspired by this month's magazine issue of Bon appétit. In it, she found several recipes to make our Monday night an epicurious delight!

She made Tortellini with Porcini Mushrooms, and a salad called Frisée and Apple salad with dried cherries and walnuts. Deserts is still waiting but it is fresh vanilla custard ice cream with fresh berries and sauce.

The magazine just came out, if you wait a couple of days, they will post the recipes on-line. I guess, that's the benefit of actually receiving the paper version....

Anyway, the meal was delish! and I'm one lucky woman to have her own personal chef!

Salmon Cakes with Wasabi Sauce

Made a great "Quick and Easy" dinner tonight. The classic Salmon Patties from my youth. However when I suggested to Todd that we have this for dinner, his first response was "Okay, what else is there to eat?". I then explained that we would be dining on "Salmon Cakes with a Wasabi Horseradish dressing" and won the deal to make it.

So here's the super easy recipe.

"Salmon Cake" Ingredients: 1 can salmon, 2 eggs, 1/2 c. panko (bread crumbs), 1/4 c. chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, a good splash of Angostura Bitters (I was out of worcestershire - 1/2 tsp).

Directions: Drain the salmon, using two forks, break the meat into small pieces, remove any bones and skin/bone-things (feed to the dogs, it's good for them...) In a bowl, add the meat, beaten eggs, onion, salt, pepper and panko. Mix well by hand. Make into four patties or cakes. Set aside.

Wasabi Sauce Recipe: 1/2 c. mayonaise, small container of low-fat yogurt (about 6 oz), 1 tbs of wasabi powder or 1 tsp of prepared horseradish, 1/2 tsp of Dill weed (we used fresh from the garden) and black pepper to taste. Set aside and keep cool.

Cooking: Bring a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Melt 2-3 tbs. of butter, Add the Salmon Cakes, turn up the heat and cook each side about 5-6 minutes until brown on each side and cooked through.

Finishing touches: Parsley leaves, Cholula Hot Sauce and fresh lemon slices - Drizzle wasabi sauce over salmon cake, add a couple of drops of hot sauce and fresh lemon juice. Use the same sauce on the salad -

Voilà!

Nanny's Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Nanny as she was known to the family was born Elsie Dora Robertson. She was the daughter of Swedish and English immigrants who settled in Mauston, WI in the late 1800s. Nanny was born in 1879. She married Edwin Forrest Smith in the early 1900s. He owned a general store in Mauston, was a sheriff and during prohibition was a G-Man. He monitored gin stills and illegal alcohol distribution throughout southern Wisconsin down to Chicago.

Nanny was the center of the home as is often the case of women who work there 24/7. Nanny was prim, proper, well-mannered and expected the same. She was a fantastic host and was known to be an excellent bridge player. The house was immaculate always and the food was made from scratch for the daily dinner.

They raised two daughters, Helen and Dorothy. When Helen's life took a different turn, Nanny and Grandpa Smith found themselves being parents once again. They took in Helen's daughters, Jeanne and Marilyn in the early 1930s and raised them from young girls to adulthood.

So, I hope you get a feel for this lovely and strong woman who took life as it came. Dealt with it and made the most of her day. Her family loved her and still make many of her recipes.

Nanny's Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

SUGAR MIX:
1 cup soft butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Mix these ingredients together.

CREAM:
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs

Add the creamed ingredients to the sugar mix.

FLOUR MIX:
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 tsps. of baking soda

Add flour mix to the creamed sugar mix. Will make a thick batter. Chill in the refridge or outdoors (when cold) for several hours. Make balls and roll in sugar. Flatten with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Grandma Sandy's Peanut Blossoms:

Now recipes must evolve to stay current. My mother has adapted the above recipe for one of our favorites. Made with Hershey kisses and Nanny's recipe they are heavenly.

Make the cookies as above, but don't flatten. Bake the cookies in small balls (1 -2 inches wide). Remove from oven and immediately press one unwrapped Hershey kisses into the ball. The cookie will flatten and take in the kiss. Let cool until the chocolate hardens. Enjoy!

Easy Apple Pie

Last weekend, we had an awesome "home-made" apple pie. I use the quotes because the apple mixture was a home-made canned concoction and the pie crust was pillsbury. The homemade apple mix was a christmas present that Mary received from Uncle Bear and Aunt Marlene. Mary brought the ingredients for the whole dinner on Sunday. All I had to do was throw everything in the oven. Raine did a nice job making the lattice top with the "S" signature.

Carne Asada - Wisconsin style

We have a dying freezer. The 15-year old freezer in the sub-zero garage is now warmer than the outside air. What do you do with 100 lbs of venison? Well a couple of things, we cleaned out the inside freezer and made room for the meat and we started cooking.

I got inspired to make Carne Asada. This is just a mexican marinade for meat that is then pan-seared or grilled. The marinade is made of garlic, roasted chili pepper, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Make the marinade and stick a flank or skirt steak (or venison if you're like me) and let it sit for an hour or so. Then throw the meat in a cast iron skillet and sizzle away.

And because I was being lazy inventative and didn't have any store-bought tortillas, I made those too.

Rylee's sure cure to the common cold

So my man is sick, really miserable. And anyone who lives with a man - knows that level of sickness! The world will end shortly. What do you do? You make chicken soup!

And, this is what I personally want when I'm feeling under the weather - so everyone under my care gets the same treatment.

The steam of the soup with thyme, rosemary, oregano and sage will cure your sick loved one no matter what in about 1 week. And guess what? This cost is about $10 to make a whole pan of loving cure with extra healthy leftovers. That and about 5 days of basic misery.

Or go to a doctor and pay $205 for the office visit for the doc to say take it easy and stick to liquids.....Want a U.S. medical cure?

I left work at 5:45, went to the 2 stores - to get groceries and jaegermeister, picked up Raine, got home, prepared everything, and had a cosmo, (because you know, you have to take care of yourself!) and managed to make a homemade dinner by 7:30 pm. Here's my recipe! - (Okay, this looks complicated, the timing's not quite right, but its not, really difficult, trust me!)

Rylee's sure cure for the Common Cold - Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Chicken (buy on sale or use parts which is ever cheaper!)
• 1 whole onion (chopped)
• 2 Carrots (chopped)
• 1/4 Head celery (the more greens the better!!!!!)
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic
• Fresh or dried herbs of your choice - garlic, (white pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, bay leaf, savory, pepper and salt) - This is the HEALTH magic!- come make it with ME to learn the measurements!)
• 2-4 cups of chicken stock or bouillon (or whatever poultry stock you have on hand - I used duck stock because that was what was in the freezer.)
• Salt and pepper to taste - depending on the amount you need. (personally, I let my eaters decide their own sodium. so I don't put much in the cooking!)
• Various seasonings (your personal cure: savory, chile, garlic - whatever is your magical ingredient! - that's the LOVE and ENERGY that cures your loved one!)
• 1 bag (10 oz) dried extra wide egg noodles.

Directions:

1. In a 5 qt Dutch Oven, pan sear your whole chicken in about 1 tbs of olive oil. Turned regularly. About 10 minutes
2. Remove whole chicken from pan
3. In same pan, sautee all fresh ingredients (onion, carrots, celery, garlic) for about 5 minutes
4. Add 1/4 cup of water or white wine to deglaze the pan which brings up the fond (the good stuff on the bottom of the pan). Scrape bottom of pan.
5. Add whole chicken back in pan -
6. Add 4 cups of chicken boullion - cook for 20 minutes - on high simmer.
7. Remove whole chicken, cool. - 10 minutes or until cool to the hands. Chop and set aside.
8. Add fresh herbs and extra LOVE or ENERGY spices to soup stock. Cook on a high simmer for 30 minutes.
9. Start water boiling for noodles. (10 minutes) - same timing as herbs in soup. Bring to boil. Cook to noodle directions.
10. Turn off Stock when you add noodles to boiling water.
11. Add chopped chicken to soup stock -
12. Let noodles finish, drain, let stock stew for a few more minutes.
13. Put noodles in bowl, add soup mix to bowl to individual request. Let each season to desire.
14. Heal!

Pico de Gallo

I much prefer a fresh salsa over a bottled version any day. And with the garden producing tomatoes, the freshest pico de gallo is just a 15 minute chopping session away. And this healthy veggie matter is good for you - just don't eat too many tortilla chips.....

Ingredients: (makes 3 cups)

• 6 fresh tomatoes - chopped
• 4 garlic cloves - minced
• 1 medium onion - diced (vidalia, white or red)
• 4 green onion stalks - chopped
• 3 tbs of Cilantro - chopped
• 1 roasted green chile (i.e; jalapeno, serrano or polbano)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

While chopping all of the veggies, roast the chile on a flame of your gas stovetop or in the oven until blackened and charred. Removed from heat and place in paper lunch bag for 10 minutes. Combine all of the chopped veggies in a mixing bowl. Add lime juice and seasonings. Remove chile from bag, run under cold water to removed charred skin, open and remove seeds and veins, dice and add to veggies.

For best flavor, let the pico de gallo rest in the refridge for 15-30 minutes to blend all flavors. Muy Bueno!

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) Recipe

Made a great little dish last night for supper - It looks a lot like gumbo but it is actually a variation of a couple of Arroz Con Pollo recipes I manipulated

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, cubed

2 hot chorizo/pork sausages (skins removed and meat cut up)

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 c. uncooked long grain rice

1 c. chopped onion

4 clove garlic, chopped

1 roasted Poblano Pepper (deseeded and chopped)

2 cups chopped fresh tomato

4 cups of broth (can be vegetable or chicken - I used both)

1/2 Lime juice

Cilantro (Fresh) to garnish

Spices: (mix in a small bowl): 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 1 bay leaf and a pinch of saffron threads (if you have them, otherwise turmeric will provide color)

In large Dutch oven, place 1 1/2 tbs. olive oil and heat to medium high temperature. Add chicken and sausage, cook about 5 minutes or until meat is starting to brown. Add rice, onion, peppers, and garlic to pan; stir fry about 5 minutes. Add the spice mixture, lime juice and stir. Add 4 cups of broth. Bring to boil and add tomatoes.

Cover, reduce heat to low and continue cooking about 30 minutes or until until rice is done. Serve in bowls. Add extra broth directly to the bowl for soup-like consistency. Add fresh cilantro for garnish and taste.

Makes hella lot of food. (easily 5-6 servings)