Savory beef kabob marinade

1/2 cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme leaves

Technically I think this is Emeril's Essence. Marinate meat in
plastic bag 6-24 hrs, skewer and grill till medium rare, about 6 min.

Salmons! A la Mom and otherwise

Since Costco sells nice salmon fillets individually frozen, these are all essentially pantry recipes. (Love that!) All these recipes are for 2 portions.

Just move the salmon to the fridge the day before, to let it thaw, and bake about 18 minutes at 375. Most of these benefit from marinating before and/or glazing during.

Soy-Garlic Salmon (a la Mom) -- This came out MARVELOUS.
2 Tbsp Dijon
3 Tbsp soy
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic

Lemon Herb Salmon -- Haven't tried, but Allrecipes users rave about it
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp basil
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Original says to seal fillets in tinfoil and bake 35-45 min at 375.

Honey-Dijon Pecan Salmon
2 Tbsp melted butter
4.5 tsp Dijon
2 tsp honey
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
1 Tbsp fine-chopped pecans
Mix all the wet and marinate; sprinkle with the dry ingredients and bake.

Maple Salmon
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 tsp soy
1.2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Balsamic Salmon
1.5 cloves garlic, minced
tsp white wine
1 tsp honey
5.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
1.5 tsp Dijon
salt and pepper to taste
Soften garlic in sauce pan; add rest and simmer 3 min.; brush on fish and bake.

Experimental Black Bean Salsa

Here's an attempt.... don't know if it will work or not!

30 oz. corn
15 oz. black beans
15 oz. RoTel Fiesta
juice of 2 limes
4 cloves minced garlic
1 diced green bell pepper
5 green onions, minced
cilantro and a little olive oil, optional
Experiment with balsamic vinegar, chili oil?

Wheat Berry Salad

Central Market version had wild rice, brown rice, basmati rice, slivered almonds and craisins, plus vinegar (balsamic?) and lemon instead of the honey and dijon. And no greens.

Red Wheat Berry Salad
* 1 cup hard red winter wheat berries, soaked overnight
* 1/2 cup raw wild rice
* 2/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
* 1 cup dried cranberries
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 3 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
* 1 tbs honey
* 1 tbs dijon mustard
* 1 tsp kosher salt
* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. Soak the wheat berries overnight in cold water, covering them 3 inches. Drain the water in the morning.
2. Boil the wheat berries in 6 cups of water for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Add more water as necessary to keep wheat berries covered during cooking. Drain excess water from the wheat berries when done.
3. In another small pot, boil 2 cups of water. Add the wild rice and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the rice begins to split. I prefer to undercook the wild rice slightly so that it retains some structure. Drain excess water.
4. Combine the cooked wheat berries and wild rice in a large bowl.
5. Whisk the lime juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Add the dressing to the wheat berries and wild rice, mix thoroughly.
6. Now add the cranberries, pecans, parsley, and green onions and combine well.

Garlic burgers

We find that with a toasted bun (spread, in my case, with a scraped-thin layer of Miracle Whip) these taste pretty gourmet. This recipe is Chris' Bay Area Burgers from allrecipes. (He gives grilling instructions, also)

1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced (we double this)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil

Also if we don't have the basil we skip it and they're still pretty tasty.

Cooking basmati rice

(Note: Brown Texmati retains some of the nutritional value.)

Do not wash U.S.-produced rice, as the coating is where the fortified
nutrients are. Wash imported rice 2 or 3 times to get starch off.
Optional: Soak in icy water for half an hour. (Drain and refill
before cooking)

Heavy pot, a little butter/oil/ghee and 1-to-1.3 rice-to-water ratio
for firm rice, 1-to-1.5 for tender

Simmer white basmati 11 minutes. Simmer brown basmati 25 minutes.

Don't stir while cooking -- and let it sit 10 minutes after.

Filipino Ginger Chicken

2 6-packs of boneless chicken thighs (3 lb)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar (red wine, apple vinegar, etc)
1 cup water
1 BULB garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced or grated fresh ginger root
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
basmati rice

Marinate chicken 1-2 hrs or overnight.

Optional: Brown chicken pieces.

Bring all ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover
pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Baste chicken occasionally.

Make rice. One option: Butter a casserole dish, put in a cup of
basmati, 2 1/2 cups of the pot liquid, 1/2 cup of water; cover and
bake at 425 for a half hour.

After 30 minutes, remove pot lid and cook until liquid has reduced to
half. Pull chicken out onto a serving plate.

Strain the liquid from the pot to remove all the food particles, and
set aside. Serve chicken hot over rice and drizzle with reserved sauce.

Updated quick Thanksgiving

Cranberry sauce was way too sweet.

Uncle Ben's original recipe wild & long-grain rice tastes wonderful -- one packet's barely enough for 4 Sue-sized servings so I'd make 2 to accompany a whole roasted turkey breast.

About that roasted turkey breast:

Modified the method somewhat, to wit --  

If frozen, breast can thaw in fridge for a day or two.

Preheat oven to 450.  

Brown the breast in a pan with salt and pepper, then toss it and its cooking oil into a covered baking dish.  

Roast 20 min, turn and baste with oil-salt mixture; 20 min and repeat; 20 min and take it out to rest for another 20 min.  

Meat thermometer should reach 180.

(Actually I covered it 10 minutes in, and roasted 40 min at 400 and 30 at 450, but schma.) 

To try: Fiesta shrimp

Possible Costco recipe: buy frozen peeled shrimp there?  Also, I'm told pine nuts freeze well up to a year.  If that's true, and a can of RoTel Fiesta could sub for the salsa, this becomes a pantry recipe.

Olive oil spray

3/4 lb. shelled shrimp

1 cup tomato salsa

3 Tbsp. pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook shrimp and salsa in an olive-oiled pan 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with pine nuts, salt and pepper. Makes 2 servings (313 cal each).

Sugar math!

There are about 10 tsp of sugar in 12 oz. of soda. That's 0.83 tsp
per oz.

My plastic drink bottles are 20 oz. If I filled them with soda I'd
be getting 16 2/3 tsp of sugar, or 5.5 Tbsp, or just over 1/3 cup of
sugar.

My iced-tea pitcher is probably 64 oz. So I'd have to shovel 53 tsp
of sugar, or 17.7 Tbsp, or a cup and 1.7 Tbsp.

So, as a rough rule of thumb, if I make a full pitcher of tea and put
less than a cup of sugar in it, I'm doing better than soda! Or a
half-pitcher and a half-cup, etc.

Baked Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Butter

2-4 sweet potatoes

Scrub the potatoes well; prick them with a fork. Bake on rack 55 min
at 400 degrees. The skins may loosen off; if storing in Tupperware
to eat later it may be good to go ahead and peel them at this point.

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Blend together; form into log using plastic wrap; refrigerate. Serve
potatoes with a coin or two of butter (or mix curry powder and olive
oil).

Pepparkakor

* 8 ounces butter
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 1 egg
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cloves
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 2 teaspoons orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn
syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking
soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture
until combined.
3. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes with
cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool
cookies on wire racks.

The new frontier in laziness

Fresh fruit, vegetables, oatmeal and snacks. I've been putting lots of effort into cooking three entrees (divided into 10 meals), with sides, per week. But I also want to increase my "raw" food intake -- and that shouldn't require cooking. Plus I want to start eating breakfast, and in fact grazing more often; a food diary revealed that I will eat something every three hours, even if all that's available to me is walking to the Coke machine for another soft drink (did I mention I'm trying to cut way back on soft drinks?) Also, I recently learned steel-cut oats can be prepared in the microwave -- I don't know why, but I assumed the healthier oatmeal would not also be quick.

In this new world order, I'd like to see what I can get done with two ten-minute entrees, possibly a side dish that requires prep, and various healthy "raw" sides. I'll require four each of two veggie sides and two fruit sides each week (bananas and minisalads being popular enough to stay on constantly); four of one breakfast item plus four oatmeals. Does this add up to 24? Yes it does!

Let's see if I can put together two week-plans, to alternate:

WEEK ONE
Lemon-herb chicken with carrots; beef ravioli (3 servings each)
Veggie sides: 4 salads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 raspberry/cream cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK TWO
Berry potstickers; orange stirfry beef
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK THREE
Brown sugar chicken; red beans/rice with chicken
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 srv green beans with almonds
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

Tasty Pecan Breading

The tasty coating I am currently chowing down on contains:

Crushed pecans
Breadcrumbs
Sugar
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder or garlic salt

(Keep it refrigerated)

A fresh (and light on cooking) week

Sweet Cream Cheese Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
8-10 pecans, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and Dijon mustard.
Place chicken breasts flat in baking dish and trim them.
Spread with cream cheese, then mustard mixture. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake 17 minutes.

Pie-Inside Apples

From Alton:

3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
4 Braeburn apples (Fuji will substitute)
4 teaspoons honey

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and diced butter. Rub mixture briskly between finger tips until it forms small moist clumps in a loose sandy mixture. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Cut a small layer off the bottom of each apple to create a flat, stable bottom surface. With a small paring knife, cut a cylindrical cone out of the top of the apple, moving about 1 inch outside of the core, similar to removing the top of a pumpkin when carving a jack o'lantern. Remove the top and discard. With a melon baller or a teaspoon, remove the remaining core and seeds, taking care not to puncture the base of the apple.

Place apples on a baking sheet or pie dish and fill each center with a teaspoon of honey. Spoon in mixture, packing lightly until heaped and overflowing over sides of the apples.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees on the top or middle rack for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and the tip of a paring knife can be inserted into the side of the apple with little or no resistance. Let apples stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Capellini pomodoro

Cheater's version, anyway:

1/2 head garlic
14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil
olive oil
angel-hair pasta

(This recipe makes only 2 servings; you can double it easily but only
one canful of tomatoes will fit in my pan at once)

Peel the garlic and roast it in a tin-foil packet with olive oil, 40
min at 325.
Drain the tomatoes thoroughly.
Shred or chiffonade the basil.
Cook the pasta.
When garlic is ready, mash it with a fork.
Fry up the tomatoes a little bit. Add the garlic and basil; flip
around till aroma is pleasing. A little salt doesn't hurt.
Pour over pasta.

Individual Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This quarters the recipe (the original, posted below, makes 12-18 servings, so this should make 4 servings or so).

1/2 cup red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 dash Tabasco sauce

1/8 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

1 large can black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight.

Here's the full recipe for the black eyed pea salad, which gets better the longer it marinates. It's good to make it at least a day in advance, and by day 3 it's usually heavenly. The recipe also makes enough marinade for up to 7 or 8 cans of peas, in case you're feeding an army.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

1-2 cups red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (red bell, green bell or a combination)

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

4-6 small cans black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight. Makes 2-3 servings for each can of peas.

Alton tips on CFS

He uses the tenderizer my mom does, but I also just tried perforating
it with a knife -- goes pretty quickly.

He salts and peppers the meat first, then flour/egg/flour, then lets
it set up on a cooling rack 10-15 minutes to get a good crust.

Finally, he doesn't use a whole lot of oil -- and he knows it's ready
to put the steak in when it starts to "shimmer."