I’ll post some additional pictures of the sunflower wild fire as it gets closer to dark.

Lee has an engaging style that makes you feel comfortable from the get go.  She explains how the herbs and spices heal you in plain English. Each seasoning has sections about the plant itself, health benefits, side effects and culinary uses.

Did you know that basil has the laboratory-proven effect of killing bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Enterococcus? If you get bitten by a mosquito crush a basil leaf and rub it on the bite to lessen the irritation.  Of course, as a cook, what I like about basil is its sweet but tangy bite of licorice.  Italian food just wouldn’t taste Italian without basil.

Lee’s basil pesto recipe is traditional with the richness of pine nuts, the smoothness of olive oil, the saltiness of cheese and of course the herbaliciousness of basil.  Try it on hot pasta, mix with an equal part vinegar for a salad dressing.  Add to sour cream for a dip or spread it on slices of potatoes you then roast in a 400 degree oven.

Make Lee’s recipes your own by varying some of the ingredients.  For example, her recipe for lemon garlic chicken with oregano would work just as well with salmon or trout.

Some of the more unusual herbs include cardamom, lemon balm, savory and tamarind.  What is tamarind you’re asking yourself: it’s the pulp of a tree fruit grown in Africa naturally and cultivated in other tropical regions. Healing uses include lowering the bad cholesterol LDL by binding with it so it can’t be absorbed by your body. It makes a tart but refreshing drink when the paste is combined with sugar and water.

We all know that herbs and spices add zing to our cooking but who knew that those same spices could make us feel better and stay healthy. From Anise to vanilla beans, Lee covers 80 herbs and spices.   It isn’t often you find a book you can use in the kitchen and as part of your medicine cabinet arsenal. That’s exactly what you’ll find yourself doing with “Healing Herbs and Spices.”  available as hard copy or kindle format.

Cut a pork loin into 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick medallions.  Heat two tablespoons of mild-flavored cooking oil in a saute pan on high until the oil hazes but hasn’t started smoking yet. Add the medallions and sear on each side for a minute or two.  You’re not cooking them through at this point just getting a nice crust on the outside to seal in the juices.

Lower the heat to medium.  Remove the medallions and set aside.  Add one cup of roughly chopped red onions. Saute until the onion softens — about five minutes.  Add the medallions back to the pan.  Cook on each side for five minutes.  Add 1 cup of white wine.  Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the medallions and put on the serving plates. Pork is safe to eat even if the meat is slightly pink.  Use an instant read meat thermometer if you’re concerned about safety.  It should read at least 145 F.

Remove the skin from the peaches by slipping a knife between the flesh and the skin and pulling down.  Ripe peaches will be easy to peel. Slice half the peaches and set aside.  Roughly chop the remaining peaches and put in the wine.  Increase the heat to medium high until the wine reduces by half.  Remove from the heat and whisk in two tablespoons of butter.  The butter thickens the sauce and adds richness, as well as flavor.

Place a few peach slices on each pork medallion. Nap with the reduced wine sauce.  Add the potatoes and string beans to the plate.  The red of the potatoes provides contrast to the green of the beans.  For an extra festive touch, use a combination of yellow, purple and green beans.

If there are leftovers, which is doubtful, slice the pork into 1/4 inch slices. Spread a crusty roll with Dijon mustard. Add the pork and top with thin slices of peaches for a gourmet treat at lunchtime.

As a rule, boys love messy party foods. Pizza is always a good choice, for party goers of any age. You can make it yourself, purchase it ready-made or have it delivered for the event. The boys will, no doubt, appreciate the addition of double cheese… it will make things gooier. Turn the pizza into an activity. Set out rounds of pizza with lots of different toppings. The boys, under adult supervision, pile on whatever toppings they like.

Sloppy Joes are a good choice, when it comes to feeding hungry boys. They are fairly inexpensive to make and can be kept warm in a crock pot, until it’s time to eat. A very simple recipe is to brown one pound of ground hamburger with one pound of ground turkey. Add a cup of chopped onions. If you want the “Joes” to be extra healthy add a cup of finely chopped carrots and a cup of finely chopped celery. Saute on medium heat until the veggies are soft. Add a cup of ketchup and two cups of tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Serve them with chili cheese fries, for a meal they will rave about.

Hotdogs will please almost any youthful appetite, especially if they are stuffed with cheese and baked in crescent roll dough.

Provide a variety of dipping sauces such as cheese, barbecue sauce and honey mustard. Use squirt bottles for easy serving but beware the boys will be tempted to squirt each other as well as their hotdogs.

Grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets are an option. Jazz up the sandwiches with different kinds of cheeses and serve three or four choices of sauce, for the chicken.

One word of caution, many children have food allergies and must stay away from things like nuts, dairy products, strawberries and eggs. Before planning your party menu, it is recommended that you contact the parents, of all potential guests, to make sure there will not be problems. Older kids know what they shouldn’t eat but younger kids don’t.

What you’ll need:
Package of pre-washed ready-to-serve salad
Raspberries
Apple cider vinegar
Mild cooking oil
Walnuts
Fresh grapefruit slices
Rotisserie or Baked chicken breasts
Provolone cheese
Honey baked ham
Rice
Cream of chicken soup
Frozen peas
Frozen chopped onions
Frozen carrots
Orange juice concentrate
Butter
Cooking utensils

Salad
The tang of the grapefruit slices is complimented by the crunch of the walnuts and sweetness of the raspberries in this easy to pull together salad. For four servings you’ll need two packages of ready-to-serve lettuce, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of cooking oil, and 4 to 6 ounces of fresh raspberries. If you can’t find fresh, use frozen unsweetened berries. Mix the vinegar, oil and raspberries together and set aside. When you’re ready to serve, toss the dressing with the lettuce and divide onto four plates. Arrange four to five grapefruit slices on the lettuce and sprinkle with walnuts. Now that was easy.

Chicken
Moms will be impressed when you bring out this chicken dish. The creamy cheese and salty ham bring out the best in the chicken. It looks like it took lots of time and talent to make. Surprise, since it starts with purchased cooked chicken breasts, you don’t need much time or talent. When you purchase the chicken breasts ask the server to cut a pocket in each breast. About 30 minutes before dinner is ready, stuff a slice of ham and a slice of cheese into each pocket. Wrap the breast in foil and warm in a 350 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and the cheese has melted. Remove the foil to serve.

Rice Pilaf
All right so this isn’t the traditional rice pilaf but it’s easy for kids to put together. For four servings put one cup of rice, one 15 ounce can of cream of chicken soup and one cup of low sodium chicken broth in a baking dish. Add 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 cup of frozen chopped onions. Stir. Bake in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes until the rice is cooked. You can bake this at the same time the chicken is warming, just give it a head start. Triple the recipe for leftovers so Mom doesn’t have to cook dinner the next day. Chop two slices of ham for each serving. Mix with the left over rice pilaf. Put in a fresh baking dish and cover with slices of provolone cheese. Heat until the cheese is gooey.

Carrots
Kids love carrots and adults will love these carrots bathed in a glaze of orange juice and butter. If you start with packaged frozen carrots there’s no peeling or chopping required. Since the carrots have been blanched before they’ve been frozen, they don’t need much cooking time. You’ll need three cups of carrots for four servings. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Nuke on high for one minute at a time until the carrots still have some crunch to them, probably no more than three minutes total. Before the last minute of cooking time, add 1/4 cup of orange juice concentrate and 1/4 cup of butter. It’s Mother’s day so splurge on real butter not the fake stuff.

Fabulous French Toast
Use frozen French toast. Cut into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. Cover the top of the heart with sliced fresh strawberries. Outline the heart shape with canned whipped cream topping. If you don’t like strawberries use whole raspberries. Or make a two toned heart with blueberries and raspberries.

I Love Mom Breakfast Rollups
Spread a burrito size flour tortilla with cream cheese, whipped cream cheese is easy for little hands to spread. Sprinkle the cream cheese with brown sugar and dried cranberries. Roll up, put in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Have an adult cut the rolled burrito into three slices. Arrange the slices around a bowl of fresh strawberries sprinkled with brown sugar and a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping.

Mother’s Day Breakfast Parfait for Special Mothers
Use a large ice cream sundae glass. Put cornflakes (or your Mom’s favorite breakfast cereal) in the bottom of the glass to about 1/3 full. Place a scoop of ice cream next and press down a bit so the ice cream is smooshed down in the glass. Put another layer of cornflakes and then another scoop of ice cream. Finish it off with chocolate syrup. caramel sauce, butter scotch sauce or fresh fruit.

Mothers Day Breakfast Easy Eggs Benedict
These aren’t the real deal because hollandaise sauce is a little tricky for kids to make. Toast an English muffin. Spread with butter. Add fresh spinach leaves, topped with a slice of deli ham or bacon if you prefer on top of each muffin half. Slice a hard boiled egg on top of the muffin. Mix together one tablespoon of mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon of mustard. Place a dollop of the mixture on top of the eggs.

Elegant Scrambled Eggs
Mix together two well-beaten eggs with one tablespoon of cream or half and half. Scramble over low heat. When the eggs are set but still creamy add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of tiny cooked shrimp and 1/2 teaspoon of snipped dill. Stir through to heat and melt the cream cheese. Serve on toast points. This recipe is more appropriate for older children since there is cooking involved.

There you have four easy and quick Mother’s Day Breakfast Ideas.

May 1, 2012

Shape the chorizo into meatballs about the size of a large marble. Brown over medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add two chopped onions. Saute for about five minutes until the onions have softened but aren’t browning.

Roughly chop one large bunch of kale, mustard greens, chard or any other green you like.

Add 6 cups of good chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the greens and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the greens are soft.

Peel and chop four large potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to the soup and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook about 10 more minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove one from the pot and mash against a plate with a fork to check.

Serve with corn chips or corn bread for a hearty supper. For dessert ice cream cools off the taste buds.

Spatula
A spatula is a long, flat, elongated tool used for icing cakes. It comes in several sizes; bigger and longer ones are excellent for spreading icing or frosting more quickly while shorter ones can be used for working on narrow or delicate areas.

Flat spatulas are very useful for most icing jobs but for more detailed and tidier work, an offset spatula is a good choice.

Set of tips
Tips are indispensable cake decorating tools. These are usually made of stainless steel and come with a coupler and/or pastry bag. Tips are used for creating shapes with icing and frosting. With these tools, it is possible to create lines, scallops, scrolls, shells, lattices, weaves, dots, etc. These are also used for creating and decorating sugar flowers and figures. Tips often come in sets, although it is possible to purchase individual tips if necessary.

Cake turner
A cake turner or turntable is used to turn the cake during decorating. It works particularly well in ensuring that the icing layer is smooth and even on every side. It comes in different sizes to accommodate different cakes.

Cake smoother
A cake smoother is a rectangular-shaped tool with a handle on top. It comes in handy particularly for working on fondant icing. A smoother helps remove air bubbles between the cake and the fondant layer and corrects any uneven surface. It works well for both round and rectangular cake shapes, although it is also useful for uneven-shaped cakes.

Now that you’ve got your tool kit stocked with the necessary tools you can decorate cakes to your heart’s content.

Lunch at the Golden Buddha restaurant located at Chinese Cultural Center, 668 N. 44th St. Ste 115,  Phoenix, AZ 85008 started with small sweet shrimp dumplings.  The wrapper was so thin you could see the whole shrimps inside.  This taste of the sea was followed by a combination of vegetables and pork inside a dumpling  and steamed rice.  But not any old steamed rice.  No.  The sticky steamed rice was flavored with Chinese sausage, shredded chicken and a hint of garlic then wrapped and steamed in lotus leaves. When you unwrapped the package the fragrance was heavenly.

Our culinary adventure continued with beef meatballs, and egg rolls.  These were filled with cabbage, shrimp and pork, crisp on the outside with a nice crunch from the cabbage on the inside.

You wouldn’t think that there would be dessert dim sum but you’d be wrong.  The cocktail bun  has a rich creamy coconut filling  wrapped in a sweet dough that when baked, has the consistency between cake and bread.  However, the  egg tart was not one of my favorites.  The crust was flaky but the custard was bland.  It could have used some vanilla or lemon flavoring, but then it wouldn’t have been a traditional dim sum egg tart.

The food on the regular menu has both Cantonese and Mandarin favorites.  Prices are reasonable, although a touch higher than average, but if the quality is similar to the dim sum, it’s worth it.

The service was fast and friendly.  The tables were far enough apart that you didn’t feel like you were eavesdropping on the people next to you.  Fresh fish and lobster swam in tanks ready to become a gourmand’s delightful dinner.  The decor was kicked up several notches above the typical Chinese restaurant.  And yes, there is a gold Buddha, smiling happily, as diners come in the front door.

And a special thank you to Owen Robbins of Benchmark Research Technologies for introducing us to Dim Sum. It was fun.

Green Eggs and Ham: Heat up diced ham in pan then prepare the eggs to scramble.  Right before you cook the eggs add liquid green food color to the eggs then cook. Serve with green grapes, honey dew melon, kiwi or green apple. Cut toast in shamrock shapes using a cookie cutter. Mix green food coloring into butter and spread on toast.

Lucky Breakfast: Layer lucky charms breakfast cereal and vanilla or key lime pie yogurt. Serve with the green fruit above. Add a few drops of green food coloring to make the yogurt a darker green.

St. Patty’s Pancakes: Make your pancakes recipe adding green liquid food coloring. If you have special pancake shapers use them to make a clover or top hat shape. You can use cookie cutters made out of metal but they get very hot and have to pulled off the pan with tongs.  Make small silver dollar size pancakes.  Put three of them together in a shamrock shape on the plate.  Outline the shape with whipped cream and then drizzle with mint jelly or pancake syrup.

Serve toasted bagels with cream cheese tinted green and orange marmalade.  Or toast with mint jelly.  Cut an orange in half and that’s your pot of gold.  Cut a large orange in half, scrape out the orange and save for another use.  Fill the orange with pineapple chunks for the gold. Chopped peaches or apricots work as well. Drizzle with lemon yogurt.

Toad in the Hole:  A classic English breakfast gone Irish.  Spray large muffin tin with cooking spray.  Butter a slice of white bread.  Gently push the bread into the muffin cup to form a cup shape. Break a raw egg into each toast cup. Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, spinach or a mixture of your favorite herbs.  Bake at 350 degrees until eggs are set, about 15 minutes.  Lift the toast cups out of the muffin tin and serve.  Add sausage links to the plate for a heartier breakfast.

Green Quiche:  add spinach to your favorite quiche recipe.

All breakfasts can be served with green fruit. You can also mix and match. Have green eggs and ham, toast topped with mint jelly and green grapes.

Start with a salad of tangy pink grapefruit sections, smooth avocado slices and crisp butter lettuce dressed with walnut oil. Peel the grapefruit over a bowl and use the juice instead of vinegar with the walnut oil. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and walnut halves for crunch.

Scrambled eggs may seem mundane but not when served with a petite filet mignon steak and garnished with shaved white truffles. The creaminess of the eggs plays off the richness of the beef and lets the flavor of the truffles come through. Beat two eggs per person ahead of time. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream — it is a holiday so now’s not the time to worry about that diet. Keep in the fridge until the steaks are done. Sear the steaks in a heavy skillet for a minute each side. Finish in the oven until medium rare — between five to seven minutes depending on how thick the steaks are. Scramble the eggs while the steaks rest. Shave the white truffles over the hot scrambled eggs right before you take them out of the pan. Stir through. The ambient heat will cook the truffles just enough. Heaven on a plate. If you’re feeling really decadent drizzle of few drops of truffle oil over the steak.

Finish the meal with chocolate truffles, the candy made from heavy cream and dark chocolate. Of course champagne is your drink. If you feel you must obey custom and drink a red with the beef try a lighter merlot rather than a heavy burgundy.

Truffles are a fungi, just like other mushrooms such as button, As hard as people have tried it’s not possible to grow truffles on a commercial basis. Truffles grow where and when they want. They’re found by dogs trained to uncover them by their scent. Pigs have a very sensitive sense of smell and used to be used to hunt truffles. Unfortunately pigs love to eat truffles as much as sophisticated chefs and gourmands. Ever try to take food away from a 300 pound sow? Not easy.

December 28, 2011

St Patrick’ Day is a holiday for both adults and children. It doesn’t matter if you’re Irish or Italian, you still get to wear the green and look for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Putting together a St. Paddy’s day dinner menu is a snap. Use low fat ingredients to keep them healthy dinner recipes.

Traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Menu

Corned beef and cabbage: add carrots and potatoes.  Believe it or not, ids like corned beef and will most likely eat two out of the three side dishes, especially if displayed in separate dishes. You can buy prepared corned beef at the grocery store deli. The potatoes can be ready to heat and serve.  Carrots can be carrot sticks or baby carrots.   Serve with bread or rolls. This is an easy dinner if you don’t want to cook.

All American St. Patrick’s Menu

Hot dogs served with pickle relish, “green” ketchup and “green” mustard.  Add liquid green food coloring to change both to green colors. Ketchup takes more color to change and is sort of a brownish green.  Be sure to label them, they end up looking the same.

Cole slaw can be store bought or homemade. Homemade is one package of shredded cabbage or bagged coleslaw mix.  Add ½ cup of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a tablespoon of sugar. Mix well. Salt to taste.

Crackers with green cream cheese spread or cheese wiz/spray sprinkled with dried or fresh parsley.

Green apple salad:  Here is a fast easy recipe: 3 chopped green apples with skin on, 1 cup of chopped celery, ½ cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup of green grapes, 1/4 – 1/2 cup of mayo.  Salt and pepper if desired. Mix everything together in a bowl with a fair amount of mayo coating all ingredients. Use enough mayo so that the ingredients can absorb the mayo. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Italian St. Patrick’s Menu

Spinach pasta with Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle minced parsley or basil over top for more “green” effect or your choice of plain pasta with pesto sauce. Serve pesto on the side if you want to have plain pasta for the children available, although kids like pesto sauce.

Baked French bread: Take loaf of French bread and cut lengthwise.  Spread butter or margarine on both halves. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and basil. Bake in a 350 degree oven watching carefully. Bake until toasted.

Cooked asparagus or broccoli with melted Velveeta cheese. Caesar salad or simple garden salad with Italian dressing.

Mexican Food St. Patrick’s Menu

Tostadas: Top corn tostadas with warm refried beans, cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce.  Top with green salsa or verde sauce.  You can add taco seasoned hamburger if you like, just end up with the green lettuce and salsa on the top.

Cheese Quesadillas topped with sprinkled parsley or cilantro.

Nacho cheese dip: Melted pasteurized process cheese spread with green color added.

Guacamole: Homemade or store bought.  Guacamole is easy to make, simply mash an avocado.  Add finely chopped onions and tomatoes and hot sauce.

Serve with tortilla chips

Corn muffins- Use favorite corn muffin mix add diced green bell pepper or chopped cilantro, jalapeno and/or cheese. Any combination works well. You can add some green food coloring if you like. Bake Following the muffin mix directions.

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Fat, sweet, juicy shrimp served in a martini glass and dolloped with a savory spicy sauce starts off your dinner with class.  Purchase eight, big, peeled, deveined and cooked shrimp with their tails intact. Fill the bottom of the martini glass with chopped lettuce.  You’ll find lettuce ready to serve in the produce section.  Chop the lettuce into fine shreds.  Mix purchased seafood cocktail sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of hot sauce.  Place two tablespoons of the sauce right on top of the lettuce. Hook the tops of the shrimp around the rim of the glass so their tails are inside the glass.

Smooth and Creamy Cold Avocado Soup

The light green color of this sauce complements the pink of the shrimp. Purchase a package of guacamole.  Put it in a blender with one cup of cream, once cup of cold canned chicken broth and the juice of half a lime.  Blend till smooth.  Keep icy cold until served. Second soup course of your Valentine’s dinner is complete so on to the entrée.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Don’t panic.  You won’t be actually cooking the chicken. The deli section has roasted chicken breasts — as well as other parts but you won’t be needing them. Purchase three breasts, that gives you an extra.  While you’re at the deli counter purchase 1/4 pound of prosciutto and 1/4 pound of parmesan cheese, both sliced thinly.   If you can’t find prosciutto which is a highly flavored air-dried Italian ham, substitute another good quality ham.  Make a slit in the chicken breast to form a pocket.  Stuff in two slices of prosciutto and two slices of parmesan cheese.  Wrap each breast in aluminum foil so it doesn’t dry out.  Reheat in a 350 F. degree oven for about 20 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the cheese has melted. Unwrap before serving.

Side Dishes

You don’t need much for side dishes, a vegetable and potato or two vegetables.  Go to the produce section and find the bags of baby vegetables that are pre-cleaned and ready to cook in the bag.  Sometimes they’re called steamers.  Steam in the microwave per package directions.  Melt a tablespoon of butter — yes real butter — and drizzle over the veggies right before serving.

Dessert

No Valentine’s Day dinner would be complete without chocolate and strawberries.  Chocolate covered strawberries are available this time of year all ready for you.  But it’s more fun to dip your own.  Clean large berries under running water.  Pat dry.  Arrange the berries on a plate with a mound of whipped cream, a small bowl of brown sugar, small bowl of powdered sugar and small bowl of chocolate syrup, the kind you use to make chocolate milk. Dip to your and your sweetheart’s content.

If you love food and have a sense of adventure consider giving that special someone their choice of experience days. You may be asking yourself exactly what an “experience day” is. Well it’s a day they’ll never forget. Choose from a hot air balloon ride at sunrise with a scrumptious breakfast included, or a mini spa day for two with delectable cuisine for lunch. If your significant other has always wanted to drive a Ferrari, rent one for the day. Pack a lunch of duck pate, water crackers, fresh fruit, and smoked turkey sandwiches slathered with bacon, avocado and spicy chipotle mayonnaise.

It’s no mystery that Agatha Christie chose the Orient Express as the setting of one of her best known books, “Murder on the Orient Express,” also made into a movie, more than once, by the way. The Northern Belle was designed to travel inland in Britain, while the Pullman Express was outfitted in over-the-top luxury to ferry passengers to the luxury liners.

While a full overnight trip may be out of the budget both wallet and time wise, one of the orient express day trips might fill that gift box perfectly. It’s perfect for anyone who has a sense of adventure and taste for the exotic. And speaking of taste there’s the food.

Start with fresh salmon and crayfish napped with a delicate but bright lemon mustard dressing. The soup course is always seasonal to take advantage of the ripest vegetables accented with chives and cream. And how could you travel the English countryside on the Orient Express Pullman Express and not order rare roast beef paired with crisp dauphinoise potatoes for dinner? Of course, you’ll enjoy a cheese course before a rich and satisfying pudding, perhaps custard over a dense fragrant vanilla scented cake smothered in fresh berries.

And that’s just one of the menu choices. There’s also rare juicy lamp chops, seared pork served with apples or succulent chicken breast stuffed with ham.

December 3, 2011

Get Started

Sauté 4 ounces of chicken breast for each serving. Slice the breast into 1/2 inch slices for quick cooking. If time is really short, use sliced roast deli chicken instead or shred the meat off a cooked rotisserie chicken.

Asian Wraps

Spread the flour tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of purchased hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a dipping sauce traditionally served with seafood, but goes wonderfully with chicken and pork as well. The flavor is sweet and tangy with a bit of smokiness. Children like it because the flavor isn’t overpowering.

Place about 1/4 cup of shredded cabbage and two thinly sliced scallions in the middle of each tortilla. Top with 2 ounces of the cooked chicken. Roll up burrito style.

Italian

When the chicken has just about finished cooking, add 1/2 thinly sliced onion and 1 small smashed clove of garlic to the pan for each 4 ounces of chicken. The onion and garlic should be cooked long enough to lose that raw taste.

Spread the flour tortilla with 1 tablespoon of purchased pizza sauce or tomato sauce. Add 1/4 cup of raw spinach leaves and the chicken. Top with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Roll up and you’re good to go.

South of the Border

Think of these as fast and easy dinners inspired by the flavors of the Southwest. Chop one green pepper, two tomatoes, and one bunch of scallions for 1 pound of chicken. Add 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice. Mix in 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Add from 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of hot red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like your food. If that’s too much trouble, substitute 1 cup of prepared salsa.

After the chicken has cooked, add the salsa. Cook a few minutes until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Spread the tortillas with 2 or 3 tablespoons of refried beans and top with the chicken-salsa mixture. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top.

If you’d like to make these wraps ahead of time, make them enchilada style. Put the wraps into a baking dish you’ve sprayed with cooking spray. Top with enough enchilada sauce to cover. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the sauce rather than inside the wraps. Freeze or refrigerate. Defrost about 30 minutes before dinner time and pop into a preheated 350 F oven. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese has melted and is gooey and the sauce is bubbling.

Baked Potato Soup

You can do this with actual baked potatoes or mashed potatoes.  It also works with hash browns, but you’ll have crispy bits in the soup. Chop the baked potato into 1/2 inch cubes, skins and all.  Set aside.  Roughly chop one small onion and sauté in a tablespoon of cooking oil until the onions are translucent.  Add the potatoes. Mash down the cubes or the hash browns. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, or 1 cube of bullion and 1 cup of water, for every cup of potatoes.  Let simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk together 1/2 cup of mil, or cream, with 1 teaspoon of flour.  Add to the potato mixture. And here comes the fun part.  Set out toppings of bacon bits, chopped chives, grated cheese and sour cream, just what you’d put on a baked potato.  Add crunchy bread and a green salad and you’ve made a hearty lunch or satisfying supper from leftovers.

Potato Dumplings

Save mashed potatoes until you have 2 cups.  Normally potatoes don’t freeze well, but in this case go ahead and tuck the leftovers in the freezer until you have enough. Thoroughly defrost before using.  Add 1 beaten egg, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional) and 1 cup of flour to the potatoes combine well.  Roll into balls half the size of a golf ball.  Top a simmering stew with the dumplings. Press gently into the liquid with the back of a spoon. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Slice a dumpling in half to make sure it’s cooked through. Dumplings may be cooked in soups or salted water as well as in stews.  Serve with melted butter and sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe Rescues

Cooked potatoes come to the rescue of dishes that are too salty, too spicy, or too thin.  Drop in chunks of cooked potatoes into a dish that’s over salted.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every so often.  Remove the potatoes and some of the salty taste will be removed as well. Potatoes have the same capacity for taking out spice from an over-seasoned dish.  Thicken up spaghetti sauce, chili or soups, by adding in mashed potatoes a tablespoon at a time.  Stir well and cook a few minutes. The potatoes won’t add any odd flavor.

Interesting Facts

Potatoes are tubers and hold everything needed to grow a whole new plant.  That’s exactly what the “eyes” on a potato are — baby potato sprouts.  A green skin on the potato means it’s about to sprout. Potato plants like tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family.  The tubers are safe to eat but the plants are toxic.

January 24, 2011

Learn What a Serving Is

Restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, have led us to expect that a hamburger must weight 1/2 pound; a plate of pasta holds two cups and drowns in sauce, or a rack of ribs should overflow the plate.  Portion control cuts down on leftovers and grocery expenses for that matter.  A serving of protein — that hamburger — is about the size of a deck of cards, a regular 52-card deck not the 82-card pinochle deck.  If you can’t picture a deck of cards, use your palm, not including your thumb, as a guide.  Figure on 4 to 5 oz. of meat per serving. Pasta and starches serving are one cup or 8 oz. Vegetables are full cup and fruit servings are a half cup.

Plate in the Kitchen Not Family Style

I know it’s less work to let everyone serve themselves from common dishes in the center of the table.  The problem is that our eyes are bigger than our tummies.  While your teenage son may eat that mountain of mashed potatoes he put on his plate, your grade schooler won’t.  It’s not sanitary to save the food that’s half eaten.  So prevent over-serving in the first place. Put the food on each person’s plate in the kitchen based on normal serving sizes.  If someone wants more, they can serve themselves from the kitchen.

Cook Just What You Need

When transitioning a family from big portions to normal portions, cook just what you need. I know that it’s tempting to cook two chickens so you have dinner for later in the week, but how often has that second chicken been half eaten during the first meal? Cooking just what you need means there aren’t any leftovers to deal with.  If your family fusses, saying their still hungry when dinner is over, cook normal portions of meat and starch and add an extra vegetable.  Or start dinner with a salad or cup of soup.

January 15, 2012

Use spices and herbs instead of salt.  You might not realize it but most Americans consume double the amount of salt they require.  If you eat one fast food burger you’ve consumed all the salt for the day, half the calories you require and all the fat.  Only 15 percent of the salt most people eat is consumed by salting their food while eating or cooking.

Cut down on the salt by reading labels.  Did you know one serving of a popular canned chili has 30 percent of the salt you’re allowed for the day? And a serving isn’t the entire can it’s one cup.  Make your own chili and freeze it in meal-size portions.  Pick up low sodium cheese and use no-added sodium roast deli beef for sandwiches.

Most people have an acquired taste for salt. Parents actually salt their purchased baby food because the food tastes flat to them.  The baby of course, not being used to eating salt, doesn’t mind the taste. The easiest way to readjust your taste buds is to go cold turkey for three or four days. That means not only not adding salt, but preparing meals from salt-free ingredients.  It will take some extra time but at the end of the time period you’ll recognize just how salty most food is. You might even lose a few pounds because you can’t eat fast food that’s loaded with salt and fat.

Replace the salty flavor with strong tasting herbs such as rosemary, basil, dill or oregano.  Add heat instead of salt by adding in diced fresh jalapenos, cayenne pepper or even hot pepper sauce.  Boost flavor with spices such as fennel seed, cumin or cinnamon.  Try cinnamon in meat dishes such as chili or meatloaf.

Make your own dips using fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream and mayonnaise. A quick and easy dip that can be thinned with apple cider vinegar to use as a salad dressing is to mix one cup of fat-free yogurt with 1 tablespoon of dill seed, 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (not onion salt), 1/4 cup of chopped scallions, 1/4 cup of minced cucumber, throw a tablespoon of fresh chopped dill if you have it.  You won’t miss the salt or the extra calories in purchased onion dill dips with this recipe.

December 26, 2011

Keep guests warm after a holiday open house providing packages of drink mixes you’ve made yourself as favors. If it’s in the budget add a small, one-serving size bottle of wine to the spiced wine package. These gifts take up space so it looks like you’re generous but they don’t cost much at all to put together. Consider borrowing a dehydrator for a few days to dry the fruits and save even more money.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Fill a cellophane bag with mini marshmallows, five or six foil wrapped chocolate candies, peppermints or hard candy raspberry drops. Add directions to add to a cup of hot milk. Tie with ribbons. You could add a purchased package of cocoa to add to the package for less than fifty cents.

Spiced Cider
Add four dried orange slices. Don’t use orange peel because it doesn’t take up much space and people won’t know what it is at first glance. Add several cinnamon sticks and a 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves with one or two whole star anise. Add a card that says to add the spice mixture with the orange slices to 3 cups of hot apple cider.

Mulled Wine
Place a couple of slices each of dried orange slices, apple slices and lemon slices to the cellophane bag. Dip the apple slices into a solution of half lemon juice and half water to keep them from browning while they’re drying. Add your choice of spices including allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, even a few black peppercorns to add a bit of heat to the wine. Finish with 1/2 cup of raisins.

Tropical Tea
Dry 1/4 inch thick half slices of fresh pineapple, mangos and dried raspberries or strawberry halves. Place two tea bags either black, green or fruit flavored into each cellophane bag and tie with ribbons that match.

If you feel that the drink mixes alone aren’t quite enough for a favor. Put the bags into a wine glass for the mulled wine, clear glass coffee cup for the cider and cocoa and a smaller clear glass tea cup for the tropical tea. You could put colored excelsior in the bottom of the glass or cup for added color and bulk. These favors cost less than a dollar apiece but look fabulous.

December 23, 2011

Combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Heat in the saucepan until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese. You’ll need one cup of this sauce for every two servings. Since the ingredients below make dishes that serve four, make 2 cups.

Cheesy Broccoli
Cook 2 cups of broccoli in the microwave until it’s softened but still crisp. The broccoli will finish cooking in the oven. Combine with 2 cups of cooked rice. Or use instant rice with water as the directions specify. Add 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Stir well.

Top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Either freeze this in an air tight container for a dinner you only have to bake later or bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Enchilada Casserole
If you can layer you can make this dish. You won’t be using the cheese sauce for this dish. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce. Add more cayenne pepper for a hotter kick or add several chopped jalapeno peppers.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer in five or six corn tortillas. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce and spread over the tortillas.

Slice one medium onion and layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the onions. Finish with 1/2 cup of sauce and another layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 F oven.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine 4 cups of cooked macaroni with 2 cups of cheese sauce and 2 cups of frozen defrosted peas. You don’t have to cook the peas. Place in the casserole dish. Cover with a layer of breadcrumbs — about 1 to 1/2 cups and an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Heat at 350 F until the breadcrumbs are brown and the cheese topping melted. This is oh so much better than the boxed stuff.

If going vegetarian isn’t your thing. Add 1 cup of chopped chicken to the rice and broccoli, 1 cup of chopped turkey, cooked ground beef or cooked diced pork to the enchilada casserole and 1 cup of cubed ham to the mac and cheese.

November 30, 2011

Prick the brats with a fork. Place in saucepan. Cover with beer — a beer good enough to drink, not one of those trendy low carb or light beers. We’re talking a lusty lager here. Boil for 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Now on to the coleslaw.

Mix an 8 to 12 ounce package of shredded coleslaw with an equal amount of well-drained and rinsed sauerkraut. Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of caraway seeds, celery seeds and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix well. See, that was easy.

Bake the potatoes ahead of time at 400 F until they’re about 10 minutes away from being done. Poke them with a fork. There should be resistance to the fork. Let cool. When you grill the brats put on the potatoes wrapped in foil at the edges of the grill. By the time the brats are done the potatoes will be too. And hopefully by halftime arrives, the Packers have pounded Ponder perfectly pancake flat.

Start the grill for the brats. The fire or temperature if you’re using a gas grill should be medium. The brats are already cooked through. You’re just crisping the skin and turning that grey color into a beautiful dark golden brown.

Serve the brats with mustard, onions, pickles, chutney or whatever other toppings you prefer. Toast split French rolls or hot dog buns.

Set out toppings for the piping hot potatoes of cheese, sour cream, cheese, chili, cheese, scallions, cheese, bacon, cheese, parsley, cheese, tarragon, cheese, sautéed mushrooms, cheese, baby spinach leaves, cheese and salsa. Oh, did I mention cheese?

My prediction for the game? Cheese outplays lutefisk.

November 10, 2011

November 8, 2011

October 15, 2011

Start off with spicy nuts that are a snap to make.  Combine 1/2 cup of melted butter with 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce.  Toss with two pounds of unsalted mixed nuts.  Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Crunchy coated chicken — fried to a golden brown — and served with dipping sauces of bleu cheese, spicy chipotle mayonnaise and sweet teriyaki.  Add in honey mustard sauce for the kids.  If you’re short on time or just mesmerized by the game add in some prepared salads to round out the meal.  For dessert, Georgia is known for peaches, so peach melba sundaes are a natural.

Cut boneless, skinless, chicken breasts into slices about 1 inch wide.  Toss with seasoned flour.  Add your choice of dried parsley, oregano, crushed red chili peppers, black pepper and salt to the flour.  Dip the chicken slices into the flour and then into beaten raw eggs.  Lastly dip the slices into panko bread crumbs or sourdough bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a frying pan until it reaches 360 degrees.  Add the breaded chicken and fry until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Cut a slice open to check. The meat should be white with no pink showing through. Any juices should run clear and not be tinged with pink.

Offer bleu cheese salad dressing as one of the sauces.  Combine one cup of mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon roasted chipotle pepper. Purchased teriyaki sauce is quicker than making the sauce from scratch. Kids will love the honey mustard sauce.  Simply mix honey with prepared mustard.

Peach melba sundaes are just what’s needed to cool down after a hot and heavy fourth quarter.  Let fans build their own with pound cake slices, vanilla ice cream, defrosted frozen peaches and raspberries.

Crunching on the Falcons never tasted so good. Go Pack Go.

Green Bay Game

October 7, 2011

Chop an onion.  Saute in a soup pot with a tablespoon of olive oil or butter, depending on your taste preferences. Add a chopped clove of garlic.  Cook for three to five minutes until the onions are soft.

Cream of Tomato Soup

1 lb of fresh ripe tomatoes.  Roma work the best.

Bring a pan of water to a brisk boil.  Wash the tomatoes and plunge into the water.  Bring back to a boil and boil for one minutes.  Remove from the boiling water and put into an ice bath.

Slip a paring knife under the skin at the top of the tomato near the stem. Pull the skin off.  It should come off easily.  Core the white center out of the tomato.  Squeeze gently to get rid of the seeds.  Chop roughly.

Add to the sauted onions.  Lower the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes soften and almost seem to dissolve. Mash with a potato masher for a rustic soup.  Use an immersion handheld blender for a smoother texture.  Put the tomatoes in a blender for an even smoother finish.

Add one quart of vegetable or chicken broth to the tomatoes that have been returned to the pan.  Let simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in one cup of cream or half and half.  Stir and heat until the soup almost boils but not quite.

Place in serving bowls.  Swirl a teaspoon of olive oil or melted butter over the top.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the soup and serve.

Cauliflower Soup

Add a roasted nutty flavor to the soup by roasting the cauliflower before adding it to the onions.  Wash and cut the cauliflower into chunks.  Roast at 400 F for 20 to 30 minutes. The cauliflower will brown a bit on top but that’s okay.

Chop into 1 inch chunks and add to the onions and garlic and 1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth.  Simmer until the cauliflower is very soft, about 10 minutes.  Blend until smooth.  Add the cream and half and half. Top with a mild cheese such as Havarti.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

This is one of the easiest and most impressive soups you can make if you like a little spice in your soup.

Add one can of pumpkin — not the pie filling — to one quart of chicken broth and the sauteed onions.  Stir until bubbling.  Add 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, cumin and  cilantro.  Add from 1/4 to one teaspoon of red pepper flakes.  The more you add the spicier the soup. Simmer for 20 minutes covered.

Puree one can of black beans with their liquid until smooth.  Heat in the microwave.  Add enough chicken broth so the beans are the same consistency as the pumpkin soup.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls.  Place three tablespoons of the black bean puree equidistant apart in the soup.  Drag a butter knife through the black bean puree in a circle to swirl it on top of the soup.

Enjoy your super soups for supper.

October 5, 2011

Roll out premade pizza dough into individual disposable greased pie pans. Make sure the dough comes up the sides of the pan to create the deep dish.  Let rise 30 minutes in a warm place during pregame activities.

Set out tomato sauce, ranch salad dressing, and a white sauce such as Alfredo.

Offer an assortment of toppings with suggested combinations for those who are culinarily  challenged much like the Bear’s quarterback’s offense line is challenged.

Combine chopped bacon, spinach, and fresh tomatoes and parmesean cheese for a BLT pizza.

Use tomato sauce, chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and mozerella cheese for a classic Chicago pizza.

Go upscale with cooked chicken breast, olives, artichoke hearts and ranch salad dressing, smothered in mild Havarti cheese.

Always use raw vegetables and cooked meats.  Bake in a 425 F pre-heated oven until the pizza dough browns on the bottom, about 20 minutes.

Use your imagination with the toppings.  A Mexican pizza could be black beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, chorizo sausage and tomatoes blanketed by cheddar cheese.

An oriental pizza could be pork, scallions, shredded carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts.  No cheese but brush with plum sauce before baking.

You might not think of eggs for dinner but they’re quick, cheap and easy to make.  Start your meal with a crisp green salad.  Follow up with a classic breakfast dish called Toad in the Hole.

Fruit fizzies are fun and frothy. Fill a glass with ice, then half full with lemon lime soda, plain carbonated soda, or sparkling mineral water. Top it off with your favorite fruit juice. Garnish with an orange slice.

The frozen melon pops should be prepared the night before so they have time to freeze. Cut watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melons in bite size pieces. For faster preparation, buy prepared melon chunks from the grocer’s produce case. Dip in a mixture of half lime juice and half water for flavor and to prevent discoloration. Thread the melon chunks onto a wooden skewer and freeze overnight. Serve as they are or with a dip of yogurt sweetened with honey.

Toad in the Hole is a fun dish for kids. It doesn’t take a lot of expertise to assemble and is pretty hard to wreck. Spray an oversized muffin pan with cooking spray. This is important. Cooked egg can be very difficult to remove from a baking dish. The cooking spray makes it much easier. If you don’t have the large size muffin pan, use an oven proof 8 oz glass dish. You will need a slice of bread, cooked bacon, pat of butter, and an egg for each serving. The toad is the egg and the hole is the slice of bread.

Put 1/2 a pat of butter in the bottom of each muffin tin. Gently place a slice of bread in the tin pushing it down to form a hollow.  Crumble a slice of bacon on top of the bread. Break an egg into a measuring cup and then slide the egg from the cup into the bread hollow. Breaking the egg into the cup allows you to remove any pieces of shell. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the other half of the pat of butter on top of the egg. Crumble an additional slice of bacon over the top of the egg.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Check the egg to see if it’s done by jiggling it. If it’s wobbly it probably needs another minute or two of baking.

Remove the Toad in the Hole with two spoons. If your family has a big appetitie add some toaster hash browns to the plate.

No time for fussing and fancy cooking when the game starts on the West Coast at 5:30 PM.  Grilling and chilling is about the most complicated it gets.  Traditionally po-boys are made with breaded and deep fried shrimp or oysters.  But not everybody likes seafood and fried foods are high in fats. Offer a choice of grilled chicken po-boys and fried shrimp.

Start the menu with a kickoff of gumbo, a rich intensively flavored soup that’s more like a stew.  At half time, lay out a spread of goodies for fan to make their own po-boys. Finish with smothered beignets.

Gumbo can be time consuming with a long list of ingredients but not if you do it this way.  Purchase a commercially-made soup such as Campbell’s Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  Add additional andouille sausage slices.  Heat and serve.  Throw away the cans and no one will be the wiser.

Grill the chicken ahead of time.  When the game is on, the grill meister occasionally forgets to keep an eye on the food, especially during tense moments.  Charcoaled chicken does not a good sandwich make. An alternative is to buy a whole roasted chicken.  Remove the skin and bones.  Shred the meat.

Use prepackaged heat-and-serve breaded shrimp.  No sense making a mess in the kitchen while the game’s on. Deep frying takes concentration like grilling does.  Plan on eight shrimp per sandwich, po-boys are overstuffed remember.

Lay out the shredded chicken, shrimps, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, pickles both sour and sweet, and toasted crusty rolls sliced in half but still hinged together.  Offer a selection of spicy mustard, plain mayonnaise and chipotle mayonnaise — add 1/2 tsp of chipolte powder to 1 cup of plain mayonnaise. Chipotle mayonnaise is similar to remoulade sauce and easier to make. Fans build their own sandwiches and enjoy until the game resumes.

Add a few salads such as hoppin john, which is simply cooked black-eyed peas with bacon, celery and onions.  To each can of peas, add two slices of cooked crumbled bacon and their grease, 1/2 cup of celery and 1/4 cup of onions. Mix well.  Purchased potato salad rounds out the offering.  Add a raw veggie platter and you’re done. And so are the New Orleans Saints.

Read Brian Blog about the <a href=”http://www.packers.sportsblog.com”>Green Bay Games</a>

And speaking of mops, this menu includes baby back ribs marinated in a sweet and sour vinegar mop, smoked over a slow fire until the meat falls off the bone. Finish off the ribs with fire engine red sauce. And what goes better with ribs than coleslaw and baked beans –  not much.

Combine 2 cups of apple cider vinegar with 2 cups of apple juice.  Add three crushed cloves of garlic, one chopped onion, and up to four chopped jalapenos, the more you add the spicier the mop.  Set aside one cup of the mop in a zip lock bag.  Put the rest of the  mop in a large zip lock bag with the ribs. Marinate overnight.

Fire engine red sauce sounds complicated but it’s actually quite easy to prepare.  Pour one large can of tomato juice into a sauce pan, add the juice of a lemon, 2 tablespoons butter, one chopped onion, one chopped red sweet pepper, three chopped jalapenos  and 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Let simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.  That should take about an hour.

Light the grill.  When the coals are covered with gray ash, much like the Packers defense is going to cover the Kansas City Chiefs offense, spread the coals apart to lower the heat.  Wrap wood chips in aluminum foil.  Poke about four or five holes in the foil to let the smoke escape.   Add the packet next to but not touching the charcoal.  You want it to smoke not burn.

Grill for two hours, basting, or mopping, the ribs every 20 minutes with the reserved mop.

Serve the fire engine red sauce on the side for those that don’t like sauce on their ribs.

Coleslaw takes no time to prepare.  Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of celery seeds and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, honey or white sugar.  Add the dressing to one package of shredded cabbage and toss.

Beef up your beans. To each can of beans add two slices cooked crumbled bacon, 1 tablespoon each of brown sugar, ketchup and apple cider vinegar.  Heat through.

Take a bite of the ribs while the Packers take a bite out of the Chiefs.

Over Time: Money, Love and Football — all the important things in life. And not just any football <a href=”http://www.overtimethenovel.com/index1.html”>Green Bay Football</a>

Football Tailgating menu

Breaded pork tenderloin is one of the few regional dishes that belongs to Indiana. Here, instead of plain white bread crumbs, sourdough bread will be used kicked up a notch with parsley, sage and rosemary.  Accompany the crusty pork cutlets with a macaroni salad, cucumbers and onions in sour cream and nutty popcorn sundaes for dessert in honor of Orville Redenbacher, who started his company in Indiana.

Lay the thin-cut pork chops on a cutting board.  Remove any bone and excess fat.  Place on a sheet and waxed paper.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and pound away.  Since the thin cutlets cook quickly this activity is great to do during the game if it gets close, which it won’t.

When the pork chops are twice as big as when you started put them aside for moment.

Mix 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup goat cheese, 1/2 tsp. each chopped parsley, sage and rosemary.  Throw in 1 tbsp. of chopped walnuts for crunch.  Mix well.

Put about 2 tbsp. of the stuffing in the middle on each cutlet. Fold the cutlet around the stuffing as if you were making a burrito or egg roll.  Fasten with toothpicks.  None of the filling should be showing.

Dust the little stuffed colt cutlets with flour. Dip in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs.  The easiest way to make bread crumbs is in the blender.  Cut the loaf in 1 inch cubes until you have 2 cups. Add 1 tsp. each parsley, sage and rosemary.  Hit the puree button, which is what the Green Bay Defense is going to do to the Colts offense.

Roll the cutlets in the bread crumbs until well-coated.  Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to a saute pan. Place over medium heat. Brown the cutlets on all sides lower to low and finish cooking, probably no more than 10 minutes. The cutlets are tender from all the pounding and crusty on the outside.  The stuffing is hot and creamy with a fresh herbal note and a bit of tang from the goat cheese.  If you don’t like goat cheese use another soft cheese. The entree for your football tailgating menu is finished

The macaroni salad is easy. Use store bought.  Thinly slice one onion and two large cucumbers.  Add 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup sour cream. Salads are done.

Finish off your football tailgating menus with the crunchy, salty and sweet sundaes. The sundaes are best made at the last minute.  Top a generous serving of vanilla ice cream with freshly popped corn.  If it’s hot from the popper so much the better. Drizzle caramel sauce over the popcorn and ice cream  Throw in a few salted peanuts if you like.

Now that tailgate menu wasn’t so hard was it?

Read more about the Green Bay Game

Football tailgating menu

The game hens are marinated in a lime juice and chipolte bath overnight, then grilled. Finish with a spicy sweet sauce for an additional kick of flavor. The meat is succulent and tender with a south of the border twist.

Accompany the birds with smoky grilled potatoes and corn on the cob. A black bean salad is a nice touch. Finish with fresh peaches topped with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Split the hens in half. They’ll grill more evenly. Plan on one hen person. Combine 1 1/2 cups lime juice, four crushed garlic cloves, one bunch chopped scallions, and 1 tbsp. chipolte powder for four birds. Add more or less chipolte powder depending on how spicy you like your food. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture and store separately. Put the remaining marinade and the split hens in a zipper-locked bag and marinate at least overnight.

Light the grill and grab a marguerita-lite. Pour a 6 oz. can of limeade with two cans of water and two cans of lemon-lime soda over crushed ice in a pitcher. Add 4 oz. of tequila. Stir well. Serve with a slice of lime.

Pull back the husks of the corn but don’t remove them. Rub off the silks. Fold the husks back over the corn and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Vegetables often take longer to grill than chicken. Start the corn, wrapped in their husks on the grill. Give them about ten minutes. At the same time add the potatoes still in their skins but cut in chunks and threaded on a metal skewer. Move the corn and potatoes off to the side but still on the heat when you’re ready to grill the Cardinals –ah game hens. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning once. Insert an instant read thermometer. Poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Mix the reserved marinade with 1/4 cup of honey. Brush over the game hens during the last five minutes of grilling. Do NOT use the marinade the chicken was in, discard it.  You’re almost finished with your football tailgating menu.

Use your favorite recipe for a black bean salad. Or simply combine 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans with 1 chopped red sweet pepper, 1 tsp. of cumin, 2 tbsp. of lime juice and 1 small can of chopped jalapeños. Throw in some scallions if you have them handy. Serve at half time then watch the Pack finish off the Cardinals while you finish off the ice cream and fresh peaches.

Read Brian’s Green Bay Packers Blog

The brawts and hots will be served with a fresh tomato, cucumber, basil salad with lemon zest and a touch of olive oil; black bean salad made with cilantro, lime juice, cumin and jalapenos; and Asian coleslaw — julienned carrots, snow peas, cashews, cabbage and orange slices tossed with a ginger garlic soy sauce dressing. . For dessert?  What else but ice cold watermelon. In case you didn’t notice it’s a melting pot theme for Independence Day — German sausages, Italian tomato salad, Mexican bean salad and the Asian coleslaw.

Poke the brawts with a fork in several places.  Put in a sauce pan and cover with beer.  Bring the beer to a boil then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Chop 3 cups of onions.  That sounds like a lot but it cooks down considerably. Put 1 tbsp. butter in a frying pan on low heat.  Add the onions and slowly cook until the onions are a light golden brown.  This will probably take 15 minutes.  Add 1 tbsp. each apple cider vinegar and brown sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Cut three tomatoes into eight quarters each.  Slice one cucumber and add to the tomatoes. Grate 1 tsp. of lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with five chopped scallions.  You don’t have to add any oil to this dish if you don’t want to. Right before serving add 1/4 cup or a good handful of basil leaves.  If you add them before that they have a tendency to turn a dark green unpleasant color.

Drain one can of black beans.  Add 1 tbsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes.  Squeeze in the juice of two limes.  Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped sweet red peppers — you can also use orange or yellow peppers.  Add from 1 tbsp to 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro.

Combine the ingredients for the Asian slaw.  Dress with 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp each minced ginger and garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup of cooking oil.

Grill the brawts and hot dogs until the brawts are golden and the hot dogs expand a bit.  While you’re grilling the sausages, toast the buns on the grill.

Put the sausages in the buns with a squiggle of mustard and top with the sweet onion relish.  Set up a hot dog bar for the kids. Offer chopped toppings such as tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers and cheese.  Add Fritos — seriously they go great with hot dogs — sauerkraut, dill pickles and sweet pickle relish.  Finish the bar with ketchup and mustard of course, but also include sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise.  Arrange the hot dog bar ingredients in a bed of ice, each in its own container.

Get more grilling recipes.

2 cooked Andouille sausages or any spicy sausage, cut into four pieces each.

16 shrimp – the 13 to 15 per lb. size

2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes.

1 cup tomato juice combined with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 to 3 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp. each dried thyme, black pepper, dried onions and three minced garlic cloves.  Divide into three zip lock bags. Add each meat to a separate bag.  Marinate for two hours.

Slice one red and one green pepper into eight equal sized chunks.  Slice two small onions into eight equal sized chunks.  Put in the bag with the Andouille sausage.  It’s cooked so you won’t be contaminating the raw vegetables.

Thread the vegetables, chicken, sausage and shrimp onto skewers.  Baste with the marinade from the sausage and veggie bag while they’re grilling.  Discard the marinade from the shrimp and chicken.  Chicken should be grilled until no traces of pink remain.  The shrimp is cooked when the shell turns bright pink and the flesh is no longer translucent.  If you use the 12 to 15 per lb. shrimp and 1 inch chunks of chicken they should both be cooked and ready at the same time.

If you don’t want to use skewers, grill the chicken breasts and sausages whole and the shrimp in a fish basket.  Keep the shells on the shrimp to keep them moist. The shrimp will cook faster than the chicken so put it on when the chicken is about 10 minutes away from being done. Cut each sausage and chicken breast in half.  Each person gets four shrimp, half a sausage and half a chicken breast.

Serve over seasoned white rice. Add chopped scallions, parsley, salt, pepper and butter to hot cooked rice.  Finish the meal with a crisp green salad to offset the heat from the Jambalaya.

Jambalaya on a stick makes great little appetizers. Remove from the skewers after they’ve been grilled. Cut the chicken and sausage chunks in half.  Serve a shrimp, chicken chunk and sausage threaded on a smaller skewer.

From now on Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial Peach Festival in our backyard and kitchen. Brian tried his hand at making peach jam, which turned out yummy. He also made peach chutney with dried cranberries instead of raisins, since we didn’t have any raisins. Don’t know how that turned out because it has to mellow for a few weeks. I think it will be fabulous with the turkey breast he smoked on Sunday.

We made heavenly peach ice cream with a simple recipe:

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
4 cups smashed peaches
1 1/2 cups sugar

That’s it. Combine the sugar with the cream and half and half. Stir to dissolve. Put everything in an ice cream maker. This makes about a three quarts of ice cream.

I’m not finished yet. Also on the peach menu are peach pickles, peach barbecue sauce made with mustard, canned sweet peaches in sugar syrup, peach cobbler and, because by this time we really needed it, peach sangria.

Smash 6 or 7 ripe peaches.
Add to 1.5 liters Rhine wine
Pour over ice.

Oh, if you want this to be a cooler, fill a glass with ice and then halfway with club soda and to the top with the peach sangria. The drunken peaches at the bottom of the glass when you finish the cooler are wonderful served over the peach ice cream. You know I bet you could add a scoop of peach ice cream for an adult ice cream soda.

I’d say I’m all peached out but the tree still has another 20 to 30 lbs. of peaches. So we’ll be making more peach jam… and if we get brave we’ll try making peach wine. My grandmother made mulberry and strawberry wine so if she can do it I think we can make peach wine. The good thing is you’re not supposed to peel the peaches before squishing the juice out. We will need 1 gallon of peach juice so that should take care of the peaches that are left.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you’re on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they’re soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they’ll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven’t forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you’re on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don’t have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It’s easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night’s supper.

3 cloves garlic
Bunch scallions
1/2 inch section of fresh ginger
1 cup rice wine
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Measuring spoons and cups
Zip lock bag
2 medium onions
1 lb. fresh broccoli
Cutting board
Knife
Paper towels
Cooking pan
1 tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 cup water or chicken broth

Make the marinade. Mince the garlic, scallions and ginger. Combine with the rice wine vinegar, orange juice, orange peel, soy sauce and sesame oil. Reserve 1/2 cup and put it in the refrigerator. Place the pork steak into a zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight. If the marinade doesn’t completely cover the pork steak, turn it over at least once while it’s marinating.

Prepare the vegetables. Slice the onions thinly, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Slice the broccoli no more than 1/2 inch thick. Keep separate and covered.

Remove the pork steak from the marinade. Pat dry. Throw out the leftover marinade.

Turn on the vent fan over the stove. Heat a skillet on high. Add 1 tbsp. of cooking oil. Wait until the oil starts to haze. Pick up the pork steak with tongs and add to the hot oil. It will smoke a bit. Brown on one side. It shouldn’t take more than a minute or two. Turn it over and brown the other side.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pan. Saute until translucent, about three or four minutes. Stir the onions as they’re cooking.

Add the pork steak back to the pan. Pour in all of the reserved marinade less 2 tbsp. and 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat so the liquid is barely bubbling. Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the broccoli slices to the pan. Bring back to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook an additional five minutes. The broccoli will be crisp tender rather than mushy.

Serve with rice and a salad made with radishes, scallions, snap peas and cucumber slices. Mix the reserved 2 tbsp. of marinade with 2 tbsp of cooking oil and use as the dressing.

Check the pork steak for doneness by using a meat thermometer, it should read 160 F or by cutting the steak. There should be no traces of pink in the meat.

Cooking
Scrub the lemon with soapy water. Rinse well. Remove any stickers.

Cut the rind off the lemon with a vegetable peeler leaving the white pith behind the rind on the lemon. The strips should be as wide and long as possible. They’ll be easier to handle after they dry and won’t fall through the grates of the dehydrator when they shrink. The rinds will shrink to one-quarter of their fresh size.

Place the strips of lemon rinds on the trays of a dehydrator. They should not be overlapping or touching. Turn the dehydrator on.

Check the rinds after four hours. Put the tray that’s on the bottom and nearest the heat source on the top and put the tray that was on the top on the bottom. If the dehydrator as the heat source in the back of the dehydrator it’s not necessary to move the trays. The fan that blows the heat through the trays reach them equally.

Check the rinds again in another four hours. They should be dry when the rind is still somewhat pliable. Exactly how long depends on the heat of the dehydrator and the humidity in the air.

Grind the rinds in a coffee bean grinder you only use for spices right before use. Add the rind to recipes that call for lemon or orange juice for an extra lemon flavor.

Potpourri
Cut the lemons in half. Juice the lemons and save the juice for another use. It freezes well. Scrape out the inside pulp that’s left with a spoon and dispose of or add it to your garden compost heap.

Slice each half into four pieces. Arrange on the trays of the dehydrator without touching. The pieces will take longer to dry than the peel because it has the moist pith attached and any of the pulp you didn’t remove.

Dry until the lemon rind pieces are almost crisp. Add to dried rosemary and cinnamon sticks for a natural potpourri. Or put in muslin bags with lavender and cedar essential oil to scent closets, musty boots or even in the car.

Grind the dried rind right before using for the brightest lemon taste. If you don’t remove the pith the rind will have a bitter taste.

Brian and Dee’sGrilling Tips

Dee’s Tips to Lose Weight Fast

Paella is a peasant dish named after the pan it’s cooked in. That pan, standing on four legs, has a flat bottom, is round and several inches deep. A fire is built beneath the pan with twigs for as long as the food needs to be cooked. As long as the basis of the dish is rice, paella can contain a huge variety of ingredients. Perhaps the best known outside of Spain is seafood paella.

Not having a paella pan, use a flat bottomed skillet. Cook on a grill for an authentic touch or use the stove top and oven, as we did. Paella is too much work for less than four people. For each four servings use one cup of rice, 1/2 chicken, 4 oz. of chorizo and assorted seafood, about 1 lb. We used shrimp, mussels and clams. Lobster changes the dish from peasant to expensive.

Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan placed on medium heat. When the oil is just starting to haze, brown the chicken, cut into serving size pieces. Remove the chicken from the pan when brown. Add 4 oz of chorizo. We don’t have access to the dried version of the sausage so used fresh pork chorizo. When the orange oil from the chorizo has been released and it’s starting to brown, add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup of green, red, yellow sweet peppers cut in strips and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about three to five minutes. Add 1 chopped large tomato. Put the chicken back in the pan. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and 1 1/2 cup of rice. Chop a quarter cup each of cilantro and parsley. Add those plus 1 cup of frozen peas. Stir. Place the seafood on top of the rice mixture and push it down into the rice and broth. Place the pan in a 375 degree preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and add additional chicken broth if the pan is dry.

You may have noticed that saffron has been left out of this not-so-classic paella version. That’s simply because saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Saffron is the pollen from fall-blooming saffron crocus. Spanish peasants would not have had access to such a delicacy. In some ways, paella without saffron is more authentic than one with saffron. If you want the intense yellow coloring add a teaspoon of turmeric or dry mustard.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books and the novel “Over Time.” She loves to share gardening tips. Find grilling recipes she and her partner Brian Hill have developed. They live with their two dogs, Rose an Irish setter and Kate, an English springer spaniel. And yes the Irish and the English do get along.

Grinding
The meat is ground or chopped into small pieces so it is more easily mixed with spices and seasonings. The small pieces allows the method of preserving the meat to access each small bit of meat more easily. For example, it takes much longer to dry a large piece of meat that a thin slice. Recipes often call for the meat to be put through the grinder three times. Once at a rough cut, once at a smaller cut and a final pass through after the seasonings have been mixed in.

Spices and Herbs
If you’ve ever tasted chorizo, a Mexican sausage, you’ll recognize the flavors of cumin, hot peppers and garlic. Italian sausage is redolent with anise and oregano. Different sausages have different spice and herb mixtures that enhance the meat flavors. The herbs used depend on the region where the sausage originated. If the sausage is to be cured, salt and water — dissolve the salt– is added to the mixture.

Processing
After the herb and meat mixture has been made it is packed into sausage casings. Historically these casing were made from the thoroughly washed and cleaned intestines of the animal. Now collagen casings are used, although pork casings work well for home use. The casings are filled then tied off or twisted between sausages.

Preserving
Some sausages, like the German bratwurst are made to be consumed shortly after being processed. These are fresh meat products which will require cooking before consumption. Other sausages like Italian salami require a long drying time. The salt in the meat mixture helps draw out the liquid in the meat mixture. Others need smoking which dries out the mixture and adds flavor.

Dangers
Ground meat is susceptible to contamination because it has more cut surfaces exposed to air and bacteria. Keep the meat and grinders cold when grinding. Return to the refrigerator between grindings, adding herbs and spices and stuffing the casings. Wash your hands before and after handling the meat. If there is any doubt whatsoever that the sausage has spoiled, throw it out.

Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.

For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.

Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces. Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at 350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like sauce. Each guest gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.

Miniature hot dogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.

Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Keep portions tiny.

Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon of your favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves, selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under as if you were rolling up a burrito.

Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or raisins into the cheese. Cut into bite sized pieces. For a change use flavored cream cheese.

Mini pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit. Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package directs.

A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans, both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling
water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby potatoes.

Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese just melts.

Put the inner stoneware compartment into the heating base unit.

Turn on the cook top to high. Place the meat in a skillet with a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the skillet.

Lower the temperature of the cook top to medium. Add sliced onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook about five minutes until the onions are translucent.

Put vegetables such as carrots and potatoes cut up into 1-inch chunks in the slow cooker. Put the meat and onions on top of the vegetables. Vegetables cook slower than meat. Cover with a liquid such as water, broth, wine or beer.

Add dried herbs and spices at the beginning of cooking and fresh herbs at the end of cooking.

Plug in the slow cooker and turn the knob so it points to low. Cook until meat is tender and vegetables are done, which will probably take from six to eight hours. The high temperature setting will speed cooking time. 60 minutes on high is comparable to 90 minutes on low.

Unplug cooker and allow to cool. Remove the stoneware and wash with hot soapy water or place in the dishwasher.

Wipe off spills from the outside of the heating base unit. Do not immerse base unit in water or other liquid.

Contrasts between colors and textures, say a glistening ruby red strawberry against juicy orange slices set off by a dark green curly kale leaf increases the appreciation of the food.
Thinly sliced lemon slices alternating with springs of Italian parsley is another easy to do garnish. A radish rose offset by three cucumber slices is a pretty bouquet. Use your imagination when garnishing a plate.

The garnishes don’t have to be edible, although they shouldn’t be toxic of course. Raw kale with its dark green ruffled leaves makes a lovely garnish but in its raw state it’s too bitter to actually eat. Edible flowers make beautiful garnishes. A curled strand of lemon, grapefruit, or orange peal isn’t edible, unless you’re desperate, but does add scent from the essential oils in the peel and color to the plate.

Whether it’s a crystal glass with a slice of lime on its rim, a soup bowl with a paprika sprinkle or a dinner plate with wreath of herbs, garnishes are a spa standby.

Use undersized plates when serving spa cuisine, a lunch plate and a small salad bowl instead of a large dinner plate. Use a contrasting charger, a large oversized plate, under the lunch plate for a look of luxury. The servings will look like more. In the same vein, serve courses. Garnish each course. An appetizer, salad, soup, and entrée take longer to serve and eat than an entrée with a cup of soup. Your stomach needs 20 minutes to signal your brain it’s full. If you serve an appetizer and then salad, by the time you’re finishing the soup, your tummy is saying you’ve had enough, so you won’t overdo on the entrée. Keep portions tiny so you don’t overdo the amount of food you’re eating at the meal.

Take the time to use the good dishes, silverware and glasses. Seltzer water straight from the bottle is fine for slaking your thirst after a workout, but it is so much more elegant when served in a crystal glass and garnished with a mint sprig. And that’s another trick. Use herbs to flavor the water without adding calories. Don’t stick with just mint. Lavender adds a floral note, basil and tarragon add a taste of licorice. A cucumber slice with a bit of dill is a refreshing change from sweet beverages.

We live on a hill and the only place I could even conceivably think of putting the electric hot oil fryer would be on the driveway in the front yard.

All would be well until someone accidentally nudges the fryer slightly while checking to see if the turkey is cooking. The weight of the bird shifts slightly inside the fryer, but just enough to start the fryer on a downward track.

The bird and fryer gain momentum, accelerating until it crashes into the mailbox at the end of the driveway, drenching everything is hot oil and half cooked turkey.

No, you won’t see me frying a turkey this year, or any year.

Beer Soup
Sauté 2 large chopped onions in a tablespoon of butter until the onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes over low heat. Turn up the heat to medium and brown one pound of your favorite sausage. Add one quart of good beef bullion or broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add two 12 ounce bottles of good beer and heat through.

Use the largest shrimp you can afford. Between 15 to 20 count per pound works well. The shrimp are large enough to skewer and won’t dry out too fast. Loosen the shells from the shrimp but don’t remove. The shells keep the shrimp moist while grilling.

Remove the vein that runs down the back of the shrimp. Some shrimp come with the vein removed and the shell already split. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.

Whisk together a cup and half of lime juice, two crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and a 1/2 teaspoon or more of red pepper flakes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade and put in a separate container in the fridge. Marinade the shrimp for an hour.

Remove from the marinade and grill.

Combine the reserved 1/2 cup of marinade with a teaspoon of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger. Heat in the microwave until the sugar melts.

Toss the shrimp in the glaze and serve over steamed rice with oriental vegetables.

More Shrimp Recipes.

Studies have shown that women who drink a glass of beer a day have sharper and clearer minds in their senior years than women who don’t drink at all.

Drinking a glass of beer with dinner can help you lose weight.

Men who drink up to two glasses of beer a day and women who drink one beer daily can cut their risk of strokes by 20% and heart and vascular disease by 30% to 40%.
Beer contains a similar amount of antioxidants or polyphenols as red wine. And more than four times as much than white wine.

Beer is fat free and cholesterol free. It has some nutritional value depending on the beer you drink, including vitamins B, B2, and B6.

Some doctors recommend that nursing mothers drink a glass of beer in the evening to increase milk production, replace body fluids and relax.

Alcohol has also been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping to decrease blood clots. Beer has 5% to 7% alcohol content.

Lager is brewed from bottom yeast and at a colder temperature than ale about 50- 65 degrees Farenheit or 12 – 18 degrees Celsius. This allows the fermentation process to derive more flavor from the hops and malt. Lagers are usually paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales. This cooler brewing process either requires cool caves or refrigeration which means it’s more difficult to make lager at home. Pils beer or Pilsener originated in Bohemia when brewers found that beer over wintered in caves or kept on ice improved. Lagers can be aged for several months resulting in a cleaner crisper taste.
Lager is invariably served cold to enhance the taste. Lager goes with a large variety of foods and, as you probably already know is served by itself as a beverage.

Lagers include Bock, Dunkel, Oktoberfest/Maerzen, Pilsner

Ale is brewed from top yeast and requires warmer temperatures, 65 to 70 degrees and a shorter brewing time. Ale includes a much wider range of beers than lagers from porters and stouts to pale ales and wheat beer. Generally ale is more complex and robust than lagers and have a higher alcohol content. Ales can range from the typical golden color to dark and black beers. Ales are usually aged no more than a few weeks. Most ales are served closer to room temperature. Because ales are more complex in flavor than lagers pairing with food is more of a challenge.

Ales include Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Al, Pale Ale, Porte, Stout, Wheat Beer.

The ark, Noah’s ark contained beer. In 4300 BC a Babylonian clay tablet was found with a detailed recipe for beer. Beer was an important part of ancient civilizations including besides the Babylonian culture, also Assyrian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Inca cultures.

The ancient Egyptians used beer as a drink, food, and for medicinal purposes. Over 100 medicines on an ancient tablet included beer as an ingredient. The Egyptians taught the Greeks how to brew beer. It’s thought the Greek wine god Dionysus was actually named Dionysis, the beer god. The Greeks brought beer to the Romans. The Romans taught the tribes in Britain the art of brewing, and from their it spread through the rest of Europe.

Central American beer makers discovered a product that is still immensely popular today: chocolate. It seems they used the pulp of cacao seed pods as an ingredient to their beer. Traces of the pods were found on fragments of pottery form 1100 B. C. Cacao beans are the basis for cocoa which makes chocolate.

What is Beer?

Beer, just the name is refreshing isn’t it? It brings to mind warm summer nights sitting around the pool with a frosty mug of amber hued liquid. What would a football game be without a tailgating party and cold bottles of your favorite brew. But what exactly is beer?

It’s an alcoholic beverage made of grain, hops, yeast and water. Pretty simple, until it gets complicated. Beer can be made from malted or unmalted barley. It may require a cooling process such as ale does, or include additional ingredients such as fruit, herbs, even hot peppers. The grain can be wheat or barley, although occasionally corn or rice is used. Hops weren’t always part of the beer recipe.

Malted grain is grain that has been germinated, or sprouted, and then dried before the plant has a chance to develop. Malting gives a flavor to the beer and adds sugar by changing some of the starches in the grain to maltose, a sugar. The sugar is important for the development of the yeast, it acts as a food source.

Yeast is the catalyst for the beer making process. Yeast is a one celled fungus. It exists in nature and can be found on the skins of grapes and other fruits. Yeast is used for baking bread. It is responsible for the bread to rise. Brewer’s yeast is used in brewing beer and making wine for the alcoholic content.

The little yeast cells consume the sugar and convert it to alcohol as a by product. The bubbles in beer are a result of the yeast also emitting carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation.

Water is an important ingredient in beer, the purity of the water used effects the taste of the final product.

Hops, the female flower of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus) are used in the brewing process to add the characteristic “beer” taste and as a stabilizer.

Don’t be afraid to talk to the wait person about the ingredients in the dish. Toward the end of your meal ask to talk with the chef. If it’s not busy he or she will probably be happy to tell you about their methods or give you special tips.