Chorizo Lentil Stew

Since my ex bought so much Chorizo I am still looking for ways to use it all up. This time of the year I enjoy soups for lunch so when I found this recipe I was a happy camper. I found this on TastyKitchen.com

Ingredients:
1 pound Chorizo
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 can (15oz) Cannellini beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) fire roasted, diced tomatoes
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups chicken stock
6 cups chopped, fresh spinach
crumbled goat cheese for garnish

Directions:
In a big pot, brown the Chorizo in a little bit of vegetable oil, stirring constantly until almost done, about 5-7 minutes**. Add in the Canellini beads, tomatoes, lentils and chicken stock. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and tender. Remove from heat, stir in the spinach; cover and let sit for about 5 minutes or until the spinach wilts.

Garnish with the crumbled goat cheese.

**Note: after browning the Chorizo there was so much grease in the pan I removed the Chorizo to some paper towels and drained off all the drippings except for about a teaspoon.

Apple Buckle

Each year a client brings a bushel of apples to our office and I make pies and such from the ones we don't eat.

This year I made an apple buckle. It was really good! The recipe came from SparkPeople.

APPLE BUCKLE

Dough:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 butter melted
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Apples:
5 medium apples, peeled, cored and very thinly sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tblsp sugar

Crumble:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened, not melted
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 9 x 11 inch pan

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

I in a medium bowl, using a mixer, combine the sugar, melted butter, egg and milk. Blend until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until well blended.

Toss the apples with the cinnamon and sugar. Using a wooden spoon mix the apples into the dough. The batter will be rather stiff.

Place the apples and dough into the prepared pan.

Using a fork or a pastry blender combine the crumble ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over the dough in the pan.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Make sure you are not sticking the toothpick into an apple.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend I loaded up Wahine (my CR-V), got the dogs in and headed off to my daughter's house for a family holiday.

At the time I did not realize how far out of whack my date stamp was on my the camera, it has since been corrected. Anyway,,,,

Thanksgiving morning my son in-law Justin picked up my son from the airport and they sat and chatted for a bit.

I got a picture of my children and I, not too many of these out there as I am usually the photographer.

CJ and Patricia in the kitchen doing some prep work for the big meal.

Black Friday after we had done some shopping Patricia and I took the 4 dogs for a walk. The saying about unless you're the lead dog the view never changes is true.

My 4 legged kids and I before we head back to Patricia's house.

Saturday morning Justin, Patricia and I headed out to put up the outside lights. After Justin and I got them all out of the attic we started at the corner of the garage.

Once I knew Justin could handle his portion alone I went to put the lighted garland up over the front door.

Once the outside was done we headed off to get a Christmas tree. Patricia was happy with the one we picked out and it came from West Jefferson.

My pregnant baby girl putting the lights on. She only paid $10 more for her tree than I did for mine,,hmmmm.

Sunday morning I loaded up and headed home. The traffic was awful. At one point I hit 30 mph,, OMG!

Nope,,,that must have a been a figment of my imagination because I am stopped now. It took me a total of 14 hours to get home that day.

May Day in November

I like to entertain. I like to do different things like Christmas in July. This year I decided to do a May Day in November.

In Hawaii, May Day is a big deal. It is a day to celebrate the Hawaiian heritage, food and music. I invited a few friends over and we had Hawaiian food and listened to Hawaiian music while enjoying each other's company.

Since people in Hawaii eat Spam I found a recipe for Spam and Pineapple Kabobs, brushed with honey and broiled. They were good.

I made Lomi Lomi Salmon, Oven Roasted Kahlua Pork with Cabbage and Huli Huli Chicken.

A few years ago my wonderful co-workers gave me some sea shell shaped floating candles. I used them for a table centerpiece.

Guests included Emily, Damon and Nancy.

Bill and Sue. There was a prize for the most colorful a/k/a loud shirt. There was a coin toss between Bill and Nancy. Had Damon been there on time he would have won.

After everyone left I got the kitchen cleaned up. I cannot stand waking up to a messy kitchen.

By the time I was done the dining room was ready for Thanksgiving.

The living room was back to normal. It was a fun night and next time I'll invite more people. Aloha!

Pot Roast Smothered in Onions

I was curious about this recipe, a pot roast with apples and cinnamon? Sounds interesting. So I gave it a try, not bad.

4 large cooking apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced 1/4" thick
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (2 1/2) pound beef chuck pot roast
1 tblsp mild vegetable oil
4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 cup apple juice or water
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried, crumbled oregano
1 tsp dried, crumbled thyme

Put apples in a 3 1/2 quart or larger crock-pot. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Trim fat from roast. If necessary cut roast into 2 pieces to fit into crock-pot. In a large pot brown the roast on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Place roast on top of apples. Separate onions into rings and put on top of meat. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat and onions. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Transfer meat to a carving platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with apples, onions and pan juices.

Chicken with Creamy Paprika Sauce

This recipe sounded so very good and it was easy to make in a crockpot.

10 chicken thighs, skin removed (about 3 pounds)
1 medium onion sliced
3 tblsps chicken broth
2 tblsps paprika
3 tblsp cornstarch
3 tblsp cold water
1 container (8 oz) sour cream, with chives
hot cooked pasta or spaetzle

Place chicken and onion is a 3 1/2 to 6 quart crockpot. Mix broth and paprika and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Remove chicken and onion from cooker using a slotted spoon. Place on a serving platter and keep warm.

Mix cornstarch and water; pour into crockpot. Cook on high for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sour cream. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve over pasta.

NOTE: I mixed the water and cornstarch as directed and added the sour cream and my sauce came out like mud,,maybe a bit more watery but still super thick.

I served this over hot cooked gnocchi which was great.

Don't forget the wine.

Roasted Garlic White Pizza with Garlic Sauce

Roasted Garlic White Pizza with Garlic Sauce

I love garlic. It should be one of the 4 food groups by itself. It just rocks, especially when roasted and used to make a creamy white sauce for a pizza. This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe from about 8 years ago.

Start with garlic. The recipe calls for 3-4 heads of roasted garlic but I roasted more so that I would have some leftover roasted garlic for things like mashed potatoes. To start I run my hands and fingers over the heads of garlic to remove as move of the excess outside papery covering as possible. Then I cut the tops of the heads of garlic. I place the garlic on a sheet of heavy duty foil and pour olive oil over all the heads.

Then I seal up the foil very tightly and roast at 375 for about an hour. Once the garlic is done I unwrap it and let it cool.

While the garlic was roasting I sauteed up some bacon and drained and chopped some artichoke hearts.

To make the sauce:

1 cup whole milk
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Gently heat the milk and set aside. Melt the butter. When the foam subsides add the flour and cook until smooth. Cook for 1-2 minutes but do not let the flour color. Gradually add the milk while whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat and add 10 of the roasted garlic cloves. Pour the hot mixture into a blender , cover tightly, and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic.

I used a frozen, whole wheat pizza dough round instead of making my own.

Sprinkle your pizza pan with cornmeal. Spread , pull and roll the crust out to fit your pan. Pour the sauce on top and smooth to the edges.

Because I like a junk pizza I then sprinkled some bacon pieces on the sauce,

then some chopped up artichoke hearts,

next I added some spinach

I then topped it off with a lot of shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining roasted cloves of garlic from the 3-4 heads. I bake my pizza at 400 for about 15 minutes or until done.

Ahhh,,,awesome.

Salmon Fish & Chips

Salmon Fish & Chips

For the batter:

1 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper
1 egg beaten
1 can or bottle of dark beer

Mix the flour with the salt & pepper. Add the egg. Slowly add the beer while stirring until the batter has a nice thick and creamy texture. You will not need the entire beer, drink what you don't use.

I used a 1.25 pound salmon filet. Cut the salmon into reasonable size chunks, dust with flour.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Dip the flour coated salmon into the batter and drop into the oil a few pieces at a time. They should take about 5-10 minutes to cook.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Keep warm until the rest of the fish is cooked.

I used store bought sweet potato fries for the chips and my dinner guest brought some broccoli slaw.

This was really good and surprisingly easy.

Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hand Tarts

Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hand Tarts

I was a bit leery at first that the chorizo might be to spicy, but it was not. I actually liked the filling so much I think it would make a great enchilada filling.

The original recipe call for refrigerated pie crust,,not in my house. So I made a double batch of 2 crust pie dough. I rolled it out and cut into 8 1/2" circles using a bread plate for the pattern. Roll the dough out until its 1/8 inch thick.

For the filing:

1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
kosher salt to taste
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 heaping tblsp finely chopped onion (I used a little more)
5 ounces Chorizo
2 ounces cream cheese
1/8 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato with 2 tsps of the olive oil, kosher salt and chili powder. Spread the potatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast until fork tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While the potatoes roast, mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Brown the chorizo in a skillet over med-high heat until its fully cooked. Then pour it over the cheese mixture. Let it melt the cheese for a minute or two before mixing it in. Without wiping out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and cumin and toast for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the beans and cook until they are fully warmed through. Add the bean mixture to the cheese & chorizo; mix gently until well combined. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, fold them into the mixture.


Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Spoon a generous portion of the sweet potato mixture onto each pastry round.Sprinkle with some extra cheddar cheese. Fold the circles over and use a fork to seal the pastry.

Place them on the prepared baking sheet and cut a small hole in the top for the steam to escape. Bake the tarts for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole.

I baked these for about 30 minutes and they never got golden brown but they were really tasty.

Adapted from Willow Bird Baking.

Pork Chops With Red Cabbage

The other night as I was posting all those meals on Facebook I was thinking about this one. Seasoned pork chops, browned in bacon grease, and then simmered with red cabbage and bacon pieces.

So,,,,I took a package of boneless pork chops of out the freezer and once they were thawed I covered them with a dry rub and let them sit, covered, in the fridge all day.

I went upstairs and found a jar of red cabbage that I had made over the summer.

I took some bacon out of the fridge,,I used 3 whole slices for the 3 pork chops. I cut the bacon in half before I freeze it so it looks like a lot more than 3 slices.

The bacon got chopped up and put in a frying pan to render out the grease. I had to add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bacon grease.

Once the bacon was crispy, I took it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside to cool. I browned the pork chops on both sides in the bacon/olive oil mixture.

When the pork chops were nicely browned I removed them from the pan and poured off the grease. Then the pork went back into the pan and I added 1/2 of a pint jar of homemade red cabbage (you can use store bought), and then I topped it with the bacon bits. I lowered the heat and covered it to simmer for a few minutes while the broccoli cooked.

The end product with some broccoli and a glass of wine, YUMMY!!!

New Life

A couple of days ago our heroine heard something she never thought she would hear and it totally shattered her heart. Since she had already scheduled to take 2 days off and enjoy a 4 day weekend she made plans,,,,,,,,

After the first few days since hearing the terrible words, our heroine realized she had been living on stuff like macaroni & cheese and linguini with creamy garlic Alfredo sauce but no fruits or veggies. So not good! So she made herself an artichoke and had a stuffed baked potato to go with it for dinner one night.

In an effort to help her heart heal she decided to make some changes in the house, make it "her" home and no longer "their" home. She started in the kitchen where she packed up all of his stemware and replaced it with the crystal she got decades ago when she got married. She loves these glasses.

Our heroine moved all of his coats upstairs and brought the coats of hers that were stored up stairs down to the hall closet. For the first time in 5 years all her coats and clothes are on the same floor.

Next she started moving art work around. She had been given this pin flag for Christmas a few years ago and it had been hanging in the front den. They never really used the front den so she seldom saw it. It now hangs in the front hall where she sees it a lot more often.

Her Norman Rockwell had been hanging in the bedroom but is now in the living room.

Her Alexander Krysnasky (sp) that had been in a seldom used upstairs bedroom got moved down and put in the master bedroom where the Norman Rockwell used to be. She figures that if she spent all that money on these pieces of art she should be able to enjoy them.

By the time Saturday rolled around our heroine was ready for a break. Her neighbor picked her up and they went out for lunch together and then saw a movie. When she got back home our heroine traded her clogs for her hiking boots and set off on an hour long hike with her "kids" She sees this house often and wonders how long it has been since anyone has been there. Considering this shot was taken from the foot of the driveway it must have been several years. One time she will get brave and walk up the driveway to peek in the windows.

On her hike our heroine noticed that the public works crew had been out and put the hydrant indicaters up for the winter.

Here are the kids enjoying being out.

Morgan is just so darn cute.

As our heroine got closer to home she took a street shot. If you look carefully you will see Kele running back toward her mom.