Quesadillas

Whenever I think of quesadillas, I remember my friend Christy.  Sitting in her home in San Diego one day, I watched her whip up some quesadillas for her young daughters.  Before that, I (being from a rural area of Virginia) thought that quesadillas were something complicated that restaurants made:  not people in their own home.  But when I saw her do it, I thought, "That's as easy as making a grilled cheese sandwich!"  And it is (that easy) because it is (a grilled cheese sandwich).  It just uses tortillas instead of bread.  :)

To make a quesadilla, I...

1. heat a frying pan and put a nice pat of butter in it

2. as that melts, put a tortilla (flour or corn, take your pick) in the pan

3. add a generous (because you can never have too much queso) amount of cheese (I like Costco's shredded Mexican cheese blend, but any ol' cheese will work)

4. add anything else you want...this is where it gets fun...you could use tomatoes, black olives, onions (white, red, green, yellow, whatever), cilantro, corn, black beans, kidney beans, take-your-pick beans, jalapenos (or any other hot pepper, depending on your preference), leftover chicken, leftover hamburger, leftover steak, I even used leftover lamb last evening since we have any abundance of lamb right now from the sheep my husband butchered recently (with the meat, I've found it easiest to make sure it's shredded or bite-size before putting it in the quesadilla)...really, the sky's the limit with this

5. put another tortilla on top

6. add some butter on top of that

7. when the bottom tortilla gets nicely browned, the cheese will probably have started to melt beautifully, and it's time to turn it over (which is the hardest part)...I use a big spatula--and my fingers--but even still, I don't always do it "perfectly"...that's OK--a little mess never ruined a quesadilla  :)

8. brown the other side a little, make sure everything is heated through, slide it onto a plate, use a pizza cutter to slice it, and...

9. dig in!

I like to serve this with salsa and sour cream to dip the quesadilla wedges into.  That, combined with Sun Chips and baby carrots, made a delicious meal for my family that required exactly the amount of prep time I had last night:  not much at all!!  :)

Happy Mexican-food feasting (even if it is Mexican with a touch of Virginia country)!  ;-)

Every region has its own Mexican food, and they're very chauvinistic--they believe their food is the real Mexican food.

~ Russ Parson

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Roasted eggplants with spring onions

We grew eggplants for the very first time this year -- in a five-gallon bucket! The plant itself is beautiful, with its broad, purple-veined leaves, and we've been amazed at how much our little plant, with only five gallons of soil to sustain its roots, can produce.

an eggplant blossom in July

Here's a dish we recently prepared with the bounty of our modest container garden. It's a variation on a recipe from Best-Ever Curry Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar. I've modified the original version to allow for Asian eggplants. I also substituted olive oil for vegetable oil, yellow mustard seeds for black, and some random kind of hot pepper growing in my backyard for the red chili pepper.

Served over brown jasmine rice, it was delicious and nourishing.

Roasted eggplants with spring onions

Serves 4

Brown jasmine rice

2 large eggplants (or 5 of the small, long Asian variety)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

1 large bunch spring onions (bigger is actually better in this case), finely sliced

4 oz. button mushrooms, halved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 fresh red chili (or equivalent amount of any hot pepper you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. salt

14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few extra sprigs to garnish

*Note: brown jasmine rice takes a while (40-45 minutes) to cook, so you might want to start the rice ahead of the rest of the dish*

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplants on a baking sheet and brush with 2 Tbsp. of the oil. Prick each one with a fork, then roast until soft (about 15 minutes for the small Asian variety; 30-35 minutes for large conventional eggplants).

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and the mustard seeds in a large skillet for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat (the seeds may start to splutter). Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and chili pepper, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. While the tomatoes are simmering, cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the soft flesh into a bowl. Mash the flesh with a fork.

4. Add the eggplant flesh to the pan with the chopped cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve over brown jasmine rice, garnished with cilantro.

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Santa Fe Chicken Soup

This simple recipe is one of my favorites...and when I say simple, I mean really simple. After all, you don't even have to drain the canned goods! That is taking simple to a whole new level. :)

Everyone for whom I've made this has pronounced it delicious, and it's certainly a soup that I'm always glad to see pop up in my menu rotation. At the moment, I'm happy to know that there is, in my refrigerator, a bowl of this that was left-over from lunch I made for friends today; I'm looking forward to having it tomorrow!

What You Need

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 onion, diced

15 1/4 oz. can whole-kernel corn, undrained

24 oz. can pinto beans, undrained

10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 lb. Velveeta cheese

1/4 c. milk

What You Do

Put everything in the crockpot. Cover. Turn on. :) Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until cheese is melted. Try not to let soup boil. (I've also made this soup in a pot on the stove, especially when I was running out of time, and that works fine, too. But the crockpot is even more convenient.)

* Depending on the spice tolerance of those for whom I make this, I sometimes omit the diced tomatoes and green chilies, and add plain diced tomatoes instead. I personally like the extra zing that comes from the green chilies (and it's not a very spicy zing, just a little tiny one), but at times, it seems best to omit the spice and let each person add it individually to their own comfort level.

Happy soup-serving!

To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night,

all you really need is soup.

~ Laurie Colwin

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Ground Beef Grand Style

Back when our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were young wives and mothers, they cooked for their families every day, restaurants were a rarely-indulged-in luxury, and cooks didn't have to specify that they made something "from scratch," because how else would you make it anyway? Back in those days, women helped their own hamburger; they didn't go to the store to buy something in a box to do it for them. I'm not knocking Hamburger Helper--after all, don't we all rely on shortcuts from time to time? But the next time you think about reaching for that box, instead try this recipe my grandmother passed down to my mother who then passed it down to me.

What You Need

1 can refrigerator biscuits (or make your own; but at this stage of my life, refrigerator biscuits is one of those shortcuts I'm glad to take!)

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 can (10 and 1/2 oz.) cream of mushroom soup

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. ketchup (I use a little more)

1/3 c. sliced green olives (I love olives, so I usually use more than this)

1 tsp. salt (I usually omit this because the olives add enough salt)

What You Do

Brown ground beef; drain, if necessary. Add onions, and cook a few minutes. Add all other ingredients (except biscuits), and continue cooking until heated through and mixed well. Meanwhile, bake biscuits; and when done, place them on top of casserole. Makes 5-6 servings.

A nice accompaniment to this dish is Ceci's Cucumber and Tomato Salad; that, along with some fresh cantaloupe, is what I served with this casserole tonight for our supper.

Happy helping! (Your hamburger, that is...)

The best way to serve meals is with a smile.

~ from Country Home Cooking

by Marjorie Rohrer

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Spices + Awesomeness

If you don't have mega kitchen space but love cooking and use cabinet space for...the necessities...here is something brilliant I just ran across. Mobile Foodie. 

I love how everything is so organized. You don't even need an annoying spice rack to take up space...you've got it all right there in a handy case. (my unintentional rhyme) And you won't run across an old jar of Cloves you didn't even know you had. Who needs nine lifetimes of Cloves anyway?

Bonus: It's organic. And for a good cause.

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Caprese pasta salad

Today's recipe was supposed to be French tarragon pickles. My husband and I had a lot of fun brining and canning them, and I was excited about sharing the recipe. The only thing is . . . we just tasted them the other day. And these pickles are so vinegary, they're practically inedible.

Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted, and I think we'll try again some other time (with significantly less vinegar).

In the meantime, I'm not feeling much like cooking during this heat wave. So here's a recipe for a little something I whipped up the other night (with minimal cooking) that also uses the delicious, fresh garden ingredients.

Caprese pasta salad

12 oz. vegetable radiatore (use any pasta your family likes, but a spinach pasta is nice here)

1 large, ripe yellow tomato, chopped

1 large, ripe red tomato, chopped

8-12 oz. fresh mozzarella, chopped or torn

Lots of fresh basil, chopped or torn

Olive oil

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Layer pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on individual plates. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. Eat and stay cool!

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Potato Salad

Ok, it is potluck season, which means we pull out our best salad recipes to take.  This is about as involved as I get with a recipe.  But it is well worth it.  It is so yummy!  I try to make it in two days, so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.  Enjoy! This was from Mennonite Country Style Recipes by Esther H. Shank.

Step 1:
BASIC COOKED SALAD DRESSING
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
3/4 c. Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Mix in top container of double boiler or you can do it in a regular size pot.

1 c. Water
1 1/2 Tbsp Vinegar
Add gradually

3 eggs, beaten lightly
Add.  Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened.  Remove from heat.

2 Tbsp Butter
Add.  Cool throughly

2 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 to 1 tsp prepared Mustard
Blend in.

Store in refrigerator.  Keeps for weeks.  Yields 1 qt.


Step 2:
POTATO SALAD
2 lb or about 6 med potatoes-Cook until tender and dice
3/4 tsp Salt-Sprinkle over warm potatoes so it soaks in.
3 to 6 Hard cooked eggs, diced
2 to 4 Tbsp chopped Onion
Add the eggs and onion
2 c. or more of Basic Cooked Dressing, the above recipe.  Add while potatoes are warm for better penetration of flavor.

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Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Recently I've been a little bit appalled (is that the right word? too strong probably. maybe "saddened" is better) at the lack of hospitality we here in modern America have as part of our culture. When was the last time you were invited over to someone's home for dinner? When was the last time you opened your home to someone else? When was the last time you walked into a church service on Sunday morning, not knowing where you were going to be eating lunch, and walked out with an impromptu invitation to someone's home? When was the last time you ran into an old friend; and instead of vaguely saying, "We should get together sometime!" you said, "Can you come over this Friday evening? Around 6:30 or 7:00? Great!"

I understand that people are busy, but we all have to eat, right? I understand that there are various seasons of life; and sometimes at challenging times, the thought of hosting anyone is overwhelming. I've been there. I understand that sometimes, we feel like our homes are so messy that we don't want to open the door to anyone for fear of looking like a failure or being judged. For that, I say, check out FlyLady and, for your own sake, take some baby steps to regain control of your house and your life. I understand that fixing a whole dinner for guests can be time-consuming and expensive and scary, especially if you're new to the realm of hospitality. Here's my solution for that: call up some friends or your Aunt Mary & Uncle Joe or your next-door neighbors, and ask if they can come over around 7:15 for coffee (iced tea, if it's hot) and dessert. (That's it. Just dessert and coffee. No dinner. Make things easy on yourself.) Then make this...

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are a wonderful way to bless your family or guests with a delicious dessert without a lot of time or effort. Here's how:

What You Need

1 box brownie mix (and ingredients called for by the mix)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

What You Do

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Beat vanilla, egg, milk, and cream cheese in bowl until very smooth. Pour over baked brownie layer. Return to oven and bake until topping is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool. Spread with pie filling. Refrigerate for about 2 hours (or more) before serving. Cut into squares. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

This recipe is from The Fine Art of Hospitality Handbook, edited by Sheila Jones and Betty Dyson.

See? You can do this! Happy hosting! :)

********

Hospitality seeks to provide a safe place.
Entertainment seeks to provide a showplace.

Hospitality strives to serve.
Entertaining strives to impress.

Hospitality puts people before things.
Entertaining elevates things above people.

Hospitality claims that what's mine is yours.
Entertaining claims that everything is mine and you should admire it and certainly not touch it.

Hospitality takes no thought for reward or reciprocation.
Entertaining expects praise and a return invitation.

Hospitality is about welcome, inclusion, and acceptance.
Entertaining is about exclusiveness and pride.

Hospitality frees us to enjoy one another and grow in the Lord.
Entertaining enslaves us to personal and cultural expectation.

Hospitality specifically seeks out those in need of food, shelter, company, or a listening ear.
Entertaining seeks out those we think can help us in some way.

Hospitality is an act of obedience and stewardship.
Entertaining is essentially a self-serving occupation.

~ from Finding Your Purpose as a Mom

by Donna Otto

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Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry

I got this from the $5 dinner website.  This website has had some wonderful recipes for very little money, that is if you are a couponer.  Which I am learning the art of and doing better at grocery shopping.  We thought this was VERY GOOD!  I think as a family we all agreed that it would taste better with rice.  Which is something we always have on hand.  The rice noodles were a nice change.  You never know how you will like something unless you try it the way it is and then make it to your tastes. 

Ingredients
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 package Thai Kitchen Sesame Rice Noodles
1 package frozen stir-fry vegetable
*Package included sesame oil, rice noodles and seasoning. If I were to make this without the package, I would have use 1 Tbsp sesame or peanut oil, 2 Tbsp sesames, 2 Tbsp chopped peanuts, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste, in place of the seasonings that came with the package. 
Directions
1. Follow the directions on the box to cook the rice noodles in a large skillet or wok, set aside once cooked.
2. In the same large skillet or wok, stirfry the frozen vegetables, the cooked chicken and the seasonings in some oil.  Add in the cooked rice noodles and stirfry for 3-4 more minutes.
3. Serve Sesame Chicken Stir-fry.

I have a hard time finding the Thai Kitchen Sesame Rice Noodles in my grocery store.  So I just get the regular kind.  I did use the recipe that she had suggested for my noodles and turned out great.  I did add a little more Sesame Oil b/c I did not have any peanuts or sesames.  It seasoned the chicken very nicely.  We then added a little more Low Sodium soy sauce.  Over all this is a dish that I will be making again.  This is a print out and goes in the recipe box.  Can you tell we enjoy Chinese food?  We have to, seeing as we have a cute little daughter from China.  :-)

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Chipotle chicken salad tacos

Rick Bayless is a genius. At least, that's what we think in our house. He has made great strides in introducing the U.S. to really authentic Mexican food, and he's also been a prominent advocate of the locavore movement in Chicago and throughout the country.

But as much as he teaches traditional techniques and dishes, he puts fresh, contemporary twists on these same dishes.

Like chipotle chicken salad tacos.

Have you ever had tacos filled with cabbage? I hadn't, before I tried this recipe. And I certainly wouldn't have thought of combining cabbage and carrots with a smoky chipotle balsamic vinaigrette.

But . . . wow! It's amazing. Taste it for yourself with some local carrots and cabbage.

Chipotle chicken salad tacos

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, finely chopped

salt to taste

1/2 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1 small candy onion (or red onion)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken (I cooked mine in the crockpot last week and froze the chopped meat)

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into cubes

1/3 cup coarsely grated pecorino romano cheese (or queso añejo or Parmesan)

12 to 16 warm, fresh corn tortillas (we made our own with Maseca!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, and chipotles. Season generously with salt. Add the cabbage, carrot, chicken, onion, and cilantro and toss. Let stand for 15 minutes. (It's best eaten the same day, but you can refrigerate it for a few hours before dinner if that works better with your schedule.)

When you're ready to serve, put the avocado, cheese, and salad on the table with tortillas and let everyone assemble their own chicken salad tacos.

From Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless, page 114

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