TulipGirl

I’ve been so thankful for the climate here in Kenya and our wonderful yard. Besides the fruit trees, we also have a kitchen and herb garden, some of which was planted before we arrived. Right now the parsley is so abundant, I’m looking for recipes which will put it to good use.

Parsley is pretty healthy, but it isn’t usually eaten in great quantities. According to WHFoods.com, “Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components-including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids-including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.” It is also high in vitamins K, C and A. Studies indicate it is helpful in protecting against heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and even some cancers.

To accompany tonight’s sage-and-lemon marinated fish, we’re having this parsley salad. Last week we had a parsley/almond pesto. Other recipes I’m interested in trying include:

Another Parsley Salad Recipe

Pear and Parsley Green Smoothie

Chimichurri

Stewed Parsley

Parsley Pilau

Eta: My sis recommends fried parsley. . . I guess I could make it like kale chips?

Any recommendations for cooking with parsley, especially in quantities to keep up with our garden?

This is my favorite Gingerbread Men recipe, because it calls for fresh ginger root — something that was pretty easy to find, even when we lived in Ukraine and powdered ginger wasn’t. In the states, I usually make this a triple-ginger recipe, with fresh, crystalized, and powdered ginger. I originally posted this here and here, but am reposting as the boys will be making Gingerbread Men Marines (Thanks to Spunky for suggesting the idea and organizing this was to “offer a cookie in Jesus’ name” at Christmas!)

Gingerbread Men

4 cups plain white flour
2 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
4 full teaspoons of freshly chopped ginger (3+ inches of ginger root)
1 teaspoon ground dry ginger (opt)
250g (8 oz.) butter
4 small eggs
2 teaspoon golden syrup or honey

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the soda, cinnamon and salt. Rub in the butter until it all crumbles, then add the sugar, working it all into a dough. Grate the ginger or cut very finely. Finally add the beaten eggs and golden syrup and mix it all together. (Using your hands works best.)

Place some flour on a clean surface and roll out the dough flatly. If the mixture is still too sticky, add a little bit more flour. Cut into shapes and place on a greased tray and bung it in the oven at 180 C for about 15 to 20 minutes, leave to cool on the tray and eat them.

My notes: I’ve found that the ginger flavor matures if you refrigerate the dough overnight or store the cookies in a tin for a day or so. We piped details in white frosting on these last year, and they were our primary tree decoration. They still tasted yummy after hanging on the tree for awhile!

I am not the author of this recipe, but found it online many years ago. The website from which I borrowed it is no longer active, and I’m thankful for whoever first wrote it up!

From my friend, Kathryn.

Sand Tarts or Saint Hearts

from the Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter

1 C shortening (we’ve always used butter instead)
2 C granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 1/2-4 C flour (I always end up having to add more)
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar together.
Add eggs and flavoring and beat until fluffy.
Sift flour (we’ve always skipped both sifting steps without problems)
Measure and add salt and baking powder.
Sift again.
Add dry ingredients.
Stir until a medium-soft dough is formed (you may have to add a lot of extra flour to get to this point depending on the humidity)
Chill several hours in the refrigerator.
Roll very thin and cut into fancy shapes. (I’m lazy so I just cut them into squares with a pastry wheel)
Brush tops with rich milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Decorate with pecan halves (when we use nuts, we’ve always used chopped walnuts)
Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet (parchment paper also works well instead of greasing the cookie sheet)
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes.

One thing I like about the recipe is that since it dates back before modern ovens, it’s a lot harder to mess up than a lot of more modern baking recipes.

She brought this to our little cookies-and-eggnog Christmas get together last night. They were so delish, simple, splendid. Posting the recipe so I can find it when I want to make them myself.

This has been a long week. A very long week.

And somehow in the midst of the craziness, Hubby and I marked our 14th anniversary! And considering we met 18 years ago, our lives have been mingled longer than they have not. I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend together.

Hubby had to rescue me at 9:30 pm on our anniversary — I had locked my keys in the van. Today I forgot my phone at home. I’ve been a tad absentminded.

The boys have been on a Shakespeare kick. I’m not yet sure what instigated their interest, even though the past year we have been integrating some of the Bard into our schooling. (We’ve read more of Charles Lamb that we have the actual plays and poetry.) Tonight we’re watching Ian McKellen as King Lear. Amy (who loves books) suggested In Search of Shakespeare. I haven’t found a place to watch it online, so maybe we’ll order it. . . The boys are trying to organize the neighborhood kids into a play. I love delight-led learning!

This morning read Barlow’s take on Cash for Clunkers. I tend to agree — it seems to be wasteful, and substituting one form of pollution and inefficiency for another.

On a happier note, Roadfood.com seems to be a great resource for finding yummy local food whether at home or when traveling.

Similarly, Eating Like an Immigrant is very inspirational! This is the first post of a series — I can’t wait to read the rest over at MbG. Food blogging is one of those things that prods me to enjoy cooking again, even when I have to cook. We’ve been making easy bread this week, thanks to ThatMom’s links to online resources for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I have a loaf rising now, and plan on trying whole wheat this weekend.

We have treats and cooking planned for this weekend, much of it for the church picnic. Jalepeno Hummus and tortilla chips, brownies, Mrs. E’s Mac and Cheese, regular hummus and veggies, something else which I’m blanking on right now. . .

I’m hoping to go to Chicago (along with the two younger boys!) in a few weeks to see my parents. Very excited about it.

It will be too late for the Michigan Ave Arts Fest — but doesn’t that look like fun? I found out about that from a friend’s link on facebook. Finding some neat (and sad) links from friends lately. . . Like Embracing the Least of These, about orphans in Africa. Or, this cool project that uses Google Maps to vividly illustrate the crisis in Darfur.

I’ve been listening to Steve Brown’s lectures on Grace in the Church, thanks to Camille. It’s been relaxing during this busy week.

But I need to take a break from it, and finish up this semester’s courses. I’ve been taking Financial Management in the Public Sector (ugh!) and Nonprofit Administration. They’ve both had their challenges as well as provided opportunities to learn. I’ve stressed out over them more than I needed to, as well. Still trying to find the right rhythm in school. My fall classes? Nonprofit Organizations and Nonprofit Financial Management. I’ve already ordered my books. (I *heart* the free shipping from Amazon Prime!)

Hubby starts teaching in a few weeks (if you are local, take his American History class!) The boys were going to have a “short” summer break, but with their hard work work all July, we’ve decided to start when the local public schools start — August 24th. I need to do quite a bit of planning.

On the upside, I finished a project I really wanted to do this July. I sorted all the kids books and school books by type, and have them stacked and organized. You know the boxes with lids which contain reams of paper? They are perfect for books. Thanks to Bob, our local printer, and the office supply store, we had plenty. Now I just need to work on the boys’ schedules — we’re trying to finish up US History since 1865 using Ambleside as a guide (Term 3 of Year 5, Term 1 of Year 6 — adapted to each of the boys).

That will give the boys time to join the YCS group in campaigning for Dan Quiggle. We like Dan a lot, and he has great Reagan stories from his internship. I’m glad the boys get to see the local side of politics in an off-year election.

So, that’s the rambling on we’ve been doing around here. . .

Breakfasts
Eggs and Scrapple (Hubby cooks this when I’m not home, thankfully)
Granola (if I actually make it this week)
Pancakes
Oatmeal
Cereal

Lunches
PB&J
Pasta
Baked Potatoes
Turkey Sandwiches

Dinners
Porkchops with Herbed Cream Sauce over Pasta, Five-Minute Cabbage
Italian Sausage Sandwiches (another Hubby recipe)
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Annie’s Crustless Quiche
Black Thai Pork
Fiesta Penne

Snacks
Popcorn
Strawberries
Baked Potatoes
Cottage Cheese
Veggies Dipped in Hummus (If I make it this week.)

Other than Hubby’s forays into the kitchen, our meals have gotten into a bit of a rut.  I went to the produce market and bulk store today, browsed the supermarket flyer for sales, and am trying to do some meal planning for this week.

Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Pancakes
Scrambled Eggs
Fruit and Yogurt
Seven Year Granola
Zucchini Bread Muffins

Lunches
Pasta
Baked Potatoes
Tuna Sandwiches
English Muffin Egg Sandwiches
PB&J (not totally abandoning our comfortable rut!)

Dinners
1.  Picnic at Pops in the Park
Sub Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs, Grapes, Carrot Sticks, Brownies
2. Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Veggies
3. Grilled Fish Chicken, Five-Minute Cabbage
4. Cuban Black Bean Soup
5. Asian Chicken Salad
6. Mediterranean Artichoke/Chicken Salad Chicken Mole
7. Chicken Fajitas, Refried Black Beans, Diced Avocado

Snacks
Popcorn
Bananas
Strawberries
Baked Potatoes
Cottage Cheese
Veggies Dipped in Hummus

Other
Strawberry Jam (Planning on making Saturday, if the kids haven’t finished eating the flat of strawberries I bought today. And if the weather doesn’t get too hot. I refuse to put the AC on in March.)

“Making the bed alone is worst than making some obscure recipe alone!” complained R10 this afternoon.

And I’m wondering about the obscure recipes he’s been making. Alone.

Gathering the ingredients

.

Sliced veggies, mahi and shrimp

.

Heating the wok and oil

.

Veggies coated in tempura batter

.

Don't forget the dashi!

.

A beautiful, golden crisp

.

Dip in!

.

Yumm!

.

Probably most of you are like me. . . we get into the same ruts of shopping, cooking, and meal planning. We know our family favorites so well that we rarely pull out a recipe. I enjoy cooking — I don’t enjoy having to cook. In other words, I’ve defaulted to the quick and easy (and cheap) dinners that I can cook without much thinking.

Hubby used to tell me he couldn’t cook anything beyond coffee and microwave pizza. Over the past couple of years he’s done a bit more cooking, and well, he’s discovered he can cook and actually enjoys it! Cooking has evolved into shopping and menu planning as well. Suffice to say, Hubby is a bit more adventurous than I am in the kitchen and so the recipes on the fridge for this week include:

Tempura
Osaka Okonomiyaki
Yakitori – Skewered grilled chicken
Wakame Seaweed and Okra Sunomono
Japanese Sweet Potato Casserole
Japanese Pounded Cucumber Salad – Shojin Ryori
See a Japanese theme this week?
Asian Green Beans
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Shredded Potato Salmon Cakes
A Jerky Chicken
Pork Tofu with Watercress and Bean Sprouts
Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl
Mabo Nasu (spicy fried eggplant)

Thankfully the kids are willing to try anything foodwise and the most unusual dishes don’t contain any weird meats, which would make me squeamish. I made the Mabo Nasu tonight, and think I’m going to enjoy Hubby’s meal planning and shopping. Hubby has a wok (a Father’s Day gift a few years ago) that is being put to good use, and found an import grocery store on his drive home where they offer great specialty items. The boys are already great at cleaning the kitchen, making pancakes and oatmeal — and I bet with Hubby cooking more, they’ll expand their repertoire along with him.

This year my parents and sister will not be coming down for Thanksgiving, breaking with a not-quite-tradition which we hadn’t quite established. Last year we had a casual, immediate family only Thanksgiving dinner with the kids pitching in a lot. This year we’ll continue with the low stress theme, but probably have a few guests. To keep it low key, however, we do need to do a little bit of planning ahead. These are my notes, to access as we go along and to refer back to next year — not advice for anyone else’s Thanksgiving! Though, feel free to share your keeping it simple Thanksgiving ideas with me!

Tentative Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
Dad’s Roast Turkey and Stuffing (I’ll make, my Dad’s recipe)
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole (R9, make ahead)
Red Mashed Potatoes
Green Peas (C7)
Corn (C7)
Dinner Rolls (baked from frozen)
Cranberry Sauce (make ahead)
Hot Mulled Apple Cider (T10)
Pumpkin Pie
Ambrosia (J12, make ahead)
Bailey’s Irish Cream (continuing a Kyiv tradition)

Maybe. . .
Green salad? Pumpkin dip? Appetizer?

Other things to keep it simple. . .
Remember to check the oven is on “bake” not “broil”
Remember 10 am Thanksgiving service at church
Remember to thaw the turkey
A glass of wine while cooking
Do as much ahead of time
Kids participate
Peaceful music

It’s overcast and rainy this evening. Perfect autumnish weather — or at least as autumnish as we get here in Florida. This is such a yummy recipe that a friend shared with me about a decade ago. It took awhile to hunt it down this afternoon, so now I’m posting it for easy reference.

Bayou’s Hearty Bacon Potato Soup

2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 (8 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 tsp. thyme

In 3 quart pan, cook bacon for 5 minutes (longer for crisper bacon). DO NOT DRAIN. Add potatoes and onions and simmer 20 minutes (at this point you MIGHT want to drain a LITTLE of the grease– it was awfully RICH RICH RICH). Add remaining ingredients and cook 10-15 minutes. I sprinkle a little grated cheese over the top. Enjoy!!

Some notes: I’ve modified it a lot at times and it is always good. If I didn’t have cream of chicken soup or sour cream, so I just used milk or yogurt and added a little flour before adding to the potatoes so it was a little more saucy. I’ve added Lipton’s onion soup mix when I’ve had it on hand and I thought it might add a little more flavor. I’ve used fresh green beans instead of corn. And I’ve left out the thyme when I didn’t have any on hand.

Mac & Cheese isn’t on our regular meal rotation. I’ve never been good at making it, but my family loves when Hubby’s mom makes it. A few weeks ago we had a delicious surprise, Mrs. E brought us dinner. The family raved and she kindly emailed me the recipe. Now I’m sharing the recipe with you (as well as keeping it easy to access for me.) Did I mention we’re making this for lunch today, too?

*

MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package elbow macaroni
1 lb cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg – beat slightly with fork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried onion (or fresh) – optional
1 8 oz package cheddar cheese (grated or shredded)

Method:
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over noodles and mix well. Bake 45 minutes at 350 – uncovered – or until heated through. Use 9×13 pan. This can be made ahead of time, or frozen.

Notes from Mrs. E: I have made this casserole numerous times: for guests, church dinners, families needing a meal. It it always well-received; and, it’s so easy to make. . . when I made the dish for your family I used a mixture of shredded (mild? or medium?) cheddar, colby and jack cheeses (I think those were the ones.) I think L. says she sometimes adds a little ham.

This recipe was probably the first one I put online in my Computer Cookbook archives. Thanks to Michelle, I’m reposting it and making it for my family today.

Carin’s Almond Chicken

½ C flour
1/3 C butter, melted
1 t celery salt
1 t paprika
½ t salt
½ t curry
½ t oregano
¼ t pepper
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 ½ C whipping cream
1/3 C dry bread crumbs
¾ C sliced, toasted almonds

Add spices to melted butter. Cover chicken with flour; dip into butter mixture. Place in dish (9×13). Pour cream around chicken. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes. Combine bread crumbs with remaining butter (or melt more). Remove chicken from oven, uncover, sprinkle with buttered crumbs and almonds. Bake uncovered for 5-8 minutes.
Serve with warm pasta.

Carin’s Notes: I never toast the almonds (and my slicing is dubious – in fact, once I left out the almonds all together!), I rarely measure the butter, and have used half cream half milk or other variations. The only spices included in the recipe that I do not buy here are celery salt and oregano.

My Notes: I serve this with rice, because whenever I make pasta for a crowd it’s too starchy and sticky. Instead of heavy cream (which is expensive here) I use 6% milk, and it turns out just fine. Though, I don’t remember if 6% milk is available in the States. I make mine without celery salt, because I don’t have any–it still tastes good, but Carin’s is better. This recipe doubles easily. I usually cut chicken breasts into thirds, so that I can serve less meat to the children. Tonight, 10 breasts served 12 adults and 4 children, with enough left over to send home with a friend for her husband and mother.

On a completely different note, do you have recommendations on how to cook dried beans so that they taste good? :)
–Carole

Carole, who obviously knows her way around a kitchen already, asked about the wonderful, marvelous, nutrient-rich (and cheap! unless you live in Ukraine) legume.

It’s Monday, and we have a New Orleans carry-over tradition of Red Beans and Rice on Mondays. Only, now it’s morphed into any kind of bean on Mondays. (Once upon a time, I also did laundry on Mondays, as tradition dictates. . . now I’m just thankful whenever it gets done. . .)

Red Beans and Rice is still my favorite. It’s comfort food and totally divine when served with hot buttered French bread. Hubby prefers Cuban Black Bean soup with a dollop of sour cream.

While those are our most common bean-based meals, it’s good to have a range of recipes to try. Most of these recipes can be modified easily for the vegan and vegetarian amongst us. However, I’ve found that cooking beans with just a little bit of meat makes it yummier.

I usually make a full pot of beans or a double batch, and freeze the leftovers in smallish ziplock bags. Lots of recipes call for canned black beans–having your own in your freezer is quick and inexpensive, and doesn’t have the metallic taste some canned beans have. (I do the same with brown rice–DIY convenience foods.)

The Bean Report is a good resource for info on cooking beans and minimizing their oftimes unpleasant side effects. One other thing I find important is not to salt the beans until after they are cooked.

Sooooo. . .

What other bean recipes should Carole and I try?

Just a collection of recipes I want to keep handy so I can try them.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Pierogi Casserole

Shiny, Happy Carrot Hummus

White Bean and Avocado Club

Crispy Falafel

Lemon Spinach Chickpeas

Garlicky Bean Spread

Hummus Hall of Fame

Potato Sourdough Starter and Herman

Herman Pancakes

Grilled Fish Tacos

Spatulatta’s Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Easy Granola Bars

Chickpea and Escarole Soup in a Breadbowl

Sweet Squash Flan

Winter Sage Pesto

Coconut Curry Rice

Indian Carrot Salad

Lavender Lemonade

Chicken Mole

Artichoke Soup

A Good French Bread Recipe

Black beans. . . Yummy and good for you. I make a big pot o’ beans and then freeze leftovers in baggies to use when I need convenience foods. (I really dislike the metallic taste of canned beans.)

But, it gets a little too routine to make Cuban Black Bean soup one day and have Bean Enchiladas the next, so I’ve gathered some recipes to expand my black bean repertoire.

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Hummus

Moros y Cristianos

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

Fusion Black Bean Dip (Dare I?)

Kitchen-Sink Quesadillas

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Veggie Enchiladas

I’ve got to say, I’m super thankful that my boys will eat just about anything. They are each allowed to choose one food that they don’t have to eat, but if it is in something I prepare, they are responsible for just eating around it. Right now, the “one things” include leeks, onions, carrots and lima beans. For a long time, monkey brains were R8′s “one thing” and then he realized I never serve those. . .

I’m thankful they are willing to try just about anything. One wasn’t thrilled with the millet I’ve made a few times. I tried to convince them it was yummy by saying it was like a cross between rice and couscous. I forgot that rice had been his “one thing” for quite a while.

We had a light lunch the other day of veggies dipped in hummus and toasted pita bread. Hubby bought the hummus at the grocery store, and it reminded me of how much we all like it. It’s pretty easy to make, too–and you can skip the tahini if you aren’t a hummus purist.

Tonight we had deeeelicious Cuban Black Bean soup. We try to have a legume-based dinner once a week, and Black Bean soup is a fave. I forgot just how good Cuban Black Bean soup is when you’re sure to season it with cumin and serve with fresh chopped onions and sour cream. Yummmm. We all had seconds.

Maybe it’s the cooler weather, but I’m more inspired to cook and create in the kitchen these days. R8 is asking to make apple butter with me–I’ve hardly done any canning since Ukraine.

J11 is very handy in the kitchen. It took me years to be able to make good pancakes, and he’s mastered it at age 11. Still, it’s easiest to use a mix in the box, but when he’s cooking and the other boys are eating. . . well. . . we can go through a lot of pancakes! So here are some make-your-own-mix recipes for us to try out.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

4 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup non-fat dry milk
2 tablespoons cinnamon
5 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Makes about 8 cups.

To cook the pancakes, beat together:
2 eggs
1/3 c. of melted butter

Little by little mix in:
2 c. of pancake mix
1 c. of water

Perfect Pancake Mix

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

Stir 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of milk in a mixing bowl until smooth. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy with maple syrup.

New google tools make me giddy. I guess it is my inner tech-geek trying to manifest. Thanks to Gid, I’ve been playing around with a new google app that is still in beta: Google Recipes.

(Oddly enough, right before reading about it over at Gid’s, I was googling a recipe for chili for Hubby, since I don’t have all the ingredients on hand for his Mom’s recipe.)

Reposting, so Hubby has the recipe easily at hand. I soaked the beans last night, and he’ll be cooking them today.

Red Beans and Rice. It was comfort food, as well as a staple, as I grew up. My Mom tells me how they had it every Monday, as is traditional in New Orleans. Monday is wash day, perfect for having a pot of beans simmer slowly on the back of the stove all day. Even better, if there is a leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner.

I rinsed and started soaking my red beans last night. Here is a rough recipe for New Orleans Red Beans and Rice–it’s one of those recipes that becomes better as you tweak it over time and adjust it to suit your family.

2 pounds dried red beans, sorted and rinsed
Water
1/2 pound lean salt pork, bacon, or ham, diced (veggie friends–you can leave this out–but honestly, a little bacon adds a lot of flavor!)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped (opt.)
1 green pepper, chopped (opt.)
1-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
TABASCO Sauce, to taste

Hot cooked rice
Hot french bread, butter

Wash and soak beans overnight. Drain beans, and cover with fresh water Add meat and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover. Add onions, celery, garlic, and seasonings, either directly to the pot, or saute first, then add to pot.

Cover, simmer 1 1/2 to 3 hours longer, until beans are tender enough to smush easily with a fork. Add water while cooking, as needed. If you like, take some of the beans out, smush them and add them back to the pot for a thicker consistency.

Serve over hot, white rice wtih french bread and plenty of butter.