While you are there see, from left to right on your radio dial, Uxmal, of course Chichen Itza (crowded), and Tulum (very picturesque) ruins.
THE FLAN IS GREAT ANYWHERE IN MEHICO.
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I confess. I could eat pizza and chili 3 meals a day, 7
days a week. I am going to divulge a great chili recipe, courtesy of my
mother-in-law's private cookbook. Don't forget "Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
The more you eat the more you toot". Here's a little vegi pizza instruction
also. 1) Ma's Chili 2 lbs. ground chuck 2 quarts Hunt's canned tomatoes 1 can Bush's kidney beans 3 onions,chopped several eyes garlic 1 T. salt 1 t. pepper 1 T. McCormick chili powder 3 stalks celery, chopped 2 green peppers, chopped 1/2 bottle Heinz cocktail sauce Brown the meat , onion, garlic, celery and green pepper in a heavy kettle. Add tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes. 2) "Good for you pizza" with mushroom "sausage" From an unknown magazine For "sausage": 3 cups chopped portabello mushrooms 2 T. Bertolli olive oil 3 crushed garlic cloves 2 t. Schilling fennel seed 1 1/2 t. McCormick dried Italian herbs 3/4 t. McCormick crushed red pepper salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients. For pizza: 12 inch Boboli thin pizza crust 8 ounce can Hunt's tomato sauce 1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion 3/4 cup shredded Kraft mozzarella cheese Place crust on large pizza pan. Top with sauce, "sausage," pepper, onion, cheese. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Cut into 6 slices. |
| Here's a really good, really economical, really easy main course.
Figure 1/2-3/4 lb. per person of boneless country style pork ribs. On sale, find
them for about $2 per pound (we like them from our local McKay's market in
Oregon). Just cover them with Kraft barbecue or sauce flavor of choice and cook
at 325 Fahrenheit for 2-3 hours, in a covered casserole dish. They'll just fall
apart and most of the fat will be gone. Turn while cooking 2 or 3 times. You'll
think you are eating baby back ribs! Delicious Sweet Rice From MA Interpretation SIS Riceland Rice Whole Milk Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream McCormick Cinnamon Sticks Imperial Sugar McCormick Ground Cinnamon Using large pot or Dutch Oven, cover bottom of pan completely with rice (pan bottom should not show through), add water to approximately 3/4" above rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until most of the water is absorbed and rice is sticky. Thin rice with milk and cream (4 to 1) so that it is almost double in size. Reduce heat to setting just above simmer (reduce to simmer if rice sticks), stir often, and cook until thick. Stir in milk and cream to thin; add 1 cup sugar, and 5 cinnamon sticks. Continue to cook, as rice thickens stir in milk and cream, add additional cinnamon sticks and sugar to taste. STIR OFTEN MAKING SURE RICE DOES NOT STICK. When rice is tender and thick, pour into bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Allow to cool before refrigerating. Cook time is approximately 4 to 4 1/2 hours. CAUTION: Not a weight watching dessert. Yum. Is beer a recipe? I like Widmer Brothers Brewery beer to soak my brats in. And they have good "Prosts" under the cap. I like to support my local brewery. THE SURVEY SAYS: WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN FROZEN PIZZA & CANNED CHILI FOR A HEALTHY MEAL? Here's the results of the "Garbage Food" luncheon foods 1* to 5* ratings. Pepperoni was used for pizza survey. Regular with beans for the chili. FROZEN PIZZA: Digiorno "Rising Crust" **** ...........................Freschetta "Naturally Rising ***1/2, crust no thrill but better reheated CANNED CHILI: Nalley's (Bird's Eye) ***1/2, a little thin but good meat ...........................Hormel **1/2, mystery meat Well, it's just canned chili, so ***** wasn't really available. NOW THE (YUCK) HEALTH FOODS GET EQUAL TIME Here's the results of the local yogurt contestants. Peach flavor was tested. Both pretty close on "nutrition". Both "Low Fat". Lucerne (Safeway) ****, a little thin, not overloaded with fruit and syrup (a good thing), good taste, contains Acidophilus & Bifidus cultures |
Happy to announce that besides coming up with this thing, my wife found her favorite mountain bike trail in our area to date. Just above Hurricane, Ut., the J.E.M. Trail fits the bill. It reminds me of the Fruita, Colorado trails, which I miss. SW recreation site here. Also here.
Creamy Carrot Jalapeno Soup, serves 4
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/3 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon each: parsley and garlic salt
2 cups organic chopped carrots
1/2 cup multi-grain flour
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup Half and Half
In a large saucepan melt the butter and saute with the onion, jalapeno, parsley and garlic salt for 3 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in flour; blend well. Stirring constantly, add stock; blend well. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. Partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes. In a blender, puree carrot mixture; return to pan.
Stir in the Half and Half and heat soup through.
burnt carrots with parsley and garlic chips
adapted from Francis Mallmann’s Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way
The original recipe called for the carrots to be served on top of arugula – awesome I’m sure, I just didn’t have any. It also involved fried goat cheese slices. Holy crap. Again, didn’t have any.
vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper
carrots
8 medium carrots, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or dried
coarse sea salt and pepper
leaves from 1/2 bunch parsley
garlic chips
4 – 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1. To make the dressing, whisk 4 tablespoons of the olive oil into the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Cut the carrots in have widthwise, then into sticks. Cutting them into quarters lengthwise did the trick for the most part, although if the larger half of the carrot is kinda thick, then 6ths is good. Toss in a bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, and coarse sea salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat. Add carrots in a single layer and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until blackened. Flip and cook for about 2-3 minutes more, lowering the heat a tid if the pan is getting too, too hot. Do this in batches if necessary – I did two. The carrots should be tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
4. Adjust the heat on the burner to medium high and carefully wipe out the cast iron pan. Heat the oil and add the garlic (test one slice to make sure the oil is hot enough). Cook until the garlic just begins to turn brown – several seconds, tops. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Don’t let the garlic get too brown, it’ll keep cooking after you’ve scooped it out. They burn really easily and then are gross.
5. Toss the carrots with the parsley and dressing to taste. Top with garlic chips.
Try not to eat all of them in one sitting, by yourself. I almost did.
EDIT: WE USED ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IN LIEU OF RED WINE. WE RECOMMEND 1/2 THE OLIVE OIL FOR THE GARLIC CHIPS.
Margherita Tortilla Pizza
Serves 4
Brush 4 8" organic spelt tortillas on
both sides
with a total of 2 T extra virgin olive oil.
Prick all over with a fork. Bake on a baking
sheet at 400F degrees for 5 minutes per side
until golden. Dividing evenly top with 1 cup
marinara sauce, onions, garlic,
and mushrooms.
Top each tortilla with one slice, torn
into pieces,
Provolone soy cheese and 1T
grated Parmesan
(mozzarella called for). Bake until
cheese melts
5-7 minutes at 400. Top with fresh basil.
OR any variation if you don't care about the
"Margherita": use romano, fresh
oregano, organic
ground beef, buffalo, tomato,
broccoli, organic
green pepper, jalapenos. The less real
cheese and
the more soy cheese the healthier.
tortilla española
serves about 4 – 6
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
3 medium potatoes, about 1 pound, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, divided
4 eggs
1. Heat oil in a 8 inch cast iron or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add potatoes, onions, and 1/2 of salt. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently about 20 – 25 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and just starting to brown. If they’re browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
2. Place a colander in a medium bowl and dump the contents of the pan into it. Let the oil drain from the mixture.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl, beat eggs and remaining salt. Add the veggie mixture and gently stir to combine.
4. Add a tablespoon of the reserved oil back to the pan and add the egg mixture, pressing it down to an even level. Lower heat to medium low and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes, lifting edges with a spatula, until the bottom is just set.
5. Run a spatula around the edges and place a plate on top of the pan and carefully flip. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and slide the tortilla back in. Finish cooking for another 2 – 3 minutes.
EDIT: I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH HOPE FOR THIS ONE, IT SOUNDED LIKE "I'VE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS A MILLION TIMES". I LOVED IT! USE HALF THE OIL. OF COURSE 50/50 TURMERIC AND BLACK PEPPER INSTEAD OF SALT.
FISH ENTREE
green curry salmon with kiwi salsa
salsa
4 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeño, or to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
fresh lime juice
coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. I find it easiest to peel a kiwi by cutting it in half, then using a spoon to scoop out the fruit. That way you also get to scoop out and eat any leftover kiwi in the skin shell.
salmon
1 side of salmon, skin on
2 tablespoons olive oil/fat, divided
2-3 tablespoons green curry paste
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Using a butter knife, scale the skin by running the knife over it backward. Give the salmon a good rinse afterward.
2. Coat the fish with some olive oil and generously pat on the curry paste. Season to taste with salt (depending on your curry paste – mine is rather salty) and pepper. Cut into fillets.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, sear the salmon for about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets you cut. Do this in batches for the most even cooking. Don’t disturb the fish until you’re ready to flip it! You don’t want a stuck on skin mess.
Top the fish with some kiwi salsa and another squeeze of lime! Gorgeous.
EDIT: WILD CAUGHT SALMON ONLY. I'M TEMPTED TO FLAKE THE SALMON AND SERVE IT ON "TORTILLA ESPANOLA" WITH THE KIWI SALSA. Awesome. AND I HATE KIWIS! THIS IS GOOD SALSA. WE JUST MADE A PASTE OF CURRY POWDER AND WATER-WORKED FINE. I THINK THAT A SIDE OF SALMON IS ABOUT A POUND?? NOT OLIVE OIL/FAT, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL ONLY.
