The SPICE of life!

I am lucky that I get to come to Honolulu with my "Gourmet Guy" from time to time. Add to that we have a small kitchen in the place he stays so we are able to fix meals and avoid the cost of eating out all of the time. It is easier to eat healthier when you know exactly what you are preparing. Mind you we still get to eat out once in awhile as well, our favorite thing is to try and find the off beaten mom and pop restaurants that have the really great food. I love having my computer because my recipes are on file or here on the Blog. Many of the recipes are committed to memory which is helpful but I almost always go to the cupboard to get a certain spice thinking I am home and we haven't purchased it here. I always take for granted that the familiar spices are on hand or in the storage room..... SPICES the make or break it part of the meal. Oh how I miss that spice rack at home!

Chicken, Chicken and more Chicken

I am always looking for a bargain to save money on my food budget. A local grocery store had a case of chicken breasts on sale for $1.49 a pound and because I was willing to take the case and wrap the meat myself the meat manager gave me a little more of a discount. Done!!!

Forty pounds of chicken ready to wrap.

I cut my freezer wrap to size and then get freezer tape ready to go by premeasuring it ahead.
I always use gloves to wrap the meat.

With a really sharp knife and cutting board I use only for raw meat the chicken breast is cut in half and the extra fat is cut away.

Each of the chicken breast half's get wrapped individually. With our family numbers decreasing at home it is the best way for us, and they thaw out faster when they are not put in larger packages.

Wrapped, taped, and dated they are ready for the freezer. Of course clean up is important after the chicken is taken care of. I use hot soapy water to wipe things down and then use the Clorox Wipes to sanitize after. I love knowing that I have the reserve in my freezer to use for my family and love to stay within my budget.

Z Tejas Shrimp Toastada Bites our Copy Cat

When our oldest daughter's husband was going dental school in Las Vegas he worked as a valet at Z Tejas part time. He introduced us to their Shrimp Tostada Bites and we fell in love with them. So we set about to make our own version.

They are so yummy that it is impossible to just eat one. Assuming you like shrimp or course.

We bought these great shrimp on sale at a local grocery store. My "Gourmet Guy" peeled the shrimp and put the seasoning mix on them with a little olive oil and mixed them up.

We used our George Foreman Grill since it was snowing and cold outside. Usually the weather doesn't keep us from grilling but it was especially cold on this night. It was quick and easy and only took 2-3 minutes for them to be done on both sides.

We buy the flat tortilla chips and place fresh guacamole (previous recipe) on top and then the grilled shrimp.

So flavorful and good.

and so easy.

Shrimp Tostada Bites

Guacamole
Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kerry’s grilling spice mixture
round tortilla chips

Sprinkle the grilling spice mixture on top of the shrimp and grill on each side long enough for the shrimp to turn pink. Do not over grill. Place a dollop of guacamole on a tortilla chip and top with one of the cooked shrimp.

Kerry’s Grilling Mix: (This is our modified version of Emeril Lagasse's Essence)

2 ½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
½- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container

Guacamole

I am always using guacamole and listing it as a part of my recipes so I thought that it only made sense that I should post it. This is my version of guacamole.

Cut the avocado in half, since it will be mashed up the easiest way to cut the flesh out is to use a spoon and scoop right around the outside and get the avocado out.
Take a sharp knife and hit the pit so that it sticks to the blade. Simply twist the blade and pull the pit out and discard. (or save the pit to put into the guacamole after to prevent it from turning darker.)

I usually do at least two avocados when I make a batch of guacamole. Using a pastry cutter makes mashing the avocado much easier.

A secret to getting lime juice out of a fresh lime is to pierce the skin with a knife and put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Fresh lime juice adds a great flavor.

Putting the lime halves between a pair of tongs and squeezing saves your hands and gets far more juice out than I can ever do with my own hand. With the lime juice I add a large clove of minced garlic, 1/2 of an onion chopped finely, and 1/2 of a Roma tomato diced small. To bring out the taste even further I add garlic salt to taste. Mix well and serve. This goes really well with my Pico recipe and a lot of others.

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed roughly
¼ small onion, chopped finely
1 T. lime juice, fresh is the best
1 small Roma tomato, diced small
garlic salt, to taste

Blend ingredients and serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish.

Morning "Glory"

When I bake potatoes I often bake one or two extra to do things with at a later date. One of the things we like to do is "Morning Ray." It is actually from a show that we watched on the food Network Rachel Ray's Travels. Rachel purchased Morning Ray at a place in Park City called Morning Ray and it is one of their specialties. She highlighted it and we decided to try a version of it on our own. Forgetting the name I called it "Morning Glory" and it has been nicknamed that in our family since then.

First we take a potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes.

We also cut up mushrooms, minced garlic onion, and peppers. I like to use the smaller peppers to get a variation in the color. My Home Ec. teacher would be proud!

While cutting up the veggies we brown 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon cut into small pieces.
(I love the bacon from our local grocery store that you get at the butcher's counter. It is thicker and a little more expensive but it doesn't shrink down as much so I feel it more than compensates for the cost.)

After frying the bacon drain it on a paper towel to get rid of the extra grease.

With the remaining bacon grease we brown the potatoes until they are golden on the edges.

The mushrooms take a little extra time so we start them before the rest of the vegetables. They do better if they are easily spread out in the skillet and not touching another.

When the mushrooms are soft and turning brown add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook until they are translucent. In another pan make scrambled eggs. Grate the cheese.

First layer

Add the veggies

Next the bacon top with avocado or guacamole and salsa.

Finish up with the scrambled eggs and cheese. Enjoy. We don't make "Morning Glory' very often but it is sure a treat when we do.

Morning Glory

6 baked potatoes, cooled, peeled, coarse chopped
1-2 bell pepper, coarse chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarse chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salsa of your choice
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook potatoes (hash brown style) in bacon fat until browned and crunchy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In another skillet, heat olive oil and butter and saute the mushrooms until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a third skillet, scramble the eggs.

Place small pile of hash browns on center of plate. Cover with vegetable mixture. Place eggs on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Garnish with guacamole and salsa.

Ready to grill!!!

It's spring, at least by the calendar, you never know in Utah. Here in Honolulu (with the "Gourmet Guy" again) it feels like the beginning of summer. Back at home it snowed yesterday it is so crazy. Before we left we grilled a great steak with a black pepper rub (thanks Costco!) and you know it is Spring when you start to see asparagus and strawberries for sale!

I usually steam the asparagus but this time I roasted it. I placed it on a baking sheet and poured a little olive oil and coarsely ground salt and tossed it on the shelf, then baked it at 400 for twenty minutes. It was wonderful!

I love grillin' and fresh spring fruits and vegetables.

Omelets

Omelets are an easy fix in our house because we have the ingredients on hand almost all of the time.

Omelets:

2 eggs, scrambled
bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, sliced or
1/4 yellow onion, slightly sauteed
fresh basil, chopped
tomato, optional
fresh mushrooms, sliced
diced green chile's, optional
salt and pepper to taste.
cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated

Turn the eggs into a small hot skillet, salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining ingredients, per taste as quickly as possible. When the eggs are set on the bottom turn one half of the omelet onto the other. Top with grated cheese.

Minestrone

With my stove on the fritz I have had to come up with other ways to cook and of course my crock pot is one of the first things that I turned to. Soups are some of my very favorite things to make at any given time so I chose to make minestrone today. The house smelled so good and it hit the spot.

It's so easy to throw everything in and go about the day. Just about a half an hour before serving add the pasta or cooked rice.
Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and serve.

Minestrone:

1 med onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced thin
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I like to use the small ones of different colors)
1 med zucchini, sliced into rounds
2 cloves garlic minced
2 14.5 oz. cans beef broth
1 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 15.5 oz. cans kidney beans, drained

1 15.5 oz can white beans
2 t. dried marjoram (crush again to bring flavor out)
¼ t. ground black pepper
1½ c. cooked rice, optional

or small pasta shell or Ditalini

Add all ingredients except rice or macaroni in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. Add cooked rice and stir to combine. If using pasta add uncooked during the last half hour of cooking time.

St. Patricks Day

Our kids were not ones who liked Corned Beef and Cabbage for a traditional St. Patrick's Day meal. So I tried to be creative to make green foods or add coloring to make things green to eat for the Holiday. Of course green jello was always a hit but others didn't go over very well. The first time that I made green waffles and milk my oldest daughter refused to eat, but in years after they all got into the spirit of the day. Some things are easy like spinach, peas, green beans, others just need a little help. Here are a few ideas that I have done these are regular pictures but work well for the Holiday, Be Creative and Have fun. Of course who could forget Shamrock Sugar Cookies.

Asparagus wrapped in bacon and roasted, who doesn't love bacon, and the green is already there.

Split pea soup...

Mashed potatoes with green food coloring, easy

Homemade egg noodles with a little green added?

Waffles my favorite breakfast with the added color... Pancakes work well too!

Breadsticks or rolls with green added.

How about a quiche, " green eggs," or even just scrambled eggs.

Chicken Enchilada's, the guacamole is easy but add the color to the meat as well.

My favorite dinner is to make Shepherd Pie and add food color to the potatoes.

Shepherds Pie or Green Bean Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 ½ oz. can green beans, drained
1 10 ¾ oz. can of tomato soup
3-4 medium potatoes
cheddar cheese, grated

Peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time, add to salted boiling water. In a large frying pan brown the ground beef, add the onions when the meat is no longer pink. When the onions become translucent, stir in the green beans and tomato soup, heat through. Place the meat mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top.

(For a Harry Potter class I taught I made what I called a Hagrid Pie. It was simply was a huge chicken pot pie that had green food coloring mixed into the gravy and pie crust. It was probably the best chicken pot pie I have ever made and it was hysterical to see the responses of people in my class that night, some people just couldn't bring themselves to taste it. But it was so much fun to come up with crazy ideas for my class and just have fun.)

The real reason that we celebrate today in our family is Spencer, we have actually renamed it St. Spencer's day. Our cute little grandson turns four today Happy St. Spencer's day Spencer!!!!!!!

Grilled Cod

My "Gourmet Guy" used some fresh basil to top our grilled Cod. He minced the basil added it to olive oil, about a tablespoon, with course salt and pepper and minced garlic.

He placed each side of the fish into olive oil.


Then he placed salt and pepper on the fish and grilled it. Because it was snowing and very cold outside we decided to use our George Foreman grill rather than our gas grill. This is very quick since it cooks on both sides. It only took a minute for the thinest piece of fish.

After grilling he put the basil mixture on top, the fish was delicate and the topping mouthwatering.

Fresh Basil......

A couple of years ago for Christmas my "Gourmet Guy" gave me this AeroGarden. We love to have fresh herbs growing during the summer and so this is a great way to have fresh herbs in the winter. This time we filled it with Basil, yum!

One of my favorite appliances.