Kale, Bean, Potato Stew

This is a very simple and fast, but tasty recipe. We really liked it tonight and shared it with some friends at a makeshift library picnic. I used red potatoes instead of Yukon and added a little bit of vegetable broth to give it some depth but it is a great recipe if you follow it just on its own.

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into small pieces (4 cups)
• 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrot until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Mash half the contents of the pot until slightly thickened.
3. Add kale and beans and continue cooking until kale is tender, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Stir in vinegar and adjust seasoning if necessary. Drizzle with oil before serving.

Sopes

All Mexican dishes are great, but sopes might take the cake. They're real tasty and easy to make. 

Ingredients:

Sopes

-Maseca (Masa flour) 

-Water

-Salt

(Depending on how many you want to make, the amount of maseca, water, and salt will obviously change. just follow the same proportions to make tortillas on the back of the bag)

Toppings

-Chicken (boiled, shredded, and spiced with pepper, chili powder, and crushed red pepper)

-Lettuce (chopped)

-Refried Beans

-Crema Mexicana (It's like a mexican sour cream. you can buy it at any grocery store. But you can use sour cream if you want)

-Queso Fresco (Again, you can buy this at any grocery store. It's a crumbly cheese like fetta, but not so salty.)

-Tomato (chopped up into small pieces)

Procedure

Mix Sope dough. Make sure it turns out soft, and it helps to use warm water. Form the dough into small disks with edges pointing up. It will end up being like 5 inches in diameter and maybe a fourth an inch thick. Deep fry the sopes. 

Spread the refried beans and crema mexicans over the sope. then simply top with chicken, lettuce, tomato and the queso fresco. 

Eat and fall in love

Roasted asparagus, broccoli, and garlic with parmesan.

The creamery was selling delicious asparagus when I stopped by the other day, and I had to get some, even with the odd side affects...

I didnt follow a specific recipe, but pretty much just chopped asparagus and broccoli, minced some garlic, and threw them in a bowl. add olive oil and stir well. Add any spices you desire, such as garlic salt, pepper, basil, etc. Put on a pan, and put in preheated oven at 475 degrees. I cooked it for about 10-12 minutes, or until tender. then top with parmesan (preferably fresh...but you know us poor college students...).

ENJOY!

Moroccan Couscous

Another one from my teacher. so good! t’s cooked plain or in a wonderful salad type dish and usually eaten with meat stews that are slow cooked.  This dish goes wonderfully with the Tajine style Moroccan Chicken or just by itself as a refreshing salad or side dish.


Start boiling 2 cups chicken stock (because it gives it such a depth of flavor but if you’re trying to make it a completely vegetarian dish then use vegetable stock or plain water) and ½ tsp kosher salt together.

Start by boiling

Add  1 1/4 cup of couscous and  take off the heat.  Cover and let sit for 5-6 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

In a large skillet heat  ¼ cup olive oil and add 1 small chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic minced into small pieces.

Saute  for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the garlic is very fragrant then add the couscous and toast for 8 minutes or so, couscous should get slightly brown.

Take it off the heat and pour into a large bowl and while still warm:

Add to couscous:

½ cup feta cheese

Chopped bell peppers

Chopped avocado

½ cup flat leafed parsley

Cucumber

Toasted almonds

Dressing:

¼ cup oil

1 large lemon, zested

¼ tsp salt

Pepper (fresh cracked if you can)

Juice from lemon

Whisk to make dressing.  It will become a delicious opaque golden colored dressing. Pour over couscous and toss together.  Enjoy right away as a side dish or with any Moroccan style stew!

Homemade Pizza

1 cup hot water

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon yeast

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

In large bowl, pour the water then sprinkle the yeast over it. Sprinkle the sugar over mixture and stir. Cover and put in warm place for 15 minutes. Add oil, salt, and flour until all flour moistens. Roll pizza dough on flour board. Place on greased pan. Cover with toppings. Bake at 475 degrees for 8 minutes. Enjoy. I remember mom made homemade pizza when we were younger and how we got to make our own pizza with toppings we like.

Homemade Chicken Noddle Soup

1 5-6 lb stew chicken ( or you can use frozen chicken)
6 cups water

1/3 chopped onion

2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

6 medium ears of corn or 1 one pound can corn

1 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoon snipped parsley

In large pot combine the chicken, water, onion, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling, simmer, covered and do it for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Meanwhile cut corn of the cobs, scrape cob. ( should equal 2 cups)Remove chicken from broth, cool, take off fat, skin and take meat off bones. If it is boiled then cut chicken. Set aside. Skim excess fat from broth. Discard bay leaf. Bring broth to broiling. Add corn, homemade noodles, celery and parsley. Simmer, covered, about 8 minutes, or till corn and noodles are barely done. Add chicken and heat through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, Makes 8 servings.

Homemade noodles (these are really easy to make)

Combine 1 beaten egg, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add enough sifted all purpose flour to make stiff dough about 1 cup. Roll very thin on floured surface, let stand 20 minutes. Roll loosely, slice 1/4 inch wide, unroll, spread out. (you can roll out dough thin and cut it, put on cooling rack to dry.) Let it dry for like 2 hours.

Drop into boiling soup or boiling and salted water and cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Make 3 cups cooked noodles.

If you want you can make a Roux.

Some people use roux to thicken soups. the amount used depends upon individual taste. Mix 2 cups flour and 1 cup batter of margarine together until well blended. Store in refrigerator. When ready to use add hot liquid a little at a time,. Stir constantly until the preferred consistency is reached.

From: Soups, January 1986 Photo courtesy of http://www.themotherhuddle.com/homemade-chicken-noodle-soup/

Twice Bake Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup cheddar cheese grated

Scrub potatoes. Pierce and bake at 400 for 45 to 50 minutes. Cut cooked potatoes in half length ways. Scoop out potatoes leaving 1/4 inch thick shell. Put on a foil lined cookie sheet. In a medium mixing bowl combine scooped out potatoes, cutter, milk, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Whip potatoes with electric mixer at high speed 1 minute or until smooth. Fill potatoes shells wiht whipped potatoe mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over top. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy. I have always like twice bake because they are easy to make and taste so yummy.

Serves: 4.

By: Mother- Rosie Johnson, pictures courtesy of the pioneer woman blog

The Best Breadsticks

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon yeast (heaping)

3 Tablespoon sugar

3 cups flour (may need 4 or 5)

1/2 cup butter

Parmesan cheese

Mix water, yeast, and sugar. Add enough flour so the dough is not sticky. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Roll out. Cut with pizza cutter into 1 1/2 inch wide strips. Melt cube of butter in pan and lay strips in pan. Turn so they are buttered on both sides. Let raise 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 400 on cookie sheet until golden brown.

These are easy to make and taste so great. These breadsticks go well with soups, pasta, etc.

From: Jill Dickey

Chicken vegatable cheese soup

1 cup celery

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced carrots

1 cup onions

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheese (or cheddar cheese)

2 cups diced cooked chicken

Broil broth, reduce heat and add: celery, onion, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer til it is tender.

Separate pan melt butter, and add flour. (paste) Stir in slowly milk and boil for 1 minute. Stir in Cheese.

Boil chicken.

Note: at beginning start to cook vegetables. Stir all together: vegetables, flour paste, and chicken. Enjoy.

1) vegetables, 2) boil chicken, 3) flour paste, 4)stir all together.

serves 8.

Lori made this for dinner one time and invited me over. I like how simple it is to make, it is so great to eat.

from: Lori Stafford

Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes)

Don't mind the name. This is a great dish. The best cuban food you'll ever eat. We made it tonight and it turned out great. I found a good recipe on http://cookingwitcrystal.blogspot.com/2011/06/cuban-ropa-vieja.html.

You will need:

2 1/2 pounds beef flank steak

6 Tbsp ground cumin

4 Tbsp EVOO 

2 cups beef broth

(2) 8-ounce can's tomato sauce

(2) 6-ounce can's tomato paste

2 Tbsp distilled vinegar

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded & sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded & sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

To make:

Rub the steak with 3 Tbsp cumin on both sides. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp EVOO over med-high heat. Add steak & cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to Crock Pot.

In large mixing bowl, mix together the broth, tomato sauce, paste, vinegar, garlic, salt, & remaining 3 Tbsp cumin. Then add the remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO. Stir well. Then add onion, bell peppers, & cilantro. Stir again & pour mixture over steak in crock pot.

Cook on high 4 hours or low up to 10 hours. The meat is ready when it falls apart when pierced with a fork. Use 2 forks to shred the meat. Let it sit for 15 minutes. 

Serve with white rice, black beans (keep the liquid), fried plantains, and bread. You'll love it!

Chicken Taco Salad and Cheese Sticks

Two really healthy choices right? Well, we have to balance somehow.

Chicken Taco Salad (really basic; add whatever you want)
Boil a few pieces of chicken (I do two or three for the two of us). When they are done cooking, shred the chicken by pulling them apart with two forks. After it is shredded add taco seasoning and mix around (we also mix in bbq sauce instead of taco seasoning for a bbq chicken salad- whatever your mood fancies).
Lettuce
Carrots
Cucumbers
Avocados
Peppers
(Whatever veggies you want!)
Top with dressing of your choice; if desired.

Cheese Sticks/Onion Rings
Cheese stick
Onion Ring
1 egg
Flour
Panko bread crumbs
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Oil

Mix together the Panko, garlic salt, and oregano. Cut the cheese stick in half, or cut a slice of onion. Role the cheese stick or onion in flour, then role it in the egg. Cover the cheese stick or onion in Panko. Heat the oil in a deep pan until hot enough to fry. Place the covered cheese sticks or onion rings in the oil and fry until a nice golden color. Dab them with paper towel because there is no need for that extra oil :) I know they're unhealthy but they are mouth watering good.

Best Poor Man's Meal

This meal is without a doubt one of my favorites....but I will probably say that about each of the recipes I post on here. This is delicious Shepherds Pie. It is a nice easy meal that just gets thrown together. This is a recipe from our Enumclaw Tri-Ward cookbook by Carla Jarman.

Shepherd's Pie
1lb. ground beef
1/4 C onions, chopped
1/4 C celery, chopped
1 C cream of mushroom soup
1-2 C green beans
cheddar cheese, slice or grated
2 C mashed potatoes

I don't ever add in the celery, onions, or cheese. You cook the meat and boil the potatoes. Mash the potatoes and season with anything of your choice. I typically do butter, a little sour cream, a little cream cheese and garlic salt and pepper. Layer the in the following order: meat, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and then mashed potatoes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the pan uncovered.

I know those directions were not the clearest but the meal is easy enough and I'm sure most everyone has made it anyway. I just LOVE it so much.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

For the first post in this blog, I'll put down what we had this afternoon for lunch. The lettuce wraps that Caitlyn makes are one of my favorite dishes of hers. They have a little Thai kick to them, being flavored with peanut sauce and also a little hoisin sauce. She simply sautéed the squash and zucchini, added the sauce, and then we stuff it all into lettuce. We added some crushed peanuts, i put on some coconut, and we ate the little guys. Try it...you won't be disappointed.