Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
6 oz meaty bacon, sliced into half inch pieces
2 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed and snapped in half
1 cup beef stock (chicken is ok)
2 lbs red potatoes, do not peel, but cut into equal size pieces (1 inch or so)
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 T butter Read More
Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup fine plain unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 t dried Mediterranean oregano
2 t garlic granules or powder
3 T olive oil, divided use Read More
The following recipe makes four individual servings of fry breads.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 T baking powder’
Approximately 2/3 cup warm water
Vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet Read More
enjoy the peace
At the start of a new year, many folks think about going on a diet. The word is not often accompanied by feelings of joy.
When you think of eating a cookie as failing or “breaking” your diet, you might berate yourself … or “give in” and go for more forbidden bites which makes you feel as if you personally are a failure and just cannot succeed with a diet. You are not a failure. That sort of thinking is the result of what you have been trained to think when you see the word diet.
Start the New Year off right with a southern meal designed to create plenty of luck for everyone at the dinner table. Black eyed peas form the solid foundation of a tasty southern New Year’s Day tradition. To bring financial good fortune, serve up a side of your favorite leafy green. Mustard greens are standard, but you can use any leafy green you love – spinach, cabbage, or the interesting greens from sweet potatoes.
What delicious New Year’s Day traditions do you enjoy?
Happy New Year!
Ingredients:
4 oz bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz ham, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped – include some of the delicious leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, deseeded, and minced
2 t Creole seasoning mix
1 t dried thyme
3/4 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
2 bay leaves
1 pound black-eyed peas, sorted, rinsed, and soaked
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
Water as needed
Garnish: sliced green onion
Click here for directions.
Ingredients:
1/2 c kosher salt
1/4 c garlic salt
1/4 c celery salt
1/2 c ground black pepper
1/3 c smoked paprika
1/2 c turbinado sugar
1/4 c onion granules
1 T ground sage
2 T – 1/4 c dried rosemary
Optional spices to add: 1/4 cup chili powder or 1/8 cup chili powder with 1/8 cup chipotle.
Read More
The tree will be fresh cut, the decorations will be nature or music inspired, the wreath my Grandma made will be hung, the nutcrackers shall increase in number, and books and music will rule the gifts.
While I schedule like a pro, I am not big on planning too far ahead for meals. It’s more fun to think about what I want to eat that day and make it! But, as stores are closed or have limited hours, holidays are a different story. And so, I plan, chat with my favorite butcher at the meat market, and shop accordingly.
Fortunately, it’s really quite easy to create a list of meals for our family’s traditional Three Meals of Christmas. Tradition is the buzz word in that sentence. I am allowed a certain amount of experimentation, but the food tradition basics, just like the decorative elements, must remain the same. I’ve come to terms with this and gradually tweaked the menu to make me happy to repeat it.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 T olive oil or butter
2 pie crusts
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1/4 t ground white pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, celery, etc), thawed Read More
Ingredients:
3 slices meaty bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 apple, unpeeled, chopped
1 very small or 1/2 of one medium cabbage, shredded
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Salt to taste (optional) Read More
Ingredients:
16 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t grated ginger
Spoon Mage™ Notes:
If you prefer, sub in orange zest for the juice and replace the juice with water. Or sub in Grand Marnier for the juice. If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1/8 t ground ginger. If you really hate sweet relish, reduce the sugar by half, but taste it before removing it from the stove in case you regret that. As long as it is still warm, the sugar will incorporate. Or, if you prefer – use honey or your favorite sugar substitute. Read More
Mindful Palate 