Friday, January 16, 2015

cheesy cauliflower

Cheesy Cauliflower Patties = YUM YUM!

1 head cauliflower...
2 large eggs
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c panko (found in the bread crumb aisle, healthier option)
1/2 t cayenne pepper (more of less to taste)
salt
olive oil

Cut cauliflower into florets & cook in boiling water until tender about 10 minutes. Drain. Mash the cauliflower while still warm. Stir cheese, eggs, panko, cayenne & salt to taste.

Coat the bottom of a griddle or skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Form the cauliflower mixture into patties about 3 inches across. Cook until golden brown & set, about 3 minutes per side. Keep each batch warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Beet chips

Using egg rings

1. Remove all packaging and also the plastic ring inside mold before use. As with all new kitchenware products it is advisable to wash before first use. Our silicone egg rings are dishwasher safe.
2. Heat pan first before use and take care when adding ingredients to the molds, these steps will help prevent any leaks.

3. Lighty greasing or spraying the egg rings before use will help with removal.

4. It is recommended to use a flat cooking surface to ensure the rings form a complete seal.
5. The rings can be dipped in pancake or egg mix prior to placing in pan and heated briefly to help form a seal before adding filling, alternatively a dollop of butter can be added inside the ring and heated prior to adding egg to help contain within the ring.
6. Applying downward pressure on the handle or ring during initial cooking will help contain the ingredients within the rings. Once the ingredients have started to form you can reduce the temperature to finish cooking.
7. When cooking eggs, remove egg ring once whites form. When flipping eggs, wait until small bubbles form, remove ring then flip. For cooking both sides of the egg through, the handle can be folded down and a lid placed over the pan.
8. When cooking pancakes, the thicker the mix the easier to contain within the rings. Allowing pancake mix to cook thoroughly before removing ring will help retain a round shape.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Sherry's skinny shake

Have you tried the Skinny Shake before, it tastes like a Wendy's frosty:
3/4 cup Almond Milk
about 15 ice cubes
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1-2 Tbsp unsweetened Cocoa powder...
1/3 of a Banana
Blend.
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January 7 - I estimated a double.  The ice cubes won't chop in this blender.  I suggest blending it first and pouring over ice or putting it in the refrigerator.  I also used a whole banana.

Pork chops and pears

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Chops-with-Pears-and-Cider-51220640

Jan 5, 2015

Well, I never really can follow a recipe, but I came close. 
Here are the variations:

  • my rosemary, probably inherited when Bernie died was way past its prime so it was too dry and lacked flavor.  Tomorrow I buy more.  In addition it was dried and not the kind the recipe wants, so it was pretty impossible to take it out of the sauce and discard it.  Using whole sprigs for this recipe is a very good idea.
  • I forgot to roast the onions with the potatoes.  So I fried them up separately.  They were pretty good anyway.
  • I did not want all that sugar in apple cider.  I used a peach/pear seltzer and added a couple drops of stevia.
  • I did not buy Yukon Gold potatoes or bone in pork chops.  And I'm happy about that.  I used thinner slices of red potatoes and boneless, very learn pork.  Red potatoes roast up really nicely.  They also make good deep fried potatoes.  I'm happy to have used them.  The leaner no bone pork gave me more room in the pan and less fat. So when I reduced my sauce I did not throw away the pan sauce and then build the fat back up with butter.  I skipped the butter and used the olive oil based pan sauce.  Were the pork chops fatty, I could not have done that.  Also, two butterflied lean boneless pork chops fit much better in my 12 inch cast iron pan. 
  • And by the way, that pan is just great.  I got it at Target for $19, the cheapest price I could find.  Whole Foods has the same pan for $45.  Whew!  That is a markup.  12 inches is enough for most things, but at home we have a decades old pan that covers two burners.  It is just great for a fish fry.  Nothing burns in these pans.  I can't believe how easy they make cooking.
I loved what I imagined I would.  I chose the recipe  because I imagined that pork and pears would be an excellent blend of flavors.  Fruit with pork is often good.  This was great!  There was not direction, but I chose the brown, Bartlett pears. 
I don't remember ever having cooked pears in my life.

The next time I make this dish, I will insure that all the foods have a hot place to sit.  It worked well and nothing was cold, but it could have been.  The pears and pork, the potatoes and onions need to sit on a hot pan to keep them from cooling while the sauce reduces.  Since the oven has just been on, putting them on a cookie sheet in the warm over would do the trick and not spoil the delicate tastes.

The reduced sauce was absolutely great!

I don't eat potato, so each bite I allowed myself was a taste treat.  I could eat this dish without the potato, however and still enjoy it.


Finally, this goes well with a red wine.  I chose Lindy's Pinot Noir.  I chose it not because it was an educated decision, but because it was on sale for $6.99 at the Publix market.  It comes from Australia and I'll buy more tomorrow. 
However, I don't want you to think that I just chose it and moved on.  I had one of Cory's favorite Malbec wines, the Garcon that was $36 a bottle at the fancy restaurant in Tampa and $11 a bottle on sale at the same Publix.  I did two taste tests and came out with a different opinion after each.  I would have kept taste testing, but I ran out of the Malbec and at that point I remembered I had forgotten to roast the onions.  One wine while cooking this meal is enough it seems.