Made at home

Made at home, Stuff I make

Yup, I Tried To Make Pupusas And Curtido with an ensalada rusa on the side

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I have always wanted to try this and the Gluten Free & Easy magazine (from the editors of vegetarian times) had a recipe…and as I hunted for a side, ensalada rusa kept popping up as a popular Central American dish   

First the cabbage is chopped and carrots shredded and onions sliced.  Boiling water poured over all
  

Drained the lot and poured boiling vinegar, sugar, salt and oregano over the top and put it aside

  
  

The ensalada rusa is boiled eggs, potatoes, and mayo…plus..

  

Cooked beets.  Every recipe said red beets which makes the whole dish pink…but I only had golden ones so that’s what I used
    

Pupils a dough is super easy…masa, baking soda, salt, cumin, and water
  

16 balls with holes that get stuffed with corona cheese or beans

  

I thought I took a pic of the frying version…but nope…so they got fried in my cast iron, placed in the overnight at 230 until I was ready to serve

The hit sauce is hidden there…just puréed and simmered dry guajillo chili, fresh tomato, garlic, broth, and that’s it    
   

And here’s my source

   
 

Ingredients, Made at home, Stuff I make

New Year’s Day food

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

new years day is usually about snacks and the inevitable greens, sauerkraut, and black eyed peas.

First is a beautiful pile of a new rendition of one of my favorite appetizers.  Peppers stuffed with goat cheese, mint and cucumber.  The original recipe was for peppadews.  At Xmas I found jarred cherry peppers which were nice because of the subtle heat…and then for New Years I used jarred piquillos which were nice and gave a whole new flavor and texture (plus a wide stuffing space)   

The simmered sauerkraut hit the pan–this likes at least a three hour simmer and is even better with smoked pork or nice German sausages in the mix.  A whole bottle of dry white wine goes in, a little sugar and salt, and juniper berries, a few cloves and a few peppercorns.  A bay leaf.  This year I added some fresh thyme and Rosemarie…all of the latter to be removed before serving 
  

Deviled eggs!   Using vlassic new spice dills and my grandmas spice blend in top of the usual suspects of mayo, mustard and celery seed

 

   

Leftover cheese hunks from the night before (ps..I like every Cheese that wicked river makes particularly the steakhouse)…chips and Suzuki crackers and a nice dip with an avocado mixed in (try this sometime…it adds a layer of creamy flavor without distracting form the dips other flavors)
  

Dinner is the summer kraut, simmered kale and mushrooms in broth, and some smoky black eyed peas.

 

Ingredients, Made at home

Shakshouka gets Italian spice

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I made this the same night I made the spice blend…quick easy weeknight dish.

Into the pot goes canned tomatoes (1 roasted and crushed and 1 chopped)…a can of limas and a can of cannelini  .. Some low sodium chicken less chicken flavored broth and a touch of water and I let it simmer and reduce   

Omg…don’t talk about the lid of my pot–this is my favorite everyday pot and whatever…it gets a periodic scour otherwise just a quick wash

Anyway…make some wells, add the eggs…these happened to be from my friends hens in her own yard given to me the day they were laid
  

Cover them up and about 7/8 minutes later they are perfect

  

Pair with some gluten free focaccia from Palm Springs Thursday night street fair with an olive oil and balsamic dip
  

A quick salad with evoo and tarragon white balsamic

  

The vinegar is from Palm Springs too 
 

Made at home

Nye Eats

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

Looks like I got more booze shots than food.

It was a whirlwind…home from work at 6:05 and guests at 7

A cheese array and selection of crackers both regular and gluten free.  A cheese fondue which you see melting and gluten free baguettes, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and cornichons, a homemade dip with penzeys Tuscan sunset….shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce…and voila!  I didn’t get to my other planned dishes but this worked  

The plan was to play Game of Thrones Risk but devolved into a couple random card games and idle chatter

Maria brought us a nice pink hello kitty sparkler which I paired with a splash of Pama for Maria and Jim 

   

While Ryan and I killed two bottles of Take the Black stout in my new Game of Thrones steins…chased by the enjoy after 12/26/15 seen below

Then Ryan and I had jalapeño margarita with the most awesome mix ever! And we used a reposado  

  

Yes, besides the game of thrones steins, everything else was drank from Barbie glasses
  

That sparkling Syrah was very very nice!

 

The subsequent pictures have been censored.

Ingredients, Made at home

My great grandma’s spice blend

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I made this year as part of my Christmas gifts to family.  This is a concoction that my great grandmother used to make and use mixed into the egg dip when she fried chicken.  After all the chicken was ready to go, she would fry the egg dip for her grandchildren to eat while she cooked (and later, this great grandchild who spent hours in the kitchen cooking with her).

The color and taste will never be exact because decades have passed and things change…this batch was a giant purchase from  Penzeys and she always used Spice Islands.  The exact ingredients have been hotly debated but I have transcribed my version from one that she wrote—however I think she took some liberties….(this is the same woman who taught me to cook by measuring things by her hand/eyebal).

I don’t make fried chicken but I love this on fried eggs and in deviled eggs (I assume that’s the mental connection with eggs).

She used to make it and give it away freely but in today’s dollars from penzeys it ran me about 17.65 a jar to make.

Below you see another actual mise en place from me which is rare.

  

It’s equal parts of onion and garlic and thyme and cumin and marjoram and more for a total of thirteen ingredients.  The mace and cloves need to be half portions though.
  

It all gets combined

  

Jarred in handy penzeys jars
  

And labelled!

 

I also dated the jars so it doesn’t get stale dated …however, after she died, I nursed my last jar for years and it still tastes like childhood:-)

Ingredients, Made at home

Gluten free gnocchi with cannelini and chanterelles

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

continuing my holiday catch up Posts from the past two weeks ….  This was Christmas week.  I actually took the time for a mise en place as I prepped my gnocchi.  This gluten free gnocchi I buy from Amazon in a four pack which is fare less expensive than the gluten free one at sprouts or whole foods as is the olive oil that I have on Amazon subscription.  

I sautéed the elephant garlic, beans and chanterelles in olive oil with the penzeys pasta sprinkle spice mix
  

Boiled my gnocchi

  

Added the garlic greens
  

Added a quicks salad with olive oil and balsamic
 

And I had a quick weeknight dinner with minimal pots to wash

Made at home

Romanesco 

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I’m so far behind.  Here’s a post I started two weeks ago as I frantically figured out a use for my romanesco before it aged away….there are such pretty creations with their spires… They have quite a nutty flavor    

My favorite way to cook them is a sauté – usually with mushrooms.  In this case I had dried mushrooms

Add beans and spices and voila!

  

My ever present daily avocado

  

Gluten free bread
  

A quick meal is born

 

Made at home

Mushroom/lentil/nut loaf returns

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

 The loaf still lives on and is incarnated into a pasta sauce tonight…

Cans of tomatoes and my favorite sliced portobellos which are on my Amazon subscription by the case…

  

Mix me up with spices of your choice
  

Crumble in some loaf

  

Cook up some gluten free pasta
  

She’s done

  

Add a side salad with the cutest little lettuces I buy at the farmers market
  

Gluten free focaccia from the Palm Springs steer fair with olive oil and balsamic wrap it all up

 

Ingredients, Made at home

Green tomato and mushroom/nut burgers

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I was watching tabouli on tv the night before I made this and was thinking what to do instead of bulgur ….so I searched my fridge and came up with this pretty salad of Italian parsley, cannelini beans, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice…a tad of red onion   

Oven fries coated with olive oils and franks red hot (a new kind with ginger in it and a sweetness)
    

Baking the lentil/mushroom/nut loaf while baking the burgers
  

Ian’s gluten free bread crumbs on the green tomatoes waiting to be oven fried

  

Finishing
  

I totally forgot the brand of buns

  

The new spice pickles from vlassic 
    

  
   

Ingredients, Made at home

Mushroom-nut loaf nights

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

Made a mushroom but loaf last night (which is one of my favorite roast like meaty dishes) and it was a fail in texture and was crumbly so today I took a piece of it and mushed it up with a little egg and a little grated cheese…   
  And made little mini meatloaves  
And the texture worked!  This ended up being the most meaty textured loaf I’ve made before

And gravy to go with the loaf and some potatoes 

The gravy was Powdered no chicken broth from whole foods bulk bins that I love with some tapioca starch stirred into olive oil.  I added a tad half and half and the rest was water…this worked out well and tasted good

    
My completed meatloaves

 
My pretty lettuce

   
The salad gets the tarragon vinegar and olive oil treatment

   Look close for the tiny cilantro micro greens which is code for coriander sprouts