Final Dished-Up December!

Tonight, it was really cold in the house. Well that, or I am just inheriting my Mom and Grandma's "always cold" syndrome that came along as they aged. I hope I am not at that age just yet! LOL. Anyway...I was cold and wanting something hot and creamy to warm me from the inside. In the fridge, I found left-over rice. YES!!! Reis Milch!
Reis Milch (german for rice milk) is essentially like Rice Pudding, but less sweet and can be a little more "milky" depending on the cook. I prefer mine with a lil' extra milk. It becomes a creamy sauce of sorts. Mine is a simple version using pre-cooked (left-over) rice. So delicious!

Reis Milch

~Appx 2cups Cooked Rice
~Enough milk to cover rice (maybe just a bit more if you want it extra creamy)
~2TBS. Sugar (I don't like mine too sweet. You can add more to your liking.)
~1TBS. Parkay Butter
~1/8tsp. Saigon Cinnamon
~1tsp. Vanilla
Combine all ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce and let simmer until rice softens up and milk becomes creamy. Serve hot!
This is the type of stuff to keep ya warm on a cold, December night!
Thank you for joining me as I blog along.

With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up #12

 

Today, I am posting Salmon en Papillote. I made this last night and I must confess....it was the MOISTEST salmon I have ever made! It's juices were released with each press of the fork. Soooo yummy! I had pre-formed parchment bags on hand. I have never formed the parchment pouches myself, so I cannot attest to the difficulty or ease of such a task. The possibilities of cooking salmon en papillote are endless, so just let your creative juices flow.

Salmon en Papillote

Parchment Bags
4 Salmon Filets, skinless
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Pre-mixed Fish Seasoning, if you have it. If not, garlic powder, onion powder or whatever you have in your pantry.
Preheat oven to 375°. Place filets in bag. Sprinkle with fish seasoning, salt and pepper. Place a sprig of dill on each filet. Top with a slice of lemon. Drizzle olive oil on top. I was out, so I used a small dot of butter on each. Fold edge twice and crimp well. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness of filets. Done. Easy Peasy!!

 

 

 

 

 

Dished-Up 10 & 11

My dishes today feature CREAM CHEESE! I am just going to jump right in today and knock these "catch-up" recipes out....wooohoo!!

Ham Rolls

1pkg. Ham lunch meat, pre-packaged square/rectangular shape
1 tub Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
Toothpicks
To prep each Ham slice for the cream cheese, dab with paper towel to remove moisture. Using a butter knife, spread a thin-ish layer of softened cream cheese onto each Ham slice. Roll each slice, cutting into halves or thirds to create bite size pieces. Stick a toothpick into each. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tai's Scrambled Eggs

4-6 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper
Green onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, diced
2-3 TBS. Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Scramble eggs in skillet; salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes, onion and cream cheese. On low heat, stir around eggs until melted. Plate and top with shredded cheese.

With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up December 7, 8 & 9

So, I am behind again. My heart arrhythmia's have kicked in and I have not been in the mood to do much of anything. If you suffer from them, you probably know how distressing they can be. This time around, I was experiencing bigeminy. Those are PVCs coming every other beat. Super irritating. The forceful regular beat (which I assume pumps the backed-up blood out) was giving me headaches from pumping so hard it pulsed in my head. Anyway, I won't drone on about all of that today. I wanna use this time to catch up on my recipes. I am going to post some simple, yet delicious ones today. I don't have pictures for these, sorry. If you have any questions, just post them in the comment section. Enjoy!

Momma's Picadillo

1lb. Ground Beef
1 onion, diced
Appx 4 Potatoes, diced
2-3 Carrots, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper
Flour Tortillas
Brown ground beef in a deep skillet. Drain. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots. Cover with water and cook until carrots and potatoes are tender. Strain, reserving 1 cup of the broth. Using a potato masher, mash ingredients until it makes a thick hash. Add reserved broth as needed. Should be thick enough to hold shape when spooned. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in heated flour tortillas like a burrito.
*My Mom made homemade flour tortillas for her Picadillo. They were the best. She would pre-make Picadillo burritos and freeze them for us. A great after-school snack or quick lunch...just pop in the microwave, top with Pace Picante Sauce and....mmmm!!!

Taco Salad

1 block Cream Cheese, softened
Lettuce, chopped
Green onions, chopped
(Reserve chopped dark green ends)
Tomato, chopped
1-2cup pkg. Finely Shredded Cheese, Mexican blend
1pkg. Taco Seasoning
In casserole dish, spread softened cream cheese in bottom. Top with a sprinkling of the pre-packaged Taco Seasoning. Top with lettuce, almost to the top of the dish. Sprinkle with tomatoes and green onions. Cover with cheese. Shake remaining Taco Seasoning onto cheese, using a fork to blend.  Garnish with reserved dark green onion tops, chopped. Serve with tortilla chips or alone as side dish perfect for BBQs.

Quick And Easy Chicken Soft Tacos

1 Rotisserie or left-over Chicken, meat shredded
Caldo de Tomate bouillon powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Pepper
1/4 cup hot water
Fajita Flour Tortillas
In skillet, add shredded chicken. Add 1/2 tsp. of each of the Caldo de Tomate, garlic and onion powder.  Add 1/4tsp. Cumin. Add pepper to taste. Pour hot water over and heat on medium heat until water is absorbed. Serve in warm fajita tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese.
With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up #5&6

My two dishes are Chicken Tuscan Soup and Butternut Squash sauteed in White (weis) Gluhwein Butter. Both are very easy to make.
The Chicken Tuscan Soup can be made a couple of different ways depending on preference or convenience (white meat/dark meat, cooking own chicken/purchased rotisserie chicken).  I created this soup for my son. He always ordered a bowl of Chicken Soup with Gnocchi at our fave restaurant while living overseas. Having sampled his soup a couple times at the restaurant, I figured I could make something similar at home for him. My son, Josh, loves my homemade Chicken Tuscan Soup and requests it often....so I think I did a pretty good job in recreating it for him. Note* The mushroom shown in the ingredients pic and finished soup pic was added for Dad and is optional!
The Butternut Squash can be sauteed with the Gluhwein or any white wine. I chose Weis Gluhwein because this seasonal wine brings back memories of Christmas in Germany. Gluhwein is a traditional spiced wine served steaming hot in adorable little keepsake mugs throughout Germany at Christkindlmarkts (Christmas markets). Traditionally, it is a red wine, but occassionally you'll find it in white. My favorite is the white version. The flavor is more delicate~which complimented the squash well. I hope you enjoy these fall/winter comfort foods I share with you today.

Chicken Tuscan Soup

2 TBS olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz. (a handful or two) baby spinach
3-4 cups cooked chicken, diced
Appx 11 cups (90 oz.) chicken broth/stock
1 large tomato, diced
16oz. Gnocchi (prepackaged)
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
16oz. Half-n-half or 1 pint heavy cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan
Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is transparent. Add spinach and wilt. Add chicken and broth. Heat to boil. Add tomatoes and gnocchi. Cook gnocchi for 2 mins or as directed on package. Reduce to simmer. Add about 4-5 chopped, large basil leaves and 1-2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley. Add half-n-half or cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If the broth is not rich enough, add a little chicken bouillon. Heat through. Top with freshly grated parmesan and a leaf or two of fresh basil. Serve with crusty French baguette bread.

Butternut Squash Sauteed in Gluhwein Butter

1 butternut squash
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS white gluhwein wine
A sprinkle of brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut squash in half. Scoop seeds. Peel skin. Dice half of the squash (the other can be diced and frozen for later use). In stainless pan, add butter. Heat on med heat. Toss in diced squash. Drizzle wine on top. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over squash. Cook until squash is firm, but done (slight resistance to fork but not crisp). Salt and pepper to taste. About 5 mins.
With love, from my kitchen to yours....

Dished-Up December!!

In honor of one of my most favorite things to do....COOK...I decided that I would blog several dishes during the month of December. Some will be my favorites that I serve throughout the year and Holidays. Others will be family recipes or recipes that intrigue me from other sources. If it is a recipe from anyone other than myself, I will certainly give credit where credit is due. So, since I am already four days behind, let's get this party started!!

Browned Butter and Sage Pumpkin Gnocchi

Prepackaged Pumpkin Gnocchi
2TBS Unsalted Butter
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
Pinch of Rubbed Sage
(would have used a fresh sage instead if I had it)

Cook and strain gnocchi according to directions. Using a stainless steel pan (so you can monitor the changing color of the butter), throw in the butter. Add the thyme sprigs and sage. Once melted, the milk fats will foam. They will eventually sink to the bottom and make brown bits which are yummy. If you do not want the brown bits, remove the foamy milk fats from the butter with a spoon. Cook on medium heat until the butter is almost brown and has a nutty aroma. Turn off burner as the butter will continue to cook and brown. Remove sprigs of thyme. Toss in cooked gnocchi and stir until covered in carmelization. Remove with slotted spoon. Plate immediately.
*Where do I find unique food items, like the Pumpkin Gnocchi above??....BIG LOTS! Surprisingly, they carry a lot of european specialty items. I have found items that I was buying while living in Germany, like Spekaloos paste (a dutch paste made from graham cracker-tyyype cookies). The prices are always cheap, too!! I think I paid $1.29 for the package of gnocchi.



CHAMPAGNE TURKEY
(A recipe shared with me from my sister. I do not know where she found this recipe. We have served this for many, many years and it always goes over well with guests.)

1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 apples, cored and halved
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
...

Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.
*I use enough apples to fill the cavity. Since I buy turkeys larger than 12lbs., it takes about 4 apples.
**I do not always use champagne. I have used Prosecco, Asti Spumanti and a dry Reisling. All work well. I use the whole bottle minus one glass. Hey! The cook has to taste test, right??

 

 

 SQUASH CASSEROLE

3 cps. Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Stuffing

4 tbs. margarine, melted

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
½ cp. sour cream
2 small zucchini, shredded
2 small yellow squash, shredded
¼ cp. carrot, shredded
½ cp. cheddar cheese, shredded

• Mix stuffing and margarine. Reserve ½ cup of stuffing mixture for topping. Spoon remaining stuffing mixture into 2-qt. SHALLOW baking dish.
• Mix soup, sour cream, yellow squash, zucchini, carrot and cheese. Spread over stuffing mixture. Sprinkle reserved stuffing mixture over top.
• Bake at 350°F for 40 min. or until hot and squash is cooked through. Serves 8.

TIP: Do not try to cook this casserole in a deeper dish without adjusting the cooking time. The deeper the dish, the longer the cooking time. The squash will be nice and tender with a great flavor. If there is any crispness left in the squash, it is not done. Yes, I speak from experience. I made this ONCE without following the 2qt. baking dish direction and served it without checking. Needless to say, RAW Squash Casserole does not go over well on Thanksgiving and will be the source of many laughs in the family!

 

 

Two Minute Fudge

1 box Powdered Sugar
1/2c. Cocoa
1/4tsp. Salt
1/4c. Milk
1TBS. Vanilla
1/2c. Butter
1c. Finely Chopped Pecans (opt)

Stir together first five ingredients. Slice butter on top. Microwave for exactly two minutes. Beat until smooth. Blend in pecans and pour into an 8"x8" pan lined with wax paper (or buttered pan). Chill. Cut into squares.

 

 

I hope you enjoy these recipes. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to post them below!

 

With Love, from my

kitchen to yours....

 

 



 

 



Belated Thanksgiving Recollection

During Thanksgiving, I was a little busy because my husband was in the field. I have neglected my blog a bit. I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends. I hope you left from your Thanksgiving dinner with full bellies and full hearts. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed my day at my Aunt Betty's. I love spending the Holidays with my Aunt and her family. She reminds me so much of my Grandma and my Mom in her ways. To look at her, I am reminded of my Grandpa's gentle blue eyes and warm smile. I have always treasured her friendship and advice. Now that my Mom is gone, I treasure it even more so (even though I don't socialize as much as I should since losing my Mom). Seeing all of my Aunt's family pile into her home evokes memories of my childhood where the whole Walker clan would gather in my Grandpa and Grandma's small two bedroom home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a short recollection of a typical Thanksgiving from that time:

Some of my most special childhood memories involve Thanksgiving at my Grandma Walker's house. In preparation for the feast, I would oftentimes help her with the grocery shopping. I would try to decipher her hen-scratched, handwritten list (where she used a lot of abbreviations as well) as we made our way down the aisles: t.p., b. soda, c. st, oleo, c. meal, b. pow, HB, etc.. Her arthritis made it difficult to write, so some lists were worse than others. I jokingly mentioned that I needed a secret decoder ring to read her writing. She laughed. She had a great sense of humor...a gift she passed along to her descendants. When the cart could hold no more, we'd make our way to the checkout. Once home, the daunting task of finding room for everything began. Nevertheless, it was all accomodated....even if some of the canned goods ended up on top of the dryer.

The baking usually started on the day before the feast. The most mouth-watering aromas would drift out of that tiny, galley kitchen enticing a grandchild or two into sneaking a sample unnoticed as soon as Grandma's back was turned. Beautiful pies and cobblers magically appeared on the table, one after another, next to a slightly opened window for cooling. On Thanksgiving Day, Cornbread Dressing, Casseroles, Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy marked their spot on the buffet as they waited to accompany the showstopper...the golden-brown masterpiece with its juices perfectly sealed within and meat so tender it melted in your mouth!

Soon this tiny two-bedroom country home was bursting at the seams with daughters and sons, grandkids and great grandkids and longtime friends. With hands held and heads bowed, Grandpa would lead us in prayer and bless the food just as he did before EVERY meal. My Grandpa always sat at the head of the dining table surrounded by some of his children and their spouses. The rest of us tried to find a place in the living room, on chairs, on the floor, on the beds...where ever we could find a spot! And Grandma...still in her handmade apron, would have to be persuaded out of the kitchen to "sit down and eat, Momma" by one of her children. She was truly an amazing woman, Mother, Grandmother....and COOK. If you were to look in her kitchen after she had left her "post" and finally sat down to eat the meal she'd prepared, you would NOT have found a cookbook or recipe lying around!

My Grandparents had a huge influence in shaping the person that I am today, just as they did their daughters and sons, granddaughters and grandsons. I learned many things from them. Some things they taught me from their spoken word and other things by example. One of the greatest things they taught me was....LOVE! Unconditional love. It makes my heart happy to join my family in my Aunt's home and still feel that same love abound.

God bless you all during the Holiday Season. Thank you for joining me as I blog along!

As always, with love

from my home to yours....