Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Cheddar

                This is a wonderful soup that can be made thin or thick.  Or maybe in between.  I wanted the cauliflower to be chunky so I did not puree. If you want a smooth thick soup, then once the cauliflower is tender remove it and puree with a small amount of liquid.  REMEMBER that you should only puree about a cup at a time if you are using a blender.  This keeps the extremely hot liquid from splashing onto you!  You can also use a stick blender that goes directly into the pot.  You can only puree part of the cauliflower, if you desire, too.   I served this with a lovely salad and a slice of toasted Oatmeal Walnut bread.  It was a wonderful dinner for a chilly evening.

Warm Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad with Garlic and Orange Dressing

                What happens when you join a CSA?  Well, you get lots of delicious vegetables.  And in my case, these are delivered to me with a text message, in case I am not there.  So the items that were in my delivery this week included kohlrabi, turnips with greens, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, oranges, key limes, English pea shoots, and homemade apple butter.  Can you say “YUM”?

                First of all, I did not know what the shoots were and had to ask.  Chris, a friend, and I had all tasted them and could not identify what they were, other than wonderful and crispy.  Since I tend to crave green, crispy salads this time of year, I decided to roast some of the root vegetables and cauliflower.  Served warm on a bed of pea shoots really hit the spot.

Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

You are probably wondering why there is no photograph of this recipe, right?  Well, it is because we ate it! Seriously. The bratwurst and sauerkraut, not the photo, he-he. I thought that I had a picture that could be used but I did not, so it is time to use your imagination. Yea!

This is very easy but it does take a little while to cook.  The bratwurst needs to be boiled in beer first and then baked.  Once the links are boiled, you can put everything in the oven to finish cooking.  Throw some frozen biscuits in the oven, (cook in a separate pan) at the last minute and your family will be amazed.  This works well for any type of sausage.  Boiling reduces the amount of fat left in the meat, however, if you use the same beer to bake with, then that does not apply.  I use fresh beer hoping to reduce the amount of fat clogging my arteries.  You can substitute chicken broth for the beer if you are opposed to using alcohol.

1 package of Bratwurst
12 to 24 ounces of beer or chicken broth, divided
1 32-ounce jar of Sauerkraut, I use Libby's
Caraway Seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, place bratwurst and pour in enough beer or broth to just cover.  Bring to boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  The sausage will appear gray.

Wash and drain sauerkraut, place in an 8" X 8" oven proof baking dish.  Toss with caraway seeds, if using.  Place boiled bratwurst on top of sauerkraut.  Add 6 ounces of beer or broth.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.  When the tops side of the sausages are crispy, turn over and brown the other side, about 20 minutes, more.  Remove from oven, and adjust the heat to accomodate the frozen biscuits.  Tent the bratwurst to keep warm.  Cook the frozen biscuits as directed.

Enjoy!

Deloris

Brussel Sprouts with Fresh Ginger and Orange

 

Brussel Sprouts  are wonderful this time of year and roasting them is my favorite way to cook the little gems.  This was something that just sounded good so here is a new way to roast brussel sprouts.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1 pound of Brussel Sprouts, washed, trimmed and cut in halves

2 Tablespoons of Sepay Groves Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Orange Rind, finely grated

1 Tablespoon of FRESH Ginger, finely grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Before grating ginger, scrape with the edge of a spoon to remove the outer layer.

Line a jelly roll baking sheet with foil.  Place brussel sprouts in the pan.  Toss with Sepay Groves Olive Oil, orange rind, ginger, salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cut sides start to caramelize.  Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Deloris

Crazy, Brown Tomatoes~Yummy and Unique

I just had to share these crazy, brown tomatoes.  I do not know how the seeds arrived to produce these little tomatoes (you can visit Kumato.com, for more answers) but these are so unique that you have to try at least one package.  The seeds are NOT genetically engineered, just the result of traditional breeding methods.  But the color is not the unique part.  Many heirloom tomatoes have unusual coloring.  The uniqueness is the flavor.  In the background of the photograph is some fresh basil that I purchased while buying the tomatoes.  While slicing the tomatoes, I tasted a piece and it was like eating tomato and basil, together.  Immediately, I thought it was the basil on my hands or the knife but that was not the case.  I washed my hands, again, then the knife, removed the basil and started over on a clean cutting board.  The result was the same.  Even after the basil was gone, the tomatoes still had that flavor.  So if you like tomatoes and basil together, you have to try these Kumatos.  I purchased these at HEB and the package contained five tomatoes.  These little gems are pricey but certainly worth it for a celebration meal. (Christmas Dinner).  I hope that you leave room in your grocery budget to try these!

Michael and Garilyn's Delicious Squash Casserole

This is a recipe from Michael Cowger and Garilyn Hutchinson.  The beautiful squash were provided by Carrie and Jerry Kennedy.  Michael and Garilyn generously shared this recipe.  The first time I made this, I used butter and heavy whipping cream; it turned out rich and delicious.  It was a little sweet for my taste and no sugar was added.  The next time that I made this, I used Sepay Groves Olive Oil and whole milk.  The texture was still the same but it was not as sweet.  So try the recipe both ways and see which you like better.  You may like the butter and cream, best!

Fish with Garbanzo and Cantaloupe

I know that you are thinking that I have lost my mind.  But this works wonderfully, together.  Chris questioned my sanity when I started placing the dishes on the tables. He agreed with me, after trying the wrap, this is great.
You will only need a half pound of fish because this is a very hearty and filling meal. You can purchase naan or flat bread, but I have included the recipe.  The seasoning recipe for the fish is also included and only takes a few minutes to mix.  You will have quite a bit left over.  Just store it in a cool place.
I made the flat bread first.  While it was cooking, I prepared the fish, drained and rinsed the garbanzo beans, zested and juiced the limes,  chopped the onions, minced the garlic, and sliced the cantaloupe.  Cooking the bread takes the longest time in this meal.  Once that is completed, the fish and vegetables take less than fifteen minutes to cook. 

Gazpacho with Spanish Style Bread

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This is my version of two Spanish classics.  We enjoyed both.  I cooked the onions and bell peppers and then processed everything to a coarse consistency.  Otherwise, this just tastes like less salty V-8 and that is not what I wanted.

You can process this as much as you like, it is up to you, but you will need to allow time for everything to chill, which is at least 2 hours.  Wait to grill the bread until just before serving the soup, unless you are eating it as an appetizer.

I love bread prepared in this manner.  It was part of the first meal that I had when I visited Spain.  It took me a while to realize that the bread had been rubbed with tomato.  The amount of juice from the tomato did not make the bread soggy, it was just lightly rubbed and added a hint of flavor.  Reserve a couple of slices of tomato to rub the bread.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

This makes an elegant meal and it is quick to cook.  It does require a few pans but the end result makes this dish worth the clean up.  Bring this out in the casserole dish and let everyone serve themselves.  I suggest  that you cube the chicken.  I cut mine into strips and it would have been easier to serve, if I had cubed it.  But the meal was delicious and, other than the manner in which I cut the chicken, I was very pleased.

I used bacon in this but you could substitute oil for frying and ham in place of the bacon bits.  It is strictly up to you and what your family likes..You will not need to cook the sauce as long as you would if you were serving it as gravy.  It will finish cooking in the oven.

Tortellini with Peperoni and Vegetables

If you follow my blog, you are aware that I am not a big proponent of prepackaged, processed food, but sometimes, you have to do what you have to do.  If you have time and the inclination to make your own tortellini, invite me over.  But I do not have that kind of time, currently.  School has started and we are going in all sorts of directions, but we still like to eat together, at the table.

This meal took a total of 40 minutes, including chopping the vegetables and boiling the tortellini.  It takes longer to go to the drive-thru and come home that that.  Seriously!

Chicken with Peaches, Pineapples, and Peppers

This is another Asian influenced, freezer recipe.  I did have to cook the rice, this time; but  I had enough left over to make fried rice out of the remaining filling from from the beef pot stickers.  So I got 3 different meals from cooking twice.  I like that!

The meat, fruits, and vegetables were previously prepped and frozen.  If you are wondering about my reason for freezing pineapple, I will explain.  I made two pineapple upside down cakes earlier this year.  I did not use all of the pineapple or juice so I froze the remaining portions.  I used part to make the Pineapple Paradise but I still had a package remaining and it was time to get it out of the freezer.  By freezing ingredients in this manner, it allows me to have the food prepared and cuts down of the actual time of preparing the meal.  I like that, too!

The rice took a little less time to cook than the meat, but all in all, it went fast and we were eating in about 40 minutes.  Which was good because this is delicious and I was very hungry.

Fried Rice with Fried Chicken

Many of our meals are out of the freezer and this is one of them.  When ever fresh vegetables start to soften, I thoroughly wash, cut out any spots, chop, and freeze When cooking rice, I make more, then freeze in containers. Chickens are  cut up and frozen by types of meat, dark or light.  If specific pieces were purchased, such a legs or wings, I try to portion those out in serving sizes large enough for 1 meal.  I really do not like to eat left overs.
So when Chris took out frozen chicken breast and frozen rice for dinner, I had everything I needed for this delicious meal.

Eggs and Peppers

This is Chris's idea and it turned out wonderful!  We had it for dinner one evening because it was fast. And I had not been to the grocery store, It was one of those "let's see what is in the pantry" meals,
 It does take a few minutes to blanch the peppers, but you do not want to get the pepper too soft.   You can skip the blanching totally if you like baked peppers a little on the crunchy side.  I like either style, but of the two, I prefer to have blanched the pepper prior to baking.
You could add anything you like to eggs, I just had a small amount of bacon, ham, green onions. (See above~HeHe) This would make a nice vegetarian meal by adding some sauteed squash, seeded tomatoes, and onions.. Consider making more than usual, these were so good, that I wished that I had made a double batch!

Tomato Pie

A tomato pie can be sweet or savory.  I am not a fan of a sweet tomato pie so you can guess what this pie is.  Made with garden ingredients this is a great addition to a brunch  menu and makes perfect summer meal.  Add a little Rose' and it can the perfect ending to a perfect day. Use olive oil in place of bacon drippings and it is Vegan.  Add some bacon or pepperoni and make it a heartier dish.  This is very versatile.

Dilled Squash Relish

Chris was very disappointed when he realized that the Squash Chow Chow was sweet.  So, I made him Dilled Squash Relish.  It does not take as long as the Chow Chow to prepare but is very close to same ingredients.  Some recipes for dilled relish call for chopping the dill, but my mom always stuck a sprig of dill in the jar when she was ladling in the vegetables.  That allows the cook to adjust the dill to taste.   These jars of relish need to rest about 3 months before opening, to allow the flavors to meld.

Fresh Chilled Tomato Soup with Peach Salad and Parmesan Toast

When I received my shipment of Sepay Groves Olive Oil and Vinegar, Peggy included some new recipes.  This is my rendition of the recipes that she sent. If you can get garden or Farmer's Market produce by all means use that.  Try this even if grocery store produce is all you can get.  It is very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Farmer's Market Brunch (Eggs Mornay)

Chris said that I have made this before but I can not remember doing that. Must be old age?  This came from an abundance of fresh ingredients from the garden and Farmer's Market. This brunch is wonderful if you have fresh ingredients from the garden or Farmer's Market, but if all you have is from a grocery store, it will still be delicious.

Corn Relish and The 4th of July

We are having a Hot Dog Bar for our July 4th celebration.  With the extreme heat of this summer, already underway, this works out perfectly.  It takes very little time to assemble and we get to spend time with our guests.

Road Trip to the HOT Farmer's Market

I know that there is a lot of talk, lately, about the Waco Downtown Farmer's Market.  But you should also know about the Farmer's Market at the HOT Fairgrounds.  I have been purchasing wonderful fresh vegetables from that location for many years now.  There is an assortment of local farms, which change, weekly.  McCarver's Farm from Kosse, Lightsey's Farm from Mexia, a back yard gardener, and a local plant propagator were there, today.

Debbie's Caramelized Squash with Cumin and Garlic

Debbie cooked this for us one evening and I forgot to photograph the dish, so  I made this delicious side, again.  Debbie used a combination of yellow squash and zucchini, but I was out of zucchini, so mine just has yellow, straight neck squash.  You can use either type of squash or a combination of both.

4 cups of Squash, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 of a large Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of Sepay Groves Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Butter, you need real butter.
1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once the butter melts, add the squash and onion.  Season with garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Flip the vegetables once, to coat with oil-butter mixture.  Then walk away and leave it alone.  Let the bottom of the squash caramelize, then flip it.  Let the other side caramelize.  Yummy! Thanks Debbie for sharing another of your wonderful recipes with us!!!

Enjoy!

Deloris