Christmas Shrimp Grits

Little by little we are perfecting this holiday dish. Ingredients:
A. 1/2 white onion chopped
B. 3 cloves of garlic minced
C. 1/3 poblano pepper finely chopped
D. 1/2 red bell pepper
E. 1 Tbs. dried rosemary ground
F. 4 shakes of Cavenders mixed spices
G. Salt to taste
H. 2 Tbs. olive oil
I. 1 qt. chicken stock
J. 1 lb. thawed deveined and shelled shrimp
K. 1 cup quick (NOT instant) white corn grits

Saute A. in H. for two min. then add B. for one min. more then add C. & D. Saute for about 2 min. until the mixture is fragrant but not yet browning. Add I. and bring to simmer. Add E. & F. Add K. slowly while constantly stirring in order to maintain boiling. Cook for approximately 3 - 4 min. until the grits start thicken. Add J. and cook until the shrimp is opaque.

The white, red and green are our Christmas colors. This hearty mixture can be your Christmas lunch, too.

Poblano Shrimp Rice & Cheese

Marie and I are cooking this recipe http://www.yumsugar.com/2169562 (with a few adjustments, such using mostly cheddar and then a little pecorino romano cheese) right now in honor of the yet=to-be-named granddaughter!

We ate the wonder creation and all thought it was terrific. We followed most of the ingredient amounts but only had 3 poblanos to stuff. We put all of the left over rice mixture in a greased loaf pan and topped it with the cheeses. Terrific, too.

Steel Cut Oats

Having bought steel cut oats at Paula Andrasi's suggestion, I'll be trying the crockpot recipe here below.
My Frugal Breakfast: Crockpot Steel-Cut Oats The Greenest Dollar

Baked Lamb's Ribs Tackled

We did follow the previous recipe and were well pleased with it. We simmered the lamb for a couple of hours then chilled the broth and ribs. After skimming and removing all possible fat, we used the broth to cook lentils, baked the ribs in a roaster, and cooked separately a batch of pearled barley that we served as a side dish.

The lamb itself was delicious. the combination with lentils, superb.

When we ate the leftovers the next day, we mixed the barley, lentils and lamb with a bit of curry powder and the tastes were sublime!

Baking Breads for World Communion Sunday

I had this idea for World Communion Sunday of baking several different grains in sections of one whole loaf, symbolic of the difference with in but unity of the church of Jesus Christ. Here is the result.
In the 10/4/09 sermon I'll say,
"-One part is white bread that has been a staple of our part of the world many decades.
-One part is corn bread which native Americans cooked long before European settlers arrived, who then made corn bread in several different versions a staple of their own.
-This darker bread is a type of rye bread, made from the rye grain which grows well in the colder, wetter climates of northern Europe especially Scandinavia, where special cooking techniques are required to attain a risen loaf, so where it is instead often eaten as a cracker-like flat bread. Pick that up at Ikea!
And finally, barley, an ancient grain that has been collected and eaten in the near east for at least 17,000 yrs. and cultivated throughout history. In his Pulitzer Prize winning book Gun, Germs and Steel , author Jared Diamond argued that it was the cultivating of the barley crop of south Eurasia – along with some other animal and domesticable crops, that significantly contributed to the broad historical patterns that human history has followed over approximately the last 13,000 years; especially explaining why Eurasian civilizations, as a whole, have survived and conquered others.
Barley was the main food source for Jesus, his disciples, and, in fact, for most of the biblical characters we could name.
Our scripture passage this morning is a well-known one, the feeding of the 5,000. Of all Jesus' miracles, this is the only one repeated in all four gospels. Five loaves barley loaves – flat and round ones like this- , and two small fish – gee I left them on the chair where you are sitting, Doug. Only kidding- you’ll have to imagine the fish ..."

Baked Lamb Ribs Recipe

Recipes - Baked Lamb Ribs Recipe

We bought some lamb ribs for ~ $1/lb. Perhaps this is how to fix them!

Baked Lamb Ribs - Recipe
Crisp, tasty ribs, and as a bonus, some flavorful broth. The process is easiest if you can simmer the ribs one day and bake them the next, but can easily be done in one day.
view recipe online: http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--1956/baked-lamb-ribs.asp

From Becca's Nutrition Class

Spice out of the Cabinet Chicken,
Roasted Vegetables, & Smashed Potatoes1

We haven't tried this yet, but don't want to forget it....
This is a meal almost everyone likes, but now it has a healthier twist and spicy kick to it! Now I know what you're saying..."Mashed potatoes? How can that be healthy?" This mashed potato recipe I found cuts out a good portion of "bad" ingredients, yet doesn't sacrifice the flavor! As for the chicken, the point is to not have to go out to the grocery store to buy lots of fancy spices (which are usually expensive too), but instead just go to your home spice cabinet and utilize what you already have! In regards to the vegetables, we all know we need them, so here is a place to plug them in.

Spices for Chicken
Rule of thumb: for every 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) you use of a mild spice (for example garlic powder), use ¼ the amount for spices with a kick (for example cayenne pepper).
Here are the spices I use, but feel free to substitute whatever you like:
1Tbsp of:
Chili powder
Cumin
Brown Sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper
¼ Tsp of:
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika

Other Ingredients:
*recipe is designed for 2 people, however if you have kids or guests, just double or triple the recipe!
2 Chicken breasts
2 Yukon Gold potatoes (medium size)
1 Zucchini
1 Squash
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 cup low sodium Chicken Broth, warmed
1/8 cup reduced fat Sour Cream (don't worry, it only reduces fat not flavor)
2 tsp chopped chives
Salt
Pepper


Directions:
*Before starting, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and heat up your grill
1. Slice potatoes (leave on the skin for extra nutrition) into 1/2 inch thick slices and place them in a pot of water
2. Bring the water to a boil and allow to boil for 15-20 minutes (or until you can smash a piece with a fork and its nice and fluffy)
3. Meanwhile, slice squash and zucchini into ¼ inch – ½ inch thick
4. Spread vegetable slices on a baking sheet (I put foil down first for minimal clean up!)
5. Mix ¼ cup evoo (extra virgin olive oil), a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1tsp salt, and 1tsp pepper in a small bowl and whisk together
6. Brush vegetables with mixture and place in oven for approx 20 min (the longer you cook them, the softer they get so if you like your vegetables more firm, only leave them in for about 15 min)
7. Mix all spices for the chicken together in a bowl (I usually do it in a tupperware container so that I can save the leftovers for next time)
8. Pound out chicken breasts to that they are about the same thickness throughout to ensure even cooking
9. Rub chicken breasts with a small amount of evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
10. Pat approx. 1 Tbsp of spice rub onto each chicken breast
11. Place chicken breasts rub side down onto grill (if you don’t have or want to use a grill, heat up a skillet with a little of non-stick cooking spray and use that instead!)
12 .Grill each side for about 4 minutes or until no longer pink inside (while first side is
cooking, brush on a little more evoo and spice rub on the other side)
*When cooking chicken you want to make sure that it is cooked all the way through,
however you don't want to overcook it or it will become very dry! The solution is to
stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part and make sure it reaches 165⁰
Check out this website for more food safety information and cooking temperatures:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Is_It_Done_Yet/Brochure_Text/index.asp
13. Drain potatoes and put into a bowl
14. Add warmed chicken broth and smash until most lumps are gone
15. Stir in sour cream and chives and they are ready to serve!

Calories:
Chicken = 142 (1 breast)
Potatoes = 130 (3/4 cup)
Oils= 119
Total Calories for this meal = 391 calories!

I would love to hear feedback from any of you that try this recipe!
Email me any comments, questions, or foods that you would love to see in our recipe section!
Lorin Grant: Lorin.Grant@gmail.com

1Krieger, Ellie. "Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives." The Food You Crave. Illus. Christopher Hirsheimer. Trans. Pamela Hoenig. Newtown: The Taunton Press, 2008. 262. Print.

Shrimp Casserole from Diana McDaniel

This was the delicious main course at our NXNW Micah 6 benefit dinner on 6/18/09. Diana shared the recipe below.


SHRIMP CASSEROLE
1-10-¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 T chopped green pepper
2 T chopped onion
2 T Melted Margarine
1 T lemon juice
2 cups cooked white rice
½ T Worstershire sauce
½ t dried mustard
½ t black pepper
¾ c american cheese, cubed
1 lb. or more uncooked shrimp, cut in pieces
Salt




Combine soup, green pepper onion, margarine, lemon juice, rice, worstershire sauce, mustard, pepper, cheese, shrimp and salt. Pour into a 1-½ to 2 qt. greased casserole. Bake 30 to 35 minute at 350 degrees. Serves 5-7 people.

Border Foods Foray

Last night I read excerpt from a book that was on enticing Mexican/American border foods (that I ended up ordering later in the evening) trying to discover what "red tunas" were that I'd bought at the Mexican food store. Clearly they were some kind of cactus, but what were they for?

Going through it I found that answer and I noted some of the special ingredients that the book said were a part of that cuisine. After church and on our way home Becca graciously agreed to stop with me at the Fiesta grocery so that I could pick up some of the special ingredients.

We came home with our new aluminum tortilla press, 5 lbs. of fresh corn masa, 8 red and 8 white tunas, a pint of lard, piloncillo (an unrefined, dark sugar), some queso fresco, dried ancho chiles, masa harina, nopales (flat cactus pads), hicama, canela (Mexican cinnamon), cumin seed, epazote, Mexican oregano, vanilla (the real stuff), pine nuts, and assorted other finds.

Dinner tonight was a homemade recipe that gave us a chance to use the new tortilla press and the fresh masa. I grabbed a small handful of the masa, rolled in a ball, centered that in a quart plastic bag in the t. press. Viola! A wonderful looking tortilla toasting in the hot skillet from my grandfather, Geechi.

We sliced some homemade smoked beef brisket and warmed it in the pan after the tortillas were done. Add a little queso fresco, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes.

It was terrific! The tortilla itself was the star. Deep, rich, wholesome and satisfying. Two of these brisket tacos were a complete meal.

I'm inspired to experiment much further with this humble staple. Tomorrow morning I may try what the book called a typical Mexican first (of two) breakfast: reheated tortillas and coffee. Mine will be espresso, though, my new coffee passion.

Two-Staged Smoking

On Labor Day (Sept. 7) Becca and I spent several hours preparing our beef brisket and smoked two chickens for a Wed. evening meal. We didn't plan it this way, but discovered through the necessities of timing that it works well to do the smoking stage for about 3 hours then refrigerate the meat and on the day of serving, finish the cooking on grill.

Other learnings. Don't put your brisket in the upturned top of your roasting pan (assuming it is the bottom). When you notice your pan has no handles on the side, you may well have the top instead of the bottom. You'll make a terrible mess when the drippings slosh onto your feet!

An hour at low heat on the grill (not right over burner) is enough time to warm up the chicken.

Buy the frying chicken instead of the roaster. The roaster cost twice as much per lb. but didn't taste or look appreciably better.

Make a big batch of bread dough. Bake what you want one day and store the rest in gallon plastic bags in the frig. We've made pizza dough, little dinner rolls, small cracker-like bits to dip in hummus, and we still have a little dough left in the frig.

Finest Meal Ever

Becca were gifted two nights'stays at the Rose Hill Manor Bed and Breakfast southeast of Fredericksburg, Texas (almost due south of the LBJ Ranch) (http://www.rose-hill.com/). The picture at the top of this page http://www.rose-hill.com/menus.html gives you our view from our dining table. Aug. 29th we had our first stay there. We decided eat the evening meal at the B &B at the suggestion of Beth Long. It was fabulous! I judge it the finest meal I can remember ever eating, and I've had a number of truly fine meals!



Most memorable was the crab cake. The owner of the B&B described for us the ingredients. I recall lump crab meat, Helman's mayo, green and red peppers, dijon mustard, panco (Japanese) bread crumbs, green onions and little else. A sauce on it was fresh lemon juice, sugar and cream. Scrumptious!

Becca had the filet mignon with the most delicious port demi sauce: veal bone stock simmered for 24 hrs and then substantially reduced.

We also had smoked polenta with sun dried tomatoes. Add a little poblano pepper to that!

Becca and I tried to recreate the dessert at home for guests Dottie and Kim on Wed. evening. We wanted lime (but substituted lemon and peach) sorbet on a bed of very small cubes of cantaloupe, pear, currants, several tiny cubes of crystalized ginger, garnish with a slice of kiwi fruit (our addition), a small bit of lemongrass and the slightest dusting of nutmeg. A sauce with vanilla bean? Very nice!

Spaghetti con Acciughe

Spaghetti con Acciughe