Happy New Year!

 

The holidays continue with social get-togethers.  We are invited to attend or we decide to host.  Many get-togethers require an appetizer or bring your own bottle (BYOB).  This is my rule of three.  Appetizers and cocktails do not need to be complicated.  Open your pantry or refrigerator and choose three ingredients.

 

It only takes some ingenuity and three ingredients to create and appetizer.  Appetizers consist of three parts, a vehicle, a filling and a garnish.  The vehicle is what the appetizers sit on and can be picked up to bring the appetizer to your mouth.  This can be as simple as a cracker or a leaf of Belgian endive.  The filling can be as simple as a piece of cheese or more complicated in a dip or spread.  The filling is placed on the vehicle. The garnish tops the appetizer.  It needs to b edible and add flavor to the overall appetizer.  It should add eye appeal.  An example could be 1) a sesame crack, topped with fresh mozzarella and topped with a touch of bacon jam or 2) a slice of cucumber topped with goat cheese and topped with toasted pine nuts 3) a triangle of toast topped with cream cheese and topped caviar.

 

Creating a holiday drink or cocktail can be as easy.  Choose a glass to serve the cocktail.  There are three parts of the cocktail, the prominent liquid, the flavoring element, and the garnish.  The prominent liquid is usually non-alcohol like a soft drink or fruit juice.  However in some cocktails it can be alcoholic, like wine, vodka or rum. The flavoring element is often the alcoholic part, Crème de Cocoa and peppermint schnapps create and chocolate peppermint flavor. Triple sec adds a citrus flavor.  Syrup can also be used to add flavor.  The garnish should add more flavor and to the eye appeal. Some examples could be 1) Cuba Libre is coke, rum and garnish with a wedge of lime or 2) Red Carpet is cranberry juice, vodka and a twist of lemon or 3) A Christmas Cookie is vodka, Crème de Cocoa and peppermint schnapps, garnish the rim of the glass with chocolate syrup and cookie crumbs.

 

New Year’s  Day Dinner

 

            My family roots are from the southern states, so we have a traditional southern feast.  This year we had a small dinner so I reduced the number of dishes.  This our menu

 

            Ham

            Collard greens

            Yellow hominy

            Black eyed peas

 Mashed sweet potatoes

            Homemade rolls

            Sweet potato Pie

           

            Normally I would add salad, another green vegetable like broccoli or asparagus, homemade pickles like watermelon rind and pumpkin pickles, candied apples or other fruit dish and shoofly pie, chess pie or other southern pie.  Sometimes I make cornbread or biscuits instead of dinner rolls.

 

 

This Week’s Challenge – Find a new cocktail 

 

            Social get-togethers continue the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Find a new cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to serve at a get-together of to take to one.  Mixology is a growing and there are all kinds of new drinks and ideas out there.  Research online and find something new to mix up.

 

Tip for this Week -  Making soup

 

            Soup can be made from what you have on hand.  I keep chicken, beef and vegetable stock in the pantry.  But you can always start soup with water.  I love soup and usually have soup in the fridge for light dinners thorough out the year.  Many times I make soup on Wednesday evening.  I clean out the crisper in the fridge on Wednesday the day before trash day.  Vegetable that are getting old or need to be used, go into soup.  I through in some leftovers and add a starch, like leftover rice or soup pasta.  Check out my recipe for Three Ingredient Soup posted on February 11, 2016.

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

 

Easy Chipotle Chili

 

1 lb.     Ground meat, I like to use ground turkey

1 T       Oil

¼ C     Onion, chopped

One    Garlic clove, crushed

1 T       Chili power

2 t        Cumin, ground

1 can  Tomatoes, diced or crushed

1 can  Ortega green chilies, diced

¼ C     Corn, this can be leftover

1 can  Beans, chili, pinto, kidney or black

            Grated cheddar cheese

2          Chipotle Chiles, left whole (optional)*

 

1.    In a larger skillet add the oil and heat while the onion is chopped.

 

I added some orange bell pepper and
some fresh chilies this time.

 

 

2.    Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.

3.    Add the ground meat and cook until browned.

 

Add the ground meat.  I used turkey
this time.

 

 

4.    Add the crushed or minced garlic clove, the spices, tomatoes and green chilies.  Cook about 20 minutes.

 

Cook until the meat ins browned and cooked.

Add the tomatoes, seasonings and Chipotle
with sauce.  Cook to blend the flavors.

 

5.    If you choose to add the chipotle, add the whole chipotle chilies at this point.  Leave them whole and remove before serving.

6.    Add a little water if need for the consistency that you like.

7.    Add the corn and beans.  Heat thoroughly.

 

Add the beans and corn.  I used pinto beans
 this time, but usually use black bean
with turkey meat.  Cook until heated.

 

8.    Serve with grated cheese and cornbread.



 

Soup of the Week

 

Chicken Eggplant Soup

 

 

 

2 or 3  Chicken breasts, cubed

            Water to cover

1 lg.     Leek, cleaned and thinly sliced

8oz.     Mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 t        Oil, vegetable, canola or olive

1 sm.   Eggplant, diced

32 oz. Broth, chicken or vegetable

            Water if needed

1 can  Tomatoes, diced

1 can  Beans of choice

1 t        Thyme, dried leaves

1 t        Rosemary, dried leaves

1 t        Garlic powder

            Salt and pepper to taste

 

The ingredients

 

 

1.    Dice and cook the chicken in the first water

I wasn't paying attention and let this
boil to hard.  I had to skim off the foam.

 

 

 

2.    In a large skillet, heat the oil.

3.    Add the sliced leeks and sauté until soft.

 

Cook the leeks while you slice the
mushrooms.

 

 

4.    Add the mushroom and a splash of water.

These are baby portabella mushrooms,
but any kind will work.

 

 

5.    Continue cooking until both the leeks and mushrooms are soft and the liquid is almost gone.

Cook while you dice the eggplant.

 

 

6.    Add the cooked leeks mushrooms to the chicken.

Add to the chicken.

 

 

 

7.    Add the diced eggplant and broth.

 

Slice the eggplant in thick slices, then dice.

 

 

8.    Add enough broth to cover and bring to a boil.

The vegetable need to be cover by the broth

 

Add the seasoning and cook until the
eggplant is done.

 

 

9.    Add the thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. 

10. Turn the soup to low and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

11. Add the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated.

 

Any beans will do.  I used
cannellini beans.

 

 

An original recipe.

 

Here is an apology that the printable recipe function is not working.  I am working on fixing it so in the meantime I went back to my original method.

 

Happy Cooking!

Review and Direction

 

Over the last year we have worked on getting started as self-taught cook.  If you have been following me, I hope you have seen improvement and have stretched yourself in the kitchen.  I hope you have worked on creativity, tried new things, and cooked with success.  We all have failures, including me.  Failures are not bad, if you learned from it.  You should be thinking critically about what you cook and the food you eat.

 

Now we are going to work on building skills.  Over the next year, we will be looking at cooking methods and meal courses.  I’ll continue with the same format.  My goal is to post weekly, but it hasn’t worked out that way.  I’ll try to do better.

 

 

As I mentioned last week, I’m on a weight loss program.  I’m learning so much about nutrition and would like to start including healthy food and recipes.  We are using the Volumetrics program by Barbara Rolls.  I’m doing very well on the program and I’m trying new foods.  So far I have tried red quinoa and mayocoba beans

 

This Week’s Challenge - Try Something New

 

              On your next grocery shopping trip, buy something you have never tried.  It can be anything in the store, like produce, a meat or dairy product.  It can be new kind of dried beans or lentil or grain or flour.  It just has to be something you have never tried before. 

              When you get home, do some research online.  Decide what you are going to make with your new food item.  Then make something with it.  Be sure to record your impressions in your journal.

 

 

Tip for this Week -  Look for seasonal produce

 

            In fall apples are in season.  Pumpkins are in season, but hard to find after Halloween,  Winter squash is also in season and make great additions to soup.  Cranberries are here also.  Think about using some of these in season produce in your everyday cooking. 

 

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

 

 

Punkin’s Cheesy Refried Beans

 

 

The ingredients



Spray the dish with Pam and spread a
layer of beans on the bottom

Top with cheese slices and salsa

 





Top with another layer of beans


 

Top with more cheese slices

Bake until hot, melted and bubbly





 

print recipe

Punkin's Cheesy Refried Beans

by Grace Barnes November-5-2016

I came up with this idea when I wanted more cheese in the refried beans. I’m sure it is not an original idea.

Ingredients

• Canned refried beans of your choice and amount.
• Cheese of choice, sliced in ¼ inch thick slices. I like to use cheddar but any kind will do. This recipe calls for slices of cheese, but grated cheese can be used.
• Salsa of your choice. I like to use Picante chunky garden style.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a prepared casserole large enough to accommodate the amount to be served, spread half of the refried beans, smooth as much as possible into a layer. 3. Place over lapping slices of cheese over the beans. 4. Spoon a small amount of salsa over the cheese. Spread the salsa evenly. 5. Add the remaining beans and smooth evenly. 6. Top with another layer of overlapping cheese slices and salsa. 7. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

print recipe

 

Punkin’s Cheeseball

 

The ingredients

Place everything in a bowl and mix
with your hands 

Form into a ball or log.  Roll in
chopped nuts or herbs



Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate
until time to serve



This time I made a pumpkin cheeseball.
Use four rubber bands over the plastic
wrap.  Refrigerate until time to serve

Remove the rubber bands and plastic
wrap and add the stem of a bell pepper.

 

print recipe

Punkin's Cheeseball

by Grace Barnes November-5-2016

Try rolling the ball or log in different spices, herbs or nuts. I like to divide the ball into two smaller balls and roll one in finely chopped fresh parsley and the other in paprika for Christmas red and green. Almond and walnuts work well as substitutes for pecans. Use your imagination. I came across this ideal on Pinterest.

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. package Cream cheese, softened
• 1 8 oz. package Grated Colby cheese or other cheese
• 3/4 t Paprika
• 3 T Canned diced Ortega Chiles or jalapenos
• 1/4 C Onion, finely chopped
• 2 t Worcestershire sauce.

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together using your hands. Mix well. 2. Roll into a ball or log. 3. Roll ball in chopped pecans. 4. Wrap ball in foil or plastic wrap and chill completed, at least two hours. 5. This may be made a day or two in advance. 6. Serve with crackers or crostini.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 10-12 servings

Soup of the Week

 

Punkin’s French Onion Soup

 

This is my version of the classic French Onion Soup.

 

The ingredients, except the sesame
seeds are not used.  I grab it instead
of the tarragon.

Using a large skillet, melt the butter

Thinly slice the onions in rings.  Sometimes
I half the onion and then thinly slice them.

 

Add the onion rings to the butter and stir to coat.

 

 

 

Cook until the onions are very soft.

Use a good sherry or brandy

Add the flour and cook, then add the
sherry and seasonings.

Add the warm broth and simmer.

I like to use sourdough bread and cheese
 from the Swiss cheese family.  I used
Jarlsberg this time.

Toast the bread lightly.  This can
be done in the oven, broiler, toaster
 oven or toaster

Dish the soup and place on a tray.

Place the bread over the pot and top
with slices of the cheese.

Set in the hot oven to melt.

Break through the cheese to get
to the soup below.

 

print recipe

Punkin's French Onion Soup

by Grace BarnesButter, unsalted November-5-2016

This is my version of the classic French Onion Soup.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C Butter, unsalted
• 4 medium Onions, sliced
• 1 T Flour
• 1/4 C Sherry or brandy
• 1 t Tarragon or Thyme leaves, dried
• 1 qt. Beef broth, warmed to nearly boiling
• Salt and pepper to taste (prefer white pepper)
• French or Sourdough bread, one slice per serving
• Emmental or Gruyere cheese, other Swiss type cheese

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter.2. Peel the onions. Thinly slice each onion into rings. I usually use four small onions or three large onions.3. Add the onion slices to the butter and stir to coat. Cook the onions until transparent.4. Add the flour and mix cooking about a minute or two.5. Add the Sherry, tarragon and white pepper.6. Cook a few minutes, stirring constantly.7. Slowly add the warm beef broth.8. Simmer for 20 minutes.9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.10. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 11. Using one slice of bread for each person, lightly toast the bread.12. Place one slice of cheese on each slice of toast. Grated cheese can also be used.13. Dish the soup into serving dishes. 14. Place the dishes on a tray, top with the bread and cheese and set the tray in the oven to melt the cheese. About five minutes.15. I like to use bean pots. If you are using soup bowls, place the slices of toast topped with cheese on the tray and place the tray in the oven. Float the toasted cheese in the soup bowl or allow your guests to place it themselves.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 6-8 Servings


Happy Cooking!