(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Ok, I’m aging myself here, but is there anyone else who remembers Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings? The idea was to teach kids with cute little cartoons and catchy songs between Captain Caveman and Josie and the Pussycats. (Yes, my childhood cartoons were very highbrow.)

Well, here’s the one about July 4th. I still remember it. But do I remember the Declaration of Independence, the thing I was supposed to remember from this educational ditty?! Noooooo. I remember some dude chasing a woman throughout the video. That’s what I picked up from that educational video. The pursuit of happiness that the founding fathers declared was the right for a weird guy to chase you during important meetings.

Happy Independence Day. Here’s to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Run.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

I stuffed them with chopped roasted red pepper, the chopped stems of the mushrooms (you saved those, right?), parmesan and mozzarella, garlic and oregano.  I grilled them for about 10 minutes on medium and then browned them a bit under the broiler to give it that nice, golden brown toasty look (totally optional.)

This is one of of those, “what do I have in the fridge” recipes?  Here are a few ideas to get you pumped:

Strictly Vegetarian

• Roasted red peppers, Gruyere and basil
• Chopped onion, celery and garlic (saute in a little oil first)
• Roasted garlic, white wine and breadcrumbs
• Sun dried tomatoes and ricotta
• Sauteed spinach or chard with goat cheese
• Hummus and feta
• Cucumbers, tomato and ricotta
• Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco
• Apples, walnuts and blue cheese
• Mesculin (add AFTER grilling) and lemon vinaigrette

Carnivores

• Crab, onion and cream cheese
• Sausage, tomato and basil
• Shrimp, parmesan and Alfredo sauce
• Bacon, potato and Cheddar
• Chicken, oregano and Kalamata olives

On the side, a cheap, fresh, cheap, tasty, did I mention CHEAP salad?  Remember that fresh market I visited?

They said it couldn’t be done.  I fed a family of four a healthy meal for under $10.  (OK, THAT’s been done.) But I fed mine and they actually ATE it!  Ha!  Take THAT!  (Shadow boxes around room.)  Who’s your mama now?!

(Please support your mama now by Digging this post!)

(9 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5)

 Loading ...

So I’m walking through the store and these tomatoes catch my eye.  Ugly Ripe Tomatoes are touted as having “just-picked” flavour out of season.   Nothing compares to the taste of a just-picked tomato so I had to try it.  I shelled out $3.40 for two tomatoes (!) to make a salad.  It has Ugly on the label so as not to confuse it with the Supermodel Tomato (which, sadly, has anger issues.)

You’ve got to feel sorry for these tomatoes.  They got teased by the Cheerleader Tomatoes, passed over by the Jock Tomatoes, laughed at by the Stoner Tomatoes and were consigned to lonely weekends at home eating Haagen-Dazs.  (Not that I’m the tomatoes are bitter.)

Truth time.  Do they taste like vine ripened, still warm from the sun tomatoes?  Not really.  But they’re definitely better than the artificially-red rocks that usually pass as tomatoes in the produce section this time of year.  So they really livened up this easy salad.

CHOPPED UGLY SALAD

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (or about 1/2 cup of chopped roasted red peppers from a jar)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1/2 c. light extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

(I’m pretty sure you don’t need the instructions, but here they are.)  Mix the veggies and olives.  Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper.  Pour over.  Best if chilled for a couple hours but you can eat it right away if you’re starving.

Take that, Cheerleader Tomatoes.

(Like would you totally, like, StumbleUpon! this post?  Thanks! You’re, like, the best! )

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

I believe I mentioned before my Dad’s from a farm in Kentucky where, to get to the outhouse, you must first run a race for your life against the hounds that live under the porch. Coming from the hollers as he did, it was no wonder that the dinner he requested on his birthday was always the same…fried taters, a pot of greens, cornbread (made in a cast iron skillet…else it wasn’t cornbread), and a big batch of soup beans.

Soup beans are not to be confused with bean soup.  Bean soup has veggies in it, is often made with a recipe and can be made with any variety of beans.  Soup beans are down-home, are recipe-less and always, always made with pinto beans.

Looking back at the way Dad taught me to cook everything growing up, I’m surprised I’m still alive seeing as how I’m probably 98.9% bacon grease (the other 1.1% lard). Dad kept a coffee can full of old bacon grease on the kitchen counter and it was used to flavor everything….potatoes, poke greens, eggs, cornbread, gravy, pretty much everything that crossed our stovetop.  I’m surprised we didn’t just skip the food and eat the grease with a spoon.

So soup beans were always made with a honkin’ spoonful of bacon grease, a big ol’ ham bone, beans and water.  Then we boiled ‘em til they were done.  But knowing I want to live to see my grandkids drive my kids crazy, I’ve dropped the bacon grease (forgive me, Daddy.)

Here’s my revamped Soup Bean recipe:

The night before, wash 1 bag of pinto beans and check for pebbles or grit.  (I put mine in a colander, run water over and drain the water into a bowl a few times.  When the bowl water is clear, the beans are ready.)   Put the beans in a big bowl and cover with about 2x the water.  The next morning, dump it into a slow cooker and toss in a can of chicken broth (Dad would choke if he knew I added chicken broth).   Toss in a meaty ham bone, a few dashes of hot sauce, salt, pepper and onion.  Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.   Serve with cornbread (you will be arrested if you do not.)

Nutritious, flavorful, cheap and easy.   And you don’t have to dodge any hounds.

Please remember to Digg or StumbleUpon if you enjoy FHC! Thanks so much!
Francie

Related posts:

Kentucky Biscuits are Worth Being Chased by Hounds

Also see:

Soup Beans @ Miranda’s Place

(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

I’ve been visited by the grocery gremlins again.  You know, the ones who devour everything you bring home to cook dinner with so that when you go to make said dinner, the ingredients are now missing, or sometimes the box is still there but it’s now empty and said gremlin put it back without telling you so you wouldn’t know that they ate every last one!? I have three gremlins in this house…I married one and gave birth to the other two.

And yet, despite leaving our cupboards skimpier than a thong, they creep up (like said thong) and begin howling for more food.  What’s a cook to do?

Go on a pantry raid.  With spaghetti, stale bread, olive oil and garlic, I can calm the gremlins.  Here’s how.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPICY BREAD CRUMBS AND GARLIC

2 c. coarse stale bread crumbs (about 3-4 slices chopped up in the food processor or torn into small pieces)
6 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. freshly chopped Basil

Start your pasta water.  When it comes to a boil, toss in a pound of whole wheat spaghetti.

In saute pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium-high until shimmering.

Cook and stir until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasty.  Remove the crumbs.

Pour remaining 4 Tablespoons of olive oil into pan.  Add 3 more cloves of garlic.  Cook over medium until garlic is just golden, not burnt.

Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/4 c. of the cooking water and toss the spaghetti in the pan with the olive oil.  Add 1/4 c. cooking water and toss again.  Shred 1/4 c. Parmesan in and the bread crumb mixture and toss it AGAIN!

Put it in to a warm bowl and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.   If you’re like my fire-eating husband and want it hotter, toss in some hot pepper sauce or more hot pepper flakes.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Some days you open the fridge and realize the last time you saw a grocery store checkout was when Britney Spears had her own hair. On days like these, when there’s nothing in the house but a can of tuna, ketchup and an unrecognizable container of green (let’s toss that, shall we?), dinner on the table can be a daunting experience.

Fortunately, I’d picked up some romaine lettuce (local and organic, no less!  Aren’t you proud of me?) at the farmer’s market.  As long as you have lettuce, you have dinner.  Because salad dressings can be made so many different ways, you can almost pull one out of thin air.

My reconnaissance mission turned up the following:  garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar and dijon mustard.  Dinner!

CARAMELIZED GARLIC DRESSING

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 c. light olive oil
1 Tbsp. dijon
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
Pinch salt and pepper

Pour about 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil into a skillet and saute the garlic until caramelized and light brown.   Don’t let ‘em burn or they’ll turn bitter.  You already know that though.

When they’re browned, drop them into a blender, add the sherry vinegar, brown sugar and the mustard and puree.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil from the pan, then add the remaining olive oil.   Blend until it comes together and thickly coats a spoon.    Toss in a pinch of salt and pepper.  Taste.  If you want it sweeter, add more sugar, more tart, try a bit more vinegar.  You get the idea.   I’ve made this with Splenda too and it’s still good.

Further digging turned up some leftover chicken, a few black olives and a hunk of Asiago.  Not bad.

Ta da! Dinner from thin air (almost.)

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

We interrupt this recipe for a commercial break. I’m not paid by these people…honest. But you simply must try Maldon Sea Salt. It’s not in in any stores close to home where I live so I got mine at Amazon for like $6.

Sounds like a lot when you can buy this stuff for under $2 but believe me, there’s no comparison. I mean, just look at this salt! It should be illegal for salt to look so pretty.

This stuff is so good my youngest daughter is always trying to dip her finger in it and eat it when I’m cooking. It will make a difference in recipes where there are few ingredients like this one. For baking or soups where it dissolves, I’d use regular Kosher salt. But for seasoning? Sprinkling on eggs, chips, grilled meat, salads or even melon, um, boy! This stuff is fantastic. Click here if you don’t believe me.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

**Your kids will devour these if you give them some ketchup to dip ‘em in.

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Outside, we just got dumped with about, say, 18″ of snow. Sigh. So I’m dreaming of spring…the season of singing birds, blooming daffodils and butt-whomping allergies. To help with my cabin fever and longing for sun, here is my ode to spring in Lemon Meltaways.

COOKIE PIECE (AKA FROSTING HOLDER):
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. cornstarch

LEMONYISH FROSTING:
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3 oz. cream cheese

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon juice. Combine the flour and cornstarch and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape dough into 2 logs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (just until firm.)

Unwrap and cut into 1/4″ slices. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350º for 8-12 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove to rack to cool. Careful, they’re tender little buggers until they cool off (kind of like my husband.)

Now, the best part. Combine the butter, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cream cheese. Beat until smooth, licking beater every two seconds (be sure to turn off mixer first.) Scrape down frosting with a spatula. Keep this on the side for licking as you frost the cookies.

There you have it. Springtime without the sneezing.