Monday, May 30, 2011

Swarming Bees

Back yard beekeeping has it's joys and thrills and yesterday was no exception.  While outdoors weeding and working on our wood fired pizza oven (more to come on that subject) the bees started swirling around our apple tree like a bee tornado.  The sound was amazing but a little scary.  Soon they buzzed into a tight ball and we knew they had formed a swarm.   We found out this often will happen on a sunny day that has followed many days of rain.  That describes our spring this year!  The bees will form a new group when too overcrowded and we'll know better next year.   Beeing fairly novice beekeepers (actually Robb is the one working the bees and I usually supervise), we had never managed a swarm before so Robb contacted a person from the local beekeeper association and he came out and gave Robb a hand.  Good deal for him, he gets the bees.  Good deal for us, we didn't know what to do!  So now the hive is split and we are left with I hope a manageable number and enough to keep us in honey for the year.  Hope to get enough honey this year to try and make some mead. 




Friday, May 27, 2011

Vegan Stroganoff and Baby Lima Beans

I made up this recipe recently in an effort to continue and eat the food we love but cut down on meat and dairy fat.  This turned out great.  Robb said it was the best stroganoff he has ever had!  Although he says that often about my cooking and being in the moment.  One of the many things I love about him!

Vegan Stroganoff

3-4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (Crimini work well)
4 tab olive oil
4 tab Earth Balance Margarine (or other vegan butter substitute)
1 leek, cleaned and chopped (use only the white part and small amount of the green)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup red or dry white wine
2 tab Bragg's Amino Acid
2 tab Worcestershire sauce - add more when finishing if desired
2-3 cups vegetable broth or vegan chicken bouillon dissolved in water
2- 3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Cashew cream (recipe below)
Liberal amount of black pepper
Do not salt until right before serving. You may not need any depending on the saltiness of the broth, Bragg's and worcestershire.


Melt 2 tab olive oil and 2 tab margarine in large frying pan over med-high heat. Add mushrooms when pan is hot and cook stirring frequently until mushrooms are starting to brown.



Add 1 tab Bragg's and 1 tab worcestershire and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until liquids are absorbed and remove fmushrooms rom the pan and set them aside. Add remaining oil and margarine to the pan. (hopefully there is brown residue in the pan from the mushrooms). Add the chopped leeks and onions.  Saute over med heat until starting to wilt and add garlic. Cook for a minute or two then add tomato paste. Stir constantly and allow to caramelize a little. Add wine and cook until reduced by half.


Add broth and mushrooms and continue to simmer over med heat for approx. 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle flour a little at a time on top of mushrooms mixture stirring after each addition until flour is incorporated. Cook for another 5-15 minutes. Add additional broth or water if too thick. Stir in cashew cream and serve. Great served over whole wheat pasta or brown rice (I used brown Jasmine).


Cashew Cream

Keep this one in your repertoire. This is the best substitution for heavy cream. Very delicious, handy, and much better for you!

Soak a small amount of raw cashews in water. Just put them in a bowl or jar and cover with water. You can soak them overnight but an hour or two works well. I have used them without soaking and works well if you have a VitaMix or similar high speed/power blender. Drain cashews and put them in the blender. Add just enough water to blend the cashews. Start out with a small amount of water. You can always add more. Blend until totally smooth and the consistency of sour cream. Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator. Many more recipes to follow using this wonderful cream.

Baby Lima Beans


For a side dish I decided to do something with some frozen baby lima beans that were hanging out in the freezer and they turned out great.  They are something I rarely ever cook but will be adding them to our favorite list.




I sauteed some onions and garlic in olive oil.  Then added 1 small tomato (diced).  I cooked this mixture for a few minutes then added frozen baby lima beans and a small amount of water.  I added my Tuscan Salt (secret recipe) and black pepper.  Simmered them in the pan for about 10-15 minutes adding a little water here and there if needed.  Finished with a small amount of chopped parsley (remember Italian is the only good kind) and served them with the stroganoff.  MMMMMM..

Sunday, May 22, 2011

NSOMS

Robb  is in the San Juan Islands taking a sailing certification class so Friday night was girl slumber party.  2 of my best buds joined me on the deck for a dinner, a little bit of wine and laughter.  We were only 3 legs of the NSOMS.  Our missing leg, which left us a bit off kilter, was home in La Center, WA and available only via the airwaves.  The 4 of us met in nursing school and helped each other through with laughter, friendship ,and of course, great food and wine.  NSOMS is an acronym that we are well known by now, some day maybe I'll share the meaning!!!!

First was an appetizer of crackers and "Wild Thymes Thai Chili Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce" over good ol' Philadelphia cream cheese .  Not too imaginative but easy and yummy.  Alas the sauce was store bought, in fact a gift from my sister-in-law, from her days with Pasta and CO.



Dinner was Cajun Shrimp with Lemon Pasta, home made focaccia bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic bought back from our trip to Italy last fall, and roasted asparagus with garlic, olive oil and balsamic  The shrimp  dish is one of those recipes you have committed to memory and the actual recipe is long lost in somewhere in the multitude of recipes I've written on a piece of paper and stashed some where.  I first got the recipe from a cousin, who used to be a race car driver!!!  So I give credit to the source of the recipe, who ever they are. 

Cajun Shrimp

Peel shrimp leaving tails on.  Wash and de-vein.  In a baking pan (I use a 9x13 glass pan) add 1/4-1/2 cup of good olive oil, 2-3 cloves of crushed or finely minced garlic, a good tablespoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon or 2 of soy sauce, the juice and zest of one small lemon, chopped parsley and 1-2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning.  I like the heat of the seasoning but some of them are very salty so be careful not to add too much.  Marinate the shrimp in the sauce (in the refrigerator) for at least 4 hours or overnight..   Bake, marinade and all,  in 450 degree oven just until pink and cooked through.  Don't over cook.  Serve along side, or on top of Lemon Pasta.  The pan juice is good on the pasta!

Lemon Pasta

In a large bowl add the zest and juice of 3-4 lemons, about 1/2 cup of good olive oil, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 3-4 scallions thinly sliced, 1/2 cup of chopped fresh Italian parsley (the only kind to use) and a pinch of sugar to mellow some of the tartness and a few shakes of salt.  (You can add more salt later after you add cheese).  Let set on the counter for 3-4 hours.  Cook your desired pasta, I like vermicelli or linguine, but any pasta that isn't too hearty will do.  Drain with al dente and toss in lemon mixture.  Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Reggianio.  Add additional oil and salt and pepper to taste and serve.






Thanks to Tyler Florence for the focaccia recipe.


For dessert, I made coconut milk ice cream topped with pineapple chunks soaked in rum and toasted coconut.  The ice cream is super simple, thanks to Debbie for the recipe.  Of course I had to tweak it just a bit. 

Thai Coconut Ice Cream

 Make a simple syrup with 1/2 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of water.  Heat on the stove until sugar is dissolved and cool until completely cool!  In a bowl mix together the  2 cans of coconut milk, 1/2 tsp of real vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Add the simple syrup and mix well.  Process in an ice cream maker and voila!!! ice cream.  This is a great recipe for the milk intolerant or vegans. 

The night was great. Always good to catch up with your best friends but we missed Nippy!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Samplings with Seitan

I will have to get better with pictures. Sunday I made Seitan corned beef and chicken cutlets. Daughter #2, Kate (check out her blog akateday ) is in the final days of getting her Master's degree and is a little on the stressed side so I made some dinners for her and her husband, Shane. Since they are vegan.....so were the meals. I first made Seitan corned beef and cabbage with carrots and potatoes and then made Seitan Picatta. Mmmmm. The Picatta turned out so well I made if for me and my husband Robb tonight and served it with whole wheat pasta and broccolini with garlic and olive oil. Here is a picture I took with my phone that I sent to a friend and culinary buddy while she and her man were eating at one of our favorite pizza restaurants, Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland.





Here is a link to the corned beef and cabbage recipe. I added whole peppercorns, bay leaf, and  mustard seeds to the cooking liquid.www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFW9turegxI.  Sandwiches today for lunch with the "corned beef" along with mayo  (could use vegganaise), dijon mustard, romaine lettuce and finely sliced sweet onion on whole grain bread.  Delish!

This is how I made the Seitan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFGMUASD28&feature=grec_index but I added vegan "chicken" bouillon, some spices, a small amount of oil and Bragg's Amino to the liquid. Once the Seitan  cutlets were cooked I drained them in a colander with a plate and weight on top to squeeze out some of the moisture. Way better than store bought Seitan and much less expensive.

Tonight was vegan mushroom stroganoff over whole wheat fusilli and broccolini.  Recipes will be coming.......I promise. 

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Where To Start?

I have always had a love for art, whether it's cooking, sewing, painting, pottery..... (yes cooking is art!) I learned to cook at a young age from my mother and aunts (first generation Italians). When I first married we lived in a small trailer in the wooded area off Auburn-Black Diamond Road in Western WA, I had to be fairly creative with ingredients like ham hocks and beans. A budget of twenty dollars a week for food was common and dining out was rare. As time went on and our budget and family grew, we began to experience new culinary adventures and we were hooked.

One of the things I love the most is cooking all day long for friends or family and seeing them sitting down, loving the the food and enjoying themselves. Or traveling to a new town and finding their best restaurants. They don't have to be fancy. Hot Doug's in Chicago is one of my favorites! A recent trip to Italy along with my children's (and their spouse's) dietary voyages (with being vegetarian, lacto-ovo pescitarian, eating only humanely treated animals, mostly carnivore and vegan) have expanded my culinary endeavors.

What's in the future? We are currently building a wood fired pizza oven in the back yard and hoping for many pizza gatherings with friends and family. The picture below is somewhat similar to our plan. We have brought back some tiles from Italy and hope to place them on the structure somewhere.


http://cache.gawker.com/assets/im ages /gizmodo/2009/08/pompeii_oven.jpg

In the midst of the pizza oven I will be (with the help of many sous chefs)  preparing a celebratory feast for my sister-in-law Kathe's  retirement party in June. Maybe up to 100 people.!!!  Menu planning has begun and will keep you updated. 

Shortly after Kathe's party we are planning to remodel our kitchen and the cooking will be done in our spare bedroom and the BBQ! We were hoping to have the pizza oven ready but the weather has not cooperated.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Here I go!

For the love of food, love of fun, love of life and the love of love.
Blogs are one of my favorite ways of discovery. This is my effort to expand my horizons and share some of my new discoveries. There will be a strong focus on culinary journeys, on the road, in Spokane and at home. I will also use this blog as a vehicle for personal exploration.
I hope you enjoy!