Kale and Soy Beans

In keeping with healthy foods that taste great, this recipe fits the bill. The two main items--kale and soy beans--are full of good vitamins. Once you combine all the ingredients for this dish, you also have that valuable rainbow of healthy color...you'll see that in just a minute.
You can make croutons to go on top of the finished plate; I had some rye bread at the handy, so I used it. You can use any type of bread you have. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet (remember that olive oil has a fairly low smoking point, so don't turn the heat up too high) and add to it about 1/2 t. ground thyme. Once the oil is heated, add the cubed bread. Once it is to the crunchy state, Put on a plate and season with salt and pepper.

Back to the skillet--add a bit more olive oil and throw in a bit of crushed red pepper, some more ground thyme (around 1 t. of each), 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. onion powder, and, if you have it, a bit of vegetable broth (approx 1/4 c.). I use "better than bouillon" in the vegetable flavor (about 1 t.). Stir all this together. Toss in some shredded kale (around 4 cups) and just enjoy that lovely green color for a bit. Then stir in two or three chopped tomatoes. Once the kale has cooked down somewhat, add a can of soy beans. Turn the heat down to medium low and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. Ladle out, add the croutons and enjoy!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

I've been looking to add more grain to the bread I make. I found a nice little recipe that adds another "level" of grain without being overwhelming. The secret is in make sure you grind the oats before adding. I'll remember this little trick--it will come in handy when I make meatloaf as well!

The ingredients of the bread recipe were borrowed from a neat little website called allrecipes.com with a couple of tweaks:

I used 2 c. soy milk (any kind of milk will work) and warmed it and then added 1 pkg (1/4 oz.) of yeast. I found that the  temperature of the milk suggested in the original recipe was a tick too low to get the nice foam from the yeast, so I upped it to a good 105-110 degrees. After about five minutes of mixing the milk and yeast together, add to this 1 1/2 T. sugar. Set aside.

Blend together in a large bowl the following--2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, 1/2 c. ground oatmeal, and around 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, and 1 1/2 t. salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the milk. Stir until blended. Use around 1/2 c. more all-purpose flour to work and knead the bread. Knead for around 8 minutes.

Put some olive oil in the bowl you mixed the bread in and roll the dough ball once in the oil. Cover and put in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes. Take the dough out and shape into a loaf, oil the loaf pan lightly, and drop in the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for a good 30-35 minutes. The loaf should sound a little hollow when done. Turn out onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Chickpeas

In keeping with good and healthy menus, tonight we enjoyed a shrimp and chickpea dish. It's easy to make and full of flavor.
First shell around a pound of raw shrimp. Open a can of chick peas (garbanzos). Mix together 1/2 c. olive oil, 1T. of basil leaves, 2t. of cumin, 1T. parsley, 2t. paprika (Hungarian or smoked preferably), 1 t. garlic powder, and a dab of salt and pepper. Marinade the shrimp in 1/2 the mixture and put into the refrigerator for about 1 hour; put the chick peas into a separate bowl, add the other half of the mixture to them and set them in the refrigerator for an hour also.
Heat up around 1 1/2 T. olive oil in a saute pan. Cook the marinaded shrimp until they are just done and put them to the side. Narrowly slice an onion and cook until lightly browned. Put the chick peas and the marinade into the saute pan and cook adding in 1/4 c. chopped tomatoes, 4-6 slices of jalapeño pepper. Once everything is well cooked, add 1 c. baby spinach and cook until tender--make sure the shrimp have been added back in for a bit of a re-heat. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Bread

I was looking for a good recipe for bread on this cold day. Figured it would be a good compliment to a hearty vegetable/bean soup I was making. I wanted a wheat-based bread, so I ended up finding a recipe in my old faithful cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens. This is the recipe from there:
Mix 1/2 packet yeast with 1 c. all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl.
Heat 1 1/2 T. shortening (I used Crisco), a little over 3/4 c. water, 1/6 c. packed brown sugar, and 1 t. salt to where the shortening melts (around 115-120 degrees) stir constantly.
Add to the flour mixture. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds and then on high speed for 3 minutes.
Stir in 1 c. whole wheat flour and as much of 1/2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour as you can stir in with a spoon.
Knead using a bit more all-purpose flour for around 6 minutes. Grease a bowl and roll the dough in it once. Cover and let raise for 1-1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down, put on a bread board and cover to set for 10 minutes. Shape into a loaf and put into a greased loaf pan. cover and let raise for 1 more hour.
Bake at 375 degrees for around 25 minutes, then cover with foil for the last 20 minutes.
Turn out on a cooling rack to cool.  Makes a very pretty loaf!

Turkey Pizza

After a meal of tradition fare that was absolutely wonderful, we opted for pizza on Thanksgiving night. I did decide, however, to keep the Thanksgiving theme going and we had, as a result, turkey pizza. To put the pizza together, I first preheated the over to 420 degrees--one the oven reached temperature, I put in (on a pizza stone) a Pillsbury thin crust  pizza dough sprinkled with some herbes de provence. I let this bake for around 5 minutes. While this is baking, I browned a pound of turkey sausage and then sauted in olive oil some green and red bell peppers, a thinly sliced leek, a chopped shallot, thinly sliced mushrooms, along with some fresh chopped rosemary and a bit more herbes de provence. Once everything was ready, I added on the sausage, the vegetables, some turkey pepperoni, and then a variety of finely shaved mozarella, Swiss, and asiago cheeses. Bake until the crust is finished out and the cheese melted and lightly browned. The taste is mild; after a day of  lots of  food, this is a nice alternative.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie

It's that time of year--pumpkin pie season. There's something about this squash pie that brings back memories of good and cozy times with friends and family. It's also a wonderful aroma to have wafting through the house on a cool evening. And, of course, what would Thanksgiving celebrations be without a pumpkin pie?

Making a pumpkin pie is easy--you can use a roll-out pie shell (I sure do like Pillsbury brand). Roll one out into a pie pan (I like to use glass so I can see what the crust is doing as it bakes). Then mix the following ingredients together:
1 regular sized can pumpkin (15 oz.)--be sure to use regular pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix in a can (Libby's is really good)
2 or 3 eggs ( 2 if they're extra large)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 cloves
if you're crazy about the taste of nutmeg, use around 1/8 t. ; otherwise, omit
3/4 c. sugar
1 can of evaporated milk

Mix all these ingredients together until blended and then pour into the pie shell. I like to bake my pies at 325 for around an hour--you can do the "jiggle test" to see if it's done. Pull the pie out a bit and give it a little shake; if the center jiggles, it's not quite done yet.

One other way to make sure the pie is done--the slit test. Take a sharp knife and make a little slit in the top of the pie. If it's done, the knife will come out completely clean. Don't worry about the slit in the pie making it any less pretty...all good cooks know what that slit is for and will appreciate your diligence.
If you want to make the pie look seasonal, you can use leaf cookie cutters to cut out some dough leaves. Bake them in a pie pan separately; while the pie is still warm and the leaves are done, place them on top however you like.

Mixed seafood with Root Vegetables

Tonight seemed like a good night to feel the warmth and coziness of the kitchen. Rainy and damp outside--lovely aromas from inside.
I looked to the freezer for inspiration--I came up with a pound of mussels which I popped into a saute pan along with about a dozen frozen raw shrimp in shells, and 1/2 lb. of scallops. Then to the fridge for root vegetables--carrots, leeks, and turnips--roughly diced.  To this a bit of Herbes de Provence and a splash of Vermouth. Everything simmers in the pan; while the mussels and other seafoods are cooking, they are creating a lovely broth for the vegetables. Once the vegetables are slightly soft, everything is ready to enjoy!

Pecan Pie

What's not to like about pecan pie? It's simple to make and it tastes like a true delicacy. Here's the simple recipe I use from the bottle of Karo syrup (with a couple of tweaks):

One pie shell ( I use the Pillsbury roll-up pie crusts)
1 cup of  Karo syrup (I use a combination of light and dark)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. sugar
Mix all these items together and then add 6 oz. pecans and stir together gently ( the chopped pecans or pecan pieces will work just as well the the whole ones and are much more economical)
Pour all this into the pie shell and bake around 50 minutes or so at 325 degrees. Keep an eye on it once you start smelling the great aroma.
Enjoy!

Clearing the Fridge Soup

Sometimes one just needs to clear out the fridge. No need to waste that good produce that you bought--if you have odds and ends left, make soup. Most any vegetable will go into a soup. And most any herb or spice will as well. The key is not to over-do it on the spices and/or herbs. Keep it to about four or less. Then the flavors of the vegetables and the chosen broth will blend and not fuss with the flavors of the chosen herbs and/or spices.

The other day I found myself at the end of several vegetables from my previous shopping a week previous. So, into the pot went some zucchini (leave the peel on), some cabbage, a couple of carrots, a celery stalk, an onion, and a few button mushrooms--all diced to various sizes (keep the sizes uniform to the texture for even cooking times). I had about a 1/2 can of diced tomatoes in the fridge, so I threw these in as well. To this I added three cans of beef broth (no meat this time). I didn't add any salt at the beginning; I wanted to see what the beef broth would do--the soup never needed any additional salt (and we like salt). Finally, I tossed in about 1/4 cup of slow-cook rice. Put all this to simmering on medium low heat and leave it alone to do its thing. Once it's been cooking for about 20 minutes, add in your chosen herbs and/or spices. We really like different flavors, but this time, I liked the flavor that was evolving, so I added nothing.

The soup held its texture very well as it cooked; we didn't eat it for about 3 hours after I started it and it wasn't mushy at all. It's a good hearty soup for these cooler nights we're having.

So...next time the fridge needs clearing. pull out the soup pot and have at it!

Pork Shrimp Noodles

I came upon a recipe I really liked yesterday evening. It started out as a soup recipe, but I dabbled with it some and ended up with it being more of a one-dish meal with an accompanying salad. If you like the flavor of sesame, you'll really like this. It's not a spicy dish; it's filling and the flavor has a nice lingering effect.

To prepare: Pour 2 t. of sesame oil and 1 T. of vegetable oil into a skillet. Slice one onion up into slender slices and cook in the oil until the slices start to brown slightly. Remove these from the skillet. (While you're minding the onions, you can put on a salted medium sized pot of water to boil and then add in around 5 oz. or so of egg noodles--use the smallest ones--they tend to work better).  Once they're cooked (don't overcook) drain them and return them to the pan to wait a bit. You can go ahead and stir in the onions at this point.

Now you can add around a quart of chicken broth, around 1/2 t. of ginger, 1/4 t. of garlic powder, the juice of 1/2 lime (use fresh--it's worth it), 1 t. sugar, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of oyster flavored sauce (you can find this at most any IGA store) to the skillet where you just cooked the onions. Let this come to a simmer. Add to this the lean parts of one port chop that you have sliced very thinly (avoid the fatty parts and don't add the bone). You'll also add in about 6 oz. of raw shrimp that you've chopped into small-ish sized pieced.  Let all this simmer together for a good 15 minutes on low heat. Once this has simmered and the shrimp is pink in color and the pork is white in color, add this mixture to the pot of noodles and onions. Stir together and let this cook a bit longer on lower heat until it's at a low simmer for a few (maybe 10) more minutes. While this is doing its final simmer, take a green onion (scallion) and dice off the green. Also dice up 4 or 5 cilantro leaves (do use fresh--indescribably better than dried in a jar). Serve the noodle dish into a bowl, then add a bit of the diced green onion and the diced cilantro to the top of each. A simple salad ( I used iceberg lettuce and mixed up a bit of dressing using a small amount sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic powder, ginger, and a bit of soy sauce) and glass of good Sake and you've nothing other to do than enjoy!

Molasses Cookies

The cookie jar is empty! Time to get with it and find a good, durable cookie. Can't think of one better than old fashioned molasses cookies. They're easy to make, they keep well, and they're just plain good.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is heating, stir together 2 1/4 c. flour, 2 t. baking soda, 1 t. ground ginger, 1 t. cinnamon, and 1/2 t. ground cloves and 1/2 t. salt.  Now toss in 1 c. of dark brown sugar, 3/4 c. Crisco, 1/4 c. molasses, and 1 egg and beat all the ingredients together.

Roll into little balls, roll lightly in sugar, and put onto a baking sheet, baking each batch for 10 minutes. This recipe will make 48 small cookies.

Enjoy!

Pita Bread

The other day I had a craving of sorts for homemade bread, but I didn't want anything heavy or cake-like. I looked in the pantry, found some whole-wheat flour and when decided upon pita bread. There's a really good recipe for it in the cookbook I received in 1984...one of my first "real" cookbooks, The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Page 75.

To make the bread, you combine 1 pg. active dry yeast (1/4 oz. from a jar) with 1 1/4 c. warm (110-115 degree) water in the mixing bowl.  Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/4 c. Crisco, and 1 1/2 t. salt. Blend this on low speed for 30 seconds, and then switch to high speed to beat the mixture for 3 minutes. Once this is done, then mix in another cup of white flour with a spoon into the mixture. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 good minutes kneading in a bit more flour (around 1/4 to 1/2 c.) to make it nice and pliable and smooth (It makes a very pretty dough.) Then let it rest in a warm place covered for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 separate portions, and roll each gently into a smooth ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Next, gently flatten each into a disk with the fingertips. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm place for 10 more minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Take the disks out, one at a time, and roll them into  a flatter disk, about 4-5 inched across. Use a good floured board to do this to prevent sticking. Two by two, bake the pitas for about 3 minutes on each side in the 450 degree oven. Be sure to keep the unbaked portions covered with the damp cloth until you're using them. Once the pitas are done and cooled, when you use one, slice in half and then carefully slice into the pita (life filleting a fish.) Enjoy!

Provencal Vegetable Soup

When the temperature dipped and we saw rain for the first time in a long time, my thoughts went to make a good comfortable pot of soup.

My first trip was to the crisper; I came up with carrots, cabbage, leeks, celery, and a bit of spinach.  In the freezer I found peas. In the pantry I found a couple of potatoes, an onion, a can of diced tomatoes, 4 small cans of chicken broth, a pint of green beans.

In a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the soup pot, I sauteed diced onion, thinly sliced leeks, diced  celery, a bit of salt, and some garlic powder until they were soft. I then added the four small cans of chicken broth, the can of diced tomatoes, the peeled and diced potatoes, and the peas. To this I added two big bay leaves and around a teaspoon of herbes de Provence. Then it was time to simmer and simmer. The great thing about soup is the aroma that greets a person at the door and drifts through the house...true comfort.

This is a soup that gets better over the next couple of days as the flavors continue to blend. Enjoy!

Lovely Custard with Brown Eggs

A very nice lady where Tom works had an abundance of little brown eggs the other day. In addition to their being pretty to look at, they also had lovely yellow yolks. I took one look and immediately thought custard.

The recipe is very simple; to make four ramekin servings, heat 2 c. milk and 1 t. vanilla to a simmer. Once it's had a chance to simmer a bit, remove it from the heat and then add the combination of  8 whisked egg yolks and 1/4 c. sugar. The heat will cook the eggs without curdling them. Pour into the ramekins and put into the fridge until they set up to the consistency you like. Enjoy!

Apple Soup

Okay...I know this doesn't sound like the "normal" soup, but since we're welcoming the fall season, it seems that apples in all forms are appropriate. And, when you pair this soup with the mushroom tart on this blog, the slightly sweet taste of the former lends well to the huge savory flavor of the later.

To make this interesting soup, I chopped 1/2 onion and cooked it in a couple of tablespoons of butter along with two peeled, cored, and chopped apples (I had honey crisp on hand), and three small stalks of finely chopped celery. I tapped in a bit of garlic powder (1/8 t. would be plenty). Let all this cook a bit until it's all softened, and then add a can of chicken broth and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Once everything is to the point of being somewhat mushy, let this cool a bit. Then, right before serving, add 1/4 c. of half and half and bring slowly back up to the desired temperature. Taste for additional needed salt and pepper.

Odd ingredients...yes; good...yes!

Mushroom/Cheese/Bacon Tart

Here in the states when we hear the word "tart" (when speaking of food of course) we think something dessert-oriented. In Europe the word tart can be a savory meal as well. If you're looking for something filling, easy to fix, and full of flavor, try this particular tart.

To make, first either use a prepared pie crust or make one. I use the frozen Pillsbury pie crusts and find them quite flaky and tender.
In a saute' pan add one chopped onion, 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms, 2 T. butter, 1/8 t. of each of the following herbs--basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, savory, pepper, and sage. Add to this crumbled up fried bacon slices (as much as you like). You can either fry the bacon or use the pre-packaged bacon crumbles. While these vegetables and herbs are cooking, beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Once everything is softened through the saute', pour the vegetable mix into the pastry shell that is lining a pie pan. Pour the beaten eggs in on top and let it mix a bit. Then add  enough finely grated Dubliner (or the cheese of your choice) to the mix. You can find Dubliner at local grocery stores and its tangy flavor lends very nicely to the savory mix of vegetables.
I baked this for about 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven and then turned it back to 275 degrees for about 20 more minutes. This will allow the pastry shell to bake through and through while not drying out the cheese on top.

 Enjoy!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper Sauce

I checked with a neat website on http://www.irishabroad.com/culture/kitchen/Recipe.asp?RcpID=207
 for an Irish chicken dish. I found one of Margaret Johnson's sure winners. I made a few alterations, but her idea is great and very tasty.

I halved 2 red peppers, brushed them with some olive oil and placed them under a broiler until they were roasted enough to peel when cooled. Once the skin was removed, I diced them and added them to a small sauce pan with 1/2 c. white wine, 2 T. white vinegar and let this simmer until it was reduced by 1/2. Then I turned down the heat and added a bit of chicken bouillon, 1 t. sugar, and 1c. heavy cream. I let this cook slowly to allow the pepper flavor to be absorbed by the cream.

In the meantime, I took four boneless, skinless chicken breasts and split them lengthwise. I then combined 1/4 c. goat cheese, 1 T. cream cheese, 1 T. lemon juice, some salt, pepper, and 3 T. of chives and basil mixed. I mixed these ingredient up and then added the mixture to the split chicken breast. While I was doing this, I heated some vegetable oil in a skillet and quick seared the chicken breasts with the mixture added to them. I then brushed the chicken breasts with some garlic butter. Into a 375 degree oven they go for about 35 minutes (or until done).


Once everything was done, I plated the chicken breasts and ladled on the pepper sauce.

Insanely Simple and Good Oatmeal Cookies

I have found a recipe with which I will never part. I was looking for something kind of light dish for tonight's dessert and decided upon cookies. We're fans of oatmeal cookies around here, so I started looking for a recipe. I found one and then, after reviewing it in this blog, found that I barely followed it...oh well, here's what I came up with:
Cream together 2 sticks of butter (I really like KerryGold Irish butter--my guess is if I can find it, you can) and 1 1/2 c. sugar (the more fine the better). Once this is done, you can drop in one egg and 1 t. of vanilla. Then start adding in 1 3/4 c. flour, 1 t. baking soda, and 1 t. baking powder. Once this is done, then mix in 1 1/2 c. instant cooking oatmeal. Spoon these out and and bake for about 13 minutes at 350 degrees. This makes around 3 dozen cookies. They bake down very thinly and brown nicely and lightly around the edges.

Enjoy!

The Ease of the Fritata

I do love a good fritata. It's easy to make, has great full taste, and it's versatile enough to make it just about any flavor you want it. I usually  take a quick survey of the fridge contents before deciding the direction of the fritata. For this particular one, I chopped up green pepper, onion, mushrooms, flat leaf parsley, and tomatoes and sauteed them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, about 1 t. thyme and 1 t. marjoram, and a bit of garlic powder. I then added some chopped up fried bacon.  Once all this is softened, I add several slightly beaten eggs in accordance with just how big I was the fritata to be, normally 6-8. Then add some spinach; it will wilt quickly. Once all this is cooked, then I turn on the broiler, added some shredded cheese, and watched it closely until it melted slightly. Easy, filling, and quick.

Huevos Estrellados

When we went to visit our friends the Oppenheimers, we had a great breakfast at their house. We had bacon, eggs, and french fries. Never heard of it, but it was GREAT.

The other day, while reading the latest issue of the Wine Spectator I found a recipe for huevos estrellados which had, as its main ingredients, sausage, eggs, and french fries. Had to try this!

I peeled a couple of potatoes and cut them into crinkles. I put them to fry with some olive oil and a bit of salt. While the french fries were cooking, I fried some sausage, then in the grease I fried some green pepper and onion. Finally, I fried some eggs and let the sausage grease soak into them just a bit to add flavor.

Then came the stacking of the french fries, the sausage, and the eggs and all that was left to do was enjoy...we accomplished that as well.

Mussels with Guinness

Tonight's dinner was super simple and fantastic, thanks to the combination of some great mussels and Guinness. I found this recipe from a site talking about the wonderful food at The Brazen Head in Dublin. They weren't kidding on this one. And did I mention it was incredibly easy?
Heat a saute' pan on medium heat. Once it's plenty warm add a minced shallot, a couple of pounds of mussels, 1/2 c. half and half, 1/2 c. Guinness, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1t. thyme, 1T. minced flat-leaf parsley, and 2T. Irish butter. Let this simmer for about 8 minutes, keeping an eye on the broth/sauce not allowing it to evaporate completely. When this is done, spoon the mussels and sauce out into a bowl. Serve with some warm French bread--you'll need it to sop up the great sauce. Fantastic.
* from The Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson

Kerry Apple Cake

On a website of Irish recipes, I found a great dessert that's very quick to put together and it tastes GREAT. It's called Kerry Apple Cake. Here are the ingredients and directions:

Soften 6 oz. of butter (be sure and use butter--it's worth it) and cream this with 1 c. sugar (the finer the sugar the better--IGA now carries super fine under their label). Add to this 2 eggs, and 1 c. self-rising flour. Once this reaches batter stage, fold in 2 peeled, cored, and chopped apples (the finer, the better) and 1t. of lemon peel. Put this into a pan that is buttered and lined with parchment paper (you can find this about anywhere anymore). Once the batter in in the pan, sprinkle about 2T.of brown sugar on the top, along with 1t. sugar, a bit of cinnamon, and a bit of nutmeg. Put this into a 350 degree oven for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This is a fantastically moist cake.

The recipe says that the cake doesn't keep well, but no worry since it's eaten rather quickly...agreed!

Simple Salad and Soda Bread--the Earthy Basics

Tonight I had a need for simplicity. Sometimes the taste buds just do that. So, after having found a great stash of fresh produce this past weekend, I dropped some eggs into boil and got to slicing and dicing. I never end up with the same ingredients twice in a salad; who does? That's the beauty of it...whatever comes to mind and eye. Tonight's salads included romaine lettuce (I usually get the hearts of romaine--they tend to be much more tender); fresh tomatoes from Mom's garden along with a fresh green bell pepper; a yellow bell pepper; radishes that were very mild and crisp; a bit of onion; some sliced baked turkey; and the boiled eggs.

I added the subtle Irish touch by putting some small cubes of Blarney Castle cheese (a nice mild gouda) in the salad. A couple of slices of warmed soda bread slathered with some Irish butter and we were set.

Simple can be mighty good!

Saturday Night Calzones

As I glanced into the fridge this afternoon, the word "calzones" spoke to me. With some sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, mushrooms, red onion, and mozarella and provolone cheeses sitting about, I decided to combine all those items together. The only thing missing was the dough. I found a nice recipe and it follows:

Take a package of yeast , a cup of warm water (110 degrees), 1 1/2 t. salt, and 1 1/2 T. of olive oil and mix all these together. Let this set for 5 minutes and then add about 1 1/4 c. flour and start combining. To this continue adding another 1 1/4 c. flour. Put this out onto a board and knead for around 7 minutes, adding just enough more flour to keep the dough from being sticky. Put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth and let set in a warm spot for about an hour (I found the top of the dryer to work well while drying clothes). After an hour, I divided it into four separate pieces, put it back into the bowl, covered and let it set for 15 minutes. While I was letting the dough rise for the last 15 minutes, I cooked the sausage, then added the peppers, onion, and mushrooms letting them cook to the point of softening in some oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lastly, I added the pepperoni to warm. When the dough was ready, I made a round of dough  and then added a bit of pizza sauce, the ingredients, a bit of mozarella and provolone. I folded it in half, sealed it off with fork tines.

While all this was going on, I preheated the oven to 500 degrees and put in the baking stone. Once it was sufficiently heated,  I turned the heat down to 475 and baked the calzones, two at a time, for about 12 minutes.

Chicken Breasts in Irish Cream

The weather cooled a bit and it was rainy out--what more perfect time to have some good Irish food?

After some debate, I came upon chicken breasts in Irish cream. The ingredients are wonderfully simple, but when put together...wow!

I thawed four chicken breasts, put them between two sheets of waxed paper, and flattened them. On went some salt and pepper, and then I put them into a skillet set on medium-high (not too hot)  that contained a couple of tablespoons of melted butter and 3 or four coarsely chopped green onions. The chicken breasts don't take long to cook--keep an eye on them. Once they are cooked through and browned a bit, remove them from the pan, add 2 T. of whisky and deglaze (remove the brown that is stuck to the bottom of the pan). Once this is done, add 1 t. of tarragon leaves (what a great aroma!) along with 1/2-3/4 c. whipping cream. Stir and let this bubble. Once it is at a creamy consistency and all blended, then lay the chicken breasts back into the creamy mixture.

To accompany, we had mashed potatoes and carrots coated with tarragon butter. Earlier in the day I fixed some soda bread, so a small knob of Irish butter soaked in nicely on the warm bread. A bit of chardonnay and we were in for a cozy, rainy evening. Cheers!

Shrimp and Vegetables with Dal Bukhara

Finally!!! I'm back in the kitchen and happy to be here. It feels like it's been a long time since I've rattled any pots and pans. It's something I definitely miss. At noon I was able to take a bit of time between phone calls and work on a project and make a bit of chili soup. It's getting to be that time again when we soup fanatics look lovingly upon our soup recipes. However, this evening it was the warmth of some mild curry that was attracting my attention.

As usual, I headed first to the freezer to see what meat/fish/fowl I had available. Some raw shrimp caught my eye. I threw it into a bowl with some warm water and let it defrost while I attended to the vegetables. I did a small dice of a couple of carrots, a green bell pepper, an onion, some mushrooms, and a couple of potatoes. I threw all these into a large skillet along with a bit of salt and some good olive oil. As they were softening a bit, I sliced a fresh cucumber to garnish the plate. Tom mixed a wonderful dry martini to help with the cooking process...he's very good at that!

Once the vegetables softened somewhat, I added the raw shrimp along with a package of Dal Bukhara (black gram lentils curry). The seasoning was mild and just right to blend and accentuate the other flavors. I let this all cook down a bit to gather more flavor and then served it up with the fresh and crisp cucumber slices for garnish. A very simple dish, but very satisfying on a cool night that hints at fall.

Sometimes a Simple Sandwich is the Best

The other day I was hungry come lunch time; Tom was at work, so my lunch menu was pretty loose. As I walked into the kitchen, I spotted a pretty red tomato and my mind registered bacon and tomato sandwich...I looked into the fridge and found a bit of bacon. Minutes later the bacon was frying in the skillet, the tomato was sliced, the bread was in the toaster, and the mayonnaise was at the ready. As I looked at the ensemble, I decided a fried egg would make it even better. So, after the bacon was finished, I dropped an egg into the skillet with the bacon grease. Once everything was stacked on the bread, I had one more thought...cheese. On went a slice and it melted down just a bit from the heat of the just cooked egg. 
Sometimes, the simplest things taste just right...I know this concoction sure did!

Grillled Sage Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes

We do like a good pig around here. Pork is good on so many levels! It's versatile, dependable, and, as the ads used to say, the other white meat. Nice to have variety when it comes to white meat, I always say (not really).
The other day when I went on my mission trip to the grocery, I found a pretty pork loin. I looked at it over the next few days in the fridge and came up with a plethora of scenarios on how to cook it. Finally today I decided that, after a little research, it would receive a sage rub. Sage isn't our favorite flavor, so I backed off quite a bit on the rub ingredients. These included: 2T. sugar, 1t. salt, 1t. sage, 1t. marjoram, 1/4t. celery seed, 1/4t. dried mustard (I used about 1/2t. sage). I cut the loin into four sections, added the rub, covered, and put into the fridge for about 4 hours.
Once  it was time to start the meal, I sliced up a couple of sweet potatoes, an apple, and an onion with a bit of butter. I wrapped this in foil and placed it on the grill.
Once the potatoes were pretty well done, I sliced the pork into medallions and put them on the grill. Once they reached 170 degrees, they were done.
I paired this with Shiraz; it made for a nice Sunday evening meal.

Lemony Peppery Shrimp with Couscous

Once again, kudos to the good cooks at Southern Living. This was another "oooo" observation from Tom as he quickly perused the September issue the other evening while waiting for that Netflix show to load. His "ooo" was right on the mark. It was easy to fix, quick to fix, and EXCELLENT. If you like the heat from red pepper, the refreshing astringent taste of lemon, and the richness of shrimp, you'll like this very much!

Once again, being the consummate cook that alters as she goes, I did add a little extra "heat" with probably 1/2 t. more crushed red pepper. I also used all the ingredients as listed and cut back on the amount of shrimp by about 1/4 lb since it was only for the 2 of us. Finally, we like garlic, but in small doses, so I omitted the cloves and used a little over 1/2 t. garlic powder. It gave it taste without overwhelming the other flavors.

Here's are the ingredients as originally written: 1 lb. raw shrimp, 3 garlic cloves, 2T. olive oil, 1/2 c. chicken broth, 1t. lemon zest, 3T. fresh lemon juice, 1/2t. dried crushed red pepper, 6oz. fresh spinach, salt & pepper to taste. (Note--one large juicy lemon will yield you the zest, the juice, and the slices for the beer--and fresh is key.)
To fix the shrimp, just heat the olive oil and add the garlic (or garlic powder). Once the oil is hot (not smoking--remember olive oil has a low smoking point, so don't turn up the heat too high) drop in the shrimp and cook, turning them over and making sure they get pink on both sides. (Don't used pre-cooked shrimp--they get really tough. Don't be afraid to use raw shrimp--they cook very easily and you can tell they are thoroughly cooked when they curl and turn pink.) Remove the finished shrimp and put on a plate.
Add the chicken broth, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and dried crushed red pepper and cook until the liquid mixture is reduced by half. Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted. Then add the shrimp back in to the mixture long enough to warm the shrimp back through.

While the shrimp cooking is going on, chop up 1/2c. of roasted red peppers (I use the kind from a jar so no roasting), 1/2c. grated Parmesan cheese (use the real stuff), and 1/4 c. chopped parsley (once again, use fresh--it has a good, clean taste that compliments the lemon). Prepare a box of plain couscous according to the directions, then once it's done, add the chopped ingredients.

I paired this with Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss with a slice of lemon.  Enjoy!

Cheers to Jen! Welcome to the Community of Cooks

Today I celebrate, with other various friends and family, a wedding shower for my great-nephew's fiancee, Jen, a lovely young lady with some of the most beautiful red hair you'll ever witness. Added to this, her personality is the type that welcomes you into any conversation and picks up that conversation the next time you meet again...that's a good kind of person to be. So I thought Jen should be the focus of the food blog today.

When I received the invitation to the shower, there was a recipe card included. Mom also received one and immediately decided that the recipe for the Reese Cup pie would be her contribution. I know this will be greatly appreciated by Josh and Jen alike, since the Reese Cup pie is the star of the Christmas Eve buffet every year. 
After some thought, I wrote in the address of this blog on the recipe card. My first instantaneous response to this was that I was being somewhat narcissistic. It kind of rang of the flavor of a spouse putting a ribbon on his/her head and saying, "ta daaaa!" when wishing the other spouse happy birthday, anniversary, Merry Christmas, etc. Certainly not the impression I was hoping to achieve.

My true intent of this motivation is to welcome Jen into the wonderful community of cooks. A good place to be. As this blog continues and picks up steam, I'm hoping more cooks will follow and then, in turn, share their thoughts, recipes, or their own blogs to widen the circle. From that Jen will be privy to an array of people who truly love cooking, food, and the whole human element of what food represents.

So, cheers to Jen; cheers to all the lovely cooks out there...what a wonderful world. Come join the blog, share your ideas, and allow us to learn from one another.

Blackberry/Apple Upside Down Cake

Tom was glancing through a magazine the other night while we were waiting for a Netflix movie to load. When I heard him murmur, "ooooooo," I took a peek at what he found. I must admit, I "ooooo'd" a bit myself. 

The picture showed a pretty upside down cake, but not just ANY upside down cake. This one had no pineapple as we tend to make the ubiquitous fruit of choice; it had apples and blackberries...different and intriguing.

The recipe itself come from Southern Living magazine, the September 2010 issue.  

Here's the list of ingredients and directions...

Let a stick and a half of butter set out and get softened before you start. Once it's soft, then toss the 1/4 c. in the microwave for about 25 sec. and melt to liquid. Pour the liquefied butter into a round cake pan, and then pat in 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar and 1/4 c. honey. Slice up a couple of apples (I used 1 1/2) and lay them in a circular pattern around the pan. Then add 1 c. blackberries (the ones I used were frozen, so I just dropped them in). 

Next, I put 1 c. sugar and 1/2 c. butter into the mixer and beat it at medium speed. Then I added 2 eggs, then a mixture of 1 c. flour and 1t. baking powder alternately to the mixture along with 1/2 c. milk. Once all this was done, I stirred in 1 t. vanilla. I spooned the batter over the apples and blackberries and put in a 350 degree oven. I started testing after 45 minutes; it took a good hour for the batter to bake.

Once it was out, I let it cool a bit and then turned it upside down onto a plate. It's a pretty cake; add a little whipped topping and you're set.

Cucumbers and Crabmeat

Tonight's supper is going to be all about summer; these glorious days when the sun still has some heat in it, yet it's incredibly comfortable to be out on the deck. Tom and I have even starting braving the elements, i.e. cats and the dreaded occasional fly, and enjoying eating outside in the evening. Having a hummingbird stage show makes it all the nicer.
We both like cucumbers, and Tom has become a very good sport about chilled soups, so tonight I fixed a cucumber soup. Nothing is much easier to fix; all it takes are cucumbers (I used 1 1/2), a couple of green onions, 1/2 c. chicken broth, some salt and pepper to taste. You just take all these things (be sure to remove the seeds and peel from the cucumbers), dice them up a bit, and pour everything into a food processor and blend. I added just a bit of cream to make it more silky. It lightens it up a bit, but adds a nice subtle flavor. I put in in the fridge to chill a bit and it was ready to go once everything else was in place.
I had 1/2 a cucumber left, so I decided to try to deep fry it; thought it would go well with the cucumber soup. I figure we deep fry pickles, so what the heck? I used a nice Louisiana shrimp/vegetable mix that you wet down and then dip again in the dry mix. It works great on almost anything I've ever tried to deep fry.
For the main course, I made crab cakes. Due to the "land locked" position we find ourselves in, I made do with canned crab meat...it worked great. To the 2 cans of crabmeat I added about 1/2 c. of breadcrumbs (I had some French bread, so I just pulled it apart into tiny pieces, an egg, and a mixture of about 1/8 of finely chopped red bell pepper, some celery salt, and 1/8c. red onion finely chopped (I sauteed these three items just a bit to soften them). I heated some oil, patted out the cakes, coated them in some flour, and put them to fry on medium heat. While they were cooking, I make a sauce to use with the crab cakes and the fried cucumbers. This was made out of mayonnaise, Thai hot chili sauce, and a bit of lemon juice--mix to your taste.
Finally, a quick trip to the broiler for some sliced almonds to warm slightly--these were dropped on top of the cucumber soup.
The nice thing about any recipe is that you can modify to your heart's content; I know I did on these recipes this evening...so, feel free to play and enjoy!

               add pictures

Apple Pie--Simple Pleasures

As I was returning from the walk to the mailbox, the thought occurred to me that I needed to make an apple pie from the apples that were now falling from our tree. Even though I have backed off about 90% on the gardening/growing from my former life, I still get a kick out of walking in the yard and picking fresh blackberries, asparagus, or, in this case, apples.
These apples are tart; what type are they? No idea. Greenish-yellow. How's that for a botanical description? The happy news was that they weren't too faulty, i.e. buggy/wormy so I picked a dozen of them and headed to the house.
I'm a lot like my mom in the idea that I don't like eating crunchy apple pie; like those apples soft and a little bit caramelized. So, after dicing them up, into the pan they went on the stove along with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The smell was wonderful as everything slowly heated. I tasted them along the way (one of the many joys of cooking) and decided that they were really absorbing the spices, so a bit more sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg was applied. I also have my mom's habit of not measuring on things like this, but, if pressed, I'd say I added 1/4 cup of sugar, 2 t. of cinnamon, and 1/2 t. nutmeg. (A little nutmeg goes a long way.)
As far as the crust was involved for today, I skimped and used the Pillsbury frozen rolled up crusts...they're actually really good and handy to use. Sometimes I get the notion and use either my mom's or Julia Child's pie crust recipe--sometimes. I must admit I've become spoiled by the Pillsbury crust.

I always like to use a lattice crust topping so air can circulate and it looks pretty. It's not at all hard to do, but just remember when you're dealing with hot apples, the lattice strips will melt if left sitting too long and then they'll stretch and lose their shape.

Once the pie was ready, I added some dots of butter to the top and then put into a slow 325 degree oven. It seems that most pie recipes want you to start out at high heat and then turn it down; my mom and I agree that this isn't necessary...the 325 degrees work just fine...and you don't have to remember to turn it down.

The pie usually takes around an hour to bake. Once it's brought out, it needs to rest and cool a bit or it will collapse. 

And that's that...add a dollop of whipped topping or some good vanilla ice cream and all is well with the world--enjoy!

Comfort(able) Food

I decided today was the day I was going to fix a beef shoulder roast and it wouldn't come out looking like a mass of strings. Shoulder roasts and I go way back in the "not quite there" department (somewhat like not yet hitting on the "just right" margarita). So, today I decided to make a comfortable food meal. I'm not so sure it would fit the "comfort food" category, but roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans do indeed make a person feel comfortable.
So, I thawed the shoulder roast, then heated some corn oil and coated the roast (now cut into three separate pieces) in flour with some salt and pepper. I seared it and got the edges brown, then put the pieces into a small roaster with a bit of water and put it in a slow oven at 260 degrees (no method to that madness). I let it slow roast for about an hour, and then when it was time to bake a pie, I turned the over up to 325 and let it go for another hour. I removed it, let it rest for about 10 minutes with the roaster lid off so it wouldn't get a soggy outer edge, and then sliced it. The aroma was good and it wasn't nearly as stringy. Not a perfect cut of meat, but it was tender.
As sides, I fixed mashed potatoes with a bit of cream and butter (yep...cream and butter) and green beans from the garden in a bit of grease from the original meat searing and some onion, salt, and pepper. While the meat was resting, I made some gravy for the potatoes and meat. This was an easy kind with heating up the broth from the roasting meat, some flour, salt, pepper, and kitchen bouquet (the stuff that makes gravy a pretty brown--in small amounts).
The food can always be plated ahead and refrigerated for a later meal...how comfortable is that?

Jambalya and Grits

Every once in awhile, I get a real need for some jambalaya. My favorite part of this concoction is that there is not "purist" recipe--it's whatever you like or have on hand. For this batch, I looked at the freezer and fridge and came up with an all-fish type. I also decided to use grits instead of rice. That buttery, salty taste of grits just seemed like it would go well with the types of fish I cooked in the jambalaya. So...here we go:

I started with the two trinities, i.e. a bell pepper, an onion, a stalk of celery one as well as a couple of tablespoons of parsley,a couple of  bay leaves (since I used a little bit of hot peppers diced up, I didn't add the third spice-- cayenne pepper). A can of chicken broth went into the pot, followed by the veggie trinity diced coarsely, and the spices. To this I had a bit of frozen okra, so in it went as well, making a nice thickening agent.

While the vegetables were simmering, I pulled some raw shrimp, cod, and flounder out of the freezer and dropped their little frozen carcasses into some lukewarm water to get the chill off. Once this was taken care of, I went back to the simmering pot and added some fresh tomato chunks. Then in went the now thawed fish and shrimp once it was coarsely diced as well. From there, it was on its own to simmer slowly and gain richer and richer flavor. The aroma was great as it did this.

I skimped on the grits and used the instant type; they work great. Once everything was done, I let the jambalaya cool just a bit so I could get a good taste and see if it needed any salt/pepper adjustment. With all the good flavors, it needed very little.

Once again, a good way to cook an easy filling meal--and clean out the freezer and fridge which is always a handy thing to do :).    

              

Flat Iron Steak Marinade with Irish Whisky

For some time, I had read about flat iron steak, but had never found a piece locally. The last trip to the grocery store yielded one and a pretty one at that. Flat iron is a really versatile type of steak; it can be fixed in variety of ways. I decided this time I would marinade it and then grill it my favorite way---low and slow. I put together a marinade of whiskey, olive oil, garlic powder, soy sauce, pepper, diced onion, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Then I cut the steak into fourths, split each piece like a filet, and let it marinade for an hour.

While the steaks were marinading, I cut some carrots into slices, added some yellow squash, diced onion, dropped it into some olive oil and butter. A bit of salt and pepper was added. Into the foil packet it went and onto the grill.

While the carrot dish was grilling, I prepared a green leaf lettuce salad and put together a dressing of olive oil, some dijon mustard, a bit of salt, pepper, some capers and caper juice.

The steaks went on the grill for about 10 minutes; I turned them three or four times so they wouldn't burn since they were pretty small.

Once the steaks were finished, I brought them in and let them rest while putting the carrot dish in a skillet and adding some bread crumbs and a bit of butter and putting under the broiler until the crumbs got slightly browned. All done and ready to eat. Easy and not too time-consuming. A good malbec or cab sav would pair right along; however, after a warm trip home from our weekend outing, Tom's classic g&t fit the bill perfectly.

To the Grill...Low and Slow

After a long day of being in Indy at session, the drive home, the trip to pick up the car, and the return home--all in 95 degree weather--Friday night was telling me it was time to keep it simple...and I am a good listener.
Thank God for grills. We just traded our $88 Charbroil in for an $88 Brinkman model. I'm convinced that grills have little to do with the quality of grilled food. I think as long as you pay attention to the food, a $1K grill and an $88 grill will do the same job. (Thankful for that, too!)
So...I fired up the grill and started some hot Italian sausages low and slow...my favorite way to grill. Once the skins were browned on two sides, I split them lengthwise and put them raw side down on the grill to cook slowly, keeping the flame away with a squirt of the water bottle as needed. Once they were browned and glistening, they were done.
While I was cooking the sausages, I cut an onion and a bell pepper into skinny slices, added some butter and olive oil and a bit of powdered garlic and wrapped them in a foil packet and put them on the grill as well. Usually by the time the sausages are cooked, the peppers and onion will be done. At the last moment, before uncapping the Guiness, I dropped the hoagy buns onto the grill to toast just a bit.
As an accompaniment, I had some little red potatoes that needed to be used, so I grabbed the foil once again, sliced them thinly, sprinkled with some salt, garlic powder, and paprika. I sliced up some more butter (mmmmm) and dropped it on the potatoes, wrapped them up, and on the grill they went.
Take a drink of that Guinness, a bite of that sausage and a forkful of those potatoes and man...that's livin' on a Friday night!

Aaaahhhhh Peppers!!

Have you noticed lately how cheap bell peppers are in the stores? You can buy some a big as a softball for small change. When my mom calls and casually mentions that she has a bag of bell peppers in her fridge "if I want them" I almost am there at her back door before she hangs up the phone. THESE THINGS ARE GREAT!!

Earlier today I froze several half pint boxes of diced and sliced red and green ones. Since they're local and fresh picked, when I use them later in the season, they'll still retain that great aroma and taste. And anything this easy to freeze, i.e. wash, cut up, throw in freezer box, put into freezer--sign me up!

I always though onions were pretty versatile in cooking, but the 'ol bells never let me down, no matter is it's Mexican, Chinese, Cajun, or whatever happens to land in the pan. And egg dishes...ah, the wonder!

No supper tonight...well, supper, but no cooking...the road beckons. More cooking fun tomorrow night or maybe another place to "research" the tenderloins :).

MMM...easy Szechuan Scallops

We love scallops...Tom LOVES scallops. So when I was at the grocery the other day and saw huge, beautiful scallops with, believe it or not, farmed in the USA on them, I bought them immediately. Scallops are horrifically over priced in most restaurants; once you feel at ease cooking them, you can have them two or three times at home for what you'd pay while out.
Tonight I decided that we hadn't had Chinese food in a while; we really like hot and spicy seasonings, so Szechuan seemed to fit the bill. When I cook Chinese food, I seldom have any plan in mind; that's what makes it fun to prepare and always good...you just put in the skillet what you like. I don't use a wok; a skillet seems to work just fine and doesn't take up near the pantry space.
Tonight I used fresh bell peppers and squash from Mom's garden; I sliced the peppers and did a large dice of the yellow squash. To this I added a yellow onion, a couple of carrots diced coarsely, and sliced mushrooms. I dropped all these pieces into a hot skillet, added a little oil, a bit of soy sauce, some Szechuan seasoning. Once these had some time to cook on higher heat, I then added the big scallops, turned down the heat, added a lid, and let all those flavors just soak in while the scallops cooked.
In the meantime, I had prepared some white rice; I diced a bell pepper and some green onion, added a little oil, soy sauce, and a spicy fried rice packet and sauteed this on medium high heat. Once they started softening, I took them out, cracked a couple of eggs, and fried them while chopping into little pieces while they were cooking. Once the eggs were finished, I added everything to the rice and folded it all together.
By this time the scallops had done their thing and were cooked without being overcooked--they had absorbed some of the juices from the vegetables and Szechuan seasoning. After plating, I added just a bit of hot chili sauce to each scallop to add just a bit more bite. I ladled the scallop/vegetable mixture over the fried rice, poured a little Sake, and Tom and I had a nice evening meal. For dessert, the strawberries are sitting out and warming up a bit with a hint of sugar to make them good and tasty.
This is a fairly easy meal to prepare and it makes good left-overs as Tom will attest to tomorrow when he digs into Szechuan scallops part two. Enjoy!

Welcome to My Little Foodie World...

Over the past few years, I've turned into quite a foodie. I always liked it, have a mom who is a magnificent cook, and always cooked for dear husband and son for the past 20+ years. But lately, I've allow myself to just get in there and really ENJOY it--the textures, the aesthetics, the smells--you get it. If you're a foodie already like me, you REALLY get it; if not, you will :). Stick with me and together we'll make some fun things that will knock the socks off your palate. From the simple to the sublime, we'll enjoy every aspect of food...and there will be pictures! What would life be without pictures? What more fun way to play with our food than making it the model?
So...to whet the appetite, so to speak...let's start with today's lunch...antipasti. You say antipasto, I say antipasti...let's NEVER call the whole thing off...LOL. Antipasto is the singular; antipasti is the plural--end of grammar lesson. And, although the word is Italian, antipasto/pasti can take on any of your favorite flavors. Its meaning is "before the meal"...it's a great light lunch also. Which is exactly what I prepared quickly and simply today. I stared into the refrigerator and found a green bell pepper, some kalamata olives, some cracked green olives, some pesto, some crumbled feta cheese, banana pepper slices, a slice of provolone cheese, and, from the window sill, a tomato. Simply cut the tomato into wedges, sprinkle some feta on it and a bit of good olive oil; slice the bell pepper, let the slice of provolone warm up to room temperature, and drop the other items on the plate as well. A bit of your favorite water, tea, etc., and you're set. I added a few Triscuit parmesan garlic crackers and lunch is served :). Enjoy!

**Remember that olives will keep for a long time in the fridge, so the initial investment will pay off for months to come. And they're healthy!