Back Country Bean Salad

This is a great choice for a light weight but satisfying meal to carry in your pack.  Make it the night before, freeze it in a ziplock and serve it up the next evening in camp with a warm corn tortilla and fresh avocado & salsa! 

Ingredients:

1 tomato, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can green chilies, drained
1/2 can of corn, drained
1/2 jalapeño, diced
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Dice tomatoes, jalapeño and chop onion.  Open and drain cans of chiles, beans and corn.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

3. Spoon into large ziplock bags, remove air, fold and double bag.  Freeze overnight.  By the time you go to eat dinner the next evening,  your meal will be thawed but not spoiled (and it won't have spilled out into your pack either!).

4. Serve with fresh avocado and some premade salsa inside some warmed tortilla's. 

5. If you wish to make this for a meal at home, you can add chopped lettuce (and even grated cheese if you eat cheese).  (Skip the freezing part of course). 

Jicama, Cucumber & Lime Salad

File this recipe under "who would have guessed it".  I have never even tried Jicama before but this was one of the great recipes that our rafting outfitter sent along with our food package (on my Grand Canyon trip) .  I like the vegetable julienned so I have presented the recipe that way.  You could simply slice it into thin 1/2 inch strips.  I also added the jalapeño pepper.   I made this salad a couple of times on the trip and it was a hit with everyone!  Jicama is now on my fav list.

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 Jicama, peeled and julienned
2 limes, the juice of
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
salt, to taste
chili pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste.

Directions:

1. Toss everything together and serve.  Easy!

Pretty Pettals

In the Spring issue of Stitch Magazine I found the wonderful bag pattern. Designed by Rebeka Lambert of Artsy-Craftsy Babe and Etsy.  I have used Beki's patterns before and sold quite a few of the pleated shoulder bags.   That said, knew I could make this bag.  Her patterns are to the point with lots of great photos.

Off I went....I changed the type of applique to the turn and fuse method and added a zipper on the top rather than the fold-over snap flap. 

Oh...also a zip pocket on the inside and a beaded zipper pull on top.  

I wanted to list my new baby in my  etsy shop , but could find no license offer or permission to make and sell this bag.  Emailed Beki...and she said go ahead.  Several things are important here:  first, always ask permission to use anything that someone else made (photos, items from patterns you did not create, etc.)  This is understood.   Second, definitely give credit.   Always. 

Gazpacho Relish for Fluke Sashimi: 07.23.2010

2 ea red peppers, torched, peeled and diced
2 ea yellow peppers, torched, peeled and diced
2 lbs tomatoes, torched, peeled, seeded and diced
2 ea english cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1 ea red onion, small dice
1 ea chile serrano, microplaned from outside inward - avoid the membrane
1 clove garlic, microplaned
zest from one lime, microplaned
3 Tbsp sliced chives
2 Tbsp minced chervil
1 Tbsp minced tarragon
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sherry vinegar
salt, sugar and white pepper as needed

- combine first 8 ingredients and season liberally with salt and sugar. Set aside for 2 hours
- strain off liquid and reserve. Gather vegetable mix in cheesecloth and squeeze off as much liquid as possible. Add this liquid to previously reserved liquid.
- process remaining vegetable mix in robot coupe, scraping down the sides as necessary until evenly minced.
- remove from robot coupe and squeeze in cheesecloth again, saving the liquid.
- add remaining ingredients to squeezed vegetable mixture; taste and adjust seasoning.
- strain remaining liquid through cone filter and add to tomato water.

Salsa Verde for Beef Cheek Gyros: 07.16.2010

1 1/2 cups packed chopped lovage
1 cup packed chopped parsley
1 cup chopped garlic chives
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup packed oregano leaves and buds
10 cloves garlic
zest of 4 lemons (microplaned)
4 cups olive oil

- puree in blender

p.s.

p.s.  why are there these large black spaces showing up at the bottom of each post.  In draft..not there.  I publish there is the big blank thing.  Anyone know?

Ack..Woot - what kind of bird call is that?

It is getting to me....having an on line shop meant you need to market online.  I am overwhelmed with it all.  I think I am anoying my facebook friendsand twitter is a mystery.  I mad an effort to look at feedburner and received: 

There has been an error of some kind. Ack!

well, I feel the same way about all of you!  People are typing 'woot' at me and then going 'ack'.....  I do not know what a 404 error is, but if I promise not to do it again maybe I won't have to try and figure out follow friday.

 

 

Chive Panna Cotta for Sashimi: 07.09.10

3/4 lb chives, chopped and blanched
1/4 lb chives, chopped
2 cups half/half
1 qt heavy cream
2 tsp agar agar
1/2 tsp madras curry powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt to taste
pan spray and truffle oil as needed

- puree chives with half/half; strain through chinois
- combine chive puree, cream, agar, curry, pepper and salt to taste over low to medium heat,stirring often until it reaches a low simmer; remove to a pitcher
- meanwhile, spray 24ea 3.5oz cups with pan release; drizzle a small amount of truffle oil in each
- divide chive cream between plastic cups (about 2.75oz each); place on level surface and chill

The Tempest

The Tempest,
originally uploaded by cherry house quilts.

This stunner from Cherry House Quilts...please click on the photo and the link to see more. 

New Cook Book

Brand New Edition to keep everything up to date! 

Thai Red Chili Mango Shrimp

Super fast and super easy. If you don't like your food too spicy, half the spices. I generally double the spices whenever I see a recipe. haha. I made this for my fella to celebrate Canada Day. It was a gorgeous day out, so rather than spending extra time making Thai red curry paste from scratch, I "gasp" used store bought. And I don't regret it at all! Delicious! Also, the lettuce came from my very own container garden as did the cilantro. :)

Ingredients:

150ml of organic coconut milk
2 heaping Tbsp of Thai red curry paste
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro , finely chopped
2 small red chili's, finely sliced
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
Juice of 2 limes
2 ripe mangoes
1 pound raw large shrimp, deveined with tails intact
oil for grill (coconut is best)
1 tsp. sucanat
fresh lettuce leaves
lime wedges for garnish


Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, chili, garlic and lime juice and whisk together until blended. Put half of the dressing in a lidded container for the marinade and the other half will be used as dressing.

2. Cut your mangoes and cube the fruit and divide into two half's. (youtube how to cut a mango if you have never done this). Add half of the mango to the marinade and half of it to the dressing.

3. Add your shrimp to the marinade and toss to cover. Refrigerate and marinate for at least one hour. Add one tsp. sucanat to "dressing" half of your mixture and cover in another bowl refrigerated.

4. Heat your grill to a nice hot temperature, remove shrimps from marinade (discard leftover marinade) and grill until cooked through, turning once. Just a minute or so each side.

5. Remove shrimps from heat and serve on fresh lettuce leaves. Spoon mango dressing on to your shrimp and lettuce. Serve with lime wedges. Yum!

Solitary Gourmet!

OK, so last night Garth was out of town, and I went on an experimental spree in the kitchen.  I felt like pleasing and teasing my tastebuds.   Kind of wanted a cheeseburger, but since we are a red-meat-free-zone at our house, I got creative. 

There was this HUGE melon, that I could in no way eat all by myself.  Chopped it up into pieces and put it in the blender.Whizzzzzzzzzz......taste....needs   something.  Added some honey.  Good....poured into glass...too oopy and thick...added lemon juice and a dash of ginger beer.  NOW let me tell you, boys and girls, this was to die for!!!!

Beverage situation ok...then the cheeseburger. 

Here is what I did:  found CowGirl Creamery Red Hawk cheese from our last trip to the coast.   Put that on a wheat roll and made a portabello burger with a teeeeny bit of garlic-mayo-poupon sort of aoli.  

Regular salad, but added some basil and snow peas from garden.

Set up a TV tray and watched a re-run of CSI-SVU!  It was yummmmmmo.