The easy entertaining time of the year is about to arrive. Barbecuing, outdoor dinners, backyard entertaining. Something easy is what calls for summer.
I love the name of this recipe. Peacock Vegetables. It is a recipe from 2002 and I have made it a lot. It is so simple. Vegetables and the rest you have in your pantry already.
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
2 purple onions, cut into eighths
2 small yellow squash, cut in 1/2″ strips
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/2″ strips
1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, cut in 1/2″ strips
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley ( I like Italian)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano or 3 tbsp. fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Place onion, squash, bell peppers and garlic in a bowl and toss well.
Combine remaining ingredients in a lidded jar and shake well. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.
Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
The photo above is before going into the oven.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
I served these veggies with my Cornish Game Hens, whose post was right here on March 28th.
Goes well with everything. Great tasting too.
Have a great day. AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook. Leave a comment there.
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It may be the time of the day or the day of the week. Today, Monday, it is Meatless Monday. One day per week to get away from red meat and give our bodies a rest for healthier benefits.
The recipes may be Begged, Borrowed, or Stolen. You find recipes in books and you make them your own. I always add a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
This recipe caught my attention because I love scallops any which way. I thought the Tangerine Gastrique was interesting. A Gastrique is a reduction of sugar and vinegar infused with any flavor. In this case, tangerine juice.
The recipe was posted by Emeril Lagasse but to tell you the truth it needed more additions to a plain salad. Color like roasted peppers and roasted artichokes for once.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar (you certainly can reduce this amount)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice (could not find any so a orange/ mango juice was used)
A pound of scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil (a little more if needed)
salt and pepper
1 cup of arugula (I used a bit more)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 tangerines, peeled and separated
roasted pepper cut in strips
roasted artichokes or canned ones will do
2 or 3 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Let’s make the gastrique. In a medium sauce pan, combine, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and the juice. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce until the liquid gets syrup like, about 10 to 15 minutes.
For the scallops, please dry them on paper towels. You always should do that before cooking scallops.
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Season each scallop front and back with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops. Sear them on one side until golden brown, a couple of minutes it is only what it will take.
Toss the arugula in a salad bowl with extra virgin olive oil, along with the roasted pepper strips and the artichokes.
You can put the salad mixture in a large platter, add the tangerines to make a pretty presentation. Add the cooked scallops and drip the Gastrique all over. Sprinkle the shaved cheese.
A little bit of sweetness combined with scallops turns out to be a very nice salad.
Enjoy!!
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I remember when I was young Sunday was a day to gather at my grandmother’s house. After church it was the satisfaction of gathering with cousins and with good comfort food. My grandmother was a very good cook; always cooking with the best ingredients she could fine.
Not sure why I think of Cornish Game Hens as a Sunday Supper dish. I have stuffed them, cooked them with prosciutto and figs as well. They have great flavor. And what are they, really? I found out that they are the product from a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chicken breeds, that it is served young and immature, weighing no more than two pounds ready to cook.
We have a good butcher here in Rehoboth Beach. Hickmans!! I picked these Cornish Game Hens around the holidays. They were pretty big. Last week I made this recipe. By no means the recipe is my own, but I did give it my own spin.
They are easy to prepare. I usually do not serve a guest a whole hen even though you could depending on the size.
2 Cornish Game Hens
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, cut in half
rosemary sprigs (2 per hen)
olive oil
15 cloves of garlic and more if you do like garlic like I do
2/3 cup of white wine (it is a great additions to the sauce)
2/3 cup of chicken broth (I used chicken stock)
More fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
honey
The first thing to do is to preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Then take gizzards and neck from the hens and put them aside. You will use them in the broth.
Rub the hens with salt and pepper. Place one of the lemon wedges in the cavity along with a sprig of rosemary. Also put one garlic clove in each of them. If you look closely you can see that I drizzled honey over the top. Very yummy!!
Arrange them in a heavy roasting pan. Take some of the rosemary leaves and spread them around the pan. Put the whole garlic cloves around the hens in the pan. In order to avoid the garlic to burn since you at first will be cooking on a high temperature, take some extra chicken stock and pour into the pan in order to cover the cloves a bit.
This is how they will look before going into the oven.
You are going to roast them in that temperature for 25 minutes.
The gizzards and neck that you took from the oven place in a pot and cook for 10 or 15 minutes. Once that is done, cut the gizzards, heart and set aside. This is totally optional. I just think it adds to the broth.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the cut gizzards, etc.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Pour the broth above the hens and continue roasting about 25 minutes longer or until hens are golden brown. Baste with the pan juices every 10 minutes.
Transfer the hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. You can put the pan on top of your burners and heat up the juices, smashing those garlic cloves which will be amazing combining them in the broth. I used a little bit of corn starch because I wanted the broth to be a tad thicker.
You can cut them in half or serve them whole. Cranberry looked pretty and appropriate with them. And, those veggies? I will give you the recipe because they went perfectly with the hens. Easy too. Next post.
Here is a photo of the hen in half. It depends how hungry your guests are. And please make sure to put a lot of broth in the plate.
Enjoy!! Talk to you later.
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“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” david mamet
When I am out and about trying restaurants or frequenting my usual haunts I usually do not order dessert unless someone at the table does and then share a bite here or there.
I appreciate them from afar, looking at them longingly. But, you know that desserts are loaded with calories and sugar so I abstain.
When guests sit at my dining room table they will be served from soup to nuts. Dessert will be a must and at time more than one offering.
I love the Key Lime Pie. I like it tart. I find it refreshing and the perfect way to end a meal year-round.
This Key Lime Pie recipe is so easy. Pretty much I think people enjoy it. I use bottled Key Lime juice. Those little key limes take forever to squeeze.
The recipe appeared in the school cookbook called A Collection of Recipes II that we all worked on when our kids went to Worcester Country School in Berlin, Maryland. It is now called Worcester Preparatory School.
Parents, grandparents, friends, restauranteurs, they were all so generous with their recipes. This particular one was given by Mrs. Anne Braniff. Not only is she an amazing baker but she is also a good cook.
Crust:
1/2 box Keebler Vanilla Wafers
2 ounces Macadamia nuts
1/2 stick butter or margarine
Filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
3-4 ounces Key Lime juice (I put 4 ounces)
In a food processor (or blender) mix wafers and nuts until fine crumbs result. Melt butter; add to crumbs and process until moist.
Press crumbs into a 9″ pie pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Take it out of the oven.
To prepare filling, combine milk and egg yolks at low speed. Slowly add juice, mixing until well blended. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. You may also bake the pie at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. I did not.
Garnish with whipped cream or meringue is optional.
I grated some lime to add a little green color on the top.
You may also substitute low-fat wafers and low fat or no fat condensed milk. I kept it traditional and full of calories.
Enjoy!! It is delicious.
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Back in 1997 I was the Chairperson for a cookbook called A Collection of Recipes II. It was a project of the Worcester Country School Parent’s Association. The school is now called Worcester Preparatory School and it is located in Berlin, Maryland.
We asked parents, grandparents, and local restaurants to give us their best recipes. And they did!! It took us many months to get everything compiled and many of us worked hours to bring this book to the community.
I love neighborhood cookbooks. To me these recipes are the center of someone’s kitchen. Recipes used over and over again for holidays, and family gatherings.
At Worcester a lot of the recipes showed up at the Teacher Appreciation Lunches. They are all good and I used this book frequently.
Better Cheddar is a recipe given by one of our grandparents. Mrs. Carol Cairo knew that this recipe, as simple as it was, would be a hit. It had a secret ingredient…..Liquid Smoke.
Serve the Better Cheddar with crackers or dipping pretzels.
Ingredients:
1 pound New York Extra Sharp cheese, crumbled
1 cup walnuts, chopped
6 scallions, chopped
1 cup of mayonnaise (I like Dukes)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (you can put a bit more after tasting)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
To crumble the cheese, first cut it in chunks and then put in a food processor until it crumbles. I have a very small food processor and I made it in a couple of batches. Easy.
The walnuts, you can also put in the food processor of a few seconds or pulse it so they are chopped.
I have yet to have a guest say they don’t like it. You really get hooked.
Hope you love it as much as I do. Great for appetizers!!
AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook. This blog was started in 2009. Come back often to find out about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner.
Have a great week.
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It has taken me almost a week to get this recipe. Chili for Super Bowl Sunday and Cuban Tomato Bread. I said, what? I have never heard of Cuban Tomato Bread. I had been served before in Puerto Rico a tomato bread with origins from Spain but, obviously, by the look of TC’s face I was probably making all this up and wanted to give credit to my Puertorican roots. I was not thinking such a thing.
The Cuban Tomato Bread was a hit. And, since so many asked for the recipe, TC decided on Friday to show me. In regards to what kind of bread to use, that could be your choice. The photo above was a French Bread but it looked a little different from the French Bread we had on Super Bowl Sunday. The bread is going to be toasted and it will taste so good no matter what. Following is the photo of the finished bread on Super Bowl Sunday. We had guests, so obviously we had the full baguette.
The ingredients you probably have on hand. Maybe a few things from the store you will need to get.
No measurements are necessary. Bare with me.
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
garlic salt
Red Pepper blend seasoning (Several to choose from store. Pick something you would like.)
Tomato (for 2 people one tomato will do)
1 yellow onion
Italian Parsley
Seasoned Salt like Larry’s
Mrs. Dash original
Mozzarella cheese (rounds or squares)
You will be using the broiler.
In a small saucepan melt butter, sprinkle garlic salt to taste, the red pepper blend seasoning and the chopped parsley.
Place on a cookie sheet the bread and with a pastry brush apply some of the buttery mixture above already melted. Then place in the broiler for a few minutes making sure you don’t let it burn.
The next step is to slice the tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle lightly with the seasoned salt like Larry’s and Mrs. Dash. Place in the broiler and let them cook for a few minutes, again watching that they do not burn.
Assemble the breads by placing the tomatoes and onions in a thin layer.
Put the slices of cheese on top of the tomatoes and brush with remaining melted butter/parsley sauce.
Back into the broiler until you see it coming out like the first two photos. It will not take long by any means.
Being that we were into the Cuban mode, the perfect pairing was homemade Black Bean Soup. It is cold in Southern Delaware so a soup, a chili, a stew will be great. On the other hand, by itself with a nice glass of wine would pair perfectly.
On my Begged, Borrowed, or Stolen recipes, at times you really have to beg.
Hope you like it, and make it your own, as well.
By the way the recipe was obtained many years ago in Key West, Florida.
AboutMyBeaches has a FB page. Leave me some comments there.
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Pies are comfort foods. When you hear the word pie immediately thoughts come to holiday pies. Apple Pie being the most popular pie.
Meat Pies and vegetable pies are very popular, as well. Some weeks ago I found a Crab Meat Pie and being that we live on the coast and crabs are all around us, I decided to make it. It, actually, makes 2 pies but if you want a pie with more height you can probably just put it in one pie plate and you will also have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
I get my crab meat locally and at this time of the year to get fresh one you will pay the price. Thought about if it was worth to put it in a pie vs using it for crab cakes. What the heck, I wanted to do something different.
Ingredients:
1 lb of fresh crab meat (don’t like the pasteurized one)
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup mayonnaise (love Duke’s)
8 ounces of extra sharp Cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. minced green pepper
2 tsp. pimentos
2 9 inch deep dish pie shells or any other pie shell crusts you may want
A little Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions:
Combine eggs, flour, mayonnaise and milk in a bowl and mix well.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients but do it gently. You want that crab meat lumps to stay intact as much as you can.
Bake the pie shells at 350 degree for 5 minutes. Cool pie shells.
Spoon crab mixture into pie shells. Sprinkle a little dusting of Old Bay Seasoning because what good are crabs if you don’t have Old Bay, right?
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remember to adjust cooking if you will be using just one pie shell.
This crab meat pie goes well for lunch or dinner. It is tasty and so easy to make. Just add a salad or a green veggie and you are good to go. Enjoy!!
TGIF….Hope your long week-end is filled with fun.
AboutMyBeaches is a blog started in 2009 to promote our beaches and other cool places to visit. To discover the great foods around us. Check the Facebook Page and leave me a note.
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In the winter there is nothing like a warming bowl of soup. It was cold on Sunday. But, today at the Delaware Beaches the temperatures will rise to the upper 40’s. I’ll take that.
Over the years I have bought tons of magazines. A lot of them have been food oriented. I go through them many times and then I start cutting recipes out and putting them in folders. With a morning coffee I go through them and if something catches my eye, I take it out.
I picked an Onion Soup Recipe that got my attention back in 2013 in a Food & Wine Magazine. It is a healthier version of the traditional French Onion Soup. Traditional soups are fantastic but making them healthier while conserving flavor it’s the trick. That hunk of bread and thick layer of melting cheese makes it high in calories and sodium. Sorry, but it is true.
For Meatless Monday and being that it is a cloudy day this onion soup might be just what you need. I made it yesterday and it is a keeper.
Meatless Monday is a worldwide organization trying to have folks like us eat meatless at least one day per week.
The Recipe
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, (sweet or regular) halved and thinly sliced
Kosher Salt
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 cups of beef stock or low sodium broth
Baguettes (either cut your own or buy prepared ones) I used small ones for my large bowl.
Gruyere shredded cheese. I packed that cheese on the baguettes.
In a large pot heat oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and just starting to brown. Maybe about 7 minutes or so. Taste the broth and add a bit of salt and continue to cook over moderate low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and golden. I would say 20 minutes?
Add the wine and soy sauce to the pot. Cook for a few more minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Then, simmer over low to moderate heat, again stirring occasionally until the onion broth is well flavored and slightly reduced. Taste again and if needed add more salt.
You can make the soup ahead of time until this point.
Then pre-heat the broiler and arrange the baguettes on a baking sheet and top with the Gruyere cheese. Broil until melted.
To serve this onion soup, ladle it into bowls and top with the cheese toasts. You may sprinkle a little bit of cheese all over the soup prior to placing the cheese toasts, as well.
Hope this will be a keeper for you too. Remember AboutMyBeaches has a FB page just in case you want to chime in.
This blog started in 2009 with the idea of offering the readers who want to be in the know about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner.
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