June 13th, 2012
I think some get intimidated by the look of such a large squash. How the heck do you cook it? And, what is it?
It is like any other squash, the difference comes into play when you cook it. The flesh separates in tender spaghetti looking strands. That’s why they call it a spaghetti squash.
You can cook it in different ways. I use the simple method of the good old microwave. First, prick the squash in more than a few places with a fork. Then, just place it in the microwave. For a medium squash like mine, just cook it for 6 minutes on high, turn over and give it another 6 to 8 minutes. It will soften up.
Cut it in half with a knife, take out the seeds and then with a fork just separate it.
Spaghetti squash is very low in calories, and a good source of vitamin C.
You can use it as a substitute for pasta, just add your favorite sauces. Or, add butter and serve it as a side dish.
The actual taste of the squash is mild and a bit sweet. It is very good.
Spaghetti Squash Pancakes; Spice them Up!!
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 small jalapenos, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons chopped, peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon coriander
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups Spaghetti Squash
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used rice flour due to the gluten allergy in my household.)
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add shallots, jalapenos, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until softened. A few minutes. Then, stir in cumin and coriander and cook until nice and fragrant. About a minute or so. Season with salt (optional) and pepper. Let it cool a bit.
Tranfer to a large bowl and stir in squash, eggs, and flour, mixing after each addition.
Cook on a slightly greased skillet (cooking spray, butter, or oil) over medium heat.
Just add the batter in about 1/4 cupfuls, pat them down somewhat. Cook until brown, flipping halfway through.
I actually ate these pancake as my meal tonight. I did not want anything else. But with enough imagination these little cakes can go a long way. Make them your own and enjoy.
Note: If you are making a large batch, then, pre-heat oven to 275 degrees and transfer pancakes to oven to keep warm, while you cook the rest.
Also, please note that with the rice flour, this recipe was gluten free.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later…you know I will.
May 8th, 2012
I cannot believe I am putting this recipe again on my website. It finds itself in the blog again, because it is sooooo good. Well, if you don’t like coffee or curry, then skip this post. You can probably make it without it, but, it won’t be the same.
So, I found myself in the mood for comfort food. It has been windy and cloudy this afternoon in the Delmarva Peninsula. The weather has been changing and a stormy night of rain awaits us all.
“Comfort foods may be foods that have a nostalgic element either to an individual or a specific culture.” They have flavor, color, and are easy to prepare. Comfort foods mofidy or affect our moods.
The recipe is not an original of mine. It was found on a Southern Living Magazine. I have claimed it my own, since I have changed it to be gluten free. To tell you the truth, not much needed to be changed. The cup of breadcrumbs was the main ingredient that needed some alteration. That was not a problem. Just crush gluten free crackers; enough to make crumbs.
Sweet ‘n’ Saucy Meatloaf
For the meatloaf:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pount pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean’s. It is gluten free.)
1 cup breadcrumbs (made with gluten free crackers)
1 large egg, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (I forgot to get it, so I used dried.)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all the above, 10, ingredients.
Shape into a loaf and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Make the sauce. After the 30 minutes of baking the meatloaf, pour 1/2 of the sauce over it and bake another 45 minutes.
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup ketchup (Heinz is gluten free.)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used Spenda Brown Sugar Blend)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce (It is gluten free.)
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
You see how easy this recipe is? If you think that the pan in the oven needs more sauce, then you know what to do. You can also add a bit of more beef broth to the pan.
You can dress up the mealoaf with greens and mashers. Or, do like I did and add a side of buttery acorn squash. Remember to save sauce to drizzle over the meatloaf.
This recipe serves about 4 people with leftovers.
Enjoy and make it your own…talk to you later.
March 12th, 2012
I love shrimp. They are so versatile, and adapt so easily to so many recipes. The majority of people love shrimp; even the ones that do no like fish.
This recipe is so easy and pretty fast. I, actually, messed it up a bit and it still came out, getting rave reviews from my family. That was a good thing since that’s what they were having for dinner last night.
Fastest Shrimp Bisque Ever
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium) If you are making the recipe gluten free, read the ingredients on the broth.
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning, usually found at grocery stores
12 ounces fresh or frozen medium size shrimp in shells, thawed. I would add a couple more ounces of shrimp; you might have to buy the 24 ounce bag.
3 celery stalks, sliced thin
1 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour ( I used a rice flour due to the gluten allergy in my household.)
3 anchovies, finely chopped (Don’t wrinkle your nose. They add a lot of flavor.)
Old Bay or seafood seasoning (optional)
In a 4 quart pot combine the chicken broth, the Old Bay, shrimp and Celery. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until shrimp shells turn pink and shrimp are opaque. Turn stove off.
Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon or tongs; set aside to cool. Leave the celery in the pot.
In a medium bowl whisk together the evaporated milk, milk, flour, and anchovies. Turn stove back on. Add milk mixture to to the liquid in the pot. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring here or there. You want it to acquire a nice consistency; not too thick but creamy enough. If you want it thicker, just dissolve more flour in a little bit of chicken broth and add to the pot.
Meanwhile, peel the shrimp. Chop about half of them. Add all of them to the pot. Cook for another 2 minutes or until heated through.
Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with a little Old Bay. Offer your guests or family a salad and make it a meal.
Note: I bought a tube of Polenta, then sliced it and cooked it on a skillet in order to make croutons to top my bisque. It is optional, but they all liked it.
Another Note: I had run out of rice flour, so I used Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix. It did the job.
Enjoy!! Guess what? This recipe can easily be doubled.
February 7th, 2012
Picadillo is one of those easy recipes that can be so easily adapted to your own liking. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Don’t like raisins, or green olives, or capers, then leave them out, but you might be missing something. I hope you do like garlic, though, because is essential to Latin cooking.
I usually make this dish when I don’t know what else to cook; it is always different; but prettty tasty.
Picadillo is a Cuban style hash. Really, that’s all it is. The picture above is of the picadillo eaten by a friend the other day at Cabana’s located on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. I, of course, had their pollo asado, which was great.
Following is such an easy recipe, just serve the picadillo over rice; your choice. Plantains and a salad and you have a meal.
Picadillo (Cuban Hash)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup, green pepper, also chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (if you want more, you know what to do)
1 lb. ground beef
1 large tomato, chopped (use canned if you want to)
A little tomato sauce (to give it more of a sauce, use your judgement)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped green olives
a handful of raisins
salt and pepper to taste
In a large frying pan saute onion and green pepper in olive oil, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and ground beef.
Break down the beef and mix well with the onion and green pepper. Cook until it browns for about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and oregano. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the ingredients to slowly give that flavor to the beef.
Note: In Cuba black beans, in Puerto Rico, definitely red beans would accompany this dish. In a rush? Open the cans of beans, add a little tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil , bay leaf and cook slowly for about 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and that’s all that is to it!
This recipe is gluten free. Always make sure that if using canned products, you check the labels or call the manufacturer.
Serve and enjoy!! How easy was that?
December 22nd, 2011
Some wanted chicken breasts and other wanted chicken thighs; everyone got what they wanted. This recipe comes courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are so easy and always delicious.
I made it my own, as I usually do. A combination of chicken parts; a little bit of this and not too much of that.
Lemon Chicken
1/2 cup of olive oil
5 or 6 tablespoons of minced garlic
2/3 cup of dry white wine
4 tablespoons grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
chicken (I got a combination; 4 breasts with ribs and skin and 4 thighs)
2 lemons
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute, but do not allow the garlic to brown.
Take it off the heat and add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt (optional). Pour into a baking dish.
Pat the chicken dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemons in wedges and tuck them among the pieces of chicken.
Bake for 1 hour, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin has browned. Baste it a few times while cooking. If the chicken has not brown enough, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, which is what I did.
Serve the chicken with a vegetable. I chose sauteed spinach. Rice with toasted pine nuts is a great addition. Make sure you serve plenty of pan juices.
Note: To toast the pine nuts just place them on a low heat, dry skillet; watch it so they don’t burn.
All you have to do is enjoy it. This dish looks good, it is so easy, and perfect for a large crowd.
December 17th, 2011
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert that uses Ladyfingers dipped in coffee. The layers in between are filled with a mixture of whipped eggs, mascarpone cheese, a little liquor and a sprinkle of cocoa on top.
My goodness, there are so many varieties!! I like the traditional one the best. Some still follow the classics; others have evolved from those methods and have different additions.
For the person that has to eat gluten free, then there is the question of the ladyfingers. No way.
Gluten intolerance or sensitivity is one of the most common conditions at present. Celiac disease is an allergy. Both have to approach food in a very different way. No wheat or its derivatives.
Adhering to a gluten free diet is the only way to go and the only remedy. Once the diet is started the results are amazing; you start feeling so much better; tests results will show that, as well.
The most important thing to know is that it is not a fad diet. People with no gluten issues that follow the gluten free diet do feel better; I do.
Some time ago I found a company called Schar. It is from Europe. Their gluten free products are fantastic. You can find these products at Giant in Rehoboth Beach. I am sure you can also find them in nature stores, as well.
They do make ladyfingers that are gluten free. In the back of the box there was a recipe for Tiramisu. Ha…finally!!
This recipe is so easy. No cooking is necessary. At this time of the year, it can be made ahead of time. Everyone will love it.
Sweet endings; dessert. It is the final chapter of a meal…I love a good ending.
I always change a recipe, making it my own. In the ingredients on the box it said 3 egg yolks. But, in the preparation it said 4 eggs. I figured it was a typo and just used the 3 egg yolks.
Another ingredient I changed a bit was the sugar. Instead of 4 tablespoons, I only used 3.
It said to use rum but I used white wine. There are gluten free rums; I just did not have any in the house.
The glass container could have been a bit larger. I had some of the mascarpone mixture overflowing,
Other than that, it was really good.
Tiramisu
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons of sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons white wine
A whole package of Schar Ladyfingers
1 cup of brewed espresso or coffee
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Beat the egg yolks with sugar; then add the mascarpone cheese and the wine.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the mixture.
Dip ladyfingers in the coffee. Arrange them closely together in a flat glass or ceramic dish.
Cover them with half of the mascarpone mixture, then add another layer of ladyfingers and top with another layer of the mascarpone mixture.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 4 – 6 hours.
It makes about 6 servings.
A little tricky cutting it but it is very delicious and light…..well it does have plenty of calories.
Note: Schar’s Ladyfingers are not quite as big as regular ones. If you want to buy 2 packages, do so and add a few more. I just used one package, though.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later. You can find Schar and AboutMyBeaches on Facebook.
November 28th, 2011
Appetizers give us an excuse to enjoy special seafood treats; if you like seafood, and don’t have an allergy, that is. These pickled shrimp are so easy. And, shrimp are most often associated with appetizers. They are easily available, which is a good thing; different sizes, as well.
For appetizers is best to use the medium size shrimp. Buy the easy to peel, as well. The large or jumbo shrimp are difficult to pick up with your fingers or wooden picks. Probably, not practical as appetizers.
The following recipe can be doubled easily. You can play with it and make it your own. On top of a chopped salad? You bet. Try it out and play with it.
Pickled Shrimp
1 lb. medium shrimp, raw
1 tablespoon pickling spices
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used Emeril’s/gluten free)
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 green onions, sliced
Pull shrimp from shells and discard shells.
In a 2-quart saucepan, cover shrimp and pickling spices with water. Bring to a boil; simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Strain water, leaving spices on shrimp; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine mustard, horseradish, oil, salt, celery salt, vinegar and onions. Pour over drained shrimp. Cover and refrigerate. The ideal would be 6 hours or overnight. But as long as they are nice and cold, they will be delicious. It is just that the longer you leave the shrimp in the marinade the better they will absorb that taste.
Enjoy!! This recipe is gluten free!! Just give your guests some wooden or plastic picks or small forks to pick up shrimp.
Talk to you later….
October 30th, 2011
The word “curry” is an anglicised version of the “Tamil” word “kari”, which means sauce.
Tamil is the official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore. It is also one of the 22 languages of India. In 2004 it was declared “a classical language” by the Indian government.
I have had this recipe for a long time; courtesy of my mother in law, Louise, who is an accomplished cook. You know how I am, I change recipes all the time and this one is one that is probably going to be changed by anyone that makes it.
From mild to spicy, there are so many types of curry. I am sure you will find the one you’ll love.
I have bought loose curry powder from Indian shops and to me those are the best. Otherwise, I just buy directly from my grocery store. The one bought at your favorite grocery store is yellow in color and that comes from ground turmeric and ground coriander seed. Other ground spices like chilies, cloves, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, mustard, fennel seeds, cardamon are included in the mix.
What I love about curry is that is so colorful. The condiments adding a specific taste to each bite.
The other night I was in the mood for this “comfort” food. If you like curry, this will be easy for you to make. And, if you don’t , then you might have to skip this post.
Chicken Curry
4 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)
5 tablespoons of margarine or butter
1/2 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten free flour)
3 tablespoons curry powder (hot or mild and a bit more, if you want to)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (optional, but not for me)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and simmer a minute or two.
Stir in flour, curry powder, salt, pepper, ginger and sugar. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Cook slowly, stiring until thickened.
Stir in the chicken. Heat it up slowly, again. Then, keep it on low while you assemble the condiments.
Basically, the condiments could be anything you have in the kitchen: chopped peanuts, raisins, sliced bananas, mango, chopped eggs, chopped sweet pickle, currants.
I chose pineapple chunks which I grilled on the stove. I love coconut with curry, so I spreaded shredded coconut on a cookie sheet and browned it in a 350 degree oven. Just watch it; you don’t want it to burn. Crumbled bacon, love the combination with the rest of the condiments. Raisins and dried cranberries, tomato chunks, and chopped onions. My favorite condiment? Mango chutney.
Even though any long grain rice will do; the best would be an aromatic rice.
Serve the curry on the rice and pass the condiments around.
Note: Even though I used chicken, you can make this dish with 2 to 3 lbs. of shrimp and adjust accordingly.
Also, some info. for this post was taken from Wikipedia.
Enjoy!! Make it your own and…. Have a good day!! Talk to you later…
 
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