Go Withs

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

 
  

  

Some cooks think of side dishes as just something extra to have along with the main course.  I am not one of those cooks.  Truth be told my style of eating is more like grazing.  If I had a buffet lined up with appetizers, side dishes and entrees, I'd probably never get to the entree.  I would sample a little of everything and be oh so happy with the variety of things to choose from.

 

Another important thing to note when it comes to side dishes is that they can often save the meal.  If that piece of meat  is more like shoe leather than a killer  pot roast, a couple of good side dishes can make all the difference in whether or not your guests ever return.  It may even prevent the necessity of searching for the carry out menus.

Some go alongs are just automatic givens.  If you have a grilled cheese sandwich, you must have tomato soup.  I think it's a law in some states.  If pork is your main entree than you need some sort of apple side dish to compliment. It can be as simple as opening a jar of applesauce or as complicated as scalloped apples.  Steak, definitely a baked potato, sour cream and chives optional.  And we can't leave out roasted turkey which has some of the best, and most, sides imaginable.  You have two kinds of potatoes, sweet and mashed (for that wonderful gravy), stuffing (ours isn't dressing because it is stuffed into the turkey), cranberry sauce and black olives.  Often the next day's turkey sandwich is my first taste of the turkey.

 

Some go alongs aren't always that  automatic.  Barbecued ribs with au gratin potatoes is awesome and thank you Carson's Ribs for exposing me to it.  My Dad's mother used to make us pork chops with pasta marinara as a side.  It was really a good pairing.  Creole shrimp is absolutely delicious with a spicy spinach souffle and corn bread.  

This week I'm doing a couple side recipes that I think might go with many entrees you might be making this summer.  Or you could just skip the entree.

 

Onion Cucumber Salad

 

3 medium cucumbers sliced

1 large sweet onion sliced

1 Tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed (please don't omit this)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

 

Combine cucumbers and onion.  Sprinkle with salt and celery seed.  Combine sugar and vinegar and pour over the onions and cucumbers.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  Better still overnight

 

Baked Beans

 

1 # bacon

2- 28 ounce cans baked beans ( I like Bush's)

1 12 ounce bottle chili sauce

1 large onion chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 suirts of yellow mustard

 

Fry bacon until slightly cirspy.  Drain on paper towel, then crumble.  In bacon grease saute the onions until just soft.  Drain onions.  Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.  If you don't want to heat up your kitchen throw it all into a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-2 1/2 hours.

 

Corn Pudding

 

I like this recipe for summer as it is done in a microwave.

 

4 eggs

2 cans 14 3/4 ounces cream corn

1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablesppons butter melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

dash of paprika

 

In an ungreased 2 quart microwaveable dish beat the eggs.  Sir in corn, evaporated milk, flour, sugar, butter, salt and pepper.  Cover. Microwave on high for 9 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes.  Ucover, sprinkle with paprika.  Microwave 15 minutes longer or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

The last recipe is for a coleslaw that is not creamy.  When I make potato salad (boil some potatoes til fork tender, peel, cut into chucks, add a chopped onion, some sliced hard boiled eggs, some salt and mix with mayonnaise) it has mayonnaise so I  don't want to pair it with a creamy coleslaw .

Cole Slaw

3 large bags coleslaw blend (I often add more shredded carrot)

1 medium onion chopped fine

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed ( that you have left over because I made you use it with the cucumbers)

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

3/4 cup vegetable oil.

Toss the coleslaw mixes with the 3/4 cup sugar.  this is going to look like quite a bit but it shrinks ALOT.   Boil the vinegar,salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, mustard and vegetable oil for 3 minutes.  Let mixture cool.  Toss chopped onions with coleslaw mix.  Toss with dressing and refrigerate overnight.  

 

Happy Fourth of July

 

Farmer's Market Eve

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

 
  

  

I'm so excited I can hardly wait for tomorrow when I can go to the Farmers Market.  It is going to be a little different this week as the location is being moved to coincide with the fest that starts tonight.  I don't care where it is as long as a) I can still find a parking space and b) my favorite vendors are there.  

When I walk around and look at all the produce I want to buy everything!  It all looks so good and I envision myself cooking for the entire weekend so that I can make everything.  This is unrealistic for two reasons 1) I like to cook but not for sixteen hours over a weekend and 2) there's a limit as to how much my husband and I can consume.  So, although everything tempts me I must be selective. 

I can stock up on the beautifully colored bell peppers.  The red, orange and yellow are easier for me to handle digestively so I'll opt for those over the green.  Stuffed bell peppers are easy to make, we like them and they freeze extremely well.  For recipe see March 22nd post.

Next will be some corn on the cob.  My Mom told me when she was a girl visiting relatives in Virginia that during the summer there would be corn suppers.  Corn and nothing else, unless you count the salt, pepper and butter.  I can do that.  And if I can't finish it all, the corn will freeze well too.

Last summer I bought beets and made beet borscht.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself.  I'm sure most people would rather go hungry than try it but it's really quite good.  If I'm not in the mood for borscht, I can pickle them and they'll keep a long while.

Cauliflower cooked on the grill is fantastic.  You smear butter over the head of the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap the whole head in aluminum foil.  Place head side down on the grill and grill for 30 minutes over medium heat.  It turns out perfectly cooked.

I'll pick up some shallots, green onions and maybe some leeks.  It's probably too early for heirloom tomatoes but when they arrive I'll be in tomato sandwich heaven.  

Oh, and last summer one of the vendors had garnet sweet potatoes.  They were by far the best sweet potatoes we had ever eaten.  

Uh, oh.  I haven't even gotten to the fruit yet and it looks like I'm already heading for a weekend of cooking.

Well, I do know this, it's summer and I mark the occasion every year with barbecued ribs.  So I'll visit Jake's  and get some of his St. Louis ribs.  Hopefully, I'll get around to everything else that I buy tomorrow.

For the Sauce

1 1/2 cups bottled chili sauce

1/3 cup apple jelly

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring all ingredients to a boil in heavy sauce pan.  Reduce heat and simmer one minute.  Cool completely.  (Sauce can be prepared 3 weeks ahead)  Cover and refrigerate.  This is also a great cocktail sauce for shrimp.

For the ribs

4 1/2 - 5 lbs cut into 3 rib sections (I prefer the St. Louis ribs as they have more meat)

Place ribs in a large pot and cover with hot water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat add 2 teaspoons of salt, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.  Drain well.  Pour 3/4 cup sauce over ribs and be sure to coat all the ribs.  (I do this in a plastic bag and just squeeze the sauce around).  Refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before grilling.  Have grill at high heat and grill ribs until sauce browns slightly and ribs are heated through, brushing occasionally with additional sauce about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer ribs to platter and pass remaining sauce.

Girl's Weekend

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

 
  

   

It is Fathers Day weekend and the girls get the gift.  The boys are going off fishing for the weekend and the wives are spending the weekend together to swim, eat and drink and therefor be merry.  Friday night we'll dine at a restaurant as one of us must work that day and the others will be tired from a day at the pool.  I am sure there will be cocktails involved when we return from dinner.

Here's something weird about the cocktail thing, I am a simple girl, just give me my vodka on the rocks and I'm good to go.  What could be easier, right?  Well, somehow, I became the bartender for the cocktail of the moment for my friends.  I don't really know where this went wrong.  My drink takes all of 5 seconds to create , even less if the ice maker is cooperating.  Their drinks require measuring that is more or less precise and generally consists of three or more ingredients.  And sometimes they even require that I defile vodka to create these concoctions.  I could down three drinks in the time I mix up one batch.  Oh, the trials and tribulations of a master blender.

Saturday will involve more pooling.  After the pool, the plans are for some pampering with facials and pedicures, and then on to the barbecue.

Once again I was thrown for a loop when I asked what my contribution would be and heard " a side dish and dessert."  What dessert again?  I guess the Creamsicle pie was a hit.  So why mess up a good thing?  I'll do a different take on it this time.  I bought an Oreo crust, some coconut macaroon ice cream and some chocolate ice cream.  This time, I'm going to leave off the Cool Whip.  Soften the ice creams, make the coconut macaroon the first layer, the chocolate the second and refreeze.  How bad could it be?

I know that the meal will be based around a marinated pork tenderloin so I thought what goes great with pork---apples.  But I wanted to do something a little different so I'm doing apples with acorn squash.  And since I'm doing it ahead of time, we'll just have to have more of those cocktails.

Apples and Squash

1 medium acorn squash peeled and sliced  or cubed

2 apples (I'm using Granny Smith) peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients.  Cover pan with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Happy Times

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

 
  

 

It is now getting into my favorite cooking time of year.  Barbecue and the start of Farmer's Markets.  I love to cook on the grill and happily my husband does not feel that it's his domain so I can run the grill all by myself.  I have a natural gas grill and I'm sure many enthusiasts are jumping up and down claiming that it can't be true barbecue unless it is done on charcoal or in a smoker.  Well, if you've read my posts you know that I am all about easy cooking.  Easy is not lugging, dumping and starting charcoal.  It is easier for me to control the cooking temperature with a gas grill.  This is very important as my kitchen has an unusually small oven and I have had to supplement with the grill to make Thanksgiving dinner.  Then there is the safety issue.  My grill is on a deck that is my garage roof.  I don't think a random ember would be a good thing.

The Farmer's Market is one of my favorite things of summer.  I love walking around all the vendors, checking out all the produce, the bakery goods, the cheese, the honey, the olive oils, the herbs, and the overall ambiance of the place.  At my Farmer's Market there is also a wonderful pork vendor and you should check out their website to see if they will be at a market near you in Illinois or Michigan, it's JakesCountryMeats.com.  I have purchased some of the best pork I have ever eaten from them, roasts, chops, ribs and they also have some frozen fish.  We brought some of their smoked trout to a party and it  was scarfed  up in a hurry.  I like supporting local businesses and when they have quality products, like Jake's does, I want to pass the word.  And no, I am in no way related to Jake or anyone in his family. 

Unfortunately,  I am going to miss the Farmers Market both this week and next due to circumstances that are totally out of my control and unavoidable.  I am pretty upset about it and so I am going to dig one of Jake's pork roasts out of the freezer and make this for dinner on Sunday.  And nothing else better happen to the rest of my Saturdays!

Grilled Pork

  Pork Roast ( I used a pork shoulder with bones) about 4 lbs.

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme

Kosher salt

Ground pepper

     Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator and let warm to room temperature on the  counter for about 30 minutes

Light the grill for indirect grilling.  If using a charcoal grill, light an entire chimney full of coals and let burn until there is white ash on the top coals.  For a gas grill, light half of the burners to high and leave the other half unlit.

Whisk together the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar.

Add in the rosemary, garlic and thyme, combine well and then set the mixture aside.

If using a charcoal grill, pile all of the lit coals to once side of the grill and put a drip pan under the grate on the cool side.

Rub the pork roast all over with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Sear the pork roast on all sides on the hot part of the grill.

Once the pork roast has been seared on all side, move it over the drip pan on the cool side of the grill.

Smear the mustard, vinegar and herb mixture all over the pork roast.

Close the lid and grill the pork roast until it reaches an inner temperature of about 145 degrees.

Remove the roast from the grill, place on a platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil.

      Let the roast rest for about 10 – 15 minutes before carving