Summer Heat Wave

OK...it is too hot to cook in the house...and been too hot and humid this week to cook on the grill.   What's for supper....and since we had a great sale on 3 pound chuck roasts, I had to buy four of them last week.  What to make...and San Antonino Beef came to mind.   I usually make this in the winter and in the oven.   It just didn't seem right to be running the oven for three or four hours heating up the house further with the A/C running non stop to keep it 72 inside.  

Nothing smells better than coming into the kitchen on a cold winter morning and smelling a great roast in the oven.   Time to become inventive and the crock pot came to mind.   I can do the same thing with the crock pot working outside on the bakers rack!

I follow the recipe close to the Brennen's intent, but today I added a few extra flavorings starting with hydrating an Ancho pepper for fifteen minutes in hot water.  To this I added two pints of tomatoes from last years bumper crop of tomatoes.   Time to use them up.  I am expecting more tomatoes with this year's crop  than ever in the past.

Hydrated Ancho Pepper

My sifrito of onion, celery, garlic and mushroom stems

I topped the roast with my version of sofrito and poured the ancho/tomato liquid over top.   Time to raid the refrigerator and located a dozen mushrooms that had past the fresh point for a mixed green salad...but had lots of flavor potential for the dish being created.  

A great Angus marbled chuck roast!

And we are ready for the cooking session!   Topped with tomato goodness and mushrooms...can't wait for this one tonight served with grilled asparagus and corn tortilla!

Ready for six hours!

Culinary Ideas courtesy of Sam Hoffer    Many Thanks, Sam!

This great idea was "borrowed" from Sam Hoffer living in the  Mountains of Western North Carolina!   She writes the most wonderful food blog and I look forward to very issue she creates.   This idea came from her last cookout at Lake Tellico, in Tennessee.

The Finished Plate....Beef, Mushroom, Whole Wheat Rotini and Grilled Asparagus

A Stroll around the yard....

I just had to share some pics

from around the yard.  These photos were
taken between 7PM and 8PM.   I think the 
light is just perfect for photography at this 
time of day.  

This has to be my favorite...notice the "bug" enjoying supper. 

When we were kids...we thought these were Michigan Weeds!

The Beautiful Lilies

I am so happy that we planted all the day lilies that we have.   Over the years, they have begun to multiply and spread.  

Happy First Day of Summer!

Summer Grilling

Nothing beats summer than outdoor grilling!....but some days, it is just too hot.   That is why I love my infrared indoor grill. 

Kabobs are a great thing to grill...but I find some choices just don't grill as well as they should.  Particularly, tomatoes that cook too quickly and the balance of the kabob is not ready to remove from the grill.      I try to combine "equal" cooking time on their individual skewer and then I can remove when finished and combine on the serving plate.  

Ready for the Plate!  

Today's presentation includes green pepper, onion, kielbasa and shrimp.   The shrimp I used to pay six dollars a pound have become ten dollars and up a pound with the oil issues we are experiencing.  We will continue to enjoy but the future looks iffy at best.   I marinated these kabobs with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and honey. 

This year we are enjoying beautiful plants.   Here is one of my favorites from this morning's garden stroll.  

   

Wishing you a very Happy Summer Day!

Orange Pork Chop Stir-Fry

I ran across this recipe from Rhonda Parkinson at About.com  She really has some great ideas and tasty recipes.   Wishing that you enjoy this as much as we did.  

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Orange Pork Chop Stir-Fry

4  boneless pork chops
  Marinade:
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
  Sauce:
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid honey
  Other ingredients:
2 slices ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 sm bok choy
1/2 cup baby carrots
2 teaspoons cornstarch; mixed w/
4 ts water
  a few drops sesame oil, as needed
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Rinse the pork chops, pat dry, and cut into cubes. Add the rice wine and cornstarch and marinate for 30 minutes.While the pork is marinating, prepare the vegetables and sauce.     
Wash the baby bok choy, drain, and chop, separating the leaves and the stalks. Wash and drain the baby carrots and cut in half. Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. 

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside. Heat a wok or heavy gauge frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork chop cubes. Let the pork chops cook for a minute, and then stir-fry until they change color and are nearly cooked.  Remove from the wok or pan and drain on paper towels. 

Clean out the wok and add more oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots. Stir-fry briefly and add the baby bok choy stalks. Cook briefly, add the leaves, and stir-fry briefly until they turn bright green.Make a well in the middle of the wok and add the sauce. Turn up the heat, give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add it to the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken. Mix everything together. Add a few drops of sesame oil and serve hot. Serve with brown rice. 

Notes:  Rhonda Parkinson 

Yield: 4 servings

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Day Lilies at their Peak!!

This year's beauty is breathtaking....

Chicken Asparagus Quiche

I have taken Ina Garten's advise and now roast chicken breasts with bone in/skin on.   It really adds so much flavor rather than a boiled skinless chicken breast.  And after they are cool, removing from the bone and shredding is very easy.

I coat the breasts with canola oil, and generously add salt and pepper.  Convection roast at 375F for 40 minutes gets you a great piece of  roast chicken.  I used some of the chicken this week for Enchiladas Suizas and the leftover roast chicken has become tonight's Chicken Asparagus Quiche.   With our perfect growing weather this week, we have a bountiful supply of mesculin greens for a nice salad. 


Here is my pastry recipe from the one and only Rose Beranbaum, author of The Pie and Pastry Bible.    

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Vegetable Shortening Pie Crust

Pastry

3.3 ounce shortening  
6.5 ounce flour  
1/2 teaspoon salt
2.75 ounce ice water


Proceed in food processor as usual.


Notes:  Pie and Pastry Bible


Yield: 9" crust


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Refrigerate pastry while making the filling.  Pillsbury makes a great packaged crust in the dairy case.   I use Pillsbury crusts when I am pressed for time.  The Quiche Lorraine recipe is my standard recipe...but today I added cooked shredded chicken, blanched asparagus, Monterey Jack cheese and topped with diced pimento. 
. 

Ready for the Oven

I use a preheated oven 425F...and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325F until golden brown.    

Ready for the Table with Garden Salad

 And what else could accompany this great meal....but the beautiful blooming day lily..

Persian Market Day Lily

Bountiful Blessings

This year has been exceptional so far!!  The bounty exceeds every expectation.    Here are a few pics from just three weeks ago!!   

After arriving home today...I had to stroll around and look at the progress.   Frankly, I can't believe what I am seeing.    

Three Weeks Growth

 My FIRST blossom and developed into a very nice tomato!

 The salad greens are going crazy!!   and I can't keep up.   Looks like I might need to call Heinz from all the tomatoes we are going to have in the next couple of weeks.   All of this from six Celebrity tomato plants.  

Tonight I had a sink full of mesculin for salad.   Will be difficult to keep up with the growth....need to have a church social supper of salad.  

Wishing that your Garden is producing as well as mine is this year.....I know this won't last forever and will be missing this all in November. 

Blueberry Vanilla Slice

Blueberries are starting to come in fresh.   My personal favorites are from Southwest Michigan, but today I picked up a pint from South Carolina.  Nice... plump and juicy.  

Starting with my Sugar Busters crust, I crush up plain Triscuits to yield a half cup of crumbs.    This is exactly the same as using graham crackers but the Triscuits don't have any sugar.   To the crumbs, I add  one tablespoon Splenda, 1/3 cup melted butter and pulse until combined and the crumbs are well mixed.    Pat into an eight inch square pan and bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.    Cool completely and scatter blueberries over the crust.       

For the vanilla pudding, I always just Jell-0 Sugar Free, Fat Free mix using 2% milk.  Of course, you can use whole milk or heavy cream if you like, but we are still trying to loose a few extra pounds!      The regular box will cover nicely.  

After chilling for a few hours, the "lighter dessert" is ready for serving....and topped with some fresh whipped heavy cream is great!

Ready to Enjoy!!

The Calla Lilies

In my best Kate Hepburn voice....

"the calla lilies are in bloom"

Beautiful Blooms 2010

We are having a spectacular growing season this year.   I believe the cold winter we experienced had quite a bit to do with the successes we are enjoying.   The Bamboo is growing a 6-8 inches a day and the tomato plants have tree like trunks.  They are very sturdy this year!

Vidalia Onion Casserole

We stopped over to friends for a short visit over the Holiday Weekend.  I had given this recipe to a friend and frankly, had forgot all about it until she had made it for her guests.  So good..and I have to get this one back out and make again for us.

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Vidalia Onion Casserole

casserole, main dish, vegetables

3 cup Vidalia onion
1/4 cup butter
1 cup herb stuffing mix
2 tablespoon butter
2  egg
3/4 cup milk
  salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut onions in quarters and slice very thin. Set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in saucepan and pour over stuffing. Mix thoroughly and line 1 quart casserole dish with stuffing mixture.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in pan and saute onions until tender. Pour over stuffing in casserole dish.

Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over onions and sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 45 minutes or until slightly brown.

Yield: 4 servings


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