Help Your Local Food Bank

As we move into the gardening season I have to admit that I start to get excited. After a long winter of greenhouse produce there is finally a whole lot of REALLY fresh stuff available. It's one of my favorite times of the year when the Farmer's Market finally opens up downtown.

We take full advantage of local produce in our house and it is not unheard of for me to walk into the office on a Monday to find that a coworker has brought in excess bounty from their backyard garden. Zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes...the list goes on.

I also think of those less fortunate though who hardly ever have such access to fresh produce because they rely on the local food bank for their food needs, most of which is strictly canned and packaged.

Most people don't know that many food banks will accept donations of local produce. I encourage you to get in touch with yours if you do garden. If they accept these gifts put in an extra tomato plant or two and donate your harvest. It'll make you feel good and help give back to the community.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Ellen

Irish Eyes Are Smiling At Our Dinner Today

So this is a crazy easy recipe, but it was requested a couple of times on Twitter so I am happy to oblige. I like to share. I don't know why it's not made more than just around St. Patrick's Day here in the US.

Corned Beef And Cabbage Dinner

1 corned beef brisket with spices (they are usually vacuum packed in the meat section of the grocery store)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 lbs baby carrots

1 small head of green cabbage cut in wedges

Remove corned beef from package and place in a large stockpot with the juices from the package. Open and add the spices from the packet. Cover the brisket with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for two hours.

Add potatoes and carrots. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.

Add cabbage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to about medium and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes.

The trick to the corned beef with the spice packet is that you should need no additional seasoning until it is served (salt and pepper on the vegetables to taste and can be passed at the table to suit individual taste).

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Ellen

Souper Creation

In a previous post I discussed how easy it is to play around with soup recipes depending on what you have onhand in the kitchen. It's actually really easy to have a nice homemade soup dinner on the table with minimal prep and through the use of a few convenience products.

It got REALLY cold here this week and it was just me and my daughter here for dinner tonight so I became inspired this morning and decided to rummage my pantry and refrigerator to whip up something that would be comforting when she got home after being out for the afternoon.

BTW...this will feed the three of us for a couple of days and I will probably have some left to freeze to take for lunches down the road. If you are feeding a crowd, throw the pasta in for the recommended cooking period. If you plan on having leftovers the next day I recommend boiling the pasta separately and just add it to the dish before reheating. If you store the pasta in the soup in the refrigerator it will bloat and soak up all of the broth. Not so yummy.

So this is what I came up with. Since it is kind of like a minestrone and the main ingredients are either red or green, I think I'll call it Ellen's Italian Holiday Soup. Welcome to the world. It was yummy and here is how I did it.

1 lb mild Italian bulk sausage
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, broken up and with juice
2 medium zucchini, split in half and sliced into 1 inch half moons
1 can garbonzo beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
32 oz box beef stock
64 oz tomato juice
10 oz bag fresh young spinach leaves
1 lb pasta (I used elbow macaroni since it was in the pantry, but you can use small shells or tube shaped pasta)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Form meatballs out of the sausage into small (approx 1 inch) balls. Bake at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes to remove some of the grease and to harden the outside so they don't break apart once added to the soup. They should be slightly browned.

In a large stockpot combine meatballs, tomatoes, zucchini, both cans of beans, beef stock, tomato juice and seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer covered for about an hour. Add whole spinach leaves. Allow to simmer until wilted (if adding pasta to the pot do it during this step, otherwise, boil separately and add to bowls before ladling soup over pasta).

Thanks for reading!

Ellen
XOXO

Celebrate Good Times...

Please forgive me if this post seems self-absorbed. I warn you ahead of time it will also be lengthy as I have many pictures to share. :)

We've had much good news about achievements in our house this week.

My teenage daughter tried out for and made the Winter Guard Squad at her high school. She tried out last year, but did not make it and is one of only two sophomores on the team this year. I am really proud of her. Winter Guard is like the Color Guard in the marching band (flag tossers), but Winter Guard actually performs to prerecorded music and competes. They also bring guns and sabers into the mix along with the flags. Yikes!

I also got a pleasant surprise at work. I have been promoted to an Assistant Vice President of the company.

It seemed that a mother-daughter celebration was in order, so I asked the teen if she would like to go to dinner. She thought the idea to be a good one so I asked her where she wanted to go, expecting an answer like Olive Garden or some other typical place. She said she wanted to go to Ruth's Chris. I looked at her for a moment in amazement and then threw caution to the wind. Why the heck not?

So this post is kind of to memorialize our evening out, but also to give those who have never been to Ruth's Chris steakhouse a glimpse of what you get inside. They truly, most certainly make the BEST STEAK EVER. No doubt.

Ordering at the restaurant is kind of al a carte. The side dishes all can easily feed two people and most who go order steaks and split everything else. The teen and I decided not to do that when we got there. We decided we were going to order whatever we wanted. That resulted in bringing home two massive shopping bags of food which will be devoured again tonight. I can't wait for dinner.

Ruth's Chris locations are generally unique. The one here in Richmond is in an old plantation house which is on the National Historic Homes Registry. So not only do you get awesome food, but you get an EXPERIENCE. The service is beyond excellent too. Staff is carefully screened and you really feel like you are a guest at a dinner party rather than sitting in a restaurant. The people who work there go the extra mile to be friendly and helpful.

Now, it IS very expensive to eat there (my steak alone was $35) but if you did the smart thing and shared on the sides, you can come out without too big a dent in the good old checkbook. We didn't do the smart thing last night and our bill with the tip included weighed in at around $230. But we were celebrating and we eat there maybe once a year and save it only for occasions which deserve something special.

So, to share, here are some pictures of the restaurant and the incredible meal we had last night. I know. I'm such a geek.

1. The outside of the restaurant; 2. One of the cocktail lounges

1. Our dining room; 2. Celebratory drinks...bloody mary for me, virgin daquiri for her

Shrimp appetizers. 1. Shrimp cocktail for her; 2. Barbequed shrimp for me

My steak and potato. The potatoes really do weigh a pound before they're baked!

1. Asparagus hollandaise and spinach au gratin; 2. Savannah's dessert, a banana cream pie that was literally a mini whole pie. My dessert was not as interesting but my favorite so I didn't take a picture but I had the berries and sweet cream.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

Ellen

XOXO

Japanese Steakhouse at Home

I have taste tested these in my kitchen MANY times and anyone who has tasted has said that it is virtually the same thing you will find in a hibachi kitchen.

Some of these combinations may sound strange, especially for the ginger salad dressing, but trust me. It all works GREAT and will give you the ability to mock a traditional Japanese steakhouse dinner at home. BTW....this is the ULTIMATE in date night meals.

When making it you will need the blender several times. I usually start by making the sauces (can be left out at room temp until time to serve) and salad dressing, just rinsing it out between uses. You can prep the fried rice ingredients early in the day and leave them covered in the refrigerator until ready to stir fry it.

Do not substitute the real butter for margarine for any of these. This is a splurge meal, after all. You can also use the same large frying pan to cook the shrimp appetizer, the fried rice and the hibachi steak. Just wipe it out between uses and serve the food in courses like you would get at a Japanese restaurant.

Soup

To mock the soup I just usually use some Knorr vegetable broth cubes and the water recommended on the package. When it simmers add some sliced mushrooms and sliced green onion and let it simmer until the veggies are tender.

Ginger Salad Dressing

1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tbs water
2 tbs minced fresh ginger (do not substitute ginger powder)
2 tbs minced celery
2 tbs ketchup
4 tsp soy sauce (kikkoman is the best)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until all ginger is pureed. Best if made an hour before, placed into a shaker container and chilled. Shake before using.

Shrimp Appetizer

Ingredients Per Portion
5 large srimp, peeled, cleaned, deveined
salt to taste
2 tbs peanut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp heavy cream
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oil in griddle (you don't have to use the full 2 tbs per portion if making multiple portions at once, just lightly coat the bottom of the pan). Sprinkle shrimp with salt to taste. Place shrimp in griddle and saute 3 minutes per side. Remove from griddle. Melt butter and add heavy cream, heating until warmed through. Cut shrimp into bite sized pieces and add back to the griddle. Add parsley. Cook 1-2 minutes longer and squeeze lemon juice over shrimp. Remove and serve. Great with ginger sauce.

Ginger Sauce

1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 small piece ginger root (1/8 tsp ginger powder can be used here)

Place all ingredients in electric blender and set at high speed until ginger is chopped.

Magic Mustard Sauce

1 tbs crushed toasted sesame seeds
3 tbs dried mustard
2 tbs hot water
3/4 c soy sauce
1/4 garlic clove crushed
3 tbs heavy cream whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sesame seeds in a single layer on a flat pan and toast (keep an eye on them...they burn quickly). Mix mustard and water in a small mixing bowl until it forms a paste. Place in blender with sesame seeds, soy sauce and garlic. Blend at high speed for 1 minute. Remove and stir in whipped cream.

Fried Rice

4 cups cooked converted rice, chilled
1 c frozen peas, thawed
2 tbs finely grated carrot
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c diced onion
1 1/2 tbs butter
2 tbs soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Combine chilled rice, peas, carrots and onion in a bowl. Scramble eggs breaking into pea sized bites, remove from pan and add to rice mixture. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Dump rice into pan and add soy sauce and salt and pepper. Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.

Hibachi Steak

Ingredients per portion
1 6 oz sirloin steak, boneless
1 tbs peanut oil
2 large mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Heat griddle and pour on oil to coat surface. Sear steak on both sides. Remove from pan, cut steak into strips and return to pan with mushroom slices to cook to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with magic mustard sauce.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Ellen
XOXO

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I've had a couple of people ask me for some recipes on Twitter recently. This recipe is similar to the cheddar biscuits you get at a famous seafood restaurant chain. I've been told that the garlic butter recipe is proprietary, but this is as darn close as you can get.

Biscuits
2 C Bisquick
1/2 c cold water
3/4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese

Baste With
1/4 c melted butter
1 t parsley flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t Italian seasoning


Mix biscuit ingredients and drop by spoonfuls according to package directions. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush with melted butter mixture.

Mom's Soup Recipe...Shhhhhhhhh....

This soup recipe takes me back to my childhood. It was one of our traditional Sunday suppers and although it may not look like much it brings back so many good memories for me. This is one of my true definitions of "comfort food".

My dad's mother taught my mom how to make this. Daddy's family was a pretty poor, Czechoslovakian family who immigrated when my grandpa was just 16. They did their best to use what they had. This was used to stretch beef when they could afford it.

When I was a kid I remember smelling this cooking all day in the kitchen and it brings a smile to my face even today as it is simmering on the stove.

Here we go on how to make it like my mom and grandmother did.

1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes--Make sure you squish all of the juice out in a colander over a large stock pot. They should be pretty much just tomato pulp in the colander when done.

6 potatoes (I used Idaho baking potatoes today) peeled and quartered

1 1/2 pounds peeled baby carrots

1 big bunch celery from the heart, leaves and all

2 lbs stew meat

Throw everything in the pot, add water until about an inch from the top of the pot. Add a liberal amount of salt and some pepper. Bring to a boil, lower and simmer until dinnertime (best to let it simmer 5-6 hours).

To serve put cooked Minute Rice in a bowl (grandma probably would not have liked that but it's what I grew up with and not the same without it), ladle broth and veggies and meat over rice.

Thanks for reading!

Ellen

XOXO

Souper Sunday

Wow. Fall came roaring in this week bringing along my favorite time of the year. Soup Season is officially open! In my house that means that pretty much every Sunday from now until spring you will find a pot of some sort of soup (and I have recipes for hundreds of them) simmering away on the stove for dinner.

Soup is such a wonderful thing. A one pot wonder of yummy goodness and recipes range from the very complex to the very simple. Tonight we are having homemade split pea soup. You may take a look at a bag of dried split peas and think you could never do that and it takes forever, but it's really one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest soups in my repertoire. You can even make this no-brainer on a weeknight it's that quick and the items I use for my variation I keep on hand in the pantry.

There are other Sundays of course, that I feel a little more ambitious and will make chicken noodle soup from scratch or a many vegetable beef soup. Those are the days that make the house smell fantastic...all day. We're literally drooling by dinnertime.

Canned soups are great to have onhand for a weeknight. Opening a can of tomato soup and grilling cheese sandwiches happens in our house once every couple of weeks, for sure. By the way, did you know that a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup has 32 feet of egg noodles in every can? I freaked out when I heard that on a commercial. But I digress...

It's so easy to create your own soup too. Lots easier than you may think. There are so many good packaged stock products available to create a base with. Then add whatever vegetables, pasta, rice, meats, fish or shellfish (remember to throw those shellfish in towards the end though, they don't take long to cook). One of the favorite bases I use for a create my own is a combination of tomato juice, beef stock and water.

So that's a little insight into what is one of my favorite times of the year and what makes it so special to me. Please don't be a Soup Nazi this winter. I'm sharing my easy split pea soup recipe below.

Thanks for reading!

Ellen

XOXO

Split Pea With Bacon Soup

1 lb dried split peas

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

3 oz package of real bacon bits

8 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

Heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the carrots until tender crisp (about 10 minutes). Add split peas, water, bay leaf and salt and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add real bacon bits and cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.