Better-than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders
Posted: June 29, 2012 Filed under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: best ever chicken fingers, Buffalo chicken fingers, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo chicken tenders, Buffalo Ranch Dressing, celery, chicken fingers, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, homemade chicken fingers, Honey Mustard Dressing, Paula Deen 1 Comment
In a couple of weeks we’re headed to family beach vacation in Neskowin, Oregon. I’m truly looking forward to it; however, this is one of those vacations where there will be lots of family rooming in close quarters. This is fun for a short run, but usually after the third day of this, people began longing for their own space and some start to get a wee bit cranky. It’s a challenge for humans to stay gracious when they lose their normal personal space. One of my friends, author Charlene Baumbich, confessed after three days of being cooped up with a bunch of women on a retreat: “I’m running out of nice.”
I was visiting on the phone with my daughter Rachel about this subject yesterday. She is heading to a week of family vacation to a Florida beach –with all the joys and challenges of being in close quarters for a week with lots of people. And an active baby.
“Just in case you start feeling closed-in, I’ll share how I handled it our last vacation to Neskowin,” I told her. “ I knew I was about to get cranky. I’d been cooking and cleaning and babysitting nonstop, and was getting exhausted from all this ‘vacationing.’ And I was PMSing. So I went to the tippy top floor, which was three stories high, stepped out on the deck and took a deep breath. I looked out at the ocean and breathed and prayed until I felt calm. Then I turned to go back inside because the air was turning quite chilly. And that is when I realized I’d accidentally locked the door behind me.”
“What did you do?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I hollered and screamed but to no avail. Everyone was in the living room watching a movie, on the first floor. So I gingerly stepped over the banister and jumped to the roof below. Then I reached back and grabbed a plastic lawn chair and tossed it off the roof in front of the picture window in the living room, hoping someone would notice.”
“Did they?”
“Well, it took two deck chairs and one lounge chair, but eventually someone noticed it was raining lawn furniture and came to my rescue.”
“So what you are saying, Mom, is that the moral of this story is that if I should start to feel cranky or closed in, I should simply climb on the roof and start throwing lawn furniture off of it.”
“Yes. Pretty much. Trust me, it helps.”
I’m so glad I can be there to give seasoned wisdom to my daughter based on my many years of hard-earned experience.
In addition to that piece of advice that you are also now free to use at will on your family summer vacation, I will also share a recipe that is Greg’s all-time favorite vacation food: chicken fingers. He thinks mine are better than any restaurant version and I know they are at least slightly healthier. I use one of Paula Deen’s secrets to the best fried chicken in the south: dipping the chicken in a mixture of eggs and Hot Buffalo Sauce. You’d think the tenders would turn out fire engine hot, but they aren’t hot at all, just amazingly flavorful and tender.
I like to serve these crunchy chicken fingers atop a salad to beef up the nutrition and add some fiber. Vegans, like Rachel, can do follow same method using firm tofu, omitting the eggs. Tofu takes on a whole new yummy crunch when battered and pan fried. (Of course, so do rubber bands and shoe leather.)
And if this dish doesn’t turn out well for you, you can always climb on the roof and throw it out on the lawn. It is a marvelous stress reliever. I guarantee it.
Better-Than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders (Over a Salad with Buffalo Ranch Dressing)
Better-than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders
Pre-heat Oven to 300 degrees
Ingredients
1 to 1.25 pounds chicken tenders (or chicken breasts, sliced in “fingers”)
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 t. Cajun seasoning (I like Tony Cachere’s brand) or other seasoned salt that has paprika or chili pepper
1 t. grill or steak seasoning (or 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper)
Healthy oil of your choice to make 1/4 inch deep in your favorite skillet (I use a combination of olive oil and coconut oil)
Directions:
Heat oil over medium high heat or flame.
In a low shallow bowl mix hot sauce and eggs.
Mix together eggs and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce — Paula Deen’s secret to her famous fried chicken
In another similar bowl, mix flour with seasonings. Using tongs, dip the chicken tenders, a few a time, first in hot sauce/eggs, then roll in seasoned flour.
Dip tenders first in mixture of hot sauce and eggs, then in flour seasoned with Cajun Seasoning and Grill Seasoning
Place tenders in oil and when golden brown on one side, flip to cook the other side. Place first batch on a cookie sheet and keep warm in oven while you finish pan-frying the rest of the tenders. I only put 4 to 5 tenders in the skillet at one time.
Only pan fry 4 or 5 tenders at a time.
Put pan-fried tenders on baking sheet and keep in warm oven until you’ve cooked all the batches.
Taste one as soon as they are cool enough to touch. If it needs more salt, sprinkle them lightly with a bit more Cajun seasoning. (If you love hot hot tenders you can also sprinkle them with more red hot sauce at this point.)
These are awesome just as they are served with your favorite dipping sauce or sauces. I typically serve them atop a salad with one of the following quick dressings:
Buffalo Ranch: 2 parts Ranch dressing with 1 part Buffalo Sauce. (For one big salad, I mix about 1/4 cup light Ranch dressing with 2 T. buffalo sauce)
Honey Mustard Ranch: Two parts Ranch Dressing with 1 part mustard and 1 part honey. (For one big salad I mix 1/4 cup light Ranch dressing with 1 T. mustard and 1 T. honey.)
Variation: If I have leftover chicken tenders, I like to heat them up for lunch the next day, then cut them in small pieces, toss them in a little Buffalo sauce, and serve with a bed of chopped celery, sprinkled with a bit of crumbled blue cheese or feta, and top with Buffalo Ranch Dressing. It’s like eating chicken wings…. with a fork! Really good with a little side of watermelon to cut the heat.
Leftover chicken tenders cut in bite-size pieces, tossed in buffalo sauce, served over a bed of celery with feta cheese crumbles and buffalo ranch dressing. Mmmm, mmmmm spicy, crunchy, yummy lunch!
Veganize It: Substitute slices of firm tofu, and omit the eggs. Proceed with recipe.
BBQ Guacamole Tacos
Posted: June 22, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: bbq quacamole tacos, bbq tacos, guacamole, guacamole tacos, tacos 2 Comments
Becky’s BBQ Guacamole Taco
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
“Taste memory” occurs when you take a bite of a food that transports you instantly to a time and place from your past. The experience can be positive or negative, depending on the memory around it.
My husband cannot abide green beans. He picked beans in the summer like every good boy growing up in Oregon, then he spent his spent late teens working at a green bean cannery. You know those clinics where they make you smoke cigarettes until you are sick as a dog so you’ll never smoke again? Well, Greg went through the same sort of green bean aversion training. To this day he will not eat, or even smoke, a green bean without protest.
On the other hand he adores blueberries. Never tires of them. As it turns out, his mother-in-law used to bake a special blueberry pie just for him. Blueberries are forever wrapped with the message that “somebody thinks I’m special.”
One of my favorite food memories as girl was a now 50-year-old restaurant in Arlington,Texas called The Candlelite Inn. (I understand it recently closed but new ownership plans to resurrect it.) It was a curious place, an Italian-themed eatery with red-checked tablecloths that was somehow known for its amazing Mexican food. Thinking back on it now, that seems odd, but at the time it just was what it was. We went to the Italian joint to eat great Mexican fare.
This photo of Candlelite Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor
On special occasions we kids got to choose a restaurant to eat at, and if given my choice of where to go out for my birthday, I picked The Candlelite Inn. I always ordered their famous guacamole tacos. (A friend reminded me today that they served their tortilla chips with a big ball of butter! Paula Deen would have been proud.)
For some reason I thought about those tacos the other day, and could somehow remember the exact taste of the guacamole even though it has been at least twenty-five years since I’ve tasted them. Suddenly I knew exactly what was in that guac that made it taste so amazing. The secret ingredient was Italian dressing! (Apparently the chefs here were creating Italian-Tex Mex “fusion” before ethnic fusion cooking was cool.) The tacos were filled at least half way with guacamole and for someone who loves avocados as much as I do, this was bliss.
I made my own version of Candlelight Inn tacos this week and at first crunchy creamy bite, I was transported back to a darkened red and white checked table in Arlington,Texas, my family around me laughing and celebrating by the glow of …yes.. candlelight. Since I’m trying to cut back on meat and expand the veggies and fiber, the filling is made from half ground beef, half beans with my favorite “Becky BBQ Style” seasoning.
What are some of your favorite Taste Memories?
Becky’s BBQ Guacamole Tacos
Ingredients:
12 corn taco shells, warmed according to package directions
1 lb ground beef
1 can chili beans, drained (I like an organic three bean combination as pictured below)
1/2 c. picante sauce or salsa
1/2 c. bbq sauce
1 t. cumin
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. grill seasoning (or salt and pepper to taste)
Guacamole from recipe below
½ cup grated cheese
1 tomato, slice in twelve pieces
Directions:
In a skillet, brown the beef and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until flavors have mixed and the sauce has thickened.
Fill taco shells ½ way full with bean/meat mixture and ½ with guacamole from recipe below. Sprinkle with little grated cheese and top with slice of tomato.
Variation: For Vegan Version, omit beef and use extra can of drained beans or crumbled meat substitute instead. Skip cheese or use vegan cheese substitute.
Meat Lovers: You can add more ground beef and skip the beans!
“Candlelight Inn” Memories Guacamole
3 ripe avocados, mashed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ fresh lime juice (1 Tablespoon juice)
1 t. sugar
1/3 cup Italian dressing (I love Olive Garden’s new bottled dressing)
1/2 t salt (or to taste)
Peel and mash the avocados. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue mashing and mixing to desired consistency.
Storing Hint: Put leftover guac in a sandwich bag, push out as much air as you can. It won’t turn brown! Then the next time you use it, just snip a corner of the bag and squeeze out what you need.
Store any leftover guacamole in Ziploc sandwich bag
Snip corner of sandwich bag when ready to use leftover guacamole and simply squirt the amount you want to use.
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Blueberry Pie with a Lemon Twist
Posted: June 20, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: blueberries, blueberry lemon pie, blueberry pie, fruit pie Leave a comment
Becky’s Blueberry Pie with a Lemon Twist
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” Tenneva Jordan
I’ve always loved the above quote with its sentimental statement about the selfless love of mothers. But, to be perfectly honest, I am the type of mother who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly bakes another pie so she can have at least two pieces for herself.
I’m not proud of this, but it is sadly true. In fact, I did it yesterday.
Let me explain. I made a beautiful blueberry pie, Greg’s favorite, for Father’s Day dinner. I honestly thought the family had eaten the whole thing.
But yesterday while my husband was away on errands, I woke from a nap feeling suddenly famished. Scrounging around in the fridge I discovered – a ha! – one leftover piece of blueberry pie! I immediately said to myself, “Now, that is Greg’s favorite pie. Don’t you want to save that one last piece for your him?” But my Self completely ignored “I” and ate the pie. It was delicious.
Then the guilt set in. Thankfully, I had exactly four cups of blueberries left, and an extra two rolls of Pillsbury pie crust. Before Greg returned, a new pie was in the oven and I looked like a culinary hero, making him TWO pies in two days. That is, until he pressed the issue asking, “So there wasn’t even a single slice of pie leftover from Father’s day, eh?” I started to lie, but could not do it. I ‘fessed up, and he gave me a pious “just as I thought” look before taking a bite of warm blueberries wrapped in flaky pastry.
Alas, we humans like to think we are better people than we are. But I would not trust even the likes of Mother Teresa to avoid the temptation of the last piece of this sumptuous blueberry pie with just the right twist of lemon. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I doubt even the Pope could resist.
Let me just add this: if you have to make a pie in a hurry to assuage any sort of guilt, I know of no pie as fast and easy to throw together as blueberry pie. No fruit to cut, you just toss those berries in a bowl, add a few ingredients, dump it into the crust. Feel free to make your own crust, but if you only have a few minutes to cover your tracks, I’d reach for the Pillsbury refrigerated versions!
Becky’s Blueberry Pie with a Lemon Twist
Serves Six
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. fresh lemon zest
1/4 t. salt
4 T. cornstarch
1 T. butter, cut in tiny pieces
Two unbaked pie crusts
Directions:
In a large bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the next five ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Line a 9 inch Pyrex pie pan (I prefer the simple Pyrex pans with about 1/2 inch lip) with bottom unbaked pastry shell. Fill with blueberry mixture. Dot with butter. Top with other pie crust, fluting the edges. Using a sharp paring knife cut a pattern. I always like flowers!
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. If edges begin to brown before pie is cooked, carefully and lightly crimp strips of aluminum foil around edges to keep it from getting too dark. I double test for “done-ness” by sticking a fork into an open slit. If it comes out coated, as if with syrup, it is probably ready. If the fork emerges dripping thin juice, it probably needs a few more minutes for the cornstarch and blueberry juice to combine and thicken.
Variation: If you are making a deep dish pie, add another cup of blueberries, another 1/4 cup sugar and another tablespoon cornstarch. You can substitute a teaspoon of cinnamon or vanilla for the lemon if you prefer. Vegans will want to use a pie crust that does not use lard or butter.
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Thai Lettuce Wraps with a Sweet Ginger Sauce
Posted: June 14, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Asian Dishes, Main Dishes, Sauces and Dressings, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: garlic, lettuce cups, PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, sweet ginger sauce, tofu, vegan lettuce cups, vegetarian lettuce wraps Leave a comment
Tofu Thai Lettuce Wraps with a sweet garlic and ginger sauce.
(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)
I love P.F. Changs. It’s my go-to special occasion restaurant when I get to do the picking (I’m still working on Jared and Asian food–baby steps). In fact, that’s where I asked to go for Mother’s Day. We took Jackson along and sat outside on the patio on a beautiful Spring day. As usual, the service and food were both great. Their chefs understand and respect vegan diets, which makes eating there so easy. However, the view was of a busy mall parking lot and there was an out of control gnat problem. I longed for my own patio with our country pasture view and my own personal fly swatter.
I’ve started to notice more often than not, I regret dining out. Whether for comfort, ease with Jackson, or control over what goes into our food, I just really prefer eating at home these days. So this week, I made my own version of P.F. Chang’s famous lettuce wraps. Fine dinin’ in my t-shirt and yoga pants on my own back porch. Aahhh.
Just like theirs, these can be made with tofu or chicken. The sweet ginger sauce is good enough to drink. And since you made it at home, their really will be no one around to judge you if you choose to do so. Just make sure you save some for the lettuce wraps.
Arrange the lettuce cups in a pretty flower-like arrangement and serve the cashews, cilantro, and green onions right on the cutting board for a fun and easy presentation.
Thai Lettuce Wraps with a Sweet Ginger Sauce
Serves 4 entree sizes or 8 appetizer portions
Ingredients
Stir Fry
1 block of firm tofu, crumbled or chopped into small cubes (could also use shredded or chopped chicken)
canola oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chili pepper, sliced thinly
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 14.5 oz can baby corn, drained and chopped
1/2 c. diced canned pineapple (reserve juice for sauce)
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
1 8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained
2 green onions, chopped
several lettuce leaves (iceberg or romaine work nicely)
(Other veggies like shredded carrots and cabbage would work well in this too)
Marinade & Dipping Sauce
1 T. canola oil
2 T. fresh ginger, minced or finely diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1/2 c. Braggs Amino Acids (or Soy Sauce)
3 T. sweet chili sauce (in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores)
2 T. brown sugar
1 c. pineapple juice (buy a 15 oz can of diced pineapples and use juice here and pineapples in stir-fry)
1/2 c. veggie broth or water
Toppings
1/2 cup toasted cashews, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Directions
Marinade & Dipping Sauce
In a sauce pan, heat canola oil on medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Set aside 1 cup. When you get the stir-fry going, bring remaining sauce to a boil, then simmer on med-low to reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir-Fry
Use half of the reserved sauce to marinate the tofu or protein for 30 minutes or longer. (This can be done the night before to save time the next day.)
In a large skillet or wok, heat about a tablespoon or so of canola oil on medium high. I like to chop as I cook, so chop the onions while the oil is heating, then chop the garlic and add it, then the chili, then the mushrooms, baby corn, pineapple, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots.
In a separate nonstick skillet, heat about two tablespoons of canola oil and the tofu on medium high heat. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining reserved sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Then, combine the tofu with the veggies. Add the green onions at the last minute. (Follow similar steps for chicken, but adjust cooking time as needed.)
Serve in lettuce cups, with chopped cashews, cilantro, and more green onions for toppings on the side and individual sides of the dipping sauce.
Notes: I changed the recipe slightly from what is pictured. I cooked the tofu with the veggies and it tasted good, but didn’t pick up as much color as it gets when cooked on it’s own, so I adjusted it so yours should have more color than mine did. Also, the lettuce I used was Living Lettuce. It looked really pretty, but got mushy too fast. It needs something sturdier like romaine or ice berg.
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Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
Posted: June 8, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Asian Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: crunchy tofu, fried tofu, tofu Leave a comment
Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
When Rachel and I pitched our new book we described it as Alicia Silverstone meets Paula Deen. This fried tofu recipe is the perfect mingling of a young vegan chef with an older southern cookin’ mama.
Say the word “tofu” to non-vegans and vegetarians and wait to see how quickly they respond with some form of the words “yuck,” “spongy,” or “blah.”
What I’ve discovered about tofu is that it is indeed “yucky, spongy and blah” until you cook it correctly. I now love and often prefer it to meat, as long as it is sautéed or baked in a coating until caramelized, or…. fried. Let’s be honest: frying is not the healthiest method of cooking anything. However, as a treat, it is one of the tastiest ways to cook anything.
My 5 year old grandson Georgie is staying with us this week, and had never experienced Kentucky Fried Chicken. He laughed and laughed when I told him we were going to get “chicken in a bucket” for dinner. (At the end of a week with a five year old, this Nonny was losing touch with her normal cooking groove. Lack of sleep and uninterrupted thoughts will do this to a person, as adorable as he may be!) But one taste of KFC chicken leg and he started humming happy “mmm…mmmm…MMM’s” and saying things like, “I can’t stop eating this!” and “This is the best chicken I ever had.” He had three pieces before he finally paused to lick every finger on his hands.
Georgie chowing down on his first piece of southern fried chicken, Colonel Sanders style
Granted, a roast chicken is much healthier, but now and again, there’s just nothing like a good ol’ southern friend chicken. Or tofu.
Rachel and I were together in Phoenix this past fall, when we both ordered the crispy tofu and noodles dish at an Asian restaurant. When we took a bite of the tofu and it actually went “crunch,” it was a revelation. Tofu can crunch? Not only that, but the inside of the crunchy coating was a pillow of silken perfection. I had to duplicate it. This recipe below turned out at least as good as that lovely crunchy tofu in Phoenix. It’s a wonderful “gateway recipe” to get people who are afraid of tofu to give it a try.
Becky’s Southern Fried Tofu
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
1/2 block tofu, diced in squares about the size of a dice (little more than 1/2 inch squares)
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 T. thai chili sauce
canola or coconut oil for frying
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 t. sea salt
/3 c. toasted sesame seeds
More teriyaki and chili sauce for coating and dipping, if desired (to personal taste)
2 slices fresh lime
1/4 c. chopped green onion
Directions:
Fill a medium sized sauce pot with oil until it is one and one half to two inches deep. Heat oil at medium high. (Or use a fryer.)
Use medium saucepan filled 1 1/2 to 2 inches with oil
Mix teriyaki sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce in a shallow bowl. Use a spoon to toss and coat the pieces of tofu lightly.
Next, toss the tofu in a shallow bowl of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 t. salt.
Tofu marinated, tossed in cornstarch. After frying you will roll in the bowl of sesame seeds.
Carefully place tofu in small batches in sauce pan or fryer. Using a heat proof slotted spoon, turn the tofu until it is golden brown on all sides and remove with the same spoon (tapping to drain off oil) to a shallow bowl with sesame seeds. Gently toss the tofu in sesame seeds. Taste and if needed sprinkle with a very light dusting of sea salt.
Can use as an appetizer just like this, or coated in a bit more teriyaki sauce with a side of edamame.
Variation: Delicious also served with a variety of Asian sauces (such as teriyaki, black bean, hoisin, low sodium soy, Thai Sweet Chili sauce, plum sauce, hot chili sauce , lime, sesame oil, grated ginger), chopped green onions, and served with a slice of lime over a bowl of rice and steamed veggies. A sprinkle of chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro is wonderful with this dish as well.
Southern Fried Tofu
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Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados (with Feta, Cranberry, Walnuts)
Posted: June 6, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Salads, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: confetti rice pilaf, cranberries, feta, rice pilaf, stuffed avocados, walnuts 5 Comments
One of my prized possessions is a postcard with a handwritten note from the late marvelous, hilarious, one-and-only Erma Bombeck. I wrote her a fan letter, telling her I was praying for her health. To my shock and surprise she took time out of her day (and dialysis) to send this encouraging note to me right after I got my first book contract.
One of my favorite columns by Erma was called “The Leftover Food Syndrome.” It began, “I have never known a woman who can look at a mound of leftover food….and throw it away –the first time around.” Erma then describes the leftover ritual known (genetically) to all women. After you wrap the left over in a container of your choice (“no leftover is too small to occupy shelf space”), you put it in the fridge and then over the week, each member of the family takes turns opening up the container asking, “What IS this?”
The object of this game is to never throw away the leftover as long as you can still recognize it. “It is not thrown away until it recognizes you,” Erma quipped.
What I love about this recipe below is that it uses up all those little bits of leftovers before they recognize you! The savory, sweet, nutty, colorful rice makes a great side dish, or with the addition of extra nuts and cheese or little bits of ham or chicken — a wonderful light lunch or dinner.
Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados
Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados
Serves Six
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive
1 Tablespoon Butter (or Earth Balance for vegans)
2 cups cooked rice, any combination you like or have leftover (I had brown, jasmine and wild rice on hand)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (raisins or other chopped dried fruit can work as well)
1/2 cup chopped cooked veggies, any combo, whatever you have leftover (I had carrots and edamame today)
1/4 cup toasted nuts (walnuts were on tap for this recipe)
2 T. crumbled feta or goat cheese (skip this or use a vegan cheese substitute if you are vegan)
3 avocados, cut in half, seed removed
Directions:
In a large skillet, melt butter and oil. Toss in rest of the ingredients until warm and heated through. Salt and pepper if needed. Just before serving toss in cheese and stir. Fill avocado halves with mixture, letting some of the rice fall around the avocado on the plate as well. One avocado makes a nice side dish, two make a meal in itself!
Variation: Use leftover grains instead of rice, such a quinoa or bulgur
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Vegetarian Reubens
Posted: June 4, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Sandwiches, Uncategorized, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: positive grandparenting, pumpernickle bread, Rueben sandwich, rye bread, saurkraut, swiss cheese, vegan Rueben, vegetarian Rueben 3 Comments
(Becky – The Butter Lovin’ Mama)
My Aunt Hazel once asked me if I’d like to know her theory of how a grandparent should discipline their grandchildren. “I’d love to hear,” I said. She leaned onto the kitchen table, her eyes twinkling over the cup of coffee she was sipping. Then she set the coffee cup down and told me, flatly, “Give them everything they want. Never tell them ‘no.’”
Tragically, Aunt Hazel would lose her only son before he could marry and have children, but I have never forgotten her advice. Now that I am a grandmother of five little boys, I have found that if you are truly creative with grandkids, and stay one step ahead of them, you really almost never have to use the “no” word.
When I was a new driver, I used to avoid left turns at intersections, preferring to take three right turns instead. The same method works for the grandkids. I try to find three ways to say a “yes” to avoid one “no.” So tonight when my grandson Georgie asked to stay up and play and it was time for bed, I didn’t say, “No.” I just said, “Yes, you can play with toys in the bathtub. And then you can play a Sesame Street game on the computer for ten minutes in bed, right after you get your PJ’s on. Then Nonny will read you three books. Won’t that be fun?” I managed three “yes’s” instead of one “no” and Georgie was delighted to comply. And fell asleep in no time.
The “Three Yes’s” to “One No” always works great with food psychology. I’ve learned that no matter what your special diet, whether imposed or chosen, it is much more pleasant if you give yourself lots of yes’s instead of a no. “Can I have a milkshake?” you asked yourself. Your Inner Nonny can answer, “Yes, of course you can have a shake! You can totally enjoy almond milk and a frozen banana, some strawberries and a little ice and agave whirled in a blender. It will be delicious.”
I’ve decided to try cutting back on meat, especially processed meat like cold cuts. But as I was making my husband a classic Reuben with pastrami, my mouth started watering. How I wanted a Reuben, too. Then I thought of the flavors in pastrami: garlic, peppercorns, something salty and a little bit sweet. Something smokey. Within a few minutes I’d made my own “vegan pastrami” and was enjoying one of the best Reubens I’ve ever had. I didn’t have to say “no” to pastrami, just yes to all the flavors in pastrami — infused into tofu.
Vegetarian Reubens
Becky’s Vegetarian Reubens
Ingredients:
Ingredients for Tofu Pastrami
1/3 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (available at health food stores, or substitute lite soy sauce)
1 t. brown sugar
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 grated garlic clove
1 T. crushed peppercorns
6 thin slices (about 2 by 3 inches) of firm to very firm tofu
3 T. olive oil
1 T. butter (Earth Balance for Vegans)
1/3 c. Ranch Dressing or Mayo or Greek Yogurt (Vegan Ranch or Veganaise if you are vegan)
2 T. Catalina Dressing (or your favorite French Dressing)
4 slices pumpernickel or rye bread
4 T. sauerkraut
2 slices Swiss cheese (vegan swiss cheese if you are vegan)
Directions:
In shallow bowl, mix first 4 ingredients. Lay tofu (sliced as thin as you can) in the sauce and let marinate about 10 minutes. Sprinkle one side of each slice with some of the crushed peppercorns and press into tofu.
Tofu marinating in “pastrami sauce”
Make dressing for sandwiches by mixing ranch dressing or mayo with the Catalina in a small bowl.
Put 2 T. olive oil in a skillet (preferably iron skillet) and turn heat to medium high. Cook the tofu in the skillet until golden brown, turn, and do the same thing on the other side. Set aside on a plate. Rinse and wipe out the skillet and add 1 T. oil and 1 T. butter, and turn heat down to medium.
About to assemble vegetarian Reuben for me, a classic one for my husband.
Put vegetarian Reuben sandwiches together by spreading four sides of dark pumpernickel bread with the sauce. Put a slice of swiss on two of the slices. Lay 3 slices of cooked, marinated tofu “pastrami”on each of two slices of bread. Top the swiss cheese slices with 2 T. sauerkraut, each.
Carefully put Reubens together and lay in melted oil/butter in pan, cooking on medium heat on both sides until the sandwiches are golden on the outside and the cheese is melted on the inside. Cut in halves or quarters and serve.
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The Title: Vegetarian Reubens
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Pina Colada Shrimp Kabobs
Posted: May 30, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Seafood/Shrimp, Vegan Options | Tags: coconut milk, kabobs, pina colada shrimp, pineapple, pineapple juice, seafood kabobs, shrimp, shrimp kabobs Leave a comment
Pina Colada Shrimp Kabobs
(Becky — The Butter Lovin’ Mama)
Those who know me well know that I have a tough time remembering where I put things. It isn’t early onset dementia, unless it set upon me at age thirteen. For me, the arrival of puberty came with an extra dose of ditziness that has never gone away. So if I ever do slip into true senility, I’m not sure anyone will actually notice.
Just this past week I was serving lunch to some girlfriends and confessed, “I’ve lost my kiwi.”
“Is that a euphemism for ‘you lost your marbles’?” one gal asked.
“No, I wanted to serve you all a special dessert with strawberries and kiwi, but I have no clue where I put the kiwi. So strawberries it is!”
The mystery kiwi showed up a few days later, nestled near the small potatoes in the pantry. As my husband was searching in that very same pantry a few hours later, he hollered, “I found a glass of tea on a shelf in here!” I lose glasses of tea and cups of coffee so often that I rarely bother looking for them. I just make another cup or glass, sure that eventually the missing ones will show up. But who knows where? Or why?
This week I bought an entire bunch of celery and believe it or not, also lost that. Three days later I found it: in my computer bag. The stalks were a little limp, but still salvageable. (Just don’t tell my daughter I said that.) How it got there? No clue. The things I do unaware, astound even me.
Functioning with a brain like this is a bit of a challenge, some days more than others. On days when I’ve “lost my kiwi” (speaking metaphorically now), I sure don’t need a long complicated recipe for dinner. This recipe for pina colada shrimp is one of my new favorite go-to meals for otherwise complicated days. It is super fast, just a few ingredients, incredibly easy and so yummy, you’ll want to lick the platter clean. Sweet/salty, rich and creamy…it will take you to Hawaii in your mind. It pairs perfectly with a side of rice pilaf and a bright green veggie like broccoli or asparagus. (Just make sure you store your green veggies in the crisper and not in your computer bag.)
Becky’s Pina Colada Shrimp Kabobs
Serves 2-4 depending on appetites, and size of shrimp
Ingredients
24 medium shrimp, raw, peeled. (Thread six shrimp on each of 4 skewers.)
2 slices of fresh pineapple cut in about 1 inch pieces (canned will also work, but not quite as tasty as fresh)
4 t. coconut oil
4 t. soy sauce
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. coconut milk (From a can, usually near Asian aisle at grocery. Get full fat, not the “lite” kind.)
2 t. brown sugar
Directions:
Mix soy sauce and pineapple juice in a large measuring cup, to make a marinade. Pour 1/2 the marinade over the shrimp kabobs (in a large shallow pan) and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Reserve the rest of the marinade for use later in the recipe.
In a grill pan or large skillet, heat the coconut oil on the stove top to medium high. Lay marinated shrimp on skewers in the pan, alongside the pineapple pieces. Cook shrimp until pink and turn over. Turn over the pineapple when it gets golden brown marks on it. Cook until both sides of the shrimp and pineapple are done. Remove shrimp and pineapple to a plate and cover to keep warm.
In the same skillet or grill pan, add the remaining marinade along with coconut milk and. brown sugar. Heat until bubbly and creamy.
Arrange shrimp kabobs and pineapple on a serving plate (as shown in picture) and pour sauce over all. You can also put on a bed of rice if you like, and decorate with broccoli flowerets or other bright-colored steamed veggies around the edges.
Variations:
Skip the skewers and saute shrimp and pineapple together in a pan, mix with sauce and serve over rice. Garnish with toasted coconut and chopped macadamias or cashews.
Vegans & Vegetarians: Alternate pieces of firm tofu or vegan meatballs or sausages with slices of red pepper and sweet onion in place of shrimp. Marinate and proceed with recipe above. Garnish with chopped macadamia nuts.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Pina Colada Shrimp Kabobs
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-m0
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
BLT/Avocado Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Pork, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: avocado, bacon, BLT, BLT salad, roasted pepper dressing, roasted peppers, tomatoes 1 Comment
Becky’s BLT/Avocado Salad with Roasted Pepper Ranch Dressing
(Becky)
When my daughter Rachel was a little girl, I asked her, “What would you rather be when you grow up, a doctor or a nurse?” I wanted her to know she would not be bound by gender rules, that she could be anything she wanted to be as an adult.
She pondered it for a minute then answered, thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see which outfit looks better on me.”
Though her reasoning may be dubious from a career-choosing standpoint, I must admit that I adopt her philosophy a lot when it comes to cooking. “What’s for dinner?” my husband will ask. “I don’t know yet,” I’ll say as I rummage through the fridge. “It depends on what jumps out at me, sounds good and looks pretty in a picture for the food blog.”
Rachel and I laugh that the way to get food re-pinned on Pinterest is to put a slice of avocado on it. We’ve debated about putting a piece of avocado on everything we make, from desserts to cocktails, as our “signature garnish.” Because, let me tell you, people love the sight of a green, ripe avocado in food pictures!
Thus, using those guidelines, this salad was born. At the end of groceries I had one meat protein left in the fridge: natural, nitrate-free bacon. (Though I’m shifting toward vegetarianism, my husband is staying put in the land of meat for now, so I try to buy the least processed, organic varieties.) I thought about a BLT sandwich, but our waistlines are calling for more vegies and less bread. Ah-ha! A BLT salad! Then I spied some of those little sweet red and yellow peppers in the crisper. With a roasted pepper dressing! Yes! I pulled out a little of the leftover cornbread in the back of the fridge, spread with butter and broiled until crispy, like a giant cornbread crouton. Ta-dah. Dinner done.
Needless to say, it worked. We WILL be having this salad again.
Vegetarians and Vegans: There are lots of bacon bits that are great for vegans and vegetarians. McCormicks makes a tasty brand and is easy to find at most any grocery store.
Becky’s BLT/Avocado Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
BLT/Avocado Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
Makes two meal-sized salads
Ingredients
Nitrate Free Uncured Bacon (8 slices, cut in one inch pieces with kitchen scissors before cooking. It is okay if they stick together in little bundles. They will separate in the skillet as the fat melts.)
(Vegans: use 1/4 cup vegan “bacon bits” in place of bacon, such as McCormick’s brand. Or make your own vegan coconut bacon.)
2 cups mixed salad greens (I used spinach and romaine)
2 small to medium tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 red pepper or 4 small sweet peppers, roasted (See pics below) (You can also used jarred roast peppers if you have them on hand.)
1/2 cup your favorite Ranch Dressing (There are plenty of good vegan varieties! Also, to cut calories, you may want to use 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt for 1/4 cup of the Ranch Dressing.)
Directions:
Cook the cut up bacon over medium high heat in a skillet until the pieces are golden crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels. While bacon is cooking, roast the peppers over a gas flame or under the broiler. Put them in a plastic bag when they have a good char all around so the steam will loosen the skin. Wipe the charred pepper skin off with a paper towel.
Tiny red peppers roasting on an open fire… 🙂
Red peppers in a sandwich baggy, steaming and loosening the charred skin
Wiping away the charred skin with paper towel. Don’t worry about getting all char off of the peppers. Some of it adds flavor.
Into each of two large salad bowls (I like big pasta bowls for this), put one cup of mixed salad greens. Sprinkle each salad with half the tomatoes and avocados. Top with crispy bacon or bacon bits.
Put Ranch Dressing and roasted pepper into a food processor or blender. Blend to desired consistency. I left the peppers a little bit chunky.
Ladle dressing down the middle of the salads and serve. A few turns of fresh pepper are nice. This is especially good with cornbread on the side.
Variations: Additional yummy add-ins could be thinly sliced red onion or chopped green onion, corn, beans, or a diced boiled egg.
BLT/Avocado Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
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Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Posted: May 21, 2012 Filed under: Chicken, Mexican Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: enchiladas, Mexican Food, sour cream chicken enchiladas, vegan enchiladas, vegetarian enchiladas, veggie enchiladas 1 Comment
Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
(Becky)
My sweet grandmother Nonny raised seven children during the Depression in the dust bowl of West Texas. She somehow managed this through prayer and love, hard work and creative frugality. Leftover biscuit crumbs would be saved and turned into bread pudding. Precious scraps of meat were collected and added to the ever-simmering pot of red beans. (A staple my mother ate so often that it took her decades to make friends with beans again.) Even in her old age when finances eased and groceries were more abundant than people under her roof, Nonny horded every little leftover to be “re-purposed” into the next day’s meal.
We all laugh about the Thanksgiving when someone spotted a little dab of food on Nonny’s kitchen floor. A bit of stray stuffing, perhaps? “What is that?” my Aunt Etta asked, peering at the blob. To which Nonny quipped, “I don’t know. But wrap it in Saran and save it.”
Our generation has just survived its own recession (some surviving better than others), and recent stats show that Americans gained a new appreciation for cooking at home. And for not being wasteful with the food we buy. To make good use of all those leftovers, everyone needs a good Clean Out the Fridge recipe. Pastas and stews are wonderful for this. But my absolute favorite way to use leftovers is the following recipe for veggie sour cream chicken enchiladas.
If I have a dozen corn tortillas, I can usually cobble together the ingredients for this meal from the bits and pieces of leftovers in my fridge. The key is to think creatively and use what you have. No sour cream? Try a little Ranch Dressing and Greek Yogurt instead. If you don’t have the veggies I use in this recipe, use what you have! Any kind of squash, mushrooms, shredded carrots, greens, in almost any combo will be wonderful. Any combination of cheeses taste great in this recipe, so use up those little bits of leftovers. All beans will work well, too. Heck, you can even use ground beef in this dish and call it “chicken.” I’m easy. Just have fun, use this recipe as a basic guide, and get rid of those leftovers in a tasty way!
*Note to Vegetarians: Omit chicken and sub more beans or other non-meat protein.
**Vegans: In addition to omitting chicken, use Rachel’s recipe for cashew queso, instead of the cheese sauce. Make it on the thin side as it will thicken up during cooking. Omit cheese in filling and for topping. It will still be wonderful!
Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Becky’s Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Makes a dozen enchiladas, serves six
Note: You’ll need 2 1/3 cups grated cheese, total in this recipe — some for cheese sauce, some for filling, and some for sprinkling on top.
Cheese Sauce:
¼ cup olive oil (or butter, or Earth Balance)
¼ cup flour
½ onion, small dice
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 ½ c. veggie broth (or chicken broth)
2/3 cup sour cream (I had Mexican crema and Greek yogurt leftover and used a combo of this instead. It was delish in the dish. I’ve subbed a mixture of ranch dressing and cream before. Just look for something white and creamy in your fridge and call it “sour cream”!)
1 1/3 c. shredded white cheddar or Monterrey Jack (Any white cheese will do – I emptied the fridge with a mixture of provolone, Swiss and white cheddar and tossed in a little feta for good measure.)
1 small can of green chilis, diced (you can sub 2 T. chopped pickled jalapeños or even chopped olives or pepperoncinis)
Filling
2/3 c. shredded white cheddar cheese (or any mixture of cheeses you have on hand)
1 to 1 1/2 c. shredded or diced cooked chicken (Love left-over rotisserie chicken for this, uses up all those little pieces after the family attacks the breasts and thighs and it looks like the buzzards got to it.)
1 16 oz can black beans, drained (I didn’t rinse, feel free to if you prefer. Use another kind of beans if you’d rather.)
1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach
½ cup corn (frozen, canned and drained…. tonight, I cut the kernels off a leftover piece of corn-on-cob)
1 tomato, diced (red pepper would also work instead)
1/2 t. Mexican or Cajun seasoning (Or chili powder, salt and pepper)
12 corn tortillas
1/3 c. grated cheese for final topping
Dash smoked paprika
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
Sauce:
Saute onions and garlic in oil in skillet on medium high until transparent. Sprinkle ¼ cup flour over all, and stir to make a roux. Pour in veggie broth slowly, and stir over heat as it thickens. Turn down heat, then toss in cheese (1 1/3 c.) and stir until it is melted, stirring so as not to burn. Add drained green chilis. Simmer on low for a couple of more minutes to let flavors mingle, then turn off heat.
Cheese sauce, ready to pour over stuffed tortillas
Filling:
Mix 2/3 cup white cheddar, chicken, black beans, spinach, corn, tomato and seasonings in a large bowl. Check seasonings and adjust to your taste.
Veggie, chicken, cheese filling
Tortillas:
Wrap tortillas, six at a time in a large damp paper towel. Microwave about 30 seconds to one minute until tortillas are moist, soft and pliable.
Tortillas, wrapped in wet paper towel, six at a time, nuked until pliable
Assemble:
Fill each corn tortilla with about ¼ c of filling. Roll and place seam side down in an 11 by 13 ovenproof pan that has been sprayed lightly with oil. Continue this until the pan is filled. Carefully pour entire pan of cheese sauce over top, evenly. (It is okay if sauce is a little thin, as it will bake and thicken.) Sprinkle top with 1/3 cup more of white cheese, and about a tablespoon of chopped jalapenos if you like. I like a sprinkle of smoked paprika for color.
Enchiladas going into oven
Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted, and top turns golden around the edges. (Sometimes I broil the top for a minute to get it a bit more golden.)
Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, just out of the oven
Garnish with diced avocados and tomatoes. Serve with side of rice. (I love a good brown and wild rice mix, with a bit of lime and chopped cilantro with this dish.)
Veggie Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Veggie Sour Cream Enchiladas
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Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 