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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Roasted Okra & Green Beans
Posted: June 21, 2012 Filed under: Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: fried okra alternative, healthy okra recipes, recipes, roasted green beans, roasted okra, roasted veggies, sides, vegan, vegan okra Leave a comment
Roasted okra and green beans. A healthy alternative to fried okra or french fries, and so much easier to make.
(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)
In our huge haul of garden veggies from Uncle, we had a small batch of fresh okra. I’ve been planning to fry them up, as any good southerner would do, but I’m not really the frying kind of gal. It’s just so messy.
There you have it. The secret to eating healthy is to be too lazy to clean up greasy pots and pans.
While waiting on me to get over my anal retentiveness, some of my okra and a handful of green beans started to wither away. Still not ready to conquer the mess of slicing, coating, and deep frying the okra, I decided to try out a cooking method I know and love for green beans, roasting, on the okra, too.
I may not be a traditional Southern gal in many ways, but this plate of roasted green beans and okra is my kind of southern treat. In less than 30 minutes, these are prepped, cooked and on your plate. You could serve them as a healthy afternoon snack for kids (almost 11-month old Jackson loved them), a party appetizer, or a side dish to any southern cuisine.
Rachel’s Roasted Okra & Green Beans
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 c. fresh okra (not frozen)
1 cup fresh green beans
3 t. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. of cayenne
Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Put okra and green beans on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, salt, and cayenne. Pour the oil over the veggies and rub into them to make sure they are all evenly coated.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the veggies after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a tad more salt as they come out of the oven.
I dipped them in Muir Glen’s organic ketchup (my fave), because I’m a ketchup-aholic, but they really didn’t need anything. Feel free to play with different spices, too.
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
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
Stuffed Garden Zucchini with Spinach & Walnut Pesto
Posted: June 19, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: cherry tomatos, large squash recipes, large zucchini recipes, meatless main dish, recipes, stuffed zucchini, vegan, vegetarian 5 Comments
(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)
I have this dramatic little plant on my kitchen table. When she get’s a little parched (it’s most definitely a she), she goes from her perky upright position to draping her long thin limbs all the way over the side of the pot as if she’s fainted. I give her a little sip of water and within minutes the color returns to her cheeks, she brushes the dirt off her skirt, and gets back to work brightening up my kitchen.
As much as I would love to have a green thumb and to have the time, desire, and talent to have a garden, I’m just not there yet. My plants have to literally bend over backwards to get me to notice them. Every attempt at an herb garden has been a miserable failure. One day, when I grow up, I hope I find my inner plant whisperer. Until then, I’ll stick to dramatic plants that practically scream for my attention.
On the bright side, Jared’s Uncle Philip, we just call him Uncle, has an organic garden. Once or twice a year, when his harvest overfloweth, he spreads around the veggie love. This week, he sent us squash, zucchini, cucumbers, a big bag full of beautiful cherry tomatoes, okra, and green beans. Fresh, local, organic, free veggies make my heart go pitter patter!
Some of the zucchini and squash had grown a little too much. When it comes to produce, bigger is usually not better. I hate to waste any vegetable, so I decided to use the zucchini as a pretty vessel for a cherry tomato stuffing.
The zucchini was still a little bit bitter and took longer to bake than a smaller variety, but the stuffing of sweet cherry tomatoes and garlicky croutons was insanely delicious. Smaller zucchini would be perfect and tender enough that you could eat the whole thing, skin and all. If you’re looking for a way to make use of any summer squash that got a little too much time on the vine, though, this is a clever way to use them up.
I have more veggies from Uncle’s garden coming tomorrow and I’ve hardly made a dent in the first round. What’s your favorite way to use up garden veggies?
Rachel’s Stuffed Garden Zucchini with Spinach & Walnut Pesto
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 large zucchini or 4 normal sized zucchini, cut in half lengthwise & seeds scooped out
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
course ground pepper
2 slices of whole grain bread, cut into small cubes
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 small onion, diced
1 leek, dark green section removed, chopped into thin half moons & rinsed well
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 cups baby spinach
Pesto
1/2 c. spinach
1 T. walnuts
1 clove of garlic
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 t. water
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Look at all those pretty cherry tomatoes. That’s only about half of what we got from Uncle’s garden!
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Place zucchini cut side up in a baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and course ground black pepper. Bake until fork tender. 20-35 minutes depending on the size of the zucchini.
Toss bread cubes with olive oil and garlic powder. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake in the same oven as zucchini until crispy, about 10 minutes.
In a skillet, heat a little olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and leeks and saute until transclucent, add garlic and tomatoes, continue sauteing for about five more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
When the zucchini are fork tender, remove from the oven, stuff generously with the filling and put back in the oven for 15 more minutes.
Blend all of the pesto ingredients together, starting with 3 t. of water and adding more until the pesto is thin enough to drizzle easily.
Serve the stuffed squash on a big family platter, drizzled with pesto on top. Can be served as a main meatless dish or as a side.
The skin on the larger squash is too tough to eat, but the flesh did get tender while baking.
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No Stress Sangrias
Posted: June 18, 2012 Filed under: Cocktails, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: easy sangria, instant sangria, refreshing cocktail, sangria, wine cocktails, wine spritzer 6 Comments
Instant sangria! Two ingredients plus citrus slices
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
For the past two weeks I’ve been keeping my 5 year old grandson. This has been humbling for a person with ADD who spends a crazy amount of time finding and losing her own purse/keys/phone/sunglasses. Add to this routine, keeping up with a five year old’s needs: shoes, sunscreen, snacks, water bottles, favorite toys and books. At one point, sleep deprived and on my 7th trip from car to house to retrieve a lost item, I tearfully told my husband, “A person who cannot keep up with her keys should not be trusted to care for a small child!” But I somehow got my Temporary Mom Groove on, with a few routines and the help of my husband and family.
Last week my son Gabe invited me and my grandson over for lunch. It was so nice not to have to cook or eat out of a box or bucket. In addition to a yummy salad, roast potatoes and steak, Gabe served the most refreshing Sangrias to the adults. They were perfectly balanced, not too sweet.
“How did you make this?” I asked. He told me that at the restaurant where he and his girlfriend wait tables, there is a man who always orders the same drink: Merlot and Sprite over ice, with a lime. An “instant sangria,” of sorts. The wait staff finally tried it themselves, and loved it.
Gabe gave me the recipe along with some steak and roast potatoes to take home and share with Greg. Greg found the steak and potatoes under my car seat today, six days old and beyond redemption. Thankfully I had the ingredients on hand to make him a sangria to help soothe the loss.
No Stress Sangria
No Stress Sangria
Ingredients
1 part chilled lemon-lime or grapefruit soda
1 part chilled Merlot or Cabernet
Slices of citrus
Ice
Directions
In a glass or pitcher, mix equal parts soda and red wine. Mix with ice and any slices of citrus you like. That’s it! Now find a nice place to sit and sip it, preferably to celebrate the kids having gone to bed! (Or off to college.)
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Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce (Fun Healthy Snack for Kids)
Posted: June 15, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Fruit Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: apples, caramel, carmamel apples, fruit and cheese, fruit snacks, fun food for kids, healthy snacks for children, healthy snacks for kids, kid snacks, string cheese, worms, worms and apples Leave a comment
Grandson Georgie chowing down on Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
Twenty-something years ago now, my youngest son Gabe was around three and a half years old. One hot day I walked into the kitchen and downed a perfectly delicious glass of iced tea. Then I saw something wiggling among the ice cubes and almost gagged. Gabe was watching me, smiling sweetly. “I gave you a present!” he said, grinning proudly. “Aren’t they cute?”
My eyes still wide with surprise, Gabe walked to my side and pointed at his wiggly friends. “See how much they love each other?” he asked. “They are all just hugging and hugging!”
My son Gabe as little tyke. He LOVED any critters (worms, turtles, lizards) more than toys.
This story was told and retold in our family, until it eventually evolved into the title of a book of humor for moms called Worms in My Tea, and a spin-off children’s book called The Worm Surprise. I would eventually write a series of four books in the “Gabe & Critters” series.
Today that worm-loving boy is a handsome young man with a college degree, a good job, a home, and lovely girlfriend of six years. (And he still loves nature and all God’s critters.)
Gabe, all grown up, with the love of his life, Aleks
However, Gabe no longer digs up worms in the backyard (though he has a very nice vegetable garden), nor does he drop them into the glasses belonging to unsuspecting relatives.
What I love, though, is that he has a whole room dedicated to boy toys: a foosball table, a place for playing video games, his home computer, and various other game tables. My son has never lost his child-heart for play! A vintage pinball machine sits in one corner, and to my delight, on display above it were two of the books I wrote based Gabe in the “Gabe and Critter” Series so many years ago.
I took my grandson George over to play at his Uncle Gabe’s house yesterday.
Georgie getting his game face on to play a video game with his Uncle Gabe
Possibly inspired by the Gabe & Critters books, when Georgie asked me for a snack later that afternoon, I had worms on the brain.
“Would you like Nonny to make you some worms and apples?” I asked.
George giggled and said, “You are teasing me, Nonny.”
“No really,” I said. “You will love them. Pull up a bar stool to the kitchen counter and we’ll make them together.”
Georgie reaching for Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
Worms & Apples (With Mud Sauce)
I took string cheese and tore it into four strips, microwaving them for about 20 seconds just until they were wiggly, wormy, and melty.
Georgie testing the melty string cheese “worms” to see if they are squishy enough for wrapping around fruit yet. They are!
Then once they cooled to the touch, we wrapped the “cheese worms” around apple slices.
Wrapping cheese “worms” around apples
Just for fun, we squiggled some caramel sauce “mud” (caramel ice cream sauce) over the top. (You could also let the kids dip them in small bowls of caramel.)
Obviously, this creation was a great success. Georgie woke up asking for Apples and Worms for breakfast.
With kids home for the summer, begging for snacks, this is a treat you can feel good about giving them and it only takes a minute to make! (Feel free to omit the caramel for a healthier version.)
Variations: For vegans try using strips of vegan-cheese. Wrap cheese around peaches, strawberries, plums, or slices of cantaloupe! Use other kinds of cheese, cutting in strips and melting until just pliable. I must admit, that even as a grown up, I love these snacks for quick pick-me-up in the middle of the day.
Simple ingredients for Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
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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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Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce (over Rainbow of Sorbets)
Posted: June 13, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: dessert topping, ice cream topping, raspberry rhubarb sauce, raspberry sauce, raspberry strawberry sauce, rhubarb sauce, sorbets Leave a comment
Becky’s Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over a Rainbow of Sorbets
(Becky, the Butter-Lovin’ Mama)
Greg and I have so enjoyed having our five-year-old grandson Georgie visit us for two weeks. He is all any grandparent could wish a grandson to be: kind, funny, empathetic, polite, snuggly, curious, and of course, full of puppy dog energy. (Or, as Georgie calls it, “en-gerny.”)
Our grandson Georgie came for a two week visit! He is all smiles, giggles and noise on two legs. Just a boy should be.
The first week we had lots of fun of course, but I was a walking zombie from the combination of “Becky Brain” and “Temporary Mom Brain.” I had forgotten what it was like to live a life of constant interruptions. Having a preschooler in the house is like having someone turn on a blender in your head about every ten seconds. You immediately lose the luxury of having two consecutive thoughts anymore. Life in a mother’s head is just a series of random bits and pieces of Thoughts Begun, Interrupted and Lost Forever.
Needless to say, while I was getting in my Nonny Groove, trying to acclimate my thinking and sleeping schedule to that of a little boy’s, my Cooking Groove took a backseat for most of the two weeks. I am too embarrassed to confess how many Happy Meals we had this week, thanks to the lure of the playground and the cheap but highly coveted toy-in-a-box.
However, when we had company over, I did find a few minutes to create this lucious tart-sweet summer dessert sauce made from raspberries and rhubarb. It is a cinch make, even for Scrambled Mom-Brains, and looked beautiful served over a variety of sorbets. I just put the sorbets on a tray with scoops, let company serve themselves, and then passed the ruby red fruit sauce to allow for individual dolloping. Easy, refreshing, pretty and divinely delicious.
Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over a Rainbow of Sorbets
Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce
Ingredients:
6 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen)
6 oz. rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. organic sugar (you may want to add more or less sugar, according to your taste)
Dash sea salt
Variety of Sorbets
Variety of Sorbets: I chose pints of pomegranate, mango and lemon
Directions
Put raspberries and rhubarb in medium sauce pan with water, sugar and sea salt. Heat until it bubbles and simmer for one full minute.
Simmer fruit with sugar, water and dash salt for one full minute
Carefully pour cooked fruit and juice into a blender or food processor. (You will want to let it cool down a bit before blending.) Blend until smooth.
Strain into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer. I used a large tea strainer and did this in small batches. Occasionally scrape the strainer with a spatula to help facilitate draining, and also tap it on the side of the bowl to keep the juice pouring out of the strainer.
Straining juice, occasionally scrape bottom of strainer with spatula, and tap it on the side of the bowl to help juices escape more quickly.
This will catch most of the raspberry seeds and create a silky smooth sauce.
Serve warm, room temp or cold over sorbet, ice cream, angel food or pound cake, or fresh fruit.
Fresh raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over Rainbow of Sorbets
Variations:
You can skip the rhubarb and just double the raspberries for a pure raspberry sauce. You can replace the raspberries with strawberries. Try other fruit and berry combinations. If the fruit is seedless, you may not even have to strain it.
I like to double this recipe so there are plenty of leftovers. Freezes well and makes a great gift-in-a-jar.
This was printed from:
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Rasberry Rhubarb Sauce
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-pr
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Grilled Stuffed Avocados
Posted: June 12, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: cilantro lime sour cream sauce, grilled avocados, grilled corn on the cob, grilled stuffed avocados, grilled vegan meals, mexican side dish, poblano peppers, stuffed avocados 4 Comments
Grilled Stuffed Avocados
(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)
I hit the motherload. Yes, I have a load of amazing mothers in my life.
There is my mother-in-law, Rhonda, who, as we speak, is at the pool with Jackson. Jared is very busy this summer, and she has generously offered to give me writing breaks any time I need them. She walked in this afternoon cheerfully greeting us with her usual “Helloooo, Helloooo.” Her red curly hair tied in a lose ponytail and dressed in a bright colored sundress and flip-flops, she came bearing bubbles and summer toys for Jackson and my favorite french fries. Despite me telling her I wasn’t hungry, I ate them all. She knows me well enough to know I’ll eat the fries if she brings the fries. I love that. Jackson didn’t waste any time crawling over to his Mimi, standing up at the hem of her dress and pointing outside. He knows Mimi takes him outside to play. Mimi is fun and lets him get dirty and play in the mud.
And then there is my step-mom, Pat. She’s a lot like me when it comes to organization and order. I rely on her for any and all communication regarding family events or activities. The Freeman men are not known for their communication skills, but she has somehow learned to speak their language and relay their plans to me. Jackson loves going to Grandma’s house. She and Grandpa take him to the barn to see their horses every other Thursday while we are at home group. Another thing I love about Pat is she loves shopping at Costco. I always leave their house with a bag full of avocados, medjool dates, or berries, because with their busy work schedules they really can’t eat 30 pounds of fresh produce before it spoils. I love that.
Obviously, the mother who carried me for nine months, put up with me through my bratty preteen years and still let me live to share this blog with her, is a pretty good woman. Last time I was at her house, I left her with Jackson for a couple of hours and returned to the kitchen to find a gourmet vegan meal waiting for me and Jackson happily playing with various kitchen utensils in his high chair. She’s like a professional nurturer, able to nurture and love and adore multiple kids of all ages at once. She knows me so well that she called me in Texas all the way from her home in Colorado to tell me she thought I was pregnant, even before I knew. She can tell by the sound of my voice within the first few words exactly how I’m feeling. I don’t have to explain much to her, she just gets me. I love that. We often chat while we are cooking and one of us will say, “I’m making ‘such and such,” and the other will exclaim, “I’m making ‘such and such’ too!” The other day, she sent me her list of upcoming recipes for the blog, including her Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados. I had just returned from the store with ingredients for stuffed avocados myself. So, I give you ANOTHER stuffed avocado recipe. I can’t promise this will be the last time mama and daughter are cooking up the same thing, unbeknownst to each other.
A delicious meatless meal on the grill.
Rachel’s Grilled Stuffed Avocados
Serves 2 entrees (4 appetizers)
Ingredients
Stuffed Avocados
2 avocados, cut lengthwise in half and pitted
2 corn on the cob, soaked & silks removed*
1 poblano pepper
1/2 red onion, sliced into thick rings
2 T. Canola Oil
1 t. kosher salt
juice of 1/2 a lime (~1 T.)
Cilantro Lime Sour Cream Sauce
1/4 c. vegan sour cream (or regular if you eat dairy)
1/4 c. cilantro
1/2 T. lime juice
1/4 t. salt
1/8 c. fresh jalapeno, chopped & seeded
1 clove garlic
Serve with: rice and beans for a complete meal or as a healthy side dish for any Mexican meal
Directions
Prep:
Soak corn in water for 30 minutes and then peel back husks and remove silks. Light coals for charcoal grill. You want the coals to be all white, and no longer flaming. Mix canola oil, salt, and lime in a small bowl.
In a blender or food processor, Blend all ingredients for the cilantro lime sour cream sauce. Set aside.
Brush corn kernels with oil mixture and pull husks back up around kernels. Brush onions with canola oil mixture. Put corn, onions, and poblano pepper (left whole) on the grill. Apply canola mixture as they cook and turn veggies so they cook evenly on all sides. When poblano is charred on all sides, remove it and put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for a few minutes to loosen the skin. Remove the skins with a wet paper towel. Grill onions and corn for 15-20 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly charred.
Just before taking the veggies off the grill.
Brush avocados with canola mixture and grill flesh side down for 3-4 minutes. Ideally, you’ll get nice grill marks across the avocado (I think our grill wasn’t quite hot enough by the time we got them on so this was not our result, but we decided it didn’t matter because they tasted amazing anyway.)
Cut corn off the cob, dice onions and poblanos to a similar size as the corn kernals. Toss together in a bowl.
Stuff the grilled avocados with the grilled corn, onion, and poblano mixture. Serve two halves nestled on a bed of rice and drizzle with sour cream sauce. Serve beans on the side for a complete meal. Or, just serve one half as an appetizer or side.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Grilled Stuffed Avocados
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-oG
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Exciting Announcement: “We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook” Will be a Book!
Posted: June 11, 2012 Filed under: Book News | Tags: author, becky johnson, book announcement, book contract, christian food humor, food blog, food books, humor books, mother daughter blog, mother daughter books, rachel randolph, we laugh we cry we cook, zondervan 19 Comments
“My Nonny and Aunt Rachel have been keeping a secret. But I can’t stand holding it inside anymore. It’s time to tell!” (George, Becky’s grandson, age 5)
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mom)
We’ve been keeping a secret for about a month, but finally have the go-ahead to make the GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
My daughter and co-author of this blog, Rachel Randolph, and I are deliriously happy to share that we have signed a two book contract with Zondervan Publishing!
Becky, signing her part of the book contract for We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook with Zondervan Publishers.
Baby Jackson helping his mother, Rachel, sign her part of her very first book contract. A two book deal! Woo hoo!
Our editor, Carolyn McCready, is a longtime friend and one of my favorite people on the planet. Not to mention one of the most talented editors and nicest people I know. Carolyn and I (Becky) worked together on many fun projects at Harvest House Publishers, where we grew from editor/author to close friends. Those were some of my happiest days in publishing, and we are delighted to find ourselves working together again.
Carolyn McCready, longtime friend and editor for this project!
The first book is slated to have the same title as this blog, We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook, and will debut in the fall of 2013. We’ll wait to announce the name of the second book as a future surprise.
The literary agent for this project is none other than my husband, Greg Johnson, president of Wordserve Literary Agency.
Greg Johnson, our literary agent, President of WordServe.
The first book will be about our unique mother-daughter journey thus far, our mutual love of cooking, storytelling, and laughter, along with the challenges that our differing styles and personalities bring to the kitchen table. Rachel is a Type-A Vegan, and I am a Type-S (Scattered) Butter-Lovin’ Mama. This poses plenty of opportunities for humor, mutual understanding, acceptance and biting our tongues.
Yes, writing is a family business, and has always been, for me. I can’t believe it has almost been twenty years since I wrote my first book (Worms in My Tea & Other Mixed Blessings) with my mother, Ruthie Arnold.
The first book I ever wrote, with my mother, Ruthie Arnold, almost twenty years ago now!
My daughter Rachel was just a little girl with a curly pony tail when I began pounding the typewriter (my “office” was my bedroom closet), learning all I could glean from my mom, who was already published and a fabulous writing coach. I love this picture taken on my birthday last year of my mom laughing in the background at something I just said. She was not only my best coach, she was (and still is) my best audience!
Becky with her mom Ruthie, laughing in the background. Ruthie taught Becky to laugh, to cook and to write!
Little did I know that almost two decades later, I’d have more then forty books under my belt, and that my little girl would grow up into an amazing woman, wife and mother, a fabulously healthy cook, and a funny, poignant writer. Or that we’d have the incredible privilege of writing books together.
My little girl all grown up, married, a mother, and now… an author!
Today is one of those days when I am completely overwhelmed with the goodness of God. I’m grateful for all the stories that bind my daughter and I together: the stories that brought us closer through laughter, and those where we cried tears over heartaches. And the everyday stories that unfold as we chat in our kitchens sharing our mutual passion for cooking good food for those we love.
Thank you all, dear friends, for your encouragement in our journey thus far.
To celebrate the signing of the contracts, we invite you to join our new Facebook Fan Page where we will keep you abreast of book news, blog postings, and some of our favorite quotes, funny quips, and foodie or health news. If you could help us spread the word of the blog and fan page, we’d be enormously grateful, as we work to build an audience for the new book.
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 