Garden Fresh Vegetable Soup

2011-9-5

Garden Fresh Vegetable Soup

These are just some of the gorgeous vegetables with which two families from church blessed us this past Sunday, yesterday. I got everything from zucchini to two different kinds of potatoes to two different kinds of onions. Decided to make a hearty soup out of everything except one of the vegetables. I also had a some cooked beans, the beans of which also were home grown by a friend's mom.

These vegetables need to be enjoyed, before this very pregnant mommy decides that energy is non-existent and is rendered incapable of doing anything in the kitchen.

2011-9-4

In a pan with a bit of olive oil on lower medium heat, I cooked the onions. Once the onions were almost done, I dropped in the potatoes, cut into little chunks or squares, along with some water. Cook the potatoes until done.

Throw all the other vegetables, peeled (where ever appropriate or desired - carrots, cucumbers, etc.) and cut, into a pot. I used water exclusively as the broth. Once the vegetables have been cooking, they form a rich flavored, mouthwatering broth. The spices and flavoring I used for the soup included:

• sea salt
• freshly ground black peppercorns
• a few hints of cinnamon
• some Hungarian paprika
• a bit of soy sauce (just a bit)
• a few drizzles of Worcestershire sauce
  

I dropped the cooked beans my friend gave me after everything else was tender. I'm not sure what all went into cooking those beans. Some bacon, I believe, was dropped into cooking them; so, the soup cannot qualify as vegetarian.

Cook the soup for awhile to allow the various flavors to spread. Then it's ready to serve. I enjoy my soups with rice, over rice.

Pesto, perfectly thick pesto sauce

2011-8-25

Pesto, perfectly thick pesto sauce

I hadn't planned on my recipe blogging hiatus to be the norm but more of an exception. However, this pregnancy with twins had thrown my love affair with food off course into to the uncharted territory of picky, easily offended senses. Pesto is a more recent love or desire, and I hadn't attempted making my own until quite recently. This is my third attempt at tweaking with various ingredients, and I am pretty satisfied with this rendition.

The results were thick, and the version I made was on the salty side. However, this pesto, for my intent, wasn't and isn't meant to be eaten along. I've served it atop plain pasta and I have also used it on cheese pizza (along with fresh olives and freshly grated muenster cheese).

Here's my recipe to share:

In a blender, blend the following:

• 4 oz of basil
• 2 cups of freshly grated parmesan (I purchased a chunk of parmesan and grated it using a hand grater)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 c. of pine nuts
• 26 peppercorns (I used a pepper mill to grind the peppercorns)
• 2/3 c. olive oil
• sea salt (I don't know exactly how much I used)

Once blended evenly and well, empty blender contents into sauce pan, along with 1/3 - 2/3 c. organic chicken broth and 1/3 c. whole milk. On low to low-medium heat, bring to a gentle boil, and the work is done. Use the pesto sauce in whatever way is pleasing to you.

After eating it once over pasta, my pregnancy pickiness wanted something different. Having it on a cheese pizza, along with fresh, pitted calamata olives and freshly grated muenster cheese was tasty as well. What is your pleasure?

A fancy schmancy pepper mill

I got myself a splurge. I've been wanting a pepper mill or grinder for awhile now. I have a pepper grinder for black peppercorns or rainbow peppercorns. But, I needed one for white peppercorns or something that would allow me to interchange them frequently and easily.

And yes, the taste is so different using freshly ground pepper, in contrast to the store-purchased pre-ground pepper. By a country mile.

I saw this beauty on sale, marked down not once, not twice, but thrice. Even then, I wasn't sure I should buy it. After all, though cooking well is still a high priority, being frugal is, well, a must. In the end, I gave in to the whispers of the Peugeot Olivier Roellinger Pepper Mill, yesterday. And, thrice, with utter thrill and excitement, it has been used today. Got a bit too carried away one of those times today. Used in a egg and tomato stir fry this morning. Used it when making pesto this afternoon. Followed by making hot and sour soup. Wow, way too much of the black peppercorns and white peppercorns for that soup; set my mouth and face on FIRE. Still could appreciate the complex flavors of the freshly ground pepper, however.

Seared salmon

2011-5-4

Seared Salmon

Fish and meat can easily be overcooked. Results of overcooking, depending on the food in question, is dry, rubbery, over chewy crap. For fish, I don't recommend baking, unless super carefully monitored; easily overcooked when baking.

I pan fried - seared - the salmon.

My sister came for a visit and picked up all kinds of goodies. This morning, I seared the salmon. This afternoon, I tended to the pork and ribs, decorated with celery, carrots, mushrooms, red onion, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and other spices. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Back to the salmon, in a pan on lower medium heat, with some green onions and olive oil, I sizzled the green onions for several minutes. Then I dropped in the salmon (which was frozen but had been defrosting in the refrigerator), adding sea salt and a bit of soy sauce for flavor. Should be somewhat pink and transparent on the inside. It was amazing that I didn't overcook any of the fish (I cooked six pieces of salmon, three at a time), considering I was also getting my children out of their bath and helping to dress them. . .

Cooked just right. Delicious.

Very gourmet scrambled omelets

2011-4-29

Very Gourmet Scrambled Omelets

My sister and her two kiddos are visiting from California. You may have already gathered, if you follow this blog in any way or form, that I'm a bit of a food snob. Perhaps "foodie" is a more friendly term. Add to that my being pregnant, and you have one picky lady. Even though being pregnant with two (yes, twins) has been challenging on my taste buds, nausea, and acid reflux, bland foods have never quite sold me.

In terms of typical breakfast foods, such as eggs, I have always hated, HATED, cafeteria style scrambled eggs. So tasteless. So bland. So disgusting. The day before yesterday, I decided to make the adults a delicious, taste-bud-tingling breakfast, using what we had available in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• eggs
  
• garlic, diced into rather small chunks
• olive oil
• (fresh) mushrooms
• (fresh) tomatoes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black peppercorns
• Trader Joe's everyday seasoning with grinder

Since the day before yesterday, I've been making this breakfast every morning. In fact, my sister was so hungry this morning, she was nearly physically ill waiting (famished) for my breakfast. But, she didn't want something else to take up room in her belly. She was desperate for my, what she calls "very gourmet" scrambled omelets. Fourteen eggs worth of scrambled omelets disappeared among three adults and four very small children (ages 4 and under) within seconds; I kid you not.

I believe key to making this very gourmet breakfast is timing. The garlic, for instance, must be cooked just so. The mushrooms must be cooked and seasoned on its own before being married to the rest of the ingredients (eggs, tomatoes, and what not).

Salivating, yet?

Instructions:

• On low medium heat, with approximately 1 1/2 cloves of garlic (diced) and olive oil, wait until the garlic has been sizzling a few minutes before dropping in the small mushrooms (cut thinly). Season with a bit of salt and Trader Joe's everyday seasoning. Cover. Cook until tender (no longer crunchy). Stir intermittently. Set to the side when done.
  
• In the same pan, drop the remainder of the cut garlic (approximately another 1 1/2 cloves, diced), adding perhaps just a bit of olive oil, still on low medium heat. Once again, once the garlic has been sizzling for a few minutes, drop in the beaten raw eggs. When the eggs are nearly cooked, but some liquid is still present, add in the diced tomatoes; and stir. Add in sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir. Once the eggs are cooked to liking, add in the mushrooms; stir, and viola!

The photograph really doesn't do the food justice. Literally, this breakfast leaves the persons eating the food wanting more, more, and more. I'm so pleased how popular this dish is, at some point, I may post a photo essay of this recipe, even though I'm too tired and too busy to do much of anything these days. May you have a blessed evening dreaming about this dish.

2011-4-29

Lily's Fruit Salad

2011-4-12

For lack of a better term, since this salad seems abundant with fruit, I'm calling this a fruit salad. No mayonnaise, though. Do people put mayonnaise in fruit salads? I can't stand mayonnaise.

Under normal (non-pregnant-with-multiples) circumstances, I'm not at all drawn towards salads. But, I am now. I have a guess as to why this is the case.

This particular salad has the following ingredients:

• baby spinach
• arugula
• freshly peeled clementines
• fresh strawberries
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• pine nuts
• Annie's Tuscany Italian dressing

I had been putting raisins in some of my salads, but this seemed plenty laden with fruit.

Eggs, sunny side up

I don't remember ever making eggs sunny side up or over easy.

This morning was a morning I wanted eggs. But not scrambled. Sunny side up seemed the right fit. Without any prior memorable experience, off I went.

The moment the eggs went into the pan and the girls could see what I was making, I knew they would want some. Made enough for the ladies in the house.

In a non-stick pan with some olive oil massaged into the pan, I turned the pan on lower heat. Once the pan was heated, I broke the eggs into the pan. After a bit, I loosened the eggs from the bottom of the pan, to ensure the eggs weren't sticking to it. Letting the egg whites and yolks to solidify, I left my yolks quite tender (and runny in one case). Some parts of the egg whites were crispy underneath.

2011-3-27

The girls, after they had finished their breakfast, decided they were going to prepare their own eggs and wanted me to take their pictures.

2011-3-27

Want some?


That's sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on top.

What I can eat

Hello. I promise, some day, some day, some day, I will return to recipe postings. But, in case you haven't heard, yet, I'm pregnant. With twins.

Never in my life before this, have I ever been this picky, this nauseated. Textures and colors can make me nauseated. I'm not kidding and I'm not exaggerating. Makes eating tough, especially since I am hungry. All. The. Time.

So far, vanilla yogurt with fresh strawberries always sit well with me. Good thing strawberries are in season now.

By the way, I have made my own yogurt in the past, but I'm much too tired and exhausted to contemplate making anything most of the time. Yes, a sad state of affairs.


Spaghetti with pasta sauce, with shredded cheese on top. Another staple I've been able to stomach. Again, I didn't make either component. I'm interested in making pasta and pasta sauce some day. Just not now.

Chicken Noodle Soup, without chicken

2011-3-10

Chicken Noodle Soup, without the chicken

I have been craving Chicken Noodle Soup for some time now, and that soup has always been a favorite of mine. Haven't always had the soup cooked to perfection, but that's another subject for another time. Anyways, I saw this recipe, and I decided to use that for a jumping off point for making my own twisted recipe. Not sure why, but I haven't been a fan of the chunks of chicken in the various versions of soup I have sampled. Perhaps the chicken was too dry, not juicy enough. I decided to make a chicken-less version.

Ingredients:

• pasta - I fancied elbow macaroni the day I was grocery shopping - approximately 1/3 to 1/2 a really large box
• cream of chicken soup
• cream of mushroom soup - I prefer not to use a majority of cans of this I've seen on the shelf, because they contain msg. My body throws fits when I consume msg; I'm insanely thirsty, I get headaches. Need I go on?
• parsley flakes
• olive oil - enough to cook the red onion
• sea salt
• butter - nearly 3 tbsp
  
• red onion - diced
• celery - the whole bundle - washed and cut thinly
• carrots - the whole package - cut into thirds or fourths
• can of tomato sauce
  

• garlic - oh my goodness, how could I neglect to include these? - 5 cloves, diced. I love garlic; the more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned.
  

Directions:

• In a pan, with a bit of olive oil on lower medium heat, cook the red onion until transparent. I added a pinch of sea salt. Then throw in the carrots, celery, and garlic, adding in the nearly 3 tablespoons of butter. Cook with a lid on until tender. I was distracted and lost track of time. Probably only needed to cook for 10-15 minutes. Mine ended up cooking for around 30 min. Like I said, I was distracted.
• In a pot, cook the pasta until tender and then set aside.
• Add to the contents in the pan: cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, tomato sauce, some water, parsley flakes, and sea salt. Once that has been boiling, let simmer for a bit.
• To the pan, finally, add the cooked macaroni. After the soup is boiling, it is ready to serve.
  

When I consumed it the day it was cooked, I thought it was a bit strong tasting on the cream of mushroom. But, when I had it the next day, adding a bit of water when reheating it, I favored the soup much more.

Breakfast, pure and simple

2011-2-24

Vanilla Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

These days, finding food that satisfies is difficult for me. Nothing to do with the food, I am sure. It's me that has issues.

This isn't a post about making yogurt (though I have done that) or growing strawberries. Just a small meal - vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries - I can stomach.

When precious little seems appealing

2011-2-13

Sliced Rice Cake Udon Soup

I'm taking a forever lasting hiatus from trying new recipes. Alright, I'm just kidding about the forever bit. But, I am taking a break.

Unfortunately, these days, precious little seems appetizing to me. Puts me between a rock and hard place, when eating is kind of important. Anything, everything I cook seems repulsive to me right now.

Udon hasn't reached that status, yet, thankfully. And, I purchased Korean sliced rice cakes at the Asian grocery store recently. So with just a bit of sea salt, green onions, and a touch of soy sauce, along with rice cakes and udon, I made a little soup.

Stovetop Vegetarian Chili

2011-2-7

Stovetop Vegetarian Chili

This is recipe #1 in Good Housekeeping: Vegetarian Meals; Meatless Recipes Everyone Will Love. This is actually the third recipe in the book I've tried. For those of you who are just joining me, I had meant to go in order, for the most part. Somehow the pages got stuck together, and I neglected to see the first two recipes. Also, I am not a vegetarian, but I have good friends who are. One of those really good friends has this cookbook, and I told her I'd go through it kind of like Julie Powell did with Julia Child's cookbook.

I made this in a bit of a hurry, being on a time crunch, this morning. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Very tasty. My husband agrees. I made several of my own tweaks, as usually. You'll have to get a hold of the original recipe to see the differences. Unless you're content with my version. Plan on adding this to list of foods to make in the future.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 medium red onions - chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sent through a garlic press
• 3 medium sweet potatoes - peeled & cut into small squares
  
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded & minced
• 2 15.5 oz cans of black beans, drained
• 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
  
• 1 28 oz can of pre-cut mushrooms
• olive oil
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp red sugar
• 3-4 tbsp sea salt
• 6-8 c. water
  

Directions:

• In a pan, with a few tablespoons of olive oil, on low medium heat, cook the red onions until transparent. I added a bit of sea salt towards the end of cooking.
• In a large pot, place in the sweet potatoes with just enough water to barely cover the sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil & lower heat until simmering with lid on but somewhat displaced. Cook for about 20-30 minutes.
• In the large pot, add everything else to the sweet potatoes: garlic, jalapeno chile, black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pre-cut mushrooms, chili powder, cumin, coriander, sea salt, and sugar. Add the red onions as well. Allow the contents enough time to soak in all the flavor, and it's ready to serve.
  

One rookie mistake I made was, I wish I had pan-fried the mushrooms first, before throwing them into the soup. Cooks fast that way. Sometimes the mushrooms don't quite cook well if they're thrown into the soup late in the game. Thankfully, the mushrooms were fine this time.

A delicious soup.

Still steaming. Can you see?


As my dad would say, "Try it; you'll like it."

Caribbean Black Bean Soup

2011-2-2

Caribbean Black Bean Soup

I apologize for the photograph that doesn't do justice to this dish. My husband said he really liked it; wondered whether I had put barbecue sauce in it. Barbecue sauce? Huh? No.

One thing I would have changed in how I prepared this soup yesterday, my first attempt, was to soak the dry beans over night, cook the beans by themselves first, cook the beans longer . . . the beans could have been more tender. I'm getting ahead of myself.

This is the 4th recipe in the Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals recipe book.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry black beans
• olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, chopped
• 3 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 4-6 garlic cloves minced, via garlic press
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 7-10 c water
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small squares
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• sea salt
• 3 bunches of green onions, washed and cut finely
  

Directions:

• Soak the black beans over night (translation: don't be stupid or last minute like me; I soaked the dry beans for maybe four to five hours) and perhaps even cook them separately first.
• In a pan, throw in a modest amount of olive oil and cook the red onions on lower medium heat until they are transparent. I threw in a few pinches of sea salt.
• In a pot (stock pot?), throw everything else in. Bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for an hour or long enough for the sweet potatoes and black beans to be tender and for the flavors to soak into the potatoes and beans.

Our whole house smelled flagrantly of this delicious soup, and when my husband arrived home, his interest was peaked and ripened for tasting the aromatic food.

A longing, a desire

Do you know what this is? It's a Cherry Red, Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 7 1/4 Quart Round French Oven.

From what I understand and reading various reviews, it's the brand that makes the best quality in the business. Lasts for many, many years (translation: decades, minimally). I had looked at this in this past, drooling. Mind you, I am not a hedonist. Not that I don't enjoy pleasures every now and again, but it is neither the focus nor the purpose for which I live. But, the price, even at its discounted price, is way beyond the price range of what I can afford. Recently, at least a couple of blogs have included mention of it: Manda's blog and Ree's blog. I place a comment nearly every time Ree offers a giveaway, but my chances of winning a Le Creuset oven is slim to none.

I do loads of cooking and love it, unlike many people with whom I am acquainted in my generation, and a Le Creuset would sure get plenty of use in my lifetime. Plenty.

Julie Powell, as portrayed on Julie & Julia, sure seemed to gather lots in her readership by blogging after blogging about each of Julia Child's recipes. I have no where near the fan base Julie Powell had, at least to my knowledge. But a blogger can dream right? Perhaps there are loads of blog fans that simply don't leave comments. Maybe even some of those fans love me and are very generous and desire to make this dream come true.

The Le Creuset brand. 7 1/4 quarts is great. The Cherry Red is my preferred color. But, Cassis (the purple one) will do as well. Amazon has a decent discounted price and it offers free shipping for the item. Any takers?

***
Addendum: Wow, I just read an Amazon review that said there's a 101 yr warranty on the Le Creuset.

Vegetarian Chili

2011-1-26

Vegetarian Chili

An individual who became my best friend in the 4th grade recently purchased a Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals book. Partially inspired by Julia Powell as portrayed in "Julie & Julia" and mostly inspired by a long-lasting growing friendship. My plan is a bit slower than that of Julie, one recipe from not Julia Child's book but one recipe from Vegetarian Meals per week. This is my revised version of recipe #1 in the Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals cookbook. [ADDENDUM: I just realized on February 2, that this recipe is actually recipe #3 in the recipe book.]

Of the various spices that go into different versions of chili, this is, by far, my favorite. Per usual, I turned the written recipe into something else and made it my own, some changes including using different kinds of beans to adding tomato sauce and water. Anyways, I am proud of the concoction that resulted.

One change I would make is: use LESS salt. The vegetable broth, I suspect, is already plenty salty; didn't taste it ahead of time and wish I had. I ended up eating mine over rice; surprise, surprise.

Here's my version of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, cut thinly (perhaps diced would have been a good choice)
• 1/2 of a 32 oz bag of small carrots, cut into thirds or fourths
• 1 medium organic butternut squash, peeled and cut into small squares
• 3 green onions, washed and cut thinly
• 2 jalapeno chiles, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 15.5 oz can of dark red kidney beans, without the juice
• 1 15.5 oz can of black beans, without the juice
• a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt (this is what I would recommend after using more than 1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp red sugar
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups of water

Directions:

• In a pan, with olive oil, cook the red onion on medium heat until transparent. Then set aside.
• In a pot on medium to high heat, throw in the carrots, butternut squash, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, green onions, vegetable broth and water. Once the carrots are more tender, add in the sugar, sea salt, and chili powder. Leave simmering for awhile.
  

I've got to confess that the aroma from the soup leaves me salivating and wanting seconds and thirds, even though I am full to the brim. Enjoy, my friends.



By the way, I'm not sure you can tell from the photographs, but steam is rising from the bowl of soup.

Shiitake Mushroom, Udon Soup

2011-1-5

Shiitake Mushroom, Udon Soup

I love, love, love udon. Anyone else? Am also a super huge fan of shiitake mushrooms. Thought of it as a treat whenever we had it growing up. They were usually dried, but I've been getting mine fresh, at Sunflower Farmer's Market. Compared with other types of mushrooms, this one's expensive. . . something like $9/pound. But, I usually buy four or five at a time, which is affordable. Perhaps some day I can grow my own; for now, I have Sunflower Farmer's Market.

Here's a simple recipe I can offer. None of that caramelized, Americanized stuff Noodles & Co. offers.

Udon is needed.

Doesn't this look heavenly already?


Here's what the shiitake mushroom look like.


Ingredients:

• udon
• water
• chicken broth
• green onions - sliced thinly
• shiitake mushrooms = sliced thinkly
  
• garlic - diced
• sea salt
• soy sauce

Directions:

• Bring water to a boil. Boil the udon for six minutes.
• Dump out a fair portion of the water (not all) and add some chicken broth, green onions, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms. Once the green onions and garlic have had a chance to boil for several minutes, add some sea salt and tid bit of soy sauce.

Baked wild rice & veggies

I've taken a shining to wild rice for some time. This is a relatively simple dish to satisfy any wild rice cravings. Though this dish is meatless, it is not vegetarian; I used chicken broth in it.

This is totally my own creation. Inspiration from no other source than me. I'm a bit fuzzy on what I put in, but here's the general idea.

2010-12-29

Wild Rice & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 32 oz bag of small carrots, cut into thirds or fourths
• 1 thing of celery, washed and cut thinly
• 1 red onion cut thinly
• butter, no more than 2 tsp
• 2 6.0 packages of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe
• chicken broth
• water
• milk, perhaps 1/2 cup
  
• sea salt
• parsley flakes
• several cloves of garlic, diced
  

Directions:

• In a pan, with a bit of olive oil (perhaps a few tablespoons of olive oil), on medium heat, cook the red onion until it's transparent. Then set aside, leaving behind any olive oil or onion juice.
• In the same pan, throw in the garlic. After the garlic has been sizzling for half a minute to a minute, add in the carrots, celery, some water (around a cup), milk (approx. 1/2 cup), and chicken broth (maybe 1/2 to 1 cup). Place the lid on the pan. Season with sea salt and parsley flakes in the cooking process. Cook 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the onion is cooking, in a separate pot, cook the long grain and wild rice according to the directions on the box(es).
• In a 9 x 13 rectangular stoneware, lay all the vegetables, including the soup and broth, across the bottom evenly. Next, layer on the onion. Finally, spread out the long grain and wild rice on top evenly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if you like. Cover and cook at 350 degrees in the oven for an hour.
  

Cinnamon & Sugar Almonds

2010-12-22

Cinnamon & Sugar Almonds

I apologize for the many slightly blurry photographs below. Perhaps I could blame it on my broken camera flash. Or maybe it's an artistic rendering for how we, as adults, watch life and time fly away.

This recipe isn't mine. Not at all. But it is one, the only one, that I have borrowed and used from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen: Burnt Almonds (Gebrannte Mandeln), provided by Birgit Kerr. Thank you, Birgit. I got loads of compliments on this, as I gave it to people as part of their Christmas gifts and made it for my parents the day they arrived this most recent trip.

I changed the name of this recipe because my version wasn't burnt. Not at all. I also didn't cook mine for 20 minutes, like the recipe says. But then again, I'm always making up my own stuff.

Again, since this isn't my recipe and I didn't really manipulate and morph the ingredients and stuff into my own take, I'm not going to restate the recipe here. Click on the above link, if you'd like to see the recipe.

Ingredients are simple and few:

1. water

2. raw almonds

3. brown sugar - the recipe only said 'sugar,' but I took the liberty of using brown sugar

4. cinnamon



5. vanilla extract


Here come the blurry photographs. Again, my apologies. Here was my cooking process.

Brown sugar


and cinnamon and water in first.


Stirred, stirring on medium heat. Brought to a boil.


Drop in the raw almonds. Constantly stir (or everything will hug the pan), cooking until the water gets absorbed or evaporates.

Finally, add a little extra brown sugar and the vanilla extract.


The directions said to spread the stuff in parchment paper, but I had none. Aluminum foil sufficed.


Viola. Tasty treats that continue their beckoning call, day after day.

2010-12-22

Potato & Egg Burrito

I'm back. First, my laptop's screen / monitor decided to retire without permission. Then, a desktop computer decided not to recognize my camera or any of the photographs on it. Attempting to sabotage my blog posts, perhaps, but only temporarily. I'm back. But watch out. . . I have a number of food blog posts for you.

Potato & Egg Burrito

2010-12-22

It's unfortunate that I'm finishing up this post as my stomach churns, churns, and churns with hunger. Unfortunate for you, because I'm likely to skimp on details.



I cooked the eggs and potatoes (I believe these were made with red potatoes) separately. Some diced garlic was involved. But make sure the garlic is well cooked in the olive oil to avoid burning your mouth with raw garlic.

For seasoning? Sea salt, Hungarian paprika. I can't remember what else. Give a break, will you? I get a little hazy on details.


Gave mine a bit of ketchup before consuming.