A Sunday Supper

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

Sundays are pretty lazy around here.  Seasonally lazy.  In the Fall and Winter, we watch football and usually have soup for Sunday Supper.  In the Summer, when it is nuclear blasting hot, we have very simple and cool meals like salads for Sunday Supper.  Now that Spring is here and it’s been very warm, we are craving the freshness of Summer foods. They are just around the corner, I can taste it.

We have our favorite foods that we like to have on a regular basis.  This would include tomatoes, Calamata olives, locally made Italian sausage, Parmigiana Reggiano, good bread.  Those are the staples of life at this house! Seriously, I once hauled fresh parm back from Italy with me.  I carried it in my carry on bag, not my checked bag.  I didn’t want it to get lost.  I have priorities! Avocados would be on the list, but consistently good avocados are just not in the cards when you live in the center of the country. (I end up buying Wholly Guacamole when the avocados look “iffy”)

I thought I would share a very simple supper we had the other evening.  Pan fried Italian sausage topped with bits of provolone.  Little toasted garlic breads with a bruschetta topping of tomatoes, onion, and grated parm. Calamata olives.  Rosa wine. Out on the veranda with my honey.  Good and simple…..simply good.

The wine we had was very good.  If you enjoy an Argentinian Malbec, then you will love its cousin, Rosa.  This was from the Belasco de Baquedano winery.  Very light tasting with lots of cherry and berry flavors. I served it chilled. You can tell it is a Malbec, however, it is not as heavy.  Perfect for an evening on the veranda.

Here’s to many more Sunday suppers on the veranda!

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Crepes are easier than you think!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

 

We had crepes for our Sunday evening dessert snack while watching Mad Men.  Earlier, I had read on Facebook where my niece and her fiance were making crepes for the first time.  That was all the encouragement I needed.  Crepes it would be. I had to give them a bit of twist and try something new.  I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.  They were just fine. I could not taste much of a difference and the texture was the same as using the AP flour.  I say, go for it.

While I was making crepes, the Mister was cooking dinner.  I like how that turned out.  I made enough of them to freeze.  The really great thing about crepes is, they freeze so well. I really should have said, they thaw out so well.  After they are thawed they are as good as freshly made.

Crepes are just very thin little pancakes kind of like a thin, floppy tortilla.  They have a firmer, less bready texture than regular pancakes and can be filled with savory fillings like scrambled eggs, chicken, and/or fish fillings much like a tortilla or sweet fillings. The sweet fillings can turn them into a snack or dessert.  Versatile as tortillas and as easy as making pancakes.  I think I described them pretty darn good. At the end of the recipe I will make a list of suggestions for fillings.  By no means will it contain all the fillings you can use, but it will give you lots of ideas.

Whole Wheat Crepes

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup milk or almond milk

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon melted butter plus extra melted butter for cooking (I used an extra 6 tablespoons of melted butter to cook all of the crepes)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients very well until there are no lumps and everything is incorporated.  You can also throw everything into a blender and mix well.  Set aside the mixture for about 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate the mixture for  a day or two and then use.

Use an 8 or 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Brush with some of the melted butter. Pour enough batter to thinly cover the bottom of the pan.  I used a 10 inch skillet and used a little less than 1/4 cup of batter.  You can use a small ladle or a small measuring cup to get the same amount of batter for each crepe.  It may take a couple of tries to get the right amount for your pan. Swirl the pan to get the batter to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.  You may have to use a spatula to push the edges down if it gets on the side of the pan.

After about a minute, when it is golden on the bottom, carefully flip the crepe over.  I used a spatula and my silicon coated tongs to do the flip.  If it kind of folds onto itself, just unfold it and it will be just fine.  Cook for about another minute until it is golden brown.  Put it on a waxed paper lined plate.  Repeat until all the crepes are made. Makes about 15 crepes. To freeze the crepes you don’t use, just stack them with a piece of waxed paper between each one and then put them into a freezer storage bag.  To use, thaw at room temperature. After they are thawed, you can either use at room temp or warm them a few seconds in the microwave.

Now for the fun part, spread thinly with your favorite filling and either roll it up or fold in half…….or not.  Whatever you like.  Crepes can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. Crepes can also be used in place of tortillas in your favorite casserole. Try all sorts of fillings.

 

Sweet Filling ideas:

Nutella – Peanut Butter – Any kind of jam or jelly – Fresh berries and whipped cream – Cooked apples – Pie fillings – Sliced bananas – Maple syrup – Pudding – Lemon Curd – Butter and cinnamon sugar – ANYTHING you like!  Whatever you can put on a pancake you can put on a crepe.

Savory Filling ideas:

Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad – Warm Chicken filling – Sauteed vegetables – Caramelized onions – Smoked salmon filling – Scrambled eggs – Your favorite cheeses – ANYTHING you like! Whatever you can put on a sandwich or tortilla you can put on a crepe.

Here is a filling I made for our crepes:

Pineapple Goodness Spread for Crepes

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup pineapple preserves

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a small saucepan melt the butter.  Add the remaining ingredients to the melted butter and whisk until blended. Bring up to a simmer and then remove from the heat, cover until ready to spread on the crepe.  Makes enough spread for about 6-8 crepes.

Spread the warm filling thinly onto the crepe, fold or roll and sprinkle with powdered sugar. If I had had whipped cream I would have used that too.  Repeat…..you know you will want more than one!

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Multi-bean Salad

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

This is my take on the 3 Bean Salad everyone used to make back in the day.  My mom made it.  My husband’s mom did too.  It’s in most salad sections at the deli.  I’ve tried many of them, and you know what? I like mine the best because it has more beans and is a bit sweeter.

This is a great salad to take to a share dinner.  It serves a bunch of people without a bunch of effort and it keeps all week in the fridge. You can use frozen or canned vegetables.  You can use fresh vegetables that you have cooked. You can even cook your own beans. See what I mean? You say you like white wine vinegar?  Then, use it.  Easy and very adaptable to every diet. Please take note of the variations to the ingredients.

Multi-Bean Salad

8 cups of cooked and drained beans (don’t freak out, 8 cups is not that much.  It’s like 4 cans of beans) Here is a list of a few: green beans, wax beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, red kidney beans, light red kidney beans, red beans, black beans, lima beans. I also think frozen corn would be a good addition and it’s not even a bean. If you are using canned vegetables drain and rinse well before tossing them into the bowl. It gets rid of quite a bit of the sodium.

1 small to medium sized purple onion, finely chopped or 2 bunches of scallions (why is it called a red onion when it is actually purple? You say to-may-toe, I say to-mah-toe…….let’s call it purple!) You can use a yellow or white onion or even a shallot would work.

1 or two ribs of celery, finely chopped (if you don’t like celery, don’t put it in)

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped or a 2 ounce jar of chopped pimientos (a little more color is always a good thing…like a little more cow bell)

Dressing for the vegetables

2/3 cup of vinegar (white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, organic vinegar, distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar) I have never tried balsamic vinegar, but would not due to the color it would make everything. Presentation is everything!

1 cup of granulated sugar (it sounds like a lot, but really, it’s not.  You can use any sugar substitute if you wish. I’ve used a sugar substitute when making diabetic friendly dressings of all kinds. Adjust the quantity of sugar substitute accordingly.)

1/3 cup oil (I like to use canola oil but you could use any light flavored oil.)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (use a little less if you use table salt)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (no comment)

In a large, non-reactive bowl add all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until well blended.  Add the rest of the vegetables to the dressing and toss gently so everything is coated well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Overnight would be even better.  Gently stir and mix before serving. Serves about 15-20. This is great as a side dish with anything cooked on the grill.

In the picture I used: 1 can of cannellini beans, 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 can of wax beans, 1 can of regular green beans, purple onion, pimientos, 1 rib of celery and I used canola oil and white wine vinegar.  This is what I took to the neighborhood shrimp feed last weekend.

I’d love to hear from any of you who make this and tell us about your variation. Enjoy!

 

 

 

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