Recipe Review from 6/23/2018

Okay, so Cooking Light hasn't posted the July or August recipe index OR the recipes, so I'm going to type them in.  Unfortunately, that also means no photos...unless I go look through Pinterest?  Might do that. Pictures are nice for highlighting a recipe.

...coming back to add, struck out on Pinterest.  Sorry, no pics.  Or links. 

The Meal Plan from 6/23/2018
Sat  (L) leftover chicken  (S) Brats
Sun (L) leftover chicken  (S)  Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Mon (yoga)  leftover sweet and sour
Tues (presentation at local township)
Wed - Tilapia and Summer Squash Tacos
Thurs (yoga) - leftover tacos
Fri - fridge leftovers


Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken  (Ckng Light, August 2018)  gluten free
I highly recommend this dish.  Assembly is chop and plop, no pre-cooking on the stove.  Little bit of prep at the end, make some rice and serve.  Leftovers were just as tasty as day off.

This made about 6 servings - depending on how much rice you use.  

1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I bought bone-in, skin on, removed the skin and pulled out the bones later)
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup thinly slice carrots
1/4 cup lower sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Whocestershire sauce
1 tbsp sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste)
3/4 cup unsalted ketchup, divided
1/4 cup  pineapple juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp sliced scallions

1. Add chicken, bell pepper, chicken stock, onion, carrots, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sambal oelek and 1/2 cup ketchup to a 6 quart slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until chicken shreds easily with a fork, about 7 hours.  Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred, and cover to keep warm.

2. Whisk together pineapple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Increase slow cooker heat to HIGH; slowly stir in pineapple juice and remaining 1/4 cup ketchup.  Cook, uncovered, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.  Stir in chicken.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.

Talapia and Summer Squash Tacos (Ckng Lght, Aug 18) gluten free
I did this recipe on the grill instead of the stove. It was too nice outside to heat up the inside of the house.   The seasoning on the fish was delicious.  I tried to make my own pico with mixed success.  I know, I know, it's simple enough but I was winging it.   The squash topping was so-so, though I see as I type this I forgot to season with the cumin.  That probably would have helped.

Ultimately, a tasty enough fish taco recipe that I might make again.  I do have the zucchini for it right now. 

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp chipolte chilies in adobo sauce (I used 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 1/2 lb skinless tilapia fillets (I used cod)

1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into  1/2 inch thick planks
1 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick planks
2 serrano chilies (I used one; not entirely certain I bought a serrano...)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
8 (6") corn tortillas, warmed
3/4 cup prepared pico de gallo

1. Process oil, chipoltes, vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp cumin in a blender until smooth.  Add to bowl with fish.  Chill 15 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over high heat.  Coat squashes and serranos with cooking spray. 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 1 tsp cumin.  Grill vegetables until charrred, 2 minutes per side for squashes and about 5 minutes for serranos.

3. Recoat pan with cooking spray.  Cook fish over high until flaky, 2-3 minutes per side. Cut into chunks.  Season with remaining salt.

4. Stir together sour cream and lime juice.  Divide fish and vegetables among tortillas.  Top evenly with pico de gallo and sour cream mixture.

The Precipice by Paul Doiran (Mike Bowditch #6)

The Precipice by Paul Doiron

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  In this riveting new novel from Edgar finalist Paul Doiron, Bowditch joins a desperate search for two missing hikers as Maine wildlife officials deal with a frightening rash of coyote attacks.

When two young female hikers disappear in the Hundred Mile Wilderness—the most remote stretch along the entire two-thousand mile Appalachian Trail—Maine game warden Mike Bowditch joins the search to find them. The police interview everyone they can find who came in contact with the college students and learn that the women were lovers who had been keeping their relationship secret from their Evangelical parents in Georgia.

When two corpses are discovered—the bones picked clean by coyotes—rumors spread that the women were stalked and killed by the increasingly aggressive canines. Faced with a statewide panic, Maine’s governor places an emergency bounty on every dead coyote, and wildlife officials are tasked with collecting the carcasses.

Despite some misgivings, Bowditch does his grisly job. But he finds his complacency challenged by his new girlfriend, the brilliant but volatile biologist Stacey Stevens, who insists coyotes merely scavenged the bodies after the women were murdered. When Stacey herself disappears on the outskirts of the Hundred Mile Wilderness, Bowditch realizes that locating her means he must also discover the truth behind what happened to the two hikers. Were the young women really killed by coyotes or, as Stacey insisted, were they murdered by the most dangerous animal in the North Woods?

Read as an audio book.

One of the things I enjoy about reading books, is exploring new places and wondering what it would be like to visit them. I've read series set in the desert southwest in New Mexico, I've read series set in Charleston, South Carolina, and series set in Las Angeles (thought I'm still not inclined to go to LA). This is the first time I've had a book so utterly turn me off from something - I love to hike, I've thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail, and after reading this installment I don't think I'll be doing that.

And no, it wasn't the coyotes.

Premise of the book is Mike Bowditch is back with the Maine Warden service and has been called upon to search for two hikers that have been missing for 10 days. Mike's now girlfriend Stacy Steven's, wildlife biologist, is insistent on doing her part in the search, with allusions and references to "she was able to get away". The girls are found dead, nothing but bones remaining, and the coyotes are blamed. Stacy is insistent it wasn't coyotes, and when Mike can't locate her after an argument, he fears the worst.

This would be an outstanding series if Mr. Doiran dropped the romance completely. I didn't like Sarah in the first couple of books, the middle gal was okay but came with issues, and I detest Stacy. Now there is the added "complication" of Tate being attracted to Mike and potential jealousy issues between Tate and Stacy. I'm especially not a fan of Stacy's mercurial personality - pushing Mike away one moment then all coo-y the next. Yeah, I would be much happier without this romantic dance Mike has going on.

Mike's personality matured in this book, there are still glimpses of his rebelliousness, but his overall personality has smoothed out. That being said, I still had a face palm moment when he goes barreling off without back-up. The heroines in cozy mysteries do that, Mike, as a game warden, should know better. But then I suppose if he didn't it wouldn't be as "dramatic". I could do with less dramatic and a bit more realism.

There are several items I have issues with (fully admitting these are my quirks):

I'm fairly certain it takes more than ten days to reduce a body to just bones out in the woods. If there were only bones left, the ravens would have moved on.

Stacy's mysterious references to being attacked was never expounded upon and I felt the reader was left hanging. The business at the Dows (spelling? "read" as an audio book) compound was, in all honesty, stupid.

If a law enforcement person knows an area has the potential to be booby-trapped by some seriously deranged people, you don't go sneaking about the woods. But again, setting up dramatics I supposed.

Finally, the thread with the families and their own preacher also felt like it was cut short, like it was building to be something more, and, poof! they were out of the picture.

Overall an interesting plot even it it totally turned me off from ever hiking the AT, improved character development, some interesting new characters as well as a glimpse of the established group made for a good read.

Recommended if you've read the first five in the series.



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Recipe Review from 7/16/2018

I was out of town for the first part of the week, but managed to squeak in one new recipe from the August 2018 Cooking Light.

And speaking of Cooking Light, it appears they are not posting their recipe indexes.  Whether this is deliberate or an technical over site, I don't know, but it sure makes it hard to Rah! Rah! a recipe.  The recipes below are from the August 2018 Issue.  Lots of tasty looking recipes in this installment! 

My apologies, no pictures.  I rely on the magazines and well...they aren't posting anything right now. 

The Meal Plan:
Sat  (L) leftovers  (S)out
Sun (L) Gnocchi   (S) leftover turkey
Mon - Gone
Tues - Gone
Wed - Gone  Chili smash burgers
Thurs (yoga)  Leftover burgers
Fri - I forgot what I made... :)

Lunches - The Husband made a porketta.  I had a bagel sandwich on Monday, leftovers from the training on my drive home Wed, Thurs was a Country Fried Chicken potluck and Friday was leftovers.


Smashed Chili Cheeseburgers (Ckng Lght, Aug 2018)
I was in the mood for a burger and these sounded different and easy enough to make for a weeknight.  I had a jar of pickled "tamed jalepenos" languishing in my fridge which helped tip the recipe in my favor.  I did cut back on the chili powder because I have Penzey's "Medium" Chili powder and it has some significant zing.  My main alteration was I made these on the grill. 

Serves 4

1 lb 93% lean ground beef
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
2 tbsp light sour cream
1/4 cup scallions (skipped)
2 tbsp chopped pickled jalepenos

1. Combine beef, chili powder, black pepper and 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl.  Shape into 4 equal patties.

2. (I grilled - saved time in cleaning two pans.) Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high.  When pan is hot enough to release wisps of smoke, add beef balls and press down with a firm spatula to form patties.  Place  slightly smaller skillet directly on patties.  Cook until charred, about 1 minute 30 seconds.  Remove top pan, flip patties, replace top pan and cook until charred, about 1 minute. 

3. Remove top pan, sprinkle patties with cheese.  Invert top pan and cover skillet.  Steam until cheese is melted, 30-45 seconds. place patties on buns, top with sour cream, scallions and jalapenos.

Gnoccchi with Spinach and Pepper Sauce (Ckng Lght, Aug 2018)  vegetarian, vegan option**
A very tasty recipe but I think the ingredient amounts are skewed.  Fairly easy to assemble, but you will need a blender or food processor.  I adore gnocchi, and the pepper sauce was a great compliment to the little potato pillows.  I would make this one again!

Oh, skewed ingredient quantities - 5 oz pkg of spinach was way to much and did not wilt.  IF I were going to use that much spinach, I would take a moment and steam/wilt separately, then add in. 

Made 1 meal for two of us, with leftovers for one.  So I got three servings when made as directed. 

1 (16 oz) pkg whole wheat potato gnocchi (doesn't exist in my corner of the world, I used regular gnocchi from a local source)
1 (5 oz)  pkg Manchego cheese  (I used Parmesan)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup roasted jarred red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup smoked almonds
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 (1/2 oz) baguette slice, torn  (you could easily use a slice of leftover bread)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar (I used red wine)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1.  Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain gnocchi, return to pan.  Add spinach, 1/4 cup cheese, and t tbsp olive oil; coer and let stand until spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes.  Gently toss to combine.

2. Pulse red peppers, almonds, tomatoes, baugette, vinegar, garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a food processor until smooth.  About one minute.

3.  Divide gnocchi mixture among 5 bowls.  Top evenly with sauce and remaining 2 tbsp cheese. 

Recipe Review from 7/2 and 7/9/2018

Doubling up recipe reviews because most of these are repeat recipes or didn't need a recipe - weather has been too warm to do much more than salads or something on the grill..  And the July recipes are still not posted on the Cooking Light website, so anything from there is on hold until there is something to link to. 

Meal Plan from 7/2
Sat - leftover chicken
Sun - leftover chicken
Mon (yoga)  salads with  blue cheese dressing 
Tues - salads with blue cheese dressing
Wed - BLTs with egg and avocado
Thurs (yoga)   out for dinner
Fri - BLTs with egg and avocado

Lunches - chicken and pineapple salad

Meal Plan from 7/9
Sat - tempeh rubens
Sun - grilled pork roast and turkey breast
Mon (yoga)  leftover pork and corn on the cob
Tues - chef salads
Wed - chef salads
Thurs (yoga) leftover pork and corn on the cob
Fri - leftovers

Lunches - Southwest Chickpea Salad

The tempeh rubens were from Cooking Light and reviewed here: 3/13/2017.    I'm a little more loosey-goosey with the recipe now: fry onions; add tempeh, soy sauce and seasonings all at once; let tempeh warm up.  Toast the bread, and assemble sandwich.  Comes together in about 20 minutes and is a filling meal. 


Southwest Chickpea Salad (The Recipe Critic Blog) vegetarian, vegan option**
A tasty summer salad that is great for lunch, supper a potluck or picnic doesn't get much easier than this.  I did one significant modification: I added quinoa, cooked according to the directions on the package.  I just wanted to up the protein a bit and stretch out the dish.   Bright flavors, didn't get "mooshy" in the fridge after a couple days, and very portable for lunches.  Recommended!

Serves: 4  (I did get 5 lunches out of this by adding the quinoa)

photo from The Recipe Critic blog

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained 
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 15 ounce can corn
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 medium avocado, diced
1 small can of diced olives
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup feta cheese for garnish (optional**)

For quinoa, bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup quinoa to a boil, cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Let stand to finish absorbing liquid. Cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients.  

In a large bowl combine black peans, chick peas, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and olives. In a small bowl whisk the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and cilantro. Add to the salad and toss ingredients until combined, Garnish with feta cheese.

Recipe Review from 8/25/2018

I'm still waiting for Cooking Light to post the July recipe index and recipes so I can report on the Buffalo Chicken Tacos and Black Bean Tostadas I made last week.  In the meantime, we'll move on.


Recipe review from 8/25/2018
Sat  (L) Take-out Chicken  (S)  pork chops on the grill
Sun  (S)  leftovers        (S)  BBQ pulled chicken
Mon (yoga/legion/bkgrp)
Tues: Cajun Shrimp Packages
Wed  leftover chicken
Thurs (yoga)  leftover shrimp packages
Fri - out; retirement parties


Easy Greek Pasta Salad (Oh Sweet Basil Blog)  vegetarian
A pretty basic pasta salad that straddles the line between Greek and Italian flavors.   My main opinion is there wasn't enough veggies, that the pasta kinda dominated.  Now, this could be because I used penne (it was what I had in the cupboard), but I don't think so.  A pound of pasta is a pound of pasta,  I had more pasta than veggies and my dish didn't look like the gorgeous picture.

Also of note, with 2/3 cup liquid, make sure to cook the pasta to al dente, because the pasta will soak up that extra liquid.  For example, this was lunches for myself and the Husband for the week - by day four, the dressing had been completely absorbed.

Still, tasty enough for hot summer days and nicely portable for meals.  

Photo from Oh Sweet Basil bl

• 1 pound rotini or other small pasta
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 ounces Persian cucumbers, diced (about 3)
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 (8 ounce) chunk feta cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

To cook the pasta, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil.

Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Drain well and rinse with cold water. (My notes - cook pasta till al dente, dressing is substantial)

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, feta, and olives.
Drizzle with dressing.

Toss gently until uniformly combined and serve.

Cajun Shrimp Foil Packages (Fav Family Recipes Blog)  gluten free
This was so easy to pull together!  The only prep was cutting the potato, corn and the sausage and that was super fast.  I left the shrimp unpeeled and frozen to help prevent overcooking and to add some good background flavor to the rest of the packets. 

I threw everything into a large bowl, added the seasonings and tossed to coat.  I used Penzey's Spicy Cajun, and erred on using 1 tsp.  It has a bit of zing so I'm careful how much I dole out.

I grilled for 40 minutes - had time to clean up the kitchen and sit outside on the porch for a while.  Packets went right on the plates and dinner was served.  I would make this again, and I would make this for casual company or family.  Recommended!

Servings: 4 packets

• 4 full cobs cut in half or in thirds (8-12 pieces corn on the cob)
• 4 red potatoes, washed and cubed (I cut into dice sized pieces)
• 20-30 uncooked shrimp, peeled or unpeeled  (I left unpeeled, AND kept frozen)
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into chunks  (I used polish sausage)
• melted butter, or olive oil, to taste

  

  photo from Fav Family Recipes

• 1/2 cup chicken broth,
• Cajun/Creole seasoning (I used Penzey's Spicy Cajun, 1/2 tsp)
• salt and pepper, to taste

More ingredients to try in a foil packet (optional, and to your taste)

• Italian sausage
• chicken (cut in bite size pieces)
• bell peppers
• mushrooms
• red onions
• celery
• carrots

Heat grill to 400-degrees.  You can do this in your oven at the same temperature.

 

My notes - I put everything into a bowl, tossed with the seasonings, THEN ---  Evenly distribute corn, potatoes, shrimp, and sausage between 4 heavy-duty foil sheets (approximately 12x18 inches each).

 

Drizzle melted butter and about 2 tablespoons chicken broth over each foil packet.

 

See above note.  Season evenly and generously, to taste, with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Tightly seal foil packets by folding up the sides over the contents and tightly folding up the ends over the seam.

Grill 30-40 minutes (I did 40 minutes) or until potatoes are tender, flipping once half-way through

Be careful opening the packets to check for doneness, the steam inside is VERY hot!

 

Author/Recipe Notes

Some people have found that their potatoes don't get cooked. Some of our readers have recommended boiling or microwaving the potatoes for a minute or two before adding to the packets. We haven't had a problem with the potatoes being under done, but this is definitely an option for those of you who are concerned about it.  Another option would be to cut the potatoes smaller so they cook faster.

Renascense by Leigh Goodison

Renascence by Leigh Goodison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb: In 2072, pollution and preemptive nuclear strikes have rendered earth a desolate wasteland. Individual countries no longer exist. Earth is now divided into four quadrants and governed by a new world order that sends Zeta, the chemist, and five other young scientists, led by a former US Marine, to colonize the potentially habitable planet, Arianrhod.

While collecting specimens from the planet, one of the team disappears. The others, believing their commander is responsible, take him prisoner until they can return him to earth. But as they prepare for departure they encounter the alien species that captured their teammate, and find themselves entangled in a space exploration mystery that has persisted for over a century.

Will the team be able to return to earth in time to save the remaining population? Or will they be stranded for eternity on a hostile planet millions of light years from earth?

Read for June book group.

Premise of the book is, Earth is on the cusp of catastrophic failure. A select group of seven has been chosen to travel to a planetary body to ascertain if Earth would have a future here. On the eve of their departure, world leadership tells them they have three months to complete their mission successfully, or they will be terminated upon their return. Better yet, don't bother to return of the mission is a failure. With words of doom hanging over their heads, they depart. Unbeknownst to the group, their Leader has secondary orders to follow, and what waits for them at their destination changes everything.

This book fell a bit flat for us in book group and myself as well. We finished it, but were left with more questions and comments than anything.

The FTL was not explained. Debatable if is needed to be. But if the world had access to FTL and hibernation coffins, why only build one ship and send out seven people? Build a fleet and seed the galaxy.

The premise of searching for phosphorus as part of a secret mission didn't work for me. If phosphorus is needed that desperately, have everyone looking for it. Put a secret out in the open and less people question it.

The discovery of the Russian cosmonauts, a 150 years old, dying slowly of gangrene, barely able to walk, eat, move...and then they are miraculously cured. Um. No. I can deal with the lack of FTL explanation, but this just moved into fantastical.

Three months to complete a mission or earth dies, also didn't work for me.

Nobody thought to pack a Geiger County on the ship? Could come in handy at ones final destination. Or return destination.

If this books target audience is YA, it would be spot on for the intended audience. But I didn't see any marketing as such, so while not a great read, it wasn't a total bust either. Kinda a solid, "meh". Book didn't work for me, but YA is more your inclination, it might work for you.



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Twisted Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #28)

Twisted Prey by John Sandford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb: Lucas Davenport confronts an old nemesis, now more powerful than ever as a U.S. senator, in the thrilling new novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Prey series

Lucas Davenport had crossed paths with her before.

A rich psychopath, Taryn Grant had run successfully for the U.S. Senate, where Lucas had predicted she’d fit right in. He was also convinced that she’d been responsible for three murders, though he’d never been able to prove it. Once a psychopath had gotten that kind of rush, though, he or she often needed another fix, so he figured he might be seeing her again.

He was right. A federal marshal now, with a very wide scope of investigation, he’s heard rumors that Grant has found her seat on the Senate intelligence committee, and the contacts she’s made from it, to be very…useful. Pinning those rumors down was likely to be just as difficult as before, and considerably more dangerous.

But they had unfinished business, he and Grant. One way or the other, he was going to see it through to the end.

Read as an audio book.

I enjoyed this latest installment, which picks up a plot line form Silken Prey (Davenport #23), but a plot line I wasn't entirely thrilled with.

Premise of the book is another assassination attempt has been made on Senator Porter Smalls life, and he's convinced it's Taryn Grant. Again. A call to Lucas brings Lucas to Washington DC and Virginia. As he starts to investigate, he finds himself continuously stonewalled. With a little help from Rae and Bob, they slowly peel back the layers and the bodies start to stack up, Davenport begins to question if they will ever get to the person at the top. But then, maybe he doesn't have to.

As I've stated in other Davenport and Virgil reviews, I generally don't care for knowing what the antagonist is up to. In this installment, I found myself looking forward to hearing what the antagonists are doing or were going to do next. I thought these interludes added to the story this time, fleshed out the background, and added to the plot more so than just bringing an element of creepiness or gore.

There isn't a heck of a lot of suspense in this book and it's a matter of letting the plot spool out. Which for a commute book is actually enjoyable - I can let the miles roll by and nobody has to watch the crazy lady in the car next to them bang her head on the steering wheel in frustration.

The aspects I enjoyed in this: Davenport shopping for clothes, Davenport introducing Bob to a fitted suit, his relationship with Rae and Bob, and how Davenport uses the people and skills around him to solve a mystery. He doesn't assume he's the only one who can figure this out, but relies on others to help him put the pieces together. I really enjoy that dynamic.

Sandford does give favorite past characters a nod, Weather, Letty and Virgil and more make an appearance. I have mixed thoughts on this in books, but meh, a small thing and to be expected.

While Twisted Prey wasn't the most gripping Davenport book I've read, it was a very enjoyable read. Recommended if you've read the first 27 books, and especially if you've read Silken Prey (#23).



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Recipe Review from 6/11/2018

Rain rain, go away, come back another day...

It's been a bit dampish this past week and weekend.  

We've had a few restless night with one anxious Andy-dog and the storms rolling through.  Hopefully the pup won't pick up this anxiety like Andy did from his "brother' Ben.  

In the meantime, I made some tasty meals.  The Pasta Salad hasn't been posted yet so I'll have to come back and write that up later.

The Meal Plan from last week:
Sat: (L) Salmon Pasta Salad    (L) Slow Cook Drip Beef Sandwiches
Sun:  (L)  out                  (S)  leftovers
Mon (yoga):  leftovers
Tues: leftovers
Wed:  Warm Pasta Salad with Eggplant
Thurs (yoga)  leftovers
Fri:  leftovers if any

Lunches:  me - hummus/cheese sandwiches
                Husband - veggies and fruit


Slow Cooker Drip Beef Sandwiches  (Valeries Kitchen blog)
I will first admit, I am not a beef person.  Not my preference.  Now I will admit - this was darn tasty.  And so easy!  Toss meat in the slow cooker, walk away.  Come back later and shred.  To the shredded meat add the sauted onion, bell peppers and garlic.  I did lightly toast the hoagie rolls first, then added the beef, and popped back under the broiler until the cheese was lightly melted. 

I didn't serve anything extra on the side, but the sky's really the limit.  You can go as simple as chips, or more elaborate with tater tots, or all out with homemade potato salad, broccoli salad, coleslaw and more.

This made three meals for two of us, plus one lunch.  So about 6-ish meals with a 3.25 lb cut of meat..

Recommended.

Photo from Valeries Kitchen blog

• 1 3-1/2 to 4 pound boneless beef chuck shoulder pot roast
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small white or yellow onion thinly sliced
• 1 large or 2 small bell peppers thinly sliced
• 1 8 ounce package cremini (brown button) mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 to 8 hoagie rolls
• 6 to 8 slices provolone cheese

1. Trim roast of excess fat and cut into large 3 or 4 large chunks. Place in slow cooker. Pour beef broth and Worcestershire around roast. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and salt. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or until beef can easily be shredded.
   
2. Skim and discard fat from surface of cooking liquid (see note below for my tips). Use two forks to shred beef into the cooking liquid. Keep warm.
   
3. When ready to serve, melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until veggies have softened slightly. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until mushrooms have softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Transfer cooked veggies to the slow cooker with shredded beef. Load up hoagie rolls with beef and veggies and a slice of provolone cheese and pop them under your broiler until cheese has melted and bread is lightly toasted.

Authors Recipe Notes:

Chuck roast is a fatty cut of beef so in order to remove as much of that fat from the cooking liquid as possible, I like to cook this a day in advance. After the initial cooking time and before shredding the beef, I allow it to cool and then refrigerate it overnight in the slow cooker insert. The next morning the fat will have collected on the surface of the liquid and be very easy to remove. Then I return the insert to the slow cooker and when the beef is warm, I shred it and continue with the recipe as written.

Recipe Review from 6/4/18

Slowly we are getting caught up on yard work.  I've been out in my flower beds doing some weeding, purging and moving.  One hosta was pulled out because it was crowding my clematis, and divied up into three new places.  My balloon flower which has been fighting the grass for years survived the round-up (grass and yarrow were that bad) and moved to a different flower bed.  In the newly tilled area I tossed in some garden mix seed that I found in the back hallway - it's a couple years old so we'll see if it's still viable.

So gradually things are happening.   Now if the Pup would learn that "stay out of the garden" means, "stay out of the garden" and not "go lay down in the daylilies".   Goofball.

Yes, we all know you like rolling around in Mom's daylilies...

The Meal Plan from last week:
Sat  (L) leftover lunch from Fri   (S)  Potluck
Sun (L) leftover Broccoli mac and cheese   (S)  Chicken Caesar Salad
Mon (yoga)  Chicken Caesar salad or leftover soup
Tues - pork chops and potatoes on the grill  leftovers
Wed - Salmon  leftovers
Thurs (yoga) Salmon
Fri - salmon pasta salad
Sat (L) leftover pasta salad

Broccoli Mac and Cheese I posted about last Wednesday.  This was just as YUM as leftovers, when re-heated with a tich of milk. 

Chicken Caesar Salad is from Cooks Illustrated, grilling the chicken and assembling the salad separately.  I did coddle my egg yolk and I do use anchovy in my dressing.  Great summer salad. 

Salmon Pasta Salad is a recipe the Husband found years and years ago and became one of our favorites.

Salmon Pasta Salad (source unknown)
This has become a summer stand-by.  I used to make this using the canned salmon, but found grilled is a perfect substitute.  I use anywhere between 2/3 and 1lb of grilled salmon, simply seasoned, then chilled.  I also tend to use way more veggies than called for. 

15oz canned salmon, drained (or the equivalent of the salmon packets, or grilled salmon)
1 16oz pkg shell pasta (or about 5 cups of cooked pasta)
1/2 cup chopped carrots (I use baby carrots)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red, green or yellow pepper (I like red)
1/3 cup chopped kalmata olives
1/4 cup chopped green onions
parmesan cheese for topping

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I've also used white wine vinegar and cider vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano

1) Prepare pasta according to directions on package for "al dente".  Rinse under cold water and drain well.  Let pasta dry slightly.

2) Prepare and combine salmon through green onions in a large bowl.

3) Prepare vinaigrette.

4) When pasta is mostly dry and slightly tacky, combine everything in large bowl.  Can eat immediately, but for best results, let chill at least an hour or so.  Serve with fresh grated parmesan. 

Convergence by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner #18)

Convergence by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:   Convergence is the eighteenth book in C.J. Cherryh's beloved Foreigner space opera series.

Convergence marks a new phase in the Foreigner Universe: knowledge about the dangerous situation in adjacent space rests only with Bren Cameron, the human diplomat to the alien court of the atevi, four starship captains, and the two chiefs of state—both the human and the atevi, who share the planet.

Bren is obliged to carry the just-signed treaty to the human government on an island some forty miles off the shores of the atevi-ruled megacontinent, and—without explaining the dire situation that would send the people into chaos—to arrange for the human refugees who are crowding the space station to be landed on the island, since the atevi will not grant more land to the human residents of their planet. Bren, a native of this island, is now an atevi official—trying to prepare the human inhabitants for the arrival of many more desperate human refugees from space.

Premise of the book is the kyo have left the system. Tabini has sent Bren to the mainland to deliver the Kyo/Atevi/Mospherian treaty and to pave the path for the Reunioners to come to the planet. Cajeri is growing up and beginning to understand his role in his fathers court. He is sent to Uncle's estate, where he learns about associations.

'Course I'm summarizing greatly. This is the Foreigner series after all - grandiose, sweeping political drama spread out over years and years. Yeah, no easy way to summarize.

This was one of my favorite installments. The plot moved right along, with viewpoints alternating between Bren and Cajeri. Bren back on Mospheria under the auspices of Tabini-ajii. Cajeri at his Uncles learning what it means to be heir and forming associations. I really enjoyed watching Cajeri figure things out on his own.

Meanwhile, Bren is on the island convincing the Mospherian's that yes, he represents Human and Atavi interests, and trying to reassure the government that the Kyo threat has been removed while paving the way to bring the Reunioner's down.

Both plot lines were interesting, engaging and moved along.

My one concern with the book was a perceived uptick in repetition. One of the things I like about the series is how the author reminds the reader of things that happened in previous books. However, in the last couple books there was an increase in how many times Bren repeated a certain topic. In this installment, for example, it was Cajeri and Uncle discussing the Shadow guild. I understand a couple reminders, but when it's nearly every other conversation? I started skimming.

Ultimately, another solid installment in the Foreigner series, perhaps even one of the better books. Recommended if you've read the first seventeen.



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Recipe Review from 5/28/2018 - Part III

The Lentil Soup and the Veggie Tofu Scramble wrap up the 3 Day Gut Makeover menu, which lasted a week...portion sizes a were a tich off. 

Best recipe:  Kale salad with spicy chickpeas and berries
Least favorite:  Chickpea pasta

The Meal Plan:
Sat  (L) Tabbouleh with Avocado   (S) leftover taco salad
Sun (L) leftover tabbouleh   (S) leftover tabbouleh with hummus sandwich

Mon (L)  green pea fritters and salad  (S) Chickpea pasta with peas
Tues (L) out     (S)  Kale Salad with chickpeas and berries

Wed - Summary Lentil Soup
Thurs (yoga) - leftovers       Chocolate Cake for a meeting
Fri - Broccoli mac n cheese
Sat - Veggie Tofu Scramble


One Bowl Chocolate Cake (AllRecipes.com)
Made this for a meeting - the group likes chocolate and this came up on a general search. Wasn't the best night for baking, what with high humidity and no air conditioning, but I thought I'd give it a whirl.

This was very well received. Only one short row of cake (I made the 9x13 pan) came home for the husband. I used a family recipe for the frosting, a pretty standard butter and powdered sugar frosting, with some cocoa added to the mix to make it extra chocolate-y.

I looked through the online reviews a bit and noted that several said the batter is VERY thin (and it is), and that the cake didn't release out of the 9' rounds because it is so moist (and it is). The cake is moist, crumbly, chocolate-y and good for a general gathering served right out of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour 2 9" rounds or a 9x13" pan.

photo from AllRecipes.com

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Combine above and mix well.

2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Add to above flour mixture, and mix for 2 minutes.

1 cup boiling water (I added 1 packet of instant coffee, about 1 1/2 tsp)

Add to above, mixing well. Batter will be very thin.

Add batter to prepared pan(s). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If using 9" rounds, cool 10 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely.  (I needed almost 45-50 minutes and even then I wasn't convinced it was entirely done.)

Summery Lentil Soup (Ckng Lght, June 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian, vegan
This was one of the recipes in the 3 Day Gut Health makeover, and the only recipe where I felt the portion sizes were way off.  All the recipes in the article were for single servings, so I was doubling for two of us.  I didn't realize that a "single serving" of this soup was 3 cups!  Yes - 3 CUPS of soup for one person.

Which would explain why we ended up eating this for four meals, including using it in the tofu scramble below.

Usually a portion of soup is 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups, for us.

Serves 2 as written below, in my opinion, with enough for the tofu scramble.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion

photo from cookinglight.com

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 (4-oz.) eggplant, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked dried brown lentils
2 bay leaves
1 small zucchini, chopped (about 6 oz.)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sliced scallion greens

Heat a large saucepan over medium. Add oil, and swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and eggplant; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups water, lentils, and bay leaves. Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 22 minutes.

Stir in zucchini, salt, and black pepper; cook until lentils are tender and zucchini is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Ladle 3 cups soup into a large bowl, and top with sliced scallion greens. (Optional - Reserve remaining 2 cups soup for the tofu breakfast scramble.)

Veggie Bowl with Tofu Scramble  (Ckng Lght June 2018) gluten free, vegetarian, vegan   

This uses leftovers from the Summery Lentil Soup.  As I noted in the soup review, I thought the portions were way off, and I think that here as well.  This called for two cups of soup to be reduced for one person - I did a very generous two cups for two people (+/- 2 1/2 cups?) with the tofu and it was plenty. 

The Husband was somewhat dubious about this dish, but admitted it was surprisingly tasty.  And it was.  I had originally thought of just scrambling some of our eggs, but I had leftover tofu that needed to be used.  This does come together fairly quickly, IF you time to make breakfast before work, this would be good.  Not a putter in the kitchen in the AM kinda personality?  Save it for the weekend.  

Recommended with some adjustments to portion sizes. 

photo from cookinglight.com

2 cups Summery Lentil Soup  (recipe above)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
3/4 cup extra-firm silken tofu
(such as Mori-Nu) (6 oz.)
Dash of kosher salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Hot sauce (optional)

Heat Summery Lentil Soup in a small skillet over medium-high until most of the liquid evaporates, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a shallow bowl.

Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add cumin, paprika, and, if desired, turmeric; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Crumble tofu; add to skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and tofu looks like scrambled eggs, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Top soup with tofu; sprinkle with scallions and parsley. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Broccoli Mac n Cheese (Ckgn Lght, June 2018)  vegetarian, gluten free option

This was surprisingly easy to pull together for a weeknight meal.  I did use regular elbow macaroni, and I had to use 1 1/2 tbsp of dijon mustard in place of the dried because I forgot I was out.  This hit the spot for a chilly summer evening.  

photo from cookinglight.com

Serves 4 

8 ounces (2 1/4 cups) brown rice macaroni (such as Tinkyada)
6 cups broccoli florets  (I used 4 cups)
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large grated garlic clove
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Cook brown rice macaroni according to package directions. Add broccoli florets during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain.

Whisk together evaporated milk, cornstarch, dry mustard, kosher salt, and grated garlic clove in a large sauté pan over medium; cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese and pasta mixture.