Recipe Review from 11/19/2018

A shorter week, what with Thanksgiving on Thursday.  I didn't host this year, so my week was rather quiet as relates to new recipes.  The three below were all good and I recommend them all.   The pork roast was done in the slow cooker and for the dressing/stuffing, I used your basic bag of dried bread cubes and added my favorite fixin's (apples, celery, mushrooms and cranberries).   All hearty and warming food for a chilly week!

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) Leftover jambalya(S) Leftover soup
Sun (L) Co-op pizza (S) Fish Soup
Mon (Yoga) leftover soup
Tues - Shrimp fajitas
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - Thanksgiving!
Fri (L) Pasty (S) Roast pork and fixings

Lunches - Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup


Spicy Tilapia and Fennel Stew (Ckng Lght, Sept 2013) gluten free
A friend texted me this recipe and I was able to Google the source recipe - an older Ckng Lght recipe that can be found on MyRecipes.

This was outstanding! So easy, versatile, and delicious! For once, I made exactly as directed, including finding Rao's arrabbiata sauce and using tilapia. I did serve this with a side of rustic sourdough bread.

My friend couldn't find the sauce listed below, so she used a basic marinara and added red pepper flakes. She also used some other kind of whitefish. We both agreed that this would make a fantastic Cioppino (I'll find out later this week how hers turned out). Recommended!

Serves 4-5

1 large fennel bulb, with stalks

photo from MyRecipes.com

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups bottled arrabbiata sauce (such as Rao's)
1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) bottle clam juice (don't skip!)
1 lb tilapia fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces

1) Trim tough out leaves from fennel; mince feathery fronds to measure 2 tbsp. Remove and discard the stalks. Cut fennel bulb in half length-wise; discard core. Thinly slice fennel bulb.

2) Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray (I used grapeseed oil). Add sliced fennel; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 4 minutes or until fennel is crisp-tender.

3) Add garlic to pan, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add arrabbiata sauce, 1/2 cup water and clam juice to pan; simmer 5 minutes.

4) Add tilapia to pan, cover and simmer 4 minutes or until done. Divide stew among 4 bowls and sprinkle evenly with reserved fennel fronds.


 Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) gluten free
Easy peasy and perfect for a weeknight meal.  Even if you forget to thaw the shrimp ahead of time.  I actually made as written too.  Loved the flavors, loved the ease of prep and loved the ease of clean-up.  I served with a side of cornbread.  Recommended. 

Serves 4-5ish.  I had enough for 2.5 meals. 

1 1/4 pounds peeled and deveined raw large shrimp

photo from cookinglight.com

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 cup sliced poblano chile
1 cup sliced red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeo
1/4 teaspoon lime zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place oven racks in center and upper third positions of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together shrimp, bell peppers, poblano, onion, oil, chili powder, cumin, 5/8 teaspoon salt, and coriander on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place on middle rack of oven; roast until shrimp are cooked through, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate, reserving remaining vegetable mixture on baking sheet. Cover shrimp with foil to keep warm.

Turn broiler to high. Broil vegetables on upper oven rack until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes, and set aside. Stir together sour cream, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, garlic, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Spoon shrimp and vegetables evenly onto warm tortillas; top with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves; serve with lime wedges.


Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) vegetarian, vegan, gluten free
Don't be put off by the ingredient list.  There is very little to do in the way of prep, mostly just chop carrots and onions.  The rest is open cans or spices and plop.  Cook a bit.  Blend (I use an immersion blender - less fuss and mess).   Serve.  Or, in my case, divy up into lunch bowls and set aside for lunches for the week.   Note - I did skip the lentils. I was tired of being in the kitchen. 

The Husband didn't care for this at all, which is pretty darn rare and unusual.  He couldn't put his finger on exactly why, so I can't report back to you.  I, however, liked it. 

Could you do this with butternut squash?  I don't see why not, but using carrots was a nice change of flavors. 

1 1/4 pounds carrots, roughly chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted cannellini beans, drained
3 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1 (15-oz.) can light coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked lentils

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together carrots, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450°F until carrots are fork-tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add curry paste, grated ginger, and crushed red pepper to Dutch oven, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add cooked carrots, cannellini beans, vegetable stock, coconut milk, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into a blender. Remove center of blender lid to allow steam to escape; secure lid on blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening in blender lid. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in lime juice and black pepper. Divide soup among 6 bowls; top evenly with cilantro, avocado, and lentils.

One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron (Heartstrikers #2)

One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  After barely escaping the machinations of his terrifying mother, two all knowing seers, and countless bloodthirsty siblings, the last thing Julius wants to see is another dragon. Unfortunately for him, the only thing more dangerous than being a useless Heartstriker is being a useful one, and now that he’s got an in with the Three Sisters, Julius has become a key pawn in Bethesda the Heartstriker’s gamble to put her clan on top.

Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows, and with Estella back in the game with a vengeance, Heartstriker futures disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter closing in, the stakes are higher than even a seer can calculate. But when his most powerful family members start dropping like flies, it falls to Julius to defend the clan that never respected him and prove that, sometimes, the world’s worst dragon is the best one to have on your side.

Read as an audio book.

I greatly enjoyed this narrator. Excellent presentation in my humble opinion.

Inconsistencies galore! VanJager (sp? mind, read as an audio book) - the reference was specifically for the dragon flying around killing magic suckers (or whatever they were). Justin. NOT Julius. Marci knew this, she acknowledged this. Yet later, she's telling Julius that she betrayed him and that VanJager is after Julius. No. He is after Justin. Major inconsistency's in this particular plot thread that had me grumbling under my breath.

Use of "either" and "neither" (pronounced by the narrator as "I"-ther or n"I"-ther). I swear it was in just about every other sentence, or it sure seemed that way. I think the narrators emphasis on the word inadvertently highlighted just how much it was used.

Oh my goodness, the repetitive sentences in this installment were just frustrating. Readers are not stupid, even young adults, and we don't need to read the same statement said four different ways on one page! Extraneous extrapolation emphasized the egregious elements of repetitiveness.

Julius is a putz. Marci is the much stronger and more dynamic character in this installment. Julius seems to run around bemoaning what a predicament they are in while Marci rolls up her sleeves and gets them out of it. While Julius stands around going "What? I don't understand?", Marci as absorbed the information and is asking probing questions about the ramifications of what they've just been told.

So, I had my issues with aspects of the book, and my frustrations aside, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. Especially the ending.

Things I found delightful: Ghost is SO COOL! Marci's character really grew in the second book. The reader gets to know more about Amelia, Chelsey, and Bob. And the ending rocked. It really rocked (except for Julius's whining and the talking. Always with the talking.).


Recommended if you've read book one



View all my reviews
 (my review here:  Nice Dragons Finish Last)

Recipe Review from 11/5/2018

My new stove arrived!  My new stove arrived!   It's soooo nice!!  I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies using the convection feature and they turned out awesome.  I baked a tray of bacon on the convection feature and...while tasty (it's bacon), using the regular oven setting might be better.  Over the weekend I'll be roasting some chickens for stock and making pecan tassies for a meeting and Thanksgiving.


The Meal Plan from the week of 11/5:
Sat (L)  out     (S)  Smokey Mushroom/Barley Salad
Sun (L) leftover salad     (S)   Jambalaya
Mon (yoga)   leftover jambalaya
Tues  (STOVE!)   leftovers
Wed - Sausage and butnut pasta
Thurs (yoga)  leftovers
Fri -  Dinner at Folks


Smoky Mushroom and Barley Salad (Ckng Lght) vegetarian
There was really nothing "smokey" about this recipe; you're not roasting the pobalno ahead of time, there's no smoke flavor added, not even any smokey paprika.

One notable substitution:  I subbed farro for the barley because I had more farro on hand than I did barely. 

That being said, this was good (mind - farro, not barley).  A tich bland, but good.  I did make it with the flavored sour cream, and I made it with a poached egg on top.  Both are quite tasty, but I think I liked the creamy egg a bit more.

Serves 4-6 (I got six servings out of this)

1 1/4 cups pearl barley

photo from cookinglight.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh cremini mushrooms
3 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 small poblano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup unsalted vegetable stock
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Prepare barley according to package directions; drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add cumin; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add salt, garlic, shallot, and poblano, and cook, stirring often, until poblano is softened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in barley and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir together sour cream and lime juice. Spoon mushroom mixture into 4 bowls, and top servings with sour cream mixture and scallions. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.


Slow Cooked Jambalaya Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018); gluten free
Mixed thoughts on this and those thoughts are due to one substitution:  I used Uncle Ben's instant rice instead of regular brown rice and it gave the soup a bit of an odd texture.  I used the instant rice because I have yet to have regular brown rice work in the slow cooker.  It just doesn't soften.

That being noted, we did enjoy this.  It was nicely spicy and definitely a soup more so than a traditional jambalya.   If I were to make this again, I would serve it OVER rice, rather than cook the rice in it. 

About 6 servings

6 ounces smoked andouille sausage, chopped

photo from cookinglight.com

4 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 (10-oz.) cans unsalted diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt-free Creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
12 ounces raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add stock, tomatoes and chiles, onion, bell pepper, celery, tomato paste, Creole seasoning, garlic, and salt. Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
Stir in rice. Cover and cook on low until rice is tender, about 2 hours.

Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook on low 8 minutes. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.


Sausage and Mushroom Pasta with Butternut Squash (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018)
Point - I do not have access to "fresh lasagna sheets".   So I attempted to make my own noodles and had mixed results.  My timing was off with prepping noodles and the remainder of the dish (dish was ready, noodles were not) because I was concerned the noodles would be ready before the rest of the dish was.  So my noodles were much thicker than they probably should have been, but, they actually tasted pretty good.

If you have access to some kind of fresh noodle, go for it.  If not, use some kind of dry, slightly flat noodle and cook according to the directions on the package.

Overall, this was pretty tasty.  I have enough leftover sausage and squash (frozen) that I could make this again. 

Serves 3-4

6 ounces reduced-fat ground pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)
1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh cremini mushrooms

photo from cookinglight.com

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup 1/4-inch-cubed butternut squash
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces refrigerated fresh lasagna sheets, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons unsalted roasted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas), chopped
2 tablespoons pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest


Cook sausage, mushrooms, onion, squash, sage, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring often, until sausage is cooked through and crumbled, 8 to 9 minutes. Add wine; cook until almost absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water 4 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. Drain.

Stir stock into sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 1 minute. Stir in pasta, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir together parsley, pepitas, cheese, zest, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Divide pasta among 4 bowls; top with parsley mixture.

Recipe Review from 11/5/2018

BIG Trees...

A very quiet week as we recovered from vacation, jet-lag and Sunday's 15 hours of travel.  I froze a couple meals prior to leaving, to get us by until I could get to the grocery store on Tuesday, and even then the meal plan was kept pretty simple. 

We heard from the appliance store!  Our new stove should be delivered tomorrow!  Whoo hoo! 

Mon (yoga) - lentil soup and sourdough bread
Tues - Fried Chicken from SuperOne
Wed - Slow cooked chicken tortilla soup
Thurs (yoga) - leftover soup
Fri - cheese, bread and fruit platter

Slow cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Facebook) gluten free
The husband found this on Facebook and I don't have a way to link to the video.  A tasty southwest inspired creation that is seriously simple to toss together.   Easily doubled  to feed a larger crowd.  We did assemble the night before, stored it in the fridge, then cooked during the workday.   There is an option for making your own corn tortilla strips - but you could just buy some fritos or corn chips and it would work just fine.

Serves 4-6 (we got 5 servings)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 bell peppers, chopped (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
1 white onion, chopped (1 used about 1 cup)
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp kosher salt (this seemed to be a bit much...)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

1 tbsp EVOO
3 small corn tortillas, cut into strips

sliced avocado
sour cream
lime wedges

Combine Chicken through chicken broth in slow cooker. 
Cook on low 6-8 hours (adjust cooking times to your slow cooker). 
Shred chicken (you can do this right in the pot).
Add cheese to pot and let melt.  (I put cheese over individual bowls)
Serve with chips, avocado, sour cream and lime wedges.

Paso Robles, CA (part two)

Part two of our trip took us to Paso Robles, CA.

This part of our trip started about seven years ago, when the Husband was out in San Jose for some training.  On his off day, he ventured south and stopped at Niner Wine and bought me a wine club membership that we've continued to enjoy.

Over the years, as we receive our shipments, we get these flyers advertising all sorts of fun events - pick-up parties, new release parties, wine maker dinners, etc.  This spring when we were trying to figure out where to go on vacation this year, a shipment came with the upcoming event flyer.

Things fell into place and we were able to plan a trip around a Fog Catcher Wine Makers dinner.

Wheee!!!

So after leaving Tehachapi on Friday morning, we headed west once again, aiming for San Margarita, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo.

We visited a couple of Missions:

Mission San Luis Obispo

Franciscan Mission San Miguel

We visited a couple of Wineries:  Opolo Winery, Tooth and Nail, and Niner Estates.

Tooth and Nail

Niner Estate, known for the heart on the hill

And we went to the Winemaker's dinner. Which I realized above is the only picture I have from the Niner Estate's Winemaker dinner.  Bummer.

Sunday was our travel day - leaving the hotel at 530am and finally arriving in Duluth at 1045pm.  It was 75* and sunny when we left California...32* and sleet/snow/rain when we arrived.   The joys of traveling.

Absolutely awesome trip. 

Tehachapi and Stallion Springs, CA 2018 (part one)

No recipe review this week.  We've been off on another adventure! We took another (for me) jaunt to California, this time to the southern Central Valley area, Tehachapi and Paso Robles area.  Yeah...we covered some ground.

Friday:  after a early flight where we left Duluth at 6am, we were on the ground in San Luis Obispo by 1p.  Luggage and rental car keys in hand, we headed out for a three hour drive across the Central Valley.   For this midwest gal...this was a bit of an eye opener.  I've seen agriculture, but this was agriculture on a whole different scale.  We arrived in Tehachapi/Stallion Springs by 5p and gratefully checked in to our resort and crashed.

Saturday: rest day!  We hung out at the resort.  Now, Stallion Springs resort is on the small side - maybe fifty units total, but I have to say this was perhaps one of the nicer places we've stayed.   Maybe I'm a bit biased because when the sun came up we got to watch these to gentlemen:

Sunday:  lunch was at Mossner's farm to table cafe, then a visit to Adorable Alpaca farm, and a second lunch at Souza's vineyard.  All in Stallion Springs/Cummings Valley.  The platter at Souza's vineyard was amazing!  Foccocia, generous hunks of two types of cheese, salami, olives, grapes, apples, sponge cake, and chocolate covered almonds.  Soooo good!  A late evening walk and we stumbled across an elk herd of about 30 cows and yearlings and one bull elk.  Which would explain why the two boys above were hanging out on their own.

Not the best picture, didn't want to get too close...

Monday: Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon.  This was a bit of a drive for us from Tehachapi, but so worth it!  We got to see the largest tree in the forest!  In diameter at least...there are redwoods that are higher.  So amazing!   What we didn't anticipate was the road construction in the park - there was a section that they were alternating traffic on every two hours.  We hit it just right on the way in, but not knowing how long we'd want to hike or go see, we opted to head out through King's Canyon route rather than sit in traffic.   Also worth the extra time.

General Sherman Tree

Tuesday:  tired. Sooo tired from nearly seven hours of driving and hiking at 7000 feet (it was totally worth it!) on Monday.  We went to see the Tehachapi Loop, one of the seven railroading engineering feats...if you know what the other six are, please let me know!  Then we went and hiked around Tehachapi Mountain Park (also at 6000 feet).  A mellow day bumping around the Tehachapi area. 

The engines are passing by in the front, while the back of the train is still in the tunnel below

Way up high!

Wednesday:  on the road again!  We drove up the Kern River Valley to Lake Isabella  - or what is currently left of the lake.  I don't recall they year, but the Isabella dam was ranked one of the top 10 endangered dams in the states and they drained the lake until repairs could be made.  Still the drive up the river valley was incredible.  Then we looped over the Walker Pass (Pacific Crest Trail passes through here), and down into the Mohave dessert, where we swung back through the windmills that line the hills outside of Tehachapi. 

Twisty turny two lane road is not for the faint of heart...

Thursday:  after an early morning walk where we saw the big elk herd again, we visited downtown Tehachapi, the railroad museum, and the historical district.  Lovely and mellow afternoon.


Friday, Friday we were on the road again back to Paso Robles, where part two of our trip happened and the whole reason we came to California.  

Holy Ghost by John Sandford (Virgil Flowers #11)

Holy Ghost by John Sandford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


 Jacket Blurb: Pinion, Minnesota: a metropolis of all of seven hundred souls for which the word "moribund" might have been invented. Nothing ever happened there and nothing ever would—until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: "I'll Do What I Can") and a buddy come up with a scheme to put Pinion on the map. They'd heard of a place where a floating image of the Virgin Mary had turned the whole town into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things, right? They'd all get rich! What could go wrong?

When the dead body shows up, they find out, and that's only the beginning of their troubles—and Virgil Flowers'—as they are all about to discover all too soon.

Round up to 3.5 stars.

Read as an audio book.

I enjoyed this latest installment... of course I did, it's Virgil.

That being said, this wasn't, perhaps, my favorite. Only in that I found the overall story a tich slow. We start out in a small Unremarkable Southern Minnesota Town that is slowly going the way of the stage coach. A couple of enterprising denizens concoct an idea to put the town on the map and bring in some much needed revenue. And it works, until someone starts killing people on the street ala sniper style.

Virgil is called in. Virgil then calls in Jenkins and Shrake (sp? I've listened to the whole series on audio). And our very fine group of boys run around trying to figure who's doing this for nearly 2/3 of the book.

Which is where it became a bit slow. Someone is murdered. Run around. Talk to some folks. Fret. Someone else is murdered. Run around. Talk to some folks. Fret. Repeat. Repeat two more times in fact.

What was different about this latest installment was the reader really doesn't get to see what the antagonist is doing or why they are doing it. There is a bit at the beginning, and then it's kinda forgotten until you hit that 2/3 mark. If you're reading via paper copy or e-reader, you can bip back and refresh your memory. Not so easy on audio. Now personally, I prefer not knowing what the antagonist is doing - but that's a Sandford trademark in my humble opinion. So, I enjoyed this installment more because of it.

The ending did make up for the slow middle. Just saying. This installment still has all the classic Virgil humor and wit that we've come to appreciate.

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



View all my reviews

Recipe Review from 10/22/2018

There was a week off between my last recipe review post and this one.  I was away at a work conference for three days and the Husband covered the handful of meals for the week.  Slow cooked chili with fire roasted tomatoes and stuffed pork chops from a local meat store covered the end of the week.

As of this posting, we are still without an oven.

The Meal Plan for the week of 10/22:
Sat (L)  leftovers   (S)  out
Sun (L) Brussel sprouts with quinoa bowl  (S) Tuscan Soup
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion mtgs)  out
Tues - leftover soup
Wed - leftover Brussel sprouts
Thurs - leftover soup
Fri - off

Lunches - chili (me)  sandwiches (the Husband)

Brussel Sprouts and Quinoa Bowl with citrus vinaigrette (Ckng Lght, Oct 2018) gluten free, vegetarian

I really enjoyed this one.  It's simple, so it comes together very quickly.  It's tasty - I loved the nutty quinoa with the citrus dressing and the creamy goat cheese.  And it's versatile - don't have Brussels sprouts?  Sub asparagus!  Don't have radicchio?  Sub red cabbage (which is exactly what I did).   This would be a great make-ahead lunch dish.  Keep the dressing separate and add just before eating.

Recommended!

Serves 4

photo from cookinglight.com

1 cup uncooked tricolor quinoa
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 cups chopped radicchio (from 1 head)  (I used red cabbage)
1 cup chopped Golden Delicious apple  (I used a River Belle)
1 1/2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Cook quinoa in water according to package directions. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Set aside.

Whisk together orange juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, honey, mustard, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add Brussels sprouts; cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Place 1/2 cup quinoa in each of 4 bowls. Top each with 1/2 cup radicchio, 1/4 cup apple, and 2/3 cup Brussels sprouts. Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons orange-thyme vinaigrette; sprinkle evenly with goat cheese.

Slow Cooked Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup (Ckng Lght Nov, 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian
This was easy enough to pull together, it's hands off cooking for 6-8 hours, add the greens and let cook while setting the table, and serve. 

However, I found this to be overly bland, a bit muddy (I suspect from the lentils), and (my fault) the spinach became unappealing upon reheating.   I subbed spinach because the Husband wanted some greens for his sandwiches for the week and raw chard isn't the best.   So not my favorite slow cooked soup recipe. 

Recommended with some reservations.

Serves about 6
4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth

photo from cookinglight.com

2 (15-oz.) cans unsalted Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed

1 cup water (increase to 2 cups for Instant Pot)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1 (2-inch) Parmesan cheese rind
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
4 cups coarsely chopped rainbow chard  (I used spinach)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Combine broth, beans, lentils, 1 cup water, onion, carrot, Parmesan rind, garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, and bay leaf in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until lentils are tender, 7 to 8 hours.

Stir in chard and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low until chard is wilted, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard cheese rind and bay leaf.

Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Dark Sky by Mike Brooks (Keiko #2)

Dark Sky by Mike Brooks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  For the crew of the Keiko, their stay at the Grand House casino on New Samara was supposed to be a well-deserved rest.

It didn’t last.

Captain Ichabod Drift promised that the side-trip to the mining planet Uragan would be a quick in and out – a data retrieval job then back to the tables.

He was wrong.

When the revolution comes, all you can do is choose a side and hope to get out alive.

**********************

Read for October's book group.

The Captain and crew of the Keiko have mostly landed on their feet after the nearly disastrous previous job and are taking a little R&R on the planet New Samara where the local crime lord/gangster/ethically questionable CEO offers Drift an "easy" in/out job. Get into Uragan, get the the information, get out before plants storms shuts down all air traffic for three days, deliver information.

Ahh...if it were only that easy, we wouldn't have a story.

Once on the planet, the crew find themselves facing A Major Nemesis, miss their flight window, get caught in a local revolution, are split up, and have to overcome tremendous odds to get back to their ship. In a nutshell.

This is, ultimately, a brain-candy sci-fi romp. Perfect for commuting, sitting in an airport, or just checking out for a while. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's not a lot of substance, the characters are a bit two dimensional, there is nothing new about the plot...but it was fun. And sometime's ya just need fun.

I have a couple of tiny grievances I do need to air: Dear Authors, can we do something other than the overly predictable and tired bar fight trope? Can our adversaries sit down and have a drink instead of fisticuffs? Go for a stroll around the promenade? A little creativity here would be appreciated.

I am starting to find Jenna as a character...annoying. A rich girl who's trying to hide secrets but pretty much failing. Of all the crew, she's the one I'm liking the least - she's become the token white chick in our diverse, mutli-lingual, multi talented crew.

And a few highlights of things I did enjoy: I enjoyed having the crew divided, finding themselves on opposite sides of the revolution, and having to figure out how to get back to the ship. It was (for me) an interesting way to show both sides of the conflict and include some character development.

The additional antagonists (whose name I'm not even going to try and spell, but we'll call Ric), was an enjoyable - and needed - touch. He also found his crew split, caught unexpectedly in the revolution, and everyone had to work together. I think without this added element, this would have been rather ho-hum.

Ultimately, classic space pirates/smugglers trying to stay on the good side of the law while harboring shady pasts and, well, getting into all sorts of unexpected trouble. Plot is light, fun, humorous, and moves smartly along. Recommended if you like that sort of scifi.



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The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme #1)

The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Lincoln Rhyme was once a brilliant criminologist, a genius in the field of forensics -- until an accident left him physically and emotionally shattered. But now a diabolical killer is challenging Rhyme to a terrifying and ingenious duel of wits. With police detective Amelia Sachs by his side, Rhyme must follow a labyrinth of clues that reaches back to a dark chapter in New York City's past -- and reach further into the darkness of the mind of a madman who won't stop until he has stripped life down to the bone.
 
Read as an audio book.

A new to me series that I stumbled across either on Audible or Goodreads. At first, the narrator's intonation was disconcerting. He sounded like a computer generated voice and I kept checking my iPod to make sure I hadn't hit a "talk faster" button by accident (if something like that even exists). Nope. Just how this fellow came across. After a bit, I was able to settle into the story.

I enjoyed this quite a bit (once I moved past the how the narrator sounded). The protagonist Lincoln Rhyme was so refreshingly different from other "detectives" and mystery/thrillers that I've read. Writing from the point of view of a former detective now quadriplegic was so engaging for me - again, it was different. So very different.

Amelia Sachs. Conflicted, beautiful Amelia Sachs. This is one trope the author didn't escape - our beautiful tall, thin, leggy, long-haired red-head who wants to follow in the footsteps of her father, but found it wasn't for her. Now she's thrust into Rhyme's world of forensic evidence and she's not liking that either. She has her flaws, which Rhyme picks up on right away.

Using Sachs to work the crime scenes, Lincoln directs an assorted cast of characters from his bedroom. He is demanding, expecting no less than perfection from everyone, and exacting. Lincoln has a temper, has forgotten how to be contrite or polite, and learns a few things from Amelia over the course of the case.

The book does have the obligatory moment when the FBI steps in, where I briefly thought...Oh no, not the traditional "butting heads" with another agency, which ended up serving the purpose of introducing FBI agent Fred Delray. He came in like a bull in a china shop, took over the case, and the resolution was unconventional to say the least. I suspect he'll be back in the next book.

To sum up, once I move passed the narrator sounding like a computer, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was refreshingly different and I intend to read the next in the series. Recommended.





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Recipe Review from 10/8/2018

A very good week meal-wise!  Could have done without the 50 mph gale force winds off the Lake, but, putting things into perspective - Florida could have done without Hurricane Michael too.  

It's just a quinky-dink that most of the recipes below are vegetarian - the two that aren't have bacon in them.  For the recipes that have bacon, you can easily omit and make completely vegetarian.   Enjoy!


The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) out  (S) leftover tilapia and rice    (reviewed last week)
Sun (L) leftover chili  (S) Coconut Tempeh
Mon (yoga) Leftover tempeh
Tues - Broccoli fried rice
Wed - Butnut Squash and cabbage
Thurs (yoga) leftover broccoli rice
Fri (yoga) leftover butnut squash and cabbage

Lunches - Sandwiches for the Husband, Roasted Cauliflower Soup for me.


Coconut-curry Tempeh (Ckng Lght Sept 2018) gluten free, vegan
Yummy yummy yummy I've got tempeh in my tummy!   This dish rocked!  I could see making this with shrimp or tofu.  I made as written, only subbing red miso for the yellow.  I have limited options at the store when it comes to miso, and I've found red is the most versatile for me.  

I will note, the original recipe online omits the rice in the ingredient list.  I think I used two bags (2 cups each) of Uncle Bens 10 minute instant.  I loved this dish and can see making it again.   So simple, so tasty!  RECOMMENDED!

4 servings

1 (8-oz.) pkg. tempeh, cubed

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce 
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons yellow miso  (I used red miso)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
3 cups cooked brown rice (I used two bags of Uncle Ben's 10 minute instant rice)
Lime wedges for garnish

Stir together tempeh; lower-sodium soy sauce; sesame oil; and curry powder in a bowl. Cook in a skillet over medium until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove tempeh; set aside.

Add sliced red bell pepper, matchstick-cut carrots, sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced peeled fresh ginger to skillet. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in light coconut milk and yellow miso until smooth.

Divide 3 cups cooked brown rice among 4 bowls; top with vegetable mixture and tempeh. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves. Garnish with lime wedges.

Broccoli Fried Rice with Kimchi Cream (Ckng Lght Oct 2018)

Another fabulous winner!  I used 1 pre-bagged, pre-chopped broccoli florets as that was just a tich over 4 cups.   Bacon took the longest to cook, once that was done everything else was a quick saute, set aside and move on.  

I thought the Kimchi Cream was rather pointless (I did make it).  This tastes fantastic without OR just serve the kimchi along side for a yummy, brine-y flavor hit.

I will note, I have no idea where people are buying "pre-cooked rice".  Not an option in my corner of the world.  I had regular basmati rice on hand, thought the flavors would complement, so I made a batch of that ahead of time and proceeded as written.   Whatever you choose for your rice, I don't think you can go amiss with this recipe.   RECOMMENDED!

4 - 5 servings

photo from cookinglight.com

4 center-cut bacon slices, chopped
4 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 (8.8-oz.) pkg. precooked microwavable brown rice (I used basmati rice)
1/2 cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup refrigerated jarred kimchi plus 1 Tbsp. kimchi juice
1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon canola mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate (do not wipe out skillet). Add broccoli to skillet; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add sesame oil to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Add rice, scallions, and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Push rice mixture to edges of skillet to create a hole in center. Add eggs to center; cook, stirring often, until mostly cooked, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, bacon, and broccoli. Remove from heat.

Process kimchi and kimchi juice, yogurt, mayonnaise, and salt in a food processor until mostly smooth.

Divide fried rice among 4 bowls. Top each with 2 tablespoons kimchi cream; garnish with scallions.


Loaded Cauliflower Soup  (Ckng Lght, Oct 2018)  gluten free
I made the slow cooker version noted at the bottom.  This...didn't grab my fancy.  I couldn't tell if I had burnt the soup or if that was the "roasted" part coming through.  You would think if it had been burnt, there would have been stuff stuck to the side of the slow cooker...but there wasn't.  Perhaps overcooked as opposed to burnt?  I just don't know.   I did stick with the bacon crumble and cheddar cheese toppings, and that helped with the flavor.  

I got four mid-week lunches out of this, plus supper on Saturday for two with a bit still leftover.  So mine made between 4 and 6 two cup servings.   Recommended with reservations. 

4-6 servings

6 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped leek
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups chopped cauliflower florets and stems (from 1 [2 1/2-lb.] head)
3 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup half-and-half
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium, stirring often, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; discard remaining drippings.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add leek, celery, and garlic to hot drippings in pan; cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove 1 cup vegetables with a slotted spoon; finely chop.

Pour remaining mixture into a blender; add half-and-half. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); attach lid, and place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process, starting slowly and increasing speed, until very smooth, 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Return mixture to pan with chopped vegetables; cook over medium until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; top with bacon, cheese, and chives.

Slow Cooker Method - Prepare as directed in step 1, substituting a skillet for Dutch oven. Omit step 2. Combine drippings, leek, celery, garlic, cauliflower, stock, salt, and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until tender, about 4 hours. Proceed with steps 3 and 4.


Charred Cabbage with Butternut Squash (Ckgn Lght Sept 2018) vegetarian
Another very tasty dish that came together faster than I anticipated.   This caught my attention because I had everything already on hand!   I did cut up my own squash, weighing out 16oz, and I should have used the whole thing.  16oz wasn't quite enough for four servings. 

I didn't use the whole head of red cabbage - maybe half? And that was plenty, seriously.  It calls to cut into wedges, but having cooked cabbages wedges in the past, I sliced into planks from top to bottom so the core would keep everything together.  Cooks so much more evenly!   Don't skip the cashews and cilantro on this one - oh so tasty!   I thought the leftovers were even better.  Recommended!

4 servings

1 (16-oz.) pkg. peeled and cubed fresh butternut squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon white miso
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small head red cabbage
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add squash, and reduce heat to medium; simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Combine squash, butter, miso, garlic, and red pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Cut cabbage in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 equal wedges. Heat canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Add cabbage, cut sides down; cook until charred, about 5 minutes. Flip cabbage; cook until charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Sprinkle with salt.

Stir together sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a bowl. Place 2/3 cup squash mixture in each of 4 bowls. Top evenly with cabbage wedges, sesame oil mixture, cilantro, and cashews.