Winter Stew

My least favourite season of the year - so maybe I will "celebrate" with a new recipe (OK, I am posting it 2 days late!).

In this case, I had run out of ginger - but mint and rosemary made an interesting substitute.

• 2 T / 2 cubes bouillon
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 3 or 4 good sized carrots, chopped
• 1 can corn
• 1 can peas
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 pound tube steaks
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1 T chili powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1 T dried mint, crumbled
• 1/2 t rosemary, crumbled
• 4 C water
• 2 C white rice

1. Dice, chop, mince, slice fresh vegetables, set aside.
2. Slice tube steaks, into 1/4" medallions.
3. Heat up large dutch oven, add 1 T or so cooking oil, saute garlic 30 seconds or so (I Love the aroma of garlic, frying).
4. Add onions, jalapeno pepper, saute until onion is transparent.
5. Add bouillon, carrots, corn, peas, tomatoes, spices, tube steak medallions, water, mix well. Cook until largest chunks of carrots are chewy.
6. Add rice, mix well. Cook until rice is soft. Stir rice frequently, add water if necessary.

Serve with warm (steamed) tortillas, and dark Mexican beer - Negra Modelo would be my fave here.

Thanksgiving 2014

My neighbours and I are all tired of Thanksgiving Turkey. We sort of got the idea (blame it on the Jack) of having what you come up with.

The rules are simple.

1. Half must be "leftovers", or "whatever is in the cabinet / refrigerator".
2. No going to the store.
3. No burning each other out.
4. 3/4 of the audience (people who did not cook it) have to be able to eat it.

So, we'll see what we get. We all love spicy stuff.

• 3 clove garlic
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 pound tube steak, sliced 1/4" thick medallions
• 1 can beans (2 would have been better)
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 C leftover canned corn, in juice
• 2 T sliced jalapenos
• 1/4 C nopalitos
• 2 T bouillon powder (or 2 cubes)
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t curry powder
• 1 T ginger
• 1/2 t mustard
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1/4 t tumeric
• 2 C rice
• 3 C water (4 C total, for 2 C rice)

And cook.

1. Saute the garlic and onion (I love the smell of sauteing garlic).
2. Add everything else but rice and water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook 1/2 hour or so.
3. Add rice, and water, being to boil, reduce to simmer, cook until rice is tender.
4. Drink more Jack.
5. 3 of us added just a tiny bit of Tabasco - and we all ate it.
6. See what else we got - but my neighbours don't publish recipe blogs. 8-(

Ginger Sesame Green Beans

Quick, easy to make, came right out of the cupboard when I couldn't find anything else.

• 1 can cooked green beans
• 1/2 t chicken bouillon
• 1 p cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t dried, chopped garlic
• 1 t ginger
• 1 t dried, chopped onion
• 1 t sesame seed
• 1 s soy sauce
• 1 d sugar
• 1 p tumeric
• 1 d vinegar
• 2 C dried pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

1. Combine everything but the beans in a bowl.
2. Drain the beans into the bowl, and mix the bean juice and everything else, well.
3. Add the beans to the bowl, mix again.
4. Cover mixture, put in refrigerator to marinate.
5. Allow an hour or two for the liquid to soak into the veggies (dried, chopped garlic and onion has to reconstitute).
6. When ready, toss the marinade with pasta.
7. Add green beans, toss again.
8. Serve.
9. Substitute cooked rice for pasta, if you wish.
10. In cold weather, the beans could be warmed in a wok.

Chuck's Potatoes Au Gratin

This is yet another example of making what you want, with what you have in the kitchen.

• Butter, 1 T (opt).
• Celery, 1 stalk.
• Cornflakes or similar cereal, crumbled / crushed, 1 C (opt).
• Onion, 1 medium.
• Potatoes, 5 - 6 medium, sliced and quartered.
• Soup, anything creamy (I used tomato), 1 can.
• Milk, 1/4 C or so.
• Cheese, 1 C (I used Parmesan grated).
• Cumin, 1/4 t.
• Ginger, 1/2 t (OK, I like ginger).
• Pepper, 1/4 t (I add pepper to everything).
• Salt, 1/4 t (If you wish).
• Tumeric, 1/4 t (It's good for you).

1. Slice the potatoes, 1/4" thick - then quarter the slices.
2. Dice the onion, and the celery.
3. Mix celery, onion, and potatoes in a large casserole dish, and microwave until the potatoes are chewy (15 - 30 minutes).
4. Grate or mince the cheese, if necessary.
5. Mix the cheese, milk, soup, and spices - pour the mixture over the vegetables, and mix well.
6. (Opt) Melt butter / margarine, mix with cornflakes, pour over the soup / vegetable mixture.
7. Bake in oven or microwave, until potatoes are soft, and cheese is nicely melted (another 15 - 30 minutes).