Pork Fried Rice with Toasted Walnuts

Fast Fry and Delicious.

Last week I cooked a double batch of rice intending to make fried rice this week with the excess.  While looking at fried rice recipes I thought the one from Epicourious looked the most tasty so I adapted!  I love toasting walnuts in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes and adding to stir fry dishes and they were delicious with this!

Ingredients for Pork Fried Rice with Toasted Walnuts:

12-16 ounces lean pork (Place chops or steaks in the freezer 40-60 minutes ahead to firm up for easy slicing and for removal of bone or fat, I have also used cutlets or loin roast.)
4-6 T. peanut or grape seed oil
2 lg. beaten eggs
1 red onion diced
1 bunch green onions with tops sliced on the diagonal about 1/4"
1 T. fresh ginger grated (I keep fresh ginger wrapped in the freezer, then peel and shred what I need and return the unused portion to the freezer, works great!)
2 t. sugar
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1/4-1/2  t. toasted sesame oil
4 C. cold cooked rice
1/3 C toasted whole walnuts, toased as above outlined

Slice the pork thinly with a sharp knife and set aside.

Heat half of the oil in the wok.  When oil is shimmering and hot add the eggs and leave for 10 seconds then turn.   Lightly scramble for 1 minute and remove to paper towels to drain and set aside.

Everything goes back into one pan!

Add the rest of the oil to the wok and when hot add the pork and fry until browned.  Add the onions and cook another minute.  Mix the sugar, sauces, oil, vinegar, and ginger in a small bowl then stir in well.  Add the eggs back in breaking them up as you stir.  Toss in the cold rice and stir well until everything is well coated.  Serve in flat bowls dividing the toasted walnuts atop each serving.  Yield 4 servings.

This was served with a seafood salad and sliced apple for dessert.  My husband was a happy hubby.  He remarked he has lived long and is in reasonably good health because he eats well?  Well that, the grace of God, and good genes I say

Asian Radishes and Cooking Greens

Small Asian Radishes from Harry's Garden

Friday I had made plans to go buy eggs and tomatoes from Harry and Carole Brown.  As usual he loaded me up with many additional goodies including Asian Radishes which upon tasting my husband LOVED and so did I and I am not usually a radish fan!  He also gave me a huge bag of greens and Carole gave me her recipe for the way she fixes them.  The cooking time can vary depending what texture you prefer.  I simmered these all afternoon for a very succulent and tender dish which we loved. 

The greens were a combination of Kale's, Turnips, and Collards.  They were just wonderful and had big flavor.  Much more than I would have ever dreamed!

Beautiful just picked greens!

Carole's Ingredients for Cooking Greens (as best i remember)

Grocery sack of greens
1 to 3 strips thick cut bacon diced
1 diced onion
1 large clove garlic chopped
1/4-1/2 t. red pepper flakes
8 -9 C. water
3 T. beef bouillon granules or 9-10 cubes
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Washy and de-vein the leaves being sure to tear out the tough main stems and veins.  Roll handfuls of leaves and slice roll about 1" thick and then cut once through the middle.

In a very large kettle cook the bacon until not quite crisp then throw in the onion and garlic and stir well.  After a minute or so add all of the greens, water, pepper flakes and bouillon.  Simmer over low heat 3-5 hours or all day if it suits you!  About 1 hour before serving time add the vinegar, salt and pepper.  Today I am serving the greens with home fries, and pork chops and an apple pie for dessert.

I served the greens in a side dish with an extra splash of balsamic vinegar along with the home fries and pan fried pork chops.

To prepare Asian Radishes for a Veggie Tray:

Peel, slice longways, and let stand is very cold water or in the refrigerator until serving time.  Veggie trays I often serve right when my husband comes home from work.  He always wants to munch on something at that time and it keeps him out of the chips and crackers!  Today we had the Asian radishes paired with carrots, celery, and cold blanched asparagus with a buttermilk dip.

Fast, Easy, and KILLER White Chicken Chili, Perfect Fall Lunch or Supper

I make this thick and spicy!

I first tasted White Chicken Chili years ago when David Belt made it for lunch at Ethan Allen where we all worked.  It was DELICIOUS!  In fact I have never tasted better David!  I loved it because it was seasoned with cloves which I adore.  Unfortunately my husband does not.  This version is custom made for him!

I was inspired by the Brooks White Chili Bean ad that Brooks Beans is running.  I got a hankering and this is what has come of it!

Ingredients for Fast, Easy, and KILLER White Chicken Chili:

1 purchased rotisserie chicken (I used one from Sam's Club)
2 cans Brooks White Chili Beans
1 can Cream of Chicken Chili
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 can condensed chicken stock (I used about 12 oz, strong chicken stock I had frozen)
1/2 C. hot water
1 fresh jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 T. chili powder (I uses Mexanne), or to taste
2 t. Shiriacha hot sauce, optional or to taste

Take the skin off the chicken and remove from the bones and tear or dice the meat.  Add all of the ingredients to the soup kettle except the hot water.  Pour it into the bottom of the container the chicken was packaged in and swirl or stir to capture any remaining chicken juices and add them to the pan of chili ingredients.  

Simmer until the raw jalapeno has cooked and reduce to a low simmer until ready to serve.  Top with shredded Monetary Jack or other cheese to you liking.  YUM.  Yield 6-8 servings.

Coney, "Chili Dog" Time! Summer's Here! Grill up some Sausages & Hot Dogs and top them with this AMAZING Coney Sauce!

Smells great too as it's simmering away!

My husband grew up in a little town, Washington, Indiana and has talked about a little mom and pop stand there that sold the most delicious coney's ever.  I have heard about how everyone went there after school (in the 1960's) and there were long lines and so on and on and on......They were known as Kramer's Famous Coney's.  Check them out on Facebook to see what is up!

Well anyway, he ran into a friend who married a gal from Washington and she has given him the reported "secret recipe"!  He is so excited and brimming with anticipation that he actually called last night on the way home from work to ask if he could pick up anything I needed in order for me to serve them up for supper tonight!  Wow.  I sure hope he likes them.  Talk about pressure!  And a big Thank You out there for this recipe!  I am excited to try it!

Easy every day ingredients!

Ingredients for Coney, "Chili Dog" Sauce:

2 pounds ground chuck
1 C. water
1 diced onion
15 oz. tomato sauce
6 oz. tomato sauce
1 C. Old Fashioned Oats
1 T. salt
1T. sugar
1T. chili powder
1/2 t. celery salt
sprinkle black pepper
dash of Worcestershire sauce

Combine chuck, water, and onion in a large skillet and brown.  DO NOT DRAIN.  Stir in  the remaining ingredients and simmer covered for 2 hours.  Serve over grilled or otherwise cooked dogs or sausages on fresh buns of your choice.  Could make some great nachos too!

Week night dinner is served, sliced up a couple of apples for dessert and watched TV!

Easily can be doubled or tripled for crowd!   One pound should be enough to sauce 6 to 10 dogs depending on how much you use per sandwich!  This recipe should make 12-20 chili dogs. I added extra chili powder and a couple of shakes of hot sauce so make it your own.  If it gets thick stir in more water.

Also freezes quite well!

Serving suggestions:  Chips to scoop up any sauce that drips! Cole Slaw and Potato Salad with Lemonade or beverage of your choice.  Make some ice cream ahead and freeze into ice cream sandwiches using your favorite home made cookies! 

My Grandma's Hot Chocolate Recipe Made by the Cup, Delicious, Easy, Inexpensive, and Versitle

I will admit to getting old insomuch as it would be quite impossible to deny at this point with children in their mid 40;s!  But further I do not mind it.  No, not at all really.  I think it is because I had such wonderful Grandparents and thought them the most wonderful and amazing people in the whole world! So they were beautiful to me.  I loved the snow white hair and the big smiles on softly wrinkles faces.

One of my favorite memories of my Mother's Mother was the hot chocolate she made us.  It makes me wonder why today people are buying mixes? They just must not know about this? The other beauty of this is that it is actually "warm" chocolate and not all that hot which works quite well for little ones who really do not like "hot" anything, but generally have to wait for things to cool before they can enjoy them fully.  Here is her pure and simple recipe.  You may tweak it for flavor intensity and sweetness. Heat in the microwave to warm it more and just generally enjoy!

Ingredients for Grandma's Hot Chocolate:

1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder (Grandma used Hershey's Cocoa Powder)
1 T. sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 C. very hot tap water or boiling water (Grandma used hot tap water)
1 1/2 C. whole milk ( Grandma used right from the refrigerator but you can warm it if desired)
marshmallows, optional

Place the first 3 ingredients in a 2 cup glass measuring cup or other large mug. Stir together and add the very hot water and stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved.  Stir in the milk and serve.
Garnish with marshmallows if desired.  Yield 2 cups.  Yummy!  May you never buy mix again!

Birthday Cookies

After cooling I made up a big sack of both snicker doodles and oatmeal cookies and placed them in a birthday gift bag adding tissue paper and a birthday card to finish the home made gift!

Our friends the Linton's often celebrate birthdays with us as my birthday and Mike Linton's are but a couple of days apart and we are the same age but yes, I get to be the older one.  Let it be known that Mike Linton is a COOKIE MONSTER from way back!  He is a very seasoned and capable heating and air expert and once upon fixing our furnace would only take my home made Snicker Doodles in payment!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/08/old-fashioned-snickerdoodles.html

A hot cup of coffee and a few snicker doodles hit the spot every time.

Mike and Mindy have often tasted other cookies that were here when they visited and if I remember correctly they also love Oatmeal Cookies.  So today was double batch baking day.  We are splitting a batch of each with them for a birthday gift.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/oatmeal-cookies-cinnamon-clove-pecans.html

Since I was making a batch of each I did a couple of time and trouble savers I'll call them helpful hints!   Also altered the oatmeal cookies by reducing the chopped pecans to 1/2 cup and adding 1 cup of cinnamon chips.  YUM!

My helpful hints are : 
When making two different cookie doughs in one day make the plainest one first then you can reuse the bowl, beaters, and utensils again for the second batch without washing.  Thus I made the snicker doodles first.

When using a scoop to dip up cookie batter as I did with the snicker doodles dip the scoop into a half cup of sugar between scoops.  The batter will not stick to the scoop. 

Use  the left over "scooping" sugar in the second batch of cookies as part of the sugar needed in the batter.  *I also used the leftover cinnamon and sugar mixture from rolling the dough balls in as part of the required sugar in the oatmeal cookies.  A little extra cinnamon never hurt an oatmeal cookie!

So, love in a cookie is always a welcome gift says Grandma Diane!  

Amazingly Flavorful Bean Soup, Low Calorie & Highly Satisfying Simmered with Parmesan Chunks

It had long been held to save the rinds from hard cheeses to flavor soup.

I am obviously in soup mode with a high degree of comfort food woven throughout!  The day is cold, clammy, and grey.  But my house smells unbelievable.  I came across a recipe on Food52 that inspired me and I have adapted it a bit to our likes.  The combination of navy beans and great northern beans yields a bean the semi dissolves and thickens and one that does not but holds together more, which my family likes. I have flavored this with a quart of my home canned tomatoes, a couple of rinds from Parmesan cheese I had saved to flavor soups with and aromatics. 

I had enough Parmesan rind for two nice chunks.

Ingredients for Amazing Bean Soup:

1 C. dry northern beans
1 C. dry navy beans
1 large onion diced
6 large cloves of garlic peeled and minced
1-2 stalks celery in bite size chunks
1-2 carrots diced in bite size chunks
1/4 t. dry thyme
1/4 t. crushed rosemary
2-3 T. olive oil
1 T. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 t. sugar
1 quart home canned tomatoes or a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes + 1/4 C. water
3 1/2 C. good chicken stock
1-2 chunks of Parmesan cheese rinds about 2" x 1" x 1/2"

Soup, beautiful soup!

Place the beans in a large heavy bottomed kettle and cover 1" with water.  Cover and bring to a boil.   Boil exactly 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and leave covered for 1 hour.  Drain the beans and return them to the kettle.  Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook an hour.  Taste and correct the seasoning. Remove the cheese rinds and discard.  When the beans and vegetables reach the desired tenderness serve steaming with additional Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Tomato Soup from My Fresh Canned Tomatoes or Store Bought Canned Tomatoes, FAST, EASY, DELICIOUS, sand LOW CALORIE TOO.

Ladle up a bowl of delicious tomato soup you made in minutes in one pan.

I just told my sister this soup has it all, flavor, easy, comfort food, and low calorie to boot!  I came upon the recipe this morning on  "The AM Blog" called Barbara Lynch's Spicy Tomato Soup.  It caught my eye because I have 50 quarts of canned tomatoes from this summer,  we love tomato soup, the recipe may be the easiest I have ever seen, and I don't see how it could be anything but good.  I was right!  It is delicious although I have adapted it and will give you my version with notes.

Home canned tomatoes fir the bill if you have them.

Fast and Easy Spicy Tomato Soup:

1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 diced red onion (or any onion you have)
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 quarts home canned tomatoes with garlic, basil, and onion (or use 2, 28 ounce whole store bought tomatoes or 2 quarts plain canned tomatoes and add 2 cloves fresh garlic, 1/4 C. packed loosely fresh basil leaves)
1 1/2 C. water
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 T. sugar (optional, I do this because my Mother always added a little sugar in all of her tomato recipes)
Shredded mozzarella cheese, for garnish (optional but yum!)

Heat the oil and butter in the bottom of a large heavy bottomed kettle and add the onions and red pepper flakes.  Saute over medium low heat until tender.

Smells like heaven.

Add in everything else but the cheese and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the heat. 

A stick blender is the perfect tool for pureeing soups.

A stick blender is the perfect tool to use or place into a regular blender in batches.  Blend until smooth.

This is a pan of summer if you ask me!

Reheat the soup until piping hot and serve topped with shredded cheese if desired.  Yield 9 cups of soup.

Note:  If you can bring yourself to skip the cheese or at least go sparingly this dish is very low calorie and just right if you are dieting.

Oatmeal, Flax, and Walnut Cookies and Trail Mix, Change Up Old Recipes and New

Trail Mix.

Oatmeal, Flax, Walnut,  & Raisins make these Oatmeal Cookies!

Munchies that pack a little extra punch are always a good thing!  This crunchy, salty, sweet, tart, chewy, and chocolate trail mix really hits all the notes!  Ground flax seeds push the nutritional score for oatmeal cookies with walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and the less processed old fashioned oats even higher and also ups the fiber ante.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/oatmeal-cookies-cinnamon-clove-pecans.html   is the link to my basic recipe which I adapted by using walnuts and adding 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds.

Yesterday afternoon I got busy and made up the cookies for my husband to take to share with all of the gunsmiths at Paducah Shooters Supply where he is visiting today!  Not only is this his favorite cookie but he loves to share them with his friends.  I had already packed up the majority of them when I thought to take the picture.  My bad.

I admit to having slacked off my ongoing diet after Christmas while I have been fighting this crazy cold and enduring the winter doldrums.  But even then, I drink no calories.  I up the non starchy vegetables and try to stay away from the "white stuff".  My biggest obstacle is no good tomatoes!  Thus my staple and favorite meals of eggs and tomatoes and everything else with tomatoes runs amok!

Ingredients for Trail Mix:

1 C. cashews
1/2 C. walnuts
1 C. mixed nuts
1  1/2 C. combined of your favorite dried fruits like bananas, blue berries, apricots, cranberries, cherries, raisins etc.
1 C. chocolate chips or mixture of M & M's, dark chocolate chunks etc.

Stir altogether and enjoy! I like to have things like this around when I feel weak willed and need just a little something special.   A tablespoon or two of this and I am good to go.   Way better than a binge on something unexpected!

Ham and Potato Casserole is a great use for leftover ham, Gratin De Pommes De Terre St Jambon as adapted from Julia Child

Tender slices of cooked potatoes, ham, and a bit of cheese is a creamy sauce.

This is a recipe with NO flour"gluten" free which is not the case with many recipes for scalloped or Au gratin potatoes.  We are working on cutting back a bit on the "grain" in our diets and it seems logical to me when a recipe such as this one..... is so delicious.... to go for it instead!

Julia Child gives a recipe using sausages in her THE FRENCH CHEF COOKBOOK.  I have adapted this recipe using ham for our family.  We loved it and it is much lighter and more flavorful than using flour as a thickener. 

This casserole served four as a main dish fro supper.

Ingredients for Ham and Potato Casserole:

3 1/2 C. sliced previously boiled potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 C. diced onions, previously cooked in 1 T. butter
2 - 3 C. cooked ham cut into bite size pieces
lightly buttered baking dish with 2+" sides
3 eggs
1 1/2 C. light cream
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 1/2 C. shredded cheese of your choice
1 + 1 T. butter separated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Arrange the layers of potatoes, onions, and ham in baking dish ending with potatoes.  Blend together the beaten eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl pouring over the layers.  Sprinkle with the cheese and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Bake in the upper 1/3 of the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the top has nicely browned and is bubbling.  Yield 4 servings.

This was served as a main dish for supper with sliced fresh tomatoes and fruit salad.

I will thank God every day I am able to do what I do. Gingersnaps, Banana Bread, Ribs, & Slaw

Every fall I always make Gingersnaps and this is my mot favorite recipe!

This 1-2-3 banana bread is as easy as it gets!

Yes, I was feeling all toasty and made my banana bread     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/10/1-2-3-banana-bread.html and baked ginger snap cookies yesterday.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/gingersnaps.html 

Mmmmm!  Need I say more?

That feeling continued today as I heard Brian out doors with the big leaf blower going! But then as I cleaned up my mess from having put BBQ ribs in to slow cook    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/slow-cooker-country-back-ribs-with-just.html
and shredded cabbage for Cole slaw I heard my cell phone and it was a weather alert!  Winter Storm warning. NO, I am not ready for this! Not yet!

Oh gees!  The days have already been so grey.  That is bad enough but for the early cold and now snow before Thanksgiving.  Uncommon her but not unheard of.  And then all of the illness and hard times that have befallen those I love.

So much for my pity party.  Get on with it and rejoice in so many things! Not in any particular order.

1. I live in the USA.  While I strongly disagree with the direction things are currently headed we still are a wonderful nation and have been so very blessed.  I will remember to thank God every day for this and for those who guard and protect us all.

2.  My wonderful husband and family.  I will thank God every day for every one of them.

3.  Clean air and water.  I will thank God every day for this.

4. Food and our home and Molly.  I will thank God every day for this.

5. Prayer.  I will speak with God every day through this.

Psalm 71:18  Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.   (KJV)

French Oven Beef Stew

Luscious and delicious this French Oven Beef Stew was perfect on the evening of our first hard frost.

Paula Blanchard was the wife of Michigan's Governor James J. Blanchard and donated this recipe to the Historical Mackinac Island Cook Book in 1980.  I have adapted the recipe somewhat but have made it many times over the years as a standby.  I love that you make it in one dish in the oven, it simmers all day, and it is delicious!

Easy one pot meals herald the fall season and coming of winter.

Ingredients for French Oven Beef Stew:

3 pounds beef stew meat cubed (recipe asked for 2 pounds)
2 onions cut in eights
3 stalks celery in 1" dice
4 large carrots in 1" dice
1 can undiluted tomato soup (recipe called for 1 C. tomato juice)
1/3 C. quick tapioca
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1 t. pepper (recipe asked for 1/4 t.)
1/2 t. basil
2 potatoes cut into 1" chunks
1 can beef stock
NOTE:  You may as I did substitute a 2 1/2 pound bag of frozen stew vegetables for all of the listed vegetables.  Skipping the add potatoes step.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Brown the chunks of beef.

Brown the meat.  combine beef, onions, celery, and carrots in a covered dutch oven.  (Or the frozen stew vegetables.)

Adding a 2 1/2 pound bag of frozen stew vegetables really makes this a Quick Fix meal.

Combine tomato soup, stock, tapioca, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil and pour over the meat and vegetables. 

Soup, stock, tapioca, and seasonings are whisked together.

Cover and bake 2 1/2 hours. (I just cooked 3 1/2 hours and skipped the add potatoes.)

Add the potatoes and return to the oven in covered casserole for an hour longer.  Yield 6-8 servings.

What a nice warming dish for a cold dreary fall day!  Baked a batch of Cinnadoodles to have for dessert!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/cinnadoodles-great-new-cookie.html

Pasta Fagioli My Way, Slow Cooker or Simmer on the Stove All Day, Serve Some Now and Freeze Base for Later

One Pot Meals are a hit here.

This evening we will have Sunday dinner for the family and I am looking for an easy but delicious meal.  This hearty crock pot version of the chili like Italian soup featured at Olive Garden might just do the trick.  I choose simmer this on the stove all afternoon instead of the slow cooker.  Either way it works!  I have seen versions of it floating about but here is my adaptation.  Not such a big Oregano fan but I have and love fresh Basil and Parsley from my garden to use instead.  The delicious home canned tomatoes will be a plus too.  I am serving it with traditional garlic bread and a green salad and for good measure I am making my first pumpkin pie of the season.   

Pumpkin Pie for the first day of fall.

thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/10/juice-to-heal-me-fall-tonic-and-pumpkin.html     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/09/french-pie-pastry-in-food-processor.html

Above are the links for the pie and the easiest and most delicious crust ever!

While chopping veggies make extra to throw in the salad.

HELPFUL HINT:  Another thing I planned is to make a big batch of the soup and remove about a third of it to cool and freeze prior to adding the pasta.  It is my experience that pasta will freeze OK but is better added fresh.  I also will dice extra celery and carrots to use later in the salad while I have the soup ingredients in hand.

Ingredients for Pasta Fagioli My Way:

3 pounds ground chuck browned
1 large onion diced
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
4 diced carrots
5 ribs of celery diced
2 quarts of my home canned tomatoes or equivalent store bought (8 cups)
2 C. tomato juice
1 drained 16 oz. can of red kidney beans
1 drained 16 oz. can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 quart of beef stock (4 cups)
2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 C. chopped fresh basil
1 t. hot sauce
1 -2 T. sugar (add to taste depending on the tomatoes)
salt to taste
1 - 20 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta
grated cheese, optional for garnish atop the bowls of soup

Salt, pepper, beef, and onions to start the pot!

Brown and drain the ground chuck then add to crock pot or large soup kettle with a heavy bottom.  Stir in everything else EXCEPT NOT the pasta. 

I  prefer simmering soup all day on the stove unless I am not going to be home then it is the crock pot!

Simmer over lowest heat all day.  Add the pasta the last 30 minutes of the cooking time.  Serve with crusty bread in large bowls.  Pass shredded cheese if desired to top the steaming bowls of soup.

Enjoy!  Yield about 3 gallons of soup, 14-18 large servings.  Even better the next day!  A nice batch (2 quarts) in the deep freeze for another day.  Big bonus for my efforts.

Baby Back Ribs and Kraut, One Pot Meal Cooked Low and Slow

Full slab of baby backs slow and low on a bad of kraut, apple, and caraway.

My husband will be late for dinner this evening but no matter!  I have planned Ribs and Kraut after seeing it on "The Iowa Housewife."  It is a dish we grew up with.  We had kraut and wieners,  sausage and kraut, pork roast and kraut, and of course ribs and kraut!  Mother is as German as can be and we also made our own kraut from the cabbages in our garden.

I especially like to slow simmer the ribs and kraut together a long time in a cast iron Dutch Oven at 225 degrees F.  The end result just melts in your mouth.  This dish is made to wait on warm in the oven! You can adjust the cooking times to suit the situation.  I had shopping and errands that took most of the day so a delicious no mess meal fits the bill for me!

One of my trips home landed me in the kitchen at around 2:00 this afternoon.  I greased an enamel lined cast iron dutch oven with bacon grease and set the oven at 350 degrees F to start.....

This was just as good at 9 PM. as it would have been at 7.

Ingredients for Ribs and Kraut:

1 slab of ribs (I prefer baby back ribs but any pork rib will do fine.)
2 pounds of kraut drained
1/2 t. caraway seed
1 apple peeled, cored, and grated
2 T. sherry
2 T. water
coarse kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. bacon grease or butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Generously grease a non reactive heavy kettle with a tight fitting lid.  An enamel lined cast iron Dutch Oven is perfect!  Cut the slab of ribs in half then salt and pepper generously.  Place the ribs next to each other in the bottom of the pan bone side down and place them uncovered in the oven to brown.  Leave 60-90 minutes.  I left and went to the pharmacy and picked up my Granddaughter from the High School and they were perfectly browned by the time I got back!

Remove the ribs from the pan and set them aside.  Reduce the oven to 225 degrees F.  Place the drained kraut into the drippings in the bottom of the pan.  Add the grated apple and caraway seeds and toss them all together.  Sprinkle the Sherry and the water into the kraut mixture.  Arrange the ribs atop the kraut and cover tightly with the lid.  Return to the oven until tender.  Two hours is fine but longer is fine too.  That is what is so nice about this dish!  Yield 2-3 generous servings.

I served this with a cold bean salad and peanut butter cookies made over the weekend for dessert.

NOTE:  This would work as well in a slow cooker but I would recommend  browning the ribs in hot oil first then layer starting with the kraut.  Leave all day on low or half a day on high.

Apple Season Begins as the Garden Dwindles, Fall is Near and Winter Not Far Behind!

Beautiful apples picked just this morning!

As summer wains and fall nears apples and pumpkins abound.  The gardens dwindle  and the orchards spruce up for the fall crop.  I have very small pickings left of tomatoes and beans but today our friends the Linton's delivered near a bushel of apples from the tree in their yard.  I especially love this as he doesn't spray and there is no pesticide residue to have concerns about.

Today's picking from our garden is sparse.

Mike and Brian had big discussions about where to place an additional out building as Molly looked on!  I put 10 pounds in an orchard box to take to the kitchen and boxed the other 20+ pounds to store in the garage refrigerator until I get my bearings and process them!

Mike Linton and Brian ponder.

And Molly looks on!

Sewing is calling me and as usual I have lost most of the day already.  Maybe I will get some mending started as I contemplate apple something!  Thanks go out to our friends Mike and Mindy for the lovely apples!

Fresh Summer Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

The tomatoes are so ripe and delicious this season and I always look foreword to making a fresh kettle of tomato with basil soup.  So today I have brought a kettle of water to boil and placed tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute then plunged them into a big bowl of ice water and slipped their skins.  After coring each one I cut them into sections and with my thumb pushed out all of the seeds placing only the remaining flesh into my 4 quart measure until full to the top!

Next I went outdoors and picked a nice bunch of basil and brought it into the kitchen and rinsed the leaves well as I pulled them from their stems.  I picked enough to make 2-3 tablespoons after slicing.

Ingredients for Fresh Summer Tomato Soup with Basil:

4 C. fresh tomato, peeled, seeded, and chunk-ed
2-3 fresh shallots sliced thin
2 cloves fresh garlic chopped finely
2-3 T. fresh basil leaves sliced thin
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. sugar
1/2 t, baking soda (keeps the soup from curdling when the cream is added)
2 C. chicken stock
1-1 1/2 C. heavy cream or milk
6-8 slices crisp cooked bacon as garnish, optional

After harvesting and preparing the tomatoes and basil set them aside.  Place the butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed non-reactive kettle over medium heat.  Add the shallots and sweat for a minute and add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, salt, pepper, baking soda, sugar, and stock. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft.

You can leave on simmer until just before serving of complete the recipe by adding the cream and pureeing in the blender or using an immersion blender.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Serve with a couple of slices of crisp bacon as garnish if desired.  Yield 6 servings.

Optional step:

Note:  If you would like the soup thickened mix together in a small bowl with your fingers 2 T. butter and 4 T. flour until all of the flour is absorbed into the butter and is a thick paste consistency.  Whisk into the hot soup until completely melted and smooth and the soup has thickened.