Did someone say "Italian Cornbread" ?

A couple of months ago, my BFF made this on her food network show.   It spoke to me, loudly.  So, when Thanksgiving and cooler weather rolled around the corner,  I knew what had to be made.   Soon!

Italian Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 T. diced sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 t. oregano

1/4 cup + 2 T. shortening

Preheat the oven to 450*.  

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder & salt.

Measure the milks and add the egg.  Stir together.

Add the baking soda and stir.

Add the parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes & oregano.

Mix it all together.

In a small bowl, melt the 1/4 cup shortening in the microwave and slowly add to the batter.  

Stir this until just combined.

In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons shortening over medium hear.  Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread.  Cook on the stove top for about a minute.   Transfer to the oven and bake for about  25 minutes or until golden.

Cut and enjoy!

 I served it with a hot bowl of my tomato soup!   That recipe also came from my bestie, Ree.   Any remaining leftovers were combined into my recipe  for crockpot stuffing on Thanksgiving Day!!!    Oh the goodness!

Cashew Chicken!!!

This book has really been my bible of cooking this year!   I have made many things from it...and enjoyed them all immensely.    Tomato Soup and Cashew Chicken!   Oh my!  I have made them several times and just can't seem to get tired of either.   The cashew chicken reminds me of something I ordered back in college at Madam Wu's.  It is subtle.  It is sublime goodness!  It is even more remarkable the next day!!!

My oldest daughter, CGS loves it when I make them.  She asked me to blog about them so she had somewhere to find the recipes.   Maybe I should buy her this book?  Maybe I should buy myself another one?  Maybe I should just purchase it in digital format so that I can easily take it with me everywhere?  I accidentally packed my book for our big move to EP.    Yikes!!!!!   That was such a bad choice I made.   I should have known better!

http://thriftshoppemom.blogspot.com/2015/03/tomato-soup-has-changed-my-life.html

That is the link for when I made the tomato soup.  It literally changed my life.   I hated tomato soup until that day.  Add a grilled cheese to the side of that soup bowl and we are still living the dream!


Here is the recipe for Cashew Chicken, CGS!   Enjoy it!

• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce  (it is weird...but don't forget!!)
• 1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut Into Small Cubes
•  Kosher Salt To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger  
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Canned Water Chestnuts, Coarsley Chopped & drained
• 1 cup Unsalted Cashews  (be Sure To Use Unsalted)
• 2 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
• cilantro to garnish, optional
•  Cooked rice,  I prefer Jasmine or Balsami *

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir & set aside. 

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt, then leave it alone for at least a couple of minutes to give the chicken a chance to brown. When the chicken has turned golden, stir it around so that it can brown on all sides. Toss in the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Stir in the bell pepper and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

While the pan is still hot, pour in the broth. Stir it around, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the sauce mixture, then mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry and pour it in. Stir the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken, then add the water chestnuts and cashews and stir to coat everything with the sauce, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

Finally, sprinkle on the green onions & cilantro. Serve over the cooked rice.




*Finally,  Stay away from generic plain rice or minute rice!   This dish deserved better than that junk!!!

This picture is bad and just doesn't do it justice.  It is competing with that veggie pasta goodness!   I will tell you about that one later!

Chicken Broth

It has been on my mind to attempt making broth from a Thanksgiving Turkey.  I noticed on FB that a high school friend of mine does it every year and she even asks neighbors for their leftover turkey bones.  If she can do it....  why shouldn't I give it a whirl?  Does it matter that her mother was a home economics teacher?  Yes?  NO!  That woman was my teacher as well.   I CAN DO THIS... I CAN DO THIS...(repeat 3x).

Earlier this week when my dear hubby brought home a Costco Rotisserie Chicken the other night for dinner, my brain started spinning.  Why not try it on a chicken first?   We first polished off most of the meat for dinner.   Costco chickens are huge!  They are a must-purchase-item!

Get out your large crockpot and one of those crockpot liners if you  have them.   They just make cleanup easier!  I usually find them on the bottom shelf at the store.

So, line the pot.  

Place the turkey/chicken carcass in the pot.  (bones, fat, any extra meat...the whole bird!)   

Grab about 3 carrots and 3 celery sticks and throw them in the pot. 

6 peppercorns & 2 or 3 bay leaves 

Add a garlic clove or two and also a large chopped onion.  

Don't chop anything too finely...you will just be straining it all out eventually! 

 Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar.  (I read that it draws the nutrients out of the bones.)

I wouldn't salt just yet.  Wait until you actually cook with it.

Cover with water as high as you can in the crockpot and turn on high for about 24 hours.

Strain it all and pour into freezable containers.  Enjoy!  

I will be doing this again with all the Thanksgiving turkeys this year!  

Hey neighbors..... Can I have all your turkey bones?

*mental note...maybe next time add some cilantro or rosemary?

Tomato Soup has changed my life.

 All my life I have thought that tomato soup was yucky and tasted metallic.  Yea,  I was raised to think that canned was the only way to get tomato soup.    And why should I order tomato soup at a restaurant when I don't like it?   My dear husband thinks it is amazing.  Canned, that is.

Hey, Mrs. CS......make this!!!! You will like it.  Get out your giant Le Crueset!!!

WELL....... We were watching an episode of PW and she was making it.   It looked easy.   I was hungry.  He said that he would go to the grocery store.  Ok, yea baby........  I'll make that.   Can you pick up a loaf of french bread too?  And a gallon of milk?

Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large carrots, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, pressed

   *( these really need to be finely diced.....food processor?)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 large cans whole tomatoes, the 28 oz size

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons parsley

1 cup water

Saute the top 5 ingredients.  Add the tomato paste and cook another 3 minutes.

Add the remaining and boil.  Reduce heat and simmer another 20 minutes or so.  

You really want the vegetables tender.

Get out your immersion blender and puree until smooth.  

Add..   1/2 cup whipping cream 

            2 tablespoons basil, chopped

            salt & pepper to taste

Simmer another 5 minutes.

  

                                             

Gumbo is my superpower.

I have never claimed to be a chef or super hero in the kitchen.   When the words "invent-a-meal" are heard........my kids scatter like marbles across the floor.  They quickly find other  plans for the evening.   Yea, it quickly gives me much needed alone time.

However, when the word "GUMBO" is muttered....... magically they alter any plans for the evening and are available for family dinner and family lunch leftovers the next day.

Gumbo isn't as hard as one might think.  There are just a few rules.  First of all, an enameled cast iron stock pot is a must.  It needs to be able to withstand heat without burning for several hours.  My pot of choice is a Le Creuset stockpot.   I found it at Costco for a song a few years ago in an after Christmas sale.   But there are other less expensive brands.  Most likely, they all cook the same.

The second rule is you gotta stir......and often.   This is when I make kitchen rules about if you wanna eat...... you gotta stir.    The kids won't complain after they taste the awesomeness of this shrimp gumbo.  I promise.

Usually the evening before I will pre-chop my vegetables & sausage.  It just makes the afternoon easier.

Grab a stool...  you are going to be here a while.

                                         

The scariest part is making the roux.  It takes about 30 minutes of stirring and takes on the color of peanut butter at the end.   It even kinda smells nutty.   Just stir.  If by chance this burns..........it is yucky.   Throw it away & start over.

After that, add those chopped veggies and sauté until they are clear and soft.

Pour in all that stock, juices & seasonings.

Keep stirring occasionally............  after about 2 hours or so you get this!!

HALLELUJAH!

Every bowl of gumbo needs some dirty rice served beside it.  This box is my favorite.  I like to make two boxes.  You gotta have rice for the leftovers!   It is Delish!

Shrimp Gumbo!!!

1 cup + 1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup flour

Melt the butter.  Add the flour and stir for what seems like forever and

the color is a rich peanut butter color.

Add:

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 finely chopped jalapeño 

a  handful of chopped green onions if you have it.

Saute until all of the above veggies are clear-like and soft.

Add:

3 cups shrimp or chicken stock

2 cups clam juice

1 can petite diced tomatoes w/juice

3 bay leaves

1 TBS parsley

1 TBS cajun seasoning

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

Stir....  Stir...  Stir....

It now just needs to cook down and get thicker.

Add:

1 cup of diced okra ( I buy a bag of frozen)

Add an extra can of broth here if it looks too thick.

(I will use whatever kind of broth at hand I have at this point.)

Keep cooking & stirring occasionally......!

Add:

2 pounds shrimp - cooked

1 1/2 cups of smoked sausage (I like Hillshire Beef)

Have I mentioned stirring yet?  Well, stir some more.

I typically add the okra about an hour before it is done.  

The shrimp & sausage about 30 minutes later.

They pretty much just need to heat up.

You will know when it is done.  I say that because I am pretty sure that by now you have been doing some sampling...........

So tell me what's your superpower?

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder!

This is another one of those amazing comfort foods I crave when it starts getting cooler.   My kids love it.  Yes, they eat broccoli.  They also eat asparagus and mushrooms.  (Yes, I am bragging here!)

1/2 stick of butter 

1 onion, chopped

saute this together.  

Add about 6 small portabella mushrooms, chopped.  

Stir it around for a few minutes.

Add a can of chicken broth and heat.

chop a small package of velveeta and add.

Dump in a can of cream of mushroom.

Keep stirring occassionally.  

Cook a bag of "steamFresh Broccoli" and chop finely.

Add the broccoli to the soup stuff.  Add some 1/2 & 1/2 or maybe about a half cup of milk if you need some extra liquidy goodness.  Heat until serving time.

Top it with some chopped bacon.  Yum!

Taco Soup.....for you C.G.

Ok, baby...........

Go buy about a pound or two of hamburger meat....Brown it with a onion and a small amount of garlic if you have it.  Otherwise, don't worry.

Drain off all the greasy meat juice.  You can rinse the meat if you have a colander.

Put it back into the large stock pot  (pan).

Add :

2 cans of petite-diced tomatoes
1 can of mild Rotel tomatoes
2 cans of corn or hominy, drained
2 cans of beans.......(either ranch, red kidney or black)
1 small can of diced green chili's
1 can of beef broth

a package of taco seasoning....mild
1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning

Mix it all together and re-heat on low........serve with chips, cheese and sour cream.

*You can also add some water if it gets too thick while it is heating.

Invite over a lot of friends.  This makes a ton.