Category: MISC

MAGIC BEANS and RICE ~ Fire Day Friday

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.  

I took this on a walk at our family’s cabin in North Carolina yesterday.

These purple hull beans that we picked up at the farmers’ market aren’t really magic. They just turn color while cooking and end up looking like regular green beans. But “Beans that change color and rice” just didn’t sound that catchy.
But if you have kids and can get your hands on some purple hull or purple teepee beans, you have to show them and say you have “kitchen magic”. The purple beans will turn green in less than the first 60 seconds of boiling.
I made these to go with my barbecue chicken a while back, so this kind of counts for Fire Day Friday.
It’s ironic that I’m posting about these since they were the ONLY part of the meal not cooked on the grill.
I barbecued chicken.
I fire roasted new potatoes in garlic butter.
Alexis even baked rolls on her Big Green Egg.
Not Green Beans and Rice
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 pound purple hull beans (or substitute green beans)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

    1. Cook the rice according to directions.
    2. Boil the purple or green beans about 4-5 minutes and then shock them in an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their color. (Chlorophyll, the pigment in green veggies is sensitive to heat and acids.  Unfortunately, there’s no saving the purple in purple hull beans, they are going to turn green when you cook them.)
    3. “French” the green beans by slicing them 3-4 times each on a sharp diagonal. Season with the salt. Toss into the rice, fluffing with a fork.
    4. Put the butter and oil in a preheated pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic until turning golden. Pour over the rice/bean mixture.

      HAPPY THANKSGIVING

      I hope you and yours have a VERY wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
      Now because it is Thanksgiving and everyone is sooooooooooooooooo busy this time of year I invite all my readers that want to participate to consider themselves tagged! Be sure and leave me a message so I can come read your answers!  I did this a couple of years ago and we had a lot of fun with it!

      Now on to the FUN!!

      1. Which do you like better: hosting Thanksgiving at your home, or going elsewhere?

      Years ago I somehow ended up hosting for my family and that became tradition. I think I prefer it, but we have had many wonderful Thanksgivings elsewhere. Last year was at my sis-in-laws and 2 years before that at her DIL’s and while were both wonderful, they were much different from having had it here.

      2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen turkey? Organic? Free-range?

      Depends on what is available in the small town neck of the woods. I don’t care whether it is frozen or fresh per se, but do want a free range one.

      3. Do you make stuffing or dressing? What kind?
      Absolutely make it from scratch! It’s an Oatnut Sourdough Herb Stuffing.

      4. Sweet potato pie or Pumpkin pie?
      Neither, it’s Pumpkin Cheesecake here.

      5. Are leftovers a blessing or a curse?
      Definitely a blessing. We love the leftovers for easy meals the following week and MUST HAVE turkey sandwiches.

      6. What side dishes are a must-have in your family?
      Oatnut Sourdough Herb Stuffing, Apricot Carrot Casserole and Baked Pineapple.

      7. What do you wish you had that might make Thanksgiving easier?
      A double wall oven would be easier on my back.

      8. If/when you go to someone else’s house for the holiday, do you usually bring a dish? If so, what is it? My Apricot Carrot Casserole because it is so different and blends well with whatever their menu is.

      9. What do you wish one of your guests would bring to your house?
      Smiles, appetites and positive attitudes.

      10. What do you wish one of your guests would NOT bring to your house?
      Bad attitudes coupled with deep seated arguments over politics and/or religion.

      11. Do you stick with a particular menu from year to year, or do you mix it up?

      While I do try to mix-it up now and then, a lynch mob quickly forms if I don’t keep it pretty close to what it has always been. For Christmas I have been able to mix it up better as it is also our youngest son’s birthday. He gets to pick the basic meat and then everyone else gets to pick a favorite to go with it and that has become our tradition since.

      12. Is Thanksgiving a religious or secular holiday in your home?

      It is a beautiful melding of both. We celebrate the pilgrimage with the influence God has always had on it.

      13. Share one Thanksgiving tradition.
      The Thanksgiving traditions in my family seemed to dwindle as the kids grew older and then the extended families and alternate get togethers grew. We do have a traditional meal with the same traditional recipes we have always used though.

      14. Share one Thanksgiving memory.

      As for disaster, it seems that in my parent’s house it always happened on Thanksgiving and usually involved the garbage disposal backing up and creating a HUGE mess. One year in particular it was really bad! So bad we couldn’t even have people over. My grandparents only lived a few blocks away. Long story short, grandpa brought their red Chevy station wagon over to our house with and old quilt spread out in the back and the adults loaded all the food there. My uncle and I rode in the back to keep all the bowls and pans from tilting over. While grandpa had been at our house, grandma had set the table at their house. All the food was unloaded from the station wagon and the preparation continued in grandma’s kitchen. It was one of the more memorable Thanksgivings I can remember.

      15. Name five things you’re thankful for.

      1. My Faith and love of God
      2. The love of family and friends
      3. A roof over our heads
      4. Food on the table and Dirty Dishes
      5. Babies & Puppies

      HAPPY THANKSGIVING & OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING

      We hope you and yours have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

      I’m sharing my family’s scratch recipe for my Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing. My brother has been after me for years to always make it the same way dad always did (tradition) and write it down, so this one is for him and to see if he really does read my blog! LOL! We use this recipe for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and I always make enough to freeze for weekday meals too. It’s a great way to use up stale bread. Sometimes I will collect the stale bread into a wrapper in the freezer until I have enough to make a large batch.
      Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
      10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut intobite size chunks
      1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
      1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
      1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
      1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
      1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
      1 tablespoon sea salt
      1 tablespoon white pepper
      2 sticks unsalted butter
      4 cups hot water
      2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
      2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
      4 cloves garlic, minced


      • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
      • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
      • Chop all the vegetables.
      • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
      • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
      • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
      • Add the melted butter.
      • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
      • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
      • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
      • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
      • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
      • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
      • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes. 

      Bean & Sausage Cassoulet

      I’ve already made this twice.  It was that good. It’s on the higher side of calories per portion but it was super filling.  It was wonderful to have this is the refrigerator for lunches all week.

      I don’t cook with sausage too often but I happened to have 2 packages of sausages.  Which is why I ended up making this twice.  I could probably drop the calories by adding chicken instead but the sausage was SOOOO good!  I also loved the slight tang from the red wine.  You could use beef broth but I encourage the red wine as it tasted wonderful!

      Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe

      1 (15 oz) can of black beans
      1 (15 oz) can of white beans
      1 (15 oz) can of red kidney beans
      1 lb. turkey sausage, diagonally sliced
      1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
      3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
      1 large onion, sliced into rings
      1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
      2 tbsp. brown sugar
      1 1/2 tsp. thyme
      3 cloves garlic, minced

      Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients in an ungreased 3 qt. casserole dish. Cover and bake until carrots are tender, about 1 hour or until hot and bubbly. 

      Total calories = 3320 calories
      8 servings = 415 calories per serving

      Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies–Save Room for Dessert

      These are the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made! And trust me, I’ve made a few.
      I hope you enjoy them too!
      Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies
      recipe from here
      
      1 cup granulated sugar
      1 cup powdered sugar
      2 cups shortening
      3/4 teaspoon vanilla
      1 large egg, beaten
      4 1/3 cups cake flour
      3/4 teaspoon baking soda
      3/4 teaspoon baking powder
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      Plain or colored sugar, for decorating

      Heat oven to 375 degrees.

      In a medium bowl, cream together sugars and shortening using an electric mixer. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
      Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.
      In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not over mix.Scoop with an ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

      Bake 9 to 10 minutes.

      Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, do not let edges brown. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

      

      Come over and visit me at Paper Plates and China

      

      TAILGATING TIME 2.0

      IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
      We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

      It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

      If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
       
       We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

      Hasselbeck Potatoes

      Hasselback Potatoes are a Swedish version of baked potato. The outside crisps up nicely and the soft center it’s a pleasure to eat. It’s makes a nice presentation and is easy to prepare. I’ve made these and brought them in a crock pot to a party, and it works nice keeping them warm. Perfect for the holidays. They are always a big hit, I get requested to make these often.

      Slice the washed small red potatoes 1/4 inch slices but not all the way through. You can use chopsticks or a wooden spoon if you have trouble stopping before you cut all the way through. Then slice up some cloves of garlic and slide a slice in between the slits in the potato. Place the potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper,or add fresh chopped herbs, or dried. Bake in 400° oven for an hour until the outside is crisp and the potatoes are cooked through. They end up a little crisp on the outside and nice and soft inside.

      I sprinkled some Parmesan on them halfway through the cooking time.

      I was so excited to eat these the photo blurred….no, umm… they were hot out of the oven and steamed up the lens….that’s it.

      Serve with your favorite herbed sour cream, sprinkled a little extra Parmesan and herbs on top, and there you have it.

      They go nicely with roasts and baked fish, heck they are garlic potatoes, they taste good with anything or I could make a meal of them by themselves.

      KEY LIME CHEESECAKE with BLUEBERRY CARAMEL SAUCE

      When I was a little girl my great aunt, Looney Louise, (okay we didn’t call her looney to her face, but it is what made her such fun) made a blueberry pudding cake with a tart lemon sauce that was out of this world!  When Ron asked me to review NuNatural’s products Aunt Louise’s recipe was the furthest thing from my mind.  After reviewing all the wonderful products that NuNaturals was gracious enough to send me and perusing the hundreds of recipes they also sent me, I settled on the blueberry cheesecake recipe.  The more I thought of blueberries, the more I thought of Louise and so I made the requisite recipe changes to make it my own and bring me close to the reverse of Looney Louise’s recipe.
      Recipe aside, I have to say that every NuNatural’s product I tried is excellent.  I am a total convert!  I was forced years ago to give up any chemically altered sugars so only had full bodied sugar to live on.  NuNatural’s products are not chemically altered, but based on Stevia, a natural plant! 
      KEY LIME PIE with CARAMEL BLUEBERRY SAUCE

      Crust: 
      1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs   
      6 tablespoons butter   
      15 drops NuNatural’s liquid stevia extract

      Filling:  
      16 ounces cream cheese 
      1/3 cup key lime juice  
      1 egg   
      1 teaspoon NuNatural’s white stevia powder

      • Crush about 12 graham crackers to make 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. 
      • Combine graham cracker crumbs, stevia extract and 6 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. 
      • Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides, pressing it to make it firm. 
      • Bake at 350° until golden brown (about 10 minutes). 
      • Allow to cool completely before using. 
      • Using a mixer, mix the ingredients in a bowl until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Don’t overdo it. 
      • Pour the mixture into the sugar-free graham cracker crust, spreading evenly and bake at 350° until lightly browned (about 30 minutes).

      Sauce:

      2 cups fresh blueberries
      5 tablespoons water, divided
      Pinch of coarse kosher salt
      4 teaspoons NuNatural’s white stevia powder
      7 drops NuNatural’s liquid Vanilla stevia 
      2 tablespoons Hershey’s caramel sauce
      2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
      • Combine berries, 1 tablespoon water, and coarse salt in medium saucepan. 
      • Stir and mash over medium-low heat until reduced to sauce consistency, about 4 minutes. Set aside. 
      • Combine sugar, 4 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. 
      • Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, 9 minutes. Remove from heat. 
      • Stir in blueberry sauce; let stand 5 minutes. 
      • Cool sauce to room temperature. 
      • Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

      • I was not paid for this review, but did receive free products to try. All opinions are my own. Their products are all natural, easy to convert and taste great!

      Caramelized (or at least it should have been) Chipotle Chicken – Fire Day Friday

      Sometimes, when you skip a step in a recipe, the outcome can still be really good, but the final product just isn’t quite what you had envisioned.  Take this lovely piece of chicken.  Had I not been in a hurry and allowed my glaze to cook and thicken, I truly would have had a piece of chicken that was wonderfully caramelized.  But, life gets in the way sometimes and well, like I said, the chicken was still pretty dang fantastic… it’s just that…. well.. it could have been that much better!

      So the lesson here is…. don’t skip any of these steps.  Take the extra few minutes and I promise, you will not be sorry.  Your chicken will be a bit spicy, a bit sticky, and a ton of oh so good!!

      Caramelized Chipotle Chicken
      Created by Jenn’s Food Journey

      – Serves 2 –

      Printable Recipe 
      Ingredients:
      2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
      2 Tablespoons ketchup
      1 Tablespoon chipotle puree (to make puree, dump entire contents of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a can into your food processor and puree)
      1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
      1 teaspoon Worcestershire
      1 teaspoon cider vinegar
      1 teaspoon brown sugar

      Directions:
      In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients except the chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens up just a little bit.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

      Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil grill grates.  Brush a little of the glaze on both sides of the chicken and place directly over the fire and cover.  Allow to grill for 6 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brush with more glaze.  Grill another 6 minute, flip and brush on more glaze.  Let the chicken finish cooking (internal temp of 165 degrees F.) and then remove from grill.  Brush on more glaze if you prefer and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

      TOMATO BISQUE with BAKED CHEESE CROUTONS

      Tomato Bisque
      2 tablespoons butter
      1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
      2 large carrots, chopped
      1 celery stalk, chopped small
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      4 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled
      4 cups chicken broth
      3 or 4 sprigs fresh parsley
      5-10 fresh basil leaves
      2 bay leaves
      1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
      Sea salt and white pepper to taste
      Grated Parmesan cheese for servin

      • Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
      • Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
      • Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
      • Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
      • Tie herbs together in cheesecloth and drop into the soup. This makes it easy to remove later.
      • Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
      • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
      • Remove herbs and discard.
      • Add whipping cream and blend until smooth.
      • Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.

      CROUTONS
      6 slices thick sourdough bread
      butter, melted, enough to coat bread
      ½ cup Fontina Cheese
      ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
      • Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. 
      • Melt butter in flat bowl. 
      • Combine cheeses in flat bowl. 
      • Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. 
      • Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. 
      • Float croutons on top of soup bowls just before serving.

        Pairs really well with Tuna Melts.

        Ice Cream Cake-Save Room for Dessert

        White Chocolate Macadamia Nut flavored ice cream with a white cake mix
        Today I’ve got an ice cream cake for you. But, not like you might think. 
        This cake uses a cake mix which usually isn’t my first choice but is worth the exception in this case.
        This cake is simple and extremely moist. 
        Not to mention there are so many flavor combinations.

        Red Velvet Ice Cream with Red Velvet Cake Mix
        Ice Cream Cake
        Recipe from Omnomicon
        1 box of cake mix (any flavor)
        1 pint of ice cream–softened (any flavor)
        3 eggs
        1 cup of water
        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
        Grease pan 9 x 13 or bunt pan
        Beat all ingredients for 4 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes.
        Serve with your favorite frosting or glaze. 
        I used a powdered sugar/milk glaze.
        Please come visit me at Paper Plates and China
        

        FINALLY HOME MENU

        Since there are no groceries in the house, we’re not sure when the moving company will deliver and we’re not sure when utilities will be turned on, I’m making this a super simple menu week.
        Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

        		 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
        Monday 11/14 CEREAL SANDWICHES SUBWAY SANDWICHES
        Tuesday 11/15 TOAST LEFTOVERS MAC & CHEESE
        Wednesday 11/16 YOGURT SOUP TUNA MELTS & TOMATO SOUP
        Thursday 11/17 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT FRIED EGG SANDWICHES
        Friday 11/18 OATMEAL SANDWICHES PIZZA
        Saturday 11/19 BACON & EGGS LEFTOVERS CHILI & CORNBREAD
        Sunday 11/20 PANCAKES & BACON C.OR.N. BLTs & CORN CHOWDER