Chili Verde

Chili verde is one of those dishes that seems so mysterious and dark when encountered on a taqueria menu. You know what I'm talking about: you go into Tequila's thinking you'll get a taco or something, and for one second, your eye strays over to The Dark Side of the Menu, where all the scary dishes go.

That's where you'll find shrimp cocktails, chile relleno, even cabeza or something crazier. And for one second, you consider what it would be like to be so fearless, so daring, to order something from The Dark Side of the Menu. Then you wuss out and order a bean-and-cheese burrito with extra sour cream.

But don't fear, because this is California, and mexican cuisine is everywhere. Take this recipe, for example: I never, in a million years, would order this at a taqueria. And that's wrong of me, because this is a spicy, tasty, easy dish. You serve it with with some fresh pico de gallo, or even some guacamole with cumin in it, and you got yourself a feast worthy of any fiesta. (DW)

This is probably one of the easiest recipes to make, it only requires two ingredients, and it is so good. You can serve it on corn tortillas or over rice. I prefer the latter, but my husband likes the corn tortillas.

1.5 lb pork, cut into 2" pieces
2- 7oz can Herdez salsa verde (or any brand of salsa verde you like)

Put pork and salsa verde in a 3-quart Crock-Pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. Once cooked, remove pork from the Crock-Pot, shred the pork with a fork, and return shredded pork back to the Crock-Pot.

Serve with corn tortillas or rice. (AW)

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I have this fantasy that my wife's cooking and baking skills are going to take us right to the top of our particular social class. Everyone will want to be around us, and think we're the coolest. I believe that with crazy recipes like this one, we're well on our way.

I had some friends over the other night. We wanted to do manly things, like smoke pipes and spit, but the second Amy brought these cupcakes out, that was all out the window. All of a sudden, it was "hey, do you guys have milk?" and "I want one more, but i really shouldn't". Manhood averted!

No one believes that these have zucchini in them, because it just doesn't have that zucchini taste, but man, these things are moist, dense, and rich. Which, come to think of it, is all you could really ask for in a cupcake. Just be ready for those suspicious, unsure looks when you tell your guests that these have zucchini. They'll disappear once your friends have actually tasted them. (DW)

I have an abundance of zucchini from our garden right now. I am always on the look out for new zucchini recipes. I ran across this recipe several months ago, and couldn't wait to try it. They were so good. The zucchini and chocolate go perfect together. Then you top it with chocolate cream cheese frosting and walnuts. How could these not be good? You should seriously try them right now! (AW)

Cupcakes
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled(or you can use 6 tablespoons cocoa power mixed with 2 tablespoons oil)
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used regular chocolate chips)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes, or until thickened and pale. Blend oil and chocolate into the egg mixture. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until well blended. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips until well incorporated. Spoon batter into 24 lined muffin cups (about 2/3 cup full). Bake for 20 minutes, or until center comes clean when toothpick is inserted in the center of the cupcake. Once cupcakes are cool, frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below) and chopped walnuts.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon milk
3 cups powdered sugar (if frosting is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar)
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and milk until smoothy and creamy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder until smooth. Then add remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well mixed.

*This recipe is modified from Real Mom's Kitchen. (AW)

Bruschetta Salad

Bruschetta is pure magic. We can all agree on it. If you’re at some sort of Italian restaurant, and they don’t offer some sort of bruschetta or bruschetta-based appetizer, you end up feeling slightly cheated, because Bruschetta Is Magic.

But what if we started deconstructing these dishes that we love so much? What if we replaced the grilled bread with wonderful, glorious mozzarella cheese?

Then you would have this amazing side dish, which blew the heck out of my mind and went like gangbusters alongside those fabulous little stuffed mushroom sliders from a few days back. (DW)

4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 handful of basil, chopped (based on preference)
¼ cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pkg of fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, and thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
Balsamic vinegar



In a medium bowl, add tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Mix until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour, to allow all flavors to marinate together.



On a flat serving tray, lay the mozzarella cheese slices in rows (overlapping slightly) until the serving tray is covered. Sprinkle a small amount of salt, to taste, over mozzarella cheese. Spoon the tomato mixture over the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle Balsamic Vinegar over the cheese and tomatoes. Serve immediately. (AW)

4-Cheese Spinach Mushrooms Sliders

There are honestly times where I wish I had the strength and endurance to be a vegetarian. I look at friends of mine who are vegetarians, and they seem so at peace with the world. They look healthy, and friendly, and they’re only occasionally smug about it.

I also know some vegans. Those people can’t eat cheese, however, and I can’t stress how much that bums me out. This post isn’t for them.

Who is this post for? It’s for the vegetarians who know, deep down in their hearts, that they’re missing out on the Culture of the Barbecue.

Because, make no mistake about it, that’s what is...a Culture. Standing around a hot grill, draining a ice cold Blue Moon, and burning the high holy crap out of some brats or a burger.

So you can imagine my shock and surprise that such a meat-focused culture is so easily translatable into purely plant-based terms. But that, of course, is the magic of my wife, who I’m 98.8% sure is some sort of wizard.

By the way, I’ve never been a fan of sliders, but I’ll allow these because they’re so dang tasty. Also, what if we started calling midgets “sliders”? That would be funny, yeah? (DW)

8 baby portabella mushrooms
5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted, and drained of any excess liquid
4 tablespoons cream cheese
4 tablespoons feta cheese
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons green onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
8 Slider Buns

Clean and remove the stems from the portabella mushrooms.

In a medium bowl, mix defrosted spinach, cream cheese, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Spoon equal portions of spinach-cheese mixture into each of the portabella mushrooms. Grill on BBQ for 5-10 minutes, or until mushroom is tender (I grill my mushrooms on a piece of aluminum foil).

Serve on toasted slider buns.

*These mushrooms can also be served without the slider bun as an appetizer (AW)

Farm Fresh to You Friday!

Here is what we get in our Farm Fresh to You delivery this week: Yellow Peaches, Oranges, Tomatoes, Galia Musk Melon, Blueberries, Bing Cherries, Baby Broccoli, Beets, Cauliflower, Arugula, Snap Peas, Rosemary, Yellow Onion, Sweet Gypsy Peppers

We have been so busy lately, that we have not really had time to blog. I am hoping next week that will change. I have lots of good ideas for dinner thanks to our fruit and veggie delivery this week! I plan on making salmon with a caprece salad (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar), blueberry pancakes, a roasted beet salad served with arugula and an orange champagne vinaigrette (it sounds fancier then it really is!), and some stuffed peppers. Can’t wait for all of this good food!

Now let’s just hope we have time to make it all and report back to you on how it came out! Have a great weekend. (AW)

Our night: Nachos. Eating them straight off the pan. Lost finale.

Farm Fresh to You Friday!

Here is what we got in our Farm Fresh To You Delivery this week: Oranges, Peaches, Corn, Avocados, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Lemons, Strawberries, Apricots, Broccoli, Zucchini, Bok Choy, Cabbage, Baby Lettuce, Beets, Celery, Onion.

Tonight for dinner, I made some fresh herb chicken, spicy sugar snap peas, and fingerling potatoes (recipes will be posted soon). The sugar snap peas, and the the fingerling potatoes were the last two items I had to use from our deliver two weeks ago. Now I am ready to use my new fruits and vegetables that arrived today!

I was so excited to see apricots and peaches in our box this week. I had already eaten two apricots before I even got all of the fruits and vegetables unpacked from the box. I think I will make some whole wheat pancakes with fresh strawberries on top for dinner one night this week. Who doesn't like breakfast for dinner!? I also have some ribs that I am going to BBQ, and then grill the corn to go on the side. (AW)

Ham & Asparagus Wraps with Pasta

My husband has to work almost every night this week. So I thought I would share with you what a typical dinner looks like when I cook for myself. First off, when cooking for myself, I don't generally worry about if the food works together. I cook what I feel like eating and what needs to be used up in our refrigerator. A typical dinner could be broccoli, tater tots, and a fried egg. But if thats what I feel like eating, that is what I cook!

Tonight I knew I needed to use some asparagus and mushrooms that were getting close to spoiling, and I felt like eating pasta. This is what I created.

First I made some Ham & Asparagus wraps that we usually serve as appetizers in our family.

First you boil some asparagus until tender. Once cooked, drain the asparagus and immediately run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. After the asparagus is cool, take a piece of deli ham, spread some cream cheese on the ham, and then wrap it around the asparagus. Its that easy. And trust me, these are yummy and addicting to eat.

Next, I made some buttered pasta with mushrooms. First you boil your pasta until cooked. Drain the pasta. Add butter and garlic powder to the hot pasta and mix until butter is melted. Add sauteed mushrooms, asparagus, and parmesan cheese.

This was a great, easy dinner for one! (AW)

Caramelita Bars

The reaction this dessert gets is what I love about this one.

You see, I love when Amy bakes. She has an innate gift, or some sort of crazy killer instinct when it comes to baking treats. I am convinced that the job I have now was less earned by my general merit and more earned by the baking Amy would do for the people who would ultimately hire me. That's what good baking/cooking does, in essence: it tips the scales.

We had a Gigantic Worship Rock Concert at the church I work at last weekend, and Amy baked several treats for the army of volunteers helping load in amps and stage lifts. I think one of my boss's kids said it best: "It's like Turkish Delight."

Think about that reaction for a second; Turkish Delight. A reference to a sinful addiction that leads to the corruption and eventual downfall of a young child in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

I can live with that. (DW)

I always see these cookie bars in Starbucks or other coffee shops. When I ran saw this recipe on the Sister's Cafe blog, I decided to try to make them. I made 1.5 times the recipe and baked it in a 13x9" pan, instead of the 11x7" pan they say in the directions. I tell you what, these bars where a huge hit with everyone that ate them. They all raved about how good these were!

1 cup flour
1 cup oats
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
½ pecans
¾ cup caramel topping
3 tablespoons flour

Mix all flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and butter until well combined. Press ½ the mixture into an 11x7 pan, and set the other ½ of the mixture aside. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans on top of the crust. Blend the ¾ cup caramel topping with 3 tablespoons flour. Drizzle on top of chocolate chips and pecans. Sprinkle the rest of the oat/flour mixture on top of the caramel. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool before slicing.

Quinoa Salad with Raisins

I can already here you on this one. "Walkers, we're cool with fajita salads and magical hamburgers, but we're not on board with you guys on quinoa, whatever that is."

And to that, I say this: Beep-beep, everyone. All-aboard the QUINOA EXPRESS, suckers.

Because, and this is strictly Real Talk here, this recipe is extremely light and delicious, and is the kind of thing that crackers and spring days were made for.

I'll admit, I wasn't ready to roll on this, but sometimes a meal is far, far greater than the sum of its parts. You're telling me that some weird grain crap, mixed with raisins (nature's candy, if you're a hippie), garlic, pine nuts, and other weird random stuff, produces something as glorious as this?

But it did. And I tore through this salad with The Quickness. I mean, seriously, it was gone in no time. As I alluded to before, serve it cold on crackers and it becomes The Perfect Snack. (DW)

1 cup quinoa (this is a grain, which kind of reminds me of couscous)
¼ cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
¼ cup raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper, to taste

Place quinoa in dry saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ¾ cup water (or chicken stock) to pan and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove the toasted pine nuts from the pan and set aside. In the same pan that you just used for the pine nuts, and the olive oil and garlic. Sautee for about 1 minute, or just long enough to bring out the garlic flavor, but not to burn it. Set aside the garlic, reserving the oil as well.

Add cooked quinoa, toasted pine nuts, remaining olive oil, garlic, parsley, raisins, lemon juice in a bowl and mix with a fork to fluff the quinoa. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this salad warm or cold. (AW)

*This recipe is courtesy of The Food Network Magazine- April 2010

Turkey Pesto Burgers

You guys, turkey is the best meat there is.

I know, it's kind of a weird argument to make, and I'm not 100% sure I'm really willing to back this up, but I'll be danged if turkey, this magical, lean, somewhat-crumbly, always-tasty meat hasn't become a favorite substitute in the Walker household.

Seriously, we're becoming one of those weird, cult-like families who cooks everything with venison or ostrich meat or something. Except it's turkey, and it's freaking excellent, yo.

I can't wait until you guys try this leaner, healthier version of a hamburger and tell me how awesome it is, and I'll be all, "yeah, I know, jerk. I eat turkey burgers all the time."

OK, that might be a harsh reaction, but that's what good food does to us, right? (DW)

I will admit, I generally don't like turkey burgers. I don't know why, but I like regular hamburgers so much better. That was, until I found this recipe. The pesto, garlic, onion, and cheese make this recipe. I serve these burgers with sautéed mushrooms and garlic fries on the side.

3 lbs ground turkey
3 slices of bread, crumbled
1 yellow onion (use can use shallots as well), minced
3 eggs
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons pesto
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Form into patties. Grill or pan fry until juices run clear, and turkey burgers are cooked thoroughly.

*The recipe originally came from a freezer meal website, therefore it makes a lot of turkey burgers. I make the full recipe, and then freeze them to use later. If you don't want to make this many burgers, just reduce ingredients proportionately. (AW)

Homemade Chicken Stock

Over the last few months, I have begun to make my own chicken stock. All I keep thinking is “Why didn’t I try this sooner?” Homemade chicken stock taste amazing, is easy to make and freeze, and so much cheaper than buying it. Every time that I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco, I make one or two dinners with the meat, and then I make about 18 cups of chicken stock to freeze. And the best part, the chicken only cost me $5.00!

15-20 cups of water
1 rotisserie chicken, with most of the meat removed
Handful of baby carrots or regular carrots, chopped
3-5 celery stocks (you can include the leaves)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of Paula Deen’s House Seasoning (recipe below)

In a large stock pot, add your chicken (just throw the whole chicken in there, no need to remove the skin), carrots, celery and onion. Fill the pot with water until it is almost full. Add the house seasoning, and mix. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3-4 hours. The longer you let it cook, the more flavor you will have. Once cooked, remove from heat, and strain chicken stock through a colander to remove the chicken and vegetables. Cool the broth for a for a few hours before freezing. Store in freezer safe containers (I usually freeze with 4 cups of broth per container). (AW)

Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
1 cup salt
¼ cup black pepper
¼ cup garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Fellow Food Nerds! To paraphrase my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song, Let's Talk About Salad.

Salads are always exciting for me, because I feel like if I'm ever going to be healthy, salad is the Magical Gateway thru which it will happen. Then I eat too much of it and feel sick.

Amy thought this up with her amazing Food Brain. She seriously blows my mind with her imagination. This is a nice diversion from the typical taco salad one would serve when in the mood for something mexican and light. (DW)

2 chicken breasts
Fajita seasoning (I use Wildtree Fajita Seasoning)
Green bell pepper
Onion
Mushrooms
Lettuce, torn into pieces
Carrots, chopped or shredded
Cucumber, chopped
Avocado (We didn't put avocado on our salad, instead we made guacamole out of it, but I think avocado would be good on the salad)
Ranch Dressing (I mixed in a teaspoon of fajita mix with the ranch, to give it a little extra flavor)

Marinate chicken breast with the fajita seasoning for at least 1 hour. Grill chicken breast, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms until cooked. Cut cooked chicken, bell pepper, and onion into slices. Serve chicken and vegetables over a bed of lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. Top with ranch dressing before serving. (AW)

Happy Birthday Cole!

My sister and nephews were here visiting from Alaska for the last month. My oldest nephew, Cole, was celebrating his 3rd birthday while he was here. His favorite things right now are dragons and dinosaurs. So, of course I got this crazy idea to try to make him a dinosaur cake for his family birthday party! Surprisingly, it actually turned out pretty good (and by "good", I mean it at least resembles some sort of dinosaur/lizard creature).


Here is Cole checking out his cake!


*I got the template from the Betty Crocker Website. (AW)

Farm Fresh to You Friday!

Happy Friday! I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the sunny, warm weekend that is expected around the Bay Area. I hope the rain is over, and the sun continues to shine until October!

Here is what came in my Farm Fresh to You delivery this week: Crimini Mushrooms, Artichokes, Navel Oranges, Avocado, Zucchini, Cucumber, Sweet Potato, Strawberries, Lemons, Parsley, Celery, Butter Lettuce, Broccoli, Spring Onions, Green Bell Pepper, Carrots.

Seriously, I love my Farm Fresh to You deliveries. I get mine every two weeks, and it is amazing. I always ate vegetables with dinner, but now, I eat a lot of vegetables and even fruit. And I love it. It really forces me to get creative with my dinners and try new things. This week I think I will try some sort of Fajita Chicken Salad with the onions, bell pepper, butter lettuce, and avocado with a homemade fiesta ranch dressing.

Enjoy your weekend! (AW)

Pan Fried Zucchini with Shallots

I didn't like vegetables growing up. Maybe it's because they looked like they wouldn't taste good. I don't know. But something happened like 10 or 12 years ago, and now I like vegetables and eat so much that I feel like I'm making up for lost time.

I seriously love this recipe, and I love how Amy insists on having side dishes. I'd be happy with one dish meals, but I'm learning that variety makes for a much more enjoyable meal.

This zucchini is one of the tastier things you'll ever have. I don't know what it is, but texture and taste-wise, this is a complete victory for vegetables everywhere!

(I have some vegetarian friends, and they always seem so sad; maybe if they tried this dish, they wouldn't be so mean all the time?) (DW)

Growing up my Dad did the majority of the cooking in our house. At every meal, we always had a meat, a vegetable, and a carbohydrate (potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta). Therefore, that is the way I tend to cook as well. Here is how he used to prepare zucchini for us. When I saw that I got zucchini and shallots in my food box this week, I knew I wanted to make this dish. I served it with tortellini and bread.

Olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4 zucchinis, sliced
Garlic powder
Salt
Parmesan cheese

In a frying pan, heat a little bit of olive oil. Add shallot and cook for about a minute, or just until they start to get tender. Add zucchini slices, garlic powder, and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is to the desired tenderness. Add parmesan cheese on top, just before serving. (AW)

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

We’ve developed the technology to do it. We’ve argued the moral and philosophical viewpoints to death. Sometimes, we stay up at night, wrestling with the burden of how to accomplish something that seems so daunting, so...implausible.

I’m talking, of course, about how to make a better brownie.

You see, for years, brownies have been brownies. You know what you’re getting when you sink your sweet tooth into a brownie - moist, dense, rich. Sometimes, there are nuts. Not a lot, though - just enough to distract you momentarily from all that chocolate.

In fact, scratch that last part - quit putting nuts in brownies, I hate that.

So, anyways, I was just a bit skeptical when Amy told me she was making something called Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies. I don’t know why I was skeptical, though. Amy’s batting average for dinners has been pretty flawless lately. It was only right that her version of a classic dessert dish would blow my mind.

But, I digress. Just try these brownies, OK? They’re a different kind of chewy than your average brownie - almost crispy, like you smuggled contraband Rice Krispies in there or something. Try them for your next party, and watch them disappear by the dishful. (DW)

I think the name says it all. These brownies are some of my favorites! They are rich, and oh so good. My good friend Kristen gave me this recipe, and it has been a favorite since. The original recipe made the brownies from scratch, but I always just use a box mix (I know, it's shocking!) and it makes this recipe a breeze.

1 brownie box mix (use what ever brand you like. I personally love Ghiradelli brownies from Costco)
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup Rice Krispie cereal



Cook brownies in a 13x9" pan, according to the direction on the package. Once brownies are cooked, take them out of the oven, and while they are still hot, spread the marshmallows evenly on top of them. Put the brownies back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just until the marshmallows melt. Spread the melted marshmallows over the brownies, and let cool.



After the brownies are cool, prepare the top layer by placing the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until melted. Stir until smooth. Add rice krispies and mix throughly. Spread over the marshmallow layer, and let cool completely. Cut into squares and enjoy! (AW)

Hawaiian Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I have this thing about messing with classic recipes. My thing is this: don't do it. Comfort food is called that because it doesn't change - it's always there, in the exact form you had it last time, and the time before, etc. Not everything has to be adventurous, so thank you, California Pizza Kitchen, but I'm fine without peanut sauce or avocado on my pizza.

But every once in a while, Amy will lovingly challenge my need for rigid ingredient guidelines with something like this chicken salad, and it blows my face off, because I wasn't expecting it to be, well, good.

At this point in my marriage, you'd think I'd just expect some things from her cooking.

One more note - I'm very particular about how I make chicken salad sandwiches, and I won't apologize for it. I like my bread lightly toasted. I want tons of lettuce. And I want, no, need, DELI MUSTARD. I know what you're thinking - "how does your need for deli mustard interact with the pineapple in the salad?" Well, it interacts beautifully, thanks for asking.

So, I was adventurous, almost by accident, and I walked away with a new favorite sandwich. I am a champion at eating food. (DW)

My Aunt Rhonda made this chicken salad for my sister's Hawaiian themed wedding shower several years ago. Since then, it has been a favorite lunch of mine. I like the sweetness of the pineapple and the crunch the celery and macadamia nuts add to the chicken salad. I don't have any measurements for this recipe, so just add the amounts that you like of each ingredient.

Chicken breast, cooked and shredded (I usually use Costco's rotisserie chicken, but you can use canned chicken as well)
Mayonnaise
Celery, chopped
Crushed pineapple, with juice reserved
Chopped macadamia nuts
Salt & pepper, to taste

Mix chicken, mayonnaise, celery, pineapple, a little bit of the pineapple juice, and macadamia nuts in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on toasted sourdough bread or a croissant. (AW)

Farm Fresh to You Friday!

Well, another week is over! I am so excited because I only have to work Monday next week. I took the rest of the week off to hang out with my sister and nephews (ages 3 and 11 months) who are in town visiting and to celebrate my 4 year anniversary with my husband. I am sure it will be a fun, crazy, and busy week!

Here is what I got in my Farm Fresh to You deliver this week: Braeburn Apples, Avocado, Napa Cabbage, Navel Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Sweet Potatoes, Minnelo Tangelo, Strawberries, Asparagus, Collard Greens, Celery, Butter Lettuce, Zucchini, Broccoli, Carrots, Red Spring Onion, Cauliflower, and Shallots.

Wow! That is quite a list. I love that spring has arrived so that we are getting some new fruits & vegetables in our box. I had some strawberries last week in my food box, and they were delicious. I look forward to having them again this week. I love zucchini and have two easy ways to make zucchini. I will try to post one of those recipes next week. The only item I am running out of ideas for is cabbage, but I will find a recipe (maybe a Chinese Chicken Salad) because I am determined to use every fruit and vegetable we get in our box within the two week time frame. So far, I have done pretty good finding ways to use it all.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! (AW)

Spring Soup with Ham & Cabbage

OK, people, let’s talk about soup.

Soup is a weird subject for me, because I love it, but I don’t ever seek it out. At times, it doesn’t seem like real food to me, which is crazy, because it fills me up like regular food. There’s just something about it that doesn’t seem...substantial. I would never order it at a restaurant. Compared to honest to goodness food that you can sink your teeth into, soup just seems...like something less-than, if that makes sense.

There have been times in my life, like the great Pho Disaster of February ’10, that I have a bowl of soup for a meal, and I eat it too fast (this will be a theme with me, believe it), and I find myself clutching my stomach and groaning like a sick toddler, because the Eternal Truth is this: Soup is meant to be savored, enjoyed, relished.

I am not good at relishing food. I approach food like a battle, and I want to win it, and win it quickly.

So this is the paradigm into which this amazing soup was introduced. I can’t say I ate it slowly, but there was enough substance (ham, orzo pasta, cabbage) there that made it feel like an honest-to-God meal, and a hearty one at that. I ate three bowlfuls, in quick succession, but was still good for a quick walk-around-the-block a half-hour later. This is a Soup Record for me. (DW)

When I set out to make this soup, I had no real direction on where I was going with it. All I knew was that I had chicken broth and cabbage that I needed to use. I have to say that, being that it was created without any direction, this soup turned out great. It is a light and satisfying soup with lots of flavor. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to use potatoes, rice or orzo pasta in my soup. I ended up using the orzo because it cooks quickly, but I think potatoes or rice would taste just as good in this soup.

12 cups chicken broth
Olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped leeks or yellow onion
1 ham steak, cut into small cubes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
3 cups cabbage, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

In a stock pot, heat some olive oil. Add carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and ham steak until cooked thoroughly. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Boil for 30 minutes. Add orzo and cabbage to pot. Cook 10 minutes or until orzo is cooked. Add salt & pepper. Serve with rosemary focaccia bread. (AW)

Baked Chimichangas

I don't think I've ever been one for authentic, honest-to-God Mexican food. You see, I like it fake. I like burritos and taquitos and enchiladas. When people try and get me to eat authentic, I like it, but i always find my ADHD-infected mind wandering to thoughts of Taco Bell. (This may be a sickness, yes; but, it's MY sickness.)

So, Amy put this before me - not the most authentic dish, but one I hadn't ever paid much mind to. One that used cabbage, of all things - an ingredient I've never been wild about, but one that played a starring role in a tasty, thoughtful dish. And you know what? It felt authentic to me.

This meal, for me, is all about texture. Let these little wonders bake an extra minute or two in the oven - you want that crispy crunch, trust me. These chimichangas were hearty, above all else - after eating two, I felt like I could wrestle a bull, or something like that.

For added effects, we listened to Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis while we ate. OK, we didn't, but now I kind of wish we would've. They were that good. (DW)

2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can pinto or black beans
1 cup salsa
2 chicken breast, cooked and cubed or shredded
Olives
Green onions
Monterey Jack cheese
Flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients (except tortillas) together in a bowl. Wrap filling in tortillas so all ends are closed. Place in a 13X9" glass pan. Bake for 15 -20 minutes in oven @ 350 degrees.

Serve with sour cream and salsa over the top.

This recipe is courtesy of my Aunt Rhonda and my cousin Crystal. (AW)

Fresh Homemade Salsa

I know what you’re asking. “Why in the world would you guys make your own salsa? Isn’t just as easy, if not easier, to buy your own? Do you have to make everything, you dumb hippies?”

Well, let me tell you, if canned/jarred salsa came out as vibrant and delicious as this fresh salsa recipe, I would buy it in a heart beat. But it doesn’t.

Our dear friend Nancy Johnson had the idea for this salsa, after eating the delicious salsa they serve at Casa Orozco and deciding she wanted to create the same thing at home. I would venture my opinion that this salsa is some of the best stuff I’ve ever tasted. Make a bunch of it today and see if you disagree. (DW)

I make two different types of salsa, one with canned tomatoes and one with fresh tomatoes. This is the recipe that I make using canned tomatoes. I usually make this salsa in the winter months, when we don’t have fresh tomatoes or jalapenos from our garden. Once summertime arrives, I will post my recipe for fresh tomato salsa, which is more like a pico de gallo.

1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with most of the liquid drained
1 handful of fresh parsley (about ¼ cup)
¼ yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ lime, juiced

Add the tomatoes, parsley and onion to food processor. Using the pulse button, quickly pulse the ingredients 5-7 times to blend all ingredients. (Try not to pulse too many times, otherwise you will end up with tomato soup instead of salsa!) Pour salsa out of food processor into a bowl.

Add the salt, Tabasco sauce, and lime juice to the salsa. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Refrigerate until cooled (at least 4 hours) to let all of the flavors develop. After the salsa has cooled, see if you need to add more salt (for flavor) or Tabasco sauce (for heat).

*This recipe was inspired by one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in town, and created by our good friend Nancy. (AW)

Farm Fresh to You Friday!

It’s Friday! That means we got our bi-weekly delivery of fruits & vegetables. Here is what we got this week: Navel oranges, Braeburn apples, Fuji apples, orange tangerines, pears, oranges, Minneola tangelos, strawberries, grapefruit, lemons, green cabbage, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, green leaf lettuce, carrots, red beets, yellow onion, Yellow Finn potatoes, baby mixed lettuce, and celery . With the addition of strawberries and asparagus in our box this week, you can that spring is definitely in the air. Our box had two big heads of cabbage in it. I think I will try to make some cabbage soup, or maybe some cabbage rolls this week.

It has been such a busy week that I hardly had any time to cook. I look forward to next week, where I might have a little more time to cook dinner. We also have been working on cleaning up an area of our backyard that had three big grape vines so we can start planting our garden soon. I want to get some zucchini, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and herbs planted. I love this time of year! (AW)

Fruit Salsa

"Fruit salsa?" you're saying. "That doesn't even sound like a thing!!"

Well shut up, Jerkface, because it IS a thing. An AWESOME thing.

Our friends, Jeremy and Rox Taylor, made this for us. We were about as skeptical as they come. But man, we were blown away by how much taste this thing offers. It's not too sweet, and it's the perfect summer dish - bring it to a party, and watch people line up to be your friend. The cinnamon pita chips are available at Trader Joe's - they're an integral part of this amazing appetizer. (DW)

Seriously, I love fruit salsa! The ingredients in this recipe sound weird together, but you have to try it. It tastes so good. The original recipe also calls for chopped jalapeno peppers, but I always omit them when I make it. Use a small food processor to make chopping the strawberries and bell pepper easier.

1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1 orange, peeled & finely chopped
2 large or 3 small kiwi fruits, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, juices drained (about an 8 oz can)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup yellow or green bell pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours to allow the flavors to marinate together. Serve with cinnamon pita chips.

This recipe was given to me from our friend Roxanne and can also be found in the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook, New Cookbook- Bridal Edition. (AW)

Spicy Refried Beans

Spicy foods might intimidate you. Lord knows, they intimidate me. I have numerous instances seared into my memory - taking a bite of a pepper I misjudged to be mild, or ordering a dish at a Mexican restaurant that had too much heat to it.

Almost all of those times, I was out of reach of a glass of water or anything to quench the fire eradicating my taste buds. I don't always plan these things out well.

But don't let this dish intimidate you, because it demonstrates an important point - that "spicy" doesn't always have to mean "painful". It can mean "delicious". And that's what these are - De-Fricking-Licious. (DW)

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is make food that you normally buy in a jar or can at the grocery store, and, instead, make it from scratch. By making it yourself, you have control over what ingredients you put in your recipe, the quality of the ingredients you use, and the amount of sodium that goes into your food.

Refried beans are a food that we eat quite frequently using the canned form, but this recipe just might make canned refried beans a thing of the past in the Walker household. When I set out to make this recipe, I was just planning on following the recipe I got off of Real Mom's Kitchen website, but I just got a little carried away with adding ingredients we had in our refrigerator. The result was spicy and flavorful. If you don't want them spicy, just leave out the chipotle and jalepenos.

3 cups of dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 yellow onion, chopped
9 cups of water (I actually used 3 cups chicken stock, and 6 cups of water)
5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon The Art of Chipotle Gourmet Paste (optional)
1/4 cup pickled jalepeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

Put all ingredients in a 5-quart Crock-Pot. Cook on high for 7-8 hours, until beans are tender. Drain the beans, reserving the excess water (you will use the excess water to thin out the beans after you mash them). Using a potato masher, mash the beans, adding a little bit of your reserve water at a time, until a desired consistency is reached. Serve warm. (AW)

Lemon Chicken with Capers

Chicken is such a versatile concept - you can do like 10 million things to it. So it's always a worthwhile treat when you eat chicken prepared in a way that you've never really had before.

Take this lemon chicken recipe, which Amy busted out on me 2 weeks ago. I was flabbergasted, because it's not in my nature to like lemon, plus capers look weird.

But I overcame my initial prejudice, because this dish was light and tasty. Plus, it's pasta-based, and I am staunchly in favor of taking chicken, preparing it in new and interesting ways, and dumping it over a big pile of pasta. (DW)

This recipe is a light, and flavorful dish. I hardly ever make lemon chicken, but when I do, I am reminded of just how much I enjoy it.

Olive oil
2 boneless chicken breast, cut into thin slices
Lemon pepper (to season chicken breast)
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons capers, drained
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh parsley

Heat oil in pan. Season chicken breast with lemon pepper on both sides. Add to saute pan and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside. In a small bowl, add the cold water and cornstarch, and mix until smooth. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, butter, and cornstarch mixture to the sauté pan you just cooked your chicken in. While stirring sauce, bring it to a boil, and reduce heat. Cook on a simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken. Add capers and chicken back to pan. Heat thoroughly. Add fresh parsley right before serving. Serve over whole wheat pasta. (AW)

Tortellini Pasta Salad

I fricking love this pasta salad. It's seriously the Best Thing Ever.

In fact, pasta salad in general is the Best Thing Ever.

I recommend making this in the morning, refrigerating it all day, and serving it cold at night. Everyone will think you're awesome. You'll be the talk of the town, and everyone will clamor to invite you to their barbecues and potlucks.

Here's what I'm saying: This recipe will make you popular. It will help you win friends and influence people. And don't skip the green bell pepper, because that's the secret weapon this thing packs. (DW)

Here is the recipe for one of our favorite summer salads. I always try to keep a package or two of tortellini in freezer, so I can make this in a hurry. I'll give you the ingredients I use in the salad, but, really, you can put just about anything in it. It's very versatile.

1 package of tortellini, cooked & cooled
Olives
Canned artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
Green bell pepper (sometimes I use broccoli), chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Parmesan cheese
Italian salad dressing (you can use which ever brand is your favorite)

Put tortellini, olives, artichokes, bell pepper, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese in a large glass bowl. Pour Italian dressing over salad, to your liking. Serve cold. (AW)

Grilled Marinated Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and bottoms trimmed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
Garlic Powder

Put asparagus and minced garlic in a zip lock bag. Add just enough olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder to coat asparagus. Seal ziplock bag and shake to coat asparagus evenly. Marinate for 30 min to 1 hour in refrigerator. Grill on BBQ for 5-8 minutes, until asparagus is tender, but not overcooked. (AW)

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This dish might be one of my favorite things in the world. If I’m ranking my favorite things in the world, it goes something like this: mid-90’s hip-hop, reruns of “The Cosby Show”, this recipe, and then maybe Hardy Boys books.

It’s not hard, either, OK, people? Quit acting like pulled pork is a hard dish because it’s not. (At least, I’m assuming it’s not; I’ve never heard Amy complain about making this dish. This is what I am basing my assumption on.)

Also, dipping things in ranch may be kind of grade-schoolish, but I don’t care, y’all. DIP THESE SANDWICHES IN RANCH OR YOU’RE A CHUMP. (DW)

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2-4 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast, tied
1 can (10 oz) Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 oz package Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides.

In a separate bowl, combine soup, onion soup mix, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour mixture into a 5-quart Crock-Pot. Add pork and turn to coat on all sides.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork from Crock-Pot and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred pork, and return to Crock-Pot. Serve on rolls. (AW)

This recipe was adapted from a Campbell's Pulled Pork Recipe

Farm Fresh to You Friday

Here is what we got in our Organic Fruit and Vegetable box this week from Farm Fresh to You: Fuji Apples, Navel Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Pears, Avocado, Artichokes, Green Cabbage, Celery, Rainbow Chard, Cauliflower, Red Beets, Leeks, Romaine Lettuce, Cilantro, Yukon Potatoes.

I can't tell you how excited I am to get ARTICHOKES this week. I love artichokes, and haven't had them in awhile. Yummy. We also got some red beets and cabbage in our box. I have always wanted to try a roasted beet salad, so now is my chance. I also found a recipe for barbecued cabbage with bacon. I hope both recipes turn out good!

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! (AW)

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I hope you all enjoyed your corn beef and cabbage dinner! This was the first time in the four years we have been married that I made St. Patrick's Day dinner at home. I did the potatoes, carrots, and corn beef in the crock-pot. When I got home from work, I took the corn beef out of the crock-pot and put yellow mustard and brown sugar on the top of it. I broiled the corn beef in the oven for a few minutes to let the glaze bake. It turned out great! (AW)

Banana Cinnamon Pancakes

I love to make a big batch of pancakes, freeze them in packages of two, and bring them to work with me for breakfast. All I have to do is leave some syrup and butter at work, and then I always have a great start to my day. Its so easy.


Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking & Pancake Mix
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Here's what you do: Prepare pancakes batter according to the directions on the box. Then you add the mashed banana and cinnamon to the pancake batter. Cook over a hot griddle. Serve with real syrup and butter.

These are so, so yummy and make your house (or office) smell good too! (AW)

Homemade Bagel Dogs

What I really, truly love, food-wise, is the magic trick aspect of it all; that is, how genuinely amazing things can be coaxed from random ingredients. You combine some of this, a bit of that, you wave a wand over it, and presto - you have delicious food.

Now, I know that Amy will read that and roll her eyes, because it betrays my general ignorance about the effort and work she puts into cooking. But for someone like me, a recipe like this - homemade bagel dogs - is more than just a good meal or something to fill my stomach with; it's magical.

It's also comfort food. I had a long day at work a few days back, and on my way home, got the following text: "I made lunch. It's random but I think it will be good." Now, most men would read that and shudder; I read that and stepped on the gas. When I came home, I was welcomed with the sight of one of my favorite childhood treats cooling on a baking sheet. Where she got this idea, how she got the audacity to recreate a national after-school past-time like this, who knows. But I win, because I married this woman.

Don't let this recipe intimidate you. It's worth the effort. I have no idea how she will beat this, what other treats from my preteen years she will attempt to conjure up from scratch - Hot Pockets? Home Run Pies? Pizza rolls?!?!?

Oh, sweet fancy Moses, let it be pizza rolls. (DW)

A few days ago, I was scanning some of the recipe blogs I enjoy reading, and happened to stumble upon a recipe for these homemade bagel dogs. I instantly knew I needed to make this, and now. I haven't eaten a bagel dog in probably 12 years, but we always had bagel dogs in the freezer growing up, and I loved them. I don't usually cook with any recipe that uses yeast, because it intimidates me. But, for the love of bagel dogs, I thought I would branch out. The blog I found the recipe on is called Real Mom Kitchen. This recipe is pretty easy, but time-consuming. I suggest that you make these on a day you are just hanging out around the house, doing stuff like laundry, because you have to let them rise twice, for about an hour each time. If you try them, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

2 cups water (110° F)
2 packages, active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons table salt
5 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
12-16 quality all-beef hot dogs (make sure they are nitrate free!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, lightly beaten
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds and/or coarse salt for garnish

Pour the water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and sprinkle with the yeast. Let the mixture stand about five minutes or until foamy, then stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and the salt. Using the paddle attachment and with the mixer on medium speed, gradually add flour, beating until well-blended and smooth, until you have a stiff dough. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic in texture. Form the dough into a lump and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Turn the dough over to grease the top. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead briefly to eliminate any air bubbles and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12×9 inch rectangle or until it’s about a 1/4-inch thick, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or the board. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 12 1-inch pieces of dough.

Dry the hot dogs thoroughly. Starting at one end of a hot dog, wrap the dough around overlapping slightly as you make your way to the other end. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining hot dogs and strips of dough. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the over to 400°. Fill a deep, heavy pot with water and add the baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil. Working 2 to 3 bagels at a time, carefully drop the bagel dogs into the boiling water, turning frequently with a slotted spoon or spatula, for about a minute. Lift out of the water and gently dry each bagel well on a kitchen towel and arrange about 2-inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining bagel dogs.


Brush the bagels with the egg glaze and sprinkle on your garnish of choice. Bake for about 35 minutes or until nicely browned and crusty. Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack

* I didn't add the egg white, or any salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds to my bagel dogs, and they still turned a nice golden brown color. I made 15 bagel dogs from this recipe. We ate a few for lunch, and I put the rest in the freezer to pull out for a quick meal. (AW)

Taco Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Salad can take five minutes to make, and a lifetime to master. This is not an overstatement.

So many things contribute to what makes a good salad - lettuce-to-fixings ratio, quality of dressing, quantity of dressing, protein, crunch factor, and whether or not some weirdo puts baby corn on it.

Seriously. When weirdos put baby corn on salads, that makes me so mad.

Taco salad, while a variation on traditional salad, can still be tricky. The most important thing to do, in my opinion, is to demonstrate restraint; you need to resist the urge to turn it into a plate of nachos with some lettuce at the bottom.

This is why this recipe is so fabulous. The dressing is superb; seriously, this tangy wonder can be an all-purpose sauce/dressing for any number of Mexican-themed dishes. The ground turkey offers substance. Add some tomatoes, cilantro, red onions, and crumbled-up tortilla chips, and you have a sophisticated-but-tasty salad that’s light but substantial.

So, it’s with this, that I announce that the Walkers have mastered the Art of Salad. Boo-yah, suckas! (DW)

1 lb ground turkey meat
Taco seasoning
Romaine lettuce
Red onion
Tomatoes
Cilantro
Mexican blend shredded cheese
Lime vinaigrette dressing (see recipe below)

Brown ground turkey meat. Add your favorite taco seasoning to the ground turkey and cook according to the directions on the package. Set the turkey meat aside to cool. In the mean time, cut the romaine lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro for the salad. Serve salad with ground seasoned ground turkey meat, shredded cheese, and lime vinaigrette dressing.

Lime vinaigrette dressing:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt (you can use fat-free yogurt)
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until chilled to let flavors marinate together.

This salad can be made prepared the night before and then assembled the next day for a quick and easy dinner. (AW)

Glazed Carrots & Turnips

I mentioned last week that I had never tried turnips before. I found this recipe on the Food Network's website and thought I would try it because it sounded simple to make. It turned out pretty good. My only complaint was that my turnips got a little overcooked. Overall I like the flavor and simplicity of this side dish.


3/4 lbs of turnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4 lbs carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & Pepper to season



Place vegetables in a skillet that is just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add just enough water so that it comes halfway up the side of the vegetables. Add butter and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Cover pan with a lid, left slightly ajar and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove lid, turn heat up to high, and cook until all of the water has been absorbed, tossing vegetables frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

P.S. Have you ever heard of rainbow carrots? I had never heard of them, until last week. They are so cool, they are yellow, orange, dark red, and white in color but taste like regular carrots. So, if you are wondering why my carrots are weird colors in the picture, that why! (AW)