Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut with Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce and double ordering

I'm loving Carolyn Ketchum's book The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen.  I've been using it so much I ordered her new Easy Keto Desserts.  I guess I loved that so much I ordered the dessert book twice!  I don't know if that says something about how much I love Carolyn Ketchum's books or how much I love dessert.

So I have two of the dessert cookbooks.  I decided to give one to the curly haired boy and the DIL because they have been talking about going keto.

Now, double ordering things is something I have done in the past.  Once there was this special brownie pan that I thought was going to be so cool, I ordered one and then forgot and bought one at the store.  I ended up selling both of them at a garage sale because I never used them. Then there was the time I ordered shoes online only to see an ad for them on Facebook a few days later and I ordered them again.  Thank goodness the shoes could be returned (one pair at least).

This is an easy dinner and comes together quickly.  It gives you extra time to do some online shopping...just keep a list of what you have already ordered.

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut
adapted from  The Ketogenic Kitchen, Carolyn Ketchum

1 lb. halibut, cut into 4 pieces
4 slices prosciutto
pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. butter

Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce
1 cup roasted tomatoes and garlic (I do this)
dash of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup heavy cream

Dry each halibut fillet with paper towels, sprinkle with pepper.  Wrap each fillet with one piece of prosciutto. Melt butter in medium frying pan, add wrapped fillets.  Cook over medium heat about 4-6 minutes, until prosciutto is crisp.  Turn fish over and cook another 4 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp and fish is cooked through.  Place on warming plate while you finish the sauce.

Place roasted tomatoes and garlic in blender with red pepper flakes.  Blend until smooth, pour into small saucepan.  Add cream and heat through.

Place 1/4 of the sauce on each plate, top with fish fillet and serve.

2 years ago:  Grapenut Bread
3 years ago:  Coconut Mojito and Surfing Lessons
5 years ago:  Adult Root Beer Floats

July 17, 2018   Sunrise 3:59 am  Sunset 1:57 am   Temp. 62/ L 44°F

Keto Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

Spring is really here.  The days are sunny and it is getting warm by the afternoon (60's are warm here this time of year).  The last couple of days my car has been hot when I get in it to go home.  I decided I would crack the sun roof, just enough to vent the hot air out.  Sometimes I am so smart I surprise myself.

I've been walking at lunch and doing a good job of getting my steps in.  I usually do a quick 10 minute walk about 10:00, then a 30 minute walk at noon, and, if I'm not too busy, another 10 minutes around 4:00.  So yesterday, I did my quick walk in the morning, it was bright sunny and in the 60's.  It was glorious.  At noon, I popped on my earphones for some tunes and headed out into the sunshine.  I got about 20 minutes into my walk and it started to rain.  There were big black clouds moving our way but nothing above me.  I had to walk up the hill to my office, so I hoofed it as fast as I could (because my fake straight hair does not like to get damp).  By the time I got to the parking lot it had started to hail along with the rain.  I just ducked in the building and the sky opened up and dumped.  It rained so hard you couldn't see the mountain range out our office windows, and it rained for about 20 minutes, hard.  I was hoping it was raining at my house so I wouldn't have to water my grass tonight.

At the end of the work day, I headed out to my car, opened the door and the whole inside is wet.  The seats are wet, the dash is wet, the cup holders have about an inch of water in them.  I forgot the sun roof was cracked all day and the deluge just filled my car.  Nice.  I grabbed some napkins out of the glove box and wiped up as much as I could.  I sat down and my pants got wet, awesome.  I'll never do that again, the weather is too unpredictable.

I needed something good for dinner after all that.  Shrimp is one of Dave's favorite things, me, not so much.  I do enjoy this shrimp with tomatoes and feta and try to make it for dinner once in a while.  Well, I've been cutting the carbs so this needed a bit of a do-over.  

I cut down on the tomatoes and onion and added a little bone broth.  The flavor is still all there and we loved it.  I even took the left-overs to work for lunch, and I don't really like shrimp!

This is great served over cauliflower rice or zoodles.  I eat it just as it is.

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2 Tbsp. avocado oil
1/2 cup onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken bone broth
1/2 tsp. pepper
1.5 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled and divided
chopped parsley and cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Heat oil in medium, oven-safe pan, add onion and sauté until opaque, 3-5 minutes, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.  Add tomatoes, broth and pepper.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Add shrimp in one layer over the tomatoes.  Top with parmesan and 1/2 the feta.  Place in oven for 12-15 minutes until shrimp is cooked through and cheese is melted.  Top with remaining feta and fresh parsley and cilantro.
Serves 4

331 Calories, 8 g. carbs, 1 g. fiber, 7 g net carbs, 17g fat, 35 g  protein

2 years ago:  Adventures of Bolty and Being Obnoxious to My Husband
4 years ago:  Bacon Wrapped, Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs
6 years ago:  My Cookbook Illness and Lemon Meringue Pie

May 23, 2018  Sunrise 4:00am  Sunset 11:37pm  Temp. H 63/L 45˚F

Pork roast with Eggplant

I was in Colorado last week for work.  I got to spend some time with my brother, went to Pikes Peak, saw my dear friends Mark and Suzanne, who used to be my back door neighbors, and then after work and all that fun, stopped in Seattle to visit the grandbaby and his parents.  I'll post pictures later this week.  

I'm headed to Seward for the rest of this week for work.  Fly into Anchorage and drive 2 hours to Seward.  It should be a beautiful drive, but there is so much to do this time of year, I'm struggling with my attitude about this trip!

It has cooled down in Fairbanks.  The mornings are very cool, the birds have all flown south, and everyone I talk to says it feels like winter is just around the corner.  

"Embrace the cold," is my motto for this time of year.  The cold is coming and there is nothing we can do to change it, so embrace it.  I guess that would be good advice for myself with this upcoming trip.

I made this delicious pork roast and eggplant.  The pork is done in the crock pot, so easy hands-off cooking, and the eggplant took about 20 minutes tops.  We had a warm, delicious dinner on this blustery evening.  Winter is coming so we might as well embrace it!

Pork Roast With Eggplant Mash

from Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, Maria Emmerich

Pork Ragu

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

2 cups beef or chicken broth

3 lbs. pork spareribs, cut into individual ribs

Chopped fresh flat-leave parsley, for garnish, optional

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and their juices an the broth; stir well to combine. Add the pork spareribs and turn to coat.

Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, 7-8 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.

Remove the ribs from the slow cooker, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot. Using two forks, shred the pork. Return the pot to the slow cooker and mix it into the cooking liquid.

Then make eggplant mash.

EggPlant Mash

(In the cookbook, the author called this grits, I think that is misleading.  Grits have a very unique texture and this is more like a smooth mash.  You can call it what you want, I call it delicious.)

4 cups peeled and cubed eggplant (about 1 lb.)

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. dried ground oregano

1/2 cup beef bone broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place eggplant cubes and bacon pieces in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir-fry until the bacon is fried and eggplant is extremely soft, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant and bacon to a food processor; leave the bacon fat in the pan. Puree the eggplant and bacon until smooth.

In the skillet with the bacon fat, add the onions and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the eggplant puree and oregano to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring with heavy wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a thick paste, 5-10 minutes, adding the broth 1 Tbsp. at a time to keep the eggplant from getting dry.  Sprinkle with cheese, stir, and serve.

Divide the eggplant among wide, shallow bowls and spoon the ragu over the top.  Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

2 years ago:  Shotgun Wedding Soup and Waiting on the Mouse

3 years ago:  Moose Camp Good News/Bad News and Pasta with Two Peas

5 years ago:  Soup and Sandwich Night with Roasted Tomato Soup

September 19, 2017   Sunrise 7:26 am  Sunset 8:00 pm  Temp. H 50/ L 36°F

End of the Season Yard Cleanup and Quick Jambalaya

Ahh, October.  I love Fall.  The mornings are crisp, the afternoons are perfect for working in the yard and then having a fire after dinner.  And this fall, so far, has been beautiful.

Dave was busy doing yard work over the weekend, and I got out our Halloween decorations.  The Chick and I worked on the inside.

The baby boy helped with the outside.

We had a busy day, so I needed something quick to throw together for dinner, before the evening fire and s'mores.  This was perfect.  

I do need to ALWAYS wear my reading glasses now when I cook. I followed the recipe, we sat down to eat and this was pretty spicy! I don't really like spicy food but the rest of the family liked it.  The next day I sat down to copy the recipe and read 2 teaspoons of cajun spice...I added 2 TABLESPOONS!  Ah, live and learn.

Quick Jambalaya

adapted from Cooking Light, October 2016

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 onion

3 oz. andouille sausage, finely chopped

8 oz. moose sausage (I had some left over from making meatballs, so I just used it up)

12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 (10 oz.) cans unsalted diced tomatoes and green chilies

2 tsp. salt-free Cajun seasoning, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 (8.8 oz. pouches precooked rice (I used one white and one brown)

4 green onions, chopped

1 lemon cut into wedges

Hot sauce, optional

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sausage; cook 4 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add chicken; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Strain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.  Add strained tomato mixture, 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid, Cajun seasoning, and salt to pan, scraping pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.  Cover and reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, warm rice in microwave and spread on platter.  Remove jambalaya from heat, pour over rice.  Top with chopped green onions.  Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.  

1 year ago:   Carrot Soup and Ducks in the Yard

2 years ago:  Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache

3 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread

4 years ago:  Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

October 4, 2016   Sunrise 8:12 am  Sunset 7:05 pm  Temp. H 39/ L 28 °F

Smoked Paprika rubbed Pork Tenderloin and the Fall

So I am home now, well mostly home.  I have two little trips left and then nothing until fall.  Yahoo!

I do have to tell one old story.  I can tell it now, because I came clean to my husband and I didn't want him to read it here first. (He surprises me, I think he isn't paying attention, and then he says something about what I've posted, or a word I spelt wrong (Ha!  I totally did that on purpose because it will drive him nuts) and I realize I do need to be careful with what I say about him here!)

So, I was home the beginning of April for 2 1/2 days.  One of those days I went into work.  It had just snowed in Fairbanks, so everything was covered with this beautiful white cover.  I drove to work and it was the first day my handicapped sticker was expired since my hip replacement, so I parked up the hill like everyone else and carefully walked down the hill.  I was cautious because of the snow.  Well, I made it down the parking lot hill just fine, stepped onto the sidewalk all full of myself and my new hip, and I fell down, flat on my butt.  

I sat there for just a moment, wiggled my toes, checked for pain, blood, or a dislocated hip and finding none of the above I got up and waddled my wet pant into work.  I didn't cry until I was at my desk and the door was closed.  Thank goodness nothing happened.  I wasn't hurt and I wasn't even sore the next day, just had damp pants for the morning. 

Well, the snow is gone now, the trees are budding and spring is really here.  I'm working out in the yard and we are going glamping in the COW (condo on wheels) most weekends.  During the week, I try to plan things to cook on the grill, so Dave does most of the work...an fewer dishes!  We had this and it was delicious!

Oil your grill before you try this at home.

Make sure your grill is good and hot and the tomatoes won't stick as much.

Finished sauce.  This is also good on chicken.

Smoked Paprika rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

Sauce:
8 ripe plum tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeño chile pepper stem removed
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup roughly chopped red onion
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Rub:
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each

To Make Sauce:
Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño over direct high heat until blackened and blistered in spots, turning as needed.  The tomatoes will take 4-6 minutes and the pepper will jalapeño will take about 2-3 minutes.  Put the tomatoes and the jalapeño in a food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients, and process until smooth.  Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil  Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To Make Rub:
In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients with your fingertips.

Trim any excess fat and silver skin from the tenderloins.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.  Lightly brush olive oil over tenderloins and sprinkle the smoked paprika mixture over and rub into the meat.

Grill over direct medium heat until the pork is barely pink in the center, 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.  Remove from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.  Serve warm with the sauce.

2 years ago:   Sangaria and Stitches
3 years ago:   Grilled Flank Steak with Balsamic Onions and the Birds
4 years ago:   Anita's Green Drink and Throwing Sausages at my Mother-In-Law

Corn and Summer Vegetable Soup and the First Snow

I know most of you are still very warm.  We, on the other hand, are having a major snowfall.  Awesome!
As a matter of fact, while I was in Montana last week, it would get in the high 80s and even hit 90°, but Fairbanks was getting 6 inches of snow!

These two pictures are from my window last spring...

You can see the mountains in the back.

This is the view out my window today.

It is just awesome!

So, I understand you may not be eating a lot of soup right now but we have soup every Monday with a sandwich and watch football on t.v.  (Thank you Green Bay for that awesome win against Kansas City, I just won a bet with my brother!)

This soup is quick and a good use for your summer veggies.  Maybe you will have some cool evening with a little rain.  I doubt you'll get the amount of snow we are getting right now.

Corn and Summer Vegetable Soup

4 cups of corn, fresh or frozen work best
4 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
4 pieces of bacon

*You can add other veggies to beef it up, or add cooked shredded chicken and top with bacon and cheese.

Measure two cups of corn and two cups of chicken stock, place in a blender and process until very smooth, set aside. Using your soup pot, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain.  Chop into small pieces.
 Remove all but about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat from pan, add onion and zucchini and sauté until soft.  Add corn puree, tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste.  Heat but do not bring to a boil.
Serves 6

1 year ago:    Pizza Stromboli for the Blond Boy's Visit
2 years ago:   Rhubarb Meringue Bars and the Guard Goose
3 years ago:   Pecan Crispies and Saying Goodbye to the Back Yard Neighbors

September 30, 2015  Sunrise 7:57 am  Sunset 7:53 pm  Temp. H 34/ L 25°F

Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Dave does not eat breakfast, as much as I've lectured  explained that it is the most important meal of the day, he can't eat in the morning.  Funny thing is, breakfast food is his favorite, so we have breakfast for dinner a couple times a month.  Sometimes it helps with our meatless meal for the week.

I really do want Dave to live a good, long time; so I can annoy him as long as possible.  We had poached eggs in tomato sauce.  In Mason's words, "It doesn't look very good, but it smells amazing."  I use tomatoes I roast and can or freeze and one can of tomato sauce as the base.  I like to add garlic, onions, ancho chili powder and worcestershire sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes to thicken before I poach the eggs in the sauce.  You can add what every you like...roasted chilies, bell pepper, diced zucchini...  Sometimes I serve with warm bread, sometimes with corn or flour tortillas.  Dave doesn't even complain there is no meat!

I cook my egg and Mason's eggs first because we like our yolks hard.
Dave likes runny yolks, so his go in last.

Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
more of a suggestion than a recipe

1 large onion, diced
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups roasted tomatoes, cut with scissors to make small pieces or 1-2 cans of diced roasted tomatoes
1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder, depending on your taste
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil about 5 minutes until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.  Simmer over low heat about 20 minutes.  Taste sauce and add salt and pepper.  Make a small hole or pocket and crack egg into hole, repeat for the number of eggs you desire.  Simmer, covered until eggs are done to your liking.  Serve with toast or tortillas.

August 28, 2014  Sunrise 6:19 am  Sunset 9:23 pm  Temp H 64/ L 46°F

Chicken with Tomato-Onion Chutney

My husband and I had to have our blood work done for our insurance for my work.  SOMEONE had perfect cholesterol numbers (low of the bad stuff and high of the good stuff), good blood pressure, average fasting blood sugar, and her BMI was a little high (big surprise!)  SOMEONE else had elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol numbers, but his BMI was in the normal range.  Guess who gets to eat more chicken!

So, while we do need to make some changes in Dave's diet, so he doesn't like die next week, he does not love chicken.  He says it is dry.  I am working on that with different marinades and sauces.  I have noticed that one of the problems is that the chicken gets grilled to death...Dave needs to work on his chicken grilling techniques, and I plan on giving him lots of opportunities to practice.

This tomato sauce is made from fresh cherry tomatoes.  Tomatoes are real heath food, they are naturally sweet, have lycopene, help lower total cholesterol, and are high in vitamin C.  They also make this chicken really tasty!  This chicken recipe is Dave approved and only takes about 30 minutes to make.  Which gives us time to take a walk. Dave is really loving life right now.

Chicken with Tomato-Onion Chutney
adapted from Ellie Krieger - Weeknight Wonders

1 small onion
1 medium clove garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1/4 lbs. cherry tomatoes
6 dried apricots
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
4 chicken breasts


Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and mustard seeds and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.  Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and finely chop the apricots.
Add the tomatoes, apricots, vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. each of the salt and pepper to the pan.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and chunky, about 15 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, combine the remaining oil with the cumin, coriander and the remaining salt and pepper.  Rub mixture onto the chicken.  Grill until cooked through.  Serve each chicken breast with 1/4 of the tomato sauce mixture.

1 year ago:   Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings
2 years ago:  Low Calorie Root Beer Float Pie and Memories of Home made Rootbeer

July 9, 2014   Sunrise 3:33 am  Sunset 12:16 pm  Temp.  H 70/ L 54°F

Pasta with fresh vegetables and a new addition to our neighborhood

Sunday morning I got up to finish the sourdough bread I started Saturday night.  I was measuring the flour and I happened to look out the window, some movement had caught my eye.

This is what I saw, so I ran to my office and grabbed my telephoto lens.  Then I could see this...

Our neighbors had a robin nest under their window and it looks like at least one of the babies has hatched and grown enough to make an outing.  However, he was small enough to still need snacks on his great quest across the street, to the mother robin was back and forth feeding him.

She did see me in the window and wasn't too happy about it, I didn't want to spook her, so I took a quick couple of pictures and backed off.  I didn't want Jr. here to miss any snacks because Momma was doing the stare-down with me.

It lasted a couple of hours, then the sun hit the backside of the shed and the little bird hopped to the other side of the roof.  I don't know how long he stayed there, but it was a beautiful day for an outing.

It was also a beautiful day for dinner outside.  I made this pasta dish with fresh tomatoes, garlic and spinach.  I used moose Italian sausage, and it would be a great recipe to help me use some of the extra ground beef I have.  The recipe came from an Ellie Krieger cookbook under the vegetarian section, but Dave doesn't think it is dinner without some meat.  You could make it with or with-out.

Pasta with grape tomatoes, spinach and garlic
adapted from Ellie Krieger, Weeknight Wonders


1 lb. Italian sausage or ground meat
4 medium cloves garlic
4 cups grape tomatoes
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach
3/4 pound pasta
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  While the water heats, peel and thinly slice the garlic and halve the tomatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown the sausage until no pink remains.  Drain any extra fat from the pan.  Add the garlic, stirring frequently, cook until fragrant and softened.  Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes are warm and softened but still retain their shape, about 4 minutes.  Coarsely chop the spinach and stir in into the tomatoes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cover to keep warm until the pasta is ready.  Grate the Parmesan cheese for the top and set aside (if using).
Meanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, then drain.  Add the pasta to the skillet along with the salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Serve garnished with the cheese, if desired.
Makes 4 servings

2 years ago:  Friendship Bread and Almond Joy Muffins

June 23, 2014   Sunrise:  2:59 am  Sunset 12:47 am   Temp. H 72/ L 50°F

Grilled Corn Salad and the Eating of the Flowers

It is planting season in Fairbanks.  I am busy getting all my plants outside, hardened off, and planted.  I love this time of year.

I have 4 pots I plant for the backyard deck.  I put some lovely flowers in the pots, and left them lined up for my husband to move to their corners for me.  Big mistake.  It was the perfect line for one of the dogs to eat the flowers, just grazing walking down the line.

Tucker checking out the flower boxes to see if there is anything to eat!

I thought it was Lily who ate all the flowers, but when my husband discovered this

he did the back teeth check (I never would have done that.  I would just yell at all of them).  Lobo, the oldest, best behaved (and Dave's favorite) had yellow petals stuck to the back of his teeth, Lily did not.  So who is the good dog now? (Lily!)

Well, warmer temps also mean more grilling (yea!  Go Dave) and meals outside.  I love it.  This salad is terrific for a quiet dinner on the deck or is so easy to double (or triple) for a potluck barbecue!  Dinner on the deck happens quite often now, we have to keep an eye on those flower eating dogs.

Roasted Corn Salad

4-5 ears of corn
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

Grill corn until cooked and slightly charred.  Remove from grill and cool until easy to handle.

While corn is cooling, rinse and drain beans, add to small saucepan.  Warm beans with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, do not bring to a boil.  Cut corn from cobs, chop cilantro, cut tomatoes in half, dice avocado and add to a large bowl.  Pour bean mixture over corn and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

1 year ago:   Um, I'm out of posts for May...and last year's June doesn't look too promising!
2 years ago:  Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

May 30, 2014   Daylight  rises: 3:38 am  sets: 12:03 am (tomorrow)  Temp H 73/ L 52°F

Homemade Ravioli and the New Pasta Machine

I've wanted a pasta machine for a while now.  I don't really know why, I don't eat much pasta.  But I did see a recipe for crackers that you roll out in your pasta machine and last month's Daring Bakers challenge was a pastry you roll out in the pasta machine and fold to make hundreds of flaky layers, I did not make those because I didn't have a pasta machine (I'm not going to mention those adventurous and ambitious bakers that made it without a pasta machine!).  But now I can go back and complete that challenge.

I received a gift card for my favorite cooking store when I retired from my school district.  It was a wonderful gift and I've been stopping at the store often, looking for the perfect thing to buy with it (we won't tell Dave about all the "little" things I bought that just weren't right for the gift card!)  I saw these pasta machines and knew it was the thing.  I brought it home, washed it off and it was ready for me to go.

So forgive me if the next couple weeks include a lot of recipes that use a pasta machine.  If you don't have one, I suggest you get one.  They are a lot of fun but they don't do much for the "no gain holiday challenge" I'm in.  I don't usually eat pasta, but you have to try what you make!

I thought I'd start with an easy ravioli.  A sheet of pasta, mounds of seasoned moose sausage, the pasta folded in half and then sealed, boiled for a couple of minutes and a quick sauce with my home canned tomatoes.  We were set!

Basic Pasta Sheets

5 whole eggs, room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour, plus more for dusting

Place flour in bowl of mixer, make a well in the center (you can do this by hand).  Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated and kneed for about 5-8 minutes.  Take dough out of mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-60 minutes.

Cut dough into 4ths.  Using 1/4 of the dough at a time, run it through the pasta machine at the widest level 3-4 times (for my machine that is 1).  Lightly dust with flour.  Then pass the pasta through the machine at the next smallest number (for mine that is 2), pass it through, lightly dust with flour, and go down again.  Repeat this until you have your pasta the desired thickness.  I stopped at 6 for the ravioli.

To make the ravioli

Lay down a sheet of pasta. Spacing down the pasta sheet, lay down your filling.  I used meatballs I baked and squished down to make them a little flatter.

I lightly pressed my cutter down the length of the pasta to mark the ravioli spaces

Lightly brush water around the edges of the pasta for each ravioli.  Fold the pasta sheet over the filling and, pressing out any air bubbles, seal the edges.  Using a cutter (cookie cutter or glass), cut the ravioli out of the pasta sheet, sealing tightly.  You can reroll the left over pasta dough with the next piece of dough.

Lay the pasta on a parchment lined baking sheet while you finish the other raviolis.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, generously salting the water.  Drop ravioli into the water and let boil for 3-5 minutes, until pasta is done.

Remove from the water and drain.  Top with your favorite sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

I have a feeling we are going to be eating a lot of pasta from now on!

1 year ago:   White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
2 years ago:  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Christmas Traditions

December 20, 2013   Daylight 3 hrs, 41 min, 35 sec.  Temp H -1/ L -2