San Diego for Thanksgiving

Ocean Beach

Boy oh boy, do I love San Diego, CA. I always knew that I would love Southern Cali (So-Cal), but I had no idea how wonderful it truly was. I am moving like yesterday.... We toured the entire city and ended up hiking in three days. We were exhausted, but it was worth it. We visited the missions, which were beautiful. I am not so keen on forcing Christianity on Native Americans, but the missions were really breathtaking.

Mission de San Diego

We met up with my husband's best friend from childhood and did some touring of the lovely craft breweries. I missed my sister the whole time. She and Steve would have loved them. This is the beer offerings from the Ballast Point Brewery. So much fun. We got a private tour and some t-shirts. We also didn't have to pay for beer since our friend knows the manager there.

Beer Board at Ballast Point, San Diego

Overall, it was a lovely trip. The weather was 78 and sunny. We are absolutely in love with this place.

View from Point Lomo, San Diego, CA

Chicken and Hominy Stew

Chicken and Hominy Stew

I am a huge fan of rotisserie chicken. I work from home on Mondays so it is my cooking day also. I made this soup last week, which was really tasty. I used a leftover rotisserie chicken, which had about 1/2 left.  I pulled the meat off of the carcass and used the carcass for stock. I added green tomatillos, onions, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and hominy. I have never cooked with hominy, which is simply puffed corn. It is the main ingredient in Posole, which is a mexican specialty. I really enjoyed the texture of the hominy. I didn't have cilantro, but that would have been great. In the soup, I used dried mexican oregano. Here is a quick soup that is sure to make you happy.

Chicken and Hominy Stew (Serves a bunch)*

*You will need to make stock ahead of time (boxed is fine too). For chicken stock, simmer the carcass in water for 1 hour. I wrapped mine in cheese cloth, which made clean-up a snap because you just throw the wrapped chicken away. Simply wrap cheese cloth around the carcass. Tie it and then simmer the wrapped chicken in water. Add salt/pepper to the water. That is it. Simple stock.

1/2 of rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone
4-6 cups of stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1 onion
2 ribs of celery
2 carrots
1 bell pepper
1 28 ounce can hominy (found in mexican section at supermarket)
1 can green tomatillos (Whole paycheck didn't have fresh)
1 can whole tomatoes
1 tbl of paprika
1/2 tbl of cumin
1/2 tsp of mexican oregano
salt and pepper to taste
EVOO for sauteing vegetables

For garnish (optional, but delish)

Avocado
Sour cream
Cilantro
Cheese
Hot sauce
Lime wedge

1) Make your stock...let simmer for 60 minutes (eliminate this step, if using bouillon or boxed stock)
2) Chop carrot, celery, onion, and pepper
3) Saute veggies in 2 tbls of EVOO (add salt and pepper)
4) Add cumin, paprika, and mexican oregano. Move them around on the bottom of pan to wake them up
5) Pour in one can of tomatoes and one can of canned tomatillos (they are whole. You may need to squeeze them with your tongs or break them up with a wooden spoon)
6) Add DRAINED hominy
7) Add stock and stir (taste for seasoning)
8) Let simmer for 30 minutes before adding chicken
9) Simmer for 10 minutes more
10) Taste and garnish with whatever you like

Enjoy this easy Mexican inspired soup...

The WOW-Factor

Fresh herbs

Carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, and mushrooms make a great base for soups and sauces

We eat with our eyes first; Mango and avocado drizzled with EVOO and dusted with mexican spices

I have lots of things that I do to impart flavor to my food.  For example, I season my food every time I add a new ingredient. I drizzle my food with olive oil to finish. I scatter chopped herbs on top for wow factor. Lemon wedges are my friend. They add brightness and acidity to food.

Here are some things that you can do at home to make your food taste awesome.

1) Cooking with Herbs

I always cook with fresh herbs. I use them for most of what I do. Use herbs for pestos, herb vinaigrettes, herb sauces for steak and chicken, as well as for a garnish for soups and sauces. They make food taste fresh. Feel free to crust salmon with herbs or sprinkle herbs into soups as they cook. In a blender, puree garlic, parsley, basil, and mint with olive oil for a quick accompaniment to steak. Use them, they are much better than dried herbs.

2) Starting with a Good Foundation

Carrots, celery and onion are super important. They are a great foundation for most everything. I chop them fine for tomato sauce. I leave the pieces big for soups and stews. I keep the veggies frozen for stocks. In french cooking, they are called the Mirepoix. This is a fancy word that refers to using carrots, celery and onion as a base for soups, stocks, and sauces. They are your best friend. Other cultures have  similar things. Cajuns have the Holy Trinity (celery, onion, and bell pepper). Latin cooking has a Sofrito, which is celery, onion, and bell pepper. Regardless, keep these veggies in your fridge. They will come in handy and are truly instrumental in making your food pop.

3) Cooking with Color

Don't be afraid to make beautiful colorful plates. We eat with our eyes first. I like to serve mango and avocado together on a plate. I like to sprinkle a mexican spice blend I bought in mexico on top. It is red and looks gorgeous. Paprika and chili powder would work just fine. Add parsley at the end to finish a dish. Serve lemon or lime wedges with meats. It makes a plate pop. Sprinkle paprika on deviled eggs or potato salad. I think the Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomato and basil) is so popular because it is beautiful. It is the colors of Italy and really interesting to look at. One of my fave salads is a colorful Mexican salad with chopped Jicama, tomatoes, peppers, corn, black beans, and avocado. Sprinkle with salt/pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Stir. To finish, sprinkle paprika and cilantro. LOTS OF COLOR!

Cheers!

Eating Locally

1/4 of an Illinois raised pig

So this may seem a bit morbid, but I bought a 1/4 of a pig from a small family owned farm. The pig came butchered and wrapped. This is the first time I have ever done anything like this. Since beginning a low carb and high protein diet, I have been eating more meat than ever. I wanted to see if this would end up saving me money. I think it did. Next time I do this, I will know what to tell them I want. I was a little bit unsure about what cuts I wanted. I ended up getting lots of sausage, center cut pork chops, two pork shoulder roasts, spare ribs, and pork tenderloin. My bacon and ham have not come yet, as they require 30 days to cure. This is one way in which I am attempting to eat locally and support small businesses. Look into this option in your area. I don't why I didn't do this when I lived down south...tons of farm land there.

Pot Roast Deliciousness

Pot Roast with Crispy Smashed Potatoes

I have been sooo busy lately that my blogging has taken a back seat. This is not to say that I have not been cooking up a storm though. Here is a pot roast I made last night. I used to eat pot roast when I was a kid. It is not my favorite meal. When I make mine, I like to cook it so it slices not falls apart. This is super easy and required maybe 15 minutes of prep and three hours of cooking. Here is what I did last night.

Pot Roast with Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Serves 6)

3 pound beef chuck roast (ask what is the best for pot roast. Fat is key here)
1 onion chopped
2 ribs of celery sliced
1 handful of baby carrots halved
1/4 tomato paste
EVOO
1 tsp Italian seasoning or a bouquet garni (tied up herbs)
Salt and Pepper
2 cups of stock (veggie, beef or chicken)
1 cup of wine for deglazing (beer or coffee would be good too)
Bacon fat (optional)*

*I had a pan with some leftover bacon grease from breakfast. Why waste this delicious stuff? I heated up the bacon grease and poured it into my dutch oven. I used it to sear the roast. I also did not want to waste the fond (which is the brown bits on the bottom) so I poured 1 cup of some wine in the bacon skillet and picked up what browned bits I could with a fork or if using non-stick, a wooden spoon. Set aside for later.

Salt and Pepper your roast (liberally). Heat up your dutch oven like super hot. Sear the pot roast in the bacon grease about 5 minutes on each side. If you don't have bacon grease (which if you are southern, you should ALWAYS have), add several TBLS of olive oil to sear the pot roast in. Remove the pot roast and turn off your heat. Add in your tomato paste and stir around. There is fat in the pan and the tomato paste will sizzle. Just move it around and let it cook a little. At this point, you will deglaze with the wine that you poured into the skillet with the bacon grease drippings (if you don't have this, add 1 cup of wine directly into the dutch oven!). Turn your heat back on. Add your vegetables and saute briefly for several minutes. Season the veggies with herbs. Place your roast on top of the veggies. Pour in two cups of  stock and COVER. Cook at 300 for two hours. You want to braise your meat, which means slow cooking it in liquid. Don't cover your meat though. It should go half way up. You may need to nestle it down in the veggies. You can also put some of the veggies on top of the meat. Remember to cover it with a lid.

You will uncover the roast for the last hour of cooking. It is ready when it is fork tender. Three hours should do it for this size of roast. Remove the roast and cover. Set it aside and work on your potatoes and sauce. Save this sauce. You will be reducing it shortly.

Smashed Potatoes

During the last hour, put some red potatoes in the oven. They will take about one hour to cook at 300. Take them out of the oven when they are fork tender. Using a coffee cup, press down on the potato. Don't press too hard. You don't want to break them. Each potato should be cracked (not broken) so that the insides are seen, but that the potato is still intact. Salt and pepper them. Cook them in 2 tbls of oil either in a castiron skillet or on your griddle. You want to crisp them on the outside and have them creamy on the inside. Cook them on medium heat maybe 15-20 minutes after they are smashed. Flip them occasionally.


Sauce for Pot Roast 

While the potatoes are crisping up, begin working on your sauce. Once the meat is out of the pot, get out an immersion or stick blender and begin to blend the sauce. There are carrots, onions, and celery in that yummy sauce. Blend until smooth. Reduce by half (around 20 minutes). To reduce, just crank the heat and let it boil. The sauce should be thick and luxurious.

Serve with potatoes and some sort of veggies (asparagus or green beans would be good). Slice the meat and pour some sauce over it. It is divine!

Scallop Chowder

Scallop Chowder with Proscuitto

Chowder season is here! I love braises, stews, and chowders in the fall. Here is a chowder I made several months ago. It sort of took on a life of its own after awhile and was a great way to use leftover stuff. This is a no-flour chowder. It is soupier than other cream based chowders.


Scallop Chowder (serves 4)


You will need:

1 sweet potato cubed
1 baking potato cubed
1 leek (rinsed very very well) sliced
2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup of wine
2 cups of veggie stock
2 cups of clam juice (Cento is a good brand for this)
3 slices of bacon chopped
1 pound of bay scallops
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Salt/pepper
Proscuitto for garnish (this is optional. I just needed to use it before it went bad)
Chives or parsley for garnish would have been wonderful

So this requires two pots. The original recipe from Epicurious required three pots. That is ridiculous. I modified it and used two pots.

Do this recipe on medium heat:

1) Chop your bacon and saute it in a heavy bottomed dutch oven. Remove when cooked
2) While bacon is cooking, clean your leek. Cut the big green part off and the bottom off. Cut length wise and rinse with cold water. Make sure to rinse all of the sand that gets in there. Pull apart the layers and wash them out.
3) Chop your leek and carrot and saute in bacon fat. Add some EVOO if necessary. Salt and pepper every layer!
4) While the leek and carrot saute, peel and chop your potatoes
5) Deglaze the leek and carrot with wine. Let evaporate
6) Add in your potatoes. Begin to cook the potatoes
7) Add you clam juice and veggie stock. You will want to cook until potatoes are tender. The soup should be brought to a boil at this point and then turned down. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
8) In the mean time, salt and pepper your scallops. Make sure they are dry so that they sear. Cook them on your griddle or in a big skillet with some EVOO. They are small and don't require that much cooking. You will add them in the soup later at the end.
9) When scallops are cooked and the potatoes are cooked, turn up the heat and let the soup thicken slightly
10) Turn down the heat and add the cream. At this point, get out your immersion blender and give it a good blend. This how I was able to make it semi thick without flour. Blend well.
11) Add in your scallops. Turn heat back on low and cook for 1-2 minutes.
12) You are done...

Serve this with a salad or bread if you eat bread. Garnish with leftover bacon (I added proscuitto AND bacon to mine). Taste for proper seasoning. Garnish with parsley or chive if you have that.

Enjoy!

Making Homemade Stock

Crockpot Stock

In an attempt to cook like a pro, I make my own stock. I talk about making it all the time. Here is an easy way to do it.

I keep chicken carcasses, beef/lamb/pork bones in the freezer in ziploc bags.  I also keep turnip, carrot, celery, asparagus, herbs, mushrooms stems, and onion tops/ends in the freezer. In the picture, you see frozen scallions, celery bottoms, frozen carrot chips, turnips, radishes, parsnips, asparagus and even the skins of onions. It is okay to include skins. When I am prepping, I push all the veggie waste to the side and put it in a baggie. I also freeze herbs before they go bad. All of the extra stuff is strained out anyway. Using your crockpot makes this simple. If you would like simply lamb or beef stock, start saving your bones. You would use the exact same method for beef stock. In addition, for vegetable stock, omit the bones. Cook the same way, but you would need to add some mushrooms to increase the beefiness of the stock.

Homemade Stock

1) Get your crockpot out (you will need a 6 quart)
2) Put several bones (I used beef bones from steaks) and a chicken carcass in the pot
3) Put frozen (or fresh if you don't have frozen) vegetables in there (onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme are a must). Add your other veggies too like root vegetables, herbs, and scallions.
4) Add a good bit of each: pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes
5) Cover with water
6) Cook all day. It will make a delicious broth after about 8 hours
7) Turn off crockpot
8) Get a large bowl and put a strainer on top of it
9) Carefully pour stock into the strainer
10) Press on the vegetables and carcasses in the strainer. This extracts big time flavor
11) Put the strained stock in freezer bags or tupperware or mason jars
12) Freeze what you don't want. Pull out the bags to thaw the night before you need them

This seriously makes the best soup! Add whatever you want in there. Before giving up gluten, I would make my husband a simple soup of homemade chicken broth, tomatoes, and frozen tortellini. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan cheese...presto, dinner is made.

Your food tastes better when using homemade stock. It can be eaten on its own too. In the paleo community, bone broth is quite popular. It is an amazing source of calcium. This method produces results that are far superior to stock in the box. It is like reusing already enjoyed food. You would be shocked at the amount of celery tips, asparagus tips, onion layers and the stalky part of herbs that get thrown away. This stock was from 100% recycled material! Delish and a money saver....