Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Testing recipes
Leave a commentFriday nights around the neighborhood we started joining a porch party. Everyone brings something to share. This is a version of shrimp and grits I found on the internet. I’ll test it at work and if it passes then I’ll give it to my neighbors.
Thought it would work well as a “Kentucky Derby” recipe… Not quite the official recipe of the derby but it is a version of the Southern dish.
Dinner inspired by our world travels
Publix, our grocery store, had tuna buy-one-get-one this week and that reminded me of our trip to Tunisia. Canned tuna was a staple there, it seemed. So, I searched the web and found a recipe for a Tunisian Tuna and Egg Brik, an item that we had while we were in Tunisia… and we enjoyed it there… lets see if I can make it here.
This is the recipe that I used: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/BRIK-TUNISIAN-TUNA-AND-EGG-TURNOVER-1203968
Brik (Tunisian Tuna and Egg Turnover)
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Brik, pronounced “Breek”, is somewhat like a delicious turnover, but like a soufflé, it must be served immediately. A Tunisian brik always has an egg in it, but it can have tuna, potatoes, capers and parsley. The casing, malsouka, is a cross between phyllo dough and a spring roll sheet. A brik is deep fried, olive oil is best, then drained on a paper towel. The trick is to hold the triangular brik with the point up while biting into it and not let the egg run down your chin. 4 servings Submitted by pacnw1
1 small onion (optional)
Mix together tuna, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon about one fourth of the filling onto one half of each wrapper, making a well to hold most of the egg. Break an egg into each well and fold wrapping into triangle shape to cover the mixture and the egg. Seal both sides of the wrapping together. Fry in one half inch of hot olive oil (vegetable oil can be used, but olive oil works best). When brown on one side, flip over to continue frying. A couple minutes on each side is enough if the oil is hot enough. Serve sprinkled with lemon juice. |
They came out pretty good. Even though, the store had no eggroll or spring roll wrappers, and I had to substitute phyllo dough. My first time ever using phyllo dough.
Here are the photos of the process and finished product:
Wishing I were at St. Somewhere
It’s been so cold here lately that I’ve found myself thinking about the islands a lot. Well, it’s not yet time for another vacation, but I need a change in my state of mind. So, tonight for dinner while physically we were still here in Georgia our taste buds where at a different latitude…
Puerto Rican Shrimp Stuffed Plantains
| 1 | onion, peeled and chopped | |
| 1/2 | red bell pepper, chopped | |
| 1/2 | C | chopped cilantro |
| 4 | cloves garlic, smashed | |
| 6 | very ripe sweet plantains | |
| 2 | Tblsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1/2 | tsp | crushed red pepper |
| 8 | oz | can tomato sauce |
| 1 | lb | shrimp – peeled, deveined and chopped |
| 1. Using a food processor, puree the onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic.
2. At one end of each plantain on the concave side make a V-shaped incision; wrap with a damp paper towel. Microwave at high heat for about 10 minutes. Check for doneness; the flesh should look cooked, not starchy. Otherwise, cook in 30-second increments until done. 3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and crushed red pepper over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion mixture and tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, season with salt and black pepper and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. 4. Peel off the flap from each plantain. Halve lengthwise, being careful not to cut through to the other side. Push aside the 2 halves, forming a trench. Spoon in the shrimp mixture. |
And I 
washed it down with a Ting soda. Ahh, refreshing!
Enquiring minds want to know…
What did we have for dinner?
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Sounds kind of plain doesn’t it… but I jazzed it up a bit.
Meatloaf stuffed with spinach, mozzarella cheese, and fresh garlic
Meatloaf stuffed with spinach, mozzarella cheese, and fresh garlic
Meatloaf stuffed with spinach, mozzarella cheese, and fresh garlic
Meatloaf stuffed with spinach, mozzarella cheese, and fresh garlic based off of this Betty Crocker recipe.
A handful of figs
Last night while walking the yard, I noticed that there were some ripe figs on our bush that the bugs & birds hadn’t gotten yet. So, I picked them and began an internet search for recipes. And I found Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions… which I modified to the ingredients that I had on hand.
Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions, before cooking
Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions, cooked
Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions, served with long grain wild rice
It was pretty tasty.
What’s for dinner?
It appears that I’ve started something… now people are asking what have I cooked lately. Well, here are the pics.
Tomorrow I think we will go out to dinner… all the dishes are dirty!
The saga continues
Fresh marina sauce simmering on the stove.
made from scratch
Spinach tortillini pasta with bruschetta
Nobody panic, but it’s happened again!
I cooked!
It all started Saturday morning with a visit with my neighbor and his wonderful garden, followed with a visit to Ball Ground’s farmers market. Yup, Ball Ground now has a Wednesday and Saturday morning farmer’s market.Here is a picture of my loot. 
The three varieties of tomatoes, large bunch of fresh basil, and cucumber are from my neighbor’s garden and the rest I got at the farmers market.
My lunch Saturday was a whole grain pasta, tuna, cucumber & dill salad, with a large slice of bruschetta. 
And for dinner tonight, we had a margarita pizza. I used a store-bought crust and sauce (haven’t had time yet to try to make my own marinara), fresh mozzarella, fresh garlic, garden fresh basil, and garden fresh tomatoes.
Before going into the oven
…coming out of the oven.
I picked up some tortillini today at the store. Maybe tomorrow I will figure out how to make a simple marinara to go over it… and of course, there will be more bruschetta.
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