Apple Pie Bake

Easy and delicious. Again, my principle criteria for cooking since I've grown thin and lazy.

Ingredients

• CINNAMON ROLL WITH ICING, 2 packs
• EGGS, 4
• MILK, 1/2 cup
• CINNAMON, 1/2 tablespoon
• VANILLA EXTRACT, 1 teaspoon
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• GRANNY SMITH APPLES, 2 diced
• BROWN SUGAR, 1 cup, packed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cut cinnamon rolls into 3 even strips, then cut each strip into 3 pieces (9 per roll, 18 total). Reserve the icing.
3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
4. Combine butter, apples and brown sugar in a pan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar starts to caramelize. Remove from heat.
5. Lay the cinnamon roll dough pieces evenly in a baking pan, cover with the egg mixture, then the apples.
6. Drizzle the reserved icing on top.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool.

Serve with ice cream on top or on the side.

Hamburger Goulash

This is so easy (my signature criterion these days)! Just chop a couple of ingredients, brown the ground beef, open cans (I even use canned potatoes), do a little measuring, then let the slow cooker do all the work.

My mom used to make this in the '50s-'60s. I never got her recipe and had to figure it out myself.

Ingredients

• BACON, 3-4 rashers, cut into lardons
• GROUND ROUND (80/20), 1 pound
• SWEET ONION, 1 large, diced
• GREEN BELL PEPPER, 1, diced
• OLIVES, sliced, 1 small can
• MIXED VEGETABLES, frozen, 1 to 1-1/2 cups
• POTATOES, diced, 1 cup
• DICED TOMATOES, 14.5-ounce can, with juices
• TOMATO SAUCE, CANNED, 16 ounces
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 2 tablespoons
• SOY SAUCE, 1 tablespoon
• ITALIAN SEASONING, dried, 1 tablespoon
• SUGAR, 2 teaspoons
• GARLIC SALT, 2 tablespoons (or to taste)
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, 1 teaspoon
• (Optional) KETCHUP, to taste
• (Optional) HOT SAUCE, to taste

Directions

1. Saute bacon until slightly crisp, add in the ground beef and brown; add in the onions and green pepper.
2. Transfer to a slow cooker
3. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine
4. Cook 3-4 hours on high.
5. Serve over steamed white rice.

Breakfast Burrito

This is a quick breakfast, especially if you buy many of the ingredients pre-made (e.g., salsa, guacamole, canned olives, shredded cheese mix). You can make one or as many as required.

I’ve found that the egg and egg substitute combo makes for more a smoother and more evenly cooked scramble.

You can add or eliminate ingredients as you see fit. For the breakfast meat, I usually use leftover cooked Portuguese sausage, or pork sausage (link or patty), chicken sausage, bacon, or anything else that’s handy. I’ve even used Chinese char sui or lup cheong on occasion. 

It wouldn’t hurt to be inventive.

Ingredients

• FLOUR TORTILLAS, 12-inch, 1 per burrito
• EGGS, 1 per burrito
• EGG SUBSTITUTE, 1/4 cup per burrito
• BREAKFAST MEAT(S), your choice, chopped and heated
• SOUR CREAM
• AVOCADO, 1 sliced or chopped
• JALAPEÑO PEPPER, 1, deseeded, deveined, chopped
• OLIVES, sliced
• GREEN ONIONS, chopped
• SALSA (commercial) or SALSA FRESCA (homemade)
• CHEESE, Mexican mix, shredded

Directions

1. Scramble the eggs and egg substitute, and sauté them in a buttered non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Set aside.
2. Sauté the breakfast meat pieces over medium heat. Drain and set aside.
3. Lay a tortilla flat, spread on some sour cream, then spoon on some eggs and meat in a horizontal row.
4. Continue adding onto the row with avocado, jalapeño, olives and green onions.
5. Top with salsa and cheese.
6. Fold the sides in; then from the bottom, roll the tortilla, creating a delicious tube of tasty goodness.

Basic Roasted Cauliflower

Here’s another recipe I’m almost embarrassed to share because it’s so elementary and easy.

You can add any other flavorings you like before roasting, and serve with your choice of sauces if you so fancy—marinara dip, salad dressings (thousand island, French, ranch, Italian all work) or gravies. I like mine as is, so as not to disguise the cauliflower flavor.

Ingredients

• CAULIFLOWER, 1 head, cut into florets
• OLIVE OIL, extra virgin, 1/4 cup
• GARLIC SALT, 2 teaspoons
• THYME, fresh, 1 teaspoon roughly chopped, or dry, 1/2 teaspoon
• CRUSHED RED PEPPER (Optional), 1/4 teaspoon
• If you’d rather, substitute 1 teaspoon crushed and minced garlic clove and 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt for the garlic sauce.

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets, sprinkle on the olive oil, garlic salt and thyme.
3. Toss and spread out on baking sheet.
4. Roast the cauliflower about 20 minutes until it’s toasty and tender.

Cabbage Soup

This is simple, easy and delicious.

I gotta tell you that this is a half recipe, and it makes 6-8 servings, depending on the size of the diners’ appetites. Just chop ingredients, open cans, add prepared seasonings, throw everything in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for a couple of hours.

Ingredients 

• CARROTS, 2, chopped
• ONION, 1 large, chopped
• CABBAGE, 1/2 large head, chopped
• BELL PEPPER, 1 green, diced
• CELERY, 3 stalks, chopped
• (Optional) ITALIAN SAUSAGE, 3, crumbled or diced
• CANNED TOMATOES, 1 16-ounce can whole peeled, stewed, or chopped,with liquid
• DRY ONION SOUP MIX, 1 envelope
• CUT GREEN BEANS, 1 can, with liquid
• TOMATO JUICE (V8 is good), 1 quart
• BEEF BROTH, 1 can
• ITALIAN SEASONING, 1 tablespoon
• GARLIC SALT and GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Directions

1. Chop veggies, break up sausages, open cans, add prepared seasonings, throw everything in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for a couple of hours.
   

That’s it! Enjoy!

Baked Lemon Butter Tilapia

Tilapia is a light and flaky fish that takes on the flavors it’s cooked in. This recipe is super easy and results in a definite crowd-pleaser. But you can substitute any white fish (trout, snapper, mahimahi, opakapaka, etc.)

Ingredients

• TILAPIA FILETS, 4, about 4 oz. each (thawed, if frozen)
• CANOLA-SOFTENED BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• OLD BAY SEASONING, 1 teaspoon
• PARSLEY, 1 teaspoon
• SEASONED PEPPER, 1 teaspoon
• FRESH LEMON, 1

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Pat-dry fish with paper towel and place on foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Mix together the butter and seasonings, and spread carefully over the fish.
4. Squeeze half the lemon onto the fish (about 1 tablespoon of juice).
5. Slice remaining lemon and place on top of each fillet.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness until fish reaches 145°F and flakes easily with a fork.

Creamy Garlic-Basil Chicken

This dish is pretty rich. If you use evaporated milk instead of the half-and-half, and eliminate the butter, that will tone it down.

But why do that? Enjoy! Enjoy! It’s uber-yummy.

Ingredients: Chicken 

• OLIVE OIL, 2 tablespoons
• CHICKEN THIGHS, 6-8
• SALT and PEPPER, to taste
• BASIL, minced, ½ tablespoon

Ingredients: Cream Sauce 

• HALF AND HALF CREAM, 1½ cups
• (Alternate) EVAPORATED MILK, 12-ounce can
• FLOUR, 1½ tablespoons
• GARLIC, minced, 1 tablespoon
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons, diced
• BASIL, minced, 1 tablespoon
• SALT and PEPPER, to taste
• ASPARAGUS, 1-pound, 2-inch pieces
• PARSLEY, minced, for garnish

Directions 

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.
2. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and dried basil.
3. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until browned.
4. Flip the chicken and cook for about 8 more minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Combine half and half (or evaporated milk), flour, minced garlic paste, butter, dried basil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl; whisk until well combined.
6. Add the prepared sauce to the hot skillet and bring to a boil.
7. Stir in prepared asparagus, place the chicken back in the pan, and lower heat to a simmer.
8. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and chicken is heated through.
9. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Lemon Chicken Strips

This entree is a little messy to process, but believe me, the results are well worth it. Just be prepared to have flour-clumpy fingers that you'll need to clean off every now and then.

Chicken goes well with citrus, and this recipe takes advantage of the partnership.

I garnished mine with minced sweet pickled peppadaw and green onions.

Ingredients 

• CHICKEN (Options: breasts or tenders) 1 pound
• CORN STARCH, ½ cup
• FLOUR, ½ cup
• EGGS, 3, beaten
• SOY SAUCE, 1 tablespoon
• LEMON JUICE, 1 lemon
• LEMON JUICE, ½ cup
• WATER, ½ cup
• SUGAR, 2 tablespoons
• LEMON ZEST, 1 lemon
• SALT, pinch
• CORN STARCH SLURRY, 1 tablespoon

Directions 

1. Heat a deep pan of canola oil.
2. If using chicken breasts, pound to flatten, and cut into 1-inch wide strips.
3. Combine the corn starch and flour, mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, soy sauce, and juice of 1 lemon.
5. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coat in the egg mixture, and again in the flour.
6. Deep-fry the coated chicken until golden brown on both sides.
7. In another pan, combine ½ cup of lemon juice, water, sugar, lemon zest and salt, whisking to combine as it cooks.
8. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry.
9. Coat the chicken in the sauce and serve on steamed rice.

Honey Tangerine Dressing

This is amazing on a Romaine and Apple Salad—subtly flavored, not overly sweet, and so light that the olive oil almost disappears.

Chop up some Romaine lettuce (purists may rip the leaves apart); peel, core, slice and acidulate some apples (I like Fuji) to prevent browning, add some crispy, crunchy cucumbers, and toss everything in about a third of a cup of dressing … not too much now!

This recipe makes one cup. You’ll have plenty leftover to keep in the fridge.

Ingredients 

• DIJON MUSTARD, 1 teaspoon
• HONEY, 1 tablespoon
• GARLIC, 1 small clove, minced
• SHALLOT, 1½ teaspoons, minced fine
• TANGERINE JUICE, freshly squeezed, ⅓ cup
• WHITE WINE VINEGAR, 1 tablespoon
• SALT and PEPPER, to taste
• OLIVE OIL, ⅔ cup

Directions 

1. Briskly combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Slowly add the olive oil, whipping very briskly until everything is emulsified evenly.

And that’s it!

Zuppa Toscana II

Here's a similar, yet different and easier version of Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) that I’d previously posted. This one-pot soup is copied from an Olive Garden Tuscany soup recipe. Five minutes to prep, 40 minutes to cook. And that's it. Serves 6.

Oh, and it is delicious beyond belief! Comfort food.

Ingredients

• ITALIAN SAUSAGE, 16 ounces
• BACON, 8 slices cut into lardons
• ONION, ½ large, diced
• GARLIC, 2-3 cloves, minced
• CHICKEN BROTH, 3½ cups (28 ounces)
• WATER, 3 cups
• RUSSET POTATOES, 5 medium, thinly sliced
• CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES, crushed, 1 teaspoon (optional)
• SALT and PEPPER
• KALE, 4 cups chopped
• HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM, 1 cup
• PARMESAN CHEESE, grated, to garnish

Directions

1. Brown sausage in a large pot.
2. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add bacon to pot and cook until crispy.
4. Stir in chopped onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is translucent.
5. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
6. Add chicken broth and water to the pot. Add crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper if desired.
7. Add thinly sliced potatoes and the cooked sausage to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
8. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
9. Add the kale to the soup, and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in the heavy cream and let heat through.
11. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

This is a wonderfully light, cold, tasty and filling dinner with very little work involved—most of it is chopping. I didn’t have bow-tie pasta and I didn’t want to go shopping, so I used some left-over rotini pasta.

Advisory: This recipe makes a helluva big bowlful, enough to feed at least 6 people.

Ingredients

• ROTINI or BOW-TIE PASTA, 8 ounces
• PINEAPPLE (CRUSHED), 1 14-ounce can, juice reserved
• RED PEPPER, 1, diced
• HAM, 2 cups, diced
• GREEN ONION, 1, chopped
• PINEAPPLE CHUNKS, 1 14-ounce can, for topping

Dressing

• MAYONNAISE, ½ cup
• SOUR CREAM, ¼ cup
• DIJON MUSTARD, 1 tablespoon
• PINEAPPLE JUICE, ⅓ cup
• CIDER VINEGAR, 1 teaspoon
• HONEY, 1 teaspoon
• GARLIC POWDER, ¼ teaspoon
• BLACK PEPPER to taste

Directions

1. Cook the pasta.
2. Chop the red peppers, ham and green onions.
3. Add the pineapple and mix.
4. Make the dressing.
5. Mix everything together and refrigerate to cool and meld the flavors.

Crab and Artichoke Dip

You need to know that this recipe makes a helluva lot of rich cheesy dip. I thought I'd make it as a dinner entree and it turned out great. 

But three of us could only handle about a fourth of what I made. The original recipe called for kosher salt to taste, but the final dish turned out a bit salty. So I eliminated salt from the list of ingredients.

It makes a great morning omelet, too.

Ingredients 

• CREAM CHEESE, 8 ounces, softened
• MAYONNAISE, 1 cup
• MONTEREY JACK CHEESE, 1 cup + 1/2 cup
• PARMESAN CHEESE, 1/2 cup finely shredded
• ARTICHOKE HEARTS, one 14-ounce can, chopped finely 
• GARLIC, 2 cloves, minced
• LUMP CRAB MEAT, 12 ounces
• GREEN ONIONS, 2 sliced
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 2 teaspoons
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste
• PARSLEY, 2 tablespoons, chopped 
• BAGUETTE, 1, sliced and toasted

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1 cup Monterey Jack, Parmesan, artichokes, garlic, crab meat, green onions and worcestershire. Season with ground pepper.
3. Transfer the dip to a 10” cast iron skillet or a flat casserole and sprinkle the remaining Jack cheese on top. Bake until warmed through and bubbly, about 17-20 minutes, until the top is nicely toasted.
4. Top with parsley. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices (garlic bread).

Cranberry Walnut Bread

First, a caveat. I made this loaf in David Howard’s Handmade Stoneware Pottery, which I ordered from his Gatlinburg, TN, store.

You can find him online at http://www.dhowardpottery.net/ or call him at (865) 430-3387. Or, if you want to go the old-fashioned snail mail route, write him at 170 Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

You’ll get it in about a month (Hey! It’s handmade, y’know).

Instead of sifting the flour, I whisked vigorously with a wire whisk. The object of whisking is to loosen, aerate and separate the flour; since I was going to use a whisk anyway, why use a sifter or sieve and have another implement to wash later?

I couldn’t find the recommended Cran-Fruit© at the supermarket, so I substituted dried cranberries and soaked them in sherry to rehydrate them. HINT: Use good sherry, and don’t throw it away after you’ve soaked the cranberries. Save it to use in other dishes, if you can resist drinking it. I drank mine while waiting for the bread to bake. Little sips … it’s delicious!

I put the bread maker on a wire cooking rack on top of a cookie sheet to make sliding into the oven easier. Make sure to lower the oven backing rack so the top won’t brown too quickly.

Ingredients 

• SELF-RISING FLOUR, 2 cups sifted
• LEMON ZEST, 1 lemon
• SUGAR, 2/3 cup
• EGGS, 2, slightly beaten
• CRAN-FRUIT©, cranberry-orange, 1 container
• (Substitution: DRIED CRANBERRIES, 2 small 1-counce boxes, soaked in sherry and roughly chopped)
• CHOPPED WALNUTS, 1 cup
• BUTTER, ½ cup (1 stick), melted
• MILK, ¼ cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lower the oven baking rack so the bread top won’t brown too quickly.
3. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, zest and sugar).
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly until blended.
5. Spray the inside of a bread maker (or loaf pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Pour the batter into the bread maker.
7. Bake for 60 minutes.
8. Remove from bread maker and cool on a wire cooking rack.

Beef with Snow Peas

I got the basic recipe for this from the cooking show, “The Pioneer Woman” hosted by Ree Drummond on Food Network. It looked scrumptious when she made it, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Actually, I’ve made something like this before – Teriyaki beef slices with Chinese peas – so this dish was familiar and easy. Plus, I had a bottle of homemade teriyaki sauce on hand (my wife’s family’s delicatessen recipe, which you can find elsewhere on this blog).

Consequently, I used our teriyaki sauce, augmenting it with sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch and minced ginger … all of which gave the sauce an extra zing. Ree added in some chili pepper flakes at the end to give it some pop, but my family isn’t into spicy, so I left it out. Instead, I sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds over the completed dish.

Anyway, here’s her recipe, which I basically followed, changing the flank steak into an 8-ounce filet mignon instead.

Ingredients

• FLANK STEAK, 1 to 1½ pounds, sliced very thin against the grain
• SOY SAUCE, ½ cup, low sodium
• SHERRY, 3 tablespoons
• BROWN SUGAR, 2 tablespoons
• CORNSTARCH, 2 tablespoons
• GINGER, minced or grated, 1 tablespoon
• FRESH SNOW PEAS, 8 ounces
• GREEN ONIONS (SCALLIONS), 5, cut into half-inch pieces on the diagonal
• OLIVE OIL, 3 tablespoons
• SALT (as needed)

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger in a bowl.
2. Pour half the marinade over all of the steak slices and toss. Reserve the other half.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add the snow peas and stir-fry for about a minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Reheat the pan, then, using tongs, add in half the meat mixture, along with half the scallions.
5. Stir-fry the meat, spreading it out. Transfer to a plate.
6. Repeat with the other half of the meat, then add the previously cooked meat, along with the snow peas.
7. Stir-fry over high heat for about 30 seconds to a minute, then turn off the heat. The mixture will thicken as it sits, because of the cornstarch.
8. Serve over steamed rice.

Brined Pork Chops

My pork chops used to be a disaster — over cooked, dry and chewy. And then, several years ago, I discovered brining. Elementary, my dear Watson. And voila! Vastly improved pork shops.

Ingredients (Brine)

• WATER, about 3 cups or so
• KOSHER SALT, 3 tablespoons
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS, 1/2 teaspoons or so
• BAY LEAF, 1 or 2

Directions (Brine)

1. Pour the water into a container large enough to hold your pork chops.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water.
3. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves, and mix well.
4. Dunk the pork chops in the brine (make sure they're fully immersed).
5. Refrigerate for an hour or more.

Ingredients (Chops)

• PORK CHOPS, 4, bone-in if possible.
• OLIVE OIL
• SALT and PEPPER

Directions (Chops)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, along with a cast iron or oven-safe skillet.
2. Pat the chops dry, coat them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully take the skillet out of the oven and put on a medium-hot burner on the stove.
4. Brown one side of the pork chops (about 3 minutes), then flip and transfer the skillet to the oven.
5. Roast for 6 to 10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
6. Remove from skillet, cover with foil, and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Mozzarella Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Here’s a dish I threw together for dinner one night; we just happened to have the right ingredients. I have to say it was a big hit.

Ingredients

• BACON, 4 slices, cut into lardons
• ONION, ½ sweet, chopped
• OLIVE OIL, 1 tablespoon
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• MARINARA SAUCE, about 1 cup
• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, about 1 cup
• MUSHROOMS, white, 8 ounces, cut in half.
• JAPANESE PANKO BREADING, about ½ cup
• CANOLA OIL, 1 cup
• CHICKEN, 4 thighs boned, skin on
• GARLIC SALT, to taste
• MOZZARELLA CHEESE, 1 cup, shredded

Directions

1. First, make the sauce in a sauce pan. Fry the bacon in the olive oil and butter until almost crisp, then add the onions.
2. Add the marinara sauce (I used jarred sauce available at the supermarket, drop the heat to medium low, and allow to bubble.
3. Boil or steam the Brussels sprouts, and when about ¾ done, add to the sauce, along with the mushrooms, for about an hour.
4. Prep the chicken while the sauce is simmering. Cut the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces each.
5. Heat the Canola oil in a deep-sided pan. (Now is a good time to transfer the sauce to a wide casserole dish.)
6. Season the chicken pieces with garlic salt, then cover with panko breading. Deep fry them in small batches. Remove when they turn a golden grown, and drain on a paper towel.
7. When all the chicken is cooked, arrange on top of the sauce in the casserole dish.
8. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and broil uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
9. Serve with pasta or rice.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple Bacon

Here’s a side dish that sounds good in concept (can’t you just smell the balsamic vinegar and maple bacon already?). But it didn’t quite turn out the way I had envisioned. Sure, it tasted good, but when roasted in the oven, the Brussels sprouts turned out a little dry and kind of chewy.

I like my Brussels sprouts tender and juicy, cooked with a lot of butter. Maybe next time I’ll substitute butter for the olive oil.

Ingredients

1. BRUSSELS SPROUTS, 1½ lb.
2. THICK CUT MAPLE BACON, 6 Slices Chopped
3. ONION, 3 oz. diced
4. GARLIC, 2 large cloves minced
5. BALSAMIC VINEGAR, 2 tablespoons
6. OLIVE OIL, 2 tablespoons
7. SALT AND PEPPER, to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing leaves.
• Cut Brussels sprouts in half.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine Brussels sprouts, bacon, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss until all sprouts are coated and ingredients are well mixed.
• Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread in a single layer. 
• Bake for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.

Braised Lemon Chicken Thighs with Garlic

This recipe is pretty good. The lemon rind became very soft, almost melting into the sauce. The flavor is quite lemony and because the chicken braises in its own liquid combined with lemon juice, it becomes quite tender.

I substituted half the Greek olives with Spanish olives (you know, the ones with the pimentos in the center) cut in half. In the picture above, I gave the dish an Asian flavor with kari (red ginger) and nori (crispy seaweed) steamed rice, and rakkyo (pickled scallions).

INGREDIENTS

• CHICKEN THIGHS, 8 bone-in, skin-on
• SALT and PEPPER to taste
• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, 3 tablespoons
• GARLIC CLOVES, 12
• YELLOW ONIONS, 2 large, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• LEMON, 1 thinly sliced, seeds discarded
• FRESH OREGANO, 2 tablespoons
• GREEK OLIVES, 1 cup mixed
• LEMON JUICE, 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
4. When the oil is hot, lay the chicken thighs in a single layer skin-side down, and sear until golden brown.
5. Add the garlic cloves to the pan and flip the thighs over. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and slightly browned.
6. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan and set aside.
7. With the pan is still hot, add the onions, lemon slices and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have wilted and the brown bits on the bottom of the pan have loosened.
9. Nestle the thighs skin-side up in the onion mixture and add the garlic and the olives. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and transfer the pan to the oven.
10. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
11. Scatter fresh oregano leaves over the top and serve.
12. 
    
13. In the picture above, I gave the dish an Asian flavor with kari (red ginger) steamed rice, and rakkyo (pickled scallions).

Peppadew-Cucumber Relish

One of our local supermarkets has an olive bar that has Peppadew sweet peppers from South Africa as one of its available condiments. They’re roundish orange-red sweet piquanté peppers that come from Limpopo province.

They’re great as a condiment with any meal, but one day, I saw a picture of a sweet-pepper/cucumber relish on a food website. So when I saw Japanese cucumbers from the Big Island’s Ho Farms in the produce section, I grabbed a couple, along with some red onions.

Immediately, I skipped on over to the olive bar and scooped up about a cup of the Peppadews, along with a nice amount of the juice that had accumulated.

When I got home, I diced up the Peppadews, cucumbers and red onions, slipped them into a jar, and saturated the mixture with the Peppadew syrup.

After a couple of days of occasional shaking and turning, I spooned out some of the relish and munched on it like a salad. It was soooo good!

You should try doing this. It is so easy, so delicious, and so refreshing. I recommend it.

Ingredients

• PEPPADEW SWEET PEPPERS, ¼ cup, with as much juice as you can swipe
• ENGLISH OR JAPANESE CUCUMBER, 2 medium
• RED ONION, ½ medium

Directions

1. Chop the ingredients into ½-inch or ¾-inch pieces.
2. Mix with the juices.
3. Store in refrigerator in a jar, shaking often.

Zuppa Toscana

This recipe came from a Facebook friend, who got it from Budget Bytes (www.budgetbytes.com). It sounded like a winner to me – easy to make, subtle in flavor, and very inexpensive. Budget Bytes estimated that eight servings will cost $1.04 each.

In Hawaii that probably works out to $1.50 to $2.00 a serving, due to the higher cost of ingredients, but who’s counting?

As usual, I had to do a substitution: I couldn’t find any Kale in the market, so I used baby spinach; I added about a teaspoon of garlic salt. Everything else was the same.

Ingredients

• ITALIAN SAUSAGE, ½ pound
• OLIVE OIL, few drops (I used a teaspoon of butter)
• ONION, 1 medium, diced
• GARLIC, 2 cloves, minced
• GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
• SMOKED PAPRIKA, ½ teaspoon
• CHICKEN BROTH, 3 cups
• WATER, 1 cup
• HALF-AND-HALF, 2 cups (1 pint)
• RED POTATOES, 3 medium
• KALE (I used baby spinach), 1 bunch, about a half-pound
• RED PEPPER FLAKES (Optional, I left it out), pinch
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly cracked, to taste
• GARLIC SALT (My option), 1 teaspoon

Directions

1. Remove the sausage from its casing and sauté over medium heat in a large pot, breaking it into small pieces while cooking. Use a few drops of olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
2. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are softened.
3. Add in the beans, paprika, chicken broth, water and half-and-half. Cover and bring to simmer over medium heat.
4. Peel (optional) and cut each potato in lengthwise quarters, then slice across to make thin slices.
5. Add the potatoes, kale and garlic salt to the pot, stirring to help the kale wilt.
6. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
7. Season with the red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper.
8. Serve with buttered rolls or bread.