Southern Summer Vegetable Dinner

Tonight we had a summer vegetable dinner.  this summer has been very different for my family. late in June my husband, Wayne, was diagnosed with acute leukemia and started chemo treatments immediately.  Thank goodness he was pretty healthy and was able to have an aggressive chemotherapy treatment.  He's in remission but is receiving chemo monthly to kill those nasty embryonic varmints that slipped through the initial treatment.  He'll finish up with this in November.  One month after Wayne was diagnosed our son, Tom, was seriously injured while riding his bike...hit and run driver.  he's going to be fine but it's going to take a few month of therapy to get back close to normal...understand that normal for Tom is riding his bile 3000 miles in a year...getting to that normal will be longer. So, as part of my therapy, I spent most of the afternoon working with vegetables from the local farmer's market and created a wonderful vegetable dinner.  Here are recipes for two of our favorites.

Southern Overcooked Mushy Yellow Squash and Onions

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon

2 large sweet onions, sliced in rounds

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced in rounds

salt and pepper

water

• Fry bacon in a large skillet and remove from pan
• Add onions to bacon drippings and cook until translucent (hot pan)
• Add yellow squash, with a teaspon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to pan with a cup of water and cook over high heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes
• Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking squash for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• When you can no longer determine that the squash was cut in rounds and when it appears mushy,  it's done
• Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper
• Serve Hot!

Tomato Pie

1 frozen deep dish pie shell (yes, already made!)

4 really big tomatoes...still firm

1 large sweet onion, sliced in 1/4 inch rings

fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Follow directions to prebake pie shell and cool
• Boil water in a pot large enough to hold tomatoes, put tomatoes in the boiling water for 3 minutes and remove, now you can easily peel and core the tomatoes, slice them in 1/4 inch slices, sprinlkle salt over them and drain for 15 minutes
• Layer tomatoes and onions in the pie shell and sprinkle chopped basil over each layer
• Combine cheeses and mayonnaise and use this to top the pie
• Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes
• Slice and serve

Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Pie

Strawberry Yogurt Pie

I have made Strawberry Yogurt Pie for years but tonight made it a little differently.   I usually just combine strawberry and Cool Whip and put it in a graham cracker crust, freeze it and slice to serve.  it's always a hit, especially in the summer time...it's a really cool, refreshing dessert!  but today I decided to try slightly different ingredients.  now that Greek yogurt is available everywhere...and it's so rich, creamy and high in protein...I tried it, combined with frozen sweetened strawberries, Cool Whip and froze it in a graham cracker crust...have to say it was better...creamier and richer!  Those of you who know me know that I did not measure...so here's the basic recipe...make it your own! (and correct my mistakes!)

Ingredients:

3 cups plain Greek yogurt

1 container of frozen sweetened strawberries

1 small container of Cool Whip

2 graham cracker crusts

fresh strawberries

mint leaves

1. Combine yogurt and frozen strawberries
2. Fold in Cool Whip
3. Divide and fill pie crusts
4. Put in freezer for two hours
5. Slice and serve (garnish with fresh fruit and mint leaves)

Lemon Salmon

Dinner Tonight was salmon...some friends' posts on Facebook indicated that that is a favorite fish for lots of folks.  I purchased a really nice salmon filet, some beautiful lemons and some very healthy looking asparagus.   I don't know about you, but the one thing I dislike the most about cooking is cleaning up the mess I make.  So, for this meal, I decided there would be no cleanup!   First I lined my pan with aluminum foil to hold the fish.  then I trimmed the asparagus and arranged it around the the salmon and threw on some cherry tomatoes.  Wa La!  A whole meal in a pan,  with no clean-up guaranteed,  and it was delicious!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients

1 salmon filet

1 large lemon, thinly sliced

1 pound asparagus

2 cups cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper

olive oil

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Place salmon on pan and salt and pepper filet to taste.  Place lemon slices on top of filet.  Arrange asparagus around filet and top asparagus with cherry tomatoes.  Drizzle fish and vegetables with olive oil.   Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Mussels a La Loretta

Mussels a la Loretta  (Belly laughs are expected!)

I'm doing some work in Alexandria, Va. and have already discovered a special spot to dine.  Brabo's
Tasting Room  http://www.braborestaurant.com/brabo-tasting-room.php
  is the perfect spot for me.  It's small and casual, does not accept reservations, has a really great wine list and is just a sort walk from my hotel.

Brabo's  prepares an amazing salad of fresh greens and a fantastic house made mustard vinaigrette, but what's really special are the mussels they prepare there.  So, today, I decided to find some mussels and create my own dish for dinner tonight.  A  big difference between Brabo's mussels and Loretta's mussels is that Brabo's are fresh, flown in from Washington and mine are frozen, bagged in Chili. The other difference is $$$$... who knows how much Brabo's  pays for theirs...my frozen bags were $5.99 each (I'm sure the chef at Brabo's would shudder at the thought!). So Wayne,  our friend, Jane, and I were pleasantly surprised at the outcome of this dish...delish!!!!

Ingredients:

1 pinch of saffron
1 cup dry white wine

4 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 cup panchetta, finely chopped\
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup plum tomatoes, quartered
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
another cup of dry white wine
2 bags frozen mussels

Soak saffron in 1 cup of dry white wine for at least 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in large skillet with high sides.  Add panchetta, onion. celery, garlic and saute' over medium heat until onion is translucent, add tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes.  Add saffron wine and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add crushed red pepper, parsley, salt and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add 2 bags of frozen mussels and another cup of dry white wine.  Cover and cook until mussels are hot and opened.

Serve with a simple green salad and lots of crusty toasted bread for sopping up that amazing sauce.

Chicken Bog

Chicken Bog 

A special friend, Amy Montei Ramsey , has often posted on Facebook, on a cold or rainy day, she is making “Chicken Bog”.  I had never heard of this but have since found out that it is a special dish from South Carolina.  Today was windy and cold here…and I had just endured tortuous travel.  When I started thinking about dinner for tonight I knew I wanted some kind of cold weather comfort food and thought of Amy’s Chicken Bog.  I surfed to find a recipe and then, of course, made it my own based on what was available in my fridg, freezer and pantry.

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. chicken legs(6) and 1 pkg. chicken thighs (4)

·         1 pound mild Italian sausage

·         1 cup chopped onion

·         ½ stick butter

·         2 teaspoons Sea Salt

·         2 teaspoons Luzianne Cajun Seasoning

·         1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

·         1 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         3 bay leaves

·         8 cups water

·         3 cups raw rice

·          

Directions

Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. In a stockpot, combine the chicken, sausage, onion, butter, seasonings and bay leaves. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly. Pick the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is done. Remove the bay leaves, and return the chicken to the pot.

 Serve with a crispy salad and sour dough bread…and, of course, a glass (or two) of wine!

First Blue Crab of the Season...Crab Cakes!

Yesterday Joel and a friend hit the mother load and caught lots of blue crabs.  Joel's intent had been to catch fish, but his friend came armed with raw chicken necks...he definitely did not intent to catch fish.  Last night Joel and some friends steamed up some of these "beautiful swimmers" with Joel bringing me more than 2 dozen that they did not eat.  So today I cleaned the crabs (removed the shell and all the "stuff" between the shell and the body) and picked out the crabmeat out of the bodies.   Now, I have to say, this is not my favorite thing to do.  Picking out crabs is lots of fun at a picnic table with family and friends and a good cold beer...standing at my sink and pickin' is just not the same.  However, the resulting crab cakes made this miserable work well worth the effort.  When I make crab cakes I use lots of crab and very little filler...it really is a crab cake!  Freshly picked crab is available at fish markets and some grocery stores or catch your own in salty water with a chicken neck tied to a string!

Ingredients

1 1/2 # crab meat   (I use body meat and claw)
3/4 cup panko
2 eggs
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup mayonaise
3/4 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
panko for coating crabcakes (about 3/4 cup)
olive oil for cooking

Makes 8 Crab Cakes

1. Combine first six ingrendients well in a bowl. 
2. Form crab mixture into patties (cakes) using about 1/2 cup of  crab mixture. 
3. Dredge crab cakes one at a time in panko and place on plate.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Cook crabcakes about 4 minutes on each side, until golden.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Potatoes

After working in the yard all day I was too tired to venture to the grocery store, so I explored what I had in the frig and in my herb garden that might come together for a good dinner.  In the frig I had chicken leg quarter, some really juicy lemons, some amazing fingerling type red potatoes, brown tomatoes I found at Walmart of all places (delicious!), a mozzarella ball and some really good crisp romaine lettuce.  I'm never lacking for rosemary in my fresh herbs outside the kitchen door and now have fresh basil.  So dinner tonight was rosemary lemon chicken with fingerling potatoes and a caprese salad.  I didn't photograph our meal...but did find a dancing chicken...this was so good I know the chicken would be proud!!!

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken leg quarters cut to make 2 thighs and 2 legs
2 tbs. rosemary leaves from fresh rosemary
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbs. olive oil
juice from one juicy lemon
2 tbs olive oil
6 fingerling potatoes, cut in half
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Finely chop rosemary leaves and garlic.
• Add red pepper flakes, juice from one lemon and olive oil
• Use a pestle to combine rosemary, garlic. pepper flakes, lemon juice and olive oil
• Roll chicken parts in the rosemary, lemon mixture
• Heat an oven proof (I use an iron skillet) with 2 tbs olive oil
• Brown chicken pieces and potatoes in skillet (it takes about 5 minutes per side)
• Squeeze a lemon over chicken and potatoes and put fresh rosemary sprigs on top
• Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes
• Remove, serve chicken and potatoes on plate, pour pan drippings over all.

Caprese Salad

Layer tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves on top of torn romaine lettuce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

That's dinner!!!