Mushroom Barley Stew

Lucullian Delights and Joanna's Food has paired up with another wonderful blogger Accidental Scientist to handle this months Heart of the Matter The deadline for submitting is February 23rd. Even if you don't enter, we all know we should be eating healthier so go take a look and see what you might enjoy preparing for your family or even just yourself. The turn out entries are abundant and the recipes are phenomenally good.

This is really a soup recipe that I turned into a stew by making the vegetables chunky and adding leftover roast beef I had chopped.

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
2 cups mushrooms (can be cremini, Portobello, or even button)
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley (toast the barley for a nuttier flavor)
4 3/4 cups beef broth low sodium
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

a splash of Sherry adds another good flavor

Adding the beef is optional and is not in the nutritional guide.

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and mushrooms; sauté approx. 7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in barley, and sauté 2 minutes. The sauteing of the barley gives the stew a nice nutty flavor. Add stock, celery, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add thyme, and cook 5 minute

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Guide...CALORIES 217(19% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 13.9g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 624mg; FIBER 6.8g; IRON 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.1g

Jalapeno cheddar cornbread

In one of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, cookbooks is a wonderful recipe for cornbread. Since I'm only typing with one hand--the other is in a cast, I'll only direct you to her site. You might find it on Food TV.

What I will take the time to say is she has a different method for this hefty quick bread. After you lightly mix all the ingredients you let it rest for 20 minutes. This takes the cornbread to a whole new level; a wonderful light, almost custard-like texture considering it is weighed down with lots of eggs, butter and cheese.

Cheese and green onions are the main flavor here but if you like your food spicy you'll need to increase the jalapenos. Most of my guests thought it was enough, just a hint, I on the other hand (which is throbbing right now) like the chili to meet me before I take a bite. You be the judge on the amount.

Editor's note: If you'd like to know who stupid Moon is, check the post on the broken wrist.

banana nut bread

Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan or use the non aerosol cooking oil spray
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces or toasted pecans

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled, so don't worry), and remove the bowl from the mixer.

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack. Wrap in plastic wrap. This banana bread is good also if served the next day.

Enjoy
doodles

writing about christmas tamales in february!

a mexican tradition adopted by my un-mexican family is christmas eve tamales. this year, i decided i was going to make my own. look, you can tell i did this during christmas because you can see the christmas wrap in the background on my table!



the day before, i cooked the beef and made the red sauce. all recipes were adopted/adapted from this post on laist.

beef tamale filling
5 lb boneless beef roast
1 tablespoon salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced
3 c. beer

season meat with salt and garlic, place in roasting pan and cover with sliced onions. pour in beer and roast covered at 250 degrees for about 5 hours. reserve stock and shred meat. add a little of the red sauce. you could add some more ingredients to make it more interesting, if you want. i've had beef with olives, beef with green chile strips. and of course, you could do chicken, pork, chile and cheese instead.

red sauce
5 ounces dried california chiles
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 medium onion
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons flour

remove stems and seeds from chile pods. rinse and then soak in 3 cups hot water for 1 hour. drain, reserving water. put chiles, spices and onion in a blender or food processor. blend, adding mixture of stock from the beef and the reserved soaking water until the sauce is the consistency of gravy. in a saucepan, make a roux with the oil and flour. add red sauce and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

masa
10 lb prepared masa (get from mexican deli)

the original recipe called for 5 pounds, but i had to go out and get another 5 pounds of masa because i only used about half the meat with the original 5 pounds of masa.

whip the masa up in your mixer adding a little of the stock and red sauce for flavoring and to get the right consistency. kind of like spreadable frosting.

to wrap a tamale, lay out your corn husk (soaked and drained), spread some masa along the top half of the husk leaving some space on both sides. add some of the meat filling, fold the two sides in and then fold the top up. you will see the masa sticking out of the top. some people add another layer of corn husk and then tie the whole thing in a bundle with the a thin strip of corn husk. too much work if you ask me, because you've got enough fixin's to make 71 more tamales, and it's christmas eve, and you should've done this yesterday and you've still got presents to wrap, and wait...that's probably just me.

to cook them, shove them all in your steamer insert (folded side down) in a big stock pot and steam for about 2 hours.



careful not to let your steamer boil dry! mooncrazy puts a penny in the water in the pan. when you stop hearing the penny, the water is too low for it to rattle around - time to add more water! i add boiling water from my kettle so that it doesn't take the temperature down too much.

serve with some red sauce and enjoy! put the rest in dozen tamale portions in your ziplock bags and give to friends or freeze.

Second Annual Pullet Surprise

Last years recipient of the Peanut Butter ´Etouffee Pullet Surprise was none other than Soul Fusion Kitchen. Syliva treated us to her version of Doro Wat a spicy Ethiopian chicken dish. It was no secret we did not receive many entries but we are not daunted, we will try this again.

Here we go, lets have a drum roll, please...

This years category, keeping with the poultry theme, is Eggs. Now the only restriction is the dish must have eggs as it's main attraction but we'll leave the finer points of argument to you. If you think it qualifies then send the entry.

Here are the rules:

• Make a recipe with the main ingredient being eggs
• Post recipe on your blog. Photos are a plus.
• Have this link back to PBE in your post. http://pbetouffee.blogspot.com
• Send us your permalink E-mail
• Do all of this by midnight PST March 26, 2008

Don't have a blog? Just e-mail all your info and we'll post it here.

Editor's Note: Pullet Surprise is a play on words. You will not be getting the real Pulitzer.

ONE World ONE Heart - Winner!

We have a winner! Margo, from Margo's Memories & Musings. We will be sending out the handmade felt lapel pin to her, post haste.

Thanks to all our visitors who posted comments. This was a fun event and we'll be sure to participate next year.

ONE World ONE Heart-picking a winner

Thanks to all the 86 bloggers that chose to comment. We will announce a winner later today.

ONE World ONE Heart

Sending our love

She liked Valentine's Day almost as much as Christmas. When lil bird was old enough to stand on a kitchen chair mom would have her over to make cookies for that special day. I know when she went off to college lil bird got a package of hearts from her beloved grandma.

So in honor of our mother/grandmother I made some sugar hearts. When I looked for the meringue powder to make Royal Icing I remembered I'd run out around the holidays. Yikes. I recalled a recipe in an old cooky cookbook and what did I have to lose. It turned out fine so on Wednesday I'm off to deliver these hearts to a special person. I did save some for the Gypsy Caravan* that is arriving tomorrow afternoon.

Here is the recipe. Using the meringue is much easier but this works in a pinch.

Royal Icing

2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla ( or other flavoring)
food coloring

Using a stand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar. Beat five minutes. Beat in secon cup of sugar; beat 10 minutes. During last few minutes of beating, add vanilla and food color for the desired color.

I made one mistake on this. I thinned some of the icing to flow on easier and it didn't dry as well. I have no idea how to thin this recipe. It turns out the unthinned iced cookies looked just as good.

*Editor's note: For those new to this blog. Sister doodles and her beloved are the Gypsy Caravan. They've sold everything, packed up their trailer, and are off on an extended adventure. You can read about them at her blog, Tombstone Tumbleweed.

Pets for February

At long last here is Food Bloggy Pets for February.

This group of furry friends comes to us from Someone's in the Kitchen. That blog has some pretty sophisticated taste testers. Jesse James, Savory, and Brown Dog. Check out these handsome chef's helpers.

We know that Food Bloggy Pets of the Month has not been popular with our foodie friends but we are hoping it will catch on. Check this post for all the info and let's try for March. Rules for posting pets.

Please send us your kitchen pets and we'll post them for March.

ONE World ONE Heart

No more entries please, we will announce a winner today


ONE World ONE Heart

We are participating in a great event, One World ONE Heart. To encourage a community of bloggers and make some friends all over the blog-o-sphere this event was created. To make it more fun all blogs participating will have a giveaway and there are over 280 participants. Check out the website for the complete list.

All you have to do is comment on this post and on Valentine's Day the PBE women will randomly choose a winner from the list of comments. Nope, that's all you need to do, just comment.

Now, for the give-away. We are offering a lapel pin. Our handmade pin is about 1 inch by an inch and a half and is green felt embellished with beads and copper.

All you have to do is comment on this site then check out the OWOH blog, find other participants, an comment on their posts. This is too easy and will be so much fun to see who wins our giveaway. Hey, we might just win something, too.

Kitchen of Love

Skinny Gourmet and Kaylyn
Please accept my apologies for not including the link for WHB...chalk it off to
senility, I think in all actuality I had too much on my plate.

Coriander (Cilantro seed)
The book of The Arabian nigh ts tells a tale of a merchant who had been childless for 40 years and but was cured by a concoction that included coriander. That book is over 1000 years old so the history of coriander as an aphrodisiac dates back far into history. Cilantro was also know to be used as an "appetite" stimulant.

Now did you know that???


.Pop on over to Mel Cotte who is holding a fun Valentine event.

My entry is this super easy and tasty salad, serve with a good grilled steak, some nice italian crunchy bread and a full bodied red wine and you are good to go.






Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad
with Lime and Chile Dressing ***

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well
4-5 tomatoes, diced in 1/2 inch pieces I use Roma's
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1 cup (1 large bunch) cilantro, washed, dried, and chopped coarsely

Dressing:
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (you could substitute hot sauce if you don't have ground Chipotle)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
zest from one lime
salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Drain beans into colander and rinse until no foaming remains. Let drain well. Mix dressing ingredients, then put beans and dressing into a plastic container with a snap-on lid and shake a few times. Let beans marinate in dressing one hour or longer.

Dice tomatoes, place in colander with a small amount of salt and let tomatoes drain 10 minutes while you dice onions and chop cilantro. Combine marinated beans with dressing, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro and stir gently until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

***I must give credit to Kayln's Kitchen for this adapted version of her salad.

welcome, pull up a fork

the ladies of peanut butter etouffee

welcome! we understand that we've been tagged as one of blogger's blogs of note. we're blushing, really, you just can't see because we have our backs turned to the camera. we noticed a few more people dropping by the site, so we thought we'd take a minute to introduce ourselves and give you a little taste of peanut butter etouffee (pun definitely intended). so, welcome, pull up a fork and dig in! we've provided a few links below so you can hit the highlights, but we hope you'll explore a bit on your own, too, and find something you like...and share your comments! we hope to see you back at our table soon!

by way of introduction, this blog is written by three women, three crazy women. we're all related: mooncrazy and doodles are sisters and maltese parakeet (aka lil bird) is mooncrazy's daughter and, hence, doodles' niece. food is the axis on which our family turns. it makes up our family's shared memories and experiences. we are the type of family that makes up a fabulous meal for a special family occasion and then, as we sit there eating, discuss other fabulous meals we've enjoyed, and restaurants we've been to and meals we'd like to make...need i go on? it's all about the food. as mooncrazy once said, "our common thread is kitchen twine." it all started almost two years and 350 posts ago when doodles emailed lil bird some links for food blogs and said she'd sure love to do something like that. the name came from mooncrazy, who had been saving it for a while to use on something good (her punk band having never got off the ground).

so, here's a quick hit on some of the highlights of pbe so far:

our first post (and lil bird's, as well)

mooncrazy's first post

doodles' first post

the first time we realized we could add pictures to our posts (and we really haven't looked back)

our first time participating in a challenge, this one the stale bread challenge for is my blog burning, and all three of us got in on the act

the roundup for pbe's first challenge, grill of my dreams

the roundup for our first annual anniversary contest - the pullet surprise

our own monthly round-up of food bloggers' pets

lil bird's favorite post

doodles' favorite post

mooncrazy's favorite post

we've really enjoyed doing this over the past two years and look forward to keeping up with it. we've also enjoyed having the opportunity to meet bloggers from all over the world, and we hope that you'll also check out our foodie friends over there on the left.

we are so honored

to be on named on Blog Spot's Blogs of Note!!!

To all our new visitors WELCOME!!!

Now the timing is perfect because we were about to put out a new challenge our not so famous Pullet Surprise.

So check back in a few days for all the information.

Now I gotta go check the chickens.....get your thinking caps on and we'll see ya soon.

As always stay tuna'd..............

Doodles, Sister Moon and lil bird

A side dish for snacking

While cruising around other food blogs I noticed a lot of snacks to be made for the Super Bowl. Some go all out with unbelievable food and presentation. Won't be doing that this year but we are not shy of snacks. I did come upon some ideas however. And one thing that kept popping into my mind was Pico de gallo Nothing like a good mexican condiment to go with your beverage of choice, such as maybe your favorite beer.

Ingredients
* 6 medium tomatoes diced ~I use the Roma
* 1 medium onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped.
* 2 to 4 fresh serrano or jalapeño seeded and minced fine***
*juice of one lime
*Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Let set a few minutes. You will find a lot of variations on the internet if you google pico de gallo. You can also can use the pico de gallo for cooking and a garnish.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and the very best green gold AKA guacamole. My guacamole is simple, peel avocado, mash with a bit of lime juice, serve. An if I am your guest make a lot cause I love guacamole and pico de gallo.

Now I gotta go make some more cause my sweet husband found it and had said condiment for lunch..........whoa is me!!!

***try one fresh pepper first in the pico de gallo in case you find two peppers to warm for your taste. Remember that the ribs inside the pepper is where the heat is as well as the seeds. So do what you will when chopping your peppers. I do not use garlic but some do. This does not stay too long in the fridge a day or so.

Tea for three

Last month's visit with sister Moon, niece lil bird and the family was such a wonderful time. Did all the things we always do plus a few more adventures. Needless to say a good time was had.

One day we met up with Miss K, a friend of Moon's, for lunch. We dined at Mongolian BBQ which is a build-it-yourself lunch. They have a buffet line of raw ingredients so you can throw anything you wish into your stir-fry. Just hand your bowl to the cook and he fries it up on a huge flat sizzling wok. Wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't 'cause we were too busy yakking and enjoying the lunch.

After lunch, sister noticed a tea shop across the parking lot. We drink tea so let's go look see. Oh my, we could have spent hours in the shop. Owners were very helpful with their product and some of the most wonderful samples. I tried the pomegranate and ended up buying two ounces. I also got a tea that they mix themselves I do believe, that is lemon ginger.

Given the temps here and elsewhere around the country warm drinks are at the top of the list, at least for me.

Tell me do you drink tea?, what are your favorites?, do you have a tea bar in your community? Share your favorites please. Oh and some folks cook with tea - something you have done?

Lentil soup

So what exactly is a heart healthy soup recipe? First, you should know that foods low in saturated fats, cholesterol, and high on fiber are good for your heart's health and ya know we all need healthy hearts. When you're searching for heart healthy recipes, look for recipes that contain low saturated fat, and low cholesterol.
.
Lucullian Delights has paired up with another wonderful blogger, Joanna's Food,to create Heart of the Matter The deadline for submitting is January 24th I do believe. Even if you don't enter, we all know we should be eating healthier so go take a look and see what you might enjoy preparing for your family or even just yourself.

While visiting sister Moon last month I went with her while she did her docent duties at the Getty Center. The restaurant there is quite good. I had the lentil soup and to tell you it was divine is an under statement, just the right spices and consistency.

This is my adapted version from Cooks Illustrated

Makes about 2 quarts, serving 4 to 6

3	slices bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1	large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
2	medium carrots , peeled and chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
	1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained I used fire roasted
1	bay leaf
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1	cup lentils (7 ounces), rinsed and picked over
1	teaspoon table salt
	ground black pepper
1/2	cup dry white wine
4 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth I also added 1/2 cup beef broth and cut the chiken broth to 4 cups
1 1/2	cups water
1 1/2	teaspoons balsamic vinegar Didn't have so I used sherry
5	ounces baby spinach I used kale because I just like the flavor more than spinach

1. Fry bacon in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to simmer. Add chicken broth and water; bring to boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard bay leaf.

2. Puree 3 cups soup in blender until smooth, then return to pot; stir in vinegar or sherry and heat soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach or kale and continue to heat soup, stirring frequently, until spinach or kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; serve.

Enjoy cause your heart will thank you

Food Bloggy Pets of the Month for mid-January

Just when we thought no one was interested in Food Bloggy Pets of the Month we get an e-mail from a new friend, Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs. We are going to highlight her two darling girls, Chaser and Elsie this month. Scoot over there and read about her freeloaders.

We are open to continuing this monthly if people send photos and perma links. As always, deadline the end of the month and roundup the first week of the next month.

Yes, I know, late so very late this month. Do forgive, Doodles just flew home this week and we had too much fun.

Do not make this recipe

Not unlike most couples, when my darling husband and I were first married we were young, in love, and totally broke half the time. Being a new wife meant I had to come up with some interesting meals for my new husband. I turned to a woman's magazine offer for help. For the price of postage I could have an entire month's worth of meals planned just for my budget and taste. All I had to do was fill out the questionnaire and wait for the computerized menus to fly to me. In 1970 anything remotely connected with the word "computerized" sparkled in the noon day sun and I was eager to take advantage of this new technology.

The appropriate forms were filled out, postage paid, and I sat waiting for my wonderful meal plans to help me with my budget while feeding my darling husband a tasty month of breakfasts, lunches, and romantic dinners. I added the romantic bit.

While looking through an old cookbook today I found one menu and I'm sharing this with all of you just in case you thought it was easy to be a new bride, twenty years-old and trying to stay on a budget. As I remember, these menus read like a school cafeteria with suggestions for meals that almost ruined my marriage. After serving the Tuna Noodle Rosy my husband said, "Do not fix that again, ever."

The thirty days of computerized menus went into the trash; this one must have been a survivor.

18th day of your computerized menu plan
Breakfast
Orange juice
Four-grain breakfast cereal with milk
Milk and coffee

Lunch
Manwich hot dogs
Fresh pear half
Milk, tea

Dinner
Tuna Noodle Rosy*
Green salad with citrus wedges
Rolls with margarine
Vanilla Ice Cream
Milk, coffee, tea

Tuna-Noodle Rosy
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 (80z ) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked noodles
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 can drained tuna
1/2 cup cooked peas

In heavy pan with tight lid cook onion, celery and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in sauce, water and noodles. Mix until noodles are covered with liquid. Cover tightly, simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mayo, tuna and peas. Heat to blend flavors.

Please don't try this, it was horrible with the worst thing being the color, pink!

A Casual Christmas Eve

Our Christmas dinner will not be until Saturday. Schedules and other commitments keep us from all getting together on the 25 th but none of us mind having another celebration. We will be one short, sister Doodles is coming but her hunky husband is working, so we'll do without him this year if he promises to come next.

Lil bird and her fella will pick up Doodles at the airport and bring her this afternoon. I have a small dinner planned with tamales as the featured player. This will be a prelude to our Saturday celebration. We are getting together with our dear extended family tonight for dessert and a round of presents.

Last night my husband and I were invited to a Pajama Party for Christmas Eve. It was with our dear extended family, a new boyfriend and his brother, sister-in-law, and seven-year-old son. It was fun to share all the excitement about Christmas that comes with a little person.

Dress was very casual; what you wear to bed and food was breakfast, of course. We had waffles with a variety of toppings and sausages. I made a Green Chile Quiche. I'd not made it in a while but it's one of those recipes that I drag out ever so often. This "bullet-proof" recipe, meaning it's difficult to screw up is not for anyone on a diet so all you healthy cooks, turn away.

Oddly enough the recipe calls for Mocha Mix which is something like fat free half and half but non-dairy. Why they use that I have no idea because with the cheese and cream cheese it's already a cholesterol nightmare. Cut yourself a small slice, if you can it's also quite yummy.

As for wearing pjs to a party, I highly recommend this. When you go home you just have to climb in bed, how great is that?!

Green Chili Quiche
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups Mocha Mix (This is something like fat free half and half but non-dairy)
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 oz. chopped green chilies ( I use fresh but you can use canned)
1 1/2 shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
about 1/2 teaspoon salt if you use fresh chilies
unbaked 10" pie crust

Cut cream cheese in cubes and full the bottom of the crust. On top of cream cheese add the chopped green chilies. Mix the two shredded cheeses together and add to pie pan. Beat eggs, add Mocha Mix dry mustard, and salt and pour over the cheese. I gently push the cheese under the egg mixture. Bake 400 for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 375 for 1 hour or until done in the center. Best to let it cool for at least 20 minutes so it easy to cut.

I usually put foil around the edges of the pie crust until the last 30 minutes to keep the edges from getting too brown.

And the tradition continues

Go check out this very same blog I did exactly a year ago. I just love this soup and I will continue to make this every Christmas eve cause it is so good. Sorta like the tradition of the broccoli casserole we do for Thanks giving. http://pbetouffee.blogspot.com/2006/12/christmas-eve-lite.html Wish you all a very Merry and a very Happy!!!

A Holiday treat

I have received these little toffee cookie gems as a gift, for several years now. And this year the recipe accompanied the item. I could not believe that saltine crackers were used in this tasty treat.

Some people use saltine crackers others use graham crackers which I did. These taste something like a heath bar. I'm sure you could use the white chocolate morsels, or the butterscotch. And the nuts could vary as well. But whatever and however you make them you'll love em.

I made these last nite to tuck into a gift basket....Perfect!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
3. In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Chocolate; as inspiration

Sure, some artists work in oils, or pastel, or watercolor but I thought I'd try something a bit different. Chocolate is my new medium and, as you can see, this piece is performance art. It all came about while I was melting chocolate in a glass bowl over water. Like a ninny I lifted the bowl, steam escaped and scalded my hand, and I dropped the bowl on the floor. What did I do? I called my sister Doodles to commiserate while I waited for the chocolate to cool enough to clean up. It was one of my favorite bowls I broke.

Kitchens are dangerous places and though I'm aware of the physics of boiling water producing steam, I was in a hurry. Since the holidays create more activity in the kitchen make sure you take a little extra time do things carefully.

What's been your worst kitchen disaster?

Excellent leftover meal

I am not big on leftovers but I had a very hefty piece of roast beef I was contemplating what to do with. Leftover beef soft tacos came to mind but that is pretty much a usual thing around this household.

While cruising around all my favorite food blogs I came upon KaylynsKitchen blog on her Leftover Roast Beef Italian Stew. Her photo caught my eye but the recipe kept me there.

Following is the original recipe - my changes are in red

1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (or more) I used red pepper because that is what I had on hand
1 T olive oil
8-10 oz. leftover roast beef or steak (about 1 1/2 cups diced beef cubes)
2 cups beef stock (or 1 can beef broth plus a little water) I used the low sodium
1 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes) I used the fire roasted Muir Glen
1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 T dried basil
garlic your choosing
1 cup mushrooms, cut in large chunks I had sliced mushrooms
1-3 T chopped fresh basil (or frozen chopped basil.) I used the frozen very handy

Cut onion and green pepper into 3/4inch pieces, and roast beef and mushrooms into 1 1/2 inch pieces. In heavy dutch oven type pot, saute onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add green pepper and saute 3 minutes more. Add beef, stock, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and mushrooms, reduce heat to very low, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired. Add fresh basil when stew has cook to desired consistency and cook 5-10 minutes more. Serve hot.

I also had some warm crusty Italian bread that was perfect for soppin the juices.

And no I didn't take a photo - go look at Kaylyn's, looked just like that but different bowls. This is very tasty for a cool nite meal and so very easy.

Thanks Kaylyn ;)

Quick Snack

Heart of the Matter is asking for entries this month for recipes that are quick and easy and, as always, Heart Healthy. I have just the thing, a quick little snack that appeals to children as well as adults. I use Lebneh cheese, a soft yogurt cheese similar to cream cheese but with less fat but you can use fat free cream cheese.

Apples with Dip
8 ounces Lebneh cheese, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
1/2 cup orange juice
4 apples, cored and sliced.

This makes enough for 4-6 servings.

Drizzle orange juice over the apples to prevent browning and combine the other ingredients until smooth. Serve the apples ice cold.

December Food Bloggy Pets

There seems to be some confusion about our Food Bloggy Pets of the Month.
The reason we do this is to:

• Get new people reading your blog
• Get new people reading our blog
• See some adorable pix of dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, birds, (you get the picture)

So, to make this work all you need to do is:

• Post your photo of your pet on your blog, hopefully with a food related entry
  
• Have a link to PBE on that post
• Send us the permalink; the link that goes just to that entry
• Send a small photo of your pet for our page
  

Then:

• PBE will post all these links and photos together for all to see
  
• Visitors to our site click to find a wonderful new Food Blog
• You get to share the love of your life
• We get to see some furry faces. Or feathered, or scaly. We are still waiting for someone to produce a reptile photo.

Here are December's Food Bloggy Pets.

This is from Christine at La Vida Dulce. We are going to forgive her for not following the plan because she's been gone from blogging for a while and we did miss her postings. Here is a post about her new kitteh. I love the pix, "I shall allow you to photo but I shall not look at your camera."

This is Penny Lane, our found/adopted Siamese kitty. When she first arrived, she had to be hand-fed, so tiny and frail. The thought of someone tossing her out like a piece of trash in the street still breaks our hearts.

Michael and his friend Ethan found her, brought her in and of course, I couldn't say no. She allows us to live in this house, and this photo shows off her feline attitude. Her nickname is Monster, named after the Charlize Theron character in the movie.

Since her arrival, all of the male pets have either met their demise or were chased off. She is a scrappy little fighter and it is a challenge to keep her inside the house. The only one safe is the iguana, but she has her eye on him. However, being a fickle female, she can be coaxed with the sound of the pop top from a little can of kitty food that gets mixed in with the dry stuff. All of a sudden she's all sweetness and purrs.

Her saving grace is that she's an excellent bug catcher, no need for Black Flag or Raid around this place. But we just love her!


Peanut Butter Étouffee section of Food Bloggy Pets


These two sweeties, Max and Multi, live with Maltese Parakeet and her main squeeze. They just happen to be Maltese Terriers. Coincidence? Lil bird's great-grand-dad did come from Malta.

Multi can look very sad when he wants to. Looks like he's trying to melt into the floor. Max, on the other hand, is looking suspiciously at the camera. He questions everything. "You are taking my photo for some reason and I'll just have to find out."






Ah, this cat has the life, right? You can be assured this guy, Buddy the Cat, is treated like royalty. He has his own 28 ft. fifth-wheel trailer. Here he is resting after traveling 18,000 miles this year.

Driver and food provider are our very own Doodles and her hunky husband. You can read all about this Buddy's adventures at Tombstone Tumbleweed.



Last, but hardly least, is Buddy the Dog. This pretty scruffy looking snap of him was taken by Doodles while we were all camping in November. He says, "You could have washed by face for the photo."

While he's an even tempered pooch he is looking a little serious here. Possibly he's thinking of Boycotting Burger King.

Remember, if you want to get in for January, send you permalink by the end of December. We need more pets!

The e-mail lines are now open

Food Blog Awards nominations are open until Wednesday, December 5 so if you have a blog you'd like to nominate click on over to Well Fed Network for all the info.

This really isn't a veiled request for a nomination. We've been slackers this year when it comes to posting but we promise to step up the posts. There are some pretty sophisticated Food Blogs on the 'net these days. If you visit one regularly you should nominate them.

Almost a Tuscan Sunday

Ilva at Lucllian delights made a Tuscan Kale Fritatta last week and that must of been on my mind Sunday morning. I was cooking up some chicken breakfast sausages when I remembered I had some kale in the fridge. I'd made a quick soup and kale can make a simple soup ever so hardy. I like the flavor more than spinach. My kale wasn't from Tuscany but it was tasty none the less.

I chopped the kale and sauteed it in the pan I'd cooked the sausages, then add a bit of water and turned up the fire. When the liquid had evaporated I added back the chopped sausage, small cubes of cheese, some fresh thyme, and beaten eggs. I like the cubed cheese because it leaves oozy little pockets of melted cheese in the frittata.

A little salt and pepper and a quick set of the eggs then under the broiler to brown the top and onto a warm plate. This was much better than the scrambled eggs I'd promised my beloved. He liked it better, too.

Reminder for pet photos!

We want to see our food blog friends whether they are furry, feathery or scaly so post a photo of your pet and don't forget a link back to us. Then send your permalink to our e-mail, pbetouffee@gmail.com.

Deadline for December's Food Bloggy Pets of the Month posts is November 30th (or so).

Then everyone drop by the first week in December to see who's who at the zoo.

A big thanks to Sweetnicks for adding our event to Sticky Dates.

thanksgiving - part 2

thanksgiving dinner
Originally uploaded by lornababy

check out that steam!

as we all know, the majority of the pbetouffee family had thanksgiving a few weeks back - without me. not one to go without my turkey and fixin's on turkey day, i had mother moon and my pa over for a little meal on thursday afternoon. we also had my bunky's dad over and took in a family-less quebecois for the day, as well. of course, there was the standard turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and, our family standby, broccoli casserole. new additions this year were braised brussels sprouts with pancetta and bertha's corn pudding from miss sylvie's soul fusion kitchen. the corn pudding was great, i think we're going to put that one in regular holiday rotation. mooncrazy brought the pumpkin pie and a good time was had by all. hope everyone's thanksgiving was just as great!

here's the family broccoli casserole recipe. it is so not low fat, but who cares!

10 oz package frozen chopped broccoli
10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
butter for top

defrost broccoli, drain well. stir together soup and cheese,
gradually add milk, mayo and egg. stir until well blended. pour over
broccoli in casserole. sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.

bake 350 until heated and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Addendum from Moon,
In an earlier post, Doodles talked about our early Thanksgiving dinner. Although we missed lil bird and her husband not being with us, we did have a fine dinner, complete with all the trimmings. There is a dish the West Coast portion of the family would not think of leaving out of our holiday feast, Broccoli Casserole. Doodles prepared it when we were visiting them in Connecticut in the early 80s. My family loved it. Lil bird was much lil-er at the time and broccoli was her favorite so this recipe was taken home to California. Our father, who was a great cook, ate it at our house and it then appeared at each Thanksgiving dinner there after.

Jump to our recent Thanksgiving in the desert. All three of us, Mary, Doodles and myself prepared our meal and when it came to the casserole we were quite shocked when Doodles didn't recognize her recipe. What?! Although we'd spent many a Christmas holiday together, we'd not done Thanksgiving so our small tradition was unknown to the East Coast contingency of the family. We had a good laugh. I can't tell the amount of times I'd served this recipe and gave my sister credit.

This Thanksgiving, at lil bird wonderful dinner, we ate broccoli casserole as she explained the tradition to new guests at their table. The tradition continues.

Brussel Sprouts

Now don't turn up your nose like I used to. I also understand that brussel sprouts are one of the healthiest foods. just try this very, very easy method.





About 1 to 1 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
3 cloves of chopped garlic
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Method

clean the brussel sprouts by cutting off the ends and any icky looking leaves, then cut the brussel sprout in half. Put all the sprouts in a bowl to coat with the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Place said sprouts on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle the sliced garlic to inter mix with the sprouts. Now if y'all are not garlic lovers leave it out. Place the baking sheet with the sprouts in a hot oven 400* is good, for about 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them cause they can burn quickly depending on your oven temp, so when you peek on them shake the pan a bit. You want them browned to give you the nutty flavor but not burnt to ruin the taste.

Serve immediately. You may also add crispy bacon or pancetta when sprouts are completed. I didn't take a photo of the completed sprouts cause dinner was ready and these are not good cold.


As a side note...
If you want to add a bit of zing to your mashed potatoes next time, add about a 1/4 cup of shaved manchego cheese adds an amazing flavor.

Hope your Thanksgiving, if celebrated, was wonderful. Now on to the Christmas holidays. Do remember to come back often, cause this family has some amazing goodies to share.

You do know that Thanksgiving can be celebrated anytime

And that we did!!!

It seems Sister Moon and her hunky husband, my Mr Doodles, stepmomma, oh and me, were all together last week. We missed niece Lil Bird and her Big Bird husband cause they are off to a conference in some far away place.

Anyway we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving last Friday. And we did it with all the trimmings. Well all the trimmings that we do as a family unit.





The bird was done on the grille, potatoes cooked for mashing, apple salad, sausage stuffing/dressing, and sister moon made some to die for turkey gravy. A little wine was served and of course dessert, compliments of Marie Callender's, which is a local pie shoppe. Our choice was a lemon cream cheese pie in a graham cracker crust with whipped cream as a topping naturally.

So HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of our visiting friends.

Addendum
This is Moon and I'm adding my two cents here. We didn't miss having our obligatory morning Mimosa while we did the prep for dinner. We also learned a new card game, we love games, and that kept us busy all day long in between fussing with preparing dinner.

The turkey is a tradition my father started a very long time ago. They live in Palm Desert and the temp is usually in the 80s that time of year so why cook a bird in the oven, the BBQ is much easier. It's quite easy.

There are many ways to do this but here is what my Dad always did. Prepare the bird like you do for the oven but no stuffing. Instead we do celery, sage, and rosemary but most any herbs would do. Season it, rub some oil on the dried skin and roast on a pan on the grill. We start about 400 then turn it down to about 325. Just cook it as long as you would cook an unstuffed bird in the oven. If it starts to brown too much, tent with foil. Check with a meat thermometer, I like 150/160 for the breast. Of course there is always the "wiggle the leg" test, too, then let rest for at least thirty minutes. It give you time to have one more Mimosa.

Food Bloggy Pets for November

We have one exceptional Food Bloggy Pet, that's Buddy-cat who is part of Doodles' Gypsy Caravan. Seems Buddy likes his morning grits. Who doesn't want something warm in their tummy on a chilly November morn.




Want to see your pet here? Don't forget to send us a post for December. Be creative.

Just a reminder--

We want to see our food blog friends whether they are furry, feathery or scaly so post a photo of your pet and don't forget a link back to us. Then send your permalink to our e-mail, pbetouffee@gmail.com.

Deadline for November's Food Bloggy Pets of the Month posts is October 30th (or so).

Then everyone drop by around the 1st of November to see who's who at the zoo.

A big thanks to Sweetnicks for adding our event to Sticky Dates.

Something for the Candyman--challenge

I saw this Challenge advertised on Laura Rebecca's Kitchen and decided I'd try a recipe I've had around for a while. The host for this challenge is Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity. The big ingredient should be sugar so what a fine time to test my Grandmother, Lavonne's Sugar Pie.

This is a pie she'd make to use up the leftover pie dough. I'm not sure of the origin but she made it when her kids were little and I suppose her mother made it for her. My uncle called it Vaseline pie because of the texture and color, it is a bit pale. This made me reluctant to eat it as a kid but once I did I was a fan for life. To me it tastes a bit like the base for pecan pie, without the pecans. I've seen variations that use brown sugar but never this exact recipe. It's sweet and make sure you don't overcook it.

Lavonne's Sugar Pie
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oleo
2 cups boiling water

Mix together then add one tablespoon of oleo (margarine or butter). Add 2 cups of boiling water, slowly while stirring. Stir until everything is dissolved. Pour into 8-9 inch unbaked pie crust. (I used a tart pan) Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bake 350 degrees until filling is just set in center--it should jiggle a bit--about 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

I remember she kept the leftovers in the ice box but with only sugar and a bit of margarine I can't understand why. If you do, let come to room temp before serving.

Soups on!

The weather has dipped into the 60s which is a sure sign of fall in Southern California. Another sign, we're getting the dreaded Santa Ana Winds. Now before the winds do hit, they usually send the temps skyrocketing, I felt in the need for some tummy-warming soup.

The cafeteria at the Getty Center is very good, for institutional food, and they really excel in the soup category. After trying one last week I came home to create a new one. I just never thought of combining the beans with potato but the taste and flavors work well together.

Garbanzo bean and potato soup with kale

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup diced potato--I used red skinned
about 1 lb of browned sausage--I used chorizo
1/2 cup diced onion, sauteed
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed--I like Crimini
1/2 cup chopped and seeded tomato
about a cup of fresh kale, chopped into bit sized pieces
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
salt and pepper

This was simmered for about an hour. The kale is 'scratchy' if you under cook it.

This soup is pretty much a meal in a bowl, which I like on busy nights, and I'm lucky enough to have a husband who thinks the same. He's quite easy to please. Just add some garlic bread and he's been served dinner. Oh, and make sure there's dessert after.

Blog Action Day: Let's hear from you

The question was asked, "What if every blog published a post discussing the same issue, on the same day?

Today is Blog Action Day and since we are three women concerned with the environment I'm starting a post and hope we get a comment or two. Our question is,

"What do you do to help the environment?"

So use this post to tell the world what you do and then pass this on to anyone; everyone. Let's get talking and working before it's too late.

It's all up to us to help out where we can. Can't think of anything new? Here are fifty ways to leave your old habits behind.

Here are just a few post from PBE that support a better environment.
Here comes the sun
Easy summer supper
You gonna use that?
Kermit was wrong, it's easy being green
Rooftop garden

yes, i'm alive

i apologize for being such a flake, but i've been quite busy with my [ahem] "career." it appears that i have, perhaps unwittingly, put some things in motion that are taking my career to the "next level," and have triggered things like meetings, conference calls, schmoozing, speaking engagements, etc...oh, and, allegedly keeping up with my clients, as well. i'm trying not to panic. obviously, i haven't been cooking a ton. in fact, for dinner last night, we ate something embarrassing and that something rhymes with shmaco shmell. i'm not proud. add that to the fact that our wireless router, which was less than a year old, took a total crap so my internet was basically out. we spent about a month or so trying to trace the problem and then about a month or so in denial about it before we finally broke down and ordered a new one. anyway, all this complaining is by way of explaining that the last couple of months have been a perfect storm for me not posting on pbe.

during the time of broken internet, i did cook a few things and save pictures, so i'll have a few things to put up soon. here's the first one: baked cod with panko crust.



i've never tried panko bread crumbs at home. cate over at sweetnicks l-o-v-e-s them, so i finally broke down and tried them. i didn't think the cod was too bad, but i don't think my husband loved the result. the rest of the plate was pretty tasty, though: quinoa cooked in chicken broth with rosemary, garlic and olive oil; white beans with sage and balsamic brown butter; and homegrown tomatoes with balsamic, olive oil and basil. all the herbs were from my herb garden.

Don't give up on us

We have no excuse other than we are slugs with this food blog lately. If we were to offer something it would be our busy, odd schedules that seem to rule our lives. Doodles, taken by the Gypsies, Lil Bird, chained to her desk and me, well, I am trying to get noticed in the art world; make that art county.

Other blogs seem to run smoothly with loads of photos and recipes while ours languishes with past successes. I'd be embarrassed to show what I've been cooking lately. Throwing a chicken breast on the BBQ and opening a bag of salad with, I know, the horror--bottled dressing. We haven't even been eating out unless you count the takeout from Baja Fresh.

The approaching holidays scare the bejebus out of me. I always cook up quite a pile of Christmas goodies for friends--can't disappoint them--but can't find the time, either. I'm sure it will all come together, it always seems to.

Will we get back to it? I've confidence we will. All three of us have a love for cooking; eating, too so life will settle after a while and out of that dust should come some great recipes.

October Food Bloggy Pets

We have a new pets this month from Sarah at What Smells So Good? A dog and two cats that came by way of rescue from Petsmart. This is just one of her kittehs, named Bitt. Click on the link for pix of the rest. Good for you Sarah and welcome to Food Bloggy Pets for October.





Next is my very own Buddy-dog all done up in his Halloween costume. I know, it's a shame to do this to him but it's too cute to pass up.

Buddy only sat still for this photo session because I had treats in my hand other wise he tries to hide from me. It's a wonder he doesn't kill me in my sleep.

Last, but certainly not least, is Buddy-cat the traveling companion to our Doodles and her hunky husband. Buddy-cat is waiting patiently for the little trick-or-treaters to show up so he can jump them for their candy.