November 2017 Newsletter

NOVEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Nature Speaks...

I see Your Smiling Face in the beauty of the rose,
Your Voice as You whisper in the gentle breeze that blows.
The Warmth of Your Love surrounds me from the brilliant sun.
Peace and Tranquility abound as nature shows what You've done.
Everywhere we look, Your Presence can be seen.
From lofty mountain tops, to spacious meadows green.
Your Power and Your Majesty permeate my soul within
When I stop and let all Nature speak to me again.
Paula 1985

FOOD FOR NURTURING THE BODY:

A new found favorite of my son, Josh & his family

Gordon Ramsey scrambled eggs
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, diced (ice-cold)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
freshly ground sea salt and pepper (you can use regular salt if you need to)
3 chives, snipped 

Directions
Break the eggs into a cold, heavy-based pan, place on the lowest heat possible, and add half the butter. Using a spatula, stir the eggs frequently to combine the yolks with the whites.
As the mixture begins to set, add the remaining butter. The eggs will take about 4-5 minutes to scramble – they should still be soft and quite lumpy. Don’t let them get too hot – keep moving the pan off and back on the heat(as the bottom of the pan stays heated even after taking it off of the stove). 
Add the crème fraîche (or sour cream) and season the eggs at the last minute, then add the snipped chives.

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Chicken with Chilaquiles and Salsa Verde

yield: Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings

This dish was the surprise of the year. The ingredients might seem ordinary, but trust us — it's fantastic.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream 
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk 
• 1 3/4 cups Mexican salsa verde such as Desert Pepper Trading Company or Frontera (sometimes called tomatillo sauce; from a 16-oz jar) 
•  1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz) 
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (from a 2-lb rotisserie chicken, skin removed) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 6 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips (not low-fat, baked, or flavored; from a 16-oz bag) plus broken chips remaining in bag (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 oz) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Preparation

Stir together sour cream and just enough milk to get a thick pourable consistency.

Bring salsa and broth to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add chicken, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in 6 cups tortilla chips and cook until chips are softened (but not mushy), about 1 minute.

Transfer chilaquiles to a large platter. Sprinkle with feta, cilantro, and 1 cup broken chips and serve immediately, with thinned sour cream on the side.

 NOTE: Can also top individual servings with an egg fried to your liking. 

Additional toppings...sliced jalapeños, avocados, strips of red onion, sliced black olives. 

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Rib Gumbo

5-6 cups dry rub rib meat, pulled from bones & shredded
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oil or bacon grease
2 med onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Minced garlic
1 cup  crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. Dried thyme

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. Cajun/Creole seasoning such as Zatarains or Tony Chachare
4 bay leaves
1 qt. Chicken stock/broth
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra

White rice
Chopped green onions
Hot sauce such as Crystal, Louisiana, Chipotle Tabasco

Prepare roux with oil & flour over medium heat, stirring constantly until VERY dark brown. In same stockpot or Dutch oven, sauté onions, celery & bell pepper until tender about 10 minutes, add garlic & cook 1 additional minute. Add tomatoes, S&P, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire &  chicken broth; bring to boil. Add rib meat & okra; reduce to slow boil and cook for 1 hour.
Serve over white rice with chopped green onions for garnish.
Hot sauce

This was a favorite & soup of the day, every Tuesday when I worked at LuVici's.
White rice
Chopped green onions
Hot sauce such as Crystal, Louisiana, Chipotle Tabasco

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Roasted Veggie Panzanella

My Way adapted from Ree Drummond recipe

Here is what I did...

Chopped veggies in about 1" pieces, & roasted ...1 butternut squash, 1 sweet potato, 3 parsnips, 3 carrots drizzled with olive oil S&P at 400 for about 35-40 minutes. Another sheet Pan of 1 Japanese eggplant,  1 larger zucchini, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 white onion, 1 head of garlic (cut across top so I could squeeze out when roasted & reserve for dressing) EVOO, S&P. Roasted 20-25 minutes & moved Garlic to other pan for finishing baking. Cool to room temp. Cut veggies in about 1" squares or pieces. 

Make Italian Cornbread. 

2 Tbsp. Shortening in 10" cast iron skillet, melted over med heat..

Combine 1 cup self rising yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup SR flour, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 egg , 2 Tbsp. Chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, 1/2 tsp. Dried oregano. 
Add 1/4 cup melted shortening to hot skillet, cook 1 minute on stove top & transfer to oven 400 degree & bake 20 -25 minutes until golden, cool & cut into 1" squares. Place on baking sheet, drizzle lightly with EVOO & bake 10-15 minutes until crisped.

Dressing: 1/4 cup EVOO, 1 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar, roasted garlic chopped, 1/4-1/2 tsp. Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper. Shake in jar to combine. 

Add croutons to roasted veggies, drizzle with dressing & toss lightly. Add 4 ounces fresh mozzarella mini balls & 8-10 Basil leaves julienned. Toss again lightly. Cover with plastic & let sit 1 hour before serving. 

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Italian Lemon Creme Cake
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
Zest of 1 lemon (zested very finely - I like to use my microplane)
1¼ cups water
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil

To make it more decadent: use milk in lieu of water & butter in lieu of oil

Lemon Creme Filling:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese or mascarpone, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Vanilla Crumb Topping:
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup confectioner's sugar
¼ cup cold butter
½ tsp vanilla extract

Garnish:
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10” round cake pan or 9" springform pan.

Mix the lemon zest into the cake mix. Then add the water, eggs and oil. Stir to just mix. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, testing for doneness. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.. Continue to cool on wire rack until cake has reached room temperature.

Make lemon cream filling by mixing cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in lemon juice. Whip cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the lemon/cream cheese mixture gently by hand to mix.

Make crumb topping by combining flour and confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter and dribble in the vanilla extract. Use your hands or a pastry blender to mix cold butter into the flour and sugar. Break butter into smaller and smaller pieces as you incorporate it into the dry ingredients. Be sure not to press the mixture together. You want to end up with a very crumbly consistency with pieces no larger than a pea. (If you have trouble making small crumbs, put the bowl into your refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.) Also, do not mix with an electric mixer or it will likely turn into shortbread dough. Chill this crumb topping until you are ready to use it. The topping does not get cooked.

When the cake is cool, slice it in half through the middle and remove the top. Spread about half of the lemon creme filling onto the bottom half of the cake, then carefully replace the top half of the cake. Spread the remaining filling over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the cake and press it onto the sides all the way around the cake.

Chill for at least 3 hours. Serve each slice topped with sifted powdered sugar.