Last Saturday we were in Park City, UT with our friends the Fraziers. They are wonderful people and a lot of fun to be around. I always know that they will have something fun planned for us.
We went to a concert by a New Orleans jazz, fusion band. Really great! When we got back the kids were so hungry we decided to have Nachos.
1 bag tortilla chips
2 cans black beans drained
1 small can of jalepeno peppers diced
1 large avocado diced
1 tomato diced
3 scallions sliced thinly
2.5 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup pico de gallo, or salsa
Layer 1/2 bag of tortilla chips on a baking dish.
Layer 1 can of black beans, 1/4 c. slasa, and 1 1/4 c. cheese. Repeat. Put diced jalepenos on top and place under the broiler for five minutes until the cheese is melted.
Add tomato, avocado, and green onion. Serve!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Breakfast
I'm not a huge fan of breakfast because most dishes are egg based and to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of cooked eggs. One of my favorites though is french toast. It's one of my favorites because I can use leftover challah from Friday.
Cut the challah in slices about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.
In a shallow dish mix as many eggs as needed to drunk the french toast with some milk or cream, a tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of vanilla.
Drench the bread with the egg mixture and cook on a griddle until golden brown, flip to the other side and do the same.
Serve with good butter and syrup.
Cut the challah in slices about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.
In a shallow dish mix as many eggs as needed to drunk the french toast with some milk or cream, a tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of vanilla.
Drench the bread with the egg mixture and cook on a griddle until golden brown, flip to the other side and do the same.
Serve with good butter and syrup.
Eggplant Parmesan
Last week I made an eggplant parmesan. Lili is still not eating meat, and this is a great dish to keep her going.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 onion diced finely
1 small can diced artichoke hearts
3 - 4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tsp. italian seasoning mix
8 oz. chopped mushrooms
2 tbs. olive oil
Saute all of the above until the onions are golden and the mushrooms are cooked.
Add a 42 oz. can of diced tomatoes along with 2 - 3 tbs. of tomato paste. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes and some vegetable broth if it starts to thicken too much.
Two eggplant, cut into rounds and sprinkled with salt, placed between paper towels to catch all the moisture.
3 c. bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 - 3 eggs
1 tbs. milk
1/2 c. olive oil
Mix the bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and parmesan in a shallow dish.
Mix the egg and milk in another shallow dish.
Dip the eggplant slices in the egg/milk mixture and then dredge with the bread crumb
mixture.
Heat 3 - 4 tbs. of the olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the battered eggplant, until golden on both sides. Don't crowd the pan, so you don't steam the eggplant. Repeat this for all the eggplant plices.
3/4 lb. of mozarella
1/4 lb. of swiss cheese
1/4 lb. of parmesan cheese, all grated
In a casserole dish, layer the sauce, mozarella and swiss, eggplant as many times as you have eggplant. I get usually three layers in a 9x 9 pan. Cover the last eggplant layer with sauce and then the parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 - 45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 onion diced finely
1 small can diced artichoke hearts
3 - 4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tsp. italian seasoning mix
8 oz. chopped mushrooms
2 tbs. olive oil
Saute all of the above until the onions are golden and the mushrooms are cooked.
Add a 42 oz. can of diced tomatoes along with 2 - 3 tbs. of tomato paste. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes and some vegetable broth if it starts to thicken too much.
Two eggplant, cut into rounds and sprinkled with salt, placed between paper towels to catch all the moisture.
3 c. bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 - 3 eggs
1 tbs. milk
1/2 c. olive oil
Mix the bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and parmesan in a shallow dish.
Mix the egg and milk in another shallow dish.
Dip the eggplant slices in the egg/milk mixture and then dredge with the bread crumb
mixture.
Heat 3 - 4 tbs. of the olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the battered eggplant, until golden on both sides. Don't crowd the pan, so you don't steam the eggplant. Repeat this for all the eggplant plices.
3/4 lb. of mozarella
1/4 lb. of swiss cheese
1/4 lb. of parmesan cheese, all grated
In a casserole dish, layer the sauce, mozarella and swiss, eggplant as many times as you have eggplant. I get usually three layers in a 9x 9 pan. Cover the last eggplant layer with sauce and then the parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 - 45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dinner on the Patio
We had dinner on the patio last night. It was easy and cool. I made a Spanish tortilla or omelet. It is one of the favorites of people in my house. It's very easy and uses up potatoes or leftovers easily.
Spanish Tortilla
5 small to medium potatoes cut into quarters and then into thin slices
1 onion, diced into small pieces
3 - 4 eggs, lightly beaten
olive oil
Saute the onion in about 3 tbs of olive oil until golden. Drain the onion, but save the oil, and put it back in the pan, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan and then add the potatoes. Cook until golden, drain again, put the oil back into the pan.
Mix the potatoes with the onion and the 3 - 4 eggs. Pour into the pan, add a little more oil if you need to. Cook until the dish is set in the middle on medium heat. When the middle is set, take a plate and flip the tortilla. Then put it back into the pan to finish cooking the other side. Just about 4 or 5 minutes.
Slide it back on to the plate and you have a wonderful meal. I served it with a nice salad of greens from the garden and some cod that had been grilled on the grill. It was quite good.
Spanish Tortilla
5 small to medium potatoes cut into quarters and then into thin slices
1 onion, diced into small pieces
3 - 4 eggs, lightly beaten
olive oil
Saute the onion in about 3 tbs of olive oil until golden. Drain the onion, but save the oil, and put it back in the pan, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan and then add the potatoes. Cook until golden, drain again, put the oil back into the pan.
Mix the potatoes with the onion and the 3 - 4 eggs. Pour into the pan, add a little more oil if you need to. Cook until the dish is set in the middle on medium heat. When the middle is set, take a plate and flip the tortilla. Then put it back into the pan to finish cooking the other side. Just about 4 or 5 minutes.
Slide it back on to the plate and you have a wonderful meal. I served it with a nice salad of greens from the garden and some cod that had been grilled on the grill. It was quite good.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A Gosh Darn Vegetarian
While we were in California, Lili, my step-daughter, decided to become a vegetarian. I claim full responsibility. We were pulling out this particularly nasty plant from Doris' garden and Rob was trying to get Lili to go fishing with him. Well, she didn't want to go fishing, and Rob wasn't taking no for an answer. Because of this Lili said she didn't want to kill anything. I then asked her, why she ate fish, chicken, beef, and lamb if she couldn't kill it. She was stunned. What a corner to be backed into.
So, now she is a vegetarian, well almost, some days she is a pescatarian. We had cod last night and she ate some. I'm just waiting for the day I make a turkey burger stuffed with cheddar cheese and tomatoes and then we'll see about this vegetarian thing.
I'm trying to make a go of it, but sometimes, geez. Last night we had vegetarian paella with cod on the side.
Vegetarian Paella
7 spears of asparagus cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper cut into strips
8 ounces of fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 can of artichoke hearts packed in water
1 32 ounce container of vegetable broth
1 tbs. of smoky paprika
1/2 tsp saffron
sea salt
3 tomatoes grated on the box grater
olive oil
8 ounces of arborio rice
Paella pan, a flat bottomed pan used to cook this lovely rice dish.
I cook this on the grill, but I guess you could do it on the stove.
Get the grill to medium heat, and put the pan on, when it is hot, add the olive oil, and then the vegetables. Cook until just barely tender and then add the smoky paprika.
Add 1/2 of the vegetable broth and let this simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the saffron, grated tomaotes, and sea salt and let simmer for five more minutes.
Now start adding the rice by handfuls into the pan, I usually put in eight handfuls, so it's about an ounce per handful. Stir it all together, and if there is rice peaking out of the liquid, add more vegetable broth or water, which ever you want.
Check the rice after fifteen minutes for doneness. If it's still not cooked, add a little more liquid. You want a dry dish when you serve it, so make sure all the liquid is evaporated. Keep testing the rice and adding liquid if needed.
When the rice is cooked, turn the heat down and let it sit on the grill so a nice brown crust forms on the bottom of the pan.
Serve with lemon wedges and a nice crusty bread.
I also put some cod fillets on the grill. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the grill and top with cod fillets that have been brushed with olive oil and dusted on both sides with your favorite seasoning mix.
So, now she is a vegetarian, well almost, some days she is a pescatarian. We had cod last night and she ate some. I'm just waiting for the day I make a turkey burger stuffed with cheddar cheese and tomatoes and then we'll see about this vegetarian thing.
I'm trying to make a go of it, but sometimes, geez. Last night we had vegetarian paella with cod on the side.
Vegetarian Paella
7 spears of asparagus cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper cut into strips
8 ounces of fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 can of artichoke hearts packed in water
1 32 ounce container of vegetable broth
1 tbs. of smoky paprika
1/2 tsp saffron
sea salt
3 tomatoes grated on the box grater
olive oil
8 ounces of arborio rice
Paella pan, a flat bottomed pan used to cook this lovely rice dish.
I cook this on the grill, but I guess you could do it on the stove.
Get the grill to medium heat, and put the pan on, when it is hot, add the olive oil, and then the vegetables. Cook until just barely tender and then add the smoky paprika.
Add 1/2 of the vegetable broth and let this simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the saffron, grated tomaotes, and sea salt and let simmer for five more minutes.
Now start adding the rice by handfuls into the pan, I usually put in eight handfuls, so it's about an ounce per handful. Stir it all together, and if there is rice peaking out of the liquid, add more vegetable broth or water, which ever you want.
Check the rice after fifteen minutes for doneness. If it's still not cooked, add a little more liquid. You want a dry dish when you serve it, so make sure all the liquid is evaporated. Keep testing the rice and adding liquid if needed.
When the rice is cooked, turn the heat down and let it sit on the grill so a nice brown crust forms on the bottom of the pan.
Serve with lemon wedges and a nice crusty bread.
I also put some cod fillets on the grill. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the grill and top with cod fillets that have been brushed with olive oil and dusted on both sides with your favorite seasoning mix.
Back from the Coast
We are back from the California Coast and I promised in an earlier blog that I would give you the lamb chop recipe. Well here goes:
Lamb Chops
These are the real deal. There were seven or eight of the thickest lamb chops I've ever seen, the had to be at least over two inches thick.
3 large cloves chopped garlic
2 -3 tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 - 3 tbs. olive oil.
Mix these four ingredients together and coat the top and bottoms of the chops.
Add some more olive oil to a pan and when it is smoking, add the chops a few at a time. Don't crowd the pan. Sear both sides and then place in an oven dish at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes to finish cooking to medium rare.
We also had grilled asparagus, yukon gold potatoes, and yellow crook neck squash.
Grill the asparagus after it has been tossed with olive oil and sea salt. We like our asparagus crisp, so I don't cook the heck out of it.
Yukon Gold Potatoes:
1 lb. of small yukon gold potatoes cut into small pieces. Boil them until tender and then toss them with olive oil and rosemary and fry in a non-stick skillet until they get a golden brown color on them. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and you have a treat.
Yellow Crook Neck Squash Saute
2 small- medium yellow squash sliced,
5 scallions, chopped finely
1/2 c. grape tomatoes halved
salt and pepper
Olive oil.
Saute the vegetables in the olive oil until they are tender.
We also had goose while we were at Rob's mom's house. I know, goose? Well, wild goose is different from domestic goose, lots less fat. Rob killed the goose in December and brought it for Doris. She wanted it -- so here goes.
1 - six pound goose
1 onion quartered
1 apple quartered
Wash the goose inside and out, stuff with the quartered onion and apple and rub the goose all over with olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and then cook the goose for 15 minutes per pound. Start the goose in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 and cook an additional hour.
Chop another apple and onion into thin slices and saute in olive oil until carmelized with 2 cloves of garlic. Serve with the goose. We had a mixture of wild and brown rice with steamed asparagus as side dishes.
I also make a sauce that you can dip the goose into.
2 tsp. so sauce.
1/3 cup asian plumb sauce
Heat until warm, and pour over sliced goose.
So there you have it. The meals I cooked at Doris'.
Lamb Chops
These are the real deal. There were seven or eight of the thickest lamb chops I've ever seen, the had to be at least over two inches thick.
3 large cloves chopped garlic
2 -3 tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 - 3 tbs. olive oil.
Mix these four ingredients together and coat the top and bottoms of the chops.
Add some more olive oil to a pan and when it is smoking, add the chops a few at a time. Don't crowd the pan. Sear both sides and then place in an oven dish at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes to finish cooking to medium rare.
We also had grilled asparagus, yukon gold potatoes, and yellow crook neck squash.
Grill the asparagus after it has been tossed with olive oil and sea salt. We like our asparagus crisp, so I don't cook the heck out of it.
Yukon Gold Potatoes:
1 lb. of small yukon gold potatoes cut into small pieces. Boil them until tender and then toss them with olive oil and rosemary and fry in a non-stick skillet until they get a golden brown color on them. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and you have a treat.
Yellow Crook Neck Squash Saute
2 small- medium yellow squash sliced,
5 scallions, chopped finely
1/2 c. grape tomatoes halved
salt and pepper
Olive oil.
Saute the vegetables in the olive oil until they are tender.
We also had goose while we were at Rob's mom's house. I know, goose? Well, wild goose is different from domestic goose, lots less fat. Rob killed the goose in December and brought it for Doris. She wanted it -- so here goes.
1 - six pound goose
1 onion quartered
1 apple quartered
Wash the goose inside and out, stuff with the quartered onion and apple and rub the goose all over with olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and then cook the goose for 15 minutes per pound. Start the goose in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 and cook an additional hour.
Chop another apple and onion into thin slices and saute in olive oil until carmelized with 2 cloves of garlic. Serve with the goose. We had a mixture of wild and brown rice with steamed asparagus as side dishes.
I also make a sauce that you can dip the goose into.
2 tsp. so sauce.
1/3 cup asian plumb sauce
Heat until warm, and pour over sliced goose.
So there you have it. The meals I cooked at Doris'.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Dover Sole
Last Tuesday we had Dover Sole for dinner. Costco had a sale and we got a bunch. I cooked the sole in a saute pan with lemon juice and 21 Seasonong Salute. The west coast version of Mrs. Dash. Cook the sole about three to five minutes per side. We also had coen on the cob. Rob taught me a trick. Put the corn in cold water and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, leave the corn in for about two minutes and then drain. It's done.
We also had Paprika Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1.5 tsp smoky paprika
1 sauteed onion
1/2 bottle beer
6 oz. chicken stock
blanche the cauliflower and then add the other ingredients and cook until the cauliflower soaks up all the good juices.
On an unrelated note we are camping our way up the Californis coast beginning today.
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone
Friday, July 9, 2010
FWD: Sunday, July 4th
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone
------Original Message------
From: shawn.welton@gmail.com <shawn.welton@gmail.com>
To: <shawn.welton.dinner@blogspot.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 10, 12:36 AM +0000
Subject: Sunday, July 4th
We (Lili and I, then Rob) went to the Bel Marin Keys Sailabration in the afternoon of the fourth. While we were there a man came down the street with a mylar baloon tied to his truck. It hit the low hanging power line and the transformer blew knocking out electricity to 750 homes. When it hit the line it aounded like an explosion and the line which was flowing with electricity hit the tire of a car across the street and started it on fire. Of course it was the tire right below the gas tank. Thank heaven the Novato fire department was there to keep the car from exploding. PG&E finally arrived and the power was restored two hours later. We were stranded at the marina for an hour before they let people go home. We ran to the car, drove like a b out of h and picked up Dorias to go to the barbeque at our friends. What a weird 4th of July.
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone
Thursday, July 8, 2010
It's Now July
Can you believe it's now July? I haven't posted in a few days and it's been crazy. We are in California at Rob's mom's and I have some new recipes that I will post, but it may be tomorrow before I get them all written down and usable. We have been busy here taking care of Doris and the things around the house that she can't get to.
So, as a teaser,
Tuesday: Dover Sole
Wednesday: Lamb Chops
Thursday: Goose.
Can't wait? Will let you know tomorrow.
So, as a teaser,
Tuesday: Dover Sole
Wednesday: Lamb Chops
Thursday: Goose.
Can't wait? Will let you know tomorrow.
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