Homemade Fajita Seasoning-no package mix for me!

 

Tonight I am making a huge double batch of fajitas for dinner.  I plan to freeze half, so one night when I am too busy to cook, I just have to defrost and heat the filling and warm some tortillas and I have dinner!

For the past few years, I have been making a conscious effort to remove as many chemicals and artificial flavorings and ingredients as possible from my diet.  I have gotten to the point that when I eat some packaged foods, I can taste that artificial, chemical taste.  Little by little, I have been coming up with recipes for my own seasoning mixes.  This is one I found on the internet and really liked.  It seemed kind of a pain to take out all those jars every time I wanted to make fajitas, so I multiplied the recipe by 8 and had enough to fill a pint sized mason jar.  I measure out a quarter of a cup each time I make fajitas; it's just like opening one of those packages of fajita seasoning from the grocery store only much healthier!

I used to do lots of canning when I had a huge garden, so I have lots of Mason jars.  I use them for everything. They make great little storage containers.  I taped the recipe to the jar so I don't have to look it up when it runs out! One last word of caution, make sure you buy onion and garlic POWDER not salt.  Check the ingredients to make sure it's natural. So here is a recipe for two cups (8 uses)  of fajita seasoning.



Fajita Seasoning

1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons onion powder
4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup ground cumin

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to thoroughly combine.  Store in a Mason jar with a tight fitting lid.  Use 1/4 cup of seasoning mix and 1 cup liquid (water or broth) each time you make fajitas.  The recipe for fajitas can be found in "Older Posts" on September 24th, 2014.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

Super Easy Sweet and spicy Aisan Chicken

This is a recipe I found in the Spring 2014 issue of Cook Fresh magazine.  I discovered this magazine about a year ago.  They only publish four issues a year, but each one is filled with wonderful recipes make with fresh, seasonal ingredients.  This recipe is a family favorite and since I discovered it,  I have made it often. This works well as an appetizer at a party, or for dinner served over rice with broccoli or Chinese pea pods as a side dish.

The original recipe calls for cooking the chicken under the broiler, but I have made it several ways. Sometimes I use chicken tenders and thread them on a skewer, sometimes I use skinless boneless thighs cut into chunks.  Sometimes I cook them on the grill, and sometimes in the oven.  I have even cooked the chicken in a skillet on the stove.  One thing I discovered, is that the marinade is great as a sauce, so I doubled the recipe and hold half of it back to use as a sauce. This is a recipe that is super easy to prepare, doesn't involve a lot of chopping and prep work. and can even be made on a week night when you get home from work. For those of you who like to prep ahead, cut up your chicken the night before and prepare the marinade ahead.  Do not marinate the chicken until just before cooking, or it will become too powerful.

This recipe uses hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, five spice powder as well as the traditional soy sauce.  These sauces can all be found in the international food section of your supermarket.  All the other ingredients, you should have in your pantry.  One other hint:  if you are using wooden skewers instead of metal, be sure to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before cooking. Ready?  Here we go!

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Kebabs

1 1/4 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into one inch pieces.  You can also use thin cut chicken tenders, do not cut the tenders, just thread the whole thing on the skewer.

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
4 cloves garlic finely minced or run through a garlic press
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how much of a kick you like)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2  to 3 scallions thinly sliced.

If you plan to make these in the broiler, preheat your broiler and set your oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Soak skewers in water if using wooden skewers. If using thighs, cut into one inch pieces. Combine hoisin sauce, sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, five spice powder and red pepper flakes in a bowl.  Stir to combine.  Take out about half a cup of the marinade and set it aside to use as a sauce.  Add the chicken to the bowl and let sit about 15 minutes.  Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray or vegetable oil.

Thread the chicken onto the skewers, leaving space between each piece so they can cook properly.  Arrange on the baking sheet and broil about six minutes. Remove, turn the pieces over and broil another 3 to 4 minutes.  If the chicken seems to be getting charred, lower the oven rack. If you would like to thicken the extra sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water. Add this to the sauce and heat until it bubbles and begins to thicken.

Remove and serve over rice.  Pour a little of the sauce over, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.   If serving as an appetizer, sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions on top and serve the sauce as a dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

Savory Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole (Published in Taste of Home Magazine!)

Note:  This is the recipe I submitted to Taste of Home Magazine several years ago.  They just published it in their Breakfast and Brunch edition which just came out in October, 2015!  Quite exciting for me!

Yesterday, I posted a recipe for a yummy, gooey Orange Pecan French Toast casserole.  Truth be told, I am not one of those people who likes sweet things in the morning, I will always pick a bagel over a donut, or eggs over pancakes anytime.  So here is a recipe for a make ahead casserole that is savory, filled with eggs, cheese and sausage. This one is a family favorite; I hope you like it!

Savory Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. log of breakfast sausage (Jimmie Dean type)  If the log is only 12 ounces, that's fine
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated cheddar ( you can also use a cheddar Monterey jack mix)
1 loaf French bread cut into one inch pieces

Butter or spray a 9 X 13 baking pan and set bread slices evenly on the bottom.  Cook the sausage and drain off any fat.  Cover the bread slices with the crumbled sausage.  At this point, you could also add 1/2 cup each finely diced onion and green pepper, however, my family prefers it plain.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add milk, chives, parmesan and pepper.  Pour over sausage.  Press down gently on each slice to make sure bread is soaked with egg mixture.  Top with grated cheddar.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, remove casserole from refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Cook about 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

Make Ahead Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole, Perfect for Easter Brunch

Easter is just a little over a week away and I'm starting to think about my menu.  Here is a great idea for those of you who do brunch on Easter, or who need a good idea for a make ahead breakfast. When you serve it, you flip it over, so the bottom is at the top, and it makes its own syrupy, nutty topping.  Yum!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter, additional butter for pan (or use cooking spray)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 loaf of French bread cut into 12 one inch slices

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 inch pan.  Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and maple syrup and spread over the bottom of the pan.  Coat evenly with the chopped nuts. Place bread slices in an even layer over the nuts. 

Now combine remaining ingredients and pour over the bread slices, making sure all the bread is covered.  Turn over the slices, if you are not sure they are fully coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to bake, take the pan out and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.  To serve, cut into slices. As you slide the slices out of the pan, flip them over onto the plate so the bottom is on the top and you get all the nutty goodness of the topping.  Serve with additional syrup and whipped cream if you wish.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.Nonnie

Lemony orzo tuna salad with artichoke hearts.

Good morning everyone, as you can see, I'm on a roll.  I'm trying to make up for lost time since I didn't post too many recipes in February or the beginning of March.  So now I'm making it up to you.

Here is another recipe for a salad that I just love.  It would make a great meal on a warm summer evening, (wishful thinking!) but I usually just eat it for lunch.  It's quick and easy.  The original recipe came from a magazine called Cook Fresh.  It's published by Fine Cooking, the people who do Moveable Feast.  I love their magazines; they only come out quarterly, but the recipes are always great and use fresh, seasonal ingredients.  This one was from the Spring of 2014 issue. Of course, I made a few changes, because that's who I am!

Orzo is a little pasta that looks like rice.  I often put it in soups, but it works great in this salad.  As you have heard me say before, I believe in having a well stocked pantry.  I can make this recipe at any time because I always have the ingredients on hand.  I love artichoke hearts and always have a few cans in the pantry.  I always use the ones packed in water, but for this recipe, you could use the ones marinated in oil that come in a jar.  I also always keep a jar of oil packed sun dried tomatoes in my refrigerator.  They keep forever as long as they are covered in oil. It's best to use fresh basil in this recipe.  In the summer, I have it growing in my yard, but you can find it in the supermarket all year; it's just a little pricier in the winter. You could easily substitute fresh parsley.  I always use the Italian flat leaf parsley.  It has so much more flavor. The original recipe says to serve this warm, but I prefer it cold as a salad.  Ready?  Here we go!

1 1/2 cups dried orzo
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1/3 cup dry white wine (you can substitute chicken broth)
1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts drained and quartered
1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 can of tuna - I always use the water packed - well drained
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped into ribbons.

Begin by boiling the orzo according to package directions and drain well.  While the orzo is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion with salt and pepper until it is golden brown, about six to seven minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Now add the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes to the pan and cook for about two minutes.  Remove from the heat and gently fold in the well drained tuna. Transfer the orzo to a large bowl and toss with the sour cream and lemon juice.  Add the tuna mixture and basil.  Taste to see if you would like to add more salt and pepper.  Serve warm, or chill and serve on a bed of lettuce or spring greens.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie

Gnocchi With Brown Butter, Sage, and Garlic

                                                                       
Gnocchi are little dumpling like pillows of dough made with potatoes, flour and egg. I remember my grandmother making gnocchi.  She would make what seemed like millions of them, spread clean sheets over the beds and lay them out to dry.  I don't think she ever dried them so they were hard, but just until she was ready to cook them.

I love to make pasta.  There is no comparison between the taste of homemade pasta and store bought pasta.  It doesn't even taste like the same food!  Well kind of, but given the choice, I will always pick homemade.  Is it difficult to make?  No!  A little time consuming, not something you would make on a weeknight, after a long day at work, but there is an amazing sense of accomplishment when you make your own pasta.  You feel really talented, and boy, is your family impressed!

I use a pasta machine to make regular pasta. Regular pasta dough is very stretchy and hard to roll out by hand.  My first machine was purchased over 40 years ago when I lived in Germany.  It was a hand crank model and it made sheets for lasagna or ravioli, fettuccine, and thin spaghetti.  I passed my hand crank machine down to a dear friend when I got an electric one that attaches to my KitchenAid stand mixer.  It is much easier to use. Then a few years ago, for my birthday, my daughter gave me another attachment for my stand mixer that makes fusilli (corkscrew shapes), rigatoni, ziti, and buccatelli (long spaghetti with a hole in it).  What fun I can have!

So the great thing about gnocchi is that it doesn't require a pasta machine or any fancy equipment, you can use a potato ricer or food mill if you have one, but a colander with large holes works well too.

                                                                   

                                                                   
I find it easier to prepare the sauce before I start to make the gnocchi, because once you start cooking them, things move very quickly. 

I have lots of pictures to hopefully explain things as I go along, so here is the recipe.

Gnocchi With Brown Butter, Sage and Garlic

Sauce:
1 stick of butter
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch fresh sage leaves - about 1/4 cup chopped

Gnocchi

3 large potatoes - about 2 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour
1 egg

Begin by scrubbing the potatoes and piercing several times with a fork.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about an hour.  While the potatoes are baking, chop the garlic and sage leaves and melt the butter over high heat until it turns slightly brown.  Lower the heat to medium low and add garlic and sage.  Be very careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. When garlic begins to soften, turn off the heat.  Set aside.  Also, set a large pot of water on the stove, turn the heat to high.  If it boils while you are still forming your gnocchi, turn it down and turn it back up when you are almost finished.  Don't forget to salt the water; pasta water should be about as salty as sea water.  I also set out a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to put the completed gnocchi on.  No sheets on the bed for me!!

When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and break into large chunks.  I use a large wooden cutting board to work on, but you could also use a very large bowl.  Force the potato through the colander or potato ricer. Try not to make one huge pile because you want them to stay fluffy, not clump up. It should look like this:
                                                                       

                                                                             
Next, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of flour over the potato, make a well in the center and add the egg.  Using a fork stab the egg to break the yolk and begin to work the egg into the flour and potato.  Work from the outside in. At some point, you will see that you need to start working with your hands.  Continue mixing until a soft dough forms.  Add more flour as needed. Don't add more than a total of two cups or your dough will become too heavy. It is a very soft dough, not like regular pasta dough or bread dough.  Bread off pieces of the dough and roll into snakes about 3/4 inch in diameter.
                                                                             

 



 

Now use a knife and cut into one inch pieces.  You can leave them like this, or add ridges using a fork or ridged paddle.  My paddle part of a se for ma that was actually used for making fancy butter pats. You can find gnocchi boards online and they are less than $10.00.  You can also use the back of a fork. The purpose of the ridges is to hold the sauce, but they are not necessary.  I remember that my grandmother used to make a little dent in each one with her thumb.  See how they look like little pillows?

 

                                                                             

 

Here are some photos of the process of putting in the ridges, using both the paddle and a fork

                                          

 

 

                                           

Here are my completed gnocchi ready to go into the pot of boiling water.

                             

                                                                     

 

Do not dump all the gnocchi into the water at once or you will have a sticky, gooey inedible mess.  I do small batches at a time.  Maybe one quarter of the total batch each time.  They cook VERY quickly as soon as they rise to the top of the pot they are done. Gnocchi have a very different texture than regular pasta. No al dente here, they are very soft and light in your mouth.  Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to a bowl with the sauce.  Continue working quickly until they are all cooked.  Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and serve. 

                                                                             

                                                                           

 

Gnocchi can also be served with tomato sauce, pesto or any other type of pasta sauce. We just love the flavor of the sage and garlic.

 

I know this is not a quick recipe, but well worth the work if you are willing to take on the challenge. Relax and have fun with it!

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Carol

a.k.a. Nonnie

Healthy Quinoa Spring Salad

                                                                    

Quinoa (pronounced keen' wa) is a super food. It's use dates back to 3000 B.C. and originated in the Andes Mountains of South America.  It's actually a seed, but often considered a grain. It is a complete protein, is very high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals and healthy fats, and it's considered gluten free. It is a meal in itself. Quinoa comes in red or white.  It is advisable to rinse it in a colander until the water runs clear to get rid of any bitterness.  It is prepared like rice.  Use one part quinoa to two parts liquid, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.  It can be mixed with honey, raisins, and nuts and eaten as a breakfast cereal, served as a side dish with a little garlic and olive oil, instead of rice or potatoes, or as I have prepared it here as a salad.  I got the idea from taboule another favorite dish of mine.

You can add or leave out ingredients to your liking.  Maybe add black olives, leave out the shallots, add green or red peppers, or anything else you like.  What about black beans, lime juice instead of lemon, maybe some fresh grilled corn, and a few shakes of cumin instead of the mint for a southwestern flair. 

This was very easy to prepare, and I made this for lunch today.  Here is the recipe. 

1 cup quinoa rinsed
2 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1 shallot finely diced or 1/4 cup red onion diced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried mint (I grow mint in the summer and dry it for tea; I just used some of this)
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/4 lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Usually it's one part quinoa to two parts liquid.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes.  While the quinoa is cooking dice tomatoes, cucumber, and shallot.  When the quinoa is done, transfer to a bowl, add vegetables, seasonings, oil and lemon juice.  Mix well.  You can serve it slightly warm or chill.  This is a super healthy and very filling lunch or serve as a side salad with dinner.  Enjoy!

Feel free to leave comments in the comment section below this post.  I would love to know what other ingredients you choose to add!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

St. Joseph's Pastries

                                            

I know, St. Joseph's Day was yesterday, but I am posting this today.  Lots of silly reasons why, but I'm not getting into it now. For those of you who don't know, I am Italian.  All four of my grandparents came here from Italy. While I never knew my father's parents because they both died before I was born, I was very close to my mother's parents.  Some of my roots go back to Sicily, and St. Joseph's day is a big deal Sicilian holiday. However, for some strange reason, I don't remember ever celebrating it as a child, which is funny, since my mother's name was Josephine.  My first recollection of St. Joseph's day was years ago, when a co-worker of mine, whose name was Joe, used to bring St. Joseph's pastries into school to share with our students on St. Joseph's day.  (Those were the good 'ole days; I'm sure that would never be allowed today, what with allergies, nutrition guidelines and so forth--how sad.)

I kind of forgot all about this feast day until this year when my church had a St. Joseph's pot luck feast complete with the little altar thingy and statue of St. Joseph. (Google it.) We always had a very Irish priest and did lots to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but for the past few years we have a very Italian priest who decided we needed to celebrate St. Joseph's day as well. So I began my Internet search of all things St. Joseph.  I decided that we should have a little family St. Joseph celebration to honor St. Joseph and my mother.  And so I decided to try the pastries.

I was a little intimidated.  I always thought cream puff pastry was some difficult mysterious thing.  Not so!  I can't believe how easy they were! I will try as best I can to describe the steps in detail.  Feel free to e-mail or comment with any questions, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. There were many filling recipes, some just had whipped cream, some custard, and some cannoli cream.  Some also had sour cherries mixed into the filling.  Since cannoli are my all time favorite dessert, cannoli cream it was!

St. Joseph's Pastries with Cannoli filling.

Dough:
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour - sifted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs at room temperature

Filling:
1 lb. ricotta cheese (if your cheese seems to have a lot of liquid, drain in  a strainer over a bowl in the fridge overnight.)
3/4 to 1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

Maraschino cherries for garnish

I found it easier to have everything prepared before I began.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet and lightly butter it. Break the eggs into a bowl. Drain cherries in a colander.   I also got my pastry bag ready before I started.  I used a  #4a Wilton star tip.  This is not necessary, you can just use a disposable pastry bag or even a zip-loc bag with the corner cut the tip off so you have an opening that is about 1/2 inch in diameter.

To make the dough: put water and butter into a sauce pan and turn the heat to high.  Sift the sugar and salt with the flour.  When the water boils and the butter is completely melted, add the flour all at once. Reduce heat to medium and beat mixture with a wooden spoon.  In a minute or two, the dough will pull away from the sides of the pan and become smooth.  Remove from the heat and spread the dough onto a board. Let the dough cool for about three minutes and return to pan. You are done with the heat and you could use a bowl, but why dirty another item?  Add the eggs one at a time. Just tip the bowl, grab a yolk and some of the white with the wooden spoon and dump into the pot. This is not rocket science. Beat each egg into the dough mixture one at a time.  This takes a little elbow grease but it's not impossible.  Next time, I will try to use my mixer.

When all the eggs are thoroughly mixed into the dough, transfer the dough to a pastry bag.  If it doesn't all fit, that's fine, do it in steps.  Now squeeze a circle about three inches in diameter onto the parchment and fill it in working from the outside to the center, building it up as you work so there are two layers of pastry in the center.  Continue making circles about two inches apart.  Transfer to 400 degree oven.  After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook about 20 minutes more, or until they look golden brown.  Like this:
                                                                 
                                                                

Remove from oven and with a sharp knife, make a slit in the side of each cream puff to let out any steam.  When they are just cool enough to handle, cut the top off one of them, if the inside is moist, cut the top off each one and put them back into the oven which is now turned off, but still warm for about ten minutes, to dry out the insides.

To make the filling, combine the drained ricotta with the other ingredients and beat well.  I used my food processor to make it really smooth.

I waited until just before these were ready to serve to fill them. The filling will cause the cream puffs to become soggy.  Use a pastry bag or zip-log bag to fill.  Replace the top and add a dollop of filling to the top.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over the pastries and then add a cherry to the top of each one.  Be sure to drain the cherries well and perhaps give them a squeeze and pat dry with a paper towel.  Mine were a little too wet and some of them slid off the top while I was driving them to my sister's.  Enjoy!
                                                                        

I must add, that I was so impressed at how easy the cream puff pastry was, that when I have time, I am going to play around with it and make some appetizers.  I will post when I have it all figured out!

As always, enjoy your pastries and it doesn't have to be St. Joseph's day to make them.  Please leave any comments or questions in the comment section below this post.  I can't wait to her how yours turned out!

Happy Cooking!

Carol. a.k.a. Nonnie