Even more Spaghetti Sauces

Everyone has their own version of spaghetti sauce, there is no wrong way because depending on the region the recipe comes from it can be vastly different. Some people say never put sugar or soda in it, others use fresh tomatoes, it's all cooking how you like it or remember it. There are as many versions as cities in Italy. The recipe I usually  use is a combination of these two, most of the time forgetting about the mushrooms unfortunately, but sometimes I fancy it up with some Italian sausage, but always use fresh veggies and loads of herbs and spices.

There are a few things surprising about this recipe. First, that it is from 'Mike Douglas' a talk show host from the mid to late 70's. Second that my mom must have written this down as they were making it on his show or something considering how it's written. I have another recipe that is in my dads printing but is incomplete. I always make my sauce with meat because that was the way I grew up with it being made. This one does not have meat, it's just sauce but the one in my dad's printing has meat.

"MIKE DOUGLAS' SPAGHETTI SAUCE"

2 lg CANS TOMATOES

1 lg CAN TOMATO PASTE

salt & pepper; 3 tblspoons olive oil

Bell pepper ( but it's crossed out)

10 or 12 cloves, (garlic I am assuming)

Bay leaf, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage

1 1/2 TBS Brown Sugar

Water to thin out, simmer.

Saute celery, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic in butter

Add TBLSspoons of olive oil. Add to tomato sauce & simmer for 1 hour or so.

The problem is, the veggies aren't mentioned in the ingredients. My dad's recipe does have the veggies as well as meat.

 

2 CANS TOMATOES

1 CAN PASTE

1 CAN WATER 

1 to 2 L BS HAMBURGER BROWN IN OLIVE OIL DRAIN FAT

Garlic

BASIL

BAY LEAF

OREGANO 

PARSLEY

ITALIAN SPICES

(the veggies are bracketed  with 'saute in olive oil')

2 STALKS CELERY

1 LARGE ONION

1 BELL PEPPER

PINCH OF SODA

1/4 TSP SUGAR

CHOP ONION, PEPPER, CELERY & GARLIC

KEEP ONION & GARLIC ON ONE WAX PAPER -PEPPER & CELERY ON ANOTHER.

PUT TOMATOES AND TOMATO PASTE & WATER IN LARGE POT. (BREAK UP TOMATOES)

START COOKING AT LOW HEAT.

SAUTE ONION & GARLIC IN OIL TIL.......

 

That's where it ends. We can assume that you do it until they're soft or fragrant then add in the pepper and celery and continue to cook until softened then add to the tomato sauce like the previous recipe. I haven't found anything on the internet like these so far. Not even typing in 'Mike Douglas' Spaghetti Sauce'. It may have been a guest on his show but that's how she named it.

'Bar-B-Q Sauce' three ways.

 Story time first. When I was very young, infant age until I was about 4, my parents belonged to a yacht club that was based in Long Beach, CA. They would take our boat to Catalina on weekends and then the club would have a Labor Day cook out there. Somewhere there is photos from one such excursion wiht a photo  of the 'cannibal cooker' they used. A vertical spit roaster for a half side of beef. Amazing times for sure. In my mom's recipe box there were about four different versions of 'Bar-B-Q' sauce ranging from family size to crowd size. The following two photos are very similar at first glance, I have no idea which one my parents used but I think one may be a copy of the other.  Notes once again on the back of one card provided by my dad.

You can see by the amounts that it was an adjustment of proportions and clarification. Because you don't just toss in two hole celery ribs, right? Either of these recipes are for a large hunk of meat. Then there's the other recipe that appears to be from someone named Betty Carter, a friend of my parents I am assuming, and it makes 1/2 gallon of sauce!

 

It also has the added tobasco and 1 (1/2) can of beer. 'Mapeline' is basically maple flavored syrup and you could use maple extract instead. Here's the first recipe for easier reading with reverse side proportions after.

'Bar-B-Q Sauce'

6 1/2 (2 lg cans) cups tomatoe puree

1/2 onion

1 lemon

1 clove garlic

1/4 lb brown sugar

1/4 gal stock

3 1/4 cups catsup

1/4 bunch celery

1/2 T. dry mustard

1/2 T mapeline

1 1/2 oz. smoke

1/2 T pepper

15 oz PUREE TOMATO

1 BOTTLE CATSUP

1 LEMON SLICED

GARLIC

DASH PEPPER

2 STALKS CELERY (CHOPPED)

2 SLICES ONION (CHOPPED FINE)

1 TBSP BRWN SUGAR

DASH OF DRY MUSTARD

20 DROPS SMOKE

3 DROPS MAPELINE

1 CAN BEEF BROTH + 3 CANS WATER

cook for 1 hour.

Now when you look at all those ingredients it all makes sense flavor wise. You have your acid, sugar, smoke flavor, maple and beef flavoring for richness. The proportions though. 1/4 bunch of celery? How many stalks is that even? 5? 6? 1/4 gal stock, we have to assume beef due to my dad's notes on the back. This is a much scaled down version of the second card because that one calls for 2 chopped onions and a gallon of stock. It's like, the original, the 'half portion' version and then my dad's hand written version for an even smaller batch.

Now the other recipe, that's from Betty Carter is another small batch version but in addition to the regular ingredients it calls for 1 can (1/2 can) of beer and tobasco.

I need to mention that the vertical spit cooker that was used, was the hit of the day because the guys would come over and see how the meat was looking and then say something like, 'looks like it could use a bit more marinade' and pour some of their beer over the meat. So the Betty Carter version maybe a scaled down version of that recipe.

If I ever use one of these I will try it and post results here. As a matter of fact  I have a pork butt roast in the fridge thawing, I think barbecue pork sandwiches are going to be on the menu for New Years Day.

After I get some of the extra supplies I need.

Looks like meat is back on the menu boys!

Christmas Day Roast Beast.

 It was a lovely day, starting a bit early but well worth it. Got a new kitchen gadget to use and did so though it was difficult at first. It is apparently the Best mandolin slicer used by professional chefs, it does slice well but instructions were not read first. No flesh cutting happened but it was frightening for a bit as the potatoes were not cooperating and suctioning onto the deck of the slicer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No flesh cutting happened but it was frightening for a bit as the potatoes were not cooperating and suctioning onto the deck of the slicer. The thickness is adjustable and I chose 1/4 inch thick for cooking the potatoes. I also quartered the larger pieces as well so they cook faster.

What? Slicing potatoes instead of cubing? Yes indeed! A little trick I learned from America's Test Kitchen and when I tried to look it up online they only said to slice them thin. Cuts cooking time considerably and they turn out perfectly cooked without any mushiness or starch in the water.

On to the Roast Beast. I used the 3 envelope chuck roast recipe and was going to do a cottage pie but had no veggies so just the roast and mashed potatoes this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seared the meat with a little butter and oil and while that was cooking mixed up the three packets and sliced the garlic. I added some of the mandarin juice as well just because.

 

Put it on low while we were at my daughters for the morning which was about four hours, came home and put it on high for two hours and it was perfect. Let me tell you the apartment smelled fantastic when we go home!

Delicious meat and made gravy from the juices. The juice/gravy was a bit ... tart? Something like that, not a good mellow beef flavor so I think putting two packets of beef gravy or the beef and mushroom works better. The vinegar base for the dressings kind of overpowered the beef flavor. Still a fantastic dinner and might try to do this again with the pork I have but use a different combination of flavorings. 

Merry Christmas to everyone and hoping all your cooking is perfect and many compliments your way!

 

 

Another recipe sans photos-'Beef Stroganoff'

 I have to tell the story about this because it has a sentimental connection to my parents and it's also an incredibly delicious dish.

Sometime during my high school years my parents took myself and my little brother to visit friends of theirs that lived at Lake Tahoe. We had been there a few times before as a family so it's a favorite trip to take for us. Well, second or third day we were there, my mom started getting sick, I just remember them saying they were taking her to the emergency room because it was not good. If you know that area, at the time the closest hospital was in Reno, over an hour drive away. 

So my parents return and it turned out my mom's gall bladder had backed up. We had to cut our trip short by a day and get home fast so she could get to the hospital. Got home, we unpacked the car, dad drove mom to the hospital.

The couple that were managers for our fourplex were good friends by then and when my dad came back saying mom had to have surgery for her gall bladder they offered to help however way they could. At the time it was actual surgery and she was already jaundiced. I heard later that my dad admitted that it was the only time he ever cried because he was so worried my mom would die.

 I have been told years later that because it has a cream sauce base it isn't a true 'stroganoff' but I don't care, I sadly don't even remember the names of the couple. They  made the dish and brought it down to us and then my dad liked it so much he asked for the recipe. The card is the original with notes written by my mom (I think?) when she was well enough to fix it.

I have fixed this for my kids when I was married a few times and it's been a hit every time. Have yet to fix it now but plan on doing so next month.

 

'Beef  Strogenoff'

(circa 1972-74)

 

Cut 1 lb beef sirloin (brisket) into 1/2 inch strips combine 1 tbl flour, 1 tsp salt coat meat with flour mixture, heat skillet then add (3tbl) butter when melted add sirloin strips and brown quickly on both sides. Add 1 3 oz can sliced mushrooms drained (fresh is better), 1 whole chopped onion and 1 clove garlic minced. Cook 3 or 4 minutes till onion is crisp & tender. Stir in 1 can beef broth (or 2 bullion cubes) 1 sm can tomato paste, cook and stir over medium heat till thick & bubbly. Add flour if needed. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream (some measurement of burgundy wine but I can't read it and don't use it). cook slowly till heated through. Serve over noodles or rice.

Noodles: butter, garlic, salt, parsley, parmesan cheese to taste.

List of ingredients:

1 lb beef sirloin or brisket cut into 1/2 wide strips.

1 tbl flour

1 tsp salt

3 tbl butter (I think, the amount was crossed out)

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms (or one 3 oz can that's not enough in my book though)

1 (cup/whole) yellow onion chopped

1 large clove garlic minced (measure it with your heart, put in 2 or 3 if they're small)

1 can beef broth (14.5 oz?) or 2 bullion cubes in two cups of water

1 small can tomato paste (4 oz)

1/2 cup sour cream

Noodles:

Amounts are approximate based on my memory.

1 bag egg noodles

2 tbl butter

3 tbl parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic minced

3 tbl minced fresh parsley (or 2 tbl dried)

1 tsp salt

Boil noodles as directed on package, drain well then add butter and stir until melted, then other ingredients, mix until well combined. Serve warm topped with Stroganoff.

 

When I actually make it will add a note and some photos.

 

 

 

4 Envelope Chuck Roast Cottage Pie

This came about in my own creative brain. I found the recipe for a 3 Envelope Crock Pot Roast and the Hamburger Cottage Pie on pinterest. So here's how to do this incredibly flavored meal that literally takes all day in your kitchen with hardly any work. Mouths will be watering all day for this. I finally found the pictures, they had been grouped into a .zip file in my recipes folder on the computer desktop. I combined instructions from two version of this original. One had you searing the meat first which I found gives it a really good flavor.

This is the original 3 Envelope Roast recipe:

4 envelope Chuck roast cottage pie

3lb approx chuck roast
1 envelope each: Brown Gravy (or Mushroom Gravy), Onion Soup, Italian Dressing and Ranch Dressing.
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic sliced (or more)
3 small russets cut into ½ pieces (or two large)
3 lg  russets for mashed potatoes
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
10-12 oz bag of either mixed veggies or peas and carrots
2 cups fine shredded colby/jack cheese
¼ c milk
2 tbl butter
Lg ziplock bag or pastry bag with plain or decorative tip (optional but it does make it easier to spread the potatoes)

1-2 tblspoons AP flour
Non Stick cooking spray

Pour 2 cups of water in large bowl or 4 cup measuring cup and mix in all three envelopes in the water with a whisk. 

Brown roast if desired in a heavy pan on stove (better flavor) liberally coated with salt and pepper (use a tblspoon of oil or butter if you feel like it) You're just searing the meat, don't have to cook it too much.
Place roast in crock pot carefully (it will be hot so use a good heavy fork and spatula or tongs), add sliced garlic tucked in roast creases (or use knife to make slits), pour water mix over roast put lid on and cook on low for 8 hours or high 4-5 hours. An hour before roast is done, make mashed potatoes with milk, butter, salt pepper and garlic powder. When finished, let them cool a bit before spooning into baggie or pastry bag if using baggie squeeze potatoes almost to the very corner of one side, leave about a half inch before cutting the corner for your hole.
Remove roast carefully to a large plate and shred with two forks, turn crock pot to low. Add in diced potatoes and cook in the liquid until potatoes are fork tender. 

Add shredded beef back in with mixed veggies.
There should be very little liquid left,  it needs to be a thick consistency like gravy to coat everything. If too watery add in a tablespoon of flour and stir until well dissolved and thickened.
Preheat oven to 400
Spray casserole dish with non stick spray. Spoon meat mixture into dish and spread/apply mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with cheese liberally and cook in oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is browned and pie filling is bubbly around edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAUTION: MAKE SURE DISH IS DEEP ENOUGH SO JUICE DOES NOT SPILL OVER IN OVEN!

The real key to this is not having a lot of watery liquid in the filling. It needs to be a thick gravy consistency that coats all the ingredients. I have not had much luck in this department even following the directions carefully so I must be doing something wrong.

Well I was going to...

 I can't find the pictures I took of the last time I made the Shrimp 'n' Bacon  Chowder so here is the recipe sans photos:

Shrimp 'n' Bacon Chowder from delish website 2019

(original recipe was dated 2016 by Judy Kim the recipe is still online but you have to type in the name exactly as printed or you get everything else. They also have a video but you know how that goes)

Serves 4. (or two voracious adults, there were no leftovers)

 

8 oz bacon (1 lb or more if you wish) chopped

1 onion, diced (yellow or brown)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 c. low-sodium chicken stock

2c half and half (1 pint)

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes

1/4 c chopped green onions, plus more for garnish if desired

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

1 lb medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined, roughly chopped 

(my addition 2 c sliced mushrooms)

 

Directions

 

In large pot over medium-high heat, brown bacon pieces until crisp, transfer bacon to a plate and reserve fat in pan. 

* add 1bsp butter and sliced mushrooms, cook until completely reduced and liquid has been cooked off. Remove mushrooms leaving as much fat behind as possible, if needed, add a tbsp of oil or butter.

Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and stir continuously with spoon until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Stir in chicken stock, half and half, potatoes, green onions, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium low until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp ans simmer until pink, 2-3 minutes, then stir in (half ) the cooked bacon. Serve with bacon and green onions as garnish.

This is an unconventional 'chowder' as it has no corn.

I now bring you my previously mentioned original recipe card for Salsa, with my father's notes on the back of the card.

 

That is my father's very neat printing, he was an electrical engineer and radio hobbyist so he had impeccable printing. Here is the recipe and notes for easier reading:

SALSA - FRESH

1 LARGE ONION, SLICE VERY THIN, CUT IN HALF

2 CANS, #14 1/2 OZ CANS, CONTADINA SLICED OR BABY TOMATOES, SQUEEZE OR CHOP TOMATOES

3 GREEN CHILI PEPPERS CHOP VRY FINE

3 YELLOW CHILI PEPPERS "        "        "

2 CLOVES GARLIC, 1 TBLSPOON SUGAR

3/4 TSP SALT & PEPPER, 2 TSP OREGANO AND 1 BASIL CRUSHED FINE    OVER--->

DO NOT RUB YOUR EYES - !

CREATES TEMPORARY BLINDNESS,

PAIN, SEVER IRRITATION OF THE 

TEAR DUCTS AND GENERAL DISCOMFORT

That was my dad. I cherish having this recipe and will try it this way next time. I have no idea where he got it from but as the stains on the card tell you, it was a good recipe along with the guacamole.

 

What surprises me is a few things, a huge amount of sugar and 1 basil? Leaf I assume, and then slicing a large onion cut in half. Everything else is chopped fine. If I make this I will be using my julienne blade for the onion and peppers. That is a huge amount of salsa though, two 14 oz cans of tomatoes! I don't think my blender can handle that much but as soon as I make this I will be posting photos of the process and tasting results.

Shrimp Tacos! Definitely do again!

 So we usually have something special on Wednesdays to watch favorite shows. I was going to make beef and bean tacos then remembered, I have frozen shrimp! I was going to use that for Shrimp and Bacon Soup (going to post that next time) but that may have to wait until next month as I'm eating both of those ingredients now. For another off the cuff recipe, this was so good I feel like I want to fix it again! We're out of corn tortillas though.

Firstly: A 'tangy slaw' which is also supposed to be for another dish but delaying due to not having the main ingredient. I got this recipe by mixing the White Sauce and cabbage, that simple.

For 6 tacos:

 "Tangy Slaw" using the following four ingredients, chop the cabbage a bit more if you wish.

1 cup shredded cabbage (do it yourself or use bagged 'Coleslaw' mix)

1 tbl Alabama White Sauce (recipe at the end)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp chili powder

 

1 tsp orange or other citrus juice (I have a bag of mandarins I haven't used up)

4 raw shrimp per taco (shelled, deveined, tail off  We had six tacos between us but I only had 3 shrimp in one and partner had four). Frozen is good and the bag came with approx 31-40 shrimp, not the best quality of course but this is budget shopping. Follow directions for thawing shrimp if you use bagged like this.

 

Taco seasoning

Corn tortillas

Sour cream (optional)

Guacamole (fresh or prepared, we went with Von's Grocery fresh guac)

(I forgot it but some fresh salsa or pico de gallo optional)

 

 

Prep/cooking:

Thaw, rinse and dry shrimp then sprinkle some taco seasoning, not the whole package unless you have a LOT of shrimp. I make my own taco seasoning and I think I only used about a tablespoon, don't want to overpower the shrimp.

Heat up pan with a tbl each of oil and unsalted butter. Get that good and hot, heat up  your tortillas however you want then go dump the shrimp in the pan. Turn them over as soon as they start turning pink, add a clove or two of minced garlic, a squeeze of the citrus juice and keep them moving around. They cook very quickly and as soon as they are completely opaque slide them out onto a plate with all the juices and keep warm (I should have added a few more shrimp they were so good!).

 

Assemble your tacos however you wish. Slaw, shrimp, guacamole, salsa, cheese if you want and sour cream. You do you however you want to eat it and enjoy! Make it a taco bar night with friends or family!

 

Next recipe:  Shrimp 'n' Bacon Chowder

 

 

 

 

 

Teriyaki Chicken for a change!

 We still have plenty of leftover turkey, and the soup, and the failed cottage pie. Trying to use it up but running out of room in the fridge. I decided to thaw two chicken thighs and make a go at Teriyaki Chicken and stir fry veggies and rice.

I have been looking for Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce for a while now and it seems that it went off the market and then came back again but still not in stores convenient to me. It's available online of course and may resort to that next month. I did find the Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki sauce which we both love so that was the start. 

I do not have all the spices necessary for an Asian rub, if that's such a thing. I used a little bit of the pork rub (recipe included) and then my 'country chicken' rub with a little allspice and fennel I think then slathered the thighs with the sauce. Here's the process:

Ingredients for Quick Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

2 chicken thighs, skin and bone in

4-6 tbl Panda Express Teriyaki Sauce (who measures this anyway?)

 Pork Dry Rub (from 'Bake it with Love' on pinterest)

2 tbl paprika (I split with smoked paprika)

1 tbl salt

1/2 tbl ground black pepper

1/2 tbl garlic powder

1/2 tbl onion powder

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp ground sage

1/4 tsp cayenne

(This is way  more than what you need so apply liberally and then store the remainder in an air tight container)

Use whatever rub/spices you want on your chicken, think of the flavor profile of an Asian sauce.

 

Spray oil

9x9 baking dish

2 servings of cooked white rice.  

Frozen Broccoli Stir Fry Vegetables

 

Prep/cooking:

 

You can put the dry rub on about an hour or so before you want to cook the chicken, put it on a plate and cover until you're ready. 

Preheat oven to 350-375

Spray the baking dish with oil (if you want to use sesame oil go for it, I don't have any)

I got the method for this from, of all things, a Bisquick box for doing oven baked chicken. That's a different post entirely.

When oven is heated, place the thighs skin side down in the dish, use a pastry/sauce brush and slather that side with the sauce and mince two cloves of garlic on the thighs and pop that in the oven for about 30 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking or half way through, cook your veggies in about a tablespoon of oil or a little more. The bag said to use a wok or the microwave...since I don't like microwaved veggies I used my trusty 12" Greenpan best I could. I didn't wait for the pan to heat up long enough so they were soggy a lot faster than they were cooked, oh well. Let the oil get to shimmer stage before putting your veggies in, you know how they do it at restaurants, the pan is REALLY hot. Since I used frozen veggies it cooled the pan down quickly which is not good. That's why you need the pan on medium high heat.

When the 30 minutes is up, pull out the chicken and (using a fork or tongs) turn the thighs over, slather with more sauce and garlic then put them back in for another 15 minutes or they get to about 170 temp.

Note: Most recipes and instructions say to cook chicken to 165, my partner prefers more thoroughly cooked chicken so I take it up to about 170 and it's still juicy with no dark pink left.  

There you have it! A good portion of the rice with veggies and some sauce on top and the chicken perfectly cooked and tasty. 

Fancy meal? Nah, but tasty and and as filling as any Asian meal would get you. We had rice left over since  I don't eat a lot of rice.  Up in the top corner of that photo you can see a wire and a corner of something, that is my digital thermometer I've had for years. It's very handy, has an L shaped probe with a long enough wire to plug into the actual thermometer so it can monitor while inserted in your meat. 

This is a newer version of of mine which is a Taylor 1470FS Digital Cooking thermometer. All the functions are identical, the only difference is the probe configuration. Can be set for time or temperature with an alarm when it reaches the designated setting. My alarm no longer works unfortunately, no biggie.

I will research the Bisquick recipe for the oven chicken because I realized that the box I got it from is different than other boxes. Darn them putting different recipes on different boxes!

 

 

 

 

A failure to make a suitable pie

 I have been making a beef/hamburger shepherd's pie for a couple of years and follow the recipe as close as humanly possible. It always ends up too liquidy. This is what happened with the turkey pie I just made and it's delicious but frustrating.

It calls for 2 cups of stock which I did with 1 cup of bullion, another cup of water and then tossed in a chicken gravy packet. 

So I now have two versions of turkey soup. I think in the future I will use half the liquid necessary or just one packet of gravy to the veggies and turkey. Here's what I did:

1 12 oz package of frozen veggies

2 cups cut up turkey

2 celery ribs finely diced

1/2 yellow onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup shredded colby/jack cheese

2-3 cups mashed potatoes (if making them, I use 2 or 3 good size russets that gives me plenty of potatoes otherwise equivalent leftover mashed potatoes)

2 tbl butter (unsalted)

1 tbl canola oil (plus canola spray)

1 cup chicken bullion + 1 cup of water (or 2 cups chicken stock)

2-3 tsp flour

1 packet chicken gravy mix

Salt&pepper

1tsp thyme

1/2 sage

1 tsp Italian seasoning

In a good solid pot (or oven safe pan/pot) heat up two tbl butter and the canola oil, when that is just starting to turn brown add in the celery and onion. Cook until just short of softened, add in the minced garlic, cook until fragrant then add in the bag of veggies and continue to cook until heated through. Toss in the chopped turkey and stir, getting everything warmed through, add in the salt, pepper and herbs stirring thoroughly. Turn heat down low to keep warm and barely simmering. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 8x10 casserole/baking dish with oil.

While that is cooking if using the bullion cube/granules dissolve in hot water, add the extra cup of water and the packet of gravy. (This is where I should have just used the one cup instead of two). Whisk thoroughly and pour gradually into turkey/veggies. Stir thoroughly and bring back to a simmer. If it's too thin, add in a tsp of flour at a time, stirring after each until desired consistency, (again, this is what I did not what would work well). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour/spoon turkey and veggies into dish spreading if necessary to all edges. Using a large spoon, heap mashed potatoes on and smooth almost to the edges. Sprinkle with cheese and slide into the oven to bake for approx 30 minutes. Cheese should be melted and browned a bit and liquid from pie should be bubbling. Let cool for about ten minutes then enjoy!

So like I said, it's delicious for sure and it is a structural failure not an ingredient failure. I added as much flour as I dared without making it taste like flour. I always make gravy too thick like that so now I underestimate to thicken soups and pies.

Now, for a different way of boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes, sliced! I saw this on a cooking show and only saw it briefly at the end but it does work much better than cubes.

Because I use large russets I cut them lengthwise twice to make quarters then slice roughly in 1/4 wedges. I've been doing it this way for months since I discovered it and the potatoes cook faster and more even. I still end up with lumps due to lack of sufficient utensils but they are still delicious. I only overcooked them once because I forgot they were on the stove. They ended more watery than burned so have learned my lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my dutch oven that I found at goodwill for like ten dollars or something. I found that, the oval 9x12 Ikea baking dish (used for the turkey pie) and another 9x9 glass baking dish and I think I paid maybe $20 for all of them. Once again illustrating how frustrating preparing a meal efficiently can be when you can only use one burner at a time (small frying pans left over from breakfast yesterday but are clean).

Between the soup and nibbling and this pie, we have whittled the turkey down. That large piece is one of the breasts I kept intact for sandwiches. I might be able to downsize this container by Christmas!

Sous chef getting a bit too close to where the turkey bits were. I gave him his tithe for being a good boy then had to push him off the counter as he was over the line of acceptable distance. Sometimes he uses the 'excuse' of wanting to get in the window to watch but that is also out of bounds when I'm cooking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a little snacky snack

 So we have plenty of food to last us for at least a month. Turkey is going to be an option,  the soup by the way is delicious.

That first picture is foggy due to steam coming off. Hard to get a good picture right out of the crockpot. Noodles could have been cut a bit shorter and it definitely needs about another large can of turkey stock added. It's more content than liquid now but needs stock or broth rather than just water. 

Snacky snack is what I call 'Quick Quesadilla'. Which wasn't so quick this time but it's my go to snack when I have all the ingredients which are...

2 corn tortillas

1/2 cup shredded cheese

4 tsp salsa 

4tsp sour cream

1 tbl sliced green onions

 

Simple enough right? Well this turned into a production because I was out of shredded cheese and had to do that first.

 

This is my OXO Good Grips Slice and Grate Set. The lid serves as the container you shred things into and holds about 2 cups of whatever. The container with the red lid holds about four cups at that point. The different blades are color coded, the fine shredder is yellow, julienne is green, large shred is orange and slicer is red. I rarely use the slicer since it slices so thin  not really useful for most of what I do.

On to the snacky snack

Make sure you have a small pan that has a base big enough to accomodate the size tortilla you are using. True quesadillas are done with a large flour tortilla, well I came up with this version because at the time, I didn't have flour tortillas.

A tale of two pans. Don't ask me what they are, they were both 'foundlings' either in our complex or at goodwill. The back one is non stick without the coating and the front one is a professional grade something with a metal handle that conducts heat very well. I had to knit a cover for it so I could handle it easier.

 

Heat the pan sufficiently so that the tortilla won't stick when you put it in. I use some canola oil and wipe the pan down so it has some lubricant.

Drop in the first tortilla and heat flipping it over carefully until thoroughly heated through and limp, do the same with the second one but at this point, sprinkle the cheese on the tortilla to the edges if possible then add the green onions. I sometimes sprinkle some chili powder and cumin on the cheese if I don't have the green onions. Top with the other tortilla and wait a minute then using a spatula, carefully lift and flip over, hoping that the top tortilla doesn't go flying. I hve seen some 'trick' where you lift out the food, pick up the pan and put it on top then flip the whole thing over. A bit too complicated in my mind.

The cheese may be starting to melt out the sides at this point so be careful flipping it over the second time and if you want, do it a third time before removing to cut on a cutting board. 

Cut into fourths, add a spoon of salsa and sour cream, and enjoy! Just a little snack  that is very tasty. A friend of mine who is Mexican told me 'that's not a quesadilla! I have to come visit you and show you how it's done' I told her I know how to do a real one but I don't have everything so this is my version as a snack.

If I ever get the ingredients for doing a full blown carne asada (or pollo) quesadilla, it will be amazing! Have to haul out the big griddle for that though, a lot more work for just one person.

Oh yes, have to show you a picture of my sous chef, Rocké, the sink and food inspector. Commonly also known as Our Gentlecat of Perpetual Interference.