Red Peppers 10 for 10

My dear friends Nina and Bonnie let me in on a little secret.....red peppers are 10 for 10 at Kroger this week. For those that need help in the math department like me that's $1 a piece; something worth getting excited about! I know it's not much of a secret, but it was to me since I missed that ad this week. Plus, I have this simple and extremely healthy recipe for red pepper soup, that even my 3 year old keeps asking me to make. Red peppers are usually so expensive, but not today. Enjoy.....

Roasted Red Pepper Soup*

1/4 cup, raw cashews soaked 1-2 hours in water (this surprisingly adds so much creaminess and richness without the fat)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon
black pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (couldn't find agave nectar so substituted mango nectar which worked just as well)
1 pinch cayenne
1 pinch red chili flakes
1 cup roasted red bell peppers 1 cup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large basil leaf chopped (dried worked fine; sprinkle quite a bit to garnish with)

Blend all ingredients, except basil, in a blender until smooth. Heat mixture in a saucepan until just warmed. Garnish with chopped basil.

How to roast red peppers: Halve and seed two red peppers, brush with olive oil and place under a broiler for 5-7 mins, until skin is slightly blackened. Use a sharp knife to remove skin that is blackened. This recipe only makes 2 servings; I usually double it.

*Taken from "The 3-Day Cleanse" by Zoe Sakoutis & Erica Huss

Fruit Flies-Catch & Release

This is totally gross, but I know I am not the only one this has happened to. Com on....admit it.....you have had fruit flies in your house too! Haven't you? Well, even if you haven't you may one day. So this post isn't necessarily about a recipe for cooking, but it is a recipe for catching those nasty fruit flies that invaded my ever so important kitchen. Those annoying flies came about because of all the summer garden tomatoes I told you about, that have piled up, and that I am now trying to can for future use. There are a number of different traps that you can try, but I'll let you know what has worked for me and what hasn't. These are all "pennyless" and green ways to get rid of those little pests.
First and foremost, obviously get rid of the fruit that is causing those nasty flies to do the nasty and make more nasty fruit flies. Second, thoroughly clean the entire kitchen; wiping down countertops with vinegar, and make sure there is no exposed fruit anywhere else.
Third, when I say clean entire kitchen I mean ENTIRE kitchen, no dirty dish rags or towels laying around, wipe down outside of refrigerator from top to bottom and the dish washer and the trash can; make sure the trash can is also empty or covered.
Fourth, my favorite, time to set the traps!

Traps:
One trap that I tried was filling the sink with soapy water. This attracted some of the flies, but not all would land in it. Two landed in it and drowned.
Another trap tried is putting a piece of an apple in a plastic bag that you can zip up. This attracts the flies, but not all would venture into the bag, and it was hard to zip up the bag fast enough to catch them and then release them outside.
The trap that worked the best for me was placing a few grapes that were beginning to rot (or any other piece of fruit would work) in the bottom of a plastic cup . The key is patience, which I don't always have, especially when it comes to bugs in the house! I found the place where these flies were congregating and placed the cup there. I also had the idea to cover the bottom of the cup with honey and then placing the grapes on top of the honey. After an entire day the flies started getting brave and went to the bottom of the cup; some got stuck in the honey and drowned which made it easy. Once the flies got inside the lip of the cup I quickly slammed a plastic plate on top of the cup and went outside to release them. I surprisingly even got a house fly with this trap! Make sure to replace the fruit every day or so. This process is repeated over and over until there are no more; it can take up to 10 days. I know 10 days! But it's worth it to get those things out of the house, and so I can use my kitchen, the "pennyless" way of course, in peace!

Summertime Gazpacho

My husband and I recently finished "The 3-Day Cleanse" by the founders of "BluePrintCleanse"; ever heard of it? More on this in the future........one meal the founders recommended to prepare your body for the cleanse is Gazpacho. I grew up eating this during the summer as a child, but had kind of forgotten about this healthy, inexpensive, and don't forget tasty, cold soup. There are so many variations of Gazpacho so here is my "pennyless" version. It's ideal for the summertime and using up those summer tomatoes, and other vegetables as well!

Ingredients:
-1 cucumber , peeled, seeded, and diced
-1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
-1 jalapeno (optional)
-3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
-1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (regular vinegar can be substituted just use less)
-2 cloves of garlic
-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 teaspoons of Sea salt
-1 avocado peeled and diced
-Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Place 1/2 cup and cucumber and 1/2 cup of green bell pepper in a bowl to the side. Place all remaining ingredients, minus the avocado, in a food processor and pulse until smooth. This may take a few minutes. Pour in large bowl and mix in diced cucumber and green bell pepper. Garnish with avocado, a drizzle of olive oil and more ground black pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.

You can certainly add whatever vegetables you want to this cold soup and pulse those until smooth. Zucchini, squash, and eggplant would be delicious, especially after sauteing in a bit of olive oil.

Summer Tomatoes

A dear, dear friend to me has fresh, garden tomatoes growing out of her ears, like some of you probably, and needs some recipes so they don't go to waste. So here is one of my recipes I shared with her, now I want to share it with you.


Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
-28 oz can of whole peeled/crushed/diced/halved cherry tomatoes* (if your using homegrown fresh summer tomatoes squeeze to get all the seeds out in a small bowl; preserve as much juice as possible)
-3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-3-4 tbsp of fresh chopped basil (use much less if dried, but there's really no substitute for the flavor with fresh basil)
-1 diced sweet onion
-Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
-1 clove of garlic
-Fresh, grated Parmesan cheese
-Sea salt
-Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Add olive oil to a hot, deep skillet. Add onion until soft or caramelized**. Add garlic until it just sizzles. Add red pepper flakes next if desired. Then add your tomatoes-if using whole peeled; crush up with a potato masher until you get the consistency you desire. Otherwise pour the can or fresh tomatoes in and reduce to a simmer & cover for about 10-15 minutes. Boil your choice of pasta until al dente, drain & do not rinse-you want to keep the starchiness of your pasta so the tomato sauce will stick and soak into the noodles. Pour pasta into the skillet and mix until pasta is covered. Add basil, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese (it's cheaper in the long run to buy a wedge of cheese and grate over meals as needed. It keeps forever, and you can freeze the rind to add to soups in the future, which gives massive flavor).

I'll be posting more ways to use up those summer tomatoes soon, but if any of you have any other recipes please share.....I'm getting hungry and my tomatoes just keep staring me down!

*If using cherry tomatoes there is no need to cook these. Simply cut in half, toss in hot pasta immediately and the tomatoes will cook by the heat of the pasta. Then add pasta with the tomatoes to the skillet with the oil. Drizzle more olive oil here if desired.

**Here is also where you can add other veggies; finely diced carrots, broccoli, etc. This makes the sauce more meaty; it's healthier and lasts longer. The veggies would be best when you make a thicker sauce using the whole peeled or crushed tomatoes.

Fishy

I love Salmon patties and so does my husband (except for the smell; he always seems to disappear when I am cooking them). Salmon patties have become a regular meal for us because they are unbelievably inexpensive, but you feel like you're eating a delicious meal at a restaurant on the coast. Well, I might have exaggerated just a little, but not on the delicious part.

Just make sure you keep the windows open when you're cooking them so your house doesn't smell like on of those fish markets on the coast!

I serve the patties with green-chile, jalapeno rice and black beans. So good!


Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

-1 can of Salmon
-Chopped Cilantro (a palm full)
-1 red onion finely diced
-1/2 cup Japanese panko bread crumbs & 1/4 cup for coating
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1 egg
-butter, 1 tbsp for cooking & 2 tbsp melted to finish

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix in a medium bowl Salmon with bones removed, cilantro, onion, egg, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick, oven proof skillet to medium heat with a tablespoon of butter. Put a dusting of bread crumbs on a plate. Begin to form patties; should make 8-9 medium sized. You may also make these ahead of time, cover and chill up to overnight.

As each patty is formed coat each side with more bread crumbs and place in pan. Cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Place in oven for 15 minutes of additional cooking time. Pour melted butter over all of the finished patties directly out of oven. So good; my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup sour cream
-1 tbsp Dijon mustard
-2 dashes of hot sauce
-1/2 tsp of dill
-1 tsp of sugar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and serve in a bowl for dipping Salmon patties.

This is where it all starts.

This can of Salmon holds great power.

To a medium bowl add all the ingredients that goes into this patty.

Then add the egg.

This is important.....us Panko bread crumbs. They can be found in the Asian aisle.

Add your bread crumbs.

Mix till it's all incorporated well.

Begin to form your patty.

Step 1: Grab a palm-full of the mixture.

Step 2: Form in a ball.

Step 3: Flatten to form a disc shape.

Voila!

Simms got in on the action too.

Pretty good, right?

I wouldn't recommend eating his though.

Next, coat lightly with bread crumbs.

Do both sides.

These are gonna be good!

Especially cooked in butter!

Place each patty in the hot pan.

Cook at least 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Then flip.

Let them cook now another 3 minutes or so.

Now pop in the hot oven.

After some intoxicating time in the oven.

Top with butter!

Oh yea!

Finish with a dollop of the Dill Sauce on each patty.

Dig in! Don't wait any longer. You deserve it!

Well, unless your son says you haven't prayed for dinner yet.

Then say really quickly.....God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food!

Amen!

Indian w/ a Thai Twist!

I am FINALLY settling into in my new house in Louisville and most importantly my new kitchen. I love it! I have only cooked a handful of meals and finally ran into one that is worth writing about. I have a total romantic connection with Thai food; I mean you have to leave me a alone with my coconut curry chicken and give me a moment. So because of my great love I tried to make my version of this dish with an Indian flare.

Ingredients:
-3 large carrots finely chopped
-1 large sweet onion finely chopped
-1 cup frozen pea
-1 green pepper roughly chopped
-1 red pepper roughly chopped
-1 tablespoon garlic
-1 cup brown rice
-1 lb cooked chicken chopped
-1/2 cup coconut milk (more depending on creaminess/sweetness)
-1 large can tomato puree
-1 tablespoon curry
-1/2 tablespoon paprika
-cilantro
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Sautee all vegetables together until soft with olive oil. Start cooking rice. Cook chicken until browned with olive oil. Add tomato puree and spices on top of chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes. Combine all vegetables, rice and chicken with the sauce. Drizzle more coconut milk over the top with chopped cilantro. Serve family style in a big beautiful bowl. Will serve 4-5.

Staples

One big key in cooking weekly meals is plan, plan, plan. You have to sit down and plan your menu either by the week, or like I do the month. I saw years of my mother doing this and thought, "she puts WAY too much time into planning meals for us...how BORING." Then as I grew up and stopped rolling my eyes I realized the importance of what she did and still does. It takes a couple of days of hard work and then the rest of the month is a breeze. Another tool that comes in extremely handy is have a checklist on the fridge and blanks spaces as well to simply check mark or write an item the minute you run out. They have these great lists already made for you that I found at Target by "REALSIMPLE"; it has magnets on the big notepad and you always have it there on your fridge. While planning look at the coupons and sales on the internet to guide you in your menu. The final tool that I use are staples and more staples. Keep your pantry or cabinets filled with staples like spices, oils, vinegars, flour, and canned goods like beans, tomatoes, any vegetables, tuna, etc. I also usually try to have lemons, apples, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, and cilantro on hand because those are staples for our family. Here's a recipe that is great to keep on hand for a healthy snack and is made with practically all staples.

Spicy Hummus

Ingredients

* 1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
* 2 rounded tablespoons Tahini sesame paste (found in diary, dry, or Greek aisle)
* A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
* 1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground coriander
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* Coarse salt
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* Wheat pita bread warmed, tore in pieces and used for dipping

Directions

Combine beans, Tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste. Transfer to a small dip dish and surround spread with warm pita wedges. This recipe makes a great appetizer, or anytime snack.

Okay I don't know exactly what you have in your pantry and what you don't. So average pantry probably doesn't have Tahini Sesame Paste (what is that anyway?!?!). That's how my pantry was. Everything else is pretty much considered a staple and if you don't have garbanzo beans a.k.a. chickpeas, they cost like $0.52 a can. The Tahini paste doesn't even necessarily have to be added, but it gives a nice creamy and nutty consistency and binds the hummus together nicely. I made it without it once and it was still delicious, but better with the Tahini which costs around $3.00.
Hummus can cost anywhere from $4.00-$6.00. Once you have the Tahini on hand this hummus costs virtually $0.52. Try it it is SO good!

*Recipe with the help of www.foodnetwork.com and Rachael Ray.