Fingers, Toes, & Tacos

Looking for a gift for the little monster in your life this holiday season? Consider purchasing my children's books including Fingers, Toes, and Tacos on Amazon and selected book stores. Each book includes a delectable and easy recipe.

To make Alex’s soft tacos, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 roasted chicken or 2-3 cups shredded chicken meat
• ½ bunch of fresh cilantro (If you don’t have fresh, substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried, ground coriander.)
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin seeds (You can use ground cumin if you have it instead.)
• 1 16-ounce container of salsa (Any kind that you have a taste for will work!)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 6 washed and destemmed Rainbow Swiss Chard or Swiss Chard (About 2 cups)
• 1 bag grated mild cheese like Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend
• 8-12 tortillas (Rice tortillas can be used if you need gluten free.)

You’ll need a large cast iron skillet or oven-safe large ceramic or glass pan to heat up the tortillas and filling.

 

Add the oil to the bottom of the skillet. Add a tortilla folded in half and 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture from the bowl, ¼ cup Swiss Chard, and ¼ cup grated cheese. Now add another tortilla folded in half and fill it up. You want to repeat this process of adding and filling tortillas until the pan is full of stuffed tacos.

 

Turn on the oven to 325 degrees. Put the tacos in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chard has wilted.

 

And coming Fall 2022, Whiskers, Wings and Whipping Cream. Bon appetite!

 

Scrappy Grilled Cheese

One of my favorite meals is an array of cheeses - soft, hard, smoked, herby, w/truffles - along with a green salad and an Acme Bread Company sourdough bagget. I nibble through these cheeses for days until I'm down to cheese scraps. Sometimes a bit of mold has grown on them. Don't toss the moldy cheese into your compost. Just scrape off and it's ready to eat.

Another favorite is a grilled cheese sandwich. This is also a great way to use scraps of various cheeses and melt them into a cheesy goodness. I also added the last of the squash blossoms from my friend Musetta's garden. If you have a garden, please add herbs and produce to your sandwich to dress it up.

Here's what you'll need:

• Sourdough bread
• Butter or good olive oil
• Cheese
• Squash blossoms or red bell pepper
• Mayonnaise or Aioli
• Mustard
• Cast iron skillet

Did you know that cooking in cast iron is a natural way to add iron to your diet?

Butter or oil lightly one side of the bread and place buttered/oil side down in the skillet. 

Add sliced cheese(s) and any herbs or sliced squash blossoms or peppers. Cover and cook on medium heat on the stove top until bread is golden and cheese is gooey. 

Serve with a side salad. I usually make my own salad dressing since bagged salads often add sugar to their salad dressing. Totally not needed or heart healthy. But there are some really tasty bagged salads available and they do make it super easy to add a salad to your lunch to munch.

Bon appetite!

Asian flavors inspired shrimp stew

I'm a raving fan of Rebecca Katz and her cookbooks. In particular, I refer and cook from The Longevity Kitchen weekly. Her Southeast Asian Seafood Stew is a favorite of mine - but I've modified it to my taste - and what I usually have in my refrigerator. For example, I purchase frozen shrimp from Costco and have it on hand, but generally don't have other frozen seafood. Find and purchase fresh lemon grass to include if possible. It's key to taking the flavor over the top. I'm fortunate to find it at my farmers market - but I do live in California with a year round market.

Here's what you'll need:

• Soup pot/large stovetop pot
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion or shallots
• 1 tablespoon peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves peeled, finely chopped
• 1-2 prices of fresh lemongrass, cut off top 'woody' pieces and 1st layer, wash and slice thinly
• 4 cups vegetable stock (If you don't have homemade, I like Pacific Foods Organic)
• 1 teaspoon ground, Persian lime or grated fresh lime zest
• 1 teaspoon Thai red chili paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can coconut cream or coconut milk
• 1 cup peeled and diced orange sweet potatoes
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
• 10 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1-2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (Tip: I put the frozen shrimp in a colander in the sink and clean and rinse them there)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Garnish:

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thinly including white and green parts
2 tablespoons fresh basil. (If you can find fresh Thai basil, it's worth it. The flavor really complements this stew.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 small chili, seeded and thinly sliced. (Use one that meets your heat tolerance.)

In the soup pot over medium heat, add oil, shallot/onion, garlic, salt/pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes. Add ginger, lemongrass, and ground lime/zest. 

Add vegetable stock and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except the lime juice. Add the lime juice at the very end when the shrimp are cooked and pink/orange in color.

Serve in individual bowls and garnish.

Also, I don't add noodles. When I serve it, I'll either serve on top with rice or brown rice noodles.

I make a pot of this stew, refrigerate overnight in glass jars, and then freeze. And, I'm ready to take this to work to munch for lunch!

Bob appetite!

Italian inspired thighs

 

I have been a chicken breast eater in the past, but have started cooking with thighs. I use my great grandma's cast iron skillet in the oven for the benefit of added iron to my diet. I also love how evenly food cooks in the cast iron. The chicken thighs stay moist in the skillets and the results are delicious.

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken thighs rinsed and placed in a glass bowl that can go in the refrigerator.

Add enough buttermilk to cover the thighs, 1-2 tablespoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper. Stir, cover, and place in your refrigerator for a minimum 1-2 hours.

Remove and pour off the marinade. Place skin side down in a cast iron skillet. 

Wash and slice 1-2 large heirloom tomatoes and place on top of the chicken. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 354 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.

I skinned and deboned before serving the thighs on mashed sweet potatoes and a bed of fresh spinach and arugula.

To make Trudi's mashed sweet potatoes, peel and wash 3-4 sweet potatoes. Place in a stove top pan, cover in cold water, add some salt and 2-3 peeled garlic cloves. Boil on medium heat until soft, approximately 20-30 minutes on medium high heat. Drain water and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, 1-2 tablespoons of creme fraiche, salt/pepper, and mash together. It's OK to have a few small lumps.

Bon Appetite!

Pulled Pork Ole

I love a delicious pulled pork anytime of year. It's great for tacos and salads - and even piled high on a big baked potato. I've been wanting to experiment with liquid smoke so that was the inspiration for this pork butt.

Here's what you'll need

• 1 - 4 oz bottle of liquid smoke. I used pecan by Colgin. Amazon sells an assortment of four. I randomly selected the pecan.
• In a large Pyrex measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the liquid smoke with:

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and sliced (or 1 teaspoon dried ginger if you don't have fresh)
• 1 Tablespoon Aleppo dried chilis
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (or one fresh onion peeled and chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 peeled and chopped fresh garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 fresh small tomatoes washed and chopped
• juice from 2 oranges
• juice from 2 limes
• 1-2 mild fresh chilis chopped

Liberally salt and pepper the roast. Add olive oil to the pot and brown all sides on the stove on medium to medium high heat. You shouldn't see any red meat when you're done.

You want to brown the pork first BEFORE adding the above marinade

• 2.5 pound pork roast/butt
• 2-3 Tablespoons good olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Large pot with a lid that can go in the oven

Combine marinade with the pork butt and place on middle rack in the oven. Bake for 5 hours at 254 degrees.

Serve with tortillas or on a bed of salad greens with cheese, avocados, and fresh tomatoes plus 1-2 Tablespoons of the cooked meat juice.

If you're a coleslaw lover, I made a slaw with a small cabbage head chopped, 2-3 carrots shaved, 1 teaspoon each cumin and celery seeds, 1/4 cup each apple cider and white balsamic vinegar, plus a bit of Trader Joe's organic mayo.

Bon Appetite!

Bodacious Brownies

Brownies are a real treat for me. I can eat them with a side of yogurt and a cup of coffee in the a.m. or a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the p.m. So basically totally yummy day or night.

The fundamental 'secret' to bodacious brownies is to use fabulous chocolate. And if you can afford it since it often costs more, purchase Fair Trade Certified. I also use a Gluten Free Flour from Anson Mills that has a great texture and taste for baking.

Here's what you'll need:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1-2 inch pieces
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound)
• Optional - 1 Tablespoon Aleppo or Urfa Fiber/Isot ground chilies (you want a mild ground chili)
• 6 large free range eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour like King Arthur (which has a nice fat content) or Anson Mills gluten free
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• Optional - top with whole hazelnuts or nut of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and have the rack positioned in the middle of the oven. A 13 x 9 inch glass baking pan is ideal; butter it or I use the Trader Joe's Coconut Oil spray.

Use a double boiler or melt the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are weak combined, sift in the flour and cocoa powder until just combined. Top with whole nuts.

Pour the batter into your greased baking dish and bake until a wooden toothpick comes out clean from the center. Approximately 30 minutes baking. Cool and serve. I store in the refrigerator wrapped in foil or a Tupperware container or freeze in individual cut squares.

Bon Appetite! 

Carrot, Kale, Potato, & Sausage Comfort Soup

What to do with those carrots you may still have growing in your backyard? Or that kale? (I haven't tried growing potatoes, but did plant garlic last fall thanks to the inspiration from my gardening pal, Musetta.) I purchased the remaining produce I needed for this recipe at my farmers market.

My friend Ardell made and shared this soup with me. I've now made and shared with my friend, Musetta, who noted that she thought you could add other vegitables. I agree. 

Modifications have been made to the original recipe reducing the amount of milk, increasing the chicken stock, and adding several cloves of garlic. I hope you find it as delicious as I do, and please email me if you make modifications enhancing it further. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. spicy Italian pork sausage

32 fl. oz. Pacific Foods free range chicken broth, low sodium (or homemade)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or use more 1/2&1/2. I had some whipping cream I needed to use-up)

2 cups 1/2&1/2 (remember when I mentioned this is comfort food)

4-5 green onions, washed and sliced

1 large shallot, cleaned and sliced (you can substitute with a sweet red, white or yellow onion)

3 cups washed, skin on, and cubed organic potatoes (I used a bag of mixed color baby potatoes from Trader Joes)

4 garlic gloves, peeled and chopped

5-7 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cups washed, center stem removed, torn kale leaves into 1-2 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or less depending on how spicy you like it

1/2 teaspoon dried Ancho chilies (I like Simply Organic)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher or Omnivore salt

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and crumble sausage into the pot. Cook and stir until brown and cooked through for approximately 10-15 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic and saute. Stir periodically. Drain off excess grease if needed. Add 1/2&1/2, chicken stock, and spices. Cook on medium heat until carrots and potatoes are tender stirring periodically. Add kale and simmer another 5-10 minutes so kale remains bright green. 

Homemade cornbread goes very well with this soup. 

Note: This will not freeze well because of the cream so please share with friends/neighbors/family what you don't think you can eat.

Bon appetite!