Purrfect Dips

Hosted an event on Sunday to celebrate 10 years of trapping, spay/neuter, return (TNR) for The Purrfect Catch Foundation. So proud of our volunteers, donors, and feline adopters. And, how much work this wee nonprofit has done for Homeless felines here on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Charlotte, NC areas. Hard to believe I created this organization a decade ago!

I do love to cook and feed people. Use organic ingredients if you can. I buy my produce at my farmers market and Trader Joe's. I made three dips for chips and veggies that were a hit and received requests for the recipes so here you go...

Raw Radish Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, room temp/softened

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I juice lemons and freeze in glass jars so I always have on hand)

1/2 teaspoon dried, organic dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh dill

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup or 1 bunch scrubbed radishes

In a Cuisinart/food processor with the steel blade, blend everything except the radishes until creamy. Add the radishes and pulse until they're in small pieces. Dip will be pretty in pink. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Don't have a food processor? Use a hand mixer to blend everything and add finely chopped radishes.

Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Green Goddess Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, room temp/softened

1/2 cup organic mayonnaise (homemade or Safeway Organics brand)

1/2 cup sour cream

4-5 organic green onions, washed and trimmed at both ends (I use kitchen scissors to cut in chunks)

1/2-2/3 cup organic Italian/flat-leaf parsley, washed with leave plucked off. (compost stems)

1 tablespoon dried , organic dill or 3-4 tablespoons fresh

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon organic ground black pepper

Optional: 1-2 garlic cloves. You can also add some fresh basil and cilantro if you really want to channel your inner green goddess.

In a Cuisinart/food processor with the steel blade, blend everything and pulse until just blended.

Serve with assorted veggies - jicama, cucumbers, carrots, red bell peppers, blanched sugar snap and snow peas.

Southern Black-Eyed Pea Dip8 ounces cream cheese, room temp/softened

2 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained in a colander

4-5 organic green onions, washed and trimmed at both ends (I use kitchen scissors to trim and cut in chunks)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 fresh red bell pepper, washed, seeded, and cut into chunks

1/3 cup roasted, skinned and seeded poblano peppers (I roast these on my BBQ ahead of time and skin, seed, slice and freeze in glass jars)

1 can organic diced and fire roasted tomatoes (I use Trader Joe's brand that include organic green chiles) or 1 cup washed, fresh tomatoes cut into small chunks

8 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese cut into chunks

1 teaspoon organic ancho chili powder dusted over the top before baking (Include a mad dash of dried chipotle powder for more heat and smokey flavor.)

Optional: Washed, chopped fresh cilantro to dress the top after it's baked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a Cuisinart/food processor with the steel blade, process half the black-eyes peas, cream and Monterey Jack cheeses, fresh lime juice and salt. Add the remaining half of black-eyed peas, green onions, roasted peppers, red bell pepper, and pulse so these aren't pureed, but in small bits. Pour into a glass dish that is 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep. Dust with ancho chili and chipotle powder. Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 15-20 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips. 

Bon Appetite! You can follow The Purrfect Catch is on Instagram.

All the cats in the kennels in my garage on Sunday are still available for adoption, including Chloe and Bridget. Please contact me for information about adopting.

Trudi's roasted corn chowder

 

Winter comfort food includes hearty soups and stews for me plus homemade cornbread made in a cast-iron skillet.

Tip: When corn is in season, loadup, soak in water, and grill with the husk on for 5-7 minutes to steam cook it. Then cut off the cob in a large bowl, place in glass jars, chill overnight in your refrigerator, and freeze for later use.

Here's what you'll need for the chowder:

• 1/2 cup diced bacon (about 4-5 slices)
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 4-6 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 carrots or/and sweet potatoes peeled, and cut into small chunks
• 3-4 stalks of celery with green frills/leaves, sliced
• 3-4 potatoes scrubbed and chopped into small chunks
• 3-4 cups corn (from 5-6 ears of corn)
• 5 cups homemade or Pacific Foods organic free range low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Cook bacon in a heavy soup pot on medium heat, until crisp about 6-8 minutes. removed and place on paper towels on a plate to drain off the excess fat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and potatoes to the pot and cook until onions, celery, and carrots are tender. Add chicken stock. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add corn, cream, parsley, and bacon. Cook about 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Cast-iron skillet cornbread (with a few modifications from the October 2016 Southern Living):

• 1 1/2 cups fine stone ground white cornmeal
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons salted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a 10 inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Separately, stir together the buttermilk and eggs. (I usually do this in my 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup.)

Add butter to the hot skillet and return to the oven for about 1-2 minutes until it's melted.

Stir in the buttermilk egg mixture into the large bowl with your dry ingredients until they're just combined. Carefully using a hot pad, pour melted butter from the skillet into the cornmeal mixture and stir just until combined. Now pour your cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet and immediately place in the oven. Bake at 450 until golden brown and the cornbread is pulling away from the sides about 18-24 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve with honey and butter.

Bon appetite!

 

Get ready, get set for stone fruit

Have you ever bought a few too many pluots, peaches, nectarines, or plums (AKA stone fruit)? They look and smell so delicious when I'm at the farmers market. In addition to washing, slicing and freezing for future use in smoothies, I'll incorporate them in with a few apples to make sauce. Sauce for what? Yogurt, pork chops, turkey - this sauce can be paired with savory or sweet. And it freezes beautifully. I'm also not a fan of including lemon juice in my fruit sauce. Instead, I use oranges and limes.

Here's what you'll need - use organic ingredients if you can: 

• 1 orange, juiced plus approximately 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1-2 limes, juiced plus approximately 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or more depending on your taste
• 3-4 pieces of stone fruit washed, seeded, and sliced (green pluots and plums or nectarines or peaches)
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2-3 assorted or the same apple varieties washed, roughly peeled, seeded, and sliced
• 1 heaping teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• optional pinch of ground cloves

Place on the stovetop in a sauce pan and cover partially so some steam can escape. Cook on medium for 20-40 minutes until the fruit is very tender. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Be careful since this is hot. Using a hand mixer or emulsifier, puree. Place in glass jars and cool overnight in your refrigerator before freezing so the jars don't crack.

Please be flexible and bold = add more fruit, water, spices, maple syrup to uniquely meet your taste buds and desired consistency. You really cannot screw this up and you'll be proud of your creation. I promise.

With local/regional stone fruit coming into season soon, I hope you'll enjoy this recipe I created. Bon appetite!

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!

Holiday cheer for your coffee

I never knew I liked eggnog until I tried Clover organic eggnog. I'm sorry for those of you not in No. Cal. and Clover country. This stuff is really delicious.

I add a little to my coffee along with some half & half this time of year.

And it makes delicious ice cream too. You'll need:

• ice cream maker
• 2 cups heavy organic whipping cram
• 2 cups eggnog
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanila 

Bon appetite and Happy Holidays!

Squash blossom veggie soup

This recipe is based on a Rick Bayless Golden Squash Blossom Crema recipe. I've made modifications based on my tastes - nothing fancy just adds more layers of flavor.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3-5 garlic cloves skinned and sliced or minced
• 1 medium to large sweet white, yellow or red onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups beef stock or Rebecca Katz* chicken stock or magic mineral broth
• 5-25 squash blossoms. (I use what I'm given by my generous friend, Musetta.) Both male and female blossoms can be used. The female blossom can be separated from the baby squash and added as a delicious addition. Gently wash blossoms, remove center and stems, and thinly slice. Baby squash is washed and sliced.
• 1-2 zucchini or other squash rinsed and chopped
• 2 fresh poblano peppers plus 2-3 other fresh chilis. I buy what I can find at my farmers market. More than one type of chili will add more flavor depth - and you don't have to use hot peppers like a jalapeño. 
• 2-3 carrots, washed, peeled or scrubbed, and sliced
• 2 white corn ears 
• Sour cream or Creme Fraiche for garnish
• Dash of chipotle powder to garnish (I like Simple Organic. Join their coop for even better prices)

Roast peppers on a BBQ or broil until dark brown or black - but be careful to not over char. Place on a plate and cover with a dish towel to steam and cool. Then skin and seed them. Slice and chop the chile 'meat.' 

Soak corn ears, drain and BBQ in the husks for 10 minutes. Remove and cool, husk and rinse. In a deep bowl or pot, cut the kernels from the cob.

In a medium to large soup pot, add olive oil, garlic and onions. On medium heat cook until golden. Add squash, carrots, corn, and chilis. Sauté for 8-10 minutes.

Add the stock and cook another 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Add the sliced blossoms last and cook another 5-8 minutes. 

Serve with sour cream and dash of chili powder. I also sometimes top with some grated cheese.

Bon appetite!

*Rebecca Katz soup stock recipes are easy and AMAZING! Once you start making them, you won't want to ever buy store bought again. Tip: Make and store in glass jars in the fridge overnight and then freeze. If you place in freezer too soon, your jars may crack.

Kabob topper

Grilled vegetables are delicious on their own - but if you want to dress them up and add some complexity in flavor, try this new recipe I created last night. 

Here's what you'll need:

Bamboo skewers, soaked in salt water for 10-15 minutes.

Washed, halved or quartered into large bite size pieces array of organic veggies to grill.

• Bell peppers in assorted colors
• Mushrooms
• Sweet red or yellow onions
• Zucchini and assorted squash

Topping

• Emulsifier or a blender
• 2 green onions washed and ends cutoff
• 1/4-1/3 cup Mayonaise
• Sierra Nevada Stout mustard or other good jarred mustard
• Omnivore salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all of the topping ingredients in a glass jar and emulsify until smooth and creamy or add into the blender until smooth. I used a ladle to pour over my grilled veggies, but this can also be used as a dipping sauce.

We served these with burgers (1/3 ground lamb, 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground pork with an egg, rosemary, oregano, and salt and pepper - this is my friend Elaine's recipe.)

Bon Appetite!