dcandohio

Welcome! Your first line of defense is to check the labels on all the packaged goods you might have used in cooking, like pasta sauce, chicken stock, soy sauce, canned beans and condiments. Loaded with sodium. Forget any frozen meals, even the so-called healthier stuff from Trader Joe’s… They are salt bombs. I like a lot of the salt free seasoning blends from Penzey’s. If you are not close to one, check out their website. They create many interesting spice blends that can enhance flavor of meats and vegetables without salt. Think of other flavor enhancers, such as lemon or vinegar, as salt replacements in some recipes.

Tonight is halved hatch chili peppers stuffed with yellow onion, green onion, chopped up white mushrooms, Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and a bit of chicken stock.

Baking, again. There was an excess of plums in the house, and in searching for easy recipes to use them I came across a stone fruit clafoutis recipe. I have made one before, but never with plums. I thought it turned out great, but my father said it tasted like a damp danish pastry.

I. Never. Bake. But my 91 year old dad wanted a custard pie. I dug up a recipe, followed it closely, and produced a pretty decent product. Dad was thrilled.

Salmon baked and topped with yogurt mixed with coriander chutney. Roasted beets* Tomato and cucumber salad * I love beets but roasting and peeling makes such a mess in my all-white kitchen. I refuse to eat canned beets. I took a chance and tried Stahlbush Island Farms frozen sliced beets that I saw at Lucky’s Market. They are just plain, blanched , frozen beets. They are very high-quality, and I am glad that I tried them because I would even serve them to company.

Escarole and cannellini bean soup with a chicken stock base. A hand full of blueberries and a piece of dark chocolate.

Breakfast for dinner. Potato omelette. I sautéed diced potatoes until they were really brown. Beat two eggs with a little milk, S&P, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Right before the omelette was set, I sprinkled the top with grated Parmesan cheese. Served it with a little slice of store-bought chocolate chip brioche.

After a leisurely riverboat cruise around the venetian islands in August, I will have almost a full day alone in Venice before I return to Fort Lauderdale. I would like suggestions for a reasonably priced restaurant where I could have a good lunch or dinner as a solo female diner. I am staying in a hotel near the airport, but obviously would be open to take the vaporetto wherever I would need to go. Thanks.

This is sort of my “walk of shame” in this thread. Here goes. Freezer cold Tanqueray with diet CHEK brand tonic water (Winn Dixie brand) and a big piece of lime. Ice maker (crescents of) ice in a French jelly jar. View of the ocean. Perfect.

I love finding new things at Trader Joe’s, and today it was frozen cauliflower gnocchi. While the gnocchi were boiling I made a quick skillet sauté of chopped fresh tomatoes, Kalamata olives, garlic, chili flakes. When the gnocchi were almost cooked, I put them in the skillet with the tomatoes. After they had cooked in the sauce a bit, I put it in a bowl and topped it with a lot of grated Parmesan Reggiano. It was really tasty, but I think next time I am going to start the gnocchi in a skillet with a little bit of water, and then add some butter to brown and crisp them a bit. These gnocchi are pretty good if you are looking for something low in fat and calories. They are quite filling. In my opinion, the TJ cauliflower gnocchi are far more successful than the TJ cauliflower pizza crust, for those of you who are into substituting vegetables for less healthy alternatives.

Tilapia baked in parchment, topped with chopped tomatoes, black olives, garlic, onion, olive oil. Roasted tiny potatoes Salted Caramell ice cream

Do you blend the bread in with the rest of the vegetables and seasonings? And do you toast at first, or not?

Exciting times!

Curry chicken salad on top of sliced summer tomatoes.

Casual 4th of July beach picnic: Asian cucumber salad with lots of cilantro Shrimp cooked in Zatarain’s seasoning and then marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, sliced onion, garlic, capers, loads of coriander. Miniature red, yellow, and orange peppers stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese, fresh corn, mild hatch chilies, cilantro. Brownies Sangria

I made a tabouli using cauliflower rice instead of bulgur wheat. It was very good, and I served it with a broiled lamb shoulder steak that I had dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

I am in New Orleans for the week of parental care duty, giving my sister and brother a break. I snuck off for a mid day respite at Bayou Beer Garden on a steamy hot and overcast day. The food menu has changed, and not for the better. ☹️ Since last time I was here, some of the yummy things on the menu, like the mussels, are gone. But it’s still a great place.

Krauthammer I didn’t Agree with his views, but he was civil and smart and a gentleman.

I experimented with a Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust. The entire cost is 480 calories. Serving is 1/6 of a crust, but that would only work if you were making that an appetizer or part of a larger meal. It’s kinda small. Be sure to follow the baking instructions, or it won’t get crisp. I topped it with store-bought marinara, Parmesan, mozzarella, salami, and prosciutto. There is a definite cauliflower taste to this, which I, frankly, like. Edges got really crisp, but I would not say this mimics real pizza. However, as a tasty treat with pizza-like flavors, it was really good. I might play around with another one as an appetizer, cutting up the crust first, and crisping it, and then serving it with room temperature toppings, like maybe goat cheese and tomatoes. If someone you know is gluten-free, I think this is worth a try, though at four dollars per crust, it seems expensive and something I might be able to re-create cheaply if I bothered.

Don't go down there and refer to crawfish as mud bugs. Don't say crawdads, either, unless you are dealing with somebody's grandma up around Breaux Bridge and you're being a goof. Spare yourself the derision! My brother's company used to be somehow tied in with Abita but not anymore… I don't know that much about the history. Turbo dog is not my favorite beer of theirs. But that strawberry. Oh Lordy, it is yummy.

I'll take a six of Abita Strawberry with mine!

As my birthday approached, I received several prompts from Facebook to set up a charity donation event to celebrate. Some of my acquaintances do this. I don't mind when they are helping a legitimate charity, though I don't feel compelled to give. What I mind are the shameless Facebook money grabs, such as for honeymoons and home down payments.

Tuna seared rare, crusted with salt, Sichuan pepper and TJ's everything bagel seasoning. (DaveO, I'm using it on LOTS of things!), and dressed with a bit of ponzu. Served with a simple salad. I like how the bagel seasoning played well with an Asian theme.

Oh God. This is really freaking sad.

Leftover roasted asparagus topped with two fried eggs, and a side of the leftover roasted potatoes from last night.