January/February 2014

Soooooooooo.......THE NEW YEAR!  I know it's an arbitrary marker of time, but I think it can be a powerful one.  I'm not too big on resolutions, because when you have a whole year to get something done it's very easy to, well, not do it, but I do like the idea of shifting directions, changing lifestyles, even just a bit, for the better.  And let's face it, the kitchen is a delicious place to tackle this!

I think we've finally hit spring here in Texas....I know it's much earlier than most parts of the country, but let me tell you: the cold puts me in a terribly bad mood!  How I survived--and was happy!--in the Northwest for so long is kind of incredible....

This is little Charlotte, who's been sick these last couple weeks.  I've learned that getting medicine into a chicken's mouth is possibly the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.  Even with two people the shortest time it took us was just shy of half an hour.  The longest, which included a seriously epic breakdown on Mama's part, was an hour and a half.  Ohhhh m'gosh.  Saving grace became her sudden desire to crawl onto my lap as soon as it was over.  It's pretty much the sweetest thing ever.

RECIPES!

There have been a couple new endeavors here at Castle Wallace, one of which being that we've discovered that roasting things is a really, really good idea (and that balsamic vinegar is INCREDIBLE!  How did I not know this??).  

Aside from burning the bejesus out of our glass baking pan one evening, roasting has been a huge success, and soooooooooo easy.  Really, any-thing goes.  This is yams, onions cauliflower and broccoli, with some olive oil, vinegar and fresh herbs.  

It's a great way to make a dish when you only have limited veggies to work with.  Even if it's just broccoli, it turns it into something special.  

A sprinkling of cracked salt is always good, as is parmesan.

Fermented Foods!

The other thing we've gotten into lately (as in, just this week ;) is making our own fermented foods.  So far so good: our first batch of sauerkraut is totally edible, as in straight out of the jar!  We followed somewhat of a recipe from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Elix Katz:

http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/

but it's mostly a guideline, and encouragement that it's really very, very easy.  Cabbage, salt, a little TLC and time.  Fermented foods are supposed to be amazingly good for you, and it gives me something to do with all the green cabbage that keeps showing up in our farmshare boxes! :)

 

Approximate price: $3

We also started our first batch of pickles yesterday, so we're not quite sure how those have turned out yet, but again, super easy!  Stuff in a jar with a brine concoction made from distilled vinegar, white wine vinegar, and spices (recipes all over the internet) and 24 hours of patience.  That's my kind of home made!  There's an initial investment for spices and vinegar, but after that it's mostly just the cukes.

Approximate price: $5


Stuffed Pumpkin!

Apparently pumpkins last forever, or close to it.  I did want to use them before they suddenly were rotten all over the counter, which is probably what would happen.  I figured that they're just a squash (right?) so I could treat them as such.  On their own the flavor isn't all that pleasing, but filled with good stuff they do all right--and serve dual purpose as an edible bowl.

I cut one in half, rubbing the flesh with olive oil and putting the halves face down on a baking pan.  I usually heat the oven to 400 for baking squash, and left them in until tender.  After 30-45 minutes, I flipped them and cracked some salt on top, putting them back in for another few minutes.  This one is filled with red quinoa and sauteed veggies, and sprinkled with parmesan.  Looks pretty, doesn't it? :)

Fresh greens are always a good side.  Kale, chard, salad.....whatever you got!

Approximate price: $5


Current Favorite Ingredient: Balsamic Vinegar!

Maybe I just hadn't had the right kind yet, or had some kind of misunderstanding, but balsamic that is a little sweet, a little thick.....oh my gosh, the best thing.  I've started trading out some of the soy sauce for it in Mama's Miracle Dressing, using it for dipping fresh veggies, and it's great for roasting.  Yes, please.

Creative Household-y Stuff

 

I love my new bag system!  I 

found this antique at a garage sale, 

and I'm not sure what the original 

use would have been, but I loved the 

fabric, and figured I could certainly

find a use for it.  The bags are all 

separated out: 

plastic grocery bags

coffee bags

small ziplocks

small non-ziplocks

large ziplocks

large non-ziplocks

Holy cow :)




I wish thee all a fair coming of spring, and happy eating!! 

November/December 2013

Wowwweeeeeee, somehow I convince myself every year that the holidays don't necessarily HAVE to be crazy--if I plan a little better and don't try to do too much--but each and every year they are (probably because I don't plan better, and try to do too much! ;)  That's ok, because every year is wonderful, in its own chaotic and quirky way.  I hope you all had a great month and are looking ahead to an amazing new year......I'm so, so excited for this one (and getting better at that "planning" I mentioned earlier!)

I'm glad to announce that this sweet little rascal has been cone--and disaster--free for 3 weeks now!  Bless that little face :)






RECIPES:

Simple Soup~

We were spoiled with amazing meals and leftovers for several of the last 5 weeks, but cooking always finds its way in.  We made simple soup from two turkey carcasses, and now have leftover ducks to tend to as well.  We couldn't let any of it go to waste.  All you need is a big enough pot and some patience, both for time and for the bones.  There are many.  There are also plenty of recipes offering vegetables and seasonings to add to your broth.  Last year I added nothing but noodles and garlic.  This year my sweetie took the reigns with a little more ambition, adding potatoes, other veggies and seasoning.  Either way, a huge pot of soup stored in meal size containers, either in the fridge or freezer, is a gift that keeps on giving!

Eggy Toast~

Where has savory french toast been all my life??  It probably wouldn’t be as good with all kinds of bread, but super hearty seedy wheat breads are amazing.  It’s the perfect I-don’t-quite-have-a-meal-yet finishing touch, and often ends up being the favorite thing on the plate.  

I use straight eggs, mixed in a bowl with a flat enough bottom to let them soak into the bread a little.  I like using butter in the pan because, well, butter is delicious, but so is coconut oil or olive oil.  We like it Drizzled with Mama’s Miracle Dressing, garnished with fresh basil (which Texas provides until it freezes!) or green onions.  Melted cheese is always a good idea as well.

Approximate price: $2

Grilled Kohlrabi~

There are very few vegetables that I just don’t know what to do with.  Usually there’s an intuitive sense about it and I don’t look many ingredients up, but this one finally became a must.  I’ve seen it, I know it; it even made it into a song I wrote about my dear chef friend Mary who tended to keep more things in her refrigerator than she could use in their prime, but I’ll be a monkey’s uncle before I figured out how to make it tasty on my own.

Turns out when you bake it in slices in the oven with some oil it’s pretty darn amazing.  It took a while to get tender, maybe 30 minutes, while collecting a flavorful layer on the outside.  I sprinkled them with salt and parmesan and put them back in for a few more minutes.  Really good. 

Approximate price: $3

CURRENT FAVORITE INGREDIENT: PARMESAN CHEESE

Speaking of parmesan......I had completely forgotten about it, and am regretting every day of my life that I did.  I think because it’s most often around when pizza is involved, and pizza has enough cheese on it already that it never seems necessary.  But how about other things that are NOT already caked with cheesy goodness?  Like baked kohlrabi, or pasta, or quinoa, or squash?  The answer to the question, “Should I put some parmesan on that?” has never once in our house been “No.”  I’m all about the little things that pack a big punch.

I know a lot of people would like to cook more meals at home, but don't feel that they have the time, energy, or knowledge to make it an easy and enjoyable experience.  I've put together a list of 12 ingredients that make up the majority of at least 90% of meals I make!  And none of them are more than a few dollars.  Awesome? Awesome :)

12 Things to Always Assure You Have a Meal~

black beans: I keep organic cans on hand, though cooking your own is great too

rice/quinoa: one of the main 4 bases I use, great for stir fries or side dishes

pasta: another main base to mix with veggies and/or sauces

some sort of pasta sauce: red sauce and alfredo are the basics, both also good for pizza

soup broth/canned soup: soup + eggy toast or plain warm bread + salad = yummy meal! 

canned tomatoes: great for adding to anything! Pizzas, pastas, grain or egg dishes

fresh veggies of some sort: Every meal needs some veggies. Build around what you have.

potatoes/yams: another good base, to be mashed, fried, baked, or hashbrowned

pizza crusts: I have yet to make my own, but a few bucks gets you homemade pizza!

cheese: Most things are better cheesy, primarily pizza.

good bread: I mostly put this on the list for eggy toast, and as soup's partner in crime

eggs: Frittatas, toast, mixed with rice/quinoa, and a staple for a simple breakfast 

That's it!  The most expensive things on there are probably cheese and eggs, and quinoa runs about $4 per lb for organic, but when a cup of it can be the base for a meal for two that's a pretty good deal! :)  I encourage you this year to redefine what makes a nourishing and fulfilling meal.....I bet you'll find that it's often less than you think.  Amazing things can come from simple endeavors, and fresh veggies always ensure distinct flavors.  I remain swooning over the dinner my sweetie just made for me, consisting of garlic roasted squash and broccoli, and a salad.  Trust me, I'm full.  

October: Black Bean and Tomato Basil Salad, Shredded Eggplant and Garlic Pizza, Avocados, and a (Whole!) Wall Calendar!

Happy Fall everyone!

The days are finally cooling down here in Texas and I'm tickled pink by the fact that I have a sweater and slippers on.  I don't necessarily need both of those things....but I'm kind of a wimp and I'm enjoying them!  The chickens are very happy with the sub-70 temperatures, with not having to huddle around the ice bath all day and all, though little Nana unfortunately is stuck with the Cone of Shame until the sore on her head gets better, and since one of the lead suspects here are mosquitoes she has to stay inside for at least two more weeks.  She's most definitely missing the back deck!

My beautiful babies! :)

So I've decided to do a little something different here, since different creative avenues and priorities are shuffling around and I'm noticing that not much of my energy is being directed here, despite the fact that I've always got new ideas rolling around and newly discovered delights to share.  I'm going to try doing a monthly post, around the third week of the month, highlighting whatever the recent recipes and endeavors have been.  Since Shit in a Pot is more a way of life than just a way of cooking I often have non-food related things that I find myself wanting to share, so I've been taking some time to get clear and organized on how best to do that.  Sometimes it's a cool house project I've been working on, or a creative upcycle, or just something awesome I found for dirt cheap at a thrift store or garage sale.  

All that, in short, is to say that I've missed you and think of you often.

Let's catch up! :)



RECIPES:

KALE AND ORZO SALAD!

I'm glad this one came together by the end.....my confidence was a little shaken by the realization that I had mixed green and orange--my personally infamous color combination! 

Main ingredients:

*grated sauteed sweet potato

*shredded carrots (raw)

*fresh kale (I left it raw because I was lazy--you could certainly cook it for a few minutes first!)

Seasoning:

*Garlic (always!)

*Flaxseed

*Honey mustard dressing

*Dijon mustard

*Bragg's

*Mama's Miracle Dressing

Super easy, and much like writing a novel, I had no idea what was happening 'til I got to the end ;)  When it comes to pasta just keep adding sauce of some kind until it tastes good.  (And be sure to make it taste good, 'cause a pound of pasta + stuff will feed you (and a loved one ;) several times over!

Approximate price: $5

SHREDDED EGGPLANT AND GARLIC PIZZA!

Ok, so I've made a lot of pizza in my day and we both agree this was possibly my best ever.... 

Main ingredients:

*Shredded (with a cheese grater) eggplant (from our local Farmhouse delivery!)

*Yellow onion

*Shredded tofu

*Tomato paste

*Cheese

Seasoning:

*Garlic

*Flaxseed (sprinkled on top, for a tasty rustic look)

*Cracked salt

Generally for pizzas I saute everything before putting it on the crust.  The ones we get only cook for 10 minutes, which is not much time to soften anything up. 

We had this on a Friday night while watching episodes of Blue Planet.....we're old and happy ;)

Approximate price: $7

BLACK BEAN AND TOMATO BASIL SALAD!

This has become one of my staples over the last few months (since fresh basil has been readily available in a small rogue forest in my chard garden!)  I sometimes have to go super creative or super simple for lunch because I’m never really in the mood to put much effort in during the day; this was a bit of both!

This salad is exactly what it sounds like.  A can of black beans, as many diced tomatoes as you desire, and as much fresh basil as you desire.  I use Mama’s Miracle Dressing mixed in to the batch, but you can also just use olive oil and some cracked salt for seasoning.  

It’s filling!  I promise!  And surprisingly delicious :)

Approximate price: $5

EGG AND AVOCADO SANDWICH!

Fresh avocados from our farm share delivery provide an amazing October treat!  They used to be one of the few things my sweetie wasn’t keen on eating, but he’s finally coming around.  I actually apologized to him last week for eating the last one while he was at work....never thought I’d see the day! :)

Eggs from the backyard are always a good breakfast option.  That morning I went for a medium fried egg between Whole Foods’ Seeduction bread with lettuce and a chunky layer of avocado.  Yummmmmmmmm! :)

Approximate price: $3

AVOCADO TOAST!

So apparently good toasted bread with a fresh avocado smashed on it sprinkled with cracked salt is really, really edible :)   

I had this for lunch with a salad and was really, really happy about it.

Approximate price: $2

HOUSE PROJECTS!

I am ALL about getting organized lately (and am accepting that I will be spending the rest of my life getting there)!  This is ok, because it's all about the small victories and improvements.  I'm pretty forgetful and I'm pretty visual, so I found myself really needing a calendar that I could see all of, all the time (though a small planner will be a good thing to procure as well ;)  

The part that looks like a real calendar is a wet erase template for the current month, and the rest is made from gridded scratch paper paperclipped to overhead transparencies.  (I recently discovered this as a way to make a daily chore list that I could check off each day, then erase to start over.)

Below the current month continues the rest of the the year and begins the next one, jumping up top come April.  When the month changes I'll just replace the new month's grid with last month's.

Ok, now I have NO MORE EXCUSES for forgetting things!  (Trust me, I will find some :P )  

FUN IDEA!

Read about what you're eating while you're eating it! (Or beforehand, if you need to be polite company! ;)

When Will was gone for an undetermined amount of time this summer I had a great time being creative and doing projects around the house (only one of them was vetoed upon his arrival home--that's not bad!).  

One of the things I started doing was reading about how awesome the food was that I was eating, either in The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters or magazines that had some sort of Super Food articles in them (I was inevitably eating something off the list--or at least had it in my fridge!)  What a boost, of morale and of vigor and overall feeling of health and well being!  And it just made me want to eat more good food :)

Here's to another month of happy eating!!! 

Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Soup

                             Before....                                                              After! :)

Ok, wisdom teeth out = a little brutal.  The teeth themselves were fine (black as they were).  I virtually had no pain during or after, just the intense discomfort of knowing that there were sizable bloody holes in my mouth, but I was so paranoid about keeping them clean and free of food that I wouldn’t chew anything for over a week.  Even with yogurt and ice cream I kept it contained inside my teeth for fear the it would do damage to the tender areas.

My sweetie’s mom saved my butt more than once (and my stomach) by sending me home with potato soup, and fixing super soft meals that I could eat in less than graceful smooshing fashion.  Left on my own though I was pretty much eating yogurt with maple syrup, and miso soup, and going seriously hungry.

I was reading an article about how the recommended daily amount of sugar is not to exceed 20 grams, and realizing three things: 1) that’s impossibly low, 2) the actual average stated (100-something) was also impossibly low (2 cans of soda--or anything else and you’re there) and 3) I had blown that number out of the sugar soaked water that day (maple syrup has 53 grams per 3 tablespoons or something insane like that).

Short story: I was craving vegetables, for God’s sake something healthy.  I figured the blender was a good place to start.

I steamed some cauliflower (cut into bite sized florets) for a bit longer than I normally would until they were soft under a fork and put them into the blender along with an avocado, a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt, apparently enough garlic to kill a horse (I did not realize this at the time), a few spoonfuls of Mama’s Miracle Dressing, some fresh basil and a small amount of water (just enough to make it blend).

This turned out so absolutely, splendidly delicious.  I mean, we’re talking fancy restaurant soup that you pay $8 a bowl for (ok, so those are the fancy restaurants I go to....$10 a bowl?...twelve??....)  I ate it both warm and cold and both were wonderful.  I bet a garnish would be nice too, which I can eat next time I make it :)

Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Soup

Approximate price: $5

Sauteed Coconut Cauliflower with Black Bean Salad

I’ve been absolutely submerged in a stack of Country Living magazines that my sweetie’s mum and gram have passed on to me.  Ok, it’s not JUST Country Living.....there’s also some Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping, but I love them.  I have about 100 pages dog eared of crafty endeavors I’d like to implement while my honey is away.....let me tell you, this do-it-yourselfer can do a lot of damage in seven weeks! ;)

Anyway, one of the things I read was something on a group of super veggies that are supposed to be totally amazing and healthy for you (which is my other favorite thing to read about) and cauliflower was among them, so the next time I was at the store I picked some up.  I’ve been allowing my meals to be tremendously simple, just cooking for myself, but they’ve still managed to be tasty and nourishing so far!

I made the cauliflower my main dish, really just wanting to enjoy the unique flavor that I don’t get to taste very often (and when one usually eats cauliflower it’s raw on a plastic tray with some sort of uber creamy dip).  My big splurge for the day was organic unrefined coconut oil ($11 for a 16 oz jar) and cooking the cauliflower in it seemed like the best idea ever, so I did.  First things first though, I steamed the bite sized florets in a colander over boiling water for about 5 minutes before putting them in a pan with a few spoonfuls of oil.

Then I went outside to continue waging war on fire ant hills (in bare feet because this week’s swarm attack rendered me unable to wear shoes for a few days), and ended up leaving the pan unattended for longer than I meant to.  I swear I’m not irresponsible.....it was on low.....I mean, the worst thing that could happen was burning my dinner.  And it turns out that a little burning was exactly what my dinner needed.  Lightly blackened, if you will (and only on one side of course :)

I added a splash of Bragg’s (which I’ve gone back to--just for cooking--after realizing that we go through a bottle of soy sauce in, um, NO time at all), and a spoonful of nutritional yeast once the pan was turned off.  It got topped off with fresh green onions from the porch and served with a black bean salad (which is my fancy way of saying salad with black beans on it).

Aaaaaaaaand this is probably what I will make every night until the rations are gone.  

Sauteed Coconut Cauliflower with Black Bean Salad

Approximate Price: $5

Egg Drop Soup

For Christmas last year I made an Egg cookbook for Will (which I was very, very proud of, despite the fact that the messy, wrinkly properties of Elmer’s glue left it looking like a kindergarten art project).  Our four (very much grown up :) babies produce, on average, an egg per day each, and I figured we would need to start getting creative in that department or we’d either be sick of fried eggs or buried under a mound of fresh ones.  

I looked in the cookbook the other night, just for ideas (as we all know the anticipated stress of following a recipe is enough to break me out in hives) and found Egg Drop Soup, which couldn’t possibly be that hard......

I used the ingredients we had (or something close enough....) and simply left out the others.  For most kinds of cooking, this is really ok.  Baking, as far as I’m concerned, is a science that looms well over my head, but most of the rest of cooking adventures are just a mixture of one kind or another.

The recipe called for 4 cups of chicken stock, I used ___?___ cups of veggie broth.  It called for cornstarch; we had none.  It called for mushrooms, instead I threw in a healthy dose of minced garlic.  The only important part of the process was stirring in the lightly beaten eggs while the liquid boiled.  And man is that ever cool.

I added a few spoonfuls of organic soy sauce, a splash of Sriracha (just for kicks--pun very much intended) and a handful of chopped green onions from the backporch.

Can’t go wong with this one!

Approximate Price: $5 

Whole Wheat Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

What a lovely, lovely family dinner we had!  My mama was in town, and my sweetie’s family all came over to share a meal and an evening.  I’m always a little bit anxious cooking for them because his mom is a master chef and cooks up a storm of masterpieces every time we go over (and assuredly many times in between!) and I, well, just never know exactly what I’m doing, and do not have a single real recipe under my belt.  So.....let’s do this.

I wanted to make a pasta dish, ‘cause it’s generally an easy, safe way to feed a lot of people, but wanted something a little different from the standard marinara variety.  I went for a veggie base, choosing broccoli as the main guest of honor, and the kind of whole wheat pasta shaped like bite sized tubes.  I thought whole wheat would be more hearty and fitting with the broccoli. 

I cooked the pasta fairly early, using a colander atop the pot to steam the bite sized broccoli pieces, and then put it into a large frying pan with some butter, on medium low heat.  The idea is to get the flavoring to somewhat crust onto the noodles a bit, though I’m still working on honing that craft....before the meal was served I rescued a small share of crispy-enough-to-embarrass-me pasta shards.  Having enough butter/oil in the pan is important, and a few good splashes of organic tamari (soy sauce) will help get some chewy flavor accents going.

I minced two cloves of garlic to toss it, as well as a good crackling of salt and sprinkling of nutritional yeast near the “end” (the end could have really been any time, but I was keeping it warm until serving time).  If it still seemed too dry I’d add another dose of olive oil.  No better way to live up to the reputation of whole wheat pasta than to make it too dry!  :)  

I put the broccoli in a pan on it’s own for a few minutes just to be sure it got coated in it’s own bit of oil flavoring before going into the soon-to-be overflowing pan.  The last touch was a handful of fresh chopped green onions, served with a spoonful of parmesan.

The rest of dinner included backyard deviled eggs (which I let my mama take care of ;), cheesy bread made on a pizza crust with Irish cheddar cheese, flaxseed and green onion, and a green salad with candied pecans and Mama’s Miracle Dressing (which she now informs she makes with Bragg’s since I turned her on to that some time ago....I’m urging her to go back!  ;)

It was so good and everyone ate very well with even a few leftovers (of the non-deviled egg, or cheesy bread, or salad variety that is :)

Whole Wheat Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan 

Approximate price: $5