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.  

leftover turkey soup

oh my GOODNESS did we have thanksgiving leftovers!  bless the wallaces’ hearts, it took five days just to get it all under control.  i am most certainly grateful for such abundance (as things are still making their way into smaller containers and into the freezer! :)

there were two turkeys that had been carved down and i volunteered to keep one of them to try my hand at making soup stock.  i didn’t want to let it go to waste if i could help it, though getting a large turkey carcass to fit in a pot with two inches of water covering it was trying indeed!  

*i’m not a strict vegetarian.  i don’t eat a lot of meat either, and like to know where it came from and how it lived before i put it into my body.  i run into some moral trouble when it comes to things like processing a turkey carcass.  if i’m going to eat it i feel i should darn well be able to deal with it in its less than romantic state (not to mention be able to face its life--and death--before it was presented to me as food).  and this endeavor was definitely less than romantic.  

that said, i brought the pot to a boil and then turned it down to simmer, leaving it for several hours.  if the water level got too low i added a bit more in and stirred it occasionally.  it went into the fridge overnight and the next day i heated it enough to liquify it again, then had to dig through and pull out all of the bones and less than desirable bits.

i gotta say, this kinda tripped out a bit.  i mean, nature doesn’t skimp out.  there were a million and a half parts to that bird and every bone, tendon and muscle served a very specific purpose.  what an absolute work of art, what a perfect being of beauty, and what a thing of awe that we can be nourished by it.  i have never felt so much respect for an animal that was my food before, and i think that has become difficult with such a separation between us and the process.  meat lines the grocery store coolers and we don’t have to think any more about it than that.  

i feel that a close connection to our food is important regardless of what we eat or don’t eat.  i have the most amazing chickens in the world running around my backyard and i am blessed with incredibly beautiful and nutritious eggs every morning.  i get to go out in my bare feet (with my babies clucking behind me every step) and pull cherry tomatoes from an accidental plant that now needs a fourth cage to hold it up, clip okra from a tiny forest, and break chard and collard leaves from their plants with a crisp and unparalleled satisfaction.  it’s an awe inspiring thing, and i love and respect it as such.

so.  back to my miracle soup.  i heated it up a third night, finally ready to “finish” it, and added several cups of water to mellow out the richness.  really, it didn’t feel like it was lacking much of anything.  it smelled divine and was thick and beautiful.  i cooked up some spiral noodles to throw in and minced 3 or 4 cloves of garlic.  there was the last of a sad looking head of fennel in the bottom drawer so i added that for a bit of green.  

that was really all.  there's enough for half a dozen meals and then some.  i’m glad i took the time and energy to make something wonderful out of something that would’ve been easy to deem disgusting and throw away.

leftover turkey soup

approximate price: if you’ve already got a turkey, then free!+a half bag of pasta

*it is never my intention to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't eat, and i'm not advocating for any kind of diet, other than creativity and using what you have.  this adventure happened to involve some emotion, so i have shared that as part of my process.