We’re quite volatile as individuals, but that doesn’t work exponentially when we are together. Relationships are about eating humble pie.”~ Guy Ritchie, English screenwriter and film maker

When someone says pie, what comes to mind? Mathematics, mud, economics, humble, fruit, pot! That is, pot pie, full of vegetables and thick gravy. When was the last time you had some?

Needless to say, if it is going to make the blog scene here, it has to be pretty convenient, which most pot pie isn’t. However, YOU know we have our ways! Thinking outside the little red box on this one…

Before we get too far into it, you should know that if you don’t feel like turning on the oven, you could use the filling in a bread bowl instead of making the crust. Also, using a Dutch oven is convenient when it comes to washing the dishes, but if you don’t have one, you can cook the filling in a pot and then bake it with the crust in a 2 quart casserole dish.

Time 35 minutes
Serves 4

EASY MEXICAN POT PIE

Filling:
1 (12-ounce) package frozen Mexican Blend veggies
1large sweet potato, peeled and cut to ½” dice
½ cup vegetable broth
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (19-ounce) can enchilada sauce
Crust recipe (below)

Preheat oven to 450°

Mix first four ingredients together in a Dutch oven (that’s a pot that can be used on top of the stove or inside the oven), cover and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the meat, if using, and the enchilada sauce.

Meanwhile, prepare biscuit crust, if you are going to use it (as opposed to using bread bowls).

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup milk (soy milk is fine for this)

Measure dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the chives, vegetable oil, and milk. Stir just until mixture is uniformly moist. Spoon over the vegetable mixture in the pot so that you have 8 – 12 small biscuits over the top, not necessarily sealing it like a pastry crust would. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the biscuits have begun to brown, about 15 minutes.

Serve hot with a Mexican beverage of your choice. The biscuit topping is better than traditional pie crust because you can use it to sop up excess sauce. It would probably also be good with a cornbread topping, but I haven’t tried that yet. Let me know if you do.

For some mood music with this dish, I like a little Ottmar Liebert. He isn’t even close to being Mexican, but his music has a Spanish influence that makes it appropriate nevertheless.

Don’t forget to flip the page on your calendar to May tomorrow. If we haven’t partied ourselves into oblivion over the weekend, we’ll see you on Monday.

“I believe that if ever I had to practice cannibalism, I might manage if there were enough tarragon around.” ~ James Beard, American chef and food writer (1903-1985)

What is growing in your spring garden? The first up in mine includes parsley, chives, tarragon, sage, oregano, and thyme. Rosemary and peppermint are waiting in their pots until the frost monster retreats, and this year I’ll be tucking a lavender plant between the roses.

While I’m waiting for the peas and tomatoes and squash to be ready to eat, the herbs are at least there to quell my impatience. They are available to add an especially clean addition to the flavor of many dishes. Like morning sun that wakes up the color in the yard after a few days of rain, herbs make everything on my plate sparkle.

On a more subtle level, using herbs (even dried herbs) can reduce the need for salt, which seems to be the most overused flavoring in processed foods. Manufacturers add salt as a preservative and pretty soon it changes the expectations of the consumer. Read your labels, folks, and do the math. 1 teaspoon of salt = 2,400 mg of sodium. The U.S. Food and Drug administration puts 1 teaspoon of salt per day as the maximum needed, but the average use is well over 3,000 mg per day. Are you aware of how much sodium you consume?

Substituting dried herbs in place of the fresh called for in a recipe is usually okay, but only about 1/3 is needed. Therefore, 1 teaspoon dried herbs = 1 tablespoon fresh. However, tarragon can vary greatly in intensity depending on the origin of the plant so add a bit at a time and taste to check the flavor. For this recipe, if you don’t have tarragon, you can substitute rosemary for equally delightful results.

Tarragon Mashed Potatoes

For each person:
1 cup potato, cubed (peel if you wish)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
Water to cook potato
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
2 tablespoons snipped fresh tarragon
Pinch of dried chipotle pepper, to taste
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Cook potatoes with garlic in water until soft. Drain well to remove as much water as possible. Warm the milk and oil in the pot while the potatoes are draining. Add the potatoes back to the pot with the milk and oil, then mash to a somewhat smooth consistency. Stir in the chives, tarragon, and pepper. Serve hot with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top.

Wednesday already… Friday is likely to be a surprise, but my oven is asking to be used, so perhaps we’ll do a little baking.

“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2000 of something.” ~ Mitch Hedberg, American stand-up comedian (1968 – 2005)

Many tout that eating whole grains is healthier than eating refined grains, but I have always been left feeling like there is more to the story. A little research explains the bigger picture.

The refining of grains – removing the bran (protective layer) and germ (fatty heart) – was initially done to increase shelf life and speed up processing bread. Without refining, grains easily went rancid. Without the bran, bakers could get the bread to rise higher, faster. Refining meant that white bread could be manufactured cheaper than whole grain. Over the years, manufacturers have added back some of the vitamins lost (enriching), but also have added chemicals to further prolong the product’s shelf life and hasten production time. Somehow, I am left feeling cheated.

Likewise, refined rice has had the nutritious bran and germ removed in order to extend shelf life. Its fluffy whiteness is a beautiful thing. Enriching white rice by adding back some of the vitamins lost in the refining process is required by U.S. law, but adding fiber is not. Brown rice is a fiber rich whole grain.

Fiber keeps the plumbing healthy, and we all know that if the plumbing isn’t working, the body isn’t happy. Fiber is only found in plants, so it is that whole grains and fresh vegetables are a necessary part of keeping our bodies in good working order.

Our preference for refined grains has everything to do with texture. They require less chewing (read “less work”), so we can eat faster. We need to keep that in mind as we make eating decisions. If eating is about speed, the choice is clear. However, if eating is about flavor and/or nutrition, read on.

Once we get past expecting the soft texture of white rice, the nutty flavor of the whole grain becomes clear. The longer grains such as brown basmati or brown jasmine rice are tenderer than the short grains, so consider that when selecting rice.

Brown rice cooks up in the same way as white rice. Because we eat a lot of rice in our house, a rice steamer is an essential appliance. The “set it and forget it” feature frees all my attention for the other parts of the meal, and is also very easy to clean. However, the rice cooker never gets the toasty stuck-on portion that many people like to pick off the bottom of the pan, so that is something to consider.

If switching from white to brown rice requires some convincing, it might be best to try it as the base to a stew, chili, or stir-fry instead of as a side dish; that way, the chewiness becomes a part of the overall serving, not just focused on the rice itself. Once accustomed to it, diners are likely to find the plain white varieties are lacking. To make this presentation more appealing, marketers call them “Rice Bowls”. Here is one that is fast and easy, and is excellent for making small portions for single diners:

Suggested vegetables include the cooks choice of: celery, onions, mushrooms, carrots, green beans , snow peas, zucchini, summer squash, red bell peppers, and broccoli.

Ginger-Garlic Rice Bowl

Serves 2

½ cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
3 cups chopped fresh vegetable assortment OR 12 ounce frozen mixture
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
½ cup extra firm tofu or cooked meat/poultry, cubed, AND/OR whole cashews

Garlic-Ginger Sauce:
2 ½ teaspoons arrowroot powder OR cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
½ teaspoon ground dried ginger OR 1 ½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic

While rice is cooking, toss vegetables with oil in a large skillet with a lid. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Vegetables will be tender-crisp. Uncover and stir in tofu or meat/poultry cubes.( NOTE: If using cashews, do not stir them in until after sauce has thickened.) Continue to cook for 5 more minutes, until tofu/meat/poultry is heated through.

Meanwhile, measure the arrowroot or cornstarch into a large measuring cup or medium bowl. Slowly add the soy sauce, whisking constantly to avoid lumping. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

When vegetable mixture has finished cooking, stir in sauce, continuing to mix over medium heat only until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat immediately. Sauce will continue to thicken somewhat. Stir in cashews, if using.

Divide cooked rice into bowls, then top with vegetable and sauce mixture. Serve hot. This just might be the best un-takeout food you’ve ever had.

To get you started, here is a $2 off coupon for Rice Select products that you might enjoy: Go to
Rice Select and click on “coupon”.

Enjoy your glorious grains, and please come back on Wednesday for a little garden-spiration.

“On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.” ~ Thomas Jefferson, American president and author (1743 – 1826)

Years ago, women used to get together for canning the fruits and vegetables from their gardens or the farmer’s market. Indeed, my first experience with canning was in high school when my friend Cindy and I decided to pick and can peaches the weekend my parents went to Mackinac Island. I suppose that two city girls opting to spend the time putting up fruit instead of having a party was a sign of things to come, but at the moment it was just a pioneer thing.

Fast forward 38 years. There is still a certain satisfaction that comes from pantry shelves lined with glass jars full of colorful vegetables, but time and space don’t always allow for it and we now know that freezing food retains more nutrients. If vegetables are cooked, you can lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze them, then pop into a plastic bag or container to use later.

Recently, I discovered the joys of single jar pickles as a way to avoid wasting extra vegetables as well as to produce a tasty treat. This recipe can be made using just one vegetable, but is even better if you have a mixture. I suggest choosing from onions, sweet peppers, cauliflower, carrots, celery, asparagus, and green beans. Add sugar or not, it is entirely up to personal preference. These go great served as a side to a hearty sandwich.

Time: Less than 15 minutes

Giardiniera

1 cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup water
Up to 1 cup sugar, to taste (optional)
Up to 3 cups vegetables, cleaned and cut into serving size pieces
Additional seasonings (cook’s choice):
¼ teaspoon mustard seed
1 clove head
1 bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes or 3 whole dried peppers.

Cook the vegetables by steaming, boiling, or microwaving, until they are tender but not limp – usually just a few minutes. Refresh under cold running water, drain, and place into a clean 1-quart glass jar (or larger). Sprinkle with your preferred seasonings and/or add the whole dried peppers.

Mix the vinegar, water, and sugar together in a small, non-aluminum saucepan. Bring mixture just to a boil while stirring to dissolve sugar (if using). Remove from heat and allow to cool about 5 minutes so the sudden heat doesn’t break the jar. Pour over the vegetables and seasonings and refrigerate in the jar, sealed with a tight fitting lid, for at least 2 days before using, or up to a month.

This week went by fast. On Monday we’ll talk about rice and some lovely ways to use it. If you have a suggestion for a topic or want to issue a challenge to make a recipe healthier, feel free to add a comment. Otherwise, get pickled and have a lovely weekend!

“Is the chemical aftertaste the reason why people eat hot dogs, or is it some kind of bonus?”— Neil Gaiman, rock star of the literary world (1960 – )

Those who know me well are all too familiar with my attitude toward things in my food that aren’t food. Like artificial flavors, highly processed sweeteners, unpronounceable chemicals, and artificial colors. They might be called harmless, but why am I being offered something called food that clearly has more in common with a toilet bowl cleaner than anything I should be eating?

Alas, the answer to that lies in the name of processing and preservation. They are there to the benefit of the market, not in the name of culinary appeal. Foods that undergo heavy processing in order to get them into a bottle that will sit around for months or years often lose much of their personal identity, therefore need compensation. Sad, isn’t it, when we love them so much in their natural state?

Salad dressing is one of the easiest to make condiments that marketers have convinced us is inconvenient. Feeling conflicted? You are hereby challenged to make three batches of homemade dressing, then see if you want to tell me it isn’t worth it.

To get you and those creative juices of yours started, you need to only begin with a the most basic of bases. This vinaigrette is like the blank canvas an artist starts with; crisp and clean, beautiful in its own right, but becomes a masterpiece with the addition of a little color:

For freshest flavor, make your dressings in small batches that will be used within a couple of days.

Basic Dressing

2 tablespoons of your favorite vinegar OR fresh lemon juice
¼ cup salad oil – olive, walnut, or canola
¼ teaspoon salt OR 2 teaspoons tarmari/soy sauce

Measure them directly into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it up.

THEN

Add a few tablespoons of minced, locally grown organic herbs (especially those from your own garden), and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Combine flavors you know go well together – mint and chives, or oregano and basil, for instance – and you are sure to like the result.

OR

Equal amounts of mustard and agave nectar or honey.

OR

Put everything into the blender with ½ an avocado, pit and peel removed. Puree until perfectly smooth.

Whatever you like in a bottled dressing can go in there, just taste as you go along to make sure you don’t add too much: ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic or onion, some tomato paste, dried mustard, ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, paprika, poppy or sesame seeds, and so forth. You are the artist, so enjoy yourself!

While you are mixing, remind yourself that by avoiding a prepared dressing, you are saving the earth from unnecessary chemicals and evil over-packaging, optimizing nutritional values by using ingredients at the peak of freshness, and using your money efficiently. See what a great person you are?

Enjoy your salad and visit us again on Friday when we’ll be preparing for a cool, rainy weekend.