November is upon us

The autumn leaves are turning colors, each fall rain shower is causing trees to drop leaves to the ground. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is upon us. I love to go for walks in this mild weather, so glad summer is over!  Today is the date to turn back the clocks (Spring Forward, Fall back) due to the changes in Daylight savings time everyone's internal clocks will be a little bit skewed this week.

I meant to post this peanut butter cookie recipe earlier. Just looked through my posts. Never have posted the super simple recipe. I took some of these cookies to a meeting today. Had people ask me about the recipe, thought I had loaded up on this blog but - I did not! So here it is!

Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup of smooth peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 heaping or 3 scant Tbsp All Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients. Mix together and roll into 1 inch balls. Flatten tops (use a fork). Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for ~ 8 mins (turn once). Cool 1 minute before removing to a plate to cool further.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Glorious SOYRIZO

Have been using Soyrizo in my recipes lately, also been playing around with NONFAT Flour Tortillas recipes.  Try soyrizo or chorizo in one of your recipes - you will be amazed!

To make CHORIZO add the following to one (1) pound of ground pork (or TVP - textured vegetable protein which has been hydrated): 2 mashed cloves of garlic, 2 t. smoked paprika, 2 t. chile powder, 1 t. salt and 1 t. pepper, minced onion (about 1/4 of an onion), 1/2 t. Cayenne powder,  6 - 8 T water or brandy or stock or a combination of liquids. Mix well, refirgerate to allow the flavors to meld, overnight is best.  Cook the CHORIZO in a pan (turn ofter so as not to burn), discard the grease remaining in the pan. You may refrigerate the CHORIZO or add to other foods and recipes to make them taste even more delicious.

As some you may know Soyrizo is a type of sausage which needs to be cooked first. It is commonly used in Mexican cooking (you must ALWAYS first cook chorizo or soyrizo),  the Spanish version it is more of a hard sausage (you can find this on http://www.latienda.com. Generally you will find Chorizo as a breakfast item (mixed with eggs and served with tortillas, salsa and re-fried beans--  it is delish! But give the other ways of eating Chorizo or Soyrizo a try. Mix with Potatoes for great hashbrowns or pan fried potatoes. Make a torta out of it - also called a "Bollio", hollow out the white bread (or Wheat bread) and fill it with Chorizo and Huevo. Mix it with vegetables and serve with meats. Add it to your favorite Taco meat and enjoy the spiciness of the Chorizo added to liven up your tacos. Fill your empanadas with Chorizo, great handheld pies which can eaten on the go. Really your own creativity is your only holdup - so experiment with Chorizo!

I added 1 link of soyrizo to my favorite pinto bean recipe, it came out delicious. Also tried soyrizo with the Green Chile Chicken Recipe - also knocked this recipe out into the realm of well spiced and full bodied Green Chile.

For now I will add the recipe for nonfat flour tortillas.

3 Cups Flour
1 Cup Warm water
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt

Put all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well. Add water, mix with your hands. Shape into 12 balls and roll each one out. Cover with a dish cloth to keep them from drying out. Roll out thinly. Use a comal (or griddle) and brown tortillas on both sides. Store in a plastic bag until ready to use. Can be frozen.

To make more pliable tortillas - these are not fat free add 4 T light margarine.

Beautiful Pepper Place Market Produce - Making Ristra's

I decided to buy some Cayenne peppers while at the Pepper Place market and am stringing some up for use later. Made a batch of salsa with the fresh Roasted Cayenne Peppers, made Chili and Picadillo with the Cayenne Peppers. They were a fresh treat. You can dry them for use later (grind them up about a month iafter they dry in a dry place or just use them as decor).

To make a Ristra first hold 3 peppers together by the stems and wrap a length of cotton twine or hemp around the stems to bind them together. Tie the loose end of the string (bring it under and make a loop under and over the top to secure and tie off ) around 1 pepper and back up to the stems. Make a half hitch to secure the cluster of Caynenne Peppers. Repeat again with 3 peppers, keep clusters about 3 to 4 inches apart. Keep stringing the peppers in 3's and cut off the end, make a loop and start another strand if you have enough peppers.

Now take a length of florist wire, loop one end to keep the hot peppers from falling off and braid the string of peppers around it. Hang the ristra from any horizontal support.

Here are few pics of produce I picked up while there.

Delicious twist on Banana Cream Pie

A twist on the regular old Banana Cream Pie!

1 Prepared Pie Crust (Shortbread or Graham Cracker)

1 can Nestle Lechera Dulce de Leche

2 to 3 bananas

Open the can of Dulce de Leche and spread in the bottom of the Pie Crust smoothing it down evenly. Peel the bananas and slice them spreading them evenly over the Dulce de leche.

Topping:
3 to 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 c. Butter, softened

2 T Powdered Sugar (opt)
1 heaping teaspoon Cinnamon
2 - 3 cups Cool Whip (depending on how billowing you like your topping)

Beat the Cream Cheese (mixer or by hand), add softened butter and add cool whip, mix well. Add Cinnamon and Powdered Sugar to taste, mix lightly and pile on top of the pie and store in the refrigerator (at last for a couple of hours) until ready to serve.

Serve with additional cool whip. Makes 12 servings.

Do not substitute Reddi Whip for the Cool Whip!

Summer is here and Peaches are in season -- time to go to your local Farmer's Market!

Here in Alabama, there are quite a few farmers markets. I am shocked to learn that with the rainy weather the south has that the fruits, vegetables and flowers are plentiful and gigantic. I thought Texas had big produce -- not as big the produce I have seen in Alabama! Pepper place market in Birmingham, AL is located next to an abandoned Dr Pepper plant, it boasts over an entire block of farmers, fresh organic meat, fresh organic breads, vegetable, fruits, and plants. Restaurants and shops surround the Farmer's Market.

The tomatoes are red, juicy and sweet. Peaches are bigger than a coffee cup and the vegetable varieties are aplenty too. So, some good comfort food recipes are in order for the next few posts!

Sliced Tomato Salad

Slice a large tomato thinly or thickly, add a bit of fresh minced garlic over all, fresh chopped green onions, squeeze fresh lime juice over the tomatoes, season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serves 2.

Joy of making Sausage!

I have been playing around making various types of Sausage. Here is a good basic recipe for making sausage with the flavors of Spain. You can use TURKEY, PORK OR A COMBINATION.

1/4 medium Spanish onion, minced
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 teas. rubbed sage
1/4 teas savory
1/2 teas marjoram
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 teas  cracked black pepper
1 teas salt
2 T Olive oil
2 T dark sherry (Optional, use a good dark sherry, not an inexpensive cooking sherry)
1 lb Pork ground meat (or Turkey or a combination of both)

In a saute pan add oil, add garlic and cook 1 minute, remove garlic, add onion and saute until translucent. Discard the hot oil. Remove the cooked onion with a slotted spoon.  Add cooled onion to a large mixing bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix with your hands in a bowl. Shape into 2 - 3 inch patties, making an indentation in the middle of each pattie, makes 10 - 12 patties.

To cook, heat a saute pan and add four patties, cook until just brown and crust forms on one side and turn over to cook on other side. Serve with Huevos Rancheros or a Fresh Baked Frittata.

Options:  Add smoked paprika to taste (about 1/2 Tablespoon)

Bread Pudding or Capirotada (Southern Style)

Here is the Southern version.

8 -16 sliced of lightly toasted bread
3 cups milk (may substitute cream)
4 eggs
3/4 - 1 cup raisins or other fruit
3/4 cup sugar
1 t vanilla paste
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg (opt)
1/2 t allspice (opt)
1/3 cup wine, bourbon, sherry or other liquid
3 T butter
pinch of salt

In a pan, break up bread, you don't have to cut into perfect pieces, just tearing them is fine. Add fruit to the bread and scatter on top.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the bread. Let it stand for 20 minutes, push bread down and let it stand for 20 minutes more. Press bread down so it absorbs the liquid. Heat the oven to 350degrees, drop the butter in pieces of the top of the bread pudding,  pop the pan into the oven and bake for 50 minutes OR up to 1 hour (top will be golden brown).

Best served warm with a whiskey sauce or a lemon sauce but equally good with whipped cream or heavy cream poured on top.

To make a Whiskey Sauce or a Brandy Sauce - add 1 stick of butter to a medium pan, add 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup bourbon, a pinch of salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves and set aside. Meanwhile add 1 large egg to the a large bowl, beat the egg to a froth and temper the eggs by adding a tablespoon of the whiskey mixture to the eggs and beating until mixed, then pour egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens (about a minute).  Cool and pour over warm bread pudding, can sit out for up to an hour. Refrigerate sauce up to 4 days, then discard.

To make a  Caramel with Sambucca Sauce - add 1 stick of butter to a medium pan, add 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup Sambucca, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste and stir until the sugar dissolves and set aside. Cool and pour over warm bread pudding, can sit out for up to an hour. Refrigerate sauce up to 4 days, then discard.

To make Chocolate Bread Pudding, add 14 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped to cream (prefer to milk with chocolate) and sugar and heat until the chocolate is melted, let it cool and proceed as above (omit cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg). Temper eggs and add to chocolate milk mixture, be sure not to let the eggs curdle. Pour mixture over bread and proceed as above soaking the bread and bake for 45 minutes @ 325 degrees. Serve with shaved chocolate, whipped cream and a warm whiskey sauce for an out of this world bread pudding.

To make Capirotada add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of cloves, replace the bourbon (spirits) with wine and replace milk/cream with water and proceed as above.

To make a Lemon Bread Pudding substitute lemon cello for the liquor or wine, omit cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and add 1 teaspoon of fresh grated lemon rind and proceed as above.

Options: Add nutmeats, add dried blueberries,  dried cranberries or other fruit of your choice.