Concoctions I have prepared to satisfy your taste buds and fill your belly.
Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted butternut squash pureed with caramelized onions, sauteed garlic, and toasted cashews; topped with feta and crispy onions and served with crusty Italian toast.
This was a test run for the next night, when I served it properly with toasted pepitos and creme fraîche; a slow roasted black pepper-coated pork loin that had marinated overnight in a soy-mustard-maple-garlic mixture; and a huge pile of poutine using walnut oil shoestring fries, cheese curds, and gravy from the pork drippings.
Sadly, I did not take photos of that meal.
Hearty Breakfast Sandwich
Country-fried hamburger patty, extra-sharp cheddar, and a fluffy egg on a homemade buttermilk biscuit and flavored with Dijon mustard and hand-made chimichurri.
It’s a Wrap
Romain lettuce chicken wraps with crispy fried ramen bits and toasted cashews to add more crunch.
Pesto Ham Swiss Melt
Open-face melt with shredded ham, Swiss cheese, and tomato on wheat toast with pesto spread. I should have used shredded Swiss, but I could not find any at the store where I was shopping.
Tangy Potato Pancakes
After making potato skins (which never were photographed) I had the centers of all the potatoes leftover, so I made potato pancakes with chimichurri the next morning.
Za Two Ways
I have a LOT of pizza experience, so every once in awhile I will make dough and make pizza. Here’s a pepperoni pizza with sauce from tomatoes I grew in the garden; and a barbecue pork pizza with bottled sauce, chopped leftover slow-roasted pork, Monterey jack, and cheddar cheese.
Experimenting with Pasta
I was given a pasta roller as a gift, so of course I had to test it.
My daughter and one of her friends and I made some basic fettucine and ate it with some cream sauce and parmesan. Nothing fancy, but it was fun and educational.
Of note, cleaning that machine is a pain. It is not stainless steel, so cannot get wet, and the little bits of dried pasta are difficult to get out, even using the provided brush. Bonus, as I found out later, they will totally wreck your next attempt if you miss any of them when cleaning.
Hand-rolled Tamales
Mise en place for tamales and dark chocolate mole sauce. I made these for a Yule feast.
A third of the tamales were filled with taco beef (not from a packet); a third with grilled chicken and tart tomatillo salsa from my own garden; and the vegetarian tamales were made with fresh-picked rosemary butter in the dough, then filled with roasted butternut squash, toasted pepitos and walnuts, butter-fried sage sprigs from my own garden, and ricotta cheese. They were actually my favorite of the three types.
Getting ready to roast the veggies for the mole; and the stack of tamales ready for steaming.
