2020 COOKATHON #5

Every once in a while I get a craving for an “off-limits” junk food dish: the pork and turkey baked bean pie, accompanied by crisp relishes such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, or radish roses fits the bill this month 😉 If you used store bought beans, it’s super easy to make: if, like me, you make your own baked beans – it’s a 2 day happening in the kitchen; I got the recipe for the Baked Bean Pie from my ‘Better Homes & Gardens Jiffy Cooking’ cookbook – and I made my own homemade baked beans to use in the recipe; I used my ‘Jewish Cooking in America’ cookbook for the baked bean recipe: SO GOOD! I froze the remaining baked beans for future meals.

For the Chicken Bouillabaisse … a fancy name for chicken stew … I dug out my ‘Mediterranean Light’ cookbook. This savory meal has many of the similar flavorings of a fish bouillabaisse – lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, a hint of orange peel, saffron, and cayenne. The beans add an interesting texture and flavor to the dish. This bouillabaisse is very easy to make; and can be made ahead of time and reheated. You can omit the potatoes, and serve the dish with rice, if you choose.

And the Baked Fish Fillets Spencer recipe comes from my ‘Joy of Cooking’ cookbook. The method used to cook the fish produces a tender crust outside and a tender and moist interior. I rounded out my meal with *Spaghetti Squash w-Parmesan. YUMMY :-D

Every Election year I make a delicious bean soup, appropriately named Soup of the Inner Sanctum. I am making it this year. It will go a lot easier than the torturous omaba-pelosi-clinton-biden-harris charade painfully playing out. I always add a few eggs to my soups, to hard-boil for hiking snacks 😉

==BAKED BEAN PIE ~Serves 3 or 4

8 Turkey Dogs * ½ Tablespoon Dijon Mustard * 1 1-pound/5 oz. can Pork & Beans in tomato sauce or 20-ounces homemade Boston Baked Beans (*recipe follows), partially drained * 2 teaspoons Hot Dog Relish * 1 teaspoon instant Minced Onion * ¼ cup shredded sharp process American cheese

In saucepan, combine beans, relish, and onion; bring to boiling. Pour bean mixture into pie plate.

Baked Bean Pie ingredients.

Slice each hot dog down center (not through, just enough to open); brush each slit with mustard. Arrange on bean mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

Bean Pie topped with turkey dogs.

Baked Bean Pie – oven ready.

Bake in moderate oven – 350-degrees, for 20 minutes or until meat is lightly browned.

**What I did: I lined foil freezer pans with foil; portioned the bean pie into serving sizes in foil freezer pans – adding a buttered-foil-wrapped-cob of corn to each pan – covered the pan with plastic wrap/labeled/covered with pan lid, crimped the edges … and placed in a large baggie for the freezer: keeping 1 serving aside to eat for Supper, Wednesday 😉

Corn on cob to go with bean pie.

Baked Bean Pie; freezer ready

*Boston Baked Beans ~ Yield 6 to 8 servings

This baked bean recipe can also be cooked with a 3-pound Beef brisket instead of ham ends. These beans are a winter favorite with me.

1 pound Navy or Kidney Beans * Ham ends for flavoring * 1 sliced Onion * 1 Tablespoon Mustard * 1 Tablespoon Salt * ¼ cup Brown Sugar * ¼ cup Molasses * 2 cups boiling Water (or to cover)

Wash, pick beans over – discard any stones; cover with cold water and soak overnight.

In the morning, drain the beans, put them in a saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Heat slowly and cook just below the boiling point until the skins burst – about half an hour (this is best determined by taking a few beans on the tip of a spoon and blowing over them; if done, the skins will burst).

When done, drain the beans and put them in a large 6-quart casserole with a lid. Add the meat and onion.

Mix the mustard, salt, sugar, molasses, and water … and pour over beans. Cover and bake slowly in a preheated 225-degree oven for 8 hours, uncovering the casserole the last hour so that the meat and beans will brown.

NOTE: I cooked my beans in a crockpot for 6 hours on LOW. If you use a crockpot, watch it to make sure it does not get too dry. If too dry, slowly add BOILING HOT WATER enough to moisten: do not use cold water or the crock will crack.

Homemade Baked Beans – ingredients.

Homemade Baked Beans: finished.

==CHICKEN BOUILLABAISSE ~makes 4 servings

This recipe calls for a whole chicken … but I used 4 chicken breasts: the servings are smaller, but that is what I wanted 😉 And I cooked this meal in my crockpot, set to LOW for 6 hours (cooked beans and steamed potatoes made separately and added later).

1 Chicken, about 2 pounds – cut into 6 to 8 pieces * 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * 1 medium Onion, thinly sliced * 1 Leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced * 2 large cloves Garlic, minced * 1 pound Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and put through a food processor or 1 14-ounce canned Italian Plum Tomatoes * 2 additional cloves Garlic, minced * 1½ cups dry White Wine * 2 cups defatted Chicken stock * 1 Bay leaf * ½ teaspoon dried Thyme * ¼ teaspoon Fennel seed * 2 pinches Saffron threads * 2-inch piece Orange Peel * 1 pound fresh Fava beans, shelled or 2 cups dry Lima beans (*instructions for cooking follows) * pinch Cayenne pepper * ¾ pound new Potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (optional) * freshly ground Black Pepper * Lemon Juice and Parsley for garnish

Chicken Bouillabaisse ingredients; I used bouillon in this recipe instead of stock – I’m trying to lose weight. It tasted fine.

Remove the skin form the chicken pieces.

Chicken breast meat; skinned.

Heat the oil in a heavy 3-quart (or larger) skillet and sauté the onion, leek, 2 garlic cloves, over low heat for about 10 minutes – stirring often to prevent browning.

Add tomatoes and additional garlic, and continue to sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Raise heat and cook over high heat for a few more minutes, stirring.

Add chicken, salt lightly, and stir together with the tomato mixture. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat, turning the pieces once.

Add the wine, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, fennel seed, saffron, orange peel, and more salt to taste. Bring to a simmer; cover, and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, blanch the fava beans in salted water for 30 seconds; drain, and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Pop them out of their thick shells. Steam for 5 to 8 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Set aside.

*IF USING LIMA BEANS: soak beans in ‘fridge overnight; drain and cover with fresh water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 hour, then use beans however you desire.

Lima beans cooking.

If you are using potatoes, steam or boil them until tender; drain, and set aside.

When the chicken is done, stir in the beans and the sliced potatoes. If desired. Remove the bay leaf, and the orange peel, and add just a hint of cayenne. Add pepper to taste and lemon juice if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve in wide soup bowls.

This meal will hold for a day or two, in the ‘fridge.

IF USING A CROCKPOT, just dump all the ingredients (except potatoes and beans) and cook as directed above:

Chicken Bouillabaisse ingredients in crock.

Cooking in crockpot.

**What I did: I lined the foil pan with foil; portioned the potatoes and beans into serving sizes in foil freezer pans, and ladled the bouillabaisse into the pan – covered the pan with plastic wrap/labeled/covered with pan lid, crimped the edges … and placed in a large baggie for the freezer.

Chicken Bouillabaisse; prep for freezer.

Freezer ready.

==BAKED FISH FILLETS SPENCER ~4 servings

Preheat oven to 550-degrees.

Have ready: 4 skinned fillets of Fish

And a plate of: dry Bread Crumbs

Fill a shallow pan with: ½ cup warm Milk * ½ teaspoon Salt

Dip the fillets into the milk, then into the crumbs – in that order; making sur they are well coated. Place them into a well-greased oven-proof pan and gently pour over them:

Baked Fish ingredients.

Baked Fish; prep for oven.

3 Tablespoons melted Butter or Bacon fat

Place pan on top oven rack and bake 10 to 12 minutes – transferring at once to a hot platter garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.

Baked Fish: I put 3 fillets aside for freezer meals; and ate 1 fillet w-Sweet Potato Fries for Supper 😉

You may serve with: Tartar sauce

*Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/spaghetti-squash-with-parmesan/0010ee79-c57e-409f-a290-a456e3e0e524

**What I did: I lined the foil pan with foil; portioned the cooked squash into serving sizes in foil freezer pans – added a fish fillet; covered the pan with plastic wrap/labeled/covered with pan lid, crimped the edges … and placed in a large baggie for the freezer.

Baked Fish w-Spaghetti Squash; prepped for freezer.

Freezer ready.

==SOUP OF THE INNER SANCTUM ~ serves 8

1½ pounds dried peas, navy, or lima Beans; washed * 2 Tablespoons Butter * 4 large Yellow Onions, chopped * 1 large Garlic clove, minced * 6 sprigs Parsley * ¾ teaspoon Thyme * 1½ large Bay leaves * 1 Carrot, chopped * ½ Lemon, sliced * 1 pound smoked Ham Hock, or shank end of smoked ham * freshly ground Black Pepper * 1 Tablespoon Salt

Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Set temperature to High and bring to boil.

Inner Sanctum Bean Soup ingredients; I used 1 Tablespoon of Bacon Bits in my soup – I’m trying to lose weight.

Reduce temperature to Low and cook for 6 hours – or until beans are tender.

Cooking.

Remove ham; let cool. Remove 2 cups of soup with a little liquid – puree that, and return to soup.

Blending of a portion.

Cut ham in small pieces; add to soup.

Stirred together.

Reheat carefully, and serve.

**What I did: I carefully portioned the soup into x3 quart-sized freezer baggies; keeping 1 serving aside in a small casserole bowl for a Supper meal.

Inner Sanctum Soup; Freezer Ready … & my Supper portion.

 

2020 COOKATHON #4

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/2020-cookathon-4.html

2020 COOKATHON #3B

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-cookathon-3b.html

2020 COOKATHON #2 Continued …

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/05/2020-cookathon-2-continued.html

2020 COOKATHON #1

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/2020-cookathon-1_11.html

2020 COOKATHON #1

I started “bulk” cooking in August 2019; by then, the shock of being a solo lobo was kinds-sorta slacking off, and I could actually think straight through a whole thought without brain freeze. That is important when dinking around in the kitchen ;-) I didn’t realize – until pulling this post together – that the day I started taking purposeful control of my life, and actively moving forward … with my first cookathon, was August 27^th, 2019: my Wedding Anniversary. Had Bob still been here, on this planet with me, we would have been celebrating our 45^th anniversary as friends, lovers, husband/wife, parents, grandparents: Soul Mates. Instead, looking at the date notation while I type this post – I was in the kitchen whipping up solo lobo meals to be portioned for solo lobo freezer meals. This is my life in my new life.

August 27^th, 2019: 4 MAKE AHEAD FREEZER MEALS – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/08/4-make-ahead-freezer-meals.html

September 24, 2019: FALL MEALS COOKATHON ~Tuesday & Wednesday: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/09/fall-meals-cookathon-tuesday-wednesday.html

November 13^th, 2019: COOKATHON DAY ~ https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/11/cookathon-day.html

Today is my first 2020 cookathon. I buy my groceries in bulk – that’s the way I grew up, and I carried that thriftiness over into my marriage with Bob. It works for me (then and now). I usually have what I need at my fingertips.

For those of you that do not have a well-stocked pantry, cupboards, or freezer, these meals may seem a little expensive; but I don’t throw $$$ away; I am very economical. I buy my freezer meats once a year, from an old-fashioned butcher shop – it takes me all day to drive there and back, but the trip is worth it to me: I get out of the house, enjoy a nice country drive, and enjoy great meals all year long :-D I garden every year, and my garden goodies go into the freezer – I personally, like the ‘fresh from the garden’ taste the freezer delivers that watery canned foods just don’t: I used to can for 2 decades; but I stopped canning, and started freezing my veggies 2 decades ago; and I like it much better – it also works for my widow Suppers too. For pantry and cupboard items, I bulk shop for at least a 6-month supply of staples such as flours, sugars, dry milk, ect. I bake my own bread, so I also buy yeast in bulk and refrigerate the yeast. I grow my own herbs, and dry some – and freeze some. In this way, I can prepare nutritious, balanced-menu meals that are healthy and economical. My food is my medicine, so I mostly cook foods that benefit the body and mind – and I don’t stage my dishes … I do home-style cooking. I don’t care so much about how it looks on the plate: I care about how it will benefit my life, in the long run; and how fast I can get out of the kitchen and rest my barking dogs (aka: my tired feet) ;-)

Meats I will be working with today; beef, chicken, pork sausage, fish - these are widow's portions: the original recipe portions are posted for full size families.

Last year it was snowing – and I was laid up in bed with influenza. Today, the temperature was near 50-degrees, and I was very busily bustling around my kitchen at 9:30 AM preparing meals for my freezer … finished up around 9 PM. I cooked a variety of meals; I used a few recipes Bob liked, but generally, I chose recipes he never ate – either because he didn’t like the ingredients, or I didn’t have the time to make them, or I had children and grandchildren underfoot for the 44 years straight.

Bob is no longer here to object to the ingredients: and there are no more children racing in and out of rooms either. The house is empty, and I have the time to spend all day in the kitchen cooking.

I’d rather have Bob and the kids; but I don’t argue with Elohim. This is the life I have now, and Elohim has given me the grace, strength, and courage I need to navigate it.

When to comes to meal times, I treat myself once a week to downtown restaurants just for a change of pace when I am out and about. The rest of the time, I prefer to eat at home, enjoying my own cooking: better for my health, better on the household budget. I sort through my recipes – go shopping for the few extras I do not have on hand in the ‘fridge, pantry, freezer, or cupboards (I buy in bulk, so I usually have what I need at my fingertips) … set a day aside, get my ingredients together; and start cooking ;-)

Yu’all know the spiel and drill if you have been regularly checking my Blog out – I am only 1 person now, but I like good food; so I cook full meals (cut them down when prudent, as in I do not need to cook 12 servings – so I cut that recipe in half) and divide the meals into individual freezer portions. But, I post recipes as they are printed in my cookbooks for full sized families.

Some of these recipes take 2 days to complete: read through the recipes, and plan accordingly.

Enjoy!

**********

Upscale Macaroni & Cheese baked - I only made half the recipe, so my baking dish is small.

==UPSCALE MACARONI & CHEESE ~ serves 12

Everyone’s favorite childhood dish with a sophisticated twist.

This recipe comes from my ‘Bon Appetit cooking magazine/December 1995.’

2 Tablespoons (1/4 stick) Butter * 3 large Red Bell Peppers (about 1-1/2 pounds), cut into ½-inch pieces * Salt & Pepper * 5 celery stalks, chopped * 1-1/2 cups Whipping Cream * 1-1/2 cups half-n-half * 1 pound Blue Cheese, crumbles * 1 teaspoon celery Seeds * Cayenne Pepper * 3 large Egg yolks * 1/2 cup chopped Celery Leaves * I  pound Penne noodles * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium- high heat. Add bell peppers and celery and saute until just beginning to soften – about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cream, half-n-half, and blue cheese in heavy medium saucepan; stir over low heat until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Add celery seeds. Season sauce with cayenne, salt and pepper. Beat egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in half of cheese sauce. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk to blend. Add celery leaves.

Cheese Sauce being prepared.

Spices added to cheese sauce.

Egg yolks being prepared.

Noodles added to cheese sauce: I used a fancy spiral type ;-)

Butter a 13-3/4” x 10-1/2” x 2-3/4” (4-quart capacity) oval baking dish. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling, salted, water until just tender – but still firm to the bite – stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to same pot. Add sauce and vegetables; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to baking dish. **(Can be make 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing).**

Ready for oven.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Sprinkle parmesan over surface of pasta. Bake until pasta is heated through: sauce is bubbling and top is beginning to brown – about 25 minutes.

Upscale Macaroni & Cheese Freezer Meal. 1 Serv - Mac-n-Cheese, Mixed Vegs., half a Croissant, Mini Chocolate Eclairs. I place plastic wrap between the lower portions and the upper meal items before covering, trimming edges, and packaging.

Packaged for the freezer, and labeled. It was also placed inside a large freezer ziploc baggie.

==ORANGE & BAY-SCENTED ROASTED CHICKEN w-NEW POTATOES ~ serves 6

Butterflying the chicken increases the area exposed to the marinade, making for a particularly flavorful dish. For a pretty presentation, arrange sautéed snow peas around chicken.

This recipe comes from my ‘Bon Appetit cooking magazine/December 1987’ … and the picture is pretty. But, I don’t have the time {to butterfly} – and even if I wanted to do so, I would do a lousy job of it, ruining the meat as well as the {presentation}. So, I buy my butchered chicken in bulk, and marinade it that way: it works for me :-D

And ‘the presentation’ with snow peas and new spuds looks just fine ;-)

2/3 cup fresh Orange juice * 1/4 cup Olive Oil * 2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice * 4 large Garlic cloves, crushed * 2 Bay leaves, crushed * 1 Tablespoon grated Orange Peel (orange part only) * 2 teaspoons granulated Sugar * 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon * 1/8teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper * 1/8 teaspoon dried Red Pepper Flakes * 2 3-pound chickens * Salt * 18 small new Potatoes (1-1/2’ to 2” diameter) * ¼ cup Olive Oil * 4 fresh Sage leaves, chopped * Snow peas enough for 12, quickly sautéed, if desired

Blend first 10 ingredients in large shallow baking dish.

Orange & Bay-scented marinating sauce.

To butterfly chicken, cut out backbones and discard. Open chickens skin side up on work surface and push down on breast bone to flatten, using heel of hand. Turn chickens over and pull back and snap out breastbones. Trim away rib bones. Remove wishbones. Place chickens in marinade, coating thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

This is what I have to work with; I’m not sure if anyone else would go through this tedious trouble, but I was curious, so I gave it a whirl – and I do have LOTS of time on my hands now to thoroughly frustrate myself. De-boned breast, thigh, leg, & wing – de-boning the wing took the longest and most frustrating: there isn’t a lot to work with, and the bones put up a fight.

Orange & Bay-scented chicken marinating overnight. Again, my dishes are small because I am only 1, cooking for 1: my portions are small.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Line large shallow baking pan with foil. Top with large rack. Drain chickens, reserving marinade. Season with salt; arrange skin side up on rack in pan. Baste with marinade. Rub potatoes with 1/4 cup oil and sage. Sprinkle with salt. Place on rack around chicken. Roast until thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken thighs registers 170-degrees – basting chickens occasionally with marinade; about 1 hour.

Oiled-n-herbed spuds.

Ready for oven.

Chicken, spuds, & chuck roasting together in oven - this works for me because my portions are small: if you are cooking full recipes as posted, this baking arrangement will not work.

Preheat broiler. Transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Using poultry shears, quarter chickens. Broil chicken until golden brown, watching carefully. Serve chicken with potatoes. Snow peas enough for 12, quickly sautéed, if desired.

Orange & Bay-scented Roasted Chicken w-New Potatoes Freezer Meal. 1 Serv - Chicken, New Spuds, Snow Peas (I grew in my garden), Pumpernickel Roll, Vanilla Eclairs. I place plastic wrap between the lower portions and the upper meal items before covering, trimming edges, and packaging.

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/pumpernickel-bread-sweet-potato-muffins.html)

Packaged and labeled; also slipped into a large ziploc freezer baggie..

==MARINATED CHUCK ROAST ~ serves 4 to 6

I don’t remember which magazine I clipped this recipe from … but it goes back to the later end of the 1970’s. And it is a perfect comfort-food dish for PNW dreary rainy days.

I paired this meat dish with tri-colored noodles for the added appeal of bright colors to chase the gray away :-D The noodle recipe follows this recipe.

Spread 2 pounds Chuck Roast on cutting board; trim fat. Make shallow cuts in each side – place in glass or enamel pan. Mix 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil, 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar, 3 Tablespoons Lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon granulated Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Thyme, ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, and ½ Onion, chopped finely. Spread half of marinade on each side of meat; cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Place meat on broiler pan, reserving marinade. Roast in preheated 350-degree oven for 2 hours – basting several times with marinade. Before serving, add remaining marinade and place under broiler for a few minutes.

Marinated Chuck baking; since there is only me now, and my small portions don’t hog the oven – I baked the chuck with the chicken (previous recipe above).

NOT JUST BUTTERED NOODLES ~ 4 servings

I bought these pretty noodles on my first shopping foray as a new widow. I was aimless pushing my cart through the store, wondering what I wanted to buy – and eat – without Bob: before, I always shopped with consideration for my husband’s appetite too. Shopping solo lobo was very new a year ago. I had no idea how to shop for one … and no enthusiasm at all. But these pretty noodles caught my eye, and interest. So, into my cart they went. And I am trying them, for the first time since buying them, today ;-)

This recipe tells me these noodles are ‘delicious with roasted meats or chicken’. We shall see – the recipe sounds delicious, and the noodles certainly look delicious :-D

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) Butter * 1-1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * 3 Garlic cloves, chopped * 1/2 teaspoon Aniseed, crushed or coarsely shopped * 8 ounces tricolor tubular or spiral shaped Pasta, freshly cooked * 1 7-ounce jar Roasted Red Bell peppers, drained, chopped * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese * 2 Plum Tomatoes, seeded, chopped * 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Basil leaves

Approximated amount of noodles (half of original recipe) weighed with my little dieter’s scale. They look too good to eat ... but I will eat them anyway ;-)

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, and aniseed; and stir until fragrant – about 1 minute. Mix in all remaining ingredients and toss until heated through – about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauce being prepared.

Not Just Noodles finished.

Marinated Chuck Freezer meal. 1 Serv - Chuck, Noodles, Brussel Sprouts w-Carrot, 1 Sweet Potato Roll, Tiny Chocolate Desserts. I place plastic wrap between the lower portions and the upper meal items before covering, trimming edges, and packaging.

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/pumpernickel-bread-sweet-potato-muffins.html)

Crimped tight, labeled ... and slipped into a large ziplox freezer baggie.

==FOUR-ONION SOUP ~ serves 8

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter * 3 large Onions, sliced * 3 medium Leeks (white and light green parts), sliced * 1 bunch Green Onions, sliced (white parts only) * 1/4 cup minced Shallots * 2 teaspoons minced fresh Ginger * 2 Garlic cloves, crushed * pinch of Cayenne * 1 Tablespoon all-purpose Flour * 8 cups Chicken Broth * 1 cup dry White Wine * 3 Tablespoons Brandy * 1 teaspoon fresh Lemon juice * 1 teaspoon Salt * freshly ground Black Pepper

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, leeks, green onions, shallots, ginger and garlic; saute until tender – about 20 minutes. Add cayenne and flour and stir until mixture is brown. Add broth and wine and simmer 20 minutes. Blend in brandy, juice, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Four-Onion soup cooking in my crockpot - about 6 hours.

Soups frozen in 1 serving portions.

==JANE’S SOUTHWESTERN BEEF & VEGETABLE STEW ~ about 8 cups

This stew contains zippy red chili peppers, and plenty of garlic and herbs. Team it up with a crisp winter salad and a chunk of warm bread, for a well-balanced Dinner.

This recipe comes from my ‘Bon Appetit cooking magazine/December 1986.

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil * 1 pound chuck or other Stew Meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes * 1 medium Onion, chopped * 3 Garlic cloves, minced * 1 28-ounce can Tomatoes, chopped (liquid reserved) * ½ pound Mushrooms, sliced * 4 Celery stalks, sliced * 3 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced * 1 medium Red Bell Pepper, seeded and julienned * 1 medium Zucchini, sliced * 1/2 cup minced fresh Parsley * 1 dried Red Chili * 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled * ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled * ½ teaspoon dried Sage, crumbled * Sat and fresh ground Black Pepper

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan, or Dutch Oven, over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook until meat is browned, stirring frequently – about 8 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight to allow flavors to intensify.

Jane’s Southwestern Beef-n-Vegetable Stew.

Soups frozen in 1 serving portions.

Reheat and serve hot.

I decided to turn the ventilator fan on while the fish cooked ...

 

Reaching the switch was quite a stretch for this shortie, but I managed to flick it with a fingertip and it kicked on. I don't know how I am going to clean that ceiling fan when the time comes - heights mess with my equilibrium, so getting on a ladder and messing around up there will be tricky. Maybe I can get one of my fella friends to help me. We'll see ...

==SPICY RED SNAPPER FILLETS ~ 4 servings

I use tilapia fillets because they are available all year ‘round.

Spicy Fish Fillets

This recipe comes from my ‘Bob Appetit cooking magazine/December 1987’. The only other change I made to the original recipe, was using an online Curry Seasoning Mix recipe in the original recipe.

I am serving this fish dish with a side of ‘Wild Rice and Mixed Woodland Mushrooms’. The rice recipe follows this recipe.

2 teaspoons unsalted Butter * 1-1/2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil * 1 large Onion, finely chopped * 1 1-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and slivered * 1 Garlic clove, finely chopped * 1-1/2 teaspoons Curry Seasoning Mix (**recipe follows) * 3/4 cup Tomato Sauce * 2 medium Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced * Salt * 4 6-ounce Snapper fillets * Freshly cooked Rice for 4 * 1 Cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

Mix butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally – about 10 minutes. Miz in ginger, garlic, and seasoning mix. Stir 1 minute.

The onions made me cry: and not because they were strong smelling. I cried when I saw the date on the onion baggie ... Bob and I drove to a Nursery in Adna to buy the onion starts March 2018 – I harvested and chopped these onions for the freezer just before the paranoid neighbor’s bitching led to my husband’s hospitalization in August, which led to his death December 14^th, 2018. Triggers: they're everywhere and unpredictable.

Add tomato sauce and tomatoes. Season with salt. Arrange fish skin side up atop tomato mixture, then turn to coat. Cover and simmer until fish is opaque – about 8 minutes. Spoon rice onto a platter; set fish atop. Spoon sauce over. Garnish with cucumber.

Onion and seasoning being cooked.

Tomato sauce added.

Fish fillets added to skillet. This deep sided skillet also brought tears to my eyes - Bob bought this pan set for me in June of 2018, as we passed through Scappoose, OR, on our way home from Portland, OR. He said "You need a new cooking pan set, Val - your others are getting old and worn". 2 months later we were in ER hearing a doctor telling us, "Your husband is dying." I have used these pans many times since then, but today they triggered my emotions - probably because of the onion bag date - and the memory invoked by that ...

I buttered half a cob of corn and wrapped it snug, to add to the meal.

Spicy Fish Fillet Freezer Meal. 1 Serv – 1 Fish, fillet, Wild Rice w-Woodland Mushrooms, 1 Cob corn (I marked the sealed fold with an "X" to keep the butter dripping onto the corn - instead of all over the pan - while baking ;-), 1 Sweet Potato Roll. I place plastic wrap between the lower portions and the upper meal items before covering, trimming edges, and packaging.

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/pumpernickel-bread-sweet-potato-muffins.html)

Crimped tight, labeled ... and slipped into a large ziplox freezer baggie.

**Curry Seasoning Mix: https://minimalistbaker.com/diy-curry-powder/

Curry Seasoning mix blended. I ground the seeds into powder so I can safely utilize them.

WILD RICE & MIXED WOODLAND MUSHROOMS ~ serves 6

Wild Rice & Woodland Mushrooms finished.

I like wild rice, and I was gifted a few batches of wild mushrooms; so today I am going to indulge my taste buds ;-)

Nutty wild rice, fluffy grains of white rice; and the deep, meaty taste of dried and fresh mushroom combine to make a tempting side dish.

This recipe comes from my ‘Bon Appetit cooking magazine/December 1987’.

1 cup Wild Rice * 1 cup Water * 1 cup White Rice * 1 ounce dried morels, porcini, or other dried European Mushrooms * 3 large Shallots, sliced * 6 large Green Onions (Scallions), sliced * 1/2 pound small fresh Mushrooms * 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter * 3/4 teaspoon Salt * Freshly ground Black pepper * 1/3 to 2/3 cup Chicken Stock

Cook wild rice in large amount of boiling water until just tender – about 45 minutes. Rice will still be crunchy; wild rice does not soften like white rices. Drain well.

Wild rice drained.

Combine 1 cup water and white rice in heavy saucepan, bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed – 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak dried mushrooms in hot water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid for another use if desired. Cut morels in half, if very large. Rinse well; squeeze dry. Cut off and discard any hard stems.

Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet over high heat; add shallots and stir 1 minute. Add all mushrooms and cook until beginning to release liquid – stirring frequently – about 4 minutes. Add wild and white rice, and salt and pepper; and cook until mixture is almost dry, stirring frequently – about 4 minutes. Mix in 1/3 stock and cook until just warmed through, stirring occasionally. **(Can be prepared 2 days ahead at this point. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving)**.

Mushrooms and seasonings – my mushrooms had been frozen.(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/10/something-old-something-new.html)

Stir in green onions and remaining 1 Tablespoon butter. If mixture appears dry, stir in remaining cup of stock. Adjust seasonings.

==COWBOY BEAN CAKES ~ serves 6

Cowboy Bean Cakes finished.

Grilled sausages and green onions complement these bean cakes.

Grilled Grilled bratwurst sausages; 2 freezer meals.

This bean cakes recipe comes from my ‘Bon Appetit cooking magazine/December 1986’.

1 cup Pinto beans * 1/2 cup Red beans * 1/2 cup Black beans * 1/2 cup Bacon Drippings, or lard, or solid vegetable shortening * 1 medium Onion * 1 medium Green Bell Pepper * 1 dried Ancho pepper, minced * 1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped * 1 large Garlic clove, chopped * 1 cup Beef Broth or water * 1/2 cup prepared BBQ Sauce * 1 teaspoon Chili Powder * ½ teaspoon ground Coriander * 1 cup freshly cooked White Rice * all-purpose Flour * grilled Sausages (such as kielbasa, bratwurst, and knockwurst) * Green Onions

Combine pinto and red beans in medium saucepan; add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Drain beans thoroughly.

I cooked all my beans at the same time.

Meanwhile, place black beans in a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil: reduce heat, and simmer until very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Drain beans thoroughly.

Melt 1/4 cup drippings in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, peppers, and garlic; cook until onion is translucent – about 10 minutes. Add pinto and red beans, broth, BBQ sauce, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper; and simmer until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently – 20 minutes.

Seasonings.

Beans and seasonings cooked to enhance flavors.

In a large bowl, mash pinto bean mixture with rice; with large spoon, fold in black beans. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. **(Can be prepared 1 day ahead at this point)**.

Half of cooled bean mixture mashed with blender.

Bean mixtures stirred to equally blend mashed and whole beans.

Shape beans into patties, using 2-1/2 to 3 Tablespoons for each patty. Dust lightly with flour.

Bean cake patties shaped and ready put in ‘fridge to firm up a bit – they are pretty soft; handle with care. 3 TBSP each patty. I got 24 patties made up.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup drippings in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bean patties to skillet in batches – do not crowd – and fry until crisp – about 1-1/2 minutes each side. Serve immediately with grilled meats and green onions.

Cowboy Bean Cakes frying: these things are very soft – move them quickly … and carefully into frying pan; turn them over very carefully.

Cowboy Bean Cakes Freezer Meal. 1 Serv – 1 Bratwurst, 4 Bean Cakes, half cob of corn (I marked the sealed fold with an "X" to keep the butter dripping onto the corn - instead of all over the pan - while baking ;-), 1 Sweet Potato Roll. I place plastic wrap between the lower portions and the upper meal items before covering, trimming edges, and packaging.

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/pumpernickel-bread-sweet-potato-muffins.html)