When Bob & I first married in the Fall of 1974 … I couldn’t cook,
to save my soul: my mother never taught me to cook – she taught my younger
sister, but she didn’t think I needed to know anything more than how to clean
house and babysit while she worked.
She didn’t think anyone would be interested in marrying me: she
was totally unprepared for Bob’s arrival on the scene 😉
For about 6 months of our married life, we lived on purchased TV
Dinners, hot dogs, pizza (in the “big town/little city” of Longview on paydays),
and the occasional hamburger basket when we went dancing weekends.
Bob would never eat peanut butter; and he never came home to find me “eating chicken and dumplings with another man” … but I am eating foods now that he didn’t particularly care for 😉
I started checking cookbooks out at the neighborhood Library, and taught
myself to cook before our daughter arrived in the Spring of 1975. There were a
LOT of burned meals, and Bob, bless him … ate every one without complaint,
until I got it right:
Bob, me, and the kids.
And though Bob always preferred hot dogs and pizza (his 2
favorites), he started liking the variety of meals I whipped up in the kitchen to
the backbeat of the stereo music played at top volume shooting from all 4 corners
of the house through the high-def quadrophonic speakers he bought me our first
Christmas together 😊
Bob liked my
cooking.
And I liked to cook
for Bob.
But, Bob is no longer here … and I still have to eat.
So, now I still cook to the backbeat of stereo music blaring from
my laptop speakers; and I make full sized meals, breaking them down into
widow portions to freeze individually: just a lot easier for my needs now,
and better fare than supermarket or restaurant foods – that I do also enjoy
occasionally.
I just prefer
homestyle meals.
I prefer my own
cooking.
I like to cook; but I am a lazy cook – I don’t like standing in
front of a hot stove for hours on end … so I cook meals that utilize my
crockpots, countertop grill, and minimally use the oven 😉
This is what works
for me.
I post recipes in the original full writ – if I dink around with
the ingredients to fit my own tastes, I will always say so in my posts.
This cookathon is mostly 3 beef meals; with a pea-ham soup, and a
fish meal.
I have not messed with the original recipes this time …
==PUREED SPLIT PEA SOUP ~ about 8 servings
Dill is what gives this pea soup it’s wonderful flavor. Because the
tamari and pork already have a significant amount of salt in their processing, I
used a salt-free broth (homemade with herbs instead of salt) in
preparing this soup. This soup freezes very well.
2 cups dried green Split Peas * 6 cups Water * 1
Tablespoon Olive Oil * 1 large Onion, diced (1 cup) * 2
cloves Garlic, minced * 1 cup chopped Carrot * 1 cup chopped
Celery (2 medium stalks) * 4 cups Chicken Stock (homemade or
canned) * 2 teaspoons Tamari or Soy Sauce * ¼ teaspoon
freshly ground Black Pepper * ½ cup snipped fresh Dill * 1 slice (2
ounces) smoked pork or Ham * 1 cup skim milk,
approximately
1. Place the peas and water in a large, heavy Dutch Oven pan, bring
the water to a boil; boil the peas for 2 minutes – turn off the heat, and let
the peas stand for 1 hour.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion, garlic, carrot, and
celery … cook, stirring them, for about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the soaked
peas.
3. Add the broth, tamari, pepper, dill, and pork to the pan. Bring
the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup – partially covered,
for about 1½ hours (check now and then to make sure the soup is not scorching;
add water if needed).
4. In a blender, or food processor, puree the soup with the meat,
thinning the soup to the desired consistently with milk. Heat the soup before
serving.
*If using a crockpot,
just dump all ingredients into the crock and set to High setting until soup
boils – then reduce heat to Low and cook 6 hours. Prepare as directed for
pureeing soup.*
Split Pea Soup w-Ham Bone.
Split Pea Soup Ingredients (I used frozen chicken stock).
**What I did: I froze my
individual servings in freezer baggies.**
==LEMON CHUCK STEAK ~ makes 6-8 servings
1 Chuck Steak, about 3 pounds, cut 1½ -inch thick * 1
teaspoon grated Lemon peel * 2/3 cup Lemon juice * 1/3 cup Salad
Oil * ½ teaspoon Salt * 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper *
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce * 1 teaspoon prepared Mustard (I use Dijon
type) * ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1. Score fat edges of meat and place in a shallow dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over steak. Refrigerate
6 hours – turning occasionally.
3. Remove steak from dish. Pat dry with paper toweling. Grill over
hot coals, 12 minutes on each side for rare … or 15 minutes on each side for
medium doneness: brushing occasionally with marinade.
A small Beef Chuck Steak, cut in 2 for two meals.
Lemon Chuck Steak Marinade.
Grilled Lemon Chuck Steak.
**What I did: I froze my
individual servings in a foil freezer container with half a corn cob, and a serving
of sweet potato.**
==BEEF STEW ~makes 5 or 6 servings
1 pound Beef cubes * 1 Tablespoon Shortening * 3 cups
hot Water * ½ teaspoon Salt * 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper *
1 large Potato, cut into 1½ -inch pieces (about 1¼ cup) * 1
medium Turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) * 2 medium
carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) * 1 medium Green
Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) * 1 medium stalk
Celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about ½ cup) * 1 small Onion, chopped *
½ teaspoon bottle brown Bouquet Sauce * 1½ teaspoon Salt * 1 Beef
Bullion cube * 1 Bay Leaf * ½ cup cold water * 2
Tablespoons Flour
1. Cook and stir beef cubes in shortening in a 12-inch skillet or
Dutch Oven, until beef is browned. Add 3 cups hot water, ½ teaspoon salt, and
the ground pepper. Heat to boiling; then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until
beef is almost tender – 2 to 2½ hours.
2. Stir in vegetables, bouquet sauce, 1½ teaspoons salt, bullion, and
bay leaf. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender – about 30 minutes.
3. Shake ½ cup water and the flour together in a tightly covered
container (like a small jar); stir gradually into the stew. Heat to
boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; reduce heat.
*If you are using a
crockpot, just dump ingredients into the crock and set to High setting until
stew boils; then reduce heat to Low and cook 6 hours.*
Beef Stew in crockpot.
**What I did: I froze my
individual servings in freezer baggies.**
==MEAT LOAF ~makes 6 to 8 servings
1 Egg * 1 cup Milk * 3 slices bread, shredded *
½ teaspoon Savory leaves * 1 teaspoon Salt * ¼ teaspoon ground
Black Pepper * ¼ teaspoon dry Mustard * ¼ teaspoon Celery Salt *
½ cup chopped Onion * 1 teaspoon Salad Oil * 1-pound Beef, ground
* ½ -pound Pork sausage * ½ cup Ketchup * 1 teaspoon dry Mustard
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the ketchup and
dry mustard. Turn into a lightly greased 8½ -inch skillet.
Blend the ketchup and dry mustard – spread atop the meatloaf. Bake
60 minutes.
Meat Loaf ingredients.
Meat Loaf ready for oven (I used a round pyrex casserole dish).
Meat Loaf baked.
**What I did: I froze my
individual servings in a foil freezer container with a baked potato and a mixed
vegetable medley.**
==GRILLED FISH ~makes 4 servings
This pungent Moroccan marinade can be used for many fish suitable
for grilling, or broiling – and can also be used to marinate fish before
baking. It’s good with firm white-fleshed fish.
12 Garlic cloves, minced * ½ teaspoon coarse Salt * 1
bunch Cilantro, chopped * 1 Tablespoon Paprika * 1 Tablespoon
Cumin * Pinch of Cayenne pepper * Juice of 2 large Lemons *
1 teaspoon Olive Oil * 4 6-ounce Halibut, bream, monkfish, or snapper
steaks (I used Tilapia fillets) or 1 whole 2-pound fish,
cleaned; scales left on, but scored several times on the sides *
additional Cilantro sprigs for garnish
1. Pound together the garlic, salt, cilantro, paprika, cumin, and
cayenne. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Marinate fish steaks or whole
fish in this mixture for several hours – turning from time to time.
2. Grill the fish for 4 minutes for each ½-inch thickness; turning
halfway through. Baste with the marinade, and serve at once – garnish with
additional cilantro is desired. Chill leftovers and serve cold the next day.
Fish marinade.
Fish marinating.
Grilled Fish.
**What I did: I froze my
individual servings in a foil freezer container with cous-cous and spinach.**
**COOKATHON POSTS 2020
