Good Old Fashioned Corn Bread.......

There are certain food combinations that just naturally go together.   Calamari and hot peppers, steamed lobster with drawn butter and pancakes dripping with maple syrup to name a few.  At our house cornbread and chili are always paired together,  now after my impromptu breakfast, I'm also adding cornbread and honey to the list.  Enter the cranberry bog honey (purchased still warm from the beekeepers) drizzled generously over a  crumbly leftover piece of cornbread.  It was a delicious old fashioned breakfast treat.
Here is the cornbread recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

•  1/2 cup butter, melted
•  1/2 cup sugar
•  2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Stir melted butter and sugar together.. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and just a few lumps remain. Pour batter into the greased pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict.....

National Eggs Benedict day is today.   I'm sure these would have been over the top with home made crab cakes but I had these store bought crab cakes in the freezer so why not use them.   Once again I used Ina's recipe for Hollandaise Sauce.  Easily assembled toasted English muffin, cooked crab cake, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.   It was delicious and so easy.   Here is Ina's recipe.

Hollandaise Sauce

2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in the jar of a blender and process on low for 15 seconds. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it is sizzling hot. Remove the small clear insert in the top of the blender. With the blender on low, slowly add the hot butter to the egg and lemon mixture and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is very thick. Use immediately.

Please keep the bombing victims and Boston Massachusetts in your prayers. These cowardice  attacks of terror always seemed to be so far away from us here in Massachusetts.  Now it feels as though it is in our front yards.

All Natural Vinegar and Orange Cleaner.....

I'm loving the effectiveness of this all natural vinegar and orange cleaner.   Not only does it clean the counters and make the kitchen smell great, but if I wanted to I could  mix it with olive oil, salt and pepper and pour it over salad greens.  Imagine that!  The directions are simple.  Take a couple of glass jars, place the peels of three or four oranges into each jar and cover with white vinegar.  Let it sit for two weeks then strain into a clean spray bottle. No toxic ingredients or fumes.  It works like a charm.

Cooking with Cast Iron......

I'm sure many of you have read numerous articles extolling the virtues of cooking with cast iron.  The most compelling reason being the lack of PFC's (perfluorocarbons).   I don't know anyone who wants to fill their home and bodies with the toxins found in non-stick pans.  The appealing benefits of cast iron are many.
Health wise the benefit comes during the cooking process when trace amounts of good for your blood iron are leached from the pan into your food. Isn't that a cool fact.  Now lets talk money.  Economically you can't beat the price.   On average a twelve inch skillet runs somewhere in the vicinity of $25.00 to $30.00 dollars.  Then there is the longevity factor.  When properly taken care of a cast iron pan can last generations.
If you need evidence on how foods crisp and brown just look at my lemon cutlets above. Seasoned correctly cast iron becomes non-stick and a cinch to clean.   A little hot water and a stiff brush takes care of anything that might stick.  I hope if you don't already cook with cast iron you will give it a try.  I know you will be pleased you did.  

Lemon Artichoke Chicken.......

The ten inches of snow we got on Tuesday has finally started to melt.   There is a feeling of renewal in the air.   To celebrate the season of regrowth I made this wonderful chicken dish.  The whole dinner tonight felt like a breath of spring.   Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. dried oregano and dash sweet
paprika.

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 can artichoke hearts
3 cloves garlic, minced

the juice from one lemon
the zest from lemon

handful of grape tomatoes

 Directions:

1. Coat chicken thighs in seasoned flour.  Shake off any excess flour.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat and brown chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.

3. Add wine, chicken broth and artichokes to skillet and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 8 minutes. Uncover skillet and add garlic, lemon juice and zest and cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Remove chicken from sauce and bring sauce to a low boil. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until sauce has reduced a little.

5. Return chicken to skillet, toss in the grape tomatoes and cook until chicken is no longer pink.  About 5 to 7 minutes more.

The chicken was moist and pleasingly tangy from the lemon juice.  I served the chicken and artichokes with roasted red potatoes and steamed asparagus with lemon and grated fresh black pepper.  Delicious!

The Perfect Meatball.......

My sister Mary and my brother-in-law Rick made these tender and delicious meatballs for my nieces baby shower last weekend.  I have thought of nothing else but these meatballs since.  The recipe comes from Allrecipes.com. and I will never use another recipe but this one again.

Here is the recipe, adapted slightly with portions only.

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground veal
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 4 cloves garlic. chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup grated Pecarino Romano Cheese
• 1/4 chopped parsley
• 2 cups stale Italian bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 1/2 cups water

In the food processor, add the chopped garlic, stale Italian bread and parsley, process until bread, garlic and parsley have become crumbs. In a large bowl, add all the meats, eggs and cheese.  Next, empty the crumb mixture from the food processor into the meat bowl and start to mix while adding the water a half cup at a time.

 From into good size balls and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven.

After the 30 minutes in the oven, simmer for an hour in your favorite sauce.  I used my quick home made summer sauce. (marinara) You've got to try these meatballs.  They were perfectly seasoned and tender enough to use a fork to cut through.

White Bean and Avocado Dip.......

My good friend Mary Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes came for lunch this week. It's not very often that we get to meet for lunch in the middle of the week, but its February school vacation and we both have the week off.  I served this yummy, creamy white bean and avocado dip with tortilla chips while we chatted and enjoyed the the warmth from the fireplace.
 

Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 15 oz. can of Cannellini beans ( rinsed and drained)
• 2 large garlic clove, peeled
• Juice from 2 limes
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. taco seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch pepper flakes

Put all the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended and almost smooth. 

After snacking on the dip and chips it was off to the dining room for steaming bowls of chicken taco soup and Mary's delicious blueberry pie for dessert.

I was thrilled when Mary offered to bring a pie for our dessert.  As you can see from the bottom right photo,  I had all I could do from picking up the plate and licking it.  If you love blueberries as much as I do, you are going to love this pie.   Here is Mary's recipe for  Blue Ribbon Winner Blueberry Pie.