Italian Pork and Potato Stew

The slow-cooker is absolutely wonderful. I can't imagine life without.

Ingredients/Directions:

Throw into a crock pot - 3-4 cubed Potatoes (peeled if you prefer), 1 chopped Carrot, 1 chopped Onion, 2 diced Tomatoes, 5 minced Garlics, one or two cups of Shredded Pork, 1/2 cup Tomato Paste, and a combination of Cold Chaser Tea, Water and/or Broth to cover all fresh ingredients, turn on low and cook for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5. Season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning blend and enjoy with fresh bread and friends!

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

I quite enjoy stuffed peppers, however I tend to be impatient and too much of a procrastinator to actually make them happen.  Not to mention, I really have a thing for soups. I don't remember any quantities or anything of an exact nature in regards to this dish, but this blog is primarily for personal records and as a source of inspiration to those folks who find a random assortment of whatnot waiting in their fridge...

You may remember when I took a day to prepare some foods once-a-month-style so that doubling up on my Master's wouldn't be deadly? Well, I used one cup of that Tomato Sauce in addition to home-made chicken broth and a cup of Cold Chaser Tea to provide the base for this dish. That of course was after sauteing Onion, Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Garlic in a touch of olive oil. I also had some corn lying around, so threw that in the pot and soaked up all the excess liquid by throwing in some rice I cooked up quickly in the rice cooker. Season with salt and pepper, serve with cheese and sour cream if you're so lucky and enjoy as part of a Monday night dinner with a good friend and someone you love - they'll probably devour it all ^.^

Thai Tea (with Tamarind)

I have a deep and special love for Thai Tea. I made it a personal objective to drink at least 1 glass of Thai Tea everyday I was in Thailand...some day's I'd down 3 or 4. I love the sweet-creaminess of Thai Tea and want so desperately to recreate it.

One aspect of Thai Tea that is 'crucial' is the orange color. Online recipes generally suggest one of two things: a) Add Orange Food Coloring *lame* or b) Purchase Thai Tea Leaves (which is always followed by a comment regarding the difficulty of purchasing/finding Thai Tea Leaves).

But the thing is, the orange color comes from Tamarind. So one should be able to recreate Thai Tea with REAL tamarind. That's what I'm attempting to do...it's not perfect yet, but it's always been delicious so take a shot at Thai Tea with Real Tamarind.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a standard sized tea pot add about 1 Tbsp Tamarind (found in Asian/International Markets) -- best to put into a strainer or tea bag as it will not fully dissolve and will need to be strained out at some point in the process. Add 5-6 Teabags or teaspoons of plain black tea/Lipton and sugar to taste. Fill with boiling water, let set for an hour or so (this could be the part I don't have perfected...just saying) Transfer to pitcher or water jug and refrigerate. Serve with Sweetened Condensed Milk, enjoy!

Matcha No-Bake Cookies

In an effort to enjoy a little time with myself and my creative juices - I chose a night in the kitchen over a night out with friends. It was an important and crucial choice which yielded many delicious outcomes.  One such delicious outcome were these earthy and green Matcha No-Bake Cookies.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a saucepan bring to boil: 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 2 Tbsp. Matcha Tea Powder and (roughly) 2 Tbsp. White chocolate - I used half of a white chocolate bar and guesstimate that it'd be about 2 Tbsp. Boil for about one minute and remove from heat. Add to sauce 3 cups of Oatmeal or combination of Oatmeal and Corn Flakes depending on availability. Add enough grains to soak up the majority of the sauce as to prevent a particularly sticky no-bake cookie. Dollop onto wax paper and refrigerate for one-two hours until cookies are set. Enjoy with a couple of good friends at your favorite coffee shop.

Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

Once upon a time I penned this blog post. But had not photo to showcase the making of Chicken Broth, so here I am again to remind myself and any readers who may stumble upon this space that making Chicken Broth is oh-so-easy, especially if you have a slow cooker!

1. Prepare a whole roaster chicken or two (or purchase from a local grocer) - Enjoy. Save Carcass. Make Broth
2. Throw carcass into slow cooker, add on carrot quartered, one onion quartered (optional, stick cloves into quartered onion), salt and pepper.
3. Cover with water or follow my lead: 3 cups Oolong tea plus additional water until bird and veggies are covered.
4. Cook on high 4-5 hours.
5. Cool. Spoon broth into freezer safe containers, I do mine by two cup incriments. Enjoy with various soups and sauces!

ROKin Clam Chowder

After making a pot full of Clam Noodle Soup, there was still a wealthy supply of clams in my refrigerator. Wanting some advice and recipe inspiration for using up the 'leftovers' I conducted a bit of research with a dear friend, Google and was soon inspired to whip up a Clam Chowder. I referenced a Boston clam chowder recipe and made a number of substitues based on what was in our fridge, our wallet and Korean grocery stores, hence the name: ROKin -- as in the Republic of Korea-in -- Clam Chowder. (In essence, there's nothing particularly Korean about the dish other than where it was made and where the ingredients came from)
Ingredients:

As many clams as you can manage (I had approximately 1 cup)
1 Onion, diced and sauted in butter
1/2 carrot, diced
2 cups Sweet Potatoes, skinned and diced
2 cups Chicken Broth
2-3 cups Green Tea
Salt, Pepper, Parsley to taste
Butter + Flour for Roux
Milk (3-5 cups)
1-2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Additional Flour or Cornstarch for Thickening

Directions:

Throw sweet potatoes, sauted onion and carrots into slow cooker, add broth and tea, salt and pepper. Cook on high 2-3 hours. In sauce pan or skillet melt 1/2 cup butter add four until thick and brown-ish, (at 3-4 hour mark) stir into soup. Thirty minutes or an hour prior to serving add milk, cheese, additional thickening agent if needed and clams - heat through. Serve up with bread of choice and enjoy with good friends (even someone from the East Coast, they'll be satisfied with the chow-da) while discussing recent travels and adorable pets.

Green Tea Latte

On Thursdays, my favorite coffee shop is closed. Oddly enough, Thursdays is the day I am most likely to want a Green Tea Latte. (It's the most unfortunate of affairs). On a more fortunate of affairs note - I recently set my eyes on a container of Match Powder (I think) at the incredible price of 5, 000 won (US$5)!!!! Needless to say, the powder went from the shelf to my graocery basket in a matter of moments.

So on a Thursday when I was needing some Latte-Love, I whipped up a little latte. Some milk, some sugar and some Matcha. If you'd like a recipe to follow or give you some sense of direction - try out this one.

Salmon Chowder

Extended Shelf Life for: Ground Salmon and Red Potatoes

Lent is here. And although we're not Catholic, we appreciate the intentionality that is often put into the lenten season, the sacrifice and the concern for others. I also, personally enjoy having some sort of reason to do something - like eat fish on Fridays. So, we welcomed in the season of lent with this Salmon Chowder and our dear friend Mark and his parents, who are practicing Catholics!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil for sauteing

about 2 lbs. Ground Salmon

4 Garlic Cloves; minced

1 Onion, chopped

2 cups Potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 med. Tomatoes, chopped

5-7 cups Broth or Tea (I used Stress Blocker and Apricot Vanilla mix)

4 0z. Cream Cheese

Italian Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

1 cup Heavy Cream

Directions:

Heat oil in pot, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add ground salmon to the stockpot and cook and crumble in pot until cooked through. Add potatoes and liquid, bring to boiling and cook for 10 minutes or so until potatoes are close to tender. Add Sesonings and cream cheese, melt cheese. Add cream and tomatoes when potatoes are tender, cook until heated through. Serve with crusty bread or corn bread.

Indian Dal

Extended Shelf Life for: Jalapenos These jalapenos had already received the life extension through our truly magnificent dehydrator, therefore, the peppers were OLD! They were however, the perfect addition to our dal. Dal is an Indian dish that is delicious in so many ways as well as affordable, considering the main ingredient is lentils. We enjoyed this dish with Indian Roasted Salmon and a Cilantro Yogurt sauce, absolutely wonderful, especially when enjoyed in the company of sisters and a dear friend.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

3 tsp. Whole Cumin Seeds

2 tsp. Dried Jalapenos or Red Pepper Flakes

1 med. Onion

3 cloves Garlic, minced

Shake of salt

2 cups Lentils

3 cups Tea or Vegtable Broth

2 cups Water

1 tsp. ground Turmeric

Directions:

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in jalapenos and cumin, saute for 1 minute. Add garlic, onion and salt and saute for 1 more minute. Next, add lentils, liquid and turmeric. Cover saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft.

Comfort Kale and Sausage Soup

Extended Life for: Purple Kale and Potatoes Ingredients:

4 cups Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 lg. Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch Kale, green or purple, chopped
3 qts. Broth or Cold Chaser Tea
1 cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Frank's Red Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, in a seperate pot, cook Italian sausage. Remove sausage from pan, drain some drippings if there are a lot or just use them to saute onion and garlic. Stir in Kale, cook about 2 minutes, then add broth. Drain potatoes, add potatoes and sausage, salt and pepper, cook until heated through. Before serving, add Heavy Cream, heat through. Serve soup with hot sauce and crusty bread!

Italian Potato Soup

Extended Life for: Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic, Shallots, Spinach, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Parsley Ingredients:

4 cups Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Onion, chopped

1 cup Carrot, chopped

2 Shallots, minced

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic

1 can Great Northern White Beans

1 can Butter Beans

1 can Diced Tomatoes

2 cups Spinach, chopped

3 Tbsp. Parsley

3 cups Chicken Broth or Cold Chaser Tea
Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Heat a bit of olive oil in a stock-pot; saute onion, shallot and garlic in warm oil. Add chicken broth or tea, carrots and potatoes, bring to boil. When potatoes are tender, add canned beans and tomatoes, heat through. Add spinach until wilted. Serve in a bowl garnished with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and paresan cheese.

Ranch Potato Soup

Extended Life for: Organic Ranch Dressing, Sun-dried Tomato Garlic, Whole Milk (transformed into fresh cheese).

I love soup! This is common knowledge. Laramie has experienced numerous days of below zero temperatures this winter making my love for soup that much more pronounced. Potato soup is always comforting and perfect on cold days. This one was simply thrown in a crock-pot, which also implies, I don't know exact amounts, so I'll give you the ingredients and as my Grandma occassionally does, let YOU figure out how much you need for your own personal pot.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

Broth or Cold Chaser Tea

Seasonings of choice

Crumbled Fresh Cheese (optional)

Heavy Cream (to be added in the last half hour)

Sweet Vermouth Elk Stew

Extended Life for: Celery, Carrots and Tarragon
Ingredients:

1 lb. Elk Stew Meat
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. or so Flour
6 cups Fountain of Youth Tea, or Beef Broth
1 1/2 cups Sweet Vermouth
4 small-medium Potatoes, washed and diced
1 1/2 cups Carrots, diced
1/2 cup Celery, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsps. Tarragon, minced
1 Bay Leaf
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Additional water or broth to taste

Directions:

Sear elk meat in butter in a stock pot. Add flour and thicken butter and elk fat, gradually add tea or broth, allowing broth to thicken. Add additional ingredients; vermouth, vegetables and spices, bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Serve with crusty fresh bread and enjoy!

Spinach, Bean and Barley Soup

Extended Life for: Spinach, Chilies and Onion

Cooking with wine is one thing I wish I did more of. As the ingredients of the soup simmered in a small amount of white wine, I found myself being transported to a foreign experience, exchanging my snow-covered landscape with rolling hills of vineyards and the golden-orange sunshine of Tuscany. The smell is truly enticing. The recipe however, is hardly my own, I made a few alterations to a recipe off of allrecipes.com to fit the ingredients of our household. The original recipe can be found here, while mine is presented below.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Pearl Barley
3 cups Green Tea
Olive Oil for sauteing
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 pkg. Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Pepper of choice, chopped
2 Tbsp. White Wine
2 cans Garbanzo Beans
1 can diced Tomatoes
2 cups Fresh Spinach, chopped
3-5 cups Green Tea or Chicken Broth
Italian Seasoning
Rosemary
Basil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Bring barley to boil in 3 cups water, cover and reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes. After about 20 minutes, begin preparing the rest of the soup. Saute onion, chilies, and garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes, add mushrooms, saute another 3-5 minutes. Add seasonings and white wine, allow to cook for about 5 minutes (imagine Italy). Stir in barley, beans, tomatoes, spinach and tea/broth. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes or longer and finish seasoning to taste. Enjoy with crusty bread and loved ones.

Sesame Chicken and Vegetables with Mock Fried Rice

Extended Life for: Carrots, Snow Peas, Onion, Celery I rarely rave about the dishes I produce, but this was absolutley fabulous! Many "mmmmm's" and "wow's" found their way into the surrounding atmosphere as we consumed this fabulous dish. The secret is surely this recipe from allrecipes.com for Chinese Style Sesame Sauce. The only changes I made to the sesame recips was to use 1.5 cups of Green Tea rather than the 1.5 cups of broth and water. For me, things took a bit of effort, however it was definitely worth it - instant rice would likely be beneficial if you're attempting to cut down on time. Regardless, have all ingredients on hand and ready for the skillet before starting this Asian feast!

Ingredients:

Mock Fried Rice:
1 cup dry Rice, prepare according to package directions
2 Eggs, beaten with following Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Onion, diced
1/4 cup Celery, diced
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
Oil for Wok

Chicken and Veggies:
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced
1 cup Carrots, sliced
1 cup Snow Peas
1/2 cup Onion, sliced
1 clove Garlic, minced
Oil for Wok
A few shakes Sesame Seeds (optional)

Directions:

In wok, heat oil, saute onion, celery and garlic. Add Egg/Soy Sauce mixture to hot wok, let scramble. Remove egg from pan, add to prepared rice. Begin cooking Sesame Sauce in seperate saucepan. Add aditional oil to wok if necessary, saute onion and garlic. Add cooked chicken (or if you've simply seared the meat, continue cooking until no longer pink in the middle). Add carrots and snow peas, saute 5-7 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add sesame sauce, mix. Serve over rice and DEVOUR!!!

Italian Tomato and Green Bean Soup

Extended Life for: Green Beans, Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery, Parsley, Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Mix

Having a large pot of soup cooking all day is one of this lifes greatest joys. I love the versatility of soup - whatever makes its way into our fridge is a perfect candiate for a pot of soup.

Ingredeints:

1 lb. bulk Italian Sausage, browned and crumbled
2 cups Green Beans - fresh or frozen
1 cup Carrots, chopped
1/2 cup Celery
1 medium Onion, diced
1 can Great White Northern Beans
1 can diced Tomatoes
1 cup Plum Tomatoes, diced
6-8 cups Cold Chaser Tea or Chicken Broth
Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper to taste
Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic topping, to taste
1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped (add 30-40 minutes before serving)
Directions:

Place all vegetables in slow-cooker add tea or chicken broth. Season with all seasonings except parsley. Turn on low, allow to cook for 8-10 hours. Enjoy with good friends and French bread.

Beans and Greens in Green Tea

Extended Life for: Collard Greens and KaleI have a deep love for the Food Network's Racheal Ray. Just last year, I spent 2 days sick at home watching a DVD set of 30 minute meals. I also have a deep love for soups. So when Racheal Ray makes soup, I listen and watch, anticipating the day I will be inspired to create a similar soup. Beans and Greens have been on my list of soups to make- so when the supplies made them selves available - I was all to eager to start a pot of this hearty dish.

Ingredients:

6 cups fresh greens: Collard, Kale, Escarole, etc.
3 cans Great White Northern Beans
1 Onion, chopped
2 gloves Garlic, minced
6 cups Green Tea
3 Tbsp. Chicken Granules
Olive Oil for sauteing
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Nutmet
Zest of 1 Lemon

Directions:

Wash and chop the greens. Heat oil in pan, saute onion and garlic. Once tender, add greens a handful at a time until wilted, season with nutmeg. Add beans, tea and chicken granules, heat through. Finally add salt and pepper to taste as well as lemon zest. Enjoy with family and friends and a hunk of crusty bread!

Peanut Butter Rice with Apples and Raisins

Extended Life for: Apples and Raisins

In the midst of preparing crab apple butter I developed this quick dish that was sweet, healthy and completely satisfying. I don't generally use the microwave to prepare a meal, but this day, I made an exception as I was desperately hungry.

Ingredients:

2 Green Apples, chopped
1/4 cup Raisins
1 Cup uncooked Instant Brown Rice
(plus required ingredients for cooking)
1/2 Cup Nutcracker Sweet Tea or any chai
3 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp. Honey
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

Prepare instant rice as per box directions for microwave. Prepare 1/2 cup tea, add peanut butter and honey, mix until smooth. Mix apples and raisins in a bowl. Let rice and peanut butter sauce cool slightly. Mix rice in with apples and raisins then stir in peanut butter sauce. Season with cinnamon as desired.
May be enjoyed warm or you may chill for a couple hours before enjoying!

Crab Apple Butter

Extended Life for: Laramie's abundant supply of Crab Apples

I am fortunate enough to subscribe to some wonderful magazines. One such magazine offered a small snipit on a website called FallenFruit.com whose concept is to inform citizens of fruit trees that are part of public property. Laramie is not at this time listed on the website, however it got me to thinking..."I've seen a lot of crab apples lately, I wonder if anyone has claimed them?" Then began my adventure. One afternoon, after work, I stopped by a local dentist office, inquired as to whether or not I could have their apples and received and enthusiastic "Pick til your hearts content!" And with the help of my friend Mark, that's exactly what I did.

Soon after, I began an internet search for the best crab apple recipe which I found at http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/. The following is my adaptation for their Crab Apple Butter. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

A lot of Crab Apples (10-12 Cups)
4.5 cups of water or tea
7 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
2 Tsp. Nutmeg
2 Tsp. Allspice
1 Tsp. Ground Cloves

Directions:

Wash crab apples. Place whole crab apple in stock pot with water, begin to simmer for about 45 minutes until apples are soft. Run soft apples and water through a seive, return to pot. Stir in sugar and spices then cook apple mixture on low heat for about 2 hours until thick. Proceed to can or freeze; eat or share.