Travel Sandwich

Extended Shelf Life for: Bread, Peppers and Deli Meat A fond culinary memory from Spain is that of the Bocadillo - sandwich perfection. Often when preparing to travel I wish I were packing my Senora's delicious omelet on a baguette and tuna con tomates on a baguette. Every time I was about to board a bus (or go watch a bullfight) I would have my bocadillos in hand. So, as our dear house-mates began describing the sandwhich they would take on their Spring Break road trip - it become abundantly clear that with some of the key ingredients sitting on our shelf, in our fridge and in the freezer - I knew we too needed have our own travel sandwich to enjoy.

A sandwich is not keen to having ingredient/direction lists, so for a Travel Sandwich simply purchase or dive a loaf of French Bread or Sourdough, cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out some of the bread from bottom half, drizzle olive oil, vinegar, and favorite Italian spices on both sides of the bread. Begin the layering process: salami, pepperoni, ham, peppers, onion, etc. Top off the sandwhich, slice, wrap in plastic wrap and let set overnight until you hit the road!

Edamame Dip

Extended Life for: Edamame Beans

I wasn't so sure about this recipe, well, actually I wasn't so sure about edamame in general. Needless to say, I was thrilled with this dip recipe. Once again, I found my inspiration for life extension at Allrecipes.com and surprisingly enough I didn't change a single thing in this recipe, so check it out and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips...or the tortilla chips that are on sale!

Strawberry Margarita

Extended Shelf Life for: Strawberries and Orange Juice

If you’ve ever taken a look at The Harrington Times, perhaps you recall a summer of adventure and driving. This margarita was a direct benefit of Day 9 when Mike and I found ourselves on the Extraterrestrial Highway, stopping into the Alien Research Center where we were offered a shot of Alien Tequila. The clear response to this experience was to purchase a bottle of Alien Tequila so that 8 months later we could enjoy a tart Margarita filled with strawberries of the finest fields.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a blender, mix the following:
½ cup Alien Tequila
¼ cup Orange Juice or Orange Liqueur
1 can Limeade Concentrate
1 cup non-sweetened Strawberries, fresh or frozen
Plenty of ice cubes, added 2-3 at a time, until drink is sufficiently Margarita like.

The best place to enjoy this beverage would be in a UFO of sorts with any unsuspecting extraterrestrials you can find along your way.

Babaganoush-Hummus Pasta

Extended Shelf Life for: Eggplant, Lemon, and Nut mix

Plentiful eggplants from one diving trip led me to seek out some new and potentially exciting recipes which feature the purple, spongy vegetable that is always delicious fried and extremely delicious when mixed with the ingredients for this pasta dish which can be found in Rachel Ray’s Big Orange Cookbook. I rarely love meals to the point of closing my eyes and allowing an ‘mmm’ to escape my lips followed by proclamations that ‘this is delicious’ and ‘can you believe how amazing this is?’ and ‘wow, I really like this.’ I tend to take a more critical and humble approach the food that comes from my kitchen, but not on the night of this delicious pasta dish.


Ingredients:

1 lb. Whole Wheat Penne
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 (15 oz) can Chickpeas
1 med. Eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 tsps. Ground Cumin
2 tsps. Ground Coriander
Black Pepper
1 cup Broth
1/4 cup Tahini paste
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 cup fresh Parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts or soy nuts mixed with sunflower seeds

Directions:

Bring large pot of water to boil and prepare the pasta according to package directions. Be prepared to save 1 ladle-full of pasta water before draining pasta.

While boiling water, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or wok. Add garlic and red papper, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the chickpeas and eggplant and stir to cover with the garlicky oil. Season this mix with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper, then stir in stock (or the liquid from the chickpeas). Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the eggpland is tender. Stir in the tahini paste and lemon juice and transfer to blender or food processor. Process the chickpea and eggplant mixture until almost smooth then transfer back into skillet.

Drain pasta, reserve one ladle of liquid. Add pasta water to chickpea sauce, then add the pasta and toss with the sauce. Top with parsley and pine nuts and ENJOY!

Fried Rice

Extended Life for: Carrots, Celery, Eggplant and Green Onion

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Brown Rice
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame or other oil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Canola oil
1 cup Eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 cup Carrot, diced
½ cup Celery, diced
1 bunch Green Onions, diced
Soy Sauce to taste

Directions:

Heat sesame oil in a skillet or wok; add garlic and egg beaten with 1 tsp. soy sauce. Lightly scramble egg, remove from pan. Add additional oil to wok, heat then add eggplant, carrot and celery, sauté 5-7 minutes. Add rice, egg and additional soy sauce, serve with green onions as garnish.

Grandma's Apple Crisp

Extended Shelf Life for: Apples

In preparation for marriage, as is true of most brides-to-be, I was honored to spend time with the women of my family, my future family and many dear friends. As I’ve always known I loved being in the kitchen I requested recipes be given as the gift or part of the gifts I would receive during these celebratory times.

Mike’s grandmother, frail during our courtship, engagement, and marriage could not come to the bridal showers, however she lovingly wrote out two recipes of her heritage and sent them to me in good time. One such recipe is this one for an Apple Crisp. I’ve opted out of typing the ingredients and directions because seeing on the recipe card, seems to make the preparation that much more enjoyable. And, to enjoy the finished product, I find the most important ingredient are good friends and family. I enjoyed this particular crisp with Micah and SaraJane after their own busy weekend with family and celebrations for their dear son, Mihretu.

I always hear that Grandma Harrington made the most delicious apple pies, I wonder if she ever slipped a simple apple crisp in to switch things up a bit?

Summer/Winter's Bounty Soup

Extended Shelf Life for: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Eggplant, Tomato, Carrot and Green Bean



This was unfortunately a little bland, although it could easily be adjusted with spices and/or peppers. Mostly, it’s a good way to use up a variety of vegetables and feed a lot of mouths.

Ingredients/Directions:

Place the following in a large slow-cooker:
1 Eggplant, peeled and cubed
2-3 med. Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Onion, diced
1 cup Carrots, diced
½ cup Celery
2 Zucchini, diced
1 Yellow Squash, diced
2 cups fresh of frozen Green Beans
4-6 Garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tomatoes, diced OR 1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can white Beans
2 cans Tomato soup
Italian Seasoning to taste
Water to cover Vegetables

Turn slow-cooker to low and let cook for 8 hours until ready to consume. Enjoy with bread and sisters (if you have sisters).