So sorry for the absence, but we've been dealing with a very scary Senior Dog problem. Last Friday I woke up to find my Bestest Buddy, Muffin, unable to stand steady and staggering while she walked. I didn't know if she was having a seizure or a stroke. It was 5:30 a.m. At 7:30, I called the vet and was told to bring her in immediately.
As soon as our veterinarian walked into the room, he said it was neither and he was unusually calm. Immediately he diagnosed her with "Old Dog Vestibular Disease." It's kind of an equilibrium/inner ear problem. Nothing but time and 3-5 days of quiet confinement would begin to help her. Symptoms are:
- A head tilt
- They are unsteady on their feet and may fall over (especially on slick floors and/or when shaking their heads)
- They circle in one direction or even roll across the floor
- Their eyes flick back and forth, up and down, or rotate in a circle
- An unwillingness to eat due to nausea
- Vomiting
Muffin is very slow in recovering and Dr. Dickinson believes she may always have her head tilt. My mission right now is to get some sustenance into her as she has had absolutely no appetite. She is getting stronger and has started to eat a bit (baby food and rice!).
So for those of you with senior fur-babies, should something like this happen to you, have heart. This is a fairly common health problem with seniors and it is not life-threatening, just scary for Mom and Dad.
I have a stack of recipes I'm looking forward to getting back to, so thank you for your patience and please check back in a day or two. In the meantime, my priority is my buddy and her sisters. This is, afterall, all about The Fulton Girls.
OK, I have to admit. I did post this once before, about a year ago. But it is absolutely one of my favorite soups that I make. There is an incredible depth of flavor thanks in part to the stock, sherry, and cognac.
Please don't let the list of ingredients put you off. Have everything ready and this comes together in a snap.
FYI.....I always keep my shrimp shells and just throw them in a ziplock bag until I have enough to make a batch of shrimp stock. I put them in a stockpot along with some diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, some S&P and a bouquet garni (if I have it on hand), bring to a boil, and let it simmer for an hour or so. Then I drain it through a cheesecloth and put two cups of stock in a freezer bag and freeze it so I always have some on hand. This recipe provides instructions on making a small batch with the shrimp shells you have.
SHRIMP BISQUE (4 servings)
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined, reserve shells
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups stock (shrimp or chicken....I strongly recommend shrimp)
2 cups water
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, juice saved
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp cognac or brandy
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup arborio rice
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp cognac or brandy
2/3 cup heavy cream
S&P to taste
1/2 lemon (juiced)
Chopped parsley or chives for garnish, optional
Bread bowls, optional
Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the garlic and shrimp shells and cook for 2 minutes (omit the shells if you are using your own stock). Add the flour and stir it for one minute.
Add the stock, water, tomatoes, sherry, brandy, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid into another sauce pan and discard the solids. Add the rice, tomato paste, and paprika.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 20-30 minutes.
Melt the butter in a pan. Add the shrimp and saute until just cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
Add half of the shrimp and the juices to the soup and puree until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. Add the remaining shrimp, sherry, brandy, and cream and heat to serve.
Season with S&P and lemon juice. Serve in a bread bowl, if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.
Recipe Source: www.closetcooking.com
A stir fry is a wonderful way to use protein and vegetables that are looking for a new home. Use what you have or what you like in this wonderful sauce and serve it over rice (although it's pretty darn tasty on top of mashed potatoes, too). Here's a great starter recipe, adjust it as you like. I served it with potstickers on the side.
CHICKEN STIR FRY (4 servings)
Marinate 3/4 to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken or pork (cut into strips about 1 1/2" x 1/2") or shrimp (shelled and deveined) in:
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
for half an hour. Heat skillet on high with 2Tbsp peanut or grapeseed oil. When hot, add:
1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup water chestnuts, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 cup onion, sliced
1 cup peppers (red, green, yellow, orange...whatever you have on hand)
Saute until crisp tender. Add the chicken, pork, or shrimp. Stir to start cooking (shrimp will obviously cook much quicker than the chicken or pork). Add:
2/3 cup chicken broth.
Add:
1 Tbsp hoison sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 red pepper flakes
Serve over rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and cashews.
Recipe Source: adapted from several "Joy of Cooking" recipes
I may be one of the few remaining country in this good old USA who can say this, but I have never eaten or prepared a green bean casserole in my life. It's true. And what makes even weirder is that I grew up in Oklahoma in the 60's....the mecca of jello salads and all things made with canned vegetables and cream-of-something soups. How both my mom and dad's family escaped this national holiday staple is beyond me.
And as I grew up and began to cook on my own, learning about whole, non-processed foods (and moved out of Oklahoma), I became a bit of a snob about such prosaic dishes. And then I ran across this recipe a few weeks ago which piqued my interests for two reasons: one) it was one using fresh green beans and it's own white sauce and two) it's one you can make ahead and freeze, saving valuable prep time during Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The results were amazing! If that original recipe is anything close to this one, I can understand why this dish has been around for decades. But this one has to be far-and-away better. The sauce is so good I'd like to make a soup out of it! And I can't imagine anything better than using fresh green beans (for some reason, the green beans I bought last week were better than the ones I got this summer).
So if you are a Green Bean Casserole afficionado, I urge you to try this, especially if you are planning a big get-together and need to have some dishes prepared ahead of time. FYI: You can either cut this recipe in half and make in an 8x8 dish, keep the recipe as is and bake/freeze two 8x8 dishes, or make in the 13x9 dish as instructed. If you want to try it ahead of time and cook one now, freeze one for later, cut the cooking time from 80 minutes to about 45-50 minutes since it's not frozen, and then continue with the rest of the instructions. Also, I used Panko breadcrumbs in place of the white bread breadcrumbs.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (10-12 servings)
Topping:
2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into pieces (or Panko breadcrumbs)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups canned fried onions
Casserole:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
8-10 oz white mushrooms, sliced thin (I halved the recipe, but did not half the mushrooms...I do love me mushrooms)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme, or more to taste
1/4 cup unbleached AP flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
OPTIONAL (but highly recommended): 1/2 cup slivered almonds or 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
For the topping:
Pulse the bread, butter, and salt in a food processor until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses. Combine the bread mixture (or plain Panko) and onions in a bowl, transfer to a large zip-lock freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
For the casserole:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, S&P and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, 2-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the wine, broth, and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Add almonds or water chestnuts if using.
Toss the green beans with the cornstarch in a large bowl and transfer to a 13x9" baking dish. Pour the warm mushroom mixture evenly over the beans (do not mix). Let cool completely, cover with plastic wrap, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
To cook and serve:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400F. Remove the casserole from the freezer and take away the plastic from the baking dish and replace the foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the beans are tender, about 80 minutes, stirring the beans thoroughly and adding almonds or water chestnuts after about 50 minutes (adjust times if cooking non-frozen dish). Remove the foil and spread the topping mixture over the beans. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve.
Recipe Source: www.gooddinnermom.com
I love Brussels sprouts and have them around pretty much all the time. I really like them simply boiled and served with salt and butter, especially as a snack. Really. Pass on the chips and hand me the sprouts!
But I haven't found a lot of different recipes that I like as much as the plain and simple. This is the closest. It has a touch of sweetness with the maple syrup and that wonderful "mustardy-ness" to it. I added some extra mustard seeds because that add a bit of crunch. Plus, it simply turns into a beautiful side dish.
MAPLE MUSTARD BRUSSELS SPROUTS (2-4 servings)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, stems and outer leaves removed
1 generous Tbsp whole grain mustard
1/2-1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 375F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Halve or quarter the sprouts, depending on how large they are.
In a mixing bowl, toss the sprouts with the oil, mustard, syrup, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes until everything is evenly coated.
Spread the sprouts out on the baking sheet, and roast until lightly golden brown (15-20 minutes, depending on how big they are). Watch them carefully as they burn pretty quickly. Serve warm.
Recipe Source: www.thedoughwillriseagain.com
Do you like Red Velvet Cake? Then you should try this pie (that's piiiiie here in the South!) It tastes just like it's namesake.
There are four separate recipes here, but don't let that scare you. You can use a refrigerated pie crust if you prefer for the crust and the pecans are an optional garnish. But a note on the pie ingredients......this recipe calls for a total of 4 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, whole buttermilk, and regular cream cheese. In all good consciousness, I just couldn't make something that decadant. While the pie might have been a tad fluffier, that taste with substitutions didn't suffer at all. If you're having guests and it's a one time indulgence, I don't think there would be much harm in keeping the recipe as is. Do as you like, but you'll be happy either way.
SIMPLY PIECRUST (makes one 9" piecrust)
1 1/4 cups AP flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp table salt
4-5 Tbsp ice water
Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, over surface of mixture in bowl; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425F. Roll dough into a 13" circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9" pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp.
Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
NOTE: If using refrigerated pie dough, skip the first two steps and just bake as directed in the third paragraph.
RED VELVET PIE (serves 8-10)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half
1 cup whole (or nonfat) buttermilk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (1 oz) bottle red liquid food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Cheese Topping, recipe follows
Glazed Pecans, recipe follows
Prepare Simply Piecrust as directed (shown above), baking in a 9" pie plate.
Meanwhile, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Whisk in cream, buttermilk, and eggs. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly (if you leave and come back to find a layer or burnt filling on the bottom, pour remaining mixture into another saucepan....but don't stop whisking!) Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in food coloring and vanilla.
Pour mixture into prepare crust, and cool 1 hour. Cover and chill until set, at least 3 hours.
Spoon Whipped Cream Cheese Topping over filling, and sprinkle with Glazed Pecans.
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE TOPPING (makes 6 cups)
1 (8 oz) package regular or reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp table salt
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, using whisk attachment, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add cream, beating at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
GLAZED PECANS (makes 2 cups)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper; coat parchment paper with cooking spray. Stir together 1/4 cup dark corn syrup and 2 Tbsp sugar. Add 2 cups pecan halves; stir until pecans are coated. Spread pecans in a single layer in prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until glaze bubbles slowly and thickens, stirring every 3 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack. Spread pecans in a single layer, separating individual pecans; cool completely (about 30 mintues). Cooled pecans should be crisp; if not, bake 5 more minutes.
Recipe Source: "The Southern Pie Book" by Jan Moon (Southern Living)
Macaroni and cheese is probably in just about everyone's Top Five favorite comfort foods. And there are so many wonderful variations. This is one I hadn't thought of and I don't know why. I love the flavor of jalapenos and by cooking them (sans seeds) it lessens the heat.
This original recipe does call for using peppers with seeds, but depending on your sensitivity, you can almost completely eliminate the heat by omitting the seeds and/or using few peppers.
And the orzo is a nice change from a elbow/corkscrew/penne-type of pasta. It holds the creamy sauce quite well. The directions are to make and serve this all at once, but I made it earlier in the day and then baked it (350F about 30 minutes) to heat it through and until the bread crumbs were golden.
JALAPENO POPPER ORZO MAC-n-CHEESE (6 servings)
Kosher salt
1 pound orzo
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
6 jalapeno peppers, 4 seeded and finely chopped, 2 sliced with seeds
4 tsp minced garlic
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp AP flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Black pepper
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
4 oz cream cheese
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 Fresno chili peppers, sliced
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the orzo until al dente, about 6 minutes, drain.
Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped jalapenos, the garlic, and onions and cook until the jalapenos and onions are soft, 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the milk and stir until the sauce thickens. Season with S&P. Add the cheddar and cream cheese and stir until melted.
Combine the orzo with the sauce and transfer to a casserole dish.
Melt the remaining 4 Tbsp butter and toss with the panko to coat. Sprinkle over the casserole and top with the sliced jalapenos and Fresno chilies.
