Wednesday 27 July 2016

Another Delicious Soup IS Whatever Is In the Fridge Silly Creations

Yesterday was the weekly EA Cafe at Edith Avenue Baptist Church.  Every Tuesday from 12-3 PM at 20 Edith Avenue, Saint John, New Brunswick.  Let me again take the opportunity to thank those who help put this Cafe on and All the wonderful people we meet.

One of the fundamental ideas we try to teach at the Cafe, is outlined in a short video about the Cafe on our church website at www.hesattheavenue.com.  following question is asked; what can you do with what you have?  Or, how we cook at the Cafe, is all about working with what we have, not with what we would like to have.

So, yesterday, we decided that a soup would be on the lunch menu.

Along with Homemade Buttery Biscuits.  One variety was a Rosemary-Garlic and the other was Zested Orange Rind and Black Pepper.  Very tasty.  I use this basic recipe with the above mentioned adaptations:

http://www.marthastewart.com/316713/flaky-buttery-biscuits

Back to the Soup!

We served a Black Bean - Bacon - Meatball - Shredded Carrot - Onion Soup.

Using up whatever we had on hand.  A member of one of the churches in my former parish made the following remark to me as I was describing what we do at the Cafe.  She said, you are cooking the way my mother did.  Using whatever you had on hand.

One of my grandmothers once laughed and said to me when I asked how she made such a great soup, "Soup is whatever is in the fridge, silly."

The soup was very well received.  One man who I did not think would eat it said, different but Good.

Food Banks have lots of beans available to give away and this soup was another example of teaching how to make a soup with the beans that can be found at the Food Bank or at your grocery store.

In sharing food we share life.  Jesus Christ came and shared our lives and shared food with his followers.  We now have the privilege to do the same.  The blessings that can flow are truly life altering if we allow them to be.



Enjoy!  Find Life!

What Does This Say About Some Food Providers?

Last night,  I decided to pay for my forgetfulness and eat chicken drumsticks that had been cooked and left in the fridge for 9 days.

Did Not Pay For it! Feeling Fine! 

So, there's a lesson for everyone in keeping food.

These slow smoked chicken drumsticks were done on the BBQ in a 150 - 180 degree heat.  Rubbed down with my Homemade Tuscan Herb Blend and brushed with my Homemade Coffee-Whiskey-Rosemary-Chives-Garlic BBQ Sauce.

Left in the fridge for 9 days because I did forget about them.  Were delicious!

When 9 day old slow smoked chicken drumsticks can taste far better then the food provided at a recent special event I attended.  What does this say about some businesses offering food for sale to the public and perhaps more importantly the expectations of the food buying public?

So Homemade Tuscan Herb Blend and Homemade Coffee-Whiskey-Rosemary-Chives-Garlic BBQ Sauce for the Win!

Demand Better Eating People When Your Out in Public!


Enjoy Food and Life.

Monday 25 July 2016

A Fancy BBQ HotDog? Tis True! Can Happen! Check here!

A Fancy BBQ HotDog?  Tis True! Can Happen! 

Check here!


Funds low? Forgot you only had hotdogs in the fridge?

Do not despair!

Needed:  Hotdogs

                  Herbs Provence

                  BBQ Sauce -- I am using my Homemade Coffee-Whiskey-Rosemary-Chives-Garlic                                              Sauce.

                  Smoking Chips

                  BBQ

         
                 Low heat.  About 150-180 degrees.  Place hotdogs on the grill and let smoke for 3-4 hours.  Place smoking chips and Herbs Provence mixture in the coals at the beginning.  With about an hour left brush sparingly with the BBQ sauce.


After removing place in a container and apply more BBQ Sauce while still hot.

Taste?  Delicious and Fancy because you then can say these are French made HotDogs!  So you can be bored with the same old Hotdogs or create a Fancy French Influenced HotDog.









Enjoy!














Saturday 23 April 2016

A Forthcoming BBQ Sauce Announcement!

Tried something tonight and it has me pondering.

Creating my own version of a Coffee BBQ Sauce.

Hint -- with a couple of the ingredients I have been talking about on this site lately.

More later.

Sunday 17 April 2016

Announcing .... Another Homemade Pizza Adventure! A Tuscan, Coffee BBQ Sauce, Italian Sausage Pizza

Hello;

Pizza on the Brain Again.  Can't Help It.  


A Tuscan, Coffee BBQ Sauce, Italian Sausage Pizza


So I arrive on Saturday morning at the Saint John City Market, to buy my needed Flatbread and Tzatziki Sauce from Turkan’s Middle Eastern Home Cooking.   Long may they remain! 

My needed supplies in tow I put together the following pizza. 

14 inch Flat bread.

Tzaatziki Sauce

Frozen spinach.  Thinly Sliced Spanish Onions.  Love the robust flavour of these onions.  I believe in thinly slicing onions to enhance the flavour.

Tuscan Herb mixture  (my own mixture),  and Garlic Powder (Kirkland Granulated California Garlic).  

Maple Leaf Mild Italian Sausage.  Cooked and diced.  Very tasty.  Will buy again.

Before the Cheese is added, sprinkle Coffee BBQ Sauce over the already added ingredients.

Shredded Feta Cheese

Shredded Italian Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  Yes, you can use the stuff in a can but don't tell me about it.  Just kidding.


Cook at 400 degrees until cheese begins to melt and leave in depending on how brown you want the cheese to be.

The Coffee BBQ Sauce adds a spicy but not to spicy tangy addition to the pizza.
Very Nice!







Enjoy!










Thursday 14 April 2016

Mustard, Peppercorn Ranch Dressing and Sauteed Onions Makes For Yummy Delicious!

Burgers were on the brain today after some shopping for church supplies.

So into the Stainless Steel Pan went 2 frozen burgers.  Yes 2 frozen burgers.  Yes Stainless Steel Fry Pan.  I am no fan of the coated fry pans other then maybe the ceramic rock pans.  And Cast Iron Pans are just perfect for a grilled steak, apple crisp and other yummy stuff.  But we are off course.

With some cooking still needed -- red liquid laying over most of the burger surface.  With frozen burgers you get the liquid you could not have with a fresh made burger.  I removed the burgers and laid in sliced onions.  Sauteed until beginning to turn golden brown.  Returned burgers to the pan and cooked onions until a dark brown appearance began to form.

Plated the burgers.  Topped with onions, cheese slices, Peppercorn Ranch dressing and Dijon Mustard.  I love a coarse Dijon Mustard.

The Mustard and Peppercorn Ranch Dressing would work nicely on pork, chicken or fish.  I probably would use a squeeze of lime with those meal choices.


Additional Notes -- When using pork, chicken or fish with this Sauce I would add some white wine to de-glaze and a squeeze of lime after plating.




Enjoy!

Sunday 3 April 2016

A Sauce With Many Uses -- And Part of it is Home Fries and WIne!

Hello:

Lately I have been becoming a big fan of the spice called Sumac.  Adding this ingredient to many different dishes.  The citrus flavour makes a lovely contrast for turkey, chicken, pork and fish.  I have yet to experiment with a beef stir fry with orange zest and broccoli.

The meal tonight started with 2 Frozen pork chops placed in stainless steel fry pan with Herbs Provence and Sumac and some water to allow it to cook faaster.  Cooked at a 4-6 double setting on the burner.  About 10 minutes in added some frozen chopped spinach and peas to cook in the liquid.

Before the pork chops were completely cooked.  With some pink liquid resting on the top side.  Remove all ingredients and add home fries cut in large chunks.  Add enough water continuously to cover the bottom of the fries and cook creating pan drippings for later.  This is important as the title suggests!

Add everything back together and heat it through.

Plate and add white wine to hot pan and scrape .... scrape and scrape some more!  You will create a lovely home fry infused sauce to drizzle over the chops.  Very Tasty!  Infused with the herbs and the home fries.  Amazing taste!

A little Ranch dressing to drizzle over the peas and spinach is also nice.


Enjoy!