Quick Breakfast & Lunch

Oatmeal with raspberries, walnuts, a little milk, some hot water, a couple of dashes of cinnamon, and 1 table spoon of Agave nectar. It was quick.

 

 

Spinach, steam cooked Salmon, and walnuts for lunch. Quick and so easy.

 

 

For flavor, Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.....Yum!

Ceviche at Lunch.

I just put 2 Tilapia fillets in 3/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of water, in sauce pan over low heat until the fish was cooked; then I added the cooked fish to a bowl with chopped cilantro, onion, tomato, and 1 tbsp. of lime juice. At lunch time, I just added chopped avocado and mixed all together and put over tostada. Yum! Oh and Cholula of course. I could not wait to snap the shot so that is why the photo depicts a bite, yes I bit it off and it was so delish.

 

Though comfort food is usually for this season, this was quick and easy. Yay!

Not Every Day!

 

Cardinal Rodriguez INVITED us to briefly sit down with him-thank you Jesus. (Yes when I went up to the cardinal, I kissed his hand-not his ring. For those that aren’t fluent with Catholicism, let’s just say one shouldn’t be in those moments and miss an etiquette protocol of that magnitude.)

We chatted, in Español, about Abel’s name (not Cain), the boy in Lubbock, the local parishes, some of his history, this being his third trip to the diocese here, and the Pope. He even showed us a photo on his cell phone that he took of the Pope holding up a Chivas jersey-definitely not anything our previous generations could imagine seeing. (It was like a pleasant dream that you wake up and just think cool.)

Before mass, he spoke words that just resonate “…be brilliant in love…is in the heart of evangelization…”  I was in awe (his eminence) and just grateful for the favor of having met him and that we had a photo with him.

Mass procession was led by a few priests wearing surplices as they would serve at the altar (no altar boys or girls today), then deacons, priests, monsignors, and the bishop all wearing color coordinated chasubles….vestment. Then, the Cardinal followed holding his Crosier (so pretty), his scarlet color chasuble, the mitre on his head, as he walked by and the choir sang softly with the harp sound just adding that deep feeling to all our silent excitement as we stood and watched. He made it to the altar and took off his mitre and ensured his scarlet zucchetto remained on his head.

NO PHOTOS during mass were allowed but during the homily, his eminence said things like Es de bien nacido ser bien agradecido/ to be grateful is to be well-born when he spoke of his elementary years in school. The Eucharist was given by all priests, a sight I had never seen before.  

WOW, it’s not every day a cardinal gives a mass here……….and I was there. I serve the One but it sure is pretty cool to see the familial rituals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93scar_Andr%C3%A9s_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Maradiaga

Zucchini Medallions

Thank goodness for great giving neighbors, such a favor.




My Zucchini Medallions

Prep skillet first so it can heat up while you prep the rest of ingredients

Take a big spoon (the kind your grandmothers, mothers, and or aunts used) and get a big spoonful of shortening, Lard and put in skillet-about 1/2" deep when melted. This does not need to be perfect scientific measures. Or, 1 cup of oil, if it's a 12" diameter skillet. Turn on to a medium heat and let it begin heating.

Get 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk (2%), pour into a medium to large bowl and set aside.
2 lg zucchini, cut into 1/4" width slices-pat dry and set slices aside

Breading ingredients:
2 cups of flour, all-purpose
2 tblsp of garlic powder
1 tblsp of cayenne pepper
1 tblsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper

Mix above breading ingredients all together in any cake pan. You may moderate breading ingredients to your liking.

Immerse zucchini slices in milk

Put slices from milk into breading ingredients, flour both sides.

Wet finger tip and put over hot oil, if you hear it pop then the oil is hot enough to begin the deep fry.

Put enough sliced floured zucchinis in the hot oil in skillet but not where they are over other slices. Leave about 1/2" between slices when frying. Wait 5 minutes or so to flip and if it's a light golden brown then flip to other side. Wait until they fry to a nice golden brown though and test one first before flipping the others. Once you get your pretty brown then begin flipping to other side.

Take out of oil and put on a paper towel on a brown paper bag, shown below. Wait about 7 minutes while they cool and drain then serve with your favorite summer meals. (Yes, I took a bite out of one, shown below.)

Dip medallions in your favorite sauces. We enjoy best with ranch dressing, some with ketchup.

Enjoy.

Cheese and Beef Enchiladas

 

All ingredients in photo above were used.

 

Put pinto beans and rice in water and set aside, about an hour (beans can be left in water over night). Beans cook quicker and so does rice.

 

Begin your prep work. Chop chiles and onion for the beef. Set aside 1/4 cup of diced onions to top enchiladas.

 

 

Begin browning ground beef and add chopped chile and onion. I used Serrano.

 

Once your ground beef appears cooked, then add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and 1 1/2 tblsp of Caldo con Sabor de Res, Beef flavor Bouillon. Add water-enough that your meat is under water then cook down to just ground beef. Set aside to cool.

 

Once my beef is cooked then I begin my beans. I put water to boil and once it begins bubbling/boiling, I add my uncooked pinto beans then 1 tblsp of oil and 1 tsp of salt. Let cook until beans are soft and ready to eat.

 

 

Brown rice, until golden brown then add onion. Before you add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, add 1 tsp of minced garlic and a pinch of cumin seeds then add water-about 1 1/2 cups of water for 1/2 cup uncooked rice and let cook.

 

Begin the magical red enchilada sauce, 2 tblsp of oil.

 

2 tblsp of flour.

 

Whisk oil and flour together, like a roux sauce.

 

Add water once you have a thick smooth substance, I added 1 1/2 cups of water. If you like it thicker then add flour to a mixing cup and add water and whisk together-aside from main mixture then add from mixing cup to this main mixture until you get your desired thickness.

 

Add the chili powder. I love the red stuff so I used 4 1/2 tblsp of chili powder, your favorite brand works fine. 

 

Keep whisking together. Add minced garlic and a pinch of cumin seed, ha that's my secret and it's the same taste at little amounts so they all add up at the end.....yum....and it's delish. My other sauce secret, 1 tsp of Caldo de Tomate, Tomato Bouillon-yum.  You cannot mess this up, just keep adding any of these combinations until it taste like enchilada sauce that you like.

 

Once you get your taste right where you like it, remove from heat. Spoon some in the pan you will cook your enchiladas in to begin your assembly line work.

 

 

You can spoon some sauce in the oil you cook your tortillas in, I just use oil because the sauce seems to soften the tortilla almost to a torn tortilla. Just 1 tblsp of oil will work just fine and if you begin running low on oil, just add some more oil.

 

Begin the rolling-I started with cheese.

 

 

Then I rolled the beef ones.



 

I put diced onions on top, added the cheese and sauce. Cooked in oven for about 20 minutes, on 300 degrees. I have been known to lower the degrees and leave in oven for no more than 45 minutes until the beans and rice to serve all warm and freshly made at the same time. Yum and delish.

 

 

Dinner served! This is not a calorie cutting diet suggestion so eat less if you can and if not, you will find great savor in this heavenly combination of ingredients. 

 

 

Enjoy!!!!

He Did Not Wait!

A chocolate cake is always a good idea.

 

 

 

Step 1: I just followed the instructions on the box.

 

 

Step 2: I had to get it just perfect after allowing it to cool for about 45 minutes.

 

Step 3: It looked so picture perfect.

 

 

Step 4: Walked away to wait until the morning for some milk with fresh chocolate cake for breakfast.

 

 

About five minutes later, I walked back through the kitchen and found this. He asked why I would wait a whole night before cutting into it and told me not to cover it back up because he was not finished. He said it was delicious and that he would save me some.

 

Life is awesome and I live with a funny guy. 

Mole con Arroz on Cinco de Mayo

The battle of Puebla went to the Mexican army in 1862, rather than the French forces. Thus, Cinco de Mayo. Yes, there is much more history but that is my gist.

Today is an excuse for me to make something special as a way to pay tribute to my paternal side of the family and heritage.

I felt like Mole ("mowlay"). It's a thick sauce, consistency of gravy, with chicken and it's delicious.

The real sauce consists of many different ingredients, such as peanuts, spices, chiles, chocolate, and some may use coffee grains or cold coffee. I have read that it takes a long time to cook the sauce when made from scratch, something like 8 to 12 hours. Mine is out of jar and I modify it to my liking.

I cook my chicken breasts first (you can use your favorite chicken pieces), in an iron skillet.

 

Once it's cooked, set aside.

 

In same iron skillet, add the following:

 

1 tblsp of cooking oil;

2 tblsp of creamy peanut butter, your favorite brand;

1/2 jar of Mole; and

1 cup of water.

 

Reminds me of making gravy without flour and I like to use the juices from chicken so I always use the same skillet.

 

Lower the heat, medium to low heat works fine. Mix above ingredients together until you see a thick paste like consistency then gradually add water to sauce while you keep mixin water into sauce. I sometimes use a whisk.

 

 

 

Work the lumps out, just like you do when making gravy.

 

Add cooked chicken back into iron skillet, with it's broth.

 

 

While Mole finishes cooking on low heat, cook rice to your liking in a different sauce pan.

 

I brown my rice, then add minced garlic, cumin seeds, and sliced onion-powders of both work just fine too.

 

I add tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper then let my rice cook.

 

 

Once the rice was done then it was time to serve my favorite and wonderful Mole.

 

 

Below is the jar I mentioned above:

 

Dinner was served. I enjoy my Mole with corn tortillas (store bought work just fine). I know people eat it Mole with bread, flour tortillas, or just a big spoon.

 

Today was a wonderful day for me and yum, I had Mole con arroz. Life is good.

 

I Saw George Tonight!

Saturday night with George...........Foreman grill. Ha! Good ole George always keeps it lite.

 

 

 

My other half had to work so dinner for one it was. 

 

I kept things with George simple because I try not to over work good ole George. It was sliced turkey on wheat bread and I added Swiss and American cheese slices. I squeezed some Chipotle mustard on one slice and spread lite mayo on the other then pressed together, like so.

 

 

I buttered my wheat bread and on hot George it went, like so.

 

 

So while George was hard at work, I needed something on the side to add flavor and I went with red.

 

 

Okay and I did not wait until the sandwich was done. I did get a head start with Santa Ema......I had to have something to encourage my patience while little George kept the heat going.

 

Just 4 minutes or so on each side and it was time to remove my little sandwich.

 

Yep it was just too simple and lonely of a turkey sandwich. I had to keep George's heat burning after getting him all worked up so I added some crab legs. I swept them with butter and listened to them sizzle while I watched them grill.

 

 

It ended up being about 5 minutes on each side of the legs and they were ready.

 

 

The highlight of my evening was that I found an old music album online that I listened to when I dated my husband, over 20 years ago. It was amazing how the songs instantly brought back all those  hot summer memories from all those years ago. Who knew.

 

 

I cheated and took a sample bite of my turkey sandwich.

 

My dinner with George was nice and smooth and I will add......very tasty. I savored the different tastes as I strolled down memory lane. Wow, it's hard to believe that it was more than 20 years ago of dressing up, getting the hair style just right (early 90s so it was still worn high back then), just the right amount of make-up, and not too much perfume to impress the guy that seems to have kept his word-as far as I know anyway.

 

Nights like tonight, I do enjoy my one-girl private dinners. Tonight was a bit different as it was filled with fun and great memories of the guy that still drives me crazy. He has been a blessing and has managed to teach me that love is so fulfilling as much as it is challenging.

 

I sure do hope he says something about the music when I play it for him. Maybe he will notice.