The Fat Lady Chronicles

Look What I Did!

I came across a pattern for a crocheted baby hat.  I had to tweak it a bit to make it fit an infant (the actual pattern directions made it too big, in my opinion), but here's how it turned out.

No, it's not food, but it's cute and that counts for something.

Gina

 

Tuna - In Style

Since this is food related, I thought I'd share this here.

Canned or packaged tuna is sometimes hard to use.  Most good tuna recipes call for a fillet or a steak.  This one can use either.  It's healthy and it doesn't taste fishy.

6 oz of tuna per serving -- drained if necessary
Either use canned diced tomatoes or use fresh - about two small tomatoes or one and a half medium sized tomatoes per serving - diced
one or two cloves of garlic - depends upon how much you like garlic
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO in Rachel Ray parlance)
1/2 an onion - chopped per every two servings
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of chardonnay
Rosemary
Salt and Pepper

OPTIONAL - chop up a bell pepper and add with the tomatoes and onions.

Vermicelli or thin spaghetti per package directions for number of servings.

First, in a 10" frying pan add the EVOO. Before you turn the heat on, add the crushed or chopped clove or two of garlic and gently warm the oil and garlic, infusing the oil with the flavor of the garlic.  After a few minutes of heat, raise the temp to medium, add the chopped tomatoes and onion.  Stir it around in the oil and garlic.  Add the rosemary (to taste) - maybe half a teaspoon or so - , lemon juice, chardonnay, salt and pepper to taste.  Don't cook it down until the moisture is gone.  Add a little if you do.

Let all this cook down on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes. 

In the last 5 minutes, add the tuna - just to warm it.

Serve immediately over pasta.

I gotta tell ya, the little bit of wine cuts the acid from the tomatoes and the lemon.  It come out with a bright lemony-tomato-y flavor softened just a bit by the wine.  It doesn't taste fishy.

It's a bit of work to chop the tomatoes and the onion, but, I'm telling ya, it's good!

VW

Not Farmer's Cheese

Okay, I know I said Farmer's Cheese was up next, but like a few Democrats (who shall remain nameless), I lied.  And since I am co-owner of this blog, there's nothing you, readers, can do about it.

But let it ease your mind to know that I have another tasty treat to share with you:
Cranberry Orange Scones

Stir together:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar

Cut in:
6 tbsp. butter, margarine, or shortening

Add:
2/3 cups dried, sweetened cranberries
2 tsp. orange zest (optional)

Stir in (to make soft dough):
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice

Knead lightly on flour covered board.  Roll or pat out about 1/2" thick.  Using a knife (or a pizza cutter), cut dough edges to make a rectangle.  Cut rectangle into smaller squares, and cut squares on the diagonal to make triangles.  Brush tops with melted butter or margarine, and sprinkle with sugar  Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.   Serve with butter, honey, jam, syrup, whipped cream, ice cream, anything you can think of!

Paste one to each thigh,
Gina

Middle Eastern Meat Loaf

If you thought his music was bad in English, you should hear it in Arabic.  (Ba-dum, ching!)

Seriously, folks, I found a recipe that I am definitely going to try, and I think YOU should try it with me.  I went looking today for crock pot recipes that use ground beef.  I came across some great ones, which I didn't end up using.   I'm not sure if I will either, except for this particular one from A Crock Cook.

Mama, this one is right up your Allah.  (I'm sure I'll be getting death threats now for making a funny, but I couldn't resist.)

Anyway, the Crock Cook suggests serving the loaf with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes, but I'm thinking it would be more authentic (if we are willing to call meat loaf a true Middle Eastern dish) to combine it with something like couscous with dried apricots or tabouleh, and steamed asparagas.

Up next, Farmer's Cheese.

سعيد الأك
Gina

Bechamel!

Lately, that's what it sounds like when I sneeze.  Too much information?  I ended up with the same upper respiratory junk that Mama and VW are sporting these days.  I'm on the mend (I think!), but my oldest daughter ended up with ear infections in both ears.  She's now facing 10 days of antibiotics.

Cry a few tears for us, will ya?

Now, on to Bechamel.  In case you don't speak culinary, Bechamel is a fancy name for basic white sauce.  I love to make this sauce because it is so versatile (as you'll soon see), and very easy.  It takes about 3 minutes to prepare, and is the only sauce recipe that I've been able to make that is never lumpy.  Trust me, even if you can't get gravy right, you'll be able to make a smooth white sauce.

Here's a little information from What's Cooking America about Bechamel sauce:

Béchamel Sauce (bay-shah-mel) - As the housewife in the 17th Century did not have the luxury of modern refrigeration, they were wary of using milk in their recipes. Peddlers were known to sell watered down or rancid produce. Basically, only the rich or royalty could use milk in their sauces.

In France, it is one of the four basic sauces called "meres" or "mother sauces" from which all other sauces derive. It is also know as "white sauce." It is a smooth, white sauce made with flour, boiled milk, and butter. It is usually served with white meats, eggs, and vegetables. It forms the basis of many other sauces.

To read the rest, visit their History of Sauces page.  It covers alot.  (Pun intended.)

And now, here's how to make a good Bechamel.

2 tbsp. butter or margarine (do not use spread, it separates)

2 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 cup milk (skim is fine)

Melt butter or margarine  over medium heat. When melted, add flour.  Whisk together.  This butter-flour paste is called a roux.

To the roux, add milk.  Whisk until the butter, flour, and milk are blended together.  Season with salt and pepper.   Reduce heat to medium low and stir frequently to avoid scorching the milk.  When the milk begins to boil, continue to stir for about 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens.

Here's the cool thing about the basic white sauce:
Want thinner sauce?  Use less of the roux.  (And conversely, for thicker sauce, use more.)  Therefore, if the sauce turns out too thin, add extra roux.  If it turns out too thick, add more milk.  The above recipe can also be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, whatever you need for what you're making.

Now here's what you can do with it:
Chicken or beef gravy: Add 1 crushed bouillion cube for each cup of milk used.  Serve over meat, potatoes, etc.

Chicken pot pie: Make up a double batch of basic white sauce, add 2 crushed chicken bouillion cubes with the milk.  When sauce is thick, add cooked chicken, and cooked vegetables.  Pour into an 8x8 casserole dish, top with pie crust, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Beef stew: same as above, but don't bake.

Macaroni and cheese: WAY better than Kraft.  Make the basic white sauce, add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese for each cup of milk.  Along with salt and pepper, add a dash or two of onion powder.  Pour over cooked pasta shells, and mix well.  Optional: pour into casserole dish and top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Cream of broccoli or potato soup:  Make the basic white sauce.  Add cooked broccoli or potato (or both).  Don't forget to season it!  Other things to add: cooked cubed ham, bacon, or chicken, cheddar cheese,

Vanilla pudding: Yes, it can be done.  Make the basic white sauce (without salt and pepper!).  After adding the milk, add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract (imitation is fine), 2 tablespoons of sugar, and one drop of yellow food coloring (optional).  Cook until thickened.  Serve warm with fresh or frozen berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.  Also good just by itself.

The possibilities are endless!  Here's one more recipe I came up with that turned out well.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole
Basic White Sauce (doubled)
1/2 cup salsa
1 can chicken, drained
4 or 5 flour tortillas, cut into squares or triangles
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup corn chips, crushed (about 10 to 12 whole chips)

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass pan).  Spray 8x8 casserole pan with cooking spray.  Add salsa to basic white sauce, and mix thoroughly.  Add chicken, tortillas, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and corn.  Mix well.  Pour into casserole pan.  Top with crushed corn chips and remaining cheese.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Happy cooking, and even happier eating!

Gina