Car Ride Bento

Car Ride Bento

Cherry tomatoes turned into balloon and cherries with the picks

grapes

Broccoli

Sandwich Car, sausage, cheese, nori, and perhaps ham

Campfire Hearty Chili

Campfire Hearty Chili

Campfire  Hearty Chili

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium can chili beans with seasoning

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 packet chili seasoning

 

Place a 12″ Dutch oven over 10 hot coals arranged in a circle. Add 1 T. vegetable oil. Sauté diced onion until translucent. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover with flat lid and add 8 hot coals. Simmer for 60 minutes, adding additional hot coals as needed. Serve hot with corn bread or corn chips. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

 

Can also pour over individual sized frito bags.

Smiling Egg Bento

Smiling Egg Bento

In perusing bentos, I have noticed a lot of eggs in this or similar state.  I have never contemplated sending a sunny side up egg in a lunch box.  Not even sure it felt/feels safe.  But it is an adorable little sunny face with its nori smile and crab stick cheeks!  Mushroom looks easy enough with cheese and cold cut like salami.  I also see some mushrooms, crab sticks, a dumpling, and what is that vegetable?  I thought it was okra, but now I am not sure, and I’m not sure how its cooked in that coating.

Fougasse (Provençal Bread with Olive and Herbs)

Fougasse (Provençal Bread with Olive and Herbs)

Fougasse (Provençal Bread with Olive and Herbs)

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

4 1⁄2 cups flour

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing loaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

Cornmeal, for dusting

1⁄2 cup minced kalamata olives

1⁄4 cup minced green olives

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

2 tbsp. minced fresh thyme

1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

 

In a large bowl, stir together yeast, sugar, and 1 1⁄3 cups water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, 10 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, and salt and mix until a dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 6 minutes. Cover with a damp towel; let sit until doubled in size, 1 1⁄2 hours.

Heat oven to 500°. Divide dough into 5 equal pieces. Working with one dough piece at a time, roll into a rough 8″ x 5″ triangle. Transfer rectangle to a cornmeal-dusted, parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut three lengthwise parallel slashes in middle of dough and one small slash below and parallel to middle large slash. Spread slashes apart with your fingers. Cover with a damp towel; let rest until puffed, about 30 minutes. Combine olives and herbs in a bowl. Lightly brush each dough piece with oil; sprinkle with olive mixture and season with salt and pepper. Bake, one at a time, until golden brown, about 15 minutes each.

Campfire Burgers in Foil “Hobo Dinner”

Campfire Burgers in Foil “Hobo Dinner”

Burgers in Foil

1 Package 1 ½ lb ground beef
4 16-inch squares aluminum foil
4 Carrots, sliced
1 Can potatoes 16 oz, sliced
2 Green bell pepper, chopped, optional
Dehydrated onion flakes or sliced onions
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Separate meat onto four portions. Place each in the center of a square of aluminum foil. Top with equal portions of chopped carrots, potatoes and peppers. Season with dehydrated onions, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Seal foil, checking for leaks. Place on hot coals for 10 to 15 minutes per side.

Great British Fry-Up Breakfast

Great British Fry-Up Breakfast

Great British Fry-Up Breakfast

8 pork and leek sausages

2 tomatoes – cut in half

1 tin of baked beans

8 rashers smoked dry-cured back bacon

4 field mushrooms

6 eggs, cracked into a bowl

Thick sliced bread for toasting

A knob of butter for toast

Freshly ground black pepper and Maldon sea salt

 

Preheat grill to high, set the oven to 100°C (212F)  and put in 4 plates. Using a nice large tray put the sausages, tomatoes (cut side up) and mushrooms under the grill, about 5cm from the heat and cook for around 15 mins, turning the sausages once or twice. After this time add to the tray the bacon and black pudding and leave until the bacon is cooked and crispy. Put the baked beans in a saucepan and warm gently. Put a non-stick frying pan on a low heat. Add a knob of butter and the eggs with some salt and pepper and stir gently until just scrambled and cooked. Put the bread down in the toaster, arrange the eggs, sausages, tomatoes and beans with the bacon and mushrooms on the plates and when the toast pops up, serve with tomato ketchup, HP sauce and a pot of tea

Campfire Slow Roasted Root Vegetables

Campfire Slow Roasted Root Vegetables

Campfire Slow Roasted Root Vegetables

1 bag baby carrots

2 onions peeled and cut in wedges

3 parsnips, peeled and cut into thick slices

1 lb. baby red potatoes, washed (or sweet potatoes, cut into smaller chunks)

6 cloves whole garlic, peeled

3 T. olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. dried rosemary

In a 12” cast iron Dutch oven with feet, combine vegetables and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and mix to coat evenly. Add salt, pepper and rosemary. Gently mix together. Arrange 4 hot coals in a circle and place Dutch oven over coals. Cover with flat lid and top with 6 more hot coals. Let roast for 75-90 minutes, adding fresh coals as needed. Serve hot.

Tonkatsu Bento

Tonkatsu Bento

Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet).  You can buy tonkatsu sauce or make an approximation with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.

Rice

Salad, Broccoli, Yellow Tomato, Cherry Tomato, Radish

Dressing

Toad in the Hole

Toad in the Hole

Toad in the Hole

8 large good-quality sausages

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 large red onions, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced

2 knobs of butter

Sunflower oil

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 level tablespoon good-quality vegetable stock powder or 1 vegetable stock cube

¾ C. Milk

¾ C. Flour

A pinch of salt

3 eggs

 

Mix the batter ingredients together and put to one side. I like the batter to go huge, so the key thing is to have an appropriately sized baking tin, the thinner the better, as we need to get the oil smoking hot. Put 1cm of sunflower oil into a baking tin, and then place this on the middle shelf of your oven at its highest setting (240-250ºC/475ºF/gas 9). Place a larger tray underneath it to catch any oil that overflows from the tin while cooking. When the oil is very hot, add your sausages. Keep your eye on them and allow them to color until lightly golden. At this point, take the tin out of the oven, being very careful, and pour your batter over the sausages. Throw a couple of sprigs of rosemary into the batter. It will bubble and possibly even spit a little, so carefully put the tin back in the oven, and close the door. Don’t open it for at least 20 minutes, as Yorkshire puddings can be a bit temperamental when rising. Remove from the oven when golden and crisp. For the onion gravy, simply fry off your onions and garlic in the oil.

Savory Ham & Cheese Palmiers

Savory Ham & Cheese Palmiers

Savory Ham & Cheese Palmiers

 

1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Fresh Thyme

4 ounces very thinly sliced good-quality baked ham, such as Black Forest

1 cup (2 ounce) freshly and finely grated Parmesan cheese

 

Roll pastry into 12-inch square then brush with mustard. Mince 2 teaspoons thyme and sprinkle over top. Lay ham evenly over top to edge of pastry and sprinkle with Parmesan. Roll up both sides of dough until they meet in the middle. Wrap log of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim ends of log, then slice into 1/3-inch-thick pieces with sharp knife. Lay on prepared sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer palmiers to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat

Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat

Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat

10 spring roll pastry sheets or brick pastry sheets

270 gms – 10 oz. beef mince

2 tsp Ras el Hanout

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

1 pinch chili powder

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Coriander or parsley leaves

Salt to taste

 

Sauté the chopped onion in the extra virgin olive oil until translucent. Add the spices and cook them off for a minute. Add the beef mince and brown it.  Cook it for 10 minutes. Add the salt, pine nuts and coriander/parsley leaves and put the fire off. Let it cool down. Cut the spring roll dough sheets in half.  Brush some melted butter on the bottom two-thirds. Add a large spoonful of filling about 2.5 cm – 1 inch from the bottom of the dough.  Fold up the bottom edge of the dough to enclose the filling. Fold the bottom left corner of the dough upwards and to the right, until it meets the right edge of the dough. Use your fingers to mold the dough around the filling to keep it enclosed as you fold. Now you have your first “triangle.” Hold the top right top corner of the triangle in place to keep the filling inside, and flip the bottom right corner up and to the left, until the triangle is aligned with the left edge of the strip of dough.  Now you should have a nice triangle. Continue folding the triangle, right and then left, until you reach the end of the dough. When you reach the end, trim the end of the dough to make a flap. Fold it and tuck it into the “pocket” formed by the open edge of dough. Deep fry the briouat in vegetable oil at 170°C – 340°F until golden brown on all sides.  Drain the excess oil onto some kitchen paper and serve warm.

Campfire Chicken in Foil

Campfire Chicken in Foil

Chicken in foil

1 sm Green pepper, chopped
½ sm Red pepper, chopped
10 Mushrooms, chopped
4 lg Chicken breasts
1 cans Pineapple slices (8oz)
Non-stick cooking spray or 1 tsp butter
Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
4 Squares heavy-duty foil (16×16 inches)

Divide the bell peppers and mushrooms into 4 equal parts. Coat a small area in the center of the foil with cooking spray or a small amount of butter. Place a portion of peppers and mushrooms on the greased area of the foil. Top with a chicken breast and a pineapple slice. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to your taste. Fold the foil securely and check for leaks. Place on the coals for 10 to 15 minutes per side

Tuna Cakes

Tuna Cakes

Tuna Cakes

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing (enclose if container isn’t air /water tight)

Celery, Carrots, Tomato Chunks

Rosemary Raisin Crisps

Vietnamese-Style Skirt Steak with Herb and Noodle Salad

Vietnamese-Style Skirt Steak with Herb and Noodle Salad

Vietnamese-Style Skirt Steak with Herb and Noodle Salad

1/2 C. Asian fish sauce

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes

3 T. fresh orange or tangerine juice

3 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced

1 T. dark brown sugar

1 jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and minced

1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak

8 ounces dried rice noodles (any shape), cooked according to the package directions

1 1/2 C. thinly sliced Persian, Asian, or Kirby cucumbers

1 1/2 C. thinly sliced radishes

1 C. torn fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)

1/2 C. unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

 

In a measuring C., mix together the fish sauce, lime zest and juice, orange juice, garlic, brown sugar, and chile. Set aside half of this mixture to dress the noodles. Place the steak in a shallow bowl or in a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag, pour the remaining marinade over it, and seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Heat a grill or broiler to high. Remove the steak from the marinade, wipe off the excess marinade, and grill over direct heat or under the broiler until the steak reaches the desired doneness, 2 to 4 minutes per side for rare (the broiler might take a few minutes longer). Let the steak rest, lightly covered with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the noodles, cucumbers, radishes, mint leaves, and peanuts with the reserved marinade. Slice the steak very thin. Slice the steak very thin. Divide the noodle mixture among individual serving plates, and top each portion with slices of steak. Garnish with additional mint leaves if desired.

 

Campfire Corn Pudding

Campfire Corn Pudding

Campfire Corn Pudding

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

4 T. butter melted

1 can creamed corn

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 box corn muffin mix

¼ cup sugar

8 oz. sour cream

2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a lightly greased 12” cast iron Dutch oven with feet. Arrange 8 hot coals in a circle and place Dutch oven on coals. Cover with flat lid and top with 10 more hot coals. Bake for 60 minutes, adding fresh coals after 30 minutes.

Yummy Apple Cake

Yummy Apple Cake

Yummy Apple Cake

 

1 3/4 C. sugar, divided

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. butter, softened

1 to 2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 C. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped

1 C. chopped pecans

Powdered sugar

 

Combine cream cheese, butter, 1 1/2 C. sugar in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a sifter and shake into bowl. Sprinkle 2 tsp. over the chopped apples and toss to coat. Stir apples and pecans into batter. Spoon batter into lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and serve.

Campfire Hash

Campfire Hash

Campfire Hash

4 cups Shredded dried hash brown potatoes
2 pk Onion soup mix
1 ½ lb Ground meat or sausage
Assorted seasonings to taste
6 oz Water

Brown the meat in the bottom of the pan. Break up the meat as it assuring that all the meat is cooked. Stir in the water and soup mix thoroughly. Heat to boiling and simmer a few minutes. Add the dry potatoes and stir to mix. Cover the pot and move to the edge of the fire for about ten minutes and allow the potatoes to absorb all the liquid. Move the pot back on the heat and stir while cooking the potatoes, cook five to ten minutes. Serve hot.

Mojo Flat Iron Steak

Mojo Flat Iron Steak

Mojo Flat Iron Steak

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons grated lime rind

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder

1 (1-pound) flat iron steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped peeled seeded cucumber

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

 

Combine orange rind, orange juice, lime rind, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and next 4 ingredients (through chipotle) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add steak, turning to coat. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, turning occasionally. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add steak to pan; grill 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare or to desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Slice steak across the grain. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Serve with steak.

 

Campfire Cowboy Beans

Campfire Cowboy Beans

Campfire Cowboy Beans

½ lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 lb. bacon, sliced, browned and drained, optional

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans pork and beans

½ cup chopped onion

1 can chopped chiles

½ cup barbecue sauce

 

Arrange 8 hot coals in a circle. Place a Dutch oven with feet over hot coals. Sauté chopped onion in oven with 1 T. vegetable oil until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and cover with flat lid. Place 8-10 hot coals around perimeter of lid. Simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add new coals after the first 30 minutes.  Serve hot with cornbread or corn pudding.

Savory Scallion and Cheese Scones

Savory Scallion and Cheese Scones

Savory Scallion and Cheese Scones

1 cup (230 g) cottage cheese

4 tablespoons milk, plus more for brushing on top

2½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

â…› teaspoon black pepper

6 tablespoons (80 g) unsalted butter, chilled and diced

3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (about ½ cup sliced)

 

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Puree the cottage cheese and milk together until smooth in a blender or food processor; set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal. Add the scallion and stir in the cottage cheese/milk puree. (The dough should come together, but not be too wet; if the dough is still too crumbly, you can add milk a little at a time until it comes together.) Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Use a floured 2½ inch round cookie cutter to stamp out the scones, then gather up the dough scraps and repeat as necessary (you should get about 8 to 10 scones). Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little milk, and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Serve warm. (Leftover scones will keep for a couple days in an airtight container at room temperature; you can reheat them in the microwave before serving.)

Camp Cobbler

Camp Cobbler

Camp Cobbler

1 can Large sliced peaches
1 can Large fruit cocktail
1 can Small crushed pineapples
½ cup Instant tapioca
¼ lb Margarine
1 cup Brown sugar
1 pk Cake mix

In a 12 inch foil lined Dutch oven, combine fruit and tapioca. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top of fruit. Sprinkle brown sugar over cake mix. Dab butter All over top of brown sugar. Place lid on oven. Bake 45 minutes to one hour. USE six to eight coals on the bottom, and fourteen to sixteen coals on the top. Cake is done when top is brown and cake has absorbed juices and is no longer dry.

Campfire Grandma’s Bean Soup

Campfire Grandma’s Bean Soup

Campfire Grandma’s Bean Soup

 

¼ lb. bacon, cut into ½” pieces

2 cans northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can chicken broth

¼ cup ketchup

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Arrange 8 hot coals in a circle. Place a 12″ Dutch oven with feet over hot coals. Saute chopped bacon until lightly browned. Remove bacon and set aside. Add 1 can northern beans and the cannellini beans to Dutch oven. Pour in chicken broth. Add salt and pepper and let simmer for 20 minutes. In the meantime, mash remaining northern beans with a fork and add to Dutch oven. Add ketchup and simmer additional 20 minutes.

Green Olive, Basil, and Almond Tapenade

Green Olive, Basil, and Almond Tapenade

Green Olive, Basil, and Almond Tapenade from My Paris Kitchen (tapenade d’olives vertes au basilic et aux amandes)

2 C. (260g) green olives, pitted

1/3 C. (35g) whole untoasted almonds

1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced

11/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. capers, rinsed and squeezed dry

1/2 C. (15g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 C. (125ml) olive oil Sea salt or kosher salt

Put the olives, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and capers in the bowl of a food processor. (I don’t use a mortar and pestle for this because I like the slightly chunky bits of almonds in the finished tapenade.) Coarsely chop the basil leaves, add them to the processor, and pulse the machine a few times to start breaking them down. Add the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Pulse the food processor until the mixture forms a coarse paste, one that still has a little texture provided by the not-entirely-broken-down almonds. The tapenade will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Caesar Dip with Parmesan & Anchovies

Caesar Dip with Parmesan & Anchovies

Caesar Dip with Parmesan & Anchovies

Serve with crudités.

 

1 C. mayonnaise

1/2 C. sour cream

1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced

1/8 tsp. pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Transfer dip to serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until flavors are blended, at least 1 hour. Serve. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Marinated Mushrooms

Marinated Mushrooms

Marinated Mushrooms

 

Cooking the mushrooms over relatively high heat encourages them to quickly

release liquid, which can then be reduced to a concentrated, flavorful glaze.

 

1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1 lb. cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed, left whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large

3 tsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, sliced very thin
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 small red bell pepper, chopped fine

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley or basil

 

Heat 3 tsp. oil, pepper flakes, and ‘h tsp. salt in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 2 tsp. lemon juice. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release moisture, moisture evaporates, and mushrooms have browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Spread mushrooms in single layer on large plate or rimmed baking sheet; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. When cooled, transfer mushrooms to medium bowl, leaving behind any juices. Stir garlic, shallot, and bell pepper into mushrooms, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 or up to 24 hours. Allow mushrooms to stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Beef & Veggie Low Calorie Soup

Beef & Veggie Low Calorie Soup

Beef & Veggie Low Calorie Soup

½ lb. 4% fat Ground Beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 box low sodium Beef Broth

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 bunches Scallions, chopped

3 Stalks Celery, diced

1 can Green Beans, undrained

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Stewed Tomatoes, undrained

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

1 bunch Spinach, rough chopped

1 bunch Kale, stems removed, rough chopped

3-4 C. Water

1 T. Thyme

1 T. Rosemary

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Cook ground beef in stew pot with no added oil, stirring occasionally and breaking up into small pieces until browned. Stir in garlic and cook just a minute or two. Add beef broth and Worcestershire and heat over medium-high. Add scallions, celery, green beans, black beans and tomatoes. Bring to a slow boil, mostly cover and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes. Stir in seasonings

 

10 servings, 125 calories per Serving

Tomatoes Jarra Marra

Tomatoes Jarra Marra

Tomatoes Jarra Marra

One or two tomatoes per person, sliced or quartered. For cherry tomatoes, use a small handful per person, cut in half.

Olive oil

Sherry vinegar

ground cumin

oregano (fresh or dried)

salt and pepper

black olives for garnish

parsley (fresh or dried) for garnish

 

Arrange the tomatoes on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with ground cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with black olives and parsley. Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the juices and dressing.

Mojo Potatoes

Mojo Potatoes

Mojo Potatoes

 

6 large Idaho baking potatoes

2 C. flour

1⁄2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

Pinch Paprika

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 large egg beaten with 3 T. Milk

oil

Cook potatoes whole – steam, bake, or microwave. Cool. Cut each potato into 1/4″ rounds. Heat oil to 375°F. Stir together the flour, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. (you can adjust seasonings to your liking). Dip each potato wedge into the egg mixture, then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture. Deep fry wedges without overcrowding, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Gourmet Tuna Pot Pie

Gourmet Tuna Pot Pie

Gourmet Tuna Pot Pie

All purpose flour for dusting

1 prepared pie dough

½ tsp. rosemary, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 large leek, white and pale green part only, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

4 T. heavy cream

3 (5 ounce) cans Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil, drained

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour. Place pie dough on work surface; sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Lightly dust top of dough with a bit of flour and press rosemary into surface of dough with rolling pin. Set aside. Place oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add leek, carrot and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in cream and let cook for 1 minute. Stir in tuna and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Place crust on top, trimming so an inch of excess dough extends beyond dish; roll and pinch excess dough to make a nice looking edge. Bake until crust is golden, and filling is heated through, about 18 minutes.