Individual Salsa Beans & Cornbread (Ramekin)

I'm playing around with stuff cooked in a ramekin. Part of this has to do with me being surrounded by family who all cook, and being left to cook for myself. I'm finding that it's a good way to eat less, keeping my portions small. Individual desserts are good too.

Individual Salsa Beans & Cornbread (Ramekin)
1 T butter
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 T cornmeal
2 T flour
Dash of salt
2 T plain yogurt
1/4 cup re-fried beans
1/4 cup shredded , cooked chicken
2 T Salsa
Salt

In a cereal bowl combine butter, sugar, egg white, soda, cornmeal, flour, salt and yogurt. Mix until blended. Place beans, chicken and salsa (salt to taste) in the bottom of a ramekin. Top with cornmeal mixture. Cook at 300ºF in a toaster oven for 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden and done. Top with fresh cilantro, sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc.

Individual Shepherd's Pie (Ramekin)

I'm playing around with stuff cooked in a ramekin. Part of this has to do with me being surrounded by family who all cook, and being left to cook for myself. I'm finding that it's a good way to eat less, keeping my portions small. Individual desserts are good too. Also this.

3 oz ground lamb, turkey, or beef
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup chicken broth
Fresh oregano
Fresh sage
3 T fresh peas
1 cup mashed potatoes (salted)
2 T Cheese, shredded

In a small frying pan, brown lamb. Remove and set aside. Cook carrot, onion and garlic in oil left in the pan until tender. Return lamb to pan. Sprinkle with corn starch, and add chicken broth, stirring over heat until slightly thick. Add fresh chopped sage, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Add peas and cook until barely tender.

Divide mixture between two ramekins and top each with mashed potatoes and shredded cheese. Bake in toaster oven at 350ºF for 8 minutes.

Herb Roasted Baby Zucchini

These tiny zucchini are about the size of my finger. So sweet and yummy.

Herb Roasted Baby Zucchini

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat baby zucchini in olive oil. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Tear fresh basil and oregano and sprinkle the herbs over the zucchini. Bake for 20 minutes.

Elijah's Creamy Garlic Shrimp over Noodles

You may have noticed that my kids are taking over my blog cooking for me, while I'm too busy with graduate school to cook/bake. Elijah is my youngest (13), and he avoids the camera like the plague, but I managed to catch him making shrimp... for breakfast. I watched and recorded what he did. This is his own recipe.

Elijah's Creamy Garlic Shrimp over Noodles

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh oregano, chopped

Saute garlic in butter until tender. Make a roux with garlic butter, and flour. Slowly add half and half and cook until thick. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh herbs, add raw shrimp and cover. Cook just until shrimp is pink. Serve over pasta.



The last photo is of Eli's butter-garlic shrimp over rice from another day. He simply sautes the raw shrimp in butter and freshly crushed garlic.

Pizza-Stuffed Bread

Pizza-Stuffed Bread

Scald and set aside to cool:

1 cup milk

Cream:
6 T butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs

Dissolve:
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
1 cup warm water

When the above steps are completed, combine them and add 6 1/2- 7 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Knead well and place in a greased bowl. Raise until double and roll out. Spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with pizza toppings, such as cooked sausage, olives, and cheese. Roll up and place on greased cookie sheet and allow to rise again. Bake at 375º for 40 - 50 minutes until brown and done in the middle.

Isaac's Steak and Carménère Mushroom Sandwich with Fries

I love that my kids all cook, and so I covertly photographed my teenage son, Isaac, making his own breakfast: with mushrooms cooked in carménère, fresh garlic and butter and topped with sliced Anaheim pepper and lettuce. The best part was watching him pull out a porcelain plate and arrange the sandwich before setting it on the table to eat.



Isaac's Steak and Carménère Mushroom Sandwich
1 clove garlic, crushed
Top Sirloin Steak
Oil
Sliced mushrooms
Carménère wine
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Slices of Anaheim Pepper

Saute mushrooms and pepper in wine and butter, set aside . Cook steak , rubbed in garlic and salt and pepper, in oil until medium-rare, while at the same time in the same pan, cook the pepper slices until tender-crisp. Toast bread, top with mushrooms, steak and peppers. Top with fresh lettuce. Eat. Repeat, if you are a teenage boy.

Isaac's Fries

Turkey Pie in a Sour Cream Crust

This crust recipe was given to me by a classmate, Bobby. It's really delicious and I love the texture.

Sour Cream Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened (Yes, you read that right. No need for cold butter.)
6 heaping tablespoons of sour cream
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Turkey Filling (you can add any veggies you like):
1 cup peeled & chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
Turkey or chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 T corn starch
Rosemary, Tarragon, Sage & Thyme
Salt and Pepper

In a saucepan, cover the veggies with just enough broth. Add seasoning and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until tender. Mix in corn starch. Add milk and cook until thickened. Pour into 1/2 rolled out pie crust. Top with other 1/2 crust. Bake in preheated oven at 425ºF for 35 minutes.