Funny, Saturday Recipe,

Meant to tell you before, I read a joke in the World Wide Recipes ezine. I hadn't heard it before but my cleaner had. I'm assuming some of you won't have come across it either.

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon ... I'll let you know.

Hm, just told this to my exercise class and nobody got it until I explained it. They they thought it was funny.

Thought of making this dish for Friday supper but hadn't got all the veg required. Only thing I have is the shallots and I'm not sure how many I have of them.

Honey-Mustard Baked Salmon with Vegetables

A tangy honey-mustard sauce gives salmon a flavorful kick, and a panko breadcrumb crust adds a

nice crunch. Even kids and adults who are normally skeptical of fish will love this delicious sheet pan supper. When shopping for salmon, choose center-cut filets, which are thicker and more uniform in size so that each piece of fish will cook at the same time.

1 lb baby red potatoes, halved (3 cups)
3 shallots, quartered lengthwise (about 1 cup)
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
3 Tbs plus 2 tsp. whole-grain mustard, divided
1 1/2 tsp honey, divided
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 (5-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets
3 cups fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp grated garlic
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together potatoes, shallots, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange mixture in an even layer, with potatoes facing cut sides down. Roast until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

2. While potato mixture roasts, stir together 3 tablespoons of the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the honey in a small bowl. Stir together panko, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a separate small bowl. Arrange salmon fillets, skin side down, on a plate. Spread mustard mixture evenly over skinless tops of fillets. Sprinkle tops evenly with panko mixture, pressing to adhere.

3. Stir roasted potato mixture on baking sheet, pushing mixture toward edges of baking sheet with a spatula. Place salmon filets, skin side down, in center of baking sheet. Scatter sugar snap peas evenly around salmon. Return baking sheet to oven. Bake at 425°F until panko crust is golden brown, salmon is cooked to medium doneness (turns flaky and opaque), and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, garlic, smoked paprika, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon honey in a small bowl until combined.

5. Divide salmon fillets and vegetable mixture evenly among 4 plates. Drizzle vegetable mixture evenly with vinaigrette.

Servings: 4

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day

World Wildlife, Bowling, Cars,

A joke from World Wildlife - What has a bed but keeps on running?

Went bowling this afternoon. A little relief but not a lot. I did bowl a 200 game though - my second game was not so hot though.  Next Monday our Winter League starts so hope things are better.

An article from Reader's Digest about the 15 craziest cars ever built. This is one of them.

Actually, I think this is rather a fun car, very clever. It was actually parked on NY streets to advertise Meow Mix. There is also a car that beats the speed of sound (on which roads I wonder?) I am surprised they didn't include the one built for a Saudi Arabian which was covered in diamonds!!! Oh, apparently there was more than one, this one sells for $4.8 million.

I just thought, what a waste of money. I know these guys have more money than they know what to do with, but.....

We love salmon and ginger so this should be delicious I think. I can't imagine diving 1/4 tsp of salt though.

Ginger Roasted Salmon and Broccoli

1 ½ Tbs toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 ½ Tbs reduced-sodium tamari
1 ½ Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp salt, divided
8 cups large broccoli florets with 2-inch stalks attached (about 1 pound)
1 Tbs molasses
1 ¼ lbs wild salmon, cut into 4 portions
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Whisk oil, tamari, vinegar, ginger and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan using tongs or a slotted spoon, leaving as much marinade as possible in the bowl. Whisk molasses into the remaining marinade. Roast the broccoli for 5 minutes. Move it to one side of the pan and place salmon on the other side. Season the salmon with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and brush with the molasses glaze. Roast until the salmon is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes more. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Servings: 4

Author: Breana Killeen
Source: EatingWell Magazine

Have a great day
 

Joke, Bowling, Scams,

I just received this joke in an email. I thought it was funny and you might enjoy it too.

Dear Abby: My husband hasn't worked for the last 18 years. All he does is get dressed in the morning and hop in his fancy car to visit his cronies. I know he's cheated on me many times with young girls who could be his granddaughters. I know this because he brags about this to me. He smokes fancy cigars and drinks the most expensive liquor day and night. We sleep in separate beds because he tells me he knows I`m a lesbian and besides that, my varicose veins and fat behind turns him off. Should I clobber him with something heavy, or should I just leave him?  Your advice would be appreciated Sincerely, Mad as Hell Dear Mad as Hell, You don`t have to take that kind of treatment from any man. I suggest you pack your bags and move out a.s.a.p.! Don`t resort to violence and try to act more like a lady. Remember, you were almost elected President of the United States, so try acting like one‼️ Abby Been getting a lot of rain the last few days. Everywhere is looking very green and fresh. I have finally come to the conclusion that barometer readings do affect me though, I have been aching more during the rain. Maybe I need to get myself a barometer so I can tell what is actually happening. I wanted to go to the Coffee Klatsche this morning but didn't think it was worth the pain to walk along the corridor. Wishing away time in the hopes that the cannabis does the trick in a week or two. It seems we will be able to bowl next week. We have really missed it this week. I guess we are addicted to bowling.  There was a letter posted in the lobby from the Waterloo Regional Police which said there have been scams perpetrated in the building and to be careful etc. Today I received a phone call assuring me I had won a trip for two to Florida and beyond (cruise I think it was) I told her we couldn't go, had trouble getting a word in edgewise, and eventually slammed the phone down. It then occurred to me that maybe this was one of the scams they were talking about.  When I was a kid, I love Spam. Haven't eaten it in years. It is not a particularly healthy canned meat and so I was astounded to come across this recipe. I just had to share it. There are recipes on line for making sushi rice - pretty easy actually.  Spam Musubi You don't need to fly to Hawaii to try this tasty authentic Hawaiian Spam Musubi. With this easy recipe you can make it yourself at home! 12 oz Spam 1/4 cup oyster sauce 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup sugar Nori roasted seaweed used for sushi, cut into halves or thirds (I cut it into thirds to make it go further) 5-6 cups cooked sushi rice WITHOUT the vinegar mixture added 1. Slice the SPAM into about 8-10 slices (depending on how thick you like it) and put in a Ziplock bag. 2. Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved and add to the bag with the SPAM. Marinate for about 15 minutes. 3. Drain off marinade and fry SPAM on each side over medium heat until slightly crispy or until desired doneness. Some people like to glaze the SPAM with the marinade/sauce AFTER frying, either way tastes great! 4. Place a strip of nori on a cutting board or clean surface (shiny side down). 5. Place your Musubi mold across the middle of the nori (so if you folded up the sides of the nori, it would wrap around the middle of the can) 6. Add rice to the mold, pressing down firmly and evenly, so there is about 1-1 1/2 inches of rice (if the rice starts to stick to the mold too much, dip it in water. You will notice you will have to dip your fingers in water quite a bit because the rice is so sticky. I usually just keep a bowl of water right next to where I am working.) 7. Next, remove the mold from the rice. Now you will have a nice little block of rice right on the nori. 8. Add some of the cooked spam to the top. Wrap up one side of the nori and stick it to the top of the SPAM, then wrap up the other side. Just like you are wrapping a nice little package. Use a little water on your finger to seal if needed. Serve warm. 9. Some like it dipped in soy sauce, some like it with ketchup, and some like it as is. You will just have to try it all the different ways and decide for yourself which way you like it best. Servings: 4 Tips If you are making a lot and saving it. Wrap individually in some plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. When you are ready to eat it, unwrap and place in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Source: Favourite Family Recipes

Have a great day
 

Canning, Coffee Klatsche, Joke, Summer Fruit, Summer Fruit,

Having checked with the grocery store, they will not be having any more 1 litre Mason jars in this year?? They have smaller ones, but not much use to me, although I guess I could chop the asparagus up in pieces I suppose. I am now in a quandary, do I put these jars aside until later in the year, or do I open one to check it is OK? By the way, it wasn't 5 lbs of asparagus, it was $5 worth. Of course, if I plan to do any more, I really should check these are OK although I don't really want to open a jar.

This morning was one of our Coffee Klatsche days so I went. Matt did murmur about going yesterday but changed his mind pretty quickly. The attendance is not as big as it was I don't think. I read out a joke I had got in the email and someone read a couple one of which I have been passing around ever since.

A married couple, arguing who should make the morning coffee. Husband says she should, she does the cooking. Wife says no way, and you are up, first apart from which, there is an instruction in the bible. Husband says what are you talking about, wife opens a bible and points to the book heading "Hebrews".

Don't think I've mentioned, I was complaining about unsweet strawberries. Girl at Barrie's farm said to try theirs, just picked that day. We ate them last night, they were delicious. Didn't need sweetening at all. Trouble is, I can't buy more than one punnet as they wouldn't keep for long. I have also seen peaches in the store. The White Flesh ones seem to be the ones which are clingfree - that's what I was buying last year anyway. I love summer fruits - not that keen on the winter ones. of course I have to have cream and often use them in a Pavolva.

I often see recipes for "bowls" like this, thought I would try this one asap especially as it includes my favourite.

Rainbow Veggie Spring Roll Bowl

With tons of colorful vegetables, sesame rice noodles and a healthy peanut sauce, this noodle bowl is

a hit with adults and kids alike. Assemble the bowls before serving or let everyone make their own. Serve with Sriracha hot sauce, if desired.

Noodle Bowl
4 oz bean thread noodles (see Tip) or thin rice noodles
1 Tbs toasted (dark) sesame oil
24 asparagus spears, trimmed
2 cups shredded green or napa cabbage
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 cup thinly sliced beets
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper

Peanut Sauce
½ cup smooth natural peanut butter
¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1. To prepare noodle bowl: Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse well with cold water. Toss with sesame oil. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a medium bowl of ice water next to the stove. Cook asparagus in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to the ice water. Drain well, pat dry and cut into 2-inch pieces. Combine cabbage, basil, mint and rice vinegar in a medium bowl. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with ½ cup of the cabbage mixture, some asparagus, carrot, beet and red and yellow bell pepper. To prepare sauce: Whisk peanut butter, tamari (or soy sauce), water, rice vinegar, honey, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle ¼ cup sauce over each bowl

Servings: 4

Tips
Bean Thread Noodles: Look for bean thread noodles, sometimes labeled vermicelli, mung bean or cellophane noodles, in the Asian section of large supermarkets or at an Asian market.

People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled "gluten-free," as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.

Source: EatingWell Kitchen

Author Notes
To make ahead: Refrigerate sauce for up to 2 days.




Have a great day

Funny, My Tuesday.

A friend in England just sent me a few jokes. This one struck me as particularly funny so I am sharing it with you.
Two policemen call the station on the radio.
"Hello. Is that the Sarge?"
"Yes?"
"We have a case here. A woman has shot her husband for stepping
on the floor she had just mopped clean."
"Have you arrested the woman?"
"No sir. The floor is still wet."

I have had my nose in a book this evening (Tuesday) so I haven’t thought of writing a blog. Tomorrow Matt starts his 36 hours on clear liquids before he goes to the hospital for his procedure. As I said, I think we will be getting a friend to drive as I am not 100% sure I am safe at the moment. I ended up making a big beef stew in my crock pot this morning so we will have something ready for supper on Thursday after the hospital. Matt won’t be eating tomorrow night but I will have to find something for me to eat.

Rhubarb will be available from the farms in a month or two so this recipe will be a good one to save. I might point out asparagus will be available at the same time.

Chinese Seared Pork with Five-Spice Rhubarb Sauce

From EatingWell:  

In a play on Peking duck, rhubarb replaces plums in the typical sauce in this healthy Chinese pork recipe. The rhubarb sauce is also great with chicken or seafood, or as a dip for your favorite dumplings.

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely diced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops (1 inch thick), trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
• Small Chinese-style pancakes (see Tip) or flour tortillas for serving

Preparation

1. Combine rhubarb, water, 1/3 cup honey, hoisin, garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder and crushed red pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and the rhubarb is very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and lemon juice. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the sauce to a small bowl; refrigerate the remaining sauce until ready to serve.
2. To make marinade, add the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon oil to the 2 tablespoons sauce. Season pork chops with the remaining 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, pepper and salt. Place the chops in a dish or sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade; turn to coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Blot the chops with paper towels. Lightly rub both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook the chops on one side for 3 minutes. Turn them over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140°F, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Transfer the chops to a platter, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Reheat the refrigerated sauce. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce, scallions and pancakes (or tortillas), if using.

Tips and Notes

• Tip: To make Chinese-style pancakes, mix 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup boiling water in a bowl until combined (the mixture will look shaggy). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide into 12 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Working with one at a time, on a lightly floured surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch pancake. Cook in batches in a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet (or griddle) over medium heat until speckled with golden brown spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Keep warm in a foil package or wrapped in a clean towel. Makes: 12 pancakes.

Have a great day

Pocket Chair, Joke, Grrr, Amazing Animals.

Because of the car going in for work, Matt went down to the lab for his weekly bloodwork at 6:20 a.m. which is about the time I have to go for my diabetes bloodwork every three months because I have to fast. Matt was No. 2 and he told me about a woman who came immediately after him who took a lawn chair out of her trunk to wait in line. Great idea, they don’t open the doors til 7 a.m. and if you don’t get there really early, the place gets incredibly crowded and you could be there forever. Yesterday I saw an ad for a pocket chair (bit like we used to have years ago for fishing) which they say you can carry in your pocket or in a purse. I am seriously thinking of sending for one, I think it would be ideal for such queuing particularly as I have to do it regularly at the lab.

Heard a joke which made Matt and me laugh; Paddy walking down the street with his front door under his arm and a friend asks him why. Paddy says he lost his front door key so he is taking the door to the locksmith to get it opened. The friend says he’d better not lose the door or he won’t be able to get in. I thought of that, says Paddy, I left a window open!!!!

Yesterday we had two guys in to work on the balcony windows putting new caulking onto the window frames, etc. and checking the balcony itself. First of all they ground out the old which drove us into the computer room and was still way too noisy, eventually they finished and left. Matt could have done caulking better with his eyes shut and one arm behind his back. So this morning, we are sitting here and they are working on the apartment next to us, so now we have that bloody noise again. From the time they took to do our balcony, I guess they are going to be here a while.

Caught a fascinating programme, BBC for kids, about animal survival adaptations. We learned a few things we didn’t know about animal behaviour, I just wish I knew what the programme was called as it was fascinating. I believe there will be more so we will have to watch out for them. One statistic that fascinated me, there is enough plankton in the oceans to sustain the world population for a year. That is one hell of a lot of plankton. We were shown a whale shark ingesting his daily tonnage of plankton. Its mouth is about 5 ft.  ne . Another fascinating item was about the Lammergeier which is a vulture type of bird and gets animal bones, takes them up to a vast height and then drops them on rock to crack them. It then eats great lumps of bone to get both the calcium and the marrow. One of the last creatures was an anaconda which is a giant constrictor snake which grows up to 21 ft. long. They were actually diving to photograph one of these things, what’s to stop it deciding to eat a human, damned if you would catch me anywhere near one of those.  Once they have crushed their prey, they can open their mouths a foot wide by unhinging their jaws the same as many snakes do, but if you actually see the pix its incredible.

A touch of Spain in the following recipe. Both the Spanish and the Portuguese seem to really know how to cook potatoes and this recipe is no exception. This serves 8-10 as tapas, the little snack foods which you will find all over Spain.

Patatas Bravas

Source Rick Stein

Patatas bravas as they should be: crisp, olive oil-fried potatoes topped with a tomato sauce, well-flavoured with hot pimentón and sharpened with a little vinegar.

Ingredients

For the salsa brava

 

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp pimentón picante (smoked hot Spanish paprika), plus extra for serving

½ tsp crushed dried chilli flakes

½ tsp Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

125ml/4fl oz tomato sauce (see Top recipe tip below)

 

For the potatoes

 

1.5kg/3lb 5oz floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edwards, peeled

180ml/6fl oz olive oil, for shallow frying

salt

Preparation method

1. For the salsa brava, heat the olive oil over a low heat, add the pimentón, chilli flakes, Tabasco and vinegar and mix together well. Stir in the tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (thin the mixture with a little water if necessary).

2. Cut the potatoes into small, even-sized pieces. Drop into a large pan of well-salted water and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well.

3. Heat the olive oil in two large, non-stick frying pans, divide the potatoes between them and shallow-fry in a single layer for 10–12 minutes, turning them regularly, until crisp, golden-brown all over and sandy in texture.

4. Spoon the potatoes into one large or small individual serving plates, drizzle over the sauce, sprinkle with a pinch of pimentón and serve with some toothpicks and napkins.

Have a great day

Happy Thanksgiving, Joke

Ugh, its cold, miserable and dull outside this morning. Even the snow kind of looks grey. However, to my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving and I hope the weather is better where you are. That's just about what this day calls for, a Thanksgiving dinner to cheer one up. A friend sent in the following joke to my cookery group which I thought I would pass on as it is an oldie but goodie and appropriate for today.

Recently I received a parrot as a gift. The parrot has had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth is rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. I've tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else I can think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, fed up, I yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. I shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. So, in desperation, I threw up my hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that I'd hurt the parrot, I quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out into my outstretched arms and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

I was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As I was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

We spent last evening frantically searching for a recipe we used to make several years ago and cannot find anywhere. Usually I somehow remember just where recipes came from and can go straight to the source, but not this one. I have asked a couple of on line sources to see if anyone knows of it. We were going to prepare it for our get together on the 10th, but I guess we are out of luck. It is a recipe for lettuce bundles stuffed with a mixture which includes sardines. They were absolutely delicious. My cookery group periodically have a Dinner Around the World when the group basically cooks the same meal at the same time (allowing for time changes) and then posts pictures of what they cooked. Its fun to know if I am making a chocolate cake, several other people making the same cake and we are all going to serve it for the same meal that night. The next one coming up will be South African in theme, but it won't take place til January - I will post the recipes later. I thought I would post a Portuguese recipe this morning, its one we enjoy. Rojoes Cominho or Braised Pork with Cumin, Coriander and Lemons which comes from my Time Life Cookery of the World. Rojoes Cominho Serves 4 2 lb lean boneless pork, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 oz. lard 1/4 pt (UK measure) dry white wine 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp salt Freshly ground black pepper 5 thin lemon slices, qauartered 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh coriander Pat the pork cubes thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Melt the lard in a large, heavy frying pan over a high heat until it splutters. Add the pork cubes and brown them, turning the cubes freqauently with a wooden spoon and regulating the heat so that they brown quickly and evenly without burning. Stir in 6 tbs. of wine, the cumin, garlic, salt and a liberal grinding of pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25 mins until the pork is tender and show no resistance when piereced with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Add the remaining 3 tbs of wine and the lemon slices and cook over a high heat, turning the meat and lemon pieces constantly, until the sauce thickens very slightly. Stir in the coriander and taste for seasoning. Pour the mixture into the centre of a large heated dish and surround it if you like, with Portuguese fried potatoes. Have a great day.