Miso Caramel Sauce

I was looking at the bananas and thinking that some Bananas Foster would be amazing, but decided to try something different so I made this miso caramel recipe and grilled the bananas and served all over a really good quality vanilla ice cream. YUM! The miso has been staring at me for a long while in the fridge and I love the way it adds a hint of saltiness to the otherwise very sweet caramel. Salted caramel is one of my favorite things. It was super simple and evidently can keep in the refrigerator for a while (although I don't think it will keep very long...). Many varied uses for this sweet treat. Bon appetit!!!!!

https://food52.com/recipes/18618-miso-caramel

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Bars/Thanksgiving 2016

Often I am the one to fix the Thanksgiving meal, but not this year; My sweet sister in laws took care of the cooking and I was asked only to bring dessert. (Which is kind of funny since I don't really eat many sweets; I am more of the savory girl.). I had just had this yummy little bar at a gathering a few weekends ago and thought it would appeal to most folks. A great standby to have in your recipe box for just such occasions. Thanks to my friend, Elizabeth, for sharing. She is truly one of the best gourmet cooks I know and I was surprised when she gave me this recipe...super simple by her usual sophisticated standards. Sometimes you just have to remember the basics are sometimes the best. Bon appetit. Giving thanks....

https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/17409/caramel-n-chocolate-pecan-bars/

Paired with Yotam Ottolenghi's Bitter Frozen Berries with White Chocolate Cream......

https://ca.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/02015021913683/bitter-frozen-berries-with-white-chocolate-cream

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

It's the Fourth of July and what better way to show a new American part of our culture than with a shrimp boil and fireworks. Tried a twist on the traditional shrimp boil by using this recipe. Loved the addition of the sausage. Ended up using Andouille Sausage and it was devine. Added a few bay leaves and finished it off with fresh squeezed lemon. A perfect meal for a perfect evening. Bon appetit.

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/old-bay-shrimp-boil-25745

South Street Inn Granola

While recently on vacation with my peeps I stayed in a quaint little bed and breakfast. For breakfast we had the most amazing granola. I am tired of the usual granola; Usually too sweet, full of boring things, not crunchy enough....I fell in love with this wonderful little treat. Pretty good for you also. This will be one I will make again.

8 cups of Oats
3 cups of Almonds
3 cups of Buckwheat
3 cups of Sunflower Seeds

2/3 cup Oil
1 1/3 cup Honey
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Vanilla

3 cups of Coconut
3 cups of Currants

Bake all except coconut and currants at 275 F for 90 minutes in large metal bowl. Stir every 30 minutes. Color of granola should be golden brown. Remove from oven and stir in coconut and currants (these will get a little toasted just from being in with the other hot ingredients).

Stir every half hour or so while cooling. Cool completely before putting into a container.

Classic Bowl

A recent trip to California stirred my interest in "bowls". Soooo very delicious, easy, good reason to clean out the frig, good for you...the list is endless. I've made this twice this week, once with shrimp, once with chicken. Basically, I have found a base layer of quinoa mixed with riced cauliflower (best cooked with very small cubed sweet potatoes or other veges) begins the process, providing a good starch base. I then add a few pieces of protein (grilled shrimp or chicken), followed by a mix of shredded cabbage, bok choy, sliced scallions,sliced avocados, edamames, microgreens or whatever else you have that works. Finally, I finish it with a nice sauce. Below is the recipe for a spicy ginger sauce that works great. Caution....this recipe is super spicy. I toned it down with some honey. We all loved it and felt great after eating it. I can't wait to experiment with other combinations once the garden comes to life. Viva la California! Bon appetit.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ginger+sauce&rlz=1CAZBMY_enUS649US650&oq=ginger+sauce&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60j0l4.2329j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Hummus

How many different ways can you make hummus? Too many! I have made probably 10 batches in the past two years and most of them are pretty much the same, but I always learn a little something new with each attempt. This recipe did not disappoint. Like Christopher Kimball's Cook's Illustrated methodology of breaking down every single step as if you were in a Chemistry lab, this author experiments with every step of the process and brings some interesting science to the table. For instance, his insightful explanation of how the acid in the lemon juice prevents the garlic from turning too hot can be applied to many recipes. His instructions to blend the garlic with the peels on made it even more simple to prepare and made sense since all of the garlic solids are strained off and only the infused lemon juice is added to the tahini. One note....there is some discussion of removing the skins from the cooked chickpeas (a hideously stinky and slimy job!) and I actually forgot about it and found that they were, indeed, so well cooked that in the Vitamix they simply blended into the hummus with no residual textural issues. Finally, the correct way to blend hot chickpeas in the Vitamix resulted in a nice blending process versus previous attempts where the blender would seize up as if it were mixing concrete. The explanation that the starches begin to solidify in the liquid upon cooling makes perfect sense! Keep those puppies hot and you can rock this out in no time. The lesson on garlic and acid mixtures, blending with garlic peels still affixed, not having to remove the skins from the cooked chickpeas, blending the chickpeas while still hot....as if that were not enough to keep me engaged, I must admit I was a bit intriqued on the addition of the mirepoix to the cooking of the chickpeas. I will say that I do think it made somewhat of a difference. Perhaps the added subtle flavors combined with a more unusual garlic taste just made the entire dish taste different, but it worked for me. I did what the video showed and finished mine off with fresh olive oil, pomegranate molasses and some delicious fresh Za'atar from Israel. Served with naan bread it was both beautiful and delicious. Regardless of which Isreali style hummus I make, sometimes just the techniques can be worth forging a new path. I will probably always try new variations, but many of the take aways from this experience will most definitely follow me as I continue my quest for the ulitmate hummus. Bon appetit!

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/the-food-lab-how-to-make-great-hummus.html

Avacado Dip

I first served this at a holiday gathering to try to use up some soft avacados. As a foodie who HATES throwing away food I like to find standbys for perishables that are overly ripe, blemished, etc. This is perfect for those too soft avacados. I think I even like it better than guacamole. Super easy, good for you and a big hit. Serve with corn chips for dipping. Bon appetit!


https://www.freep.com/story/life/food/recipes/2015/07/30/healthy-table-avocado-dip-nutrition/30901523/