Cooking Badges Earned.

I was sidetracked from my journey this weekend in order to honor Katy's journey. We went camping with Troop 184 to Jester Park, tent camping just to clarify. Andy met up with us Friday night to set up our tent and then left to get ready for his gourmet tailgate journey with Hannah and her friend Chloe and her Dad, Scott on Saturday.

The goal of our camp adventure was to earn food badges. And our Troup leader, Mary had it all planned out. Dinner was beef stew. The girls all chopped the vegetables in order to earn their badge. They learned about camp safety and enjoyed a fire filled with roasting marshmallows.  I was so amazed at how the stew turned out. So delicious, cooked in a cast iron skillet.

The night turned chilly and Katy ended up in my tent. We cuddled and enjoyed the cool night air.

Morning came and it was time to start with the breakfast assignment. Menu: Blueberry muffins, eggs, turkey bacon and orange juice. This was a bit more labor intense. First we sliced oranges in half and carved out the insides, leaving orange cups to be filled with batter mix and raw eggs. Each person wrapped up their egg and blueberry muffin and marked their name on them. The leftover orange mix was placed in baggies and the girls squeezed them to make juice. After sticking a straw into the bag, orange juice was served. Another amazing cooking experiment! I had backup chocolate muffins that I brought out to fill the tummies of kids who didn't quite think it was amazing. Coffee was brewed too. No detail was left undone.

The kids journaled and geared up for Geocaching. Another new thing we learned about. There's actually an app. you download and set your compass on your smart phone. It's a real world outdoor treasure hunt where you search for the hidden treasures, geocaches. There were 5 possible geocaches to search for in Jester Park. We picked one of the harder ones which didn't end up with a find. So we decided to make our own Geocache and will hide it and add it to the national list to search for. Another amazing new thing we learned this weekend.

 But before that, we made lunch. Pita pockets with deli meat and cheese and fresh veggies with a dill yogurt sauce. It's funny what you think your kids won't eat until you offer it while camping. A Pineapple upside down chocolate cake was also prepared and served. Wow. We were camping and eating semi-gourmet. Crazy impressed.

I will admit, it's been 10 years since I tent camped last. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Fresh. Outdoors. Free. One with nature. Happy is.

Faux Pho.

Tuesday night was swim meet night which meant bringing out the crock pot to do the heavy lifting. I found this recipe for Pho which is the traditional signature meal of Vietnam. It's pronounced Fa, not Foe or Fah. The traditional fare uses oxtails and bone marrow as part of the preparation. I opted for beef stock and flank steak.  I was tickled pink at the response I received. I failed to mention in my last post that I had purchased a back-up Tilapia filet to protect myself from Elie. She didn't quabble and ate the salmon. So proud. I was fairly confident she would like at least part of this meal. She loves pink steak and rice noodles. Bam. The family quietly enjoyed the Pho. It was a hit. Happy is.

Faux Pho
Ingredients:
6 cups beef broth or stock
2 inch chunk of ginger (I used fresh bottled ginger)
3/4 t anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 sliced green onions
1 lb thin sliced beef (we sliced up flank steak)
Package of rice noodles (I used 1/2 box)
1 tsp fish sauce (anchovies, salt, water. ethnic aisle again. it smells horrible.)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Put all of the broth into the crockpot. Add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6. It's done when the meat is fully cooked. I used a 6qt Smart Pot for this recipe and it took a good 4 hours on high for the large amount of broth in my crock to get hot enough to cook the meat.
2. 15 minutes before serving, add the entire package of rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid with a wooden spoon, and cover.
3. By the time you set the table, the noodles will be tender and glass- like. Serve in bowls. We didn't add any additional garnish, but you can add bean sprouts, fresh cilantro or basil, and lime wedges.

Good Morning Vietnam!

Well at least that is what it felt like when I finally neared the end of Monday. Our weekend was completely shot... 5 soccer games in a tournament, with Elie's team placing 2nd in the finals to Hannah's Invitational swim meet to Homecoming prep and pictures... no time for getting ready for Monday. Kids luckily had no school. Me on the other hand wasn't so lucky. In between juggling a full plate of work while trying to figure out what on earth we were going to eat this week while touring Vietnam, the day finally ended. It ended with a wake-up call to Vietnam at 6:00 pm.

We enjoyed our first meal, Chile-Lime Grilled Salmon. A healthy meal, which was much needed after grabbing a lot of dining out food throughout the weekend. Elie even commented, "wow, you're feeding us so much food". "Just trying to cover the food groups, honey"... (note, the cottage cheese and fresh raspberry/strawberry combo is not shown in this photo)

Vietnam has a lot of emotional baggage. It's a place where I connect my Dad to. He served his duty as a medical doctor right around the time I was born. So the memories are really just from stories and pictures of his journey. If I have the time this week, I will attempt to scan in a few photos. If not, maybe another time.

Grilled Salmon with Chile-lime Sauce
For the Salmon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 lbs salmon fillets
1/4 cup fish sauce

For the Sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

Directions:

1. To marinate the fish, combine the oil, ginger, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved and everything is mixed well.
2. Place the salmon fillets in the bowl and turn to coat with the marinade (or put the salmon in a zip lock bag, add the marinade, squeeze out air, and seal).
3. Cover and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. 
4. To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients listed for the sauce in a small bowl; stir to dissolve the sugar and mix everything well.
5. To cook the fish, build a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
6. Place the fish carefully on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish and how well you like it done.
7. Transfer to a serving platter alongside the Chili-Lime Sauce and serve hot or warm. 
8. Note: To bake in the oven, preheat oven to 375F and bake for about 15 minutes.

Andy to the Rescue.

Last night was a near failure. My eaters were dwindling. Hannah announced she would be eating at the Powder Puff game. I stopped into Hy-VEE to pick up milk and wine (yes, $3.99 bottles of Rex Goliath...the Zinfindel rocks for that price. Hurry, sale ends soon:). I then asked if they wanted Chinese take-out. Unanimous "yeah" from Elie and Katy. I guess I only asked them, knowing that they may not like what I was cooking from Venezuela.

With all kids fed, I wondered what I was doing, making a meal for Andy and I when there was other needed tasks to complete in the household. But then the voice that's been pushing me through this journey said, "you've purchased the corn flour"... so I set out to make my first ever Arepas. Arepas are considered a staple food in Venezuela and Columbia. They are corn cakes made from a special pre-cooked corn flour. I should have paid closer attention to the words, "special pre-cooked". There was no dough that had formed after mixing up my ingredients. Just a bowl full of liquid. I added a little more flour, threw in some corn starch and even tossed in a little corn meal. Still, nothing. I walked away from the bowl and turned to the other tasks in the house.

Meanwhile, Andy came into the kitchen and asked what we were doing with this bowl. He was here to help, most likely out of hunger. I explained my failed attempt. I thought we could perhaps just make pancakes out of them.  I told him these were meant to be thick flat cakes that we would add the egg, tomato and onion mixture to. Like eating an Egg Gyro. Then I walked out of the room again. He was here to save our meal.  He began to fry up the cakes and they really were pancakes, corn-style. After that he cracked a few eggs and fried up some canadian bacon. Added shredded cheese and fried tomatoes and voila... dinner was served, Andy-style.  He must have known that Hannah would be walking in the door at 8:30, hungry. He was right. Funny how life works. I will admit that Venezuela was a challenge during this busy Homecoming week but feel good that we did the minimum, three meals.

It was also nice to have another chef in the kitchen. The irony is, Andy used to be the head chef in our kitchen. It seems so long ago. He is so busy with house projects that I slowly became head chef and this year, especially with the mad game we're playing. I'm not complaining. I've learned so much and still have 14 weeks left to learn even more. I just hope I don't have to take a test at the end of this culinary study...

Basic Arepas
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups masarepa cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons melted butter
Vegetable oil


Directions:

1. Stir salt into arepa flour. 
2. Pour hot water over flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the melted butter. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes. 
3. If preparing the thicker, Venezuelan style arepas, separate dough into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball.
4. Place each ball in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or two ziplock bags and flatten gently with the bottom of a pot. Arepas should be about 3 inches in diameter and almost an inch thick. Use your fingers to smooth out any cracks along the edges. Place shaped arepas on cookie sheet, covered with plastic wrap.
5. If making the thinner, Colombian-style arepas, divide the dough into 20 pieces, and form into balls. Place balls between 2 pieces of plastic and flatten with a heavy pot or skillet until they are about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick, using your fingers to smooth out any cracks along the edges. Place arepas on a cookie sheet, covered with plastic wrap.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Place 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil in the skillet. Place several arepas in the pan, leaving room so that you can turn them.
7. Cook arepas about 5 minutes on each side. The surface should dry and form a crust. They will brown slightly, but do not let them brown too much. They should look like an english muffin. If they are browning too fast, lower the heat. Add more butter or oil for subsequent batches as needed.
8. The thinner arepas are done when they have formed a nice crust, but are still soft on the inside. Serve them hot. 
9. The thicker, Venezuelan-style arepas finish cooking in the oven. Place them on a cookie sheet and heat for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot.

Angels and Injury

I really should come up with a different phrase than "busy week". It seems that I want to start every blog with an explanation of why I'm barely hanging in there on this journey. Tuesday night was a swim meet so it was crock pot night. I pulled out a new favorite for the year, Angel Pasta which you can find the recipe in a January post. I also connected it to Angel Falls, which is the highest waterfall in the world and located in Venezuela. It was founded in 1937 by an American pilot, Jimmy Angel, who crashed into it near the top. He survived and alerted the world to this amazing landmark that would become the most popular vacation experience.

So after linking Angel Falls to Angel pasta, I continue to link this fascinating place by using "Falls", or rather "fell" in katy's case. She took a little fall into the "pit" at gymnastics last night and managed to hurt her pinky toe. I tried to pretend it was no big deal, until this morning when I could see the bruising and bump on the side. Happy Thursday, spent the morning at the Doctor and then the hospital for x-rays. The verdict....no break! Just a hospital wrist band to show off her near tragic injury.

Last night we ate a quick and easy Venezuelan meal, Cachitos De Jamon, aka, Ham Crescent Rolls. It was simple fast and delicious. Probably the best of the week according to my audience. I won't lie, I took this recipe and found a shortcut... store bought Jumbo Crescent Rolls...love that little doughboy! The recipe is below for those who like to cook from scratch. For the rest of us crazy busy people, store bought rolls, sliced ham which I didn't even bother to chop and a little shredded cheese. Yummy.

Cachitos De Jamon
Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon yeast (one package)
1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 1/3 cups flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup ham, finely diced (some people use deviled ham with good results)
Directions:

1. Activate yeast.
2. In a large glass bowl mix sugar, salt oil, milk and flour. Knead until mixed. Add the egg and continue kneading, adding the yeast last.
3. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for two hours.
4. Knead the dough again, and then divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, roll into a 10" circle. Cut the flattened dough into 8 triangles. Place ham in the widest part of each triangle. Then roll from the wide end to make a crescent. Place on a cookie sheet.
5. Cover the rolls with plastic and let rise for one hour in a warm place. Pre-heat oven to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Brush melted butter on each roll and bake 15 minutes or until they are light golden. Remove and brush with egg white. Return them to the oven until they are golden brown.

Little Venice.

Venezuela literally means, "Little Venice", reminding the early explorers of Venice with houses built on stilts in a lake. I've been reading that this country has an Italian influence with their food. So far I haven't been so lucky to find a recipe that screams Italian. Monday night we had Burgers, Venezuelan style. It was quite tasty and simple. Essentially I just made Venezuela's version of guacamole and served it on top of the burger. A refreshing change to the basic burger.

The idea came from wanting to use up the fresh peppers and tomatoes that have been sitting on our kitchen counter. I would define this as "cleaning". Empty space on the counter certainly felt like I accomplished something. Cleaning, lets face it is never-ending. I had a bout of energy Sunday night to dive into the bathrooms. I was all ready and realized we had no cleaning supplies. Monday came along...bought the supplies. Tuesday came and went with Swim meet. Tonight we have church and gymnastics. Perhaps Thursday's the day. At least I can say I "cleaned" up the counter this week. Oh, and not to forget the 8 loads of laundry I've done so far this week too.

I shortened the recipe in half since I'm short on Guacamole lovers in the family.

Chunky-style Guasacaca

Ingredients:
3-4 large ripe avocados
1 large onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3-4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco or hot pepper sauce to taste

1. Mash one of the avocados. Chop the other avocados and mix them with the mashed avocado in a bowl. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. 
2. Finely chop the red and green peppers, tomato, and the onion and add to the avocado. 
3. Mince the garlic and add to the mixture. 
4. Season the guasacaca with salt, pepper, and tobasco sauce to taste.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Fire Fire.

This weekend, we were greeted with the West Des Moines fire department on Saturday night. For having a fire in a contained fire pit that sat on a concrete driveway. Apparently it's against the law in West Des Moines to have a fire with wood burning timbers. Now, if we had a gas fire pit, it would be fine. Interesting rule that I never knew existed, considering we've been having fires in our cul-de-sac for the past decade. Thank goodness the kids had at least cooked their hotdogs so dinner was served. We stood staring at the marshmallows, cold...we grilled the brats so we were saved in the adult dept. Our neighbor won the prize for his "loaded" Brat, topped with fritos.

We were told that a neighbor had placed the call. Really? Because it was in our neighbors driveway, they now have a strike against them. We don't, however. Which is why the guys decided to go to our pit in the backyard. Yes, we lit another fire...so naughty. We figured if we were called out again, it was now on our property and we would tell the firemen that we were experimenting to see what side of the block the call had come from. We concluded it was the street to the west of us. A rental family that also called us out during the Rib Fest for fireworks. The kids ran around, being extra loud so as to pay them back for throwing water on our evening. Andy grabbed a few fireworks at the end of the night...boys will be boys.

The weekend was filled with swimming is Iowa City, the Beaverdale Fest parade with Grandma Jane, soccer in Altoona, wrapping up more soccer in Ames yesterday afternoon. We ended the weekend at the Other Place for pizza on the patio. Fall is nearing as we sat almost uncomfortably without jackets. It's time to throw jackets and blankets in the car to gear up for fall weather. Bring it On. We all tasted a little "happy" last night as Katy shared her fries.

This week we arrive in Venezuela, Hannah's pick. It shall be interesting. Considering she has decided not to like black beans any more. A short dining week as we gear up for Homecoming.

Swedish Standby.

I must confess, we've been making this meal for years. It's our standby for a crock pot night. And last night was that moment. It's actually Scandinavian which works with Sweden so we're sticking to it. The easiest Dilled Pot Roast ever. The hardest part was trying to figure out how I was going to start the crockpot at 1pm when my car was in for a wellness appointment.  It all worked out. $275 later after the wellness ended with new back brakes. Hate cars, really.

Last night was the Valley vs. Waukee swim meet. The coach is starting to build his line-up for the tougher meets, though hasn't quite showcased his best line-up. Such a smart coach! Hannah swam the 500 free for the first time this year. She is ahead of herself from last year at this time, though her knee was aching badly and she was not happy with her performance. Which I must say is a good thing. She wants it badly so putting pressure on yourself is motivating.

Getting to the meet was a little comical. I raced to Katy's school to pick her up from Science Club where they studied thumb prints. She mumbled something about her results being calm and then we entered the end of the girl scouts meeting to gather any announcements for upcoming events. Only to be stopped with making tye-dye t-shirts. I looked at the clock. 5:10pm. Meet starts in 20 minutes. No problem. Made a cool shirt. Clock strikes 5:25 pm, as we were leaving. Get a text that I missed at 5:10...bring Advil. Crap. Race home in 5:00 traffic. Grab meds. Race to Valley for meet. Thankful to find parking spot.  Enter the pool. Grab Hannah who pops her pills before her race. Dang it all with her knee!

Valley won.

Scandinavian Dilled Pot Roast
1 (3-3/12 lb.) beef rump or chuck roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 water
1 Tbl, vinegar
4 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbl. water
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Sprinkle all sides of meat with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. of the dill. 
2. Place in a slow cooker.
3. Add water and vinegar.
4. Cover and cook on LOW 7-9 hours or until tender.
5. Place meat on platter and keep warm.
6. Turn control to HIGH. 
7. Dissolve cornstarch in water; stir into meat drippings.
8. Stir in remaining 1 tsp dill.
9. Cook on HIGH about 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
10. Stir in sour cream. 
11. Slice Meat;serve with sauce.
12. We added potatoes to the dish half way through the 8 hour cooking process.

Swedish Smorgasbord.

I remember to this day, the memories of going to a swedish smorgasbord in Des Moines, downtown near the capital, with my family and aunt Sandy when I was young. I'm not sure what our connection was. I just remember the dessert table. And the mass amounts of food placed throughout this house-like building. And running around with my cousins, stealing the cookies.

Today sparks another memory of a woman that my parents were friends with as I was growing up. Her name was Inger and she was from Sweden. She passed away this week after a long battle with breast cancer. I was shocked at the familiar face I saw in the paper today. A face I haven't seen in 35 years. It's eerie that Sweden is the country we chose this week, aligning with the passing of such a beautiful Swedish woman. My sympathies go out to Inger and her family. May the warmth of her culture live with them now and forever.

We made Swedish meatballs last night. Another thumbs up from the crowd! Well...Katy didn't exactly try them. But I've thrown her out of the fan group of food this year. If I can please Elie, I win. I followed the recipe almost to the tee, with a few exceptions:

• I added a 1/2 # of ground lamb from last weeks meal planning so as not to go to waste. It added a wonderfully rich flavor to the meat.
• I doubled the gravy. It just didn't seem like enough, and I was right!
• I didn't use the "Kitchen Bouquet". No time to research this.

Swedish Meatballs
1 lb ground pork
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion (well minced)
3 eggs
1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Gravy (I would double this)
2 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon fennel seed
 salt & pepper
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional for color)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Put eggs, spices and minced onion in a bowl, mix it all together. 
2. Add meat, mix well so everything is nicely blended. 
3. Shape small meatballs and brown them on all sides. 
4. Cook over medium heat until liquids run clear of blood.
5. Add the beef stock, kitchen bouquet, salt and pepper, and fennel seeds and simmer on low heat about 20 minutes.
6. In a small bowl mix the 1/4 cup of water and the flour well for a thickener. 
7. Add the thickener to the meat stirring constantly. 
8. Cook until the the sauce thickens. 
9. Add the cream and just heat until the cream is blended well and hot.
10. Be careful not to let it boil or it will curdle the cream.

Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Skinkpaj.

Translation...Swedish Quiche. A perfect solution for a Monday night. Soccer and dance were the order of the night. Me driving to soccer, Andy to dance. I found this recipe on Food.com and it sounded yummy. One mention of Gruyere cheese and I'm sold. It called for Herrgrdost, a semi-hard yellow cheese, but quickly added that you could replace with Gruyere. It was different than my normal quiche that I served up in France. This called for egg yolks and sour cream. So healthy!  It did the trick. Dinner was made, though it took longer than we anticipated, as it only called for baking 20 minutes. Add another 20 minutes and and dinner was served. And today is Tuesday which means Monday doesn't come around again for 6 days.

Smoked Ham Pie – Swedish Quiche (Skinkpaj)

1 pie crust (Mördeg)
8 ounces smoked ham, cubed
6 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream
1/4 lb gruyere cheese, shredded (use herrgårdsost if you can get it)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Press pastry dough into baking pan. (I used frozen Pillsbury Pet Ritz and baked crust for 10 minutes alone)
2. Set oven to 350°F 3 Combine egg yolks, sour cream, ham, and cheese. 
3. Season with Salt and Pepper and 1/2 the nutmeg.
4. Pour into pie shell. 
5. Sprinkle remaining nutmeg on top.
6. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.

Best Year of Your Life.

According to new research, the best year of your life is 46. Saying life gets as good as it gets when you are 46... interesting. I've also read that women will experience some sort of anxiety due to menopause. Now I know why turning 46 has been much harder than any other age. Maybe because I'm closer to 50 now than 40... I spent my birthday camping with Katy and her girl scout troop this past weekend. What a way to forget about age for awhile! She had a ball and I was able to relax. Read a book. Take photo's and enjoy the great outdoors.

If you look closely at this photo, you can see the floating bobber. This was taken in daylight. The water had a few oil puddles from the breakfast sausage we were using as bait. The sun and oil mixed with the camera created this crazy night-time looking picture.

Katy caught three fish and was full of smiles. Her friend caught a 24 lb. catfish which was pretty wild coming out of this tiny pond. Another friend caught a fishing pole! They tried to catch a toad but that didn't work out so well.

Archery, wagon rides, horse back riding, star gazing and campfire were all a part of the camping experience. Everyone had a great time. So much fun that the troop is going to go tent camping at the end of the month to earn a few badges, including cooking over a fire. I hope our schedules will allow us to go:)

Stay tuned for Sweden. I need to recharge my outlook on this new #46 and march forward like a girl scout. Happy is life at any age, really. So bring it on.

Happy Haggis

Thursday's meal was a hit! I prepared a crock pot version of the traditional Scottish dish, Haggis.  It is considered a savory pudding and originated as far back as 1787 and is the national dish of Scotland. The original dish was a mix of sheep's pluck, onion, oats and spices, encased in the stomach of a sheep and simmered for hours. No, I didn't use sheep stomach or lungs or heart in it, just a split of ground beef and ground lamb. So delicious. I served it with the leftover Clapshot, though it also calls for Neets and Tatties, which is very similar to Clapshot but without the bacon.

The spices were quite interesting too. Spicy yet a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon and savory with the meat and onion. I would highly recommend trying this dish. It was so easy. I learned that you can make any kind of meatloaf in a crock pot. Who knew? This journey of mine isn't always about learning about countries, I'm finding. It's so much more than that. It brings with it an excitement of learning, of challenging oneself to explore unchartered territories. There is no room for "ruts" in our kitchen and meal planning this year. It's not always easy but I'm beginning to see the rewards. And that makes me happy.

Crockpot Haggis

--1/2 pound ground beef

--1/2 pound ground lamb

--1 chopped red onion (doesn't need to be diced, largish chunks are okay)

--1 cup oats (if you are gluten free, make sure your oats are certified GF)

--pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon

--1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

--1/2 tsp black pepper

--1 tsp kosher salt

--1 egg

--1/2 cup of broth or stock (I used chicken broth)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients, minus the broth, the same way you'd make a meatloaf.
2. Plop it into your crockpot. I used a 4qt round crock for this. I didn't spray with cooking spray, but it might be a good idea.
3. Shape with your hands into a round blob.
4. Pour in your broth.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 4. This is cooked fully when it has browned on the edges and is beginning to brown on top. Don't overcook and risk drying out.
6. Using large spatulas, carefully remove and set on a cutting board. Let rest for a full 30 minutes before slicing.

Wee Scunner.

 We had a few Wee Scunner's in the house last night (aka, little nuisances in Scottish brogue) after my delicious masterpiece was completed. Katy rebelled with the meal and ate two pieces of bacon before gymnastics. Apparently, we raced home and took a shower and settled into bed to read when she reappeared after 10pm to say she was hungry. Shame on her for not eating the meal she was offered earlier in the night. Shame on me for not remembering she needed to fill her tummy before bed. So she ate a bowl of Cheerios and went back up. The problem was we were all tired and going to bed. She has a hard time going to sleep if she knows everyone else has gone to bed so the whimpering began. I could hear her from across the house. So I marched into her bedroom and tried to reason with her. Finally, after 11pm, Katy was now tucked in on our floor for the night, losing any play time today as her consequence.

Scunner #2 was Elie. Apparently after I left for gymnastics, her whining and arguing began with Andy. Not the perfect pair when they are both tired. So I walked into the screaming and soon sent Scunner #2 to bed. Bring it on... Hannah chose wisely and didn't get involved. Her only problem is searching for a Homecoming dress for the dance she hasn't been asked to...

I digress. It's time to switch back to the meal. The meal I quickly pulled together with all the scurry that Scotland has brought me this week. I found a fish recipe from the Inverlochy Castle in Scotland. I paired it with a tradional potato dish, Bacon Clapshot, which can be found in North-East Scotland. As I mentioned in the last blog, it was a pleasant surprise when it all came together. Very gourmet on a Wednesday night. NO fusses with the exception of Scunner #1.

White Fish with Artichokes and Caper Dressing
Ingredients 

Artichokes
3 1/3 cups low-salt chicken broth 1 onion, sliced 3/4 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 fresh thyme sprigs 2 large garlic cloves, crushed 1 fresh rosemary sprig 4 whole artichokes
..or one can of artichoke hearts which is what I did...huge time saver!

Dressing
5 tablespoons olive oil 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons drained capers

Fish
4 5- to 6-ounce sea bream, striped bass, or whitefish fillets (I used Tilapia)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil


Preparation
For artichokes:
Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off stems and remove all leaves. Scrape out chokes, trim edges of hearts, and add to saucepan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pan and simmer until hearts are tender, about 35 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer hearts to plate. Cut hearts into 1/3-inch-thick slices. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
...or use can opener and drain artichoke hearts in strainer.

For dressing:
Whisk oil, vinegar, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend; whisk in capers. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

For fish:

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add artichoke slices to skillet. Sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, arrange artichokes in center of each of 4 plates; reserve skillet. Spoon 3/4 of warm potatoes atop artichokes on each plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
Return reserved skillet with butter mixture to medium-high heat. Add fish and sauté until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange fish atop potatoes on each plate. Spoon dressing over fish and serve.

Bacon Clapshot

Ingredients
1 1/3 pounds potato, peeled and quartered
2/3 pound turnips, peeled and cut into chunks (also used parsnips)
3 tablespoons butter (accidently added 3 tablespoons olive oil in addition..oops)
1/4 cup milk
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and ground black pepper to taste





Directions
1. Place the potatoes and turnips in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and turnips, return them to the saucepan and mash until creamy. Add the butter and milk and beat until fluffy. Stir in the crumbled bacon and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

* The fish recipe was found in epicurous and the Bacon Clapshot from Allrecipes.com. Two of my favorite food sites!

Scotland in a Scurry.

This week has flown by. We haven't had a chance to catch our breath and tomorrow is Thursday! I have nearly thrown in the towel on touring Scotland due to lack of time. But somehow, this evening I mustered up enough energy to crank out a gourmet meal in less than 2 hours. I can't get into the details of the meal this evening as I have no time so you will have to wait.

Highlights of the week:
Valley Swim Meet. Hannah swam the 200 IM and won!! Barely. She was way ahead of the SE Polk swimmer and then the breaststroke hit. The stroke Hannah has been avoiding since the end of July because of her painful knees. She clearly looked like she was out-touched from the naked spectator eye but then she pulled a Michael Phelps and took care of it with her awesome finish. Congrats, Hannah.

Until tomorrow. We really are in Scotland. Just too busy shopping for a Plaid Homecoming dress...

Buenos Aires.

We dined in the largest city of Argentina on Thursday night. It was a simple meal, after watching the Valley Tigers beat Lincoln in the swim and dive meet. The season has begun and we are so excited!!! Hannah came within .4 seconds of her LTB in the 200 free. Not bad for so early in the season. Her knees are in pain though so we're hoping she can continue to heal while still training.

The recipe was pulled from the local living section of the newspaper in Buenos Aires. Doesn't appear to be authentic. More french in my mind. Simple and connected to Argentina, at least their newspaper.


Buenos Aires Pressed Sandwich
1 loaf challah, rich bread or 1 loaf other soft rich bread (I used Ciabatta)
8 ounces brie cheese, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 bunch fresh basil, trimmed, leaves only
20 -30 slices of oven-roasted tomatoes or 20 -30 slices sun-dried tomatoes
Butter

Directions:
1 Split the bread in half lengthwise and place a layer of brie on top of the bottom half of the loaf.
2 Top with a layer of tomatoes and fresh basil.
3 Replace the top layer of bread and brush with butter.
4 Press the sandwich into a panini grill and grill until toasted.

We used the ingredients, but didn't follow the recipe of quantity and process. We actually repurposed the chicken from the other night, sliced thin for a punch of protein.  From Katy's salami only sandwich to Elie's chicken and cheese to the real deal. Made individual sandwiches, so delicious.

We will be saying goodbye to Argentina as we head to Spain for the weekend of a little Paella at Mimi & Zadie's. Yummy stuff.