Sunday, December 18, 2011

FRITTATA WITH COLLARD GREENS AND MEXICAN- BLEND CHEESE: REQUESTS FOR A RECIPE ARE ROLLING IN (OK, only one, but she wants it really badly)

FRITTATA WITH COLLARD GREENS AND MEXICAN-BLEND CHEESE

Left over cooked collard greens, about a cup or so
2 T, minced onions
1-2 t. of Cajun seasoning blend. Note: I make my own and reduce or eliminate the salt.
1 t, black pepper
Crystal Hot Sauce, apply liberally
Eggstirs, Publix's version of Egg Beaters or 4 real eggs
Mexican blend shredded cheese

Place 3/4 to one cup of greens on cutting board after draining. Slice up. Place greens in heated, oiled, oven-proof skillet. Cook for a few minutes between low and medium to evaporate some of the remnant liquid.

Add Eggstirs to skillet, stir once, turn heat to low and cook. As eggs begin to set or become firm on bottom, lift the edge of the eggs with a spatula so that the remaining liquid egg mixture flows under the set eggs. Leave the eggs cooking on low until just shy of being completely set.

Season with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Add generous amount of Mexican blend cheese. Place skillet under the broiler. Cook until the egg mixture becomes golden brown. Remove and serve with generous splases of Crystal Hot Sauce.

Friday, December 16, 2011

PRODUCTS THAT ARE STAPLES IN MY KITCHEN

Crystal Hot Sauce - CHS is a Louisiana-style hot sauce. No day is complete without it. Period. Don't even think of Tabasco as a substitute.

Smart Balance Buttery Spread Made With Exta-Virgin Olive Oil - tastes great and is a great alternative to butter

Chobani Greek Yogurt - Vanilla, non-fat: spectacular, smooth flavor. Manufactured in upstate NY and is the current food sensation. Knock out flavors and "numbers" that compete with or do better than regular non-fat yogurts. We buy the large sized container. I do not like the fruit-on-the-bottom smaller cups of yogurt, though my wife does. The vanilla variety is sinfully delicious.

Emeril's Creaole seasoning blend made without salt or scant salt. I mix my own which enables me to use up my seasonings so that do not become stale and flavorless. His recipe is readily available on-line or in several of his cookbooks. I reduce or eliminate the salt. I also like most to all of Paul Prudhomme's blends which I make the same by eliminating the salt. He has a line of spice blends for specific uses.

Celestial Seasonings Teas: Try any with a fruit in the name.  Everything they make is delicious.

Three Crabs Fish Sauce: Lynn Rosetto Kaspar is right. Very small amounts enliven many dishes. Her ace in the hole and now mine.

Monday, December 12, 2011

SOIL SOLARIZATION OF RAISED BEDS WITH PLASTIC TARP TO COMBAT PESTS

This is a good article on using plastic tarps to solarize raised beds. I plan to do mine in the peak of the hot summer. It should bake away the "unwanted" effectively.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html

Monday, December 05, 2011

MUST-READ LINK TO INTERVIEW WITH DIANA KENNEDY, WORLD AUTHORITY ON MEXICAN CUISINES

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST-READ INTERVIEW WITH DIANA KENNEDY, THE WORLD AUTHORITY ON MEXICAN CUISINES: http://www.thecookbookblog.com/2011/12/05/author-interview-diana-kennedy/