Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

• 1 large head of Cauliflower cut into small floweretts

• 2 bunches of Broccoli cut into small floweretts

• 2 cups Water Chestnuts diced

• 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

• 1 pound Bacon sliced and fried crisp

• 1/2 cup Raisins

• 1/2 cup shredded Carrots (optional)

Dressing

• 2 cups Mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

• 1 small Onion finely chopped

Combine, chill and serve. This is a great salad or side. Add anything you like. Apples, dried fruit, nuts, shreaded red cabbage are just a few examples. Eat and enjoy!

Want To Spend a Fun Evening With Family Or Friends, But In a Pinch For Money?

Whether you are single, new to a relationship or married, dating can get expensive. If you are single, you may want to have a girls’ or guys’ night out but going to restaurants can be costly. If you are dating, of course you want to make a good impression but may be on a tight budget. If you are married and want to enjoy a night without the kids, there may not be any money left over for dinner after paying the babysitter! Take these tips into consideration the next time you want to spend an evening out:

•Stay in and cook. Who wouldn’t be impressed by a meal you prepared yourself? Not only is it sentimental because your hard-work went into it, but it also shows some personality. What you decided to cook and why it is your specialty would also be something you could talk about! If you weren’t planning a date but just wanted dinner with a few friends, invite them over! Your friends would love the change of scenery and really appreciate the meal. Plan a “girls night in” and you wouldn’t even have to leave your house!

•Go outdoors. Spending time outside and being active is a great idea. I know I love taking walks around the neighborhood, especially when I have company! You could enjoy your daily walk even more if you had someone to talk to. It would be a great way to catch-up with your friends or to get to know someone. You could even help motivate one another!

•Have a trade-off night with the neighbors. Talk with your neighbors and see about a night you can have their children over at no cost in return for a night at their house! You can plan these nights for two weekends out of the month or every other weekend. This is a great way to relax and enjoy a free night to yourselves, or you can put the money you saved on a babysitter toward a nice dinner!

It is not necessary to spend outrageous amounts of money on a babysitter or go to an expensive restaurant to have fun. It’s really the quality time you spend that matters most, not where or how much you spent.

Have other ideas for an inexpensive but fun night in or out? Post them below!

Try This Salmon

As the weather was so good last night, we decided to BBQ the salmon I had ready for our dinner last night. I was going to serve it with a salad, but I had a quick search for some new recipes to try out and came across this “Asian Salmon” dish I was keen to have a try. While Michael cooked it on the BBQ I did a quick stir-fry with yummy noodles, broccoli and sugar snap peas. We just served the salmon steaks on top of the stir fry and everyone loved it. Plus it was a very healthy and nutritious meal, which always puts a smile on my face. It’s so so simple, and makes a change from the salmon with Caesar salad and new potatoes which is my culprit standard dish when we have salmon steaks in!

Graduate classes

Little-known fact about my job: as part of my contract, I am allowed two free graduate- (or undergraduate-, should I so desire) level classes per semester. In other words, I am allowed to take, either for credit or as an audit, two classes anywhere on campus, provided that said classes don’t conflict too heinously with my work schedule (to wit: no classes that meet across campus 5 times a week for two hours each day— obviously, this diminishes my selection pool by two or three classes at the most).

Having slagged out a 130-page thesis and graduated from Amherst College only too recently, I decided that I should probably go easy on the coarse load this semester. Nothing wrong with pursuing an intellectually rigorous education — and the price is certainly right — but I’ve had quite enough stress for one year. I would like to keep my healthy tooth enamel and my thick, well-colored head of hair,  thank you very much.

That said, the two “easy” courses I selected for my fall semester are this:

…and this:

I am super excited about learning the violin. I know, I’m turning into a jack-of-all stringed instruments and master of none, but I’ve always secretly wanted to learn how to work my way around a violin/fiddle. It’s just such a pretty instrument, and even more portable than a guitar. Plus, with three instruments under my belt, I will totally be able to write my own ticket into any upstart indie band in the country, should I have a desire to play in such a group when I return to the good ol’ US of A.

But I’m getting ahead of myself: I had my very first lesson today, and my instructor was very supportive. She told me that I have excellent hands (read: long and thin-fingered) for the violin, and that my posture and technique is already pretty close to perfect—both probably carry-overs from my guitar muscle memory. I do need to work a little on properly holding and using the bow (no surprises there), but irrespective of that we seem to be moving through the material very quickly. She told me at the beginning of the lesson that my homework would simply be working on my bow technique, but by the end she had me reading and playing some very basic sheet music! She tells me that I am one of her more motivated students, a very quick learner, and a natural. I don’t know if she’s telling the complete truth or flattering me so that I’ll be more inclined to practice, but I can’t complain either way.

As for Arabic… well, I’m forgotten a lot of my vocabulary, which is a problem.  Add to that that we’re learning out of a completely different book than the one I used at Amherst — meaning that I’ve got more vocabulary and grammar skills than my peers in some cases, and less in others. And as this is a foreign language class, the university does not frown upon the teacher for instructing in Turkish; the book we learn out of, meanwhile, is written for English students. This means that the class is taught half in Turkish and half in English (and partially in Arabic), and it can all get rather confusing. Thankfully, the professor is very nice, and when he finds himself forced to teach a concept in Turkish he usually pauses afterward to give me a quick synopsis in English. It’s been a difficult experience so far, but I have been able to follow along without too much trouble. With some rigorous study I should be able to catch up with the vocabulary and grammar, and at that point it will be much easier for me to keep up with the class.

Oh, and before I forget: Happy Yom Kippur to all my Jewish friends!

I am not observant, so I didn’t attend services or anything (not that there seem to be any synagogues to go to around here), but two other members of the tribe (Jamie and Kim) invited me and all the other instructors to celebrate the break-fast with a potluck. So, I threw together my go-to “specialty” entree, Nikita’s Russo-Glaswegian Apricot Chicken w/ rice, and exchanged it for access to a buffet of scrumptious Kosher delights. I was happy to see that my contribution was one of the first things devoured — though I received some spoken compliments, that was by far the best vindication of my culinary skills. If political science, comparative literature, foreign languages/diplomatic work, journalism, or musicianship doesn’t work out for me, maybe I’ll still have a future in cooking…

Fish Provençal

Provence is well known for its olives and other Mediterranean foods and here these Provençal flavours are combined to create a delicious fish dish which is superbly easy to make. Make the most of any special offers on white fish – most types will be suitable. Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Calories per portion 234 Kcal Fat per portion 8g of which saturated 1g Serves 2 Suitable for freezing Olive oil spray a few bursts Onion 1 large, peeled and chopped Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed Chopped tomatoes 400g can, drained Olives 50g (2oz), pitted Thyme 2 tbsp Cod, coley or haddock steaks 2 x 150g (5oz) 1 Preheat the grill to medium. Spray a large frying pan with oil and gently fry the onion for around 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, olives and thyme and bring to the boil. Season to taste and simmer for 10 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, grill the fish for 4 minutes on each side. Then place the fish in the frying pan and coat with the sauce. Serve immediately on individual plates with new potatoes and a rocket salad. Cook’s tip For really succulent fish, instead of grilling, poach in a pan of gently simmering water for around 5 minutes, turning halfway through if it is not entirely submerged. Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook. Provence is well known for its olives and other Mediterranean foods and here these Provençal flavours are combined to create a delicious fish dish which is superbly easy to make.

Fish Provencal

Make the most of any special offers on white fish – most types will be suitable.

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Calories per portion 234 Kcal
Fat per portion 8g
of which saturated 1g
Serves 2
Suitable for freezing

Olive oil spray a few bursts
Onion 1 large, peeled and chopped
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
Chopped tomatoes 400g can, drained
Olives 50g (2oz), pitted
Thyme 2 tbsp
Cod, coley or haddock steaks 2 x 150g (5oz)

1 Preheat the grill to medium. Spray a large frying pan with oil and gently fry the onion for around 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, olives and thyme and bring to the boil. Season to taste and simmer for 10 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, grill the fish for 4 minutes on each side. Then place the fish in the frying pan and coat with the sauce. Serve immediately on individual plates with new potatoes and a rocket salad.

Cook’s tip
For really succulent fish, instead of grilling, poach in a pan of gently simmering water for around 5 minutes, turning halfway through if it is not entirely submerged.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

Delectable Sweet Potato Latkes

Served

With the recent Jewish Holiday, Rosh Hashanah, about 2 weeks ago and tonight’s celebration of Yom Kippur, I decided to make latkes in honor of my Jewish friends. My friend Paul posted a picture once of his Potato Pancake which he made from scratch, which I was quite impressed with. He tells me they are so delicious and when I get the chance, to try them. Since I am not Jewish, I know I couldn’t wait for Paul to make them for me, so I decided to do it myself. I found a recipe that called for sweet potatoes, one of my favorite things to eat. As usual, I switched things up a bit and it turned out quite delectable. They taste like they should be served along with other desserts, cause it is slightly sweet and could be dusted with powdered sugar. maple syrup or whipped cream. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. I look forward to making more and serving them to my friend Paul (who LOVES Potato Pancakes). Enjoy.

I’ve learned from what I’ve read online, that latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, onions, and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. The texture is crispy on the outside and tender within. They’re served hot and often dipped in apple sauce or sour cream. The Maccabbee soliders ate latkes made from cheese, vegetables, or fruits which were brought to them on the battlefields. However, they didn’t eat potato latkes, as potatoes weren’t available until the 16th century.

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Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Shredded.

• 2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten

• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

• 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

• 1/4 Vegetable Oil for Frying

Preparing the Potatoes:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into small to medium pieces.
2. Shred potatoes using a food processor with the grader attachment in place.
3. Remove shredded potatoes and rinse well in colander.
4. Place shredded potatoes into a large bowl and add water to cover potatoes.
5. Let potatoes soak for about 10. ★ Soaking the potatoes help remove as much of the starch as possible. It fries better with less starch. Water should look frothy and dirty.
6. Place potatoes back into the colander, drain and rinse again.
7. Repeat step 3 and soak for another 10 minutes.
8. Again, place potatoes into the colander, drain and rinse. Drain as much water out of the potatoes as much as possible. The less water the less the oil will splatter.
9. Using your freshly washed hands, squeeze potatoes to remove excess water.
10. Let stand, in colander, in the sink while preparing the batter.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, flour, cloves, pumpkin spice and cinnamon; mix well.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet to 375° degrees. Keep the flame medium-high.
3. Using your clean hands, add shredded sweet potatoes and mix well.
4. Form mixture into small pancake sized cakes. ★ I recommend forming all the pancakes first before frying. Your hands will get messy.
5. Gently place pancakes into the hot oil and fry.
6. Flip each pancake after frying for about 4 to 5 minutes (pancakes should be brown on the bottom).
7. Make sure you cook them until they are really brown and look slightly burnt around the edges.
8. Carefully remove pancakes with a slotted spatula, letting excess oil drip back into the pan before moving pancakes to paper towel.
9. Drain a layers of paper towels that are on a dinner plate.
10. Serve hot!
11. ENJOY!

All Mixed Up                                                                    Frying it Up in the Pan                                                                  Served HOT

A nod to Julia Child

I finally got around to seeing the movie Julie and Julia and thoroughly enjoyed Meryl Streep’s affectionate portrayal of Julia Child.  Meryl Streep was amazing, but the other star was Julia Child’s kitchen, the one on display at the Smithsonian.  It’s so organized, efficient and cozy — all the things I hope my kitchen will be one day.

Also, I have to confess . . . I first learned about Julia Child through that Dan Akroyd skit on Saturday Night Live in the 70s (I was 4).  Thankfully, Julia Child adored the skit as well and was said to play the tape to guests.

Here’s a clip from the David Letterman show in 1987 where he actually makes reference to that skit.  It also highlights the charm and humor of Julia’s personality.

David: Have you ever cooked something Julia that just turned out awful?

Julia: Yeah. Lots of times.

David: What do you do then?  What happens?

Julia: I give it to my husband.