Camping Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

August 3, 2010 | Posted as Camping Recipes, Dessert Recipes at 12:47 pm | Comments »

Now that I’ve blown the dust off my trusty camping tent, I’m ready to start packing for a weekend of outdoors life.  This tried & true Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobbler recipe will make you the hero around the campfire.  Enjoy this delight of a camping dessert!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Cinnamon, to taste
•  2 x 29 ounce cans blackberry filling

What’s Next:

Line a 12-quart Dutch oven with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place on bed of coals to preheat for 10-15 minutes. Mix all ingredients except for blackberries. Remove Dutch oven off of coals and pour in fruit, drain if needed.

Pour batter over top of fruit. Add cinnamon on top, if desired. Put lid on Dutch oven and place back on coals. When using charcoal, place about 8 pieces on bottom and 13-15 on top. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from coals and crack lid to allow it to cool.  Now go be the camping hero!

 

Eat well & Camp often!

Salt Glorious Salt

July 27, 2010 | Posted as Vegetable Recipes at 6:48 pm | (1) Comment »

I’ve written swooningly about fleur de sel before, but the truth is that I adore nearly all types of natural salt, not just the premium-quality French “flowers”. Yes, I said “natural” salt- not regular table salt, which is prepared thusly:

mined, heat blasted, chemically treated, and then anti-caking agents and iodine added to it (source)

Seriously, who needs all that? Natural sea salt is readily available almost everywhere now, in nearly all colors of the rainbow, from grey to pink to sparkling white…

Which brings me to the point of today’s post. It’s the height of summer where I live right now, and in this heat my strongest food cravings are for fresh, local ingredients: bright green lettuce, crunchy carrots, crispy jicama. Served raw… with nothing more than a sprinkling of good salt.

Our dinner last night, for example, was this: four large, juicy organic tomatoes. I washed them, sliced them thick, drizzled on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with Japanese sea salt, and served with a hunk of toasted sourdough bread. Perfect with a chilled bottle of Pinot Noir. It was one of the best meals we’d had in a long time.

What are your favorite simple meals?

Sensual Shallot Bruschetta

July 20, 2010 | Posted as Bread Recipe at 2:12 pm | Comments »

This is a most fabulous bruschetta, I’m addicted to it.  It does work best if you prepared the tomato mixture ahead and chill for a day.

Ingredients:

• 12 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• S & P to taste
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pd Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons Romano

What’s Next:

Set oven to broil. 

In a large bowl- toss together roma tomatoes, minced garlic, shallots, basil, lemon juice, S & P and 1/3 cup olive oil.  Chill overnight if possible.

In a small saucepan- add 1/4 cup olive oil and slivered garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  Toss garlic in trash, keep olive oil.

Slice Italian bread in small to medium size slices.  Brush pieces with garlic-based olive oil.  Add roma tomato mix.  Sprinkle Parmesan & Romano cheese on top.  Place in oven until browned and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes.  

Enjoy!

Eat well & Laugh often!

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Tortilla de Patatas

July 15, 2010 | Posted as Breakfast Foods, Eggs at 10:28 am | Comments »

Since deciding to really work on my writing, I’ve disciplined myself to write at least three pages every morning- which leaves me less time to prepare the sort of fancy breakfasts my husband and I love. I’ve made night-before breakfast puddings, of course, and have a bag of croissants in the freezer, ready to pop into the oven for some buttery morning bliss. But I wanted something different- and remembered one of my favorite dishes when I was traveling Spain as a Vegetarian (!): Tortilla de Patatas.

At first, I thought Tortilla had something to do with the corn chips- and what a delight it was to discover that it was actually a thick omelette, filled with something delicious. Like fried potatoes.

I make this the night before, and don’t bother to heat it up, because my husband likes his cold, with lots of tomato ketchup. But by all means, give it a few minutes in the oven if you want it hot.

Oh, and these are perfect for other times of the day as well- like lunch, dinner, or as some late-night tapas.

Tortilla de Patatas
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
salt & pepper to taste
4 large eggs

First, cook the potatoes: heat the olive oil in a skillet over low to medium, and cook potatoes slowly. Do NOT fry them, you’re not making hash browns here. You want the potatoes cooked and soft, but not mushy. Drain, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes to the eggs, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Heat more olive oil in a large skillet, and pour the egg-potato mixture in. Shake pan around to prevent sticking and get it evenly cooked… after a few seconds, when the bottom is cooked and firm, flip. Cook until golden brown.

A Shrimp In Every Pot Pasta Recipe

July 2, 2010 | Posted as Pasta Please at 11:30 am | (1) Comment »

Herbert Hoover had it wrong, you need a tiger shrimp in every pot!  Enjoy this spectacular and healthy tiger shrimp pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, Italian style
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• S & P
• 1 pound tiger shrimp, de-veined, peeled & washed
• 1 cup penne pasta (I love the wheat version)

What’s Next:

In a large skillet on medium-high:  heat up olive oil & saute garlic cloves until browned.  Turn heat down to medium-low.

Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped artichoke hearts to skillet.  Mix together.

Add basil, oregano, Italian seasoning and S & P.  Stir until uniform.  Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors. 

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain & set aside. 

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water.  Add shrimp and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain and add to tomato concoction.  Stir and simmer together for 5 minutes.

Place pasta on plates and spoon shrimp mix on top.  And there you have it, instant delicious!  Serve with a side of Italian bread and you have yourself a wonderful weekend meal!

Eat well & Laugh often.