Mangoes with Sour Cream

My new favorite "potluck " dish.

1 - 3 lb bag of frozen mango chunks

1 - cup of sour cream
1/2 to 1 cup cane sugar
1-2 tsp salt to taste

1 - 2 TBS of unflavored gelatin (optional)
1 tsp - 1 TBS cream of tartar (optional)
1 cup of milk (only needed if using gelatin)

I have decided that sour cream makes the best dressing for just about anything.  Fruit salads, instead of mayonnaise for tuna fish, dips, whatever.  The sour complements the mangoes so well and it's so  to just defrost the fruit in the fridge, then apply sour cream sauce.  If you leave the fruit slightly frozen, it will be its own chilling mechanism if its not going to be eaten immediately.

The first time I made this, I was in a hurry and just threw it together and was thankful that it turned out ok.  The second time I made it, I wanted to sneak a little protein in there....mostly so when I ate the leftovers as a snack, it would be a wee bit more balanced.

If you want to add the gelatin, dissolved it in the milk first.   Then add everything else except the mangoes.  Stir well until declumped.  Heat to dissolve the gelatin, then pour over the mangoes, stirring or folding over quickly.  It will usually last the day, but overnight, the mangoes get a little soggy.

Iced Coffee Nog

The weather is finally getting warm, finally.  We had a tease of an 80 degree day the beginning of May, then it snowed.  It's warming up again, hopefully to stay this time.  It's not really too hot for hot coffee yet, but I can hope, can't I?

Ingredients per serving:
1 egg
1-2 TBS cane sugar
1/2 cup cold, strong coffee
1/2 cup whole milk 
or half and half
pinch of salt


Mix all the ingredients in a blender and serve over ice.  You can blend the ice in, but will need to make the coffee stronger to compensate for the extra water. Tastes like Haagen Daz lite.

Hearth and Soul Hop

Cowboy Cookies - GF

I hate oatmeal.  It's ok going down loaded with butter and sugar, but it never satisfies me.  I am still hungry after eating oatmeal, so I haven't eaten it in years....not kept any in the house either.  I don't even go down the cereal aisle.

Picture me in the fall, with some friends, picnicking on a pontoon boat on the lake on a GORGEOUS "just the right temperature" day.  Picture me being offered a cookie made by someone else introduced as a coconut oil cookie. Picture me trying not to have an "Ewww" face. (I'm not really a cookie person, ice cream is my "go to", and not all women are good bakers and coconut oil is NOT always baking friendly. The cookies I tried to make with coconut oil a while back were horrible.) Picture my eyes popping out of my head at the surprise at how much I like this cookie. An oatmeal cookie that's relatively healthy and not a hockey puck.

Cowboy Cookies

All bagged up to save for later......

Blend:
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl whisk together or sift:
2 cups white rice flour
2-3 TBS unflavored gelatin
1/2-1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2-1 tsp cream of tartar

Blend flour mix into wet mix.

Add:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semi or dark chocolate chips (approx 5 oz)

Dough will be crumbly.  Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet (actually, I didn't grease).  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

These bad boys will SPREAD, so give them room to grow.  I used an ice cream scoop to keep them an even size, made hand sized cookies.  The first batch I made I used less gelatin and less cream of tartar, made for a crispier cookie...like a granola bar on the edges.  The second batch I used the larger amounts and it made for chewier cookies.  I also made a double batch and used the Bosch.  We had votes for both variations in our household.  Extras can be frozen and make for convenient snacks and travel food....just add milk.

Would work well for making ice cream sandwiches....just sayin'.

Edited 032013: Not to shock you or anything, but this is NOT a weight loss friendly food....just sayin'. ;)

See ya in the Gumbo 
Scratch Cookin' Tuesday 
Gluten Free Wednesday 
Melt in your Mouth Monday

French Toast - GF

Contrary to popular belief,  french toast is not a way to use up stale bread.  It is also not a way to use up an over abundance of eggs.  It is simply the ultimate vehicle for highlighting the exquisite taste of maple syrup....and butter, lots and lots of butter!  At least in our house. ;)

Ingredients
bread, sliced
eggs
cinnamon (optional)
nutmeg (optional)
vanilla (optional)
cane sugar (optional)
sea salt (optional)

butter
maple syrup

Preheat greased pan to a medium low heat.  Beat the eggs in a wide bottomed bowl....as close to the size of the slice as you can manage.  I use about 2 slices of bread per egg. This is an estimate only.  The size of the slice and the size of the egg can vary.  Any one of the optional ingredients can be added,  if desired.  I don't know that I would add all of them at the same time.  Soak the bread in the egg, coating each side completely, and carefully place in hot pan.  Cook for a few minutes on each side.  Keep warm in a low oven if doing a large batch.  Layer butter between each piece on individual plates.  When butter is melted, drizzle with maple syrup.

Lick plate when done.

See Ya In The Gumbo 
Melt in Your Mouth Monday 
Gluten Free Wednesday

Irish Soda Bread - GF

Ingredients
3 cups rice flour
1-2 TBS unflavored beef gelatin
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup cane sugar (optional)

1 egg
2 cups milk#

1/4 cup melted coconut oil, butter or lard

• Preheat oven to 325* (I skip this step for my toaster oven.)

• Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.  (Sugar is optional, simply because I forgot to add it the second time I made this and didn't notice.  Ketchup boy noticed.) 

• Set aside.  

• Beat egg and add milk in a separate bowl.  

• Mix egg/milk into dry ingredients and blend.  

• Add melted coconut oil or fat of choice. 

• Blend.  

• Pour ( or plop) bread mix into a greased bread pan.  It rises, but doesn't spread much, so you will need to add it evenly, if you want an even loaf.

• Bake for 65-70 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.  

• Let cool completely on wire rack before cutting.  I made this in the toaster oven in the evening,  let it cool over night and sliced in the morning.

#The original recipe called for buttermilk.  You can sour milk quickly by adding a little ACV, if desired.


Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Gluten Free Wednesday

Sweet Potato Cranberry Cheese Melt

I intended to contribute some sweet potato pie for a Thanksgiving Get Together in addition to the cranberry sauce. So much for intentions....

I had a lot of precooked sweet potatoes that desperately needed eating.  I had a lot of cranberry sauce leftover too.  (I made enough, we could of eaten it as the main course.)

I was worn out from eating and visiting the day before. Necessity is the mother of invention, so......


Sweet Potato Cranberry Cheese Melt

1. Mash cool to touch sweet potato in bottom of baking dish.  
2. Layer spoonfuls of cranberry sauce on top.
3. Dot with butter chunks.
4. Salt generously.
5. Layer white cheese of choice.  I used mozzarella, but a nice Jack or Havarti would work too.
6. Bake @ 300* for 20-30 minutes.

This taste ok cool and I ended up making some again for lunch to go the next day too.

Later incarnations involved coconut oil fried, white corn tortillas...even better!

See Ya In The Gumbo 
Heart and Soul Hop 
Scratch Cookin' Tuesday 
Simple Lives Thursday

Short Rib Curry with Lychees (Slowcooker) - GF

Ingredients
beef short ribs
coconut milk
red curry paste
pickled and sliced banana peppers
jumbo onion, sliced
straw mushrooms
whole lychees (or pineapple)
beef gelatin
cane sugar
sea salt

Ok...so I've never had a lychee before, but it was priced the same as pineapple...so I grabbed a can.  They look like odd shrimp and taste like a bland over sized raspberry without the seeds.  I am sure fresh is better.

Layer in order in the slow cooker, adjust amounts to the size of your cooker.  My oval cooker fit a 6.8 lb frozen block of ribs.  There was a small space on the side for the onions and peppers.  I added the mushrooms, lychees, gelatin, sugar and salt towards the end. This cooked over night and I pulled out loose bones in the morning.  Some of the interior pieces needed more cooking time for bone release.  An extra hour on high did the trick.
Use approximately 1 TBS gelatin per 1/4 of meat and roughly equal parts gelatin and sugar.  Measuring doesn't matter too much, except the salt.   Leave it out until finished cooking, then season to taste. Serve over rice or potatoes.

Hunk of Meat Monday
See Ya In The Gumbo

Unglazed Gelatin Donut Holes - GF, DF

The evolution of leftover onion ring batter.

Mix equal parts beef gelatin and cane sugar with a wee bit of cream of tartar and extra salt, if needed. Mix with leftover egg and rice flour and add extra flour until you can work it like Playdo and not have it stick to your hands.  I like to divided the ball in half and then half again, then half again and so on until I have multiple, roughly equal pieces, that are about the size of my thumb to the first joint.  They expand a little when they fry in the coconut oil.  They are more forgiving of temperature, so I usually stick them in last. You may have to roll them to get them to brown evenly.

I can think of all sorts of ways to doctor these up...cinnamon sugar coatings, dipped in melted chocolate, fruit centers....but I usually am so full on onions rings by the time I get to these, I don't feel like being adventurous anymore.

Orange Whip

Sweet and simple.

Orange Whip (recipe fits a "personal sized" blender)

• 2-3 oz frozen concentrated orange juice (pulp free)

• fresh milk, skimmed or whole (this is a good recipe for hold up queen's milk)

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• ice cubes (optional, but help the whipped cream effect)

• 2 TBS cane sugar (optional, recommended if using vanilla)

• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (extra potassium and makes it fluffy)

• dash of vanilla (optional, make it a really small dash if not using sugar)

I few months back, I got myself a "personal blender" to fit my 60's era blender....you know the kind that's compatible with mason jars. ;)  I didn't want it, but pricing wise, it was almost the same as the replacement parts I needed.  I admit, it's handy and I like the spill resistant personal drinking lid....fits on a regular mouth mason jar just fine.  Great for sipping.

Anyway, this is one of those blended drinks that need to be finished shortly after making, so small batches are good.  (OJ will turn the milk into cheese if left to sit too long, not nearly as appealing. IMO.)  Leave extra room at the top for the whipping, a few inches at least.  The minuscule amount of cream on my current batch of milk is whipped and firm when prepared this way and makes it taste very rich indeed.

See Ya In The Gumbo
Gluten Free Wednesday
Scratch Cookin' Tuesday
Hearth and Soul Hop
Fat Tuesday

Sirloin and White Hominy Stew

I can be a very lazy cook sometimes.  This morning I grabbed a few packages of frozen bone in sirloin steak from the freezer and plopped them in the slow cooker.  I piled on a diced onion, some gelatin, some tomatoes and green chilies, a handful of salt and a small chunk of bacon grease.  (You just can't go wrong with the aroma of bacon.)  Nothing was measured.

I got curious and added a can of white hominy.  Never had it before, smells like a soggy tortilla.  I wanted to know if it would be good for power outage food.  After cooking on high for a couple hours, I checked for "pull apart."  Pull apart is when the meat just pulls off the bone and the bones are used for broth one more time, given to the dog (depends on the bone and the dog) or the chickens/garden.  It needed a little longer as not all the meat was submerged, so the top pieces were still clingy.  An hour or so later and the meat fell off  while I removed the bones with my tongs.

So hominy in this dish kind of reminds me of bland, mini gnocchi....more of a soft texture than a taste. The sirloin is butter tender, but less interesting after the tongue.  Ummm...and I over did it on the salt a tad, so corrected with a little sugar and cream of tartar and .....Bingo!  It all came together just right.

Hmmmm....I bet some pineapple would substitute just fine for the sugar/cream of tartar flavor wise......

Fat Tuesday
Scratch Cookin' Tuesday
Hearth and Soul Hop
Barn Hop
See Ya In the Gumbo
Hunk of Meat Monday
Gluten Free Wednesday

Beef Tongue Tacos and Broth

The dogs are so NOT getting the tongues anymore.
 
I don't know why it took me so long to get around to cooking one. Tongue is so tasty and flavorful...now I'm wanting mutant animals so I can get more than one tongue per steer.  And the broth from the skin...wow...wow....ummmm, wow!

There are quite a few methods for preparing tongue.  I got impatient and used the pressure cooker.  It was a 1.35 lb tongue and I cooked it at 8 lbs of pressure for a half hour.  I used a trivet and about a half cup of water on the bottom.  I used the natural release method.

While the meat was cooking, I heated the coconut oil for deep frying some white corn tortillas.  While that was heating, I dissolved some gelatin/sugar/cream of tartar/salt in some diced tomatoes and chilies.  The tongue is a high gelatin muscle, like rib eye, but I always like to make sure I am getting enough.

When the pressure was out of the pressure cooker, I grabbed the tongue with some tongs and ran it under some cold water.  When it is cool enough, the skin is SUPPOSED to just release.  I guess I was too impatient again and ended up cutting it off until I got to the tip.  The skin at the tip pulled right off with ease.  I diced the meat into small cubes and put it in with the tomatoes.  In hind sight, it would have been down right decedent to fry them up a little first, fajita-ish, then put them in the sauce.

The only thing needed now was the taco "shells".  I tried "draping" the tortillas on the end of a wooden spoon.  They didn't drape well and the hot oil actually made the sides float up.  Then I tried tongs, holding onto them on one half while pressing them against the side of the pot.  That worked better, but then they puffed up a lot while being held under.  I stopped at 2 tortillas per person.  They weren't pretty but it's the thought that counts, right?

Ok, so the end product was a fresh fried tortilla, yummy meat topping and a glop of sour cream.  A fabulously messy meal that we all enjoyed immensely!

But that's not the end......

No, now I had this delicious smelling liquid at the bottom of my pressure cooker and tongue scraps, mostly skin, but some meat on there too.  So out comes the gallon bag of frozen onion skins and leftover bones/gristle from other meals.  I took the trivet out and emptied the contents of the bag into the pressure cooker.  I added water and some vinegar and salt to 2/3 full.  It's a 6 quart cooker.  I brought it to pressure and cooked for 45 minutes according to the instructions.  I let it the pressure come back down naturally and strained the big stuff out  of the broth with a slotted spoon into a strainer over the pot.

Total yield 3/4 of a gallon of double strength, very gelatinous broth.

The broth has become a simple potato soup, sausage and potato soup, and potato and cheese soup.

See Ya In the Gumbo
Barn Hop
Hearth and Soul Hop
Fat Tuesday
Weekend Gourmet Carnival
Monday Mania 
Scratch Cookin' Tuesday
Gluten Free Wednesday
Real Food Wednesday 
Full Plate Thursday 
Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Southern Sundays 
Melt In Your Mouth Monday

Banana Bread & Muffins - GF

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking: 

Banana Bread & Muffins
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup coconut oil  or butter
1-1 1/4 cup bananas mashed

 1 3/4 cup rice flour
2/3 cup cane sugar 
2 TBS unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped apricots (optional)



I haven't had any bananas for YEARS. Cooked bananas do not cause discomfort like raw ones do though.  I could not resist the bargain of a huge bag of bananas for $1...and had a get together coming up.  I peeled the bananas and stuck them in the freezer until needed. 

Mix ingredients in order.  I use a potato masher or ricer for the banana and leave it on the chunky side.  I used Sucanat for the sugar, the caramel ish flavor goes well.  1 loaf recipe makes about a dozen muffins using an ice cream scoop for measuring.  Bake at 350*  for about 25-30 minutes for muffins, 1 hour for a loaf.  I used my toaster oven, so no preheating necessary.  Use a greased pan or tin or use liners.

The muffins were a huge hit and we actually had leftovers too. They freeze well and make a nice snack on the go....or a light meal with a glass of milk.

See Ya In The Gumbo
Melt in your Mouth Monday
Hearth and Soul Hop
Fat Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Gluten Free Wednesday

Potato Salad with Pickled Eggs

Ingredients:

Cooked potatoes

Diced Beet Pickled Eggs

Mustard 

Diced Butter Pickles or Relish

Pickle Juice or ACV

Sour Cream

Cane sugar/Cream of tartar to taste

Salt to taste

I thought I had posted this a while ago, I guess it got lost in the shuffle. 

I know I used a Russet type potato and adding the pickle juice gave it the right moistness.

Adjust proportions to your personal tastes...I kept adding stuff until it tasted "right"....and I can't remember what I did anyway.....

See Ya In The Gumbo  
Fat Tuesday 
Hearth and Soul Hop

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

I make a mean fruit dip.  I love it for dipping strawberries and it goes great as a brownie topping too.  I got my recipes confused the other day and put WAY too much gelatin in the dip.  Seriously, dip should not be slice-able.


Directions:
I added 2 slices too firm cheesecake dip to 2 eggs in the blender and whipped. Much to my delight, the gelatin dip actually did blend in. I was concerned I would get a chunky smoothie....like adding coconut oil that turns gritty in the cold, ewwww.  I added OJ for liquid as needed and a large handful of frozen strawberries. "Seasoning" was some salt, cream of tartar, cane sugar and homemade vanilla extract.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

Meet my new favorite hot weather breakfast...and lunch....and dinner.....

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie!

Ingredients per serving:
1 forage fed egg
1 cup lemonade
1 generous pinch salt
1/4-1 tsp cream of tartar
1 handful frozen red raspberries
sugar to taste **

**These raspberries are exceptional and don't really need extra sugar, but sometimes commercial berries need a little help.

Blend and pour immediately, fresh is best.

No Bake Cheesecake - GF

The original recipe: Rich No Bake Cheesecake

I replaced the whipping cream with sour cream, orange juice for the water in the filling.  The crust I made with cocoa butter (didn't have any butter) and chopped, dried coconut instead of crumbs and I added a little homemade baking powder. Oh and a little salt and cream of tartar, well, because I add it to almost everything.

Ingredients:

.5 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 TBS unflavored beef gelatin
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 TBS cream of tartar

Dissolve gelatin in OJ, then add the rest of the ingredients from the above group.  Heat, while stirring, until the liquid become translucent.  Let cool a bit.


16 oz cream cheese (softened)
8-16 oz sour cream
1-2 TBS coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above ingredients in a blender or food processor, then add orange juice mix.

Crust: (Optional)
2 cups dried coconut, chopped fine in blender or food processor
1/2 cup cocoa butter
1 TBS arrowroot powder (optional?)
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda

The To-Go Version

 Chop coconut as small as you can, then add in cocoa butter, then the rest of the ingredients.  Fill pie pan or spring form pan and bake at 350* F for 5 minutes.  Let cool completely. (If you make the crust first, you can stick it in the freezer to chill while prepping the filling.)

Put filling in crust and chill for about 2 hours.  The filling makes 1 large cheesecake in a spring form pan or 2 pies....or 1 pie and 4 individual serving sized crust-less cheesecakes for "To Go" food.

Future variations:

• Using baking chocolate in place of some of the fat in the crust, perhaps with butter.  The crust had an awesome flavor and texture, but was a little bit firm for cutting a bite off.  (The first piece I thought I cut lifted the WHOLE thing out of the pan.)  Butter would be a softer fat when chilled.
• Using rice flour in part or instead of coconut.  Every once in a while, the dried coconut taste was too strong or slightly "twangy."
• Omitting or reducing the sour cream to make a summer weight cheesecake.  The flavor was spectacular, worked well, but I wanted a little more "cheese" in the cheesecake.
• Cherries! (Does that really need explanation?)

UPDATE:
This makes a fabulous brownie topping at room temperature, just add extra OJ. Seriously, it's good.

See Ya In The Gumbo

Beet Pickled Eggs

The grass is popping and the chickens are laying, so fresh eggs are in abundance....yeah, taking over the fridge. I was inspired by the many GORGEOUS pictures of eggs pickled with beet juice...they look like a sunrise when cut open.

Ingredients:
Leftover beet juice or pickling liquid
ACV
Cane Sugar
Hard cooked Eggs
Sea Salt
Cream of Tartar
Pickling Spices (optional)

1. Cook eggs to the hard cooked stage and chill WELL, this can be done in advance.
2. Mix the ACV, juice, sugar, salt, cream of tartar and spices, if using, together in a pan. 
3. Adjust proportions to taste,  I like a sweet tart flavor with emphasis on sweet.  
4. Bring to a quick boil and let cool while peeling chilled eggs.
5. Layer eggs in a wide mouth jar and cover with warm beet juice.
6. Let sit, refrigerated, for a few days, at least.
7. Enjoy!

Update:  Taste test after 2 days soaking earns 2 thumbs up...even better than I expected!
(No picture available of one cut open, I couldn't wait to eat it.)

Orange Brittle - homemade hard candy

3 cups cane sugar
1 cup water
pinch of sea salt
a dash or 2 of liquid minerals
a drop of orange essential oil
3 tbs cream of tartar
1 stick of butter

Cook until temp reaches 302* .....an hour or 2...I didn't keep track....just kept stirring occasionally. Let cool in a shallow,  level pan, I used a broiler pan.  Break apart when completely cool.


See Ya In The Gumbo
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Hearth and Soul Hop
Made from Scratch Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesdays

French Onion Style Potato Soup

Comfort food that travels well too.  I took some with me in a thermos and ate it  about 6-8 hours later.  Some of the cheese had dissolved into the broth...all the better, but I still had yummy clumps of melted cheese too.

Ingredients:
Homemade Beef Broth
Potatoes
Gelatin
Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Cane Sugar (optional)


I save all my leftover bones in freezer bags, along with onion skins.  When I have gathered enough to make a batch of broth, I just dump the bag into a pot, add some water and ACV and cook low and slow for a while.  This time I used my crock pot so I wouldn't take up stove space. Broth is done when I have time to strain and put away.  This batch was especially onion heavy in relation to the bones.  The smell throughout the house was wonderful.

I filled a pot with peeled and cubed potatoes (shredded would work too), then covered with the onion rich beef broth, salt and a little extra water to cover.  I brought to a boil, then simmered for 40-50 minutes...so an hour in total.  I added some gelatin towards the end and corrected the seasoning with a little more salt and a touch of pepper.  I ladled into bowl and topped with freshly shredded Swiss Cheese.  Oh yeah......

Chunky Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
Leftover Creamy Orzo with Tomatoes
1 can of Tomatoes and chilies
Chicken tidbits, OG (optional)
2 TBS beef gelatin
2 TBS cane sugar
1 TBS cream of tartar
Milk
Sea salt


Leftovers don't have to be "old" to be used, it's actually better if they aren't.  We ate the Orzo for one meal, then it got re-purposed for the very next meal. Ketchup Boy hates tomatoes (no, I haven't figured that one out yet....) but begrudgingly admitted he really liked this.

See Ya In The Gumbo
Ingredient Spotlight : Tomatoes