Fresh Picked Zuchini Tacos

It’s Zucchini time and if you have a garden you are probably running out of ways to use it.  Still you want to make the best of what your bountiful garden has to offer and offer and offer. How much bread can you make?

I searched the web for newer fresher ideas and I came up with nothing. So I decided to experiment by using most of the veggies from my garden and came up with one delicious discovery.

This recipe was inspired by my mom’s Calabacitas Recipe. And by that I mean I have never been able to make hers so I invented mine.  It has everything you need or can use from your garden and it made  for some great tacos without meat.

You will need:

3 tsps High heat  oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 large onion finely chopped

4 large zucchinis cut in quarters or squares.

3 peppers any kind (I used jalapenos from my garden) finely chopped.

Fresh cut Cilantro, thyme and basil  chopped and minced. Use to taste.

1 can of organic sweet corn (I used corn from 4 ears)

1 can of organic pinto beans ( I made my own)

10 grape tomatoes cut in half or 2 regular tomatoes cut in small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste.

For garnish you will need:

Goat cheese crumbled

thinly sliced purple cabbage (from my neighbor’s garden)

1  Sliced and Roasted Avocado

fresh salsa is optional

Corn tortillas or tostadas

I chop up all my ingredients first and set them aside ( Like Martha). This way you can just add as you go without having to stop to chop.

Heat oil in a large skillet, saute garlic and onions until almost soft, add peppers and zucchini and toss around until starting to soften. Add corn toss for a couple of minutes, add beans and toss for another four minutes.  Add tomatoes for two or three minutes until they are just about done. Don’t over cook these. Transfer to a large plate.

Rub a small pan with oil and place the sliced avocado. Fry until crusty on each side and transfer to small bowl.

Heat tortillas and set in a heat preserving dish.

If making tostadas it is best to heat them a bit in the oven first then set on table.

Best to let everyone make their own tacos or tostadas.  

Using fresh organic ingredients is what makes this recipe so delicious.

Social Media Lesson Learned

I have been on Social Media for a very long time. Social Media has been a huge tool for me for business, non-profit, super mega marketing, events, employment, just for BS, friendship and I can go on and on. I have accounts in Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, blah blah blah and whatever comes tomorrow…. I’m no novice.

Personal huge lessons learned here on Facebook and back in the day on Myspace etc. As a result I have seen how wonderful people can be and just how much joy there is out there. I’ve also seen the dark side of many people that I no longer want to deal with in real life. All you need to know about people can be told in their daily posts and reactions to your posts.

SO…. this past week I learned the biggest lesson of all.

While at a doctor’s waiting room I bumped into two “acquaintances” (not friends by a long shot). One of the ladies asked me about something they would have only known from my FB or my Pinterest. Mind you, neither one of them are on “The Computer”.

SO.. this leads me to believe that someone is stalking and talking about me. How do I know? Because the only common denominator is someone that is here as my “Friend” but never communicates or likes or talks to me at all. I had totally forgotten about them be it not because of those two gossipers.

SOOOO…..I’m deleting most of you who don’t make me relevant ever but yet go on and talk about me to people I don’t give a shit about.

NAMASTE!

Halibut with potatoes and peppers (EASY)

 

• 1 lb of small red potatoes quartered
• 1 red or yellow onion sliced
• 1/2 lb of sweet peppers sliced in half
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fillets of fresh halibut (I only us wild)
• Pinch of Italian seasonings or thyme or rosemary or anything you like on your fish. If using a rub use just a sprinkle. Let the peppers be the stars of this dish. Sweet & slightly spicy.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• slice of lemon (opt)

Heat oven at 400*

On a large cookie sheet spread cut potatoes, onion slices and peppers.

Drizzle with Olive oil.

Bake for 27 minutes.

Take out of oven.

Immediately nest fish fillets on top, sprinkle with Italian seasoning..

Put back in oven and bake another 12 minutes or until fish is done but not over cooked.

Onions should be caramelized and potatoes should be perfect.

Take out and serve with a salad or soup or by itself with a great big glass of Chardonnay or iced tea.

 

 

Easy Spicy Chilaquiles

What to do with stale tortilla chips that have lost their crunch? Well, the possibilities are limitless but my favorite is Chilaquiles or Entomatadas.

2 tsps olive oil

Leftover Tortilla Chips or just a 1/4 bag of tortilla chips

1 can of Enchilada Sauce or 2 cans of tomato sauce

1/2 cup of shredded Mexican Cheese (from a bag)

4 or 5 eggs scrambled

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Heat oil, add chips stir a bit just to coat with oil and heat up a bit. Add the sauce slowly to coat chips…so use as much or as little as you want. Just don’t use too much or it will be soupy.

When hot add the scrambled eggs. Stir a bit almost like folding.

Add salt and pepper to taste and cover with cheese.

leave heat on for a minute or so covered and let stand for about five minutes before serving.

You can serve with sour cream or shredded lettuce or nothing at all.

One of my favorite dishes. So quick and easy to make in a pinch.

Spring is here!!!

My garden is just as scrumptious as some of the recipes on here so here it is.

Newly fresh out of Mrs. Nature’s Womb. Crocus

My garden is just as scrumptious as some of the recipes on here so here it is.

Newly fresh out of Mrs. Nature’s Womb.

Easy Guac Dip

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Cut up 1 avocado, 3 tbsp of plain yogurt, 1/4 cup ready made salsa and salt & pepper. then mix well with fork add 1/4 c shredded Mex Cheese on top and a spoonful of salsa. Put in Microwave for 1 minute or until cheese is well melted. (You can also use an oven safe [...]

Massage Tennis Ball

My Massage Therapist Sally Jo, gave me a tennis ball to help out with my back. Here is a link to some info:  http://www.shiatsubag.com/main/page_tennis_ball_therapy.html

Anyhoo! She said, “Take this and put it in a long sock as it is best to handle while you massage your back”.

After staring at it for a few hours (on and off) I decided it was ugly and I would beautify it somehow.  This old mommy is not the type of girl to rub a sock all over her. Not using my cute socks for that.

So I came up with this;

A cute little crocheted full colored thingamajig.

It might look funny but it is an amazing massage when you put it between your back and a wall or lay on it on your bed. Seriously!

And for the younguns that are laughing at this. Keep in mind that you too will be fifty and achy one day.

Super Easy Choco Choco Chocolate Cake

Super Easy Choco Choco Chocolate Cake

• 1 box of your favorite brownie mix plus all the fixings  (without choco chips preferred)
• 1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker) plus all the fixings:eggs,oil, water.
• Franz Raspberry Sauce (find it in the ice cream toppings isle). Strawberry jelly works well too.
• Cream cheese filling (recipe to follow) or be lazy and use Betty Crocker Cream Cheese frosting
• Chocolate Frosting from a can…Yes from any can. I use Betty Crocker.milk chocolate.

Heat oven at 350, prepare two 9 inch cake pans with Pam or butter and flour.

Prepare each box as directed in separate bowls. Then gently stir together in one bowl do not over mix.

Fill cake pans evenly and bake for 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting. If you want perfect cakes then cool in fridge for two hours then remove the bumpy part to make flat and get them straight and perfect. I go with leave the belly up on top as it will taste just as fab (as shown in pic)

Cream Cheese Frosting (for filling) Opt! Be lazy and just use from a can. Still very good.

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 bar of cream cheese (you can use Neufchatel, but who are we fooling here?)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Whip until well blended. Once the cakes are cooled stack them like this. Cake, cream cheese filling, sauce, cake then. Like an Oreo cookie.

Put chocolate frosting into a small bowl and whip it good. Spread over cake covering sides.

Serve with a bit of sauce sprinkled over slice and enjoy.

It really is great when you don’t have time to whip up a cake from scratch.

Pina Colada French Toast

This pineapple casserole was originally from my mother in law and it’s my husband’s favorite.

Her recipe (right) is delicious with only a few basic ingredients of egg, flour, sugar, pineapple, bread and butter. Although I make it often as the original recipe calls, on occasion I add a few things.

We call my modified version, Pina Colada French Toast.

• 3 eggs with yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsps flour
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups of crushed  or pineapple chunks or 1 bag frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup of coconut  reserving a bit for sprinkling top
• 1/2 cup of crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• Six slices of white bread. Brioche is best but any dense bread will do.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.Butter or spray a baking dish either 9 x9 or 10 x 10. A larger dish will make it thinner but still good.

Beat eggs, flour, salt, vanilla, sugar until well blended. Stir in pineapple and coconut and pour into pan.

Melt butter in microwave, add oil and blend.  Cut bread into squares and toss with butter mix until most of the bread is coated. Spread bread over egg mixture pressing down slightly. Sprinkle a bit of coconut on top of bread.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until it is set. Serve warm or cold. I like it warm with a drizzle of maple syrup but my husband prefers it cold after a few hours in the fridge.

It is amazing by itself but you can add berries, bananas, whipped cream or even a side of bacon. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or Mimosa and breakfast is done.

It is okay to make the night before a brunch and bake in the morning.

 

 

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I am crazy happy that I planted these tomatillos although I bought the plants by mistake. Up to last week I knew nothing about when they are ready for picking or when they are ripe.  Once they started turning purple on the plant I panicked. Most were hollow or tiny, some  just a the shell. Last week I finally discovered a few large ones peeping past the husks (just learned that is what they are called too)

I used the same recipe I use for my red tomato salsa.

Here it is!

15 to 20 tomatillos

6 to 7 Jalapenos or more if you like it really hot.

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 purple onion finely chopped

1 tbsp of vegetable or chicken bouillon

Pinch of salt

Oregano or parsley or cilantro or whatever you have or like.. I used parsley, dill, sage and thyme from my garden.

Put all ingredients except for the bouillon into a pot of boiling water. Boil until the jalapenos are a bit tender. Don’t worry about the tomatillos they will split almost immediately.

Drain water and add all ingredients into a blender.  Add bouillon and salt then blend with the chop button for a few seconds or until well blended.

Put into jars and can as you would tomatoes.

We didn’t get a chance to preserve any since we ate it almost immediately with tortilla chips.

 

 

 

 

Blackberries!!

Blackberry Crumblelicious!

3/4 cup of flour

1 cup of steel cut oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 stick of butter softened

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 or pinch of salt

1/2 cup of turbinado sugar (opt)

4 cups blackberries frozen or fresh picked (if your lucky to have them in neighborhood)

1 tsp cornstarch

Heat oven at 375

Wash and pat dry blackberries, sprinkle with cornstarch and set aside.

In large bowl mix the other ingredients. Best by squeezing by hand but you can use KitchenAid using paddle.

Spread blackberries on two oval dishes or one large 13  x 9. I usually make two small ovals or pie pans and freeze one for thanksgiving.

 

Sprinkle crumble mix evenly over blackberries.

Be sure to put pans over an aluminum lined cookie sheet or it is going to boil over your oven and make a huge mess.

Bake for 1 hr or until crumble is golden brown and crispy to touch and blackberries are bubbling over.

Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla or cold.