BASIC: HOW TO STEAM SPAGHETTI SQUASH

I love spaghetti squash, but I do not like scrapping it out of the husk, so here is what I do so none of the yummy squash is wasted.
First Acquire your squash.

 Next cut the top off.    I have always found it highly difficult to cut it in half with the hard skin on so....

 Peel off all the skin. Make sure your peeler is sharp.  And don't forget to take the bottom off to.

Now cut it in half, super easy.

 Choose your weapon.
Left Avocado slicer and seeder, but I have found this device better for scraping pumpkins and squash.  The yellow part.

Middle Ice cream scoop....???   I found it in my draw, we don't eat ice cream...well we have it out and about every 8 to 9 month (I keep track of this stuff).  I got a box from a distant aunt who passed a while back, so that's were it's from.  But it works and does the job.

Good old spoon, just make sure it's heavy duty and use it to scrape.

Cut in to halves and halved again.  Now I even halved it one more time to make it fit in to the steamer basket.  Turn the burner to high and put the lid on.

 So you can see the piece are even smaller in the steamer basket.  Make sure the water does not boil off.

 Ok They are done.   Now spaghetti squash has a very nutty and crunch texture when done.  To know it truly done, use to fork and pull in opposite directions until it looks like it's name sake below.   However if it is not done and dose not pull apart very easily put it back into the steamer basket and steam some more on high.

My Next post will involve a recipe using this squash.



Disclaimer:  Squashe's were harmed in the making of this video, they were also eaten.  They provided to be very tasty.  ;)

BASIC: COLD OR HOT CHUKA SOBA NOODLES

 Chuka Soba Noodle are the best and what makes them even better is that you can eat them as a cold dish or a hot dish.
The picture to the left is it as a cold dish no soup broth in it.  The picture below is it as a hot dish with borth, you can also heat it up with out the broth if you want.

INGREDIENTS:
BASIC:  CHUKA SOBA NOODLES (Copy & Past into search bar)
1 Carrot
Small head of Broccoli
1 Large Poblano or 2 small ones.
1 Can of Garbanzo beans.
6 to 8 cups of homemade broth or you can make broth as the chicken cooks.
A small flat of chicken strips as shown below, they usually come with a lot of them packed in for about $4.00 to $6.00 dollars.  Very good buy.

 

So here we go.  Put the chicken in the broth and bring to a boil, as soon as it boils turn it down to low and let cook the entire time your making every thing else.   If you decide to use bigger piece of chicken you must cover it with a lid and let it simmer for a hour. 
If you are using just water add all the fixing and let cook for a hour.  If you want to learn more about how to make broth or stock type this into the search bar  ALL ABOUT BROTH & STOCK

NOODLES 

Cut the Poblano in half and make cut into thin strips.

Use a veggi peeler on a carrot, go wild, no rhyme or reason.  Use two carrots or one.

Mince small head of broccoli. Small and bite size.

Ok Chicken in done, take it out and place it in a bowl.  

Now add veggies to broth and make sure their submerged. Cook on medium low until you test one of the broccoli piece and it's soft.  Then the meal is done.   Last but not least, open the can of Garbanzo beans , rinse and add to the meal.


Now it is up to you.  You can make it in to a hot soup.  Stain the soup out and freeze it. And cool every thing down and eat it cold.  Do you have a favorite sauce you think will go well with this try it out.  

Have fun creating your own mater piece. 

BASIC: TUNA POTATO SALAD

If you want quick and easy I highly recommend potato salads.  Because all you do it cook the potatoes, chop the veggies and mix.  That's it.   Last night around 10 I suddenly realized my hubby was going to stuck at Peets coffee house a little longer that normal, because I had a very early window painting job. Usually he good with a piece of fruit and a handful of trail mix, but I was not going to be their to pick him up after his hour class.   So here is what I threw together. 

Notes: The last two ingredients are extras, if you don't have them you can still make the recipe.  Basically mix and match with what you have and make it your own.  ;)

INGREDIENTS: (on the fly)

 4 to 5 medium potatoes of any kind.  I used Yukon
4 celery stalks
1/2 white medium onion
2 cups Spinach.
1 Can tuna of your choice.   I used Albacore.
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of medium olives.
2 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise.
1 small glass jar of Artichokes
3 Tablespoons of capers. 

FIRST:
Dice potatoes into bite size pieces and put in a pan and make sure potatoes are submerged in water.  Turn burner to high. While potatoes are cooking.   Dice celery stalks, Dice onion, Cut olives in half and put in large bowl.  Next drain and rinse Garbanzo beans and add to bowl.  Drain and add Artichokes, capers and spinach.   Drain Tuna and add to bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Now add mayonnaise and mix all.    Check the potatoes with a fork for tenderness.    Take one out cool it and try it.  Is it crunchy? Not done.   Is it not crunchy, but tender it's done.  As long as it not crunchy.
Drain off water in and put potatoes in another bowl with cold water and three hand fulls of ice cubes swish around.   As soon as the ice cubes are melted almost all the way remove them drain water well and add potatoes to the rest of the ingredients.  Stir in.   WAH-LA  Meal served.  

QUICK, YUMMY & SATISFYING :)

BASIC : FRESH FLAKED SALMON WITH FRESH PICKED FIGS SALAD

This a quick salad idea that I've been thinking about.  All my figs are canned, and their more salmon coming my way in October.  Can't wait.

INGREDIENTS

 3 to 4  fresh figs.
1/2 cup fresh cooked salmon
2 table spoons of pine nuts or walnuts.
A bunch of mix greens.   Anything except ice
1 small avocado.
2 Table spoons olive oil for dressing
1 Tablespoon of white Seame seeds.








 Put a handful of mix greens on a plate.
Slice up figs and put on salad.
Flake salmon and sprinkle on salad.
Add nuts and slice avocado.   Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle on Seame seeds.  

Cooking the Salmon
Put the Salmon steak skin down in the pan.  Turn the pan to low and cover with a lid that fits.  Keep your eye on the color of the salmon. At first it will be bright reddish pink, and as it cooks it will turn into a lighter pink.  Also watch for white drops of fat to appear on the out side of the salmon as it cooks.
Next: Now if your looking at your salmon that is cooking and it appears to be done on the out side, it may not be done on the inside. Turn off the burner and take off the lid. Take two forks and very carefully pull the salmon apart and look in.  Try to pull it apart by the grain.  If you see dark red inside, it still need to cook more. Put in back on the burner on low to finish cooking.
 If it is done, then when you take the forks and pull the salmon apart gently it will flake apart really easily, and it should all be the same even light pink, no dark pink.
When the salmon is all the way done take a metal spatula and scoop the whole salmon up off the skin that will be stuck to the pan.   Put the salmon on a plate and let cool a bit then remove all the bones and then flake apart.

BASIC: SPICY LEFT OVER CHICKEN TORTILLAS WRAPS

Here is a very quick little dinner we had tonight.   My hubby and I have been snacking on Yes you heard me right.  Snacking!    On Ghost Pepper Chips.  Let me say if you check these out and decide to try them, eat a very (very) (VERY)! Tiny piece and make sure you have milk handy.  These chip will hit you hard.  And wash your hands afterwards, my mother in law found out the hard way by itching her eye. Note I can only eat 5 chips at a time. Let's say it a lip burning good time and it burns all the way down.  Well sense we been eating these chip, all of a sudden jalapenos, Serrano and Habenero's seem very week.  So bring on the peppers!!!   Maybe you eat really hot stuff already and are looking at this like.  Ok?  If you want it hotter go for it.  ;)      
Just if your wondering about the heat.
The Heat. The habanero is a very hot pepper with a Scoville heat rating ranging from 100,000 – 350,000. The ghost pepper (also known as Bhut Jolokia) is significantly hotter at 855,000 to 1,041, 427 Scoville heat units. The ghost chili can be 2 to 10 times hotter, so it's a significant uptick in heat.


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chopped cold chicken.
1 had full cilantro
1 Tablespoon of olive oil or White Rice Vinegar.  
2 garlic cloves
1 cup soup broth or 1 cup water.
1 Serrano pepper (Optional)
1 Jalapeno pepper (Optional) You can replace both peppers with a half of a bell pepper.
1/2 small white onion
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Fresh home made tortillas.  To find the recipe type in Tortillas in the search bar at the upper left hand corner.
Cheese 
1 Large Avocado
 1 Cup of home made beans of  1 can of Rosarita Beans
Note:  To learn how to cook home made beans, Type in to the search bar Beans, Cobra Bean salad will appear and will have a tutorial on how to prepare beans. 

 METHOD:

First dice up onions, Serrano, Jalapeno pepper, cilantro and garlic.  Add oil or vinegar to pan with cut up peppers and turn burner to medium.  Saute and stir, you will start to smell the peppers and garlic.  Cook until the onion looks clear.  Add one 1/2 cup of soup broth to mixture, turn the burner down to  medium low and add the chicken.  Let it simmer as you stir it now and then.  As soon as most of the liquid is cooked off and  the chicken is hot it is done.

For canned beans:  Add beans to pan with 1/2 cup of soup broth, turn burner to medium high as soon and stir as soon as you see it bubble turn burner to low and stir until hot.

For home made beans:  Add desired amount of frozen or fresh cooked beans to pan. Fill with water and turn stove top to medium high. As soon as the beans are very hot they are ready. 

Warm your tortilla in a pan, add a few slices of avocado a sprinkle of cheese,  two table spoons or beans and two table spoons of meat and ready to sit back and enjoy.   

GARBANZO BEAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

 GARBANZO BEAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

Yay my hubby let me experiment tonight.  He wanted cookies, but we forgot the avocado.  So I was like how about garbanzo beans and he gave me the funniest look you ever seen. LOL    So off I go.  Wow! I'm really impressed, so was he, their light and fluffy. I hope you find these as delightful as we did.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz or 16 oz can of Garbanzo Beans  (Drained and rinsed well).
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups or more flour.
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 bag of chocolate chips.
1 table spoon of olive oil
2 table spoons of butter.
1/2 table spoon of baking powder
Just a few notes before we start.
1. Sadly these are not good for dipping in milk.
2. You have to flatten them like the avocado cookies. Use the .bottom of a floured cup to press them down.

 
Have a cookie sheet on hand that is sprayed with cooking spray or buttered.

 Put all the G Beans into the food proccessor and cut up the 2 table spoons of butter on top of it.   And basically hit any button until it's creamed.  Add one table spoon of olive oil and cream some more.  
If you don't have a food proccessor, a good amount of elbow grease and a mash potato masher.  Smash the crap out of it, get it as close as you can.   Were their a will their a way.

 Kind of looks like churned butter, but this is churned G Beans.

Put the G Beans in a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup brown & white sugar and baking  powder.  Mix in till it looks like this.  It will get watery on it's own.
At one point I though I was going to have to add some milk, but nope not at all.

 Add the chocolate chips and mix in.  

When you add the flour don't add it all at once.  Add it about a cup or less at a time and mix in very well, before you add more.   You want the dough damp, but not wet.   So you can pick it up and roll it into a ball, but not have it gooping up your hands.

Roll the dough into walnut size balls and set on the cookie tray.  Remember these will not spread out, not enough butter.
Flatten with a floured cup and back between 300 to 420.  Use your.  

Ok this is weird, but their done when the bottoms is a light golden brown.    So take the tray out.  And gently scoop one up with a metal spatula and look under it.   For some reason they don't brown on top.   I think it's because their no egg.

If your kids hate G Beans.  This might be a way to get them to eat them.  LOL  

:)