Welcome in the New Year with a Free Copy of Mocktails

Welcome in the New Year

with Free Copy of Mocktails!!!!!

Get a free copy of Mocktails at Smashwords!

Use Coupon Code FR26D.

The Fun of a Cocktail Without the Hangover!

 

Grocery Shopping as an Adventure

Grocery Shopping as an Adventure

In the past, going to the grocery store was just an errand squeezed in during a busy work week. Grab what you need and go.

But, three changes occurred in my life that altered my perspective on grocery shopping.

First, I got the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzcyn, and learned to use a "price book.” Also, I limited my grocery shopping to one day a month and learned to cook some basic recipes like the Universal Casserole, Cuban Bread, various "baked" potato toppings and more. The recipes replaced my usual potato chips and PB&J dinners, and the microwave frozen dinners I took to work for lunch.

The second change was when I moved back home to live with my elderly mother. She had stopped cooking, so I learned to make Reuben sandwiches, dump cake, grilled cheese sandwiches, crock pot dishes and more, always attempting to make dishes my mom would like. The crock pot made me look like a good cook. They are amazing.

At that time, I went to a day-old bakery for breads and sweets, an Asian market for eggs and other items, and a grocery store with lower prices for the rest. When I went grocery shopping, it was a break from work and some time alone, where I explored each aisle looking for bargains, examining new products and thinking about what mom would like.

The third change came years later. I traveled to Mexico and wrote a cookbook for noncooks. Now, I continue to research and try “new” recipes.

So, when I go grocery shopping now, still approximately once a month, it is like a mini-escape from the world where I still explore the aisles and ponder ideas like 'how did this can of Heinz potatoes get here?'

Maybe it was trucked from a farm in the U.S. to a canning factory, then trucked to a U.S. shipping port, then moved by ship to Mexico, then trucked to a distribution center and finally trucked to individual stores? Most of the food in grocery stores, around the world, travels thousands of miles from farms to stores.

I love the Ad Council's media spot on The Life and Times of Strawberry which highlights some of the rigors of food transportation and distribution.

Among expats here, there is a saying, “If you see a product you like, buy several because it may not be there next time.” So, when I see canned chicken, I buy several because it may only be on the shelves for a short time and not replaced for many many months.

When I first came to Mexico, the contents of the shelves in grocery stores were puzzling. I remember being amazed at the rows and rows of canned corn.

I wondered, “What do they do with all this corn?” I don’t have the final answer but I am living in the land of corn. It is worshipped and is part of Mayan mythology and many Mexican recipes feature corn.
 
Also, I saw lots and lots of hotdogs of various brands and types. I still don’t know what they use all these hotdogs for, there is a snack made from fried hotdog slices, street vendors do sell grilled hotdogs, and hotdog slices can be found in several recipes in restaurants. But, I never hear the term “backyard barbecue.” I have never been invited to a Mexican barbecue. Hamburgers are becoming popular but that does not explain all those hotdogs.

As I push my cart up and down the aisles, I still think of mom and often buy products she would have liked, like sauerkraut for Reuben sandwiches.

Mom was a great cook. Nothing I make compares to her dishes. I remember she was always trying new recipes and hated it when we kids turned up our noses at some new dish when we wanted "pigs in a blanket" (hot dogs with cheese wrapped in bacon).
 
American, British, Japanese, and food products from around the world can be found on many aisles these days.

I like Earl Grey tea from Bigelow (another item I buy several of if I see it).

Also, I am always amused when I see the familiar, famous Kraft blue box of Mac & Cheese.At one time, this was a mainstay meal for me. But, now, I can make my own "Mac & Cheese" from scratch in a variety of ways.

When I go grocery shopping, I also like to discover new items like this one: “powdered butter." I found it on my last trip. I've never seen this before. I used it. It does taste like butter, hummm.

I remember when a recipe called for descented onion juice. I thought, 'why bother'? But, powdered butter could be useful.

This spice is made by McCormick.

McCormick like Heinz and other American brands can be found more frequently in “high-end” grocery stores.

I am intrigued by the penetration of U.S. products into the Mexican market.

Coca Cola has been here for decades. It was one of first things I noticed. You could see the battle between Coca Cola and Pepsi played out in the economica cocinas.

These cafes carry either Coca Cola or Pepsi products and for their patronage, the soda companies provided lots of plastic tables and chairs emblazoned with their logo, so when you scan the landscape, you see Coca Cola won the war by the number of Coca Cola tables and chairs versus Pepsi's.

Hurray! On my recent trip to the grocery store, I finally found “Wagon Wheels” or Rotelle pasta for the Star Trek Cookbook recipe, Garrett Wang’s Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

 I have been looking for “Wagon Wheels” for at least a year.

DIY Pesto

Making Pesto scares me.

Every recipe sounds so complicated and full of ingredients I don't have.

So, when I wanted to make a recipe that called for a pesto, I did a quick internet search for an easy pesto recipe and found Pesto! from RecipeTinEats.


DIY Pesto
(Adapted from: Pesto! at RecipeTinEats)


Ingredients:

2 Cups frozen spinach
2 Full TBspns of peanuts, crushed
2 Full TBspns of Parmesan cheese, grated
6 TBspns Olive oil
1/2 or less Tspn Garlic powder
2-3 TBspns Basil, dry, crushed between palms
3 Screws of Ground black pepper (Optional)
S/P to taste


Process:

Microwave spinach on high for 3 minutes.
Add Spinach to a container with a lid.
Add nuts.
Add Parmesan cheese.
Add oil, garlic powder, basil and pepper.
Stir ingredients thoroughly.
Stir ingredients furiously with a fork to make the mixture creamy. Use the fork to smash the ingredients.
Add more oil, if desired.
After use, add lid.
Store remaining mixture in frig.

Note: In many countries the government has set standards for what cheeses can be called grated Parmesan cheese (ready-to-use).

In the United States, the FDA states that grated Parmesan cheeses can contain up to 4% cellulose (an anti-caking agent).

But, in the past, there was a controversy. One or more Parmesan cheese manufacturers allegedly exceeded the 4% limit on the amount of cellulose in their products.

https://www.thedailymeal.com/news/eat/your-parmigiano-may-be-diluted-wood-shavings-study-finds/021716

Even now, if you read a label on Parmesan cheese you can not know what the amount of cellulose is in the product.

Hotplate: Wagon Wheel Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & DIY Pesto

Updated 12/22/19
Made minor edits to clarify process.

I peruse my Star Trek Cookbook often and have made several recipes from the cookbook. There are two things, I think many cookbook authors miss, adding humor and personal stories. It's just fun reading this cookbook.

  One recipe I have been waiting a long time to make is Garrett Wang's Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. I spent months looking for "Rotelle" pasta (wagon wheel pasta). Then, Hurray! I found some bags of small wagon wheel pasta, called "Engrane" in Mexico.

Looking at this recipe, now, my eyes roll.

I am not going to be making this recipe as it is stated in the Star Trek Cookbook, gotta adapt it to what I have and also make it GERD-friendly.

Plus, I wonder, how can spinach be a substitute for pasta as the recipe suggests?

Oh no, I forgot the recipe called for pesto. So, I desperately searched for an easy DIY pesto recipe.

Luckily, I found one at RecipeTinEats! Now, I don't have a blender, so I am not sure what to call the mixture I made, maybe "Almost Pesto Sauce." Now, that I think about it, I should have just stirred the mixture more furiously.

Even though I have been trying to learn how to cook for years now, I am still uncomfortable with many of the ingredients and processes.

While this recipe states the process in a logical order, I was bouncing all over the kitchen because I would forget one step before I started another. Or the pasta boiled over. Or I almost ran out of tablespoons. Or I ran out of space to put things. I felt a little like Neelix (Ethan Phillips) when he runs around Voyager's kitchen cooking up a storm for the crew with various pots boiling, frying, and steaming.

The sink is full of all the dishes, cups, bowls, spoons, pots and pans I used. While I am exhausted, I know IF I make this recipe again, it will go easier.



Hotplate: Wagon Wheel Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & DIY Pesto
(Adapted from: Star Trek Cookbook, Garrett Wang “Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes”)

Note: While this dish is cooked on a hotplate, it is served cold.


Ingredients:

2 Cups Frozen spinach
1-2 Cups water
1 dab of olive oil
1 Tomato bouillon cube
1 200g (7 oz) Engrane (tiny wagon wheel pasta)
2 TBspns olive oil (Sorry I do not ask my olive oil about their sex lives.)
1 350g (12.3 oz) Can of Chicken, drained
1/2 Tspn garlic powder
A few grinds of Ground black pepper
S/P to taste
Sauce: 3 TBspns Pesto sauce, store bought or DIY (See DIY Pesto Recipe Post)
Garnish: Parmesan cheese and extra olive oil (optional)

(Some Ingredients shown are for the DIY Pesto)

 
Pre-Preparations:

Cook Spinach:

Add frozen spinach to a 2-cup container.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove, drain, and set aside.


Make Tomato Stock:

Add cube of tomato bouillon to 2 cups of water.
Microwave water 2-3 minutes on high to bring to a boil.
Remove and stir to make sure bouillon has dissolved.


Make Pasta:

Put pasta into a large pot, cover with tomato stock.
Add a dab of olive oil.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Stir.
Add salt if desired.
Stir.
Cover.
Boil about 5-8 minutes.
Watch the pot, it may boil over.
Check pasta to see if is done. It is done, if it is still a bit firm and you can bite it easily (al dente).
Drain pasta, reserve some of the pasta liquid, and set aside.


Process:

In a skillet, add a dab of olive oil and garlic powder.
Cook on medium heat.
Stir and mix oil and powder.
Add chicken.
Add spinach.
Stir thoroughly.
Cook on medium heat until mixture is hot throughout.
Add a little pasta water if the mixture is too dry.
Add mixture to pasta in pot.
Stir mixture thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a large bowl.
Add pesto sauce.
Stir thoroughly.
Cover bowl and place in frig.
Wait until mixture is chilled throughout.
When serving, garnish with Parmesan cheese and additional olive oil, if desired.

I forgot how much pasta 1 small bag makes. I have to figure out how to halve this recipe.

 Note: While I really like the flavor the tomato bouillon adds, I keep forgetting bouillon cubes add quite a bit of salt and spice to any dish.

 #GERD-friendly - if you reduce the garlic powder to just a hint.

Mexican Carry-Out: Tamales

Mexican Carry-Out: Tamales

I love these tamales. There's a vendor nearby and they offer chicken or carne tamales with red or green salsa sauces.

For $10pesos each, two tamales for $20 is a bargain.

I love opening the tamales because they are wrapped and cooked in huge banana leaves, so when you slowly and carefully unwrap the hot tamales the aroma fills the air.

Hotplate: Another TWG Mini-Universal Casserole

As you can see, I am on a bit of a kick here, using a variety of combinations to make TWG mini-universal casseroles.

So far, this one is the best, though it could use more spices.

This is what Amy Dacyczyn, author of The Tightwad Gazette, is all about. She encourages people to be creative.


Hotplate: Another TWG Mini-Universal Casserole

I really like this combination of ingredients. The homemade cream sauce reduced the salt level because I did not use canned cream soup which contains a substantial amount of salt. I do not use salt in most of my recipes.


Pre-Preparation:

Make a batch of pasta per package instructions.
Make cream sauce if needed. (See Hotplate: White Cream Sauce (Medium) Recipe)


*Ingredients:

1/2 14.75oz Can of salmon, drained
1/2 Cup Canned mixed vegetables, drained and rinsed in can
1 Cup Pasta, cooked
3/4 Cup Cream sauce or use canned cream soup
1/8 Cup Almonds, sliced
2 TBspns Parsley, dry, crushed between palms
A few twists of Ground black pepper
Salt to taste (Optional)
Topping: 1/2 Cup or more Mozzarella cheese
Garnish: Parsley, dry, crushed


Process:

Add all ingredients to a small microwaveable casserole dish, except the topping and 1 TBspn of parsley.
Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Add topping by sprinkling cheese over the mixture.
Sprinkle 1 TBspn of parsley over cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high for 8 minutes.
Be careful when removing casserole from microwave. The plastic may release hot steam.
Be careful when removing plastic.
Sprinkle casserole with more parsley if desired.

*Note: This recipe is a great catchall recipe where you can use leftovers. I used a little leftover pasta and some leftover cream soup from a previous recipe.

#GERD-friendly

Hotplate: White Cream Sauce (Medium)

I can not tell you what a joy it is for me to be able to make my own cream sauce. I have tried many times, not sure why it worked this time.

Also, I appreciate cooking websites like The Spruce Eats, Simply Recipes and Cooking on a Bootstrap. The websites are user friendly, attractive and have almost everything I need to know when making "new" recipes.



Hotplate: White Cream Sauce (Medium)
(Adapted from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-cream-sauce-3060554)


Pre-Preparation:

Make vegetable stock by add 1 vegetable bouillon cube to a cup of water.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove and stir to dissolve the whole cube.


Ingredients:

2 TBspns Olive oil
2 TBspns Flour
1 Cup of deslactosada (lactose-free) milk and powdered milk mixture
1/3 Cup Cream
1/4 Cup Vegetable stock (Save remainder of stock for later use)
1/2 Capful Lime juice
S/P to taste


Process:

Add olive oil to pan.
Heat on medium heat.
Add flour, slowly.
Stir constantly to remove lumps.
This mixture will thicken quickly.
Add milk to pan.
Heat on medium heat.
Stir constantly.
Stir as mixture thickens.
Reduce heat.
Simmer mixture for several minutes.
Keep stirring.
Add cream and stock.
Add lime juice.
Add salt/pepper to taste.
Stir mixture thoroughly.

Refrigerator unused portion.

#GERD-friendly