Quote

"I cannot live without books: but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object." -- Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Tin Can Cook - Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo


Myself and my nephew, I think, are the only ones in the family who like anchovies.

I was thrilled to see Jack Monroe's (https://cookingonabootstrap.com) recipe featured anchovies.

While at my sister and her husband's house on a recent visit, I tried several of Jack's recipes but I ended up eating them all because they did not appeal to others. I thought they were great.

This recipe took some time to make because it took time to smash, crush, separate, divide and mash the anchovies in the mayo amid many interruptions. I had to put the mixture in the frig, two or three times before I finished "creaming" the anchovies into the mayo.

Also, working in someone else's kitchen, sometimes you have to improvise. At first, the only "lemon" I found was a spice called "Lemon Pepper", so I used that. Then, I found a slice of lime in the frig, and used that, too. So, while my anchovy with mayo sauce was lemon-limey, I thought it came out great.

Again, I show the conversions from metric to ounces and my substitutions.


Tin Can Cook - Warm potato salad with Anchovy Mayo P81


Ingredients:

1 50g can anchovies, drained 1.76oz
I used a 2oz tin of anchovies.

100g mayo 3.527oz
1 Tbspn = .625oz
I used three heaping Tablespoons of mayo.


1 Tbspn lemon juice
I used a generous dose of "Lemon Pepper" and a good squeeze from a slice of lime.

1 500g potatoes, drained, cut in half, 500g = 17.63oz
I used a 14.5oz can of potatoes.



Process:

In a bowl or a medium container with a lid, add anchovies and mayo.
Mash with a fork and stir well.
Add lemon juice or other citrus flavors.
Stir.
Cover and place in frig.

Pour potatoes into saucepan.
Cut potatoes in half.
Add water to cover.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to simmer.
Simmer 4 minutes to warm all the potatoes.
Remove pan from hotplate, drain potatoes.
Place potatoes in a bowl.
Pour anchovy mayo over potatoes.
Stir gently to coat potatoes.




Serve hot or cold.

Note: I made a lunch from leftovers that included: a fried egg and fruit from breakfast, pork and beans, Jack's Chickpea, Bread and Spinach dish, and a serving of Jack's Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo.




This recipe could be #GERD-friendly if other flavorings were substituted for the "spicy or acidic" flavorings.

Friday, August 9, 2019

So sorry, blogger has changed the layout of my blog and I can't fix it.

Update: it appears the system recorrected itself and now things are "normal." Whew!

Thanks Blogger.com

Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats


I am enjoying reading Jack Monroe’s latest cookbook, Tin Can Cook. This is the first of several recipes I am going to try.

It is always an adventure to try and make a recipe.

BTW, I love the name of the recipe and the fact it is a no bake or cook recipe.


When I was in the states visiting family, going grocery shopping, is often a catch as catch can affair because I use public transit or join family on their trips to the grocery.

After a family event, my sister stopped by a grocery store. As we shopped, I tried to be quick. What did I need to make Jack’s Carrot Cake Overnight Oats?

Besides buying cans of carrots, I had asked my sister to pick up some oats. Back at the house, as I began to gather the ingredients to make this recipe, I realized she had selected quick oats, so I was not sure how they would work.

Note: I converted the metric measurements to ounces.


Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
(No Bake)

Ingredients:

1 can carrots, drained, 200g = 7.05 oz
My can was 14.5 oz, so I used roughly half a can.

Milk 250ml = 8.79 oz
I used Lactose-free milk

Oats 70g = 2.49 oz
Raisins 70g = 2.49 oz
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbspns Sugar, optional






Process:

In a medium-size container with a lid, add carrots.
With a fork, mash carrots.
Add milk.
Mix and mash carrots in the milk
Add oats.
Add raisins.
Add cinnamon and sugar.
Mix well.
Affix lid.
Chill overnight or 8 hours to allow oats to soak up milk and swell up.

Serve with a splash of milk or cream.





The recipe turned out great. Now, I have another oats recipe including the "Worts" recipe.

#GERD-Friendly

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Tin Can Cook - Chickpeas with Bread & Spinach


I got Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook Cookbook!

I love everything about the book, the cover art, the back cover blurb, the layout, the typefaces, the paper, and, of course, the contents.

One thing you can say about Jack is she gets things done.

In the book, Jack explains that when she was on welfare, she often used food banks to feed herself and her son. During those times, she wished she'd had recipes for the items she was given. After Jack found her niche in developing recipes for people living in poverty, she wanted to write a cookbook with recipes for the types canned foods people receive from food banks. She did.

Jack also created a GoFundMe account so her readers could contribute to the fund to purchase cookbooks for the food banks in the UK. Go to @bootstrapcook and see where thousands of Tin Can Cook Cookbooks have gone.

On a recent family visit, I had planned to make several recipes from Jack Monroe’s Tin Can Cook Cookbook. This is one of them.

I would call it Bean and Spinach Goulash.

This is a very forgiving recipe. As Jack notes, you can use a variety of other beans.

In this recipe, I list the ingredients and quantities as Jack has noted but I also include the ingredients and quantities I used where I made substitutions.

I also show the conversion from metric to ounces.


Tin Can Cook - Chickpeas with Bread & Spinach P61



Ingredients:

1 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or kidney or cannellini beans, 400g = 14.10oz - 
I used a 15oz can
4 Tbspn olive oil
2 Tbspns garlic paste, I used 1 Tspn minced garlic
1 Tbspn paprika
1 Tbspn ground cumin or gram masala
100g bread chunks, 100g = 3.5oz, I used 4 slices from various bread loaves
1 400g can spinach, drained or frozen, 400g = 14.10oz, I used a 15oz bag of frozen spinach.
1 400ml vegetable stock, 400ml = 13.5oz, I used 1 vegetable bouillon cube in 14oz of water.
S/P to taste





Pre-preparation:

Put bouillon cube in 14oz of water.
Heat water for 1 minute in microwave on high.
Tear bread slices into bite-size pieces.
Drain and rinse beans.


Process:

Pour beans into a large sauce pan.
Add oil.
Add garlic and spices.
Stir well.
Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Stir occasionally to avoid ingredients sticking to pan.
I added a bit of the vegetable stock to prevent sticking.
Add bread chunks.
Add spinach.
Stir well.
Add vegetable stock.
Season with s/p to taste.
Stir well.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer.
Simmer 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy hot or cold.




Notes: When I make this again, I will use 1/2 a bouillon cube. I liked the multigrain bread.

#GERD-friendly



Sunday, July 21, 2019

Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles


I had collected several bread ends and they were stored in the freezer. Normally, I would have used the bread ends in a Bread Pudding but this time I craved a snack.

So, I cut out the middle of each bread end with a glass and made a batch of toasted bread circles. Then, I made a dipping sauce. Quite tasty. Necessity is indeed the Mother of Invention.


Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles


Ingredients:

Bread ends
A round glass

Sauce:

Olive Oil
Oregano, crushed, dry
Ground black pepper, to taste (Optional)


Process:

Place bread ends on a cutting board.
Place glass in the middle of bread slice.
Push down and rotate the glass to cut a circle of bread out of the slice.




Place slices in toaster oven.
Toast until light brown and crisp.




Make sauce.

All I did was pour a bit of olive oil into a bowl and added some ground black pepper and oregano, then I stirred the mixture.

Dip the toasted bread circle into the sauce and enjoy.






I also toasted the edges of the leftover bread circles. I think I will use them to make bread crumbs.

#GERD-friendly

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Toaster Oven: Chicken Meatballs

I adapted my own Chicken Meatball Recipe for use in a toaster Oven / Convection Oven.


Toaster Oven: Chicken Meatballs


Pre-preparation:

Pre-heat Toaster Oven to 350 degrees.
Line tin tray with waxed paper.


Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 Lbs ground chicken
1 egg
2 Tspns garlic powder

1 TBspn onion powder
1 TBspn dry parsley, crushed
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
1 Tspn dry oregano
5 dashes hot pepper sauce (Optional)
1 TBspn imitation bacon bits
1/4 Cup Commercial bread crumbs or saltine crackers, crushed

Additional bread crumbs for cutting board or prep surface when making the balls
Ground black pepper to taste
Milk, if need to moisten



Process:

I realize there is a difference between 1.5 - 2 Lbs of ground chicken. So, adjust use of spices accordingly as you wish.


Add ground chicken to a large bowl.
Add egg and spices.

Add bread crumbs.
Stir, mix and mash ingredients together thoroughly.

Sprinkle some bread crumbs onto a cutting board or other prep surface.

Roll approximately a tablespoon or more between your palms to create a ball.
Roll ball lightly in the bread crumbs to help the ball stay together.
Place the balls onto the tray.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove balls, place on plate to cool.




These are regular sized meatballs.
I made 18 meatballs.
I freeze some of the meatballs and save the rest for use during the week.



Various Ways to Use Meatballs:
Microwave the meatball(s) for about 1 minute on high or serve cold.

Make a meatball sandwich.
Make a meatball slider (basically, a mini-sandwich).
Serve as an appetizer accompanied by a curry sauce.
Add them to spaghetti or pasta with a cream sauce.

Note: I have yet to use a meatball as a toast topping but that is an idea.

#GERD-Friendly

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Ria's Chia Caviar - Updated

Ria's Chia Caviar Recipe - Updated

I enjoyed creating this recipe.

While it may not have the "bubble" bursts in your mouth like fish caviar, chia does creates a gel-like texture when soaked overnight.


Ingredients:

1 small jar with a lid
2 full TBspns Chia seeds
Water
Salmon liquid or sardine liquid drained from can of salmon or sardines
1 TBspn of Oyster Sauce
1/4 Tspn salt

Suggestion: Serve on toast with olive oil.


Process:

Add Chia seeds to jar.
Add enough water to just cover the seeds.
Add salmon or sardine liquid.
Add Oyster Sauce.
Add salt.
Close jar with lid.
Shake jar to mix ingredients.
Place in frig to cool overnight or longer.

To Serve:
Spread olive oil on toast.
Spread a thin layer of Chia Caviar on the toast.
Cut toast into quarters.


Note: for a more briny taste, add more salt.

#GERD-friendly