Red Beans and Rice, Peach Cobbler—Life Is Good

Easy Red Bean and Rice

Another month has disappeared! Where do the days go? Your guess is as good as mine. But we're still here. Still kicking. And still eating.

We have a peach orchard local to us. Nothing like fresh-off-the-tree peaches. The weather was brutal to this year's crop. But there were enough of a harvest for us to have our two favorite summer recipes. I'll link them below instead of rewriting the recipes. 

 

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

I asked Daddy-O to stop and get peaches on. his way home from the lake this week. I really wanted homemade peach ice cream. I have a countertop 1-1/2 qt electric churn. It's so quick and easy. Stir the ingredients together, pour the mixture into the churn and push the button that says ice cream. (Gelato and sorbet are the two other buttons.) And 25 minutes later, you have soft serve ice cream. Of course, we eat it soft the minute the churn turns off. The rest goes into the freezer and I'll need an ice cream scoop next time.  

      Click "homemade peach ice cream" to find the recipe.

Peach Cobbler

Daddy-O gets credit for baking the cobbler while I was in a piano class this afternoon (on zoom.) I could smell this baking while I was trying to pay attention to the class. It had just come out of the oven when I finished. It tasted as good as it smelled. We've used this recipe for ages and ages.

Click "peach cobbler" to find the recipe.

  

And glory be, here's a new recipe. Needed to find something for supper a few days ago. Of course, I had not been to the grocery store yet. But I had a turkey smoked sausage in the refrigerator. There was the first green pepper ready to be picked in the garden. Thankfully I had two cans of kidney beans in the pantry. If you are a true red beans and rice connoisseur, this is not authentic by any means. But it was quick and it was easy and it was delicious. 

RED BEANS AND RICE

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (16-oz) package of smoked sausage (I used turkey) cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon minced jarred garlic

2 (15-oz) cans light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16-oz) can whole tomato, chopped (use the juice, too)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add sausage slices and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until tender. Add tomatoes with juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

If you don't find a 16-oz can of whole tomatoes, you can do like I did and use a can of diced tomatoes. The recipe says to chop the tomatoes anyway. So what's the difference? I can tell you. There is not nearly as much juice in a can of diced tomatoes as there is in a can of whole tomatoes. So I added some water as it started to look dry while it was simmering. If I'd had tomato juice I would have used that. But we work with what we have. 

I put 2 pint containers of the bean sausage mixture in the freezer for another time. I'd be happy eating it without the rice even. But the name is so classic—red beans and RICE. 

I'm posting this supper photo from earlier in the week just for fun. About once a year I fry chicken and make gravy so I don't completely forget how to do it. Roasted green beans and mashed potatoes finished the plate. Daddy-O usually has clean up duty when I cook. As much as he loved this meal, I think he might be glad he only cleans up after this meal once a year! Frying anything is messy. But, oh, it was so good.

I'll leave you with a couple of summer photos. We have been so lucky to have had days to enjoy being outside. The screened porch is my favorite spot. And this week it hasn't been too hot and the humidity hasn't been too high.  A cup of coffee in the morning. A book in the afternoon. Every now and then a glass of wine in the evening. There's no place like home.

Christmas Time Is Near

Hamburger Soup

I'm back! Finally here with a new recipe that is good enough to share. Yes, I do try ones from time to time that are okay, but not good enough to make again—or share with you. To be honest most of what I cook are recipes that are already on this blog. Like most of us we have our favorites. It was fun to try something new.

Since I posted last month I had a birthday (and today is Daddy-O's birthday), a terrible cold, a house full of family for Thanksgiving, and too many doctor appointments. (We're okay.) It's been busy. Yesterday was the first "stay home all day" kind of day I've had in ages. The weatherman had promised cold temps and heavy rain. So I was prepared. A soup day! Turns out it we missed the rain, only got the cold. I made the soup anyway. This is nearly a stew. A bowl full of meat and vegetables. It's a soup that a Daddy-O could enjoy. (Not going as far as "love it.")

We had it for lunch. And we had it again for supper. It was better at supper time. The flavor is more complex than basic vegetable soup. The Italian seasoning, the olive oil, the Worcestershire. It's "more." But not they're not crazy flavors. Keep this recipe in mind if you need a make ahead dish. Would also be good if you want to take soup to a neighbor. It's a meal in a bowl. 

HAMBURGER SOUP

                   serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil'

1 lb ground beef (preferably 10% lean)

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 large celery stalks, diced

3 large cloves minced garlic (I used jarred)

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 oz. gold potatoes, cubed (I used tiny potatoes and didn't peel)

12-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (2-12 to 3 cups)

1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add ground beef, onion and celery. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat everything. Cook 1 minute.

Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Stir in potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and continue to simmer until everything is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

This looks like a long list of ingredients. But it was quick to put together. Gather all your ingredients before you start. I didn't measure everything exactly. Poured in some olive oil. Used up the celery left from Thanksgiving.  Then it was a matter of opening a box of broth, a can of tomatoes, and a bag of frozen vegetables. See? It's really easy. 

We enjoyed having some extra time with family during Thanksgiving week. These grandchildren are growing up quickly. I'm happy they still like to come visit. One of the best things we did was to spend an evening by a bonfire. It was 28 degrees but we went outside anyway. It was so cold that the toasted marshmallow would not melt the frozen Hershey bar on the graham crackers! Our son-in-law even found chestnuts so he roasted those. We all tasted and decided that singing about roasting chestnuts was better than actually roasting and eating them. Now we know.

We have reached the age where the younger folks want to help us get ready for Christmas. We glad take the extra help. So the girls decorated our tree and set up the nativity scene. And took the boxes back to the basement. Now if they would just come back and help wrap gifts!

And mixed in with all the cooking and decorating and general business of life, I'm continuing on with my jazz journey. So hard but what a blast I'm having! This is the ultimate brain exercise. 

Tuscan Garlic Chicken (It's Gluten-Free)

Tuscan Garlic Chicken 

I've been sitting on this recipe longer than I intended. I had the photos all ready to post. Then life happened. All good things...but busy things. I've made this twice in the last few weeks. Once for family. And a week or so later, I wanted to take a meal to a household that I knew was gluten-free.

Often when I take a meal to people it involves pasta or bread or breadcrumbs or cream soups. But this new recipe was perfect. And perfectly delicious. It's a pleasant change of flavors from my usual dishes.

If you are an Instagram user, you can find the original source of the recipe. She is easyfamilyrecipes on IG. I love her posts and have made several her recipes. 

As always, I tweaked it a little. And the second time I was in a hurry and skipped drizzling with the dried tomato oil. I pushed the cheese to the side a little and added it after the fact. It was fine. I like a recipe that can hold up to my mistakes.

The other thing I liked about this recipe is that it isn't drowning in cheese. I like cheese. I like cheese a lot. So it was hard for me not to add more. But this time I stuck to the 1 cup it calls for. And it made for a much lighter dish.

I wasn't sure what to serve as a side dish with this. Jessica was here the first time I made this. She suggested roasted potatoes. If you buy the "ready to cook" bag of little potatoes, that's really easy to make. And it was a good combination with the flavors of the chicken dish.

This is so easy to make. Putting it together only takes a few minutes. I'm happy to have a completely new dish in my recipe box.

TUSCAN GARLIC CHICKEN

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 breast halves)

1 cloves garlic (mine was large)

Salt & pepper

2 oz. fresh baby spinach (I used a big handful)

14-oz can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8.5 oz jar sun dried tomatoes, drained (reserving 1 tbsp oil) and chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375.º

Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the chicken pieces flat in the dish. Season with salt & pepper and press garlic and spread it evenly over the chicken.

Place spinach, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes over the top. Drizzle the tablespoon of reserved oil over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over all. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes total. Cook the first 20 minutes uncovered, the lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish and continue baking for the remaining time, 25-30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165º internal temp.

MY NOTES:  

• She called for 2 cloves of fresh garlic. I did that the first time and it was really garlicky. One large clove was enough for us. 
• I only used half a jar of tomatoes. It looked like enough. If you love them, add them all! 
• The chicken breasts I bought the second time were huge. I cut off the little side piece (you can see the divide) and made chicken tenders, which I baked with a simple seasoning. The family getting this meal included a young child and I thought simple might suit him better. The report was he gobbled the chicken and potatoes!
• I think this would be a good dish for our book club but four chicken breasts won't work if we are all there. It might have been in the original recipe on her blog where I read that you could also use chunks of chicken. I might use a little more chicken, enough to cover the bottom of the dish.

Finally...A New Recipe

Italian Turkey & Veggie Skillet 

When your body starts craving vegetables, it probably means you should have upped your veg intake a couple of weeks ago. We usually eat a lot of vegetables here but lately things have gone a little sideways. Life happens.  

And there were vegetables in the fridge left over from Little Sister's pasta salad making last weekend that needed to be used pronto. I still had a half a large zucchini, half a large yellow squash and some diced onion, washed and bagged.

Mommy and J-Daddy did most of the cooking last weekend and they left me a package of ground turkey that didn't get used. I found one can of fire-roasted tomatoes in my pantry...pretty sure I bought that can by accident. My normal diced tomatoes are plain or seasoned with garlic/basil/oregano. I needed a quick trip to the grocery store this morning and picked up a box of baby spinach to finish the recipe.

When this recipe popped up on my Instagram feed a couple of days ago,  there was no question about making it. It basically used up everything here that I needed to cook before it wound up in the trash. Fresh things don't last forever. This was one of those recipes that you know won't be bad, but the big surprise was that it went far beyond "not bad" category  to the "really, really good" category. 

This is how I made it. So easy. So quick. So delicious. 

ITALIAN  TURKEY ANDJ VEGGIE SKILLET

1 medium zucchini (I used 1/2 of a large one)

1 medium yellow squash (again, I had 1/2 a large one)

1-lb. ground turkey (we like dark ground turkey)

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced jarred garlic (or 4 cloves fresh, minced)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juice

3 cups fresh baby spinach

Quarter the zucchini and squash lengthwise and cut into thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once hot, add the squashes and let cook on one side for 2-3 minutes without stirring, until it browns. Flip it over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add turkey, onion and minced garlic to skillet. Cook, breaking it up, until turkey shows no pink. Drain off any liquid. 

Sprinkle with dry spices and stir to coat. Add the can of tomatoes (not drained) and bring to simmer. Stir in the zucchini, squash and fresh spinach. Cook until spinach wilts, about 3-5 minutes.

You can served this over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash or do what we did and serve it up in a bowl and top it with a little parmesan. I am so happy that we have enough left for another meal.

If you are on Instagram, you can find the original recipe from @easyfamilyrecipes. Her measurements are a little different than mine because she used more turkey. Around here ground turkey is sold in 1-pound packages, so I adjusted my seasonings accordingly. I think I have bookmarked about half of her recipes there. They are quick, easy and family friendly. When I dug a little deeper I found her blog with the original recipe, plus some awesome tips.

• Yes. I did drain off the liquid from the turkey after browning. Sometimes I don't but this recipe needed that. 
• Yes. I think the fire roasted tomatoes made a (good) difference in the flavors, although you could certainly use another kind.
• No. I didn't measure 3/4 teaspoon precisely. Just don't fill up the 1 teaspoon measure all the way.
• Yes. We will make this again for sure!

Soup For The Non-Soup Lover

Mexican Cabbage Soup

During the holiday season—even this strange one—you might feel the need to take a food break. Not a "don't eat anything" break, but a break that calls for lighter foods. Even if the parties have been fewer, some holiday foods might have still made it to your table. (Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes, anyone? Your special homemade fudge?) We might need foods that are not so carb loaded. But we still want delicious. And I always want easy. My friend Missy told me last week that she had made this soup for her dinner. I quickly looked up the recipe. It fits the bill of not-so-carby while being simple to put together. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free and fits paleo and whole30 diets. What it is not, is flavor-free.

I have the same cookbook that Missy used. Both of my daughters cook from it frequently. (Mommy also recommends the Greek Lemon & Oregano Potato Soup.) When I looked up the recipe I realized I had all the ingredients here...if I made a couple of minor changes. I didn't have any beef broth here but I did have a jar of Better Than Bouillon roast beef flavor. I mixed up 6 cups of that. This bouillon base is handy to keep in your pantry, but know that it needs to be kept in the refrigerator after it's opened. And my fire roasted tomatoes were garlic flavored, so I adjusted the amount of garlic I added.

This was a perfect supper on a cold rainy night. And it was the perfect balance to the caramel cake we enjoyed that same evening. It's Daddy-O's birthday week. We had the soup again the following night for supper and Daddy-O said it was even better than the first time.

Starting to simmer.

Daddy-O is a well-known non-lover of soups. There are a couple of exceptions, but in general he does not like soup the way I do. But he declared this one "a keeper." (Could be all the meat in the soup.) That is high praise from him. 

To speed up the "making supper" process, I diced all the vegetables ahead of time. And I measured the spices into a small cup, ready to all to the pot. Then it was simple to make the soup. Here is my version. (Only minor changes from the original.) Don't let the unglamorous name throw you. It's good!

MEXICAN CABBAGE SOUP

    -makes about 3 quarts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb 93% lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion)

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 cup diced green pepper

2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 cups low-sodium beef broth (I used Better Than Bouillon to make mine)

1/2 head of cabbage, cut in half & thinly sliced

1 (14.5 can) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onion, carrot, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up ground beef, until beef is no longer pink. 

Mix in broth, cabbage, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, until cabbage and vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and serve.

If you are looking for a cookbook to add to your collection, The Defined Dish--Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes is a really good choice. Both of my daughters have cooked many of these recipes, as has my friend Missy. All of them have used the same word when they tell about the recipes here—flavorful. We don't do Whole30, but the recipes here are just good ones. And it's good to mix in some "clean" recipes along with my regulars. 

The ingredient lists can look long, but it's often only because there are more spices/herbs to be measured. I find it helpful to measure all of those before I start cooking. It's the worst to have the main ingredients in the pan only to discover you are out of one of the spices. Plus, it seems to speed up the prep process. I often measure the spices earlier in the day—or even the day before. Less kitchen time required when it's close to dinner time.

Lesson From My Kitchen

When Daddy-O went out to pull up the straggly garden plants, he harvested a few vegetables instead. He discovered a handful of green beans ready to be picked. there have not been any for some time. This was their last hoorah. He also cut about 6 pods of okra. And well, those little tomatoes...I'm not sure they will ever stop! I suppose frost will get them eventually.

One thing I've pushed myself to do this strange summer is to cook without a "recipe." You don't always need a recipe, but you do need to know some basic cooking directions. Last week I wanted to do the easiest dinner possible and use up these last garden vegetables. Sheet pan dinners are as easy as they come.

 Instead of looking for a recipe, I looked for cooking times and temps for chicken tenders. I had a package that needed to be cooked pronto. I've done sheet pan veggies many times and I knew how they cooked. I searched "chicken tenders sheet pan meal." And a few actual recipes popped up. I was not interested in anything but the cooking time/temp. 

My preferred temperature for oven roasted vegetables is 425º on the convection setting. They roast quickly and get beautifully browned and crispy. I had also done them at 400º, so I knew that was an option. On a few times, I've roasted things at 450. 

I needed to know about cooking the chicken tenders on a sheet pan. So many recipes. So many temperatures and times. But I did find a recipe for chicken tenders on a sheet pan at 425º, cooked for 20 minutes.That fit perfectly with how I like my veggies. I didn't bother with recipe specifics. I only wanted the basics. Here's what I did...

SHEET PAN CHICKEN TENDER VEGGIE MEAL

• Preheat oven to 425º. Use convection setting if you have it. Without convection, it might take a little longer.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put sliced/cut vegetables on pan, being careful not to crowd. Drizzle a little olive oil over all veggies and use hands to toss them, making sure all are coated. Sprinkle with house seasoning, OR salt, pepper, garlic powder, OR seasoning of your choice. 
• Rub a little olive oil on the end of pan reserved for chicken tenders. Season tenders and line them up on one end of sheet pan. Brush with a little olive oil (I used my hands and rubbed some on) and season. 
• Press panko crumbs on each tender and spray with olive oil spray or other cooking spray. Sprinkle a little more seasoning on top.
• Roast for 20-25 minutes. Watch carefully near the end and check that you are not overcooking. 20 minutes was fine for this pan. 
• Cut grape or cherry tomatoes in half. Toss with a little oil. 
• With 10 minutes remaining, add tomatoes to the pan and sprinkle with seasoning. 

I turned Daddy-O's meager harvest into a feast for two. It was delicious! And knowing this was the last of the garden vegetables (not talking about the tomatoes) made it even sweeter.

Remember, THIS IS NOT A RECIPE. It's a starting pace. An idea. A launching pad. I had green beans and okra and little tomatoes to cook. You might have other vegetables. Next time I won't have this combo from the garden . Or you might have even a different meat. Spend a few minutes to check recipes for times and temps to make your combination work. Make sure your veggies are dry before you roast them. Wash them, of course, but pat them dry, or let them sit out a while to dry.

You are free to use any seasoning you like. The seasoning for Sausages & Veggies w/Mustard Sauce would be good to use if you want to make your own. And there are many good  bought seasoning mixes. Just pick your favorite. Or, go a little crazy and sprinkle an assortment of herbs over the pan! Another time, I might just cook the chicken tenders this way and do side dishes on the stove top. Do not get locked into this as a "recipe." 

This turned out better than I expected. The chicken tenders were browned and crispy. I did not turn them over during cooking. The vegetables were nice and crispy. I did stir them when I took the pan out to add the tomatoes. And 10 minutes was plenty of oven time for those little guys.

Please know...you can do this at a different temperature. Sometimes I roast vegetables at 400º if that works better with the rest of my meal. That will take a little longer. Watch and go by color. I did use a meat thermometer to check the chicken. That's the safest way. If you don't have one, cut a piece open to make sure it's cooked through.

Here is another panful of my most cooked recipe this summer—Grape Tomatoes & Pasta.  It was as good  this weekend as it's been every time I've made it. I've lost count of how many times I've made this during the summer. It's a delicious way to put a dent in the grape tomatoes harvest. And many of my friends have made this and loved it. I know I can buy the tomatoes and the basil in the store all year, but this has been a special recipe for us, knowing the star ingredients came from our back yard.

And here it is for the very last time with our garden tomatoes. It's a little different than usual. Using that same principle above, I used the basic recipe—which really wasn't a recipe—and changed it up to make do with what I had here.

I didn't have any fresh mozzarella. And I did have green peppers from the garden. So this time I sautéed diced peppers and onions a little before adding the tomatoes which I cut in half this time. After I added the cooked spaghetti and stirred it all together. Then I sprinkled shredded mozzarella on top and popped the pan into a 350º oven for about 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. This was so good.

Be brave in the kitchen. Out of an ingredient? See if you can find a reasonable substitute and skip a trip to the store. Or can you leave something out all together? Be brave.

 

Last Of The Summer Tomatoes

Tomato Bruschetta

Actually I'm not sure if the tomatoes are winding down or not. The rest of the garden has nearly fizzled out. We are getting one or two okra pods at a time. Still a couple of cucumbers every few days. The occasional pepper is found. The squash is gone. But the little grape tomatoes are hanging in there. We might still have these little jewels until frost. Time will tell.

I have used them in so many ways. All good. I've made the pasta with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella about once a week. I've sliced them into salads. I'm marinated them with the garden cucumbers in balsamic vinegar (dark or white) with a good shake of whatever seasoning blend is at hand. I've skewered them with fresh basil and mozzarella balls and drizzled them with seasoned olive oil. I've made salsa. I've slow roasted them more than once and stashed some in the freezer. I've even lined up tiny slices on sandwiches. A little hard to eat but tasty.

And then one more recipe came across my computer screen. It was so simple. Slice the tomatoes and sliver the fresh basil. (We are also loaded with basil in the garden.) Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper. And scoop onto grilled bread. Oh. My. Goodness. It tastes like summer.

When I got home with my grocery order pickup I discovered they had made a rare mistake. My order included a container of grape tomatoes that I didn't order. MORE tomatoes! But these happened to be assorted colors. I doubt it would really affect the taste, but the yellow and dark red tomatoes mixed with our red ones did make a beautiful photo.

This was the most delightful light lunch for two on the screened porch. Sometimes it's hard to beat simplicity. I'm now looking forward to making it again—soon—for an appetizer. It was absolutely delicious.

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

grape or cherry tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Italian loaf or other sturdy bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Cut tomatoes into halve and/or quarters. Slice fresh basil leaves into fine slivers. Stir tomatoes and basil together in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Set aside while grilling bread.

Heat a cast iron skillet (or other heavy skillet) over medium-high heat. Brush bread slices with olive oil. Grill bread in hot pan, both sides, until golden brown. Spoon tomato mix onto grilled bread and serve immediately.

1 cup tomatoes and 1/4 cup slivered basil made enough to top 4 to 5 slices of bread.

 

More No-Recipe "Recipes"

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

I've been cooking forever. It has been over a half century. Isn't that crazy? But with all those years in the kitchen, including food labs in college, there are still things to learn. That's what makes it fun. We have had a crazy abundance of grape tomatoes this summer. The regular ones didn't do as well. But I have been overwhelmed with these little ones.

Then last week I saw somewhere that you could roast them. (You can roast anything, can't you?) I had done every vegetable imaginable but not this. I couldn't remember where I saw the "recipe" but I did remember the main part...200º for 4 hours. I had so many tomatoes that I could try this even though I didn't know what the rest of the directions were. If it was a disaster, so be it. 

I usually toss my roasted vegetable with olive oil and season them for roasting. But this time I spritzed the tomatoes with olive oil spray  because I wanted them all to stay cut side up. I seasoned them with *house seasoning. Then you pop them into the oven and leave them alone for 4 hours. (I did actually pull mine out after 3 hours and 45 minutes because I needed the oven for something else.) Let them cool completely. Then store them, covered, in the refrigerator. I'm sure you could use other seasonings, but this was the most basic way to do them. 

Jessica did some from our garden over the weekend. These are her before & after tomato photos above. She used herbs de provence, along with salt and pepper. Our tomatoes are sturdy little guys. Keep an eye on yours as they slow roast. I would imagine that different tomatoes—yours could be softer and juicier—might require a little different time. At the end they have shrunk by about 1/3. They will be soft, pliable and a little juicy. 

Penne Alfredo w/Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken & Broccoli

I had hoped they might make a healthy snack but we thought the flavor was too intense to eat as is. The roasting process concentrates the flavor. So the next night as I rambled through the pantry in search of supper, I had an idea. Pulled out a jar of Rao's Alfredo sauce, heated it in a large skillet while the whole wheat penne cooked, stirred in my roasted tomatoes, some sliced grilled chicken from the night before and broccoli florets. I had dunked the head of broccoli into the boiling water for a couple of minutes before I cooked the pasta. No extra pan needed.

When the pasta was done, I scooped it out and mixed it into the sauce. (Always save a little pasta water in case the sauce needs to be thinned.) Winner, winner, chicken (and tomato/broccoli/penne/alfredo) dinner! This was delicious. 

I wish I had known about roasting the tomatoes back earlier in the summer when we were drowning in the little guys. Then end result reminded me of sun-dried tomatoes...but fresher. But the directions are safely here so that I can find them next summer.

Pasta Cooked Brown Rice

My other new cooking discovery was finding out a better way to cook brown rice. After seeing the hash tag #pastacookedbrownrice several times on Instagram, I looked it up. The directions (yes, directions...not recipe) were so simple. 

• Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
• Rinse uncooked brown rice. 
• Stir rice into boiling water. 
• Let boil 30-35 minutes. 
• Drain into colander. (Make sure the holes are small enough to not lose the rice.) 
• Put the rice back into the empty hot pot. Put a lid on it, pull off the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes to steam. 

That's it! It was perfect. The amount of rice is not critical. But I used 1 cup of uncooked rice. That makes about 3 cups cooked. You just need enough water to let it boil, just like you would cook pasta. THAT'S why they call it "pasta cooked brown rice."

As this was cooking I remembered something from my growing up years. This is nearly how my mother cooked white rice. I remember she rinse it, boiled it, drained it. But then she put the colander over a pot of boiling water and let it steam. It was the best rice ever. I wished I had paid better attention...better attention to a lot of things. 

I've only tasted something similar once since then, in a Chinese restaurant. But I was never sure about times and then college classes taught me the "proper" way to cook rice. It did not include rinsing. Now that I've thrown caution to the wind and I'm just cooking, maybe I'll try the white rice version and see if I can recreate my mother's rice. Of course, one reason hers tasted so good was because it usually was under the gravy that she made to go with the fried chicken or fried cubed steak. Ahhh, memories.

~~~~~~~~

I always keep a jar of house seasoning on the shelf. Sometimes I make a big batch. Most times I make it in this smaller proportion.
 *House Seasoning:  
1/4 cup salt 
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Mix well. Store in an air-tight container, such as an empty spice bottle or small jar. 

Feed Your Children Well

Grilled Chicken w/Roasted Tomatoes & Onion

It was a win/win kind of evening. On our weekend visit, Daddy-O and I sat in the floor and played a board game with the granddaughters while Mommy cooked supper. I didn't lift a finger in the kitchen and Mommy got to cook without interruptions for once. A treat for all of us.

This family tries really hard to eat whole, healthy foods. They do their best to skip over things like box mac and cheese and frozen tater tots. Instead of those refrigerated "meals" labeled in yellow and aimed at kids, they get mom-made lunches, still in a box with compartments, but filled with fresh fruit, finger-sized vegetables and whole grain breads or crackers and maybe homemade chicken strips. Meals with prizes that come in bags are just an occasional treat. At home they aim for real foods. The kind that requires peeling and chopping. And they read labels carefully to choose "packaged" foods, like breads, yogurts and cereals, with the shortest list of ingredients.

When she started out in the kitchen as a new bride, about all Mommy could make quesadillas. But over the years she's developed solid cooking skills. She still needs easy recipes now—not because she lacks the skills, but she often lacks time. Like all mommies, there are a zillion things that need to be done and a half-zillion places to go every day. Thankfully she has found many delicious, easy to prepare recipes. Recipes that her family likes. It doesn't matter how "healthy" it is if they won't eat it.

Little kitchen helper.

Even with the best intentions, these little folks live in the real world, so they will encounter those "other" foods at school and birthday parties and field trips and such. They just know that those foods aren't everyday foods for them. And there are even days at home when just getting any food on the table is a miracle.

A realistic goal is the 80/20 rule. It's one I've seen others use. Aim for 80% good whole food. The other 20% you don't worry about so much. Notice I said "AIM." We all do the best we can. And like my own mother would say, "You can't do better than your best." If a box of mac and cheese is the best you can do, then go with it. I used to serve that with a hot dog cut up in it. We all have those kind of days.

Mommy called us to the table just as our board game was over. (Baby Girl won!) Supper smelled good cook as it was cooking, so we were ready to eat. This recipe is one of Mommy's best. Easy to prepare. Beautiful when it comes to the table. And totally delicious.

GRILLED CHICKEN w/ROASTED TOMATOES & ONIONS

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced (red or white onion works equally well)
4 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil for coating pan
4 or 5 thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, herbs de Provence and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to coat veggies. Spread onto a lightly oiled sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tomatoes have softened and onion is a little brown.

Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in oiled grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until done. 

To serve, spoon vegetables over cooked chicken. Garnish with fresh basil.

Just a note about how this approach to foods can influence a child. When Little Sister (she's now in first grade) was here this summer for Mimi Camp, we were out taking flowers to friends and I asked if she would like to have lunch out. She said to me, "I'd really like a salad. Is there a place we could get salads? I'd like one with olives and chick peas." So we stopped by the large grocery store with a good salad bar and make salads to take home. Not what I had in mind, but it was a perfect choice. Mommy, you are doing a good job!

Happy Halloween!