Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower florets

1/2 cup grated or small diced carrots

1/2 cup grated or small diced onion

3 cloves garlic minced

3/4 cup small uncooked shrimp

1/4 cup of shopped cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoon five spice poweder

soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil

Makes about 2 servings.

Directions

1. slice or coarsely chop cauliflower. Place about half of the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse unless chopped to about the consistency of rice. Put aside in a bowl and report with the remaining cauliflower. Alternative method: Grate the cauliflower with a coarse box grater.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok until starting to smoke. Toss in half the garlic and the shrimp. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of five spice power and salt to taste. Stir fry until shrimp is just cooked. Remove shrimp and set aside
3. Add a little oil to the wok bring back to smoking hot. Add garlic, onions and carrots. Sprinkle with a half teaspoon of five spice power and salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry until the carrots are cooked and removed from the pan and set aside.
4. Add an little more oil and bring the wok back up to temperature. Swirl the oil around and add the cauliflower, remaining five spice power, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry and toss until the cauliflower is just cooked.  Add back shrimp, vegetables, and cilantro, Add soy sauce to taste (a little goes a long way). Toss until well combined and serve immediately.

Feel free to chance the protein(s) as you wish and vegetables. Peas, green beans, bok choy, cabbage, and peppers should all be good. Perfect for cleaning out the leftovers in the frig.

For an extra hearty meal top each serving with an over easy egg.

Paella

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie chicken
1 lb Smoked Sausage
1 lb Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes drained and hand crushed.
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups short grain Spanish rice
6 cups chicken stock, warmed until almost boiling
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
smoked paprika
1 tsp Saffron threads
Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

14 Inch Paella Pan or very large oven safe skillet.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees and set up the racks so you can put the paella directly on the bottom of the oven. If and electric set up the bottom rack as close to the coils as you can.

Directions

1. Cut up the rotisserie chicken in legs, thighs, wings, breasts. remove the breasts from the bone and cut in half. Leave as much of the skin on as possible.
2. Cut the sausage up into bite size pieces and sprinkle with paprika. Brown in the pan in a little olive oil and set aside.
3. Make the sofrito by adding onions to the pan and cooking until they start to caramelize, Add the tomatoes, garlic, and parsley and cook until very thick.
4. Add the saffron to to stock and allow to bloom
5. Add the rice to the sofrito and stir and brown the rice some. Add the sausage
6. Add about half of the stock and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken into the rice. Add the remaining stock. place the shrimp on top of the paella and sprinkle the peas over the mixture. Sprinkle with a little paprika for color.
7. Place in the over on the bottom for 20 minutes. Do Not Stir! at twenty minutes check to see that all the moisture has been absorbed, If so remove from the oven.
8. Cover and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving . Ideally there will be a little crusty rice on the bottom.

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

6 strips bacon, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
3 pounds beef rump, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
10 ounces beef broth, can condensed
2 cups red or Burgundy wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon whole thyme
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 pound white onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. Sauté bacon in a skillet on stovetop set to medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
2. Add beef cubes to skillet and brown well. Remove meat and set aside.
3. Brown carrot and onion in skillet and transfer to stoneware. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour, add broth, and mix well.
4. Add beef and bacon to stoneware, mix, and place in slow cooker heating base.
5. Add wine, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, onions, and mushrooms. Cover; cook on Low for 10-12 hours or on High for 5-6 hours.

Grilled Avocado Cheese Sandwich

Two big slices of artisan bread (I used rosemary olive oil this time)
Half of a ripe avocado slices thin
grated smoked Gouda cheese
thin slices tomato
thin sliced red tomato
bacon fat (yes bacon fat)

Butter the bread with cool bacon fat. Assemble the sandwich with avocado slices, cheese, tomato and onions. Grill on a griddle until browned and the cheese is melted. I discovered with this sandwich that the bacon fat makes the most incredible crisp bread.

Navy Bean and Spinach Soup

1 lb dry navy beans
1 quart chicken stock
1 large carrot diced
1 med onion diced
1 stalk celery chopped thin
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 quart water
2 cups chopped frozen spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Place navy beans in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse the beans and add the rest of the ingredients except for the spinach. Simmer on low until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Add water as needed.

Removed the stems from the thyme and the bay leaves.

Mash about a cup of the beans well or pure in a blender or food processor. An immersion blender works best. Add the beans back to the soup and the spinach. Simmer another 15-20 minutes and adjust the seasoning as needed.


Serve with crusty bread and crumbled thick bacon on top.

Bacon and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda

5 slices of thick bacon, cooked and rough chopped
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese  grated
1/2 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, all the moisture squeezed out
1 medium zucchini cut into small julienne
6 eggs
salt an pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Saute the zucchini in a little bacon grease until tender to remove some of the moisture.Cool

Beat the eggs. Add the spinach, zucchini and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Mix well.

Heat a 10 inch oven safe omelet pan with a little butter. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Top with the the bacon and the remaining cheese.

When the eggs have started to firm up, transfer the the oven and back for 15 minutes until the frittata is firm. Cool slightly before serving.

Pecan Pie

This is an old family recipe, not sure which side of the family though.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pecans

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake at 375 F for 40 to 50 minutes.