What Did You Eat?

Corn Pancakes

These little pancakes are similar to tostadas--delicious and fun to eat. Plus, they're really very easy and good for when you're rushed.   I've  been longing for some sopas, those little Mexican "boats" filled with goodies. But, decided to fix this recipe, because it uses less fat than sopas.  A friend of mine calls them gorditas, but that isn't accurate. Gorditas are rolled thinner, then split and stuffed with filling.  Whatever they're called, these pancakes have a nice crunch as you bite into them, but are slightly creamy on the inside.  I love them.

Chicken in Spice Laden Coconut Sauce

Canned Indian simmering sauce beats home cooked Indian recipe!!!  Yep, that's what happened here.  I still think about that fabulous Chicken Tikka Masala that I made with a jar of simmering sauce from Williams-Sonoma.  It was that good.  So, I decided to make this recipe of Chicken in Spice Laden Coconut Sauce, because it seemed like it might taste a lot like the Tikka Masala. Well, what can I say?  While this was a good dish, it just didn't match my Chicken Tikka Masala nostalgia.  And I made this recipe from scratch!   Is it because I don't have a spice mill and used my mortar and pestle to pound the spices?  Isn't it supposed to be more virtuous to pound them by hand?  What did people do before there were spice mills?  Whatever. I'm going to  Willams-Sonoma and buy more of that simmering sauce.

Weekend Cat Blogging: My Head Shots

Well, I was watching America's Next Top Model and Tyra was talking about how you have to look "fierce" when you have a head shot.  Well, if this doesn't get me a contract with Revlon there is no justice in the world.

Wait, let me wet my lips so they look all pouty.

WCB was created by Clare.  You must go over to her site--she has some really BIG NEWS!!  I mean BIG, BIG NEWS!!!!.  There will also be cat bloggers from all over the world showing off talented and sexy kitties. 

Weekend Herb Blogging: Tagliatelle with Chicken

This is a recipe that I turn to when I find myself rushing around frantically, barely able remember my name or where the car keys, phone or remote control are located.  A lot of swearing and screaming occurs.  Turning to fast food would seem like a total descent into incompetence. So, this recipe, which tastes wonderful, comforts my jangled nerves.   Nigella Lawson fans will surely recognize it.  The list of ingredients is short and easy, you simply toss shredded roasted chicken with raisins, pine nuts, and pasta.  Best of all, it has rosemary in it, perfect for Weekend Herb Blogging.  I think this is the first time in weeks that I've made a dish without cilantro or basil as the herb of choice.  Kalyn created Weekend Herb Blogging and she has lots of wonderful recipes submitted by loyal herb bloggers.  Go to her site  site, you will be amazed at what you find there.

Red Alert! Red Alert!

Red alert!! That's exactly what I hear every time I spoon apricot jam onto bread--because it's my last jar!   Two years ago I made a huge supply of apricot, blueberry, and peach melba jam. Now, only one lonely jar of apricot jam is left, and it's almost empty.  Obviously, jam making is in order.

Here it is, the last jar, and it's still delicious.  This weekend, I made a loaf of molasses-buttermilk bread which served as a nice backdrop for the jam. The bread has a texture and taste somewhat like brown bread, but you bake it in the oven, rather than steam it.  It's faintly sweet and didn't compete with the jam. It  would have been rude to make anything that overshadowed this wonderful jam.   

Good Times

This is the perfect time here in the Central Valley. The constant rain has stopped and we are all planting like mad. I hope the fruit crop wasn't destroyed because I'm down to my last jar of jam and need to make some soon. The temperature is in the mid-80's.  In another month, we'll experience triple digit numbers, as high as 113 degrees. That can be hard on plants that don't like to bake, for instance, yellow roses. They don't last very long in the high heat, fading quickly. So, I am taking the time to enjoy these beauties right now.

I wish I could remember the names of these roses.  This coral rose is very hardy and prolific in high heat.

This weekend I discovered lots of baby sweet cherries on my dwarf cherry tree. 

All in all, it's a very good time.  My fava beans are producing like crazy and the tomato plants have little fruits on them.  I'll plant basil, green and wax beans, eggplant and peppers this week.  And I'll try to remember this lovely time before the beastly heat arrives.

It will hit the 90's this weekend. That's how it starts.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Scenes From A Day

Here's what I did yesterday.  First, I watched while my dad finally changed the light bulb in my room.  And about time too.   I always wonder if he will fall off the ladder while he does it.  Still not sure if that would be a bad thing.

Then I tried on a new hat.  Let's face it--I look great in this one.

Now that you've seen what I did, go over to Clare's site and see what all the other kitties have been up too.  And Sher said to tell people that she has a recipe for granola bars over at Fit Fare that might be interesting to some people.  Why do people eat granola bars when they could eat tuna?

Weekend Herb Blogging: Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos

That's Charlie, the taco dog, holding three delicious Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos.  It's Cinco de Mayo and my original intent was to make enchiladas. But, I make them once a week, so that's hardly a special dish for us.  Instead, I made this taco recipe from Rick Bayless.  The salad itself is very easy to make.  I used a store bought rotisserie chicken and assembled the salad in less than 10 minutes. That left me with enough time to make my own corn tortillas from scratch.  I wish this dish had an unusual herb for Weekend Herb Blogging, but it's cilantro....again.  In the past couple of weeks some very unusual herbs have been featured in this weekend event created by Kalyn.  Go over to her site and see what the other herb bloggers have cooked up.  But, do take the time to consider this slightly different take on tacos. They're delicious.  Everyone enjoyed them immensely. 

Chinese Noodle Salad with Roasted Eggplant

This weekend I fixed one of my favorite recipes from The Green's Cookbook by Deborah Madison, Chinese Noodle Salad with Roasted Eggplant.  In the cookbook, it states that this recipe is one of the most popular dishes that the restaurant serves. That's quite an honor considering the fact that Greens has so many excellent dishes on their menu.  The salad can be make ahead in segments, at your leisure. In fact, the noodles taste better if they're cooked as much as a day before you complete the salad.  Then you can add the vegetables just before you serve it.

Braised Fava Beans with Prosciutto

This year I decided to grow fava beans. Well, I actually planted them last year, in the Fall. They make an effective cover crop, enriching the soil with nitrogen. But, I really wanted to see if they would produce beans.  Finally after many months of waiting, I'm harvesting big pods full of beans. They're very easy to spot on the plants and harvesting is a snap.  The snails love to hide in them. But other than that, no pests at all. 

The only one in the house who isn't impressed with them is Upsie. She wants me to stop with the veggie growing! How about some nice chickens for her to chase?

And this has nothing to do with fava beans, but if you eat power or protein bars, you might want to read an article I wrote about them over at Fit Fare.  Now back to fava beans.