Spring Chicken* Pasta

Beautiful and impressive!

Here is another easy and versatile dish for you. It can be simple or fancy, depending on what veggies you choose to include in the recipe. Use whatever vegetables you like...just remember to prep them accordingly so that they will cook evenly. This meal was another very popular dish for Dinosaur Takeout last year, and it's a perfect choice when you wanna impress some peeps at supper time. *The recipe calls for chicken, but that can easily be substituted or eliminated altogether. Try using Quorn Tenders for a delicious vegetarian version (cooking instructions are the same), or toss in your favorite tofu, tempeh, seitan, or whatever.
The recipe is divided into 2 steps. First, you want to make a batch of Piccata Butter Balls. The recipe below will yield about 7 or so, and each is a single serving. Use what you need and store the rest in the fridge (they will keep for a week or two) or freezer. These delicious little balls will be used in several other recipes that I will post, so make several extras to keep on hand! They can also be used to top fish, steak, or steamed veggies
Second, you will use the butter balls to make the pasta dish. Aside from a bit of prep work, this dish comes together quite quickly.

Piccata Butter Balls

You will need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened**
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted or raw (your choice)
2 heaping Tablespoons capers, drained
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Plastic wrap

Gently fold all ingredients together until completely incorporated into the butter. Form the mixture into 1-ounce clumps (about 7 equal clumps) and place on a plastic wrap-lined cutting board or pan. Refrigerate for a few minutes until almost firm. Remove the chilled clumps and using your hands, form them gently into balls. Store the butter balls in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spring Chicken Pasta (2 servings)

You will need:

6 ounces of pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, linguini, or whatever you like)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (or Quorn, or tofu, or whatever)
3 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed
3 ounces carrots, julienned
2 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas
2 fresh lemon slices, halved (slice the whole lemon rounds thinly)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Piccata Butter Balls
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoons fresh or dry oregano
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions while cooking the rest of the meal (try to time both to be done around the same time if you can). Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken, veggies, and lemon slices, and saute until slightly browned and the chicken is cooked through. Add the lemon juice, butter balls, wine, oregano, garlic, and salt. Stir gently, swirling the butter balls, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the butter has melted. Remove from heat. Plate the pasta and divide the sauce over it. Garnish with a bit of cheese and if desired, a bit of salt and pepper. Enjoy!

**Forgot to set your butter out to soften? No worries! Take your cold stick of butter, wrap it in plastic film, place it on a cutting board, and beat the crap out of it with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy mug. Turn and continue beating it until it is soft. Unwrap it, and carry on.

Indian Food 101.

You wanna cook some Indian food but don't know how? Well, follow these three steps, and you'll be on your way!

Step 1: Get yourself a good cookbook. There are many out there, and you can spend days deciding. But don't. Order a copy of The Indian Vegetarian by Neelam Batra. If you are a meat eater, order it anyway. Concentrate on building really good sauces and exploring new flavors. You can always incorporate meats and fish later on. Also, don't just dive into the recipes. Read the introduction for a basic understanding of the ingredients.

Step 2: Find a source for spices and ingredients. I'm lucky because I have an Indian grocery store nearby. I buy most of my spices in bulk (which saves tons of $$), and they are really helpful so I can ask a lot of dumb questions. Do a search and see if there is one in your neighborhood. If not, you can easily find a supplier online or make a trip to a nearby town that has one. If all else fails, try Amazon. Also, if you don't have fresh tomatoes, use canned...if you don't have fresh peas, use frozen. Take a shortcut or two and relax.

Step 3: Stock up. Collect your ingredients and get to work. The list of spices can be intimidating, but don't let it stop you. With most of the exotic spices, a little goes a long way. Buy or make yourself some chutneys, some pickles, and some spice blends (the book explains it all, and most keep for a good while). Also, if you buy whole spices, get yourself a spice grinder. A mortar & pestle works, but a grinder will make you happier. Oh, and don't use your coffee grinder to grind spices. You will regret it forever.

How to make your own Garam Masala

Garam Masala is a spice blend as common in India as salt & pepper is here. Garam means "hot" in the Hindi language. And though this blend does deliver a bit of heat due to the black pepper, the name comes from the fact that the spices included are warming spices which produce internal heat in the body. Commercial mixes are available, but they are usually expensive and contain other spices to increase their volume. If you find one you like, great...otherwise, here is an easy recipe to make your own.

You will need:

a spice grinder

a small nonstick skillet

a screened strainer or sieve

25 black cardamom pods

3 Tablespoons ground cloves

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons ground black pepper

Grind the cardamom pods with their skins in a grinder until powdered. Pass through a sieve and discard the husks. Place all four ground spices in a dry nonstick skillet and roast over medium heat until heated through, only 30 to 40 seconds (or until it begins smoking). Shake to stir the spices. Transfer to a bowl or plate and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Garam Masala is typically added to dishes just before serving, but it is also used during cooking.

"Well, aloe there lemonade!"

It's no secret that aloe is rather miraculous, so I won't go into details on why it should be your friend. However, I will comment on my new found love, GIGANTIC FRESH ALOE LEAVES from my fabulous Asian produce stand! I've seen them there for ages, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I actually bought one. It is rather intimidating because of its size, but after a bit of searching, I found instructions on how to properly "fillet" a leaf and prepare it for consumption. Unless you are using the whole thing at once, simply cut off what you need, then stick the cut end of the remaining leaf into a plastic bag, and store it in the fridge unpeeled.

It's easier to peel chunks of the leaf rather than the whole thing at once.

Slimy deliciousness!

The gel is kinda crazy. It's super slimy, cool, crystal clear, and slippery. You can't really eat it without mixing it with something because it is bitter. Mixing it in a smoothie is perfect...just give it a little extra time in the blender to liquify it. It actually adds a nice smooth texture to your beverage with no bitter taste. My favorite preparation so far though is aloe lemonade. It's easy, refreshing, and delicious. Here is my basic recipe. You can use more or less sugar if you want. You can also use honey, but good luck with that. When I tried it, it just stuck to the bottom of the blender.

You will need:

a blender
a pitcher or jug

1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/2 cup sugar
6 oz or so of peeled aloe gel
3 1/4 cups water (or soda water)


Place lemon juice, sugar, and aloe in the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour contents into a pitcher or jug and add water. Give it a stir and pour over ice. This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge too. Enjoy!

Feel free to substitute prepared lemonade or frozen concentrate for a shortcut. Soda water makes a great fizzy beverage! Also, try adding berries or any fruit you like to the blender.

Party time!

Jeff & Jeff's Granola.

Perfect.

I mentioned to a friend recently that Jeff and I make our own granola. Her response was "Wow...you must reeeally have a lot of time on your hands." While she is correct (I do) the process really only takes a few minutes, and the result is well worth the effort. Store-bought granola is expensive and overly sweet in my opinion. Plus, I can never choose because there is never one type that has everything I want in my bowl.

The greatest thing about making granola at home is that you can experiment, adjust the sweetness, go crazy, try different grains, and customize each batch to suit your perverted cereal desires. Here is my basic recipe. It makes about 5 cups or so. I typically double the recipe each time I make it, because it keeps for days in an airtight container. And, do you know what makes a fabulous gift for someone you love? A bag of your homemade granola, that's what! (Put a prize in the bottom of the bag for extra brownie points. You're welcome.)

You will need:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup coarsely chopped or whole raw nuts (if using roasted ones, add them after cooking the granola)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut*
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinammon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300° and line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper (not necessary, but well worth the investment...add it to your grocery list if you don't have it!). Mix the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Heat honey and oil and stir until smooth and thinned. You may do this on a stove top or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Drizzle the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Spread the granola on the baking pan. Bake until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes for even cooking, for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, stir one more time, and let cool completely. Mix in the fruit and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Any health food store should have unsweetened coconut. It not, you may use the sweetened kind. Just make sure to reduce the amount of brown sugar to half.

Ideas:
-Try sliced almonds, whole cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or whatever nuts you are nuts for.
- Add more or less coconut depending on what you like. I can't get enough.
-Try adding in 1/4 cup chia seeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ, or oat bran before baking.
-For variety, toss in a cup of bran flakes, corn flakes, or any ready to eat cereal after baking. 
-Yes, this recipe can be made with less sugar, no sugar, more sugar, white sugar, no oil, etc.
-Try substituting a mixture of molasses and honey, or agave syrup, or maple syrup.
-Get creative with spices. Add more or less. Try things like pumpkin pie spice, or a spoonful of vanilla extract in the honey.
-Yes, you can eliminate the salt all together.
-Try raisins, dried cranberries or cherries, banana chips, dried pineapple, dried blueberries, chopped dried mango, candied ginger, chopped dried apricots, prunes, dried figs...whatever you like!
-For sugar free granola, adjust the recipe according to your needs, and add your own sweetener before eating.
-When finished baking, fold up your parchment paper, put it away, and use it again for your next batch.
-For gifts, package your granola in coffee bags and make your own labels!


Enjoy!

Green Chili Chutney.

Here is your first recipe. I found this in Neelam Batra's "The Indian Vegetarian" cookbook and tweaked it slightly for my own taste. It's kind of a staple in my house now. Let me explain why you might want to make it...

1. It's incredibly simple.
2. It's good on just about everything that isn't dessert. Consider it an alternative to hot sauce.
3. It's beautiful and makes a fabulous gift for spice lovers.

Hot & Sour Green Chili Chutney

You will need:

A clean jar with lid

1/4 cup thinly sliced serrano or jalapeno peppers*
1 Tablespoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground roasted peppercorns**

Mix the peppers and salt in a jar, and set aside for 2 or 3 hours at room temperature. Pour in the vinegar and add the peppercorns. Store at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before using. The chutney will keep for months if refrigerated.

*Wear gloves or at least wash your hands thoroughly and immediately after handling peppers! Do not forget or you will end up touching your lips, eyes, nose, or...worse...and sincerely regretting your laziness.

**To roast whole black peppercorns, put them in a dry pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until they begin to smoke and pop. Remove from heat, let them cool, and grind. If you don't have a grinder, place them in small plastic bag on a cutting board and crush with a rolling pin, heavy glass, hammer, laptop, or whatever.

Yawn.

I was awake for hours last night wondering how to approach my blog this time around. Should it be all recipes? Should it be a photo gallery with recipes? Should I include stupid stories and pictures of my cats doing those things that all cats do? You see, I've done this a hundred times. I get an idea, I get hung up on one photo that I wanna display somehow, then I spend a whole day setting up my brand new blog only to forget about it by the week's end. It's really no big deal, because honestly, at the end of the day, no one cares. But I do kind of want a little tiny space, besides Facebook, to share the things that make me happy. And I want it to be special...if not for anyone else, then for myself.

Gus & the sunshine.

So, I took a deep breath, cleared my head, and I asked myself "Why would I visit someone's blog?" The answer was for inspiration and to learn new things. That's when I figured it would be best just to keep it simple and offer just that...things that might inspire others to travel, cook, or create...things that they might not know. For example, do you realize that if you crumple up your parchment paper into a ball and then straighten it again before placing it on your baking pan, it will lie flat and won't curl at the edges? Because I did NOT know that until recently. And it changed my life. Granted, I am seriously impressed by the "little things" most of the time, but tips like that can potentially add years to a person's life! Hopefully, you can find something here that enriches your life a bit as well. Whether it IS a photo of my cat, mid-yawn, a recipe, a mind-blowing kitchen tip, a travel story, or simply a link to something wonderful, I do plan to step up and provide! Feel free to subscribe, share, or follow me if you'd like. And be sure to try a recipe or two, because good food is awesome.

Salt snob.

Fleur de sel just makes life better.

I am a salt snob. I admit it. I have actually not picked up a shaker of table salt in years. I don’t even have it in my house. Of course I used to believe that salt is salt…and the “fancy” ones were simply a gimmick. But oh how wrong I was. My first switch was from table salt to plain old “sea salt”. I felt better about using it, but honestly, I couldn’t taste much difference when it came down to it. Then, a friend of mine forced me to try fleur de sel, the “flower of salt”. I probably rolled my eyes, but what I really remember was the incredible taste…the slight crunch…the revelation. Had I been a fool all those years? Yes, I had…and there was no looking back.
Fleur de sel is only one of many different salts that I have sampled and enjoyed, but it is my favorite. Salt is kind of like Tequila to me. One isn’t necessarily better than the rest; it’s simply a matter of taste. They are different, and they each have notable characteristics. I won’t bore you with too much salt talk, but I will break it down for you based on what I have learned…

Kosher Salt is a necessary kitchen staple. Buy it. That’s the one in the box that people usually use to rim margarita glasses. This is the one you should use when cooking. If a recipe calls for salt, use kosher salt. However, my advice is to reduce the amount called for and finish the dish later with a nice finishing salt.

Sea Salt varies from source to source. It is also acceptable for cooking, but reduce the amount because I find that it tends to impart a very salty flavor. It works as a finishing salt, and is quite inexpensive, but treat yourself and go for the good stuff!

Fleur de Sel, and other fancy salts out there have one purpose for me (though I have rimmed my margarita glass with it…and it was amazing)…and that is for finishing a great meal. You will be amazed at how much flavor a small pinch of it can coax out of your meal. Sometimes, it miraculously pulls all of the flavors together. It is quite pricey, but do your research. You can sometimes find a pound or so for around $12 bucks online. That’s a bargain! And remember...a little goes a long way.

There are many others out there to try including Grey Sea Salt, Real Salt, Hawaiian Sea Salt, etc...even Smoked Salt! Again, it's not about better or worse, it's about taste and variety. While I certainly love them all, my advice is to choose one or two of your favorites at first and don't get overwhelmed by the selection.

Oh, and throw away the table salt. Now. It is bitter, offensive, and useless. Or better yet, run a nice hot bath, add a few drops of lavender oil, and dump a few tablespoons of it in the water for a nice relaxing spa day.