Veggie Pop Overs

Dinner is often the mother of invention. This time it worked out well. I had a few veggies and a can of Grands Biscuits and made a pretty awesome and tasty dinner. Yay me!

I made three different looking pop overs. I did this mainly because I was getting hungry and running out of patience. I'm please to report they were all awesome.


Version #1 was a biscuit rolled thin, topped and then folded over on itself. You can't over stuff these or they just bust out instead of pop over. Heh!

Version #2 was made with two biscuits rolled flat. The filling was added to one and the second biscuit placed on top.

Version #3 contained the last of the veggie stuffing tossed in a ramekin and topped with the last biscuit. I didn't roll it out but I did smash it a little to cover the surface of the veggies a little better.


Oh dear, where did the picture of the ramekin go?


Anyhoo...


Here's what I used but you can use just about any combination of meats and veggies you want. Just aim for a thick sauce at the end. If the veggies have too much liquid your biscuits will be soggy.


Preheat oven to 375


Line a cookie sheet with parchment


Veggie Filling:


1/2 Medium Onion
3 Cups of Sliced Mushrooms (About 2/3rds a container)
3 Cups of Kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups of Vegetable Stock
1/4 tsp of Thyme
1/4 tsp of Herbs de Provence 
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I did about 8 turns of the pepper mill)
1 Cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Beans, Carrots and Peas variety is what I used)
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp flour
1/4 Parmesan Cheese


Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, mushroom and spices and cook until they release their liquids and start cooking down. When the liquid is almost gone, add 1 cup of the stock and stir in the kale. Cover and let the kale steam and get tender. Add more broth as necessary to keep the steam going. Finally, stir in the frozen vegetables and the tablespoon of flour mixed in with a 1/2 cup of stock and the butter and cook for another 10 minutes or so or until you have a nice and thick sauce. It's ok to add more flour and stock to get it where you need it.


Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes


Pop Over:


Roll out your biscuits until they're about the size of small saucers. Fill them with 3-4 tablespoons of the cooked veggies and a pinch of cheese. Leave about 1/2' edge to seal the biscuits. Add another rolled biscuit to the top. Crimp the edges of the pop overs with the tines of a fork and stab the top of pop over 2-3 times with the fork to make steam holes. 


Bake for 13 minutes or until they're a golden brown.

Tot Fondue

I try to eat healthy but sometimes I just need to cannonball right off the deep end into some comfort food. Back when I was a housewife in training wheels my friend Aimee told me she always kept Velveeta and Rotel in the pantry for when there were unexpected guest. Sure enough, the queso recipe is right on the inside cover of the Velveeta. Just mix it with Rotel and nuke it. Her advice has saved me when friends stopped over or when the hubs was looking for serious snacking while studying in law school. 


One of our favorite restaurants in Atlanta is The Vortex. They have this wonderful concoction called Tot Fondue. It's essentially tater tots and queso dip. Man, is it good. This is my take on the recipe. It's not as good as The Vortex but I had some supplies on hand to give it a shot. I was pretty happy with it. My version is spicier and the pepper on the tots makes it extra good.


This takes about 25 minutes from pantry to table and it's a great TV snack or a fun twist on a side dish. It's also easy to make multiple batches if you're looking for a warm finger food for entertaining.


Any leftover dip is good with tortilla chips...duh!

Tot Fondue! As good for a hangover as Waffle House. Ole, ya'll!

Tot Fondue


1 can of Original Rotel 
1 16oz package of Velveeta
1 bag of Tater Tots
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Finely Ground Black Pepper

Step 1: Preheat your oven and pour tots onto a baking sheet. Cook as directed but add an extra minute or two at the end to get them good and crispy. You'll be eating these with your fingers and the extra few minutes gets them crunchy enough to stand up to dipping.












While your tots are in the oven...

Step 2: Open the can and pour all of the contents into a blender or food processor. Pulse it a 5-7 times to break up the chunks of tomato and peppers. Do it until there are no big chunks but don't go nuts with the puree. If you don't do this step the chunks are too big and won't stick to your tots. Aim for teeny bits of tomato and peppers, not liquefied.







Step 3: Cut your Velveeta into chunks and put those chunks into a microwaveable bowl.








Step 4: Pour your Rotel right over the top of the cheese


Step 5: Pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir, then nuke for another minute or two until there are no chunky cheese bits left and the cheese is melty and the Rotel is evenly mixed throughout. (The heating instructions for the basic queso are in the Velveeta box for reference. Handy!)


Step 6: When the tots are done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little bit of salt (the Queso portion will have enough so don't over do it.) Then sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of ground pepper over the tots. Toss them to distribute the salt and pepper.

I hate fighting big dishes in my fridge.
I transfer things into my little ramekins
for easy storage and reheating. 

Pour your queso into a little ramekin and serve along side your tots. 

Ole, ya'll.

Tips: 

• Once my queso is done I pour it into smaller ramekins so we easily reheat it and store the extra without using a big dish. Just warm up a dish for more tots or chips.

• Not all brands have the same size tots. If you have multiple options, go for the bigger tot. The bigger tots give you more surface area for holding the dip. If not, the small works just fine.

• Remember to add a few minutes on to the tot cooking time. You want them crunchy enough to hold up to dipping in queso which is crunchier than what's needed for dipping in ketchup. It's a scientifically proven fact. Really!

• Here's the recipe for the Velveeta and Rotel "Famous Queso Dip"

• I prefer the Original Rotel for this recipe. The Hot is just too strong on the tots.

• Don't wander too far once you hit the 3 minute mark. Trust me. 

Oops!

Homemade BBQ Hot Sauce

I made this finishing sauce to go on the BBQ pork shoulder that's currently cooking up for my husband. This is my version of the sauce you might find on the table at BBQ restaurants for dripping onto your pulled pork. I spent time in North and South Carolina so I used ketchup, mustard and vinegar. Don't judge!


BBQ Finishing Sauce


1/2 c Ketchup
1/2 c Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 c Yellow Mustard
1 c Water
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Powdered Mustard
1 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1 tsp Ancho Chili Powder
1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
2 tbsp Dried Onion Flakes


Add all the ingredients to a sauce pan and whisk it together. Turn the sauce pan to medium low heat and let it go for 10-15 minutes without boiling just to get it hot and the flavors working. If you like more heat, add more red pepper or chipotle powder. Let it completely cool. Transfer it to a recycled hot sauce bottle or to a plastic condiment squirt bottle using a spout. Park it in the fridge for at least two days. Add a few tablespoons of water and give it a shake if you'd like it thinner. 


It's fun making your own hot sauces! I loved playing with all the peppers and spices in my cabinet. I'm already thinking about what else I can put this on and which sauce will be next.

Greek Tuna Salad

I made a tuna salad almost entirely of foods living in my pantry and fridge door. It was so good! If you like Greek salads you can really have fun with this.


1 can of tuna packed in olive oil, excess oil poured off
1 tsp pepperoncini peppers, diced
A splash of the pepper juice from the jar.
1 tsp kalamata olives, diced
1 tsp capers, chopped 
1 diced hard boiled egg
1/2  green onion, diced
1 tbsp mayo or more to taste
Pinch of dried oregano
1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, diced
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Black pepper to taste (The peppers and olives add plenty of saltiness. Taste before you add more.)


Stir...
Chill...
Serve


Or do what I did...


I slapped two halves of an English muffin in the oven for a few minutes, scooped some of the salad on the muffin and topped it with a little (okay, big) slice of goat cheese. Stick it back in the oven for a few minutes and crank it up to a broil for a minute at the very end. 


It will change your life!


Don't be afraid of adding an egg to tuna salad recipes. It makes it creamier and it stretches the recipe.

Spicy Boiled Peanuts

I started eating boiled peanuts as a child. Maybe it's a southern thing. Maybe it's because peanuts are grown locally, they're cheap and easy to find. I buy raw nuts from the farmer's market and only make boiled peanuts with them. I'm sure there are other things, but why mess with perfection. 


I don't care. 


I love them. 


I only started making them on my own since we moved to Atlanta a few years ago. Boiled peanuts are super easy to make but not fast. I like easy. Resist the urge to undercook these. I like to be able to split them with a pinch of the fingers, have minimal fibrous shell and the nuts to have a bean like softness without being mushy. That takes patience. 

Serve them hot or cold. They all have a bit of spicy salt water inside so keep a napkin ready.

Spicy Boiled Peanuts

1-2 lbs of green (That mean raw, green, not roasted) peanuts, well rinsed. 
Pot of water. I use a 6qt soup pot filled 1/2 full.
2 tbsp salt
2-3 tbsp red pepper flakes or to taste


Clean your peanuts by soaking them in cool water and rubbing them together with your hands to remove all bits of sand and dirt. You may need to swap out the water if you get particularly gritty nuts.

• Fill 5 quart soup pot half-full of water
• Add salt and red pepper flakes and bring to boil
• Add in peanuts, close lid, reduce to simmer and walk away
• Really, walk away. Turn on the vent over your stove too. Note: That much pepper steam will make you cough if you hang out too close to the stove. It's a good trick to make this when no one needs to be hanging out in the kitchen. *hack*
• Keep an eye on the water level, add more as needed
• After 2 hours, try a big one. Add more salt and pepper as need and continue cooking until the peanut is easy to break with a good squeeze and the nut has a cooked bean softness, but not mushy

The boiled peanuts in the photo took about 3-3.5 hours. After they're done, remove pot from heat. Let the nuts cool down in the cooking water. Use a slotted spoon to move a serving to a bowl and let them cool down until they're safe to eat. I let the rest hang in the water until I want more. After they're cool I use the slotted spoon to put them in baggies and stick them in the fridge. They're just as good cold out of the fridge as they are still warm from cooking.

These cold boiled peanuts...going with me to the pool on a hot Georgia day.

Serve with napkins (or just eat them over the sink) and a bowl to collect the shells.

Some day I'd like to own a big 5 gallon pot to make bigger batches. I have such fancy housewife dreams. 

Sweet Potato Bar (Build-Your-Own Sweet Potato) for Thanksgiving

I've recently started trying different ways to eat sweet potatoes. These have always been on my most hated foods list. After trying them a few different ways I finally discovered that it isn't the sweet potato that I dislike but the too-sweet additions. I just don't care for sweet vegetables and adding marshmallows and syrup just takes it to a new level of nasty. I prefer to add savory flavors to my sweet potatoes and I've found bleu cheese crumbles, butter, salt and pepper to be the winner so far.

Thanksgiving is coming up and I wanted to serve sweet potatoes now that I actually like them. Since my dinner guest probably prefer the traditional gooey casserole to my Bleu Cheese Sweet Potatoes I thought I'd create a Build-Your-Own Sweet Potato Bar. I'm going to bake my sweet potatoes in the crock pot (anything to free more oven and stove space). I'll serve them on a platter and use a condiment server to put a collection of toppings.

These are the toppings I think I'll use:

1. Marshmallows, maybe toss them under a broiler to brown up
2. Maple syrup
3. Bleu Cheese
4. Bacon Crumbles
5. Brown Sugar

The more I think about this plan the bigger fan I become. Leftovers will be easier to manage since I'm only dealing with the baked potatoes. I don't want to waste food and I really don't want to add something like a sweet potato casserole to the menu if I won't touch it or the left overs.

Pumpkin Butter Recipe

Even though it's still in the 90's in Atlanta, I'm so excited about fall. This summer has been brutal and it's the first year I've really tried to limit my sun exposure. I'm looking forward to cooler weather where I can cover up and the skinny chicks near me will have to cover up too.

I found some Peach Butter and Pumpkin Butter at my local farmer's market. While I was in there I Googled some recipes and grabbed the ingredients to make my own pumpkin butter. There are several markets around that sell local produce but there is one that's probably the size of a Super Wal-Mart with nothing but food. It's a great place to buy produce, cheeses, and there's an enormous meat counter if you're into that kind of thing. I found canned organic there as well as some of the bulk spices I'd need for the recipe. I'll just hang onto the jar of pumpkin butter I picked up for when I run out of the homemade goodness.

If you have a farmer's market or any market that sells bulk, you should take a few extra minutes to peruse the spice aisle. I've found spices for a fraction of the cost of the grocery stores. You can see some of the prices in my picture below. Granted, I don't know what I'll do with a half pound of ground cloves. For $2, I can think of something.

Yesterday I attempted my first batch of homemade pumpkin butter. I can tell this is something I'll make again this fall. By last night I had already gifted two jars of it. I used my big Williams-Sonoma Spoonula for this job and it worked perfectly. By using the spoonula and the slow cooker, it was a fairly small kitchen production. I love one pot masterpieces! I also recipes for stove top that takes about 30-45 minutes. I may try that next time. I'm also going to try making a similar version with orange zest. I'll let you know.

Pumpkin Butter

• 3 Cans of Pumpkin Puree...not Pumpkin Pie filling. The filling already has spices and other stuff added. I used organic.
• 1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed. (Option: Use 1/2 cup of maple syrup and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.)
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A big pinch of salt
• A big pinch or 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
• A big pinch or 1/8 teaspoon of allspice

Stir all of the ingredients into a slow cooker set on low heat. Because you are cooking it down you'll abandon the rule of leaving the lid alone. Stir at least once every 30 minutes to an hour the first 4 hours. The last 2 hours, leave the lid 1/4 to 1/2 off and stir every 20 minutes or so. It's important to keep the sides scraped down to prevent burning. By stirring so often you'll keep it reducing instead of allowing the top to dry and it to stay too wet underneath. Total cook time in slow cooker: 6 hours. 

I found these cute Ball jars in Target. It filled all 4 and I had enough left over to fill a small Rubbermaid container. I like the jars for sharing. I may transfer one to another Rubbermaid for freezing. I'll hang onto the jars for when I try to learn to can.

Ma Po Tofu with Faux Sausage

Ma Po Tofu with Faux Sausage

This recipe has been simplified for American cooking. (The original had some pretty obscure ingredients.) I've also made it (semi) vegetarian (oyster sauce has oyster extract). It's really hearty and has great flavor. It's spicy!


Ingredients

* 1 (1 lb) package reduced-fat firm tofu, cut into 6 slices for draining
* 1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup vegetable broth
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
* 1-2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (I use 1 1/2 since I add red pepper)
* 1 package/tube of Gimme Lean or other vegetarian bulk "sausage"
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cups cooked brown rice, while it's still hot
* 3-4 dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
* 1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels. Place a dinner plate on top of covered tofu; let stand 30 minutes. Remove plate, discard paper towels. Cut tofu slices into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili garlic sauce, stirring with a whisk.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add faux sausage; cook 3-4 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add red pepper to spice up sausage if vegetarian brand isn't spicy enough. Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Add cooked rice to pan and stir to coat. Sprinkle with onions and serve with chopsticks.

Tip: To make for meat eaters you can replace veggie sausage with extra spicy pork sausage. You may want to reduce the cayenne pepper.

Shopping tip: Oyster sauce and the chili-garlic sauce can be found in the Asian food aisle. The chili-garlic sauce is in a plastic jar with a green lid. It has a serious kick. It also goes great on fried rice and eggs.The vegetarian sausage is usually near the meat substitutes and tofu.

Very important: Drain your tofu and chop it up before you start cooking. This cooks very quickly and you'll burn the faux sausage if you chop as you cook.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I put this together with stuff I had around the house. Each pepper is enough for one person. It cures my Italian cravings without all those nasty pasta calories. The dish is low fat and lower in calories than the meaty option. With all the other seasonings you don't miss the beef. You can probably make the mix a day before and refrigerate. Since you are really just heating things through there is very little chance for error. If you have picky non-veg eaters you can probably make this with beef. It's ok to eyeball the quantities to get the consistency and taste you want...that's what I do. It's hard to goof this up.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 medium onion
2 bell peppers (get the wide and squatty ones and look for ones that will sit upright
1 bag of 90 second brown rice or 1-1/2c of cooked brown rice
1/2 bag of Boca (fake ground beef) crumbles
1/2c diced baby bella mushrooms
2 c Marinara Sauce (eyeball it)
1 tsp Italian seasoning, adding extra oregano and basil is optional
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp chopped or 1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash peppers. Cut the tops out to create a bowl. Rinse out any loose seeds and use your fingers to pull out any white pith. Boil a pot of water and par boil the peppers for about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move them around if the water doesn't cover the entire pepper. Take them out, and turn upside down on a clean towel to cool. Dice onions and saute in a saucepan at medium heat until the onions are soft. Add spices except for garlic. Stir to combine. Add in crumbles and stir through to heat. Add rice and make sure rice is distributed and not clumpy. Add garlic, diced mushrooms and stir through. Add parsley and 1/2-3/4 c of the marinara sauce to the mix. The mix should hold together and be thick. It's cooked so it's safe to taste. Add spices to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cook while you prep peppers.

Scoop the mixture into the pepper bowl and compress with a spoon.

Add EVOO to the bottom of a bake pan to prevent sticking. Sit the peppers upright in the pan. Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce over the stuffed peppers.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 until the peppers are cooked.

Tips/suggestions: For kids, you can also hide other diced veggies by adding to the mix to conceal them. To hide the mushrooms you can saute those with the onion. Adding them later gives nice texture.

One pepper is a filling meal. Cut in two to serve as a side dish or look for small peppers. Because there is no meat it travels and re-heats well.

Low Calorie Omelets

So this is a take on the South Beach omelet. I've never made that one before but my former boss did. I've jazzed this one up a bit but the cooking is similar...

Behold! A super hi-tech frying pan. 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray PAM in a muffin pan that holds 12 muffins. Yes, muffin pan, no lie.

1 pint Egg Beaters
1/4 c Soy chorizo
1/4 c diced portabella mushrooms
1/4 c chopped bell peppers
1/4 c chopped green onion (1-2 stalks)
1/4 c low calorie shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste, go easy, the chorizo has lots of flavor
Paprika (optional)






Spray a saute pan with PAM and add the soy chorizo (I like Trader' Joe's). Brown the chorizo over medium heat for 5-7 minuets until you see little brown pieces starting to form.

In a bowl, add all the other ingredients, stir to mix and add to the muffin pan using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon.

The veggies before adding eggs

Veggies with browned soy chorizo and Egg Beaters

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg sets.

Makes 12 1/4 c omelettes. 93 calories per serving (according to My Fitness Pal).

I put the extras in a zip top bag and have two each morning for breakfast with a 100 calorie English muffin.

                                            

                                               I like a little smoked paprika on each one. Makes it festive!