Month: October 2016

Cheesy Rice and Corn Casserole 

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2 cups cooked white rice 1 can sweet corn 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 stick salted butter 1 can mushroom soup  1 small can chopped green chiles 1 small can sliced olives  1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Process… Preheat oven to 350 Combine all ingredients expect the cheese Spray a 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray, place the rice mix in the dish Top the rice mixture with the cheese Bake covered for 45 minutes, uncovered for 15.  * I cooked my 2 cups of white rice (to 4 cups water) with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon, 1/2 tsp salt and a 1/8 tsp pepper. Doing this adds a great base flavor to the casserole. 

That’s Amazing… Food! 

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Some days I wake up just… hungry. As I was killing time as to not wake up any of our housemates (i.e., family staying with us) by getting up too early… I got to looking at current news articles on my iphone, which naturally (for me ;)) led to this great food article by The Food Network.  By the way, another article  I came across this morning was the news about the recent earthquake in Italy. I can somewhat (native California gal here) imagine the scare and stress people must be experiencing, you’ll be in my prayers Italian friends! I am happy to know that so far no deaths have been reported.  Thank you for giving us such great food Italy.  In honor of our Italy friend this am, here you go…  Here is the article, it looks too yummy not to share.   Hungry in California, g.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/10-ways-to-take-cacio-e-pepe-way-beyond-pasta.html *stock photos 

That’s Amore, in Long Beach California that is. 

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My husband and I are Airbnb’ing this  weekend in a fabulous little apt., in a gem of a building. What a lucky find! That gondola thing… On Saturday we took a stroll around the Naples area, Long Beach. It is just a short 10 minute drive from where we are staying.  And I give you the fabulous Hotel Broadlind.  Hallway to our private oasis.  A cute little common area that doubles as a wash room. There’s great classical music playing in here most of the day. It’s a lovely space to be in.  There are 2 small washers and dryers just to the right. We played a competitive though friendly 😉 game of checkers…  This is the beautiful garden balcony, we sat here and enjoyed our wine on our 1st evening. No need to go out, it was a perfect night, enjoyed each other’s co. in this welcoming space.  This little arch door leads back in…  On Saturday morning I stepped out for a jaunt around the neighborhood. When I got back I spotted the …

Frittata Me Please 

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Let’s all frittata more, shall we?  Here’s my rendition… I found this great article on Epicurious.com Talk about versatile: A good frittata is an egg dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; tastes as good (and arguably better) cold or at room temperature as it does warm; and can be packed with just about anything—including leftovers. The bonus? It’s also incredibly easy. But to make this classic Italian dish even easier, swap the traditional (and tricky) folding-and-flipping stovetop technique for a stir-and-bake one. The result will be a frittata with a silky texture that hovers between quiche and omelet. That technique is covered in the infographic below, along with six winning flavor combinations. These are great starting points for those who are new to frittatas, but they’re definitely not the end. The whole point of a frittata is that you can make it anytime, with almost anything. Just keep these few tips in mind. SIZE IT RIGHT Any 2-quart baking dish works well for this frittata. (For a classic look, bake your …

Oma’s Chicken Soup 

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My mom was an excellent cook. Lately as we step into fall (or at least feel hints of it) here in So. Cal., I’ve been craving her chicken soup. She put so much love into her cooking I like to think I do the same.  Last night I made my version of her original magic. The only changes are, the addition of a touch tomato sauce, this gives the soup broth a nice finish, I add sweet whole kernel corn to the mix and a hint chile powder as well.   This recipe makes a very large amount, enough for a family of 6 adults plus leftovers for another meal.  Here’s the large pot I used…  Cut ingredients in half for an average size pot of goodness.  Feel free to add and or take away as you see fit here. These amounts and ingredients (the vegi’s) can be varied as you please.  The key is the 1st step… this adds such great flavor to the soup base, sauting the onions, tomatoes and garlic with salt …

A Night At The Opera 

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Macbeth, oh my Placido!   The Arts Center in Los Angeles, it such a fab place to be.  Pre-Opera lecture, I highly recommend attending these if you are able. You can gain so much more perspective on the said opera.  The hubster and I.  Vino in the courtyard is always a good idea.  It’s so good to be back! 

Herb Crusted Baked Pork Chops 

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I give you my Herb Crusted Baked Pork Chops. They make a great presentation, perhaps you’d like to entertain with these as the main dish. This dish is to easy to come together not to try. Rosemary grows wonderfully in my back yard, so rosemery  it is… My parsley plant will provide the 2nd herb delight in this dish I like to mise en place (just French for gather your ingredients/have everything in place) 1st. Missing here is the Rosemary, opps. I used a bit of Chinese hot mustard in addition to regular mustard as opposed to heading to the market just for spicy mustard. You don’t need to go out and buy the Chinese hot mustard, this my dear mother in law just happened to have on hand and it worked. (Oh yes, we are living family style (ha) in laws and sis in laws as well in our home here in So. Cal. for a few months. We are all in a transitioning period. It’s all good and the extra family time has …

Dill Pickle Mac Salad 

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Seems like I’ve been seeing more and more recipes out there that include dill pickles in the mix. Oh boy with my dill pickle almost constant cravings they all look so good!  I found a recipe on Pinterest recently, here I tweaked it to my foodie taste likings…  I give you my Dill Pickle Mac Salad w/fresh Dill…  I think you’ll love this recipe, I do.  Hello fresh dill, fernleaf dill to be exact.  Here’s what you need.  Cook the pasta in salted water with a bit of cooking oil in it. (I used about a tsp. salt and a Tablespoon olive oil)  Chop away… Finished.  Ingredients 3 cups salad pasta, cooked  1 and 1/2 cup medium cheddar cheese, cubed 1 and 1/4 cup chopped dill pickle 1/8 to 1/4 cup pickle juice 2/3  cup mayo 2 Tablespoons minced white onion 1 and 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp paprika 3/4 tsp salt  Process… Combine all ingredients  Chill (you and the …

That Hike, Twas Nice 

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If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods (Riverside County, California), do the this hike.  The views are nice, it’s a definite workout and a great spot to sit and reflect.  Here’s some more info on our great Mt Rubidoux…  http://www.totallymtrubidoux.org/history/ Where do you all hike? I’d love to hear about your favorite spots.   g. 

Eggs Over Tomate

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Sometimes you just need a pretty breakfast… I give you my Eggs Over Tomate While my husby was busy planting new Rosemary plants in our backyard, I was busy planning our breakfast.  There is nothing like fresh herbs when available. Remove the woody stuff Chop, chop away…  Here’s the Tomate Sauce, almost finished.  I add a pinch of sweetner to my Tomate Sauce, I find that it takes the tangy edge off.  That’s Sunday breakfast here in So. Cal.  Ingredients  1 small can of tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp dry oregano 1/8 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh minced rosemary (chop a little extra for garnish) Pinch of sweetner Eggs Bread Process Heat a med size sauté pan to medium low heat.  Add in all the sauce ingredients. (not eggs or bread) Bring the sauce to a high simmer Lower the heat and low simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes.  Next, carefully crack 2-4 eggs on top of the simmering sauce Cover and continue …

Nopales & Chorizo w/a Poached Egg

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Nopales are cactus here I used cooked cactus. I like using  Nopales strips in a jar. They can found in grocery stores on the ethic found isle, in the Hispanic section.  For some of you this dish might seem like a very odd and foreign thing. I assure you, if you’re looking to expand your taste horizons and ‘tried foods’ repertoire, this dish is worth your time. As a child I was not too keen on the Nopales my mother prepared for us, but since her passing it’s been something I crave…  For you Momma. ❤️ Nopales… I poached an egg here, you can use any type of cooked egg you like.  Start with the sauce, or salsa. You’ll find that this sauce can stand on it’s own (in a bowl that is) as a table salsa. It’s really quite tasty.  Ready to blend…  Love my lil cuisinart, it’s a fab mini The chorizo package will look something like this. These days you can find soy chorizo too.  This is what a link of Mexican …