Future Foods

I was presented with an awesome opportunity a few weeks ago by my old college roommate. Her husband is the president of Future Food brands, and asked if I would be willing to blog about their products and write some new recipes. The two brands I was asked to write about are Santa Barbara Bay and Salads of the Sea. Of course, I jumped at the proposition! What a great incentive to eat!

I recieved two boxes full of dips, salads, and tater toppers the day before we left for vacation. It just so happened that I had let my cupboards and fridge run empty in preparation for vacation; we got lucky to get food in the mail so we didn't have to starve!

I was totally unprepared for how delicious everything looked once I got it! The packages are all BPA free, and freezer and microwave safe, and reusable with tight-fitting lids.

The company's website is very easy to use, and has a great list of recipes for many of their products. There is also a 'Where to Buy' search engine. Most Walmart stores carry some of the products in their deli section (around the containers of potato salads). Check out http://www.futurefoodbrands.com/ and click on 'Our Brands' or go to http://santabarbarabay.com/ or http://saladsofthesea.com/.

Through a little bit of preliminary research, I knew what the different products were. Santa Barbara Bay offers an array of dips, including Spinach, Chunky Artichoke, Creamy Dill and more. Their best seller for several years running has been the Cajun Krab Dip. They also introduced new lines of Greek Yogurt-based dips, and Tater Toppers. We tried the super creamy Bacon Ranch Tater Topper last night on a couple baked potatoes, and it was AWESOME! We could have eaten it right out of the container with a spoon!

Salads of the Sea also produces dips, but I'm in love with their Seafood Salad! I accidentally ate a whole container of it for lunch the day we left for vacation! The Seafood Salad and Italian Seafood Salad (pictured in wrap below) are both super quick and easy on a piece of flatbread or a tortilla with some spinach, rolled up in an easy and healthy wrap. The salads are full of huge chunks of imitation crabmeat, as well as a variety of vegetables. You can eat them by themselves, or as a sandwich, or as a cracker topper. The possibilities are endless (and there are great recipes on their website).

Because some of my shipment of dips is getting ready to expire, I'm trying to use as many as possible this week. Last night, I also tried the Santa Barbara Bay Chunky Artichoke dip as a sauce on our vegetables. I warmed up a California Mix (asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, brocolli, cauliflower) and stirred in a couple heaping spoonfuls of Chunky Artichoke dip. It is full of chunks of artichoke and shredded parmesan cheese. My husband was a little skeptical at first (warm dip on veggies?), but after one bite, he was taken. It was way better than any cheese sauce! I've never seen him eat so many vegetables at once!

Tonight, I'll be using a Greek Yogurt Creamy Dill dip on chicken in Greek-style pitas. I'll let you all know how we fare!

It's Been A Long Time Baby!

My family just returned from vacation in Montana. While on vacation, we didn't have phone or internet service for the first 2 days. By the third day, I was enjoying myself so much, I forgot what the internet was! By the seventh day, I missed my faithful 5 and decided to post a report on the fantastic foods we had eaten so far on our trip. I was almost done with my post when I hit a wrong button and wiped it all out! I was pretty disgusted at first, but it turned out to be a good thing because we ended up eating awesome Mexican food about as far from Mexico as you can get!

We started our trip in Pony, Montana, with a family potluck for Father's Day. There were two outstanding dishes that I couldn't get enough of, and will be making at home. First was Cheesy Potato O'Brien casserole. When I asked how to make it, I was told to "throw frozen O'Brien potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup in a dish and bake it". So there you go....I'm going to try it with some chopped up ham inside. The other dish was shredded BBQ elk. It was awesome! I like most big game (except venison), but grass-fed game is the best. Northern meat has such a richer flavor than the weed-fed stuff we get down here.

On to Helena we went, by way of the 3 Forks cafe' in Three Forks, MT. The four of us each had something different, and each plate was fabulous. The special of the day included pea salad, which is my husband's favorite. It was pretty good, but was a little runny and not as tasty as mine! To make it, thaw some frozen peas, and mix with chopped red onion, grated cheddar cheese, crumbled feta, chopped hardboiled egg, chopped ham, and equal parts mayo and ranch. We eat it as an entree with some bread!

My husband's aunt has celiac disease, so every year we get a taste of a gluten-free diet. I really like the breads, as they have a dense, moister consistency than regular bread with wheat. This year, she made a homemade gluten-free strawberry cake that was delectable! As much as I love bread, it really is easy to substitute with other grains and roots. Instead of biscuits and gravy, we had hash browns and gravy, which was just as good.

One of my favorite places on earth is Marysville, MT. It is an old mining town, nearly abandoned except for a dozen or so people and the Marysville House. The Marysville House is a wonderful restaurant and bar that is the only public building still open in town among the many buildings that were boarded up and left to rot along main street after the mines ran dry. You can check out the place at http://www.marysvillemontana.com/. Ten years ago, the kitchen was screened in outside, and you had to walk through it to get to the back patio and horseshoe pits. Every night, the bonfire out back is lit, and you can roast marshmallows for dessert. Now, the horseshoe pits and bonfire are still there, but the health department put the kabosh on the outdoors cooking so the owners had to build a new kitchen inside. The dining room is small and dark, except for gas lanterns on the walls and oil candles on the tables. The walls have been etched and written on by countless guests (my name is still legible from 10 years ago), and the tables are handmade wooden picnic tables with benches. Our family took up three tables this trip, which was half of the seating in the entire restaurant. Ten years ago, the menu was very basic and was posted on the wall: steak, lobster, or trout. This year, the menu was quite extensive (as compared to last time) with two cuts of steak, pork loin, shrimp scampi, 1/2 chicken, crab, lobster and an oyster skillet. You don't get a salad, but you don't need one either. The portions are huge-20 to 24 ounce steaks, lobsters, and pork loins, double-scoop of beans, whole corn on the cob, about a pound of sauteed mushrooms, and endless bread. I had the pork loin, and boy was it delicious! It was barbecue charred on the outside and super juicy and tender inside. Prices are a little high, but you're paying for the atmosphere, experience, and a huge hunk o' meat! I highly recommend a stop there, and don't forget to put a tack in your hometown on the map! There are two from Winslow......wonder who the other Winslonian is?

It's really hard to beat Marysville, but a little Mexican restaurant called Melaques in downtown Helena tried pretty hard to come close. The owners of the place are from Melaques, Mexico, and have a done a pretty good job in bringing decent Mexican food to the gates of the Rockies. I had a shredded beef chimichanga that boasted a nice hint of cinnamon in the meat that was quite surprising. To add to the cinnamon, which I love, the red sauce on top of the chimi had a small dose of peanut butter that added some sweetness and extra flavor.

Of course, there's no place like home. As soon as we got home, we had to get a filling of our favorite Mexican food at the E & O Kitchen at the airport in Winslow, AZ. I love the hearty, savory flavors of the north country foods that I grew up on, but I LOVE the burn of good Mexican food even more!

The Best BBQ Corn EVER!

I feel like such a let-down. I haven't posted in nearly a week! I'm so sorry if I let any of my faithful 5 down! It's been a busy week, getting ready for vacation while still plugging away on the daily grind.

Anyways, it's been so hot that I'm trying to get all my best barbecue recipes out there for you all to enjoy. This corn recipe comes from Paula Deen. I saw a variation of it this morning on the Today show, but it just didn't look as good.

Mayonnaise is the main ingredient in this. The first time I made it, my husband was quite skeptical. But he loved it upon first bite! The first time we made it for friends while camping, we didn't tell anyone how it was made. Everyone loved it, then were absolutely amazed when we told them it had mayo on it. The mayo cooks down and makes the seasonings stick to the super plump and crispy corn.

It is very helpful to have an extra pair of hands to prepare the corn for grilling. It can get a little messy. I also suggest taking off any rings so the mayo doesn't goop them up.

BBQ Red Chili Mayo Corn
Corn on the cob
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Chili powder

Shuck corn and remove the silk, then wash. Slather each cob with plenty of mayo. Sprinkle each cob with desired seasonings, while turning cobs so that seasonings distribute evenly. Rub seasonings into each cob, then roll up each cob in foil. Grill corn on low (about 300 degrees) over direct heat for 20 minutes, turning cobs every 5 minutes.

Happy grilling!

Panny Cake, Panny Cake, Not a Baker Girl

I've been making pancakes from scratch since I was about 8 years old. In fact, I had the recipe (from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book) memorized. It was the first thing I learned how to make on my own, and I was so proud that I made them for everyone who would eat them.

Since then, I've learned that you can add fun things to your pancakes and they can add some nutrition or just another dimension of flavor. I've also started using wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.

Some of the things I add are mashed banana, applesauce, chocolate chips, berries, and corn. Yes, I said CORN! If I make them as "corn fritters", I also add a little cornmeal. You can also use a can of cream style corn; you'll have to decrease the milk and delete the sugar so as not to make corn soup. I also use a little more oil in my electric skillet, so that they fry a little crisper than regular pancakes.

The recipe below is doubled. I have a large electric griddle on which I can make at least four 5" pancakes at a time. I allow leftovers to cool completely, then stagger them (spread them out, not stack one on top of each other) in a gallon freezer bag. Squeeze as much air out as possible, then lay flat in the freezer. If you stagger them, they easily come apart for reheating. A 5" pancake takes about 45 seconds to heat in the microwave.

Whole Wheat Pancakes
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
2+ c. milk
2 Tbsp. canola oil + some for skillet if you want crispy edges

Mix all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Make a well in center, then add all wet ingredients and mix them in the well before mixing entire batter. If you are using applesauce or any other "wet" addition (like cream corn), don't add the oil to the batter. You may have to add more milk to make batter the right consistency, which is smooth and slightly pourable, but not soupy.

If you are using an electric skillet or griddle, 325 is about the right temperature. To test if your skillet is the right temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water on the skillet. They should "dance" across the skillet. To test if your pancakes are ready to turn, the bubbles that form on the uncooked side should be starting to pop. To test if the pancake is done on both sides, lightly press on the puffy center. If it falls, it's not done. If it holds its puffiness, it should be done!

There you have it. The ins and outs of pancakes. I seriously never thought I could write an entire long post about pancakes. Of course, you can always just use a whole wheat pancake mix, and add some good stuff, but it's just not the same as homemade!

Mexican Barbecue and *TOP SECRET* Steak Marinade

This recipe is really easy, and can be made entirely on the grill. If you like steak and green chiles, you'll love it! There are a couple ways you can make the steaks, depending on how thick you want your slices and how many people you are serving.

You can take a shortcut from the grocery store butcher, and have a boneless rump roast sliced super thin. In our grocery store, we ask for "asada" style. If your butcher isn't familiar with that, ask for very thin, like sandwich thin.

We usually eat a lot of Mexican BBQ when London Broils are on sale. I marinate them, grill them, slice what we need for that meal, then freeze the rest already cooked.

I'm about to release a very valuable secret family recipe. This recipe is for the best steak marinade known to man. It will tenderize any steak; it's been known to turn a round steak into filet mignon. The marinade is so secret, you don't even have to write it down. Seriously, it's so simple (only two ingredients) that you don't have to write it down!

Steak Marinade
Can of Coke (yep, that's right....Coca Cola)
Can of El Pato (the tomato sauce in the yellow can)

That's all folks! If you've ever dropped a penny in a can of coke, then pulled it out the next day, you've seen the disintigrating power of the stuff. It breaks down the proteins in the steak so that you can almost cut it with a fork after marinating over night. The El Pato adds a great flavor. It doesn't lend its spiciness overwhelmingly, but the acid in the tomato sauce counteracts the sweetness of the Coke. I actually don't recommend marinating thinner steaks overnight in it. It just turns into mush. I would only do it for a maximum of 6 hours.

Back to the Mexican BBQ. You can use flour tortillas or corn, whatever you prefer. If you use corn, you should butter one side of it (and grill butter-side-down). I highly recommend using fresh roasted green chiles (or even frozen fresh ones). You can use canned whole chiles, but they're just not as good. As far as cheese goes, anything goes. We've used colby-jack, Mexican blend, pepper-jack, and gouda. They're all good. This recipe is so versatile, which makes it easier and pleases just about everyone.

Everything cooks so quickly on the grill, that it is essential to have everything prepared and ready to go on the grill. The meat is best to go first. It can rest under a foil tent when done, while grilling the chiles and tortillas.

Mexican BBQ (recipe for 4-6 people)
2 pounds boneless rump roast, sliced very thin, or London Broil
4-6 large whole green chiles
18 corn or small flour tortillas
1/2 pound shredded or sliced cheese
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Marinate steak (if using sliced steak, only need to marinate for 30 minutes or so) then season with Montreal Steak seasoning or other favorite steak seasoning. On a large tray or baking sheet, lay out several tortillas (don't forget to butter one side of the corn tortillas) and spread cheese on half of each tortilla (like a half-moon). On another plate, drizzle olive oil on chiles then season chiles with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Preheat grill to 300 degrees. Grill steak over medium-low heat until desired done-ness. Remove from grill or place on warming rack. Place chiles and tortillas on the grill (butter side down, cheese side up of course). Turn chiles after just a minute. Remove from grill when cheese is melted and bubbly and chiles have grill lines and are hot. Place one whole chile and at least one slice of steak on half of each tortilla, then fold the other side over (like a taco).

These are a meal by themselves. However, if you want a little side dish, ghetto corn is always good (see previous post), or some pinto beans with green chiles, onions and bacon, or some rice with corn, peas, diced carrots, and diced green chiles. You get the idea.....anything with chiles is good!

Today's Magic Word is "Substitutions"

Here's the scenario: it's 8 pm and I find out I need to take cupcakes to tomorrow's daycare party. No problem, I have a box of cake mix and a can of frosting, eggs, and oil.........OH MY GOSH, I'M OUT OF OIL! What to do now? I'm sure as heck not driving to the grocery store at 8 pm, and I have no neighbors from which to borrow oil, but I have applesauce! 

See, if you know the purpose for a missing ingredient, it's usually quite simple to find a substitution. Oil, for example, is primarily used for moisture. Applesauce doesn't cook out, and you can't taste it once cooked. I usually use applesauce instead of oil for pancakes, waffles, cakes, etc. Honey is usually used to add a chewy constitency to a baked good. If you're lacking honey, try a 5:1 ratio of granulated sugar and water (1 cup honey=1 1/4 c sugar+1/4 c water). Baking powder is a leavening agent. When the Clabber Girl is gone, use 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (equals 1 tsp baking powder). One substitution that I use frequently is for cream. This is only to be used for cooking or baking a recipe calling for heavy cream, not for whipping cream. I use this most often for a cream sauce or scalloped potatoes. 1 c. heavy cream=3/4 c. whole milk+1/4 cup melted butter. There are many more substitutions that can be found online or in the reference section of a basic cookbook (like Better Homes and Gardens or McCalls Cooking School).

Some substitutions can be used as an added ingredient to sneak a little more nutrition into an empty-calorie food. Spinach, mushrooms, tofu and squash are easy to hide and take on the flavor of whatever it is they're cooked with. I always make my brownies with zucchini. Shhhhh....my picky husband and toddler don't know! Using a good grater or microplane, finely shred your squash and add it, along with a enough water to make the batter moist, in place of the oil. The brownies will bake up really high, thick, dense, moist and fudgy (ie. a little chewy). Once baked, you can't see, taste, or feel a difference at all. They'll keep for a week or so in a ziploc in the fridge. Same goes for pancakes with fruits or vegetables. It's really easy to mash up a banana very well, and sneak it into pancakes with a little applesauce and milk. Wilted and blended spinach can be added to pancakes also. The pancakes will turn green, but the kids might like the change. Just tell them you added a little "food coloring" to them. Spinach is a food, and it has color, so you're not really lying, right?!?

I hope some of you can find help in these suggestions. Later tonight, I'll post a Mexican BBQ recipe, made entirely on the grill. Really fast, cheap, easy and soooo yummy!

Daddy's Night to Cook

So sorry to my faithful 5 for being MIA since Friday. It's been a long, busy, sick weekend. I didn't feel too hot yesterday, and the last thing I wanted to think about was food. Thanks to my loyal (and very hungry) hubby, he and the boy didn't starve. I had everything on stock for a super easy Daddy Gourmet meal.

Ham, like bacon, is a great thing to keep on hand, because it lasts quite a long time in the fridge. If you keep it in the freezer, it thaws quickly due to its high water content. And since it's already cooked, it's so fast to prepare. Pasta is another quick and easy ingredient. Now that some good whole wheat pastas are sold everywhere, I don't feel so bad giving it to my kiddo often.

This dish takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and only requires 5 simple ingredients. It is much like a spaghetti carbonara, but we used leftover ham instead of the bacon or prosciutto in carbonara. Oh, and we didn't use spaghetti, we used whole wheat rotini. So maybe it's really not like carbonara because we took a shortcut from the dairy case and used a tub of cream cheese for the sauce. But it's a little smoky, cheesy, and has veggies and pasta, like carbonara!

Creamy Ham Rotini
1 lb. box whole wheat rotini or other corkscrew pasta
2 c. frozen Italian-style vegetables with asparagus
1/2 lb. cooked, diced ham or bacon
1 small container cream cheese with onions and chives
1/4 c. milk

Boil pasta for half the time directed on package. Halfway through cooking, add frozen veggies. Continue at low boil until pasta and vegetables are tender, then drain and return to low heat. Add ham, cream cheese, and milk. Stir constantly until cheese is completely melted and hot.

Better Than Delivery BBQ Chicken Pizza

I admit, there's nothing like a good ol' pepperoni pizza. Unless you've ever had a barbecue chicken pizza. I love the smoky goodness of creamy gouda and barbecue sauce, and the lightness of grilled chicken and red onion.

I prefer my pizzas on a nice, thick crust. However, bread making just does not run in my family. (Right MOM?) I usually make any pizzas we eat at home. That way, I can control the amount of sauce and cheese and other toppings. It never fails, that if we order pizza out, we either get too much sauce or two little cheese. We like a little sauce and A LOT of cheese and meat!

If you're really ambitious, you can make your own crust from scratch. There are also yeast-based mixes (ie Jiffy Pizza Crust mix) that you just add hot water to, let rise, then knead and stretch. That is what I used last night. It just didn't rise as much as I'd have liked. Pillsbury pop-can crusts are also ok, but don't get rise much either. They're great if you like a thin, crispy crust. Of course, you can also use a Boboli, or other such pre-made, crust. They're super easy, thick and bready. The biggest disadvantage is that I put my cheese on the bottom, right on top of the crust. That way, when the crust cooks, the cheese melts into it, and adds a whole new dimension of flavor. With a pre-made crust, you don't get that melding of flavors because the crust is already cooked.

The chicken is best two different ways. I like to take a shortcut from the grocery store deli, and grab a rotisserie chicken. We never eat a chicken the way it's meant to be eaten; I usually tear it apart as soon as it's cool enough to handle, and use it for either pizza or enchiladas. You can also season some boneless skinless chicken breasts with Montreal steak season (I use it for everything in case you haven't noticed) and throw them on the grill until they're done, then cut them up (which is what I used for the pizza pictured below).

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Pizza crust (whatever you prefer to use)
Sliced smoked gouda cheese
Barbecue sauce (your favorite brand, we love Sweet Baby Rays original)
1 lb. chopped grilled chicken
1/4 large diced red onion
1/4 c. finely chopped parsely or cilantro
1/2 shredded provolone cheese, if desired
Top crust in exactly the order listed above, covering the crust with the slices of gouda. You can top the whole pizza with provolone if you want even more cheese. Bake according to crust directions.

Prune Juice Chicken.....or pork

We all know that Dr. Pepper is really carbonated prune juice, right? Well, originally it may have been a little something like that, but over the years it's changed a bit. It's still my vice, though; I am a Dr. Pepper addict. If you've never cooked with it, you're missing out. It's especially good with pork or chicken, as white meats tend to soak up more of the sweet flavor and some pretty color.

This is a super easy dish, but it's not super quick. It's best in a slow cooker or roasted in a dutch oven in the oven or over a campfire. I've cooked it on the stovetop, too, but it tends to cook too quickly and just isn't the same.

There are so many variations and so many ways to serve them. If you use a pork roast, it can be shredded and used for pulled pork sandwiches with some BBQ sauce (my preference is Sweet Baby Ray's Raspberry Chipotle). If you use pork chops or chicken pieces (either thighs or breasts), you can top them with some BBQ sauce and dish them up with some potato salad and/or cole slaw, baked beans and biscuits. Any way you do it, the tasty and juicy meat just falls apart.

Dr. Pepper Chicken or Pork
Pork-butt (shoulder roast) or thick chops or loin roast
Chicken-boneless, skinless breasts or thighs or breasts (bone-in)
Dr. Pepper (depending on how much meat you are making, I'd use a 2-liter bottle so you make sure you have enough)
Pepper

Place meat in bottom of the pot, crock, or dutch oven, folding thin edges under to make uniform thickness. Season with pepper (don't really need salt, as the soda has enough), then cover with Dr. Pepper. Simmer low and slow until the juices are clear and the meat falls apart. The meat will soak up all the color. If you shred a pork roast after cooking, drain the fat off the leftover liquid then add some of the liquid back in with the meat to keep it moist.