More Comfort Food

 

 

At long last, Susie found the Big One!

With luck, if you click here, you will see a YouTube video of Susie and Cassidy finding their first megladon teeth, including the one above.

 

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On Thursday morning around 1:00 AM, a major gas line exploded about a mile from Susie's new house in Sanford. She and her husband took video and stills from their roof. I'd love to post the video with the menacing roar of the fire in the background, but I simply can't get the links on the new Blogger to work. Aargh! Below are two photos taken by Mike.

 

Fortunately for people, the explosion—possibly sparked by lightning—was deep in the woods. But that made it hard for firefighters to reach the scene. Two hours before the fire was under control, days before anyone in the area will have gas.

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MORE ON COMFORT FOOD

I threw away food this week - half of a really tasty Quiche Lorraine. Why? After two meals, I went to freeze the rest and discovered my freezer was FULL. I mean, impossible to add anything larger than a marshmallow. Clearly, like so many others, I've been cooking more than usual over the past few months. So I am now eating my way through the freezer, determined to make enough room so I can once again try new recipes. Meanwhile . . . if your freezer isn't full, or you have several mouths to feed, here are a few more recipes. 

 Tapioca Update

Despite tapioca from the store tasting like "fish eyes and glue," homemade tapioca is a treat. I have continued to make it regularly throughout the summer. Here are a couple of updates to the recipes posted earlier:  

1) Use a wire whisk to stir the tapioca. (Although I am a devotee of wooden spoons, for tapioca a whisk wins, hands down.)  

2) A variety of flavors keeps the recipe from seeming "same old, same old."  I alternate Vanilla, Almond, Orange & Lemon - ½ - 1 tspn, according to taste.

 

Onion Baked Potato Casserole

Grace note: This is a recipe that can easily be adjusted up or down in size. 

6 Russet potatoes, cut in ¼" slices

1 onion, chopped or sliced (your choice)

Salt & pepper (preferably fresh ground)

At least 2 TBspn spices &/or fresh herbs* (smoked paprika, bay leaf, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, celery seed, cayenne, etc.)

Olive oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterey cheese**

Optional:  Top with crisp bacon, crumbled

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*I used fresh herbs from my herb garden

**I used Swiss, as I had some on hand

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter (or spray) 9x13 casserole dish. Toss potato slices in large bowl with olive oil, salt & pepper, spices/herbs, and onions. Layer potato mix in dish, overlapping slightly. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes more. Allow dish to rest 15-20 minutes before serving.

 CHICKEN WITH FRUIT & COUSCOUS

I made this one up, so exact directions are hazy, but it turned out well. After browning, I based the cooking time on whether I was using standard couscous or the large Israeli couscous (taking the cook time from their containers).

1 package chicken tenders

Cornstarch 

Olive oil & butter

Chicken broth according to couscous instructions (c. 1-1½ cups)

1 cup couscous

Dried fruit, chopped or cut small (all or your choice)

Candied ginger, apricots, golden raisins, raisins, cranberries

Slivered almonds, as desired

Seasoning suggestions: Salt & pepper, cardamon, nutmeg, allspice

Coat chicken pieces with cornstarch. Lightly brown in mix of olive oil and butter. Add couscous, chicken broth, chopped fruit, almonds, and seasonings. Bring to boil. Cover, simmer on lower heat as directed on couscous package. Check to make sure food is not drying out. 

 

EGG SALAD

Why, when I really like Egg Salad, I never make it, I don't know. Perhaps I simply never think to boil the eggs ahead of time. Anyway, I finally did it a couple of weeks ago, putting this recipe together from several found on the Internet. (Variations can be found at the bottom.)

4 eggs, hardboiled

2-3 green onions, finely sliced/chopped

½ red or green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1 or more TBspn fresh dill, snipped

Other fresh herbs, chopped (optional)

c. ¼ cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

Juice of half a lemon

Fresh ground salt & pepper

Combine all, serve on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich with lettuce.

Options:

Plain yogurt in place of mayo

Sunflower seeds

Finely chopped celery

Green olives, chopped

Capers

Mustard - yellow or Dijon

 

SIRLOIN ROAST

If you're tired of seeing all those recipes for a grill you don't have, here's something a little different than fussing with the oven broiler. You can even heat the oven early, start a couple of potatoes to baking . . .

Ideally, you use a cast iron grill pan for this one.

Sirloin steak(s)

Steak marinade

Marinate steak(s) 3-8 hours. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat cast iron grill pan to "smokin' hot." Sear steak on ONE side. Turn steak and put grill pan in oven. For medium rare:

1½" steak - 4 min.

1" steak - 3 min.

Remove from oven. Brush with juices; tent with foil; rest 3 minutes.

And that's it. Trust me, it's GOOD!

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And don't forget The Vicar's Daughter . . .

 

 

To find The Vicar's Daughter on Amazon, click here.

To find The Vicar's Daughter on Smashwords, click here.
    (Smashwords always offers a 20% free read.)

Grace note:  The Vicar's Daughter is now available on Smashwords affiliates, such as B&N, Apple, & Kobo.

For "inside information" on The Vicar's Daughter, please check out my updated Facebook Author Page. Click here.
 
For Blair's website, click here.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (who writes as Blair Bancroft)