Whats Cooking For Thanksgiving

 

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN! Make sure you have all the seasonings you are going to need to make your Thanksgiving Dinner Delicious for your family and guest. 

Think about how you are going to cook your dinner, and plan exactly what you want to have, your Meats, Vegetables, Starches, Drinks and Desserts.   Some of the food that will be on my Dinner Menu are listed below.  We usually go with the same food every year, mainly because we only eat these foods once a year.

Mac and cheese are a favorite on my menu, I make a cheese sauce with Velvetta and parmesan cheese, shredded gouda cheese, half and half butter salt pepper little cayenne pepper cook in saucepan until it thickens then pour on macaroni or any pasta you like. Sprinkle some cheese on top with some breadcrumbs if you like. And I Don't want to forget the rice and savory gravy.

You can prepare whatever vegetables you and your family enjoy, some families enjoy green bean casserole or broccoli, or peas and carrots, cabbage but my personal favorite happens to be steamed Brussell sprouts. I have also decided to roast my turkey in a bag this year, I am also going to try and cook my candid sweet potatoes in a crockpot.

Sweet Potatoes I decided to steam the potatoes a day ahead of time then I want to make a sauce of molasses, vanilla, butter and bourbon. this makes the potatoes taste good and is not too sweet with white sugar. I plan to have a spiral ham with a honey mustard glaze/ with pineapple and Marcina cherries. In addition, and as a complement to the Turkey I can't wait to eat the cornbread stuffing or dressing.

 I prepare the day before, cornbread, sage sausage, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, bacon, celery, apple sauce I place all the ingredients into a fry pan and sauté until soft then I crumble the cooked cornbread and with some croutons I crumble together. the mixt everything together. I then place in refrigerator to be ready for the cold turkey. For my vegetables I thought I would steam brussels sprouts with broccoli. Like I mentioned before many people especially in Maryland they prepare green bean casserole with fried onions and cream of mushroom soup.  If that's what you like do that. Some of the other vegetable choices that is a regular is collard greens, asparagus, cabbage, squash.  The next thing I will make to go with my Thanksgiving meal is rice or I can use

mashed potatoes to sop up all the delicious giblet gravy. Dinner rolls are on

the menu also after all what is Dinner without the butter rolls. The next part of my menu is sourcrout here in Maryland but since I'm from New York City I will make homemade coleslaw. If anyone knows why Maryland people include

sauerkraut with their Thanksgiving meal let me know in your comment, I really would like to know.

Next item on my Menu is the dessert and this year I decided to make a Lenon Fruit tart.  I am going to use a readymade pie crust to save time then I will top with strawberries raspberries blueberries and blackberries. then the lemon curd filling will consist of 4 eggs and 4 yokes lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and butter, this is a really light and refreshing dessert.

I am excited to know what your THANKSGIVING DINNER will be. Don't forget drop me a comment.

                                                                          Happy Thanksgiving!!!

                                                                                         FRIENDS

ADDING and ELIMINATING the foods we eat for better health

Hello again friends, Thomas and I have been discussing the food choices we make.  I am not going to lie to you, We Do Like Carbohydrates and they seem to be everywhere, in all foods. Cards seem to be In Your FACE, in every commercial on TV, on billboards in every aspect of our lives. So, I decided to be stronger than that and start to eat better, one food that I enjoy is fish I do not eat enough of it but yet I love it.  I usually order fish whenever I am out at a restaurant, and I seem to eat fish more during the summer months.

The fish I enjoy eating are, Rainbow trout, Haddock, Halibut, Spots, Red Snapper, Flounder, there are probably other fish 🐟 that I have not tried yet, that leaves me something to look forward to in the future. These fish can be baked broiled, grilled, baked or pan fried. With fish I like to keep the seasonings simple so that I can really enjoy the flavor of the fish. What I have been using are lemon juice and lemon slices, Old Bay Sea food seasoning is great when preparing fish or any other sea food, butter is another item I put on fish.  Of course, you can use any seasoning your heart desires people in different cultures use many different spices and herbs that they are accustomed to use. Friends, I do not want you to think that I am just now adding fish to my diet, No, I just need to add more fish and eliminate so much beef, to cut down on the infection in my body that meat 🥩 creates.

I have given some thought to eliminating meat from my diet all together but then I decided that was not something I would be happy with at this time. Adding healthier food is a lot harder than eliminating food. We got to remember that we have been eating unhealthy foods for a lifetime and we all know that habits are very hard to break.

You may be thinking (What could I eat with my fish🐟)? Well friends. I have put together a small list of some delicious side dishes.

Ratatouille with eggplant

Green beans with almonds

Roasted Cauliflower

Carrots and cabbage

Asparagus and Arugula salad

Couscous stuffed peppers

Rice Pilaf

Sugar snapped peas

Whipped sweet potatoes

These are just to name a few side dishes you may want to try, but of course, try the dishes you and your family are familiar with.

I would like to know how you make health changes in your daily diet, maybe I can incorporate some of your ideas. 

Write a comment and let me know!!

Seafood Mac & Cheese

OK FRIENDS!!  a few of you have asked me to post the way I prepare my Seafood Mac & Cheese. This is a dish my entire family enjoys. I do not make it often, but BABY! when I do it goes in a flash and usually, I have to make a lot of it in hopes of having leftovers and even that doesn't work out so well. We just keep coming back until the last bite is gone.

We used to have mac & cheese as a side dish like most Black families do, but I noticed that in many restaurants and in a lot of family's mac & cheese is the main meal.  I decided that if I do that, I could make more of it.  To keep our favorite dish interesting, I decided to incorporate more into it such as chicken and broccoli, peas and carrots and corn. The best I could have ever done was to put Crabmeat and Shrimp, in this dish. Well, the family lost their minds, they just couldn't get enough, I had to make twice as much to satisfy everyone.

I realized that the magic was in the sauce, the taste changes when you use, Gouda, Asiago, Colby jack, Velveta or/and mild Cheddar and so many other cheeses.  I also make a roux first then I stir in Half and Half instead of milk sometimes a little Heavy cream. Sometimes I mince up a little onion and all of this gives this a taste that is addictive, you just can't get enough. 

Oh, and before I forget the seasonings to use are your favorite seafood seasonings or what I use is Old Bay this goes well with Crab meat and all seafood in general. I also use salt and black pepper to taste. After I get all my ingredients together, I would preheat my oven to 350degreese and let bake for about 45 minutes until the edges begin to bubble this indicates that it is done, the cheese may get slightly brown also. remove from oven let stand for about 10 minutes, plate up and enjoy with your best garden salad or whatever side dish you like. I hope this has given you an idea as to what else you can do with Man&Cheese

SPINACH AND VIDALIA ONION DIP

 HELLO!!!!!! Friends: Recently I attend a Meet and Greet. I was undecided as to what I should bring, everyone was bring something, I thought to bring some BBQ chicken or some Buffalo Wings.  I soon decided against that because, it was hot, and no one wants to eat sticky food when the weather is hot. Then I thought to make a nice garden salad, but I thought, there would be plenty of garden salads, then I had an ah ha! moment and decided on a Spinach Onion DIP and serve it with cucumbers, radishes and sweet peppers:

I was so pleased at the way it came out and that the colors were perfect and Summery.  I knew that everyone would love to munch on this refreshing and satisfying appetizer. This Dip was such a hit that I want to share it.  The recipe is so simple especially if you have a food processor it only takes about 20 minutes.  You can prepare it a day or two ahead, giving the seasoning time to incorporate throughout the dish.

Baby Spinach

sour Cream

Vidalia Onions

Chives

Sweet peppers

Cucumbers

Radishes

Black pepper

minced carrots

To give this dip, extra flavor you can incorporate a vegetable soup mix, this is optional. All you have to do is chop up your onions and spinach.  For a smooth consistency I sauteed my spinach and onions until soft. I used the sweet peppers, radishes and cucumbers to dip instead of chips.

I promise everyone will be pleased with this light, healthy summer dish. Make this Dip for your family or just for yourself, no occasion necessary, just relax and enjoy!!

GRILLED RAINBOW TROUT

 Well, tis the season for grilling......The weather is warm and the idea of enjoying your meals outside is high on the menu. During the past three years eating At Home, has been encouraged, so for those of you who have a home, an apartment with a terrace or a back yard, this Blog is for you. Fish, chicken, shrimp, pork and vegetables are great dinner entrées. For those of you who happen to be in an apartment without those things but still enjoy grilling do not be afraid to take it to the park, beach or in front your building, grilling is good no matter where you do it (That sounds a lot like Sex)!

What I usually do when at the grocery store, I focus on some wonderful seasonings such as, Garlic and Herbs, Steak seasonings. Adobo, Old Bay, liquid smoke etc.  I also like to roast potatoes along with the fish along with zucchini, green and yellow, eggplant, squash, the list is long its whatever you like.

Don't forget to pick up a couple of lemons and maybe some garlic bread. Grilled fish is a wonderfully light summers dinner to prepare outside. In other words, you know what you and your family like so go ahead and season your fish and other grill items with your favorite spices.  There are so many seasonings to choose from I just named a few.  Take your time in the market and look around, don't be afraid to try different things just be sure to read the labels and I assure you that you will be surprised at how you can make you food taste like five-star restaurant meals.

This is a very easy meal if you wanted to enjoy with friends or just with family if you don't mind spending more for good fresh fish, pork, chicken or beef and having a few good selections, then I would suggest checking out Wegman's market. Wegman's has a large variety of just about everything, I am sure you will be happy with whatever you purchase there.

The grilled fish below was prepared with grilled Zucchini and fresh corn salad which makes a great side dish.  I prepared the corn dish with diced onions, diced green/red the peppers, parsley little garlic powder and some mint leaves as garnish.  As I said before if you are looking for an easy dish, grilled fish is the way to go!

  

So, friends go ahead and have yourself a wonderful 2022 Summer "AT HOME" !!!

Karen's Beef & Chicken Stir Fry

 Times are harder than usual in 2022, than it's been in the past years.  The Covid Virus is still with us. We are still wearing mask to protect ourselves from Covid. People are staying away from crowds. Cooking at home has become more popular in the last three years than ever before. Thomas and I have been doing more cooking at home these days and loving it.  We usually enjoy Chinese food at least once a week, so I decided to put my culinary skills to use and make my own Chinese beef and chicken creation stir fry. This dish is not the usual, but it Works.

I like to cook quick and easy especially in this 97-degree weather. So, how I planned this meal was to use all the ingredients I usually keep in my refrigerator.  It just so happened I had some ready to eat Beef steak and rotisserie chicken. This ready to eat seasoned meat is the best thing since sliced Bread, there are so many meals you can prepare in a short period of time.

I used a wok to cook my stir fry in because the pan needed to be very very hot, then I julienned my onions and green peppers put them in the hot wok and sauteed them until soft.  While that was cooking, I

had water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The good thing about this dish is that the meat is already sliced, seasoned and cooked so you can be ready to eat in no time. One of the ingredients I used was a stir fry seasoning pack along with a tablespoon or two of Thai chili sauce and Chinese 5 seasoning and low sodium soy sauce.

Things are looking good so far.
The sauce is in, and it is thickening then Whal La!!!

LETS EAT!!!!!!!!!!

IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!

SALMON CAKES WITH A SPIN

ONCE UPON a cold Spring Day in April, Thomas and I were at a loss for what we wanted for lunch. We had beans last week and they are always good in cold weather. We really felt like we had eaten everything and all else was boring, so Thomas got up and went to the pantry closet in our kitchen and found a can of 

Alaskan Salamon, NOW MIND YOU! I thought I taught this man all he knew about cooking. So, I thought Salmon was a great choice, BUT! I would be the one cooking. To my surprise....
Thomas went ahead and started practicing all that I had taught him, (and then some) so he made this mixture of the following:

• potato

• 2 eggs

• salt/pepper

• Dijon mustard

• mayo

• onion powder

• garlic powder

• obey seasoning and PARMESAN Cheese (Why didn't I think of that)????????

   Thomas mixed all of his ingredients and using a small cookie dough scoop to make sure all of the cakes were the same size and portion

The salmon fried up golden brown, they were crunchy on the outside and

soft on the inside.  The Grated Parmesan Cheese made all the difference.  The taste was wonderful the salmon cakes were not too salty and not over seasoned just the right amount of everything. They were the best I ever had. Needless to say, I was so very proud my man who is a Jack of all trades...... a wise woman said to me that even the teacher can be taught!