...excite your taste buds...

So many excellent cooks have contributed to this tasty dish. Thank you Kate and Mac!! The size of asparagus varies by season and location. This works well with green and white ones and you cannot miss the flavor this brings out from these delicate spears.


1 Hand full bunch of asparagus, thin or thick, your preference


This part can be any combination of your choice and degree of flavor as it is very flexible.


Extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan Pink Salt
White pepper, course ground
juice of one Lemon
Garlic powder, course chop fresh or pressed
Mix and brush on asparagus. Set aside for 10 min or longer is fine.

These look very large, but I am using my counter top convection oven for just the two of us. I always parchment line the pan my oven came with as it easily can be tossed when done and reduces cleanup. Some BBQ at this point, but with all the fire restrictions with this drought in Texas I am using this method. If you are lucky, BBQ them by all means!!


Set in a preheated broil setting for about 5 minutes, rolling them after 2. If thick ones are used you may have to add up to 2 minutes. I noticed in my oven and these thick ones I added the 2 minutes and still had a nice crisp outside and delicious inside.


We served this with basmati rice and small chicken in garlic pan fried.

Cut up three pieces of thigh boneless, skinless chicken. Drench with remaining asparagus marinade. Heat skillet set on medium high with a little olive oil. When hot, toss in chicken, allow to brown a bit before turning. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes depending upon your heat and allow for browning.

Serve hot, to do this start with the rice and when that is done then do the chicken and lastly the asparagus. Spring treat for the hungry two of you.

...now for something Apples, Cinnamon and Texas Pecans

Last night...we were BAD! I knew we were designating ourselves into an evening of ...I want something but I don't know what!
Surely you have had those evenings when you've had a light supper or no supper at all and weakening to your evil side...something sweet. Well, in a mild effort to stay away from dairy this late into the evening I found apples. You know the ones you had all the intention of eating one a day...but they never find themselves in your bag to take to work...I forgot them.

8 very small apples, peeled and cored, sliced
3 pats, unsalted sweet butter

So, with a bag of the forgotten apples I started peeling them...eight very small ones, smaller than my fist. Cut in half and cored. Sliced roughly, imperfectly old apples.
Melt three pats of butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat and toss the apple slices in. Stir till all coated with the melted butter. You should smell warm butter and apples. Let them cook, allow the butter to brown them a little is fine.

Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup packed dark brown Cane Sugar.
Stir in well to blend.

Take a hand full of  Texas pecan halves and roughly chop them, uneven is fine. They give nice texture and flavor, you don't want pecan meal.

Add the pecans to the apples and stir coating the pecans and mixing very well. Do not worry if the apples become dark brown, if you use a cast iron skillet this is normal for fruit and certain vegetables to react with the pan. During cooking the apples will sweat the moisture out and mingle with everything in the pan and release as steam, evaporate, so you can turn the heat off once the apples are softened or firm to your liking and should be a syrupy pecan and apple mixture. About 20 minutes medium heat cooking time total.

Now that we satisfied part of our thoughts...grab a fork!? No, not yet. I didn't mention something, something most people find difficult and avoid....crepes. I have heard many people say they love pancakes and make them all the time...so crepes are the SAME! The more times you make them the better you will become as it will be as easy a boiling an egg. I had to learn myself, and sometimes I have been rusty, but it comes back after I pour a few, it always does.

Crepes:

2 eggs, wisked in a bowl

1/2 milk, evaporated or 2%

1/2 cup flour, all purpose, no need to get fancy or crazy

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure cane sugar (omit if making savory crepes)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all in order given. Set aside.

Pan:

This is the part that takes practice. If you use different pans, you won't maintain the memory of the experience and the relationship of the heat and all that cooking joy of making crepes. So, you need to choose a pan you will dedicate in using for crepes. It should be a smooth surface pan, it is sometimes called a omelet pan. You need it to be a thin skillet style with a long handle. Comfortable to hold with one hand, I use my left, not a heavy pan or a hateful pan. Happy pans only and a good wide spatula that you love. Use loving tools transfers the cooks joy and love to the method of crepes. Stop eating pancakes and crepes in restaurants because you can do better! Trust me. 

Use a front large burner, electric or gas, just use the front one. Place the pan handle to your left. I am a weakest with my left arm and this works. What ever you have been taught, disregard and use these steps:

1. Place cold pan on burner. Brush or spray a extra virgin olive oil bottom and sides of pan. Set heat to medium high to start. Place your hand above the pan center about two inches. Feel the heat of the pan. If you can count to five, and notice the heat to hot for your hand to remain, it's ready.
2. Add a thin pat of unsalted sweet butter. It should move and melt quickly. Your pan is too hot if it spatters or smokes and you must remove it from the heat to cool for a moment before continuing.
3. Give your batter a whisk and with a ladle full pour quickly in the center of the hot pan and free your hand of the ladle.
4. Left hand grab the pan handle, lift from burner and tilt the pan. Lowering, nearest to your left side of your body, and lifting the pan edge furthest away from your body. Then watch the batter in the pan. The batters action will be starting in the center like a pancake round, fluid batter will move with your actions of the pan. It will flow to 9:00 o'clock, travel to 6:00 o'clock and 3:00 o'clock flowing in the pan with your tilting till it returns to a round puddle back at 9:00 o'clock, counter-clock-wise.
5. Set the pan back on the burner so it can cook. It will remain thin and pale.
6. As soon as the edges become a brown and the center of the batter has a skin or firms, about 2 minutes. It will be ready to flip, don't use the bubble method, that will over cook crepes.
7. First shake the pan to make sure it is loose to flip. If it isn't loose, pry with spatula around the edges first before trying to flip over. Flip and return to heat for another 2 minutes.

The appearance is secondary, lacy patterns of golden or dark brown. After the 2 minutes tip onto awaiting plate lined with wax paper.

Before second one, test again and repeat with a little less butter only if necessary. No more oil and very little butter if any for the second one. Over use of butter will not allow the batter to roll and move in the counter-clock pattern and causes spidery legs to form as you tilt. Batter should be allowed to heat stick as it is tilted.

Large and small ones may happen to form as you use up the batter and your heat varies. More patterns will happen depending on the timing of the flips and sometimes things happen like thicker ones and thinner ones. I get 7-8 crepes per batch. Plenty for a midnight snack or quick crepe for holding left overs. Leftover crepes never happen, we eat them all up every time.

My, my, MY!! 

~ ~ ~ The smile that crepes brings! ~ ~ ~

Jam smeared and then rolled the easiest

Chicken salad or tuna smeared and rolled with a drizzle of dressing, exciting

Sliced fresh bananas, sprinkled with brown sugar and rolled for an adventure

Blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream and rolled for a crowd

Peaches and granola and cream and rolled for breakfast coziness

Chinese leftovers and rolled for something different

Apples, cinnamon placed inside and rolled, sprinkled with a teaspoon of powdered sugar!

Your imagination is endless as your fun in making crepes expands in each time you make some.

~ ~ ~ Now make some your self! ~ ~ ~

Finger potatoes, veggies, bison

Place only as much finger potatoes that fill the bottom of a small pan. Fill with water till just covered and cook on medium high heat. 

For as much as two people would eat clean and snap asparagus into pan with 1 inch of water. Include some branches of broccoli and set on medium high heat. When boiling set lid on pan and allow to steam for about 10 minutes or until spears pierced with fork tines are still crisp. Turn heat off, drain saving liquid and add a small pat of butter, return lid to pan and set aside.

Mix 1 pound of ground bison with fresh mushrooms, an egg and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Form into four patties. Place in cast iron skillet on medium heat till brown about 4 minutes per side just to brown well. Remove from heat. Add a handful of mushrooms and a pat of butter and cook on medium heat. Return meat to pan and add the drained veggy liquid and add enough stock to equal about 1 cup liquid total. Let simmer and reduce to very low.

Meat and mushrooms should look like this now.

Done! Using the assorted finger potatoes makes for a colorful dinner. Enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day.

Bison 30 Minute Meal

Stove Top Cooking time 30 minutes

Preparation time 10 minutes

Serves 4

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·                  Cast Iron Skillet

·                  Two small pans with lids

·                  1/3 Cup dry measurer

·                  Wooden or bamboo cooking spatula

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1.                2/3 Cup Organic White Rice, Long Grain

2.                1-1/3 Cup Water, to cook rice in

3.                2 Tablespoons Better Than Bullion Mushroom Base

4.                1 block, Ground Bison, 1 Pound

5.                2 teaspoons each of Thyme, Nutmeg, Coriander, Cumin

6.                1/3 Cup water

7.                2 Cups Organic Mixed Vegetables, frozen

It quick, easy… and did I mention that it’s quick.

Measure rice and water into pan without lid on stove, on high heat to come to a boil.

When it comes to a boil, turn to lowest heat and place lid on pan only after the boil subsides to almost no bubbles. Place lid on rice pan and set timer to 30 minutes. Meanwhile…

In cast iron skillet, set heat to medium high. 

Place the mushroom base in pan to melt. Place bison in pan and break up with bamboo cooking spatula. 

Cook while breaking up bison into small pieces. 

When pink is only 50%, add herbs 

and continue cooking till bison is no longer pink, turn off heat.

 If using cast iron skillet the remaining heat in the pan will keep the meat warm. 

Bison doesn’t take as long to cook as beef, so watch for over cooking. Meanwhile…

In small pan, place about 1/3 cup of water to boil. Place frozen vegetables in pan and reduce heat to low.

 Place lid on pan. This should only cook for 5 minutes. When done, turn off heat, only a little liquid should remain, do not drain and return lid to pan.  Meanwhile…

Set the table, ice in water glasses, cheerful placemats, pleasant napkins, every day utensils and a nice candle or flower on the table. It is all about presentation, no matter what your occasion or simple meal, no matter if it is just for yourself or family.  Respect the fact you took care and time to feed a healthy meal. Breath in the aroma of the ingredients filling your home. Be aware of your senses. Check to see if you are calm or excited about the meal, guests or ready to listen to what your family did that day. Plan uplifting those on the dinner table with good news, good thoughts and be happy you are all together…thankfulness.

DING! Timer goes off, turn off all the heat elements on stove. Place rice in bowls, ladle bison in center of rice, place vegetables and any remaining liquid along outside of rice. 

Garnish with chili pepper sauce or leave plain.  Begin a little bit of joyful time nourishing your body…you deserve it! <3 <3 <3

Ratatouille

Oven temperature 350

Baking time 30 minutes

Preparation time 30 minutes

Serves 6

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• sharp knife
• cast iron dutch oven
• Hint: Use small vegetables as the flavor will be better. If you do use the medium or large vegetables it will double the amount that I used here and you will need to add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time...and quite possibly need a second pot to cook it all in!

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1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2. 1 Sweet Onion, diced
3. 2 Cans drained, diced organic tomatoes
4. 1 each red, yellow and orange sweet bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thin
5. 1 eggplant, sliced 1/4" thin (you may easily replace with a turnip, sliced 1/4" thin, works equally well)
6. 1 zucchini, sliced 1/4" thin
7. 1 yellow squash, sliced 1/4" thin
8. 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of dill, thyme, parsley and crushed rosemary
10. Sea Salt
11. Black or white pepper

It is more about assembly, the beauty of alternating rounds of each of the vegetables.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in dutch oven pan. 

Toss tomatoes and garlic together and place in bottom.

Place the diced sweet onion next, spreading evenly on top.

Start placing alternate remaining vegetable rounds on top.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil, herbs, salt and pepper all over and between groups of the vegetables. Sprinkle a little more over all the tops.

I like to group and bunch up some of the vegetables for the donut hole center of the ring of vegetables.

Place lid on dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve along with your choice rice, potatoes and savory meat.

We like it served on garlic mashed potatoes and some grilled Texas Mesquite sausage.

Texas NASCAR RACE Dinner in less than 30 minutes

• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Large Ceramic Bowl
• Pasta Pot
• Small Bowl

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1. 1 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
2. 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
3. ½ large sweet onion, trimmed, chopped into ½ inch pieces
4. 1 large lemon, seeded, squeezed, should yield about ¼ cup juice or more
5. ½ teaspoon each dill and thyme
6. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
7. 2 cups orzo
8. 1 skinless chicken breast, sliced against the grain, then diced into 1 inch pieces
9. 1 cup diced ripe tomatoes, roma or heirloom is nice, canned works too!
10. 1 cup mushrooms, button is nice or your favorite, sliced
11. 1 cup olives, black, rinsed and drained
12. 1 cup cheese, pecorino Romano, grated on small grate
13. Extra virgin olive oil
14. Unsalted butter

You will need two pans, large stock pan for pasta, cast iron dutch oven and lid and a large and a medium size ceramic bowls for mixing during prep.

In large bowl, toss in cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil, add dill and thyme, ½ the lemon juice and toss very well and set aside.

In small bowl, toss in diced chicken and ½ the lemon juice, toss very well and set aside.

Start to boil a large pot of water for the pasta on high heat. Meanwhile…

Using another burner, set the dutch oven heat to med to high with a little olive oil, stir fry the cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion for 5 min. Final stir add garlic and set lid on pot and turn heat to low. Meanwhile…

Back to the large pasta pot which should be boiling hot and stir in the orzo, cook stirring occasionally for 11 minutes. Meanwhile…

Remove the vegetables from the dutch oven back to the large ceramic bowl and place the lid on the bowl to keep this warm. Meanwhile…

Toss the chicken into the dutch oven and return the heat to medium high. Stir fry for 5 minutes till just turning pink, add the tomatoes, mushroom and olives. Return the lid to the dutch oven pan and set to low. Meanwhile…

Pasta should be done, place in colander to drain but don’t rinse. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the still hot pasta pot. Stir till butter melted and stir in the cheese.

Ladle the pasta into large bowls, align veggies and chicken first and then pasta, garnish with a little more cheese over all. 
♥♥♥

Snicker Doodles

Oven temperature 400

Baking time 10 minutes
Makes about 65 cookies

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• wooden spoon
• large ceramic bowl, small mixing bowl, small plastic container with lid
• measuring spoons
• dry measuring cups
• parchment paper to fit cookie sheet, additional paper to wrap left over dough with
• cookie sheet
• zip lock freezer bag, gallon size

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1. 1 Cup Unsalted Sweet Butter, room temperature
2. 1-1/2 Cups, pure cane sugar extra fine
3. 2 whole eggs
4. 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
5. 3 Cups Barley flour or All Purpose flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
7. 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8. Cardamom powder
9. Cinnamon powder
10. 5 tablespoons Wholesome Evaporated Organic Cane Juice Sugar, course size (Costco, Central Market HEB)

In large ceramic bowl, with wooden spoon, mash up the butter, add eggs and vanilla, mix in the pure cane sugar slowly, mixing very well and set aside.

In small bowl, measure dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and mix well with clean dry hands and set aside.

With large ceramic bowl, stir slowly adding the mixed dry ingredients of the small bowl. Mix completely each time before adding more dry ingredients and set aside.

Using small plastic container with lid, mix the 5 tablespoons Organic Cane Juice Sugar with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon, mix well and set aside.

With Anise spoon or large tablespoon, carve out some dough and roll between your palms the dough. This should be the size of a large walnut, make 13.

Drop into sugar/cinnamon coating all over once. Place equal distance on parchment covered cookie sheet. Place into 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove cookies and parchment sheet directly onto cold counter to cool. Crispy outer edge cookies, medium soft firm centers.

Left over dough: Cut off enough parchment paper to hold left over dough in. Shaping into rectangle log, folding paper to hold and place it all into zip lock bag and store in refrigerator. Will make 6 batches of 13 cookies each and can store up to 1 week unbaked.