Puppy Cow Mix

I can't believe I have never heard of this tasty treat. I did some looking up and it appears it was a popular party dish back in the 80's. Some how I missed this one or one like it. It has peanut butter and jelly in it so I know I would have remembered it. I found this version over on http://picky-palate.com/ on her June 21 2010 blog date and just had to try it. Go to her site for the recipe and some great pictures on the construction of this tasty snack. If you are a peanut butter and jelly fan this is made for you. Licking my finger as I type and I am going to be in trouble getting powered sugar on the keys. LOL.

Friday tomato update and Spam sandwich

White Wonder

Black Sea Man

Black Krim

Black and Red Boar

Been out of town and the tomatoes have been growing and needing a lot of water. We have not had a good rain and we could use one. A few spot showers are not like a good soak. Now we do not need ones that cause floods. I don't think I can remember when I have heard about so many floods and tornadoes. Maybe its just that we have more news outlets. But back to the tomatoes. We are still getting a few from the farmers market and they are good. We are bad as we both like spam. Now we know that is probably not a good food choice but we don't eat it every day ans we like it better than bacon for a tomato sandwich. We slice it thin and fry it and pair it with a tomato with Greek or Creole seasonings we also had some of the cilantro and lime mayo that gave it a kick.

Porcupine Chilie Rellenos

Warning do not try this in the summer. If we ever do this again it will be when it is 40 or below outside. Did we ever tell you we love Mexican food, especially a good Chile rellenos. We have been toying with the idea of trying to make our own. We were walking by the beautiful produce at our local Kroger (wife is always looking for a subject to paint and I have to cook it before she gets it.) And there it was a mound of big pablono peppers. They were calling just like a siren... Will turn me into a Chile relleno; so I did. Next to find out how to cook one. We read several recipes and one suggested that we use tempura for the batter, and we did cheat and use a can enchilada sauce.

Ok now comes the fun part.

Two pablano peppers

cheese (we used Colby jack and mozzarella)

you can use any stuffing you like. Some have just use cheese. but we used shrimp and onion (saute the shrimp and onion a little first.)

some suggestions are mushrooms and corn

chopped cilantro as much as you like

1/2 lime

oil

toothpicks....lots

Now lets go fire up the range. we have a gas stove so we did this using one of the top eyes. But you can also do this in the broiler. Brush peppers lightly with oil and place on the stove to char the outside. In oven broil and tun till all sides are black. (this is why you do it in the winter.)

Once they are black all over pop them in a plastic bag. When cool peel the outer skin off. Messy, messy wife did not like that job. Nor the next one where you make a slit and scoop out the inside seeds and membranes. You have to be real careful as the slits on ours kept getting bigger.

Next stuff the peppers again be careful they split open real easy.

Did I say they split open real easy well we had to go hunt up a bunch of tooth picks to hold the pepper together. Now they look like a porcupine.

Prepare the tempura batter according to directions.

Dip pepper in and then place in hot oil. Cook till batter is golden brown. Remove and place in baking dish and pour over enchilada sauce and place some more cheese on top.

Now pop in a pre heated 350 oven and. Did we say hot the temps have been in the high 90 with heat index of over 100 do not do this in the summer!!!!!!

Cook till bubbling and cheese is melted. let stand 5 minutes till eating. Hot. put a sprinkle of cilantro and lime juice over pepper.

We also cooked some shrimp in the tempura batter and had a side of Spanish rice and some flour tortillas we cut up and baked. This was good but one of the most difficult recipes we have tried. I think I'll go to our fav. Mex restaurant for this dish in the summer for sure.

Friday Tomato Update

White Wonder

Black and Red Boar

Black Sea Man

Black Krim

Our little tomatoes are coming along and here they are. Just a little information on them They are called Black and Red Boar, Black Krim, Black Sea Man and White Wonder. The info I found on them is the Black Krim comes from Crimean Peninsula , Black Sea Man is from Russia, Black and red Boar from CA. White wonder from Canada. The White Wonder is supposed to be a white cream color(I don't know how I feel about eating a white tomato but if it taste good that is all that matters, I will just close my eyes when I eat it. ) The Black Sea Man is supposed to be a brownish pink fruit. Black Krim a black brown color and Black and Red Boar Silvery green with red striping bi colored fruit. 3-5 ounces with deep chocolate/maroon flesh. You can see the stripes on it now. I know the wife is going to want to paint these tomatoes.

If you want to know anything about tomatoes give Tatiana site a look. http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Main_Page

Sweet Corn

Stopped by the farmers market on a Thursday before heading home about two weeks ago to pick up some tomatoes. I know we have some growing but I have a craving for a nice juicy one now and picked up some bio colored sweet corn. Ever since we have fixed the mex corn in a few past post we just can't get enough so we thought we would put up a few ears. I doubt they will last as we most likely have them cooked before fall. So I guess we will be putting more up.

If not shucked take leaves off and use kitchen food brush to get all little strings (silk)off. Place in boiling water for 4 to 6 minute then place in ice water for same amount of time. drain and place in plastic bag. Now I know you are saying why didn't you cut it off the cob??? It takes up so much room in the freezer. Well we don't plan for it to be there that long and its not like it was a whole bushel.

interview with bloginterviewer.com

Spooky Boo in the sun

I just did some kind of interview with a guy named Mike about my blog at http://bloginterviewer.com/food/wills-kitchen-will-roy-martin. click on the link to see.

I have no idea how he found out about my blog or who pointed him in my direction. I guess its about people who use blogs to advertise on and I have not gone there. I must say since I put up the site meter just to see if any one was coming by I am amazed at the hits I get and from all over the world. Who would have thought a old country boy in Mississippi would be getting so much action. I did notice most people find my blog by looking for Chicken and Broccoli pasta. I will have to make that dish again and take a better picture as I made a mistake on that one and left out the milk or cream. This was discovered when some one made this recipe and asked why mine looked so dry. LOL

Meanwhile till wife can get my pictures ready for the web enjoy one of the cats.

Friday Tomato Up date

Our tomatoes are growing so fast and we have some babies on each plant now.

It has been so hot and I've been out of town so we are not cookings wife is eating a lot of sandwiches. I had to break down and get some farmers market tomatoes till ours start comming in and we got some good ones and we fixed a big batch of tuna fish saled to go with them.

Beef and Artichoke Pita Sandwiches

I guess we missed the Greek Festival in Jackson this year. Being out of town most of the week and living in the boonies we miss what is going on around Jackson sometimes. We really hate it because we get some good food there and bring home some of the pastries and a few other things. So we made our favorite sandwich Greek style. Wife has this cookbook she got from Krinos and it has several good recipes and this is one we have fixed a lot over the years. By the way Krinos has the best pepperoncini.

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion sliced thinly

1 green bell pepper sliced thinly

1 lb sirloin steak sliced thinly

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tomato chopped (we did use a can, can't wait till ours star coming in.)

2 jars marinated artichokes

salt and pepper to taste and we sprinkle some Greek seasonings

pita bread

feta cheese

In a skillet heat oil and saute onion and pepper til tender, Add steak and sprinkle oregano stir and cook then add tomato and artichokes long enough to heat. Season with salt and pepper and Greek seasonings. (We use the Greek seasonings Cavenders)

Warm pita bread and fill with meat mixture add feta on top and have a pepper on the side.

Tomato gravy and plants are growing

Tomato Gravy yum yum. This is one of the recipes I had a lot growing up and one of my favorite comfort foods. Nothing like a hot buttered biscuit with this gravy or any thing really on a hot buttered biscuit. I used can tomatoes but I just couldn't wait for my home grown to come in. Speaking of home grown here is a picture of them and they are really growing. This is my Friday up date on the plants.

In a large skillet a cast iron if possible.

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoon of veg oil

(like making a roux)

1 can 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes of your choice undrained (there are all kinds of flavors now)

salt and pepper to taste

about a cup of cold water

heat oil in skillet and add flour stirring till turns a brown color like a copper penny

add can of tomatoes stirring well (hand crush some if you wish)

Stir in half a cup in water and bring to a boil

Add water as needed to the constancy you like. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes. If to thick you can add more water. Place on the biscuit.

Pork ribs in crock pot

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day. I have been under the weather or about to drive myself and everyone else crazy acting like an ol' dog with fleas. I also look like a cooked lobster. Come to find out my blood pressure meds and the sun don't mix. So for the last two weeks I have scratched and thought I'd have to be put down. Imagine how your mosquito bites feel and think all over your body even my lips and ears and you get the picture, not pretty. So with that said I did not cook outside but looked up a recipe to use the pork ribs in the crock pot. I must say it was real tasty and the sauce would be good with some chicken legs we may try that next time.

We also fixed the Corn on the cob and even though my lips were burning it was good.

You can find the recipe for the corn under April 30. I don't think I'll eat corn any other way now.

Again thanks to Recipe Zaar and George Kinzy for this one. (the name may change to Food .com (so boring) but it will always be the Zarr to me. This also makes a lot of sauce so we did put over rice.

5 lbs country style ribs

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup bell pepper

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1 cup barbecue sauce (we use Sweet Baby Rays) yum yum they have some good sauce.

1 cup water

3 Tablespoons dark cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt]1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

we also added some red pepper flakes for some kick add to taste if you want to.

We did boil the ribs for 30 minutes to decrease the fat.

Mix all ingredients together very well.

put pork in crock pot adding sauce to cover

cook on high for 5 hours.

This starting smelling the house up in about 3 hours it was hard to wait the 5.

Asparagus and Ham roll ups

My wife made this for me before we were married and it may be the first time I remember really eating asparagus. I grew up in the country and if we didn't grow it we didn't eat it.

Glad my views have changed as I love asparagus and a whole lot of other foods now. I just read an article on how our taste has changed and I know I can eat more spicy and hot stuff (thanks to wife) than I did 20 years ago. Any way this is a really easy and impressive dish.

She can't remember where she got the recipe and she tore the house up looking for it but it was easy to remember. You can make as many or as few as you want. We used the last of the lasagna noodles we had from the lasagna the other night.

Lasagna noodles cooked to directions on pkg

heat oven to 350.

sliced deli ham

asparagus steamed or cooked till tender about 3 to 4 per role

Swiss cheese slices.

We also had some ricotta cheese we used but its not necessary.

hollandaise sauce.

salt and pepper to taste

Take one noodle and smooth layer of ricotta cheese place slice of swiss cheese, ham slices and 3 to 4 spears of asparagus role up and place in baking dish. seam side down.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes covered.

Cook hollandise sauce. We cheated and used Knorr pkg mix.

Place roll up on dish and pour sauce over and serve.

Some of our babies showing off

Spooky Boo

Wolfie

Stink and Ms P in the sink (his head is twice her size)

Frostys cat scan

Just thought I would put up a picture or two of some of our babies. Stinker is our biggest cat with huge paws and at times has a ridge on his back where the hair seems to stand up. Frosty is who we call our puddle puddy as he just melt in your lap and he is a big ol' boy also. Our second largest to Stink. Sambo is our cat that does a forward role all the time (if we could only get him to do it for stupid cat tricks.) We had to rescue them and bottle feed them when little so that is why we think they are so big. And of course the Smittens, Spooky Boo and Wolfie have the longest and bushiest tail we have ever see.

Mona's Strawberry Salad

This will be a blast from the past for some folks as this is one of my mother in laws recipes that was going around in the 70's and 80's. Almost every family had one of these jello salads in their family gatherings. If you look on one of earlier post a few back you will see this on a picture of a holiday dinner back in the 1980's taken at my mother in laws home. (close up picture to be added later)
2 small pkg of strawberry jello 3oz.
2 pkg of frozen strawberries 10 oz. drained
1 large can crushed pineapple 1 lb 4oz. undrained
3 mashed bananas
1cup chopped nuts
1 pt sour cream
1 cup boiling water

In bowl mash bananas add pineapple,pecans, thawed strawberries.
mix boiling water with jello till dissolved.
Add to together and stir till blended. Pour half in a 8x12 pan and chill.
Keep remaining mixture at room temp. After layer is chilled add pt of sour cream and then pour remaining jello mixture over top and jell. Serve with cool whip or shipped cream or plain. Looks good on a lettuce leaf for eye color.

Lasagna

This is our first time to make a Lasagna. And of course we did tweak it a bit.But it turned out ok not great but quick and easy compared to more involved ones.

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic minced

2 Tablespoons oil

1 lb ground beef (this is a tweak.... we added a link of Italian sausage, casing removed)

2 caned stewed tomatoes 14 oz (we used diced tomatoes)

1can tomato paste 6oz

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper(tweak we also added 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and mushrooms)1 cups cottage cheese 1 cup ricotta cheese (combine these two together)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese divided

1/4 cup fresh parsley

8 oz wide lasagna noodles1 cup mozzarella cheese

Cook and stir onions and garlic in oil till soft push to one side and add beef and sausage.

Drain if needed.

Add tomatoes with juice and tomato paste,basil,oregano,sugar,pepper,red pepper, mushrooms. Simmer 30 minutes.

Combine cottage and ricotta cheese with parsley and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Cook noodles according to package.

Heat oven to 350

Place thin layer of meat sauce in bottom of 13x9x2 baking dish.

Add half of noodles half of cottage cheese mixture sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup of mozzarella then thin layer of sauce.

Repeat noodle and cheese layers, top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.bake 45 minutes.

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Poached eggs

I guess most foodies have watched the Julie and Julia movie. We loved it.We happened to catch a show with Julia Child poaching eggs. I don't know what happened to me but I have become obsessed with a poached egg. This is something I have not done before so I tried several ways. Shallow pan, vinegar, in a ring (don't use a mason jar top the little grooves keeps the egg from coming out looking pretty.) So after several weekends I think I can do a pretty good poached egg. So go out there and give it a try. Here are some I did over the weekend.