Dinner with Mom - beanies with chipotle and green chiles

My Mom is a whiz with beans. She soaks them overnight and then cooks them with chipotle peppers (you can freeze these in ice cube trays and just pull them out as you need them), green chiles and ground beef (in moderation). She had some au jus (stock) she had leftover from a roast so she put that in last night's beans. They were so tender, spicy and delicious.

She came over last night with her beanies, and also brought some cut roma tomatoes. I provided cut bell pepper, jicama and bolillo rolls.

We went swimming and then ate while watching the movie "Couples Retreat" with Vince Vaughn. It is pretty silly.

The last time she visited I gave her a can of pinto beans and she made tostadas with them. She said the quality of the beans (a Food City brand) was very good and she enjoyed them a lot. So, we share beans between the generations. Hokey?

Happy eating.

Italian Beef sammie - Niro's Gyros

Sharon treated me to dinner tonight and I met her in her neck of the woods, which is close to Niro's Gyros...lucky for her. I had an Italian beef sammie that was very tasty (lean, too) and she had a gyro which she enjoyed immensely. We shared a greek salad and had hummus that she made herself. Way to go, Sharon! And some lentils too. She is a really good cook! And she gave me some pudding dessert to take home that has chocolate pudding, butterscotch pudding and natural peanut butter. It sounds like a tasty combination but I couldn't possibly manage it after our huge feast.

I would go back to Niro's for Italian beef again, but in the future when I get it to go, I will order it with the "au jus" on the side...otherwise your bread can get a bit soggy by the time you get it home.

Niro's is at 10826 S. 48th St. in Phoenix. 480-753-6476

In the spirit of full disclosure, one of the reasons I couldn't manage dessert tonight is because I had a diablito - a Mexican slushie - about an an hour and a half before I met Sharon. It had to do with errand running and trying to find a cool place to hang out for an hour - which it turned out not to be (cool that is, maybe their a/c was on the fritz) but my slushie made up for that. Go to La Reyna Michoacana on 32nd Street just a few blocks north of McDowell. They have tortas (Mexican sandwiches), popsicles and different kinds of shaved ice treats with chopped fruit.

Reyna Michoacana 2601 North 32nd Street in Phoenix.

Sorry folks, no pictures this time. Too distracted eating...

What's for dinner - going Greek

I'm having dinner tonight with my good friend Sharon. She said there is a place near her that has really good gyros. I am fond of the humble gyro. I get them near me at Z's Greek at 40th St./Indian School Road. They are really stuffed and the quality is very good. Excellent tzatziki.

Will let you know where we end up eating and post a picture.

Lamb chops and Greek salad

Greek salad is perfect on a hot summer day.

Juicy lamb chops are a rare treat.

Today for lunch I'm making two lamb chops my aunt gave me recently. She told me to sear them on both sides for 3-4 minutes each and then let them rest in the pan (covered) for 5 minutes off the heat and they will finish cooking.

She also said to sprinkle them beforehand with Italian seasoning, which I do have on hand. If you don't, you can make it yourself with marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, save, oregano and basil. I also added a little salt and pepper.

These browned nicely on each side with a little olive oil. On the side I made a Greek type salad with a half a cucumber, a roma tomato and fresh basil, with a vinaigrette dressing. In the spirit of full disclosure, the basil is frozen but it works just as well.

You can get great fresh basil at Trader Joe's or at Fresh & Easy.

The next time I make lamb chops I'm going to cook them the same way but then plunk them down in some spaghetti sauce and let them cook a few minutes, and serve with spaghetti. Mmmmmm.

Happy lunching.

Peas and Prosciutto - from Orangette blog

This came from Orangette blog, another food blog I really enjoy. http://orangette.blogspot.com/

I'm going to make it with bacon, because that's what I have on hand. I also do a simple mock version of this with canned peas and bacon and serve it with some french bread (and a glass of red wine if it's available). This is a tasty meal, even though it is so simple. You gotta try it.

Peas and Prosciutto
Adapted from Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Café, by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

The original version of this recipe calls for fresh peas, but I used frozen instead. If you choose to use frozen, I recommend buying the kind labeled “petite peas,” which tend to be smaller and sweeter. If you think of it, try to defrost them slightly before using them here. But if not, just bang the bag around on the counter to break up any big clumps.

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 spring onion or 2 scallions, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 lb. fresh or frozen peas
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About 2 ½ ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces

Melt about half of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook slowly to soften. Do not allow to brown. Add the peas, stir to combine, and then add the remaining butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the prosciutto, and stir to mix. Then turn off the heat, cover the skillet, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Taste, and season as needed.

Serve warm.

Yield: about 4 side-dish servings

Red Cabbage Soup - from thirtyaweek blog

I'm a big fan of cabbage so I'm going to make this soup. It comes from http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com, one of the food blogs I really enjoy.

I think it would be good with some rye bread and butter. I might throw in a couple of pieces of fried bacon that my Mom gifted me with today. She also made me an awesome blt on whole wheat bread.

I digress.

Make this soup, as it looks economical, and well...yummy.

Red Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

• teaspoon or more (if you like) of olive oil
• half an onion, chopped
• half a cup of white wine (or water)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup pasta shells
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

To Do:

1. Heat oil in a large pot and add the onion. Sautee until onion gets soft and translucent (about 5 minutes) and then add wine.
2. Add the cabbage and stir it around a bit. Stir in the broth and the chopped carrot. Add a little bit of salt and pepper here.
3. Bring the heat down to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes. If you want to add more broth or water, go ahead (this wasn’t a measured process).
4. Add the pasta and paprika and bring the soup to a boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
5. Taste and add salt and pepper until it tastes great. Serve.

Banana Nut Bread

This is a tasty bread. Make some for yourself tonight.

Tonight I am baking just to be in the kitchen. I didn't have a particular craving but I had bananas on hand and I like the smell of this bread as it is baking. It is very good for breakfast or as a snack with a big latte or earl grey tea and milk.

This recipe comes from the Tara Tucker Book. Tonight I made it with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon since I am out of nuts. Cinnamon always smells good baking.

Here's what you need:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar (I like Zulka moreno - find it at Food City)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used lime and it has worked well in the past)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine butter, sugar and cream. Add eggs and beat. Mix in bananas and then dry ingredients. Bake in a loaf pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. It might need extra time depending on what type of loaf pan you use.

Happy baking.