Garden of Eatin'

An oddball of a food item, but tasty none the less. I’d forgotten about this one…must make it soon then go running for 3 hours to work off the calories :lol I do not remember where I found this at, I checked all recipes and food network, so if you know the source, let me know!

French Toast Sandwiches

8 slices bacon
4 large eggs, beaten
1/4 milk
1/4 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
8 slices thick cut bread
1/2 cup brown mustard
1/2 lb sliced Havarti cheese
1 lb each sliced ham and turkey breast
1-1/2 cups maple syrup

Heat griddle/pan over medium high heat. Cook bacon, drain on paper towels. Drain fat off griddle, return to medium high heat. Make sandwiches in two batches.

Beat eggs with milk,  nutmeg and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp butter on griddle. Coat 4 sliced bread with egg mixture and place on griddle. Turn once bottom is brown, 2-3 minutes. Spread mustard on 2 slices, then add 2 slices cheese and bacon. Add ham and turkey then top with the additional slice of bread. Press gentle to “set”. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut finished sandwiches in half crosswise.

Heat syrup in microwave safe container for 30 seconds then either drizzle over sandwiches to eat with a fork/knife or pour into ramekins or other small cups to dip sandwiches in.

This was stupid-simple and ended up so good. We buy Pace Picante sauce by the half-gallon since I ran out of homemade from the garden and it worked perfectly. Found at allrecipes.com

Spanish Rice

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.

Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.

Yum is all I can say. Burritos made with these, the pico de gallo from yesterday’s recipe, and the rice I’ll post tomorrow are awesome. From allrecipes.com of course, I cooked ours for about 16 hours.

Homemade Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

I found a recipe for Fish Tacos and YUM. I got hooked on them at Taco Del Mar, but at over $2 a taco, I can’t justify (or afford) them…. This one is better! Much better! This was modified a bit from the allrecipes.com version, took out the migraine inducing yogurt and modified the seasoning amounts some, plus I added a pico de gallo recipe, it has to have it! Even the KIDS liked it. UPDATE: As an alternate to the homemade fish, I’ve used frozen premade beer battered fish fillets. Homemade tastes better, but sometimes time is limited!

Fish Tacos

White Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Pico de gallo
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
salt and pepper to taste

Beer Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer

1 quart oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn (or flour) tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

At least an hour in advance to let flavors combine: To make pico de gallo, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Set aside. To make white sauce, place mayo in a small bowl, gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don’t worry about a few lumps).

Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and white sauce.

These went over like a brick with the kids but I didn’t mind not having to share :lol From Tyler Florence at Food Network

Creamy Garlicky Mussels

4 pounds mussels
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Serving suggestion: crusty French bread

Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush under running water; discard any with broken shells or that remain opened when tapped. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon slices and cook until everything has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and stir to coat them with all the flavors. Add the wine, then the chicken broth; cover the pot and steam for 10 to 12 minutes until the mussels open. Remove the mussels from the pot. Take the meat out of 10 of the mussels and put them back into the pot along with the remaining butter. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquid until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the remaining mussels among the serving bowls and spoon over the sauce. Serve with plenty of crusty French bread to dip in the sauce.