Macaroni Risotto with Peas & Bacon

Posted on March 20, 2013 by jphilo

Driving on our gravel road has been an adventure late, thanks to the ruts created by the double whammy of a winter snowstorm and the spring thaw happening at the same time. The ruts kept me out of both the bars (which I don’t frequent), and the grocery store (which I visit on a pretty regular basis.) So meals this week have been an exercise in creative substitutions. Some dishes did not receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval, but the one featured today was a rousing success.

The original recipe, Pasta Risotto with Peas and Pancetta, was published in the March 8–10, 2013 issue of USA Weekend Magazine. The recipe below is the substitute version, but you can click on the link to see the original. It was very easy to make and took less than a half hour to prepare.

Macaroni Risotto with Peas and Bacon

1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 1/4 cups frozen peas
8 ounces uncooked macaroni (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon soft butter substitute
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Brown bacon in a heavy frying pan or Dutch oven. When it is bronze and crisp, use a slotted spoon to place it on a plate lined with paper toweling. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of grease. Add peeled, quartered garlic clove to grease and cook until golden; discard garlic.

Add peas and stir for a moment, until the frozen look leaves them. Add macaroni and stir, then add the boiling water. Turn down the heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop it from sticking. If needed, add a little more boiling water.

When it’s ready, the macaroni should be soft and starchy and the water absorbed. Add the butter substitute and Parmesan* and beat until well mixed. Add the bacon and stir until mixed. Serve immediately.

*The amount of Parmesan was so small, it didn’t bother my allergies. But if you’re worried, just leave it out and let diners sprinkle cheese on individual helpings…or not!

Soup’s On!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by jphilo

Between a long, busy weekend and the tail end of a cold, there was no time to test recipes. Instead, in honor of soup weather, here are links to several favorite soup and stew recipes. Enjoy!

French Stew: This was my daughter’s favorite when she was growing up.
Cream of Broccoli Soup: This soup tastes equally good with almond milk for those of you who have dairy allergies.
Cheeseburger Chowder: Hiram and I recently tested a non-dairy version of this family favorite recipe using almond milk and non-dairy cheese shreds. It was surprisingly good.
Crock Pot Bean Soup: This recipe is easy, inexpensive, healthy, and tasty. What more could you want?
Turkey Tortilla Soup: This one’s in last place because there’s a division in the Philo ranks concerning it. I love this soup, but the Man of Steel does not. Believe me, its delish!

So what’s your favorite soup recipe? I’d love to try something new.

photo credit: stock.xchng

Greek Salad Pitas with Olive-Garlic Tapende

Posted on September 5, 2012 by jphilo

The hunt for recipes that allow us to use our weekly bag full of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetables and fruits continues. Our allotment of cucumbers is one I find difficult to use – often I leave them in my brother and sister-in-law’s fridge during Tuesday visits with Mom at his house. So when the August 17-19 issue of USA Weekend ran this recipe, I was delighted.

As usual, I messed with the recipe by adding onion, which we both like, relegating the feta cheese to stand-by status to accommodate dairy allergies, and cutting down on the amount of tomato and cucumber, (Even though I wanted to use mine up, I can only eat so much of that veggie.) So here’s my version of this yummy sandwich that is healthy, easy and delicious. Hiram and I gave this recipe 2 thumbs up. What about you?

Zesty Greek Salad Pitas with Olive-Garlic Tapende

1 small to medium cucumber, seeded and cut into chunks (about 1 cup)
1 cup of chopped tomato
4 medium radishes, cut into chunks
1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 – 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, washed
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 whole-wheat pita pockets
1/4 cup Olive-Garlic Tapenade (see recipe below)

In a medium bowl, combine all vegetables except spinach. Add olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and black pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.

In blender or food processor, combine 2 cloves garlic (I ran mine through a garlic press first), 1 cup Kalamata olives, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Process in blender or food processor until mixture is spreadable, but not completely smooth.

Spread inside of each pita pocket with a tablespoon of olive-garlic tapenade. Stuff with 3/4 cup spinach and 1/2 cup of salad mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!

Summer Veggie Stir Fry Medley

Posted on August 1, 2012 by jphilo

Summer vegetables are stacking up in the refrigerator at an alarming rate thanks to our weekly CSA share. So I’m getting ~~desperate~~ creative at coming up with new ways to ~~disguise~~ serve veggies at mealtime.

The other night, I combined a zucchini, a couple red and yellow peppers, and a bag of yellow string beans (aka: the contents of the vegetable crisper) to create a stir fry Hiram and I loved. To top it all off, I was able to use fresh herbs from my new herb garden, the contents of which are growing like weeds despite the heat.

Here’s my recipe, but don’t be afraid to substitute with vegetables and herbs threatening to overtake your refrigerator and garden!

Summer Veggie Stir Fry Medley

1 zucchini or summer squash, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
1 pound green or yellow string beans, snapped and cut into 1 inch slices
1 red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in wok or skillet on high, then turn down to medium-high. Stir fry beans for 2 minutes. Add squash. Stir fry until the outside of the squash starts to soften and then add peppers. Stir fry for 2 minutes longer and then add garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Mix well and sprinkle salt over the top. Stir fry 1 more minute and serve hot.

Cantaloupe Smoothie

Posted on July 25, 2012 by jphilo

A cantaloupe smoothie is not something I would have tried in a normal summer. But this summer’s far-from-normal heat and drought is playing havoc with our community supported agriculture (CSA) shares. This week, the heat caused all the melon fields to ripen at once, so our friendly, local farmer sent us home with three large melons…and a couple recipes for cantaloupe smoothies.

Hiram, my husband who eats almost anything, doesn’t like smoothies much. Or cantaloupe for that matter, so this recipe will never get his coveted seal of approval. I was a bit skeptical, too, but with three melons staring me in the face, what was there to lose? My first sip of the concoction was disappointing. But gradually, the flavor grew on me, and the drink was extremely refreshing on a hot, hot day. The recipe below is non-dairy, with the dairy equivalents in parentheses.

Cantaloupe Fruit Smoothie

2 large slices cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup almond milk (skim milk)
1/3 cup raspberry or orange sherbet (3 ounces yogurt)
1 tablespoon honey (if using yogurt)

Put all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes two small or one large smoothie.

Mixed Fruit Non-Dairy Smoothie

Posted on July 18, 2012 by jphilo

In the past couple months, I’ve spent a significant portion of my days in waiting rooms. Age has taught me that rather than being frustrated by the hours wasted, it’s better to read the magazines I never have time to read otherwise.

Sometimes the new mindset has positive rewards, like today’s recipe for a non-dairy fruit smoothie. It was first published in Family Circle, I think the August 2011 issue. (Obviously, that waiting room wasn’t concerned about the freshness of their reading matter.) The recipe caught my eye because it calls for sherbet rather than yogurt – a wonderful substitute for smoothie lovers who can’t do dairy. Here’s the recipe with the original ingredients in parenthesis following my substitutions.

Non-Dairy Fruit Smoothie

1 banana, sliced
1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup almond milk (3/4 cup milk)
1/2 cup pomegranate-blueberry-grape juice or some similar combination
1/2 cup raspberry sherbet (1/2 cup pineapple sherbet)

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until all ingredients are liquified. Pour and enjoy. Serves two.

Now it’s your turn to play with this basic recipe to suit your taste buds. Leave a comment about the tasty changes you’ve made.

Cucumber-Onion Salad

Posted on July 11, 2012 by jphilo

This summer, the weather’s been hot, hot, hot and dry, dry, dry. But that hasn’t affected the number of cucumbers and onions finding their way into our CSA share each week. So I’ve been using my favorite cucumber salad, passed down from Grandma to Mom to me and my siblings, quite a bit lately.

The recipe’s been around much longer than my recipe criteria have been, but it meets all of them. It is easy, healthy, inexpensive, non-dairy, and it keeps well. In fact, this salad gets better and better for several days after it’s made. I try to make it at least 8 hours before serving so the flavors can meld and the vinegar has time to pickle the vegetables a little.

Cucumber-Onion Salad

1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced into thin rings*
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Place vegetables in a small serving bowl. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, mix vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well and pour over vegetables so they are completely covered with liquid. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad can be stored for several days or a week in the fridge.

*I used red onions, which is why the salad looks so pretty in the picture, but any type of onion is fine.

Fourth of July Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad

Posted on July 4, 2012 by jphilo

We were on the road so much last week I hardly had time to cook, let alone try a new recipe. So today, for readers still unsure of what to fix for a Fourth of July meal, here’s a rerun of our current favorite summer grilling recipe. It meets all my criteria since it’s easy, tasty, healthy, and makes decent left overs.

We had it for supper Monday night, for the first time with fresh oregano from my new herb garden. Oh my, oh my, oh my, was that delicious. So give it a try and leave a comment about how it goes over at your house.

Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp

1 head romaine lettuce chopped (or an equal amount of other greens)
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

(The original recipe called for two chopped tomatoes and a chopped cuke)

Toss all together in bowl and put in refrigerator. Then prepare the shrimp as follows.
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and with tails off
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cajun or creole seasoning

Toss shrimp with oil and seasoning. Thread on skewers and grill for 1 – 2 minutes per side, until shrimp is done. Put on a platter.

Mix together the juice from 1/2 lemon, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over lettuce mixture and toss well. Divide equally among 6 plates. Arrange shrimp on top and serve.

Sunday Morning Brunch Egg Bake

Posted on June 6, 2012 by jphilo

Hiram’s health issues put the kabosh of our annual trek to Idaho Family Camp in July. I’ve been thinking about the good food we’ll be missing this summer. My favorite meal is Sunday morning brunch, which is an extravaganza of homemade sweet rolls, fresh fruit plates, and egg bakes.

Perhaps it’s just as well we won’t be there this year, as I’m not sure my non-dairy will power is great enough to resist the egg bakes quite yet. Maybe by July 2013, the recently begun desensitizing treatment will have kicked in, and I’ll be able to indulge once again…in moderation. Until then, I hope you and your family enjoy this Sunday Morning Brunch Egg Bake recipe.

Sunday Morning Brunch Egg Bake

The night before brunch, cook:

1 pound chopped bacon, OR
1 pound crumbled sausage, OR
1 pound cubed ham

Grease a 9 X 13 pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Then line pan with:

6 – 8 slices of bread with crusts removed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sprinkle meat over cheese, then mix together:

1 dozen eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk

Pour eggs and milk over bread, cheese, and meat.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Breakfast Salad? Are You Kidding Me?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by jphilo

When I read the name of recipe in USA Weekend Magazine the weekend before Mother’s Day, my reaction was…breakfast salad? Are you kidding me? But a quick skim of the ingredients showed the recipe met the requirements for our healthy eating checklist:

Non-dairy for me √
No sugar for Hiram √
Lots of veggies for both of us √
High protein for high exercise days √
Easy to make √
Easy to substitute ingredients √

So last night, we tried the recipe – turning it into supper salad by serving it with baguette on the side – and it immediately received the coveted Hiram seal of approval. Not a wow-this-is-good seal of approval. But a wow-how-soon-will-you-serve-this-again seal of approval. Yup, it was that good. Don’t take my word for it, though. Try it and leave a comment about your family’s reaction to breakfast salad…any time of day.

Breakfast Salad

8 slices Canadian bacon (original recipe called for 4, but no way would Hiram go for that)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (original recipe called for balsamic vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
8 cups lightly packed, washed baby spinach leaves (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup sweet red, orange, or yellow pepper thinly sliced (original recipe calls for 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

Cook Canadian bacon in lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning once. Remove from skillet and cut into 1/2″ strips. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Place spinach leaves and sweet peppers into a large serving bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat evenly. Spoon spinach/sweet pepper mix evenly onto four dinner plates. Top each serving with 1/4 of egg and Canadian bacon. Serve immediately.

Down the Gravel Road www.jolenephilo.com

Tag Archives: recipe

Macaroni Risotto with Peas & Bacon

Soup’s On!

Greek Salad Pitas with Olive-Garlic Tapende

Summer Veggie Stir Fry Medley

Cantaloupe Smoothie

Mixed Fruit Non-Dairy Smoothie

Cucumber-Onion Salad

Fourth of July Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad

Sunday Morning Brunch Egg Bake

Breakfast Salad? Are You Kidding Me?