I know it’s crazy but I did it anyway: I searched the internet for homemade chicken stock recipes. I don’t know why I did this, because I really am quite capable of covering a carcass with some water and simmering for a lengthy period of time. Heck, I even knew that tossing in some veggies and herbs would be a good idea.

But I wanted to get an idea of ratio and technique, so I searched to find the perfect homemade chicken stock recipe. Why? I’ve been roasting a lot of chickens lately and it seemed a good idea to save money by making my own healthy organic chicken stock, to freeze for future use.

First I tried Alton Brown’s recipe for chicken stock. I was immediately surprised by the length of time he recommended — simmering uncovered for 6-8 hours, adding more water as needed. My stock was good, but definitely didn’t have the flavor I was hoping for, which I think was due to not covering and adding more, unflavored water to the mix.

In my internet travels, I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken stock in the slow cooker. Now why didn’t I think of that? It would seemingly solve the two problems I hypothesized were wrong with my first batch — the covering and the adding more water — so I went for it. Perfect!

Usually Alton Brown’s got the science of a recipe down-pat, but in this case he missed the mark. My slow cooker broth turned out rich and flavorful and a much darker color than his recipe yielded. I still think you can make great chicken stock on the stovetop, but if I tried it again, I’d put the cover on my pot and not add any water.

But really — why would I? The slow cooker is so low-maintenance. No watching is necessary, and when the timer goes off, you’ve got homemade chicken stock. It couldn’t be easier and I ended up with 3-4 quarts … I just saved myself eight bucks, baby — a perfectly good head of lettuce.

It wasn’t a Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin, but the largest pumpkin we got from our CSA farm this season reminded me more of Bert’s head from Sesame Street. When Owen (the four-year-old) decided he wanted to carve it today, we really didn’t know quite what we were getting into, but it couldn’t have had a happier ending.

Owen is by definition a squash-hater. This kid eats just about everything, but I’m sure if you did a Google search for my kid, you’d come up with something like “dresses weird, has the cutest dimples you’ve even seen and hates all things squash with a vengeance.” One thing he’ll definitely eat, though, are roasted squash seeds. So while Keith and Owen carved, I pre-heated my oven to 375 degrees, washed and dried the pumpkin seeds, tossed them in olive oil and sea salt and roasted them for 12-15 minutes (about 14 was perfect for our oven).

It didn’t stop there. We planned chili for dinner, and instead of making plain old cornbread, we thought we’d make some pumpkin cornbread, since we adore the pumpcorn muffins from our Uprisings cookbook. It was also breakfast the next day.

It was about then that Owen decided he’d really like some ice cream. I’m almost sure at this point that Owen doesn’t really understand that pumpkin is a kind of squash, because he begged for pumpkin ice cream. My recipe for pumpkin ice cream was worth an entire post in itself, so be sure to go read it!

So, we used the shell of the pumpkin to make a festive decoration, the seeds a tasty snack, and the carved out flesh (cut into chunks, put in a covered bowl with a tablespoon of water and microwave for ten minutes) for pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin cornbread. I’m pretty impressed with us, and not one part of that pumpkin went to waste.

Shepherd’s Pie is an English meat pie made with ground beef and mashed potatoes.  My boyfriend and I lazed about on July 4th, enjoying a respite from the hustle and bustle of the week, instead of joining the hoards of people heading out for picnics and fireworks over the weekend.  The day was spent reading, napping and listening to music.

As dinner time approached,  I realized that we didn’t have much of a plan or much in the fridge for that matter.  It was likely the grocery stores were going to be barren, having been subject to the barbecuing masses.  My boyfriend was kind enough to suggest ordering Chinese, but I declined and instead welcomed the challenge of making a delicious dinner for us with whatever I could find in the fridge and pantry.

What I found was the following: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

• Ground beef
• Onions
• Garlic
• Frozen corn
• Frozen peas
• A russet potato

The onions, garlic and frozen veggies are usually a staple in my kitchen, but it was quite lucky that the beef and potato were shacking up there as well.  Let me also say that I have never made Shepherd’s Pie before. But, it seemed like a fairly simple concept.  So, this is what I did:

I preheated my oven to 400 degrees.  Then I began sauteing 1/2 a small chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic in some olive oil over medium heat for about ten minutes until soft.  Then I added about 1/4 cup each of the corn and peas, turning the heat up and adding some salt, pepper, and dash of cayenne.  Once the veggies had defrosted, I added a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary and the ground beef.  I’d say I had about 3/4 of a pound or so.  I let the meat brown and combine with the other ingredients for about 1o minutes.  At the end, I added 2 or 3 tablespoons of beef broth (just some bouillon I had in the pantry) combined with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to create a lovely gravy.  Once the sauce thickened, I turned off the heat and set it aside.

Meanwhile, I had peeled a potato, cut it into cubes and boiled in salted water until tender.  I made a  quick potato mash with milk and butter.  The ground beef mixture went into a casserole dish, then I topped it with the mashed potatoes, making sure to cover all the meat.  Then I used a fork to create grooves and texture in the potatoes.  I dotted the top with a few pats of butter and popped into the hot oven to bake for about 30-35 minutes.  The result was a mouthwatering meal that involved very little cleanup, and a renewed faith in the creativity that blossoms as a result of  laziness.  I mean necessity.

Before I came to Portugal, I’d never even heard of Russian Salad. With that in mind, I kind of figured it was just something people here ate, and I couldn’t figure out what the hell was Russian about it. As it turns out, the Russian Salad I’ve been eating is so far removed from the original (which, to my surprise, is actually Russian!), it might as well be called Portuguese Salad, and the way I make it at home when no one’s looking, it probably doesn’t even deserve a name.

But seriously. According to Wikipedia, the first Russian Salad had both gherkins and fresh cucumbers. And caviar. And veal tongue. In other words, something a lot of people, myself included, would not eat unless there were big bucks to be made from it. And I fully admit I have eaten it with sliced hot dogs in it, which are a horror show in and of themselves, but in defense of hot dogs, if they do have tongue in them somewhere, at least I don’t see any taste buds. Blech.

Nowadays, perusing through the various recipes Google has to offer, I see that Russian Salad here and in the States are pretty much the same basic ingredients; boiled potatoes, carrots, green beans or peas, and usually hard boiled egg, and some sort of cooked meat or tuna. There is, however, one glaring difference: mayonnaise.

Now, I’m not nearly as mayo-phobic as Debbie. When I still ate them, I would put it on burgers and tuna sandwiches no problem. But to bathe my salad in? Thank you, but no. Just the thought of all those lovely veggies coated in goopy, glistening mayonnaise is enough to make me lose my appetite. Olive oil is the way to go, and if you think it needs it, some vinegar, but that’s really optional. So is meat, if you ask me.

But like I said, and as you can well see from the picture, when I make “Russian Salad” at home, I get really lazy about it.  If you couldn’t tell, that’s an over-easy egg, neither hard nor boiled. Hard boiled eggs are just a pain in the ass. You have to put it in its own little pot, wait for it to boil and make sure the egg doesn’t crack and ooze out into the water, time it just right so you don’t get that nasty green ring around the yolk, drain it, rinse it in more water to cool it off, and burn your fingers trying to peel it because you are starving and didn’t rinse it long enough so it’s not really cool yet.  For one or two eggs? Not worth it. It’s just so much easier to put some olive oil in a pan, crack an egg in it, and flip it over.

It may not be Russian, but it is delicious, simple. and as far as I’m concerned, guilt-free.

There are a lot of different ways to make fruit compote. Some recipes I’ve come across say to not add any water at all and just let the fruit stew it it’s own juices. To me, that sounds like a good way to burn perfectly good fruit. Others will tell you to add a little water and a diabetes-inducing amount of sugar. It all depends on the personal preferences of who’s going to be eating it, I guess. Personally, I like to have it on the syrupy side, with a fair amount of liquid in addition to the fruit.

What’s compote good for, you ask? Well, anything you feel like, really. But I have to say, if you put some over your pancakes, you will probably never want that HFCS-laden “pancake syrup” again. You will probably also eat enough pancakes for three people. Or maybe that’s just me. Moving on….

Another thing I love to do with fruit compote is to stir it into plain yogurt with some granola or other cereal. You could also stir some into your morning bowl of oatmeal. Or, how about over ice cream, or if you’re feeling industrious, use it to make your own fruit flavored ice cream. Spongecake, or better yet cheesecake, with some fruity, syrupy goodness spooned over top? You get the idea!

So, what I made most recently was a ridiculously simple strawberry-cherry compote. I had some strawberries I had frozen whole when they were on sale a while back, and a ton of black cherries to use up before they went to waste. But really, you can go crazy here with whatever you want. Add some spices like cinnamon, ginger, or a whole vanilla pod, citrus zest, mint, it’s all game. As for what fruits you use, it’s totally up to you. I’m particularly fond of berries and stone fruits like peaches or nectarines, but you can also use apples, pears, or just about anything else that you think is a good combination.

Simplest Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups frozen or fresh fruit, peeled and sliced or chopped into bite sized pieces if necessary
• 1/4 cup sugar, any kind you like (not artificial sweeteners!)
• 1/2 cup of water, or more or less depending on how thick you want it
• Optional additions: 1 cinnamon stick, 1-2 slices fresh ginger, 1 vanilla pod, 1tsp (or more) grated lemon or orange zest, etc.
  

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and and any spices you want to use and turn the heat up to high. When the syrup comes to a boil, add the fruit (carefully! Hot sugar syrup is painful.) and bring to a boil again. Turn the heat down to low and cook for at least 15 minutes, longer if you want a thicker, sweeter compote. Let it cool a little bit and use it right away, or store it in the fridge. It’ll last for at least a week, if not longer.

I LOVE sardines!  In fact, I’m always trying to find new ways of eating and cooking with them.   I had a hankering for these small oily fish just the other day, but I also wanted something fresh and cool to balance it out.  So, I came up with a very satisfying Sardine Salad.

I’m often inspired to work within the limits of what I have in my fridge and pantry, and this dish was no different.  I use sardines that are skinless, boneless and packed in olive oil.  You can find them at Trader Joe’s for $1.99 per tin — a real bargain as far as I’m concerned.  I usually have them on hand so they can be added to pasta or eaten simply with lemon juice, salt, pepper and a delicious crusty bread.  But, I digress.  Let’s talk salad!

Sardine Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil
• 1 cup of hothouse cucumbers, seeded and diced
• 8-10 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup of sweet peppers (red & yellow), diced
• 1/4 cup of carrot, diced
• 2 tablespoons of red onions, finely diced
• 1/4 cup of celery, diced
• 10-12 pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
• 3/4 cup of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

This is so easy!  Combine all the chopped veggies (which should be cut to approximately the same size) with the beans and olives into a bowl.  Remove the sardines from the tin and reserve some of the oil.  Add them to the salad and break up the sardines into chunks as you go.  You don’t want them to come completely apart.  Then add your lemon juice, olive oil (including the oil from the sardine tin), salt and pepper to the mixture.  Another toss, another taste, and you’re done!

I find this salad extremely satisfying, and had it as my dinner one evening with some wonderful rustic bread. The vegetables add a wonderful crunch, while the olives provide a briny note.  The sardines are what add real depth and round out the entire dish.  Nothing is easier, earthier or more delicious than a simple salad enhanced by a robust sardine companion!

Pork & Shrimp Fried Rice

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t LOVE fried rice — even fellow Clacker Jeff has shared his recipe for Grouse fried rice with us. My feeling is that rice is good any way you fix it. My best friend is Filipina, and when we lived together in college, she would make delicious fried rice for breakfast at least once a week. It may seem like an odd choice for breakfast, but it’s a great way to start the day. Think about it — you get eggs, meat, veggies and protein. It’s nutritious brain food, I say!

What I love about this particular dish is that you can improvise with whatever you have in the fridge and freezer. Fried rice is all about the leftovers. Trying to use up those veggies and chicken from last night’s dinner? Then, I offer you fried rice.

I’m a lover of pork, but for those who aren’t, this fried rice can be made sans piggy. Simply add to it whatever inspires you, for a tasty and satisfying meal any time. OK, it goes quickly, so pay attention:

Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 cups day old cooked rice (white or brown is fine)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn or carrots
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 oz Chinese barbequed pork, diced (you can find this at Trader Joe’s now)
• 6 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
• pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the pork in a tiny bit of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat.  It should be cooked through in about 8 minutes or so depending how large the dice is.   Once it’s cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Leave the pork drippings in the pan and add more oil and the onions, letting them cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute, making sure not to burn it.  Add the frozen peas, corn and/or carrots and sautee another few minutes until they are thawed through.

At this point, you can add the shrimp.  They will cook very quickly — in about 3-4 minutes.  Add back the pork, the rice , the soy sauce and a dash of pepper. Mix it well.  Then let it sit in the pan for a few minutes while the rice absorbs the flavors and gets a little crunchy.

Now make a well in the middle of  the mixture with your spoon.  Add the beaten eggs to the well and scramble them directly into the pan.  Once they’ve cooked through, give the entire mixture another good toss, and taste it to see if you need additional soy sauce.  You’re done.  Now it’s time to eat!

I think you’ll become addicted to this simple dish.  I look forward to hearing what unique ingredients you decided to use in your fried rice.  Until then, I wish you FOODLOVE!

As you may have noticed, I use a lot of wild game in my recipes. I prefer wild meat over store bought because I know that the wild game has been feeding on natural foods and not chemical enhanced super-nutrients to make it grow fast.

I know what you’re  thinking: I must be the greatest hunter in the world to have all that great wild meat to cook with. Well you are right, I am the greatest hunter in the world. However, living in a state that has a one animal per year bag limit does tend to limit the meat supply, so come spring it’s time to do some road side shopping.

The Road Kill Cookbook is full of helpful hints and tips for obtaining, preparing and cooking your gourmet roadside meal. The book details the best vehicles to use for obtaining your game — now we all know why I drive a Ford Ranger — as well as what critters are best to avoid. The recipes for preparing the different game are simple and easy to follow, but when you serve these dishes to your friends they will think you had the party catered by a gourmet chef.  You will be the star of your circle of friends.

The Road Kill Cookbook is a great starting point for road side shopping and as you get more experience you will learn even more techniques. The section titled “The Roadside Shopper” Is full of helpful hints to get you started.  It has great detail on how to shop for yellow line yummies. “When and Where to Shop” explains the best times and locations, and the equipment list has details on the equipment you will need to process your bounty for the table.

The “small game” and “upland bird” sections would be the best place for you to start your roadside shopping career. They will get you ready to shop for all of your favorite cartoon characters and they both explain the best techniques for a successful shopping trip. This includes the best spot on the car to use to collect the critter as well as how to tell if the one you find already waiting at the yellow line is good to eat.

After a few successful shopping trips you will be ready to move up to the waterfowl section.  These require a bit more planning to avoid costly repair costs. When you have your confidence up you can then try the “Big Game” section. This is where the real fun begins. There is nothing better than skinning and deboning a deer or elk along the road to get the choice cuts home for dinner. “Buck’s Butcher Shop” Section is a must read before you take on the big game. Buck explains how to skin, quarter, and debone your prize here.

Some of the better recipes in The Road Kill Cookbook are Roast Smokey, a simple and tasty way to prepare Bear roast. Moose Saddle is another roast that Buck explains how to cut from the Moose in his “Butcher Shop” Section.  And the Antelope Back strap recipe is wonderful. Backstrap steaks with onions and Mushroom Soup will work just as well for any of your big game prizes.

The Road Kill Cookbook is written to be quick and easy to read and well worth your time to read. With the way prices are skyrocketing on groceries I think we will be seeing a lot more roadside shoppers in the future so don’t wait until it’s to late.

I give The Road Kill Cookbook my 5 Camo hat rating.

There’s big trouble at our house — big with a capital B — and that stands for Banana. Oh, you’d think a bowl full of ripe bananas would be a good thing (and we’ll get to that), but lately, there’s some cause for concern — in the center of our kitchen island is a huge wire bowl, full of ripe bananas, at any given time. What’s the deal with all those ripe bananas?

First of all, the four-year-old who would hoarf a banana every night before bed has gone on a banana strike. It seems that bananas have brown spots and strings and that is simply unappealing. When did that kid get so picky? And why do I still buy enough bananas for him to eat one every night?

Here in New England, it’s winter, baby, and that means that bananas don’t ripen as quickly and last longer. So you can buy as many as you want and they’ll keep. Right? Yeah, don’t bet on it. I’ve got a bowl full of ripe bananas to prove it. A big, big bowl. We’re talking ten bananas for two adults and one small child.

So I switch gears and think I’m getting banana savvy; I start buying a small bunch of ripe bananas and a small bunch of green bananas, thinking that we’ll always have just the right amount of ripe bananas in the house. Wrong again, caballero. Apparently, when you put them all in the same bowl, they ripen at the same time. Did I mention we have ten ripe bananas right now?

Beyond shock therapy when I pick up a bunch of bananas to put them in my cart at the grocery store, what can I do? Guess it’s time to get cooking — and blending, and freezing…

• You can pop ripe bananas into the freezer and use them later for baking and smoothies. I peel them and cut them into quarters.
• Chocolate chip banana bread doesn’t last nearly as long in my house as a bunch of bananas do.
• It’s a good thing we have banana chocolate chip pancakes every weekend.
• We’re making Ming Tsai’s Braised Chicken Curry with Yams this weekend; the recipe calls for one banana.
• Maybe I’ll try baking some sugar-free banana oatmeal cookies.

Anything else I can do with my ripe bananas?

Not even the seeds.

A friend gave me this idea, because she had figured if we can roast pumpkin seeds, then certainly other winter squash seeds would have some value. So I tried it. And wouldn’t you know? I like the butternut squash seeds better!

The butternut squash seeds are more tender, slightly sweeter, and have a more well-rounded flavor. They don’t take as long to cook, either. Since we really appreciate instant gratification in this house, it’s another win for the butternut squeash seeds. Here’s how we do it:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean and rinse seeds. Pat dry and toss with olive oil, spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until seeds start to turn a golden color and get cripsy. Seeds will become crispier when cooled, so don’t overcook them.

You’re done! Although there are always variations when you cook in our house:

• Try sprinkling with a Cajun spice mix.
• Grate some fresh parmesan onto the seeds before serving.
• Sprinkle lightly with ground cumin or coriander seeds.
• Just a little paprika might be your style.

Do you have a favorite way to serve roasted winter squash seeds?