Pastichio

I enjoy cooking from a variety of cuisines, and Greek is one, although not one of my more common efforts. But, one decision have made many times with success is pastichio, a sort of Greek version of macaroni and cheese with ground beef for a filling layer.

So, when a coworker mentioned not liking Greek food, I asked him what he had tried and all he could think of was Gyros. So I described pastichio and he seemed interested and I decided to make some today so I take a bit extra to offer him tomorrow.

There are many slight variations on the same recipe, but I think the one I have used the most is from Greek Cooking For All Seasons, by the Holy Trinity Church in Lowell, Massachusetts. My honey doesn't think this is it because there aren't any food spots on the page :)

I made some slight changes to the recipe out of accident or necessity and here it is:

Ingredients:
1 box (about 13 ounces) whole wheat macaroni
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pound ground chuck or round
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg
5 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups milk, divided (3 cups and 1 cup)
3/4 pound grated Romano cheese

1. cook macaroni in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Heat 4 Tbsp butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chopped onion and garlic until translucent and golden brown.

3. Add ground meat and break up the clumps. Season with salt, cinnamon, allspice. Stir often until it is browned and no longer pink.

4. Add the tomato sauce and stir together. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the crema sauce.

5. In a 2 quart cooking pot, melt the other 4 Tbsp butter and stir in the flour to make a roux.

6. When this is bubbling, pour in 3 cups scalded milk (heat almost to a boil so it begins to form a film, then remove from heat and stir till smooth). I actually used cold milk, which I added 1 cup at a time and heated until it almost boiled and started to thicken.

7. Beat 3 eggs lightly and slowly spoon about 2 cups milk into the eggs, beating constantly. Return mixture to remaining sauce in pan, add 1/2 of grated cheese and beat smooth.

8. Season with pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool.

9. Add the remaining cup of milk, cheese, and 2 beaten eggs to the macaroni and mix well. Butter 11 x 14 (or 9 x 13) pan or spray with cooking spray. Add 1/2 cup of the macaroni.

10. Cover with the meat sauce.

11. Add the remaining macaroni.

12. Over all this pour the crema sauce.

13. Spread the sauce around to cover the macaroni.

14. Dot with butter (I forgot this) and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

15. Bake 55 minutes in 350F oven.

16. Let it cool about 15-20 minutes to set. Serve and enjoy!

I'm not sure what I did different this time, but the top layer was especially fluffy and souffle-like. Perhaps it was from beating the eggs a lot and beating in some air.

It was good anyway. One son shared with us and the other snuck a serving out of the refrigerator to eat, so it passes muster.

Chicken Thighs with Garlic Sauce

After enjoying beef with garlic sauce at a Chinese restaurant a couple days ago, I decided to come up with a recipe to share with my friends. A quick Google search turned up this recipe

Bobby's Chicken in Garlic Sauce

But, I thought it could use some improvement. In particular, I like a variety of vegetables rather than just broccoli. Different colored vegetables add to the visual appeal and provide different nutrients. Also, some thinly sliced fresh ginger adds its flavor to the cooking oil and gives a little variety to the seasonings. So, here is my version.

If you'd like it a little less sweet, cut the honey in half.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into thin slices or small chunks
     (I skinned and boned about 3 thighs for the recipe)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz snow peas, rinsed
4 oz asparagus spears
         (trim off the bottom inch or so, then chop into 2 inch pieces or leave whole)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into slivers and then cut in half
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 ripe tomato, cut into chunks
4 thin slices fresh ginger

Step 1 

Combine the garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, 1 Tbsp of the oil, cornstarch, pepper and pepper flakes in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Be especially careful to break up any lumps of the cornstarch. Stir the chicken into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (I was in a hurry and marinated it for about 20 minutes, but more time gives it more flavor.)

Step 2

In a large wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger slices and stir fry for about a minute, then quickly remove the ginger and set aside. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add the chicken to the wok. Stir fry for about 3 minutes or until done. Remove and set aside in a serving bowl.

Step 3

Add the ginger and all the vegetables except the tomato. Stir fry quickly for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Quickly remove and add to the chicken.

Step 4

Add the reserved marinade to the wok. Heat to a bowl and cook for a few seconds until it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Stir them together and serve over steamed rice.

ENJOY!!!

Makes about 4 servings.

Cherry Berry Smoothie

Get Ready to Blend!

Today was a day off, so I took advantage to get in a walk around the Academy.

This was my longest walk in a couple months, so my time was a little slow, but not bad. Since we got a great buy on cherries and strawberries at the local farmer's market yesterday, I decided to make a smoothie for a light snack before starting to prepare supper.

This recipe is based on one from my smartphone weight-loss app, Noom, which suggested it as one of my daily tasks.

Watermelon-Berry Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup ice

1 cup watermelon chunks (I substituted 1 cup cherries)

½ cup blueberries

1 cup strawberries, halved

1 banana, sliced

2 tsp calorie-free or low-calorie sweetener (I just left this out)

1 ½ cup non-fat milk (I used 1% milk)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Sliced and pitted cherries

When I helped make Waldorf salad as a kid, we would occasionally slice grapes and pick out the seeds to use them instead of raisins. Seedless grapes were just about unheard of back in the 50's. So, it didn't take long to slice and pit about 3 dozen cherries to get a cup.

Halved strawberries

 My honey had already cleaned and sliced some strawberries, so I borrowed some with permission.

Sliced banana

 I had to make a quick run to the Sunflower Market to get bananas, which we were out of, and blueberries, which were on sale.

Rinsed blueberries

 We blended the ingredients in our Ninja blender.

Cherry Berry Smoothie

 With the milk and ice added, the result had a mild but pleasant fruit flavor. It was light and refreshing! Just right for an energy burst while I cut up some green beans for supper.

Beef Fajitas with New Mexican Rice

Beef Fajitas served over New Mexican Rice

My first exposure to fajitas was about 30 years ago when a cousin of my cousins happened to be visiting our mutual aunt and uncle and introduced us to them. Flank or skirt steak is traditional for this dish, mainly because it used to be cheap and the marinating and slow grilling process helps to tenderize it and add flavor.

We grilled the steak over charcoal and ate the fajitas with guacamole made from avocados picked fresh from my uncle's tree! They were delicious and I've been cooking them often for many years. But, I don't usually take the time to start up charcoal for cooking. Instead we stir fry the meat and vegetables in a hot cast iron skillet.

But, tonight I decided to use some sirloin tip steaks I had purchased on sale a couple days ago.

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red chile powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 red pepper, sliced into thin slivers
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 large or 1 medium onion, sliced into slivers
1 avocado, sliced
finely grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
flour tortillas, if desired

Combine the wine, oil, garlic and chile powder in a small bowl or pitcher. Grind the dried oregano leaves between the palms of your hands to release the flavor and add to the marinade.

Put the sirloin in a bowl or plastic container. Add the marinade and stir thoroughly to mix it into the meat. Spread the meat and press it down. The marinade should just about cover the meat. Cover and put in a refrigerator for about 2 hours.

 Heat a little oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat for a few minutes. Add about half the meat and stir quickly for about 4-5 minutes until the meat is thoroughly browned. Remove the meat and set aside in a bowl. Let some of the liquid from the meat boil off so the remaining meat will fry not stew. Then add the rest of the meat and repeat the process. Set the meat aside in a bowl for serving.

Beef Fajitas

After cooking all the meat, boil off most of the liquid. Then stir fry the peppers and onions for about 3-5 minutes until the onions brown and the peppers start to soften. Remove and place in a second bowl.

Peppers and onions to stir fry

Serve the beef and vegetables over New Mexican rice with cheese, sour cream, avocado slices and salsa. Or, wrap into a tortilla.

Bueno!!!

New Mexican Rice

New Mexican Rice, a variation on Spanish Rice

 A couple of my readers have expressed an interest in traditional New Mexican foods, and a staple on the menu of most Mexican restaurants is Spanish rice. Along with whole beans or refried beans, it accompanies practically everything. Or, you can get it inside your burrito!

My standard recipe is from one of my older cookbooks and uses green chile and tomato sauce with some water. I was out of tomato sauce, but had plenty of cans of diced tomatoes. So, I came up with this version.

Diced green chiles and tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup diced onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground red chile (please use pure red chile or chipotle chile, not the Chile Powder mixes sold in the spice sections, but those will work in a pinch.)
14.5 ounce can diced red tomatoes
4 ounce can diced green chiles, mild or hot

Olive oil to fry and toast the rice

A key step in preparing good Spanish rice is to fry the rice in hot oil until it is lightly browned or toasted. This enhances the flavor. Also, the oil and the toasting help keep the rice from glopping together. So, first heat the oil in a 1 1/2 quart pot over high heat briefly. (You can use canola oil to get the omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your heart. But, I chose olive oil tonight for the flavor.)

Add rice to the hot oil

Stir the rice often, but not continuously until it starts to brown lightly.

Lightly toasted rice

Then, add the garlic and chile powder and stir into the rice.

Chile powder sprinkled on the rice

Then, quickly add the diced tomatoes and green chiles. Rinse the cans with about 1/2 can of water and stir the mixture thoroughly.

Ready to stir

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and let it cook for 30 minutes. The chiles and tomatoes will tend to float to the top of the rice. So, it is good to stir one or two times after the rice has cooked about 15-20 minutes. But, keep it quick so you don't let too much moisture escape.

Eat and enjoy!

Camp Fire Beans

Pulled Pork with Camp Fire Beans

Many years ago when I was in scouts, we used to "fix up" regular canned baked beans by adding ketchup and seasonings to make them taste better. We would cook them over the camp fire to have as a side dish with whatever else we had brought for this cookout.

So, when I had some leftover cooked pinto beans in the refrigerator, I decided to attempt to recreate the recipe. I really liked the result and thought I would share it with you.

4 slices bacon, chopped into slivers
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a medium onion or 1/3 a large one)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (a spicy variety is best)
3 Tbsp brown mustard
1/4 cup water
3 cups cooked pinto, navy, or Great Northern beans (or use 2-3 cans beans, drained and rinsed)

1. Heat a 2 quart pot over medium high heat and add the chopped bacon. Stir it until it starts to cook a bit. It will still be very limp. Add the diced onion and garlic and stir till the onion is limp and the bacon starts to brown up, about 10 minutes. Stir it often to keep the brown crust from building up on the bottom of the pan.

Fried bacon with onion and garlic
 

2. Mix the ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard together in a medium bowl or measuring pitcher. Add the mix to the bacon and onions and stir together. Rinse the bowl or pitcher with water and add it to the pot. (I actually finished the bottle of mustard and rinsed it with water!)

Add the ketchup mixture to the pot and stir it together.

 

3. Add the beans and stir the mixture thoroughly. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. Serve as a side dish or eat it as a main dish. I've enjoyed it the last two days for lunch at work!

The Doctor Reports: You Walk Like a Cinnamon Girl!

Cue up the Neil Young.....
"I wanta walk like a Cinnamon Girl
I could be happy for the rest of my life as a Cinnamon Girl
...da da da duh.
A dreamer of pictures I walk in the night....
Dodging the pine cones,
Chasing the moonlight,
A Cinnamon Girl!!!

It's not too surprising that thought occurred to me since I have an entire album of Neil Young songs covered by girl artists on my walking playlist and both the cover and original versions of the song came on tonight.

First, though, I started with Supermodel, which is very energetic, but a bit ironic since I'm not really trying to look like a supermodel and certainly not anorexic, but I would like to loose the last bit of pudge lurking around my waist line.

But, back to the title...
Since I'm of an age and under medication for a couple conditions, I had a 6 month follow up visit with my doctor this morning. Over the last year in particular I've been doing a fair amount of walking and lost some weight and the results are good and bad.

My blood pressure which was pretty good before is better. So is my cholesterol. My resting heart rate is much better, and my A1C is pretty good. So, overall, great!

But, when I asked about what I thought was a persistent bruise on the inside of my left leg, I got a little bit of a comeuppance :(

I have varicose veins (like my mother) and one of them evidently spilt some blood into my leg. What looks like a blood is the iron left after my body disposed of the rest. So, I'm stuck with it :(

There's a smaller spot on the front of my right leg, as well.

So, no Betty Grable gams for me....

More to the point, though, is that working on your feet for long hours (which I do now and have for many years) as well as lots of walking tends to cause varicose veins which could cause more bruising, so I should start wearing support or compression stockings. No fun!

My hun, helpfully, found me a pair from a hospital stay a couple years ago.

Now I've got to start wearing them....

I guess for work they'll be OK. But, it'll be hot this summer. And I'll have to ditch them for serious walking.

Which brings me back to my evening stroll.

I've been working every day for over 3 weeks, mostly because we are short handed and to provide continuity getting our little operation going. And so, most nights I've gotten home too worn out to do more than scarf a little chow and sack on the bed.

Tonight for a change I had some energy after enjoying hun's pulled pork for a sandwich.

So, I decided to swap my Aria's for New Balance and head out to the park.

I took it easy, but still got in a good walk and earned my four apples for the evening.

Then I washed my shirts and myself, paused to celebrate with a scoop of ice cream, and shared comments with my friends.

Now it's off to cut some Z's.

All the Best!!!