peas at a party

Contrary to appearances, I have not gone poof into the blogosphere.

The edited version . . . we put our house on the market in May, feeling like we had missed the window for selling it this spring, but nothing to lose.  It sold in five days!  Within 10 days we had found the house we wanted.  And now six weeks to the day after it was listed, we will have sold a house in one Texas city, bought one—that needs renovation—in another Texas city; packed up and moved 200+ miles.

Just to make it interesting, John still has eight weeks before retirement in City # 1; my mom will be moving at the end of July to City # 2; and we had planned a short “girls vacation” in June since nothing would be happening that soon.

Did I mention that the house we bought needs “updating”?  As in the original 1981 kitchen, complete with blue-and-pink wallpaper, needs to go?

All I can say is that it has been chaos.  I will be back to posting in mid-July and post the last three menus.  Maybe I’ll do a series on Healthy Eating When You Have No Kitchen.  I’ve definitely got the Really Quick thing down.  Just a thought.

Take care . . .

Week 9 recipes were posted last night and if variety is the spice of life, this week is lively.

• Start off with a simple Great Greek Frittata—pretty much a quiche without a crust—add Carrots with Fennel Cream Sauce and a bright garden salad.  Cafe dining for any night.
• Then there’s a stop at a roadside diner.  The recipe for Chopped Steaks with Mushroom Gravy was developed for a Fizzy Meals week celebrating country tables from Provence to Anywhere USA.  Add some brown rice and Simply Green Beans for your own blue plate special.  This just begs for a bit of Banana Pudding (p. 120) to polish off the meal.
• Treat yourself—or company—to an elegant evening with Rosemary Dijon Pork Tenderloin.  The Caramelized Pears Parmigiana are super easy and super special.  Fruit with cheese is a classic combination for good reason and this one works as a side (think warm salad) or with just a little variation as a dessert.  Great addition to a brunch menu.
• The Muchos Caminos seasoning was adapted from the Black Dog Tavern southwestern rub.  From the Southwest U.S. to Cape Cod and back to Texas, this seasoning blend has traveled many roads, Muchos Caminos.  It is terrific to have on hand as a rub or seasoning for beef, pork chops, pork tenderloin, salmon steaks, tilapia, even shrimp.  It stays in my pantry as a dinner saver.  If you check out the picture, you’ll see why the Summer Stir Fry will have fans before the first bite.

I’d love to hear how the recipes and menus work for you.

Here’s the round up of mango recipes from the Cinco de Mango event.  Wow, what a selection from bread pudding to shrimp tacos.  I’ve already put a bunch of them on my Try Soon list.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the National Mango Board is sponsoring a Cinco de Mango blog event, hosted by the generous Chris at Mele Cotte.

This dish received the highest honor at a Derby party this past weekend.  As I joined a group at one of the tables, one (delightful) lady remarked, “This mango salsa is wonderful.”  I thanked her before I realized that she didn’t know it was a dish I had made!  Nothing more satisfying than an “overheard” compliment.

This works well with either fresh mangos or use the almost-fresh ones in refrigerated jars in your produce section.  (A 24-oz jar yields about two cups of diced mango.)  It also works well as a salad; serve a generous half cup on a leaf of lettuce.  As a salad this would be a perfect side for a Mothers’ Day brunch to accompany a migas frittata.

Mango Orange Salsa

Serves 4 as a salad or 10-12 as a dip; makes a little over 2 cups

• 2 cups diced mango

• ½ cup minced red bell pepper

• 2 Tbsp sliced green onions, just the white and light green part

• 2 Tbsp minced poblano pepper (or green bell pepper)

• 1 lime, juice and zest
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 Tbsp low-sugar orange marmalade (sugar-free is okay, too)
• ¼ tsp chili powder

Combine the mango and next 3 ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the lime juice and zest with the next 3 ingredients, then pour over the mango mixture.  Stir.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Can be made the day before.

(Nutritional info coming soon.)

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Blogger Chris of Mele Cotte is hosting a food blog “event”:  Cooking to Combat Cancer, II.  The event celebrates the seventh anniversary of her own cancer diagnosis, honors two friends with recent diagnoses, and is in memory of her grandmother who was struck down by pancreatic cancer.  All of the recipes will be there—probably tomorrow—for you to check out.

(UPDATED, 5/5/08:  The recipes are there for viewing—beautiful pics and inspiring ideas.)

I thought of this dish immediately.  Eating more veggies (and fruits) is at the top of my healthy eating and weight management list, keeping with the philosophy to let fruits and veggies take center stage and think of meats and poultry as condiments.  Who knew?  That parsley garnish may have been the healthiest thing on the plate!

This is a favorite.  So pretty and it just looks like summer and spring fun.  It’s endlessly adaptable—add a few leftover roasted potatoes, some corn (fresh or frozen), a yellow squash.  Good for a quick weeknight dinner or a summer party.  It’s a great taste companion for grilled meats.

Summer Stir Fry

Serves 4; 15-20 minutes hands on; ready in 30 minutes

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• ¼ lb trimmed green beans

• ¼ lb asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, ½“ slices, halved
• ½ medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4-6 green onions, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• salt & lemon pepper
• Parmesan cheese, optional

Spray a large skillet with a lid with olive-oil spray.  Add the olive oil and heat to medium.  Then add the garlic and green beans and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Next add the asparagus, zucchini, and bell pepper and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the green onion and tomato over the other vegetables.  Add a sprinkling of salt and lemon pepper.  Cover and reduce to very low heat.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan or offer it at the table.

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