Showing posts with label Homemade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homemade. Show all posts

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Fried Udon Noodles with Sesame Seeds


I have been making homemade noodles for a long time. They taste better. Our family enjoys the process of working with the dough. My kids think its cool to get their hands in the dough. Homemade noodles are a bit time consuming because you do have to prepare the dough a few hours before dinner. This allows the dough to rest. 

This is a list of some of the homemade pasta recipes on the blog:


Yep. We like our pasta and I make a lot of it for my family.

A friend of mine posted about this new cookbook by Morimoto that introduced Japanese cooking to the home cook. I love Japanese food and had to have this book. It's beautiful. I bought the book not knowing what to expect because I have other Japanese cook books that are filled with ingredients that I can't easily get here in Newport.  Not this book. He sticks with easy to find ingredients and basic recipes. I really enjoyed the photography, the easy recipes, and his story that he shared in the beginning of the book of his training and early family life. Oh, by the way, this is not an ad for his book. This is just me telling you about his book and why I love it.


We usually buy Udon noodles from our local Asian market here in town. I buy them frozen.  When I saw his recipe I knew that I wanted to give this a try.  They were easy to make. The dough is three ingredients: water, flour, and salt.  The pasta dough does need to sit for an hour before you roll it out but we had plenty of time in our day so this was not a problem.

Once the dough was rolled out I used a very sharp knife to cut the noodles into long strips.  I recommend having a long straight edge knife and lots of flour. I boiled my water. These noodles are thick so they do need to boil for 12 minutes. They puffed up and came out perfect.


I heated a small amount of vegetable oil, with a dash of sesame oil, some sesame seeds, and tossed my noodles into a very hot pan. I fried the noodles for about 5 minutes and sprinkled them with soy sauce.  Served hot with our homemade GYOZAS.  Dinner was delicious this night.

In addition to serving the noodles with a splash of soy sauce, I also put a few sauces that we like to eat with our noodles on the table,  for our guest to pick and choose, like: plum sauce, sweet and spicy sauce, and tonkatsu sauce.



I do not have permission to share the full recipe on my blog as this is a personal choice to write about his cookbook and not a sponsored event, but Steamy Kitchen  has a review along with permission to share the recipe on their site.

Follow the link to get the recipe for Homemade Udon Noodles by Chef Morimoto HERE.

I do hope that you try making homemade pasta and definitely try frying the noodles up with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds.  They are fat, chewy, and oh so yummy!

We ate the noodles so fast (they are best hot) that I did not have a chance to snap a picture of the finished noodle dish. I will making these again in the future and will update the post with a picture at that time.


Finnley likes to help in the kitchen too. This little video is her working with some flour as I was preparing the udon noodles. Apparently, her batch needed a bit of air.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Pink Pasta...Because Why Not.


Can I tell you how excited I am to be back at work.  It has been two long years of juggling 4 kids, a move cross the USA, a husband that works from home and than my choice to return to school and all that entails.   The last two years has taught me a lot.  I have learned that I need to be constantly learning and improving or I get depressed. My brain needs stimulation or it goes crazy.  I enjoy what I do and I want to be better at it.  I want to write more and cook more.  It's been forever since I have felt that way.  

I have a gap in kids that will allow me to find the time to squeeze in a few more years of education. Isabella is 9 and that leaves me with 9 years to "edu-ma-cate" my silly self.  I am pretty excited.


My busy life has forced me to simplify my cooking.  My eating habits have evolved as well.  I find myself in the kitchen with less prep, tastier dishes, and more time to do other things.  I made macarons the other day with my daughter and holy shit those take a long time.  SOOOO much work! Secretly, they tasted amazing; but, I realized how much my approach has changed in the last two years and I love it.  

I love simple foods, with whole ingredients.  I like having my shopping cart bulging to capacity with vegetables.  My family appreciates this too. 


This recipe is fun.  It made the kids smile to see pink noodles.  Easy slip of a bit of red food coloring during the final stages of boiling the noodles and presto-bammo you have a kid friendly dinner.  

Cory made the sauce the night before (he is a keeper that guy of mine) which made dinner even better because all I have to do is reheat the sauce and grate some cheese.  


I even had Cory pose with the spaghetti.  This is a comical process seeing how our 2 year old is not used to both of her parents being tied up with photographing food. She wanted in on the action and while I snapped away, she tried to climb Cory's legs.  We laughed so hard at our life.  We are almost 50 and dealing with a two year old.....crazy!  She does keep us young and we love her so much.


Cory's sauce is simple (recipe below).  Add the following ingredients and let it simmer until reduced to the desired thickness.

Ingredients:  1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 diced red onion, 1 cup of fresh mushrooms sliced, 1 small zucchini sliced, and two cans of diced tomato with juice, and one can of tomato sauce.  For the fresh herb he added fresh basil and oregano.

He's a man that does not cook in the kitchen very often so his technique is "throw it in a pan with some oil and let it simmer".  Seriously, this is what he does and it turns out great every time.

As I always recommend with my recipes, taste the sauce and make your own assessment.  Be your own quality control and add salt as needed.  Let me know if you have any questions. I'm around.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Toasted Cashews


Are you going nuts yet?  Only a few more days before Christmas.  My house is a buzz with anxious adults and strung out kids.  They are way too excited this year.  The two year old is figuring things out pretty fast and the 8 year old is keeping her promise to not sleep much until Christmas day.  Send wine!

Our family eats a lot of nuts.  Even as a kid, I loved nuts.  One memory I have from my childhood are the bowls of nuts my grandparents had sitting around their home during the Christmas season.  They had the nut crackers and those thin picks.  Oh the piles of shells.  They were everywhere.  The grown ups from my childhood didn't know how to get up and throw the piles of shells away. I guess the Elf on the Shelf did that.

I tried the whole nut thing with my family and they did not care for it. Honestly I think it was too messy for their liking.  It's kind of like eating crab. My kids love it as long as I pick the meat out for them.  LOL

This is how we do holiday nuts in our house.  I have been toasting my own nuts for about 5 years.  The process is simple and I don't get too fancy but you can if you like.  I use my cast iron pans because it evenly heats the whole pan and they just turn out better each time I make them than when I use any other pan.


I buy my nuts raw and in a 25 pound bag. I store them in the freezer.  It takes us about 4-6 months to use them up and I find that they may go bad if I keep them in a drawer.  I toast them from a frozen state and have not had any problems with them turning out.

I use vegetable oil because olive oil can be too strong for my family and their taste buds.  I use flake salt to season them with after toasting.  I store them in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.  Honestly they rarely go this long because we add them to almost all of our salads and curry's.  

If I had to describe a toasted cashew it would be nutty creaminess.  The combination of the toasted outside combined with the sweet center is the perfect snack in my opinion.


Toasted Cashews 

2 cups of raw cashews, whole or halved
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt to taste

1.  Preheat a cast iron pan and add oil. Heat oil and toss cashews in.  Stir with a wooden spoon until nuts are brown on both sides.  Remove from heat to a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

NOTE: Nuts will firm up once they are cool.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Green Bean Casserole #glutenfree


Green Bean Casserole used to be my favorite dish of all time as a kid.  I was a strange kid because I loved green beans.  I would turn my nose up at cooked carrots and little bowls of peas but gleefuly welcome a green bean with open arms.

This summer I worked on a version that my family could enjoy. I didn't need to worry about making two dishes: one for them and one for me.  I am pretty sure I succeeded and this is the resulting recipe.
First I had to find a way to make the crunchy onion topping.  I sometimes wonder if this is why I loved the Green Bean Casserole so much. Was it truly the green beans or the crispy onion topping?

I think it was both.  I succeeded in making the onion straws.  That recipe can be found here.

The next hurdle was making the creamy sauce that is usually made with canned soup. I don't use any canned soup and I haven't in almost 5 years.  I don't like the flavor, they are not gluten free and are often filled with a ton of extra ingredients that add to an odd flavor profile.

I use a basic white sauce recipe but use gluten free flours instead of the recommended all purpose flour.  I use a chicken stock paste to add a rich flavor along with a few seasonings of my choice.  It is not a heavy sauce or an "in your face" sauce.  It takes a back seat to the real star of the dish: the green beans.

With each bite you taste the green beans as they are coated in a rich white sauce and then topped with crunchy onions.  That is a perfect bite in my opinion.


I went a bit crazy with my green beans and decided to cut them all at an angle to achieve the French Style Green Bean.  UM, pretty sure it's not necessary.  Also it took up a lot of time.  I don't mind doing that once in a while but I think using whole or cut green beans will work just fine.  I won't tell you to use only fresh green beans.  I did and I thought it was great.  The flavor was amazing.  I would encourage you to use them with the hope that you have the same experience as I did.


FYI--they sell a little kitchen tool that I am know makes the French-ing (pretty sure this is not a word but I am going to use it anyways) of the bean much easier and faster.  Oh the things we find out after the fact.  LOL

This is an easy dish to make.  I know the canned and frozen version is easier and I understand that sometimes we need to cook this way but I will always encourage you to take a few extra steps and make your meals from scratch.

Enjoy!



Green Bean Casserole
4-6 side dish servings

2.5-3 cups of fresh green beans, cut anyway you want to make them
1/2 stick of grass fed butter
2 cups of dairy: use buttermilk, whole milk or coconut milk (paleo)
1 tablespoon of tapioca starch (use 1 teaspoon of arrowroot for paleo version)
1 teaspoon of chicken stock granules or paste
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt, to taste
1 batch of crispy onion straws


NOTE:  Arrowroot takes just a little bit to make a sauce thicken.  I have learned through experience to reduce the amount used and not make a 1:1 trade.  If the sauce is not thick enough after 1 teaspoon then add a little bit more.  If too much is added the sauce will be thick and gluey.


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cut green beans according to your preferences.  Bring a large stock pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch green beans for 2-3 minutes.  They should be wilted, not too soft.

3. In a medium sauce pan melt butter. Stir in tapioca starch and then add dairy.  Stir until sauce thickens.  Add chicken stock paste and seasonings.  Stir and taste.

4.  Drain green beans and add to a baking dish.  I used an oval variation which measured about 10 inches by 7.  Add white sauce to green beans and stir.

5.  Top with crispy onion straws and bake 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Let set for a few minutes before serving.  Sauce will thicken as it cools.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Written by Sherron Watson





Saturday, September 13, 2014

Ham and Vegetable Lentil Soup



A chill is in the air. Our mornings are greeted with the smell of the great outdoors as we bust open our windows and take in the fresh morning breeze.  Inhaling the change that is on its way.  We sense that Fall is here.  It is gently knocking at the door.  We are listening.  We are desiring it.  I want the cool days of autumn to consume our afternoons with visits to the beach and the park.

My family has always found the turning of the seasons to be a refreshing change.  Fall is by far our favorite.  Change is good.  The summer season is remembered fondly as we embrace the cool breezes, the changing leaves and the anticipation of what the next few months have in store for our family.

Fall is the time that we visit local attractions, go camping more often and ride our bikes with such vigor that we wish this time of year would last forever.  Until it gets colder and the air is heavy with the impending snow that will soon fall.  The anticipation of even colder weather is almost too much for my kids to endure with the anticipation of snow angels and missed school days.

Now.  We must enjoy what we have now.  Now our weather is perfect.  Have I mentioned it is my favorite time of year?

With the chill in the air I find us yearning for soup.  Hearty, rustic soup that comforts our empty stomachs and warms our freezing hands.  Soup that gives you a fleeting thought of summer as bright vegetables float to the top, fighting for their chance to be seen and showcased.

I love soup that simmers all day on the stovetop. I welcome the smell in our home.  It is one more reminder that the weather is cooling and change is fresh in the air.

My suggestion for this soup is to use a meaty ham hock.  I saved ours from this summer and froze it. I left plenty of meat on the bone.  I knew that I would use it in a soup and wanted there to be a piece of meat in every spoonful.

I start the soup early in the morning and let it slowly simmer all day.  I occasionally taste it as the water reduces and becomes richer in flavor. I add the necessary seasonings to make it just right for my family.  I try and let the stock reduce by half.  This may take 8-10 hours depending on how you have your stove set.  I am home all day so I can watch it all day to make sure the stock is not simmered away leaving you with a dry pot.  Adjust the recipe to fit the desires of your family.  Omit the vegetables you do not like but add in the vegetables you have on hand or enjoy the most.

This type of soup is one that you can give and take from.  I like having these types of recipes in my collection.  They are good basic recipes that you can fiddle with based on the ingredients you have on hand.

Enjoy the change of the season in your own area.  Do you welcome the change from summer into fall with such glee as we do?

I would love to hear from you.


Ham and Vegetable Lentil Soup 
Serves 4-6 people

1 meaty ham hock (see note above)
10-12 cups of water
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 small zucchini, diced into medium pieces
1 cup of green beans, whole or cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 cup black lentils or any color that you have on hand
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt, to taste
pinch of fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped


1.  In a large stock pot add all ingredients.  Turn stove to medium high to bring water to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat to low and simmer all day for 8 to 10 hours or until stock has been reduced by half.

3.  Stir and taste soup periodically and adjust with more salt if needed.  Lentils should be very soft and add to the thickness of the soup base.

4.  Serve soup immediately or portion for lunches and quick dinners for the week.

Written by Sherron Watson



Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Homemade Lard


Lard.  It is what we use in our home when we need a solid fat.  I also use grass fed butter or coconut oil.  It depends on the recipe and what flavor profile I am trying to achieve.  Lard is pretty flavorless when used in baked goods.  It makes the best buttermilk biscuits.  Really--it does! 

There are two types of pork fat you can use to make the lard: the back fat and the leaf fat.  You will need to talk to your local butcher to see which one he access to.  I have used both.  Leaf fat is sought after because of its prized performance in baked goods and little-to-no flavor.   I buy mine through a local catering business that resources local farm produce, dairy and vegetables.  He offers a CSA and has been able to get pretty much anything I want--including this pork fat.  I am hoping to get some ducks in the Fall to render duck fat.  Oh, the fun I will have with that tasty ingredient.

Rendering your own lard is not hard.  There are several methods that you can use to obtain the lard.  I have read that there is a process of using a crock pot and the other is to slow cook it in your stove.  I like the method of using a pot on the stove top.  I am in the kitchen usually and I do other things while the fat is rendering.  This works for me.


If you enjoy pork rinds then you will LOVE the cracklings that are left over after all of the fat has been rendered.  These little crispy pork tidbits are the perfect snack.  You can add them to salads too or make some cornbread with crackling pieces.   

A few things to be mindful of when making the lard.  It will burn if you set your heat too high.  I like the slow approach of keeping my heat set to about 4 on my stove and watching it slowly turn into lard.  You want the heat high enough to be doing its job but not high enough that you will burn what is in the pot.  The cracklings are basically cooking in their own fat but if it gets brown or starts to burn it will change the color and the flavor of the lard.   

My lard comes in strips.  I separate the lard into the portions that I want to use to make a batch and freeze the rest.  To use, I thaw the lard and follow the directions below.
I used a dish cloth with a rubber band to strain my lard.  This is my go to system for anything I have to strain.  I don't always have cheesecloth around and this works just fine for me.  I will remove the lard several times from the pot.  I don't let it all sit in the pot.  This will allow you to work in small batches and also prevent you from ruining an entire batch if something goes wrong.

The lard will be this beautiful yellow when hot and in liquid form.  It turns snow white when solid. The lard is very durable.  Some say that it does not need to be refrigerated.  I won't be telling you that.  I do refrigerate mine because I live in a very humid area and I don't want to risk anything spoiling my little pot of liquid gold (even though it would be a solid).   It has been recommended to me that in the refrigerator it is good for 3 months and in the freezer for one year.  By all means, when in doubt, do your own research.

Here is my recipe for the best gluten free biscuits (use this lard):  BISCUITS.


Homemade Lard
Makes about 3 cups (give or take)

2.5 pound of pork fat, preferably leaf fat

1.  Cut your pork fat strips into small cubes.  Mine were about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch.  (see picture above).

2.  In a large stock pot add pork fat cubes.  Turn heat to medium on your stove top.  Mine is electric and I use 4 or 5.  Gas would be set at a low to medium flame.

3.  Stir pork cubes occasionally to prevent them from sticking to bottom of your pot and to rotate the cubes in the pot.  After a few minutes you will start to see a small amount of rendered lard on the bottom.  After 30 minutes you should have a few inches.

4.  While the fat is rendering, prepare a glass jar with a piece of cheesecloth or thin cloth.   See picture above.  You will strain the lard often.  The lard takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to render completely.  I find the last little bit of time is the hardest because the cracklings are almost done and the fear of burning everything is high.  This is why you want to strain the lard off of the cracklings often.

5.  Once everything is rendered the lard needs to cool.  As it cools the yellow liquid changes to a solid of pure white.  Store in the refrigerator.

6.  I put my cracklings in paper-towel lined basket and sprinkle them with salt.  We eat them like candy or maybe it's pork fat popcorn.  LOL



 Written by Sherron Watson

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Tomato Citrus Jam



I have been dying to make some tomato jam.  My family is a huge fan of tomatoes.  I found a recipe and experimented with the flavors a bit and decided that I really liked my version better.  

I added cinnamon, orange zest and orange pulp.  The orange added a unique citrus flavor profile.  I used the tomato jam as a condiment to our grilled cheese sandwiches.  The pictures show our favorite, open faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

I found the longer it sat in the refrigerator the more developed the jam became.  Although, it did not last that long because I could not stop eating it, maybe four or five days.



Tomato Citrus Jam
Makes roughly 1 cup of jam

1 1/2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 8)
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 orange, pulp and juice only
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)


1.  To remove the skin from the tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Cut an X on the top of each tomato and add to boiling water.  After one minute, remove and let cool for a minute or two.   The skin should peel easily in your hands. Cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces.

2.  Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients to a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stirring often to prevent jam from burning.  Once jam has boiled for one minute, reduce heat to a simmer and let jam thicken.  Again, stir it every once in a while. The jam should take about an hour to reduce and thicken up.

3.  Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings.  Store in refrigerator.  Good for two weeks.



Written by Sherron Watson



Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Lacto-Fermented Ketchup



Over the past few years I have been doing some reading and research into Lacto-Fermented foods and the health benefits of introducing these recipes into our diets.  I have fun learning new skills and this technique of making and preserving food fascinates me.

Fermented food is something that I have always liked and enjoyed eating.  One of my favorites is sauerkraut.  I will have a recipe for this on the blog soon.  I have been making this ketchup for over a year now.  My kids eat a lot of ketchup.  A lot to me is 2 bottles a month.  We eat ketchup on our eggs, with meat, potatoes, hamburgers, etc....  I also use it as an ingredient in several recipes-meatloaf being the most popular.

I have two delicious meatloaf recipes on the blog:  Mini-Meatloaves and Meatloaf in a bread pan.




Organic Ketchup gets expensive when you eat as much as we do so I decided to make my own.  I like the flavor of this recipe.  Don't be shocked by the use of fish sauce.  The smell in the bottle is enough to gag you but once it is used in the recipe that all goes away.  If you are nervous for the first batch then use less and see how it taste to you.  Honestly, people love it when they come to my house and have no idea that fish sauce is one of the ingredients. 

If you are new to lacto fermented food I have several books that I keep in my cookbook collection to answer any questions that I have.  My first book is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  It is a nice thick book that has lots of recipes for healthy eating.  The second book is True Brews: How to Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir, and Kombucha at Home by Emma Christensen.  The second book has more to do with drinks but we drink several fermented drinks in our home too.

Fermentation has helped me heal my gut.  It makes me feel good.  I don't have the stomach problems I have had in the past.  I hope to introduce you to more lacto fermented foods as I make and develop recipes for them over the next year.   It is something I really believe in and want to encourage people to make and use in their own homes.  This is a recipe from Sally's book to give you an idea of what you will find in her collection of recipes.

NOTE:  I have linked several ingredients and the books to my Amazon store.  There is no obligation to buy.  I make a small fee from each sale. This is a great way for me to share with you what products we use in our home. 


Lacto-Fermented Ketchup
Makes 1 quart-Adapted from Nourishing Traditions

3 cups canned Organic Tomato Paste
1/4 cup of whey (see below how to make this at home)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup--use the real thing
1/4 teaspoon cayenne--this is optional
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/4-1/2 cup commercial Fish Sauce  <--this is the brand we use but any brand will work

1.  In a medium bowl combine and mix all ingredients until well blended.

2.  Add ketchup to a glass canning jar or any jar with a lid that seals.  I use the jars that have the spring loaded lids that latch on the side.

3.  Let ketchup sit on your counter for two days.  Find a dark part of your counter which is out of the way.  I add a sticky note with the date to it so I don't forget when I made it.

4.  After two days, stir ketchup and taste. Store in refrigerator.  Good for 2 months.


How to make whey:  Buy 1 large container of organic plain yogurt.  Place a piece of cheese cloth, folded several times, over a glass jar with a rubber band around the mouth, or tie the cloth to a sturdy wooden spoon and suspend the yogurt in the jar. The idea is the yogurt to drain and for the glass jar to catch the whey.  Pour yogurt into the cheese cloth.  Let it drip on the counter for 3 hours.  You should have about 1.5 cups of whey and some delicious greek yogurt.  (If you let it drip longer the yogurt will turn into cream cheese)  Store in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

The picture below is my whey that I keep in the refrigerator. The whey will settle once it has sat in the refrigerator.  The picture below is after it has been stirred.



Written by Sherron Watson



Sunday, June 29, 2014

Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta #SundaySupper


We are celebrating summer and July 4th in our Sunday Supper group this week with things to take on a picnic, to the beach, your favorite neighborhood BBQ or simply to enjoy at home.

I have wanted to make this dessert for a while and decided to try my hand at a homemade version that would have less refined sugar and made from homemade ingredients.  

I recently bought beef gelatin and set out to make several things.  I first made my own jello.  The red jello you see is made with three simple ingredients: unsweetened pomegranate juice,  raw honey and beef gelatin.  It was really easy!  I have included the recipe down below.

The second thing I wanted to make was panna cotta.  I love the smooth, yet set, feel of this dessert. My only concern was the dairy.  We are trying to cut back and so I wondered if I could use coconut milk.  I discovered that you can and it works like a charm.  I added a bit more beef gelatin to the recipe to make it more "jello-like" so it is firmer than a regular panna cotta.  Recipe is also shared below.

So--you basically get three recipes for the price of one!  





A funny side note about the panna cotta.  I have a schedule each day.  The schedule is centered around nap times.  If you have kids and work from home you might relate to this issue too.  When nap times happen I know that I have exactly 92 1/2 minutes and 39 seconds (roughly speaking, of course) to get about 4 hours of work done.  

It is a race in my kitchen of grabbing, cooking, slicing, picture taking, cooking, washing--yeah, I am sure you are starting to get the picture--so imagine my complete and udder frustration when I have to deal with a malfunctioning piece of ---- (won't say that out loud).  

My husband, for 26 years, has held his tongue about owning an electric can-opener.  I cannot stand these things and have forbidden the purchase of one.  Well, I caved a month ago.  If he wants one, then fine--buy one. 

He did.

It has worked okay. Not great but I have suffered through it. I even put my hand-held can opener out into our trailer (by the way, that is a pop up and the kitchen is not close to the door).

Rye had a follow-up appointment with her oral surgeon and Cory drove so that during nap time I could make this dessert. Everything was fine and on schedule until it came time to make the panna cotta.

Two cans of full fat coconut milk are needed and outside of gnawing the tops off I had to use the electric can opener. I mentally prepared myself and hoped for the best.

Well, I fought with that dang thing for 30 minutes trying to get it to work. I won't repeat the thoughts that were going through my mind but it involved the use of my windows and possibly a huge sledge hammer.

I am trying to be zen like and not get too excited about little things like this and so I decide its not worth it and get my knife and hammer out. DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME--unless you are desperate and need to work while your baby is asleep.

To make a long story short, I got the cans open, made the panna cotta and made my husband stop by the store for a manual can opener on his way home.

I think that peace will once again return to the Watson home.  

You will notice that I have included two pictures that are not stained glass. This is how I used any of the leftover ingredients. I made individual portions to see how it would work.  I loved that they slipped out of the little pyrex bowl and made these cute little desserts.  Next time I will serve them with some berries and whipped cream.



Isabella thought they were really fun to play with and slurp.

Do you remember slurping Jello as a kid?

Please visit my fellow Sunday Supper contributors to learn, discover and find a few more delicious recipes for your summer fun.  Links are at the end of this post.




Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta

Makes one 7X11 baking pan

1 box of blue Jello, prepared for the Jigglers
1 batch of homemade red beef gelatin Jello, recipe below
1 batch of homemade coconut milk panna cotta, recipe below

NOTE:  I used a store bought Jello box because I could not find any true blue juice at my grocery store and in order to do a red, white and blue theme--I had to use this product.  You can also make this using any color gelatin and name it "Broken Glass"  or  "Sea Glass".

1.  Take prepared Jello's and dice them into small pieces with a sharp knife.  Mine ranged in size from a half inch to smaller.



2.  Place all of the blue and red jello pieces in the bottom of a baking dish.  If you use a larger or smaller version than what is recommended your dessert will be either thinner or thicker.

3.  Prepare the coconut milk panna cotta and pour over the red and blue pieces.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until solid.  About 2-3 hours depending on refrigerator.

4.  When set, remove from refrigerator and slice to serve.  I sliced mine into bite size rectangles.  They can be cut using your favorite cookie cutter too.

5.  Store left overs in an air tight container and refrigerate.


Homemade Jello

1 cup of unsweetened juice.  I used pomegranate to get the red.
1 tablespoon beef gelatin
1 tablespoon raw honey

1.  Add juice and gelatin to a small sauce pan.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  The gelatin needs time to soften and expand.

2.  Place sauce pan on medium heat and warm.  DO NOT BOIL!  Boiling will ruin the gelatin.

3.  Once the juice is warm.  Remove from heat and add honey.  Stir until combined.

4.  Add juice-gelatin mixture to a small bowl.  My bowl was square 4X4.

5.  Let set in refrigerator.  At least an hour.

6.  Remove from refrigerator and serve.  Cut into small pieces, slabs, shapes, etc...



Homemade Coconut Milk Panna Cotta

3 cups (or two cans) of full fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons beef gelatin
1/3 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons of vanilla

NOTE:  A traditional panna cotta is served with berries or has berries in it.  I used the red and blue jello in place of this in the pictures above.  This panna cotta will set very firm.  To make it softer but still set, use 2 tablespoons of gelatin instead of 3.

1.  In a medium sauce pan add one can (1.5 cups) of coconut milk and gelatin.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

2.  Place sauce pan on medium heat and warm coconut milk.  DO NOT BOIL.  When steamy, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

3.  Let cool slightly--if you don't do this part--then you will see some of the jello bleed into the dessert.  This did not bother me but you may think differently.  I suggest wait about 10 minutes.  If you are not adding it to a dish full of jello pieces, then go ahead and add to your serving dishes (large or small) and wrap with saran wrap.

4.  Let set for 3 hours.  Serve with berries and whipped cream.


LOOKIE HERE---LOTS OF DELICIOUS PICNIC RECIPES! 

ENJOY

Are you looking for picnic recipes? Look no further than this fabulous list by Sunday Supper contributors. It is everything you need for a scrumptious day in the great outdoors.

Beverages
Orange Blossom Iced Tea by girlichef
Red, White, and Blue Sangria by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
Best Picnic Wines by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Appetizers
Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls by Daily Dish Recipes
Peppadew Dip by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Savory Red, White, and Bleu Truffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains
Asparagus and Cheddar Quiche by Mess Makes Food
London Broil with Caramelized Red Onions by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Stilton Potato and Stilton Pies by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Waffle Batter Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Sides
Mushroom and Gruyere Cheesecake by Peaceful Cooking
Scotch Eggs by Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Salads
Caprese Pasta Salad by La Bella Vita Cucina
Farro & Walnut Salad by Foxes Love Lemons
Fruit Tortellini Salad by Jelly Toast
Gluten Free Potato Salad by Gluten Free Crumbley
Japanese Noodle Salad by Noshing With The Nolands
Kale and Quinoa Tabbouli by Healthy. Delicious.
Layered Chicken Salad by Nosh My Way
Lightened Up Macaroni Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Loaded Potato Salad by Granny’s Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking
Mexican 3 Bean Salad by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Old Fashioned Potato Salad by Life Tastes Good
Orzo Salad with Kale Pesto by Cooking Chat
Pizza Pasta Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
Red, White and Blue Fruit and Cheese Salad by Shockingly Delicious
Tomato Bean Salad by Family Foodie
Tuna Noodle Salad by Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
Vegetable Salad by Magnolia Days
Veggie Pasta Salad by Pescetarian Journal
Watermelon and Feta Salad with Verjus by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Sandwiches and Wraps
Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Panino con la Salamella by Manu’s Menu
Roast Beef Wraps by Cookin’ Mimi

Sweets
Banana Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Berry Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups {#glutenfree option} by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Cherry Chip Blossom Cupcakes by NinjaBaking.com
Cherry Pie Crumb Bars by The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
Chocolate Chunk Brownies by What Smells So Good?
Chocolate Syrup Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies by Alida’s Kitchen
Flag Cake by Pies and Plots
Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies by Feed Me, Seymour
Red, White, and Blue Berry Angel Food Cake Parfaits by Neighborfood
S’mores Crumb Bars by The Redhead Baker
Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta by Simply Gourmet
Strawberry Banana Oat Muffins by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.



Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? Click here: Sunday Supper Movement



WRITTEN BY SHERRON WATSON





Friday, June 20, 2014

Tortellini and Sausage Soup




I love making homemade pasta for my family.  I made these little tortellini's in March for a magazine shoot.  We were sharing ideas for taking our lunches to school or work.  

I shared several kid friendly recipes but I also wanted to have an easy adult recipe.  I make ravioli's all the time and decided to make these cute little "belly-button" filled pastas to add to a broth-based soup. I kind of get tired of eating creamy soups and this was nice to have a soup base that was slurp-able.  Although I don't recommend slurping your soup at work--just sayin'.

I know that filled pasta is tricky for those that eat gluten free.  I have found, at Whole Foods, they carry a gluten free filled pasta in the cheese section.  I have not tried it yet but my friends have and they think it is wonderful.  The texture and flavor are both good.  If you don't have a recipe that you use at home I would suggest this as an alternative for this recipe. 

If you want to make your own gluten free wrappers for the tortellini, here is a recipe you can try.  I am working on my own version of a gluten free pasta to make stuffed raviolis and tortellinis. That recipe will come out next week--so check back.


Making homemade pasta is fun and the filled versions are not hard to master.  Time consuming?  A little bit but if you plan the time then it won't be a problem.  The kids love to help make pasta so this is a fun family friendly activity to do together.

Make the homemade pasta only if you want and desire to experience that part of the soup.  Otherwise use your favorite store bought filled pasta.  Do what fits your schedule and family dynamics.



Tortellini and Sausage Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

2 large sausage links, I use the ones from Whole Foods--usually a spicy variety.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced small
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh baby spinach 
2 cups uncooked tortellini (fresh or frozen/store bought or homemade)
Salt and pepper,to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, optional
grated parmesan cheese, optional

1.  In a medium frying pan add olive oil. Turn heat to medium.

2.  Cut sausage links into 1 inch pieces.  Cook in oil until done.

3.  Remove sausage pieces to a paper towel and set aside. Add diced onion and bell pepper to oil (add more oil if needed).  Cook for 3 minutes, add garlic.  Continue cooking for 1 more minute. Be careful to not burn the garlic.

4.  In a medium stock pot, add broth, diced tomatoes and the vegetables from above.  Bring to a boil.

5.  Add tortellini and cook until pasta is cooked through.  Time will vary based on whether you are using fresh or frozen pasta.

6.  When tortellini is done, add sausage pieces and fresh spinach/kale.  Stir and let set for 5 minutes.  The spinach will wilt in the hot broth.  

7.  Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese or store in air tight containers for up to one week.

This was an image for the lunch article I wrote.  This little cup held about 1 1/2 cups of soup.

Written by Sherron Watson


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