Frugal Friday: Chive Blossoms

Chive Blossom Vinegar

• chive blossoms
• white vinegar

Prep Time: 5 minutes               Cooking Time: n/a

Fill a sterilized mason jar with chive blossoms. Add enough white vinegar to cover the blossoms. Cover and let sit in a well lit area for 7-14 days (Remember: The longer, the stronger... For a milder flavor, filter the blossoms out after 7 days. For a bolder flavor, wait 14 days.)

The vinegar will turn a vibrant pink. When it is done "brewing", it can be used as a substitute in recipes which call for vinegar.

Serving Suggestions: Add equal parts EVOO for a modern twist on balsamic vinaigrette. Use as a side with fish and chips. Or create a base with it for crock pot barbecue chicken.

Roasted Turnips with Greens

Roasted Turnips with Greens, Scallions, & Thyme

• 4 turnips with greens
• 3 scallions
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

Prep Time: 5 minutes                 Cook Time: 30 minutes

Begin by washing your produce thoroughly. Cut the greens off the turnips about 2" above the turnip, then cut the turnips into quarters. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise. Heat the coconut oil over low heat in a skillet with a dash of salt and pepper. Add the quartered turnips and scallions. Cover and roast for about 30 minutes or until turnips are tender.

Roughly chop greens with the leaves off a sprig of thyme. In a fry pan, heat EVOO over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes but don't let the greens turn brown. When the roasted turnips have cooked completely, combine both dishes in a bowl and serve.

Serving Suggestion: We enjoyed this with ground chicken burgers. The roasted turnips were amazing and my only regret is that I only made 3!

A Suburban Foodie Living in Rural Illinois

I've always enjoyed experimenting with new foods... Unless you speak with my mom. She will likely recall a time when I ate spaghetti. At restaurants, I literally only ate spaghetti. She would occasionally let me take a "life experience day", which meant that we would both skip out on our responsibilities and explore whatever intrigued us at the moment. Most days began with lunch at Red Lobster, where I would order, yes, spaghetti. But as I matured, so did my palate. I've learned to try everything at least once and preferably cooked in multiple fashions. So when I married, my husband was accustomed to everything frozen and quick. He would at times offer to make dinner and would whip up the most amazing meat loaf known to mankind. But most times, he allowed me creative liberties in the kitchen. Remind me to never share the story of the French Onion Soup. 

Living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, variety was never an issue. I would pass an Asian market on my way to work or cross the street to grab a quick bite at the supermercado. When we decided to move to central Illinois, I had no idea how bland the dinner menu would become. I've scoured Pinterest and googled recipes, but there are only so many ways to prepare potatoes. While trying to find a local source of raw milk, I happened across a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) named Golden Oldies Farm. This concept is nothing new. There are dozens of CSAs in suburban and even urban localities. But in rural Illinois, there are not many. I contacted them for additional information and quickly signed up. Because there are only 3 of us (DH = dear husband, DS = 4.5 year old dear son, and myself), it made sense to split our share between our family and my parents. I'm going to share our experience here and will include recipes for the produce we collect each week. My recipes are dairy free and often vegan, but I will tag them appropriately for quick reference.

Find a CSA farm near you here. Please bear in mind that they often discontinue selling shares once the season has begun, but still contact them because each is individually owned and may operate differently.

Stay tuned for our meals of the week!

Dairy-Free Day!!

It is so difficult to know what is dairy-free and what isn't. I've been wondering if baby J's restless nights are linked with somehting that I've been missing (or something that isn't missing) in his diet. Reaffirmed. Walking into Wendy's today, I noted a large chart, about the size of 3 posters, hanging as I entered the front door. It is a new feature and I am glad they have added it. It has a list of the 7 most common food allergens and their presence (or potential presence) in foods offered by the franchise. They are broken into 3 categories, distinguishable by different colored dots. Red means that the allergen is present, blue means that the food is cooked on the same surface or in the same oil as that allergen (and may be cross-contaminated), and green (?? the colors are on the chart, but I don't recall this one) means that the food is prepared or manufactured on the same line as the allergen (and may be cross-contaminated). Wow! What a concept! Just put it out there for everyone to see. So dairy-free at Wendy's is even more limited than I had believed. There were a lot of red dots. But now I know.

This encouraged me to venture into the land of the unknown regarding other fast food restaurants and allergen information. Here is what I've found so far. I will continue to update the list as I learn more. And remember that just like all processed foods, the ingredients continually change and so the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow.



McDonald's (note that the bottom section lists actual allergens- like milk- and what products they are in)

Arby's lists the allergens in red next to the name of the food item.

Burger King

Chipotle makes it easy by only using dairy in their cheese and sour cream. That's why we love you, Chipotle!

Panda Express says milk in the Orange Chicken and mixed veggies, so no more for baby J, but at least the Mandarin Chicken is still okay!

KFC says go for the Original or Grilled with Dairy allergies, but avoid anything breaded or extra crispy.

Popeye's makes you work for any info. They list all ingredients, but only a few allergens that are contained in each. For example, they list "wheat" as an allergen, but not "milk", although the ingredients clearly state that they contain milk. Sigh. Virtually everything has an allergen. Buh-bye.

You've got to love Subway for just putting it all out there. Usually good old non-processed ingredients.

Taco Bell lists the allergens in a great, easy to use chart; but it is only accessible online. It isn't possible to print it.

Wendy's who gave me this idea.

White Castle for those with iron stomachs.

Have fun eating out with the help of my list! These are just places local to me, but if you'd like to review other options, a great resource is the Go Dairy Free dining out guide and the shopping lists.

What's For Dinner: Kale, Potato, & Chicken Hash

We had started receiving fresh produce deliveries from Ripe Organics, a local small business that arranges organic produce deliveries based on what is at the peak of season at the time. Last week, we received so many goodies, "God's Candy" as I tell baby J. A few items included yummy plums, juicy peaches, fresh romaine, red potatoes, and kale. Yes, kale. What does a midwestern girl do with kale? Google it, that's what. And a recipe came up Bobby Flay. His was a side dish, but if I am going to invest that much time (30-minutes from start to finish) into a dish, it is going to be the entree. So, I improvised. Here is what was for dinner... (Please disregard any preconceived notions, because my husband of 7 years actually asked when we would have it again. I responded, the next time it's delivered.)

8 c. torn kale leaves (about 1/2 bunch; removed from the stalks)
2 T. wasabi and horseradish paste
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/2 t. ground pepper
1/4 t. salt
2 c. cooked shredded potatoes (frozen is fine, but see note below first if using fresh)
3 t. EV olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 lb. ground chicken

Place kale in a large microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted (about 3 minutes). Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

Meanwhile, mix wasabi/horseradish paste, green onions, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes. Stir until mixed.

In one pan, saute ground chicken.

Heat oil and minced garlic in another large nonstick pan (take my word, you'll want non-stick for this one) over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp. This will take 12 to 15 minutes. Just before this mixture is done, add the cooked ground chicken.

Fresh potato tip: Boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

It only took about 30 minutes and it was colorful and delicious! Can't wait for our next delivery to see what we can cook up!!

Oh, and if you have leftover potatoes or a different kind of meat, substitute away. I have a feeling that you can do a lot of substitutions with this simple recipe.

What's For Dinner? Shrimp Scampi Surprise

Shrimp can be expensive, but a little goes a long way in this recipe. This is a yummy family favorite that can be served with rice or pasta. It really works well if there is leftover rice or pasta from a previous meal!

1 c. Shrimp, fresh or defrosted (1 cup defrosted)
1 c. Mixed vegetables, 1 c. frozen
1/2 c. Olive Oil (or 1/4 c. melted butter)
2 c. Rice or Pasta for 4, already prepared
4 cloves Roasted or Fresh Minced Garlic

Marinate shrimp in olive oil (or melted butter) and garlic in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Heat a large skillet on high heat. Add shrimp, olive oil, and garlic. Lower heat immediately and add already prepared rice or pasta. Add frozen mixed vegetables and allow to cook about 5 minutes together, stirring frequently. Season to taste and enjoy immediately!

Mommie, what's for dinner?

I am a self-proclaimed experimental chef. I am always trying new things and creating from leftovers. I often find myself chiming in when someone says they have no idea what to make for dinner. So, I want to share some of my leftover concoctions and minimal ingredient recipes that have gone over very well. I will tag the key ingredients for quick future reference.

Tonight, for instance, I used leftover baked chicken and gravy to make a chicken pot pie. This recipe works well with leftover turkey, too, and only requires 5 common ingredients in addition to the chicken/turkey and gravy.

2 c. chicken or turkey, diced or pulled apart
2 c. gravy (if you don't have any or not enough, make some quickly with bouillon or broth)
1 c. Potatoes, diced and cooked unitl soft
1 small onion, diced
1 c. mixed vegetables, frozen
Refrigerated pie crust, usually 2 per pkg (top and bottom)
Salt, pepper, garlic, etc. to taste

Here goes...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a pie or casserole dish with one pie crust. In a separate bowl, mix together the already diced and cooked potatoes, diced onion, still frozen mixed vegetables, and chicken or turkey. Add gravy and gently mix until it evenly coats the chicken and vegetable mixture. Season to taste. Spoon mixture into pie or casserole dish. Cover with second pie crust and crimp edges. Using a fork, poke a few holes into the top crust. Put in the oven and set the timer for 1 hour. Slice and serve within 10 minutes. Enjoy!