An Oklahoma Road Trip: Chicken Soup and Apple Pie

On a trip through Oklahoma, I was reminded again how deliciously satisfying homemade food can be in restaurants off the beaten path.

We had traveled north from Tulsa, stopping in Pawhuska to visit Ryan Red Corn whose t-shirt company Demockratees is an internet sensation.

Ryan's politically savvy t-shirt designs speak to his reaction to the Bush administration's policies. With Barack Obama's election, Ryan has the opportunity to use his considerable talent to create more inspirational designs.

For breakfast Ryan and his dad, Raymond, took us to a local institution, Sally's Cafe. With a long counter out front and an over-sized table behind the kitchen, Sally's is an authentic diner from the 1930's.

Sitting at a table in the back where Sally was making pies, we had a country breakfast that was as good as it gets; farm fresh eggs, potatoes browned in butter, and home cured ham that was a perfect balance of sweet and salty. For dessert we had a piece of Sally's fresh apple pie, the crust perfectly flaky, the apples soft and tart with just a hint of cinnamon.

Heading south-west, we drove to Pawnee on our way back to Tulsa, passing through countryside that varied from open pasture land to starkly beautiful, wooded hill country. After the long drive we were definitely ready for a big lunch.

Just off Highway 64 in Pawnee, we stopped at Click's Steakhouse. Soup and salad were included in the lunch specials. Everything we ordered (steak, baked potatoes, fried okra, and a hamburger steak) was good, but the homemade soup revived us after so many hours on the road. I couldn't get Click's recipe so I'm offering up my own that adheres to Click's reliance on fresh ingredients.

Chicken Soup With Mushrooms & Rice

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1/2 cup cooked rice (wild, Japanese, or Chinese)
1/2 cup brown mushrooms (washed, thinly sliced)
1/2 cup cooked chicken breast (shredded into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup celery (washed, finely diced)
1/4 cup yellow onion (washed, peeled, finely diced)
1 tablespoon Italian parsley (washed, leaves only, finely chopped)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil and lightly brown the mushrooms, celery, onions, and parsley. Add the chicken breast and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.

Before serving, add the rice and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with bread, rolls, or croutons.

Lo-Cal Breaded Fish Fillets

Growing up, "breaded" meant deep fried and slathered with batter. I didn't really like the thick coating but I loved the crunch. Years later I stumbled on a technique that sautes instead of deep fries and avoids batter, adding crispness without the heft (the technique works for fish and chicken breasts as well).

Breaded Fish Fillets

At the Palisades Farmers' Market we have fresh fish every Sunday. The sole works well for this technique but any white fish fillet would be delicious. By cutting the fillets into 2"-3" pieces, the fish is easier to handle.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound fresh fillet (preferably a white fish)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Wash, pat dry, and cut into pieces 2"-3" in length. On a large plate drizzle the olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. On a second large plate sprinkle the bread crumbs. To coat each piece of fish on all sides, dredge the fillets first through the seasoned oil, then through the bread crumbs and set aside until you've breaded all the pieces.

Spatula the remaining seasoned olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over a medium flame. Add all the pieces and cook until each side is lightly browned, about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with a salad or a side dish of sauteed vegetables (garlic spinach, broccoli and carrots, or tomatoes, parsley and onions) and a topping of capers in a butter sauce.

When Fun Was 90 Proof

A dear friend, Valerie Peterson, has published her second book and just in time for the holidays. Her first book extolled the virtues of cookies and gave detailed directions on the care and baking of the most imaginative cookies I've ever seen.

Now she has turned her sights on holiday drinks. She has written a funny, nostalgic handbook of holiday drinks called Peterson's Holiday Helper. Each drink has specific instructions with photographs that recall a more settled time.

I recommend her book to anyone who wants to discover a new favorite drink or as a stocking-stuffer gift for the holidays. Peterson's Holiday Helper is a keeper.

Roasted Acorns w/Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

When I made this recipe for the first time at the end of squash season, I was beyond excited about. I remember telling my lab-mate about it, and couldn't wait to see them again this fall. Hailing from Gourmet, this is a different take on the sweet squash-- Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile Vinaigrette (why do I always want to spell it 'ia'?? maybe it's the i before e rule...). I think I built it up too much in my head, b/c this time it was good, just didn't knock my socks off. I did like the sweet-spicy thang it's got goin on ;-) Definately a good way to mix things up a bit!


ps- please excuse the tupperware, this batch went in to work for lunch!

Sunday Fun

I had so much fun on my run today, running through the leaves :) Left me feeling like a kid and got me excited for a game of tag! Megan (Megan's Munchies) wanted to learn a little more about me, so here it is.

what to do...

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ok, here we go...

1. Well, you all may have guessed (given my screen name of ttfn300), but I have a thing for tigger. It all started in high school on a sports team... I have more tigger parafanalia and movies than I should without kids!

2. I used to be a bowler. I can't remember when I started, but I competed through high school (yes, we had a varsity team!). Never got that perfect game (I had the first 10, then choked), but made it to states and made many many great friends along the way.

3. Here's one for Erin: I didn't start cooking until grad school. I don't know if it was all the new cuisines I was exposed to, or what, but I love it!

4. Other things I used to do and wish I still did: art (mostly drawing and painting) and playing the piano (especially after hearing mi--but i couldn't hold a candle to her beautiful playing! my mom will find this especially funny as I HATED practicing as a kid).

5. My favorite color is purple, but only the deep shades :) I also like red... and orange...

6. I CANNOT wait to get a dog. I'd get two though, so they could keep each other company! So keep those pet pictures coming people!!!

Now you're it!
Erica (Itzy's Kitchen)
Bridget (Yogurt & Berries)
Gena (Gena Cooks)
Maggie (Say Yes to Salad)
Zesty (Zesty Cooks)
Jess (See Jess Run)


And since Megan is the pumpkin queen, I leave you with some yummy pumpkin walnut muffins!!

Eggplant Gnocchi

Whew! With being out of town last weekend and copious amounts of free food at work, I was so excited to spend the better part of this afternoon in my kitchen!! This weeks BSI, chosen by Meghann, was eggplant! I've already featured an eggplant recipe on here, and wanted to come up with something a bit different. Perusing through Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, it hit me--eggplant gnocchi! Instead of pairing eggplant with pasta, make it into the pasta!


I'm a novice when it comes to dough making, so I followed the instructions pretty closely... all i can say is I tried my best and made a mess of my kitchen counter :) Since it came from the book, i'm not going to infringe on any copyright... let's just say it did contain equal amounts of potato and eggplant! Here's some of the steps I managed to take in between hand washings :)

mashing, mixing...

hmm, can you call what i did "rolling"??

Could've sworn I had pasta sauce, but when I went to find it, I could not :( Oh well, guess I'll have to get on that! These actually came out pretty good, you could taste both the eggplant and potato, and I don't think they were too heavy at all. ~phew~ Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!!!

The Frugal Cook Uses Sauteed Beet Greens to Advantage

Buying beets at a farmers' market has the added advantage that not only are the beets fresh but so are the greens. I'm always amazed when I hear people ask to have the tops taken off and discarded. Beets are delicious and so are the greens. Sauteed with garlic and onions, they can be eaten as a side dish, added to pasta, put into soup, or used on sandwiches.

Sauteed Beet Greens

Yield: 1 cup
Time: 60 minutes

When you buy beets, look for a bunch with the freshest looking leaves. At home, cut off the damaged or discolored ones and discard.

Ingredients

1 bunch beet greens
1 medium yellow onion (washed, peeled, and thinly sliced)
4 garlic cloves (peeled, finely chopped)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Carefully wash the greens in water to remove all the grit. Cut off the stems and finely chop. In a large frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil seasoned with sea salt and pepper until lightly browned. Add the stems and toss together with the onions. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over a medium-low flame, stirring frequently to avoid burning for about 10 minutes.

Roughly chop the beet greens and add to the frying pan. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over the greens and toss well with the cooked stems and onions. Because the greens need to cook slowly to bring out their sweetness, this is a preparation best done when you have other reasons to be in the kitchen. Cook for another 30-45 minutes until the greens have wilted and caramelized. Stir frequently. Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.

Variations

Brown 1 piece of finely chopped bacon with the onions and garlic or 1 Italian sausage finely chopped.

With the onions and garlic sauté 1/2 cup thinly sliced brown mushrooms.

Uses

Toss together with pasta and other sauteed vegetables seasoned with olive oil and grated cheese, or with sauteed Italian sausage rounds.

Add to chicken soup.

As a topping on an open faced sandwich with avocado or fresh tomatoes or cheese or crisp bacon.