Swai

 Travelin' Thru Time

     Here it is, another weekend gone by. Just imagine, in 4 years, 7 months and 2 days I will finally be in the non-workforce of individuals who call themselves retired. Hurry up time, I am chomping at the bit to be there! When it finally arrives, I can begin to really focus on my cooking and exercise regimen. Plus all that spare time to travel more. Lots of places to see, yet so little time right now. Oh well, at least there is a plan in place to get me there.

Happy Birthday to the Light of my Life

     We did a small getaway last weekend in Pasadena. It was Katrina's birthday so we met some friends at The Langham Hotel on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's dinner at The Langham's premier restaurant, The Royce, was superb. Several bottles of Domaine Canero`s Pinot Noir helped to elevate the mood and went rather well with all of the courses. We didn't even attempt to do a wine pairing meal because we all knew we would never succeed due to the variety of things we ordered.
     It isn't often that we get to dine in a place that brings you a pre appetizer and after the entree also servers up a pre dessert! I can seriously tell you that I would never want to be on that level of Chef-Dom. Wayyyyy too much work. I love to create dishes, some are good, some are spectacular, others not so much. But I like doing things in my own sweet time, not under pressure. Don't get me wrong, I can deliver tasty and eye pleasing meals in a timely fashion when I need to. Like a Thanksgiving Feast or a dinner party for friends, yet to do that on an everyday basis would take all the pleasure out of it for me.
So with that said, I can truly respect the level of creativity and dedication to fabulous dining that the chefs at The Royce displayed last Saturday evening. The presentation and taste was superb on all the dishes brought to our table.
     After dinner we got to go hang out at the Tap House Bar in the hotel and listen to some great live Jazz, imbibe a bit more on a Carol Shelton wine and down some tasty appetizers like Kobe Beef Sliders.  By just past midnight, the band was finishing up and Katrina was in jeopardy of turning into a pumpkin, so we stumbled our way back to the room for a restful sleep.

Tea Time

     Sunday was sleeping in, checking out just in time, enjoying a rejuvenating brunch at the Terrace restaurant and then heading over to Huntington Library and Gardens to wander the grounds and have tea in the Tea House adjacent to the Rose Garden. This was not like High Tea at The Empress in Victoria, but more on the line of a nice little tasty treat while perusing the gardens. The buffet table has all the requisite finger sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, berries and small sweets, plus some other treats to help fill you. Scones and tea cookies are also in abundance. I will warn you though. If you go on a weekend, be prepared to wait a bit. Even with a specific reservation time we still had to cool our heels for about 25 minutes before being seated.
     Rose and flower gardens are always among my favorite places to stroll and I will show you why with these pics:

     The recently re-opened Japanese Gardens are very serene and I would love to go back on a day that was less crowded to enjoy them a bit more. Perhaps after the newness has diminished it will be better. There are many features to that area that intrigue me. Not the least of them being the Bonsai exhibit. It appears they have more renovation within this garden to accomplish as some portions are fenced off or blocked from entry. I think by next year it will be just splendid.

     Now for the newest dish.

Simply Fish

I have recently been buying something new to come to our local fish market called Swai. It is mostly presented as a fillet and has approximately the same texture as Tilapia. While Tilapia can and often does taste a bit muddy, this flavor is just a little sweet.

The Recipe

1 clove thin sliced garlic
Pinch of Paprika or Cajun Spice
1 jumbo egg
1 tsp whole milk
1/3 cup sifted flour
3 tablespoons Canola oil
2 Swai fillets


     This is a simple egg dredge, flour and fry pan process. In a small bowl, whip one jumbo egg with a teaspoon of whole milk and pour the mixture into a shallow pan or dish. Sift the flour into another shallow pan or dish and place them assembly line fashion next to a 12 inch fry pan. Add the oil and sliced garlic to the fry pan and bring to a medium high heat. I think Canola oil is better to use as it doesn't tend to burn as easily as olive oil or other vegetable oils.
     Rinse and pat dry the fillets then lightly dredge them one at a time on both sides through the egg wash then the flour. Try not to overdo the flouring of them. Just a little dusting will do nicely. Place them side by side in the pan, sprinkle with paprika or cajun spice then cover and cook for approximately 6 minutes per side. They may burn slightly and that's OK, but if they burn too much then the heat is too high.
     The egg and flour dredge will help seal in the moisture of the fillets while the garlic will add a pleasant Twyst  to the paprika. When done, remove them from the pan, place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil, then plate them and serve with a vegetable of your choice.

This dish is light, not too fattening, low in cholesterol and tasty. Hope you all enjoy it.

WyckedPete

WOW !! 2 years !!

 As Time Goes Bye

So here it is over TWO YEARS later and I am finally getting back to this blog. A lot has happened in that time, not the least of which we lost Mama-san to cancer. She was just a few days shy of 84, and up until the last 4 months of her life she was still active mentally and somewhat physically. I can still hear her telling me, " Inside my mind I still feel like a 16 year old girl ! "
We all miss her whit, her spunk and the sparkle in her eyes when she spoke of things that brought her great memories. I can only hope that I have that spark when I get to that age.

Traveling

There have been many travel excursions and really excellent dishes that I got to try. Some of the most memorable of them came from our two favorite cities, Paris and San Francisco. Vancouver is a close 3rd in culinary treats though. Probably because of the abundance of extremely fresh Seafood available. We get to travel to these places because of timeshares we own and because of my Lady Katrina's ability to plan and schedule. Love that Lady and her tenacity. If it were just up to me, we would probably not go so many places. Golf, the Beach and Fishing would be my main activities. But that's because I am basically a slug. I'd be content to hang at the man-cave, cook, drink and putter around in the garage. Good thing I have a Motivator.
 As for the trip to Paris, the following photo typifies some of those memorable everyday moments we had at a corner Bistro sipping Espresso and enjoying a perfect pastry.

 I think one of the most artistically inspired days I had was when they let me unleash my camera in Giverney. This is the former estate of Claude Monet. This photo is taken where he painted many of his versions of "The Lily Pond'. This is my own photographic version.

On to the Important Stuff

So on to my latest favorite recipe. This is one I gleaned from the Food Network online pages and added just a few minor Twysts to. It comes from a post by Rachael Ray under Spinach Artichoke Salad. I must say this is a dish I just had to make twice because it tasted so good. All the people I have served it to seemed to be very pleasantly surprised at how complimentary the flavors are. Here is the original Food Network site where I found the recipe:

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/spinach-artichoke-pasta-salad-recipe/index.html

You will find by comparing the ingredient lists that I changed very little there. That is because either way you put this dish together it still comes out fantastic. Below is my list.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1 package fresh three cheese filled tortellini  [most markets have Contadina or Butoni Brands available]
• 1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
• 1&1/2 (15-ounce) cans baby artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered [don't use the ones marinated in oil as this makes the mix too oily. The baby artichoke hearts can usually be found at a Smart & Final Superstore]
• 1 red roasted pepper, peeled and chopped
• 1 yellow roasted pepper, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, Julienne cut
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• zest from 1 whole lemon
•  juice from 1 whole lemon
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme [ give the ground thyme 20 min to marinate in the lemon juice before mixing]
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaf
• pepper to taste [ I suggest 1/2 tsp]

The directions for composing this salad are:

Bring  water to a boil in a 5 quart pot. Salt boiling water and add pasta. Once the water begins to boil again, cook for 4 minutes, or until pasta is just tender and the tortellini all float. Do not overcook the pasta as the filling will come out, the pasta will taste soggy and they will lose all their flavor. I know that the directions on the package say to cook them longer, but it just isn't so. Drain & rinse in cold water, then spread them out to damp dry on a cookie sheet or parchment paper.

Lightly chop the baby spinach. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, artichoke, roasted red & yellow pepper and red onion. Mince the garlic, then add a pinch of the salt and mash it into a paste with the flat of your knife or with a garlic press. Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and add the lemon zest, lemon juice containing the marinated thyme and also the vinegar to it. Add the oil and pepper and the remaining salt, then thoroughly whisk the mix together. Add pasta to the other salad ingredients, then lightly toss in the dressing. Serving immediately is preferred but you can refrigerate for later service and it will still be fine. If you do serve it later, be sure to re-toss to loosen up the mix. Yes, it does make a difference.

Just had to add another Twyst

In the back of my mind is an idea that next time I make this dish I may incorporate some chopped Jalap`eno or Haben`ero to the mix.

MMMMMM! I could really get on board for that one. 

 I hope you enjoy this re-creation of Rachael's dish. I know that we do!

 ps

I leave you for now with a photo taken at Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel tower. We enjoyed not only the 5 course wine pairing meal, but also the showmanship of the wait staff. There was a waiter for every function within the dining experience! They even had a waiter who's only job was to change the silverware! By far the best 2 or 3 hours we could have spent that day. I'm not really sure of the time, it's all a fuzzy blur now. Must have been the wine.

This was taken on one of Katrina's Zero Birthdays, my present to her. You just have to do something special on Zero birthdays!

 

WyckedPete

 

California Fusion Seafood

A favorite pastime of mine is to take seafood and do fun things with it. Besides just munching on it. I made this dish one day shortly after New Years and my lovely lady Katrina was quite happy for a few hours. Originally she wanted Pizza, and when the meal settled but a scant few hours later she was quite frustrated that there wasn't any leftover to sate her appetite. The late evening declaration "We should have gotten the Pizza!"  was noted, but totally ignored by me. We are after all supposed to be dieting and training to walk 13.1 miles in the  Huntington Beach 1/2 Marathon next February. ( we bought a pizza the following night after walking 6 miles for our training !)
This dish was way easy to make and since I already bought some 4 inch spring form pans last summer ( on sale at a Williams Sonoma store ) the presentation turned out quite nice.

All that is required is to take some of your favorite fresh fishes, crustaceans and shellfishes, clean thoroughly and cut them to an edible bite size, add Red and Green Jalapeno peppers to taste, several sprigs of Cilantro leaf lightly chopped, a small quantity of ripe Mango for sweetness and mix this concoction with 1 squeezed lime and 1/4 cup of Late Harvest Chardonnay. If you don't have the Chardonnay you can substitute it with 1/4 cup of Sake and 1/2 tsp Karo white corn syrup. (premixed)

     Fold the entire mixture together gently and pack tightly and liberally into the spring form pan. Place pan on your plate of choice. When the pan is released and gently removed it will look like the above photo. Add a few fresh Blackberry's and Blueberry's for garnish and you have a delightful creation that not only looks good, but tastes good too. But don't forget the Ponzu or Soy sauce with a little Wasabi!

_________________________________________________

My accompanying dish to this was Yellowfin Tuna Tataki. Better known as Ahi tuna.

I merely took an extremely fresh Ahi Tuna Steak that was purchased at a local Japanese Market, cut away the grainy section ( which was used in the previous dish ), coated this fleshy rectangle of Ahi in ground pepper and paprika, seared all four sides on a griddle on the Bar-B-que and cut it into 1/4 in slices. I then placed the pieces on a colorful plate with dollops of Red, White, Brown and Wild rice. 

Just add some steamed veggies plus your favorite wine and this becomes a healthy, heart smart, fat burning meal for two.

Wp

Next up  ---  Wok Fried Tempura Temptations

[not so heart healthy]

Food & Fun 2010

Hot off the computer keys for 2010!! 

     We went to a fabulous show at The Great Park in Irvine, California yesterday!  Kooza!! Which is one of the newest shows by Cirque De Soleil. It was during the intermission at Cirque's Tapas Rouge event, that I tasted a new favorite canape. Peanut butter, honey and bananas on a roll. Elvis would be so proud! 

The rolls they used at this event were just plain bread rolls. So in keeping with my (hopefully unique) Twyst, I propose using the ever popular Kings Hawaiian rolls that are in most every Von's or Safeway store in California. 

     Generously spread peanut butter on half a lightly toasted  roll, add several dabs of honey, layer on two elongated slices of fresh Banana, sprinkle with sugar and then carmelize the sugar with a torch and you have a little bit of heaven on a roll. These are simple, inexpensive, and from the impressions I saw in the large number of people at the event, they will be quite a hit at any party.

     Now I just wonder if they would be better with Chili paste spread on the roll first? I only pose this question because another thing that Katrina and I ( the Nephews too ) like to have for a treat is to cut several Kings Hawaiian rolls in half, place them on a sheet of tin foil, then spread a bit of Sambal Olek Red Chili Paste on the roll, we then add a slice of Cheddar Cheese and crisp them in a toaster oven for 4 minutes. Sweet, spicy and CHEEEEESE!

Well, looks like more experiments are in the Que for this year!

Wp

Next on the menu, Fusion Sushi!

Fun with Curry

WowZa!! It's been a real lollapalooza for work hours lately! It's funny how water and electricity just don't mix well. So that means ( for me ) that  working 12 hour days every day of the week and 10 hour days on the weekends are the norm right now. But the thing that is the real kicker is getting wet and cold, but never having a chance to dry out during these long days. So now that the sun seems to be returning a bit and the cold snap is still with us, I decided today that what I would really like in my lunch box is a container of homemade soup. As luck (and a wonderful Lady like Katrina) would have it, my favorite Gal bought me an early birthday present. A portable Microwave Oven for my work truck! So now I can heat up my lunch without having to beg the guys at the local 7-Eleven to allow me to use theirs. Always for a fee of course. The soup I made tonight was quite tasty although a bit spicy. But I made it to suit my  tastes and I just love spicy.

The ingredients:

• 2 Jalapeno Peppers  -  quartered and sliced
• 1/3 cup sweet yellow onion  -  sliced & diced into large pieces
• 1/3 cup carrot  -  1/8 inch slices
• 2/3 cup sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced Red Bell Pepper
• 2 stalks sliced Asparagus 
• 1/2 cup chopped Green Onion - just the green ends
• 2 tablespoons dried Cilantro Leaf from the spice cabinet
  
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt
• 3 tbsp Red Curry powder
• 1 tsp Celery Seed
• 3 cloves crushed Garlic
• 1/3 cup Cus Cus / Orzo / dried Pea mix from Trader Joes
• 1 dozen 10 count Shrimp from Costco - shelled and sliced into quarters
• 2 - 12 oz  cans chicken stock 
• 3 cups water
  

Cut up all the items and add into a suitable pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to serve. If you are going to use it for lunches ( like me ), then let it cool long enough to put into a large container for storage in the refrigerator.

I must warn you that this is very very spicy! To bring the spice down a bit, delete 1 of the Jalapeno's and 1 of the tbsp's of curry. Hope you enjoy my newest creation. I sure will!

Wp

Lamb Filled Cabbage Rolls

Appetizers For Thanksgiving

This year I was informed by my Lady Katrina that I was not going to be allowed to overdo Thanksgiving. I thought this was the perfect time to set out a Feast of Foods, but it turns out that last year we ended up tossing way too many dishes in the garbage bin. So this year will be all the traditional items, but I am being limited to just a couple appetizer dishes for those that show up early. I suppose that will give me less time in the kitchen and more time with the family,  but I enjoy the challenges of the kitchen. Timing every dish to be ready at the appointed hour, making sure the meal is still hot but not dried out. From pulling a perfectly browned and still moist Turkey out of the oven to the ooohs and aaahs when the guests get to take the first bite. My soul is in cooking for enjoyment. And I must feed my soul as well as my body.

So today I prepared an appetizer that will be quickly finished on Thanksgiving morning.

Lamb and Mint Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

The filling:

• 2 lbs ground Lamb
• 1/3 cup fresh Mint leaves - lightly chopped ( approx 20 sprigs of mint - no stems )
• 1 seeded and finely chopped Jalapeno
• 2 pinches of Thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground White Pepper
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt
• 1 finely chopped Bay Leaf
• 1 cup finely chopped Sweet Onion
• 1 cup grated Keflotiry Cheese
• 1 cup cooked rice blend

The rice blend comes from either Trader Joe's Market or Albertson's Market. it consists of wild rice, long grain white rice, brown rice and red rice. It adds a unique flavor and helps the lamb form a nice meatball within the cabbage.

The grated Keflotiry cheese can be found at any local Greek market. If there isn't one of them in your area, you could substitute with a half and half mix of Asiago and Romano cheeses.

Precook rice as directed on package. Set aside uncovered to cool. Turn rice occasionally with a fork to keep from sticking together. When cool, mix the rice, onion, mint, jalapeno, spices and grated cheese together thoroughly in a large bowl. Add the ground lamb and mix well by hand. When the mixture is evenly blended, put it in a large Zip-lock bag and refrigerate while preparing the cabbage leaves.

The Wrap:

• 1 large head of Savoy Cabbage

Remove the stem core from the cabbage and plunge into a large pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove from pot, drain well and carefully remove the leaves one at a time. If the leaves in the center of the cabbage are still not pliable, re - immerse for a few minutes more while the water is still boiling.

With a sharp knife, carefully pare back the thick vein in the center of the leaf. (see photo)

You only want to remove the high ridge of the vein, not completely cut through it.

After preparing all of the leaves, start the filling and wrapping. It's OK to put more lamb filling in some of the larger leaves and less in the smaller ones. This is how it looks when rolling.

Wrap the sides over the meat and then continue the roll.

Continue until all the leaves are used.

To cook rolls, place close together in a large pot, with the seam side down. Layer them if needed. Place a large dish face down on top of the rolls to keep them weighed down and then cover them with a mix of 3 cups water and 3 cans of chicken stock. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove rolls from pot and set aside. Don't throw out the stock as you will need it for the sauce.

The Sauce:

You can use many different sauces for these treats, but the one I like best is a tart lemon pepper sauce. To make it you will need:

• 3 eggs - well beaten or whipped
• juice from 3 lemons
• 4 cups chicken stock from pot
  
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• white pepper - to taste

Beat or whip the eggs till frothy. Mix cornstarch with the cold water a little at a time to keep from lumping. Bring the stock to a boil, reduce heat and fold in the cornstarch mixture a little at a time until the stock thickens. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Fold the thickened stock into the beaten eggs a few spoonfuls at a time until all the stock is mixed into the beaten eggs. Put this mixture back on the burner, pepper to taste and reheat on medium for 3 minutes. Stir continuously. Do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat and ladle over the plated Lamb rolls.

I think you're going to really like the intricate flavors of this dish. The mint and lamb really go well together and the sauce just makes it pop! Katrina convinced me to do a sampling of this appetizer today, and gave it a two thumbs up with a twist and snap. Whatever that means.

This dish went very well with a bottle of Zinfandel.

I hope your Thanksgiving turns out as wonderful as mine will !

Wp

Las Vegas Weekend

I just so happened to be able to spend a fun 3 days away in Las Vegas this past weekend ! Believe it or not, I spent a whole 10 minutes gambling in a three day time frame. Not that I was broke, but because we were all having such a great time doing other things. We ate, we drank, we danced ! Our fun loving group of 7 got to see two shows that we had not been to before. Saturday night it was Rita Rudner, and on Sunday we were treated to Bette.

Rita is by far one of the most subtle comedians still performing. She leads you through her show one liner at a time and constantly makes you LOL. And then there's the Divine Ms M. What a fabulous production. Nothing but gorgeous ladies, feather fans and lots of Diva on this stage ! Saturdays dinner was at a little known but very impressive restaurant by the name of The Range at Harrah's. They had a Jazz combo up front at the bar and the music resonated throughout the dining areas. Sundays meal was at  Nero's  along Cleopatra's Way in Caesars Palace. The food was delicious and the service was expertly delivered. Our wait staff really knew how to make our time there memorable.

As for gambling, well, the comedian George Wallace has it just right. Craps is just as easy as BlackJack. You put your money on the table and they take it. I believe the same could be said for the C-note I put on the Roulette table.

But the best part of my time spent there was the group of friends I was with. They love life and living it the best way they know how.

After coming back from all that rich food and drink, I was pleasantly surprised to learn fom the Wii that I had only gained just over a pound. Must have been the dancing. Lot's of that. So after all those great meals, I just had to make something to compare. I started a pot of Great White Northern beans Tuesday morning in the crock pot.

Great White Northern Beans Recipe

• 3 small bags dried beans - rinsed and sorted
  
• 1 Sweet Onion - diced
  
• 1 clove Elephant Garlic- minced
• 4 Jalapenos - sliced
• 8 oz sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
• 1/2 pound Pork shoulder - whole
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
  
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves- no stems - lightly chopped
• 2 tbls Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil
  

Combine rinsed beans and 12 cups of water in crock pot. I like to preheat the water in the microwave before putting it in the crock. It always takes so long to heat the crock, and I don't enjoy wasting time and electricity waiting for things to get to the right temperature for cooking.

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms and combine in a large skillet. Heat on high with the butter or olive oil until the mushrooms begin to get limp and the onions are translucent. Blend mixture into the beans with the rest of the ingredient list. Try to insert the pork cut towards the bottom of the pot. It cooks better down there and adds more of it's flavor to the top half of the pot that way. Stir occasionally.

 The Veggies and Seafood

While the beans are cooking, prepare 1 & 1/2 dozen Baby Brussels Sprouts. Pare off the cut stem ends and any discolored leaves. Baby Brussels are sweeter than the larger ones, and they finish up more tender inside. In a medium bowl, combine:

• pinch of cumin
• pinch of ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground Cardamon
• 1/3 cup Virgin Olive oil

Toss the sprouts in the spiced oil mixture until well coated. Remove from mixing bowl and set aside.

Toss 1/2 dozen Baby Bella mushrooms, 1 small Zucchini - quartered-  in the spiced oil bowl, (add more oil if needed) until lightly coated. Set on a piece of foil.

Peel 2 defrosted Jumbo Shrimp and marinate in Crystal Pepper Sauce. (Referenced post)

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees, place Brussels Sprouts on foil on an upper rack in the grill. (see photo)

Grill for 22 minutes, turning 4 times. They may char on the outside, but you can remove those outside leaves if you want. Grill the mushrooms and Zuc's for 12 minutes. Turn once. I also like to add a rinsed and lightly oiled Jalapeno to the grill to cook alongside. Next I added a 1/2 pound fillet of Salmon to the grill. Grill the seasoned fillet  for approximately 15 minutes, skin side down, depending on thickness. The shrimp will grill very quickly so they should be tossed directly onto the grill during the last five minutes of the process and only turned once.

When you are all done with the grilling, you should have a dish that looks something like this:

It is just enough to fill two people up without getting stuffed. There is also the added benefit of all that healthy food that really does taste great.  And if you're still hungry afterwards, well then there's lot's of beans left !

Katrina paired this with a bottle of Justin Cabernet. For me -- Tequila with Lime & seltzer.

Work Gets in the Way

I can't believe it's been so long between this post and my last one! Mostly due I believe to the extra time I've been at my regular job and how worn out it makes me. The good news is that more savings get put away for retirement, the bad news is that I have less time right now to do that which is enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I still get out and about on some weekends. Katrina makes sure of that. But during the week it becomes a drudge just to go through email, much less write about life and food. 

So I took the plunge and bought the new Blackberry Storm II. Now I can get my email anywhere I go, from all of my services. This should hopefully give me more time to write. One of the email groups I am a part of can sometimes get more than a hundred posts during a single day! This will allow me to sort and delete on a better time-line during the day, and not be stuck going through so much at once when I get home. Plus I now have Wi-Fi and can go to the Web whenever I need to without incurring the wrath of the IT snoops at my workplace. 

On to important news! 

I have promised that I would share some bean recipes, and so I shall. The following ingredients are what I add to every pot of beans that I make. The only variable about these items are the quantities.

• Jalapenos ( red and green )
  
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cayenne or Paprika
• Cumin

There are several ways to prepare the beans themselves. You could use a crock and slow cook them from scratch, or use a pot on the stove top the same way,  or do it the easy way and buy canned beans and just cook long enough to blend the flavors together. Your choice. Depending on the time I have, my favorite is the crock pot, but most of the time it's can city baby! The beans I use most are:

• Pinto beans ( whole- not refried )
• Red Kidney beans
• Navy beans 
• Great White Northern beans
• Black beans
• Red Chile beans in a can
• Garbonzo beans in a can
• Lentils

I also use in varying quantities:

• Precooked Rice- brown is best
• Canned Corn
• Mushrooms
• Beef or Pork

The best way to find out what suits your tastes is to experiment with all of the ingredients and find the flavor you like the most.

A recent example of what I prepared is:

• 1 whole Sweet Onion-diced
• 1 large clove of Elephant Garlic-chopped fine
  
• 4 green Jalapenos - sliced
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1 package Baby Bella Mushrooms- sliced 

 Cut and put in a large pot on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and cook till onions are translucent.  Then add:

• 1 cup Precooked Rice
• 3 cans Whole Pinto beans
• 2 cans Whole Red Kidney beans
• 1 can Garbonzo beans
• 1 can corn

Bring to a slow boil and simmer on low for one hour. Stir every 10 minutes to keep the bottom from burning.

This will give you a dish with plenty of flavor, spice, lot's of protein and the added value of little or no fat. 

You can add meat too. But just get something like a pork loin which has less fat, or a beef cut that has the fat trimmed off.  Add the meat in large pieces to the onion and garlic mixture right at the start, simmering  for 90 minutes after the beans are added. That gives the meat a chance to get tender and shred easily.

Well folks, I hope this helps those who want to lose some weight without starving. I know it has helped me. This mornings weigh in on the Wii was 217. Down 4 pounds from my last post. I still am somewhat hungry most of the day, but at least my navel isn't rubbing my backbone. And eat some veggie or fruit snacks every few hours,  it will help stave off the hunger to some degree. Plus it will help make your poop float! It's alway's healthy to keep the colon running smooth and easy. Most importantly, eat a decent breakfast. It will set the tone for your diet all day long. I have had great luck eating Kashi mixed with blueberry's, blackberry's raspberry's and banana's. Pour a bit of 2% milk over it and I am ready for the world!

Oh yea, be ready for the gas, it's gonna happen!
WP

Beans, Beans and More Beans

Beans, Protein and also a bit of Gas

I have been on a diet now since April, 2009. I weighed in at 266 pounds and decided that if I ever wanted to see my Willy again, I better lose some fat. You can only tell your lover to push back the fat for so long. Then they just give you that LOOK, you know the one!  I needed a sensible diet that would allow me to eat enough to make sure I wasn't starving all the time and still get the protein I needed without fat content. So I settled on beans as my main source of food. I had in past times gone through Weight Watchers diets, Lindora Diet Hell (no Carbs! That is my Hell) and other faddish nonsense.  This time I decided to devise a regimen that I could stick with. It didn't have to include outlandish expectations. Why try to fool myself into believing it could be done in a few short months. I mean WTF, it took me years to put it on, if it takes a few years to get it back off than hey, such is life! I have been very diligent in my quest though, so now I can say that the Wii Fit no longer says " That's Obese! " when I take my body test. It only tells me that I am overweight. Yeah sure, my bod hasn't seen 165 ( my ideal weight) since I was 16. It most likely never will again. The only way that could happen would be if I got some incurable disease that just wasted me away. But for now, I just want to fit back into my semi fat clothing. And it is working for me. Sensible portions of beans, rice, seafood, low fat beef and pork, chicken, turkey, and of course lot's of veggies. Added in the mix are generous doses of Tequila and Wine to round out my new diet experience. Breakfast consists of Kashi and bananas with raspberry's, blueberries, blackberry's and dried cranberries. Top it with 2% milk for the calcium. For me it's important to have that first good meal of oxidants, potassium and carbohydrates. This helps keep my system charged.  So I might overdo on the odd weekend. I expect to see some gain. Can I take it back off by Thursday? Yes, it can be done. Decide not to exercise? You get wrinkles and flappy skin where the fat used to be and it takes forever to lose even a pound. Walking, cycling, whatever, just DO something! So I do what I can when I can.

I will be posting some bean recipes in the next few days or weeks. I hope they can help you take the plunge. Or at least help in your never ending quest. It's a lifelong challenge, so as Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest says, 

" Never give up!  Never surrender! " 

Oh, by the way, if lot's of farts are too much for you, get some Beano or GasX. Personally, I like to give them descriptive names. Like Butt Flapper, Wet Rhoid or Donald Duck. Even the occasional Wookie  can be heard. But when my brother in law Rex hears one of mine, he only laughs and says "That's just not right".

WP
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Chimayo Returns

Chimayo at the Beach Returns!

We were greatly disappointed last year when Chimayo was replaced by a Savannah Restaurant. We always enjoyed watching the sunset and having Mango Martinis with a really good appetizer. But now we find it has come back! Good times! Plus the menu and drinks are back to what they used to be. When it switched over to being a Savannah, the drinks got smaller in size, the menu got funky and the service went, well  ....  let's just say it wasn't as good. But we found ourselves there on Sunday and saw that it has reverted back to Chimayo! We're doing our Happy Dance again! And how we love to dance!

They are doing an October Lobsterfest similar to the one at The Longboard,  but the prices are a bit higher and the Lob-monsters are one per serving. The good news for those that don't want to get messy hands is that everything is shelled and ready to eat with a fork.

They also have an expanded menu for other Lobster related dishes. There's Mac & Cheese Lobster, Lobster Tacos, Lobster Fritters, Lobster Risotto, Lobster Salad and a few Lobster combination plates too. The drinks are a decent price at Happy Hour during the week and you get to watch the sun set. The best place for us to sit is at the bar because the barmen are entertaining and interesting to chat with. And from the bar, the sunset view is awesome. It almost feels like the end of a day in Maui.

If you go, the restaurant is on the beach level, right at the beginning of the pier. Friday and Saturday evenings you may need a reservation, but call them to be sure. Or just do as we do, go Sunday evening during the off season and enjoy the smaller crowd.

WP