Cook Without Measure

 Clam Chowder with Green Chile and Adobo!  I made the mistake of leaving out green chile from my traditional New England Clam Chowder recipe and Liza would not eat it. She is usually the biggest fan of the clam chowder. My roots in New England have me make a simple clam chowder with onions, potatoes, clams, a few seasonings, and a couple tilapia filets thrown in for added thickness into the basic white sauce foundation.  Additional flavor comes from a chicken broth made from Costco's rotisserie chicken (after we've picked off the meat, I boil the bones for a couple hours to produce a really flavorful broth.  ) To make this flavorful Southwestern Clam Chowder, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Then add a diced onion and at least that much diced potatoes.  Cook until soft. Add salt, pepper, thyme, adobo powder, and green chile powder.  I use very, very finely ground spices.  Be sure there's still some butter/...

  Leftovers are my comfort foods!  After Thanksgiving, there are only so many turkey sandwiches you can eat.  Having something other than the standard Turkey Tetrazini (turkey, cooked pasta, a can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas) is a nice thing.   In the video, I start with putting the diced potatoes into a pot of water to boil.  We will work on the innards while these cook.   To cook the inside of the pie, you'll prepare the veggies: I start with butter and olive oil heated in a large pot.  Add diced onions and celery, then diced carrots.   Those take a little longer to cook, so you need to put them in first.  Then add the veggies that take less long to cook: broccoli, frozen peas, mushrooms and whatever other veggies you'd like. You'll want at least 2 C of veggies.  Then sprinkle some flour over the top, making sure that you have enough oil/moisture in the pot.  Stir so all the veggies are covered in the flo...

  My mother used to make granola in our oven; my sister keeps a cast-iron casserole dish full of home-made granola on her kitchen counter.  While I'm new to making granola, I am enamored with the fact that I can control what's in it and how chewy it is! The ratio of 7 (or 8) to 1 refers to the ratio of the dry ingredients to the wet.  Start by mixing about 4 C oatmeal (any kind of uncooked) with a mostly equal quantity of whatever nuts you like. In the video , I use sliced almonds, pecans, and walnuts. I throw these dry ingredients into a large bowl or pan, sometimes adding about a half bag or a couple cups of shredded (and sweetened) coconut to these dry ingredients.  I use coconut oil (about 3/4 C), melted if it's solid, and some honey as the "1" in the 7 to 1 ratio.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly -- sprinkle some cinnamon over the top if you'd like that. My brother has used cocoa powder to give the granola a yummy chocolate flavor.   Sp...

  Sweet and salty, this is a healthy and hardy stew. It can be vegan or it can be made with butter and chicken broth and topped with mozzarella cheese.  Here's a link to the video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3c0_BE1Tr0&ab_channel=JeanMariner  Saute a diced onion, and diced butternut squash in olive oil until soft (I like adding potatoes, too.) Sprinkle with tumeric, curry, and salt to taste. When it's soft, add about 4 cups of either water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth.  Simmer until the squash and potatoes are really soft and mash-able with a potato masher.  Then, mash away!  Add 1/4-1/2 C of uncooked quinoa and simmer until the quinoa opens into little spirals.  Add a cup or so of coconut milk for added creaminess.   That's it!  With butternut squash and potatoes so inexpensive, this becomes a great option for family meals.  Have over rice for added heartiness. 

A staple in my home growing up, this dish is a comfort food for me. It's been tweaked and adjusted so many different times and ways that I often think of it as several recipes instead of one. I'll present Nonie's recipe as best as I can remember, then I'll include what tweaks and quirks I've included. Video Link:  https://youtu.be/MtBgdhLMB7E Steam a diced head of cauliflower until it's soft (broccoli is also good) Dice a couple cups of ham (I like closer to 1 C, but Gramps likes 2 C) From a white sauce base, add additional milk up to about 2 cups; add about 2 cups of sharp grated cheddar cheese to make a cheese sauce. (season with S and P as well as thyme). A substitution: use Campbell's Cheese Soup for sauce.  Assemble the cauliflower and ham into a casserole dish (add some cherry tomatoes here!), then pour the cheese sauce over top. Top with Panko bread crumbs (or with crumbled cooked sausage meat or with dried or prepared pepperidge farm stuffing) Dot w...

  This is a foundation recipe/technique.  It is the basis for cream soups and chowders, for cheese sauces, and for things like Shepherd's pie.  You'll need about a third of a stick of butter (maybe 3-4 Tablespoons), some flour (maybe quarter cup at most), some milk (a cup for a cup of gravy; in the video I probably used about 2 cups).  To make gravy, you can use drippings for fat and broth from boiling giblets instead of the milk.  Start by melting the butter in a saucepan.  Before it's brown, but while it's hot, slowly -- SLOWLY -- sprinkle in some flour.  Stir with a whisk.  Then add more sprinkles of flour, until you've added a couple tablespoons. Whisk.  Then add milk (or broth) slowly, whisking fast and furious.  Keep adding milk slowly, whisking until you have the texture you'd like.   When I saw Nonie (my mother) making gravy, I'd see her add the flour to hot water in a separate bowl where she'd stir it rapidly or use a ...

Link to the video: Kahlua Cake  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WwE5D3yRmM&ab_channel=JeanMariner We found the cake tastes best when it's made a day in advance.  So the plan for the cake:  350 degrees, buttered and floured bundt pan.  Mix in a large bowl:  1 stick of butter, melted 1 C vanilla yogurt (or sour cream) 1 C amaretto or coffee liquor 4 eggs 1 box chocolate cake mix 1 box chocolate pudding mix (doesn't seem to matter if it's instant or not) Stir well, then add about 1 C of chocolate chips.  Pour into the prepared bundt pan.  Bake for 50 minutes.   With about 20 minutes remaining, make the syrup. melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan.  Add about a cup of sugar, stir and let bubble. Add a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder of any kind, keep stirring and let bubble for 10 or so minutes (keep stirring!)  Then add a cup of coffee/amaretto liquor mixture. Add this early and boil off the alcohol if you want less alcohol, add ...

 Always when travelling through Kansas, we are greeted well by Jim and Shawna. In classic country style, Shawna prepares delish and hearty meals.  This is no exception; it's a favorite. I've taken liberties with some of the ingredients; generally there's nothing green (or anything resembling a vegetable) in her dish.  2C grated potatoes 1 can cream of chix soup 1/2 C milk 3 beaten eggs 2C grated cheese 1 lb cooked sausage 9x13 pan, 350 degrees, 45 minutes.   Notes.  I add a little green chile because we live in NM.  I also add some chopped broccoli or spinach.  I add thyme, onions and mushrooms  fried in butter on the stove

  This recipe is Liza's favorite for its deep, satisfying flavor; its flexibility makes it one of my favorites. It's easy to make into a hearty vegan dish, and it's easy to make this a family favorite by including vegetables that strike your particular fancy. I put butternut squash in it for Paul; I  eliminate onions when making it for Liza. I add extra fresh spinach when I'm thinking of my own preferences. This post follows the casserole made in my youtube video -- not quite vegetarian, however, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and it's vegetarian.  Leave out the cheese on top and it's vegan.  Directions: dry, uncooked quinoa: About 1 cup broth (Chicken or vegetable): about 2 cups or twice the quinoa. Place these in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid (about 15 minutes, but keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally.) Vegetables:  The first three are pretty critical for the flavor we like in th...