YUMMY FOR THE TUMMY

(THERE is FOOD for THOUGHT, and THEN THERE is FOOD for the TUMMY! 
This is one of my FAV recipes for a hot day. It is a cool salad that is lemony and very healthy and refreshing!!!   It has no mayonnaise!!!   I like to use this recipe and vary the kinds of pasta, vegies, and protein ingredients to take advantage of what I have currently in my frig and pantry. 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT if you have any suggestions for variations, OR if you just 'feel' like it !!)

My Suggestions for variety


Pasta—(I use only whole-wheat pasta NOW! ) cooked, drained, and
  cooled

Twist, spiral, spaghetti, macaroni, even brown RICE will do!


Vegies—(I use whatever is in my frig that is "fresh" and/or I use
  frozen vegies if I'm out of fresh vegies)

Onion (red, green, white)
Frozen mixed vegies
Sliced black olives
Frozen French beans
Sliced asparagus (on diagonal of course)
Bell pepper (red, green, yellow, orange) can be frozen or
 fresh sliced or diced
Mushrooms (your FAV kind sliced)
Fresh parsley (or dried)
Frozen peas


Protein—(I prefer poultry for this) Chilled and cut into small
  bite-size pieces

White Tuna (canned)
Turkey
Chicken
Shrimp
Crab
Lobster


NOW that you have your pantry 'cleared' with YOUR 'fixings',
MIX them all together with the PASTA. 
Pour on the Lemon Caper Dressing and and 'stir lightly',
  so as NOT to 'damage' the pasta!
Put in frig to chill – serve cool!


LEMONY CAPER DRESSING –
  Makes about 3/4 cup (good for salad of 3 cups of pasta)

HINT: I vary this dressing recipe to my own taste
  (I like things light and tart with lots of black pepper).

So here is the basic recipe — remember you can change the ingredients and the quantity to suite your taste and according to the quantity of pasta salad you will be making.

SALT (to your own taste but not more than 1/2 tsp
  for 3 cups pasta--I would think)

3 T red wine vinegar (or just white vinegar or rice vinegar)

1 T lemon juice (I use lemon juice from a bottle,
  but fresh is great, (I like 1/8 cup lemon juice!)

1 T liquid juice from caper bottle

2 tsp DIJON mustard (any brand)

1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
  (I never have fresh lemons, but I used frozen rind that
  I put in my freezer from lemons from my lemon tree;
  ELSE I omit this item from recipe)

1/2 tsp dried oregano (I rarely use this item, but I like parsley)

1/8 tsp black pepper (I use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper – cause
  I LIKE IT that way)

2 cloves garlic (minced or pressed), or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp garlic powder

MIX all this up with a fork or whisk and then gradually
  beat in 2/3 cup virgin olive or (or I use canola oil )

Add 1 T drained capers (I like to use 2 T capers for I LIKE capers).


[PHOTO SOURCE:   PHOTO from a recipe that I have had for years!]

GARLIC -- in my garden

                      [PHOTO SOURCE: Garlic painting from GOOGLE online images]

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Today I planted 50 garlic plants. I'll finish up with 50 more tomorrow. They are SO-O easy to grow in the garden or in a pot. The leaves are edible and can be cut and used like chives. The garlic plants that I planted today will mature and produce bulbs later in the season; and these I will dehydrate and store in garlic flakes and powder. I LOVE garlic in recipes, roasted, on garlic bread and in garlic mashed potatoes. I eat garlic every day in some form and it is a staple in my pantry. Garlic can also be braided into various shaped wreaths.


Just for fun, I have attached some GARLIC PIXs.

GARLIC info from wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

HEALTH BENEFITS
http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/garlic-000245.htm

HOW TO ROAST A HEAD OF GARLIC
USE GOOGLE to search for lots of "HOW TOs" for roasting Garlic.

Roasting your own garlic is very easy and worth every iota of what little effort, it requires because the aroma is intoxicating and the flavor smoky and mellow. In just 30 minutes, you will have a delicious appetizer ready to go. Serve with sliced crusty bread and olive oil.

TYPES OF GARLIC
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5591398_types-garlic-plants.html

Basic Types: Garlic plants are divided into two basic sub-species: softneck and hardneck. Softneck garlic is much more common and is the kind that you would buy at the grocery store. Hardneck are much less cultivated and more often found wild.

Softneck Garlics: There are two basic types of softneck garlic: silverskin garlic and artichoke garlic. Silverskin, as its name suggests, has shiny, whitish parchment covering the numerous cloves. Artichoke garlic has fewer, larger cloves with tougher coverings.

                     [PHOTO SOURCE: Above GOOGLE online images-garlic growing in soil]

                         [Above PIX from GOOGLE online images-garlic wreath.]

Your comments are welcome, especially recipes or hints on how you use garlic.

MY KITCHEN CHILI

                                        [PHOTO SOURCE: GOOGLE online images]

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NOW, before you even think about trying this recipe of 'My Kitchen Chili', I'll have to tell you that it is one of my Crock-Pot-Recipes that I use to "empty my frig at the end of a week".

That being said, you will understand that the CHILI is never the 'same' from week to week, as each week my frig and pantry have a different variety of 'end of week food stuffs'!

SO, like any recipe make this YOUR OWN, by using YOUR OWN MAGIC TOUCHES and PROCESS! THEN, SHARE your magic with me -- by leaving a comment on this posting!
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SO, I begin by putting the following basics into the CROCK-POT (or whatever favorite slow cooking pot you prefer from your kitchen). (With the changing sizes of cans and containers, you will have to use your 'cooking eye' to measure. I would guess that a can of 15 oz size would yield about 2 cups!) SO, here we go!!!


MY KITCHEN CHILI


PUT INTO CROCK-POT--
1 large can diced tomatoes (about 28 oz size)


1 can tomato sauce (about 15 oz size)
1 cup BEER (use your favorite!)
1 can black beans-rinsed and drained (about 15 oz size)
2 cans dark red kidney beans-rinsed and drained (about 15 oz each)
1 can undrained corn (or I use frozen corn, it's healthier) (about 15 oz)
1 small can jalapeno (about 1 cup)
(HINT—use the rest of the can of jalapeno for the cornbread. It is OKAY to make cornbread from a MIX, just add your 'magic' – like jalapeno, frozen or canned-drained corn, red bell pepper, and/or anything else that suits your 'fancy'!)

DICE and add to CROCK-POT-MIXTURE--

(I use a food processor or my NEW knives that I bought myself for my Birthday this Jan 2011—love those new knives!!!)

6 diced green tomatillos
(these are green tomato things in the grocery, or use can of tomatillos –they are in the 'ethnic Tex-Mex section of your grocery store' about 1-2 cups)
1 – 2 stalks finely chopped celery (I even use the leaves)
1 – 2 grated carrots (cleaned and peeled, I PREFER GRATED so I do NOT have to look at the carrots--for when grated the carrots sort of 'dissolve')
1 cup seeded and chopped green, red, and/or yellow bell pepper


SEASONING to TASTE--

Now I keep a package of Lawry's Taco Seasoning MIX on hand, and feel no GUILT about using it for this CHILI. BUT, sometimes I like to use my own 'magic' and 'seasonings', so that being said, DO YOUR BEST with these ideas and TEMPER them to YOUR SPECIAL TASTE for "hot" or "spicy".

Seasonings (as I said to your taste)


3 Tablespoon chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry parsley
1 Tablespoon dry, diced or fresh garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cocoa powder (NOW, this is my SPECIAL MAGIC!!!)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (this makes your chili hot and spicy)
1 tsp Tabasco (this makes your chili hot and spicy)
1 tsp white sugar (or sweetener, honey, or brown sugar)
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 T white flour to thicken

BEEF and ONION MIXTURE--

BROWN and STIR 1 pound lean ground beef with 1 large chopped white or yellow onion (the BROWNing gives the onion and beef more FLAVOR. POUR off any fat!

POUR / sprinkle seasonings onto beef onion mixture and heat to release the flavor of the seasoning and infuse them into beef and onion.

NOW, pour the beef, onion, seasonings into CROCK-POT! AND, cook until you cannot help yourself anymore, and just have to have a serving!!!!

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WELL, now that I have 'worn out your eyes' and 'scared you with all the fixings';
here is my usual 'LAZY-BONES KITCHEN CHILI'!


LAZY-BONES KITCHEN CHILI

1 pkg Lawrys Taco dry mix
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn (always a staple in my freezer)
1 cup bell pepper (fresh, or frozen in my freezer)
1 lb browned and drained ground beef
1 large chopped onion (cooked in microwave for about 3-5 minutes)
1 stalk chopped celery
1 carrot grated
1 Tablespoon chili powder
Garlic to taste (dry, powdered, fresh, whatever is on shelf)
½ tsp cocoa powder (NOW, this is my SPECIAL MAGIC !!!)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (this makes your chili hot and spicy)
1 tsp Tabasco (this makes your chili hot and spicy)
1 tsp white sugar (or sweetener, honey, or brown sugar)
2 Tablespoon white flour to thicken
¼ cup olive oil

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NOW, after about F-I-V-E hours of slow cooking--


GARNISH and serve with any/all of these toppings
cilantro fresh leaves to sprinkle on
sliced green onions (pretty when cut on diagonal)
grated cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Serve with warmed (in microwave) corn tortilla chips,
sour cream
diced avocado
sliced black olives

Side serving of a terrific green salad and/or Corn Bread

SERVE with your favorite BEER, TEA, or beverage

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SPECIAL NOTE: 

My BELOVED daughter has this to say about this posting of My Kitchen Chili,
"Sounds YUMMY!  Hadn't thought of cocoa, but it soungs GREAT!"

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