Freezer Guac

I was going to have a Mexican night because they're easy and I wasn't going to have time to cook something elaborate.  It was either that or a slow cooker meal.  There was a last-day bag of three large avocados for 99¢, but I was shopping four days before the meal.  I mean, $6 worth of avocados for a dollar is pretty hard to pass up.

Then I realized I was going to be pulling frozen avocado chunks out for the meal anyway, so there isn't much difference between that and making guacamole with the intention of freezing it.  You can buy frozen guacamole at the store, but it costs quite a bit more than what I was about to make.

As for the freezing process, I'm using my silicone muffin cups to make half-cup portions.  You can use ice cube trays, scoop them onto wax paper-lined sheets, pack it into a single tub, whatever works for how you want to use it.

I don't have a specific guacamole recipe and just threw together what sounded good at the time based on what I had on hand.  I decided that the cilantro wasn't going to freeze well and saved it to add on the day, but other than that this is pretty much how I make it.  Bland.  Feel free to add jalapeños, red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, or whatever your favorite thing is.

*2 C mashed avocados (about 2 large)
*1/4 C diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
*1/4 C lime juice

1.  Combine avocado mash, diced onion, garlic, and seasonings with a fork until well mixed.  Add the lime juice two tablespoons at a time until incorporated.  Yes, it's a lot of juice, but even frozen avocados will oxidize without a significant amount of acid.  There's nothing wrong with them if they turn brown, but it isn't as appealing to the eye.

2.  Transfer guac into a mold or container, or scoop onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.  Freeze until solid, about 3 hours, then transfer to a sealable container.  I just used a ziplock at first, then vacuum sealed the ones I didn't use that week.  It gives me a couple more months to figure out a use.

Difficulty rating  π

Passover Cleaning Checklist

Everyone processes grief in their own way.  Fortunately, I tend to take on constructive or creative projects.  When my mom died, I started this blog.  When Papa Smurf died, I doubled down and blogged a lot, between bursts of purging excess from the house.  When Princess the cat died, I remodeled the living room into a dining room.  And now, with Molly gone and the house pet free for the first time since 1988, I decided to start Passover cleaning a month early.

For me and most Jewish housekeepers, the pre-Passover cleaning spree starts shortly after Purim.  The actual purpose is to rid the property of chometz, or leavening.  Many turn it into Spring Cleaning with a religious fervor.  I generally start with the non-food areas of the house and finish with the kitchen in the last week.  This year, I'm just spreading it out over two months instead of one and adding in fur removal.

My first task is always to take a duster and sweep all the ceiling edges and corners in the entire house.  The first year, there were quite a few cobwebs.  Now I usually find just a bit of extra dust and a couple of cobwebs.  20 minutes, once a year, and the ceilings and upper wall corners are clean.  It's a good way to ease into it.

After that, I tend to pick projects.  One year, I got on my hands and knees and scrubbed every non-carpeted floor.  Some of them really needed it.  I decided that I liked having that level of clean in the bathrooms and added that to my annual list.  This year, I want to get my office files under control and tidy up that guest room in general.  Pretty sure a lot of the papers can be shredded.  I also want to finish painting the inside of the kitchen cabinets.  I did the uppers last year, but never got around to the lowers.  And I'm going to be cleaning up fur for years.  When I did the sofas, I don't think all the fur in there was Molly's.  I still find orange fur sometimes when I discover a new crevice I've never cleaned, and Linus moved a decade ago.

My current list:

• Corner dusting
• Flat surface dusting
• Bathroom floors
• Paint remaining kitchen cabinets
• Office purge and reorganize
• Entry floor
• Rent a carpet cleaner
• Windows (in & out), mirrors, picture frames
• Scrub showers and tub
• Greenhouse window (in &out)
• Detail car
• Wash curtains and liners (replace if torn)
• Kitchen detail

I'm probably going to find more things to do as I go.  I'm not even listing my regular monthly and quarterly cleaning projects that are more involved than basic weekly cleaning and tidying up.

I tend to make up a calendar that has me do about an hour of cleaning a day, even on work days, so I don't have to do all of it on my days off.  I'm going to see how far I can get by Purim and only assign the last month.  For this blog, I'll go into the kitchen sub-list when I get to it, since it's at least as long as the list above.

I'm curious to see if I can go off at least one allergy medicine once the deep cleaning is done.  It doesn't mean I never want another pet.  I just want to see if I'm cleaning in a way that makes a difference.

Crispy Onion Bacon Potatoes

I turned around the container of French's crispy fried onions.  There are actually three recipes on the back.  Only the green bean casserole is in a special box that's colored blue, as the most popular recipe.  The one to the right of it conveniently uses up the rest of the box.

The discount sticker covered half the recipe, but I was going to link it anyway, so you can check out some cool recipes at Frenchs.com.  This one is actually on the McCormick site, which I didn't realize was linked until now.  They appear to own French's.

The cool part of this is that it's only four ingredients, and one is leftover mashed potatoes.  All the extra ingredients I'm posting are for how I made the mashed potatoes in a way that I thought would complement the casserole.  I was making the bacon to save the grease.  What I do with the cooked bacon is generally something like this or freeze it to reheat at a random breakfast.  I suppose you could make this kosher or vegetarian by using a package of soy-based bacon bits.

I'm adding some leftover parsley and seasonings to the potatoes, plus changing up the cheese, so this is technically my own recipe.  Copyright laws on recipes are pretty broad, but I am absolutely giving French's the credit for the inspiration.  I'm just making the kinds of changes every cook tends to, to make a recipe something that fits their personal tastes.

1-1/2 lbs Gold or Russet potatoes
1/2 C milk
2 Tb butter or margarine
*1/2 bunch parsley, chopped (about 1 cup)
salt to taste
*2 C shredded or crumbled cheese of choice
*12 oz bacon, cooked, excess fat removed, and chopped
*2 C crispy fried onions

1.  Scrub potatoes.  Peel if desired, then chop into 1" cubes.  I didn't because I wanted the texture of the skins.  In a large pot, cover with water.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt and bring to a boil.  Cook at a low boil until easily pierced with a fork.  Drain.

2.  While hot, mash.  I make mine by putting everything in the stand mixer with the paddle because I'm not going for perfectly smooth mashed potatoes.  If I want that, I use the flakes out of a box and save myself about half an hour.  Add the milk, butter, and parsley.  Taste and add salt as needed.

3.  Preheat oven to 350º and get out an 8x8 baking dish.  Cover bottom of dish with half of the potatoes.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese, half of the bacon, and half of the onions.  I used feta for the middle layer and mozzarella for the top.  The original recipe uses cheddar for all of it.  I say go with whatever makes you happy.

4.  Cover the fillings with the rest of the potatoes and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Top with remaining cheese, bacon, and onions and return to the oven.  Cook another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and toasty.  Allow to cool 5 minutes, to set up a little, before serving.

Difficulty rating  π if using leftovers, :-0 from scratch

White Beans with Garlic and Lemon

I really enjoyed the Mediterranean bean stews, and decided to branch out with something of my own creation.  I bought dried lima beans, which I've never done before.  They're a bit pricey as far as dried beans go, but I still haven't found favas or white kidney beans.  I have to be willing to shop a bit far from home to find the right market, or order them online.

In the process of picking up the simple items for this dish, I found out that Trader Joe's still has eggs for under $4, limit one.  They're locked into a contract with their supplier, but I don't know for how long.  It was the day I cracked my last shell egg.  After getting the eggs and a head of garlic, I popped across the street to Sprouts for the rest of my list.

What this recipe ends up being is all the flavors I like in a baked white fish dish, but without the fishiness.  I didn't realize that until the first bite.  Even the texture of the beans is like a very tender fish.  I had to remember to keep the portion size appropriate, considering the fiber content.  If you're not watching carbs, tossing this with linguine would be great.  I had it with a side salad, not pictured.

1 C dry lima beans
2 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C diced onion
*1 Tb minced garlic, about 6 cloves
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp dill weed
*1 lemon, zested and juiced
1-1/2 C chopped Italian parsley, tough stems removed

1.  Early in the day, sort and rinse the beans.  In a large saucepan, soak in water to cover by 1" for at least six hours.  Drain.  They got huge, about the size of the fava beans I couldn't find.  I chose to remove any skins that had fallen off, which does reduce the fiber level.  Nothing wrong with keeping the skins in.

2.  Refill saucepan with 4 cups or so of water.  Add 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Limas are one of the beans you have to boil, like red kidney beans.  This can't be made in a slow cooker.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending how long you soaked them.  Drain and set aside.

3.  Rinse out saucepan and put it back on the stove.  I was happy to make this a one-pot meal, and everything goes quickly after cooking the beans.  Add oil to the saucepan and heat over medium.  Add onion and cook until softened, about five minutes.

4.  Add garlic, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, white pepper, dill, parsley, and lemon zest.  Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Stir in beans and lemon juice and cook until warmed through.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)

Spring Starts

While it's still winter in most of the Northern Hemisphere, my area is past its average last frost date.  We didn't frost at all this year, but that's beside the point.  It's time to put the seedlings outside, and Tu B'Shevat seemed like the best day for it.

Cool weather planting actually started last year.  The last round of peas got nibbled by either bugs or a squirrel.  I'm voting for squirrel.  It moved on to the watercress after I cleaned up the remains of the peas.  I put out some of the chard starts, but only the ones in the sun are doing well.  Same with the two broccoli, so I decided to reserve the second round until I could see how the rest of the cool season was going to go.

Aphids moved in, and I don't know where the mushrooms came from.  The only solution for the first problem was to pull last year's kale, which was starting to bolt anyway and couldn't stand on its own because kale is not a palm tree.  I'm working on the mushroom issue by pulling them regularly, using copper fungicide, and watering less, but it finally started raining, so the top layer isn't going to dry for some time.

Instead, I turned my focus to the pots.  One barrel was seeded with turnips and beets.  The beets aren't coming up, but I keep trying.  The seeds are old.  Eggy is still hanging on to the other barrel, so I put a broccoli in the other large pot.  All the new plants got chicken wire cages so they wouldn't get dug up.  Gotta love wildlife, right?

The Dollar Tree pot I bought was smaller than I thought, so I haven't put anything in it yet.  One parsley joined the turnips and the other is with Eggy and another attempt at beets.  I put the chards in the lettuce patch, in the hope that it will take root with a good rain.  Still waiting their turn is a celery, the last broccoli, and several kale.  They'll go in once I'm sure the Pond is done flooding.

All this gardening is a good distraction for me right now.  Molly passed away from her feline chronic kidney disease a week ago at almost 18 years of age.  There has been at least one cat in this house since 1988, and removing cat accessories has opened up an astonishing amount of floor space.  I decided to start Passover cleaning a month early to keep myself busy.  I haven't ruled out getting another cat at some point and kept everything I can reuse.  It will be after I have taken some long vacations without having to worry about a pet sitter.  I'm trying to embrace the empty-nester lifestyle for now.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dates

I decided to make arayes again.  Because lamb is a bit greasy, I wanted a crunchy and tangy salad to go with it.  After studying several recipes for a raw Brussels sprout salad, I came up with this.

Yes, you can eat them raw.  You can eat anything from the cabbage family raw, as far as I know.  Some just need a bit more preparation than others to make them easier to chew and digest.

I'm going for a light and tangy dressing, with the mustard countered by date syrup.  Honey is a good substitue if you don't have that.  It's picking up the relatively few dates in the salad.  And while I'm using pine nuts, most of your favorite nuts would work, like pecans, almonds, or even macadamias.

1 lb large Brussels sprouts
*3/4 C dates, pitted and chopped (number will vary with size and type)
*1/4 C pine nuts or sunflower seeds, or more if using a larger nut
*1 Tb mustard of choice
*2 tsp date syrup or honey
*2 Tb apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C olive oil
crumbled feta or goat cheese for garnish, optional

1.  Wash sprouts and remove any spoiled outer leaves.  Thinly slice crosswise and discard stem.  I went back and forth between trying the V-slicer and a knife.  It was too hard to get the guide to stick to a small sprout and I sucked it up to do it the hard way.  If making a double batch for a party, maybe cut off the stems and run them through the food processor with the slicing blade.

2.  Add the chopped dates.  Toss everything, breaking up the sprouts as you go.  This was when I decided I needed a larger bowl.

3.  To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, date syrup, vinegar, salt, and olive oil.  I finished off a jar of Dijon mustard and it went great with the date flavorings.  A honey mustard would also be nice, but you might need more vinegar to cut the sweetness.

4.  Pour the dressing over the sprouts and toss to coat.  It doesn't seem like enough at first, but you will soon see an even, light coating with nothing pooled at the bottom.  If not serving immediately, chill.

5.  When ready to serve, garnish with nuts and crumbled cheese, if desired.

Difficulty rating  π

Breakfast Protein Options

Shell shock is taking on a new meaning these days.  $9 per dozen, or 75¢ per egg.  Eggs were always the affordable animal protein, and I go through a lot since I went on the low carb diet.  Everyone has also figured out my hack of buying the quart of liquid eggs when they're cheaper than the shell ones, so there's a shortage of that.  So my challenge is how to come up with at least 5 grams of protein for less than 75¢.

Meats are an obvious choice.  A 2-3 ounce portion of most meats provides more protein than two eggs.  Chicken is currently the cheapest, at under $2 per pound for bone-in and $3 for boneless/skinless when you can find a deal.  Bird flu hasn't hit the meat bird flocks as hard as it has the laying hens, but this could easily become an unaffordable option.  Chicken does take longer to cook than some other meats because there's no rare option, so I'll have to decide if I really want to make this in the morning.

Mammals are the next category.  Pork is the cheapest, and of course pork sausage is easily available at a decent price and always has been.  I'm just already getting tired of it.  I haven't made beef sausage in a long time, so I might explore that recipe again if I find a deal.  I haven't seen $3 ground beef in forever except for clearance packs.

Many cultures eat fish at breakfast.  Not just lox.  Scandinavians tend to have salted or pickled fish, but Asians will eat steamed or roasted fish any time of day.  It is not budget friendly, but I did see $1.25 cans at Dollar Tree I should have picked up.  They had sardines and mackerel, with three servings per can.  Those frozen packs that are often on special cook down to nothing.  I like the pickled herring in a jar as a treat; it can get pricey.  I can't deny that adding fish to your diet on a regular basis is good for you.

Dairy isn't as high in protein as meats, and has about the same fat.  I already put cheese on my omelets.  I could just serve a one-ounce slice on the side instead of the egg.  Cottage cheese is a lower fat option.  I tend to have yogurt for lunch or snack, so I probably won't have it at breakfast.  3/4 C of Greek yogurt is actually higher in protein than most dairy options.

Then there are the vegan proteins.  Nuts and nut butters are good.  I haven't made my home-made Nutella in a very long time, but that counts as a protein when you make it yourself and don't add as much sugar as the commercial version.  All legumes have about the same amount of protein, but I generally don't want beans at breakfast.  The British do it, but that's too early for me.  Then there's tofu.  I bought some for a stir fry and actually read the package: 9g per serving of protein, and the other metrics are very healthy.  Upside, it has the consistency of cooked scrambled eggs and tastes like whatever you put on it.  Downside, it's tofu.  It does qualify as budget-friendly, at roughly 50¢ per serving.

I can always cheat and stir protein powder into my coffee.  It's a legit thing, and frankly way better for me than sweetened creamer.  I use it at work to make banana mocha milkshakes, since that blender is much easier to clean than my own.  Processed anything isn't as good for you as the natural source, even a protein supplement.  It's an easy out.

I'm going to keep experimenting and scouring the sale flyers for ideas.  There may be more breakfast posts as I test ideas.  I did get one dozen at Trader Joe's, which has a locked-in price with their supplier for however long the contract is.  I'm sure it will expire before supplies normalize.  This scarcity is going to last a lot longer than it did two years ago, and with worse prices.  Chickens aren't going extinct.  They expect the replacement flocks to be laying around the end of summer.

Red Lentil Tomato-Herb Dip

I got out my new dividers for sheet pan meals and had fun, but then I needed a protein to go with all those roasted vegetables.  I wasn't in the mood for hummus or a yogurt dip, and came up with this instead.

Googling, this is a real recipe in some form throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East.  I almost made an Armenian version.  Many versions actually are hummus with the substitutions of red lentils for chickpeas and tomato paste for tahini.  I'm kind of going in that vein, but adding cooked onions and a generous handful of cilantro I had to use before the plant went to seed.

I'm definitely not doing a proper Pantry Challenge.  I bought a lot of fresh produce that day, both for this and my annual batch of kimchi.  You can only eat so much freezer kale.  I'm down to half of a gallon bag, which left enough room to put the ice cream bowl back in.  Success!  I'll start a new broth bag soon, maybe in a month.  I still have a lot of canned broth, so there isn't a rush.

*1/2 onion, chopped
olive oil as needed (maybe 1/4 C)
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1 C dry red lentils, sorted and rinsed well
1 C water
3 cloves garlic, smashed
*2 Tb tomato paste
*2 Tb lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
*1/4 C cilantro or parsley

1.  Heat 1 Tb oil over medium low in a saucepan or skillet.  Stir chopped onion to coat.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and allow to cook slowly until as caremelized as you like, at least 15 minutes.  I went until they smelled sweet, but were not browning yet.  Allow to cool.

2.  While the onions are going, cook the rinsed lentils in the water by bringing to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.  I usually cook my lentils in a lot more water than this, but they don't have to be completely mushy, just split.  Also, I was trying to do this in a single pot and made them in the same one as the onions, right after.

3.  Place onions, lentils, garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice, paprika, another light sprinkle of salt, and cilantro in food processor.  At this point, it's a matter if personal choice.  You can run until it just looks like chunky salsa, about 15 seconds:

I went further and added more oil and water, then ran it another 20 seconds to get it almost as smooth as hummus.

4.  Taste and add more salt, garlic, and/or lemon juice and pulse it to desired consistency.  Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.  If desired, garnish with paprika, cilantro, feta, and/or olives.

Makes about 3 cups, 4 servings as a meal protein or many more as a party dip

Difficulty rating  :)

Succotash Stew

Let's go back to the part that I was the weird kid who liked lima beans.  My mom used to serve the frozen succotash once in a while, and I generally liked it.  I don't remember ever making it myself since I've been an adult.  All this time, I'm sure I bought it at least once, but I couldn't pinpoint an exact meal.  Almost certainly not since I started this blog.

For those who don't know, succotash is a Native American dish of lima beans and kernel corn.  That's it.  Butter, salt and pepper make it more interesting, but that's essentially what it was originally.  It's a nutritionally complete vegan meal.

There are as many variations of this dish as there are cooks.  I was defrosting some shredded pork when I decided to make this, so that's what I'm putting in the stew this time.  Shredded chicken would be good in it, probably better than the pork.  To keep it vegan, dice up a turnip or potato to give it some heft.  I served it over some kale-heavy colcannon.  You could thin it out with extra broth into a soup, or have it with regular mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.  The awesome part is that if you're only opening cans or using freezer items, it takes ten minutes to make.

*1/2 C diced onion
1 Tb butter
*1 15 oz can lima beans or 2 C frozen
*1 15 oz can kernel corn or 2 C frozen
*2 C cooked, shredded meat of choice
*1/2 C chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, or to taste

1.  In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Drain and rinse the beans and corn, if using cans.  Add vegetables and broth to the pot and bring to a simmer.  If using potato instead of meat, add it now.

3.  Add meat after the pot comes to a simmer.  Stir everything together and taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.  Between the canned vegetables, margarine, and pork, I didn't add any salt.  I did add about half a teaspoon of pepper, which is way more than I put in anything.

4.  Bring back up to a simmer and serve, either by itself or over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Difficulty rating  π

Black Bean and Cheese Masa Patties

These are sort of pupusas, but with way more beans than there should be in them.  I made a half batch of masa and added twice as many beans as usual, so they barely held together.  That's what the cheese is for.  As far as I know, this is not an authenic dish in any country south of the U.S., but I'm calling it international anyway.

My power was off for less than 8 hours during the recent fires, a preventive measure that I approve of because my neighborhood did not catch fire.  I'm always ready for a power outage of up to 24 hours, and was glad that my fridge did not get above 45º so I didn't have to toss anything.  If it was that temperature after 12 hours, I would have had to purge the eggs, dairy, any leftover cooked food, most open containers, and nearly all of the condiments.  I didn't bother to check the chest freezer because there's a turkey in the bottom acting as a twelve pound block of ice.  The ice in the kitchen freezer was barely stuck together, meaning the frozen veggies in there probably didn't defrost.

I was definitely thinking of recipes I could make without electricity.  These could be done on an outdoor grill in a foil pan.  Which you wouldn't do during a wildfire, but you get the point.  My stove is gas, which still worked, and I would have lit it with a match if necessary.  The outage was only overnight, so I didn't care until I got cold around 1am.  The power came on at 2am, and the heater about 10 seconds later.

I know I said I wasn't going to make tomatillo salsa anytime soon, but these could definitely have benefitted from some kind of vinegary accompaniment.  Maybe a slaw, curtido, or any kind of salsa.  They were yummy, but I wanted something more piquant than just a salad.  Next canning day, I'll make some.

1 C masa harina or *masarepa
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 C water, more if necessary
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 C shredded cheese of choice
oil for frying

1.  In a bowl, stir together masa flour, salt, cumin, and chili powder.  Stir in water to make a paste.

2.  Stir in beans and cheese until evenly combined.  Squeeze a handful of the mixture.  If it crumbles instantly, add more water until you can get it to stick together.  I'm not sure if mine was crumbly because the weather was so dry.  It also depends on how wet the beans are when you add them.

3.  Start heating a griddle or large skillet over medium-high.  Portion dough into eight balls.  Once griddle is warm, add a couple of tablespoons of oil to it, just enough to coat the bottom, and let that heat.

4.  Shape the masa balls into patties about half an inch thick.  Cook on oiled griddle until browned and crispy, about five minutes.  Flip and cook until the other side browns.  If doing batches, re-oil the skillet between them.

5.  Serve hot, with salsa, curtido, or a salad on the side.

Difficulty rating  π