Seafood Jambalaya

Take 2 of making jambalaya, but this time making a more traditional recipe! The heavenly flavors of the land and the sea come out it this mouthwatering dish!

Ingredients :

1 Package of Chorizo Sausage, Chopped

1 Bag of (~24 Large) Cooked Shrimp, Cut in Half (We definitely enjoyed a few while cooking)

4 Carrots, Chopped

1/3-3/4 Cup of Green Peppers, Diced

White Rice (Cooked in a Rice Cooker)

1/2-1 Cup of Red White (We Used a German Wine we had Opened)

1 Container of Chicken Broth

Diced Tomatoes

1/2 of an Onion, Diced

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Spices (Garlic, Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne, Paprika, Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Seasoning, Parsley, Salt, and Pepper)

Instructions:

Start the rice in a rice cooker (If you do not have a rice cooker, just cook the rice as you normally would).
In a large pan, sauté the olive oil, garlic, onion, green peppers, and carrots over medium-high heat.
Add the chorizo and cook through until lightly browned.
Mix the tomatoes, chicken broth, and red wine and with the meat and veggies.
Add the cooked rice and spices to the rest of the ingredients and let simmer. Give everything a good stir.
Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. Make sure that there is still a decent amount of liquid in the dish.
Add the shrimp and briefly saute for 1-2 minutes. (Since they are already cooked they do not need much time).
Add extra spices, if needed to season the dish.
Serve warm. Garnish with your desired toppings and Enjoy!

Pancake Bread

Delicious way to start the morning or a great afternoon snack that is both healthy and sweet!

Ingredients :

1/3 Cup of Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup of Whole Milk

1/3 Cup of Coconut Oil, Melted

2 Eggs

2.5 Cups of Oat Flour

1/2 Tsp of Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder

1 Tsp of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

CRUMBLE

1/3 Cup of Coconut Oil, Softened

1/3 Cup of Oat Flour

1/2 Tsp of Cinnamon

1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar (Optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 X 5 loaf tin with coconut oil.
Mix eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
Add in the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Pour the pancake bread batter into the tin.
To make the crumble, combine all the ingredients. Add the crumble mix to the top of the batter in the tin.
Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or until a knife comes out clean). Enjoy!

Fish Stew Quarantine Style

Quick, easy fish stew that satisfies the taste buds and is perfect for leftovers!

Ingredients:

Fish Fillets (We used Frozen Striper, but you can use Haddock, Cod, Halibut, etc.)

Potatoes ( We Only had 1 Left)

1 Onion

6 Carrots

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (Do Not Drain)

1/4 -3/4 Cup of White Wine (Taste as you Make)

1 Cartoon of Half-and-Half

1 Tablespoon of Tabasco Sauce

2-5 Fresh Chives

Spices (Parsley, Turmeric, Red Pepper)

Olive Oil

Instructions:

Prep the ingredients by cutting the fish and potatoes into chunks, dicing the onion and carrots, and cutting the chives.
Start by adding olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.
Add the potatoes, carrots, spices, and tabasco sauce and let simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Add the fish and let cook.
Once the fish is cooked, add the white wine, half-and-half, and diced tomatoes.
Let the stew simmer until the fish falls apart and vegetables are soft.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Great served with homemade popovers!

Spicy Cabbage Soup

A flavorful, healthy meal that comes together in no time!

Ingredients:

1/2 Head of Cabbage (Save the other half), Chopped

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 Cup of Water

1/2 of a Large Onion, Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tbsp of Ginger, Minced

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (We Used Diced Tomatoes that we Froze from the Garden Last Year)

1 Can of Kidney Beans, Drained

1/4-1/2 Cup of Green Peppers, Chopped

1 Cup of Quinoa (We Use a Store Bought Mixture)

Spices (Chili Powder, Black Pepper, Italian Seasoning, Red Pepper Flakes, Parsley)

Instructions:

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, and peppers, and season with spices. Cook, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the beans and let simmer for 1 minute.
Add the water, quinoa, and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the cabbage and simmer until the cabbage is wilted, about 6 minutes. (*Add more liquid it you deem necessary)
Remove from the heat and Enjoy!

Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

A twist to a classic peanut butter cookie combing the flavors we love with coconut flour and honey!

*Disclaimer – Since we are using what we have, the recipe and portions were estimated at times!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Peanut Butter (We Prefer Creamy)

2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil

1/3 – 1/2 Cup of Honey

2 Large Eggs

1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour

A Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the coconut oil, peanut butter, and honey in a microwave dish. Microwave for 45 seconds (or until melted). Stir and let cool.
Combine the coconut flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl (we used a stand mixer).
Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add the wet mixture (peanut butter, etc.) to the mixing bowl and mix until combined.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop balls of the dough and place on the cookie sheet 2” apart. Press gently crosswise with a fork to get the traditional peanut cookie look. You should be able to get ~ 20 cookies.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Enjoy!

Note: We used two cookie sheets and had both in the oven for 10 minutes. One batch of the cookies burnt due to being on a dark sheet and being placed on the top shelf. Make sure to be aware of the pan you are using!

For Mother’s Day, Elisabeth spent much of Saturday preparing meals for the weekend and the work week ahead. Although a variety of experiments went on in the kitchen, the food came out spectacular – from the pancake bread to the family-sized lasagna! Given the challenges presented by COVID-19 and only monthly grocery store trips, all our meals are prepared with what we have (showcasing many cool and unusual substitutions)! We hope all of you had a Happy Mother’s Day and are staying safe and healthy during these unprecedented times! Stay tuned for a great homestyle easy-to-make lasagna (and many more recipes in the days to come) making use of what we have in our pantry and refrigerator!

Family-Style Lasagna

A classic dish that is perfect comfort food for a rainy day or a celebratory meal! The flavors in this dish are delicious and are great when coupled with a fresh side salad (lettuce from our garden) and homemade french bread.

Ingredients:

1 Box of Lasagna Noodles (No Boil)

1 Container of Ricotta Cheese (15 Ounce)

1 Pd of Ground Beef/ Sausage (We used Ground Pesto Sausage from our Freezer)

1 Package of Italian Blend Cheese (Mozzarella is Another Option)

1/4 of a Cup of Parmesan Cheese

2 Cans of Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 of a White Onion

1 Can of Mushrooms

1/2 Cup of Green Peppers (We only had a Small Bag in the Freezer from Last Year)

2 Cloves of Garlic

Spices (Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Seasoning)

Fresh Herbs (We used Parsley and Basil)

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (To Garnish)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 1/2 package of Italian cheese, some parmesan cheese, and herbs.
Saute the garlic and onions in a frying pan until browned. Add the fresh basil, fresh parsley, and ground sausage and saute until cooked. Drain the mushrooms and add them to the meat. Finally, add the final can of spaghetti sauce to the mixture. Once cooked, set aside for later.
In a 13 x 9 x 3 baking dish, spread one can of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Layer uncooked noodles to fill the space above the sauce.
Next, add the cooked meat mixture to the top of the previous layer of noodles and spread.
Layer in order, uncooked lasagna noodles, the ricotta cheese mixture, and another layer of noodles.
Add 1/4 of the remaining cheese to the top of the lasagna
Bake covered with foil for ~ 1hr in a pre-heated oven.
After an hour, uncover the lasagna and place the remainder of the cheese (feel free to add more) on the top. Continue cooking the lasagna until all the cheese is melted or for ~ 10 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving and ENJOY!

Gluten-free Blueberry Crumble Muffins

As much of the country and the world has been in isolation for over a month due to COVID-19, many have had to make substitutions to their favorite recipes. Like many others, we took this time to experiment in the kitchen and eat and live healthier. In an effort to improve our immunity to the virus and our wellbeing, we have mostly eliminated sugar and carbs from our diets. Despite these efforts, we still had a craving for snacks and dessert. Probably one of our favorites (although most of them have been delicious) snacks/ desserts were our isolation Gluten-free Blueberry Crumble Muffins.

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Gluten-free Blueberry Crumble Muffins

A twist on a classic blueberry muffin with no added sugar or gluten!

Ingredients:

2 Unripe Bananas

1/3 Cup of Coconut Oil

1 Cup of Coconut Flour

1/2 Cup of Oatmeal

1/2-3/4 Cup of Blueberries

1/2 Cup of Maple Syrup

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Milk

1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Xanthan Gum

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

Mash the bananas.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. (The mixture will stay chunky so do not worry about trying to make it smooth).
Pour the mixture into individual muffin tins or aluminum wrappers.
Put the muffins in the oven at 350 F for ~30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out dry).
Either serve the muffins or store for a snack/ dessert later in the week. Enjoy!

New York Fish Fry

The two best things about summer are: 1) Spending time with friends and 2) Eating good food. So, when the two of these things combine, it makes for the perfect occasion. Stay tuned to hear about our fish fry!

Following a deep-sea fishing trip, my grandfather went on last week with close friends off the shores of Cape Cod, we were invited to a cookout to taste some of the fish that were caught. Like usual, on the excursions out to sea, the boat my grandfather was on maxed out on fish (so needless to say we have a lot of fresh fish). The four primary fish caught on the trip were fluke, sea bass, striper, and bluefish.

I can honestly say that I loved everything I ate on Sunday and cannot choose a favorite. On Sunday, our gracious host began the fish fry by serving mussels sauteed with butter, garlic, and onion. My grandfather being a seafood nut, quickly and easily devoured the mussels (and all of the dishes after that). From there, we were served boiled striper with a bowl of drawn butter for dipping (fantastic flavor). Next came the fried fish. First up was lightly fried fluke which we put in hot dog rolls with tartar and/or cocktail sauce. Second up was lightly fried bluefish. For those of you unfamiliar with fish, bluefish is known to have a strong flavor that often is met with a love/hate relationship. Yet, again this dish was cooked to perfection and simply melted in your mouth (this is a must-try). And, finally, our last dish was fried sea bass. The saying, save the best for last was ever true with the sea bass as it’s flavor was out of this world! All in all, the fish fry was a success and we are so thankful to have such amazing friends here in New York!

Alongside the main dishes, we brought a pasta salad made with fresh veggies from the garden that we made earlier in the day. Although the salad was delicious, due to the sheer quantity of seafood, most of us stuck with the endless fish. Check out a few photos I took between bites:

Mussels

Boiled Striper

Fried Fluke

Ingredients

Mussels

Boiled Striper

Fried Fluke

Pasta Salad

This was indeed an unforgettable afternoon and an even better authentic fish fry! This is a must try for the next family cookout and comes highly recommended.

Jambalaya

On Saturday night after a long day in Troy and packing up in severe thunderstorms, we were planning on going out for a nice dinner. Yet, due to the storms we decided to stay home with our dog and put together a quick dinner. We are sometimes apprehensive about going out because we can often cook better than we can get out.

When we arrived home all we had unthawing was chicken, so we were busy trying to determine what to make. After taking sweet sausage (we did not have Andouille sausage) out of the freezer, we decided to go to the garden to get fresh ingredients to make JAMBALAYA.

Jambalaya

This was an experiment of sorts and is a twist on a traditional jambalaya that often has shrimp. We hope you enjoy!

Ingredients :

Chicken and Sweet Italian Sausage (Add Shrimp or Substitute Andouille sausage or Whatever Proteins You Prefer)

White Rice (Cooked in a Rice Cooker)

White White (We Use a Chardonnay)

Crushed Tomatoes

Green Peppers and Banana Peppers

Onion

Spices (Garlic, Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne, Red Pepper Flakes Thyme, Basil, Salt, and Pepper)

Instructions:

Start the rice in a rice cooker (If you do not have a rice cooker, just cook the rice as you normally would).
In large pan, sauté the chicken and sausage until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.
Add the veggies to the meat and sauté the onion, bell pepper, banana pepper, and garlic until soft.
Add the crushed tomatoes and white wine and mix the liquids in with the meats and veggies.
Add the cooked rice and spices to the rest of the ingredients. Give everything a good stir.
Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. Make sure that there is still a decent amount of liquid in the dish.
Add in salt and pepper (and extra spices, if needed) to season the dish.
Serve warm. Garnished with your desired toppings!

Homemade Sushi Rolls

After years of saying we were going to make homemade sushi, we finally decided to try it out. Being so close to Albany, we stopped at the Asian Supermarket on Central Ave. Here we stocked up on the essentials we would need to make sushi: sticky rice and seaweed sheets. We decided to pick up smoked salmon (BOGO at Price Chopper) on the way home. The rest of the ingredients we got fresh from the garden or had in our fridge.

Elisabeth was in charge of attempting to make the first few rolls and to our delight not only did they come out good, but they were extremely simple to make. Using a sushi press kit that sat in the kitchen for years, we were able to quickly put together smoked salmon rolls to accompany our air fried green beans! The recipe below can be altered, so feel free to let your creative juices flow to create sushi rolls that you will love!

Smoked Salmon Sushi

Easy, quick sushi recipe that can easily be substituted to include your favorite seafood/veggies.

Ingredients:

1 Package of Seaweed (nori) Sheets

1 Bag of Sushi Rice (Also known as sticky rice)

1 Package of Smoked Salmon (We opt for no-preservative/dye salmon)

1 Cucumber (Peeled thinly)

2 Carrots (Peeled thinly)

1 Avocado (Chopped)

*Jar of Pickled Ginger for the Side

** You will need to utilize a bamboo mat to roll the sushi.

Instructions:

Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove-top following the directions on the packaging. Let sit when finished.
Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the cucumber and carrots. Chop the avocado and put it aside.
Place a seaweed sheet on top of the bamboo mat. (Make sure the end of the seaweed sheet is near the end of the mat closest to you).
From there, place a few spoonfuls (or more if desired) of the cooked sticky rice near the end of the seaweed wrap and spread evenly.
Begin layering on the cucumber, carrots, and avocado on top of the rice. (Depending on how much of one of the fillings you want add less or more).
Take a piece of the smoked salmon and gently rip/cut it to the desired size and place on top of the other ingredients.
Once all the ingredients are in the roll, hold one end of the mat around the roll while pulling the other end of the mat away from you.
Remove the sushi roll from the mat and cut. (To prevent sticking, slice roll with a moistened knife.
Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy the sushi with a side of pickled ginger to cleanse your palette!