I will master this, I will

Well, I tried to make Croissants yesterday. The recipe I had was an 8-hour process.  The author of the recipe I used didn't specify rising times (5 of them!!) so I just had to guess.  The end result was not worth the 8 hours.  I went looking for another recipe that does specify rising times, the last one being up to 2 1/2 hours.  At various times, it gives you the option of letting them rise in the fridge overnight. 

I will try again!!  I *will* master this. Flambo!!

When I lived in the Baltimore Area, Jake's Bagel Bakery was the place to get Sun Dried Tomato Bagels. Oh, Honey, Me!  Nice texture with big chunks of tomato in them...nice memory for this Flambo foodie.

You can't get them where I live now, so I also want to master Sundried Tomato Bagels.  Recipes on the 'net are few, having found only 2, but they are a good starting point to work with. I tried to make them a few years ago, and they just weren't really that good.  I will try again! Flambo!!

Seeing the picture I used, I decided that I also want to master the Hot Pretzel.

Macaroni and Un-cheese

My Family loves Macaroni and Cheese.  Unfortunately, tho, we are allergic to milk products, the degree of which varies from person to person. I read somewhere a suggestion of using Butternut Squash instead of cheese for Macaroni and Cheese. I was up for trying it out, so I got my Flambo on and gave it a whirl.  It was a hit, especially for the ones with the worst allergies.  Buddy wants me to keep this Un-Cheese sauce around so he can put it on his Pizza Bagels (topped with Hormel Turkey Pepperoni, of course).

Macaroni and Un-Cheese

1 medium sized Butternut Squash
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk substitute (I used almond milk)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb Macaroni cooked and drained
Bread crumbs for topping

Slice squash lengthwise, remove seeds and strings.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave about 15 minutes. (This softens the squash for easy skin removal) Remove skin, cut into chunks and place in a saucepan. Add about a 2 cups of water and simmer till tender.  Drain and puree till smooth.   Return to saucepan, add milk, margarine, salt and pepper, stirring until margarine is melted and mixture is well blended.

Pour cooked macaroni into a large baking dish. Add squash mixture over top and mix well.  Top with bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.  Scoop with your favorite Pink serving spoon.  Flambo!!

Rhubarb Jam

My only exposure to Rhubarb was in my teen years when a nasty Rhubarb Cobbler was served up for dessert.  My father loved it dearly and a look of exquisite pleasure came over his face as he took his first bite.  Oh my, but that stuff put a pucker in my face and I never went near it again. 
I recently learned of a skillet-made Rhubarb Jam served up with biscuits.  Hmmmm. "Well, Flambo!!" I thought, "Let’s give Rhubarb another try." 
Oh, Honey Me, is this jam ever wonderful!!!  Now, Rhubarb is not in season, mind you, and I ended up paying $4.00 alone for the fresh Rhubarb, but it was worth it. I liked this because it was not terribly sweet,  but a touch sweet and sour. 
When I made this jam, I actually used 1 cup of sugar, lost my mind and put in 2 Tbl lemon juice then ended up having to thicken it a little with cornstarch. I altered the recipe in other ways, of course, and the end result was absolutely wonderful. 


Rhubarb Jam
*with thanx to Rachel Ray for the base

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbl lemon juice
4 stalks Rhubarb, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces , about 3 cups-ish or more.
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Add sugar and lemon juice to a skillet, turn on medium heat and stir until dissolved. Add Rhubarb pieces and simmer until very thick, breaking up rhubarb pieces as they soften, about 15 minutes-ish.  Add allspice and vanilla, and mix well. cool. 
Make yourself a batch of biscuits, home made from your Pink and White Checkered cookbook, or your favorite store bought.  Flambo!!

Mango Salsa

I have to say that I am associated with some of the best cooks around.  A friend of mine makes this wonderful Mango Salsa and brought it to one of our Flamboyant Gourmets gatherings.  It didn’t last long.  I’ve been wanting some for a while, so, I got my Flambo on and put it together.

 Mango Salsa
*thanks to Dorreta
3 ripe Mangos, peeled and chopped
4-5 Kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 each of Red Bell Pepper, Orange Bell Pepper, and Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
½ of a medium sized Red Onion, chopped
1/3 bunch fresh Cilantro, snipped with scissors ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
Pulp from one lime
Sugar to taste—up to 1/8 cup
Combine all ingredients in your favorite serving bowl (preferably Precious Pink) and serve with tortilla chips or on Pancakes, or in a Chicken burrito….or….Get your Flambo on and experiment.

Home Made Ginger Ale and How to Grow Your own Ginger

This is from the blog of my friend Linda.  I'm very excited about this one and plant to grow my own ginger (if it doesn't end up being on Death Row.  We'll see). Flambo!!
Home made Ginger Ale and growing your own ginger

Vegetable Potstickers a la Flambo

I’ve been wanting Potstickers for a while and decided to get my Flambo on and make them myself!!  My daughter, Flambina, kept the house from burning down during the cooking process while I stuffed and filled. Flambo!!



Vegetable Potstickers
oil for cooking
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger 
2  cups 3- color coleslaw mix, pulsed through a food processor
1 cup shredded carrot
1 Tbl dried chopped chives
1 tsp 5 chinese spice
Sea salt to taste
4 turns of freshly ground multi-color peppercorns
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 package of square wonton wrappers

In a large pan, add a little oil and sauté onions and garlic and ginger.  Add cabbage, carrots and chives. Add seasonings and stir fry mixture until soft. Turn out into a bowl and let cool. I cooled in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
Add Cilantro and mix well, using your favorite Pink Spatula.


Lay out one wonton wrapper and add a little less than a tablespoonful of vegetable filling to the center. 


Wet the edges with water, fold over to form a triangle dumpling and press edges together.  Keep bottoms flat.
 

Coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet* with your favorite oil and add dumplings. Mine held about 10 at a time. Cook on a medium temperature until bottoms brown.


Add 1/4 cup water and quickly cover.  Allow to steam until water is nearly cooked out. 


If you like both sides browned, turn the dumplings and cook for a couple more minutes,  or if you like your tops just steamed, just let the water cook out.  Continue cooking until bottoms get crispy again and sticks to the pot.
Remove to a plate covered with paper towels.
Enjoy.
*I do not own a non-stick skillet so I used my cast iron skillet.

Zesty Red Potatoes and Onions

I made this for breakfast this morning. Trust me, it is not low cal, low fat.  It it potatoes baked with olive oil, (tho the olive oil is good for you).  It went over well with the ganglings, especially Patrick, who I found standing next to the stove picking at the leftovers, claiming,"I'm standing next to the stove to get warm, mom..."  *;-.)   I think that next time, I will use a stronger flavored onion, like a red or white, as I used a sweet onion this morning. 

Zesty Red Potatoes

6 medium red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I eyeballed it)

Sea Salt to taste

Freshly Ground Mulit-colored Peppercorns to taste

Oven 400 degrees

In a large oblong baking dish combine potatoes, onions, and mix together with olive oil, coating well. Add salt and Ground pepper, again, mixing well. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  It served my 5 ganglings for breakfast, 1 of whom is a 15 year old boy.  I need to make more next time.