How to Make a Healthy Catfish Stew for Your Family

Catfish stew makes a hearty healthy meal for your family.  Fall and winter are top seasons for this tasty dish; however, I have been known to have this at any time of the year.  It doesn't take long to cook and the ingredients are simlpe.  Farm-raised catfish is available year-round.

If you cannot find catfish nuggets in your market, you can always find catfish fillets in just about any grocery store, Here's how to make a healthy catfish stew for your family.

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 lbs. catfish nuggets cut into chunks

2 Tbs. canola oil

2TBs flour

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 green, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 to 1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1 large can cannellini beans, drained

3 ½ - 4 c. vegetable, chicken or fish stock

Pour oil in bottom of a Dutch oven.  Heat over medium-low heat until hot; careful that it does not smoke.  Cook onions and bell pepper until soft for about 5 minutes.  Add flour and stir until well blended about 1 minute.  Add stock slowly, stirring until thickened. Add beans and remaining ingredients.  Add catfish. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  Serve alone or over hot steamed rice.  Makes about 4 servings

White House Memories - Cookbook, That Is!

I love searching in cookbooks for new recipes and experimenting with old classics. Cooking is fun for me. I know it's a challenge for some people. Not for me. Needless to say, I also love eating.

I love foods from many places with their range of tastes and flavors from all around the world. Although I will try many exotic foods I have never tasted, I must admit that when it comes to the really bizarre, I am not that brave.

I collect and read cookbooks and I own a slew of them. Some of them may have only one or two recipes I like or have tried, however, I consider it a valuable find if I can find at least one thing useful.

One of my most precious possessions is an old cookbook from the early days of my mother's marriage. It is The "White House Cookbook, Revised for Both Small and Large Families." It is undated and it could have belonged to either my maternal or paternal grandmother. In my dad's handwriting, a note written on a sheet of paper says: "White House Cookbook, 1923." The pages are yellowed and brittle and the front and back covers are attached with tape. I remember my mother using it often. . The book itself is so old, I have to keep it wrapped to protect it. It's amazing that such great food was made and cooked with such perfection even though the directions were less than perfect.Unfortunately, I never thought of taking steps to preserve it.

In one of the recipes for a cake, the directions tell the home cook to, "Bake three or four hours, according to the thickness of the loaves, in a tolerably hot oven, and with steady heat." No oven temperature is mentioned, so you just have to guess at it or research other recipes to calculate the time.

In these old cookbooks, the instructions in many cases are sketchy as in the example I cited above. My mother. I think, played around with measuring some of the ingredients. Whatever she did was right. Her recipes always came out will.  I don't know whether she had gotten tips from my grandmother or not. It is likely that she did, however, I never found any written proof of that.

This cookbook is fun, nevertheless. Not only does it have recipes and instructions for state dinners, there are recipes and remedies the the sick. It also sports illustrations of the White House and its inhabitants. 

It didn't occur to me until very recently that this was the only cookbook I ever remember seeing at home. In my mind's eye, I don't see my mother or my grandmothers poring over lots of cookbooks like I do. They just cooked or baked. Although my mom must have had some written recipe or learned from somewhere to bake the fantastic 1-2-3-4 butter cake with chocolate icing every year for my birthday. Oh my goodness; it was perfect! Enjoy!

East Warm Bread Pudding for a Cool Evening

 This is great warm dessert on a cool evening.  One of the great satisfying comfort foods.  In this recipe, I used

Microwave Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

2 cups bread (5-6 pieces)

2 TBs butter

2-3  TBs lemon juice

1 apple (I had red delicious on hand)

½ cup raisins

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

3-4 TBs light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 cups almond milk (I used unsweetened)

½ tsp rum extract

½ tsp vanilla extract

 Plump raisins in hot water.  Put aside.   Tear bread into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Peel, core and cut apple into small cubes. Add apples and drained raisins to bread.  Combine the ingredients.  Melt butter and pour over mixture. Add lemon juice. Add raisins. Sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together.

 

In another bowl, beat egg and sugar together.   Add milk, rum and vanilla extracts.  Blend well and pour over bread mixture. Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Cook 2 minutes longer for firmer bread pudding.

Eat warm

Serves 3-4.

Fast Recipe for Sunday Dinner-Glazed Baby Carrots

Sunday dinners when I was growing up were a really big deal.  My mom cooked all day and the dinners were the best.  Fast forward to present non day of rest Sundays. After being out all day attending services, visiting friends, going to a local fall festival, watching football and movies, I wanted a fast recipe for last night's dinner.

Yea for leftovers. Nothing is faster than leftovers. I had roast chicken, potato salad and my body was yearning for the carrots I had bought at the market.  I wanted to do something fast and good-tasting with them.  I decided I felt like molasses glazed carrots. I don't usally use molasses in my carrots, however, I wanted to see what they would taste like.

As a kid growing up, some nights I would molasses and cold milk or sometimes with hot milk. That combo  remains one of my favorite comfort foods. Hot chocolate will sometimes keep me awake rather than helping me sleep, so I go back to my childhood drink. Perhaps that's why I had molasses in my milk growing up. Also now, I drink Almond or Rice milk.

In any case, I decided to use the rich brown liquid in my carrots instead of brown sugar. Way yum!

Ingredients

1/2 lb baby carrots
1 1/2 TBs butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
2 TBs molasses

In a medium saute pan, melt butter, add baby carrots and remaining ingredients. Stir to cover carrots. Cover and cook on medium heat. for about 15 minutes for al dente or 20 to 25 minutes until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.

Serves 2.

Best Cheeses for a Birthday Dinner

I am a real cheese lover.  Cheese to me is an essential food group along with wine, chocolate and catfish.  Now I must admit that I haven't eaten cheese with my catfish, yet; however, that could change at anytime.  I enjoy cheese with many dishes. More often than not, I eat cheese by itself; no crackers, no bread, nothing; just cheese.



On several occasions, I have sliced really thin pieces of salmon, seasoned them with dill and freshly ground black pepper and cooked it over a low flame in a bit of olive oil. After turning them over, I have melted equally thin slices of  cheddar cheese over each piece. Delicious!


So what are the best cheeses to serve for a birthday dinner? I know there is probably a protocol and a way to choose the best cheese for a birthday party.  I am of the school that says, "put out some great cheeses, toothpicks, some cool crackers and slices of  a variety of breads, then tell the birthday guests to dig in."


As for the cheeses: there's Brie, Cheddar, Jarlsberg, Blue, Havarti with Dill, Muenster. Emmental (Swiss),  Camembert, smoked Gouda and just about any cheese you enjoy eating with crackers or bread.

And, have a great birthday dinner

So Much Wine, So Little Time

It's amazing how much you can learn even from a work of fiction.  Fiction can portray reality in such a way that we can identify with it.  Recently, I read a book called the Cookbook Collector, where the author, Allegra Goodman, intersperses facts and knowledge within her narrative.  I really enjoyed it, because it interweaves two subjects I'm passionate about: cooking and the dot com world.  Both are fascinating and exciting worlds to me.

This book was not so much about cooking, although there was some cooking going on.  No recipes were posted as in the novels of culinary mystery writer, Diane Mott Davidson, yet I could still drool over what was being served.  The book, in part, is about an enviable cookbook collection.

What I found most interesting, however, were the wines that were consumed in the book.  The mention of the names made me want to know more.  My subsequent search was quite an education. I had never heard of some of them which caused me to look up those particular wines at their websites.   

In the book the descriptions sound luscious. For example, the  glass of "deep almond hued" Chateau Montelena Chardonnay the character drank was too "buttery". The 1970 Chateau Latour was "...never overpowering, too genteel to call attention to itself..."  The 1975 Chateau Petrus was "more flamboyant, flashier, riper, ravishing the tongue."  In the Heitz, the flavor was "creamy..smooth and silky..meltingly soft...  I wanted to rush out and try all of them.

Needless to say, I didn't.  Just looking at the websites and reading about the vineyards and the grapes made for quite an adventure.  There is much to look forward to trying. Wine making is fascinating and wine tasting is way too much fun.  Nope, I take that back, it is not too much at all. It's enjoyable.  My one trip to Napa with my daughter including our visit to a few of  vineyards is one of the highlights of my life.  What fun!  (Yes, we had a designated driver.) 

So the research into these wines mentioned in that novel let me know I still have lots more tasting to do.  Ahhh!  So much wine, so little time. I'll do my best.  Yum. Yum!

Is Summer Really Over?

Summer is my favorite time of year.  My winter and ski-loving friends and family think I'm completely nuts.  Hot though it may get, and it does get really hot here on the east coast,  the heat doesn't deter me from enjoying this season more than any other.  It means freedom to be outside, not cooped up in a house or apartment with air conditioning-looking outside at the world instead of being out in it. (Not that I am opposed to air-conditioning.)  It means vacation even when I'm not strictly "on vacation."

Summer always takes me back to a time of total irresponsibility-no school, no homework, swimming, fun, picnics, family gatherings, not having to be serious about anything.  It was a time of dreaming, making big plans and envisioning a great future. (Gosh, I didn't know squirrels made so much noise. Just looked out in the backyard to see two squirrels in two different trees making loud noises at each other and a neighbor's cat rolling on her back in the sun having great fun!)

Even cooking is different in the summer.  I'm not a "griller" myself, however, I love the taste and smell of foods cooked on the grill.  There's nothing so tasty and delicious as fresh veggies and chicken breasts lined with beautiful artistic grill marks.  Then there's the variety of salads.  You can make a salad out of anything: fried chicken, fish, lemons, figs, bright colorful vegetables of all kinds, grilled spring lamb or beef--just anything!


Even now, despite the responsibilities of a "grown-up" with a demanding daily life, jobs, family, children, grandchildren, cooking, blogging, reading, there is no time like the summer.  I just love it!  Longer days, lighter food, icy drinks, picnics and barbecues with family and friends, frosty beers and paler wines give me that feeling I used to have.  Thankfully, that feeling of joy, carefree freedom and dreaming comes every year.


Now it's back to cooler weather and different foods, wines and ways of cooking.  Though I must say, I'm fortunate, being here with my daughter, who has a gas grill in the backyard.  Even without power during Irene, we could cook breakfast on the grill, including toast!

So, even though I love the good old summertime, I enjoy the relief of the cooler temperatures and colors of fall.  However, I'm already looking forward to next summer's vacation.