Here’s a spicy Sichuan dish, Gong Bao Ji Ding otherwise known as Kung Pao Chicken. The flavors of soy sauce, ginger and garlic are most prevalent, but topped with thin slices of fresno pepper, fresh cilantro and thin slices of lime zest really adds another layer of tastiness to this stir fry.
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Flamethrowers are fried green chile. Years ago I found a recipe in an issue of Chile Pepper Magazine (August 2001) named Texas Flamethrowers with Dipping Sauce. It has become one of the first things I make when we get our roasted chile in August, and best when the chile is big and meaty and fresh. I changed the dipping sauce up a bit to fit our taste buds but otherwise it tastes the same as the original. This recipe is so simple and easy, yet they disappear as fast as you can make them. I had to threaten some people in order to take pictures first.
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The best dessert is Pie, at least according to me. Peach pie is my favorite and I make it as soon as the peaches are good and ripe. I used the Combination Butter and Shortening Crust posted by Simply Recipes, which gives really good instructions. I will tell you that it takes some practice, or maybe I should say I need practice. This deep dish pie takes a lot of peaches to fill it. I piled 4 pounds of peaches into this pie. I don’t know if you would say it looks pretty, but it tasted pretty darn good!
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Remember the Salsa Verde, it makes a lot doesn’t it? The benefits are that I have enough for dipping and also to make burritos. Cameron, my youngest son loves burritos and since he was nice and asked me sweetly, I said okay. I made the Salsa Verde ahead because it takes some prep time and it’s easier to have it on hand and ready to go. You can make burritos with chicken or ground beef but today I’m making pork. Usually I put a pork roast in the crock pot and leave it all day, but I just got a new dutch oven that I’m dying to try out.
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The farmers market was the place to be this past weekend. They had everything you could ever want in fresh fruits and veggies, herbs, and honey. There was a vendor who had cherry heirloom tomatoes and they were so colorful with different shapes and sizes, I just had to have some. We bought 2 pints, enough to make 4 salads. The farmers market is located next door to “The Tasteful Olive” where they have an extraordinary array of flavored Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars. They have the traditional flavors but also unique blends that make an easy vinaigrette. Whether you have heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, this will make a great summer side salad to any meal.
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Have I mentioned how much I love salsa. Well, I do! An I don’t feel guilty because I make it myself without preservatives, I can control the salt content and I use fresh ingredients. Salsa Verde is always a prelude to enchiladas or burritos because I make a big batch, save some for dipping and the rest will make a sauce to smother enchiladas or burritos. Inspired by Bobby Flay who makes a similar salsa.
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Once a year I splurge and have Fried Green Tomatoes. This year I made BLT’s and they were a big hit. The seasoning mix comes from Paul Prudhomme who never fails to inspire me. Plain mayo just didn’t belong on this sandwich so I made a remoulade sauce. Doesn’t it look Yummy!
Do you always have bananas on hand? I do and sometimes forget just how many bananas we’ll actually eat when I’m putting them in the cart. When they get that spotty black color and turn soft, it’s time to do something. Don’t throw them out, they are perfect for muffins. These jumbo muffins with a streusel topping taste good with your morning cup of tea or coffee, or an afternoon break.
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It’s so hot these days, I thought it would be a great time for a salad. I opened the fridge and found some dried cherries sitting there and knew they would be a good start. I added an apple and some brown sugar pecans. For the vegetarians out there that would be perfect, but in my house I’m surrounded by men who like meat so I added some grilled chicken to the mix.
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Brown Sugar Pecans are a tasty treat. They are easy to make and great to have in the pantry for a quick snack. I love to put a few into a salad, they provide that crunch and sweetness that adds so much flavor to any salad. Another idea is to split a banana in half, grill it for a minute then add the pecans and drizzle honey over the top. They will keep fresh for a couple weeks provided you place them in a tightly sealed container. Sometimes they don’t last that long though.
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An Inspired Cook 