sarahmichigan: (cooking)
sarahmichigan ([personal profile] sarahmichigan) wrote2008-10-18 01:18 pm
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What I've been cooking

Last night, I experimented with making veggie chili with fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. I got 3 Romas from Coleman's Farm Market. I chopped them up fairly small, and then used the potato masher on the third to make it more like puree. I also added half a small can of tomato paste to thicken it up a bit.  The last of our home-grown banana peppers went into the chili, too, along with pintos, black beans, some corn, frozen bell peppers, veggie broth, 4 cloves of garlic, vegetarian soy burger crumbles and spices. It turned out really well. I definitely would like to make this with fresh tomatoes instead of canned another time to see if that was the secret to it being exceptionally good this time. I made a huge batch, so we had some for dinner last night, and the rest is in the freezer.

Other things I've cooked or baked lately have included:
-Apple/raspberry crisp (really tart and good!)
-Pasta ala Bosca (whole wheat pasta with mushrooms, soy sausage, olive oil, red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of parmesan)
-Pita pizzas with basil and peppers I grew myself
-Baked potatoes with cheese & broccoli
-Homemade breakfast "skillets"

On this last item, the skillets: You can get them at diners around here. Usually it's either hashbrowns or American fries mixed with sauteed veggies, topped by two eggs and a sprinkle of cheese. You can add meat, and you can get the eggs fried or scrambled. I usually get mine scrambled. I decided I could make these cheaper and more healthily at home, so I've made it several times. I pan fry the potato chunks until they're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and mix in a variety of veggies, depending on what I've got on hand. I've used Michigan-grown bell pepper, tomatoes I grew myself, organic mushrooms, onions, banana peppers I grew myself, and dill from my yard in different combinations. Then, I make a really thin 2-egg plain omelet, lay it over the potatoes and veggies, and top the whole thing with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. SO good. I've been craving eggs & potatoes in various combinations big time for the last month or so- not sure what's up with that...