Monthly Archives: January 2013

Hollandaise sauce – don’t be intimidated

Posted on by

I’ve heard several people comment on how scary it is to contemplate making Hollandaise sauce, but really it’s not a big deal. I got my recipe from Betty Crocker. Betty has a lot of basic recipes so if you want to make something you haven’t made before, check with Betty. Anyway, the secret to easy Hollandaise is low temperature. Use a small saucepan that has high sides so you can whisk without it flying all over the kitchen. And don’t stop whisking! You have to keep the mixture from separating, so whisk constantly. I put Hollandaise on anything…fish, chicken, steak, Continue Reading →

Cast iron cooking

Posted on by

Several years ago we converted all our cookware to cast iron, mostly enameled cast iron. I just love it! Even good quality stainless steel is made with nickel, which is a common heavy-metal toxin to which many people are highly allergic. We are both so sensitive to chemicals that we have tried to eliminate all sources of chemicals in our lives, including cleaning products, pesticided food and our cooking implements. It can be a challenge but ultimately I think I feel better for the effort. In any case, I have my enameled cast iron and also a few old pieces Continue Reading →

Green bean variations

Posted on by

One of our favorite quick veggie sides is spicy green beans. I saute green beans in coconut oil with garlic salt, pink salt and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I cook them a little more al dente and sometimes I get them slightly carmelized. Either way, they are great. For Christmas I wanted to do something a little different with the green beans. I was cooking a brined turkey, which turned out great, and while it was in the oven I was on the phone with my family in California saying hi to everyone and talking about food (naturally). My niece Mary Continue Reading →

Easy Fajitas

Posted on by

Some days I just don’t feel much like thinking about what to make for dinner. I want something easy, and It doesn’t get much easier than fajitas. Even if I don’t remember to take chicken out of the freezer in the morning, it’s easy enough to defrost chicken breasts in warm water later in the day. I don’t believe in using a microwave oven so I go old school for that sort of thing. If you take some sirloin steak or round steak out in time, you can make beef fajitas just as easily. Just slice it thin so it Continue Reading →