Getting caught up :) LW,MF 12

Its funny , I was all caught up and up to date ...  then I started back at the farm  :))  Which gave me a whole bunch of ideas for posts ... too many in fact between the food Ive been making and starting back to work , building cold frames, and even a catering quote tucked in there ....  I think I was a little over whelmed.   I just needed a day when I can write to get started , and today is that day .  I have exactly 30 minutes to finish this before I have to go ( To the butchers to get some sausage for dinner :))  So Ill keep it short :)

Making a Tomato/Onion/Cucumber Salad for work :) 

Meatballs with the tomatoes I canned, Mozzarella and Onion 

Mexican Sausage Flat Bread Pizza,  with Mozzarella and Goats Cheese 

Breakfast to go ,  Melon slices with homemade WW bread, and a herbed yogurt spread 

More Mexican Sausage Pizza ??  Didn't mean to double up .. oh well, enjoy seconds. 

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread .  

Making a batch of butter in my food pro :)  

I had a MAJOR whoopsie moment and used a metal spatula on my enamelled cast iron .  So to avoid any future problems , I seasoned it like I would my other cast iron pots. Its a mess , but its protected and usable again !! Part of a new series on my Facebook page : Kitchen Tips & Tricks :))  

I hope you have enjoyed today's post,  I have some time set aside tomorrow to hopefully get a few more done . Is there anything you would like to see?? Recipes ? Pictures , Stories etc,...  don't be shy , leave a comment below.  :)
Happy Cooking
Rich

Less Words, More Food 11

Note to self .... don't go thru all your food photos when hungry !  Hahaha I'm starving after organizing these shots , and the next couple of posts worth.    Its time again for another round of LWMF!!

Chili Pasta n Cheese Stuffed Red Bell Pepper
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/03/chili-n-pasta-stuffed-red-peppers.html

Cheese and Tomato on toasted whole wheat pita with garlic/jalapeño hummus 

Loaded Roast chicken, hummus , cheese and veggie jacket potato :)) 

Homemade Butter :))

Why have I not tried this before ?? and the field trip in grade six doesn't count !  If I could do it then, why couldn't I do it now.    So after watching a quick video clip on how to make your own with a food pro, I decided to try a slightly more manual way .    Just using a mason jar and heavy cream.   That's it!!
My other thought was, can I save money by doing this ?? Good butter is $4  to 5 a pound here ( I don't like the cheap butter , it has more than cream and salt ) So can I do it ??   Read below and find out.

Heavy Cream ( 35% ) and a mason jar  with a lid is all you need

Start by pouring half the cream (250ml ) into the mason jar, secure the lid and start shaking ... pretend your one of those paint can shakers in the hardware store and go to it.  This was after ten minutes of shaking ,  I had some very thick cream ... time to switch methods a little. 

I used the handle from a spatula to finish the job ..  10 more minutes of stirring. 

At this point , if you wanted to add flavourings .. this would be the time. I wanted to try a plain unsalted batch before I started messing around.    Salt, Garlic, Fresh Herbs etc.. the list can go on.

Less Words, More Food 10

Its time once again for another round of Less Words, More Food.  Its mid winter here, and food prices are going thru the roof ..  its time to start getting a little creative with things, and making the most of the fresh veggies I can get.

Making Pork Sirloin In Mushroom Sauce :)  

A Vegetarian Mushroom , Onion , Pepper and Cheese Pita Pizza 

Curry Chicken and Veggies Stir Fry :) ( My first try at using Tofu )

Wow, 50 posts... done.

Its almost like its someones birthday !!  This is the 50th post for this blog :)) Amazing.  Thank you all for dropping by.   Of course , as soon as I put some pressure on myself to write something fantastic... my brain shuts down the writing side ....  So if you were expecting some glowing report , or recap .. well I'm sorry Hahahaha!!  What Ive decided to highlight today,  is a few of the new series I'm working on.  More of a glimpse of the future, than  a view of the past.

Good Food, Cheap :
Showing how you can eat good food, even on a tight budget with tips and tricks for saving you a bundle. Whether its how to find the best bargains, batch cooking , starting from scratch or buying a whole loin and cutting it up yourself.. it all helps.  

Follow this link for a list of all the GFC posts:
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/good%20food%20cheap

Creative Leftovers :
Something that is a constant around here is, leftovers.  This series is all about showing you how to reuse all that extra food , and turn it into something great to eat .  NO matter how great something tastes , eating it three days in a row can be a real chore.

Follow this link for a list of all the CL posts:
   http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/creative%20leftovers


Simple & Easy :


The newest one Ive started , showing you how to eat good food, in about an hour or less.  Just because you don't have much time doesn't mean you can't eat well.

Follow this link for a list of all the S&E posts :
 http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/Simple%20and%20Easy


Farm to Fork : 


This one is going to see a lot of posts this year ,  as I delve further into the whole process of how food is grown , how it gets to your table, and whats in it .  Where to buy the good stuff, and what to avoid.

 

Follow this link for a list of all FTF posts :
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/farm%20to%20fork



Less Words, More Food : 


The title explains it all :))

Follow this link for a list of all LWMF posts:
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/less%20words%20more%20food



Appetizers : 


Finger foods, and snacks for entertaining or light dinners.

Follow this link for a list of all APP posts:
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/appetizers


There are a few other series , that are still in the idea stage .  If you have any suggestions as to what you would like to see,  or feedback on the existing series,  please , don't be shy and leave a comment below.   Thanks for making these first 50 posts a success.

Happy Cooking

Rich

Chili n' Pasta Stuffed Red Peppers : Creative Leftovers

I was at a loss the other day , as to what I wanted to make/eat .   I decided on some of my chili , as it was already made ...  and I was in the mood for easy !  While I was letting the chili defrost I thought I ask on my FB Food page , if anyone had a suggestion for a future blog post ....  " Something Stuffed " was the reply , and a light bulb went off !! I could use the chili to stuff some red peppers...   Hmmmmm what to use, i was not in the mood for the usual rice style....   Curly Pasta!!!  That would be perfect , and very filling.   So Rotini it was.  This is such a simple and easy recipe , and can even be prepared ahead of time , that I'm sure it will be used again ( Most likely soon!!! )  Also , a single one of these would make a great appetizer.

Ingredients required : 
I made way too much , this will easily make 12 halves.

4 cups of your favourite Chili ( Ill be doing a Chili blog post soon, stay tuned !! )
2 cups of dried rotini pasta
6 Red Bell Peppers ( or the colour of your choice )
Mozzarella , One slice per half.
Feta Cheese - One small cube per half ( Teaspoon sized )
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Basil

It all starts with a pot of chili :))  

Red Bell Peppers,  cut in half lengthwise , with the seeds removed ( a sharp knife and a spoon work well for this ) 

Boil, and drain the pasta as per the package, you can under cook it if you like, as it will be going into the oven for about 30 minutes.  Mix it well with the chili .  ( This shot is from the day after , it filled most of this pot ) 

Simply fill the pepper halves... 

You can add some fresh onions , or mushrooms ..  whatever makes you happy 

A little bit of Feta , and a 3/16" thick slice of Mozzarella , basil and S&P and into a 350F oven for 20 minutes ,  then 5 minutes ,  or so,  more on grill ( Keep an eye on it after the 20 minutes )  

Thats it!!  Its time to eat.  I had two halves for dinner,  one for brunch the next day .  

Ive been practicing my camera work , this is without a flash ,  what do you think ?? :)) 

Of course , there is always the option of skipping the red pepper altogether lol as I did for this midnight snack :))  I also switched out the Feta for cheddar and added a couple of dashes of Lea & Perrins .

There you have it ,  a Simple and Easy way  to be Creative with Leftovers...  or a great little Appetizer that can be made ahead of time.  If you have any comments or questions please follow the link below.
Happy Cooking!! :)