Mariannes Motifs

Atlanta Produce Delivery Service

I heard a radio bit about this new company in Atlanta doing called "My Produce Guy."  They will deliver your produce right to your door.  I have such FOND memories of WebVan, that I had to check these guys out.

For under $40 bucks I just made my first order.  This will be delivered to my door all packed up so it can sit out for 4 hours in case it gets there before I do.  I figure I can check in a lunch to see if it gets there in the AM.  This will give me all the fresh veggies I need to cook for the week and I can avoid spending an hour picking through them at the grocery store.  I will give them a try.  If I go out to dinner one night I spend that amount, so if this helps me cook healthy I think it will be worth it.  The fruit is for Jin's smoothies.

Here is what I ordered:

Product    Qty    Price    Options         

VEG10
Carrots Organic For Juicing
(pound)
Sku:
    1    $1.50   

VEG14
Celery
(each)
Sku:
    1    $1.55   

GRA03
White Seedless
(1 1/2-2lb bag)
Sku:
    1    $5.25   

BER06
Strawberries
(quart)
Sku:
    1    $3.95   

BER02
Blueberries
(1/2 pint)
Sku:
    1    $3.45   

BER01
Blackberries
(1/2 pint)
Sku:
    1    $3.25   

CIT03
Lemons
(4 pack)
Sku:
    1    $2.45   

LET09
Hydroponic Bibb Lettuce
(each)
Sku:
    1    $3.00   

PEP06
Peppers Mixed (Red,Yellow,Green)
(3 pack)
Sku:
    1    $4.50   

ONI06
Vidalia Sweet Onion
(each)
Sku:
    1    $1.00   

TOM02
Grape Tomato
(pint)
Sku:
    1    $2.55   

Order Total         

         Merchandise Total:     $32.45             

         Handling:     $5.00             
         Handling Total:     $5.00             
         Local Tax:     $0.97             
         Shipments Total:     $33.42             

         Grand Total:     $38.42    

Twice Baked Potato

I am going to make Twice Baked Potatoes Friday night, along with some yummy slow cooker barbecue pork roast sandwiches. 

I did some searching around on a really fantastic cooking blog called "Pioneer Woman Cooks" and found her recipe/blog entry for Twice Baked Potatoes.  I love her blog because her commentary on the recipes is quite funny, and I like the way she takes pictures of each step.  Hers' in fact, is a great example of a cooking blog in its finest form.

Simple Dinner Recipes

2 Super Simple Dinner Recipes

Smoked sausage with mac and cheese

Slice low fat smoked sausage on the bias.   Cook according to package instructions with just enough water to cover about 10 minutes on each side in a large pan.  After the sausages are cooked through add your favorite barbecue sauce and heat through until the barbecue sauce thickens and coats the sausage.

Great served with mac and cheese and microwaved frozen broccoli.  (This is from my buddy Jodi)

Pasta in Garlic Sauce  super fast one dish meal

Pasta of your choice  - Bows, spirals, whatever
Knorr Creamy Garlic sauce mix (from the sauce mix aisle in the grocery store)
Frozen peas - drop a few servings of frozen peas right into the pasta water right before the pasta is done
(optional - add chopped ham to the mix if you need meat in it)

Cucumber Kimchi Salad - (Oi Muchim)

Cucumber Kimchi Salad - (Oi Muchim)

This is my mother in law's recipe. I think you would normally add about a Tablespoon Rice wine vineger to it as well, but she does not like anything sour so she does not add this.
Ingredients

5 small pickle cucumbers (sliced into thin quarter 1/2 moon shapes)

2 tsp salt

3 scallions chopped fine (slice the white part in half and then chop the white and green parts)

optional -1 tsp dashida Korean beef stock powder (could use msg or leave out of you don't have)

1 tsp garlic chopped fine

2 tsp roasted seasame seeds

2 tsp dark sesame oil

optional - add Korean red pepper to tastePreparation

Cut cucumbers in quarters and then slice into thin 1/2 moons. Put in a bowl and cover with salt while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Slice the thick white part of the scallions (green onion) and chop the white and green parts in a fine chop. Throw them in the bowl with the cucumbers.

Sprinkle about a tsp. of dashida beef stock base on the mix for flavor. Optionally you could use msg or just leave this out. You could also use rice wine vinager.

Chop about 1 tsp fresh garlic cloves in a fine chop and add. Sprinkle 2 tsp. Korean roasted sesame seeds on top - enough to cover in a light sprinkle. Add about 2 tsp dark Korean sesame oil. To make a spicy version of this add just a bit of Kroean red pepper flakes. I like to leave half the mixture without red pepper and half with.

relishmag.com/braised chicken

This braised chicken recipe from from relishmag.com looks yummy.  It's a crock-pot braised chicken in red wine with bacon, garlic and mushrooms.  I love slow cooker recipes - its so nice to come home from work to a warm dinner all ready to eat.

This recipe makes a ton of chicken - I would for sure cut the recipe in half for my family of four.  I'd most likely serve this over rice (maybe some of that yummy Indian Basmati Rice I bought the other day) or noodles, with a salad or microwave-steamed frozen peas.

Relish Magazine- Burgundy Braised Chicken

Ingredients

8 pounds chicken pieces—breasts, thighs and drumsticks
5 cups red wine
8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
8 springs thyme
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups quartered button mushrooms
4 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Instructions 1. The day before cooking the dish, place chicken in a shallow container in a single layer. Pour wine over and add sliced garlic. Cover and refrigerate to let marinate overnight.
2. Cook the bacon in a sauté pan until crispy. Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving rendered fat in pan.
3. Add mushrooms to pan and sauté until lightly golden brown. Add onions and continue to sauté until they are well caramelized. Reduce the heat to low and melt in butter and then incorporate flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, then season and remove from heat.
4. Remove chicken from marinade, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and dust skin sides lightly with flour. Sauté the pieces of chicken, skin side down, until golden brown and then add to the Crock-Pot slow cooker.
5. Add red wine marinade to a saucepot and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes, skimming sway impurities that rise to the top. Add chicken broth and onion and mushroom mixture and heat through. Adjust seasonings and then pour over chicken. Cover slow cooker and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature setting to Low and continue to cook for 3 more hours.
6. Serve with sauce and garnish with the crisp bacon and parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe by Tony Aiazzi, Charlie Palmer Restaurant Group. Courtesy of Crock-Pot.

Indian Basmati Rice Recipe / Instructions

I got some "me" time today and as I was driving back from my massage (yay!) I decided to stop in and check out this local Indian Market and Cafe that I have never been to.  It's called Little India Mart - really cute place.  I bought some yummy food for lunch for the family and also a big bag of Indian basmati rice.  The guy at the checkout was so nice - he gave me some instructions on a good way to cook the rice in the microwave.  So I thought I would write it down so I won't forget and share the wealth too.

Indian Basmati Rice Instructions

1 part rice to 1.5 parts water (eg. 1 cup of dry rice will serve 2 people, 2 cups dry rice for 4 people)
cook in microwave for 17 minutes

Preparation:  First wash the rice in a colander with clean cold water.  Place some butter or ghee (to taste) in the bottom of a microwave safe container with a lid.  The rice needs space to be able to grow twice its size as it absorbs the water.  With the butter place 2 or 3 whole cloves and 2 cardamom seeds (break apart).   Optionally add some cumin seeds too.

Cook on high in the microwave for 17 minutes.   If you want to, you can pre-cook some frozen mixed vegetables or peas in the butter at the beginning of the process and then make the rice with them in it, and you will have a little veggies in there too.

Note:  My mom used to make rice in the microwave similar to this before she got her rice cooker.  She used a big Corning Ware Casserole with lid for it.

Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce Recipe

This is a classic upstate NY way to do chicken on the grill.  When we had school fundraiser barbecues, local church barbecues, and at fairs and festivals in the summer, this is how the chicken is marinated and basted.  A common sight was to see a big set of grills that were made from metal barrels cut in half and then fitted with grill tops.  Sizzling on top were split chicken halves.    I think I remember that this would be served with baked beans and potato  salad.   And a piece of bread with a pat of butter. 

Here is a recipe card for the marinade for the chicken.  I have made it with chicken breasts both bone in and boneless.  Its better with the bone in chicken, I think, as it is juicier.

Download cornell_chicken_marinade.jpg

recipe card made with scrapbook kits by Kim Hill and template by Canay.

20% off Pampered Chef stoneware!

I just noticed this - Pampered Chef is having a special of 20% off of some of their classics and new traditions stoneware. 

Go to Heather's Pampered Chef Site  and use Marianne Case as the hostess name.   Then put the item name on the chart below into the search box to get the right item number for the sale.  You have to use these item numbers to get the 20% off price.
 

Here's an example picture of one of the items on sale that I think would be very useful and so pretty too.

Deep Dish Baker - Cranberry  20% off - $28.00

Daikon Kimchi Recipe

This blog entry is dedicated to my mom and mom in law.  Its my husbands mom's Kimchi recipe that my mom put into  her MS Word recipe format.  So its a nice cross family recipe for my Korean and Jewish family.  :-)

DAIKON KIMCHI

 

1 large round (Korean) Daikon, peeled, cubed (1/2 ") or shredded (large shreds)

1 1/2 Tbs Korean dark red hot chili powder

2 tsps salt

1 bunch green onions, cut diagonally in pieces

4 to 5 mashed cloves of garlic

1 Tbs crushed roasted salted seasoned sesame seeds

1 tsp Sesame oil (Korean or Japanese dark)

 

In a large glass, stainless or pottery bowl, mix Daikon with hot chili powder until red color has permeated the vegetable. Add salt, onion and garlic and mix well. Refrigerate in a glass jar with a tight fitting plastic lined lid and add the oil and seeds when serving.