The roads outside my home are white. Not with snow, but with salt from combatting all the ice, and snow we have had recently. Just a week ago I was enjoying a great vacation in Spain where we didn’t see snow. Then we came back to reality and one week’s worth of below freezing temperatures with some nights below zero. Yikes!

Maybe we should have stayed just one more week?

Spain is an amazing country. Sure they are going through financial pain and unemployment is a huge problem especially with the young folks, but it’s still a great place to visit. Some of the things I learned on my latest trip are that Spain has the largest wine growing region in the world, with 2.89 million acres. It is the most mountainous wine producing country (this according to the book “Wine”, by Andre Domine). They also have some great beaches on the Mediterranean Coast. Unfortunately I wasn’t there for beach weather. It rained six out of the seven days we were visiting, which was a bit unusual. At least it only rained a little each day. On our one sunny day we made it to the beach in Valencia and had a nice walk in the sand and surf. It was a great respite from the rain. Any country that boasts great beaches, mountains, food and wine is tops on my list of places to hang out.

I also think Spaniards are about the friendliest Europeans I have met compared to the French, Brits or Italians. In Madrid when we got off the metro to go to a flamenco performance we were stumped by the map in the Metro station. A young family of four got off at the same stop and saw us staring at the map with that lost look, and asked if we needed help. They were kind enough to walk with us two blocks to make sure we knew where the Flamenco venue was even though they had a crying two year old with them.

Plaza Mayor Madrid

Food and wine are very reasonable at numerous tapas bars and restaurants. Spaniards love to eat out and there are lots of foodie choices in most cities and towns. Madrid has a population of about 3.2 million according to Wikipedia and Tripadvisor.com list 5,930 restaurants. Little ol’ Denver, Colorado(where I’m from originally) has a population of around 2.9 million and sports only about 2,448 restaurants on Tripadvisor.com.

May I be so bold as to say Spain is a foodie paradise!

On our trip we started in Madrid for one day, then went to Granada for two days, then back to Madrid for one night to cue up for the high speed(185 mph!) Renfe train the next day, then Valencia for two days, before retuning to Madrid for one more night before heading home. In all of these places we found outstanding restaurants and tapas bars.

In Valencia I went to the huge Central Market. I wished I had a place where I could have cooked at, but we were in a hotel. I was blown away by the abundance of vegie stands, fish stands, fruit stands, olive and olive oil stands that all sported great looking groceries. The freshness of the seafood and the variety of fish and shrimp had me taking a lot of pictures, as that’s about all I could do with the seafood.

Valencia Mercado

One of the olive oil stands had free samples where I dipped bread bits into many types of tasty oil. I held off buying any as I still had one more train ride to go before flying home from Madrid and olive oil is heavy stuff. I did buy some yummy dried and roasted fava beans as well as Mediterranean pistachios to bring home. I didn’t do much other food shopping until I got to Carrefour a huge grocery/department store from France that has locations all over the world. It was the biggest grocery store I have ever been in, and I bought a bunch of olive oil, rice and saffron to bring home.

In Madrid there was a different type of mercado. The Mercado de San Miguel was an old iron and glass building that housed a bunch of food and drink options. We bought tray full of seafood tapas from one of the stands then got a plate full of olives for just one euro to go with it. There were several wine bars to choose from and we tried the goods from two of those. We bought a nice cod croquette to go with a glass of white wine that was delish! If you are ever in Madrid I hope you can check this place out. It’s just off the Plaza Mayor, and fairly easy to find.

Mercado deSan Miguel

Stacked cherries at Mercado de San Miguel

My favorite food stop on the trip was in Valencia where a friend of a friend recommended Navarro restaurant for paella. It was so good we went back on our last day there to have a different type for our last lunch in Valencia. You can see my review on tripadvisor using this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187529-d993266-r191597981-Navarro-Valencia_Valencia_Province_Valencian_Country.html#REVIEWS

The funny thing was that as good as the paella was we were the only ones eating it both days we ate at Navarro. Everyone else looked like they were locals, and I guess they were there for the other items on the menu like the amazing seafood and salads. We had the vegetarian salad for a starter both days we went there. It had three types of lettuce, several chopped vegies, as well as olives, tomatoes, sliced beets, avocado and grilled tofu. It was the best salad I have had in Europe!

an amazing salad

When I got home I was determined to make paella in a way that you my dear readers could make also. Knowing that a paella pan is a rare thing in American kitchens I tested my recipe in a saute pan and a enameled cast iron dutch oven. I think the cast iron cookware worked best and would recommend that type of pot if you have one. This one pot meal is prepped and cooked in less than 45 minutes making it a great dinner item.

To make it easier for you to make paella in your kitchen I’m having a giveaway of:

one bottle of Spanish olive oil, one bag of Bomba rice and a small jar of saffron, all of which I bought in Valencia. One lucky reader will receive all three to make paella in their home. Just leave me a comment of your favorite rice dish and you will be entered in the giveaway. Good luck and happy eating!

the ingredients

Paella, fast and furious style

1 cup of Bomba rice, or Uncle Ben’s original converted will do

2 cups stock, chicken or vegetable see note

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

1/2 cup cut green beans

1/3 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen lima beans

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes

1/8 teaspoon ground saffron, see note

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Using a cast iron enamel pot,

or using a saute pan

In a saute pan or enamel cast iron pot saute onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 5-7 minutes stirring until onions are soft.

Add rice and cook one more minute stirring to coat the rice with the oil.

Add the spices, salt if using, lima beans, all but 1/4 cup of the stock and turn heat up to medium high stirring once or twice to distribute the stock. Once it comes to a boil reduce heat and cook for eight minutes uncovered.

Stir in tomatoes and green beans and cook for five more minutes at a low simmer.

Add peas, stirring one last time, and cook about five more minutes at a simmer until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is just barely cooked through. You may need to add the rest of the reserved stock at this time.

Stir to fluff it up a bit and serve with a nice salad, bread and olives for a Spanish type meal.

Serves two, but is easily doubled to serve four.

yum!

Note:

This is a good vegan or vegetarian meal if you use vegetable stock. If you want meat add 8 ounces bite sized raw chicken at the beginning when the onions, garlic, and bell peppers are sauteeing. Chorizo, shrimp, and rabbit are good with this also.

Saffron is considered one of the most expensive food ingredients in the food world, but you only need a little and a small jar(.7 grams) of saffron threads bought at Trader Joe’s will only set you back $5.99. This small jar would make about three to four batches of paella thus costing you about $1.50 for a paella that serves four. You can also buy it on Amazon.com for about $12.50 for 2 grams plus shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Saffron-Mancha-Tin-gram/dp/B004OKTBVQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1390833363&sr=1-1&keywords=saffron

I like to grind my saffron threads in a mortar and pestle like my friends from the middle east taught me instead of buying ground saffron.

Last night was Christmas dinner at our home, and with my in-laws visiting it made it even more special. We spent the day hanging out, and watching a bit of tv. We managed to eat quite well throughout the day as you might expect. The whole wheat waffles I made for breakfast came out great using hazelnut oil in place of melted butter, and topped with home made hot blueberry topping with just a touch of whipped cream.

We all enjoyed the Maitake Mushroom Chowder(http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/392/) I made the day before for our simple lunch. After lunch came our nice walk in the sun to let our puppy Tucker chase sticks behind the school for some much needed high impact exercise. You got to take advantage of the sunny days this time of year in Baltimore!

decorated and ready

Around 3pm I put the leg of lamb in the oven for its three hour journey to tasty perfection. It was simply rubbed with Penzey’s lamb seasoning, fresh minced garlic, salt and pepper. I placed it on top of diced carrots, onions, and celery for flavor. What was real different was surrounding it with sunchokes. This was my first time cooking sunchokes and I went to youtube to find instructions on how to prep and cook the little nuggets. Lucky for all of us Youtube is there when you don’t know how to cook something like sunchokes. For those of you that don’t know about them they are native to North America and are a tuber. Think of them as a little potato with more flavor.

To round out the lamb feast was a nice starter of cauliflower, red bell pepper, sun dried tomato salad on a bed of shredded cabbage dressed with my mushroom salad dressing. We also had garlic mashed yukon gold potatoes, and succotash.

The pecan bars I baked the day before made for a great dessert when paired with a scoop of Keyes Creamery pumpkin ice cream. Mind you that this was not a low fat healthy meal, but well worth the calories!

The race course

To wind up the festivities we had bought four party poppers( a British tradition ?) with a reindeer theme. You haven’t lived until you have had in home reindeer races! These little wind up toys were inside the poppers and came with a race course. All four of us received a reindeer for the big race. A practice session was granted to get the feel of the equipment then off we went. My mother-in-law seemed to have the winner in the practice round as it flew straight and true. I had a fast little guy named Prancer, but he didn’t have a great sense of direction. My father-in-law had a confused reindeer that only excelled in running tight little circles. When the smoke had cleared Prancer won the race and the prize bag containing a $20 gift certificate to Trader Joe’s, a fine little note pad and pen set, and a candy cane.

The winner Prancer on the left

Some of our most memorable Christmas dinner parties have been the ones with poppers. So if you see some while out shopping the day after Christmas be sure and get some for New Years or Christmas dinner parties and party like a reindeer!

I consider myself a master of using leftovers! This comes from years of restaurant, and crew cooking. In the restaurants many places I worked at fed the employees on the leftovers from the night before. Since many of the employees were close friends of mine there was an added incentive to making the employee meal taste good.

In the Coast Guard and on the offshore oil platforms I would often incorporate the leftovers into soup from the previous days meals. One of the best ways I found to use leftovers was in fried rice. There would be leftover steamed rice quite often and it’s perfect for using in fried rice the next day. If there was some roast chicken, pork or steamed shrimp all the better. Many cultures from Asia, and even Ecuador have their own versions of fried rice. The best thing about making fried rice from leftovers is it’s really quick and a one pot meal too!

I got home from a three day trip to New York City late last night and figured I’d post a good one pot/pan meal today for all of you that love to eat well with less time in the kitchen. I had in my fridge 2 1/2 cups of leftover brown rice, 1 cup of cooked lobster claws, and some green onions that all needed to be used soon. The stage was set and off to work in the Fast and Furious Test Kitchen I went. It took all of 5 minutes to get the vegetables cut and ready, then out came the wok. It took less than 15 minutes to whip up the fried rice and sit down to a tasty lunch without making a huge mess of the kitchen I had just cleaned up. Made with brown rice and lots of vegies this is a healthy fast meal that can be tweaked to please almost anyone. Just plan ahead by making extra rice next time you cook it for a dinner starch and plan on using the extra in the next 3-4 days for a yummy fried rice main dish or side. I think you will agree that this is a winner.

Lobster or Shrimp Fried Rice

2 teaspoons peanut, or canola oil

1/2 cup yellow onion diced small,(about the size of a pea) or slice green onions will do

1/2 cup celery diced small

1/2 carrots diced small

1 small clove fresh garlic minced

1 pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

1 cup lobster, shrimp, or tofu cooked or raw

2- 2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, but white rice will do

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, regular or low sodium

wok it

In a wok or fairly large saute pan on medium high heat add one teaspoon of the oil and the garlic and cook stirring for 1/2 minute.

If using raw lobster or shrimp add now and cook for 3 minutes stirring on medium high heat.

Add celery, carrots, pepper flakes, and yellow onion, and cook stirring on medium high heat for three minutes,see note*

If using cooked lobster or shrimp add now and cook on medium high heat for 3 minutes.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Wipe pan then return to medium high heat.

Add the last teaspoon of oil and rice.

Cook stirring for 3-4 minutes then add the lobster and vegetable mix.

Cook stirring on high heat for, you guessed it, 3 minutes or until everything is hot.

Add soy sauce and stir in well while cooking on medium heat 1-2 minutes or until soy sauce is well distributed and the fried rice is piping hot.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

*Note:

If using green onions add after the celery, and carrots have cooked for 3 minutes.

Many vegetables go well with this dish. Consider adding with the celery and carrots:

1/2 cup cubed zucchini or yellow squash

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup fresh shitake mushrooms

Makes a good vegan main dish when adding tofu and extra vegetables.

Halfway through December and I am furiously cooking several things today in the fast and furious test kitchen. I baked two pans of apple bars for Thursday’s meeting of the online meetup mastermind group. I made gingerbread dough for tonight’s class at St Vincent’s Villa where I volunteer teaching the girls basic healthy cooking. On top of that I tested a new original recipe roasting mushrooms with root vegetables for a great tasting side dish. All before the busy weekend approaches.

vegie goodness

This weekend has me taking a class at the Intl Culinary Center in good ole’ New York City. The class is on spices, a part of cooking that most struggle with. For example, I heard an interview on NPR with the owner of the little spice box(La Boîte A Epices) shop in New York City describe an experience where as a new chef he was asked by the boss chef “how many herbs, and spices can you name”? He could come up with about 40, but the boss chef knew of, and used over 160! That got me interested in learning more about herbs and spices right there and then. With any luck I’ll come away from the class with lots of new ways to use the herbs and spices I have, and add some herbs and spices to my collection for testing.

With that in mind I give you today’s recipe that will give you a chance to play around with herbs. This recipe can be done with several different herbs to create a lovely side dish. I’ve listed three herbs to consider using in this dish as a combination or just one of them. I also list two seasoning blends that will work well if you want to try either. My favorite seasoning blend is Spike, but I like Lawrey’s and Mrs Dash too. Not that I have a problem with grabbing one or more of the 50 plus herb and spice choices from my cabinet, but sometimes I just love the simplicity of shaking some Spike on a dish I’m cooking and be done with it. There is no hard core right or wrong as long as you are pleased with your results. So give it a try and please leave comments on how your test drive of this recipe came out.

Oven Roasted Mushrooms with Root Vegetables

1 medium sized baking potato, cut into one inch pieces

4-8 ounces fresh royal trumpet mushrooms, or shitake mushrooms

2 cups golden beets, or rutabaga cut into one inch pieces

1 large carrot slice into one half inch slices

1/2 medium yellow or white onion cut into one inch pieces

1 red bell pepper cut into one inch pieces

2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil with 2-4 cloves of the garlic that flavored it ,http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/garlic-infused-olive-oil-roasted-garlic/

1 teaspoon of Lawrey’s seasoning salt, or Spike seasoning salt

ground black pepper to taste

the goods

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until coated with the oil.

Spread onto a baking sheet pan and cook for 25-30 minutes or just until tender.

Do not overcook!

Stir after 15 minutes of baking.

Serves four as a side dish.

Note:

Butternut squash can be used in place of potatoes.

Turnips can be used if golden beets, and  rutabagas can’t be found.

Several herbs go well with this such as:

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

or a combination of the above.

If using shitake mushrooms remove and discard stems.

Makes a great side dish with roasted chicken, pork or beef.

Makes a great vegetarian main dish when feta cheese is sprinkled on top during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

Spelt Spaghetti with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Here we are a week after Thanksgiving and I am hard at work in the kitchen dreaming up lighter, healthier meals for in between holiday extravagances. I’ve been testing several ways to use spelt pasta, and spelt flour since Nature’s Legacy sent me a box of their products to try out. Thus far I am very happy with their spelt products and the recipe development using spelt in my kitchen.

Today I cooked up a dish that came to me last night wondering what would be the best type of dish for this time of year. I wanted something hot and satisfying, but vegetarian.

This dish came out great in testing today and I am happy to share it with you in the hopes that you will give spelt a try.

Why, you might ask should you give spelt a try? Well, for one reason it taste great. For another reason it’s all natural, and not-been-messed-with like its cousin wheat has been. Spelt is non-GMO, high in fiber and vitamins too. More and more people are searching out simple natural foods to add to their diet and spelt is gaining in popularity.

So try one or more of my spelt recipes, and see what you think. To help you try out spelt Nature’s Legacy is giving one of my lucky readers a box of spelt products.

Just leave a comment on this post what your favorite pasta dish is and you will be entered in this drawing. I’ll draw the winner soon and let you know who the lucky person is on my Facebook fan page. Due to shipping costs the winner must take delivery in the US.

Included in the box is:

1 5 lb bag 100% whole grain spelt flour

4 boxes whole spelt rotini

4 boxes whole spelt spaghetti

2 boxes whole spelt lasagna

Spelt Spaghetti with Butternut Squash and Pesto

1 ten ounce package of Nature’s Legacy spelt spaghetti

4 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup pesto

2 1/2 cups butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley

1 cup roasted walnuts(optional)

salt and pepper to taste

the goods

Heat water in a 5 quart pot with a tablespoon of salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

mix in the pesto, parsley and walnuts

Toss butternut squash, salt and pepper with olive oil in a bowl and mix to coat. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Cook spelt spaghetti according to instructions on package fifteen minutes after the squash goes in the oven, see note*

Drain and rinse spaghetti and put in a large bowl.

Add pesto, walnuts and parsley and toss well.

By now your squash should be tender but not mushy. Put hot squash in with spaghetti and mix well.

mix the hot squash in

Serve with a garnish of steamed broccoli, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6

Note*

The package says it takes 4-6 minutes to cook the spaghetti in boiling water, but I had to cook it about 8 minutes and it wasn’t overcooked.

I made a basic pesto from a recipe on the Food Network’s website that turned out very well, and only took ten minutes. You can buy or make your own pesto for this dish. Here’s the link for the recipe I used:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/basic-pesto-recipe/index.html

Even though I was gifted a box of products from Nature’s Legacy it didn’t influence my opinion.

spelt products from Nature’s Legacy

On the water taxi to Galapagos Islands

It’s true that I love to travel. Although I don’t travel as much as some I travel quite often. This week has me leaving for Madrid, Spain to attend Pueblo Ingles language school for Spanish speaking individuals looking to improve their english skills by attending a week long course all in English. My part is being a volunteer providing conversation daily one on one, or in small groups so the individuals can be exposed to a variety of accents. There are other volunteers from North America, as well as the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

What on earth you ask do I expect to get from this? I hope to learn about the Spanish culture, and especially the amazing cuisine I have heard about in Spain. It’s always good as a cook to be exposed to different styles of cooking to enhance the creative process that cooking demands.

Pueblo Ingles pays for my room and board at a pretty cool resort, that if you follow this link you can read the reviews and see pictures of the resort:http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g1104138-d1373072-Reviews-Abadia_de_Los_Templarios-La_Alberca.html

One of the challenges I have in leaving the country for ten days is providing healthy meals for my wife who doesn’t hardly ever cook. I have spoiled her all these years by cooking virtually all our meals, except when we go out to eat. This is the first time I have attempted to have this many days worth of lunch and dinner ready to heat and eat for her, and it’s been interesting to say the least. Most of the recipes are mine, but not all have been added to my blog. Just in case you ever have to do something like this I share with you the menu I devised, and some of the recipes.

Ten Day Menu Plan

Wednesday November 6th

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with a side of applesauce

Lunch: Salmon Salad Wrap with baby greens

Dinner: Maitake Mushroom Chowder with Couscous Salad

link to chowder recipe: http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/392/

Thursday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with a side of peaches

Lunch: Italian Tomato Soup. Link to soup recipe at:

http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/on-diet-and-nutrition/

Dinner: Coconut-Vegetable Thai Chowder

Friday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with almond butter toast

Lunch: Green salad with cauliflower and sunflower seeds, dressed with Cranberry vinegrette

Dinner: Salmon salad on greens and Vegetable lasagna. Link to lasagna recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/?s=lasagna

Saturday

Breakfast: Fried farm fresh egg on toast

Lunch: *Vegetable fried rice with peanuts

Dinner: Chicken curry on brown rice

Sunday

Breakfast: Blueberry, banana and fresh apple smoothie

Lunch: Ramen soup with added frozen peas

Dinner: Go out to neighborhood Indian restaurant/take out

Monday

Breakfast: Steel cut oats with applesauce

Lunch: Italian Tomato Soup Bean and rice burrito with side of salsa

Dinner: Steamed Edamame starter, Vegetable fried rice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Granola or steel cut oats

Lunch: Bean and rice burrito with side of avocado, and salsa. Link to bean and rice recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/spicy-black-bean-brown-rice-lunch-wraps/

Dinner: Baked Salmon Cake with side of steamed peas and carrots. Link to salmon cake recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/salmon-cakes-with-chipolte-tartar-sauce/

Wednesday

Breakfast: *Steel cut oats with peaches

Lunch: Green salad with a side of hummos and chips

Dinner: *Sauteed Fire Roasted Portabellos on linguine

Thursday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with applesauce

Lunch: Black beans and rice, or eat at work

Dinner: Chicken curry on brown rice, or chest nut rice

Friday

Breakfast: Steel cut oats and a fresh apple

Lunch: Lasagna and side green salad

Dinner: Baked salmon with chestnut rice

Notes:

Wednesday night take peaches out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Thursday night take Lasagna out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Friday night take curry out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Saturday, In a large saute pan heat 1 teaspoon of oil in pan on medium heat with fried rice and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup peanuts and cook for two more minutes.

3-4 pm cook 2 cups brown rice with 3 cups water in rice cooker for curry dinner.

Tuesday night take peaches out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Wednesday night start 5 cups of water heating on stove to boil pasta. When water is boiling add past stirring constantly for the first minute.

Start saute pan heating up with 1 teaspoon oil on medium hi heat for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of Phillips Fire Roasted Portabellos and cook stirring for 5-7 minutes or until piping hot. Serve on top of pasta.

Thaw curry in fridge for tomorrow night’s dinner.

Thursday night thaw salmon, and chestnut rice in fridge.

Friday night heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a small(gold colored) baking pan and rack that fits in it put salmon skin side down and bake for 20 minutes. Season salmon with a sprinkle of Spike and ground black pepper.

Heat chestnut rice in covered oven proof baking dish with a spray of oil at the same time you are baking salmon.

Steam some green beans if you like.

You can see it’s fairly extensive, and most items reheat in 5-7 minutes. I plan on posting about the trip after I return, but share with you my favorite healthy soup recipe I developed last year.

Italian Tomato Soup

Italian Tomato Soup

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 clove fresh garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 14.5 oz can of kidney beans

1 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 5.5 oz can of V-8 vegetable juice

1 vegetable or chicken cube,(bullion)

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup of small shell pasta, uncooked

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Optional,1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

In a 4-5 quart pot add enough of the water to cover the bottom about a quarter inch and heat to simmering. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium low for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add canned tomatoes, beans,red pepper flakes, rest of the water, V-8, bullion cube, and dried herbs. Cook at a simmer for 20 minutes covered stirring twice. Remove cover, turn heat up to a boil, and add pasta, stirring every 30 seconds for three minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 8 minutes uncovered keeping it at a slow boil. Stir in broccoli and cook for 3 minutes simmering. Stir in spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

Serves 4

Note:

*This is a thick soup, but you can add an additional cup water if you want it thinner.

*Green beans can be substituted for broccoli.

*Kale can be substituted for spinach.

On November 6, 2012 I launched the Fast and Furious Cook Blog. Now that it has been almost one year here are some of my thoughts on the last year blogging.

Wow, there is so much to learn to be an effective blogger.

Cooking doesn’t come easy to most people.

Washing dishes, pots and pans is not glamorous.

My kitchen sure is small.

My puppy has the usual dog ability to get in the way when I cook.

Photographing food is not easy.

Learning how to master WordPress is not easy either.

Writing recipes is fun and easy for me.

Hot and spicy food is where it’s at.

Many Americans are fat and unhealthy but Mexicans have just passed us by according to a story I heard on NPR this morning. Welcome to the number one spot.

Fresh organic produce from my garden beats grocery store produce any day.

My, but there are a lot of food bloggers out there.

Good health matters, and is determined mostly by what and how much we eat.

There are a lot of nutrition blogs out there. Read one often.

GMO food products are like some mad science project gone bad.

Shopping at a farm that has been in business for over one hundred years is cool. Especially when they use methods from over one hundred years ago.

I don’t like chemicals in my food.

People will say “I’ll buy your cookbook, but don’t”, and that’s just the way it is. No big deal.

Writing a cookbook is easy, but shooting the pictures, editing it, cooking something five times to get it right are not easy.

I still love to cook and create new dishes.

A lot of the info out there on eating healthy is wrong, but keep reading anyway because some of it is right.

Cooking in front of an audience is fun for me.

Always keep learning.

It’s been a great year in spite of the loss of my german shepherd Vixen and my Ragdoll cat Buster.

Pretty boy Buster

Vixen fall of 2010

And with that my friends I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, and passing on my blog and recipes. I promise you I will do all I can do improve year after year so I can bring you the best food choices for a healthy life.

I leave you with this recent recipe from the F&FC test kitchen. Most cream soups have gobs of milk or cream, but this does not. Try it, you will like it.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 pound cauliflower florets

5 cups water

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

3 tablespoons minced yellow onion

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

3-4 tablespoons better than bullion chicken base

1/4 cup half and half

white pepper to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon

the ingredients

Cut cauliflower into equal sized florets then put in a pot with water, and chicken base and cook for about 12-15 minutes covered on medium high heat until tender. While the cauliflower is cooking start the minced onions in butter and garlic oil in a saute pan on medium low heat. Cook onions for 5-7 minutes stirring often until translucent and tender. Add flour and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.

By now the cauliflower should be about done. Turn off heat and use the following directions for tabletop blender or immersion blender.

If using a tabletop blender drain cauliflower but reserve cooking liquid. Put cauliflower in blender with about 2 cups of the cooking liquid and puree. In the pot with the remaining cooking liquid add flour/onion mix and stir well with a wire whip until blended. Add pureed cauliflower to pot and stir.

If using an immersion blender leave cauliflower in water and blend until about pureed. Add flour and onion mix and blend first with a wire whip then use the immersion blender to finish the job.

To finish the soup add the half and half with the white pepper and serve with my Pan Toasted Croutons as a garnish.

Serves 4-6.

Cream of cauliflower soup with spicy croutons

Note:

Use the larger amount of chicken base if you want the soup a bit more flavorful and salty. You can always add the extra tablespoon at the end after tasting it.

Try coconut milk if you want to skip the dairy, and use olive oil in stead of butter.

Try a tablespoon or two of Spike or Mrs Dash seasoning salt in place of chicken bullion for a vegan/vegetarian soup.

Wine Touring Dry Creek Valley Wine Region with the Fast and Furious Cook

Every year or two I like to go to a wine region to explore for wine and food gems, and last week found me on the Dry Creek Valley wine trail in California. Thanks to friends of ours we were tipped off that this was the place to visit next, and we did visit last year but only for a few hours as our schedule had us mostly in and around the town of Sonoma.

This year’s trip was special as my brother was able to join me and assume the role of videographer, wine taster, and photographer as we explored Dry Creek Valley.

Welcome to Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Valley touts itself as a “premium wine” region, and thus far I agree. Now that doesn’t mean the wines, food and lodging are all at a premium price, but it can be if you want it to be. We found several wines that cost under $15 that were worthy of higher price tags. With over 70 wineries in the valley every wine drinker is probably going to find many excellent wines that suit their taste. Dry Creek Valley wineries are not caught up in the glitz like Napa wineries, and when you visit quite often you will be greeted by the owner or member of the owner’s family to share the story of the wines with you. It’s this down home, personal touch that will have me coming back for another taste.

The weather in the Dry Creek Valley is great for grapes and not bad for people either.

Dry Creek Valley Gen. Store

Here’s what the Wine Grower’s of Dry Creek Valley website has to say about the climate:

70 miles north of San Francisco and 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, Dry Creek Valley is ideally situated for winegrapes. Bordered by Lake Sonoma in the North and the confluence of Dry Creek and the Russian River to the south, the valley is classified as a Region II climate for grape growing (similar to Bordeaux region in France). Dry Creek Valley experiences both coastal and inland influences, with the nearby coastal mountain range keeping cool marine temperatures at bay, allowing for daily temperatures in the mid-80’s, July-Sept. But these mountains also provide a conduit for the coastal cold air and fog to come in at night, dramatically dropping temperatures. Long, warm days allow the fruit to fully ripen, while coastal cooling in the evening enables the grapes to mature slowly and retain their acidity and balance. These are the perfect growing conditions for Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, the region’s signature wines, as well as Bordeaux and Rhone varietals.

We found found the weather lovely on our visit with the daytime highs in the mid 80’s and the morning low around 45 degrees. With the fall colors on display I think October is the best time to visit.

downtown Healdsburg

For a town of just over 11,000 Healdsburg has great food and lodging options. As far as food options in the area Tripadvisor.com lists 69 restaurants on their website with Partake by K-J tops on the list. I have eaten at the Oakville Grocery, a deli like restaurant on the square in downtown Healdsburg, and also stopped in at the historic Dry Creek General Store twice. Unfortunately on this trip when we dropped in at the Oakville Grocery for lunch, and we had to pass because the place was packed and our next appointment was just 30 minutes away. Instead we stopped at El Farolito and had a quicky lunch of chips and salsa, with a vegetable burrito. It was fast and good, but the salsa was the stand out dish. It was earthy, and spicy like a good red salsa should be and the chips were hot out of the fryer.

I haven’t stayed in the Healdsburg/Dry Creek area yet, but plan on it next year. Tripadvisor lists 8 hotels, 16 B&B’s or Inn’s and 5 specialty lodging choices ranging in price of $84 per night on the low end to over $500 on the high end. Tripadvsor also lists 62 vacation rentals on their site. I like to rent a place with a kitchen when I visit wine country so I can cook some of the great local produce my way. Last year in Sonoma we rented a lovely two bedroom cottage just steps from the Sonoma square that was great, and it only cost about $250 per night. I found a nice looking cottage on Tripadvisor that for a mere $175 offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a private patio that looks out on the vineyard. That’s quite a deal especially if you split it with another couple. If you travel with another couple you get the benefit of having extra designated drivers as well as bringing down the cost of lodging!

About the wines you ask? Yes I did partake of a bit of wine at the four wineries we visited, but in micro amounts as I was the designated driver. First on our itinerary was Fritz Underground Winery tucked into the hill side on the north end of the valley. I had heard a radio spot called “cellar notes” on the classical music station WJBC in Baltimore last year about Fritz and knew I had to check it out on my next trip to wine country. I tasted the the 2011 Chardonnay, 2011 Pinot Noir, 2011 Estate Zinfandel, 2010 Merlot, and the 2010 DCV Cabernet Sauvignon. I liked all but the Pinot Noir enough to go out and buy them next time I’m in my favorite wine shop. I was told that most of Fritz’s wines are available in the Baltimore area. I think my favorite was the 2011 Zin with it’s flavors of blackberry, and cherry accenting it’s delightful finish.

tasting on the patio at Fritz

At Ferrari-Carano we tasted just five wines but were very impressed with the 2012 Fume Blanc and 2009 Zinfandel. The Fume Blanc had just the right amount of French oak highlighting its aromas of orange blossom, peach, meyer lemon, mango, pineapple, pear and guava. A great wine to go with salmon in papillote(in parchment paper tent) one of my favorite fancy salmon dishes. The 2009 Zinfandel was on sale at $18(reg $28) and was tops on our list of wines to look for when out wine shopping back home. It has 18 months in French oak that helps bring out the aromas of blackberry, raspberry preserves, and strawberry jam, with flavors of bing cherry, milk chocolate, and vanilla bean. A fine wine to go with chicken and mushroom dishes.

On the patio with Barry and Phyllis of Chateau Felice Wines

Ferrari-Carano Winery

Our next stop was a Chateau Felice Wines in Healdsburg where we went to the owners home to sample wines on their gorgeous patio on a perfect afternoon. We tasted their Black Label series wines that are being fazed out as well as the new La Craie Reserve Series. Maybe it was the lovely patio, or our charming hosts, but we loved everything we tasted. Chateau Felice winemakers buy wines and work their magic in blending them into masterpieces for your enjoyment, as opposed to growing their own. I bought a case of the Black Label 2008 Estate Zin and a bottle of the American Celebration 2006 for a special occasion wine. Too bad I had to have it shipped, because now I have to wait a week or two to try it again.

The last stop on the wine tour was Ledson Winery. I have been to Ledson three times now and even though they are a bit spendy, I think they are the the best winemakers I have come across. They have over 80 wines from grapes grown as far south as the Monterey region, to up north in the Anderson Valley and out east around Lodi. Steve Ledson a fifth generation Sonoma farmer leads the team since 1997 when they produced their first wine under the Ledson label, an estate merlot. From their website here are the types of wines they produce:

The Ledson family specializes in small lots of hand-crafted wines reflecting California’s uniquely diverse terroir. Expressed across a broad range of varietals including Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Barbera, Mourvedre, Primitivo, Grenache, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Johannisberg Riesling, Rosé and Madera Port, Ledson Wines champion sense of place flavors and wine making artistry.

Quite a variety of wines produced by this amazing winery that doesn’t sell wine to distributors, or liquor stores. To buy their wines you have to go to the winery, the Ledson Hotel, or become a wine club member which I did three years ago while visiting Sonoma.

I don’t consider myself a wine snob, but I have found that more often than not when I taste a wine in the Napa, Sonoma wine regions the wines are all good to great. But when I taste a wine from other not so famous wine regions like Colorado, Virginia, Maryland their wines usually don’t impress me a bit. I also like Washington State, and Oregon wines, but don’t buy them as often as California wines.

It just goes to show how difficult it is to grow and produce wines and that we have some of the best wines in the world here in these United States. I once saw on the outside wall of a wine bar in Auckland, New Zealand this saying:

“Life is too short to drink bad wine.”

so whatever your idea of good wine is, go ahead and enjoy it with good food and friends and your life will be richer for that!

In the spirit of good wine and food I give you Sauteed Chicken on Mushroom Sauce with Dry Creek Zinfandel.

Mushroom Sauce for Chicken 

sauteeing the schrooms

8 ounces slice white button mushrooms

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 cup sliced yellow or white onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon mushroom base

1 to 1 1/3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons of fresh sage or thyme minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons half and half

In a saute pan cook onions in oil for 3 minutes on medium heat stirring every 30 seconds or so. Add sliced mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms stirring about once per minuter. Add flour, and butter, and cook stirring for 3 minutes on medium low heat. Add chicken stock, red wine and and stir in well cooking it for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the mushroom base and half and half and cook on medium low heat for about 3 more minutes stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with chicken or pork.

sauteed chicken on mushroom sauce