garlic

Curried Pumpkin Soup

January 9, 2011 by KerryAnn 5 Comments

On the Facebook page for Cooking Traditional Foods, I often post what I’m cooking, along with reminders to do things like thaw your meat and soak your grains. Today I mentioned that I’m making curried pumpkin soup in preparation for the power outage that is expected. Several people requested the recipe, so I decided to post it here.

Beginning tonight and through Tuesday, we’re expecting ice and snow. I’m preparing four day’s worth of food. I’ve also made potato soup and I’m making chili, cornbread, some brownies and possibly some baked goods for breakfast later today.

This soup is insanely good. The combination of pumpkin, coriander, coconut milk and curry is beyond fabulous. Don’t skimp on the rapadura, it offsets the spiciness and really makes the flavor pop. If I could only have two soups in my life, this would be one of my choices.

[Read more…] about Curried Pumpkin Soup

Potato Soup

September 13, 2010 by KerryAnn Leave a Comment

Winter is coming.

A couple of weeks ago, I stood at my kitchen window in the early morning. Looking through the fog, I saw one single, yellowed leaf float down from the trees. My throat tightened. Last week in the same early morning time at my sink, I saw several more fall, dancing gracefully. Friday, I crested the steep hill on my road to see the Appalachians displaying change visible from a great distance. Today, I see the trees across the street are turning. Red and yellow. This morning, I had to grab a robe when I got up. The kids complained their feet were cold on the wooden floors. Friends are telling me the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from home, already has yellows, oranges and reds beautifully visible.

Winter is coming. Soon. [Read more…] about Potato Soup

Chicken Mole

January 19, 2011 by KerryAnn Leave a Comment

This recipe was requested over on the CTF Facebook page. If you use Facebook, come over over and join us. I post daily reminders about thawing meats, soaking grains and planning your meals. It’s great if you’re in a meal-cooking rut or need some inspiration, because many folks post what they’re fixing for meals and snacks, too. I mentioned testing a chicken mole recipe and someone asked me to post it.

Chicken Mole
From the Menu Mailer
[Read more…] about Chicken Mole

Teriyaki Salmon

March 24, 2011 by KerryAnn Leave a Comment

Teriyaki Salmon
From the Menu Mailer

4 salmon fillets
½ cup coconut oil, melted
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2½ tbs grated ginger
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs raw honey
1 cup tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute recipe is in the Often Used Recipes eBook)
½ tsp pepper

Place salmon fillets in a glass baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients until combined. Pour over salmon and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours. Grill over hot coals 5-7 minutes per side, bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees or pan-fry 3-5 minutes per side, until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.

[boilerplate sig]

One Track Minds That Get Derailed: Quick Chili

January 9, 2011 by KerryAnn 1 Comment

We are, for the third time this winter, getting snow. The snow is supposed to fall until Tuesday and we’re not supposed to go above freezing. Their total prediction for this area is 4-6 inches last I looked, but we already have 3 inches and it’s supposed to snow through Tuesday! They change the forecast hourly it seems.

Last year during the big 15″ snow, we had no power and I was hunkered down with cabin fever, alternating between loom knitting an afghan on a knitting board and planning the first garden revision via lantern and graph paper. I spent hours on that garden, even after the power came back on. I became a one-track mind, weaving the garden and a massive expansion plan involving terracing and moving fences into our homestead master plan. After multiple revisions and hours of discussion, we planted and worked… and worked… and worked. And the garden failed due to alternating drought and flooding. Failed miserably and painfully, after the hours of planning and toil. It was disheartening to the point I decided to scale back for 2011. With the amount of time and dedication a garden takes, I was scared to devote too much to it and experience another failure.

Quick Meals- Forbidden Chicken

February 23, 2011 by KerryAnn 1 Comment

This is one of my go-to meals when I am in a great hurry time-wise when I had planned to cook dinner. You know those evenings, where you have some meat thawed and a meal planned, but something comes up that needs your attention instead? I use it when I have time for the oven to do all of the work but I don’t have the time to stand there.

The chicken takes me about 10 minutes to get it in the oven. If I don’t have any leftover rice in the fridge, have one of the kids scrub some potatoes, poke them with a fork, rub with oil and salt them. I place them in a baking dish and put them in the oven when I begin pre-heating it, before I put in the chicken. Check them when the chicken is done, as they might need a few extra minutes.

Then I pull out some leftover veggies or 10 minutes before the chicken comes out of the oven, I saute up some pre-prepared kale and I have a quick meal on the table in less than 20 minutes of hands-on time. Prepare your greens when you get home from the store. Wash them, cut them, dry them thoroughly and roll it all up in some paper towels, sealing it in a ziplock bag. You have a quick side dish whenever you need it.