Zingy Pickles

Posted on October 16, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

When I was pregnant with my daughter I ate all sorts of weird, ridiculous things. Like, pickled garlic, Wickles Pickles and Yummy Summer Salad every single day.

No. Lie. Every. Day.

The cost of the Wickles really started to add up at about $5.00 for a small jar, but I didn’t care, I was addicted and pregnant…who was going to argue with me? After my daughter was born, my mom took a trip to Michigan to visit my aunt and uncle. While she was there, the neighbor brought over a jar of these pickles. When my mom tried them she couldn’t believe it, they tasted like Wickles, only better! She had the neighbor write down the recipe and immediately emailed it to me. I couldn’t wait to try them. We immediately loved them and have made them regularly ever since. We always have a jar in the fridge.

You need to plan ahead with these because they take a solid week to marinate before you can eat them. I usually buy a gallon jar of pickles at Sams Club and double the recipe, because I give them away to those people I have gotten hooked on them!

You can also adjust the amount of “heat” you put in them by adding more red pepper flakes and hot sauce. I usually take out a small amount that I keep with the recipe and the rest I add in more of the hot stuff.

Each one of the specific brands of ingredients shown below are Gluten Free.

Zingy Pickles

  • 2 – 32 oz jars of sliced dill pickles (you can use cheap pickles, more expensive do not taste any better in the recipe)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 – Tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled and sliced – (I use minced garlic in a jar 1 and 1/2 tsp)

DRAIN and discard pickle juice (I just dump the jar into a colander in the sink and let them completely drain). It is very important that you completely drain them because you will be making new juice for them to marinate in. Hang on to the jars, you will put the pickles back in them.

Combine the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. I use a whisk to make sure that all of the ingredients are mixed up completely together. This is important so that when you add in the pickles everything is well saturated.

Then add the pickles to the sugar mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover and let stand on the counter if not too hot (or in the refrigerator) for TWO hours.

Put the pickle mix back in the pickle jars and let set in the refrigerator for a WEEK before serving.  It is important to let set in the frig for a week to let the flavors blend thoroughly.

At this point, if you try them and you want them more spicy, add more red pepper flakes. The longer they marinate, the spicier they will be.

I hope you enjoy these as much as our family does. Be watching next week for a recipe I will post using these pickles.

Posted in Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks, Toppings, Vegetarian | 10 Comments

French Toast

Posted on October 15, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

We love French Toast. It is easy to make, tastes good and very versatile. You can use any kind of bread you want and you can top it will all sorts of good things. If you want to live on the wild side you can top it with things are aren’t necessarily good for you, but that taste good!

I made some of this yesterday so that we would have it for breakfast today. I am a big fan of not having to cook on the weekends. I try to cook whatever I can on Friday so that we can have it throughout the weekend.

I make a large batch of this when I make it because you can put it in Zip-lock bags and store in the refrigerator for a few days and just heat up what you want a little at a time. You can easily cut this recipe in half for a smaller amount or double it for a large crowd. This also freezes easily and makes a great alternative to prepackaged, frozen breakfast foods.

French Toast

  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk (or heavy cream if you want to live dangerously)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 16 pieces of bread, whatever kind you fancy
  • butter
  • Optional Toppings: Fresh or dried fruit, chopped nuts, whipped cream, syrup

Crack your eggs into a medium size bowl and add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Whisk everything until thoroughly combined. You can use a skillet over medium heat, but I prefer to use my electric grill on 400 degrees for this, because I can cook 8 pieces at a time and it goes faster.

Whatever you use to cook, make sure you generously butter the pan once it is hot. This will give your French Toast a nice buttery crispy outside coating.

Next, pour about half of your egg mixture into a shallow bowl. You are going to dip each piece of bread into it, making sure to coat both sides well. Shake the excess off then place on the pan to cook. Continue with each piece of bread.

Your going to cook each piece about 3-4 minutes per side. You will have to watch them so they don’t burn, cooking times will vary according to how hot your pan is. You just want to make sure the eggs are cooked and you have a nice color and crispy outside.

Once they are cooked you can top them with whatever you want to. We like to experiment around here. Today we used slices of bananas and chopped walnuts with syrup. Normally I would have put a little caramel and whipped cream with these toppings, but we were out!

Enjoy!

 

Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian | 2 Comments

Gluten Free Cooking Wine

Posted on October 14, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

I have a good friend that found out about a year ago that she has Celiac Disease and has to eat a gluten-free diet. I have seen what she has to go through with her diet and trying to find things she can eat, and it is not easy. Even the slightest speck of something with gluten in it will make her sick for days. It is really awful. The worst part is that so many prepared things that are gluten-free cost a ridiculous amount of money, which isn’t good for someone on a tight budget. I feel like there just has to be a better way.

I have been really trying this week to come up with recipes that can be cooked completely gluten-free or at least have a gluten-free alternative. So far I have been pretty successful.

Tonight while I was making some Vegetable beef soup, I realized that I was out of red wine. Disaster. Well, at least until I realized that I had a bottle of cooking wine that I keep on hand for occasions like this when I have run out of the real stuff. As I was pouring some into the soup pot, I realized that it was gluten-free. Most people with Celiac cannot even drink wine, which means that they can’t even enjoy it when cooking.

So, I wanted to start my gluten-free section of the blog sharing about this cooking wine. Now, I am sure that there are probably some better cooking wines out there and they probably cost a lot more money. Though this is not like using a real bottle of your favorite wine, it does taste good and adds great flavor to whatever your cooking. The best part is that it is less than $4 a bottle and you can find it in just about any grocery store.

Here is a link I found to their products Holland House

Posted in Gluten-Free, Products | 2 Comments

Uborka Salata – Well, my version that is

Posted on October 13, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

(Update 11/09/13 – Since my original post on this I have started doing more of a 50/50 split of the water and vinegar. So, two cups water, two cups vinegar. We tend to like things with more of a “pickled” flavor, so this works perfect. If you don’t like that flavor as much, just make it according to the recipe below. I also started using pink Himalayan sea salt for everything, as well as glass jars instead of the plastic container.)

Since I was a kid my mom always made this cucumber dish. Over the years I have continued to make it and now my son LOVES it. I don’t really make it exactly like my mom always did, for me it just kind of evolved into something of its own.

My husband is so NOT a fan of this dish. For whatever reason, he despises cucumbers. I mean, I honestly have never met anyone else who hates cucumbers. It’s weird. When my son and I eat this he won’t let us near him. I think it is sad because this is SO good!

Uborka Salata is a traditional Hungarian dish meaning cucumber salad. When I decided to write about my recipe here I looked online to see what was out there. I found that I  definitely do not make mine like most people. Most recipes call for making the whole dish at once mixing with the sour cream and paprika, I choose to leave mine soaking in the water/vinegar/salt mixture and take out a few at a time as I want them.

It is best if you have a mandolin for this job, though you can use a knife. You really want the cucumber slices to be uniform, at least as much as you can. Plus, it is just so much faster to cut so many cucumbers using a mandolin.

Cucumbers produce a very strong smell when mixed with vinegar so I recommend using either a throw away plastic container or a glass container that will not carry the smell after you are finished eating it. I use the same container every time and only use it for this purpose.

  • 3 cucumbers, sliced thin (these are the long, fancy, seedless English cucumbers)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, sliced into thin rings
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • sour cream
  • paprika

Mix cucumbers and onion together well in a large bowl. In another bowl mix together salt, water and vinegar with a whisk.

I use the old Tupperware pickle dispenser to make these in just for the ease of getting everything out of the container. You will need about a 10 cup container with a lid.

Put onions and cucumber into your container and then pour over the liquid mixture. You will want this to set in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to ensure the flavors are blended.

Lay out a paper towel on a plate and then scoop out a few of the cucumbers/onions and dry them off on the paper towel to get most of the liquid off of them. Place them on a plate and sprinkle them with paprika and top with sour cream.

If you wanted to make this for a lot of people at once, let them soak the 24 hours and then empty the entire container into a colander to drain. Pat them dry with a paper towel, sprinkle with the paprika and mix them with the sour cream and serve.

If you leave them in the liquid they should stay good for at least a week.

Posted in Appetizers, Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Sausage & Potato Soup

Posted on October 9, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

With all this blustery weather we have had in Central Florida this weekend, it seemed like a good time for some comfort food. Soup, no matter what kind, is always comfort food for me. I love soup. Now that October is here and the weather is finally not 120 degrees every day, soup’s on!

I love this recipe and it is so easy to make. It would double easily for a large crowd or cut in half for a smaller one. It takes about 30 total minutes of cooking time and maybe 5-10 minutes of prep time. I would say that this recipe feeds about 5-7, depending on portion size.

I use butter and heavy cream from grass-fed cows, so i feel no guilt about eating it! 🙂 I do use the ground pork that is 80-20 on the fat content, because it isn’t greasy, but still has a lot of flavor. In fact, you don’t even have to drain it, once you’ve browned it good. This is such a tasty and savory soup, and is one of my favorites.

This soup goes great with some fresh, lightly toasted, crusty bread.

  • 7-8 medium-small sized potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes (I prefer Yukon Gold, but you can use what you like)
  • 1.5 – 2 lbs ground pork
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 8-10 cups chicken broth, depending on how much broth you prefer. I use 8 teaspoons of Chicken-Better than Bouillon, whisked into 8 cups of water.
  • 1  tbsp vanilla extract
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add the butter.  When melted, add in the onion, salt and pepper, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a rolling boil.  Add in the potatoes and cook until they are just fork tender. Meanwhile, season pork with salt and pepper, and brown over medium heat in a large skillet, until cooked thoroughly.  Add the cooked sausage to the potatoes, along with the cream and vanilla and stir to combine.

Posted in Pork, Potatoes, Recipes, Soup | Leave a comment

Poppy Seed Sweet Slaw

Posted on October 6, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

I used to always just buy the pre-made slaw from the deli section of the store and I was never ever impressed with it. Yet, time after time I bought it anyway. I guess I thought making it would be too difficult or time consuming. Boy was I wrong!

In our family we like what we like and some things we are picky about. When I look at new recipe’s sometimes I like only part of what is in it, or some of the ingredients I know one of us will just not eat. What I usually do is try to figure out what I can either take out, add or substitute to a recipe and then make it my own and turn it into something we love.

This is how I came up with this slaw recipe. It. Is. So. Easy. You. Won’t. Believe. It.

I will never buy that pre-made junk again!

Poppy Seed Sweet Slaw

  • 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 2 full tablespoons of diced onion
  • 2/3 cup Miracle Whip (I never use this stuff, but for some reason it tastes the best for this recipe. You can use whatever creamy salad dressing you prefer.)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup white sugar (you could certainly use less of this, I just like it sweet)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (sometimes I get wild and add pepper too)
  • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (I usually add a little more, just for fun)

Dump the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and poppy seeds. Make sure to blend it thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw and onion and mix well. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

If you love slaw and you have never made it before, I hope this will inspire you to try!

 

Posted in Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian | 2 Comments

Friends of OMGG – Chef Scot Mangold’s Asian Chicken Cacciatore

Posted on October 4, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

Today I want to introduce my first guest in the Friends of OMGG section. I met Scot in 1993 while I was living in Evansville attending the University of Southern Indiana. His resume is quite impressive (see below the recipe) and I am honored to have him share his recipes with us! I hope this will be the first of many. I can’t wait to try this recipe and I hope you will too.

Asian Chicken Cacciatore

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 2.5-3hrs (+/- depending if the cat needs to go out, your cd skips, or you’re taking pictures to post on this blog)

  • 4 medium sized plums, pitted and quartered
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large red bell peppers, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 red sweet peppers, sliced into rings
  • 4 oz baby carrots (or shortcuts), quartered lengthwise
  • 2” ginger, peeled, smashed, and minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • ½ tbsp sweet garlic thai chili paste

  • 4 chicken thighs, on the bone with skin
  • 2 tbsp 5 spice powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp salt (I used Real Salt, Natures First – not as salty as say iodized)
  • ½ cup rice flour and ½ cup AP flour
  • 6 tbsp olive oil, approximately
  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 green onions, cut on a bias

Prepare all the vegetables as directed in section 1 and set aside.

Next, mix together 5 spice, garlic powder and salt. Take 1 TBSP of mixture and sprinkle on the 4 chicken thighs. Then, add the flour to the remaining season mix. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, be sure to coat well.

Place a pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of oil to hot pan (*Remember when sautéing, hot pan-cold oil). Add chicken thighs and brown both sides for approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan along with the vegetables and ingredients from section 1. Cook on med/med high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat down to low and add the chicken on top of the veggies. Add the ¼ cup of chicken stock, cover and cook for 2 hours on low until chicken is tender. Add the green onions and soy sauce to the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

I serve this over basmati rice.

The Chef, Scot Mangold, was educated at Johnson & Wales University Charleston South Carolina. It was in Charleston that he gained a true appreciation for local ingredients and what great food is. He then went to the Scottsdale Princess in Arizona to finish his internship. While there he was the lead sauté cook for their 3-diamond restaurant “the Grill” developing daily lunch specials. Upon his graduation he went to Florida to work and train with the world renowned Chef Paul Albrecht. After leaving Florida, Chef Mangold went on to Colorado where he became the executive chef of three country clubs in and around the Denver, Colorado area. While in Colorado he also did stints with the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, a week at Nashville’s 5 star French restaurant, The Wild Boar, and helped with catering during the PGA golf tournament “The International”. Since returning to Evansville in 2004 he has been Executive Chef for Firefly Southern Grill and Sous Chef for SMG/SAVOR…Catering, doing large scale catering and backstage catering for rock stars and their crews. Currently, he is Vice President of Culinary Operations for Team Service USA. He is the creator of all menu’s and design concepts within the company. Scot oversees catering and concessions aspects for Mesker Park Zoo, Helfrich Golf Course, Central Library, Swonder Ice Rink and Hartke Swimming Pool. During his time with Team Service USA, he won US Foods’ Iron Chef Competition in 2011.

Posted in Asian Inspired, Chicken Dishes, Dinner, Friends of OMGG, Recipes | 1 Comment

Orange Julius

Posted on October 3, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

When I was a little girl growing up in Evansville, Indiana, it was always a real treat to go to the Eastland Mall and get an Orange Julius. I remember what a big deal it seemed to be way back then and how I looked forward to getting one.

Since it is the week of the Fall Festival in my hometown and since I don’t get to be there (*wipes tears from eyes*), I thought today I would make a little something that brings back some good childhood memories.

  • 6 oz can orange juice concentrate, frozen (I have only found them in 12 oz, so I use half the can)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 12 ice cubes
  • whipped cream, optional

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth creamy texture. Serve immediately. This recipe makes 3 glasses this size.

I hope you enjoy this. What are some of your favorite childhood memories of food?

Posted in Drinks, Recipes, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Haverflan Cookies

Posted on September 29, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

I think Haverflan is Swedish for delicious. Just kidding. You could call them Haverflan, IKEA cookies or oatmeal wafers…I just like to call them to my belly!

Our friends John and Sharroll sent a little baggie of these home one day months ago with my mom. I ate the whole bag. Well, I shared two with my daughter, but no one else got any of them. Hey, ya snooze ya loose around here, people.

I. LOVE. THEM.

They are so simple and yet, so delicious. I love them with coffee for breakfast or just a little snack. Or, you know, every time I walk through the kitchen! They have oatmeal in them so that means they are healthy, right? So, eating them for breakfast is like a really healthy thing. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Anyway, enough about healthy…you have to try these cookies.

They seemed so easy that I thought there must be a way for me to make them myself. There are a few recipes on the internet and most are very similar. I found this on Ask.com but didn’t see who wrote it so I couldn’t give them credit for the recipe.

My husband and my cousin Jennifer love these WAY more than the actual IKEA cookies. It is a toss up for me, I like them both!

For an extra treat, put a little square of chocolate in between them and microwave for a couple of seconds. Yummy!

  • 1/2 cup margarine or butter (plus more for greasing the pans)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup oatmeal (I used the old fashioned kind)
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg

In a medium size bowl, melt the butter and stir in remaining ingredients. Mix until well blended. Make sure you butter the cookie sheet very well so that the cookies don’t stick to it, then dust it with flour. Drop batter by a teaspoon full (this doesn’t seem like much, but they spread out) onto sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake 375 for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Let stand 1 minute and then remove quickly with sharp knife or spatula. Let them cool on a rack.

Only cook one pan at a time so they cook evenly. Since oven temps vary, be sure and monitor the first batch so you don’t burn them.

Makes about 3 dz. cookies.

This is not a great picture, but I just wanted to show what the IKEA kind look like.

 

Posted in Cookies, Dessert, Recipes | 10 Comments

Bacon & Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Posted on September 28, 2011 by ohmygoodygoodness

BACON.

Who. Doesn’t. Like. Bacon.

I have been making this recipe for years now. My husbands Aunt Alice bought me a tiny pasta cookbook YEARS ago for Christmas. I think I made every recipe in that book at least once. As I learned how to cook better and was less scared of trying new things, I really began to adapt these recipes to fit our likes and tastes better. This recipe is one of those that just kind of evolved over the years into this recipe and into one of our family favorites.

So, thank you, Auntie, for that cookbook and all the wonderful dinners I have created as a result of that gift!

Here is what you need:

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 12 oz any kind of pasta you like. I normally use egg noodles, but tonight it was bow ties
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, you can adjust this to what you like, more or less
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 28 oz can of either: diced tomatoes, if you like it chunky; or crushed tomatoes if you don’t
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • Shredded Parmesan and Romano blend cheese, Optional

Cook your bacon until it’s crispy. I like to use my George Foreman grill to cook bacon because the clean up is so easy, no mess! Reserve enough bacon drippings to lightly cover bottom of large skillet. Somewhere between a 1/4 and a 1/2 a cup.  Give the bacon a rough chop so that you have a lot of chunky pieces and set aside.

Cook pasta according to box, drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add bacon drippings to the skillet along with the minced garlic. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. Add your can of tomatoes and salt and pepper, then stir. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Drizzle in heavy whipping cream and let cook another 6-8 minutes. Add in the pasta and stir well to combine, then add the crumbled bacon. Check your salt and pepper to taste.

You can also add some chicken to this if you want to make a more full meal out of it. You can also sauté some onions or shallots into it if you want…

Enjoy! I hope that this will quickly become one of your families favorites too!

Posted in Bacon, Dinner, Pasta Dishes, Recipes | 5 Comments