Shake, Rattle, and Roll -- Vanilla Milkshakes!

My youngest rattle and roller girl has been home sick with a whopper of a sinus infection since last Friday. Along with oodles and oodles of homework, school age children bring home all sorts of lovely ailments and injuries, and my 9 year old is no exception. After shelling out yet another co-pay at the pediatricians office, I told my daughter’s teacher that I was going to start sending my girls to school in “haz-mat” suits for the remainder of the year. Hmmm ... my homeschooled son doesn’t have this dilemma. Hmmm ...

ANYWAY ... when my kids are sick, they get spoiled. Whatever they want, (well, within reason) I’ll make for them. My sickie poo wanted a milkshake, so a milkshake is what she got. And her brother got. And her sister. And her dad. You see where I’m going with this.

Do you like milkshakes? I’m not a big ice cream eater (I can hear your gasp), but I concede that milkshakes are a good thing. Now many of you are ice cream makers; are you milkshake drinkers, too? Today’s recipe is a classic, pure, lovely Vanilla Milkshake. Puristically plain, but far from boring, it’s hails top honors from just about everybody who has uttered the phrase, “got milk”. Of course, there are enough varieties of milkshakes to keep dairy cows busy forever and eternity. Let’s see, there’s Strawberry, Chocolate, Eggnog, Blueberry, Peanut Butter, and Orange Crème to name a few. Let’s check out this recipe together, and see if you’d like to shake, rattle, and roll with me.Here’s what you’ll need
Vanilla Milkshakes

8 heaping scoops good quality Vanilla ice cream(I used Dreyers Vanilla Bean)
1 cup milk – don’t use non-fat
½ cup cream (I just poured mine in the measuring cup along with the milk)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla ExtractTo make this you will need one of these. It’s what I used today.Or you could use one of these. I love my immersion blender, and it makes great shakes.We won’t be needing this today. Look away, just look away from it.

Add all of your ingredients into the blender jar. Cover and blend until the ice cream and milk have a combined, smooth consistency. Don’t expect it to look like the cheek sucking thickness of what you’d find at Dairy Queen. Rather, it’s loose, but not runny.See it here on the spoon? That’s what you’re after. Mmmm ... come to mama! This will go up the straw without causing you to lose consciousness. In fact, when I first put the straw in the glass, it stood up and then ever so sloooowly leaned over.Ta-Da! Ooooh Yeahhhh! Mmm, mmm, mmm! This definitely will make your taste buds shake, rattle, and roll in a gooood way. Just in time for Valentine's Day, too. Oh, and this obviously is gluten free all the way, baby! What’s your favorite shake?

Bright Lights, Big City -- Manhattan Clam Chowder

Do you like clam chowder? There are zillions of different types of chowder, and for the clam varieties, the two most well known versions are the creamy New England Clam Chowder and the tomato-y broth based Manhattan Clam Chowder.

Continuing on my culinary travels, I wondered how the different versions came to be, specifically for the Manhattan version. The bottom line ... who knows? There are many different theories behind who has the claim to fame creating Manhattan Clam Chowder, but no one knows for sure. What I do know for sure, however, is that this is a great chowder and really, really, REALLY easy to make.

Here’s the recipe I used from Better Homes and Gardens. For the ingredients, you will need:
2 6.5 oz cans of minced clams (I used chopped ones – bigger pieces)
2 slices of bacon (I used three because my bacon strips were center cut and smaller)
1 cup chopped celery (about 3 average size stalks)
¼ cup chopped carrot (one carrot)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 8 oz bottle clam juice or chicken broth (I used clam juice)
2 cups cubed red potatoes (I used this amazing Red Gold variety)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained.

1. Drain canned clams, reserving juice.
2. In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels; crumble Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in pan. You can add a little bit of olive oil if you don’t have enough drippings.
3. Heat bacon drippings over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in the reserved clam juice as well as the bottled clam juice. Stir in potatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in clams, bacon, and undrained tomatoes. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through.Isn’t it gorgeous!Take a bite. Mmmm ... good! Having never been to the bright lights, big city center of Manhattan, I have no idea if this graces many menus. Much lighter than it’s New England creamy cousin, it is surprisingly very filling, too.I like the bigger clam pieces, and how that tiny bit of cayenne lingers after each bite. There is no salt in this recipe in part due to the canned ingredients; however, feel free to season after cooking as you see fit. Oh, and this is gluten free, all the way baby!

Take A Walk On The Wild Side! Spicy Sausage and Shrimp with Creamy Grits

As of late, I’ve been intrigued with regional food dishes. You know, like Manhattan Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans, Philadelphia Cheese Steaks, Texas Chili ... that kind of stuff. How did those dishes come to be? Why, for example, do some areas like their food spicy while others prefer sweet or buttery?

Not too long ago, during one of my owl-hour insomnia bouts, I watched some sort of New Orleans cook-off show. Unfortunately, I tuned into the program with literally only a few seconds left, but I committed it to memory, and turned to the internet for instructions. It’s a New Orleans style spicy sausage and shrimp dish served over grits.

I’m really not familiar with New Orleans cuisine, but I’ve heard it boasts some of the finest food around. The cuisine of that area is based on a melting pot of cultures, and I decided that was the perfect place to start my regional culinary education.

First and foremost, let me say this is a spicy recipe, at least the sauce is. I’m talking sinus clearing, soul shaking, and full flavored spice. That said, I should also point out that my taste buds are kind of wimpy when it comes to caliente seasoning, so you may find this to simply be full flavored. I was reaching for tissues.

Despite the flame throwing heat from the sauce (ok, it’s not that bad), I actually found myself wanting to eat more instead of less! Have you ever done that? You know, where you eat something spicy, your mouth is on fire, and for some reason the burn is not a bad thing? It’s almost like the only way to not feel the heat is to keep eating more? I’m keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of you is nodding.

For this recipe there are ways to tone down the heat. Since most of the heat comes from the sauce, serve it on the side (I did). I also thinned out some of the Grilled Onion Blue Cheese Dressing I made yesterday, and used it as a side sauce, too. It was a magnificent match. The sauce that goes with the dish is a fiery buffalo style hot sauce, so it just made good sense to have them together.Isn’t it gorgeous? Don’t for a second be put off by the three components; it’s really easy to make. Here it is:

Spicy Sausage and Shrimp with Creamy Grits

1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion – diced
1 green pepper – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
½ cup white wine
1 package Cajun Style Andouille Sausage (I used Aidells 12 oz pkg), sliced thin on bias
About 1 lb of 26/30 size shrimp, cooked and deveined
Diced tomatoes – I used about 1 cup of the little grape guys that I halved.
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Couple shakes Montreal Steak Seasoning

Grits:

½ cup cream
½ cup milk
1 cup water
2 T butter
5 Tablespoons Grits
Sea Salt
Lawrey’s Seasoned Salt

Spicy Sauce

½ cup bottled Buffalo Style hot sauce
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ cup white wine
1 shallot diced
½ cup cream

In a large high sided skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter into the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, grn pepper, and garlic, and sauté until they start to wilt. Do not brown them. Add the sliced sausage and sauté until just starting to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings and give a good stir. Fold in the shrimp until heated through and thoroughly coated. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, make the grits. In a non-stick sauce pan, add all of the ingredients except the salts and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. It should be very creamy, but have some body to it. Stir in the salt and seasoned salt.

For the spicy sauce, in a sauté pan, combine the hot sauce, butter, lemon juice, wine, and shallot. Bring to a gentle boil; take off the burner. Stir in the cream. Done.

Here’s how I plated it. I put down a creamy mound of grits, and lovingly ladled the spicy sausage and shrimp mixture over it.See how creamy they are? I spooned some of each sauce onto the side of the plate to dip into. Like I said, to cool this down, I also used some of the Grilled Onion Blue Cheese Dressing from yesterday. If you like to walk on the wild side, pour some of the spicy sauce right on top. Oh, and this is gluten free, all the way, baby!Mmmm .... take a bite. So, do you walk on the wild side?

Cool Composed Concoction: Cobb Salad with Grilled Onion Blue Cheese Dressing

So ... what’s the weather like in your area? Are you having the most bizarre winter, too? Poor Kentucky ... what a mess it is there. I talked with my brother in law in North Carolina this morning, and he reported that the forecast predicted snow for today as well as 70 degrees this weekend. Jumping back to my neck of the woods, a typical Pacific Northwest Oregon February day should mean monotonous gray skies, seemingly endless drizzle, and a steady temperature of 42 degrees. Wet grass, wet pavement, wet vehicles, wet, wet, wet. However, in the bizarre land of winter 2009, today’s sunrise proclaimed a crisp 28 degrees with frosty frozen grass and wind shields. By 3:00 this afternoon, it was SUNNY and the mercury shouted out 60 degrees! I don’t know what parallel universe I’ve landed in, but I’m happy to be here.

The change in weather dictated a change in lunch plans. To compliment the sun shining through my windows, a lovely hearty salad seemed in order. It’s been eons since I crunched on that glorious cool, composed concoction called Cobb Salad, and so of course that’s what graced my lunch plate today. So without further ado, here’s today’s recipe.

Cobb Salad

Lettuce – about 6 cups worth (use what you like: Bibb, butter, iceberg, romaine)
5 strips bacon – cooked crisp and crumbled
Diced tomatoes – I used about ½ cup of the little grape ones cut in half
½ cup crumbled blue cheese – I used an Oregon cheese
1 cup cooked diced chicken breast – I used left over grilled chicken
3 hard boiled eggs – chopped
1 avocado – diced

Makes 4 servings. In an oversized salad bowl, place all the lettuce. In a decorative fashion, line up the remaining ingredients so they appear in long strips on top of the lettuce. Serve with your favorite dressing, vinaigrette, or oil and vinegar. I served it with the following dressing that just about made me swoon. Yeah. It’s that good. It’s adapted from a Michael Chiarello recipe. Thank you, Michael. My taste buds love you.

Grilled Onion Blue Cheese Dressing

½ a large sweet onion, cut into ½ inch thick circles (keep together)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 cup mayo
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk (I used more)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Tabasco. I used Tapatio.
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup blue cheese – (I didn’t want to add more because there is already blue cheese in the salad.)

Preheat a grill (you could do this on a stove top grill pan, too). Season the onion slices with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and Mont. Steak Seasoning. Grill over med high heat 5 minutes. Carefully flip and grill other side another 5 minutes.Remove and let cool. When cool, cut into medium sized dice. While the onions are grilling and cooling, prepare the rest of the dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir in the diced grilled onions. Done. It makes a ton of dressing; I just used about 2 generous tablespoons on my serving.Just look at how pretty this salad is! This is a main dish concoction and is very, very filling.I love that large avocado chunk. The smoky crunch of the bacon was lovely, and the chicken tasted superb with the blue cheese. The creaminess of the avocado was a nice contrast to the crisp lettuce, and, well, you know how I feel about eggs. The bright red tomatoes brought both color and flavor to the party. Every bite just expounded flavor. I love this salad. I like it with oil and vinegar as well as with a more traditional dressing. Today, I’m glad I went with a dressing. Hands down, the star of the show was this salad dressing. I’ve always made my own blue cheese dressing, however, adding the grilled onions really ramped this puppy up several notches. I will forever and always add grilled onions to my blue cheese dressing. YUM. Oh, and like most of the recipes at It's All Gouda, this is gluten free all the way, baby!

The Triple P - Paula's Pork and Potatoes

Do you ever look in your fridge and just, well, let out a ho-hum sigh? I do. Like a wind-up toy, I make the trek from the fridge to the cupboard, back to the fridge, back to the cupboard multiple times before finally acknowledging that I’m just not in the mood to whip up a masterpiece meal. It really has nothing to do with the contents of my larder; it’s usually fully stocked. I think it’s more along the lines of just being plain, old tuckered out.

As I wore out a track on the floorboards today going from fridge to cupboard and back again, I gave myself a pep talk. “Making something quick and easy could be good,” I silently murmured within my own thoughts. (Picture me tapping my finger on the side of my mouth.) “Hmm, that pork should be eaten today, and then there are potatoes just waiting to be eaten.” Ah, my inner psyche knows how to get attention. Potatoes usually make the picky eaters happy. Pork usually makes me happy. The other white meat is actually my preferred white meat.

So .... after much sighing and facial gesturing and finger-to-face tapping, I decided on a simple but flavorful BBQ pork and potato dish. This ended up being a saving-grace decision as my hubby and daughter made their own trek to the neighbors for some extended super bowl fun, thereby causing me to hold a completely cooked meal for over an hour. An hour, people! So much for just popping over for a to say hi. Be gone 45 minutes at the most. Yeah, right. They were gone almost 3 hours! That must have been one loooong helloooooo. (Actually, the neighbors are very, very nice. I was just tuckered out. And grumpy. I'm better now.)

Ahem. Anyway. This pork was very forgiving, and the sitting time actually made it more the texture of smoked pork or even a carnitas, if carnitas were served whole instead of shredded, that is. It’s hard to describe, it wasn’t dry but it wasn’t really juicy either. What is was, though, was tender and excellent. I mean really, really good. The picky eater charter club members liked it, especially my carnivore son who was displeased that I did not have enough for him to have seconds. He covertly faked like he was going to snatch his twin sister’s portion, which resulted in a loud protesting outburst by said sibling. I gave him some of mine, restored peace, and you’d have thought I just provided manna from Heaven judging by the way he ate it. The next time I make this, I’m not sure if I should serve it right away or hold it for an hour!! Here’s what I did.

6 boneless pork tenderloin chops (I prefer bone in, but hubby likes boneless)
Lawry’s Season Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup – give or take – of your favorite thick BBQ sauce (mine is gluten free)
8 large red potatoes
½ cup butter – sliced into pats
½ cup heavy cream – generous ½ cup
Sea Salt
White pepper

Season the chops liberally with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Rub the oil over the seasoned chops and set aside. Heat up your grill (I grill year round on our gas grill), and when it reaches about 400 degrees, place the chops on the super hot grill. Close the lid, lower the temp just a bit, and grill for 5 minutes. Flip the chops, close the lid, and grill the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and place right into a baking dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the chops and place uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes.

While the chops bake, make your potatoes. Select 8 large red potatoes (not the baby variety). Wash, do NOT peel, and cube into large chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt if desired. I desired. Add potatoes to the boiling water. Here’s a tip for you. Are you tired of avoiding the scalding splashes when adding veggies to boiling water. Give this a try. Put the veggies, in this case potatoes, into your strainer.Simply lower the stainer into the water, and let the veggies slide out. Easy peasy. Then save the strainer to use when it comes time to, you know, strain the cooked veggies. Boil for about 12 minutes or until cooked. Turn off the burner.

Drain thorough and put back into the hot pot. Place back on burner; the residual heat from the coils/grate will help somehow with the starches. Immediately add the butter and the heavy cream. Stir to coat. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Mash. Leave alone. Over mashing makes them wall paper paste.

Now here is where I would plate and serve them right away.In our case, however, we waited an hour for hubbyman and football fan #3 to return home, with everything staying warm in the oven. They still turned out fabulous.See what I mean? Not dry, not juicy, but oh so tender and all gooooood. The sauce really thickened up during the waiting period. Mmmmmm ... yummilicious. Oh, one more thing. This was gluten free, all the way, baby!

So, I have two questions for you. Well, it’s more than two, but, you know, some of them go together.

1) Have you ever had to hold a meal? How’d it turn out? Good? Flop?
2) What do you like to cook when you are just uninspired?