the food post...

Back from the long weekend at the (powerless) cottage. Actually, the power did come back on. At 3pm Monday. 15 minutes before we got in the car and left. But that's ok. We had this:

a lovely diesel generator that was the LOUDEST thing I have ever come across. And when you factor in that the neighbours on either side also had one running, let's just say we spent alot of time away from the back of the cottage! But they kept the fridge cold, and the water running and assorted lights on to extend my knitting time.

NOTICE - if you are vegetarian, look away - this won't be pretty...



Hubby likes to tinker, and built this rotisserie a few years ago. A few times a year, we get together with the neighbours and cook something on it - our favourite is this - two boneless prime ribs wrapped and rolled for the spit. Combined with a whack of salads, it made for a tasty dinner on Saturday!

OK vegetarians, you can look again...
Continuing the food theme, there seems to be some requests for the recipe for the vegetarian quesadillas and the salsa I made when Stephanie came to visit. Easy Peasy as they say...

SALSA
tomatoes
green peppers (or red, yellow or any other sweet pepper)
red onion - can use a white sweet onion, but I like the colour of the red one
jalapeno pepper
garlic
fresh lime juice
salt
cilantro
basil
Okay, if you can only follow recipes by knowing EXACTLY how much of each ingredient is needed, stop reading now. I rarely work with set amounts and put things together until they look and taste right.(except for baking. I ALWAYS measure when I bake. Baking is as much chemistry as it is cooking, and the correct ratios are vital.)

I know that's not really helpful, but that's the way I cook. Sorry in advance if this doesn't work for you.
I use a rough dice (1/4 inch dice or thereabouts)for the tomatoes, sweet peppers and onion. The ratio is roughly 3 parts tomato, 2 parts pepper, 2 parts onion. i.e. a little more tomato. Depending on how many people are going to be attacking this, I would start with 2 or 3 good sized tomatoes and work from there. The jalapeno and garlic are finely minced, and the quantity is completely up to you as these are really more of a seasoning than a component. Like it spicy? use 2 or 3 jalapenos (or hot pepper of choice). Prone to heartburn? Use less. Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl. Chop up and add the basil and cilantro to your taste and texture (I prefer a fine chop, some like larger leafy pieces). I use a bit more basil than cilantro, but then again, I'm not fond of cilantro. Go with you taste buds. Squeeze a couple of limes worth of juice (fresh if you can, not those little plastic limes, although in a pinch, I've used them) and give everything a good stir. There will be a fair bit of liquid in the bowl - the lime juice, the tomatoes, etc. Leave this in for now, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour to blend the flavours. Just before serving, I drain off about 2/3 of the liquid - you want to keep some, otherwise the salsa is too dry.
Lots of words, but very easy to do, and incredibly fresh tasting. No fat, either! THis will taste very different from the very tomatoey-pasty type salsas in a jar, as they are cooked and this one is not.

VEGGIE QUESADILLAS
these can't be simpler... I will list the exact ingredients I used for those that were there, but really, you can put anything in these!
tortillas - your choice of flavour, I usually use the large white flour ones, but have used the whole wheat or the cheese.
portobello mushrooms - thinly sliced
vidalia (or any other sweet) onion - thinly sliced and separated into rounds
green peppers - thinly sliced
fresh baby spinach
shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (or Jack, or colby or whatever cheese you like)
Herb and Garlic Boursin cheese - this is a crumbly, creamy cheese. You can also use the brand Rondele. I get it at my local grocery store near the deli with the other cheeses.

Start by laying half the tortillas out on your work suface. Generously sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the tortillas. Lay out the slices of portabello mushrooms, followed by the onion rounds and pepper slices. Crumble the boursin evenly over the veggies - it will be sticky and you will get little lumps of it on the tortillas - this is ok, it melts well. cover with the baby spinach leaves, then another generous sprinkle of mozzarella and cheddar, and cover with another tortilla.
These can be cooked on the stove in a non stick pan or on the grill. The grill can get a little messy when turning them. I usually do them in a pan (make sure it's big enough for the tortilla to lay flat), and if I make then ahead and need to warm them up, I'll warm them on the grill. So, place the quesadilla in the pan, medium heat, and let cook until the cheese has started to melt, and the bottom is lightly toasted. Then flip (you may want to use two pairs of tongs, or a wide spatula - you want to keep the fillings inside) and cook the other side, pressing down to bind the veggies to the cheese as it melts, and soften them. Remove to a platter and either keep warm, or reheat if made in advance. When serving, I use a pizza cutter and cut them into sixths or eighths, and serve with salsa and sour cream. These are great either hot or at room temperature.

And yes, there was knitting on the weekend - I finished the FIL socks - going into the Christmas pile:

And one of the Caribbean Surf socks (and toe of the other):

Plus, Icarus and I became reaquainted - two of the five repeats are done, but it still looks like a pile of used blue dental floss, so no pictures.