Cold Cravings

Autumn is approaching, but in Arizona, it never comes soon enough. The summers run hot and long, which can leave a girl craving the things that come along with cooler weather. Things like sweaters, blankets, rain, scarves, tweeded wool and cold weather culinary fare become almost exotic. It is near September and the temperatures are slowly beginning to cool, making some of the Fall foods accessible.When I think of Fall, one of the first foods that comes to mind is mashed potatoes!What's a more Autumnal food than a root vegetable? Yes, you can get them year round, but mashed potatoes are usually served alongside something roasted and savory like a meat loaf, pot roast, ham or a turkey-not exactly summer fare. I paired my mashed potatoes with oven roasted salmon with tasty results.

Salmon is fantastic for you. It is high in omega 3 fatty acids. In fact, salmon has the highest content of omega 3's of any cold-water fish. Salmon is a low-mercury fish, making it a safer choice than many other fish choices, especially for pregnant and nursing women. The high DHA levels make it a great choice for women with a bun in the oven because it helps with fetal brain development which makes for smart, healthy babies! Even the famous Dr. Perricone touts the many bennies of eating salmon in his books and PBS specials. Bears also really like salmon. Just sayin'. Enough about why y'all should eat salmon. Let's get cookin'!

Do the mashed potato! Do the fish!

Oven Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Dill

 One fillet of salmon, de-boned and skin removed
Two cloves of garlic, finely minced
Juice of  two fresh lemons
Zest of two fresh lemons
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill or 1 Tbsp dry dill
Three Tbsp. Butter (or Earth Balance-it's a great substitute)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Juice lemons, remove seeds and pour over salmon in baking dish. The citric acid with begin to 'cook' the salmon and will also add lots of flavor the longer it's there. Sprinkle the fish with the garlic and dill. Plop three tbsp. butter on top, salt (if desired), crack some pepper on top and bake for twenty minutes (maybe longer, if needed). The salmon should be slightly firm, opaque and flaky when it's done or you can use a meat thermometer. 160 degrees is the magic number.

Garlic & Chive Mashed Potatoes

3-4 Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cubed
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp. butter

Add potatoes to a pot of boiling water, reduce heat to a low boil. Leave potatoes be for about 20 minutes or so. They should be tender to the fork, if too firm-boil longer. Hard potatoes make for lumps. It's better to boil too long than not long enough. When finished boiling, drain potatoes and either return to pan or place in large bowl. Add all other ingredients and get to mashin'! I use a hand masher, but you can also whip with a hand mixer if preferred.

If  cooked simultaneously, the fish and potatoes will both be piping hot at the same time. Perfecto! You can serve with any salad or veggie. Broccoli and asparagus are faves at our house. Enjoy your salmon and mashed potatoes!

Brunch of Champions! Or Quiche Your Heart Out!

The school year has begun and this semester I have decided to take a weaving course, refresh my Spanish speaking and write-a lot. I am taking another creative fiction writing course and doing a couple of intensive workshops in hopes of coming through with something amazing, or at the very least, decent. Aside from academic pursuits, I recently had the opportunity to participate in a fashion show. It was not something that I, as a thirty year old lady who is chubby and short, would have ever imagined myself doing. It was great! I think everyone should have the chance to wear fancy frocks, sport a fancy 'do and parade in front of an applauding audience at least once in his or her lifetime.

 I recently designed an arrangement for my neighbor friend's birthday (which, sadly, I forgot to photograph) and made a mini arrangement for myself with the odds and ends left over. I have house plants galore and after doing floral work for some time, I had burned myself out on flowers for a while. Seriously. One Valentine's day I insisted on nothing more than  burrito after being bombarded with flowers at my job. It's been a while since I've had to work with flowers and I have rediscovered the joys of arranging for myself.So, I have decided that every week now, I will have flowers. This week's flowers are green spider mums, pale stargazer lilies, Bells of Ireland and tuberose displayed in a clear Depression glass pitcher.

They smell even more lovely than they look!

I had a craving this week for fancy brunch at home, so I created one that includes a decadent quiche, a summer fruit salad and blanched asparagus. The results were amazing and Operation Fancy Brunch was a complete success!

Ooh La La!

Summer Fruit Salad

• 1 pound of fresh sliced strawberries
• 3 fresh sliced peaches
• 2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 bunch of black seedless grapes
• Juice of 1 lemon.

Combine fruit and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss gently. Let sit an hour or so in the refrigerator for flavor. The juices from the pineapple will sweeten the salad, so no sugar is needed!

Blanched Asparagus

• Fresh asparagus stalks
• Fresh lemon juice
• Fresh lemon zest
• Grated Asiago, Parmegiano or Romano cheese
• Fresh cracked black peppercorns
• Extra virgin olive oil

To blanch the asparagus, bring a small amount of water to boil  in a larger pan like a saute pan. Once the water is boiling, place you cleaned and trimmed asparagus stalks into the water, turn down the heat and allow the stalks to simmer for 3-4 minutes. While the stalks are cooking, prepare a bath of ice water in a bowl large enough for the stalks. When the simmer time is up, promptly remove stalks from hot water and place into the bath of ice water. The stalks will turn a lovely bright green color and will be rubbery to the touch. Remove your stalks and arrange on a dish. Squeeze lemon juice and drizzle olive oil on stalks. Top with grated cheese, cracked pepper and lemon zest. Bon appetite!

The best way to eat your first veggies of the day, you understand.

And finally...
Wendy Lou's Veggie, Bacon and Cheese Quiche

• 1/2 Cup washed and thinly sliced ramps aka leeks  ( scallions and garlic work also)
• 1 whole shallot, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups of sliced Crimini mushrooms
• 1 cup of plum tomatoes, halved
• 4-6 slices of cooked bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon)
• 4 Large brown farm eggs
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup each of aged Swiss and aged sharp cheddar cheeses, grated
• 1 whole wheat pie crust (I cheated and bought a frozen one from Whole Foods)
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. After you finish frying up your bacon, use the same skillet to saute your ramps, shallots and mushrooms. You can cook them until they are just soft or you can caramelize them a bit. Either way will taste great. Add grated cheeses to pie crust, while veggies are a'cookin'. The cheese will be the first layer of your pie.

When the veggies are sauteed to your liking, layer them on top of the cheese layer. Next, beat eggs, cracked pepper and cream together in a mixing bowl. Carefully pour over cheese, tomatoes, bacon and veggies. Place the pie dish on a lined cookie sheet before putting it into the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Your quiche will be lightly golden brown. You can check with a knife for done-ness. Allow to cool and set up a bit before slicing and serving. This Quiche is soooooo good. Really.

Lovin' from my oven!

Bacon ,mushrooms & cheese in a pie! Oh, my!

Zucchini Bread

I was bestowed a gift of excess zucchini from some good friends who are gardening machines. I have enjoyed several of their garden spoils this summer icluding: several heirloom tomatoes, jalepenos, acorn squash and now, these two giant zucchinis. So what does one usually do with excess zucchini (besides give it to friends)? Make bread, of course!

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini (do not dry!)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but tasty)

1.) Grease two loaf pans and pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

2.) Sift togetherdry ingredients in a large bowl.

3.) Beat eggs, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl and then add to dry ingredients, then mix well.

4.) Add zuchini and walnuts and mix well until combined.

5.) Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and place into oven.

6.) Bake for 40 minutes and check for doneness by placing a knife in the center of the loaf. If there is batter on the knife, place bread back in oven for an additional 10-20 minutes.

7.) When finished baking, cool pans on a rack for about 20 minutes.

8.) Eat delicious zucchini bread and give extra loaf to some friends.

Mmmm...

Maiden Voyage

Ahoy! Welcome to Stand By Your Yam. I chose this name because I love Tammy Wynette (and old country in general) and have a desire to be as healthy as I can be. In the past year, I have watched unhealthy lifestyle choices and the stresses of poverty and hard living make for some devistating consequences in the lives of loved ones. I was also diagnosed with the beginning stages of emphyzema last December, which was a blow to my perception of my own body and health. I have always tried to make good choices in my life, but faltered in certain aspects when it came to health. I don't exercise as much as I would like to and have a weakness for both Dr. Pepper and pastries. I was quite sad when I first learned of my illness, but I have done a lot of work to change my outlook. I have decided to step things up and enjoy myself more by doing things I love, eating healthier and gradually transforming my life, one small step at a time. This blog is part of that progress; sharing my journey with you.  This blog will be a potpouri of recipes, stories, experiences, random musings and what I am up to. If you are reading this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Life is beautiful!

Wendy Lou