Hello world. I took a break from blogging for a bit and decided December was a good time to get back to it. Honestly, I thought I'd just abandon the site but found I missed some components of this virtual socialization.
That said I still tried out a few new recipes and stayed active in the kitchen. I've been reading quite a bit, doing jigsaw puzzles, baking bread and things like that.
Here are a few things I prepared and remembered to snap a photo.
These crab cakes are a treat. We don't have them too often but when we do, I always ask Doug to make cheese grits. I didn't grow up with grits and instantly fell in love with them when I tried them back in the 1980's.
Recently I made Outback bread (recipe Here) This bread is yeasty and hearty. As it makes two loaves I freeze one. When my son lived nearby I'd give him the extra loaf.
I also experimented with a gnocchi based soup recipe. "Recipe" below....
I had about 8 ounces of uncooked leftover boneless chicken so I cut that into small pieces. Browned the chicken in a bit of olive oil then set aside.
Tipped some chopped onions and white mushrooms into the pan and cooked until soft. Add the chicken back in, salt, pepper, oregano and roughly 3 cups of broth.
Add a package of gnocchi and let simmer about 15 minutes.
Take a measuring cup and scoop out some broth, then add a bit of cornstarch mixing well. Tip that broth back into the pan and your soup will thicken.
That's it. Simple and hardly any measuring. The Outback bread went well with it. Also I tossed a small amount of fresh Parmesan over the soup once served.
Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.
The gnocchi recipe is definitely one I will try. I might sub in tortellini as I keep that on hand.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb. I think the tortellini would be a great substitution. I will try that soon.
DeleteOh, I'm glad that you decided to keep blogging! I would have missed your recipes and chatty posts. I've noticed that a lot of my favorite bloggers haven't been posting nearly as often (or commenting on my blog) and I miss that interaction. Of course, it does free up more time to read books rather than posts, but I enjoy both.
ReplyDeleteI love cheesy grits AND crabcakes! I first had cheesy grits a few years ago at a restaurant and quickly searched for a recipe so I could make them at home. (Posted that recipe here) I also make crabcakes, but the price of fresh, picked crabmeat almost doubled during the pandemic (went from $40/lb to $70/lb), which is crazy!
Les, I answered on your blog as I had an issue with the Reply mode here. Anyway, I appreciate your comment and will be hanging in blogging for the time being. Sometimes you just need a break.
DeleteThat soup looks so good! I just bought some dry gnocchi, do you think that would work? I never had grits until I moved to Florida and met my husband. He grew up eating them. I like cheese grits and crab cakes once in a while.
ReplyDeleteSo I just answered you on your blog because when I hit reply some weird "live traffic" window came up. It;s working now though!
DeleteYour soup looks delicious. I've had grits when we were in Savannah, Georgia and really liked them. Glad you are still blogging.
ReplyDeleteThank you Judee. This could be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and that would work for you :-)
DeleteI was gone for a good long time too! I'm just not ready to abandon my site altogether. I have a few posts in mind for this month. I love gnocchi and your soup sounds perfect for the current wet and cold weather we're having up here.
ReplyDeleteThe bread looks good too -- I'll play around with the ingredients you listed and see how it works for me. Love crab cakes.
BFR - I was seriously comsidering stopping. I'm off all social media and i kiss Twitter a bit but it changed so much. This soup is a great warming dinner or lunch for the cold weather. Stay warm!
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ReplyDeleteGlad you are still at it! Your bread is beautiful, have a great week ahead.
Thank you, Melynda.
DeleteAw I'm glad you stuck around! I love doing jigsaw puzzles too. Your bread sounds good and I might have to try that gnocchi soup recipe. Everyone here loves it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Greg, the soup is easy and if your weathe rin Michigan is a bit cold, you'll love it. I am completely addicted to these puzzles!
DeleteSounds like a good warm up :)
DeleteI am glad to see that you decided to post again.
ReplyDeleteI had to click on the link to see what made it outback bread. I am thinking next time i come to the US I need to go to dinner at Outback. Just once at least!
Marg, it's a very yearty hearty bread and I start the dough in my bread machine then finish off by hand. It's so good! Thanks for your nice comment.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of grits but I do love good cheese grits! Chicken Gnocchi soup is my favorite. I don't have it very often but it's so yummy. I'm glad you didn't abandon the blog! I love the social interaction from blogging. I'd definitely miss my blog friends!
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