Happy Birthday, Nevada!

Today Nevada turns 148 years old.  I bet most of you didn't know that.  So, what does living in Nevada mean to me?  It's taken me quite some time to come to appreciate Northern Nevada and what it has to offer.  I started out in the Lake Tahoe area and, of course, that needs no explanation at all!   Who wouldn't want to wake up to that gem everyday?  Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful areas in the world.

The first time I set foot in the Reno area, though,  I thought someone picked me up and put me into a Western movie set.  I wasn't prepared to "go Cowboy" especially since I was a transplant from the Southern California beaches.   Life has a funny way of humoring you.  Three years later I was living in the Reno area and not loving it.  But, looking back..it was the people not the area that made living there a pleasure.

After many years and a few derails, I still find myself in Northern Nevada.  I look for the beauty on a daily basis during my walks and for the most part I'm ready to photograph all the gorgeous vistas.  Hubby and I developed a routine for a long "hike a week" over the Summer time and discovered some very special secret hideaways.  

There is an abundance of hiking trails just minutes from our house and too many to mention a few miles or hours ride from here.  We plan to cover more territory next Spring/Summer or when the weather allows.  Until then...enjoy the day....cherish the people around you....and look closely at your surroundings.  You're probably right where you need to be at this point in time.

Now for some pictures!

sunset

sunrise

Tahoe - Sand Harbor beach

Tahoe Meadows hike

Outside my door!

Davis Creek area

Heavenly sunset

Change of Season down the street

Rice Pilaf

In the last 2 years since I've been writing this blog I've never made this rice pilaf!  This was almost a staple in my home starting 30 years ago.  How can that be?  Lately I've been compiling, sorting, revising, reviewing, testing and listing certain recipes that are worthy of starring in "the book".    It's a tedious process but some one's gotta do it!

So, the list of recipes gets longer and there's so many more favorites.  This rice pilaf was originally made by my parents and we'd have it as a side dish on many a Sunday dinner at Grandma's.  It's recently been lightened up when it comes to how much butter I use.   It's true, "Everything tastes better with butter", but I always envision what it's doing in my arteries!   Yikes!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup vermicelli coils or Fideo, broken apart

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder (can't have enough garlic, right?)

3/4 - 1 cup white rice, basmati preferably

1 can (14.5 oz) of beef broth, fat free, reduced sodium

6 oz. water

1/8 tsp salt

In a large skillet (that has a lid), melt butter on medium, add the vermicelli and stir constantly until lightly browned.  Add the garlic cloves, powder, and rice stirring as you go.  Add the broth, water and salt.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until done, about 30 minutes.  Depending on the weather keep an eye on it so the water doesn't evaporate too quickly.   Add a bit more water if it does.  Fluff with a fork and serve.  Delicious!

Homemade Gourmet Croutons

Why would anyone go through the trouble of making their own croutons?  Isn't it easier to just pluck them from the grocery store shelf?  It may be more convenient, but, have you read the back of the label, lately?  What's that sodium content?  And what were you going to do with that days old french bread, anyway?  Toss it?   Would you throw away a dollar bill?  Didn't think so!

It only takes a few minutes to create your own gourmet croutons.  I'm SURE you have the ingredients handy waiting for the bread to get hard.  Try this at home.

Home Made Croutons

1 1/2  cups of French bread, cut into cubes, crust and all

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper

seasoning of your choice (garlic, rosemary, herb de Provence are my favorites)  I usually use 1/2 to a full teaspoon of herb sprinkled in.

Melt the oil and butter in a skillet.  Throw in the bread cubes stirring briskly.  When they begin to brown add the salt and pepper and seasoning of your choice.  Done!  If you like them really crunchy , lay them out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven on very low heat for a bit.  Pop one in your mouth to test.  You be the judge!

Use for soups or salads.  They are so much better than packaged "salt cubes"!  This recipe can be easily doubled, do the math.

Here's a label of a best selling packaged crouton, if you're curious.

Ingredients:

Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Barley Malt, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron), B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Garlic Powder, Salt, Romano CheesePowder (Pasteurized Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes, Sodium Phosphate). Contains 2% or Less of: Onion Powder, Yeast, Blue Cheese Powder (Pasteurized Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes, Sodium Phosphate), Spices, Whey, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Anchovy Powder, Autolyzed Yeast, Dehydrated Parsley, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vinegar Powder, Citric Acid, Dough Conditioners (Calcium Iodate, Calcium Dioxide), Calcium Sulfate.

WHAT IS THIS!

Not Your Mother's Liver and Onions

I doubt that this will be the most viewed post!  Liver and Onions, are you kidding!?  But, before you tune out give this dish some credit.  Liver packs a wallop when it comes to helping with iron deficiencies.  I know, I've been on the anemic side and was told to eat spinach and liver.  That's right..doctor's orders.  I admit, though, I'm not a fan of beef liver.  It has to be chicken liver.

Growing up, my mom would make liver as often as she could, and she got away with it quite often!   She loves liver to this day!   In my teens I had an abundant  supply of chicken livers since I worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken.  My cat loved me because I always smelled like chicken when I arrived home from work.  He didn't eat liver but he got his fill and more of chicken breasts, his favorite!

My recent quest to disguise/transform liver into something gourmet led to this liver, onion and apple recipe.  Enjoy!  Or at least try to!

Ingredients:

3-4 slices of pancetta , diced (bacon can be substituted)

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 apple, peeled and sliced

5 button mushroom, sliced

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

1 container (3/4 lb) of chicken livers, drained,  rinsed and cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup chicken broth or water

1 fresh sage leaf, minced

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

In a large skillet cook the pancetta as you would bacon.  Remove to a paper towel to drain but save the drippings.  Add the onion to the drippings and cook on medium to soften.  Then add the apples,   mushrooms, and garlic, cooking until soft.   Remove from the pan and set aside.

Cook the liver in the same skillet with the remaining drippings.  Stir often as you cook until browned, yet still a bit pink.  Add the pancetta, onions, apple, mushrooms and garlic back in.  Add the the wine and chicken broth, sage and 1 Tbsp of the parsley.  Now, simmer this on medium for about 5 minutes, until the liquid evaporates leaving a nice light sauce.

Garnish with remaining parsley.  Serve over rice or pasta or by itself.  Delicious, I promise!

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Our first snow of the Season is predicted for early next week!  Temperatures ranging from mid 80's  during the day to almost freezing at night.  That's Northern Nevada for you.  When the weather gives us this Wintery mix, there's nothing better than brewing some hot steamy soup to warm the old bones and sooth the soul.

I've tried different recipes for cauliflower soup.  Some spicy, some bland,  and some with roasted cauliflower.  My mother used to make cauliflower with cheese sauce years ago so I guess I'm trying to achieve those exact flavors.  Not there yet, but until then, this cheesy cauliflower soup was pretty tasty.

Ingredients:

3 cups raw cauliflower florets

3 cups chicken broth

2  pieces of sliced leeks (3-4 inch pieces of the white end), washed or 1 3/4 cup of the same

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp herb de Provence

1/8 tsp cayenne

dash of salt

Cook all ingredients in a large pot on medium high heat until cauliflower is done.  This may take about 15 minutes.  Puree the soup in batches in the blender and add back into the pot.

Add approximately 4 oz. of any good melting cheese such as cheddar, fontina or smoked Gouda (this is what I used).  Stir often on low/med heat.  When the cheese has melted, time to serve!