Poach Eggs

Place a half cup of water in a microwave-safe mug or bowl and crack in an egg, making sure it’s fully suberged. Microwave for 40 seconds to a minute or until the yolk is cooked to your linking.

The Verdict?

This really worked! And there was less to clean (a glass ramekin vs. a pan). The one caveat is, while it’s perfect for poaching one egg, if you have a bunch to poach, this method wouldn’t really work and it would be easier to do it in a pan.

Perfectly Prep Green Veggies

Trim and rinse your desired vegetable, then place it in a microwave-safe dish with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam. Cook until the vegetable is vibrant green and crisp-tender, about two minutes. Top with sauce or a simple drizzle of olive oil and pinch of flaky sea salt.

The Verdict?

I tried this method on asparagus spears. I rinsed the asparagus and bent the spears to where they would naturally break, to take off the woody stems. Some people cut the ends off, but I find this is a more reliable method for getting rid of the tough ends. I then put them in a microwave-safe dish with plastic wrap on top and cooked for 2 minutes. They turned out perfectly. I normally roast my asparagus, which is tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and then squeeze lemon juice on them after they’re cooked, which you could also do in the microwave. It won’t have the same roasted flavor, but if the ovens are occupied (like for Thanksgiving) this hack is a life-saver.

Toast Nuts

First, rub raw nuts with a bit of vegetable oil, then spread them in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cook for one minute at a time, stirring in between, until they start to brown. Then go in 30-second spurts until golden. It usually takes three to five minutes total.

Verdict?

I tried this with pine nuts. I sprayed them with olive oil spray and put them on a plate. They didn’t seem to actually toast and I pulled them out before they were golden brown. They didn’t have that “toasted” flavor. I would not use this method again. It’s so easy to toast nuts in the oven or, for pine nuts, I just put them in a dry, cast-iron skillet to toast, as they have to be watched constantly. There was also the issue of spraying oil on an already fatty food and the cleanup of a greasy plate. This was a fail for me.

Quickly Cook Salmon

Place two four-to-six-ounce fillets on a plate. Top each with a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a vented lid and cook on high for three to five minutes or until the salmon is done to your liking.

Verdict?

I didn’t try this because I don’t like cooked salmon. I also don’t own a vented lid for the microwave and don’t need any more gadgets clogging up my cabinets.

Brown Butter

Place one to two sticks of butter in a microwave-safe bowl or deep dish; cover with paper towels or a silicone lid to contain spatters. Microwave for three minutes, then continue in 30-second increments until the butter turns golden brown.

Verdict?

I only used 2 tablespoons of butter in a glass measuring cup for ravioli I had made. I covered it with a paper towel. While this method definitely worked, some of the butter ended up on the paper towel and, if I was making it for ravioli again, I would just put the butter in the pan it cooked in, which would be less clean-up. I did see someone use the butter wrapper to cover the cup they cooked butter in, which is a good idea. I always save my butter wrappers in the freezer (much to my husband’s chagrin) to grease cookie sheets, another hack that comes in handy during the holidays, when lots of butter is used and lots of cookies baked.

Conclusion?

While I love hacks and methods that make my life easier, I’m not willing to sacrifice flavor for ease. As such, the only microwave hacks I would use again are: poaching eggs, cooking veggies and (perhaps) browning butter. If you try the salmon method, let me know.

Up Next: Party Potatoes

I ain’t as young as I once was. I’ve got a few years on me now. But there was time, when I was in my prime, that I could really lay it down.

So at the end of July, according to the Astro Twins, three planets changed Zodiac signs, causing major upheaval. In addition, on Sunday, August 8th 2021, a Powerful Portal called Lion’s Gate opened, bringing Transformative Times, which are both exciting, as well as turbulent and scary. Jupiter returned to Aquarius after a 2 1/2 month respite in Pisces (hugs, indoor dining, movies in theatres!), bringing us, once again, back to reality. The fact we all hoped COVID was finally over is now obviously not a reality. It, and it’s variant Delta, has raged back with a vengeance.

In my own life, many changes are happening as well. Christopher and Courtney, with 8- month-old Liam, are leaving next month for Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where Courtney has taken a Traveling Nursing position. And so, that brief shining moment when ALL three of my grandsons were in the same city at the same time, is almost over. They will be there for three months (I think) and in the Fall, which should be a glorious time to be in Colorful Colorado and its leaf-laden glory, I am happy for them, but…

I’ve been watching Liam since he was a couple months old, most recently every couple weeks for stints from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. while his parents worked and (shocker!) I’m going to miss him! His chubby cheeks, sweet little laugh, big brown eyes, luscious eyelashes, smooth, soft skin, his smell, the way he’s trying to stand up, precariously, holding on to any object in sight, the way he bounces to music when a song comes on. His smile with those two little bottom teeth! I can always FaceTime and sing him “Five Little Speckled Frogs” and read him “Peek A Boo”- his favorite book. But it’s not the same, is it? No, it is not! So, I’m sad. But he will be home for his birthday in November at least, for a party at his Gigi’s so I’m already thinking about a theme. Baby Shark?

In addition, Lauren has left Miami and is in transit (after a wedding in Massachussets) to California, where she’ll start a job in San Francisco in the Fall. She studied her a** off for the California Bar (one of the hardest in the U.S.), took it a couple weeks ago, packed up, shipped her car and she’s off. So, another door closes. Emma has also been busy studying for her end-of-semester exams for Accelerated Nursing at UM and is one-third of the way through. She did great on her tests so yay Emma! And yay Lauren! And, dare I say it? We are empty-nesters once again, so yay us! Of course, every time I say that, something happens to change it and with this Lion’s Gate hocus pocus, I don’t trust anything to stay the same!

And Wyatt, my sweet little five-year-old grandson, starts Kindergarten this month! So, #sweetlittlewyatt isn’t so little anymore! Unbelievable. He’s very excited for Kindergarten, so much so that he keeps asking if he can just start school now. Just wait baby! For he is still my “baby” even though the younger generation of grandsons is on the rise.

Getting to the Foodie part of this post, we were lucky enough to get Florida Lobsters from a neighbor in the Keys from Mini Season, so had a farewell Lobster Dinner for Lauren, with Emma and Gui. Since there wasn’t enough lobster, Zeke got Steaks to make a Surf ‘N Turf and I made Baked Potatoes (with the fixings), Mushrooms in red wine and some nice, fat Asparagus, which Zeke grilled. I also made a homemade Chimichurri sauce for the steak.

Now here is my tangent on cooking proteins. After you take into account the grade (like Kobe beef will obviously taste better than USDA Prime) they mostly taste the same. The only way to change the taste is to: marinate them, season or rub them prior to cooking. After cooking, the only way to elevate the taste, is with a sauce to go with it. I prefer rubs over marinades for the most part, but it just depends on the protein and the rest of the meal. And you have to choose a sauce according to: the protein served, the season and your own personal tastes.

Zeke grilled the steaks and lobster (my favorite way to cook them) and of course, there was lots of melted butter served on the side for our lobster feast. Since I had a boatload of bananas from my tree (all ripe at the same time), I made Banana Ice Cream. In an effort to “lighten it up”, I used half almond milk in place of the cream. It tasted good that night, but upon later tasting, it was a little icy.

Wednesday night I had A.J., Justin, Wyatt and Phoenix over for dinner. I made Shrimp Cocktail (with a mustard sauce since they are both on Keto), Mojo Pork, Mashed Garlic Cauliflower and Grilled Veggies, which I’d marinated in balsamic vinegar. I served the pork with three sauces- Peanutty Salsa, Chimichurri and Ketchup (for Wyatt who likes ketchup on everything). Although my pork loin caught fire on the grill, I was able to rescue it and it was cooked to a perfectly pink interior. Zeke claims I always try to “man his grill”, but he was gone so I “Whoa-manned” his grill; and, other than the small fire, it went well, so perhaps I have a future in grilling. Dessert was banana ice cream (now icy) and rum cake to celebrate Justin’s birthday.

After dinner, we went upstairs and watched a Home Movie of a snow-skiing trip to Steamboat Springs from when A.J. was eight and went with my parents, her cousin Allie and Aunt Kelley. With her brown hair, boundless energy and little chipmunk voice, she reminded us all of Wyatt. Wyatt was meanwhile, bouncing around the bedroom on my exercise ball, Justin was on his phone (home movies are notoriously boring for anyone other than the people on camera) and baby Phoenix fell asleep on my bed. A good time was had by all- LOL!

Then, Thursday night was my Book Club meeting. We read A History of Love. I offered to bring a dish and was going to bring Mushrooms with Tofu (to go along with my vegetarian kick) but it’s been so hot lately I just wanted something cool and refreshing, so ended up making a Nectarine and Burrata Salad from Real Simple Magazine. I used peaches instead of nectarines (because that’s what I had) and I got the burrata from Trader Joes. I followed the recipe exactly, but added some arugula underneath the salad. It was pretty easy to make, beautiful to look at and everyone enjoyed it. The pickled red onion and fresh mint leaves added a welcome touch.

So elegant and simple, but just a little different.

Guta, from my Book Club commented.

You could also use mangoes instead of nectarines- a delicious alternative if you have them. My Mallika mango tree gave me quite a few lovely mangoes this summer, but alas, it’s finished for the season now. Everyone brought a salad to start and then we had a lovely Beef Stew made by our hostess, Louisa.

I would like to share a recipe that all our family loves and it’s a great one if you’re on the Keto diet. I will always love mashed potatoes, but I’ve also come to love Mashed Cauliflower and it goes great with grilled meats, Roast Chicken and could even be used as a base for a Veggie Bowl, if you’re trying to eat plant-based. Now Zeke is going to say I “stole his recipe”, but this isn’t patented, so he can’t sue me. A note about cauliflower (I got mine at Trader Joe’s), make sure you pick one without any dark spots on it.

Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

Recipe by SergioCourse: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

80

kcal

Ingredients

• 1 Head Cauliflower

• 4 garlic cloves, skins off, divided use.

• 1/4 cup chicken or veggie broth

• 1/4 cup milk
  

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
  

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

• Put a steamer basket into a large pot, with a couple inches water on the bottom.
• Trim cauliflower. Cut the core out and the outer leaves off and cut the head into large florets. Don’t worry about making them perfect, as they will get blended.
• Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place cauliflower florets into stainless steamer, along with two garlic cloves and cover. Steam until tender. Test by inserting a sharp knife into the cauliflower. If it goes in easily, it is done. Remove from heat.
• Put steamed cauliflower, steamed garlic cloves, the butter, two raw garlic cloves (if desired- it will make it spicier), the broth and milk into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
• Season with salt, white pepper and extra butter, if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. If you don’t have white pepper, you can use black, just the black specks will appear in your creamy white mash. If you don’t have a steamer, well, you should really get one. They are less than and come in handy!

Notes

• This recipe can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave, just make sure to cover it with a paper towel, as it will splatter. My daughter A.J. also eats this as a dip, cold, for veggies!

Whenever I go to Trader Joe’s (not much, lately!) I make sure to get two things: Cheese and Wine. Their selections and prices are the best! I usually get the Toscano with Syrah cheese (my favorite!), some type of blue and a goat cheese, as cheese board gurus suggest a “hard, a soft and a blue” for a well-rounded spread. I go a little crazy on wines- Rose, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco- but here are some other suggestions to get you started.

Best 5 Wines from Trader Joe’s under $10 from Real Simple

Floriana Veltiner Gruner (white from Hungary)

Cecilia B Spumante Rose (Sparkling Rose)

Susumamiello Ruggero Di Bardo (Red)

Espiral Vinho Verde (White from Portugal) $5

Corvelia Zinfandel (Red from California)

The only one of these I can personally attest to is the Esprial Vinho Verde, which I usually buy every time I visit Trader Joe’s because it’s good and super cheap. My in-laws once bought this type of wine for a Fourth of July weekend at Ocean Reef; the wine guy suggested it as the type of wine to pour over ice, with a squeeze of lime, to enjoy while sitting by the pool. It’s also delicious just cold and straight from the bottle, if you like wines with a little fizz; the perfect summer wine.

Speaking of Trader Joe’s, they are reconsidering changing the names of their ethnic foods, as they had previously announced. So, for now, Trader Jose, Trader Ming and Trader Giotto are staying on the shelf. I always thought these names were tongue-in-cheek (you know- a joke) but apparently someone started a petition to eliminate the “racist packaging”, which got Trader Joe’s to rethink their branding choices. Is it possible to be too politically correct?

“The World is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” Pablo Coelho

Another thing I often get at Trader Joe’s is their Almond Butter, but it usually has a layer of oil on top when I go to use it, eventually leaving a solid layer of not-very-easy to spread gunk underneath. The solution? Store it upside down in your pantry. Also, if you buy cheeses, take them out of their plastic wrapping and rewrap them in parchment paper before putting them in the fridge. I guess they are kind of alive and the plastic suffocates them, so let your cheeses breathe, people!

If you buy herbs, such as parsley, cilantro or basil the best way to keep them fresh is to snip off the ends and stick them in a glass of water. And you know how those delicate raspberries you buy go bad, like right away? Soak them in a 1:10 mixture of vinegar to water to get rid of mold spores. Rinse them well and store in fridge. I got these tips from food52.com.

I just returned from Publix in the Keys and there was no 409, no Fantastick, not even the pricey Mrs. Meyers lurking on the shelves. What to do if you need a disinfectent spray? Make your own. You will need a spray bottle, easily recycled from an old 409 bottle or purchased at the dollar store. The nice thing about this recipe is you can customize the scent to whatever you like and it doesn’t have that heavy, artificial floral scent. It’s also considerably cheaper than the store-bought stuff. I can’t testify to the germ-killing quality of the this mixture but it will clean and smell good. From the thefrugalgirls.com.

Homemade 409

2 TBLS Distilled White Vinegar

1 tsp Borax

1/8 cup Dawn Dishwashing Liquid

1 cup Hot Water

8 drops of essential oil, your choice (I like lavender or lemongrass)

Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into a spray bottle. Continue to fill with cool water. Add Dawn last, gently tilting back and forth. Add essential oil, if desired.

Random Ramblings
Sexiest Foods ( a question Ellen asked Diane Keaton during a game of Burning Questions) She gave the answer of: “A Creamy Soup.” It got me thinking about My answer: Oysters on the half shell, sushi, lobster with melted butter, chocolate covered strawberries, champagne and caviar, heart-shaped creme brûlée.

Should you get a hankering to “get out of Dodge” and visit Key Largo (only an hour from Miami), here are some restaurants I feel comfortable dining at right now. All have outdoor seating.

Key Largo Restaurants

Sharkey’s Bar & Grill Great food and beer, fun atmosphere, on a canal.

Snooks A little touristy and pricey, but live music, good food, a killer Bloody Mary.

Lazy Lobster A big chickee hut out back, by the same people who own Lazy Days.

The Pilot House Started by two pilots, on the water, good happy hour, live music.

Skippers By the Holiday Inn, oceanside, live music. Get there early to get a seat outside.

Mrs. Macs II Reliably good food and service, like diner food with a Keys twist.

For Take Out, it’s all about the Thai, ’bout the Thai, no pizza… for me.

The Key Thai & Sushi for: Drunken Noodles, Tom Kar Soup, Thai Papaya Salad.

Num Thai for: Crispy Duck, Green Curry and Stuffed Tuna.

And since I’m being really random, this has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with how I spend my Friday and Saturday nights. This poem is dedicated to Zeke, my partner in crime watching.

Dateline

A baseball bat by the side of the road A knife ditched in a bush A gun tossed in an inky lake These are the instruments of death, But who committed the crime?

Bum, bum, bum.

First take a close look at the boyfriend or girlfriend Husband or wife, Significant other Disgruntled lover, then the Ex-husband or wife, always prime suspects Sometimes, it’s even a Random Stranger.

Bum, bum, bum.

Not very likely, though But I did see one the other night A guy pretending to buy a house strangled a perfect stranger to death and left her on her own bedroom floor.

Bum, bum, bum.

Now, in prison, he’s a Preacher Proclaiming his innocence, of course Despite insurmountable evidence to the contrary. Why is this the way I spend my Friday nights? Giddy at each bloody clue.

Bum, bum, bum.

But when I hear those opening notes… And that Baritone voice beginning “It was a perfectly sunny Colorado morning the day Shelly Wong accidentally fell off a cliff. Or did she?”

Bum, bum, Bum.

Up Next: Still, who knows?