“Happiness is.....finding two olives in your martini when you're hungry.” ~ Johnny Carson

I love all kinds of olives. I like black olives from the can, just plain or sliced in potato salad. I like Kalamata olives in Greek salad or in Puttanesca with pasta. I like green olives in Moroccan Chicken with onions, saffron and lemon.

In 1994, Tom and I moved onto a 10-acre farm and lived there until 2007. We were a pretty good distance from the restaurants, grocery stores and other amenities we were used to having close by when we lived in a city, but we continued dining out once or twice a week for a couple of years until it became more of a burden to drive the long distances (30+ miles) than a pleasure and we started cooking more at home.

Friday nights became our appetizer evenings. Rather than cook a whole meal, we'd make a couple of appetizers and leisurely nibble away at them with a glass of wine. We love the combination of baked brie, paté and fruit. Tom created a shrimp spread with herbed cheese and spicy steamed shrimp. We like Buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing; all kinds of cheeses; butter baked shrimp; goat cheese with truffled mushrooms and caramelized onion; escargot; and far too many other things to list. And, we are always on the lookout for something new and interesting.

A few years ago, I was watching tv and saw this olive dish served at a party. I immediately went to my computer to print the recipe, but when I decided to share it here I had to go searching again for the source. After reading the original recipe on FineLiving.com, I realized that we have, once again, changed it significantly to suit our tastes.

The olives develop a lovely roasted flavor and the olive oil becomes infused with the flavors of the balsamic vinegar, thyme, fennel and orange, with a little heat from the red pepper flakes. We serve these olives in small bowls with crunchy French bread for dipping into the oil.

I have increased the recipe for a party sized portion and the olives store very well in the refrigerator for up to a week as long as you remove the oranges.

Slow Roasted Olives with Fennel and Orange
Adapted by Terri Powers from Fineliving.com

2 lbs. mixed olives with pits
2 oranges, unpeeled and sliced into 1/8-inch circles
1 cup whole almonds with skin
2 fennel bulbs
3 bay leaves
1 handful of fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A little extra balsamic and olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the olives in a large bowl. Add the almonds. Shred the thyme leaves from the sprigs and add to the olives. Cut the stalks off of the fennel bulbs and cut the layers of the bulbs into bite-sized pieces a little larger than the olives and add to the bowl. Add the red pepper flakes, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of the ground fennel. Now add the vinegar and oil. Mix well and transfer the entire mixture to a 13x9 inch baking pan and distribute evenly.

Arrange the orange slices flat on top of the olive mixture. Sprinkle each slice lightly with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of ground fennel evenly over the slices.

Baked, uncovered, for about 2 hours until the oranges are slightly brown and caramelized.

Serve barely warm or at room temperature with assorted cheeses. You can drain the oil for use as a bread dip, or serve the olive mixture, as we do, in the oil spooned onto individual appetizer plates or bowls with crusty bread and cheese.

“I left home (like all Jewish girls) in order to eat pork..." ~ Rosanne

I love pork, but I like it cooked through. I know, I know, like the rest of you, I've read that you don't have to cook pork until it's no longer pink; that today pork is fed and raised differently and the meat is safe to eat when cooked to an internal temp of 160º. I reject the pink notion because I'm old and set in my ways. It's as simple as that. I don't think I could bring myself to eat pink pork. But I don't think you have to cook the meat until the texture resembles that of a hockey puck either. Just barely beyond pink is good for me.

Growing up, pork was not necessarily a staple meat in our house. Hamburger was king, but occasionally my mom would make pork chops. A typical pork chop would be fried and served with mashed potatoes and corn. The chops were lightly salted, but heavily peppered and fried in their naked state; no dredging in flour. From the drippings in the pan, my mom would make a cream gravy... and, no, neither my father or mother were from the South. Dad was raised on a farm in Minnesota and I think this was typical, heavy farm food fare and mom cooked for his tastes. Besides, with seven of us in the family (I am the oldest of 5 girls), mom had to stretch whatever she was cooking. Gravy was a good way to do that.

My mom didn't know what it meant to trim the fat, and what fat was on the chop would wind up brown, crunchy and perfectly rendered. Once we finished cutting the meat from the bone and eating it with a fork and knife, my dad and I would use our fingers and teeth to eat any remaining bits of meat, fat and pepper from the bone. As a child, this was heaven on a plate. I loved the peppery flavor mixed with the caramelized pan juices and I still make them that way sometimes.

Fortunately, I have expanded my pork repertoire to include many other different dishes. Tom found the recipe for this dish several years ago in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, our statewide newspaper. The flavors of the apple and coriander compliment each other perfectly and the dish is suited for a cold winter dinner. We usually serve it with slightly chunky mashed potatoes.

Pork With Caramelized Onions and Apples
My adaptation of the original recipe from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

1 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 apples (I use Fuji), cores removed and cut crosswise into thick slices (about 6 slices per apple
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 onions, sliced not too thin
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices and pounded slightly
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/2 cup chicken or pork broth (I used pork broth made with Minor's Pork base)
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup heavy cream

Heat the butter and 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Sprinkle the onions with about 1 Tablespoon of the brown sugar. Cook on medium heat until slighty caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove to plate.



Coat the apple slices in the remaining brown sugar, add to pan juices and cook on both sides until barely brown. Remove to plate with onions.



Heat remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in the skillet. Season the pork with the salt and pepper and 1/2 Tablespoon of the ground coriander, then dust with the flour. Brown quickly on both sides.

Add the broth, juice, bay leaves, and remaining 1 Tablespoon of coriander, bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Return onion and apple slices to skillet, add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve.



Makes 4 servings.

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

And eat these wonderful Pink Cherry Scones...


I love good scones. Not the super sweet ones you get every where, but the slightly sweet or even savory kind that stands heads above muffins, croissants and coffee cake. But, I had never made them. I don't know why. I think I always thought they were really difficult or you needed a special pan. I don't know. Maybe the problem was I wasn't really thinking.

In any case, I didn't consider tackling them until I saw this recipe several months ago on Laurie's Quirky Cupcake blog. I finally made them and they are, in a word, fantastic! And, they weren't hard to make. Granted they aren't as easy as cupcakes - you know, mix and pour into muffin tins - but the extra minute or two is absolutely worth it for the final product.

They didn't last long; maybe three days. We had them on a Sunday morning, then Tom and I each had one every morning for breakfast until they were gone. We used plain old butter, but wouldn't they be extra decadent with a little cherry preserves?? Hmmmmm.

Anyway, thank you, Laurie! You're scones made me take the plunge and I am hooked and now collecting new scone recipes. Next, I am going to try one with cheese, bacon and green onions...

Pink Cherry Scones

2-1/4 Cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar, extra for work space and to sprinkle on top
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cold
2/3 cup half and half
1 egg
1/2 heaping cup dried tart cherries
3-5 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Measure half and half into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add the egg and food coloring Whisk together until combined. Set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add cherries and wet ingredients. Using a fork, or your fingers mix ingredients together until just combined. Do not over mix. Form into a mass and set out onto a sugared work space. Flour a rolling pin and roll out into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter of your choice to cut out the scones. (I rolled the dough into a rectangle and cut the scones in the traditional diamond shape.)



Put onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with extra sugar and bake for 16-20 minutes depending on the size of the cutter you used. Mine took about 18 minutes. Laurie used a 3 inch glass cup and hers took 17 minutes.

If you have a scone recipe you think is really good, please send it along. I'm on a roll!

“Among hot beverages, we know of nothing better than leisurely sipping a bowl of steaming chicken soup” ~ Author Unknown

It's cold outside. When it gets cold, I crave soup. I could make a huge pot every single day, but I think Tom would finally object and demand control of the kitchen so he could make something different.

Except maybe for a good French onion soup, I had not been a brothy soup person. Growing up, my mom always made thick, hearty soups. The soup, along with rolls or bread, was our meal. I learned to make soup that way and I do it really well. I love thick or chunky or creamy soups, full of beans or veggies and meat or shellfish. Unfortunately, I did not come to appreciate a really good broth until I was a good deal older.

Several years ago, on a business trip to San Antonio, Texas, I had the great fortune to sample what was called San Antonio's signature soup. I have searched ever since for the perfect recipe.

The presentation was unique (perhaps because I live in a bubble). Piles of finely grated cheddar cheese, crisp corn tortilla strips, fresh homemade salsa and chunky guacamole were served up in the soup bowl. A large gravy boat contained a hot, rich broth enhanced with caramelized onions. A small dish of chopped, fresh cilantro was to provide the finishing touch. After my first taste, I was hooked. I ordered and ate that soup every day I was there. All the condiments were familiar to me, but that broth...clear, but hearty; richly flavored; slightly spicy. It was the kind of soup that invoked that involuntary Mmmmmm noise with each bite.

Tom and I have tried many recipes in an attempt to duplicate the broth I ate in San Antonio, but I am thinking that my palate's memory is faulty. Nothing we make is quite there. So, we have adapted and combined many recipes to come up with our own. Although this recipe has some cream in it, the soup is delicious and the flavor is very reminiscent of that wonderful "signature soup." We simply call it Tortilla Soup.

Enjoy and stay warm!

Tortilla Soup

3 large bone-in chicken breasts
1 gallon of water
4 teaspoons chicken base (I use Minor's)
3 carrots, halved lengthwise then cut in 1/4 inch pieces
3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise, then cut in 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced fine
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild) undrained
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

Condiments: Make all of your condiments in advance so they are ready to go when your soup is ready.

Chopped avocado or chunky guacamole
Grated cheddar or jack cheese or a mixture of both
Fresh Salsa
Crispy tortilla strips
Cilantro sour cream

Procedure:

Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and peppers in a pot with the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the chicken and allow to cool. To the broth, add the Rotel, cilantro, corn and cumin. Stir well and bring up to temperature. Remove the chicken from the bone, shred and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add the cream just to get a the color and a little thickness.



To serve, place about 2 Tablespoons of each condiment in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle the soup over the condiments. Top with Cilantro Sour Cream, if desired.

Chunky Guacamole: Cut one avocado in half and remove the pit. Cut each half in half (you will have 4 pieces). Remove the skin from the flesh and place the slice in a bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of onion powder. Using a fork, very gently mash the avocado and mix in spices. Do not over mash so that it becomes smooth.

Fresh Salsa: 1-1/2 cups finely chopped fresh tomato, 3/4 cup finely chopped onion, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped jalepeno pepper, 1 Tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Crispy Tortilla Strips: Cut about 10 corn tortillas in strips. Fry in oil until crisp, but not brown. Remove to paper towel to drain. Salt very lightly.



Cilantro Sour Cream: 1 cup light sour cream, 1/4 cup very finely chopped cilantro, a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Prepare in advance and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. Serve on top of the soup. This is also good on enchiladas, chiles rellenos or tacos.

Camarones con Pollo Cilantro ~ Muy Delicioso!!

When we lived in Southern California, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants was La Paloma. Tom and I visited often; sometimes for dinner, sometimes for lunch, sometimes just to share a big plate of chicken nachos and a margarita. The atmosphere was charming. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. They were always busy, and with good reason. The food was delicious, the servings were plentiful and the prices were reasonable. La Paloma was, in fact, our choice for the wedding rehearsal dinner when our youngest son married.

After we moved to Arkansas in 1993, my son, Mike, was able to get the recipes for two of our favorite items: The creamy avocado salad dressing and the Camarones con Pollo Cilantro (Chicken and Shrimp Cilantro).

I am providing the recipe that I use. The original recipe produced a dish that is way too hot for my taste. My sons would call me wimp, but I just don't like heat for heat's sake. If an ingredient doesn't add flavor as well as heat, I just don't see the point. So the following recipe is primarily the final revision from the original recipe Mike gave me. The original called for cayenne pepper (which I omitted completely) and larger quantities of the spices and salsa but, over the years I have reduced the amount of spices and salsa I use, which produces a dish that I think is much closer to the one I enjoyed at the restaurant. However, if you would like the more spicy and hot version, please feel free to email me and I will send you the original recipe.

La Paloma served this dish with black beans and Mexican rice. I made Roasted Poblano grits instead. This dish finishes very quickly, so have your sides prepared in advance.

Camarones con Pollo Cilantro
Terri's Adaptation of the recipe from La Paloma Restaurant, Vista, California
Serves 4

4 Tablespoon butter
1 Cup salsa (the original recipe calls for La Victoria brand salsa, but it is not available in Arkansas, so I use Pace)
1 pound raw shrimp (26 - 30 count), cleaned and shelled
1 pound chicken, cut into strips about the same size as the shrimp
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced.

Seasoning Mix:
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper



Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add the salsa and stir to combine. Add the chicken to the salsa mixture and cook 2 - 3 minutes and medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the chicken and cook about 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle the seasonings over the shrimp and chicken and mix well. Sprinkle the cheeses over the shrimp and chicken, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the cheese just melts, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat and gently plate the mixture immediately, dividing into 4 portions. Sprinkle each portion with fresh cilantro and serve the avocado slices on the side.

This dish is wonderful with an ice cold Corona or margarita! Enjoy!

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” Doug Larson

Bacon is so bad for you, so, of course, I love it. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy a perfectly crisp piece of bacon.

I also love an avocado. I was raised in California. You can drive nearly any where in Southern California and see an avocado tree growing in someone's yard or a large grove growing on a hill. Although my family didn't own a tree, avocados were cheap and my mother bought them often. We used them chopped or sliced in salads or halved and pitted as a cup for tuna or chicken salad. But, our favorite way to eat them, besides guacamole, was to merely mash a couple of salted slices on a buttered piece of toast. My mom ate this regularly for breakfast.

Just before Tom and I moved from Southern California to Arkansas, we owned a home on an acre of land with a small grove of trees: avocado, orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit and apricot. We had a Shih Tzu named Gizmo and he loved runnng out under the trees through the leaves that covered the ground underneath. When we first moved into the house, we couldn't figure out why Gizmo was putting on weight and why his coat was suddenly so shiny. We weren't doing anything different - same dog food, same groomer, same dog shampoo. Then one day, I caught him. He was eating an avocado that had fallen from the tree, licking the avocado pit clean. I think Gizmo and the raccoons worked as a team. The raccoons would climb in the trees and eat the avocados from the branches, but as they moved from branch to branch, they'd knock avocados to the ground. Gizmo enjoyed supplementing his diet almost daily.

I miss that house. I miss being able to go outside and pick the fresh fruit year round. When I walk into the store today, I cringe when I have to pay 50 cents or more for a single orange or lemon, or as much as $1.50 for an avocado, and just hope when I get them home and cut them open that they are worth the price.

As for bacon, well, for the most part, we have switched to turkey bacon. While I can't use it successfully in dishes like chowder or beans, it crisps up nice for omelets, salads and sandwiches. That's what I used it for yesterday. I made a really nice avocado, bacon and tomato sandwich.

I mashed a half of an avocado and seasoned it with a little salt, pepper and onion powder. Then I toasted two slices of really nice low-fat, high fiber oat bread and spread about half of the mashed avocado on one slice. No mayo, no butter, just mashed avocado.



Next, I used two slices of turkey bacon that I cooked in the microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes at full power.



On top of the bacon went part of a roma tomato that I sliced lengthwise.



I added a leaf of romaine lettuce and Oila! A delicious, low-cholesterol, low-carb sandwich!

Oh, and that beautiful cutting board underneath that sandwich? My son, Mike, made that for me for Christmas last year. I absolutely love it and just had to brag! He is so talented. A real artisan, as you can see.