Monday April 25 2016  A RAVE REVIEW

What would I do without my husband?  He is always so helpful when it comes to my blog.  Today he gave me an interesting suggestion along with a “Rave Review”!  He reminded me of the times when my mind is just blank and I haven’t a clue as what to write.  That happens more often than not.  Oh believe me, I always have lots I want to say but to stop long enough to put it into a semblance of a story or factual reporting, is another thing.  Well, while we were having lunch today he suggested that on the days I lack for something to write that I choose a recipe to discuss, share, and tell about why it is so good for you.  Has he morphed into a believer or what?  I know I like to talk about food and I have really tried not to over discuss it because I am really not a website for cooking or recipes.  But…how can I pass up such a good idea?

Today I made Dave’s favorite dish.  He once asked me the name of it and since I did my best to copy it from something I ordered at a fine dining restaurant, I didn’t really have a name for it.  I can’t even remember what it was called on the menu.  It was a “FLATBREAD” something or other.  I can’t remember what the something or other was.  However, it was so delicious with such a unique flavor that I asked the waiter if he could ask the chef what the special ingredient was that gave it its unique essence.  Not only did the chef give me a verbal recipe via the waiter he even told me the brand of that “something special” that made it taste so good.  And I am going to share it with you.  Except I can’t remember the brand name but I have found something that taste just as satisfying and about 1/5^th the cost.  And of course I don’t have the kind of flatbread he used but I have found a couple of things that made it even more delicious (according to me). And since I didn’t have a name for my recipe I asked Dave to name it.  He calls it “AMBROSIA”.  What makes it even more interesting was that when I ordered it in the restaurant he wouldn’t even sample it.  I made it at home for a long time and ate it all myself until I one day I talked him into sampling it.  That was all it took!

I have made Ambrosia for many different people and so far I believe about 99% loved it.  There is always that 1% that just doesn’t have a palette for such exquisite tastes.  Their loss.

Now, after saying all that, I will tell you that it is nothing more than a glorified pizza.  But it is what is in the pizza, how you make it, and what you put on top that makes it so stunningly delicious.

Now, for my version of Ambrosia.

For the crust I use Naan bread.  Two egg shaped slices of bread come in one packet.  I try to buy the whole grain.  The grainier the better.

INGREDIENTS

2 or 3 TABLESPOONS of good olive oil poured into a very large skillet or wok-like cooking skillet.

About 4 heaping TABLESPOONS of jarred chopped garlic. 

1 very large red onion.   Peel and cut in half side to side and then cut each side into about 8 or 10 wedges.

1 very large red bell pepper cut into strips and then cut the strips into thirds

2 very large Portabella mushrooms.  Wash and then slice into strips about ½ inch wide and then cut those long strips into four equal parts.

4 or 5 Roma tomatoes.  Cut in quarters from top to bottom and then depending how tall the Roma tomato, cut the quarters in half or thirds.

About 1/4 cup of Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

 

DIRECTIONS

Pour the oil into the cold cooking skillet.

Add garlic to cold oil and heat slowly for three or four minutes warming the garlic with the oil.  This was one of the secrets the chef at the restaurant told me to do because it allows the full richness of the garlic to come out.  Start cold and heat slowly while gently stirring.

Then add the cut up onions to the now medium hot skillet (I set my electric stove on about 6).

Stir for another three or four minutes.

Add the red peppers.  Again stir for two or three minutes.

Add the portabella mushrooms and stir for about 4 or 5 minutes until you can see that they start cooking.

Then add the Roma tomatoes and heat while stirring.  When it comes to a simmer, about 3 or 4 minutes later you add the Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar.  I estimate using at least a quarter of a cup or more.

After the vegetables have simmered in the hot vinegar drain the liquid using a colander and bowl to collect the juice. 

To prepare the Naan bread place it on a cold pizza stone and spread ¼  cup of marinara sauce on each slice.  I then put a tiny little covering of sharp cheddar cheese on the sauce.  Use the cheese sparingly.  Then I use a slotted spoon on the drained veggies and spread one thick layer of cooked vegetables on the bread.  Adjust your ingredients to the size of bread you use.

Top the pizza with crumbled Feta Cheese.  I use that liberally.  On my slice of pizza I put a layer of pickled jalapeno peppers and sprinkle with a bit of a hot pizza spice.  I leave the peppers and spice off Dave’s piece.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake pizza for about 12 minutes.  Check every two minutes or so until the feta cheese begins browning.  Once cooked to my liking I turn the oven to about 300 degrees and slide the pizza onto the bare rack, stand beside the closed oven door and check the bottom of the bread every 30 seconds until it becomes a bit hardened but not burned.  Slide the pizza back onto the pizza stone and remove from oven. 

Each piece of pizza is cut into three equal portions.  We now have three separate meals prepared.

END OF RECIPE

 

If you are not ready to use the recipe right away you can leave it on the stove for a while to steep in the juice.  Though you drain the vegetables for the pizza make certain you save the juice because it is used for another recipe later.  This recipe freezes well.

The restaurant’s vinegar cost right around $100.00 per bottle.  I looked it up on the website and now I can’t even remember the exact name of it.  I decided not to buy it.  Instead I used what I love the most of the balsamic vinegar that I buy.  You may have a favorite that you would like to experiment with.  My vinegar cost considerable less than what the restaurant used..  AND IT IS DELICIOUS! 

I have also made it with the Balsamic vinegar that Costco sells.  It is their Kirkland Balsamic and it too was excellent.  But for me, there is just something a little bit special about the Raspberry Balsamic.  My friend Carolyn picks it up for me in Door County when she and her husband visit there.  I have her buy me a year’s supply at a time.  It taste delicious on a lot of things.  To be truthful (said in all humility), I think my recipe tastes better than what I ate at the high priced restaurant.

Each piece of pizza is cut into three equal portions.  We now have three separate meals prepared.  I served it today with a large fresh garden salad, a slice of cantaloupe and three crackers for each of us. We also had two prunes each.  Remember, we are diligent when it comes to balancing carbs with proteins and fruits.  We also had two slices of rotisserie chicken breast equaling about two or three ounces of protein.  We were so full that we each have half of our salads left over for dinner.  What we don’t eat at one meal we just save it for the next.  Tomorrow we’ll have another piece of pizza and a half of a cup of soup with it.  I will also include some kind of protein along with fruit. 

This pizza freezes well.  I freeze the slices on a cookie sheet then package the frozen slices in a freezer bag so they do not adhere to one another.  To reheat it I simply set it in the oven toaster on the bare rack, allow it time to defrost naturally and then BAKE it for 10 minutes on about 250 degrees.  The pizza tastes as fresh and crispy as the first day I made it.

I hope someone will try the recipe and let me know how you like it.  When I make it I cut up everything first and put each item on a separate plate.  It is so quick and easy to cook when all you must do is reach for the next plate and stir it in.  I probably use about ¼ cup or more of the balsamic.

Now, for the leftovers.  One batch will easily make three packages of the bread into pizza.  Sometimes I assemble them all at once and sometimes I just freeze the vegetables in the juice and assemble more pizza later.  But our favorite recipe as a leftover is to heat a Costco, Black Angus precooked hamburger, scramble it, add some dark, crunchy,  already cooked grains I make each week, and then pour the Ambrosia, juice and all, over the meat and rice.  It makes an absolutely company worthy dinner.  Serve with a small salad and a piece of fruit and you have a healthy beautiful, tasteful dinner.  I cook for leftovers because it makes life so much easier.

So, how could one recipe take up so much space in a blog.  Let me tell you, I just have a way with words.  I can make them last a long time.  I hope my directions make it easy for you to try.  It is very simple and doesn’t take must time.  It probably took me longer to write about it than it would for me to make it.

A lot has happened in these past hours of my life.  I was up until 1:00 a.m. last night with computer problems and they still weren’t resolved when I went to bed.  Today I again pursued to find the answer through the Geek Squad team that works with me when I run into brick walls.  I really do not like computer problems.  Well, today it was resolved.  It all had to do with my router and modem needing to be reset so my computer would “speak” to my printer.  I am believing that all is well! 

We also had the demolition of our beautiful bathroom vanity today.  What a shame.  We will not have full use of the bathroom until Wednesday night.  At least the toilet and shower still work.  I will be so happy when it is all behind us.  Not only is it disruptive to our schedule but it is very noisy and causes a lot of dust.  The workers are respectful and about the cleanest crew you would ever want to find.  Unfortunately we have had to use them several times for other situations but we are fortunate that they are so conscientiously tidy.  We had one builder that remodeled our lower level a few years ago who was so messy and haphazard with his equipment that we knew we would never use him again.   Not only was our place a mess, it was actually dangerous.

 

GOD CREATED THE FIRST FAST-FOOD

By Kathleen Martens

April 25, 2016

 

There just seems to be

Something so refreshing

When handling real food

Of God’s bountiful blessings.

 

Food that is real

Not processed or altered

Eaten fresh and alive

Without man to falter.

 

To touch the skin,

A red pepper so smooth,

And inhale its aroma

As it simply sooths.

 

And to feel the touch

Of an avocado’s skin

Before it is cut

To eat what’s within.

 

The bounty God supplies

Is alive and flourishing

So we may partake,

Filling and nourishing.

 

If only others knew

What’s in those boxes and bags

That add on the pounds

And makes the skin sag.

 

For there is no life

In that which one eats

If it is processed to death

Before your tummy it meets.

 

Peel a banana or an orange.

To encourage your mood,

Just like apples or grapes,

God’s original, fast-food.

 

Thank You God for Balsamic Vinegar, especially Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar.

Thank You for oranges.

Thank You for pizza stones.

Thank You for all the things You provide when I don’t really even need them.

Thank You for the Geek Squad.

Thank You for dogs.

Thank You for teaching me new things every day.

Thank You for this day.

Thank You for the book “THE LAMB”

Thank You Lord for a kind heart.

Thank You Lord for the love You lavish over me every day.

Thank You for the green paint on my office walls.

Thank You for the comfortable chair I am sitting in.

Thank You for my office desk.

Thank You for my computer and printer working together.

Thank You Lord for being with me all the time.

Thank You for songs.

Thank You for dirt.

 

GOOD NIGHT FRIENDS.  THANKS TO THOSE WHO SEND ME THEIR COMMENTS.  I ENJOY HEARING WHAT MY READERS SHARE WITH ME. 

GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU!