Thank God it's almost Thursday!!

Happy almost THURSDAY! I love Thursdays...Guess why? 'Cause it's soo close to Friday....which is sooooo close to Saturday...which is....my favorite day of the week....which is also the day of the week I was born...which could be the reason I like vegetating so much....as you can see I'm in a very "whichy" mood...

While I work on my next recipe for my blog....here are some more pics of food we enjoyed last weekend.

Last Friday's Dinner

 Steamed French Green Beans with Organic Butter

Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Leg of Lamb

 

 

Withering Flowers on my table...still beautiful...

Saturday's Dinner

 Spanakopita

Spinach and Cheese in Phyllo Dough

 ...and no, I didn't make it...if I could, I would probably have my own cooking show..:-)

These are great All Natural appetizers which you can purchase at BJ'S...or Costco...

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

Seasoned with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper

 ...quick and delicious

Simple salad with CWR'S Versatile Salad Dressing

Click here for this recipe...



Caramelized Vidalia Onions with Peppers and Mushrooms

[pic of Grilled Steak missing...:-( ]

CWR's Succulent Oven BBQ Ribs

Click here for this recipe...

These are really delicious...you don't know what you are missing!!! 



Veggie Jasmin Fried Rice with Left over Turkey...



Now on to my bread story....Please tell me you have at least tried my bread recipe!!..I worked so hard on it and it is sooo good!! Please try it..please....If you have..or haven't, here is a variation.....

I made my bread recipe two times over the Thanksgiving weekend...and doubled the recipe each time....While making it, I had an AHA moment...a butter, cinnamon, sugar moment to be precise...before rolling it up, I added a generous amount of cinnamon and sugar and added dots of butter (and you could probably add dark raisins too)......

Fast forward two hours...I left my husband in charge of taking it out of the oven...this was about midnight last Wednesday....the first thing he did on Thursday morning was apologize for eating half of the cinnamon loaf...and then he proceeded to eat the other half....and then I made it again...and among 5 kids it almost finished in less than 5 mins! I literally had to hide a piece for the hubby! It disappeared like hot bread!!!  [......oh, it IS hot bread....sorry..]

If this loaf looks kinda flat, it's because one of the five kids in the house at the time poked it (after it had risen so nicely for a second time which I was so proud and happy about)...and soon after I lectured them not to come near the dough...or touch it...or even look at it...Next time I am keeping my mouth shut...or maybe I should use reverse psychology and tell them to poke it....hmmmm..

Hope you have gotten a meal idea or two from this post,
Until next time,

[Which hopefully will be soon....]

Ria

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My day after Thanksgiving turkey sandwich.....

My attempt to take advantage of the "Black Friday" sale was very successful..This is probably the first year I started my Christmas shopping this early...I bought one gift for my hubbie, one for a friend, and about ten for me..as I said very successful....So successful, my hubbie had to meet me at the mall to help me carry my bags to my car........

After all that exercising (walking is exercising, isn't it?)..I was famished, so I came home and treated myself to a delicious turkey sandwich.....I had lots of plans for this sandwich...like also adding mayo, some left over gravy over the turkey, crisp bacon and swiss cheese and smothering it with butter and grilling it until the cheese melted...and begged for mercy....but I was hungry..and desperate times call for desperate measures...and the "measure" here was simplicity..minimalism..and the combination of simple ingredients hit the spot...

I sliced the homemade bread, retrieved the turkey slices I had "secured" on Thanksgiving after I carved the turkey...[as I said I had lots of plans!]....and assembled the other ingredients.....

Then I smothered the bread with butter....

and added a generous serving of left over, homemade cranberry relish..

added turkey, some(OK A LOT of) hot sauce I made with habaneros a day earlier....

I like it really, really hot, baby!!!!!![note to self--calm down Ria..]

then some baby arugula to make it "healthy"....notice that everything is in moderation...because I felt soooooo guilty from the gluttony the day before.....on a normal day I would "double up" everything....except the green stuff.....

I loved it! Sweet, Tangy, Spicy, Delicious....!!!

How do you make your day after Thanksgiving sandwich????

Thanks for stopping by,
Assembling with love...and hunger,
Ria

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More Thanksgiving pictures.....and a "thank you"......

It's 2:02 AM...day after our humble feast...no, several hours after....Words really aren't necessary on this post..even if I wanted to share the details of my day, it's not even possible....You know why(hint--the "T" word).

All I'll say is thank you. Thank you for being part of my life, for visiting my blog, for listening to my ramblings, for trying my recipes, for your comments and messages, for coming back again and again. I appreciate you. I appreciate you so much I am writing this post for you.....instead of sleeping.

Hope you had a wonderful day. I did. It was a very quiet and serene evening with my husband and kids, my sister and her family, my Uncle and his family and my cousin(the Canadians), no full house, no twenty dishes... a Thanksgiving unlike any other Thanksgiving I have ever celebrated....I needed the break...We all need a break sometimes, right?....:-)

Here are a few additional pictures.....

Buttermilk Corn Bread

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries.....

 Trinidad-style Pepper Shrimps.....

Zee TURKEY which was baked in an oven bag....
Dessert.....Bread Pudding

I would love to post the recipes for these dishes for you...and I will...eventually...as soon as time permits.

With love, thanks and appreciation,
Ria

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Early Thanksgiving Dinner....

I am sure you would agree that this year went by too quickly. I wasn't ready for Thanksgiving and I'm not all that motivated to cook twenty dishes again this year....I haven't been myself...I am probably very ill. By this time every year, I would have already released my page-long Thanksgiving menu.So unlike Cooking with Ria!

[Actual menu from last year]

I phoned the "Canadians"...my family who has been making the annual trip for over a decade, to enjoy my food and company--I think, to attempt to convey the message that I am not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. My Uncle accused me of trying to cancel his "Christmas"(too funny)..........and took me on a guilt trip, the length of the Great Wall of China....which forced me to end the conversation with, "see you guys soon". Yes, Aye Caramba is right..For the love of family!! :-)

Immediately after that call, I had an immense "craving" for turkey , a behavior which probably had a correlation to "emotional eating". I assured and reassured my concerned husband that I am not "with child", I just had to have some turkey with all the sides and trimmings to accompany it--ASAP...I drafted a menu which included a few new recipes and a few new ingredients--because I love a challenge, invited some great folks to come critique my cooking, went to the supermarket and prepared the meal below in four hours and for about $200......and so my early Thanksgiving Dinner came to fruition...

As you can see, I only craved a "few" things...

Cornbread Stuffing

Made with veggies, home-made buttermilk cornbread, home-made chicken stock and freshly made breadcrumbs.

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower drizzled with a cheesy bechamel, topped with more gruyere and homemade breadcrumbs.

Corn Casserole

Made with delicious whole and cream style corn.

Citrus Cranberry Sauce

Made with fresh cranberries and flavored with freshly squeezed orange juice and a hint of cinnamon. 

Maple Glazed Carrots

Thinly sliced carrots coated with a glaze of maple syrup, fresh orange juice and spices.

Carrot Rice
The rice that disappeared before the night was over..
Find this recipe here.


Potato and Celery Root Gratin

with Leeks and Gruyere
Awesome dish. I used celery root, leeks and gruyere for the first time..
I will definitely make again for a special occasion.

Candied Yams

This is an absolutely comforting and easy dish to make.

A great accompaniment to any Thanksgiving dinner.

 

and for dessert....

Cranberry Spiced Cake

with a Lemon Drizzle
Made with fresh cranberries, orange and lemon zests and spices.

Upside Down Pear Cake

An elegant twist on the pineapple classic.
Another new recipe I tried. Delicious.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Very labor-intensive but a favorite amongst the kids.
The crust was made with home-made gingersnap cookies.

I love desserts.....DON'T YOU?

FOOD, FAMILY/FRIENDS & FUN...that's what it's all about....hope you are now motivated to get into the kitchen and cook with LOVE this THANKSGIVING.....and hopefully, I will be ready again when the day comes!............Coming to think of it, my Uncle did mention that he was going to do all the cooking......hmmmmm...will keep you posted...

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and A Thanksgiving Message pour toi.......

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire....

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something....

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times...

during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations...

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge...

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes...

they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary...

because it means you've made a difference. 

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

 A life of rich fulfilment comes to those who are..

...also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles..

...and they can become your blessings

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider,

whose guidance and care go before us...

...and whose love is with us forever.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes,

to remember that we, too, grow and change...

....from one season of life to another.

Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

As we see the beauty of Autumn,

 let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...

Let us think of our families and friends..

and let us give thanks in our hearts.

 -Author Unknown

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Friends!!

Best Wishes and Fabulous Dishes,

Ria

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Gulgula-Banana Fritters

Two Saturdays ago, my kids' guitar tutor came home for their usual Saturday instruction. I love having a dessert, snack or sandwich to offer him....and realized I had nothing for the sweet, old guy with the patience of a Saint. Saturday is also the day I work on a recipe for my blog and prepare several meals for a few days, especially now that I am in school. That particular day I was overwhelmed making soup--because it was a cold, snowy day--along with stewed chicken, stewed lentils, curried chicken with eggplant(baigan) and chickpeas(channa).

I looked around my kitchen frantically, pots bubbling away on the stove, every counter in my kitchen in chaos, no bread, no left over bake and buljol from breakfast, no left over cake…and then I saw them..three very ripe bananas…….ok, I’ll be honest….they looked black and would be considered downright rotten by many folks….but as the saying goes, "it ain’t over till the fat lady sings"…..[I don’t know what that has to do with anything on this post, but it sounds good right about now…]



Let me go off on a tangent and tell you a little story about me and bananas…other than the fact that I am bananas…..I love bananas. I can’t live without 'em…My husbands suspects that I’m a monkey 'cause he finds my bananas everywhere….and sometimes not in the same “specie”…I have been known to leave bananas in the shoe closet…in my car, on my desk and in my desk at home and work, in the refrigerator just in case I want to make this recipe, in the freezer for smoothies, in my work bag, on the kitchen counter…they say don’t leave home without your credit card, I don’t leave home without a banana or two….

Back to the story about Bob, the guitar instructor… So I had three black bananas, flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon…perfect..In a matter of minutes, I made "gulgula" for him...and he "gubbled it down" quickly...Mission accomplished. Crisis averted...The remainder mysteriously disappeared from the counter in seconds. Strangely, one “little” person in my household didn’t have an appetite for lunch….

Don’t ask me how the name "gulgula" was derived or what it means, that’s what we refer to it in Trinidad…From the name, it's definitely one of those simpler sweet treats inherited from the Indian Immigrants, our ancestors, who came to Trinidad as Indentured laborers to work on the sugar cane plantations. If you like reading about history, click here for more information on the history of the East Indian immigrants in Trinidad.

Gulgula-Banana fritters

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup brown sugar

Pinch cinnamon

Oil for frying

These bananas could be riper...darker...hence sweeter...

What's the missing ingredient below??

This is more like how it should look, even darker would work fine! Don't throw away those ugly looking bananas! Only waited 10 days for these to darken to take this pic, when it usually darkens within a day or two...unbelievable!

Mash bananas using fork or your hands…

Don't mash too fine if you like seeing banana chunks in your gulgula....

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt and ground cinnamon.

NB: My 7-year old, who usually gets to critique my posts before posting, wants me to tell you that there are no ghosts hiding in the upper right corner of the picture below....

hello????[kids say the darndest things!] I apologise for the apparently bad pic..

Add bananas to dry ingredients and combine until smooth. 

  If the bananas are ripe enough you will need no liquid. If by rare chance the mixture seems dry, add water or milk 1 tablespoon at time until it has the right consistency.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a small, narrow frying pan over medium heat.

Using two spoons, trying creating a small ball by moving the batter back and forth between spoons--in a 'scooping up" motion.
 

Working in batches, carefully drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the hot oil.

Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes per batch.
If you use a lot of oil they usually flip over by themselves.  

Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon. 

Let rest a minute or two before serving. 

Warning: this recipe makes about 20. Don’t eat them all at once. 

Crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside...with loads of irresistible banana flavor. I know you will love these gulgulas!

Happy Eating!

Ria

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