Of all the sandwiches that still taste really good to me as an adult, this is one of them. Egg salad sandwiches are another. And, a simple deli-sliced honey baked ham and cheese sandwich.. golly, I could (and have) eaten that every day for lunch without boredom.
This also pairs really well with flatbread crackers. It's easy to make and a batch of it can make two sandwiches. Strangely, I never thought about making this sandwich from scratch until recently. I like the tang that the pickle brings to the mixture.
Ingredients
6 oz can of chunk light tuna (used Tongol, in water with no salt added)
1 rib celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp organic mayonnaise
one small dill pickle, finely chopped
salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients together and slather on top of toasted wheat bread or crackers. Enjoy.
The only difference between this and the egg salad sandwich is that you omit the tuna for the egg salad sandwich and add instead two hard boiled eggs (unshelled and chopped). Or at least, that's how I make these sandwiches.
Peach Cobbler II
The ingredient ratio for the basic dough recipe (no egg) comes from the Joy of Cooking, and I tried something new by rolling out and using cookie cutters on the biscuit dough. I was making a smaller cobbler batch. This one fills a 1.75 qt round glass baking dish. If you don't have a 2 qt round dish, you could also use an 8" x 8" baking dish.
In my haste, I forgot to add the cinnamon, cornstarch, and sugar to the fruit layer. Since it is peach season in the Pacific Northwest and these peaches are really ripe and sweet, it doesn't matter about the lack of added sugar in this recipe. Sugar is generally added to even out the sweetness of ripened fruit. But yeah, missing the cornstarch is definitely noticeable after the fact.
Biscuit dough:
1 1/2 c. unbleached wheat flour
1/2 c. unbleached cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
less than 3/4 cup heavy cream
Fruit filling:
4 ripe peaches, sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp unbleached cane sugar or brown sugar (optional)
1-2 tbsp cornstarch
1. Mix the fruit, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cornstarch together in a bowl and pour into a clean baking dish.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter until it resembles a crumbly texture. Gradually stir in the heavy cream until the dough just sticks together.
3. Turn out the dough onto parchment paper and cover with another sheet of wax or parchment paper. Roll out to about 1/4" to 1/2" thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. I used heart-shaped cutters for this. Place biscuits on top of peaches.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Before and after baking photos:
In my haste, I forgot to add the cinnamon, cornstarch, and sugar to the fruit layer. Since it is peach season in the Pacific Northwest and these peaches are really ripe and sweet, it doesn't matter about the lack of added sugar in this recipe. Sugar is generally added to even out the sweetness of ripened fruit. But yeah, missing the cornstarch is definitely noticeable after the fact.
Biscuit dough:
1 1/2 c. unbleached wheat flour
1/2 c. unbleached cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
less than 3/4 cup heavy cream
Fruit filling:
4 ripe peaches, sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp unbleached cane sugar or brown sugar (optional)
1-2 tbsp cornstarch
1. Mix the fruit, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cornstarch together in a bowl and pour into a clean baking dish.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter until it resembles a crumbly texture. Gradually stir in the heavy cream until the dough just sticks together.
3. Turn out the dough onto parchment paper and cover with another sheet of wax or parchment paper. Roll out to about 1/4" to 1/2" thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. I used heart-shaped cutters for this. Place biscuits on top of peaches.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Before and after baking photos:
Nut and Cheese Crackers
Ever wonder what marketers were thinking when they advertise a can of whole tomatoes as "wheat free" and "gluten free"? Well, I hope that canned tomatoes don't usually contain flour products because that would just be weird.
Well, unlike traditional crackers, these don't require any flour to make. And, all the salt in the recipe is already in the cheese; so there's no added salt either. It's pretty much two main ingredients coarsely ground together (in a food prep) and maybe a salt-free spice blend added for flavor; not saying that hard cheeses or nuts aren't flavorful enough, but something mild enough to bring the entire recipe together. You know?
Here is the recipe:
1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. asiago cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. spice blend (I used McCormick's no-salt garlic and herb)
scant 1/8 c. water
The directions:
1. In a food prep large enough to accommodate 1 1/2 c., coarsely grind together pumpkin seeds, asiago cheese, and spices. It should look evenly ground but not of flour consistency.
2. Add almost 1/8 c. water and pulse until just combined. Too much water and it won't bake properly.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Empty mixture onto wax or parchment paper (about 8" x 10"), preferably parchment paper since it can go into the oven. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out until the "cracker" is at the desired thickness.
5. I suppose at this point you could a ravioli wheel or pizza cutter to mark the edges of the crackers; but I just break apart the enormous mass (after baking) into bite-sized pieces.
6. Bake on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes or until the enough water has evaporated and the edges are of a golden brown color. Enjoy.
This particular ratio of ingredients comes to about 1,080 calories, because... 1 oz asiago cheese = 100 calories 1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds = 170 calories Other cheeses that work well: Parmesan Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano
Prep and cook time: 15 minutes
Here is the recipe:
1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. asiago cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. spice blend (I used McCormick's no-salt garlic and herb)
scant 1/8 c. water
The directions:
1. In a food prep large enough to accommodate 1 1/2 c., coarsely grind together pumpkin seeds, asiago cheese, and spices. It should look evenly ground but not of flour consistency.
2. Add almost 1/8 c. water and pulse until just combined. Too much water and it won't bake properly.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Empty mixture onto wax or parchment paper (about 8" x 10"), preferably parchment paper since it can go into the oven. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out until the "cracker" is at the desired thickness.
5. I suppose at this point you could a ravioli wheel or pizza cutter to mark the edges of the crackers; but I just break apart the enormous mass (after baking) into bite-sized pieces.
6. Bake on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes or until the enough water has evaporated and the edges are of a golden brown color. Enjoy.
This particular ratio of ingredients comes to about 1,080 calories, because... 1 oz asiago cheese = 100 calories 1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds = 170 calories Other cheeses that work well: Parmesan Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano
Prep and cook time: 15 minutes
Rocky Road Candy
Kudos to wherever I nabbed this recipe from. It is darn simple and a workplace pleaser.
Ingredients:
2 c. dark chocolate
2 c. milk chocolate
1 c. roasted almonds
8 oz. mini marshmallows
Directions:
1. Prepare an 8" x 8" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Using a double boiler method, melt dark and milk chocolate together in a large heat-proof bowl.
3. Remove from heat and let cool (about 10 min). Stir in marshmallows and almonds.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. If you want a more flat surface on top, cover with parchment paper and smooth out the top so that it is even.
5. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Cut into 1" cubes and serve.
This version used E.Guittard chocolate wafers: 61% cacao semi-sweet and 72% cacao bittersweet.
Mmmm, tasty...
Ingredients:
2 c. dark chocolate
2 c. milk chocolate
1 c. roasted almonds
8 oz. mini marshmallows
Directions:
1. Prepare an 8" x 8" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Using a double boiler method, melt dark and milk chocolate together in a large heat-proof bowl.
3. Remove from heat and let cool (about 10 min). Stir in marshmallows and almonds.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. If you want a more flat surface on top, cover with parchment paper and smooth out the top so that it is even.
5. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Cut into 1" cubes and serve.
This version used E.Guittard chocolate wafers: 61% cacao semi-sweet and 72% cacao bittersweet.
Mmmm, tasty...
Review: Gateway Produce
Advertisements about this grocery store suggest that it offers up fresh produce from nearby farms. That is probably true, except for the imported goods that cater to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets. The store also carries expired canned and packaged goods at a very discounted price. It takes some hunting through the boxes to find what you want and a careful look at the actual expiry date.
Overall, prices for the seasonal fruits and vegetables are really decent for low budget consumers. The quality of the produce, however, is not at the top tier level (any regional or national chain supermarket); nor are they likely to be organically raised. But, if you're needing to raise a family or you like to buy local, this is the place to go in Vancouver, WA. Save yourself a lot of money and skip the way overpriced food at farmers' markets.
You'll have to pick through the fruits, at least, for the usual blemishes, mold, and other unsightly things that come from edibles that can't be sold to the mainstream market. Sturdier vegetables and fruits have a lot less handling damage and bruises, but you still have to do your due diligence in putting the right things into your basket.
On a recent visit, here's what I got for $25 (tax incl.):
x3 white corn ears, fresh
4 lbs red seedless grapes
1 lb fresh strawberries
1 lb red beets
1 lb fuji apples
1 lb fresh peaches
fresh ginger root
1 large green cabbage head
1 lb large white mushrooms
x2 green onion bunches
x2 15oz cans - Bush's Beans, original baked beans
x1 28oz can - Bush's Beans, vegetarian baked beans
x1 28oz can - Hunts organic tomatos
x2 12oz cans - organic clam chowder soup
x2 46oz bottles Juicy Juice 100% juice orange-nectarine
x2 boxes - Betty Crocker pound cake mix
Address (view map):
2507 NE Andresen Rd # C
Vancouver, WA 98661-7359
(360) 693-6258
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