Date and Walnut Bites

 I'm so glad I've finally... got some cooking mojo back.   This week on Sunday Funday, we're sharing appetizer ideas for Thanksgiving.  As per Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures she suggested we do some Thanksgiving Appetizers.  And here is my offering,  Date and Walnut Bites. Best of all, not only are they easy to make and not too filling, but they also do not require any oven time. Just assemble and eat.   😜  

When I first saw our subject for this week, my mind went to the Thanksgivings I attended at my in-laws.    My mother-in-law used to make a cheese dip consisting of Velveeta, a can of green chiles, and some milk.  Serving it with a bowl of tortilla chips, and my husband and his brothers would basically inhale it before the main meal.   After moving away, I decided to make the same cheese dip for my husband and found out he really didn't want it; he said he didn't really care for it, even though I had watched him enjoy it just as much as his brothers did.   In other words, scarfing it down, uninhibitedly.  It wasn't until years later (OK, this year) that I realized she probably made the cheese dip so the boys (4 of them) would stay out of her hair while she finished the prep for the main meal.   And it didn't hurt that it took the edge off their appetites either. 

So, now that you've been totally bored — maybe with a family story, cause let's face it, Thanksgiving isn't just food, it's also time for family stories.   

I've been having a lot of fun with these Sunday Funday themes. I get to try to make new foods and exercise my brain again.   I tried these Date and Walnut bites a long time ago, somewhere, and I thought they were good, and I think they are a perfect light starter. 

I wanted to share this recipe. I can't remember the first time I had it, but it stuck with me.  And I think it's a perfect Thanksgiving appetizer, too.  Cause let's face it, you just want a bit of tease, enough to take the edge off before eating a nap-inducing meal like turkey.   

I like to set the cream cheese out for a little while, to soften enough so I can mix it up before I pipe it into the dates.  This is also a fun thing for the kiddos to do, if you're up to it.  No sharp knives, no cooking, just fill and eat.  Serve on a pretty plate and sprinkle with a little rosemary before serving. 

  

 

Walnut and Date Bites

Yield: 8-10

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

These are a perfect little bite to start off the Thanksgiving meal. Light and moresome.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary + 1/4 teaspoon for sprinkling
• pitted dates
• Walnuts

Instructions

1. Beat the cream cheese, cream, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary together until smooth. Place in a piping bag with a star tip.
2. Pipe a small amount of cream cheese into half a pitted date, then top with a piece of walnut. Place into the fridge to firm up for an hour or so.
3. Serve on a pretty plate, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of rosemary.

 

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

 

                Take a look at the fun stuff the other Sunday Funday Bloggers came up with.

This week’s Sunday Funday is hosted by Amy by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Sunday Funday

Thanksgiving Appetizers

• Baby Corn Rumaki by Palatable Pastime
• Baked Brie with Dried Cranberries, Apples, and Walnuts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Charcuterie Bites Pumpkin Centerpiece by Our Good Life
• Cranberry-Chevre Twice Baked Potato Skins by Culinary Cam
• Creamy Duck Liver Mousse by Food Lust People Love
• Date and Walnut Bites by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Membrillo - Quince Paste with Manchego Cheese by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mini Bread Cornucopia by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Mixed Vegetable Sliders by Sneha's Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore

 My mom used to make a dish from time to time; it was basically a spaghetti Bolognese sauce with chicken in it.  I loved it, cause the chicken was falling off the bone and had this unctuous, luscious feel to it.     

I was in a supermarket yesterday, and for some reason, my mind went to making a spaghetti sauce, but I didn't want to buy any ground beef, and honestly, I never even thought of maybe making it with ground turkey or ground pork.  I'd pretty much decided to just make it with the tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms, and then I got the bright idea, I could add some chicken wings to the sauce.   I had googled what it is called when you have canned tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and chicken cooked together.  The answer was a chicken cacciatore, aka chicken stew or hunter's stew.  I'd already had the can of tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and garlic simmering on the stove, so I defrosted a package of chicken wings, threw them into the toaster oven, and browned them for a while, and then added them to the simmering tomato sauce, then read the original recipe and it called for some peppers and celery, so I grabbed a package of peppers, onions, mushrooms and celery out of the freezer.  (I'd frozen them for future dishes, like my Grilled Cheese, Extraordinary.)   They're also good for omelettes, soup, or stew.  And I think they added a nice touch to this dish.  I also had a few cherry tomatoes that needed to be eaten, so they got chopped up as well.  And not to be outdone, I added some chicken stock for some extra unctuousness.     I let it simmer on top of the stove for an hour and then put it into a Dutch oven, and let it cook for another couple of hours in the oven.  I think this would be a great dish in a crockpot as well.   But I don't have one, so it is what it is.  

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Yield: 2-4

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 10 M

This rich tomato sauce honors the best of chicken and tomatoes. There is no added salt in this recipe. You can add some if you like. But no more than a half teaspoon.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes - 16 oz. size
• 1 small can of tomato paste - 6 ounces
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bell pepper - diced
• 1 stalk celery - diced
• 1/2-1 cup chicken stock - optional
• 4-6 whole chicken wings, drumsticks, or thighs - browned in the oven or some fat.
• 1-2 tablespoons butter for sauteeing the veggies

Instructions

1. Sauté the vegetables in butter with Italian seasoning until softened, then add the tomatoes and browned chicken.
2. Add the chicken stock if desired, along with another 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
3. Let cook in the oven for 1-2 hours or in a crockpot for 6-8 hours. The meat will be tender, falling off the bone. Dark meat or wings are best for this dish as they can handle the long cook time.
4. Serve with your choice of starch, such as pasta, rice, or potatoes.

Estimate only

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on Instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

Sweet Potato Sushi

Did you know it's National Sweet Potato Month? Yup, me neither.   

I'm a member of a group called Sunday Funday.   And the theme this week was Sweet Potatoes, since November is Sweet Potato Month.   Wendy of Adayinthelifeonthefarm is our hostess this week and suggested we make some Sweet Potato recipes to share.    I decided I was making Sushi,

and then couldn't find my bamboo rolling mat, (I packed it up, prior to moving and it's probably in a bin or tote I haven't unpacked yet) I wasn't about to let that stop me however. 

The Sunday Funday

group post on every Sunday according to a theme, I've been participating lately and it's been fun coming up with ideas for food.  I took a little hiatus from cooking after my husband died, but I'm back...

 As I said, it's Sweet Potato Month, and I have ideas for how to enjoy these little orange bombshells of flavour and goodness.  Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm betting a lot of people will be making their sweet potatoes into a casserole topped with Marshmallows. Personally, I love it, but I'm trying to eat less processed foods these days. I do love a baked sweet potato with lots of butter on top, and don't get me started on Sweet Potato Fries. They're a guilty pleasure; I enjoy them all too often. I've done a lot of different things with sweet potatoes over the years, apart from casseroles and fries, I've included them in roasted vegetables, soups, stews, cakes, bundt cakes, and layered cakes as well as fritters.  I've even used them in tortillas.    This time round, I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I thought of making some Sweet Potato Tempura, but...   Many years ago, I'd met a chef during our full-time RV'ing days who made these one day for the campground.    But I wanted to go further —I like to play with my food —but I really didn't want to fry anything, so I googled ideas.  Lots and lots of ideas.  

It just so happens I have not only sweet potatoes on hand, but also had some small cucumbers, (the avocado's I'd planned on using, got a little too ripe to use) and one of the ideas I came up with was Sushi.  Personally, I don't like raw fish unless it's pickled herring, but I do like a California roll as an alternative to raw-fish sushi.   I think that it  would be amazing made with real crab, but honestly, I also like imitation crab, not as much, but it's still good.  I did get really spoiled this summer with fresh Dungeness Crab, courtesy of my nephew, who supplied the family with plenty.   I even made my award-winning crab cakes for the family one day.   So where am I going with this? well...  

I know, I rambled and then went down a couple of rabbit holes, but I'm good now.   I found my way out again...

I washed, peeled, and cut the sweet potato into batons —think fat French fry size —then simmered them in a little salted water for 10 minutes, just until fork-tender. 

  I did this while the sushi rice was cooking.  

When the rice has cooked, put it into a large shallow bowl to cool a bit before you pour the rice vinegar mixture over it.   

I like my sushi rice quite highly flavored but you do you.    I also had some cream cheese I'd bought to use in another recipe, and since the avocado's did their "whole, I'm ripening, getting there, I'm ripe now and you need to use me in the next 3  1/2 minutes or it's too late" , and it was too late.  

I managed to get 4 big sushi rolls out of this recipe,

and cut each one up into 7 good-sized rounds.   I didn't have any wasabi, and cannot stand the taste of those nasty little tubes they sell in the store, I like to mix it up fresh each time using a wasabi powder I buy at a local-ish oriental store.  I also did a quick pickle on some ginger so I could at least have a little flavor with the sushi.  I made a dipping sauce of soy sauce and a little sesame oil, and poured it over top, since I couldn't find my dipping dishes. 

Just in case you're curious, it was dead easy to make the quick ginger pickle.   My mother would have eaten half the jar by now, just sayin...

Peel some fresh ginger; I had a small handful's worth, about 100 grams.  I then sliced it as thin as I could with my vegetable peeler and also a small, sharp knife.  Put the peeled, sliced ginger into a jar and mix up a half cup of boiling water, a half cup of Rice Vinegar, and a good teaspoon of honey together.  Poured the vinegar mixture over the ginger and put it in the fridge.   By the time I got the sushi made, the ginger had pickled nicely.  Best part, I've got lots of ginger left.  I'm thinking it would make a fabulous addition to some Chinese food or tea.  Or I can just eat the ginger, as is.  

 Can I just say I had a good dinner!  

Check out some of the great dishes my fellow Sunday Funday bloggers came up with.  You can see them at the end of this post, after the recipe card.  

 

Sweet Potato Sushi

Yield: 4-6

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

A fun way to enjoy Sweet Potatoes during Sweet Potato Month

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Sushi Rice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 sweet potato, cut into batons and cooked to fork-tender
• 2-ounce cream cheese
• 4 sheets Nori (dried Seaweed)
• 1 small Cucumber cut into matchstick sizes
• Prepare Sushi rice and place it into a wide shallow bowl to cool. Prepare the rice wine vinegar, with the sugar, and pour over the cooled, cooked rice and mix well.
• Using damp hands, spread one quarter of the cooked, prepared rice evenly over a sheet of Nori, rinsing hands as needed, and pat into place. Add a sweet potato baton, a slice of cream cheese, and the cucumber, and roll up tightly in a piece of plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to cool.
• When cool and set, bring out and slice into medallions using a sharp knife.
• Serve with dipping sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

Instructions

Dipping sauce

1. 1/4 cup soy sauce
2. 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
3. 1 tsp. brine from pickled ginger.
4. Mix well and serve alongside the sushi.

Estimate only

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Beef and Sweet Potato Stir Fry 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili 
• Food Lust People Love: Miso Honey Roasted Hasselback Sweet Potatoes 
• Culinary Cam: Spiced Sweet Potato-Red Lentil Stew 
• Sneha's Recipe: Sweet Potato Patties 
• Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking: Sweet Potato Sushi

Drying Rosemary

 I was all set to bypass this week's Sunday Funday until inspiration hit.  The theme this week is Hunter/Gatherer, and it's hosted by Stacy Livingston Rushton of Food Lust People Love. We're to blog about something hunted or foraged.   

Well, I don't know anyone who hunts anymore, but I do love my venison, even if I haven't had any for years.  I didn't have any favorite parts, but I was always happy to accept whatever my former neighbor and good friend was willing to share.    My FIL would also share some of his hunting bounty with me.  And I love it all.  

I decided to become a forager for this challenge.  I went foraging in my garden, or rather, what's left of it.   I do have a rosemary plant out there that needs pruning.  

As I said, I have a rosemary plant that survived my absence this summer, so I decided to pick some and dry it to use in future dishes.  So I did.  I also wanted to shape the bush a little, and hopefully train it better for the spring.    

This is foraging, right?  Even if it's in your own front yard.     I also found out the rosemary was growing very nicely.   

I love the resinous scent of rosemary, and the flavour is amazing as well.   I've used it in many dishes over the years.  

I have a good friend who is teaching me how to forage; in fact, she shared how tasty Spiderwort blossoms are, and I used some to top this soup a few years back.   

 

I washed and dried the leaves, chopped them up very fine, and then used the dehydrating feature on my Nuwave toaster oven to dry them further.   I'll use them for seasoning when I want a hit of rosemary in a baked or cooked dish. I'll also process them further once I find the coffee/spice grinder I packed, since I know it's somewhere in the bins I haven't unpacked yet.  😜

  And those woody stems, well, they'll be used as skewers or chucked into a stew for extra flavoring.  

And before I forget, this is a Sunday Funday post.  

You can see what my fellow bloggers foraged and hunted here: 

• Chili Cheeseburgers with Bison Chili from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Dried Rosemary from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Momiji Tempura from Culinary Cam
• Pork Korma from Sneha's Recipe
• Roast Pheasant Crowns from Food Lust People Love
• Urban Foraged Stovetop Potpourri from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Venison Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Breakfast spaetzle

 A few years back, I was part of a blogging group called the Secret Recipe Club.  We were a pretty big group, and were divided into several groups, and each month were assigned a blog to make a recipe from, and post about it at a certain 'REVEAL' time.  Well, I had a lot of fun doing it, and one month I found a recipe on Sarah's Kitchen, well, it was more of a how to, but I glommed onto it and posted about Breakfast Spaghetti.   

So last week I posted about how to make Spaetzle, and guess what I have in the freezer right now?  Yup, lots of Spaetzle.   I need to make some dinner, but I couldn't think of anything that sounded really good, but I did have bacon, eggs, and lots of Spaetzle.  So I put my thinking cap on, or let my hunger decide what dinner was going to be, and here it is.  Breakfast Spaetzle. 

Well, it should probably be renamed cause I made it for dinner.  I honestly don't think it cares what it's called, cause I call it delicious.  

I cooked the bacon first, set it aside while I thawed the spaetzle and scrambled the eggs in a separate pan.  I then added the thawed spaetzle to the pan I'd cooked the bacon in, and warmed them through with the little bit of bacon fat in the pan.  Then I put it onto a plate, took a couple pictures and then devoured it.  

I have some more bacon and spaetzle in the freezer and can see this dish making an appearance again.   Maybe next time I'll make an Æggekage.     Which is basically a baked omelette.  

And now I have all kinds of ideas on how to use these little nuggets of deliciousness.  My waistline may not approve, but I do. 😘