And God said let there be . . . .

Okay so I don't even remotely connect myself with the big YHWH but there is just something in creating out of seeming nothing that is so so satisfying.  Making dinner.  Something yummy and belly filling and salivation inducing out of mere ingredients that makes me feel superhuman at times.  AND MOM SAID LET THERE BE DINNER AND IT WAS GOOD!!!! 

okay down off the cloud now.  but really it's like that at times.  Only with LOUD music, wine and YES blood, sweat and sometimes tears.  Dinner doesn't just pop out of my ass (though nights I really would like that - okay maybe not the ass part unless it lifted and liposuction and de-stretch marked a bit) it's work folks!  Thank YHWH that I'm not a 40 hrs plus a week mom!  Okay so my work is sporadic and only nights and weekends, but feeding is feeding.  It's gotta happen unless you are pulling the super lazy night and doing the frozen pizza deal.  So tonight was CREATION!!!  I started with a bit of an inspiration and did the improvisational JAZZ all over it. 

Tonight's menu was as follows:
Jazz casserole - that's lame how about Miles Meat? -

1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped onion
1 bulb garlic chopped (ie 10 cloves - yeah a lot)
1 huge splash of evoo
brown that all nicely and remove
1lb ground turkey or beef (I did turkey)
brown in the pan that had the veg
remove to a casserole dish where you put half the meat and half the veg
make a roux in the pan with 1/2 stick butter (you could do evoo) a sprinkle of flour whisk like mad and 1 cup HOT milk.  when this thickens - add on top of the meat and veg casserole dish. 
Add some cheese
then other half of meat and other half of veg and then top with cheese.  Nuke for 3 minutes to melt cheese.

Crazy zucchini and chili sauce

take a green zucchini and veggie peeler and make peeling strips into a pan - do the whole freakin thing.  Chop some mushrooms, celery, onion peppers - whatever you have into this pan with a bit of oil.  steam, cook fry away - when it's about 10 minutes into it dump sweet spring roll chili sauce (about a cup) into the pan and cook for at least 10 more minutes.  Serve with casserole above!  It really was good.

Stuffed acorn squash

8 oz mushrooms chopped
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 smashed garlic cloves
1 cup celery
dash of salt and pepper
fry up in a bit of evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

1/2 cup of white rice (cook in a cup of water if you don't have any already cooked)

in the mean time take an acorn squash and stab it with a knife - yes cruel but necessary.  Nuke for at least 6 minutes.
when mushrooms are done split squash and scoop seeds out.  mix up mushrooms mix and rice and 1 cup parm.  Put half squash into casserole dish and fill with mix - NO IT WON"T FIT - so let it spill out and over.  Top with red pepper flakes and more parm and Nuke for about 5 minutes. 

Enjoy.  This is one meal that uses the microwave a lot.  While I don't really like it - it allows me to do dishes before dinner - thus saving the after math.  Just try it - experiment - though mere men can't taste the nectar of the gods you never know what you can do!  Maybe the stars will align and it will all be good.  Enjoy!