We're Back On The Grid

Our power is back on! Or, as they are saying around here, we are "back on the grid."

Many in Louisville are still without power, though, including our church. We had our worship service outdoors this morning, which was very cool.




From conversations this morning, it is clear that this has been a long week for many, and, particularly for those still without electricity, nerves are frayed.

On a brighter note, I have a request to share some grilling recipes, created during our power outage:


Grilled Peaches

Cut fresh peaches in half and pull out the pit. Place peach halves, face down, directly onto hot grill. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove peaches from grill and place face up on serving plate. Drizzle with honey. As good as peach pie, but healthier!


Creole Tinfoil Packets

1 link smoked sausage, halved and sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Cumin
Chili powder

Spray 4 sheets of tinfoil with cooking spray. Portion out sausage, peppers, onions, and beans on the tinfoil sheets. Drizzle each serving with just a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. Wrap edges of foil up and around the food and seal like a package. Place tinfoil packets directly on grill and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. About 4 servings.

Enjoy!

~~~

Recipe Alert: Summer Food

Cookbooks and Commentaries has had a lot of "commentary" over the past year and very little "cookbook." So, to even things out a bit, here are some of my favorite light, fresh summer recipes:

Chicken Kebabs
Makes 8-9 skewers, about 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into large chunks
1 container whole mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
½ red onion, cut into large chunks
1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup Italian dressing
8-9 wooden skewers
Rice

Cut chicken, peppers, and onions. Marinate all ingredients except the pineapple in dressing in a resealable plastic bag 8 hours or overnight. Turn a few times to coat evenly. Soak skewers in water for 15 minutes. Thread food onto skewers, alternating between meat, pineapple and vegetables. Place directly on hot grill (or bake in 375 F oven) for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Serve over white rice or rice pilaf. Also good with flat bread or flour tortillas, with a dollop of Ranch dressing.



Fresh Mexican Salad

4 tomatoes, diced
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 green chili, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
1 avocado, diced
1 mango, diced

Combine first five ingredients. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, oil, and salt. Pour over salad. Serve with avocado and mango on the side (they are too mushy to stir into the salad).



Green Beans and Carrots with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Fresh green beans, washed and cut into ½ inch lengths
Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 T. raspberry vinegar
dash of each salt and pepper

Combine prepared beans and carrots. Toss with combined oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Adjust the amounts for the dressing ingredients to suit the amount of vegetables you prepare.



Turkish Salatasi

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ small red onion, chopped
2/3 cup fresh parsley, snipped

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt

Toss salad ingredients with combined dressing. Enjoy!

Recipe Alert: Beef 'N Potato Bake

Our blog name isn't really about the content of our blog. It's a reference to the composition of our family bookshelves: Ken's commentaries and Kim's cookbooks. It means that this blog is a little bit Kim and a little bit Ken.

I do want to post a recipe today, though. Two weeks ago we shared a delicious potluck lunch with our Adult Bible Fellowship group at church. I brought an old family favorite, Beef 'N Potato Bake. Several families said they liked it and wanted the recipe, so this one's for my ABF friends:

Beef 'N Potato Bake

4 cups Southern Style frozen
hash brown potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 packet powdered Brown Gravy Mix
1 cup water
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 10 oz. pkg frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, lima beans, carrots, corn, peas)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can French’s Fried Onions


Heat oven to 400 F. In a 9 x 13 in. baking dish, combine potatoes, oil and pepper. Press mixture across bottom of pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 F. for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in skillet, brown beef and drain fat. Stir in gravy mix, water and garlic salt; bring to a boil. Add mixed vegetables. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Stir in ½ cup cheese and ½ can fried onions. Spoon over baked hash browns. (The casserole can easily be covered and frozen at this point and baked at a later date.) Bake, uncovered, at 350 F. for 15 minutes (30 minutes if frozen). Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake 5 minutes longer. Makes 6 generous servings.



I make this one so often I could probably do it in my sleep. We had it yesterday, in fact, and finished the leftovers tonight. We had this a lot growing up, so it's a comfort food for me. Hope you like it!