Farm Girl Pot Luck

I was too lazy to photograph this side dish as it took shape. The finished product was the result of "Hmmmm, maybe I'll add some of this...." Everyone liked it; there were no leftovers.

The original intent was to saute onions to have with some eye of round steak. I thought fried taters would work well with the steak, but then decided to to put the onions in with the potatoes rather than use as topping on the steak. Next came the can of corn that was sitting open on the stove; daughter decided she wanted corn in her ramen that she'd had for lunch, and 9/10ths of the can was left. Here we go:

4 medium potatoes, peeled & sliced
2 medium onion, peeled & sliced
1 can corn, drained
extra virgin olive oil

Heat EVOO in cast iron skillet over med-high heat until very hot.
Add 2 sliced potatoes, season with seasoned salt and pepper, fry until browned and soft.
Remove from pan, add the remaining 2 potatoes. Replenish EVOO as needed.
When potatoes are starting to brown, add onions. Cook until potatoes are brown and onions are tender.
Add corn, saute a few minutes more until corn is hot and a few kernels are scorched. Season to taste.

Remove to serving bowl. Serve with your favorite cut of meat.

Country Quesadillas (Not a GF Recipe)

Quesadillas! The family loves them! Quick & Simple, nutritious with the right ingredients. Today we used:

1 onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
packaged fajita chicken strips
pepper jack cheese
tortillas
olive oil spray
grapeseed oil

Heat grapeseed oil over medium heat. Use just enough to coat your ingredients, maybe 2 T.
Add the sliced onion and pepper.
Saute until done. I prefer browned, with the onions starting to caramelize.
While the veggies are cooking, it's time to steep some tea.
And it's time to decide what to serve on the side. I had some beans in the freezer (remember that muffin cup trick?) so I put a few servings in the double boiler to thaw and heat.
Once veggies are cooked to your liking, toss in a few handfuls of prepared fajita chicken. Of late, we use TJ Farms. Now that the filling is ready, it's time to prep the tortilla. Lightly spray one side and place on hot griddle for just a few minutes until hot and beginning to brown. Spray top side and flip.

Spread flling on half of tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. How much cheese you use is up to you. Keep in mind its calorie-full unless you use the fat free kind.When the underside is browned to your liking, fold in half. Serve hot with beans and a tall glass of iced tea.
Enjoy!!

Farm Girl's Pot of Soup with non-GF Cornbread

Not a complicated recipe; you've probably made something like this yourself.

Ingredients:

1 country style rib
1 medium onion
1/2 t sage
pinch marjoram
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t salt
several dashes pepper
2 ribs celery, sliced lengthwise and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes + 1 can water
several potatoes, peeled, cubed
several carrots, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other cooking oil

How To:

Heat EVOO in a large pot over medium heat.

Cut the country style rib lengthwise, then into small pieces.
Dice the onion. Toss meat and onion into the pot. Add salt and pepper.

Saute until brown and juices stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add 1/2 to 1 cup water and stir to loosen browned juices. Cook down.

Slice the celery ribs lengthwise once or twice, depending on their size, then dice.
Add celery to the pot after juice has cooked down. Simmer for a few minutes.
Once the liquid has cooked down (don't let it fry), add a can of diced tomatoes plus one can water. I happened to have Italian style tomatoes on hand, so that's what went in my pot. Now add the sage, marjoram, and thyme. Simmer about a half hour or so.
Peel potatoes and dice; slice carrots. I prefer baby carrots - more expensive, assuredly, but I can depend on consistent flavor. How disappointing to make a big Pot of Soup only to find that the carrots are bitter or pungent. Not for me!
Add potatoes and carrots to pot. Simmer until done, adding liquid as necessary to just cover veggies.
Seems to me the potatoes usually cook through before the carrots do. If you don't like crisp-tender 'rots, cook them in the pot for a bit before adding the potatoes.

Now! What to serve with? I love a pan of hot, crispy cornbread dripping in butter! Before you take a single step toward making cornbread, turn on the oven! Once the oven's-hot beeper goes off, wait another 10 minutes! Why? The oven's-hot beeper signals that the air temp in the oven in hot. It doesn't mean the walls, floor and ceiling of the oven are hot. For best baking, give the oven plenty of time to heat through! I usually start the oven heating when I start peeling potatoes.

Now, oven's hot, so stick your cast iron skillet inside. Piping hot cast iron is crucial in making cornbread.

I don't have any magical cornbread recipe. I use the directions right off the package of Bob's Red Mill medium grind whole cornmeal.
Once I have all the ingredients mixed, I leave it alone for five minutes. Why? I dunno. Alton Brown said so.

While you're waiting, now is a good time to add oil to your hot cast iron skillet. If you don't have a few tablespoons bacon grease, then olive oil will do.

This is also a good time to clean up the few dishes you've dirtied, along with those that have magically appeared in the sink throughout the day.
Five minutes later, pour that rested batter in to the hot, hot skillet! You can see it sizzle around the edges! Yummers!
By the time the cornbread is ready, the Pot of Soup is ready, too. Take a sample bite of soup and add any additional S&P as desired. Serve up soup and cornbread piping hot!
Got leftovers? If you have a silicone muffin pan, this is excellent for freezing soups and sauces. Mine holds about 1/3 cup per compartment. Spoon the soup into muffin cups and flash freeze. Transfer to freezer bags. Remove portions as needed for quick hot meals later on!