STORMY LABOR DAY HOLIDAY - SAUSAGE AND BARLEY

Hanna is on the way here and the clouds and feeder bands are already making themselves

visible. The Labor Day holiday will be better for staying inside. We were missed by Gustav but this storm has us in her sights, so the week ahead

will be dark and wet.

Here is an easy one dish recipe of feel good food.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & BARLEY


SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE - 1 lb. ( 4)
Barley – ½ cup
Spanish Onion, medium - 2 – sliced into 1/3 “ pieces.
Garlic powder – granulated 1 TBL
Capers – 2 doz.
Olive oil 2 TBL
Fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt


Cook barley in boiling water with a couple pinches of salt.& the granulated garlic.

Brown the hot/spicy Italian sausage in a large pan at medium heat in olive oil.
Cut each sausage into 4 or 5 pieces.

When the sausage is brown toss in the onions and stir. cook at medium until the onions get shiny.

Add the barley. Stir again and add the capers. Cook at low heat , covered for a couple of minutes.

GREAT IN BEWTEEN STORMS FETTUCCINE-SHRIMP SALAD

Calm seas and hazy skies. The warm ocean water
could feed a hurricane but right now we are in between GUSTAV to the south and HANNA to the east. It great at the beach while you keep an eye on the weather map.

Here is a quick east salad to enjoy.

FETTUCCINE & SHRIMP SALAD

4 servings

Fettuccine, ½ lb. - broken in half
Shrimp – ¾ lb. – 50 count, peeled
Coleslaw mix - ¾ lb.
Scallions – 4 – chopped
Cilantro, fresh – big handful, chopped
Asiago cheese – fresh grated
Black pepper – fresh ground – 1 tsp
Kosher Salt


Garlic / Ginger dressing

Olive oil – 1 oz.
Red wine vinegar – 1 oz.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce – 1 tsp
Chili Stuff Mumbo Gumbo mix – 1 tsp
Garlic – 3 cloves – minced
Ginger, ground – 1 TBL

Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water about 9 minutes or until al dente. Let is cool.
Saute’ the shrimp in olive oil until they turn pink.

Combine the fettuccine, shrimp and coleslaw mix with the scallion and cilantro.
Chill in a refrigerator.

Mix the dressing ingredients in a blender.

Drizzle the salad servings with ginger garlic dressing. Sprinkle the tops with grated cheese and black pepper.

Serve with a crisp chilled wine and fresh crusty bread.

PERFECT SUMMER AT THE BEACH - BARLEY SALAD

The green flags are hoisted and the ocean is beautiful and calm. "Gustav" is blowing big storm seas south of Cuba and heading for the gulf. We are left in the clear this time so enjoy the good days while you can. Here is a beach trim salad that is quick to fix.

BARLEY SALAD

Submitted by Anne Gage
Palm Springs, CA

Quick, simple - great as a dish for two, or a side for four.

Barley – 1 to 2 cups - cooked
Walnuts – 2 cups, broken
Lemon juice – 2 TBL
Lemon zest – 2 tsp
Garlic -1 tsp
Chili Stuff Chili Mix – 1 TBL
Italian parsley – 1 hand full, chopped
Kosher salt – to taste (about a pinch)
Black pepper - 1 tsp., fresh ground
Salsa – 2 oz.
Asiago cheese, fresh gated – 1 TBL


Cook the barley for about 30 minutes in boiling water with a little salt until tender. Drain and cool.

Use a large bowl. Mix the barley, walnuts and parsley together.
Drizzle in the lemon juice and mix with the zest and chili mix.
Fold in the salsa and add the salt & pepper
Let it all rest in a refer until all of it is comfortably chilled.

Sprinkle on a good amount of asiago onto each serving.

SUNNSHINE WEEKEND - MIXED GREEN SALAD

The easy breezes are finally back frim the east and keeps all the dark clouds over the everglades.

The yellow flags are waving but the ocean is about perfect for all. It is flat and easy for

swimming north or south.

Here is a great summer salad that is fast and simple.

MIXED SALAD WITH TUNA

Romaine leaves, about 6, torn into 1” pieces
Baby Spinach leaves, remove stems – two good handfuls.
Celery – two stalks, chopped
Albacore Tuna in water, solid – drained and broken
Fresh Bosc pear, unpeeled – chopped
Pecans – broken – 1 cup
Green pepper – ½ - chopped
Kosher salt – 1 tsp
Black pepper - fresh ground - 1 tsp

Italian dressing

Use a large bowl. Mix the romaine and spinach with the chopped celery. Blend in the tuna & Pear & pecans & green pepper. Mix evenly with the black pepper and salt. Drizzle Italian dressing over all and serve with fresh crusty bread.

AUGUST SUN IN HOLLYWOOD -Linguini & Arugala

All the rains and clouds of FAY have blown north and left south florida basking in sunshine again.
The day is just the way a summer day should be with 85 degree ocean water and about the same in the air. After a full day at the beach here is a quick and healthy taste treat that will give you plenty of energy for a night of fun.


LINGUINI & ARUGALA
For 2

Linguini , #13 – ½ pound
Arugala, fresh – 1 bunch (about 10 leaves) – torn in half
Capers – 1 TBL
Plum tomato, 1 fresh - chopped
Olive oil – 2 TBL
Kosher Salt – 2 TBL
Fresh ground Black pepper, 1 tsp
Lemon juice from 1 lemon.
Asiago cheese , fresh grated


In a good size pot with 2 TBL of kosher salt, boil the linguini for about 9 minutes to
al dente. Drain and put into a pan at medium with the olive oil.

Mix in the arugala leaves, the capers and tomato. Sprinkle with the black pepper and drizzle in the lemon juice. The heat within the pasta should make everything right in a couple of minutes, while you fold the vegetables into the pasta. Serve with a good covering of grated asiago cheese.

FAY - RAIN EVENT ONLY - BARLEY-OKRA SOUP

Tropical storm FAY made land fall in Floarida in the early A.M. and headed straight for Hollywood at about 35 mph. Several rain squalls but no big wind.

Lots of water pooling on the s raodways.

It is a good day to stay home and enjoy

some soup.

BARLEY – OKRA SOUP


Barley – about ½ cup
Fresh Okra – about one handful – cut across into 1/3” rounds
Chicken or beef broth – 14 oz.
Dry Vermouth – ½ cup
Olive oil – 1 TBL
Chili Stuff Chili Mix – 1 tsp
Kosher Salt – to taste
Fresh ground Black pepper – 1 tsp
Parsley flakes – dry – ¼ cup


Use a deep pot at medium. Put the washed Barley into about 1 big cup of water and bring to a boil. Then turn down heat to low.

Add the cut okra and the broth. After it starts to naturally thicken the soup, add the vermouth, and the seasoning and parsley flakes. Stir and cover at low heat for about 15 minutes.

Let everything cool down once, and warm it again. Then serve with a good crusty bread.

CALM SUMMER WEEKEND - CUCUMBER SALAD

The skies are clear and blue The ocean is clean and the Green flags are barely flapping from the light southerly breeaze. The storm called Fay is still on the south side of Cuba so this is a perfect time to enjoy the beach and ocean calm. Then you can have a quick refreshing cucumber salad with no cooking involved.

CUCUMBER SALAD (For 2)

Cucumber -1- Peeled
Sour Cream – 2 TBL
Wine vinegar – 4 oz – red or white
Dill weed. - 2 TBL


After peeling the cucumber , slice crosswise into ¼ “ rounds. Spread these around in a shallow glass or ceramic dish, about 9 “or so, in diameter.
Sprinkle the cucumber with the dill leaves.
Spoon across with the sour cream, and pour the wine vinegar over everything and lightly mix and turn so all the cucumber gets a good coating.
Place inside a refrigerator until thoroughly chilled and serve.

Morning Sun At the Beach - Stuffed Tomato Salad

Every morning it is calm and warm at the Hollywood seaside. By midday the clouds begin to fill the blue skies and the quick showers come out of the west soon after. Hooray for these winds. They keep the bad weather out in the Atlantic and the plants green. And the green flags still fly for all who want to enjoy the ocean.

Here is a really tasty salad made with fresh beef steak tomatoes and pasta stuffung.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH LITTLE SHELL PASTA - A SALAD

Tomatoes – 4 – Beef Steak
Orange Bell pepper – 1 – diced
Garlic – 3 cloves - minced
Olive oil – 1 oz.
Small shell pasta – (Conchigliette) - 1/3 lb.
Black olives, small – chopped – ½ cupaa
Capers – 1 TBL plus (About a doz).
Basil leaves, fresh – one handful chopped small
Oregano leaves – dry crushed – 1 tsp
Mozzarella Cheese, ¼ lb. , sliced thin
Asiago Cheese - grated ½ lb.
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper


Cut off the top of the tomatoes and scoop out most of the insides.
Chop all of this small and set aside.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt & pepper into each tomato.

Boil the pasta until al dente and drain, then rinse with cold water.

Sautee the pepper and garlic in olive oil until the pepper gets shiny.

Mix the pepper in a large bowl with the pasta, chopped olives, tomatoes and seasoning

Inside each “tomato bowl” lay slices of mozzarella – on the bottom and around the insides

Sprinkle the asiago into the pasta mix generously. With a large spoon, fill each tomato with the pasta mix. You can pack this in pretty tight.
Cover the tops with more grated asiago.

Use a baking pan and place the tomatoes into a preheated oven at 425. for about 10 to 15 minutes. .cover the tops with generous amounts of the fresh basil.

Let everything cool down to Warm and serve. Great with crusty bread and a crisp chilled wine.

SUNDAY SUN & SHIPWRECK (One Pot)

The mornings are calm and beautiful
The temp at the beach only reaches a comfortable 85, just like the water.
The flags are green and the sky is clear
In the afternoon the rains may come across from the Everglades. You can always move the party inside and here is a simple 1-pot meal that brings cheers from all.


SHIPWRECK (One Pot)

Submitted by Chief Willard Ashby
Champaign, Illinois Fire Department

The name of this one pot dish was inspired by the ingredients - serves 6.

Olive oil – 1 TBL
Ground Beef (15% fat) – 1 lb.
Green Bell Pepper – ½ chopped
Spanish Onion – small, chopped
Tomatoes – 1, 14 oz. can
Tomato Juice – 12 oz.
Soy sauce – 2 tsp.
Mushrooms, fresh, sliced ¼ lb.
Shell pasta, small, - ½ lb.
Cheddar cheese, grated – ¾ cup
Kosher Salt
Black pepper, fresh ground .


Pre heat oven to 350. On a stove top , at medium heat, brown the beef in olive oil. with the pepper & onion.

Now use a roasting pan and add these ingredients along with the tomato juice, tomatoes, soy sauce & mushrooms. Season to taste with the salt & pepper and Stir.& bake for about 1 ½ hours.

Boil the pasta separately, then add to the baking dish, mix in and cook without a lid for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, scoop out about half the dish and sprinkle on a layer of cheese. Add back the rest of the shipwreck and cover top with the rest of the cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.

Summer Sun & Fun - Sole & Fresh Spinach

The sun is back for a weekend of fun.

The ocean is bath water warm and flat. The green flags are flying all day. The black clouds are up north around Ft. Lauderdale, but we have a light southwest breeze in Hollywood and are in the Vortex of the sun,

Here is a great meal to keep you beach trim.

It only take moments to prepare.

SOLE WITH FRESH SPINACH

Serves 4 – Less than 10 minutes cooking

Sole fillets – 2 lbs.
Fresh spinach leaves– 2 or 3 big handfuls – remove stems
Mushrooms - 1 lb. sliced
Butter - 4 TBL
Sour crème – 4 TBL
Lemon – juice from 1
Chervil – dry 1 TBL
Kosher salt
Black pepper – fresh ground



Preheat oven to 425.
On stove top, in a large pan, sautee the mushrooms in butter with the chervil salt & pepper remove from heat and save for later.

Use four 12” squares of foil. Put a nice pile of spinach in the middle of each. Lay a ½ lb. piece of sole on top of each pile.
Now spoon equal amounts of sautéed mushrooms on this and cover with a layer of spinach.
Place a spoonful of sour crème on top of that and drizzle on some lemon juice. With a little salt and pepper. Now fold up the sides of each foil sheet to make an airtight packet.
Place these on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes

SUMMER SIZZLES & DRIZZLES - LAMB CHOPS & BEAN SPROUTS

It started out clear and hot, just the way the summer should be. About mid-day the squalls start rolling through from the southand the red flags were hung from the life guard towers. Well it is sometimes a lot of water and a little noisy but it is always warm. - Don't try to swim when there is lightning around - Mui Peligroso!!

If you stay inside, here is a hearty meal that is real simple.

LAMB CHOPS with BEAN SPROUTS

Serves 4

Lamb Chops – 8 – 1” thick
Pearl Onions, 2 doz. Peeled
Soybean sprouts, fresh – 4 oz.
Mint leaves , fresh – 2 handfuls, dice
Butter - 2 oz.
Olive oil – 3 TBL
Kosher salt
Black pepper – fresh ground
Dry vermouth – 2 oz.
Vinegar - 2 oz.


Put the onions in a large pan with at medium heat with an ounce of water and 4 TBL of butter. Sautee and cover, after adding vermouth, until onions get a nice shine with glazing and the liquid is gone. During this process it is always good to scrape the pan with a wooden spatula. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Rinse the soybeans and cook on the stove top at medium in a 2 qt. pan for a couple of minutes. Turn down the heat, add the mint and vinegar, cover and let steep.

Season the lamp chops with salt & pepper to taste. Use a large pan and sautee the chops in olive oil, about 3 minutes per side.

Serve a couple of chops per plate, surrounded with a mix of onion and sprouts.
Add some fresh crusty bread and a dry red wine.

SUNNY SUMMER SUNDAY- MUSHROOM & ARUGALA SALAD

The beach stayed empty until mid-dsy which is nice and strange for a beautiful summer sunday.
Later the breezsz came in from yhe east and that kept the temp in a comfortabl mid 80s range,
The ocean is turqoise and calm.

Here is an excellent salad for a summer day.

PORTOBELLA MUSHROOMS & ARUGALA Salad

Portobella mushroom tops – about 8 medium size
Fresh arugalla – 2 bunches
Olive oil – 3 TBL
Balsamic vinegar – 3 TBL
Kosher salt
Black pepper - fresh ground

Sautee both side of the mushroom caps in olive oil

Serve at least a couple of these over torn arugala leaves
Drizzle with the olive oil balsamic mixture
Sprinkle each plate with a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL SUMMER BEACH DAY - SHRIMP & AVO SALAD

These kind of days remind us why we live in South Florida. Clear skies, light breezes and playful warm surf.
Here is a delicious light salad that take only minutes to make.

SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD

Shrimp – 1 doz. - 20 /30 count
Sweet Onion, large (Vidalia or Maui) – cut in half & sliced rounds
Romaine, inner leaves - chopped
Tomatoes, 3 - Vine ripened and sliced into 8 wedges per.
Serrano Chilies, steamed & diced
Limes – 4 - squeezed
Chili Stuff Chili Mix – 1 tsp
Haas avocados , 2
Garlic, 1 clove – minced
Olive oil - 2 oz.
Tequila – 1 oz
Sugar, granulated – ½ tsp
Kosher salt
Dijon mustard – 1 TBL
Cilantro, fresh – 2 TBL chopped


Place the slices of onion in a bowl with a pich of salt and the shot of tequila, let this sit for about 30 minutes while tossing occasionally.
Sautee the peeled shrimp in olive oil with the chili powder and juice of 2 limes.
Let them cool down and make the dressing by combining olive oil, juice from 1 lime, chilies, garlic & cilantro with mustard.
Toss the tomatoes and shrimp together with the onions in the dressing and serve portions over the top of the romaine leaves on each plate.
Add the slices or thin scoops, with a table spoon, of avocado to each salad and drizzle lime juice over the top.