My Kitchen Innovation

I often "invent" things in my head, or out loud to my husband, and that's as far as my idea goes until someone else, equally brilliant, has the same idea and takes it all the way to market, at which time I slap my forehead and say with a smirk of satisfaction, "I knew that was a good idea." 

Well, one idea that I've had for quite awhile and have yet to see it on the market, is an interactive, wi-fi compatible, cabinet-mounted touch screen.  I have about a hundred cookbooks, but most of my menu planning is done online.  (I confess, a big reason for this is that I'm too lazy to transcribe each recipe into my blog each week, when posting the link is so much easier.)  And, although I have a laptop or four, I lack sufficient counter space to place a laptop on the counter while I'm cooking, and it makes me nervous to have liquids near my keyboard.  So I usually print the recipe so that I can have it in my kitchen while I cook.  This is a waste of ink and paper and natural resources.

I also have a counter mounted DVD player, and when I have a big project to do in the kitchen, I'll put on a movie to keep me company.  I would love it if my drop down screen would also display my recipes and play Netflix movies!  Killing two birds, or seven, with one stone.

So I need a screen that goes online, with no keyboard (hence the touch screen), plays movies, and maybe even has an option for tracking my grocery list and the ability to send that list to my phone.  Okay, so there is the ipad option, and they do make ipad holders that are cabinet mounted and drop screen.  But they are quite pricey.  My invention would cost a third of the ipad!

Someone smarter than I will take this one to Shark Tank, I just know it, and I'll buy it once it hits the scene.


Sunday: Zen Salmon, steamed green beans, steamed brown rice

Monday:  Stuffed Potato Skins, Steamed Artichokes

Stuffed Potato Skins

4 large baked Idaho potatoes, with half the flesh scooped out
4 cups chopped steamed broccoli
1 cup shredded low-fat, low-sodium cheddar cheese
8 pieces well-done turkey bacon
8 T. chopped scallions or fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325.  Stuff each potato half  with 1 C. broccoli.  Top each half with 1/4 c. cheese.  Crumble 1 slice bacon over each half.  Place on a baking sheet and bake 15-20 min or until cheese is melted and each half is warm throughout.  Garnish with scallions or parsley.

Tuesday:  Seafood Gazpacho, Fresh Milled Whole Wheat Bread

Seafood Gazpacho

1 C. chopped cucumber, skin on, seeds removed
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 orange bell pepper, cleaned and roughly chopped
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium tomato juice
2 T. olive oil
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 T. ground black pepper
1 lb large shrimp, cleaned, shelled, and boiled
cilantro, chopped, to taste

Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until all vegetables are uniform size.  Add tomato juice, oil, and vinegar and pulse until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer soup to a soup bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  While soup is chilling, chill shrimp.  When ready to serve, slice shrimp lengthwise.  Portion soup into soup bowls and lay one fourth of shrimp on each portion.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Fresh Bread (as copied from thehappyhousewife.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 4-4 1/2 freshly milled hard spring wheat flour (sifted)
• 1 Tbs yeast

I make this recipe in my bread machine by adding all the wet ingredients and then all the dry ingredients. Add the yeast last. I use the dough setting, but if your machine has a whole wheat setting you can use that too and bake it right in your machine.
If you are making this recipe by hand combine all the wet ingredients. Then add yeast, salt, and half the flour. Mix until the dough is smooth. Then add the rest of the flour. Add the flour slowly so you don’t use too much. Knead for about 10 minutes. Let rise until doubled. Shape into desired pan and then rise again until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This will make 2 loaves of bread or two large pizzas.



Wednesday: Shaun T's Easy Sirloin Tip Roast, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Baked Sweet Potatoes

Shaun T's Easy Sirloin Tip Roast
3 lbs beef sirloin tip roast, trimmed of all visible fat
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 t. coarse ground black pepper
cooking spray

preheat oven to 400.  secure roast with cooking twine.

make 8 1/2 inch slits around the perimeter of the roast and insert 1/2 garlic clove in each slit.  Sprinkle entire roast with pepper. Spray roasting rack with nonstick spray.  Place roast on rack in roasting pan.

roast in preheated ofen 20 minutes.  reduce temp to 325.  Continue cooking about one hour, or until meat thermometer reaches desired level of doneness. Loosely cover with foil, and let rest 15 minutes.  To serve, slice as thinly as possible against the grain.  10 servings

Thursday: Power Corn Pancakes, fresh berries

Friday: Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia, Citrus Quinoa, Steamed Edamame