What are Turkish Eggs (Çılbır) with Chili Crunch?

Turkish Eggs are a Turkish dish (surprise!) of poached eggs nestled in a savory and room-temperature yogurt puddle that’s been traditionally infused with the flavors of garlic, paprika and/or dill, cilantro, parsley or mint and lightly drizzled with a warm butter/chili sauce. It’s believed to date back to being favored by Ottoman sultans as far back as the 15th century and was even served as a light dinner. Since I think just about everything is better with chili crunch, I decided to forego the Aleppo pepper and substitute with that and it didn’t disappoint me! We are loving these Turkish Eggs (Çılbır) with Chili Crunch and they come together really quick!

Now, before you make a horrible face and think you won’t like it, I encourage you to try it once. I’ll admit, it isn’t for the picky palate, but it’s a great way to get a good whallop of healthy protein in and if you have a palate for Mediterranean cuisine, you’ll love it like I do.

Ingredients for Turkish Eggs

• Greek Yogurt – use quality thick Greek yogurt for Turkish Eggs, not that watery regular stuff.
• Fresh Garlic – use a grater or garlic press as you don’t want giant pieces of garlic to bite into but just meld into the yogurt. You could also use the pre-grated stuff, but fresh is always better. However I won’t judge you.
• Fresh herbs – dill, cilantro, parsley, or mint – I’ve seen all of these used. It’s up to your taste palate. Try them all!
• Salt & Pepper- to season the yogurt and maybe a sprinkle more on the eggs when you serve them.
• Butter and/or Olive Oil – again I’ve seen both.  I use a combination of 1/1 of each.
• Chili Crunch- I use Trader Joe’s  Crunchy Chili Onion, Momofuku or Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp Sauce
• Smoked or regular Paprika – it gives the sauce a punch of flavor and adds a rich deep orange hue to it as well
• Eggs – the fresher the better -they poach better. Again I won’t judge.
• Vinegar or lemon juice -to poach the eggs. It helps them hold together better. Also optional – add in lemon juice to the yogurt mix.
• Warm Crusty Bread or Pita – to mop it all up!

How to make Turkish Eggs

1. Warm the Greek yogurt – please make note of this: do NOT serve this on ice cold yogurt from the refrigerator but GENTLY warm your yogurt first. Old fashioned means would have you put it in a double boiler, and you totally can if that’s your thing, but I would recommend spooning your yogurt in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwaving, then stirring starting at 10 seconds and adding more if you need it. It should be almost room temperature, not hot. I use about 2/3 cup of Greek yogurt per portion. I also think a squeeze of lemon would be yummy in the yogurt. You can absolutely let your yogurt sit out until it comes to room temperature, but I just never seem to have time for that.
2. Mix your add-ins to the yogurt– stir in (to taste) a sprinkle of salt and pepper and your herbs of choice – cilantro, dill, parsley or mint. There is no law here people, just use what you love. Start with a teaspoon and add more if you want. Always taste and adjust. It’s the motto of my kitchen. Also use a grater or garlic press and add 1 medium clove of fresh garlic. Mix it all in well.
3. Poach or fry your eggs- I poach my eggs by filling a one-quart saucepan about 2/3 with water (at least 4 inches, more water makes a prettier round shape). Bring the water to a boil. Crack your egg into a small fine strainer and shake gently over a bowl and let sit and drain while waiting for the water to boil. This will remove the thin watery whites of the eggs and you won’t get all that frilly egg white mess in your pan. If you want more eggs, put the finished ones in small cups while you wait. Add about 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to your pot, and when the water boils, reduce it to a gentle simmer and take a large spoon and make the water a gentle whirlpool  by stirring it. Slide one of your eggs in and the whirlpool will help the white wrap around the yolk to make a perfect poached egg. Add in any additional eggs quickly and set a timer for 3 minutes for a runny yolk or 4 minutes for a firmer one. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. You can make these in advance (keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days in cold water) and then put them back in simmering water to warm up for 20-30 seconds when you need them. You can absolutely use fried eggs if you’d like and you could even meal prep these by soft boiling eggs ahead of time, slicing them in half when you’re ready to eat!!
4. Make the garlic/butter/olive oil/pepper sauce -in a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil (per serving – so for 2 servings you’d use 2 tablepoons each of butter and olive oil). Heat just until fully-melted. You can just use entirely olive oil if you want a healthier Turkish Egg.  Add in chili crunch to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon to start) and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika (I love smoked paprika). Originally the recipe would call for Aleppo pepper, or pepper flakes (about a teaspoon).
5. Assemble your bowl – You should already have your  Greek yogurt in a bowl fully mixed with salt, pepper and herbs. Gently place your poached or fried eggs (standard serving would be two) and drizzle with your chili crunch butter oil mix. Top with more fresh herbs if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
6. Serve with toasted bread or pita –  Dip up all the flavors with a warm crusty slice of bread or pita!

To Meal Prep Turkish Eggs

• Soft Boil Eggs and peel –From cold state in refrigerator, lower eggs with a spider into boiling water. Boil exactly 7 minutes then remove to an ice bath. Peel eggs.
• Make sauce – keep in separate container
• Mix the yogurt with add ins- (as instructed above) and portion into desired amount of lidded bowls. Double, triple etc. for the number of bowls you want.
• Add in desired number of eggs.
• To serve- remove eggs and warm yogurt (as instructed above). You can also warm eggs as well, 10 seconds per egg. Slice eggs in half and place back in yogurt. Warm sauce in microwave and drizzle on desired amount.

Love unique breakfast meals like these Turkish Eggs (Çılbır) with Chili Crunch? Try one of my other delicious and quick breakfast ideas!

Southwest Breakfast Tacos

Shirred Eggs

Maple Toast Breakfast Cups

Turkish Eggs (Çılbır) with Chili Crunch

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This easy Turkish Eggs Recipe serves poached eggs over a bed of garlic and herb-infused yogurt with Chili crunch butter sauce drizzled over top.

Author: Katie

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• ⅔ c. Greek yogurt
• ¼ t. salt
• dash of black pepper
• 2 t. fresh lemon juice (optional)
• 1 finely grated garlic clove
• 1 T. minced fresh dill
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. butter
• 1 t. chili crunch
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• 1 T. white distilled vinegar
• 2 large eggs
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• Finely minced fresh mint, cilantro, dill or parsley (I use 1 T. minced)
• Optional: toasted bread or pita
• Optional: more herbs for topping

Instructions

1. In a wide flat bowl, mix the yogurt, salt, and pepper, and herbs (and lemon juice if desired). Microwave at 10 second increments until it's room temperature. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, add the butter and olive oil and heat over low to medium heat until it’s melted. Stir in the chili crunch and smoked paprika, stir, and cook for 1 minute - reduce heat to barely simmering so as not to burn.
3. Heat a medium pot of water over medium heat just until simmering. Pour in the vinegar.
4. Crack the eggs into a strainer to drain off the watery, loose egg whites from the firmer egg whites. Shake very gently to speed it up the draining.
5. With a large spoon, gently create a swirling whirlpool in the pot.
6. Add the eggs one at a time to the water, keeping them a few inches apart.Cook exactly 3 minutes for a runny yolk or 4 minutes for a harder yolk.
7. Set them to the side on paper towels to drain any excess water.
8. Add the eggs to the yogurt bowl and drizzle on some of the chili crunch oil. Season with salt and pepper if more is desired.
9. Finish with more herbs if desired
10. Serve with optional toasted bread for dipping.

3.5.3251

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I have become a huge lover of adding pickled anything to my food these past few years.  I’ve switched my options in my pepper garden to have many more banana pepper plants so I can house freshly canned jars to my shelves to last until next summer.

And don’t get me started on cucumber pickles, pickled beets, pickled okra, quick-pickled red onions and escabeche (the pickled veggies you get at a Mexican restaurant).

We’ve been a fan of late of making Korean BBQ bulgogi bowls. I need to post my version of that recipe soon!

I absolutely LOVE a heaping tablespoon of these cucumbers on Korean bulgogi bowls and can’t eat them now with them.

They come together really quickly as well, which is nice. Make sure you use the small Persian cucumbers as they don’t need to be peeled and are really crunchy and perfect for this. They also don’t have a lot seeds or have small enough seeds that you don’t notice them.

You can only use one of the Korean peppers options (Gochujang or Gochugaru). Gochujang (more of a sweet, savory and spicy paste) is pretty readily available in many grocery stores now,  while you typically can only get Gochugaru (smoky, fruity, and moderately spicy) in Asian markets or by ordering online. Both lend a delicious funk to these cucumbers. If you don’t like much spice, reduce the amounts of one or both, but the flavor will not be the right profile if you don’t use one!

We usually spoon some rice, some of the Korean barbecued bulgogi meat and veggies from our bowls and a few of these cucumbers on a Nori square and pop it into our mouths.

It’s a flavor explosion!

Korean Cucumber Kimchi

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Serves: 4 cups

Ingredients

• 6 small persian cucumbers
• 1 T. kosher salt
• 1 T garlic, chopped fine
• 1 medium onion, slice thinly
• 2 t. gochujang
• 2 t. gochugaru powder
• 2 t. sugar
• ¼ c. rice wine vinegar
• 3 T. sesame oil
• optional:
• ¼ c. sliced radishes - i like to do matchsticks
• ¼ c. julienned carrots
• 1 t. fish sauce
• sesame seeds and chopped green onion for garnish

Instructions

1. Slice cucumbers into ¼ inch rounds, place in bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix well then place in colander over a bowl for 15-20 minutes to pull out some of the water from the cucumbers. Rinse cucumbers, drain bowl, pat cucumbers with paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. Put back in bowl.
2. Add garlic and onions, (and radishes and carrots if using).
3. Add in spices, sugar, sesame oil and vinegar (and fish sauce if using) and mix well.
4. Allow to set in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions to serve.
6. This is amazing on seaweed Nori squares with a bit of rice and bulgogi!

3.5.3251

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WHAT IS CREAMY CORN SALAD?

I almost always have cilantro sitting around, waiting to wilt in a glass jar filled with a littler water, some sort of bell pepper (although I don’t like green!),  and a few other things that went into it. It comes together very quickly and as I always have several bags of frozen corn in the freezer, light mayonnaise and Greek yogurt becomes a healthier but creamier dressing and there’s a pop of chipotle powder that gives it some zing!  It has become a regular on our list for a side dish for many occasions.

Friends asked for the recipe. I had to make it again to write it down so I’d remember what in the world I’d put into it.

It came back to me slowly (this is where I am in life right now). I added and tasted and think I’ve finally got the correct ratio, so I thought I’d share it with you all!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR CREAMY CORN SALAD

• Frozen or fresh corn
• Red bell pepper
• Purple onion
• Green onion (I love the mix of both)
• Jalapeno pepper
• Greek Yogurt
• Light Mayonnaise
• Cilantro
• Chipotle Pepper
• Optional: bacon bits and small chunks of avocado

I used frozen corn, but I also think this would be absolutely MORE amazing in the heat of summer when the fresh corn is perfectly in peak season. I’d cook it whole on the cob, then slice it off in and leave sections that off in chunks. The cool creamy salad would be perfect next to burgers or smoked ribs or really anything you’re grilling this summer!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE SALAD

If using frozen corn, pour hot water over it generously and leave for a few minutes then strain it well. Or boil or steam in a saucepan just until thawed. Again, drain well!

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?

Yes! It also keeps very well, however it is best when served with a day or two, as most veggies release water and the dressing can water down a bit.

WHAT TO EAT WITH CREAMY CORN SALAD

Pimento Bacon Cheeseburgers

Southwest Hatch Chile Salmon Burgers

Grilled Honey Mustard GLazed Chicken Thighs

KC Strip Steak with Tomato Basil Butter

Creamy Corn Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

13 mins

 

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 2 lbs. Frozen corn, cooked just until thawed, you can even run it under hot water for several minutes.
• 1 cup diced red or orange bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced purple onion
• ¼ c. chopped green onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced fine
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt
• ½ cup mayo
• ¼ c. sugar
• ½ t. chipotle powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1.2 c. crumbled feta cheese
• Optional: bacon bits and small chunks of avocado

Instructions

1. Combine the corn, red bell pepper, onion and jalapeño in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayo, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Gently stir into the corn mixture. Add in the chopped cilantro and stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.5.3251

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And it’s so pretty too.

And SOOOO easy!

It’s gardening season again and the spring garden is thriving.

We have mixed beets that are the most beautiful shades of green, red and yellow and are so bright and vibrant from all the rain. And spring onions whose bulbs are multiplying in circumference by the day.

I love the little gem lettuce growing here with French breakfast radishes. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of having a little gem salad, not much else is needed but a really nice vinaigrette. The lettuce is just crunchy and so good.

We’re trying potatoes in grow bags this year.

And something brand new to us this year…

Baby bok choy.

This has been the pride and joy of the garden this spring.

While the cabbage moths made their way into the collard greens bed….

The baby Bok choy has remained gorgeous and untouched, except maybe one or two little bites out of it.

We realized we needed to start picking it last night. Then came the thought. What am I going to do with all this stuff?

The result last night was a one-pan meal that was as good as it was beautiful.

Teriyaki Salmon Sheet Pan Supper.

We love salmon at our house. I’ve used it so many ways from buddha bowls to salmon burgers. Cut the bok choy in half, place it around a lined (Yay! No cleanup!) sheet pan with some scattered bell peppers and mushrooms, drizzle them all with olive oil and salt. Nestle the salmon in the center with a quick marinade poured over it and you’ve got a quick and healthy meal in a snap!

You can add onions, or scatter some snow peas on the last 5 minutes or so to change things up.

If you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments!

Teryaki Salmon Sheet Pan Meal

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• FOR THE TERYAKI SAUCE:
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 3 T. honey
• 1 T. sesame oil
• 1 t. freshly grated ginger or ½ t/ grpimd
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water
• FOR THE SHEET PAN MEAL:
• 2 (6-8 oz) salmon filets
• 3 baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise
• ½ each red and yellow pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 (8 oz) container of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 T. olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. FOR THE SAUCE:
3. Combing all ingredients EXCEPT the cornstarch and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat.
4. When the sauce bubbles, turn down the heat to simmer.
5. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch into cold water and whisk well
6. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and continue to stir, turning up heat until it bubbles again.
7. Keep stirring until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
8. Reserve ½ cup in a separate bowl.
9. FOR THE SHEET PAN:
10. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, lightly spray the foil to avoid sticking.
11. Arrange the bok choy around the edge of the pan.
12. Lay salmon in the center of the pan.
13. Tuck pepper and mushrooms in the empty spaces.
14. Drizzle all vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, using your hands to lightly toss them so as much is coated as possible.
15. Drizzle the ¼ c. of sauce over the salmon.
16. Bake uncovered in oven for 20 minutes or until salmon and veggies are to your liking.(I like my bok choy and peppers a little crispier and my salmon pink in the middle so 20 is usually good.)
17. Removed from oven and drizzle all with remaining sauce.
18. Serve with warm jasmine rice, quinoa or farro.

3.5.3251

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The inside of Frida’s is bright, airy, and buzzes with the sound of friends and family chatting and dining.

There is a sizeable bar with folks gathered around.

And totally unrelated to food, the bathrooms are sky blue for boys and baby pink for girls.

I check out their Instagram weekly, and when they introduce their new (monthly) menu items, I always send them to my daughter Tori, along with something like this in all caps…

WE NEED TO GO TRY THESE!

Mr. Wonderful and I tried their brunch for the first time months ago and sat on their lovely patio. And my kids took me for Mother’s Day as well, because I wanted to go back PRONTO!

It was a little chillier than normal the day of our anniversary in April, but never fear, for Frida’s thinks of every little thing to make their diners feel warm and fuzzy, including lap blankets and overhead heaters.

Our server showed up momentarily and brought us water and a yummy selection of breads.

The bread varies each time we go. It’s fun to anticipate what they’ll send out this time. The first time it was corn muffins and the 2nd blackberry corn muffins I think.

The appetizers…oh the APPETIZERS at Frida Southwest.

One of my very favorite things that I’m still thinking about as I write this is the Burrata appetizer.

There are two ovals of creamy rich burrata floating in an amber pool of chili oil and topped with ancho truffle honey,  chimichurri, prosciutto, and served with wood grilled sourdough.

Don’t let the chili oil scare you. It’s mild and flavorful and absolutely wonderful. We all went nuts over this.

So nuts, I went home and tried to recreate it. Like…gaga nuts.

We also tried the Short Rib Empanadas.

Stuffed with green chiles, wild mushroom, goat cheese, and plated on some delicious ancho chile demi, we really loved these.

Another app we recently tried was off the January Chef’s Feature Menu (they usually post this on Instagram, and it always makes me hungry!).

This was the Ancho Crab Dip – a delicious concoction of lump crab meat, mixed with some fillings like roasted chile strips, chile crunch and cheeses. We scraped every bite of this out of that cast iron skillet!

Let’s talk about main dishes.

This has by far been one of my favorites!

The Seafood Tamale.

The green chile flecked tamale on this is so flavorful, and it’s packed with a seafood medley of shrimp, lobster, crab and scallops and it was swimming in this luscious sherry cream sauce. This was so delectable that I’m still dreaming about it today.

They also have a benedict. But no any Benedict. A Crab Cake Benedict made with blue lump crab cake, poached eggs, ancho hollandaise, smoked tomato, and served with a side of grilled asparagus.

And one mustn’t overlook the Frida Chicken and Waffles.

Take a sweet Belgian cornmeal waffle, pair it with red chile buttermilk fried Santa Fe Frenched chicken, and top it with some bacon jam.

Yes…I DID say bacon jam.

Oh yes, and there’s maple hot honey glaze to drizzle over all.

It’s heaven folks, pure heaven.

Other dishes worth mentioning are the Shrimp & Grits.

I know those don’t look much like shrimp, but that’s because they are bacon-wrapped along with a side of heirloom tomato and roasted corn saute, cheddar chive grits, and hot honey butter.

I’m telling you that Frida’s speaks my love language with all that hot honey.

They just plain speak my language about it all. I’ve never had a bad dish there.

It keeps us going back. After all, there are still untasted menu items waiting for us!

Frida Southwest
500 South Paseo
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
405.683.7432
website & menu

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Besides healthcare costs and productivity losses, obesity must be treated as a severe condition here in Oklahoma because it increases the risk of other chronic illnesses. One of which is type 2 diabetes, where the body’s cells resist insulin, and abnormally high blood sugar levels develop into serious complications. Fortunately, individuals can adopt the following healthy habits to manage their weight, blood sugar, and overall wellness.

Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods

Diet and nutrition are crucial components of diabetes management, as food choices can regulate blood sugar levels while providing essential nutrients for bodily functions. Meanwhile, successful weight loss relies on healthy eating to limit calorie intake without sacrificing nutritional value.

The good news is that prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods — such as fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, beans and legumes, and grains like oats and brown rice — allows you to meet all these dietary needs for both diabetes and obesity. Moreover, one of our previous posts includes healthy meal ideas like kale quinoa black bean salad and pecan-crusted steelhead trout, which include said food groups while also being delicious and easy to prepare.

Consider weight management medications

Since both diabetes and obesity are still medical conditions, dietary changes may not be sufficient to address the biological causes of excess weight gain. Therefore, individuals may consult with their doctor about taking metformin for weight loss, which is a generic medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of diabetes and weight-related conditions like obesity.

Metformin works by regulating your appetite and reducing cravings, thus allowing you to adhere to a healthy diet and achieve a calorie deficit. This appetite change can lead to clinically significant weight loss among diabetes patients struggling to manage their weight.

Engage in low to moderate-intensity exercises

Besides diet and prescription medication, individuals with diabetes and obesity are also advised to exercise regularly to improve insulin function, burn calories, and keep blood sugar levels in check. Among the recommended types of exercise are low-intensity activities like brisk walking, yoga, and tai chi for cardiovascular health and glucose regulation, as well as moderate-intensity workouts like weight training to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass.

As you incorporate these exercises into your daily routine, remember to fuel up properly before, during, and after a workout. Protein-rich foods like chicken breast, turkey, eggs, and legumes can boost feelings of fullness and help you gain muscle mass.

Improve sleep quality

Lastly, pay attention to how many hours of sleep you get each night, as lack of sleep can contribute to or worsen diabetes complications. Such complications included increased insulin resistance, hunger, and cravings for foods high in sugar and carbohydrates.

Additionally, this means too little sleep can make it harder for you to lose weight, as you’re more likely to overeat and exceed your recommended calorie intake. To improve your sleep quality, try avoiding large meals close to bedtime and limiting your alcohol intake.

While diabetes and obesity make for a deadly combination, following the healthy lifestyle tips mentioned above can help you lower the risk or manage these conditions effectively. For more tips on healthy eating and overall lifestyle, check out the rest of the articles here at Dishin & Dishes.

The post Managing Diabetes and Obesity: Healthy Eating Tips, Medication, Exercise, and More appeared first on Dishin & Dishes.

Have you ever planted banana peppers before?

If you are starting out in gardening and want a SUPER great producer, plant these babies. There are two versions you can plant – hot or sweet. I kind of prefer the sweet, although I may experiment with both next year because hot might be nice on richer foods like pizza. You already know about my pizza hot honey obsession like my Sweet Potato Bites with Cranberry Hot Honey and my Baked Brie with Hot Honey, Pistachios and Cranberries. I’m a tad crazy about it. You can find out how to make hot honey very simply here.

But first, make sure you really REALLY love banana peppers because you’re going to get scads and scads of them.

Every weekend, I go out early to the garden, and am astounded at the number of shishito peppers and banana peppers that need picking.

I wash, dry and slice them and make this recipe.

Then I try to figure out just how many ways I can find to use them.

They are fantastic on pizza, sandwiches, salads.

Please let me know in the comments below other ways you eat Pickled Banana Peppers! I’d love to hear new ideas!

Pickled Banana Peppers

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: 2 pints

Ingredients

• 2 c. white vinegar
• 2 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 t. mustard seed
• 1 t. celery seed
• 6 garlic cloves (3 per pint jar)
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 pound banana peppers

Instructions

1. Slice of tops of peppers and deseed by running a tiny paring knife around the seeds then shaking them into a bowl.
2. Slice peppers across into rings (your preference on width)
3. Stuff peppers tightly into 2 pint jars, packing them in with the back of a spoon.
4. Add the garlic cloves -I usually do some near the bottom and more halfway.
5. Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a boil for at least 30 seconds but don't let it boil over.
6. Pour brine over peppers to within ½" of the top.
7. Wipe off the rim and put lid and ring on.
8. It is best to let the peppers pickle for at least a week before eating
9. These peppers are great for canning. Make sure and follow proper canning procedures by following the USDA guidelines for proper sterilization and timing.

3.5.3251

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Our First Garden Story

The first year we gardened, we really flew-by-the-seat-of-our-pants and had no idea there was a difference between growing cold-weather vs warm-weather plants.

We just got all excited and giddy. We were going to have a garden full of beautiful vegetables. We’d go out to our garden and come in with all the components of a delicious salad, or stir fry.

It was going to be perfect.

Mr. Wonderful dug me about a 3-foot by 6-foot tiny postage stamp of a garden and I quite joyfully sprinkled in a bevy of seeds I had grabbed at my local hardware store.

Keep in mind it was June or July I think, and in Oklahoma, that could translate to roughly anywhere between 80-100º.

Seriously, our state is a wild card at any given moment.

I planted tomatoes.

I planted carrots.

I planted cucumbers.

I planted lettuce.

I planted peppers.

I planted radishes.

I planted peas.

I planted onions.

I planted basil.

I think I may have even planted horseradish (my dad is responsible for giving me this love). One of these days I will try to plant real wasabi. Never mind that I now know I could have only planted about 3 of those plants in that space, I was clueless.

Utterly clueless.

Learning About Gardening

The only thing I think that lived in that tiny first garden was tomatoes and peppers. And I think we harvested them in late October.

I had thrown away my seed packets, having paid NO attention whatsoever to them when planting. I was puzzled.

And upset.

Inside my head I called myself a failure. I mourned over my dead lettuce, radishes, onions and peas. My carrots were miniscule looking little wisps of nothing. I imagined my grandpa, who had instilled the love of gardening in me rolling over in his grave.

Two or three times.

That’s how much of a gardener failure I thought I was.

I was partially correct. You see, I’d done what many new gardeners do. I embarked on the adventure without educating myself.

So I got online and started reading about lettuce. Hmmmm, planting time February 15-March 10th huh? Guess I missed that one.

Onions…ditto.

Peas…same dates.

Radishes – March 1-April 15. Well again, I was two or three months late on that one!

Oh yeah, and I read that lettuce actually bolts which ends up rendering it bitter and icky after it gets too hot, usually above 75º and when nighttime temperatures are over 60º. Since it was currently 90º, I felt pretty doggone silly.

A little further research showed that I should have planted tomatoes and peppers somewhere between April 10-30th.

I’d missed two months of growth! (Insert more berating of self).

Pay Attention to Growing Zones

Hey guess what?

It turns out there are actual Growing Zones for individual regions of the country. In fact, in the US, there are many different ones! And there are sites you can go to like this one or this one and put in your zip code to determine which one yours is.

Turns out mine is 7a. When you buy seeds or plants, you can often determine when to plant by your growing zone.

I also learned that one of our state agriculture universities has actual Extension Fact Sheets for me on their website (click here for Oklahoma). There is a wealth of information on their site of gardening tips from choosing the garden site, to planning the garden, to more.

Also on that link I just shared above, there is a handy-dandy cheat-sheet chart on when exactly to plant both cold and warm weather vegetables complete with dates, spacing of plants, days to harvest, how much soil to cover the seed with and more!

Read Both Sides of the Seed Packet

Each seed packet usually comes with instructions, including how deep to plant the seeds, how far to space them out and other things. If they don’t, do some research. It’s easy to find! Type something in like “how to grow lettuce” (you can find my lesson on that here).

I save my seed packets in a gallon baggie or sometimes, if I’m feeling really spiffy, I take front and back pictures of each on my phone and save them in a folder each year.

I also keep an Excel spreadsheet of my seeds by category for easy reference to order next year. I add the seed, the company, price/packet, and how many seeds came per packet and also my planting and germination date. This way if a seed doesn’t come up, I can look back to see when I planted it and who to request for a refund. Most companies are very good about refunding.

Final Thoughts

These are a few tips on starting a garden and differing between cold and warm weather plants.

As always, keep learning! Try to find a Facebook gardening room for your state/region. The people in mine literally know everything and have been such a huge help!

Friends always think I’m an expert, but the truth is, I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks, and like my first year of gardening and from a lot of failure that caused me to research.

Truly with gardening, you can always learn more!

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This week I met a dear friend at Cheever’s Cafe for brunch on Saturday.

This is Ana. This picture of Ana is not at Cheever’s Cafe. This is a picture of Ana at Harvey’s Bakery from 2 months ago because I forgot to get a picture of us at Cheever’s. I probably forgot, because I was so looking forward to the rolls that I knew would be arriving soon (we’ll talk about that goodness soon).

When she asked for recommendations, I told her that Cheever’s Cafe had always been a favorite of mine for brunch.

And then I realized I had never written about it.

I am here to change all that.

Silly me.

What I love to Eat at Cheever’s Cafe for Brunch

Ana asked me why I loved Cheever’s so much for brunch. Now, I can can go on and on about other things I love at Cheever’s Cafe. They have my absolute favorite chicken fried steak (with jalapeno cream gravy) and that’s saying ALOT since this is our official state meal and it is served literally everywhere.

I love their Bleu Cheese Potato Chips. I adore their Mixed Seafood Tamale and their Shrimp and Grits.

But this was brunch so I told her “Oh, it’s not just brunch, I love everything they serve, however, brunch is very affordable and delicious, but there are 2 things I REALLY love at Cheever’s Brunch.”

One was arriving at the table as I was describing it to her.

The fresh complimentary rolls at Cheever’s Cafe are light and warm and dotted all over inside with rosemary. They come served with a side of creamy cold butter with some kind of (maybe smoked?) salt on top.

I know, I know, it’s just rolls, but it really isn’t. They are memorable people. I typically avoid bread because, well, carbs. But with these, I just dive in and enjoy them and push all thoughts of what they’ll do to my thighs until later.

The second reason I love brunch at Cheever’s is this.

This glorious riff on Eggs Benedict is Cheever’s Cafe’s “Masa Vallo Con Huevos”- translated to mean 2 corn masa cakes, topped with shrimp risotto, each topped with a poached egg, pico de gallo, salsa verde, and ancho cream.  It also comes with a side of a cilantro type salsa to add which just balances out the whole dish beautifully with a punch of acidity, because, it’s a rich dish and the balance is perfect with it.

I dream about this for breakfast sometimes, because, who takes the time at home to make masa cakes, shrimp risotto, poached eggs and three differing sauces for breakfast?

I typically like to make something quick for breakfast like my Breakfast Tacos or Shirred Eggs. I’ve even been known to make a quick Avocado Egg Toad-In-A-Hole.

I might have to if something ever happens to Cheever’s Cafe because it’s my absolute favorite breakfast on the planet.

Where to Find Cheever’s Cafe

CHEEVER’S CAFE
Website
Menus
2409 N.Hudson
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
405-525-7007

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The more I got into gardening, the more I realized there was an entire new world out there of seeds to pick from.

And the seed catalogues started coming.

It could be what you call a mild addiction, bordering on …well, serious problem. HA!

Here are a few of my favorite gardening seeds and the companies a that they come from them!

Disclaimer: I am not getting paid or any benefit from these suggestions. I just love em!

A few of my favorite seeds from Botanical Interests

PROS: Botanical Interests is, hands-down, my favorite seed company. I’ve had a very high, if not perfect rate of almost every seed germinating that I’ve ever used. Almost every seed I’ve planted by Botanical Interests has germinated. They are also readily available at my local nursery, so – no shipping fees! I also love their charming watercolor seed packets that are packed with information on them!

CONS: There aren’t many. Of late, however, they have been sold out of fairly common seeds that my nursery has been unable to get like Poblano Pepper seeds etc.

Queeny Lime Orange Zinnia Seeds

These zinnias are just stunning! They are the most lovely shade of peach and orange with yellow and lime green petals closer to the center. Just GORGEOUS!

San Marzano Roma Pole Tomato Seeds

Great for sauces and canning, this paste tomato has always been healthy and abundant since I’ve been planting it!

We grow tomatoes vertically (see my tutorial here), and these are indeterminate (vining) so they work great!

Buttercrunch Butterhead Lettuce Seeds

My raised beds look like Peter Rabbit’s garden with these soft buttery heads of lettuce interspaced throughout a bed.

You can just pick the outer leaves on the head when they are 2-3 inches long and they will just keep growing new ones!

Here is my tutorial on growing lettuce. Click here.

French Breakfast Radish Seeds
Anyone can grow these! And of all the radishes, they are consistently perfect and taste great and they are beautiful! Here is my tutorial on growing radishes. Click here.

Premier Blend Kale Seeds

Each packet contains several kinds of kale all in one packet including ‘Dwarf Blue Curled’, ‘Dwarf Siberian Improved’, ‘Nero Toscana’ Lacinato, and ‘Red Russian’! This grew well into fall and winter for me here.

A few of my favorite seeds from Baker Creek. a.k.a. Rare Seeds

PROS: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a very close 2nd, if not tied for 1st with Botanical for me. I could spend HOURS perusing their eclectic and uniquely “rare” seed catalogue from all over the world. Guys, there are some crazy vegetables in those pages!

When I started growing peppers, I was in awe and wonder of their collection of beautiful peppers!

Also, Baker Creek charges you for shipping only once per year and after that initial order, shipping is free! This is very useful for a horrible seed ordering addict like myself.

CONS: I’m still thinking but I am not coming up with anything.

Here are a few of my favs…

Chinese 5 Color Hot PepperChinese 5 Color Hot Pepper

The beautiful hot peppers change from purple to yellow to orange to red so the plant is covered in a spectrum of all the colors, all at once. I grow these to make salsa (way better flavor than jalapenos!) and they make the most AMAZING pepper flakes you’ll ever have!

Shishito Pepper

We are crazy for these 3-inch wrinkled peppers originating from Japan. You may have had them at sushi restaurants and ordered them from the appetizer menu. Here’s what we do with them (click here). They are also delicious grilled in with other grilled vegetable as they impart their wondrous flavor on the vegetables. They aren’t really hot, although some say 1/10 is. I also started using them in my basil pesto for an added kick (Click here).

Golden Runner Bean, Sunshine Golden

If you want sunshine on a trellis, plant these! The leaves are the brightest green and the flowers are almost a fluorescent orange. I love them!

Basil, Thai Holy Kaprao

We make a dish called Thai Chicken Basil Stir Fry (click here for recipe) and it calls specifically for this form of Thai basil, which has a more distinctive and less sweet taste than normal Thai basil. It’s difficult to find these plants or seeds in America! Also, Thai basil plants, in general are the BEST pollinating plants. After they flower (which is ok, unlike regular basil) the bees are all over them in my garden so I usually plant these in between my tomato plants.

Long Bean, Chinese Green Noodle

These are a heat tolerant green bean that grow well here. They taste wonderful and you just cut them into pieces and they’re just like a regular green bean!

Just like Botanical, I could go on and on with seeds I love from Baker Creek!

A few of my favorite seeds from Park Seed

PROS: I love several items from Park Seed They are my go-to for fancier zinnia breeds and a few kinds of tomatoes and lettuces. I love browsing their seed catalogue in the winter too!

CONS: There are heavy shipping prices each time you order and I really do not like their seed packets in the gold foil. They have little info on them on how to plant, are hard to read.

Mini Romaine Blend lettuce Seeds

These are the most beautiful small compact heads of lettuce! The stem end is bright green and crunchy and softens into a lovely purple towards the end of the leaves. They are just gorgeous!

Park’s Whopper CR Improved Hybrid Tomato Seeds

These large-sized tomatoes are very disease and crack resistant, they are nice and meaty, and the flavor is really, REALLY good!

Funfair Mix’ Zinnia Seeds

Instead of buying several different kinds of fancy zinnias, the Funfair Mix has some really gorgeous zinnias all thrown together in one seed packet including one of my ALL-time favorites gardening seeds, Zowie Yellow Flame.

A few of my favorite seeds from Renee’s Garden

PRO’S:  Renee’s Garden seeds are another beautiful bunch of watercolor seed packets to look at as well as having great growing descriptions on the back of the packet and even cooking ideas! They offer only non-GMO varieties and also offer organic seeds.

CON’S – the price on these seeds is always a little steeper than the others I buy but other than that, I can’t think of much!

Pole Filet Beans – Emerite

Pole Filet Beans – French Gold

Both of these “haricort vert” style French pole beans are my absolute favorite beans I’ve ever grown. They are tender and sweet and snappy with no strings and we love them!

Persian Baby Cucumbers “Green Fingers”

I am obsessed with the thin-skinned, tiny or no-seeded Persian cucumbers that come in a clear bag at the grocery store and these are just like that! These are also powdery mildew resistant!

Heirloom Salad Onions “Italian Scallion”

With their lovely burgundy bottoms, these are delicious and pretty on salads, to finish stir-fries etc.  We plant them down each edge of our raised beds as a border and harvest them all season.

Heritage Chili “Numex Joe Parker”

This New Mexico meaty chili grows up to 6-7 inches long and has a gentle heat and wonderful flavor to enhance any dish.

Heirloom tomato “Black Cherry”

The king of sweet complex cherry tomato flavor, these are always a favorite in the garden.

Honorable Mention Seed Sites

There are various other seed sites I love like Victory Seeds, Johnnies Seeds and Seeds N Such.

Unfortunately, that would take a whole other blog post and this one is getting too long!

Thanks for letting me share a few of my favorite gardening seeds with you and where I get them.

What are your favorite places to order seeds? Please tell me in  the comments below. I can always feed my addiction!

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I was today years old when I finally tried it!

Why haven’t I been doing this all along I asked myself!?

I looked at the back of a taco packet and realized, “HEY! I have all those ingredients in my spice rack and a few others I think would actually make it better!”

You know in our household, we are big taco fans. These are our favorites EVER! But sometimes, we just crave the old fashioned ground beef tacos in a crunchy shell topped with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and a great big dollop of salsa and sour cream!

If you’re a frequent flyer taco maker, you can make the big batch version (on the printable recipe below) and store it in an airtight container like this for up to 6 months. Two tablespoons of taco mix equals one packet of taco seasoning. As usual you can add this to one pound of meat with 1/2 cup of water.

This will make Taco Tuesday really easy for you!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Author: Katie of Dishin & Dishes

Ingredients

• SMALL BATCH
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. Mexican oregano
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. chipotle pepper powder
• ½ t ground ancho chili powder
• ½ t. garlic powder
• ½ t. onion powder
• ½ t. black pepper
• LARGE BATCH
• ¼ c. chili powder
• ¼ c. Mexican oregano
• ¼ c. cumin
• ¼ c. t. salt
• 2 T. chipotle pepper powder
• 2 T. ground ancho chili powder
• 2 T. garlic powder
• 2 T. onion powder
• 2 T. black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all together
2. Store in sealed container for up to 6 months.
3. To make tacos:
4. Use 2 Tablespoons taco mix with ½ cup water to 1 pound of ground meat
5. Simmer, stirring frequently until water is fully absorbed.

3.5.3251

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And by escape, I mean a SORELY needed escape due to wrapping paper, ordering gifts, still recovering from Thanksgiving and all the millions of parties revolving around the holidays which were overloading makes me a little nutso. Add to that, we haven’t been out of town alone in forever, and we were a tad bit giddy.

Tanglewood is located on the south shoreline of Lake Texoma in a beautiful setting with a view of the lake.

The resort houses both hotel-style rooms and luxury condos and villas, two restaurants (one a bar and grill type, and the other fine-dining), a heated three-tiered pool and Tiki Bar, three cocktail lounges, a gift shop, fitness center, game room, pickleball courts, state-of-the-art meeting space, and a 18-hole championship golf course designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer.

Oy yeas, there is also an on-site spa.

AND there is a tower building, and at the top (with beautiful views all around of the lake and countryside) it houses the Tower Whiskey Bar, a quaint but lovely little place that features a slew of whiskeys and live music to boot.

You literally could never have to leave the grounds during your stay.

We arrived after dark Friday night to stay in one of the 1100 square foot One Bedroom Luxury Villas, which are actually apartment like in multi-floor buildings.

We were pleased upon walking in to be greeted in style with a lovely room complete with living room and kitchen area.

There was also a nice full kitchen stocked with oven, microwave, refrigerator, dishes, glasses, wine glasses, pots and pans, a coffee maker, toaster and more.

We felt special upon finding this to greet us.

In case you bring a family, they provide an air mattress or sleeper sofa so they actually would sleep 4. There was a washer and dryer and additional 1/2  bath as well. They are also pet-friendly for a fee.

Hotel rooms are located in the main resort complex, including six classy, themed suites located in theTower… like the James Bond Suite, Elvis Presley Suite, or Marilyn Monroe Suite to name a few.

We barely had time to freshen up a bit before our reservation at the Lakeview Steakhouse was approaching so we took the short walk over to the main building. The steakhouse was very classy inside with a windowed-wall facing the lake.

We ate at the Tanglewood Resort Lakeview Steakhouse both Friday and Saturday night. We were immediately brought a warm and delicious basket of bread.

One was focaccia-style and the other a cheesy biscuit style. The green sauce above was a basil oil that was so good I was sopping it all over everything.

We ordered two appetizers. Yes you heard me correctly – we were coming off of a 4 hour drive and were ravenous. We ended up ordering the crab cakes with lemon remoulade.

And  we ordered the the Seafood Platter – that had a selection of jumbo gulf shrimp, sea scallops, crab fingers (kind of like crabcake filling tucked back into the claw, brie and roasted bell pepper with a whole grain mustard buttery dipping sauce.

Then it was onto the entrees.

Were we still hungry at this point? Well heck no, but this weekend was about indulgence and we aimed to fully indulge!

I ordered the Peppercorn Filet.

I love me a good filet and this one didn’t disappoint as it will crusted really well and tender as butter inside. I chose Wild Mushroom Risotto and Grilled Asparagus to accompany.

We’ve been into making some amazing steak ourselves of late, like this KC Strip with Tomato Basil Butter.

Mr. W ordered the Bone In Ribeye with mashed potatoes and broccolini and he seemed pretty happy as most men are with a giant hunk of meat.

Dessert was next and I wanted to try the Cannoli, even though I could barely breath and wanted to run to the Villa and get in my yoga pants.

And anyway I didn’t feel guilty at all because Mr. Wonderful ordered this.

Yes that piece of cake as almost, well, quite possibly IS as big as his head.

After all that food….this cake came out. It had layers of Devil’s food, cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake filled with chocolate French mousseline buttercream and encased in ganache.

And if that wasn’t enough, it came with salted caramel bourbon sauce. The man was HAPPY. So very happy.

After dinner, we were tired and happy and full and headed back to our villa to try out the jacuzzi, because who doesn’t want to go into a hot tub looking like a stuffed lobster?

The master king bed was so wonderful and we woke up the next morning ready to get out and see the sights. Because it was the start of winter, we didn’t get to visit the pool and Tikka hut etc., but we did take a nice long walk, played pickleball and went up to explore the Tower Whiskey Bar view.

We wanted a trip to the spa for a couples’ massage but alas they were completely booked. If you decide to go, book early!

Breakfast was back at the steakhouse. After the night before I wanted something reasonable healthy and ordered the Avocado Toast and eggs which was delicious and hit the spot!

We tried out the Tanglewood Bar & Grill for Lunch.

At that point the waitress offered us dessert. I opted for something a little light like the Tiramisu which came out just lovely  – even topped with a gold leaf.

After dinner on night two, we ventured back up to the Tower Whiskey Bar to listen to some live music. It’s a small space so it was cozy and fun and we made friends!

I wish I could report more on the outdoor activities at Tanglewood Resort, but we will have to take another trip in the summer to try them out!

We definitely enjoyed our stay and look forward to another trip!

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