When I spoke to Cam this afternoon he was getting ready to cook dinner for his daughter Cathy. Since he had taken my recommendation to buy some kielbasa, there was a certain reasonable expectation that I would actually give him a recipe for how to prepare it. So, on the fly, in the car, while waiting for the service guy to come to the window, I gave him a run down of how to make a yummy dinner-- fast. Cam is a great cook. He has a decent culinary vocabulary...but when I start to suggest deglazing a pan- or if a recipe has more than 4 ingredients- he starts to shake his head and say- "too complicated- Nevermind". The recipe you'll find below has two versions. "The Caminator" (as Sherwood calls him) version and one that has more than four ingredients. Both are quick and delicious. Even though I don't consume all that much along the lines of processed meat- a good kielbasa is great from time to time. Healthy Choice has a turkey kielbasa- with a green label- that is absolutely overflowing with flavor.
Now, I have to tell you what happened after the recipe delivery. I decided that I would take a leap and go down to Maine Ballroom Dance and take their Lindy lesson. I called one of Cam's other daughters- Susan- who, with her husband Tak has the most amazing sushi restaurant in Portland called Yosaku. Susan is an excellent dancer and loves it almost as much as I do. So, I call Susan and say- Hey, let's both of us go and take this Lindy lesson. We met at Yosaku, had a delightful and delicious dinner ( as always) and made our way to Maine Ballroom Dance. This was their "Move and Groove" dance night- an open dance DJ'd and taught by Daniel Moore. For any of you who are learning to or want to learn to dance and are able to be convinced to travel to Portland- take lessons from Daniel. He is one of the most gentle human beings I know. Daniel teaches with kindness. He is so welcoming and willing to accept everyone where they are. Tonight, the follows outnumbered leaders, so, I decided to take the plunge and try to lead. It was the first time for me. I found out that I LOVE to follow. It was a pleasure to try and lead the lovely ladies who had come to learn the Lindy. I certainly benefitted greatly from the experience. I had the opportunity to dance with Daniel later in the evening and Yes Indeedie- I love to follow on the dancefloor. Thanks for the dance Daniel- and the lesson...it's one more step on the ladder of learning Lindy!
Here is an example- in our own Portland, Maine of two extraordinary LindyHoppers who came to put on a workshop in February. This is how it's done...
Caminator's Kielbasa
1 package Healthy Choice kielbasa
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups cooked rice
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste or powder
Slice the kielbasa into 1/2 inch thick coins. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan and saute the coins until they release a bit of liquid and begin to brown. Add the peas and stir. Cook a couple of minutes and then add rice. Dissolve the bouillon in 1/4 cup of water. Pour the water over the entire mixture and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the caramellized brown bits. Cook stirring constantly until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.
Kielbasa #2
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 package Healthy Choice kielbasa
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup fresh baby spinach
3 cups cooked rice
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste or powder
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or rosemary or herb of your choice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Slice the kielbasa into 1/2 inch thick coins. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan and saute the garlic and onion for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the coins and cook until they release a bit of liquid and begin to brown. Add the peas and stir. Cook a couple of minutes and then add the spinach and rice. Dissolve the bouillon in 1/4 cup of water. Pour the water over the entire mixture and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the caramellized brown bits. Add the herb of your choice and cayenne if you like. Cook stirring constantly until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.
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