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Ruth & Todd Cataldo

Ranch Dressing Mix

I love ranch dressing, but I don't really like store-bought dressings with all their preservatives so I was determined to find one I could make and know exactly what is in it.

This has many ingredients you may already have in your spice rack, if not they are readily available at most grocery stores.

This recipe is for the seasoning mix, so you can make it and store it, and just make up a small amount using the fresh ingredients when you need it.

Bare in mind that this is fresh ranch dressing, so it does not taste exactly the same as any store bought ranch.......preservatives do change the taste!  However, this is fresh and you know exactly what is in it! 

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 cup

1/3 cup dry buttermilk (optional)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried chives
1 tsp. salt

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Bacon & Broccoli Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided it would make a great and fast dinner. 

It contains many ingredients that you will already have in the house, so unlike some recipes you will not have to go shopping with a specific grocery list. 

I adapted the original recipe quite substantially and I was delighted with the results.

Want a quick, easy dinner tonight......this is it!

Enjoy!

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Captain America & His English Rose....why we do what we do!

Captain America & His English Rose is about so much more than cooking, baking and recipes. 

I know that's mainly what I blog about for now, but if this was just a food blog I would have called it something very different!

This blog is about our life together.

It's not a cheesy, cringe fest from two smug marrieds bragging about how great their life is...our life is great but it is far from perfect, believe me!

It's a place to share who we are, what we do, why we do what we do, the ups, the downs, the challenges, the mistakes, the joys, the heartache, the motivation, the calling, the passion and much, much more.

In the future, you will see more posts like Valentine's Day, musings, thoughts, inspirations, deliberations.

As I mentioned in About Us, Captain America is also a Pastor of New Nation Church International. Our church is international, we currently have congregations in South Sudan, Uganda and California. We will be traveling much more in the future and you will be able to read all about it here. In addition, we will be sharing more about what our faith means to us, how it guides us and leads us on a daily basis.

As I am not a California native, I will regularly talk about what it's like being a foreigner and permenantely lost in translation.  I have already mentioned that Captain America is Sicilian.....just a few times.......and you will hear much more about what it is like being part of a huge extended family!

We hope that this blog inspires you, motivates you, challenges you, makes you laugh and makes you cry (hopefully not from the poor content!)

We hope you want to join us on this journey called life,

See you soon

Ruth & Todd Cataldo

Hot Cross Buns

Since moving to California there are a few British foods that I really miss, many of them are seasonal delicacies, which to British people is standard fare, but here in the US, they are often impossible to find.  It is one of my aims to try and recreate these delicacies, so as not to miss out an some of my favorite British traditions.

Hot Cross Buns are one of those traditions!

In England, you an find these everywhere from about the middle of February until just after Easter.  They come on various 'flavors', but are all basically the same-delightful buns which when toasted and dripping in butter on a usually cold day with a cup of tea make the world seem like a better (and warmer!) place!  Click here for more information about Hot Cross Buns.

I have really missed these over the past few years, and although not one of the most common British foods, is a a hidden and often neglected delights!

My one issue with making these is yeast.  Yeast and I are not friends.  We do not get on!  Whenever i have tried to make anything in the past with yeast it has been a disaster.....mainly because the yeast did not 'activate' and rise when it was supposed to and I have been left with slightly hard, small, yeasty tasting buns that were generally very disappointing!

I was determined not to be beaten (but to be honest I totally expected the same to happen again!), so I decided to follow a trusted recipe from an exceptional cook to the letter (well almost!) and pray for the best results! AND IT WORKED!!!! I was so excited I actually did a happy dance in the kitchen.....Captain America was a little bewildered by my delight but he has missed all my prior mishaps! Thank you Pioneer Woman - you saved the day and the war against yeast was won!

The changes I made were as follows:

I wanted proper crosses on my buns....in the UK, the crosses are made out a dough and are white so they stand out significantly from the rest of the bun, highlighting the cross.  All the recipes I found in the US, seem to use icing to make the crosses....but I wanted mine to be as genuinely British as possible.

The second change was I added different kinds of dried fruit.  I added dried blueberries and cranberries just to add a new dimension to the flavor. I love raisins, but Captain America despises them, so I made a few without raisins too!

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Chocolate & Banana Bran Muffins

These delicious muffins were created by my great friend, Jillian!  She is an amazing cook and loves to bake!
For more information about Jillian check out her blog: The Violet Paige

When I first moved to California and tried to bake using my recipes from England, Jillian was the person that came to my rescue and helped me adapt my recipes, learn US measurements, temperatures, different ingredients etc.

This was one of the original recipes she taught me - and I have been using it regularly ever since!

These muffins are so good either for breakfast or just a healthy snack.  They are incredibly low in fat and sugar as all fat that would usually be used in a muffin is replaced with applesauce and yoghurt.

I made these with my wonderful helper, Jayden who chose to make these as he loves banana!

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St Patrick's Day Special: Lucky Charms Treats

I decided to make these with one of our kids from church! He had a day off school so I was looking after him and wanted something fun we could both make together.  In celebration of St Patrick's Day, I wanted to find something kid friendly, quick, easy and fun....and this was it!

These are so simple, you can make them with your kids BEFORE St Patrick's Day!

We used rice krispies and lucky charms in ours, but you can just use lucky charms!

Measure out the cereal

Pick out the marshmallows from the lucky charms cereal and set aside for later.

Put the measured out cereal into a bowl.

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter.

Then add the marshmallows, stirring constantly until they are completely melted.

Add the melted marshmallows and butter to the cereal.

Stir until completely mixed.

Add half the lucky charms marshmallows and stir.

Put half the mixture in each of the greased dishes and, using your hands, pack the mixture firmly into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed.

Chill for at least 30 minutes, then turn out of the pan and cut into squares.

..........and serve!

 Delicious!!

Ingredients:
Yield: around 30 squares

6 Tbsp. butter
8 C marshmallows
10 C Lucky Charms and rice krispie cereal
Cooking spray

Directions:

1) Pick out all the lucky charms marshmallows from the cereal, put in a bowl and set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and then add the marshmallows, stirring constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted.

3) Once melted, pour in cereal and mix until well-coated.

4) Press cereal mixture into a greased two 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with reserved Lucky Charms marshmallows, pressing them firmly into the mixture so they are not loose.

5) Once set, cut into squares and serve.

Adapted from : momspark.net

Meatball Sandwiches

I am a meatball sandwich version....or at least I was until I made these!  Captain America was horrified to discover that I had never eaten one, and generally seemed underwhelmed by the concept!  

However, he sold them to me so well that when I found this incredible recipe for Turkey, Spinach & Parmesan Meatballs I decided to make the meatballs and use some of them in sandwiches. 

YES! These are as ridiculously good as they look.....in fact as I type this I want to eat them again!                                                                                

They got the Captain America seal of approval, which for you regular readers know does NOT come easy!  He said they were among the best meatball sandwiches he has ever eaten, and tasted better than a regular beef meatball sandwiches...they were legit!!

The best thing about them is, as far as meatball sandwiches go, they are a really healthy alternative without compromising on the taste!

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Turkey, Spinach & Parmesan Meatballs

I found this recipe for Turkey Meatballs on Pinterest and immediately wanted to make them!  I love meatballs, but they are often seen as a less then healthy option because of the beef. This one caught my eye and looked delicious.....so I found the perfect excuse to make them! They were as good as they looked if not better, I was delighted with the outcome and hope you are too!

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Spicy Pasta Sauce

One of the benefits of living with a Sicilian is that basic italian recipes course through his veins! To my very British brain, pasta sauce is pasta sauce (dare I even say that it used to come out of a jar!!) but heaven forbid we use pre-made pasta sauce anymore.  With Todd around it really would be a waste of his skills and knowledge, and the joy is I don't need to spend hours researching or trying different recipes, I just ask him and do what he tells me and it's perfect every time!

This recipe is a little more spicy than your average pasta sauce.  We were making it for a very specific purpose, Meatball Sandwiches, the full recipe for this is coming soon! We needed the sauce to be a little sweet, with a spicy kick.

In a large pan, add the olive oil and the diced onion and cook on a medium heat.

Add the seasonings (except the black pepper), and continue to cook until the onion softens, approximately 4 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes and stir so everything is thoroughly mixed.  Cook on a low heat for approximately 15 minutes.

Add a little black pepper to enhance the taste.

Serve over pasta, or use in the Meatball Sandwich recipe.

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Arancini

Captain America is Sicilian.

Both sets of his grandparents were born there and moved to the Bay Area when they were young, so he grew up with a very strong Sicilian influence, especially regarding cooking!

His Mom is an amazing cook, and makes some of the best Italian food.  Todd learn't most of the origins of cooking from her, but over time has developed his own style but still keeping the strong Sicilian origins.

In our house, we always have leftovers as we both cook as if we are feeding 30 people, not just the two of us!  After making Shepherd's Pie a couple of nights ago, we had leftover meat sauce, which we couldn't leave unused!  Todd decided to make Arancini, using the leftover meat sauce and other foods we already had.  This is by no means a definitive Arancini recipe.....like most recipes there are regional and family variations.  This however, will give you an idea of the basic recipe, and includes some of our suggestions for improvements.

For more information about the origins of Arancini, follow this link: Arancini


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Shepherd's Pie

One of the things I miss most about living in England is the food.......I know British food does not have the best reputation in the world, trust me, my husband is one of the biggest critics!  He says all British food is bland....my argument is that he 'overly' seasons food and therefore anything in comparison is bland!! Hence the reason us cooking together is not usually very easy ;-)

However, Shepherd's Pie is one of the foods he did actually like, and he really likes my version of it!

I say my version of it, because this recipe is not a traditional Shepherd's Pie at all.  Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb, and Cottage Pie is made with ground beef.  Depending on who you ask in which part of England you would be told a different version of this dish. To read more about the origins of Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie follow this link: Shepherd's Pie

This is my version of the family recipe I grew up with and I love it and so does Captain America!  I will convert him to loving all the British foods I love and miss, even if it kills me! Redeeming British food one bite at a time!

It is the ultimate comfort food, and great for cooler wintery nights, however much we would like to believe spring is on it's way the weather outside tells me different, so for now comfort foods and a warm blanket are the order of the day!


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Mahi-Mahi Stir Fry

In our household we try and eat relatively healthily, with the odd treat here and there, but a balanced diet is our priority, therefore we like to eat fish at least once a week.  We also try and eat locally sourced food, raised in 'natural' conditions, but on a budget!  This is a challenge to say the least!

Trying to find any fish at the grocery store that is wild caught, 'local' and less than $10 per pound is not an easy task...but this week I found mahi-mahi - which we love!  I, however have never cooked it in my life (it doesn't even exist in the UK!) so yet again when it comes to fish I deferred to Captain America to save the day.....well cook the dinner at least!

Might I add it was a joint venture, while he was running at the gym (I don't run, I refuse on principal....unless I am running for my life in which case I would probably die as I am very out of practice!) I prepped all the fish and the vegetables and took the pictures :-)

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