Lightkeeper's Journal

Bird Watcher's Zucchini in a Cast Iron Skillet

 

         The Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived, thanks to migration and cooler weather.  

In this picture, there are approximately 42 (mostly male) birds.  

 

Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird

Recipe by Curtis Beaird

 

Since migration is in full swing and birdwatching is even more exciting right now, we need to keep our energy up with some great recipes.  One really tasty recipe is Bird Watcher's Zucchini.  Now....why the name Bird Watcher's Zucchini?  Because, just like Bird Watcher's Guacamole and the Bird Watcher's Power Breakfast, it is bird watchers who are cooking the dish! 

Curtis has come up with a fabulous way to cook zucchini in a cast iron skillet and we want to share the recipe with you, our fellow bird watchers!   It's healthy, but best of all, it tastes great!

Bird Watcher’s Zucchini in a Cast Iron Skillet  

 

Ingredients:

---Smaller Zucchini cut up in about 1/4 inch rounds or a little thicker 

---The smaller Zucchini, the more they can stand the intense heat without breaking down & becoming too soft

---Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

---Organic Naturally Refined Coconut Oil (for Medium to High Heat)

---Half a tablespoon of Sesame Seed Oil 

---Sea Salt

---Freshly Ground Malabar Pepper 

---Old Thompson's Orange & Lemon Pepper  

And now.....for the fun part! 

Before the zucchini are placed in the cast iron skillet, add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Sesame Seed Oil to cover the bottom of the skillet.

While the skillet is warming up to medium—medium high, add about three twists of the Sea Salt.  Carefully place the zucchini in the oil. 

Add Old Thompson’s Orange & Lemon Pepper, plus more Sea Salt and freshly ground Malabar Pepper (to your liking).  

The zucchini are cooked only on one side.   They’ll cook in less than five minutes.  The goal is to leave some crunch in the zucchini and not turn it to mush.  Check a few of the zucchini to see which ones have turned brown.  Once they’re turning brown, they are done.  

Then, flip the zucchini and heat and steam the other side.  Don’t brown both sides so that you won’t have mushy zucchini.  

Here it is....some of the best Bird Watcher's Zucchini in the world!  

Now this is some good eatin’!! 

 

 

 

Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.   

Bird Watcher's Guacamole, Featuring Coconut Oil Toast

 

Bird Watcher's Guacamole, a power food full of nutrients, providing bird watcher's with plenty of fuel and energy for a day of watching nature's avian wonders.

 

Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird

Guacamole Recipe by Curtis Beaird

Article by Norma Beaird 

 

This recipe should be named "The Only Way to Eat Avocado”. This is Curtis' famous guacamole - it's simple and fabulous. We LOVE guacamole for the taste and especially love it because of the health benefits of avocado. We eat this a lot for breakfast on toast and eggs.  Some restaurants prepare avocado a little too soupy, as though it has been in a blender, and it doesn't have the flavor of our version.  Our guacamole is rich, chunky and delicious; and best of all, full of nutrients.  

According to WebMD:

***Avocados offer nearly 20 vitamins and minerals in every serving, including potassium (which helps control blood pressure), lutein (which is good for your eyes), and folate (which is crucial for cell repair and during pregnancy).

 ***Avocados are a good source of B vitamins, which help you fight off disease and infection. They also give you vitamins C and E, plus natural plant chemicals that may help prevent cancer.

 ***Avocados are low in sugar. And they contain fiber, which helps you feel full longer. In one study, people who added a fresh avocado half to their lunch were less interested in eating during the next three hours.

 ***Avocados are high in fat. But it's monounsaturated fat, which is a "good" fat that helps lower bad cholesterol, as long as you eat them in moderation. 

This is a simple recipe. Of course, there are a gazillion different variations online, but sometimes less is more. Sometimes, more can be too much. We want to actually taste the avocado, not overpower it with a ton of ingredients.

Here's the recipe (again...this is prepared chunky-style, not liquified in a blender):

For this dish, we usually use 2 or 3 avocados, depending on how many people you're feeding.  Two avocados is sufficient for two people.

Ingredients:

----2 or 3 Haas Avocados (Buy them when they're between a medium green and a dark green, heading towards soft)  If you go to a grocery store and they're mush, walk away. They need to be slightly hard. If they're really hard, you will need to sit them in the light of your kitchen window until they're ready.  If you need to prepare them right away, purchase the darker green avocados that are slightly soft. 

----Half a Lime (more or less to your liking)

----Approx. a tablespoon of white onions (more or less to your liking)

----1/4 of a teaspoon of Garlic Salt (It goes a long way in a hurry - the intent is to get a subtle flavor of garlic, not to overwhelm the avocado)

***Note: If you prefer to use a garlic bulb, then use one clove of garlic and a few pinches of Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt (not table salt). We buy our Himalayan Salt at T.J. Maxx or Walmart.  You can also buy it online or in grocery stores.  If you don't have a clove of garlic, then use the Garlic Salt.  

After you cut the avocado, remove the pit. However, save the pit(s) and put them aside. Put half of the avocado in the palm of your hand and score the avocado with a knife (North/South & East/West) - kinda like a checkerboard.

Take a spoon and slide it into one end of the avocado and then gently work the spoon underneath the avocado. Spoon it out into a dish.

Cut up the onions very fine and add them to the avocado. 

Then squeeze the lime into the mixture.

Next, add the garlic salt.  

Mix all of this together with a fork and you're ready for an incredibly satisfying culinary experience!

Put this on wheat toast. Put it on eggs. ......or just grab a fork and dig in.  Speaking of toast, if you want some out-of-this-world toast, prepare your toast in a cast iron skillet covered in coconut oil. The coconut oil gives the toast a very rich flavor, much richer than butter; plus, this amazing oil has many health benefits.    

.....and speaking of eggs,

....what about some eggs prepared in a cast iron skillet covered in Extra Virgin Olive Oil?  

Whew! This is some good eating!  Eggs are very nutritious and full of protein; and, our doctor recommends eating them.  Plus, avocado is good for the heart and it will help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  The combination is a perfect high-energy breakfast for bird watchers.  It fills you up and keeps you from getting hungry while in the field documenting and photographing birds and wildlife.  

Now…..if you possibly have any avocado left over…..take the pit(s) and place them in the middle of the avocado/guacamole. Then tightly cover up the leftover guacamole with either tinfoil or plastic wrap. When air gets to avocado, it will gradually turn brown. The pit will prevent the guacamole from turning brown. No, this is not an Old Wive’s Tale. It really works! We’ve tried and proven it. We also serve the guacamole with the pit in the middle of the dish. It gives a rustic flair to the presentation.   

Bird Watcher's Guacamole - satisfying, healthy and energizing!  

 

 

Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.  

Spread This on the Tree & Grab the Camera

 

Red-Bellied Woodpeckers

L to R: Opie, the juvenile waiting on food from Papa Peanut!

 

Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird

Article by Norma Beaird

Recipe by Curtis Beaird

 

It's that time of year when the birds are feeding and raising their young.  Many times, they will come to a bird feeder to get food for the little ones!  One food in particular that they have enjoyed feeding to the young is Peanut Butter Tree Spread.  

For a while, we were able to purchase a brand of Bark Butter from the local Tractor Supply store.  When the bark butter went on sale, we bought several jars; however, it seems that it has been discontinued from our local store.  

Online, we had noticed that some brands of Bark Butter can be rather expensive; therefore, Curtis attempted to mimic the recipe with his own spin on it.  According to Cornell Labs, peanut butter is safe to feed in cooler temperatures; however, they recommend not feeding it during warmer weather if it's kept outside for a long time.  

We still feed the Peanut Butter Tree Spread to our birds even though it's summer.  The reason?  We've been feeding them regularly for quite a while, so when we spread the mixture on the tree, they show up almost instantly and wipe it out very quickly!  

Here is a list of the birds who love the Peanut Butter Tree Spread:

Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Common Grackle, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Papa Peanut, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker, feeding Opie, the juvenile.

Birds love this stuff.  It's like a dessert for them.  So, I won't keep you waiting any longer, here's the fabulous recipe.  Get ready for a fun mess!

Peanut Butter Tree Spread Recipe

Items needed:  

***Large mixing bowl

***Cutting board and chef's knife for the raisins

***Creamy peanut butter (the less sodium, the better)

***C & S Seed Suet Dough (other brands are fine).  Do NOT use a beef-fat suet.  The suet that you need is a crumbling, non-greasy suet, almost cake-like.  

***Plain corn meal (NOT self-rising)

***Raisins (optional)

In large mixing bowl:

1. Scoop 2-3 heaping tablespoons of creamy peanut butter in bottom of the bowl. 

2.  On a cutting board, place about 1/4 cup of raisins. Sprinkle water on them from the facet and wet the blade of your knife. This will minimize, not eliminate, the raisins from sticking to the blade when you cut them up. The sharper the blade, the easier the chop.

3.  Fine chop the raisins and sprinkle them on top of the peanut butter.  (Again, the raisins are optional.  The birds will eat it just as quickly without the raisins.)

4.  Take 1 package of Seed Suet Dough (we use C & S), and crumble it as fine as possible.  Add the crumbled-up seed suet dough to the peanut butter. Make sure there are no large pieces.  

5.  Use hands to mix, blend, and work the mixture into what will look and smell like a fantastic batch of cookies. 

6.  Sprinkle plain corn meal (NOT self-rising) as needed to stiffen the mixture. You are looking for a texture that will be moist enough to hold together, but no longer be sticky. 

7. These quantities will fill, with a little pushing and packing, a peanut butter jar (small to medium).  Keep inside in a cool, dry place.  Some people recommend placing the mixture in the refrigerator. 

8. We use a small flat wooden spatula to apply the mixture to the tree.  It works well in the natural indentions associated with trees.  

The Peanut Butter Tree Spread draw ants and is a bonus for the woodpeckers.  We have been amazed as we watched the Red-Belled Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker feed this mixture to their fledglings.

Peanut, our adult Red-Bellied Woodpecker, enjoying the suet!

 

 

Copyright 2014, Curtis and Norma Beaird.  All rights reserved.  

The Bird Watcher's Power Breakfast......or Brunch!

 

 

Recipe and photo of this most satisfying dish by Norma W. Beaird

 

This is a recipe for folks who like some good eatin'!

 

"The Bird Watcher's Power Breakfast......... or Brunch"  

 

Ingredients and Items Needed:

A non-stick frying pan or a Lodge cast iron skillet with a good patina on it.  (Love me some Lodge cast iron skillets, made right here in the U.S.)

Two wooden spatulas

A bowl big enough for dipping a slice of bread into the egg mixture

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Some good quality oil with a high smoke point)

4 slices of wheat bread  (You can use one or two pieces of bread per person, depending on how hungry you are at the moment.)  

4 eggs

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon of sour cream

Salt & pepper (to your liking......)

A cup of shredded cheese (can be any type of cheese, can be more or less, but the Mexican or Taco shredded cheese is simply fabulous)

Now, for some recipe action:

First of all, heat up some Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the frying pan (just enough to swirl around and cover the bottom of the pan.......... as though you're a real chef on the Food Network)  

Note:  Don't go past medium to medium-high heat because it may set off the smoke alarm!

Take a whisk or a fork and mix together the eggs, salt & pepper, mayo, sour cream and shredded cheese in a bowl that is big enough for dipping the bread. Be sure the ingredients are completely mixed together.  Don't leave clumps of mayo and sour cream in the mixture.  Mix it up, folks!

Now, here comes the fun part.......take a piece of wheat bread and dip it in the mixture.  Oh yes, you are getting excited now!  Be sure that both sides of the bread are completely covered in the mixture!!  This may take some intense concentration, so have a cup of Eight O'Clock coffee next to the stove.

Note:  The reason that I suggest wheat bread is because it holds up better in the mixture.  Soft white bread can be substituted, but it has a tendency to fall apart.  (Now that's some good advice right there......)

After the Extra Virgin Olive Oil has heated up, place the dipped bread into the pan.  We use the two wooden spatulas to flip the bread.  It works wonderfully (plus, you feel as though you have your own cooking show).  Let the egg mixture cook on the bread for about a minute, flip it over using both spatulas and cook it on the other side.  ("Hey Paula Deen, need a new guest for your program?")

Now, according to how "done" you want your eggs, you may want to cook the bread on each side until you see a brown crust.  This may take a few minutes.  The cheese helps to form a beautiful crunch! The key to success is to cook it slow on both sides.  (Young ladies, you can really impress the men folks with this recipe!) 

You can garnish this lovely dish with tomatoes or avocado; and, if you're in a really Southern mood, some bacon or grits.  You can also add hot sauce or picante sauce & more sour cream.  Folks, this dish gives new meaning to comfort food.    

**This dish will serve 2 people based upon 2 slices of bread per person.

Whew! That's some good eatin'!   I didn't say that it would lower your cholesterol, but I will say that you'll be full, happy & satisfied……and you'll have plenty of energy for hours to do some intense birding!!  

"Don't look at me Pistol, I didn't eat all of the peanuts!"

 

 

Copyright 2013, Norma W. Beaird.  All rights reserved.