July 30, 2010
I’m still cooking off the food that I already have, so I’ve had to rummage around the list to find something that fits the requirements.
Four-Season grilled chicken
Better Homes and Gardens Chicken, pg 89
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 T butter
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground red pepper
6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded lettuce (optional)
chopped tomato (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Cook the onions and garlic until tender. Add the chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with half the onion mixture.
Grill chicken on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 minutes. Turn, brush with remaining onion mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is done. (Or broil 5-6 minutes 10-12 inches from heat source, turning once during cooking.)
Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and avocados if desired.
How I did it: I had some trouble with the directions. Was it supposed to cook onion mix side down? Or not. I cooked it that way and I’m pretty sure most of the onions fell off. I need to work on the spice mix some. I didn’t have chili powder so I used chile powder with salt and Mexican oregano. I oopsed and used more chile powder instead of ground red chilis. It turned out ok, but it could have been been better, if I’d done it like it said.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Provencal Braised Tuna
July 29, 2010
Provencal Braised Tuna
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 358
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 large lemon, thinly slices
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T coarsely chopped rosemary needles
2 pounds tuna or swordfish steaks, 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, skinned if necessary
1/3 cup chopped black olives, preferably oil changed
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
In a large casserole, place half the onions, top with half the tomato and half the lemon slices. Place the tuna on the vegetables in one layer, season with salt, pepper and half the rosemary. Cover with remaining lemons, tomatoes, onions. Add more salt, pepper and the remaining rosemary to the top layer of onions. Tuck the bay leaves and thyme around the onions. Pour the wine over all.
Cover the pan tightly. Bake at 375° for 1 – 1 ¼ hours or until tuna is done.
What I would do differently next time: I chopped the onions too finely (and they weren’t fine at all!), so I’d quarter them or slice thickly. I would add more sea salt and pepper (season to taste is always tricky)
I served it with rice and Belgian endive and apple salad with Walnut dressing:
3 Belgian endive, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
7 whole walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Walnut dressing is under “my favorite dressing” post.
Provencal Braised Tuna
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 358
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 large lemon, thinly slices
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T coarsely chopped rosemary needles
2 pounds tuna or swordfish steaks, 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, skinned if necessary
1/3 cup chopped black olives, preferably oil changed
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
In a large casserole, place half the onions, top with half the tomato and half the lemon slices. Place the tuna on the vegetables in one layer, season with salt, pepper and half the rosemary. Cover with remaining lemons, tomatoes, onions. Add more salt, pepper and the remaining rosemary to the top layer of onions. Tuck the bay leaves and thyme around the onions. Pour the wine over all.
Cover the pan tightly. Bake at 375° for 1 – 1 ¼ hours or until tuna is done.
What I would do differently next time: I chopped the onions too finely (and they weren’t fine at all!), so I’d quarter them or slice thickly. I would add more sea salt and pepper (season to taste is always tricky)
I served it with rice and Belgian endive and apple salad with Walnut dressing:
3 Belgian endive, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
7 whole walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Walnut dressing is under “my favorite dressing” post.
Flank steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
July 28, 2010
I work late on Wednesdays, and since I’m cooking out of the stuff I have in the refrigerator or freezer, I’ve had to adjust a lot. I didn’t know what I was going to make and I had a lot of left-overs, so I had left-overs.
Here’s something from the past.
Flank Steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
Cooking up an Italian Life, Sharon Sanders, pg 177
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank steak
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 bag (10 ounces) spinach, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 T olive oil
1 chunk (1 ½ ounces) Parmesan cheese.
Marinate the flank steak in the balsamic vinegar in a zip bag or dish, turn to coat the meat. Marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the steak from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a glass measuring cup and set aside.
Grill the steak over the heat source for 8 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is 145°. Remove and set aside on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices.
Meanwhile, place the spinach on dinner plates or a large platter Microwave the reserved marinade for 2 minutes, or until boiling. Remove and allow to cool.
Cut the steak into thin diagonal slices. Arrange over the spinach. Drizzle with the oil. Cut shavings from the parmesan cheese and scatter over the steak. Serve with reserved marinade.
Notes:
This is fabulous. Balsamic vinegar makes a terrific marinade. The flavor is wonderful.
I work late on Wednesdays, and since I’m cooking out of the stuff I have in the refrigerator or freezer, I’ve had to adjust a lot. I didn’t know what I was going to make and I had a lot of left-overs, so I had left-overs.
Here’s something from the past.
Flank Steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
Cooking up an Italian Life, Sharon Sanders, pg 177
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank steak
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 bag (10 ounces) spinach, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 T olive oil
1 chunk (1 ½ ounces) Parmesan cheese.
Marinate the flank steak in the balsamic vinegar in a zip bag or dish, turn to coat the meat. Marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the steak from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a glass measuring cup and set aside.
Grill the steak over the heat source for 8 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is 145°. Remove and set aside on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices.
Meanwhile, place the spinach on dinner plates or a large platter Microwave the reserved marinade for 2 minutes, or until boiling. Remove and allow to cool.
Cut the steak into thin diagonal slices. Arrange over the spinach. Drizzle with the oil. Cut shavings from the parmesan cheese and scatter over the steak. Serve with reserved marinade.
Notes:
This is fabulous. Balsamic vinegar makes a terrific marinade. The flavor is wonderful.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
keoki-tini and other drinks
This was a fun experiment in drinking. I had an afternoon off and experimented with making new martini drinks. We only came up with one name though.
If you're familiar with a Keoki coffee this will be familiar.
Keoki-tini
2 parts Kahlua
1 part Crème de cacao
1 part Brandy
fill with Vanilla vodka
Shake all the ingredients over ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.
variation of Roman Nights coffee (this needs a name)
1 part Frangelico liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
2 parts kahlua
fill with vanilla vodka
Orange stick (needs a better name)
1 part cointreau
1 part crème de cacao
fill with vanilla vodka
Raspberry stick (needs a better name)
1 part chambord liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
fill with regular vodka (vanilla makes it too sweet)
If you're familiar with a Keoki coffee this will be familiar.
Keoki-tini
2 parts Kahlua
1 part Crème de cacao
1 part Brandy
fill with Vanilla vodka
Shake all the ingredients over ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.
variation of Roman Nights coffee (this needs a name)
1 part Frangelico liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
2 parts kahlua
fill with vanilla vodka
Orange stick (needs a better name)
1 part cointreau
1 part crème de cacao
fill with vanilla vodka
Raspberry stick (needs a better name)
1 part chambord liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
fill with regular vodka (vanilla makes it too sweet)
My favorite salad dressings
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients.
Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground (optional)
slowly add the water to the tahini, stirring until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt.
Classic citrus dressing:
1/2 cup mild and fruity olive oil
4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Walnut vinaigrette
2-3 T Sherry or white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnut oil (not the clear type, comes in a dark bottle or can)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
whisk all ingredients together.
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients.
Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground (optional)
slowly add the water to the tahini, stirring until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt.
Classic citrus dressing:
1/2 cup mild and fruity olive oil
4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Walnut vinaigrette
2-3 T Sherry or white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnut oil (not the clear type, comes in a dark bottle or can)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
whisk all ingredients together.
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
Grilled scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens
July 27, 2010
I’m cooking off the ingredients I have in the refrigerator or freezer, so I had to adjust a few things on this weeks menu. We’ll see how this week goes.
Grilled Scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens in a fresh cilantro dressing
A Spoonful of Ginger, by Nina Simonds, pg 182
1 ½ lbs sea scallops
Ginger Marinade:
2 T rice wine or sake
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
6-8 10-inch bamboo skewers or metal skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound tender greens (spinach, chard, snow pea shoots)
2 tsp canola or corn oil
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
2 T rice wine or sake
1 tsp salt
Place the scallops in a bowl. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the scallops, tossing lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
If using grill, start the briquettes for a medium hot fire while the scallops marinate.
Mix the cilantro dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the greens, removing any hard stems. Heat the oil in a skilled over high heat. Add the greens and garlic and toss lightly about 20 seconds, then add the rice wine and salt, and toss lightly over high heat about 1 minute or less, until the greens are slightly wilted but still bright green. Spoon the greens onto plates in a mound, so the scallops can be served on top.
Alternately skewer the peppers and scallops onto the bamboo skewers, starting and ending with peppers. Brush the scallops and peppers with the marinade.
Grill the skewers 3-4 inches from the heat source for 3-4 minutes on each side (skewers can be broiled), brushing with marinade.
Remove the scallops and peppers from the skewers. Arrange the scallops and peppers over the greens with dressing on top or on the side. Serve warm.
How I did it: I used spinach for the greens but I didn’t have enough. I didn’t have sake, so I used Mirin (rice cooking wine). I didn’t have fresh ginger, so I used 1 T ginger paste from the Indian market and added an extra 1 tsp ground ginger.
I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s, and olive oil instead of the corn or canola oil. It doesn’t get as hot, but I like it better.
This was really good. It would also be good without the cilantro dressing and served over long grain white rice.
I’m cooking off the ingredients I have in the refrigerator or freezer, so I had to adjust a few things on this weeks menu. We’ll see how this week goes.
Grilled Scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens in a fresh cilantro dressing
A Spoonful of Ginger, by Nina Simonds, pg 182
1 ½ lbs sea scallops
Ginger Marinade:
2 T rice wine or sake
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
6-8 10-inch bamboo skewers or metal skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound tender greens (spinach, chard, snow pea shoots)
2 tsp canola or corn oil
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
2 T rice wine or sake
1 tsp salt
Place the scallops in a bowl. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the scallops, tossing lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
If using grill, start the briquettes for a medium hot fire while the scallops marinate.
Mix the cilantro dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the greens, removing any hard stems. Heat the oil in a skilled over high heat. Add the greens and garlic and toss lightly about 20 seconds, then add the rice wine and salt, and toss lightly over high heat about 1 minute or less, until the greens are slightly wilted but still bright green. Spoon the greens onto plates in a mound, so the scallops can be served on top.
Alternately skewer the peppers and scallops onto the bamboo skewers, starting and ending with peppers. Brush the scallops and peppers with the marinade.
Grill the skewers 3-4 inches from the heat source for 3-4 minutes on each side (skewers can be broiled), brushing with marinade.
Remove the scallops and peppers from the skewers. Arrange the scallops and peppers over the greens with dressing on top or on the side. Serve warm.
How I did it: I used spinach for the greens but I didn’t have enough. I didn’t have sake, so I used Mirin (rice cooking wine). I didn’t have fresh ginger, so I used 1 T ginger paste from the Indian market and added an extra 1 tsp ground ginger.
I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s, and olive oil instead of the corn or canola oil. It doesn’t get as hot, but I like it better.
This was really good. It would also be good without the cilantro dressing and served over long grain white rice.
broiled shrimp with lemon & thyme, vegetable risotto
July 26, 2010
I haven’t been cooking lately. I didn’t feel well last week and I had a lot of leftovers, so I decided not to add to the chaos in the refrigerator. Now that it’s under control and I feel better, it’s time to get back to it.
Vegetable Risotto, home recipe
Inspired by Country-style vegetable risotto,
Risotto, by Ursula Ferrigno, pg 30
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups of chopped vegetables (broccoli, peas, squash, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, tomatoes (seeded), greens.
1 cup risotto rice
herbs
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 T butter
Peel and chop the vegetables. Heat 1 T in a skillet, sauté the heartier vegetables (carrots, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, zucchini, squash) for about 5-8 minutes, add the softer vegetables (tomatoes, greens, peas, beans). Sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the broth to near boiling in a separate pan. In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil until hot, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 1 minute until glistening with oil. Add the white wine. Stir until absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at a time. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables and herbs (your choice—sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon). Continue adding broth one ladle at a time until the rice is al dente (about 18 minutes). Add the remaining ladle of broth. Add salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and butter.
How I did it: I used carrots, one parsnip, and one potato. That’s what I had at home. I think I’ll stir in some peas tomorrow. I used sage and thyme for the herbs. I used the broth that was thawed in the refrigerator, not sure what it was, either chicken or a mix of chicken and vegetable broth.
Broiled Shrimp with lemon and thyme, home recipe
I read the recipe and decided it seemed really easy, so I didn’t get the book out when I made it. I skilled the oil entirely and it turned out pretty well anyway.
Inspired by Grilled Shrimp with thyme and lemon
Simple to Spectacular, Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman,
pg 216
Serves 1-2
6 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
juice of 1 lemon
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
Combine the lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat the broiler. Place shrimp on the broiler pan about 4 inches below the heat source. Cook until pink.
I haven’t been cooking lately. I didn’t feel well last week and I had a lot of leftovers, so I decided not to add to the chaos in the refrigerator. Now that it’s under control and I feel better, it’s time to get back to it.
Vegetable Risotto, home recipe
Inspired by Country-style vegetable risotto,
Risotto, by Ursula Ferrigno, pg 30
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups of chopped vegetables (broccoli, peas, squash, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, tomatoes (seeded), greens.
1 cup risotto rice
herbs
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 T butter
Peel and chop the vegetables. Heat 1 T in a skillet, sauté the heartier vegetables (carrots, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, zucchini, squash) for about 5-8 minutes, add the softer vegetables (tomatoes, greens, peas, beans). Sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the broth to near boiling in a separate pan. In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil until hot, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 1 minute until glistening with oil. Add the white wine. Stir until absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at a time. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables and herbs (your choice—sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon). Continue adding broth one ladle at a time until the rice is al dente (about 18 minutes). Add the remaining ladle of broth. Add salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and butter.
How I did it: I used carrots, one parsnip, and one potato. That’s what I had at home. I think I’ll stir in some peas tomorrow. I used sage and thyme for the herbs. I used the broth that was thawed in the refrigerator, not sure what it was, either chicken or a mix of chicken and vegetable broth.
Broiled Shrimp with lemon and thyme, home recipe
I read the recipe and decided it seemed really easy, so I didn’t get the book out when I made it. I skilled the oil entirely and it turned out pretty well anyway.
Inspired by Grilled Shrimp with thyme and lemon
Simple to Spectacular, Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman,
pg 216
Serves 1-2
6 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
juice of 1 lemon
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
Combine the lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat the broiler. Place shrimp on the broiler pan about 4 inches below the heat source. Cook until pink.
Jumbo shrimp dopiaza with mango powder
July 25, 2010
Here’s is something else I made this spring. It was good, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I ended up omitting the chiles, cilantro, curry leaves and onion seeds. Don’t skip them, they’re essential to the flavor.
Jumbo Shrimp Dopiaza with mango powder
Healthy Indian cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 58
14-16 peeled jumbo shrimp
2 T corn oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
large pinch of onion seeds (buy at the Indian market)
4 curry leaves (can substitute bay leaves)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp chili powder
salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp mango powder (buy at the Indian market)
2 fresh green chilies, sliced
2 firm tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion seeds, curry leaves and stir fry for about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add the garlic, ginger, chili powder, salt, turmeric, and mango powder. Stir fry for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, tomatoes, chilies and most of the cilantro. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are just firm and cooked through. Serve garnished with the remaining cilantro.
Here’s is something else I made this spring. It was good, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I ended up omitting the chiles, cilantro, curry leaves and onion seeds. Don’t skip them, they’re essential to the flavor.
Jumbo Shrimp Dopiaza with mango powder
Healthy Indian cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 58
14-16 peeled jumbo shrimp
2 T corn oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
large pinch of onion seeds (buy at the Indian market)
4 curry leaves (can substitute bay leaves)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp chili powder
salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp mango powder (buy at the Indian market)
2 fresh green chilies, sliced
2 firm tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion seeds, curry leaves and stir fry for about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add the garlic, ginger, chili powder, salt, turmeric, and mango powder. Stir fry for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, tomatoes, chilies and most of the cilantro. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are just firm and cooked through. Serve garnished with the remaining cilantro.
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game Hens
July 24, 2010
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game hens,
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 264
I’m still not cooking. I have several left overs and am still dealing with all the rice from Monday. Crazy amount of rice.
I made this sometime in 2010. Probably in the spring.
For the Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 T honey
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Cornish game hens, 1 ½ to 2 lbs each
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade.
Remove the giblets from the hens and discard. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. With poultry or kitchen shears, remove the backbones and cut in half.
Place the hens in a gallon zip bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade evenly. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the hen halves from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the hens bone side down over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game hens,
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 264
I’m still not cooking. I have several left overs and am still dealing with all the rice from Monday. Crazy amount of rice.
I made this sometime in 2010. Probably in the spring.
For the Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 T honey
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Cornish game hens, 1 ½ to 2 lbs each
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade.
Remove the giblets from the hens and discard. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. With poultry or kitchen shears, remove the backbones and cut in half.
Place the hens in a gallon zip bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade evenly. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the hen halves from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the hens bone side down over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
July 23, 2010
It’s Friday, which means (you got it) Happy Hour at Mac’s. I had the bleu cheese peppercorn burger (no bun) and steak fries. Their burgers are fabulous. I love the fries, but that is a one-way relationship, sadly. Remember Fry Sauce? Maybe it’s just a Utah thing, but I hear you can buy it at the Super Walmart (?). It’s essentially mayo & ketchup. The trick is getting the mixture right. It should be a salmon color, or so. It also takes a perfectly good, low cal condiment and makes it 100% fat.
Here is something else from the past.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 110
¼ cup whole grain mustard
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus a couple of sprigs for garnish)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 whole chicken breasts
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a very large bowl, whisk together the mustards, chopped thyme, and pepper with 2 T water. Whisk in the olive oil. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the over to 500° or start the grill. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In the oven: lay the chicken breasts skin side down in a roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, turning once and basting with the marinade, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
On the grill: lay the chicken skin side down on the grill and cook, covered, until well seared, about 8 minutes. Turn the breasts, brush them with the marinade and grill for another 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.
Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet.
Serve the chicken breasts garnished with the almonds and thyme sprigs, season with salt.
It’s Friday, which means (you got it) Happy Hour at Mac’s. I had the bleu cheese peppercorn burger (no bun) and steak fries. Their burgers are fabulous. I love the fries, but that is a one-way relationship, sadly. Remember Fry Sauce? Maybe it’s just a Utah thing, but I hear you can buy it at the Super Walmart (?). It’s essentially mayo & ketchup. The trick is getting the mixture right. It should be a salmon color, or so. It also takes a perfectly good, low cal condiment and makes it 100% fat.
Here is something else from the past.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 110
¼ cup whole grain mustard
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus a couple of sprigs for garnish)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 whole chicken breasts
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a very large bowl, whisk together the mustards, chopped thyme, and pepper with 2 T water. Whisk in the olive oil. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the over to 500° or start the grill. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In the oven: lay the chicken breasts skin side down in a roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, turning once and basting with the marinade, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
On the grill: lay the chicken skin side down on the grill and cook, covered, until well seared, about 8 minutes. Turn the breasts, brush them with the marinade and grill for another 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.
Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet.
Serve the chicken breasts garnished with the almonds and thyme sprigs, season with salt.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta (long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
July 22, 2010
I caught a bit of a stomach virus from one of the drooling kids. It happens, but it’s annoying. This too shall pass, but I don’t feel like eating, much less cooking. So, here is a recipe from the past. I don’t know when I made it, except it was in 2010. It was really good, but that’s the only note I have on it. This takes a long time because it marinates for 24-36 hours, then is slow cooked at a low-ish temperature.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta
(long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
All about Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 260
The marinade:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 oz total), coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, cut crosswise in half
2 bay leaves
two 3-inch leafy rosemary sprigs
½ tsp black peppercorns
one 750 ml bottle fruity dry red wine (like Valpolicella or Chianti)
one 3 ½ to 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
coarse salt
24-36 hours before:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and sauté, stirring intermittently, until the vegetables are tinged with brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and peppercorns. Pour the wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the wine with the essences of the vegetables. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Using kitchen twine or string, tie the roast into a neat package. Season all over with 1 tsp coarse salt. Put the roast into a gallon zip bag and place in large dish. Cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning once.
For the Braise:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grappa or brandy
1 cup beef stock
½ pound pancetta in one piece, about 1 inch thick
freshly ground pepper
Heat the oven to 300˚. Remove the roast from the marinade and place on a rack set over a platter to drain. Reserve the marinade. Pour any drips from the meat back into the marinade and set aside. Wipe the meat thoroughly with paper towels. If it’s damp, it won’t brown properly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the meat and sear it on all sides, using tongs to turn it, until mahogany in color. Because of the wine, the sear will be darker than usual. Transfer the meat to a 3 or 4 quart Dutch oven or heavy lidded casserole.
Pour most of the fat from the skillet and discard. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towels if it appears burnt at all, but if there are any taste looking brown bits, be careful to leave those behind. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and carefully pour in the brandy or grappa (it may ignite, so stand back). Bring to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to about 2 T, about 3-4 minutes. Strain the marinade into the skillet, reserving the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Boil the marinade until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and boil again to reduce down by half, another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tuck the chunk of pancetta under or alongside the roast. Scatter over the reserved vegetables and seasonings, and reach in and push some vegetables under the roast as well. Pour the reduced braising liquid over the roast and cover the pot with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so the paper almost touches the meat and the edges extend about 1 inch over the sides of the pot. After the first 15 minutes, check to see that the liquid isn’t simmering too furiously. If it is, lower the over temperature 10 or 15 degrees. Roast until fork tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Lift the beef from the braising liquid, using a slotted spatula to support it so it doesn’t fall apart, and transfer it to a shallow platter to catch the juices. Strain the braising liquids into a saucepan, reserving the pancetta and garlic and discard the spent aromatics. With a wide spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the braising liquid, and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the consistency is right. Test and add salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, make the garlic paste and mince the pancetta: Squeeze the garlic from the cloves into a small bowl. Smash into a paste using the tines of a fork. With your hands, pull apart the pancetta. You can keep or toss the fatty part of the pancetta. Add the shredded pancetta to the simmering sauce.
Serve with some sauce over each piece and a bit of the garlic paste.
How I did it: I’ve never been able to pull off the parchment bit of the braise recipes, so I just seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on that.
I caught a bit of a stomach virus from one of the drooling kids. It happens, but it’s annoying. This too shall pass, but I don’t feel like eating, much less cooking. So, here is a recipe from the past. I don’t know when I made it, except it was in 2010. It was really good, but that’s the only note I have on it. This takes a long time because it marinates for 24-36 hours, then is slow cooked at a low-ish temperature.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta
(long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
All about Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 260
The marinade:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 oz total), coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, cut crosswise in half
2 bay leaves
two 3-inch leafy rosemary sprigs
½ tsp black peppercorns
one 750 ml bottle fruity dry red wine (like Valpolicella or Chianti)
one 3 ½ to 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
coarse salt
24-36 hours before:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and sauté, stirring intermittently, until the vegetables are tinged with brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and peppercorns. Pour the wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the wine with the essences of the vegetables. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Using kitchen twine or string, tie the roast into a neat package. Season all over with 1 tsp coarse salt. Put the roast into a gallon zip bag and place in large dish. Cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning once.
For the Braise:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grappa or brandy
1 cup beef stock
½ pound pancetta in one piece, about 1 inch thick
freshly ground pepper
Heat the oven to 300˚. Remove the roast from the marinade and place on a rack set over a platter to drain. Reserve the marinade. Pour any drips from the meat back into the marinade and set aside. Wipe the meat thoroughly with paper towels. If it’s damp, it won’t brown properly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the meat and sear it on all sides, using tongs to turn it, until mahogany in color. Because of the wine, the sear will be darker than usual. Transfer the meat to a 3 or 4 quart Dutch oven or heavy lidded casserole.
Pour most of the fat from the skillet and discard. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towels if it appears burnt at all, but if there are any taste looking brown bits, be careful to leave those behind. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and carefully pour in the brandy or grappa (it may ignite, so stand back). Bring to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to about 2 T, about 3-4 minutes. Strain the marinade into the skillet, reserving the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Boil the marinade until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and boil again to reduce down by half, another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tuck the chunk of pancetta under or alongside the roast. Scatter over the reserved vegetables and seasonings, and reach in and push some vegetables under the roast as well. Pour the reduced braising liquid over the roast and cover the pot with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so the paper almost touches the meat and the edges extend about 1 inch over the sides of the pot. After the first 15 minutes, check to see that the liquid isn’t simmering too furiously. If it is, lower the over temperature 10 or 15 degrees. Roast until fork tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Lift the beef from the braising liquid, using a slotted spatula to support it so it doesn’t fall apart, and transfer it to a shallow platter to catch the juices. Strain the braising liquids into a saucepan, reserving the pancetta and garlic and discard the spent aromatics. With a wide spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the braising liquid, and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the consistency is right. Test and add salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, make the garlic paste and mince the pancetta: Squeeze the garlic from the cloves into a small bowl. Smash into a paste using the tines of a fork. With your hands, pull apart the pancetta. You can keep or toss the fatty part of the pancetta. Add the shredded pancetta to the simmering sauce.
Serve with some sauce over each piece and a bit of the garlic paste.
How I did it: I’ve never been able to pull off the parchment bit of the braise recipes, so I just seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on that.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Rice with salmon-colored lentils and vegetables
July 19, 2010
My stomach hurt all day today so the thought of food was just not appealing. I rearranged the plan and went for something lighter.
Rice with salmon lentils and vegetables
masoor dhal khicheri with vegetables, Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 100
masoor dhal are salmon colored lentils
khicheri is rice cooked with lentils or legumes
The garlic puree and ginger puree are available at the Indian market
You can substitute bay leaves for the curry leaves
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup masoor dhal (salmon colored lentils)
2 T corn oil
4-6 curry leaves (substitute bay leaves)
¼ tsp mixed mustard seeds and onion seeds
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp garlic pulp
½ tsp tumeric
1 medium carrot, diced
2 oz shelled peas
2 oz green beans, sliced into short lengths
salt to taste
1 T chopped cilantro
Rinse the rice and lentils. Set aside in a bowl and cover with water. Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy bottomed pan over medium high. Add the curry leaves, mustard and onion seeds, and onion. Fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
Lower the heat and add the ginger, garlic, tumeric, carrot, peas, green beans and salt to taste. Drain the water from the lentils and rice and add to the spiced onion mixture. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add 4 cups water. Stir gently and add the cilantro. When the water begins to boil, lower heat, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Leave to stand off the heat, still covered for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with additional cilantro.
How I did it: I added more carrots, peas, beans than called for. I used olive oil instead of corn oil, which may have affected the flavor.
Things I’ll change for next time: The vegetables were really good, but the rice didn’t absorb the spices. Next time, I’ll use fresh ginger and fresh garlic instead of the pastes. I haven’t been overly fond of the results of any of the recipes I’ve used the ginger puree in. I’d use more lentils and less rice.
This got better as the week progressed. The rice picked up more of the spices.
My stomach hurt all day today so the thought of food was just not appealing. I rearranged the plan and went for something lighter.
Rice with salmon lentils and vegetables
masoor dhal khicheri with vegetables, Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 100
masoor dhal are salmon colored lentils
khicheri is rice cooked with lentils or legumes
The garlic puree and ginger puree are available at the Indian market
You can substitute bay leaves for the curry leaves
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup masoor dhal (salmon colored lentils)
2 T corn oil
4-6 curry leaves (substitute bay leaves)
¼ tsp mixed mustard seeds and onion seeds
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp garlic pulp
½ tsp tumeric
1 medium carrot, diced
2 oz shelled peas
2 oz green beans, sliced into short lengths
salt to taste
1 T chopped cilantro
Rinse the rice and lentils. Set aside in a bowl and cover with water. Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy bottomed pan over medium high. Add the curry leaves, mustard and onion seeds, and onion. Fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
Lower the heat and add the ginger, garlic, tumeric, carrot, peas, green beans and salt to taste. Drain the water from the lentils and rice and add to the spiced onion mixture. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add 4 cups water. Stir gently and add the cilantro. When the water begins to boil, lower heat, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Leave to stand off the heat, still covered for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with additional cilantro.
How I did it: I added more carrots, peas, beans than called for. I used olive oil instead of corn oil, which may have affected the flavor.
Things I’ll change for next time: The vegetables were really good, but the rice didn’t absorb the spices. Next time, I’ll use fresh ginger and fresh garlic instead of the pastes. I haven’t been overly fond of the results of any of the recipes I’ve used the ginger puree in. I’d use more lentils and less rice.
This got better as the week progressed. The rice picked up more of the spices.
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
July 21, 2010
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
Gourmet’s Five ingredients, pg 55
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 ¼ pounds chicken cutlets
¼ cup chopped, fresh, flat leaf parsley
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry capers, stirring, until slightly crisp and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Add parsley and lemon juice to the skillet and simmer over moderately high heat for one minute, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over chicken and top with capers.
How I did it: Whole foods didn’t have chicken cutlets, so I used a whole breast. After browning on both sides, I covered the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until done.
I didn’t dry the capers and splattered hot oil all over the cookbook and the stove. OOPS.
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
Gourmet’s Five ingredients, pg 55
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 ¼ pounds chicken cutlets
¼ cup chopped, fresh, flat leaf parsley
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry capers, stirring, until slightly crisp and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Add parsley and lemon juice to the skillet and simmer over moderately high heat for one minute, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over chicken and top with capers.
How I did it: Whole foods didn’t have chicken cutlets, so I used a whole breast. After browning on both sides, I covered the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until done.
I didn’t dry the capers and splattered hot oil all over the cookbook and the stove. OOPS.
Steak au poivre with mustard sauce
July 20, 2010
Steak au poivre with mustard sauce
Simple to Spectacular by Jean- Georges Vongerichten & Mark Gittman, pg 276
1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless ribeye or sirloin steaks, about 1” thick
salt
4 T cracked black pepper, more or less
2 T butter
2 T neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 T cognac
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy cream
Sprinkle the steaks with salt and press about 1 tsp of pepper into each side of the steaks. Put the butter and oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet and turn the heat to medium high. When the butter melts, turn the heat to high and add the steaks. Cook until almost done, 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare. Turn off the heat and transfer the steaks to a warm platter in the oven.
Add the cognac to the pan, turn the heat to low and stir, then add the mustard and cream. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the sauce and turn once or twice. Serve.
How I did it: I used the only boneless steak that Trader Joe’s had that day. They were small sirloins. I pounded them between waxed paper for a bit. Everything I was serving with the steaks (steamed Swiss chard, broiled asparagus) is very quick cooking so it all had to be done at once. I didn’t have cognac and I don’t use cream, so I didn’t do the sauce as described. I melted butter in a sauce pan, added white wine and Dijon mustard. It was thin, but decent.
The steaks turned out really nice. They were fabulous. The sauce was good enough (would have been fabulous if I could have used the cream!)
Steak au poivre with mustard sauce
Simple to Spectacular by Jean- Georges Vongerichten & Mark Gittman, pg 276
1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless ribeye or sirloin steaks, about 1” thick
salt
4 T cracked black pepper, more or less
2 T butter
2 T neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 T cognac
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy cream
Sprinkle the steaks with salt and press about 1 tsp of pepper into each side of the steaks. Put the butter and oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet and turn the heat to medium high. When the butter melts, turn the heat to high and add the steaks. Cook until almost done, 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare. Turn off the heat and transfer the steaks to a warm platter in the oven.
Add the cognac to the pan, turn the heat to low and stir, then add the mustard and cream. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the sauce and turn once or twice. Serve.
How I did it: I used the only boneless steak that Trader Joe’s had that day. They were small sirloins. I pounded them between waxed paper for a bit. Everything I was serving with the steaks (steamed Swiss chard, broiled asparagus) is very quick cooking so it all had to be done at once. I didn’t have cognac and I don’t use cream, so I didn’t do the sauce as described. I melted butter in a sauce pan, added white wine and Dijon mustard. It was thin, but decent.
The steaks turned out really nice. They were fabulous. The sauce was good enough (would have been fabulous if I could have used the cream!)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Jalapeno-peach turkey breast
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Today is the third Saturday which means I work in at the thrift store in the morning. It went well, but I forgot to eat breakfast before I went. Needless to say, I was starving by the time we were done at noon. I beat-feet to Mac’s and ate there, but… it’s Saturday, so I also had wine. Then a friend showed up and we talked and drank, drank and talked.
Then I went grocery shopping for the turkey breast for the bbq. Whole Foods Market had one when I was there on Wednesday, so I figured I’d be safe picking one up today. I had to make a few concessions since they didn’t have the fresh ones any longer. The one I bought was semi-frozen. I hadn’t reread the recipe in a couple of days and I knew I’d be forgetting things and coming back, but I shopped anyway.
I didn’t need to get that many things on the second trip, just wood chips for the bbq. I should have picked up some more jalapeños, but didn’t.
Then I came home, put the turkey on to marinate (that was at about 4PM) and took a nap. I need a hobby. Saturdays are just too long if you don’t have anything to do.
Here’s a reminder: read the entire recipe before starting. The turkey had to marinate for 3-6 hours. After not letting the steak marinate long enough on the 6th, I wasn’t going to short the time for the turkey. So, this turned into a two day event.
This recipe calls for 1 cup of peach preserves, but the recipe for peach preserves is: peaches and sugar, cook until syrupy. So, I adjusted the recipe to accommodate that.
Jalapeño-peach turkey breast
Weber’s Big Book of Barbeque, Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae, pg 270
For the marinade:
1 T black peppercorns
1 T cumin seeds
1 T chili powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried sage
1 tsp granulated garlic
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 turkey breast, 4-5 pounds, bone in.
For the Jam:
6 firm, ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
1 cup peach preserves
2/3 cup peach juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 T cider vinegar
4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
Mesquite chunks for grilling, soaked in water at least 30 minutes.
For the Paste: Toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Combine the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a spice mill and grind into a coarse powder. Add the remaining herbs and the lime juice and oil, mix into a paste.
Rinse the turkey and pat dry, place in a gallon sized resealable bag and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
For the jam: In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the peaches, preserves, sugar, and peach juice. Cook over medium-low heat until the peaches are cooked and the juice is thick, about 30-40 minutes. (Allow to cool, and puree in a food processor if desired). Add the cilantro, jalapeños and cider vinegar
Grill over indirect heat for 1-1 ½ hours or until temperature reaches 170° degrees. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.
How I did it: I took two days to make this because I didn’t get started early enough on Saturday and Sunday I had to read the book for book club and didn’t want to risk not getting that finished, since I’m the moderator.
This could easily be done in one day, throw on the marinade in the morning, then make the jam while the turkey bbqs.
Since the recipe for making peach preserves is so simple, I blanched, peeled and chopped twelve peaches. There was enough peach juice that I didn’t need to add any extra. I cooked six of them with one cup of sugar for about 20 minutes, added the remaining peaches (no additional sugar) and cooked until thick, another 20 minutes. I added the cilantro and jalapeños to the jam for the last 10 minutes. I wanted the flavors to blend more. I only had one fresh jalapeño, so I used a handful of pickled jalapeños. It was good with fewer jalapeños. The sweetness balanced the spiciness of the marinade.
For the paste: I think my granulated garlic is about 20 years old. I smelled it and couldn’t really smell anything, so I used about 1 T of garlic paste instead. It seemed to work well.
I used a boneless turkey breast and decreased the cooking time. I started them skin side down, for 20 minutes, turned them over for 20 minutes, then checked the temp. The smaller of the two breasts was done, but the larger breast needed about 10 more minutes.
During the last 10 minutes, I threw some asparagus on the grill (spray with olive oil). I served the turkey with steamed greens, asparagus and topped the turkey with the jam.
I manage to actually cook the turkey right. I didn’t burn it and the center was actually cooked. I think this is a first, which is good because that turkey breast cost me $36 at Whole Food. I would have been pissed if I’d ruined it.
Today is the third Saturday which means I work in at the thrift store in the morning. It went well, but I forgot to eat breakfast before I went. Needless to say, I was starving by the time we were done at noon. I beat-feet to Mac’s and ate there, but… it’s Saturday, so I also had wine. Then a friend showed up and we talked and drank, drank and talked.
Then I went grocery shopping for the turkey breast for the bbq. Whole Foods Market had one when I was there on Wednesday, so I figured I’d be safe picking one up today. I had to make a few concessions since they didn’t have the fresh ones any longer. The one I bought was semi-frozen. I hadn’t reread the recipe in a couple of days and I knew I’d be forgetting things and coming back, but I shopped anyway.
I didn’t need to get that many things on the second trip, just wood chips for the bbq. I should have picked up some more jalapeños, but didn’t.
Then I came home, put the turkey on to marinate (that was at about 4PM) and took a nap. I need a hobby. Saturdays are just too long if you don’t have anything to do.
Here’s a reminder: read the entire recipe before starting. The turkey had to marinate for 3-6 hours. After not letting the steak marinate long enough on the 6th, I wasn’t going to short the time for the turkey. So, this turned into a two day event.
This recipe calls for 1 cup of peach preserves, but the recipe for peach preserves is: peaches and sugar, cook until syrupy. So, I adjusted the recipe to accommodate that.
Jalapeño-peach turkey breast
Weber’s Big Book of Barbeque, Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae, pg 270
For the marinade:
1 T black peppercorns
1 T cumin seeds
1 T chili powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried sage
1 tsp granulated garlic
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 turkey breast, 4-5 pounds, bone in.
For the Jam:
6 firm, ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
1 cup peach preserves
2/3 cup peach juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 T cider vinegar
4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
Mesquite chunks for grilling, soaked in water at least 30 minutes.
For the Paste: Toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Combine the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a spice mill and grind into a coarse powder. Add the remaining herbs and the lime juice and oil, mix into a paste.
Rinse the turkey and pat dry, place in a gallon sized resealable bag and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
For the jam: In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the peaches, preserves, sugar, and peach juice. Cook over medium-low heat until the peaches are cooked and the juice is thick, about 30-40 minutes. (Allow to cool, and puree in a food processor if desired). Add the cilantro, jalapeños and cider vinegar
Grill over indirect heat for 1-1 ½ hours or until temperature reaches 170° degrees. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.
How I did it: I took two days to make this because I didn’t get started early enough on Saturday and Sunday I had to read the book for book club and didn’t want to risk not getting that finished, since I’m the moderator.
This could easily be done in one day, throw on the marinade in the morning, then make the jam while the turkey bbqs.
Since the recipe for making peach preserves is so simple, I blanched, peeled and chopped twelve peaches. There was enough peach juice that I didn’t need to add any extra. I cooked six of them with one cup of sugar for about 20 minutes, added the remaining peaches (no additional sugar) and cooked until thick, another 20 minutes. I added the cilantro and jalapeños to the jam for the last 10 minutes. I wanted the flavors to blend more. I only had one fresh jalapeño, so I used a handful of pickled jalapeños. It was good with fewer jalapeños. The sweetness balanced the spiciness of the marinade.
For the paste: I think my granulated garlic is about 20 years old. I smelled it and couldn’t really smell anything, so I used about 1 T of garlic paste instead. It seemed to work well.
I used a boneless turkey breast and decreased the cooking time. I started them skin side down, for 20 minutes, turned them over for 20 minutes, then checked the temp. The smaller of the two breasts was done, but the larger breast needed about 10 more minutes.
During the last 10 minutes, I threw some asparagus on the grill (spray with olive oil). I served the turkey with steamed greens, asparagus and topped the turkey with the jam.
I manage to actually cook the turkey right. I didn’t burn it and the center was actually cooked. I think this is a first, which is good because that turkey breast cost me $36 at Whole Food. I would have been pissed if I’d ruined it.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Leek risotto with lemon fish
Friday means happy hour at Mac's, so I wanted something fast and easy (cooking with wine--not in the food). This is ready in under 30 minutes.
Leek risotto with lemon fish
Flavors, by Donna Hay, pg 96
3 leeks, thinly sliced
5 cups or so of vegetable broth
*1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
2 T lemon juice
cracked black pepper
Lemon fish:
2 T lemon rind, shredded
2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 firm white fish fillets
2 T lemon juice
For the risotto: Heat the broth until simmering in a separate pan. Thinly slice the leeks and break into rings, heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the leeks for about 5 minutes, add the wine and the rice, sauté for 1 minute or until wine is absorbed. Add the broth, one ladle at a time until absorbed. Start the timer when the first ladle of broth is added. Cook for 18-22 minutes. Save one ladle of broth to add later.
For the fish: toward the end of the cooking cycle for the risotto, heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet , add the parlsey and lemon rind, sauté. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the lemon juice. Season with sea salt
When the risotto is finished, add the parmesan, black pepper, lemon juice and remaining ladle of broth. It should be a little soupy, not too soupy.
Serve in bowls with the fish on top.
How I did it: I used Mahi Mahi, skipped the pepper in the risotto, added wine to the risotto. The technique for the risotto (used here) is the one I learned years ago from Cooking up an Italian life, and it has served me well for all sorts of risotto. Tried and true and pretty easy.
Leek risotto with lemon fish
Flavors, by Donna Hay, pg 96
3 leeks, thinly sliced
5 cups or so of vegetable broth
*1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
2 T lemon juice
cracked black pepper
Lemon fish:
2 T lemon rind, shredded
2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 firm white fish fillets
2 T lemon juice
For the risotto: Heat the broth until simmering in a separate pan. Thinly slice the leeks and break into rings, heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the leeks for about 5 minutes, add the wine and the rice, sauté for 1 minute or until wine is absorbed. Add the broth, one ladle at a time until absorbed. Start the timer when the first ladle of broth is added. Cook for 18-22 minutes. Save one ladle of broth to add later.
For the fish: toward the end of the cooking cycle for the risotto, heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet , add the parlsey and lemon rind, sauté. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the lemon juice. Season with sea salt
When the risotto is finished, add the parmesan, black pepper, lemon juice and remaining ladle of broth. It should be a little soupy, not too soupy.
Serve in bowls with the fish on top.
How I did it: I used Mahi Mahi, skipped the pepper in the risotto, added wine to the risotto. The technique for the risotto (used here) is the one I learned years ago from Cooking up an Italian life, and it has served me well for all sorts of risotto. Tried and true and pretty easy.
North African Spiced Fish
I decided to go shopping between appointments today which threw off my routine. I had about 15 minutes before the next appointment and I was getting a hungry so I went to Carl’s Jr and got a bun-less burger (actually a menu item). Well, that means I won’t be hungry for dinner (that was dinner). So, I didn’t cook when I got home. Keeping with new-found tradition, here is something I made recently.
June 13, 2010
This is pretty easy and very tasty. An easy dinner to make quickly.
North African Spiced Fish
Mediterranean Diet, pg 362
Half a large bunch of fresh cilantro
Half a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
1 T freshly ground cumin
1 T ground or crushed dried red chile pepper, or more to taste
1 T ground mild red paprika, or more to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 to 8 small salmon steaks
Chop together the cilantro and parsley to make one cup of finely minced herbs.
Crush the garlic with the salt to make a paste (use a mortar or back of a spoon). Combine the garlic, salt, minced herbs, cumin, chile, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice in a small saucepan or skillet. Set over medium heat and warm until hot but not boiling. Taste the mixture and adjust to taste.
Place the fish in a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Pour the warm marmalade over the fish and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for an hour or so, refrigerating if necessary.
When you’re ready to cook, set the over at 450 degrees.
Uncover the fish and transfer the dish, with the marinade to the oven.* Every five minutes or so, baste the fish with the marinade. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done.
*Do not put a cold glass or ceramic dish in a hot oven. Bring it to room temperature first or put it in a cold oven, before preheating the oven.
How I did it: I followed this recipe exactly. It was very good. I’ll make it again.
June 13, 2010
This is pretty easy and very tasty. An easy dinner to make quickly.
North African Spiced Fish
Mediterranean Diet, pg 362
Half a large bunch of fresh cilantro
Half a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
1 T freshly ground cumin
1 T ground or crushed dried red chile pepper, or more to taste
1 T ground mild red paprika, or more to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 to 8 small salmon steaks
Chop together the cilantro and parsley to make one cup of finely minced herbs.
Crush the garlic with the salt to make a paste (use a mortar or back of a spoon). Combine the garlic, salt, minced herbs, cumin, chile, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice in a small saucepan or skillet. Set over medium heat and warm until hot but not boiling. Taste the mixture and adjust to taste.
Place the fish in a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Pour the warm marmalade over the fish and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for an hour or so, refrigerating if necessary.
When you’re ready to cook, set the over at 450 degrees.
Uncover the fish and transfer the dish, with the marinade to the oven.* Every five minutes or so, baste the fish with the marinade. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done.
*Do not put a cold glass or ceramic dish in a hot oven. Bring it to room temperature first or put it in a cold oven, before preheating the oven.
How I did it: I followed this recipe exactly. It was very good. I’ll make it again.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Lebanese fish baked in a tomato-cilantro sauce (kousbariya)
I got home late and didn't really feel like cooking and my refrigerator is full!! So, I had left-overs before they go off. I hate wasting food to carelessness. So here is a recipe I made in June and, therefore, won't be revisited for at least a year.
This is yummy and pretty fast (the way I do it). I’ll keep this as a regular recipe.
Kousbariya (Lebanese Fish baked in a tomato-cilantro sauce)
The new Mediterranean Diet by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 370
2 pounds firm-textured white fish fillets such as cod, scrod, haddock or snapper
a little flour for dusting the fish
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 very ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped, or 4 whole canned tomatoes, drained and chopped.
1 T ground cumin
1 cup minced cilantro
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the fish into serving size pieces, about 1 inch thick. Lightly dust with flour Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet or sauce pan. When hot, add the fish and brown slightly.
When the fish is done, discard the oil and wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add 2 T olive oil and heat over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft but not brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have given off their juices and started to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the fish pieces in a shallow baking dish or gratin dish and cover them with the sauce. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the fish is done and the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.
How I did it: I skipped step one completely. I used tilapia and left the filets whole (just laid them flat in the pan and covered them with the sauce). I used canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped. Other than that, I followed the rest of the recipe.
It was terrific. I will definitely make this again.
This is yummy and pretty fast (the way I do it). I’ll keep this as a regular recipe.
Kousbariya (Lebanese Fish baked in a tomato-cilantro sauce)
The new Mediterranean Diet by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 370
2 pounds firm-textured white fish fillets such as cod, scrod, haddock or snapper
a little flour for dusting the fish
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 very ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped, or 4 whole canned tomatoes, drained and chopped.
1 T ground cumin
1 cup minced cilantro
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the fish into serving size pieces, about 1 inch thick. Lightly dust with flour Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet or sauce pan. When hot, add the fish and brown slightly.
When the fish is done, discard the oil and wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add 2 T olive oil and heat over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft but not brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have given off their juices and started to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the fish pieces in a shallow baking dish or gratin dish and cover them with the sauce. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the fish is done and the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.
How I did it: I skipped step one completely. I used tilapia and left the filets whole (just laid them flat in the pan and covered them with the sauce). I used canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped. Other than that, I followed the rest of the recipe.
It was terrific. I will definitely make this again.
Poached salmon in wine sauce
I wanted something fast and easy tonight, so I abandoned the scheduled meal and poached some salmon. I like having left-over salmon for salads or for a quick lunch with left-over quinoa or rice.
Poached salmon in wine sauce (home recipe)
1-2 pieces of salmon , 6-8 oz each
juice from one lemon
½ cup white wine
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T fresh dill, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 small lemon, thinly sliced
salt to taste
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet, when hot add the onion and sauté for about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the lemon juice (watch for splattering) and wine. Add the herbs and salt. Add enough water to cover the fish. Heat to simmering. Add the fish, skin side down if a fillet. Cover. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until fish is done.
If making a reduction sauce, drain the liquid. Scrape the pan. Add the liquid back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half. Add 1-2 T butter, whisk until melted. Continue cooking until reduced to ¼ of original amount.
What I would change: I’m not sure it needs butter at all and the water makes it harder to reduce. Consider adding parsley to the poaching liquid. It was very lemony. It would be better with more wine and less water.
I served it over quinoa with steamed kale. (start the kale before you begin cooking the fish).
This will make good left-over salmon for salads and it was pretty quick, about 20 minutes.
Poached salmon in wine sauce (home recipe)
1-2 pieces of salmon , 6-8 oz each
juice from one lemon
½ cup white wine
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T fresh dill, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 small lemon, thinly sliced
salt to taste
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet, when hot add the onion and sauté for about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the lemon juice (watch for splattering) and wine. Add the herbs and salt. Add enough water to cover the fish. Heat to simmering. Add the fish, skin side down if a fillet. Cover. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until fish is done.
If making a reduction sauce, drain the liquid. Scrape the pan. Add the liquid back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half. Add 1-2 T butter, whisk until melted. Continue cooking until reduced to ¼ of original amount.
What I would change: I’m not sure it needs butter at all and the water makes it harder to reduce. Consider adding parsley to the poaching liquid. It was very lemony. It would be better with more wine and less water.
I served it over quinoa with steamed kale. (start the kale before you begin cooking the fish).
This will make good left-over salmon for salads and it was pretty quick, about 20 minutes.
Ground turkey taco salad
The other day, I was binge shopping at Trader Joe’s and bought the lamb and some ground turkey. I used the lamb yesterday and decided I should probably use the turkey today before I forget and it goes off.
I looked up a recipe for ground chicken taco salad in Better Homes & Garden’s “Chicken” cookbook. It looked pretty good, but it called for an entire jar of salsa and chili powder. I didn’t want to use the last of my picante sauce and I don’t have any chili powder (lots and lots of chile powder but no chili. Chili powder has dried chiles, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Chile powder is just ground dried chiles.)
So I improvised a new recipe. The amounts for the spices are estimates. After the meat is cooked, check for spices.
Linna’s turkey (or chicken) taco salad
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
½ - 1 tsp pasilla chile powder (or ancho)
salt
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small can of diced chiles
1 T diced pimentos
½ cup Pace hot picante sauce
1 can of black beans
Mexican Rice (optional)
Lettuce, rinsed, dried and cut into pieces for a salad
Avocados (optional)
Olives (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Additional salsa (optional)
Heat a large skillet and add 1 T olive oil. When hot, add the onions and cumin seeds and sauté for about five minutes. Add garlic, chile powder, salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Push the onion and garlic to one side and add the additional 1 T of olive oil. Let heat for a minute or so. Add the ground turkey. Break up with a wooden spatula. Sauté, stirring frequently. When the meat is about half cooked, add the tomato, canned chiles, picante sauce and pimentos. Sauté until the meat is cooked through. Taste and adjust spices.
While that is cooking, drain the beans (reserve some of the liquid) and heat through. When heated, mash with a potato masher. Add liquid if needed to make a nice paste.
If you have any Mexican Rice, heat that. I’m still working on a recipe for that, but I improved my last attempt by adding more Pace Picante to it.
To assemble, scoop beans onto a plate, top with rice, add turkey mixture, surround with lettuce. Garnish with cheese, avocados, additional salsa, as you like.
Mexican Rice (work in progress)
1 cup long grain white rice
2 Cups water
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 T cumin seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
½ cup corn (optional)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. In the mean time, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skill. When toasty and fragrant, cool slightly and run through a spice mill until powdered. Add to the onions and garlic.
Add the rice to the onions and garlic, sauté for a minute until it glistens with oil (you might need to add a bit more oil to the pan). Add the two cups water and bring to a boil. When nearly all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, add the tomato. Cook until all the water is absorbed, total 15-20 minutes. Add salt, ½ tsp at a time, check seasonings.
Mine has been too bland (but last time I made it I forgot the garlic and didn’t toast the cumin or add the coriander, that might have had something to do with it).
Pace Hot Picante sauce can fix this if it’s not to your liking.
I looked up a recipe for ground chicken taco salad in Better Homes & Garden’s “Chicken” cookbook. It looked pretty good, but it called for an entire jar of salsa and chili powder. I didn’t want to use the last of my picante sauce and I don’t have any chili powder (lots and lots of chile powder but no chili. Chili powder has dried chiles, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Chile powder is just ground dried chiles.)
So I improvised a new recipe. The amounts for the spices are estimates. After the meat is cooked, check for spices.
Linna’s turkey (or chicken) taco salad
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
½ - 1 tsp pasilla chile powder (or ancho)
salt
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small can of diced chiles
1 T diced pimentos
½ cup Pace hot picante sauce
1 can of black beans
Mexican Rice (optional)
Lettuce, rinsed, dried and cut into pieces for a salad
Avocados (optional)
Olives (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Additional salsa (optional)
Heat a large skillet and add 1 T olive oil. When hot, add the onions and cumin seeds and sauté for about five minutes. Add garlic, chile powder, salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Push the onion and garlic to one side and add the additional 1 T of olive oil. Let heat for a minute or so. Add the ground turkey. Break up with a wooden spatula. Sauté, stirring frequently. When the meat is about half cooked, add the tomato, canned chiles, picante sauce and pimentos. Sauté until the meat is cooked through. Taste and adjust spices.
While that is cooking, drain the beans (reserve some of the liquid) and heat through. When heated, mash with a potato masher. Add liquid if needed to make a nice paste.
If you have any Mexican Rice, heat that. I’m still working on a recipe for that, but I improved my last attempt by adding more Pace Picante to it.
To assemble, scoop beans onto a plate, top with rice, add turkey mixture, surround with lettuce. Garnish with cheese, avocados, additional salsa, as you like.
Mexican Rice (work in progress)
1 cup long grain white rice
2 Cups water
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 T cumin seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
½ cup corn (optional)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. In the mean time, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skill. When toasty and fragrant, cool slightly and run through a spice mill until powdered. Add to the onions and garlic.
Add the rice to the onions and garlic, sauté for a minute until it glistens with oil (you might need to add a bit more oil to the pan). Add the two cups water and bring to a boil. When nearly all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, add the tomato. Cook until all the water is absorbed, total 15-20 minutes. Add salt, ½ tsp at a time, check seasonings.
Mine has been too bland (but last time I made it I forgot the garlic and didn’t toast the cumin or add the coriander, that might have had something to do with it).
Pace Hot Picante sauce can fix this if it’s not to your liking.
Lamb chops with grilled peppers, aromatic rice and peas
Lamb chops with grilled peppers
Weber’s Big Book of BBQ, pg 69
Marinade:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 lamb rib chops, abut 2 ounces each and ¾ inch thick
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 T extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Trim the chops. Cover the chops completely with the marinade (in a bag) and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
Start the briquettes about 25 minutes before grilling. Bring the lamb to room temperature.
Grill the peppers over hot coals. Store in a paper bag (or wax paper) to let the skin steam off. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the peppers and slice thinly.
Grill the lamb for 4-5 minutes on each side. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
How I did it: I didn’t grill the peppers because I didn’t have enough. I served it with aromatic rice (see below) and left-over asparagus.
Aromatic Rice with peas
Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain pg 126
2 cups basmasti rice
2 cardamom pods
¼ tsp black cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaf
½ tsp salt
3 oz shelled peas
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and leave to soak in fresh water.
Pour 3 cups water into a sauce pan and add the whole spices, followed by the salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and when the water begins to boil, reduce the heat. Drain the rice and add it to the water with the peas. Cover with a lid and cook over medium for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Let the rice stand off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve by slotted spoon.
How I did it: I didn’t have basmati rice so I used long grain white rice and cooked it how I’m used to, which is 2 parts water to one part rice. I think it needed more spice or my cardamom pods were too old. Maybe toasting the spices first would help, maybe add some garlic.
I managed to grill the lamb just right! Woo-hoo, 1st time!
All in all, pretty good.
Weber’s Big Book of BBQ, pg 69
Marinade:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 lamb rib chops, abut 2 ounces each and ¾ inch thick
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 T extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Trim the chops. Cover the chops completely with the marinade (in a bag) and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
Start the briquettes about 25 minutes before grilling. Bring the lamb to room temperature.
Grill the peppers over hot coals. Store in a paper bag (or wax paper) to let the skin steam off. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the peppers and slice thinly.
Grill the lamb for 4-5 minutes on each side. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
How I did it: I didn’t grill the peppers because I didn’t have enough. I served it with aromatic rice (see below) and left-over asparagus.
Aromatic Rice with peas
Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain pg 126
2 cups basmasti rice
2 cardamom pods
¼ tsp black cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaf
½ tsp salt
3 oz shelled peas
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and leave to soak in fresh water.
Pour 3 cups water into a sauce pan and add the whole spices, followed by the salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and when the water begins to boil, reduce the heat. Drain the rice and add it to the water with the peas. Cover with a lid and cook over medium for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Let the rice stand off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve by slotted spoon.
How I did it: I didn’t have basmati rice so I used long grain white rice and cooked it how I’m used to, which is 2 parts water to one part rice. I think it needed more spice or my cardamom pods were too old. Maybe toasting the spices first would help, maybe add some garlic.
I managed to grill the lamb just right! Woo-hoo, 1st time!
All in all, pretty good.
Turkish white beans in chile-tomato dressing
Turkish white beans in chile-tomato dressing with green peppers,
Peppers by Marlena Spieler, pg 58
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, diced or 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
salt to taste
pinch of sugar
1 small to medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 medium-hot fresh red chile, chopped fine
½ to 1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
juice and zest of ½ to 1 lemon
3-4 T extra-virgin olive oil
14 oz can of white beans, drained
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
Place the tomatoes in a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes reduce in volume to about ½ cup. Season with salt and sugar and leave to cool.
Combine the onion, chile, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, beans and green pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
Delicious. Pretty fast.
How I did it: I used canned, diced tomatoes and didn’t add sugar to them. I used two pickled hot red chiles, a whole red bell pepper and the juice/zest from a whole medium-sized lemon.
Next time, I’d cut the green bell peppers into bite size pieces to make them easier to eat and add more salt.
Peppers by Marlena Spieler, pg 58
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, diced or 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
salt to taste
pinch of sugar
1 small to medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 medium-hot fresh red chile, chopped fine
½ to 1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
juice and zest of ½ to 1 lemon
3-4 T extra-virgin olive oil
14 oz can of white beans, drained
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
Place the tomatoes in a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes reduce in volume to about ½ cup. Season with salt and sugar and leave to cool.
Combine the onion, chile, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, beans and green pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
Delicious. Pretty fast.
How I did it: I used canned, diced tomatoes and didn’t add sugar to them. I used two pickled hot red chiles, a whole red bell pepper and the juice/zest from a whole medium-sized lemon.
Next time, I’d cut the green bell peppers into bite size pieces to make them easier to eat and add more salt.
Pescado ala veracruzana
I had selected a Pescado Vera Cruz from Crème de Colorado (Junior League of Denver, pg 382), but I changed my mind. The recipe was simple and quick and would be fabulous on a day when you don’t have much time, but this is Friday and I have plenty of time to cook, so I wanted something more complex. And, I don’t cook in a microwave, just reheat or thaw. That's just me.
Here’s the original recipe.
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 T water
1 pound red snapper or orange roughy fillets
1 cup mild salsa
1 medium tomato, chopped
½ cup sliced olives
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Place onion on the bottom of an un-greased microwave dish. Add water and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes or until onions are crisp-tender. Place fish fillets on top of onions and cook covered for 4-5 minutes or until fish is done. Drain well. Spoon salsa, tomato and olives over fish. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes or until heated through.
Sounds good, but here are some thoughts on the recipe. Picante sauce is better than salsa for cooking. If you cook the fish completely before adding the salsa, etc, and then cook it more, it might overcook the fish. So, half way through the cooking time, add the sauce, tomatoes and olives, and continue cooking until the fish is done.
Here’s the recipe I actually used:
Pescado ala Veracruzana, internet www.Whats4eats.com
2 pounds white fish, red snapper is traditional
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp sea salt
2 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or stock
1/3 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
3 T chopped parsley
2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano would be best)
1 bay leaf
1 T chopped capers (optional)
2-3 pickled jalapeños, sliced into rounds (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
2-3 whole cloves
salt and pepper to taste*
Marinate the fish in lime juice and salt for 30-60 minutes.
While the fish is marinating, heat the oil over medium –high heat in a large pot or skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute.
Add remaining ingredients except for the fish, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes to meld flavors and reduce the sauce somewhat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the fish and cover with some of the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until fish is cooked through, 8-12 minutes. Serve with rice.
*The capers and olives will make the sauce salty so be careful with additional salt. Let the sauce simmer then add salt at the end.
How I did it:
I didn’t have green olives, so I used Kalamata. I didn’t have capers because I used the last of them last night. I added the remaining optional ingredients (except whole cloves. I forgot them, so I added a bit of ground cloves at the end). I used pickled jalapeños that my sister made and she adds red chiles to them. So, I added a couple of the pickled red chiles (cut the stem off, and chopped).
I washed two bunches of spinach and put them in the bottom of a baking dish (because I like it like that), placed the fish on top and added the sauce. Baked at 350˚ for 20 minutes. I wanted the fish to be whole and I don’t have a skillet large enough to fit the fillets without cutting them.
This was fabulous. I love the sauce! It would be great on beef or chicken or with added shrimp and seafood. It is so flavorful that you really don’t taste the fish, so use any white fish. I wouldn’t use swai because swai is very flavorful and is better used in dishes that you can taste the fish. Its flavor would be lost in this dish. I served it over left-over Mexican rice.
Here’s the original recipe.
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 T water
1 pound red snapper or orange roughy fillets
1 cup mild salsa
1 medium tomato, chopped
½ cup sliced olives
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Place onion on the bottom of an un-greased microwave dish. Add water and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes or until onions are crisp-tender. Place fish fillets on top of onions and cook covered for 4-5 minutes or until fish is done. Drain well. Spoon salsa, tomato and olives over fish. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes or until heated through.
Sounds good, but here are some thoughts on the recipe. Picante sauce is better than salsa for cooking. If you cook the fish completely before adding the salsa, etc, and then cook it more, it might overcook the fish. So, half way through the cooking time, add the sauce, tomatoes and olives, and continue cooking until the fish is done.
Here’s the recipe I actually used:
Pescado ala Veracruzana, internet www.Whats4eats.com
2 pounds white fish, red snapper is traditional
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp sea salt
2 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or stock
1/3 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
3 T chopped parsley
2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano would be best)
1 bay leaf
1 T chopped capers (optional)
2-3 pickled jalapeños, sliced into rounds (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
2-3 whole cloves
salt and pepper to taste*
Marinate the fish in lime juice and salt for 30-60 minutes.
While the fish is marinating, heat the oil over medium –high heat in a large pot or skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute.
Add remaining ingredients except for the fish, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes to meld flavors and reduce the sauce somewhat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the fish and cover with some of the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until fish is cooked through, 8-12 minutes. Serve with rice.
*The capers and olives will make the sauce salty so be careful with additional salt. Let the sauce simmer then add salt at the end.
How I did it:
I didn’t have green olives, so I used Kalamata. I didn’t have capers because I used the last of them last night. I added the remaining optional ingredients (except whole cloves. I forgot them, so I added a bit of ground cloves at the end). I used pickled jalapeños that my sister made and she adds red chiles to them. So, I added a couple of the pickled red chiles (cut the stem off, and chopped).
I washed two bunches of spinach and put them in the bottom of a baking dish (because I like it like that), placed the fish on top and added the sauce. Baked at 350˚ for 20 minutes. I wanted the fish to be whole and I don’t have a skillet large enough to fit the fillets without cutting them.
This was fabulous. I love the sauce! It would be great on beef or chicken or with added shrimp and seafood. It is so flavorful that you really don’t taste the fish, so use any white fish. I wouldn’t use swai because swai is very flavorful and is better used in dishes that you can taste the fish. Its flavor would be lost in this dish. I served it over left-over Mexican rice.
Baked fish fillets in an herb marinade
This is fast and easy after the marinating is done and if you already have the harissa. Prep the marinade before work and cook it when you get home, takes about 20 minutes that way.
There are two things you need to have prepared before you begin this recipe: Harissa and preserved lemons. You can substitute fresh lemon and salt for the preserved lemons but you definitely need the harissa.
To preserve lemons: Sterilize a quart jar. Clean a lot of lemons, cut them along the axis but do not complete the cut, leave about 1/2 inch at the stem of the lemon, turn a quarter and repeat so they are quartered but connected. Separate the lemon and pack it with sea salt, then squeeze it back together. Do this with all the lemons, squeeze tightly to release a lot of juice. Pack the lemons into the jar and cover with juice. Add 1/3 cup of salt. Add extra lemon juice if needed. Wipe the rim and seal tightly. Every couple of days, invert the jar so the lemon/salt juice covers the fruit. Do this for about three weeks. Store in the refrigerator after that. To use, you can separate the pith and pulp from the peel (for this recipe, I used the all parts of the lemon).
If you don’t want to postpone using this recipe for three weeks, use three tablespoons or so of lemon zest and add salt to taste.
Harissa (North African hot sauce): The recipe for harissa frightened me when I first read it, all those chilies! But, it’s not as hot as it sounds. Or maybe that’s just me. I got all of the chilies at Food City. I needed one small very hot chile and they only sold them in bags. I have about 30 now. They'll probably last my lifetime.
12 medium-hot dried chilies (Anaheim or New Mexico)
2 hot dried chilies (pasilla or ancho)
1 very hot dried chili (arbol)
2 T coriander seeds
1 T cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
sea salt
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Rinse the chilies in hot water, cut off the ends and shake the seeds loose. Set the chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Set a plate on top to keep the chilies weighted down and under water.
Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic. Pour into a spice mill with a pinch of salt or grind with a mortar and pestle into a fine powder. Add the chopped garlic and pound into a paste.
Drain the chilies and discard most of the seeds and membranes. Using a spoon, scrape the softened pulp into the mortar. Pound with a pestle to make a coarse paste. Pound in about ¼ cup oil, 1 T at a time. Taste and add salt as desired. Or put the seed powder and chili pulp in a food processor, turn to puree and drizzle in the ¼ cup oil until it makes a paste. Store in the refrigerator.
Baked Fish fillets in an herb marinade
The Mediterranean Diet, pg 382
3 T finely minced flat leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
1 small yellow onion
half a salt preserved lemon (see above)
½ tsp harissa (or more to taste)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds halibut fillets at least ½ inch thick
2 T dry white wine
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
freshly ground pepper
Combine the parsley, bay leaf, clove, onion, lemon, harissa and 1 T oil in a food processor and make a paste. Taste and add more harissa if needed. Place the fillets in a deep baking dish, cover with the marinade and sprinkle with wine. Let marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, bring the dish to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400. Add 1 T oil to the baking dish, top with capers and black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the coating is sizzling and the fish is done. Serve immediately.
How I did it: I used the food processor for the harissa and the marinade. I added a lot more harissa than the recipe called for. I just kept tasting until I liked it better. The sauce intensifies after the capers are added and it baked so don’t over salt it. I used swai instead of halibut. Swai is a great tasting fish and is rapidly becoming my favorite. I get it at Albertson’s.
There are two things you need to have prepared before you begin this recipe: Harissa and preserved lemons. You can substitute fresh lemon and salt for the preserved lemons but you definitely need the harissa.
To preserve lemons: Sterilize a quart jar. Clean a lot of lemons, cut them along the axis but do not complete the cut, leave about 1/2 inch at the stem of the lemon, turn a quarter and repeat so they are quartered but connected. Separate the lemon and pack it with sea salt, then squeeze it back together. Do this with all the lemons, squeeze tightly to release a lot of juice. Pack the lemons into the jar and cover with juice. Add 1/3 cup of salt. Add extra lemon juice if needed. Wipe the rim and seal tightly. Every couple of days, invert the jar so the lemon/salt juice covers the fruit. Do this for about three weeks. Store in the refrigerator after that. To use, you can separate the pith and pulp from the peel (for this recipe, I used the all parts of the lemon).
If you don’t want to postpone using this recipe for three weeks, use three tablespoons or so of lemon zest and add salt to taste.
Harissa (North African hot sauce): The recipe for harissa frightened me when I first read it, all those chilies! But, it’s not as hot as it sounds. Or maybe that’s just me. I got all of the chilies at Food City. I needed one small very hot chile and they only sold them in bags. I have about 30 now. They'll probably last my lifetime.
12 medium-hot dried chilies (Anaheim or New Mexico)
2 hot dried chilies (pasilla or ancho)
1 very hot dried chili (arbol)
2 T coriander seeds
1 T cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
sea salt
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Rinse the chilies in hot water, cut off the ends and shake the seeds loose. Set the chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Set a plate on top to keep the chilies weighted down and under water.
Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic. Pour into a spice mill with a pinch of salt or grind with a mortar and pestle into a fine powder. Add the chopped garlic and pound into a paste.
Drain the chilies and discard most of the seeds and membranes. Using a spoon, scrape the softened pulp into the mortar. Pound with a pestle to make a coarse paste. Pound in about ¼ cup oil, 1 T at a time. Taste and add salt as desired. Or put the seed powder and chili pulp in a food processor, turn to puree and drizzle in the ¼ cup oil until it makes a paste. Store in the refrigerator.
Baked Fish fillets in an herb marinade
The Mediterranean Diet, pg 382
3 T finely minced flat leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
1 small yellow onion
half a salt preserved lemon (see above)
½ tsp harissa (or more to taste)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds halibut fillets at least ½ inch thick
2 T dry white wine
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
freshly ground pepper
Combine the parsley, bay leaf, clove, onion, lemon, harissa and 1 T oil in a food processor and make a paste. Taste and add more harissa if needed. Place the fillets in a deep baking dish, cover with the marinade and sprinkle with wine. Let marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, bring the dish to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400. Add 1 T oil to the baking dish, top with capers and black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the coating is sizzling and the fish is done. Serve immediately.
How I did it: I used the food processor for the harissa and the marinade. I added a lot more harissa than the recipe called for. I just kept tasting until I liked it better. The sauce intensifies after the capers are added and it baked so don’t over salt it. I used swai instead of halibut. Swai is a great tasting fish and is rapidly becoming my favorite. I get it at Albertson’s.
Olive stuffed chicken breasts with almonds
I've made this for many years and I didn't realize how much I'd strayed from the recipe until I read it again for this project. Below is the original recipe, followed by mine.
Olive Stuffed chicken breasts with almonds
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 50
4 boneless chicken breast halves (with skin)
1 cup brine-cured green olives, pitted and chopped
2 T unsalted butter
¼ cup whole almonds with skin (chopped)
2 T chopped flat parsley
Pat the chicken dry. Cut a 2” slit in the thickest part of the chicken. Stuff each breast with ½ tsp. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 T butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, toast the almonds, stirring frequently until browned (5-8 minutes). Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Do not clean skillet.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken breasts, skin side down and sprinkle with remaining olives. Sauté chicken breasts until skins are golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over and cook covered, over medium heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes, then transfer to plates.
While the chicken is cooking, chop almonds. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and 3 T water to the pan and heat until butter is melted. Stir in almonds, parsley, and black pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken.
How I did it: I had a very large chicken breast and tenderloin. I cut the breast a bit more to make it butterflied.
1 chicken breast butterflied
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 T pine nuts
2 T feta or goat cheese, crumbled
2 T chopped olives
Thyme
Sea Salt
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Transfer to a cutting board. Chop coarsely. Add ghee or butter to the skillet. Melt over medium-high heat. Combine the chopped pine nuts, chopped olives and feta (or goat) cheese. Open the chicken breast, flat, season with salt on both sides, and thyme, outside only. Fill the chicken breast with the olive-nut-cheese mix and fold over and tie. Cook in the melted butter about five minutes on each side, covered.
I didn’t realize how my recipe or my memory of the recipe had changed over the years until I wrote it down. I like the butter and thyme because it makes a very tasty combination. Today I made it with crumbled goat cheese instead of feta, which made it milder. I use whatever olives are handy. Today I used kalamata, but I’ve made it with green olives and that changes the flavor. I like pine nuts, but I’ve made it with almonds before. I think it would be good with cashews. I wonder how sun-dried tomatoes would be with it?
I served it with left-over greens from yesterday and left-over lentil salad from Sunday. I kept half of the breast for lunch tomorrow (like I said, it was huge!)
My refrigerator is getting full again. I have left-over everything. Tuna from yesterday, salmon and lentil salad from Sunday, skirt steak and charro beans from Monday. This is why the plan doesn’t work for me. I need to embrace that the goal is to not repeat a recipe, but I don’t have to cook every day.
I am trying to make mustard. I’ve soaked the seeds in wine and I started crushing them with the vinegar today. I’m using a mortar and pestle and not getting too far, except my hand hurts.
Olive Stuffed chicken breasts with almonds
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 50
4 boneless chicken breast halves (with skin)
1 cup brine-cured green olives, pitted and chopped
2 T unsalted butter
¼ cup whole almonds with skin (chopped)
2 T chopped flat parsley
Pat the chicken dry. Cut a 2” slit in the thickest part of the chicken. Stuff each breast with ½ tsp. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 T butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, toast the almonds, stirring frequently until browned (5-8 minutes). Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Do not clean skillet.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken breasts, skin side down and sprinkle with remaining olives. Sauté chicken breasts until skins are golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over and cook covered, over medium heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes, then transfer to plates.
While the chicken is cooking, chop almonds. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and 3 T water to the pan and heat until butter is melted. Stir in almonds, parsley, and black pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken.
How I did it: I had a very large chicken breast and tenderloin. I cut the breast a bit more to make it butterflied.
1 chicken breast butterflied
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 T pine nuts
2 T feta or goat cheese, crumbled
2 T chopped olives
Thyme
Sea Salt
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Transfer to a cutting board. Chop coarsely. Add ghee or butter to the skillet. Melt over medium-high heat. Combine the chopped pine nuts, chopped olives and feta (or goat) cheese. Open the chicken breast, flat, season with salt on both sides, and thyme, outside only. Fill the chicken breast with the olive-nut-cheese mix and fold over and tie. Cook in the melted butter about five minutes on each side, covered.
I didn’t realize how my recipe or my memory of the recipe had changed over the years until I wrote it down. I like the butter and thyme because it makes a very tasty combination. Today I made it with crumbled goat cheese instead of feta, which made it milder. I use whatever olives are handy. Today I used kalamata, but I’ve made it with green olives and that changes the flavor. I like pine nuts, but I’ve made it with almonds before. I think it would be good with cashews. I wonder how sun-dried tomatoes would be with it?
I served it with left-over greens from yesterday and left-over lentil salad from Sunday. I kept half of the breast for lunch tomorrow (like I said, it was huge!)
My refrigerator is getting full again. I have left-over everything. Tuna from yesterday, salmon and lentil salad from Sunday, skirt steak and charro beans from Monday. This is why the plan doesn’t work for me. I need to embrace that the goal is to not repeat a recipe, but I don’t have to cook every day.
I am trying to make mustard. I’ve soaked the seeds in wine and I started crushing them with the vinegar today. I’m using a mortar and pestle and not getting too far, except my hand hurts.
Grilled tuna with sun dried tomatoes and olives
Tuesday July 6, 2010
Tuesdays are hard for me for cooking because I start the day late, have a late lunch and am not hungry until later in the evening. So, I have two options: cook early-before work, or cook late when I'm hungry. Or, I suppose, I could put on something slow cooking in the morning so by the time I’m hungry, it’s ready. Hmm.
The tuna can be cooked on the grill, under the broiler or on a grill pan.
The sauce would make a great marinade!
Grilled tuna with sun-dried tomatoes and olives
Williams Sonoma Food and Wine Pairing, pg 78
¼ cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup chopped pitted Niçoise olives
¼ cup chopped fresh mint or thyme
2 tsp minced garlic
4 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
4 tuna fillets
Start the briquettes or heat the grill or broiler. Use 1 T of the oil to coat the tuna, season with salt and pepper.
Combine the tomatoes, olives mint or thyme, garlic, 3 T olive oil, lemon juice, 2 T oil from the tomatoes in a bowl to make the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the tuna about three or four minutes on each side. Do not overcook.
How I did it: I broiled the tuna but I think it would be better on the grill pan. It was well done and I’d prefer it less done than that. It was very fast and very tasty.
Just before I began the recipe, I started the greens. Dice ½ small onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, sauté in a bit of olive oil. Wash the greens (chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, not kale) and slice into 1” pieces. Add the damp greens to the pan with the onions and garlic. Cover and cook for one minute, then turn off the heat and let steam. Start the tuna. While it cooks, make the sauce.
Serve: place a heap of greens on a plate, top with the tuna and sauce.
Yum.
Tuesdays are hard for me for cooking because I start the day late, have a late lunch and am not hungry until later in the evening. So, I have two options: cook early-before work, or cook late when I'm hungry. Or, I suppose, I could put on something slow cooking in the morning so by the time I’m hungry, it’s ready. Hmm.
The tuna can be cooked on the grill, under the broiler or on a grill pan.
The sauce would make a great marinade!
Grilled tuna with sun-dried tomatoes and olives
Williams Sonoma Food and Wine Pairing, pg 78
¼ cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup chopped pitted Niçoise olives
¼ cup chopped fresh mint or thyme
2 tsp minced garlic
4 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
4 tuna fillets
Start the briquettes or heat the grill or broiler. Use 1 T of the oil to coat the tuna, season with salt and pepper.
Combine the tomatoes, olives mint or thyme, garlic, 3 T olive oil, lemon juice, 2 T oil from the tomatoes in a bowl to make the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the tuna about three or four minutes on each side. Do not overcook.
How I did it: I broiled the tuna but I think it would be better on the grill pan. It was well done and I’d prefer it less done than that. It was very fast and very tasty.
Just before I began the recipe, I started the greens. Dice ½ small onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, sauté in a bit of olive oil. Wash the greens (chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, not kale) and slice into 1” pieces. Add the damp greens to the pan with the onions and garlic. Cover and cook for one minute, then turn off the heat and let steam. Start the tuna. While it cooks, make the sauce.
Serve: place a heap of greens on a plate, top with the tuna and sauce.
Yum.
Mexican flank steak with jicama-orange salad, charro beans, Mexican rice
Monday July 5, 2010
I took the day off. So, I had time to cook more. I didn’t use the time wisely, but it was there. Oops.
Mexican Flank Steak with Jicama-orange salad
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 119
For the Rub:
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 Flank Steak, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, about ¾ inch thick.
For the Dressing:
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp minced Serrano chile, with seeds
1 small red onion, cut cross-wise into ½ inch slices
2 cups jicama, cut into matchsticks
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
To make a rub: in a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients.
Trim the steak of any surface fat. Press the rub into both sides of the steak. Cover the steak with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Lightly brush or spray the onion slices with olive oil. Grill over Direct Medium heat until well marked and tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once during grilling time.
Remove from the grill and chop into ½ inch pieces.
Place the onion in a medium bowl and add the jicama and orange segments. Pour in the dressing, toss with two forks, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Allow the steak to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Brush or spray both sides of the steak with oil and season with salt. Grill over Direct Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 145˚ for medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Turning once halfway trough grilling time. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into diagonal slices.
How I did it: I didn’t make the salad because a woodpecker ate the oranges off my trees, so no comment there.
I got distracted (that would be going to Mac’s and drinking) and didn’t get the rub on the meat to let it marinate (season?) long enough. I used a skirt steak because the market didn't have a flank steak. It is really important to let it marinate for more than three hours. The meat was not as tasty as I would have liked. I’ll try the rub on other meats and see if it’s the rub or that I didn’t let it marinate long enough.
I served it with Charro beans and Mexican Rice.I love these beans. Pinto beans don’t sit well with me, so next time I’ll try it with cannellini or great northern beans.
Charro Beans with Blackened Tomatoes
Tacos by Mark Miller, pg 36
1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
3 cloves garlic
1 small white onion, halved
6 ½ cups water
2 T olive oil (preferably Spanish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, dry roasted*
1 pound tomatoes, blackened** and cut into ¼ inch dice
1 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp chipotle puree***
½ tsp smoked salt
¼ tsp dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground
1 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves
soft yellow corn tortillas for serving
To cook the beans: In a large pot, simmer the beans, garlic, ½ onion and the water over medium-low heat, partially covered until the beans are very soft and almost falling apart. After the beans are cooked, drain the liquid and return the liquid to a sauce pan. Simmer to reduce until it is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the chiles and tomatoes are blackening (see notes below), chop the ½ onion into ¼ inch dice. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they begin to carmelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Don’t let the garlic brown.
Return the beans to a large pot, add the onions and garlic, chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, smoked salt, oregano, cilantro and the thickened bean liquid. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
NOTES:
You can find smoked salt at Cost Plus Word Market.
*dry roast the jalapenos in a small pan on the stove. Char the skin on all sides. Set aside to cool before chopping.
** Blacken the tomatoes under the broiler. They get very soft, so place a piece of foil or cookie sheet on the rack below them. Turn the tomatoes to char the skin on all sides. Set aside and allow to cool before seeding and chopping.
***chipotle puree can be made by pureeing canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I bought a small can, pureed the entire thing, keep a small bit in the refrigerator (about 1 tsp, covered with olive oil) and froze the rest. I defrost it enough to break of a bit to replenish the puree in the refrigerator, then return it to the freezer.
How I did it: I used two cans of undrained pinto beans, added the onion and garlic to that and cooked until the liquid was reduced and thick. They weren’t falling apart, so I mashed them with a potato masher. I followed the rest of the recipe. I didn’t serve with tortillas.
These are really good beans!
I tried to make Mexican Rice but I forgot the garlic and my rice is always to sticky and soft. Any ideas?
I was winging it. I didn’t have cumin seeds, so I added powdered cumin. I forgot the garlic. I used fresh tomatoes. I didn’t add chile powder. I could really use a good recipe for Mexican Rice. I used water but a friend said I should use chicken broth.
Mexican Rice (work in progress)Home recipe
1 cup long grain white rice
2 Cups water (broth?)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 T cumin seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
½ cup corn, canned or frozen (optional)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. In the mean time, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skill. When toasty and fragrant, cool slightly and run through a spice mill until powdered. Add to the onions and garlic.
Add the rice to the onions and garlic, sauté for a minute until it glistens with oil (you might need to add a bit more oil to the pan). Add the two cups water and bring to a boil. When nearly all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, add the tomato. Cook until all the water is absorbed, total 15-20 minutes. Add corn. Cover until heated through. Add salt, ½ tsp at a time, check seasonings.
Pace Hot Picante sauce can fix this if it’s not to your liking.
I took the day off. So, I had time to cook more. I didn’t use the time wisely, but it was there. Oops.
Mexican Flank Steak with Jicama-orange salad
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 119
For the Rub:
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 Flank Steak, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, about ¾ inch thick.
For the Dressing:
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp minced Serrano chile, with seeds
1 small red onion, cut cross-wise into ½ inch slices
2 cups jicama, cut into matchsticks
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
To make a rub: in a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients.
Trim the steak of any surface fat. Press the rub into both sides of the steak. Cover the steak with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Lightly brush or spray the onion slices with olive oil. Grill over Direct Medium heat until well marked and tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once during grilling time.
Remove from the grill and chop into ½ inch pieces.
Place the onion in a medium bowl and add the jicama and orange segments. Pour in the dressing, toss with two forks, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Allow the steak to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Brush or spray both sides of the steak with oil and season with salt. Grill over Direct Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 145˚ for medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Turning once halfway trough grilling time. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into diagonal slices.
How I did it: I didn’t make the salad because a woodpecker ate the oranges off my trees, so no comment there.
I got distracted (that would be going to Mac’s and drinking) and didn’t get the rub on the meat to let it marinate (season?) long enough. I used a skirt steak because the market didn't have a flank steak. It is really important to let it marinate for more than three hours. The meat was not as tasty as I would have liked. I’ll try the rub on other meats and see if it’s the rub or that I didn’t let it marinate long enough.
I served it with Charro beans and Mexican Rice.I love these beans. Pinto beans don’t sit well with me, so next time I’ll try it with cannellini or great northern beans.
Charro Beans with Blackened Tomatoes
Tacos by Mark Miller, pg 36
1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
3 cloves garlic
1 small white onion, halved
6 ½ cups water
2 T olive oil (preferably Spanish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, dry roasted*
1 pound tomatoes, blackened** and cut into ¼ inch dice
1 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp chipotle puree***
½ tsp smoked salt
¼ tsp dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground
1 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves
soft yellow corn tortillas for serving
To cook the beans: In a large pot, simmer the beans, garlic, ½ onion and the water over medium-low heat, partially covered until the beans are very soft and almost falling apart. After the beans are cooked, drain the liquid and return the liquid to a sauce pan. Simmer to reduce until it is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the chiles and tomatoes are blackening (see notes below), chop the ½ onion into ¼ inch dice. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they begin to carmelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Don’t let the garlic brown.
Return the beans to a large pot, add the onions and garlic, chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, smoked salt, oregano, cilantro and the thickened bean liquid. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
NOTES:
You can find smoked salt at Cost Plus Word Market.
*dry roast the jalapenos in a small pan on the stove. Char the skin on all sides. Set aside to cool before chopping.
** Blacken the tomatoes under the broiler. They get very soft, so place a piece of foil or cookie sheet on the rack below them. Turn the tomatoes to char the skin on all sides. Set aside and allow to cool before seeding and chopping.
***chipotle puree can be made by pureeing canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I bought a small can, pureed the entire thing, keep a small bit in the refrigerator (about 1 tsp, covered with olive oil) and froze the rest. I defrost it enough to break of a bit to replenish the puree in the refrigerator, then return it to the freezer.
How I did it: I used two cans of undrained pinto beans, added the onion and garlic to that and cooked until the liquid was reduced and thick. They weren’t falling apart, so I mashed them with a potato masher. I followed the rest of the recipe. I didn’t serve with tortillas.
These are really good beans!
I tried to make Mexican Rice but I forgot the garlic and my rice is always to sticky and soft. Any ideas?
I was winging it. I didn’t have cumin seeds, so I added powdered cumin. I forgot the garlic. I used fresh tomatoes. I didn’t add chile powder. I could really use a good recipe for Mexican Rice. I used water but a friend said I should use chicken broth.
Mexican Rice (work in progress)Home recipe
1 cup long grain white rice
2 Cups water (broth?)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 T cumin seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
½ cup corn, canned or frozen (optional)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. In the mean time, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skill. When toasty and fragrant, cool slightly and run through a spice mill until powdered. Add to the onions and garlic.
Add the rice to the onions and garlic, sauté for a minute until it glistens with oil (you might need to add a bit more oil to the pan). Add the two cups water and bring to a boil. When nearly all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, add the tomato. Cook until all the water is absorbed, total 15-20 minutes. Add corn. Cover until heated through. Add salt, ½ tsp at a time, check seasonings.
Pace Hot Picante sauce can fix this if it’s not to your liking.
Herb-crusted salmon with lentil salad
The lentils are fabulous! I used already prepared steamed lentils, so the salad was very fast. If you’re cooking the lentils, start them before you start the briquettes. Once they're cooking, start the briquettes and prepare the salmon. Chop everything for the lentil salad, so when the salmon is done, you can just throw everything together for the lentil salad.
Herb-crusted Salmon with Lentil Salad
Weber’s “The Art of the Grill” pg 121
Direct/Medium Heat
Lentil Salad:
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
¾ cup French green lentils
1/3 cup quick cooking couscous
2 roasted red bell peppers, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
Salmon:
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
2 T finely chopped cilantro
2 T finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chile powder
½ tsp kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 T olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
6 salmon filets, skin on, 1” thick (each 6-7 oz)
To make the salad: Rinse the lentils under cold water, pick out any stones. In a medium sauce pan, cover the lentils with three cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain when done.
In a small sauce pan, boil ½ cup water. Put couscous in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the couscous and stir. Let sit until the water is absorbed, then fluff with a fork.
In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add the basil and scallions to the dressing.
Combine the lentils and couscous, chopped carrots, chopped red peppers and salad dressing. Mix well. Serve warm.
For the salmon: combine parsley, cilantro, basil, chile powder, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until it makes a paste. Or mash together in a bowl until it makes a paste. Cover the salmon with the herb paste. Grill until done, about 10-12 minutes or until opaque in the meatiest part of the fish.
How I did it:
I omitted the couscous because I try to keep gluten free. Usually, I’ll substitute rice, millet or quinoa for a wheat grain but the lentil salad was really good by itself, so I didn’t add anything. I used Spanish Olive oil (very fruity), sea salt and mixed peppercorns. I roasted my own red peppers under the broiler while I was making the salad because I despise canned roasted peppers (I think they’re slimy and flavorless). I only used one pepper and it was plenty.
I used Trader Joe’s already prepared steamed lentils. Just had to open them, break them apart (from the block form after being vacuum packed) and add them to the salad. I used ½ of the box.
I used one large piece of fish, about 12 oz, covered it with the entire marinade and let it sit while the briquettes were getting ready. I used a small Weber grill and natural briquettes. I let it cook undisturbed with the cover on.
I served it with a Pinot Noir, but a Savignon Blanc might be nice.
What I’ll change next time:
Next time, I’ll reduce the amount of oil in the salad to 2 T. It was oilier than I like. Everything else was great.
This would be good baked. Put in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until done. Take the foil off the last 5 minutes. Probably at 350 degrees.
OOPSes: I didn’t prepare enough briquettes (on-going problem with me and BBQ. Never can get the heat right, or enough briquettes to last the entire cooking time), so I cooked it covered over low heat for about 30 minutes. It turned out well, but I was lucky, since I used all the marinade, it kept the fish moist.
Herb-crusted Salmon with Lentil Salad
Weber’s “The Art of the Grill” pg 121
Direct/Medium Heat
Lentil Salad:
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
¾ cup French green lentils
1/3 cup quick cooking couscous
2 roasted red bell peppers, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
Salmon:
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
2 T finely chopped cilantro
2 T finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chile powder
½ tsp kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 T olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
6 salmon filets, skin on, 1” thick (each 6-7 oz)
To make the salad: Rinse the lentils under cold water, pick out any stones. In a medium sauce pan, cover the lentils with three cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain when done.
In a small sauce pan, boil ½ cup water. Put couscous in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the couscous and stir. Let sit until the water is absorbed, then fluff with a fork.
In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add the basil and scallions to the dressing.
Combine the lentils and couscous, chopped carrots, chopped red peppers and salad dressing. Mix well. Serve warm.
For the salmon: combine parsley, cilantro, basil, chile powder, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until it makes a paste. Or mash together in a bowl until it makes a paste. Cover the salmon with the herb paste. Grill until done, about 10-12 minutes or until opaque in the meatiest part of the fish.
How I did it:
I omitted the couscous because I try to keep gluten free. Usually, I’ll substitute rice, millet or quinoa for a wheat grain but the lentil salad was really good by itself, so I didn’t add anything. I used Spanish Olive oil (very fruity), sea salt and mixed peppercorns. I roasted my own red peppers under the broiler while I was making the salad because I despise canned roasted peppers (I think they’re slimy and flavorless). I only used one pepper and it was plenty.
I used Trader Joe’s already prepared steamed lentils. Just had to open them, break them apart (from the block form after being vacuum packed) and add them to the salad. I used ½ of the box.
I used one large piece of fish, about 12 oz, covered it with the entire marinade and let it sit while the briquettes were getting ready. I used a small Weber grill and natural briquettes. I let it cook undisturbed with the cover on.
I served it with a Pinot Noir, but a Savignon Blanc might be nice.
What I’ll change next time:
Next time, I’ll reduce the amount of oil in the salad to 2 T. It was oilier than I like. Everything else was great.
This would be good baked. Put in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until done. Take the foil off the last 5 minutes. Probably at 350 degrees.
OOPSes: I didn’t prepare enough briquettes (on-going problem with me and BBQ. Never can get the heat right, or enough briquettes to last the entire cooking time), so I cooked it covered over low heat for about 30 minutes. It turned out well, but I was lucky, since I used all the marinade, it kept the fish moist.
Intro to the project
In May 2009, I got very sick with Valley Fever. The month of May was a complete loss and the rest of the summer wasn’t much better. The disease can be mild enough you don’t know you have it, except that you’re very tired for about a month, or it can be so severe it kills you. I had a very medium case. I was very sick for almost two months and exhausted and out of breath for another three months, and still have problems related to it more than one year later, but it didn’t kill me. Obviously, or this truly is “ghost written”. Bad pun, but-- whatever .
During the worst of the illness, for the first “sick week”, I slept the entire week. I hadn’t missed a week of work to illness 20 years (and then I was hospitalized with pneumonia.) Once that passed, I only had enough energy to work for short bursts, maybe one or two hours, and then I’d need a nap. Seriously, I’d wake up, read the newspaper, do the crossword puzzles and need a nap. I’d sleep for two hours, go to work for two hours, go home to sleep for two hours, go back to work for two hours, than home to crash. I spent most of two months like that. Once I started getting a little better (around July, August), I wasn’t so exhausted I need to sleep all day, but I didn’t have enough energy to do anything and I was still extremely short of breath. Even into July and August, I’d get out of breath walking from my living room to the kitchen, and I live in a small house! I went from working 36+ hrs a week to working 18. Ouch.
Keep in mind, it was summer in Arizona. It is un-godly hot in the summer and I tend to not spend any time in the sun unless I have to. Our night time lows are higher than most of the country’s daytime highs. (Don’t give me that “but it’s a dry heat”. Come visit in August. I dare you). Your days go down the rabbit hole. Stay in during the day; go out at night or very, very early in the morning. Stay in during the summer; go out during the winter. Arizona is backwards in so, so many ways and our seasons are just one example. But I digress. Not only did I have too much time on my hands, I was at home, alone, unwilling to go outdoors to do anything and too physically weak to do anything even if I’d wanted to.
So, last year when I had all of that time on my hands, I decided to deal with an ongoing problem. Well, what else was I going to do when I was relegated to the sofa, too weak and short of breath to do anything functional? Years ago, I discovered that if I don’t plan out what I’m eating during the week, I don’t buy all the ingredients I need to cook a dish. I would buy food that looked interesting with no real thought about what I’d do with it, thumb through the cookbooks looking for a way to use the ingredients I had and discover I was missing key ingredients to make anything interesting. So I would wing it, make the same things over and over again, or just give up and go to Mac’s for dinner (Shameless Plug: Mac’s Broiler and Tap, Guadalupe and McClintock in Tempe, next door to Changing Hands Bookstore. It is a fabulous neighborhood restaurant in the best plaza in Tempe –maybe all of Phoenix-metro. Good food, good prices, lots of regulars and locals.)
After I’d missed so much work because of the illness, I couldn’t afford to go out to eat. It turns out that being extremely poor in college had its benefits. I mastered the art of cooking cheaply, which means from scratch. So, I got out all of my favorite cookbooks and started making lists. I have several food intolerances so there are categories of foods I skipped (pork, corn, wheat products and gluten grains, dairy) and my personal preferences. But I was making the lists for me, why wouldn’t I choose the foods I would want to eat and omit the foods I don’t?
I put the recipes into an Excel spread sheet by category (chicken & poultry, fish & seafood, soups & stews, etc) and then separated the recipes within the worksheet. It’s all very organized which amazed everyone who knows me.
Once I had all the recipes listed, I realized I had more than 200 soup/stew recipes, 250 fish/seafood recipes, 200 poultry recipes and still more beef, lamb, bean, grain and vegetable/salad recipes. I had enough recipes to make something different every day for about four years. And that wasn’t even getting into the binders of recipes pulled from magazines and on-line.
I decided to see if I could pull it off. I made a table and listed out the meals for a week, printed out two weeks at a time and tried to follow it. I had about six months worth when I first listed tried this.
Then, sadly, I was watching an “Intervention” on A & E and the sister of the addict made a comment that she (the addict) had the weekly menu posted on the fridge, “who does that??” was her comment. Well, I do. It made me feel OCD and sad. Then I asked around and found out that it’s the same for many people. If they don’t know what they’re eating, what the menus are, they do the same thing I do—throw something together, always make the same three or four things or go out. So they plan out the week’s menus, shop daily or two-three times per week and call it good.
When I was still sick, I would make a soup, a chili, and roast a chicken or make a beef roast on the weekend when I could spread the cooking out between naps. Then, I’d eat on that for the entire week because I was too exhausted to come home from work and try to cook. Since August of 2009, I have not repeated a recipe. Now that I’m reasonably well, I’ve been cooking everyday-- almost.
Sadly, I discovered a problem. By making something different every day and making a soup or chili recipe every week, I was making way too much food. I would follow the plan for a week, then eat off the left-overs for the next week and freeze the rest. My freezer is full!
Well, I have decided to take this on as a mission for one year. It’s been almost one year already and I’ve worked out some of the kinks. The volume of food will still be an issue for me since I cook for one, but I’ll keep working on that. I adjust the recipe to reduce the number of servings of meat, but I don’t necessarily alter the sauce, so my recipes will be saucier than yours. Just keep that in mind when I comment on the recipe and when you try it. And, I have abandoned having a soup or chili every week. I’m not repeating recipes but I might not cook everyday to manage the refrigerator/freezer/left-over problem.
So, here’s my plan: I’ll list the day, recipe name and cookbook reference. Give you their original ingredient list and my spin on preparation, notes on how it turned out, changes I’d make next time, and notes on special ingredients and where you might find them. Keep in mind; I am spoiled because I live in a very diverse city abutting a huge city. I can find any ingredient I want and, so far, I haven’t had to leave Tempe to do it. I am also within two miles of Whole Foods Market, Sunflower Market and Trader Joe’s. There is an Indian Market three miles from me, several Middle Eastern markets within easy driving distance and Food City for all your Mexican & Central American needs. (That’s where I buy chiles! If there were a Ranch Market closer to home, I’d get my Mexican food-stuffs from them, but I have to drive more than 10 miles for that now. Um… no.)
Since this blog is starting almost a year after I began this particular experiment, there are many recipes I’ve made for which I’ve forgotten the dates and particulars. I made vague notes and I’ll pass on the best of them. As a rule, if I really, really didn’t like something, I won’t share it. It’s just my taste, but it feels unfair to slam a recipe that might be perfectly fine for someone else. My tastes run to the spicy and the savory. Subtle is not my style – or my taste, for the most part.
Note: When I make a lamb recipe, I have to have several recipe options open because you can’t always find the cut that you’re looking for. I’m still looking for a good market for lamb (Fry’s is medium, I might have a lead on a meat market or I could special order from the market by the mosque near ASU and a friend mentioned a meat market in Chandler I need to check out. Choices, choices.) I’m sure, by the end of this year, I’ll know what cuts are interchangeable and how to do better with lamb.
I try to set up my week to have one poultry dish, one red meat (beef or lamb) dish, one salmon dish, one tuna dish and three other fish recipes, one rice dish and one legume recipe. I don’t plan out the vegetable side dishes because I get what’s on sale at Sunflower and then find something that seems like it would go well with the main dish. Longer cooking dishes are on weekends, really quick dishes are for when I work late (that’s why I like fish so much; it’s really fast).
I live where you can grill all year but I don’t take advantage as much as I should. I’m trying to do more in the summer so I don’t heat up the house but I struggle with grilling. It’s true. I am genetically deficient in the BBQ-grill gene. I can never seem to get the heat right or have the right amount of briquettes to make it through the cooking or I have too many and waste the briquettes. I both burn and under-cook meat, it’s a trick, but I do it. I use a Weber kettle grill (the small one) and have just started using a briquette chimney. We’ll see if that helps. I recently acquired an electric grill, but it doesn’t have temperature controls so I think it cooks at hot and super-hot. I haven’t used it yet because it frightens me. I’ll let you know how that goes if I ever dare try it.
Given my grilling deficiencies, I’ve been known to take a grill recipe and do it in a grill pan on the stove or broil it. It changes the flavor but saves time (and I know I won’t ruin it.) Adjust, adapt, eat.
I love wine, but I’m not good at pairing it with food. I prefer reds, any reds really. I’m not going to try to pair the food with the wine. Someone else can do that.
As a note: Because of my food intolerances, I have to make substitutions. They change the flavor and texture of a recipe, but what can you do? I substitute chicken sausage for pork, rice milk for cow’s milk and rice pasta for wheat. Generally, I don’t cook anything with potatoes or pork (but I do use a bit of bacon for flavoring).
I’m starting this on July 4, 2010, but I’m going to post some of the recipes that I’ve already done (some without dates) because I won’t revisit them for at least a year and some of them were really good (some not so much-- live and learn. That’s what it’s all about. (Hokey-Pokey moment.)
I have my time, energy and cooking limitations, so I only list one entrée and maybe provide a side dish or two. I’m not listing lunch because I eat left-overs, or I eat out, and I don’t list breakfast because I don’t eat breakfast foods and it’s not part of this project.
Just so you know: I like spicy, hot, savory foods. I don’t do creamy (dairy) or deep fried. I like interesting, unusual, international stuff. It gets easier once you have the spices and equipment.
Things I have learned: Always have lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery, bags of lettuce, cilantro, parsley, parmesan cheese, lemons, limes, canned tomatoes, canned chiles, black beans, white beans, chicken broth and vegetable broth (easy to make your own and keep frozen). Buy fragile greens (spinach, leaf lettuce) as you need it.
Important info: chile peppers are the vegetables, chili is the meat/bean dish. Chili powder contains cumin, coriander, garlic, salt and possbily other ingredients; chile powder is just the powder of a dried chile. Cooks Illustrated magazine has a really good write up on the different chiles in the August 2010 issue.
This is all a plan, a guide-line. You need to be willing to change the plan based on budget, availability, time to cook, unexpected events or whim.
So here we go.
During the worst of the illness, for the first “sick week”, I slept the entire week. I hadn’t missed a week of work to illness 20 years (and then I was hospitalized with pneumonia.) Once that passed, I only had enough energy to work for short bursts, maybe one or two hours, and then I’d need a nap. Seriously, I’d wake up, read the newspaper, do the crossword puzzles and need a nap. I’d sleep for two hours, go to work for two hours, go home to sleep for two hours, go back to work for two hours, than home to crash. I spent most of two months like that. Once I started getting a little better (around July, August), I wasn’t so exhausted I need to sleep all day, but I didn’t have enough energy to do anything and I was still extremely short of breath. Even into July and August, I’d get out of breath walking from my living room to the kitchen, and I live in a small house! I went from working 36+ hrs a week to working 18. Ouch.
Keep in mind, it was summer in Arizona. It is un-godly hot in the summer and I tend to not spend any time in the sun unless I have to. Our night time lows are higher than most of the country’s daytime highs. (Don’t give me that “but it’s a dry heat”. Come visit in August. I dare you). Your days go down the rabbit hole. Stay in during the day; go out at night or very, very early in the morning. Stay in during the summer; go out during the winter. Arizona is backwards in so, so many ways and our seasons are just one example. But I digress. Not only did I have too much time on my hands, I was at home, alone, unwilling to go outdoors to do anything and too physically weak to do anything even if I’d wanted to.
So, last year when I had all of that time on my hands, I decided to deal with an ongoing problem. Well, what else was I going to do when I was relegated to the sofa, too weak and short of breath to do anything functional? Years ago, I discovered that if I don’t plan out what I’m eating during the week, I don’t buy all the ingredients I need to cook a dish. I would buy food that looked interesting with no real thought about what I’d do with it, thumb through the cookbooks looking for a way to use the ingredients I had and discover I was missing key ingredients to make anything interesting. So I would wing it, make the same things over and over again, or just give up and go to Mac’s for dinner (Shameless Plug: Mac’s Broiler and Tap, Guadalupe and McClintock in Tempe, next door to Changing Hands Bookstore. It is a fabulous neighborhood restaurant in the best plaza in Tempe –maybe all of Phoenix-metro. Good food, good prices, lots of regulars and locals.)
After I’d missed so much work because of the illness, I couldn’t afford to go out to eat. It turns out that being extremely poor in college had its benefits. I mastered the art of cooking cheaply, which means from scratch. So, I got out all of my favorite cookbooks and started making lists. I have several food intolerances so there are categories of foods I skipped (pork, corn, wheat products and gluten grains, dairy) and my personal preferences. But I was making the lists for me, why wouldn’t I choose the foods I would want to eat and omit the foods I don’t?
I put the recipes into an Excel spread sheet by category (chicken & poultry, fish & seafood, soups & stews, etc) and then separated the recipes within the worksheet. It’s all very organized which amazed everyone who knows me.
Once I had all the recipes listed, I realized I had more than 200 soup/stew recipes, 250 fish/seafood recipes, 200 poultry recipes and still more beef, lamb, bean, grain and vegetable/salad recipes. I had enough recipes to make something different every day for about four years. And that wasn’t even getting into the binders of recipes pulled from magazines and on-line.
I decided to see if I could pull it off. I made a table and listed out the meals for a week, printed out two weeks at a time and tried to follow it. I had about six months worth when I first listed tried this.
Then, sadly, I was watching an “Intervention” on A & E and the sister of the addict made a comment that she (the addict) had the weekly menu posted on the fridge, “who does that??” was her comment. Well, I do. It made me feel OCD and sad. Then I asked around and found out that it’s the same for many people. If they don’t know what they’re eating, what the menus are, they do the same thing I do—throw something together, always make the same three or four things or go out. So they plan out the week’s menus, shop daily or two-three times per week and call it good.
When I was still sick, I would make a soup, a chili, and roast a chicken or make a beef roast on the weekend when I could spread the cooking out between naps. Then, I’d eat on that for the entire week because I was too exhausted to come home from work and try to cook. Since August of 2009, I have not repeated a recipe. Now that I’m reasonably well, I’ve been cooking everyday-- almost.
Sadly, I discovered a problem. By making something different every day and making a soup or chili recipe every week, I was making way too much food. I would follow the plan for a week, then eat off the left-overs for the next week and freeze the rest. My freezer is full!
Well, I have decided to take this on as a mission for one year. It’s been almost one year already and I’ve worked out some of the kinks. The volume of food will still be an issue for me since I cook for one, but I’ll keep working on that. I adjust the recipe to reduce the number of servings of meat, but I don’t necessarily alter the sauce, so my recipes will be saucier than yours. Just keep that in mind when I comment on the recipe and when you try it. And, I have abandoned having a soup or chili every week. I’m not repeating recipes but I might not cook everyday to manage the refrigerator/freezer/left-over problem.
So, here’s my plan: I’ll list the day, recipe name and cookbook reference. Give you their original ingredient list and my spin on preparation, notes on how it turned out, changes I’d make next time, and notes on special ingredients and where you might find them. Keep in mind; I am spoiled because I live in a very diverse city abutting a huge city. I can find any ingredient I want and, so far, I haven’t had to leave Tempe to do it. I am also within two miles of Whole Foods Market, Sunflower Market and Trader Joe’s. There is an Indian Market three miles from me, several Middle Eastern markets within easy driving distance and Food City for all your Mexican & Central American needs. (That’s where I buy chiles! If there were a Ranch Market closer to home, I’d get my Mexican food-stuffs from them, but I have to drive more than 10 miles for that now. Um… no.)
Since this blog is starting almost a year after I began this particular experiment, there are many recipes I’ve made for which I’ve forgotten the dates and particulars. I made vague notes and I’ll pass on the best of them. As a rule, if I really, really didn’t like something, I won’t share it. It’s just my taste, but it feels unfair to slam a recipe that might be perfectly fine for someone else. My tastes run to the spicy and the savory. Subtle is not my style – or my taste, for the most part.
Note: When I make a lamb recipe, I have to have several recipe options open because you can’t always find the cut that you’re looking for. I’m still looking for a good market for lamb (Fry’s is medium, I might have a lead on a meat market or I could special order from the market by the mosque near ASU and a friend mentioned a meat market in Chandler I need to check out. Choices, choices.) I’m sure, by the end of this year, I’ll know what cuts are interchangeable and how to do better with lamb.
I try to set up my week to have one poultry dish, one red meat (beef or lamb) dish, one salmon dish, one tuna dish and three other fish recipes, one rice dish and one legume recipe. I don’t plan out the vegetable side dishes because I get what’s on sale at Sunflower and then find something that seems like it would go well with the main dish. Longer cooking dishes are on weekends, really quick dishes are for when I work late (that’s why I like fish so much; it’s really fast).
I live where you can grill all year but I don’t take advantage as much as I should. I’m trying to do more in the summer so I don’t heat up the house but I struggle with grilling. It’s true. I am genetically deficient in the BBQ-grill gene. I can never seem to get the heat right or have the right amount of briquettes to make it through the cooking or I have too many and waste the briquettes. I both burn and under-cook meat, it’s a trick, but I do it. I use a Weber kettle grill (the small one) and have just started using a briquette chimney. We’ll see if that helps. I recently acquired an electric grill, but it doesn’t have temperature controls so I think it cooks at hot and super-hot. I haven’t used it yet because it frightens me. I’ll let you know how that goes if I ever dare try it.
Given my grilling deficiencies, I’ve been known to take a grill recipe and do it in a grill pan on the stove or broil it. It changes the flavor but saves time (and I know I won’t ruin it.) Adjust, adapt, eat.
I love wine, but I’m not good at pairing it with food. I prefer reds, any reds really. I’m not going to try to pair the food with the wine. Someone else can do that.
As a note: Because of my food intolerances, I have to make substitutions. They change the flavor and texture of a recipe, but what can you do? I substitute chicken sausage for pork, rice milk for cow’s milk and rice pasta for wheat. Generally, I don’t cook anything with potatoes or pork (but I do use a bit of bacon for flavoring).
I’m starting this on July 4, 2010, but I’m going to post some of the recipes that I’ve already done (some without dates) because I won’t revisit them for at least a year and some of them were really good (some not so much-- live and learn. That’s what it’s all about. (Hokey-Pokey moment.)
I have my time, energy and cooking limitations, so I only list one entrée and maybe provide a side dish or two. I’m not listing lunch because I eat left-overs, or I eat out, and I don’t list breakfast because I don’t eat breakfast foods and it’s not part of this project.
Just so you know: I like spicy, hot, savory foods. I don’t do creamy (dairy) or deep fried. I like interesting, unusual, international stuff. It gets easier once you have the spices and equipment.
Things I have learned: Always have lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery, bags of lettuce, cilantro, parsley, parmesan cheese, lemons, limes, canned tomatoes, canned chiles, black beans, white beans, chicken broth and vegetable broth (easy to make your own and keep frozen). Buy fragile greens (spinach, leaf lettuce) as you need it.
Important info: chile peppers are the vegetables, chili is the meat/bean dish. Chili powder contains cumin, coriander, garlic, salt and possbily other ingredients; chile powder is just the powder of a dried chile. Cooks Illustrated magazine has a really good write up on the different chiles in the August 2010 issue.
This is all a plan, a guide-line. You need to be willing to change the plan based on budget, availability, time to cook, unexpected events or whim.
So here we go.
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