I need to take a break to concentrate on life’s little details. But don’t worry, I’ll be back in…eh…a month or two. And hopefully with a completely new lay out and format.
Till then, take care!
Archive for January, 2007
Hitting the pause button
Posted in Real Life on January 30, 2007| 12 Comments »
Mulligatawny Stew
Posted in Soups and Stews on January 27, 2007| 6 Comments »
If it’s 9 degrees outside and all you want to do is lie under a pile of blankets while dinner takes care of itself or you want to come home to a toasty hearty meal and then lie under the blankets without having to spend time in the kitchen, break out your slow cooker.
The origins of the stew is very Google-able if anybody is interested. The name itself is a mouthful. But a spoonful of the stew is even better. The Granny Smith’s are the most interesting part, I love the way the apples gently dissolve in the mouth after being stewed for all those long slow hours. And the flavor is so subtle and goes perfectly with the lamb. Definitely don’t skip the apples, it’s just not the same without them.
The Stew
2 lbs. lamb stew meat
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced carrots
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 c. uncooked rice
3 quarts chicken stock
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. tumeric
1 sprig of thyme
Brown the lamb in a skillet in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt/pepper. Combine the meat and the rest of the ingredients in a slow cooker and follow the directions according to the settings and time frame that best suits your needs.
And don’t forget the bread or rolls to help the stew stick to your ribs. In weather like this you need all the help you can get.
Spicy Mussels
Posted in Seafood on January 21, 2007| 7 Comments »
I’ll make any excuse possible to add hot chiles to a dish and was very happy to come across this recipe. Steamed mussels is always a crowd pleaser but the jalapenos give it all that more oomph. The shiny mussel shells, the neat clacking sounds they make, and the smell of the garlic and wine sauce all make for a very happy kitchen.
Special thanks to The Diva for her input on what type of chile pepper to use. She recommended jalapenos as a good choice to go along with the mussels. Silly me wanted to use chipotles or habaneros for that ultimate kick. I’m glad I listened. (Hi Diva: I didn’t get to the saffron cream sauce but there’s always next week.)
A cautionary tale
I know I get a bit preachy when it comes to safety but I don’t want anybody going through what I did a few years ago.
MAKE SURE YOU WEAR GLOVEs AND GOGGLES WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH CHILE PEPPERS. FOR THE SAME REASON YOU DON’T SPRAY MACE DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EYES, YOU DON’T CHOP CHILES WITHOUT PROTECTIVE GEAR. Enough said. Why wear goggles if you’re using gloves? Because life is cruel at the best of times. Those little chile seeds hold the brunt of the pepper’s heat. And once loosened from the pepper’s moorings they like to travel. A few somehow managed to be flung from the scooping spoon onto my left eyebrow. It was promptly removed but the damage was already done. As the spicy meal progressed sweat was running down my forehead, mingling with the capsaican left on my brow. Some of it reached my eyes. Words cannot describe the pain. So please, if you value a pain-free existence do take the proper precautions. And if you get any of it on your face, scrub scrub scrub. Apply the same common sense when cleaning the chopping board and knife.
The recipe
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (make sure they’re still alive. if they aren’t shut tight after you tap them, throw them right away)
1 c. diced shallots
1 large tomato, diced
2-4* fresh diced jalapenos, with the seeds and ribs (white part of the innards) removed
4-6 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/4 freshly minced parsley
1 1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Cote du Rhone blanc for it’s mild body)
1 tbsp. butter/margarine
*use 4 if you have a furnace tongue, but 2 if you want the adventure but none of the trauma
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt/pepper. Sweat them for a few minutes and then add the tomatoes. Let them cook together for another 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and jalapenos and let it cook for another 60 seconds, being careful that it doesn’t burn. Add the wine, parsley, and butter. Cover with the lid and turn up the heat to get a full boil. Add the mussels and cover to let them steam. It takes about 5-7 minutes.
Serve with plenty of thick hunks of crusty bread to sop up the spicy goodness. They’re especially tasty when eaten with someone you love.
Whaddya Eating?
Posted in Uncategorized on January 17, 2007| 11 Comments »
Q and I have been eating a lot of salmon this past week. All of them rejects from failed curing experiments. I’ve been mixing a 2-to-1 ratio of salt to sugar with vermouth, fresh lemon juice, and dill. But by day 2 and even 3 the fish still isn’t curing all the way through, so in the oven it goes. I’ll be visiting the local fishmonger for more advice over the weekend. But if anybody else has any opinions on the matter, any help would be much appreciated.
According to the 1001 blogs I frequent, last week was National De-Lurking Week. I’m a little late to the game like usual. These posts are your chance to introduce yourself by sharing anything you want about your most recent meals. Be it recipes, restaurant experiences, food lore, kitchen mishaps, etc. leave them in the comments section.
Duck breasts with Juniper Berry Prune Sauce
Posted in Poultry on January 15, 2007| 4 Comments »
Sauce
3 c. water
pinch of salt
3 tbsp. juniper berries, lightly crushed
16 dried pitted prunes
1 tsp. margarine/butter
To start, boil the water and junipers with the salt. After it reduces down to about 1 cup of liquid, add the prunes. Let it stew for 5 minutes. Add the butter/margarine. Serve over the duck breasts.
Duck breasts
4 duck breasts
salt/pepper
Pre-Heat the oven to 425F.
Score the fat by cutting lines with a sharp knife in a criss cross pattern all over the fatty pads. Salt/pepper both sides.
Fat side down, add to a oven safe skillet. Let it sear for 5 minutes on each side.
Drain the fat from the skillet and place it, with the duck breasts fat side up, into the oven. Bake at 425F for 20 minutes.
When it’s done, let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Pour liberal amounts of sauce over it.
If you want something different and tasty, try a parsnip puree
Take 2 lbs. of parnsips, peel and slice them, removing the woody cores. Chop them into 2 inch bits, add two peeled and diced potatoes. Boil together until soft, about 15-20 minutes, and blend them in a cuinsart or blender with 1/2 c. each of butter and milk. Voila!
NB: Save the duck fat that’s left behind before moving everything to the oven! I saved mine for sauteeing swiss chard later this week. It also makes great popovers or Yorkshire pudding, stir fries, etc. The possibilites are endless.
Baked Tilapia, two ways
Posted in Heart Friendly, Seafood on January 10, 2007| 4 Comments »
This was so quick and lovely that I wrote some haikus. I make no excuses for my dorkiness.
Tilapia with Red Pepper and Olives
Dice peppers and olives.
Wrap with the fish in parchment.
375F 20 mins.
Tilapia with Lemon and Thyme
Prepare like above.
But use lemons and fresh thyme.
With a pinch of salt.
Fish
Frozen seafood rocks.
Heart block will not get me now.
Next best thing to meat.
How to ruin perfectly good corn fritters
Posted in Heart Friendly, Sides, Vegetables on January 8, 2007| 6 Comments »
If you want dry tasteless corn fritters, by all means bake them. These babies will suck every last water molecule out of your mouth and have you downing glass after glass of life sustaining hydrating liquid. They’ll make you rifle through your fridge for any condiment to slather on, mayo, sour cream, chutney, catsup….anything that’ll bump up the moisture content required for swallowing. Your cholesterol level won’t take a hit if you use the oven and the lower fat version but what comes out doesn’t remotely resemble the goodness of a properly fried fritter. You will probably live another day without Lipitor and it’s freaky deaky side effects. Choose wisely.
Corn Fritters (lower fat version in parenthesis)
3 c. corn cut off the cob
6 diced scallions, green part included
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt (1/2 tsp. salt)
1 tsp. pepper
2/3 c. milk (skim)
2 eggs (or pre-packaged cholesterol-free egg goo)
3 tbsp. melted butter (or 2 tsp. of margarine)
1) Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
2) Beat the eggs and milk in another bowl and set that aside too.
3) Combine the corn and scallions in a large bowl.
4) Pour the milk and egg mixture over the vegetables, stirring well.
5) Add the dry ingredients. Stir well and scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the flour mixture.
6) Stir in the melted butter and mix well.
Heat an inch of oil (canola or extra virgin olive oil) in a skillet, to 300F. Shape the fritters into egg-sized shaped lumps. Add to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry each side for 3-5 minutes or until they develop a nice golden color on the outsides. Drain on paper towels.
(Or press into a baking sheet, forming a nice even layer, spraying with non-cook spray, and slide into a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Slather with plenty of fat-free sour cream or lowfat plain yogurt.)
Note: Sorry for sounding so disgruntled, but this “heart friendly” routine is really making me grouchy. It goes against my very butter and fat loving soul. However, I understand a sudden heart-attack would seriously crimp my style. So bear with me while I try to adjust things a bit.
Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach and Shallots
Posted in Vegetables on January 6, 2007| 4 Comments »
The number one annoyance with this current cold has been the loss of my sense of taste. Cheese stuffed portabello caps was the entree du jour at a nearby cafeteria last Wednesday. I did have one but couldn’t taste a thing. I even soaked the entire plate in tabasco sauce hoping that my taste buds would be jogged but it barely registered. All afternoon long my co-workers kept raving how good they were and how much I would adore them. A few colleagues from my previous two departments emailed me to get to the cafeteria before they ran out. It was torture. But after 13 days of sensory deprivation, my tasters came back online yesterday morning. For the rest of the week I’ve been collecting the ingredients. This is the most I’ve ever anticipated a particular dish. The picture may make it a little sloppy looking but trust me it’s delicious.
Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach and Shallots
4 large portabello mushroom caps
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. shallots minced fine (any onion will do if you can’t find shallots)
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
the stems of the mushrooms, chopped fine
2 c. fresh baby spinach
16 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
Pre-heat the oven to 350F
To prepare the mushrooms, cut off the stems. Rinse both the stems and the cap under cold water to remove any dirt. Don’t worry about getting the mushroom wet, any excess moisture will bake out. Chop the stems and set aside. Remove the dark gills by gently running a spoon around the inside. Brush the outsides with a bit of olive oil and set on a cookie sheet or casserole dish.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low-to-medium heat. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and pepper. Strip the sprigs of thyme over them as they cook. (If you don’t have fresh herbs, just use 1 tsp. dried thyme.) After 3 minutes add the chopped stems. Stir well, adding more olive oil if it looks too dry. After another 3 minutes, add the spinach. Stir frequently until the spinach wilts.
Fill the mushroom caps with the spinach and shallot mixture so there is an even layer. Leave room for the cheese mixture.
Stir together the ricotta, beaten egg, and parmesan in a bowl.
Spoon the cheese mixture on top of the spinach and mushroom layer, about an inch high. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Don’t hate me
Posted in Real Life on January 6, 2007| 6 Comments »
Unfortunatly I have a terrible cold and was too sick to go into the water.
The most gorgeous place on earth.
The site of the wedding, the most perfect place to get married.
The mademoiselle who catches the tossed flowers gets married next. It’s the law.
Behold the power of the bouqet! I’d say the maid of honor, pictured above and below, really will be next.
The wedding was fantastic and perfectly laid back. The bride was so beautiful and she made me so proud.
I’ll resume the food blogging later this evening with new recipes.
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