Pat Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Cream of broccoli soup with smoked paprika and homemade garlicky croutons; Carr's water crackers Polenta cooked in pork broth with shredded pork added; finished with a little half and half and shredded Parmesan When I made my usual batch of Sicilian Pasta Carnevale for Mardi Gras, I discovered the pork I had ordered with my dairy delivery was bone-in, not the boneless I thought I was getting. So I removed the bones and saved them and trimmings to make pork broth before proceeding with my pasta sauce. After cooking the broth, I salvaged the bits of pork that were still on the bones (more in some places than others, depending on how good my cutting was) as well. I thought polenta would be a good way of using both the broth and the pork bits, and it was. The amount of pork was fairly small, but, eh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 please let us know how it turns out, your technique etc. Sounds like a fun project! Promising, but not a complete success. I like the technique in the mesir wat recipe I linked to a few posts ago; it's almost like making risotto. But it didn't have a huge amount of flavor. Could be that the berbere I purchased was old. Could be because I cut way back on the amount of onion. Next time I'll make my own berbere. Also, I used ghee, but saw references in other recipes to niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter). I'll make that too, next time. The injera wasn't inedible, but I'm glad I didn't have to serve it to friends. The texture was just odd, and the taste wasn't bad, but not right, either. I'm not sure what went wrong. Watched several videos and read more than a dozen recipes. There isn't much variation. Maybe I'll start fermenting more teff and try again in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 The injera wasn't inedible, but I'm glad I didn't have to serve it to friends. The texture was just odd, and the taste wasn't bad, but not right, either. I'm not sure what went wrong. Watched several videos and read more than a dozen recipes. There isn't much variation. Maybe I'll start fermenting more teff and try again in a few days. Back when I was making Ethiopian food fairly often, I tried making injera a few times. Even using the teff flour, I could never get it to come out right. When you master it, I'll be all ears as to the secrets of your success . Last night we had leftovers of the cream of broccoli soup and porky polenta, plus a scallion-cheddar biscuit and a spicy cheese-mustard-thyme turnover from Souk. My husband ate the biscuit and I had the turnover, which was delightfully flaky and mustardy. They were $3.50 each and both seemed well-matched to the soup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Promising, but not a complete success. I like the technique in the mesir wat recipe I linked to a few posts ago; it's almost like making risotto. But it didn't have a huge amount of flavor. Could be that the berbere I purchased was old. Could be because I cut way back on the amount of onion. Next time I'll make my own berbere. Also, I used ghee, but saw references in other recipes to niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter). I'll make that too, next time. The injera wasn't inedible, but I'm glad I didn't have to serve it to friends. The texture was just odd, and the taste wasn't bad, but not right, either. I'm not sure what went wrong. Watched several videos and read more than a dozen recipes. There isn't much variation. Maybe I'll start fermenting more teff and try again in a few days. I'm sorry to hear that. Thinking back, I did make a couple of changes, some intentional, some not so much. 1, I did follow all the recipe proportions, but I had 2 cups of lentils left in my bag and a box and a 1/2 of broth, so I doubled the recipe. This also worked to my advantage as I wanted to use the Mitmita and Berbere spices I'd gotten in the November Spice Box which had been Ethiopian themed and I know that came to at least 3 tablespoon between the 2 packets. Yes, it was a ton of onions, but in retrospect, it was the right amount esp. once they cook down and lose their bite. I did not have vegetable broth so I used chicken broth instead. The unintentional change was that I wasn't able to complete cooking it in 1 day, so it did sit for over 24 hours before I finished the last 10 minutes of cooking. Whether all of this resulted in making it more flavorful, I could not say, but I would make it again the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Back when I was making Ethiopian food fairly often, I tried making injera a few times. Even using the teff flour, I could never get it to come out right. When you master it, I'll be all ears as to the secrets of your success . "When"? I appreciate your vote of confidence! Yes, it was a ton of onions, but in retrospect, it was the right amount esp. once they cook down and lose their bite. No doubt the onions make a difference, but if I want to eat the dish in any real quantity, it'll have to be an onion-light version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 The next-door neighbors and I collaborated on a Valentine's dinner. Shrimp cocktail Mesclun salad with roasted beets, butternut squash and goat cheese Crab and artichoke casserole Roasted asparagus Chocolate covered strawberries (a gift to me that I shared!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Made one of Mr. P's favorite dishes for Valentine's Day: a creole stew with chicken and Andouille sausage. Served with rice and a baguette from Bread Furst (usually I would make cornbread, but I can't waste a Bread Furst baguette). Dessert was deep, dark chocolate brownies with tart cherry sauce and whipped cream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwt Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Saturday: mahi mahi fish tacos with WF pico de gallo, home-made guac, sour cream, and arugula. Sunday: stracotto alla fiorentina, inspired by Pino Luongo's recipe from A Tuscan in the Kitchen -- one of my favorite cookbooks. Also spinach salad w/ the leftover pico de gallo and black olives thrown in the mix. Tonight will be some sort of pasta, using the prosciutto that's been sitting in the fridge for a couple weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundae in the Park Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 All-American Valentine's dinner: Seared cod over sauteed mushrooms in a lemon-butter-parsley sauce Zucchini fritters with tzatziki sauce Chocolate root beer floats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curls Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Valentine's dinner: Cheese fondue made with gruyere & emmenthaler cheeses and served with bread, apples, and broccoli. Planned to make a chocolate fondue for dessert but we filled up on cheese. May make the chocolate fondue next weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundae in the Park Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Chicken kabobs Kubideh Saffron rice Roasted tomatoes Tzatziki Hummus Salad For the kabobs, we didn't love our marinade or the texture from grilling with the yogurt marinade still on, so we'll brush it off before firing next time. The kubideh had good flavor, but I think we'll try to go for a slightly lower % fat next time (we were using 80-20 ground beef). We got flat metal skewers that weren't quite wide enough to hold the meat easily until it had been chilled. The rice was subtle but excellent and I've found a lovely way to use up my saffron supply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 We had some pork in the deep freezer that had been lingering for a while so decided to cook them up. Used a Jamaican jerk marinade on the the pork tendloin and then baked in the oven on 450* instead of grilling it. Had that over some rice and it's so good. I tossed in at least 3 habaneros, so it does have some bite, but the overall flavor blend is terrific. I wanted to try something different on the ribs, so I got out the Instant Pot and made Cinnamon Coconut Curry Ribs. The dry rub seemed really good and smelled terrific as I browned the meat but once it was cooked, it seemed like it was not intense enough for the can of coconut milk plus chicken broth that was added to the pot. In the future, I might add less moisture or add more of the seasoning blend to the liquid before cooking. As a technique for cooking ribs, I really liked the pressure cooker and will definitely use it again in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Cream of cauliflower soup Scallion-cheddar biscuit and spicy cheese-mustard-thyme turnover (Souk) Turkey meatloaf Brown rice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Roasted beet salad Cauliflower mash (cream cheese, sour cream, milk, cauliflower, seasonings and cheese on top) Grilled strip steak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Chicken stewed in a pot with carrots, turnips, and leeks Leftover macaroni and cheese with ham and peas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSnake Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Sous vide butter poached lobster tails. This is lobster you can cut with a fork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundae in the Park Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Eggplant "parmesan" (unbreaded, but everything else is the same - wanted to share some witha gluten-free friend) and penne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curls Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Sirloin steak with Penzey's Chicago Steak seasoning and broccoli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Romaine, radish greens, grape tomatoes, and chickpeas with creamy poppy dressing Chicken, kale, and tomato skillet meal over brown rice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Had Dijon chicken with mushrooms over rice and the leftovers went in the freezer for lunches later this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Cider-marinated pork loin chops (started on the stove and finished in the oven) over wilted mizuna, and baked sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundae in the Park Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Sausage, kale, and potato soup last night, and beef stroganoff tonight. This is as winter as CA gets, so I'm cooking according to the season, if not the thermometer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curls Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Shepherd's pie (with ground beef). Went to the store looking for ground lamb but did not find any today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Chicken quesadillas Baby spinach and radish green salad with radishes, avocado, grape tomatoes, and toasted sliced almonds; creamy poppy dressing Leftover baked sweet potato Leftover baked chicken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSnake Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Pan roasted whole chicken with thyme and lemon pan sauce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Red curry with chicken, onions, yellow bell pepper and carrots with cauliflower rice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I had purchased a block of firm tofu on a whim, and yesterday I sliced it and marinated the slices in ponzu, ginger, garlic, chopped jalapeí±os and sesame oil. I then pan seared the tofu slices, and stir fried baby bok choy and beet greens with the left-over marinade. I enjoyed the greens more than the tofu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Leftover turkey meatloaf Mashed potatoes with chives Steamed broccoli Dessert-ish: Buckwheat banana bread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundae in the Park Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Pulled pork yesterday (used the shoulder picnic cut for the first time and love it! I prefer its texture to the butt or true shoulder that we usually get - longer, ropier strands, way less mushy) done in the dutch oven. The spice mixture/BBQ sauce we made was fine, but I think I prefer a Cuban or Hawaiian style. Had it with kidney beans, rice, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Tonight was baked Bourbon chicken with rice and grilled zucchini. Didn't quite get the mall-food court flavor I was looking for (probably need to cook down the sauce to a glaze and use way more sugar and less ginger and garlic) but it was really quite good (my husband has already snuck back into the fridge for a snack). Also, we baked some pan de yuca for our gluten-free, new-parent friends, as well as a batch of molasses spice cookies. Weekend of random cooking means the fridge and bakery box are full! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Baguette Meatballs and tomato sauce over rigatoni; Parmesan I should have made a salad too but didn't feel like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedm Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Sous vide butter poached lobster tails. This is lobster you can cut with a fork. Recently received a sous-vide device, and thus far I've used it for steak, chicken breast, seafood sausage, and pork chops. By far, I enjoyed the steak the most. I'm certainly a novice, but the nuances of time and temperature are important to the results. Lobster tail is now on my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Last night I improvised a sort of chicken cottage pie that came out very well. I had leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, plus milk I had to use, and this took care of all of that. I steamed some broccolini for the bottom layer, then topped that with chunks of the chicken and ladled on a cheese sauce. I spread the mashed potatoes on in a beautiful thick layer, poured over the rest of the sauce, and sprinkled with bread crumbs I'd made from the heel of a baguette. Lastly went on some shredded Parmesan and crumbled cooked bacon. Of course, now there are leftovers of this . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Last night: Sourdough peasant rye bread and butter Salad of romaine, carrot, cucumber, and red bell pepper; white balsamic vinaigrette Bean and bacon soup Baked chicken thighs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Pork tenderloin with currant pickle Leek and mushroom bake with polenta-Parmesan crust The polenta dish looked like it would be really good when I saw it on a blog but, in execution, the recipe was a little uneven. The leeks and celery that were supposed to be the bottom layer did not come close to covering the bottom of the casserole dish, so I quickly steamed pieces of broccolini stems I had saved from a few days before and added those in to stretch out the vegetables. The mushrooms (which were reconstituted dried lobster mushrooms) were cooked in garlic butter and sprinkled over top of this, and then a béchamel sauce was poured over all. The "crust" was polenta that had been chilled and cut into pieces to make the top layer of the casserole. I ended up with excess polenta, which I'll use for something else. In the end, it tasted pretty good, due to the meaty mushrooms, Parmesan and a rich béchamel sauce. Don't know if I'd make it again, but I should keep my notes on execution in case I do. It was, as I suspected, good with pork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Yesterday we made pork and chive dumplings, it was so much fun and really tasty! Now that I know how easy those were to make, I will definitely make them more often. MK wants me to experiment with the fillings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 This weekend, we tried out 2 new recipes. On Saturday, I made jerk chicken, broiled in the oven and served it with some farro. Hubby liked the chicken, but the farro, not so much. We were out and about last night, so packed some spicy hummus wraps to eat in the car. Hubby isn't a huge fan of arugula, so plan to keep the recipe for the future, but use lettuce instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Sunday night: Radicchio and romaine with cucumber, red bell pepper, and marinated artichoke hearts; sesame soy ginger vinaigrette Cheese and refried bean tostadas with enchilada sauce Last night: Radicchio and romaine with cucumber and red bell pepper; honey mustard dressing Leftover leek and mushroom bake with polenta-Parmesan crust Beef brisket in tomato sauce Sauteed broccoli rabe and broccoli with garlic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Bread Furst corn rye and butter Baby arugula with shaved Pecorino Romano and black pepper; dressed with white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil Broiled flounder with lemon parsley butter over wheatberries Baked sweet potatoes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Last night: romaine and radicchio salad with artichoke hearts, avocado, and honey mustard vinaigrette; sous vide pork chops with currant pickle; and, pinto beans with brisket. The pinto beans were adapted from an Aaron Franklin recipe that called for smoked brisket. I added liquid smoke to the beans early in the cooking time to get the smokiness. I put the already well-cooked brisket in near the end. The pork chops were seared in a cast iron skillet after coming out of the water. Wonderfully moist, juicy, and delicious. The pickle was very good with this. Friday: Romaine and radicchio salad with artichoke hearts and avocado; white balsamic vinaigrette Baked chicken Polenta topped with brisket tomato sauce Thursday: Potato, quinoa, and spinach soup [boxed, Imagine brand]; topped with polenta croutons Brisket grilled cheese sandwiches on corn rye Cape Cod potato chips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curls Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Made corned beef & braised red potatoes for dinner tonight. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Last night: Roasted whole chicken with parsley, sage, thyme lemon butter Roasted onions and carrots Noodles and cheese casserole Steamed broccoli with bacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyjoan Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Saturday night was a Dutch-inspired, small dinner party with our best friends. First we did a cheese course, with some raw milk gouda (one wheel aged 4 months, one aged 9 months) that we brought back from our recent travels. Then I made a savory "Dutch baby" pancake - the texture was good, but I could barely taste the thyme and chives I put in, so the recipe definitely needs some tweaking. For the main, I did an Indonesian stir fry that turned out really well - and the leftovers reheated well the next day, too. I left the Dutch theme for dessert - I made Guiness chocolate cupcakes with Bailey's cream cheese frosting, in honor of St. Patrick's day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Sunday night: Arugula, radicchio, and romaine salad with grape tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, artichoke hearts; creamy poppy dressing Fettuccine with broccolini, bluefoot mushrooms, pancetta, cream, and Parmesan Baked roasted red peppers with parsley and bread crumbs Monday might: Steak and quinoa salad with mustard vinaigrette Leftover fettuccine with broccolini, bluefoot mushrooms, pancetta, cream, and Parmesan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 This weekend, we finished cutting the last of the ham off the bone and my husband asked my if I wanted to make soup with it. I'd read about cooking dried beans super fast in a pressure cooker, so went looking and ended up using this recipe. Ham and Bean Soup in the Instant Pot Published on Apr 10, 2015 My version of Vickie Smith's Peas Porridge with Ham Her recipe can be found in her book Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes. Ingredients: 1 quart broth 2 TBSP butter 1 pound dried Great Northern beans 2 cups diced ham (left over from Easter) 1 carrot diced 1 onion diced 1 TBSP minced garlic 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp ground sage Directions: Add all ingredients to the pressure cooker, if you are using a regular pressure cooker, bring it to 15 psi and cook at 15 psi for 10-minutes. Remove from heat and use the natural release method to depressurize. If using an Instant Pot, follow the directions for cooking Great Northern beans in the back of the book which is 25 "“ 30 minutes for unsoaked beans and 20 "“ 30 for soaked. Either way after your pressure cooker depressurizes open lid carefully; then, check to ensure the beans are cooked to your desired doneness if they aren't then return to pressure and cook for a few more minutes and depressurize naturally again. Enjoy your bean soup. It ended up taking a total of 35 min. of cooking for me, but turned out very tasty and super easy, so I'll definitely be doing this again in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 My schedule hasn't allowed much real cooking lately, but last night an old friend came over and our cold snap made me crave something comforting...but she isn't eating much starch or several other food categories...so I made a meaty (spicy chicken sausage) sauce with another container of last year's tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, onion, red wine and herbs. Simmered it down and served it over meaty, fat slices of portobello mushroom that I had salted, oiled and pre-cooked. For a salad I marinated steamed asparagus spears in olive oil and tarragon vinegar. Simple and filling meal with lots of vegetable goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Last night was a one pot chicken and rice meal with almonds. The recipe called for both chicken broth and almond milk (part of the almond theme of the recipe), but I think all chicken broth will suffice in the future. I got the recipe from a blog, and I think it was a sponsored post for Almond Breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Salad of arugula, radicchio, and frisee, with grape tomatoes and bacon; mustard vinaigrette Pan-seared delmonico steaks Buttered lemon parsley potatoes Asparagus with lemon, butter, pepper, and Parmesan I made the asparagus the way my mother used to, simmering it in a couple of inches of water in a big skillet. I took it off the heat while it was just tender and still pretty green so it didn't overcook. This is only the second time we've had asparagus this spring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Turkey meatloaf Roasted asparagus and beet stems with Shichimi Togarashi spice Beet greens with balsamic vinegar Mashed potatoes I'm not planning to roast the beets until later this week, but I cut the stems and leaves off right away. If I don't go something with the greens from a vegetable pretty quickly, they get wilted and slimy and I end up having to throw them away, which makes me cranky. I never tried roasting the stems before (usually I boil them before throwing in with the greens), but the stems were really long and my asparagus spears were really thin, so they were a perfect match sizewise to go on a sheet pan together for roasting. A successful experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katya4me Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 [http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-jacques-pepins-broiled-salmon-with-miso-glaze-223887]Broiled salmon[/url] with stir-fried bok choy and water chestnuts. I ended up only using 2 filets so I used some of the extra marinade as a sauce for the stir-fry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Greek night: Platter of pita, feta, tomatoes, olives Grilled chicken marinated in lemon juice, garlic, chicken stock olive oil Orzo cooked in chicken stock and lemon with lots of parsley and chopped artichoke hearts Green beans smothered in tomato with zataar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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