Dateline: October 29, 2020 Egyptian Kebabs and Cranberry Beans with Butternut Squash

I had to cook the kebabs.  They are a prepared product from FD and they are fabulous.  Redolent with cinnamon and spices, they do evoke our trip to Egypt.

I made the bean recipe from a couple of days ago again, except using cranberry beans and butternut squash to stand in for the escarole.  As the beans were larger than the white beans I used the other day, I opted to set the Instant Pot for 33 minutes rather than 30.  Still using the natural release.  They outcome was good, but not as slam-bang delish as with the white beans.  More than likely that was because I RAN OUT OF GARLIC...no kidding, I only had granulated.  So, that I was I used.  The squash did not provide the sweetness of the carrots in the early rendition, but did add a lovely color interest.

I used a leek for the onion and as I usually do, doctored the sauted veggies with some of the pesto I made the previous day.  

The leek sweated nicely and when it was mostly melting onto itself, I added in the thinly sliced butternut squash that didn't get added to the beans. 

As it cooked down, I realized that it would benefit from some additional flavors, so I drizzled in some of the pesto from the previous day and a touch of the calabrian pepper paste.  

I browsed through the fridge and found a couple of slices of cooked red cabbage from the other night and chopped those and dumped them in.

Here is melange that will be added to the beans after they finish cooking and are drained.  The final product did need salt, but was still quite tasty.

There was one catastrophe.  I cooked the kebabs on a plancha on the stove.  Except there was not a deep enough rim to catch the grease.  Consequently, much of the fat ran off the plancha onto the stove top.  No fire, but annoying.  Didn't effect the taste of the resulting kebabs.  

Dateline: October 30, 2020 Indonesian Beef Rendang

There were several Indonesian recipes in the NYTimes Food section on Weds.  The Beef Rendang caught my eye.  I ordered some beef chuck cubes from FD and some lemongrass.  Everything else was in house, or so I thought.  I didn't have enough of the long red hot peppers, so I did a little fast substituting and used some drying sishito peppers, a couple of serrano, 2 reddening poblanos and a single red bell pepper for color. Just enough to make the 4 oz. amount called for in the recipe.

Everything got ground up in the ninja and ended up looking like this.

I did use a pinch of citric acid to keep the color and provide a bit more sour than the lemongrass.

Here are the rest of the ingredients ready for the pot.

On the left is the coconut milk.  I had 1 can of milk and 1 six oz can of cream.  I figured that would suffice.  I wanted to break up the cream into the milk.

On the right are the aromatics, bay leaves, lemongrass stalks, lime leaves, and beef.  All of this plus the spice paste went into the coconut milk.

Everybody into the pool.  I had tasted the sauce, and it had a bitter overtone, so I added some agave syrup to try to balance it out.  It needed a bit more after cooking for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, the beef was tender and it had reduced a little bit.  The lemongrass has given its all as have the bay and lime leaves.  

The pooling fat is very visible.  Haven't decided if I will get most of it out, or wait until after things have browned. It will be easier to spoon off the fat once the sauce has been absorbed into the meat and the meat fries in the remaining fat.

Just thinking about eating this later tonight makes my mouth water.

October 28, 2020 Roasted Buttermilk Chicken

I had a quart of buttermilk that needed to be used.  I don't remember why I ordered it, but there it was!  I saw on NTYCooking a roasted buttermilk recipe from Samin Nosrat and jumped at it.   

I doctored the brine a little with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, granulated onion and garlic, and a couple of rosemary sprigs.  It has been in the fridge for almost 36 hrs.....

This was a wonderful recipe!  

Bill exclaimed at the first bite, "this is wonderful, soooo moist".  He is a white meat guy, so this meant a lot.  

I did wipe off the top of the bird after it was in a pan.  This allowed it to brown up fabulously.  When I make it again, I will put the chicken on a bed of veggies so that the back can get delicious as well.  Dead easy and sooo delicious.

October 26, 2020 Chicken Thighs and White Beans

 I had a package of chicken thighs in the fridge and figured I should cook them.  I wanted something interesting and relatively easy.  I wanted some beans too!  I know, I know, I think I was a Tuscan in a previous life.  I Love Beans!  And not just for their music!

I was perusing the NYTCooking app, and saw a bean recipe with broccoli rabe from Melissa Clark.  I didn't have any rabe, but I did have escarole.  Bingo!  This made the best beans I have ever done in the Instant pot. Only change I made was to cook under pressure for 30 minutes and allow to release naturally.  Hands Down.  The texture was smooth and luscious, and the addition of carrots and rosemary provided some contrasting flavor and color.  It is a keeper.  The thighs were inspired by this recipe.  Bill does not like mustard, tant pis, but I decided to use my preserved lemon marinade instead of mustard.  I had red cabbage and red onions!  

This was a most satisfying meal.  We were both happy and smiling.  The beans were my fave, where Bill favored the chicken.  

Before

Silky Beans

After

October 23, 2020 Dal and Vegetables

I was jonesing for indian food.  It was getting late, and we had a zoom call at 6.  Instant pot to the rescue!

I grabbed some moong dal, and cleaned out the fridge of veggies: 1/2 a head of cabbage, celery, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, garlic, ginger, jalapenos and a can of tomatoes.  Dinner!

I first rinsed the dal and held on the side.  I chopped the veggies into large pieces so that they don't disintegrate.  Even with my large pieces, most of the veggies were now sauce!

Spices:  cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, and veggie masala powder.

0

Method

1.  Make garlic ginger paste by putting equal amounts of garlic and ginger into a mini processor and grind to a paste.  Hold on the side

2.  Heat instant pot on saute and when hot add 1-2 T of ghee (or olive oil) and then add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.  Let sizzle until they start to pop.

3.  Add garlic ginger paste and let sizzle a bit.  Then add turmeric and chili powder and stir to combine.  Cancel saute.

4.  Add dal to the pot and mix well, add veggies and try to mix as best you can.  

5.  Sprinkle 1 - 2 T of the vegetable masala mix along with ground cumin and coriander.  Dump 14 oz canned tomatoes over the top, try to stir and rinse can 1/2 can  left over wine and 1/2 can water and add that to the mix.  

6.  Close lid, set pressure for 8 minutes.  Let pressure release naturally

7.  Taste.  It may need salt depending on your masala mix.  Adjust and enjoy.

October 22, 2020 Meatloaf

Ever since talking with Jen I have wanted meatloaf.  She described her version and it sounded great!

I found on NYTCooking Bill Blass' recipe for meatloaf and it sounded great.  So that is just what I did. 

I made a big mistake, confessions up front, I added the doctored ketchup into the meat loaf instead of just on top.  We will see how it goes.

On top I put a mixture of calabrian chili paste and ketchup.  Tastes pretty darn good.  Inside, which should have been on top, I used a combo of ketchup, cocktail sauce and hoisin.  Didn't have sour cream, so went with 5% yogurt and used panko bread crumbs.  I heavily salted the meat and the onion/celery mixture so I hope that I added enough salt.

The taste of the meatloaf was quite nice.  I think that the texture suffered from the mistake that I made.  It didn't hold together very well.  The recipe makes a HUGE amount so I made 2 smaller loaves and froze the other.

I suppose I could have added another egg and more panko.  Next time!

October 20, 2020 Thai Red Curry Chicken and Veggies

I was craving something spicy.  There wasn't too much in the fridge, but in the freezer I found some chicken thighs and chicken stock.  I opted for the instant pot, but the meat was frozen, and I was getting hungry.

Flash of brilliance, I put the frozen stock and thighs in the instant pot and set the pressure for 8 minutes.  Not enough to cook them, put certainly enough to thaw them.  After 8 minutes, I quick released the pressure and removed the contents to a bowl.  I discarded the skin off the thighs and held them in the broth.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs

2 c chicken stock

2 T red curry paste

1 can coconut milk, do not shake

chopped ginger

chopped garlic

chopped jalapeno

kaffir lime leaves

1 lime zested and juiced

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped

1 broccoli crown, chopped

1 red bell pepper

2 onions, halved and cut into wedges through the root

basil leaves, thai if you have them otherwise italian basil is just fine

fish sauce

                                                                                    sugar, if needed

Method

1.  Heat instant pot on saute mode.  If you defrosted the thighs and stock in the instant pot, wipe is dry.

2.  From the top of the coconut milk, spoon off the cream and add to the pot.  When it bubbles all over the surface, add the curry paste and cook until the oil separates.

3.  Add ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and lime leaves.  Mix well and cook for a minute or so.  

4.  Add vegetables, lime zest, and chicken into the pot.  

5.  It will thicken up, add the broth.  If you defrosted the thighs, add reserved broth.  Mix well.  If you need more liquid, add some of the coconut milk.

6.  Cancel saute.

7.  Set pressure to high and time to 8 minutes.  Replace lid.

8.  Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.  Quick release any remaining pressure.  Open lid.

9.  Taste.  Add lime juice.  It will need salt, that is where the fish sauce comes in.  Add about 1 T to start.  Taste again.  You may need more.  If it is too spicy, then add a little bit of sugar.  Keep tasting until it pleases you. Add in basil leaves.

10.  If the broth is too loose, you can reduce it using the saute function until it reaches a consistency that pleases you.

11.  Serve with rice or over noodles.

Nota Bene:

The veggies will all but disintegrate.  If that isn't what you would want, then do not add them in step 4.  Add them after 5 minutes of pressure cooking, by using quick release, then throw in veggies and set for an additional 3 minutes.  Proceed from step 8.

Dateline: October 19, 2020 Post Wedding Puttanesca with the Spellbergs

What a weekend, the most glorious wedding and the weather gods smiled on Claire and Jon.  

Dianne, Phil, and Jack were looking for a simple, nothing fancy dinner, so Bill and I went to a local supermarket and picked up supplies for puttanesca sauce.

I love puttanesca sauce, the briny bite of the olives and capers along with the deep umami flavor of the anchovies and garlic.  How can you go wrong!

Ingredients

1 tin or jar of anchovy fillets

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 t hot pepper flakes

olive oil

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes 

1 28 oz can of pureed tomatoes

1/2 bottle of left over red wine, or white, in a pinch

1 large bunch of parsley, stems chopped separately from leaves

1 T salt packed caper berries, rinsed

1 large handful, at least 20 or more, oil packed olives, pitted and chopped

Method

1.  Heat a large sauce pan and when hot add oil.

2.  When oil is hot add garlic, hot pepper flakes and anchovies.  

3.  Mash up the anchovies so they mix with garlic and pepper flakes

4.  Add tomatoes, rinse cans with the red wine and add that.

5.  Add chopped parsley stems.

6.  Combine well and bring to a simmer.

7.  Add caper berries and olives.

8.  Cook over medium heat until it is the consistency that pleases you.  You want it to coat the pasta without being too loose.

9.  I know this is supposed to be a "quick" pasta sauce, but I like to cook it a longer time, and add more wine if it gets too thick.

10.  Add chopped parsley leaves.

Dateline: Ocotober 15, 2020 Jambalaya with the Spellbergs and Kia

We just arrived in Rehoboth Beach for Claire and Jon's wedding.  Phil, Dianne, and Kia looked exhausted, so I cooked dinner, using the kielbasa that I brought down, along with bell peppers, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, chicken thighs, and assorted spices.  It was finished up with mixing in left over rice.   

Photo is too close up, but you can see the chicken and sausage along with the vegetation.  

For Dianne 

Method

1.  Heat up the instant pot on saute and high heat.

2.  When hot, add oil and sausages and chicken to brown a bit

3.  Add aromatics and any hot pepper flakes, if using.

4.  Add veggies and tomatoes.  Mix together well.  Rinse tomato can with some wine and add to pot.

5.  Cancel saute.

6.  Press pressure cook on high pressure and set time for 25 minutes.

7.  Close lid, made sure valve is in the sealing position.

8.  When time is up, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.

9.  Open lid stir well and mix in rice.

Dateline: October 13, 2020 Veal Chops and Greens with Beans

I have been remiss, and have fallen behind.  Sorry

It was raining, so that I couldn't grill the veal chops, instead I pan seared them and then put them into the oven.

The greens and beans is a melange of what was in the fridge thrown into the instant pot and when cooked, added cannelloni beans.  From the photo, as I am behind and can't recall everything that went into the melange it looks like collards, tuscan kale, onions, bell peppers, and broccoli.  Again, it is a clean out the fridge sort of arrangement.

Dateline: October 9, 2020 Marinated Swordfish Steaks and Delicata Squash

 My FD order came with the beautiful swordfish steaks that I ordered.  They really were beauts!  Very little blood line to cut out so mostly lovely loin!

I made the preserved lemon marinade and smeared it all over the fish and proceeded to grill it along with the delicata squash halves.  The issue was that it was after sunset, i.e., dark, and I had to gauge things with a strong light and a thermometer!  Fish cooked to 130° F and delicata until they were flexible and nicely browned

Not too successful with getting grill marks, but some sacrifices must be made when cooking in the dark!

Marinade

1 preserved lemon, flesh and rind

1 clove garlic

1 nice teaspoon Calabrian pepper paste

olive oil

couple of sprigs of parsley

Grind all up together to form a paste, loosen with olive oil, if necessary.  

Remove what you need for the application and store the balance covered with olive oil in the fridge for the next use.

The fish was really tasty and quite filling.  I couldn't finish my piece, the squash is so delicious.  One of the few squashes with edible skin.

Rounded out the meal with a nice big bowl of crunchy salad.

Dateline: October 5, 2020 Spicy Sichuan Turkey and Tofu

I had taken out of the freezer a package of turkey tenderloins and was trying to figure out what to do with them when it occurred to me that I could grind the turkey and make Mapo Tofu using the turkey.

I cut up the still semi frozen turkey into smallish cubes and ground 3/4 of it twice through the fine die.  I added some of my mala powder, mixed sichuan and black pepper roasted and then ground, into the meat for the second grind.  I then ground the remain 1/4 through the fine dice just once, but added a peeled shallot into the grinder as well.

 I chopped up some fresh ginger into slivers, sliced up some garlic, and had some sichuan pepper chunks for my aromatics.  They got fried up in some canola oil.  After they were fragrant, I added the ground turkey and cooked that until it was opaque.  Next went in the pixian paste, a heaping tablespoon, along with a spoon of the Lao Gan Ma chili crisp.  This was all mushed together to coat all of the turkey with the spicy goodness before adding the mustard greens and the chicken stock.

I had some of this preserved mustard greens, which I decided to use this time in the mapo.  What I forgot to do was to rinse it.  It made the dish when coupled with the pixian paste, below, very salty.  I remedied that by adding more chicken stock and some agave syrup.  Having copious amounts of rice also helped greatly.  I also used a glug of rice vinegar to help tame the saltiness.  With rice it was quite tasty.  

I used this oxymoronic box of tofu.  Yes, the texture was that of silken tofu, but it was much firmer and it was the best choice for the job.  Good on me for picking it up somewhere!

This was my pint container of homemade chicken stock!

the finished dish and the rice.

October 3, 2020 SOURDOUGH WEATHER

I have been reviving my sourdough starter over the last couple of days and on Thursday it was ready to be used.  I used the tried, trusted and true NYT Guide to Sourdough .

Thursday, overnight, last feeding.  Friday, was the autolysing, mixing, rising, and proofing, with overnight sit in the fridge.  Saturday was the bake off.  The resulting loaf was one of the more beautiful ones that I have baked.

I was thrilled with the ear above the slash.  When it cools I will cut and show photos.  Judging from the strands at the slash, this should have a lovely open structure.

oooooooh, aaaaaaaaah

Dateline: October 1, 2020 Buttermilk Chicken

 

I had a whole chicken in the fridge that needed to be cooked.  I had contemplated grilling on grill #1, but opted to spatchcock it and grill it on grill #2.  I was intrigued by Nigella Lawson's recipe, so I used it.  

I only marinated it for a couple of hours, but it was sufficient to hint at the suppleness that reviewers mentioned.  I would certainly do it again when I have some buttermilk that is calling out to be used and enough planning ahead to hold it over night.

The meat was perfectly done, even though the photo shows some pink, that was smoke ring I believe.  I served it with some grilled cauliflower and microwaved, yes, microwaved, sweet and white potatoes.  10 minutes in a brown paper bag.  Perfection!

All in all, a very satisfying dinner, with plenty of leftovers for Bill's breakfast meals.

Dateline: September 30, 2020 Shrimp, Scallop, Sausage GUMBO

I had some shrimp and scallops coming from FD, and was going to do a seared thing, but found the okra in the freezer and bingo, GUMBO!

I used NYT recipe by David Tanis with a twist supplied by a review.  Made a dark roux to start.  There is something meditative about making and watching a roux come to color.  Starts out pale yellow ochre-ish and ends up a deep caramel color.  Once it hits the caramel stage, be very attentive, it can go to black in a nano-second.  

I used 1 lb of shrimp and 1/2 lb dry scallops.  Used chicken stock instead of shrimp stock as the shrimp were already peeled and deveined and frozen okra.  Added a glug of white wine as well.

On the left, mid way.  On the right, finished roux.  Probably took 20 minutes or so to get there, chop veggies during the early stage and stir occasionally, as it darkens, it needs your full attention.

Trinity plus garlic on right, and veggies softening in the roux on left.

Reducing and thickening before seafood and okra on left, on right, everybody into the pool