What's Cooking?

[ness]

I almost don't want to post here anymore, because that internet bully JoeD just makes fun of it all. But he's not the boss of me!

With all the produce coming in from the CSA, I'm scrambling around to figure out things to make. Not just to use it up, but to figure out new, good, even healthier, things to eat. Well, getting a big bunch of greens and other veggies thrown at you can be a little intimidating. I like salads, but I can only do so much. I turned to wilted lettuce to get some real meals out of it all, but kinda got tired of that too. So, I did a little research and it woke me up to the idea of stir frying. I've stir fired in the past, but it was typical stuff and kinda boring. A few times this last week I've got the wok going with a whole bunch of new stuff: kohlrabi, turnips, Asian greens, bok choy. I have really been enjoying it. Easy to prep, one wok, one cutting board. Easy to mix up the flavors if you get creative with the sauces. So, tonight it was chicken, bok choy, onion, kohlrabi, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and some stuff I'm forgetting. Sauce was soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, sherry -- in about equal proportions -- with a little rice wine vinegar and some cornstarch worked in. This was awfully tasty. Threw it on top of some minute rice.

 

[Chief Grey Bear]

Nice Ness.

And welcome to the Confederate States of America!

[ness]

Nice Ness.

And welcome to the Confederate States of America!

Geez -- you and JD with the Confederates States thing.

The war is over. You lost. Right prevailed. Lawrence has been rebuilt!

[ness]

Thanks for sharing everyone.

I make several different sauces. I like a good Sicilian marinara; every once in a while I do a sauce alla puttanesca. My go to sauce comes from Marcella Hazen. I have two of her cookbooks and recommend them highly.

Her basic sauce:

Use a high quality 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes (Cento San Marzano is my favorite) and use your hands to crush them into a dutch oven with their can juices. Add 5 ounces of unsalted butter. Peel an onion and put one half into the pot. Add salt and pepper. Simmer on low until the butter makes tears in the tomatoes. Remove and discard (or use in a different dish) the onion. At that point it is perfect for angel hair.

On the other hand you can now doll it up with whatever flavors you desire. Herbs, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, meat, Parmesan - all can be cooked into the base sauce for your dish. This is another trust me on this guys. Google Marcella Hazen sauce and read the reviews.

You've mentioned this before, and I looked up the recipe. My gut feeling is -- BUTTER??? But -- I'm a firm believer in taking a chance every once in a while, or you get stuck in a rut. Hell -- I was eating bok choy last night!

[rps]

This is tonight's guest for dinner:

His fillets will be baked very simply and sprinkled with minced tarragon from my pots on the deck. I am also preparing a cucumber/radish/tomato/parsley salad with chives and an oil and vinegar finish. As the starch, I have a little minced ham, minced onion, and a good portion of minced mushrooms ready to form the base for a risotto. I will edit this post to add picture when I plate the meal.

Edit: Silly me. I forgot to take the picture. It was good, though.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Geez -- you and JD with the Confederates States thing.

The war is over. You lost. Right prevailed. Lawrence has been rebuilt!

What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

[rps]

Southwestern Chicken Soup

I do not Pinterest, but I may have to start. My Nancy showed me a recipe that appealed to her. I read it, decided it had some merit, and then immediately changed it before I ever made it. It called for skinless boneless chicken breast - probably the most difficult meat in the world to get "right." And even then, it has no flavor. It also called for diced tomatoes with chiles. I decided to use regular diced tomatoes with a whole can of diced green chiles instead. Last of all the spices were insufficient so I modified them to a flavor profile I know and trust. Here is the changed recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 pound diced boneless and skinless chicken thighs.

2 cans low sodium chicken broth.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.

1 can sweet corn, no salt or sugar added, drained.

1 can fire roast diced tomatoes.

1 small onion, diced.

1/2 sweet bell pepper diced.

1 teaspoon cumin.

1 teaspoon chili powder.

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

1 large pinch of salt.

4 grinds of black pepper.

1 splash Franks Hot Sauce.

Plain Greek yoghurt.

Minced cilantro.

Olive oil.

Method

Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in an enameled dutch oven and cook the chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil and the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the onions and sweet pepper and saute until the onions are translucent and limp. Add the chiles, tomatoes with juices, the corn and the black beans, the broth, and add back the chicken. Bring just to the boil and reduce the heat to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, including the splash of Franks. Serve to large bowls and add a dollop of Greek yoghurt and finely minced cilantro to each bowl.

[rps]

I just edited the post above to change the vessel. The things I added would not fit even in a large skillet. Silly me.

[rps]

As the salad I made a deconstructed guacamole.

[Terrierman]

Poor folks has got poor ways.

Cored Vidalia, stuffed with blue cheese, butter and a little salt. Twisted up tight and then about 90 minutes at 300.

A couple of top quality burgers, zucchini, summer squash and parboiled new potatoes.

Fresh picked lettuce and a tomato that tastes right. It's a secret where I get the tomatoes.

Ready. Mayo and Heinz 57, my two favorites for a burger.

Back in 1970, my DI used to say every day is a holiday and every meal is a banquet. When you have Banquet Beer, who can argue with that?