Perpetual "What's for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Today" thread
Moderator: Darb
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the grim squeaker
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Looks like I missed that joke.
While in Iceland these past 18 days, I ate a lot of skyr. This is their local yoghourt, but it is made from completely skimmed milk, totally fatless, though incredibly smooth and tasty. Beats any non-fat yoghourt you can find anywhere.
I really wonder why it is not sold as diet food in the US, where there is definitely a weight problem on a national level.
While in Iceland these past 18 days, I ate a lot of skyr. This is their local yoghourt, but it is made from completely skimmed milk, totally fatless, though incredibly smooth and tasty. Beats any non-fat yoghourt you can find anywhere.
I really wonder why it is not sold as diet food in the US, where there is definitely a weight problem on a national level.
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
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laurie
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Any foods marketed as "diet" or "fat-free" in this country last no longer than the average fad. Diet sodas and skim or low-fat milk are the only things that have lasted longer than a few months -- which is probably why we have that "weight problem on a national level".
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." -- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
"So where the hell is he?" -- Laurie
"So where the hell is he?" -- Laurie
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KiltanneN
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Dinner tonight is a Lamb casserole - Cooking in the slow-cooker.
2 kg of lamb chunks, [butcher said they were mostly offcuts from the shoulder that didn't work as chops]
½kilo of sliced carrots
½ bunch of celery
¾ kilo of potatoes - diced chunky
½ Onion diced chunky as well
Smells good so far!
2 kg of lamb chunks, [butcher said they were mostly offcuts from the shoulder that didn't work as chops]
½kilo of sliced carrots
½ bunch of celery
¾ kilo of potatoes - diced chunky
½ Onion diced chunky as well
Smells good so far!
The wonderful thing about not planning
Is that failure comes as a complete surprise
And is not preceded by a period of worry or depression
Is that failure comes as a complete surprise
And is not preceded by a period of worry or depression
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the grim squeaker
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I've trained my wife to look for and bring me home wield stuff to prepare, whatever strikes her fancy. The other day she brought me home a med-large yuca root. So, for dinner, I sweated some minced smoked bacon with thinly sliced yellow onion (and possibly some paper-thin slices of celery ... I forget) until the bacon was rendered and the onions were tender. Next I added some dried garden sage, followed by some chicken broth, followed by the yucca (peeled, cored then diced 1/2"), and simmered it for 20-30 mins until very tender. I coarsely partially mashed the soup to lightly thicken it, adjusted the seasoning, then added a lonely looking pear from the fridge, which I cored, peeled and diced. A success.
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MidasKnight
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Yucca (aka cassava) is typically shaped like an enormous brown carrot, with a dense hard brown skin that's usually dipped in a thick layer of wax to improve shelf life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manioc
When raw, the flesh has a dense crisp milky white appearance, and a texture like a three-way cross between potato, carrot and fresh coconut. When cooked, it becomes very potato-like, and somewhat translucent, and the flavor is very mild and starchy, with no sweetness.
As is the case with most neutral tasting starches (and equally bland proteins, like chicken breast), it is a blank canvas upon which to write large with other flavors, either subtle or bold.
The soup I made above took the subtle approach ... everything tastes good with a little onion and bacon in it. Pairing pork with sage is a classic italian flavor, and pairing pork with apples or pears is a classic German flavor. Combining both pairings with a central/south american starchy tuber makes the dish "Fusion" cuisine, of sorts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manioc
When raw, the flesh has a dense crisp milky white appearance, and a texture like a three-way cross between potato, carrot and fresh coconut. When cooked, it becomes very potato-like, and somewhat translucent, and the flavor is very mild and starchy, with no sweetness.
As is the case with most neutral tasting starches (and equally bland proteins, like chicken breast), it is a blank canvas upon which to write large with other flavors, either subtle or bold.
The soup I made above took the subtle approach ... everything tastes good with a little onion and bacon in it. Pairing pork with sage is a classic italian flavor, and pairing pork with apples or pears is a classic German flavor. Combining both pairings with a central/south american starchy tuber makes the dish "Fusion" cuisine, of sorts.
Oh, you mean cassava/manioc/yuca (Euphorbiaceae).
I first thought you meant yucca (Agavaceae), which is a very different plant, related to the blue agave (from which one makes tequila).
I have eaten tapioca (cassava/yuca starch) before (as thickener in various dishes), so I can imagine more or less the texture, though fresh cassava probably tastes differently from purified tapioca.
I thought it was an African plant. Reading the Wiki article, I realised that, though it did become a staple in part of Africa, it originates in South America. You learn something every day!
I first thought you meant yucca (Agavaceae), which is a very different plant, related to the blue agave (from which one makes tequila).
I have eaten tapioca (cassava/yuca starch) before (as thickener in various dishes), so I can imagine more or less the texture, though fresh cassava probably tastes differently from purified tapioca.
I thought it was an African plant. Reading the Wiki article, I realised that, though it did become a staple in part of Africa, it originates in South America. You learn something every day!
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
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Kahrey
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So I was talking to a friend at work whom I was "stuck with" for like four hours and our conversation kept floating back to food. He made me want steak REALLY bad, I've only had steak a handfull of times in my life. He told me how to cook it, and I'm seriously considering picking some up and cooking it. Otheriwse, I don't know what dinner will be.
"Life is trial and error. Those who succeed are those who survive their failures and keep trying." - LE Modesitt, Jr.
Tonite I'll teach the missus how to do a vertically roasted chicken. Since the oven will be on anyway, I'll also have her toss in a foil pouch of chunked potatoes and small pouch of garlic cloves in olive oil. I'll stirfry some snowpeas while the chicken rests, since that doesnt involve any bending.
I'm dying for some wine, but I cant have it ATM.
I'm dying for some wine, but I cant have it ATM.
Plan B: Wife couldnt find my vertical roaster (apparently mislaid during our move), and I cant drive out for a tallboy of guinness, so I rigged up the chicken atop a half-can of chicken stock nestled in a 6" round non-stick cake pan. It's roasting at 425F for 70 mins. Not very hungry though ... right now I just want to lay in fetal position and try to block out the pain.
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spiphany
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Pizza with white sauce, asparagus, and a touch of parmesan. (Hey, the asparagus was on sale last week for $1/lb, I had to stock up.)
IPHIGENIE: Kann uns zum Vaterland die Fremde werden?
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
I still cant sit or stand very long yet, but I stopped by an acquaintance's restaurant long enough to help put a dent in their annual pig roast. It was a 70 lb pig, and not nearly enough for the large crowd that showed, but a friend and I got on line early enough to snag the crispy skin off a large section of the lower back ... the carver obviously wasnt familiar with pig, and most northerners here in america arent big on roasted skin, so my friend and I both went for the cracklings with surprisingly little competition, and each made off with piece the size of our outstretched hands.
Now, if only the Dow Jones would follow my cholesterol's lead, I'd be a wealthy man ...
Now, if only the Dow Jones would follow my cholesterol's lead, I'd be a wealthy man ...
Ground pork was on sale, so I made some vietnamese pork burgers, which involve kneading some chunkly peanut butter, sriracha chili sauce, fish sauce and scallions into the pork, forming it into burgers, spraying them with oil, and then grilling them.
Nice, but it needed some grated ginger and garlic.
Nice, but it needed some grated ginger and garlic.
I'd made some of my tandoori marinated grilled boneless chicken thighs the other day. Had some leftovers, so I used them up in an improvised variation on pasta with broccoli rabe and chicken ... and dressed it with a little egg yolk and parm, like a carbonara.
Recipe:
Re-warm 8 oz of cooked leftover shaped pasta of choice in microwave, and set aside.
Re-warm 3 cups leftover cooked broccoli florettes in microwave, and set aside.
Chop 1 1/2 cups of leftover grilled chicken cutlets, and set aside.
In a mug, combine 1/2 cup+ of freshly grated imported parm, stir in 3 raw egg yolks, thin slightly with lukewarm water, set aside.
Mince 3-4 strips of bacon, and saute in large wok in a little oil until rendered and just beginning to color.
Add 1 large clove garlic, split and thinly sliced, and saute until aromatic, but not colored.
Add the reserved reheated florettes, along with 1/4 cup water, toss well, cover with lid until lid is hot, uncover and toss well until heated through, and liquid evaporated.
Add leftover pasta, along with another 1/4 cup water, and 2 tbsp butter, and toss well, until hot and liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of hot water, toss briefly, then add the egg-cheese mixture, toss briefly until well mixed and thickend.
Serve immediately.
Recipe:
Re-warm 8 oz of cooked leftover shaped pasta of choice in microwave, and set aside.
Re-warm 3 cups leftover cooked broccoli florettes in microwave, and set aside.
Chop 1 1/2 cups of leftover grilled chicken cutlets, and set aside.
In a mug, combine 1/2 cup+ of freshly grated imported parm, stir in 3 raw egg yolks, thin slightly with lukewarm water, set aside.
Mince 3-4 strips of bacon, and saute in large wok in a little oil until rendered and just beginning to color.
Add 1 large clove garlic, split and thinly sliced, and saute until aromatic, but not colored.
Add the reserved reheated florettes, along with 1/4 cup water, toss well, cover with lid until lid is hot, uncover and toss well until heated through, and liquid evaporated.
Add leftover pasta, along with another 1/4 cup water, and 2 tbsp butter, and toss well, until hot and liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of hot water, toss briefly, then add the egg-cheese mixture, toss briefly until well mixed and thickend.
Serve immediately.
I had a pound of fresh young spinach that needed using, so yesturday I improvised a quick soup. From memory:
* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup yellow onion, sliced very thin.
* 1 clove garlic, sliced thin
* 1 dried red chilie, deseeded and crumbled fine.
* 1 lb fresh young spinach leaves, rinsed, sliced crosswise, then chopped.
* 3-4 pints reduced sodium chicken stock
* Corn starch, as needed
* Juice of 1-2 lemons, or to taste
* Additional seasonings, to taste (I think I used a little sambar masala)
Sweat onions & chilies in oil until tender, but not colored.
Add garlic and sweat another 30 sec, until aromatic but not colored.
Add spinach & stock. Simmer 10 mins, or until spinach is fully tender.
Add thinned corn starch to thicken slightly, then add lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.
Garnish with a little CPEVO or butter, and if you have some handy (as I did), some crumbled leftover crispy bacon. If you're greek, a little crumbled feta would probably work too.
* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup yellow onion, sliced very thin.
* 1 clove garlic, sliced thin
* 1 dried red chilie, deseeded and crumbled fine.
* 1 lb fresh young spinach leaves, rinsed, sliced crosswise, then chopped.
* 3-4 pints reduced sodium chicken stock
* Corn starch, as needed
* Juice of 1-2 lemons, or to taste
* Additional seasonings, to taste (I think I used a little sambar masala)
Sweat onions & chilies in oil until tender, but not colored.
Add garlic and sweat another 30 sec, until aromatic but not colored.
Add spinach & stock. Simmer 10 mins, or until spinach is fully tender.
Add thinned corn starch to thicken slightly, then add lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.
Garnish with a little CPEVO or butter, and if you have some handy (as I did), some crumbled leftover crispy bacon. If you're greek, a little crumbled feta would probably work too.
Cupboards were a bit bare, but I managed to improv a decent variant on my usual lo mein. Recap of recipe, from memory:
Dry toast 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (in the pan used below), then coarsely chop & set aside.
In large nonstick pan sweat the following in CPEVO and butter over med heat: 1/4 of small yellow onion, split lengthwise, then sliced very thin crosswise, 2 dried cayenne peppers, deseeded and crumbled, some freshly chopped italian parsley (leaves and light stems), and (last) 2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin. Stir and saute until onion is tender, but not colored.
Add large handful of cold leftover cooked thin spagetti. Moisten slightly with several dashes of thai fish sauce (and a small dash of water or white wine if needed, whichever is handy), and toss well with all of the above, over high heat, until well mixed and warmed through. Add reserved chopped toasted pumpkin seeds, and toss well, along with additional CPEVO and butter, if needed. Transfer to serving bowl.
Return empty pan to flame, lube with a little more butter, and a little dribble of egg beaters, and shake pan slightly to form a thin sheet. Allow to cook through, flip, then use spatula to roll up. Transfer to cutting board, and chiffonade crosswise into egg ribbons. Add to the pasta dish, toss and serve. No cheese required or appropriate for this dish.
Total prep/cooking time: about 7 mins.
Dry toast 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (in the pan used below), then coarsely chop & set aside.
In large nonstick pan sweat the following in CPEVO and butter over med heat: 1/4 of small yellow onion, split lengthwise, then sliced very thin crosswise, 2 dried cayenne peppers, deseeded and crumbled, some freshly chopped italian parsley (leaves and light stems), and (last) 2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin. Stir and saute until onion is tender, but not colored.
Add large handful of cold leftover cooked thin spagetti. Moisten slightly with several dashes of thai fish sauce (and a small dash of water or white wine if needed, whichever is handy), and toss well with all of the above, over high heat, until well mixed and warmed through. Add reserved chopped toasted pumpkin seeds, and toss well, along with additional CPEVO and butter, if needed. Transfer to serving bowl.
Return empty pan to flame, lube with a little more butter, and a little dribble of egg beaters, and shake pan slightly to form a thin sheet. Allow to cook through, flip, then use spatula to roll up. Transfer to cutting board, and chiffonade crosswise into egg ribbons. Add to the pasta dish, toss and serve. No cheese required or appropriate for this dish.
Total prep/cooking time: about 7 mins.
Dinner tonite: I fired up the gas grill and tossed a few fast cooking items on it ..
Serves 2:
* 1 Belgian Endive {see below}
* 2 med-small Radicchio {see below}
* Sliced hickory smoked Bacon, approx 4 oz
* Flanken style (cross cut) beef ribs, approx 1 lb
Split the endive lengthwise in half, and the radicchio lengthwise in quarters. Whisk together a small amount of vinegarette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thai fish sauce) and lightly dip the cut sides only. Grill over med heat until well marked and beginning to caramelize, but still al dente (as with scallops cook 2/3 on the cut 'beauty' side and 1/3 on the other), remove from grill, and serve with the grilled bacon (think of it as a hot salad you eat with a fork and knife)
The flanken steak is easy - rub with oil, season with salt & pepper, and grill over high heat on both sides, then the rib side, until medium. Well marbled ribs are the most tender and juicy ... just remember to remove any exposed silver skin before cooking.
Total prep and cooking time (assuming the grill is already hot) = 10 mins.
Serves 2:
* 1 Belgian Endive {see below}
* 2 med-small Radicchio {see below}
* Sliced hickory smoked Bacon, approx 4 oz
* Flanken style (cross cut) beef ribs, approx 1 lb
Split the endive lengthwise in half, and the radicchio lengthwise in quarters. Whisk together a small amount of vinegarette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thai fish sauce) and lightly dip the cut sides only. Grill over med heat until well marked and beginning to caramelize, but still al dente (as with scallops cook 2/3 on the cut 'beauty' side and 1/3 on the other), remove from grill, and serve with the grilled bacon (think of it as a hot salad you eat with a fork and knife)
The flanken steak is easy - rub with oil, season with salt & pepper, and grill over high heat on both sides, then the rib side, until medium. Well marbled ribs are the most tender and juicy ... just remember to remove any exposed silver skin before cooking.
Total prep and cooking time (assuming the grill is already hot) = 10 mins.