Hey All,
So today was supposed to be lazy. Obviously that didn't happen. Husbear had a friend and colleague over to work on the Whorse and I took the time to do something with the apples that have been copious again this year.
I scoured the web for recipes. I found one for an apple and green tomato chutney, but the ingredients would have cost me an arm and a leg. Continued digging and I found a recipe for a simple apple jam that I decided to doctor up and rebrand as Lavender, Appples, and Oak.
The base recipe:
3.5 lbs of apples, cored, cleaned of bug damage, and diced
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (the original called for 1 vanilla bean sliced and scoured, but I don't have such things)
I added a healthy handful of lavender buds and a bit of leftover red wine rich in oak to get the oak thing going.
I boiled all that together, macerated a bit, and sampled. Husbear, company, and I all agreed, let's add something more. Basil or bay leaf was the initial recommendation. I ran out to the garden, cut a bit off my basil trees, yes they are that big right now, and mixed it in. I hmmm'd for a minute and added a sprinkle of cinnamon, a sprinkle of cumin, and some salt.
The end product is amazing. It's processing now. Most recipes call for a 10 minute process, but I have found my jars seal better if I go for 20 min.
So into the pantries (company, neighbors, my own) to enjoy in the upcoming winter!
Lotsa Love,
3Day
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Explaining the work basket - a fun idea if work is a drag!
Hey All,
So I made reference to the work basket of goodies. This started as a contribution to everyone's well being at my office. As you all know, my employment in the period 2010-2013 was especially rough. I fought and I struggled, but I did make some awesome allies along the way.
One of them, on the north side of our cube farm, always had a full candy dish and a secret stash of amazing chocolate, if you knew where to look and/or asked nicely. Safe to say we bonded over diva moments that required good chocolate.
A little light went off in my head..... Sweet stuff to the north, savory to the south! My cubicle is the furthest south in the building, and honestly, if I'm busy, I can be a bit of a bear to deal with. Food and/or snacks somehow seem to make those interactions a bit less of a struggle.
I was a bit apprehensive about the cost of maintaining such a thing, but one day the co-worker with the chocolate and I went shopping. I found a basket for $2 and was able to fill it with goodies for <$10. I decided right then and there, the basket has a weekly maximum of $10 and would be filled with at least 3 different goodies.
As time has evolved, the basket has a few staples, and a few random things. Staples include cracker packs, microwaveable popcorn, and granola bars. This week, I scored on pretzel M&Ms, a personal favorite, and spicy pork rinds (another favorite). Other random things have been Goldfish crackers, Sun Chips, those weird crackers with cheese and a plastic stick, sweet and spicy snack mix, etc. Some weeks I can barely jam everything in there, other weeks it looks a bit sparse, but the treats are awesome. Some weeks, if I've been especially productive in the kitchen, home baked goods make an appearance....I got swarmed the week that I brought in 2 dozen muffins.
Its always a fun little game to see what I can pack in there for $10 and it does great things for the morale of our cube farm and other staffers in the know.
If you do decide to do such a thing, I have 2 recommendations. Have a set restock day, mine is always Monday or the first workday if I'm off, and have a set budget. Unfortunately, the candy and chocolate basket has gone away due to the personal expense of keeping it stocked. I've found that setting these boundaries does 2 things for me: 1) I don't fret when its empty mid-week, and 2) I never resent any potential overuse.
This particular exercise has brought both praise and derision from superiors. Despite any nay-saying, supporting my team and colleagues feels pretty awesome.
As things in 2014 have turned to a much more enjoyable atmosphere, I'd like to say thanks to the co-workers who have enjoyed this. Sometimes, that "Hey, this thing is a lifesaver", makes a pretty cruddy day feel not so bad.
3Day
So I made reference to the work basket of goodies. This started as a contribution to everyone's well being at my office. As you all know, my employment in the period 2010-2013 was especially rough. I fought and I struggled, but I did make some awesome allies along the way.
One of them, on the north side of our cube farm, always had a full candy dish and a secret stash of amazing chocolate, if you knew where to look and/or asked nicely. Safe to say we bonded over diva moments that required good chocolate.
A little light went off in my head..... Sweet stuff to the north, savory to the south! My cubicle is the furthest south in the building, and honestly, if I'm busy, I can be a bit of a bear to deal with. Food and/or snacks somehow seem to make those interactions a bit less of a struggle.
I was a bit apprehensive about the cost of maintaining such a thing, but one day the co-worker with the chocolate and I went shopping. I found a basket for $2 and was able to fill it with goodies for <$10. I decided right then and there, the basket has a weekly maximum of $10 and would be filled with at least 3 different goodies.
As time has evolved, the basket has a few staples, and a few random things. Staples include cracker packs, microwaveable popcorn, and granola bars. This week, I scored on pretzel M&Ms, a personal favorite, and spicy pork rinds (another favorite). Other random things have been Goldfish crackers, Sun Chips, those weird crackers with cheese and a plastic stick, sweet and spicy snack mix, etc. Some weeks I can barely jam everything in there, other weeks it looks a bit sparse, but the treats are awesome. Some weeks, if I've been especially productive in the kitchen, home baked goods make an appearance....I got swarmed the week that I brought in 2 dozen muffins.
Its always a fun little game to see what I can pack in there for $10 and it does great things for the morale of our cube farm and other staffers in the know.
If you do decide to do such a thing, I have 2 recommendations. Have a set restock day, mine is always Monday or the first workday if I'm off, and have a set budget. Unfortunately, the candy and chocolate basket has gone away due to the personal expense of keeping it stocked. I've found that setting these boundaries does 2 things for me: 1) I don't fret when its empty mid-week, and 2) I never resent any potential overuse.
This particular exercise has brought both praise and derision from superiors. Despite any nay-saying, supporting my team and colleagues feels pretty awesome.
As things in 2014 have turned to a much more enjoyable atmosphere, I'd like to say thanks to the co-workers who have enjoyed this. Sometimes, that "Hey, this thing is a lifesaver", makes a pretty cruddy day feel not so bad.
3Day
Getting Ready for another week
Hey All,
So last week's planning paid off in big ways. I found myself with plenty of evening time and my stress level, despite my employment's best efforts, were kept low while at home.
Here's a couple of photos to recap some of the highlights:
This is the chicken salad sandwiches with the German Coleslaw and sweet patato tots. Notice the big cup of fry sauce. Fry sauce is a Utah favorite and also a favorite of mine. Its really simple, 2 parts mayo, 1 part ketchup, and I always add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Fries without it is just wrong in my opinion.
This is the Hawaiian chicken with more coleslaw and a rice pilaf. I buy dried soup veggies in bulk and add them in when cooking the rice. The pilaf is really simple, cook rice like you normally would, adding enough bullion for the amount of water, and veggies to taste. When I make Pilaf, I also add a good dose of oil, it makes it a bit slicker which I find more appealing.
The week ahead looks like it will be all about those recipes held close to the heart that have absolutely no measurement. A bit of this, a dab of that, and viola, a meal. Unfortunately, I am on call until midnight, working a bit from home, etc, so I didn't get to go play at a local festival. I figure its a fair trade off since I'll be traveling all over the west coast in the next few weeks. I may even have been coerced into making a trip to Sacramento in late October. I never thought of Sacto as a destination, but why the heck not.....
So this week, I'm going to talk a bit more about the meals in general and how I'm going to preprep them. Measurements are mostly by heart/taste, so use your imagination as best you can.
Meal 1: Fajitas. This is pretty straightforward. For seasoning, I get the large jar of taco seasoning. It will have well marinated top round cut into strips, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes. I don't think we have any sour cream on hand, so I'll substitute greek yogurt. We are also blessed to live in "panaderias" according to judgmental maps. It gives us access to amazing tortillas that you just can't get at the supermarket. They are soft, flaky, and nearly translucent and don't overpower your food.
To prep this one. I'll slice the steak and mix it with the tomatoes and taco seasoning and bag that up. The veggies will be prepped and bagged separately. When its time to cook, I just pull out the bags and cook them up. Pretty no fuss!
Meal 2: Chili. Husbear makes this one. He's perfected his chili over the years. Things I do know about it: Use good meat, like the top round used for the fajitas, don't make it too saucy, and cook it for a long time. I got a good score on a corn muffin mix ($0.25 for a mix that makes 6-8 muffins). Also reasonable price on locally made corn chips ($1.19 for a big bag, and I just found out I overpaid by $0.20, but I also didn't have to drive across town, so I'll call it even), so I'd say we're set to have a delicious meal.
To prep this one. I learned from Melissa D'Arabian of Food Network fame that when making beans, make a huge pot and freeze what you don't use so you don't have to go through the headache of prepping beans all the time. We'll put everything together in a crockpot and keep the crock in the fridge until the morning we are ready to start it. Simmered on low all day, it is ready when we get home from the work day. Easy peesy!
Meal 3: Chipotle Chicken. This is a recipe taught to us by my Father In-Law. Its really tasty and easy to make ahead. Combine 2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups bullion reconstituted) and a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a blender. Blend that together for a bit. Strain out the seeds and big matter. I can't stress enough to strain that stuff out. You will get a meal that is far to spicy for human consumption if you don't. In a baking dish, slice a large onion. White onions are recommended, but because I'm cheap, I use whatever costs the least. If I'm making it for company, I definitely get a white onion as they tend to be a bit sweeter and break down during cooking. Layer chicken (boneless skinless breasts or thighs recommended) on top of the onions. Pour the stock and pepper sauce over the top, grate cheese over the top. Bake covered at 350°F for 30 min, uncover and cook 10 or more minutes until the cheese browns. We like this one with yellow rice.
To prep: The chicken will be put together and kept covered in the fridge until ready to cook.
Meal 4: Sausages with coleslaw and mustard. So last week my tiny head of cabbage made a lot more coleslaw than I expected. What doesn't go better the coleslaw than sausages? I always buy sausages when they are on sale and freeze them for easy meals. The sausage gods had been especially kind over the last little bit, so we have 3 kinds to choose from. A local hot smoke sausage, Aidell's chicken and apple, and Brats. Keeping with German tradition, these will be lightly grilled and served with good mustard and coleslaw....never on a bun. If I've got leftover bread, I'll serve it along side, but never put good sausage in the bun!
Meal 5: Tuna and Noodles. Ok, I'm not even going to take a stab at this one. This is another one that Husbear makes. It sounds like traditional casserole yuck, but he does it well. We'll put this one together and also have it in the fridge, ready to cook.
A couple more weird musings from this week:
I want to try a tropical fruit salad. I recently had a Hawaiian flavored e-liquid that has just a hint, its so subtle its hardly there, of dill. It makes the tropical flavors totally pop. I'm thinking pineapple, guava, a bit of mango, maybe some dragonfruit, maybe some starfruit, all mixed together in its own juices with a sprinkle of dill. I'll likely go check out the produce at Global Supermarket. They always seem to have intriguing tropical fruits. I didn't know what a dragonfruit was until I saw one in person. Also, if they have the yellow mangoes, get a bunch, they are over the top ripe and delicious by themselves or in anything using mango. If you ask nice, they will often cut you one heck of a deal on the ones that are so ripe they are falling apart. Oh and my brain just said, "Hey, see if they have those delicious giant coconut flakes, that'd be really good on top."
I need to revisit the thai peanut salad. It was good and I've been having a hankering for it again. I've also got a lot of peanuts leftover from Burning Man.
So there ya go, another week's worth of meals. Oh and I must say, I'm proud as heck of the grocery bill this week. $45, this includes $5 worth of snack goodies for the basket at work and a few dollars of breakfast add ons. I'm not sure why I've been watching the budget, more than anything I get a kick out of making my home pretty awesome for cheaps. So far for the month, excluding the week following Burning Man, which had a lot of dining out/order-in, we are at $100.
Have a great week!
3Day
So last week's planning paid off in big ways. I found myself with plenty of evening time and my stress level, despite my employment's best efforts, were kept low while at home.
Here's a couple of photos to recap some of the highlights:
The week ahead looks like it will be all about those recipes held close to the heart that have absolutely no measurement. A bit of this, a dab of that, and viola, a meal. Unfortunately, I am on call until midnight, working a bit from home, etc, so I didn't get to go play at a local festival. I figure its a fair trade off since I'll be traveling all over the west coast in the next few weeks. I may even have been coerced into making a trip to Sacramento in late October. I never thought of Sacto as a destination, but why the heck not.....
So this week, I'm going to talk a bit more about the meals in general and how I'm going to preprep them. Measurements are mostly by heart/taste, so use your imagination as best you can.
Meal 1: Fajitas. This is pretty straightforward. For seasoning, I get the large jar of taco seasoning. It will have well marinated top round cut into strips, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes. I don't think we have any sour cream on hand, so I'll substitute greek yogurt. We are also blessed to live in "panaderias" according to judgmental maps. It gives us access to amazing tortillas that you just can't get at the supermarket. They are soft, flaky, and nearly translucent and don't overpower your food.
To prep this one. I'll slice the steak and mix it with the tomatoes and taco seasoning and bag that up. The veggies will be prepped and bagged separately. When its time to cook, I just pull out the bags and cook them up. Pretty no fuss!
Meal 2: Chili. Husbear makes this one. He's perfected his chili over the years. Things I do know about it: Use good meat, like the top round used for the fajitas, don't make it too saucy, and cook it for a long time. I got a good score on a corn muffin mix ($0.25 for a mix that makes 6-8 muffins). Also reasonable price on locally made corn chips ($1.19 for a big bag, and I just found out I overpaid by $0.20, but I also didn't have to drive across town, so I'll call it even), so I'd say we're set to have a delicious meal.
To prep this one. I learned from Melissa D'Arabian of Food Network fame that when making beans, make a huge pot and freeze what you don't use so you don't have to go through the headache of prepping beans all the time. We'll put everything together in a crockpot and keep the crock in the fridge until the morning we are ready to start it. Simmered on low all day, it is ready when we get home from the work day. Easy peesy!
Meal 3: Chipotle Chicken. This is a recipe taught to us by my Father In-Law. Its really tasty and easy to make ahead. Combine 2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups bullion reconstituted) and a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a blender. Blend that together for a bit. Strain out the seeds and big matter. I can't stress enough to strain that stuff out. You will get a meal that is far to spicy for human consumption if you don't. In a baking dish, slice a large onion. White onions are recommended, but because I'm cheap, I use whatever costs the least. If I'm making it for company, I definitely get a white onion as they tend to be a bit sweeter and break down during cooking. Layer chicken (boneless skinless breasts or thighs recommended) on top of the onions. Pour the stock and pepper sauce over the top, grate cheese over the top. Bake covered at 350°F for 30 min, uncover and cook 10 or more minutes until the cheese browns. We like this one with yellow rice.
To prep: The chicken will be put together and kept covered in the fridge until ready to cook.
Meal 4: Sausages with coleslaw and mustard. So last week my tiny head of cabbage made a lot more coleslaw than I expected. What doesn't go better the coleslaw than sausages? I always buy sausages when they are on sale and freeze them for easy meals. The sausage gods had been especially kind over the last little bit, so we have 3 kinds to choose from. A local hot smoke sausage, Aidell's chicken and apple, and Brats. Keeping with German tradition, these will be lightly grilled and served with good mustard and coleslaw....never on a bun. If I've got leftover bread, I'll serve it along side, but never put good sausage in the bun!
Meal 5: Tuna and Noodles. Ok, I'm not even going to take a stab at this one. This is another one that Husbear makes. It sounds like traditional casserole yuck, but he does it well. We'll put this one together and also have it in the fridge, ready to cook.
A couple more weird musings from this week:
I want to try a tropical fruit salad. I recently had a Hawaiian flavored e-liquid that has just a hint, its so subtle its hardly there, of dill. It makes the tropical flavors totally pop. I'm thinking pineapple, guava, a bit of mango, maybe some dragonfruit, maybe some starfruit, all mixed together in its own juices with a sprinkle of dill. I'll likely go check out the produce at Global Supermarket. They always seem to have intriguing tropical fruits. I didn't know what a dragonfruit was until I saw one in person. Also, if they have the yellow mangoes, get a bunch, they are over the top ripe and delicious by themselves or in anything using mango. If you ask nice, they will often cut you one heck of a deal on the ones that are so ripe they are falling apart. Oh and my brain just said, "Hey, see if they have those delicious giant coconut flakes, that'd be really good on top."
I need to revisit the thai peanut salad. It was good and I've been having a hankering for it again. I've also got a lot of peanuts leftover from Burning Man.
So there ya go, another week's worth of meals. Oh and I must say, I'm proud as heck of the grocery bill this week. $45, this includes $5 worth of snack goodies for the basket at work and a few dollars of breakfast add ons. I'm not sure why I've been watching the budget, more than anything I get a kick out of making my home pretty awesome for cheaps. So far for the month, excluding the week following Burning Man, which had a lot of dining out/order-in, we are at $100.
Have a great week!
3Day
Sunday, September 14, 2014
3hours is a Resonable Trade-off
Well Greetings Everyone,
I hope this update finds you well and having fun in your kitchen. This past while has been off its rocker with fun and good times. There is minimal BS to report, and even though I have not been posting, we have eaten well at the 825.
This is that time of year when we return from Burning Man and life gets odd. Not odd like things are falling apart, but odd like we have little energy for the mundane part of life. This year was especially difficult as I was in Pennsylvania 4 days before departure for a seminar. I learned a ton and it was worth every moment, however compliments of US Airways, my 4 days became 3. Safe to say it was a fast pack, but a wonderful burn that we did, on our own, and on our own terms. We learned some time ago that often the best way for us to have a great time is to do it on our own terms. This time around was no exception.
The past couple of weeks have been filled with clean-up and a bit of preparation for the winter ahead. My peach tree did produce this year and I was able to put up 3 small jars of peach preserves. I'm sure they'll be enjoyed in the dead of winter.
We enjoyed some great take-out, order in, and eat out over the past couple of weeks. Among them have been The Pie Hole, The Med, Copper Bowl, and a few other local favorites. I love the Pie Hole for their unique and tasty pies and The Med really does the trick when I need a Mediterranean fix. I can't say enough good things about the Copper Bowl. There are some round about connections with them via a co-worker. Their drink menu is inventive and tasty, dishes are exactly what I expect for Indian cuisine, and who doesn't love Gulab Jamun?
Since eating out has been a bit on the spendy end and I've been missing my kitchen, it was time to make a time investment and have easy to prepare meals for the week ahead. It started with keeping an eye out on social media for all those recipes that sound good and I should try. I also keep a list of meal ideas on the fridge in case I hit a mental block. I also found a recipe for Wild Rice Soup that I love. Having two recipes in mind, it was time to hit the markets.
Shopping is always a challenge for me. I HATE spending money, but love to find a good deal. The NPS Gods were not as kind as usual this week, but I did find what I needed at a price that didn't make me cry.
With the shopping done, and work to be done, I started about 3 hours ago to get it all together for the week ahead.
First up, Stuffed Green Peppers. Everyone has their favorite way of doing these. Lots of trial and error and I've finally got a "recipe" I can live with. To do these for the week ahead, I clean the peppers and make the filling. I like my filling to have a bit more of an Italian flair than the Mexican type I grew up with. I do still add a bit of cumin to keep the flavor interesting, but its mostly ground beef, onion, oregano, thyme, and since I have been pleasantly surprised with the nice late season weather, a large tomato cut up. I fried that all together with some salt added a bit of rice, stuffed the peppers and put them in the fridge for an easy, pull it out and bake it meal. I also go light on the rice. I'm not a huge fan of mushy filling and have learned that going lighter on the rice keeps for a less mushy filling.
Avacados were also on sale and shrimp was reasonably priced, so tomorrow night will be Anaheim Shrimp Scampi. I love this recipe, but usually do it with traditional spaghetti and always add a bit of tomato. This will likely be the hardest meal of the week to prepare.
Social media is a great place to find meal ideas and "Hawaiian Chicken" caught my eye. This looks like a really straightforward recipe that I'll have vaccuum sealed up and ready to pour into a crock pot when it is time.
Hawaiian Chicken
2lb chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs), cut into cubes
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
Mix together and cook in a low crock pot for 6-8 hours. It is recommended to be served with rice. I'm thinking I'll do a vegetable pilaf, just to add a bit more texture and variety than sticky meat with plain rice.
I love sandwich thins and they were also on sale and grapes were reasonable, since chicken salad is always a favorite of mine, it went on this week's menu. I'm willing to eat chicken salad ranging from chicken and mayo to more extravagant things. The bounty of the fall garden has made this one extra enjoyable.
While I'm cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts on the grill, I gather all the other things I need. I like breasts for this because they tend to be a bit drier and soak up all the great flavors if I'm making it ahead. This version has almonds, tarragon (yum, anise type flavor), savory, chives, quartered cherry tomatoes, halved grapes, salt, and sour cream as the binder. I'm not fond of mayo only salads, so I tend to use sour cream and/or yogurt. If it needs the bit of fatty flavor from the mayo, I'll go half and half, but this is very rare.
I also learned the secret to good German style cole slaw at Burning Man this year, and cabbage was at a nice price again. Onion, salt, and celery seed. No other seasonings are needed. The recipe that was shared to me calls for apple cider vinegar, but I didn't have any in the pantry so I used half white rice vinegar and half distilled vinegar and a matching amount of olive oil. I also added a bit of sugar as I like my slaws to be sweet. I'm hoping the person who shared the recipe with me isn't offended that I have done odd things to it, but the preliminary taste tells me it will be delicious in a couple of days. This will be served with the chicken salad sandwiches. It should be a tasty European meal :)
Thursday will be the Wild Rice Soup. The story behind this one is another one of those, "Its a great deal, I think I'll try it and see what comes..." sort of things. The first time I made this, I had scored a box of wild rice for $0.25. Having no idea what to do with it, I made the soup recipe on the label and have never looked back. Its supposed to rain on Thursday, so this with slices of mild sourdough should be wonderful.
Wild Rice Soup
1/3 cup wild rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper (who uses this stuff? I always use black, the flecks aren't that important to me)
1/4 cup flour
5 cups milk
In a saucepan, bring water, rice, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. It will rupture in the middle when it is done.
To make the soup: In a large pot melt butter and add onions and celery. Cover and cook 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. The recipe says to avoid browning the vegetables, but I always do, I think it adds more flavor. Stir in salt, pepper, and flour. I make sure it forms a roux. Remove from heat and slowly stir in milk until the flour is well blended. Return to low heat and cook until the soup thickens. Add the cooked rice and simmer until the flavors are blended. Serve immediately or chill and reheat. Serve with chopped chives.
So in 3 hours, I've made my week ahead super easy and my fridge very full :P
I also started the morning craving a real breakfast, preferably with leftovers for the week ahead. Apricots were plentiful this spring so I had plenty of dried ones. A quick scour of the internet and I found this: Dried Apricot and Sage Scones. I should mention, I'm not a huge fan of Martha Stewart, but I have noticed she's toned down the "you must do it this way" since her time in prison and has become, at least in my eyes, empowering with a bit more of a "you can do this" to the home cook. I took lots of liberties with this recipe and didn't do the sugar crust thing, but they were still delicious with peach yogurt. Better yet, I've got leftovers for the work week ahead.
I hope you are all well. Since I am likely to pick up huge writing projects in the off season, don't be alarmed if you see more of me practicing!
3 Day
I hope this update finds you well and having fun in your kitchen. This past while has been off its rocker with fun and good times. There is minimal BS to report, and even though I have not been posting, we have eaten well at the 825.
This is that time of year when we return from Burning Man and life gets odd. Not odd like things are falling apart, but odd like we have little energy for the mundane part of life. This year was especially difficult as I was in Pennsylvania 4 days before departure for a seminar. I learned a ton and it was worth every moment, however compliments of US Airways, my 4 days became 3. Safe to say it was a fast pack, but a wonderful burn that we did, on our own, and on our own terms. We learned some time ago that often the best way for us to have a great time is to do it on our own terms. This time around was no exception.
The past couple of weeks have been filled with clean-up and a bit of preparation for the winter ahead. My peach tree did produce this year and I was able to put up 3 small jars of peach preserves. I'm sure they'll be enjoyed in the dead of winter.
We enjoyed some great take-out, order in, and eat out over the past couple of weeks. Among them have been The Pie Hole, The Med, Copper Bowl, and a few other local favorites. I love the Pie Hole for their unique and tasty pies and The Med really does the trick when I need a Mediterranean fix. I can't say enough good things about the Copper Bowl. There are some round about connections with them via a co-worker. Their drink menu is inventive and tasty, dishes are exactly what I expect for Indian cuisine, and who doesn't love Gulab Jamun?
Since eating out has been a bit on the spendy end and I've been missing my kitchen, it was time to make a time investment and have easy to prepare meals for the week ahead. It started with keeping an eye out on social media for all those recipes that sound good and I should try. I also keep a list of meal ideas on the fridge in case I hit a mental block. I also found a recipe for Wild Rice Soup that I love. Having two recipes in mind, it was time to hit the markets.
Shopping is always a challenge for me. I HATE spending money, but love to find a good deal. The NPS Gods were not as kind as usual this week, but I did find what I needed at a price that didn't make me cry.
With the shopping done, and work to be done, I started about 3 hours ago to get it all together for the week ahead.
First up, Stuffed Green Peppers. Everyone has their favorite way of doing these. Lots of trial and error and I've finally got a "recipe" I can live with. To do these for the week ahead, I clean the peppers and make the filling. I like my filling to have a bit more of an Italian flair than the Mexican type I grew up with. I do still add a bit of cumin to keep the flavor interesting, but its mostly ground beef, onion, oregano, thyme, and since I have been pleasantly surprised with the nice late season weather, a large tomato cut up. I fried that all together with some salt added a bit of rice, stuffed the peppers and put them in the fridge for an easy, pull it out and bake it meal. I also go light on the rice. I'm not a huge fan of mushy filling and have learned that going lighter on the rice keeps for a less mushy filling.
Avacados were also on sale and shrimp was reasonably priced, so tomorrow night will be Anaheim Shrimp Scampi. I love this recipe, but usually do it with traditional spaghetti and always add a bit of tomato. This will likely be the hardest meal of the week to prepare.
Social media is a great place to find meal ideas and "Hawaiian Chicken" caught my eye. This looks like a really straightforward recipe that I'll have vaccuum sealed up and ready to pour into a crock pot when it is time.
Hawaiian Chicken
2lb chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs), cut into cubes
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
Mix together and cook in a low crock pot for 6-8 hours. It is recommended to be served with rice. I'm thinking I'll do a vegetable pilaf, just to add a bit more texture and variety than sticky meat with plain rice.
I love sandwich thins and they were also on sale and grapes were reasonable, since chicken salad is always a favorite of mine, it went on this week's menu. I'm willing to eat chicken salad ranging from chicken and mayo to more extravagant things. The bounty of the fall garden has made this one extra enjoyable.
While I'm cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts on the grill, I gather all the other things I need. I like breasts for this because they tend to be a bit drier and soak up all the great flavors if I'm making it ahead. This version has almonds, tarragon (yum, anise type flavor), savory, chives, quartered cherry tomatoes, halved grapes, salt, and sour cream as the binder. I'm not fond of mayo only salads, so I tend to use sour cream and/or yogurt. If it needs the bit of fatty flavor from the mayo, I'll go half and half, but this is very rare.
I also learned the secret to good German style cole slaw at Burning Man this year, and cabbage was at a nice price again. Onion, salt, and celery seed. No other seasonings are needed. The recipe that was shared to me calls for apple cider vinegar, but I didn't have any in the pantry so I used half white rice vinegar and half distilled vinegar and a matching amount of olive oil. I also added a bit of sugar as I like my slaws to be sweet. I'm hoping the person who shared the recipe with me isn't offended that I have done odd things to it, but the preliminary taste tells me it will be delicious in a couple of days. This will be served with the chicken salad sandwiches. It should be a tasty European meal :)
Thursday will be the Wild Rice Soup. The story behind this one is another one of those, "Its a great deal, I think I'll try it and see what comes..." sort of things. The first time I made this, I had scored a box of wild rice for $0.25. Having no idea what to do with it, I made the soup recipe on the label and have never looked back. Its supposed to rain on Thursday, so this with slices of mild sourdough should be wonderful.
Wild Rice Soup
1/3 cup wild rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper (who uses this stuff? I always use black, the flecks aren't that important to me)
1/4 cup flour
5 cups milk
In a saucepan, bring water, rice, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. It will rupture in the middle when it is done.
To make the soup: In a large pot melt butter and add onions and celery. Cover and cook 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. The recipe says to avoid browning the vegetables, but I always do, I think it adds more flavor. Stir in salt, pepper, and flour. I make sure it forms a roux. Remove from heat and slowly stir in milk until the flour is well blended. Return to low heat and cook until the soup thickens. Add the cooked rice and simmer until the flavors are blended. Serve immediately or chill and reheat. Serve with chopped chives.
So in 3 hours, I've made my week ahead super easy and my fridge very full :P
I also started the morning craving a real breakfast, preferably with leftovers for the week ahead. Apricots were plentiful this spring so I had plenty of dried ones. A quick scour of the internet and I found this: Dried Apricot and Sage Scones. I should mention, I'm not a huge fan of Martha Stewart, but I have noticed she's toned down the "you must do it this way" since her time in prison and has become, at least in my eyes, empowering with a bit more of a "you can do this" to the home cook. I took lots of liberties with this recipe and didn't do the sugar crust thing, but they were still delicious with peach yogurt. Better yet, I've got leftovers for the work week ahead.
I hope you are all well. Since I am likely to pick up huge writing projects in the off season, don't be alarmed if you see more of me practicing!
3 Day
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