What's for Dinner?

[blessedw2]

making chicken stock (thomas joseph - video kitchen conundrums martha stewart) for d mil's soup - really nice
I have 4 chicken breasts also cooking for the soup later

I have to make the stew beef but I have to wait for the oven to be free. rinsed, dried and sitting on counter. I tried a new recipe and I am not happy with it. The Americas test kitchen beef burgundy was supposed to be easy etc. but to me it was too many steps and I wasn't thrilled with the gelatin they added to the sauce - not a favorite for me but dh and dd older loved it. (it also had anchovy paste - it actually added a depth of flavor). it also had dried porcini mushrooms - again it adds flavor but felt the recipe was not what I want in my beef burgundy. I won't be making this again - I like a regular sauce not the feel of the gelatin thickened sauce in this recipe.

Me tonight: broth and veggies as I already used my points... I might have the chicken - I ended up having a piece of bread so way over my points today

bad thing.. I didn't make enough food for 4 days of meals for uncle. I will have to come up with something. I do have chicken picatta and enough for one dish in the freezer.

[blessedw2]

Made 4 days of meals (for uncle at his house) plates with dates and meal time (lunch/dinner) are all set until Saturday morning.

we had left overs and a salad

[blessedw2]

yesterday we ate out but for lunch using extras. took chicken/spinach/artichoke etc. with 3/4 pasta - actually pretty good.

[blessedw2]

made a nice chicken noodle soup for d mil

for us tonight: left overs in a way (the extra chicken noodle soup)
took extra chicken and ground it up - added finely chopped onion, chopped parsley, some thyme, s/p/egg flour and had to add a touch of chicken stock to moisten it (making patties to fry up tonight)
salad with anything I can find.

also had to cook the brats (in beer)
boiled up some potatoes for potato salad
for tomorrow
will make carrot salad or cucumber salad

uncle: I need 4 meals for him that he can eat. If he eats it fine, if not well I can't do anything about it. I am getting tired of his picky behavior. he loves restaurant food and expensive restaurant food... he is not getting that

[blessedw2]

continuing my cooking journey

Ordering new book soon to work through. I belong to a cook book try it club on face book but I am not going to do that book right now - I am going through older books to gleam things I haven't tried. I will not try frog legs etc.. find it gross.

[Harriet]

Hi, blessed.

Your different meals sound as though you have been keeping things interesting and appetizing. I hope that your efforts find appreciation. I'm sure it's difficult to get 4 days of meals ready and transported. I believe you had said a new person caring for your uncle may be a good cook. I hope that turns out to be so.

Meals for cold days have been in my plan.

Today here a big pot of vegetable soup. It has been so good and hearty. The house smells so nice because of it.

Lots of appreciation a couple days ago for a big cake of cornbread with good ol' pintos.

On New Year's Day we had mixed greens with black-eyed peas and onion.

I have been craving an extra cup of coffee each day during this cold weather, often later in the day. I've mixed half decaf with half regular, and that way get very nearly the same taste, and enjoy the warmth and comfort of it without worry that I will disturb my sleep. Already using a coffee with chicory as our regular, which helps with too much caffeine, too, and tastes good. I'm a person who definitely wants cream, and I will add a bit of chocolate sometimes, too. Sweetening, yes, but only the stevia drops.

blessed, you had asked why the tofu and I'd neglected to answer. We're both vegetarian now, and tofu is a great addition to stir-fries. A nice texture, takes on the flavors around it well, and attractive with bright vegetables because of the contrast between color and shapes.

[blessedw2]

d harriet that soup sounds perfect!!! I love a good vegetable soup on a cold day! I am sure everyone loved your corn bread! Good for you becoming vegetarians!!!! that's awesome. I have a vegetarian cookbook from America's test kitchen that I love. I wish I could do it. I have tried but need to try harder.

last night
meatloaf
brown rice
a really good salad with as many veggies as I could find.

[blessedw2]

tonight:

* moroccan couscous (or brown rice) Ina Garden (page 158 Barefoot in Paris) I am using the book version not the tv version
(has roasted butternut squash, onion, carrots, zucchini, - stock, cumin, saffron, couscous or brown rice, scallions for topping)
(so far the veggies have been chopped and roasted - put away until tonight)

*Sea bass - they had it at the store - parchments wrapped with compound butter of butter, s/p, shallots, parsley minced, lemon zest and a dash of juice, capers chopped, thyme chopped fine
usually on top of fish ... under fish spinach,s/p/lemon slices - sometimes baby bok choy - but I have lots of veggies in previous dish) I like martha stewarts recipe for compound butter.

made the compound butter and it sits in the fridge until tonight

things that need using up later:
leeks
mushrooms
parsnips
brocoli
yellow pepper
bok choy
carrots
celery
onion
basil
salad butter lettuce
shallots

I had made a chicken noodle soup... not my favorite ... I used to many carrots I think.

[Harriet]

blessed, you are a much more dedicated cook than I ! I am so impressed that you made a compound butter. Chives, thyme? Anyway, good job. I hope it is very pretty.

I hope you get good use out of all your produce! HRH has switched out our fridge so that our produce is at eye level. That takes some getting used to, but it helps with the worry that you'll forget something or not recognize that it's wilting.

Finally learning about the Instant Pot that I actually bought before Christmas. The holidays just took my time and I didn't learn about it then. Everything was a rush and a return to familiar methods. In pressure cooker mode, it lets off steam when you are finished just like you'd expect. Things seem to be uniformly moist and can be "held warm" when you are not ready for the rest of the meal.

Brown rice chat - Tonight was a bagged rice called Jubilee, which is a great mix of 7 unusual brown rices. I highly recommend it yummy! It comes out quite dark, BUT the contrast between the rice colors and shapes is still evident, so really attractive. Maybe you can see the variety in the photo if you enlarge.

I have also bought red rice to try, which I've read is so like brown rice that it cooks up very similarly. The deep reddish coloring is from the same anthocyanins that other purple or red foods have, and so it has similar healthy benefits to them, too, in addition to everything brown rice has going for itself, which is also a lot more nutrition than people know.

Did you know cooked brown rice can be frozen in freezer bags and will be fine, even up to 6 months? I have never even thought of freezing rice, but I see the benefits of quickly coming up with a meal. It could be a lot faster to thaw what you've already prepared than to start from scratch while trying to get the rest of the meal done.

[blessedw2]

that rice looks great dharriet! do you have a picture of that pot? it sounds really interesting! No I didn't realize that brown rice can be frozen that long. We love brown rice at our house. dh still loves white rice though he can't get over the fact that brown rice has a chew to it.

Compound butter is extremely (extremely) easy but great on the fish we had.. it all melts down so you don't see it... it's in parchment on top of the fish. I freeze the rest.

Today I have to stop at the store to get more fish so I can make one recipe of fish for uncle with butter.
I loved the couscous we made yesterday.

it's fun talking kitchen with you!!!

I bought my dd younger the newest happy pear book and she was thrilled to hear it was coming in the mail soon
https://thehappypear.ie/recipe/ recipes
https://thehappypear.ie


When she comes home, she and I will start cooking out of her new lemonade cook book. Lots of interesting salads. I do wish they had a store outside of california though .. she said the food was so fresh ... lots of veggies. http://shop.lemonadela.com/product/the- ... -cookbook/

Happy cooking d harriet!!! and to all.