I had actually planned on cooking dinner tonight, even after being so excited about going out to eat. David and I couldn't really think of a place we wanted to go. It sort of felt like when we get to go out on a date together for the first time in ages, but we are so stumped on what would be the most fantastic, romantic, fun, delicious, thing to do. So, I opted to cook, and wait to go out on Saturday.
I decided that we would have baked potato bar tonight. Things in the first half of my day went well, but due to some traffic on the roads, I didn't get Vincent down for a nap until late. I didn't know how long he would nap & still needed to get sour cream (gotta have that for baked potato bar!), so I wanted a back up plan in case we didn't make it to the store in time. I had made a potstickers filling, thinking I would just fold some during his nap and freeze them for another time. I decided that we'll just have that for dinner.
Then, when Vincent woke up from his nap, I had a brilliant idea to go to Redmond and pick up David from work, go to the mall to look at cell phones, eat mall food, and let Vincent run around. We ended up at Bellevue Square & ate breakfast sandwiches & corn chowder at Specialty's. Wow, what an exciting dinner! But, I have to say that Specialty's does have the best egg, cheese and sausage breakfast sandwich. The corn chowder wasn't bad, either, and their foccacia bread is fantastic! We each had a little chocolate chip cookie sample at the end to boot.
**Please continue to see what we are eating for dinner by adding my other blog to your favorites: http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com. Cheers!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Hunts - DAY 30!!!
Well, we did it! We (almost) made it straight through our 30 days. Our last challenge dinner was beef chow mein and sort of this seafood soup.
Chow Mein - it was okay. Well, it was good. David enjoyed it a lot. The thing is, I had this idea in my head that it would taste exactly like the stuff you get at a Chinese restaurant. I bought the noodles that are used when you order Hong Kong style crispy noodles, but I don't really know what all goes in those dishes to make it taste so much like crack. My noodles weren't even crispy, regardless of how long I tried to keep them in the hot pan. The package had a little recipe, but it only called for soy sauce, and I swear the stuff you get in the restaurant has more than just soy sauce for the flavoring. The sauce at restaurants are more of a gravy, too. There's gotta be tons of MSG in that stuff. If there is someone who knows how to make a good Hong Kong style crsipy noodle dish, please tell me how.
"Seafood" soup - not really. I used dashi powder to make a broth and the "seafood" was actually some extra fish cakes, unused from the hot pot. I added some baby bok choy, tofu, and shitaki mushrooms. A really light, brothy soup. It seemed to be liked enough.
I didn't go out with a bang on this challenge, I know. I did miss two days. But, I had good reasons for missing, and I would have to say that I did get something out of these last 32 days. I learned to be a better meal planner, grocery list writer, grocery shopper, ingredients user, meal prepper, juggler of busy toddler while trying to make dinner, and most of all a better home cooker. I will continue to cook at home, with the goal of doing it every night, but knowing that some nights it just won't happen.
Stay tuned for what we had on our first dinner night out post challenge...
Chow Mein - it was okay. Well, it was good. David enjoyed it a lot. The thing is, I had this idea in my head that it would taste exactly like the stuff you get at a Chinese restaurant. I bought the noodles that are used when you order Hong Kong style crispy noodles, but I don't really know what all goes in those dishes to make it taste so much like crack. My noodles weren't even crispy, regardless of how long I tried to keep them in the hot pan. The package had a little recipe, but it only called for soy sauce, and I swear the stuff you get in the restaurant has more than just soy sauce for the flavoring. The sauce at restaurants are more of a gravy, too. There's gotta be tons of MSG in that stuff. If there is someone who knows how to make a good Hong Kong style crsipy noodle dish, please tell me how.
"Seafood" soup - not really. I used dashi powder to make a broth and the "seafood" was actually some extra fish cakes, unused from the hot pot. I added some baby bok choy, tofu, and shitaki mushrooms. A really light, brothy soup. It seemed to be liked enough.
I didn't go out with a bang on this challenge, I know. I did miss two days. But, I had good reasons for missing, and I would have to say that I did get something out of these last 32 days. I learned to be a better meal planner, grocery list writer, grocery shopper, ingredients user, meal prepper, juggler of busy toddler while trying to make dinner, and most of all a better home cooker. I will continue to cook at home, with the goal of doing it every night, but knowing that some nights it just won't happen.
Stay tuned for what we had on our first dinner night out post challenge...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Hunts - Day 29
Tonight, we had hot pot for dinner. "Hot pot, or less commonly Chinese fondue, refers to several Chinese varieties of steamboat stew. It consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter." -Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Day177lilybday.JPG
I went to Uwajimaya today. I feel like I broke the bank this week with grocery shopping. It must've been because I had no idea what I wanted to make for dinner each night. I went into PFI on Monday blindly. Today, I went into Uwajimaya armed with a shopping list that was drawn up blindly. Not knowing what to make for dinner meant an incomplete shopping list. I knew this when I left the house. What I didn't know was that I would end up spending so much money. Yes, my cart was pretty full, but I usually walk out of there spending about $50. A little more was spent today...It wasn't like I got anything exotic, like matsutaki mushrooms, either. In fact, the mushrooms I left with were uninteresting, plain, sliced white button mushrooms. At least I got to park for free & I got my hands on some Beard Papa eclairs!
Anyway, our hot pot spread tonight consisted of thinly sliced beef & pork (I forget which cuts), some fish cake products in various shapes, fresh firm tofu, baby bok choy, julienne carrots, scallions, glass bean noodles, and those boring white mushrooms. I used a very light chicken broth for the soup base, which I drizzled a little bit of sesame oil into, and added some sliced red onions. The sauce is this "bbq" sauce that I can't even begin to describe with a little soy sauce. We also had a little seaweed salad on the side.
For a hot pot experience that you don't have to do at home, you can visit Seven Stars Pepper on 12th Ave and Jackson Street. They don't have all the exotic stuff in the wikipedia photo, but it's still fun and will give you a good experience.
Tomorrow's our last dinner...what will we have?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Day177lilybday.JPG
I went to Uwajimaya today. I feel like I broke the bank this week with grocery shopping. It must've been because I had no idea what I wanted to make for dinner each night. I went into PFI on Monday blindly. Today, I went into Uwajimaya armed with a shopping list that was drawn up blindly. Not knowing what to make for dinner meant an incomplete shopping list. I knew this when I left the house. What I didn't know was that I would end up spending so much money. Yes, my cart was pretty full, but I usually walk out of there spending about $50. A little more was spent today...It wasn't like I got anything exotic, like matsutaki mushrooms, either. In fact, the mushrooms I left with were uninteresting, plain, sliced white button mushrooms. At least I got to park for free & I got my hands on some Beard Papa eclairs!
Anyway, our hot pot spread tonight consisted of thinly sliced beef & pork (I forget which cuts), some fish cake products in various shapes, fresh firm tofu, baby bok choy, julienne carrots, scallions, glass bean noodles, and those boring white mushrooms. I used a very light chicken broth for the soup base, which I drizzled a little bit of sesame oil into, and added some sliced red onions. The sauce is this "bbq" sauce that I can't even begin to describe with a little soy sauce. We also had a little seaweed salad on the side.
For a hot pot experience that you don't have to do at home, you can visit Seven Stars Pepper on 12th Ave and Jackson Street. They don't have all the exotic stuff in the wikipedia photo, but it's still fun and will give you a good experience.
Tomorrow's our last dinner...what will we have?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Hunts - Day 28
It was REALLY hard for me to rally and make dinner tonight. I haven't gone grocery shopping for the week, nor have I made a shopping list, nor do I know what I want to cook this week. Is it "senioritis" for the last few days of cooking at home? Or, is it my subconscious Presidential election anxiety?
I peered into my refrigerator several times this afternoon before finally deciding on Thai red curry. This was a stretch. All I have for vegetables are carrots, celery, garlic, arugula, turnips, a sweet red pepper, parsley, and some sliced scallions. Seems like enough, but I would have liked an onion (even a 1/4 of one) or a shallot. I also had some chicken meat & brown rice. I pulled out my can of coconut milk & set out to cut my vegetables, not taking a moment to make sure I actually have red curry paste.
After I chopped the vegetables, Vincent and I headed out to an election party for an hour. We both ate lots of junk...okay, I did. He had some dried berries & a couple of chips that he only half ate. I also had a small bowl of Iranian soup that was yummy. We got home a little after 5pm, and I started cooking. Then, I looked for my curry paste...Not in the fridge. Shoot! That's right, I tossed it out when our old fridge died. I opted for some garam masala, and made a curry chicken fried rice. Since I was so full on M&M's and Doritos from the party, I was having a hard time getting excited for this dish. Even the thought of taste testing it made me feel ill. I worried it would just suck, since I didn't even want to taste it. But, it turned out nicely, and David quite enjoyed it. Vincent thought it was too spicy (but it wasn't "hot"). He ate leftover orzo salad & hummus from lunch.
TWO MORE DAYS TO GO!
I peered into my refrigerator several times this afternoon before finally deciding on Thai red curry. This was a stretch. All I have for vegetables are carrots, celery, garlic, arugula, turnips, a sweet red pepper, parsley, and some sliced scallions. Seems like enough, but I would have liked an onion (even a 1/4 of one) or a shallot. I also had some chicken meat & brown rice. I pulled out my can of coconut milk & set out to cut my vegetables, not taking a moment to make sure I actually have red curry paste.
After I chopped the vegetables, Vincent and I headed out to an election party for an hour. We both ate lots of junk...okay, I did. He had some dried berries & a couple of chips that he only half ate. I also had a small bowl of Iranian soup that was yummy. We got home a little after 5pm, and I started cooking. Then, I looked for my curry paste...Not in the fridge. Shoot! That's right, I tossed it out when our old fridge died. I opted for some garam masala, and made a curry chicken fried rice. Since I was so full on M&M's and Doritos from the party, I was having a hard time getting excited for this dish. Even the thought of taste testing it made me feel ill. I worried it would just suck, since I didn't even want to taste it. But, it turned out nicely, and David quite enjoyed it. Vincent thought it was too spicy (but it wasn't "hot"). He ate leftover orzo salad & hummus from lunch.
TWO MORE DAYS TO GO!
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Hunts - Day 27 Guest Chef Night
No, we didn't go to FareStart this evening...their Guest Chef Night is on Thursday, not Monday. Instead, we had a guest chef here in our very own home! As mentioned yesterday, my friend is the Executive Chef at The Liberty Hotel in Boston. He's in town for a few days, so we had him over for dinner tonight. You have to check out the website. It's pretty nice.
I made pan roasted Thundering Hooves lamb chops and braised Brussels sprouts with bacon, and he made a bread salad with mozerella cheese. Nothing extravagant, just delicious food. We also had some plain brown rice, a couple of cured meats, some mixed olives, and bread. It was so fun to be back in the kitchen with Joseph, even for just a short time. The man has finesse. Unfortunately, Vincent didn't eat very much dinner. He had some meat, rice, and a little bacon & mozerella cheese. He totally rejected the Brussels sprouts. It's the first time I've made them for him, so I guess they're new to him & he wasn't feeling adventurous. He did eat several olives, though!
I went to PFI this afternoon to see what goodies I could find there. I mainly wanted some olives & olive oil. I left there with said items, and so much more. If you've never been before, I highly recommend the trek down to the end of the International District, getting flipped flopped around the streets there, and not giving up on finding it, to see what you've been missing. It's not fancy at all, but there are some fun treats to be had there. Definitely not as "fancy" as DeLaurenti's in Pike Place Market, which I also quite love. I got two types of cured meats (packaged), 2 pounds of olives (one of their mixes, and oil cured - they only sell by the pound), a box of Belgium waffle cookies, extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, a chocolate bar, some praline paste, pasta, farro, arborio rice...and I think I had to stop there. I wanted so much more!
Brussels Sprouts - first, I cut up some bacon into little bite sized chunks. I rendered the bacon in my pan until crispy. Remove the bacon, draining most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. I added sliced shallot rings to the pan and cooked them for about 1-2 minutes, until just soft. Deglaze the pan with white wine and add your Brussels sprouts. **Um, the sprouts should be cleaned of the outer leaves, and cut in half, lengthwise. Add enough chicken stock to almost cover all the sprouts. Add sliced carrots. Cover with a piece of parchment paper cut into a circle to fit the interior of the pan with a ventalation hole in the middle. If you just covered the pan with the lid, you will end up with what I did, which is the Brussels sprouts beginning to turn brown - not so appealing to the eye. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Add the bacon back to the pan. Swirl in a little butter and finish with chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.
I made pan roasted Thundering Hooves lamb chops and braised Brussels sprouts with bacon, and he made a bread salad with mozerella cheese. Nothing extravagant, just delicious food. We also had some plain brown rice, a couple of cured meats, some mixed olives, and bread. It was so fun to be back in the kitchen with Joseph, even for just a short time. The man has finesse. Unfortunately, Vincent didn't eat very much dinner. He had some meat, rice, and a little bacon & mozerella cheese. He totally rejected the Brussels sprouts. It's the first time I've made them for him, so I guess they're new to him & he wasn't feeling adventurous. He did eat several olives, though!
I went to PFI this afternoon to see what goodies I could find there. I mainly wanted some olives & olive oil. I left there with said items, and so much more. If you've never been before, I highly recommend the trek down to the end of the International District, getting flipped flopped around the streets there, and not giving up on finding it, to see what you've been missing. It's not fancy at all, but there are some fun treats to be had there. Definitely not as "fancy" as DeLaurenti's in Pike Place Market, which I also quite love. I got two types of cured meats (packaged), 2 pounds of olives (one of their mixes, and oil cured - they only sell by the pound), a box of Belgium waffle cookies, extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, a chocolate bar, some praline paste, pasta, farro, arborio rice...and I think I had to stop there. I wanted so much more!
Brussels Sprouts - first, I cut up some bacon into little bite sized chunks. I rendered the bacon in my pan until crispy. Remove the bacon, draining most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. I added sliced shallot rings to the pan and cooked them for about 1-2 minutes, until just soft. Deglaze the pan with white wine and add your Brussels sprouts. **Um, the sprouts should be cleaned of the outer leaves, and cut in half, lengthwise. Add enough chicken stock to almost cover all the sprouts. Add sliced carrots. Cover with a piece of parchment paper cut into a circle to fit the interior of the pan with a ventalation hole in the middle. If you just covered the pan with the lid, you will end up with what I did, which is the Brussels sprouts beginning to turn brown - not so appealing to the eye. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Add the bacon back to the pan. Swirl in a little butter and finish with chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Hunts - Days 24, 25, & 26
Day 24 - Roasted Acorn Squash & Apple Soup with Whole Wheat English Muffin Open-faced Sandwiches
I took the whole roasted chicken from the other night & removed all the meat off the bones. I then took the bones and made a light broth. I roasted the squash and the apples (peeled) in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. I pureed the cooked squash and apple in the broth, adjusted the seasoning, and we had soup for dinner!
My little English muffin sandwiches were slices of the roasted chicken, cooked red onions, and a little gruyere cheese.
Day 25 - Bangers and Mash
Truthfully, we skipped a day this week. Day 25 should've been on Halloween. But, because it was Halloween, and we had plans to take Vincent out trick or treating, I told David that I we were going to skip cooking for the night and order pizza. Hot Mama's Pizza, to be exact!
So, for our Day 25, a day later, we had bangers and mash. David has been planning this for a week. He ordered German sausages from Thundering Hooves last week, and they arrived that day. His mash potatoes included pureed celeriac & were made with yukon potatoes. It was so delicious! Um, I didn't have any beer.
I also made another rustic onion tart, but I added sliced chicken and a sliced (homegrown) San Marzano (Roma) tomato. We didn't actually end up having that for dinner, but have had it around to snack on.
Day 26 - Pasta shells with leftover smothered pork & sauteed spinach - exactly as that sounds. I cooked pasta, reheated the pork, and sauteed spinach. Then, I tossed them all together! We had a simple salad on the side.
*I'm curious to see how the last 4 days of cooking will turn out. As of now, I have nothing planned. My friend, Joseph, who is now the Executive Chef of Boston's swanky Liberty Hotel, is in town. He's coming over to cook with me tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited! We haven't cooked together in over two years, when he left Seattle for other endeavers, and I was 6 months pregnant with Vincent. I've pulled out some lamb chops from the freezer, just in case.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Hunts - Day 23 - Guests
Nate and Kate are our friends. This May-October, we shared our Oxbow Farm CSA box with them. Last week was the last box of the season, and we ended up with the whole thing because I spaced out on corridinating the pick up with Kate. To make up for it, we invited them over for dinner. Turns out, though, I didn't really cook too many items from the box, but oh well.I made Jen's smothered pork, the rustic onion tart I posted about earlier in the week, roasted beets salad, and a greens salad. We also had a half a loaf of Essential Bakery's whole wheat bread with Beecher's Blank Slate Tapenade, along with a little homemade (but not by me) plum jam & quince paste. We had a bottle of Chinook Wines' 2006 Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc, and started on a bottle of Desert Wind Cabernet Sauvignon. It really felt like a feast. We haven't had dinner guests in ages, and it felt so good to do something like this. I really do love a nice, homemade, sit down dinner with friends.
For the pork, I made it in a crock pot instead of dutch oven (I don't own a dutch oven, sadly). Rather than starting the braising liquid with butter & flour, I started it with butter, onions and garlic. I sauteed them a minute or so, then added the flour, let that cook another minute, and whisked in the chicken stock. I seared the meat, placed it in the crock pot & poured in the braising liquid, being sure to get some on top of the meat. I let it cook on low for half the day, from about 9:30am-2:30pm. At that point, I turned the heat up to high and let it go for another couple hours. Once the liquid was reduced and skimmed of fat, I strained it. Since we were having an onion tart for dinner, I didn't feel like we needed the onions for the meat.
For the tart, I used the Martha Stewart pate brisee recipe instead of the one from Simply Recipes. I ommitted the sugar for this dough.
Everything turned out great. Everyone ate a bunch, and I was amazed at how much bread and tapenade Vincent ate!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Hunts - Day 22
Whole Roasted Chicken - For some reason, it always takes me way longer to roast a chicken than I think it would, no matter what. Tonight was no exception. But, in the end, we all got to eat some, even if it came out after we started dinner.
I love roasted chicken for several reasons: a) it's easy to make; except for my timing always being off, b) it's so tasty, and c) LEFTOVERS!
This chicken was stuffed with a shallot, a carrot, a celery, a quarter of a lemon, 2 large garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary. It was a bit much, and I could barely get those little legs to close up. I also seasoned the cavity with salt & pepper before stuffing it. I opted not to do much with the outside, just salt & pepper.
I placed the chicken in a baking dish, covered it loosely with foil, and roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, then turned up the heat to 425 degrees F for another 30 minutes with the foil off. That wasn't enough. It ended up needing more time with the foil on, and then off again; a total of 15-20 minutes. The problem was that I should have just cooked it at 425 degrees F for one hour, like my friend, Robin told me. But, I was trying to multi-task the oven space. I wanted to roast beets and sweet potatoes, but they roast at a lower temperature. Oh well, like I said, in the end we all ate some of it, and everyone was happy. And, it had a beautiful golden, crispy skin, while staying juicy inside. Thank you, Thundering Hooves for raising a lovely chicken!
We had roasted sweet potato, sauteed kale with carrots & onions, and brown rice with our chicken (er, uh, before the chicken).
I love roasted chicken for several reasons: a) it's easy to make; except for my timing always being off, b) it's so tasty, and c) LEFTOVERS!
This chicken was stuffed with a shallot, a carrot, a celery, a quarter of a lemon, 2 large garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary. It was a bit much, and I could barely get those little legs to close up. I also seasoned the cavity with salt & pepper before stuffing it. I opted not to do much with the outside, just salt & pepper.
I placed the chicken in a baking dish, covered it loosely with foil, and roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, then turned up the heat to 425 degrees F for another 30 minutes with the foil off. That wasn't enough. It ended up needing more time with the foil on, and then off again; a total of 15-20 minutes. The problem was that I should have just cooked it at 425 degrees F for one hour, like my friend, Robin told me. But, I was trying to multi-task the oven space. I wanted to roast beets and sweet potatoes, but they roast at a lower temperature. Oh well, like I said, in the end we all ate some of it, and everyone was happy. And, it had a beautiful golden, crispy skin, while staying juicy inside. Thank you, Thundering Hooves for raising a lovely chicken!
We had roasted sweet potato, sauteed kale with carrots & onions, and brown rice with our chicken (er, uh, before the chicken).
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Hunts - Day 21
Chicken Pesto Pasta - I had some pesto sauce I made a month or so ago that I froze. I decided it was time to use it up, since I didn't quite know what to make for dinner. This turned out to be a pretty yummy, easy meal because we had 1/2 box of rigatoni, a chicken breast, and some frozen peas all on hand. And, that's pretty much what all went into the dish.
This is not the pesto recipe I made, but for the sake of posting a recipe, try this out (and you can let me know if it's any good). http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001329fresh_basil_pesto.php
I served the pasta with a side of baby greens with candied walnuts & dried cranberries and a blackberry vinaigrette.
This is not the pesto recipe I made, but for the sake of posting a recipe, try this out (and you can let me know if it's any good). http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001329fresh_basil_pesto.php
I served the pasta with a side of baby greens with candied walnuts & dried cranberries and a blackberry vinaigrette.
Pokin' Around On-line...
...I found this: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007341cooking_on_a_budget.php
I've only looked at a few recipes on the actual website, but I thought I'd share this because she seems to have some good ideas. Including this one: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/002135rustic_onion_tart.php
I'm thinking of making this tart later in the week. During toddler naptime today, I decided to "get ahead" with some grating of cheeses and I made a batch of Martha Stewart's pate brisee.
From that first link, I found this: http://hungerchallenge.blogspot.com/ , which has people spending $3 a day per person. That's gotta be tough.
Which brings me to how our 30 Day Dinner Challenge has impacted the Hunt family financially. So far, our most expensive meal at home has cost us about $18.32. I've been saving our shopping receipts to help break down the cost of each meal, but it's been tricky. Some items used were purchased or made pre-challenge, such as a can of beans, or some chicken stock that I made and froze. Then, there are things like a cup of carrots; the carrots come from our CSA, which comes in a bunch in a box of other vegetables, and I don't have a breakdown of what each vegetable costs. Or, stuff like butter, salt, pepper, olive oil, etc. I leave the costs of those out, unless it's a large amount, like butter for tart dough. Or, there are things like a tablespoon of dried cranberries or a 1/4 cup of toasted pecans that are tossed into a salad. I just take a guess, especially if it was bought last month.
Some of the ingredients that drive up the cost of a meal aren't what you would expect. Our $18.32 meal was a panade. [I was just going to link that word so that you can see what it is, but it looks like what I've thought of as "panade" actually isn't what it is. So, my version is basically sort of a bread casserole. It's hearty, comforting, and yummy.] What made this panade so expensive was the bread. I had a mix of different partial loaves of artisan breads in my freezer, including a cherry pumpernickle from Tall Grass Bakery. Although I only used about 1/3 of that loaf, it was a $10 loaf of bread. YIKES!
Then, there are ingredients like cheese. The gruyere cheese I bought at $12.99/pound amounts to $.81/ounce. An ounce here, and ounce there, and you've spent a few bucks!
So, at the end of all this, I do plan to attempt to breakdown my grocery bills, and take into account our Thundering Hooves meat orders and Oxbow Farm CSA, and try to make some sense of how this challenge has affected our pocketbook. It's just an extra something I want to do for my family. My hunch is that cooking at home is more affordable, but by how much?
I've only looked at a few recipes on the actual website, but I thought I'd share this because she seems to have some good ideas. Including this one: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/002135rustic_onion_tart.php
I'm thinking of making this tart later in the week. During toddler naptime today, I decided to "get ahead" with some grating of cheeses and I made a batch of Martha Stewart's pate brisee.
From that first link, I found this: http://hungerchallenge.blogspot.com/ , which has people spending $3 a day per person. That's gotta be tough.
Which brings me to how our 30 Day Dinner Challenge has impacted the Hunt family financially. So far, our most expensive meal at home has cost us about $18.32. I've been saving our shopping receipts to help break down the cost of each meal, but it's been tricky. Some items used were purchased or made pre-challenge, such as a can of beans, or some chicken stock that I made and froze. Then, there are things like a cup of carrots; the carrots come from our CSA, which comes in a bunch in a box of other vegetables, and I don't have a breakdown of what each vegetable costs. Or, stuff like butter, salt, pepper, olive oil, etc. I leave the costs of those out, unless it's a large amount, like butter for tart dough. Or, there are things like a tablespoon of dried cranberries or a 1/4 cup of toasted pecans that are tossed into a salad. I just take a guess, especially if it was bought last month.
Some of the ingredients that drive up the cost of a meal aren't what you would expect. Our $18.32 meal was a panade. [I was just going to link that word so that you can see what it is, but it looks like what I've thought of as "panade" actually isn't what it is. So, my version is basically sort of a bread casserole. It's hearty, comforting, and yummy.] What made this panade so expensive was the bread. I had a mix of different partial loaves of artisan breads in my freezer, including a cherry pumpernickle from Tall Grass Bakery. Although I only used about 1/3 of that loaf, it was a $10 loaf of bread. YIKES!
Then, there are ingredients like cheese. The gruyere cheese I bought at $12.99/pound amounts to $.81/ounce. An ounce here, and ounce there, and you've spent a few bucks!
So, at the end of all this, I do plan to attempt to breakdown my grocery bills, and take into account our Thundering Hooves meat orders and Oxbow Farm CSA, and try to make some sense of how this challenge has affected our pocketbook. It's just an extra something I want to do for my family. My hunch is that cooking at home is more affordable, but by how much?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Hunts - Day 20 - TEN MORE DAYS TO GO!!!!
LEFTOVERS!
And, I want to put in a plug for the Northwest Tofu Inc., at 1913 Jackson Street, between 23rd Ave and Rainier Ave. I've been told by many of my Chinese friends that this is the place to go for Taiwanese-style breakfast goodies, but I have just now made it there to see for myself. OMG! It's awesome. The only time I get this kind of stuff is when I go back to L.A. to visit my family. Now, I can get it all the time! The bonus is that their sesame pancake with Chinese doughnut is better than at the usual place near my parents. We got there around 9:30 A.M., ordered too much food, got very full, skipped lunch, and had the leftovers (theme for today) as a snack in the afternoon.
Some of this may sound odd to people who have not had this kind of stuff for breakfast, but here's what we ordered:
-sesame pancake with Chinese doughnut
-an extra order of Chinese doughnut (though we didn't really need it)
-egg wrapped in scallion pancake
-pan fried pork bun
-sweet sticky rice roll (which is actually not sweet)
-sweet soy milk
We didn't order any tofu, but two other tables did, which must mean it's good; there were only 3 other tables during the time we were in there, and one hadn't gotten their food yet by the time we left, so they may have ordered tofu, too.
And, I want to put in a plug for the Northwest Tofu Inc., at 1913 Jackson Street, between 23rd Ave and Rainier Ave. I've been told by many of my Chinese friends that this is the place to go for Taiwanese-style breakfast goodies, but I have just now made it there to see for myself. OMG! It's awesome. The only time I get this kind of stuff is when I go back to L.A. to visit my family. Now, I can get it all the time! The bonus is that their sesame pancake with Chinese doughnut is better than at the usual place near my parents. We got there around 9:30 A.M., ordered too much food, got very full, skipped lunch, and had the leftovers (theme for today) as a snack in the afternoon.
Some of this may sound odd to people who have not had this kind of stuff for breakfast, but here's what we ordered:
-sesame pancake with Chinese doughnut
-an extra order of Chinese doughnut (though we didn't really need it)
-egg wrapped in scallion pancake
-pan fried pork bun
-sweet sticky rice roll (which is actually not sweet)
-sweet soy milk
We didn't order any tofu, but two other tables did, which must mean it's good; there were only 3 other tables during the time we were in there, and one hadn't gotten their food yet by the time we left, so they may have ordered tofu, too.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Hunts - Day 19
Chicken Noodle Soup - YUM!
Saute onions, carrots, and celery on medium heat. Deglaze with white wine, reduce wine by half. Add chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Add small diced chicken breast and sprig of thyme. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked. Add cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
I added the leftover pasta from last night's dinner, instead of a new batch of cooked pasta. This included the vegetables and sausage that were in the pasta.
Saute onions, carrots, and celery on medium heat. Deglaze with white wine, reduce wine by half. Add chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Add small diced chicken breast and sprig of thyme. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked. Add cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
I added the leftover pasta from last night's dinner, instead of a new batch of cooked pasta. This included the vegetables and sausage that were in the pasta.
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Hunts - Day 18
Sausage Pasta
I had some sausage leftover from last night. It comes in a pack of 4, so I just cooked them all off.
Cook the pasta of your choice, as per instructions on the box. Cut the sausage in half, lengthwise, and then slice into pieces. While the pasta is cooking, saute your vegetables:
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 small sweet pepper, sliced thinly
*I sauteed these in oil on medium high heat, deglazed with white wine, and then added one bunch of kale (cleaned & cut). Once the kale is fully wilted, I added sauteed mushrooms (left from my French dip sandwiches) & the sausage.
When the pasta is cooked, toss it together with the vegetables/sausages, add chopped parsley, and adjust seasoning as needed.
I had some sausage leftover from last night. It comes in a pack of 4, so I just cooked them all off.
Cook the pasta of your choice, as per instructions on the box. Cut the sausage in half, lengthwise, and then slice into pieces. While the pasta is cooking, saute your vegetables:
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 small sweet pepper, sliced thinly
*I sauteed these in oil on medium high heat, deglazed with white wine, and then added one bunch of kale (cleaned & cut). Once the kale is fully wilted, I added sauteed mushrooms (left from my French dip sandwiches) & the sausage.
When the pasta is cooked, toss it together with the vegetables/sausages, add chopped parsley, and adjust seasoning as needed.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Hunts - Day 17
Stuffed Squash
A friend made us something similar to this a few years ago, and I never go the actual recipe, so I just improvised. I'm thinking that it can be done in other, similar ways, and with different winter squashes.
I picked delicata squash. First, I cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Then, I dug out the seeds, and set them in a baking dish, skin-side down. Ooh, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Season the squash with salt & pepper.
The stuffing - I tossed all the following items in a bowl with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil:
-raisin bread, cut into 1/4" chunks
-onions, carrots, celery (mirepoix), cut into 1/4" dice
-one Thundering Hooves sweet Italian sausage, partially cooked, and diced 1/4"
-one apple, peeled, diced 1/4"
Put the stuffing into the squash, cover with foil, and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until squash is tender.
A friend made us something similar to this a few years ago, and I never go the actual recipe, so I just improvised. I'm thinking that it can be done in other, similar ways, and with different winter squashes.
I picked delicata squash. First, I cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Then, I dug out the seeds, and set them in a baking dish, skin-side down. Ooh, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Season the squash with salt & pepper.
The stuffing - I tossed all the following items in a bowl with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil:
-raisin bread, cut into 1/4" chunks
-onions, carrots, celery (mirepoix), cut into 1/4" dice
-one Thundering Hooves sweet Italian sausage, partially cooked, and diced 1/4"
-one apple, peeled, diced 1/4"
Put the stuffing into the squash, cover with foil, and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Hunts - Day 16
Taco Bake - My friend, Lucy, introduced me to this concept of a taco casserole. I've never actually had her version of it, but this is what mine consisted of tonight:
*layer 1 - black beans
*layer 2 - ground beef cooked with a little bit of garlic & taco seasoning
*layer 3 - salsa
*layer 4 - cheddar cheese
*layer 5 - chopped scallions
*layer 6 - one whole wheat tortilla
REPEAT
*topped off with a little more cheddar cheese
I had made this earlier in the afternoon & set it in the fridge until close to dinner time. To reheat, I wrapped the dish in foil & baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
*layer 1 - black beans
*layer 2 - ground beef cooked with a little bit of garlic & taco seasoning
*layer 3 - salsa
*layer 4 - cheddar cheese
*layer 5 - chopped scallions
*layer 6 - one whole wheat tortilla
REPEAT
*topped off with a little more cheddar cheese
I had made this earlier in the afternoon & set it in the fridge until close to dinner time. To reheat, I wrapped the dish in foil & baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Hunts - Day 14 & 15 - "Rescue Me" Quiche & "French" Night
Yes, we have actually been cooking at home still, even though I have slacked on the postings! So far we have missed just one day, and we are now halfway through our challenge today!Here is what made it to the table the past few days:
*Day 11 - beet greens and onion panade
*Day 12 - fried eggrolls (we took as a potluck item to a farm party) & Red Baron French bread pizza (frozen; but when we got home from the party, we weren't that hungry, yet needed a little something)
*Day 13 - pork chops, sauteed kale with carrots & onions, steamed broccoli, green salad with lemon cucumber, fennel, extra-virgin olive oil, and banyuls vinegar. Easy marinade for the chops (also good for roasted chicken): white wine, Dijon mustard (can also add stone ground mustard), salt & pepper; adjust amounts as needed. I stuck the chops in a Ziplock bag, threw the marinade inside, shook it around, and let it sit in the fridge until ready to cook. Seared the pork chops with a little canola oil for 1-2 minutes on each side and put the whole pan (all stainless steel, no nonstick pans or rubber handles, please) in the oven at 375 F for 10-15 minutes. Tender, juicy, delicious.
*Day 14 - "Rescue Me" Quiche -
I locked myself & Vincent out of the house yesterday. It had just stopped hailing when I decided it was time to go grocery shopping. Since we were taking the car & going to park in a garage, not going to dilly dally, I decided we were okay without rain gear or diaper bag. And, apparently, I didn't think keys were necessary, either. DOH!!!
I called Jen, and she so kindly came to our rescue. We went to her house and cooked dinner together. It was a quiche. Here's the recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/spinach-quiche-revisited/
Funny thing, the pate brisee it called for turns out to be the one I posted a couple weeks ago from Martha Stewart. How many moms does it take a make a quiche? In Jen's & my case, two. We will both admit to not being the best quiche cookers. But, together, even with two toddlers screaming at our heels & fighting over toys that they don't really want to play with, we succeeded. And, they were done just in time for David to pick us up. I haven't heard back from Jen if hers was as tasty as mine, but I'm assuming it was.
*Day 15 - Tonight's "French" night will consist of French dip and French onion soup. I even have a French baguette for our sandwiches. I'm actually going to put onions, cheese, & mushrooms on our sandwiches as well. I got these little soup crocks with handles from QFC last night, too, that I'm so excited to use! The soup is made (thank goodness for toddler naptime) & the sandwiches should be pretty quick to assemble this afternoon. I should go chop some garlic for the mushrooms...maybe grate some gruyere cheese...
Sunday, October 19, 2008
smothered pork
well, i blew it and we went out for pizza on friday night. i had a pork shoulder in the fridge and i knew i needed to cook it yesterday or it would go bad. i wasn't feeling it at all. finally at around 2pm i rallied and got cooking. it turned out really yummy. here's what i did:
5-6 lb. pork shoulder roast (bone in)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
8-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1-2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
2 T veggie oil
1 stick butter (8 T)
1/2 c flour
4 cups stock (i used chicken)
juice from 1/2 lemon
preheat oven to 275. season pork generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. let stand at room temp for about 30 minutes.
combine the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a large bowl.
heat veggie oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot with a lid that will fit in your oven. add the pork and sear until all the sides are a nice crispy brown. transfer the meat to a plate.
melt butter in dutch oven. stir in the flour. cook for 1-2 minutes. add onion mixture and stir until well coated. slowly add the chicken broth. bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
return the pork (and any accumulated juices) to the pan. cover and put in the oven for about 3 hours. baste the pork hourly. once it's done, remove the pork from the sauce and set aside. while it rests, reduce the sauce until it's super thick and coats the back of a spoon (you may need to scrape fat from the top). add the lemon juice and stir well.
I served it with plain egg noodles and sauteed garlic and kale. the sauce is excellent on top of the pork and noodles. both of my boys ate it up! i actually really enjoyed it too. just had left overs on a sandwich.
now, to plan for this week...
5-6 lb. pork shoulder roast (bone in)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
8-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1-2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
2 T veggie oil
1 stick butter (8 T)
1/2 c flour
4 cups stock (i used chicken)
juice from 1/2 lemon
preheat oven to 275. season pork generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. let stand at room temp for about 30 minutes.
combine the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a large bowl.
heat veggie oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot with a lid that will fit in your oven. add the pork and sear until all the sides are a nice crispy brown. transfer the meat to a plate.
melt butter in dutch oven. stir in the flour. cook for 1-2 minutes. add onion mixture and stir until well coated. slowly add the chicken broth. bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
return the pork (and any accumulated juices) to the pan. cover and put in the oven for about 3 hours. baste the pork hourly. once it's done, remove the pork from the sauce and set aside. while it rests, reduce the sauce until it's super thick and coats the back of a spoon (you may need to scrape fat from the top). add the lemon juice and stir well.
I served it with plain egg noodles and sauteed garlic and kale. the sauce is excellent on top of the pork and noodles. both of my boys ate it up! i actually really enjoyed it too. just had left overs on a sandwich.
now, to plan for this week...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Hunts - Day 10 & An Interesting Article
After 3 days of bad napping, my son is taking an extra long nap today. This has afforded me the time to do a little catching up on kitchen prep work. I know there's still more I can do, but my pregnant body is tired of standing hunched over the prep table in the kitchen. But, you will be happy for me to know that dinner is on the stove. I'm making some sort of shepard's pie.
I made pot roast a couple weeks ago. After we had our fill of it, I broke up the meat, vaccum sealed it with some of the cooking liquid, and freezed it, with future shepard's pie in mind. I've made the mashed potato topping already, and now I'm just getting my meat & veggies part ready. We shall see...
In the meantime, I found this interesting article that I'd like to share. This makes me feel good about the way I feed my son. http://www.culinate.com/articles/first_person/teaching_kids_to_cook
I made pot roast a couple weeks ago. After we had our fill of it, I broke up the meat, vaccum sealed it with some of the cooking liquid, and freezed it, with future shepard's pie in mind. I've made the mashed potato topping already, and now I'm just getting my meat & veggies part ready. We shall see...
In the meantime, I found this interesting article that I'd like to share. This makes me feel good about the way I feed my son. http://www.culinate.com/articles/first_person/teaching_kids_to_cook
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Hunts - Disruptions
It's Wednesday. It has already been a heck of a week. Does Wednesday mean it's "hump day" and we're about to get over the hump and see some smooth sailing through the remainder of the week? Hmmmm...
Our major disruption this week has been the installation of our new living room windows. The job was supposed to take 2 days. They will need to come back next week to do some woodwork on the interior, and not all the windows fit, so we need to re-order & wait for them to finish and paint. Not to mention, the weather is getting wetter and wetter.
I will spare you all the details of the other stuff going on this week, but with all of it, we did manage to have dinner at home both Monday and Tuesday evening. Tonight, dinner at home would have been nearly impossible. Okay, that's an exageration, but it would have meant waiting for the construction guys to leave, then clean up all the dust, then cook. All with busy toddler running around, with a 7pm bedtime.
We ate out.
Back on the wagon tomorrow! We asked our handyman not to come tomorrow so that we can have a break from all the chaos.
Monday night, we had chili & tomato soup leftovers. Tuesday night we had orzo pasta with corn and the remainder of last week's mushroom sauce all tossed together. I heart orzo. Ooh, and we had a delicious side salad. I'm not sure what's on the menu for tomorrow night.
Our major disruption this week has been the installation of our new living room windows. The job was supposed to take 2 days. They will need to come back next week to do some woodwork on the interior, and not all the windows fit, so we need to re-order & wait for them to finish and paint. Not to mention, the weather is getting wetter and wetter.
I will spare you all the details of the other stuff going on this week, but with all of it, we did manage to have dinner at home both Monday and Tuesday evening. Tonight, dinner at home would have been nearly impossible. Okay, that's an exageration, but it would have meant waiting for the construction guys to leave, then clean up all the dust, then cook. All with busy toddler running around, with a 7pm bedtime.
We ate out.
Back on the wagon tomorrow! We asked our handyman not to come tomorrow so that we can have a break from all the chaos.
Monday night, we had chili & tomato soup leftovers. Tuesday night we had orzo pasta with corn and the remainder of last week's mushroom sauce all tossed together. I heart orzo. Ooh, and we had a delicious side salad. I'm not sure what's on the menu for tomorrow night.
Monday, October 13, 2008
maybe it's the garlic
i'm not exactly a true follower of the challenge. my mom was in town last week and we went out to eat a bunch. jayson is taking me out for dinner tomorrow night. but, we still eat at home a lot. so, i'm blogging about it anyways.
tonight i made anny's green beans and sorta followed her ground pork "recipe." I didn't actually have any ground pork, so i cut up some pork chops into little pieces and stir fried them in a little olive/sesame oil, added the garlic and finished it off with some soy sauce. we ate all of it with some white rice. man, it was good. juju couldn't get enough of the green beans! i had to hide rice and pork behind a bean! we will certainly be making this again.
the plan for the rest of the week involves this:
tuesday: um, out
wednesday: mexi (some beans, veggies and maybe meat wrapped in a tortilla - quesadilla style for juju)
thursday: anny's butternut squash soup probably just with some bread
friday: smothered pork roast (hmm, i must of ordered a lot of pork from thundering hoooves) and kale
saturday: spinach quiche, tomato and zucchini salad
for lunches we will have hummus, tuna salad, left overs, sandwiches, quesadillas...
anyways, this week shouldn't be too hard. we'll see how it goes.
tonight i made anny's green beans and sorta followed her ground pork "recipe." I didn't actually have any ground pork, so i cut up some pork chops into little pieces and stir fried them in a little olive/sesame oil, added the garlic and finished it off with some soy sauce. we ate all of it with some white rice. man, it was good. juju couldn't get enough of the green beans! i had to hide rice and pork behind a bean! we will certainly be making this again.
the plan for the rest of the week involves this:
tuesday: um, out
wednesday: mexi (some beans, veggies and maybe meat wrapped in a tortilla - quesadilla style for juju)
thursday: anny's butternut squash soup probably just with some bread
friday: smothered pork roast (hmm, i must of ordered a lot of pork from thundering hoooves) and kale
saturday: spinach quiche, tomato and zucchini salad
for lunches we will have hummus, tuna salad, left overs, sandwiches, quesadillas...
anyways, this week shouldn't be too hard. we'll see how it goes.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Hunts - Day 7
We've made it through our first week! Yippie! Tonight's dinner was a creamy mushroom & yellow squash pasta with roasted chioggia beets on the side. YUM!
What helped the mushroom sauce was the mushroom "liquor". What is that??? A term I learned in culinary school, it's basically the liquid you get from reconstituting dried mushrooms. I took that liquid and reduced it by half to intensify the mushroom flavor. I then took one pint of heavy whipping cream and reduced it (I believe) by half. Once both liquids were cooled, I combined them. I actually did this a couple days in advance. To finish the sauce, I sauteed mushrooms with garlic, added a little splash of marsala wine, then added the mushroom cream & seasoned with salt & pepper.
For the pasta, I sauteed diced yellow squash and tossed it with cooked whole wheat pasta & the mushroom sauce. Finish with chopped parsley & grated parmesan cheese.
For the roasted beets, I just cut them into 1/2" dice and tossed them with diced shallots, sliced scallions, extra virgin olive oil, banyuls vinegar, sea salt & pepper.
What helped the mushroom sauce was the mushroom "liquor". What is that??? A term I learned in culinary school, it's basically the liquid you get from reconstituting dried mushrooms. I took that liquid and reduced it by half to intensify the mushroom flavor. I then took one pint of heavy whipping cream and reduced it (I believe) by half. Once both liquids were cooled, I combined them. I actually did this a couple days in advance. To finish the sauce, I sauteed mushrooms with garlic, added a little splash of marsala wine, then added the mushroom cream & seasoned with salt & pepper.
For the pasta, I sauteed diced yellow squash and tossed it with cooked whole wheat pasta & the mushroom sauce. Finish with chopped parsley & grated parmesan cheese.
For the roasted beets, I just cut them into 1/2" dice and tossed them with diced shallots, sliced scallions, extra virgin olive oil, banyuls vinegar, sea salt & pepper.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Hunts - Day 6 - Skillet!
Skillet is in our neighborhood tonight. They're setting up shop from 4:30pm til they "run out." David and I have yet to try any of their stuff. We had decided that IF I can make us a decent lunch, not ham sandwiches or cheese quesadillas, but something I would make for dinner, then we should be able to walk over to the Skillet truck and buy ourselves something to bring home and enjoy. We had tickets to Seattle Symphony's Tiny Tots this morning, and didn't know if we'd make it home in time for me to make lunch. I was planning on making chili. We said that if I could get it made and on the table, then we'd have Skillet. If I couldn't, then we would miss out on Skillet and wait for another oppportunity.
Delicious, hot chili made it to the table today at 12:05pm! Doh! I forgot to put the corn bread in the oven in time! But, we had it with saltines, and the corn bread was done soon after, which we all enjoyed as an afternoon snack.
I'm going to walk over to Skillet in about 15 minutes and place our order! Looking forward to it.
As for the chili, I feel like everyone has some version they like. I won't post a recipe. My chili is never the same each time. Today's was quite exciting, as it ended up being sort of a "kitchen sink" chili. Things I added include one turnip, a cup of homemade apple sauce, and a bit of jarred salsa. Gosh, just those three things together sound pretty awful. But, when it's cooked with 2 pounds of ground beef, some herbs, some spices, garlic, carrots, onions, celery, fresh tomatoes, beans, and a whole lot of love, it's actually quite yummy.
Delicious, hot chili made it to the table today at 12:05pm! Doh! I forgot to put the corn bread in the oven in time! But, we had it with saltines, and the corn bread was done soon after, which we all enjoyed as an afternoon snack.
I'm going to walk over to Skillet in about 15 minutes and place our order! Looking forward to it.
As for the chili, I feel like everyone has some version they like. I won't post a recipe. My chili is never the same each time. Today's was quite exciting, as it ended up being sort of a "kitchen sink" chili. Things I added include one turnip, a cup of homemade apple sauce, and a bit of jarred salsa. Gosh, just those three things together sound pretty awful. But, when it's cooked with 2 pounds of ground beef, some herbs, some spices, garlic, carrots, onions, celery, fresh tomatoes, beans, and a whole lot of love, it's actually quite yummy.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Hunts - Day 5
Vegetarian tonight. I suppose last night was, too. Tomato soup, steamed broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, lentils, and leftover half an Essential Bakery grilled cheese sandwich from lunch. Oh, and a tiny bit of soup from lunch for Vincent.
The lentils were from what I made for Vincent on Monday night. I added a 1/4 cup to the soup leftover from lunch for him. David also had about a 1/2 cup of lentils with his dinner. For David's, I tossed with a little extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
Roasted sweet potatoes - first, I have to thank my friend, Lucy, for this. I would not have thought to make sweet potatoes like this if she hadn't made them for us last Thanksgiving. Both my guys love them this way. We ate the whole pan full!
sweet potatoes (as many as you desire), peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
garlic, chopped
rosemary sprigs
olive oil
salt & pepper
Toss all the ingredients together, and lay them in a baking dish. Cook covered in a 425 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to get some color and crispiness around the edges.
The lentils were from what I made for Vincent on Monday night. I added a 1/4 cup to the soup leftover from lunch for him. David also had about a 1/2 cup of lentils with his dinner. For David's, I tossed with a little extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
Roasted sweet potatoes - first, I have to thank my friend, Lucy, for this. I would not have thought to make sweet potatoes like this if she hadn't made them for us last Thanksgiving. Both my guys love them this way. We ate the whole pan full!
sweet potatoes (as many as you desire), peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
garlic, chopped
rosemary sprigs
olive oil
salt & pepper
Toss all the ingredients together, and lay them in a baking dish. Cook covered in a 425 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to get some color and crispiness around the edges.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Hunts - Day 4
Not the most exciting of meals, but David and I were watching our friends' 4 year old at their house for the evening. I decided to bring over something easy. We had cheese tortellini with a jarred red sauce. That was all! But, we did eat in, and I did tell myself that I'm allowed to do stuff like this. If we had eaten it at home, I probably would've made a vegetable dish on the side. I guess I could've done that there as well, but I just wanted to make things as simple as possible. And, HEY! the kids ate the food!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Hunts - Day 3
More brown rice tonight...
Growing up, we always had a batch of white rice in the rice cooker pretty much at all times. It was like my mom had that thing going all day long. I'm sure she didn't, but she always had hot rice available for us. I want to do that for my family one day, but I have a sucky rice cooker and the nice ones are very spendy. So, I am finding myself making a small batch daily...even though we didn't finish the stuff from last night. There just wasn't quite enough leftover for dinner again tonight. Hey, at least I get to turn it into fried rice at some point this week!
On top of the rice, we had ground pork cooked with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. On the side was green beans, tossed with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Pretty simple dinner. A bit on the oily side, but everyone enjoyed it. Vincent actually ate more green beans tonight than he ever has. I don't know if it was the texture, the flavor, or what. I'm not going to question him.
The ground pork is so simple. Heat the sesame oil in a pan, being careful not to let it get too hot as sesame oil has a low smoke point. Add two large cloves of garlic cut into large chunks. Add 1 pound of ground pork to the pan and let it brown a little while breaking it up. Once the meat is browned, add about 1/2 cup of soy sauce (or to your taste) and about a 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cover. You can cook this for a while, but pretty much as soon as the meat is fully cooked, you're done.
For the green beans, follow this link: http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com/2008/09/wild-mushroom-risotto-and-sesame-green.html
Growing up, we always had a batch of white rice in the rice cooker pretty much at all times. It was like my mom had that thing going all day long. I'm sure she didn't, but she always had hot rice available for us. I want to do that for my family one day, but I have a sucky rice cooker and the nice ones are very spendy. So, I am finding myself making a small batch daily...even though we didn't finish the stuff from last night. There just wasn't quite enough leftover for dinner again tonight. Hey, at least I get to turn it into fried rice at some point this week!
On top of the rice, we had ground pork cooked with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. On the side was green beans, tossed with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Pretty simple dinner. A bit on the oily side, but everyone enjoyed it. Vincent actually ate more green beans tonight than he ever has. I don't know if it was the texture, the flavor, or what. I'm not going to question him.
The ground pork is so simple. Heat the sesame oil in a pan, being careful not to let it get too hot as sesame oil has a low smoke point. Add two large cloves of garlic cut into large chunks. Add 1 pound of ground pork to the pan and let it brown a little while breaking it up. Once the meat is browned, add about 1/2 cup of soy sauce (or to your taste) and about a 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cover. You can cook this for a while, but pretty much as soon as the meat is fully cooked, you're done.
For the green beans, follow this link: http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com/2008/09/wild-mushroom-risotto-and-sesame-green.html
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Hunts - Day 2
Leftovers! Yup, we ate the last of the 2 large slices of Hot Mamas pizza that we ordered on Sunday night, pre-challenge. Then, I took some of the leftover QFC roasted chicken, also bought on Sunday, and made "burritos" or "wraps" - whatever you want to call them. Not quit a burrito cuz there was nothing Mexican about it, unless you count the Kraft "Mexican" cheese mix, so maybe it's called a wrap? There was also a bit of the butternut squash soup leftover from last night that David and Vincent shared. Vincent also ate some more lentils.
All-in-all, dinner went well. Everything was eaten, save a few scraps and such on Vincent's tray.
For the wraps, I warmed 3 whole wheat flour tortillas, just to soften them. Then, I spread about a tablespoon of hummus on the tortillas, topped with some shredded chicken, cheese, and brown rice, and rolled them all up. I popped them in the oven to warm for about 10 minutes or so. I was pleasantly surprised with how these turned out!
Part of my reason for this challenge is to see how this will impact our finances. Yes, we had ordered out a few nights ago. But, the fact that we didn't let that food go to waste is huge! I still feel pretty good about how things are going...I know, it's only Day 2.
All-in-all, dinner went well. Everything was eaten, save a few scraps and such on Vincent's tray.
For the wraps, I warmed 3 whole wheat flour tortillas, just to soften them. Then, I spread about a tablespoon of hummus on the tortillas, topped with some shredded chicken, cheese, and brown rice, and rolled them all up. I popped them in the oven to warm for about 10 minutes or so. I was pleasantly surprised with how these turned out!
Part of my reason for this challenge is to see how this will impact our finances. Yes, we had ordered out a few nights ago. But, the fact that we didn't let that food go to waste is huge! I still feel pretty good about how things are going...I know, it's only Day 2.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Hunts, Day 1 - We're Back, and We're Ready!
Um, I think...
I was planning on starting our 30 days on Wednesday, so that I could have today and tomorrow to plan for the week. But, I went to the store today with a list of necessities but no plans, and actually sat down to put my thoughts on paper when I got home. I decided to look at my receipts and see how many dishes I can come up with based on my purchases, and then figure out if I have enough to get us through the week. Here's what I came up with:
-butternut squash soup
-bakes sweet potatoes
-broccoli
-tomato soup
-ground pork with soy sauce and garlic
-green beans with sesame oil & rice wine vinegar
-tortellini pasta with mushrooms
-chili & corn bread
-chicken burritos or wraps (Am I allowed to use my store bought QFC roasted chicken if it's a leftover from before the challenge began?)
I figured I had about 5 main dishes, and would most likely have leftovers. It's a good start. So, I decided to start my 30 days today!
For dinner tonight, we had butternut squash soup with cherry pumpernickle croutons & bacon bits. I also made a batch of lentils for Vincent. I love lentils, but they do a major number on my stomach. David had an upset stomach today, so he skipped them as well. But, the soup was really super yummy! Everyone ate it happily, and Vincent even ate all the lentils.
Here's what I did:
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 each large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 each medium sized butternut squash, halved, seeded and roasted (350 degree F, 45 minutes - 1 hour)
2 cups Tall Grass Bakery cherry pumpernickle bread, cut into 1/2" cubes, without crust
1 cup thick bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
-Sweat the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in a pan with olive oil & a pinch of salt, over medium heat. When the onions have turned translucent, add the wine. Turn up the heat and reduce most of the wine. Cover the vegetables with water, bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are tender.
-Scoop out the meat of the squash and add to the soup. Add any extra water as needed & bring to a boil again.
-Puree the soup, adding more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
-For the croutons, toss in olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 350 degree F for about 15 minutes, or until bread is dried and hardened.
-For the bacon bits, render the bacon in a pan at medium heat until crispy. Strain off the fat & set the bacon bits aside.
-To serve the soup, spoon into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon bits.
I was planning on starting our 30 days on Wednesday, so that I could have today and tomorrow to plan for the week. But, I went to the store today with a list of necessities but no plans, and actually sat down to put my thoughts on paper when I got home. I decided to look at my receipts and see how many dishes I can come up with based on my purchases, and then figure out if I have enough to get us through the week. Here's what I came up with:
-butternut squash soup
-bakes sweet potatoes
-broccoli
-tomato soup
-ground pork with soy sauce and garlic
-green beans with sesame oil & rice wine vinegar
-tortellini pasta with mushrooms
-chili & corn bread
-chicken burritos or wraps (Am I allowed to use my store bought QFC roasted chicken if it's a leftover from before the challenge began?)
I figured I had about 5 main dishes, and would most likely have leftovers. It's a good start. So, I decided to start my 30 days today!
For dinner tonight, we had butternut squash soup with cherry pumpernickle croutons & bacon bits. I also made a batch of lentils for Vincent. I love lentils, but they do a major number on my stomach. David had an upset stomach today, so he skipped them as well. But, the soup was really super yummy! Everyone ate it happily, and Vincent even ate all the lentils.
Here's what I did:
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 each large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 each medium sized butternut squash, halved, seeded and roasted (350 degree F, 45 minutes - 1 hour)
2 cups Tall Grass Bakery cherry pumpernickle bread, cut into 1/2" cubes, without crust
1 cup thick bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
-Sweat the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in a pan with olive oil & a pinch of salt, over medium heat. When the onions have turned translucent, add the wine. Turn up the heat and reduce most of the wine. Cover the vegetables with water, bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are tender.
-Scoop out the meat of the squash and add to the soup. Add any extra water as needed & bring to a boil again.
-Puree the soup, adding more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
-For the croutons, toss in olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 350 degree F for about 15 minutes, or until bread is dried and hardened.
-For the bacon bits, render the bacon in a pan at medium heat until crispy. Strain off the fat & set the bacon bits aside.
-To serve the soup, spoon into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon bits.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
One For The Road
Okay, last post of the day for me!
I just want to wish everyone who decides to do this little challenge the best of luck. If you don't make the full 30 days, it's okay. If you need to a night out or to order take out, then do it. Hopefully, a little break will be just what you need to recharge & get back into the kitchen to do some more cooking. If not, well, it was worth the try, right?
Happy cooking & eating everyone! I'll be back in a week and joining in!
I just want to wish everyone who decides to do this little challenge the best of luck. If you don't make the full 30 days, it's okay. If you need to a night out or to order take out, then do it. Hopefully, a little break will be just what you need to recharge & get back into the kitchen to do some more cooking. If not, well, it was worth the try, right?
Happy cooking & eating everyone! I'll be back in a week and joining in!
Pappa al Pomodoro - Part 2 + Beef Pot Pie
I ended up buying a loaf of La Brea Bakery Italian bread at the store. It was more crumbly than I thought it would be. Should've gone for the ciabatta! I put my broken up pieces in the oven, tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then added it to the soup. I question how much I really like the whole bread in the soup thing. I wonder if I would've enjoyed a more chewy bread that was actually day-old. All-in-all, it was quite tasty.
The tomatoes I used were a mix of San Marzano roma, Black Beauty (or was it Black Prince?), and sun gold and cherry. All were from our garden, except the cherry tomatoes. Rather than leaving the skins on some of the larger tomatoes like the recipe said, I kept the skins on the small ones & cut them into quarters. The soup was so super sweet. I didn't need to add any sugar.
That little knug of pastry sitting on the bowl was just some leftover puff pastry from the pot pie I made (below) to go with dinner.
This is a beef pot pie made from leftover pot roast from a couple of nights ago. I also had some sauteed kale that I mixed into the pie, along with the potatoes and carrots from the pot roast. This turned out so well. The small amount of pot pie was just right as an addition to the soup.
Pappa al Pomodoro - Part 1
Maybe this is premature, but the soup is on the stove right now, and so far, it tastes divine. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight. I'm not sure if I'll actually add the bread, as I don't have day old bread. My plan is to go to QFC and hope that they have the day old basket out. I might do a quiche or something tart-like on the side instead. Nonetheless, here's the recipe from the wonderful Zuni Cafe Cookbook:
For about 4 cups
About 2 pounds very ripe tomatoes
About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onions {4 ounces}
Salt
About 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
A leafy branch of fresh basil
Sugar {optional}
About 1/4 pound day-old, chewy, peasant-style bread, most of the crust removed
Freshly cracked black pepper
Core the tomatoes & trim off blemishes or underripe shoulders. Blanch, or blister over an open flame, and peel about half of them; leave the skins on the remainder. Coarsely chop the tomatoes into 1/4 inch bits, taking care to capture all the juices. Collect the tomatoes and juices in a bowl.
Warm about 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stirring a few times, cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes while the onions soften and sweat in their juices; they will become translucent and sweeter. Once they are tender, stir in the garlic. Cook for a few minutes longer, then add the tomatoes ~ juice, seeds, and all ~ and another healthy splash of oil. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer.
Pick the leaves from the basil and set them aside, then push the stem into the sauce. Cook only long enough for the bits of tomato to collapse and release their skins, another 5-10 minutes. Watch the color of the sauce and stop the cooking just as it takes on the characteristic orangey hue of cooked tomatoes. Taste for salt & for sweetness. If you find the sauce too acidic, add a pinch of sugar, but reserve the final judgement until after you add the bread.
Remove the basil stem. Tear the basil leaves and add to the sauce. Tear the bread in fistfuls. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the bread, and stir just until it is saturated and submerged. Cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid, remove from the heat, and place in a very warm spot. Leave the bread to swell and soften for 15 minutes or so.
When you are ready to serve the pappa, give it a vigorous stir to break up the chunks of softened bread, taste again, and adjust for salt and sweetness. Stir in a few more spoonfuls of olive oil...
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil.
For about 4 cups
About 2 pounds very ripe tomatoes
About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onions {4 ounces}
Salt
About 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
A leafy branch of fresh basil
Sugar {optional}
About 1/4 pound day-old, chewy, peasant-style bread, most of the crust removed
Freshly cracked black pepper
Core the tomatoes & trim off blemishes or underripe shoulders. Blanch, or blister over an open flame, and peel about half of them; leave the skins on the remainder. Coarsely chop the tomatoes into 1/4 inch bits, taking care to capture all the juices. Collect the tomatoes and juices in a bowl.
Warm about 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stirring a few times, cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes while the onions soften and sweat in their juices; they will become translucent and sweeter. Once they are tender, stir in the garlic. Cook for a few minutes longer, then add the tomatoes ~ juice, seeds, and all ~ and another healthy splash of oil. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer.
Pick the leaves from the basil and set them aside, then push the stem into the sauce. Cook only long enough for the bits of tomato to collapse and release their skins, another 5-10 minutes. Watch the color of the sauce and stop the cooking just as it takes on the characteristic orangey hue of cooked tomatoes. Taste for salt & for sweetness. If you find the sauce too acidic, add a pinch of sugar, but reserve the final judgement until after you add the bread.
Remove the basil stem. Tear the basil leaves and add to the sauce. Tear the bread in fistfuls. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the bread, and stir just until it is saturated and submerged. Cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid, remove from the heat, and place in a very warm spot. Leave the bread to swell and soften for 15 minutes or so.
When you are ready to serve the pappa, give it a vigorous stir to break up the chunks of softened bread, taste again, and adjust for salt and sweetness. Stir in a few more spoonfuls of olive oil...
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
i'm not sure i can do it
we eat at home. a lot. but 30 days?!? that's a lot. i'm not sure i can do it.
i feel like i need to have a game plan for the whole month. gawd, i'm so planny.
maybe if i slow down and take it one week at a time, i'll be able to do it. i just made my plan for the week, and i ran out of steam at the end. why would i think i can do it for 30 days?
plus, i need to go eat chinese and ethiopian before the challenge starts. it's about the only food that sounds good to me right now.
i feel like i need to have a game plan for the whole month. gawd, i'm so planny.
maybe if i slow down and take it one week at a time, i'll be able to do it. i just made my plan for the week, and i ran out of steam at the end. why would i think i can do it for 30 days?
plus, i need to go eat chinese and ethiopian before the challenge starts. it's about the only food that sounds good to me right now.
the plan
here's my plan for the week. i've already been to the store and everything.
we'll see how i do.
sunday: grilled halibut & corn on the cob (jayson will do it!), tomato/pine-nut/mozzarella salad thing
monday: swiss enchiladas and kale (swiss enchiladas are a divine casserole with chicken, cheese, tomato puree, chilies, cream and tortillas) i plan on making 2 casseroles out of this and putting one in the freezer to eat later
tuesday: chicken thighs (probably with some normal dry seasonings), rice and more of the tomato salad thing (gotta eat those ripe garden tomatoes!)
wednesday: mac n’ cheese and asparagus (i actually made the mac n’ cheese a couple of weeks ago and saved a portion in the freezer) this should be an easy one
thursday: meat loaf, mashed potatoes and peas (how American)
friday: leftovers – there should be tons!
who knows what i'll do on saturday. perhaps breakfast for dinner or sandwiches or more leftovers. weekends should be easy.
wish me luck!
we'll see how i do.
sunday: grilled halibut & corn on the cob (jayson will do it!), tomato/pine-nut/mozzarella salad thing
monday: swiss enchiladas and kale (swiss enchiladas are a divine casserole with chicken, cheese, tomato puree, chilies, cream and tortillas) i plan on making 2 casseroles out of this and putting one in the freezer to eat later
tuesday: chicken thighs (probably with some normal dry seasonings), rice and more of the tomato salad thing (gotta eat those ripe garden tomatoes!)
wednesday: mac n’ cheese and asparagus (i actually made the mac n’ cheese a couple of weeks ago and saved a portion in the freezer) this should be an easy one
thursday: meat loaf, mashed potatoes and peas (how American)
friday: leftovers – there should be tons!
who knows what i'll do on saturday. perhaps breakfast for dinner or sandwiches or more leftovers. weekends should be easy.
wish me luck!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Almost Forgot!
I found this recipe for pate brisee in Martha Stewart's magazine yesterday, while waiting in the doctor's office (sorry, I didn't have space or time to copy down the actual instructions!):
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbl chopped thyme (optional)
2 sticks (8 oz) butter, cold, cubed
1/2 cup ice water
Oh, wait! I did jot down the method, sort of!
1) pulse together the flour, salt and thyme.
2) add the butter and pulse until crumbly
3) add 1/3 cup of the water and pulse until the mixture just comes together, no longer than 30 seconds; add the remaining water if the dough is too dry and crumbly
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbl chopped thyme (optional)
2 sticks (8 oz) butter, cold, cubed
1/2 cup ice water
Oh, wait! I did jot down the method, sort of!
1) pulse together the flour, salt and thyme.
2) add the butter and pulse until crumbly
3) add 1/3 cup of the water and pulse until the mixture just comes together, no longer than 30 seconds; add the remaining water if the dough is too dry and crumbly
Getting Prepared
I can't believe October 1st is in just a few days. We were at Costco this morning, & they had their Christmas stuff out! Actually, I was at Macy's downtown this week, and there was a section closed off downstairs, and it looked like they were getting ready to do their holiday window displays. Yikes!
But, there are two things to look forward to this October...Halloween & my 30 day dinner challenge. I'm actually a little nervous. But, I've been doing a little planning (um, mostly just on paper)...
-I have a small batch of pate brisee (tart/pie dough) ready in the freezer.
-I've placed my meat order with Thundering Hooves - it's a big one! There's ground beef, ground pork, beef hanging tenders, pork chops, a whole chicken, and a couple of braising meats.
-I have a list of basic staples we may need: noodles, rice, beans, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, shallots, red & white wines for cooking, and stocks. I'm sure I'm missing something.
-I've gone through one cookbook (Zuni Cafe), so far, to bookmark some recipes that I may like to try out this month.
-I bought a pastry cutter & a squeeze bottle today? Why? I don't know, just thought I might need them. This challenge is a good excuse for me to buy new kitchen do dads.
Tell me some of the things you are doing to prepare. It might help me out!
But, there are two things to look forward to this October...Halloween & my 30 day dinner challenge. I'm actually a little nervous. But, I've been doing a little planning (um, mostly just on paper)...
-I have a small batch of pate brisee (tart/pie dough) ready in the freezer.
-I've placed my meat order with Thundering Hooves - it's a big one! There's ground beef, ground pork, beef hanging tenders, pork chops, a whole chicken, and a couple of braising meats.
-I have a list of basic staples we may need: noodles, rice, beans, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, shallots, red & white wines for cooking, and stocks. I'm sure I'm missing something.
-I've gone through one cookbook (Zuni Cafe), so far, to bookmark some recipes that I may like to try out this month.
-I bought a pastry cutter & a squeeze bottle today? Why? I don't know, just thought I might need them. This challenge is a good excuse for me to buy new kitchen do dads.
Tell me some of the things you are doing to prepare. It might help me out!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Marsala Wine Braised Chicken Legs with Shitake Mushrooms
I figured out what to do with those darn chicken legs!
*may use chicken thighs as well/instead
**if using dried mushrooms, reconsistute them in hot water first
Sear chicken, on all sides, in a hot saute pan with oil.
Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup marsala wine & allow to reduce slightly.
Add the mushrooms with the soaking liquid.
Bring to a boil.
Transfer to an oven proof dish, cover with foil, and cook in 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
*hang on to the saute pan.
Pour the liquid back into the saute pan and reduce by half.
Whisk in a teaspoon of butter into the reduction, and pour the sauce back over the chicken and mushrooms.
*may use chicken thighs as well/instead
**if using dried mushrooms, reconsistute them in hot water first
Sear chicken, on all sides, in a hot saute pan with oil.
Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup marsala wine & allow to reduce slightly.
Add the mushrooms with the soaking liquid.
Bring to a boil.
Transfer to an oven proof dish, cover with foil, and cook in 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
*hang on to the saute pan.
Pour the liquid back into the saute pan and reduce by half.
Whisk in a teaspoon of butter into the reduction, and pour the sauce back over the chicken and mushrooms.
Friday, September 19, 2008
It's Been Helpful
Just the thought of 30 days straight of eating dinner at home has been helpful in making me plan better already. I really love Jen's list thing. What I've done is have my dinner ideas on half the paper, the other half has what veggies I have on hand, and on the other side of the paper is my shopping list. Okay, okay, so I've only done this two weeks so far, but I have to say that just writing down what I'd like to make for the week makes actually preparing the dishes that much easier.
Wednesday morning, I said to my dad (who is here visiting) & my husband, "We're going out for dinner tonight!" But, by the afternoon, I don't know what happened, I suddenly felt like making dinner at home. It's cuz of the list!
So, here is what was on our list this week:
-curry & rice (I also bought a piece of kasu black cod from Mutual Fish); not the best dinner, sadly
-Thundering Hooves sweet onion sausages, pasta with sweet peppers & sherry cream sauce (I ended up adding on a ratatouille dish on the side); YUMMY!
-lettuce wraps with ground beef (last minute fried rice was an addition); big hit!
-clam chowder; another winner!
-breakfast sandwiches (side of yogurt and peaches); "Oops, I did it again!" It was so good.
I've successfully cooked dinner 5 days in a row. The last item on my list was chicken legs. Not sure what to do with them. I have 3 legs in my fridge just staring at me everytime I open the fridge. I might call it quits tomorrow and have the whole gang head to Fuji Sushi.
Wednesday morning, I said to my dad (who is here visiting) & my husband, "We're going out for dinner tonight!" But, by the afternoon, I don't know what happened, I suddenly felt like making dinner at home. It's cuz of the list!
So, here is what was on our list this week:
-curry & rice (I also bought a piece of kasu black cod from Mutual Fish); not the best dinner, sadly
-Thundering Hooves sweet onion sausages, pasta with sweet peppers & sherry cream sauce (I ended up adding on a ratatouille dish on the side); YUMMY!
-lettuce wraps with ground beef (last minute fried rice was an addition); big hit!
-clam chowder; another winner!
-breakfast sandwiches (side of yogurt and peaches); "Oops, I did it again!" It was so good.
I've successfully cooked dinner 5 days in a row. The last item on my list was chicken legs. Not sure what to do with them. I have 3 legs in my fridge just staring at me everytime I open the fridge. I might call it quits tomorrow and have the whole gang head to Fuji Sushi.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
tutta bella
we ate at tutta bella last night. i know that the challenge hasn't officially started, but still. it was damn good. i didn't even have to clean up afterwards. sigh.
we are going over to a friends house tonight (we have out of town guests here and they want to see some mutual friends). to make up for it, i'm bringing dinner. i just gone done making martha's mac and cheese (x2 since there are so many of us). i'm waiting for the water to boil to blanch some green beans to attempt anny's green beans with sesame seeds. i also have a loaf of yummy rosemary bread from the essential baking company. i won't have to clean up after dinner tonight either!
we are going over to a friends house tonight (we have out of town guests here and they want to see some mutual friends). to make up for it, i'm bringing dinner. i just gone done making martha's mac and cheese (x2 since there are so many of us). i'm waiting for the water to boil to blanch some green beans to attempt anny's green beans with sesame seeds. i also have a loaf of yummy rosemary bread from the essential baking company. i won't have to clean up after dinner tonight either!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
tomato confit!
I’ve been trying to make my weekly meal plan for about 3 days now. Luckily the wall street journal had some inspiration for me. They had a large spread on tomatoes in this past weekend’s journal. Hey, we have tomatoes!
‘Tis the time of year for delicious things from my very small garden. Actually, my garden is quite large, but we only grow a few things. I decided to make a tomato confit and serve it atop BBQ chicken thighs. Jayson will BBQ, so that minimizes my work. I mixed together quinoa, fresh steamed corn, black beans, avocado and a little olive oil ("recipe" compliments of my sister). I put down a bed of greens, spoon the quinoa salad atop that, put down a thigh and spoon the confit on that for a piled high colorful dinner plate.
‘Tis the time of year for delicious things from my very small garden. Actually, my garden is quite large, but we only grow a few things. I decided to make a tomato confit and serve it atop BBQ chicken thighs. Jayson will BBQ, so that minimizes my work. I mixed together quinoa, fresh steamed corn, black beans, avocado and a little olive oil ("recipe" compliments of my sister). I put down a bed of greens, spoon the quinoa salad atop that, put down a thigh and spoon the confit on that for a piled high colorful dinner plate.
The confit has fresh herbs from my garden: rosemary, thyme and basil. i halved and cored a bunch of roma tomatoes and layed those, cut side down, on top of the herbs. an entire head of smashed garlic cloves go in between the tomatoes. pour on 3/4 cup olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. roast for 1 hour. when it's done roasting, peel the tomato skins.
The whole house smells divine.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A few helpful tips
When I first sent this message out, one of our participants sent me a message with some tips. I liked them, and thought I'd share with everyone else.
...each Sunday I sit down and plan the meals for that week. Now, that doesn’t mean if I put “beef stroganoff, greens, pasta” on Monday night that we have to eat it on Monday night. Any night that week is fine. Planning it out by day helps me to understand if I’ll be gone one night or if Jayson will be or if we already have plans to go out. It also helps me remember what I need to take out of the freezer each morning. So, getting back to it…I plan for the week on the left side and on the right side I write out my grocery list – what I’ll need to make the stuff. I’m not hardcore about it, but I try to organize it by the layout of the grocery store: veggies in the top left, dairy top right, meat below the veggies, canned/dried goods below the dairy, etc.
Now, here’s the part I recently started doing that I love: when I get back from the store, I hang up the plan for the week on the fridge. Then, I fold a clean menu plan and hang that right by it. When I realize I’m running low on OJ or olive oil, I add that to the blank list. Then, when I’m doing my planning on Sunday, I unfold the sheet we’ve been adding stuff to and begin again. It doesn’t eliminate the need to run to the store in the middle of cooking, but it does help.
Also, I always plan a night for left-overs or homemade pizza or just throwing something together. That way if I’m not feeling motivated or if we have tons of leftovers we can clear out the fridge/pantry. I also usually make a few notes on the bottom with lunch ideas and breakfast stuff – especially if I buy anything special for those meals.
...each Sunday I sit down and plan the meals for that week. Now, that doesn’t mean if I put “beef stroganoff, greens, pasta” on Monday night that we have to eat it on Monday night. Any night that week is fine. Planning it out by day helps me to understand if I’ll be gone one night or if Jayson will be or if we already have plans to go out. It also helps me remember what I need to take out of the freezer each morning. So, getting back to it…I plan for the week on the left side and on the right side I write out my grocery list – what I’ll need to make the stuff. I’m not hardcore about it, but I try to organize it by the layout of the grocery store: veggies in the top left, dairy top right, meat below the veggies, canned/dried goods below the dairy, etc.
Now, here’s the part I recently started doing that I love: when I get back from the store, I hang up the plan for the week on the fridge. Then, I fold a clean menu plan and hang that right by it. When I realize I’m running low on OJ or olive oil, I add that to the blank list. Then, when I’m doing my planning on Sunday, I unfold the sheet we’ve been adding stuff to and begin again. It doesn’t eliminate the need to run to the store in the middle of cooking, but it does help.
Also, I always plan a night for left-overs or homemade pizza or just throwing something together. That way if I’m not feeling motivated or if we have tons of leftovers we can clear out the fridge/pantry. I also usually make a few notes on the bottom with lunch ideas and breakfast stuff – especially if I buy anything special for those meals.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Letter I Wrote
Hi friends,
I recently had this idea for a little cooking challenge for my family. As I gave it more thought, I thought it might be interesting to invite others to join in on it, and see if we could all be a bit of a support for one another. I am also well aware that some of you may already do this in your lives, and so this may not be a challenge to you at all. If that's the case, and you would still like to participate, I think it can better the rest of us, and hopefully you can get something out of it, too.
Okay, I'll get on with it!
I have to admit that even though I cooked professionally before having a child, preparing a home cooked meal 7 days a week is really challenging. I would say that I am doing better, but it can still be improved. So, I challenge my family (uh, that's just David and I) to eat in for dinner at home for 30 days straight. What that means is no calling up Pagliacci Pizza at 5pm for delivery, no take out Thai food, no Fuji Sushi in the I.D., and no whole roasted chicken from QFC. Yes, I'm admitting to some my fall backs when I just can't seem to get dinner on the table...or don't want to. It also means better meal planning between David and I, and hopefully, better budgeting in the end. What I do want to add is that it is tough to make a meal from scratch each night. Some days, the challenge isn't what to make, it's whether or not a certain toddler of mine will let me make it. So, there needs to be room for what I call "emergency food." That's frozen stuff, packaged ravioli, even boxed mac n cheese.
I was also thinking that I would start a blog for this challenge so that all who are interested in participating can also post to the blog. You can post about your meal planning, or what staples you are stocking up on in advance, recipes you have tried, or even when you have a slip up and missed a day. Nobody will get mad at you if you missed a day, but maybe you can make it up at the end by adding another day.
Anyway, if you are interested in doing this with us, shoot me a reply, and I'll put all those who are interested on the list of posters for the blog. We plan to start our challenge in October. We'll be gone the first week of October, so we won't actually start until the second week. You are welcome to start on Oct. 1st. Good luck, and please let me know if you have any other thoughts to add to the challenge.
Cheers & happy eating,
The Hunts
I recently had this idea for a little cooking challenge for my family. As I gave it more thought, I thought it might be interesting to invite others to join in on it, and see if we could all be a bit of a support for one another. I am also well aware that some of you may already do this in your lives, and so this may not be a challenge to you at all. If that's the case, and you would still like to participate, I think it can better the rest of us, and hopefully you can get something out of it, too.
Okay, I'll get on with it!
I have to admit that even though I cooked professionally before having a child, preparing a home cooked meal 7 days a week is really challenging. I would say that I am doing better, but it can still be improved. So, I challenge my family (uh, that's just David and I) to eat in for dinner at home for 30 days straight. What that means is no calling up Pagliacci Pizza at 5pm for delivery, no take out Thai food, no Fuji Sushi in the I.D., and no whole roasted chicken from QFC. Yes, I'm admitting to some my fall backs when I just can't seem to get dinner on the table...or don't want to. It also means better meal planning between David and I, and hopefully, better budgeting in the end. What I do want to add is that it is tough to make a meal from scratch each night. Some days, the challenge isn't what to make, it's whether or not a certain toddler of mine will let me make it. So, there needs to be room for what I call "emergency food." That's frozen stuff, packaged ravioli, even boxed mac n cheese.
I was also thinking that I would start a blog for this challenge so that all who are interested in participating can also post to the blog. You can post about your meal planning, or what staples you are stocking up on in advance, recipes you have tried, or even when you have a slip up and missed a day. Nobody will get mad at you if you missed a day, but maybe you can make it up at the end by adding another day.
Anyway, if you are interested in doing this with us, shoot me a reply, and I'll put all those who are interested on the list of posters for the blog. We plan to start our challenge in October. We'll be gone the first week of October, so we won't actually start until the second week. You are welcome to start on Oct. 1st. Good luck, and please let me know if you have any other thoughts to add to the challenge.
Cheers & happy eating,
The Hunts
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