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!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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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