Been a long time
It isn’t that I have stopped cooking or eating. My life has been more complicated, exhausting and painful than usual. I suffer from fibromyalgia, which creates pain all over the body and deep fatigue. I have taken a few good pictures of dishes I have cooked in the last couple months, and will post soon.
The good news is that I begin my vacation in a few days and will have time to post and cook and prepare for a super busy autumn.
Rub the right way
Last night, dinner consisted of lovely bone-in center cut pork loin chops on the barbeque. I like a rub on my pork, but most are made with tons of sugar and a little more salt than I like. I looked around at my spices and decided to try this: freshly ground black pepper, lemon pepper seasoning, a judicious dash of hickory smoked salt, and smoked paprika. I gently rubbed them into the meat, on both sides, and just before grilling, basted them with a bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking to the grill. So good, I had to share.
Speaking of eliminating sugar, check out Robin’s blog today. He’s got some great information on there. I found it encourages me to cook more from scratch. That way I am sure of what’s in my food!
Frittata — It’s What’s for Supper
I used the frittata recipe Robin blogged today, but since I had no zucchini, but did have a yellow summer squash, I used that, and added a little red bell pepper for color. I’m not a big fan of eggs, except maybe deviled eggs, other than at breakfast or brunch, but this dish has changed my thinking. I needed something light yet with a good amount of protein, and wanted veggies but not salad tonight. Voila! Squash and onion frittata to the rescue.
A few days ago, I got around to making quinoa tabouli. I should have taken a picture, but I was so hungry I scarfed it down without a thought about the blog. No problem — it was so good and so nutritious I will be making it on a regular basis. I liked it better than traditional bulghur wheat tabouli. It’s another meatless but protein-packed meal. I could live on this stuff alone for days if need be. Next time (which will be soon) I make it I will take pictures and give the recipe here.
I have been busy planting my vegetable garden and trying to do some delayed spring cleaning, which left little time for blogging. But I can’t stay away for long, so here’s to getting it all in. I’m planning to do the version of eggplant parmigiana on page 92 of Delicious Dishes tomorrow if possible. I love the traditional way but it’s too heavy for summer eating, and Robin’s version has nary a breadcrumb in sight, and no mounds of gooey mozzarella. I will be recording this adventure here, so stay tuned.
A Wing Thing
Chicken Wings Roasted with Lemon and Black Pepper (p. 124); Cauliflower with Mustard Seeds (p. 72)
Here are two recipes I had not tried from Delicious Dishes until now. The cauliflower dish is one I’ve wanted to use since Robin put it up on his blog a few weeks back. To my delight, mine turned out looking like his photos illustrated.
The chicken wings I had to test-drive, mainly to see if I might try to adapt them to my occasional craving for Buffalo wings. I followed the recipe exactly and they are wonderful as is, but these are mild although flavorful. Putting the two dishes together does work, but the spice and heat is in the vegetable, not the meat.
I had to use brown mustard seeds that I had because I haven’t found any black mustard seed locally, although I’m sure I can get some by mail or even perhaps in a town nearby. To my dismay, I opened my spice drawer only to find that the fennel seed I thought I had was not there, so I substituted caraway, which I have used before with cauliflower. It turned out fine, but I will do this recipe with the exact ingredients as soon as I can find them.
The wings I will set about to adapt to satisfy when I’m jonesin’ for the hot wings. It shouldn’t be hard to do, especially since I usually keep some kind of hot wing sauce in the pantry which should cover up any blunders.
Right now, the House finale is about to start, so I’m outta here. You already know I’m hooked on hot Englishmen . . .
Mind-blowing and Meatless
Clockwise from left: Rice and Spinach Torte (p. 34); Cucumber and tomato salad; Sauteed Mushrooms with Parsley and Garlic (p.78).
I did it! I pulled the trigger and prepared a full vegetarian meal! And it was GREAT!!
The main course was Robin’s Rice and Spinach Torte, on page 34 of the cookbook. I have to admit I was skeptical about how this would be. I was afraid it would come out bland and unappealing. I’ve eaten a lot of spinach and a lot of brown rice in my life, and I like each as a separate thing, but never thought combining them would be very interesting. All I can say is that I lacked imagination — it’s the seasoning and the method in the recipe that makes this a satisfying, stand-out vegetarian entree. My crumbs were gluten free and corn-based, which is why they are so yellow, but they worked wonderfully with the rice and spinach. The textures of this dish surprised me — an almost meaty center with the wonderfully crunchy “crusts” gave it substantial mouth feel. The husband is as much a carnivore as I, and he really enjoyed the torte.
The mushrooms seemed a natural accompaniment to the spinachy main dish. Although the recipe calls for “field mushrooms,” I am not a mushroomer and would certainly end up with terminal liver failure if I tried to be. Thus, using the old standbys, white and brown mushrooms, I prepared the recipe as written, but at the last minute threw in a dash of sherry to deglaze the pan, which is a trick I learned long ago and do automatically. The savory mushrooms complement the torte just as well as they always have done with steak.
Fresh cucumber and tomato salad, dressed simply with olive oil, lemon juice and ground black pepper, provided a cool, snappy counterpoint to the rich, umami flavors of the other two courses. Dessert was a simple frozen strawberry fruit pop, since I didn’t have any fresh berries.
There was plenty left over of the torte, also some of the mushrooms and a little snack of salad. This will make a nice packed lunch for my commuting day on Friday.
My Perfectly Vegetarian Plate
I can already feel the difference on my insides of dispensing with meat for the evening meal. I am fully satisfied, yet my digestive system seems — what should I say — “calmer” might be the word. And I have noticed that my blood sugar did not spike afterward and then crash. I sort of expected that to happen, because it seems to, no matter what the meal consists of. Not this time. It’s about time for me to turn in, but I don’t feel like I have to crash out, if that makes sense.
So, now that I’ve made the torte, I see what a surprising and impressive dish this would be to serve guests. I can imagine how good it might be with a bowl of freshly cooked tomato-basil soup and maybe some fennel salad on the side.
And I always thought I had to roast a bird, or throw a steak on the grill for company . . . Well, the times, they are a-changin’!
The Grill is Open!
Grilled lamb Chops, marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary (p. 136) served with fresh asparagus and quinoa-brown rice pilaf.
Grilling weather is back, so tonight we had Grilled Lamb Chops (p. 136) with asparagus and a brown rice-quinoa blend, flavored with olive oil and rosemary. The husband raved about the lamb chops. I think this is the first time I have ever served him lamb, and certainly the first time I have ever grilled lamb chops. Lucky for him, it turns out I don’t like lamb chops. I was never that keen on lamb and although it’s ok as part of the gyro loaf, served straight up, I don’t care for the flavor. So Himself got both chops and I was glad he enjoyed them and they didn’t go to waste.
For myself, I found that the brown rice-quinoa combo was something I will definitely keep in mind. It has enough protein to be a vegetarian mainstay in my diet and with the brown rice, combines two grains I can enjoy on a regular basis.
Of course, fresh asparagus, barely steamed and dressed with a little EVOO and a squeeze or three of fresh lemon, is a treat I enjoy as often as I can get it.
So as it turns out, I am a happy camper even without the grilled meat. This promises to be an interesting cooking season, as I eat as much barbeque as possible in the warm weather. I think there may be fewer ribs and more vegetables and seafood this year, which will be a challenge.
Curry Favorite
Now that my school semester is done, I can get back to cooking and blogging! Oh, joy!
Tonight I threw together a favorite dish in a new way. I roasted a chicken a couple of days ago and decided yesterday that the best way to use the remains from the first meal was to reformulate my old standby, Curried Chicken Salad, in a healthier way.
Curried Chicken Salad on Spinach and Radicchio
Taking a cue from Robin’s book, I used about 80% plain Greek nonfat yogurt with the remaining 20% Hellman’s mayo, which used to be the entire dressing for the chicken. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same as always: red onion and celery, raisins and nuts (this time walnut pieces, since that’s what was handy). Seasonings are curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, lemon pepper and a sprinkle of onion powder and smoked paprika, and a new twist, lime zest and juice. And, of course, the chicken, in a medium dice.
I let the flavors meld overnight and then it occurred to me that it would be beautiful and nutritious to serve a scoop of this magical mix atop the organic spinach salad I bought, and to garnish it with my favorite Cherry-Berry-Nut snack mix. The only problem with this meal is wanting more simply because it is so insanely delicious!
Curried Chicken Salad has been my go-to selection for special luncheon fare, and this will be a great improvement. Serving it with some nice whole-grain crackers and hummus on the side, and iced raspberry tea in tall glasses . . . well, it makes me want to call some girlfriends and plan a ladies-who-lunch party!
Since I am not big on measuring things, except for baking, where one must be precise, if you want to try this yourself, just combine ingredients by taste. If you aren’t used to some of the flavors I use, add them gradually and taste as you go in order to get something that pleases your own palate.
Anyone out there have a favorite chicken salad they’d like to share? Feel free to comment.
It’s been a sad week for music
Levon Helm, the great voice behind The Band’s stirring music, has left us. Such a unique sound — I spent many happy hours listening to the Big Pink album in particular. I never got tired of listening to them.
I don’t think The Band ever played on American Bandstand, but I like to imagine Dick Clark featuring all the dear departed musicians of my youth, at an eternal concert/dance party. I want to have some fun on the other side when it’s my turn to go there!
In honor of Levon, here’s a link to my favorite number by The Band:
Back in the Kitchen
Last week was pretty tough as far as cooking is concerned. Too much end-of-semester work to be done, plus a meeting every night for one thing or another. I was glad I made the pork roast last Sunday because it provided me with plenty of good eating through the week. Even so, a few nights, I opted for quick microwaveable meals and even some takeout. By Saturday I could tell the difference in how I was feeling physically. Happily, this weekend I was able to get back on track and have resumed my new style of eating with thoughts on how I can make it work the next time I have an overwhelming week.
The good news for me is that despite my backsliding, I did not regain any lost weight, and I am more committed than ever to eating well. I have cooked a few things from the Delicious Dishes that take little enough time from prep to plate, and Robin just posted another simple dish on his blog that I know will work on a busy day.
Saturday I cooked one of my old favorites from my cooking class in high school: Chicken Cacciatore. What I did a little differently was to add enough chicken broth and white wine to the pan that I could throw in a handful of rotini to have a one-pot meal. It’s simple and follows the basics of Mediterranean cuisine: olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes and a little (gluten free) pasta. I varied it this time with a bit of bell pepper and the addition of tomato puree to create a more substantial gravy-like tomato sauce to surround the chicken thighs.
Tonight I did the recipe on page 121 — Chicken Breasts In a Spicy Lemon and Parsley Sauce. The last spicy dish I tried from the book was seriously hot, so I used only one medium sized cherry pepper, for a little zing to blend nicely with the lemon and parsley. This was so easy to prepare, I can do it when I don’t feel like cooking. With brown basmati rice and a nice vegetable combo from the freezer, I was enjoying dinner an hour after I pulled out the book to decide what to fix. The chicken breast was tender and juicy, and the cinnamon-spiced onions and peppers made a nice sauce when I reduced the pan juices down with a splash of white wine. It doesn’t say to do that in the recipe directions, but it seemed like the right thing to do and turned out well. If I had not put a lid on the pan to finish the cooking, the pan may have been drier at the end, but I’d rather have to reduce the liquid than have the pan burn up on me, which is what seems to happen when I’m cooking and doing something else at the same time.
I still have some chicken, so I am planning on revamping my Arroz con Pollo recipe to make it lighter, and also try the Delicious Roast Chicken recipe from Robin’s book. This week will be more focused on studying than on cooking, but I think I have few good ideas that will keep me on the right track nutritionally.
I hope anyone who reads or follows this blog is having a pleasant springtime, and I invite any suggestions or comments, as always.
Leek Soup Part Deux
Last night the husband suggested that lemon might improve the blandness of the leek soup, so I tried it out at lunch today. I zested and squeezed my last remaining lemon, and topped it with my favorite lemon pepper (Spice Islands). Just what it needed! I’m thinking a shake or two of smoked paprika would help spark it up as well, but one amendment at a time . . .
The leftover sausage dish from last night reheated well, too — a good, protein-packed breakfast. I didn’t have to “fix” this in any way, as it had so many flavors to begin with. My taste buds were quite entertained.
This is my school night, so it will probably be Amy’s Gluten-Free Macaroni & Cheese for din-din. I do have some fresh tomato — so maybe I will slice some on top and run it under the broiler and have Mac & Cheese a la Robin.
Cooking my A** Off 