Dinner! 2013 (Part 5)

[Dejah]

Ann_T: That looks like a fabulous griddle! I have a paella pan of the same material and am amazed at it's versatility. I was wondering if you'd be able to serve the fixings right from the griddle - that is, placing the griddle on the table while it is still sizzling. I was just thinking of the sizzling hot plates restaurants use when serving fajita.

[Ann_T]

Ann_T: That looks like a fabulous griddle! I have a paella pan of the same material and am amazed at it's versatility. I was wondering if you'd be able to serve the fixings right from the griddle - that is, placing the griddle on the table while it is still sizzling. I was just thinking of the sizzling hot plates restaurants use when serving fajita.

Dejah, that is exactly what I did. Served right off the griddle. If this pan was slightly smaller, it would be even more versatile. But it is just slightly too big to fit in the oven.

[Dejah]

Thanks, Ann:-)

[Norm Matthews]

I got an urge for corned beef but didn't make it from scratch this time. Also had a yam and apple casserole and zucchini salad.

[rotuts]

"" a yam and apple casserole ""

I like this idea. would you share the details ?

many thanks

[Plantes Vertes]

We had some Spanish wine in the fridge so we made dinner to go with it.

Patatas bravas

Roasted peppers with garlic

Tortilla (not pictured)

[Norm Matthews]

Rotuts

The recipe was on the back of a package of Organic Baby Jewel Yams. You could use any yams I am sure but two, maybe two and a half good size sweet potato yams would be about equal to a whole package. Here is that list of ingredients

1 pkg Melissia’s Organic baby jewel yams

2 1/2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4” rings

1/4 C. sugar

1/2 C. orange juice

1/8 C. butter

3/4 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp nutmeg

1 T. macadamia nuts, toasted

I used

Used 1 1/2 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg, two medium apples

Pecans, a handful instead of macadamia nuts.

Note: next time I want to top with a crisp or crumble and more nuts. My son said the pecans tasted good with the corned beef. IMHO anything tastes better with pecans.

Par boil the sweet potatoes then cool and peel. Peel core and slice apples into rings about a quarter inch thick. Layer the sliced potatoes and apples in a buttered casserole dish, combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer to thicken. Pour over apples and yams and bake @ 350º for an hour.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Norm Matthews (log)

[rotuts]

Yar and thanks

you are indeed correct : 'Fresh" pecans carefully roasted are the Best !

[Franci]

Tonight we had duck legs SV (skin crisping in the broiler), Chinese broccoli and romanesco. Plus kimchi and Comte...

[C. sapidus]

Now I’m hungry for fajitas and zucchini salad, despite just finishing a nice Indian meal. Maybe a little duck leg, too, to fill in the nooks and crannies.

Mint-cilantro chicken – fried with onions, ginger-garlic paste, black pepper, and turmeric, and then cooked until done with lemon juice, minced green chile, and heaps of chopped cilantro and mint. Definitely making this again.

Mixed vegetable pilaf – soaked basmati rice; onions fried with cumin, black cardamom, ginger, chiles, garam masala, yogurt, and chopped carrots, yellow bell pepper, and cauliflower; and garnished with cilantro.

[Ann_T]

Norm, What a beautiful way to serve a zucchini salad.

Bruce, beautiful colour on that chicken.

Prime Rib dinner.

[Dejah]

Now I’m hungry for fajitas and zucchini salad, despite just finishing a nice Indian meal. Maybe a little duck leg, too, to fill in the nooks and crannies.

Mint-cilantro chicken – fried with onions, ginger-garlic paste, black pepper, and turmeric, and then cooked until done with lemon juice, minced green chile, and heaps of chopped cilantro and mint. Definitely making this again.

Mixed vegetable pilaf – soaked basmati rice; onions fried with cumin, black cardamom, ginger, chiles, garam masala, yogurt, and chopped carrots, yellow bell pepper, and cauliflower; and garnished with cilantro.

Dang me, Bruce! You've got such a knack of getting that beautiful char on all your chicken dishes!

[Franci]

Tonight we had a celery stock risotto.

Salmon and "giardiniera di verdure", I'm making this again, addictive and very easy

[Anna N]

Franci,

Can you go into a little more detail on the giardiniera di verdure.

[Steve Irby]

A quick supper tonight after a little trip to the back of the freezer and frig. White bean and barley soup with fried pork belly

[Franci]

Franci,

Can you go into a little more detail on the giardiniera di verdure.

Sure. I diced a big carrot, 2 celery stalks, a light green zucchini, quartered about 7-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced one onion, added a little fresh sage, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, added 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, covered and cooked for about 20 minutes. Liquid should almost evaporate by the end and vegetables shouldn't fry in the oil. Let cool.

It goes very well with a charcuterie platter. The vegetables stay crunchy and it's a bit sweet and sour.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Franci (log)

[Anna N]

Franci,

Can you go into a little more detail on the giardiniera di verdure.

Sure. I diced a big carrot, 2 celery stalks, a light green zucchini, quartered about 7-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced one onion, added a little fresh sage, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, added 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, covered and cooked for about 20 minutes. Liquid should almost evaporate by the end and vegetables shouldn't fry in the oil. Let cool.

It goes very well with a charcuterie platter. The vegetables stay crunchy and it's a bit sweet and sour.

Thank you. I am trying to slot it into a category that I can recognize and it seems a bit like a cross between a relish and a salsa.

[Kerry Beal]

Sopa de Lima. Great use for leftover turkey and it's stock. Not terribly photogenic with standard tortilla bits - wish I'd had some corn tortillas in the freezer.

[Wapi]

Wapi yum! More details - what recipe for goulash? What cut of beef - chuck? Slow-cooked? And what kind of dried mushrooms? They almost look like cloud ear.

Thank you!

Chunk indeed! I quickly seared 2 kg of meat with some butter in a large pot. After removing the meat I sauteed 4-6 medium onions, 4 paprikas, 6 pieces of garlic. Added the meat back to the pot and added 1 bottle of red wine together with 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves, half of a chilli peper, thyme, rosemary, and a handfull of dried mushrooms. I used a mix of mushrooms, but the ones you see on the picture are black trumpets. The are truly heavenly. I am a huge fan of dried mushrooms. They bring a great, deep flavor to the dish. I then simmered the stew for 2,5 hours and seasoned it with some salt, peper, half of a bouillon cube (yeah the lazy way, I know ) and 2 teaspoons of sugar.

[Wapi]

Meatballs with white mushrooms and a tomato cream sauce with wild mushrooms, served with pasta

Edited November 2, 2013 by Wapi (log)

[Steve Irby]

It's cooling off so the fresh herbs are going to fade away. I worked in some oregano, basil, mint and lemon zest to top ziti with light tomato sauce and homemade sausage. The feta sausage is based on a recipe from Len Poli and a second sausage that is very lean (fresh ham) that is seasoned with homemade hot sauce. The Poli site has been a great resource for many different types of sausage over the past years (http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage%20recipes.htm)

[patrickamory]

Kerry that sopa de lima actually looks delicious. I have to get back to that.

Beans two ways (posted way after the fact). Both are RG - the white are cannellini, the black are midnights.

For what it's worth, I think the white beans were some of the best I've ever had. Procedure and ingredients were generally the same for each, except that the whites were soaked for 4 hours and then simmered; the black were no-soak Russ Parsons method. I've subscribed to Russ's method for years. Now I'm wondering whether there is something to tradition.

[C. sapidus]

Dejah and Ann_T, thank you both, you are very kind. I can only get a good browning on chicken if I leave the kitchen for a while. Otherwise I turn the chicken too early, usually to its detriment.

Tilapia with zucchini, lime, and garlic; arroz blanco; and green bean salad with red onion

[Bojana]

Finally had time and energy to make Momofuku pork buns. Was a big hit, and i have loads left inthe freezer, to satisfy sudden cravings. Buns are: steamed yeast dough, roasted pork belly slices, quick cucumber pickle, hoisin sauce and some scallions. Added to this garlic ginger baby pak choi

[huiray]

Couple of late dinners.

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• Soup: Opo squash (浦瓜), pork spare ribs, smashed garlic, snow fungus, water, sea salt.

• Linguine [Ferrara] w/ Hazan tomato sauce. (w/ deseeded, deskinned ripe tomatoes)

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• Pork & Shrimp wontons, w/ blanched Taiwan Bok Choi & skinny wonton noodles. Stock of chicken broth, simmered w/ dried far koo (花菇) and their stems, dried oysters, some dried anchovies (ikan bilis), sliced fresh ginger, smashed clove of garlic (Music), chicken fat, veggie oil.