Lunch! What'd ya have? (2017)

[blue_dolphin]

Cauliflower cake from Ottolenghi's Plenty More with Jicama and Cherry Salad from Serious Eats

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Cauliflower cake from Ottolenghi's Plenty More with Jicama and Cherry Salad from Serious Eats

That cauliflower cake looks quite amazing.  What did you think of it? 

[Anna N]

 

 Couldn't help myself.

[Shelby]

It's a beautiful summer day.  This is lunch .  Surprisingly good Driscoll's strawberries over a Twinkie.    Yep.

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

That cauliflower cake looks quite amazing.  What did you think of it? 

Overall, I give it a thumbs up.  The texture is light, not too heavy.  Yesterday, I thought it was a bit bland but I had another slice today for breakfast with a few oil-cured black olives alongside and they provided the little punch of flavor I was missing.  The flavors are not super strong and could be enhanced by adding something like some cayenne, chipotle  or smoked paprika, sliced kalamatas or spicy sausage crumbles or by serving a vinegar-y cucumber salad alongside. 

The flavors melded nicely overnight and it was quite tasty, even at room temp.  I think it was better than while still warm out of the oven so it would be a good make-ahead brunch or picnic dish. 

I had half a head of cauliflower in the fridge, so I made a 1/2 recipe and baked it in a 6-inch springform pan.  

 

 

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

Overall, I give it a thumbs up.  The texture is light, not too heavy.  Yesterday, I thought it was a bit bland but I had another slice today for breakfast with a few oil-cured black olives alongside and they provided the little punch of flavor I was missing.  The flavors are not super strong and could be enhanced by adding something like some cayenne, chipotle  or smoked paprika, sliced kalamatas or spicy sausage crumbles or by serving a vinegar-y cucumber salad alongside. 

The flavors melded nicely overnight and it was quite tasty, even at room temp.  I think it was better than while still warm out of the oven so it would be a good make-ahead brunch or picnic dish. 

I had half a head of cauliflower in the fridge, so I made a 1/2 recipe and baked it in a 6-inch springform pan.  

 

 

Oh wow. Thank you. That is very helpful. I will be heading north at the end of the month and I'm collecting suitable recipes for when I have time on my hands.  That's an inside joke since I almost always have time on my hands.

 

[blue_dolphin]

Stuffed peppers with fondant rutabaga and goat cheese from Ottolenghi's Plenty More. There's a tossed salad version of the carrot salad with lemon tahini dressing from Julia Turshen's  Small Victories on the side.

These stuffed peppers are seriously good! The little cubes of rutabaga get cooked low and slow in a bathtub of butter 'til they are tender and caramelized before being tucked into the peppers with capers, garlic, Parmesan and goat cheese. 

Edited June 2, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

[liuzhou]

This is possibly probably the fastest lunch I know of. Live protein readied to entertain my mouth in less than 5 minutes, including prep*, cooking and plating.

 

 

Garlic Prawns with Capellini.

 

The pasta takes three minutes, so I start that off, then mince one head of single-headed garlic which I add to a wok with olive oil, salt and chilli flakes. When it comes to a sizzle (almost immediately) add prawns** and stir. If it looks like catching at all, a sprinkling of water (from the pasta pot) is enough to prevent it burning.

At three minutes, drain pasta and add to prawns. Make sure all prawns are cooked through and pink. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve. Eat.,

 

* except shopping, of course 

**I threw on a wok lid at this point as the prawns were still alive and felt there were better places to spend a Saturday afternoon than in a red hot wok, so attempted to jump back out. They soon surrendered.

[suzilightning]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 1:54 PM, Anna N said:

Oh wow. Thank you. That is very helpful. I will be heading north at the end of the month and I'm collecting suitable recipes for when I have time on my hands.  That's an inside joke since I almost always have time on my hands.

 

Ohhhhh.... a Manitou visit?!!!

 

That cauliflower cake is really calling to me.  Maybe minced, oil cured black olives in the mix?  will have to ponder this.

[Anna N]

 

 Though I stood on the shoulders of giants, this was strictly my own concoction.  It was based on what I wanted to eat, what I wanted to cook, how I want to cook it and what ingredients were available.  (And my guilt about hardly ever using my Cuisinart Griddler that I couldn't possibly live without.) 

[Tri2Cook]

On ‎2017‎-‎06‎-‎02 at 4:09 AM, Anna N said:

That cauliflower cake looks quite amazing.  What did you think of it? 

I was thinking the same thing about that salad. 

Lunch today was an experiment in seeing how well neighbors get along. Took a piece of leftover Nashville hot chicken from last night's dinner and put it on a slider bun that had been well soaked with North Carolina style bbq sauce. If that sandwich is any proof, Tennessee and North Carolina get along very well indeed. I think that chicken might be even better today cold than it was last night hot.

[HungryChris]

Homemade smoked salmon spread on toast with shaved onions and pickled asparagus.

HC

[BonVivant]

Last day of Pentecost long weekend here.

 

 

Asparagus with Speck and eggs.

 

Mince is removed from casing of lamb merguez.

 

Puréed chickpeas with some  crème fraîche.

 

Millet salad with merguez. Leftover chickpea purée now has beetroot added to it.

 

Cream (stabilised with gelatin) and SV rhubarb. Garnished with softened asparagus tips. The rest of the asparagus was warmed together with the cream. This thing contains no sugar, btw.

 

I don't have a sweet tooth...

 

But an ultra rich and creamy one.

Edited June 5, 2017 by BonVivant (log)

[Kim Shook]

Cheese toast w/ a friend's black fig preserves and cherries:

[Anna N]

[blue_dolphin]

Rice salad with nuts & sour cherries from Ottolenghi's Plenty More and yogurt flatbread from Plenty.

I added some fresh sweet cherries to the dried sour cherries called for in the recipe and enjoyed the combination.  The flatbreads were very quick and easy and I look forward to trying them with different additions.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Lunch at Esmeralda Grill was the lunch special 3 taco plate for $4.99. My first time trying the tacos so I tried 3 different meats: carne asada de res, carnitas and cachete de res. All were good, but I preferred the beef cheek one. This was served with chips and salsa, and this time I forgot to bring my minced jalapenos to add to the salsa for some heat. I was saved by the salsa verde served on the side with the tacos which had a subtle heat from serranos in a tomatillo base. Housemade tortillas are killer here and served so hot you can't touch without burning yourself at first. 

[HungryChris]

Bruschetta toasties with salami and provolone cheese.

HC

 

[blue_dolphin]

An adaptation of the Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce from Ottolenghi's Plenty.  

I'm sure the polenta in the recipe made from fresh sweet corn would have been lovely but I was wanting something a little more sturdy and channeling fond memories of the grits from Deep Run Roots so I cooked up a batch of the Foolproof Grits from that cookbook and put them into the oven for a bit as in the "pimped grits" recipes, then topped them with the eggplant sauce.  I thought it needed a little acid, so I added a few drops of sherry vinegar. When we get more local corn, I may try the book version. For today's June Gloom weather, this hit the spot!

[chefmd]

4 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

An adaptation of the Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce from Ottolenghi's Plenty.  

I'm sure the polenta in the recipe made from fresh sweet corn would have been lovely but I was wanting something a little more sturdy and channeling fond memories of the grits from Deep Run Roots so I cooked up a batch of the Foolproof Grits from that cookbook and put them into the oven for a bit as in the "pimped grits" recipes, then topped them with the eggplant sauce.  I thought it needed a little acid, so I added a few drops of sherry vinegar. When we get more local corn, I may try the book version. For today's June Gloom weather, this hit the spot!

Your cast iron skillet is lovely.  It looks old and well seasoned.

[blue_dolphin]

16 minutes ago, chefmd said:

Your cast iron skillet is lovely.  It looks old and well seasoned.

Yep.  A thrift store find.  Great for a single serving.  I use it a ton! 

[blue_dolphin]

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce from Ottolenghi's Plenty with leftover Rice Salad with Nuts & Sour Cherries from Plenty More.

If you've seen the US edition of Plenty, which features this dish on the cover, you know the eggplant is garnished with pomegranate arils.  The other day someone asked for a good substitute due to allergies and, for this time of year, I suggested chopped, fresh cherries for a similar sweet/tart/juicy punch.  I happened to have half an eggplant on hand, loads of cherries and the oven on for something else so I decided to take my own advice and try it.  I really enjoyed this eggplant dish. It may not be the best thing I ever ate but the effort required is almost nil so the payback is all profit!

And the rice salad held up very well for leftovers.  The fresh cherries aren't part of that dish either but I like them. 

[HungryChris]

Salami grinder.

HC

[sartoric]

A cup of chai and still warm from the oven flourless orange cake, with double cream of course.

[liuzhou]

A largely liquid farewell lunch today, saying goodbye to a friend who is leaving China to return to his native Australia. Nothing better to accompany a beer or seven than a nice plate of spicy, stewed river snails - a local speciality.

 

 

 

The snails are stewed with chilli, garlic, ginger, pickled bamboo shoot (another local delicacy) and various mystery roots and herbs. Good stuff.