My ruminations on my life, my family, cooking, baking, and whatever else comes to mind
One of Emma’s many nicknames is “Emma-chicken.” I’m not quite sure how that came about originally, but tonight, she sure was doing a great job imitating a brooding hen. She nudged the pillows in to the corner of the couch then hopped up, wedged herself in the corner, and started dozing. The long morning walk and trip to the pet store must have tired her. Very cute 🙂
We needed to use up a couple leftover hot dog buns from dinner the other night, so I melted a tablespoon and a half of butter, added a couple cloves of pressed garlic and a few generous pinches of oregano and parsley, spread the mixture over the buns, and popped them in the toaster oven for about 6 minutes. Nearly instant edible-ish garlic bread. Certainly not as good as made with a crusty loaf of Italian or even better homemade garlic focaccia, but for punting, using up some leftovers, and tapping into my inner white trash 😛 , not half bad.
Tonight we tried Garlic Jim’s Pizza in Mukilteo. We had a coupon for 30% off our first online order, so we got a Hercules, some garlic bread sticks, and some garlic wings. This was a definite win! A lot of the pizza places out here go way too heavy on the cheese and have mediocre toppings. This was an excellent crust, a good sauce, though there could have been more of it, light on the cheese, and full of great toppings. The garlic bread sticks were flavorful and came with garlic butter and pizza sauce to dip. The wings were very tasty as well – lightly breaded and baked. We’ll definitely order from these guys again! They do have multiple locations in several states, so check ’em out.
These are a decent side dish – easy and flavorful. The inspiration for these came from Shaun describing “smashfries” from a place called Smashburger in Grand Junction. Mine are a sort of thin steak fry, and I’ve gone the oven route for ease and saving of some calories 🙂 The method is partially borrowed from Cooks Illustrated via RecipeZaar, and partially from this recipe at Jenn’s Bread+Butter. I’d definitely go with olive oil next time, but I somehow seem to be out 😛 They just didn’t quite crisp up the way we’d like either, so I might have to try real frying.
(Yes, that’s a hot dog in the back. Yes, we are 7. Don’t mind us 🙂 )
Rosemary Garlic Oven Fries
Serves 4
2 lb russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp rosemary
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Move a rack to the lowest part of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 8 or so lengthwise slices. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and fill with very hot tap water. Let the potatoes soak for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and spread them out in a single layer on paper towels. Pat completely dry. Dry out the soaking bowl and add the olive oil, kosher salt, rosemary, and garlic to the bowl and stir to combine. Add the potatoes and toss to coat well.
Spread the potatoes out in an even single layer on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cover tightly with foil and move the pan to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms of the potatoes are starting to turn golden brown in spots. Turn the potatoes over using tongs or a spatula and return the pan to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are all golden brown and developing a crispy crust. If desired, put under the broiler for 2 minutes on each side to brown well. Serve hot.
This is a take on a classic Mexican pork dish – the pork is first braised slowly for hours, then shredded or chunked and baked or pan fried until the exterior is crisp. We had pulled pork sandwiches Sunday night, and I set aside half of the meat from the shoulder roast without any barbecue sauce to be used tonight. So, my method of root beer crockpot braising is far from traditional, but the results were still tasty, and actually pretty authentic – it compared quite well with a great version I had in Old Town in San Diego 😛
Carnitas
Serves 4
1 lb leftover shredded pork
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I used the juice from one clementine)
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the pork with the remaining ingredients and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve with tortillas, refried beans, and guacamole.
Saturday we had waffles for dinner – pathetically easy bisquick waffles, which I enhanced with some corn. I ended up with a couple cans of corn a few months ago from someone else’s groceries that ended up in my bag, and this was a good use for one of the cans. I just sprinkled about a tablespoon into each dollop of batter on the waffle iron. My mother introduced me to corn in waffles way back when, and I’ve liked it ever since.
Sunday was pulled pork sandwiches, on ciabatta bread this time, which worked quite well. The flavor was well balanced and the nooks and crannies absorbed the sauce well.
I got this great recipe from Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen, and she found it in Noodles Every Day: Delicious Asian Recipes from Ramen to Rice Sticks
Broccoli Beef Noodle Stir Fry
Serves 4
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
10 oz beef sirloin, very thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 9-oz packages fresh stir fry noodles (usually found in the produce section)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1-1/4 cups beef broth
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a medium mixing bow whisk together 1 tbsp each of the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sake with the cornstarch and sesame oil. Add the beef and toss well to combine. Let marinate for 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles as directed on the package, draining them about one minute early. Run cold water over the noodles to stop any further cooking and drain well. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds. Add the beef in a single layer and let cook for 1 minute, then stir fry for another 2 minutes or until just cooked through and nicely browned. Remove the beef to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Add the other 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the wok and heat for a few seconds. Add the broccoli and stir to coat. Add 1/4 cup of the beef broth and cover the wok with a tight lid. Let the broccoli steam until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli to the bowl with the beef and cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining 1 cup of beef broth and the remaining 2 tbsp each of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sake to the work and whisk to combine as it comes to a boil. Add the noodles and toss to coat well. Cook until most of the liquid is boiled away, about 1-2 minutes. Return the beef and broccoli to the skillet, season with pepper, and toss to combine.
Serve hot.
I saw these huge loofa dogs at Walgreens the other day on a big sale, and had to get one. Emma wasn’t sure what to think at first, since it’s about a long as she is, and first she just grappled it, but she soon got to playing with it and has since disemboweled it, removing one of the squeakers. She has yet to remove the other squeaker in the nose, but I’m sure it’s a matter of time 🙂
A day late and a dollar short, but here’s some jambalaya in celebration of Mardi Gras. I suppose it’s Mercredi Gras for us 😛 I got the inspiration for this version from this recipe (originally from Cooking Light, April 2005). I tweaked my version to complete the Cajun trinity of onion, pepper, and celery, changed the liquids slightly, upped the hot sauce a bit, and included a little more shrimp, based on what I had on hand. All in all a tasty dinner, but not that different from my paella, and I’d like there to be more of a distinction. I think next time I’ll add more hot sauce and a bit of cayenne to up the spiciness, and add some more of the other spices as well.
Jambalaya
Serves 4 generously
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (1 medium small pepper)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 large stalks)
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
6 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 can low sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1 cup water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
10 oz peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, pepper, celery, and sausage, and saute for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the rice, paprika, pepper, oregano, thyme, and salt, and stir to combine. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes. Add the bay leaf, broth, water, tomatoes, tomato paste, and hot sauce and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan, and reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Stir in the shrimp and recover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
This is an easy and warming meal for a misty evening. Shaun’s away this weekend, so I can use a little dairy in some of my cooking if I feel like it. This Russian dish is often made with thin strips of beef, but ground beef is what I had on hand, and it works well here.
Beef Stroganoff
Serves 4
½ tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground beef (I use 85% lean)
1/8 tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp black pepper
8-10 oz crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsp flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
12 oz wide egg noodles or any other bite-sized pasta
Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. Add the noodles and boil them to al dente.
While the water comes to a boil and the noodles cook, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds or until it just starts to get golden. Add the ground beef and brown with the spices and herbs. Stir in the flour, making sure that it is completely coated in the oil. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir to combine. Add the beef broth and stir until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to finish cooking the mushrooms and to thicken the sauce and reduce it by about one third. Turn off the heat.
Drain the pasta and transfer it to a serving dish. Stir the sour cream into the beef mixture, incorporating completely. Serve immediately over the noodles.
