Well, it isn't snowing in Houston. BUT, for fear of ice/snow on the roads, my office announced yesterday that they would close today. Houston drivers just can't cope with ice on the roads; it's a safety hazard.
So, last night after work I popped into The Fresh Market in anticipation of making tortilla soup on my snow day. I used my app for Eat Your Books to find a recipe and get the ingredient list for shopping. I found a recipe from a cookbook I haven't used in years -- Tortillas: El Paso Chile Company by W. Park Kerr. This cookbook was published in 1996! I've probably had it that long. It feels great to pull it off the shelf.
My Tortilla Soup: What attracted me to this recipe is its use of canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I happen to already have a half-used can in the fridge (from last week's Shredded Pork Soft Tacos), and LOVE the flavor from these dried chiles in the thick savory sauce. Oftentimes with a recipe like this, I cheat and buy a grocery-store-roasted chicken. But since I knew I'd be home on a cold winter day, I picked up the recommended chicken pieces to slow cook the chicken in stock. This always improves the flavors, but sometimes short-cuts are equally important. Bottom line: This was a solid tortilla soup and really hit the spot on a cold day. It was spicy, but not over the top. I'll probably seek out the same recipe next time I get the craving.
Looking toward the rest of the week, my Wednesday bushel from Farmhouse Delivery is supposed to include red cabbage, carrots, beets, spinach, mushrooms and a few other goodies. I'll steam the spinach and probably saute the mushrooms for easy side dishes. Pickled beets can practically be done in my sleep. I still have a little Sweet-and-Sour Coleslaw, made with red cabbage, left over from the weekend. So, I probably need to find something for cooked red cabbage to change things up.
With a check of Eat Your Books, I found a recipe for Baked Red Cabbage with Apples and Bacon from Vegetables Revised, by James Peterson. His cookbooks are very detailed with lots of step-by-step photography. I also have his books Cooking and Meat. Maybe I need to spend a couple days cooking from Peterson's books!
Tuesday, January 28
Pan fried
I was sick for a couple weeks, but am finally pulling out of it. Whew!
This week I made some quick and easy meals out of Keepers again.
Chicken Milanese Topped with Fennel Salad -- I made Chicken Milanese, but skipped the fennel salad since I didn't have any fennel in the house. On the side I made Mashed Sweet Potatoes (from Perfect Vegetables by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine) and some crisp snow peas. The chicken turned out great. Moist and tasty. The sweet potatoes were super easy and very good. I can't believe I've never made mashed sweet potatoes before, but I usually roast them. The only problem was the plate was too orange/brown with both the sweet potatoes and the breaded chicken. Thank goodness for the green snow peas. They also gave a healthy note to the otherwise heavy plate of food. I'm sure the fennel salad on top of the chicken would be perfect. I'm flagging this recipe for the next time I have fennel from my Farmhouse Delivery.
Fish Fingers with Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce -- Last night we had Fish Fingers with Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce from Keepers, and a side of sliced tomato and avocado. I used thick strips of cod and it turned out perfectly cooked. The dipping sauce was good and light. Eric liked it more than I did, but it was good. The sauce also worked well with the tomato and avocado.
Bottom line: I'll definitely make all three of these recipes again --- but I wouldn't combine the chicken Milanese and sweet potatoes. The two pan fried dishes from Keepers are actually quite different in taste and texture, with the use of breadcrumbs for the chicken and the lighter, flaky-er panko crumbs for the fish.
Last weekend I also made a couple tried-and-true favorites. That's the best when recovering from a cold.
Shredded Pork Soft Tacos -- This is from Pressure Cooker Perfection by America's Test Kitchen Editors. I've made this a few times and it's excellent. The best part is it only takes 25 minutes in the pressure cooker, but tastes like you've been cooking it all day. Great flavor from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and a whole orange cut in half. I almost always pair it with coleslaw and pickled radishes. And you have to have some lime squeezed on top.
Sweet-and-Sour Coleslaw -- This is my favorite recipe for coleslaw. It comes from The Best Recipe by (you guessed it) Cook's Illustrated Magazine. It's a no-mayo version. A little sugar, vinegar and oil, along with some salt, pepper and celery seed. This weekend I had a head of red cabbage from Farmhouse Delivery, so I used that. I also threw in a little carrot and a couple shredded radishes... just because. It's very crisp and light, and pairs perfectly with the rich pork tacos. Yum.
This week I made some quick and easy meals out of Keepers again.
Chicken Milanese Topped with Fennel Salad -- I made Chicken Milanese, but skipped the fennel salad since I didn't have any fennel in the house. On the side I made Mashed Sweet Potatoes (from Perfect Vegetables by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine) and some crisp snow peas. The chicken turned out great. Moist and tasty. The sweet potatoes were super easy and very good. I can't believe I've never made mashed sweet potatoes before, but I usually roast them. The only problem was the plate was too orange/brown with both the sweet potatoes and the breaded chicken. Thank goodness for the green snow peas. They also gave a healthy note to the otherwise heavy plate of food. I'm sure the fennel salad on top of the chicken would be perfect. I'm flagging this recipe for the next time I have fennel from my Farmhouse Delivery.
Fish Fingers with Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce -- Last night we had Fish Fingers with Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce from Keepers, and a side of sliced tomato and avocado. I used thick strips of cod and it turned out perfectly cooked. The dipping sauce was good and light. Eric liked it more than I did, but it was good. The sauce also worked well with the tomato and avocado.
Bottom line: I'll definitely make all three of these recipes again --- but I wouldn't combine the chicken Milanese and sweet potatoes. The two pan fried dishes from Keepers are actually quite different in taste and texture, with the use of breadcrumbs for the chicken and the lighter, flaky-er panko crumbs for the fish.
Last weekend I also made a couple tried-and-true favorites. That's the best when recovering from a cold.
Shredded Pork Soft Tacos -- This is from Pressure Cooker Perfection by America's Test Kitchen Editors. I've made this a few times and it's excellent. The best part is it only takes 25 minutes in the pressure cooker, but tastes like you've been cooking it all day. Great flavor from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and a whole orange cut in half. I almost always pair it with coleslaw and pickled radishes. And you have to have some lime squeezed on top.
Sweet-and-Sour Coleslaw -- This is my favorite recipe for coleslaw. It comes from The Best Recipe by (you guessed it) Cook's Illustrated Magazine. It's a no-mayo version. A little sugar, vinegar and oil, along with some salt, pepper and celery seed. This weekend I had a head of red cabbage from Farmhouse Delivery, so I used that. I also threw in a little carrot and a couple shredded radishes... just because. It's very crisp and light, and pairs perfectly with the rich pork tacos. Yum.
Wednesday, January 15
Snow peas, root veggies & broccoli
So far this week I've made three dishes from Keepers by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion.
Paper-thin beef with snow peas -- This was great. I made it Monday night after a long work day. It took about 20 minutes of prep and cooking, including cooking the rice. Super easy; perfect for a weeknight. The beef was tender. Snow peas were crisp. Sauce was tasty. My husband Eric had seconds, and our cat, Damn Cat, loved the beef too! Bottom line: I'll definitely cook it again.
Chicken with root vegetable dinner in a pot -- This was average to mediocre. Just rather blah. It took longer to brown the chicken than the recipe suggested, although I'm sure that was user error on my part. I didn't realize the pot wasn't on the middle rack until half-way through cooking. I'm sure it would have browned faster had it been closer to the heating element. The chicken was moist and good, but didn't have a roasted flavor since the lid was on the pot for most of the cooking time. The leeks were good, but some of the veggies needed to cook a bit longer. I did substitute sweet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold. I also thought it was a bit too much thyme. Bottom line: I won't be fixing this one again.
Parmesan broccoli -- This side dish was very full of flavor with garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon. I don't think it even needed the Parmesan and will probably skip the cheese next time. Broccoli is my husband's favorite vegetable, so he loved it. I'm okay with broccoli, but it's not my fav. I'll choose spinach or green beans or brussel sprouts any day over broccoli. Nonetheless, this recipe was easy and full of pop. Bottom line: I'll make it again.
Overall, I like the cookbook Keepers. It's especially good for a young cook or parents cooking for kids. I enjoyed the approachable, friendly tone that Brennan and Campion applied. They offer lots of great tips for shopping, stocking the pantry and organizing the kitchen. They also offer reassurance -- like a tip with the Chicken with root vegetables recipe, "If you've never eaten leeks...". While some of this is very basic for an experienced cook, you can't beat the easy and flavorful dishes that are perfect for weeknight cooking. It's a very practical book.
Other recipes I want to try include: Fish fingers with lime-ginger dipping sauce, Miso-glazed salmon and Shrimp wonton soup.
Check out the full review from Susie Chang on her app, Cookbook Finder.
You can purchase Keepers on Amazon.
Paper-thin beef with snow peas -- This was great. I made it Monday night after a long work day. It took about 20 minutes of prep and cooking, including cooking the rice. Super easy; perfect for a weeknight. The beef was tender. Snow peas were crisp. Sauce was tasty. My husband Eric had seconds, and our cat, Damn Cat, loved the beef too! Bottom line: I'll definitely cook it again.
Chicken with root vegetable dinner in a pot -- This was average to mediocre. Just rather blah. It took longer to brown the chicken than the recipe suggested, although I'm sure that was user error on my part. I didn't realize the pot wasn't on the middle rack until half-way through cooking. I'm sure it would have browned faster had it been closer to the heating element. The chicken was moist and good, but didn't have a roasted flavor since the lid was on the pot for most of the cooking time. The leeks were good, but some of the veggies needed to cook a bit longer. I did substitute sweet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold. I also thought it was a bit too much thyme. Bottom line: I won't be fixing this one again.
Parmesan broccoli -- This side dish was very full of flavor with garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon. I don't think it even needed the Parmesan and will probably skip the cheese next time. Broccoli is my husband's favorite vegetable, so he loved it. I'm okay with broccoli, but it's not my fav. I'll choose spinach or green beans or brussel sprouts any day over broccoli. Nonetheless, this recipe was easy and full of pop. Bottom line: I'll make it again.
Overall, I like the cookbook Keepers. It's especially good for a young cook or parents cooking for kids. I enjoyed the approachable, friendly tone that Brennan and Campion applied. They offer lots of great tips for shopping, stocking the pantry and organizing the kitchen. They also offer reassurance -- like a tip with the Chicken with root vegetables recipe, "If you've never eaten leeks...". While some of this is very basic for an experienced cook, you can't beat the easy and flavorful dishes that are perfect for weeknight cooking. It's a very practical book.
Other recipes I want to try include: Fish fingers with lime-ginger dipping sauce, Miso-glazed salmon and Shrimp wonton soup.
Check out the full review from Susie Chang on her app, Cookbook Finder.
You can purchase Keepers on Amazon.
Sunday, January 12
Weeknight recipes from Keepers
It's Sunday, early afternoon. My husband, Eric, is out of the house and I need to get organized for the coming week. Right now in my fridge I've got snow peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, leeks and radishes. I also have butternut squash and sweet potatoes in the pantry. This past week was crazy-busy at work, and I'm behind in using my veggies from the last Farmhouse delivery.
One of my relatively new cookbooks is Keepers. It made Susie Chang's list of top 10 cookbooks for 2013. You can read more about the rating on her app. I've had it a couple months, but I've only cooked one recipe from it. I made the Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche when I was looking for broccoli recipes last month. It turned out very tasty. After a quick check on Eat Your Books for recipes with snow peas, my search revealed Paper-thin Beef with Snow Peas, from Keepers. I've already got everything I need for the recipe, except the flank steak. When I showed the photo to Eric this morning, he was immediately enthusiastic.
Thumbing through the book, I see a recipe for Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes. I have a ton of sweet potatoes in the pantry. I definitely need to use some of those sweet potatoes. But as I'm thinking about it, it's probably more important to find something for the fresh veggies in my fridge. So, back to the website Eat Your Books to focus my search. I'm limiting my search to just this book, for simplicity.
Chicken and Root Vegetable Dinner in a Pot sounds good. It uses carrots, leeks, and Yukon Gold potatoes (but I'll substitute sweet potatoes). Perfect. I'm also seeing recipes for Roasted Cauliflower Dressed Up and Parmesan Broccoli. Nothing revolutionary, but a slightly new twist on the usual preparation. As Chang writes in her review on her app, "...what these recipes may lack in newness, they make up for in shortcuts, tips, and sheer practicality." Nothing wrong with that.
My list for the grocery store is: flank steak, chicken parts, and another protein TBD, as well as a shallot, garlic and a small wedge of parmesan. It's a gorgeous sunny day outside, so just need to get my shoes on for a walk to Whole Foods.
Link:
Keepers
One of my relatively new cookbooks is Keepers. It made Susie Chang's list of top 10 cookbooks for 2013. You can read more about the rating on her app. I've had it a couple months, but I've only cooked one recipe from it. I made the Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche when I was looking for broccoli recipes last month. It turned out very tasty. After a quick check on Eat Your Books for recipes with snow peas, my search revealed Paper-thin Beef with Snow Peas, from Keepers. I've already got everything I need for the recipe, except the flank steak. When I showed the photo to Eric this morning, he was immediately enthusiastic.
Thumbing through the book, I see a recipe for Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes. I have a ton of sweet potatoes in the pantry. I definitely need to use some of those sweet potatoes. But as I'm thinking about it, it's probably more important to find something for the fresh veggies in my fridge. So, back to the website Eat Your Books to focus my search. I'm limiting my search to just this book, for simplicity.
Chicken and Root Vegetable Dinner in a Pot sounds good. It uses carrots, leeks, and Yukon Gold potatoes (but I'll substitute sweet potatoes). Perfect. I'm also seeing recipes for Roasted Cauliflower Dressed Up and Parmesan Broccoli. Nothing revolutionary, but a slightly new twist on the usual preparation. As Chang writes in her review on her app, "...what these recipes may lack in newness, they make up for in shortcuts, tips, and sheer practicality." Nothing wrong with that.
My list for the grocery store is: flank steak, chicken parts, and another protein TBD, as well as a shallot, garlic and a small wedge of parmesan. It's a gorgeous sunny day outside, so just need to get my shoes on for a walk to Whole Foods.
Link:
Keepers
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