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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)