Journal

2012 - Week 44 Cooking Results

Roasted (or sautéed) Chicken Thighs with roasted potatoes

Delicious Foxhollow chicken, some local parsnips and some potatoes.  Just a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil on everything, roasted the chicken over the potatoes and parsnips.  Simple prep and then put it in the oven then kind of nap, made for a great meal.

Spicy Carrot Sandwiches  (p26 Food & Wine March 2012) (Rainbow Carrots)

Good stuffs.

Italian Sausage, green peppers, onion and tomato pasta.

I had some leftover mozzarella, but I forgot to put it in there.  This turned out pretty well, and was easy to make after a long day.  Could've used a bit more spice, but I added a bit after the fact and that was fine to.  It was really good when I diced up the mozzarella after the fact and put it on there.

Sautéed peppers, pancetta, chèvre on La Mie multi-grain wheat

So this was a thought that I had while I was till trying to wake up on a fine Farmer's market morning.  So in looking at the chèvre from Reichert's and I thought hey the peppers from Blue Gate and the chèvre then I thought of the onion in my bag.  This time around it was green peppers from Cleverly Farms.  So here's how it works:

3 oz La Quercia Pancetta Americana
1/2 small onion, petite diced
2 small (1 medium) green pepper, petite diced
4 slices of really good multi-grain bread (La Mie)
3-4 oz package of plain chèvre (I used Reichert's which is milder then most you can buy).

Cook the pancetta in a non-stick pan over medium to medium low until starting to crisp.  Set aside on paper towels.

Take the onion and green pepper petite dice and cook them in the rendered fat.  Stir occasionally for 7-15 minutes, until soft and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, toast the bread, and spread the bottom piece with the plain chèvre.

Top the chèvre on the toast with half of the onion and pepper mixture, make sure each gets a bit of that rendered fat.  Top the peppers and onions with the Pancetta and the top slice of toasted bread.  Serve immediately.  (there may be extra pancetta for eating, but that's not a bad thing)

Crooked Gap Bratwurst burgers

nom nom nom.

Quail egg topped burger

So grass fed ground beef was on sale, so we headed out there to get some, picked up a few other things.  And I thought hey, what better way to make a burger.  I hadn't originally intended to put bacon on there, but the visit to the Cheese Shop I thought, why not get some La Quercia Tamworth Cured Bacon?  The combination turned out great.  I topped mine with some of the last of the year greens from Cleverly Farms and some Dijon mustard.  There was a party in my mouth.

2012 - Week 44 Cooking

  • Roasted (or sautéed) Chicken Thighs with roasted potatoes
  • Spicy Carrot Sandwiches  (p26 Food & Wine March 2012) (Rainbow Carrots)
  • Italian Sausage, green peppers, onion and tomato pasta.
  • Sautéed peppers, pancetta, chèvre on La Mie multi-grain wheat
  • Crooked Gap Bratwurst burgers
  • Quail egg topped burger

2012 - Week 43 Cooking Results

Spicy Carrot Sandwiches (p26 Food & Wine March 2012) (Rainbow Carrots)

Good again...such a nice simple vegetarian meal.

Green Onion Sausage Pizza

I was really looking forward to this, the Crooked Gap green onion sausage is one of my favorites and makes for such a good pizza.  A little Cheese Shop Mozzarella and some 24 month aged parmesan ..nom nom nom.

Pork Burgers

Made for a good quick meal.  Crooked Gap pork.

Roasted (or sautéed) Chicken Thighs with roasted potatoes

Being that I've been so busy for the 12 of the last 14 days, we decided to go out instead, We went to see a movie and have dinner after.  It was nice to spend a good amount of time with my wife without having to work about 20,000+ peoples insurance.

Sautéed peppers, pancetta, chèvre on La Mie multi-grain wheat

This got translated a bit, I didn't have enough pancetta, so I use some other bacon, but it still made for a pretty good sandwich   Long sautéed peppers and onions (in the pancetta and bacon fat), on top of some plain chèvre, on the other side, some dijon mustard, some Crooked Gap bacon, and some La Quercia pancetta.  I'd like to try this again, but this time, have enough pancetta and put some arugula in there.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Corn, Pineapple and Red Pepper

I love pineapple, it was a nice combination of flavor, a nice way to make a simple sauce, and it tured out very well.

2012 - Week 43 Cooking

Workity workity work work.  At 6 days in a row now, will be a​t 7 here shortly (after grocery shopping), going for simple and speedy...well mostly speedy.

2012 - Week 42 Cooking Results

Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

So the intent was to make this for the Mattas, but that didn't happen, so we had it for dinner.  It turned out pretty good.  nice texture, filling and delicious.  I used Spanish chorizo​, since I couldn't find the other (three store visits).  Didn't take that long to make either.

Jalapeño and Cheddar Frittata

A little sour cream, a bit of cheddar and a diced jalapeño went in the eggs (or on top of) and then cooked then broiled a bit.  Turned out pretty well, certainly quick.

Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Get chicken, shred chicken, cook chicken with some jalapeño powder and a bit of the table sauce from Juan O'Sullivans​, dice other things to put in it, Tada!, dinner in 30 minutes or less.  Good, and quick.

Lamb Sausage Pizza

So I made the dough on Thursday, because I was just spent on Wednesday and couldn't bring myself to do it.  So we had this last night.  I added some onions, the sauce didn't get to runny (followed my adjusted recipe rather then messing around)​, crust maintained it's crisp external side and tender inside.  Topped with a bit of sliced onion too (had a bit left in the fridge).  Definitely hit the spot.

Kung Pao Chicken (RC Cook's Country August / September 2012)

The sauce didn't get to the red level one would expect, though what you see from the stores, is kind of a unnaturally red color.  It tasted pretty good, served over jasmine rice (mix of brown and white).​

Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli (RC Cook's Country August / September 2012)

I forgot to buy broccoli. Yes, it's even in the title and I couldn't bring myself to ad it to the list.  So I picked it up a couple of days after.  I turned out pretty well, and it wasn't just mee finishing off the 1/2 cup removed bottle of wine (though that sure didn't hurt).  May have taken a bit longer then I intended, but most everything dones, when I don't start cooking before 6:30.​

2012 - Week 42 Cooking

Being busy continues, ​I've left work at around the time I should twice this past week (once to make dinner for the Mattas, once to pick up something before the place closed), which is better then the week before.  I missed out on the farmer's market.  I was there a little after 7, to find out that the opening was delayed.  Because I went to T's swim meet later, I couldn't make it work to make it back.  So I headed over to La Mie instead and brought home some pastries for the people as they woke up.

  • ​Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
  • Jalapeño and Cheddar Frittata​
  • Rotisserie Chicken Tacos​
  • Lamb Sausage Pizza​
  • Kung Pao Chicken (RC Cook's Country August / September 2012)​
  • Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli (RC Cook's Country August / September 2012)​

2012 - Week 41 Cooking Results

Sloppy Sammys

So these come together quickly, i really like them, I always make them with more mustard then one might expect (I've been known to eat mustard by the spoonful)​.  I used some local beef, it turned out like it normally does, different every time but usually good.

Creamy Tomato Soup​ with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I had forgotten what time we need to get down to the Civic Center​ to see Les Miserables (excellent), so I was finishing this off, and then got the reminder that we needed to go.  So we had to wolf it down.  grilled cheese and tomato soup is one of those slow lingering meals you want to have.  You want to be able to enjoy the interaction between the slowly cooling soup, the melted cheese and slightly crusted bread, and how all that combined together makes this magical flavor combination.

I used a combination of Meadow Creek's Grayson and Caroline Hostettler​'s Sharfe Maxx as was suggested to me by the fine folks at the Cheese Shop recommended.  It turned out well, melted well, had a nice texture and a little bit of the good cheese funk (more on the nose then in the flavor).  Made on some La Mie crusty multi-grain bread, i turned out wonderfully.  We actually had this again later in the week (though not on the La Mie bread).

Baked Potatoes

So I caught some flack when asked what I was making baked potatoes.  Even when I said hey, they're from Grade A Gardens, something so simple and delicious as a baked potato.  I guess I'm impressionable, so I gave options for a sort of baked potato bar.  Bacon?  La Quercia of course.  Sour Cream, yes, cheese?  Some Cheese?  How about some Prairie Breeze from Milton Creamery.  Want some other thing?  How about some of the leftover Sloppy Sammy stuff.  Does that then make it a Meal?  Anyways, I like baked potatoes, these turned out well.  I had them in the oven and cooking at a lower temperature (350° for an 75 to 85 minutes).  I'd like to do a side by side comparison between the two methods (400° for 60 minutes), but I'd need two ovens...

Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

Was going to make this for the Mattas Last night, but after getting out of T's swim meet and heading over to Bandit Burrito​ for a late lunch, by the time we got home it was 3.  We got ready to go to see Bill Maher at the Civic Center, they headed out to go see Frankenweenie.  So I may make it for lunch for them today, if it works out, if not, dinner tonight.

Roasted Squash (olive oil, salt and pepper)

I got home after leaving work 6:30 and stopping to pick up a few things​.  I was worried I wouldn't have enough time to roast the squash   So I peeled it...or tried to, then started to just cut the skin off with my chef's knife.  The wavy skin on the squash (I don't remember what it's called, but it was from Cleverley Farms).  I had large diced pieces, cooked them a bit w/ at tiny amount of water, then Italian sausage, then a bit of ricotta.  Then added in some pasta and a bit of parmesan   It worked out well.  The squash was tender but still had a bit of a bite to it, and absorbed a bit of the sausage and ricotta goodness.  Made for a quick good dinner.  The only drawback here is that when I had it as a leftover the next day, in the microwave being reheated, the squash became a little to soft, but as a reheated leftover, what do you expect?

Shepherd's Pie​ (visit from Mattas)

Note to self, T doesn't like things that may or may not have what could be perceived as gravy in it.​  Be that as it may, this still turned very well.  With the chilly weather, it fit.  I served it with some La Mie bread, and 5/6 people were happy with the meal.

2012 - Week 40 Cooking Results

Spicy Carrot Sandwiches  (p26 Food & Wine March 2012) with Hummus

​Once again, very good.  Such a nice combination of flavors.

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans, Greens & Sage (via Cleverley Farms via Eggs on Sunday)

So this was suggested by the fine folks at Cleverley Farms​.  And I thought, hey why not, we'll expand our vegetable choices.  So a little bit of prep, a little roasting and then putting it together.  They came out of the oven all nice and warm and not overly impressive.  However, combining the savory parmesan and breadcrumb top, with the mild bitterness of spinach, a bit of creaminess from the beans, and the slightly sweet, soft flesh of the delicata squash.

It was very good.​

Chive Chèvre Frittata

Eggs, some of Lois's Chèvre , a little bit of milk, salt and pepper, and it was done.  Certainly the easy meal that I was talking about.  It turned out well.  It didn't hurt that I used La Quercia applewood smoked Iowa White spread.

Baked Penne with Sausage and Creamy Ricotta

I was a bit distracted while making that.  Having polite conversation with a guy I had never met before about me going back to church (I don't find value there).  He had apparently stopped by the night before, and I didn't bother to go upstairs to answer the door (my brother did)​.  So even though it came out tasting pretty good, I wasn't happy with how it looked, thus no picture.

Grant's Mac & Cheese

So I was thinking this would be a normal Mac & Cheese with some bacon in it I suppose, but as I started to follow the recipe,  I kept thinking, hey how am I going to make a roux with this.​

The roux was made with the rendered bacon fat (and a bit of butter).​

Which really explains as to why it was as simple as it can be yet still have such flavors.  Not only bacon by the La Quercia Tamworth Bacon​, which I affectionately call dream bacon (it tends to give me very vivid dreams, Shannon has had them just once).  So after working to get it into the oven, and resisting the temptation to add breadcrumbs, it tasted good, very good.  The only issue here is that I was uncertain how to know if I would've added enough salt.  Clearly the amount of salt in bacon varies, and that's probably why they don't suggest the right amount, but this did, in the end, need a little bit of salt, I think (I didn't add any).  Luckily you can add salt after the fact.

Not good for you, but damn, it's good.​

2012 - Week 40 Cooking

​So I am going to have to simple down a bit here.  I've been leaving work later and later, which pushes dinner back later and later, which is a problem.  I only imagine it'll get worse before it starts to get better.

I reserved my turkey for thanksgiving.  I went a bit smaller then I have in the past, because, due to a decision outside of me, I will probably have less guests this year.  There ​is not much I can do with it, I was looking forward to cooking for my mom, and having my brother living down here, close enough that it wouldn't be such a challenge to do some cooking over there too.  Oh well, I think I'll be us an my wife's family.  I'm going to reduce some choices, and not push their tastes to much (though I stand by the Cornbread and Guanciale Dressing, cured pork jowl or not, that was delicious).  I need to start trimming down what I make to be less wasteful.  I cleaned out the fridge this past week and what I threw away made me sad.