Diane's Menu 2/2/2011 - 2/10/2011

Diane's Menu 2/2/2011 - 2/10/2011


Tue - 2/2 - Sweet and Sour Pork Stew with Cherries and Pineapple
Wed - 2/3 - Ditalini and Peas
Thu - 2/4 - Red Curry Chicken over rice
Fri - 2/5 - Haddock Florentine over Lentils
Sat - 2/6 - Turkey Burgers
Sun - 2/7 - Pasta and Hot Sausage
Mon - 2/8 - Pizza
Tue - 2/9 - Beef Stew
Wed - 2/10 - Chicken Parm Wedges

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Diane's Menu 1/21/2011 - 2/1/2011

Diane's Menu 1/21/2011 - 2/1/2011


1/21 - Fri - Pasta
1/22 - Sat - Out for Birthday Dinner
1/23 - Sun - Red Curry Tilapia and String Beans
1/24 - Mon - Pizza
1/25 - Tue - Shrimp Cocktail, Peach Melba for dessert
1/26 - Wed - Beef Bourguinon a la Julia Child
1/27 - Thu - Green Chili Chicken, Broccoli
1/28 - Fri - Spanish Style Everything Rice (Rachael Ray)
1/29 - Sat - Apricot Chicken (Rachael Ray)
1/30 - Sun - Sinacore's
1/31 - Mon - Pizza
2/1 - Tue - Pork and Beans

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Today's breakfast was an experiment in spices

Today's breakfast was an experiment in spices. I filled my masala dabba (Indian spice tin) this morning and I was making my breakfast at the same time.

I heated 1 teaspoon of canola oil in a skillet. I added a heaping teaspoon of yellow mustard seeds and when they stopped popping I added a package of broccoli slaw, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon grated ginger. I stirred until it softened and then cracked 2 eggs right into the pan . Stirring to mix the eggs, I flattened it out to let it cook and crisp slightly on the bottom. I added 1 heaping teaspoon cilantro. Then stirred it in and served.

It is YUMMY!! And so healthy!

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Slow Cooker Peach Preserves

SLOW COOKER PEACH PRESERVES

8 cups sliced peaches, nectarines, plums or a combination
3 to 4 cups sugar (tart plums will demand the extra 1/2 to 1 cup)(Splenda works well)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons apple juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon) or
water


Drop the sliced fruit into the ceramic container of a slow cooker.

Mix the sugar, cinnamon and ginger in a small bowl. Toss with the fruit.
Drizzle the apple juice over the top. (We used lemon juice.)

Cook, covered, on low heat for 10 hours or until the jam passes one of the
doneness tests (see below). Alternatively, cook over low heat for 3 hours,
then increase the heat to high and cook 4 hours longer, or until the fruit
passes one of the doneness tests.

When cool, remove the fruit (use a slotted spoon if there is a lot of juice,
and reserve the juice) and puree in a blender or food processor. Add the
reserved juice, as desired. Alternatively, smash the fruit with a fork to
create a chunkier preserve.

Spoon the jam into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 1
to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year. Leave at least 1/2 inch of
head space when storing in the freezer.

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Red Thai Curry Haddock

Red Thai Haddock:

1 lb cubed, skinned, haddock
1 tbsp oil
1 onion thinly sliced
2 tomatoes diced (out of season, 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes works well)**
14 oz can coconut milk
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp Soy sauce
Pinch fresh basil & cilantro leaves
Salt & pepper

Heat the oil in large pan and add the onion - cook well until brown in color.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute then stir in the curry paste & coconut milk.
Bring to gentle simmer and add the fish, cook gently for 4 - 5 minutes until the fish is tender.

Stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, fresh herbs and season to taste.
Serve with jasmine rice.

** I used stewed tomatoes that already had basil in them and skipped the fresh basil.

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Red Thai Curry with Cauliflower

I love cauliflower. It is my very favorite vegetable. Unfortunately, my hubby doesn't like it at all. So, this is something that I make for myself for lunch sometimes when he isn't home. I have done it over tofu and shrimp as suggested and also over leftover shredded chicken. It is all wonderful!


Red Thai Curry with Cauliflower

This recipe is pretty fast…for a slow cooker. It only needs 2.5 hours, so you can set it in the afternoon for dinner, or start it in the morning and it’s ready for lunchtime. The leftovers are fabulous; heat up a container of this at work and everyone will be sniffing the air at lunchtime, asking “Mmmm, what is that?” In fact, I often make it just for leftovers, I’ll start it after work when I get home, (have something else for dinner) and before bed pack it up for the next few day’s lunches.


Red Thai Curry

If you’re not a tofu fan, don’t sweat it. Serve the curry over 1 pound of cooked shrimp instead for your protein. It is delicious either way. Sometimes I use both the tofu and the shrimp.

Notice in this recipe I used regular (not light) coconut milk, and kept the amount to 1/2 cup to keep the fat content moderate. If you choose to use light coconut milk, use 1 cup). I have no preference either way and find them equally enjoyable and creamy. :)

• 1 head cauliflower (6” diameter)
• 1 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup fresh basil, shredded
• Salt to taste (or 1 Tablespoon fish sauce)
• 1 pound extra firm tofu (or cooked shrimp)

1. Chop cauliflower into large florets and place in slow cooker. Add green beans, peas, onion, and ginger.
2. In a bowl, combine vegetable broth and curry paste, and stir until smooth. Pour over vegetables in slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Stir in the coconut milk and shredded basil, and season to taste with salt or fish sauce.
5. Cube the tofu and place into serving bowls. Ladle hot curry over tofu to serve.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 262 calories, 12 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 24 g total carbohydrate, 8 g dietary fiber, 17 g protein, 637 mg sodium.

Per serving (with shrimp instead): 263 calories, 8 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 218 mg cholesterol, 20 g total carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 29 g protein, 884 mg sodium.

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Persian Food?? What's next for me??

This is on my to try list. I love lamb, and I absolutely love cinnamon in savory dishes. It imparts a warm and comforting feeling on the tongue. And the fragrance when cooking is heavenly.

Adas Polow (Persian ground lamb, lentils and rice)


•1 cup small black lentils, green lentils, or
brown lentils -- I used black
•1 cup basmati rice
•1 lb ground lamb
•butter
•olive oil
•1 onion, chopped into small pieces or thin strips
•zest of 1 lemon
•1 cup dried fruit -- I am going to use dried apricots, they recommend raisins or dates
•cinnamon
•turmeric
•cardamom (ground)
•cumin (ground)
•saffron: 3/4 t dissolved in 1 cup hot water, plus 1 pinch dry
•water
•salt
•pepper
•yogurt (optional)
•flat-leaf parsley (optional)


Serves 4.


1. Soak rice and lentils separately in advance of cooking, preferably overnight. (I NEVER soak rice or lentils)


2. Cook lentils and rice separately until just barely done, about 15-20 minutes. Do not overcook. (I am cooking them together in my rice cooker.)


3. In a heavy-bottomed pot, preferably one that doesn’t stick terribly much, heat butter or oil. Add onion, lemon zest and a pinch of saffron. Cook until onion is clear and a little browned, adding some salt as you stir.


4. Add lamb, salt and pepper, and stir to break up chunks and mix the lamb with the onions well. Add some of the cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric. Let lamb brown, and then add a cup of water. Let the lamb and water cook together until the water has nearly evaporated. Remove lamb mixture and set aside.


5. Mix about half a cup of the cooked rice with a tablespoon of the saffron water, a tablespoon of olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of yogurt. Spread this mixture on the bottom of the heavy bottomed pot. Add the other ingredients in layers: a layer of lentils, then of dried fruit, then of lamb, and so forth. While adding lentil- and lamb-layers, sprinkle in more salt, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cardamom. Your top layer should be rice. When you have reached this layer, pour the remainder of the saffron water over the rice.


6. Cook the contents of this pot together for about 15 minutes. You can avoid stirring and intentionally get a browned layer on the bottom, and try to leave the dish in layers, or you can do what I did: let it cook in layers for a few minutes and then stir it all together. If you stir it together, add in more salt or spices if needed. I also stirred in a few tablespoons of butter and a few spoonfuls of yogurt.


Serve with yogurt and chopped parsley.

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Bottom of the Jar Cooking

I have posted about using up the bottom of jelly and mustard jars before. Today I used up the bottom of a mayonnaise jar. I made a vinaigrette very similar to my Risingwoods dressing and left out the oil. I poured some into the nearly empty mayonnaise jar, attached the lid and shook to remove all the residue of the mayonnaise from the bottom of the jar.

Voilà!! Perfect dressing for the shredded cabbage to make a slaw for dinner.

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Testing Cookbooks

There is a niche that the Food Network has missed and that the new OWN Network has filled. Cooking is great; eating is great; but how do you know if the cookbook that you are drooling over is worth it.

Anna and Kristina can help you. The show is called Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag. On a regular basis they choose a cookbook and test quite a variety of recipes from it. So far they have chosen Julia Child's Art of French Cooking, Jamie Oliver's At Home and a Betty Crocker tome.

The girls are not cooks. By that I mean that they are less capable than most home cooks. Their inability to understand measurements (Yesterday, they couldn't figure out what a pint was) really irritates me. However, they do a great job judging the cookbooks. One could easily watch the show and decide if the cookbook would suit their tastes and their abilities.

I highly recommend this show.

*****

Diane's Menu 1/14/2011 - 1/20/2011

Diane's Menu 1/14 2011 - 1/20/2011


Fri - 1/14 - Lentils with Lamb Sausage
Sat - 1/15 - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Penne
Sun - 1/16 - BBQ Pork Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Broccoli Slaw
Mon - 1/17 - Pizza
Tue - 1/18 - Chicken Fried Rice, Hot and Sour Soup
Wed - 1/19 - Chili
Thu - 1/20 - Pork Roast over spiced braised Red Cabbage

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Diane's Menu 1/4/2010 -

Diane's Menu 1/4/2010 -

TUE 1/4 - Hawaiian Pork Chops, Sweet and Sour Carrots
WED 1/5 - Apple Cider Pork Roast, German Hot Potato Salad
THU 1/6 - Pasta Carbonara and Peas
FRI 1/7 - Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
SAT 1/8 - Chicken Parmigiana
SUN 1/9 - BBQ Pork, Slaw
MON 1/10 - Pizza
TUE 1/11 - Fish Sandwich, Slaw
WED 1/12 - Twice Stuffed Baked Potatoes with BBQ Pork and Cheese
THU 1/13 - Spinach Ravioli Lasagna

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