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Soon-to-be Hurricane Helene will pass well offshore west of us here, though we'll see a good bit of wind and rain, and maybe short power outages, on Thursday as it moves past. Dad & I are well-prepared and alert but not worried, and we'll be fine. Dad may even be secretly hoping for a power outage as an excuse to crack open a can of doctor-forbidden Spam.Please be safe. Helene is no joke.
Our Florida restaurants are closed for the storm. Hoping everyone there stays safe.
Yes, indeed, I hope you stay safe. I know you know what you're doing, but I expect we will worry nonetheless. :)
Thanks for the well wishes. My immediately family and I came out fine from Helene, just a mild annoyance for us. So much devastation and death for so very many others though. There were a lot of coastal areas from Naples northward that got flooded, Punta Gorda was particularly bad. My brother & his wife's home far inland isn't far from the Caloosahatchee river, and the water rose over the banks, over their road, and crept up to the foundation of their house before it started to recede; they lost almost everything in their house from Hurricane Ian, so they were understandably a bit freaked out.
But this looks like the new normal. Milton is now teed up to hit us sometime Wednesday. We'll probably have a better estimate how bad on Monday as the forecast cone gets more precise from updated data. Ugh.
Nothing ambitious dinner-wise. Wednesday dinner was chicken noodle soup from a jar & grilled cheese, Thursday dinner was frozen pizza, and last night was beans & ham for Dad.
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Hope the storm passes you by without incident, Amby.
I made chicken and mushroom curry today, cooking the mushrooms using the method suggested by the very excellent thechefsmartypants on Instagram, namely, slice the mushrooms and put them in the frying pan without oil, salt them, then cook them until they start sizzling, and add a bit of extra water. Once that's gone, THEN add the oil. It really makes a (positive) difference to the taste and texture.
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Glad all is okay so far, Amby; praying all continues to go well for you and yours.
On the dinner front, I attempted to make aloo gobi (curried potato and cauliflower) according to a recent Cook's Illustrated recipe. It was... good, but not worth the hassle of trying again. Sauteed cubed potato, take out of pan, then cut cauliflower, take that out of pan, then saute onion, a halved chili pepper, garlic, ginger, whole cumin, turmeric, coriander, and some other spices that were supposed to be specific Indian spices I couldn't find so replaced with spicy paprika (for some extra pepperyness) and powdered garlic (and for a savory toasted allium flavor). Simmered with a small amount of water until cooked through (but turns out I undercooked slightly). Finished with parsley because I didn't have cilantro and lemon juice because I didn't have this other acidic flavoring the recipe called for (I should note all substitutions were what the recipe itself suggested). Served over rice.
It was good but a lot of steps and stages for something that was basically... fine. The annoying bit was sauteeing the potato and cauliflower first, and the point as I understand it was to get some color on the first before boiling. So if I were to try it again, or something similar, I'd actually roast the potato and cauliflower in a little oil and salt, let it build some color that way, and then while those were cooking I'd cook the aromatics and spices and then mix, simmering with a little broth to bring it together. I think it'd get more of a sear on the veg that way and be less likely to undercook.
Limeylongears, that's the method of cooking mushrooms and other things America's Test Kitchen has been recommending for several years (providing links for those grognards like me without Instagram accounts :) ). It does work a charm and I need to remember it more often (I've a terrible habit of forgetting and putting the oil in first). Cool to see the method is spreading across several channels.
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Dinner tonight (with planned-overs for the next few days, as regularly, as a spinster in her bedsit) was vegetarian (but with real/dairy cheese) nachos, with my favourite yuppie-hippie black/beluga lentils for the pulse/protein. In my neck of the woods, only organic grocers carry them, but they’re my favourite variety of lentil, so living down to my princess-iness it is. For the rest, though, it was just unremarkable taco seasoning from the supermarket, tinned tomatoes, and frozen mixed veg. Oh, and because I'm weird and not living with anyone to complain about it anymore, unsalted nacho chips - I'm really not a huge salt fan, and heart disease runs in my family, so reducing sodium is probably the right move anyway.
Once I make some time to figure out what I need for some proper recipes or to spice up prepared sauces, I have a vague plan of trying my hand at Caribbean pepperpot, and then browsing the local East Asian grocers for inspiration. On that note…
I’m sorry to hear you didn't find your aloo gobi particularly rewarding, DeathQuaker!
It sounds to me like the recipe you found was quite fussy, which I can easily imagine would make the whole thing more frustrating, and then served over rice… I mean, as a Ukrainian, I’m basically culturally and probably genetically predisposed to frankly unnecessary combinations of carbs, but still. When my family makes aloo gobi, we tend to just have it on its own, which may make it easier to balance the spices.
We also just cook everything in the same pot: fry a bit of cumin seeds in oil until they pop, stir in some cauliflower and potato to coat, add a bit of water, cook for ~7 min, add some peas and the rest of the spices, cover and cook over medium heat for ~ 5 min longer until everything’s tender, stirring occasionally. It’s not particularly thrilling, but the main reason I don’t make it more often is because I find it too easy to overdo the oil and make the stuff heavier than it needs to be.
Yes, indeed, I hope you stay safe. I know you know what you're doing, but I expect we will worry nonetheless. :)
Tried Trader Joe's bratwurst (nitrate free for the record)... just pan seared with onions, but super tasty. Work's been nuts so I've been trying to find quick and easy stuff that also has some vegetable and fiber content of some kind... also made some chicken & orzo soup earlier in the week (using the leftover tomatoes/peppers) that was remarkably tasty for just searing chicken and throwing vegetables, broth, pasta, and bouillon into a pot and seeing what would happen.
I'm thinking I may start shopping there more often. I pass by one on the way home from work every day just about and they are incredibly popular.
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Soon-to-be Hurricane Helene will pass well offshore west of us here, though we'll see a good bit of wind and rain, and maybe short power outages, on Thursday as it moves past. Dad & I are well-prepared and alert but not worried, and we'll be fine. Dad may even be secretly hoping for a power outage as an excuse to crack open a can of doctor-forbidden Spam.Please be safe. Helene is no joke.Our Florida restaurants are closed for the storm. Hoping everyone there stays safe.Yes, indeed, I hope you stay safe. I know you know what you're doing, but I expect we will worry nonetheless. :)Thanks for the well wishes. My immediately family and I came out fine from Helene, just a mild annoyance for us. So much devastation and death for so very many others though. There were a lot of coastal areas from Naples northward that got flooded, Punta Gorda was particularly bad. My brother & his wife's home far inland isn't far from the Caloosahatchee river, and the water rose over the banks, over their road, and crept up to the foundation of their house before it started to recede; they lost almost everything in their house from Hurricane Ian, so they were understandably a bit freaked out.
But this looks like the new normal. Milton is now teed up to hit us sometime Wednesday. We'll probably have a better estimate how bad on Monday as the forecast cone gets more precise from updated data. Ugh.
Nothing ambitious dinner-wise. Wednesday dinner was chicken noodle soup from a jar & grilled cheese, Thursday dinner was frozen pizza, and last night was beans & ham for Dad.
I'm glad you and yours are okay.
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Dinner tonight (with planned-overs for the next few days, as regularly, as a spinster in her bedsit) was vegetarian (but with real/dairy cheese) nachos, with my favourite yuppie-hippie black/beluga lentils for the pulse/protein. In my neck of the woods, only organic grocers carry them, but they’re my favourite variety of lentil, so living down to my princess-iness it is.
Funny, I was just eying those at Mom's (the local high end organic store, which I occasionally shop at to get spices, legumes, and grains from their bulk section. :) I was wondering how they were, I'll have to get some.
I’m sorry to hear you didn't find your aloo gobi particularly rewarding, DeathQuaker!
It sounds to me like the recipe you found was quite fussy, which I can easily imagine would make the whole thing more frustrating, and then served over rice… <snip>
I am ethnically half Polish, half Yankee... there are NEVER enough starches. (And the recipe itself did say serve with basmati rice or roti, and I think that is the traditional way of serving it, so... *shrug*) ((I do hear you however, and it would be fine by itself.))
I will say the rice was nice for soaking up additional spices... it was a *flavorful* dish, it just was not proportional to the work I felt I was doing. As it is I'm probably going to have the leftovers with some naan purchased from the Nepalese restaurant across the street from where I work. Don't judge me too harshly. ;)
We also just cook everything in the same pot: fry a bit of cumin seeds in oil until they pop, stir in some cauliflower and potato to coat, add a bit of water, cook for ~7 min, add some peas and the rest of the spices, cover and cook over medium heat for ~ 5 min longer until everything’s tender, stirring occasionally. It’s not particularly thrilling, but the main reason I don’t make it more often is because I find it too easy to overdo the oil and make the stuff heavier than it needs to be
This was, in fairness to ATK, a one pot recipe, and the reason they want you to cook the potato first by itself, then the cauliflower, then everything else was indeed it keeps the oil quantity down so it doesn't hit that heavy feeling you mentioned. Plus I think the potato starch that sticks to the pan helps thicken the liquid you simmer it in later. It is a recipe that makes sense; it is just, as you say, fussy. That's why I thought maybe roasting the veg would work as an alternative, because they can cook while you're prepping everything else and you don't need a lot of oil (you'd lose the potato starch at the bottom of the pan, but I can live with that). My cooking method is always about trying to make prep time efficient as possible. That's the word I was looking for. The recipe is inefficient.
I do like the idea of adding peas, and with them I can understand not wanting to add even more starch. :) I was also thinking about making it chana aloo gobi, adding chickpeas. If I ever do try it again or a simpler version as the one you describe.
I'm thinking I may start shopping there more often. I pass by one on the way home from work every day just about and they are incredibly popular.
I highly recommend it. It can depend on where you live, but many of their staples are cheaper than at the regular grocery store (i.e., where I live, some things that are cheaper include but are not limited to milk, eggs, bread, bananas, cereal, pasta sauce...) and yet high quality. Much of it is their own brand (which are actually same as supplied by major brands but they purchase straight from the supplier). The tricky part is some of their items only have an organic version available, which makes it more expensive than the standard thing, though its organic thing may still be less expensive than another store's equivalent organic thing.
Their frozen section is also particularly a treat. Generally reasonable prices and often fewer preservatives/better ingredients. I find that some items are comparatively lower in sodium than other brand equivalents, but that does *not* necessarily mean they are low sodium.
They won't have every single thing you want to buy and aren't stocked with a ton of household stuff like your normal supermarket (though they do by popular demand have stuff like paper towels and cleaning supplies), but most weeks I can entirely get everything I need from them, with occasional trips elsewhere for specific items.
My only gripe about them is their randomly deciding to discontinue stuff, which sometimes has to do with loss of a relationship with a supplier. I'm *still* bitter about losing Rio Red Grapefruit Juice Cocktail AND the Belgian chocolate pudding (which was *crack*). And they got rid of the most delicious vegetarian sausage patties ever made... only to bring them back vegan and tasting weird. (The earlier version was made with egg white. I do not understand how removing that has made them taste strangely sweeter...). (I do eat meat, but I liked the veggie sausage patties as an easy way to get a quick dose of protein in the morning and they tasted better than frozen microwaveable meat sausages.) Hey if anyone has recs for quick/microwavable or otherwise quick prepare protein in the morning...
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Just heard about Milton. Everyone in FL, please be safe.
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Please do. Hope all is okay.
Thursday, I reheated a rotisserie chicken I'd grabbed at Target's deli when it was on sale ($3.99!!) at frozen. I made a small batch of mashed potatoes and a cup of chicken gravy. We had it with some basic, but very nice, dinner rolls that were also on sale ($1.69!) from Target's bakery. Nothing fancy, but it really hit the spot. We had leftovers of it all again on Friday.
Tonight, I'm making chili (with pinto beans) in the slow cooker. I'd picked up a jar of chipotle base months ago that Publix had on clearance because it was too good to pass up at the price. I cracked it open to try in the chili... and it's pretty good. Not as good as rehydrated dried chili, but quick and consistent in controlling spicy heat levels. I forgot to make a small batch of rice to pour it over, but Dad wouldn't have eaten the rice anyway.
Ooh, I missed this update. Sounds yummy! Rotisserie chicken can be so handy. My dad gets them from time to time because he can eat the leftovers in different things through the week.
Coincidentally, I just made chili tonight! (With kidney beans because I forgot I had pinto). Used chipotle in adobe but I'd be curious to check out the the better than bouillon base.
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Ooh, I missed this update. Sounds yummy! Rotisserie chicken can be so handy. My dad gets them from time to time because he can eat the leftovers in different things through the week.
Coincidentally, I just made chili tonight! (With kidney beans because I forgot I had pinto). Used chipotle in adobe but I'd be curious to check out the the better than bouillon base.
I had chili for lunch yesterday.
I also dreamt about you last night. I think there was a kitchen involved somewhere.
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Chili Elixir of Dream Traveling...
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Just made Tagine(sorta kinda) Moroccan Chicken With Caramelized Pears in Honey and Roasted Sweet Potatoes topped with a lentil-mushroom combination and feta cheese sauce.
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Ooooh, love tagine.
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Last week, I made honey chicken (pretty good), shashliks that collapshed, and enchiladas. Some regular ones, and some for the boy that were made with:
I'm not sure to whom I should apologise for that, but I feel I ought to.
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Thursday night's dinner was nothing really new, just a 2-1/2 lb (beef) chuck roast from the slow-cooker with cubed russet potatoes adding in to the liquid an hour before it was done. It was the first time I in years that I didn't cheat using a packet of instant mushroom gravy, instead thickening up the seasoned liquid into a pan sauce with tempered corn starch. It tasted noticeably better than using the instant gravy would have, so I guess I'll need to make it this way now. We had it with Mom's recipe for cooked apples and some store-bought brown rolls that were on sale & had a $1 off coupon. Dad wasn't keen on the rolls, but I'm enjoying them. Last night (Friday) we had leftovers, and I warmed up a frozen pecan pie for Dad to snack on the next several days.
One of the days last week, I made county-style pork ribs (from the pork shoulder, not actual ribs) in the slow cooker. I seasoned them with a 3-in-1 beef marinade packet making the "Garlic Asian" version (the other options are "Sweet & Savory" or a "Steakhouse" versions) by adding reduced-sodium soy sauce & unsalted chicken stock. Instead of marinading and discarding the liquid, I just poured it into the slow cooker to baste the cooking pork. It came out very tasty, with the finished cooking liquid making an excellent drizzle sauce, though it'd be too intense to turn into a pan sauce or gravy over mashed potatoes.
Pre-Hurricane Helene, I had picked up a refrigerated package of pre-cooked cilantro lime chicken for over half-off at Target and stuck it in the freezer. Tonight, I warmed up it in a skillet with a side of white cheddar mac & cheese from a box; the chicken came out really delicious. I was a bit disappointed that there was only 11 oz of actual chicken in the package along with the 7 oz packet of cilantro lime sauce, and while quite tasty, there's no way I could budget buying it at the regular price of nearly $10.
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While not necessarily cheaper, per se, I wonder if it would be worth trying to recreate the cilantro lime chicken from scratch. Chop up some chicken, toss in salt and lime juice and saute. While it cooks, make a chimichurri out of cilantro, garlic, and lime and other spices as desired (could also use parsley instead of cilantro). Toss cooked chicken in chimichurri, serve. If you used thighs and looked for sales it would probably by $10 or less and you'd have more chicken and sauce for the price.
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I made 3 small (5c) low carb lasagnas yesterday in the hotel microwave. 2 basic, 1 creamed chicken with sausage and carmelized onion. So that will sustain me in my south florida travels.
What makes them low carb? Is it just a low carb pasta? Or is it zucchini noodles or something?
Useful list of thickeners!
Panade is a soup thickened using dried bread & a blender.
Adding to your list (not trying to contradict): panade goes back well before blenders. :) (Though of course it's an easy way to make it). Bread + milk or bread + water, mixed till a soft goop, goes back to at least the medieval ages as a common way to thicken soups and sauces. Roux and the white sauces you make with them were rare because butter and (not sour) milk were fairly precious. You wouldn't waste butter on just thickening soup. In the medieval ages, eggs were also used to thicken soups and sauces -- still another valid tactic today, though not often used outside of specific dishes because tempering the eggs (so they don't scramble/cook instead of thicken) is a pain. Classic frumenty is an example (wheat, cooked like rice, thickened with egg).
Panade of course is also often used as "filler" in ground meat dishes that adds tenderness, e.g., meat loaf. A very good thing to put in such dishes using lean meats especially, e.g., turkey loaf.
For thickening a sauce such as for a braise, you can also mix flour and butter together (equal amounts (about a tablespoon), room temp, till flour is coated) and add at the end of cooking. Helps it thicken slightly and adds a nice sheen.
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Trader Joe's spinach mini ravioli + olive oil and seasonings. Boils in 2 minutes and you just put on it what you like. Good meal for under $5.
I am really just posting to check in and say hello and note to folks who may be feeling stress or distress for some reason that for whatever it's worth I... well, I just want you to know you are not alone.
Last night for dinner, Dad finished off the last of his pot of great northern beans & ham. I just threw a frozen thin-crust supreme pizza in the oven, then quietly gorged myself eating half of it myself.
Tonight, we're having a modified chicken & dumplings recipe in the slow cooker. I got off to a slow start, so we'll probably be eating late. I'm not a fan of the slow cooker recipes based off of condensed soup, so this is mostly scratch except for the half bag of frozen mixed vegetables and the minced garlic cloves (frozen!!!, Target's brand). I've been missing Mom's braised paprika chicken, so I set off to attempt a creamy version of that. Mom's version was just the old McCormick cook-in-a-bag pouch kit, but the last time I made it a year or more ago McCormick had changed the recipe making it significantly blander. Besides both kinds of paprika, I wanted it creamy too, and... that's how I discovered just today what chicken paprikash is, which is weird. So anyway, the not-chicken paprikash is bubbling away and I'm about to start on making the small dumplings to drop on top. Also, I learned what quenelle-ing is.
Tonight, we're having a modified chicken & dumplings recipe in the slow cooker. I got off to a slow start, so we'll probably be eating late. I'm not a fan of the slow cooker recipes based off of condensed soup, so this is mostly scratch except for the half bag of frozen mixed vegetables and the minced garlic cloves (frozen!!!, Target's brand). I've been missing Mom's braised paprika chicken, so I set off to attempt a creamy version of that. Mom's version was just the old McCormick cook-in-a-bag pouch kit, but the last time I made it a year or more ago McCormick had changed the recipe making it significantly blander. Besides both kinds of paprika, I wanted it creamy too, and... that's how I discovered just today what chicken paprikash is, which is weird. So anyway, the not-chicken paprikash is bubbling away and I'm about to start on making the small dumplings to drop on top. Also, I learned what quenelle-ing is.
It came out pretty well, seasoning was bang on or close enough.
* The dumplings were a bit too dense/heavy, but I've got an idea how to fix that.
* It'd definitely be better if I'd used chicken thighs instead of breasts, but Dad refuses to eat dark meat. And texturally, I should have shredded the chicken instead of bite-size chunks.
* I need to try it using half & half in place of the whole milk.
* I think it'd been better if I replaced some of the chicken stock with some dry white wine. I don't ever keep wine on hand, so I'll need to pick up a small bottle.
I've got a recipe somewhere for mixing sour cream, paprika, and tomato, slathering it over chicken, and then baking it. It's really good. What seasonings did you use in yours?
(Bummer about the McCormick change. Fun fact, I live about a half hour from a McCormick factory. Some days the whole region smells like cinnamon or roasted garlic.)
Some liquor stores sell the 4-packs of single serve wine. I love to buy those for cooking as one bottle is just enough.
Some very overenthusiastic clerk at the liquor store also once insisted to me you can freeze wine to preserve leftover wine if you can only find a standard quart-size bottle of wine and can't use it all right away. I've not tried it though
While not necessarily cheaper, per se, I wonder if it would be worth trying to recreate the cilantro lime chicken from scratch. Chop up some chicken, toss in salt and lime juice and saute. While it cooks, make a chimichurri out of cilantro, garlic, and lime and other spices as desired (could also use parsley instead of cilantro). Toss cooked chicken in chimichurri, serve. If you used thighs and looked for sales it would probably by $10 or less and you'd have more chicken and sauce for the price.
Oops, missed this comment previously. I'd wanted to try a chimichurri-based chicken recipe for a while, especially as they seemed so simple and straightforward. My holdup had been my limited access to affordable fresh herbs. None of the supermarkets around me offer them affordably nor particularly fresh. The local farmers market was open only one one day a week, and I lack the energy many days to tend to growing herbs. And once you have fresh herbs picked/bought, the clock is ticking for you to use them, and again, there aren't always enough "spoons in the drawer" for an involved prepping & cooking meal, plus cleanup.
I've got a recipe somewhere for mixing sour cream, paprika, and tomato, slathering it over chicken, and then baking it. It's really good. What seasonings did you use in yours?
I'll have to look at my handwritten notes and get back to you.
(Bummer about the McCormick change. Fun fact, I live about a half hour from a McCormick factory. Some days the whole region smells like cinnamon or roasted garlic.)
My dad's sister and niece used to work at a Nestle plant up in Ohio. It wasn't long until they were nauseated by the smell of both ground coffee and cocoa.
Some liquor stores sell the 4-packs of single serve wine. I love to buy those for cooking as one bottle is just enough.
Yeah, there's a Total Wine store on my route to my pet-watching gig, and I've seen the 4 packs of mini-bottles there. I'll probably pick them up next time I go by along with maybe a small bottle of bourbon...
I picked up a bunch of raisins and dried cranberries cheap last week, and I've got a pound of shelled pecans I need to use too. I was thinking about soaking the fruit in bourbon (or rum) to rehydrate and then making a bread out of them. I've got a bunch of non-instant oats I need to use up too. Dad had wanted oatmeal, so I grabbed a pair of the 42oz canisters on sale BOGOF; he had 4 breakfast servings of them and hasn't been hungry for them since. >:( So I'm thinking about attempting some fruit bread (or cake).
Amby, anything like this available in your area?
Other option is if you happen to see fresh herbs on sale, buy them, chop them all up, mix with a little water, and make frozen herb cubes yourself.
It's not as good as fresh but is good in a pinch. Mind, I usually forget to do this and leave the herbs to turn into green slime in my fridge (i.e., I hear you about trying to use them up and get your money's worth).
As for dried fruit and rolled oats: Just FYI another option is make granola: Toss leftover oats in a little oil and liquid sugar (i.e., maple syrup or whatever), salt, cinnamon, and any nuts or seeds if you have any. Bake for 20 minutes in oven at 325 degrees, stirring once. Once cool, stir in your dried fruit.
Alternately, it's Christmas season, so you could make a fruit cake for all your enemies.
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Mini-bottles of wine. Those are the ones that are smaller than a gallon, right?
Amby, anything like this available in your area?
Other option is if you happen to see fresh herbs on sale, buy them, chop them all up, mix with a little water, and make frozen herb cubes yourself.
It's not as good as fresh but is good in a pinch. Mind, I usually forget to do this and leave the herbs to turn into green slime in my fridge (i.e., I hear you about trying to use them up and get your money's worth).
Nope, their site doesn't list any retailers in my area that sells their frozen herbs. But now I'll keep an eye out for them when I swing by the freezer sections. I've been pretty happy with Target's brand of frozen crushed garlic and ginger, and they're sold in nearly identical packaging to Dorot Garden's frozen herbs.
As for dried fruit and rolled oats: Just FYI another option is make granola: Toss leftover oats in a little oil and liquid sugar (i.e., maple syrup or whatever), salt, cinnamon, and any nuts or seeds if you have any. Bake for 20 minutes in oven at 325 degrees, stirring once. Once cool, stir in your dried fruit.
Alternately, it's Christmas season, so you could make a fruit cake for all your enemies.
I don't think I've ever had fruitcake, but to me the concept still sounds delicious. The cranberries and raisins problem is resolving itself. I had a powerful late night craving for the cranberries and finished the whole 6oz bag off in one go. I'm making slower headway through the raisins. Not sure if I had a nutritional deficiency that created the craving or I was just stress eating what was on hand. I still have one huge unopened canister of oats in the freezer, but I've been feeding the open canister of slightly-stale oats to the squirrels in the morning. They are really enjoying them, along with occasional servings of now stale peanuts or stale broken-up bread.
Friday night's dinner was the beef shoulder roast, egg noodles cooked in the beef juice, and creamed corn leftover from Thursday. Last night's dinner was a frozen meat lovers pizza.
When Hurricane Milton came through, my brother and his wife got two foot of flooding in their home. In the immediate aftermath, they gave my Dad & I a bunch of still solidly-frozen food from their freezer. They got power back on a day or so later, and after they'd waited another two days for the fridge to dry out, it still worked when plugged back in. I tried to return the frozen food, but they refused, so I've since been working though it. I mostly defrosted a 2-1/2 lb package of boneless skinless chicken thighs and a ~2 lb package of breast tenders overnight in the fridge -- she just chucks the unopened supermarket butcher's package whole in the freezer without separating them out like I do, so they freeze into a solid unworkable block -- then refroze two of the thighs and half the tenders. With the rest of the thawed chicken, I'm attempting a teriyaki-ish chicken in the slow cooker for dinner tonight, with baked potatoes (Dad won't eat rice or lo mein noodles) and something else I have decided yet.
Edit: Decided on mac & cheese as the other side.
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Mini-bottles of wine. Those are the ones that are smaller than a gallon, right?
LOL. Well, yes, obviously. ;)
But I was talking about the "sample size" four packs where each bottle is about 8 oz.
Nope, their site doesn't list any retailers in my area that sells their frozen herbs. But now I'll keep an eye out for them when I swing by the freezer sections. I've been pretty happy with Target's brand of frozen crushed garlic and ginger, and they're sold in nearly identical packaging to Dorot Garden's frozen herbs.Amby, anything like this available in your area?
Other option is if you happen to see fresh herbs on sale, buy them, chop them all up, mix with a little water, and make frozen herb cubes yourself.
It's not as good as fresh but is good in a pinch. Mind, I usually forget to do this and leave the herbs to turn into green slime in my fridge (i.e., I hear you about trying to use them up and get your money's worth).
Yeah, doesn't have to be that brand specifically. Oddly, Trader Joe's in my area sells them.
Also, I just learned from ATK that the better thing to do to make herb cubes is freeze them in oil, not water. Which makes sense.
I don't think I've ever had fruitcake, but to me the concept still sounds delicious.As for dried fruit and rolled oats: Just FYI another option is make granola: Toss leftover oats in a little oil and liquid sugar (i.e., maple syrup or whatever), salt, cinnamon, and any nuts or seeds if you have any. Bake for 20 minutes in oven at 325 degrees, stirring once. Once cool, stir in your dried fruit.
Alternately, it's Christmas season, so you could make a fruit cake for all your enemies.
Truth be told, some fruit cakes are delicious. Especially with adequate quantities of brandy. ;)
They get a bad rap because some recipes call for citron-preserved fruit which are festively colorful, but tastes bitter to some. And the fruitcakes can be quite dense.
My ex-stepmother ... well, I had my issues with her, but she was a good cook, and she made a really good Irish-style fruitcakes with currants and raisins that was delicious.
Friday night's dinner was the beef shoulder roast, egg noodles cooked in the beef juice, and creamed corn leftover from Thursday. Last night's dinner was a frozen meat lovers pizza.
Love the idea of cooking egg noodles in the juices. Gotta try that sometime.
In other news, between job stress and perimenopause, I officially have high blood pressure. I'm working on diet and exercise before going on the beta blocker, because otherwise I'll just be lazy and rely on the pill. (It's fine if I get the habit down and then it turns out I still need the pill, because it's still good to try to move more and eat healthier regardless.)
For me, I can manage low sodium cooking and healthier foods at home. The problem is I just get lazy and eat out too much. So working on some meal plans where I can cook a few things on a weekend and recycle them into different meals through the week.
The hard part is actually remembering to take what I make to work instead of forget and then buy lunch. Maybe I should just keep some peanut butter, jelly, and bread at work just in case... any other ideas?
In other news, between job stress and perimenopause, I officially have high blood pressure. I'm working on diet and exercise before going on the beta blocker, because otherwise I'll just be lazy and rely on the pill. (It's fine if I get the habit down and then it turns out I still need the pill, because it's still good to try to move more and eat healthier regardless.)
Ugh. Hope you're doing ok managing it these days, especially in these stressful times. I imagine my cholesterol and blood pressure are also likely in the concerning zones, and I'm overdue for a colonoscopy with my Dad's cancer history. But I haven't been to a doctor in many years now, so it'll have to continue to wait.
For me, I can manage low sodium cooking and healthier foods at home. The problem is I just get lazy and eat out too much. So working on some meal plans where I can cook a few things on a weekend and recycle them into different meals through the week.
I've always been a "low salter" before I took over cooking. When I started cooking for Dad & Mom, I'd use more salt to keep them satisfied, but I realized they both would salt their food at the table anyways, so now I just cook reduced sodium and let Dad have his shaker.
I'm at the point where most fast food borders on being too salty, especially french fries, which is good because I can't afford to eat out. I still have to have a withdrawal Big Mac every 6-9 months, but I feel ugh afterward. Last Big Mac, I broke down and got a Dr Pepper too... and that soda made me feel terrible for like 24 hours after. Also, with my reduced sugar diet, the Big Mac bun was too sweet and the Pepper tasted like they'd made it double-strength sweet.
The hard part is actually remembering to take what I make to work instead of forget and then buy lunch. Maybe I should just keep some peanut butter, jelly, and bread at work just in case... any other ideas?
Reduced sodium rules out instant ramen, and while the shelf-stable Hormel Compleats entrees aren't bad, they're salt bombs. If you had a thermos, I'd suggest bringing hot soup and not-too-salty versions of crackers. (Oh god, I've just been hit by a massive craving for Chicken in a Biskit crackers. I haven't eaten them in years. I'm not even sure they're made anymore.) Walgreens had their nuts on sale this week, so I picked up more cashews for Dad; their Nice storebrand reduced/lightly sea salted cashews and peanuts are good if you care for them. They have six or so different varieties of premixed trail mixes/nut mixes too. I accidentally got Dad addicted to their milk chocolate-dipped cashews.
Do you have access to a work fridge, or an insulated lunch bag that also hold an ice pack?
Still not doing anything exciting mealwise. Last night was fried spam and pork & beans, which Dad really enjoys. My sis would be upset if she knew he ate processed meat, so neither of us are going to tell her. He only has something like it once every four to six weeks now instead of a complete ban like she wants, and I think that keeps his cravings from getting out of hand.
Tonight, I started early with diced onions in olive oil in the crock pot on High, and started some rolls rising. Once the onions had softened up for a half hour, I plunked in the small chuck roast. After I'd peeled & cubed the russets for mashed, I peeled, cored, and sliced up 2 lb of apples (with brown sugar, orange blossom honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt) to cook up a fresh batch. I got to use the heat from the bowl of cooked apples to help to rolls rise. The chuck roast burbled on Low for about 5-1/2 hours, turning twice (with a couple cubes of frozen garlic & one of ginger; worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, & dried oregano; a tsp of BtB beef base paste; and 4 oz of chicken stock). Strained the roast juices of the veggie bits and most of the fat, and thickened it with cornstarch for gravy. I had pouch of steam-in-bag vegetable medley & sauce in the freezer, but... I forgot to make it.
Tomorrow will be leftovers from tonight.
I had come across a recipe for arayes where you soak MATZOS in milk before putting the filling in and frying the whole thing, but when I tried it, it did not work, and all you got was a horrible mess that would have resulted in no dinner for anyone had we not had pitta bread in the freezer.
Today's beef stew with rice was more successful.
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In other news, between job stress and perimenopause, I officially have high blood pressure. I'm working on diet and exercise before going on the beta blocker, because otherwise I'll just be lazy and rely on the pill. (It's fine if I get the habit down and then it turns out I still need the pill, because it's still good to try to move more and eat healthier regardless.)Ugh. Hope you're doing ok managing it these days, especially in these stressful times. I imagine my cholesterol and blood pressure are also likely in the concerning zones, and I'm overdue for a colonoscopy with my Dad's cancer history. But I haven't been to a doctor in many years now, so it'll have to continue to wait.
I was doing well with increasing exercise and lowering salt--mostly--and the BP was going down. Then this week hit. Not going to go into details, but yeah... the week's events had a direct impact on me, and BP was up the other day (but no, I am not a federal employee). Haven't checked it today. But just trying to take care of myself as best I can.
<unsolicited advice>If you do speak to a health professional--and you should, bowels are not things you want to gamble with--you may be able to get the at home test (you take a stool sample and mail it in) which is obviously much, much less invasive and expensive than a colonoscopy. Mind, with your history, a doc may still recommend one, but it may be worth exploring. Going to the doctor is very expensive depending on what coverage you have, but it is less expensive than having cancer while taking care of an older loved one. </unsolicited advice>
The hard part is actually remembering to take what I make to work instead of forget and then buy lunch. Maybe I should just keep some peanut butter, jelly, and bread at work just in case... any other ideas?
Reduced sodium rules out instant ramen, and while the shelf-stable Hormel Compleats entrees aren't bad, they're salt bombs. If you had a thermos, I'd suggest bringing hot soup and not-too-salty versions of crackers. (Oh god, I've just been hit by a massive craving for Chicken in a Biskit crackers. I haven't eaten them in years. I'm not even sure they're made anymore.) Walgreens had their nuts on sale this week, so I picked up more cashews for Dad; their Nice storebrand reduced/lightly sea salted cashews and peanuts are good if you care for them. They have six or so different varieties of premixed trail mixes/nut mixes too. I accidentally got Dad addicted to their milk chocolate-dipped cashews.
I was just looking at some "heat in microwave" quick meals. Most of them are too high in sodium but I might shop around to see what I can assemble that I could keep in the office easily.
Also, while I have them more for emergency and camping purposes, I have a huge supply of dehydrated veggies and beans I could use to make my own homemade instant soup mix along side small (not full serving) quantities of bouillon and quick cooking noodles (can always buy ramen and not use the flavor packet).
The thermos is a good idea but that still falls into the category of "I need to remember to actually bring it to the office." I like that for easy and cheap work meals/leftovers though.
Do you have access to a work fridge, or an insulated lunch bag that also hold an ice pack?
At least for the time being, yes to both.
In the meanwhile, still cooking for my own dad at least once a week. He's been craving my coleslaw so made that for him to eat with some other stuff he had in the fridge. I try to keep the mayo and salt content lower and it's at least high in nutrients!
I was doing well with increasing exercise and lowering salt--mostly--and the BP was going down. Then this week hit. Not going to go into details, but yeah... the week's events had a direct impact on me, and BP was up the other day (but no, I am not a federal employee). Haven't checked it today. But just trying to take care of myself as best I can.
You're definitely not the only one feeling that way, DQ. Yeah, the current "move fast, break things" dynamic now in DC is definitely stressing me and my dad too. And that's likely as much as I can say here.
At least for the time being, yes to both.
In the meanwhile, still cooking for my own dad at least once a week. He's been craving my coleslaw so made that for him to eat with some other stuff he had in the fridge. I try to keep the mayo and salt content lower and it's at least high in nutrients!
My mom instilled in me a compulsion to save plastic resealable food containers. If you have the freezer space, they are handy for freezing up meals of extra dinner portions, especially the ones that held 8 oz of pre-sliced deli meats. Once frozen, they'll keep in an insulated lunch bag from morning until lunch without needing an ice pack and reheat handily in a microwave. The best part is once you've pre-prepped them, it's easy to grab and go in the hustle before leaving for work. And if the container is irreversibly stained by tomato sauce or lost/forgotten, you didn't lose one of your good plastic containers. (You probably know all this already.)
You might also be interested in a recipe for make ahead "instant" ramen, though you'd likely have to heat them in something sturdy. Could also maybe work using fully cooked beans and/or parboiled rice too.
Dinner last night was leftover sloppy joes and potato chips. The night before, I made fresh french fries instead of the chips, but fries don't do well as leftovers. I used a pound of 85/15 ground turkey instead of the usual ground chuck (cheaper on sale and a little healthier), and just mixed in a teaspoon of BtB reduced-sodium beef paste while cooking to give it a bit more flavor.
On Monday, I picked up a shaker of umami mushroom seasoning blend that was on sale. Its ingredients are: salt, garlic, porcini mushroom powder, turmeric, crushed red pepper, black pepper, ground mustard, onion, thyme leaves. I need to make up some meatloafs to freeze for later, so I'll mix some of it in too along with the usual flavor boosters like BtB beef, caramelized onions, worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Now I just need to figure out how much to add into a meatloaf recipe with making the finished loafs too salty.
One I figure the amount out, I'd like to try in in hamburgers, some braised chicken dish, maybe even hide a little in chili.