I am saying this in part for the benefit of other readers, but in case you or others are not aware, cold brew references the means of infusion, not the way you have to drink it. It is a concentrate if made properly, and so when you drink it, you have to dilute it with water or milk. If you heat that hot water or milk and then mix it with your cold brew concentrate, then you have hot coffee (my favorite local cafe makes a gorgeous cafe au lait with cold brewed coffee). Alternately you can dilute the cold brew with your liquid of choice and then microwave until hot. I wonder how your dad would know the difference.
My Dad can detect spiciness in food that has absolutely no spiciness, not even plain old ground black pepper. :) I suspect he only knew for certain because he saw me assembling it to put in the fridge the night before. I've also tried smoother roasts of coffee in the drip machine, but he doesn't like them because he says they taste "too weak." I suspect he has been drinking coffee from the Big Two brands for so many decades that he associates coffee strength with harshness. The only quibble I have with cold brew coffee is that I have to heat it up so my powdered creamer (I know, there goes my credibility) will dissolve in it. I love it brewed a bit strong, mixed with a bit of creme or half-&-half, sans ice, and drank as cold as I can get it... but Dad won't help me drink the cream/h&h either.
I am saying this in part for the benefit of other readers, but in case you or others are not aware, cold brew references the means of infusion, not the way you have to drink it. It is a concentrate if made properly, and so when you drink it, you have to dilute it with water or milk. If you heat that hot water or milk and then mix it with your cold brew concentrate, then you have hot coffee (my favorite local cafe makes a gorgeous cafe au lait with cold brewed coffee). Alternately you can dilute the cold brew with your liquid of choice and then microwave until hot. I wonder how your dad would know the difference.My Dad can detect spiciness in food that has absolutely no spiciness, not even plain old ground black pepper. :) I suspect he only knew for certain because he saw me assembling it to put in the fridge the night before. I've also tried smoother roasts of coffee in the drip machine, but he doesn't like them because he says they taste "too weak." I suspect he has been drinking coffee from the Big Two brands for so many decades that he associates coffee strength with harshness. The only quibble I have with cold brew coffee is that I have to heat it up so my powdered creamer (I know, there goes my credibility) will dissolve in it. I love it brewed a bit strong, mixed with a bit of creme or half-&-half, sans ice, and drank as cold as I can get it... but Dad won't help me drink the cream/h&h either.
I'll be sure to send you some la llave, I'm sure he'll love it. Also, he will never sleep.
Haven't tried Dal (or most Indian food yet) yet. I'm really disinclined to cook anything that I know I'll be the only one eating or drinking it.
I've also tried smoother roasts of coffee in the drip machine, but he doesn't like them because he says they taste "too weak." I suspect he has been drinking coffee from the Big Two brands for so many decades that he associates coffee strength with harshness.I'll be sure to send you some la llave, I'm sure he'll love it. Also, he will never sleep.
I can easily find Cafe La Llave in my local chain supermarkets down here. Crystal (Frasier) recommended Café Bustelo on Twitter a ways back. Still haven't tried either.
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Ok, I can't recommend it either for the taste (eh) or for it's healthiness (it definitely isn't), but here's how I made that easy chicken and pasta back on Tuesday:
(Original version of recipe is here.)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
12 oz jar fire-roasted red bell pepper packed in water, coarsely chopped, keeping juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt flakes
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz + 4 oz good chicken broth
8 oz regular Italian dressing (not low fat)
1 tbsp reduced-sodium roasted chicken base (I use Better than Bouillion) -or- 1 reduced-sodium chicken bouillon cube
2 oz of parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided (~ 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
6 oz regular (not low fat) cream cheese, cut into roughly 1 inch cubes
8 oz uncooked rotini, cavatappi, or penne pasta
Directions:
Heat olive oil on High in 5qt slow cooker, add chicken; brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 8 oz of the broth broth, bell pepper and pepper-infused water from jar, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian dressing, chicken base, and half of grated parmesan. Lid up and cook 1 hour on High.
Stir, cook 2 hours on Low, stir, cook 2 more hours on Low.
Use slotted spoon to scoop chicken mixture out of slow cooker onto aluminum foil with edges bent up or into a bowl, set aside. Add pasta into slow cooker, arrange with spoon until it's entirely submerged in liquid. Return chicken mixture back to slow cooker so it covers submerged pasta. Add remaining 4 oz of broth. Add cream cheese cubes atop chicken mixture. Cook another 30 minutes back on High.
Stir well to mix in now melted cream cheese until mixture is consistently creamy. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over top and serve.
Haven't tried Dal (or most Indian food yet) yet. I'm really disinclined to cook anything that I know I'll be the only one eating or drinking it.
I can easily find Cafe La Llave in my local chain supermarkets down here. Crystal (Frasier) recommended Café Bustelo on Twitter a ways back.I've also tried smoother roasts of coffee in the drip machine, but he doesn't like them because he says they taste "too weak." I suspect he has been drinking coffee from the Big Two brands for so many decades that he associates coffee strength with harshness.I'll be sure to send you some la llave, I'm sure he'll love it. Also, he will never sleep.
...does she not sleep?!?
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Thanks for the link Happy Tastes Good. There are a lot of recipes I've just either made and cut down/frozen extras of or tried to reduce the ingredients of myself but this will make things a lot easier.
I've always prefered "Something Different" as my slogan ;) But no problem. :) Good luck!
The only thing I ever seemed to be very good with is soups and sauces, long, slow simmered stuff.
That's not nothin'. There's an art to a good braise.
Speaking of, I made a nummy braised chicken awhile ago--seared a couple leg quarters (you can use whatever parts you like but I recommend all white or all dark), took out the chicken and in the rendered fat and a little oil softened some onions, then added some mushrooms, carrots, and the chicken back, and poured in a bottle of dark beer so that the chicken was halfway covered, with the crisped skin above the liquid level. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, then took the chicken out and added a beurre meuniere, which is French for "blob of a mixture of butter and flour" and stirred the remaining sauce until thickened, and added a drop of cream to the sauce because why not? I served over lazy homemade cream biscuits (mix 2 parts by volume self raising flour to 1 part heavy cream, form into a biscuit shape, bake at a normal baking temperature until it's a biscuit). Was sort of a lazy American coq au vin... poulet a la biere I guess. I'd probably add a dash of cider vinegar next time, it needed a little acid to balance the richer flavors.
Problem with soups and braises is it's too dang hot and humid to make them right now. Were this happening in winter I'd have no issue.
For the heartburn my recommendation would just be Basmati rice, as mild as possible. I usually soak some for 15 minutes in chicken stock and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, add some herbs and let it just sit. Then kick on the heat and simmer/steam on the stove until done. I get smooth, flavorful mild rice with just a hint of that oil leftover to break up any heaviness. It also has the added effect of being very kind on the tum.
Mmm. I'm hoping to make some pilaf later this week, good idea.
You make Dal at home, presumably other Indian or middle-eastern cuisine? Are you ok with some mild curries and such? That could be a fun way to get some of the savory fruits or veg into your body, pureeing small amounts into the simmer? I don't know, just spitballing.
That's a good point. Chilis are a no-no right now, but cardamom and ginger and some other spices are quite nice on the stomach, actually--plus turmeric is good for inflammation--and I could probably make mild curried chickpeas or chicken, which'd also be a good way to cook some gentle veg. They don't need to be pureed, just preferably cooked through and low in acid.
That's something I used to do with sauces when the girls were small. I'd sneak in veg pureed and added to the simmer when they weren't looking. Probably the only reason they were somewhat regular from ages 6-12, until teenagerhood firmly took root...
Funnily I was going to suggest to slaadish chef to sneak red lentils into vegetable soup for her dad. ;)
Haven't tried Dal (or most Indian food yet) yet. I'm really disinclined to cook anything that I know I'll be the only one eating or drinking it.
Dal is a nice thing to make in a small quantity so you could make some for yourself if you ever want to try it. (If not, that's ok too.)
This is ATK's version, which is mild (unless you actively opt to add lots of cayenne). This is 2 servings but I find unless I serve this with naan or over rice, I can eat it all in one sitting:
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 garam masala (you can Google the component spices of this)
1 t grated fresh ginger (note: this is awesome if you have it but powdered is fine if you don't; use a little less of the powdered or to taste)
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth (vegetable is fine if you prefer)
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over for stones (these keep forever and they are good for thickening soups and chilis)
1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 T minced fresh cilantro (it is fine without it but the cilantro adds an extra layer of freshness; fresh parsley will do in a pinch or if you're one of those people who tastes soap in cilantro)
1 T unsalted butter
Salt & pepper as you like
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.
Add onion and cook until softened.
Stir in garlic, garam masala, ginger, and cayenne and cook until it smells AMAZING (but no longer, because then the spices will burn)
Stir in broth and lentils and bring to simmer. (Recipe doesn't say, but here I would add some salt)
Reduce heat to low and continue simmering until lentils are tender and resemble thick coarse puree (recipe says "about 20 minutes" but I find them usually cooked through in 10 or 15 minutes).
Off heat, stir in tomato, cilantro, and butter, and taste and adjust seasoning.
BTW good news I don't have h. pylori! So it's a few weeks of proton pump inhibitor and some care taken in eating and then I might be able to gently reintroduce some stuff back into my diet, remembering to maintain moderation. While the primary trigger of this was a new medication (the dosage of which has been reduced), I admit I'd been going too heavy on the spicy foods recently and that certainly wasn't helping.
Freehold, pretty sure she doesn't.
We're a family of four, but two of us are small, picky eaters whose enjoyment of my cooking seems inverse to the amount of effort I've put into it.
I'm really disinclined to cook anything that I know I'll be the only one eating or drinking it.
*fist bump*
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Certainly when you're not an easily hatable loser like me who lives alone, cooking multiple meals for yourself and others at the same time is an exercise in frustration, and I was not recommending that.
Certainly when you're not an easily hatable loser like me who lives alone, cooking multiple meals for yourself and others at the same time is an exercise in frustration, and I was not recommending that.
This describes you as short, with a distinct scent of French Toast...nothing about being being a hatable loser. In fact, it says I should cook for you!
Certainly when you're not an easily hatable loser like me who lives alone, cooking multiple meals for yourself and others at the same time is an exercise in frustration, and I was not recommending that.
I was just expressing solidarity with Ambrosia Slaad; that wasn't in response to your post.
And I've never seen anything in the years I've been posting here to indicate that you're an easily hatable loser. Quite the opposite.
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I'm sorry for the sudden injection of neurosis. Pandemic solitude is slowly eating into my sanity (just as I know those who are now 24/7 surrounded by those they live with are losing sanity due to lack of solitude), and my inner demons made me post that this morning, pre breakfast and tea. Hopefully I can get out of my apartment this weekend and that will improve my outlook a bit.
This crisis has been a lesson in how we all need each other, but not all the time.
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I'm sorry for the sudden injection of neurosis. Pandemic solitude is slowly eating into my sanity (just as I know those who are now 24/7 surrounded by those they live with are losing sanity due to lack of solitude), and my inner demons made me post that this morning, pre breakfast and tea. Hopefully I can get out of my apartment this weekend and that will improve my outlook a bit.
This crisis has been a lesson in how we all need each other, but not all the time.
I would send you a Freehold Funkopop if I could, but those were turned down by the company for being too adorable.
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slowly eating into my sanity
*fist bump*
I would send you a Freehold Funkopop if I could, but those were turned down by the company for being too adorable.I'm sorry for the sudden injection of neurosis. Pandemic solitude is slowly eating into my sanity (just as I know those who are now 24/7 surrounded by those they live with are losing sanity due to lack of solitude), and my inner demons made me post that this morning, pre breakfast and tea. Hopefully I can get out of my apartment this weekend and that will improve my outlook a bit.
This crisis has been a lesson in how we all need each other, but not all the time.
That's why mine's been on backorder forever.
Last night for dinner was an old standby my ma used to make for parties, cut down to a single serving: veggie "pizza". Essentially you take your crust, homemade or store bought, spread a thin layer of cream cheese, then cut up whatever raw veg you like and top the "pizza."
I took a single store bought pita for my crust, made 2 of these, and on the cheese layer added some Itallian seasonings. For toppings I used green and red peppers with shredded carrot.
I wonder how this would taste on toasted yet storebought garlic naan?
Quake, I've been having a lot of those sanity slips lately. I've had no motivation to do daily calisthenics, workouts, etc for a month and I think this along with other emotional triggers were getting to me. This morning I MADE myself do 10 minutes of yoga and some very light lifting and so far today I've felt a lot better.
It's been too hot/humid to go for walks outside most days (or storming like whoah) which I'm sure is a good chunk of my problem. In addition to the acid reflux I am dealing with a subluxated rib so I have to take it easy in the exercise department, but I've been doing some qi gong before bedtime which has felt very good. Tomorrow weather should be okay and I can go to a fairly secluded outdoor space where I can get a good walk in which I expect will do me some tremendous good (and be good for my physical recovery as well).
Dinner tonight I bought some shepherd's pie carry out on the way home from the chiropractor. Mine is better, but it was tasty enough. Leftovers tomorrow will be heated alongside some leftover cabbage and perhaps some cheese on top.
Just found out ATK has put out a Cooking for One book, so I'm definitely going to explore that.
That sounds great. I've not attempted to make brisket yet.
At 11AM, I started braising Boston butt in the slow cooker for pork carnitas. It's starting to smell pretty good right now.
Pork carnitas wasn't bad, but wasn't knock out fantastic (which is what I was shooting for). Oh well, it was good enough we had it again for leftovers last night.
Having (Nathan's) hot dogs on the grill tonight. Fresh batch of potato salad is done and chilling in the fridge. Probably make frozen buttered corn to go with it.
Got 6-7 lb. of raw sweet potatoes from the food pantry last week. After potato salad was done, I peeled & sliced up half of them, and froze them in 1/2lb batches for future dinners. Still have plenty of them, so I found a recipe to make sweet potato pie & brown sugar whipped cream... but I'm tired now, and it's hot & humid out, so it'll have to wait till another day.
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Last night's potato salad needed more salt (I tend to accidentally undersalt), but otherwise I think Mom would have approved.
Still only halfway through the giant bag of precooked grilled chicken patties in the freezer, so I pulled out six and started them marinating/defrosting in pickle juice, olive oil, soy sauce, & Lawry's seasoning salt. For dinner, I'll brush them with a little honey & adobo sauce mixture and bake on a cookie sheet. Serve it with leftover potato salad and some nice airy bakery rolls that were on sale.
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Sweet or sour pickle juice?
PS: Is making chocolate chip cookies and/or pudding an acceptable dinner plan for tonight?
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Is making chocolate chip cookies
If you're bold, you don't even have to bake them
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Sweet or sour pickle juice?
Dill pickle juice. Hopefully the little sour will work with the sweet honey adobe basting/glaze.
PS: Is making chocolate chip cookies and/or pudding an acceptable dinner plan for tonight?
Yes.
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The dill seasoning will also be nice with chicken.
I now have in my possession coffee oreo ice cream which may go on top of the cookies (dough).
Wait, wait, WAIT! They make coffee + Oreo ice cream?!?!
Well, Taharka Brothers in Maryland does. Hopefully there's a brand available in your area. :(
Still only halfway through the giant bag of precooked grilled chicken patties in the freezer, so I pulled out six and started them marinating/defrosting in pickle juice, olive oil, soy sauce, & Lawry's seasoning salt. For dinner, I'll brush them with a little honey & adobo sauce mixture and bake on a cookie sheet. Serve it with leftover potato salad and some nice airy bakery rolls that were on sale.
These bulk food service chicken patties are edible, but I can't find a way to make them delicious. They've got the texture of dense chicken nuggets, but incredibly dry and no braising or marinating I've tried so far seems to help much.
The sauce I improvised was pretty darn good though. 2 tbsp of bottled Chicago BBQ-style sauce + 2 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp adobo sauce + 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Thickens up nice under the broiler and has great flavor.
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I don't remember now what I made for Friday's dinner.
Saturday dinner was fried storebrand Spam and baked beans (cooked separately)
Sunday dinner was tilapia baked in parchment, baked russet potatoes, and (frozen) hush puppies.
Last night was spaghetti (sauce from a jar, no preservatives again meant no heartburn) and meatballs (Aldi's Bremer frozen beef meatballs), and (frozen) garlic toast.
For tonight, I've already started a chuck roast slow braising (in some reduced-sodium chicken stock and a packet of dried French onion soup mix; that's how Mom always made it). Russets are peeled for mashed potatoes, will thicken the roast liquid with cornstarch for gravy, and heat up a can of green beans (adding in a little bacon drippings for flavor) small bag of frozen corn. Roast is a bit over 2-1/2 lb, so we'll have leftovers tomorrow night, probably with a basic salad (lettuce, tomato, carrot, sweet onion, & celery).
Going to attempt baked chicken breasts in a balsamic soy pan sauce, probably have mashed potatoes with it. Need to think of another side to go with.
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Going to attempt baked chicken breasts in a balsamic soy pan sauce, probably have mashed potatoes with it. Need to think of another side to go with.
Freehold is full of calories, but goes with just about everything.
Imma grill burgers tonight.
Going to attempt baked chicken breasts in a balsamic soy pan sauce, probably have mashed potatoes with it. Need to think of another side to go with.
FWIW, served it with green beans from a can.
I'm not sure I like the balsamic + soy + whole grain mustard + honey flavor profile (first time I've ever had it), but it wasn't bad. Dad ate it well. As a plus though, I seem to have nailed the whole technique -- dredging the chicken in seasoned flour, browning on all sides in skillet, baking it in same skillet, and then making pan sauce. Next time, I'll just use a different flavor combo.
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We've still got a leftover porkchop + cornbread from last night, plus a leftover chicken breast + mashed potatoes + sauce from tonight, so probably just warm up leftovers for dinner tomorrow.
Imma grill burgers tonight.
Guys, the burgers were good! A nice medium rare, and even my kids ate them!
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Any suggestions on what to do with a cheap piece of brisket?
Braise
low, slow, and looongLot's of cheap peasant recipes for that cut.
Corned beef and cabbage and potatoes
Burgundy beef
Not so boring bbq:
Western Carolinas vinegar
Eastern Carolinas mustard
Boring tomato bbq
Hamburgers (and Cheetos) for dinner tonight. Probably beef chili w/beans tomorrow.
Probably beef chili w/beans tomorrow.
Chili went OK, but I forgot to add the short can of tomato paste. I added the whole chopped tomatoes, but the tomato paste would have thickened the sauce up and made the flavor a bit richer.
Since we're having chili tomorrow for leftovers, I'll have more energy to do the pet run job and some grocery shopping.
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Anyway, just wanted to say that that looks like a good cookbook to have, maybe. We're a family of four, but two of us are small, picky eaters whose enjoyment of my cooking seems inverse to the amount of effort I've put into it. So, properly cooking for two and then whipping up a plate of spaghetti or chicken nuggets could be a good option.
I really enjoy the cookbook a lot and recommend it.
It also has a nice "dessert for two" section for smaller cakes, pies, and other things (and halving/reducing larger baking recipes is hard) which is nice if you want to make a treat but not have huge leftovers.
Just want to say that this book came in the other week, and I made a recipe from it last night: Moroccan Style Quinoa and Kale with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts.
It was pretty good! Good consistency, and not too heavy. And delicious. The only thing of note is that this recipe made three servings (or maybe four small servings). Not complaining, because leftovers, but I can't fathom how that pot would only serve two people.
So the brisket still turned out fatty. Good flavor to it, but there's fat that's not rendering out. I don't know if I need to cook it longer, or not sear it ahead of time, or maybe try roasting instead of braising or what. For certain I should probably stop getting cheap, supermarket cuts that only weigh in at 2-3 lbs.
I say that last part b/c as fatty as the meat was my younger one utterly demolished the leftovers. She tore away all the fat/gristle, threw like, a dozen thin slices on a plate and just sat on the couch eating like, three servings of meat while watching TV yesterday afternoon.
Also last night my older one had her boyfriend over to the house. He fancies himself a chef so he decided to "dazzle" us with dinner. He boiled some chicken breast, tossed it into a crock pot with tons of cheese, cream cheese and hot sauce, and made a dip.
That's it. He made a dip. A dip is NOT a dinner.
So, after he declared dinner fully made I told him and my kids to sit at the dining room table. I pulled out carrots and sliced them into sticks, took some pre-sliced celery sticks out, sliced up some apple slices and added all of that to the chips they were using for the dip.
We made it into kind of like a fondue night. It was ok, but I wish I could've tasted something more than hot sauce and cream cheese. Also, as an adult male with a very sedentary life right now, eating tons of cheese wasn't a wise decision.
less cheese and some dry crusty bread and thats amazing.
Felt terrible again today. Fed the strary cat, made baked beans & spam for Dad (which he actually likes), went back to bed.
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Felt terrible again today. Fed the strary cat, made baked beans & spam for Dad (which he actually likes), went back to bed.
rest well, dear slaad.
Still not feeling very good, but thank you both for your well wishes.
Again, put out dinner kibble for the waiting stray cat (he knows when to expect breakfast & dinner), made pancakes and (brown & serve) sausages for Dad, went back to bed.
Still not feeling very good, but thank you both for your well wishes.
Again, put out dinner kibble for the waiting stray cat (he knows when to expect breakfast & dinner), made pancakes and (brown & serve) sausages for Dad, went back to bed.
what are your symptoms?
what are your symptoms?
Nothing life threatening, just
what are your symptoms?** spoiler omitted **
Get better soon, Ambrosia Slaad. It is no fun picking on sick people. ~grins and runs~