took an entire chicken and brazed it skin down in some oil seasoned with some diced large bulb spring onions, garlic, bay leaf, a couple cloves, salt and pepper, then filled the pot with boiling water, and let simmer for an hour or so. made some fresh egg noodles with 2c. of flour, 5 egg yolks, and 1/4c. water, rolled it out with the pasta machine and used a 2.5in diameter round cookie cutter to make some nice large pasta. after the broth had reduced enough, the chicken was pulled from the pot and the meat was separated from the bones and fat, half of the chicken meat was added back to the soup, and the other half was put aside. lastly, added green onion tails chopped up, carrots, celery, celery greens, and the raw pasta shapes, and cooked until the pasta was tender, then served. since the vegetables were only cooked for as long as the pasta, they remained very fresh, which was key, there's nothing worse than soggy veggies (unless that's what you are going for). served with a whole wheat olive roll and a pad of butter.
after dinner, the soup was separated into a quart of fatty stock (frozen for something later this week, maybe), a quart of frozen soup, and the other half of the chicken meat was made into chicken salad for lunches for the week.
[photo: trisha]
Thursday, July 31, 2008
hearty classic chicken soup with fresh egg noodles
lime-thyme chicken salad with dried cherries
took the meat from half of a chicken that was used for making soup and chopped it up, added a big glob of this experimental lime and thyme mayonnaise from earlier in the week, some diced onion, paprika, fresh ground pepper, a pinch of salt, and chopped dried cherries.
[photo: trisha]
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
steamed alaskan white king salmon, soy and ginger salad, and seasoned
steamed alaskan white king salmon, soy and ginger salad, and seasoned beans, originally uploaded by aarn! +30th July, 2008+.
a large piece of alaskan white king salmon started it's journey in, well, alaska. caught by one of the franklin's grandsons, frozen, and hand delivered to boston, i'm not sure how much of this kind of fish actually leaves alaska. filled the pressure cooker with about an inch of a 50/50 solution of bianco and water, with a pinch of bay leaf mixed in, then dropped the cage steamer in the bottom, and placed the salmon on top. while steaming, the salmon was brushed a few times with a mixture of soy sauce, wasabi, pepper, and sesame oil. after it was steamed the fish was chilled overnight.
fanned the cold white king salmon over a bed of chilled rice vermicelli, which had been lightly seasoned with sesame oil. green beans were lightly blanched and tossed in a splash of seasoned rice vinegar, a pinch of coarse sea salt, and some raw sesame seeds. the salad was romaine, green onions, and cucumber tossed in a vinaigrette made from fresh ground ginger root, fresh ground garlic, seasoned rice vinegar, a little sesame oil, canola oil, lime juice, soy sauce, a little wasabi, honey, dry anise, and cinnamon. the salmon had the most incredible flavor and the entire meal ended up costing less than $2.
[photo: trisha]
fresh lime meringue and berry dessert
needed something terrible for the body following an after dinner walk. the strawberries and blueberries just needed something. there wasn't any heavy cream for whipping, but there was a carton of eggs and a half of a lime on the cutting board. whipped a couple of egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar, the juice from the half of lime, and an arbitrary amount of confectioners sugar into a fresh and delicious lime meringue. tossed the meringue on the fruit and garnished with some lime zest.
fresh garlic and thyme mayonnaise
had some leftover garlic and green onions from dinner. decided to make mayonnaise for the next few weeks. made an emulsion with the garlic, green onions, fresh thyme, salt, white balsamic vinegar, an egg yolk, 3/4c. of canola oil.
Monday, July 28, 2008
roasted garlic and fresh thyme focaccia
acquired a lot of garlic and fresh thyme at haymarket this weekend. roasted up a bulb of the garlic and chopped the thyme and added it to 7g of yeast, 350g of sifted flour, 1/3 cup of EVO, a few large tablespoons of sea salt, 2/3 of a cup of room temp water. let it prove a couple of times, brushed it with EVO, tossed some more fresh thyme on top and tossed it in the oven for 20min.
Friday, July 25, 2008
totally broke: beets beet greens and tvp patties
finally figured out the trick with tvp (textured vegetable protein). rehydrated the tvp with some boiling water, then squeezed all of the water out with cheesecloth and placed in a mixture of beaten egg, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, onions, worcester sauce, and a little oil, and the tvp sponged it all up, then added a shake of pankos, and a spoon of flour to help with the cohesion. used a container lid to shape the tvp into patties and baked them. beets were boiled then tossed in butter, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. beet greens were cooked like collared greens, sauteed in a spash of oil with prosciutto, garlic and onions, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, and then covered on low heat until tender. made a sweet and sour sauce with pear, lemonade, sugar and orange juice, and then added some ketchup, brandy, and a dash of worcester sauce and made it into a little barbecue sauce ditty for dipping.
[notes: almost out of the staples in the house. beets cost $1.50, everything else was just scraps at the house.]
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
totally broke: baked root vegetable and squash latke with nectarine
totally broke: baked root vegetable and squash latke with nectarine sauce and greek yogurt, originally uploaded by aarn! +23rd July, 2008+.
grated and strained a mixture of homegrown yellow crookneck squash, potato, carrots, vidalia onion, garlic, and fresh tarragon, then mixed in some flour, a dash of cayenne, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, a handful of pankos, a beaten egg, and a splash of oil, shaped and placed on a oiled baking sheet. served with a reduction made from ground less-than-ripe nectarine, a spoonful of candied cherries, apricot juice, orange juice, a pinch of salt, and a spoonful of sugar. a dollop of strained greek yogurt completed the meal.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
totally broke: tvp tenders with turkey bacon and squash medley
totally broke: tvp tenders with turkey bacon and squash medley, originally uploaded by aarn! +22nd July, 2008+.
re-hydrated some tvp and mixed it up with some diced and sauteed turkey bacon, garlic, fresh parsley, cayenne, sea salt, soy sauce, some flour, and a couple of eggs, shaped them and tossed them on a baking sheet, then brushed with a mixture of sesame oil and soy sauce. made a quick barbecue sauce with some ketchup, maple syrup, worcester sauce, and brandy, and also a spicy honey mustard, for dipping. sauteed some homegrown zucchini and yellow squash in some olive oil, fresh tarragon, and garlic chives from a garden.
Monday, July 21, 2008
totally broke: lightly sauteed fresh zucchini and curried quinoa
totally broke: lightly sauteed fresh zucchini and curried quinoa, originally uploaded by aarn! +21st July, 2008+.
got some fresh zucchini which tasted like butter when it was raw, let it sit in some seasoned rice vinegar, garlic, cracked pepper, sea salt, and a pinch of sugar, and then lightly sauteed until warm. soaked some quinoa with some lentils, mung beans, and some dried black trumpet mushrooms, for a few hours, then strained it and boiled it up with some garlic, sherry vinegar, curry powder, basil, and sundried tomatoes.
totally broke: peppered salami and pickle sicilian 'zah
totally broke: peppered salami and pickle sicilian 'zah, originally uploaded by aarn! +21st July, 2008+.
yeah, it sounds gross, but it was actually delicious! made some pizza dough with some yogurt and oregano, let prove once on it's own and then once in the baking sheet. topped the dough with a tapenade-like mixture of red onions, garlic, dill, parmesan flakes, and olive oil, and the peppered genoa salami. then after it was all baked up nice, added the large kosher pickle slices and topped with some shavings of parmesan.
mellon-balled gimlet
it was so hot out that we decided to sit inside, watch horror movies, and drink. after lugging the most delicious watermelon, two jugs of organic limeade, a handle of gin, and a 20lb bag of ice on my bike in 100-degree heat, this was most refreshing. just put the limeade on the rocks with a generous dose of gin and topped with some balls of watermelon.
totally broke: bbq ribs and quinoa-spinach mash
found some ribs in the freezer from the last rib meal, bbq-ed them with some molasses, vinegar, oil, and ketchup. had a bag of some old spinach, chopped that up and added it to some quinoa, with garlic, and onions, and some of that sherry vinegar, bay leaf, and probably some other stuff, turned into some righteous slop, but tasted good.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
spicy tuna and cucumber sushi
made some sushi rice the appropriate way (with a sushizu mixture), rolled some tuna, cucumber, sesame seeds, avocado, and some homemade spicy mayonnaise, in a seaweed wrapper. also made some with just cucumber and a few nigiri things with the extra tuna.
[photo: trisha]
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
tender grilled lamb leg with mint and saffron sauce and citrus salad
tender grilled lamb leg with mint and saffron sauce and citrus salad, originally uploaded by aarn! +16th July, 2008+.
grilled a steak of lamb leg basting it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, sliced it up and served with a simple syrup and white balsamic sauce infused with fresh chopped mint and saffron (let it chill out in the fridge for about 24hrs). salad was romaine hearts (as usual), cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, peaches, strawberries, and blue cheese. the dressing was a vinaigrette of apricot juice, seasoned rice vinegar, fresh garlic, greek yogurt, and canola oil, with some panko breadcrumbs and grated romano for texture/thickening.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
flaky crispy scallops over balsamic reduction with a light citrus salad
flaky crispy scallops over balsamic reduction with a light citrus salad, originally uploaded by aarn! +15th July, 2008+.
pan seared some scallops which had been tossed in flour, tony chachere's creole seasoning, and cayenne, until crispy and brown, served over the balsamic and grand marnier reduction [3:1] (which has been kicking it in my fridge all syrupy-like and making everything so delicious). the salad was romaine hearts, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, and slices of orange and strawberries. the dressing was a vinaigrette made from fresh squeezed orange juice, seasoned rice vinegar, fresh garlic, a splash of canola oil, and some shavings of romano cheese, blended until thick.
[notes: gorgonzola or a stinky blue cheese would have made this salad unbeatable][photo: trisha]
Monday, July 14, 2008
live poultry, fresh killed
i rolled past this place in east cambridge when looking for a new place to live yesterday. i would totally get my poultry there.
prosciutto on melon with balsamic reduction
laid some thick slices of melon over a reduction of balsamic and grand marnier (3:1), topped with some large crystal sea salt and placed some slices of prosciutto on top. served with a salad of romaine hearts, cucumber, and tomatoes, tossed in some of the garlic dill and balsamic mayo.
baked sole in white wine with mushrooms and olives
sauteed some shallots in oil withe a few slices of prosciutto and then seared a few fillets of sole, then added lemon zest, garlic, oyster mushrooms, black trumpet mushrooms, chopped artichoke hearts and olives, and a fair amount of white wine, put in the oven and let reduce.
[note: would have been much better with chicken, the sole didn't hold up that well. also, using less wine with chicken stock and reducing would have made the flavor much better.]
tomato and basil salad
tomato, basil, feta, a little olive oil, and a splash of balsamic and grand marnier reduction (3:1)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
homemade garlic dill balsamic mayonnaise
whipped up a jar of mayonnaise with garlic and dill, used the balsamic as the acidic agent in the emulsion and thickened with vegetable oil. really good to have a jar of this around, good for sandwiches and also very nice as a dressing for salads (very concentrated, only a little bit is needed, this jar has been used for two sandwiches, some snacking, and two large salads, and there's still some left!)
panko crusted chicken, cumin-apple rice, and spinach salad
panko crusted chicken, cumin-apple rice, and spinach salad, originally uploaded by aarn! +10th July, 2008+.
it was raining out, so the chicken was coated in pankos and sauteed in some vegetable oil on pretty high heat. the brown basamati rice was cracked and cooked with onions, ginger, lemon zest, cumin, tomato, cubed apple, and some sherry. the salad had cucumbers, onion, and cranberries, and was tossed in a black bean and corn dressing. a little strained greek yogurt on the side too.
smoked salmon garlic dill balsamic salad
salad had onions, dried cranberries, feta, and tomatoes, tossed in some of the garlic dill balsamic mayonnaise, diluted by the moisture on the romaine, topped with some slabs of smoked salmon. roasted eggplant dip and tzatziki made by theo at zoe's of cambridge, served with some grilled pitas.
pork ribs and grilled fruit/vegetables
brushed a rack of pork ribs with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and a little honey as they grilled. skewers with marinated white and baby portobello mushrooms, red peppers, and pineapple.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
chicken and sauteed spinach
sauteed some finely chopped vidalia onions in sherry, added garlic, tomatoes, thyme, lemon juice and zest, and basil, and then steamed some fresh spinach on top. served with a few grilled tenders of chicken, and a couple shavings of romano.
stuffed mushrooms
trisha stuffed some mushrooms with butter, horseradish cheddar, and basil, topped with some romano and baked.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
seasoned cucumber summer sandwich
whipped up a batch of hearty homemade mayonnaise with large grain german mustard, spread that on a few slices of jessica's tuscan pane with some cucumbers which were tossed in some salt, pepper, olive oil, and orange muscat champagne vinegar, tomatoes, vidalia onions, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and raddish greens.
grilled steak sandwich, too big to eat
molasses and garlic marinated and grilled angus black steak and sirloin placed between a couple slices of jessica's tuscan pane, topped with horseradish cheddar, wedges of granny smith apple, grilled sweet vidalia onion, fresh bitter raddish greens, and smeared with a crunchy whole grain german mustard.
[horrible photo...my camera started to suck again...stupid blue plate is ruining my steez]
something light and delicious
trisha tossed a large tomato from johnnie's market in balsamic and olive oil and sprinkled salt, pepper, and green onions on top. the perfect thing to wash down a heavy steak sandwich on a muggy day.
blackberry crumble
maddie made a delicious blackberry and raspberry crumble with a broken molasses cookie and oatmeal topping, served with french vanilla ice cream. this was fantastic.
grecian earth and turf
a fage strained greek yogurt, garlic, cucumber, and mint sauce was applied to a spinach salad with green onions and hard-boiled egg. grilled portobello mushrooms and a slice of grilled sirloin accompanied the salad. the idea was that the sauce would just be on everything, and that's how it was.
[the inspiration for the sauce came from both a labanese yogurt cucumber and mint sauce, and a normal greek tzatziki sauce. the hard-boiled egg idea came from a french co-worker from years ago who told me that on hot days he enjoyed chilled hard-boiled eggs in a yogurt and garlic sauce]
curried stuffed red pepper
made some curried brown basmati rice with cloves, garlic, onions, and turmeric, added some fresh tomatoes and green onions and spooned it into a fresh red pepper with romano and fresh mozzarella in the bottom and shaved some romano on top. threw that in the oven for about fifteen minutes, just to melt the cheese and lightly cook the pepper. wasn't interested in eating a mushy red pepper, so it was kept crisp and fresh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
