WHY DID I BUY SO MUCH OF THIS, MEALS

Sometimes I go overboard. Yes I really do. At the market, when I find an item that we like, I tend to get a big package of it simply because it was fresh, in season, or looked particularly good that day. You may think that this is not very economical, but believe me when you have to make less trips to the supermarket, you'll feel that your life is becoming a lot easier. My regular shopping trips for food are now reduced to once every two months, with some shorter trips to the store around the corner or the farmers' market for fresh fruit or salad. During these trips I usually get the basic staples, cleaning items and whatever I find appealing that day. I always end up with a lot of items, usually freezable, that I can use later on. I like to call them "my strategic reserve". They help me whip up a good meal in times when I did not go shopping for a while. Lately I noticed that our rate of consumption is slowing down. We started eating less, and I feel that my strategy has to change accordingly. But until then I have to think about the triple Polska kielbasa I bought during my last trip. I had used only one of them when I bought it, and now I still have 2 to go. You also have to know that it's my husband who usually goes out and get it, to have some with eggs on week-end brunch. But now that we have two of them in the fridge, he doesn't think of having eggs for breakfast anymore. The golden opportunity came today: after Thanksgiving's meal and its leftovers, we needed something new, something different. That's when my kielbasa comes in.

SAUSAGE PUDDING

                                                   

I thought of this dish mainly because it can be considered as some kind of omelet, with all the ingredients already in it, even the bread. To be honest, I've seen many cooks make a sweet version of it on TV. The dessert version reminds me of a traditional Egyptian dessert that also uses a combination of milk and bread. But I am not that much into baking desserts, so I thought of making it savory. I thought all I needed was simply to add cheese and something salty to the basic recipe and be done. Well, it worked!! You'll need:

1 whole (14 oz) Polska kielbasa, cubed (I used turkey, but I guess any kind would be OK)

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups skim milk

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced, plus some sprigs of dill, chopped

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

1 tbsp oil

4 eggs

6 cups Challa or brioche bread, in 1 inch cubes

1 to 1 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Parmigiano, but Cheddar would be OK, or a mix of both)

Salt and pepper

To cube the sausage, cut it in half, then cut each half in two, lengthwise. Cut it again lengthwise and then slice it. Cook the kielbasa in the tbsp oil, for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the celery and onion/garlic mixture. Keep cooking stirring often until slightly welted. Add the dill and stir for a couple of minutes more, then remove from heat. In a large bowl mix the eggs, the cream and milk. Sprinkle some salt and pepper (don't go overboard, the sausage and the cheese are salty enough). Add the bread cubes, fold in the sausage mixture and half of the cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and refrigerate,covered, for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the dish and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a salad.

AND NOW, THE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

While waiting to fix the oven, I started to lose patience and got nervous: time was running out and we were getting too close to Thanksgiving day without knowing if I will be able to cook our traditional dinner. I thought I could cook many items on the stove, even grill meat on the outside grill, but what about the turkey? A first option is completely out of the question: I cannot fry a turkey..I don't have the proper utensils, nor a big enough pot, and of course I cannot take the risk of setting the place on fire, as we see on TV. I had to think and think fast. I have a rotisserie, but it's rather small, it can take two chicken, but a very small turkey. So, no good. Can we have something else? No way, said my husband. Even so, I will still need an oven. So, one day while reading the Sunday papers and carefully studying all the ads and fliers that come with them, I came upon something very interesting: an electric roaster big enough to cook a 22 lb turkey. It seemed to have many other functions, but what caught my eye was this huge capacity. The next day at work I was talking about it with my dear friend Sonia, who immediately offered to get it for me. She insisted that the store was close to her place, that it wasn't a problem for her to bring it over. She did, and I had the machine at home two days later. The next week-end I decided to give it a try. It was really big, looked like a slow cooker, probably it has also this function, and had a rack inside it to hold the turkey. I had a rather huge chicken ready to start the experiment. All I did was rinse it inside out, remove the extra visible fat, and sprinkle some Adobo seasoning inside it and on it. I set the roaster on 350 degrees, put the chicken in and covered it. I went on with my life, to prepare a nice side dish. I didn't touch it for a whole hour. Then my curiosity prevailed. I removed the cover to check on it. The chicken was barely pale yellow. I returned the cover, feeling a bit let down. Was it going to work? I really didn't know. But I decided to give it more time. I gave it 40 more minutes. A quick peek confirmed that it was done. The result? Fantastic. The meat was falling off the bones and it tasted delicious. Mom said she never had chicken like that before, "it was like butter", she said.

                                            

BLACK AND WHITE FRAGRANT RICE

I had thought of this dish for Thanksgiving, but when I told my husband about it, he insisted that I make my regular fragrant rice with nuts. It's tradition, he said. OK, can we have it today? I asked. He agreed and promised that he'll give it a chance. Actually if you know how to cook rice, you'll be able to do this. It's very easy, it doesn't even need a recipe. It all depends on your taste: you can use a little more of this or a little less of that. The only thing you have to take into consideration is the ratio of wild rice to regular rice. Wild rice tends to expand when cooked, so it has to be in a smaller amount than the white rice. You'll need:

1/2 cup wild rice
1 and 1/2  cup white rice (I used long grain)
2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture
4 to 5 baby carrots, pulverized in a food processor
1/2 small bunch each: parsley and dill, very finely chopped
1 container white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

In a sauce pan, cover the wild rice with water and bring to a boil. Add some salt to the water. Keep cooking until the rice has opened up and is al dente. You will have to add more water to obtain the needed result. Drain and set aside.
In a non-stick pot cook the onion/garlic mixture in the oil for 3 minutes, then add the carrots and stir. Cook for another 3 minutes and add the dill and parsley. Rinse the white rice, drain and add to the pot. Stir for a couple of minutes, then add liquid (water or stock) according to package directions and salt to taste. Cover  and let cook over high heat, until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to combine. Lower the heat and let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding the cooked wild rice. Stir to combine. Let it cook over very low heat, preferably using a heat diffuser under the pot, until the rice is tender and done.

NOTE: I had tried a different version of this rice before, but made the mistake of adding the mushrooms when I added the other vegetables. I ended up with a barely visible sliced mushrooms. When you add them when I did this time, they will cook and you'll be able to see them with the colorful specks of green and orange from the other veggies.

SIDE DISHES, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

                                               

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with love and plenty of good food. I know I did. We had a number of very dear friends and as one of us noted we were representing five generations, from nineties to preteens,  but we all got along fine.. it was indeed a very nice evening. I think it's too late now to give you pointers or how-to-do instructions about the turkey, you probably heard that all over the place and read it in every paper or magazine you  had in hand during the whole month. What I am proposing today are some side dishes that you may wish to consider next Thanksgiving, or even the next time you have company. It might be helpful especially if you have any vegetarian among your guests..we had two, and it was nice that they found something special to have while we ate the turkey.

On the menu: Turkey, of course, a whole tenderloin of beef with my special mustard sauce, baked cheese ravioli, Waldorf salad, mixed salad, fragrant rice with nuts, vegetable pot pie and for dessert everybody chipped in, so we had sweet potato pie with pecans, a chocolate dessert and trifle (very good after a heavy meal).

You can find the recipes for the turkey, the tenderloin, the sauce and the rice on previous blogs.

All the pictures on the blog today were taken by the children. I think they came out OK.

CURRIED VEGETABLE POT PIE

  

                                         

I remember posting this recipe on a previous Thanksgiving day blog. It was a suggestion to a friend who had to cook a thanksgiving dinner for a group of vegetarian friends. Today I made a new version of the recipe, proving once again that it is very common to cook the same recipe in many different ways. Usually I know the main idea, then I tweak it according to taste or, actually, to what I have in my pantry or fridge. It turned out that the new recipe was a big success: when I started cooking and the aroma filled the house mom got really excited and wanted to know what was smelling so good in the kitchen. Once seated, I was happily surprised that everyone liked it. Even my husband said that it looked really good and promised that he would try it with the leftovers.. I'll believe it when I see it. You'll need:

4 to 5 medium potatoes (I had red ones, about 2 inch in diameter)

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans and corn) thawed

3 to 4 stalks celery, finely chopped

3 scallions finely chopped white parts and some green

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

8 ounces sour cream

1 tbsp oil (I used canola)

3 tsp curry powder + a pinch of ginger

1 tsp garam masala (at Indian stores)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ready made frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed

1 egg plus 1 tbsp water (egg wash)

Peel and cut the potatoes in small cubes. In a large pot cook the frozen onion/garlic mixture in the tbsp oil until translucent. Add the celery, scallions and potatoes, and stir  over medium high heat. Add the spices and keep cooking until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. You may add some water to the pot if the veggies are not as tender as the frozen ones you just thawed. The idea is that when you add the frozen veggies, they should have the same  consistency as the ones cooking in the pot so that they all cook at the same time when put together. So, if you added water, keep cooking, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed, then add the frozen vegetables. Stir to combine and heat through, then add the coconut milk. Let it simmer on low heat until the liquid thickens, then fold in the sour cream. Remove from heat and transfer to an oven proof dish.

Beat the egg with the water, roll the puff pastry sheet and cut it about 1/4 inch bigger than your dish. Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash, then cover the dish with it, egg wash side down. Secure the edges of the pastry to the dish and brush the top with the remaining egg wash. With a knife, make a couple of slits on the top to allow steam to vent.  Bake in a 375 degree oven until the crust is golden brown.

WALDORF SALAD

                                                  

                                              

I used to love this salad. I can't remember why I didn't make it for a while. But lately I developed a tendency to have an apple plus something salty as a snack, or even dinner if I had a good lunch. So when the opportunity came and I had to think of something new to make as a vegetarian side dish, I immediately thought of this salad. I know I had the "official" recipe of the salad somewhere, but I also knew that I was going to tweak it anyway, so let's not insist on finding the recipe. One good thing about this salad is that the next day, you can chop some leftover turkey over it and you'll have a completely new dish, a nice lunch to take to work with you. You'll need:

4 to 5 green apples, depending on their size, peeled, cored and chopped in 1/2 inch cubes

2 red apples, peeled, chopped the same size

3 endives, sliced in 1/4 inch rings

1 heart of celery, chopped

1 small red onion, very finely chopped

1 and 1/2 cup raisins

1 to 2 cups walnuts, toasted and lightly chopped

1/3 cup mint leaves or dill, finely chopped, (optional)

2 tsp curry powder, plus salt and pepper to taste

2 heaping tbsp mayo

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

Chopped lettuce and whole leaves from the heart

In a large bowl, combine the chopped apples, the onion and the celery. Toss with the vinegar and refrigerate for 30 minutes covered with plastic. Add the endives and the mint or dill, the spices and toss. Add the mayo and mix to coat. Then add the raisins. Arrange the whole lettuce leaves around the serving platter, make a bed of the chopped lettuce and spoon in the salad. Sprinkle the walnuts and serve.

RAVIOLI AL FORNO

This is one of the easiest dishes you can make if you have company: Just get a bag of cheese ravioli, cook the amount you need (al dente) according to package directions. Make a tomato sauce by cooking 1 tbsp of frozen onion/garlic mixture in a drop of oil, add 1 can of crushed tomatoes and sprinkle some dried oregano. Drain the ravioli, then layer them in a baking dish alternating with sauce and a sprinkle of Parmigiano between layers and on top. Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

                                            

I made 3 layers, each of 15 large ravioli.

WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS, BABY

Oh yes, finally my oven is working again. After weeks waiting for the precious electronic control panel, out of the blue, and right before the storm gets into full gear, I received a phone call from the technician announcing that he got the piece and that he'll come to install it in a few minutes. Oh how happy I was to hear that. Just in time for Thanksgiving. I was already making alternative plans and thinking of ways to cook the turkey without an oven. Of course frying it was out of the question, but I had other ideas. I might explore them later, when I have the time and when we finish all the leftovers from the big day. Of course I started using it right away, just to make sure that it worked properly. So the first day we had pasta al forno, then I cooked some sweet potatoes. I still have to broil something. But that's not urgent. Yesterday, I cleaned the freezer and dug out the fish fillets that I've been harassing my husband about: I was sure we had them in the kitchen freezer, he kept opening it and insisting that we did not have any fish at all. We had cod, salmon and tilapia fillets. The choices are multiple, so I chose the tilapia.

TILAPIA FILLETS WITH VEGETABLES

                                                          

Growing up, we used to have this dish a lot, especially on Fridays, when we had the famous fish meal that included several kinds of fish, grilled, fried and "in a pan", as we used to call it. I was not very fond of it. Maybe because I couldn't digest the idea of having fish and veggies in the same dish? Maybe because they usually made them with whole fish, and I didn't like the fact that I had to fish out the bones? Or was it because they usually used a lot of oil in it? As a matter of fact, I discovered that I did not like a lot of dishes as a child simply because they had a lot of fat in them. Now that I can cook, I discovered that by reducing the fat content, I actually love these same dishes. I remember that I used to pick up the potato slices from the pan. I loved them, they were lemony, crispy on the outside and tender inside. Well, today I'm in control, I have clean fillets of fish and I can do whatever I like with the dish. You'll need:

3 whole fillets of tilapia

1 medium onion

5 medium potatoes (I used red ones)

! large carrot

3 stalks celery

2 medium cloves of garlic

3 to 4 sprigs dill

1 tbsp canola oil

3 tbsp lemon juice, plus round slices of lemon or lime (optional)

2 tbsp white wine or water

Salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Sprinkle salt, pepper and some lemon juice over the fish, and let stand. Peel the potatoes, the carrot and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Put each vegetable in a pot, add some salt,cover with water and bring to a boil. The idea here is to cook them until al dente so that they would take the same time as the fish in the oven. Remove from heat and drain the vegetables. Peel the onion and thinly slice it. Also slice the garlic and chop the celery. In a non-stick rectangular pan, drizzle some oil and turn it around to cover the bottom. Arrange the onion slices on the bottom of the pan, add celery and garlic. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and cumin. Now arrange the fish fillets, drizzle another drop of oil and sprinkle some cumin. Top with the carrot and potato slices. Alternate with lime slices if you are using them. I prefer adding only the lime or lemon juice. Sprinkle salt, pepper and cumin, and add the dill. Sprinkle the rest of the lemon juice, the wine if using it, or water. Cover with foil and cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and give it 10 minutes more.

FISH EN COCOTTE

You can use the same recipe if you are cooking for one, or two, to have individually wrapped fish. Just cut a rectangle of foil, arrange the ingredients the same way, close the foil to make a pouch, and cook it in the oven as above. Just be careful when you open the pouch, it usually has a lot of steam. Cod fillet is best for this recipe: they are thicker and will not flake easily when you transfer the content into a platter.

                                                       

Lazy and bored? That's not an excuse.

In a previous entry I told you that I was feeling lazy and bored lately. I still feel the same. I guess it's a phase that will take it's time and eventually I will go back to my usual creative self. The oven is not fixed yet, we are still waiting for the piece that the technician had to order twice because the first time, against my advice, he ordered the wrong one. I hope it will come soon, because the holiday season is approaching very fast, and, lazy or bored, I have to take care of business, so I must have an oven ready. Still, we have to eat, and we do. I thought I should tell you, as I usually do, how we are doing, how we are getting through this phase. Actually I am not that upset about it. I am taking my time. If I want to cook I do, if not, I just find some easy solution. Of course the hurricane that hit New York made things easier for me. I know, I hate to admit it, but we were from the lucky few who did not lose power, so we were glued to the TV all the time and did not think about food. How could we? 

Today I took my time having breakfast and reading the papers, then, before I ask my usual question, I got an idea. What if we try something new? I had some chicken defrosting in the fridge, so I decided to cook them in a completely different way. I decided to make 

CHICKEN STROGANOFF

                                               

Why not? We make it with beef, so why not with chicken? Is it going to taste bad? How could that be? It's chicken, mushrooms and a creamy sauce..how can that be bad? With that thought,I went to the kitchen and started cooking. It turned out to be one of the easiest meals I ever made. I started by putting a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In the mean time I prepared the chicken. Everything was ready by the time the pasta was cooked. You'll need:

10 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, visible fat removed

1 pint of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

2 tbsp flour

1/2 container (16 oz) sour cream

1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

With a sharp knife cut the chicken in strips, about the size of your finger (2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide). Transfer all the chicken strips to a large non stick skillet. Drizzle the chicken with the lemon juice, add the onion/garlic mixture, salt and pepper, and sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over it. Mix to coat. Start cooking the chicken on high, turning frequently so that it doesn't brown too much, but allowing it to cook through. When the chicken strips are no longer pink, add the mushrooms and stir until they welt down. Reduce heat, continue cooking until it's almost done. Mix the remaining tbsp of flour with the sour cream and add it to the skillet. Stir to mix and adjust seasoning if need be. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more and you're done. Serve over pasta.

You may have noticed that I did not add any oil or butter, that's because I think that thighs, even with all the visible fat removed, still have some more fat left in them. The addition of the sour cream is fat enough for me. 

                                                     

A FEAST FOR THREE

A year has gone by and here we are back at the big "meat day": Eidul Adha. We celebrate the day God asked Abraham to sacrifice his first born, then gave him a big ram to sacrifice. In this day, we do the same thing: every family starts the day with this ritual, then divide the meat into three parts: the first part to be given to the poor, another to friends and the last third to feed the  family. Growing up, this was a very big thing, all the family would come to our house early in the morning and after the prayers celebrating the Eid, we would all start cooking, eating or playing, depending on who is doing the activity and when. Of course I have kept the tradition as much as I could, gathering  all the family on this day and cooking different kind of meats and organs. Don't say ewww, some are really delicious, you just have to know how to cook them and have an open mind about "bizarre foods". But this year we decided to have a quiet celebration just for the three of us. Actually the oven is still not fixed, I have to go to work during the week, and everybody is somehow busy traveling, or doing something very important! So I decided to go with the flow and have a quiet dinner with the least possible effort. It has to have a meat dish, preferably a healthy version of something we usually have, with some vegetables and minimal work. The best choice was a beef round cooked in the slow cooker with a side of veggies. It can be the easiest meal you can cook, it even almost doesn't need a recipe: you can make it with what you have, and the quantities depend on what you like and the combination of colors that you prefer. I usually go for a mix of whites, greens and reds: potatoes, celery and carrots.

You'll need:

1 whole beef eye round, about 3 1/2 lbs, fat trimmed

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

5 to 6 medium potatoes (I used red ones), peeled and diced

10 baby carrots cut in 3 pieces

2 stalks of celery, sliced

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp canola oil

1 cup stock (or granules dissolved in hot water)

Salt and pepper to taste (I use Adobo seasoning)

All you need to do is to slice and dice the vegetables; it will take you about 15 minutes max. Put the vegetables in the slow cooker, add seasoning and mix to distribute it.

                                                    

Season the meat with salt and pepper, and sear it on all sides in a nonstick skillet in one or two tbsp oil. Make some space for the meat in the cooker and let it rest over the veggies, add  the stock, cover and set it on high and let it cook for 4 hours undisturbed.

                                                

In the mean time you can cook some orzo in the same skillet where you seared the meat, adding stock until it's tender.

Slice the beef and arrange it on a serving platter with the vegetables on the side. You can use the remaining liquid in the pot to make gravy: just melt a small slice of butter in a sauce pan, add a tbsp of flour, stir to cook the mixture for a couple of minutes then add the liquid, stirring frequently to avoid lumps. Let it simmer and reduce to the desired thickness. 

You may also keep the liquid to use later as a base for soup or any other dish.

                                       

                                            

Really, nothing to eat?

I was very lazy lately..we went through a period of "whatever and anything" as answer to the age old question:"what are we going to eat today?" So it was a multiple repeat performances of everyday recipes, nothing special: a pasta dish today, some salad tomorrow and take out after that. Maybe it had to do with the oven still being broken.  I usually don't use it that much to cook everyday. But it's still a good excuse. Anyway that was our life for two or more weeks. Now I am back to work and this gave me some energy to think of something extra to have ready for when I come home. A good home cooked meal. I didn't go shopping for a while during the lazy period, but I am sure I have something in my freezer and my pantry to help me whip up something nice. Actually I found a beautiful cut of beef and some veggies...this could be the beginning of a delicious meal.

BEEF WITH CARROTS AND OLIVES

                                               

                                               

I remember cooking this dish years ago when I first got married and was trying to reduce my husband's intake of red meat. He ate it, probably to be nice to me, but then he gently made it clear that he prefers his steak big, in one piece, and medium rare. But lately he's been open to suggestions, so I thought maybe he will not object to it anymore. I like it because it has some vegetables in it and you can have it as a complete meal. Also when you cook beef on low heat you end up with moist and tender beef cubes that everybody will love, children and grownups alike. You'll need:

2 lb beef top round steak, 3/4 inch thick

1 medium onion cut into wedges, (or a large one if you love onions)

12 to 15 baby carrots, cut in half
1 garlic clove crushed and thinly sliced

1 can (6 oz) black pitted olives

1 to 2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup red wine (optional) + 1 cup water, or 2 cups water or stock

Chopped parsley for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the beef in 3/4 inch cubes and sprinkle them with salt and pepper and flour to lightly coat.
In a nonstick skillet cook the beef cubes in the oil on medium high heat until well browned on all sides. Add the garlic, stir and then add the wine if using it and the water (or stock). Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 50 minutes. Add the onion wedges, the carrots and the olives. Let cook for another 40 minutes until meat and veggies are fork tender. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. (Sorry, we were so hungry, they didn't give me time to do this last step. We're lucky I got to take a picture of the end result!!)
I served it with some bow-tie pasta with asparagus, mushrooms and carrots.

                                                   

It's very simple: cook the mushrooms in a drop of oil with 1/2 tbsp onion/garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the mushrooms welt down, add the asparagus cut in the pasta size. Stir, then add 1 tbsp of water. Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water, and before it's done add the carrots. (You may want to slice them lengthwise). Drain the pasta, add it to the veggies, mix and transfer to a serving bowl.