Grillin' Weather

04-08-13-grilled-chicken

 

The Weather Channel says it hit 82° here, today. Gonna be 80+°  tomorrow. I'm rather liking the unseasonable warm weather after the cold we've had, but it's not going to stay. That snowstorm in the midwest is heading our way and we should see the mid- '50s by Friday. Or so they say. Ya never really know what's going to happen around here. If ya want to know the weather, look outside. The forecasters never seem to get it right. But it was nice - and the heater was finally turned off. Nonna had her sweater on all day, but she wasn't freezing.

I was loving it! With windows wide open and a lovely breeze, it was heaven. And heaven means grilling.

We grill year-round, but there's something special about that first good weather cook-out. And tonight it tasted extra-special-good.

The chicken was marinated in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and smoked paprika. I'm still trying to learn Nonna's tastes and have toned things down a lot since she moved in. I'm probably being unnecessarily cautious, because she has eaten everything put in front of her, but I do want to make sure she likes what she's eating. I'm funny that way.

We did have an "aha" moment with the butternut squash tonight. I know she doesn't like pumpkin and wasn't sure if it would carry over to other squash. I peeled and cubed a butternut squash, drizzled it with olive oil, garlic, S&P, and a bit of sage. I thought savory might be a better introduction. She loved it and ate quite a good helping. I was pleased because in the fall and winter we tend to do squash a lot.

I'm also finding that if I serve things family style, she will take minuscule amounts of things and that's that. If I plate things up, she will pretty much clean her plate. I had thought that serving things family style would at least give her the appearance of having a little control over what she eats, but she seems to eat better when it's plated for her. Of course, either way entails giving a lot to Cybil under the table. What can ya do?!?

We finished off the plates with some of the salads from the other night. Nonna really liked the macaroni salad. I had the bean and beef, Victor had macaroni, as well. Nothing too heavy. Perfect for the weather.

So, it was another successful meal. And we still have apple pie...

 


Apple Pie

04-06-13-apple-pie-1

I had an apple-craving, yesterday. And while any normal person would just buy an apple and bite into it, I had to buy a lot of them and make a pie. The normal person would get instant satisfaction. I get sustained satisfaction for days and days.

I win.

I just love fresh-baked pies. Hell - I loved fresh-baked anything. And it really doesn't take that much effort to do. Really.

I made the pie dough and wrapped it to set while I got the apples together. Letting the dough rest for 30 minutes or so really helps to make a better crust. The flour has a chance to properly absorb the liquid and it gives the gluten a chance to relax.

So... I made my favorite basic pie dough and set it aside while I worked on the apples.

I used a combination of granny smith and fuji apples. I like mixing apples and getting a few different textures and flavors in the pie. It's a personal preference, for sure. Some apples are better eating out of hand and some are better cooked or baked. I find that if I use half granny smith, I can pretty much use any other apple that strikes my fancy. Fujis are a sweeter apple, so they balance the granny well.

And I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I don't really follow a recipe for the apple pie filling, but I'll do my best to write down what I did. I cooked the apples a bit first, because fujis tend to not soften as much as others in the oven. And, since I didn't allow the filling to cool before I put it in the pie shell, I had to work quickly to get the top crust on, crimped, and sealed. Had I let the filling cool, I would have had the time to make a prettier crimp. Not that it mattered, though - the end result tasted great - and I wasn't entering it into a contest.

Apple Pie

  • 4 granny smith apples. peeled and sliced
  • 5 fuji apples, peeled and sliced
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt

In large skillet, melt butter. Add fuji apples and saute briefly. Add granny smith apples, sugar, flour, vanilla, and spices. Cook about 5-5 minutes until syrupy. If you're smart, allow filling to cool to room temperature.

Roll out pie crusts and place first crust in pie plate. Fill pie plate completely. Top with second crust and crimp edges to seal.

Place on cookie sheet - it will boil over - and bake at 425° for about 45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

04-06-13-apple-pie-2

Do not refrigerate fruit pies! It will make the crust tough and soggy. Cover lightly and leave on the counter. Really.


Salads and Sandwiches

04-06-13-chicken-sandwiches

A sunny Saturday - what a concept!  The perfect weather for a trio of salads and sandwiches.

The salad concept was a bit of clean-out-the-refrigerator necessity. The eating patterns have changed a bit and I'm still trying to get a handle on it all. Naturally, I'm producing too much food, because if I made too much for two, adding another person  just means I have to make even more. Never mind the fact that if I didn't increase my amounts at all, all three of us would still eat and Cybil would still get leftovers.

And it's not like I'm not trying to cook less. I am. It's just that some things have a habit of getting away from me.

Like salads.

My first salad today was a beef and bean.  I had some tri-tip left over, and I thought a little Mexican-inspired salad was in order.

04-06-13-bean-and-beef-salad

I cubed the beef, added a can of black beans and a can of shoepeg corn, and then I thought some diced tomatoes would be good, some chopped roasted red pepper, salsa... Next thing you know I have a big bowl of salad. I didn't start out making a big bowl of salad, but...

Beef and Bean Salad

  • 1 lb cooked beef, cubed (Give or take. Amount can vary significantly.)
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can shoepeg corn, drained (or any canned corn or 1 cup frozen)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

This really is a clean-out-the-refrigerator salad. You can add bits and pieces of anything you like. The salsa dressing pulls it all together.

And then, because I had fennel that needed using up, I thought I'd make a salad from the fennel and lentil dish I made a while back with pork tenderloin. I tweaked things around a bit and it made a good cold dish!

04-06-13-lentil-fennel-salad

I really, really like lentils and was rather hoping Nonna would, too. She likes lentil soup but the jury is still out on the salad. I'll probably be doing some lentil side dishes without a lot of other things in them to get her used to the idea.

Lentil and Fennel Salad

  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 1 fennel bulb, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 6 basil leaves, minced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • olive oil
  • sherry vinegar (or vinegar of choice)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Cook lentils in 3 cups water until done - about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving a bit of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, saute diced fennel, diced, onion, diced carrots, and minced garlic until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add a half-cup or so of the lentil cooking liquid and stir and cook until liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and mix in lentils.

Add basil, cranberries and chopped pecans (or any fresh herb, dried fruit, and nut combination you have) and mix well. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar to taste. You definitely don't need a lot.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

This worked well. The lentil/fennel concept can be taken a million-and-one ways - hot or cold. I see it happening, again.

And then, because I really wanted to make sure there was at least one salad Nonna liked, I made a basic macaroni salad.

04-06-13-macaroni-salad

Elbow macaroni, celery, mayonnaise. I forgot to add the hard-cooked eggs. Oh well. She didn't miss them - and she ate a hefty helping!

Macaroni Salad

  • 1/2 lb elbow macaroni
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 pickle, minced
  • garlic powder
  • mayonnaise
  • sour cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Cook macaroni. Drain and cool. Mix in celery, carrots, pickle, and a bit of garlic powder. Add about 3/4 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 cup sour cream. Mix well. Add more mayo or sour cream iof salad seems too dry.

Check for seasoning and add S&P, as needed.

Nonna tried the other two but this was the one she liked the best. There's something to be said about familiarity...

The sandwiches were thin-sliced chicken breast drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then quickly grilled. Served on whole wheat burger buns.

Nonna had tomato and mayo. Victor had lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and I had avocado, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. A perfect soft, ripe, and creamy-luscious avocado.

Yum.

Did I mention I also made an apple pie for dessert?

 


Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

04-03-13-pork-tenderloin

 

We had a bit of a victory in the Nonna-likes-and-dislikes-department, tonight. I pretty much know her likes, since I did her grocery shopping for quite a few years, but the dislikes can catch me off guard once in a while. I know about pumpkin and polenta - although she liked the polenta bites from Easter - but I didn't know about non-red tomatoes, and while I knew she liked rice, I wasn't sure about a whole-grain rice medley. I probably have 20 pounds of various whole-grain rices, from mahogany to black to a few blends that I bought prior to Nonna moving in. While I do like plain white rice, I really like the nutty whole-grain rices. And, thankfully, so does Nonna!

I cooked up a batch with chicken broth and a pat of butter and she went back for seconds! Victory, indeed!

The main course was a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin I cooked on the grill. I had a couple of pieces of bacon that needed using, so it was simply a matter of using up what was in the 'fridge. I placed it on the top rack of the grill for about 30 minutes and then set it on the fire for the last 10 or so. I didn't do anything else to it, at all. Came out great.

I think the most difficult part of having an 87 year old living with us - other than the oppressive heat - is the vegetables. Nonna is of the cook-them-to-death school. I think at some point I'm probably going to have to work out a separate set-up for us and her. But considering her likes far outweigh her dislikes, it's a pretty easy fix.

 


Sauce, Sausage, and Salad

04-01-13-pasta-sausage

 

When I spoke with Victor at lunch, he asked if I had planned anything for dinner. I said I hadn't, but he could take anything out of the freezer and I would figure out dinner when I got home.

It's kinda fun when we do this - it's like Iron Chef, or something. I come in, not knowing what my ingredient will be, and get to create a dinner from it. Granted, we have a well-stocked larder, so I don't have to think too hard, but it is fun, nonetheless.

So into the kitchen I walked, and the dinner basics were already there! Victor had taken sauce out of the freezer, along with a packet of Italian sausage, and had it simmering on the stove. How sweet it is!

I was jonesin' for tomatoes - I can't wait to get the plants in the ground - so I broke down and bought a few, along with some fresh mozzarella cheese. Caprese salad. Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. As basic as basic can be. And delish!

I diced the tomatoes and the cheese to make it easier on Nonna. She can handle her knife and fork, but, it's easier when things don't need to be cut. And in our house, it's all about easy.

It was a definite success. Nonna went back for seconds on the salad - which is always a good sign. I made burgers for lunch the day before and put slices of yellow heirloom tomatoes on them. As much as she likes tomatoes, she pulled the yellow ones off.

Learning experience. She eats red tomatoes.