Spicy Peanut Chicken

Spicy Peanut Chicken Thighs

The inspiration for this particular dish comes from Fine Cooking magazine, but the concept dates back forever - peanut stew, groundnut stew, spicy peanuts and sweet potatoes - it's African cooking at its finest.

Peanuts and spice are a match made in gastronomic heaven - and a combo I just don't make often enough. But after seeing how easy this was, I'm sure to be going it more often!

Spicy Peanut Chicken Thighs

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter - smooth or chunky
  • 2 hot peppers, minced (or to taste)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 skinless chicken thighs - bone-in or out
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 head baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • olive oil

Thoroughly combine the peanut butter, chiles, 2 tbsp olive oil oil, the lemon juice, 2 tsp. of the garlic, and salt to taste.

Place chicken in marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the onion and the remaining garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes bok choy, and tomatoes, and cook about 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place on top of the tomatoes, spooning marinade on top of each. Scatter the peanuts over the chicken, and then transfer the skillet to the oven.

Cook until the chicken is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

 

 


Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Individual pot pies have become my go-to for portion control. Four inch springform pans have taken the place of the family-sized casseroles I once made because the two of us could/would consume 47 times our weight in excess pot pie without batting an eye. Starting off with finite amounts has helped, tremendously.

Since watching The Great British Bake Off, I've been having fun with different crusts, too. Last month, I made a hot water crust for the first time, and this time around, I made a crust with whole eggs and black pepper. Old dog, new tricks...

The filling was a simple chicken stew using half white wine and half chicken broth, leeks, carrots, celery, fennel, mushrooms, and a hot pepper I canned last summer.

The crust was a take on a recipe I found on BBC.com.

Pepper Pastry

  • 12 oz all-purpouse flour
  • 7 oz cold butter, cubed
  • 2 lg eggs, beaten
  • 1 tbsp water
  • salt and ground black pepper

To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and a little salt into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and a tablespoon water and mix until a ball of dough is formed.

Turn out onto counter and form into two disks, wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

To assemble, roll out dough, place in pie plate. Fill with cooled filling - it should definitely not be hot - and top with second crust. Crimp and seal well. Brush with egg and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for about 35 minutes.

A bit of a rule of thumb...

If you're using a pie crust or puff pastry, your filling should be cool to cold to keep the crust from melting before it's actually cooked.

If you're using a drop biscuit, you want the filling to be hot so the biscuit starts cooking from the bottom as well as from the top, otherwise, you can end up with a doughy biscuit bottom.

Enjoy!


Ham and Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash and Ham

I was going to do some updates on the site, today, and when I scrolled down the page I remembered I needed to order more garlic powder from Atlantic Spice. I was a good boy and only ordered the garlic powder. And some more black pepper. And some reusable shopping bags. And a t-shirt. Not bad for me.

Then, I absentmindedly clicked on the link to Fante's in South Philadelphia. Mistake.

I spent the next hour going through page after page and item after item of things I just don't need - but would love to have.

I've reached the point in life where I'm trying to get rid of things - and simultaneously thinking I could use new tin springform pans, a pullman loaf tin, maybe an oval game pie mold, a whole set of loose-bottomed baking pans - and that was just in the first three minutes. Then I started getting serious.

There were a dozen pasta roller attachments that we could use because why would you cut your dough sheets with a knife if you could use a cutter attachment? And then I found bottles. I think I have a serious problem when it comes to bottles, jars, and containers, but I was able to just look, knowing there are two other websites devoted solely to bottles and jars linked from the bottom of this page. I don't mess around.

Wooden spoons. We could always use a few more - even though we already have a dozen of them and I really only use my favorite one. Okay. I passed on those, as well.

Actually, I passed on all of it, thinking that maybe we'll take a trip down there sometime soon. I want to go to Claudio's, as well. I did mention that I'm trying to declutter, not add more stuff, right?!?

We really - really - don't need anything.

Case in point... tonight's dinner.

I rarely use the stoneware casserole I used, tonight. It's a perfect size, has a lid, and sits in a sideboard in the dining room because there's no room for it in the kitchen. There's a matching dutch oven that goes with it. Both are stove-top safe with a difuser. And I rarely use them because I have a dozen other things I can use. It's ridiculous - and yet, I still look at things and think how nice it would be to have them. At least I'm not buying everything I see - I really am getting better. Really.

And I'm cooking smaller portions. I think that's actually more difficult than not buying everything in sight. But I'm getting better at it. I just need a lot more smaller casseroles, loose-bottomed cake pans...

'Nuff.

I took a third of a butternut squash and roasted it about halfway. Meanwhile, I cooked up a chopped leek, a bit of red pepper, and some sliced ham from the freezer.

Next, I added some fresh peas, a bit of chicken broth, the partially-cooked squash, salt, pepper, and a pinch of French herbs. When it came to a boil, I took it off the heat, stirred in some shredded jack cheese and put it into the aforementioned casserole. Into a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.

Lots of individual flavors that all went together well.

And I did it without buying anything new for the kitchen.

 

 

 


Pistachio Risotto

Pistachio Risotto

I find it rather interesting how meals can come together around here. This morning, I pulled a pork chop out of the freezer thinking I'd grill a chop and probably serve it with mashed potatoes and peas. Simple and basic.

While moving things in the cupboard, I saw a jar of Pistachio Spread I had bought from Eataly back in October. The wheels started turning and I thought that maybe a pistachio mashed potato would be fun. And then I looked up and saw the carnaroli rice and knew I was going to be making a pistachio risotto. I mean... how bad could it possibly be?!?

What was once to be a grilled pork chop was cut in half and became pork cutlets - pounded, dredged in flour, egg, and - you guessed it - pistachios - along with some panko bread crumbs because I had pulled out the bread crumbs before thinking about chopping pistachios.

It was definitely a spontaneous meal!

The risotto was very basic - a shallot, chopped, 1/2 cup carnaroli rice, a splash of white wine, about 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth, salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon of the pistachio spread. No cheese, no garlic, no other herbs and spices... I wanted the pistachio to come through - and it did. It was then topped with some chopped pistachios for added fun and flavor.

The cutlets were equally easy. Flour, egg, and then bread crumbs mixed with crushed pistachios and a bit of salt and pepper, fried off in a bit of olive oil. They were topped with a concoction of lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, parsley, and a splash of white wine. Very basic and very easy.

I wish all meals came together this effortlessly.

Now... what to do with the rest of the pistachio spread that won't break the calorie bank ?!?

 

 


Chili

Chili

I've been craving chili for a while, now. Back when Victor had to travel for work - and before Nonna moved in - I would live on chili dogs and chili burgers while he was gone. It's been many years since I was able to do that, but bad eating habits die hard.

I started today's chili right around noon - I wanted a nice, long simmer - and it didn't disappoint. I started off by soaking a pound of cranberry beans overnight. While I really have no qualms about using canned beans, dried beans are cheap - really cheap. Cranberry beans are not the most traditional bean to use, but they're a bit thick skinned and hold up to some rigorous cooking.

Into the dutch oven went a chopped onion, a chopped bell pepper, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. When it was starting to look good, I added a pound of ground beef - 80/20 - and the spices - chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, Goya sazón, cayenne pepper, mixed chili powder and some salt and pepper. I don't have actual amounts because over time, i added more of this and that...

When the beef was cooked, I added some beef broth that was in the 'fridge, some tomato sauce that was in the 'fridge, and a can of diced tomatoes, and brought it all to a boil. I covered the pot, reduced the heat, and let it simmer for a couple of hours.

Meanwhile, I cooked the beans.

When the beans were cooked, I drained them and added them to the chili mixture and let it all simmer together for another hour.

The end result was a pretty good batch of chili.

 


Pork Pie

Pork Pies

In keeping with my current obsession with The Great British Bake Off, I decided Pork Pies were needed for dinner, tonight. They're not exactly a traditional British recipe, but I'm not exactly British, either. I guess they were more along the lines of my interpretation of a British Pork Pie.

It's been fun, because British cuisine is not something I have ever really studied. I've been to London and I've eaten some really excellent pub food, and I've made some excellent Christmas puddings, but other than an occasional something here or there, that's about it.

When I bought the ale for the Steak and Ale pies the other day, I bought a 4-pack, so I have British ale in the house. I'm no longer much of a beer drinker, so a few cans of British ale means I should be cooking something with it.

I'm up for the challenge.

I decided to go with a potato topping instead of a pastry crust because we also had little pies this week made with the leftover filling and pastry from the steak and ale pies. The filling was made with stuff in the house - my favorite kind of cooking.

Not Exactly British Pork Pies

For filling

  • 6 oz pork chop, diced
  • 4 oz ham, diced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 oz peas
  • 8 oz British Ale
  • 8 oz chicken broth
  • thyme
  • salt
  • pepper

For topping

  • 1 potato, peeled and boiled
  • 1 pat butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 oz grated parmesan cheese
  • garlic powder
  • salt and pepper

Dredge pork chunks in flour. Saute in batches in a medium sauce pan until browned. Set aside.

Add onion and celery to pot and cook until onion begins to get translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Add a bit of the ale to loosen up the fond on the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the ale, the carrots and mushrooms. Add the diced ham.

Add the seasonings and just enough broth to make sure everything is covered.

Bring to a boil, cover, and then place in a 300°F oven for 2 hours.

At the end of 2 hours, remove from oven and stir in peas.

Place in individual casserole dishes or in a single oven-proof casserole dish.

Make topping.

Mash or rice the potatoes and then add butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix well. Add egg yolk and mix well. Stir in cheese and - you guessed it - mix well.

Pipe or spread on top of filling and place in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until browned.

They came out pretty good - lots of rich flavor and they didn't need any additional thickening.

And I still have two 475ml cans of ale...

I wonder what will be next.....

 

 

 

 

 


Chicken and Chorizo with Pasta

Wednesday Macaroni

I was reading through my twitter feed, today, and came across a really great article by Ellie Slee entitled The Joy of Cooking Without Pictures. The tagline that made me click the article was "Here I am writing about how Instagram ruined cooking for me and weird old cookbooks with no pictures helped me get my kitchen groove back."  I immediately got what she was talking about.

I see food pictures that are so flippin' perfect that no human could have possibly made them - or, at least not in my house. I get perfect picture-taking. I get the art of photography. What I don't get is the picture taking precedence over the product.

Back in my hotel opening days, we'd always have photographers coming in taking pictures for brochures and ads and the like. They were always perfect people in perfectly-fitting clothes and perfect smiles sitting at perfectly-set tables with perfect drinks and plates in front of them. Okay. The hotel is selling illusion, it's selling style, in some cases, it's even selling dreams. I get that. But what always set me off was when it came to photographing plates and tray set-ups for the cooks and Room Service staff. These were supposed to be tools for the staff - to make sure the trays went up properly with the right items, condiments, and the like. I would set the trays up and then the photographer would come over and completely rearrange things, add stuff, take away stuff - all to take a lovely staged picture. It could really be a battle constantly asking them to take the picture I had set up - and to stop trying to make it the cover photo of Gourmet Magazine.

As Ms Slee explains in her article, cook book photos and other food photos can really be intimidating for a home cook. They're setting up a level of perfection that often can't be achieved, causing unmet expectations and feelings of inadequacy. It can flat-out want to make a person stop cooking.

Or, as in the case of Ms Slee, it can change how you cook and change your expectations. Cooking without pictures. Opening up a copy of Joy of Cooking - and just following the recipe can be totally liberating. There is no preconceived notion of what a recipe has to look like. You get to make it and allow it to come out however it does.

I get wanting to take good pictures. I do it numerous times a week - and sometimes the pictures are stellar and other times, not so stellar. I think the difference with us, though, is the pictures aren't staged. It's a snapshot - usually on the kitchen island - of what we're  having for dinner. Sometimes I'm a bit sloppy in the dishing-up, sometimes there's a bit of smudge on the rim of the plate. It's Wednesday dinner at our house, not a Michelin 5 Star property.

The whole idea of this blog is to share food ideas. Yes, there are pictures, and often even recipes. More often than not, though, it's a picture with a description of what I did - not a step-by-step with measured ingredients and chiseled-in-stone time frames. I don't cook that way. I read recipes and then figure out what I'm going to do with it - which is rarely following it to the letter.

I think cooking is supposed to be fun, impromptu. I don't think it's supposed to be a chore, and I really don't think it's supposed to be an ordeal trying to make something look or taste like what someone else did. It should be about you.

And right now, it's about me and what I did for dinner, tonight.

I picked up a bag of pasta at Trader Joe's over the holidays and it's been sitting in the cupboard ever since. Tonight, it became dinner. I had a chicken breast and a single fresh chorizo sausage to start.

I diced the chicken and crumbled the sausage. into the skillet they went. When they were mostly cooked, i took them out and into the skillet went a diced fennel bulb, a small diced onion, and a minced clove of garlic.

Into the pan went some smoked paprika, a bit of cumin, and some S&P.

I added the meat back in and then added about a cup of red wine. Then, because I thought it needed something else, some olive tapenade that was in the 'fridge and a bit of cayenne to jack up the heat - the chorizo wasn't quite as spicy as I had hoped.

I brought it all to a simmer and let it cook while I boiled the pasta.

The drained pasta went into the pan along with a bit of grated cheese, and dinner was served - with a picture to prove it!

Read the article - link above - and then get into the kitchen and cook something.

 

 


Butternut Squash

Stuffed Butternut Squash

I was rooting around the 'fridge this morning and found the last of the beef and ale filling from the other day. It was really good, but not quite enough for another dinner. It was also too good to toss. My solution was to incorporate it into a new meal!

Playing with leftovers is always fun - creating a new meal out of an old one can take a bit of thought and/or creativity. My thought, today, was to take a butternut squash and stuff it with the leftovers. I mean... why not?

I chose the smallest squash I could find, since I didn't need any more leftovers, and sliced it in half, seeded it, and then baked it, covered, at 350°F for an hour. Meanwhile, I added a bit of cubed potato and some frozen mixed vegetables to the beef and ale to stretch it.

When the squash was cooked through, I did a few slits in it and spread on a tad bit of butter and some S&P. The hot filling went into the seed hole, and the rest, as they say, is history...

The squash and the filling went perfectly together. On the side, we had little beef and ale hand pies made from the original leftover pie pastry.

Quick, easy, fun, and filling.

And with two less containers in the 'fridge... Life is good.


Chicken and Lentils

Happy Birthdays and Harrowing Hospitals

Thirty-nine years ago, today, my niece, Erin was born. My sister, Arlene, and her husband, Tim, had moved back to Tim's hometown of Jena, Louisiana about a year before, so my mom flew back to give her a hand with the new baby. Arlene and Tim already had their hands full with Jacob, who was a rambunctious couple of months past two, and after raising six of her own, mom knew how to get things organised.

I was living up at Lake Tahoe, a restaurant manager at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe, and living in a great house with Michael, Susan, and Clare. In those pre-email, cell phone, and texting days, we weren't involved in the day-to-day minutiae of everyone. I called home once every week or two and caught up on the latest round of gossip or family drama. I knew mom had flown back to Louisiana and that Arlene was due any day. I'd get a call when the baby was born.

The call I did get that day sent me - and the entire family - into a tailspin.

Pop was a San Francisco Fire Fighter and, in 1980, was Director of Training. He had his own red car - and could drive it like Mario Andretti when heading to a fire. Back when he was in the Rescue Squad, he was given the task of driving the new Lieutenants - always shooting down the wrong way on California Street, siren blaring, running the red lights all the way down - and scaring them shitless. The man had fire-fighting in his blood - his grandfather had been Fire Chief of Omaha, Nebraska - and he had no qualms being the first one into a burning building. He was also slightly crazy.

That morning, there was a 5-alarm fire downtown - and he was there. He wasn't actively fighting the fire, he was loading and exchanging Scott air packs - doing his part and being part of the action. In the middle of it all, he had a massive heart attack.

It was a quiet Tuesday at the lake. I was at work when I got a call from my roommates - call home, right away. I wasn't overly concerned, thinking at first that it was about Arlene and a new baby but I called and got the news - Pop had had a heart attack and wasn't expected to make it. I became overly concerned. I headed over to the bar across from the restaurant, had a stiff shot, and headed home.

Those pre-email, cell phone, and texting days were also pre-credit card days. I borrowed some cash from Michael and Clare - both casino card dealers who made great tips - and Michael drove me down to Reno for a flight home, buying a ticket with cash. I had been given a Fire Department number to call when I got my ticket, and a firefighter met me at the airport in a red car and drove me directly to the hospital. I do not remember the guys name, but the entire ride, he spoke about Pop and what a great guy he was, what fun he was to work with, some of the antics they had pulled on other firefighters... he did everything in his power to distract me from the fact that my father was lying in a hospital room, dying.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Arlene gives birth to a gorgeous little girl. My mom got the call that her husband of 32 years had a heart attack at a fire and was not expected to make it - and she wasn't there to be by his side. Leaving Arlene and the new baby - and Jacob - in the care of his parents, Tim drove my mom to Houston to get a flight back to San Francisco. He did the same thing as the firefighter did for me - talking non-stop to distract her.

By the time I got to the hospital, my other siblings, spouses, boyfriends, cousins, and firefighters galore were in the waiting room. I think I've mentioned before that I do not come from a quiet family - and this was no different. Even somber, we're loud. We tend to invade hospitals - for fun things like births or serious things like heart attacks or simple operations. We are not demanding as a group, stay out of the way as much as we can, and don't look for any special accommodation. But, we're also not leaving. The hospital arranged a room for us where we could gather, smoke, drink coffee - and probably do shots - and they kept us abreast of what was going on.

Finally, Pop was conscious, and they let us see him, one-by-one. Mike went in, and then me. Pop was sitting up, looked at me, and asked what are you doing here? He knew I was supposed to be at Tahoe and was a bit miffed that I had come down just for him. I made some sort of innocuous response, and I walked out, knowing that he was going to be okay. Five minutes later, they ushered us all into the room to say that he was back down and wasn't expected to make it. I couldn't grasp what they were saying. I had just spoken to him. He was going to be fine.

Meanwhile, Mom arrived, looking like three shades of death warmed over. She had fallen running through the Houston airport and seriously sprained her ankle. The medics there wanted to keep her, x-ray it, and give her some proper medical attention. She would have none of it. She was getting on her plane and no one was going to stop her. I think I've also mentioned that my mother could be a formidable force. They wrapped it, wheeled her to the plane, and had a wheel chair waiting in San Francisco. She was also picked up in a red car and taken directly to the hospital.

Mom hadn't slept, hadn't changed clothes, wasn't wearing any make-up - my mother, one of the truly great vain people in the world - looked like hell and didn't care.

After a while, Pop was stabilized and we talked mom into going home for a bit of rest. Her idea of rest was to head home, bathe, put on her war paint, and head back to the hospital. She walked into his room - wearing her favorite pink outfit he had bought her - and Pop's first comment was why are you limping? And then it was Arlene, baby, what's going on... You really couldn't put anything past him.

We held vigil for a couple more days and Pop finally came home - a forced disability retirement from the SFFD. Retirement was far more difficult for him than having a heart attack. Volunteering with the Firefighter's Toy Program kept him busy - but it was never the same as hanging off the back of a fire truck - or driving one the wrong way down a one-way street in rush-hour traffic. I did mention that he was slightly crazy, didn't I?!?

If I had thought about this sooner, I would have made breaded veal cutlets and dirty potatoes for dinner, tonight. That was Pop's go-to dinner, although I have no idea where I would find the veal cutlets he used to get - they were a frozen breaded cutlet with a little square of butter attached to them. If anyone else made them they would have been gawd-awful, but there was just something about the way he would make them... Much like his coffee - he would buy 3-pound cans of Lady Lee brand coffee and brew a pot that could dissolve titanium - and it was the best damned coffee on the planet. Go figure.

Maybe I'll try and hunt them down for his birthday next month... but for tonight, I made something in honor of Erin being born in Louisiana! And nothing says Louisiana better than andouille sausage!

Chicken and Lentils with Andouille Sausage

  • 2 chicken thighs
  • 2 links andouille sausage, diced
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 hot pepper, minced
  •  1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Brown chicken thighs in an oven-proof pot. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add diced andouille sausage, leeks, hot pepper, garlic, and bell pepper to pan and cook until leeks are wilted. Stir in thyme and a bit of S&P.

Add broth and stir in lentils. Return chicken to pan, cover, and place in a 300°F oven for about an hour. Check after 35 or so minutes to see if you need more broth.

The chicken was fall off the bone tender, and the lentils just spicy enough. The andouille added a lot of flavor so I didn't need a lot of extraneous spices to jack it up.

There are a lot of happy endings to the stories...

Not long after Erin was born, Arlene and Tim moved back to California and little baby Erin now has four gorgeous daughters of her own - the eldest being 18. Big brother has four kids, as well.

Pop made it through another 28 years and Erin has reached 39.

There's nothing quite like getting upstaged by your grandfather on your birthday...

 

 

 

 


Five Rice Risotto

Five Rice Risotto

Every now and again, it's fun to take a classic dish and spin it around, a bit.

I think it's reasonably common knowledge that risotto is made with a short-grained rice - arborio is probably the best known and most readily available in the USofA, and carnaroli and vialone nano are two others that I really like. The short grained rice is starchier, which results in the creamy texture that a good risotto is known for.

That being said, with a little bit of time and effort, you can switch things up a bit and still get great results.

Tonight, I used a whole grain wild rice blend and carnaroli rice. I cooked off a half-cup of the rice blend in advance - it takes 45 minutes to cook on a good day - and then combined them for the risotto. The end result was pretty darned tasty.

The base, tonight, was ham and mushrooms. I diced up some of the ham from the other night that was portioned and frozen, along with a 10oz package of mushrooms. Into the pan they went, stirring and cooking until the ham was lightly browned and the mushrooms had let off their liquid. Then I added a minced clove of garlic.

Next into the pan went a half-cup of carnaroli rice. I stirred it around until it just started to get translucent. Then I added the cooked, drained wild rice blend and mixed it all together.

Then a half-cup of white wine went in. I stirred and cooked it down and then added hot ladles of chicken broth, stirring along until it was absorbed, before adding the next.

When it was all nice and absorbed, I added a half-cup of shredded Italian cheeses - and it really got creamy. I added a pinch of salt and pepper - nothing else was needed.

Rich, creamy, tons of flavor and lots of texture.

Simplicity in a bowl.

 


Beef Stew

Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes

It has definitely turned into stew weather. It was 22°F when we headed off to the gym, this morning, and I think it got up to a whopping 32°F by this afternoon. It's dropping back down as I type.

I can tell I'm getting old simply by noticing the temperature. I kinda laugh at it, thinking about the years I lived at Tahoe and rarely wore a jacket unless I was spending a lot of time outdoors - and even then, a cheap thermal shirt under a flannel shirt made it easier to move about. I don't think I've ever owned a real winter jacket - even in Boston or Buffalo. A couple of layers of long sleeves has always been adequate.

I still don't own a real winter jacket. But I am noticing the cold, more. Time to move to warmer climes...

I thought a nice stew would be good for dinner, and then decided that a nice stew over mashed potatoes would be an excellent dinner. And I was right - it was an excellent dinner.

I made the smallest batch of stew I've even made, using one of our smaller pots just to force containment. It worked.

I started with about 12 ounces of beef that I cut into cubes. I started with half a chopped onion and let it cook for a few minutes. I added the beef just to brown a bit and then some minced garlic.

Next went in about a third of a cup of brandy. I boiled it down a bit and then added red wine to cover the meat - maybe a bit more than a cup. I added a bit of salt and pepper, put a lid on, lowered the heat, and let it simmer for about 2 hours.

The house filled with the most fabulous aroma.....

About an hour before serving, I cut up a carrot and 2 stalks of celery and added them in, along with 8 ounces of assorted mushrooms.

The lid went back on and I let it all simmer away.

Finally, I thickened the broth with a bit of flour and cornstarch mixed together with a bit of water.

It went atop a single russet potato - unpeeled - that I boiled and mashed. Nothing fancy - just butter and milk and a pinch of S&P.

Victor's going to make a batch of lentil soup tomorrow and there may be some chicken pot pies in our future. If the weather is going to be cold, I'm going to make sure there's plenty of warm food to keep me from going out and buying a jacket I really don't need.

Besides, I don't know what size to buy, anymore...

 

 


Pork and Apple Stew

Pork Stew with Apples

Brrrr... it's cold, outside. It's that biting cold that seems to go right through ya. And there's rumor of a bit of snow on the way, too. Nothing major - 2"-3" - but I'm sure it's enough to send the crazies out for milk, bread, and eggs. I am sooooo glad I don't have to deal with that, anymore!

There's something about snow that really does send some people right over the top, around here. The panic buying has just never made sense to me. People shop like they're going to be stranded for weeks. In the 18 years we have lived back here, I can count on one hand the amount of times we've been stuck in the house for 24 hours. Even the years I lived at Lake Tahoe - where it really snows - I never saw the panic buying I've see here.  Add the Philadelphia Eagles Playoff Game tomorrow into the equation, and I'm really glad I'm retired!

It boggles the mind...

So... cold outside means warm inside. Warm inside means a nice stew. My original thought was to make a posole, but I saw a recipe for a Peruvian pork and apple stew that really sounded interesting. Interesting won.

The recipe I saw came from Mark Bitman at the NY Times. As is typical, I used it as a starting off point, but didn't actually make his recipe. If you subscribe to the NY Times Cooking, here's his recipe: Pork Stew with Chiles, Lime, and Apples.

Pork and Apple Stew

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork stew meat cut into 2" chunks
  • 2 apples, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • pinch cloves
  • 1 very hot pepper, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can diced green chiles
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 cup key lime juice
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Brown pork in an oven-proof pan. Add  onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chili powder, cloves, and minced pepper and cook a moment to get rid of the raw flavor.

Add the canned chiles, broth, and lime juice. Bring to a boil.

Stir in apples.

Cover, remove from heat, and place in a 275°F oven for about 3 hours.

Serve with rice.

This really did come out good. I used a really hot chili pepper and it was perfectly balanced with the apple and the lime. the pork was fall-apart tender, and the apples just sorta melted into everything.

The rice was out of a box - Goya Rice and Black Beans. Sometimes ya want something easy, ya know?!?

There's leftovers for tomorrow's lunch if we want - it would be good wrapped in a tortilla while watching the snow fall.

Stay warm. We are.