We were jetlagged and in need of some tasty but quick and simple egg nog to celebrate New Year's Eve. This recipe fit the bill! Basically, you drink uncooked French toast mixture. But in a good way.
Maybe sometime when we're less exhausted and confused about which continent we're on, we'll try one of those egg nog recipes which has you separate the eggs and beat the yolks and whites separately.
Also all the recipes we found said you should chill the egg nog before serving but I always think of egg nog as a warm drink. Plus, the flat was freezing. So we warmed the nog in a pan before drinking, making sure it didn't get too hot (so as not to cook the eggs).
Happy New Year! (glug, glug)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 oz bourbon (or rum)
Beat eggs with wire whisk. Add milk and sugar. Beat some more. Add vanilla, nutmeg and booze. Beat a bit more. Chill and serve cold, or heat gently in a pan and serve warm-ish.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Monday, 22 December 2008
Molasses crinkles
It's Christmastime and though I haven't had much time to bake, I did find a few minutes after decorating the tree to make a batch of these molasses crinkles.
These are the best cookies - chewy, sweet, gingery. I've made them for cookie exchanges, for colleagues, for friends, for Friday night poker games - and they are always a hit. I get asked for the recipe more often than anything else I bake or cook.
It's an old family recipe, adapted here by sister Liz (baker and chef extraordinaire). The original called for Crisco (ewww) and less ginger, revealing its Midwestern roots.
If you like ginger, you can add some diced-up crystallised ginger (mix it in with the wet ingredients right before you add the flour). But for first-timers I suggest you enjoy them in their 'classic' state.
5 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp molasses (I use blackstrap)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Extra white sugar
Preheat oven to 350F/175C/160C fan.
Soften butter to room temperature (or melt and freeze in a bowl for 10 mins). Mix in oil. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg. Mix well. Mix in molasses.
In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and spices.
Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients. The dough will be fairly stiff.
Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into small balls - about 2 inches in diameter - and roll them in white sugar before placing them on the cookie sheets. Allow plenty of space between the cookie balls as the cookies will flatten as they cook.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Make sure they are fully cooked.) Remove from oven. Cool on pan for a couple minutes, then move to a wire rack. Let cool completely - then enjoy!
Makes aboout two dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.
These are the best cookies - chewy, sweet, gingery. I've made them for cookie exchanges, for colleagues, for friends, for Friday night poker games - and they are always a hit. I get asked for the recipe more often than anything else I bake or cook.
It's an old family recipe, adapted here by sister Liz (baker and chef extraordinaire). The original called for Crisco (ewww) and less ginger, revealing its Midwestern roots.
If you like ginger, you can add some diced-up crystallised ginger (mix it in with the wet ingredients right before you add the flour). But for first-timers I suggest you enjoy them in their 'classic' state.
5 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp molasses (I use blackstrap)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Extra white sugar
Preheat oven to 350F/175C/160C fan.
Soften butter to room temperature (or melt and freeze in a bowl for 10 mins). Mix in oil. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg. Mix well. Mix in molasses.
In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and spices.
Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients. The dough will be fairly stiff.
Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into small balls - about 2 inches in diameter - and roll them in white sugar before placing them on the cookie sheets. Allow plenty of space between the cookie balls as the cookies will flatten as they cook.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Make sure they are fully cooked.) Remove from oven. Cool on pan for a couple minutes, then move to a wire rack. Let cool completely - then enjoy!
Makes aboout two dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Pak choy with garlic sauce
We finally made a sojourn to Chinatown to visit our favourite Chinese market today.
We sorely miss the Chinese food in San Francisco, so we've been forced to make it at home. We've found a couple adequate Chinese restaurants here but nothing like in SF. You have to be careful what you order here, or you might end up with doughy, deep-fried meat covered in jam (their version of 'sweet and sour'). Yuck. Or sweetcorn in your mu shu. Double yuck.
At the market today, along with some sauces, frozen dumplings (yum) and noodles, we bought fresh pak choy (or bak choi, or however you misspell it). This is a quick sauce we tried out for the greens. It came out OK but was a little too thin and watery, and the pak choi could have been cooked less. This is our amended recipe, which we hope will fix that.
We served this with pan fried pot stickers. I heart Chinese food!!
2 Tbsp veg oil
6 or so cloves of garlic
1/3 c chicken broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 to 2 lbs pak choy
Stir fry garlic in hot oil. Add pak choy and stir fry for a minute or two. Before it starts to wilt, pour sauce over it. Let simmer for about 2-5 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken and pak choi is wilty. Serve warm.
We sorely miss the Chinese food in San Francisco, so we've been forced to make it at home. We've found a couple adequate Chinese restaurants here but nothing like in SF. You have to be careful what you order here, or you might end up with doughy, deep-fried meat covered in jam (their version of 'sweet and sour'). Yuck. Or sweetcorn in your mu shu. Double yuck.
At the market today, along with some sauces, frozen dumplings (yum) and noodles, we bought fresh pak choy (or bak choi, or however you misspell it). This is a quick sauce we tried out for the greens. It came out OK but was a little too thin and watery, and the pak choi could have been cooked less. This is our amended recipe, which we hope will fix that.
We served this with pan fried pot stickers. I heart Chinese food!!
2 Tbsp veg oil
6 or so cloves of garlic
1/3 c chicken broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 to 2 lbs pak choy
Stir fry garlic in hot oil. Add pak choy and stir fry for a minute or two. Before it starts to wilt, pour sauce over it. Let simmer for about 2-5 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken and pak choi is wilty. Serve warm.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Reading like a writer
Finally – something about reads not eats.
Just finished 'Reading Like a Writer: A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them' by Francine Prose.
This is a good read, even if you don’t want to be a writer. As opposed to the usual prescriptive and preachy ‘how to write fiction’ books, it draws heavily on examples of fine writing as a way of illustrating aspects of the craft.
Then at the end Prose devotes a chapter to how Chekhov taught her just about every bit of advice she has given writing students is wrong. So think for yourself.
The strength of the book is the high quality of the sample texts. I was pleased to read good bits from authors I know and to be introduced to writers I hadn’t heard of and now want to read.
The explanatory sections in between the samples were by and large interesting and instructive, though I admit I skimmed several parts that were explaining why a great excerpt was great because, well, I already got why by reading it!
Best of all, this book reminded me to slow down when I read and take closer notice of the language – the words, sentences, paragraphs, details. It's made me get more out of my reading.
And the final chapter, 'Reading for courage,' aptly reminds us it's not excessive tutelage but something greater which the best authors possess.
Just finished 'Reading Like a Writer: A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them' by Francine Prose.
This is a good read, even if you don’t want to be a writer. As opposed to the usual prescriptive and preachy ‘how to write fiction’ books, it draws heavily on examples of fine writing as a way of illustrating aspects of the craft.
Then at the end Prose devotes a chapter to how Chekhov taught her just about every bit of advice she has given writing students is wrong. So think for yourself.
The strength of the book is the high quality of the sample texts. I was pleased to read good bits from authors I know and to be introduced to writers I hadn’t heard of and now want to read.
The explanatory sections in between the samples were by and large interesting and instructive, though I admit I skimmed several parts that were explaining why a great excerpt was great because, well, I already got why by reading it!
Best of all, this book reminded me to slow down when I read and take closer notice of the language – the words, sentences, paragraphs, details. It's made me get more out of my reading.
And the final chapter, 'Reading for courage,' aptly reminds us it's not excessive tutelage but something greater which the best authors possess.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Thai meat balls and cabbage
We had ground beef and cabbage that needed to be eaten. So we thought: Thai meat balls! We had all the sauces but didn't have the fresh mint and basil, which really would have been better and more Thai than parsley in the meatballs. Still this was tasty for a quick meal that used up an odd assortment of ingredients in the fridge.
Next time: Get those fresh herbs. Try other veg besides cabbage, which was fine but something else might be better. Not sure what yet.
Our Thai friend recommends the following brands for sauces: Squid brand fish sauce, Healthy Boy brand soy sauce and Healthy Boy brand sweet chili sauce (called 'chicken sauce' by Thais, though it's used on a number of dishes). We found them at a local Chinese market.
These are the sauces we use, and they are great. When we can't find Healthy Boy soy sauce, we use Pearl River, which is also nice. Also: we always use light soy sauce - dark soy sauce should only be used for colour, not flavour.
Meatballs:
625g ground beef
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 c fresh parsley (much better to use fresh mint and basil)
ground black pepper
3 Tbsp veg oil
Mix those ingredients (except veg oil) together in a bowl. Form balls. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Fry meatballs for about 6 minutes, stirring so they are brown and crispy on all sides.
Cabbage:
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges
Remove meatballs from wok. Fry cabbage in all that's left in wok - oil, meat juice, ginger and garlic bits. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Taste it. If it's not tender, add 1 or 2 Tbsp water, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
When cabbage is done, toss meatballs with cabbage in wok to warm them. Then add the fresh tomatoes, and toss so they get warm. Serve with soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and rice or noodles.
Next time: Get those fresh herbs. Try other veg besides cabbage, which was fine but something else might be better. Not sure what yet.
Our Thai friend recommends the following brands for sauces: Squid brand fish sauce, Healthy Boy brand soy sauce and Healthy Boy brand sweet chili sauce (called 'chicken sauce' by Thais, though it's used on a number of dishes). We found them at a local Chinese market.
These are the sauces we use, and they are great. When we can't find Healthy Boy soy sauce, we use Pearl River, which is also nice. Also: we always use light soy sauce - dark soy sauce should only be used for colour, not flavour.
Meatballs:
625g ground beef
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 c fresh parsley (much better to use fresh mint and basil)
ground black pepper
3 Tbsp veg oil
Mix those ingredients (except veg oil) together in a bowl. Form balls. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Fry meatballs for about 6 minutes, stirring so they are brown and crispy on all sides.
Cabbage:
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges
Remove meatballs from wok. Fry cabbage in all that's left in wok - oil, meat juice, ginger and garlic bits. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Taste it. If it's not tender, add 1 or 2 Tbsp water, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
When cabbage is done, toss meatballs with cabbage in wok to warm them. Then add the fresh tomatoes, and toss so they get warm. Serve with soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and rice or noodles.
Pasta with red sauce and tuna
This recipe is nothing fancy but it's tasty and flexible, depending on what you have on hand.
It is inspired by an Annabel Karmel recipe for kids but altered a bit. It can be fed to toddlers (my daughter loves it) or to adults. It served as the basis for our first 'family meal' - where all three of us ate the same dish. Imagine!
If you don't have courgette (zucchini to you Americans) or celery, you can substitute another type of squash, or potato, or just use more carrot and onion. You could add a clove or two of garlic if your toddler is willing.
If you don't have tuna, you can use ground beef, or make it veggie, or add some grated cheese before serving for extra protein and fat. You could probably also use flaked salmon or trout, or perhaps even chicken, but I haven't tried those yet. Let me know how it goes if you do!
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small or medium carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 small courgette, chopped
2 400g/14 oz tins chopped tomato
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
150g of tinned tuna (or cooked ground beef, chopped fine)
1 Tbsp cream cheese
250g pasta (I use small star pastas for my daughter, and penne for adults)
Heat up olive oil in saucepan. Saute onion, carrot and celery (and optional garlic) until soft, about 5 mins. Add courgette (or optional squash or potato). Saute another 5 mins. Add tomato, oregano, basil, bay leaf and sugar. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer with top on for about 15 mins.
Cook and drain pasta.
When tomato sauce is done cooking, drain tinned tuna (or cook and chop ground beef) and mix in. Then stir in cream cheese. Mix with pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
It is inspired by an Annabel Karmel recipe for kids but altered a bit. It can be fed to toddlers (my daughter loves it) or to adults. It served as the basis for our first 'family meal' - where all three of us ate the same dish. Imagine!
If you don't have courgette (zucchini to you Americans) or celery, you can substitute another type of squash, or potato, or just use more carrot and onion. You could add a clove or two of garlic if your toddler is willing.
If you don't have tuna, you can use ground beef, or make it veggie, or add some grated cheese before serving for extra protein and fat. You could probably also use flaked salmon or trout, or perhaps even chicken, but I haven't tried those yet. Let me know how it goes if you do!
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small or medium carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 small courgette, chopped
2 400g/14 oz tins chopped tomato
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
150g of tinned tuna (or cooked ground beef, chopped fine)
1 Tbsp cream cheese
250g pasta (I use small star pastas for my daughter, and penne for adults)
Heat up olive oil in saucepan. Saute onion, carrot and celery (and optional garlic) until soft, about 5 mins. Add courgette (or optional squash or potato). Saute another 5 mins. Add tomato, oregano, basil, bay leaf and sugar. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer with top on for about 15 mins.
Cook and drain pasta.
When tomato sauce is done cooking, drain tinned tuna (or cook and chop ground beef) and mix in. Then stir in cream cheese. Mix with pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Pasta carbonara plus veg
My husband (aka SWC, aka my co-cooker and co-blogger) adores noodles. When asked once which single cuisine he could eat for the rest of his life, he said, "Chinese or Italian." I said: "You just like noodles!" He agreed.
This (and probably most of the pasta I'll write about) is his creation. It's based on Marcella Hazan's pasta carbonara recipe (we love her cookbook), plus some veg we had lying around from our weekly box. It turned out quite tasty.
It was also great the next day, heated up in a skillet with a bit of extra oil. Yum.
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 head of garlic, pressed
1/2 lb back bacon, cut into thin strips
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
one bunch scallions
4 sundried tomatoes, sliced thin
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
fresh black pepper
1 lb spaghetti
Saute garlic in olive oil for a couple minutes. Add bacon. Cook until it's crispy. Add wine. Deglaze pan. Add mushrooms. Saute until they start to soften. Add scallions. Saute until wilty. Remove from heat. Add sundried tomatoes.
Place eggs, parmesan, parsley and a few turns of grated black pepper into a large serving bowl. Beat with fork.
Cook spaghetti and drain. Place in bowl with egg mixture. Toss until egg mixture coats spaghetti. (Convince yourself this process actually cooks the egg, so you won't die of salmonella.)
Dump contents of saute pan over spaghetti. Mix well. Serve with fresh black pepper and grated parmesan.
This (and probably most of the pasta I'll write about) is his creation. It's based on Marcella Hazan's pasta carbonara recipe (we love her cookbook), plus some veg we had lying around from our weekly box. It turned out quite tasty.
It was also great the next day, heated up in a skillet with a bit of extra oil. Yum.
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 head of garlic, pressed
1/2 lb back bacon, cut into thin strips
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
one bunch scallions
4 sundried tomatoes, sliced thin
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
fresh black pepper
1 lb spaghetti
Saute garlic in olive oil for a couple minutes. Add bacon. Cook until it's crispy. Add wine. Deglaze pan. Add mushrooms. Saute until they start to soften. Add scallions. Saute until wilty. Remove from heat. Add sundried tomatoes.
Place eggs, parmesan, parsley and a few turns of grated black pepper into a large serving bowl. Beat with fork.
Cook spaghetti and drain. Place in bowl with egg mixture. Toss until egg mixture coats spaghetti. (Convince yourself this process actually cooks the egg, so you won't die of salmonella.)
Dump contents of saute pan over spaghetti. Mix well. Serve with fresh black pepper and grated parmesan.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Veggie quick ass quiche
We needed a vegetarian version of the quick ass quiche today for a party, so I made the same thing with two changes:
1. I replaced the bacon with 7 whole sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced, placing them on top of the leeks.
2. I added about a tablespoon of white wine to the leeks while sauteing, to add a little extra flavour in the absence of bacon drippings.
The rest of the recipe is exactly the same.
Result: Tasty! The sundried tomatoes were just the right amount of savoury and rich to replace the bacon.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Cabbage, pork and potato stew
We had cabbage and potatoes in our veg box, and some pork shoulder chops from the supermarket, so I thought, 'hey, I'll make cabbage, potato and pork stew.' Creative, I know.
I trolled the web and found this recipe which sounded pretty good, with the vinegar (I love pickled things) and the mustard. Made it last night and it was a major disappointment: too vinegary (even for me), too bland, not substantial enough. We added some creamy yogurt to see if that helped, and it did a little. It wasn't disgusting - we ate it. But really nothing to recommend it. No idea what we'll do with the dutch oven full of it sitting in the fridge.
I would not try that recipe again. Not even sure how I'd change it to improve it.
I trolled the web and found this recipe which sounded pretty good, with the vinegar (I love pickled things) and the mustard. Made it last night and it was a major disappointment: too vinegary (even for me), too bland, not substantial enough. We added some creamy yogurt to see if that helped, and it did a little. It wasn't disgusting - we ate it. But really nothing to recommend it. No idea what we'll do with the dutch oven full of it sitting in the fridge.
I would not try that recipe again. Not even sure how I'd change it to improve it.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Hachis parmentier
Tonight is a leftovers night, so I am featuring a brilliant recipe from my friend Patrick. He came up with this recipe for hachis parmentier - a fancy French version of cottage or shepherd's pie - with the hopes of recreating a wonderful version of the dish he, my husband and I have all eaten at a little cafe in the Marais district of Paris called Le Barometre (which we've loved and recommended to all our friends but which Patrick now tells us has changed chefs and gone downhill a bit - so if you try it and it's not so great, well, sorry).
My husband and I have made the dish at home a few times and it's been wooonderful. Last time we made it in our huge Le Creuset dutch oven and picked at it all week, so all we had to cook was a vegetable dish - great for when you can't/don't want to cook every night.
So over to Patrick:
"this is actually perfect timing, since i just made this for the first time in a while 2 nights ago, and i settled on the main balance proportions, which i always get wrong.
"i had 700 grams of beef the other night, which would have been perfect for the 4 people eating, but then i made mash with 2 kgs of potatoes, which was the perfect amount for the big dish i had (which would be more like 6-8 people), but too much for the small dish i intended to use and the amount of meat. so - i think 1 kg of potatoes for 700 grams to 1 kg of beef. i think 1 kg might end up *really* beefy, but some people (especially us americans) might like it that way.
"remember the british vs. american sandwich theory? in america, a sandwich is stuff with a bit of bread around it so you can hold it up; in britain, a sandwich is a lot of bread with a bit of stuff just to add some flavor. i think the same could be applied to american vs. french hachis proportions...
"so, for 4 people:
1 kg potatoes
700 grams lean ground beef
a mountain of butter
a gazillion onions
3-50 big cloves garlic
cornflour or other thickener
creme fraiche or equivalent (optional)
herbs de provence
nutmeg
milk
sugar
cheese for topping
"(i use a mix of grated emmental and grated parmesan, mixed with black pepper. traditionally is would just be emmental, which melts really nicely, but it's really bland, so i add parmesan and pepper to give it flavor. if you just use parmesan it just goes hard, so the emmental makes a good base. in england i'm sure you could also substitute some other tasty smooth-melting cheese, or add a bit of cheddar instead of parmesan.)
"so: start with the onions. slice up as many onions as you can stand. for my 700 grams of beef i used something like 6; my pan was overflowing with onions. you'll end up with something like 1/10th of the volume you start with, so don't be afraid. sautee them briefly in *a lot* of butter, just til they separate, then sprinkle on some sugar and cover to caramelize over a low heat. they should be sizzling but not browning. leave them covered for a million years, stirring every 10 or 20.
"for the mash: peel and cut up any larger potatoes (so all your pieces are roughly the same size), and boil or steam until just soft. don't cook too long or the mash comes out watery. drain and rough-mash them, then leave them hot in the pot for a while to let some of the water evaporate out.
"when they're cool enough to manipulate add the other half of your butter mountain, some milk, salt, nutmeg, and creme fraiche if you're using it (i used only 2 tbsps or so for 2 kgs of potatoes this time. probably don't need it at all). you want a rich, smooth, creamy but firm mash. the nutmeg is the secret. use not very much, but more than you think. add just enough so that you can identify its presence when you taste the mash on it's own. once it's been in the oven and is coupled with the beef, it will be unidentifiable, but key.
"when the onions have more or less melted and uber-caramelised (could take 45 minutes to an hour) take the lid off and turn the heat up a little, stirring for several minutes to cook out excess water. taste them - when they make your eyes roll up into the back of your head in onion glory they're done. crush in your garlic (we discussed this - i think just a bit of garlic - 3 or 4 cloves - in order to let the sweetness of the onions dominate, but it's at your discretion) and stir in for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the beef (and a little more butter if needed) lots of herbs de provence (way more than you think. really a lot.) and salt.
"keep stirring until the beef has all separated. i've toyed with trying to keep the beef raw so that it cooks in the oven, but i gave up on that. i think it's nicer when it's cooked in the butter. when it's all nice and glazed through, add a bit of thickener (optional) to hold the beef together a bit. i use a teaspoon or so or cornflour. taste it. it should be rich (but not *too* buttery, or the whole thing with the creamy mash will just be cloying), sweet (from the onions) and *super* perfumey (from the herbs).
"butter an appropriate baking dish (deep), and layer half your potato in the bottom. then layer all your beef, and top with the other half of the potato. pyrex is nice cuz then you can see the layers through the side. top with your cheese and black pepper mixture. i only put pepper in the cheese topping (quite a lot), but you could also but it anywhere else if you wanted (i'd say the beef sooner then the potato). put it in a hot preheated over (i do 210*) for 20 minutes or so, just to heat it through and settle it, then a blast of grill just to brown and crisp up the cheese. and voila! artery death!"
Thanks Patrick! And here are some more of his photos:
Monday, 8 December 2008
Pasta with spinach cream sauce
This was intended as a dish for my 14-month-old daughter. But alas, she turned her nose up at it. She took one bite then started chanting, "Milk! Cheese! Bread!" (Her favourite foods, along with lentils.)
Luckily it's also pretty tasty for adults. Next time, though, if I make it for adults, I will add more onion, some garlic, and maybe some dried or fresh chili, to make it a little more exciting.
This can be eaten as is, or meat eaters can add some grilled and flaked/shredded fish or chicken. Or you can have a poached egg on top.
Here's the simple version I made for the baby. Anyone with toddlers can try it on their kids, just leave out the salt and pepper (unless your kids like pepper!).
Some olive oil
Half an onion
About 500g frozen spinach (we buy this organic frozen spinach which comes in 80g cubes)
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Hunk of cheese, grated fine
1 lb pasta
Salt and pepper
Saute onion in olive oil. Thaw spinach in fridge ahead of time, or cook lightly in a saucepan with a little water. Mix spinach with onion. Steam carrots. Wiz onion, spinach and carrot in food processor. In saucepan, melt butter. Add flour to create roue. Let cook a minute or two. Slowly add milk, mixing all the while so there are no lumps. When all the milk is added, cook on low heat until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add grated cheese. Mix the cream sauce with the onion/spinach/carrot mixture. Add flaked/shreded fish/chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta. Stir sauce into pasta. Serve with grated paramesan on top, if you have it.
Luckily it's also pretty tasty for adults. Next time, though, if I make it for adults, I will add more onion, some garlic, and maybe some dried or fresh chili, to make it a little more exciting.
This can be eaten as is, or meat eaters can add some grilled and flaked/shredded fish or chicken. Or you can have a poached egg on top.
Here's the simple version I made for the baby. Anyone with toddlers can try it on their kids, just leave out the salt and pepper (unless your kids like pepper!).
Some olive oil
Half an onion
About 500g frozen spinach (we buy this organic frozen spinach which comes in 80g cubes)
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Hunk of cheese, grated fine
1 lb pasta
Salt and pepper
Saute onion in olive oil. Thaw spinach in fridge ahead of time, or cook lightly in a saucepan with a little water. Mix spinach with onion. Steam carrots. Wiz onion, spinach and carrot in food processor. In saucepan, melt butter. Add flour to create roue. Let cook a minute or two. Slowly add milk, mixing all the while so there are no lumps. When all the milk is added, cook on low heat until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add grated cheese. Mix the cream sauce with the onion/spinach/carrot mixture. Add flaked/shreded fish/chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta. Stir sauce into pasta. Serve with grated paramesan on top, if you have it.
Leek & egg fried rice
The fridge was a bit bare today, so I made a quick fried rice. Tasty and easy, although I usually add a little leftover meat or fish of some kind when we have it.
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 medium leek, cut into thin rounds
About 2-3 cups leftover cooked white rice
2 eggs
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Start by heating the oil in the wok. Add the ginger and cook for about a minute, until the ginger is fragrant. Add the leek and stir fry until wilted. Add the rice, preferably at least one day old and refrigerated to get the right texture, breaking up the rice and stir frying until the rice is no longer clumped together. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a little cold water, then pour the result over the mixture in the wok. Stir constantly until the egg is fully cooked. Add the cherry tomatoes, season to taste with light soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chili sauce.
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 medium leek, cut into thin rounds
About 2-3 cups leftover cooked white rice
2 eggs
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Start by heating the oil in the wok. Add the ginger and cook for about a minute, until the ginger is fragrant. Add the leek and stir fry until wilted. Add the rice, preferably at least one day old and refrigerated to get the right texture, breaking up the rice and stir frying until the rice is no longer clumped together. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a little cold water, then pour the result over the mixture in the wok. Stir constantly until the egg is fully cooked. Add the cherry tomatoes, season to taste with light soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chili sauce.
Curried parsnip chips
We get an organic veg box and around this time of year we always end up with a fridge drawer full of parsnips. So last night we made curried parsnip chips.
How: Washed, peeled and chopped them into chip-size sticks. Mixed them with olive oil and a tsp or so of curry powder. Baked at 200C (fan oven) for 30 mins. Made dipping sauce with yogurt, curry powder and lemon.
Result: Tasty chips but some burnt. Dipping sauce OK but left something to be desired.
Next time: Cut chips into more even sizes, or watch more closely for little ones burning and remove from oven. Do some recipe research for ideas on how to make dipping sauce better (we did this recipe before, following a recipe online, and the results were much better).
How: Washed, peeled and chopped them into chip-size sticks. Mixed them with olive oil and a tsp or so of curry powder. Baked at 200C (fan oven) for 30 mins. Made dipping sauce with yogurt, curry powder and lemon.
Result: Tasty chips but some burnt. Dipping sauce OK but left something to be desired.
Next time: Cut chips into more even sizes, or watch more closely for little ones burning and remove from oven. Do some recipe research for ideas on how to make dipping sauce better (we did this recipe before, following a recipe online, and the results were much better).
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Quick ass quiche
This is not the richest, most custard-y quiche you will ever eat. For that, you need cream (not milk), more egg yolk and less egg white, and probably more cheese. But we like this - still creamy and smooth but not so heavy you feel like you've eaten a ton o' bricks. Also we hate to waste egg whites and never have cream in the house (we use whole milk).
This features a "cheater's crust", as SWC calls it. It's just bread. You can of course make a real pie crust and that would be yummy too. I'm sure that will happen in our home... one of these days...
(Plus: here's the veggie version.)
1 leek, cut into thin rounds
4 rashers back bacon
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
Ground black pepper
4 ounces goats cheese
About 3 cups dryish bread, chopped up in quarter-inch cubes (this is for a 9-inch pie plate. If you're using another size dish, make sure the bread covers the bottom and provides a nice thick layer.)
Preheat oven to 160C (fan oven) or 375F/180C (conventional oven).
Saute the bacon until brownish. Add the leeks.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the milk. Beat some more. Add salt, basil and pepper.
Put the bread chunks in the dish. Distribute goat cheese over the bread in small chunks. Pile the leek and bacon on top of the cheese. Pour egg mixture over all the other stuff in the dish.
Bake for 35 mins.
This features a "cheater's crust", as SWC calls it. It's just bread. You can of course make a real pie crust and that would be yummy too. I'm sure that will happen in our home... one of these days...
(Plus: here's the veggie version.)
1 leek, cut into thin rounds
4 rashers back bacon
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
Ground black pepper
4 ounces goats cheese
About 3 cups dryish bread, chopped up in quarter-inch cubes (this is for a 9-inch pie plate. If you're using another size dish, make sure the bread covers the bottom and provides a nice thick layer.)
Preheat oven to 160C (fan oven) or 375F/180C (conventional oven).
Saute the bacon until brownish. Add the leeks.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the milk. Beat some more. Add salt, basil and pepper.
Put the bread chunks in the dish. Distribute goat cheese over the bread in small chunks. Pile the leek and bacon on top of the cheese. Pour egg mixture over all the other stuff in the dish.
Bake for 35 mins.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Recent reads
Books I've read recently (this is to help me remember):
- Out of Breath, The Story of You and Something Might Happen by Julie Myerson
[The first one was for my book group and then I got the others cause I liked her writing. And I needed some easy, addictive reads during my baby's first year. Very readable, not overly challenging, page turners, yet more unusual than that description sounds. My fave was Out of Breath - nice sharp dialogue and great kid characters, especially five-year-old Mouse.] - Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
[So disappointing. The first two pages are full of energy and mystery - what happened to the rest of the novel? My book group spent the whole time talking about all the things we hated - cliche dialogue, characters who annoyed us, tedious plot, too many local references etc etc. Can't believe this was a NY Times bestseller. I guess people really do buy novels based on first two pages. Hey - I did!] - Divisadero by Michael Ondatje
[A great writer but not at his best here. It felt like he was trying something new, trying to break the rules about how you tell a story. Some great writing - soft and poetic without being showy or too lyrical to have impact. I stuck with it through the twists and turns, the changes of time, place and character. Could have been helped by better editing, though perhaps that's hard to get when you're famous.] - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
[A quirky 9/11 novel but fear not - it's good. All sorts of cleverness in his storytelling but he gets away with it. Brilliant child's voice for narrator. In the end, touching and sweet.] - Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
[Not as good as Strout's debut novel, Amy and Isabelle, which I loved but this one has many of the same traits. Stark New England setting. Simple, clear, sharp writing. Full, sympathetic characters. It's the story of a minister in rural Maine and his out-of-place Boston wife. Reminded me of my grandfather, a minister in rural Vermont and his out-of-place Boston wife. Of those tiny communities and what my grandfather used to say of those towns: "Everyone knows your business better than you do."] - The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
[Don't remember it very well, except for the feeling I didn't like it. A 9/11 novel. Lots of self-obsessed, whiny, sleazy New Yorker characters who annoyed me. Too bad - I read one of Messud's early short stories in Granta and looooved it. That's why I got the novel.]
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