This week in the kitchen

Monday/29-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

The beautiful weather continues; we ate outside again. Dinner was, sort of, Buttery Garlic Herb Chicken with Zucchini (web). I used kip filets (from the butcher, which included the skin!); skinless boneless thighs would have been better. Having no fresh oregano, and being too lazy to gather and chop rosemary and thyme, I used dried herbs for all, mixing them and the garlic with some olive oil and coating the kip filets before cooking them. When the zucchini were done, I squeezed the last half of a lemon over them to make a bit of sauce. Served with the leftover potatoes dauphinois. All good. 

Three of the delicious Lindt chocolate easter eggs for after.

Started an Overnight Boule.

Tuesday/30-Mar-21: Baked the Boule this morning.

Dinner was kind of made up, the last of the chicken, half of the spinach pesto (from the freezer), and the odds and ends of pasta. (I had three varieties with about 2oz and used mafalda for the rest). Pretty tasty and a mess of color. Then a salad. Then three chocolate easter eggs.

Wednesday/31-Mar-21: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Asparagus-Ricotta Phyllo Tart* (web). The recipe is a bit odd because the picture and the instructions don't match, the instructions describing a closed tart with chopped asparagus, while the photo shows an open tart with lengths of asparagus. What I did (chopped and open) was good; don't supposed this really matters. Then a salad. Then three chocolate easter eggs.

Thursday/1-Apr-21: Yogurt on overday.  

Ed picked up groceries from both Drives after his physio today. 

Dinner was Chili Garlic Salmon and Broccoli Bowls (web), belatedly joining the trendy bowl movement. This wasn't bad. Way too much rice (for two) was asked. For after, we had five chocolate easter eggs each, finishing off the last of the packages we bought. No longer available at the Drive. :-(

Friday/2-Apr-21: Dinner was Stir-Fried Cucumbers with Spicy Ground Pork (web). I missed the instruction to seed the cukes so we had large pieces, and way too many. I'd use two or even one cuke if I did this again. The pork was delicious. Over plain basmati rice. I made extra to add to yesterday's leftovers so we can have some fried rice soon. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Saturday/3-Apr-21: Mixed up some Italian Herbs (GD). Made up some Oven-Dried Tomatoes (GD) today to freeze.

Dinner was a half recipe of Asparagus Risotto with Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (VegTimes, p294). I followed standard risotto-making procedure, rather than those in the recipe (where almost all the liquid was added at once). Added a slug of white wine at the beginning. Add all the veggies (tomatoes, asparagus, shrooms, and basil) right before the end of cooking. Pretty good stuff. Then a big salad. We finished with a pair of chocolate-covered madeleines each.

Sunday/4-Apr-21: Yogurt on overday. (Actually, can't do it overnight anymore, since the new yogurt maker takes only 10 hours to make yogurt.)

We got our meal from La Ferme Assaisonnée today. Although it was sunny, it seemed a bit toocool to eat outside. Opened a bottle of Cahors to accompany with the meal. 

We started with the foie gras, with a bit of jam of physalis (aka ground cherry).

Then I added a small salad of mâche with beets and walnuts and a bit of vinaigrette.

The main was lamb confit (tender and tasty) with smashed potatoes and aillets (wild garlic), elegantly served in its travelling dish.

We ended with  a sweet of chocolate and hazelnuts.

Progress on goals

This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 3

This week in the kitchen

Monday/22-Mar-21: Ed had a doctor's appointment at 17.30 this afternoon. We saw the doctor at 19.00; the curfew is 19.00. We didn't get stopped going home, thank goodness. 

Dinner was a repeat of yesterday, the rest of the smoked salmon tart, a big salad, this time with chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Tuesday/23-Mar-21: Dinner was Flat Roasted Chicken with Sweet Carrots, Prosciutto and Olives (Screamingly, p31). This was pretty darn good. The spatchcocked chickie is roasted first skin-down, and then skin up on at mixture of prosciutto (I used lardons), shallots, cubed carrots, garlic, and green olives. Not sure what was gained by not pitting the olives; this made them annoying to eat. I also made Gratin Dauphinois (Pomiane, p201). Usually I make the version in BEFCC, but thought I'd give Pomiane a try tonight. It was very good and easy as far as these things go. 

Wednesday/24-Mar-21: I made a loaf of Authentic French Bread (Magic, 22) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-) in the bread machine. Used all T65 (white bread flour). It's good. 

Ed picked up orders from both Drives today.

Dinner was Baked Tilapia with Spinach-Pecan Pesto (web). I totally didn't notice that this was for two, and carefully cut the pesto ingredients back. Then I added more spinach (frozen bits) and processed those till they were "done"; didn't add anything else extra. The pesto was delicious. Served it on cod. The fish adds nothing, it's the pesto that carries the dish. (What will I do with the extra now?) Served with trio rice and a shredded carrot and radish salad.

Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after.

Thursday/25-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

Dinner was Chile-Lime Pork* (web). Last time we bbq'd this; tonight I cooked in it oven at 450F (10min on one side, 15min on the second side, then another 5min on the first side). Delicious and succulent. Served with roasted asparagus (olive oil, lemon juice, and taco seasoning), polenta, and (home-made) guacamole, plus some corn tortillas to wipe things up. We were full, just two little chocolate easter eggs for after.

Mixed up an Overnight Boule in the evening.

Friday/26-Mar-21: Baked the Overnight Boule. 

Didn't get the chicken picked yesterday or this morning, and didn't feel like doing it this evening, so we had a bit of a shuffle on the menu plan. Dinner was Shrimp with Lemon & Capers (web); this was so-so. Good tastes, but the gnocchi didn't really go with the shrimp. Then a bit salad. Two chocolate easter eggs each for after.

Saturday/27-Mar-21: Got that chicken picked today. Dinner was Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry (web). I used sambal oelek, still working on the huge jar that Bill brought us once. For next to no work, this is really good. It might be nice to sauté a sliced onion before adding the cabbage. Some strawberries and cream for after.

Sunday/28-Mar-21: The ABM made some English Toasting Bread (Magic, p21) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-). Pretty loaf. Last made in December 2002. We'll see tomorrow.

Dinner was Middle Eastern Burgers (web). (Ed bbq'd and we ate outside for the first time this year.) This was supposed to serve seven with tiny burgers. I made eight, intending to have four tonight and four for the freezer. But they were so good, we had one more each and I've saved the last two for lunch one of these days. (I bet these would be even better with ground lamb, all or half of the meat.) Served with a half recipe of Carrot Salad with Cumin, Cinnamon, and Sweet Paprika (Morocco, p78) and store-bought Moroccan couscous. Three chocolate easter eggs each for after.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/15-Mar-21: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Sri Lankan Beef Smore (MJ@Home, p140). We really like this the last time I make it, with meat from the butcher, rather than from the Drive. This time the sauce was delicious, but the meat was a bit tough. It was supposed to be "beef to roast", but it was completely unmarbled. Even though it was wrapped in a layer of fat, it was not very tender or tasty. As suggested, I made with Thin Rice Noodles with Brussels Sprouts (MJ@Home, p225), allegedly a South Indian recipe, but bsprouts and India don't seem to me to go together. Since bsprouts aren't to be had at a Drive right now, I got some frozen. Defrosted them, then proceeded, omitting the first bit of water-based cooking of the bsprouts. This wasn't bad, although I'm not sure they they especially went with the beef. 

The last of our store-bought yogurt desserts for after. (They were on sale last week.)

Just updating my goals page and realize that I've got only two goals for my backlog of recipes, but there are at least three areas. "Backlog1" as I've defined it, is only recipes in the office. Actually, those are probably about halfway dealt with. "Backlog2" is the recipes in my old binders. Don't really plan to start on those till the office is clear. But, there's another group of loosely sorted recipes (lots of desserty things, but other stuff too) on the shelves. (I was working on the dessert recipes a couple of years ago, but got stuck on how to sort desserts (e.g., Chocolate, Fruit, Other with subcategories for Cake, Custard, etc. Or the other way around.) And, there's a stack of stuff to be weeded out, then filed into my MenuPlan spreadsheet. Hmm... Well, the general idea is to clear stuff out and organize what's left. I'm definitely making progress, even though not as measurable as it ought to be. We'll see.

Tuesday/16-Mar-21: Hard time today making the grocery list and order because the internet was so slow. Suspect that the Livebox may have been damaged with all the power problems on the weekend.

Dinner was a 2/3-ish version of Creamy Tuscan Garlic Scallops (web), served over tagliatelle. Pretty good, but it could have used more spinach. (I think I used more than was asked.) No dessert, but I had an Angel's Kiss (cream and crème de cacao) while Ed had a bit of amaro.

Wednesday/17-Mar-21: Made a loaf of German-Style Whole Wheat Bread (Rustic, p150) (WW/Rapid/L/-/-). Huge loaf, and very tasty.

Ed picked up two Drive orders today.

Dinner was Cilantro and Lime Salmon* (web). Easy, quick, and very good. Served with Asparagus with Lime and Mint (web) and some spaghetti court. Turned out to be an unplanned green and white dinner for St Pat's Day. 

A store-bought vanilla yogurt for after.

Thursday/18-Mar-21: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Chicken Yassa (Wilder, p75; GD). This was simple and pretty good, maybe not as good as a more complicated recipe I've used before. Served over polenta with some steamed broccoli on the side. Some mini HD ice cream cups for after.

Put chickpeas to soak for tomorrow's meal.

Friday/19-Mar-21: Cooked the chickpeas and the chana dal in the morning.

Dinner was Sour Fennel-Flavored Eggplant (WorldVeg, p195; cookbooker). I made a full recipe and we easily ate it all. I didn't soak the eggplant as asked, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Served with the recommended go-with, Chickpeas and Chana Dal Cooked Together in a Mint Sauce (WorldVeg, p34; cookbooker). Both were good, but don't see that they went together especially well. Ed wasn't crazy about the tamarind-mint sauce; I liked it. Some strawberries and cream for after.

Started an Overnight Boule with 2c T65 and 2c T110. 

Saturday/20-Mar-21: Baked off the bread in the morning. It's good.

Dinner was a halfish dose of Sausage and Peppers Pasta with Broccoli (web). The sausage was my homemade stuff from Guiliano Hazan's recipe; the pasta was mafalda. Pretty good stuff. Then a simple salad with feta and beets. 

Sunday/21-Mar-21: Dinner was Smoked Salmon, Fennel and Herbed Mascarpone Tart (web). My printout didn't have a picture, and I'd forgotten how it looked, so I put my pâte feuillettée in a pie plate. I guess I could have made a round tart by scoring the edge. The edges were quite burnt, but I just scraped them off into the sink. I'm not a fennel fan, but this was very good. Odd that the salmon and capers were added after it was cooked. Tasty. Then a big salad. Then some strawberries and ice cream.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes/no; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/8-Mar-21: I'm doing quite well clearing out old recipes. Ran across the folder of recipes I've entered into Mastercook, bundled by year, and have tossed most of that. Ed might one day fix the computer where my old Mastercook would run, but I doubt I'd enter any more recipes there. Might be nice to correct typos, though.

Yogurt on overday. Should have made bread, but that didn't happen.

Got two Drive orders made for tomorrow. I'm out and about on Wednesday, so we'll pick them up tomorrow instead of our usual Wednesday.

Used up a surplus of bananas to make The Best Banana Cake I've Ever Had (web). It's good enough, but can't say it's the best ever. Anyhow a change from the yogurt things we've been having.

Dinner was Skillet Spanakoptia (web). It was quite pretty, but my camera was upstairs, and I was too lazy to go up and get it. My filo had been in the freezer for a while, so was a bit crumbly, but filo really doesn't mind. The whole thing was yummy. I like the way it's cooked in a skillet. My 9" skillet was perfect. We'll only have four servings, when there should have been eight; that must be with side dishes, of which there were none here. Banana Cake for dessert.

Tuesday/9-Mar-21: Made a loaf of Buckwheat Bread (Magic, p73) (Basic/Rapid/M/m/-). It looks lovely, but won't get eating till tomorrow.

Made a half dose of Simple Beijing-Style Marinated Cucumber Salad (HotWok, p153) to go with tomorrow's dinner.

Dinner was a half recipe of Chicken Fesenjan (EW sep/oct17; web). I forgot the pomegranate seeds in the end, which make it a bit of a dull dish to see. Served with (store-bought) Moroccan couscous. Some Banana Cake for after.

Wednesday/10-Mar-21: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Quick-Braised Fish Fillets in Black Bean Sauce (web). I don't really see what's braised here. The fish are breaded (or, really, flour-glue pasted), shallow fried, then rewarmed in sauce. My breading was a failure, not a skill I've mastered. Altogether, the bits of fish (cod falls apart at the least provocation) warmed in the tomato-y sauce was quite tasty, but nothing I'd want to again. Served with the cucumber salad I make yesterday and Zesty Onion and Peas (HotWok, p178), both trusty recipes, and some plain basmati rice. A pair of store-bought yogurt desserts for after.

Thursday/11-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

Leftover Spanikopita for dinner; still good. Then a big salad. And some Banana Cake for after.

Friday/12-Mar-21: Busy day today. Ed took the car to a muffler place to have the mounts replaced. And about 15.30 the electricity for the house went out. Ed couldn't find the problem at first (and no dead mouse in the fuse box). I went to a neighbor and she called one and left a message asking him to come soon; later she brought the number of another one and I left a message on his answering machines, land line and cell phone. Ed finally discovered that the problem lay in one wall socket, the one that runs the freezer. He took that off, expecting to find a dead mouse there, but no luck. Tomorrow he'll replace the socket and hope that fixes the problem.

I started dinner while there was light outside and none inside. We had about a 2/3 recipe of Stir-Fried Prawns with Fresh Asparagus (HotWok, p92), which it looks like I haven't made since 1996. It was good again, served over plain basmati rice. We finished the Banana Cake for after.

Started an Overnnight Boule.

Saturday/13-Mar-21: Baked the Overnight Boule.

Clearing off the peninsula today, I found bags of dried apricots, prunes, figs, and a sack with four dates. I used these to make Stewed Dried Fruits (WofE, p388), which I made during IHCC's Madhur Jaffrey season.

Dinner was Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt Sauce* (web). This was yummy. The photo showed it being serving with sliced cucumber, but the fridge is bare of cukes, so I sliced some radishes and red bell pepper for our veggie bits. Served with some pita/kebab breads and some Shredded Zucchini (MW@Home, p87). All was yummy. Dessert was a bit of vanilla ice cream with Stewed  Dried Fruits. Have to remember to make that more often; it's really nice and must be healthy.

Sunday/14-Mar-21: Today Ed discovered the electric problem was in the lamp that stood in the cookbook area. Twisted wires shorted out. Now looking for a new lamp.

Yogurt on overday. Powercut in the middle, so I had to restart. I'll save the ones from the last batch to make the next batch.

Dinner was a halfish dose of Greek Artichoke and Potato Stew (Ready, p140). This was good, but nothing special. Probably it was the little purple artichokes rather than the big green ones, which are not completely edible. Better still would be to use frozen artichoke bottoms. The sauce was a bit thin; I think a whole can of tomatoes for a half recipe would have been been better, thus, two cans for a whole recipe. I thickened with a bit of potato starch.

For after, there was ice cream with Stewed Dried Fruits again.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 5; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/1-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

Another dish for the Facebook Cooking Marcella Hazan group, dinner was a Risotto with Red Cabbage and Pancetta (MarCuc, p224). Not the prettiest risotto, but quite tasty. Served with a salad. A pair of chocolated-covered madeleines each for after.

Overnight Boule on overnight.

Tuesday/2-Mar-21: Ed baked off the Overnight Boule while I met with my BookChatters group this morning. 

Dinner was Syrian Lentil-Tomato Soup from the freezer. And Baguette Sandwiches with Asparagus* (web; GD). A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines each for after.

Wednesday/3-Mar-21: Picked up our shopping from both Drives today.

Dinner was a half recipe of Grilled Salmon (web) . I cooked this under the broiler. Pretty good it was for minimal effort. At the market last Thursday, I scored some snijbonen. I turned up three interesting recipes from Allerhande. The one we had tonight was Snijbonen en Cashewnoten uit de Wok (web). Chunks of snijbonen (I boiled them about 4min first), finished in the wok, then warmed in hoisin. With some cashews on top. Pretty tasty. And some plain rice. Some store-bought yogurt with blackberries and blueberries for after.

Thursday/4-Mar-21: Dinner was Chipotle Shrimp Coleslaw* (web; GD). Still good, but would be better in hot weather. Served with avocado slices and corn tortillas. Some store-bought yogurt with salted caramel for after.

Overnight Boule on overnight, bread flour and light whole wheat.

Friday/5-Mar-21: Baked off the overnight Boule this morning. Not knowing the difference, Ed said he preferred this one. I guess I'll use up my rye flour and continue with the light whole wheat. Might try that half and half with regular bread flour.

Dinner was Riso e Fagioi—Rice and Bean Soup (ClassicItal, p102; rice variation, p104). I made the Pasta and Bean Soup variation for Cooking Italy a while ago. I thought I got the same kind of meat, but it wasn't; hard to tell what you're going to get when you order at the Drive. 

Some store-bought yogurt with chestnut cream for after. 

Saturday/6-Mar-21: Dinner was Turkey Cutlets, Lemon-Soy Glaze (web). This was okay. I added a bit too much lemon juice to the marinade/sauce (couldn't let the rest of that half lemon go to waste), but we didn't think that was all. Served over trio rice. Then an old favorite, Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180). Store-bought yogurt with Madagascar vanilla for after.

Sunday/7-Mar-21: I sort of had the idea to make pasta today, but that didn't work. One of these days, maybe. Instead we had whole wheat spaghetti  with Greek Shrimp (PastaMach, p136). Then a big salad. Then some store-bought yogurts with blueberries and blackberries.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2