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Category: Tips

Sunday Picture Post

Tonight I am getting back on track with the Sunday Picture Post on the final Sunday of the month (since I missed last month). Here is a quick review of some of the meals I made this past month that did not become posts, but were picture-worthy at least! Chicken Curry with Cauliflower and Peas over Jasmine Rice Skillet Shepherd’s Pie Pinto Beans with Smoked Pork Jowl and Kielbasa Rice Penne with Sausage Mushroom Tomato Sauce Sous vide Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Drizzle, Sous vide Parsnip Puree with Parsley and Caramelized Cabbage with Bacon Eggs and Hash Browns… twice! Double Dipped French Toast (made with slices from the No Knead Dutch Oven Bread!) Enjoy! Save…

Sunday Picture Post

Tonight is a quick picture review of meals I made this past month that did not become posts. Some are variants of posted recipes and others are experiments. Either way, the results were delicious. Are you ready to see these tasty treats? Chili Verde Carnitas Remember the Chicken Chili Verde post?  Well, it makes enough for two meals and here is how I used the leftover chili verde sauce. I made a small batch of carnitas and added the sauce for a quick meal when paired with a vegetable or salad and some tortillas. Spicy Chicken and Asparagus with Rice Flakes This dish is a twist on the Drunken Noodles I made recently. For this twist, I made the sauce from a Thai red curry paste and coconut…

Crab and Artichoke Dip

Today I had an impromptu large lunch and really could not fathom making dinner tonight. So I decided to make an appetizer. Typically this dip is a one I do for parties, but I just wanted a small portion with some baguette slices. This recipe features ingredients from my pantry – which is a double bonus since I did not feel like going shopping either! If you can have breakfast for dinner, why not an appetizer? Save Print Crab and Artichoke Dip Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  25 mins Total time:  35 mins Serves: 2   Ingredients 4 oz cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 6 oz can crab meat, drained 6½ oz marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped 4 oz diced pimientos…

Vesper

Tonight’s cocktail is the James Bond inspired Vesper. This cocktail was first described in the book Casino Royale as 3 parts Gordon’s Gin, 1 part vodka, 1/2 part Kina Lillet – shaken until it is very cold before serving in a deep champagne goblet (i.e. a coupe glass) with a large lemon peel added.  I am going to make this cocktail close to the above recipe – but as you now know how I am – I just have to play with it. I have 3 gins here: Tanqueray No. 10, Bombay Sapphire, and Citadelle to play with. The flavor profiles for these 3 gins are very distinct and will produce very different drinks. I also plan to make a slight change…

Tea Brack

Today I want to share with you a delicious Irish Freckle Bread recipe just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. This hearty whole wheat bread (or should I dare call it a fruit cake?) is chock full of flavor and delicious fruits – raisins, cranberries, currants, prunes, and dates. Moist and dense, you would think a little goes a long way – which it does – but it is also addicting; you just have to have a second slice! I found this recipe on the King Arthur flour website and loved its simplicity, but made some changes of my own. So here’s my take on this tasty Irish breakfast bread. Give it a try and you’ll agree… this tasty treat should…

Kitchen Kraziness

Today I had planned to make a Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup (based on the recipe available on the America’s Test Kitchen website). Well, sizing recipes down can be challenging and I hit one today. I ended up with what was more like a pilaf then a soup. So I figured if I have pilaf I better make something to go with it. I had a flatiron steak in the refrigerator I was planning on cooking sous vide with a healthy number of spices, so I made it a double experiment day. And guess what?  Both experiments may not have been exactly what I was shooting for, they were very tasty parts of this meal. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good!  Enjoy the…

Sunday Picture Post

Wow, I cannot believe it has been a month since I last posted a Sunday Picture Post, so maybe I will just make that a monthly feature! Here are some of the meals I made that did not become posts in their own right. Most of the time it is because I remade something I already posted (or more than likely I tweaked something I already posted!) or it was a true experiment.  I hope you enjoy these pictures of tasty meals and that they inspire you to unleash your culinary creative side! Pasta, what more can I say? Sous vide shredded chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice, a tasty experiment to become a post in the future! Spicy prawn stir fry with rice flakes – a tweak of…

Pop up dinner: Italian Beef Sandwiches

I know you all have a friend that reminisces about something from their childhood or neighborhood where they grew up. My friend from Chicago routinely grouses about not being able to enjoy a Chicago-style Italian Beef Sandwich. Being in the Pacific Northwest, he just has not found anything that claims to be Chicago-style Italian Beef compare to what he enjoys back home. So, after a lot of research I decided to take the challenge to silence his fussing and try to satisfy that taste of his hometown. Now I have never been to Chicago so I have no way to compare, but this sandwich was delicious, incredibly delicious, insanely delicious… so I think it was a success.  His take on it… a solid thumbs…

Making Kimchi

Tonight I am going way out on a limb. I have never made kimchi before, but I had some napa cabbage to use up so I thought, “what the heck, why not?”.  I found several recipes online and from them I settled on the tweaked recipe below. I have to say the process for this ‘easy kimchi’ was fun. And do you know what the best part is… I can say I made it!  Now, I wonder what fun things I can make with my kimchi later this week? Save Print Preparing Kimchi Prep time:  120 mins Total time:  2 hours   Ingredients 1 lb napa cabbage, cored and cut up into 1 inch slices 3 oz daikon radish, julienned 1…

Preparing Sauerbraten

Today I am preparing sauerbraten. That’s right, you read that correctly… sauerbraten – that delicious German beef roast which is marinated for 3 days in red wine, vinegar, onions and spices. Will it be for one?  This time, it will make enough for two meals so either invite a friend for dinner or use the leftovers in an out of this world Sauerbraten Stew. Are you ready to start?  I promise with this smaller portion, you will not have to wait for 3 days! Save Print Preparing Sauerbraten Prep time:  25 mins Cook time:  5 mins Total time:  30 mins   Ingredients 1½ – 2 lbs beef bottom round roast ½ cup dry red wine (I am using a German pinot noir…