Lunch & Dinner, Part 2

Lunch - the mashed potatoes and meatloaf were great. The celery root was great but I didn't have enough of it to enhance the flavor. And the potatoes were smashed, not mashed. Came out awesome. The seasoning combination I used was such that the cold (s)mashed potatoes actually taste good and have flavor. Or maybe the celery root affected things more than I thought.

Dinner:
a) cut chicken breasts into strips
b) coated them in a basil pesto
c) coated them in breadcrumbs
d) baked them in the oven

I made a quick tomato sauce with Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes with chopped Vidalia onions and a smoodge of tomato paste.

I didn't like the golden beets. They weren't as sweet as I would have liked. I didn't end up roasting them. But, my folks liked them.

Dessert was a blackberry and apple cobbler. My first attempt at making a cobbler. Fantastic flavor. Needed to cook it a bit more in the middle (this convection oven thing stymies me), but it was perfect otherwise. I want to do that with strawberries. Lots of strawberries.

Oh, and french bread.

So, I'm happy with it. And once my Dad got over the green chicken, he was good.

Cinnamon Rolls, Part 2 & Lunch and Dinner plans

The cinnamon rolls came out great - I drizzled melted butter over them before they went into the oven, and I drizzled some homemade icing over them when they came out. Yeah!!

I want to make a cheese danish at some point.

Just went to Whole Paycheck. Took a right this time, at the front door. Explored the "restaurant" area. Saw the bakery. Walked to the back and discovered the cheese shop. Stopped there for a long while. Picked up a St Andres and a Wensleydale Cranberry (it had cranberries mixed into it) and block of Emmental. Having a cheese shop is NOT a good thing for my wallet.

Also picked up some basil pesto and an artichoke/parmesan spread. I should not take a right when I'm at the front door of Whole Paycheck, iffen I don't want to spend the whole paycheck. Got some golden beets, celeriac, fresh ginger and limes. I came *THIS* close to buying Chestnut Flour and caught myself.

Got home and make up a cheese course for me and Mom. Grapes, carmelized walnuts, the St Andres and the cranberry cheese, crackers. Really good. Note to self: next time, I want apricot jam.

Lunch today is meatloaf because I have to make that hamburger in the fridge. On the side: mashed potatoes made with russets and the celeriac! Woohoo! Very simple.

Instead of the red snapper I had planned tonight, I'm switching to chicken. I believe I will pound it flat, stuff it with the basil pesto and some cheese and maybe bacon (? not sure about basil and bacon) and roll it in bread crumbs and bake it in the oven. I'll roast the golden beets and we'll have a salad on the side. Good deal!

Dessert will be a blackberry fool sort of thing. Light and airy and just a touch of sweet.

Tomorrow, let's see. Breakfast is out. Lunch is out. Dinner, though, is going to be swiss chicken. That's why I picked up the Emmental, for a surprise.

Cinnamon Rolls, Part 1

So, I picked up How to Cook Everything. Been wanting it a long time.

I like it.

This morning I headed up at about 6am to make the dough for cinnamon rolls. The dough is now rising in the warmed oven. At about 8:30am, I will head up and check it out. It's not perfect, but that's okay.

I would love to make more bread, as my folks love bread. I am not going to tackle the two or three loaves of sliced bread they go through each week, but dinner rolls and french breads and italian breads and breakfast breads and other yeasty goodness...that, I want to do. I have Mom's mixer. (I have mine, too, but it's still sitting in the living room where it was put in October.)

So, that dough is rising. I compromised with myself last night - if I went to bed at 10pm, I would get up early. I did, that's cool.

I intend to go grocery shopping today, so I am heading off to make some plans.

I like shopping each day to get fresh ingredients to eat.

Chicken Francese, my style

Tonight I switched to a Chicken Francese. Made my own version of the sauce -- butter, olive oil, a touch of flour, a touch of tapioca, some wine, the juice of a lemon, a bit of sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also added in mushrooms and at the last minute, a chopped bunch of fresh parsley.

Seasoned the flour for the chicken with pepper and powdered coriander.

I steamed fresh broccoli in chicken broth seasoned with garlic and lemon and we had a red-lettuce salad on the side.

Outstanding. The sauce came out fantastic. Loved it. Fresh greens. Fresh herbs. Lovely. Just lovely.

Sausage & Peppers

Tonight for dinner I picked up some garlic & onion chicken sausage. I'll saute that with Vidalia onions and three bell peppers cut into strips. This afternoon I'm going to pick up a red pepper, a yellow and a green.

We have some lettuce in house and a cucumber, so that'll go as well.

Chicken Salad Veronique

Today I made an Herbed Potato Salad and this Chicken Salad Veronique, which I got from FoodTV's Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa). The recipe was outstanding.

Below is the recipe as I altered it:

2 pkgs chicken tenderloins
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good mayonnaise (used Hellman's)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 one small Vidalia onion
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
1/2 bunch watercress, chopped
1/2 bunch chervil, chopped
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chicken in a bowl, pour olive oil over it, season liberally with salt and pepper and pour out onto a cookie sheet.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until lukewarm.

Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, tarragon, chervil, watercress, onion, grapes.

Honestly, this was fabulous, and I do NOT like to experiment with chicken salad.

Herbed Potato Salad

This afternoon, for Sunday dinner, I made a Chicken Salad Veronique and an Herbed Potato Salad. I saw both of these on Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa. I adapted the recipes...added a few things.

Below is the recipe as I made it. See FoodTV for the original recipe!

3 pounds Russian Banana fingerling potatoes (2 bags)
Celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons good dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup good olive oil
1 small Vidalia onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil
1 bunch of watercress, chopped
1 bunch of chives, chopped

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl and pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.) Add the onion, tarragon, chives, watercress & chervil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.