We are currently in Electronic Hell. After days of rebooting (same problem that was to be solved by new DVR box) it seemed to work yesterday. Today we are in reboot hell again. Also my computer has been having problems since I hit an HP printer upgrade. I will never do that again! I have spent hours on the phone with HP and their incorrectly named help desk. The Help Desk managed to delete my ability to be wireless and then when my nephew sent me CD’s of the wedding photos; I could not bring them up. Jim could, my brother could, but my computer said the same disk was blank. We called our computer Guru. After working on it for a while to fix all the various problems, a few remained a mystery. He recommended that we take it back to Staples and see if it is a hardware or software problem. It could be that the disk drive is failing. So I spent most of the afternoon backing up things so I don’t have to pay Staples to do it in case it is software. I also found that everything ever sent to me was on the computer, and maybe that is why it is slow as molasses. I also found things I thought were lost and they are now in folders that only I can understand.
This is a long way of saying that when I went to make dinner I discovered the line, marinate for 6 to 24 hours. So we are defrosting hamburgers, Jim bought corn on the way home from Staples and we will have a salad tonight. I should have had him buy buns, but thought I could make some. Does anyone else out there have trouble with their bread machine in the summer? I set it on dough like usual when I want buns and it was a sticky mess. I kneaded the mushy concoction, adding flour for a while, and finally formed buns. I put it in the form, but they are rising laterally instead of vertically. Note to self make buns in mixer, not bread machine, the rest of the summer. Our dinner was ok. I made a spinach salad with mushrooms, blueberries, and pumpkin seeds. It was good. The burgers are too big. I wanted to freeze them in twos, but Jim wanted threes. Now he says I should have done twos. I gave half of mine to Max and Jim stuffed himself. The bread baked ok, but was flat. I am going to try the same recipe using my mixer and see what the problem is with the bread machine in the summer.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday dinner witth Jacques Pepin
Before Food TV there was PBS that brought you cooking shows. I have been watching Jacque and Julia for years. Jacque has been doing fast food my way for at least 2 years now. I was watching his show on Friday while Jim was at Costco, so I had him buy scallops. This comes from More Fast Food My Way. The menu is as follows:
Asparagus Fans with Mustard Sauce
Scallops Grenobloise
Potatoes Gratin with Cream
Jam tartines with Fruits sherbet
I did not exactly follow directions.
1. First I prepared the potatoes. Coat a 4 C gratin dish with 1t butter. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I cut 1# red-skinned potatoes in ¼” slices. Arrange in a gratin dish. Sprinkle ¼ t grated nutmeg, ½ t salt and pepper. Pour on 1 C heavy cream and sprinkle with ¼ C grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 min.
2. Since I had tons of green beans I used these instead of asparagus. I microwaved 3/4 # of green beans. Before this I boiled 1 egg, pealed and chopped. Mix the egg in a small bowl with ¼ C mayonnaises, 1T mustard, ½ T red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and 1T water. Pour over the beans when done. I cooked the beans in the microwave.
3. Finely the scallops. The first thing you need to do is cut 2 slices of bread in 1/2” pieces. To these you add 1T of canola oil and bake in a 350 degree over for 6-8 minutes.
4. Peel the lemon and cut in-between the membrane to remove totally clean segments of lemon. Cut into ½” pieces until you have about 2T diced lemon flesh.
5. Mix 1# scallops with salt and pepper, add 1 1/2T canola oil. Heat a non stick pan over high heat. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon, bread cubes and 2T capers.
6. Heat 6T butter in a pan and add 1/4C diced white mushrooms. Cook about 4 minutes until the butter is brown. Add 1 T red wine vinegar. Spoon the butter sauce over the scallops and sprinkle with 2T parsley.
I served all that I have described. We will have pomegranate blueberry sorbet with blueberries later. This meal tasted very French. The scallops were delicious. What can you say about 1# of potatoes with 1C of cream? The sauce really added to the green beans. I’ve fixed scallops in better methods.
Asparagus Fans with Mustard Sauce
Scallops Grenobloise
Potatoes Gratin with Cream
Jam tartines with Fruits sherbet
I did not exactly follow directions.
1. First I prepared the potatoes. Coat a 4 C gratin dish with 1t butter. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I cut 1# red-skinned potatoes in ¼” slices. Arrange in a gratin dish. Sprinkle ¼ t grated nutmeg, ½ t salt and pepper. Pour on 1 C heavy cream and sprinkle with ¼ C grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 min.
2. Since I had tons of green beans I used these instead of asparagus. I microwaved 3/4 # of green beans. Before this I boiled 1 egg, pealed and chopped. Mix the egg in a small bowl with ¼ C mayonnaises, 1T mustard, ½ T red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and 1T water. Pour over the beans when done. I cooked the beans in the microwave.
3. Finely the scallops. The first thing you need to do is cut 2 slices of bread in 1/2” pieces. To these you add 1T of canola oil and bake in a 350 degree over for 6-8 minutes.
4. Peel the lemon and cut in-between the membrane to remove totally clean segments of lemon. Cut into ½” pieces until you have about 2T diced lemon flesh.
5. Mix 1# scallops with salt and pepper, add 1 1/2T canola oil. Heat a non stick pan over high heat. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon, bread cubes and 2T capers.
6. Heat 6T butter in a pan and add 1/4C diced white mushrooms. Cook about 4 minutes until the butter is brown. Add 1 T red wine vinegar. Spoon the butter sauce over the scallops and sprinkle with 2T parsley.
I served all that I have described. We will have pomegranate blueberry sorbet with blueberries later. This meal tasted very French. The scallops were delicious. What can you say about 1# of potatoes with 1C of cream? The sauce really added to the green beans. I’ve fixed scallops in better methods.
Sunday Brunch
Last night we went out to dinner with friends at a new restaurant in Manassas, VA called Gunnis. It is a family owned business. My meal was very good. They do not rush you and had a live singer who was good. Lovely evening.
This morning I made Eggs Benedict on Savory Waffles. The recipe is from a Williams Sonoma catalogue. This dish was so good. I think it would make a wonderful addition to a brunch. It serves 8. For a brunch I would add sweet muffins and fruit.
2C all-purpose flour
1 ½ t salt
1 ½ t baking powder
2T sugar
2 eggs
4 T unsalted butter, melted
2 C milk
1 C shredded Gruyere cheese
½ C mashed peeled boiled potato (I used a ½ #baking potato that I microwaved and mashed the insides) 3 T chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper
8 slices of ham, I used Canadian bacon
8 poached eggs
1 C hollandaise sauce (I used McCormick ready to make dried mix)
Chopped green onions for garnish
Preheat the waffle maker. Mine makes deep Belgian waffles, 2 squares per fill. I got exactly 8 square waffles. Jim ate 3 and I had one. I froze 4 for another time. Before starting the waffles, I cut the Canadian bacon in 8 slices, warmed and placed in my warming drawer. I then mixed up the hollandaise sauce and kept warm on the stove. I put on a skillet of water with some white vinegar on the stove for the poached eggs , the flame on medium. Cook the potato.
For the waffles:
In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, and milk. Combine and whisk together. Fold in the cheese, mashed potato, chives and pepper. I cooked all the waffles and as they finished held them in the warming drawer.
Next I poached 3 eggs in the skillet of water. Place a waffle on the plate and top with the Canadian bacon, egg and hollandaise sauce.
This morning I made Eggs Benedict on Savory Waffles. The recipe is from a Williams Sonoma catalogue. This dish was so good. I think it would make a wonderful addition to a brunch. It serves 8. For a brunch I would add sweet muffins and fruit.
2C all-purpose flour
1 ½ t salt
1 ½ t baking powder
2T sugar
2 eggs
4 T unsalted butter, melted
2 C milk
1 C shredded Gruyere cheese
½ C mashed peeled boiled potato (I used a ½ #baking potato that I microwaved and mashed the insides) 3 T chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper
8 slices of ham, I used Canadian bacon
8 poached eggs
1 C hollandaise sauce (I used McCormick ready to make dried mix)
Chopped green onions for garnish
Preheat the waffle maker. Mine makes deep Belgian waffles, 2 squares per fill. I got exactly 8 square waffles. Jim ate 3 and I had one. I froze 4 for another time. Before starting the waffles, I cut the Canadian bacon in 8 slices, warmed and placed in my warming drawer. I then mixed up the hollandaise sauce and kept warm on the stove. I put on a skillet of water with some white vinegar on the stove for the poached eggs , the flame on medium. Cook the potato.
For the waffles:
In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, and milk. Combine and whisk together. Fold in the cheese, mashed potato, chives and pepper. I cooked all the waffles and as they finished held them in the warming drawer.
Next I poached 3 eggs in the skillet of water. Place a waffle on the plate and top with the Canadian bacon, egg and hollandaise sauce.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Pork Wellington
This wasn’t as easy as last night, but still super easy and Jim took one bite and said this is delicious. He also liked that he did not have to grille in 100 degree heat. I saw this last night on Good Eats while cooking the chicken.
Serves 4, unless serving Jim.
1 whole egg mixed with 1T water
1 oz of dried apple rings, placed in a mini food processor and process until they are the size of a medium dice.
1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1#
4.5 oz thinly sliced prosciutto ham. My package was 4 oz and it worked fine. The main thing is that as you lay it out asneedeed to be as long as the tenderloin.
¼ t kosher salt
¼ t black pepper
1t chopped fresh thyme. I used 1/3rd less of dried
1t all-purpose flour
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely, on a kitchen towel
1 T whole-grain mustard
1. Place the rack in the upper third of the oven and turn it on to 400 degrees.
2. Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and the silver skin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separae pieces and lay the pieces next to each other head to tail so when laid back to together they are the same size at the ends.
3. Lay out a 12 x 16” piece of parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto side by side, overlapping the long side to create a solid layer as long as the tenderloin. Place a second piece of parchment on top and roll with a rolling pin to help adhere the pieces together. Remove the top paper and sprinkle the proscittto with salt, pepper and thyme. Set the tenderloin in the middle of the prosciutto. Spread the dried apples down the middle of the prosciutto. Push back together so the apples are held between the halves of tenderloin. Using the paper to assist, wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.
4. I placed flour on the kitchen towel before allowing the puff pastry to thaw. After thawing, I added a tiny bit more and rolled to 12 x 14". Spread the mustard on the pastry. Place the tenderloin on the pastry and roll until almost completely enclosed. Brush with the egg mixture and close. Pinch the ends. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg mixture.
5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or 140 degrees. This is a very hard thing to measure to 140 degrees. An instant read thermometer said it was at 150. It was not. Do to the middle being apples and the pastry it was hard to see where to put the probe, but 25 minutes did the trick.
6. Let set for 10 minutes and serve in wide slices with a serrated knife.
I served this with green beans, nuked with Penzeys spice and lemon oil. We also had fresh tomatoes with basil.
Jim served a Robert Mondovi Pinot Noir, 2005. It was divine.
Serves 4, unless serving Jim.
1 whole egg mixed with 1T water
1 oz of dried apple rings, placed in a mini food processor and process until they are the size of a medium dice.
1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1#
4.5 oz thinly sliced prosciutto ham. My package was 4 oz and it worked fine. The main thing is that as you lay it out asneedeed to be as long as the tenderloin.
¼ t kosher salt
¼ t black pepper
1t chopped fresh thyme. I used 1/3rd less of dried
1t all-purpose flour
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely, on a kitchen towel
1 T whole-grain mustard
1. Place the rack in the upper third of the oven and turn it on to 400 degrees.
2. Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and the silver skin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separae pieces and lay the pieces next to each other head to tail so when laid back to together they are the same size at the ends.
3. Lay out a 12 x 16” piece of parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto side by side, overlapping the long side to create a solid layer as long as the tenderloin. Place a second piece of parchment on top and roll with a rolling pin to help adhere the pieces together. Remove the top paper and sprinkle the proscittto with salt, pepper and thyme. Set the tenderloin in the middle of the prosciutto. Spread the dried apples down the middle of the prosciutto. Push back together so the apples are held between the halves of tenderloin. Using the paper to assist, wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.
4. I placed flour on the kitchen towel before allowing the puff pastry to thaw. After thawing, I added a tiny bit more and rolled to 12 x 14". Spread the mustard on the pastry. Place the tenderloin on the pastry and roll until almost completely enclosed. Brush with the egg mixture and close. Pinch the ends. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg mixture.
5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or 140 degrees. This is a very hard thing to measure to 140 degrees. An instant read thermometer said it was at 150. It was not. Do to the middle being apples and the pastry it was hard to see where to put the probe, but 25 minutes did the trick.
6. Let set for 10 minutes and serve in wide slices with a serrated knife.
I served this with green beans, nuked with Penzeys spice and lemon oil. We also had fresh tomatoes with basil.
Jim served a Robert Mondovi Pinot Noir, 2005. It was divine.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Southwest grilled chicken and avocado melts
This meal comes from Sunset Magazine. This is the best chicken dish I have ever made and the easiest. Serves 4.
2T vegetable oil, divided
4 Anaheim or poblano chilies
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
2t ground cumin
1/2t cayenne
1t kosher salt
Lime wedges
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
1 C shredded jack cheese
1. Send Jim outside to prepare the grill for high heat. I spray the poblano chilies with oil and put in a bowl. Turn on the cooking shows. Send Jim outside with instructions to cook the chilies until charred and then bring in the same bowl. I cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
2. Meanwhile spray chicken with the remaining oil and sprinkle each breast with combined cumin, cayenne, and salt. Seed the chilies and rub off the skin.
3. Send Jim back outside to grille the chicken for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile continue watching cooking shows.
4. He brings in the chicken. You top each breast with a squeeze of lime, avocado slices, a chile, and about ¼ C of cheese. Send Jim back outside to grill the chicken covered for about 4 minutes until the cheese melts.
5. How easy is that! I watched 3 cooking shows and cooked dinner. In the photo they served with black beans, but we had leftover lentil salad and it was a great accompaniment.
We had a Chardonnay from Santa Barbara that I bought at Trader Jo's with the meal.
2T vegetable oil, divided
4 Anaheim or poblano chilies
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
2t ground cumin
1/2t cayenne
1t kosher salt
Lime wedges
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
1 C shredded jack cheese
1. Send Jim outside to prepare the grill for high heat. I spray the poblano chilies with oil and put in a bowl. Turn on the cooking shows. Send Jim outside with instructions to cook the chilies until charred and then bring in the same bowl. I cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
2. Meanwhile spray chicken with the remaining oil and sprinkle each breast with combined cumin, cayenne, and salt. Seed the chilies and rub off the skin.
3. Send Jim back outside to grille the chicken for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile continue watching cooking shows.
4. He brings in the chicken. You top each breast with a squeeze of lime, avocado slices, a chile, and about ¼ C of cheese. Send Jim back outside to grill the chicken covered for about 4 minutes until the cheese melts.
5. How easy is that! I watched 3 cooking shows and cooked dinner. In the photo they served with black beans, but we had leftover lentil salad and it was a great accompaniment.
We had a Chardonnay from Santa Barbara that I bought at Trader Jo's with the meal.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Horrible Day, Do Not Read, I will get over it
Just having a bad day and I guarantee you do not want to hear about it. In our area you only have to say the word “Comcast” and everyone understands. I left the house early, leaving Jim in charge, to avoid killing the inept person who came to the house to fix the DVD player. After the chiropractor, I went to the grocery store and the Hallmark Store in order to avoid coming home. Finally came home to find out that the DVD player that had been unreliable for months was replaced with one from another home and doing the same thing as the last one, boot and not recording. How did I know? It was time to record my soap, quickly did it and found many more programs that I never watched ready to be played. But the old farts that run this place in their infant wisdom have locked us into Comcast. So while away, needing lettuce, celery, and ketchup, I bought steak, and corn on the cob, so I did not have to cook, Jim to grille that stuff. I have 3 salads left over, which I also served. I’ve already blogged about the way I grille corn, steak and the salads, so nothing to add. I also found out that the couple that “liked” the house live in Vienna and have been looking for a house for 2 years. That tells me that they just like to tour houses and don’t want to pay the charity homes house tour fee. Explains why the wanted to come on Memorial Day, nothing else to do. The best part of today was the wine. Jim served a wine that will never be seen again, an Ivan Tamas Cabernet Sauvignon, 1997. Ivan Tamas left the Livermore Valley while we were still there and I think he told me we only have 2 more in the cellar. It was divine. I loved this winery when we lived there. It was so neat to decide on what to make for dinner and go over the hill and buy great wine to go with it. Say la Vive, stuck in HH. Better luck next life.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Italian Lentil Salad
Tonight I got to make my Lentil Salad. This was given to me by my friend Joyce. It is from Food TV, Giadia De Laurentiis. Serves 4-6
Salad:
1# green lentils
2 scallions, chopped
1C halved seedless green grapes
1 C seedless halved red grapes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ C coarsely chopped skinned and toasted hazelnuts
2t lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
Vinaigrette:
1/3 C fresh lemon juice (I used 2 ½ lemons)
1/3 C EVOO
1/2t salt
¼ t black pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until tender, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes. Drain and let cook for 5 minutes. Place lentils and remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.
For the Vinaigrette:
Place the lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whishing constantly, until combined. Season with salt, pepper and toss with the salad.
I found this refreshing on a hot night. Jim served an Alexander Valley Chardonnay.
Salad:
1# green lentils
2 scallions, chopped
1C halved seedless green grapes
1 C seedless halved red grapes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ C coarsely chopped skinned and toasted hazelnuts
2t lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
Vinaigrette:
1/3 C fresh lemon juice (I used 2 ½ lemons)
1/3 C EVOO
1/2t salt
¼ t black pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until tender, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes. Drain and let cook for 5 minutes. Place lentils and remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.
For the Vinaigrette:
Place the lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whishing constantly, until combined. Season with salt, pepper and toss with the salad.
I found this refreshing on a hot night. Jim served an Alexander Valley Chardonnay.
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