Tonight I'm doing Melt in your Mouth Beef Ragout with garlic mashed potatoes. I don't think I've ever had Chianti before, and as I was pouring it into the measuring cup a few drops dribbled onto my finger and I licked it and it was surprisingly fruity. I'm not usually a huge fan of red wine but this may be pretty impressive.
Also I must say, the ragout smelled delicious even before it had started cooking. I am VERY much so looking forward to dinner tonight.
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Garlic Lemon Chicken
Tonight I'm doing garlic lemon chicken, with goose fat roasted potatoes and sauteed cabbage. Should be easy enough. Gives me an excuse to use up some of that cup of goose fat I accumulated, and the cabbage is like, 10 minutes tops to done. As for the chicken, we're quite low on garlic and I actually do not have any chicken broth at the moment, but I'll substitute white wine instead and it should be fine. This is what I get for shopping for garlic at Hyvee, where the bulbs have like 5 cloves in them, rather than Dillon's or Hen House, where the bulbs have reliably at least 15.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Garlic Brussels Sprouts
I was one of the probable millions of kids in the US who grew up utterly convinced (without necessarily even having tried one! I know I didn't) that brussels sprouts were the DEVIL. I don't think I even knew what they looked like but I had read enough stories of kids being sent to bed without supper because they refused to eat the dreaded brussels sprouts that I was convinced that they were the most disgusting vegetable on the planet. I think this fear may have been instilled as well by my generation's parents, who were probably raised on boiled crappy sprouts with no seasoning, which I'm sure probably would be pretty gross.
Then a few months ago, on a whim, I bought a basket of sprouts at Dillon's, just to see if they were any good. If not, I'd never buy them again. I roasted them with garlic and was SURPRISED. They just tasted like cabbage! I like cabbage! What the hell. Since then I have also made them from frozen in butter sauce (also good).
Tonight I made chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce (Alex: not bad but the portions should have been smaller or flatter for better sauce-age; me: not bad but needed more spice and less sugar, which is funny because I actually ran out of sugar and wasn't able to put a full 1/2 cup in), as well as aromatic brown rice I had made previously (Alex: too dry, me: not done enough because for the life of me I cannot get the damn lid sealed tightly enough on the pot that the liquid doesn't evaporate before the rice is completely done, and also not enough garlic flavor because I screwed up and added my 2-clove pile instead of my 4-clove and had to toss more in near the end), and garlic brussels sprouts (Alex: no comment).
I made them from frozen, which some people say makes them disgusting. I also may have overcooked them; they were baby brussels sprouts so some of them were fairly tiny and quite soft to the bite. I don't really care though. So so good. And good for you too!
Garlic Brussels Sprouts
1 10-oz package frozen brussels sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth
Heat olive oil and 1 tsp butter over medium heat. Add garlic, saute 2-3 minutes or until aromatic and golden. Add sprouts, toss to coat. Add broth, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 13 minutes or until cooked through. Drain any remaining liquid; add remaining butter and toss until melted.
Then a few months ago, on a whim, I bought a basket of sprouts at Dillon's, just to see if they were any good. If not, I'd never buy them again. I roasted them with garlic and was SURPRISED. They just tasted like cabbage! I like cabbage! What the hell. Since then I have also made them from frozen in butter sauce (also good).
Tonight I made chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce (Alex: not bad but the portions should have been smaller or flatter for better sauce-age; me: not bad but needed more spice and less sugar, which is funny because I actually ran out of sugar and wasn't able to put a full 1/2 cup in), as well as aromatic brown rice I had made previously (Alex: too dry, me: not done enough because for the life of me I cannot get the damn lid sealed tightly enough on the pot that the liquid doesn't evaporate before the rice is completely done, and also not enough garlic flavor because I screwed up and added my 2-clove pile instead of my 4-clove and had to toss more in near the end), and garlic brussels sprouts (Alex: no comment).
I made them from frozen, which some people say makes them disgusting. I also may have overcooked them; they were baby brussels sprouts so some of them were fairly tiny and quite soft to the bite. I don't really care though. So so good. And good for you too!
Garlic Brussels Sprouts
1 10-oz package frozen brussels sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth
Heat olive oil and 1 tsp butter over medium heat. Add garlic, saute 2-3 minutes or until aromatic and golden. Add sprouts, toss to coat. Add broth, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 13 minutes or until cooked through. Drain any remaining liquid; add remaining butter and toss until melted.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Risotto with Roasted Garlic, Mushrooms and Spinach
Last night I made risotto for the second time ever. Far better than the first attempt (first try had butternut squash in it and I have determined after several tastings that I just do not like butternut squash, at least not without many other complementary flavors to mask it [for instance I had storebought butternut squash soup and it would have been SO much better with apple blended into it]), but there were a few things about the recipe I'd change for personal preference reasons.
1) It had roasted garlic in it, which I've done many times before in the "chop off top of head, pour olive oil over, wrap in foil, bake" way, but this way wanted me to separate the cloves beforehand, which had the end result of having the side of the clove that was touching the bottom of the pan become dry and hard and burnt. Next time, I'll just roast the head whole and squeeze the cloves out.
2) It wanted dried porcini mushrooms and also wild mushrooms. I used crimini. I have also determined that I am not a huge fan of portobello because despite my careful cleaning they always have this icky black crap coming off of them (like black watery stuff) and taste like dirt. This wasn't a huge issue last night when the risotto was fresh, but I reheated it today and took it in my Mr. Bento to work (speaking of which I have been completely neglecting that in favor of McDonald's Monopoly stuff, oh god I suck) and the dirty crimini flavor had completely permeated throughout the risotto. Sigh.
3) Last time, with the failed butternut squash risotto, I made it the "authentic" way, by adding the broth in ladlefuls until all is absorbed and risotto is creamy. But it just came out sticky and gooey at the end (butternut squash may have contributed to this). Last night I just put all the broth in at once and let simmer until absorbed. And the creaminess factor was MUCH better. Huzzah!
So yeah. Recipe:
Roast 1-2 heads of garlic at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done. Let cool, squeeze cloves out and chop to get roughly 1/4 cup garlic.
Slice 12 oz mushrooms of your choice, saute in olive oil over med-hi heat until done. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
In a large saucepan (I used a 3-qt one), cook 1/4 cup chopped shallots with a lot of thyme in olive oil over med-hi heat until tender. Add 1 1/2 cups arborio rice, stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup white wine, cook until nearly evaporated. (Mine vaporized nearly instantly, but I also only used about 1/4 cup because that was all that was left in the bottle). Add 3 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all is absorbed and risotto is creamy, adding more broth if it gets too dry too fast. Add mushrooms and 2 cups thinly sliced spinach, cook until spinach is wilted. Add plenty o Parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper.
1) It had roasted garlic in it, which I've done many times before in the "chop off top of head, pour olive oil over, wrap in foil, bake" way, but this way wanted me to separate the cloves beforehand, which had the end result of having the side of the clove that was touching the bottom of the pan become dry and hard and burnt. Next time, I'll just roast the head whole and squeeze the cloves out.
2) It wanted dried porcini mushrooms and also wild mushrooms. I used crimini. I have also determined that I am not a huge fan of portobello because despite my careful cleaning they always have this icky black crap coming off of them (like black watery stuff) and taste like dirt. This wasn't a huge issue last night when the risotto was fresh, but I reheated it today and took it in my Mr. Bento to work (speaking of which I have been completely neglecting that in favor of McDonald's Monopoly stuff, oh god I suck) and the dirty crimini flavor had completely permeated throughout the risotto. Sigh.
3) Last time, with the failed butternut squash risotto, I made it the "authentic" way, by adding the broth in ladlefuls until all is absorbed and risotto is creamy. But it just came out sticky and gooey at the end (butternut squash may have contributed to this). Last night I just put all the broth in at once and let simmer until absorbed. And the creaminess factor was MUCH better. Huzzah!
So yeah. Recipe:
Roast 1-2 heads of garlic at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done. Let cool, squeeze cloves out and chop to get roughly 1/4 cup garlic.
Slice 12 oz mushrooms of your choice, saute in olive oil over med-hi heat until done. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
In a large saucepan (I used a 3-qt one), cook 1/4 cup chopped shallots with a lot of thyme in olive oil over med-hi heat until tender. Add 1 1/2 cups arborio rice, stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup white wine, cook until nearly evaporated. (Mine vaporized nearly instantly, but I also only used about 1/4 cup because that was all that was left in the bottle). Add 3 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all is absorbed and risotto is creamy, adding more broth if it gets too dry too fast. Add mushrooms and 2 cups thinly sliced spinach, cook until spinach is wilted. Add plenty o Parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Broccoli in Soy Garlic Sauce
Tonight Alex did grilled ahi tuna steaks in a soy glaze (came out a bit dry and quite tangy but otherwise tasty... they may have marinated a bit too long or something), and so I boiled some broccoli and paired it with a DELICIOUS sauce that I got off allrecipes.com. The original recipe also included cashews, which I didn't have, but they would have been a delicious addition.
Broccoli in Soy Garlic Sauce
1 crown broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp black pepper
Salted cashews (optional)
Pour 1" water into a pot. Add broccoli. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 7 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Toss with broccoli and eat immediately.
SO good.
Broccoli in Soy Garlic Sauce
1 crown broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp black pepper
Salted cashews (optional)
Pour 1" water into a pot. Add broccoli. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 7 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Toss with broccoli and eat immediately.
SO good.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Pasta with Roasted Winter Vegetables
Last night we went to Hen House, the grocery store with the most orgasmic produce section in existence, and bought spinach and leeks and garlic and shallots (they sell individual shallots! out of a barrel! all the other stores sell them in little pre-made sacks and half of them are moldy already. oh my god I love Hen House) and a JAR OF ARBORIO RICE! not a tiny box! and a box of polenta! and hooray for Hen House.
Tonight I made rigatoni with roasted vegetables. It was really really easy, chopping took more time than anything, as far as actual effort. Although it was kind of... uninteresting. I think I'll keep the roasted vegetable recipe, cut out the rigatoni, and just use it as a side dish in the future.
Chop:
1 small eggplant into 3/4" chunks
2 small red potatoes (unpeeled) into 3/4" chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled, into thin diagonal slices
1 cup mushrooms into quarters
8 cloves garlic
1 large red onion into 1" chunks
Toss with:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
copious salt and pepper
Bake at 400 degrees, tossing occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Chop:
1 crown broccoli
Add, bake another 10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan.
Tonight I made rigatoni with roasted vegetables. It was really really easy, chopping took more time than anything, as far as actual effort. Although it was kind of... uninteresting. I think I'll keep the roasted vegetable recipe, cut out the rigatoni, and just use it as a side dish in the future.
Chop:
1 small eggplant into 3/4" chunks
2 small red potatoes (unpeeled) into 3/4" chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled, into thin diagonal slices
1 cup mushrooms into quarters
8 cloves garlic
1 large red onion into 1" chunks
Toss with:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
copious salt and pepper
Bake at 400 degrees, tossing occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Chop:
1 crown broccoli
Add, bake another 10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Chicken Dopiaza and Meez
You know, regardless of how much preparing I try to do ahead of time, why is it that when cooking Indian/Asian food I am ALWAYS scrambling and spilling and cursing and screaming at Alex to please come open this jar that is stuck I need it NOW NOW NOW NOW.
I'm making chicken dopiaza tonight. It is yellow and garlicky and spicy and smells delicious (and still has another 15 minutes in the oven to go). First disaster: no tomatoes. Had to go buy some. Second disaster: approximately 50% of my bag of shallots was moldy. Third disaster(s): Had to get Alex to open jar and unopened spice container, which were both stuck. Fourth disaster: Cat peed on the couch. Fifth disaster: I didn't cut nearly as much cheesecloth as needed to squeeze juice out of onion and had to resort to using a strainer, thus getting 2 more dishes dirty. Sixth disaster: For some reason all the spices I put in the pot sucked up the oil like NOTHING. Fuckers.
It damn well better taste good. And after dinner I am going to have to make a run to the 24-hr Walmart and buy some more cat litter and get the non-Littermaid box set up. Fucking cat.
I'm making chicken dopiaza tonight. It is yellow and garlicky and spicy and smells delicious (and still has another 15 minutes in the oven to go). First disaster: no tomatoes. Had to go buy some. Second disaster: approximately 50% of my bag of shallots was moldy. Third disaster(s): Had to get Alex to open jar and unopened spice container, which were both stuck. Fourth disaster: Cat peed on the couch. Fifth disaster: I didn't cut nearly as much cheesecloth as needed to squeeze juice out of onion and had to resort to using a strainer, thus getting 2 more dishes dirty. Sixth disaster: For some reason all the spices I put in the pot sucked up the oil like NOTHING. Fuckers.
It damn well better taste good. And after dinner I am going to have to make a run to the 24-hr Walmart and buy some more cat litter and get the non-Littermaid box set up. Fucking cat.
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