Made at home

Food related, Made at home, Stuff I make, Uncategorized

My new favorite kitchen tool

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

The oven crisper pan! Jim was watching HSN and a version of these came on the screen..they looked intersting so i was immediatly on the amazon app pricing and then ordering.


My first use was fries

Here they are getting ready for the over and i cannot find my “after pic” (which may mean that i forgot to take one)….

But I did remember to take a picture of my tofu fries when they were all nice and golden top and bottom

I have already bought a second set as a gift.   And im looking forward to using them fith zuchini and eggplant in the near future.

Gluten-free, Made at home, Stuff I make, Vegetarian

Today’s pad thai

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I was planning to make a rice dish out of pulsed cauliflower…i did buy the cauliflower, but while shopping, i was consumed by the idea of pad thai fried rice made with the cauliflower.    I bought ingredients for my pad thai and returned to work.   The idea didnt sound so hot by the time i got home but i had brown rice thai noodles in the cabinet…

Here my mise:


No fish sauce….but i have my thai chili infused viengar ready to go and im using a sriracha baked tofu (trader joes).

I also was inspired to get out and scrub up my le creuset cast iron wok that has languished in the cabinet for 6 years since we moved in…


Next i start the peppers , garlic and ginger


In with the eggs


Next noodles, sauce (sugar, tamari, chili vinegar, coconut vinegar, pepper flakes) and after that gets a nice warming i added the sprouts.


Getting finished:


We had it with a bubbly nigori i saw in the fridge


And in the table


Actually, this was quick and easy for a weekday and i have a bit leftover for lunch tomorrow.

cook90, Gluten free, Gluten-free, Made at home, Uncategorized

A latin twist

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

So yesterday’s slow grilled pork butt went latin today…

Oven simmered with potatoes, red pepper and a tomatillo simmer sauce




Add some homemade salsa


And we had the basis of tiny tacos

With agua chiles made from left over NYE shrimp


All tied together with a champagne tequila cocktail


Jim doesnt like the cocktail and i love it….hes not liking the reposado flavor…so he should be good if i do over with silver.  For me, this is like sipping reposado without any bite and a hint of sweet but the sparkling wine was extra dry….shifting to asti would be a whole new drink!  This one is the juice of 1/2 lime, 1 pt tequila, 2 parts triple sec, 2 part sparkiling wine

Cheers

Gluten free, Gluten-free, Made at home, Stuff I make, Vegetarian

Red Pepper Jelly

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

So one of my Tasting Table emails mentions homemade red pepper jelly with cream cheese and Ritz crackers…Our New Years Eve usually consists of an entire day (two meals) comprised of snacks.  So red pepper jelly we go!

Four red peppers finely diced


I rough chopped then put in the food processor

Then they need time to drain A LOT:

After about 1 cup I squeezed them with a paper towel


Combine with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup white wine vinegar bring to a boil and simmer about an hour

And the finished version:


I thought i way overcooked but i just minorly overcooked because my inspiration was :

Made at home, Stuff I make

A new year of cooking

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

On December 9 I saw an email from Epicurious about Cook90.

Basically one cooks all their meals in january rather than restaurants or takeout…its 90 because there are 31 days in January which is 93 meals…3 emergency passes built in.

This is Last year’s kick off article  which describes the concept.  It’s not a resolution, it’s more of an experiement in discipline creativity…ultimately it should have a positive impact in the waist and the wallet.
Anyway, I signed up and will get the emails with tips and ideas throughout the month.  The Starter Guide came this week….pretty straightforward tips…and i’ve begun following the author/epicurious editor that conceived of this on FB.

I have a couple concerns about only three passes because I bought us passes for Universal and our first visit will be 1/2 with a plan to dine at the three broomsticks in the wizarding world of harry potter. LA Times article here

Then we have a holiday party/brunch on 1/8 at the Queen Mary.   That leaves me just one for the rest of the month!   Otherwise, this will get me on track with carrying out my own plannof trying to have a reasonable breaksfast besdies donust and bagels and bringing my lunch….so here we go!

Food related, Fun things I find to eat, Gluten free, Gluten-free, Made at home, Stuff I make, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

My grill gets korean

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

I wanted to grill.   I was thinking how we grill kimchi at korean bbq….somehow i didnt get grilled kimchi but i got kimchi, grilled soy things, grilled rice cakes…


I made some sprouts and cucs as sides:


Since my partner is allergic to sesame…i made it with hot chili oil and gochujang and salt


Found this recipe online…quick marinade.  Salt sugar and coconut vinegar and i threw in a few pepper flakes and garlic

The rice cake marinated a bit in kimchi

Soy ginger dressing on the eggplant

Bok choi with hot oil


It all gets grilled



Homemade kimchi on the side



Yum

Food related, Gluten free, Gluten-free, Made at home, Probiotic, Stuff I make, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

Kimchi and me

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

Jim bought me a new cookbook after we heard the authors on the radio


Amongst the treasures was a doable looking kimchi recipe.


And after a trip to the korean market and the farmers market i went to it:


Salted soaked and drain my veg…

Then combined the flavor:

Korean red pepper flakes

Tamari (gluten free soy sauce–aka soy sauce made with so not wheat)

Gochujang

Plus some rice wine vinegar, garlic and ginger


And there she sat for a day at room temp, then six in the fridge.


And today we are making


Stinky tofu will ferment at room temp for 48 hours. Then it will get fried…so monday is probably rice and stinky tofu night

Meanwhile, i totally made another batch of kimchi, and have a jar saved from batch 1 for kimchi fried rice during the week.

Fun things I find to eat, Ingredients, Made at home, Uncategorized

German deli kinda day

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

Im deep into projects with a short time horizon so wine simmered kraut with grilled sausage sounded like the trick for this saturday


I bought two each neuremberger brats, swiss brats, and smoked brats

Saurkraut


A riesling to drink


Yummy marzipan


And here goes the kraut:


One bottle of dry white wine, juniper berries, bay leaf, peppercorns, clove….and its off to simmer

And a potato and beet salad


beans, Gluten-free, Made at home, pulsepledge, Stuff I make

“Korean rice bowl”

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

So ive been craving kimchee fried rice…and made that plan..as the rice was chilling after its 10 minute ride theough the multicooker, i changed my mind…and rice bowl we became after axing the idea of bimbimbop and kimchee chigae (spelling?)…and i had this lovely kale, cabbage, beet, carrot mix already prepped so away i went

In the pan went garlic oil and chili oil (cant ise sesame in myhousehold whoch im sure is another reason i have had kimchee on the mind)

It just got a light saute and wilting


Meanwhile, i drained and rinsed some french lentils for the protein..

Using the same pan with some wxtra garlic and vegetable oil, i started to fru the dry jntil the pan was hot and in went the two eggs

Right here..you have to move your spoon or whisk or whatever fast and kinda whip the eggs and rice so its not egg clumped in rice like regular fried rice…its egg coated fluffy rice…and its creamy!  I love it

Here is a dressing  of toasted garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, tamari, rice vinegar and a little vegetable oil

Here it is all composed with the dressing over it..i ate mine warm but jims is sitting at room temp until he returns from (surprise!) doll club meeting…i had the oven warmed but that will kill the greens.


I really did enjoy this meal as i often do when solo….it eveolved to such a degree that i have a peeled reed avocado that didnt get used…

beans, Fun things I find to eat, Gluten free, Gluten-free, Made at home, pulsepledge, Stuff I make, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

Monday–omelettes

Aside | Posted on by Brian and Jim

Omelettes…thats what they used as a substitute in the absence of anything gluten free in france.

I had some leftover ratatouille and left over tomato-cannelini sauce so i threw them together for the side.

The leftovers:

The salad’s mise en place

Gonna let it marinate with thyme, olive oil, and vienegar

At serving it just gets tossed onto the lettuce bed

The omelette’s mise ( it was two eggs each omelette with a splash of olive oil and a tablespoon if sour cream) including garlic scapes and fresh basil:

Throw the beany mixture on the side and voila!  My power burner is a little too much on the le creuset pans for an omelette..thus the darkness but it still tasted lovely…basil chiffonade and garlic scapes in it and on top

Of course a south of France rose…

Plus some olives to nosh and dinner is made!