Pad Thai with tofu. 4/30/20

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Beebamom

Note: This is a vegan or vegetarian entree if you use a substitute for fish sauce.

Pad Thai takes quite a bit of prep but once you have finished the chopping up the cooking takes almost no time at all. I added some slivered snow peas and carrots and substituted firm tofu for the shrimp to the basic Food and Wine recipe.

If you are afraid to try making Pad Thai this is a good place to start. There are no unusual ingredients such as tamarind or exotic spices. I have made it with shrimp and tofu but I am sure it is equally good with pork or chicken.

Pad Thai with tofu

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Orecchiette with broccoli and tuna. 4/29/20

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Beebamom

We once took a cooking lesson with the father of the hotel manager where we were staying  in Taormina, Sicily. First we went shopping for the ingredients in the outdoor markets. Everyone seemed to know Aurelio and we were hailed by many passers-by. Stopping for an espresso was also part of the experience. It was all so laid back and grand. He had a tiny kitchen which his wife and he puttered around while we mostly watched. The ingredients were few and the cooking methods simple and straightforward. Our dinner tonight was pretty much the same way.

We boiled some salted water. We put orecchiette in and cooked the broccoli with it for the last couple of minutes. After draining we added the canned tuna, a little olive oil, and about 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water to the broccoli and pasta. We stirred the whole thing together over medium heat. The dish was finished with a little more olive oil and black pepper. Simple techniques, easy cleanup, and a really great dinner that brought back a very fond memory.

Orecchiette with tuna and broccoli

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Sous vide chicken breast with thyme. 4/28/20

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Beebamom

When we buy a package of chicken breasts they seem to come from giant breasted chickens. John and I share one and it is plenty. Tonight’s chicken breast is cooked at 160F using the sous vide method. John vacuum seals a little olive oil, a bay leaf, salt, pepper, and some thyme from our garden with the chicken breast. The herbs impart a subtle flavor to the chicken and also flavor the jus.  Our starch tonight is not a starch at all! It is a combination of some left over mashed rutabagas and some newly mashed cauliflower. To complete our dinner we have our old stand-by broccoli. It always seems to be in season and available.

Sous vide boneless, skinless chicken breast with rutabaga/cauliflower mash and broccoli

 

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Instant Pot beef stew. 4/27/20

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Beebamom

Take your favorite beef stew recipe. Set the Instant Pot on sauté and brown your meat. We used half of a chuck steak. Add your vegetables, add liquid, and herbs and seasoning. Change the setting to pressure cook and the time for 18 minutes. When the cook time is done let the pressure reduce on its own for at least 10 minutes. Release the rest of the pressure. Open the Instant Pot and add a thickening agent so your gravy has a nice viscosity, adjust the seasoning, and enjoy!

Posted in American, Beef, Easy, Instant Pot, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vegetarian/vegan chili. 4/25/20

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Beebamom

I am always on the lookout for a good vegetarian chili recipe.  The mushrooms give this chili umami and texture and the bulgur thickens it up. We ended up using salsa verde because we did not have any cilantro and we needed more liquid. As it started to cook, the colors were very inviting.

Chopped vegetables for the chili cooking

After the bulgur cooks up the chili has a pleasing thickness and it is ready for a dollop of optional Greek yogurt with salt and cumin.

Vegetarian chili with Greek yogurt

Posted in American, Grains, Mexican, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | Leave a comment

Scrambled eggs, veggie patty, tomatoes, toast. 4/26/20

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Beebamom

Yes! You can eat breakfast for dinner! I usually have BFD every Sunday. It gives me a day off from actual cooking. John and I each make our own meals. His is usually some sort of fancy omelet while I am a plain scrambled egg kind of person. I have tried making omelets and over easys, and even exotic scrambles but what I like best is just a humble scrambled egg. Last night I took a little egg-tra care and tried to cook my eggs soft with small curds but usually I am in too much of a hurry to worry about them being perfect.

Soft scrambled eggs, rye toast, veggie patty, and tomatoes

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Weekly menu. April 26-May 2, 2020

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Beebamom

This is our weekly menu for this seventh week of lockdown. These menus help me keep shopping to a minimum. Since I know what I will need for dinner, I merely flesh out my shopping list with household and kitchen essentials and go to the store once a week. In the old days (pre-pandemic) I would go grocery shopping a lot. It was one of my favorite things to do. Now it is filled with stress due to potential exposure.

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Shrimp in a Pernod cream sauce. 4/24/20

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Beebamom

Fancy dinner tonight! This meal is based on a dish from the now defunct Kenwood Grill in Sonoma Valley. It was always a great place to have lunch before or after wine tasting. Although the sauce calls for a lot of heavy cream we streamline it into 1/4 cup cream and make up the difference with shrimp stock. John does an expert job cooking the shrimp and making the sauce while I brunoise the vegetables, cook the spinach, and reheat some rice. Teamwork!

Shrimp in a Pernod/white wine cream sauce with spinach and rice

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Orecchiette with Lacinato kale. 4/23/20

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Beebamom

Today we were taking a culinary trip down memory lane. On October 29, 2011, John and I had lunch in Bari, Italy at Giampaolo. This has become a favorite city and favorite restaurant of our family over the years since. In fact we had reservations there for our daughter’s birthday this year. Alas, we were unable to go due to the pandemic. My first course was orecchiette with mustard greens, a regional dish.

Orecchiette with mustard greens from Giampaolo in Bari, Italy

I made orecchiette with Lacinato kale for dinner last night.  I blanched chopped up kale stem pieces (in the pasta water) and then cooked them with onions and garlic. When the pasta was nearly ready I added the leafy greens and let them wilt. Then came the orecchiette with some reserved pasta water. The greens were pretty bitter so I added a dash of sugar and a teaspoon of olive oil, not nearly as much as my Giampaolo dish! A sprinkling of parmesan (If you are not vegan) and a drizzle of good olive oil finished the dish.

My orecchiette with Lacinato kale

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Classic chicken dinner. 4/22/20

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Beebamom

What can I say? We are having a sous vide chicken breast again. And our sides are the usual Instant Pot cooked rutabagas plus sautéed broccoli with a little cauliflower. It may not be original or exotic but we have been eating chicken about once a week since we got married. My son makes chicken for his family once a week. Maybe I can think of something different to do with a chicken breast next week. But maybe not.

Sous vide chicken breast au jus with rutabagas and broccoli (and a little cauliflower)

Posted in American, Easy, Instant Pot, sous vide, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment