We are back from our vacation and it is time to return to our regular dining fare. We made some great dishes last week but we need to be eating less butter, sauces, and red meat!
This is a dinner that Jonathan and I kind of cobbled together from various cooking sites. The coconut rice was a cup of rice, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, and some salt. We sprinkle some lime zest and toasted coconut on just before serving. Since it was a little bland next time I would use the whole can of coconut milk, no water, and Jon suggested a pinch of sugar.
John cooked the Chilean sea bass and it turned out perfectly.
Jonathan and I also tried to make leche de tigre as a sauce rather than a marinating liquid for ceviche. We started out with 1/2-3/4 cup fresh lime juice, the rest of the can of coconut milk (6oz), a celery stick, a shallot, some cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons of ginger, some salt, and a whole Fresno chile. After processing it in the blender it was way too citric. So we tried some oil, more salt, some sugar, and ultimately a handful of shredded coconut. I think it needed some fish sauce for umami but we did not have any.
The dinner was pretty fun and tasty. It was something you would expect on a tropical isle and not in the desert of Utah! We will work on the sauce to make it repeatable.
Our last night here we are just going to get a pizza before we start the long drive home on Sunday. It makes me so happy to spend a vacation with Jonathan and one separately with Sarah. Each of our adult children still want to spend time with us which is a really special gift.
John and I bought this steak on Wednesday and planned to have it with the leftovers from Jonathan’s fancy scallop dinner. We needed something quick and easy to do since the guys were gone most of the day Thursday playing golf and I did not have a car for any additional shopping.
The dinner turned out great! The steak was cooked perfectly and went well with the reheated leftovers. We left the beurre blanc in its solid form and let it melt like a compound butter over everything else. I was afraid that if I tried to reheat it, the sauce might break.
On Friday Jonathan and I are going to dream up a recipe. The plan is to make coconut rice, bake pieces of white fish, and serve the whole thing with a leche de tigre sauce. We will garnish it with mango, cilantro, and toasted coconut. Fingers crossed that it will all work out!
I mostly prepared and cooked this dinner. It all came out pretty well except I overcooked the shrimp a bit. I am not used to cooking the proteins. But the sauce was yummy even though we forgot to bring along the Pernod which adds a more licorice flavor. I used extra fennel to try to overcome this lack. Everyone used a finger to get up the last bits of sauce.
There is a lot of vegetable chopping into small dice to make this dish. Once you have the rice cooked and the vegetables (onion, celery, garlic, tomato, red bell pepper, and fennel) chopped up, the cooking goes quickly.
Most of what we make for our vacation with our son is a set piece. We look forward to it every year.
The hits keep coming this week with a pasta dinner with Jonathan’s sausage and mushroom tomato sauce. I chopped up onions, garlic, and mushrooms while he got the sauce going. He used some spicy Italian pork sausage links which he took out of their casings and browned before adding the vegetables and tomato sauce plus diced tomatoes. It was delicious. He is such a good cook. I am going to have to diet for the next 3 weeks!
After a busy day of hiking and shopping, Jonathan made his fancy scallop dinner. This consists of mashed potatoes, scallops, braised leeks, mushrooms, and asparagus with a beurre blanc sauce. I helped with the chopping of onions, mushrooms, and peeling and chopping the potatoes. Jonathan did all the cooking with John helping by mashing the potatoes. It was as delicious as it looks.
We spent all day Saturday, 11/2/24, driving to St. George, Utah with our son, Jon, for a week full of golf (for Jon), and some tennis, perhaps some hiking, and cooking together. The night we got in we went to the local grocery store and bought some sushi for dinner. It is easier not to get too inventive on the first couple of days so we also provisioned ourselves with some ground beef for hamburgers on Sunday,
On Sunday Jon played golf at Coral Canyon while John and I spent the day mostly recovering from twelve hours in the car. We worked on a menu for the week and made up a shopping list for the next three days. Our condo is well provisioned with plenty of kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and an array of spices. We have brought along other essential things we might need.
Even though John was cooking on a strange grill he did a masterful job grilling the burgers and I took care of the tater tots. Tomorrow we are planning on Jon cooking his fancy dinner. Can’t wait!
Two healthy dinners in a row! John marinates the fish briefly in a citrus, sumac, turmeric, salt, and pepper bath and then roasts it for 12 minutes at 450F. I add chopped up tarragon from Sarah’s garden to the already prepared rice and heat it briefly in the microwave. I also cook the asparagus in a little water, butter, and salt. We have made this tasty dinner in a half hour!
This is a great vegetarian dish, or vegan if you use vegetable broth and leave off the Parmesan cheese. Today I served it with the kale as a base wilting in the hot broth. It is really terrific. You feel healthier just eating it!
Chickpeas with ditalini and kale
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme (or herb of your choice)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes and chiles with liquid (like Rotel)
Parmesan rind (optional)
½ cup ditalini
Big handful of kale or any type greens
Salt and black pepper
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan cheese (optional)
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until tender and the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and herb then cook until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the broth, water, and the can of spicy tomatoes with their liquid. Add optional parmesan rind.
Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas and ditalini. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the ditalini is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens and optional zucchini, letting them simmer until incorporated.
Your mixture will be quite stew-like. If you want the mixture to be more soupy, add some additional water. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish the bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and optional parmesan cheese..
Omnivore 