Good morning, GUSnakedbabieswithbanners!!! Sorry about Sunday. As I was starting to prepare my diary Saturday night, I got frozed on the interwebz and there was an orange smooshed thing over my connection bars! What the futtah? So, I shut down the browzer, reopened, shut down the computer, reopened, shut down the computer, unplugged, took out the battery, pressed the start button for 15 seconds, put the batter and plug back in, started up and pressed F2 then F9, ok, then F10 ok (I learned this when things go bad) and the interwebz came up for 5 seconds then gone.
Tried to steal someone else's access -- basterts all had security. My computer is ready for the shitter anyway -- it has been limping along for months. Then, Sunday night it dawned on me to come down to the office and check the modem. Sure enough, it was off. Thought maybe office cat had done something. Soooo, looking around at the 10,000 plugs under the office goddess's desk and find one that's somewhat loose. Push her in and voila! at 11:00 pm.
The owner of the office decided to come in Saturday night and throw some loose tiles under the multiple surge protectors and unplugged other stuff and that's the way it goes.
So, here we are -- before a new year that hopefully will be less crappy than the last. A new year where folks we don't even know and folks we do know will try that resolution to quit smoking. Cheers to all.
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Sooo, I have a weekend of cooking at my opera buddy's. Hence, I have been going through all my recipe porn which is a more time consuming task than you can imagine! Choices first are among beef, pork or fish. I'm a bit bored with poultry for the time being. Then, once the decision is made, the side dishes are next. I have a ton of veggie dishes because I'm now fixated on Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes which I used last week and will use some again today. I hope I won't be repeating myself.
I don't do dessert and opera buddy always has fantastic green tea ice cream of different flavors. If I weren't back for the zillionth time on the Atkins diet, I'd partake in a wee bit because it is so delicious. Now on to some recipes.
from Yotam Ottolenghi
Buckwheat and Rice Salad with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts
Here's a conversion calculator. Those crazy other countries except for 4 who use metric and crash planes by using metric!
130g wild rice
150g basmati rice
125g kasha (roasted buckwheat)
1 lemon, zest peeled, and juiced
130ml olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
100g dried sour cherries
75g hazelnuts, roasted and lightly crushed
5 spring onions, thinly sliced
Salt
30g parsley, roughly chopped
10g basil leaves, torn
10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
30g rocket leaves
Method
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the wild rice and boil gently for 35-40 minutes, until the grains start to pop open and are al dente. Rinse under cold water and leave to drain.
Put the basmati rice in a small saucepan with 300ml cold water. place on a high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and steam for 10-12 minutes until cooked. Remove from the heat, set aside for five minutes with the lid still on, then fluff up the rice with a fork, spread out on a plate and leave to cool.
In another small pan, bring 220ml water to a boil. Turn the heat to very low, stir in the buckwheat, cover and cook for six to eight minutes; stir once or twice more. Set aside for a few minutes with the lid on, then spread on a plate and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, put the lemon skin in a small frying pan, add the oil and place over medium heat. When the skin starts to bubble, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Once both rices are cool, mix them in a large bowl with the buckwheat, garlic, cherries, hazelnuts and spring onions. Discard the lemon from the oil, pour the oil over the rice, then stir in two tablespoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt.
Just before serving, stir in the herbs. Spoon some rice on a serving dish, top with a little rocket, and repeat so you have a nice layered effect. Serve immediately
from Yotam Ottolenghi
This one is in contention for the weekend choice of main course.
Harissa-marinated beef sirloin with preserved lemon sauce
1½ tbsp harissa (can be found in a decent grocery store with an Asian section)
2 300g beef sirloin steaks, trimmed
Salt and black pepper
2 large yellow peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
400g tin chopped Italian tomatoes
½ tsp flaked chilli
¼ tsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp preserved lemon skin, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
Method
Brush the harissa into the meat, season with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and leave to marinade for at least an hour (or in the fridge overnight).
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Cook the peppers under a hot grill for 20-25 minutes, turning twice, until charred all over. Place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm until cool, then peel them and cut into long, thin strips. Discard the skin and seeds.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic for 30 seconds on medium heat, add the tomatoes, chilli, paprika, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, bring to a simmer and cook for seven minutes. Add the pepper strips, preserved lemon skin and parsley, and cook for seven minutes, until the sauce thickens but is still easy to pour. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375C/gas mark 5. Place a ridged griddle pan on a high heat and, when smoking hot, add the steaks and cook for a minute a side. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for eight minutes, until done to medium. Serve warm or at room temperature, sliced into thin strips, with sauce spooned on top and sprinkled with parsley, if you like.
Here's just one of a zillion recipes for preserved lemons if they aren't available in the grocery store. Try to find organic lemons if you can and with good looking rinds.
Preserved Lemons
Ingredients
Fennel seeds
Coriander seeds
Cinnamon stick
Peppercorns
Bay Leaf
Sea salt
Large fat Lemons
Directions
In a bowl mix the spices into the sea salt. Cut a cross into the lemons -- almost to the base, but so that the quarters stay together. Push the seasoned salt into the lemon segments and pack the lemons as tightly as possible into an airtight jar. The less space there is between the lemons the more attractive it will look and you won't need to use so much salt. The lemons will be ready after one month of preserving, and will last for about 2 years.
Tips: The peel is edible This also works very well with limes You could preserve oranges like this too -- but there are not so many recipes which use them You must use sea salt not table salt -- table salt is too chemical and harsh
Uses: For seasoning rice and couscous -- it works like salt and makes the rice and couscous lemon scented Put chicken/fish into a foil bag and bake with the lemon salt Use to season stews and soups
Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver
These are definitely on the menu for Saturday. Amazing what fantastic food one can eat on the Atkins diet. I had to look up Romano peppers -- they are basically Poblano and you can use red or green or both!
from Yotam Ottolenghi
Stuffed Romano Peppers with Ricotta and Mascarpone
6 Romano peppers (650g)
200g ricotta
100g mascarpone or cream cheese
40g pine nuts, lightly toasted
10g fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 tsp juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp best-quality balsamic vinegar
1 small green chilli, cut into paper-thin slices
Salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Use a little knife to make a small vertical incision – about 6 centimeters long – from the top towards the end of each pepper. You will use this incision to scoop out the seeds later.
Arrange the pepper on a roasting tray and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until soft. Remove and set aside to cool before using a small spoon to carefully extract and discard the seeds. The aim is to leave the stem on the peppers when they are stuffed so take your time here: it’s a fiddly job. Peel the skin off the peppers – again, don’t rush here – and set aside on a kitchen paper-lined plate to dry.
To make the filling place the cheeses, nuts, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and whisk well. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each pepper and press evenly inside. Don’t worry if the incision increases in the process: you can use your hands to seal the pepper.
Wipe the peppers clean and place them on individual serving plates. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil around each pepper and then dot the oil with a few drops of the balsamic. Sprinkle over a few slices of the green chilli and serve.
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