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What is/was for dinner?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
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I have the equipment to cook most anything from slow smoked Texas style brisket, to 60,000 btu wok hei chinese food, or delicate Sous vide dishes at restaurant quality. Often to a higher standard since food costs do not factor in.
However there are many places that make simple foods, cooked very well in a comfortable environment that transcend just the ingredients and their preparation.
I am not much of a take out guy, because I am lucky enough to be able to whip up, most any dish I desire at home.
However we have been blessed by relatively low CV cases, so I have no problem with stepping out for some well cooked comfort food for dine in, and supporting our local restaurant industry.
However there are many places that make simple foods, cooked very well in a comfortable environment that transcend just the ingredients and their preparation.
I am not much of a take out guy, because I am lucky enough to be able to whip up, most any dish I desire at home.
However we have been blessed by relatively low CV cases, so I have no problem with stepping out for some well cooked comfort food for dine in, and supporting our local restaurant industry.
I am busily preparing a fish stew.
Originally, I had thought of preparing a either a chowder, or a fish goulash (with copious quantities of Hungarian paprika, green peppers, tomatoes, caraway seeds, onions and garlic). Thoughts of a Spanish inspired fish stew (with pimentón, Spanish sweet smoked paprika, and its hotter cousin), along with onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, also crossed my mind.
But, I realised that I craved something inspired by Asian cuisine.
Thus, diced carrots and onions and tomatoes were sautéed in olive oil to which around eight salted anchovies (along with some of their oil) had already been dissolved; minced garlic (a head, or bulb of garlic, around ten cloves) and grated ginger (a thumb) were added; next, a roghly chopped chilli pepper (seeds and pith removed); a teaspoon of tumeric, two star anise, coriander seeds and cumin seeds, chopped lemongrass, shredded lime leaves, a little tom yum paste, were all added and sautéed.
Then, stock - a jug of chicken stock to with a few dessertspoons of Asian fish sauce had been added was added to the pan.
This has been let simmer for around half an hour, to 40 or 50 minutes.
Next, a tin of coconut milk shall be added, plus generous quantities of double cream.
This shall also be let simmer away, until blended.
Meanewhile, the fish mix (a mix of firm white fish - something along the lines of cod, or haddock, some red fish - salmon - and some smoked fish) was marinated in a marinade - a blend of freshly squeezed lime juice, sea salt and a heaped teaspoon of brown sugar - for around 40-50 minutes.
The fish mix - drained - shall then be added to the stock, and shall simmer - until cooked - a process of five to ten minutes.
Basmati rice to accompany.
Originally, I had thought of preparing a either a chowder, or a fish goulash (with copious quantities of Hungarian paprika, green peppers, tomatoes, caraway seeds, onions and garlic). Thoughts of a Spanish inspired fish stew (with pimentón, Spanish sweet smoked paprika, and its hotter cousin), along with onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, also crossed my mind.
But, I realised that I craved something inspired by Asian cuisine.
Thus, diced carrots and onions and tomatoes were sautéed in olive oil to which around eight salted anchovies (along with some of their oil) had already been dissolved; minced garlic (a head, or bulb of garlic, around ten cloves) and grated ginger (a thumb) were added; next, a roghly chopped chilli pepper (seeds and pith removed); a teaspoon of tumeric, two star anise, coriander seeds and cumin seeds, chopped lemongrass, shredded lime leaves, a little tom yum paste, were all added and sautéed.
Then, stock - a jug of chicken stock to with a few dessertspoons of Asian fish sauce had been added was added to the pan.
This has been let simmer for around half an hour, to 40 or 50 minutes.
Next, a tin of coconut milk shall be added, plus generous quantities of double cream.
This shall also be let simmer away, until blended.
Meanewhile, the fish mix (a mix of firm white fish - something along the lines of cod, or haddock, some red fish - salmon - and some smoked fish) was marinated in a marinade - a blend of freshly squeezed lime juice, sea salt and a heaped teaspoon of brown sugar - for around 40-50 minutes.
The fish mix - drained - shall then be added to the stock, and shall simmer - until cooked - a process of five to ten minutes.
Basmati rice to accompany.
Indonesian rice:
A version of Nasi Goreng, actually it is an adaptation of Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian rice recipe.
Here it is:
Indonesian rice: First,"old rice" (yesterday's left over basmati - I deliberately made extra yesterday when preparing dinner). For this dish, you always use day old rice.
Finely diced onions and carrots (organic) sautéed, to which a cup of peas (from the freezer, but defrosted earlier) are added, and sautéed until soft; Chinese chives - finely chopped - are added to this - the lot seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.
Then, the spices are added: a grated thumb of galangal, and some grated ginger, and a finely diced chilli pepper plus a full head of minced garlic, all sautéed, and a little brown sugar. And finely chopped French onions.
Eggs (free range, organic, three or four) have already been whisked; then, they are added to the pan and scrambled briskly.
This is when the old rice is added, and fried, and sautéed (even toasted); at this point, I made a well in the rice, and added some sambal oelek paste, and some rendang paste into the well, - I tend to have a generous hand in such things - and fried them off, and then stirred the rice through them. Once that has been done, a dessertspoon (or two) of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, is added and fried off, and stirred and mixed through the rice.
Then, it is ready to serve; yesterday's hot and sour fish stew (with cocount milk) shall be served with this.
A version of Nasi Goreng, actually it is an adaptation of Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian rice recipe.
Here it is:
Indonesian rice: First,"old rice" (yesterday's left over basmati - I deliberately made extra yesterday when preparing dinner). For this dish, you always use day old rice.
Finely diced onions and carrots (organic) sautéed, to which a cup of peas (from the freezer, but defrosted earlier) are added, and sautéed until soft; Chinese chives - finely chopped - are added to this - the lot seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.
Then, the spices are added: a grated thumb of galangal, and some grated ginger, and a finely diced chilli pepper plus a full head of minced garlic, all sautéed, and a little brown sugar. And finely chopped French onions.
Eggs (free range, organic, three or four) have already been whisked; then, they are added to the pan and scrambled briskly.
This is when the old rice is added, and fried, and sautéed (even toasted); at this point, I made a well in the rice, and added some sambal oelek paste, and some rendang paste into the well, - I tend to have a generous hand in such things - and fried them off, and then stirred the rice through them. Once that has been done, a dessertspoon (or two) of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, is added and fried off, and stirred and mixed through the rice.
Then, it is ready to serve; yesterday's hot and sour fish stew (with cocount milk) shall be served with this.
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Chicken with broccoli, peas and pasta. I had a tomato based sauce and cheese with mine. Mrs AFB had hers dry as usual.
The weather is filthy, cold, wet, dark, dreary, dismal.
Thus, today - well, I have been deferring or putting it off for a few days - seemed a good idea to try to prepare a warming dish of chilli.
Sautéed diced stewing beef (organic, etc, but defrosted - originally, I had thought I was defrosting actual steak, not stewing steak, tant pis, never mind) until brown; that meant browning in batches, and not crowding the pan.
Anyway, the browned steak was returned to the pan, where it was seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, brown sugar, ground cumin, ground coriander, and generous quantities of chilli - pimentón - (dulce) sweet, smoked, Spanish chilli, and its hotter cousin, picante; this was returned - with the pan juices - to the copper casserole dish, along with stock, tomao puree, and a tin of Italian San Marzano tomatoes.
This lot then went into a preheated oven, at a low enough temperature for two and a half hours.
At that stage, I checked the liquid, and added a mug of strong black (Ethiopian, because I have nothing else, but would have used central American coffee if I had it to hand,) coffee, with a spoon of brown sugar.
The casserole was returned to the oven for a further hour, while, on the stove top, on a low heat, eight small (I would have used three or four large onions, if I had them, but, pre-Christmas shortages - for reasons well known to all, but connected with severed transport links due to both Covid and Brexit in the weeks immediately preceding Christmas - of standard sized organic onions meant my purchases in the farmers' market before Christmas were confined to small onions)- roughly chopped - onions were gently sautéed; when they were soft, a minced head of garlic (nine fat cloves) was added to the copper sauté pan.
These - the softened and sautéed onions and garlic - were then added to the chilli casserole where they will cheerfully cook for a further hour, at a low heat, at which point I shall add the kidney beans, and return the casserole to the oven for a further - and final - twenty minutes to half an hour.
There will be more than enough for seconds tomorrow, which I shall probably serve with rice.
Thus, today - well, I have been deferring or putting it off for a few days - seemed a good idea to try to prepare a warming dish of chilli.
Sautéed diced stewing beef (organic, etc, but defrosted - originally, I had thought I was defrosting actual steak, not stewing steak, tant pis, never mind) until brown; that meant browning in batches, and not crowding the pan.
Anyway, the browned steak was returned to the pan, where it was seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, brown sugar, ground cumin, ground coriander, and generous quantities of chilli - pimentón - (dulce) sweet, smoked, Spanish chilli, and its hotter cousin, picante; this was returned - with the pan juices - to the copper casserole dish, along with stock, tomao puree, and a tin of Italian San Marzano tomatoes.
This lot then went into a preheated oven, at a low enough temperature for two and a half hours.
At that stage, I checked the liquid, and added a mug of strong black (Ethiopian, because I have nothing else, but would have used central American coffee if I had it to hand,) coffee, with a spoon of brown sugar.
The casserole was returned to the oven for a further hour, while, on the stove top, on a low heat, eight small (I would have used three or four large onions, if I had them, but, pre-Christmas shortages - for reasons well known to all, but connected with severed transport links due to both Covid and Brexit in the weeks immediately preceding Christmas - of standard sized organic onions meant my purchases in the farmers' market before Christmas were confined to small onions)- roughly chopped - onions were gently sautéed; when they were soft, a minced head of garlic (nine fat cloves) was added to the copper sauté pan.
These - the softened and sautéed onions and garlic - were then added to the chilli casserole where they will cheerfully cook for a further hour, at a low heat, at which point I shall add the kidney beans, and return the casserole to the oven for a further - and final - twenty minutes to half an hour.
There will be more than enough for seconds tomorrow, which I shall probably serve with rice.
Looks lovely, and do enjoy, but I cannot tell what some of the dishes actually are.
Perhaps you could add a brief written description, along with the images, please?
I was craving sushi all day, but when I went to make it, I realized I didn't have avocado. The general store nearby had some, but it was underripe, so I had to soften it in the oven, causing it to darken slightly.
Then I realized the carrots I had were baby, not julienned, so I awkwardly cut them with the mandolin.
Then I ran out of rice vinegar and had to top it off with balsamic.
All in all, it was really good. Only noticeable differences were the color and slightly stronger avocado taste.
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I was craving sushi all day, but when I went to make it, I realized I didn't have avocado. The general store nearby had some, but it was underripe, so I had to soften it in the oven, causing it to darken slightly.
Then I realized the carrots I had were baby, not julienned, so I awkwardly cut them with the mandolin.
Then I ran out of rice vinegar and had to top it off with balsamic.
All in all, it was really good. Only noticeable differences were the color and slightly stronger avocado taste.
That looks delicious; I love sushi, but haven't enjoyed any since the Corona virus made an appearance in our lives.
I shall have yesterday's chilli tomorrow.
Meanwhile, dinner this evening took the form of free range, organic, fried eggs, (delicious), and dessert was sliced mangoes (I had two to use up).
Simple but very tasty.
Meanwhile, dinner this evening took the form of free range, organic, fried eggs, (delicious), and dessert was sliced mangoes (I had two to use up).
Simple but very tasty.
Not great this evening. Did some pasta as Mrs AFB had already eaten. A couple of hours later I went out to load the dishwasher. But I was confused as I couldn’t find the bowl I’d cooked the eggs in (which needed eating). Anyway I’d forgotten to eat them and had left them in the microwave after I’d cooked them. Am I loosing my marbles?
You're possibly just very tired, and perhaps, a little stressed, and maybe over-worked.
Most likely. At least it’s Friday.
Dinner was chicken, rice and broccoli. Just for a change!
With grated cheddar, and double cream (I don't have sour cream, as the tub of organic sour cream struck me as far too large for one person, yesterday, when I paid a visit to the local shop/store).