2021 January ~ A New Year ~ A New Day ~

Let's see what's cooking ~ and remember, Spring is just around the corner...........

(( Unless you live in Florida and it's already here! ))

We are going to have some of that food from the Omaha Steaks present. We will try the bacon wrapped filets (which are only about 3 inches in diameter), some tiny split lobster tails, one small chunk of sirloin, a few balls of potatoes au gratin and apple tartlets for dessert.

My sister had a $50 gift card from Williams-Sonoma that needed to be redeemed yesterday. We picked out this beautiful Staub 5 3/4 qt Dutch oven that was on sale. It is white enamel with a brass rooster handle on the lid. It will be perfect in her kitchen and she can let it sit out on the stove if she wants to leave it out.

Last night was quiet except when 12AM hit, then some neighbors were letting off firecrackers and screaming HAPPY NEW YEAR. It scared the dogs and cats.

Yes, Happy New Year. May it be better, safer, healthier than last! I just remembered that I have a small filet of beef also in my freezer, that will be my dinner. Maybe a Hasselback potato to go with it!

I am starting out the year by cleaning kitchen cupboards. LOL I have decided that I am going to try cooking a little differently this year. Gonna try Indian food which is about as far removed from German/European/North American that I'm familiar with. So, I checked some recipes and realized that I need some different spices, so I'm organizing all that.

I know, it's a holiday, but I'm retired, I have holidays all the time!

If you have any difficulty finding the spices you need, go to an Indian grocer if you have one near you. Where I used to live, there was one a couple miles away. It smelled heavenly.

I've got my black eye peas cooked most of the way. I'll finish them up when I bring the pot to a simmer just before supper. I just started the collard greens ~ I'll do the same with them, let them cook most of the way and then cool down a bit only to be reheated back to a simmer just before we eat.

I think it gives them a chance to have the flavors meld a bit more that way.

Bugster2 wrote:If you have any difficulty finding the spices you need, go to an Indian grocer if you have one near you. Where I used to live, there was one a couple miles away. It smelled heavenly.

Thanks, but No problem getting spices here. There are two local, large supermarkets that have extensive international sections. The one I go to regularly has expanded their spice section a lot. Of course theirs are all in lovely jars, so 90% of the cost is in the jar. Now, I'm not just trying to save a buck, but I don't want all those glass/plastic containers to go into a landfill. Our local Bulk barn lets you bring in your container, they weigh it and write the weight on the jar, then when you fill it, you just pay for what you bought. I bought enough bay leaves that will last me a year, and they were $.47...................... yes, fortyseven cents!

I'm almost done, found out that I had several duplicates in spices. I have given a good scrub to the cupboards which basically is also a start on getting ready for me replacing my kitchen.. That's coming in late feb/March. Habitat for Humanity will be removing my cupboards and then trying to sell them in their Re-Store. I am happy about that, the kitchen is only about 12 years old, all the drawers and doors have the silent close hinges etc. All shelves are also adjustable. I'm just spoiled and want something new. LOL

We're having leftover chicken pot pie tonight ~ I'm making a mushroom cream sauce to go over because I'm afraid it's going to be dry since it's being reheated.

I've got a tossed salad ready to go in the refrigerator.

Tonight's leftover chicken pot pie with a mushroom cream sauce was, surprisingly, BETTER than the freshly baked we had the other night......

I threw a Stouffer's chicken a la king in the oven for dinner.

I made the first of my "new" style food..................... Indian. Very simple dish called "The Raj's chicken cutlets" Apparently a British/Indian recipe from the time when the Raj was in Kolkata (Callcutta) A marinade of garlic, onion, salt, pepper, ginger, garam masala, oil, then breaded and pan fried. I was lucky and found some chanterelles in the grocery store, so I made a duxelle of them, onion and parsley as a sauce over the rice I also made. Very mild flavour, I am not fond of ginger, but mixed with the other things, very nice. I never drink ginger ale. LOL

Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

Bugster2 wrote:Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

When would you ever buy a pound of mushrooms?

Chanterelles are super light. $30/lb. is equal to $1.88/oz. Four ounces would be a huge amount for most recipes.....probably more like two ounces.

Mine were actually even more at first. A package of 3.5 oz was $9.95, but the best before date was Dec. 30, and it was Dec. 31, so they reduced them to half price. I bought the only two packages they had. So, I had $10. worth of mushrooms. Package said "Product of Canada" so I assume somewhere they are being grown commercially. I love, love, love mushrooms, particularly chanterelles. I have a friend in Nova Scotia who has them wild on her property. I think they like to grow in evergreen forests.

I bought them once @ $21./pound in July/August which is when they are in season here. The last time I was in Germany, beginning of August, I had some there also, in season.

I just looked at the package again, it says "Ponderosa Mushrooms, Maple Ridge, BC." Will have to look them up.

bethk wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

When would you ever buy a pound of mushrooms?

Chanterelles are super light.  $30/lb. is equal to $1.88/oz.  Four ounces would be a huge amount for most recipes.....probably more like two ounces.

Well, I ate all 7 oz of them last night and enjoyed every bite. LOL

bethk wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

When would you ever buy a pound of mushrooms?

Chanterelles are super light.  $30/lb. is equal to $1.88/oz.  Four ounces would be a huge amount for most recipes.....probably more like two ounces.

I know I would not buy a pound of mushrooms but I was just curious as to what they cost in Canada. The amount I would need would be at the most a couple of dollars.

I have bought a pound or more of Portobellos quite often.  I like to make grilled vegetables, a mix of them, onion, red/yellow pepper, zuccini which last a few days in the fridge and I eat them cold or warmed up.  I used to make a fair amount, gave my sister some, and her son the vegetarian.  Now it's just for myself so two portobelos go a long way.  LOL

It's January 3rd and I'm ready for a 'back-to-normal' supper.

Chicken & Pea Pod stir fry is at the ready ~ of course, I add some additional vegetables because we like a variety. I'm hoping to make enough rice for just one meal ~ probably the most difficult because I always seem to have too much.

The stir fry came out really well seasoned and the vegetables were cooked to be just tender but still with a bit of crunch ~ just the way we like them.

I tried the 'velveting' method on the chicken (previously did with beef) and it did a nice job of making it tender without being too soft.  About 10 minutes before I was going to stir fry the chicken I added just a touch of soy sauce and then about 1 tsp. of baking soda and 1 Tbsp. of corn starch.  I mixed it well and just let it marinate a bit.

When done it was more tender than normal but not as soft as the usual carry-out chicken dishes are.  I think not letting it sit longer than about 10 minutes might be the key.

The 'recipe' I used called for oyster sauce, soy sauce, a little sugar and sesame oil. Chicken stock was added to help steam the vegetables. I added some Sambal (garlic chili paste) for a bit of heat because we like the flavor (I like it so much more than sriracha ~ much more depth of flavor).  It doesn't take much but it adds a lot to the end result.

The reference recipe just called for snow pea pods but, as I said, we like more vegetables.  I added some julienned carrot, a bit of onion, green onion & mushrooms.  

And we didn't have any leftover rice so I think 1 c. water, a pinch of salt and 2/3 c. of (par cooked) rice was just the right amount for the two of us.  NO leftovers!  Yea!

That looks really good.

bethk wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

When would you ever buy a pound of mushrooms?

Chanterelles are super light.  $30/lb. is equal to $1.88/oz.  Four ounces would be a huge amount for most recipes.....probably more like two ounces.

I buy 1.5 lbs a week. I put them in everything

JanaAZ wrote:

bethk wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Out here, if you can find them, chanterelles were $30/LB the last time I bought them. Are they that expensive in Canada?

When would you ever buy a pound of mushrooms?

Chanterelles are super light.  $30/lb. is equal to $1.88/oz.  Four ounces would be a huge amount for most recipes.....probably more like two ounces.

I buy 1.5 lbs a week. I put them in everything

What are they going for out there?

From Lore:

"She male rainbow trout done in the oven, rice cooked with some me vegetable flakes, and plain broccoli with butter. That’s it!"

Thanks...................... whenever there is questionable English in my posts, it's when I've done it on my Iphone. My neighbour said we have to think of auto correct as a helpful elf in the phone, unfortunately that elf is sometimes quite drunk. We have to learn to decipher drunk elf! LOL

Katie will not touch raw meat or poultry of any kind so she will never and has never cooked a turkey. She also can't stand to crack open eggs, get butter or mayonnaise on her skin. That has got to be some kind of disorder but I couldn't find anything on the net about it. She also doesn't like her food to touch on the plate. I know that has a name. It is a type of obsessive compulsive disorder. I was shocked last night when she cooked herself some eggs but was having fits because she couldn't stand getting eggs on her hands. I think it was the second time she has ever cooked for herself since she came to live with us.

Trying to use up what's in the refrigerator......

Potato/Bean/Ham Pot ~ all cooked together for an easy one pot meal.