February, 2023 ~ Let's get cooking!

I double checked the recommended foods HE shouldn't have difficulty eating and came up with a meal of Grouper / Salmon and Fried Rice.

HE was happy with the choice.







(the pic of HIS salmon was after he had already started eating......LOL)

Tina wants spaghetti and meatballs.

bethk wrote:From Lore:


"Dinner Tonight. I read all the time about “mise en place” or get your stuff together. So, I started my pictures that way.  Stuff in place to make a yummy stir fry of onions, mushrooms, garlic, red pepper, parsley; then some cream. Served over a combo of tagliatelle and Spagetti. Didn’t have enough of the tagliatelle, Spagetti worked great."

Lore….looks like we have the same backsplash

JanaAZ wrote:

bethk wrote:From Lore:


"Dinner Tonight. I read all the time about “mise en place” or get your stuff together. So, I started my pictures that way.  Stuff in place to make a yummy stir fry of onions, mushrooms, garlic, red pepper, parsley; then some cream. Served over a combo of tagliatelle and Spagetti. Didn’t have enough of the tagliatelle, Spagetti worked great."

Lore….looks like we have the same backsplash

Guess we both have excellent taste!

From Lore:


"Dinner Dinner tonight a little ambitious considering I worked until 5:30. But I had the pork tenderloin prepped, and the filling done. But in my effort to make nice things just for one, I am still making things that are larger than for one. Did a stuffed tenderloin, stuffing was noons, mushrooms, a bit of breadcrumbs, butter. Rice medley. Good, but leftovers."

I saw a recipe for beef stew yesterday that looked good but when I got back from the store, I realized i didn't have time to make it then so I got everything ready to dump in the slow cooker this morning.  In the meantime Charlie went to  a nearby Mexican market that also serves hot food and marinated meat for you to take home and cook. This placed is always mentioned as one of the best places in Kansas City to get authentic Mexican tacos.  He got some chicken legs for me for me to grill. He also got some tortillas, refried beans, fried rice, some sauces and tacos.  

From Lore:



"Dinner Tonight. Not a single bit of green or any other vitamin involved. I took out my bread machine and made a buttermilk bread! Soooogood hot out of the oven slathered with butter, Brie, and one piece with peanut butter. Yumm!"

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:It was halushki with fried cabbage. Then
Tina came home from her uncles and tax office to do his taxes. Low and behold,
she came home with home made pierogi's that His caregiver made fresh ones
this morning. WoW! .... Dee Lish! ... The previous care giver gave notice she was leaving to take care of her mother, and that left us in a pickle. To boot, she told us a week before.
What a s##t show that created. Tina's prayers must have been answered; because
we found this woman from the Ukraine; through word of mouth. She cooks everything from scratch.  

I'm glad that you found a great caregiver, so difficult to do. Especially one who does great food. BUT, I must be missing something................... I don't get the fascination with pierogis???????? It's starchy dough with a starchy filling! Someone enlighten me please! I've tried them three times now, maybe I just haven't found the right ones.

Cookin Lore wrote: BUT, I must be missing something................... I don't get the fascination with pierogis???????? It's starchy dough with a starchy filling!  Someone enlighten me please!  I've tried them three times now, maybe I just haven't found the right ones.

Lore, the first time I had pierogis they were made by the ladies from the Hungarian Church in our little town.  I remember being asked if I wanted butter/onion sauce (and of course said, YES!).  OMG ~ it was just THAT.....butter & onions!

The dough was thin and light and the mashed potatoes & carmelized onion filling was like a cloud wrapped in that tender dough......and dripping in the butter/onion sauce.

The first time I ever made them was here in our Villas ~ one of our neighbors, Joe, had lost his wife to cancer and it was his first Christmas without her.  She always made pierogis for Christmas Eve.  So I asked neighbor Darlene if she & I should make them for him after the new year....and we asked him for her recipe.  I have to say, it is the lightest, thinest, easiest dough I've EVER made ~ Personally, I think she had a hand in the whole thing and guided us as we made them.  Ended up having 12 neighbors show up for the meal!  Once word got out everyone wanted to share!

I'm not sure what Judy's recipe is but Joe shared Mary Ann's recipe and it was lovely to work with. We did use a ricer to be sure the potatoes were not lumpy ~ and I remember having a terrible time finding Farmer's Cheese here ~ we ended up making a substitution that was OK but 'not quite right'.... Most of all I remember how easy her dough was to work with ~ I rolled it by hand with my Grandma's rolling pin and cut it with a 3 1/2" biscuit cutter.

Here's the recipe he gave us:

PIEROGI FILLINGS:

SAUERKRAUT-MUSHROOM:   1 med. onion, #2 can or ~1lb. bag kraut,  1/4 lb. mushrooms,  ALL finely chopped, 2 T. sour cream.  
Saute onion in 3-4 T. oil, add kraut and mushrooms and cook down until dry. Add sour cream to make a spreading consistency. Cool.

POTATO:   2.5 lbs. potatoes ( preferably  a dry variety ), 1 lb. farmers cheese,  2 med. onions, finely chopped and lightly browned, salt & pepper to taste
Cook and mash potatoes.  DO NOT add milk or butter.  Add cheese and onions, mixing well.  Season to taste.  Cool.

CHEESE:  1 lb. farmers cheese, 1 T. sugar, 2 eggs. Mix altogether, blending well.

DOUGH:   6 cups flour, 1 teas. salt,  3 eggs,  1 c. sour cream,  1/2 c. milk, 1/4 c. melted butter
Bring dairy products to warm temperature for better mixing.  In a large bowl, mix flour & salt, then add warm ingredients.   Mix to a soft dough.  Have flour coating the board
( counter ) and turn dough out onto this surface…kneading a few minutes to work in all the flour until it is a smooth pliable ball.   Roll out a small section at a time or use a dough rolling machine and roll into strips.  Cut into circles using a large cup/can perhaps 4” in diameter.  Depends on how big you want them to be!!  Place a nice amount of filling into the center of each, trying not to get any on the edges.  Fold dough over to make a semi-circle and press the edges well to seal (a light coating of water from fingertip to edges helps seal)…can be crimped like a pie crust or use a fork.  Place on paper towels as they are made and dry slightly, turning over after a few minutes.  Bring a large pot of water to boil when almost done with the dough.  Add 8-10 pierogi to the boiling water at a time.  Cook about 3-5 minutes, they will float to the top.  Use a large slotted spoon to remove from the water and place them in a colander that is in a bowl and then on a cooling rack to drain ( with paper towels underneath or a sided cookie sheet ).

EAT NOW or freeze in layers on a cookie sheet ( just until firm ) and then place in a bag to be individually taken out as needed.  Or layer with plastic wrap in a freezer container.  
We like to serve our pierogi on a platter with lightly browned butter poured over the top.  

This is a traditional staple for our Polish Christmas Eve dinner.
ENJOY from the SIECZKA’s (Joe & MaryAnn)                                                       December 2003

From Lore:


"Baking Non baker, me baked some gluten free biscuits today. Daughter-in-law Lisa is gluten sensitive, so I bake these biscuits for her sometimes. Yummy."

Tonights dinner was pork chop smothered in a gravy made with seasoned flour, pan dripping, chicken stock and buttermilk. I think the melting roasted potatoes was Beths or I googled it after some of you were discussing this general method. The corn came from the freezer and the bread was leftover from yesterday.

bethk wrote:Homemade Bread.....

Homemade Gluten Free Biscuits.......



What kind of cookies & cake are in the plan?????

No cookies or cake planned.

bethk wrote:Oh, dear!  What an expensive lesson.......

Of course she knows she shouldn't.....

((  sigh  ))

Actually, she always uses the screen on the dash to talk, but GD was in a drama session over looking for someone to watch Liam while she gets her nails done..... and Tina was trying to get connected.