July 2019. What's Cooking for the Month?

Thank you Beth

Thanks Jimmy.  I have no plans to cook.  I suppose we will be going out.

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:I felt sorry for Tina today. She had therapy, and she swelled up.
Her right is not functional as for as bending her fingers, or picking up anything small.  The left, is the one she was just operated on. ( the shoulder )arm muscle.
The little pieces on skin on the knuckles, and finger joints, is the cracks from the swelling.


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Poor Tina -- tell her prayers heading her way!

NormM wrote:One time I took the covers off of a couch and washed them.  They never fit again.

I had to laugh, Norm, as that's a person's worst nightmare. I read recently on a website with nice furniture, too, both upholstered and slipcovered furniture, that you should put the slipcovers back on the furniture when they're still damp.

I was glad I didn't have any slipcovered furniture as if I did that, the piece of furniture would probably grow mildew or mold...

Happy Birthday, Norm! I hope your day and your year are all you could ask for. You're a very nice man and we're all lucky to have you here!

I spachcocked a chicken and put it on a foil lined pan on the gas grill. I didn't want the fat to render off all over the grill. When it was just about done (cooked on the non-skin side) I turned it over on the grill rack to brown up the skin. Meanwhile I was cutting corn off the cob and getting the asparagus washed, as well as pre-cooking some potatoes in the microwave.

When I went out to put the potatoes and asparagus on the grill I noticed the temperature was really low.......OUTTA GAS!

AAAAAAaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhh! Fortunately, I remembered Dane mentioning the 3 tanks in the garage. So, I asked him to switch out the tank so I could finish up our supper. Tank #1 from the garage ~ EMPTY. Tank #2 from the garage ~ EMPTY! Tank #3 from the garage ~ just enough gas left in it to light and bring the grill back up to high and finish off our supper.

I tell you, that Dane is one lucky son of a gun! If ALL the tanks had been empty and I would have had to go to Plan B in the house on a hot day, his a$$ would have been grass! LOL

But supper was pretty good. I got no complaints from the peanut gallery ~ Jake! Robin flew home this afternoon and he'll stay until Friday. He says he wants to go to the driving range with Grandpa in the morning, even saying he'll be up by the time Grandpa gets home from his daily round of golf at about 8:30. We'll see. I won't hold my breath on this one!

Thank you Michelle.

Boy, it's great having someone who will actually come up with a meal idea when asked! So much better than the standard I constantly hear, "I don't know", "Food", or the ever irritating, "Yes" (which is NO answer when the question is, "What do you want for supper?")

Jake asked for salmon again. Even though it's a bit pricey at $17/lb. (and the U12 shrimps at $20/lb.) it was worth it just to make him a happy grandson. That boy does love his fish! Since his dad hates even the smell of it at a restaurant and his mom doesn't like the taste of any fish he rarely gets to indulge in a favorite meal. I suggested cod or grouper since we had salmon last week but that's what he wanted.

So, that's what Grandma got him!!!

Along with the fish I made some grilled shrimps for me (and to share, of course), HIS favorite vegetable EVER, pan fried zucchini w/onions. I reheated the leftover corn from last night 'just in case' and made some butter/chive noodles because I didn't feel like potatoes.

The shrimp were HUGE today. Last time I bought some from the local seafood shop they were marked U12 but were only about half the size of today's offering. I wish they offered them cleaned and deveined but they don't. I love when the cooking chefs on TV tell you to just ask your fish monger to take care of it for you. I guess if you're a TV star you might get better service.....

The grill mat on the gas grill is the way to cook fish. So easy. No sticking. No falling through the grates. Can take temperatures up to 500° and, once cooled, just get swished with a cloth in the sink of soapy water. I've reused the same one for the last year and it's not showing any signs of wear or sticking. It works great for grilled vegetables, too.

Grill mats look easy but don't you miss having the slight smoke flavor from the butter/grease hitting the fire?

Check this out

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a20875442/bacon-weave-ice-cream-sandwiches-recipe/

I don't know about this.....

No, that doesn't bother me at all. I appreciate no heat in the house and no greasy grill to clean. If I want something with fire taste I use the hardwood charcoal grill.

bethk wrote:

I'll take the plate WITH the fish -- just add more shrimp to it!! Looks delicious, Beth! Makes me wish for the millionth time that Brian liked seafood, as it's so plentiful AND reasonably priced down here. I enjoy seeing yours!

I hadn't made Chicken (or Veal) Piccata in years but we're both big fans of anything with lemon. But I saw them making it on America's Test Kitchen not so long ago and could not get it out of my mind. I liked the recipe they used, too, so I copied it and made it last weekend. Brian went GAGA over it. The half-slices of lemon were so tender that they were totally edible, too.

He asked me this morning to make it again so I pulled two really fat chicken breasts out of the freezer this morning when I went downstairs to get us some coffee. So if I'm up to it tonight, we'll have it again. He doesn't have much of an appetite lately but he asked for seconds of this AND cleaned his plate a second time so it's going to be on the menu often.

So quick and easy to throw together once your mis en place is done, too.

Chicken Piccata
Serves 4. Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

2 large lemons
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs.), tenderloins
removed and breasts trimmed [I cut 2 huge breasts in 2]*
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced OR 1 clove garlic, minced [I used both]
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons small capers, drained
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position, set large oven-safe plate on rack, and heat oven to 200°F.
2. Halve one lemon pole to pole. Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4-cup juice; set aside.
3. Halve chicken breasts horizontally, then cover chicken halves with plastic wrap and pound cutlets to even 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with kosher salt and pepper [I let chicken sit for 10 minutes after salting as salting ahead helps keeps breasts moist when cooked]. Place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat with flour and shake to remove excess.
4. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay half of chicken cutlets in skillet. Cook cutlets until lightly browned on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip cutlets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and transfer cutlets to plate in warm oven. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add remaining chicken cutlets and repeat.
5. Add shallot or garlic to now-empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds for shallot and 10 seconds for garlic. Add broth and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape pan bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen brown bits. Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until it melts and thickens sauce. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

*To make slicing the chicken easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. You can also buy cutlets from the grocery, which don’t include tenderloins and can be used as is.

I, too, love the chicken piccata ~ have also made it with pork tenderloin. But, alas, Dane is NOT a fan of lemon anything. Go figure ~ I have a successful Meyer Lemon Tree and HE doesn't like anything lemon.....((sigh))

We went out to a burger place tonight because Jake said onion rings sounded good.....HUGE order on special for $5, usually $9. We brought enough food home for him to eat between now and whenever he passes out in bed. Good grief that child can eat! LOL

boys are bottomless pits

I'm watching MasterChef right now. I love watching, but I could not do a competition. Have any of you here done cooking competitions?

Years ago I was asked to enter a local chili cook-off competition but declined.  I have no desire whatsoever of ever entering a BBQ competition either. Those kind of things have no appeal to me.  I have had recipes published in magazines and newspapers but that is entirely a different thing.

I am not a good enough cook to enter any competition.

I made empanadas .  Since I have not been able to locate frozen discos, I have to make them from scratch, so when I saw the tools shown and thought they would be a lot faster to make them. I should be old and wise enough to realize that there is always a catch.  But I am not wiser, just older.  The catch is that the press makes so small pieces that it takes a lot longer to make them.  It was easier to make one but I had to make close to 60 to use the dough.  In the past, making them by hand and bigger, I made a little over a dozen.

Oh, Man.....that's a lot of work!

But you're well practiced if you decide to make pierogis with pork and sauerkraut.  LOL

Fortunately for me, I asked at two of the local grocery stores and one stocked the frozen discos and the other one got them soon after I asked.  They come 10 to a package and make good sized empanadas. They're the Goya brand.

We've gotten where we just like the picadillo with yellow rice.  I tried them both fried and baked and there was little difference.  I think we did like the fried ones a bit more.  Yours would be great for appetizers ~ two bites and move on.

That size press is just right for making Asian dumplings. That size is also perfect for making those empanadas for party food.

bethk wrote:Boy, it's great having someone who will actually come up with a meal idea when asked!  So much better than the standard I constantly hear, "I don't know", "Food", or the ever irritating, "Yes" (which is NO answer when the question is, "What do you want for supper?")

Jake asked for salmon again.  Even though it's a bit pricey at $17/lb. (and the U12 shrimps at $20/lb.) it was worth it just to make him a happy grandson.  That boy does love his fish!  Since his dad hates even the smell of it at a restaurant and his mom doesn't like the taste of any fish he rarely gets to indulge in a favorite meal.  I suggested cod or grouper since we had salmon last week but that's what he wanted.

So, that's what Grandma got him!!!

Along with the fish I made some grilled shrimps for me (and to share, of course), HIS favorite vegetable EVER, pan fried zucchini w/onions.  I reheated the leftover corn from last night 'just in case' and made some butter/chive noodles because I didn't feel like potatoes.

The shrimp were HUGE today.  Last time I bought some from the local seafood shop they were marked U12 but were only about half the size of today's offering.  I wish they offered them cleaned and deveined but they don't.  I love when the cooking chefs on TV tell you to just ask your fish monger to take care of it for you.  I guess if you're a TV star you might get better service.....

The grill mat on the gas grill is the way to cook fish.  So easy.  No sticking.  No falling through the grates.  Can take temperatures up to 500° and, once cooled, just get swished with a cloth in the sink of soapy water.  I've reused the same one for the last year and it's not showing any signs of wear or sticking.  It works great for grilled vegetables, too.

Nice meal gram! .... God bless GS. He loves not only grams cooking, but we could see that he appreciates and loves his gram too!

NormM wrote:That size press is just right for making Asian dumplings. That size is also perfect for making those empanadas for party food.

Norm, the empanadas remind me of Pasties. I could go for a couple of them.
Have to check with the Protestants who usually make them.
I'm sure I remember ? you made them a long while ago on the old c.com forum?