Monday, January 27, 2014

But It's All Right Now, I Learned My Lessons Well

I've mentioned the Frontier Woman's webpage many times.  She does it well and our styles are similar (if I was super organized and actually wrote out the recipes...and took better pictures).  I've been seeking a chicken curry recipe that P would like because he's not fond of Tumeric. 
This one is perfect!  Tom's Trinidadian Curry Chicken.  Find recipe here: www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Tom_s-Trinidadian-Chicken-Curry-The-Pioneer-Woman-45677
What makes this different is the pico de gallo-like marinade on the chicken you do beforehand.  And the mustard.



The spices are the same but the flavors take a turn when combined with the marinated mix.  Another good point she makes is to get a good curry powder blend if you're not doing your own.  Some are better than others. And make sure it hasn't been sitting around forever.

I loved this so much and made a huge family pack of thighs.  Served it over millet. 


P said he would 'eat it again' and that it was 'good'.  Men are so got-damn frustrating, stubborn, poker faced, emotionless, bast....well, let's just say they're different than women, as we all know. You must be so crafty in order to pry real answers out of them in some cases and even then, you have to take it back to the lab and analyze what they really meant by it.  So P hates Indian curry.  I am trying to find recipes he will finally see the light or where the turmeric is in just the right amounts where he'll understand he does like it, it just must be in small amounts, like ginger! He thought he hated ginger too but I taught him it just had to be in lighter doses.  He ate it but I've seen him eat just about anything.  When asked (mind you, not like he willingness burst out and said 'this is good! or anything)...he said it was 'good'.  Period, no more words.  So even though he had it twice, I think my conclusion is that he would eat it again if I served it but he'd never anticipate it or crave it.  He found it 'not objectionable', which is a far cry from loving it.
Well...I Loved it!  So much that I will make it numerous times and try little variances.  I was thrilled with the depth that the pico marinade gave it. And that opens your mind to so many other combinations.  This is one recipe that you want people you love to make so you can share the experience with them.  If you love braised meats and fat free flavor packed sauces, this is the dish for you. 


Women are natural pleasers.  We like to make people feel good.  But us women that have lived a bit longer, seen a lot more, been through it done it and back again,  sort of get a little bored with the concept after awhile.  Sometimes you just gotta let it go.  But not only that but allow yourself to be pleased.  I made this dish for the nut but I was the one tickled pink about it and gave myself all the adulations that I required.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Asian Turkey Patty


Asian Turkey Burger with cool mixed salad.

Used ginger, carrot, onion, garlic, mustard and some of that TVP, Textured Vegetable Protein to bulk up my burgers. 

Friday, January 24, 2014

On Such a Winter's Day

We have a staff cafeteria where I work and there are a couple of Southern cooks that make full fat sides that I study and then try to come home and lighten them up a bit.  I'd never think to make black-eyed peas myself but seeing that vat of bacon-laden legumes with greens strewn in, it just made sense for a cold winter day.   The cooks serve it as a side with BBQ ribs and mac and cheese.  I wanted to isolate it and make it the main event.
I used the quick soak method but let the beans cook a good long time to get nice and creamy with a couple of smoked turkey wings.  After they were nice and tender, I added diced up carrots, celery, onions and garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and spices.  Usually you put those in beforehand but I noticed this year that if you do it afterwards, those vegetables stay composed and offer more full flavor and texture to the end product.


To serve I imitated the rice with a nice scoop of millet and a huge handful of pre-cut various raw greens that would hit the soup and wilt but still have lots of vibrancy. They don't have to cook for hours in the beans to be great.

Super tasty, super filling.  This was so satisfying without being heavy.  A taste of the South from a Midwesterner living in the North.

 

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

You Are the Sunlight in My Growing

 

 




 

 
Sometimes like Barnabas Collins lusting for Angelique, I feel it necessary to look at all these people I used to or still admire when they were in the prime of their outer beauty. Usually youth is all they needed for their presence to be so affective.  The energy and light in their eyes and smiles is so brilliant I just want to lick the screen.  Truly beautiful people are so unique and rare.  I also recall the few but amazing people in my own life that made me feel so spirited and lively.  Just looking at them or thinking of them sometimes can give my brain the sort of vitamin or boost it craves.  Makes me remember that it all still lives inside of me, I just have to let it out. (btw if you know how to let it out, give me a call)

 In the middle of winter when everything is dead and grey, the clouds are covering the blue sky and everyone is in triple layers on the street bundled and even more closed off then normal, you have to remind yourself that spring will come again.  I have to remember that everything isn't dying for the last time but just going through it's cycle.  I get so dark and macabre at this time of year.
 

I have to remember Cher's crooked amazing teeth when she smiled.
 I have to remember Mick Jagger's plump blushed lips.

I made a fat free Chef's Salad with Canadian bacon, boiled egg whites (but I wasn't too worried if some yolk got in there), tomatoes, radish, avocado, baby spinach, red onion, green onion and the best garlic, lemon mustard vinaigrette.  This was like a sacrifice to the gods for the promise of spring and energy and hope and youthful thoughts. 


I think when we were all very young and had all this spark, we weren't all that ready to own it. You can only prepare for that with experience.  So many stupid mistakes.  I had a thought that I wonder what it would be like to have your prime physical self once the spirit, soul and brain caught up. 
Hey, in a way, maybe that's what being 50 is!


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

You Dropped a Bomb on Me Baby

So this was the day of the big storm, or one of them.  We were to see 8-12 inches of snow and the mayor asked everyone to stay home if possible because the drop in temperatures along with the winds and snow was going to make travel treacherous.  It was my day off and so I was all set to document this big event and began taking pictures first sight of precipitation. 
It did snow all day but it never seemed to accumulate although the winds and cold did make it feel as bad as predicted. 
Seemed as though people took the mayors advice and stayed off the streets. 
In the afternoon a word was buzzing on the news channels. Bombogenesis, which seemed to translate to an extreme land mass cyclone.  Bonus!  A new weather word and a new super storm. This might prove to be an exciting day!

What do you make for a bombostorm? I was thinking colorful but warm.  I begrudgingly bought the 98% fat free ground turkey from Jennie-O this week.  I'm resentful because of the extreme price hike in say 85% fat free versus 98.  I made a stir fry of sorts with Bok Choy, celery, onions, ginger, carrots, garlic and my ground turkey. 
I found this TVP, Textured Vegetable Protein, that I will use as filler for chicken and veggie burgers but actually worked well as a 'mock rice'.  I don't have enough energy to research if this soy is the bad isolate or the good stuff.  To be honest I am having food industry anger contention or FIAC. I'm self diagnosed.  Something like grocery shopping should not require as much hard research as it seems to these days. And this is causing unnecessary time, angst, frustration and money. I often wonder, aren't other people outraged?



 
I loved this dish even though it's a bit country to use ground turkey in a stir-fry, it actually works with the heat of the chili oil.

 

 


I continued to document the storm like the nerd that I am. In the end it was about 6 inches,  I'd never call it a bomb.  Around 7pm though it was very blizzard like.










Nighttime came and even the reporters were losing their woodies for this historical blast. It's winter.  It snowed.  No big shakes.