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pecuniumMonday, when Maia and I got home at 1800 (I decided I wasn't going to pick her up at the airport. Her father was going that way to get her mother and sister, so I went to bed, and the plan was to get up at the ugly hour of 0330 and drive to SLO, so she could make her eight o'clock. She decided not to go, and we got up at 0900, chatted with Barry for a bit, and got her to her two o'clock lab. After that we fed the horses and ran some errands) I made dinner.
It was fast and lazy.
Some marsala, and curry, simmer sauce from TJs. Microwave a couple of potatoes, for about three minutes (they were smallish). Cut them up, and let them finish in the sauce. In the meanwhile, make some basmati, and boil some lentils. To the basmati add a few strands of saffron. Chop some chicken breast and toss it in the sauce.
Take some cumin, cardamom, cinnamon (in order a ratio of 4/2/1) and powder them. Add them to the lentils when they are done. At the same time put some peas in the chicken, potato, curry/marsala mix.
Serve.
The whole thing takes about an hour.
Last night was salad, butternut squash soup and pan-grilled chicken with jelled sesame sauce, and carrots with peas and two onions. Bread was kaiser style dinner rolls.
Chop the squash (about 3 lbs.) into chunks. Scoop the seeds and pith, set aside. Lightly caramalise a shallot (or two) in a stick of butter, at the bottom of a heavy bottomed stock pot, or dutch oven. Add the reserved pith and seeds, sauté until the butter is at least saffron colored, and orange if you can get it.
Add six cups of water, and steam the squash pieces above the butter, shallot, pith and seeds, which are boiling in the water. When they are done (a fork goes in with ease) scrape the meat from the skins, strain the liquid and purée the two in a blender (not a food processor, not a food mill, a blender).
If this is the main dish, heat it until done, just before you finish it, add 1/2 cup heavy cream, garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg; some parsley or watercress for color and contrast (this can be in the pot/tureen, or in each bowl).
If it's a course, set it aside, and wait. Heat it to done (as above) so as to be served hot from the stove.
For the jellied sesame sauce take some chicken stock, some seasame oil, some soy sauce and some vinegar (cider is best, but basalmic will do). Adjust to taste. Bring to a high simmer and add enough cornstarch (mixed with water, so it's at least a thin paste) to make it thick, while still hot.
Grill the chicken (you can use a very hot pan, undercook it, and toss it in a low (170-200) oven to stay warm/finish. The last pieces will need to be cooked through on the stove. This will keep the chicken moist, and hot. Brining helps too) and serve with the sauce; and a dusting of toasted sesame seeds. If you let it rest for a couple of moments the sauce will thicken on the meat.
When you start the chicken do the veggies. A pot of water on simmer gets raised to boil, baby carrots go in. When you sauce the meat, add the peas. The onions were started already. Caramelize some long slices. About the time the chicken goes on the stove, add some finely chopped onion to the caramlizing ones, and you'll get sweated (which will still have some tooth, and a bit of bite) as well as the really sweet strings of the darker onions.
It was fast and lazy.
Some marsala, and curry, simmer sauce from TJs. Microwave a couple of potatoes, for about three minutes (they were smallish). Cut them up, and let them finish in the sauce. In the meanwhile, make some basmati, and boil some lentils. To the basmati add a few strands of saffron. Chop some chicken breast and toss it in the sauce.
Take some cumin, cardamom, cinnamon (in order a ratio of 4/2/1) and powder them. Add them to the lentils when they are done. At the same time put some peas in the chicken, potato, curry/marsala mix.
Serve.
The whole thing takes about an hour.
Last night was salad, butternut squash soup and pan-grilled chicken with jelled sesame sauce, and carrots with peas and two onions. Bread was kaiser style dinner rolls.
Chop the squash (about 3 lbs.) into chunks. Scoop the seeds and pith, set aside. Lightly caramalise a shallot (or two) in a stick of butter, at the bottom of a heavy bottomed stock pot, or dutch oven. Add the reserved pith and seeds, sauté until the butter is at least saffron colored, and orange if you can get it.
Add six cups of water, and steam the squash pieces above the butter, shallot, pith and seeds, which are boiling in the water. When they are done (a fork goes in with ease) scrape the meat from the skins, strain the liquid and purée the two in a blender (not a food processor, not a food mill, a blender).
If this is the main dish, heat it until done, just before you finish it, add 1/2 cup heavy cream, garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg; some parsley or watercress for color and contrast (this can be in the pot/tureen, or in each bowl).
If it's a course, set it aside, and wait. Heat it to done (as above) so as to be served hot from the stove.
For the jellied sesame sauce take some chicken stock, some seasame oil, some soy sauce and some vinegar (cider is best, but basalmic will do). Adjust to taste. Bring to a high simmer and add enough cornstarch (mixed with water, so it's at least a thin paste) to make it thick, while still hot.
Grill the chicken (you can use a very hot pan, undercook it, and toss it in a low (170-200) oven to stay warm/finish. The last pieces will need to be cooked through on the stove. This will keep the chicken moist, and hot. Brining helps too) and serve with the sauce; and a dusting of toasted sesame seeds. If you let it rest for a couple of moments the sauce will thicken on the meat.
When you start the chicken do the veggies. A pot of water on simmer gets raised to boil, baby carrots go in. When you sauce the meat, add the peas. The onions were started already. Caramelize some long slices. About the time the chicken goes on the stove, add some finely chopped onion to the caramlizing ones, and you'll get sweated (which will still have some tooth, and a bit of bite) as well as the really sweet strings of the darker onions.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-10 07:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-10 07:31 am (UTC)It would also go well with a delicata.
Probably Acorn too. I'll be playing with that later, since I like acorn.
The secret is the pith and seeds, they give the nutty flavor back.
TK
no subject
Date: 2005-11-10 01:34 pm (UTC)We've gotten soup haters *and* squash haters to swoon over this soup.