Dear Reader:
I was looking for something that I had previously worked on in this blog, only to realize that people are still visiting. Please do not think that I'm not interested. I've just lived a few lifetimes since I regularly posted here. When I returned, I realized that this blog represented who I was then and no longer fit well with who I am now.
So I've created a new blog.
I'm so sorry if you thought I had abandoned you, my dear readers. It was never my intention.
The new blog is called Cooking Cacophony, representing some of the chaos that we live with ADHD, parenting in a large family, life in general and the food that ties us all together. Please come and join us there.
Johane
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Snowpacolypse? Time for soup...
With all of the snow we've had lately, it got me thinking. We've had nearly a week of notice. We've been able to get ready. We've known approximately how long the storm was going to last. Our parents and grand-parents didn't have that. Is it a wonder that they kept a pot of soup simmering on the stove?
As the snow started falling yesterday, I put a smoked ham in the oven for supper. Today, as the cold hits and there is a lot of heavy work to be done outside, I've got a a lovely split pea soup simering on the stove. Not only does it help warm the house, it will be a comforting meal at the end of the day.
In my dutch oven pot, I poured in about 1 inch of water, placed my ham, scored the fat cap lightly, covered it and placed it in a low and slow oven for the afternoon. By the end, the meat was falling off the bone. There was an extra 1.5 inch of liquid to boot! So we had a wonderfully tender ham with potatoes and steamed brocoli for supper last night. I kept the liquid for the soup today.
This morning, I cooked my yellow split peas in the ham liquid with onions, celery, bell peppers and carrots. Tonight we eat comfort in a bowl.
As the snow started falling yesterday, I put a smoked ham in the oven for supper. Today, as the cold hits and there is a lot of heavy work to be done outside, I've got a a lovely split pea soup simering on the stove. Not only does it help warm the house, it will be a comforting meal at the end of the day.
In my dutch oven pot, I poured in about 1 inch of water, placed my ham, scored the fat cap lightly, covered it and placed it in a low and slow oven for the afternoon. By the end, the meat was falling off the bone. There was an extra 1.5 inch of liquid to boot! So we had a wonderfully tender ham with potatoes and steamed brocoli for supper last night. I kept the liquid for the soup today.
This morning, I cooked my yellow split peas in the ham liquid with onions, celery, bell peppers and carrots. Tonight we eat comfort in a bowl.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
This week's menu
Well, with everything I've been cooking over the weekend, you can rest assured that I have a plan for suppers this week. Suppers and some lunches too...
Here's the recipe for the Poulet en cocotte:
1 2 kg chicken, cooked and pulled apart
4 med celery stocks, chopped
1 lg spanish onion, chopped
250 ml frozen peas
15 ml fresh thyme (yes, I like thyme especially in cold season for its health benefits, you can safely cut this back to 5 ml)
I'm allergic to carrots, so I leave them out, but you should add 3 med carrots, chopped
1 l chicken stock
1 l milk
50 ml butter
50 ml All-purpose flour
1/2 recipe of pie dough
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Nutmeg
1 egg for egg wash
Since I have French onion soup bowls, I like to use these as my cocottes.
Preheat the oven to 190C (375F)
Divide chicken evenly between pots, and a handful of peas into each cocottes.
Sautee the onion, celery and carottes (if you have them), and set them aside.
In a medium sauce pan, make a blond roux with the butter and flour. Add the cold stock, milk and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once the mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat and add the sauteed vegetables. Add a light sprinkle of nutmeg to taste.
Cool the sauce to room temperature by placing the pot in a sink filled with 10 cm (just over 3") of cold water, and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Laddle the sauce over the chicken mixture, leaving 1 cm headroom maximum. Gently tap the pot to settle the sauce in the pot.
Roll out the pie dough to 3 mm (1/8") and cut circles 1.5 cm (3/4") larger than the diameter of the top of your pot. Once the circles are cut, cover the pots, crimp the edges and brush with egg wash.
At this point, you can place the pots on a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
When ready to cook, place the pots on a cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot with an earthy mushroom risotto, or with sweet roasted root vegetables.
If you'll recall, I cooked a brisket, prepared stock and butchered a couple chickens... We've had the brisket as lunch on Sunday, and again yesterday when the kids had a snow day. Last night we had a split roasted chicken with roasted squash.
The family is looking forward to having a tasty soup tonight - likely a nice white bean soup with a little rosemary... However I think the hit of the week was Tuesday's Poulet en cocotte with mushroom risotto and sauted beans.Here's the recipe for the Poulet en cocotte:
1 2 kg chicken, cooked and pulled apart4 med celery stocks, chopped
1 lg spanish onion, chopped
250 ml frozen peas
15 ml fresh thyme (yes, I like thyme especially in cold season for its health benefits, you can safely cut this back to 5 ml)
I'm allergic to carrots, so I leave them out, but you should add 3 med carrots, chopped
1 l chicken stock
1 l milk
50 ml butter
50 ml All-purpose flour
1/2 recipe of pie dough
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Nutmeg
1 egg for egg wash
Since I have French onion soup bowls, I like to use these as my cocottes.
Preheat the oven to 190C (375F)
Divide chicken evenly between pots, and a handful of peas into each cocottes.
Sautee the onion, celery and carottes (if you have them), and set them aside.
In a medium sauce pan, make a blond roux with the butter and flour. Add the cold stock, milk and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once the mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat and add the sauteed vegetables. Add a light sprinkle of nutmeg to taste.
Cool the sauce to room temperature by placing the pot in a sink filled with 10 cm (just over 3") of cold water, and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Laddle the sauce over the chicken mixture, leaving 1 cm headroom maximum. Gently tap the pot to settle the sauce in the pot.
Roll out the pie dough to 3 mm (1/8") and cut circles 1.5 cm (3/4") larger than the diameter of the top of your pot. Once the circles are cut, cover the pots, crimp the edges and brush with egg wash.
At this point, you can place the pots on a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
When ready to cook, place the pots on a cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot with an earthy mushroom risotto, or with sweet roasted root vegetables.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Welcome back
Well, it's been a few years since I last posted a blog... Life kind of got away from me and I was just too busy to blog. I was in and out of industry, I moved from one town to another, I met up with an old friend and we fell in love. We were married this past summer, and we moved the same weekend. Yes, my life has been that kind of crazy for a while now, so I'm sure you'll forgive my virtual disappearance.
What brings me back is that things have settled down somewhat and I'm having a lot of fun in the kitchen. For example, right now, I have beautiful roasted chicken stock simmering gently on the stove, and a wonderful beef brisket on a low braise in the oven. Meanwhile for supper we had a really nice rustic cream of brocoli soup, blackened haddock fillets and fresh smashed potatoes.
I hope that you will join me again on my culinary adventures. I will be blogging about new restaurants I've found, talking with the farmers, butchers and other food purveyors, and whatever I can pull together in my own kitchen... See you next time!
What brings me back is that things have settled down somewhat and I'm having a lot of fun in the kitchen. For example, right now, I have beautiful roasted chicken stock simmering gently on the stove, and a wonderful beef brisket on a low braise in the oven. Meanwhile for supper we had a really nice rustic cream of brocoli soup, blackened haddock fillets and fresh smashed potatoes.
I hope that you will join me again on my culinary adventures. I will be blogging about new restaurants I've found, talking with the farmers, butchers and other food purveyors, and whatever I can pull together in my own kitchen... See you next time!
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