Ah, the first day of spring break! Finally, a Monday where I can cook!
I have two mahi mahi filets left in the fridge. They aren't the usual mahi mahi filets I get from bilo, so I am a little concerned about how long they have been there and where exactly they came from. But as I have exactly one dollar in my wallet otherwise, they are for dinner.
Using this recipe as inspiration, I made a few small modifications:
First, I have a jar of mango salsa in the fridge from a few weeks ago when salsa was buy one get one free. I prefer my salsa tongue-melting spicy, but Elvo does not like spicy food so I got some mango to try out.
Second, I don't have any jasmine rice, or scallions, or cilantro. So I will be making my rice with white sushi rice, some other seasonings from the spice rack, and maybe walnuts tossed in.
Should be a delicious adventure!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
A little story
So, in my previous post, I was making Elvo's favourite soup and I had decided to make biscuits.
But no, wait, I decided to make bread. Elvo loves bread. And since I have gluten free bread flour (I stopped making my own and just buy Pamela's now, I know I know, sell out, but it's easier) I figured I'd just concoct a delicious, coarse bread good for soup dipping.
I threw together some ingredients. To the best of my knowledge my recipe included an egg, a cup of milk, 3 cups of gf flour, some salt, a handful of brown sugar, a bit of oil, and a spoonful of butter, plus some yeast.
Apparently baking is not like cooking.
You can't just make things up, and you definitely can't say "a handful of" or "just a pinch". I've made bread before, and apparently done so only with extreme luck. Though in my defense I've made bread three times and only twice had it come out tasty.
Back to the budding failure:
I tossed all these ingredients in the machine and turned it on. I can't remember which setting I used. My beloved machine got to work.
I recommend a bread machine to everyone. I got mine second hand for just $18, and it came with two cookbooks as well. It's fun, it makes the house smell amazing, and it's healthier.
Anyway. Fast forward time. Ding! Bread it done. I pop it out on a plate and Elvo slices it up.
Hm, what's wrong with this? It's really dense, and it seems under baked in the center.
Elvo: Did you follow the recipe?
Me: Well, I just kind of made it up.
Elvo: ...What did you put in it?
Me: I'm not exactly sure... some sugar and flour and..."
Elvo: Did you measure?
Me: (sensing danger) N-nnnooo?
Elvo: Ok, try a recipe from the book and measure everything.
Round two: I chose a simple white bread recipe and measured the ingredients out mostly-carefully. Put it all in the machine and press fast forward on time. Ding! Bread's done.
And it was even worse!
Elvo: Did you substitute anything?
Me: Well, brown sugar for white, gluten free mix for regular flour, oil for margarine, soy for milk power and water...
Elvo: ....~facepalm~
Lesson to the wise.
But no, wait, I decided to make bread. Elvo loves bread. And since I have gluten free bread flour (I stopped making my own and just buy Pamela's now, I know I know, sell out, but it's easier) I figured I'd just concoct a delicious, coarse bread good for soup dipping.
I threw together some ingredients. To the best of my knowledge my recipe included an egg, a cup of milk, 3 cups of gf flour, some salt, a handful of brown sugar, a bit of oil, and a spoonful of butter, plus some yeast.
Apparently baking is not like cooking.
You can't just make things up, and you definitely can't say "a handful of" or "just a pinch". I've made bread before, and apparently done so only with extreme luck. Though in my defense I've made bread three times and only twice had it come out tasty.
Back to the budding failure:
I tossed all these ingredients in the machine and turned it on. I can't remember which setting I used. My beloved machine got to work.
I recommend a bread machine to everyone. I got mine second hand for just $18, and it came with two cookbooks as well. It's fun, it makes the house smell amazing, and it's healthier.
Anyway. Fast forward time. Ding! Bread it done. I pop it out on a plate and Elvo slices it up.
Hm, what's wrong with this? It's really dense, and it seems under baked in the center.
Elvo: Did you follow the recipe?
Me: Well, I just kind of made it up.
Elvo: ...What did you put in it?
Me: I'm not exactly sure... some sugar and flour and..."
Elvo: Did you measure?
Me: (sensing danger) N-nnnooo?
Elvo: Ok, try a recipe from the book and measure everything.
Round two: I chose a simple white bread recipe and measured the ingredients out mostly-carefully. Put it all in the machine and press fast forward on time. Ding! Bread's done.
And it was even worse!
Elvo: Did you substitute anything?
Me: Well, brown sugar for white, gluten free mix for regular flour, oil for margarine, soy for milk power and water...
Elvo: ....~facepalm~
Lesson to the wise.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Things that go well with soup
It's been cold and rainy lately. Elvo requested his favourite soup, which is carrot sweet potato soup. This is a thick, creamy sort of soup, good served with some dipping bread:
In the slow cooker, it requires a long cook time so do this in the morning, combine:
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced to equal about 2-3 cups
1 cup baby carots
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth, or two cubes and 2 cups water
a little onion if you have it (I used flakes, for lack of fresh on hand)
a little curry powder if you have it (I didn't)
Stir to combine and cook it on low for 8 hours or so. Then dump it in the blender and blend it smooth. Put it back in the slow cooker and add:
1/2 cup milk or cream (I used soy)
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (I also love to garnish his dish with a little maple syrup swirl in the center once I've ladeled out the soup)
Cook it on high for 15 to 30 minutes more, to let it thicken.
Serve it with bread for a soothing, rainy day meal.
But as I was making the soup this morning I started thinking. What goes well with soup? Salad of course. But Elvo hates salad, hence the addition of biscuits. (I just make some drop biscuits, you could also get the kind that come in a tube but since we're gluten free that's not an option available to me. Besides free range eggs and soy milk are better ingredients.)
I'm also contemplating making some bread. I dunno. I am in a baking mood I guess.
In the slow cooker, it requires a long cook time so do this in the morning, combine:
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced to equal about 2-3 cups
1 cup baby carots
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth, or two cubes and 2 cups water
a little onion if you have it (I used flakes, for lack of fresh on hand)
a little curry powder if you have it (I didn't)
Stir to combine and cook it on low for 8 hours or so. Then dump it in the blender and blend it smooth. Put it back in the slow cooker and add:
1/2 cup milk or cream (I used soy)
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (I also love to garnish his dish with a little maple syrup swirl in the center once I've ladeled out the soup)
Cook it on high for 15 to 30 minutes more, to let it thicken.
Serve it with bread for a soothing, rainy day meal.
But as I was making the soup this morning I started thinking. What goes well with soup? Salad of course. But Elvo hates salad, hence the addition of biscuits. (I just make some drop biscuits, you could also get the kind that come in a tube but since we're gluten free that's not an option available to me. Besides free range eggs and soy milk are better ingredients.)
I'm also contemplating making some bread. I dunno. I am in a baking mood I guess.
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