Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Chicken Stroganoff; Moss, Mindless Meanderings..

One of my very few (ahem) faults is that I tend to underestimate the time it will take me to do something.  I always know that I can get more stuff done in a shorter amount of time than humanly possible.

I've touched on this endearing quality in the past.  It doesn't appear as if I will be ridding myself of this trait any time soon.

The only time I ever OVER-estimate how long something will take is if it's something I don't want to do and, in my humble, but always astute, opinion, doesn't need doing anyway.  But, 'nuff said on that topic... If mon mari reads this post I've already said too much....

What state of affairs brings this subject up again?

My website.

If you recall, I boastfully claimed that I was rewriting it and would be finished by the end of January.

Well, here it is, almost midnight on January 31, and, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to meet that deadline.

Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm not even close.  It's a much bigger project than anticipated (Quelle Surprise!).

I am, however (sprains arm back-patting) quite pleased with how it's shaping up.  I have the design done, the templates done, the files organized and all the main pages finished.

The simplest way to put it:  If I were building a house: the frame is up, the roof is on, the walls are up... all that's left is the finishing.... About 2,000 pages to convert.

Meanwhile, while I spend all my time on the computer, my herb garden is being taken over by moss.  Our damp summer, followed by a damper winter has made all the little moss plants very happy. 

Frost doesn't damage it - see first photo, taken yesterday morning, followed by second photo taken this noon. 

I asked our farmer neighbor how to get rid of it.  After 10 minutes of rapid French (on his part) I interjected 'without killing the other plants'; he laughed, pinched his fingers together and said 'Carefully'.  In other words, pull it out by hand.

Anybody have any better ideas?  No hurry, we have a cold spell coming in; then I'm off to the U.S. so I won't be getting at it until sometime in March....right after I finish the website...

Now, what am I forgetting.... Oh yeah, dinner!  (It's been a long day!)

Thankfully, I can always whip up a pasta dish, even at this late hour...

A classic with a twist is my submission for this week's Presto Pasta Nights, created about 48 weeks ago by the lovely  Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. 

You've probably all had, or at least heard of, Beef Stroganoff....

How about Chicken Stroganoff?

Chicken breast, cut up and quickly cooked, makes a very tender meat for the Stroganoff. You may never go back to the more traditional Beef! I break from tradition again, using Greek yogurt rather than the sour cream. Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular plain yogurt, but lower in fat and calories than sour cream.

Chicken Stroganoff

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 medium onion
4 oz mushrooms
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs paprika
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs water
1/2 cup (4oz, 125gr) Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups farfalle (or egg noodles)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Peel and vertically slice the onion into thick wedges. Brush any dirt off the mushroom and slice - trimming off the tough stem ends. Heat 1 tbs oil in large non-stick skillet and sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until onions are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove to a plate. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Put flour and paprika into a medium food bag - large enough to easily hold the chicken. Mix the flour and paprika, then add the chicken. Shake to coat well. Heat remaining 1 tbs oil in same skillet. Add chicken and sauté until golden, 3 - 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, onions, mushrooms, thyme and mustard to skillet, cover and simmer 5 - 7 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into pan. Continue stirring until quite thick. Remove from heat, add yogurt, mix thoroughly. Put the pasta in large pasta bowl, spoon the Stroganoff over and serve.

Now, I'm going to have a glass of wine and commune with my moss

Dancing with the Green Fairy

Are you ready to 'Dance with the Green Fairy'?

Do you even know the Green Fairy?

I have to admit, I didn't. 

Oh, I'd seen the paintings.

I knew about 'the absinthe drinkers'; those degenerate artists who sat around the cafes in Paris, tippling some green concoction that inspired them to new heights of creativity.

I knew it had been banned.

That's the sum of my knowledge... Very little actually.

Then I received an email, asking me to review a site selling absinthe: Buy Absinthe.

Selling it???

You mean, someone's actually making it?  And they're not going to end up in some obscure French prison chained to a wall?

Caught my interest.  Anything a wee bit on the, um, marginal side of 'The Powers That Be' always catches my interest. I was a Viet Nam war protester.  I've been know to mail Cuban cigars to friends in the U.S.

Back to the absinthe. 

Apparently it became popular in France after the phylloxera plague seriously decimated wine production.  One must have something to sip in the cafes, after all.  It's ban was at the instigation of a French General who thought his troops were enjoying it rather too much.  The idea was picked up by the Prohibition and Christian Temperance movements, (Rah!) seconded by the vintners who had a new crop of grapes to sell, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

With a little more research, I discovered that thujone, the plant derivative found in wormwood that was long thought to  be the cause of the 'effects' of absinthe is also found in sage and tarragon, and has been used for thousands of years in various medicinal treatments.... Including that old staple of the cold season Vicks Vap-O-Rub.  (That bit I found elsewhere.... can't stop myself... must have more info...)

I also discovered that the 'effect' of absinthe, if there was one, was more readily attributed to the fact that it's rather high in alcohol...

Buy Absinthe  offers a wide range of high quality absinthes for sale as well as the paraphernalia (I love that word... brings back memories...) used to recreate the traditional 'absinthe experience'. They ship everything worldwide (Yes, even to the  U.S.)  See How to Buy Absinthe for details.   

I had no idea there was a ritual to drinking absinthe.  From my little previous knowledge (and the old Temperance Union song) I had visions of Picasso and Wilde, both fans of the beverage, lying in a gutter with a siphon.

Not true.

There are special glasses and, most particularly, spoons used to drink absinthe properly.  Buy Absinthe has several of the classic items for sale as well as the history and descriptions for use.  They give a brief history and production details of each absinthe they offer; from France, Switzerland and Spain (which never halted legal production) as well as recipes for other drinks and details for traditional ritual.

If want to Read more about Buy Absinthe they even have a blog!

Now, who's up for dancing with the Green Fairy?

Artichoke and Olive Mini Frittatas, and Game Time!

A British friend once said that 'England invented the most popular sports in the world; and can't win at any of them.'

He watches sports. Any sport; any time; all of the time.

I, on the other hand, have never been much of an athletic supporter.

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy watching sports.  I have, on various occasions, watched, and become thoroughly engrossed in: tennis matches, baseball games, American football, European football, basketball, golf, rugby... I've even watched test cricket, although not all five days.

I just have to be someplace other than my own house to do it.  I'll happily become involved in the game in a bar, or club or someone else's house.  But in my own?  No.  There is just too much other stuff to do.
(I also don't sit down to read a book or magazine, or watch television.)

The other problem I have, especially with watching professional sports, is deciding on which is MY team.

When I was younger, living in Wisconsin, I was a Packer Backer. 

Something changed as I got older; partly because we started moving around a bit, partly it's something more difficult to explain; but I started rooting for the underdog.

If we were at a SuperBowl Party, and Team A was the party favorite, but not expected to win, all was well.  I was right there with the rest, yelling encouragement, and bemoaning stupidity.

If they were expected to walk away with the title, I was mentally pushing Team B to victory.

Needless to say that attitude didn't win any points.

Oh, and one last thing: I prefer watching sports where the participants are not so bundled in body armor as to make them unidentifiable and impervious to harm.   I mean, where's the sport in that?

Besides, if I'm going to watch a bunch of guys running around a field for a few hours at least give me something fun to look at....

When it comes to the food, however, I'm always ready to play.

I've done everything from sit-down turkey dinners to the, more traditional, Guacamole Dips and Chips party for past SuperBowls. When Mansi, of Fun and Food decided to host a pre-game party event to help set the mood, I couldn't resist.   

I'm bringing some versatile Mini Frittatas: They can be eaten hot, warm or cold; with a fork or the fingers; seated at the table or wandering around a party. They are great for picnics and any event that needs food prepared in advance. They're good the day you make them and the day after. And they're easy!

Artichoke and Olive Mini Frittatas

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, (6oz, 180gr)
3 eggs
18 black, Greek olives, about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup (2 oz, 60gr) shredded Gruyère
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
olive oil, butter or cooking spray
Olives or artichokes for garnish

Open and drain artichoke hearts. Cut into quarters. Pit the olives if needed, and in half. Butter, oil or spray a non-stick muffin (tartlet) pan - one that holds 6. I know it sounds redundant to butter a non-stick pan but these will stick if you don't. (Not necessary if your pan is silicone) Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add oregano, paprika and whisk well. Place the olives, artichokes and cheese in each cup, dividing evenly. Add the eggs evenly to each cup, ladling over the top. Bake at 400F (200C) for 12 - 15 minutes or until set. Frittatas will puff up considerably and then fall when removed from oven. Allow to cool 5 - 10 minutes before removing from pan - they will start to come away from the sides of the pan as they fall making them easier to get out. Serve with a garnish of olives or artichokes, warm or at room temperature.

Check with Mansi, at Fun and Food after Jan 31 to see all of the great party food.

And may the best team win!  (Or, at least, the one that scores the most points)

Braised Veal with Garlic; An Iron Rant

The biggest difference between life in Europe and life in the U.S. is not what most people think: there is no lack of peanut butter; we have better options than sour cream and we have more TV channels than we could possibly watch.

The biggest difference is ironing.

Europeans, at least the women, are obsessed with ironing. 

They iron everything: sheets, knit golf shirts, gardening clothes, everything!

They talk about ironing.

They discuss at length which type of iron is best.

They compare features; do cost/benefit analysis of the newest models.

They debate over whether to do the ironing themselves, send it out or have 'a girl' come in. 

I know 2 people who have someone come in twice a week to do the ironing.  Nothing else: no cleaning, no scrubbing, no washing; just the ironing.

You can take your clean laundry into one of many shops to have it ironed. I've a friend who always send her bed sheets out to be ironed.

I was at a new housewares shop that just opened in our little village.  They had a top of the line (I assume) iron for sale: 500 euros!  That would be over $700.00! 
For an iron!  And I'm pretty sure that it still required a human to stand there and move it around the clothes!

Don't get me wrong.  I own an iron.  I'm sure I paid at least $15.00 for it 20 years ago.  On average, I use it 6 - 8 hours... per YEAR!

In all fairness when we were working, both mon mari and I sent our shirts out to be laundered; and we can get no-iron bed linens.  But if he wants his T-shirts ironed, he knows were the iron is...
And he can do mine while he's at it...

I always check the tags before buying anything:
Cool iron?  In my mind that means no iron!
Warm iron?  Remember to take it out of the dryer right away; iron twice a year when it gets really wrinkled.
Hot iron?  Put it back and keep looking.

I have better things to do with my time.

Like cooking!

The Mediterranean cuisines like garlic.  Many people think of it as a staple in Italian food but it plays a major role in Spanish and French cooking as well.

For this Weekend Herb Blogging, the event founded by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, and hosted this week by Anna, of Anna's Cool Finds,  I'm playing with garlic!

The health benefits of eating garlic are legend:
It has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure; prevent heart disease; promote cardiovascular health; protect against some cancers and acts as both an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial/viral agent. 

Whew!  Thankfully it also tastes delicious and enhances anything it's added to.

(It doesn't always enhance the breath of those ingesting it, but there's always mint...)

And I learned something new: Do NOT store garlic in oil at room temperature.  Apparently the combination is perfect for botulism!  Refrigerate it.

This recipe is based on one from 'France, the Beautiful'.

Braised Veal with Garlic
I made enough to have it over pasta for another meal.

24oz (750gr) veal, suitable for braising
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
1 head of garlic, 12 - 16 cloves peeled or not
3 bay leaves
15oz (450gr) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water

Cut veal into 1 1/2 inch (3.75cm) cubes. Separate garlic head, peeling cloves if you like. In a deep, heavy pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the veal and brown on all sides. Remove and brown the other half. Remove. Add the bread crumbs and wine and stir well, scraping up the browned bits. Return veal to pan, add garlic cloves, tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes. Turn the heat up and uncover. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the pan a little at a time until thickened to your liking. Spoon meat, garlic and sauce into a bowl and serve with gnocchi.

The garlic gets incredibly sweet and creamy.... add more if you like.  Then you can get the wrinkles out of your clothes just by breathing on them...

I need to say this one more time in case you missed it:

700.00 Dollars.  For.  An.  IRON. 

Turkey and Pepper Risotto and the Weekly Menu Planner

This is such a colorful risotto, it makes me happy just to have it on the table! I used both red and green peppers, and black olives. The turkey was cutlets, sliced thin, but a small piece of turkey tenderloin would work as well.

Turkey and Pepper Risotto

3/4 cup Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion other half for the condimenti
2 tsp butter
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
Condimenti

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Finely chop onion. In medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent then add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. Start condimenti. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.) When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Before the last 1/2 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1/4 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed. At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold its shape on a plate. Add the Parmesan and the condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.

Condimenti

6 oz (180gr) turkey cutlet or tenderloin (you could substitute one chicken breast)
1/2 onion
1/3 red pepper (1/2 cup chopped)
1/3 green pepper (1/2 cup chopped)
8 - 10 olives, pitted black, Greek olives (you could use Kalamata)
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp olive oil

Cut the turkey into strips. Chop the onion and peppers. Pit olives, if needed, and cut in half. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add peppers and sauté 5 minutes longer. Add turkey and sauté until done, 7 - 9 minutes. Add olives, oregano, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to keep warm until needed for risotto. serve.  

For the week of January 25, we're having Garlicky Baked Shrimp, Artichoke and Olive Mini Frittatas, Braised Veal with Garlic (a whole head). Turkey and Pepper Risotto and Lentils, 2 ways: hot vegetable and cold salad with chevre.

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Mushroom and Chicken Lasagne; Unreliable Output Devices

It has been brought to my attention, on more than one occasion, that my mouth is a, somewhat, unreliable output device.

An example: Mon mari, his brother, s-i-l and I are discussing what time to leave on an outing the following day. In my mental discussion with myself I acknowledge that mon mari would like to leave at 8am, early-bird type that he is.  I accept the fact that I would like to leave at 11am, night-owl  always-too-much-to-finish-at-the-last-minute type that I am.  I make a mental compromise and suggest 9:30am  Everyone agrees.  We'll leave at 9:30.

I finish up whatever project I have the following morning, meander downstairs around 9:00 to have a cup of coffee and see three impatient faces staring at me. 

You're late, they cry!

No, I'm not, I defend myself.

You are, too!  You said we were going to leave at 8:00!

Now, I know I didn't say that!  Why would I say something I clearly did not mean and had no intention whatsoever of doing?

They were obviously wrong... all three of them!

We argue, me trying to make them see the error of their ways...all to no effect, I might add.  Power in numbers and all that.

My first recollection of the unreliability of my mouth was years ago, on a second date.

I remember it was a second date because there was no third.

We were at dinner, discussing the menu.  I commented on the expense of the lobster and how I actually liked broiled shrimp just as well.

I knew the dating rules: don't order the most expensive thing on the menu but don't order a salad either. 

I ordered the shrimp.

Twenty minutes later the waiter presented me with a lobster.

I was confused, amazed, taken aback, thunderstruck, etc.

I didn't order that, I said.  I ordered the shrimp.

No, the waiter said; you ordered the lobster.

As he was so clearly, so obviously wrong, I continued trying to make him admit his mistake.  I certainly knew better than to order lobster on a second date, now, didn't I?

My date then agreed with the waiter, claiming that I had, indeed, ordered the lobster.

They were very unkind to continue to insist I had said something when I knew I hadn't.

I shut up and ate my lobster.

Unfortunately, it was brought to my attention this morning that my other most-used output device is also developing a certain unreliability.

In a recent email exchange I was typing "Neil" when, unnoticed by me, my fingers hit M i k e instead of N e i l.  Now, I do know how to spell and I spelled it quite correctly in my mind.  Is it my fault that my fingers are so unreliable?  I don't think so...

They're must be someone I can blame for this...

I wonder if either of these output devices are still under warranty?

I'll just have some pasta and make me feel better...

There was a time when I thought lasagne was a lot of work: simmering the sauce for hours; making the pasta, then cooking the pasta; assembling and then baking for an hour or so.

Then I discovered no-cook lasagne noodles!

I hardly use any 'convenience' foods: canned tomatoes if I run out of my own, red and white kidney beans in a pinch, tuna...

But these handy little lasagne noodles just wormed their way into my heart and my kitchen.  I love the little guys...and they never argue with me!

Here is another lasagne recipe for Presto Pasta Nights created almost a year ago by the lovely  Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.  The 1 year anniversary is in just a few weeks!

A layer of sautéed mushrooms, a layer of crushed tomatoes and one of shredded chicken and sliced red peppers makes this is a colorful lasagne with surprise flavors in each bite. I use fromage frais, which is a very low-fat fresh cheese. If you can't get it, use Greek yogurt, strained if you can get it, or cottage cheese.

Mushroom and Chicken Lasagne

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
3/4 cup chicken stock or water
8oz, 250gr mushrooms
3 - 4 shallots, 6oz, 180gr
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs chicken stock (from poaching the chicken)
1 15oz can (450gr tin) crushed tomatoes
4 - 6 oz, 150gr pimientos, roasted red peppers
fromage frais, 6oz, 200gr (substitute Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta...low-fat is fine)
3/4 cup shredded cheese, 3oz, 90gr
3 tbs butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk - 16 oz, (500ml)
9 - 10 sheets 'no-cook' lasagna noodles
1/3 cup grated Parmesan. 1.5oz, 45gr

The chicken: Put the chicken breast and stock or water in a small skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes. Remove and cut into thin slices or shred.
The mushrooms: Clean mushrooms and roughly chop. Clean shallots and slice. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add mushrooms, shallots and sauté until tender, about 15 minutes. Add 2 tbs of the chicken poaching liquid to get up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.
The Béchamel: In a medium saucepan heat the butter over low heat. Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute. Add a little (1/4 cup) of the milk and whisk to combine. Turn heat up to medium and keep adding milk, a little at a time and whisking. You should have added all of the milk in a minute or 2. When all of the milk is in, bring to a boil (should almost be there), whisking. Then remove from heat. Congratulations! You have just made a béchamel sauce!
The rest: Open tomatoes. Slice roasted red peppers into strips.

Now you are ready to assemble: in a 10" (25cm) square baking dish, or so...make the following layers

1/4 of the béchamel sauce
2 - 3 noodles, you may have to break another one up to get good coverage
spread half of the fromage frais (or yogurt) on the noodles
spread all of the mushrooms and shallots on the fromage frais or yogurt
1/4 béchamel sauce

2 - 3 noodles
all of the crushed tomatoes
1/2 of the shredded cheese

2 - 3 noodles
spread half of the fromage frais (or yogurt) on the noodles
all of the shredded/sliced chicken
all of the sliced peppers

2 - 3 noodles
1/2 béchamel sauce
1/2 shredded cheese
all of the Parmesan

Cover and bake 425F (215C) for 20 minutes, or until noodles are done. Test in center with a sharp knife. Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer to brown cheese. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into squares (or oblongs) and serve.

Start to finish was less than an hour.

This could easily be vegetarian: just substitute another layer of mushrooms for the chicken...but leave in the peppers....

Now I'm going to run some diagnostics on my entire system.  I think I'll start with red wine....

Beef Vegetable Soup and My Mother's Cooking

I may have mentioned that, while my mother was a good cook, she was not the least bit creative or adventurous.

For Sunday Dinner we either had chicken or beef roast, with the occasional pork roast thrown in, just to be different.  Each was fixed in it's own unique, delicious, but never changing way.  Ham and Turkey were the holiday foods.  Week nights were pork chops (2 ways), meat loaf (a choice of tomato soup or cream of mushroom on top), sausages (maybe with sauerkraut?), hot dishes (3, maybe 4 different ones), and a few seasonal items: hamburgers and sweet corn in summer; soup in winter.

She had a few cook books and a box of recipes that she had collected but these were mainly for desserts and baked goods.  One needed recipes for baking.  One did not need recipes for cooking.

My brother brought home a brace of squirrels once.  She stared at them for a few minutes then decided to 'fix them like chicken'.  They were, of course, wonderful: they tasted just like chicken!

When she stated that she was making soup no one asked what kind.  We all knew: it was soup!

She occasionally made bean soup, split pea soup and chili (hers was a soup, sorry Texans).  She even made potato soup once.  But these were all given their full names.  They were special, proper soups; requiring planning and a trip to the grocery store.  Our regular old generic soup didn't.

Since soup is the theme of Heart of the Matter this month, hosted by Joanna of Joanna's Food and it's been perfect soup weather here in the Vendee, I thought it was time to immortalize my family soup.

I even named it.

Beef Vegetable Soup.

Pretty original, huh?

I toyed with the idea of calling it Root Vegetable Soup with the idea of it being a more trendy moniker and all... But, it's winter, what other vegetables could be in it?

My first husband's mother made vegetable soup with a bag of frozen vegetables.  I was so appalled I've never really gotten over it!

My conditioning as to the proper vegetables for a hearty soup was/is so complete that I still have a hard time with corn or green beans or fresh peas in soup. 

They're not winter vegetables. Soup is made in the winter.  Ergo they do not/can not belong in soup.

It's really not that hard to grasp, people....just think about it.

Of course one needs some decent stock to make a decent soup.  And soup is supposed to be economical so I picked up a package of beef ribs on special.  I had over 6 pounds (3 kilos) of ribs which is too much meat for the soup but I'll find another use for it.  I did get great stock.

In order to get nice brown stock you need to brown the meat first. 

After browning on all sides, which took about 20 minutes, I added 2 litres of water, an onion, all of the tops from a bunch of celery, a few carrots, some bay leaves and a bouquet garni.   It simmered away, perfuming the house for about 6 hours in all. 

Then I refrigerated it overnight.  The next day I removed a thick layer of fat, and strained it into a clean pot.  Time to make the soup:

Vegetable Beef Soup  Beef Vegetable Soup

For 4 litres (quarts) of soup:

2 litres beef stock
4 - 5 carrots
2 onions
4 - 5 stalks celery
1 medium rutabaga
4 potatoes
1/2 of a large head of cabbage
1 cup of small whole wheat pasta (my mother used egg noodles)
2 cups of shredded beef, trimmed, from the beef used to make stock

Bring the stock to a good boil over medium high heat.  Chop/slice all of the vegetables, peeling where appropriate.  Add to the soup as you finish with each one.  When all of the vegetables are in bring it back to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Add the pasta and beef and simmer 15 minutes longer.

Note:  The rutabaga is a key ingredient.  Without it the soup doesn't have nearly as much flavor and the sweet undertones are missing.

Let's see: no fat to speak of, no cheese, no cream, no salt, (you can salt it if you like)...This has got to be heart-healthy, right?  It's also heart and tummy warming, bursting with flavor and just a bit on the sweet side form all those yummy root vegetables.  Check out Joanna's Food after Jan. 24th for all of this months soups!

I just realized, other than for the stock, I didn't add any herbs... But, then, my mother wouldn't have... and it is winter...

Pommes Anna, Spinach and more pickiness!

I just spent the entire day tweaking the fonts, lines and paragraphs on my website (not my blog).  Then I looked at all my work in three browsers and five different monitor sizes, many times, before I was satisfied that it was working properly.

Why am I telling you this incredibly boring minutia?

Because, though I'll freely admit that I tend to obsess over details and can get carried away with the picayune, why can't the people who are paid actual money to watch the details, um, watch the details?

There is a small city in Wisconsin  by the name of 'Eau Claire'.  I know this.  I've been there.  It's easy enough to verify on a map or on the internet.  Yet a book I just finished referred to it on two different occasions as 'Eau Claire City'.

Kenosha, also in Wisconsin, is, to my recollection, located in the middle of fairly flat farm country.  On an American TV show last night the main character returned 'home' to Kenosha, Wisconsin (yes, they pointedly supplied the city and state), and proceeded to wander through miles and miles of thickly wooded, steep hills and run into people with an Appalachian accent so thick I could barely understand them.

Does anyone watch 'Men in Trees'?  According to what I see on the telly, Elmo, Alaska gets more sunny days, more daylight hours, balmier temperatures and less snow in the middle of winter, than we do here in the Vendee.  If that's an accurate depiction, why live in South Carolina when the scenery is better and the climate nicer in Alaska?

Why do I care?  Because the little mistakes jolt me out of the story.

I don't like to be jolted.

Now, I shall stop.  It's not been a good day and I tend to get nasty and....

I rarely post about my boring, everyday, reliable foods...so I shall.  Both easy.  One healthy, one not so much... You decide.

The first is another recipe whose origins are lost in the mists of time. It's delicious, easy and helps me get my weekly ration of spinach. Even non-spinach lovers are happy with this. With a bit of bread and a salad it can also make a light lunch.

Mock Spinach Soufflé

1 package frozen spinach, 8 - 9 oz, or the equivalent (250 gr)
2 eggs or 2 egg whites
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp olive oil

Thaw spinach (use microwave, hot water or saucepan) and squeeze out excess moisture. In medium bowl beat eggs well. Add yogurt, Parmesan and nutmeg. Mix well. Add spinach and mix well. Lightly oil a small baking dish. (I use a 7 inch square glass baking dish) Pour in spinach and bake at 400F (200C) for 30 minutes or until set. Remove and serve directly from baking dish.

A mandolin makes quick work of slicing the potatoes but is not necessary. Clarifying the butter is not difficult, just a bit fussy. Try to make the first layer as neat as you can. Remember this will be the lovely, golden brown top when you unmold the Pommes Anna. This serves 4 - if you're in the mood to share...

Pommes Anna

1/3 cup butter
3 - 4 medium potatoes, 24oz, 750gr, peeling optional (I don't bother but purists would be appalled).
salt & pepper

Clarify butter: melt butter in small pan over low heat just so that it is melted. You will notice the white milk solids in the butter. We don't want these. With a small spoon skim off as much of the floating milk solids as you can. Then carefully pour the clear (mostly) butter into a glass measuring cup leaving behind the remaining solids.
Using a basting brush and some of the clarified butter, generously butter the inside of a round, glass baking dish. Mine is about 8" (20cm) in diameter and the potatoes will come up about 2/3's to the top. Slice the potatoes into paper thin slices, using a mandolin, box slicer, food processor, or a sharp knife. Line the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of potato, brush very lightly with butter. Add a layer of potato, brush with butter. Repeat until you have used all of the potatoes. If you use salt & pepper put a little on the middle and top layers. Cover with a lid or foil and bake in 400F (200C) oven for 60 minutes. Remove, and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Invert on to a large plate - it should retain it's shape. Slice half of the Pommes Anna into wedges and serve.

It's not as pretty as normal: for some reason the potatoes right in the center stuck a bit.

What can I say...It's been that kind of day! 

Polenta Cakes with Chevre and Pimiento; the Weekly Menu Plan

Delicious and easy - minor assembly required.

I use quick cooking polenta, it takes about 10 minutes. It can be made ahead and refrigerated. I use whole Spanish Pimientos. If you can't get them substitute pimentos or roasted red peppers.

Polenta Cakes with Chevre and Pimiento

goat cheese, log, 3oz, 100gr (2 1/5 - 3", 7cm)
pimientos or roasted red peppers, 3 - 4oz , 100gr (save the rest for the lasagne)

Polenta Cakes
Balsamic Reduction

Polenta Cakes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/8 cup (2 tbs) polenta
1/8 cup (2 tbs) Parmesan, grated

Heat stock in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When stock is simmering slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until done. Add Parmesan and stir well. Tear off 2 pieces of cling film and lightly oil. Divide the polenta in half and place each half in the middle of the cling film. Then place it into 2 small bowls or ramekins, 3 - 4" (8 - 10cm) in diameter, with the film on the bottom. The polenta will spread out to fit the shape. (We just want something to make round patties.) Cover the top with film and refrigerate until needed.

Balsamic Reduction

1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) beef stock
1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) red wine
1 tbs brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook at a brisk boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Allow to cool until needed.

To assemble: Lay polenta cakes on small plates. Open and drain peppers. Slice peppers into 1/2", 1.25cm, strips. Arrange 6 - 8 strips on each polenta cake, coming out from the center like spokes on a wheel and draping over the edge of the polenta. Cut two 1 1/4" (3cm) slices of goat cheese and place in the center of the cake. Drizzle the Balsamic reduction over the top and serve.  

For the week of January 18, we're having Cauliflower and Gruyere Soup, Balsamic Glazed Salmon, Polenta Cakes with Goat Cheese and Red Peppers, Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Shallot Confit and Mushroom and Chicken Lasagne (with the rest of the Pimientos).

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Choucroute Garni and Picky Eaters

My mother had zero tolerance for picky eaters. 

Hers was a simple philosophy: She made it; we ate it.   Food was not wasted.  I'm sure it stems from the Depression, but we didn't waste.  (Funny, how so many people are learning that again....)

There were no alternative meals offered; no peanut butter sandwiches for the kids; no mac & cheese.

To be fair she rarely made anything unusual, and, if it was something new, there were normally familiar foods in the same meal.  We only had to try a small amount to satisfy her.

But we had to eat it. 

That is how my older brother became my hero.

We didn't have a dog, you see.

On two occasions, as a child, I was left sitting at the table well into the evening.  The rest of the family was in the living room, watching T.V.  I was in the dining room at the table.

My mother was stubborn.

So was I.

The first time the uneaten food was a buckwheat pancake.  If I didn't like it hot with melted butter and warm maple syrup you can imagine how it was tasting 4 hours later: a cold, soggy mass in the middle of my plate.

My big brother took pity on me. When our mother went outside for a minute he came over and ate it.

She was suspicious, but she couldn't prove anything so I was allowed to leave the table. 

The second time it was sauerkraut

It was on a Friday night. My father was popping popcorn for a treat.  My mother was watching my brother and I was sitting at the table with ONE forkful of cold sauerkraut on my plate.

Did I mention that I was stubborn?

Did I mention my big brother is a hero?

He laid on the floor to watch T.V.  Slowly, over the course of, say, 30 minutes, he edged into the dining room, close to my chair.  Finally the moment came: he ducked under the table and I lowered the fork with the kraut. 

Mission accomplished. 

Unfortunately my mother saw us.  I was allowed to leave the table but I didn't get any popcorn.  Neither did my brother.

She never made the buckwheat pancakes again. 

The next time she made sauerkraut I ate it, hot, and loved it.

When I started cooking on my own I had an epiphany the first time I tried to make sauerkraut:  One has to do more than just open a can and heat if one wants edible sauerkraut.

I learned another thing after moving here: In France, sauerkraut doesn't come in a can, or a bag.  It's made at the shop and you buy it either raw or cooked.

Either way, when prepared properly, with herbs and spices, a bit of meat or not, it's delicious. And incredibly good for us. 

Packed with vitamins and minerals, Sauerkraut, and it's relatives, such as Kim chi, have been eaten for centuries as a food to help stave off illness, particularly in winter and on long sea voyages.  Some recent studies have shown that  fermented cabbage actually provides more benefits than either raw or cooked cabbage.  According to this Sauerkraut site "A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer."  They also say that sauerkraut is one of a very few foods that contains a particular healthy bacterium that the gut uses to fight off the bad guys like E.coli.

Sounds like the perfect candidate for Weekend Herb Blogging, this week being hosted by Rinku of Cooking in Westchester.   Weekend Herb Blogging is the very successful brainchild of Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage.

That doesn't mean that the finished dish has to be overly salty or sour.  If you are using sauerkraut from a bag or a can (like Frank's) rinse it with cold water before using. Then taste it. It should have a light fermented taste to it.  If it's still too salty/sour, rinse it again.

Raw sauerkraut may even have to be soaked in cool water for 5 minutes if it is quite salty.

My mother always used pork ribs in her sauerkraut.  I like to use sausage.  A traditional Alsatian Choucroute Garni would have both, plus some bacon.  Use what you like.  Serve with potatoes, or dumplings, or, my preference, Pasta with Browned Butter Sauce.

Sauerkraut with Sausages

16oz (500gr) sauerkraut
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
4 sausages
1/2 - 1 cup white wine
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
10 juniper berries
10 black peppercorns

Rinse the sauerkraut and drain well.  Chop the onion and mince the garlic.  In large, deep skillet sauté the onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.  Move to the side and add the sausages.  Brown on both sides.  Remove the sausages and add the sauerkraut, 1/2 cup wine, 1/4 cup stock, the herbs and spices.  Stir to mix well.  Place the sausages on top, cover and simmer for 30 - 60 minutes, the longer the better.  Depending on the kraut you may have to add the remaining wine and stock, and possibly more.  Raw sauerkraut will absorb more liquid than cooked.

if you're wondering what the bits of pink are - I had a couple of stray slices of Prosciutto I tossed in, as well. 
My mother buried the pork ribs in the kraut, (not browned first) and baked the whole thing for a few hours.

Pasta with Browned Butter Sauce

1 1/2 cups penne
2 tbs butter
pepper - lots

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and put in serving bowl. Return pasta pan to medium heat. Add butter to pan and let it fry until it turns brown - being careful not to let it turn too dark or it will taste burnt. When brown reduce heat and add lots of black pepper and a bit of salt. Put pasta back into pan and stir to coat and reheat. Serve.
(Note: after removing the pasta it is best to add water to the pot or it is a bear to clean - or so mon mari tells me ;-) )

If you have any leftover, reheat the next day and serve over buttered potatoes.

Be sure to check with Rinku at Cooking in Westchester on Monday for the recap of all the recipes!