Eat For A Week

2012-01-14T21:39:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year! Yes, I'm two weeks late on that. That's just how things have gone lately.

I'm afraid entries here will continue to be pretty sporadic for a while. The holidays always kind of put a hitch in things. Then there's the part where the day job has been kicking my butt pretty hard. Oh, and I'm in the middle of a concert cycle with the Sierra Vista Symphony at the moment. So, yeah... I've been eating a lot of sandwiches lately since that's about all I've had the time and energy to make, and that really doesn't warrant any video work or recipe write-ups.

As has been my pattern for the last couple of years, I'll post what I can as I can. As always, I'm grateful that you have stopped by to check things out even though changes seem to occur at a glacial pace here.

I hope the arbitrary numbering of the calendar is treating you well. Thanks again.

- thom

Contest Winner Announcement!

2011-12-10T12:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry this formal announcement is so late, though I did post the result as a comment in the previous blog entry a couple of days ago.

Congratulations to Fred, our winner! Fred, please email me at eat-for-a-week@cox.net and let me know the best way to send you the info to download your book. I promise, I don't send spam. Thanks!

eBook Review/Give-Away and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-15T19:26:00.001-07:00

eBook Review/Give-Away:

Angie Ballard sent me a copy of her new eBook, Tight Budget, Tiny Kitchen, and No Time: How to Eat Well in Your First Apartment to review. She has also gracefully allotted one copy for me to give away to an EFAW viewer! (Read on for that info - and a recipe or two - after the review.)

This is a great book for anybody, not just those of us with cramped cooking spaces, little cash, and scant "spare" time. Having lived under these very conditions for the last 16 years or so, I like to think I've got a pretty good handle on how to manage that kind of stuff. That said, it took several years of trial and error to figure things out, particularly in the tiny studio apartment I lived in during grad school. This book would have been a godsend back then!

Angie's book tells you how to make the most of your resources with great advice ranging from shopping lists to storage solutions and tips on what kitchen utensils you REALLY need. Heck, I even learned a few tricks which I have already begun working into my cuisine routine.

The book also includes a whole slew of budget-friendly recipes which look delicious. I haven't had a chance to try any of them yet but their time will come. Some of the recipes do call for things like canned condensed soup or seasoning packets, which are things I avoid if at all possible, but with a little imagination you can work around those ingredients should you so choose. (I'm not being snobbish here. I'm very sensitive to MSG, which is common in such items. I'd rather purchase slightly more expensive foods and skip the migraines.)

I highly recommend you check this one out. It is available from Smashwords for only $4.99(US) but if you have a little patience, you could win one here! Simply leave a comment on this blog post - one entry per person, please. The deadline to enter is 12:00am MST Monday, December 5, 2011. After the deadline has passed all entries will be assigned a number in chronological order, and I will use a random number generator to pick the lucky winner! I'll do my best to announce the winner no later than December 8, 2011.

Angie Ballard lives here: http://www.thejammiegirl.com/
Her eBook is available in just about any format you could want here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/90773

And because it always feels strange to post here without a video, here are a couple of recipes for you!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Wondering what to do with all those pumpkin seeds left over from making pumpkin soup or carving jack-o-lanterns? Don't throw them away! They make for a tasty - not to mention healthy - snack!

INGREDIENTS:

Pumpkin guts & seeds
2 Tbsps olive oil
garlic salt

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 275°.
Separate seeds from the guts. (Keep the seeds, discard the guts.)
Toss seeds with olive oil and garlic salt to taste, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place seeds in the oven. Check and stir them about every 10 minutes until golden brown. Depending on how many seeds you have, cooking time could be anywhere from about 20 minutes to an hour or more.

Music: Maintaining Radio Silence by The Hybiscus Journals. You can download it here: http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/track/maintaining-radio-silence

Bonus recipe!

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

As fall and winter roll in, nothing takes the edge off the chill quite like a steaming mug of hot buttered rum. Of course you don't have to use rum, but it really does make for a great nightcap.

This recipe is my slightly altered version of the one I found here: http://www.floras-hideout.com/drrecipes/recipes.php?page=drrecipes&data=f-j/Hot_Buttered_Rum_Mix. I found the mix didn't quite get smooth enough with just a 1/2 cup of butter. Also, I couldn't help but put my own twist on the spicing.

INGREDIENTS:

3 C brown sugar
1 C butter (please do not use margarine)
2 Tbsps honey
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp rum extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (If you only have ground, that's okay. Use the same amount.)
pinch of ground cloves

HOW TO:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until evenly mixed. If you don't have a food processor, a hand mixer will work. I'm not sure a blender would be terribly successful. The batter will look a bit like peanut butter once you're done (see photo), though if you taste it there will be a slightly grainy consistency. Don't worry about that, it's just undissolved sugar. Place into an air-tight container and keep refrigerated. Once the weather warms up, I stick any remaining batter - if there is any - in the freezer.

TO USE:

Put about a tablespoon of the batter into a mug. Add a shot of rum and top off with hot water. Stir until the lump of batter is dissolved. Enjoy.

Don't like rum? Try it with bourbon or whiskey instead.

Don't drink alcohol? Making this for the kids? Replace the rum and hot water with hot apple cider or tea. I've read suggestions to put it in coffee as well, but I've not tried it.

Eat for a week 33a: Roasted Pumpkin Soup

2011-11-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

This recipe takes some time, but is really worth it. The result is a lightly curried pumpkin soup. The recipe as published here makes a HUGE amount of soup - around 9 quarts or so. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half. For a stronger curry flavor, halve the amounts for everything but the spices. Grocery bill for this was just over $11.

INGREDIENTS:

10 lb. carving pumpkin (yes, like the ones you'd use for a jack-o-lantern)
vegetable oil (not much, maybe 2 or 3 Tbsps)
2 tbsps bacon drippings *
one onion, chopped
6-7 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsps curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp smoked paprika **
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg **
1 tsp cider vinegar (if necessary)
4-6 C water
1/2 lb. baby carrots
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp dry marjoram leaves **
pinch of saffron **
1 pint half-and-half
salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

To prepare the pumpkin - this can be done a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge:

Preheat oven to 375°
Throw the pumpkin at the ground to crack it, then finish cutting it in half with your knife.
Scoop out seeds and strings and set the guts aside. I'll show you what to do with these in episode 33b.
Rub cut edges with oil and place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place in the oven and bake 45 minutes to an hour, until a paring knife can be easily inserted and withdrawn.
Allow pumpkin halves to cool until you can handle them without burning yourself, then separate the flesh from the skin. (Discard the skin, keep the flesh and any juices.)

For the soup itself:

Heat bacon drippings in a large stock pot over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic with a little salt and cook 3-4 minutes.
Add curry powder, cumin, ginger, cayenne, paprika, and nutmeg and cook for 1-2 minutes.
If the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot too much, add vinegar to un-stick them.
Add pumpkin flesh, carrots, water, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add bay leaves, marjoram, and saffron.
Increase heat and allow soup to boil, then lower heat, cover the pot, and allow to simmer for about half an hour.
Remove bay leaves and blend the soup using an immersion blender (preferred method).
Turn off heat and mix in the half-and-half. Enjoy!

I like to garnish this with some greek yogurt and toasted pumpkin seeds. I'll show you my recipe for the pumpkin seeds in episode 33b (coming soon).

Music for this episode is Yellow by The Hybiscus Journals. You can download it for free - or whatever you think it is worth - here: http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/track/yellow

I'm also working on putting together an e-book give-away. Keep an eye on the blog (http://eat-for-a-week.blogspot.com) for details!

* Feel free to use olive oil or butter if you prefer to keep this vegetarian. I was out of those and happened to have some bacon drippings in the fridge.
** These are optional. If you don't have them, leave them out. If you do have them, use them!

Eat for a Week 32: Oktoberfest Pasta

2011-10-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

I came up with this recipe last fall when I wanted to find a way to stretch a single package of bratwurst. Let's face it, fall is a great time for brats, but they're not always cheap. The bill for this was somewhere around $17 or $18. If you keep parmesan cheese and sauerkraut on hand (or choose not to use them), that can knock about $9 from your bill. I happened to be out of both.

TOOLS:

Large skillet
Large sauce pan
Large stock pot (for boiling pasta)

INGREDIENTS:

5 bratwurst sausages (about a pound), removed from casings and broken up
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 Tbsps butter
2 Tbsps flour
1 pint half-and-half
6 to 8 oz. (about 1/2 bottle) Sam Adams Oktoberfest*
2 Tbsps grainy mustard
2 tsp prepared horseradish
2 bay leaves
pinch of nutmeg**
1 1/2 tsp dry ground mustard**
pinch of ground cloves**
1 lb regular pasta
1 lb whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese***
sauerkraut***

HOW TO:

Meat:
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.
Cook onion and garlic until translucent.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add bratwurst and cook through.
Set aside.

Sauce:
In large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in 1 pint of half-and-half.
Once all the cream is mixed in, add about a half a bottle of Sam Adams Oktoberfest.
Add salt and pepper, mustard, horseradish, bay leaves, nutmeg, ground mustard, and cloves. Mix well.
If sauce is too thick, add a little bit of water until you reach your desired consistency.
Turn heat up to medium-high and wait for the sauce to start to bubble.
Add bratwurst, onion, and garlic mixture to the sauce. Mix well.
Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and allow to warm.

Pasta:
Cook according to directions on packaging.

Assembly:
Remove bay leaves from sauce then mix the sauce into the drained pasta. When serving, top with sauerkraut and parmesan cheese.

Music for this episode is "Breakfast of Champions" by The Hybiscus Journals. Download it for free (or whatever you think it's worth) here: http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/track/breakfast-of-champions

Also, we'll be having an e-book giveaway pretty soon here. Keep an eye on http://eat-for-a-week.blogspot.com for more details!

* Use whatever beer you like. If you don't like beer or don't drink alcohol, substitute with chicken or vegetable stock.
** These seasonings are optional. Don't break the bank buying them all in one go if you don't already have them on hand.
*** Also optional.

Eat for a Week 31: Sweet Chicken & Potatoes

2011-10-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

More crock pot fun. The grocery bill for this one was about $13. I bought chicken, bacon, and potatoes.

TOOLS:

crock pot

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 to 2 lbs baby red potatoes, chopped into 1" to 2" pieces
2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3" to 4" pieces
1/2 lb bacon, chopped into about 1/2" pieces
6 cloves of garlic, peeled (chop if you like)
1/3 to 1/2 lb frozen peas
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C cider vinegar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 C water
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (use more if you like more heat)
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

HOW TO:

Cook bacon in a skillet and drain off the fat.
Place potatoes in crock pot, then add chicken, garlic, peas, and bacon.
Whisk together sugar, vinegar(s), worchestershire sauce, water, cayenne, salt and pepper and pour into crock pot.
Add bay leaves.
Set crock pot to Low and let it be for 8 to 10 hours. (If you're getting a late start and will be around the house, you can put it on high for 6 to 8 hours.)

This turns out delightfully sweet, but not candy-like. The cayenne helps offset this a bit. If you like, add some blue cheese crumbles when serving. The salty, mustiness of it can also help cut the sweetness of the dish.

Music for this episode is "Learning Curve" by The Hybiscus Journals - http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com (This track isn't there, but many others are.)

So, it hit the internets this afternoon that Steve Jobs has passed away. Spending the evening at my Mac Mini editing video in iMovie seemed like a fitting homage. So long, Steve. Thanks for making all these shiny toys for us.

Eat for a week 30: Pork & Beans Stew

2011-09-28T21:16:00.001-07:00

I've recently discovered smoked paprika. Sure, we all have a can of grocery store paprika for sprinkling on deviled eggs and whatnot, but it doesn't have much scent or flavor, does it? That stuff is purely decorative. The smoked paprika has a wonderful aroma that I've never had the chance to play with. This is my first experiment with the smoked stuff. I think it turned out rather well. My grocery bill was just over $15.

TOOLS:
Large stock pot

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 Tbsps olive oil
2 Tbsps cumin
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/4 lbs. boneless pork chops, cut into 1" cubes
1/3 lb crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 1/3 lbs russet potatoes, chopped
2/3 lb carrots, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can northern beans
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
2 bay leaves
2 tsps dry marjoram
1 Tbsps worcestershire sauce
water
salt and pepper to taste
5 oz. greek yogurt

How to:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot. When warm, add cumin, paprika, mustard, and nutmeg, and stir until fragrant - 30 seconds to a minute.
Add onion and garlic, sauté until translucent - about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to exude their own juices - about 5 minutes.
Add pork and brown on all sides.
Add potatoes, carrots and beans, stir well.
Add water to cover.
Add bay leaves, marjoram, and worcestershire sauce, and salt & pepper to taste.
Bring heat to medium-high and allow stew to come to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Shut off heat, mix in yogurt, and allow to cool 15-20 minutes.

Music for this episode is "Watching Snails" by The Hybiscus Journals, available at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/playtime

Eat for a Week, Episode 29: Broccoli & Feta Orzo Salad

2011-03-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

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The deli at my grocery store has a killer broccoli and feta orzo salad. I decided to try making one on my own, and it came out really well. The only downside is that I made WAY too much. I had to give some away to friends so it wouldn't go bad. Fortunately, they also enjoyed it!

My grocery bill for this one was about $22 for, well, pretty much everything. If I hadn't been out of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the bill would have been more like $14.

INGREDIENTS:

1.75 lbs pork, chopped into 1.5"-2" pieces *
10 Tbsps olive oil
8 Tbsps balsamic vinegar **
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp mustard
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3/4 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
2 lbs orzo
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 16 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Salt & pepper

HOW TO:

For the pork:
In a bowl, mix pork, 2 Tbsps olive oil, 2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside for about 30 minutes.
Cook in skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through.

For the salad:
For the dressing, combine fresh garlic, 7-8 Tbsps olive oil, 5-6 Tbsps balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk well.

In a large pot, bring well-salted water to a boil.
Add broccoli to boiling water. After about 30 seconds, remove the broccoli to a bowl of ice water to cool, then drain.
Allow water to return to a boil then add orzo and cook according to instructions on the box.
When done cooking, drain pasta, toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and allow to cool to about room temperature. Add broccoli, onions, feta, dressing, and mix well. Taste for seasoning. If you'd like it more tangy, feel free to add a bit more vinegar. (I ended up adding an additional 3 tablespoons or so.)

Serve topped with the cooked pork.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret here. Most of the time, I'm making these recipes up as I go. The next time I make this, I will only use one pound of orzo and cut the dressing proportions in half. Unless you are VERY hungry or are making this for a huge group of people, I would suggest you do likewise.

Music for this episode is "Violet" by The Hybiscus Journals. Download it for free - or whatever you think it is worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/chakra-pop

* Technically the pork - or any meat, really - isn't even necessary here. The combination of pasta and chick peas creates a complete protein. I just happen to like meat. Of course, if you also like meat but don't do pork, this would work well with chicken or turkey.
** I do realize that balsamic vinegar is rather expensive. If it's just not in your budget, please feel free to use whatever vinegar you have on hand. Though if you can swing it, I highly recommend picking some up. Good stuff.

Eat for a Week, Episode 28: Citrus Pork Casserole

2011-02-15T19:35:00.001-07:00

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I still had some ginger left from the last episode so I decided to make use of a bit more of it. (Stick unused ginger in a zip-lock baggie and throw it in the freezer. When you're ready to use it again, just pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and it'll be thawed enough to cut/grate.) My grocery bill was about $14. I had to buy everything but garlic, ginger, and rice.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups uncooked rice
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1" pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 can corn, drained
8 oz. sugar snap peas
2 lbs. boneless pork chops, cut into 1.5" to 2" chunks
2 1/2 Cups chicken stock
Juice of 1 lime, 1 lemon, and 1 blood orange
Salt and pepper to taste

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 375°
Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish and mix well.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour.
Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then enjoy.

Of course, this recipe would work equally well with chicken or turkey. I think beef might be a little too strong a flavor, but it's worth a shot. If you can't find blood oranges - this was the first time I'd ever seen them at my local store - a regular orange should do quite nicely. Also, I let the casserole cook uncovered for 20 minutes and the pork ended up a little too dry, so I'd stick with the 15 minutes there.

Over all, I'd have to say this turned out really well. It also reheats very nicely.

Music for this episode was "Family Reunion (Part 1)" by The Hybiscus Journals. It is available here: http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/track/family-reunion-part-1

Eat for a Week, Episode 27: Ginger and Thyme Chicken Pie

2011-01-24T20:41:00.001-07:00

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I've been wanting to make something in a hash-brown crust as well is something using ginger and thyme. This is how I put it together. My grocery bill was a few cents over $13.00 and I picked up everything but the thyme, garlic, and chives.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2" to 2" bits
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsps fresh ginger, grated
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb frozen hash browns (helps to thaw them, but not critical)
1/2 tsp black pepper (plus extra to taste)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt
1 can baby corn, chopped
1 C fresh spinach
3 Tbsps fresh chives, chopped (or use four or five green onions)
1/4 C olive oil (plus 1-2 Tbsps)
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 - 3/4 C shredded cheese

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl combine chicken, lime juice, fresh garlic, ginger, thyme, 1-2 Tbsps olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate 10-20 minutes. heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken - marinade and all - and cook through. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In another bowl combine hash browns, 1/4 C olive oil, 1/2 tsp pepper, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Press potato mixture into casserole dish and bake in 400°F oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325°F.

Once chicken and crust have cooled, layer spinach in the bottom of the dish. Spread chicken and baby corn evenly on top. Sprinkle chives evenly over, then pour the eggs over the dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top, then bake at 325° for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Music for this episode was "Green" by The Hybiscus Journals.

Eat for a Week, Episode 26: Poultry Shepherd's Pie

2010-11-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

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First off, I've disabled the ads on these videos. In the three years and change that I've been doing this, I've earned a whopping $4.71 in ad views and clicks. Considering that I won't actually get paid anything until I've earned at least $20 well that means I'd be looking at another roughly 12 years before I could hope to actually see any money from this little project. Not really worth it if you ask me. I didn't start this blog to make money, I did it to share the things that I come up with in the kitchen. And let's face it, the ads are just plain annoying. So there you have it, please enjoy your ad-free EFAW. Now to the fun stuff.

A friend asked me to come up with a variant on Shepherd's pie using turkey. This is what I came up with. My bill for this one was just shy of $28. I know that's way above my usual goal. The bill would have been more like $14 had I not been out of some of my staples - mostly herbs. (That's where they get you.) I had to buy pretty much everything but the potato flakes, garlic, and olive oil.

EQUIPMENT:
Large skillet
Large casserole dish (I used 9"x13")
Cookie sheet (not essential, but a good idea)
Sauce pan
Pan for potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped between 1/4" and 1/2"
1 parsnip, chopped between 1/4" and 1/2"
5 crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 C frozen peas
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb chicken breast, chopped*
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
2 C chicken stock
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry thyme
dash of allspice
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 C mashed potatoes**
1/3 C shredded cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Solids:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
When hot, add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add carrots and parsnips and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes.
Add chicken and turkey and cook until cooked through.
Add peas and mix in.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Add flour and whisk well. Allow to cook whisking occasionally for 2-4 minutes.
Whisk in stock a little at a time. (This helps avoid lumps.)
Add sage, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, worchestershire sauce, bay leaf, salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and allow to thicken to desired consistency.

Assembly:
In casserole dish, mix meat & veggie mixture with the gravy. Be sure to remove the bay leaf!
Spread mashed potatoes on top. Do your best to make a good seal at the edges of the dish.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Place casserole on a cookie sheet to help keep your oven clean should the dish boil over at all, and bake at 400° for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.

Music for this episode was Family Reunion (Part 2) by The Hybiscus Journals. You can get it here.

* Put the chicken in the freezer for about 15 minutes before chopping. This will make things much easier.
** I used instant mashed potatoes for convenience, adding the same amount of garlic powder as salt. If you have a mashed potato recipe that you prefer then by all means, use it.

October Update...

2010-10-19T20:07:00.001-07:00

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Yeah, so... I suck.

Eat for a Week, Episode 25: Baked Shellfish and Rice

2010-09-16T00:07:00.001-07:00

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I decided to try another take on Last Flight for the Bird, but from a seafood angle. I'd have to say I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. The grocery bill this week was about $13. I bought shrimp, scallops, rice, garlic, a shallot, and a can of clam chowder.

TOOLS:

Large baking dish
Aluminum foil

INGREDIENTS:

1 shallot, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 C uncooked rice
1 18.5 ounce can clam chowder
3/4 C white wine *
1 C frozen vegetables
1 lb frozen cooked shrimp
1/2 lb scallops
salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Combine shallot, garlic, rice, chowder and wine in a large baking dish. Mix well.
If necessary, chop the scallops and add to dish.
Remove tails from shrimp and add shrimp to dish.
Add frozen vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste. (Be careful with the salt, the chowder is probably pretty well seasoned)
Mix well.
Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for two hours.

Music for this episode is "Roar-shock!" from The Hybiscus Journals' newest EP, "Chaotic Meditations". Download it for free - or whatever you think it's worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/chaotic-meditations

(The individual tracks may be downloaded for free but if you buy the whole album you'll get a couple of bonus tracks that you are not otherwise available.)

Also, due to schedule changes in the meatspace I will most likely not be making a new episode next week. Hopefully the following week will work, though.

* If you don't have any wine on hand or don't want to use alcohol, feel free to use water, vegetable stock, or some sort of seafood stock. Clam juice might work, too. In this case, it might be a good idea to add about a Tablespoon of lemon juice for acidity.

Eat for a Week, Episode 24: Pulled Root Beer Pork

2010-08-30T20:51:00.001-07:00

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This recipe was inspired by one that was told to me by a co-worker. Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone so I had to play with it a little. The grocery bill on this was about $12, and I think it's the best $12 I've spent in quite a while. I had to get the meat, garlic, lemon, and root beer.

TOOLS:

crock pot (aka slow-cooker)
baking sheet

INGREDIENTS:

For pulled pork:
3.75 lbs pork loin
7 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
root beer
salt & pepper to taste
2 dill pickles, finely chopped

For sauce:
1 C mayonnaise
2-3 Tbsps prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp white vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

For potatoes:
3 lbs potatoes
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

For pulled pork:
In the crock pot, combine pork, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne, salt & pepper.
Add enough root beer to just cover ingredients.
Turn crock pot to Low and leave it alone for 6-10 hours.
Remove meat from crock pot (leave the liquid) and shred with a couple of forks, allow to cool.

Whisk together mayo, horseradish, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt & pepper. If necessary, refrigerate until ready to use.
Once the pork has cooled somewhat, mix in the sauce and diced pickles. (If the pork is too hot, the sauce will separate.)

For potatoes:
Wash potatoes and slice into wedges.
Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes.
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Music for this episode is "Family Reunion (Part 3) from The Hybiscus Journals' latest EP, "Chaotic Meditations" available at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/chaotic-meditations

Eat for a Week, Episode 23: Hummus-stuffed Gyro Loaf

2010-08-25T17:27:00.002-07:00

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This was filmed back in March. I finally managed to edit the video back in June but am just now doing the write-up and it's August. As a result, I have no idea precisely which ingredients I had to buy or what they cost me, and that grocery receipt is long gone.

Now that school schedules are finally settling down for the fall, I'm hoping to get back into a regular routine of cooking, editing & posting. Thanks again for watching!

TOOLS:

aluminum foil (optional but very helpful)
baking dish
cooling rack (optional)
food processor/blender
mixing bowl

INGREDIENTS:

Hummus:
1 can chick peas, drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dry parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of one lemon
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2/3 C tahini
salt & pepper to taste

Meatloaf:
3 lbs ground beef
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dry thyme
1 Tbsp dry marjoram
1 Tbsp dry parsley
1 Tbsp dry rosemary
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

Hummus:
Combine ingredients and blend into a smooth paste. You can use either water or some of the strained chick pea liquid to thin it out if you like, but you'll want the hummus to be on the thick side for this application.

Meatloaf:
Combine all ingredients except the beef in a food processor and pulse until well chopped.*
In a bowl, combine beef with chopped aromatics and mix until evenly incorporated.
Spread meat mixture into a large rectangle 1"-2" thick on a sheet of foil.
Mound the hummus along one edge of the meat mixture.
Using the foil to help you, roll the meat around the hummus. Seal the ends of the loaf and transfer to a baking dish.**
Bake at 375° for 45-90 minutes.
Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.

Music for this episode was Exploration No. 4 by The Hybiscus Journals. Download it for free here.

Also, please feel free to check out their newest record, "Chaotic Meditations"

* If you don't have a food processor, that's fine, just be sure to chop the garlic and onion very finely.
** Placing a cooling rack inside the baking dish will help raise the loaf out of its drippings during cooking.

Eat for a Week - Guest Appearance!

2010-05-24T20:09:00.001-07:00

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I've been crazy busy lately, so transiit sent me something to upload. Enjoy!

Eat for a Week, Episode 22: Burritos!

2010-03-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

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Many recipes call for a packet of taco seasoning. The problem? Those packets are mostly salt and frequently contain MSG. I came up with this recipe to test my own taco seasoning recipe. I think it was pretty successful. While I used beef, this would work well with just about any type of meat. I spent about $14 on beef, sour cream, garlic, an onion, peppers, cilantro, and a lime.

EQUIPMENT:

Large skillet
Rice cooker

INGREDIENTS:

T Tbsps cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dry marjoram (crushed)
1 Tbsp parsley flakes (crushed)
3/4 Tbsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
few grates fresh nutmeg (1/8 tsp ground)
1/4 tsp cocoa powder *

1-2 lbs brisket, cubed (1/4-1/2" pieces)
1 sweet onion, chopped finely
5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 yellow banana peppers, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 12 oz. bottle beer **

2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

HOW TO:

Taco Seasoning:
Combine cumin, chili powder, marjoram, parsley, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg & cocoa powder. This will make more than is needed for this meal, just save the rest for next time.

Rice:
Cook rice according to your rice cooker's directions.
When done, mix in cilantro and lime juice.

Meat:

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
Add peppers and a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add onions, garlic, another pinch of salt, and cook until translucent.
Add beef, 2 Tbsps taco seasoning, a pinch of salt, and cook until browned on all sides.
Add beer and bay leaves.
Simmer, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Roll rice, meat, sour cream, cheese, and any other desired accompaniments into a burrito, stuff into taco shells, place atop a salad, or whatever else you might come up with.

Music for this episode was "Battling the Robot Overlords of Chiron Beta Prime" from The Hybiscus Journals' release, "The Adventures of Starship Jeffica". Download it for free or whatever you think it's worth at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/the-adventures-of-starship-jeffica

* Yes, cocoa powder seems like an odd choice, but as I was perusing ingredient lists on various seasoning packets, I saw that some of them included this so I thought I'd give it a go.
** Don't want to use beer? Substitute 12 ounces of beef, chicken, or vegetable stock. Water will even work in a pinch. For the curious, I used Killian's Irish Red.

Eat for a Week, Episode 21: Chicken de Provence

2010-03-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

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Here's another marinated chicken dish, this one of my own devising. I spent about $15 on chicken and veggies. This dish is also really nice when cooked on a grill. But what isn't, really?

EQUIPMENT:

Large bowl
Large skillet
Rice cooker with steamer basket

INGREDIENTS:

2 small bottles chardonnay
1-2 Tbsps spicy brown mustard
2-3 Tbsps herbs de provence
5 cloves garlic, smashed
salt & pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts (approx. 2 pounds)
1 lb fresh asparagus
1/4 lb sugar snap peas
1 can baby corn
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
rice
1-2 Tbsps olive oil

HOW TO:

For marinade:
Combine wine, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper and smashed garlic in a large bowl. Mix well.
Slice chicken breasts into strips and add to marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

For vegetables:
Cut into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces and combine with sliced garlic in steamer basket. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Assemble rice cooker (with rice & water in the bottom vessel) and cook.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.
Add chicken and smashed garlic, cook until done. (Discard left-over marinade.)

Serve chicken over bed of rice and steamed veggies.

Music was "Party on the Poop Deck!" by The Hybiscus Journals. Download it for free - or whatever you think it's worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/the-adventures-of-starship-jeffica.

Eat for a Week, Episode 21: Chicken de Provence

2010-03-03T19:12:00.001-07:00

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Here's another marinated chicken dish, this one of my own devising. I spent about $15 on chicken and veggies. This dish is also really nice when cooked on a grill. But what isn't, really? EQUIPMENT: Large bowl Large skillet Rice cooker with steamer basket INGREDIENTS: 2 small bottles chardonnay 1-2 Tbsps spicy brown mustard 2-3 Tbsps herbs de provence 5 cloves garlic, smashed salt & pepper to taste 4 chicken breasts (approx. 2 pounds) 1 lb fresh asparagus 1/4 lb sugar snap peas 1 can baby corn 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced rice 1-2 Tbsps olive oil HOW TO: For marinade: Combine wine, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper and smashed garlic in a large bowl. Mix well. Slice chicken breasts into strips and add to marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. For vegetables: Cut into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces and combine with sliced garlic in steamer basket. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Assemble rice cooker (with rice & water in the bottom vessel) and cook. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and smashed garlic, cook until done. (Discard left-over marinade.) Serve chicken over bed of rice and steamed veggies. Music was "Party on the Poop Deck!" by The Hybiscus Journals. Download it for free - or whatever you think it's worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/the-adventures-of-starship-jeffica

Eat for a Week, Episode 20: Teriyaki Chicken

2010-02-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

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This is my take on my mom's Teriyaki Chicken recipe. I spent about just under $15 on chicken, slivered almonds, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, garlic, yellow squash, and soy sauce.

TOOLS:

Large bowl
Large skillet
Rice maker with steamer basket

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts
1 crown of broccoli
2 carrots
2 small zucchini
2 yellow squash
1 inch fresh ginger
10 cloves garlic
1/2 C soy sauce
1/2 C honey *
1/3 C water
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
pinch ground cloves
black pepper to taste
2.25 oz slivered almonds
2-3 Tbsps sesame seeds
1-2 Tbsps olive oil

HOW TO:

In large bowl, combine soy sauce honey, water, mustard, cayenne, cloves, black pepper, 6 smashed cloves of garlic, and raw ginger.
Mix well.
Cut chicken into strips and add to bowl.
Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator 1-2 hours, mixing once or twice.

While chicken is marinating, chop broccoli, zucchini, squash and carrots and add to steamer basket of rice cooker. Also thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic and add them with the other vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper.

In small skillet, cook almonds and sesame seeds over low heat until lightly golden brown and a nutty aroma rises from the pan. Once browned, remove from heat.

Start rice cooker with rice and vegetables.
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
When hot, add chicken (dispose of extra marinade) and cook until done, turning as needed.

Serve chicken over a bed of rice and steamed veggies. If you like, sprinkle some additional soy sauce over the plate.

Music for this episode was "Starship Jeffica Theme" from The Hybiscus Journals' newest EP, "The Adventures of Starship Jeffica". Download it for free - or whatever you think it's worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/album/the-adventures-of-starship-jeffica

* Original recipe calls for 1/2 C brown sugar, but I forgot to pick some up. I had honey on hand, and it worked just fine.

Eat for a Week, Episode 19: Citrus Honey Stir-Fry Pork

2010-01-29T09:52:00.001-07:00

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Technically, there's nothing about the way Mom made this one that I can't eat. This recipe also lends itself to great flexibility, so I just can't leave well enough alone. I spent about $12 on veggies, pork, and soy sauce.

TOOLS:

Large wok or skillet

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 lbs pork loin
1 zucchini
1 crown broccoli
1 bunch green onions
1/4 lb sugar snap peas
1 can baby corn
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 C honey
5 cloves garlic
1" fresh ginger root
Juice of 1 lemon and 2 limes *
2-3 dashes bitters **
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

cooked rice

HOW TO:

Chop all vegetables to approximately the same size.
Juice citrus, finely chop garlic, and grate or finely chop ginger.
Cut port loin into thin strips and coat with flour. (Season pork with salt and pepper if desired, but go easy on the salt since soy sauce is rather salty.)

Heat oil in pan over high heat.
When hot, add pork and cook until browned on all sides.
Remove pork from pan.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add citrus juice, honey, soy sauce, bitters, garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir well, being sure to scrape up any brown bits.
Allow to simmer approximately 10 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.
Return pork to pan and add vegetables. Stir well.
Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have reached desired tenderness. (2-5 minutes is probably best.)
Serve over rice.

One of the things I really like about this recipe is that it is very easy to alter according to my mood or what produce looks good at the store.

Music for this episode is "At Millie's Pancake Haus" by The Hybiscus Journals, available for free - or whatever you think it's worth - at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com/track/at-millies-pancake-haus

* Or juice of whatever citrus you prefer, about 1/2 C.
** Completely optional. If you have it, throw it in.

Eat for a Week, Episode 18: Curry Turkey Porcupines

2010-01-13T20:02:00.001-07:00

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I always loved it when Mom would make Beef Porcupines. Due to my MSG allergy, it's not something I'm willing to eat now lest there be much pain and suffering. The original recipe is made from a box of beef flavoured Rice-a-Roni and a pound of ground beef. I've chosen to take a curry angle here and use ground turkey.

The only things I didn't have on hand were the meat and coconut milk, which combined cost about $4.50. Since it was so inexpensive, I decided to pick up a bag of salad, bringing my total to just over $8.00.

No, this one won't go for a whole week unless you eat like a bird. I got four meals out of it. Roughly $2.04 per plate? Not too shabby if you ask me.

I apologize for the crappy framing in this episode. I'm still adjusting to the new camera, to which I am unable to affix my wide-angle lens. May need to experiment with other camera placement(s) in the future.

TOOLS:

mixing bowl
large skillet

INGREDIENTS:

For meatballs:

1 lb. ground turkey *
1/2 cup uncooked rice **
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 C hot water
2 heaping Tbsp yellow curry powder
1 Tbsp cumin ***
dash allspice ***
1 tsp ground ginger ***
1/8 tsp cinnamon ***
2 dashes cayenne pepper ***
1/4 tsp nutmeg ***
1 tsp dry thyme ***
1 tsp dry marjorum ***
1 can coconut milk ****
salt & pepper to taste

For mashed potatoes:

Instant mashed potato flakes and whatever ingredients for which the packaging calls. These are usually water, margarine (I use butter), milk (I use water) and salt (we'll use garlic salt here).

HOW TO:

Meatballs:

Mix ground turkey and uncooked rice until well combined, then form into balls. This recipe should yield about 20 meatballs.
Heat oil in a large skillet.
Brown meatballs on all sides.
While meatballs are browning, mix the spices with the hot water.
Once meatballs are browned, add spice & water mixture, salt & pepper, and coconut milk.
If the coconut milk has separated in the can, just mix in the skillet until evenly incorporated.
Allow contents of the skillet to come to a simmer.
Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. (It's a good idea to check on it once or twice and give things a stir to be sure nothing is burning to the bottom of the pan.)
If sauce is looser than you like after the 30 minutes have passed, continue to simmer uncovered until desired consistency is reached. I like the sauce to be fairly thick.

Potatoes:

Follow instructions on potato packaging, replacing the salt with garlic salt. I've found that using just under twice the amount garlic salt than the salt which is called for is a good balance. Then again, I really like garlic.

I also really like mashed potatoes, so I made six servings-worth for my four servings of meatballs.

CONCLUSION:

Yes, I know mixing uncooked rice with meat sounds odd. The juices from the meat and the sauce will fully cook the rice, however, so it's all good. Also, whatever rice is near the outside of the meatballs gets a bit of a nice, crunchy crust.

Music for this episode was "Yellow" from the album "Chakra Pop" by The Hybiscus Journals. This track, and many more, are available for download for free or whatever you think they're worth at http://thehybiscusjournals.bandcamp.com.

* This can be made with ground beef, though I find the beef flavour too strong for the curry. Also, you'll want to add an egg to the meat & rice mixture since ground beef tends to have less moisture than ground turkey.
** My rice of choice is jasmine rice, but use whatever kind you like and/or have on hand.
*** All these extra herbs & spices are entirely optional. You can drop a small fortune picking them all up in one trip, but I try to keep them on hand at all times, so I use them when I can. If you just have curry powder, salt and pepper, this should still be very tasty.
**** Coconut milk is also optional, though it does add a lovely rich layer to the dish. Coconut milk will separate in the can, so don't let that freak you out. The solids will re-dissolve in the sauce with a little stirring.

Status Update

2009-12-13T11:12:00.001-07:00

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Will EFAW be rising from the ashes of crappy schedules and malfunctioning technology?

Still not dead yet...

2009-09-18T11:20:00.003-07:00

I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates here lately. On top of having some issues with my video camera, I've also been distracted by some musical projects. Once I've got a properly functioning camera back in the house, I really do hope to get back into this full-swing.

Until then, I'd appreciate your support on the musical side of things. I've entered a track for The Hybiscus Journals into a remix contest being sponsored by The Crystal Method. All I ask is that you either use the widget embedded below or head over to http://www.indabamusic.com/submissions/show/9249 and give the track a listen. If you like what you hear, I'd love it if you'd toss a vote my way. You won't have to create an account with indabamusic, though they will ask for your email address to confirm your vote.

What's in it for me? Grand prize is a MicroKorg XL, which would be a welcome addition to my music rig. And a tour of The Crystal Method's studio. And some promotional stuff. The ranking of my track has been hovering in the 20-30 range (out of nearly 400 entries) which makes me pretty happy. But of course, it would be awesome if my rank were higher.

Voting ends September 28th, 2009 at 5:00 PM EDT.

Thanks much, and hopefully this gap won't last much longer!

Eat For A Week, Episode 17: Last Flight for the Bird (remix)

2009-05-24T20:17:00.001-07:00

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The first family recipe I've decided to "remix" for this is one called Last Flight for the Bird. My grocery bill for this one was just shy of $22. I had to get everything but the rice.

TOOLS:

large bowl
skillet
oven-save baking dish

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts
1 16 oz. packet of bacon
16 oz. potato leek soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
8 oz. swiss cheese, grated,
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized bits
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
about 3/4 Cup uncooked rice

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Wrap each chicken breast in a slice of bacon then return them to the refrigerator until needed.
Chop remaining bacon into about 1" bits and cook in skillet until crispy.
In a large bowl combine rice, soups, garlic, broccoli, cooked bacon, and about 2/3 of the swiss cheese. *
Mix well.
Transfer mixture to an oven-save baking dish. Nestle the bacon-wrapped chicken into the dish
Top with remaining swiss cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in 375° oven for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and return to oven for 20-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Music for this episode was "Breakfast of Champions" by The Hybiscus Journals.

* If I'd had it on hand, I would have included a couple tablespoons of spicy mustard in this mix.

Hi there!

2009-05-21T21:47:00.002-07:00

No, I'm not dead and neither is this blog. I've just been stupidly busy and the blog has been hibernating. I'm actually cooking up the next installment right now. (Well okay, the oven is doing the cooking. I'm just waiting for the timer to go off at the moment.)

So, where am I going now that I've run out of all those fantastic secret ingredients? That's an excellent question. Glad you asked. Years ago, my mom gave my sister & I cook books of our favourite family recipes. Sadly, many of those recipes call for things which contain MSG, which is something I can no longer consume without experiencing crippling migraines. What has MSG? Many canned soups, dried soup mixes, processed meats, and those damn seasoning packets - which I now "affectionately" call "death packets". (Thanks for that one, Cy!) Because of this, many of these meals I haven't eaten in years. This makes me sad because, damn, they're tasty. So I got this brilliant idea...

Rather than just trying to recreate these recipes while substituting a couple of ingredients - which I've learned rarely produces satisfactory results - I'll completely recreate them. I'll use the methods and major concepts from the recipes but with a whole new flavour pallette. I've tested this with a few recipes, and the results have so far been spectacular, if I may say so.

So that's where I'm going for now. No, they won't always last a week, but they will at least go for a few days for those of us living alone. Or provide dinner one night for four, which also isn't too shabby for around $20.

That's another thing... I've considered hedging my price baseline up a bit more since things are seeming to cost more now. I've decided against that. Sure, that may make things a bit more challenging, but I like a challenge. At the same time, I'm not going to rake myself over the coals for going over $20, so I'd appreciate it muchly if you wouldn't as well.

I've also considered asking the local grocery store how they'd feel about me video taping my shopping process so that I might be able to offer some additional tips in that direction. So far I haven't had the guts to ask for a manager and bring it up, but I've been shopping there for nearly 5 years now. Most of the staff know me at least by sight. I'd like to think it wouldn't be an issue.

So there you have it. That's where I'm at for now.

Peace.

Eat For A Week, Episode 16: Chicken with Rice and Steamed Veggies

2009-02-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

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This is a cheap, easy, versatile, light meal.

TOOLS:
Rice cooker with steamer basket
Skillet

INGREDIENTS:
1 can baby corn, drained
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 yellow squash, sliced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups jasmine rice (dry)
1 lb chicken tenders
dehydrated minced garlic
2 Tbsps olive oil
soy sauce

HOW TO:
Put vegetables into rice cooker's steamer basket. Season with salt & pepper. Add dry rice & water to the base of the rice cooker according to your directions. Assemble cooker and turn on.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion & garlic. When onion has become translucent, add chicken. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until done.

Serve chicken over rice and veggies. Sprinkle on some soy sauce if you like.

One of the great things about this is that it's really more of a method than a recipe. Don't feel constrained to stick to the veggie assortment that I chose. Get what's in season and looks good. Get what's on sale. Get what you like.

The same can be said for the meat. Prefer chicken breasts? Then use those instead. This would also work very well with pork, beef, or turkey. I've never used tofu, but I'd imagine you could use that as well if you prefer to go the vegetarian route. Or hell, just leave out the meat all together, choose some other veggies and pan-sear them to go with the rice & steamed veggies.

Music for this episode is "Why Do You Always Cry? (No More Tears remix)" by The Hybiscus Journals, available at their myspace page.

Eat For A Week, Episode 15: Turkey Soup

2008-12-31T00:17:00.001-07:00

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Ever wonder what to do with the left-over turkey carcass after a holiday meal? This soup is a great - and affordable - way to go. Assuming you have the seasonings you need on hand, you'll only need to spend around $6 or $7 for the veggies. This recipe is a great starting point and is pretty flexible. Like celery, corn, or beans? Throw some in there. Want some more starch? Toss in some rice or noodles. The most important thing is to have fun with it and make it yours.

When my mom (Hi mom!) sends me home with the turkey carcass, I never know how long it'll be before I'll have time to make this, so I just stick it in the freezer until I need it. Unfortunately, I forgot to take it out of the freezer in time for it to thaw, so at one point you'll hear the microwave whirring in the background on defrost. One tip that can make life easier is to be sure you break down the carcass into more manageable bits before sticking it in the freezer. This is something I frequently forget to do, and regret it later.

Also, I'd like to apologize if the editing is a bit on the dodgy side. Just upgraded to iLife '08 and nothing is where I expect it to be. Ah, the joys of learning new software! No worries though, I'll get the hang of it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 turkey carcass
2 onions, chopped
5-7 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
4 russet potatoes, peeled & chopped
4 carrots, peeled & chopped
1-2 Tbsps salt
1 Tbsp pepper
2 Tbsps parsley flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp dry thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of ground cloves
dash of allspice
pinch of saffron (optional)

EQUIPMENT:

A huge pot. (Mine holds 12 quarts.)

HOW TO:

Put all the ingredients into the pot. Add water to cover. Place on the stove over high heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Cover, and reduce heat to somewhere between Low & Medium-Low. Allow to cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Once the hour has gone by, remove all the turkey bones and allow to cool until you can handle them. Once cool, pick through them, returning the edible meat to the pot and discarding the rest.

You'll probably see some "scum" forming on top of the soup. Don't worry, it's just some of the fat from the turkey. Just skim it off and discard it.

This is really nice with some crusty bread, and freezes well.

Music for this episode is "Better With Bacon" by The Hybiscus Journals.

Eat For A Week, Episode 14: Curry Turkey Burgers

2008-09-24T21:42:00.001-07:00

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This episode was intended for a collaborative summer themed cooking video. That hasn't happened because everyone got stupid busy (myself included) so I've decided to upload it here. My friends and I have been playing with this curry turkey burger recipe for some time and rather enjoy it. I hope you will too!

1 can chick peas, drained
1.25 - 2 lbs ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1-2 Tbsp dry)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
3 - 4 Tbsps yellow curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
just a dash of allspice

In a bowl, smash up the chick peas. Then add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Form into patties.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

If you like, toast the buns in the burger drippings. These burgers won't put off nearly as much fat as a beef burger would. In fact, they're quite lean. Adding some olive oil to the pan before toasting is probably a good idea.

Music for this episode was "Black Hole (good)" by The Hybiscus Journals. Originally written for "Black Hole, pt 3" of Space Adventure.

The Hybiscus Journals needs your help.

2008-07-14T03:21:00.007-07:00

Here's the skinny. The Hybiscus Journals has entered into a remix contest for The Crystal Method and needs your help. What can you do? Follow the link below, give the remix a listen, and if you dig it, follow the instructions at the bottom of the page and vote for it. Yes, you'll need to sign up for an account. But that's simple, and I've yet to receive any spam from them.

http://www.fuzz.com/contest/remixingprotools/gallery

On the food front, I'm currently in the process of helping coordinate a collaborative cooking video. Once that's taken care of, I'll be free to take up installments here once more. I have a couple of ideas for what I'd like to do next. I'm just trying to choose which one to do first.

Eat For A Week, Update 3: The Challenge Is Over :(

2008-06-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

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So I've run out of mystery ingredients. Not sure what direction I'll go next, but that's cool. I mean, that hasn't stopped me before.

I finally went to check out the 17th Street Farmers Market, which I've been meaning to do for some time.They specialize not only in locally grown produce, but also in all sorts of specialty and ethnic foods. I didn't manage to take my camera with me this time, but the next time I go I'l see if I can get permission to film in there.

We used the veggies, chicken & noodles that I picked up to make a pretty tasty stir-fry. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a drive from my place, so it won't become my regular store any time soon. However, they've got great deals on spices. I will be using them for all my spice needs whenever possible. Those of you in Tucson, if you haven't been, I highly suggest you check it out.

You can find their address and directions (it's kind of quirky to get to) at their website: http://news.treasureshidden.com/

Eat For A Week, Episode 13: Pasta, Polenta & Hummus

2008-06-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

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My secret ingredients this time were some prepared polenta and a can of chick peas. Given that this took place during the "no new food" challenge, I decided to make a couple of things just to give myself some variety. I did my good old fallback big pot o' pasta, parmesan crusted fried polenta, and hummus. I think my bill for this one was about $18. Unfortunately, because it's been so long since I filmed this episode, I can't recall exactly what I needed to purchase.

EQUIPMENT:

1 large pot
1 large sauce pan (or 2 smallish ones)
1 frying pan/skillet
some sort of blending device

INGREDIENTS:

For Spaghetti:

2 lbs dry spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
26 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 tsps ground mustard
garlic salt (to taste)
celery salt (to taste)
onion salt (to taste)
allspice (just a dash)
black pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cloves garlic, chopped

For Polenta:

1 tube prepared polenta
pepper & garlic salt (to taste)
parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter

For Hummus:

1 can chick peas, drained (reserve liquid)
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 Tbsps olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/3 C tahini
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO:

For Spaghetti:

Place large pot of well-salted water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to directions on box. Drain.

Dump pasta sauce into a large sauce pan over low heat. (I use 2 smaller sauce pans because that's what I have.) Fill sauce jar about 1/2 way with water to rinse, and add that to the sauce. Add bay leaf, ground mustard, bell pepper, and salt & pepper to taste. Just let this go while you do everything else.

In skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil. Add garlic and onion, cook until translucent. Add ground beef and other seasonings to taste. When the beef is cooked through, add to the sauce.

In a large bowl, mix pasta and sauce until everything is coated. Don't forget to take out the bay leaves!

For Polenta:

Cut into about 1/4 inch slices. Sprinkle one side with garlic salt & pepper.

Melt butter in skillet, and add polenta seasoned side down. Season top side of polenta, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Let cook until bottom side is golden, then flip and brown the other side.

For Hummus:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend well. If you're not fond of hunks of garlic, feel free to put it through a garlic press first. If the hummus is looking too thick, just add some of the reserved chick pea liquid to loosen it up. Don't worry if it gets too runny, since it'll thicken up a bit as it stands. Best if made a day in advance. Serve with breads, crackers, veggies... really, whatever you like to dip in hummus.

Music for this episode is "Everything Is A Toy" from The Hybiscus Journals' record, "Playtime". Visit http://members.cox.net/thehybiscusjournals for more information about this and other THJ records.

No New Food Challenge

2008-05-16T09:57:00.002-07:00

So, I completely failed at photodocumenting my week of no new food purchasing. But that's okay because it wouldn't have been terribly interesting. After making my store run for Eat For A Week, I cooked a huge pot of pasta, fried up some poulenta, and made some hummus for snacking. And that's pretty much what I ate all week. (I don't typically eat breakfast anyway, so no worries about strangeness there.) I did get to eat out a couple of times because some friends wanted to buy dinner, which was nice. But I bought no new food... I think. It's been a little while, and if you know me then you know how spotty my memory can be.

I failed at noticing the part where this was also to include no new beverages. Wasn't part of my plan, so I was getting coffee and Mountain Dew on an almost daily basis throughout the week. Which is really a good thing because me without caffeine... well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. And it could very well have led to me becoming unemployed once again due to poor conduct. So yeah, I'll go ahead and spend my money on that.

I have the next Eat For A Week recorded, I just have to edit & upload the thing. Which has been difficult without my computer. (If you haven't been following my twitter, my computer got sick - really sick - and had to go for an extended stay with the doctor. Yeah, that was fun.) I do have him back now, though, and fortunately Applecare covered the whole thing. Which is more than I can say about my extended protection plan for my van. But that's another rant for another time.

Mystery Ingredient Reveal 5

2008-04-27T01:58:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

This one comes with a secondary challenge from transiit over at mmmm......donut. Yes, I really do eat what I make for a week. Sure, I like to try keeping some quick fixin's on hand (usually sandwich stuff) for those days when I'm tired of whatever it is I made and really just want something different, but for the most part I do practice what I preach.

Once I've made this meal, I will not purchase any food for a full week. And will photodocument each meal. You know, for fun... or something.

Eat For A Week, Episode 12: Saffron Cous Cous Salad

2008-04-24T23:08:00.002-07:00

Click to Play

I'll admit I was at rather unsure what to do when I unwrapped the saffron, having never cooked with it before. After doing some research on the intartoobs, here's what I found:

1 - If it's not expensive, it's probably not really saffron.
2 - Store it in a cool, dark place and it will last for years.
3 - Just use a small pinch. Too much, and your food can take on a medicinal flavor.
4 - Crush the threads and let them steep in some sort of liquid for 5-20 minutes to allow flavor to develop before using.

That said, I decided to make a saffron cous cous salad. My bill for this was about $11 for meat, frozen peas & carrots, a can of corn, an onion and some garlic. However be prepared to spend quite a bit more if you don't happen to have any saffron on hand. I'm normally not one to look up the cost of gifts because, well, that's just tacky. But I chose to this time, given the nature of my show and knowing that saffron is rather costly. At my local store, 0.06 ounces will run you about $23. Fortunately, that 0.06 oz. will go a very long way.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, finely chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb frozen peas & carrots, thawed *
1 can corn, drained
1 lb ground beef
2 1/2 C cous cous **
4 tbsp butter
saffron (just a pinch)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

EQUIPMENT:

skillet
sauce pan
large bowl

HOW TO:

Heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. When translucent, add beef (salt/pepper to taste) and cook until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place dry cous cous into a large bowl.

In sauce pan, add 2 1/2 C water, 4 Tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of saffron. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Bring to a boil. Pour over the cous cous, stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Add meat, corn, peas & carrots, and 2-3 Tbsp olive oil and stir. Voila!

Music for this episode was "Watching Snails" by The Hybiscus Journals. Be sure to check out their new website at http://members.cox.net/thehybiscusjournals

* Just run them under lukewarm water while the cous cous soaks.
** If you find bugs in your cous cous do not - I repeat, DO NOT dump it down the sink thinking the garbage disposal will take care of it. It won't. A room mate of mine learned that one the hard way.

Mystery Ingredient Reveal 4

2008-04-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

This could be challenging. Am I up for it? Yeah, i think I can make it work.

Eggs!

2008-03-30T18:16:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Someone threw an easter egg at me. I ate it. Then sent one to someone else. The silly was strong in me.

Eat For A Week, Episode 11: Cumin Chicken Casserole

2008-03-27T00:05:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

My secret ingredients were a box of garlic bagel chips, a can of fancy cut wax beans, and organic extra virgin olive oil. My bill for this one was about $11. I had to buy a can of corn, some half & half, noodles, and cheese. Talk about awesome.

TOOLS:

large pot
sauce pan
skillet
casserole dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb chicken tenders, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can fancy cut wax beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
8 oz frozen peas & carrots
1 pint half & half
2 1/2 to 3 cups of chicken stock
3 Tbsp butter
cumin
garlic salt
onion salt
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb egg noodles
2 heaping Tbsps flour
1 box garlic bagel chips, crushed
1/2 lb swiss cheese, sliced

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Fill the large pot with well salted water and put over high heat to boil. When boiling, add egg noodles and cook according to directions on packaging. If noodles get done before everything else, just drain them into a large bowl and coat lightly with olive oil to keep them from sticking together. Covering the bowl with some foil can help them retain some heat.

Coat chicken pieces with 2 Tbsps cumin, salt, pepper, and dashes of garlic salt & onion salt. In skillet, heat about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. When hot, add onion and garlic. Cook until lightly browned. Add the chicken and cook until done. (If you're not sure whether it's done, just cut open a piece with a knife. Still pink? Keep going.) Set aside while you work on the sauce.

Heat butter in the sauce pan over low to medium-low heat. When melted, add flour and mix well. Allow to cook until a golden color develops. Add chicken stock and mix until all lumps are gone. Add 1 tsp cumin and the half & half, allow to simmer until reduced by 1/4 to 1/3 in volume, stirring frequently. (You'll want to keep an eye on this... Once the dairy is added it can really foam up.) When reduced, add frozen peas & carrots and stir to warm them up.

In a large bowl, mix noodles, sauce, chicken/onion/garlic mixture, corn & beans until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to casserole dish. Top with swiss cheese and crushed bagel chips. Cover with foil and bake in 375° oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Music for this episode was "Everything Is A Toy" from The Hybiscus Journals' new record, "Playtime". If you like, you can visit http://www.myspace.com/thehybiscusjournals to purchase it. Also, visit http://www.archive.org/details/hybiscusqcon08 to download their other new record "Music For QuackerCon" free of charge.

Mystery Ingredient Reveal 3

2008-03-18T19:18:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

garlic bagel chips, fancy cut wax beans, and organic extra virgin olive oil.

Eat For A Week, Episode 10: Curry Potatoes with Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad

2008-02-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

My secret ingredients this time were a can of sliced mangos in light syrup and a bottle of orange muscat champaign vinegar. I decided to use them to create a salad to accompany curry potatoes with chicken. My grocery bill for this one was about $15.

The curry potato recipe that I worked form came from my friend Federico. When he showed us how to make it, the chicken wasn't part of it. I decided to add it for some protein.

INGREDIENTS

CURRY POTATOES & CHICKEN

5 lbs potatoes (washed, peeled & chopped into 1" chunks) *
1 C fresh parsley, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped (reserve 2 cloves for chicken)
1 habanero pepper, chopped finely **
1 shallot, chopped ***
1 lb chicken meat, cut into large chunks
1 can chick peas (drained, reserve liquid)
vegetable oil
3-4 Tbsp yellow curry powder
salt & pepper to taste

SALAD

1 bag baby lettuce
1 can sliced mangoes (reserve liquid)
1 can baby corn, drained
2 avocadoes, chopped
~2 oz. slivered almonds

SALAD DRESSING

1/3 Cup orange muscat champaign vinegar
1/3 Cup liquid from canned mangoes
1 Tbsp hot dijon mustard

EQUIPMENT

1 large pot (8 qts should be sufficient)
1 skillet
1 large bowl (for salad)
1 smaller bowl (for dressing)

HOW TO

CURRY POTATOES & CHICKEN

Heat large pot over medium heat. When hot, add oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and habanero. Allow to cook, stirring for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and parsley. Stir occasionaly until the onions are slightly browned.

Mix curry powder with 13/-1/2 Cup hot water to form a loose paste. Add this to the pot along with the liquid from the chick peas and stir to mix well. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Add water to cover and let cook for 10 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING. Add chick peas, season with salt and pepper, and stir gently.

Heat the skillet over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of oil in it. When hot, add shallot and reserved garlic. When translucent, add chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, then add it to the big pot of curry.

Allow to simmer 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. You may want to partially cover the pot since as the mixture reduces, it can bubble and spit creating both a mess and a slightly hazardous burn possibility.

SALAD AND DRESSING:

In a large bowl, gently mix together the lettuce, mango, avocado, baby corn & almonds. (You'll want to be careful since the avocado and mango are delicate.)

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mango syrup & mustard. Done. Keep separate from the salad until ready to serve to avoid the acids wilting the greens.

OTHER IDEAS

If you don't want to mess with the curry dish, the salad itself would make a great meal. Maybe just cook up some chicken with garlic and shallots (or onions) to top the salad. Or just leave the meat out all together.

Music was "Exploration No. 1" by The Hybiscus Journals.

* I used red potatoes this time, which don't require peeling.
** Be sure to wash your hands very well after handling the pepper. Its oils will burn if you happen to touch any sensitive areas. If you like things really spicy, leave in the seeds and ribs.
*** If your budget doesn't allow for shallots - they can be pricey - just reserve some of the onion for this step.

Mystery Ingredient Reveal 2

2008-01-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

And the next round begins! I was in a video-chat at the time with a few Sports Racers, which explains the headphones. And my level of distraction.

Wasn't sure what I was actually going to do until I cooked on Saturday night. The results were fantastic, but I'll let it remain a surprise for now.

Eat For A Week, Episode 9: Smoked Salmon Casserole

2008-01-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

The secret ingredients I unwrapped were a big bag of egg noodles, and a couple cans of smoked salmon. What did I decide to make? Smoked salmon casserole! A quick trip to the store and about $20 later, I was in the kitchen working on this. I had to buy asparagus, baby corn, heavy cream, fontina cheese, capers, and those fried onion crispy thingys you always see in green bean casseroles. I don't know how much the egg noodles and smoked salmon were, but I'm guessing your final bill for this one will be somewhere between $25 and $28. Yeah, a little more pricey than I tend to aim but oh so worth it. I surprised myself with this one.

I'd also like to thank my good friend Kali for hanging out to wrangle cats and help keep the sauce from burning.

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into about 1" pieces*
2 6.5 oz cans smoked salmon (save the liquid)**
1 12 oz bag wide egg noodles
half of a 4 oz jar of capers
1 can baby corn (cut into about 1" pieces)***
1/2 lb Fontina cheese, sliced
About 4 oz French's French Fried Onions

For the sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp flour
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
milk
5 large cloves of garlic, put through garlic press
dash of allspice
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 Tbsp dry tyme
Salt and pepper to taste

EQUIPMENT

large pot
bowl of ice water
sauce pan
large mixing bowl
1 very large or 2 medium sized baking dishes****

HOW TO

Preheat oven to 350°.

Fill the large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add asparagus for about 30 seconds. Remove asparagus from hot water and place in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and remove ice. Add noodles to the pot and cook according to directions on the packaging.

Melt the butter in the sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, add flour and mix well. Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Be careful not to let it burn. Add cream and liquid from the salmon and mix until combined. If the mixture begins to thicken too much, add milk to dilute it. Add garlic, herbs and seasonings to the sauce. If the sauce continues to thicken too much, just add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. (Take it a little easy on the salt if you're also using capers since they're pretty salty.)

In a large bowl, combine cooked drained noodles, asparagus, salmon, capers, baby corn and sauce. Mix until everything is coated evenly and transfer into baking dish(es). Top with sliced fontina cheese and onion crispy thingys. Bake in 350° oven for about 10 minutes. (Really, you're just looking to melt the cheese and brown the onions.) Allow to cool at least 5-10 minutes before eating.

What would I do differently next time? I think I might use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Might solve the problem of the sauce thickening too much. I'd also skip the part where I cooked the asparagus before the noodles. When the pasta's time is up, I'd just throw the asparagus in with it and let it go for about 30 seconds before draining the whole pot. This would also eliminate the hassle of the ice bath which - in retrospect - wasn't terribly necessary.

If you don't have a helper to watch the sauce while you deal with other things, you'll probably be just fine waiting to start the sauce until the asparagus and noodles are cooked and drained. The sauce doesn't take long at all to come together, and since it's all going into the oven anyway, you really don't have to worry about the noodles getting cold. (Though might want to toss them with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together if you do it this way.)

Perhaps I'll try something a little lighter for the next installment. Then again, I guess that depends on what the mystery ingredient(s) is/are.

"Exploration No. 6" by The Hybiscus Journals

* Bend each stalk of asparagus until it breaks. Get rid of the bottom part, that's tough and woody. The top part is what you want to eat. DO NOT USE CANNED ASPARAGUS!!! That stuff's nasty. If that's all your store has, just leave it out. Or maybe try broccoli or fresh green beans.
** Break the salmon up with a fork
*** They do sell cans of pre-cut baby corn. Feel free to use that and save yourself some knife work. I do.
**** I used a baking dish and a small cake pan since it wouldn't all fit into one dish.

Mystery Ingredient Reveal 1

2008-01-10T00:29:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

I chose to open two mystery ingredients this time. The above video will show what they were. As you'll see, I had a little difficulty unwrapping the second one. What will I make? You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

Also, as a follow-up to my last entry, postORG.org has gone live. What's that? Well, to keep things short, it's a place where duckies can gather to stay connected and - more importantly - get to work creating our new home. Go. Sign up. Help make something awesome.

We're not dead yet.

2008-01-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

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As I'm sure some of you know, the ORG closed its doors at opening of the year. These are just some of my thoughts on the matter. If you know me personally, you'll probably be surprised at the lack of bitterness in the video. Yeah, I'm sad but it's time to move on.

Some of the duckies are working their tails off to make a new place for the flock to play. If you'd like to be kept in the loop, just send an email to explodedorg@gmail.com letting them know an email to contact you at. This is how we can let you know where the new stomping ground is, and this is how you can let us know you would like to help.

Episode 9 to follow soon. It's a good one, so stay tuned.

postorg.org is now up and running. What's that? In the grossest of terms, it's a place for duckies to regroup and get to work on creating our new home. Currently there is a forum and a wiki. Go. Sign up. Make something awesome.

Eat For A Week, Episode 8: Mac & Cheese with Shrimp

2007-12-18T18:45:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

I'd like to thank Peregrine over at the Space Adventure forum for the recipe this one's based on. They got the recipe from someone named Narkalant. Just leave out the shrimp, salt & pepper, and you've got the original version.

I've misplaced the receipt for this one, so I don't recall what I spent. I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $12-13. I do know that I bought pasta, cheese, milk and shrimp.

EQUIPMENT:

large pot (for pasta)
sauce pan (for sauce)
rectangular baking dish (roughly 8"x12" should work)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb cheddar cheese, chopped or shredded (I used 1/2 lb sharp & 1/2 lb medium)
1 lb macaroni noodles
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 lbs shrimp
salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350°(F).

Add water to large pot and salt well. Put over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until done. (If you're not sure, check the packaging. There are usually instructions on it.)

In the sauce pan over moderate heat, whisk together the butter, flour and milk until smooth. The original recipe says that sifting the flour in will reduce lumps, but I didn't bother. What I would do differently next time is melt the butter, add the flour and mix until smooth and allow to cook (but not brown), then add the milk and mix again. Once combined, add the cheese. Heat slowly, taking care not to scald, burn, or curdle the cheese mix. Once incorporated, taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. Add shrimp to the sauce and mix, allowing to warm through.

Add mustard if desired.

Place cooked & drained pasta into the baking dish. Add the cheese sauce and mix. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

All in all it wasn't bad, but there are a few things I'd do differently next time since it was just a little bland for my taste. First, I'd use all sharp cheddar. I'd also reserve a bit of the cheese to sprinkle over the top of the dish before sticking it in the oven. Second, I'd replace the milk (or maybe just half of it if you're concerned about that sort of thing) with sour cream. And finally, I'd use more than 1 tsp of Dijon.

Of course, bacon would also be fantastic in this, I think.

Music for this episode is "violet" by The Hybiscus Journals.

I probably won't get another episode done before the New Year, so happy whatever you celebrate to those who celebrate it/them. When I come back, it's time for adventures with mystery ingredients! Wheee!

Eat For A Week, Update 2: The Challenge!

2007-12-09T17:09:00.001-07:00

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I have been presented with a challenge!

So there you have it. Once I get episode 8 edited and uploaded - which should hopefully be within the next week - this is the direction I'll be going.

Thanks, guys!

Eat For A Week, Update 1: I'm Not Dead Yet

2007-11-29T22:17:00.001-07:00

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Just checking in to let you guys know that I haven't decided to quit doing this, I just haven't had time to keep up.

Eat For A Week, Episode 7: Corn Soup

2007-10-15T21:34:00.001-07:00

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I apologize for the lengthy delay in getting this entry up. The last couple of weeks have just been insane.

After the cholesterol-fest that was episode 6, I've had a number of requests for something vegetarian. I don't currently have many vegetarian recipes in my arsenal, but this is one of them. (And it's one of my favourites.) If you wanted to make it completely vegan, then you'd need to substitute something for the butter in the dumplings. (Vegetable shortening, maybe?)

This is another one I learned from my Trini friend, Federico. Corn soup is a late night street vendor staple in Trinidad during Carnival. I don't know about the rest of the year since the only times I've been were for Carnival.

I've never made this in anything smaller than a 12 qt pot - and it makes a HUGE pot of food - so if your pot is smaller than that, you'll definitely want to adjust measurements accordingly. Fortunately, this stuff freezes really well so you don't have to worry too much about wasting food if you find yourself with more than you can eat in a week.

My bill this time around was about $11. For this I had to purchase potatoes, corn, garlic, onions, yellow split peas, and coconut milk.

EQUIPMENT:

The biggest pot you own.
A mid-sized bowl (for making the dumplings).

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs potatoes, peeled & chopped into about 1" chunks
4 ears of corn, cleaned and chopped into 1.5-2" chunks *
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs yellow split peas (dry) **
Salt
1 Tbsp garlic & herb seasoning
1 tsp dry ground ginger
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsps black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped ***
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped ***
1 can coconut milk

Dumplings:
1/2 C butter
5-8 heaping tablespoons of flour
2 tsps salt
1/4 C warm watter

HOW TO:

First, fill your pot about 2/3 of the way with water. Salt well. (For a 12 qt pot, I use 2-3 Tbsps salt.) Set pot over high heat and allow to come to a boil. Get this started before dealing with the vegetables since it'll take a while to get going. You'll have plenty of time to clean & chop everything.

Once the water is boiling, add the split peas, garlic/herb seasoning, ginger, pepper, parsley, chives, corn, onions, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally to be sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. At some point during this hour, make the dumplings.

In a bowl combine butter, salt, about half the flour, and about half of the water. Mix with your hands until a nice dough is formed. You're looking for something about the consistency of a nice soft play-dough. You'll probably need to play with the amounts of flour and water. (I always have to.)

Once the hour is up, add the potatoes (remember to drain them first!) and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so. Yes, things will begin burning to the bottom of the pot now. Just stir regularly, and don't be too vigorous about scraping stuff off the bottom. You don't want to get flakes of burnt food floating through the soup.

After potatoes have had a chance to warm up, start making and adding the dumplings. Just roll into about 2" long oblongs and drop them in. Also add the coconut milk. (You'll probably want to shake the can well before opening just in case the fats have separated out.) Let cook for another 45 minutes, stirring regularly. (About every 5 minutes or so.)

Serve and enjoy!

LEFT-OVERS:

Because of the insane amount of starchy ingredients in this, it will basically solidify in the fridge. Just spoon up some big hunks, add a couple tablespoons of water, microwave on high for about 3 minutes per serving, then mix will to loosen up the soup.

Music for this episode is "When We Get Older (Instrumental)" by The Hybiscus Journals.

* To make this with longer-lasting items, you could use frozen corn cobs. If you do, you'll probably want to get the ones that are already cut into chunks. They'll be a bit larger than what I made, though. You could either leave them as they are or thaw them (to make cutting easier) and chop them in half.
** My usual grocery store doesn't carry yellow split peas, so I frequently make this with the green ones instead. Doesn't taste any different, but it's slightly less appealing visually.
*** If you only have dried herbs, that's fine. Just cut the amount in half. I didn't have chives of any sort on hand this time, so I just left them out.

Eat For A Week, Episode 6: Meat Loaf

2007-09-28T01:17:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

I came up with this recipe one night when I just had a craving for meat loaf but didn't know really what went into one other than meat. I went to the store, got some stuff that I thought made sense, and I've been pretty happy with the product. I especially like making this because it doesn't require much attention once it goes into the oven, which means I can easily get other things done while it cooks.

My bill for this one was about $16.50. I had to buy meat, cheese, and eggs,

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs ground beef
4 slices bread
2 eggs
1/4-1/3lbs cheese cut into about 1/2" pieces (I used sharp cheddar)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
2-3 Tbsp parsley flakes
1-2 Tbsp black pepper
1/3 Cup catsup (or ketchup, whatever.)
6-7 pieces of bacon *

EQUIPMENT:

large mixing bowl
8x12" baking dish
2 cookie cooling racks (optional)
food processor-type gadget (optional)

HOW TO:

First, turn the oven on to 375°. Next grind up the bread into crumbs and place in the bowl. (If you don't have a food processor or the like, just chop it up into about 1/2" or smaller bits.) Add the seasonings and parsley flakes and mix well. Next, add the beef, eggs and catsup and mix until all ingredients are evenly combined. Add the cheese and mix gently until even distributed. Form mixture into a log.

Place the cooling racks into the baking dish. They probably won't fit flat, that's fine. Just let them sit at an angle. Place the meat loaf on the racks, then wrap the loaf with the bacon.

Place on the top rack in the oven. Check after 45 minutes by cutting into the loaf to see if the meat is still red. (I don't mind my beef a little rare, but not for something that'll be in the fridge for a whole week, so I like to be sure this gets cooked thoroughly.) If still pretty rare, stick it back in the oven for about 30 more minutes and check it again. I cooked it an extra 15 minutes, which was probably too much. If I'd just let it rest after the second check it probably would have finished cooking from residual heat just fine. As it was, my meat loaf was a little dry this time.

If your budget allows, some instant mashed potatoes go really nicely with this. Just follow the directions on the packaging. I like to use garlic salt instead of regular salt for some extra flavor.

LEFT-OVERS:

Of course, you could always heat it back up with some more instant taters. I also like to make meat loaf sandwiches.

Music for this episode was Exploration No. 4 by The Hybiscus Journals.

* Optional. If you choose to do this, you might want to lower the amounts of the various salts a bit.

Eat For A Week, Episode 5: Veggie & Sausage Stoup

2007-09-14T02:03:00.001-07:00

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I needed to find a way to use up the other half of that 10lb bag of taters. My initial thought was to attempt some sort of potato soup, but I kind of strayed from that. What resulted was more of a veggie & sausage stoup. Yes, I stole the word from Rachael Ray, but it fits. It's somewhere between a stew and a soup, so... stoup!

My bill for this one was just under $19. I had to buy veggies (zucchini, celery, corn, garlic, mushrooms & onions), half-and-half, and bacon. I already had an extra package of sausage in the freezer from the potato salad since it had been on sale when I went shopping for that, but I've gone ahead and figured it into my cost for this dish (about $3). So yeah... I actually only spent something like $16 on this trip to the store.

INGREDIENTS:

russet potatoes ~ 5 lbs
1 bunch of celery
4 ears of corn
3 zucchini
6 mushrooms *
2 medium yellow onions
7 cloves of garlic
6 slices thick-cut bacon
1 package sweet Italian sausage **
2 bay leaves
salt
pepper
2 Tbsps dry parsley
1 Tbsp dry thyme
2-3 Tbsps worchestershire sauce
3 dashes allspice
1 pint half-and-half
3 Tbsps flour

EQUIPMENT:

1 huge pot

HOW TO:

Clean all the veggies and chop them (except for the corn) and the bacon into about 1" pieces. Cut the corn off the cob and save the cobs.

Heat large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the bacon. No need for any oil this time. If necessary, adjust heat to avoid burning. When crisp, remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Next, add the sausage and cook until done. (It's not vital to cook the sausage through at this point as they'll have a chance to finish cooking later, so you can cut some time here if you want.) When cooked, remove sausage.

Add potatoes, zucchini, celery, mushrooms and corn (don't forget the cobs!) to the pot, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Add water to cover. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves, allspice and worchestershire sauce. Return bacon to the pot. When sausage has cooled enough to handle, chop into about 1" pieces and add back to the pot. Turn temperature to high and allow to come to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to cook stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender (30-45 minutes).

If necessary, skim fat from top of pot periodically. ***

Once potatoes are tender, remove corn cobs and add the half-&-half. Mix well. Remove into a bowl 2-4 cups of the broth. Whisk in flour until no lumps remain, return to the pot and mix well. Let cook 10-15 minutes to get rid of any raw flour flavour. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed.

If your budget allows, a tube of ready-to-bake biscuits will go really nicely with this. Just follow the directions on the tube. (I did this part while waiting for the flour to cook out.)

Download "Learning Curve" by The Hybiscus Journals.

* When cleaning mushrooms, just wipe them gently with a damp paper towel rather than running them under water to keep them from getting soggy.
** Sausage blah blah careful of MSG blah blah blah or use turkey/chicken sausage. You could probably leave the sausage and bacon out and still have a pretty tasty dish, though you'll probably want to put a couple Tbsps of olive oil in the pot before adding the veggies.
*** Don't dump the fat down the drain, as that can cause nasty clogs and whatnot. I keep a jar on the stove for fat collecting purposes. When it gets full, it goes out with the trash.

Eat For A Week, Episode 4: Hearty Potato Salad

2007-09-05T00:36:00.001-07:00

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I'm on an insanely tight budget this week, so I thought I'd go with a hearty potato salad. My grocery bill for this one? Just over $8.00. (I bought potatoes, sausages, and onions.)

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs russet potatoes, washed *
4-5 sweet Italian sausages **
2 chicken thighs ***
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt (about 4 Tbsp)
pepper
1-2 Cups Miracle Whip ****
1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard
2 Tbsp Hot Dijon Mustard (optional)

EQUIPMENT:

1 huge pot
1 skillet

HOW TO:

Place washed potatoes in large pot. (I leave the skins on.) Cover with water, and add a couple hand-fulls of salt. Place over high heat and let come to a boil. You'll know they're done when a sharp knife pierces them easily. Remove from water and set aside to cool until you can handle them.

I do this next part while the potatoes are boiling. Prick sausage casings with a fork, then cook in skillet over medium-low to medium heat until cooked through. There's no need to add any oil, they'll provide their own fat. When sausages are done, remove from the pan and allow to cool. Add onions and garlic (salt and pepper to taste). After the onions and garlic have become translucent, salt and pepper the chicken and add it to the skillet. When chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the skillet and allow to cool.

Once all ingredients have cooled, chop the potatoes and sausages into 1-2" pieces and place in a large bowl. (Don't worry about cutting the taters too small as they'll break down a bit as you mix things up.) Shred the chicken and add it to the bowl as well. If you didn't get distracted and burn the onions and garlic, go ahead and throw them in too. Add mustard(s) and about a cup of the Miracle Whip and mix well. If it looks too dry, add more Miracle Whip until it reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed.

This recipe tastes fine at room temperature, but it only gets better as it sits in the fridge and the flavours develop.

Music for this episode is the track "Indigo" from The Hybiscus Journals' second record, "Chakra Pop".

* It may be cheaper to buy pre-bagged potatoes. For example, I could have purchased 5 lbs of loose taters for about $4, but was able to get a 10 lb bag for the same price.
** If you're sensitive to MSG, be sure to read the label on the sausage you purchase. Many processed meat products - like sausage - often have MSG added as both a preservative and a flavoring. Also, if you prefer a spicy sausage, that's fine, go wild. Also, also, you could use turkey or chicken sausage if you don't do pork.
*** I usually make this with boneless chicken breasts, but I had the thighs that needed to be cooked, so that's what I used. I also don't typically use sausage, but it was on sale and sounded like a good idea.
**** I use Miracle Whip because I prefer it to mayonaise. If you prefer mayo, feel free to use that.

Eat For a Week, Episode 3: Space Chili

2007-08-20T22:53:00.001-07:00

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I apologize for the delay getting this one up. Things got a little crazy. In fact, I'm actually cooking recipe #4 while finishing up this entry.

Thanks to Mik over at Space Adventure for the inspiration for this recipe! He asked if I'd be posting a chili recipe soon. Oddly enough, I've never actually managed to come up with a chili recipe, since in the past if I wanted chili, I'd just buy a can of the preservative-packed pre-made stuff. I figured that it's about time I had my own recipe. I made this up as I went. That's right, you'll be watching the creation of a recipe here! I know I took a couple of turns that probably aren't terribly traditional, but they seemed like good ideas to me at the time. How will it turn out? Only time will tell!

For this recipe I had to buy ground beef, bacon, onions, bell peppers, carrots, garlic, and canned beans. My grocery bill was just shy of $20. If you include stuff that I bought to top the chili (cheese, sour cream and avocados) then the bill was more like $26.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1" pieces
2 lbs ground beef *
2 large onions, chopped **
7 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 15oz cans red kidney beans - drained (reserve liquid) ***
1 15oz can black beans - drained (reserve liquid) ***
1 15oz can pinto beans - drained (reserve liquid) ***
1 15oz can chick peas - drained (reserve liquid) ***
4 dashes allspice
3 dashes onion salt
3 dashes garlic salt
3 dashes celery salt
3 Tbsp cumin
4 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp ground yellow mustard
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 or 2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 C vinegar
3 Tbsp tomato paste

EQUIPMENT:

1 huge pot

HOW TO:

Heat olive oil in pot over medium-high heat.
Add bacon, cook until crispy.
Remove bacon to a paper towel.
If necessary, remove excess fat from the pot until about 2 Tbsp remain.
Add onions and garlic, salt and pepper to taste (be careful of the salt - the bacon fat can be pretty salty), cook until translucent, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot.
Add beef - season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
Taste for seasoning - adjust if necessary.
Add allspice, onion salt, garlic salt, celery salt, cumin, cayenne, mustard and parsley.
Allow to cook for a few minutes while stirring.
Add carrots, bell peppers and tomato paste, stir to incorporate.
Add bacon back to the pot.
Add vinegar.
Add water to cover.
Add bay leaves
Add beans, and some of the reserved bean liquid if necessary to adjust level to cover ingredients.
Allow to come up to a rapid boil then reduce heat to low.
Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender.
Be sure to remove the bay leaves before eating.
Enjoy!

Serve yourself up a big ol' bowl of this hearty chili. Top it with whatever you like. I tend to prefer things like grated cheese, sour cream, and avocado/guacamole. Other options would be diced onion, cilantro, diced peppers and, well, pretty much whatever you think would be tasty.

Want something crunchy with your chili? Try spooning it over a pile of Fritos or other corn chip of your choice. Chili *should* also freeze pretty well. I'll be sure to update here if it doesn't.

WHAT I'D CHANGE NEXT TIME:

Since I was making this recipe up as I filmed this, I went ahead and provided the recipe here as performed, rather than as I intend to do it next time. I so rarely use cayenne pepper that I forgot it actually gets hotter as it cooks. And a little hotter still as the chili sits in the fridge. That first night, the heat was just right for me, but by the end of the week it was a little much. Next time I'd reduce the amount of cayenne to about 3 Tbsp - or maybe a bit less - but I think that's the only change I'd make.

Music for this episode was "green" from The Hybiscus Journals' second record, "Chakra Pop".

* If you don't do red meat, this would probably be pretty tasty with ground turkey or chicken.
** If you enjoy raw onion, feel free to keep some aside to sprinkle atop the finished chili. I don't really do the raw onion thing, so I just put them all in at the beginning.
*** I know some of you are probably thinking, "There're no beans in chili!!!" Yeah, well... I'm on a budget, here. Beans are a great cost effective way to stretch something like this. Same goes for the carrots.

Eat For A Week, Episode 2: Chicken Pelau

2007-08-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

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First off, I'd like to thank you all for your great feedback on my first episode, whether here, via other forums, or in person. It really means a lot!

This is a recipe for Chicken Pelau that I learned from my friend Federico. The dish comes from the island of Trinidad, is packed full of flavor, and is actually pretty healthy. Granted, I've edited it a bit to suit my taste, and I encourage you to do likewise. My grocery bill for this one was just over $17.

INGREDIENTS:

raw chicken drumsticks (about 10)
1 bunch green onions
1 large yellow onion
1 bunch fresh parsley (about 2 Cups)
1 bunch fresh chives (about 3 Tbsp)
1 head of garlic
1 jabanero (or habanero, if you prefer) pepper *
1 lb frozen peas and carrots
3 Tbsp white vinegar **
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp chicken boullion ***
2 Tbsp black pepper
3 Tsp dry ginger
1 Cup uncooked rice
1/4 Cup butter
1/3 Cup ketchup (or catsup... whatever)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt (to taste)

EQUIPMENT:

A large bowl
A huge pot

HOW TO:

Finely chop onions (yellow and green), garlic, parsley, and jabanero.
In a large bowl, combine chopped ingredients with vinegar, cajun seasoning, boullion, black pepper and ginger.
Remove skin from the drumsticks, then chop the drumsticks in half. (If you don't want to deal with chopping through bone, you can leave them whole or opt to use boneless chicken meat.)
Rinse the chicken well to remove any stray bone shards.
Add chicken to the chopped stuff, mix, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Heat the large pot over medium-high heat.
Add about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to the pot.
When oil is hot, add brown sugar and stir until i gets melty. (The sugar will not blend with the oil.)
If it smells like the sugar is starting to burn, remove pot from heat.
Add all the chicken and chopped stuff to the pot then return to heat.
The sugar will seize up a bit when you add the cold ingredients. That's okay, just keep stirring until it has melted again.
Once chicken looks less raw, add enough water to cover ingredients.
Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. (Reduce heat if it's boiling too rapidly.)

Add butter, catsup, and tomato paste, stir to combine.
Add uncooked rice.
Let simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep rice from burning onto the bottom of the pot.

Add about 1/2 cup of water and the frozen peas and carrots (no need to defrost, just dump 'em in frozen.) Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated. This could take anywhere from 10-30 minutes.
Taste for seasoning - add salt if needed.

REHEATING IDEAS:

I'm afraid I haven't come up with anything too fancy for this one... Just put some in a bowl and microwave on high for a few minutes.

BONUS!

With a simple tweak, this actually becomes another dish. Just leave out the rice, add the peas and carrots earlier, and you've got Stew Chicken.

Music for this episode provided by The Hybiscus Journals.

* I'm a wuss when it comes to spicy stuff. If you want to use more peppers go right ahead, but I wouldn't suggest more than 3. Those puppies are HOT! And make sure you wash your hands REALLY well after handling them.
** Doesn't have to be white vinegar, it's just what Federico recommends.
*** If you're sensitive to MSG, you'll want to be sure to check the label on this stuff. Boullion frequently has MSG in it. If you're like me and this evil preservative/seasoning gives you a crippling migraine, you'll want to spend the extra money on the stuff without MSG.

Eat For A Week, Episode 1: Turkey Stew

2007-07-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

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SHOPPING LIST:

To make this stew, I had to buy potatoes, carrots, onions, turkey meat, flour, and instant stuffing mix. I already had the other ingredients on hand. My grocery bill was $14.11(US). Not too shabby for a weeks worth of food, if I may say so.

INGREDIENTS:

6 russet potatoes
3-4 large carrots (or 5-8 smallish ones)
1 large onion (or 2 med, or 3 small)
3-4 large (or 6-8 small) cloves garlic
Two turkey thighs OR four turkey drumsticks
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) flour
~2 Tbsp salt
~2 Tbsp pepper
2 large (or 3-4 small) bay leaves
3-4 Tbsp parsley flakes *
3 Tbsp worchestershire sauce *
~ 1/4 Teaspoon (tsp) allspice *
a dash of the following:
garlic salt *
onion salt *
celery salt *
instant stuffing mix
butter (or margarine, if you must)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin if you can afford it)

EQUIPMENT:

large stock pot
sauce pan
baking dish

HOW TO:

Wash and peel the carrots and potatoes
Cut into about 1" chunks
Put in a bowl of water to keep potatoes from turning brown

Peel, and coarsely chop onion(s) and garlic

Place stock pot over medium to medium-high heat
Add olive oil and a pat (about 1 Tbsp) butter
When hot, add turkey meat to pot and brown on both sides
Remove browned turkey
Add onions and garlic to pot along with a little salt and pepper, scraping up brown bits from the bottom as you stir
When onions are translucent, add potatoes and carrots (season again with salt and pepper)
Return turkey meat to the pot
Add water to cover **
Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, parsley, allspice, garlic/onion/celery salt, and worchestershire sauce
Turn heat to high, allow to come to a rolling boil
Once boiling, turn heat to low, cover pot, and let cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste for seasoning - add salt and pepper if needed
Remove turkey from pot, shred with a couple of forks, then return meat to pot (discard bones and skins)
Remove 1-2 cups of broth from the pot, add about 2 Tbsp flour and mix well
Add flour/broth mixture back to pot and stir well
Let cook for about 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally

In sauce pan, prepare instant stuffing according to directions on box
Spread stuffing into an even layer in a baking dish
Set oven to "Broil" and put the stuffing in the oven
This should crisp up in 5-7 minutes, but you'll want to keep an eye on it.
When crisp, remove from oven.

TO SERVE:

Ladle a bowl full of stew, cut out a chunk of stuffing and float it on top of the stew. Bon apetit!

Once the rest of the stew has cooled, transfer it to a large covered bowl for storage in your fridge. Cover the stuffing, and keep it in the fridge too.

REHEATING IDEAS:

Of course, you could just fill a bowl with the stew, add a hunk of the stuffing on top, then stick it in the microwave on high for about 3.5 minutes.

If you run out of stuffing before running out of stew, you could always just go get another box, since they're pretty cheap. Or you could place some bread in the bottom of the bowl before filling with stew and reheating... Kind of like an open faced (and really wet) sandwich.

Of course, you could also always freeze some of the stew for much later consumption.

Feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes. If I hadn't needed to buy flour, I probably would have picked up some celery and added it with the potatoes and carrots. I haven't tried it yet, but I imagine this would probably also be pretty tasty with chicken.

Thanks again, and we'll see you next time!

* Optional ingredients - if you have 'em, use 'em.
** If your budget allows, feel free to use half water and half chicken/vegetable/turkey stock.

Welcome to Eat For A Week!

2007-07-23T02:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking this out. So, what is this thing anyway? I created this blog in order to share the recipes that I've come up with (and that I hope to continue creating) for the single person living on a tight budget.

What does that mean for you? Basically, you'll be able to spend as little money as possible to cook a great meal once, then eat from that meal for several days. If you're not single, does this mean that this stuff doesn't apply to you? Of course not, but just know that if you're cooking for more than one person, the left-overs won't be around as long as if it was just you. I'm currently working on the first installment - a fantastic (at least, I think so) turkey stew.

I guess I should probably list the absolute basics for equipment that you should own and ingredients you should have on hand in order to pull most of these recipes off. (The nice thing about the ingredients is that once you have them, they'll last for a while.)

Cookware:
- a large stock pot (at least 8 quarts)
- a sauce pan (two can be helpful)
- a skillet
- a baking dish
- a couple of good spoons (one slotted, one not)
- a spatula
- a huge bowl to store leftovers

Ingredients:
- salt
- pepper
- bay leaves
- all purpose flour

Thanks again, and I look forward to really getting this thing rolling!