Show Us Your Dinner! (Home Cooking ONLY please!)

Oyster mushrooms ... that was a new one for me. I've always gone with the generic white caps. Or portobello if I'm feeling fancy. Have to check the grocer's case and see if they stock them.

A spectrum of colored Pleurotus has appeared in the marketplace. Gray, blue, yellow, pink, and white caps will please the eye as well as the palate. Members of our society call it the "designer mushroom." Especially delicious is the dark-capped P. sajor-caju, which blends well in a variety of dishes. The stems are tender and tasty, which makes them a good buy.

Good to know ... tasty AND purty!
 
Aha ... gotcha! I confuse those myself sometimes. Shame I can't access the chow mein recipe you linked, because I flat out refuse to register for a website that doesn't give me any other option. Harumph.

Don`t recall registering for anything....can`t you see the video simply by clicking the link that I listed in Post # 75 ?
 
I was trying to get the recipe, but that was buried under a SIGN UP, FOOL! box and what little I could see of the page was grayed out. Oh, well ...

Tonite's special ... cabbage rolls! Real stick to yer ribs meal!

cabbage-rolls.jpg


Stuffing is a mix of hamburger and pork sausage with barley, onion, and egg. Rolls were topped with salsa and the cabbage wedges were caramelized in butter after baking under the rolls. Leftovers will get sliced and fried, and stacked on rye bread for sandwich snacks.
 
Oh man, I haven't had cabbage rolls in ages. Always with rice though, never with barley. I'm guessing it's precooked before being mixed in with the meat, egg and onion?
Nice touch with the caramelized cabbage (any onion in that?) and salsa instead of the usual tomato sauce:thumbsup::bowdown:
This thread definitely needs a DROOL smiley
 
I cover the cabbage in a dutch oven with Mrs Grass onion soup and a layer of fresh sliced onions over that, with the rolls on top. Pop the lid and brush on a bit of butter for the last half hour to brown the rolls, then brown the cabbage in a frying pan.

Not sure where I picked up on the barley thing, but it adds a unique flavor. I use dry pearl barley pre-soaked in chicken stock till it's about half size, then drain it and put it in the mix. It finishes cooking in the rolls and soaks up any juice (and flavor) that would otherwise escape.
 
Big storm coming in later this week. So, we decided to make a Puerto Rican meal my friend Wilfredo taught us ... Pernil!
Its a delicious kind of pulled pork typically done for a holiday - but this Friday blizzard will do (We made it once before, Feb 2010 - Snowmageddon!).

Anyway - Giant had the pork shoulder picnic cut, on sale for $0.99 lb!
So I picked up a nice 10.24 roast for $10 - can't beat that!

Here's how it starts ... It'll go in the fridge tonight. Then tomorrow, Emma will cut the fat layer back on 3 sides, so its like a flap,
and score the meat heavily underneath. She'll marinade it overnight before the final prep and 6 hrs cooking on Friday.
I'll post more/the rest of the pix as we get further along...

More details here - http://www.elboricua.com/pernil.html


pernil_1820.jpg pernil_1822.jpg
 
That's a great looking piece of pork there. At 99¢ a lb, you sure can't go wrong. I just did the same thing almost. I put a butt in the crock pot day before yesterday. When I got up yesterday, I pull out the butt, removed the bone, made gravy out of the juice, and put the pork back in the gravy. Made alot of rice and some sides, and now I'm ready for that storm that's headed for us.
 
I was trying to get the recipe, but that was buried under a SIGN UP, FOOL! box and what little I could see of the page was grayed out. Oh, well ...

Tonite's special ... cabbage rolls! Real stick to yer ribs meal!

cabbage-rolls.jpg


Stuffing is a mix of hamburger and pork sausage with barley, onion, and egg. Rolls were topped with salsa and the cabbage wedges were caramelized in butter after baking under the rolls. Leftovers will get sliced and fried, and stacked on rye bread for sandwich snacks.

Your cabbage looks like good eatin`....nice meal for a cold winter night !

I cut & pasted that recipe for you (just about ALL those websites are cluttered with annoying popups !)


Chicken Chow Mein
We were determined to rescue this Chinese American restaurant classic from its depressing gloppy, bland state.

Watch the Video

SERVES 4
Purchase thin, round fresh Chinese egg noodles, not flat and/or dried noodles, or substitute 6 ounces of dried chow mein, ramen, or wheat vermicelli.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1(9-ounce) package fresh Chinese noodles
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • 2(6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 3tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2cup chicken broth
  • 3tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1/4teaspoon white pepper
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
  • 1carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
  • 2celery ribs, cut on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 4scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
  • 3garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 4ounces (2 cups) mung bean sprouts
INSTRUCTIONS


  1. 1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then drain again. Toss noodles with sesame oil in bowl; set aside.

    2. Meanwhile, dissolve baking soda in 1/2 cup cold water in second bowl. Add chicken and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain chicken, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in bowl; set aside.

    3. Whisk broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons rice wine, and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in bowl; set aside.

    4. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    5. Whisk broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet and cook until thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and noodles and toss until sauce evenly coats noodles, about 1 minute. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve.


KEY INGREDIENT: FRESH EGG NOODLES


You’ll find chow mein in Chinese restaurants prepared with wheat noodles, Italian pastas, ramen noodles, or egg noodles. But our tasters preferred fresh Chinese egg noodles, available in the Asian section of most grocery stores.



aside_SIL_HongKongStylePanFriedNoodles_TwinMarquis_RESHOOT_002.jpg

FRESH CHINESE EGG NOODLES: The best choice for chow mein.
 
Thanx ... that's a keeper!

I can see myself trying that with Amish Kitchen noodles.

k2-_7885d744-8357-4165-a3bf-b470a4aeb686.v1.jpg


Richer than any other in the bag variety I've tried, and I've always got some in the pantry for quickie meals. Those are real good in a casserole with golden mushroom soup, peas, and a three cheese topping.

Actually make a pretty good side dish with fried cabbage roll as well, now that I think on it ... <G>
 
This one took a bit more effort. Presentation is nine-tenths of the law, you know.

First, a salad, consisting of mixed greens, peppers, and red carrots, with ranch dressing on the side for manual dipping.

Salad.jpg

Next, the main course was rib steak in balsamic glaze, on a bed of arugula and home grown mini-tomatoes, with garlic mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and zucchini with carrots and Parmesan.

Dinner.jpg

Finally, there was Yorkshire pudding, dipped in hot apricot preserves and butter. We were afraid the pudding wasn't going to "pop," but it did. The best ever. (How can you have any pudding, if you won't eat your meat?)

Dessert.jpg

Them was good eats.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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Signed, limited edition work of art that is ... I'd feel guilty sticking a fork in it. <G>

PS ... my grand daddy's Model T made that sound whenever he hit the horn ...

ARUGALA!
ARUGALA!
:D
 
Leftovers tonite!

Remember those cabbage rolls? Here's what they look like in a sandwich, sliced and fried, with lightly toasted marbled rye. The caramelized wedges are chopped bitesize and served as a "southern" coleslaw, with romaine lettuce, onions, carrots, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. The cabbage is fried a bit for texture, and the rest of the stuff goes in just long enough to take the chill off while keeping everything crunchy.

cabbage-roll-leftovers.jpg


(I left the bread off the top on one so yall could see the fried roll ... no other condiments other than a touch of horseradish to add a bit of bite.)
 
Tonight's fare may not be everyone's cup of tea, since it contains ingredients that are...shall we say...a bit country. Let's just say that long term exposure to this stuff is addictive, and the ingredients normally eschewed by western sensibilities become the most desired, and dug for in the bowl. I also want you to know that, when done right, there is absolutely no need for the MSG found in so much of this that is found on this side of the pond.Please note that you will need a really big bowl.

Pho' (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

The details are left out. I'm only going to hit the high points. There are specifics regarding amounts and timing that take a while to determine and master. Their results are well worth the effort. It helps to have a large, local, south-east Asian population and a commensurate Asian supermarket.

To show how the Holy One has worked in my life (a lot, believe me), one of my best friends in the world is of Chinese descent, from Laos, via Thai refugee camp. If he says your Pho is superb, your Pho is superb. I'm still working on other entrees, like Larb Neua, and he is a real stickler for Pad Thai (I like mine, but he is not yet happy with it). Too bad he is not too happy with Japanese cuisine, because my Sukiyaki is to die for. For Thai, my Pad Gra Tiem Gai will knock your socks off.

Back to Pho'...It all starts by simmering a hefty quantity of marrow bones, and a nice bundle of tendons, for about 12 hours. Then, we remove the bones, clean everything off into the broth, and toss out the clean bones. Then we remove the tendon bundle and slice it, setting it aside for later.

Then we add ox tails and a slab of nice brisket, cloves, star anise, Vietnamese cinnamon, black cardamom pods, whole black peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, ginger, large onion chunks, shallots, Vietnamese fish sauce, and Vietnamese yellow rock sugar. Simmer it all for an additional 5 hours. We then remove the brisket, and slice it for later, and remove the ox tails and set them aside, intact, for later.

We then take the remaining simmering product, and remove the bits and chunks of meat and connective tissue and separate them into goodies for the dog and goodies for us. We set the goodies for us aside for later. We then skim off off the fat, for use in cooking other meals (super with the spice complement reflected in it). Then we strain the broth through cheese cloth, to get everything but the broth out, tossing out the solids from the straining. The resulting broth is divided up into single serving packs, and all but 2 servings are put into the freezer for easy use, on later days.

All of the preceding was for the broth...only.

At serving time, the boiling broth is poured over a large group of yummies: Pho noodles (special rice noodles), home-grown mung-bean sprouts, super thin sliced rib eye (raw), sliced raw red onions, the meats previously set aside (sliced brisket, ox tail, sliced tendon, and meat/connective tissue bits/chunks), milk tripe, and Vietnamese beef balls. Just before serving, the soup is dressed with fresh, torn Thai basil and Vietnamese mint, scallions (cut lengthwise), a squeeze of fresh lime, a squirt of Hoisin sauce, and a squirt of Sriracha. Et...voila! The fruit of almost 20 hours of work:

Pho.jpg

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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Tonight's fare may not be everyone's cup of tea, since it contains ingredients that are...shall we say...a bit country. Let's just say that long term exposure to this stuff is addictive, and the ingredients normally eschewed by western tastes become the most desired, and dug for in the bowl. I also want you to know that, when done right, there is absolutely no need for the MSG found in so much of this that is found on this side of the pond.Please note that you will need a really big bowl.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Rich P

OK, ya got me....I know when I`m in the presence of greatness....
Folks, those of you who have sampled this incredible delicacy understand that a good bowl of Pho is a thing to be lusted after, there`s not a whole lot else that compares. Well done, Sir !
 
OK, ya got me....I know when I`m in the presence of greatness....
Folks, those of you who have sampled this incredible delicacy understand that a good bowl of Pho is a thing to be lusted after, there`s not a whole lot else that compares. Well done, Sir !
To share the joy, and a sweet and full, fully restored set of Pioneer TOTL, if in the neighborhood, let us know, and you may certainly drop by and partake. Let us know at least 3 days in advance, in case our ever ready supply of Pho broth would be insufficient. :beerchug:

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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Food prep has begun ... we had Salmon last night and decided Saturday, Snowday would be the best time for the Pernil ...
[She decided not to use any Mole sauce this time ...]

Emma bought a new roaster pan with a rack since the other was just too small.
She washed the pan and washed the pork roast, patted it dry,
and cut the fat flap, scoring the meat underneath with a nice criss-cross pattern.
She put the meat on the rack so it is above the juice and grease while roasting
(don't want to boil the meat!).

Preheat the oven to 425
She used a mix of 4 recipes, but basically its this: (she added a bit to all the ingredients since it was a larger 10 1/4 lb shoulder)

8-9 lb bone in, skin on Pork shoulder
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp minced garlic or 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
(I can't eat fresh garlic so she used garlic powder w/parsley)
1 finely chopped and minced large sweet Onion
2 tsp Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with pepper
3 pkts Sazon Goya w/coriander and Annatto
Couple tbsp of dark brown sugar
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cummin

cover the skin with Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add 2 cups or so of water in the pan under the meat

I chopped up the onion as fine as I could get it - some recipes use a mortar and pestle, some a food processor ...
but the idea is to get the spices to a nice paste consistency.

Anyway, spread the spices all over the meat and under the flap - push it as deep into the cuts and holes as you can.

Put the meat in the pan skin side up.
Do NOT cover the meat with a lid or foil ...

Cook for 15-20 mins at 425, then drop the temp to 325 for the long slow cook ...
30 mins per pound, so our 10 lb roast will go 5 or so hrs.
Keep an eye so it doesn't get too dry - add water if needed, baste as needed.

40 minutes in and the house already smells amazing!



IMG_0237.jpg IMG_0240.jpg


IMG_0242.jpg

Big storm coming in later this week. So, we decided to make a Puerto Rican meal my friend Wilfredo taught us ... Pernil!
Its a delicious kind of pulled pork typically done for a holiday - but this Friday blizzard will do (We made it once before, Feb 2010 - Snowmageddon!).

Anyway - Giant had the pork shoulder picnic cut, on sale for $0.99 lb!
So I picked up a nice 10.24 roast for $10 - can't beat that!

Here's how it starts ... It'll go in the fridge tonight. Then tomorrow, Emma will cut the fat layer back on 3 sides, so its like a flap,
and score the meat heavily underneath. She'll marinade it overnight before the final prep and 6 hrs cooking on Friday.
I'll post more/the rest of the pix as we get further along...

More details here - http://www.elboricua.com/pernil.html


View attachment 676632 View attachment 676633
 
And - after just one hour ... amazing aroma in the house, skin is curling back a bit ...
We plan to cook some carrots and potatoes for the side ...

IMG_0244.jpg
 
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