The Skinny

Here at Casa Flo we're working on shedding some unwanted extra body cells so I'm whipping up some new food types for the occasion.  Poaching has become the word of this Day for starters, and I'm not talking rustling someones cattle from their ranch.  Real Poaching of chicken and fish.

I never really poached my chickens before but it is really pretty easy and very versatile.  You can poach up a mess of breasts, use one hot for dinner and chill the rest.  Since summer is heading in you can then use the chilled breasts for toppings on fresh greens with veggies or even fruits.  It goes so well, as I'm sure you know.  

The issue I had was that the lone breast on a plate was begging for some kind of dressing.  A discreet coverup in kitchen parlance.  I scanned my recipes and noticed I had a diet type dressing that resonated with all the items I had on hand so I gave it a try and Bravo! it worked magically. 

Here it is for your edification:

CILANTRO-SCALLION YOGURT SAUCE

Makes about 1 Cup


1 Cup cilantro leaves and stems

¼ cup scallions, sliced

1 Tbs fresh ginger, chopped (didn't have it and the sauce was still great)
2 tsp sugar (I used Stevia in place of sugar)

¼ tsp ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Juice of ½ a lime

Salt and cayenne to taste

¾ Cup plain yogurt (mistakenly bought Vanilla flavored yogurt but it was still good!)

Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.

It just doesn't get any easier!!   I would have taken a photo of the sauce but it wasn't photogenic.  Think something the color of guacamole. 

Tonight I'm making Diet-Like Orange Chicken and serving it with a little cabbage slaw salad.  If it looks good and I remember I'll take a photo and post it.  Cheers!

Linguini and Clams

This dish is one of my favorites but it's kind of rich with the butter and all so I don’t make it very often. I also like a bit of kick to my food so I add crushed red peppers which you can omit if you are not the spicy type. Here is a photo of the list of ingredients minus the fresh clams since I ate them before writing this up. I used 12 littleneck clams for 2 people and one can of whole clams with the juice. The photo shows minced and you can use that too. The canned whole clams were eaten too before I wrote this so I threw the can out.  Hey, you still get the idea.  Damn! People can be so fussy.  Good thing I'm a Kitchen Bitch.

(I need to blog before I cook I guess cuz I keep eating and tossing everything I need in the photos)

Naturally you need linguini so I didn’t think I had to take a picture of that for you just like I’m not going to take a picture of me burping after this great meal!

First heat up your skillet till its pretty hot add about 1 Tbsp of the canola or olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Immediately toss in the minced garlic. I love garlic so I use about 2 large cloves minced. Once the garlic fragrance hits your nose pour in the clam juice and about a 1/3 cup of vermouth and let it all simmer till it is reduced by half. Toss in the canned clams and juice and then the real clams if you have them and cover and steam until the clams open, then cook uncovered for another couple minutes.

In the meanwhile I hope you had the sense to cook your linguini already because you need it now. Add the drained cooked linguini to the clammages in the skillet and heat through till most of the liquid is cooked down and absorbed.  There should be some liquid in it though so don't boil it all away. You also should have put a lot of salt in the boiling water for the linguini so you shouldn’t need to add any extra salt in the end. If you want to tart it up add a couple squeezes of lemon juice instead.

In the bowl I plan on using for the linguini I usually add more fresh minced garlic (b/c I love it so much) on the bottom then I add the hot pasta, toss and decorate it all nicely with the fresh clams and add some minced parsley to beautify it before serving. The parsley also keeps garlic breath at a standstill in case you have a hot date.

I know its crazy but I like to put some parmesan cheese on top of my linguini and clams too. I eat the way I like! However, now that I ate so much it's affecting the way my clothes are fitting (or not fitting) so I'm going to sing that old tune "...its diet time again, I'm gonna lose you.."  fooey.  I wish I didn't care so much about fitting into my clothes!!  Goodbye ice cream after dinner.  So long my little cookie friends.  I'm already missing my melted cheeses...   waa.

Weight Gain

Good Day Class:

Today the topic of our study is Weight Gain.  10 little letters, when put together just like the title spell Misery, Anger and a Killer Attitude (not the good kind).

I would much rather gain weight eating than anything else but the doctor put me on some medication that is increasing my weight.  That doc's gotta go!  Below is a self portrait (not really me cuz my room doesn't look like that).

I've cut back eating one meal a day so I can stay put inside my old worn out clothes which means that I'm cooking less and therefore no food blog today.  I stopped eating breakfast, or I just pushed breakfast up to 11pm so it takes care of bkfst and lunch at one time.  I'm keeping dinner sacred.  I have to keep an eagle eye on my weight since my stretch pants only stretch so far.  Here's my new scale to keep me on my toes so to speak...

The whole weight gain thing has me sad and mad.  Makes me wanna eat but I've got to get busy losing the 7 pounds I've gained so far.  I want Rocky Road ice cream.  I want that chocolate cake they sell at Costco. I want a polish hot dog.  I want Mayonnaise!

Kitchen Chack-a-torry

That's what I call this recipe.  Its not the basic Chicken Cacciatorie but a little twist and then spin on that recipe.

Here's what when on.  Chicken leg quarters were on sale so I bagged a grip of them.  I used only two here since there is one for each serving. 

1/3 chopped onion

2 generous cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 chicken leg quarters

1/3 cup red wine

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (more if you like)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 dozen kalamata olives chopped in thirds

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/3 package bowtie pasta

First heat your skillet up dry on medium high heat (no oil yet) till hot, then add the oil and onions and sautee them till the onions are soft.  Add the garlic and cook till fragrant then remove these from the skillet and set aside.  Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides till golden on med-low heat.  Remove the chicken from heat and set aside.  Add the wine to the skillet to deglaze and cook until reduced by 1/2.  Add the mushrooms and cook then add the tomatoes, the onion and garlic mix, the olives and basil and cook on medium for about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken with any juices back into the skillet and cook all over low heat for about 15-20 minutes.  You can take the chicken out at this point and debone it or not.  Up to you.  Come on, be a nice guy and do it.

Meanwhile you gotta cook the pasta.  Always add a heavy hand of salt to the boiling water then add the pasta and cook about 10 minutes or until done the way you like it.  Add the drained pasta to the chicken and there ya go!  Dinner.  Its really good if you like kalamata olives.  I do!!

Play With Your Food!

If you are going to serve fruit to guests then you might as well 'play with it first'.  Buy an inexpensive book on fruit carving.  It's relatively easy and very impressive.  It just takes a little initiative to be more than you can be.  Something like that.  (what I keep telling myself)

I made this fruit platter simply for the challenge of making a Duck out of a Cantaloupe!  It was fun and I loved the result.  Give it a try.

Something to keep you happy during a snowstorm.  Something like that.  Next I may show you how I made a flower out of blistering hot melted sugar.  Ouch!  I like the flower but the blisters on the fingers hurt.  Bye!

Mahi Mahi and Ricey Ricey

I had a nice piece of Mahi Mahi to cook and I wanted something quick, simple, easy and tasty.  I simply put salt, pepper and a dab of butter on the fish then pan sauteed it about 4-5 minutes on medium low (is that a real thing medium low?)  Not quite medium and higher than low. 

I made some brown rice, which has become a staple of mine now and a few of those who know me will read this line with surprise but its true.  Must be the weather affecting me here in Florida or something like that.  I'm eating rice a lot lately.  Maybe I just miss my Mum.  She used to stuff me with rice as a 1st grader growing up in San Fran.  I hated the rice.  That was then this is now (as my therapist would council) so I'm into the brown stuff instead of the white type. 

I really got off track here... anyway, I played with my food and here's what I came out with.

It was a good, quick and easy dinner.  You ought to try it.  Keep it simple.

Squashing a Flounder

Reading the local St. Petersburg Times this morning I saw a photo of a guy with a big fish net pulling little frozen fish out of the local waters.  Its too cold for the little guys and they're just freezing.  The turtles and manatees are really cold too.  At least its getting a bit warmer now. 

That being said, brings me to what I had in the freezer yesterday - frozen fish.  Orange Roughy to be clear.  (you can use basically any type of fish here like snapper, talapia grouper or sole.  Keep in mind the sole will cook much faster since its such a tender fish) I had lots of winter squash (zucchini) too so it got me thinking about how to marry these two strangers without a court order.  For those who are kitchen challenged:  Thaw the Fish First Before Trying This Dish at home. 

First I had to see what was on hand.  There were kalamata (pitted) olives in the fridge (I love those things), parmesan cheese (always on hand) canned tomatoes (a staple for the pantry), a big shallot and garlic.  Hummm, not a lot but I think it will be the dowry I need to make a lasting union between freezer and fridge.

I took a round pyrex oven proof dish, heated the oven to 425 degrees (220 celesius) then started slicing the zucchini into really thin slices about 1/8 inch thick (3mm).  It takes patience with a sharp knife but if your a gadget freak like me and have a mandoline it may be easier.  I have both but opted for the knife cuz I like to play and even run with sissors!

NOTE:

I love my knives and I sharpen them myself on a sharpening stone with specialized food-safe sharpening oil (or mineral oil in a pinch).  Do Not use olive oil or anyother type of oil that is not specifically for sharpening as it can go rancid and settle into your stone ruining taste and maybe make you sick in the bargin.

After slicing 2 zucchini's I coated them with olive oil (not sharpening stone oil - heh) then I put my de-frosted fishies - the package came with 3 nice size pieces - in a fish bowl on a plate and layered the zucchini on them to look a little like fish scales (eww, like that's appetizing), sprinkled them with salt and pepper and covered and refridgerated them while I was trying to figure out what should come next.

I started up some brown rice in the rice cooker and let it do its little 40 minute puff job.  Don't forget to RINSE the rice first.  You want to rinse until the water runs clear.  I put the rice in a wire strainer and under the tap I move it all around with my hand until I think its all clear.  This will make better tasting rice or rice without rice dust!

Then in a medium skillet I added 2 Tbls (I don't measure stuff so you don't either if you don't want to) of olive oil and tossed in the sliced shallot (it was a big puppy - figure 2 Tbls), cooked that for a minute or so then added about 2 good size cloves of minced garlic, saute'd them till I started smelling the garlic then added 1 can (8 oz) of crushed/stewed tomatoes.  If you only have canned whole tomatoes then cut them up small size (or squeeze the heck out of them and take out some kitchen rage as you tear them to bits!) or use a couple 3-4 roma tomatoes if you have fresh and like some peeps MUST use fresh.  Big whoop.

Some people like to sweeten the acidic tomato taste with sugar but I wouldn't add more than 1 tsp.  We're not making a friggin' cake here.  I like tart and tangy so I cut up about 8 kalamata olives into quarters and tossed those in.  Let it cook on medium for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. 

If you have an attractive baking dish (obviously I didn't) you can add the sauce to the dish then top it with the fish you put in the fridge earlier.  Bake until the fish flakes easily, about 20 minutes depending on how well your oven works. If you live in a real hot climate then leave it on top of the hood of your car and see if that works.  I serve directly from the dish since I like the way it looks all put together. It also stays warmer that way while you're waiting for the non-cooks to get up off their lazy lard butts and get to the table before you turn this meal into a Flying Fish.  Sprinkle it with a little parmesan cheese if you're so inclined and a dash of tarragon or maybe a dill sprig for color.  Red food color will make it look like you had a kitchen accident.  Hee hee (not recommended)  Here's what it looked like when it was properly Married!

I had so much zucchini that I rimmed the platter with the remainder.  Believe me there was nothing left!  Served with the brown rice was all that was needed.  Oh yeah.  And some wine.  I wouldn't use white wine since you have those olives and garlic and shallots and they're as strong as moving men going up three flights of stairs with a piano.  You can drink water if you want.  I don't care.  Do whatever you like but make it a nice red like a Shiraz.  And pour me a glass too!

Winter Comfort Food - Pot Roast

When the weather gets as cold as it has been I long to cook me some old fashioned comfort foods.  This week it was Pot Roast.  The chuck steaks went on sale (when did the price of chuck meat get so high?!!) so that was all the encouragement I needed.

I grabbed the staple ingredients that I had on hand (tomato sauce, ketchup, broth, flour, some herbs (cumin, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire Sauce) and veggies like carrots, onion, celery, garlic and red potatoes and got to work.  I decided to use my crock pot instead of cooking it on the stove which takes up room if I want to cook other stuff, and didn't want to put it in the oven to save energy (although heating up the house sounded good I didn't want the electric bill to rise). 

Since there are only two of us here I bought a fairly small piece of meat, about 2 or 2 1/2 pounds (no bone).  I put about a 1/3 cup flour in a zip lock baggie, added some kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and then added the meat and shook it up to coat the meat.  I heated up a cast iron skillet, added some canola oil (about 3-4 tbsp) and browned the meat on both sides and edges.  I made a little mix of cumin and thyme, about 1/2 tsp each and sprinkled that over the meat then put it in the crock pot after I coated the pot with Pam non-stick spray.  That makes the clean up easier by far.

I coarsely chopped the veggies and tossed those in then mixed up about 1/4 cup ketchup with some chicken stock (didn't have beef stock) and poured that over the meat, added the can of tomato sauce pictured above, about 1-2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce a bit more salt and pepper, the bay leaf and about 4-5 cloves of minced garlic (I love garlic).  Over all, I added about 2 cups of chicken stock to almost cover the meat.  I then plugged in my crock pot, set the timer on High for 5 hours and relaxed!

That's my way of cooking sometimes.  I love it when the cooking is done by "leave alone".  It gives me time to do a crossword, a puzzle, read, give myself a bubble bath.... you get the picture.  Comfort foods mean Comfort All Around!

We each had dinner of it one night then I had the remainder for lunch today.  Not a bad cost cutter either!

Yum!

Topped Out on Ramen

2010 started out pretty miserable so I'm thinking things can only get better from here.  I caught some kind of bug New Years Eve day and it settled in my chest and struck me down like a cheap pair of heels.  I was sick with a fever which I hadn't had in maybe 7 or 8 years and all the coughing, some sneezing and some nose blowing.  I thought it was a cold/flu but I'm not sure. 

True to Kitchen Bitch form I applied a package of Pictsweet baby lima beans for the fever two nights in a row.  I'm thinking I've struck on some kind of magical new health cure because the fever only lasted two nights.  Maybe frozen corn would have had it linger longer?  Frozen peas most likely would have raised the fever by 2 degrees.  I'm not sure and still have plenty of experimentation to do at the next opportunity.  Which hopefully won't be for another 7 or 8 years.  

When I was finally able to rise from the deathbed and crawl to the kitchen all I could manage was to make my favorite Top Ramen soup, throw in some frozen broccoli (saving that package for toothaches), and some pre-cooked chicken.  I managed to survive the next few days with ol' Topper Beef Flavor and 'scroung' foods. 

I felt exiled for 5 days in some remote cold hovel....  trying not to infect the cat or my roomie,

but I think I faired better than Hillary Clinton when Obama made her Secretary of the State just to get her out of the US. 

I did eventually improve and am ready once again to bitch in the kitchen!