Kannapolis seems to think that summer is over. We ended a "beach music festival", complete with fireworks, to mark the end of summer. On July 31. I don't necessarily buy into their theory that summer ends when July does. In Colorado, August brings fresh, juicy, ripe peaches. Here, in NC, the season begins a little earlier. Peaches have been showing up in the market for a couple weeks, but they just keep getting better. As you all know, I'm a bit lazy, and standing over the sink to eat a drippy peach is a little too much work. I like to find alternate ways to eat peaches. One of the very best is peach ice cream.
I'm sure I could find plenty of peach-flavored ice cream at the supermarket, but I'm talking real ice cream with real peaches in it. Where the peach flavor comes from the fruit itself and not from some lab on the New Jersey Turnpike. To be sure, I knew that I'd have to make my own.
Making ice cream is a lot easier than most people imagine, especially with the advent of the electric ice cream machine. I got one for Christmas several years ago. While I don't use the machine frequently, I do use it often enough to be glad I've got it. The most difficult part is remembering to keep the canister in the freezer. Now that my freezer is reasonably empty (thank you, Early Escapades!), I keep the canister in there at all times. When I decide it's time to make ice cream, I can do it right then. No advance planning required!
Peach ice cream is also a good option (as is peach cobbler) to use up some of those peaches just sitting around, getting a little overripe. But don't use any that are way past their prime. Remember, garbage in, garbage out. I picked up some blemished peaches for this purpose. They're cheaper and just as good in ice cream. Another bonus of homemade ice cream is that it tastes almost nothing like purchased ice cream. Unless you love the insipid taste of store-bought, generic ice cream. Then homemade may not be for you. But I love it. Maybe it's because I can taste the love in it. Love tastes better than something made in some lab on the New Jersey Turnpike (there's that phrase again). This way, I've got summer in the freezer until I decide that summer's over.
Peach Ice Cream
Adapted from Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 cups sugar (divided use)
6 large egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 lb ripe peaches
2 tbsp sugar
Prepare an ice bath: place ice cubes and cold water in a large bowl.
Combine cream, milk, and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until it thickens and turns pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Gradually add about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat until the custard coats the back of a spoon (about 180 degrees F), stirring constantly. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl in the ice bath. Add the vanilla. Stir the custard every few minutes until cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Peel and pit the peaches, then cut into slices or chunks. Sprinkle with the sugar and refrigerate for a few hours. After the peaches have macerated, puree half. Crush the other half into smaller pieces.
Freeze the chilled custard in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Towards the end of the freezing, slowly mix in the puree and the peach pieces. Pack the ice cream into containers and freeze 2-3 hours before serving.
Showing posts with label escapades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label escapades. Show all posts
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
So, How's It Going?
I've been asked a few times how the Escapades v. 2.0 are going. Honestly, some days are easier than others. I find myself craving familiar foods, although they are different than those that I would normally crave. Last week, I had a mystifying craving for ham. I broke down and bought some NC-produced country ham. And it was delicious. I'm eating less meat, which any dietitian will tell you is a good thing. I'm also eating a lot more fruits and vegetables--another good thing. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with myself.
Yesterday, I made a quiche using Miller Produce eggs and zucchini, with Cackleberry Farms' feta. I also threw in some jarred red peppers that were sitting in the fridge. I haven't had quiche in ages, but it seemed an appropriate use of the many ingredients I had.
LA bought a smoothie recipe book (I don't know if that would be considered a "cook"book, since nothing is cooked), so we've both been making smoothies left and right. He's sticking with the more traditional fruit-and-yogurt smoothies, while I'm branching out. I bought peaches and blackberries, then threw them in with some (organic) vanilla yogurt. That was a satisfying, albeit crunchy smoothie. Lesson learned: strain the blackberries after pureeing to get rid of all the seeds. I made another one, utilizing the lesson that I had learned, and the results were even better. I made another with cucumber, avocado, and kale. I didn't realize at the time that my yogurt was vanilla, instead of plain, so it made for an odd smoothie. Not bad, but not at all what I'd expected. After buying some plain yogurt, I decided to give it another shot. This time I added a small can of V-8 that I had sitting around. The resulting smoothie was a most unsettling color. While it tasted okay, I think the vanilla version had been tastier. I should probably stick with the fruits, since those turn out the best.
Lunch today was the result of needing to use up the rest of the kale that I'd picked up on Saturday. I was planning to cook it with garlic, then toss with spaghetti. That would've involved at least two pans, and I'm lazy. I bought some new potatoes from Miller Produce last night, thinking I'd make more Spanish potato salad, but soup sounded like a better idea. I'm a huge fan of the Toscana soup at Olive Garden (even if it does come out of a microwavable bag), and I had the majority of the items to make something similar. The Toscana soup has spicy Italian sausage in it, and I was going for a vegetarian version. A diced onion, quartered potatoes, shredded kale, some water and a little milk all made for a delightful soup. I got a little heavy-handed with the salt, but it all worked out in the end. As usual, I measured nothing. When I make potato soup, I think about the soup that my Grandma B. used to make, and I try to imitate the flavor of hers. Her soup never included kale or potato skins, but she may have still recognized it.
I've done pretty well in other ways, too. I'm drinking a lot more water, as well as herbal tea. The teas I've gotten from "the tea lady", as we call Linda, owner of Indigo Tea Market. She has a plethora of different teas, my favorite being the Long Island Strawberry, which is a green tea. The Moroccan mint is also wonderful. LA mixes the peach tisane with normal orange pekoe to make a flavored sweet tea. I actually bought a kettle for all the tea I've been drinking. Yesterday I fell off the wagon and had a Diet A&W root beer. No sugar and no caffeine, but plenty of other questionable ingredients that caused me to feel guilt for the rest of the evening. It was, however, the first soda that I'd had in a week and a half! I've also (mostly) stopped eating sweets. I've never had much of a sweet tooth, but what little I had is in decline. I ate one of my beloved Cheerwine truffles, and it was so sweet! No sweeter than it had been the last time I'd had one, but I'm apparently getting more sensitive to the sweets. I have to give LA props, too, since he's been eating a lot fewer sweets, and that's really an accomplishment for him (we won't mention the toaster pastries that he bought at the dollar store).
All in all, this has been easier than I thought, although still a struggle at times. I'm still getting enough to eat, I'm eating foods I enjoy, plus I'm having to broaden my horizons and try new items and recipes. I've got garlic scapes waiting for me, as well as an eggplant and a horribly ugly tomato. Guess I know what's on the menu for dinner!
Yesterday, I made a quiche using Miller Produce eggs and zucchini, with Cackleberry Farms' feta. I also threw in some jarred red peppers that were sitting in the fridge. I haven't had quiche in ages, but it seemed an appropriate use of the many ingredients I had.
LA bought a smoothie recipe book (I don't know if that would be considered a "cook"book, since nothing is cooked), so we've both been making smoothies left and right. He's sticking with the more traditional fruit-and-yogurt smoothies, while I'm branching out. I bought peaches and blackberries, then threw them in with some (organic) vanilla yogurt. That was a satisfying, albeit crunchy smoothie. Lesson learned: strain the blackberries after pureeing to get rid of all the seeds. I made another one, utilizing the lesson that I had learned, and the results were even better. I made another with cucumber, avocado, and kale. I didn't realize at the time that my yogurt was vanilla, instead of plain, so it made for an odd smoothie. Not bad, but not at all what I'd expected. After buying some plain yogurt, I decided to give it another shot. This time I added a small can of V-8 that I had sitting around. The resulting smoothie was a most unsettling color. While it tasted okay, I think the vanilla version had been tastier. I should probably stick with the fruits, since those turn out the best.
Lunch today was the result of needing to use up the rest of the kale that I'd picked up on Saturday. I was planning to cook it with garlic, then toss with spaghetti. That would've involved at least two pans, and I'm lazy. I bought some new potatoes from Miller Produce last night, thinking I'd make more Spanish potato salad, but soup sounded like a better idea. I'm a huge fan of the Toscana soup at Olive Garden (even if it does come out of a microwavable bag), and I had the majority of the items to make something similar. The Toscana soup has spicy Italian sausage in it, and I was going for a vegetarian version. A diced onion, quartered potatoes, shredded kale, some water and a little milk all made for a delightful soup. I got a little heavy-handed with the salt, but it all worked out in the end. As usual, I measured nothing. When I make potato soup, I think about the soup that my Grandma B. used to make, and I try to imitate the flavor of hers. Her soup never included kale or potato skins, but she may have still recognized it.
I've done pretty well in other ways, too. I'm drinking a lot more water, as well as herbal tea. The teas I've gotten from "the tea lady", as we call Linda, owner of Indigo Tea Market. She has a plethora of different teas, my favorite being the Long Island Strawberry, which is a green tea. The Moroccan mint is also wonderful. LA mixes the peach tisane with normal orange pekoe to make a flavored sweet tea. I actually bought a kettle for all the tea I've been drinking. Yesterday I fell off the wagon and had a Diet A&W root beer. No sugar and no caffeine, but plenty of other questionable ingredients that caused me to feel guilt for the rest of the evening. It was, however, the first soda that I'd had in a week and a half! I've also (mostly) stopped eating sweets. I've never had much of a sweet tooth, but what little I had is in decline. I ate one of my beloved Cheerwine truffles, and it was so sweet! No sweeter than it had been the last time I'd had one, but I'm apparently getting more sensitive to the sweets. I have to give LA props, too, since he's been eating a lot fewer sweets, and that's really an accomplishment for him (we won't mention the toaster pastries that he bought at the dollar store).
All in all, this has been easier than I thought, although still a struggle at times. I'm still getting enough to eat, I'm eating foods I enjoy, plus I'm having to broaden my horizons and try new items and recipes. I've got garlic scapes waiting for me, as well as an eggplant and a horribly ugly tomato. Guess I know what's on the menu for dinner!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Escapades v. 2.0
I watched Super Size Me. I read Fast Food Nation. I was indignant about what I was seeing and hearing, but my indignance slowly waned. I went back to my fast food diet, and, as I’d been warned, I gained weight. I can honestly say that I was living on a fairly steady diet of fast food. Fast food is so much easier than going shopping, picking things out, preparing them, and finally cooking them. Fast food is one stop. You order it, they give it to you, you eat it. It is fast.
I’ve had The Omnivore’s Dilemma sitting on my bookshelf for two years. The book came highly recommended by my friend Russ. He had stopped eating French fries after reading it. I had started reading it, but then walked away. In the course of those two years, every time I’d considered picking it up again, my mind had said, “I’m tired. I don’t want to have to think. Read something that is easy and requires no mental effort.” Whenever my mind puts up an argument like that, I tend to acquiesce. Last week, I decided that the time had finally come. I’d been spending a lot more time at the farmers’ markets, meeting wonderful people who were active proponents of fruits and vegetables and a healthier lifestyle. I wanted to know what my dilemma, as an omnivore, was. Now that I’ve read it, I don’t think I have much of a dilemma anymore.
I learned that one of the antibiotics given to cattle on industrial feedlots is erythromycin. I’m allergic to erythromycin. Is that why I got a stomachache every time I ate beef? Supermarket beef is out. Even if it doesn’t all contain erythromycin, there’s no label telling me which does and which doesn’t. I’ll have to avoid it all. I’m left with natural farm-raised beef. I know just where to find that.
As I’ve mentioned before, supermarket foods travel an average of 1,500 miles to get to me. That’s a long trip. I don’t want my food to be better travelled than I am. I guess that means that I’ll be eating local fruits and vegetables, which have come an average of less than 50 miles to get to my plate. If I don’t need to get meat, fruit, or vegetables at the supermarket, what does that leave? Soda.
But soda’s out, too. Whether you are for or against high fructose corn syrup, the simple fact is that soda provides empty calories. No nutritional value, outside of the sweetener. I’ll stick with water, tea, and juice, thank you. If I’m getting no nutrients, I don’t want the calories. Diet soda doesn’t have any calories, but much of it has caffeine. I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine. I can drink small amounts, but I’ve avoided energy drinks due to the high levels of caffeine. I’ve looked at the labels on diet, caffeine-free soda. Basically it’s brown carbonated water containing a lot of things I can’t pronounce. I could find that for free in some puddle in the street. I’ll pass.
On a recent visit to the supermarket, we mentioned to the cashier that we’d been to the farmers’ market. The cashier replied, “The farmers’ market is so expensive!” I’ve found some items to be more expensive, some less. In the case of those items that are more expensive, I’ll save up the money that I would normally spend on sodas. That should cover the difference. Another noticable difference may be in the overall value. I recently spent $15 for a roast from Scally’s Natural Beef. My mother bought a comparable roast from the supermarket for $10. The one I bought was so tender that I was able to eat it with a spoon. My mother complained that all the roasts she ever bought at the supermarket were tough, regardless of how long or low they’d cooked.
Hmmmm, it sounds like I’m on a new form of escapades. Instead of eating all of the processed foods from my pantry, I will try to stick to local and/or healthy foods. Fresh foods, like zucchini, tomatoes, and blueberries. Local, natural meat and poulty. No soda. I’ve been doing this for about a week, and I already feel a lot better. Hopefully, this version of the escapades, Escapades v. 2.0, will last longer than the previous version. Wish me luck!
I’ve had The Omnivore’s Dilemma sitting on my bookshelf for two years. The book came highly recommended by my friend Russ. He had stopped eating French fries after reading it. I had started reading it, but then walked away. In the course of those two years, every time I’d considered picking it up again, my mind had said, “I’m tired. I don’t want to have to think. Read something that is easy and requires no mental effort.” Whenever my mind puts up an argument like that, I tend to acquiesce. Last week, I decided that the time had finally come. I’d been spending a lot more time at the farmers’ markets, meeting wonderful people who were active proponents of fruits and vegetables and a healthier lifestyle. I wanted to know what my dilemma, as an omnivore, was. Now that I’ve read it, I don’t think I have much of a dilemma anymore.
I learned that one of the antibiotics given to cattle on industrial feedlots is erythromycin. I’m allergic to erythromycin. Is that why I got a stomachache every time I ate beef? Supermarket beef is out. Even if it doesn’t all contain erythromycin, there’s no label telling me which does and which doesn’t. I’ll have to avoid it all. I’m left with natural farm-raised beef. I know just where to find that.
As I’ve mentioned before, supermarket foods travel an average of 1,500 miles to get to me. That’s a long trip. I don’t want my food to be better travelled than I am. I guess that means that I’ll be eating local fruits and vegetables, which have come an average of less than 50 miles to get to my plate. If I don’t need to get meat, fruit, or vegetables at the supermarket, what does that leave? Soda.
But soda’s out, too. Whether you are for or against high fructose corn syrup, the simple fact is that soda provides empty calories. No nutritional value, outside of the sweetener. I’ll stick with water, tea, and juice, thank you. If I’m getting no nutrients, I don’t want the calories. Diet soda doesn’t have any calories, but much of it has caffeine. I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine. I can drink small amounts, but I’ve avoided energy drinks due to the high levels of caffeine. I’ve looked at the labels on diet, caffeine-free soda. Basically it’s brown carbonated water containing a lot of things I can’t pronounce. I could find that for free in some puddle in the street. I’ll pass.
On a recent visit to the supermarket, we mentioned to the cashier that we’d been to the farmers’ market. The cashier replied, “The farmers’ market is so expensive!” I’ve found some items to be more expensive, some less. In the case of those items that are more expensive, I’ll save up the money that I would normally spend on sodas. That should cover the difference. Another noticable difference may be in the overall value. I recently spent $15 for a roast from Scally’s Natural Beef. My mother bought a comparable roast from the supermarket for $10. The one I bought was so tender that I was able to eat it with a spoon. My mother complained that all the roasts she ever bought at the supermarket were tough, regardless of how long or low they’d cooked.
Hmmmm, it sounds like I’m on a new form of escapades. Instead of eating all of the processed foods from my pantry, I will try to stick to local and/or healthy foods. Fresh foods, like zucchini, tomatoes, and blueberries. Local, natural meat and poulty. No soda. I’ve been doing this for about a week, and I already feel a lot better. Hopefully, this version of the escapades, Escapades v. 2.0, will last longer than the previous version. Wish me luck!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
End of the Escapades Part I
There are worse things in life than being called a quitter, and I’ve probably been called a few of those things. But now, I am calling myself a quitter, and I am proud of it! I have decided to quit the escapades. Is it the end of an era? Not really. I’ll gladly provide my justification for this decision.
I knew going in that I had a lot of packaged, processed foods which were probably not very good for me. I bought them for the same reason most people do: they were cheap, filling, and quick to prepare. Cheap is still ideal, as I am on a reasonably tight budget. Filling is always a plus. Now that I’m not working, quick to prepare isn’t as high of a priority as it used to be.
While I was still working, I didn’t cook much, even the packaged foods take longer than I was willing to spend. I ate a lot of fast food. When I stopped working and started the escapades, I ate much less fast food and cooked at home. I also realized that I wasn’t losing any weight. You’d think that I would, if I weren’t having McBurgerjangles all the time. But I wasn’t. I actually started gaining. Maybe I’m getting less exercise, since I was often on my feet and walking around the office. I was eating more junk food at work than I ever do at home. I was baffled.
Recently I finally figured out that I was gaining weight because of what I was eating. All the high sodium foods that made me thirsty and all the soda that I was drinking to quench that thirst. A few days ago, I was reading an article on the effects of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners. Thursday was a rough day, and I did, in fact, have some soda. Those days are over. I’ve given up soda before, but I always return to it to comfort me at whatever high-stress job I accept. I don’t have a job, so I don’t need soda.
Like Morgan Spurlock, in his movie Super Size Me, I also noticed that I had less energy, less desire to do anything, and I was getting fat. Also like Mr. Spurlock, I attribute that to my diet. When I eat fruit and veggies and wash it all down with herbal tea, all that I’ve gotten from one of my many farmer’s markets, I feel so much better. I eat something from the pantry and leave the dishes on the table. I eat something from the market, and I have the energy to clean the kitchen and maybe still write something.
It’s doubtful that I will give up junk food for good. I’m not going to claim to try. I know I will still be tempted from time to time, and I am fine with that. For now, all the processed food in my pantry will either stay there or make its way to a new home. Or get thrown out, since I am not thrilled at the prospect of giving unhealthy food to someone else. Either way, I am proud to be a quitter and look forward to the better health that will come with it!
I knew going in that I had a lot of packaged, processed foods which were probably not very good for me. I bought them for the same reason most people do: they were cheap, filling, and quick to prepare. Cheap is still ideal, as I am on a reasonably tight budget. Filling is always a plus. Now that I’m not working, quick to prepare isn’t as high of a priority as it used to be.
While I was still working, I didn’t cook much, even the packaged foods take longer than I was willing to spend. I ate a lot of fast food. When I stopped working and started the escapades, I ate much less fast food and cooked at home. I also realized that I wasn’t losing any weight. You’d think that I would, if I weren’t having McBurgerjangles all the time. But I wasn’t. I actually started gaining. Maybe I’m getting less exercise, since I was often on my feet and walking around the office. I was eating more junk food at work than I ever do at home. I was baffled.
Recently I finally figured out that I was gaining weight because of what I was eating. All the high sodium foods that made me thirsty and all the soda that I was drinking to quench that thirst. A few days ago, I was reading an article on the effects of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners. Thursday was a rough day, and I did, in fact, have some soda. Those days are over. I’ve given up soda before, but I always return to it to comfort me at whatever high-stress job I accept. I don’t have a job, so I don’t need soda.
Like Morgan Spurlock, in his movie Super Size Me, I also noticed that I had less energy, less desire to do anything, and I was getting fat. Also like Mr. Spurlock, I attribute that to my diet. When I eat fruit and veggies and wash it all down with herbal tea, all that I’ve gotten from one of my many farmer’s markets, I feel so much better. I eat something from the pantry and leave the dishes on the table. I eat something from the market, and I have the energy to clean the kitchen and maybe still write something.
It’s doubtful that I will give up junk food for good. I’m not going to claim to try. I know I will still be tempted from time to time, and I am fine with that. For now, all the processed food in my pantry will either stay there or make its way to a new home. Or get thrown out, since I am not thrilled at the prospect of giving unhealthy food to someone else. Either way, I am proud to be a quitter and look forward to the better health that will come with it!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Papillon? No, That Was About a Prison Break
I was expecting a dinner guest this evening, which meant that I had to put a bit more than the usual effort into my offerings. “Welcome to my home. Would you like some Pasta-Roni?” would more than likely ensure that the dinner guest did not return. That wasn’t the desired outcome, so I worked up another option. In all honesty, I had an idea in my head in the event of an unexpected visitor. All I had to do was make it. Some of the items in my pantry had been beckoning me—“Make something delicious out of me. I don’t like collecting dust.” Of course, I had been offering excuses to them about why they needed to be patient. They were special and would be eaten when the unattractive items were gone. But a dinner guest deserves something better. Something that looks like I slaved over the meal for hours on end, gently coaxing out flavors and perfecting the presentation. This was a job for Mediterranean Chicken en Papillote!
I love the idea of cooking en papillote, which is French for "in a packet". A big, golden, delicious-smelling packet is brought to the table, with each diner tearing it open to see what magnificence awaits inside. Cooking en papillote is usually done with parchment paper, although aluminum foil is a very common substitute. I have an industrial-sized box of parchment paper, so I use that whenever possible. The beauty of cooking anything in a packet is that clean-up is so easy. All you really need is a baking sheet to hold the packets. Everything cooks in the paper, and you just throw that away at the end of the meal. Food cooked en papillote is also healthier. Enough oil is needed to prevent your protein from sticking to the paper, but the selected foods just steam inside their packet. Very low-fat! The downside to cooking anything in a packet is that you don’t have the ability to check for doneness. It really is a test of faith. If you undershoot it, you have to wrap everything back up and continue cooking. The other possibility is overcooked food. This may not be a problem if you’re cooking only vegetables, but no one wants to end up with dry and rubbery chicken or fish.
My guest was a no-show, but I decided to proceed with the meal. I had been planning dinner in my head for the last 24 hours, and I wasn’t going to miss out simply because I’d be dining alone. I would like to take a moment to congratulate myself on this being a true escapade. Everything was already in my fridge, freezer, or pantry; I didn’t buy a single ingredient for use specifically in this dish. Since this is another pantry meal, I can’t give measurements. Everything is just a guideline for making your own. I eyeballed it to give me a good meat/veg ratio, but you may want to omit or double some of the items. Other herbs, seasonings, flavoring liquids may also be added. Knock yourself out! I wanted to include oregano, but I discovered that I didn’t have any. I guess Herbes de Provence would be an acceptable substitute. That didn’t come to me until after I had scarfed down the chicken, and that was just a hair too late. I know you’re thinking that I should just get on with the ingredient list, instead of rambling on and making you wait. If you’ve never made the parchment packet, you can find step-by-step directions here.
Mediterranean Chicken en Papillote
1 4-6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast half
Marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Roasted red pepper, from a can or jar, drained
Diced tomato (mine was from a can)
Olive tapenade (I used Deb’s tapenade)
Salt and pepper to taste, plus any dried or fresh herbs that you desire
Oil, for the parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Using the parchment paper heart or prepared foil, oil just enough so that the food won’t stick. Near the crease, place the artichoke hearts, red pepper and tomato on the parchment. Top with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then dollop olive tapenade on top. Fold in the edges of the parchment to completely seal the packet. Fold the end piece of the parchment under the packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the parchment is puffed up and brown. If you are cooking fish, it only takes 5-8 minutes in a 425° oven. Easy peasy.
I still have chicken and fish in the freezer, so I have the feeling that I will be seeing this dish or a similar one again in the coming weeks. You probably figured this out already, but cooking en papillote really is great for entertaining. All the prep work can be done in advance. Just pop the packets, already on the baking sheet, into the refrigerator, then bake when your guests arrive. They will marvel at your skill and genius as you bring the packets to the table, the smell wafting from them, taunting them with the mysteries that lie within. You don’t have to tell them that it was the easiest thing you’ve ever made. Just revel in the glory.
I love the idea of cooking en papillote, which is French for "in a packet". A big, golden, delicious-smelling packet is brought to the table, with each diner tearing it open to see what magnificence awaits inside. Cooking en papillote is usually done with parchment paper, although aluminum foil is a very common substitute. I have an industrial-sized box of parchment paper, so I use that whenever possible. The beauty of cooking anything in a packet is that clean-up is so easy. All you really need is a baking sheet to hold the packets. Everything cooks in the paper, and you just throw that away at the end of the meal. Food cooked en papillote is also healthier. Enough oil is needed to prevent your protein from sticking to the paper, but the selected foods just steam inside their packet. Very low-fat! The downside to cooking anything in a packet is that you don’t have the ability to check for doneness. It really is a test of faith. If you undershoot it, you have to wrap everything back up and continue cooking. The other possibility is overcooked food. This may not be a problem if you’re cooking only vegetables, but no one wants to end up with dry and rubbery chicken or fish.
My guest was a no-show, but I decided to proceed with the meal. I had been planning dinner in my head for the last 24 hours, and I wasn’t going to miss out simply because I’d be dining alone. I would like to take a moment to congratulate myself on this being a true escapade. Everything was already in my fridge, freezer, or pantry; I didn’t buy a single ingredient for use specifically in this dish. Since this is another pantry meal, I can’t give measurements. Everything is just a guideline for making your own. I eyeballed it to give me a good meat/veg ratio, but you may want to omit or double some of the items. Other herbs, seasonings, flavoring liquids may also be added. Knock yourself out! I wanted to include oregano, but I discovered that I didn’t have any. I guess Herbes de Provence would be an acceptable substitute. That didn’t come to me until after I had scarfed down the chicken, and that was just a hair too late. I know you’re thinking that I should just get on with the ingredient list, instead of rambling on and making you wait. If you’ve never made the parchment packet, you can find step-by-step directions here.
Mediterranean Chicken en Papillote
1 4-6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast half
Marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Roasted red pepper, from a can or jar, drained
Diced tomato (mine was from a can)
Olive tapenade (I used Deb’s tapenade)
Salt and pepper to taste, plus any dried or fresh herbs that you desire
Oil, for the parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Using the parchment paper heart or prepared foil, oil just enough so that the food won’t stick. Near the crease, place the artichoke hearts, red pepper and tomato on the parchment. Top with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then dollop olive tapenade on top. Fold in the edges of the parchment to completely seal the packet. Fold the end piece of the parchment under the packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the parchment is puffed up and brown. If you are cooking fish, it only takes 5-8 minutes in a 425° oven. Easy peasy.
I still have chicken and fish in the freezer, so I have the feeling that I will be seeing this dish or a similar one again in the coming weeks. You probably figured this out already, but cooking en papillote really is great for entertaining. All the prep work can be done in advance. Just pop the packets, already on the baking sheet, into the refrigerator, then bake when your guests arrive. They will marvel at your skill and genius as you bring the packets to the table, the smell wafting from them, taunting them with the mysteries that lie within. You don’t have to tell them that it was the easiest thing you’ve ever made. Just revel in the glory.
Monday, May 17, 2010
At Least It's Not Casserole of Meat
What do you get when you cross a chicken pot pie with a shepherd’s pie? Answer: my dinner. The second week of the escapades is coming to a close, and I’m already beginning to run out of creativity and imagination to turn my questionable options into gourmet fare. I could’ve eaten a can of black-eyed peas. Just by itself. But where’s the fun in that? I’m sure no one would want to read about that. I have a cookbook that was given to me by my grandmother, and it includes such post-War classics as “Casserole of Meat”. I’m hardly down to the dregs of my pantry, but I’m getting very bored with what’s available. This is why I made tonight’s version of Casserole of Meat. Or, as I like to call it, a Salute to the Freezer. I heated some of my frozen diced chicken, tossed in some frozen peas and frozen mixed vegetables, added half a can of cream of chicken soup, then topped it all with leftover instant mashed potatoes and baked it until bubbly. As odd as it was, my Salute to the Freezer was better than some restaurant meals that I’ve had. I still have half a vat of minestrone in my refrigerator, so I am loathe to make another dish that will involve a week’s worth of leftovers. Instead, I made a single serving of chicken pot-herd’s pie.
When I started the escapades two weeks ago (!), I thought this would be a lot easier. I said to myself, “I have such a variety in my pantry that I can have something new all the time, I won’t get tired of it, and it will go quickly.” Ha! Who was I kidding? LA was in the same predicament , in that he and I had purchased many of our packaged meals at the same time. He told me over the weekend that he couldn’t stand another boxed meal. Last night, my dinner was Apple Jacks. I did have milk with them, but that still constituted my dinner. It was a welcome change from what I typically consume. I felt like I might actually be intaking vitamins.
I have worked very hard up to this point to stick with my escapades. I resist temptation whenever possible. In the checkout line at the supermarket, LA was eyeing a box of julienne potatoes, and I ordered him to step away. For the sake of our sanity, if not our health, we cannot go down the path of the boxed food again! We must take the road less travelled, for it will make all the difference! My Salute to the Freezer was a welcome break in the monotony of dried starch. Ok, it did have the potatoes on top, but they were remnants of the last package, so I won’t have to eat those again! As determined as I believed myself to be at the beginning of the escapades, I am starting to reconsider. Two additional farmer’s markets will be opening this week. I don’t know that I’ll be able to handle three days of seeing and smelling fresh fruits and vegetables only to come home to Kraft dinner. I want to stay strong. I want to succeed. I want to eat something that tastes good! I think this may be a losing battle. To my credit, I am eating at home much more often and saving money. So I guess I’m still winning. I may lose the battle of the pantry, but I still win, because I will be eating foods that are fresh, delicious, and, best of all, homemade.
FYI, the Piedmont Farmer’s Market on Winecoff School Rd. will now be open on Tuesdays from 4-7pm, as well as Saturday morning. The NC Research Campus Farmer’s Market begins this week and will be held on Thursdays from 4-7pm, across from the Kannapolis train station. I’ll be on Winecoff School Rd. tomorrow night. Tomorrow’s post will be full of photos and I will regale you with stories of fresh produce. It should be a much more interesting post. A bientot!
When I started the escapades two weeks ago (!), I thought this would be a lot easier. I said to myself, “I have such a variety in my pantry that I can have something new all the time, I won’t get tired of it, and it will go quickly.” Ha! Who was I kidding? LA was in the same predicament , in that he and I had purchased many of our packaged meals at the same time. He told me over the weekend that he couldn’t stand another boxed meal. Last night, my dinner was Apple Jacks. I did have milk with them, but that still constituted my dinner. It was a welcome change from what I typically consume. I felt like I might actually be intaking vitamins.
I have worked very hard up to this point to stick with my escapades. I resist temptation whenever possible. In the checkout line at the supermarket, LA was eyeing a box of julienne potatoes, and I ordered him to step away. For the sake of our sanity, if not our health, we cannot go down the path of the boxed food again! We must take the road less travelled, for it will make all the difference! My Salute to the Freezer was a welcome break in the monotony of dried starch. Ok, it did have the potatoes on top, but they were remnants of the last package, so I won’t have to eat those again! As determined as I believed myself to be at the beginning of the escapades, I am starting to reconsider. Two additional farmer’s markets will be opening this week. I don’t know that I’ll be able to handle three days of seeing and smelling fresh fruits and vegetables only to come home to Kraft dinner. I want to stay strong. I want to succeed. I want to eat something that tastes good! I think this may be a losing battle. To my credit, I am eating at home much more often and saving money. So I guess I’m still winning. I may lose the battle of the pantry, but I still win, because I will be eating foods that are fresh, delicious, and, best of all, homemade.
FYI, the Piedmont Farmer’s Market on Winecoff School Rd. will now be open on Tuesdays from 4-7pm, as well as Saturday morning. The NC Research Campus Farmer’s Market begins this week and will be held on Thursdays from 4-7pm, across from the Kannapolis train station. I’ll be on Winecoff School Rd. tomorrow night. Tomorrow’s post will be full of photos and I will regale you with stories of fresh produce. It should be a much more interesting post. A bientot!
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