What's for Meat?
What I cook, what I eat, and what I think about what I cook and eat.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Back to the Crockpot
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Pavlova
Like I've said in previous posts, Middle's curiosity about new recipes has led us to some new favorites. Both of my younger daughters really like the show "Bluey" (Disney+) and I find the family & sibling dynamics very relatable - definitely written by a parent. In one episode, the sisters want to eat a pavlova so we talked about what a pavlova is and found a recipe to try.
Chicken Tikka Masala
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
½ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole milk) full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 can (14 ounce) unsweetened coconut milk (not "lite")
6 oz tomato paste
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Cooked rice (for serving)
Curry paste (recipe below or you can use store-bought yellow curry)
In a gallon-size zip-top bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the curry paste, the chicken, and the yogurt. Seal the bag and massage the mixture into the chicken to cover completely. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight.
Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ cup to 1/2 cup (your preference) of the curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes more.
Stir in the cilantro and serve the chicken over rice.To make your own curry paste:
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
1 shallot, halved
6 cloves garlic
2 (1-inch) pieces fresh ginger, peeled
3 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon
To make the curry paste. In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Pulse until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. You can store this in the refrigerator for about a month.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Peach Galette
Peach Galette
3-4 peaches
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T lemon juice
2 T cornstarch
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup water
Wash and slice your peaches and set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the vanilla extract, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Bring it to a boil and stir it frequently until it starts to thicken - about 2-3 minutes.
Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to completely coat. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. You want the peaches to soften but not become mushy. If your peaches start out firm, this may take slightly longer. If your peaches start out really soft, this may be less than the 5 minutes.
Roll out your dough into a big circle and place the peach filling in the center, leaving about 2 inches of dough all around the edges. Fold the edges in, leaving the center exposed. Brush the edges with the beaten egg (add maybe 1/2 T water to the beaten egg), and sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the pie crust is cooked.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Fall Update
National Charity League - volunteering & cultural events with Big & Middle |
Substitute teaching at the middle school and high school (mostly to hang out with my kids) |
Going to all the assemblies & field trips - Little was Molly Pitcher in Walk Through the American Revolution |
Spectating all the fall sports . . . Middle did awesome as the number 1 runner on her middle school cross country team and team MVP. |
Little continued gymnastics and joined the Running Club that I started this fall. I think maybe I'm having the most fun out of all these awesome kids. |
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp smoked paprika
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, chopped dill, paprika, and one pinch each of salt & pepper.
Tear off 4 pieces of parchment pieces about 12-16 inches in length. On one half of the packet, arrange one -fourth of the potato slices in an even layer (about the size of your fish) and season with salt and pepper. Layer on the one-fourth of the zucchini slices and season with salt and pepper. Place one fish filet on top of the zucchini and drizzle with the olive oil mixture and top with two lemon slices. Scatter a few olives around the fish.
Repeat that layering with the remaining parchment & ingredients. To seal the packets, fold the bare half over the fish & fold the open edges twice. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes are tender, 18-20 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer packets to plates. Open carefully & serve with crumbled feta, arugula, and more dill on top.
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Cheesecake for the Birthday Girl
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Another Island Inspired Fish Dish
One night on the Big Island, we enjoyed an amazing meal at Meridia with some excellent company (and delicious freshly baked bread). When we got home, I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner one night and he said "a mediterranean fish dish" and I came up with this meal inspired by what Middle and I shared at Meridia. Hope you enjoy!
Mediterranean Halibut (serves 4)
Marinade/vinaigrette ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 small zucchini, cut into smallish pieces (see photo)
asparagus
1 cup kalamata olives, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
feta cheese
arugula
Start by heating your oven to 425 and whisking your marinade ingredients together. Divide the marinade in half and put half in a pan and add the halibut. Put the other half in a large bowl and add your chopped vegetables, beans, and olives. Stir to combine.
Remove the vegetables from that bowl with a slotted spoon and spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. On another baking sheet prepared with olive oil spray or foil, place the halibut. Put it all in the oven for 10-12 minutes. If you have thicker vegetables, they may need to stay in a little longer but your halibut should be just cooked through in that amount of time. Adjust cooking times according to your preference of how "done" you like things.
We like to eat the fish and veggies over a bed of arugula and with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top.