Monday, November 7, 2011 Mushroom Gravy and Roasted Roots

Yesterday I had a grand vision of a healthy roasted veggie dinner with mushroom gravy. I had homemade stock, I had cauliflower and I had carrots. I skipped my usual 3 mile walk and instead opted for walking to the supermarket, not exactly 3 miles but there's a big hill on the way back that I've convinced myself is good exercise. Down at the market I picked up a couple sweet potatoes, mushrooms and an onion. The mushrooms were baby portobellos - $3.99 for 10 ounces. They had assorted exotic mushrooms, that was leaning towards buying until I saw the price - $4.50 for 4 ounces! 18 bucks a pound! Remind me to get into the mushroom business! I settled on the portobellos and walked up the hill to go home.

Of course, when the dinner prep began I realized the cauliflower was past its prime, as were the carrots I've had in my fridge for a little too long. So out they went. I found a potato that was still good enough to eat and a turnip I'd bought at the Farmers Market - they'd have to do.

First I started on the gravy, caramelizing the sliced onion in butter and olive oil. It takes time caramelizing onions, but they're so worth it. Caramelized onions make everything better, it's just a fact. Once they were in good shape I added the mushrooms I'd sliced, stems and all, and let that get happy for a while. Once the mushrooms started to get their cook on I added 2 cups of my homemade stock. Once that came to a simmer I turned down the heat and let it go...for like an hour. (More than an hour, actually. My husband was down the street watching the Titan game so I was waiting for him to get back.) As the stock reduced the flavors concentrated in the most beautiful way - sweet onion, earthy mushrooms, complex stock. I'm talking 5 star dining here. I added a little more stock here and there as it kept simmering away, desperately waiting for the game to be over. God bless NFL.com - I can predict to the minute when he'll be staggering home (and I can say, I'm sorry your team lost...again).

The veggie prep was pretty straight forward. I left the skin on the white potato but peeled the sweet potato and turnip. They all got chopped into chunks and were tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Into the oven at 350 for 45 minutes (or until the Titans lost) and ta-da. Finish the gravy with a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it up, portion out the veg, slather it with mushroom gravy and we had ourselves an awesome roasted dinner - without the meat! And we didn't even miss it!

-HH

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Spring Break = Diet Vacation

I've been pretty good on my diet...until now. Eating meat only once a week has been put on hold while I celebrate spring break in a way no self-respecting MTV programmer would ever choose to broadcast. I'm eating...lots.

Sunday's dinner consisted of an experimental chicken preparation. You've heard of beer can chicken? Well this was orange soda can chicken. Oh yeah! Cover the chicken with salt, pepper, chili, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, pour out half a soda, place the chicken on the can, vertically, in the most pornographic way possible and bake! About a half-an-hour in I added the carrots and potatoes, they were small. No way they'd need the full hour and fifteen to cook.

The other half of the soda I reduced on the stove and then I threw in the last of the spicy sauce from the Samoas Shrimp. The chicken really did take on a nice orange flavor, and the sauce spooned over the top brought it all together - the spice, the sweet, the cinnamon! OMG! Mad crazy tasty.

And the best part? Leftovers!

Yesterday I pulled the rest of the meat off the chicken and baked it into a casserole. If anything is going to prevent me from losing anymore weight it is my ability to make cheese sauce. Bechamel, raclette, gouda, pepper jack - all of these ingredients seek to destroy what's left of my figure by smothering my veggies and high fiber pasta in ridiculous fatty goodness. And the chicken...with just a hint of cinnamon flavor.

My mother never made casserole, I've said this before, so I know I'm way behind the times with this. But I just love making them so I will continue to create casseroles with headbanging qualities.

Using up leftovers is quickly becoming a headbanging quality.

Speaking of which, the last of that bird is on the stove now, in a big pot with all sorts of veggie scraps making (you guessed it) chicken stock. With a hint of cinnamon. My house smells bangin'.

On top of all this my husband brought home a huge chunk of meat the other day and said, "Can you make beef jerky out of this?" So I have enough jerky in the house to feed a small army. And I've been gnawing away at it for days.

This will have to end eventually, my neighbor dropped off a bunch of hand-me-down clothing and it's all a little small. I'd rather starve than shop for clothes. And the weather is starting to cooperate with my need to walk outside. So I'll be burning more calories before you know it! C'mon, Spring! Let's see if we can get this 38 year old ass back in my bikini!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH

Sunday, December 5, 2010 This Thursday Is Stock Night!

Last nights roast chicken carcass is at the bottom of this pot, topped with red peppers, carrots, onion, celery, green cherry tomatoes from the garden and some herbs. I'll let it simmer for about 6 hours, strain it and stick it in the fridge for some super flavor on Thursday.

It's Stock Night!

My post-Thanksgiving stock making yielded me almost two quarts of goose stock, which I will put in the crock pot with a nice piece of skirt steak and some mushrooms and onions for a stewey mess of deliciousness. My neighbor brought me a lifetime supply of carrots, so I'm thinking of maybe topping it with carrot chips, fried in goose fat, of course.

This chicken stock will find itself absorbed into some quinoa for a nice salad course. My neighbor also brought me a lifetime supply of broccoli - quinoa, broccoli and something else salad? Maybe. We'll see how long the broccoli lasts.

And for dessert? Some cupcakes or something - because I have tons of cake mix in stock.

Ba dum bum.

Why am I this crazy stocker? (ZING!) Because I don't really like to waste things. And these poor birds died for my dinner, the least I can do is utilize every bit of flavor available to me. And it's super easy! Throw it in a stockpot, throw in some veggies and herbs and BANG! Six hours later you have stock.

Anytime you're cutting veggies throw the ends into the freezer. That way, when you've got your carcass, the chopping is already done!

How easy is that?

Stock can be frozen in tupperware containers, ziplock bags, even ice cube trays (great for adding little bits of flavor to anything!) Try it!!!

-HH

Friday, November 26, 2010 The Day After - Making And Taking Stock

This beautiful goose actually didn't yield a great deal of meat. It was quite tasty, but not as abundant as your typical turkey.

Today I shall stick it in a big ass pot with some celery, carrot, onion and herbs and simmer the shit out of it until the bones have excreted all their flavor. That's how you make stock - basically.

Taking stock of yesterday and the faboo meal I cooked up it's easy to see how people get overwhelmed with holiday cooking and feasting. I totally got carried away with the feasting. The lower half of my body right now don't wanna know nothin'! First thing in the morning yesterday I started with the mashed potatoes and turnips, wrapping them in plastic and keeping them warm in the dehydrator all day was pure genius! (Thank you, Glory for the inspiration) My cooking was well ordered and mapped out. I choreographed different dishes from two ovens, thank goodness my neighbor is directly across the hall. I used her oven for the chestnuts and the stuffed pumpkin while mine was occupied with the goose.

I took another tip from Glory and papoosed my goose (took it out at 170 degrees and wrapped it in foil, newspaper and a blanket) so my oven was free to quickly cook my greenbeans. Bing, bang, boom - dinner was ready at 4:30. Not too shabby, I thought.

The food was excellent. The bird may have been overdone, we're not sure because we haven't had goose before, but I thought it was really tasty. And the plumwine, brandy, prune au jus I made was outstanding! Tons of flavor. And the sides...traditional as hell but totally scrumptious. End it all with an apple pecan dessert pizza pie and you got yourself a Thanksgiving!

But the most brilliant tip I can give you is inspired by my brothers girlfriend. Always dress up to the nines - for no one will ever expect you to do dishes. (Not that I would! Dave and I always do the clean-up. But I think if ever I go out to a friends house I shall rent a friggin' ball gown!)

Now, off to make stock in my jammies!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH