Eat For A Week
Thanks for checking this out. So, what is this thing anyway? I created this vlog in order to share the recipes that I've come up with (...Video Episodes:
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16:10:03 05/24/09
Eat For A Week, Episode 17: Last Flight for the Bird (remix)
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 20:10:03 05/24/09
The first family recipe I've decided to "remix" for this is one called Last Flight for the Bird. My grocery bill for this one was just shy of $22. I had to get everything but the rice.
TOOLS:
large bowl
skillet
oven-save baking dish
INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts
1 16 oz. packet of bacon
16 oz. potato leek soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
8 oz. swiss cheese, grated,
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized bits
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
about 3/4 Cup uncooked rice
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Wrap each chicken breast in a slice of bacon then return them to the refrigerator until needed.
Chop remaining bacon into about 1" bits and cook in skillet until crispy.
In a large bowl combine rice, soups, garlic, broccoli, cooked bacon, and about 2/3 of the swiss cheese. *
Mix well.
Transfer mixture to an oven-save baking dish. Nestle the bacon-wrapped chicken into the dish
Top with remaining swiss cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in 375° oven for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and return to oven for 20-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
Music for this episode was "Breakfast of Champions" by The Hybiscus Journals .
* If I'd had it on hand, I would have included a couple tablespoons of spicy mustard in this mix.
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21:57:19 06/08/08
Eat For A Week, Episode 13: Pasta, Polenta & Hummus
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 01:57:19 06/09/08
My secret ingredients this time were some prepared polenta and a can of chick peas. Given that this took place during the "no new food" challenge, I decided to make a couple of things just to give myself some variety. I did my good old fallback big pot o' pasta, parmesan crusted fried polenta, and hummus. I think my bill for this one was about $18. Unfortunately, because it's been so long since I filmed this episode, I can't recall exactly what I needed to purchase.
EQUIPMENT:
1 large pot
1 large sauce pan (or 2 smallish ones)
1 frying pan/skillet
some sort of blending device
INGREDIENTS:
For Spaghetti:
2 lbs dry spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
26 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 tsps ground mustard
garlic salt (to taste)
celery salt (to taste)
onion salt (to taste)
allspice (just a dash)
black pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cloves garlic, chopped
For Polenta:
1 tube prepared polenta
pepper & garlic salt (to taste)
parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter
For Hummus:
1 can chick peas, drained (reserve liquid)
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 Tbsps olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/3 C tahini
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
salt & pepper to taste
HOW TO:
For Spaghetti:
Place large pot of well-salted water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to directions on box. Drain.
Dump pasta sauce into a large sauce pan over low heat. (I use 2 smaller sauce pans because that's what I have.) Fill sauce jar about 1/2 way with water to rinse, and add that to the sauce. Add bay leaf, ground mustard, bell pepper, and salt & pepper to taste. Just let this go while you do everything else.
In skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil. Add garlic and onion, cook until translucent. Add ground beef and other seasonings to taste. When the beef is cooked through, add to the sauce.
In a large bowl, mix pasta and sauce until everything is coated. Don't forget to take out the bay leaves!
For Polenta:
Cut into about 1/4 inch slices. Sprinkle one side with garlic salt & pepper.
Melt butter in skillet, and add polenta seasoned side down. Season top side of polenta, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Let cook until bottom side is golden, then flip and brown the other side.
For Hummus:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend well. If you're not fond of hunks of garlic, feel free to put it through a garlic press first. If the hummus is looking too thick, just add some of the reserved chick pea liquid to loosen it up. Don't worry if it gets too runny, since it'll thicken up a bit as it stands. Best if made a day in advance. Serve with breads, crackers, veggies... really, whatever you like to dip in hummus.
Music for this episode is "Everything Is A Toy" from The Hybiscus Journals' record, "Playtime". Visit http://members.cox.net/thehybiscusjournals for more information about this and other THJ records.
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23:01:18 04/24/08
Eat For A Week, Episode 12: Saffron Cous Cous Salad
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 03:01:18 04/25/08
I'll admit I was at rather unsure what to do when I unwrapped the saffron, having never cooked with it before. After doing some research on the intartoobs, here's what I found:
1 - If it's not expensive, it's probably not really saffron.
2 - Store it in a cool, dark place and it will last for years.
3 - Just use a small pinch. Too much, and your food can take on a medicinal flavor.
4 - Crush the threads and let them steep in some sort of liquid for 5-20 minutes to allow flavor to develop before using.
That said, I decided to make a saffron cous cous salad. My bill for this was about $11 for meat, frozen peas & carrots, a can of corn, an onion and some garlic. However be prepared to spend quite a bit more if you don't happen to have any saffron on hand. I'm normally not one to look up the cost of gifts because, well, that's just tacky. But I chose to this time, given the nature of my show and knowing that saffron is rather costly. At my local store, 0.06 ounces will run you about $23. Fortunately, that 0.06 oz. will go a very long way.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb frozen peas & carrots, thawed *
1 can corn, drained
1 lb ground beef
2 1/2 C cous cous **
4 tbsp butter
saffron (just a pinch)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
EQUIPMENT:
skillet
sauce pan
large bowl
HOW TO:
Heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. When translucent, add beef (salt/pepper to taste) and cook until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place dry cous cous into a large bowl.
In sauce pan, add 2 1/2 C water, 4 Tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of saffron. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Bring to a boil. Pour over the cous cous, stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Add meat, corn, peas & carrots, and 2-3 Tbsp olive oil and stir. Voila!
Music for this episode was "Watching Snails" by The Hybiscus Journals . Be sure to check out their new website at http://members.cox.net/thehybiscusjournals
* Just run them under lukewarm water while the cous cous soaks.
** If you find bugs in your cous cous do not - I repeat, DO NOT dump it down the sink thinking the garbage disposal will take care of it. It won't. A room mate of mine learned that one the hard way.
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18:10:15 03/30/08
Eggs!
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 22:10:15 03/30/08
Someone threw an easter egg at me. I ate it. Then sent one to someone else. The silly was strong in me.
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23:53:14 03/26/08
Eat For A Week, Episode 11: Cumin Chicken Casserole
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 03:53:14 03/27/08
My secret ingredients were a box of garlic bagel chips, a can of fancy cut wax beans, and organic extra virgin olive oil. My bill for this one was about $11. I had to buy a can of corn, some half & half, noodles, and cheese. Talk about awesome.
TOOLS:
large pot
sauce pan
skillet
casserole dish
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb chicken tenders, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can fancy cut wax beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
8 oz frozen peas & carrots
1 pint half & half
2 1/2 to 3 cups of chicken stock
3 Tbsp butter
cumin
garlic salt
onion salt
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb egg noodles
2 heaping Tbsps flour
1 box garlic bagel chips, crushed
1/2 lb swiss cheese, sliced
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Fill the large pot with well salted water and put over high heat to boil. When boiling, add egg noodles and cook according to directions on packaging. If noodles get done before everything else, just drain them into a large bowl and coat lightly with olive oil to keep them from sticking together. Covering the bowl with some foil can help them retain some heat.
Coat chicken pieces with 2 Tbsps cumin, salt, pepper, and dashes of garlic salt & onion salt. In skillet, heat about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. When hot, add onion and garlic. Cook until lightly browned. Add the chicken and cook until done. (If you're not sure whether it's done, just cut open a piece with a knife. Still pink? Keep going.) Set aside while you work on the sauce.
Heat butter in the sauce pan over low to medium-low heat. When melted, add flour and mix well. Allow to cook until a golden color develops. Add chicken stock and mix until all lumps are gone. Add 1 tsp cumin and the half & half, allow to simmer until reduced by 1/4 to 1/3 in volume, stirring frequently. (You'll want to keep an eye on this... Once the dairy is added it can really foam up.) When reduced, add frozen peas & carrots and stir to warm them up.
In a large bowl, mix noodles, sauce, chicken/onion/garlic mixture, corn & beans until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to casserole dish. Top with swiss cheese and crushed bagel chips. Cover with foil and bake in 375° oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Music for this episode was "Everything Is A Toy" from The Hybiscus Journals' new record, "Playtime". If you like, you can visit http://www.myspace.com/thehybiscusjournals to purchase it. Also, visit http://www.archive.org/details/hybiscusqcon08 to download their other new record "Music For QuackerCon" free of charge.
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15:26:57 01/12/08
Eat For A Week, Episode 9: Smoked Salmon Casserole
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 20:26:57 01/12/08
The secret ingredients I unwrapped were a big bag of egg noodles, and a couple cans of smoked salmon. What did I decide to make? Smoked salmon casserole! A quick trip to the store and about $20 later, I was in the kitchen working on this. I had to buy asparagus, baby corn, heavy cream, fontina cheese, capers, and those fried onion crispy thingys you always see in green bean casseroles. I don't know how much the egg noodles and smoked salmon were, but I'm guessing your final bill for this one will be somewhere between $25 and $28. Yeah, a little more pricey than I tend to aim but oh so worth it. I surprised myself with this one.
I'd also like to thank my good friend Kali for hanging out to wrangle cats and help keep the sauce from burning.
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into about 1" pieces*
2 6.5 oz cans smoked salmon (save the liquid)**
1 12 oz bag wide egg noodles
half of a 4 oz jar of capers
1 can baby corn (cut into about 1" pieces)***
1/2 lb Fontina cheese, sliced
About 4 oz French's French Fried Onions
For the sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp flour
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
milk
5 large cloves of garlic, put through garlic press
dash of allspice
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 Tbsp dry tyme
Salt and pepper to taste
EQUIPMENT
large pot
bowl of ice water
sauce pan
large mixing bowl
1 very large or 2 medium sized baking dishes****
HOW TO
Preheat oven to 350°.
Fill the large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add asparagus for about 30 seconds. Remove asparagus from hot water and place in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and remove ice. Add noodles to the pot and cook according to directions on the packaging.
Melt the butter in the sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, add flour and mix well. Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Be careful not to let it burn. Add cream and liquid from the salmon and mix until combined. If the mixture begins to thicken too much, add milk to dilute it. Add garlic, herbs and seasonings to the sauce. If the sauce continues to thicken too much, just add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. (Take it a little easy on the salt if you're also using capers since they're pretty salty.)
In a large bowl, combine cooked drained noodles, asparagus, salmon, capers, baby corn and sauce. Mix until everything is coated evenly and transfer into baking dish(es). Top with sliced fontina cheese and onion crispy thingys. Bake in 350° oven for about 10 minutes. (Really, you're just looking to melt the cheese and brown the onions.) Allow to cool at least 5-10 minutes before eating.
What would I do differently next time? I think I might use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Might solve the problem of the sauce thickening too much. I'd also skip the part where I cooked the asparagus before the noodles. When the pasta's time is up, I'd just throw the asparagus in with it and let it go for about 30 seconds before draining the whole pot. This would also eliminate the hassle of the ice bath which - in retrospect - wasn't terribly necessary.
If you don't have a helper to watch the sauce while you deal with other things, you'll probably be just fine waiting to start the sauce until the asparagus and noodles are cooked and drained. The sauce doesn't take long at all to come together, and since it's all going into the oven anyway, you really don't have to worry about the noodles getting cold. (Though might want to toss them with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together if you do it this way.)
Perhaps I'll try something a little lighter for the next installment. Then again, I guess that depends on what the mystery ingredient(s) is/are.
"Exploration No. 6" by The Hybiscus Journals
* Bend each stalk of asparagus until it breaks. Get rid of the bottom part, that's tough and woody. The top part is what you want to eat. DO NOT USE CANNED ASPARAGUS!!! That stuff's nasty. If that's all your store has, just leave it out. Or maybe try broccoli or fresh green beans.
** Break the salmon up with a fork
*** They do sell cans of pre-cut baby corn. Feel free to use that and save yourself some knife work. I do.
**** I used a baking dish and a small cake pan since it wouldn't all fit into one dish.
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21:00:00 09/27/07
Eat For A Week, Episode 6: Meat Loaf
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 01:00:00 09/28/07
I came up with this recipe one night when I just had a craving for meat loaf but didn't know really what went into one other than meat. I went to the store, got some stuff that I thought made sense, and I've been pretty happy with the product. I especially like making this because it doesn't require much attention once it goes into the oven, which means I can easily get other things done while it cooks.
My bill for this one was about $16.50. I had to buy meat, cheese, and eggs,
INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs ground beef
4 slices bread
2 eggs
1/4-1/3lbs cheese cut into about 1/2" pieces (I used sharp cheddar)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
2-3 Tbsp parsley flakes
1-2 Tbsp black pepper
1/3 Cup catsup (or ketchup, whatever.)
6-7 pieces of bacon *
EQUIPMENT:
large mixing bowl
8x12" baking dish
2 cookie cooling racks (optional)
food processor-type gadget (optional)
HOW TO:
First, turn the oven on to 375°. Next grind up the bread into crumbs and place in the bowl. (If you don't have a food processor or the like, just chop it up into about 1/2" or smaller bits.) Add the seasonings and parsley flakes and mix well. Next, add the beef, eggs and catsup and mix until all ingredients are evenly combined. Add the cheese and mix gently until even distributed. Form mixture into a log.
Place the cooling racks into the baking dish. They probably won't fit flat, that's fine. Just let them sit at an angle. Place the meat loaf on the racks, then wrap the loaf with the bacon.
Place on the top rack in the oven. Check after 45 minutes by cutting into the loaf to see if the meat is still red. (I don't mind my beef a little rare, but not for something that'll be in the fridge for a whole week, so I like to be sure this gets cooked thoroughly.) If still pretty rare, stick it back in the oven for about 30 more minutes and check it again. I cooked it an extra 15 minutes, which was probably too much. If I'd just let it rest after the second check it probably would have finished cooking from residual heat just fine. As it was, my meat loaf was a little dry this time.
If your budget allows, some instant mashed potatoes go really nicely with this. Just follow the directions on the packaging. I like to use garlic salt instead of regular salt for some extra flavor.
LEFT-OVERS:
Of course, you could always heat it back up with some more instant taters. I also like to make meat loaf sandwiches.
Music for this episode was Exploration No. 4 by The Hybiscus Journals .
* Optional. If you choose to do this, you might want to lower the amounts of the various salts a bit.