Monthly Archives: July 2011

We’ll always have Paris…

31 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by in preserved lemon martini

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I’ve got plastic covering some of my windows and plaster dust covering everything else. 

In my head this is what I’m thinking;

and maybe have a little escape to somewhere exotic…

but more likely I’ll rewatch and use my first jar of preserved lemons from a few weeks back (yummy lemons) and make a preserved lemon martini. 

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/holiday/newyears/martini.html#axzz1OWeebDD8
2 ounces (60 ml) gin
1 teaspoon dry white vermouth
1 slice Preserved Lemon (see below)

Prepare the same way as the Classic Martini, but substitute one slice of preserved lemon for the olive.

And enjoy spending time with my wee pookie while the sun shines.

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Finally! Fish tacos

30 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in fish tacos

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I thought that I had put this recipe on about a year ago but had only put a very lame picture up instead.  Here is the real deal.  I’ve adapted this recipe from “Chevy’s Fresh Mex Cookbook” to make it a bit more realistic for me to make at home. 

Thank goodness for “Cook the Story” for reminding me about this fab meal.  We never tire of it.

NOW, there is an alternative that I’ve also done.  In a bind for an appetizer; buy beer battered fish and cut it into chunks, buy the chipotle dressing and the tortillas and put everything on a really pretty platter.  Delicious and it can be done with ingredients that you pick up on the way to a party.

Here is a longer version.

I’ve already done a demo on tortillas

(tortilla 1 and tortillas 2 ) so here is the totally amazing coleslaw dressing and the fish itself.

In a blender or food processor whiz together:  1/2 small onion, 1 garlic clove, 2 T. dijon mustard, 1 tsp. cumin, 3 T. cilantro, 1 medium tomato, 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, 2 T. honey and 1 T. chipotle pepper.

Drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil.

This is the most amazing dressing and I love it as a marinade for chicken or just on a plain salad.  Chop your cabbage or even easier-get a bag already cut.  The farmer’s market had gorgeous savoy so that’s what we’ve got.

For the beer batter:  3/4 cup flour, 1 T. chipotle, 1 tsp. cumin and 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 cups of rice flour. 

Mix and add in 2 bottles of beer.

Heat canola oil.  Dip fish (I’m using wild sole) and deep fry until just golden.  Remember to dip the fish in away from you just in case there is a spit-up.  I actually hate the mess of deep frying so I make a really big batch of this and freeze the pieces.

Tada!  Lovely fish tacos

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Food Waste Friday and Summer happiness drink from Grandma Gibson

29 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by in Grandma's stuff

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I thought that I’d done really well this week.  I thought.  I thought I would be able to do my little happy dance and perhaps get myself a congratulatory treat.  I thought.

As I was cleaning the fridge just before the organic guy arrived I found (lurking in the back) and nice container with a full meal ready to go.  A nice grilled steak (1/2), rice and sauteed peppers.  Sounds great doesn’t it.  In theory.  In actuality, it’s two weeks old.  Not so enticing now.

No happy dance. 

On to this week and the threat looming of my citrus.  How about a really refreshing drink?

When we were working out in the field in the summer my Gran would pack us a jar of syrup that we would mix with spring water (the farm has great springs all over it) and eat scores of cookies and rolly pollies when we were “on break”. 

We called it “Grandma’s stuff”.  I don’t know why-we just did.

I had almost forgotten about it until I was talking to a guy in a bookstore about farming.  So I phoned my Aunt Beatrice who has kept all of Grandma’s recipes and… 

You will love this.  Your children will love this.  Your children’s children will love this.  Trust me.

This is a great way for me to use up some of my citrus that has a habit of crawling into the back of my fridge and dying the true death (yeah, I’ve been watching “True Blood” a lot lately).

Take three oranges, two lemons and two limes and chop into big chunks for the food processor.  Grandma used a crank food mill but I don’t have one so this works pretty nicely.  You’ll have about five cups of fruit in here.

 Add an equal amount of sugar and blitz until you only have really tiny chunks.

 Boil very briefly (five minutes) to creat a syrup and strain into a jar for the fridge. 

When you’re ready for you wonderful drink take a 1/4 cup of this concoction and put it in a glass and top  with cold water and ice.  Yummmm….

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Cluck, cluck

28 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in five spice chicken

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We read a lot of Sandra Boynton books in this house and the current fav is

My wee one likes the part where you are encouraged to “cluck, cluck” which always makes me think of some cluck, cluck for dinner. I know.  A little twisted but we’ve read this story a billion times and the mind starts to wander after a bit.

I’m pressed for time this week and I have a yen for something faintly asian.  I used to have a serious addiction to five spice powder but I think that I’ve gotten it enough under control that I can risk having a bit.

Enter Five Spice Chicken and noodles.

In the morning place your chicken (frozen or not-I’ve got five frozen, boneless thighs here) with 1 tsp of five spice (sort of a cross between  smoky and cinnamon flavours), 1/4 cup of sweet chile sauce, juice of one lemon and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt.

When you’re ready for dinner get water boiling and salt it well.  Grill your chicken.

Cook udon noodles (or any noodles you really love) and for the final 2 minutes blanch a head of brocolli (why dirty another pot?).
Cool and dress with hoisen sauce, a chopped green onion (Don’t have any?  How about a chopped pepper instead?) and 2T. sesame seeds.

Top with your grilled chicken.  This makes a fantastic leftover for lunch the next day too.

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