I love JRW authors, and particularly us, the readers. What a great group of folk, all with the goal of reading and supporting each other in literary pursuits. Or is that a little high flown, as my job today is the SUNDAY RECIPE. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Julia, for inviting me in again, and taking the photos too.
I don’t have a subscription to the NYT Cooking site. That may sound odd as I do love to cook, followed by I do love to eat. But I was rather annoyed when Cooking became a pay per view, and they took away my recipe box without even warning me properly. That hasn’t stopped me from reading the columns and getting plenty of hints. For me that’s what a recipe is; a hint of something that with just a tiny twist can be something else magical. With a good guide to technique and flavors, the world is our oyster.
Over the past few weeks NYT Cooking has focused on comfort food, innovative ideas for using pantry staples even though I know my pantry and Sam Shifton’s pantry, probably have very little in common; that is unless he has some monkfish liver in his freezer too. It’s OK, that will be a later recipe to make. But for now Sunday has been designated Spaghetti Sunday in our house. We may be eating this version for the next three months. I know Victor loves the sauce, so what if we have it weekly?
Have you ever made a spaghetti sauce with anchovies? Those funny little fishes that often come in cans from Italy looking all exotic. My ideas started with a NYTC article on pantry cooking. I was up for the challenge, and we love canned fishies, especially if they are salty. Why not pair them with olive oil, garlic, olives and capers? Yes, I think there may be some garlic nay-sayers in the group but I have a fix for that too. Let’s start with the recipe, then let’s look at substitutes and remaking up any recipe.
SPAGHETTI WITH ANCHOVIES AND GARLIC
This serves 2+ people, it is easy to stretch with more pasta, oil and cheese.
I usually make this with roasted garlic*, but wanted to prep from scratch. Tasting the garlic while it was cooking gave me cause for concern that the dish would be unbalanced. But on mixing with the pasta, no one ingredient stood out. It was a harmony of flavors. It is also a very easy sauce to make with my only caveat being cook on low heat and stir!
INGREDIENTS
A can of anchovies in oil
4-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or 8 cloves roasted garlic*
1/3 Cup Italian Virgin Olive Oil, the oil will help make the flavor so use your best one
1/4 Cup chopped, stoned Kalamata Olives, or whatever is left from your martini.
1/4 cup capers
Parmesan cheese
2-3oz spaghetti per person (I use 5 oz for Victor and me, if you are feeding teen or young man, skies the limit)
SUBSTITUTION POSSIBILITIES
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| Or you can use kale pesto made with garlic & onion. |
In NYT speak, these ingredients are all pantry staples! Don’t be fooled, instead of anchovies, use can of sardines or a small can of tuna. Both of which are better in oil, but water is fine too.
Use any oil you have that can be heated as long as you like the taste. To check the flavor of your oil and make sure it didn’t become rancid, dip a small crust of bread into the oil and eat a bite.
Use any olives you have in the pantry, but a substitute for olives could well be a half shallot and a half red pepper chopped finely and sautéed gently in the oil till very soft. These same shallots, red peppers and onion can be used as the garlic substitute. Just chop very finely and saute very gently. We want soft, not brown or don’t even think the next B after brown.
Capers are capers; though I think sour pickles would be a good substitute, just chop ‘em fine.
METHOD
in a small heavy pan or frying pan, heat the oil very gently and add the chopped garlic. Keep your heat low, stirring occasionally. Do NOT let the garlic brown, or whatever you choose to substitute.
- Open the anchovies, tip into a sieve and rinse briefly. I prefer not to use the anchovy oil but you may.
- Chop the anchovies and the olives
- Measure the capers
- Once the garlic is very light toast color add all other ingredients than the cheese which goes in at the finish.
-
- The sauce can be made ahead of cooking the pasta, but do not refrigerate it unless you plan to use it the following day.
- When you are ready to cook the pasta, follow the directors on the packet for the best results
- Start cooking the sauce while waiting for the pasta water to come to the boil
- Once the pasta is in the water start to reheat the sauce if made in advance
- Drain your pasta, add a thin layer of olive oil to the pan over a very low heat, toss in the pasta, pour the sauce over and toss with forks, or tongs.
- Once it’s mixed in add a handful of Parmesan and toss again.
Serve immediately with extra Parmesan for folk to add on top.
Buon appetito!
* If you are a garlic lover, have you ever made roasted garlic? I take 4-6 heads of garlic, a piece of foil large enough to encase them all, and a dribble of olive oil.
Lay the garlics, don’t break them up, on the foil and dribble with olive oil.
Wrap them tightly and roast in a 350F oven for approximately an hour for the regular sized ones, less if they are the small ones that come three to a box.
Let them cool and store in the refrigerator. They have at least a two week refrigerated shelf life.
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| First dinner al fresco of the season! |
This sounds delicious, Celia . . . thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
ReplyDeleteWhat are we making? Macaroni and cheese [no substitutions] . . . John is making fifteen-bean soup [to which we always add ginger]; we’ll substitute smoked sausage for the ham and use beef broth instead of the water called for in the recipe; I never understood why the recipe didn’t call for broth in the first place since we’re making soup . . . .
Yummy, and what a treat you got to eat together in person! No anchovies in the pantry right now, but we always have tuna, and I grow enough garlic for the year every year. I LOVE roasted garlic. So this might be dinner tonight. Didn't I see Celia's name in Hid From Our Eyes? (The book finally arrived at my indy bookstore and I finished it yesterday - and LOVED it!)
ReplyDeleteI just realized what I'll add - but it's from the garden, not the pantry. My asparagus is coming up, so I add the few stalks that are big enough to pick, lightly sauteed.
DeleteYes, Julia has been a great comfort to us through this. I am so envious of you growing garlic. I had no success here in the woods. And yes, Julia did put me in Hid From Our Eyes, but she's keeping me firmly in the kitchen you notice, haha.
DeleteYes, Edith, you did see Celia's name in Hid From Our Eyes! Or we're having the same hallucination, because I saw it, too. What fun!
ReplyDeleteMy plan for tonight is to make a rice thing--I don't really have a name for it--that includes tomatoes, corn, and beans from cans in my cupboard. A big batch of this stuff can last several days, and be eaten by itself or topped with chicken, leftover pot roast, or whatever else I need to eat up. That doesn't make it sound terribly appetizing, I know, but I like it, and the dogs are happy with any leftovers I care to share. A nice side salad makes it a perfect two-bowl dinner.
Gigi, your rice thing sounds delicious. I cook a lot of rice having lived in the tropics as a child. And no hallucinations, I am in the book, but Julia keeps me in the kitchen always - haha.
DeleteSorry everyone, I have no stunning tales of culinary masterpieces made from the contents of this mythical pantry of which you all speak.
ReplyDeleteInstead, I will likely just be pulling out some leftover chicken tenders from the refrigerator that I bought as takeout from the local place and heat them up. Quick and easy and completely lacking in the ability to be featured as a Jay's Recipe of the Week entry.
Jay -- I love your sense of humour! "Mythical pantry" -- LOL
DeleteThanks Amanda. I semi-dread the posts that talk about fancy-schmancy recipes because I know I have little if anything of note to contribute to the conversation. So I go with wiseass, which occasionally means I get a laugh from the ladies.
DeleteOddly, the laughter is the same reaction I get when I ask them out. I'm sensing a theme.
Oh, Jay: Don't give up and, please, don't ever lose your sense of humour!
DeleteJay, this lady appreciates the wiseass comments!
DeleteWiseass comments are what have gotten me through some awkward moments, Jay. I love them.
DeleteJay, my younger grandson would kill for chicken tenders. I should say that I have made them from scratch for him, but I think he always prefers store bought. I'll take a good laugh any day. Just remember you write and do all sorts of most interesting things. I can cook, and can usually send out a recipe but I would love some of your skills. Anyway humor is always great and even more so now.
DeleteAmanda, I kind of gave up a couple of years ago and pretty much what I do for flirting now is just to keep the muscle memory intact.
DeleteKaren, good to know. I'll endeavor to remain the JRWiseass then.
Deana, I'm right there with you, I make a lot of wiseass comments to offset the many awkward moments.
celia, I don't make the tenders from scratch, I buy them from my favorite restaurant, the 99 Restaurant and Pub. They are always good. I'm kind of a low-rent snob about them actually. If a place can't make a decent chicken tender, they have no place being in business in my less than humble opinion because it's the easiest item on the menu usually. Thanks for the compliment about my writing. I don't know why but I've always been able to string words together in a semblance of coherence.
Celia, thank you! Just last night I was on the phone with our non-cooking daughter, trying to figure out a dish she could make. I thought she might try pasta puttenesca, since she always has sardines on hand (long-distance runner diet staple). She and her dad both insisted that was not an acceptable substitute. She is allergic to garlic and onions, though.
ReplyDeleteLike Edith, I grow my own garlic, and have tons left from last year's harvest that needs to be used up. I usually give it to friends and family, but that has not been possible for three months now. And I have 180 heads growing nicely for this next season. My plan is to share it with other gardeners so they can grow their own this fall.
Your al fresco spot is lovely, by the way! Takes a bit of the sting out of quarantine when you have such a view, doesn't it?
We are not a fan of anchovies so I definitely don’t have them in my cupboard. But I would love to know where you and Edith order your garlic for the garden. And how long does it need to grow?
DeleteRoberta, my original garlic came from a local organic farm. They were teaching a class on growing garlic, and five or six heads came with the class. Unfortunately, a friend's funeral was at the same time as the class, but I was able to pick up the packet with instructions, and that handful of bulbs has expanded to what I grow now. You can also get them from any farmers market. Pick a type you like, and save a few bulbs for growing in the fall.
DeleteYou plant the individual cloves in well-drained soil; raised beds are ideal. I usually end up planting them between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and I cover them with a few inches of straw to protect them. When the green shoots get about four to five inches long I pull back the straw, and let 'em grow.
In late spring, usually the end of May, if you've planted hardneck garlic like mine, you get the amazing bonus crop of garlic scapes. They have to be cut off, anyway, so the plants' energy can go to growing the bulbs, but they are my favorite spring vegetable. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and have a mild, green garlic flavor and lots of vitamins.
When the tops turn yellow it's time to gently dig the bulbs. Brush the dirt off them, and then lay or hang them someplace cool and dry to cure. Cut the tops and roots off, and clean the outsides of any remaining dirt, and then keep them in a dark, cool place with lots of air circulation.
Edith probably has more to add here, since she's the veggie pro. But garlic is so easy to grow, and tastes so, so much better than the junk at the grocery store. Sadly, a lot of grocery store garlic these days, the "3 heads for $1" ones, come from China. And deer, rabbits, etc. do not bother it, which is a huge bonus these day.
You can use any good organic garlic, Lucy, but in New England you can't go wrong with Johnny's Selected Seeds. I save my own seed garlic every year, so I haven't ordered any in years. You plant it in the fall. I mulch mine with salt marsh hay, which keeps weeds down in the spring. It comes up pretty and green in March or so, and you harvest when 2/3 of the foliage has turned brown, for me usually in late July. Let it cure in a dry dark place for a few weeks, then trim it and store in a mesh bag. It has no pests to speak of, the woodchucks and rabbits avoid it, and when else can you plant a crop in the fall (in New England)? I love growing it.
DeleteThe bible on garlic is Growing Great Garlic by Ron L. Engeland. https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Great-Garlic-Definitive-Gardeners/dp/0963085018
Edith, mine is usually ready in mid-July. Interesting to see how different our harvest times are.
DeleteHave to put that on my Johnny Seed list for when we get back to Maine. Edith, do you ground plant or raise bed plant.
DeleteMy ground planting are raised beds without any structure holding them up. I put so much compost in every year that they are nice grave-sized mounds by now (sorry, had to stick that in!). Another key is never stepping on them so you don't compact the soil. For planting, I just loosen it up a little with a pitchfork.
DeleteOh you garlic growers, Envy, envy, envy. Perhaps I will try again. Karen, I am sorry about your daughters food allergies, we have some in our family too. Is she allergic to the whole Allium family? If not, may be leeks or shallots. OK, I went and googled it and here is the link: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/23/garlic-allergy_n_6027812.html - some very interesting substitutions.
DeleteFor simplicity a bottle of roasted red peppers would substitute in the mix. Roasting peppers is fairly easy and they can be stored in a jar with olive ol for a period.
Working our way through my winter stash of canned goods: crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tuna, apricots (for pork chops cooked with onion, mushrooms, and apricots..yum yum), soups. We can get eggs, so lots of omelets.
ReplyDeleteI'll forward today's blog to my kids, with thanks, and best wishes for continued good health.
Margaret, thank you so much for your kind wishes and the same to you and your family. So many great dishes to make with tomatoes, and apricots with pork, oh I want to move to your house please.
DeleteCelia, can we talk about anchovies? When we were in Italy I got smitten with white anchovies, fresh and marinated in vinegar and salt and doused with olive oil. SO delicious! I like the ones in the can, too, but only as an ingredient, not by themselves the way you can eat a white anchovy. Then another. Then....
ReplyDeleteSo tonight I have ground turkey thawing and I want to make lasagne. Advice?? I'm thinking keep it simple... tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, maybe some mushrooms, and of course pasta. Any ideas on how to zing it up a level?? Would it work to add some pesto?? I scored a big bunch of fresh basil in my last supermarket delivery and want to use it before it wilts.
Lucky you, to have fresh basil!
DeleteI'd use a little in the lasagna, and also make pesto for another meal later. Or two or three! I freeze it in silicone ice cube trays and store in a freezer bag. Pop out two cubes for a meal, and add reconstituted "sundried" (in my case, dehydrated) tomatoes and a handful of toasted pine nuts. Yum.
Hallie, of course lets talk anchovy. I envy you, it's a long time since I was in Italy, though I do remember a cannelloni I ate in Amalfi that I have tried to recreate more than once. Well done on the basil. Karen has the right idea for saving if you don't want to blow the lot in your lasagna. I have a lot frozen and either made into pesto or just chopped with olive oil and frozen for flavor, but I am at the mercy of my very kind friends who shop for us. Still Amazon had anchovies and I hope you will try this sometime. My immediate thought for your lasagne, is use pesto with your tomato sauce. I am inclined to keep tomato based sauces and mushroom apart as I feel the mushrooms get buried in the stronger flavor. But pesto loves tomatoes. But this summer thanks to Julia I have a mushroom CSA, so I will be thinking of many other ways of using them. Buon Appetite.
DeleteTook your advice and used the pesto with the tomato sauce, hold the mushrooms!
DeleteI love that today is "Celia & Julia" -- great videos, Celia!
ReplyDeleteWe have my version of pasta primavera with feta at least once a week, as the ingredients are always to hand; it's easy; and we like it. Thanks for this new possibility with anchovies.
I haven't yet come across Celia's name in Hid From Our Eyes, and am reading it very slowly to draw out being back in Millers Kill, but now I can't wait to see who got Celia's name in the story!
We had some rain yesterday and it looks like the sun might shine today. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
I read the hardcover and wish I'd marked the page! It was an Easter egg, as was a lawyer named Brenda Kenty, wink.
Deleteoooo, Edith: So tantalizing! My eyes are now wider open than ever as I read...
DeleteThank you so much Amanda, Actually Julia got a new phone and she is my videographer. I thought she did a great job, and her photo of my pouring in the garlic is a masterpiece, showing my best feature!! Well my name is in THE book. But I won't spoil it for you. I think you won't be surprised when you reach it. Love pasta primavera, love feta too, great combo. Oh, they are promising us snow, but I laugh at your snow, (Monty Python).
DeleteCelia, thanks for the recipe and the tips. I have a recipe for garlic spaghetti, which I love, but I can foresee endless possibilities with the addition of anchovies and/or capers, etc., etc. And Jay, I have jazzed up this recipe with leftover sauteed chicken tenders on occasion ;-)
ReplyDeleteFlora, good to know!
DeleteThank you so much Flora, what a lovely name too. Im with you chicken tenders can be used in so many ways. I shall start to think up microwave recipes for Jay. Love garlic spaghetti too. My Victor makes it with garlic powder and butter, so good.
DeleteI’ve been using a lot of frozen shrimp! It freezes beautifully, and thaws beautifully. I just made sautéed shrimp in garlic with mushrooms and spinach. And one night sautéed shrimp with ginger and roasted green beans. I also have a recipe for crispy orrichiette with broccoli and pinenuts. Have you ever heard of crispy pasta?
ReplyDeleteAnchovies? I fear… No. :-)
We always have shrimp in the freezer, too, Hank.
DeleteHank, I think that's mean! Sautéed shrimp with garlic, mushrooms and spinach, yup mean. And I hear that you are tiny, so unfair. Shrimp was made for the freezer and I've got some in my freezer too, along with the monkfish livers. Oh my goodness what am I going to do. I should have googled monkfish before I bought it. But Gulf of Maine Sashimi is delivering the fish they buy from our local fishermen and they deliver in Julia's neck of the woods which is close to us. I thought I could use it like a regular pate ingredient but having read the recipes I am totally intimidated. I would love to know more about crispy pasta, sound intriguing.
DeleteYes, I was so surprised. You make the pasta as usual, and drain. Then put a layer of the drained pasta in a saute pan, in hot oil, and saute it three minutes as side until it starts to brown, then stir to brown the other side. Then put it back in the empty pasta pot, and add whatever sauce. I sauteed garlic and oil in the same pan that the pasta was sauteed, then added broccoli, and lemon juice and white wine. Then dump that onto the pasta, and add butter. Then cook on medium just until the butter melts. It was--delicious. But I'm not sure the crispy pasta was necessary. Or transcendent. But it was a different texture, and now I am starving. :-)
DeleteAnyone on here know how to cook frozen beans so they're actually edible and not just a soggy mess? I have two bags in my freezer from my first stock-up, but haven't cooked them since my first try that was a culinary disaster!
ReplyDeleteI like mine steamed cooked. I usually put some in my silicone steamer with maybe a tablespoon of water and time 4 minutes on my microwave. You can also steam in a pan. Begin at 3 minutes and adjust cooking time to your taste.
DeleteThank you, Danielle. I cooked them far too long, so will try a shorter time and less water in my steamer.
DeleteYup Amanda, us too. Frozen beans that is. I am going to make a faux Tuscan bean soup with my frozen Fall sauce, the beans, onion, carrot and celery sofritto and a can of white beans. We won't notice the texture among that lot.
DeleteHubs just made barbecued pork from our pulled pork from Costco hurricane stash. Celia, I also have a food subscription to the NYT I'm loving the from the pantry recipes. This olive oil and garlic spaghetti recipe is very similar to one I've used for years from Cooking Light. Yum. Yesterday we made Thai curry shrimp by substituting canned chicken. We have a lot of frozen shrimp but we were in the mood for something different. Added lots of something called Utica Grind pepper that my cousin turned me on to. It's chunky ground hot pepper. Not sure what kind, but I love it in recipes.
ReplyDeleteThat pepper sounds most interesting Kait. Trader Joe's also sells a red pepper that I use to get dishes to pop. Love all things curry as I grew up in Sri Lanka. Curry lunch was the Sunday thing. Love pulled pork too.
DeleteCelia, it's always such a treat to have you here, and I loved the video! I would LOVE your pasta sauce. Unfortunately, the picky eater in my house (husband) won't eat anchovies, olives, or capers. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOr pantry staple meal every week, usually on Thursday, is whole wheat spaghetti with bottled marinara sauce. Of course he will pick out any chunks of tomato. Sigh. At least he likes whole wheat pasta. I doctor my portion up with sauteed mushrooms, pesto, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, just depending on what I have on hand. Maybe now I will add some anchovies. Yum!
Debs, that you so much. All your JRW's have given me a new lease on life. Bless or curse Julia for me. Julia is a great videographer. Yes, I remember your husband's, shall I say meat and potato approach to food. So hard when one likes to eat. I think you could actually make up the sauce, keep it bottled in the fridge and sauce your pasta one way for himself and another way for you. Worth considering. I think that if I couldn't cook right now I would be feeling rather depressed. Luckily Victor will eat anything pretty much. Though he's not too sure about the monkfish - haha.
DeleteGreat idea, Celia!
DeleteHi Joan, I love, love Mac and Cheese, but Victor not so much. Plus all that mac ain't great for my waistline!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy Cooking With Celia, a Julia Spencer-Fleming production! Keep it up ladies!
ReplyDeleteI never ate anchovies and don't know any person who does around me. I first heard of anchovies in American films in which some characters want them and others absolutely don't.
ReplyDeleteI should expand my taste buds and try some one day. In the meantime, I cood try your recipe with sardines. Thank you.
Danielle, I know what you mean. I always enjoyed cooking and trying different things but I think the older I get the more adventurous I am with my cooking, and Victor at 93.5, is always willing to try. Yes use sardines, they will taste fine I think. In fact I did do it with sardines for us a week or so ago and it was delicious.
DeleteLate to the party again!
ReplyDeleteLove your posts about Cooking with Celia. Is she a neighbor of yours, Julia?
Though I am not a fan of anchovies, I do love spaghetti sauce (aka pasta sauce) with eggplants and garlic. The eggplant flavor adds yummy taste to the sauce!
We have been using a lot of frozen veggies in our cooking. We have a small pantry. We use whatever is in the fridge.
Yesterday, I baked a cherry pie, using leftover gingerbread cookie dough for the pie crust. FYI, not a good idea since the result was more like a cake than a pie. Still delicious, though not a pie. When making pie crust, DO NOT add Baking Soda!
The day before yesterday, I baked gingerbread cookies. Very chewy and delicious!
Diana
Hi Diana, you're not late, I am only just getting to reply to folk having had 'Vchurch' followed by VCoffee hour! Then a Vmeeting. It was interesting to me that the anchovy flavor really did disappear. Yes, it was still salty, but not overbearingly so. Your Cherry Ginger cake sounds delicious. I love gingerbread. You have invented a new recipe and you should share it here please.
DeleteCelia, thanks! I will be happy to share the recipe. It is from a bookstagram friend who lives in England. It was a recipe for gingerbread cookies.
DeleteI can share the recipe for the cookies. The recipe for the cherries came from a package of frozen cherries. Instead of agave nectar, we used maple syrup. 3/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 cup of cornstarch. First, the frozen cherries went into a saucepan cooking at medium heat, then poured the maple syrup and the cornstarch.
Will post the recipe later today.for the cookies.
Diana
Celia, here is the recipe for my modified gingerbread cookies:
Delete1/2 cup of Vegan Butter
2/3 cup of white Sugar
2/3 cup of molasses
1 large egg
3 1/2 cup of gluten free flour (I used GF baking mix)
1 tsp. baking soda (if you are making pie crust, do Not include this!)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
tsp = teaspoon
Method: 350 * oven
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add molasses and egg and mix together throughly.
Combine all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl - and then mix in with your butter and sugar mixture
### Chill dough overnight in the refrigerator.
Roll out dough on lightly floured board (I used almond flour)
Cut out shapes.
Bake for 10 minutes on non stick baking trays (cookie sheets) at 350* F.
Celia, thank you for sharing a pantry pasta recipe without tomatoes. I have developed a food allergy to tomatoes and peppers (nightshade vegs) @2 years ago and many of my saved pasta recipes are a no-go.
ReplyDeleteCanned tuna and white cannellini beans can be combined with garlic, EVOO, red wine vinegar, parsley and shallots for a hearty bean salad.
Grace, I'm so sorry about the allergies. But I think this recipe is fine for you. Let us know if you decide to try it please. Love your tuna salad, I do a version of that too. Not a recipe just what I fancy. And thank you, I actually don't do a lot of pasta with tomatoes.
DeleteGrace, I know another person who is allergic to tomatoes too. Hope you find recipes that work for you!
DeleteDiana
Thank you Celia. I was just making up the tuna bean salad recipe in my head as I was typing. You could also add either olives or capers to it as well.
DeleteAnd thinking about this more, you could add some chopped veggies (celery, spinach, red pepper (not me)) or an avocado. Also adding pasta to this could make it a more substantial meal.
DeleteCelia, your cooking posts are always interesting, and I love that you and Julia got to share a meal now. Even though I don't like anchovies or olives, I'm betting that your spaghetti dish is quite a treat. I love the idea of Spaghetti Sunday. Thanks for the instructions on roasting garlic, something I might now try. And, I was delighted to see your name in Julia's new book.
ReplyDeleteI have been doing more baking during this stay-home time. So far, the cakes I've made include a chocolate cherry cake, a strawberry cake, and a blueberry cake this week (this one from scratch). I've started making quiches again, using eggs and cheese we always have on hand, and adding different ingredients such as mushrooms, ham, spinach, and onion. I've done quite a bit of cooking with chicken, different casseroles and discovering the ease of cooking chicken tenders on the stove (7 minutes). The chicken tenders can be seasoned lots of different ways, like with Lawry's Casero Total Seasoning (blend of salt and herbs like oregano, parsley and cilantro) or Trader Joe's Chile Lime (thanks, Debs). You can add the chicken to pasta or just eat by itself with other sides. I'm using more cream of chicken soup these days, too, because of some of the chicken casserole dishes. Onion is a must-have item to have in stock, too. And, we're using frozen vegetables, mainly corn, spinach, peas and carrots mix, and baby lima beans. I have a cream sauce, very simple, I make for the lima beans, one passed down from my mother, and it makes them so yummy. So, I'm going to stop here because I'm getting hungry.
Thank you so much Kathy. Yes, I am very blessed having Julia and family living so close to us in Maine terms. Once you have roasted garlic you will want it for everything; well, possibly not chocolate ice cream. Kathy, you and Jay need to get together, he is a chicken tender lover, so needs some thoughts there. Yes you are making me hungry too. You are quite a baker. I'm beginning to think that we need a recipe week at JRW. So many great ideas here today. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh, a recipe week is a great idea, Celia!
DeleteOh, great idea! xoo
DeleteQuery: Were there always videos in this blog today or did they get later? I read the blog, was about to comment, actually commented to Jay, then I got my notification of church on ZOOM so I watched church, which is still weird, and came back to the blog and now there are videos? (And boy, oh boy, can I still dictate a run-on sentence, or what?)
ReplyDeleteOkay, back to the subject that hand (I'm dictating this is, which is really weird. I then go back and clean up my mess that the machine can't hear/understand me.Close parentheses),
Comfort food, spaghetti with anchovies? Yes, you said anchovies. Anchovies are not part of my normal pantry, in fact until recently I had stopped buying canned tuna. I have canned tuna now. I may not have anchovies I do have onion, I do have garlic and I do have marinated pickled giardiniera (Which this poor machine can't figure out how to spell) What about Giardiniera I mean it's just, you know, Peppery picked Carrots and little cocktailish onions and cauliflower and I think there's some Celery in it. It would make it a bit pepperish.. After thinking about it I think the Giardiniera is a bit much.
I did make my comfort food for today. I made potato salad. I've been wanting to make it for a couple weeks, the weather is warm enough so before I listen to church I boiled my potatoes and eggs and made a fast potato salad, since I had celery, onions and sweet pickle relish in the house. I have a couple chicken thighs and my favorite barbecue sauce and that's what's going to get roasted for dinner tonight. Not the most healthy thing but I love it.
(Should I leave this all messed up or should I fix my mistakes? Very tempting to just leave It the way it is.I'm in a weird mood today so are gonna have to just Put up with it. Discovered that you cannot Dictate to these machines too fast they have no idea what you're saying and it can become a scrambled mess. Okay I'm gonna fix some of this but it's kinda funny not fixed too.). Smile, I'm done for now.
I can answer my own question now, the videos were there, they just loaded slower than the text. So I missed them on my first perusal of today's entry.
ReplyDelete