Dinner List 7/29 - 8/2

Yea, I almost wrote 7/29 - 7/33.  Whatevs.

Busted.
Monday, July 29th

Matt's b-day Fish.
Tuesday, July 30th

Plans
Wednesday, July 31st

Teri Steak Tips & stuff
Thursday, August 1st

Goodies @ Rob & Suzannes
Friday, August 2nd

Rolling list of food ideers:
"The Billy"
Spinach & cheese turnovers
The James Bond 3-course meals
Spring/summer rolls
Teri steak tips
Grilled cheese

Chicken Parm & Artichokes

Chicken Parm & Artichokes

Yea baby.  This is kind of involved.  You don't want it to be, buy some rice bread, GF bread crumbs, or just go full-gluten on this bitch.

Beware, no pics of artichokes because we forgot.

Chicken Parm

• 2 quarts of tomato sauce.  Your own or recipe below.
• 4 cups of breadcrumbs (same deal)
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups of flour (GF option would be ny baking mix or starch+rice)
• 2 eggs
• 8oz mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Pound the chicken breasts to max 1/2" thick and cut into 3rds.  Put on a plate.

Make your assembly line - bowls of each:

1. Flour dredge (that's your flour jackass)
2. Egg wash: Beat the two eggs with 2 TBSP of water
3. Bread crumbs, mixed with salt and pepper.  If you want to get fancy, throw in some dried herbs like oregano and basil.

Take a chicken breast piece and dredge in flour.  Shake off the excess.  Dunk in the egg wash.  Shake off the excess.  Roll in breadcrumbs.  Put aside.

When this is done, heat up a layer of oil in a pan.  Get out a baking dish that can fit all the chicken pieces in one layer.  Drizzle 2 TBSP of oil in the bottom of the baking dish.  Fry each chicken piece for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden.  When they're done, put them in your baking dish.

When it's 30 minutes to gametime, heat up your oven to 450.  Put a slice of mozza on each chicken piece.  Cover with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Cook for 30 minutes covered.

Serve with more parm.

Artichokes

Cut the bottom off it.  Steam for 45 minutes.  Serve with melted butter and chopped garlic.

Tomato Sauce

You want this to be thick (point.)  

2 cans chopped tomatoes (about 29oz total)

1 can tomato paste (6oz)

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup of mixed fresh, chopped herbs (seriously, make them fresh) - rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley

2 TBSP chopped garlic

1 whole chopped onion

1/4 cup olive oil

Heat up 2 TBSP of oil in a sauce pot (4qt is a good size.)  Sweat your garlic and onion until brown.  Add everything else.  Cook until thickened and yummy.  Add salt and pepper and other herbs as needed.  If it gets too thick, add  more wine or water.  If it's too thin, cook longer or add more tomato paste.  You can cook this bitch all day or in as little as 30 minutes.

Bread Crumbs

This is a reciple for gluten free waffles, which crisp up nicely.  You can use whatever bread you want.  We used a combo of this plus toasted buiscuits leftover from the strawberry shortcake.

• 1/2 cup GF flour
• 3/4 cup starch (potato, corn, etc.)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• Dried parsley, basil, and oregano (3TBSP total)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup water

Mix all the dry ingredients.  Yea, that's the flour through the garlic powder.  Separately, beat the egg and oil.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.  It'll be a really dry batter.  Add water (more or less than the 1 1/2 cup if needbe) to make a thick, but pourable batter.

If you have a waffle iron, use it.  If you don't, we're not making waffles, so it don't matter.  Put some oil in a fry pan and get it hot.  Put about 1/2 cup of batter in the hot pan and mush it out as flat as you can.  Fry a few minutes each side.

Crisp up this or whatever bread you use in the oven at 425 for 10 minutes.

Then put it in a food processor.

Plate-o-nachos & chili rellenos

Plate-o-nachos & chili rellenos

This is no longer recommended if you can't be in a cheese coma for the next 4 hours.  Holy shit.

It is, however, a good way to get your lazy ass friends to make their own meals.

Nachos

Your prep:
Chips.  Spread 'em (point) on a piece of tinfoil or parchment paper on a baking sheet.  One layer thick.

Their prep:
Sour cream
Lime juice
Chopped onion
Chopped cilantro
Crumbled queso cheese
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped tomatillos
Sliced jalapenos
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped black olives
Canned salsa

Your other prep:
Taco meat.  You can go straight taco bell style on this piece or you can fry up some ground beef and add in your selection of chili and other spices.

Guac.  Same deal.  Guac-in-a-bag or avos plus ketchup plus lime juice plus salt plus cilantro.  Done.

Put 'em all in bowls and have at it.  Broil the bitches for 3-5 minutes.

Rellenos

• A pepper for every person.  And alliteration.
• Grated cheddar, queso cheese, and some parm.  About 1/2c per pepper total.  Add some herbs if you're adventurous.
• 2 eggs and 1tsp corn starch for every 4 peppers
• Oil for frying

Cut the stem and seeds out of the peppers.  Roast them over a flame or broil them until a little charred but still hard (point.)

Stuff the peppers with the cheese mix.

Separate your eggs.  Put the egg whites and corn starch in an electric mixer and whip until stiff (another point.)  Beat and then fold in the egg yolks.  You should have a very light, fluffy, batter-like substance.  Weird, huh?

Get a layer of oil hot in a frying pan.  Put a blob of the egg "dough" and flatten it with a spatula.  Put the pepper on top of it.  Put another blob of egg on top of the pepper and mush it around the pepper to coat it.  Fry for about 4 minutes per side or until nice and brown.

Dinner List 7/22 - 7/26

Plate-o-nachos & chili rellenos
Monday, July 22nd

Chicken parm & artichokes
Tuesday, July 23rd

Sam & Sage Have Plans
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Special Weekend Edition: Matt's "The Billy" Menu
Oops.  Shit didn't happen.
Saturday, July 27th

Rolling list of food ideers:
Spinach & cheese turnovers
The James Bond 3-course meals
Spring/summer rolls
Teri steak tips
Grilled cheese

Matt's Sensei Seagal 3-course menu

Matt's "Sensei Seagal" Menu: A true American hero

Inspired by the man himself.  Paired with quality flicks and bad TV dramas.

The Main Course: Roast Beef

Give yourself 20 minutes per pound for this bad boy.  Figure 8oz per person.

• A full boneless rib - don't try to mess with this one or you'll get a thumb in the eye.  
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• A bad attitude

Keep the attitude.  Preheat your oven to 425.  Trim the roast, roll it up so the fat is on the outside.  Tie it up so it doesn't get a way.  Poke holes with a pairing knife every few inches; put a slice of garlic in each one.  Rub the whole thing down with salt and pepper.  Put it in the oven, fat side down, on a roasting rack and let 'er be.

The Side Dish: Garlic Fries w/ Spicy Ketchup

• 1 big russet potato per person, washed and peeled
• Garlic powder, chopped garlic, garlic oil, salt
• Lots of oil.

First, you need to cut fries.  If you don't have a mandolin or a fry cutter (don't ask, but yes), then try to cut fries with a knife.  Don't lose a finger.  Aim for 3/8" thick.  As you cut them, put them in a bowl of water so that they don't turn brown.  You can leave them all in there until you're ready.

If you have a fryer, use it.  If you don't, good luck:

Put about an inch of oil in the bottom of a heavy pot.  Get it hot.  Hot enough that when you drop a DROP of water in it, the fucker pops at you like nobody's business.  Take fries out of your water bath, dry them with paper towels, then dump them in the hot oil.  Don't do too many at once.  In a 4qt pot with an inch of oil, two handfuls is a good amount.  Too many and they'll lower the oil temp and get mushy.  Then you'll have to use them for breakfast.

Fry the fries for about 10 minutes, or until they're golden in color.  Take them out with tongs (or your bare hands, if you're like the badass this meal is named for) and let them drain on paper towels.  While they're still hot, toss the fries with a little bit of chopped garlic, some oil, and a sprinkle of salt and garlic powder (or garlic salt.)

The Finish: Chocolate Stout Floats
Just put that shit in a glass with vanilla icecream.  Use root bear for those wanting unleaded.

Mango Curry w/ Rice, Naan & Saag

Mango Curry w/ Rice, Naan (Gluten-Free) & Saag

Oh shit.  I forgot to blog.  And take pictures.  So you're going to have to trust it.

Saag is a spinach-garlic-concoction.
Naan is bread.

And accept the fact now that you're going to make too much curry.  Seriously.

I suggest getting the curry going, then making the Saag and Naan while it's cooking down.  You do what you want.

Feeds 6ish.

The only pick I took...

The Curry:

• 1 big onion, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks or strips
• 3TBSP cilantro, chopped (fresh, don't disappoint me now)
• 1qt plain yogurt
• 1c water
• Spices - at least curry powder

• 4lb of pork - go for butt or shoulder (some people are into the shoulder), you want something with some fat on it, so don't get all yuppie on me and buy tenderloin
• 1/4c of chili powder (the mix, NOT straight cayenne) and 1/4c of ground cumin
• TBSP of salt

Heat up some oil in a pot (4qt pot is good) on medium.  Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until they smell good.  Just don't burn them.  Add the chicken (yup, raw) and some more oil so that nothing sticks and cook that until the chicken is white on the outside - about 5-7min.  Add the water and get it to a simmer.

Mix your spices into the yogurt (this'll help make sure they don't get clumpy):

• Start with 3TBSP of curry powder
• If you want to get adventurous, try your luck with ginger, garlic, or chili

Put the whole thing of yogurt into the pot, mix it real good, and set it on a lower simmer.  This is going to cook down (and cook the chicken) for about 45 minutes.  If it's too thin, cook it longer.  If it's too thick, add water.  If it needs more spice, mix the spices with some liquid or yogurt before adding to stop clumping.

The Rice
You don't know how to make it?  Read the instructions on Uncle Ben's box

Saag (or Saag Paneer if you add the cheese)
You're going to make this, then reheat it when you're ready to eat.

• 1 stick of butter
• 1lb of spinach (or two good bunches)
• 1/3lb (or one good bunch) of some bitter greens - mustard, dandelion, etc.
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Some water
• Spices - cumin seeds, chile, turmeric powder, cumin
• 6oz of paneer (or queso fresco) chopped into 1/2" cubes

Rinse and chop all of your greens.  Melt that butter in a big sauté pan.  Add your garlic and a mix of spices.  Start with 2 TBSP of turmeric, 1 TBSP of cumin, 1 tsp of coriander, 1 tsp of chili powder (not straight cayenne.)  You can add more later after you taste it.  Cook that for 3 minutes for the garlic to brown up and smell nice. Add enough greens to fill the pan (but not go over the top) and stir into the butter until it cooks the greens down to a dark green and they look like cooked spinach - 3-5min a batch.  Repeat this, adding a few tablespoons of water each time before the greens, until all of them are in there and cooked.  Mix in your cheese.  Set the whole pan aside, off of heat, until you're ready to eat.  When you are, heat 'er back up.

Naan
Seriously, it's easier to just buy this in a package and heat it up.  But if you're stubborn (like me), here's a gluten-free variety that doesn't suck.

• 1/2 cup water, as hot as your tap will give it out
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
• 1/2c milk
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour or GF flour mix
• 3/8 cup potato starch
• 3/8 cup corn starch
• 2 tsp guar/xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• oil for cooking

First, you're going to make buttermilk: put the 1/2c milk and TBSP lemon juice in a jar, mix, and set aside.  Watch it get clumpy and gross for 5 minutes, and then you have buttermilk.

Second, you're going to make a slurry of yeast (I made that term up for this): get your 1/2 cup of hot water, honey, and yeast in a bowl, and mix it together.  LEAVE IT BE.  Until it gets frothy - about 5-10min.

While that's all doing it's thing, mix the dry ingredients together (for those of you struggling with this, that's the rice flour through the baking powder.)

In a separate bowl, mix up your eggs.

When the buttermilk and yeast are ready, mix both with your eggs, then mix all that with the flour.  Stir it all together, then leave it in a bowl, covered (on the counter) for 20 minutes to rise and rest.

When that's done, get some potato starch ready to keep shit from getting sticky (point.)  Get a handful of the dough and knead it, then set it aside on a pan as a flat disc (should be about 4" diameter, and roughly flat to about 3/4 of an inch.)  From all this, you'll end up with 4-5 discs this size.  Go smaller if you want, it doesn't matter.

Now (finally), get a big sauté pan and heat up some oil in it on medium.  Don't use a lot of oil, just enough to coat.  Don't let the oil smoke, and you'll have to mess with the temp the whole time.  When it's hot, you're going to drop one of the discs onto the pan.  Right away, start pressing the dough outward so it flattens and spreads.  Use your fingers if you're brave, or use the back of a metal spatula and put some starch/flour on the top of the dough to keep it from sticking.

Fry for 3-4 minutes a side.  Repeat.  Godspeed.

Dinner List 7/15 - 7/19

Sam Has a Meeting
4-cheese quiche and leftover mashed sweet pots
Monday, July 15th

Sam & Sage Have Plans
Tuesday, July 16th

Mango Curry w/ Rice, Naan & Saag
Wednesday, July 17th

Matt's Sensei Seagal 3-course menu
Thursday, July 18th

BBQ & Spicy Wings w/ some side dish
Friday, July 19th

Rolling list of food ideers:
Spinach & cheese turnovers
The James Bond and The Billy 3-course meals
Spring/summer rolls
Teri steak tips