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Monday, September 21, 2020

Recipe Review from 9/14/20

Two hard frosts have done in the garden this past week. The Husband picked the last of the zucchini - of which there was a surprising amount - and the squash. The squash we got was not what we thought we planted, plus we got some strange cross-hybrids. But the big question is, did they get enough time on the vine to ripen? The cherry tomatoes are finished - no saving those. The Swiss chard and kale we can baby along a bit longer. So, basically gardening is done for the year and we can start to take things down for winter.

The other exciting news for the week is my friend and I did get out wild ricing! We were about a week late, so "knocking" was a bit slim. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water so I have no complaints.




The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) sandwiches (S) zucchini soup
Sun (L) sandwiches (S) zucchini soup
Mon - Maque choux
Tues (Ricing) Maque choux
Wed - Lamb Ragu
Thurs - Lamb Ragu
Fri - Maque choux


Lamb Ragu over Pasta (Cooks Country)
This was a simple dish that came together very quickly and had enough for leftovers for a couple meals.  I did do one mistake - I misread the fennel and bought a fennel bulb.  Since I don't have ground fennel on hand, I thinly sliced the bulb and sauted it with the rest.  Worked just fine.  My main objection with this dish is it was a tich on the bland side - if I were to make this again (and I would), I would add some red pepper flakes for a bit more background heat. 

Serves 4-6 (6 if you serve with a salad and some crusty bread)

1 pound ground lamb 1 onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 ½ teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
½ teaspoon pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound pappardelle
½ cup torn fresh basil

Combine lamb, onion, carrots, garlic, fennel, oregano, salt, and pepper in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until meat is cooked through and carrots are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, until sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

Add sauce and ¼ cup reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.



Maque Choux (Milk Street Tuesday Nights)
This was fast, especially if using frozen corn, and tasty. I did do two substitutions: I used some chorizo I had in the freezer instead of andoullie sausage, and I used a poblano instead of an Anaheim as the store was out of Anaheim's. I think this was on the table in about 45 minutes from opening the fridge door to plating, plus I had time to tidy. Flavors are bright, this is a great way to use some summer produce, and honestly, I think you could use just about any kind of meat here: andoullie, chorizo, kielbasa, shrimp, or even chicken. I will be making this again.

Serves 3-4 (I got three servings).

1 tbsp grapeseed or neutral oil
12 oz andoullie sausage (Chorizo or Kielbasa would also work well)
halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tbsp salted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 Anaheim chili, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dreid thyme
3 cups fresh corn OR 1 lb bag frozen corn (do not thaw)
1 tbsp cider vinegar

In a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a papertowel lined plate and discard any fat in the skillet.

Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, bell pepper, Anaheim chili and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, scraping up any browned bits and stirring occastionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes. Increase to medium high and add the corn, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring, until the corn is crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Return sausage to skillit, stir and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.



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