... a rat in the kitchen....

... but such a cute rat!

Some of you may visit my other (supposed to be bear and doll making) blog and some don't... and vice versa... so today ... same post, different blog for each of them. Not that the recipe is "to-die-for" ...although it is very tasty... but I think the situation is a fun one.






Have you seen Ratatouille yet? I love it; have watched it several times already. The wine in the glass moves like the real thing....... ..the looks on little Remy's face are priceless, his brother Emile is hilarious, .... maybe it is because I like to cook and know a few things about ingredients, herbs and recipes that it really strikes a chord...who knows. All I know is...I love it. And the thing of it is.... it definitely seems to have spurred me on this past few weeks. I have not done any bear or doll making at all... just having some fun in the kitchen.

::: aside to Judi...... I, did, however, find some parka material and some "liquid silver" fabric to use for my mermaid's tail!! }}}

Ratatouille is a common dish ... very common actually; it is a French peasant dish. Almost every cook book sports at least one and sometimes two different versions. None of them looked like the exquisite version served to the food critic in the movie. They all looked like a soup or stew and not all that appetizing to my eye.... although the ingredients were lovely veggies. But, you know how most veggies look after cooking... nyeh.... ...... and some of the recipes wanted them cooked for hours. Kept looking..... and found the original recipe used as the basis for the look of the dish in the movie. Printed in The New York Times of all places. However, it was one of those that seems pretty confusing and more than a bit time consuming. I decided to wing it and invent my own version making it look a bit more appetizing. Then, the other day, while blog hopping, I landed on the Smitten Kitchen ... and ....this! Okay...this is more like it. Simple, yet probably tastes just as great...looks very nice and the veggies still look like veggies. Copy, print, and cook.

I don't own a mandoline as she does..so the cutting takes a bit of time...but the layering is the most time consuming it seems. And... because my zucchini and my eggplant were miles apart in size...I had to compensate a bit to make it look appealing. I used two little zucchini rounds for each layer.... and cut the whole eggplant in half to begin with and then in quarters for some of the layering especially around the curves. Yes, yes...a lot of fiddling..but for the first go round..I wanted to see if I could make it look similar to the original. I like my effort.... Greg loved my effort...and it disappeared in a single sitting.



Before baking.





I served it over couscous with a few small chunks of Feta cheese sprinkled on top; a thick round of sourdough bread and lovely glass of Mouton Cadet.... who knows if it is recommended as a pairing for such a peasant dish .. lol ... but, after all, it is French as well... maybe the Baron wouldn't mind. All in all...a wonderful combination for us. I was happy about the couscous under our little layer of Ratatouille ... as the sauce is pretty flavourful and would have been almost too overpowering on its own. I still wouldn't mind trying some of the other ingredients called for in the original recipe and perhaps combining the two somehow.... ... hmmmm.......










The finished dish...over couscous...still maintaining some semblance of the original veggies even though they have been baked for 45 minutes. (sealed under parchment paper)

Check out this guy's recipe too if you are interested in other options...think I might like this one as well.

UPDATE: I have discovered that Johnny has a "other half" .... her name is Mel... check out their site...

Pork and mushrooms in gravy.....

I get to this point and somebody walks in the door and says..... something smells good already!! I love cooking for this guy. He is so easy to please.... lol .....

Brown some country style pork chops in a large skillet. I like to use my electric frying pan actually...it is big and I can control the simmering heat perfectly in it. I like the "big" part because, as many of you know, I always plan on leftovers .. I want them; I need them. For freezer lunches and for lazy days or for busy days, or for when I forget what time it is and am in the middle of a bear head or a doll arm or ... .. well, whatever happens I am prepared with great lunches/suppers in a pinch.










.... ... add onions... move things around to coat with the juices and brown bits.

This week because I seem to have been on a great roll food wise...my freezer container drawer is almost empty! Yaaay.... silly me, I love little things like that. Makes me happy to know I have a cushion and can still have a great dinner even if I don't feel like cooking.

now...where was I? ....oh, yes.......










Toss in chunks of celery ( I like to use some tops as well) and pour in about a cup or so of chicken broth. I add a few teaspoons or so of white wine, or vinegar, or lemon juice.
Use a large spoon to mix it all up well. Add some spices ... your choice, of course. I like Herbs De Provence and a bit of sweet basil and fresh black pepper. Use some salt if you like but check for flavour as the chicken broth can be salty if it is not home made. Look for " sodium reduced" if you are watching salt intake. Mix again ... and let simmer for half an hour or so. I leave the lid on to maintain all the flavour.

If you would like to add other veggies do so now... simmer a bit longer ... another half hour? You don't really have to stand over this but just come back every so often to add or stir just to check on whether you need to add some liquid and give it a taste. You could probably add all the veggies at the same time, but I prefer not to overcook mine, especially the mushrooms..so I am a bit picky as to when I add things. As usual.... your choice...as with all cooking.

How about those mushrooms? sure... add as many as you like. For me they are fairly good size and quartered. Mix it all up once again and simmer some more ..... I find that the longer I simmer this type of chop..the more tender and tasty it becomes. When it has simmered for a total of about 2 hours add some more chicken broth and a cup of water in which about 2 tablespoons of flour has been thoroughly mixed. Thicken and you have a lovely gravy with your chops. You could serve it with creamy mashed potatoes. Almost as good as Sunday Chicken Dinner.

a busy week of food ...

Chicken and Rotini ....



Apple Cobbler...with my favourite McIntosh apples.












Tonight I started a soup from the sprout water, some tomatoes.. celery, onions, tossed in some Chick peas... spices.. veggie broth... not sure yet what I will add tomorrow to finish it off.




Sometimes it seems like I am on a roll with the meals...other weeks, I don't feel like doing as much. But, isn't it just the way... with life and food as well. I went through so many things this week, that I forget what the heck I actually did with some of the recipes...so won't even attempt to remember them this far after the fact. Luckily I did get the halibut recorded right away..it was sooo tasty. Today I did the little lemon chicken for supper ... one of our favs ... and the gravy was the best yet. It gets so much flavour from the onion, garlic and lemon wedges in the bird. I think I got a bit more daring with my spices today... perhaps even more so than other days. It was yummy....

Oh, hey! and I finally found a new pepper mill that I like. The old one just gave up the ghost. How I have missed freshly cracked black pepper. There are too many grinders, mills and shakers to choose from though ... and the price range... ack! I admired one made by Peugeot...but I think they thought they were still selling cars ...I couldn't justify paying that much. Besides... they seemed a bit top heavy...and I wanted the reverse..so it won't fall over when bumped. I already put a dent in my floor with the other one doing that.










This week I want to do some canneloni..so will be looking in my recipes for a tasty one... and Barm Brack. ... love that loaf. A very moist loaf, supposedly of Irish origin... with raisins....

just for the halibut ......

Well, maybe not just for halibut ... maybe it could be for any fish .. but in this case it was definitely halibut. $28.95 worth! Yikes! The price of fish is scary. It used to scare me right away from even attempting to cook fish in my younger days. I was afraid to ruin that much money. I think it took several months of watching the cooking channel til I got brave enough. But, then, I found a couple of recipes and started with a small but delectable piece of fish and I was on my way. Today I was doing 4 good sized fillets so that we could have plan overs as well. Ohhhhh.... and am I glad I did. This recipe is one of Christine Cushing's. Now, don't forget... recipes are just more or less guidelines.... so substitute or leave out spices or anything else you don't particularly like. I have to say here that I have used the sourdough bread for the crumbs as she suggests...but also have used regular bread....and to me, there is absolutely no difference in taste or texture.











Lemon Thyme crusted Halibut with Orange and Tarragon Emulsion.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 x 6 oz. halibut fillets (I leave skin on as it tends to fall apart if you take it off)
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
4 tbsp fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Emulsion

1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp white wine
2 cups orange juice
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
optional... onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, dab of honey

(I often use dried spices and usually cut down on the tarragon and add some Herbs de Provence or Tuscan Herbs instead)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat olive oil and butter in medium skillet. Sear both sides of halibut fillets until caramelized. Cool and set aside.
Put chopped basil, lemon thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs in food processor. Pulse until emulsified.
Brush one side of halibut with Dijon mustard. Press herb mixture onto the mustard to form the crust. Repeat with other pieces of fish.
Bake the fish in lightly oiled casserole or baking sheet for 6 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked through.

(Last time I seemed to have more crumbs and coated more than one side of each fillet). the coating keeps the fish soooo moist. If Dijon is not your thing... try half and half mayo and mustard) ... each time you try this if you change things it will be a bit different, but always amazing.

For the emulsion....

Here I go again...changing things... I like to add some finely chopped onion, a tbsp. of lemon juice and just a little bit of honey to my mix. Make sure to taste as you go...

Saute onion in butter in the pan in which you seared the fish. Add chopped ginger (or some ground ginger spice) the white wine, orange juice, tarragon, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and reduce... it will thicken slightly and you may need to add a bit more juice. Taste test... add a bit more seasoning if desired. You should have just enough for a nice spoonful on each fillet.... it will be quite flavourful..you should not need more than this amount.

We like it with Basmati rice which I usually make with half and half veggie broth and water.











When I looked at the "plan-overs" in the containers...they look too bland...so I quickly steamed some carrots to add and now...they look colourful and taste tempting.

don't hold the garlic .....

I have always loved poring over recipes; especially those with wonderful pictures of how a particular dish should look when completed. I have some beautiful large cook books in which I have happily spent many drooling hours. However, I also clip and tear out pages from magazines. Sometimes my magazine piles become a nuisance..... and I have to go through them.... be ruthless and toss most of the recipes. It has to be done. I have to say things like.... I'll NEVER make this.... I better NOT make this.... why did I save this one? So, the other day I was purging old mags and books after having a ripping good time.

I found this in a little 1997 Homemaker's digest. Honestly, I don't have stacks of mags all over the house from that year forward!! Hahahah... it just happened to catch my eye in the little pile of loose papers to which I was consigning the new "loose" guys. I like to try them before I add them to my binders and boxes of recipes that will definitely be used again. If they don't pass muster... they are passed over and tossed for the final time.

On a page devoted to Pesto I found this:...... on the day they were using it with some grilled veggies including eggplant, zucchini, yellow and red peppers, Portobello mushroom caps and red onions. Cut vegetables how you like them ... Grill or broil turning once, until tender crisp and lightly browned ...about 6 to 8 minutes.

Pesto Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. basil pesto
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients (may be made ahead, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days) Toss hot vegetables with dressing.



In the side bar there was this....

Other uses for pesto

* Spoon onto baked potatoes or stir into mashed potatoes.
*Spread on halved tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan.
*Add a dollop to omelettes, frittatas or risottos.
*Spread or dot on pizza.
*Stir into minestrone or lentil soups.
*Stir into sour cream, yogurt or mayo for dips, spreads or dressings for potato or pasta salads.
*Stir a spoonful into vinaigrette for salads or marinades for chicken or lamb.
*Brush on refrigerator crescent rolls, roll up and bake.
*For pesto bruschetta, brush toasted crusty bread with olive oil, spread with pesto and top with diced tomatoes.

There you have it.... what the gals were doing in 1997 ..... lol ..... and still are. I love it.