Grandma's Kitchen Table

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Soy-simmered Chicken

      My forty-first recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay is Soy-simmered Chicken, found in Modern Classics I on page 100, and also online here. 

      The ingredient list:  sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, shredded ginger, Chinese cooking wine, star anise, cinnamon stick, and chicken. 

      My, this was quick and tasty.  The sauce is great, it really gives the chicken that Chinese taste that I so often try to create at home and can't seem to get it just right...the search is over, this is the sauce I was looking for...spicy, sweet, salty, and caramel-like in taste and texture.  It compliments the chicken nicely. 

      The recipe suggested serving it with greens and rice and I have to say, a better suggestion I cannot imagine.  This is a quick and fresh meal easy enough for a weeknight.  I used the leftovers the next day in a lettuce wrap and that was also delicious, a lovely lunch.  Definitely a keeper, one that I will make again. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post on this is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here. 

      Next week is Gaye's choice:  Beef and Caramelized Onion CousCous Salad found in Off the Shelf, page 78, or you can perhaps find it online here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Food Processor Banana Cake

      My fortieth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay is Food Processor Banana Cake, found in Off the Shelf on page 160, and also online here.

      The ingredient list:  sugar, brown sugar, banana, eggs, sour cream, butter, and self-rising flour. 

      Margaret is forever looking for recipes to use up bananas she has squirreled away in her freezer, so when I saw her choice this week, I grinned and thought, "Well, Margaret has come upon a stash of 'nanners' in the freezer she needs to use up again."  When I read her post, I saw that confirmed...I know her well. 

      Generally we are not fond of bananas IN things around here, but since she made the choice and I could find a place to park the cake if Mark didn't care for it (gifting cakes can be tricky at times), and since Margaret gifted me a very nice 6 cup (half-size bundt pan) awhile ago, I figured I better show up with a cake this week.  And I am happy that I did as this is one very light and tasty cake. 

      The preparation is extremely easy...toss all the ingredients in the food processor, whirl it around, pour it into the pan, and bake.  40 minutes later, you have a fragrant kitchen and a lovely cake. 

      That half-size pan makes the greatest slices, not too large, not too small, just right! 

      I was noting that there is no vanilla flavoring in this cake and thought I might be disappointed, but I was not at all disappointed, the banana flavor was fresh and delicious.  All in all, this is definitely a keeper, one that I will make again. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post on this is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Next week is Chaya's choice:  Soy Simmmered Chicken found in Modern Classics I, page 100, or you can perhaps find it online here.  Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: French Onion Soup

      My thirty-ninth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay is French Onion Soup, found in Modern Classics I on page 27, and also here on Donna Hay's website.

      The ingredient list:  onions, olive oil, butter, thyme, flour, brandy, Dijon, beef stock, and water.  

      Anyone who knows me at all, knows that French Onion Soup is probably my favorite thing to have for lunch (or dinner) and that whenever I go out, if it is on the menu, I order it.  I eat French Onion Soup at least once a week.  I have made probably a hundred different French Onion Soup recipes as I can't resist trying a new one when it comes along.  Some are better than others.  This recipe is a good one. 

      Most onion soups start out with more or less the same ingredients, as does this one.  Browning the onions slowly and to the correct color is key, no rushing it.  Using GOOD beef stock is another key, you want that flavor to stand out a bit (if you are using unsalted beef stock, you will need to add a little salt).  The thyme is classic.  The added brandy was good, it added a depth of flavor and a little something that stood out but did not scream, "There is Brandy/Alcohol in this soup!"  I really liked the addition of the Dijon mustard, I had never had that in a French Onion Soup before, and really did like the flavor it imparted, Dijon and onions are a worthy match for one another, each keeping its own flavor but not overwhelming the other.  (Do not use regular yellow mustard in this recipe, use Dijon as she states.)

      As good as FOS is the day you make it, it gets even better as the days go by as the flavors all deepen and "marry" into one another.  There's a certain know-how to making good French Onion Soup, and this recipe has all the right stuff to make the base a wonderful addition to my FOS recipe stash.  All in all, this is definitely a keeper, one that I will make again and again. I made the WHOLE batch so I have a lot of FOS to look forward to this week!  (Big smile on my face at just the thought.) 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post on this is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Next week is Margaret's choice:  Food Processor Banana Cake, from Off the Shelf, page 160, or you can perhaps find it online here.  Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Shepherd's Pie

      My thirty-eighth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay is Shepherd's Pie, found in Modern Classics I on page 158, and if you go here you might find it as well.

      The ingredient list:  olive oil, onion, carrots, beef, tomato paste, tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf, thyme, frozen peas, potatoes, butter, milk, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. 

      This was delicious.  And easy to make, in fact you could make it ahead, park it in the frig, and pull it out to bake when you need it (add 10 extra minutes to the cooking time).  The flavors were all deep and rich from the combination of seasonings and ingredients. 

      I know I have a hit when Mark says, "I would eat this anytime you want you make it, it was really good."  Enough said.  Will go into rotation around here just as written. 

      I made a quarter of the recipe in a two-cup ramekin and it fit perfectly.  We had this for lunch, so I ate about a quarter of it and Mark ate the rest.  Definitely worth a repeat. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post on this is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post in here.

      Next week is French Onion Soup, Modern Classics I, page 27, or you can find it online at Donna Hay's site here.  And those who know me well and my love of FOS, yes, this was my pick for the month. ;-)  Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Sunday's Snippets

READING:  Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph Ellis, won a Pulitzer Prize, features little-known historical facts involving 6 of our Revolutionary War figures (Adams, Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Washington).  Good read, a little over 300 pages and source notes.

SWIMMING NEWS:  IU swim meet this past Saturday at Louisville was a big success.  IU Men and Women prevailed over the Louisville Cardinals, so that was nice.  (There are few things the team likes better than besting Louisville at Louisville for Louisville's Senior Day, a bit of a rivalry there.)  Standing room only crowd on hand.  Matt had a very good meet, he swam 50, 100, 200 Frees and the 400 Free Relay.   Here's a connect to the meet story and from there you can go to Complete Results. 

Photo: Circling the Troops before the start of the swim meet in Louisville

Always the best seat on the bleachers is the one nearest the refreshments...Ian and Matt get prime position.

COOKING BYTES:   There is nothing better for Super Bowl Sunday than a great bowl of chili.  Just sayin'. 

FAV NEW FIND:  I think that groundhog predicted only 6 more weeks of winter.  I immediately started the countdown.

FAV THIS PAST WEEK:  Watching the swim meet at Louisville Friday night.  The weather was not great so we stayed the night and headed back early enough to catch the IU/Michigan game Saturday night.  Oh, yeah, those were two very nice wins.
WEEK IN REVIEW:  Working, Big Ten Basketball watching, and finally sorting through Vashie's things, putting some aside for another Tibbie someday, and gifting things around that could be used by others, a sad time.  I have to be the first to admit to not wanting to venture outside much, instead I would rather be snuggling in during these cold winter days/nights...reading books by the fire whenever possible seems justified.  

LOOKING FORWARD TO:   Better Hurry if you want to catch Nikon Small World, click here for details.  At the ISO:  The Best is Yet to Come: The Music of Frank Sinatra and More, click here for details.