Grandma's Kitchen Table

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Pepper Sauce

       My 125th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Pepper Sauce, was chosen for the group by Chaya, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 120.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on February 5, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  beef stock, cream, freshly ground black pepper. 

       This was such a simple recipe, so easy to make with things already on hand most of the time.  There were several suggestions on how to use the Pepper Sauce so I chose to make it to serve on grilled steak.  Absolutely wonderful on grilled steak, peppery and creamy.  I will make this again to serve on steak and other proteins (it would also be good on potatoes), a good discovery.

Eating with Ellie: Pizza Strudel

       The twenty-first recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Pizza Strudel, is found on page 222 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Margaret's pick for the group this week.

       Ingredient list: fresh spinach leaves, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, tomato, cornmeal, pizza dough, ricotta cheese, and an egg white.

       Mark says this is basically like a calzone and I have to agree with him as it was a bunch of ingredients cooked inside pizza dough. We liked all the ingredients and it was easy enough to put together but definitely took me longer than 30 minutes with all that slicing/chopping and such, and I did make my own pizza dough. It was okay, Mark liked it more than I did, but that's not unusual with things of this nature.

       Would I make it again? Sure, if he wanted to eat it, I would make it for him, so probably fits into the category of "request only." Not a bad category, just figure I would try some new recipes rather than repeat this one. Fun to make it with the group though and it did make a nice dinner.

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here to follow their post links. You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Chaya, is Eggs in a Skillet with Spicy Tomato and Bell Pepper Sauce (Shatsuka), and is found on page 227 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders. Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you. :-)

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Fettuccine Primavera (Fettuccine with Spring Vegetables)

       This week for the forty-third recipe I've made for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking our way through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book, I made Fettuccine Primavera (Fettuccine with Spring Vegetables) on page 46. (Margaret and I had been cooking through this book for awhile and then took a break, okay our last post was in 2012, so that was some big break, but we are at it again, determined to make as many of the recipes as we can from this book.)

      The ingredient list:  onion, carrot, celery, butter, asparagus, red bell pepper, zucchini, cream, parsley, salt, pepper, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fettuccine.

      Since it is far into spring here, almost summer in fact,  I figured I should make this recipe while the asparagus in season and it was fresh and plentiful. A nice pasta dish with fresh vegetables is always a popular choice with all of us.  This one did not disappoint, it was full of flavor and the little bit of cream added a nice creamy comforting aspect to compliment all the vegetables.  You can switch up the types of vegetables and pasta that you have on hand to use at any given time.  Definitely one I would make again.      

      Click Here if you wish to see the recipes Margaret has made from this book, we each choose the recipe that works best for us each week.  If you'd like to join in, let us know by leaving a comment in the comment section here, we'd love to cook with you.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Twice-Cooked Crispy Chicken

       My 124th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Twice-Cooked Crispy Chicken, was chosen for the group by Peggy, and is found in Donna Hay's book Off the Shelf on page120.

       The ingredient list:  soy sauce, Chinese Rice Wine, brown sugar, chicken stock, star anise, cinnamon stick, chicken breast filets with skin on, and peanut oil.

       My favorite thing in cooking is not frying anything.  Guys here have known for years and years that if they want fried food, they must score it on the streets, so to speak.   It's messy, not particularly good for you, and just isn't something I enjoy making or eating.  That said, I figured maybe I should attempt this recipe as a good group member as the frying commitment seemed rather minimal, so that I did. 

       It was messy (the frying part) but the rest of it went together very quickly and all in all, the whole procedure wasn't terrible.  I did like the sauce that the chicken was poached in for the first part of the recipe...I used all the ingredients in the measurements she stated, so I was really happy with the flavor this sauce and the flavors it imparted into the chicken.  After I took the chicken out of that pan to put into the next pan for the frying part, I reduced the sauce a bit and used it to pour over the Chinese greens as suggested in the recipe, dribbling some on the chicken and rice as well. 

       The sauce was flavorful and gave the whole dish an interesting and exciting Asian twist for an ordinary chicken breast. Would I make this again?  Nah...I don't like frying things, but I would poach the chicken in that sauce and eat it that way.  It would be ideal in chicken lettuce wraps, always a favorite of mine.  So, yes, I would make the part that wasn't fried again as we did enjoy the flavors and it was a nice meal with the Chinese greens and rice. 

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Glennis's choice for the group, Quinoa, Kale, and Salmon Sushi Rolls with Wasabi-Tofu Mayonnaise found in Donna Hay's cookbook Fresh & Light on page 80.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

 

Eating with Ellie: Sugar Snap Pea, Tomato, and Watermelon Salad with Feta

       The twentieth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Sugar Snap Pea, Tomato, and Watermelon Salad with Feta, is found on page 44 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was my pick for the group this week. 

       Ingredient list:   sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, watermelon, red onion, mint leaves, feta, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. 

       The combination of these ingredients caught my attention right away when I saw the photo in the book...it was just so pretty and I love watermelon and feta together.  Peas and tomatoes with it?  I wasn't so sure but willing to give it a try as I love those as well.  Sometimes things just surprise you, this was one of those things.  Everything tastes so fresh and clean and each flavor really stands on its own as well but also compliments the others, hard to describe, so really, you should make it for yourself and see.  I'm not the biggest fan of mint in savory dishes, but this was really a perfect place to use it, it softens the bite of the red onion nicely and gives a clean fresh taste to the whole salad, definitely a bigger fan of the versatility of mint now. 

       This all goes together quickly (no, you don't cook the peas first in case you were wondering) and the dressing compliments each ingredient without covering up the taste, nice and light. 

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Margaret, is Pizza Strudel, and is found on page 222 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Salsa Verde

       My 123rd recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Salsa Verde, was chosen for the group by Sarah, and is found in Donna Hay's book Modern Classics 1 on page120.

       The ingredient list:  fresh parsley, fresh dill, fresh mint, capers, Dijon, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

       My herb pots are flourishing, which makes me very happy as I love using fresh herbs in things every day and winter can be a bit of a bust in that regard when nothing grows fresh here.  I was happy to see that Sarah chose this recipe at a time when I had fresh herbs to use in it. 

       The recipe is easy, just mix all the appropriate ingredients in the appropriate amounts, and whisk it all up.  It was suggested in the recipe that we use the sauce on meat or fish (it would work well on any meat or seafood, it's very versatile), but I found the recipe in her Instant Entertaining (page 57) book where she used this sauce on potatoes, so I did that as I was looking for a way to jazz up some potatoes. 

       It was wonderful on the boiled potatoes and complimented the meat and green beans we had as well.  The fresh taste of the sauce was very nice and I will make this again.  You might want to play around with the amount of garlic you use as this has a definite garlic kick, which was great with the potatoes, I would use slightly less on chicken or seafood. 

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Peggy's choice for the group, Twice-Cooked Crispy Chicken found in Donna Hay's cookbook Off the Shelf on page 120.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

Eating with Ellie: Savory Carrot-Cashew Soup

       The nineteenth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Savory Carrot-Cashew Soup, is found on page 76 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Sarah's pick for the group this week. You can also find it online here. 

       Ingredient list:   chicken broth, onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, olive oil, allspice, cashews, honey, salt, and white pepper. 

       When I first saw this recipe I thought it was something Sarah would definitely pick as she loves all vegetables and things you make with them.  I thought it sounded good for the same reason.  I didn't expect to rave about it but I am definitely raving about it, although carrots are the biggest part of this soup, the cashew flavor asserts itself nicely (especially if you love cashews, which I do), and the whole thing tastes more like cashews than carrots. 

       It's really delicious and one bowl is perfectly satisfying for a lunch by itself or with a small salad.  Would I make this again?  Oh, yeah.  Soon.  

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by me, is Sugar Snap Pea, Tomato, and Watermelon Salad with Feta, and is found on page 44 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Have you purchased this book yet?  You really should, it's just wonderful. Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Dill Sauce

       My 122nd recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Dill Sauce, was chosen for the group by Chaya, and is found in Donna Hay's book New Food Fast on page 26.

       The ingredient list:  fettuccine, olive oil, lemon juice, capers, whole grain mustard, red onion, dill, and smoked salmon.

       As you can see, I subbed regular salmon for smoked salmon as smoked salmon is not something anyone here really cares for, so sometimes one just has to do what will work at any given time. 

        This was really good.  The dill sauce is excellent, nice and light and just the right combination for the salmon, pasta, and spinach.  I thought I would need to dress the spinach and almost did, but in the end I decided just to go with it like she said and it was wonderful just the way she wrote the recipe (well with the salmon sub obviously, but everything else was spot on).  The sauce trickles down through the pasta onto the spinach.  I'm keeping this one at hand as the sauce was a big hit with me.  Can you tell I loved the sauce?  Just checking to make sure you got that part.  Definitely making this one again.

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Sarah's choice for the group, Salsa Verde found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 120.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary

       My 121st recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary, was chosen for the group by Sarah, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 96.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on January 15, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  lamb shanks, olive oil, flour, onions, garlic, red wine, beef stock, tomatoes, rosemary leaves, parsley, salt, and pepper. 

       Just so you know, lamb shanks are near impossible to find around here and I had to special order them from one of the producers in my CSA.  And they are a bit pricey.  That said, it is fun once in awhile to go beyond the normal and comfortable and do something you haven't done before and hope for the best. 

       We like lamb, so I wasn't fearful of not liking the finished recipe, but rather a little fearful of cooking it correctly due to my lack of experience with it.  In the end I just followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a wonderful dinner, turns out lamb shanks are kind of like beef roast, nice and tender and they sort of fall off the bone when cooked. She suggested serving them over mashed potatoes so I did that as well (okay, a combination of 50-50 with potatoes and turnips).  The photo is Mark's plate (a nice big comfort food fix) and he really enjoyed them, I liked them well enough. 

       Would I make them again?   I think I'm just as fond of a pot roast and it's much less expensive and easy to find at the market.