Refrigerator Pickled Carrots and Onions

Delicious, inexpensive, quick to make, great as both an accompaniment and a solo snack - what's not to love about pickled veggies? Adapted a Serious Eats recipe, waited 48 hours (well, more like 72, since we forgot about them for a day), then enjoyed!

1 lb. carrots, sliced to fit jar
1 large onion, about 6-8 oz, sliced into half-rings
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 T pickling salt (subsituted kosher)
1 t dill seed
1/2 t black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic

Clean and prep a jar (this one is 1.5 pints) and its lid. Since I wasn't canning, a simple soaping and thorough rinse with hot water sufficed.

Bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan, then blanch the carrots in the water for three minutes. Remove the carrots, drain, then plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking.

Peel and slice the onion into half rings, or your preferred cut.

Combine the vinegar and water in a small saucepan, then bring to a boil.

Place the pickling salt, dill seed, black peppercorns and garlic in the bottom of the jar. Add the onions, then the carrots.

Pour the vinegar-and-water brine into the jar, leaving 1/2 inch of space from the top. Make sure all the vegetables are covered.

Gently tap the jar to release the air bubbles. Close the jar tightly. Let it cool then place in the refrigerator.

Wait 48 hours, then enjoy!

Afritadang Manok 2

Chicken not pictured - this was a meatless helping for breakfast.

Based on the contents of our fridge, I refined this afritada recipe, with happy results. Turned out perfectly, with the vegetables cooked through but still firm. And like all good stews, it tasted even better the next day.

3 T vegetable oil
4 chicken thighs, skin-on (about 1.75 lbs.)
1 head garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 T fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 cup tomato sauce (I used about 5 oz. tomato paste and 3 oz. water, seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 cups chicken stock (used Better than Boullion)
5 carrots, chopped into 1-1/2 inch pieces (about 1 lb.)
6 small red potatoes, quartered/eighthed (about 1 lb.)
1 green pepper, cut into strips

Brown the chicken thighs in the oil then set aside.

Saute the onion and garlic till they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and stir them around the bottom of the pot, making sure to loosen all the browned chicken bits.

Add the fish sauce, tomato sauce, stock, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook till vegetables and chicken are almost done, about 30 minutes.

Add green pepper strips and cook a few minutes more to desired doneness. Tweak seasoning if necessary. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Split-Pea Soup

[fairly unappetizing pic that doesn't do justice to the taste forthcoming]

As per what passes for an editorial policy here, I'm just acknowledging a dearth of recent posts then moving on. Hi!

Seeing that it's finally fall, we pulled out our trusty copy of Slow Cooker Revolution and mostly followed the split pea soup recipe -- albeit with more ham hocks, carrots and garlic. It turned out quite well -- smoky and rich, though I may try it with less salt and a bit less liquid next time. Happy soup and stew weather, everyone.

• 2 onions, minced (about 2 c)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 1-1/2 T)
• 1/8 t red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 T fresh thyme, minced
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 4 c beef broth
• 3 c water
• 1 lb. split peas
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. pieces (about 2 c)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 smoked ham hocks, rinsed and scored
• 1 T lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Place onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for five minutes, stirring occasionally, till onions are softened; transfer to slow cooker.

Add broth, water, split peas, carrots, ham hocks and bay leaves to slow cooker. Cover and cook till peas are tender, 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high (everything was super soft at five hours on high with our cooker).

When done, remove bay leaves, stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Skim fat and remove meat from bone, then return to soup if you want; we didn't bother.

Quick Chicken Soup, v2

John was feeling poorly and the leeks were on their last legs - time for chicken soup! Sauteeing the aromatics in a couple of tablespoons of butter gave the broth some richness, but not enough to roil an upset tummy. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end made for a nice contrasting sharpness. While this was pretty tasty for something made without broth and cooked so quickly, I'll be looking for ways to make it more flavorful without adding cooking time.

• 2 T butter
• 4 c leeks, chopped
• 1-1/2 c carrots, chopped
• 1-1/2 c celery, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2.5 lbs. chicken thighs
• bouquet garni (several sprigs of parsley, several sprigs of thyme, 2 t black peppercorns tied in cheesecloth)
• 6 c water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oz. baby spinach
• scallions, chopped, for garnished
• lemon wedges

Saute the leeks, garlic, carrots and celery in the butter over medium heat till vegetables are softening, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken and brown it briefly on both sides, 5-6 minutes. Add some salt and pepper.

Add the water and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, till chicken is done, 20-30 minutes.

Add baby spinach to pot. Remove from heat, re-cover and let sit for five minutes.

Adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with scallions and serve with lemon wedges.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

Lunch - 01 August 2011, originally uploaded by essgee51.

We've mostly been repeating recipes, so I haven't been posting variations. This weekend, we once again turned to the trusty Slow Cooker Revolution, halving some parts of the recipe and using a blade roast instead of the asked-for boneless pork picnic shoulder roast (see below).

Turned out really well - richer and meatier for the inclusion of the bone. This one will definitely become a regular.

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 t fresh thyme, minced
• 1/8 c all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c white wine
• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks
• 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks
• 1 blade roast, trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 1 t white wine vinegar

Put oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme. Cook till onions are softened and browning, 8-10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in wine, scraping up any browned bits, till smooth. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Put tomatoes, carrots and parsnips into slow cooker. Season roast with salt and pepper; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook till pork is tender (five hours on high worked fine for me; the book recommends 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 on high).

Transfer roast to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and rest for 20 minutes.

Let braising liquid settle, then remove fat, if you like (we skipped this). Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice roast, spoon sauce over the slices, and serve.

In Progress: Souse Soup

After discovering what a rich broth pig's ears make (a byproduct of this recipe), I wanted to try to make a soup. I started with this recipe, increased the amount of liquid (enough to cover the meat), seeded and removed the ribs from the Scotch bonnet and added whatever spare vegetables I had lying around. Though I had my reservations about midway through the process, it turned out quite good - the broth was rich, and the Scotch bonnet imparted flavor and a gentle, lingering heat. The real surprise was the meat I scraped off the tail bones: succulent, tender and tasty. Will definitely be making this one again.

For future iterations: While the broth is rich and turned pretty flavorful in the end, I'd like to bring some more depth to it - whether by sauteeing the aromatics first, or adding more/different seasoning. I'd also like to add more vegetables to it, besides wilting a handful or two of baby spinach as I reheat bowls of the soup.

• 3 lbs. pig's ears and tails, ears cut into smaller pieces (this iteration used 1 lb. ears, 2 lb. tails)
• 1 pork shoulder bone (byproduct of the bone-in butt we got for the black beans and pork)
• 8 c water, enough to cover
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and ribs removed
• 10 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 heaping T)
• 1 onion, minced (about 1 heaping c)
• 2/3 c celery, diced (about 4 small stalks)
• 2/3 c carrot, diced (about 4 small ones)
• 2/3 c green pepper, diced (1 large)
• 10 oz. mushrooms
• 2 T Goya adobo seasoning
• 1/4 c lime juice (about 2 fat limes)

Put the meat, water, vinegar, hot pepper, garlic and onions in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, till meat is soft and gelatinous, about 2-3 hours.

Chop vegetables and add them to the pot. Cook till they're tender, about 15-25 minutes.

Add adobo seasoning. Stir and wait about five minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and serve over white rice.

Catching Up: Slow-Cooker Navy Bean Stew II

Dinner, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Though we made this last weekend, the rest of this rich, savory stew also served well as soft food for this weekend's recuperation from dental surgery. Based on this variant, but still further simplified - we discovered that we could skip even the fast boil of the beans if we cooked on high for a few hours.

• 1 lb. navy beans
• 1 ham hock, scored
• 1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut in 1 in. pieces
• 1-2 c carrots, cut in 1-2 in. pieces
• 1-2 c celery, cut in 1 in. slices
• 8 oz. mushrooms, stems removed and cut, if large
• 1 onion, sliced
• 5-8 cloves garlic, smashed
• bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
• 6 c liquid (all water, this time)
• salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in the slow cooker (see below).

Cook on high for 3-4 hours, till hock meat is falling off the bone and beans are tender. Adjust seasoning and enjoy.

Lengua Estofada

Lengua was always one of my favorite childhood dishes - my lola used to put extra button mushrooms in it for me. Finally I decided to try my own version of it - not a recreation of the beefy richness I remember, but something to tweak and turn into an occasional indulgence. I started from a recipe in Let's Cook with Nora, and made several changes - most notably trebling the amount of mushrooms (what? I love them). It turned out wonderfully - the meat was tender, the sauce (more of a broth by thickness) rich and tangy but sweet from the carrots and leeks. I may try a more umami-laden version in the future, but this recipe is a keeper.

Since this is the first time I've ever tried this (and since I had an epic, 20-minute battle with the leathery outer coating of the tongue), I've felt obliged to document (and share said documentation of) the process.

• 1 beef tongue (2.6 lbs. or so)
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1-2 T salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
• 1 t peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• 2 carrots, cut into rough chunks
• 3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, including juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup water
• 3-4 cups mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (used a mix of white and cremini)

Here are most of the assembled ingredients.

Rub tongue with salt and vinegar (pre-boiled tongue below - doesn't look very different after this step). Rinse, then boil for 10 minutes.

Scrape off leathery coating on surface. (Mind, this took me 20 minutes with three different knives. It got pretty gnarly in the end, but I triumphed. It probably would have been much easier if I'd boiled the tongue for the whole time first, but I wanted it to braise with the sauce.)

Brown tongue in oil (5-10 minutes.)

Transfer to plate, then brown the onions and the garlic.

Return tongue to pot, then add everything but the mushrooms. (I may try adding less water next time.) Bring to a boil then simmer gently till the tongue is tender (recipes say three hours, it took me more like four).

Slice tongue into pieces and set aside (when I gave John a taste at this point, he said it was just like brisket or pot roast).

Strain sauce (skipped this step). Add mushrooms; turn heat to medium or high and cook for a few minutes, till sauce is reduced and mushrooms are done. Return tongue to pot and warm through. 

Serve with rice and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Quick Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Was feeling poorly, so came home early on Wednesday afternoon. Thankfully, I had just enough energy to make a pot of this quick (about 40 minutes from start to finish, and I'm a very slow prepper) and surprisingly tasty soup. I think the bouquet garni (pictured here) made a big difference, and the parsnips helped as well. At any rate, I lived on this soup (augmented by buttered noodles and a can of potato sticks) through Thursday night, and am convinced it's part of the reason I was well enough to return to work on Friday.

• 5-6 large parsley stems
• 5-6 thyme stems
• 2 t. black peppercorns
• 1-2 T neutral oil (used grapeseed)
• 6-8 small garlic cloves, smashed
• 1-1/2 cup onion, chopped (one large one)
• 1 heaping cup celery, chopped (about 1/2 in.)
• 1 heaping cup carrots, chopped (about 1/2-1 in.)
• 3/4 cup parsnips, chopped (about 1/2-1 in.)
• 1.5 lb. chicken thighs (three huge ones)
• 1 quart chicken stock (store-bought, in this case)
• salt and pepper to taste

Put the parsley, thyme and peppercorn into a cheesecloth pouch and tie the ends together.

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the garlic, onions, celery and carrots till they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook till it begins to color (3-5 minutes), turning once.

Add the stock and the parsnips. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the temperature and simmer till the chicken's done, about 30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning and serve.

Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks and Navy Beans

Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks and Navy Beans, originally uploaded by essgee51.

The slow cooker is my new favorite thing. We prepped and started this last night, went out, came back, slept and woke to this savory, meaty richness. We used this recipe as a jumping-off point. Our version (below) completely filled the cooker (thankfully, I decided to buy only two shanks at the last minute!) and produced at least four cups of spare liquid/fat. Now that we have a solid base recipe, next time, we may try a bit less liquid, more seasoning (it's too rich and savory to be bland, but could perhaps use a bit of zing), some herbs and perhaps more vegetables.

• 1 lb. navy beans, rinsed and picked over
• 2 lamb shanks (about 4 lbs.), cut in thirds
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil (will probably omit this next time - there's more than enough fat in the finished product)
• 1 huge carrot (about 1 lb.), roughly chopped (will add more next time)
• 4 large portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion (about 1 cup), chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups liquid (hot water or stock)
• salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans. We forgot to soak them overnight, so we followed the quick soak method on the bag:

• boil for two minutes
• remove from heat
• cover and let stand for an hour
• rinse.

Boil the beans (in new water) for a half-hour. We may skip this step next time and just adjust slow cooking time accordingly.

Drain the beans and place them in the slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients, then season (we started with about a tsp. of freshly ground black pepper and a tbsp. of salt). Cook on high for an hour (we had to leave, so it was more like half an hour), turn the slow cooker to low, and let cook for 8-10 hours (more like 12 in our case, because we slept in).

Adjust seasoning and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew, originally uploaded by essgee51.

With a Christmas Amazon gift card from John's aunt and uncle, we finally bought a slow cooker!

Our first project, based on this recipe, was a success - the meat was tender, and the sauce was rich, silky and savory in a way that only slow-cooked food can be. Next time, we may experiment with more/different herbs -- and definitely add more mushrooms. Tweaks below.

• 2 tbsp. oil (used peanut this time)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves,chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme (orig. 1/2 tsp. dried, but in an unusual reversal, I didn't have any)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 c. low-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. frozen peas
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the celery, carrots, onion and thyme. Cook till the carrots begin to soften, about 7-10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Cook another 3-5 minutes or so, till the tomato paste starts tasting a bit roasted. Add wine and mustard, then stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook till wine's reduced by about half, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut the roast into 1-1/2 in. cubes. Put the meat and mushrooms in the flour mixture and toss to coat.

Put the meat, mushrooms and any excess flour into the slow cooker. Add the wine and vegetable mixture, and a bay leaf. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook till meat is pierced easily by a fork, 5-6 hours.

Add peas and cook till heated through. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Meatloaf for Dinner!

Meatloaf for Dinner!, originally uploaded by essgee51.

We returned from Eastern Market with a bounty, including the makings of this dinner. The meatloaf recipe is based on Bittman's basic one, with changes (particularly more cheese, garlic and parsley) outlined below. It turned out to be delicious - tasty, juicy and perfect for a warm but still wintery evening. Note: Creates lots of drippings, which I'm sure we can figure out lots of delicious uses for.

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (used panko)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 lbs. meatloaf mix (they were out of pork, so equal parts veal and beef)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 small carrot, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb. bacon (six slices - three in the original)

Preheat oven to 350.

Soak breadcrumbs in milk till liquid is absorbed, around 5 minutes.

Mix together all ingredients except the bacon. Shape meat into a loaf in a baking pan (we used John's cast-iron skillet), then drape the bacon over the loaf. Bake for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, till the meatloaf is firm, lightly browned and 160F.

Optional: put under the broiler for a minute or two to get a browner crust.

Beef Stew a la Bittman

Beef Stew a la Bittman, originally uploaded by essgee51.

While I typically make stew the lazy way, this time I bothered to brown the meat. It made a big difference, and I'll definitely be making the time investment in the future. The stew turned out to be rich, comforting and flavorful, but next time I think I'll use a fattier cut of meat and up the umami quotient (perhaps with Worcestershire or soy sauce, anchovies and/or tomato paste). Recipe, with my modifications, below.

• 2-4 tbsp. neutral oil (used grapeseed - started with 2 tbsp. but had to keep adding more because of the lean meat)
• 2-1/2 lbs. stew beef, in chunks
• 1 clove garlic, crushed + 4-5 cloves (1 heaping tbsp.), chopped
• 2 large onions, cut into eighths
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 3 cups liquid (used 2 cups beef broth from a very good concentrate I found + 1 cup red wine)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 6 small/medium potatoes, cut into 1-2 in. chunks (used Yukon Gold)
• 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-2 in. chunks
• 8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
• 1 10-oz. package frozen peas and pearl onions

Heat large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high for 2-3 minutes;. Add oil, then wait another minute. Add crushed garlic clove, then remove once it begins to turn golden-brown, about a minute.

Brown meat, working in batches and seasoning the meat with salt and pepper as you go. Remove meat and reserve, then drain excess oil if necessary (wasn't in my case, since the beef was very lean).

Lower heat to medium. Cook onions, stirring often, till softened, about 10 minutes.

Add flour and stir till completely incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Return meat to pot. Add liquid, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes undisturbed.

Add carrots, potatoes and mushrooms to pot. Cool till vegetables are tender, anywhere from 30-60 minutes (closer to 60 on my finicky stove). Adjust texture of sauce to taste, adding liquid if you want it soupier and boiling for 5 or so minutes if you want to reduce it.

Add peas, pearl onions, chopped garlic. Simmer for another 10 or so minutes, till peas are warmed up and garlic has infused stew. Adjust seasoning, then serve.

Curried Split Peas and Carrots

Curried Split Peas and Carrots, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Alas, no ham hocks handy, but I still wanted some split pea goodness. Followed a base recipe for Kenyan curried split peas from Extending the Table, added standard mirepoix portions of celery and carrots (my fridge contains a softening surplus of both), and cooked till the peas were mushy. Very good with rice and sausage - sort-of roasting the spices gave it a wonderfully warm tang.

• 1 cup split peas
• 2 tbsp. oil (used olive)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (around 2 cups)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (around 1 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (around 1 cup)
• 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 tbsp.)
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt

Soak the peas or pre-heat if you're into that (I was lazy and didn't). Put the peas in a pot with 3-1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer. Cook till the peas are mushy (recipe claimed 45 minutes with pre-soaked peas, took me more like 1-1/2 hours with unsoaked ones), adding the celery and carrot about halfway through (I like to keep a bit of firmness in both).

Meanwhile, put oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook till they're translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook till it's aromatic, about 1-3 minutes.

Add the curry powder, cumin and salt and stir to coat thoroughly (the bottom of the pan was pretty dry by then, so the spices got semi-toasted, which added a nice pop to the flavors). Cook for another minute or two.

Combine the spice mixture with the peas and stir thoroughly. Adjust seasoning then serve over rice.

Mirepoix Tuna-Tomato Sauce

Mirepoix Tuna-Tomato Sauce, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Testing out Flickr's blogging functionality and documenting this variant of this tuna-tomato sauce staple. Basically added a mirepoix for more vegetal goodness, a dash of cayenne pepper for zing, and a can of tomato sauce for added liquidity.

• 8-10 oz. pasta (used whole wheat penne)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped (about 1 cup in picture)
• 1/4 cup celery, diced (about 1/2 cup in picture)
• 1/4 cup carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup in picture)
• 1 5 oz. can chunk tuna, drained
• 1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 6 oz. can tomato sauce, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne powder, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh herbs for garnish

Prepare pasta according to instructions.

Meanwhile, saute onion, celery and carrot in oil over medium heat till onion begins to soften, 3-5 minutes.

Add tuna and stir to mix thoroughly. Add tomatoes, turn heat to medium-high, then cook till mixture begins to become saucy (10-15 minutes), or less if you're impatient. If it gets dry, add some tomato sauce.

Season with cayenne powder, salt and pepper. When sauce is at desired consistency, remove from heat, adjust seasoning, garnish and serve over pasta.

Mirepoix Tomato Sauce

Alright, not quite, since the proportions of onion, celery and carrot are equal. But it's a quick, simple sauce, straight out of Bittman, and its aromatic sweetness was the perfect counterpoint to the chicken breasts in ancho chile sauce that John made to go with it.

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 28 oz. can tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook till tender, 5-10 minutes.

Crush the tomatoes and add them to the pot, with salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook till the tomatoes break down and the mixture is saucy, about 10-25 minutes.

Serve over pasta or meat.

Roasted, Mashed Vegetables: Potatoes, Carrots and Garlic

Yes, I know it's not a very appetizing picture, but I was grumpy and hungry. And seriously, it tasted great.

I had a couple of teeth extracted last week, and am thankfully past the protein-shakes-and-pudding phase of things. Over the past few days, I've been eating a lot of chicken tinola (may (re)post my current favorite recipe later), mashed potatoes (courtesy of John) and sundry soft food. Yesterday, I found the idea for mashing roasted vegetables somewhere in a wisdom tooth extraction thread on the internet, and decided to try it. Simple, delicious, and definitely something to return to even after my mouth fully heals.

• 2-4 tbsp. olive oil (not sure how much exactly - enough to coat the vegetables when tossed)
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1-1/2 - 2 lb. potatoes, peeled if you want to peel them (I didn't) and chopped
• 1-1/2 head garlic (about 10-12 cloves), peeled
• 6 long sprigs thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine vegetables, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a roasting pan, tossing till the vegetables are evenly coated.

Roast in an oven at 350 till vegetables are tender and easily pierced by a fork (1 - 1-1/2 hours).

Mash with a fork, ricer or whatever, adding butter and milk till desired consistency and richness is reached. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Tonight's Fried Rice

After a two-day hiatus, I decided to close out the work week with another Mr. Bento and get rid of some leftovers. Recipe's vague and of course proportions and ingredients can be not just tweaked but turned topsy-turvy. Love how the scapes add green bean texture and a subtle, garlicky tang to it.

• 3 tbsp. neutral oil (peanut this time)
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic scapes, bulbs and ends removed, chopped
• 3-4 cups old, cold rice, de-clumpified with a fork or your hands
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce, plus more to taste

Put a skillet or wok on medium-high heat; add the oil and wait till it makes things sizzle.

Add onion; cook, stirring, till beginning to turn translucent, about 1-2 min.

Add carrot and scapes; cook, stirring, till they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Add rice. Cook, stirring, till it's heated through. Add soy sauce and stir to mix.

Adjust seasonings, remove from heat and serve (or pack for lunch).

Simple Chicken Soup (Nilagang Manok)

This simple but nourishing soup (pictured at the noon and 3 o'clock marks) served as a light dinner for two people fighting off a bug, a breakfast and three days of lunch. A few splashes of salty, savory fish sauce make it sing, so make sure you have your favorite (nuoc mam, patis, whatever) on hand.

My [vegetable] mise en place, let me show you it

The recipe can vary widely depending on  your mood and what you have on hand (for example, I replaced the traditional cabbage with baby bok choy); the following  is just what went into this particular iteration. I forgot to separate and weigh the potatoes and green beans (which came with a tomato in a farmer's market grab bag), so all measurements are approximate.

• 2-2.5 lbs. chicken thighs (five plump ones in this case)
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and smashed (about 7 fat cloves)
• 3 young onions, sliced, with greens washed and tied together
• 1-1.5 tsp. salt
• 5-6 young potatoes,  quartered
• 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chunked
• 10-12 oz. green beans, sliced
• 6 baby bok choy, stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped
• salt to taste
• patis to taste (I like about a tbsp. per small bowl)

Put the chicken, water, garlic, onions and onion greens in a large pot. Bring to a boil then simmer till chicken's fairly well cooked but not yet done, about 20 mins. Remove greens and discard.

Add salt, potatoes and carrots. Cook till the vegetables start to soften, about 7-10 minutes. Add green beans and bok choy stems; cook till beans are becoming tender, but still have a bite to them (about 5-7 minutes).

Taste and adjust seasoning. Add baby bok choy leaves, cover and remove from heat. Serve with rice and patis on the side.

Caldereta

The dish so nice I packed it twice - pictured here with the rest of today's bento: rice and a spinach-red onion salad with homemade red wine-Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

I was hankering for some home cooking, and so created a riff on this recipe. Alas, the butcher stand was out of goat, but I made do with what was left of the stew lamb and some beef to make up the difference. Turned out wonderfully - rich and umami-filled from the long-simmered meat and soy sauce, tangy from the vinegar and tomato sauce, and just a tad sweet from the vegetables. Next time, I'll probably add another bell pepper, more peas and carrot; I'll also add some garlic during the vegetable sauteing process and remember to use either liver pate or the liverwurst we had in the fridge.

• 2 lbs. stew meat, cubed  (I used 1-1/2 lb. lamb and 1/2 lb. lean beef and cut it into 1 to 1-1/2 in. pieces)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 heaping cup garlic, minced (most of a plump head)
• 2-3 tbsp. oil (I used peanut)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups water or broth
• 1-1/2 medium carrots, chunked (about 1-1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1-1-1/2 lbs. potatoes, chunked (about 3 heaping cups)
• 1 cup peas (frozen were fine)
• 1 small can liver pate (couldn't find any, alas, so skipped this)

Marinate the meat in the soy, vinegar and garlic for at least an hour. Pat the meat dry (forgot to do this) and put in a bowl; reserve the marinade.

Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat briefly, in batches (got about halfway through this and raised a decent amount of fond despite the added moisture from the marinade). Remove from pot and set aside.

Add more oil if necessary. Saute the onion and bell pepper till onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and simmer till slightly reduced, about 3-5 minutes.

Return meat to pot. Add reserved marinade and water or broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, till meat is tender, about 30-40 minutes.

Add carrots, potatoes and peas. Simmer till vegetables are tender, about 30-45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir pate (next time!) into dish. Adjust seasoning and serve over white rice.