Update four: perfection has been achieved

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 10/28/2019 at 01:25 • Filed to: None

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This is the best thing I’ve made so far today. Easy.

As far as stews go, it’s quite simple. Bunch of s liced carrots, even more chopped fingerling potatoes (red and gold), and a bit over 2 pounds of beef. I splurged on some USDA prime because there was a killer sale.

Sauce has 3/4 pounds of fresh minced garlic (seriously, my fingertips are raw from peeling all of it ) as well as fresh cilantro, rosemary, and parsley. Bit of worchestire sauce, some good beef broth, and a bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce. Oh, and I grated about a quarter of a large onion, reeeeeal fine. I think that’s it? Anyways, it turned out great. Tangy, sweet, with a bit of kick. Meat falls apart on the spoon, taters are basically mashed with a nice piece of skin holding them together, and carrots have soaked up enough spices to make each bite a heavenly experience.

This is my favorite meal I know how to cook. One of the few things that will last me multiple days, and if I’m camping, there’s literally nothing else that improves the experience more than a good hearty stew in a thermos. Not even... BEER. I said it.

Update three:

I decided I didn’t want to bake the ribs, so instead as soon as the stew finishes (two hours) I’ll put the ribs in the crock pot! They’ll be done just in time for breakfast..... Mmmmm

My favorite BBQ sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and chilli powder

I still want to make one more thing tonight, but I’m not sure what. Maybe some kind of cider-based cocktail...

Update two:

*garlic cheese bread, that is. Bit too much parsley, but otherwise it’s bomb. Can you believe I had to go to three different supermarkets just to find parsley? Sheesh. I need a herb garden. Er... A bigger herb garden. All the other spices came from my deck!

Homemade garlic butter, a 90/10 mozzarella/parmesan cheese mix on top, and a healthy dose of herbs and spices. Perfectly baked for that oh-so-magical golden-brown cheese. The bread is a dense, chewy French variety with a thick crust. Notbad.gif

The momo box adds authenticity

Original:

My “hike every weekend of winter” plan got sidelined by the flu, so... Decided to cook today.

Making a beef stew in the crock pot, ribs will likely be baked (God I wish I had two crock pots) and a few pounds of gold potatoes will likely get chunked up and broiled with copious amounts of olive oil and garlic.

That’s not enough though. Ohhhhh no.

Give me some ideas for other things to make. Meats, side dishes, drinks, desserts.... Anything. I’m about to head to the grocery store. I miiiiight even go to the local butcher.....

Here’s what I’m working with.

The aforementioned slow cooker will be occupied all day.

I’ve got a dehydrator.

I’ve got a rice cooker that also steams things quite well.

Electric stove top.

A cast-iron dutch oven that’s never gotten any use outside of camping.

Microwave.

Oster blender from the 80's (they don’t make ‘em like they used to!)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 14:12

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Get some fish.

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2019 at 14:17

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I gagged a little

That said I love bass

vondon302 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2019 at 14:31

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One of skits that made Saturday night live.

vondon302 > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 14:34

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Making lamb shish kafta and homemade hummus currently. 

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2019 at 14:38

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Well I was going to have some sock eye tonight. Guess I'll just out the food processor. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 10/27/2019 at 14:41

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Mix the fish with peas and carrots for a well rounded meal.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2019 at 14:43

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I've got refried beans and some pickles. Close enough. 

gin-san - shitpost specialist > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 14:47

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Baked ribs are still good as long as they get some love under the broiler with some extra applications of sauce.

Get a mix of white/ wild rice and cook it in your choice of stock in the rice cooker (I usually use vegetable or chicken stock, depending on what my main course is); you can also do the same thing with quinoa in the rice cooker.

AestheticsInMotion > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 10/27/2019 at 14:55

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*vomits*

(into the processor) 

AestheticsInMotion > vondon302 10/27/2019 at 14:55

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Mmmm. I've never cooked anything with lamb

vondon302 > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 15:04

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Don't get Australian lamb it tastes gamey to me.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 15:33

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Brazilian flan. It’s the best thing that has ever existed.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/202261/brazilian-style-flan-pudim-de-leite-condensado/

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 16:21

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There’s a place in downtown Redmond called “La Quemada”. Go in, walk to the back-left of the store, order about a half of a pound of arrachera. When they ask you if you want the marinade, say “yes”.

At your local grocery store, get some corn tortillas, an onion, cilantro, a serrano, and a lime. Dice the onions and cilantro, add some salt, then squeeze in some lime. Mix and stick in your fridge. Remove the seeds/white and dice the serrano finely.

Start your grill and get it very hot.

Start a cast iron pan warming over medium-low heat.

Slap the arrachera on the grill (make sure it’s flat with nothing folded/ doubled) . Flip when it starts looking a bit cooked on top. Once fully cooked, lightly tent with foil on a plate.

Lightly spray oil on one side of a corn tortilla, then put in the pan, spinning to ensure it doesn’t sick. Flip immediately and spin again. Toast lightly on both sides. Make as many as the number of tacos you want.

Chop the meat into cubes and place a pile on Each tortilla. Top with the onion/cilantro mix. Add serrano to taste.

Should make at least  6-8 tacos.

Cash Rewards > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 17:32

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We're making our first lasagna since we went gluten free. Results pending

subexpression > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 20:39

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Some of my standard go-tos for cooking are different combinations of meat, bell pepper, and onion. I’ll buy a supply and put half in to fajitas/burritos and half in to Chinese-style pepper steak or chicken. I usually cut all the meat in one go, start the pepper steak, and put the other half of the meat in to marinate for the next meal while I’m waiting on stuff to cook .

InFierority Complex > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 21:33

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AestheticsInMotion > vondon302 10/27/2019 at 22:11

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Hmm. I kinda like gamey

AestheticsInMotion > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 10/27/2019 at 22:12

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I’m, uh.... Not really sure how to say this... But uh... Here goes-

I don't like Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, quesodillas.... Not my cup of tea. 

AestheticsInMotion > subexpression 10/27/2019 at 22:13

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That sounds good. It’s like a different take on my stir-fry, using whatever meat /veggies I’ve got in the fridge

AestheticsInMotion > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/27/2019 at 22:13

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I wish I had made that

AestheticsInMotion > Cash Rewards 10/27/2019 at 22:13

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Keep us posted. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 22:27

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I’ve got one in the oven currently because  I’ve now been thinking about it all day.

Nick Has an Exocet > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 22:50

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I made my own raisins the other day. 0/10 don’t recommend. They are exactly the same as store bought raisins. They are a 2 /10 if you eat them hot out of the oven or de hydrator.

Dutch oven : If you’re alone (you will eat too many and there will be windy aftermath) , make homemade baked beans. You need to soak the dry beans overnight then cook the beans nearly all day the next day but you can do a TON of freelancing on style. Beans are beans so how they taste depends on what you put in. My grandmother was a double dose of molasses, lots of salt pork (BUTCHER REQUIRED - you can substitute with unsmoked bacon but it’s not the same ) , onions, and sugar (boston baked). I love to make some spicy ass bbq baked beans (you add all the ingredients of a bbq sauce and it slowcooks itself into a sauce). I bet you could even do a sticky sweet ginger asian bbq beans if you wanted to.

If you find cheap tomatoes, it’s a nice time of the year to make a tomato bisque. The skins and seeds get put into the blender until they are basically a pulp then added back into the tomato broth to form a bisque. If you have your own fresh basil, this is a win through and through.

If you’ve never made crepes, that’s worth a go. Can do savory and sweet.

It’s not special but qu inoa salads are great. Fruit and berries and nuts!

AestheticsInMotion > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/27/2019 at 23:03

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Keep us posted 

AestheticsInMotion > Nick Has an Exocet 10/27/2019 at 23:04

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Lol, I too tried making raisins once and came to the exact same conclusion.

I haven’t done crepes since home ec. In junior high . Might have to give that a try next weekend.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 23:23

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Looks good, I made chili in the instant pot.  It was awesome except for the distinct lack of beer drinking while making chili time compared to a slow cooker or stovetop.

AestheticsInMotion > Phyrxes once again has a wagon! 10/27/2019 at 23:31

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The pre-food drinking is the best part. Makes the main course that much better. I’m on number two-

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > AestheticsInMotion 10/27/2019 at 23:39

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It was chop everything and prep it. Brown diced bacon , remove said bacon (its going back in later, don’t worry) , cook onions and peppers, brown beef (drain), dump everything back in and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.  Start to finish I think it was done in under an hour and a half and a good half of that was hands off when it was building pressure and cooking.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 10/28/2019 at 00:30

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That’s sad, but I can accept that.

I s it due to suffering through A mericanized stuff?

Americans ruin it all, from taco “shells” to using crap cheese in quesadillas. B urritos up here are hot garbage because they’re all Mission-style ( San Francisco ruins every cuisine it touches ).

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 10/28/2019 at 01:34

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It’s not quite there yet, but it’s approaching the winter when it’s leek season, so here’s my very vague recipe for my famous Cock-A-Leekie soup:

Leeks, sliced into 1/3” wide pieces (if it’s a smaller leek, cut in half; if it’s a bigger one, quarter before slicing). Use the green bits, too, as long as they’re not the woody leaves. Scots are notoriously frugal, so be frugal. Rinse them thoroughly to get all the dirt out. You’ll need a lot more leeks than you think you’ll need.

Carrots, quartered and chopped into similar-width chunks.

Chicken (preferably unmolested with salt injections), cubed into spoon-suitable pieces.

Parsley, chopped finely.

Pearl barley, rinsed thoroughly.

Chicken broth.

Assembly:

Fill a pot to about 4“ deep with leek slices.

Add in quarters on top of the leeks:
- Enough carrot so they can’t be seen though.
- About the same volume of pearl barley.
- About twice the volume of chopped parsley.
- Similar volume of cubed chicken to the parsley.

Fill with chicken broth to above the top of the ingredients.

Grind pepper into it to taste (you can add more later).

Mix and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gently rolling boil.

Skim off the white stuff that collects on the surface and discard.

Cook for about an hour or until the barley is fully cooked, whichever comes first.

This stuff has a funny story:

Years ago, I brought some to a potluck wedding and nobody was touching it because we were told to make signs and not only is the name “Cock-A-Leekie Soup” unappetizing, but I added “(Scottish Chicken and Leek Soup)” underneath since I was worried the real name might scare people . People are afraid of Scottish food for some reason, so this didn’t help ...

So I was sitting there near a table of boys. The boys were talking w hen they decided to dared the youngest at their table to eat the soup . The probably 5 year old boy was not going to be seen as weak, so he got himself a bowl of it and came back to the table. The other kids stared as he wrinkled his nose and took a bite. He gulped it down and then took another bite . He claims it’s good and the jaws of the other boys drop. They then go to try it. The adults were still avoiding it like the plague, but word spread among the kids and they ate every last bit of the huge pot of it that I made . Parents that hadn’t tried it started searching for me to get the recipe because it was about the healthiest thing they’d ever seen their kids eat willingly. One parent was deeply shocked because her kid that “doesn’t eat anything green” happily ate multiple bowls of it.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 10/28/2019 at 01:41

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Crepes are fabulous and easy to make. Just don’t try to make them with gluten-free flour or on a propane ( ?) stove, because that was a memorable failure.

nerd_racing > Phyrxes once again has a wagon! 10/28/2019 at 09:06

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I made chicken white chili on the stovetop Friday.  I too lacked the beer drinking.  

Snuze: Needs another Swede > AestheticsInMotion 10/28/2019 at 10:07

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3/4 pound of garlic? Are you sure you didn’t mean 3/4 cup? I mean, look, I LOVE garlic. I married an Italian-American, and sometimes I think her food could use more garlic. I love it that much. But 3/4 pound seems excessive even by my standards.

Or was that just the flu/pre-food drink talking?

Anyways, all your food looks delicious! 

just-a-scratch > Nick Has an Exocet 10/28/2019 at 10:26

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FYI many times dry beans take too long to cook because the pH is to low. Put a little baking soda in with them and wait to add anything acidic until the beans have softened. Mine are usually too soft after a 4 hour cook this way, no pre-soak btw.

Nick Has an Exocet > just-a-scratch 10/28/2019 at 12:53

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Yeah, I usually soak overnight then boil I'm water with baking soda before cooking them.

Cash Rewards > AestheticsInMotion 10/28/2019 at 13:05

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Not bad. Barilla has put out a gluten free pasta that really is very good. Added extra sauce to make up for the different absorption, and it was good. Not the best. But my daughter with celiac liked it, so it's a win

just-a-scratch > Nick Has an Exocet 10/28/2019 at 13:13

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S alt helps too, but you probably know that.