‘Tis the Season to be Busy!
I know, I know… I’ve been bad, I haven’t been keeping up with my regular postings but I have an excuse! The office has kept me particularly busy for the past month and normally I would say “come on, give me a break, busy is not an excuse!” The office has not only kept me busy but it has also kept me out of the kitchen since I’ve had to travel to meet with an array of clients and consultants. Keeping me out of my kitchen means that my creative juices aren’t flowing the way they usually do. I’m not thinking about what I am going to cook since it is not something that is on the work-travel agenda.
But here I am, back home with the holidays upon us and not exactly on vacation – yet! This is the last haul until I get to decompress with my love, with nothing on the agenda but rest and our choice of outings at our own pace.
Since we have been so busy for the last while, we kept pushing back our holiday dinner party which was first scheduled for Thanksgiving, then to American Thanksgiving, then to the first day of Hanukkah, to finally the last day of Hanukkah, the weekend before Christmas. So, this coming weekend is when we will be celebrating Chrismukkah! Before I get into the likes of prepping for the holidays, we still need to eat in the meantime: since Sunday was the first weekend day in a long time we had to ourselves, we went ahead and simmered a lamb curry for the week and whilst it simmered we decorated our Chrismukkah tree.
Although it requires a long simmer time, this recipe is so much fun because it is incredibly versatile and one of those make ahead meals that you can eat throughout the week or freeze for another busy day!
Make -it-your-own Curry
- The following ingredient list is what I would recommend as a base to start with:
- 3 tablespoons of curry powder
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 carrots, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 large potato, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 turnip, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- Choice of meat, preferably bone-in (this adds flavor to the curry)
If you’re making a vegetarian version, then just skip ahead to the next point. For the meat lovers out there, you’ll want to begin by searing the meat, which just means cooking it until the sides are brown and then removing it from the pot. There is no need to cook it through entirely since you will be returning the meat to the pot and simmering it for a couple of hours. Lamb is one of my favorite meats, but it is also an expensive meat. For this kind of dish I like using lamb shanks. Not only are they less expensive than say lamb chops, but hey give a lot of flavor and the slow cooking process makes the meat super tender and completely delectable.
Once you’ve removed the meat, drizzle the pot with some oil and sauté the onions and garlic. I took advantage of this dish to use up a yellow pepper from my fridge that was almost forgotten, sliced it in julienne and added it to the pot. When everything begins to brown, add the curry powder and stir to blend well. Add the can of diced tomatoes and an equal part of water. Add the remainder of your veggies, notably the carrots, potatoes and turnips. Feel free to add or omit anything you like or dislike, or even any vegetables that are leftover in your fridge. However, if you are using leftover vegetables that have already been cooked, then I would suggest adding those at the end just before serving simply to heat them through.
At this point give the mix a good stir, add your meat, bring down the heat to low and simmer for approximately two hours. After two hours the meat and all the vegetable should be tender. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, more curry powder and/or cayenne if you like it a bit spicier. You can also add a can of lentils or chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to make for a more consistent dish especially if you’ve chosen to make a vegetarian version.
Your curry is now ready to package for lunches, dinners or to preserve in individual portions in the freezer. Serve hot with naan bread, rice or anything side-dish you’d like!
I hear a lot of people talk about how they do not have time to cook and I can see how that can happen especially if these are people who do not particularly enjoy the act of cooking. However, I’m going to say that although stews, curries, soups and the like do require a long cook time, the prep time rarely exceeds 20 minutes (and that’s if you’re taking your time). After all ingredients are in the pot and simmering, you are free to do anything you want for an hour or two or three! Just don’t venture outside your home, your stove is still on! I usually like to take this time to do household chores. So go ahead and stay in the house for a few hours and do some simmering while busying yourself indoors. You’ll be able to free up any busy weeknight resulting from a long day at the office, your last minute holiday shopping or even for some extra quality time with a certain someone!
The Holliday That Just Keeps on Giving… Leftovers!
After the holidays, come the leftovers! No matter how much we give away to friends and family, we always tend to be left with more food than we know what to do with. Since our family meal just this Saturday, I had turkey sandwiches on Sunday, warmed up risotto, turkey and Brussels sprouts on Monday; another turkey sandwich on Tuesday for lunch, but by then I had to come up with something creative. Following with the theme of leftovers, here is the breakdown of my week of meals:
Tuesday Dinner: Mexican Soup
A few years ago I came up with what I call a “Mexican” soup. I put a few ingredients together but hadn’t really thought it through. Turned out to be souperbe! I tried to recreate it a few times but just couldn’t get the same flavors to mix together just right. Bottom line, it is simply a tomato vegetable soup with a Mexican twist. So here is how it begins:
Content of my fridge: extra leeks, carrots, parsnip, red bell pepper, onions, garlic, turkey meat and broth.
From my pantry: dried ancho pepper, cumin, oregano, coarse corn meal and a can of diced tomatoes (usually I have some type of beans that I would throw into the pot as well, but not this time).
Needed from the store: an avocado.
Cut up your vegetable into even pieces. In a large pot drizzled with olive oil, sauté the chopped garlic, onions and leek. Add the rest of your vegetables, one teaspoon cumin, ½ tablespoon oregano, the dried ancho chili (or any dried chili of your choice) and the can of tomatoes. Stir to mix and add the measure of two cans of broth to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about 30 minutes. At this point the pepper should be soft. You can add about ¼ of a cup of coarse corn meal and let it cook for another 20 minutes until the corn meal has completely swelled up. Right before serving remove the pepper and add your leftover turkey. You can use chicken, beef or no meat at all. Serve hot with pieces of avocado on top. I didn’t quite nail it like I did that first time but I’m starting to think it was simply a figment of my imagination…
Wednesday Lunch: ate out at Pranzetto for a friend’s birthday.
Wednesday Dinner: Turkey Enchiladas with Mole Sauce
Can anyone else other than me sense there’s a theme going on here? I always wanted to try making these at home. With all the leftovers, I had the perfect chance!
Content of my fridge: turkey, squash, onions, mushrooms, cheese and broth.
From my pantry: soft tortillas that I always keep around to make wraps.
Needed from the store: a jar of mole sauce.
Start by cutting the squash into small cubes and then steam until cooked through. In a pan drizzled with olive oil, sauté the onion and mushrooms. Add the turkey to heat through. In a large bowl, combine the onion, mushrooms, turkey, squash and a small handful of shredded cheese. Put some of the mixture in a tortilla, roll up and place seam down in a baking dish. Make as many as you’d like.
For the mole sauce, follow the directions on the jar and pour over the rolled up tortillas. Top with shredded cheese and bake in the oven at 400ºF until barely bubbly. I served this with my leftover mushroom stuffing, candied yams and a simple green salad. Like the recipe above, you can also use chicken, beef or veggies.
Thursday Lunch: Leftover Mexican Soup
Thursday Dinner: Turkey Curry
From the fridge: onion, garlic, cabbage, turkey, pineapple
From the pantry: a can of coconut milk, curry spices
Slice the cabbage into thin shreds, cut the onion in half and slice it, chop the garlic and in a pan drizzled with oil sauté together until barely soft. Add about a tablespoon of the curry powder / spice / paste of your choice and cook for a couple of minutes until the flavours melt into the other ingredients. Chop about ½ of a cup of pineapple and add it to the pan. Add about one cup of the leftover turkey and half of a can of coconut milk. Adjust seasoning with more curry, salt and/or pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes and serve with rice or nan bread. This basic recipe is incredibly versatile: use leftovers or fresh ingredients, use any vegetables you want, any protein you want and any fruit you want (however, I would not recommend harder fruits like apples).
Friday Lunch: Leftover Turkey Enchiladas with Mole Sauce
Friday Dinner: Spaghetti with a Mushroom-Leek Wine Sauce
Well, it’s Friday. Although it has only been a four day work week it definitely was a busy one, well worthy of a bottle of wine that I picked up on my way home to accompany dinner: C’est La Vie, Sauvignon Blanc – don’t you just love the name?
From the fridge: garlic, leek, mushrooms, turkey
From the pantry: spaghetti pasta, Dijon mustard, thyme
Cook the spaghetti until al dente, following the instructions on the box but making sure your water is well salted. Meanwhile, in a large pan drizzled with olive oil, add a square of butter. When melted, add the sliced leek, chopped and mushroom. Season with salt, pepper and a large pinch of thyme; cook until leeks are slightly browned. Add the rest leftover turkey, just enough white wine to covers the vegetables and two heaping spoonfuls of Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and let simmer for a couple of minutes to let the flavors melt into each other. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, with a ladle or two of pasta water. Stir and serve. This was a pretty good first try but the recipe needs a bit of tweaking… more on that later. Suggestions anyone?
Saturday Brunch: Pancetta and Brussels Sprouts Hash Topped with a Fried Egg
From the fridge: pancetta, Brussels sprouts, onion, eggs
From the pantry: potatoes, paprika
Steam or boil a potato and a few Brussels sprouts. Once cooked, cut them into smaller pieces and slice a small onion. Chop the pancetta and sauté in a pan. Once it starts to crisp add the onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Bring down to medium heat and add the potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Season with a pinch of paprika, salt and pepper, allow mixture to brown. In another pan fry an egg to your liking. Serve the hash in a plate and top with the fried egg. It is a great start to the rest of your weekend!
After six days of leftovers, the turkey is finally all gone and none of it went to waste! With the exception of a few carrots and an acorn squash, all the fresh ingredients in my fridge were used up.
I must admit that finding something creative and versatile for Thursday and Friday was more of a challenge than I would have thought, but there you have it, a full week of leftovers with only one trip to the store. Now, it is time for me to head back to the market to fill up my fridge!
Out of my fridge
Food is our common ground, a universal experience – James Beard
Every one’s gotta eat! It’s simple enough, a basic survival instinct. Lucky for us we’re at the top of the food chain and have opposable thumbs at our disposal. Now, it’s time to put them to good use and rekindle that long lost love affair with your knife and skillet. The best meal comes right out my own fridge and is at the core of my daily life. I live for every meal. Yes I love food, I love preparing food, but most importantly I adore the moments that food creates. The moments range from heading to the market on a sunny Saturday, chopping onions with goggles on, taming flare-ups on the bbq, sitting down for a hearty stew on a cold winter day, and perhaps one too many glasses of wine with friends and family. Just as simply, it can be sharing an ingredient, a recipe, a technique that will be passed on from one kitchen to another, and today that is my goal. Together we’ll get a few burns, heal a few scars, create some memories. This is my everyday kitchen and I hope you enjoy it.
