Category Archives: At Home
Weedin!
Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce
Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
⅓ cup chicken broth
½ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup sliced red bell pepper
¼ cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Method
1. On a plate, combine the flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to distribute the spices. Coat the pork chops with the flour mixture, and shake off any excess.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the pork chops in the hot skillet, and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
3. While the pork chops cook, stir together the chicken broth, coconut milk, peanut butter, honey, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove the pork chops to a serving platter, and keep warm.
4. Pour the peanut sauce into the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Pour peanut sauce over the chops, and garnish with green onion, bell pepper, peanuts and cilantro.
Prep
• Prep: 7 Minutes
• Cook: 10 Minutes
• Total Time: 17 Minutes
Source: AllRecipes.com (4 servings)
Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad
Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
5 medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
¼ red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 Kirby cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
A generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
2 splashes red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and black pepper
Method
1. Dress the tomatoes, onions, and cucumber with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Let stand while you prepare dinner, about 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve salad with crusty bread for mopping up juices and oil.
Prep
• Total Time: 5 Minutes
Source: FoodNetwork.com, Rachel Ray (4 servings)
Sampler Society, Flower Block #2
My Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits
My Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, (280 grams)
2 teaspoons sugar, (10 – 20 grams)up to 1 1/2 tablespoons to taste (see note above)
1 tablespoon baking powder, (15 grams)
¾ teaspoon table salt, (5 grams)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, (125 grams), cut into small chunks
¾ cup buttermilk, (175 ml)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together.
2. To form biscuit rounds: Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (err on the thin side if uncertain, as the tall ones will literally rise and then tip over, like mine did the day I photographed these). Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for the monstrous ones shown above), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart.
3. To drop biscuits: Drop 1/4-cup spoonfuls onto baking sheet, spacing two inches apart.
4. Both methods:Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve warm, with butter/jam/eggs/bacon/sausage and gravy or any combination thereof. Happy weekend!
Notes
Adapted from Dot’s Diner in Boulder via Bon Appetit
These can be adapted in a lot of ways. You can use (unleavened) cake flour for a more delicate biscuit, add herbs or a little grated cheese for a different flavor profile, and the sugar can be dialed up or down (the original calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons, but I use as little as 2 teaspoons when I want a savory biscuit). You can make your own buttermilk (like so) or whisk together yogurt or sour cream and milk for a similar effect. They can be dropped from a spoon or cut into shapes.
The original recipe has a larger yield (12 standard), but for our weekend needs, but I’ve taken to scaling it to 3/4 of its original volume (shown below), which will yield 6 very large breakfast biscuits (think: egg sandwich, and then invite me over, please) or 9 standard ones, the kind you’d serve alongside other things (although they will totally, unapologetically hog the spotlight).
Do ahead: Biscuits are best freshly baked. When I want to plan ahead, I make the biscuit dough and form the individual biscuits, then freeze them until needed. They can be baked directly from the freezer, will just need a couple more minutes baking time.
Source: Smitten Kitchen (24 servings | 24 two-inch biscuits)
Darn It!
I darned for the first time ever – this made the machine purchase worth it!
Time for new glasses!
Barramundi and Lemon Butter
Michael did a great job cooking dinner tonight since my shoulder is still down and out. As if the past week wasn’t bad enough with a seroma (fluid sac) showing up under my scar, I fell on my shoulder yesterday!
Barramundi and Lemon Butter
Ingredients
24 ounces Barramundi fillets, approximately 4
2 teaspoons olive oil, or canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or bottled lemon juice
5 leaves fresh basil, minced, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
Method
1. Gently saute the garlic in butter for about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lemon juice and basil.
3. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat.
4. Coat fillets with olive or canola oil.
5. Pan fry one side on high heat for 3 minutes. Flip and cook other side 1-2 more minutes or until fish is cooked through.
6. Transfer to serving dish. Spoon sauce over fillets.
7. To plate, serve on a bed of mashed potatoes or greens, and add chopped fresh tomatoes for color.
Prep
• Prep: 10 Minutes
• Cook: 10 Minutes
(4 servings)
Baked Rigatoni with Beef
Baked Rigatoni with Beef
Rigatoni is a great family weeknight meal. Slightly undercook the pasta for this classic hamburger casserole because it cooks again in the oven.
Ingredients
4 cups your favorite pasta sauce, or Tomato Sauce recipe
1 lb. 90% lean ground beef, or ground round
2 ½ cups uncooked rigatoni
1 ½ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Method
1. Prepare Tomato Sauce recipe or use your favorite pasta sauce.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Drain well. Combine beef, rigatoni, Tomato Sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Source: adapted from MyRecipes.com (8 servings | 1 cup per serving)




