What Did You Eat?

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

I'm not sure why this is named Minnesota wild rice soup.  The fact that the best wild rice, in my opinion, is produced there might be a clue.  I loved the taste of the wild rice in this soup and the way it stayed whole and chewy, even after the soup was reheated several times.  A simple recipe, it can be made very quickly if you have a fast chopping hand. I'm a slow chopper but didn't want to use a food processor.  I like uniform pieces of vegetables in my soup, so I gladly spent time chopping  carrots, leeks, and celery on Sunday, as I watched part of While You Were Sleeping for the umpteenth time. 

Alarm bells will go off for many people when they see the cream in the recipe.  I didn't use the full amount, and it tasted quite rich.  I normally drink skim or 1% milk, so just a small amount of cream feels quite decadent to my taste buds.  This would make a lovely soup for guests, where I would probably use the whole amount of cream.  After-all, what better honor than loading up your friends' arteries with lots of butter and cream?  But, this was not a fancy occasion, as you might surmise from the chipped serving bowl in the picture.

WHB: Butternut Squash Gratin With Persillade And Lamb Shanks

Recently my friend Nancy gave me a beautiful butternut squash, grown on a local organic farm.  Butternut squash, which is a fruit, is one of the power foods, full of fiber, vitamins, and beta-carotene.  But, all too often these good qualities are smothered in recipes calling for cream, butter and sugar.  This simple recipe contains the squash, garlic, parsley, a bit of flour, and olive oil.  It cooks slowly, forming a crispy crust, with juicy cubes of squash underneath.  Besides being healthy, this recipe lets the squash flavor shine through.  My husband and I both found it quite delicious. 

Served along side the squash were fork tender lamb shanks, made from Kevin's excellent recipe at Seriously Good.   

WCB: Valentine's Day?

This week Kashim and Othello at The Catboys Realm are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging--and It's a Valentine's Day Theme.  That's a great idea, but no one bought me a box of tuna candy or gave me a bouquet of catnip.  Poor me.  Go over to Kashim and Othello's site this weekend. I bet they have all kinds of neat Valentine's Day stuff. 

Here's a group that also won't get valentines, but they don't care.

 

PPN: Prawns And Coconut Laksa With Vermicelli

This is one of those recipes that can be very hot, or mild, depending on how many chilies you add.  I'm feeling quite pro-chili right now. My sciatica acted up recently, making it unpleasant to sit or lie down.  If I do either, a searing pain flashes in my hips when I walk, accompanied by me yelling a long string of obscenities.  However, my foul mouth has been silenced (for now).  I used a capsicum patch last night, containing capsaicin, the chemical found in chili peppers that causes the burning sensation when you eat the hot varieties.  When applied topically, capsaicin overwhelms neurons , making them unable to report pain for an extended period of time. It doesn't work on every type of neuron, but the capsicum patch vanquished my pain all night long.  Yes, it felt like a hot heating pad was strapped to my back, but better that than a sciatic nerve making sleep impossible.  I've always loved chilies, but now they've assumed superhero status for me.

Recovering From Nachos.......

There were a lot of records set for this year's Super Bowl.  It was the most watched, and so forth. I also set a personal record--for the most nachos consumed in one day.  It was just about the only thing we ate here, all day long. There was no dinner or lunch, just nacho after nacho until I felt like I would explode.  I convinced myself that it was a balanced meal.  Look at the veggies, provided by the pico de gillo, the protein from the cheese and refried beans. And the chips were made from stone ground corn, which automatically reduces the calories to almost nothing. That's what I believe and don't try to enlighten me.

Corn Pancakes, With Broccoli, Carrots, And Basil

My grandmother raised chickens when I was a child.  She had a chicken coop, which most of her chickens scorned in favor of nests they made in various parts of the property. I remember that some of the chickens nested in the branches of a huge oak tree, leaving me a lasting memory of watching baby chicks running back and forth overhead on the limbs of the tree.  My grandmother let me gather eggs, a nerve wracking experience, because the older hens had no respect for me, and would peck my hands as I picked up the eggs.  But, no bad tempered hens were going to deny me a delicious egg. 

Why am I going on and on about eggs, when the post is about corn pancakes?  Because eggs will always save the day. Yesterday, I had meager provisions in my fridge and pantry. No meat or fish, and very little pasta, beans, or vegetables.  But, I had eggs, some veggie odds and ends, and frozen corn.  The result was delicious whole wheat pancakes filled with corn, broccoli, onions, and basil.  It all started when I saw the eggs in the fridge.

And to guild the lily, I put a fried egg on top of the pancake. Perfect.

WCB: Fish Tales

Certain people were told that I didn't want this picture of me to see the light of day.  Clearly, this in no way captures how I normally look.   I had just finished eating a yummy piece of fancy fish mom got in the mail. Isn't that amazing? Fish coming in the mail!  Anyway, the paparazzi caught me at a bad moment.

Kona Kampachi With Thai Red Curry Sauce, Cabbage Salad, And Jasmine Rice

For my last two meals made with the remaining kona kampachi, I chose two of my favorite recipes.  Both dishes are pleasing to the eye, and quick to make.  The first uses a sauce made from Thai curry paste, with a tangy slaw of cabbage, cucumbers, mint, and cilantro resting on top of the fish.  The contrasting textures and  flavors make this a memorable dish.  I've made it before with salmon, and it worked very well here using the kona kampachi.