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What's everyone cooking this week? 2

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby ZeroCook » Fri Jan 29, 2021 4:04 pm

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Garbure Gasconne last night - hearty French country vegetable soup stew with smoked turkey bits instead of duck confit for a wintery supper and good way to use up veg. I sub a fair bit like adding covolo if no savoy cabbage or parsnips for turnips etc.
https://www.saveur.com/hearty-vegetable ... ge-recipe/

Cochiniti Pibil. Good looking recipe OMCO. Mex classic. Brings to mind Carne Adovada, which I haven't done for a while. Kinda sorta similar as it invokes slow roasting a chile vinegar spice paste marinated chunk of pork.

You can find plantain/ banana leaves quite easily in many Asian and African supermarkets and food shops in the UK KDKA.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby WWordsworth » Fri Jan 29, 2021 6:17 pm

Sausages and mash tonight, proper ones from the farm shop.
Served with sautéed brussels tops from the garden.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Fri Jan 29, 2021 9:29 pm

Alas we didn’t have plantain leaves! We had to make do by loosely covering with boring old tin foil :D

We ordered fish and chips from the pub this evening and it was utterly delicious. Really tasty fish.

I have plans for burgers this weekend so I will check out the recent burger thread.

I’m also making a lemon and blueberry iced loaf cake with DD which we’re having with lemon curd and more blueberries.

Probably veg soup over the weekend too.

Your French soup stew looks/sounds great ZC.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Fri Jan 29, 2021 9:32 pm

https://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipe ... il-recipe/

I found an online version of the recipe we used which has more exact measurements than my post!

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Jan 30, 2021 12:27 pm

I’ve not done much interesting cooking recently, though I did make a spiced roasted butternut squash soup finished with shredded spinach, the interesting part was inventing a spice mix without any cumin or coriander, I used mainly ground ginger and cardamom with touches of chipotle and allspice, a nice mix but the ginger was a bit hotter than I expected

You can buy prepared frozen squares of banana leaf at Asian supermarkets, about £5 for a kilo but I’ve a nasty feeling that like a lot of the things that come out of those freezers they are all in one lump and not separated. Worth it for a BBQ maybe

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby KeenCook2 » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:57 pm

We're having this tonight: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bee ... beef-stew/

This recipe doesn't brown the meat before adding all the stock etc. When I first read the recipe somewhere JO said he had been converted to not browning the meat before cooking as he tried it both browning and not and not was a better result.
It's a lot less faff so we've been happy to take over the method!

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Earthmaiden » Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:10 pm

My mother never browned meat and made lovely stews and casseroles. I've had the Malliard effect drilled into me so much and the brown 'pickings' always look so good but I do sometimes wonder how much difference it really makes. I suppose it is just a factor that when added to others makes a little difference to the sum of all factors.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:26 pm

I need to try making some more unbrowned dishes, I think that the BBC article on parosmia made it clear that the Maillard reaction introduces flavours that aren't very good for sufferers

I certainly prefer the SE Asian method of making a chicken or pork curry (eg Thai red curry) in which the meat is not browned, but allowed to soften and soak up the aromas of the sauce

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby ZeroCook » Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:17 pm

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Thanks for the link OMCO.

I make a lot of stews and dishes without browning the meat. Prefer not browning. Depends on the dish of course.

Abundance of plantain leaves in Peckham - all things African, South Asian, East Asian and Caribbean and much more. Great food market and shops.

General Tso Tofu last night. Decided to try the Omnivores Cookbook recipe pretty much as given. Big thumbs up. Used Chinese cabbage and covolo that needed using for the veg. OC and Maggie Zhu is one of my go to Chinese recipe sites. And I made some Sichuan chili oil too. Highly recommended.
https://omnivorescookbook.com/general-tso-tofu/

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:30 pm

ZeroCook wrote:Abundance of plantain leaves in Peckham - all things African, South Asian, East Asian and Caribbean and much more. Great food market and shops.


Many fresh "exotic" foods are in very short supply here as there are no flights in lockdown - banana/plantain leaves might be an exception as presumably they come in on the banana boats, but I did check and fresh not currently available on line
Also, we are in lockdown, markets not really a thing currently

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby WWordsworth » Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:42 pm

I have made a leek and smoked cheese pithivier for tonight but I'm not sure what to serve with it.
I thought just a salad but J wants a few wedges "as the oven is on anyway"

Can't really fault his logic I suppose.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby herbidacious » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:04 pm

Melanzane parmigiana tonight but a cheaty version. (A really good bought tomato 'mother' sauce.)

I have not been cooking much lately and I suspect won't be in the near future as the diet is starting very soon. (I know I keep saying that, but I am close :? I think it's going to be harder than in the past. More to lose, and I have got used to eating more.)
However I intend to make okonomiyaki in the coming week. Maybe tomorrow. Primarily because I spotted and bought some okonomiyaki sauce in Sainsbury's yesterday :? (First time I have been in there since November, I think.)

Lunch today, in the interests of moving towards dieting, was going to be tinned parsnip and truffle soup. (You have to try these things...) It couldn’t detect any truffle flavour in it when I tasted it while warming. Indeed it didn’t taste of anything much at all, really. But there were some funny, entirely tasteless bits in it with an unfamiliar texture, so I grabbed the tin out of the recycling box. Turns out it was parsnip, truffle and bacon soup.

Ended up having scrambled egg instead (with a dollop of creme fraiche.) Then husband said he really felt like some porridge, so had that for 'afters’... with clotted cream and demerara… Yep, made and ate the most calorific versions possible of potential diet food. And then I ate chocolate :( No breakfast though... :?


Husband is making sausage rolls right now :o

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:05 am

We had Spanish pollo al ajillo tonight. 2 whole bulbs of garlic used along with half a bottle of white wine. The slow cooking did mellow the garlic out a lot but I’m glad we’re not seeing anyone up close tomorrow :D

We had it with salad and crusty bread.

We’re having burgers tomorrow evening and we’ve opted for topping them with gruyere and caramelised onions and a cornichon or two. I can’t decide between skinny fries or fat skin on wedges as an accompaniment. Definitely a green salad.

Lunch will be the veg drawer soup we made a couple of days ago.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby ZeroCook » Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:55 am

Stokey Sue wrote:Many fresh "exotic" foods are in very short supply here as there are no flights in lockdown - banana/plantain leaves might be an exception as presumably they come in on the banana boats, but I did check and fresh not currently available on line
Also, we are in lockdown, markets not really a thing currently
Of course, Stokey. Same all over. Was an 'in general' comment. Don't go to supermarkets let alone anywhere else much at the moment. :?

Wow, that's a big whack of garlic OMCO :D Love pollo al ajillo - haven't had that for ages, too. Not since I was last in Spain. Good menu inspirations from your way :D

Will make Claudia Roden's sweet potato salad that KC2 did a while back as I have some sweet potatoes winking at me from their perch and I'm going make some harissa for it, too - KDKA's from the harissa thread with a possible nod to Clifford White ... well must be good if you inhaled it in one day KDKA :lol:

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby herbidacious » Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:00 am

Are you in Peckham, ZeroCook? That's a stone's throw from me.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby karadekoolaid » Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:03 am

Ta, ZC - hope you enjoy it!
I´d probably put harissa on my cornflakes. If I actually ate cornflakes. :gonzo :gonzo

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby KeenCook2 » Sun Jan 31, 2021 3:51 pm

herbidacious wrote:Are you in Peckham, ZeroCook? That's a stone's throw from me.


I'm a little bit confused, ZC, have you moved back here from the USA? Isn't that why you were called AZCook? And so is that why you've renamed yourself? sorry to be so thick :oops: :oops:

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby ZeroCook » Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:59 am

herbidacious wrote:Are you in Peckham, ZeroCook? That's a stone's throw from me.
No Hebidacious. N. London when I'm in town. Peckham, Camberwell and SE is Neph and niece's neck of the woods. I go there a fair bit when in London - in normal times that is, and not at all since the pandemic, of course. KC2 - locked down in AZ and not able to globetrot until this @$%$%&^*& thing gets sorted, polyped that I am.


Finally made the Claudia Roden sweet potato salad as well as a beetroot, goat cheese and blood orange salad which accompanied Moroccan kefta from Nargisse Benkabbou which was good.

Made the harissa KDKA - very tasty but I think the chiles were pretty h-h-h-hot! :lol: I looked again at Clifford White's - or a version of - has dried mint in it. And another version used fresh red peppers ...

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Kacey » Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:39 am

Saturday was Ottolenghi's Spicy Mushroom Lasagne, las night was Mattar Paneer, Spicy & Sour Okra with dal and rice. Plans for the week so far - spinach & pasta tonight, just found some black beans in the freezer so might make refried beans to have with burritos, salsa etc. Will have bangers and mash one night as its OH's favourite weeknight meal.

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Re: What's everyone cooking this week? 2

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:35 pm

ZeroCook wrote:General Tso Tofu last night. Decided to try the Omnivores Cookbook recipe pretty much as given. Big thumbs up. Used Chinese cabbage and covolo that needed using for the veg. OC and Maggie Zhu is one of my go to Chinese recipe sites. And I made some Sichuan chili oil too. Highly recommended.
https://omnivorescookbook.com/general-tso-tofu/


Having a block of tofu to use I thought I’d make General Tso’s tofu. I fried the tofu as directed in that recipe and several others on the internet but I used Fuchsia Dunlop’s recipe for the sauce, which is rather different - I used more water and didn’t add any starch to the sauce. Aas the tomato purée and the tofu coating were enough
https://www.thedailymeal.com/general-ts ... ken-recipe
I served with rice, half a miso baked aubergine and some steamed tenderstem broccoli

Leftovers for later

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