jeff-and-lisa

Best Christmas Ever

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:16:49 +0100

This has been the most meaningful and special Christmas for our family. It was Natasha's first Christmas and Alex was three years old, so it was very fun.

All week Alex would ask if it was Christmas yet. A few days before Christmas we participated in a friend's annual Las Posadas celebration.

We re-enacted the journey of Joseph and Mary and it was so special to watch the children as we went door to door to see if there was room at the Inn.

Once we arrived at the manger scene, we read about the birth of Jesus and sang Christmas carols.

I felt like we were living a Christmas movie as the children played and the adults talked and ate delicious food.

It was the best way to start the holiday weekend. The morning of Christmas Eve, my parents came and Alex was ecstatic to see them after waiting all week. About three times a day he'd ask me, "Nana and Grandpa come from the skyscraper and drive in the car and we can open presents?" (They live in a highrise which he calls the skyscraper). He literally jumped up and down for joy at seeing them.

He had a great time visiting with them and for his nap had to sleep in his new Buzz Lightyear tent with his new Woody toy.

After a wonderful Christmas Eve service, we took the kids around to some of the best decorated houses in the neighborhood. For about an hour, Alex kept saying, "It's Christmas time. Let's see more Christmas lights. Do you see the Christmas lights?!" Christmas morning was lots of fun as we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and opened presents.

We spent the day in our pajamas and played with all the new games, like Candyland and Hungry Hippos.

It was sweet to remember that not only was this Natasha's first Christmas but it was the last time we'd celebrate Christmas while she was just a baby.

Next year she'll be a toddler and that Christmas experience will be different than this one. For now, I'll enjoy this one as the most special Christmas we've had so far.

Herb Chicken and Potatoes

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 05:00:40 +0100

This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home. Their recipe calls for rosemary, thyme and russet potatoes. I used red potatoes and a turkey herb mixture. It lends itself well to flexibility. I'll be sharing what I did.

I used a free range chicken and it was delicious. My husband couldn't believe how moist and tender the chicken was the day after when we ate the leftovers. And my normally vegetarian 3 year old scarfed down two legs and a thigh. We might be making this dish more often!

Ingredients:
1 chicken, about 3 1/2 lbs (giblets removed)
1 lemon, halved
8 small red potatoes (or 4 russet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3-inch cubes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc.)
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and ground pepper

You can also add large chunks of carrot and small whole cipollini onions to the pan along with the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Trim any visible fat from the chicken and pat it dry.

Rub the chicken inside and out with the cut sides of the lemon halves. I squeezed the juice from it a little before rubbing the lemon. Place the lemon halves inside the body cavity along with some mixed herbs. Truss the chicken.

Place the chicken on its side in a roasting pan and surround with the potatoes.

In a small pan, melt the butter and stir in the oil. Brush the butter mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes and then sprinkle with the dried herbs.

Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the bird so it rests on its opposite side. Add the broth to the pan and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Roast for another 30 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side up, baste with the pan juices, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh away from the bone registers 170*F, 20-30 minutes longer. (My bird took twice as long to cook most likely because of my inefficient oven and the larger size of my bird).

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and surround with the potatoes. Tent with aluminum foil (I tented it and let it cook longer in the oven because it wasn't finished cooking) and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve the pan juices in a warmed bowl on the side.

Makes 4 servings. Prep time: 30 minutes.

Coq au Vin

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:44:39 +0100

Coq au Vin: The classic French dish the dutch oven was meant to make. I had so much fun repurposing the dutch oven to prep all the different elements. I loved that I was frying, sauteeing, soaking and baking in one pot. The smells that wafted up from the dutch oven throughout the prep were unlike anything that's come from my kitchen before. I could have just lingered there in between each step if I wasn't concerned with finishing before naptime for the kids!

I was thrown back to my travels through the French countryside with a friend and her dad as I made the bouquet garni. What's that, you ask? I had no idea either! But it's beautiful and so fragrant. In this instance, it's an assortment of fresh herbs and a leek tied together.

As it turns out, I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish until my husband was on his second serving.

Coq au Vin
by Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 bottle (750ml) Pinot Noir
5 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 leek (cut lengthwise)
6 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 1/4 lb. whole chicken legs (I couldn't find these in my local markets so just purchased legs and thighs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. small button mushrooms
3/4 lb. shallots, halved
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. I didn't do this until I started the mushrooms.

In a large saucepan over high heat, boil the wine until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Place the parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and bay leaf against the cut side of the halved leek and tie with kitchen twine. Set aside.

In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat from the pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown the chicken, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the garlic, tomato paste and flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the reduced wine and the broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add the bacon, chicken, mushroom mixture, carrots and bouquet garni. Cover, transfer to the oven and bake until the chicken is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Skim the fat off the sauce, set the pot over medium-high heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Discard the bouquet garni. Return the chicken to the pot. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Canal House Cooking, Vol. 2, by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton.

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:11:36 +0100

I received this recipe via email from a dear friend and was instantly drawn to it for three reasons:

1. I love tortilla soups of almost any kind

2. She has three boys and is pregnant so probably doesn't have tons of time for cooking which means it's totally feasible for me to attempt making it and

3. You can use frozen chicken, which means you don't have to plan ahead a few days and defrost your chicken.

Although the recipe calls for four breasts, I happened to have two gigantic (read: 1 lb each) free range chicken breasts. I was glad I stopped there because there was plenty of chicken in the soup. I didn't have any boneless breasts in my freezer so that may have altered my decision as well since those tend to be on the smaller side. For the salsa, I had a HUGE bottle so I measured out about 18-20 oz. This soup is so easy to make and the prep is really fast. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take pictures.

My husband loved this dish, as did I.

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

adapted from Melinda Hurley

4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 jar of salsa (level of salsa heat will determine soup flavor)
1 box (or 2 cans) of chicken broth
Chili powder and cumin to to taste

Put 4 chicken breasts in the crock pot with a jar of salsa, a can of corn and a can of black beans (don't drain the cans-put it all in the crockpot.)

If chicken is frozen put it on HIGH 4 hours. If defrosted put it on LOW for 4 hours.

After 4 hours take out the chicken and shred or cut it. Put it back in the pot. Add about 1 box of chicken broth (I add whatever it takes to pretty much fill the crockpot- cans or box) Add a little chili powder and cumin.

Cook on LOW for 2-4 hours...really as long as you need to til dinner.

Top with chips, sour cream, avocado, cheese, etc. (I also added cilantro) Enjoy!

Chili con Carne

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:00:29 +0100

Recently I've been on this cooking-different-foods journey and basically teaching myself proper cooking techniques. My husband appreciates the time I'm putting towards it and it provides me with an opportunity to learn something new, which has been somewhat missing since I changed careers once my son was born. I've also been inspired by my dear friend/cousin's cooking website TheRedBirdLife.com. (My pictures are taken with a little point and click camera so they barely get the job done but you'll get the idea).

This was the first recipe I wanted to try once I owned a dutch oven. I even bought the meat about 6 weeks prior in anticipation of making this dish. It was every bit of delicious I was hoping it would be.

Again, I was able to get grass fed beef and it was incredible to have beef chuck just melt in your mouth as you ate it. Preparing the beef chuck and browning the meat were the most time consuming parts about this dish. After trimming the fat, I ended up with about a pound more than required but I wouldn't change that. The main ingredient in this dish is the meat.

Note about chile peppers: I could only find two of the three requested chiles. I removed the seeds and ribs as they mention you may want to do if you "prefer mild chili." I don't prefer mild chili. I love spicy foods but since this was my first time trying this dish and its whole point is that it's supposed to be spicy, I wasn't taking any chances. SO GLAD I didn't take any chances. This was spicy. I can't imagine the experience had I left the seeds intact and used the third pepper. I was already downing water and milk with this meal. And I was thankful for the sour cream dollop. Also, WEAR LATEX GLOVES when handling these peppers. They recommended it but I foolishly disregarded this memo because I didn't have any. My hands were on fire for hours. Ouch.

I left out the red bell pepper at the last minute for personal reasons. Not my favorite of flavors and my husband strongly cautioned me against including it. Additionally, I haven't mastered the pulse feature on my food processor so most of my stuff ends up getting liquified. In this case, it didn't matter because it essentially pureed the whole tomatoes. I chose to use beef stock instead of water.

I absolutely loved the smell of the meat cooking and the lovely sauce marinating and once it all came together in the dutch oven, it was sensational to the olfactory system. We were supposed to have leftovers and eat this for dinner the following night but it didn't happen. And there are only two of us!

Chili con Carne

Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Soups and Stews

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno chile

1 serrano chile

1 poblano chile

1 small red bell pepper (capsicum), stemmed and seeded

2 lb (1kg) well-marbled boneless beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut into 1/3-1/4 inch cubes and patted dry

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoons canola oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 can (28 oz) plum (Roma) tomatoes, with their juices, finely chopped in a food processor

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups (16 fl. oz.) beef stock or water

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream, optional

12 sprigs fresh cilantro

1. Prepare the chiles and pepper

If you prefer a mild chili, remove the seeds and ribs from the chiles, as they carry most of the heat, and then chop the chiles finely. Measure out 1/2 cup (4oz) of the mixed chiles and set aside. Dice the bell pepper.

2. Brown the beef

Sprinkle the meat cubes evenly with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of the pepper. Place a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbl of the canola oil. When the surface of the oil appears to shimmer, add the beef cubes in batches and brown them on all sides, about 5 minutes for each batch. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam instead of brown, and adjust the heat as necessary to sear the meat immediately on contact. As each batch is browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a small Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot.

3. Cook the vegetables

Add the remaining 1 Tbl canola oil to the frying pan over medium heat. When the surface of the oil appears to shimmer, add the chiles, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and coriander and cook for about 1 minute to develop the flavor of the spices. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and the remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, stirring well to scrape up the browned buts from the pan bottom.

4. Simmer the chili

Add the vegetable mixture to the Dutch oven with the beef. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat, add the stock, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as you see large bubbles begin to form, reduce the heat until only small bubble occasionally break the surface. Cover the pot and cook until the meat is very tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 1/2 hours. If the chili seems too soupy, uncover it for the last 30 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. About 10 minutes before you plan to serve the chili preheat the oven to 200*F and place the individual bowls in the oven to warm.

5. Adjust the seasonings and serve the chili

Taste the chili; it should be quite boldly spiced, but if you feel the flavors are a little dull, stir in a bit more salt or pepper. Spoon the chili into the warmed bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro sprigs. Serve right away.

Easiest Corn Chowder

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:35:02 +0100

I tried this recipe from a slow cooker cookbook (Secrets of Slow Cooking by Liana Krissoff) based on the title. And it's true! It really is easy. Aaaaannnnd, it's tasty too.

This chowder can take on whatever consistency you prefer for your chunky soups. It just requires water instead of a stock so it saves a lot of time if you normally make your own stock. I appreciate the flavor of onions but not the texture so I diced mine in the food processor until they were tiny bits. Also, the carrots and potatoes were diced into little bits. You could chop them into bigger chunks and it would probably change the dynamic of the dish but still be delicious. One point to note, however, is that it was great to have the corn be the largest chunks of food since they were the main ingredient. I didn't have any celery on hand so it wasn't in my dish but it didn't seem to matter. I used frozen organic corn and that was delicious, although I'm sure fresh corn would be even better. For the salt, I used a black truffle sea salt from our local Spice Merchant. Since it can be stronger than regular salt, I started with 1/2 teaspoon but after cooking the chowder and tasting it, ended up using the full teaspoon anyway; which means you may be adding more salt before you serve the dish. After standing in the dairy section at the grocery store looking for "heavy cream" I realized the author meant heavy whipping cream. You probably already knew this but it was news to me.

I don't have a picture because we finished it before I realized I was going to post about it. I was not too excited about the dish after the initial cooking but once the slurry, cream and parsley were added, it transformed into something spectacular. We loved it!

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 interior ribs celery, diced, leaves reserved
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups sweet corn kernels (cut off 4 cobs, or frozen)
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Put the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, corn, and bay leaf in a 4-quart slow cooker. After cooking, my 4 qt crockpot was not full so, in theory, you could have a larger crockpot and double the recipe. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then pour in 2 1/2 cups water. Cook, covered, on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours, until the vegetables are soft.

Ladle some of the liquid into a small cup and add the flour to the cup, stirring until smooth. Pour the slurry back into the soup and stir to combine; cook on the high setting for 30 minutes, or until thickened slightly.

Mince the celery leaves. Stir in the cream, along with the parsley and celery leaves. taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot.

Dutch

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:41:57 +0100

Recently I've been thinking about dutch ovens. It seems that all the recipes I want to try or have tried recently, call for one. At first I didn't think it was a big deal but so far, I'm 0-2 for total success with trying to substitute with my crockpot. They are very different tools and even with my adjustments, it's just not the same.

I never thought I'd want one and probably didn't completely know what it was when I first married my husband. But now I'm beginning to think it should be as essential as a crockpot. I mean, can you really saute or simmer anything in a crockpot?! No. And the reason I love the crockpot (one pot to clean!) is the same reason I think I'd love a nice cast iron dutch oven. One of my new favorite cooking websites is TheRedbirdLife. She is SO good at explaining how to make dishes (especially for a newbie foodie like myself). Plus we're legally related and I love that. It's like knowing a famous person! But better because I can talk with her. :) And our kids are similar in age so we have a lot in common. Anyway, a few of the recipes she has require a dutch oven and I love that! I can just smell the spices simmering in the bottom of it...but, of course, that's in my head because I'll tell you that NOTHING simmers in a crockpot when you first kick that on! Long and slow....which is, obviously, one of its strongest qualities.

My birthday is coming up. The fact that I even considered wanting a dutch oven for my birthday shows that I must really be an adult. As if getting married, having two children and living in a house aren't already evidence that I'm aging.... As a child, when you think of your birthday there are images of shiny, new toys and fun objects to entertain the mind. As much as I'd love to be pampered on my birthday, I've begun to think in more practical ways, considering the great benefit to the family if I were to become the proud owner of a dutch oven. We'll see. I may change my mind and hope for something more "fun" like new clothes or makeup. Mostly for my birthday I just want to be with my husband. If I could wish for anything, including a dutch oven, he'd ALWAYS win. He's more than just a whimsical idea that maybe I'll be a better cook with that dutch oven. With him as my ideal husband, there's always the hope that I can be a better wife.

Sharpness

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:54:21 +0100

Wow. This morning I had a moment where it dawned on me that I used to be sharp-minded. Not necessarily that I was such a smart person...just more focused than I currently am today. I believe this is the result of sleep-deprivation. Truly.

I was cleaning out the electric tea kettle (which if you don't have one and EVER have a need for hot water, you should buy one!) with the vinegar/water solution. I couldn't remember the portions exactly and so started with 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 cups water. It seemed to boil awfully quick and without much result. So I made another mixture of 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 cups water. Same result. Sad. Then I thought, well, maybe I need more water so it'll boil longer. I did it again with 1/4 cup vinegar and filled the entire pot with water. This did have some impact but not the dramatic result I was hoping for and then a light bulb went off over my head (mostly because Alex turned the kitchen lights on but you get my point). Each time I made the solution (I did this three times) I thought to myself, I don't remember this using up so much vinegar...

I realized I was supposed to use the same mixture and boil that over and over until the calcium deposits disappeared. WOW. Yes, it took three times before I realized this is what I've always done to clean the kettle. Well, now it's clean. Maybe tomorrow everything won't be so fuzzy.

IHNI

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 04:39:14 +0100

Do you know what that stands for? I Have No Idea. This is in reference to all the abbreviations I see online that I have no idea what they stand for and I always ask my brilliant husband what it means. Somehow he always figures it out. I mean no disrespect to anyone who uses abbreviations online. Sometimes it makes me feel like email was just invented and I missed the class where they teach you how to draft and send emails. Do you know what I'm talking about here?!

LOL is about the extent of my knowledge. :) Unless you are using abbrevs. that are well known in written documents such as shorthand or terms used to grade/comment on papers such as "b/c" and "etc." But these are common knowledge, right? It's not surprising that I'm slow in this area because I only figured out the ease of T9 (why is it called that anyway?) 2 years ago and was probably the last of my friends to get a cell phone in 2003.

LMN SO & PO

If you can't figure that out then you must be trippin'. J/K but keep it on the DL, K? I wouldn't want to mislead anyone. This is probably another reason why I never got into the whole chat room things years ago because it involves waaaay too many of those words. I wouldn't be able to keep up.

I still prefer written word to any other form of communication. If I didn't have kids, I'd probably write more letters. I love the feel of the pen on the paper and the mystery of committing to the word your hand writes. There's sheer honesty in this because even if you cross it out, people know you changed your mind. Were you distracted when you wrote it? Did it sound different than you expected? Was it a simple typo?

When I used to teach, I found the overuse of the internet was doing a major disservice to our youth. Some students would literally not know it was inappropriate to use those abbreviations in a formal college essay.

All of this to say I still feel behind the times and often like an ignoramus when it comes to capital letters typed out to mean something other than what you're currently viewing. Thank God I have a REALLY internet savvy husband.

Bunco

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:56:19 +0100

We played couples bunco last night and I was reminded that I love to play games. This one requires no skill whatsoever but is so fun when you get the numbers you're hoping to roll. I was reminded that I'm a screamer. I can't help but get excited, even when your opponents score big. It's hard to be competitive when there's no way to improve your game and there's no prize at the end. Who really wins anyway? Games are fun because you get to see people's personalities come forth.