Preparing for the Rest of the Week

I had moujadra at Mamoun's the other week and I loved it. I am a little afraid of lentils, because -- by reputation -- they are hard to wash and cook. But I figure that if I'm doing this in preparation for the rest of the week, it won't be as bad; especially since I suspect this will taste better the longer it sits. Another favorite is chicken thighs, which is a good base for anything and is very delicious by itself with some veggies.

Moujadra
1/2 C olive oil
3 large yellow onions, diced
1 C green lentils and 1 C cracked wheat, soaked overnight (or at least an hour)
1 C brown rice
water
salt
cumin
cinnamon
parsley
firm tomatoes, cut into eighths
pita bread, served warm

Put onions and olive oil into Dutch oven. Salt and cover. Place in oven set at 350. Drain lentils and cracked wheat. Place lentils, cracked wheat, and rice into rice cooker (1 C water per C of item). Conventional wisdom says to cook them separately but I'm lazy and I've already soaked the lentils. After onions have been cooking for 20 minutes, uncover and let the onions carmelize as much as possible. Assemble everything in the Dutch oven and saute. Salt, cumin, and cinnamon to taste. Garnish with tomatoes and parsley. Serve in pita bread.

Roasted Chicken Thighs
defrosted chicken thighs, w/ bone and skin
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In oven glassware, place chicken thighs. Salt and pepper liberally on both sides of the chicken. Cook for 35-40 minutes.

Accidents and Incidents

The fridge decided to freeze my uncooked asparagus as I placed them too close to the freezer dividing wall, so they were an icy, soggy mess. Luckily I made too much substitute cream yesterday so I was thinking of making a cream of asparagus soup, but there wasn't enough cream. Instead I made a more dessert-like version of the toast I had yesterday. Butter, sugar, and cream can pretty much fix any disaster.

Creamed Asparagus on Toast - sweet version
2 slices multigrain bread
2 C chopped asparagus (this could be blanched, but mine were already soggy; also, always cut off an inch from the bottom of the stalk to prevent stringiness)
1 tsp butter
1/2 C cream or substitute
generous sprinkling of cinnamon
sugar to taste
pinch of salt

Melt butter over low heat. When hot, add asparagus. When asparagus is tender, add cream, cinnamon, and sugar. When sauce is reduced, add salt and stir. Serve over toast.

Fennel, Radish, and Orange Salad
5 radishes, sliced thinly
1 orange, peeled wedges
1/4 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
2 T orange juice
1 tsp sugar

Assemble and chill for 20 minutes. Serve over fish, or by itself. I had halibut baked in the oven at 250. Put a little olive oil and water to steam on top. 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. Flake the middle with a fork to test readiness.

Fruit Salad: peeled orange wedges, apple w/ peel, banana, grapes. all sliced thinly.

Candied Orange Peel
Place rinds in cold water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Drain and repeat twice. Drain, rinse with cold water, and scrape away the pith. Slice into strips. For each cup of rind, prepare a simple syrup (1 C water to 1 C sugar). Cook slowly until syrup is absorbed. Cool and dust with sugar. Drying overnight is ideal but I'm hungry, so they are gone.

For One, Please

I feel that there is something odd about cooking or eating with other people.

Perhaps this could be attributed to my inability to multitask but whenever I'm sitting across from someone, my attention to the food dwindles to almost nothing. I have a vague sense that something is eaten, made, and I stop as soon as I think I'm nearing fullness. The food becomes a kind of white noise that sets a timeframe for the conversation: act one, appetizer or beverage; intermission, taking the edge off the hunger by eating most of the main course; act two, dessert; curtain, stepping out and going our separate directions. Or, if something is interesting to make or especially delicious, my attention is diverted back to the food and my companion gets left out in the cold.

But when I'm by myself, I can indulge in the most selfish act possible. I can cook and eat in a way that aims to satisfy my own needs and desires, without need for explanation. Of course, cooking for one can be a pain because it requires planning to do so cheaply, tastily, quickly, healthfully, with minimal cleanup, while maximizing produce before it goes bad; but secretly I love plans and to-do lists. Such is the purpose of this blog: to record what I've done so that I may return to it when I can't think of what to make.

Creamed Mushrooms over Toast
1 slice multigrain bread
1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms (e.g. baby bella), finely sliced
1/2 C cream (or substitute whisked 1/2 T melted butter and 2 T flour, like a roux, into 1 C heated fat-free milk)
2 T butter
chopped thyme (or substitute dried Italian seasoning + a squeeze of lemon juice)
splash of wine or wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Melt butter over low heat and stir fry mushrooms until soft (about 6-8 minutes). Add splash of wine. When wine is evaporated, add thyme and cream. Season. Cook until cream is reduced to a thick sauce. Toast bread. Repeat toasting of bread until full.

Asparagus Frittata
2 stalks roasted asparagus and 1 leek, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 eggs, beaten
1 slice mozzarella, cut into cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Coat ramekin with oil. Fill with ingredients, mix. Cook for 30 minutes.

Tomato Chickpea Salad
1 15 oz can chickpeas, washed and patted dry
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 firm tomato, diced as finely as possible
5 T parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Irish Oats and Yogurt
1/2 C irish oats, lightly toasted
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 apple, sliced finely
drizzled honey

Hot Cocoa and Raisins
2 T baking cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
hot water
1/4 C raisins

Drink cocoa until sludge remains on the bottom of the mug. Mix raisins until coated to finish.