Lamb and Chickpea Stew

Lamb Beef and Chickpea Stew, page 167

I've been absent from here, but not absent from my kitchen OR The Feed Zone. Jonathan has been traveling, we traveled as a family for the Thanksgiving holiday and I even was able to go on a little trip last week too. Soccer has finished, Futsol has begun and we are in the early months of Odyssey of the Mind*. I love this season of Waiting and as the world seems to swirl with excitement and hustle, I'm trying to pause each day and be still. I'm successful some days and not so much others.

This recipe is perfect for a chilly day. It is warm and filling and rich and yummy! Chas even gave it a 5. Well, the meat part with rice. He avoided the onions and chickpeas. I knew I had a better chance of success with Chas if I used beef, so I purchased extra lean stew meat instead of lamb. If you are new here, you need to know that Chas is a bit of a plain rice and meat kiddo. It's ok, we have rice in our house almost always.

While I'm still on a bit of a tangent, here are two kitchen tools I use often. The top one is perfect for coating the pan with oil. My sweet friend in Boulder, Dita, gave it to me. I love it, but I love her more. And the ceramic knife, not a fancy one, is always sharp. Another friend, Jock, turned me onto ceramic knives when we were at his Rwanda home for dinner one night. He's the coach of the Rwandan cycling team. Make sure to check them out. SO proud of them. It's been heart warming to see the success they are having, after watching the years Jock and other have dedicated to the program. We {heart} Team Rwanda!

TO THE STEW...

I added the spices to the meat as it cooked. I like to think it adds more flavor to the meat itself. Anyone know if this is true?

 I used large chunks of onion, so the non-onion-loving people in my family could remove them from their bowl and add them to mine.

Kombucha.
I brew my own.
It tastes apple cider vinegar-y.
Yum.

Simmer. Simmer. Simmer. This is the part where I had to add extra water. I didn't soak the bean overnight. I used chickpeas from the can.

I mentioned that I went on a little trip myself last week. I'll share more about it in the next post, but let's just say that I was able to meet some people I'd only communicated with in the cyber world and another that thought I'd only racing on television or in Triathlete, not chatting about our kids, products we like and past Australian politicians.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: lean beef instead of lamb & less onion
What I'll try next time: I'd like to try it with lamb, but only when I know I can either trick the boys or feed them something else
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4
Elliott: 4
Chas: 5 (meat and rice only)
'becca: 4.5

*I coach, Chas is on a team and YOU score major points if you participated when you were in school. Any other OMers out there? Any of you go to world competition? I did. Not only am I a Nimrod, I'm a a bit of a nerd too. I try to wear it well.

Pasta and Herb Soup

Pasta and Herb Soup, page 172

Exhibit 1)

 Exhibit 2)

 Exhibit 3)

 Exhibit 4)

By the time you viewed Exhibit 2, you could tell the changes had begun. I'm guilty. Guilty for not following the recipe as printed.

Defense: I had grape tomatoes that needed to be used, so I used them. All of them. My tomato use was far greater than the 1 tomato, chopped the recipe listed. I also used more onion and probably more veggies. That means I probably used more broth too. Would I still be considered guilty if I say I just doubled it?

Nope. Especially since we had it for dinner more than one night and lunches in-between.

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: 1 single tomato
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: extra veggies, lotsa extra veggies. I used rice pasta, not wheat pasta to make it GF.
What I'll try next time: triple it?
How it Scored:

Jonathan: 4.5
Elliott: 4
'becca: 4.5 (hot and cold)
Chas: to the left eating ham & a bread stick. He saw the tomatoes I put in it and made his decision before tasting. One day, one day, I keep telling myself.

Flatiron Steak with Mustard Sauce

Flatiron Steak with Mustard Sauce, page 237
(photos will do the talking)

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Would you believe me if I told you I made it the way the recipe told me to make it? I did.
What I'll try next time: I'm not sure. I'm up for suggestions. Have you tried this recipe? How did you like it? Did you follow the recipe or make any changes?
How it Scored:
All around the table -- 3

Bison with Spice Rub

Bison with Spice Rub, page 244

Bison isn't readily available in Northwest Arkansas, but beef certainly is. Must I be a bison farmer or know one to get it with ease? No wait, I need to live in the West, not the South. That would probably help.

{Quick tangent -- I knew I'd moved to the south when they served more sweet tea at church than coffee. I'll keep my opinion about that to myself, but it's how I knew.} 

I used a beef tenderloin in place of the bison and rubbed it in the morning, allowing it to sit most of the day before cooking. Below you can see that I used a dutch oven for cooking on the cook-top. This made it easy to place in the oven to finish. 

If you are looking at a new way to season meat, give this a try. It's super easy and gives a unique flavor to the meat. And guess what? CHAS LOVED IT!


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing, well Bison.
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Beef for Bison
What I'll try next time: Find a Bison Farmer
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4
Elliott: 4
'becca: 4
Chas: five, FIVE, 5!

Rustic Pepper and Tomato Soup

Rustic Pepper and Tomato Soup, page 175

Absolutely fantastic and cheery and bright. 

Love it!

Isn't it pretty? Onions, orange and yellow peppers, grape tomatoes cut in two with a little olive oil for shine and no stick. 

Soup, as a main dish at our table, doesn't often satisfy the bellies of the Nimrod fellas. Especially on a soccer night and this was a soccer night dinner. There has been a slight chill in the air as Autumn is upon us and soup was what I wanted for dinner. I had to tweak this recipe into a hearty soup in order to pull it off. 

I had all the ingredients I needed, plus a couple of strip steaks. Perfect, I'd thinly slice the steaks and add them to the soup, making it a bit more filling. Oh and I could serve it on top of brown rice. The addition of Tamari (GF soy sauce) and brown sugar sets this recipe apart from other tomato pepper soups I've made or had in the past. You've got to give it a try. 

I rubbed the steaks with a bit of brown sugar and salt before slicing and adding to the pepper, tomato mix. The steak had great flavor, complimenting and being complimented by the other ingredients. 

I also made Gluten Free drop biscuits, because I wanted bread. My boys, even Chas loved them and didn't realize they were GF until they noticed I was eating them too. No problem, Chas kept on eating his, as Elliott's dripped with honey.

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: grape tomatoes for roma, steak, rubbed with brown sugar and kosher salt and extra wine. Always extra wine.
What I'll try next time: Double it!
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4
'becca: 5
Elliott: 4
Chas: 4 for the meat and broth over rice.

Sweet Potato and Egg Burritos

Sweet Potato and Egg Burritos, page 55

 I peel, chop and boil potatoes to make smashed potatoes. How do you do it? Boil whole w/ peel, then cool, peel and smash? Every Thanksgiving it's the question. Apparently, I do it wrong.

 Have you had Chardonnay and cantaloupe this summer? If not, you should. Yummy on a hot afternoon and great snack as you cook. Oh and I met the owner of this vineyard. He was in Arkansas, no wait just across the border in Missouri. Did you know that "dry" counties still exist? Well they do. I live in one. Back to the owner, he was pleasant. He shared the story of his family and their years of wine making. I purchased nearly a case and he signed the bottles.

I'm quite distracted today as I share this recipe; tangent here, tangent there. Not only did I eat and drink as I cooked, I watched Julie and Julia. It took me much longer than 20 minutes to make this meal. I was also making page 70. I make those weekly.

You know I've never watched the film in its entirety. Gasp, but I have seen Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian. I took my picture with my phone standing in front of it. I'd probably do the same in Biju's kitchen.

 I added my favorite spice to the meat. It goes so well with sweet potatoes, I just had do.

 Dang, he's cute. That's my husband, after a long day at triathlons, sitting down to breakfast for dinner.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: I had it all + some
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: I used ground turkey sausage, because it has less fat and is more breakfast-y, which is good for a breakfast for dinner meal. I added some mixed baking spices to the meat, left out the cheese and used tamari instead of liquid amino acids. To make it GF I prepared a side of quinoa and made mine into a little bowl, not a burrito.
What I'll try next time: Have some corn tortillas to enjoy mine.
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 5
Elliott:4
Chas: 3 (meat in tortilla only)
Ian, our guest: I didn't ask him for a number, but he had seconds, so I'm guessing at least a 4
'becca: 5, loved it!



Not a FZ recipe, but it looked like one. Sticking to my randomness today I thought I'd share it.

Spanish Chicken and Tomato Stew

Spanish Chicken and Tomato Stew, page 159

 Love it when I am able to find local produce. We live near the Missouri state line, so these are kinda local, right?

 I considered using diced green chilies, but decided to leave them out, using extra bell peppers instead.

 I seasoned the chicken the way my mother in law does -- salt, pepper and at least an hour or 2 on the counter top covered with a towel and then cooked it. I've always been cautious when cooking chicken, not leaving it out too long and washing all areas well after. After the compliment I received from Jonathan and knowing his mom has cooked this way for years and is still alive, I thought I'd be a little more risky.

I guess only time will tell. Are you risky with food prep at home? What about eating as you travel? We as a whole tend to be risky eaters in foreign lands and less risky at home. Just last week, Chas said, I sure would like to have some of the goat brochettes we buy on the roadside heading form Kigali to Musanze {in Rwanda} and their potatoes too. I do too Chasie, I do too.

I needed something green. After the stew was cooked, the beans were added, I turned the flame off, topped it with spinach and placed the lid on the pot. I allowed it to sit until the boys returned from soccer, I waited on the rice to finish & made a side of quinoa.

Energy exploded through the door, stinky soccer boys showered and again at 8pm, we sat down to dinner as a family. I think we have found a routine that will still allow meals together, it's just going to have to be late for a few months. I'll take it anyway I can get it.

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: chorizo or Italian sausage, chile peppers
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: I used chicken sausage in place of the other sausage and added spinach for some green. Oh and I added the white beans too.
What I'll try next time: I'd like to try chorizo and also the chilies. I also think the apple cider vinegar would add a nice flavor.
How it Scored:
'becca: 5
Jonathan: 4
Elliott: 4
Chas: 4, meat only and some broth over rice

 I went on tri* state, half iron distance bike ride on Monday with my FF. He'd just received a new order from Skratch and brought me a sticker. How do my pals have cool SkratchLabs schwag and I don't? I saw a sticker on the roof rack of another friend that same day. Maybe that's what I get for buying in bulk & saving the shipping when I stopped by their office in May. What Skratch schwag do you have? Where do you show it off? It may seem odd, but really it's an honor to be on the inside of the cabinet door, just above my cookbook stand. I promise.

*Arkansas to Missouri to Oklahoma and back to Arkansas

Steak and Eggplant Salad

Steak and Eggplant Salad, page 194 

or Steak and Rice Noodles, page Chas

Dinner was served promptly at 8 pm when we are usually cleaning our teeth and making our way to settle in for the night. (8:30 bed for kids, 9 or a little after for mom & dad.) It was the first day of school and my house was a disaster. See -->
Soccer began last week, we are wrapping up the triathlon season, Chas has been in school since 1 August, Elliott began middle school yesterday, Jonathan is traveling east, our cabinets are being painted...the list goes on...I've been making easy dinners more often than trying new recipes.

This took longer to prepare than expected, but was worth it. I knew that if I tried to serve a salad for dinner after a long day at the office and soccer practice I'd have unhappy boys, so I tweaked this a bit and added the "salad" to the mix and served it over rice noodles. Oh and I took quite a few pictures. Maybe another reason it took longer to prepare? 

 Very, very thin sliced steak with a brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and fresh ground nutmeg rub.

 Eggplant sliced. Eggplant always reminds me of Jonathan's ma and Liberian cooking. She's a fab cook and after dinner was finished, Jonathan paid me the most delightful complement, "'bec, you prepared the meat like an African." Having never been able to prepare food for him that tasted like home, this was the highest of complements. Thanks J!

 Oh hi there Francis. You all have not met him. He's one of my favorite kitchen pals. Come over and I'll introduce you. He's swell, especially on a cold afternoon or when you are really sleepy.

 Some nights I'm so thankful for the conveniences the grocery offers, like chopped garlic. I prefer to peel and chop myself, but always keep this on hand. You know, when I'm making dinner at 7:15 and there is school the next day.

 I added the tomatoes, garlic and some of the seasoning to the pan to saute after the eggplant, but before the meat.

 Pushing the tomato mix to the side, I cooked the meat in the center. It was so thin it cooked very quickly.

 Steak, chopped eggplant, tomato mix...

...topped with 4 large handfuls of spinach. I placed a lid on the pan, allowing it to cook down a bit before stirring. I used tongs to toss it, cooking the spinach until it was wilted and mixed in well with the meat and veggies.

I don't have a picture of the noodles, but I used rice noodles, making this dish gluten free. I like the kind used in making Pad Thai. It was DELICIOUS!


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: (see above)
What I'll try next time: I'd like to make it as a salad, but also I will make it again this way. When made as a dish over noodles, I'll toss the noodles with the meat & veg mix, giving a bit more flavor to the noodles.
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4.5 (toss the noodles and it will be a 5)
'becca: 5 (I imagined the noodles were tossed)
Elliott: 5 & then asked to have the left overs in his lunch, his middle school lunch. (I'm still not over the fact that my first born is in middle school.)
Chas: 4 But not really for the entire meal. Remember the picture above, he added salt to his plain, mostly flavorless noodles, loved the steak & ate it all.

Lemon and Herb Salmon

Lemon and Herb Salmon, page 233

Well hello there. Sorry for the long absence. How's your summer been? The only excuse I have for being away so long is this: long days lead to late nights, packed with as many day trips, weekend trips, week long trips as possible, resulting in time away from the kitchen. We recently enjoyed time in Chicago, where I picked up a darling new butter dish and Himalayan sea salt. Wanna see?

We returned home refreshed, not exhausted, ready for the school year to begin, triathlon to wrap up and the soccer season just around the corner. Starting 15 August, soccer will consume 4 evenings and 1 morning of our week. I have a feeling the recipe I'm going to share will become a regular this fall. It's easy and protein packed and all but 1, guess who, loved it. 

 I used mint and lemon, brought to a boil, then let is cool a bit. I was waiting on rice to finish cooking and didn't want the fish to be cold when served. I had a skinless fillet, but cooked it the same as I would have with skin. (No peeling required, which is totally fine with me.)
 

Using the same spoon I use when poaching eggs, I pulled it from the water and placed it on a cotton towel to drain.

It didn't require much salt and pepper and each of us could taste the lemon and mint. I'm not sure if that is because I boiled it first, letting it sit for about 45 minutes. Thoughts? I served it with a spinach & tomato salad, corn on the cob & rice, then for dessert, blueberries with cream.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing.
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: I used fresh mint, instead of the herbs listed
What I'll try next time: Try different combinations of herbs and maybe even try the poaching method with other types of fish.
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4
Elliott: 4
'becca: 4, much better than I thought. I wasn't too sure about the poaching method, but am convinced it's the way to go on a night when a quick fish fix is needed.
Chas: "I don't like salmon."