Eggs poached in Veggies

This is another comfort food non recipe. It is also a really easy quick recipe when you are too tired to think about what to eat.
You could serve this with buttered bread, tortillas, rice or pasta.  I like buttered bread.
I have made this for people who thought it sounded odd and then Loved it. I am craving it now and will see if I can get into the kitchen this week (with some help) and make it.    
Bonus is that is is So healthy and adjustable for food allergies/preferences.

Ingredients
Veggies  (as many or few as you want : Onions, Peppers, mushrooms,
zucchini, carrots, celery, broccoli, beans )
Spices (depends on what style you want  italian garlic, oregano, rosemary Mexican garlic, cumin, chili powder  )
1 Can diced tomatoes
Eggs
Cheese

In a large fry pan saute your veggies & spices in a tiny bit of Oil.

When they are not quite Soft add the can of tomatoes and cook for 5 or so minutes on Medium heat.  

When the tomato veggie mixture gets thick make little holes and break an egg into each hole (my pan holds 4 -6 eggs).

Cover & cook for a few minutes. Check the eggs when they are almost the way you want them sprinkle on the cheese and cover for another minute.

Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker

This is a total Comfort Food for me. I like the Hamburger Mushroom Soup version well enough, but this is so much better & it has leftovers.   I don't use exact recipes so the amounts of these ingredients are usually dependent on what I have around.  If you have dried mushrooms to use with this it will kick up the flavour, but they are not required. Whatever Mushrooms are on sale work just fine. You can even add a can of Mushroom soup and it will be great.  Don't you love Flexible cooking?
(Scroll to the bottom for a in a hurry version)

Ingredients

1 beef roast (7 bone or whatever is on Sale one with some fat will have better flavour)
Olive Oil
Garlic  cloves, Chopped  ( Optional Roasted garlic cloves coarsely chopped)
1 large Onion Chopped
1 oz Dried Mushrooms (any kind you like, Costco has a great Mix of dried mushrooms)
2 cans beef  or Veggie Broth ( water works too)
a bit of Red Wine or red wine vineger (optional)
8 oz fresh mushrooms chopped/quartered
1 16 oz sour cream
1 bag wide egg noodles

(spices  that you like.  I like Salt, Pepper, GARLIC, sage, oregano & or Rosemary)

Season the roast liberally with salt & pepper
Heat Oil in a Dutch oven & Brown roast on all Sides.
remove Roast to a plate & add Onion & Garlic to the pan cook on Med for a few minutes & then add Fresh Mushrooms ( & roasted Garlic).  Cook for a few Minutes & add red wine  or vinegar to the pan scraping the bottom to get all the good mixed in with your veggies. 

Put the Roast back in the pan.

Add The broth & dried Mushrooms (& any herbs/spices that make you happy) cover the pan , bring to a boil & then put in the oven at 250 degrees for 7-8 hours.

Remove the Roast & let cool for a bit.

Add a bit of Water to the Dutch oven (or Crock pot) & bring to a boil.  When the broth is boiling add a bag of Egg Noodles and let them cook till done (soaking up the broth).

While the noodles cook shred the roast .  When the noodles are done mix the shredded beef back into the pot and add sour cream right before you eat.






If you are using a crock pot and in a Hurry you can season the meat to taste and dump everything except for the noodles &sour Cream in the Crock pot and leave it on Low till you get home from work. Then follow the rest of the instructions for after the roast is done.

 

Bean Soup & Outback Style Bread

Since I am not able to move around my kitchen yet if I want to "cook" I need a helper.  Tonight I really wanted to use the new bread-maker, but figured if I was going to put Poor Eric to work searching for ingredients it should be for something he would like to eat.  Thanks to the Internet I found  a recipe for his favourite bread.

 Here is the recipe we used. 
http://restaurantrecipesbook.com/outback-steakhouse-bushman-bread-recipe/


I wanted to make the Black Bean, Black Eyed Pea and Barley soup mix that I picked up at Bob's Red Mill today, but was tired and had bugged Eric enough for the day so Tony took over and dinner is almost ready.  Everything Smells so good and I am looking forward to being able to enjoy ameal that I got to at least help a bit with the prep on.

Bob's Red Mill

Today Laurel took me to Bob's Red Mill ( bobsredmill.com) and I got lots of exercise wheeling myself around looking at all the wonderful products.

 If you go to the regular grocery Bob's products can be a bit spendy, but at the Mill you can get them all in bulk for much less money. The bulk section is really nicely organised . There are file drawers with Labels & Recipes for every product.

Many of the Flours & Mixes are gluten free.  If I were cooking for someone that needed the Gluten Free products I would get the individually Packaged Mixes as the bulk section has regular and gluten free Items near each other and Flour tends to get everywhere when you are scooping from bins.

Some of the things I picked up are:
 Black Bean, Black Eyed Pea & Barley Soup Mix, Garbanzo Flour, Vital Gluten powder, Pastry Flour, Nutritional Yeast Flakes, Dark Rye Flour, Currants, Dried  apples(diced small), Date Crumbles & Bean Seasoning packet.  Lots to play with.

Chicken Stock/ soup

Since my tummy is still slightly unhappy I am really wanting Brothy soup.  We have a couple of left over chickens and they will go in the Stock pot tomorrow. one is ust a store bought raosted chicken the other is the Soy Sauce Chicken we had this week, I think they will make a great flavorful broth.    I am also planning on making a ginger honey 7 grain bread.  Wish me luck , I will let you know how it goes.

One Huge Step for Sammo's Life

After many Months of being in bed and relearning to walk, today I made my first trip out in a CAR. I was able to get in and out of My Laurel's car. We went to Uwajimaya and I got to enjoy picking out all my sauces & seasonings for way cheaper than they would have been at Safeway.

After I Napped a bit Julie helped get me to the edge of the kitchen & I got to mix up the poaching liquid for the chicken.  Julie did the rest of the Cooking things and Eric put together my Cooking Chair so I can start cooking this week. 


I have been waiting since August 11 to have my life back,  today was a step in the right direction. 

Julie just brought me in a taste of the chicken & veggies. It was amazing.

Thanks for letting me share my happiness,

Sammo

Soy Sauce Chicken

A whole chicken poached in soy sauce, Chinese wine,
ginger & sugar sounds so yummy right now.  I made this many years ago when we were in Vegas, but I was not organised enough to freeze the poaching liquid so that I can reuse it.
 I am including the recipe I used from the NYT (Mark Bittman). Some changes I will make to this recipe are adding a tiny bit of Sesame oil, Dried Mushrooms, &  red chili flakes.  Not being fans of Anise we will skip the star anise pods.

(note  we added A bit of Mushroom oyster sauce, a ton of Garlic & some Rice Wine Vinegar)

Sammo

Recipe of the Day: Soy-Poached Roast Chicken

By MARK BITTMAN

This is the antithesis of the usual poached chicken, in which all the bird’s flavor leaches into the cooking liquid. Instead, the meat takes on a powerfully complex taste from the seasonings.

Soy-Poached Roast Chicken

Yield 4 servings

Time 40 minutes

Mark Bittman

Summary

You can serve the chicken straight out of the stockpot with the liquid as a sauce, but I like to finish it in a hot oven, where it develops a crispy, dark brown crust that takes roast chicken to another level.

Ingredients

• 3 cups mushroom-flavored soy sauce, or any dark soy sauce
• 3 cups mei kuei lu chiew or any floral off-dry white wine, like gewurztraminer or muscat
• 2 star anise
• 1 14-ounce box yellow rock sugar, crushed, or 1 cup white sugar
• 3 ounces ginger (about a 5-inch knob), cut into slices and bruised with side of knife
• 10 scallions
• 1 chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds

Method

• 1. In stockpot or narrow 6-quart pot, combine soy sauce, rice wine, 2 cups water, star anise, sugar and ginger. Bring to rolling boil. Add 6 scallions. Lower chicken gently and slowly into liquid, breast side down.
• 2. Bring back to boil, and cook steadily for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, and turn chicken over. Let sit in hot liquid 15 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, trim and mince remaining scallions and preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• 4. Carefully remove chicken from liquid, and put in skillet or roasting pan. Roast 5 minutes, or until nicely browned; keep an eye on it -- it can burn easily. Meanwhile, reheat liquid. When chicken is ready, carve and serve with a few spoonfuls of sauce over it. Put minced scallions into a cup of sauce; pass at table to go over white rice.
• Note: You can reuse the liquid -- it improves with each use -- although I would strain it and replace the ginger, scallions and star anise each time, adding extra liquid. I also recommend freezing it between uses, or refrigerating it and bringing it to a rolling boil every few days.

Source: The New York Times

Why Dumplings?

This blog isn't about dumplings. Its about the fact that pretty much every culture has a dumpling.  They are all made a bit different, but it is a wonderful thing that no matter where you go there will be Dumplings to eat