![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normalI initially started using this tag to post about my bizarre microwave-cooking experiments and other kitchen-related stupidity, but now that I'm actually cooking real food, I thought I might post about it.
See, I didn't really cook at all while I was sick. Not much point when I couldn't really eat anything, and a bland diet consisting of mostly toast and rice isn't exactly great for culinary inspiration. But I did watch a lot of Food Network, kind of as a vicarious eating experience, and I think some of it rubbed off. I've been itching to learn how to cook better, and as soon as the steroids kicked in and I could eat again, I was at the bookstore sifting through cookbooks. (I ended up buying this one, which has excellent pictures of every dish, and a good section on the basics for beginner cooks. The recipes are arranged by season rather than course or main ingredient, which is slightly annoying but would probably be helpful if you like cooking with in-season ingredients.)
So, here are my experiments for this week...
I started out with training wheels, cooking dinner for my parents while they were staying at my house, and therefore able to supervise my efforts. I made Pecan-Apricot Chicken, which was sort of an amalgamation of a couple different recipes, including this one. It turned out really well, and my parents seemed to like it (or at least they pretended to). I'd definitely make it again, and my mom, who is notorious in our family for her endless supply of chicken recipes, said she'd be adding it to her repertoire. I kind of didn't measure anything, since I was mostly just winging it once I got passed the concept stage, but here's what I did, if you want to try it at home:
I used thin chicken breast strips, but you could use whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you wanted. Place them in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Spoon apricot preserves on top of each piece. Make the pecan topping by smashing up the pecans (I used the "put them in a plastic bag and pound them with something heavy" technique) and then mixing them with bread crumbs (about a 2:1 ratio pecans to bread crumbs). Add just enough melted butter to moisten the mixture so that it sticks together. Spoon on top of the preserves, and then sprinkle with parsley. Bake at 375 degrees; cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken. My chicken was very thin, so it only took half an hour. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and a tossed salad.
Next, I decided to take my brand-new immersion blender out for a spin and made Potato-Leek Soup. (The immersion blender is a godsend for pureed soups - all that pureeing in batches in the regular blender is a pain, plus the immersion blender - my parents call it a "boat motor" - is much easier to clean.) I'd never eaten leeks before, and given the ratio of leeks to potatoes, I was a little worried whether I'd like it, but it came out very tasty indeed. Even though there's only one potato in there, it definitely tastes potatoey. The recipe recommends the soup be served chilled, but it tastes just as good hot.
Finally, I tried Orzo and Snap Pea Salad, which was easily my least favorite of the bunch. I didn't have orzos, so I used the slightly smaller risos (pasta the size of grains of rice) instead. I also halved the amount of vegetables, which seemed to be plenty. Not sure if that's because of the smaller pasta. I wasn't sure whether this should be served hot or cold, but it seemed to taste best hot, right off the stove. The salad came out bland (I even added extra Parmesan cheese and some garlic), but the snap peas and squash still had a nice crunch. Unfortunately, they got soggy in the refrigerator, so the leftovers weren't nearly as good - and this recipe made a lot (about 12 cups), so I have a good bit left over. I feel bad throwing it out, so I'm trying to come up with a sauce to mix in to make it less bland - maybe this lemon dill yogurt sauce or lemon vinaigrette, since it's already supposed to be lemony. I probably wouldn't make this dish again.
This weekend, I plan to try Pan-Seared Scallops in Scallion Beurre Blanc Sauce and Chicken Fettuccine in Creamy Pesto Sauce. (Why yes, I do have leftover heavy cream from making the soup. What was your first clue? lol)
See, I didn't really cook at all while I was sick. Not much point when I couldn't really eat anything, and a bland diet consisting of mostly toast and rice isn't exactly great for culinary inspiration. But I did watch a lot of Food Network, kind of as a vicarious eating experience, and I think some of it rubbed off. I've been itching to learn how to cook better, and as soon as the steroids kicked in and I could eat again, I was at the bookstore sifting through cookbooks. (I ended up buying this one, which has excellent pictures of every dish, and a good section on the basics for beginner cooks. The recipes are arranged by season rather than course or main ingredient, which is slightly annoying but would probably be helpful if you like cooking with in-season ingredients.)
So, here are my experiments for this week...
I started out with training wheels, cooking dinner for my parents while they were staying at my house, and therefore able to supervise my efforts. I made Pecan-Apricot Chicken, which was sort of an amalgamation of a couple different recipes, including this one. It turned out really well, and my parents seemed to like it (or at least they pretended to). I'd definitely make it again, and my mom, who is notorious in our family for her endless supply of chicken recipes, said she'd be adding it to her repertoire. I kind of didn't measure anything, since I was mostly just winging it once I got passed the concept stage, but here's what I did, if you want to try it at home:
I used thin chicken breast strips, but you could use whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you wanted. Place them in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Spoon apricot preserves on top of each piece. Make the pecan topping by smashing up the pecans (I used the "put them in a plastic bag and pound them with something heavy" technique) and then mixing them with bread crumbs (about a 2:1 ratio pecans to bread crumbs). Add just enough melted butter to moisten the mixture so that it sticks together. Spoon on top of the preserves, and then sprinkle with parsley. Bake at 375 degrees; cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken. My chicken was very thin, so it only took half an hour. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and a tossed salad.
Next, I decided to take my brand-new immersion blender out for a spin and made Potato-Leek Soup. (The immersion blender is a godsend for pureed soups - all that pureeing in batches in the regular blender is a pain, plus the immersion blender - my parents call it a "boat motor" - is much easier to clean.) I'd never eaten leeks before, and given the ratio of leeks to potatoes, I was a little worried whether I'd like it, but it came out very tasty indeed. Even though there's only one potato in there, it definitely tastes potatoey. The recipe recommends the soup be served chilled, but it tastes just as good hot.
Finally, I tried Orzo and Snap Pea Salad, which was easily my least favorite of the bunch. I didn't have orzos, so I used the slightly smaller risos (pasta the size of grains of rice) instead. I also halved the amount of vegetables, which seemed to be plenty. Not sure if that's because of the smaller pasta. I wasn't sure whether this should be served hot or cold, but it seemed to taste best hot, right off the stove. The salad came out bland (I even added extra Parmesan cheese and some garlic), but the snap peas and squash still had a nice crunch. Unfortunately, they got soggy in the refrigerator, so the leftovers weren't nearly as good - and this recipe made a lot (about 12 cups), so I have a good bit left over. I feel bad throwing it out, so I'm trying to come up with a sauce to mix in to make it less bland - maybe this lemon dill yogurt sauce or lemon vinaigrette, since it's already supposed to be lemony. I probably wouldn't make this dish again.
This weekend, I plan to try Pan-Seared Scallops in Scallion Beurre Blanc Sauce and Chicken Fettuccine in Creamy Pesto Sauce. (Why yes, I do have leftover heavy cream from making the soup. What was your first clue? lol)
no subject
Date: Jan. 21st, 2010 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jan. 21st, 2010 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jan. 21st, 2010 07:39 pm (UTC)Both dressings sound like they'd perk up the salad. I love steamed snap peas with fresh dill.
Cooking is fun! I'm glad you're having such good results.
no subject
Date: Jan. 21st, 2010 10:12 pm (UTC)This cookbook has a few snap pea recipes - one with mint and one with ginger. It's nice that it has several simple side dishes that you can mix and match with the main dishes.