From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
Just when I needed some inspiration, it arrived via email. Frequent guest recipe contributor, Joshua D. sent along a terrific idea this week, so it will be the featured recipe tonight.
Next week I think I have a real treat in store, with some very, shall we say, unique recipes.
Until then, JeffreyW made some awesome looking slaw (ingredients pictured above) this week, with a some great photos and a simple recipe, click here for the whole show.
He’s also been harvesting his tomatillos and making some good looking sauce, click here and here. I love tomatillos and can’t wait to grow them again myself, because JeffreyW is making my mouth water with these.
And finally in between a busy week of work and helping friends, I posted this week’s menu: Grilled Salmon with Orange Glaze and Grilled Tomato and Bell Pepper Soup.
I haven’t forgotten about the gluten free recipes everyone sent me, either. I’ll be using those in an upcoming recipe exchange. Since most of the recipes involve baking, I thought I’d wait until the weather was a bit cooler.
How about you? Is it still to hot to cook? What’s your go-to meal when it’s too hot to be in the kitchen? And what are you looking forward to making when the weather cools down? For me, it’s always soups. Cool weather means soup in my house.
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Okay, now for Joshua D (you may know him as Yutsano):
After months of teasing…here it is! This is great for when you have leftover chicken and biscuits or bread in the house and need to use it up. Since this is a French-inspired dish there are two ways to enjoy it: either over toasted croutons or biscuits. Both are equally delicious! Italian kale is available in most supermarkets, but if you can’t get it use adult spinach.
Chicken Provence
1 lb cooked chicken
2 shallots
8-10 crimini mushrooms
6-8 leaves Italian kale
2-3 cloves garlic
1 Roma tomato
1/4 cup dry white wine (I use pinot grigio)
1 tbsp herbes de Provence
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp parsley, divided
Salt & pepper to taste
4-6 biscuits or 2 cups croutons from day old French breadShred chicken and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Slice shallots and mushrooms thinly and throw into the pan. Season with some salt and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. While those are cooking, chop kale into 1/2 inch thick ribbons including stems, then add to pan. Cook another 2-3 minutes with another pinch of salt. While that happens, slice garlic very thin and chop tomato. Add garlic to pan and cook another minute, then add tomato and as much juice as you can that came out. Give one final pinch of salt. Sauté for another minute, then add wine, chicken, and herbs. Reduce until the wine is almost but not completely gone, then stir in heavy cream. Reduce for about 5 minutes, then test for final seasoning. You may need a bit more herb or salt at this point. Slice open biscuits and spoon sauce over the top. You can re-heat or toast your biscuits or croutons as you’re cooking everything else, it takes about the same amount of time!
Not Sure
Too hot to cook? Naah. I think the high today was 78 in central NY. Besides, got a big countertop toaster/convection oven? You new best friend when it gets hot. I did a 2 pound meatloaf in mine this morning.
MikeJ
You may be aware of my previous forays into the land of challah. My first brioche is fermenting right now, and will be baked tomorrow.
Yatsuno
@MikeJ: Not bad for a goy I must admit. Says the half-yid who doesn’t bake.
JPL
The high here was 68. I’m thinking that it’s time for soup and crusty bread. Hotlanta, yeah right!
The slaw looks amazing.
SiubhanDuinne
@JPL: I loved the weather today! So refreshing!
ranchandsyrup
That sounds pretty darn delicious, Yatsuno. Imma gonna try it.
When it’s too hot in the kitchen, we grill. Been a mild summer for us but on the hot days we’ll do some sort of salad with some chicken and some grilled fruit. Peaches and pears do nicely. With peaches we like arugula and some goat cheese.
Bonus puppy pic: Lucy snugging with Muno
Yatsuno
@ranchandsyrup: If you can get the Italian kale, get the Italian kale. It’s probably my favourite green right now because it has so little waste. It also can be simmered in chicken stock for half an hour; it turns do sweet and tender. It’s amazing stuff.
ranchandsyrup
@Yatsuno: Will do magn. Thanks and enjoy the weekend.
schrodinger's cat
I am definitely going to try the chicken recipe thanks Yutsano!
Thread needs kitteh, critical editor kitteh who just made it to the first page of ICHC/lolcats.
This is the second time I have made a lol to go with a Samuelson article that ended up on the first page, Mustache of Concern has been lucky for me.
2liberal
112 degrees F here in PHX-burbia . Could someone please cook this meal and fedex it to me? I am not much on cooking.
gogol's wife
If I don’t embiggen the picture, the veggies look like little peace signs. It’s cute.
I’m not looking for a recipe, but I was just so glad this post had nothing about Assange, Greenwald, or Snowden in it.
schrodinger's cat
@2liberal: How about some gazpacho?
schrodinger's cat
@gogol’s wife: Amen sister!
gogol's wife
@schrodinger’s cat:
I love your lolcats. Lolcats are what keeps me going.
Roger Moore
@Not Sure:
I find that the best thing ever for cooking when it’s hot is my induction range. Something like 80% of the heat goes into the pot, rather than the 30% or so you get with a gas range or 70% or so with a traditional electric range. That means only about 2/3 as much waste heat as a regular electric range, and less than 1/3 as much as with a gas range. It’s a huge difference when any extra heat is a problem.
schrodinger's cat
@gogol’s wife: Thanks so much! Kittehs can be so expressive.
Gravenstone
@gogol’s wife: The kid who pulled up next to me as I was leaving the DMV looked so much like Snowden that I had to do a double take.
Gravenstone
@schrodinger’s cat: Your ICHC linky no worky. It only re-directs to here.
schrodinger's cat
@Gravenstone: OK I tries again ICHC/lolcats
gogol's wife
@Gravenstone:
Oh, I saw it in the previous thread.
aimai
Yutsano, that sounds really good. I basically never have left over chicken anymore because I don’t cook whole chickens. Makes me wish I did.
Yatsuno
@aimai: Great idea from Ina Garten: get whole bone in skin on chicken breasts, then stick various herbs and butter under the skin. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until the chicken is done. You’ll have instant usable chicken for a variety of things or just great to eat for dinner!
Jane2
@Yatsuno: This sounds delicious! Unfortunately, this is one of the ten minutes of summer we’ve had where the temperature is hot (“unseasonably warm” I was beginning to think) so it’ll be a weekend event.
TaMara (BHF)
@aimai: First, big thanks to Yutsano for the assist this week. It’s been a hell week, so I was grateful.
I roast a whole chicken every few months. Much more flavor than boneless chicken breasts or thighs (although the ease of boneless pieces can’t be beat – which is why they win out most weekdays). Then I use the leftovers for sandwiches and the bones, etc for chicken broth, which I freeze. I usually buy them on sale, so can’t beat the price, either.
But next time…..mmmm, I’ll be trying this recipe.
Roger Moore
@schrodinger’s cat:
I’m planning on making a batch this weekend. It’s great in the summer. My other project is to get some of the Hatch chiles I’ve been seeing in the store and make a big pot of chile verde. Some of that will get eaten as is and some put on chile verde pizza.
Yatsuno
@TaMara (BHF): Grocery store rotisserie chickens really are excellent these days. Plus (at least at my local QFC) they go on sale every now and again and I’m picking bones and making stock that weekend. It can be a lot of food but the picked meat also freezes beautifully. And did I mention STOCK?? Homemade?
MomSense
@Yatsuno:
Awesome recipe for chicken provence!! Crimini mushrooms, shallots and kale. These are a few of my favorite things!
sacrablue
@Roger Moore: My son bought some Hatch chiles for me just this afternoon. Haven’t decided what I’m going to use them in now that I am on a low sodium, low carb, low sugar food experiment. It has been two and a half weeks with no potatoes, rice, bread or pasta. I have cheated with some reduced sodium whole wheat tortillas. I think I may try migas for breakfast tomorrow.
MomSense
@schrodinger’s cat:
Love those curled up paws!
Yatsuno
@MomSense: One other point about this recipe: it’s FAST. Not quite 30 Minute Meals fast, but pretty darn close.