2009-04-21 Tuesday - crockpot lamb with jasmine rice and zucchini

crockpot lamb

• ingredients: boneless lamb leg roast, onion, garlic, thyme

• night before:
• removed stretchy net from boneless lamb leg roast
• stuffed fresh thyme and garlic cloves into the "gap"
• squeezed it together and wrapped it in foil and froze

• morning:
• 3/4 red onion and lots of garlic cloves and thyme layer on bottom of crock
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• frozen lamb, fat side up
• more thyme and black pepper on top
  

• cooked for 11+ hours
  

• next time: more onion and garlic!
  

zucchini

• cooked on comal with lamb fat :D
  

2009-04-20 Monday - rotisserie chicken and stir-fried spinach and lettuce on jasmine rice

rotisserie chicken

• meat from thigh and leg

stir-fried spinach and lettuce

• 4 garlic cloves, sliced, cooked in hot olive oil
• ~1/3 bag butter lettuce and radacchio mix
• ~1/3 bag spinach
• splash of vegetable broth
  

2009-04-19 Sunday - balsamic chimichurri lamb chops, baby purple potatoes, asparagus

balsamic chimichurri lamb chops

• marinated in small ziploc bag with 2 spoonfuls of chimichurri and a (too) big slosh of balsamic vinegar
  
• marinated at room temperature for ~1/2 hour
• cooked on iron grill (preheated for at least 15 minutes)
  

baby purple potatoes

• picked the small (~1 inch) ones out of the bag (mixed baby potatoes from TJs)
• cleaned them and cut off the icky bits
• boiled!
  

asparagus

• cooked in olive oil with a pinch of salt

2009-04-13 Monday - Blue Ribbon ribs and greens, stir-fried bean and brussels sprouts, leftover apricot chicken and spanish rice, and mango avocado

Blue Ribbon ribs and greens

• not as good Lester's :)

stir-fried bean and brussels sprouts

• ingredients: brussels sprouts, bean sprouts, spinach, oyster sauce, soy sauce
  
• 4 brussels sprouts, sliced thin
  
• ~3/4 bag (from TJs) of bean sprouts
• couple handfuls of spinach, torn
• ~1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• ~1 tsp soy sauce
  

re-engineered apricot chicken and spanish rice

• from last week: http://tastylittledinnerses.blogspot.com/2009/04/2009-04-07-tuesday-re-engineered.html

mango avocado salad

• from Sunday: http://tastylittledinnerses.blogspot.com/2009/04/2009-04-12-sunday-filet-mignon-baby.html

2009-04-12 Sunday - filet mignon, baby bella mushrooms, lettuce salad, mango avocado salad, mashed potatoes

filet mignon

• black angus filet mignon from TJ's
• olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper
• very hot grill, about 2 minutes each side
  

baby bella mushrooms

• marinated in balsamic vinegar
• soaked up excess liquid with paper towel while cooking

lettuce salad

• just butter lettuce mix and onion

mango avocado salad

• ingredients: mango, avocado, lime juice, spring onion, white onion, chimichurri
• mango diced into small cubes
• avocado diced
• 2 spring onions
• white onion very finely chopped
• juice from 1 lime
• couple small spoonfuls of chimichurry

mashed potatoes

• red potatoes, microwaved ~8-10 minutes total, with a little vegetable broth and olive oil
  
• mashed with butter and chopped roasted garlic and garlic olive oil and milk
  

2009-04-09 Thursday - steak salad with chimichurri and ginger pork on rice

(leftover) steak salad with chimichurri

• ingredients: steak, lettuce, mango, chimichurri
• heated leftover steak on grill, then sliced
• mango sliced into thin strips
  
• served on salad tossed with chimichurri and olive oil

(leftover) ginger pork on rice

steak salad was VERY nice. mango was essential!
Papa said the steak salad and ginger pork went very nicely together.

2009-04-07 Tuesday - re-engineered apricot chicken with vegetables and spanish rice and corn tortillas and guacamole

re-engineered apricot chicken with vegetables

• ingredients: carrots, brussels sprouts, red onion, garlic, corn, chicken
  
• cook in olive oil with lots of black pepper
  
• 2 big carrots, grated
• ~8 brussels sprouts, sliced thin
• 1/4 onion, sliced thin
• ~8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• add: 2 corn cobs, kernels cut off with knife
• add: apricot chicken, chopped
  

spanish rice

• ingredients: rice, onion, garlic, ancho powder, tomato paste, broth, (optional) tomato,
• recipe: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000040spanish_rice.php
• cook in olive oil: 1 cup jasmine rice
• add:
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• ~6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ancho powder
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste (from freezer)
  
• put into rice cooker
• add 1-3/4 cup vegetable broth
  

corn tortillas

• ingredients: masa harina
  
• 1 cup Maseca
• ~1 cup warm water
• 1/8 tsp salt
  
• made 8
  

guacamole

• ingredients: avocado, red onion, ancho powder
  
• 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
• 1 avocado
• ~1/8-1/4 tsp ancho powder
  

2009-04-06 Monday - tri-tip steak with chimichurri sauce and sugar snaps and salad and mashed potatoes

Chimichurri sauce

• 1 small red onion (~1/2 cup)
• 1/2 red bell pepper (~3/4 cup)
  
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 oz cilantro (small plastic clamshell )
  
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (1 small old lemon)
  
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• lots of black pepper
• wash cilantro and remove some of the larger stem pieces
• coarsely chop onion and bell pepper and garlic
• put everything in food processor and process!
• add 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, process
• remove from food processor, add 1/4 olive oil
• add more vinegar and oil to get correct consistency

Tri-tip steak

• Angus tri-tip steak from Trader Joe -- tasty cut!
  
• stab with fork!
  
• marinate in chimichurri for a couple hours
• cooked on iron grill, rare
• served sliced against grain, with chimichurri on the side
  

sugar snaps

• cooked with shallots and finely diced red pepper and garlic
  

mashed potatoes

• enough baby red potatoes for two, cleaned, etc (most of the skin left on)
  
• microwaved, covered, 4-5 minutes
• mashed with 1" cube of butter and milk

salad

• spring greens
• red onion
• red pepper
• balsamic vinaigrette

2009-04-05 Sunday - ginger pork and (leftover) Penang kang kung belacan

ginger pork

• ~3/4 lb boneless country style ribs, sliced
• marinated with soy sauce, white pepper, korean red pepper flakes, tapioca starch
  
• 1" x 1" x 1/2" ginger, minced
• 2 small portabella caps, cubed
• 1 package shitaki mushrooms, sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4-5 green onions, sliced
• sugar snaps
• ~1/3 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 medium bak choy, chopped
  

• cooked pork
  
• cooked mushrooms with garlic and green onion
• cooked sugar snaps and bell pepper and bak choy stems
• added bak choy greens
• added pork and mushrooms

• served with japanese rice and leftover Penang kang kung belacan!
  

2009-04-02 Thursday - Chicken With Apricot, Tamarind and Chipotle Sauce with rice and peas

Chicken With Apricot, Tamarind and Chipotle Sauce

• recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/dining/011srex.html?ref=dining
• used 3 chicken breast halves and 1 packet of ~6-7 drumsticks
  
• replaced some of the water with a can of chicken broth
  
• WAY too much liquid!
• undecided on how good it is, probably won't make again unless I figure out how to tweak some stuff
• served on rice, with Le Sueur peas