Spicy Roasted Eel Kedgeree

 

If you're not familiar with kedgeree it is a dish that arose from the British Raj, usually incorporating boiled rice, flaked fish, and boiled eggs. I've found most recipes to be somewhat bland for my taste (as someone who loves Asian food, there's not much Asian about most kedgeree) and developed a version this morning that has a little bit more of a punch! Kedgeree is traditionally served for breakfast or High Tea. We served ours with oolong tea for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 TB vegetable oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 whole dried red pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 small carrot (in honor of the Easter Bunny), diced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 3.5 oz can roasted eel (I get mine at the local Korean market)
• 2 Easter eggs, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Pour the rice into a bowl large enough to contain the rice and the cup of water.
2. Pour the boiling water over the rice and cover with a saucer; let sit for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and stir fry the spices and red pepper for 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, onion, and carrot and saute until soft.
5. Drain the rice and add to the saucepan.
6. Saute for 5 minutes.
7. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
8. Cover tightly and cook for 25 minutes.
9. Uncover, add the eel (break the eel up into smaller pieces) and the eggs and heat until warm.
10. Add salt and pepper.

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Slow Cooker Italian Goulash Soup

Active Time: 15 min/ Total Time 8 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 LB leftover meat, chopped (I used left over braised Boston butt roast)
• 1 TB sweet paprika
• Pinch caraway seeds
• 2 TB catsup
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TB flour
• 2 Cups broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In the morning:

1. Blend the oil and onion together in a microwave bowl and heat for 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
2. Combine broth, flour, catsup, herbs and spices in the bottom of the slow cooker and blend until smooth.
3. Add the meat and onions.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

In the evening:

Serve with bread for a light supper or egg noodles for something more robust. 

Also try:

Hungarian Goulash a la Betty Crocker

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Brats and Cabbage in Brown Sauce

Active Time: 10-15 minutes

Total Time: 8-8.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 LB bratwurst
• 1/2 cabbage cut in wedges
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup milk
• 1 packet French onion soup mix (I actually make my own using this recipe)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 slices of bacon

Directions:

In the morning:

1. Blend together the seasoning mix, flour and the mayo and milk in a blender.
2. Place the wedges of cabbage in the crockpot.
3. Wedge the brats and bacon in between the cabbage.
4. Pour the sauce over.
5. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

In the evening:

Serve with bread--It's ready!

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Green Chilli

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Poblano chiles diced
• 1 onion diced
• Vegetable oil
• 12 oz can tomatillos
• 1 can green chiles
• 2 LB leftover Mexican pork roast chopped or shredded
• 2 16 oz cans white beans
• 2 cups of reserved broth from the Mexican pork roast

Directions:

In the morning:

• Mix the cumin, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, bay leaf, diced onions and poblano chiles with a small amount of vegetable oil and microwave for 5 to 10 minutes until soft.
• Combine this mixture (remove the bay leaf) with the tomatillos and green chiles and blend in a blender until smooth.
• Add 2 LB chopped left over Mexican pot roast and the canned beans to the crockpot.
• Cover with the chile mixture, broth, and the the bay leaf. 
• Cook for 8 hours on lo or 4-6 hours on hi.
• Divide the rest of the pork roast into 3 parts and reserve for the rest of the week.

 In the evening:


Enjoy!!!!!  There should be enough for leftovers tomorrow.

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In the Pantry--Creamy Italian Soup

This is a super duper easy recipe that I came up with last week when I was in a hurry.   I also didn't have half of what was called for and resorted to the pantry for substitutes.  I'll be making it again!

Ingredients:

• (1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes and juice
• (2) 16 oz cans cannellini beans
• (2) cans cream of mushroom soup
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 LB pork loin

Directions:

• Dump it all in the slow cooker and walk away!
• DON'T chop the meat! 
• Let it go all day on low (8 hours) and when you come back your pork loin should be floating at the top.
• Remove it and pull apart with a fork--it took me just a couple of minutes.
• Add it back to the soup and serve with some crusty bread. 

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Frozen Hibiscus Mousse

I have so many hibiscus flowers left over from dyeing fabric that I thought I would start exploring hibiscus recipes!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups rehydrated, chopped hibiscus flowers
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cup water
• 8 egg yolks, beaten until thick
• 1 TB grenadine
• 4 egg whites, beaten until frothy
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped.

Directions:

1. Combined 2 cups of the sugar and the water in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the hibiscus flowers and simmer them for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the flowers from the juice.
4. Measure 1 cup of the hibiscus juice and beat the juice into the egg yolks.
5. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon heavily.
6. Do NOT allow to boil or the eggs will curdle.
7. Stir in the hibiscus flowers and grenadine and pour into a bowl.
8. Chill in the refrigerator for about one half hour until it thickens slightly.
9. Gradually beat the remaining sugar into the egg whites.
10. Continue to beat until the whites form peaks.
11. With a rubber spaturla, fold the cream gently but thouroughly into the thickened hibiscus mixture, then fold in the egg whites, folding until streaks of white no longer show.
12. Pour into refrigerator trays or a 2-quart decorative mold or souffle dish.
13. Cover with foil and freeze until firm.
14. The hibiscus mousse may be served in scoops like ice, unmolded on a plate, or servved directly from a souffle dish. 

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Chicken Ramen

 

So, we're pretty sure the sign at the farmer's market said that this mushroom is hen of the wood. Which is also known as maitake--so I thought I'd go with a Japanese recipe for this one. We love Ramen, for one because it's easy, and two because it's versatile. I've made Ramen so many different ways before I blogged that I can't remember all the yummy variations. One of the reasons I'm doing this blog is purely so that I'll have access to all my mad experiments after I've forgotten them!

Promise, this one's pretty sane! And to be completely honest, it's a riff off of Alton Brown's Ramen Shrimp Pouch

My recipes are generally for two people, but this one serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken thighs
• 3 package Ramen noodles
• 6 cups chicken broth (from cooking the chicken thighs)
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 1 clump hen of the wood or oyster mushrooms
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 small parcel of bok choy, chopped
• 1/2 cup scallions sliced
• Fresh ground white pepper to taste
• Honey to taste

Two very good things in life--ichimi (finely ground red chili pepper) and white pepper.

Directions:

• Place the chicken thighs in a small sauce pan and cover with 7 cups of water, bring to a boil, then turn down to medium low heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the liquid and put in the fridge to cool, when it is cool enough to handle shred the chicken.
• Strain the liquid and reserve six cups.
• Cook the ramen noodles per package instruction, but discard the seasoning packets. Strain the noodles, run cold water over them, and put to the side.
• Combine reserved chicken broth, mirin, soy sauce, and sesame oil, bring to a boil and add the bok choy.
• Turn down to a slow boil and cook the bok choy and onions for about 5 minutes or until the tenderness is to tase.
• Add the mushrooms and the scallions and the shredded chicken.
• Sprinkle on white pepper.
• Drizzle over honey.
• Place cooked ramen in the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over.
• Serve with ichimi.