What's Cookin'???

I have shamefully neglected my blogs on the grounds that I've had nothing interesting to say. Well, gee, a blog is okay with you rambling on about nothing much in particular. So, as part of my ongoing plan to avoid as much housework as possible, I am updating my blogs.

My recent cookbook forays have taken me back to India. I haven't made a darn thing out of either book I got from the library (Madhur Jaffrey's "Quick Indian Cooking" and Shoba Narayan's "Monsoon Diary"), but I did make a pot of basmati rice seasoned with cumin seeds, onions, bay leaf and dried red chilies. I discovered that if you heat the rice and add some cottage cheese, it's really good in that rather neutral way of comfort food. Besides, it makes my lunch interesting and exotic in the break room at work.

I experimented with a version of spaghetti pie, too, since I had a can of spaghetti sauce sitting in the fridge about 3/4 full. Spaghetti pie, in its "classic" form involves making a "crust" out of leftover cooked spaghetti by mixing it with an egg and Parmesan cheese and putting it into a pie plate. You then top it with a layer of ricotta or cottage cheese and then put a layer of browned ground beef, onions and spaghetti sauce on that. Sprinkle the whole shootin' match with shredded cheddar or mozzarella. Well, I didn't have ground beef but I did have some of these On-Cor popcorn chicken bites. I combined the cooked spaghetti with the egg, some Parmesan and a tsp. of Italian seasoning. Then I spread a cup of cottage cheese on and combined the popcorn chicken with the leftover spaghetti sauce and some shredded mozzarella before pouring it into the crust. Sprinkled it with a little more mozzarella and some Parmesan and baked it all at 350 for about 40 minutes. I call it "Chicken Parmigiana Spaghetti Pie." Makes about 6 servings which tote nicely for lunches.

I also have a copy of "Everyday Italian" by Giada DeLaurentis. Which I don't think the library realizes I have. It isn't showing up on my list of stuff that is checked out. There was a problem when I was checking it out. I don't think the computer recognized the bar code, so the young lady at the desk wrote down the information about it. Which apparently hasn't made it into the computer yet. I digress, however. This is a great book. Relatively simple, straightforward recipes. Most of them are even relatively healthy. There was a sale on red and yellow peppers and asparagus at the store. The asparagus, while pretty fresh, is also those big spears. I decided to cut them into large chunks and roast them with some of the peppers I bought. Nothing more than a 450 degree oven, a foil lined cookie sheet, some olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir once after about 10 minutes, then cook another 5-10 minutes. Let it cool slightly and then put the vegetables in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. These make a great side. I served them with some chicken breasts (also on sale) that I pounded flat and sauteed with the technique I learned in Cooking Light magazine. I used a Cooking Light recipe for a bourbon barbecue pan sauce, which I naturally tinkered with by adding a little honey and some red pepper flakes.

The cooking technique has become, I think, my favorite way to prepare boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On their own, I generally find boneless, skinless chicken boring. With the pan searing technique, you get nicely browned chicken breasts that have some flavor and that are still juicy. You just pound the breasts flat (maybe to 1/2 inch thick), sprinkle with salt and pepper and put them into a large skillet that you've heated a little oil in over medium to medium high heat. Once you put the breasts in, leave them alone for 5-6 minutes. Don't shake the pan, don't poke at them with your spatula or tongs. Leave them alone, sizzling away. Flip them ONCE after 5-6 minutes and then leave them alone again for 5-6 minutes. Voila! Your chicken should be done. You can eat it as is or make a pan sauce with whatever you have on hand that sounds good. Anyhow, it's a technique worth mastering.

I also made a good fruit salad. Strawberries and mangoes were on sale last week, so I had two mangoes and a container of strawberries. I cut the fruit up and added a can of drained mandarin oranges and a can of drained pineapple tidbits. Very summery combination! Good with yogurt and a piece of toast in the morning. A good start to just about any day.

Well, that's my cooking update!