Archive for the ‘Evening’ Category
Simulated Solar Eclipse in Stellarium
I haven’t really decided what to make, but I am definitely going to make a day of it. I think that Star Party Sandwiches are a good candidate, and maybe Stellar Salad to go with them. Maybe I can make something with Sun Dried tomatoes, and find a recipe for Moon pies.
The picture you see is a screen shot I took when I was using Stellarium, a Windows-based planetarium program. It’s a lot of fun and Spane really enjoys using it. Stellarium is available at Stellarium.org.
I am really excited about this, and I’ll be adding to this post in the days to come. Stay tuned!
Flag of Mexico
Recipes in this Post
Flag of Mexico
So, a few weeks ago I was at the market and there was a package of Uncle Ben’s Taco rice in the Manager’s Special section. I thought, hey, why not? It might be good. I prepared it according to package directions on Tuesday. When Spane tasted it, he made a face. I tasted it, and I made a face, too. I even put Tapatio on it, and sour cream, and it still tasted like dirty, old socks. Mind you, I’ve never tasted dirty, old socks, but I imagine they probably taste like that rice – horrible. Moral of the story, don’t by Uncle Ben’s flavored rice.
After that debacle, I was determined to make good Mexican rice, but my stove, Bertha, is on the fritz. I had to find another way to make it.
I also had a pork loin roast, and I wanted to marinate it, but, it too, could not be roasted in Bertha. I had to find another way for that as well.
Posted in Cinco De Mayo, Condiments, Evening, Holidays, Mexican, Rotisserie, Sides, Spring, Summer, The Weber! | 
Tags: Avocado, Chicken Base, Cilantro, corn totilla, dehydrated onions, garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, oregano, Pork loin, tomato, tomato paste, white rice | 
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Recipes in this Post
Spane wearing a "hat" given by Chef Farion
Spane wearing a "hat" given by Chef Farion
I was so looking forward to putting my corned beef on the Weber, but I got rained out. It didn’t turn out a bad dinner, though. I used the baby Nesco, and that brisket turned out just fine.
Snake Pie
For the past few St. Patrick’s Days, it has been a lovely, warm and sunny day, perfect for firing up the Weber and putting a corned beef brisket on it. No such luck today, but, no problem, there’s still the baby Nesco.
: Barbecue Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 corned beef brisket
- 1 whole onion
- Barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Remove the corned beef from its package. Save the spice package for something else.
- Wash the brisket well in cold water.
- Fill a large stock pot with water. Cut the onion in half.
- Put the brisket and onion in the water.
- Heat on medium heat and cook for two hours or until the brisket is tender.
- Remove the brisket from the water and pat dry. Let the brisket cool in the refrigerator.
- Start your barbecue up and prepare it for indirect cooking.
- If your sauce is not too sweet, you may put the sauce on before putting the meat on the barbecue.
- Put the meat on the grill using indirect heat. Roast on slow heat for two hours, basting occasionally, and checking that the coals are still hot.
- If your sauce is sweet, wait until the last fifteen minutes before putting it on.
Variations
If you do not have a barbecue, or are rained out, you can put the meat in a slow oven or in a small Nesco.
Preparation time: 2 hour(s)
Cooking time: 2 hour(s)
Diet tags: High protein
Number of servings (yield): 8
Culinary tradition: USA (Southern)
My rating
Copyright © The Good Plate.
Recipe by Adrienne Boswell.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
: Snake and Shamrock Pie
Ingredients
- 1 double pie crust
- Mince Meat Pie filling
- 1 egg
- Water
- Green sugar crystals
- Shamrock cookie cutter
- 4 black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Put the first pie crust in the pie pan.
- Fill the pie with the filling.
- Cut shamrocks out of the second crust and place on the top of the pie.
- Roll the remaining dough into a very long, thin rope.
- Mix the egg with some water to make an egg wash.
- Use a pastry brush or paint brush and brush the crust of the pie with the egg wash.
- Take the rope and place it on top of the crust, securing it as you go, leaving a small bit without any of the rope.
- Form one end of the rope into the head of the snake. Use a toothpick to make eye sockets and place two sesame seeds into each eye socket.
- Form the other end into the tail.
- Use a fork to make the diamond shape on the snake’s skin.
- Using the pastry brush, brush the entire snake and all the shamrocks with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle the green sugar all over the shamrocks and snake.
- Cut some foil the circumference of the pie, and put it over the snake part only.
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Put the pie in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the shamrocks have started to just brown.
- Remove the foil from the snake and bake for another 5 minutes or until the snake has also browned.
- Remove from the oven. Serve warm with hard sauce.
Variations
If you do not like Mince Meat, you could use another fruit filling that would do well with a lattice pie.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Culinary tradition: Irish
My rating
Copyright © The Good Plate.
Recipe by Adrienne Boswell.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
Posted in Desserts, Evening, Holidays, Spring, St. Patrick's Day, The Nesco, The Weber! |
Tags: barbecue sauce, colored sugar, corned beef, mincemeat, pie dough |
2 Comments »
Recipes in this Post
Ox-tail served over noodles
Ox-tail served over noodles
When I was a little girl growing up in Germany, when we had Oxen Shvantz Suppe it was always a real treat. Braised with wine for hours they are tender and juicy. They are wonderful on a cold, rainy winter day.
What are ox tails, you ask? Well, they are the tail of an ox or steer which is cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces. They are very meaty and make a nice gravy, all on their own. How do you eat ox tails? You get most of the meat out with your fork, then you pick the piece up and suck all the goodness out of the bone. A bone bowl is a good thing to have on the table when you are serving ox tails.
When you go to buy ox tails, be sure and get them from a reputable butcher. The bony part should be bright white, the sinew pink, and the meat should be nice and red. I was lucky, my butcher brought out a tail and cut it there in front of me with his incredibly sharp knife. You can’t get any fresher than that.
Posted in Comfort Food, Evening, Fall, Italian, Make Ahead, Slow Cooker, Soups, Winter |
Tags: Armenian Red Pepper Sauce, beef base, bell peppers, carrots, crushed tomato, onions, ox tails, wine |
2 Comments »
Chili with fixin's
Chili with fixin's
Sometimes, on a cold day that looks like it might rain, you have to have chili. Usually, I make a big pot of it, and it cooks a long time to let the beans get nice and soft. Sometimes, you just don’t have that kind of time, but you don’t want something that came out of a can.
I don’t buy the Chili mix in the bag. I make my own, and you should, too. It’s very simple, and better because you can control the heat and you know what’s in it. Basically, it’s a mixture of chilies, cumin and a little salt.
If you live in California, you probably have access to fresh Anaheim chilies, if you live in New Mexico, you have the New Mexico chili which is a bit hotter than the Anaheim. Both chilies have thick skin, so they should be charred before use. When making my chili, I charred two nice big red bells peppers as well.
How to Char Chilies
Charring chilies is very simple. You need four things, the chilies themselves, a gas stove top, long tongs and a plastic bag (the one the chilies came in is fine). Put the gas flame up as high as it will go, and just lay the chili on the burner. Use the tongs to turn the chilies as they char. When most of the skin has been charred, put the chili in the plastic bag, close it, and let the chili steam in the bag. When the chili is cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin under running water. Not only is this a great way to skin a chili pepper, it also give the chili a nice roasted flavor. Of course, if you want really smoky flavor, do it on the Weber!
Posted in Comfort Food, Evening, Left Overs, Methods, Soups, The Weber! |
Tags: anaheim chilies, bacon fat, beef base, canned tomatoes, chipotle chili, cumin, garlic, onions, pre-cooked hamburgers, red bell pepper |
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Manicotti Served
Manicotti is a child friendly food. Most kids love spaghetti and pasta. What could be more fun than stuffing tubes and then eating them? Kids can get a little messy, but that’s their job, right?
My friend, Chef John Farion, came over and brought me a large container of cottage cheese. I did not think that Spane and I could eat if fast enough for it not to go bad, so I decided to stuff something with it. Quite frequently, cottage cheese is used for lasagna, but I don’t like meatless lasagna, and I wanted it for Friday. Oddly enough, I had everything I needed already at home, so I bought some manicotti and brought it home.
Posted in Evening, Friday Food, Italian, Kids, Make Ahead, One Dish Casseroles |
Tags: bell peppers, cottage cheese, garlic, Manicotti, Mushrooms, nutmeg, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, Pine Nuts, shallots in oil, Sherry, Spinach |
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