Here we are, wrapping up the weekend, and getting ready for another Monday. Combining both days into one blog, because Saturday was largely spent grazing. Tortilla chips with melted cheese. Soft taco with leftover beans and steak. A can of Pringles. All of these have a place, they just didn't make it to a well-staged plate.
Moo Shu Chicken with Mandarin Pancakes
For Sunday dinner, I made Moo Shu Chicken, again from the wonderful Woks of Life. Chicken breast has not been available the last several times we've gone to the store, but I did have one kicking around the freezer, which worked well here. And, like most stir fry, you can substitute with what you have. It's usually made with napa cabbage, but we still have a big purple one, which quite literally changed the hue of the whole dish. I had some remnants of a mushroom mixed pack, and actually had the dried woodears in the cupboard. But no lily flowers or bamboo shoots. Here, I subbed in grated carrots and more scallion than it called for. It was beautiful!
I even made the Mandarin pancakes, a first for me. It's just flour, salt, and boiling water, kneaded for 8 minutes. Check out the recipe for technique, which made thin, beautiful pancakes. They turned out great: nice and stretchy and perfect for wrapping up the tasty moo shu with a drizzle of hoisin sauce. Next time, I'll use a little more oil between the pancakes so they come apart even better; that was the only fiddly part. But it definitely worked out, and I was pleased.
Jambalaya-ish
We had some andouille sausage in the fridge and found some beautiful okra this week at the grocery store. It was time for jambalaya, which made a great Sunday lunch. This is a Jeff specialty, and he riffed on it a bit to use what we had. Chicken andouille. Onions, garlic, half a red bell pepper. Hot Spanish paprika, brought to us from Madrid by our friend Toni. A can of diced tomatoes and some chicken broth. And the sliced okra. We skipped the shrimp for today, saving it for another meal. But this was a delicious reminder of one of the first meals he ever cooked for me.
French Toast
Jeff also made breakfast on Saturday-- a round of custardy French toast that finished off our loaf of white bread. I have lots of happy memories of holiday mornings with Jeff's French toast, and while we couldn't share this meal with family or friends, we made it festive with some vanilla whipped cream and blackberries. Blackberries are my favorite-- in the Pacific Northwest, they grow like weeds. Out East, they are typically pricey and picked long before they are perfectly ripe. This week they were on sale for .99 a carton, so I went for it. They were definitely on the sour side, but a nice contrast to the sweet, cinnamon-flecked toast.
We are still working our way through the groceries we bought this week, so I expect our grocery shop will wait a few days more. And, I have another baking adventure on the docket, coming up in about a week and a half. That, my friends, is a story for another day!
Moo Shu Chicken with Mandarin Pancakes
For Sunday dinner, I made Moo Shu Chicken, again from the wonderful Woks of Life. Chicken breast has not been available the last several times we've gone to the store, but I did have one kicking around the freezer, which worked well here. And, like most stir fry, you can substitute with what you have. It's usually made with napa cabbage, but we still have a big purple one, which quite literally changed the hue of the whole dish. I had some remnants of a mushroom mixed pack, and actually had the dried woodears in the cupboard. But no lily flowers or bamboo shoots. Here, I subbed in grated carrots and more scallion than it called for. It was beautiful!
I even made the Mandarin pancakes, a first for me. It's just flour, salt, and boiling water, kneaded for 8 minutes. Check out the recipe for technique, which made thin, beautiful pancakes. They turned out great: nice and stretchy and perfect for wrapping up the tasty moo shu with a drizzle of hoisin sauce. Next time, I'll use a little more oil between the pancakes so they come apart even better; that was the only fiddly part. But it definitely worked out, and I was pleased.
Jambalaya-ish
We had some andouille sausage in the fridge and found some beautiful okra this week at the grocery store. It was time for jambalaya, which made a great Sunday lunch. This is a Jeff specialty, and he riffed on it a bit to use what we had. Chicken andouille. Onions, garlic, half a red bell pepper. Hot Spanish paprika, brought to us from Madrid by our friend Toni. A can of diced tomatoes and some chicken broth. And the sliced okra. We skipped the shrimp for today, saving it for another meal. But this was a delicious reminder of one of the first meals he ever cooked for me.
French Toast
Jeff also made breakfast on Saturday-- a round of custardy French toast that finished off our loaf of white bread. I have lots of happy memories of holiday mornings with Jeff's French toast, and while we couldn't share this meal with family or friends, we made it festive with some vanilla whipped cream and blackberries. Blackberries are my favorite-- in the Pacific Northwest, they grow like weeds. Out East, they are typically pricey and picked long before they are perfectly ripe. This week they were on sale for .99 a carton, so I went for it. They were definitely on the sour side, but a nice contrast to the sweet, cinnamon-flecked toast.
We are still working our way through the groceries we bought this week, so I expect our grocery shop will wait a few days more. And, I have another baking adventure on the docket, coming up in about a week and a half. That, my friends, is a story for another day!
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