Today we're on Day 40. I realized in my collapsed posts that I had mis-numbered, and was selling us one day short. Each day is a smaller amount of the Time Since, so it makes sense that the count isn't nearly as important as it once was. And yet, here we are. Day 40. I went back and fixed those other post titles to reflect it.
I departed from the rice recipe enough that I feel fine telling you what I did here. First, bring 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 2 de-seeded jalapenos (we didn't have poblano), and a handful of cilantro (a great way to use the sad wilty bits at the end!) to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the chiles are soft and mild. Then, immersion blend until there are no visible chunks of chile. While the chile cooks, dice 1/3 onion and mince 4 cloves of garlic. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, stir 2 Tbsp oil, 1 cup rice (the recipe calls for medium grain white, but we usually have Basmati. It works great), onion and garlic until the rice begins to toast and the onion is transluscent. Then add the hot liquid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. At that point, check for doneness, and if it's close, let it rest, lid-on, for about 10 more minutes. Eat immediately, or, to keep the grains firm and separate, pour the cooked rice onto a baking sheet until it cools to room temp, then refridgerate.
The chorizo I got from Harris Teeter tasted vaguely like hot dogs. I won't buy that brand again, but it wasn't terrible either. Crumbled feta replaced the usual queso fresco. The combo was satisfying, if a little non-traditional.
Pasta Salad, Part 2
Ramen Egg on Toast
I had the sense that the marinaded eggs from last night's dinner would be delicious, so I made a few extra. This morning, I had one (cold from the fridge) on a buttered slice of whole wheat toast. With yogurt and apricot preserves. And a new variety of coffee--Stumptown Holler Mountain. I knew the rest of my day was going to be a little busy and harried--on top of a couple of important meetings and my favorite yoga class, it was Grocery Day. So I brought one of the first garden roses into view while I ate.
Green Rice and Chorizo with Zucchini
When I first got it, back in grad school, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen was a kind of intimidating cookbook. The recipes had a lot of ingredients, and involved multiple parts. But once I got the hang of it, it was straightforwad-- cuisines have a rhythm, and this was no different. Most dishes involve first making a sauce, and then incorporating it as an ingredient in to the dish. His Green Poblano Rice (page 254/255) and Zucchini with Roasted Tomato, Chipotle, and Chorizo (page 216) are two recipes I love. The material is copyrighted, but if you visit Amazon and Look Inside, then do a search, you should be able to pull them up. We cooked these dishes Sunday during meal prep, so tonight they just needed reheating.
I departed from the rice recipe enough that I feel fine telling you what I did here. First, bring 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 2 de-seeded jalapenos (we didn't have poblano), and a handful of cilantro (a great way to use the sad wilty bits at the end!) to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the chiles are soft and mild. Then, immersion blend until there are no visible chunks of chile. While the chile cooks, dice 1/3 onion and mince 4 cloves of garlic. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, stir 2 Tbsp oil, 1 cup rice (the recipe calls for medium grain white, but we usually have Basmati. It works great), onion and garlic until the rice begins to toast and the onion is transluscent. Then add the hot liquid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. At that point, check for doneness, and if it's close, let it rest, lid-on, for about 10 more minutes. Eat immediately, or, to keep the grains firm and separate, pour the cooked rice onto a baking sheet until it cools to room temp, then refridgerate.
The chorizo I got from Harris Teeter tasted vaguely like hot dogs. I won't buy that brand again, but it wasn't terrible either. Crumbled feta replaced the usual queso fresco. The combo was satisfying, if a little non-traditional.
Pasta Salad, Part 2
Lunch was pasta salad standing at the kitchen counter, in between meetings. No picture.
And I survived the grocery store. Which concludes Day 40.
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