February 15th, 2009
So my new years resolution was to take my lunch to work more often than I buy lunch. So far, I’ve been pretty good about it, some weeks I bring lunch every day, some weeks it’s once or twice, but let’s just say that the average is on my side. Since making this resolution, I’ve had to add more recipes to my arsenal–cheap, flavorful and healthy recipes that allow me to make a few meals over the weekend, package them up and put them in the fridge to pull out on my way out the door in the morning.
Imjaddarah is a Lebanese recipe, often made for Friday Lenten dinners. The recipe I’m writing won’t be used for any Friday night though, since it calls for a cup and a half of chicken broth. Sure, you can use veggie broth for a Friday night or a vegetarian meal, but all I had in my pantry was chicken, so there you are. This has a few extra ingredients from your basic Imjaddarah, which you can find here: Imaddarah Lentils and Rice.
Recipe after the fold.
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November 18th, 2005
Going to the West Side Market is one of the many reasons why I love Cleveland. Being able to make (and eat) this stew is one of the redeeming qualities of colder Cleveland weather. It’s a variation on the lamb stew one finds all over Ireland and it will feed a family of five with some leftovers for the next day.
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Ingredients
- 1 can Guinness (or some other stout… if you’re a heretic)
- 2 pounds lamb, cubed
- 1 bag baby carrots
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 5 large potatoes, cut into large pieces
- 3 sticks celery, diced
- 1 rutabaga/swede, cut into large pieces (very optional)
- 3 parsnips, cut into coins (again, optional)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 (T)ablespoons butter or olive oil
- 3, maybe more, cups water
- 1 (T)ablespoon brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a large stock pot or dutch oven (really big pot), heat butter/oil. Brown the lamb, adding some salt and pepper as it browns and gradually pouring in the Guinness. It’s a good idea to have another one on hand to gradually add to the cook’s stomach as well. Add the diced onions and the garlic and allow to simmer for a half hour, adding a little water as necessary. Add the brown sugar and two cups water, cover and simmer for an hour, adding water as necessary. Add vegetables and some more water, stir, allow to simmer for another hour. Stew should be thick. Serve with wheat bread and more Guinness, or a nice glass of Bushmills whiskey.
November 10th, 2005
It’s a blustery day out there. Seems like [November remembered that it's the tenth](http://www.ssefo.com/) and decided to give us some anniversary weather. While it’s not quite cold enough to break out the leather, I’ve got my warmest sweater on and my favorite scarf wrapped around my neck. They seem to be enough to keep me toasty on the short walks I have from building to building.
Time for crappy November weather and time for food that makes it seem a little less crappy. Presenting Schwein und Apfelkraut. No, this isn’t a traditional German dish. It’s a twist on Amish cooking, with a made-up German title. The title roughly translates to “Pork and Apple-Cabbage”. It’s a one-pot meal, since, being mostly Irish, I like dishes that can be cooked using only one pot. Actually, that has less to do with being Irish and is more related to my hatred of washing dishes. It’s an easy meal that starts when you get home from work and is done about an hour or two later. Read the rest of this entry »
October 22nd, 2005
I’m an idiot when it comes to cooking breakfast food. I can make roast beef, whip up sauces, do just about anything else for any other time of day, but if it’s more complicated than cereal and milk, or bread and a toaster, I’m generally not your gal. I tend to scramble any eggs I cook, even if they’re supposed to be sunny-side-up. I’ve made my peace with this ineptitude, but I _have_ found something I can make: pancakes.
This recipe is extremely easy and it doesn’t take long to whip together. I can make pancakes in less than a half an hour and I’m not the most efficient girl on the block.
combine
one cup flour
2 (T)ablespoons sugar
1/4 (t)easpoon salt
2 (t)easpoons baking powder
beat and add:
one egg (optional)
add:
1 cup milk (scant) stir gradually to make smooth
add:
1 (t)easpoon melted butter or oil
2 (T)ablespoons vanilla extract
2 (T)ablespoons lemon juice optional
cook in a hot frying pan, flip pancakes when they bubble, to brown the other side. I find that silver dollar pancakes are easier to turn (because they’re smaller), so that’s what I make–this recipe makes at least a dozen silver dollar pancakes easily. I keep the oven on warm while I’m cooking the pancakes and just keep the finished pancakes in there until they’re ready to serve. This way there’s no cold pancakes.
September 21st, 2005
I’m sounding my own trumpet today, on the last day of summer and the day of my birth. I took the day off, partially because it’s my birthday and partially because this damned tooth still hurts like heck. I even wimped out and filled my prescription of Tylenol 3 just so that I could sleep.
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September 14th, 2005
I have a huge basket of tomatoes that are just waiting to be used, either for compost or food. I have so many that the whole use issue is leaning toward compost, but I’d rather just eat them and be happy than wait for them to turn into free fertilizer (or mush… that’s always a possibility too). I’ve been looking and hunting around for more ways to use these little beauties, but sometimes it’s hard to get the motivation up to make yet another mess in the kitchen and give my hair another frizzing steam treatment. Yes, I’m that lazy and vain.
Anyway, here’s a recipe that I tried for the first the other night on some friends. They didn’t die and there were no leftovers, so I can only hope that it was a success.
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