FamilyFood

A TASTY TWIST ON THE USUAL

I love potato salads, especially this one.

ROASTED ROOT VEG AND POTATO SALAD

6 Yukon gold potatoes, diced into large cubes
2 carrots, scrubbed but not peeled, diced into chunky batons
an onion, chopped
a head of garlic broken up and unpeeled
olive oil
one leafy green fennel stalk (for flavoring), save the bulb for another use (I used it for soup.)
very coarse salt and pepper
aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350º. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Toss.  Sprinkle with coarse salt and grind pepper over.  Lay the fennel stalk on top of veggies.  Cover pan loosely with foil.  Roast covered for 20 minutes then remove foil and roast a further 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, discard fennel, and then drizzle veggies with balsamic vinegar—not too much—2-3 times around the pan with your thumb over the opening of the bottle so vinegar flows out in a thin stream.  Toss, transfer to serving dish. Devour.

Parsnips, rutabagas, and/or beets would also be very tasty in this, as would a mixture of different colored potatoes.  Fresh parsley to garnish would also be yummy.

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 100º I MADE THIS

For some reason, though it was boiling yesterday, I felt like eating something "wintery."  And Wallie, my 10-month-old, loves "stewy" things, so really I was cooking it for her. I didn't want to heat up the kitchen for hours and hours so took a classic coq au vin recipe and adapted it to make it quicker and much easier.  It not as rich as the original recipe, but it still hit the spot.  Wallie devoured it.  I served it with the roasted root vegetable salad (above) and butter lettuce salad.  We had fresh, cold pineapple for dessert.

COQ "FAUX" VIN

2 lbs. of boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs (my favorite part of the chicken for its tenderness and flavor.  Bone-in would have been better by far, but this is what I had on hand.)
2 strips of bacon (I like Beeler's nitrite-free)
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
2-3 glugs of olive oil
1/3 bottle of red wine (leftover wine—if you ever have any—is great for this)
salt and pepper

In a sauté pan (preferably one with a lid), and the fry garlic and whole bacon strips over medium high heat until garlic is a medium-brown and bacon starts to go crispy.  Season chicken parts with salt and pepper and add them to the pan.  Brown them very well on both sides, at least 7 minutes per side.  You want them to be almost seared and you want the pan drippings to get all caramel-y.  Add wine to the pan, bring to a boil, scraping up all the browned bits, then reduce heat to a bare simmer.  Cover.  Cook about 45 minutes.  If you want to be fancy you can carmelize in a separate pan: pearl onions or whole shallots or mushrooms or carrots then add these to the chicken pan right before you cover it—any combination would make this dish even more delicious—but I didn't and the fanciness wasn't missed.

WHAT'S IN YOUR PANTRY?

A while back someone asked me to share what ingredients I keep stocked in my pantry (and fridge) to allow me to prepare quick, home-cooked meals everyday. I do have non-perishable staples which I consider essential to my cooking, but I don't have a lot of storage space in my kitchen (the equivalent of one medium-sized kitchen cupboard for all canned goods etc.) so I try not to keep too much on hand. So without further ado, here's what you can find in my kitchen right now:

THE FAMILYFOOD LIST OF ESSENTIALS

Pantry

• Oils: extra-virgin olive (salads, sauteing); peanut (frying, wok-cooking); sesame, walnut, truffle (embellishment)
• Vinegars: sherry, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, rice
• Salt: coarse and fine sea salt, Kosher
• Pepper: black, and a blend (always from a grinder), ground white pepper (for Asian dishes)
• Sauces/Condiments: dark soy sauce, white soy sauce, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, fish sauce, worchestershire sauce, ketchup, mayo, mustard (hot-sweet, horseradish, dijon), anchovy fillets in olive oil, capers (salt- and brine-cured), olives
• Canned veg: whole plum tomatoes, beans
• Canned fish: Italian tuna in olive oil, salmon
• Chicken broth (2 boxes)
• Pasta: various shapes, but mainly spaghetti and penne (our faves). I buy DeCecco (or Barilla) for everyday pastas and I stock up when they are on sale.  I prefer dried pasta to fresh pasta, but I do make fresh pasta once or twice a year and freeze any leftover dough.
• Other noodles: soba, rice vermicelli
• Grains: rice (short grain, jasmine, basmati—we eat mostly brown rice now), whole wheat cous cous, bulgur wheat
• For baking: Unbleached all-purpose, cake, and whole wheat flours; baking powder, baking soda
• Sugars: regular and brown
• Coffee: regular and espresso

Fridge

• Dairy: half-and-half for coffee, yogurt, cheese
• Non-dairy: soy and rice milks
• Juice
• Eggs
• Miso
• Jams (I am a jam freak)
• Peanut butter
• Unsalted butter (also frozen)
• Assorted lettuce (I eat salad every day)
• celery
• carrots
• onions (yellow and green)
• ginger
• Herbs stored in a glass of water with plastic bag over
• yeast

Freezer

• Frozen veg: peas, corn, edamame
• Van's waffles
• Morningstar Farms "sausage" links
• Assorted meats/poultry (for example, we stock up on whole chickens and rib-eyes when they are on sale)
• stock in plastic tubs
• pie crust

On the counter

• garlic, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, other fruit in season

As far as spices go, unless I am cooking something that requires a specific spice or blend of spices (like Indian or Morrocan dishes) I don't really use them everyday.  I prefer to stick with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

I also shop for veggies at my local Farmer's Market so what is in my fridge depends on what looked good that day.  I can't think of a vegetable or fruit that Bunny won't eat and we try to keep an abundance around for her.  She eats one whole carrot and one apple or pear a day (I am not kidding) in addition to loads of salad. 

I try to buy seafood the day I cook it.

Lastly, we don't eat meat everyday.  We eat lots of fish and red meat no more than once per week  (if that).  I am not a fan of chicken unless it is roasted and that I will do once or twice a month. We probably eat more pork than anything else. I love soup so I make some form of soup about once a week and my soups are usually veg based with meat as flavoring if it is included at all.   

CORN NUTS

Yes we are.  We love us some corn in our house. Our favorite way to eat it is Mexican-style.  We barbecue whole ears of corn in their husks (no need to soak first as some recipes recommend) and then, once roasted, we shuck the corn, spread it with mayo, roll in crumbled cotija cheese, and then devour with a squeeze of lime and lots of Valentina (or Cholula, in a pinch) hot sauce.  It is so messy, so good, and just this is often our dinner in the summer time.  (And look at that, a recipe!)

At the farmer's market yesterday I picked up some corn and thought to do Mexican corn for dinner tonight, but I changed my mind after spending all day at the water park.  Even though it is close to 100º in our backyard right now, I decided to make a hearty corn chowder because splashing in the sun makes a person hungry.  Almost everything in my chowder came from the farmer's market and I prepped it and got it simmering in under 30 minutes.  We will have this for dinner along with a crisp, cold, butter lettuce salad.

CORN CHOWDER CITYMAMA-STYLE

Whenever you add something to the pot, remember to add a little salt, too.

half a package of bacon, diced (I like Beeler's preservative-/nitrite-free bacon)
a splash of olive oil
one large Walla Walla onion, diced
2 stalks of celery and the leaves, chopped
a bell pepper or as many baby peppers as you can carry in two hands (~10), chopped (this is optional)
4 medium ears of corn
as many new Yukon Gold potatoes as you can carry in two hands (I carried exactly 10)
water
milk or half-and-half (whatever you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy soup/stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat until cooked though but not brown.  Then add the onion, celery, and peppers and let them cook down. In the meantime, carefully scrape the kernels from the corn using a sharp knife.  If the kernels are particularly milky that is a good thing.  Save it.  Using a flexible chopping mat helps to get all the kernels and any liquid into the pot, otherwise I always chop on wood.  Better for the ol' knives. 

Once the kernels are in the pot, let them cook for a few minutes while you chop the potatoes.

Now add some water to the soup pot until it reaches about half way up the sides—six to eight cups depending on how big your pot is.  (I use the 8-quart pot shown here.)  Then slide in your cubed potatoes.  Bring to a boil, and them immediately reduce heat to a bare simmer.  Spend a few minutes skimming foam off the surface of the soup.  It's nasty and clouds up your broth.  Once this is done, let the soup simmer until potatoes are cooked though and flavors deepen, about 30 minutes.  Turn off heat.

Just before serving add a cup or two of milk or half-and-half.  Adjust salt and pepper.  Warm soup through and serve topped with fresh-snipped marjoram.

BIRCHER MUESLI CITYMAMA STYLE

My family are cereal eaters, especially of the granola, oatmeal, and muesli varieties.  Me?  I prefer  Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal, but I can't eat that in front of the kids or I will have to share.  Oh yeah, and it's soooo bad for you. //eye-roll//

J.'s favorite place in the grocery store is the bulk food aisle.  He likes to fill bag after bag with granola and if we ever have a flood, we can simply empty our cupboard and use those sacks in lieu of sandbags.  Bunny likes the bulk section, too, but that is because she views it as her own personal snack bar.  It takes two of us to wrangle her in the bulk aisle because one person has to block her access to the (super-expensive) pine nuts and dried pineapple while the other scoops.

I like to make my own Bircher muesli because it's easy, it's cheap, it's tasty, and you don't have to pre-cook or pre-toast it like you do with granola.  I also like its fresh, simple flavors.  And, it couldn't be easier to cook.

If you have a covered, glass Pyrex baking dish and a microwave, breakfast will be on the table in minutes.

CITYMAMA'S BIRCHER MUESLI

There are hundreds of different recipes for muesli.  This is one that my family likes.  To cook it, use a 2:1 ration of liquid (milk, soymilk, rice milk) to muesli. 

• 5 cups of organic rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup of raw wheat germ
• 1 cup of dried cranberries (the orange-flavored ones for Trader Joe's are great in this)
• 6-8 dried apricots, chopped.

Combine all ingredients and store in a tightly covered container.

To prepare (This makes enough for 2 adults and 2 kids.):

Place one cup of muesli mix and 2 cups of milk in a Pyrex bowl.  Add a dash of salt.  Cover with lid and microwave for about 6 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Stir in at least one grated apple (no need to peel)—a must-have.  Garnish each serving with blueberries or any other fresh fruit—optional.

We always add at least one grated apple (sometimes two), but the other fresh fruit varies depending on what it in season.  And sometimes we eat it just with the apple.  It needs no other sweetening, but feel free to add brown sugar or honey as you wish.  (P.S.  Look at these Oregon blueberries.  They are the size of grapes!)

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MORNING NAP

Wallie goes down around around 9AM for about 1.5 hours.  Today this was time enough for me to roast a chicken.  I didn't want to cook it later in the day when I knew it would be hot, so I got it done in the cool of the morning.

I want to have chicken on hand to make enchiladas for dinner tonight (recipe to follow) and some to use for sandwiches and salads.  This chicken is simple and good.

GARLIC LIME ROASTED CHICKEN

This will make your house smell really good.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• 1 (organic) young chicken, neck and giblets removed, rinsed and patted dry
• a pat of softened unsalted butter*
• juice of three limes*
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed (one of the few times I will ever use a garlic press, but you want it fine)
• coarse sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• twine for trussing chicken (optional)
• meat thermometer (if desired)

Salt inside of chicken.  Rub chicken breast with butter.  Squeeze limes over and into chicken then stuff the juiced limes into chicken cavity.  Press garlic directly over the chicken and rub over entire chicken.  Place pressed garlic cloves (from the garlic press) into the chicken cavity as well.  Liberally salt and pepper the chicken.  Truss if desired.  (I simply tie the legs together and then wind the twine around the wings to flatten them against the bird.  Knot and cut.) 

Place chicken in oven.  Roast at 350 for half an hour, then turn oven down to 325 for another half an hour or until meat thermometer indicates doneness.

*If you like, you can zest one of the limes, mix the zest with the butter and then rub that over the chicken.  This will make the chicken a little more lime-y.

TRY THIS, IT'S GOOD

So we're at my brother's house to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday and Bunny's birthday and he made an insane meal (as usual).  He loves to entertain, probably even more than I do.  He invited some of his friends (two couples had kids and one couple was pregnant).  We had lots of fun sitting outside eating and drinking and watching the kidlets play.  The menu was sorta Tex-Mex and included:

BBQ'd bone-in rib eyes
BBQ'd chicken
4 kinds of homemade salsa (2 kinds of tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, salsa made with dried chilies)
homemade guacamole
refried beans
corn tortillas (both soft and crisp)

He also made her a quadruple layer cake covered in whipped cream (her favorite) and adorned with fresh nectarines.  The bottom layer (for the adults) he soaked in pear liqueur.  Mmmmmmm!

(My contribution was margaritas* served in Mexican seasoned salt-rimmed glasses. Natch.)

But one of the things he served was pork shoulder simmered for several hours in pasilla pepper sauce.  Turns out it was the only thing he didn't actually make himself,  he used Knorr-brand Pasilla simmer sauce.  It was really, really tasty.  (Wallie, my 9 month-old stew-eater, loved it.)  I'd seen the assortment of sauces in the Mexican section of my local supermarket and was curious to try them.  He doctored his slightly by adding a little tomatillo salsa.  He sent me home with my very own box o' sauce so I will try it (without the added salsa) and report back. 

I did notice that the sauce lists MSG as an ingredient.  If you have a problem with it you might want to avoid it.  I don't have a problem with it and grew up actually it (we call it aji-no moto after the famous Japanese brand) to certain (mostly Japanese) foods.  My brother and I joke that if a Chinese restaurant advertises that they don't use MSG, then we don't want to eat there.

*My favorite recipe is simply 100% agave tequila, Cointreau, and lots of lime, over ice.