Tonight, Ryan and I squared off with the kitchen:
Chicken and Leek Casserole (from Martha Stewart Living, January 2009). It calls for mushrooms as well, but I heated them separately as I'm the only mushroom eater here. It turned out fine--a little too soggy for my tastes; perhaps more bread to absorb the casserole or reducing the chicken stock / milk in the vegetable mix, but not by too much. This was my first casserole.
Ryan found pepitas at the grocery store and he roasted them on his own. These Mexican pumpkin seeds are completely addictive, I warn you. Here's how to roast them:
Chicken and Leek Casserole (from Martha Stewart Living, January 2009). It calls for mushrooms as well, but I heated them separately as I'm the only mushroom eater here. It turned out fine--a little too soggy for my tastes; perhaps more bread to absorb the casserole or reducing the chicken stock / milk in the vegetable mix, but not by too much. This was my first casserole.
Ryan found pepitas at the grocery store and he roasted them on his own. These Mexican pumpkin seeds are completely addictive, I warn you. Here's how to roast them:
- 1⁄2 cup pepitas, raw
- 1⁄2 teaspoon oil, extra-virgin olive
- salt, kosher
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the pepitas with the olive oil and mix with a fork. Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt and again toss with the spoon. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, trying to be sure all the seeds are in one layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Sprinkle with more salt and, using the parchment paper, pour out onto a dinner plate to cool.
- 1⁄2 teaspoon oil, extra-virgin olive
- salt, kosher
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the pepitas with the olive oil and mix with a fork. Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt and again toss with the spoon. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, trying to be sure all the seeds are in one layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Sprinkle with more salt and, using the parchment paper, pour out onto a dinner plate to cool.
For dessert, we attempted Molly / Orangette's peppermint bark. We picked the tinfoil clean after separating the bark into four tins for post-holiday giving. I see now how easy it is to become addicted to dessert.
And later, peanut butter and toffee cookies, which turned out a bit crumbly.
Tomorrow: lobster and salmon pinwheels, Maine crab cakes, and asparagus. Wisconsin wine too.
And currently:
- Watching: the episode on Dirty Jobs that features a sheep ranch. So in love with sheep. (Kelly, the very next episode we watched was on pig farming--how perfect. And both episodes opened with one-day-old sheep/pigs. All kinds of happy.)
- Watching: the episode on Dirty Jobs that features a sheep ranch. So in love with sheep. (Kelly, the very next episode we watched was on pig farming--how perfect. And both episodes opened with one-day-old sheep/pigs. All kinds of happy.)
- Reading: How Far is the Ocean from Here by Amy Shearn, a graduate of the MFA program I'm in. I'm liking it OK, though I feel like this is a warm up to something much better.
- Knitting: the last of the Christmas washcloths. For Christian, who hasn't had his visit from Aunt Claus.
- Drinking: Tried one of those variety six packs at the liquor store. The raspberry wheat is much preferable to the cranberry. Bell's winter white is good too.
- Lucky: That my husband will help in the kitchen. That he's a good partner in so many ways.
1 comment:
oh my goodness, I just love brussels sprouts!
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