Month: May 2011

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The Weekly Yum-ster: Lunchtime Goodness

Young Pineapple, Koh Chang, Thailand

Image via Wikipedia

My daughter, Sophia, and I made an excellent lunch today: Grilled chicken and pineapple sandwiches! Of course, since there was about one hour of sunshine, we made them on the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Grilling Machine, but it was a poor substitute for the outdoor fun.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches: (multiply ingredients per person)

1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 slice fresh pineapple
1 sturdy bun (don’t use regular hamburger buns, they’ll fall apart)
Lime juice (we used fresh limes, but I’m sure bottled would work)

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Grill them on a hot grill, using the lime juice as an occasional marinade. You may grill the pineapple at the same time, but add it a little later, because it doesn’t take as long. We didn’t grill the buns, but I wish we would have, because they got very soggy from the delightful juiciness of the chicken/pineapple/lime juice.

All in all, a yummy lunch.

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Where is the sun?

The Sun

Image via Wikipedia

I turn off the heat in the apartment at the beginning of May, because I find it ridiculous to do the heat-at-night-but-not-during-the-day dance. It seems sort of offensive to have to pay for heat when it’s no problem to just throw on another blanket during the night.

But here it is, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, and I’ve got a heavy winter sweater on during the day because it’s only 50 degrees out! The lettuce is great, but the other plants are not doing well, because the soil never gets a chance to warm up during the day, since it’s also gone back to rain, rain, and more rain.

I know this is probably a result of global warming, but it’s awful hard to convince most people of global warming at all when they’re wearing sweaters and turning the heat on in late May!

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Stuff Catholics Like: Best. Bible. Verse. Ever!

Torah inside of the former Glockengasse synago...

Image via Wikipedia

“All fat is the LORD’s.” Leviticus 3:16b NASB

Yes! Endzone happy dance. I’m in, I’m in, I’m in!

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The Weekly Yum-ster!

True Lover's Farewell

This week’s successful forays into the realm of dining excellence included:

And this CD (pictured at left), The True Lover’s Farewell: Appalachian Folk Ballads by Custer LaRue is excellent listening music for cooking—and eating!

Spinach Pesto:
Ingredients:

  • Lots of clean, fresh spinach (at least a large colander full), stems removed
  • 3 garlic cloves, cut in several pieces
  • small handful of pecans (or walnuts)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • pinch salt
  • 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

Place a few spinach leaves, the garlic, nuts, basil and some of the oil a food processor container. Cover and puree until leaves begin to look crushed. Continue adding spinach leaves a few at a time with small amounts of oil to blender, using a rubber spatula to help to combine pureed mixture. Add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Cover and process until spinach pesto mixture is relatively smooth. You may need a little more oil, and adjust seasonings to taste.

Yummy, yummy!

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Living the Laura Ingalls Life: Whole Grain Breadmaking

Loaf for LearningI’ve got about a dozen things going today, including making some bread. My all time favorite bread recipe book is the Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book, and I’m making the Loaf for Learning, which is the first recipe I ever learned for bread, and good enough for me for everyday. Honestly, it’s been good enough for everyone I’ve ever given a loaf to for everyday, too. Even poor home made bread is so much better than store-bought that I’ Of course, it’s not been every day, it’s been years, but I’ve got the breadmaking bug and so the time to act is now!

Time line:

  • 9:45 am: Bread is in for first rising. It’s a little cool out here, but it’s warmer outside than in, so I put the bread out to rise.
  • 11:15 am: Deflated and bread is back in the bowl for second rising.
  • 11:50 am: Interrupted bread rising to put in fridge due to oven difficulties. Hmmm, wonder how this will work.
  • 2:15 pm: Back in action. Oven is okay.
  • 3:45 pm: Shaped and put in the pan for final proofing.
  • 4:20 pm: In the oven! Yay!
  • 4:45 pm: Out…just had a slice. Yum! Good.

I think I’ll make another loaf tomorrow.

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