Just the usual busy today, seems yesterday drama died down, or maybe everyone ran out of energy to care any more…
left at an almost decent time and ordered a new to me delivery meal listed online as a “hummus platter with tabouli, salad, falafel, hummus and pita”
Only the falafel was missing all together, the “pita” was actually like a thin lavash style bread… and the hummus didn’t have much if any tahini. There’s a lot leftover but dunno that i’ll want it for breakfast
Lame.
With " previously cooked and served " food, made smoked pork loin and sweet potato hash, with harrissa seasoning! Good carbs. Didn’t stop for a picture
Temperature dip, but finally seeing the sun, after a month of gloomy and gray days.
Don’t know why, these days a bit obsessed with finger food. I guess it’s something that I have not much hint how to do it well.
WFD: Moules farcies - Moules were cooked in a cast iron pot for 5 minutes with lid on. Discarded half of the shell, added in each mussel: melted butter, chopped cilantro (recipe originally called for parsley), Muscadet (sub lemon juice in the recipe), bread crumbs. Grilled with high heat in oven for 5 minutes, until breadcrumb was crispy. I didn’t want to overcook the mussels so I preferred less crispy breadcrumb. It was very good (even I forgot the garlic), maybe next time I will use saltless butter, the mussels’ own salt were already enough.
Palmito with chorizo and parsnip cream - Steamed the parsnips and garlic, mixed in a purée and added capers. When the mixture cool down, I rolled out the puff pastry, in a retangular shape, spread the purée and the dough and added chopped chorizo, salt and pepper. Rolled both sides and stopped at the middle. Wrapped the roll in a film and left in the fridge for 1 hour. Cooked in oven at 210ºC for 15 minutes.
Chicken with honey, mustard, and roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon. Heated olive oil and honey with chopped rosemary leaves, added mustard off the heat. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs, coated each pieces with the mixture, cooked for 25 minutes, added slices of sweet potatoes, they were pre-sprinkled with cinnamon and coated with the remaining of the mixture, chicken and vegetables cooked for another half an hour. Good, but strangely, we didn’t feel the mustard which was completely integrated in the cooking.
A question about the mussels…they are cooked twice?..first pre-cooked then finished under the broiler? Did the first cooking include any liquid? spices? vegetables?
We probably have mussels every two months or so and do the simple chopped tomato/garlic/white wine in a covered wok pan. Your preparation will be given a try at this house!
Yes, cooked twice, first cooking the aim is to pre-cook until the mussels open, they are still under cooked. You need to see how much time you need (3-5 minutes). The first cooking has no oil, nor spices, but the mussels themselves provided some liquid after the cooking, which was a surprise. Actually, I tasted some of the smaller ones from the first cooking, they were really good, intense. You need a tight lid dutch oven.
Need to be careful not to overcook them in the second cooking. Bigger mussels would be more suitable for this recipe.
A bit time consuming, but worth it. The recipe was included with the blue link in my first post (the last one of the few mussels recipes on the page).
DH isn’t very fond of sweet potatoes, when I put that on the shopping list, he kept on saying that the shop didn’t have it and he went twice. I need to find them in another shop myself. Despite all the resistances, he approved the dish.
6 Likes
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
389
looks great! interesting choice on the honey mustard - i’ve got grilled cheese super strongly associated with something with a bite to it, like a dijon, that i’ve never tried something sweet. will have to add that to the list to try.
Last night’s dinner was a special one. We finally located in the freezer a package containing some foie gras and a small piece of prime tenderloin. Made “hash browns” in the waffle iron and Bob made his wonderful mushrooms. That was our last piece of foie so need to keep my eye out for a free shipping or some such.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
393
To start, there’s a farmers market purchase of arancini (stuffed with ragu). They warm through in the oven. Mrs H found a parsley and mustard white sauce in the freezer that, hopefully, will complement them.
To follow, lamb chops simply cooked under the grill. To accompany, a variation on a recipe from the late Mireille Johnston which she said originates from the Limousin area of France. Her recipe starts with dried chickpeas but we’re using tinned. Either way, it ends up as a warm salad - or salade teide, as our neighbours have it - basically the warmed chickpeas in a dressing of parsley, spring onion, oilve oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, s & p.
4 Likes
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
394
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
399
Perhaps partially pan frying the breadcrumbs before topping the mussels would result in crispy topping without over cooking the mussels?
Every thing in your post looks amazing! Glad the sun is back and shining upon you!
2 Likes
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
400
I can’t stop thinking about this idea. Does it become thin and crispy like a US cookie/ UK biscuit? Or plump and more like a fritter? Is it meant to only be eaten hot?
Cheers 
