Roast Pork With Roasted Apple

This was a roast pork which I tried to cook slower so it would still be moist but it had been frozen so it was dry anyway. The meat and potatoes didn't brown enough in the low heat. It all tasted acceptable but didn't look particularly enticing. The apple was roasted with a little brown sugar. The corn was frozen, nuked and finished with butter and salt. The salad was ice berg lettuce and whatever else I could find. White wine vinegar and olive oil to dress it.

Overall, don't freeze meat. Freezing expels water from the cells and it can't be replaced. The meat is dry.

Easy Cheese Scones

Scones tend to be a bit dry so I make small batches that are eaten while still fresh. Barely cool enough to touch and already 1/3 gone! Preheat oven to 425F. Lay parchment on a cookie sheet or just use a bare cookie sheet if it's all you've got. 

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

mix

1/4 cup butter

Cut in with pastry cutter or two knives till texture like oatmeal.

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup grated cheddar

mix

1/3 cup milk

Mix in with a fork. Don't work the dough just press it into a ball. Flatten the ball into 1-2 inch disk and cut into 6 wedges. Place on parchment and bake 13 minutes.

If you work the dough at all the scones will be tough, hard to chew. I've made tough bread and it's amazing how leathery baked flour can become.

Cajun Chicken, Broccoli and New Potatoes

It was a busy day so at the end I didn't want complicated. Season a breast, brush with oil and put on the BBQ, medium high heat for 20 minutes. New potatoes boiled and finished with butter and salt. Broccoli steamed and finished in butter and black pepper. On the plate I drizzled fresh lemon juice over the chicken and broccoli. 

The lemon tied it all together so despite the suburban plating it tasted like a bistro meal. 

Nothing here foreshadowed the clove tarts lurking on the side table, ready to strike.

Mitchell's Clove Tarts

I know, the label says butter tarts but trust me, these are clove tarts. Lots and lots of clove. These are from Mitchell's and they are the worst tasting pastry I've ever encountered. By far! These are so bad I had to write about them so you can buy some for someone you don't like. There's nothing better than giving some smart ass a mouthful of yyyyyuuuuuck!

Revenge Clove Tarts disguised as butter tarts. What an evil plan and it wasn't even my idea!

Cajun Chicken with Caesar Salad

We had roast pork last night, nothing new, I simply forgot to take a picture so I didn't right it up. Tonight Fern asked for Cajun Chicken with Caesar Salad which sounded good to me! I salted and seasoned the breasts with Cajun spice mix, brushed them with oil and BBQ'd them for 25 minutes.

I cut the romaine into pieces and put it in the sink full of water to wash. I got two very small eggs and separated the yolks, washing away the whites down the sink. I poured just under 1/3 cup of olive oil and added canola oil so I had less than half a cup of oil. I find pure olive oil too strong a flavour in the salad so canola tempers it's flavour a bit. Slowly, a teaspoon at a time, whisk the oil into the egg yolk. When all the yolk is taken up, add 1/2 tsp salt, plenty of black pepper, juice from half a lemon, few drops of Worcestershire Sauce and a clove of garlic finely diced. Whisk and taste. I needed more lemon so I juiced the other half of the lemon and added half that juice. It was perfect.

I had croutons from alpine bread that I fried in olive oil to give a nice sear. Half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese ready and I used a salad spinner to get the water off the Romaine. First I tossed the salad in the dressing then added the croutons and slowly while tossing, the Parmesan. I plated the chicken separately and put dabs of mayonnaise beside it. It was a very nice meal.

Chicken Stir Fry

Fern wanted something with lots of vegetables so I decided on a stir fry. I picked up mushrooms, green pepper, bean sprouts and a piece of ginger. I sliced up a carrot, stick of celery, an onion and the other veggies. I cut the chicken into bite size pieces and coated it flour. I tried to peel the ginger with a spoon. The spoon worked, for the most part, but the piece I had chosen was very fibrous. I was sure if I cut it up small and put it in the pan, we would both be picking woody ginger from our mouths. So I left it in six large lumps, hoping to take them out when the meal was cooked. 

I had rice cooking in the microwave while I got the frying pan hot. I put the mushrooms in first the get a bit of a sear, then added the meat. When the chicken had colour all around the rest of the vegetables went in the pan. When everything was cooked, the ginger looked just like the chicken so there was no way to pick it all out. I served it and warned Fern about large lumps of ginger. He got most of them, I don't know why that happens.

It was a good meal, simple but satisfying.

Meat Loaf with Cheddar Scone

It used to take me all afternoon to make a batch of cookies and I'd think that's a pretty productive day. This afternoon, without really thinking about it, I made a batch of Oatmeal Cinnamon Date cookies, a batch of Cheddar Scones and a meatloaf. Potatoes and Brussels sprouts too of course and all without breaking a sweat. I finally conquered my kitchen. 

This scone recipe is really easy, fast and versatile. Simply substitute dates or raisins or currants or whatever you like for cheddar and create a completely new taste. It makes six portions so they are always fresh because they aren't around long.

Scones - Cheddar - Preheat oven to 425F

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

mix

1/4 cup butter

Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture till it is oatmeal texture.

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/3 cup milk

Use a fork to mix the milk into a dough, break up big lumps. Get the milk as evenly mixed as possible. Don't work the dough or it will become tough. Instead, gather and press into a ball. Keep pressing till all the mixture is taken up. As you press, the milk will permeate the dough. You can add a teaspoon extra milk if needed but don't make the dough wet. Press the ball into a disc about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, cut into 6 wedges. Bake in oven centre 12-14 minutes. Wetter take longer. 

Meatloaf - Not my best one - oven to 325F

700gm gr. beef

1 breakfast sausage - this was a mistake

1 tsp ground garlic

1 tbsp onion flakes

1 tsp salt

peppper

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Break up the sausage into small pieces and work it into the beef as evenly as possible. Make sure all ingredients are well mixed. Form into a loaf and put a sprig of rosemary on top. Insert a meat thermometer into the centre about 2/3 from the bottom. Bake till centre is 160F.

The potatoes were boiled and finished with salt and butter. The sprouts were steamed, cooled and reheated in olive oil.

The breakfast sausage didn't break down into the beef it stayed in small lumps. Not at all delicious. I think that ruined everything else the loaf could have been. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The rest of the plate made up for it. The cheese scone tasted great with the rest of the plate and finished off the meal wonderfully.