Sunday, January 31, 2016

31 January 2016



Greetings from the one armed cook! Unfortunately, I slipped on the ice last weekend and broke my right arm, the whisking one! We had just gotten back from a wonderful early birthday dinner at Downtown Kitchen with some dear friends, and I bit the dust hard on the edge of our garage where ice had formed. Needless to say, it was a birthday to remember and not so fondly! I go back to the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow, but I am hoping to avoid surgery. Therefore, I will keep this post short and sweetish since I am posting with my left hand – one key at a time!

Of course, cooking has been out of the question, but I have been overwhelmed with the thoughtfulness of my friends who have brought food and sent kind wishes for a speedy recovery. These are the times I feel so grateful to live in a small and caring community. However, the injury has given me an opportunity to test my resourcefulness and creativity. I am learning something new on an hourly basis!

Comfort food takes on new meaning when you are in pain and feeling useless, but I am dertermined to make the best of it. I did some research on cooking with one hand, but it really didn't help matters. So, I improvised for tonight's Sunday Supper. I had a beautiful grass fed chuck roast from Mountain Valley Farm in the freezer, and I thought that would be somewhat simple. I enlisted Jeff as my reluctant sous chef, and we pulled it off! I am sure he felt like he was on an episode of Hell's Kitchen as I tend to be somewhat exacting in the kitchen, but he was a great sport and didn't talk back – too much at least. I made a classic pot roast with onions and carrots, and we whipped some potatoes and sauteed some Swiss chard for the sides. After all, broken bones demand mashed potatoes with a rich brown gravy. For dessert, I whipped a combination of Greek yogurt and sour cream topped with local Brown Farm honey, walnuts and diced peaches. Simple and decadent...

After supper, we plan to watch Grease Live on Fox. Being one of the world's biggest Olivia Newton-John fans, I am extremely reluctant about this production, but that is where the heavy pain killers come in handy, I guess.

Here's hoping your week is going better, and may we all be nourished and hopelessly devoted to homemade food!

(Thanks to Cory Wilson for the photos!)


The Menu:


- Slow Braised Grass Fed Pot Roast with Carrots and Onions

- Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Brown Gravy

- Sauteed Swiss Chard and Garlic

- Whipped Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream with Local Honey, Walnuts and Peaches


The Recipe – Classic Pot Roast


Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground pepper

One 3 to 5 lb chuck roast

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered

6 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup red wine

3 cups beef stock

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Salt and pepper the chuck roast.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots to the pot and brown slightly on all sides then remove to a small bowl.

Add one more tbs olive oil to the hot pot and place the roast to sear to nicely browned on all sides, about a minute per side, then remove the roast to a plate.

Add red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen browned bits. Place the roast back into the pot, and add enough stock to cover the meat halfway.

Add in the onions, carrots, and garlic along with the fresh herbs.

Cover the pot, and roast for around 3 hours for a 3-4 hours, depending on size, until fork tender.

Monday, January 11, 2016

10 January 2016










Happy new year, y'all! I hope your holidays were filled with celebration, laughter and delicious food. I am finally getting back to my blog after a holiday hiatus. I did cook some great meals, but I simply had no time to write about them. Instead, I chose to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. Perhaps the best dish I cooked during this time was a classic Beef Wellington on Boxing Day. Our dear friends, Steve and Amado, joined us from Blue Ridge, and they commented the meal was "one of the best culinary experiences of their lives." Now, that was a compliment since they are both wonderful cooks, and Amado is in culinary school. The Wellington started with a beautiful grass fed beef tenderloin from Mountain Valley Farm in Ellijay, and I wrapped it in a rich, earthy mushroom Duxelles and baked in a puff pastry. I incorporated some of the pan drippings into a fragrant green peppercorn sauce, and the Beef Wellington practically melted in our mouths! If you've never made one, you should try it for a special occasion. I started with an excellent recipe by Tyler Florence and improvised from there, but his version is easy to follow.

One unexpected and unwelcome visitor was a huge limb through the roof of our guest bedroom early Christmas morning. Given the amount of rain that weekend, we had quite a mess. Of course, trying to deal with insurance adjusters and contractors over the holidays proved to be very frustrating. Given the fact we had heaters and humidifiers running at full force, we decided to spend a quiet night at home on New Years Eve. Our friend, John Clark, was hosting his mother, Connie Le Cleir-Meyer, from Wisconsin, so I decided she needed to be inducted into the Southern tradition of black eyed peas and collard greens for luck and prosperity. I made a hearty Hoppin' John for dinner and served it with a "mess" of collards and pot liquor. Even Connie liked it all, and we rang in the new year by watching the ball drop in Times Square.

With all of the rich holiday food behind us, it's time to lighten up at One Britt. I have been exploring new ways to add flavor without too much fat, so I decided to cook some Indian food for this week's Sunday Supper. I love all of the spices and aromas, but it can be challenging to find all of the ingredients around Canton. However, I found a basic curry sauce recipe that I adapted for a spicy chicken curry with potatoes and ginger. It was delectable and certainly hit the spot on another cold, rainy night. Since I am avoiding wheat products and carbs as much as possible, I had an idea of serving the curry over a cauliflower rice. I did some research, and sure enough, I found several versions of cauliflower rice. I basically chopped some cauliflower florets in the food processor until they resembled rice grains. I sauteed them in a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over low heat for 15-20 minutes. This allowed the cauliflower to dry out and slightly toast, giving it the appearance and texture of rice. It was excellent, and I will be using this trick again. I did use a small amount of bread flower to make some Indian naan bread from scratch, and that also turned out well. All in all, it was a very healthy and tasty way to start the new year.

Speaking of new beginnings, my newest grand nephew, Ezra Paul Bailey, arrived two months early on January 5. While he as had some expected health issues, he seems to be doing quite well. Congratulations to my beautiful niece, Kacey, and her husband, Chris. His twin brothers, Pierce and Reagan, are also excited, and at least Ezra was not as impatient as they were when they arrived around the five month mark. Regardless, it is wonderful to once again have a growing family!

So here's to new beginnings, new additions and a new year filled with potential. Wishing all of you a healthy, hearty, and joyful 2016.





The Menu:

- Indian Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Ginger

- Cauliflower Rice

- Homemade Naan Bread

- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Indian Spices

- Fresh Pomelo Segments


The Recipe – Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Ginger

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
3 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 pieces – 1 inch cinnamon sticks
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
15 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 tbs grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 cups cubed gold potatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Blot chicken with paper towels and cut into one inch pieces

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add bay leaves, cumin seeds, fennel
seeds, and cinnamon sticks. Stir until cumin seeds are medium to dark brown.

Add onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add
chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until no longer pink.

Stir in curry powder, black pepper, cumin powder, garam masala, cayenne peppr and salt. Add cubed potatoes
and tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 15 to 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Add up to 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup at a time,as needed to create a thick sauce.

Cook until potatoes and chicken are tender (15-20 minutes).Add cilantro and cook 1 minute.

Serve immediately over rice and with naan bread (optional).