Thursday, June 11, 2009

Saturday Soup

Lately, I have been saving the bones from chicken breasts along with the stems of mushrooms and tops of leeks. These can be frozen and come in handy when making a stock. I decided to make use of the abundance of extra parts of things, and what better than a soup. I started by roasting some raw chicken bones that I had already used the meat from and frozen. Then, I added this to water, leek and mushroom scraps, a carrot, garlic, salt, and pepper. After this simmered nicely into a stock, I strained it. To the now empty pot, I added diced onions, celery, and carrots which sweat for about 5 minutes. I then added garlic and flour, sauteed, and then the stock. Next, the diced Yukon Gold and saffron were added and this was simmered uncovered until the potatoes were done. I added the minced chicken from the bones, along with corn and cream and simmered another 10 minutes. I topped with a pinch of fresh grated nutmeg, and it was incredible. Definitely a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Random Stuff

As usual, my procrastination has left me postless for quite some time. While cleaning out some old folders on my desktop, I stumbled upon a collection of older photos. These are my lost works from the last few months. Enjoy!

Rotisserie Cornish hen with Jasmine rice and broccoli in cheese sauce.

Cornmeal fried grouper over homemade kimchi and Yukon mash with mango-avocado relish.

Fresh smoked turkey on homemade focaccia with cheddar, spinach, and mayo.

Blackened chicken over braised Napa cabbage with white beans & red rice.

Pan roasted chicken with pan jus, mashed potatoes, and sauteed vegetables.

Chicken chili topped with grilled jalapeno, crispy skin, and jalapeno-cheddar cornbread.

And what do you make with the leftover cornbread? Add a little sweetened condensed milk for a spicy treat.
This is one of my favorite things to cook, and you can use about anything. I start by making a chicken pot pie filling, then filled in between puff pastry sheets to make a chicken pot pie napoleon.

Grilled chicken with black sesame paste, rice, and kimchi.

This has been one of my favorite drinks lately. I start by muddling cilantro and sugar, then mixing with a generous portion of mango vodka.

Finally, I add orange juice and serve as a mango-cilantro martini on the rocks.
Valentine's Day turned out to be a treat. Grilled NY strip, peppers, and mushrooms over mashed potatoes with snow peas...


...and for dessert, Pecan mocha pie with Patron Cafe. This was topped with homemade vanilla ice cream and an extra piece of pie crust since there is never enough.