Menu Monday...on Wednesday

What's on the menu this week?

Surviving. It's been quite a week. But since ya still gotta eat, here is the plan...

Monday--White Chicken Chili
Tuesday--Jason's Deli
Wednesday--pasta with olive oil and parmesan, chicken, salad, and whatever frozen veggies I can find in the freezer
Thursday--taco salad
Friday--another dinner out, please Dear Lord.

Eating out is my primary love language you know. I can't help it.

Menu Monday...on Tuesday

Just for my own personal records, I'm going to start writing out my menus here. If you see any meals that you would like the recipe for, just email or leave a comment and I'll link to them.

Monday--crock pot green beans, new potatoes, and ham; cheddar biscuits
Tuesday--fish tacos (Ellie Kreiger recipe)
Wednesday--white chicken chili
Thursday--parmesan chicken (Real Simple recipe)
Friday--take out!

Notes to self: The boys hated the potatoes but liked the green beans that had no potato on them. Those were hard to come by after spending 8 hours together in a crock pot (the beans, not the boys.) Next time, make them separately as the boys seem to have food-mixing issues.

Baking Bread

I wish I could say that my only motivation for baking our bread is the pure joy that slaving away in the kitchen on behalf of my family brings me. That's part of it of course. And the smell--the smell is nice, too. And it's cheaper. Again, bonus.

But if I get right down to it, the reason I love to make our bread is because I feel like I'm stickin' (that's right--stickin'--a "g" would be inappropriate here) it to the industrial bread people and their industrial chemicals and their industrial little nutrition fact box that would lead me to believe that what I could purchase from them is actually bread. As Michael Pollan puts it, if not for the indulgence of the FDA, what is sold in those long plastic bags and twist-tied closed could not be truthfully labled so.

Not that the higher-ups at Mrs. Bairds or Orowheat are sitting at a conference table right now trying to figure out how to minimize the "Jamie Effect," but I like being able to say, even if just on this blog for all 5 of you precious people to read, I will pass, Bread Big Wigs, on your ingredients list longer than my arm, and make it myself. The fact that it is healthy, more cost-effective, and tastier is the icing on my industrial bread rebellion cake.

And here is the recipe I use. I cannot remember where I found the original one, but I have modified this one quite a bit so hopefully no one's intellectual rights are being too badly violated.

2 pkts. dry active yeast
2 c. warm water
1/2 c. honey (I've used agave nectar too and it works, but I like it with honey better)
a little salt (maybe 1/2 t.)
1/4 c. olive oil
4 c. all purpose unbleached flour
2 c. whoel wheat flour
4 t. vital wheat gluten

In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in the water and then sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes.

Next, add the salt and oil and stir to combine.

Then, work in all the flour and the vital wheat gluten. Knead it for a few minutes until it is smooth.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough once to make sure it is all coated in the oil. Put a towel over the bowl. If you are as fortunate as I am to still be enjoying temperatures in the 90's and 100% humidity, you can just place your bowl in the garage to rise. I hear some people turn their oven on low and place to bowl on the top of the stove. So do what you gotta do, just put it somewhere warm to rise for about an hour.

After that, punch the dough down and knead it for a few more minutes, then divide it into 2 loaves and place in well-oiled loaf pans. Preheat your oven to 350 and let the dough rise for 30 more minutes. Bake it for 25 minutes.

Of course, there are some weeks when I'm not in the mood to single-handedly bring down the corporate bread world. When that occurs, I buy Ezekiel 4:9 bread--a little pricey, but so delicious and full of healthy sprouted grains. Even rebels need a break now and then.

Grilled Eggplant Paninis

Wouldn't it be great if I took pictures of the food. Not that the picture itself would be that great, but it would at least make the post seem a little more interesting?

Nevertheless, we made grilled eggplant paninis last night and they were delish! I think any grilled veggie with cheese on it is a winner though.

First, Kris cut the eggplant into rounds and then drizzled them with olive oil and S&P. Then he grilled them for about 3-5 min. per side.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen... (don't you love the drama the word "meanwhile" adds)

I was slicing up a $2 organic heirloom tomato (pricey but locally grown and worth the extra money!) I learned in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, that the term "heirloom" signifies that it is a true breed--no genetic modifications, no weird hybrid or cross-pollenated stuff going on. Just a pure, simple, un-jacked with food. Novel, I know.

So we piled up freshly-made mozzerella, tomato slices, some organic marinara sauce, and some chopped kalamata olives on to Ezekiel Bread and then added the eggplant and returned in to the grill. Kris wrapped a brick in foil and placed it on top of the sandwiches once they were on the grill--poor man's panini press!

They were so good! You must try it. I insist.

White Chicken Chili

I made a version of this tonight and it turned out pretty good. I modified it enough that I feel I don't need to link to anybody. And there's nothing new under the sun anyway, right?

This had the feel of a creamy "chicken and dumplings" type dish--it was yummy and super easy. I served it over bulgur wheat cooked with chicken stock. I love bulgur wheat!

No pictures...we can't all be the Pioneer Woman. And that's ok.

White Chicken Chili

1 small onion, diced
2-3 T. oil (I used coconut)
2-3 T. flour
2 c. chicken stock
2 cans great northern beans
1 c. cooked, shredded or diced chicken

Sautee the onion in the oil until translucent.
Add the flour and cook for a few minutes.
Add the stock and the beans.
Reduce heat to low and stir off and on for about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and stir. (my chicken was cold so I simmered long enough to heat it up)

Simple, cheap, and easy. I could make a joke here, but I'll pass.

Fowl Play

Carcasses are just gross. My friend Jodie is a vegetarian and pictures like this make it easy to understand her choice.

But for my first experience with chicken that did not involve a 5 lb. bag labeled "Tyson," I think it went pretty well.

Just look at what a natural I am.



Is that like the scariest picture ever or what? Is my posture always that bad? But I wanted photographic evidence that it was my hands in that greasy mess. As Asher would say, "I did it by self!"

I went the crockpot way. I chopped up some onion, salt and peppered the chicken, and threw it in on high for an hour and then on low for about 6 more hours. Fall of the bone tender it was.

Then I pulled all the meat off and put the skin and bones and liquid and various other parts in a separate container. The next day, I made stock with it!



It's not really that dark--I think the flash makes it appear that way. Again, all I had was onion so I chopped that and added some garlic and maybe 4 more cups of water. I boiled it then simmered for around 4 hours. Then I strained it and put it in glass jars. I think I got about 12 cups out of it.

I made New Poppy Seed Chicken, chicken salad, and bbq chicken sandwiches.

Cooking a whole chicken: just one more thing to add to the "if I can do it, I promise, anyone can" list.

Organic Food Only Takes You So Far

Proverbs 3:7-8
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.