What's cooking? part 4

I am baking lemon-pecan biscotti atm. My back has been very sore for the past several days, which makes the usual Christmas preparations very difficult, but Mrs. Aimless and I will muddle through.

When I think "impressive and easy" I think lamb chops, but $$$$$$

oooh good one

Find a local butcher who sells pre-made frozen stock (beef, veal, or chicken). No cans, no cartons, no bullion. Anything you cook in it will be a million times better than if you just used water. (Couscous, rice, boiled things, etc.) I recently paid around $3.50 for a quart of stock iirc.

If you're cooking red meat, consider making a salsa verde (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salsa-Verde-51163810) or persillade to go with it (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Lamb-Loin-Persillade-14269). Make them a day ahead so you don't have to deal with it when you're cooking the entre.

Two Christmas cakes marzipanned, ready to be iced tomorrow. Game plan for turkey, potato and veg timing written down. Veg prep tomorrow. Have not yet delivered on a promise to make brandy snaps.

Brandy snaps!!!!

Yes indeedy :)

So jealz, I haven't had those in at least 16 years (haven't had Xmas with family in 16 years).

I don't think I've had them in 16 years either! My mum just made them occasionally when the grandparents were coming, not for Christmas. I can't remember what we used to eat them with! Maybe cream, or did we scoop ice cream with them? Drawing a total blank.

we only ever had them at xmas, always filled with whipped cream. so goooooood. i think i might ask my mum to make some when i'm back again in august.

do you make the actual brandy snaps yourself? i think ours were store-bought and then we filled them.

thomas keller roast chicken will impress the fuck out of anyone

I think mum sometimes bought them and sometimes made them. I don't have her recipe, but I'm going to try this one: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2451643/brandy-snaps

False alarm, y'all; plans were highly tentative and wound up not materializing. Now I have more time to think up something great.

Xp omg I'm totally gonna try making them now!

STEVIE

I recommend this - http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/12/11/moms-easy-paleo-greek-chicken-gluten-free/

Yessssss that says it's paleo but whatever, it's tasty and very good if you want to make something easy and impressive because: 1) you marinade the chicken so it will be all ready to go into the oven when your company comes over; 2) the marinade is seriously opening a bunch of cans and jars and dumping it together; 3) it can be as fancy as you want to make it as far as what level ingredients you buy but I've always made it with store brand whatever and it is still really good; 4) you can get as fancy or not with side dishes.

It's really good with couscous and cucumber feta salad. Couscous is easy and the salad you can make ahead so you have lots of time while the chicken is cooking to flirt with your dinner date.

Isn't couscous made from flour?

Oh did Stevie need a gluten free recipe? I missed that part.

Lundberg makes a roasted brown rice "couscous" that's gf and not bad, if you want some grain with it. I want to try that greek chicken; it sounds great!

UPDATE: He is gluten-free, dairy-free, and also doesn't eat legumes

o_o

Dang. Well, if you skip the couscous and the feta and you can still make the Greek chicken and cucumber salad.

I can make my famous pancakes if I buy/pulverize GF-certified oats and make diy vegan buttermilk

Are they still your famous pancakes, though?

Psyched because there is a pot roast simmering away in the slow cooker for Christmas Eve dinner and I'm making a PAN PIZZA for Christmas dinner. Heck yeah.

beef stew in crockpot, cooling a graham cracker crust so I can make cheesecake later on...and that is all I have to do!

oh but I'm making ~panettone french toast~ for breakfast tomorrow. I'm very excited.

Guess what idiot forgot to turn on the slow cooker??!??!? ME. phooey.

this new "carl who doesn't curse" cracks me up
let er rip!

Naw girl carl curses plenty. Ivy's first sentence is going to be "It's a god damn crosswalk, asshole!" I'm pretty sure.

haha

On more hour and my sadly delayed pot roast should be ready.

UPDATE: He is gluten-free, dairy-free, and also doesn't eat legumes

o_o

― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, December 24, 2014 8:07 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Is he me? Y/N

stovetop panettone french toast was kind of a nightmare to make & super annoying - end result kinda burned but edible & luckily quite tasty

so I made an overnight panettone french toast casserole with the rest for this morning's breakfast and *angels sing* so fking good :D

ooh i love doing that with stale cinnamon raisin bread

i'm in love with it

French toady casserole is the way to go.

LOL

Toast

French Toadies Casserole, the breakfast that asks, "Do you wanna diyeeeeeeee?@

French toady casserole = French toast casserole with eggs baked on top?!

(A la "toad in the hole"..)

I too desire to know more about this casserole.

do you have a recipe? GIVE IT UP TO ME

I <3 u

yeah what is the deal with this casserole, lady

http://www.thenaptimechef.com/2012/12/overnight-panettone-french-toast-powernap/

i don't use a recipe -- just cut up some stale bread, mix 2-4 eggs (depending on how much bread) with some milk like you would for french toast (maybe a tiny bit more) let soak overnight, bake at 385 or so for…30-40 min? and check. when it's done you'll be able to tell. it'll puff up and be lovely and toasty on top.

** make sure you grease the pan with butter or cooking spray or you will never get it out of there**
** you can also make these in small ramekins for adorable little bread puddings**

this is what it looks like

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7415/10362236985_0ec0cfc985_n.jpg

you can also make a savory version with cheese, bacon, green onions if you want?!
i think that's called a ~strata~

I make a thing in ramekins that's like: bread wedged in, sautéed spinach w/garlic, maybe a few slices of turkey or chicken lunch meat, crack an egg on top, shredded cheese, olive oil. I think I will combine these ideas with this strata / French toast casserole for tomorrow. Mmmm

385 degrees is cracking me up

I have literally in 41 years never encountered this temperature in a recipe

Not even in a laboratory protocol

385!

i couldn't choose between 350 and 400 so i wrote 385
i dunno -- i told you it wasn't a recipe!