What's cooking? part 4

quincie do you have that magnifique recipe for tasty crispy chicken thigs w/ ethiopian lentils that i posted here a while back? it's so great

ethiopian food is spectacular

i used to live in DC and there are like a million ethiopian restaurants there, it was incredible. we have a really good one close by in boston now which is nice, it opened a few years ago and it is pretty on par w/ the DC ones.

i've never really attempted cooking it though, but i'm curious. i do some fermenting of other foods at home so i am in interested in making injera but at the same time i am happy enough with the 5-part feast available when we just go to the restaurant that i haven't really made my own attempts

yeah i am a big fan of ethiopian food
maybe quincie would reconsider polygamous marriage to me
we could take turns cooking, it would ease the strain considerably

I love Ethiopian food. There are so many good places in Chicago. I'd never make it at home, though. It's totally special occasion food for me.

i know this is like cooking 101 but i never perfected roast chicken until last week
most of the ones i tried smoked out my kitchen (too hot) or took too long (not hot enough)

i got this one from kitchn

preheat 450
rub chicken with olive oil/whatevva
put chicken in skillet/roasting pan/something
place in lower third of oven & turn down to 400
check after 45 min...depending on bird size may take up to hour/hour 20

so easy & good!

that works, i'd add pre-salt 4 hours or more and air dry in fridge.

this is prob a really facile question, but what are all of your go-to salads? i am in a real rut with salads - and it seems like interesting salad recipes harder to find than other types of things. i don't mind incredibly basic suggestions or fancier things, i just make the same 3/4 things all the time.

spinach leaves + whatever veg i have on hand + balsamic/olive oil

+sometimes slivered almonds or walnuts

yup, spinach + whatever veggies i have (usually beets, fennel, orange bell pepper bc it's pretty and tastes good)
add meats if you please
good to have pickled red onions on hand too, basil if my plant's not dead

i've been making salads with wheatberries lately and they're good for lunches

i've been having rocket and peppers or rocket and tomato for aeons now, with oil and sometimes balsamic.

but generally i like eating the same 3-4 things all the time because it means i can go on autopilot a little
constantly coming up with INVENTIVE CUISINE is exhausting when you factor in shopping, at least it is for me

I make the world's most boring salads. But the rice/asparagus/cucumber salad with a mustardy vinaigrette that I posted upthread was really good.

do you like vietnamese food? i like shredded roasted chicken + veggies w some oo and fish sauce and lime rolled up in cabbage leaves
or you could make spring rolls

now I want spring rolls

We due for a short cool spell Wednesday-Thursday (highs only in the upper 80s) and I'm thinking about making gumbo

man i love gumbo so much
it's my holiday dish
i only make it thanksgiving-christmas because it gives me a reason to look forward to those holidays

salads are a really visual thing for me, i like to have lots of different colors represented
if you aim for diversity of color, you get a pretty good salad

mm know what else is good? put a bunch of pecans in a pan w some butter (not much), sugar, cayenne pepper and then put them on your salads. instant burst of flavor + tastes fancy, minimal effort, keeps on the countertop.

tastes good with something like pears and thyme or fall-type flavors

Also try sage instead of cayenne.

but generally i like eating the same 3-4 things all the time because it means i can go on autopilot a little
constantly coming up with INVENTIVE CUISINE is exhausting when you factor in shopping, at least it is for me

ah i know what you mean, like i wouldn't need wild invention (though a big new thing every few weeks is great) but like one of my signifiers for being in a rut generally is cooking the same few dishes. that's just me i guess.

vietnamese cabbage rolls sounds really good...

tomatoes are peak right now so we've been doing a lot of tomato salads -- just some various heirlooms sliced up + fresh mozzerella + olive oil + balsamic vinegar + basil

i've also found that making our own dressings makes even the simplest of salads pretty incredible. saturday we made a mustard, garlic, lemon, and olive oil dressing and just drizzled it over some good fresh red leaf lettuce from our farmer's market and it was one of the best salads we've had all summer

trying out various grated cheeses over salads has helped change it up, even with just a good olive oil as the dressing. bulgarian feta provides enough acidity without the need for vinegar (maybe a little lemon would be good too). pecorino has been really good over rocket w/ just some oo, maybe a little bit of a sweeter balsamic too.

also playing around with different vinegars helps. we received this amazing fig vinegar as a wedding gift years ago and like a tiny teaspoon provides so much depth. acidic but ultimately very very sweet. you could even put this stuff on a dessert.

agree that various nuts can help. pecans are always good. walnuts. helps if you carmelize the nuts or even just toast them.

changing up the fresh herbs can be nice too. a little chopped mint is great on a hot day.

adding different kind of olives, especially those very rich moroccan cured olives, adds a good saltiness.

honestly we just use a very simple but good base to start -- usually just good lettuce or arugula -- and add in various things i just mentioned e.g. different dressings, cheeses, nuts, herbs, etc and those additions really elevate without the need for a crowded salad with too many vegetables

also some cranberries or other dried fruit or something can provide a nice sweetness

We due for a short cool spell Wednesday-Thursday (highs only in the upper 80s) and I'm thinking about making gumbo

jfc everything about this post is terrible

hahaaaa you're invited!

haha where do you live that highs in the upper 80s is a respite?

Northeast Mississippi. It's been mid/upper 90s for about 6 weeks now, with the occasional break.

i really only have two salad modes--super basic greens + homemade vinaigrette as an accompaniment to a main dish (if i'm making something mexicanish i'll change out a standard vinaigrette for one with lime and pickled jalapenos), and extremely involved main dish salad that i don't tend to repeat. every once in a while i'll add some radishes or carrots or something to a basic salad but they rarely seem worth the prep time to me. one of the ottolenghi books has a parsley/barely/feta salad that i absolutely love and could eat constantly, it's a rare exception to the rule.

i've made this vietnamese salad before, but years ago, and i'm making it again tonight.

this spinach orange avo salad is amzing, esp with some roasted baby potatoes on the side

and i like this spinach and caramelized shallot salad

oh and this salad adapted from tal ronnen:

1lb fingerling or baby potatoes
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
4 green onions, sliced

Boil the potatoes in salted water till tender. Drain well and slice into rounds. Refrigerate over night.

Add the spinach and green onions.

2tbsp yellow or white miso
1 tbsp agave
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
salt & pepper
1 tbsp dijon or whole grain mustard
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 shallot minced
1/2 safflower or canola oil

Add all of the above to a food processor (or whisk in a bowl) and pulse till combined. Slowly the oil until emulsified. Pour over vegetables and toss till everything is coated.

an old flatmate of mine used to work in a cafe and made this salad often

1 head of spinach, stems removed, rinsed, roughly chopped
1-2 beets (1 medium to large is usually enough), stems removed, scrubbed, grated (you can peel it first if you don't want the earthiness of the skin, or chop into quarters, parboil, then roast each in foil at 180C for about 15-20 minutes, peel, then dice or grate into the salad). Protip: use a large dinner plate or non-stick chopping board for grating beetroot, and gloves if you don't want to stain a chopping board and/or your hands.
About 1-3 - 1/2 a cup of sunflower seeds, toasted in a skillet until just browned
About 1-3 - 1/2 a cup of pumpkin seeds, toasted
About 1/2 a cup of walnuts, lightly toasted or raw
100g feta (goat milk is better for sharpness, but reg cow milk is fine), crumbled
A lug or two of evoo or avocado oil
A generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the spinach and beetroot in a large bowl, add the toasted seeds and walnuts, toss, crumble in feta, splash in oil, season with salt and pepper and toss again

You can add grated carrot to bulk it up or a few cloves of thinly sliced, lightly toasted garlic for richer flavour

that sounds good

it's fairly easy to make and really hits the spot

the only thing you have to be careful about is the toasting

yeah toasting is stressful

I can almost taste qiqinq's recipe from reading it. An obvious winner. A crumbly blue would work, too, instead of the feta.

yeah def

do we have a favorite brand of cocoa?
do we have a favorite brand of unsweetened chocolate?

droste my favorite cocoa

ghiradelli unsweetened chocolate is what i use the most, idk how great it is

things I love that I consider salads:

butter or leaf lettuce with dijon / lemon /olive oil vinaigrette and hazelnuts

cobbish salad with greens, tomatoes, avocados, bacon, hard boiled eggs, chicken, chives, vinaigrette with worchester which is the key

oil packed tuna with a can of drained white beans, olive oil, parsley, garlic, maybe thin sliced red onion, red wine vinegar, possibly with lettuce but usually without

nicoiseish salad with greens, tomato, eggs, black olives, sliced shallots or red onion, tuna, vinaigrette

arugula with olive oil and lemon, possibly shaved parmasean

greekish salad with cucumber, tomato, black olive, red onion, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and feta

thin sliced cabbage, fish sauce / lime / sugar / chile / garlic dressing, mint or cilantro or thai basil, maybe some shredded carrot or roast peanuts

I've had a lot of 90+ and a couple of 100+ days this summer and have eaten each of these numerous times, sometimes with grilled meats but often solo

i ate a lot of green bean/red wine vinegar/hazelnut salads in paris - one of my favs.

If you define salads as any combination of cold vegetables/meats plus a binding agent then I have some that I make a lot.

Cucumber salads
Cucumbers, tomato, red onion, feta, Greek-style vinaigrette either of your own devising or out of a jar
Cucumbers, sweet onions, slightly diluted red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, pinch of sugar (optional)
Cucumbers, sweet onions, and sour cream dressing made of sour cream, red wine vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/quick-easy/summer-side-dishes/cucumber-snap-pea-salad

Things that you add roasted chicken to to make it a meal (it's too hot to turn the over on so I am all about store-bought rotisserie chicken for these):
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/rainbow-thai-chicken-salad-recipe/
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/07/crunchy-chinese-chicken-salad/
http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/southwest-salad-creamy-avocado-salsa-dressing/ (chicken optional in this one, but if you have some leftover you might as well throw it in there)

Salads that are just random produce/dressings thrown together:
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/06/apple-cabbage-slaw/
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/05/chili-lime-cantaloupe
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/quick-easy/summer-side-dishes/corn-salad-parmesan-chilies
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/black-bean-avocado-cucumber-and-tomato.html

Pasta Salads (yes they are all from the same website but this woman knows who to throw pasta and vegetables together):
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/08/cold-soba-cucumber-salad/
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/lemony-cucumber-couscous-salad/
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/04/tuna-pasta-salad-wpeas/

Follow me on Pinterest for more summer salad recipes?

Ha that ? should be a !

Following up joygoat's post of delicious salads with a list of links involving canned tuna and sour cream make me feel like Rachel Ray to his Mark Bittman.

wow so many good ideas here, thanks everyone. i have some really good ingredients at the moment, a big drum of good oil, piquillo peppers, endless tinned fish, so there are many options here.

Actually given my fondness for grocery store rotisserie chickens (and booze) probably more like the Sandra Lee to his Mark Bittman.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqd7vr231V1qbhetko1_500.gif

Fuck bittman.

I love classic tuna salad but joygoat's tuna + white beans salad sounds really good for the next time I open a can.

Yeah that sounds fantastic.

I was going to say, two of mine involve canned tuna, just the oil packed stuff from Safeway made by chicken of the sea or whatever and put into a can that looks like some fancy euro stuff.

I will also note that some of these are frequently augmented with either roast chickens or, more commonly, chicken fingers from the grocery store.

farmer's market has had these beautiful little caulies lately so i couldn't resist. one of my favorite umami effects is roasted cauli which i've taken to just doing in a cast iron on the stove with a loose lid, instead of heating the apartment up with the oven. another one that's just so simple and yumm. made miso butter for it the first night. last night just slathered on some earth balance. oh, and the dry farmed potatoes we picked up. . . omg @ how tasty a real potato can be!

i was in spain last week so was a little inspired - i also got a lot of spanish ingredients on an earlier trip this year, so tonight i steamed some new potatoes then cooked some chicken thighs in olive oil, paprika, a few bits of chorizo, and some garlic - then i poured it all over the potatoes, made a kind of bravas sauce for the side - one of the best things i've made at home in a long time. the spanish ingredients were prob cheaper than they'd be for supermarket equivalent here but the difference in taste was amazing, good pimenton de la vera is so amazing.

not my cooking but i ate at a czech restaurant in the weekend, schnitzel was off the hoooook good. haven't had good schnitzel since idk when

and had bramboracky for the first time (potato pancakes) Ugh! so good