Never one to back down from a challenge, on my last day off i was faced with a large bowl of mashed sweet potatoes and no more desire to eat them in their current form. I had read on angrychicken.com that leftover mashed potatoes could be turned into gnocchi so i figured i'd give it a shot...i had a gnocchi recipe lying around somewhere anyway.
I read the recipe and as always i took liberties of my own. Since i didn't use a formal recipe i will not be posting one....this time.
I had been too lazy when i roasted them to remove the skins so i had to pick through the mashed taters and take the skins out. if you roast them before you mash (roasting with some butter makes them tastier than just boiling them) make sure you peel them and make your life that much easier or pull the skin off the baked potatoes. i used three giant sweet potatoes. after i had the mashed mush i added two eggs that had been whipped into submission and started to add flour. with a spatula i folded in the eggs and the flour in a bowl into the mashed mound. i don't know exactly how much flour you'll need because it depends on the quantity of potatoes you have. you must continue to fold in flour until the mound becomes like regular dough and stays together. i had memories of the last time i made pierogies and fought with the dough and used at least double to the flour because my ball wouldn't cooperate and was waaaay too tacky. once you have a dough mound you need to knead it a bit and make sure that the flour is evenly distributed throughout your ball. you want to make sure you do this on a large cutting board that you floured before you put your ball down. you can start slicing off inch wide pieces off the side of the ball and rolling them into long snakes. at this point you may want to flour the dough snake again and then flour the pasta you've formed so it won't stick. cut 1/4 inch pieces off the dough snake and they can be pressed on a fork if you want to be fancy and have an imprint on them. once you've formed all the pasta you're going to want to boil them all unless you've floured the hell out of the rest of them. they stick really easy...i know because i had to redo all the rolling with more flour. bring water to boil and boil them about twenty at a time. they let you know they are ready because they float to the surface.
there are different variations for sauces that can be used. i tried them with melted butter and cinnamon and they tasted like oatmeal and were very desserty. the second night i grated parmesano reggiano and melted butter and tossed them with that mixture. i preferred that combination more. i have lately been on the hunt for the sweet and salty.....
i was also going to Lydia's later that night so i used my roasted eggplant to make babagnoush. this time i used waay too much garlic and sliced my finger on my processor blade. i used alton brown's recipe from the food network website.
one day i'll finally figure out how to put links in and then make it easier to find the recipes i use....
my share was pretty hefty this week and i have a few challenges ahead. i've already killed the asparagus. i roasted them with olive oil and salt and wrapped them when they cooled in procioutto. they were delicious reheated too!
Let's see what this weekend holds for my tummy other than the tasty T-Flats i had yesterday that my old friend from high school LOVED!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wanee Part 2
So Friday's awakening brought tidings of a chocolate and coconut cereal bars and milk in a box. I had forgotten to put mine in the cooler, actually too lazy so i had to drink it warm....but alas it wasn't warm because the weather was beautiful. Wendy and JoAnn set off on early morning adventures while i grazed the rest of my provisions. Further explorations into cheap canned delicacies that day included more beer of the Keystone Light and Natural Ice varieties. I also feasted on an ENTIRE bag of Terra Taro chips. They were pretty tasty and could have used a touch more salt. I also had a can of pickled mussels. Slightly vinegary but very delicious. This canned delicacy will be replacing the standard smoked mussels for the time being in my hurricane/camping provisions. I spent most of the day at the campsite with my companions eating. A few random strangers would stop to talk, offer drugs, posters and t-shirts for sale. The tell tale sign of clean port o potties would waft our way sporadically and make the drunken stumble to kill the beer bladder just a bit more pleasant. The company that maintained the portable water closets would place a cherry scented block that would carry over to our campsite.
At one point our neighbor, who will be referred to as Orlando Car Wreck, came over and took a seat in the bed of the truck. He brought along with him one bottle of wine and would occasionally pop pills in between swigs will barely conversing in mumbles. he had mentioned that that morning he had burned a hole in his tent when his fan blew his morning joint out of his hand....sucked to be him. That afternoon we hit the hammocks and i managed to take a nap while JoAnn rocked me to sleep. Dinner was Mellow Mushroom Mushroom Pizza....wonderful, during the awesome allman brothers set. I left kinda early though because i had started to feel fluish.
The next morning i didn't really want to have any beer and laid low for most of the day. I had my other can of the chef but....Beached Whale wasn't around to witness. At one point during our hanging at the campsite a nice young lad named Paul came over to us and spilled his guts on the story of his life. We took him under our wing, fed him beer and basked in his whiteboyness. We ventured out into the wilderness and enjoyed the shopping area and then went on a walk that took us by the stables. I didn't know where they were before. That night was the longest night ever....annoying neighbors and fireworks guaranteed that. FUCKING KIDS. Since i didn't sleep much i was up extra early.
We packed up and hit the road and JoAnn's craving for meat on a bun lead us to Steak n' Shake. My cheap but satisfying chicken sandwich with guacamole was worth the stop. There was also a stand in the gas station area that had boiled peanuts and citrus. Wendy bought the cajun extra smelly ones from a guy that looked like he stepped out of deliverance.....Back on the road and at some point i gave up and Wendy got us home. I unpacked everything and had to toss everything in the wash because the campfire smell was making me gag. I had to leave my tent out for like 4 days and it still smells bad. I was left with a sushi craving and called upon my old friend from high school. He suggested we hit Hiro in North Miami because it was close to him and cheap. I felt guilty making him drive down my way in the rain. I was impressed....they had my tried and true favorites: eggplant with miso sauce, spicy tuna, and jb rolls. I enjoyed my feast with my bottle of sake and lots of reflection on life and what its dealt us.......
At one point our neighbor, who will be referred to as Orlando Car Wreck, came over and took a seat in the bed of the truck. He brought along with him one bottle of wine and would occasionally pop pills in between swigs will barely conversing in mumbles. he had mentioned that that morning he had burned a hole in his tent when his fan blew his morning joint out of his hand....sucked to be him. That afternoon we hit the hammocks and i managed to take a nap while JoAnn rocked me to sleep. Dinner was Mellow Mushroom Mushroom Pizza....wonderful, during the awesome allman brothers set. I left kinda early though because i had started to feel fluish.
The next morning i didn't really want to have any beer and laid low for most of the day. I had my other can of the chef but....Beached Whale wasn't around to witness. At one point during our hanging at the campsite a nice young lad named Paul came over to us and spilled his guts on the story of his life. We took him under our wing, fed him beer and basked in his whiteboyness. We ventured out into the wilderness and enjoyed the shopping area and then went on a walk that took us by the stables. I didn't know where they were before. That night was the longest night ever....annoying neighbors and fireworks guaranteed that. FUCKING KIDS. Since i didn't sleep much i was up extra early.
We packed up and hit the road and JoAnn's craving for meat on a bun lead us to Steak n' Shake. My cheap but satisfying chicken sandwich with guacamole was worth the stop. There was also a stand in the gas station area that had boiled peanuts and citrus. Wendy bought the cajun extra smelly ones from a guy that looked like he stepped out of deliverance.....Back on the road and at some point i gave up and Wendy got us home. I unpacked everything and had to toss everything in the wash because the campfire smell was making me gag. I had to leave my tent out for like 4 days and it still smells bad. I was left with a sushi craving and called upon my old friend from high school. He suggested we hit Hiro in North Miami because it was close to him and cheap. I felt guilty making him drive down my way in the rain. I was impressed....they had my tried and true favorites: eggplant with miso sauce, spicy tuna, and jb rolls. I enjoyed my feast with my bottle of sake and lots of reflection on life and what its dealt us.......
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wanee 2010
Wednesday April 13th, Wendy, Jo Ann and I set off for a wilderness unknown. We set out on an odyssey of cheap beer, canned food, dirt, music and hammocks and we had no idea what lie ahead of us...would we ever make it back alive?
We set out at 9PM from Wendy's house after about ten hugs each from her mom (very much appreciated though) and hit of all places Wendy's for a bite before hitting the road. I was fading fast and passed the wheel to Wendy at about halfway to our halfway point. We made it in and crashed about 1:30 am and then were up by 6:30 and off to the nearest Publix. Jo Ann remarked at wanting to work there. It was so clean and well stocked. I think i wouldn't mind curling up in some corner of the Greenwise section and living there. After another quick strech and one well tarped truck we made it! The place was already packed before we even made it in. We managed to find a very cute corner on the Lake and made our little sex offender village permanant. Our neighbors were already partying..... After we got settled it was time to hit the cooler of cheap beer and Jo Ann and I hit our cans of Chef Boyardee and ate it cold. The contents of those cans although incredibly unhealthy bring back memories of childhood and all things happy. A few beers and some natural white chedder cheetos later it was nap time. Of course i managed to wake up when one of our neighbors, who will be referred to as Beached Whale due to her unsightly appearance while napping, (if i put it down you'd be as horrified as i was and i'll just spare you the mental rape), was commenting on the delicious pasta in a can that I had been consuming. BW mentioned that as a child her mother would have never fed her that and then proceeded to expound on how although it was not the tastiest of meals her mother always tried to make her something good. Nice to know that her mother's culinary attempts at health at an early age did not catch on...at all. I later passed on the comments on to my companions and we decided i would save my last can of the chef for when she was around and i could prance around the campsite while eating. We finally decided at some point that it was hammock time and Wendy and i set about finding trees suitable at the mushroom stage. My trees were not far enough apart and left my hammock kinda slouchy.....Jo ann tucked in early and Wendy and i set off for drunken dinner and tunes. I was so relaxed i fell asleep in my tent and decided i'd go sleep in my real bed.
Friday brought more of the same. And this place just blew up so i'll continue tommorrow
We set out at 9PM from Wendy's house after about ten hugs each from her mom (very much appreciated though) and hit of all places Wendy's for a bite before hitting the road. I was fading fast and passed the wheel to Wendy at about halfway to our halfway point. We made it in and crashed about 1:30 am and then were up by 6:30 and off to the nearest Publix. Jo Ann remarked at wanting to work there. It was so clean and well stocked. I think i wouldn't mind curling up in some corner of the Greenwise section and living there. After another quick strech and one well tarped truck we made it! The place was already packed before we even made it in. We managed to find a very cute corner on the Lake and made our little sex offender village permanant. Our neighbors were already partying..... After we got settled it was time to hit the cooler of cheap beer and Jo Ann and I hit our cans of Chef Boyardee and ate it cold. The contents of those cans although incredibly unhealthy bring back memories of childhood and all things happy. A few beers and some natural white chedder cheetos later it was nap time. Of course i managed to wake up when one of our neighbors, who will be referred to as Beached Whale due to her unsightly appearance while napping, (if i put it down you'd be as horrified as i was and i'll just spare you the mental rape), was commenting on the delicious pasta in a can that I had been consuming. BW mentioned that as a child her mother would have never fed her that and then proceeded to expound on how although it was not the tastiest of meals her mother always tried to make her something good. Nice to know that her mother's culinary attempts at health at an early age did not catch on...at all. I later passed on the comments on to my companions and we decided i would save my last can of the chef for when she was around and i could prance around the campsite while eating. We finally decided at some point that it was hammock time and Wendy and i set about finding trees suitable at the mushroom stage. My trees were not far enough apart and left my hammock kinda slouchy.....Jo ann tucked in early and Wendy and i set off for drunken dinner and tunes. I was so relaxed i fell asleep in my tent and decided i'd go sleep in my real bed.
Friday brought more of the same. And this place just blew up so i'll continue tommorrow
Playing Catch Up...
Somehow i forgot the last time i posted that i had plans to make my own granola. Inspired by the Gorgeously Green Diet Book that i have since ordered from Half.com (both frugal and more earth friendly to get it used...almost as good as a friendly donation ;)) I paid a visit to whole foods and got the rolled oats, nuts, and dried cherries. I tweaked the reciepe slightly to my liking of course with the cherries. At home i had the vanilla, agave, and coconut flakes. I was supposed to take it camping with me, but i forgot. I did get to eat the tasty granola when i got back on monday with my last little packet of milk leftover from the trip.... That was on saturday. Friday night Wendy treated Mata, Monger, Lydia and myself to Hot Tub Time Machine after i had gone home to check on my garden and my mail and eat the cheapest dinner ever..one someone else paid for and made.
Saturday i started my trip prep by an early oil change after wendy's cat woke my up by walking over my air bed. In the afternoon i paid my cousin a visit and sampled some of her Two Sisters Gourmet items and decided to help her out and buy something. I got a four pack of spices that comes with receipe cards. The four pack was cheaper than the individuals and also came with the cards. Since i cook so much i think i can justify that out of budget purchase. After the granola adventure i headed back to Wendy's where we watched some movies and passed out in anticipation of Jimbo's Birthday!!!!!
Kitty decided to wake us up again and it gave me enough time to hit the supermarket for the last essentials i needed for the camping trip that i was leaving for on wednesday and some beer to pre-drink at jimbo's. Wendy packed the last night's pizza leftovers for some munchies and we headed out to meet Lydia and Monger. El P was already there and had been drinking beer. The beer truck never came and the only person of the other 10 who showed up was my old friend from high school. Thank the baby jesus we had brought our own beer. That did run out and we did buy some beer there. I tried my first Pabst Blue Ribbon. After frolicking around the cover and dipping feet in the water we went back to Lydia's to chill.
Monday brought on pick ups for camping supplies stored at both the rentals homes and tossing myself in MY OWN BED again. Tuesday I made everything left in my refrigerator so as not to let it spoil. I roasted sweet potatos, tomatos, sweet peppers, and eggplant. I sauteed collard greens with bacon fat, olive oil, walnut oil, red pepper flakes, sauteed onions, garlic, salt and pepper. The onions were slightly sweet with the slightly spicy flavor and were pretty tasty. Lately i've been combining opposite flavors when i cook. I also used the bread maker to make a loaf of egg bread for the trip and shucked and sauteed fresh peas in butter. The tomatos and the peppers ended up in jars for later use. The eggplant would become babaganoush, and the sweet potatos were mashed and spiced.
Wednesday i made a last ditch effort to get whatever i missed at publix, and then after work Wendy, Joann and I took off that night for Fonz's to spend the night before Wanee!!!!!!!!!
Saturday i started my trip prep by an early oil change after wendy's cat woke my up by walking over my air bed. In the afternoon i paid my cousin a visit and sampled some of her Two Sisters Gourmet items and decided to help her out and buy something. I got a four pack of spices that comes with receipe cards. The four pack was cheaper than the individuals and also came with the cards. Since i cook so much i think i can justify that out of budget purchase. After the granola adventure i headed back to Wendy's where we watched some movies and passed out in anticipation of Jimbo's Birthday!!!!!
Kitty decided to wake us up again and it gave me enough time to hit the supermarket for the last essentials i needed for the camping trip that i was leaving for on wednesday and some beer to pre-drink at jimbo's. Wendy packed the last night's pizza leftovers for some munchies and we headed out to meet Lydia and Monger. El P was already there and had been drinking beer. The beer truck never came and the only person of the other 10 who showed up was my old friend from high school. Thank the baby jesus we had brought our own beer. That did run out and we did buy some beer there. I tried my first Pabst Blue Ribbon. After frolicking around the cover and dipping feet in the water we went back to Lydia's to chill.
Monday brought on pick ups for camping supplies stored at both the rentals homes and tossing myself in MY OWN BED again. Tuesday I made everything left in my refrigerator so as not to let it spoil. I roasted sweet potatos, tomatos, sweet peppers, and eggplant. I sauteed collard greens with bacon fat, olive oil, walnut oil, red pepper flakes, sauteed onions, garlic, salt and pepper. The onions were slightly sweet with the slightly spicy flavor and were pretty tasty. Lately i've been combining opposite flavors when i cook. I also used the bread maker to make a loaf of egg bread for the trip and shucked and sauteed fresh peas in butter. The tomatos and the peppers ended up in jars for later use. The eggplant would become babaganoush, and the sweet potatos were mashed and spiced.
Wednesday i made a last ditch effort to get whatever i missed at publix, and then after work Wendy, Joann and I took off that night for Fonz's to spend the night before Wanee!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Birthdays and Crazy Fridays
As with every Friday at work this one has been blessed with a little bit o crazy....
I think this morning was a sign. When the Wendy's cat wouldn't stop meowing it was a hint for me to stay in bed. Traffic was slightly heavier than normal and i didn't get to enjoy my typial breakfast of homemade organic bananna nut waffle and organic orange juice. I have had many different breakfast incarnations over the years but right now this is my cheapest and overall most satisfying breakfast. For a while i would eat a microwaved egg with a slice of american cheese spun around in the radioactive box for a minute in a half for a quick scramble or one of those tasty sodium laden breakfast sandwiches also know as Jimmy Dean D'lights made with egg whites. At some point when i didn't treasure those last ten minutes of sleep i was even making them myself (as in cook the egg fresh, etc). When i started buying groceries in the buy one get ones i switched to waffles in my first efforts to save some dough and then moved on to the organic kind when i made that switch. I saw a nice organic whole wheat waffle/pancake mix that made some delicious blueberry pankcakes. Somehow the leftover mix and Mata inspired me to buy a cheap waffle maker and i haven't looked back since. If i was super awesome i'd make them daily...but instead i make a few batches every couple weeks and freeze them and they are mighty delicious. I have tried other combinations, but for now i'm sticking to my banana delights....especially because the work folks are kinda jealous ;)
Yesterday was kinda crazy and i wasn't really planning on drinking after work in my efforts to play it cheap, but i was going to Tarpon Bend afterall for a friend's birthday i gave in. The last time i went there on a Friday, with the same group, i blew my load for the whole weekend and spent way too much money for happy hour in general. I will applaude them for thier impeccable service, but i just don't like the atmosphere. Everytime something will manage to turn me off for the rest of the time i'm there. The last time i went i split a dozen fresh raw oysters with a friend. I am not one to order seafood out. She shares the same sentiment. Why go out, when i can have it at home and know where it comes from....the perks of having a close personal relationship with a fisherman. The oysters were delicious...but they were not worth the hole in my wallet. Last night i tried the conch chowder. They have a different soup of the day for everyday of the week and being that over all other seafood/broth/cream concoctions i prefer carribean conch chowder i decided to give it a shot. The low price tag was also encouraging. It came with some fried plantain strips and had a yellow color with plantain chunks and the typical tomato and pepper chunks along with a few floating pieces of my delicious friend conch. The flavor was slightly sweet and totally wonderful and the strips were a perfet compliment. I avoided the lime, as i didn't want to spoil the natural flavor. I wish i had the receipe because i would totally make it for myself. Coupled with a typical mesalin salad with a vinagrette that came with one of my companion's chicken breasts. The portion size is enough to feed three people. I am not a fried chicken but this one had rosemary in the breading which was worth writing about and was tasty. In addition to the soup i also munched on some szechuan calamari that was fried and dressed up with a slightly sweet slightly spice to offset the cheapness of the calamari, and a generic spinach dip. The mojitos were cheap, but they had too much ice. Everyone at the table in the end had the same general consensus. We all favor Yardhouse foodwise and pricewise...but drinkwise the group is split. I guess I'll take beer anyday over a crappy mojito...but that's just me.
There were no leftovers from last, so i just stuck to some of Wendy's leftover chicken burrito and tried to enjoy my lunch. That's not possible in my office with my boss on a Friday...i ended up having to jump on the window because no one else could help this needy customer. Going out to eat would blow the budget so i guess i'll just have to either make or buy something really tasty and cheap before i see hot tub time machine tonight.
This weekend is also Jimbo's birthday on Virginia Key so sunday i will be enjoying the cheapest of all beer...FREE. I just have to tip and keep my up. My ever prepared compatriots will be bringing extra beer just in case the free kind runs out. I'm excited as this is a tradition three years strong.
I think this morning was a sign. When the Wendy's cat wouldn't stop meowing it was a hint for me to stay in bed. Traffic was slightly heavier than normal and i didn't get to enjoy my typial breakfast of homemade organic bananna nut waffle and organic orange juice. I have had many different breakfast incarnations over the years but right now this is my cheapest and overall most satisfying breakfast. For a while i would eat a microwaved egg with a slice of american cheese spun around in the radioactive box for a minute in a half for a quick scramble or one of those tasty sodium laden breakfast sandwiches also know as Jimmy Dean D'lights made with egg whites. At some point when i didn't treasure those last ten minutes of sleep i was even making them myself (as in cook the egg fresh, etc). When i started buying groceries in the buy one get ones i switched to waffles in my first efforts to save some dough and then moved on to the organic kind when i made that switch. I saw a nice organic whole wheat waffle/pancake mix that made some delicious blueberry pankcakes. Somehow the leftover mix and Mata inspired me to buy a cheap waffle maker and i haven't looked back since. If i was super awesome i'd make them daily...but instead i make a few batches every couple weeks and freeze them and they are mighty delicious. I have tried other combinations, but for now i'm sticking to my banana delights....especially because the work folks are kinda jealous ;)
Yesterday was kinda crazy and i wasn't really planning on drinking after work in my efforts to play it cheap, but i was going to Tarpon Bend afterall for a friend's birthday i gave in. The last time i went there on a Friday, with the same group, i blew my load for the whole weekend and spent way too much money for happy hour in general. I will applaude them for thier impeccable service, but i just don't like the atmosphere. Everytime something will manage to turn me off for the rest of the time i'm there. The last time i went i split a dozen fresh raw oysters with a friend. I am not one to order seafood out. She shares the same sentiment. Why go out, when i can have it at home and know where it comes from....the perks of having a close personal relationship with a fisherman. The oysters were delicious...but they were not worth the hole in my wallet. Last night i tried the conch chowder. They have a different soup of the day for everyday of the week and being that over all other seafood/broth/cream concoctions i prefer carribean conch chowder i decided to give it a shot. The low price tag was also encouraging. It came with some fried plantain strips and had a yellow color with plantain chunks and the typical tomato and pepper chunks along with a few floating pieces of my delicious friend conch. The flavor was slightly sweet and totally wonderful and the strips were a perfet compliment. I avoided the lime, as i didn't want to spoil the natural flavor. I wish i had the receipe because i would totally make it for myself. Coupled with a typical mesalin salad with a vinagrette that came with one of my companion's chicken breasts. The portion size is enough to feed three people. I am not a fried chicken but this one had rosemary in the breading which was worth writing about and was tasty. In addition to the soup i also munched on some szechuan calamari that was fried and dressed up with a slightly sweet slightly spice to offset the cheapness of the calamari, and a generic spinach dip. The mojitos were cheap, but they had too much ice. Everyone at the table in the end had the same general consensus. We all favor Yardhouse foodwise and pricewise...but drinkwise the group is split. I guess I'll take beer anyday over a crappy mojito...but that's just me.
There were no leftovers from last, so i just stuck to some of Wendy's leftover chicken burrito and tried to enjoy my lunch. That's not possible in my office with my boss on a Friday...i ended up having to jump on the window because no one else could help this needy customer. Going out to eat would blow the budget so i guess i'll just have to either make or buy something really tasty and cheap before i see hot tub time machine tonight.
This weekend is also Jimbo's birthday on Virginia Key so sunday i will be enjoying the cheapest of all beer...FREE. I just have to tip and keep my up. My ever prepared compatriots will be bringing extra beer just in case the free kind runs out. I'm excited as this is a tradition three years strong.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday at Wendy's and Wednesday at Babyfeet's
I've been forced to crash at Wendy's for a few days and have been trying to cook things she may like with items from my share. Last night i made a cream of leek soup with some of the leeks that i received in my share the night before. I think my leeks were larger than the ones used by the person that came up with the recipe so i doubled the butter. I also couldn't let the rest of that bottle of white wine go to waste. ;) You can taste the yogurt so i recommend cutting back if you don't like it too much and just using it until you can't handle it anymore. Wendy said she would eat it...and took some this morning to work. I'm kind of proud of it considering i made something complicated in someone else's kitchen. The only sucky part is that i woke up and my clothes this morning smelled like last nights dinner and i've had the aroma of left overs on my clothes
The rest of the soup will more than likely be consumed tonight at Babyfeet's. We're doing an informal housewarming at his place. I plan on making chicken breasts with a homemade balongnese sauce i made a month back, and a tossed salad...no comments from the peanut gallery please!!!! Let's see how things go..............
This is the recipe for the leek soup for Jo Ann reposted from apartmenttherapy.com
Creamy Leek and Yogurt Soup
about 1 1/2 quarts
2 large leeks
6 large cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup plain yogurt
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly, making sure to get rid of all the sand and grit. Cut into half moons. Smash or mince the garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Saute the leeks and garlic very slowly, never letting them brown or burn. Cook until the leeks are nearly translucent - about 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and pepper and let cook for about five minutes, then add the broth and turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Puree in a blender - hold the lid down with a folded towel or you will end up with splattered soup all over the kitchen! Puree in two batches, adding half a cup of yogurt into each. Eat slightly cool like this, or return to the pan and warm very gently over low heat - do not let boil.
The rest of the soup will more than likely be consumed tonight at Babyfeet's. We're doing an informal housewarming at his place. I plan on making chicken breasts with a homemade balongnese sauce i made a month back, and a tossed salad...no comments from the peanut gallery please!!!! Let's see how things go..............
This is the recipe for the leek soup for Jo Ann reposted from apartmenttherapy.com
Creamy Leek and Yogurt Soup
about 1 1/2 quarts
2 large leeks
6 large cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup plain yogurt
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly, making sure to get rid of all the sand and grit. Cut into half moons. Smash or mince the garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Saute the leeks and garlic very slowly, never letting them brown or burn. Cook until the leeks are nearly translucent - about 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and pepper and let cook for about five minutes, then add the broth and turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Puree in a blender - hold the lid down with a folded towel or you will end up with splattered soup all over the kitchen! Puree in two batches, adding half a cup of yogurt into each. Eat slightly cool like this, or return to the pan and warm very gently over low heat - do not let boil.
Purpose
In the lame-o style of my predecesors i am going to blog about my food adventures, but the twist here with my blog is that not only will i be chronicling my culinary misadventures, but i will also be chronicling my feeble attempts at simplifying my life in our ever so materialistic society. I recently decided that i would take the plunge and go organic. My reasoning wasn't totally motivated by health, but also taste and environmental reasons. I read In Defense of Food by Micheal Pollan and was scared into it somehow with all the environmental doom and gloom in the book.
Along with the change in my eating habits i have put myself on a strict budget with the aim of reaching some financial and personal goals within the next few years and compensating for everyone's favorite doom and gloom bad times are here indicator...a pay cut. Those goals, i will elaborate on sporadically as time passes and relevant budgetary developments occur. At this current time i have slashed my entertainment budget significantly (it went mostly to food) and have given up going out to eat even at lunch time. A recent development in my living situation is forcing me to move to a room with a smaller closet. Anyone who knows me knows my attachment to certain articles of clothing and the abundance of shoes i own. I am going to try and pair it down. I have given up major shopping for thirft stores, craiglist, and swaps. I want to simplify my life all the way around. My goal is to get down to the basics and a few luxuries within reason. I have started growing herbs and things in my own garden and taken on an organic produce share.
So let's see how this goes..............
Along with the change in my eating habits i have put myself on a strict budget with the aim of reaching some financial and personal goals within the next few years and compensating for everyone's favorite doom and gloom bad times are here indicator...a pay cut. Those goals, i will elaborate on sporadically as time passes and relevant budgetary developments occur. At this current time i have slashed my entertainment budget significantly (it went mostly to food) and have given up going out to eat even at lunch time. A recent development in my living situation is forcing me to move to a room with a smaller closet. Anyone who knows me knows my attachment to certain articles of clothing and the abundance of shoes i own. I am going to try and pair it down. I have given up major shopping for thirft stores, craiglist, and swaps. I want to simplify my life all the way around. My goal is to get down to the basics and a few luxuries within reason. I have started growing herbs and things in my own garden and taken on an organic produce share.
So let's see how this goes..............
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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