Jenmenke

Road Warrior

Food

Meatless Monday Catch-Up

Meatless Mondays 28 – 38.

I know you all just think I fell off the Meatless Monday wagon. That I am too ashamed to even admit it.

But you are wrong.

We’re still doing Meatless Monday. I just haven’t been writing about it. There are several reasons why:

  • They have been lame.
  • They have been lame.
  • And, they have been lame.

Remember when I said I wanted to do no repeaters?

Fail.

Remember when I said having plain noodles or rice was a cop-out and I wouldn’t do it?

I’m a hypocrite.

Remember when I said we’d — all of us — be eating Meatless Monday together, even if it wasn’t on a Monday?

I was on drugs.

But I’m a stubborn one. I’m not giving up. Just yesterday, I was busy stewing up a Meatless Monday enchilada recipe for dinner to be made with my freshly made green tomato sauce.

This isn’t tomato sauce made with unripe, green tomatoes.

Rather, it is made with the variety of tomato (Green Zebra and Green Grape in this instance) that is green when it is ripe:

A delicious, delicious variety. Probably one of my favorites.

And one that should never, ever be made into tomato sauce.

And yet I did, because what the hell else am I going to do with two buckets full of them? They’ll rot before we can eat them with fresh mozzarella. Not to mention that if I ate that much mozzarella, I would start to look like a log of the stuff myself.

What to make with green tomato sauce, what to make with green tomato sauce…

Green enchiladas! Yes! (I mean, that would look OK, right? Sort of like salsa verde??)

What to add, what to add…

Those extra frozen red beans from the batch I made in June!

And it was all downhill from there. The red beans had big chunks of chorizo that I had forgotten about, wrecking my Meatless Monday plans (yeah, I know it was Sunday, just go with me here). The addition made the sauce a sick orangish color that looked like vomit. So I figured, what the heck, I’ll add some of these chicken legs… The very legs that had been holding up one of my roosters up about three hours before.

And I sat there stirring that ungodly brew, sort of crying about those stupid roosters and thinking of becoming a full-time vegetarian.

Seriously. There is nothing like butchering your own meat to push you over the edge.

Wait. That isn’t accurate. I’m sounding way too cool. You are probably thinking, “Wow. She killed them herself?” No, no, no.  I’m a ninny. I always think I can do it, but I actually can’t. It’s happened several times out here. Me thinking I can kill any number of varmints. But I never can.

I do hunt upland birds, but I think I can do that because there is always the chance I will miss them. A good chance. It’s certainly never a sure thing.

Going into the coop, where I have fussed and carried on to keep the chickens safe and not afraid of me. To go in grab them and kill them? Nope. Sorry. No can do.

That’s what dads are for.

My dad.

It was the nicest thing he’s ever done for me. I know it was hard for him because he babies my chickens even more than me. He offered to help since he had the time. I knew he didn’t really want to do it and yet I let him do the whole dang thing. Dave was finally obligated to help him once he realized it was really happening. He didn’t want to look like a ninny, either. But the truth is, no one really wanted to do the deed, Dave included.

And I hid in the kitchen wringing my hands.

What a weenie.

I did do a brave thing later on. I actually cooked a couple of the legs.

And it made me sad. I’m not going vegetarian, but it does seriously make you consider every bite.

Every dang bite of every morsel of chicken. You gettin’ my drift? Chewing chicken has never been so hard…

So, for Meatless Monday tonight I had this:

It might have been the best one ever: Blue cheese on triscuts with red wine. Just me and my blue cheese with a book and some wine.

Meatless Monday suddenly took a turn for the better.

The Best Banana Bread

A quick break from Road Warriors to bring you this timely post:

The Best Banana Bread, otherwise known to me this week as: Hot and Humid Banana Bread.

Because if you are anywhere like Minnesota this August, you, too, have bananas rotting on your countertop.

I am going to share my favorite banana bread recipe, since I have tried many, many, many recipes. Because banana bread is an intensely personal experience, I will tell you what I want out of my banana bread in order of importance:

  1. Moistness
  2. Lightness (as in not heavy)
  3. Sweetness (must be sweet, but not too sweet. Also must not taste like “health food”)

Just so we are clear.

So, if you are looking for whole wheat, hockey puck banana bread, where the butter had been replaced with applesauce, and the all-purpose subbed out for flax seed meal, click the back arrow on your browser now.

This is also not overly fatty banana bread.

But it is also not low fat.

It is happy banana bread.

I share it with you now.

It is from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks: Cook’s Illustrated The Best Recipe. (note the messy stains on the paper.)

I omit the walnuts, but you can do whatever you want.

Here are some Jennie-ism’s:

  • Because I never sift my flour, but also because I feel like a should sift my flour, I have devised a little shortcut. I whisk my flour in the container it is stored, and then I use the whisk to fill the measuring cup, then level it with a knife. Then I just bang the whisk on my leg, wipe it with my hand and put it away.
  • I am *ahem* known to often be missing key ingredients when embarking on a recipe. In today’s recipe, I was lacking plain yogurt. However, I did have vanilla yogurt. I just used the vanilla and cut the vanilla extract down to 3/4 teaspoon. I also cut the sugar by about 3 tablespoons.
  • When I don’t have yogurt, I sub buttermilk
  • And since I rarely have buttermilk, I often use the somewhat tried and true sub of adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it sit about 10 minutes. Either of which works fine with this recipe. I know, because I have done it. …several times.
  • I never grease and then flour a pan. I either just use cooking spray and cross my fingers, or I use this can of… I’ve got to go see what the name of it is… Baker’s Joy. It is cooking spray with flour in it. But to be honest, I don’t really notice that big of difference.

Cook’s Illustrated Banana Bread

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 and still taste fine if you are in to that sort of thing)
  • 3/4 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/4 plain yogurt (or vanilla yogurt or buttermilk)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 T butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork, then mix in yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla and mix well with fork.

Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold dry ingredients into banana mixuture until just combined.

Batter will be think and slightly chunky.

Pour/scrape batter into pan and bake approximately 55 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Don’t overcook! And also be aware that sometimes — just sometimes — there will be a pocket of banana in the batter that will always come out on the toothpick, so be sure to poke around in other areas.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove bread to a wire rack.

Exactly How Far Will She Go?

I wonder myself sometimes.

I bought this formerly lovely broccoli — I don’t know — a week ago? Two? Actually, now that I think about it, Michelle Sandquist bought the broccoli for me when her family came over for dinner last weekend.

Oh dear. I just looked at the calendar and realized it wasn’t last weekend it was the weekend before last. July 9th to be exact.

OK, so the broccoli was 15 “crisper days old” when I unearthed it and decided it was “just fine”.

Yes, it looks bad, but honestly, it tasted “just fine.” Not slimy at all. Just strangely brown colored…

I simply vigorously rubbed the brown nubbins’ (Morgan absolutely hates the word “nubbins” and so I use it just as much as I possibly can) into the sink…

and proceded with the recipe I intended to make two weeks earlier.

I’ve mentioned I’ve been busy lately, right?

This salad was served at who-knows-how-many graduation parties this spring. I have always loved it, saying “What IS the dressing on this? It’s SO good!” to many a hostess, only to be met with blank and/or incredulous stares.

Apparently, EVERYONE knows how to make this salad dressing except for me. But since I consider myself a cultured and experienced cook, I can’t admit that I truly am the only one in the dark. and so I share it with you today in case you, too, are broccoli salad clueless. (With some tweaks, of course). (Let me know in the comments if I really am the only one who didn’t know the wonder of combining mayo with cider vinegar and sugar)

Broccoli Bacon Salad

  • 1/2 cup light or regular mayo
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 head broccoli cut into small pieces. (I use most of the stem, too, but peel tough part off)
  • 1 small or 1/2 a medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 – 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
  • Lots ‘O Bacon crumbles (I used the stuff in the big bags at Costco, because it’s so easy)

Put broccoli, onion, craisins, almonds and bacon in a large bowl. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together. Adjust to taste. If you like it creamier, add more mayo, sweeter, more sugar, etc. Pour dressing over ingredients and mix well. Serve at room temp or chill.

Try to disregard how awful mine looks. Trust me, it tasted just fine.

OMG Meatless Monday Twenty Seven

Refreshing and Filling, No-Cook Summer Salad

I’m totally guessing what number Meatless Monday I am on. I haven’t written in over a week, soccer camp starts in an hour, I only have 32% battery left on my laptop and TIME’S-A-WASTING! I’ve got to get the MEAT of the post before I turn into a pumpkin.

Speaking of pumpkins… Mine are so behind that I am scared I won’t have any for Halloween. Not to mention watermelon in August…

It’s impossible for me to get to the point. You know that, right?

For the record, we have not stopped doing Meatless Mondays, I just am not up to date on them. Due to the hysterical nature of the past four weeks of my life, we have also suffered some repeats. I never know what to do for repeats. Is that cheating? I mean, I never set out to become some “Julie and Julia”  by doing something new every time, but for some reason I feel like repeats are lame. Maybe I’ll just pick one thing out of a meal for a repeat. Oh I don’t KNOW! No wonder I never get my posts written!

For this meal, I actually followed a recipe. Well *almost*. It’s called Tabbouleh with Garbanzos.

But I don’t call it Tabbouleh. Because for those who don’t know what Tabbouleh is, I feel that the name can cause one to flip the page (or click the button) too fast. Or glaze over. Or ignore it. It’s like Falafel. I sort of say, “hmmmm…” and move on. To avoid that fate, I call this recipe:

Bulgur Wheat with Garbanzos.

So there.

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat. And what is bulgur wheat? It takes like yummy, nutty rice. But tabbouleh is also made with lots of chopped parsley, which I never planted this year, therefore my recipe is not really tabbouleh after all. My recipe was adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Free Weeknight Kitchen emails that I receive each week. They are always inspirational, whether I cook them or not. Plus, I get to absorb all her knowledge and experience without having to listen to her podcast, which I never seem to have time for anymore.

We’ve had about the most humid and stinky summer that I can remember. But then, I can’t seem to remember anything any more, so that might not be saying much. Suffice to say, turning on the oven or the stove doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that we didn’t have air conditioning for a few weeks, due to that pesky lightning strike. Or did I tell you? I can’t remember… Isn’t this fun?

Never mind. the point is that you don’t need to cook ANYTHING!

Well, wait a minute. You do have to boil 2 cups of water, but you could do that in the microwave if you wanted.

Bulgur Wheat with Garbanzos

  • 2 cups bulgur wheat
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 t salt
  • ground black pepper
  • a few pinches each of cardamom, ground coriander, cumin and cayenne
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 a cup or more)
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
  • 1/2 cup (or whatever you can find that your husband didn’t weed whip) chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 cup (or whatever you can find that hasn’t gone to seed) chopped cilantro
  • 6 large leaves of fresh basil. Don’t cut until ready to serve or it will turn black

    Put bulgur wheat in a large bowl and add 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Let stand 30 – 60 minutes. (if there is standing water after that time, drain it before proceding)

    In a small bowl add lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk in the oil to make an emulsion. Add the spices which of course are optional if you don’t have them. Never, I-repeat-never, make a special trip to the store.

    Add the tomato, cucumber, onion, garbanzos, toasted pine nuts, and craisins to the bulgur and stir with a fork. Add the mint and cilantro and drizzle the dressing and stir well. Before serving thinly slice the basil leaves and sprinkle over the top.

    Salad can be served room temperature or cold.

    I swear to God, even my kids liked it. I simply could not believe it. Maybe it was the heat that addled their brains?

    THE AGONY OF DEFEAT

    FIFA World Cup, Watertown. Minnesota. June 27, 2010

    I have long been known for two things by my nieces and nephews (aside from the obvious abject sarcasm): fancy birthday cakes and themed birthday parties for Charlie in June. Given that they are mostly all grown up now, I assumed — wrongly — that they would meet my new passivity with joy. No more feigned excitement over winning a squirt gun for hula-hooping the longest. No more wading through a glossy coating of spit-strewn fondant to reach the cake.

    Win, win. Right?

    Wrong, as usual.

    My niece Megan called me the day before Charlie’s birthday to ask me what ‘the Theme’ for the party was. “Really,” I asked? “Cuz if you don’t have one, I do,” she said.

    WORLD CUP. You know, since just about all of the kids play soccer.

    It was a great idea, I admitted. If only a little freakish because The Pioneer Woman, who I both adore and despise, because she seems a lot like me — only about ten times nicer and more sincere — recently posted something about her family playing backyard soccer something akin to the World Cup.

    Whatever. I can’t let the blog-o-sphere dictate my life, can I? World Cup it was.

    2 v 2. Five minute games. No prisoners.

    As the hostesses, Morgan and I agreed to be partners as Team Mexico:

    And were quickly eliminated.

    Knowing the birthday boy’s propensity to pout when losing, we paired him with his talented Uncle Bennett and called them Team USA.

    And they won.

    …course, their bracket wasn’t too tough, having played Team Mexico early in Round one…

    In the middle, were Team Belgium (dictated by Granny’s festive attire — don’t pay any attention to her complaining. She thought we were being too hard on her.)

    Paired with her favorite oldest grandson, who had much trouble with bad reffing calls:

    Team Sweden: two blond-haired blue-eyed specimens

    That struck terror in their opponents with one talented striker…

    …and one defensive goon.

    And, the dichotomous Team Amsterdam, named for their flashy and somewhat questionable attire:

    And also because, like their namesake, they entertained us all day long:

    It was a hot, fun day. Tacos for dinner and home-made Buster Bars in lieu of cake, since Charlie didn’t “feel too good for cake” that day.

    Also these little morsels of desire:

    The Famous Bootleg:

    Blend 1 can lemonade and 1 can limeade with one bunch of mint until mint is very fine. Reserve syrup in a pitcher. To make drink, add clear liquor of choice (vodka, gin or rum) with equal amount of syrup and top off with club soda and lots of ice.

    Pam’s Caprese Appetizer:

    My friend Pam made these for my birthday celebration, and honestly, I had never seen them served this way. I fell in love and have served this to everyone who has stepped in my door in the last two weeks. Slice mozzarella thin, add one leaf basil, top with a slice of tomato. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Pop one after another into your mouth until you get self conscious.

    But ultimately the best part of the day, aside from celebrating Charlie, himself, was watching my mom out on that “soccer field” running around like a crazy woman

    Something tells me she’s not gonna like all this attention, but I just had to share these pictures. She looks damn good. She would look damn good for being almost 60, but she’s almost 70!

    I get my looks from her.

    Meatless Monday Twenty Four

    Chipotle Style Bean Burritos

    I’m not deluding myself to think this is anything special or original. I’ve just promised to chronicle the journey and here we are, two weeks behind the calendar year (I should be on Meatless Monday Twenty Five. Twenty Six if you are counting tonight.)

    We’ve eaten those meals, mind you. I just haven’t written about them. And WHY haven’t I written about them? Because I forgot to take any pictures. Maybe I’ll throw up a post about the walleye fish fry. (that sounds sick: to “throw-up” a post. But I actually quite like it, so I’m leaving it.) The fish was amazing. I just gobbled it all down and realized too late, the error of my ways.

    This is the meal we ate a week ago today. On a busy soccer night. After a string of days eating out. Fried junk food type places. Well, not really junk food, but regular eat-out food: reuben, fries, burgers, yuck-o. No, not yuck-o. Yummy. But yuck-o when you look back on it.

    So it was with wearisome predictability that Dave demanded (no, not demanded. but that’s what it seemed like to me when he asked “what are you making for dinner?” that’s a demand in a passive-aggressive way, isn’t it?) a meal at home.

    Good Lord, like I should know what we are having for dinner! And a Meatless Monday dinner, no less.

    So it was to be:

    Bean Burritos with Fresh Salsa, Cotija and Cilantro-Lime Rice.

    For the Cilantro Lime Rice:

    Make according to directions, but also add the juice of one lime and 2 teaspoons each of cumin and salt (for 2 ricer-cooker size cups of uncooked rice). After the rice has cooked, immediately fluff and stir in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.

    For the Fresh Salsa:

    Chop a large (or a couple small) good tomatoes. (I still had the one from that dead vine a week before). Finely chop about 1 small onion, more or less to taste. Chop 1/2 cup cilantro. Stir together with the juice of 1/2 lime, salt, pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce. A chopped avocado takes it to perfection. I just didn’t happen to have one. A dash of chili powder can be good, too. I didn’t add that this time though.

    For the Beans:

    Open a can of Kuners Southwestern Black Beans with Cumin and Chili spices. Add some cheese and microwave till hot.

    For the Cotija:

    Crumble.

    Chop some lettuce and assemble burritos.

    Try to talk your two kids into trying some fresh salsa.

    No? Then I’ll eat it all. Thank you very much.

    And while I’m at it, I will have one of these:

    Honest to Pete, don’t the makers of Corona (aka Coronita) know their beer looks like insipid pee? Yuck! I chose the Coors Light, the color camouflaged by the brown bottle. But isn’t that Coronita cute?