Day Five – A can of veg.

I hate canned vegetables.  There I said it.  It’s out there. All of us now uncomfortable with the situation, those nasty words fouling the air around us.  Squirming in our seats and feigning an interest in our napkins, we pretend that statement was never uttered.  The reality being, it did happen.  And, there is nothing we can do to turn back time.

For myself, canned vegetables cause reminiscence of the ’70’s, sitting in the Walnut Hills cafeteria/gym (the tables folded down out of the walls of the gym) and eating a school lunch.  Ladies with nets on their heads scooping the vile things onto a paper tray along with other items, that I carry begrudgingly back to the table I share with friends.  Of course, no one ever ate that portion of the meal for obvious reasons.  Our focus remaining with the main dish of the day (pizza, tacos and everything else that Jamie Oliver is fighting against each Friday night).  As for the vegetables, well they followed the path of the paper tray into the trash.

Collectively, we weren’t all that ecologically focused back then.  Well, most of us weren’t.  Paper trays were convenient, didn’t require washing and recycling hadn’t yet caught on.

Actually, the majority of us had a lot of issues that I suspect were founded in our fashion sense (or more to the point, that of our parents).  Note the picture at right.  Yes, that is me on the left, arms akimbo and acting proud that my cousin Reed and I had matching outfits.  A cruel joke by our mothers.  One that many years later, my mother still attempts with my brother and I, usually around Christmas with a matching something-or-other.  Now that I think about it,  I don’t think Reed or I has had this much hair since this picture was taken.

One thing that I do remember fondly, is that my family had a garden from which we would not only pick and eat fresh vegetables (my brother ate all the strawberries), but we would can or pickle them for use later.  Peas were always my favorite, eaten fresh after picking and shelling,  along with the beets we would pickle (or ‘can’) for later.  And, as much as I have hazed my mother for her Navy Bean Soup recipe, to this day I think her pickled beats were the best.  I would eat them by the jar and her recipe is what fans my desire for the purple-y goodness to this day.

The technology of canning foods was developed during the Napoleonic Era in an effort to supply armies (specifically, Napoleon’s Army) with food on their lengthy campaigns.  And, lets be honest, the technology behind it has not improved much since that time.  Instead, we have developed flash-freezing processes that much improve the end product.

However, the reason for canned foods remains sound.  Canned foods are an invention that has very much stood the test of time.  They are shelf stable, require little in the way of preparation, and are inexpensive.  Providing frozen goods to vast quantities of people is, at best, ineffective.  At worst, it is potentially unhealthy and expensive, not to mention environmentally taxing in terms of the amount of energy required to freeze and keep frozen.  After all, the nutritional value is the necessity along with a safe method of delivery, and this is what canned foods offer.

So, where am I going with all this drivel?  Well, tonight I opened the first can of vegetables that I have opened for . . . well, I can’t remember the last time.  As part of my grocery list I had purchased a can of green beans to use during The Challenge, and tonight I did.  I was dreading it.  Dreading it almost as much as cooking the Navy Beans I had purchased.

The original dish that I had planned went out the window as soon as I opened the can.  They looked fresher than I remembered.  Oh, and french cut, which took me a second to realize (I had to look at the can for confirmation, then utter an expletive or two).  But most importantly, they looked pretty good.  Now what to do with them?

I settled on a stir-fry.  I drained the beans in a colander. Turned on the burner and started the rice.  The chicken, roasted successfully the other day, would make a fine addition.  Onion from the larder, and a couple of tablespoons of the gelatinous broth in the fridge.  Rice wine vinegar, hoisin and sambal to add spice.

Once the Rice was finished, I heated up the wok.  Adding oil and onion, I let them saute for a minute.  Next was the chicken, sliced thin, to brown and heat from the fridge. Stock to de-glaze, followed by hoisin, sambal and soy.  The excitement was mounting.  Last came the beans which were chowed briefly just to heat and toss with the luscious brown sauce underneath.  I scooped the blend and placed it over the rice in the bowl.  Then I reached for my chopsticks.

It was delicious.  And suddenly, I realized, I was wrong.

Canned foods are not the evil I remembered.  The evil was in the brutality they suffered while ‘cooked’.

And, they are a necessity for millions of people.

Day Four – Blood, Sweat and Tears

Blood – Never try to catch a falling knife.  Jump out of the way as quickly as possible, lest you become victim to Darwinism.  This is especially important if the only band-aids you have in the house are of the Scooby Doo variety. (You may freely express your jealousy of my bandages in ‘Comments’. Note the plural, as in ‘more than one’.)

Sweat – Well, OK, there wasn’t much sweat.  But it was a little warm in the kitchen.  Oh, and did I mention the knife?  I had no shoes on at the time.

Tears – Damn onion.

Today was a special day of sorts.  I ate pretty well.  Cheerios for breaky, leftover dumplings for lunch, and for dinner . . . . .well, I will get to that in a moment.

As I said, I ate pretty well.  Have been all week.  But by ‘well’ I imply that I have enjoyed good meals.  What I am not implying is that there was a lot of it.  This project is not an example in gluttony in any sense.  I have stuck to The Challenge every day this week for all meals (I have been working from home all week, so that makes it monumentally easier to do).  I have had to supplement from my own stores somewhat, but only from basic things such as butter, milk, flour, seasonings, an egg and some bacon I found in the freezer.

However, it hit me last night that there is a basic difference between the dishes I have made (and those of my fellow bloggers) and the everyday dishes that the beneficiaries of the Capital Area Food Bank.  In many cases, these are hard working people, sometimes with multiple jobs to make ends meet as best they can and families to take care of.  Time is a valued commodity, as it is with all families.  Although I do have a ‘day-job’ at an amazing company, I am also fortunate enough to have the time to scour the web and a wealth of cookbooks to research and plan my meals.  Not everyone has that opportunity.

I read yesterday that a mere $5 donation enables CAFB to purchase $25 worth of food items. And, as I and others have shown, a LOT can be done with that.  No, its not a feast by any means.  These are but modest meals that in most cases are healthy and can become even healthier through education that CAFB provides.  But every little bit makes a difference.  So, for the cost of your next beer, appetizer, entree, or even parking, you can help considerably.

So, today was the dreaded Navy Bean Day, which just adds insult to injury (see above).  Due to traumatic experiences in my life, to say that I am not a fan of Navy Beans is an understatement.  I won’t name names, but Navy Bean Soup in my childhood became a meal I began to fear.  Ironically, I have the same issue with bologna many years later.  Anyway, enough of my angst.  The Navy Beans had to be cooked, so today I buckled down and made this soup.  I paired it with some of the chicken I roasted on Sunday (still have quite a bit left) and with the Chicken Stock from Monday.

Roasted Chicken and Navy Bean Soup

• 1/2 lb. Navy Beans – sorted, rinsed and pre-soaked using the method of your choice
• 4 slices bacon – roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion -diced
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 6 C chicken stock
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 6 ounces fully cooked chicken – chopped

In a medium sized sauce pan, render the bacon until crispy over medium to medium-high heat.  Remove the crispy bacon bits from the pan and set aside. Using the bacon grease, saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Drain the beans and add to the pan along with the herbs and chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer until beans are fully cooked.  I left mine to slowly bubble for over an hour.

When the beans are cooked place the butter and flour in a separate saute pan to make a roux.  This can be as dark as you would like, bearing in mind that the darker the roux the less thickening it will do.  Mine was pretty light in color.

If you have a stick blender, use it to blend the soup to the desired consistency, breaking up the beans to thicken the soup.  This can also be done in batches using a blender or food processor.  Just don’t over load the appliance as the hot liquid could explode.  Scooby Doo bandages will not help if that happens.

Add the roux and bring back up to a boil to further thicken the soup.  Once thick, reduce the heat to low, add the cooked chicken to warm it.  Dish out and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the reserved bacon.

I think my fear of the Navy Bean may have ended as this was pretty good.  No Mom . . . I still don’t want your recipe.  Oh, wait, I said no names . . . . damnit.

To cap off the evening, since it is my birthday, I made dessert of Bread Pudding with Pear and Creme Anglaise.  And no, I did not cheat with this one either. Used my home-made bread and the can of pears that I could not, for the life of me, figure out what to do with.  The recipe for that may come later. . . . .

Oh, and Jon . . . sorry, you lost your bid on the can of pears.

Cheers!

Day Three of The Challenge – Fried Dumplings

Each day this Challenge becomes more and more interesting.  It is amazing to see what my fellow bloggers are doing to participate and help create awareness for the Capital Area Food Bank.  An update to all of our activities was posted today by Addie Broyles of the American Statesman.  Have a read, there is some interesting stuff and many great things that my fellow bloggers are creating.

From my own front, I have been racking my brain for the past few days on what to do with the potatoes.  I toyed with a gratin, but alas, there is no cream in my house.  Baked ‘taters seemed boring and a little too obvious.  Roasting, although something I typically enjoy, also seemed a bit main-stream.  Did a little research, and settled on Potato Dumplings.  I have never made dumplings in this manner (although I do make mean potstickers, or fried dumplings).  So, in its way it was a bit of an adventure, and didn’t take the time that I thought it might.

There are a few steps to the creation, so although there is time involved, the actual steps are not that difficult.  This is a slightly wet dough, so you will need some extra flour to work with.  This differentiates it from gnocchi a bit, as gnocchi dough is a bit dryer.

Fried Dumplings in Browned Butter and Sage

Ingredients:

• 1 Potato
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (fresh from the nut if possible)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• Salted Water or Chicken Stock for initial cooking (I used the stock I made yesterday)
• 5 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp sage (I had to use dried, as that was in my pantry.  However, fresh would be better, but increase to 1 tsp)
• 2 tbs Parmesan (freshly grated Pecorino Romano would work great too . . . but all I had was Parm, and I used it from the green can)

Peel and boil the potato until soft.  Once cooked allow to cool slightly, then mash in a bowl.  Once fully cooled, add the quarter cup flour, egg, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of salt and ground pepper.  Mix thoroughly until a dough forms.  As I said, it will be wet, and you may need to add a little more flour both to the mixture and to the board or both.

Heat the liquid (Water or Stock) in a large sauce pan to boiling.  While the liquid is heating, portion out the dough into thirds, roll the dough into a log approximately 1/2 inch in circumference and cut along each 1/2 to 3/4 inches in length.  You can reserve these to a plate while you do the same with the rest of the dough.

Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to medium high and drop in the first 1/3 of the dumplings.  Leave to cook, stirring occasionally until they float for a few minutes.  Remove from the liquid to a plate lined with paper or linen towel and place the next third of the dumplings in the liquid.  Repeat with the third batch.  (Of course, if you have enough stock and a large enough pan, you can do them all in one batch.)  Allow the dumplings to cool slightly.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt.  When the butter is melted and comes to temperature, add the dumplings to the pan allowing to brown on one side.  When almost done on the first side, sprinkle the sage over the dish and turn the dumplings to the second side (I used tongs for this) to brown on the other side.  When completely browned on both sides (butter should be sufficiently browned at this point as well), remove the dumplings to a bowl and toss with the cheese.  The dumplings have absorbed more than enough of the sauce at this point.

This made more than enough for two people (I have some set aside for lunch tomorrow).

I have to say, this was one of the better dishes that I have made recently.  I have used the browned butter sauce in the past as a simple go-to with a variety of pastas and meats.  Not the healthiest of meals, but it does taste great.

So, this completed another day in the challenge.  Still working on the chicken I roasted Sunday (had a sandwich for lunch today using a small amount of the meat and a couple of slices of the bread I made).  The cheerios, as always, are my breakfast with a glass of the Cranberry-Apple juice which I am really enjoying.  I don’t drink enough juice.

Four days to go, and not only am I learning a lot, but enjoying the task at hand.  Biggest thing I am learning is portion size, which I think is invaluable to my culinary life (not to mention health) moving forward.

Cheers!

Day Two of The Challenge

Well, today went pretty well.  And, in addition, I think I am learning some things.

Starting out as usual with the cheerios this morning, I realized that not only am I not a morning person (no revelation there), I am not prone to eat breakfast on a regular basis.  I find that, having changed my eating habits for this challenge, I need to make sure that I have a little something (Cheerios, or more to the point, the generic version thereof) to keep me going.  Reason being, the portioning of my meals has to change.  Much, I assume, for the better.

So today, I stuck to the regimen with only one real note of significance.  I made an amazing dish for dinner. A cold chicken salad on garlic toast that was extremely good.  And within the bounds of the challenge, I raided the available ingredients from the fridge and pantry.

For the dressing:

• 1 tsp. Dijon
• 1 tsp. Mayonnaise (from a free sample I received at HEB a couple of weeks ago)
• 1/2 tsp. Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
• pinch of salt
• grind of pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and allow to rest for half an hour.  I used approximately 2/3 of a chicken breast from last nights roasted bird sliced a quarter inch on the bias and tossed in the dressing.  I realized on plating that I could have probably done with 1/2 a chicken breast easily.  Toasting two slices of the bread made yesterday, I rubbed each slice with a single clove of garlic and topped each slice with the dressed chicken.  It was delicious.  Bear in mind that my family is not involved in the challenge, so this is for one serving.  Multiply it out as you need.

The last note for the day is that I made a delicious stock from the carcass of yesterdays chicken.  Included were the neckbones, thyme, rosemary, oregano, onion and garlic.  A minimal list, as the aromatics that I would normally use were not in my pantry.  I will be using the stock over the next couple of days for meals I am as yet contriving.

Cheers! Oh, and don’t forget to contribute what you can, either  on the link at left, or directly to the Capital Area Food Bank!

Day One of The Challenge

Today I started The Challenge.  Seemed kind of daunting for the past few days to be honest.  Can I make it?  Only time will tell.

To begin with I had to pare down the list of food from four people to one.  That didn’t really take much time at all.  The biggest task being what I would do with the four cans of fruit.  I don’t each much fruit.  Growing up, it was a standing agreement in our house that my brother ate the fruit, I ate the veg.  Still holds today in my household where The Wife eats the fruit, I take care of the veggies.  The Boy?  Well, we won’t go there.  That will be my next project.

So, back to the food.  From the main list, I chose to reduce the list to the following:

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 1 Bottle Cran-Apple Juice
• 1 Can Green Beans
• 1 Can Pears (one of the few fruits I will eat)
• 1 bag of rice
• 1 bag of Navy Beans (No mom, I do not want that detestable recipe that you tormented me with in my youth!  Besides, I don’t have any ham.)
• 1 bag Cheerios (Honey-Wheat)
• 1 1/2 pounds of Potatoes

Summed up, the bill came to $15.90.  Not sure if there is enough, but by stretching a bit, I think I can make it.  A little worried about the protein content, but there is plenty of starch and a lot of that is in the form of fiber, so should be good.

In following the rules, I will be allowed to utilize my pantry (not including the shopping I did today).  Mere things to allow a bit of flavor into my diet.  From the larder I will be using garlic and onions as well as the various spices and herbs I have on hand, and some bacon that I found in the freezer yesterday.  Additionally, from the stores of my cabinets I will use flour and yeast, which are always on hand to make fresh bread rather than store bought.  Although I am allowed to use the same funds as would be afforded food stamp recipients (sorry if that is not politically correct) I will make every effort not to do so.  The allotment from CAFB is not included in any food stamp scenario.  That would leave me roughly $50 for the week.  However, as I said, I will try not to use that amount if possible, and in turn I will add to my original donation any left over amount (or hopefully the entire $50) to CAFB.

So, how did today go, you ask?  Well, I was able to sleep in a bit, and was not particularly hungry this morning.  Had a simple glass of the juice for breakfast, then a bit of the cereal around lunch time.  In the afternoon, I made whole wheat bread to go with dinner and roasted the chicken in the oven.  For dinner, I had a hind quarter of the chicken and I am currently allowing the remainder to cool before I strip the meat from the carcass.

Tomorrow, I will be utilizing the carcass to make a bit of stock for dishes I have planned later in the week.  I still have quite a bit of the loaf left over, so that should work for lunch tomorrow and perhaps even dinner (if I can keep others out of it . .  . SIPPY!!!!)

Will update more tomorrow!

Cheers!