Dear Megan W,
I'm sorry that you missed this meal, because it was delicious. And Jack did all the dishes before hand, so there were plenty of put away containers.
I planned some coconut free cupcakes so that you wouldn't be missing out on too much, but Jack accidentally made coconut frosting. Oops.
Love, Meghan A
Both of the regular Monday assistants took a break this week, but both found great replacements. To say that Jack and Angel were assisting would be unfair. I went into the kitchen with this
and came out with a fantastic meal. My attempt to channel Rachel, whose consistently delicious dinners (often loosely based on this book) I miss. I think that we did a really good job.
Dishes below are marked with the initial of the person in charge. There are more notes for mine, just because I know better how they were made. Everything vegan except for the meat. Tree nuts on the side, peanuts in the frosting. Gluten everywhere (I need to be more careful about it; this time I forgot about the veggie broth) and coconut in two dishes (once intentionally, and once due to a miscommunication).
Greens from a bag with shredded fresh carrots and boiled beets (J), with tamarind lime dressing (A)
Recycled Rice
Leftover rice, frozen beans, olive oil (J&A). Note: I was against doing this, because I had just realized that we didn't have a whole grain and I wanted what we did have to be as wholesome as possible. But they both seemed very enthusiastic about fried rice, so I trusted them on it, and am glad I did.
Couscous
Done by eye. Too much water left the stuff at the bottom somewhat block-like. Not a disaster, but the rice was better. (M) Next time, maybe try making it with hot water from the hot water tap?
Callalo
Amazing spinach and coconut curry. Secret ingredients: seaweed and miso. The original called for oyster sauce. I could eat this all day. (J)
Veggie Tagine
Roasted root veggies stewed in African spices, with olives and raisins. Almonds and parsley on the side. Used up some half prepped vegetables from last night, along with some odds and ends from the walk in. My favorite dish tonight. (Perfect how it was, but I added more raisins to my own plate anyway. I'm a sucker for raisins in otherwise savory dishes, although I try to hold back when cooking for the house.) (A)
Braised Chicken Thighs
With bones and skin, salted and well browned in two cast iron skillets (this took a long time; I probably should have done it in three), then braised in a mixture of veggie broth, lemon juice, capers, diced red onion, fresh garlic and ginger, and ras el hanout in an oven that claimed to be at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. I loved the method, but was too cautious with the spices. Also, I suffered a very large number of very minor burns. Next time: long sleeves. (M)
Tofu
Diced and marinated in the Moroccan glaze from one of the Millenium cookbooks. An hour in a hot-as-it-goes oven left these slightly over cooked; I need to keep a better eye on them. They didn't seem ready at 6:45, but the ones at the edges were burnt at 6:50. Maybe next time I should just add water? (M)
Chickpeas
Meant to go in the tagine, but kept separate due to some house members' well publicized chickpea intolerance (s?). Just plain. (A)
Harissa
Whole coriander, cumin, and caraway toasted in a dry skillet. Ground a bit in food processor, then blended with lots of garlic and olive oil and some salt. Then a little paprika and a lot of chili, and water to get a good consistency. I burned my mouth testing it, but it was good and, HiPsters, there is a lot left. (M)
Mild Sauce
The Moroccan glaze from the tofu, with some extra tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. (M)
Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Coconut Frosting
Banana. Cupcakes. With peanut butter and sugar. How could this not be a good idea? (J)
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