My first CSA (community-supported agriculture) produce share arrives on June 11. I went to the farmers market yesterday for what will probably be my last produce shopping trip in a while. Sure, I will still have to buy some produce this summer and fall. The CSA definitely will not be providing lemons and avocados. I cannot live without those things.
Anyway, it is one of my favorite times of year: rhubarb season. The cheerful celery was everywhere in the farmers market. I found the brightest red bunch around and planned to spend most of today working with it. Red rhubarb and green rhubarb taste about the same, but I figure that whatever it is that makes red rhubarb red must be a very healthy compound.
I do love rhubarb pies, cobblers, and crisps, but I cringe at the thought of the cups of white sugar that go into them. I could Splenda-fy a pie, but that's just an overwhelming quantity of artificiality. I could use part Splenda and part sugar, but I shouldn't have to. I should celebrate the nature of rhubarb instead of trying hard to hide it.
I made a savory chicken and rhubarb dish a few years ago and remembered it being tasty, so I went on the hunt today for more savory options. I am trapped in a difficult dilemma. I don't know what to do. I try starting a shopping list for one of these recipes and then I start dreaming of a different recipe and feel like I am betraying the first.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Make another chicken and rhubarb saute.
2) Rhubarb and lamb stew. I am not really in the mood for a stew, but by the time I am, neither lamb nor rhubarb will be in season.
3) Savory rhubarb chutney, to pile on chicken or pork or ham or fish.
4) Not-too-sweet and partially Splenda-fied rhubarb compote, to serve warm atop vanilla bean ice cream, to serve cold atop hot oatmeal, to spread on peanut butter sandwiches, or to whirl into rhubarb milkshakes.
5) Low-carb rhubarb muffins made with soy flour and Splenda. (substituting rhubarb for the blueberries in this link)
I should have bought more rhubarb. I should have bought several pounds to chop and freeze so that I could avoid the seasonal panic. I'll update later with what I actually made.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Secret Vacation
My writing group is planning a retreat for this summer. We are going to spend one day away in the country, just writing and eating. I am thrilled with the idea. Secretly, I hope that the weather will be terrible. Unnaturally chilly and with heavy precipitation. The eight of us can pretend that we are Percy and Mary Shelley and Lord Byron, and we will each begin a masterpiece comparable to Frankenstein and Dracula.
I became so enamored with the idea of writing retreats that I decided I couldn't wait for the mid-summer date. I took a few days off work for a secret vacation that I fashioned into a personal writing retreat.
I wrote lots! I set aside daily idea-generating time and recorded many pages of story possibilities. I journalled quite a bit. I wrote some first-drafty kind of stuff. I outlined some scenes for the old Alex novel, brainstormed alternate endings for them, and reworked a few. I started an online fiction-writing course at UW and made a dent in the syllabus. I wrote lazily and had an excellent time. I have a tidy pile of papers covered in words that were not there before. It is better than alchemy. I made something out of nothing.
I did some other stuff too.
-Saw Star Trek. I liked it, even though I never watched the show much and tend to get mixed up between the original Star Trek and the Next Generation. I waited in vain for Jean-Luc and Wil Wheaton to arrive. But I liked the movie! I only have one minor complaint, and it is this. Women generally do not chat to their roommates while lounging around in their underwear. This scene seems to reoccur often in mannish kind of movies.
-Bought soy flour, which is much lower in carbs and higher in protein than wheat flour. I have experimented with it twice, substituting 30% of the wheat flour, in one batch of cookies and one batch of muffins. Both turned out beautifully and with no detectable difference in texture. I will continue testing the soy flour in a series of increasingly fragile baking recipes and see what happens.
-Made two batches of roasted vegetable marinara sauce. I am upset with myself for not taking full advantage of roasting vegetables until now. Tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and eggplant roast very well. Zucchini turns to mush.
-I cleaned the house. My house is never loud at baseline, but I notice that after my house is thoroughly cleaned, is it quieter. Every room is hushed and subdued.
-Walked Trixie every day. She still hates walks, and curls into a pitiful trembling lump when walking is suggested.
-Lots and lots of running. The shin splints returned. That should surprise nobody.
-Ordered custom window treatments for the house. No more venetian blinds, ever. They will be installed in 4-5 weeks.
-Finished four books: Hooked by Les Edgerton, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Air, and House of Many Ways, the last three books by Diana Wynne Jones. I am bitter at the world for not introducing me to Diana Wynne Jones sooner.
-Did some minor weeding and have moved from the pre-contemplative stage to the contemplative stage of planting stuff in the yard.
-Planned on ordering some clothes from a catalog. Then I read this story (Maggie Stiefvater is awesome) and I chucked the catalog in the trash.
I became so enamored with the idea of writing retreats that I decided I couldn't wait for the mid-summer date. I took a few days off work for a secret vacation that I fashioned into a personal writing retreat.
I wrote lots! I set aside daily idea-generating time and recorded many pages of story possibilities. I journalled quite a bit. I wrote some first-drafty kind of stuff. I outlined some scenes for the old Alex novel, brainstormed alternate endings for them, and reworked a few. I started an online fiction-writing course at UW and made a dent in the syllabus. I wrote lazily and had an excellent time. I have a tidy pile of papers covered in words that were not there before. It is better than alchemy. I made something out of nothing.
I did some other stuff too.
-Saw Star Trek. I liked it, even though I never watched the show much and tend to get mixed up between the original Star Trek and the Next Generation. I waited in vain for Jean-Luc and Wil Wheaton to arrive. But I liked the movie! I only have one minor complaint, and it is this. Women generally do not chat to their roommates while lounging around in their underwear. This scene seems to reoccur often in mannish kind of movies.
-Bought soy flour, which is much lower in carbs and higher in protein than wheat flour. I have experimented with it twice, substituting 30% of the wheat flour, in one batch of cookies and one batch of muffins. Both turned out beautifully and with no detectable difference in texture. I will continue testing the soy flour in a series of increasingly fragile baking recipes and see what happens.
-Made two batches of roasted vegetable marinara sauce. I am upset with myself for not taking full advantage of roasting vegetables until now. Tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and eggplant roast very well. Zucchini turns to mush.
-I cleaned the house. My house is never loud at baseline, but I notice that after my house is thoroughly cleaned, is it quieter. Every room is hushed and subdued.
-Walked Trixie every day. She still hates walks, and curls into a pitiful trembling lump when walking is suggested.
-Lots and lots of running. The shin splints returned. That should surprise nobody.
-Ordered custom window treatments for the house. No more venetian blinds, ever. They will be installed in 4-5 weeks.
-Finished four books: Hooked by Les Edgerton, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Air, and House of Many Ways, the last three books by Diana Wynne Jones. I am bitter at the world for not introducing me to Diana Wynne Jones sooner.
-Did some minor weeding and have moved from the pre-contemplative stage to the contemplative stage of planting stuff in the yard.
-Planned on ordering some clothes from a catalog. Then I read this story (Maggie Stiefvater is awesome) and I chucked the catalog in the trash.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Balsamic-Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Spicy-Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage
Every time I make pork tenderloin or red cabbage, I wonder why I don't use these ingredients more often. I often think of pork as being dry, tough, and tasteless (usually because I overcooked it), but tenderloin always turns out like butter no matter how long I keep it on the heat. Then I forget about them again.
I do not want to look back on my life with regret. I do not want to be built upon a foundation of chicken and broccoli. So tonight, I used both. The results were divine. I was impressed with the sauce on the pork: a little tang from the mustard, woodsiness from the rosemary, and the vinegar and honey formed a sweet browned glaze. I ate about 3/4 lb of meat all by myself. The cabbage was also a winner- spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and cheerfully purple.
Balsamic-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Cooking spray
2 pork tenderloins (~3/4 lb each), trimmed of fat
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 heaping spoonful spicy dijon mustard
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
Drizzle of honey
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a 4-sided baking sheet or roasting pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place the tenderloins upon it. Cut single slits all the way down their centers to help hold the glaze. Season meat with salt and pepper. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and brush onto meat. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until done, basting with glaze every 12-15 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, goal is 160 degrees at thickest part. If any extra glaze is left over, heat to boiling in a sauce pan until thickened and serve drizzled over each serving.
Spicy-Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 small head red cabbage, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
A few dashes of hot sauce
Drizzle of honey
Heat a large skillet to medium. Add oil and onion, cook 2 minutes. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper and stir often until cabbage begins to tenderize and wilt. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Reduce heat to low until juices cook away or until desired tenderness.
I do not want to look back on my life with regret. I do not want to be built upon a foundation of chicken and broccoli. So tonight, I used both. The results were divine. I was impressed with the sauce on the pork: a little tang from the mustard, woodsiness from the rosemary, and the vinegar and honey formed a sweet browned glaze. I ate about 3/4 lb of meat all by myself. The cabbage was also a winner- spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and cheerfully purple.
Balsamic-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Cooking spray
2 pork tenderloins (~3/4 lb each), trimmed of fat
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 heaping spoonful spicy dijon mustard
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
Drizzle of honey
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a 4-sided baking sheet or roasting pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place the tenderloins upon it. Cut single slits all the way down their centers to help hold the glaze. Season meat with salt and pepper. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and brush onto meat. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until done, basting with glaze every 12-15 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, goal is 160 degrees at thickest part. If any extra glaze is left over, heat to boiling in a sauce pan until thickened and serve drizzled over each serving.
Spicy-Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 small head red cabbage, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
A few dashes of hot sauce
Drizzle of honey
Heat a large skillet to medium. Add oil and onion, cook 2 minutes. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper and stir often until cabbage begins to tenderize and wilt. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Reduce heat to low until juices cook away or until desired tenderness.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Update on Pushups Challenge
I completed the six-week 100 pushups challenge, after repeating week five twice. I just took the final test and was able to do 40 consecutive pushups.
My arms are now huge. My shoulders and abs have improved. Carrying 40-lb bags of salt for the water softener isn't such a terrible thing any more.
But I am a teensy bit disappointed in my final test. I was guessing by week four that 100 was maybe an unrealistic number, but I was hoping to get at least halfway there.
I shall continue. Maybe I will begin again at week four, where all the troubles began.
Trixie is mystified by the pushup pursuit. She watches me gravely from a safe distance, like one might stare helplessly at a loved one relentlessly focused on self-destruction.
My arms are now huge. My shoulders and abs have improved. Carrying 40-lb bags of salt for the water softener isn't such a terrible thing any more.
But I am a teensy bit disappointed in my final test. I was guessing by week four that 100 was maybe an unrealistic number, but I was hoping to get at least halfway there.
I shall continue. Maybe I will begin again at week four, where all the troubles began.
Trixie is mystified by the pushup pursuit. She watches me gravely from a safe distance, like one might stare helplessly at a loved one relentlessly focused on self-destruction.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
April Cooking
I did not discuss what was going on in my kitchen for much of April. I will pack the highlights into one meandering post.
Meat Reduction Project
I mentioned before (in the lentil loaf post, I think) that I am reducing my meat extravagance by indulging in vegetarian meals more often than I used to. My current favorite meal is a lazy one: black bean quesadillas. I have found some reduced-carb, multigrain, high fiber tortillas that I like, finally.
Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1/2-1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
Several glugs of hot sauce
Reduced-carb tortillas
Shredded cheese: pepper jack, sharp cheddar, or Mexican blend
Salsa
Instructions: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Sear onions and peppers until the edges are crispy and browned. Turn heat to low and add garlic and black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and hot sauce. Simmer until warmed through. Lightly brush one side of tortilla with olive oil and place in oiled side down in skillet heated to medium-low. Sprinkle one side with cheese, a few spoonfuls of bean-pepper mixture, and more cheese. Fold over. Heat and flip until crispy and golden-brown on both sides. Top with salsa (and avocado, if available).
Another dish that I made in April was this lasagna, made with whole-wheat noodles, an abundance of spinach, and portobellos. It was not meatless, obviously. But I found that the portobellos tasted more beefy than the beef itself, so next time I will make it with no meat and more mushrooms. I made my own marinara sauce and added lots of red pepper flakes for zip.
The Mustard Project
Goal: find uses for the jalapeno mustard I got at the writing conference.
I found inspiration from my friend, code name: OTB, and made chicken wraps.
I tend to overcook chicken and make it nasty and rubbery, unless I use the yogurt secret. I cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, placed it into a bowl with plain yogurt, salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and let it sit for five minutes. Then I sauteed the pieces in olive oil until cooked through. The chicken stays tender no matter what, because of the yogurt's acid. I rolled the chicken in a reduced-carb tortilla with the jalapeno mustard, tomato, cucumber, and a handful of shredded cabbage for crunch. It was incredible.
(If I didn't have the jalapeno mustard, a cucumber-yogurt-dill sauce would have been a fine second choice. Or even better, a parsley-feta pesto.)
Low-Carb Desserts
Goal: reserve white flour and white sugar for special occasions.
I have been continuing my experiments with Splenda, ground flaxseeds, and whole-grain flours. The results have all been edible. Some have been more successful than others. I have lately gotten very excited about soy flour, which has a fraction of the carbs of wheat flour. I haven't actually made anything with it yet. But I will! Soon.
I made a satisfying batch of low-carb molasses chocolate chip cookies: chewy and nutty, heavily spiced with ginger and cinnamon, and supported with high-fiber ingredients. The cookies require no pre-meditation: softened butter is not needed. I mixed the batter by hand and did not find electric beaters to be necessary. The original recipe is here: Hodgson Mill's Spiced Bran Cookies. I made the following changes: Splenda instead of the sugar (same quantity), added 1 cup of 70% dark chocolate chips, and added 1/4 tsp of almond extract. I will be making them again.
Meat Reduction Project
I mentioned before (in the lentil loaf post, I think) that I am reducing my meat extravagance by indulging in vegetarian meals more often than I used to. My current favorite meal is a lazy one: black bean quesadillas. I have found some reduced-carb, multigrain, high fiber tortillas that I like, finally.
Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1/2-1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
Several glugs of hot sauce
Reduced-carb tortillas
Shredded cheese: pepper jack, sharp cheddar, or Mexican blend
Salsa
Instructions: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Sear onions and peppers until the edges are crispy and browned. Turn heat to low and add garlic and black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and hot sauce. Simmer until warmed through. Lightly brush one side of tortilla with olive oil and place in oiled side down in skillet heated to medium-low. Sprinkle one side with cheese, a few spoonfuls of bean-pepper mixture, and more cheese. Fold over. Heat and flip until crispy and golden-brown on both sides. Top with salsa (and avocado, if available).
Another dish that I made in April was this lasagna, made with whole-wheat noodles, an abundance of spinach, and portobellos. It was not meatless, obviously. But I found that the portobellos tasted more beefy than the beef itself, so next time I will make it with no meat and more mushrooms. I made my own marinara sauce and added lots of red pepper flakes for zip.
The Mustard Project
Goal: find uses for the jalapeno mustard I got at the writing conference.
I found inspiration from my friend, code name: OTB, and made chicken wraps.
I tend to overcook chicken and make it nasty and rubbery, unless I use the yogurt secret. I cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, placed it into a bowl with plain yogurt, salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and let it sit for five minutes. Then I sauteed the pieces in olive oil until cooked through. The chicken stays tender no matter what, because of the yogurt's acid. I rolled the chicken in a reduced-carb tortilla with the jalapeno mustard, tomato, cucumber, and a handful of shredded cabbage for crunch. It was incredible.
(If I didn't have the jalapeno mustard, a cucumber-yogurt-dill sauce would have been a fine second choice. Or even better, a parsley-feta pesto.)
Low-Carb Desserts
Goal: reserve white flour and white sugar for special occasions.
I have been continuing my experiments with Splenda, ground flaxseeds, and whole-grain flours. The results have all been edible. Some have been more successful than others. I have lately gotten very excited about soy flour, which has a fraction of the carbs of wheat flour. I haven't actually made anything with it yet. But I will! Soon.
I made a satisfying batch of low-carb molasses chocolate chip cookies: chewy and nutty, heavily spiced with ginger and cinnamon, and supported with high-fiber ingredients. The cookies require no pre-meditation: softened butter is not needed. I mixed the batter by hand and did not find electric beaters to be necessary. The original recipe is here: Hodgson Mill's Spiced Bran Cookies. I made the following changes: Splenda instead of the sugar (same quantity), added 1 cup of 70% dark chocolate chips, and added 1/4 tsp of almond extract. I will be making them again.
Mini-NaNoWriMo WrapUp
The primary goal was to write 25,000 words in April. My secondary goals were to work steadily on one project, to not sacrifice the other activities that I like to do, and to develop regular writing habits.
Goal one: 25,000 words. I can't say whether or not I actually accomplished this. I worked diligently at my computer for about 10 days, but then I developed an aversion to keyboards and wordcounts. The internet was a distraction, MS Word reminded me of dreary school assignments, and the word quota felt burdensome. So I changed to pen and paper. I felt better. I decided to forget about the word quota and focus on time quotas. I would promise to work for at least 20 minutes per night, and once I overcame the hurdle of sitting down, I usually worked longer.
I could count how many words I averaged per handwritten page, then count the pages. But sometimes my handwriting is large and sometimes it's small. And sometimes I wrote on scraps of paper at work and I'm not sure that I can find them all.
Goal two: Work on one project. I cast aside this goal mid-month. I worked on my new project until I got stuck. Then I started a second project. Then I felt inspired to revise the November 2008 novel, which involved mostly word deletion and scene shuffling rather than new creation (another reason why I cannot quantify my word count well). Then I figured out how to get unstuck from project one and returned to it.
The rotation strategy worked well to avoid writers' block and boredom. But I was kind of hoping to slave steadily away at one treasured work. I suppose that this wish may not be a realistic way of working for me.
Goal three: Write regularly while maintaining other activities. Goal achieved. I continued to exercise, cook, read voraciously, update my Facebook status, sleep 8 hours nightly, sort of keep up with my Google Reader, and play with Trixie. I mostly abandoned television (except for watching at the gym) and blogging.
Goal four: Establish regular writing habits. Accomplished. It was tough to find a set time of day with my irregular work schedule. There were times when I needed to cut the writing time short for the sake of cooking a fussy dinner or needing to finish a book before a library due date, but for the most part I wrote a little something every day.
I wrote realism this time. No sci-fi or fantasy. Just people and trouble. I liked my projects. There is some hope for their futures.
Goal one: 25,000 words. I can't say whether or not I actually accomplished this. I worked diligently at my computer for about 10 days, but then I developed an aversion to keyboards and wordcounts. The internet was a distraction, MS Word reminded me of dreary school assignments, and the word quota felt burdensome. So I changed to pen and paper. I felt better. I decided to forget about the word quota and focus on time quotas. I would promise to work for at least 20 minutes per night, and once I overcame the hurdle of sitting down, I usually worked longer.
I could count how many words I averaged per handwritten page, then count the pages. But sometimes my handwriting is large and sometimes it's small. And sometimes I wrote on scraps of paper at work and I'm not sure that I can find them all.
Goal two: Work on one project. I cast aside this goal mid-month. I worked on my new project until I got stuck. Then I started a second project. Then I felt inspired to revise the November 2008 novel, which involved mostly word deletion and scene shuffling rather than new creation (another reason why I cannot quantify my word count well). Then I figured out how to get unstuck from project one and returned to it.
The rotation strategy worked well to avoid writers' block and boredom. But I was kind of hoping to slave steadily away at one treasured work. I suppose that this wish may not be a realistic way of working for me.
Goal three: Write regularly while maintaining other activities. Goal achieved. I continued to exercise, cook, read voraciously, update my Facebook status, sleep 8 hours nightly, sort of keep up with my Google Reader, and play with Trixie. I mostly abandoned television (except for watching at the gym) and blogging.
Goal four: Establish regular writing habits. Accomplished. It was tough to find a set time of day with my irregular work schedule. There were times when I needed to cut the writing time short for the sake of cooking a fussy dinner or needing to finish a book before a library due date, but for the most part I wrote a little something every day.
I wrote realism this time. No sci-fi or fantasy. Just people and trouble. I liked my projects. There is some hope for their futures.
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