Not sure why, but I find it slightly amusing that I did not know what went into bran muffins. What IS bran exactly? Husband, ever the encyclopedia, came to the rescue. Off to New Seasons Market we went, kids to tow, to the bulk section to ferret out Bran. Light and fluffy stuff, who knew?
To put it respectfully, the baby has been having some #2 issues lately and I wanted to do what I could to remedy the situation naturally, rather than medically. Plus, who can resist a muffin. You can always count me in when good food is involved. I took the basic Bran Muffin recipe from The Best Recipe. Based on the comment from a reader on my Buttermilk Muffin post, I felt confident that this was the muffin book for me. Been on a bit of a muffin kick, lately. No, no muffins were ACTUALLY kicked.
Not much to say about the recipe. Hard to screw up a muffin, isn't it? I followed the recipe to the letter and the muffins turned out beautifully. All were eaten dutifully by the family. The baby enjoyed them most specifically, but alas, the disired affect was not forth comming. Made the rest of us pretty, um, regular, though.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Brunswick Stew
This is yet another one pot chicken recipe, detecting a theme? I guess when I'm sick, I don't want to scrimp on flavor, but be damned if I'm going to do dishes! The Brunswick Stew was from the January 2008 Gourmet, which focused mainly on Southern dishes. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/241201 My father in law is from Alabama, originally, so the family meets there every summer for vacation. I'd seen brunswick stew at the local curb market (like a farmers market) in canning form, but never tried it. I have a mild aversion to eating cute bunnies, I guess. Also, just because the local farmer SAYS their stew contains rabbit, does not make it so. My version of brunswick stew, as prepared from the Gourmet article, contains good ol' straight laced chicken.
Another boon for this recipe, at least for some, is the use of frozen vegetables. To my knowledge, I have only even purchased frozen peas. After much staring at the frozen food case, I was able to find lima beans. The recipe also calls for frozen corn. This is a recipe, with the use of canned tomatoes and chicken broth, that could be completely made from the freezer and cuppoards. Other than fresh garlic and onions which both have a long shelf life, nothing preishable is essential for this recipe.
The leftovers for this meal , and boy were there leftovers, went fast in our house. Coupled with rice, it made for a great cold weather warm up. All family members enjoyed the Brunswick stew. I did have to convince my daughter that lima beans were closely related to edamame, a strong favorite around here. Once my powers of persuasion had their effect, the lima beans were eaten heartily. I recommend this recipe for ease of use, one-potness, being child friendly, and for those times when you have no fresh ingredients on hand.
Another boon for this recipe, at least for some, is the use of frozen vegetables. To my knowledge, I have only even purchased frozen peas. After much staring at the frozen food case, I was able to find lima beans. The recipe also calls for frozen corn. This is a recipe, with the use of canned tomatoes and chicken broth, that could be completely made from the freezer and cuppoards. Other than fresh garlic and onions which both have a long shelf life, nothing preishable is essential for this recipe.
The leftovers for this meal , and boy were there leftovers, went fast in our house. Coupled with rice, it made for a great cold weather warm up. All family members enjoyed the Brunswick stew. I did have to convince my daughter that lima beans were closely related to edamame, a strong favorite around here. Once my powers of persuasion had their effect, the lima beans were eaten heartily. I recommend this recipe for ease of use, one-potness, being child friendly, and for those times when you have no fresh ingredients on hand.
Chicken Tangine with Apricots
This recipe was taken from the February 2008 Gourmet, an article called The Spice is Right. http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/02/chicken_tagine_with_apricots It was an article about Algerian cooking, not an ethnicity I have ever cooked from before. Seems very similar to Moroccan cooking, which I have attempted a few times, but not in many years. I think the last time I cooked a tangine was pre-children, so at least 6 years ago!
The thing I liked most about this recipe was the one-potness of it. Aside from the chicken which I browned in a small pan, everything cooked in one large pot. This is very handy for a mom trying to get dinner on the table. Only one item to keep an eye on. According to the recipe, total time was 2 hours, but most of that was not active time. I was able to watch/play with the kids and from time to time go in a check on it. I did tweak the recipe in two ways. The original recipe calls for spiced pinenuts for sprinkling on top of the finished dish, which I did not do. I felt it too time consuming for a weeknight meal. Second, in the last 15 minutes I added some mixed vegetables to the top of the pot to steam with the food. I used bell peppers, zuchini, and winter squash to help round out this dish.
Unfortunately, I had a cold when I cooked this, so I'll have to depend on my families comments for the verdict. Personally, I found the dish flavorful, even to my muted tastebuds. The husband seemed enthusiatic and ate everything put in front of him. He did not go for seconds, nor did he eat any leftovers, though. My daughter ate the chicken, but turned up her nose at the veggies. You win some, you lose some. The baby also had the aforementioned cold and seemed uninterested in the meal. Over all, I'd say this is a keeper. I liked having something "different" in my recipe repetoire for chicken, which can get staid at times. I also like that there was only one pot to clean after the meal.
The thing I liked most about this recipe was the one-potness of it. Aside from the chicken which I browned in a small pan, everything cooked in one large pot. This is very handy for a mom trying to get dinner on the table. Only one item to keep an eye on. According to the recipe, total time was 2 hours, but most of that was not active time. I was able to watch/play with the kids and from time to time go in a check on it. I did tweak the recipe in two ways. The original recipe calls for spiced pinenuts for sprinkling on top of the finished dish, which I did not do. I felt it too time consuming for a weeknight meal. Second, in the last 15 minutes I added some mixed vegetables to the top of the pot to steam with the food. I used bell peppers, zuchini, and winter squash to help round out this dish.
Unfortunately, I had a cold when I cooked this, so I'll have to depend on my families comments for the verdict. Personally, I found the dish flavorful, even to my muted tastebuds. The husband seemed enthusiatic and ate everything put in front of him. He did not go for seconds, nor did he eat any leftovers, though. My daughter ate the chicken, but turned up her nose at the veggies. You win some, you lose some. The baby also had the aforementioned cold and seemed uninterested in the meal. Over all, I'd say this is a keeper. I liked having something "different" in my recipe repetoire for chicken, which can get staid at times. I also like that there was only one pot to clean after the meal.
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