Wednesday 8 August 2018

WOYWW 479 Cooking Again

I wasn’t intending to join in WOYWW today because nothing had changed on my desk after another busy and tiring week and having a headache every day, probably due to the heat, but it’s cooler today and I decided to move my “desk” to the kitchen and be creative in there instead.

Last Friday we went to another Shabbat meal and again I offered to make the challah. This time I divided the dough into three, as it made two absolute whoppers last time – I took two, and kept one back for ourselves.

I didn’t make sourdough this week because we’ve still got enough in the freezer.

It’s been a hive of industry in the kitchen today!

On the hob I’ve got my stock pot with two packs of chicken thighs with veggies (offcuts from the bag in the freezer) making stock, and I’ll also end up with some lovely tasty cooked chicken and cooked veggies ready to make soup with when I want. At the back is a pan of plain boiled brown rice – so easy – I just covered it with water and simmered it with the lid on until all the water was absorbed. Nicely chewy and fluffy, ready for supper tonight. In the wok I am sauté-ing veggies with no oil. It takes absolutely ages and in the end I added a bit of water and put the lid on and let them steam a bit before increasing the heat again. They came out very dark as they were pretty much caramelised. Very tasty.

Ingredients all ready for curried parsnip soup – chopped onions and parsnips, veg stock from the freezer, and spices. I couldn’t do this until the chicken stock was done as I needed the stock pot.

Making the sauce for supper. This morning I discovered a Youtube channel belonging to “Chef AJ” who is pretty radical, vegan, no oil, no salt… I’m not going that far, but she’s got some brilliant recipes! This is her “Yummy Sauce” in the making, with cannellini beans, lemon and mustard.

The completed sauce. This is absolutely scrumptious!!! Yummy indeed!

The components of our supper, ready to throw together when my hubby comes home. The Yummy Sauce, brown rice, and sautéed veggies. They will make a nice couple of bowls of goodness.

Sorting out the chicken stock. The chicken in the pan waiting to be boned, the stock, and the veggies.

The curried parsnip soup on the hob.

The cooked chicken with the bones removed. I had skinned them before boiling, so it wouldn’t be so greasy. On the right, some home-made Coronation chicken in an old pot from Tesco. I’ve decided not to keep buying this, but to make my own – much cheaper, and more delicious!

The chicken spread out on baking parchment, ready for the freezer. This will stop the pieces sticking together. Once it’s frozen, it will go in bags.

The curried parsnip soup after going through my high speed blender, cooling, ready to be frozen.

We’ve got plenty of food for the week now.

Finally, the aliens have landed!!

Our neighbour gave this to us today. I have no idea what it is, whether it’s an actual alien, or an alien spacecraft. I think there should be flashing lights on those bumps around the bottom.

I think it’s a sort of squash. I am sure I shall find something to do with it, as long as little green men don’t hop out when I cut it open.

Fermentation

I am still doing my fermented foods. This week I made some kimchi which isn’t ready yet – it smells pretty amazing, though, and it’s fairly fiery too with lots of Korean chilli spice in it. I discovered a very simple recipe for an Indian fermented drink this week, which I am trying, called Kaanji, made from carrots and spices in water, and of course, I am continuing to make my kefir.

At the back: kimchi. Tall jar: kaanji. Front left: kefir.

I have decided to try my hand at kombucha (fermented tea) so I have some stuff on order – a gallon jar and some bottles, and a kombucha scoby (this is an acronym for “Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts”) – you need this to convert the tea into kombucha. It looks pretty revolting, a bit like a dead jellyfish. Oh well, the kombucha is supposed to be delicious!

Esmeralda, my sourdough starter, is asleep in the fridge.

I need more room in my pantry.

Kitties

Ruby has decided she’s gone off the hammock, and gone off sleeping with Lily at all. I really don’t understand kitties. She’s now adopted a soft cushion on the settee. Before she abandoned Lily, I got this picture of her with one leg over.

Last night there was a bit of a mystery with Ruby. My hubby got them in for supper, and shut the back door so they wouldn’t go out again. Next thing I knew, Ruby was out again! The previous night I’d left the door open by mistake and they both went out again, but this time I was sure I hadn’t let them out. My hubby managed to bribe her in with kitty biccies. Five minutes later, she was out again!! We couldn’t understand it. Then I remembered… when my friend came in the afternoon, we decided it was a bit windy to sit outside, so we sat in the flat which is nice and sunny, and brighter than our sitting room, and I’d opened the window and forgotten to shut it! Mystery solved.

We’ve been out for lunch this week as well, and I’ve been working on last month’s accounts (not yet finished) and various other activities too, so I haven’t had a chance to go in the studio. Hopefully this coming week…

11 comments:

  1. You are on such a cooking run! I don't like parsnips, so will pass on the soup,thanks!! Glad you worked out how Ruby was getting out - that could have been a bit spooky! Have a lovely week - hope the cooler weather helps your headaches. Helen #2

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  2. The challah look amazing! in fact all the cooking makes me hungry and sounds very yummy indeed. Glad you solved the mystery of the outside cat! Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a lovely week. Caro x (#14)

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  3. Ooh Shoshi, such a hive of activity in the kitchen. I love it when you share all the goodies that you have on the go. My hubby made carrot and coriander soup from scratch this week with fresh coriander but that's as much action as our kitchen has seen. Meow to the kitties! Have a good week and hope the headaches subside. Sarah #8

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  4. A very happy WOYWW.
    Have a great week xx Jan 34

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  5. What a feast you are cooking up. I absolutely love Parsnip soup and do several types, a curried parsnip one like yours, a parsnip and pear which is delicious and a lovely way to use up the pears from our tree, and a parsnip and apple with eating apples, not cooking ones as I find them too sharp for my taste. The fruity soups are lovely in the hot weather as I have them warmed through rather than piping hot.
    Enjoy all your lovely cooking and I do hope you get a chance to do a little de-cluttering - I find it so satisfying at the end, although often despair half way through when the mountain of mess feels insurmountable!
    Thank goodness you twigged on how Ruby was getting out - that's one determined little kitty! Really enjoyed catching up on their antics, and thank you so much for the visit to mine,
    Diana x

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  6. Hi Shoshi, great little escape artists kitties are! Good in a way though, as you realised you had a window left open. All that cooking is keeping you busy. Ankle is much better toady- aternating resting it and walking on it- stapped with a support bandage- clearly did the trick. Have a lovely week, Hugs, Shaz #3 XxX

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  7. Love all the cooking (not something I do much of these days, just the two of us enjoy something simple) bet your flat smells delish!
    Please you found out how the kitty was getting out, they can be very sneaky sometimes.
    Have a good week and enjoy your food
    Christine #35

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  8. You've made me feel hungry looking at your super cooking - I'd love that curried parsnip soup. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a good day. Sorry I’m late commenting- Hazel, WOYWW #15 x

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  9. Aren't you lucky, getting a lovely crop of apples - we haven't had one on our tree this year. I think it's because the late cold spell earlier in the year came along at just the wrong time and killed the new buds. For the parsnip and apple soup the original recipe was 300g parsnips and 1 small cooking apple - I have halved the amount of apple they suggest, plus I use eating apples as I find cookers too sharp but I suppose it's all up to personal taste. Then it's vegetable stock and whizz through the blender.
    You have all the apples and I have a hedge in the front garden stuffed full of blackberries - between us we could make pies!!
    Have a good weekend and hope you get your felt-making stuff organised,
    Diana x

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  10. I don’t get to make curried parsnip soup much now, our daughter and I love it, but since she left home and her father doesnt like it, I tend not to bother. Loving the photos that prove how busy you are Chef SHoshi! So Kombucha, is this fermentation without producing alcohol then? NOt to be confused with sambucha!!

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  11. I love curried parsnip soup it's one of my favourite Autumn foods although I LOVE any kind of soup and could quite happily live on it. I bet you kitchen smells wonderful Shoshi.
    As my kitchen table is the biggest surface area I have in my house my kitchen is the hub of creativity for many things and i'm often crafting whilst cooking.
    Good to know you found out how the kitty was getting out, i'm sure you would have found out much quicker in the winter with the cold air blowing in.
    Sorry I am so late to visit, so glad you chose to post & share WOYWW.
    Creative wishes Tracey #6

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