fajitas

We have not been out to eat since my birthday.  This means that some of those things that we used to go out for, I have to figure out how to make.  I am actually finding this kind of fun, both the how long it has been since we have gone out to eat as well as being creative.

For the last couple months (actually longer then that), I have been making fajitas.  We have an artisan butcher around the corner which is kind of deadly to the budget.  The meat they have is so good.  Which means the fajitas I have been making have been awfully good.  Then peaches were at the farmers market this week.  I used them in with the fajitas.  Just yumminess.  My Beloved actually grilled them for me on my Christmas present.  I do not know how they could be any better. 

Maybe just making the again is the answer!

Fajitas

Note 1:  I tried a mole style fajita today.  It was well receiveded:  juice from 1/2 grapefruit, one tablespoon very coarse salt, one to two teaspoons ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile ground, 1/4 teaspoon chipolte chile ground, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon black cocoa (you can use just plain cocoa if you do not have black), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ginger.  Mix with a pound of meat and let marinade for at least six hours.

2 pounds skirt steak, cut agains the grain

juice of 3 lemons

juice of 3 limes

juice of 3 oranges

4 ripe peaches crushed

1 jalapeno, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground pepper

Mix everything but the steak in a bowl.

I have tried mixing this in a ziploc and it works better in a bowl.

Put the meat in a gallon ziploc.  Pour the mixture in the bowl over it.  Seal and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours and up to 24 hours.  I like it the longer the better, but it is up to you.

Grill or cook in a very hot cast iron pan.

Serve with tortillas.  Grilled onions and pepper if you have them.  Salsa.  Guacamole.  Whatever you like.  

i find this does not go as far as I think it should mostly because of how much we like it!

basting going on

I got a chance to baste the quilt for stitching this last weekend.  I did it while my stomach was not very happy with me.

But I did have a little bit of help.  Even if it was only the stories I was being told.

The company was a nice way to not think of the number of saftey pins I used and help keep my mind off my stomach.  I have not had the energy to do much this week and I have a few really need to does.  Maybe next week will be better.

quail and rice soup

I was reading recipes today and came across a rabbit recipe that sounded interesting.  I was thinking what the artisan butcher that lives much too close to the house for our food budget might have, knowing there would not be rabbit (there was no rabbit in the freezer either!).  Usually, they have duck.  

I got into something this weekend that upset my stomach.  As much as I act and wish I had a cast iron stomach, I really do not.  I have been eating a lot of soup.  I was going to take the rabbit recipe that I had seen, use duck instead, and make it into a soup.  But when I got to the butcher, there was no duck!

There was quail.  My Beloved does not eat chicken that he does not raise himself or has a personal relationship with the person who raised the chicken.  That means that chicken was not an option.  That is why I decided to go with the quail.  I am just enough out of it that I should have written my thoughts down because I was thinking about using mushrooms like the original rabbit recipe.  It was probably a good thing I did not because the Tall Short Person had enough problems with the quail torsos, who know how she would have felt about mushrooms too! 

This soup turned out well.  It is actually the most heavy soup I have eaten in two days but I really liked it.  There were hot orange rolls for afters too.  It all felt pretty decadent!

Quail and rice soup

4 quail

1/4 pound pancetta, chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1 to 2 teaspoons to salt or to taste

1 two finger pinch dried thyme

1 two finger pinch dried oregano

2 two finger pinch dried basil

1 glass white wine, like a reisling or a dry moscato dolce (what I had)

1 glass (the same as the wine) brown basamiti rice

2 cups vegetable broth

6 to 8 cups water

In a large stockpot, over medium high heat, brown the pancetta.  Add the onion and let get golden.

Add the quail.  Brown on both sides.  Add the garlic for a few minutes.  Some color is nice.  Add the salt, thyme, oregano, and basil.  Add the wine and bring to boil.  Mix in the brown rice.  Cook a few minutes to absorb the wine.  Add the vegetable broth and enough water to fill the pot.  

Cover and let cook one hour.

Taste for seasonings and serve.

I really enjoyed this. 

Maybe someday I will actually get to try that original rabbit recipe though.  Not even a soup.

more nine squares

I have not finished one quilt but I have a third or more of the nine squares for another quilt made.  It is for Miss Lillian born in April.  It seems to be baby year this year.  Small Mister is fascinated by my sewing machine.  I cannot sew with him on my lap yet because he wants to touch everything and he would get stitched!

At some point, I am going to need put a couple together for the adults in my life.  Including myself!  I would like one for my truck as well as for naps.  The vintage fabrics I found in North Carolina have been fun to work with.  I will have to keep my eyes open for more.

galette bressane

I came across a new food blog for me when I was researching masonry ovens.  I would really like a masonry oven but have not gotten built yet.  But I do wish to experiment with building one.  And then baking breads in it.  Lucy's Kitchen Notebook had a recipe for Galette Bressane which is traditionally baked in a masonry oven.  The bread/cake sounds so good and the story she told with it was lovely as well.  I did decide to use my sourdough starter as the yeastie beasties.  I think it adds a lot of flavor even though this is not baked with a wood fire.  My Tall Short Person thinks if you top with the greater amount of sugar that I have in the recipe, that it tastes like a sugar brioche.  I would have to agree.  With a cup of tea or coffee, it makes a lovely breakfast or not so sweet dessert.  

We will call it cake.

Galette Bressane

sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

170 to 340 grams flour (2 to 3 cups)

2 eggs with enough water added to make 130 grams

80 grams (a bit more then 1/3 cup) butter

30 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar

1 pinch salt (two finger)

1 egg, beaten

20 grams creme fraiche (I used a 1/4 cup)

1 pinch salt (two finger)

20 to 40 grams granulated sugar (2 to 4 tablespoons)

8 to 12 hours before you wish to start mixing the dough, combine the sourdough starter, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl.  Cover and let ferment.

After 8 to 12 hours, remove a bit of starter for next time.  In the remaining sponge, mix the sugar, butter, egg and water mixture, and 1 pinch salt.  Mix in enough flour to make a very soft dough.  "Knead" for five minutes.  This was really more a bringing together to make a smooth dough.  Put in a large ziploc and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

After refrigeration, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roll the dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick.  Let rise for two hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix the creme fraiche with a pinch of salt.  Pinch the sides of the dough so there is a 1/2 inch high ridge.  Paint with the egg.  Getting the outside is good.  Spread the creme fraiche mixture over the center but not past the edges.  Sprinkle with the 2 to 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Make sure that there is a pan underneath or you may have some of the creme fraiche end up on the bottom of the oven.

Not the best picture in the world I know, but this is another of those things that seemed to disappear rather quickly.  The Tall Short Person came searching for more the next day.  I actually am going to mix the dough up to go in the refrigerator shortly.  It does really remind me of an easy sugar brioche.  But not so dry.  Which of course, makes me smile.

Dessert with tea tomorrow!