ShawWife just made an orange almond cake – basically almond flour, eggs, orange and a bit of sugar.
In addition, we had a lot of cabbage (and a few other vegetables) in our fridge and we were going to be leaving for Florida, so she made a dish called okonomiyaki, that we had eaten in Japan. According to my AI, it is a savory Japanese pancake made with batter, cabbage, and other ingredients, and cooked on a griddle. The name literally means “what you like, fried”. Since she is gluten free, I’m sure she used some kind of gluten-free flower. From my friends at Google, Okonomiyaki is basically a savory vegetable and meat pancake that is topped with 2 kinds of sauce: Okonomi sauce, which is similar to Worcestershire sauce but is thicker and sweeter, and Mayonnaise - the mayonnaise used on okonomiyaki is a Japanese brand called Kewpie.. I get Kewpie mayonnaise at Costco and she made the other sauce. It is a great way to use up the veggies that might otherwise go bad (and have a veggie-forward meal). This is a new addition to our repertoire and she says it is pretty easy to cook. This is really comfort food.
She picked up crab meat at a farmer’s market (we are on an island in Florida at the moment) and made gluten-free crab cakes. We have a neighbor who is building his own house but who works building churches for an evangelical non-profit, has been incredibly helpful with construction projects , sharing a) his knowledge; b) subs; c) his employees; and d) sometimes his own labor. He’s living in his house although it is unfinished and has been eating from restaurants. So ShawWife has been inviting him to dinner and making extra meals when she cooks. Last night, I brought him crab cakes and Sunday he got a lobster tail. When I dropped off dinner, he said, “Your wife is a keeper” – her generosity and spirit foremost, but also her cooking – to which I said, “Well, we just celebrated our 40th anniversary and I feel lucky and blessed.”
This is an easy cabbage soup recipe. I substitute pancetta for bacon (probably less authentic), but I prefer the taste. Also, I don’t add the tablespoon of lard.
Made a DELICIOUS Maple Glazed Salmon bowl tonight (off a TikTok video)
Basically air fry salmon cubes in a maple syrup marinade. Chop pecans top with salt pepper and maple syrup and toast.
In a bowl layer greens, orzo or basmati rice, the toasted nuts, goat cheese or feta , the salmon. Make a maple syrup vinaigrette with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, finely chopped shallots, Dijon, salt and pepper
Sunday we made boneless shortribs, served atop a puree of butternut squash (working our way through last fall’s garden harvest). It was delicious, but the element that really brought it to chef’s kiss status was the kale that I massaged and chopped and tossed with some diced home-pickled kumquats and a vinaigrette of the pickle brine and olive oil. It was such a bright and pungent counter to the richness and heaviness of the meat and squash. Really good!
honestly, I have been desperate to figure out ways to use those pickled kumquats. I made them on a whim when my indoor plant exploded with fruit that I couldn’t bear to not use. the pickle is…interesting. VERY tart and briny. This is the first really great use of them.
I made this recently, and dh loved it! I used it in a bowl with black beans and cilantro lime rice. But, it could absolutely be a taco or enchilada filling. It was not soupy at all. I basically cut it in half given that it is just the two of us.
I made beef short ribs for a dinner last night with S and DIL. Delicious. I’m considering making them as one of the mains for Easter (I like a non-traditional main!) but 1. Short ribs are expensive for a crowd. 2. They can be quite fatty.
My recipe results in a delicious red wine sauce with carrots, onion, mushrooms. I’m not super educated in cuts of beef beyond the very traditional - ground, chuck roast, ribeye, etc.
What other cut of beef might I use instead of short ribs or in addition to some short ribs to get that slow cooked tender, “fall off the bone” goodness? It’s really an easy dish to make just needs a slow cook!
