The Cookbook

[George K]

@Mik I wish Mrs. George liked meatloaf.

[Horace]

Meatloaf is almost always disappointing in restaurants but can be fantastic if done right.

[Mik]

I don't understand that. A more inoffensive dish is hard to imagine. Is it the ketchup topping she doesn't like?

This I'll serve with leftover mushroom wine gravy from the other night's pot roast.

[Mik]

@Horace said in The Cookbook:

Meatloaf is almost always disappointing in restaurants but can be fantastic if done right.

There was 25 years or so ago a chain called The Cooker that had fantastic meat loaf. Sadly they went out of business.

[Mik]

It is outstanding. Damn.

[George K]

@Mik I should make it, freeze it divvy up enough for lunches.

[Mik]

Two more variations - I used 2 lbs of beef and pork mix, and I used sour cream instead of milk in the potatoes.

Yummy comfort food.

[Mik]

Kroger had a sale on today. Got an 11 lb smoked glazed (I have to do the glaze) ham for $10. With baked sweet potatoes.

Company coming for the football game.

[Mik]

Lots of leftover ham - time for ham and bean soup.

https://thewoksoflife.com/ham-and-bean-soup/#recipe

Ham and Bean Soup

This is easily the best Ham and Bean Soup we’ve ever had! It's a simple, adaptable recipe, perfect with chunks of crusty bread.

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 5 hrs
Total Time 5 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 10 Calories: 317kcal

Equipment

Dutch oven (or pressure cooker, if using dried beans)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
1 1/2 cups onions (diced, about 1 medium onion)
4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
2 cups celery (diced, about 5 ribs of celery)
2 1/2 cups carrots (diced, about 6 medium carrots)
5 15 oz. cans assorted beans (such as cannellini, red kidney, pink beans, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas, drained—no need to be super thorough about draining)
9 cups water (a 15-ounce/425g bean can, filled 5x; can use low-sodium chicken stock if you don't have the chicken bouillon paste the recipe calls for)
2 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon paste (adjust to avoid over-salting if using powdered bouillon)
14 ounces ham (roughly shredded or diced; or 2 large smoked ham hocks)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, to taste: not needed if using smoked ham hocks)

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven (you can also use a thick-bottomed soup pot, but may need to stir more often to prevent burning) over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until it’s nice and hot. Add the oil and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the chopped celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, followed by the water. Increase the heat to high.

Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chicken bouillon paste. (If you don’t have chicken bouillon paste, simply use chicken stock in place of the water.) Bring to a boil.

Stir in the ham. I like to cut it into big shards/shreds for extra texture. (Sarah likes hers cubed and orderly though. I won’t judge either way!) If you’re using a ham hock instead of ham, you can add it in now.

Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is at a somewhat energetic simmer--it should always be at a low bubble. Cook for 4-5 hours, stirring periodically. For the first half of the cooking time, I keep the lid on. For the last hour or two, I will leave the pot slightly uncovered so some steam can escape. If the soup isn’t cooking down, you may want to increase the heat to medium. Every stove is different, so don’t just set it and forget it. Periodically check liquid levels.

In the last hour of cooking, add the fresh parsley, and cook for another hour. It’s done when the beans and carrots are tender, and the soup is thickened. If you used a ham hock, fish out any bones, and chop up any large pieces of meat and skin (keeping the skin is optional) that don’t break down during the cooking process before serving.

This soup is quite forgiving. If it ends up too salty for your tastes, just add water, and lightly mash some of the beans to release their starchiness and re-thicken the soup. If you are reheating the soup and there is not enough liquid, just add 1-2 cups of water to bring it back to your desired consistency.

Notes

You can also used dried beans for this recipe, but will need to cook them in a pressure cooker. See end of post for pressure cooker instructions.

This soup freezes well. It is best consumed within 3 months, but will last up to 6 months.

Nutrition
Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 927mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5723IU | Vitamin 10mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 4mg

[Mik]

Chicken Marsala cooking now, with steamed broccoli spears.

This Chef John guy on Allrecipes has good stuff.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237928/chef-johns-chicken-marsala/

[George K]

@Mik I love chicken marsala.

That looks like a nice recipe.

[Mik]

I can make it faster, but I doubt it will be as good. I used that Glace De Poulet Gold stuff for the stock.

[Mik]

Spectacular. Takes much longer than my usual, but excellent sauce, depth of flavor.

[George K]

@Mik do I count 4 remotes on the table?

[Mik]

Roku
Cable
TV
Sound bar

But if that’s what you took from that picture…

[Mik]

Perfect filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and apple cheddar salad. Thomas Keller method.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-perfect-filet-mignon-easy-filet-mignon-recipe

[George K]

Melt In Your Mouth Chicken

https://www.food.com/recipe/melt-in-your-mouth-chicken-breasts-37336

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp seasoning salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cheese, and seasonings.

Spread over each chicken breast.

Place in a baking dish and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

[Mik]

We had takeout tacos. How was the chicken?

Last night made veal short ribs braised in veal stock, Marsala and mushrooms last night served over risotto. Sauce was great. Meat was skimpy and fatty. Too much connective tissue. I prefer boneless chuck sort ribs.

[George K]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

How was the chicken?

1. Stupid easy to make.
2. Juicy and flavorful
3. Could have cooked a bit longer to get a nice brown crust.

Mrs. George approves, and that's the most important thing.

[Mik]

Rachel Ray’s Chicken Cacciatore with Porcinis. Saw her make this one morning while surfing and it looked really good.

Not exactly Super Bowl grub but I don’t much care about the game.

https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipes/chicken-cacciatore-rachael-ray