Kale a Healthy Green but Difficult to Chew

Now I'm not entirely certain as to why, but the boyfriend picked the ingredient kale while he was gone.  Just because he was gone, didn't make my challenge lighten up any that's for certain.  If anything, I was trying to feed a more difficult crowd.

He requested kale and I was to cook it for some old folk.  I visited my parents for this dish, and was restricted to the ingredients I'd find in the mother's pantry, including the kale.

The kale was fresh from the mother's garden so I knew it was organic, and I combined it with white beans and bacon for a southern green dish.  I do have to admit that kale was a bit tougher to cook, literally, and not like mustard greens that wilt as the heat continues to cook it.

In future, kale takes a little more to get down the stomach and a little more heat to cook to a chewable consistency.

Roman Chicken for the Japan Bound Boyfriend

This Roman chicken was the last of the challenges before the boyfriend left for a company trip to Japan.  This was also out of his grandmother's cookbook.  An oldie but goodie that's for sure.

I found this dish to be rather tasty as well, surprisingly, though if I were to improve the dish any, I'd use fresh apricots and not canned.  Although the recipe calls for the apricots' juice to be used, I'm sure a standard Chardonnay would've done just fine in terms of using for a rue.

Served over couscous instead of standard white rice, I am going to try to substitute some of the ingredients on the next go-round.  Either way, this dish made the day of the boyfriend after a long day's work and before having to leave for Japan. 

Tofu the Meatless Wonder

Tofu is one of those ingredients that is vegetarian and vegan friendly.  Supposedly the healthier version of protein.

I experimented with making a vegan cheesecake.  I can't say I was overly impressed with this experiment due to the graininess in texture but the boyfriend like it.  However, its not on the highest priority to repeat.

Tofu will be left to taste another day...this day was a bit of a flop in my mind.

Ground Pork isn't Grounded

Ground pork is one of those ingredients I sometimes don't always understand the purpose of.  Aside from the constant comments from the boyfriend and the boyfriend's brother saying, "its just tasty," I really haven't cooked pork.  The boyfriend requested that I ground the pork in his meat grinder.

While researching what cut to ground, I found that the best cut to ground was the shoulder.  I also decided to do a bit of an experiential meatball with the ground pork since I really just had no idea what to prepare with it.  Egg rolls were a bit overdone in my history of ground pork so I experimented with Italian meatballs and fresh spaghetti.

I combined the ground pork with ground beef to make meatballs, and fresh spaghetti consisted of egg, flour and salt.  I cheated when it came to the sauce, but the rest tasted pretty darn close to what I have tried in an Italian restaurant.  I was personally impressed and don't mind trying to do this again!

Just as long as the boyfriend isn't in the mood for quick fresh pasta for a challenge...

Shot of Whiskey is a Shot in the Dark

A shot of whiskey will cure any aliment you have.

Don't quote me on it since I'm not a doctor.  I have a hard time cooking with alcohol since I never know what its paired with.

I tried a baked brie with apple, apricot and walnuts.  I nice little combination with fresh oat cakes.  Since the oat cakes didn't go very far, I picked up a loaf of fresh French bread.  Never knew how much I missed fresh baked bread until I took a bite out of the sliced piece with warm brie.

Nevertheless, the baked brie didn't last long and we have since had this again on the nights we feel like something rich but way too lazy to really cook anything extravagant.

Yogurt not so Plain

Sometimes I wish that the challenge I set before myself was as simple as pouring something out of the container and call it finished.

Unfortunately, that's not how my brain functions.

For this ingredient, the boyfriend picked plain yogurt.  Smoothies and my favorite lassi were out of the question due to a broken blender so I picked an Indian dessert: bhapa doi

A nice light dessert that isn't overly sweet despite the sweetened condensed milk incorporated into the dish itself.

Rosemary...California's Herb Abudance

I didn't realize that picking a dish with fresh rosemary was harder than picking a needle out of the haystack, no pun intended. Well maybe a slight pun since the rosemary I picked up was out of the boyfriend's apartment complex.

In California, rosemary can be widely found and so I don't ever find the need to go and buy it for the various dishes I prepare that call for fresh rosemary.  Also, fresh picked rosemary to add to some olive oil and fresh garlic adds the extra kick to most dishes without being over powerful.  If the rosemary is dried, it is just as potent.

In any event, I was at a bit of stumping point when it came to choosing something I hadn't done before when I wanted to cook with this ingredient.

I chose to do a batch of cookies.  It isn't often I feel like baking since it is an art form out on all its own.

These cookies are essentially sugar cookies with rosemary added to them.  A Victorian era favorite and apparently, instead of rosemary, one could use lavender too.

Either way, a good cookie to pair with a spot of tea.