Overall I made 23 things in November.
November 1
Nachos
Chicken & Mushrooms (Dinner)
From Canal House volume 5, page 96
November 2
No-Knead Crusty White Bread
November 3
Baked Ziti With Sausage Meatballs and Spinach (Dinner)
November 5
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Peppers and Tomatoes (Dinner)
November 10
Crispy Tofu with Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas (Dinner)
Just a single this time, but it turned out well. Not sure what I did differently. Used string beans instead of snap peas, and that was fine as well, even though I skipped the bean dressing.
November 12
Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Lemon and Oregano (Dinner)
Not a hit the night of (?) but everyone liked it the next 2 nights. I really like it with hummus and pita.
I've cooked this just once before
Zov's Hummus (Side)
November 14
Sauteed Baby Bok Choy (Side)
Surprisingly good! Everyone who tried it liked it. Made a mess in the pan (burned gummy soy sauce garlic)
November 17
Bulgogi (Dinner)
With roasted cauliflower
Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef) from NYT
Throwing the marinade in the pan was weird but it cooked off well. I liked it, especially with the rice and lettuce wrap and some store-bought gochujang. Family didn't go for it but maybe tomorrow?
November 19
Bread
One of the loaves (not sure if it was the first or second) turned out amazing! Just what I was looking for.
| time | activity |
|---|---|
| 2230 | mix leaven |
| 710-730 | mix dough (air 70°, water 98°, 750g) |
| 730-805 | rest |
| 810-1220 | bulk rise |
| 1230-1310 | bench rest |
| 1320- | final rise |
| 1745 | 1st loaf in |
| 1856 | 2nd loaf in |
November 21
Sheet-Pan Kielbasa With Cabbage and Beans (Dinner)
Great, easy, has a built-in veggie (the cabbage). Used a great great kielbasa from Olympic Provisions.
I almost didn't make the bean vinaigrette, but it turned out to be essential and great. Definitely don't leave that out. Sounds weird - cold beans, in a ton of olive oil & vinegar - on top of warm food, but it was pretty great.
November 23
Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Potatoes (Dinner)
The chops I got were really thin, so I didn't bother with the oven - just seared both sides for about 5 minutes.
I've cooked this just once before
November 24
Stove Top Mac 'n Cheese (Dinner)
Didn't turn out very creamy this time; something wrong with the cooking, or maybe a different cheese? I thought it was fine, kids said it was good but didn't eat a lot.
Roasted Squash (Side)
Butternut Squash
November 25
Crispy Tofu with Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas (Dinner)
I was all set to make the crispy tofu with the recipe, but my pick-up order at the grocery came with a teeny tiny block of baked seasoned tofu (gross!).
But, I had a bit of frozen black cod, so subbed in some steamed fish with ginger on top. The recipe was pretty simple:
- salt the fish
- put it on a plate (seemed crazy, but I did it on a ceramic plate)
- bit of chopped ginger on top
- in the steam for 10 minutes (I did mine a bit longer; somewhere I found a recommended cod temperature of 145º so I went until I hit that)
It was good! Fish went over well with everyone, and I thought it was pretty congruent with the sauce.
Steamed Fish with Ginger (Side)
November 26
Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes (Breakfast)
November 29
Cal Peternell’s Braised Chicken Legs (Dinner)
These were a hit! I really liked how crispy the floured chicken skin got, and the braise was really easy. This is a recipe that has a fancy result but is actually quite easy.
The reduction could have used either a bit more time or a bit more salt, but that's easy. I got 2.5lbs of chicken legs, but that was only 3! Next time order 5lbs to match the recipe (and, we ate most of what I'd made, so I need to make something else tomorrow).
Sauteed Baby Bok Choy (Side)
I didn't bother with the garlic or ginger for the bok choy; last time, those just burned. It didn't have all the flavor but was still a nice preparation.