Things were getting a bit boring, so I tried a few new things this month. Mostly more Asian food, like Mix and Match Noodles, and my first time making bread in months.
Overall I made 45 things in October.
October 1
Panko Fried Chicken with Lemon (Dinner)
Dry Sauteed String Beans (Side)
October 2
Grilled Squash (Side)
Kobucho squash - Easy Grilled Winter Squash, and it was as promised! I burned them a bit (first try and all) but it still turned out well.
I heated up leftover fried chicken in a pie pan on the shelf in the BBQ.
Grilled Bread (Side)
Sliced french bread, dipped in olive oil and a bit of salt sprinkled on top, and grilled. What a hit!
October 3
Lemongrass Chicken (Dinner)
From Vietnamese Home Cooking, page 138.
Turned out well, good success with the family. This was a bunch of fun to make, actually. I hadn't really done too much from this cookbook, but it was great to pull my wok out again and reseason that a bit.
Beans
Serious Eats How to Cook Beans
October 4
Coconut Brown Rice and Beans (Dinner)
With grilled zucchini
Surprising hit. Doubled the rice, and we still ate maybe 2/3 of it, along with half the beans. Maybe triple the rice next time so there's enough for the second day?
October 6
Reverse Seared Steak (Dinner)
I finished the steak on the BBQ instead of a pan. Easier, less mess, but I missed the onions cooked in the pan after the steak.
Grilled Squash (Side)
Acorn squash and onions
I've cooked this just once before
October 7
Beans
Serious Eats Beans recipe.
I made two kinds of beans for a polenta dish: a special borlotti from Rancho Gordo that I only had a bit of, and pinto beans (I couldn't find the recommended cranberry ceans) from the store.
October 8
Polenta with Borlotti and Tomato Sauce (Dinner)
Good cold weather food. It was fun, with the pot of polenta and the other of beans and tomato sauce going.
I tried the leftovers two ways: just microwaving a bowl of polenta & beans (mixed reactions on this one), or panfrying the polenta and microwaving the beans (I thought this was great). Next time, though, look up a fried polenta recipe, I feel that could be a lot better with a better technique (maybe more oil, or a hotter pan).
October 11
Moo Shu Pork (Dinner)
From Chinese Takeout, page 100.
I didn't have the pancakes, so we ate it over rice. Still just fine!
October 13
Mix and Match Wok-Fried Noodles (Dinner)
From Vietnamese Home Cooking, page 148
This was great. Pretty easy - only about 30 minutes all told, the first time - and everyone liked it. Great weeknight meal.
Potstickers
From Chinese Takeout, page 39.
I made and froze 100 of them. Took a while, and they turned out sloppy this time, but it's nice having them in the freezer. I've done this a few times before (I feel more times than seem to be recorded here), these are great to have ready to go.
I've cooked this just once before
October 15
Chicken and Rice (Dinner)
4 legs, 2.75 lbs. Next time maybe try 1.5 cups of rice and water, the rice is great!
It turned out really well this time. I'm not sure what was different - more heat on the chicken, more time with the rice (40-50 minutes), or a hotter fire under the rice (actually went for medium-low, instead of trying to use my heat spreader to regulate it). I'm leaning towards not using the heat spreader.
I've cooked this just once before
Panic Carrots (Side)
I've cooked this just once before
Individual Honeycrisp Apple Tarts
The kids and I saw a video of this, and it looked easy so we wanted to give it a try. It wasn't as easy as the video made it look.
But, it did turn out great.
October 17
Galbi (Dinner)
From Serious Eats.
I liked this better than the other recipe I tried - it turned out great. Reduced the marinade over medium heat and used that as a sauce, that was good but sweet.
I've cooked this just once before
October 18
Bagels with Cream Cheese (Kid's Lunch)
Potstickers (Kid's Lunch)
October 19
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Artichokes and Herbs (Dinner)
October 20
Panic Carrots (Side)
Used just a bit of water (maybe 2 tbsp?), cooked with the lid on for 5 minutes (and the carrots were too crunchy at this point), then cooked the water off and everything turned out well.
Bread
First time in months. It took about a week to get the starter back to a good spot after so long in the fridge, but the bread turned out great (especially after the disappointment of last time).
| time | activity |
|---|---|
| 1940 | mix leaven |
| 1030-1040 | mix dough (water 102°, 750g) |
| 1045-1140 | rest |
| 1140-1335 | bulk rise |
| 1340-1415 | bench rest |
| 1420- | final rise |
| 1920 | 1st loaf in (spiral) |
| 2040 | 2nd loaf in (square) |
I've cooked this 18 times before
October 21
Panko Pork Chops (Dinner)
Panic Carrots (Side)
I'm trying to get my son to eat more vegetables, and he keeps asking for these. They're easy why not!
October 22
Panic Carrots (Side)
Sauteed Baby Bok Choy (Side)
October 23
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
Full Kenji style- potato starch, little cubes of butter, water in the pan. They were great, even my son who doesn't like scrambled eggs liked them, and it all came together really quickly.
Mix and Match Wok-Fried Noodles (Dinner)
I've cooked this just once before
Panic Carrots (Side)
October 24
Panic Carrots (Side)
Beans
I followed Serious Eats How to Cook Beans to cook Rancho Gordo Pinto beans.
Ham Bagel (Lunch)
Ham and cheese on a bagel, broiled. Very easy. My soon added pomegranate seeds and squeezed tomato jelly (ugh) on the top and ate the whole thing.
From Kids in the Kitchen, pg 66.
October 25
Ham Bagel (Kid's Lunch)
I've cooked this just once before
Potstickers (Kid's Lunch)
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
Kenji style again. I used (and actually measured!) the recommended 3 tbsp of butter for 4 eggs, and it was too much. Use less next time - I'm guessing I've been closer to 2 tbsp?
Bo Ssam Quesadillas (Lunch)
Drunken Beans (Dinner)
I doubled it, and tripled the bacon, and cooked the beans for a good long while (maybe 40 minutes? I was interrupted, but it tasted of Corona so it might have worked out). Turned out well, maybe needed salt. I served it with those tortilla sliders, toasted on one side in the extra bacon grease (which I reserved earlier). We ate about half and I'm excited to leftovers.
October 26
Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Lemon and Oregano (Dinner)
I've cooked this 11 times before
Zov's Hummus (Dinner)
I've cooked this 20 times before
Grilled Squash (Side)
October 27
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
Down to 1.5 tbsp of butter (with the same Kenji style), and this is much better.
October 28
Collard Greens (Side)
Made this like I've been making kale - put it in the pan, covered for maybe 2 minutes, then opening and cooking until it gets nice and crisp. What do you know it worked! First time I remember liked collared greens.
Bo Ssam Quesadillas (Dinner)
October 30
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
Kenji-style again, 1.5 tbsp of butter