Post your breakfast, lunch or dinner

[Foamcrest]

I love stuffed cabbage leaves. I have a friend who’s married to a Russian, her family came to Australia after WW2, and they are brilliant. I’m not that talented as to able to make them.
Re:the air fryer we just missed the special at Aldi where they had a 5 litre one on special for $60.00 I think it was.
Balifrog you are to be congratulated on starting this blog. It’s been/is one of the most entertaining and interesting topics since I joined up. Well done that man.

 

[Balifrog]

Airfryer is a good invention, even if I use it only for French fries. Much easier than even a dedicated pot with oil and a strainer basket, that you use only once in a while. And it is odorless !
Sometimes we make fried fish with it as well.
All the other stuff goes in the oven, the traditionnal way..

Thanks very much @Foamcrest , just need a few more members to join in, as @Markit does !
Diversity is the essence of life ! (Goes for women as well BTW...)

 

[gtrken]

Airfryer is a good invention, even if I use it only for French fries. Much easier than even a dedicated pot with oil and a strainer basket, that you use only once in a while. And it is odorless !
Sometimes we make fried fish with it as well.
All the other stuff goes in the oven, the traditionnal way..

Thanks very much @Foamcrest , just need a few more members to join in, as @Markit does !
Diversity is the essence of life ! (Goes for women as well BTW...)

Me. I'm just here for the comments
Speaking of diversity of women I have to say my friend got it right

He has a woman who is
A great worker in the kitchen
A great eye candy on his arm
A great performer in the bedroom

And he hopes like hell they never all meet...

Cheers
I wish
Ken

 

[Markit]

I love stuffed cabbage leaves. I have a friend who’s married to a Russian, her family came to Australia after WW2, and they are brilliant. I’m not that talented as to able to make them.
Re:the air fryer we just missed the special at Aldi where they had a 5 litre one on special for $60.00 I think it was.
Balifrog you are to be congratulated on starting this blog. It’s been/is one of the most entertaining and interesting topics since I joined up. Well done that man.

At one stage in my life I was the "houseman" looking after a young daughter as the wife shufted - yeay! But I was lucky enough to come from a family where both mum and dad cooked so grabbing a pan and setting to was not such a huge leap for me. Since then I've never stopped really so almost 40 years of practice means that it's more like therapy for me (which I do need) than sustenance although the waistline might argue that point.

Am happy to share the recipe for stuffed cabbage leaves - get a large raw cabbage and cut off 8 to 10 or the largest leaves. Remove the stem with a V cut and then dunk all the leaves in some boiling salted water - about 2 minutes. Remove and cool in water. Take about 500g mince or sausage or mixed add 2 raw eggs, whatever herbs and spices you like but onion, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic should be present. Mush together with your hands and then add a cup of cooked, old rice - keep mushing until well mixed. Take dried cabbage leaves (carefully) and lay 2 together then add about 2Tbl spoons of the mixture then fold all the leaves together and roll the whole think up and put in your pan - seam-side down.

Make whatever tomato mixture you like - soup or from fresh fried/boiled toms that were getting too ripe is best - blitze (mixing stick or blender) and then add to rolled leaves. Spray with some oil then 25 minutes at 160 in air fryer and Bob's your uncle. Add some mash and heaven beckons.

If you are not having all the rolls at one time they freeze really well after you've rolled them but before they're cooked. Enjoy.

 

[Balifrog]

OK, a little "weekly" update !

Something typical French at my favorite restaurant, "Cassoulet", see explanation on the menu.
Unfortunately, couldn't give it 5 stars as the beans were absolutely undercooked. Sitting at the "regulars" table, all pensioners in their early 70's, needless to say we gave the chef / owner a good grilling.... Specially as it was not the cheapest thing on the weekly menu ....





At home, chicken legs with a cream, white wine, garlic, shallot, mustard, mushroom sauce. Served with Tagliatelle. A classic but always nice. Of course, any pasta shall be the "All Uovo" type (with egg)



A typical breakfast



Made some pancakes yesterday, but with a little variation. We did put apple slices in it. Peal the apple, slice it thin, and caramelize it in a pan with butter and sugar. To make sure the apple slices are well integrated in the pancake batter, put them in the pan first and pour the batter on top, not too thick, 2 or 3 mm maximum. It was a "premiere" for the Miss, and she liked it !





So this morning was pancake breakfast, Without apples because I was lazy. Homemade marmelade and real orange juice with oranges from the Missus Java orangery.



Next week we should get a bit more "creative" !

 

[Balifrog]

Lasagna yesterday evening.
Nothing complicated but still quite a bit of work

The Lasagna sheets are easy to find here, we buy them at Grand Lucky (they have 3 or 4 different brands)



Next you have to make what is basically a Bolognese sauce. Ground beef, canned tomatoes (Italian, I don't buy any US canned food), tomato paste, 1/2 finely chopped onion. beef stock, paprika, Basil or Thyme, Parsley, Garlic, salt pepper.



Next step is the Bechamel sauce.

Melt 30g butter, add 30g flour, mix till a bit colored, add 250 ml milk (I use 50/50 milk and cooking cream, makes it much more creamy..), grated Emmental, salt, pepper, nutmeg.



Then comes the "assembling" stage :

Layer of bechamel,
Lasagna sheets (note that I precook them 3 minutes in boiling water)
Layer of Bolognese
Layer of bechamel
Layer of grated Emmental
and repeat for 3 or 4 layers.








Plating was a disaster, mainly as I cut it when it was still way too hot plus I messed up the picture.
But the taste was OK.

 

[Balifrog]

This morning, early start in the kitchen to make an apple pie.

Simple and classic recipe, like my grandmother made them.

Prepare the pie crust.
Flour 250 g
Butter 125 g
Sugar 50 g (I use icing sugar to avoid the grains of ordinary white sugar)
Egg yolk 1
Water 30 to 50 ml
Salt 3 g

Prepare the dough, put it 1 h in the fridge to make it easier to work later.

Prepare some grated apple, cook it with some sugar, butter and a bit of water. This will form the bottom layer.








Cut 1 apple in thin slices, and lay them out in a circular way.



Apply a bit of egg wash in order to give it a shiny look, and then some ordinary white sugar)



Oven at 180g for about 30 / 35 min. As you see we had some extra dough, so I made an additional 2 small tarts.



The final result.



And tasty it was. We had a bit of a disagreement with the Miss while preparing this, bringing me to tell her "better you sit down and care about your F.B., so I can work relax". Happens now and then, I am not easy in the kitchen.....
But she was a sport a just told me "It taste very nice in fact !"

Just another pensioner's day.

Dinner will be escalope milanaise, with spaghetti Missus style.

 

[Markit]

Looks absolutely excellent - love the idea of grating them for the bottom of the pie. Now add some vanilla icecream and a grand dinner.

Have you ever substituted lard or coconut oil for the butter?

 

[Balifrog]

Looks absolutely excellent - love the idea of grating them for the bottom of the pie. Now add some vanilla icecream and a grand dinner.

Have you ever substituted lard or coconut oil for the butter?

Not a fan of ice cream on a pie.

Never used lard, usually it's butter, oilive oil (or a combination of both) or duck fat.

 

[Markit]

Not a fan of ice cream on a pie.

Never used lard, usually it's butter, oilive oil (or a combination of both) or duck fat.

As bizarre as it may sound Americans add a slice of good cheddar instead of ice cream, which sounds awful but with a good sweet apple pie can be wonderful.

 

[Dori]

We had a couple of ribeye steaks done on the barbecue today. My homemade chips, and tempura veggies to start. we kept it simple because we leave for Bali tomorrow.
My Spanish children love the apple crumble and custard I make.

 

[Balifrog]

As bizarre as it may sound Americans add a slice of good cheddar instead of ice cream, which sounds awful but with a good sweet apple pie can be wonderful.

Cheese on apple pie....

And cheddar....to add insult to injury !

 

[Balifrog]

Yesterday dinner was Chicken Stroganoff with Tagliatelle.
Marinate sliced chicken breast in olive oil, paprika, nuttmegg, pepper and salt for 2 hours. Brown the chicken for a few minutes and reserve.
The sauce : Pan with butter and olive oil, onion, garlic (onion always first !), stir a few minutes, add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, a bit of cornflour, cook a few minutes. Deglace with wine wine, add chicken stock, put back the chicken, add cream, half a teaspoon of (French) mustard and let simmer till the sauce has a nice consistency. Add a bit if chive on top.



As usual I always make more to be used the next day for chicken and mushroom pie. Of course I cut the chicken in smaller pieces.
The pie crust is the same as for the apple pie, except you don't put sugar but a small teaspoon of salt.


Served with (canned) green peas and carrots and mashed potato. No gravy as it would overwelm the flavour of the sauce in the pie.







Simple comfort food.

 

[Markit]

looks fantastic - used to love food and sauces with a touch of creme to make them richer but since coming here and having to pay real money (120k/liter) for creme and then throwing more than half of it away as it goes off before I can get to it, I've given up that luxury. Same with butter and most cheeses - used have dollops (tech term) of both in most things I'd make.

Before anyone worries about me wasting away I've kept up my calories with daily Bintang hydration.

 

[Balifrog]

looks fantastic - used to love food and sauces with a touch of creme to make them richer but since coming here and having to pay real money (120k/liter) for creme and then throwing more than half of it away as it goes off before I can get to it, I've given up that luxury. Same with butter and most cheeses - used have dollops (tech term) of both in most things I'd make.

Before anyone worries about me wasting away I've kept up my calories with daily Bintang hydration.

I am with you on the cream, we buy only the small 200 ml cans, doesn't make it cheaper at 50k per 200 ml, but I hate the feeling of throwing half of a 1L can in the bin....
Concerning the butter, depending on the brand (President, Paysan Breton or Elle & Vire) prices are between 65 and 85k for 200 gr.

But both are the base of my cooking (with olive oil, again not cheap) so there is no way around.

 

[harryopal1]

I am with you on the cream, we buy only the small 200 ml cans, doesn't make it cheaper at 50k per 200 ml, but I hate the feeling of throwing half of a 1L can in the bin....
Concerning the butter, depending on the brand (President, Paysan Breton or Elle & Vire) prices are between 65 and 85k for 200 gr.

But both are the base of my cooking (with olive oil, again not cheap) so there is no way around.

I hope Market doesn't mean that weird orange coloured, sliced American cheese. There is a Green Valley New Zealand mozzarella cheese available here for about 120,000 Rph a kilo. As for Dori, leaving for Bali tomorrow. Good luck. Is this a holiday or long term visit?

 

[Balifrog]

I hope Market doesn't mean that weird orange coloured, sliced American cheese.

That stuff is banned in my kitchen.
As is the local "margarine". Awfull stuff, the Miss bought it once 5 y ago. I smelled it, looked at the color, and it went straigth it the bin.

And now she is an afficionnado of proper butter and olive oil !

 

[Balifrog]

Today's lunch : Paesant omelette, at least that is what I call it.

3 eggs, thin sliced pre fried baby potatoes, mushroom, ham, chives, and some baby carrots from the above can .
Of course some cream in the egg mix !
Served with toast and salted butter. Should have been some mixed salad as well, but I had none in the home....

 

[Dori]

I hope Market doesn't mean that weird orange coloured, sliced American cheese. There is a Green Valley New Zealand mozzarella cheese available here for about 120,000 Rph a kilo. As for Dori, leaving for Bali tomorrow. Good luck. Is this a holiday or long term visit?

Hi Harryopal. Fact finding mission mixed with a holiday. Just relaxing now until Monday as the journey was a bit exhausting.
been out for a walk this morning. I see zebra crossings are just for decoration

 

[gtrken]

Hi Harryopal. Fact finding mission mixed with a holiday. Just relaxing now until Monday as the journey was a bit exhausting.
been out for a walk this morning. I see zebra crossings are just for decoration

Is used to herd the unsuspecting tourists into a smaller area to give the local maniac truck/bus/car drivers a contained target.

Cheers
Hints for staying alive
Ken