Tag: lime

Hominy Stew with Bacon and Poblano Peppers

The weather is warming up in Northern California, and I’m having a hard time letting go of stew season. Plus, I’m on a mission to test out recipes that might freeze well for ready-made summer camping meals. This one fits the bill, though I might try adding white beans next time for extra protein.

Side note: Ever since I made this Slow Cooker Pork Stew with Hominy, I’ve been wanting more hominy in my life! I don’t know how I overlooked the chewy goodness of nixtamalized corn kernels for so long. This hominy stew really lets them shine.

Adapted from Food & Wine‘s Hominy Stew with Bacon.

Serves 6

Ingredients

8 oz bacon
2 medium onions, chopped
3 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 15-oz cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
zest (about 1 tsp) and juice (about 2 tbsp) of 1 lime
1 tbsp masa harina (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt
pepper

Use kitchen shears to snip bacon into 1/2-inch pieces, then place in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.

Remove all but 1-2 tbsp of the bacon grease from the pot, then add the onions, poblanos and jalapeños. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, then saute over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add the hominy, tomatoes, chicken broth and lime juice and stir. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Uncover and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in masa and simmer 5 minutes more. Add lime zest and cilantro, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon.

Pictured: Descoware Flame Dutch Oven, Pyrex 024 Lime Round Casserole

Christmas Dinner 2018

Arcopal’s French Hen pattern reminds me of The 12 Days of Christmas, so I made it the starting point for my Christmas dinner tableware this year. I haven’t had a chance to use my Arcopal casserole dish since finding it last year, so I’m excited to finally put it to work. I’ll combine it with some red and green Pyrex to round out the Christmas motif.

I’m also using some Corning Ware petite pans to make individual bread puddings for dessert. They don’t match, but they’ll allow me to prep the puddings a day in advance and then go directly from refrigerator to oven for baking — so hey, function over form!

The only thing I’m missing is a vintage platter for my Cornish hens. I’m going to have to start looking for one on my thrifting adventures.

Tentative menu:

  • Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Lemon and Herbs (recipe)
  • Barley and Herb Pilaf
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  • Salad
  • Mini Bourbon Bread Puddings (recipe)

Pictured: Pyrex Verde 404 Round Mixing Bowl, Arcopal French Hen Casserole, Pyrex 024 Holiday Casserole Round Casserole, Pyrex 024 Lime Round Casserole, Corning Ware Spice O’ Life P-41-B Petite Pan (x2), Corning Ware Blue Cornflower P-41-B Petite Pan (x5), Corning Ware Blue Cornflower P-89-B Lipped Saucepan

Easter Dinner 2018

My Easter meal planning this year was inspired by two things: 1) the desire to use my Pyrex pink daisy divided dish (because pink and daisies are so Easter), and 2) the beautiful rainbow carrots and red fingerling potatoes we got in our produce box this week. The divided dish will be perfect for a berry and whipped cream dessert, and the carrots and potatoes will be roasted and tossed in a carrot top pesto.

For everything else, I’ve pulled together the most Easter-y pastels I could find in my collection: lime green, gold and sunny orange.

Rough menu:

  • Spice rubbed rotisserie chicken (recipe)
  • Roasted carrots and potatoes with carrot top pesto (recipe)
  • Brussels sprout quiche (recipe)
  • Simple salad with kumquat dressing (recipe)
  • Parker House rolls
  • Assorted berries with fresh whipped cream

 

Pictured: Pyrex Pink Daisy Divided Dish, Pyrex Lime 024 Round Casserole, Pyrex Butterfly Gold 404 Round Mixing Bowl, Pyrex Lime 232 Oblong Open Baker, Corning Ware Butterscotch Round B-2 1/2-B Saucepan, Corning Ware French White F-3-B Quiche Dish, Fire King Gravy Boat

Thanksgiving Dinner 2017

I love cooking for Thanksgiving, but I love planning the cooking even more: looking for recipes, thinking about logistics, choosing the right dishes, coming up with a schedule, etc. I think I like cooking projects more than the cooking itself.

So when I saw this article on The Kitchn about organizing serving dishes for Thanksgiving, I knew I wanted to do something similar. I had already been thinking about setting out my vintage cookware in preparation for the big day, but now I needed to take pictures.

I think this will be a new tradition for me, documenting the mix of dishes I use for holiday meals. For this Thanksgiving, I am going with a variety of greens and floral designs, drawn from my favorite Pyrex and Corning Ware patterns.

Pictured: Corning Ware Floral Bouquet Third Edition A-3-B Casserole, Corning Ware Floral Bouquet Third Edition P-43-B Petite Pan, Fire King Gravy Boat, Pyrex Lime 024 Round Casserole, Pyrex Verde 403 Round Mixing Bowl, Pyrex Spring Blossom 045 Oval Casserole, Pyrex Spring Blossom 043 Oval Casserole, Pyrex Spring Blossom 72 Butter Dish, Pyrex Spring Blossom Pitcher

Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Orange and Rosemary

This recipe was inspired by an old friend, who first introduced me to roasted fennel years ago while working on a recipe for a magazine assignment. That recipe seems to have dropped off the face of the internet, so instead, my starting point was The Kitchn’s Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel & Lemon.

For a vegetarian version, try tossing the roasted veggies with cannellini beans (one can, drained and rinsed).

Serves 4

Ingredients

4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal in 1/2-inch slices
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix orange zest and juice, olive oil, vinegar, rosemary, garlic and salt. Add chicken, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours (30 minutes minimum).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine fennel, carrots, onion and chicken mixture. Toss to coat veggies in the marinade.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken pieces and veggies to an oiled sheet pan in an even layer. Season with fresh-ground pepper.

Roast until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 40-45 minutes. Veggies should be tender and brown on the edges.

Pictured: Pyrex Holiday Casserole 024 Round Casserole; Pyrex Lime 909 Rimmed Pie Plate;  Pyrex Dessert Dawn Yellow 209 Rimmed Pie Plate