chocomouse
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We had pork shish-ke-bobs with sweet red pepper and onions, roasted potatoes, asparagus and green salad.
My husband rototilled the garden for the 2nd time today, and next will be setting up the electric fence so I can start to plant. Our night time temps have been in the low 30-40s, down to 35 the night before last, with days only 50-60s. The next week predicts daytime highs in the upper 70s so the soil should begin warm up. We're having the floor of our deck replaced next week, and I cannot start my planters and pots there til that is done. I'm worried about our zoo residents also. I hope the woodchuck doesn't breach the electric fence. I want the possum to continue to feed on the ticks and other small pests. The turkeys can bathe in the dirt that is not planted. The racoons and skunks are fine as long as they wander only in the night-time. I am terrified of meeting up with the bear and the bobcat that patrol the property. May 15, tomorrow, is my last average frost date here, but I don't plant the more tender plants until Memorial Day. I'll have dirt under my fingernails soon!
Our dinner was grilled chicken thighs with a home-made maple-bourbon basting sauce. Potato slices also cooked on the grill. A green salad with tomatoes, onions, sweet orange peppers with pomegranite balsamic. And asparagus picked just 20 minutes earlier in the garden! I tossed it with olive oil and sea salt, and roasted it in the Breville for 8 minutes at 375. I had been worried that the countertop oven wouldn't cook it as well as steaming it in the microwave - no more worries, it was perfect. I am now going to try to figure out how to cook it a little healthier, with no oil or salt.
Italiancook, I use the lemon juice powder frequently, and especially love it in blueberry baked goods, such as muffins and coffeecake. I find I need to use 2 generous tablespoons in a 3-cup of flour recipe that makes about 22 muffins. Have you tried the KABC recipe for lemon streusel? It is excellent! It makes a lot, so I use about half and freeze the rest for later.
I just took chocolate chip oatmeal cookies out of the oven. Ooey gooey, warm and chewy!
We had chicken stir fry, with carrots, broccoli, sweet red pepper, and onions, on rice. An unexpected addition to the menu this week because the asparagus isn't quite tall enough for picking yet.
I use my food processor to grate butter into the flour for scones. Just don't mix it in the processor, do it by hand; I think that would overwork the dough and make it tough. However, I have also tried KABC's method of squeezing small chunks of butter between your fingers to make different sized flat pieces, and I've like the layering of dough with larger pieces of butter left between them. I've only done it a couple of times, but I do think it make lighter scones. I will say the food processor is faster and easier!
Today I made Raspberry Cream Cheese Rolls. They are like cinnamon buns but with a cream cheese and raspberry filling. They smell wonderful!
Yesterday I baked a carrot cake, with pineapple and walnuts, and a cream cheese frosting. I use a recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, but substituted apple sauce for 1/2 cup of the oil. It is very good. I need to stop telling myself that because of the fruit, vegetables, and nuts it is a health food.
I also make a faux lasagna in spaghetti squash. You simply bake the squash (the way Mike does) and shred the strands. Then layer typical lasagna ingredients, minus the pasta, on top of the strands. Bake, I recall probably about 20 minutes at 350. I've also done the same thing using favorite pizza ingredients, and plan to try taco salad and chicken alfredo the same way. I should think most favorite casseroles with pasta would work for this, or a sauce you would serve on pasta.
We had pizza, also!
I grew strawberries for about 10 years, 3 rows, each about 25 ft long. They were extremely labor intensive - to grow and to pick. So I quit. However, my husband had put in a 30 ft long curving flagstone walkway from the porch to the garden -- to keep his feet clean and dry, since he walked early every the morning through the wet grass and into the dirt garden to pick berries for his cereal, resulting in muddy feet -- and that walkway is still there.
We had liver, sauteed onions, potatoes (cooked successfully in the air fryer!) and cole slaw. This used to be one of our favorite meals, but we haven't had it for well over a year.
Salads tonight: seafood, broccoli, potato, and cole slaw.
My new Breville Smart Oven Air with Super Convection has 13 pre-set functions, including air fry, proof, dehydrate, and the usual bake, roast, reheat, etc. I bought it because my oven/stove is 37 years old and not working consistently well, and replacing it would require some major remodeling, rethinking of my kitchen.
I've never fried foods in my entire life, and air frying is not something I've ever wanted to do; I don't know how to cook or eat that kind of food. It's been a steep learning curve to use this Breville, but I think I do really like it and would buy it again.
Onion rings are the ONLY food I have air fried in it that came out really good!! I bought Alexis brand frozen, breaded onion rings - and they came out perfect! The second time I cooked them, they were not as good - dry, overcooked, but that was my fault because I used an incorrect temperature. There is no simple cookbook (that I have found) for the Breville. I am gradually making my own - a lit of temps and times for different foods.
I have tried doing french fried potatoes, several times - not good. Not crisp and crunchy, cooled off (got cold!) very quickly. I tried chicken thighs - made a greasy mess of the oven and smoked up the whole house. I'm not sure if I should air fry in place of roasting fresh vegetables, but some cooks say to do that.
Sorry, this is more about the Breville than air fryers --and I have read many comments on line from owners that if you want to air fry, get an air fryer, not a Breville convection oven. I think a lot of the problem is me - I like vegetables plain steamed or roasted, usually with herbs. I like meat marinated and roasted or grilled. After 78 years eating that way, it's not easy to change.
Janie, I would suggest you find an air fryer forum online and follow the discussions. Choose carefully - I think many of the air fryer users (of course, not all!) are new (pandemic?) cooks who are looking for a simple (toss it in the air fryer and push start) "magic" way to cook food at home, replacing their usual their usual fast-food take out.
Sorry for the rant, and hope this might be helpful.
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