PAELLA

 The Ultimate Paella Recipe | Tyler Florence | Food Network

We precooked everything and then combined it and warmed it in the paella pan with the spices.  

We steamed and mariated the chicken.

We had already cooked the clams.

It had a good taste.

Part of the rice was the heatts of palm and part a brown rice.  Not the best pick, but it was fine and lower in carbs that Spanish rice.

We did at first have too much tomato, and we used sauce rather than crushed.  Next time more like 8 oz or half a can would be plenty.

We used too little saffron.  It had the taste, but I like more of it.

Leaving out tomato might be a way to boost the saffron taste.

I'd also like more garlic, but Elizabeth perhaps was fine with this amount.

OVEN BAKED PORGY

Baked Porgy | Cookstr.com

About the fish

Learn about the Jolthead Porgy (guidesly.com)

A recipe without potato

Baked Porgy Recipe | Yummly

So here is what I did.

I cleaned the whole fish.  The scaling was easy, but getting out the gills and other junk in the front cavity was hard.  I was very glad to have the fish scaling pliers.  The vise grip did not do the job.

I put the fish in a large, round baking pan and topped it with olive oil and lemon juice and then sliced onion, green peppers, and just a fw bits of potato cubes.  

Spices were garlic, rosemary, black pepper,   

I put it in the oven preheated  at 350.

So basically I followed the yummly recipe, but I did not have cucumber or a tomato.

I also did not have two small porgy, but one large one and did not even check it until it had been in an hour.

BEANS CHANA DAL IN INSTAPOT

 I had a fifteen bean mix and put it on the bean setting in the Instapot.  It overcooked and was mash.  I still liked it, but I decided to put it in the blender and make a thick, smooth soup.  That was good too.  Then I added in cooked chana dal to give me something in the soup that was not smooth.  That was good too.  

However, I'll use the slow cooker for beans next time.

aUGUST 9. 2022

chana dal

two cups of beans

four cups of water  (plenty)

garlic powder

Used the bean/chili setting, perhaps a bit too long

I let the steam release for a bit and then manually finished the job

Good, however, perhaps a bit over cooked.

Some recipes called for just 10 minutes.

Sure beats a day using the slow cooker.

MINNIE'S CRISPS

 Minnie's crisps

I spent the day making attempts at these bean crisps that our friend Minnie makes.

By the end of the day, I think I have the procedure down.

Basically, this is half pigeon peas and half red lentils, soaked overnight, blended in a blender with spices, dropped on a non stick pan and cooked at medium heat, turning often, until they are crispy discs.

My first attempt was made with too thick a batter. It came out bready, not crispy (middle photo). So, I watered the batter down a bit and finally seemed to get the right batter consistency. I found it cooked best at exactly the medium setting on the stovetop. It requires a good bit of turning.

I did not have the spices Minnie used, and I tried a couple others, including everything bagel for a mix of seeds. However, mine are a bit bland. The next batter I'll make with more spice. I'm going shopping tomorrow.

These crisps are made just in the nonstick pan with no fat or oil.

So, they are great as a morning bread substitute that matches my diet.

I love this new nonstick pan.

UP NORTH VERSION

6/20/2022

Put one cup each of the beans in the large bullet blender. Covered with water up to the tips of the spinning blade. Put in refrigerator overnight.

It really soaked up the water and I added all I could. Next time just use half a cup of each.

I could not get anything like the crisps, just a bread like pancake. On the griddle they may not cook as they so on a no stick pan. Oh, well, they taste okay, just no crisp.

SHISSHAKI PEPPERS PICKLED

 I was trying to make pepperoncini like in the jars but with no salt, but the fresh pepperoncini peppers are not to be found.  These shissaki are the closest, but they are very mild.  I added in two mild cut up jalapeno peppers.

First I put them down in vinegar and water and spices or garlic and Benson's.

After a couple days, they were not very good.

Then I saw that unlike cucumbers, peppers had to be cooked until tender.  So I cooked them in the mixture with added water and with Salute 21 and one large drop of Dave's Insanity hot sauce to perk them up a bit.

Of course, I rubbed my eye and got the Inanity in it a bit.  Uncomfortable

After a few days, these tasted great.  I miss the salt in pepperoncini, but otherwise the pepper taste and the heat from the Dave's is just great.  Very small drop of Dave's by the way.

ALMOND FLOUR PIZZA CRUST

 

• 2 ¼ cups King Arthur Almond Flour
• 2 tablespoons King Arthur Coconut Flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (Optional)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Directions

  Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out a large rimmed baking sheet.

  • Step 2

    Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; set them aside.

  • Step 3

    In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and oil until frothy.

  • Step 4

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together to form a dough.

  • Step 5

    Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a parchment paper-lined work surface. Top with another piece of parchment paper and roll the dough about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and slide the crust, with its parchment, onto the prepared baking sheet.

  • Step 6

    Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges have started to crisp and the crust has started to brown all over.

  • Step 7

    Top the partially baked crust with your desired toppings, and return it to the oven. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, until any cheese has melted and the edges are golden brown.

  • Step 8

    If you like browned cheese, broil the pizza for 1 to 2 minutes after baking.

  • Step 9

    Remove the pizza from the oven, and let it cool for a few minutes; 2 to 3 should work fine. Slice it with a pizza cutter, and top with a sprinkle of grated cheese before serving, if desired.

NY Times portobella and chili

 Grilled Portobellos With Chile Sauce, Sour Cream and Corn Nuts Recipe - NYT Cooking (nytimes.com)