Monday, January 14, 2019

Blogiversary, Older Recipes, Medical, Pickling,

Hilary Melton-Butcher mentioned her 10 yr. Blogiversary this weekend. Made me check on mine, I have made a note of it for future reference. I have already written over 3,000 blogs. Who knew I had so much to blether about. Maybe I should re-publish a few of my earlier blogs. I started reading some of the very first ones and see Matt was still hunting for recipes and cooking them. He no longer does that unfortunately. Luckily we have similar tastes so he always enjoys what I cook. Saturday I tried a simple recipe for pork loin with mushrooms and onions. It wasn't bad  but not that exciting. However, Sunday I did a favourite sautéed cabbage dish and added the remaining pork loin, cut in pieces, and it worked pretty well.

I should check my older blogs for recipes I thought were good then too, probably some I have forgotten that I would enjoy still. One recipe I did come across was one of my father's but unfortunately it calls for smoked haddock which is something I haven't seen in this part of the world. It used to be a favourite of mine too.

Decided to do grocery pick up today. The CAS bunch couldn't do me a shopping driver for Wednesday so I am going with just Matt and I this afternoon - decided he can push the shopping trolley upstairs, it kills me. Hard on him too, but not quite so bad. Then Tuesday, Matt has an appointment to see the urologist at the hospital so we are being picked up at 12:40 by, coincidentally, Joe, in a blue car. Got another appointment on Thursday for me this time, ultra sound. Right on noon too so I will be lunching at breakfast time I think.

Didn't mention, I bought some Lunch Herring last week. They are delicious. Matt doesn't seem to like them, he doesn't like pickles anyway. I think I will be buying some more. I must do some more of the pickles I was doing before my hospital visit. No cucumber though, it doesn't work. I do cucumber to eat that day with a little sugar, salt and vinegar. But if you actually put it in brine in a jar overnight the cucumber makes the brine too watery. Yes, I know they sell pickled cucumbers, but not with the same kind of brine I guess. I still have two jars of asparagus which I pickled properly with a water bath and everything.

I thought this might be a good way to cook some of the steak I have in the freezer.

Pan-Roasted Steak with Crispy Broccoli

4 servings plus leftovers
2 large heads of broccoli (about 2 ½ lb. total)
6 Tbs plus ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finely chopped shallot or red onion
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 12-oz. sirloin, boneless rib-eye, or New York strip steaks (about 1 ¼" thick)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbs rinsed capers, coarsely chopped
½ jalapeño, finely chopped

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Cut broccoli into large florets with some stalk attached. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment or foil. Drizzle each with 3 Tbsp. olive oil; season generously with salt and some pepper. Toss to combine. Roast, tossing and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until crisp around the edges and charred in spots, 35–40 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

2. Meanwhile, mix shallot, lime juice, and ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Season steaks generously all over with salt and pepper, pressing to adhere. Heat a dry large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Swirl vegetable oil in pan to coat. Pat steaks dry; cook 2 steaks, undisturbed, until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn; cook until other sides are browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130° for medium-rare, about 5 minutes. Turn steaks onto fat cap and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Wipe out skillet, leaving just enough fat to coat pan. Repeat with remaining steak.

4. Mix cilantro, capers, jalapeño, and remaining ¾ cup olive oil into reserved shallot mixture. Reserve 1 steak and ¼ cup cilantro salsa verde for making the Steak Sandwiches another night. Thinly slice remaining steaks against the grain. Top with salsa verde and serve with broccoli.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

18 comments:

  1. There's a recipe...hopefully that means your computer is up and working again.

    I love broccoli and beef. I'll have to try this.

    Do you have a neighbor who would carry your groceries in for you? Any teenagers live in your building? That's the sort of thing my boys would go do for someone because their mom told them it would help build character.

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    1. Yup, computer up and running again Liz.

      Unfortunately there are mostly older people in this building. Don't know many people here anyway. I could use your boys living close Liz.

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  2. I bet you'll find lots of recipes you liked but have forgotten. Every now and then my wife will go through our recipe book and find a favorite we haven't had in years.

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    1. You are probably right Alex, I must do that. It is amazing how one forgets favourite recipes.

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  3. Hi Jo - you must have tons of recipes tucked away ... and great Matt was helping you all those years ago. Keep writing and I hope things ease up - good luck with the medic appointments - cheers Hilary

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    1. I think so Hilary, I will check it out. Thanks for the good wishes.

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  4. That is a lot of blogging. I forgot my blog anniversary last year. I love cucumbers about any way they are fixed and most pickels.

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    1. Yes it is Susan, now all I have to do is get back to reading blogs. I love cucumbers too, English ones though, and they don't stand up well to the brine I use. Especially having been sliced.

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  5. It's interesting going back and getting to reuse some stuff. Wow, on the amount of posts you did. Go you!

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    1. It is interesting, but I have to see if these days I can find smoked haddock Ivy, it is more or less essential for some dishes I used to do.

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    2. We grew up with smoked haddock around. I didn't eat it though my mom's side of the family did.

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    3. I must make some enquiries to see if I can get it Ivy.

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    4. Yup, I can buy it to order just up the road Ivy. abut $14 per pound. Not cheap but I have ordered some.

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  6. I've literally run out of things to blog about. This time of year there's always a lull where there are no day trips and I'm just getting back into the swing of crafts.

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    1. Somehow I keep on blogging JoJo. Sometimes I have more to say of interest that others, obviously. Living where you do, you have such wonderful places to take pictures of. Even though you don't eat seafood, you could always write about it where you are.

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  7. I think I have been blogging for 10 years. It's amazing how so much can change in 10 years...My mom was still great, living with us, healthy and in good form, Michael was working full time and we were planning our trip to Europe. I was thinner and had pain but not to the same degree. Today is the one year anniversary of my mom's death-January 15, 2018. At least we have good memories. I wonder if you went to a German Delicatessen if they don't have smoked herring since many Germans in the Northern part love their herring. I would try one of them out since you live around a bunch of Germans...Kitchener used to be called Berlin as you know:)

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    1. It is amazing how much can change Birgit. Matt too was fine when I started blogging. They do have pickled herring at Zehrs, it's smoked haddock I am looking for. More of a Scottish than German thing.

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