Urologist, Service Ontario, Landlord letters, Cooking,

As I said, there was an appointment with the urologist, turned out it was for me and after a  bit of grousing from me, he changed one of my pills and I have to go back again in January for a test etc. Matt was almost disappointed he wasn't supposed to see the doc. On the way back, we dropped in for some gin for himself, I don't touch the stuff, and as I was close to the pharmacy, I phoned to make sure they had the prescription, if not I had a copy of it. They did so I didn't have to do the long walk to the back of the store. I hate that, sick people have to walk the furthest.

Afterwards, went to Service Ontario to order a new health card for Matt. Mind you his current one doesn't expire til next February, but... we had already been sent renewal forms. Went in and I approached one of the counters and explained about Matt and she dealt with us straight away. She also suggested he should have an ID card as he no longer has a driver's license. They copped me for another $35. Can't go in there without paying that amount of money. However, it will be a good thing for him to have. Had to have two pix taken, one for his health card and another for the ID. There was a long line up, people must have been wondering why we got attended to before them.

Earlier in the day, we got two letters shoved under the door by the super, I assume, one telling us that the ant people will be coming again next Tuesday. Didn't realise they were called Pharaoh ants. They attached a letter explaining about them and asking us not to kill the ants but leave them to go feed on the "stuff" they had put down so they can go feed it to their queen. Here you are your majesty, nice drop of poison for you. Only trouble is, one sees them on the kitchen counter and automatically want to end their lives. Or I do. However, I refrained. It says they feed on sweets and proteins (fat) and ask us to keep our counters, etc. spotlessly clean so they will eat the baits they have put down.

Also had another letter from the landlords about Pre-Authorised Debit. I have wanted them to get with it and arrange this so that I don't have to write 12 cheques every year, better if they take it direct from the bank, however, there are some rather odd conditions so discussed it with a friend, we were both about to go out though so going to talk about it today.

I made the Ginger Stir Fry with Shrimp and Snow Peas for Friday dinner. It was delicious, but needed a bit more zip. I will spice up the remainder a bit more when we eat it. However, do try it, I think you will enjoy it.

I came across this recipe whilst looking up the Ginger Shrimp and thought it sounded pretty good too. I do like stuff cooked in foil, saves such a lot of clean up.

Garlic Dijon Shrimp and Salmon Foil Packs

Bold and savory garlic dijon shrimp and salmon foil packs are loaded with your favorite seafood and

the most incredible tangy honey dijon sauce. Easy to make with no cleanup!

4 salmon fillets I used skin-off
1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined I kept tails on, feel free to remove them before beginning recipe if desired
4 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning herbs see note

Garlic Dijon Sauce
8 Tbs butter, melted 1 stick or 1/2 cup
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
3 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste I used about 1/8 teaspoon each
1 Tbs fresh chopped dill

1. Prepare 4 12x12 inch pieces of foil and set aside. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, rub over whole surface, then season with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian seasoning dried herbs. Repeat process with the shrimp.

2. To make the sauce, stir together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

3. Assemble foil packs by placing salmon in the middle, topped with 3-4 shrimp. Drizzle HALF of the sauce over the shrimp and salmon, RESERVE the other half for using later. Fold foil over the shrimp and salmon and pinch edges to seal closed so no juices leak.

These last two lines should be reversed.

4. Drizzle with the reserved sauce (you may need to microwave it for a few seconds first if the butter has cooled) and top with additional fresh chopped dill if desired and serve.

5. For oven cooking, preheat oven to 450°F - bake 16 to 20 minutes on a cookie sheet.

Servings: 4

Source: | lecremedelacrumb.com


Have a great day
 

Snow, Medical, Rent, Supper.

Having had quite a dollop of snow the other night, and morning, it rained later on and by now it has almost disappeared. Pity really, looks so nice in the park especially when it is on the trees, although it is nice to have the roads clear again. Rescheduled my appointment at the Cannabis lab for next week. Actually, after we have been to the Mandarin for Matt's birthday meal, we are almost half way there. Unless we get more snow of course, always possible at this time of year. The eastern part of the States is certainly getting hit with a lot of snow. Just hope it doesn't come up here.

Went to see the urologist who informs me my kidneys are extremely healthy and that my current problems are more likely to be a hangover from my UTI rather than anything else. Told me not to eat spicy stuff, drink alcohol or eat citrus fruit. Yeah, well, maybe. I came home and had Nong Shim noodles which are extremely spicy. My current condition is not that bad. One thing I did do was to fax the cardiologist, will see what happens.

A friend went into the super's office and read the document he has there. It turns out it is basically a long treatise about the landlord's application for a 4.8% increase. However, the super appears to have misunderstood what it was about and my friend explained it all to him. On the advice of the Landlords and Tenants Board, I am saving the difference between the 1.8% I am paying them and the 4.8% they want. Just in case.

I have taken the smoked haddock out of the freezer. Got to defrost it carefully as I don't want all of it so want to put the remains back. I am planning to make kedgeree for Friday night's supper.

The Happy Whisk, or Ivy Shorts, found a link about PAD which is my main problem at the moment. If you are interested, I have linked to the article.

I know, another soup, but it's winter round here and this too attracted my attention. Not sure what Tuscan kale is, but I would just use ordinary kale. Googled, Tuscan kale is a bit more tender. I think I would use baby kale anyway.

Simple Ribollita

The only thing better than soup with bread? Soup that not only has chunks of bread in it, but crunchy croutons on top as well. This (vegetarian!) Italian classic is about as comforting as it gets, packed with hearty greens, meaty beans, and plenty of rich olive oil and umami-packed Parmesan. A note on

that cheese: If you've been throwing out your Parm rinds all these years, that stops right now. The rind is full of flavor, and makes a great addition to any broth-y, stewy situation.

1 large onion
3 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
8 garlic cloves
2 bunches Tuscan kale
1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
½ loaf crusty country bread (about 10 oz.)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
1 14 oz  cannellini beans
¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Time to prep your veg! You are going to make a mirepoix, which is just a fancy French word for the combo of chopped onions, carrots, and celery that form the flavor base for a lot of European dishes. First, cut 1 large onion in half through root. Peel and discard skins. Finely chop and transfer to a medium bowl.

2. Wash, peel, and trim 3 medium carrots. Cut in half (or in quarters lengthwise if they’re large), then cut crosswise into ½" pieces. (You can also just chop the carrots down into coins if you don't mind larger pieces of veg in your soup.) Add to bowl with onion.

3. Chop 2 celery stalks crosswise into ½" pieces. Add to bowl with the rest of the mirepoix.

4. Smash and peel 8 garlic cloves with the back of your knife. If any of them are left more or less intact after that initial smashing, give them another good wack with the back of your knife so they really open up and start to break apart. Add to bowl, also.

5. Strip stems from 2 bunches Tuscan kale and discard. Wash if they're gritty or you really care about washing vegetables, then tear leaves into 2" pieces; set aside.

6. Cut rind off of 1 small Parmesan wedge; set aside.

7. Place 28 oz. canned tomatoes and their juices in a strainer set inside a medium bowl. (You need that bowl to collect the juice, which you're going to use later—don't throw it out!) Squeeze tomatoes and crush them with your hands while leaving them submerged in their liquid so they don’t squirt.

8. Tear ½ loaf crusty country bread into 1½" pieces.

9. Heat 1/3 cup extra-virgin oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium. Add bowl of mirepoix and 2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 8–10 minutes.

10. Lift strainer full of tomatoes and give it a few shakes to remove any liquid. Add tomatoes (but not juices!) and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the rawness is cooked off, about 10 minutes. Giving those tomato solids a chance to caramelize before adding the liquid back in helps to add a lot of flavor to the stew. (Remember: Reserve the juices, you’re going to use them!)

11. While tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse 14 oz. canned cannellini beans in the strainer you just used, then add to pot along with Parmesan rind, tomato juices, ¾ tsp. red pepper flakes, and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer.

12. Add kale in two additions, stirring often and allowing to wilt in between.

13. Add about one-third of torn bread (no need to measure, just eyeball it) and cook, stirring occasionally, until coated and warmed through, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning.

14. Remove from heat. Place remaining torn bread chunks on top of stew. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

15. Transfer pot to oven and bake stew until thick, bubbling, and bread is golden brown on top, 10–15 minutes.

16. Ladle stew into bowls, drizzle each generously with olive oil, and grate lots of Parmesan over.

Yield: 4–6 servings


Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day