Our Tuesday,

So, Tuesday morning we are taking life at a fairly leisurely pace. Most of the preparation for the pest control people was done anyway. 8:30 a.m. there is a knock on the door and it's them. I proved that they were supposed to come at 12:30 not 8:30. Not sure who made the screw up (they are blaming the building manager). Anyway, I said we could be ready to leave in an hour so we dashed about and got ourselves ready and off we went. Wanted to exchange something at the grocery store so that is where we went. I then bought a coffee there and sat in their cafeteria area to drink it. Used up a little time. Eventually we went to the Mandarin for lunch. We were there a bit early - the doors are open but they don't start seating til 11:30.  Guess what, they still had chocolate dipped bacon so, of course, I had some. I also got some hot and sour soup to go which I will have for lunch on Wed.

Then we headed for Victoria Lanes bowling alley. To get there we had to follow a detour as they have part of the street pulled up (what's new round here lately) and I was interested to see that all the streets we crossed during the detour had had their names removed. I wondered why. However, we got to the lanes and bowled four games and Matt really teed me off by getting a turkey (3 strikes in a row) I had a couple of good games, but no turkeys.

When we got home, wonder of wonders, Matt's bed hadn't been moved out of position, or it had been put back, so all we had to do was make it. Now of course we have to restore everything to it's proper position but I don't suppose we will do much of that until the weekend now. Hopefully this is the end of it. If I never see another bed bug that will be too soon. I think I am going to lay down some diatomaceous earth by the doorway in case the bugs from down the corridor decided to take a long walk.

I have been using skirt and flank steak a lot lately. So long as they are treated properly, they make delicious meals.


Skirt Steak with Corn and Red Pepper Purée

Red bell pepper gets used two tasty ways: as a vegetable in the corn sauté and as a pureed sauce for the plate. Fresh corn is not just sweet; it has a surprising hit of umami intensity. Because of skirt

steak's oblong shape, it may be difficult to fit the entire steak in your grill pan. If so, simply cut it in half across the grain and cook both halves at the same time. You can always substitute flank steak, if you prefer.

3 Tbs fish sauce
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 lb skirt steak
2 red bell peppers, divided
1 cup water
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 to 4 ears)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1. Combine fish sauce and 1/3 cup onions in a shallow dish; add steak, turning to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut 1 bell pepper into 1-inch pieces; place in a saucepan with 1 cup water and 1/4 cup onions. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Slice remaining bell pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl. Add sliced bell pepper, corn, and remaining 3 tablespoons onions. Cook 10 minutes or until peppers are wilted and corn is lightly charred, stirring occasionally. Stir in black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.

4. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Return skillet to high heat. Add steak to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until glazed outside. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into slices. Serve with corn mixture and pepper puree. Sprinkle with thyme, if desired.

Servings: 4

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great day
 

Pest Control, Kimbap,

Today is, hopefully, the last day we will be getting a visit from the pest control people. I haven't seen one of those living fossils (I have a much better name for them) for a long while so I think they have finally gone. I was talking to a woman who lives down the hall from us who has also had the problem as long as we have. She is still having a lot of problems and she says now the landlords say she has to pay for the pest people herself because when they come to her place they don't find anything. I feel very sorry for her as she is totally on her own and told me she has hardly seen her daughter since it all began. Nice daughter. I told her to report it all to the Landlords and Tenants Bureau. I can't really help her, let's face, it we needed help ourselves. I might say our pest workers don't look anything like the picture. They sure don't wear any kind of hazmat suit which is what this looks like and I haven't seen them wear masks either, but then I am not here the whole time.

Having missed the opening of the Kimbop company being started by the grandaughter-in-law of our friends, we have decided to have a luncheon, with the other friend who was coming with us and then couldn't, so I have now ordered several trays of kimbap to have for lunch on August 9th by which time I hope our home will be back to normal and we can relax and enjoy it. There are, apparently, several differences between kimbap and sushi. In case you wonder or are confused, I was, kimbap is what the food is called, Kimbop is the name of the new company started by Jinah Allen. I do hope she makes a success of it. I think it's such an excellent idea. Although you can buy sushi round here, there is no source (or wasn't) of kimbap which is why she decided to start making them.

You don't have to turn on your oven to make this decadent recipe.

No-Bake White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberries

In his version of no-bake cheesecake, baker and cookbook author Kamran Siddiqi beats melted white chocolate and citrus zest into the creamy filling for a deep, decadent flavor. Makes one 9 inch cake.

CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (7 ounces)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of fine sea salt
FILLING
7 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs strawberry jam mixed with 1 teaspoon hot water
Quartered strawberries, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. MAKE THE CRUST In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until evenly moistened. Press the crumbs over the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

2. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate on high power in 10-second intervals until just melted. Let cool slightly.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla bean paste and orange and lemon zests until smooth. Gradually beat in the white chocolate. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.

4. Wipe out the bowl of the stand mixer and add the cream to it. Attach the whisk and beat the cream at high speed until firm peaks form. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spread the cheesecake filling over the chilled crust in an even layer. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

5. Unmold the cheesecake. Top with the strawberry jam and garnish with quartered strawberries. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

6. MAKE AHEAD

7. The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Top with the jam and strawberries before serving.

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day

Nuclear Stress Test, Pest Control,

Today (Wednesday) I went to the doctor to arrange for a nuclear stress test. I am not able to do the walking type test because of my hip. If you have never done a nuclear test, I think they are dreadful. Only, for a few minutes, but for a very short time your heart is stressed by drugs and I felt I was literally going to die. I don't remember very clearly but you are given an injection to speed up the heart and instantly another injection to stop it. You really feel awful for what seems like forever but I suppose is only a few seconds. I am not looking forward to doing another one. One is also radioactive and you have to be given a form if you intend to travel.

Tomorrow (Thursday) the pest control people come again. We had one guy come in on Tuesday to check we were ready. He seemed surprised we had had so much trouble even though they had treated our place once. I showed him my most recent bites. We are planning to strip the beds in the morning and put the blankets through the dryers. We have clean sheets ready to use tomorrow evening. The sheets on our beds now will be put in a garbage bag to be washed later on. If this treatment works, and I pray that it does, we then have to deal with a stack of stuff on our balcony, much of which has to be washed too. Once the blankets are done, they will be put in a bag too and we will probably put them in the car if the pest people are already here.

I wasn't going to post today but I came across this recipe which I thought was delicious looking and is heart healthy too, I just had to share it.

California Walnut Stuffed Salmon  

2 tsp olive oil 10 mL
1/4 cup minced onion 50 mL
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chopped spinach 1 L
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper 2 mL
1 cup cooked brown rice 250 mL
2 tsp lemon zest 10 mL
1/4 cup shredded old cheddar cheese 50 mL
1/2 cup chopped California Walnuts 125 mL
1 lb salmon fillet, skinned and pin bones removed 454 g

In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook until tender but not browned, about five minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, salt and pepper and cook just until spinach starts to wilt, about three minutes. Remove from heat.

Add cooked rice to spinach and stir in lemon zest until well combined. Spread spinach mixture evenly over salmon and sprinkle with cheese and walnuts.

Roll up gently using toothpicks or butcher’s twine to secure.

Place salmon on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven until fish is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with steamed seasonal vegetables or green salad.

Makes 4 servings.

The recipe was from the California Walnut Commission and re-published by Zoomer Magazine.

Have a great day

IBS, Publishing Responsibility, Pest Control,

Around 40 years ago I was told I have a spastic colon. I remember my boss's wife, at the time, who was a nurse, saying she had never heard of that. Recently I started having similar pains so decided to look it up. Well I'm damned, it's the same as Irritable Bowel Syndrome with which I am very familiar. Step daughter #2 has it I believe and so does her daughter. Didn't realise that's what it was. I wish it hadn't recurred with me. Hasn't troubled me much in years. Funny, I have had access to the internet more or less since the first days it started, but it never occurred to me to research this before. I have just read a list of foods to avoid. Most of which I eat. Top on the list of vegetables is asparagus. Can you imagine me avoiding that?

I learned something from Good Morning America on Tuesday morning, when you post something on the internet, you are essentially a publisher whether it's writing a blog or even sharing something on Facebook, you are still actually being a publisher and therefore have to take responsibility for the item you share or what you say in anything you write. This was as a result of GMA's lawyer being asked about a case where a particular picture was shared on Facebook, but it applies across the board. I understand that about blogging, but I was surprised about sharing something on FB.

We were originally told that the Pest Control people would be back two weeks after they came, now

we hear they are coming on Thursday between 8:30 and 9. I'll have to get my skates on. I get up early but don't always dress until later. I wonder why they are coming so soon. I actually don't think we have got rid of all the little pests. I was bitten last night. This is getting very unfunny. The apartment looks a mess, all the switch plates are off in most of the rooms and most of our possessions are outside, many of which have to be washed and dried or just put through the dryer before we can safely put them where they belong. I know the guys had suits on and assume they had masks on.

For supper on Tuesday night, I decided to have poached salmon so I selected this very simple recipe. I altered it slightly. In the first part (which is a court bouillon) I added thinly sliced  carrots and finely chopped celery leaves. Gave it a good flavour.

Poached Salmon

Simply Recipes

Poach delicious salmon steaks or fillets in only 15 minutes! Salmon poached in white wine, seasoned with fresh dill.

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 2 to 4 or more, depending on the size of the fillet

INGREDIENTS 1 to 1½ pounds salmon fillets, pin bones removed
Salt
½ cup dry white wine (a good Sauvignon Blanc)
½ cup water
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced or a few thin slices of onion
Several sprigs of fresh dill or sprinkle of dried dill
A sprig of fresh parsley Freshly ground black pepper
A few slices of fresh lemon to serve

METHOD 1 Sprinkle the salmon fillets with a little salt. Put the wine, water, dill, parsley and shallots or onions in a sauté pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. 2 Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, or to desired done-ness. Do not overcook. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and a slice or two of lemon.


Have a great day