Lunar New Year's Eve or the Mr. Returns Post Nemo

The Mr. spent the past week in Colorado for training related to his job.  The joke is that after 25 years working for the Federal Government, how can training be needed?  Well, it was computer related training, but I further push that this expense could certainly have been handled cost effectively via tele-conference or an Internet based computer training (perhaps through in some high tech Skype-ish feature) and voila thousands of dollars saved.  What do I know?

He was schedule to return to the Northeast on Friday.  Yes, pretty much in the middle of Nemo's performance with an 11:30 p.m. landing in Newark.  His flight was rescheduled for Saturday and he pulled into our driveway about 4:30 p.m. with this beautiful bouquet from Hearts n Flowers Florist.  TULIPS are my favorite flower and I was quite happy to see some!  Spring is on the way.

Wish I could say I ordered Chinese food intentionally in honor of the Lunar New Year.  However, the reality was I spent the day outside covering an amazing winter festival for the newspaper I write a community column for and cover local events.  I was cold from the inside out and in need of a bit of convenience. 

Won Ton Soup is always the perfect warm up.

Yes, I order a lot of shrimp in my Chinese food.  Years and years ago when the jokes were plentiful about questionable animals being used for meat in Asian dishes, I switched to mostly recognizable and difficult to impersonate shrimp.  Of course I also enjoy them immensely.

The Mr. goes with C11 or Four Seasons.  A bit of beef, pork, chicken and shrimp in a brown sauce.  I spear a few of the vegetables he pushes aside.  

We are tired.  He from traveling.  Me from the weather.  Happy Lunar New Year and may your year find you always feeling Fed Well.

Nemo's Chicken

I buy the huge package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and often imagine I will do something new and fabulous with them.  This time, I knew not to fight it and simply slice them into thin cutlets that I would bread and fry.

My younger son went grocery shopping for me a few days ago and I simply listed olive oil.  I'm not sure what constitutes "organic" olive oil or if any benefits exist for using it, but that's what I used.

As soon as the breaded chicken starts to cook in the pan, my mouth gets happy.  The snapping bubbles in the oil become a symphony and I find myself licking my lips as I cook.

What to do with the golden cutlets once they are prepared?  Well, I made that up as I went along.  I remembered I had a package of mushrooms, but I still didn't know what I would create...

I pulled out chicken stock as well as half and half to use as a sauce/gravy.

Once the chicken was done, I used the same pan to brown the mushrooms.  They were then coated with flour to thicken the sauce.  A generous splash of both stock and dairy, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper were mixed in and simmered until thick (just a few minutes).

"Smells good Mom," was called out by my younger son from the other room and I knew I must be almost done.  Dinner was just the two of us.  The Mr. has been away all week for work and my older son works at the college he attends in the maintenance department so he was trying to stay ahead of Nemo by removing all snow as it fell.  The bad part for his work day is the constant raw cold weather and the demanding hours (15 hours for one shift, home, some sleep and back at it by 6 a.m.) but the good part is the free tuition - no college loans!

I had a lemon on the counter and I went back and forth about adding a squeeze of juice.  Instead I put the lemon on the table for just in case.  

Yes, I can make my own saffron.  I was taught a recipe by my mother-in-law which she quite proudly had published about 35 years ago in her church bulletin.  I hang my head and admit to using a packaged version.  The sodium content is high and the taste is of course not the same, but I do enjoy it.

Nemo was a bit slow starting yesterday but this morning I woke up to a literal winter wonderland. 

 
It does look pretty when all is said and done.  In a few minutes, well, maybe an hour or so, I will take our yellow lab Maddy out and shovel the walks.  She loves to stand on the snow piles and play Queen of the Hill.  Not sure what today's culinary adventures will be but since the Mr. is returning from his trip, I am sure we will be Fed Well.

Suffern's Field House - Meatless Choices

Suffern's Field House on Facebook

Time to change up the lunch routine and instead of Mexican or Chinese, we opt for Suffern's Field House.  Very casual, order at the counter than wait at a table for your hot (or freshly prepared cold) food.  A big big screen television and a few others are always on with either sports, news or weather.  The day before Winter Storm Nemo and we were hearing a number of different reports regarding start time and snowfall amounts.

Do people bring their own checkers or chess pieces?  Wonder if you ask at the counter if they have loaners?

Though my friend NEVER makes a fuss about restaurants or fast food places having vegetarian offerings, I always notice what she orders.  Suffern's Field House has quite a few vegetarian friendly menu items as well as the ever popular and obvious pizza.  A mushroom panini served with a side of cole slaw is her choice.

 

My other friend and I enjoy both meat and non-meat options but it turned out today we all ordered vegetarian.  She had one of her favorites; an eggplant sandwich with mozzarella and of course, the side of cole slaw.

 
Sometimes a girl just has to have pizza.  One plain slice and one veggie.  Classic! 

Other than the storm, conversation actually included money.  Not ours of course, but other people's.  We guessed at some big boss salary amounts and wondered how they spend it.  Do they simply buy the same things we do but with a designer label?  Are they splurging and picking up the tab when out with friends?  Do they hide it under the mattress?  What would we do if we could double or triple our salaries?  Sort of like planing on what you would do if you won a lottery... I think I would simply ensure my family and I were Fed Well.

Le Cafe a Mon Emploi

French makes everything sound so fancy doesn't it?  The title of this blog is simply, "The Cafe at my Job," but the language certainly lends a bit of class to the potentially mundane.

Here comes the pun, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast at the Cafe.  French Toast, ha!  No, seriously, this was a special made to order 3 slice serving of raisin bread dipped in egg mix and thoroughly dusted with cinnamon.  I usually don't eat 3 slices of french toast, but, I have to admit I was able to finish this without incident.

Same day and I return for "Hello Deli."  Please don't groan, but that is what our cafeteria has nicknamed sandwich-made-to-order day.  One of my favorite aspects is the Ciabatta rolls!

Other choices include typical breads as well as New York style hard rolls from a local bakery.

In addition to traditional deli meats, a choice of chicken cutlets are available; grilled with red pepper flake or fried.  A selection of cheeses, lettuce, tomato and spreads are offered as well.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I love the crispy chicken on Ciabatta.  If a sandwich were named for me, this would be it!  In fact, the dill pickle spear, bag of classic chips, bottle of water and the sandwich should all be bundled together and sold as the Fed Well lunch special.  Or some other more magical name.  Of course it wouldn't be wrong to take it to the next level and add a slice or two of bacon!  Ah the plus side of the cafe at my job!

Super Bowl Part 3 - Everything Else

With every prepared buffet, the cook runs the risk of putting out one bad dish.  For me, it was the guacamole.  The avocados weren't quite ripe enough and giving in to the Google-ability of most anything, I looked for a way to speed the ripening process.  Sometimes, it's best not to bother messing with Mother Nature and forcing it with a microwave.  The right thing to do would have been to go without. But, I gave it a good try.

I put the guacamole into one of my new (old) favorite serving bowls.  I found this by accident this past summer among somethings my mother-in-law gave us for a yard sale.  Love it!  Bad food in a beautiful dish is still bad food.
 

Next up, whiskey marinated ribs.  Well, whiskey barbecue sauce.

And the reappearance of an old favorite - stuffed mushrooms.  The large mushrooms are stuffed with crumbled and browned sausage, bread crumbs and mozzarella then baked at 350 until the cheese is melted.

A crudite platter is also a bit old-fashioned yet, exactly what we needed to help lighten things up.  The crisp, fresh vegetables are always welcome.

One missing element, well no one really missed it, was a dessert course.  No one seemed to care that no brownies, cookies or cake were on hand.  We feel Fed Well without the extra sugar. 

McOptions

How many menu options are on the board at the Golden Arches?  They have added salads and revamped the Happy Meal to include apple slices instead of fries, filet-o-fish, chicken nuggets, but, where is the veggie burger?

The first time I went to McDonald's with my vegetarian friends I was more than curious about what she would eat.  I assumed a salad.  No, she orders a cheeseburger, no meat.  So, a pseudo cheese sandwich.  Dear McDonald's, Can't you do better?  Sincerely, Supportive Friend who also enjoys a good alternative now and then.

I know, I know, when I go to McDonald's I am mostly about the Big Mac and I have confessed I am quite aware of what I am getting myself into but if apple slices can replace fries (the most holy of fast food holy foods) than certainly some kind of veggie can be whipped into a suitable patty.  Right?

To further stretch her culinary creativity, my friend pulled the roll apart and placed some fries on her cheeseburger no meat.   Fabulous!

We ate together in the conference room in our department and though we had already more than indulged ourselves in our daily caloric intake, maybe a sweet treat is needed. 

COOKIES!  The perfect individual baked good.  Chocolate chip, oatmeal or white chocolate chip.  I am a sucker for the classics so the chocolate chip was my choice.  It was the right blend between chewy and firm, sweet without being nauseating.  Tomorrow, peanut butter and jelly with a small carton of whole milk.  No joke.  A bit of creativity, fun and food whimsy with limits and I am Fed Well.

Part 2 - Customized "Mexican" Dip

About a million years ago (20), I had this "Mexican" dip for the first time.  I don't really think it is Mexican at all and it really isn't taco dip, but it is a layered hot dip for nachos.  We also sometimes refer to the person who first gave me the recipe in the name and call it, "Aunt Jane's Dip."

To begin, a typical batch mean browning one pound of ground beef then following the directions on the packet of taco seasoning mix.  For the Super Bowl, I used half beef and half ground venison.  Once the beef is drained and seasoned, I add one small can of green Chile peppers.

Spread one can of refried beans in the bottom of an oven safe dish. The next step is where the customization comes in for this house.  One son has claimed he does not like olives and so I only spread them out on the right side of the pan before covering with the seasoned meat.

Cover the entire pan with sharp cheddar and bake at 350 until it is heated through and the cheese is thoroughly melted.

This dip not only has several names, it is almost always a crowd pleaser and can be served with whatever variety of chips your family prefers from lime flavored to the multi-grain scoops (our current favorite). 

Yes, I have one funny story about this treat.  We once had an electrician in our house who installed recessed lights in the living room and kitchen and while he was working I made this dip.  I offered him some and after taking just one bite he said, "You know what?  This would be really good with some sour cream."  I was speechless.  My family held their breath.  Who dare imply the dip need any improvement?  We laugh about it now, but I was quite surprised at his response.  Not, "thank you," or "this is good," but a straight forward opinion about how to improve a good thing.  Oh well.  We will always laugh about it, smile, keep eating and remain Fed Well.