It's a rainy day at the farmette - and good thing, too. With all the new veggies coming up in garden and the flower pots and hangers finally fully loaded, I was looking forward to having to hoik the hose around the perimeter today. Luckily, Mother Nature stepped in with almost a half-inch of the wet stuff. Waking up to yet another terror attack in London makes my heart hurt. I just do not understand the zealots that think they're going to win with hate and the bloody murder of innocents. Not a clue. What I do have a clue about is the bits I have control over here at the farmette. Today, it's about being able to use recipes that I've done so many times I don't have to look them up. Now, I'm no Betty Crocker or Julia Child. I'm more on the "if you hit on something good, just keep making it until the recipe can be called up on command."
This morning, I looked at the sad old bananas sitting on the table, and thought, okay, I don't want to freeze them (so they sit with the other dozen frozen bananas that I've forgotten about) or throw them out (a waste), so I called up the muffin recipe that's on my personal RAM and got going.
A cup of flour, a cup of oat bran, a teaspoon of each of baking soda and powder and dried cranberries (or any dried fruit) in one bowl. Mashed bananas, a half-cup of sugar, a half-cup of milk, quarter-cup of veggie oil, an egg and a teaspoon of vanilla in another bowl. Mix 'em up together (just), plunk the batter in the tin, and voila! Fodder for Sunday brunch.
Actually, I still have a recipe book I've had since the late nineties - called Quickies - from Chatelaine. The idea was to provide recipes with only a few ingredients and not too much fuss for busy working people. I've run that book ragged over the years. And many of the dishes I have in my head now come from that lovely listing.
Take my (and Rob's) favourite chicken recipe. Rub a few thighs with sesame oil and brown them up nicely in the fry pan. Sprinkle with a bit of soy sauce, sesame seeds, some fresh ginger and a bit of brown sugar. Keep cooking and turning until you get a beyootiful glaze, and serve! Yum for your tum. A winner every time and it doesn't take long - which is my favourite thing.
You can tell I had to use the recipe repeatedly before it got permanently planted in my consciousness. The best ones are covered in splotches, right?
Another of my favourites - which I serve regularly with the sesame ginger thighs, as well as fish and stir fried whatever - is my fragrant rice.
For enough for two people, you just cover the bottom of the pot with olive oil, sprinkle in a bit of cumin seed, a couple of whole cloves and a broken up half of a cinnamon stick. Heat until 'fragrant', add 1/2 cup of basmati and a cup of hot chicken bouillon. Simmer on low and twenty minutes later, you have a side dish that's just this side of heaven. You can double or triple the recipe for a bigger gathering.
Well, banana muffin smells are wafting into the office, so it's time to find out whether my personal information storage unit is still up to the task and I remembered all the ingredients! Until next week.