Autumn - what's for dinner? - Page 3

Chicken Jalfrezi with poppadums, pilau rice and naan breads.

Here in Japan Autumn said to be the best season for eating and playing sports. Summer stretches quite late here with plenty of warm weather in early october. For that reason your spoiled for choice with summer veg still tasting good such as egg plants and zuchinis and autum pumpkins at their brightest and sweetest. 

A simple pumpkin soup with garlic and cumin in the background to pull out the pumpkin flavors, red chilli to give some lovely heat and finally topped off with crispy bacon bits for the salt. Really easy to make and so satisfying on a cooler day.

I also made a curry using stewing beef and pumpkin and used the bittering spices used ot make mango pickle (onion seed, mustard seed, fennel. black cumin and fenugreek seeds) to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin and onion. Corriander powder and stick of cinamon really pulled out the flavor of the beef and rounded off all the flavors.

My aunties in Pakistan would often mango pickle straight from the jar as a shortcut to having to handle all those spices in a dish called Achar Gosht. I keep meaning to try and use that in my own recipes.

I keep meaning to make a curry using egg plant and curry, perhaps a thai inspired one with green chillis and coconut. But I may have left it too late due to egg plants falling out of season. 

I had ramen with pork belly last night.  Wow.  Do I miss the little bare bones noodle shops in those big cities.

We have tons of noodle shops in Tokyo 

Tonight is going to be smoked chicken, fried rice, maybe some sweet corn I canned from the garden.

Short ribs.

Petals.

That is a fav of mine, nothing spells a winter like that beef and barley.

One of the soups going out  of the kitchen later will be this one I made earlier this morning. I bought a 9 bean blend, soaked overnight, saute of onions , celery, garlic, can of crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, cumin, chinese 5 star spice, red curry paste, coriander, parsley, seasoned.

 I did the cost for this soup. works out to just under 30 cents when making a large pot. What someone will sell it for , who knows ?

Petals.

LOVE SOUP!! 

I'll bid $7.50 USD

(that's pretty much what you'd pay out for a bowl not a cup, right?)

I have about four different soups stashed in the deep-freeze for later in the season, not cold enough here yet...

Chili cheese dogs

I have potatoes on the smoker and in a bit bison back ribs will go on for a hot smoke at 400 degrees. Simple salad along with it.

Didn't take any, today I cut up the extra potato and chop the rib meat from the second rack for smoked bison hash. The bison back ribs were a total surprise the first time I tried them. Enough fat to get that crispy BBQ fat and really nice and juicy. Not cheap but these are extras from my annual BBQ this summer, everyone donates something and a friend donated about $4k in bison to help the food budget.

Mary: I'd love to try your BBQ !

KK: your chili sounds soooooo good.

 Scallops.

Petals.

Sounds interesting I'll have to try potatoes that way.

Great idea for potatoes! A must try.

KK, it just might be the "winning dish".

Petals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukouvagia 

 

Awww that's great.  What do I win?

This?

(It's a heart, you dirty guys!)

ROFL... that made my night

Petals-

How'd you get that lovely, crusty char on your short rib?  Grill or oven roast?  Any rub or coating to help it along?

They're one of my favorites and I'd sure like to wind up with a few that look like that!

Thanks

Mike  

edit:  Your sliced potatoes just wound up in my to-do file.  

Mike, I did them in the oven at 325 for roughly 2 1/2 hours.

I pat them dry & season

Browned them in a dutch oven with some oil, you want them dark somewhat charred.

Pour in a few cups of beer, 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of stock (all to deglaze & coat)

In another bowl, I mixed in 1/3 soya sauce, 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic, fresh ginger, rosemary, thyme,crushed pepercorns.1 can of tomato sauce and my secret ingredient: marmalade. Tossed that in the pot, gentle stir and let them go

 I am sure if you play a bit with these ingredients you will be able to adjust it to your palate.

somewhere in my default album there is a pic or two of the same recipe but done on the grill.

I don't know if your like me but I rarely follow a recipe, unless baking.

Petals.