Quarantine Day #22, Quarantine Cooking





I am adjusting to a whole new way of shopping and therefore, cooking.  I am a very hands-on shopper.  I like to smell, touch and squeeze.  Virtual shopping sucks.  I am trying to not waste a single thing if possible.  Yesterday was 'clean out the fridge' day and make something with whatever needed to be used.  I found a few zucchini that were waving goodbye but yet they inspired me.  I've never made a tian at this time of year but I went for it

 But first take a look at my Fall Flowering Cherry.  This is one of my favorite trees; it flowers twice each year.

 Back to the tian.  I prepped a bunch of peppers, 1 large onion and 6 cloves of garlic and sauteed them in olive oil until they began to soften.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and some pepper flakes.  I used my favorite Urfa pepper and a couple tablespoons of tomato paste.

 I added some elderly cherry tomatoes and continued to cook this until it began to thicken. It doesn't take long, just a few minutes. I missed a few pics but I also sauteed a bunch of kale, arugula and spinach in another pan, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 This tian was very different than my usual one especially since I used potatoes in it.  I sliced them very thin and lined a casserole pan with them.  Then I cleaned out my cheese drawer and found some provolone, and mozzarella and layered that on.

 Oh look...I do have a pic of the kale mixture!

 I layered the kale on top of the potatoes and cheese and added some smoked provolone.


 I sliced the zucchini and added a layer of it and then the pepper mix.

 I added very thin slices of potatoes.

 Totally covering the top.

 More cheese.

   This was aged provolone.  It's a good way to use up the last of any cheese you have.


 You can top it with whatever you have on hand.  I used artichoke hearts, green and kalamata olives and some sliced pepperoni.  This bakes at 375 degrees until brown and bubbling around the edges. About 1 hour. And OMG the smell!

 Let it sit for a while before cutting into it. 

 I usually make it hours or a day ahead to give it a chance to firm up before slicing.





My daughter said that she liked this better than my regular tians.  Or at least she thinks I should always add kale.

 Next up I cleaned out my freezer and found some ground beef, hot sausage and ground pork.


 I mixed them with grated onions, garlic, pamesan, fresh herbs, eggs, panko, milk and seasonings and made....

 Meatballs!

 I made about 100 of them.  My kids love to keep them in their freezers and pop them out to eat for snacks, to make sandwiches or to add to soup.

I roasted a chicken for The W's and made stock from the bones and all of the vegetables that were close to being tossed.  The pups only get the white meat so I used the dark meat to make this creamy garlic pasta.  I used fettuccine but normally I would use angel hair or spaghetti.

Here's the recipe:


Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 diced shallot or small onion
  • 1-2 Cups of diced cooked chicken
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 Box angel hair pasta
  • 1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 Cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 Cups diced kale

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and stir for 1 minute. Season with some salt and pepper.
  2. Add the chicken stock, the kale and diced chicken.
  3. Turn the heat up to high and let it come to a boil.
  4. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and stir until completely melted.
  6. Add the milk.
  7. Let stand for 5 minutes to continue thickening.  If it's too thick, add more milk.



Comments

I'm making spanakopita for dinner tonight!
DVArtist said…
Wow this food looks amazing.
Guillaume said…
Oh that looks delicious. We might try it one day.
@Debra-We will make spanakopita for Easter here.
You are inspired and inspiring.
Susan said…
If I wasn’t forced to stay home, I’d be knocking on your kitchen door! That tian is swoon-o-licious!