Meals for one

Christmas 2022

Posted by Gary

Leftover KFC casserole (again)

Dear Reader,

Hello, I hope you’ve enjoyed a good week. In case you’re wondering, my post from last week has vanished. It was published, and then I saw an error message from WordPress, and it was gone. I had written about my fabulous weekend in Brisbane, visiting a couple of my daughters and my parents. Last week’s post focussed on the meal we enjoyed on Saturday evening.

The weather is finally feeling like summer. This is Lake Ginninderra from my balcony. It was a glorious day. It was warm too.

It’s a time to reflect on 2022.

The end of this year has been different to the end of 2021. Last year the workload and the pace of work were close to being uncontrolled. It was frenetic. The nature of the work resulted from policy decisions made by different authorities, and the ramifications culminated in unforeseen and challenging to execute procedures. This year, the volume of work and the pace have been manageable. Yet, I feel exhausted.

It’s been a year of ups and downs. The highs have been extraordinary, and the lows have been painful physically, mentally, and psychologically. I will not expand here. That’s why I have a journal. Suffice it to say even though I’m on-call over Christmas; I’m looking forward to a week of escaping.

What about 2023?

There’s a lot on the horizon at work next year. There will be significant changes, including changes in the organisation’s structure. There will also be new ways of working. I usually approach substantial changes with a good measure of cynicism and some scepticism and apply as much sarcasm as possible. At least I do this internally. The only time I can let loose with dark, cynical sarcasm is with some colleagues in my unpaid gig who have a similar dark outlook. I battle the inner Gary and go with the changes in my paid job.

Next year, I need a break and a change in thinking. If I review my approach to life through a SWOT analysis, I tend to find comfort in my strengths and monitoring threats. Next year needs to be about weaknesses and opportunities. This year I’ve seen how I can hurt and be hurt. I have regrets and need to make amends and be a better human.

Through another lens, like the outdated comprehensive approach[i] to emergency management, I like to live and work in “preparation” and “response”, and I tend to eschew “prevention” and “recovery”. Hats off to the people who relish recovery. That’s hard work.

Next year I need to think about prevention and recovery. That will mean more consultations with my general practitioner and heeding his advice more. I also plan to read more, go beyond the clarity of physical pathology, and explore psychological pathologies.

What about blogging?

This year, more than most, I’ve considered deleting my blogs. Some family members have asked me to remove and delete some references to them, considering privacy breaches that have occurred with some large companies in Australia. I’m grateful they are becoming more cybersecurity aware.

I’ve all but ceased to write in one blog, and I sustain Yummy Lummy and Random Yummy because of the interaction with people who read the posts. Yummy Lummy is for the weekly recipe, while Random Yummy will be for the short form of a weekday meal. That said, social interaction on social media is limited and limiting.

I still regard blogging as a hobby, and I need a hobby. We’ll see; I may post less frequently.

Recipe

I’m currently in a contrarian mood. Usually, at Christmas, I think about poultry and joints of meat plus custard and pavlova[ii]. This year my mind is feeling a little differently. I’m home alone and ate a seafood extravaganza last weekend. I plan to watch TV and relax with a simple meal.

One of the most viewed posts on this blog is one for leftover KFC casserole. It gets visited every month. I must have hit a search engine optimisation sweet spot with that post.

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2017      673211528125
2018389273449623761245826398
20191217248131318503754053290
2020551110301651961131491681501381221,307
20211681871981531411431832061741381051251,921
20221401741471271401411251341107274441,428
Views per month

I’m guessing during COVID-19, there was a lot more KFC being ordered and delivered during the period of restriction.

KFC Casserole views

Ingredients

  • Leftover KFC pieces. I use the breast pieces because they are usually tough and dry, and I figure stringy dry breasts could do with some extra moisture and slow tenderisation. Besides, I ate all the thigh pieces on Christmas eve. I’m very much a thigh person. I always have been.
    • Parsley. The parsley is for the garnish.
    • Portobello mushrooms[iii]. I like the big brown ones.
    • Green peppercorns. These peppercorns add a nice zing to the dish.
    • White wine. White wine helps. I think water would be fine. I’m guessing there would be friends who would prefer red wine.
    • Queensland nuts[iv]. We’ve discussed this before on the blog. Queensland nuts are native to southeast Queensland and found in northern New South Wales. The trees which grow the nuts are in the genus Macadamia. The genus contains at least three species. Hawaiians imported the nuts, and Americans popularised “macadamia” to avoid referencing Queensland.
    • Cream of chicken soup. A tin or packet of this soup is a time saver, so you can avoid making cream of chicken soup from scratch.
    • Celery. Slice roughly.
    • Celeriac. Dice roughly with a sharp meat cleaver.
    • Onion. Chopped or sliced.
    • Carrot. Diced into chunks.

    Instructions

    1. In a casserole or sturdy baking dish, place the leftover pieces of KFC.
    2. Add some roughly cut mushrooms. You could also use tinned champignons in butter.
    3. Toss in the celeriac, celery, carrot, and onion, and poke the vegetables between the pieces of KFC.
    4. Give the can of soup a vigorous shake and pour over the food in the casserole. Rinse out the can with a bit of white wine, and run that in too. You want to ensure the liquid gets about halfway up the side of the baking tray, so there is sufficient water to keep everything juicy and moist.
    5. Add in a couple of tablespoons of green peppercorns. These will add a nice zing to the dish, which seems fitting, although the KFC Zinger® is hardly spicy. I think I’ve only ever eaten one KFC burger.
    6. Once everything is in the casserole or baking tray, add a lid if it has one. If there is no lid, use some aluminium foil. Make sure it is a snug fit. Tight is better than loose. The aim is to avoid moisture loss which will leave the breasts dry.
    7. Place in a hot oven at 200 °C for one hour.
    8. After one hour, remove the lid, sprinkle on a little grated cheese, and then return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes without the cover.
    9. Once the cheese has become brown and crispy, remove the tray from the oven and allow the casserole some rest.
    10. Spoon the KFC casserole onto a dinner plate or into a shallow bowl and garnish with roughly chopped parsley.

    Variation

    • Depending on your circumstances, you can cook this a day or two before you plan to eat it. I’d stop at the adding cheese stage, transfer the casserole’s contents into an airtight container, and refrigerate it. When you reheat the food, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken breast meat. I aim for about 76 °C.
    • The flavours will intensify.

    In other news

    Twitter has suspended my Yummy Lummy account. I was updating the profile section and received a message that Twitter is for people older than 13. I’m attempting to appeal the suspension.

    With Facebook banning this blog and not permitting an appeal, it seems social media platforms aren’t happy with this blog.

    A tweet about lunch
    A Tweet about eating 2 L of ice cream

    Final thoughts

    1. How did you celebrate Christmas in terms of food? What will you be eating?
    2. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, did you do anything special? I’ve read that Jewish people eat takeaway Chinese food or eat in Chinese restaurants in some parts of the world.
    3. Do you want to share any reflections about your 2022? Feel free to add some words in the comments section of this post.
    4. Are there Christmas movies or TV you like to watch?

    Photographs

    Here is a gallery of photographs. You can click on one and scroll through them.

    Celeriac, carrot, and celery.
    Onion
    Queensland nuts
    Mushrooms
    21-piece “bucket” of KFC
    Christmas eve KFC and coleslaw
    Christmas eve KFC and coleslaw
    KFC Casserole before adding in the cream of chicken soup and green peppercorns.
    KFC Casserole after adding in the cream of chicken soup and green peppercorns.
    KFC Casserole (cooked) before the cheesy goodness.
    KFC Casserole for Christmas lunch
    KFC Casserole for Christmas lunch
    Eating Christmas lunch while watching Enterprise
    Christmas ice cream and granola dessert while watching Enterprise
    Christmas ice cream and granola dessert
    Images of my Christmas lunch and Christmas eve dinner

    Endnotes

    [i] https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/handbook-australian-emergency-management-arrangements/

    [ii] Mostly because my favourite Boxing Day breakfast is leftover pavlova. It feels naughty but at the same time, there’s usually fruit involved.

    [iii] Agaricus bisporus

    [iv] from the tree in the genus Macadamia.

    Christmas breakfast

    Pork ribs and noodles

    Posted by Gary

    Hello Reader,

    I had difficulty knowing if I’d write anything this week. I have had a busy week. When I wasn’t working, I was in contemplation and meditation. 2022 has been a big year. I’ve been journaling and processing. I find writing helps me think and develop answers to questions and problems.

    I’ve also been reading about specific health matters for personal rather than professional reasons. One of the best resources for evidence-based medicine is up-to-date.[i]

    Food and cooking were far from my thoughts for much of the week. It wasn’t until I looked back at one meal and thought I’d try a variation. On Wednesday night, I bought dinner and had pork ribs with slaw and hot chips. A mate from Darwin was visiting for a meeting he was attending, so we went to a local restaurant.

    Fenway Public House Pork ribs with slaw and chips

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Saucepan

    Ingredients

    • Pork ribs
    • Chinese five spice
    • Star anise
    • Sesame oil
    • Soy sauce
    • Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
    • Noodles
    • Vegetable stock
    • Fennel (diced)
    • Bok choi (chop the stems into small pieces)

    Instructions

    Pork

    1. Place the racks of ribs into the pressure cooker.
    2. Add the stock and spices over the pork.
    3. Add a splash of soy sauce.
    4. Cook under pressure for 45 minutes.
    5. Allow the pressure to reduce to atmospheric naturally.
    6. Remove the ribs and set them aside in a shallow tray or a bowl.
    7. Pass the cooking liquor through a sieve into a saucepan.

    Noodles

    1. Boil the cooking liquor.
    2. Put the noodles into a bowl and add the fennel and Bok choi stems.
    3. Pour the boiling cooking liquor over the noodles.

    Plating up

    1. Place a rack of ribs and Bok choi leaves over the noodles.
    2. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the ribs.

    Serving

    1. Give thanks to the Lord.
    2. Eat with chopsticks and a spoon.

    Final thoughts

    • Do you like pork ribs?
    • Do you have a preference for Asian style or non-Asian style pork ribs?
    • How has your week been?

    References

    [i] https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/uptodate/how-we-help

    Photographs

    Pork ribs
    Bok choi and fennel
    Bok choi leaves
    Cooked pork ribs
    Pork ribs and noodles
    Pork ribs and noodles
    Pork ribs and noodles
    Pork ribs and noodles
    Pork ribs bones

    Braised lamb and eggplant

    Posted by Gary

    Hello Reader,

    Last night I made a pumpkin and feta salad with some lamb.

    Tonight, I’m using the leftover lamb and extending it with some eggplant plus some older vegetables from my refrigerator. I will hopefully have enough food for dinners throughout the week. 

    Instead of a traditional slow braise, I’m using a pressure cooker. I like using my pressure cooker. As a kitchen appliance, it’s versatile and suits my needs.

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Frying pan

    Ingredients[i]

    • Lamb (leftover rolled boneless shoulder meat)
    • Gravy (leftover and made from the cooking juices of the lamb with roux)
    • Hot chips (leftover from Friday night’s chicken and chips dinner[ii])
    • Potato (diced)
    • Eggplant (diced with the skin left on)
    • Stock (leftover lamb cooking juices)
    • Red wine (to deglaze the fond from the frying pan)
    • Onion (old cut onion from the refrigerator)
    • Spring onion (cut roughly)
    • Celery (cut roughly)
    • Carrot (cut roughly)
    • Parsley (old and ready to be discarded)
    • Fennel (old and ready to be discarded)
    • Vegetable oil

    Instructions

    1. Add some vegetable oil to a hot frying pan and gently fry the meat to give it more colour. Remove the meat and add the “hot” chips, onion, spring onion, eggplant, celery, carrot, and fennel. Cook these vegetables until they caramelise, and leave some fond in the bottom of the frying pan.
    2. Deglaze the pan with a small quantity of red wine, whisky, or cooking sherry. It doesn’t matter. Water would also work, but I have wine, whisky, and sherry, so I may as well use it. 
    3. Transfer the contents of the frying pan to the pressure cooker.
    4. Add the meat, leftover gravy, and stock to the pressure cooker.
    5. Don’t forget to toss in the old parsley.
    6. Cook under pressure for 15 minutes[iii].
    7. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pressure cooker to reach atmospheric pressure naturally. The natural equilibration allows the flavours of the foods to combine longer and make this meal an equivalent of a slow braise in terms of flavours.
    8. Open the pressure cooker, and with a large spoon, aliquot the contents into separate containers for refrigeration.

    Serving suggestions

    • During the week, I’ll take a large spoonful of lamb and eggplant and serve it with noodles or rice. One night I might also place it on top of some sourdough bread and heat it in the oven.
    • I can mix various things with the lamb and eggplant each night to keep the meals enjoyable. I’ll work that out each night.
    • This approach gives me meals that can be quickly prepared when I get home from work.
    • If I’m using noodles or rice, I’ll heat the lamb and eggplant with microwave radiation. I know some readers eschew the use of microwave radiation; I’ve read limited evidence that this form of cooking can cause damage or harm to humans[1]. In my personal and not my professional opinion, I remain happy using microwave radiation for personal use.
    • While I’d generally try to spend more time each night on a meal, I’m currently unable to, so this approach is what it is. 
    • I hope you have a good week.

    References

    1. Michalak, J., et al., Effect of Microwave Heating on the Acrylamide Formation in Foods. Molecules, 2020. 25(18).

    Photographs

    Lamb
    Shoulder of lamb
    Lamb rubbed with curry powder
    Shoulder of lamb
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder with gravy
    Chicken with chips and gravy
    Chicken with chips and gravy
    Eggplant
    Braised lamb and eggplant
    Braised lamb and eggplant

    Endnotes

    [i] Many of the ingredients were ready to be discarded. Rather than waste them, I cooked them. This is why I like my pressure cooker. A pressure cooker can be used like an autoclave. An autoclave is used to sterilise things, like surgical equipment or media for growing microorganisms and for food. I was recently involved in a food incident involving poor food handling by a commercial catering company. It was a reminder to think about food safety. 

    [ii] Friday was a challenging day. I was mentally exhausted by the time evening came, so I decided to eat chicken and chips. Chicken from Coles. Chips from the fish shop. Gravy from a bottle. 😉

    [iii] Fifteen minutes is the standard duration for most autoclave cycles. The lamb has already been cooked, so it doesn’t need a longer cooking time. The eggplant only needs between 10 and 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes at standard pressure will kill bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, and parasites. It will also render all viruses incompetent. I try not to use the term kill for viruses because viruses are not alive. Viruses are mobile genetic elements. Viruses are either competent or incompetent.

    Roast pumpkin and feta salad

    Posted by Gary

    Hello Reader,

    I hope you are well. Summer has arrived, and it’s good knowing the next few months will be warmer.

    I hope you enjoy winter if you’re living in the northern hemisphere.

    Christmas is nearly upon us. Department stores will play Christmas carols, and the shop displays will be full of images depicting the smiling faces of children and adults. As you prepare for Christmas, I hope you will also be smiling.

    Shoulder of lamb

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • No specialised equipment is necessary for this recipe.

    Ingredients

    • Pumpkin (see instructions on how to prepare this)
    • Feta (crumbled between the tips of your fingers and thumb)
    • Walnuts (crush with a heavy metal implement, I use a coffee tamper)
    • Speck (cut into small pieces and fried in a bit of oil in a hot frying pan)
    • Pear (slice thinly with a mandolin, wear a glove to avoid cutting off the tips of your fingers)
    • Black peppercorns
    • Iodised rock salt
    • Rocket leaves (in other countries, this might be known as arugula)
    • Lime (use the zest and the juice)
    • Olive oil
    • Honey
    • Red onion (chopped coarsely)
    • Parsley (chopped)

    Instructions

    Pumpkin

    1. Cut a pumpkin into bite-sized chunks. I also leave the skin on for some extra fibre.
    2. Rub each chunk with some olive oil.
    3. Spread the pumpkin pieces across a baking sheet and then drizzle some honey and oil over each piece.
    4. Place the pumpkin into an oven and cook until the edges and corners of the pumpkin begin to change colour.
    5. Check the pumpkin is tender with the sharp end of a paring knife.
    6. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow it to cool on a bench.

    The salad

    1. Once the pumpkin has cooled, it’s just a matter of adding it and everything else into a large mixing bowl and gently tossing the salad.
    2. I’m happy dressing this with olive oil and maybe a little lime juice.
    3. Transfer some to a plate with some form of meat.
    4. Eat with a fork and gaze out the window.
    Pumpkin and feta salad

    Dinner plate

    I enjoyed this salad with lamb shoulder I’d cooked earlier in the afternoon. I dressed the lamb with gravy made from the cooking juices.

    Final thoughts

    • How do you feel about the elements in this salad? I know it may be a weird combination. Part of me was tempted to use gorgonzola instead of feta. I think blue cheese would be equally satisfying.
    • Are you a big fan of Christmas?
    • Would you eat this salad as a meal or have it with something else more substantial?

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of photographs

    Kent pumpkin cut into small pieces and rubbed with oil
    Pumpkin
    Kent pumpkin cut into small pieces and rubbed with oil cooked in a hot oven
    Pumpkin
    Pumpkin and feta salad
    Lamb
    Shoulder of lamb
    Lamb
    Shoulder of lamb
    Onion, carrot, and celery
    Onion, carrot, and celery
    Lamb rubbed with curry powder
    Shoulder of lamb
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder
    Rolled boneless lamb shoulder with gravy
    Pumpkin and feta salad with lamb and gravy
    Pumpkin and feta salad with lamb and gravy
    Pumpkin and feta salad with lamb and gravy
    Pumpkin and feta salad with lamb and gravy
    Magnum Ice Cream

    Compound butter

    Posted by Gary

    Hello reader,

    I thought I’d try making compound butter with my steak tonight. I’ve never made compound butter before, so I started with something simple. A butter made with spring onions and chives. Spring onions are called scallions and green onions in other parts of the world.

    As a child, we called them shallots.

    I am cooking the eye fillet steak underwater at 55 °C for 2 hours and 10 minutes.

    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on six pomegranate arils for Persephone.
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Six pomegranate arils for Persephone.

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Water heater circulator
    • Water bath
    • Butane torch
    • Mandolin
    • Food processor
    • Mortar and Pestle[i]

    Ingredients

    • Eye fillet steak
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Butter
    • Spring onions
    • Chives
    • Whisky[ii]
    • Fennel
    • Red onion
    • Radish
    • Parsley
    • Lemon juice
    • Olive oil

    Instructions

    Steak

    1. Season the steak with some salt and pepper.
    2. Place the steak into a plastic bag and vacuum seal the bag.
    3. Cook the steak in a water bath for 2 hours at 55 °C.
    4. Remove the bag and open it.
    5. Remove the steak and pat it dry.
    6. Heat a cast-iron pan and sear the steak.
    7. Place a disc of the compound butter on top of the steak. Apply the flame from a butane torch to melt the butter and sear the surface of the steak.
    8. Remove the steak from the cast-iron pan and allow it to rest.
    9. Keep the melted butter in the pan for later.

    Butter

    1. Bring the butter to room temperature.
    2. Finely slice the chives and spring onions.
    3. Place the chives and spring onions in a jar and add about 10 mL of whisky.
    4. Infuse the whisky into the herbs using a vacuum chamber and refrigerate the jar for a few hours.
    5. Remove the herbs and put them onto absorbent paper to remove as much moisture as possible.
    6. Put some whole peppercorns and rock salt into a mortar and pound with a pestle until the salt and pepper are coarse grinds.
    7. Process the butter, chives, and springs with the salt and pepper.
    8. Mould the butter in some plastic wrap and refrigerate the butter.
    9. When it’s time to use the butter, cut a disc about 1 cm thick and use it for the steak.

    Salad

    1. With a mandolin, slice some fennel, red onion, and radish.
    2. Chop some parsley.
    3. With the back of a cook’s knife, beat the arils out of a pomegranate.
    4. Be careful when you beat the arils out; the juice will spray and splatter, and it may stain your clothes and any bench tops.
    5. Mix a little lime juice and olive oil for a salad dressing.
    6. Toss the salad and season it with some salt to taste.
    Pomegranate
    Pomegranate SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600
    Pomegranate arils for lunch
    Pomegranate arils for lunch

    Plating up

    1. Slice the eye fillet steak with a sharp knife and lay the slices onto a warmed dinner plate.
    2. Spoon some salad next to the meat.
    3. Spoon the butter from the pan over the meat and drizzle a little over the salad.
    4. Give thanks to the Lord.
    5. Eat with a fork; the meat will be tender enough to make a knife redundant.

    Concluding thoughts

    Today was the first spring day warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt. It was a lovely day outside.

    This steak with salad was a fantastic meal for a warm night.

    [i] If you can’t remember the pestle and the mortar, remember you Pound with the Pestle.

    [ii] I used Johnnie Walker Black Label.

    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the salad.
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the cut surface of the steak.
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad. Focus on the cut surface of the steak.
    Sous vide eye fillet steak with compound butter and fennel salad