Sunday, June 08, 2008

Weekend Recap!

Here's what my weekend looked like:

Saturday
  • Coffee until the early hours of the afternoon. Nick went to a friend's house to do some computer work and watch a few episodes of Battlestar Gallactica. while he was gone, I cleaned the apartment. Nick says he didn't recognize the place when he came home. Score one for Team Kim.
  • Dinner was Orange Chicken made by Nick. Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Marinade:
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Sauce:
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon chile paste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 slice ginger, minced
  • Oil for stir-frying, as needed

PREPARATION:

Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, and add the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce ingredients and the garlic and ginger.

Heat the wok and add oil.

When oil is ready, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic.

Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color. Push up to the sides of the wok, making a well in the middle. Add the sauce.

Combine the sauce and the chicken. Stir-fry for another minute and serve hot.

*Nick doubled the sauce and added sliced onion, broccoli and sugar snap peas.

Sunday
  • Woke up at 10:30am - thought "1030's not too bad..."
  • Breakfast of "Montana Mess" - hashed browns, bacon, green onions, cheese. Topped with salsa and sour cream. Yum.
  • Errands. Found a cat bed for Cricket and some shirts for Nick. Tried to find lingerie for my friend's bachelorette party, but the boutique I visited was lame. Macy's, perhaps? Also went grocery shopping for dinner.
  • Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs made from scratch. This is a favorite recipe from a cookbook I received for Christmas this last year. I've made it a few times, and it seems to get better every time I make it! Recipe:
MEATBALLS:

2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces.
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 T minced fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
1 small garlic clove, minced
3/4 t salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-1 1/2 C vegetable oil for pan frying

SAUCE:

2 T olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 T minced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
freshly grated parmesan for serving

1. For the meatballs: Combine the bread and buttermilk in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, mashing occasionally with a fork, until a smooth paste forms.
2. Place the ground meat, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the bread mixture and combine until evenly mixed. Shape 3 T of the mixture into a 1 1/2 inch ball. (when forming meatballs, use a light touch. If you compact the meatballs too much, they can become too dense.) You should be able to form about 14 meatballs*
3. Pour the vegetable oil into a 10 or 11 inch saute pan to a depth of 1/4 inch. Turn the heat to medium high. After several minutes test the oil with the edge of a meatball. If the oil sizzles, add the meatballs in a single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.** Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Bring four quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
5. For the sauce: Discard the oil in the pan, but leave behind any browned bits. (my "bits" are usually pretty black at this point, but still delicious for the sauce...) Add the olive oil and garlic; saute, scraping up the browned bits, just until the garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat until the pasta is cooked.
6. Drain the pasta and toss with olive oil to keep from clumping. Serve sauce and meatballs over pasta with freshly grated cheese for garnish.

*I make larger meatballs, so only get about 8, per this recipe.
**I leave the meatballs sitting for about 10 minutes before I turn them. I make sure the meat has a nice crust on the bottom before turning, as this keeps them from falling apart. Usually one turn is enough to cook through if you follow this.

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