What Are You Chef-ing Tonight, Dr?

johnmitchell

Fantastic cooks as usual 👏👏

johnmitchell

@GrateEggspectations. Circled back twice to your soup post. As winter approaches we love a soup dinner. Yours looks and sounds absolutely amazing 😋Great post and pics👍

Botch

GrateEggspectations said:

That looks great, @botch. Just because I’m curious re: broccolini doneness, what’s your M.O. for stir frying? Do you generally try to time the addition of each from toughest to softest?

Yes.  In a lot of the stir-fry videos they cook the protein first, remove, then the harder veg, remove, etc then warm it all back up together at the end; since I'm cooking just for one, I just keep adding things, hopefully in the right order.  

GrateEggspectations

@johnmitchell

Thanks John. That’s really kind. Retirement means more available cook time for you!

Mine was loosely based on this, but with a lot of vegetable additions and substitutions:

“Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup

First off, let’s talk about how this Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup is basically a hug in a bowl. It’s the kind of meal that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, perfect for those days when you need a little extra comfort. And the best part? It’s ridiculously easy to make, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time cozying up with your favorite blanket.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the oil: In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
2. Brown the chicken: Add the diced chicken to the pot and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pot to ensure even browning.
3. Sauté the veggies: Toss in the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the veggies start to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Simmer the soup: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Tip: Simmering helps the flavors meld together beautifully.
5. Add the cream: Stir in the heavy cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the soup warm through for another 5 minutes.
6. Throw in the peas: Add the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes just until they’re bright green and tender. Tip: Frozen peas are a great time-saver and they retain their sweetness and color perfectly.
7. Finish with cheese: Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring until it’s melted and the soup is creamy.

This soup turns out luxuriously creamy with a rich, savory flavor that’s balanced by the sweetness of the peas and carrots. Serve it with a crusty piece of bread for dipping, or go all out and top it with extra Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh herbs for a little extra flair.”

 

GrateEggspectations

Botch said:

GrateEggspectations said:

That looks great, @botch. Just because I’m curious re: broccolini doneness, what’s your M.O. for stir frying? Do you generally try to time the addition of each from toughest to softest?

Yes.  In a lot of the stir-fry videos they cook the protein first, remove, then the harder veg, remove, etc then warm it all back up together at the end; since I'm cooking just for one, I just keep adding things, hopefully in the right order.  

I usually cook and remove the protein, but do everything else sequentially on the basis of texture. It’s always a bit of a guessing game, but generally works out great. 

fishlessman

Cheffed up some canned raisin bread....it's a treat         

GrateEggspectations

fishlessman said:

Cheffed up some canned raisin bread....it's a treat         

TIL that canned raisin bread was a thing. 

kl8ton

Triple batch. Pepper Stout beef.

GrateEggspectations

@kl8ton

Mouth is watering over here. Great bark. 

zaphod

I have only one guinness left. then I am at the mercy of the union strike action before I get more ...

johnmitchell

@kl8ton. That looks fantastic 😋 What’s in the Amazon box? Anything I might need😉😂

kl8ton

johnmitchell said:

@kl8ton. That looks fantastic 😋 What’s in the Amazon box? Anything I might need😉😂

I think presents for my 5 year old nephew. Sorry.

lkapigian

Since my popper thread is in OT this started in 2017 

8 years and running thread😆. My 2025 submission, to lazy to do individual strands, so wrapped and scored ( 2 part cook )

Ozzie_Isaac

lkapigian said:

Since my popper thread is in OT this started in 2017 

8 years and running thread😆. My 2025 submission, to lazy to do individual strands, so wrapped and scored ( 2 part cook )

Googly eyes make everything better!

fishlessman

New England style chop suey.                                           

johnmitchell

@fishlessman. Man I bet that was delicious 😋😋

Paolo

Smoked this nice piece of Sirloin for our Sunday lunch.
I'm still getting "failed to upload" on most of my pics. Very frustrating

lousubcap

^^^^ Yes, sir.  That is living large for lunch!

GrateEggspectations

I’d buy a plane ticket for that lunch, @Paolo.

johnmitchell

@Paolo. Top notch sir 😋

zaphod

My wife is out to dinner with friends and it's been pouring rain for days so I did an easy wok dinner on the egg for the kids and I.

First was a stir fry, but based on recent comments from @botch and @GrateEggspectations I did the protein (tofu) first with a mushroom sauce, removed it and put to one side. Then I did the rest (water chestnuts, baby corn, zucchini, peppers, onion) with Tamari soy sauce, adding the protein back for a bit.

Sided this with some jasmine rice I tossed in the wok with frozen peas. Not fried rice, just used the wok because it was there and I want to mix some peas into the rice for colour. Or roundness. Something.

 

As a grad student I lived with all my meals coming out of the wok for years. Dropped away from that, but really enjoying getting back to it with the egg.

Paolo

lousubcap said:

^^^^ Yes, sir.  That is living large for lunch!

Sunday lunch is the big one in our country!

Paolo

GrateEggspectations said:

I’d buy a plane ticket for that lunch, @Paolo.

I'd be ready to pick you up at the airport, I work there btw

GrateEggspectations

Nice cook, @zaphod. We often do fried tofu (salt, pepper, cornstarch).Love getting it crispy!

MasterC

Reverse seared cast iron skillet in bacon fat.

GrateEggspectations

Paolo said:

GrateEggspectations said:

I’d buy a plane ticket for that lunch, @Paolo.

I'd be ready to pick you up at the airport, I work there btw

That’s a generous but reckless offer! My wife and I often talk about going back to Rome. 

paqman

paqman

lousubcap

There's always one of the rib bones that likes to go rogue!  Sweet pate right there.
Edit: Love beef ribs, they beat their pork cousins every time!

kl8ton

lousubcap said:

There's always one of the rib bones that likes to go rogue!

I hit that agree. This one seems more pronounced than usual.