We’ve all been there. I know I have. I seem to have a problem cooking for two (or, let’s be honest, however many I’m cooking for) and we always end up with leftovers.
Good. I don’t mind.
There’s something so satisfying about making yesterday’s dinner into a totally new creation.
Are you with me? Or are you squinching up your nose in disgust?
Let me convince you with a few ideas for what to do with some of the meals you might be preparing right now, with our in season produce.
So now dinner’s over and they’re sitting in your freezer, turning into a solid brick of unrecognizable something, waiting for inspiration to hit.
Right?
Well, do you have eggs? Milk? Cheese maybe? Salt and pepper? Of course you have salt and pepper…. This is gon’ be easy. We’re making a frittata.
You could add more veggies. You could chop up some fresh veggies too, saute them for a few minutes first, then the softness will be on par with the already cooked ones. Same deal with the Massaged Kale Salad that you have leftover (you’ve tried this, right?!). Basically, we’re making a Spring Frittata. Don’t forget the spring herbs are bursting with flavor right now, so add them liberally to the frittata, before you pop it into the oven and when you’re serving.
If you’re not in the mood for a frittata, that’s cool. You could take all of the same containers of leftovers and toss them with some vegetable stock and make a soup. Add the herbs too. Done. There’s dinner. (Or toss the asparagus and radishes with some pasta or rice, chop up some leftover chicken and you’ve got a great one dish dinner.)
Next, let’s talk about those Radish and Feta Toasts that I made a while ago. I hope that you took my advice and served the leftovers wrapped up in a tortilla (or a pita, hello!). I think I ate this two days in a row. I couldn’t get enough.
Maybe you made some Summer Chili, but don’t want to eat it the exact same way a second or third time. I mean, I’m almost always in the mood for chili, especially if there’s cornbread. Buuuut then one day I plomped the chili onto some Crispy Potatoes (also leftovers – re-heat in the toaster oven in tin foil until hot) and magic happened (uh, not for real, but it seemed like magic). It became Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese.
Also, this Summer Chili, one of my all-time favorites. So good so good soooo gooooood.
You could also use the leftover chili on some of these Twice Baked Potatoes – mix it in, or just add it after they’re baked. You could also chop up the leftover potatoes and add some veggie stock and make soup.
My answer to leftovers is almost always to make soup. But, I’ve branched out for your sake. Do you like soup as much as I do? You don’t have to answer that.
There are enough meals here to feed you for a week.
You might have leftovers of your reinvented meals… it happens.
Ahem, I don’t know if there will actually be shenanigans for my birthday. I do, however, hope that there will be steak.
Tim’s taking me out for dinner at our favorite French restaurant (um, favorite non-France French restaurant – I love that I can say that). The last time we were there was about a year ago. We went to celebrate buying our tickets to go to Paris. Now Paris has come and gone (although I think about it all the time) and it seems like my birthday is a fitting time to frequent this lovely eatery again. Last time, there was steak. There were also escargots (not me, him). I haven’t had steak in a while. I think it’s time.
Oooh, maybe I’ll request some ice cream from Quenelle too… Mmmm favorite.
I refuse to work today, so I’m typing this on birthday eve, with the windows open to a most glorious spring day. I’m grateful for things like that – windows and a breeze. Our old apartment was very dark, so being in our new home feels very light and refreshing.
This year, as I turn 33, I’m thankful for the family and friends that I have been blessed to spend these years with. You know who you are… I love ya.
Have you ever been to a place where words flow with such ease, where beauty lies in more than art – in architecture, as well as Monet. Where sitting at a crowded café, the air filled with whisps of French can bring you to tears?
We came for the food, but found so much more. But it wasn’t just the art, the culture, the fashion… it was the people. The vieille femme who came into Au Bon Coin every time we were there, with her sweet dog Pom. She is now a friend of ours, even if we can’t pronounce her name. The man at the antique store who complimented us on our taste when we chose 5 tiny art nouveau cups, who said we recognized something good. We conversed in French, me translating uncertainly to Tim, the man, adding a few words of broken English. He is now a friend. The girl at Le Brio who explained the entire menu in English, because she wanted to be sure we understood. Another amie.
It was the jeune homme on the metro who gave up his seat to an older woman. The jeune who came on to our train to play a song for a few coins. They made an impression.
We came for the food, and were not disappointed. But, it was the people who captured our hearts.
How dare we leave?
* * * * *
I wrote that as we were packing to leave. Fighting the tears, as I had been the past few days, at the thought of leaving our Paris.
* * * * *
For the last Paris post, some of our favorite things.
We were in awe of the amazing architecture. Not an ugly building in sight.
We laughed a lot.
We walked for miles and miles along those cobblestone streets. They’re not the easiest streets to walk on, but they’re the prettiest I’ve ever seen.
Le metro. The best way to get around. We were old pros at it by the end of our three weeks. We even got asked for help by someone trying to buy tickets. Yeah, we looked Parisian (or so we like to pretend).
The Eiffel Tower. What a magnifique sight. It was hard to say goodbye.
The baguettes and the pain au chocolate. I suspect that if you searched the world over, there’d be none that could compare.
Learning how to make Parisian food. I had such a fun time taking cooking classes at Cook’n With Class.
Seeing movies set in Paris IN Paris.
Au Bon Coin. Our little corner of Paris. I will be forever missing the people, the food, and the atmosphere of this fabulous bistro.
The price of wine – cheaper than most other beverages on the menu (um, except for the time that we tried to eat at a restaurant that was selling a €6,000 bottle of champagne… we left soon after seeing that).
The sound of French being spoken all around us. In the third week of our trip I finally felt like I was able to understand more of what I was hearing.
Au revoir, notre chère Paris, ravis de vous avoir rencontre. Jusqu’à la prochaine fois.
We require a lot of food, as humans. Don’t we? I’m glad we do. If we didn’t, I’d be out of a job. And I love to eat. Love love love to eat. But, food requires cooking, which requires time, ingredients, money… you know, stuff we all have tons of. So what if we tried to save on all of these things and cook just once a month?
Wait! I don’t mean cook once a month and eat out the rest of the time. Silly. You didn’t think that’s what I meant, did you? I meant cook once a month to make aaaaaaall the meals for the month.
Could you do it?
To be honest, I don’t know if I could. I enjoy cooking too much and I’d feel like I was missing out.
Reasons why this is a good idea.
1. You would work hard for a day or two (we’re talking full days of cooking), but your evenings for the rest of the month would be easy breezy.
2. I wonder if you’d save money by doing this. You’d grocery shop once for all the big stuff (or twice if you’d rather cook twice a month and do two week stints), then leave a small budget for the extras (milk, eggs, honey, etc). This would eliminate the common groceryshopaholic syndrome*, with the symptoms being: going to the store every day, shopping while starving, not sure what you’re going to make for dinner so you buy too much.
3. You’d produce a lot less wasted food. You would know how many portions a meal will make so you can properly plan and won’t have to throw out as many leftovers.
4. If you have unexpected guests for dinner, no problem, you’ve got two lasagnas in the freezer. (That was a bonus. We were just thinking about feeding your family. Now you can be all “Oh ya, dinner tonight at our place? No problem. I’ll just throw something quick together.” And then you present a lasagna, homemade by your own two hands… three weeks ago… shhhh they don’t need to know that last part.)
You’re gonna need some supplies.
freezer safe food storage containers
tin foil
parchment paper
freezer bags
a sharpie
tape
baking pans
baking sheets
Freezer safe food storage containers – Plastic or glass work for me. Use what you prefer. If you have a plastic brand that you like and are willing to part with them, you can use them to give a meal to someone who has just had a baby/hospital stay/tough time/death in the family… and they don’t have to worry about returning it and finding the lid that matches with it. (If you can’t part with it, just write your name on it and hope that they return it. 😉 )
Tin Foil – To cover the tops of those casseroles in the freezer and in the oven. If you like to put plastic wrap under the tin foil, don’t forget to remove it before baking (maybe leave yourself a little note – even if it seems silly, there’s almost nothing worse than baking up your perfect lasagna only to find that you’ve accidentally baked the plastic in… ok, there’s a lot worse than that… you know what I mean).
Parchment Paper – This goes between raw hamburger patties to prevent them from sticking together. Of course you can also go the “freeze on a baking sheet first” route. That’s fine with me. But then you have to take them off the baking sheet and wash the baking sheet and I’d rather be done a long time ago and on the couch watching Veronica Mars something educational and important.
Freezer Bags – Great for storing liquids. They will save you tons of space. Just be sure there are no holes and that the bag is completely sealed before storing (unless you had been planning to clean your freezer, like now, or didn’t really like the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup that you spent hours making).
Sharpies and Tape – Your labeling system. I like to write on the tape: what the contents are, the date they were prepared, and sometimes how much is in there and when/who they are for. It’s also good to note thawing/cooking time and baking temp, so you don’t have to look it up.
Baking Pans – Disposable ones can be given away. They also don’t use up your cute Le Creuset or Pyrex baking dishes. (Plus, bonus, you don’t risk shattering your glassware in the oven – on that note, I’m wary about putting a glass or ceramic dish that’s just come from the fridge or freezer into a hot oven. When they go from hot to cold (or vice versa) too quickly it’s called thermal shock and the pan could shatter. Could. No guarantees that it will or won’t, just something to be aware of.)
Baking Sheets – Some like to freeze fruits, veggies, burgers, cookies… etc, on a baking sheet before placing in a bag or container.
You’re gonna need to plan your menu.
You read parts 1, 2, and 3 of my menu planning tips series. Right? If not, take a few minutes after you read this to read those. They will help with the planning. (You’re welcome. And I love you too.)
What types of meals do you want? Breakfasts, lunches, dinners? Here are some ideas for all three:
Breakfasts
breakfast burritos (cooked and assembled except for things like salsa and yogurt)
Anyone want to give it a try? If you do, let us know how it worked for you! Maybe you have some tips and suggestions. Feel free to leave them in the comments section so everyone can benefit from what you’ve learned.
If you want to make it a little more interesting, I’ve heard of people doing this and I think it could be fun: Invite 7 friends to do a meal swap. Each person finds and prepares 4 great recipes (multiplying each one times 8, because you’re keeping one for yourself). Make some space in your freezer, and get together to swap your delicious meals. Now you’re set for a month.)
Ready? Let’s cook!
*This is not a real syndrome. I made it up. Just want that to be clear. Ok. Phew. Now that that’s out of the way…
While we were in Paris we ate out a lot. We had Boeuf Bourguignon, Roast Beef and Potatoes, and Chicken and Rice. We ate baguettes, croissants, and pain au chocolate. It was pretty much the best ever. Ever ever ever.
Tim really wanted me to take some cooking classes while we were there. We found a little school about a 15 minute walk from our Montmartre flat called Cook’n With Class. Know what makes the best vacation even better? When you can (somewhat) duplicate the foods when you return home.
The first class that I took was a baking class with Chef Emmanuelle. She’s a great teacher. She made the class fun and comfortable, and made the recipes seem possible (I had had the impression that French baking was impossible – I now know that I was wrong).
She taught us how to make pain au chocolate (which I’ve decided was better than any that we bought at the patisseries or boulangeries in Paris). They were incredible and surprisingly easy to make (easy being relative though – we’re still baking).
We made a strudel avec des pommes (apple strudel). Oh so divine. I got to braid it. Yeah, I know. I felt pretty cool doing it.
And then… the croissants. Once again, not as difficult as I’d imagined they’d be. They’re next on my list of Paris foods to make. I have pounds and pounds of butter in the fridge just waiting. I’m not sure how many croissants I ate in Paris. Too many to count. I’ve had one since we returned. It was meh. I’m sure that even the ones I make won’t be quite the same.
We also made pain aux raisins, which is like a raisin bread with a custardy filling and an apricot glaze.
I’ll take two, please.
At Cook’n With Class they were happy to have Tim come by to taste the food we’d made. And they even let our German friends (who came to visit us) try some. Since Tim didn’t take the classes with me, it was special to be able to share what I’d made with him.
We got to take home the leftovers too.
I really want one many pain au chocolate right now.
The second class that I took was the Evening Market Class with Chef Patrick. He is a world class chef. Wow. So talented. We put vanilla beans in mashed potatoes (mind blown), we crushed coriander by hand, and we stuffed cherry tomatoes with spices and torn basil leaves.
This class was really cool. We met at a nearby metro stop and then walked over to some of the market streets. We bought most of the ingredients for our four course dinner. The first course was (I’m totally sighing as I write this because I can’t stand that I’m not eating this right NOW!) Duck Magret with Sweet Wine “Jus”with Sautéed and Caramelized Pears with a salad that had a delicious vinaigrette.
The second course was Fish Fillets with Dijon Mustard Sauce with Herbs, Sweet Red Chili and Basil Slow-Baked Tomatoes, Vanilla Mashed Potatoes, and Peas.
Chef Patrick asked if anyone wanted to learn how to skin the fish. Fish that he’d just chosen from the fishmonger an hour earlier. I tried. You guys, it’s way harder than it looked!
Since people in the class knew that I had some experience with cooking, I got volunteered to help a few times. I didn’t mind. I pretended that I knew what I was doing. My jobs were to plate the tomatoes (that we all seasoned and stuffed), to watch the potatoes, and when they were done, to add the cream and butter. (Um, I added a lot – I was kinda expecting him to tell me when to stop. He didn’t. Cool. I like butter and cream. I think I added just the right amount.)
And then there was dessert. I’m so not a sweets person. This Lava Cake was insane. There’s some serious gooey goodness going on there. Another on my ever lengthening list of things I must make from Paris.
In Paris you get to eat cheese after dessert. No matter that we were incredibly full after the first three courses (I didn’t just try things, I ate everything). It was time for cheese and more wine. (We drank a lot of wine in Paris. It was often the cheapest beverage on the menu.)
I can’t remember the names of the cheeses. I do know that one was a brie, there was a goat cheese, a super aged something or other, a roquefort (I think), and a something else. They were arranged in order of stinkiness.
The class lasted for about 6 hours. Tim had bought a dinner ticket, so he joined us right before we started eating. We walked home late that night, hoping that we’d be hungry in the morning, since I had my French Bread Making Class coming up.
Chef Alex taught this, my last class. It was just a few days before we were to leave. I’d had probably a baguette a day, maybe more. I was ready to make my own.
They were much more difficult than I’d imagined they’d be. I figured that I’d made bread before and I’d be pretty good at it.
Nope.
No expert here.
I mean, they turned out great. But, that was because Alex would come over and ask what I was doing and then tell me what I was actually supposed to be doing. I got it, eventually, and we successfully made real French baguettes. Best food ever.
Tim was once again invited to taste the treats we’d prepared. In addition to the baguettes, we made two kinds of brioche (rolls and a braided loaf)‚ fougasse(focaccia), and these rolls that were made with a Beaujolais wine (the worst wine to drink, but it made for a yummy bread), sausage, and nuts. And of course there was wine and cheese to go with it. Even though we’d eaten a huge meal the night before we had room for plenty of bread.
One of the things that I miss the most about Paris: the baguettes. Big surprise. For Christmas Tim gave me a kitchen scale (it was suggested that I have one before trying to bake on my own). A few weeks ago I was finally able to make real French baguettes at home. Ok, kinda real. They weren’t the same, but they were pretty good.
So, friends, if you’re ever in Paris (and I really hope you are), I’d definitely recommend taking a cooking class from my friends at Cook’n With Class. What a fun and delicious experience it was.
They were kind enough to allow me to share their baguette recipe with you. Some of the instructions make more sense after you’ve taken a class. If that’s the case, um, they’re located at 6 rue Baudelique 75018 Paris, France. 😉
2 1/4 pounds / 1 kg all purpose flour or bread flour
1 1/2 pounds /650 to 700 g of water, cold from tap (distilled is better)
1/2 oz /16 g of dry yeast OR 1oz/ 32 grams of fresh yeast
2/3 oz or 22 g fine sea salt
Instructions
In a stand-up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add flour, then water. Mix 30 seconds just to combine the ingredients. (You can also by hand use the dough hook to stir the flour and water together until all of the flour is wet). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolysis). In these 30 minutes the flour will slowly absorb the water.
Now using the dough hook. Start on medium speed and add slowly the yeast, then the salt. Keep mixing for about 5 minutes on medium low speed, let rest 10 minutes and then mix again on high for 5 minutes to develop the gluten. The dough is done when a small piece can be stretched so thin you can see your fingers through it. (This is called the windowpane test). The dough should be very smooth and should not be any warmer than 27C /80F.
Let the dough rest, covered, for about 1 hour at room temperature. If the room is too hot place the dough in the fridge, always covered.
Optional but well worth the effort: Turn the dough over onto itself every 15 minutes during the hour that it rests or just until it becomes to elastic to stretch, this technique will help develop fantastic air pockets in the dough. Slap the dough onto the table a few times, then place in large plastic container 30cm x 40cm lightly greased with vegetable oil. Cover with lightly oiled film, place in the fridge for 14 to 16 hours.
Take the dough out of the fridge and gently place it on a floured table. Divide into 6 rectangular pieces. Keep the sticky side facing up and gently fold the dough a third of the way down your rectangle, do this by pulling the dough over your thumb as to not push all the air out of the dough. Then by using the piano fingers technique spread the dough laterally while also pushing forward you are trying to form a tighter skin around the dough to trap the air. Repeat this a couple of times, then using your thumbs, seal the dough to itself, forming a seam. Place these pre-formed baguettes on a tray covered by a tea towel until they are about 50% larger, This will take roughly 1/2 hour for this rising.) During this next phase you will try to save as much air pockets as possible. If you’re too rough the dough will deflate and the crumb will be more dense and even. Shape each piece into a baguette by placing each pre-formed baguette onto a lightly floured surface the sticky side up and repeating the folding steps noted above create the seal by pinching the seal onto the bench with your thumbs. Gently roll the baguette with your hands to achieve the final baguette shape. Place each baguette on a baking sheet lined with parchment and then lightly floured. Gently roll the formed baguettes onto the baguette baking trays seam side down, then cover again until about 50% larger than they were… maybe doubled.
Place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 475F (250C) degrees.
Using a razor or sharp knife make 1/4 inch deep, diagonal slashes, 3 to 4 times down the length of the loaf. (for a half baguette) 6 to 7 for a full baguette) do this by holding the end of the baguette with one hand, and with the other hand, make quick slashes along the length of the baguette. Pour about 1/4 of a cup of water in the pan in the bottom of the oven, and place baguettes in the oven, working quickly vaporize the oven and generously vaporize the baguettes with a spray bottle. Quickly close the as not to lose too much heat. Keep making steam for the first 10 minutes to help developing a nice thick crust. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes until browned.
You can use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness. The bread should have an internal temperature of 200F/93C degrees when done. When the bread is cooked it sounds hollow when you tap it.
