Menus and Grocery Lists, November 13, 2013

“November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.” 

Clyde Watson

It's not just the crust of the earth that sinks under the covers for a long winter's nap, it's most everything that rides upon it.  Hibernation. Some birds do it,  bees do it , mammals, reptiles and trees do it. 

(though squirrels may do it cutest.
But that's only because pikas don't hibernate.)

Even here in Texas, the breeze has stopped singing and the wind has started howling. Coats have come out of closets, grass has stopped growing, and the ravens convocate in nearly bare branches.  Even here, in a neighborhood where nature has been rigorously domesticated, the world outside is curling up for a long cozy rest. Against all Nature then, as the metabolism of the earth slows,  we Northern Hemispherian humans have begun our dash through the 8 busiest  weeks of the year. The Holidays are sparkly and charming a hundred different kinds of beautiful.  Yet it blips across the interior irony screen that just when schedules and personal inclination and all nature would dictate otherwise, it's time to start planning the most elaborate meals of the year.

This is not necessarily an only bad thing.
After all, the only thing better than pretty food 
is lots more pretty food.

And just when putting on the flannel jammies at the stroke of dark and cozying up to a simple bowl of soup starts sounding like the perfect evening, we start planning meals that are meant not only to nourish and nurture, but must be decorative and downright impressive. This guy, for instance, when asked to bring the ham,

Brought  an impressively dapper ham.

Unfortunately, this poor partygoer's hostess forgot to tell her
 that bringing an impressive salad dressing
was not the same as dressing like an impressive salad.

Like it or not, the Holidays are upon us my friends, and we shall accomplish the Holidays as we accomplish so many other things:

by dealing with one potential disaster at a time.

This week, that's going to mean saving any of my meager kitchen superpowers for the impending Meals when superpowers are needed most, and making the meals between those Meals dinners that are familiar, reliable, energizing, comforting, and above all, fast.

Here's what that may look like this week:

Wednesday: Brined Baked Chicken breast and salad

Not so long ago, three boneless skinless chicken breasts were sitting in the fridge, and I decided to throw them in the oven with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper. That would've been fine, if I'd never known how much more wonderful those dry, flavorless bits of protein would've been brined. This is not a thing to stress about- sometime about 2 hours or so before dinner, or even earlier, dissolve about 1/4 of salt in water, stir in about 1/4 cup of honey, add enough water to cover the chicken, then add the chicken. Now go get distracted with the hundred other things you have to get done and forget about dinner.  About 30 minutes before you want to eat, cook that chicken however you want to. Bake it at about 350 for about 30 or 40 minutes, pan fry it, grill it, george foreman it, cut it up and saute it- really, whatever you want. I want some sliced chicken later in the week, so I'll be baking the breasts whole. Now open a bag of salad. Dinner's done. I'll be cooking enough of these to contribute to two more dinners.


Thursday: Spaghetti with red sauce and sauteed vegetables

The biggest batch of red sauce that I can fit in a pot or crock pot will be bubbling away all day, and will have a part in three of this week's meals. This is one of the most amazing and versatile recipes in my arsenal: canned tomatoes simmer with a halved tomato and some butter until the tomatoes have fallen apart and the sauce is thick. That's all. The rich and uncomplicated flavor of this sauce means that it can be transformed easily into everything from lasagna to salad dressing. The only hard part is giving it the time it needs to thicken. A crockpot with a spatter screen as a lid, or the real lid, tilted just enough to let out some steam should allow it to simmer down safely whether or not I can be around the house all afternoon.

There's a link to your left to an Epicurious recipe, but you don't need it. You just need some of last night's red sauce, a drained can of kidney beans, some frozen or fresh veggies (green beans, carrots, celery, zuchinni) some chicken or beef broth and a pasta (any pasta that makes you smile is perfect. I'll be using tortellini). Boil the pasta separately while everything else gets to know each other in the soup pot, spoon a little pasta in a bowl and ladle the soup on top of the pasta. Need some meat? Throw in some good quality frozen meatballs or slices of smoked sausage.  And I'll just bet some of you will find a way to warm up a loaf of garlic bread.

Saturday: Chicken Panini and Tomato Basil soup

The leftover chicken will be sliced thin and tender and grilled together with some cheese and dressing. That fabulous red sauce? Put some of it in a pot, add enough cream, half and half or evaporated milk to make it soupy, add some fresh basil and heat. Try not to let it boil, ok? that'll make the milk go all grainy looking.  

Sunday: White chicken chili 

The last of the chicken becomes a delicious white bean chili. This super simple recipe was the best chicken chili recipe I found last winter; if you're wishing for some cornbread, try this recent discovery. It uses browned butter, and that one change from the usual gives this recipe an enormous flavor boost.  I found a bag of gluten free flour at Costco last week and I may see if that works in this recipe. 

One never knows, with a week of speedy recipes, it's possible that there'll be time to make a few of those Pinterest candle holders, or a wreath made of leaves and Christmas lights, or a batch of gingerbread cookies, or little turkeys made from chocolate, or mailing a package, or a load of laundry or maybe even a nice hour long hibernation with a hot cup of coffee and a warm book. 

I hope you find a moment this week

for a mild hibernation.

I hope you find a way

to make a quiet space in the midst 

of all kinds of crazy.

I hope you find a way to breathe in rest

and breathe out peace.

And I hope that all of those who come into

your world in these next weeks

are those with whom you can gladly

share your repose.