MetaChat - I just had an AWESOME dinner.

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17 February 2009

I just had an AWESOME dinner. →[More:]
I marinated some chicken breast slices in a mix of lemon zest & juice, olive oil, garlic and a blend of spices I put together myself, ground up into a powder - dried rosemary, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek, a little cumin seed ...

I grilled the chicken on a ridged griddle, along with a red pepper, and served it with salad (and ranch dressing, of course).

But best of all - I MADE TORTILLAS!!!

There was a recipe in the Metro this morning. It was unbelievably easy.

Tortilla Recipe

Mix 150ml water, 250g plain white flour and 5g salt. Knead until smooth, then cover.

Rest for about 30min (it relaxes gluten).

Next, divide into eight. Shape them into rounds (balls), then roll each to 2-3mm thickness. Place frying pan on medium heat.

When hot, cook for half a minute until brown patches form, then turn over. Repeat with next one. Wrap them together in a tea towel to hold steam. Makes eight.

What are you having for dinner?

post by: essexjan at: 14:59 | 17 comments

Corn tortillas are also ridiculously easy to make and, IMO, much tastier. You've just got to get your hands on some masa harina and you're good to go.

Don't know what's for dinner yet. Something easy. Probably pasta and some braised turnips from the farmers' market.

posted by mudpuppie 17 February | 15:09

That sounds yummalacious!

posted by jason's_planet 17 February | 15:17

I did a home stay once in a Mayan village in the Yucatan during grad school. The focus of my experience was home life of the women, and we spent a ton of time in front of the fire making corn tortillas on a steel plate resting on the coals. Even though I have easy access to masa harina now, I'm just flat out spoiled. They ground their own masa after prepping the corn with lime and water. Nothing tastes as good as those tortillas did.

Jan, your chicken sounds fantastic.

I don't know what I'll have for dinner.

posted by Stewriffic 17 February | 15:22

We're headed to the store in a bit for some groceries... probably something frozen on the menu for supper tonight, but plans to cook in the coming days (including the second of those lovely steaks you brought!).

posted by Pips 17 February | 15:31

I just had a good lunch from last night's dinner of pasta with spinach, caramelized onions, garlic, spices, and goat cheese.

Tonight is date night and we are making a veggie version of Welsh rarebit, which neither of us has had before. I have to stop by the market on my way home from work and get a bunch of ingredients.

posted by rmless2 17 February | 15:34

I made beef stew... It wuz good, I ate too much, I'm so stuffed.

posted by taz 17 February | 15:37

Toasted cheese sandwiches, made with ciabata bread and extra sharp Irish cheddar. Mmmm, can't wait.

posted by trinity8-director 17 February | 19:10

Yumm, that all sounds so good. The other half is at home plodding through a tomato soup recipe while I'm in class. Grilled cheese sammiches will be hot when I gt home, and hopefully there will be more soup in the pot than on the floor.

posted by rhapsodie 17 February | 21:26

Leftover chickpea, carrot, and sweet potato curry over rice.

I had a similar epiphany recently the night I learned to make naan bread. It was ridiculously easy - just came together like that, cooked up in a pan, lickety split. Yum!

posted by Miko 17 February | 21:34

Chicken chipotle soup with potato and hominy. NOM. there was cilantro

posted by gaspode 17 February | 22:31

Can I ask a DIY corn tortilla question? I've read that Masa Harina is corn (maize) and lime. Is that lime, the citrus fruit, or lime, calcium oxide? Just curious, yet it's apparently so self-evident that nobody actually specifies.

Mac 'n Cheese casserole and brussels sprouts for dinner here. It's cold and rainy.

Welsh Rarebit: I grew up with a family dish called "Woodstock", which was basically welsh rarebit (cheese sauce on toast) with fried Chow Mein Noodles from a tin and hardboiled egg with celery slices. Mmm... midwestern food.

posted by Triode 17 February | 22:40

My understanding is that it's lime, of the calcium type, the stuff you use in cement. My understanding is that its purpose is to break down the tough starchy walls of the corn hulls. I've never started from that close to scratch, though!

posted by Miko 17 February | 22:53

Calcium hydroxide, I believe.

posted by box 17 February | 22:54

Yup. Same stuff that makes hominy hominy.

People often say that corn is soaked in *lye* to make hominy, not lime. Google backs this up, but I've also heard that it's a misconception/mispronunciation. So, who really knows?

posted by mudpuppie 17 February | 23:45

Huh! Thanks! I suspected it was not the citrus, but I couldn't come up with a rational reason for the use of such advanced chemistry* in such humble fare. Also, What's a spline?

* yes, I was raised to eat cod soaked in lye as a holiday treat, and no, it's not rational.

posted by Triode 17 February | 23:49

Jicama salad, lomito with mole and tamale ,upscale tres leches before a performance at Second City.

posted by brujita 18 February | 00:21

Wow, that spline question didn't show me a path leading even remotely toward explaining a spline. 'Splain.

posted by mudpuppie 18 February | 00:25

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