Copout
My life is a veritable ant farm of activity, especially as of late. As of late, it is as though someone stuck a stick right in the middle of the antfarm, and all the the little ants are going around absolutely crazed trying to figure out what to do about the stick and how to get rid of the dead bodies. It's total overload, inspiration wise. I want to write and write and write, the graphomania is just gurgling and bubbling over the top, but which thing gets the honor of becoming a story? I start something in my head, and immediately forget it, and have it replaced by something else.
I need an out!
Remember before fellowship, when I had interests and friends who were not yet abandoned and who also had interests, and sometimes those interests resulted in delicious dinners? I seem to recall I used to cook and be not bad at it, according to some (awful, according to others, but I think those others had inferiority issues of their own). Well, first year has ended, and I've been trying to flex my muscles again in the kitchen. There was a week there recently when I cooked something daily! Never before have we experienced such gastric paradise in this house - well, at least not in the past year. Ironically, this was around the time when I was sick as shit, so I ate only limited amounts of what I cooked, but ain't that just the way it goes.
Anyways, with no ulterior motives, this is what I invented that week:
Monday, there was the famous Giada's stuffed peppers minus the peppers, minus stuffing, and plus meat, also known as Sasha's orzo bake. Giada didn't know what hit her when I usurped her stuffed peppers recipe and converted it into something that wouldn't give me instant GERD.
Ingredients
3/4 lb of Ground meat of some sort
1 cup orzo
1 can tomatoes
1 zucchini, grated
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
a good bunch parsley
a smaller bunch mint leaves
salt and pepper
a handful of a grated firm cheese (Romano or Parmigiano)
2 cups chicken broth (for cooking orzo)
few tablespoon olive oil
Oven, preheated to 400`
1) Season ground meat. Lamb works best here, going with the Mediterranean theme. I used turkey, and it was rather bland. Either way, season what you got, and cook in an oven safe pan until cooked through. I used our paellera, which is a sautee pan with two metallic handles, can go on the stove and in the oven. Make the meat chunky, think hamburger helper. If the meat releases a lot of liquid, you can drain some of that off.
2) Boil chicken broth, and cook orzo for about 5 minutes. It should be a little undercooked, because you'll be cooking it again in the oven.
3) In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, mint, some of the parsley, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper.
4) Now combine the orzo, the veggies, and the meat in the pan. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for a few minutes, until heated through.
5) Sprinkle with the grated cheese on top, and into the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until a golden crust is formed.
6) Remove, let stand... Consume.
I need an out!
Remember before fellowship, when I had interests and friends who were not yet abandoned and who also had interests, and sometimes those interests resulted in delicious dinners? I seem to recall I used to cook and be not bad at it, according to some (awful, according to others, but I think those others had inferiority issues of their own). Well, first year has ended, and I've been trying to flex my muscles again in the kitchen. There was a week there recently when I cooked something daily! Never before have we experienced such gastric paradise in this house - well, at least not in the past year. Ironically, this was around the time when I was sick as shit, so I ate only limited amounts of what I cooked, but ain't that just the way it goes.
Anyways, with no ulterior motives, this is what I invented that week:
Monday, there was the famous Giada's stuffed peppers minus the peppers, minus stuffing, and plus meat, also known as Sasha's orzo bake. Giada didn't know what hit her when I usurped her stuffed peppers recipe and converted it into something that wouldn't give me instant GERD.
Ingredients
3/4 lb of Ground meat of some sort
1 cup orzo
1 can tomatoes
1 zucchini, grated
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
a good bunch parsley
a smaller bunch mint leaves
salt and pepper
a handful of a grated firm cheese (Romano or Parmigiano)
2 cups chicken broth (for cooking orzo)
few tablespoon olive oil
Oven, preheated to 400`
1) Season ground meat. Lamb works best here, going with the Mediterranean theme. I used turkey, and it was rather bland. Either way, season what you got, and cook in an oven safe pan until cooked through. I used our paellera, which is a sautee pan with two metallic handles, can go on the stove and in the oven. Make the meat chunky, think hamburger helper. If the meat releases a lot of liquid, you can drain some of that off.
2) Boil chicken broth, and cook orzo for about 5 minutes. It should be a little undercooked, because you'll be cooking it again in the oven.
3) In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, mint, some of the parsley, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper.
4) Now combine the orzo, the veggies, and the meat in the pan. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for a few minutes, until heated through.
5) Sprinkle with the grated cheese on top, and into the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until a golden crust is formed.
6) Remove, let stand... Consume.
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