Last hurrah

I've been looking for an excuse to make macaroni and cheese all week.  I took the turkey thigh out of the freezer and planned to make for dinner Friday along with a dozen deviled eggs per my son's request.   Friday night I was invited to try "pizza" at Earth with a couple of friends so I postponed my "turkey dinner" until tonight.

It almost didn't happen because I didn't leave my 9am meeting until 3pm and I hadn't seasoned the meat and needed to stop at WF.  Fortunately I was able to adjust my plan to make the turkey in the pressure cooker instead of the oven.

I enlisted my daughter's help with cutting up the cheese and filling the eggs...I seared the turkey on both sides then added some french onion soup broth (this is going to be my new short cut) and cooked under pressure for 35 minutes while the macaroni baked.

As I was calling everyone down for dinner I realized I never made a vegetable, I grabbed a bag of frozen green beans and cooked them in a quarter cup of the french onion broth.

Egg nog was the perfect after dinner beverage.

Indescribable

I have no idea what we had for dinner. My intention was to braise the ranch steak because that's what was recommended online.  When I realized the portion size wasn't nearly enough for a 4 person meal I added red lentils.

Then I went down a totally manic path, literally adding a little of this and that. The kids couldn't decide if it was Eritrean or Indian but they both had seconds.  My husband wasn't sure what flavor I was going for and thought it was an attempt at a mild Indian dish.  I had no answer to his question because of the array of spices I used.

Another point of confusion for him was the potatoes, he didn't understand why they were mashed.  In my mind they were an absorber for the "gravy."  Once the pot was simmering I had to figure out a starch - potatoes, rice, or couscous. I ended up with what my daughter called mashed potato dumplings. That's because the potatoes were gummy due to overcooking & over mixing.  Though I would never recommend them served alongside turkey or roast beef, the texture worked as an excellent base for that lentil concoction.

Terrain

While I enjoy the fruits of the marsh, the one thing I miss in the Low Country is meat because it seems like there's only pork and seafood.  I thought about beef the entire ride home and finally made a flat iron steak Monday.

I marinated it with a simple garlic rub, put sweet potatoes in the oven, and made deviled eggs on the side.  4 minutes on each side in an extremely hot grill pan produced meat that was unbelievably tender and succulent.

Sensational simplicity

I'm not sure why but we always have quiche when we visit SC.  Last night I did a spinach quiche (mostly cheese & spinach, heavy cream, and only 3 eggs); sauteed shrimp with garlic; and steamed oysters.  The oysters were so good my daughter questioned why we bother with mussels.  Because we don't live in the Low Country.

Because I have nothing but leisure time, I've been reading The Post & Courier all week.  There were several Charleston restaurant reviews and one mentioned purloo, which I had to Google to figure out that it was basically a jambalaya.  An excellent option for our last vacation dinner.

We went to Whaley's for lunch, the scallops were as succulent as I remembered; then a walk along the beach.  I was stuffed so I didn't get started on dinner until 7.  Sauteed onions, garlic, green pepper, tossed in the last beef sausage, a diced tomato, then simmered in broth while I peeled and deveined the shrimp.  I added the shrimp then served over grits (rice is the appropriate starch) with the leftover okra on the side.

Not only was I able to use up the remaining groceries but it was simple to make yet bursting with flavor. There's nothing like Low Country cookin',

Boil blitz

I took a ride to Bluffton today to pick up some oysters...although there were plenty of oysters along the way, I felt compelled to patronize the company that's been in business since 1899 and those May River oysters are delectable.  I spent $30 on a dozen select oysters, 12 oz of shucked oysters, and a pound of crab claw (cocktail style).  I left there to get shrimp from Blue Water Seafood in Ridgeland based on a Yelp review; I was underimpressed but I bought 1.25 pound of head on 16/20 shrimp and 2.5 pounds of 26/30s for another $30; bringing my total seafood purchases to $80.

I deviated slightly from a traditional low country boil because I couldn't resist sauteeing onions, garlic, and tomatoes before I added the smoked beef sausage, potatoes, and corn on the cob.  I seasoned, brought to a boil, then added shrimp boil, the head on shrimp, and finally the oysters and crab claws after I turned off the heat.  Of course we had okra on the side.

Needless to say, we enjoyed every bit.

Authenticity

Since I'm in the Low Country I thought it best to go back to the basics with tonight's dinner...it's been awhile since I've made straightforward food, so it took a little thought but the result were delicious.

I baked a chicken that I marinated in seasoning & Oduls; made macaroni & cheese (with cheddar, elbows, & eggs) - I haven't used an elbow noodle in probably a decade and haven't used eggs in mac & cheese in ages; and collards that I picked up from King's for $2.75.  For the life of me I couldn't remember what to do with the collards so I sauteed onion, garlic, and green pepper, added in smoked beef sausage, then simmered the collards.  The food was honest and easy.  

No trip to Edisto is complete without a King's Market key lime pie for dessert!

Travel lag

My schedule has been so hectic over the past few weeks that I am just settling into vacation on day 2.5:  relaxing, biking, walking along the beach, and of course eating.

Our first stop was Baker's (motto: friends don't let friends eat imported seafood) for shrimp $6/pound (approximately 16/20 count) and colossal scallops. Dinner Saturday night was leftover Bojangle's and seared scallops.  Sunday breakfast - shrimp & grits of course.  Monday brunch - whiting (not filleted), shrimp & grits.

Looking forward to Whaley's for dinner and trekking to Blufton tomorrow for superb shellfish treats.

Keema

If there's one thing I've learned from this cow share, it's how to be creative with ground beef.

Today I made keema biryani and it was unbelievably delicious; my family declared that they prefer it to chicken biryani.
 
I was able to throw the dinner together in about an hour. I prepped the rice then sauteed the onions and tomatoes for the curried okra (which ended up with quite a kick). I sauteed onions, whole spices, ginger garlic paste then browned the keema. I mixed in yogurt and red pepper then layered the meat with rice and topped with saffron milk, lemon juice, onions, cilantro, and mint. 

I stuck that in the oven for 15 minutes while I tidied up the kitchen, then we dove in and finished off our meal with mango lassis. 

Gentrified

I've been wanting to go to Maine for the past few years but haven't committed to the drive through New England. I want to go in August so we can see the puffins but I'm also dying to sink my teeth into these $5 lobsters everyone talks about.

Apparently this all happens along Route 6 and it just so happens that in the gentrified Fairmount section of Philadelphia there's a brand new restaurant bearing the same name.  It was by chance that I dined there Friday night. I was on my way to meet a former coworker when I saw a neon crab on a sleek building and decided to go in and take a look despite the neon sign.

Inside was a bustling crowd of gentrifiers. They decor was exactly what I would imagine I would find along Route 6. We decided to give a try. The customer service was spectacular and the food was pretty good.
 
I went with the specials, scallop & lobster boudin as an appetizer and a whole grilled snapper as my entree. My friend ordered monkfish and brussel sprouts.  We shared Johnny Cakes that without the accompanying condiment would have been less than desirable. While we were waiting for the JC, the chef sent out the blue fish dip that was surprisingly delicious.

I think I may have found a place to visit when I want fresh, line caught seafood and a casual atmosphere.

Blessing in disguise

This morning I planned to make absolutely nothing for dinner.  Fortunately a friend coaxed me out of idiocy and suggested a one pot meal.  Considering that it was going to be a long day (early riser basketball in the morning and ice hockey practice in the evening), it made sense to be proactive.

After an impromptu lunch meeting at Lemon Grass, I went to WF planning to grab some packs of chicken drumsticks.  Imagine my surprise when they were no longer on sale and the price had increased substantially.  Left with no choice, I purchased a family pack planning to put a spin on my grandmother's "chicken wings & sauce" dish. 

It took less than an half hour to toss the ingredients into the crockpot - diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, seasoning; topped with chicken and more seasoning, sauteed onions, garlic, and peppers; and a jar of arrabbiata sauce for good measure. 

Cooked it on high for 4 hours...perfect timing...we walked through the door and had it over linguine.  Dinner time was a medley of slurps.

Across the pond

I bought the hake only because it was wild caught and on sale at WF ($6.99/lb), as a protein fish has become a little too rich for my blood so we haven't had much of it recently.  The guy said it was like cod so I figured I would take a stab at fish n chips.  I love fish n chips, done right.  New Deck on Penn's campus used to have decent fish n chips (heavy on the batter), Dock Street on the other hand was a mess when I went last spring.  The grease was filthy and the fish seemed previously frozen.  The best by far was Betty's...so that's what I was aspiring to as I haven't been to London in two decades.

We didn't get home until 530 yesterday, so I was glad I was cutting corners.  I had a bag of cole slaw mix and a box of fish n chips mix hence I spared myself significant prep time. I mixed up some mayo, lemon, sugar, and trocamore for the cole slaw then put that in the fridge while I started home fries.  Then I mixed up the batter, dipped the lightly seasoned fish and fried.  I was a little heavy on the batter but it was very good. 

Clearly the key to fish n chips is high quality to fish. 

Indian quickie

I stopped in WF Saturday morning and skinless legs were on sale; it was worth the extra 30 cents per pound because it saves a step when making tandoori.  I grabbed some hake fillet because that was on sale as well. 

Saturday (and Sunday) was a bit hectic but I managed to make it to International Spices to pick up a few things and was able to have dinner ready by 630.  I marinated the tandoori in the marinator while I prepped everything else. 

I made a rice pilaf that was reminiscent of biryani (fried onions, tomatoes, garam masala, ginger garlic paste) and a scaled down aloo baingan (onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, seasoning). 

Unlike the hamburger patties we had for dinner last night, Saturday's meal was fabulous.