Picky Eaters

Have there been days when you feel like a short order cook? A short order cook, or sometimes also known as grill or line cook is someone who makes "simple, fast-cooking meals and snacks".


Having to deal with a child who seemed to go on food jags does put a great amount of stress on the parent or caregiver who has to get through these food battle on a daily basis.


Variety is an idea and presenting them in a most colourful, delightful manner is another to tempt and tease..and hopefully see some of these food get in can be such a challenge.

Bacon & Onion Quiches

olive oil or melted butter

2 cups plain flour

150g butter, chopped

Filling

3 rashers bacon, rind removed

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup cream

finely chopped chives/optional

1/3 cup grated cheese

* sometimes i substitute bacon with crabmeat/salmon/canned tuna/sardines.

Sometimes the task can be an overwhelming one, so it's a good idea to break it into small jobs or batches. That way, it cuts down the whole preparation time when one needs to get a decent batch of quiche (for eg) ready and out on the Summer table when a request for a craving of carbo is on the alert.


Do you sometimes also feel like the entire weight of the world is upon your shoulders as one who plays such a vital role in determining and influencing the health of your young children and family members but feel like a total failure at the end of the day when the child can be so blasé about food or even refuse it after all those planning and preparation?


Cooks today break under the weight of devising a thousand variations just on one particular preferred food choice. Strolls through the farmers’ markets are replaced with trudges through the frozen food aisle. It is an unbelievably immense task for a quasi sane parent to go through in order to make the communal meal less hostile of a brutal battleground.

Aren't you glad it's Friday again? TGIF!! Those who haven't got much of a Saturday evening plan can join me in the kitchen.. creating more food ideas.. ;P

sending and blowing out lots of love to all my bloggy friends out there.. be safe, be well now. ;)

Love

~Silver

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AN OUTDOOR AFFAIR..

An Al Fresco lunch or a late evening meal outdoor just about when the evening breezes start to stir creates a very casual and comfortable setting. It can be set anywhere in the garden, a terrace or even a breakfast nook can be fine.

Racks of Lamb

Ingredients

4 racks of lamb, each with 3-4 cutlets

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt

ground pepper

handful of rosemary sprigs

A delicious dessert. Oranges in Cointreau and Maple Syrup. Place the parcels on the hot barbeque and cook for about 10-15 minutes. You can serve with creme and topped with shreds of blanched orange rind.

(Substitute with Marmalade for the Cointreau liqueur if an alcohol free version is preferred.)

2 tbsp butter, melted
4 oranges, peeled, pith removed and slice them cross-ways
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp Cointreau
liqueur

(Reassemble each orange and place it on a a square of doubled foil parcel)

Rum & Lime Cream Pie

According to Wikipedia, the word barbecue has attracted several inaccurate origins from folk etymology. An often-repeated claim is that the word is derived from the French language. The story goes that French visitors to the Caribbean saw a pig being cooked whole and described the method as barbe à queue, meaning "from beard to tail". The French word for barbecue is also barbecue, and the "beard to tail" explanation is regarded as false by most language experts. The only merit is that it relies on the similar sound of the words, a feature common in folk-etymology explanations.

Another claim states that the word BBQ came from the time when roadhouses and beer joints with pool tables advertised "Bar, Beer and Cues". According to this tale, the phrase was shortened over time to BBCue, then BBQ.


Isn't that interesting?


I like kebab pieces or cut cubes of fillet for fish or meat on skewers. They are quick and so easy to make and taste terrific. With tender top sirloin, you don't need to marinate a long time to tenderize the meat, just long enough to impart the flavors of zippy ingredients like balsamic vinegar, crushed red peppers, ginger and soy sauce, you just can't go wrong.


Chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings and quarters are often popular choice. (It is a good idea to pre-cook meat in the oven first before transfering them onto the barbeque. )


Some ideas you might like to try out- how about cook mushrooms with herb butter in foil on the grill? Or desserts like baked bananas and glazed pineapple cook so well on the dying embers. Try it!


Put in some love into the preparation. Let the marinates and salts sit in just long enough before the grill, it's going to be one of the most tasty and tender outdoor meal ever. There is nothing more evocative than the delectable aromas of a barbeque. The cool breeze stirring, family and friends, beers and sensational looking cocktails- it's going to be an evening to remember.


So anyone in for a BBQ this week?


I have enjoyed putting this for all you friends out there and hope it inspires some ideas of your own and you may like to kick back and have a relaxing outdoor experience with your family and friends too.


Stay well, be safe and have a great week ahead!






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