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What's on your plate today?

I've been fiddling around with the recipe on that Vietnamese Fish on Cauliflower Rice that I do ...

Current sauce is one tablespoon each of fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, ponzu, sambal oelek and brown sugar.

That goes into the hot wok and as soon as the sugar fully incorporates/caramelizes i add a little minced sweet onion, garlic, and (new) grated fresh ginger. The ginger's a good addition. Boar approves.

I'm using asparagus instead of green beans because I like asparagus better.

This time I added wakame seaweed and chopped scallions right at the end, and it added a lot to the dish. I think this is pretty close to a finished version except I'd really like it a bit hotter. Maybe I'll add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes next time.

~Boar
 
It's something the family all loves. Sometimes we just do it in the backyard because no one wants to wait until the next camping trip to have it. The onions and carrots seem to be everyone's favorite, where the potatoes and chicken skin are mine. One hour seems to be the sweet spot to get the caramelization, but not burn the carrots too much. I forgot and had already eaten a couple of the chicken skins before I took the picture.

So how does this works? You wrap everything in aluminum foil and throw it directly into the fire?
 
So how does this works? You wrap everything in aluminum foil and throw it directly into the fire?

Yes. Very basic works best. I’ve tried getting fancy and always end up back at basics.

Four layers of “heavy duty” aluminum foil (the wide box of Reynolds Wrap brand). About 2.5 foot long strips.

I start with baby carrots, then pile on chopped potatoes, skin and all. The potatoes are cut about the size you would do for mashed potatoes. Then I add quartered Vidalia Onions. Next a generous amount of McCormick's Season All, fresh ground pepper, and salt. Put chicken on top. I like dark meat because it doesn’t dry out and taste better when it all cooks in its own juices. I usually do two legs, and two thighs per packet. I do use breast when the wife eats, because she only does white meat (don’t go boneless/skinless - trust me on this).

Then add more of the seasonings on the chicken skin and add about 1 cup or slightly more of EVOO. Don’t try adding anything like butter. It’ll burn.

Wrap each layer of foil individually, over the other layer. Don’t try to wrap all four layers at once.

When ready to cook build a good campfire and build a good base of coals that will cover each packet top and bottom. I find it best to use sticks that aren’t much bigger than two inches in diameter and burn down quickly. You may have to add some to the top as things burn down during the hour cook time, but never to the bottoms. Careful when placing them on the coals, or if using the shovel to move coals around the packets. Puncture a packet and the oil all leaks out, you’ve lost that meal, as it will burn up.

When you think it’s done, you can pull one out and carefully open the foil layers to check. If not, close it up and give it an extra ten to fifteen minutes or so. When done, peel off the outer layer of foil or two and it will be clean enough to take inside the house.
 
Yes. Very basic works best. I’ve tried getting fancy and always end up back at basics.

Four layers of “heavy duty” aluminum foil (the wide box of Reynolds Wrap brand). About 2.5 foot long strips.

I start with baby carrots, then pile on chopped potatoes, skin and all. The potatoes are cut about the size you would do for mashed potatoes. Then I add quartered Vidalia Onions. Next a generous amount of McCormick's Season All, fresh ground pepper, and salt. Put chicken on top. I like dark meat because it doesn’t dry out and taste better when it all cooks in its own juices. I usually do two legs, and two thighs per packet. I do use breast when the wife eats, because she only does white meat (don’t go boneless/skinless - trust me on this).

Then add more of the seasonings on the chicken skin and add about 1 cup or slightly more of EVOO. Don’t try adding anything like butter. It’ll burn.

Wrap each layer of foil individually, over the other layer. Don’t try to wrap all four layers at once.

When ready to cook build a good campfire and build a good base of coals that will cover each packet top and bottom. I find it best to use sticks that aren’t much bigger than two inches in diameter and burn down quickly. You may have to add some to the top as things burn down during the hour cook time, but never to the bottoms. Careful when placing them on the coals, or if using the shovel to move coals around the packets. Puncture a packet and the oil all leaks out, you’ve lost that meal, as it will burn up.

When you think it’s done, you can pull one out and carefully open the foil layers to check. If not, close it up and give it an extra ten to fifteen minutes or so. When done, peel off the outer layer of foil or two and it will be clean enough to take inside the house.

Sounds great! Thanks for taking the time to type this up. I will definitely try it! I always have the heavy duty aluminum foil on hand because I use it to wrap my BBQ ribs and pork butts.
 
Le Nouvelle Poke'

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Inspired by an Anthony Bourdain "Parts Unknown" episode from Tokyo.

~Boar
 
Fortune cookies!!!! I LOVE fortune cookies!!!! Stopped into Chinatown today in SF to get my fix at the place in the alley. Decided to get their x-rated ones and was mildly disappointed at how lame and non-x rated they were, but was entertained at the randomness and terrible English lol. Here’s a few!

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Saw live Maine lobsters at the place I shop at so decided to get two. They weren't the biggest (about 1.5lbs each) but they were enough for the wife and I.
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Grilled some veggies to go with them. (Seasoned with olive oil, kosher salt, pink salt, black pepper, parsley and thyme)
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The lobsters getting happy on the grill. Basted them with a mix of melted butter, fresh minced garlic, Italian oregano, parsley, black pepper and the juice of one lime.
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The meat was so sweet and succulent. Freaking delicious! Extra melted compound butter for dipping.
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And for dessert, a shot of homemade Limoncello (Doc's recipe, which is greeeeaaaat), a nice cold beer and a Padron Superior maduro. If you ask me, not a bad day.
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2 firsts tonight...using an Instant Pot and making a from-scratch Indian dish. The chana masala from the Indian Instant Pot cookbook is a winner. You do end up buying some specific spices and putting together different spice mixes/masalas in order to do most dishes, but nothing is complicated. Liking the Instant Pot quite a bit so far. Did the onion masala, the dried chickpeas, and basmati rice in it this afternoon with no problems at all as a first timer.
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My wife loves hers. I do most of the cooking, but last year she picked one of these up and now does a dish every once in a while to give me a break. She's found some amazing recipes, and they are a really quick meal. :)
 
The vegetarian meal that eats like a steak:

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I've been doing these on a fairly regular basis since going on a low/no carb, South Beach-ish diet. Roast a head of cauliflower slathered in herb butter, covered, until a skewer goes in easily (about an hour for a small one like this) then coat in panko crumbs & parmesan and brown it for another 15 minutes or so.

Never much liked cauliflower before---steamed it's boring, in a stirfry it's "why? why would you do that?" and raw on a crudites tray it just tastes like loneliness & despair. But THIS is really, really good.

~Boar
 
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