mostly work but some play too

this was a busy week so mostly it was head down and get it done but i did get to play as well. on tuesday i started the weekly vegetarian dinner with chili con frijoles. i have quite a large assortment of dried chilis to choose from that i purchased from chili chiles. for the chili con frijoles i used 4 new mexico hot, 3 ancho, 2 chipotle morita, 4 pasilla and 4 de arbol. i soaked the chilis in water that i had used to rehydrate the porcini shrooms. i subsequently used this shroom spicy water to plump up the bulghur for the chili con frijoles. i pureed a head of garlic, added the rehdrated chilis, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and chili powder. whizzed the lot and added it to the onions, shrooms and bellpeppers that i had sweating on the stove. i then added sliced yellow squash and zucchini and kept the heat on high for a wee bit. next the half pints bulldog amber beer went into the pot along with squished plum tomatoes, fresh oregano and the bulghur. i lowered the heat and stewed the works for about an hour before serving with marinated vegetable salad, honey dill coleslaw, a green salad and sweet pepper cornbread. the chili was spicy and flavourful.
for wednesday dinner i made turkey gremolata as i had alot of fresh mint and parsley and some splendid lemons to use up. it is simple to make. i started by whizzing a head of peeled garlic to which i added a cup each of fresh mint and italian parsley as well as the zest and juice of 3 lemons. i also added a cup of sauvignon blanc and some coarse salt and pepper. i placed the gremolata along the top of sliced roast turkey breasts. it was a big hit with the campers. so much so that i ran out before the stragglers arrived for their dinner so i heated up the panang chicken from monday night for them. they were disappointed not to taste the turkey but happy to have the chicken instead. i also made a new salad dressing called citrus mint. i zested and juiced more lemon, an orange and 2 limes and whizzed this with about a cup of mint chiffonade, cider vinegar, dijon mustard and canola oil. it is a fresh zippy dressing. paul thought the label said circus mint which is a more interesting name and appropriate too.
i fooled sandy at lunch on thursday. she was sure the pasta bianca puttanesca had shrooms in the sauce but no i snuck in the black olives which she is not fond of eating, unless of course they are surrounded by garlic, anchovies and olive oil. i like this recipe as it is easy to make and the addition of toasted bread crumbs to finish the dish adds a great texture to the pasta. i used nature's farms spaghetti for this sauce.
i finished my baking week with my favourite snack, cinnamon flake biscuits! they are more than delicious with the layers of rich biscuit dough, butter, brown sugar and more cinnamon than you thought was legal. i showed great restraint and only had three! i made thirty six so there was enough for the campers as well!