cook: spring harvest + fridge clean out

Before leaving for spring break, I traded my fancy nonstick pans from Food 52 for a friend's wok, which no longer worked on a new stove. I also came away from the food pantry at school with a whole head of cauliflower and lots of heads of broccoli. I cut up the cauliflower and used my "new" wok by cleaning out my fridge and frying rice. I diced cauliflower, onions, carrots, celery and minced garlic. I also sliced medallions of Japanese spicy sausage and Chinese sweet sausage as well as added frozen corn and peas.

 

For the stir fry sauce, I broke out my bottles of oyster and soy and Maggi seasoning. I guess I don't care much for a dry rice or for it sticking to the bottom of the wok because I added chicken broth and then water to de-glaze the pan and steam the rice.

Not bad.

Healthy. From the broccoli as well as leeks and spring onions from a harvest, I made a quiche AND a soup. I deviated from Gordon Ramsay's recipe with the alliums and by not adding goat cheese and walnuts and drizzling with olive oil before serving though I did use heavy whipping cream and a bit of chicken Better than Bouillon.

My quiche seemed overcooked to me though gorgeous and not as high and fluffy as I wanted, BUT the soup was the hit for the neighbor gathering and potluck called a spring fling.

A few neighbors asked for my leftover jars of broccoli soup, but I do have one left for me and Patrick in the fridge. From the public library, I checked out this promising book about how Banksy has saved art history. The book has so far been a good read.

My spring break had a promising start. A great outrigger canoe practice UNTIL I hyperextended (my erector spinae) on a stroke which HURT. When I should've rested, I instead swam a mile instead of the recommended rest, ice, and compression. And break is now Friday or almost over, and so I think I can now lengthen and strengthen that muscle with double knees to chest stretch and some side bends where I stand with my feet shoulder-width apart and gently bend to the side, holding for a few seconds plus some cat cow stretches on my hands and knees. I canceled going to paddling practice this Saturday and will do plank and wall squats when the pain completely disappears. I should not have swam that mile Tuesday night, but afterward, I did go to Gourmet Haus Staudt with my friend Cybil and drank a lovely winterberry cider and ate pork schnitzel with fries and salad. 

We were gonna stay, so she could do calligraphy and I stitch, but I forgot my reading glasses AND my side was stiff and hurting. My side still hurt yesterday when I and Cybil and her friend, Lyra went to the new Korean market and emporium called Jagalchi. My side still was pained like the dickens when I swam a half mile later. I was more comfortable just crouched at the end of the pool like Spider-Man. My side still hurts, but I'm going to the ceramics studio this morning and tomorrow. Maybe I'll cook a couple more dishes like a gumbo and a Bolognese after I get back from Costco tonight. Maybe I'll even do some laundry and some linoleum carving too.