Thursday, August 3, 2017

Yes, I used garbage to make this meal

Indeed, garbage. I have advocated that everyone use garbage in their cooking now for some time. There is nothing easier, healthier, safe than to use garbage to add flavor to any dish you cook. It's not garbage you pull from the dumpsters somewhere, it's the garbage that you and every other person that ACTUALLY cooks food produces every day in the kitchen. It's the carrot peelings, celery tops and root ends, onion skins, and membranes from peppers. Stuff you
would ordinarily toss, garbage. I say it has a use, and that use is to add a wondrous mix of incredible flavors, nutrients and even quite a few vitamins. Yep, it's that old standby in every real kitchen, stock.

Now let me just say that this entire dish is not made from garbage, just the gravy that I poured over the savory waffle. And that, was what tied the entire thing all together. Let me tell you what this thing is. First, the waffle, it's garbanzo rye with scallions and green chilis. Second, the two patties in the front are BeHoon. A sort of Dutch Malaysian dish a friend taught me many years ago. Then to the rear, still sitting atop the waffle is a salmon cake.
Sliced scallions, cilantro and that wondrous gravy made from garbage.


I always buy shell on wild caught Texas Coast shrimp. NEVER BUY IMPORTED FARM RAISED SHRIMP!!! Yeah, that's just so disgusting, if you saw the videos on how it's farmed harvested and processed, you would literally vomit. Anyway, I buy shell on because I get to save the shells. Toss in a bag and throw in the freezer. I took a bag of them out, added some other garbage that I always keep in my freezer, covered with water and simmered for a half hour. Strained, and set aside. Next up was the garbanzo waffles. I always soak my beans and grains to make them healthier. (First in my series of how to do that)  Soak a cup of chick peas for a
day, rinsed and boiled for twenty minutes. Drained most of the water from them, put them in a blender, added a quarter cup EVOO and juice of a lemon. Whizzed until smooth and added a bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper (sheesh, sounds like humus) I then sliced three scallions fine, diced an couple canned green chilis and mixed with a beaten egg. Then mixed in a half cup of Rye flour until stiff. Mixed in a half tablespoon baking powder and a fair amount of Cajun Spice mix (I like the flavor) Dumped in the humus and added just enough of the bean cooking liquid to make a thick batter. I got out the Belgian Waffle iron and made a few. 

Next is the BeHoon, it's more like the Chinese Egg Foo Yung than anything else. Just no soy sauce (Yuck) In the mini processor, I put in a couple cups cabbage, a half an onion and a few scallions. Whizzed until chopped uniformly fine. Added some ginger and two eggs along with seas salt and pepper. On a hot griddle, spoon out and make little patties, fry on both sides and stack on a plate to
keep warm. Yeah, these are fabulous. 

Salmon. Okay, when canned salmon is on sale, buy some. These are spectacular and you can't ever get enough real high quality wild caught seafood in your diet. Beat an egg with some sliced scallions, salt. pepper, and any spices you want. I hate dill, so I don't use it. Some say it's great in a dish like this . Not for me though. I like red chili flakes. So, I added a bunch. Drained the salmon, added to the bowl and broke it up and took out the spine.(that part is always kinda gross) mixed it up, made little burgers and fried in EVOO until browned on each side. 

Assembly, one waffle, two BeHoon, one salmon cake and pour over some of the shrimp sauce that you thickened with a bit of Arrowroot.   Oh baby,


Yep

2 comments:

  1. Sweet, I feel better that although my waffles were ACTUAL garbage according to your SAD standards :D that you do this too. When I was juicing, I hated to throw away the fiber from the drained leftovers and would be sure to juice the components separately, I liked using the kale to make an impromptu pesto. I am always intrigued by the cornucopia of fruit and veggies in instant and pureed baby food in the squeeze pouches, and if you get the organic stuff it's cheaper than trying to buy all the exotic ingredients yourself. I used a quinoa, kale, sweet potato and a common herb that escapes me now dried packed in the kodiak power cake waffle mix that you get from costco, and then made a sausage gravy and some over medium eggs that was filling and delicious. My fellow closet fatty friend and I purchased a belgian waffle maker to make dessert waffles with, and he left it with me when he relocated. I am all about the "ghetto" gourmet of adding leftover odds and ends to prepared meals to up the wow factor. In the end, garbage food multiplied by potentially nutritious items is still a net of garbage, like multiplying by 0 :D

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  2. Aaahhhh Steph, the most beautiful maiden in all the land. Thanks for reading, liking and commenting. Miss ya tons and tons.

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