Right now I'm watching the men's marathon (probably should actually be focusing on writing and turn it off, but you don't mind a little distracted, disjointed blogging, do you?). It's always such an inspiration seeing the speed and the determination and talent displayed at these events. Especially love pumping myself up for my own training while watching the races.
When I run, my least favorite part is the prep I have to do before heading out. I eat breakfast, put in contacts, get dressed, vaseline up, sunscreen up, do some warm ups and stretches, mix my Gatorade, charge my Garmin, etc, etc. It seems like a lot and always frustrates me when I'm just ready to get out the door. However, once I finally start the run I am thankful for all of the little steps I took before because they have prepared me for a successful training session. Without those tasks I may have to stop mid-run for a bathroom break or because I didn't fuel well enough or because I get a cramp. The extra time pre-run gets the actual run off without a hitch.
I realized on my last run that this translates perfectly right over to my other passion: cooking. Mis en place is the culinary term for this pre-event preparation. When I was younger, I didn't understand how this could help me and would start in on recipes without even reading them all the way through first, and prepping ingredients as they were needed. This would result in me going absolutely crazy while cooking several dishes for a meal and would often lead to dishes going wrong or me cursing up a storm in the kitchen.
Over the years, though, I have learned that mis en place is the most important part to cooking. I read through a recipe, if using, or go through the "mental recipe" if creating my own. Pull out all of the ingredients I will need, wash produce, chop, measure. Heat the oven. Pull out the dishes, pots and pans required. All of this ensures that I have the ingredients on hand, that I have the quantity of ingredient I need (nothing worse than pulling out a jar of something to realize you only have 2TB when you need 1/2 cup!), that all will be ready when it is time to add it to the pan. As in running, these little steps before starting the actual cooking ensures success. I guarantee you that a little extra time in the beginning will make all the difference in your own cooking. I myself spent a lot less time shouting obscenities in the kitchen these days and a lot more time enjoying the process.
This particular recipe requires that all of the chopping be done at the beginning so the veggies can then bake slowly in the rich sauce. Mix it all into the baking dish, pop it into the oven, and then you have free time to do the dishes or catch up on your DVR'd gymnastics while it cooks.
Braised Summer Veggies
serves 4 as an entree
about 3 c. sliced zucchini (1/4" thick)
about 2 c. sliced baby or Japanese eggplant (1/8" thick)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 Italian peppers, deseeded and sliced (1/4" thick)
3 TB butter
2 TB flour
1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 c. cream
salt and pepper
zest of 1 lemon
2 t. fresh savory or thyme, chopped
2-3 TB butter
1/2-3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Clean and chop all of the vegetables. Toss the zucchini, eggplant, halved tomatoes, and Italian peppers together and then spread them into a 2 quart souffle dish.
Melt the 2-3 TB butter in a small dish. Mix in the breadcrumbs--they should be just damp and not completely soggy.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the 2 TB butter and melt. Then add the flour and whisk together and allow some of the flour flavor to cook away, about 2-3 minutes, while stirring continuously. Add in the chicken stock and turn up the heat to medium high. Continue stirring for about 2 minutes then add in the cream. Keep on stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and the sauce thickens up, about 3 more minutes or so. Taste the sauce and salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the heat and stir in the savory/thyme and the lemon zest.
Pour the sauce over top of the vegetables in the souffle dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and press down.
Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to cook until the breadcrumbs have browned and the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 5-10 minutes before serving.
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