Saute Away

White Pizza with Peppered Salami

2012-02-11T14:29:00.001-06:00

Last weekend was game time. What better food for the game than pizza? Seriously, as if I need ANY Excuse to eat pizza? It is probably one of my favorite foods in the world. I wanted to make something pizza-y, and wanted it homemade. I started flipping through cookbooks and ran accross a White Pizza Recipe in Claire Robinson's 5 Ingredient Fix. My baby brother bought me this cookbook forever ago, and I really love it. I've barely made anything out of it, but intend to change that in the coming months.

So back to pizza. yeah. I heart it. totally. Guilty Pleasure. But I'm also picky about it... and there is no rhyme or reason to my pickiness. I gave it a whirl... I used Claire's recipe as a starter and modified as I saw fit.

Ingredients
1 package Trader Joe's pizza crust dough
a little flour(for rolling out dough)
garlic infused olive oil.
2-2.5 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 small package of ricotta
oregano
salami

After preheating the oven to 400F, I started by tossing a little flour on the counter and rolling out the dough until it was nice and thin (I like my crust skinny thin or super deep dish, told you I'm picky). I gave the pizza pan a quick spray with the olive oil and spread the crust on the pan. To keep the pizza white I took some tuscan herb/garlic olive oil blend and spread it over the top of the crust. I spread the mozzarella evenly over the surface. Then I dropped ricotta randomly over the surface and topped generously with oregano.

The final, special, ending involved 5 strategically placed slices of the really good, peppered salami. Bake for 25 min and enjoy.

A--maaaa--zing. Seriously, I really enjoyed this pizza. The salami and ricotta brought some good salty flavors together. It was so simple, and tasty. Plus, I really enjoyed using the garlic oil to get the flavor without using actual chunks of garlic on the pizza. This is definitely a keeper. I had intended to make a second one using spinach rather than salami, but decided we didn't need more food. I'll keep that one in mind for next time.

Seriously, TJ's, I also love you, although not as much as I love pizza. I'm so glad you are in the south hills now. I've used the dough several times over, making pizzas or for super calzones. TJ's, you made this all possible. Between your pizza dough and varietals of hummus and your close location to my future home, I see this as a long term relationship.

Sausage and Potato (and Spinach) Soup

2012-02-03T21:04:00.002-06:00

I've been planning to make this soup for a couple of weeks. The minute I saw it posted over at Our Best Bites I knew it was in my future. It sounded relatively healthy, particularly for a creamy soup, and it had a bunch of my favorite things in it. Plus, it was soup, for which i am a sucker.

Adapted from Our Best Bites (who adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients
1 package sundried tomato chicken sausage (Trader Joes)
7 cloves of garlic, minced
Chicken Broth (1 box~ 4 cups)
3 red potatoes, chopped
italian seasonings to taste
2 cups milk
3 oz light cream cheese
3 tbl flour
2 tbl butter
1 bag of baby spinach

Methods
Step 1.... Remove the chicken sausage from the casings and brown in the bottom of stockpot. Add minced garlic

Step 2... Add stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and Italian seasonings and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Note... because I'm me, I was out of Italian seasoning blend so i just threw in unknown quantities of basil, oregano, rosemary, and extra garlic. I love cooking.

Step 3... Meanwhile, mix the milk, cream cheese,and flour in the blender. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and add the milk mix, stiring and heating until it thickened into a pudding/heavy cream type substance. Weird, yes, I know. (Note: excuses to use kitchen implements make me happy)

Step 4... Add the faux cream to the soup, serve to the meat eater, add the spinach, and serve to the vegetarian wannabe.

Thoughts...
I enjoyed this. Comments at OBB mentioned how this was similar to a soup at Olive Garden. Wouldn't know since I always get the salad :) It was really good. Although, I sort of screwed up... I sort of halved the receipe... but then didn't cut back the faux cream mix. Oops. It wasn't that thick or souper creamy when I did it, so no problem. In my opinion... It would probably be fine without the faux cream, you could just smash some of the potatoes into the broth for thickness. But, I'm a brothy soups sort of girl.

FH seemed to enjoy it as well, depsite his dislike of potatoes cooked in this manner. He salted, peppered, and cheesed and enjoyed (someone, i just don't put a lot of salt into most things... salt and pepper to taste pretty much means add some pepper and add salt if really desperate to me) He grabbed fresh bread from breadworks downtown, and that really capped the meal off. Yum. It reheated well and made me happy tonight :)

Somehow, despite my total love of soups, this was the first one I made for him?!?!? I'm guessing it has to do with me using a lot of produce in my soups. We'll be fixing that error.

Finally.... last random comment... I think this would convert really well to a crock pot - just cook the meat in advance, put the meat, stock, potatoes, and seasoning in the crock pot in the morning. At night, you would jsut need to add the faux cream (if using it) and spinach and serve.

ETA: The pics look greasy, but this really wasn't that greasy. it just had the little bit of butter in the faux cream and then a little oil that i used to brown the chicken. It definitely didn't taste greasy.

Banana-Bluebery Apple Muffins, aka BBA Muffins

2012-01-31T20:20:00.000-06:00

These would have been so appropriate during bowl season... If Pitt winds up at the BBA Compass Bowl AGAIN, you know what I'll be making myself -- Banana, Blueberry, Apple Muffins. I had some bananas leftover from my baked oatmeal that were headed towards brown, and some blueberries from last week that were calling my name. I took the banana muffin mix from Skinny Taste and modified it to omit cocoa and chocolate chips and turn it into BBA Muffins :) Voila

Ingredients
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbl butter
4 very ripe bananas
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup 50/50 white/wheat mix flower
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 pint blueberries

Methods
Start with creaming the butter and sugar. Once creamed I added the bananas. Since they were so ripe and I was utilizing my Kitchenaid I didn't pre-mash, but just dropped them in. Once they were mixed in, add the egg whites, applesauce, and vanilla.

Meanwhile I combined the dry in a bowl on the side and mixed them up. Combine dry and wet. Finally, fold in the blueberries.

I baked for about 30 minutes at 350. Let them cool, and enjoy.

First, I'll say it... God Bless Kitchenaid. Seriously, the best kitchen toy I own, by far.BBA for the Win.

These were super yummy. They were a great way to finish my Meatless Monday. I will most definitely be enjoying them for breakfast all week. The blueberries were giant and beautiful, so the muffins are all so blueberry filled that I think even the anti-produce amongst us might like them. I probably could have made them a little bigger, thereby making a dozen instead of fifteen muffins.. oh well.

I will note, this is a similar recipe to what I followed for the strawberry muffins. I noticed the same thing between both muffins -- they are tasty straight out of the oven, but they are not as easy to eat. once they cool they come out of the muffin liners much better.

Meatless Monday -- Black Beans and Brown Rice

2012-01-31T19:51:00.001-06:00

BTW, I love beans. Don't know when this love developed, but they are my secret favorite food. So this made for an awesome dinner with leftovers for lunch. It is essentially Skinny Taste's Cuban Beans and Rice. I doubled her recipe, used brown rice instead of white, and modified my cooking method/times.

Ingredients
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 small-medium yellow onion, diced
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
about 2 tbl olive oil
2 cans black beans
4 cups water
1 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano

Methods
1. I heated up some olive oil in the bottom of my heavy bottomed stock pot and softened up the peppers, onions and garlic.

2. I added the black beans, including the juice, brown rice, and 4 cups of water. I also added the cumin, oregano, and bay leaves at this point. I brought the mix to a boil, covered, lowered the temp and simmered until the brown rice was cooked. At that point I took the lid off and boiled off some of the remining liquids to thicken up the sauce.

Opinions
Still love me some black beans. This was a win. Full of fiber and protein between the beans and rice. I turned this into servings, and they have been filling. The leftovers made for a good lunch too. It was also not overtly salty, despite using the bean juice (i'm one of those people who ALWAYS rinses her beans).

I made something similar from Our Best Bites a few weeks ago... It was supposed to have chicken, but i felt the beans gave me enough protein. that one had a nice apple salsa topping... I would be happy to add in the apples to this and make a nice mix between the two.

Chicken and White Bean Enchilladas

2012-01-20T22:34:00.000-06:00

It is supposed to be a cold and snowy night in Pittsburgh. I had a long day at work, and something delicious was on the menu. You know I love some Mexican, and this was no let down. I pretty much followed the skinnytaste.com recipe to the T.. except those things I sort of forgot at the store.

Filling
Olive Oil
~1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 can chopped green chilis
1 can white beans (great northern) drained and rinsed
1-2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
abt 1.5 cups water
chicken soup base
1 tsp cumin

Sauce
1 tbl of butter/oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbl flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 jalapenos, minced
1/2 cup light sour cream

tortillas
cheese

1. Start with oil, onion, an garlic. Cook to soften. Add remaining filling ingredients and simmer to thicken sauce (~15 minutes).

2. Soften onions in butter/oil. Add flour, stirring to prevent burning (~1 min). whisk in water to fully mix. Cook about 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in chopped jalepenos and cook for a minute. Remove from heat an stir in sourc ream.

3. Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan. Take filling and fill tortillas and lay seam side down. I had large tortillas, so I could only fit 5 in the pan. Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes and enjoy some ooy gooey yum.

Verdict: Win. I really did only eat 1, which was fine for me since it was a little on the late side for dinner. The tortillas were my favorite super tortillas (whole grain, high fiber). Add in the beans and chicken and there wasn't need for much more than one. I did want to eat more because it was so darn good. It wasn't hot at all since i de-seeded the peppers. I would add the canned chilis to the sauce, I just had forgotten to get two cans during last weeks shopping trip.

Definitely repeatable. I think the human garbage can might even eat this.

Blueberry-Banana Baked Oatmeal

2012-01-16T10:37:00.000-06:00

I took advantage of the extra weekend day over MLK weekend to make myself a fun and fancy breakfast for the week. I had seen the recipe for Blueberry-Bannana Baked Oatmeal over at skinnytaste a few days ago when she posted it. I've been thinking about it ever since then, so this seemed the perfect day to go for it. I didn't exactly follow her recipe, but modified it with a few substitutaions based on all the things I forgot to pick up from Giant Eagle and my general disinterest in all things measured.

Ingredients
2 bananas
the better part of a pint of blueberries
brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats
fat free milk
1 egg
vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

What I did....

-Preheat oven to 375.

-Spray a 9x9 pan with canola oil

-I sliced the bananas and put them on the bottom of the pan. Covered the banana goodness with about half the blueberries and covered the fruit with about 1 tsp of cinamon and about 1 tsp of brown sugar (I had no honey at home, oops). I added a little water (like 1 tbl) and baked for about 15 minutes

-I mixed up the oats, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, baking powder, a handful of pecan pieces, and a dash of salt in one bowl. In another bowl I mixed up 1 cup milk, 1 egg, about 1/2 to 1 tsp brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

- After the fruit came out I spread the oats over the top and covered evenly with the liquids. It seemed like a little more liquid was needed so I added some extra milk (the liquid didn't cover the oats and since I was using regular oats instead of quick cook I thought extra liquid would be needed). Then i topped with more blueberries and pecans and baked for about 30 minutes.

I ate this warm. It was delish. I love bananas and blueberries, but often am too lazy to eat them. However, this was a great way to get them into my meal along with some good oaty fiber. I plan to slice the rest up and microwave them in the morning for breakfast this week. I would call it a win and be interested in trying with apples and cranberries.

Happy New Year

2012-01-16T10:13:00.002-06:00

I swear I've been cooking the last several mos... my pants prove it! But, I'm back. With a vengance. or something :)

Spinach Torellini Bake

2011-06-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

So I read about this yummy Tortellini Bake on Our Best Bites. I do enjoy their blogs. I'm not sure if its because the food is normal, its simple, or because its Kate and Sara blogging. Either way, cheese, pasta, bacon, spinach: sold. I had been planning to make this since reading the recipe. My original intent was to veggie it up with some asparagus I had in the fridge, but it was used in another manner. I wound up pretty much following the recipe as it published, although i didn't really measure much - just the roux ingredients. I still like the idea of throwing more veggies in there. Serious win. Definitely a re-do. I could see prepping this the night before and just popping it in the oven when getting home from work for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients
4-6 pieces of bacon,
1 bag spinach and cheese tortellini (12 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbl flour
1 tbl olive oil
2 cups fat free milk
roughly chopped spinach -- about two handfuls
about 1.5 cups cheese -- mozzarella and parmesan mixed.
1 lemon
basil, pepper, salt to taste

Methods
1. I started off frying the bacon at a nice heat to make some tasty crumblies. Meanwhile the pasta was cooking and the oven preheating.

2. After removing the bacon from the pan i wiped up most of the bacon grease and cooked the garlic for a minute or two in the leftover drippings in the bacon pan. I used the leftover bacon grease and flour to make a roux. (I actually took out too much grease, hence the added olive oil). After adding milk, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper the sauce simmered until thickened slightly.

3. Meanwhile, with the oven preheating to 350F, I mixed the cooked pasta, chopped spinach, crumbly bacon, and cheese up in my pasta stockpot. Finish by tossing and coating with the sauce and transferring to a baking dish. I reserved a little cheese and bacon and threw them on the top before baking for about 25 minutes. it was awesome, as shown below.

Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Salad

2011-05-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

It's memorial day! -Which means cookouts and all the yummy food that comes with summer. Naturally, David had people over for a little cookout and we burned things in the fire pit. I took the opportunity to bring out a new potato salad recipe. I guess this puts me at four different ones that I consider successful! Each one is unique and I like them all. Although, i notice most of them do have bacon as a featured taste :)

I saw a pretty interesting spin on potato salad while reading the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens. This is my interpretation of that recipe. I would say this one was pretty yummy -- and pretty healthy too! :) I liked the cauliflower in this, it was a different spin. I also learned that my pupsters like cauliflower! They were all about the pieces I gave them.

Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Salad
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2011

Materials
6 red potatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3-1/2 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
approx 1-1.5 cups plain yogurt
dill, lots of it.
approx 1-2 tbl lemon juice
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
a handful (approx 1/3 cup?) Gorgonzola blue cheese
pepper to taste

Methods
I started with the potatoes -- cooking them until they were just fork tender and still fairly firm. Once they were cooked I drained them and rinsed them with cold water. I did the same with the cauliflower -- steaming for a few minutes until fork tender but still firm.

I mixed the yogurt, dill, and lemon juice together with some pepper. I didn't add salt since I was adding the Gorgonzola and bacon to the salad later. I tossed the yogurt mix with the potatoes and cauliflower and folded in the cheese and bacon and left it in the fridge too cool off.

Chicken Rollatini with Proscuitto and Provolone

2011-05-28T12:03:00.000-05:00

I know.. it has been a while. The whole moving thing throws off the whole cooking thing.

however...

i'm back. and i made some kicking chicken the other night! and I have some good stuff on the menu this weekend already :)

I saw this recipe on Gina's Skinny Eats several weeks ago and have been planning to make it since! Seriously. I pretty much followed her recipe, although it has given me a bunch of ideas on spins. Here is my slightly modified version.

Ingredients
6 chicken tenders
italian breadcrumbs
3 cheese grated blend
lemon juice
olive oil
6 slices proscuitto
3 slices provolone

Methods
I took the chicken tenders and gave them a few wacks with the meat mallet, mostly just because i could :) Meanwhile I mixed up a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice with a tablespoon or so of olive oil in one bowl and a 2:1 mixture of breadcrumbs and grated cheese in another bowl. I took each chicken tender and washed it and patted it dry. The tender was dipped into the lemon-oil mixtue followed by the breadcrumb mixture. I placed a slice of proscuitto and half a slice of provolone in middle and rolled the chicken up around it.

The chicken baked in a lightly greased (Olive oil) pan for 30 minutes at 450. since I was using tenders it probably could have cooked for 25 min.

Note: this looks a little more crunchy and whatnot because its from reheating the leftovers today... I forgot the camera in my other bag on Thursday when i made these. oops. but look at that crispy cheesy hammy goodness.mmm

Verdict - Win
It really was good! I like this idea of the double breaded rollatini rather than trying to wrap a chicken breast around a bunch of filling and securing with toothpicks. it was soo much easier. We each ate to tenders and were full, leaving me 2 for lunch today :)

I had actually intended to take a couple of them and wrap a couple of asparagus spears in the middle of the proscuitto-cheese center rather than the onion that Gina used. I still plan to do that... I think it would be awesome. Other people suggested a basil leaf, but i like the asparagus idea, I just didn't follow through. I also meant to spray the tops with olive oil so the breading would be crunchier during baking. Either way it was a win. the proscuitto was nice and salty and crispy from baking and it made my tummy happy :)

Plus, this was surprisingly easy -- far easier than David thought it was. The hardest part is the tiny kitchen at the new house.

Beef Fajitas

2011-04-17T20:56:00.000-05:00

Another work week means another week of lunch! I find that if I make lunch during the weekend I'm much more likely to eat healthy and have a good midday meal at the desk. If I don't make lunch I'm quite likely to eat something unhealthy or enhance my lunch with something i shouldn't eat. This week I'm doing fajitas, mmmm. Fajitas are one of my favorite foods in the world!!! They just make me happy.

Materials
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic chopped
~ 1 lb flat iron steak cut into strips
2 green peppers cut into strips
1/2 sweet onion cut into strips
3 roma tomatoes, quartered and de-seeded

Methods
I combined the lime, canola, oregano, cumin, and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Afterwords I chopped the peppers and onions and beef. Toss the beef and vegetables with the marinade, cover and let sit for 4-8 hours. Later I heated up a skillet on high and cooked the meat. I removed as much liquid as possible and to allow the beef to sear and get well seared on the outside. I removed the steak once cooked and added the peppers, onions, and tomatoes to the pan, removing as much liquid as possible. once cooked I tossed the veggies and beef together and prepared to enjoy. I usually enjoy my fajitas with a fork as is, avoiding beans, rice, and tortillas.

Strawberry Whole Wheat Muffins

2011-04-17T20:18:00.001-05:00

I saw a recipe for whole wheat blueberry muffins at Gina's Skinny Taste and it looked pretty tasty. They sounded like a great option for breakfast this week instead of my usual yogurt. I thought this might be a great way to use some of those giant Fukushima strawberries that were on sale this month, so I went for it. They were great. The applesauce for oil sub was great, as usual. I used a half-half whole wheat/white flour, so they were still pretty darn healthy, as well as yummy and totally easy. I have a feeling I'll be making these again this summer as breakfast/snacks as the various berries go through their seasons.

Materials
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups 50-50 whole wheat/white flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter

Methods
First, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Next add the wet and mix -- the sugar, egg, vanilla, and butter. I folded in the strawberries and filled up a dozen muffins. Bake for 25 minutes at 325F and enjoy!!!!

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

2011-04-05T07:06:00.001-05:00

I saw this recipe in this months cooking light, and knew it was a go. It was in their quick and easy category, i love asparagus, and I love tomatoes, what wasn't to like. It really was a quick cook, and quite easy. The original recipe has actual measurements associated with it, however, you know I don't believe in measuring unless absolutely necessary (how very un-engineer of me). it was quite yummy, although sauteing the asparagus would possibly have been a little more yummy (and less healthy). I really loved the balsamic tomatoes with goat cheese. I could see just doing the tomatoes and goat cheese with some pasta sometime. that would be fantabulous.

Ingredients
Asparagus, trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil
Halved grape tomatoes
Minced fresh garlic
Balsamic vinegar
Crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Methods
First, steam the asparagus for about 2-3 minutes until just barely tender and still firm.

Next, heat a little oil in a pan and saute the tomatoes and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Serve the tomatoes over the asparagus and top with a little goat cheese.

Lunardis

2011-04-03T12:38:00.000-05:00

Last summer we tried Lunardi's Restaurant in Beechview with Beth and G on a Friday night. Its a tiny little Italian place that the Dormont/Lebo crowd pass by every day on the T, so it was just asking for a try. We enjoyed it, so when I saw it pop up on Groupon later in the fall I couldn't say no! Last night David and I went back for a date night to use that Groupon before it disappeared. It was a kitschy as I remembered, reminding me of mom's kitchen, or maybe grandma's. David had the chicken parmesan and i had an absolutely delicious chicken marsala served over spinach. It was a good thing that we called ahead for reservations -- they only have 7 tables plus the bar, and it was hopping! I also noticed that they seem to not only sell adult beverages, but it would appear that you can byoW and they'll just charge a corking fee :) That makes me happy too!

Veggie Pizza

2011-04-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
1 tube frozen pizza dough
olive/canola oil/spray
~1.5 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
tomatoes
spinach
mushrooms
balsamic vinegar
italian seasonings

Method
First I preheated the oven according to the directions on the pizza dough. I spread the dough out on a baking sheet that was prepared with a little bit of oil. I added a light sprinkling of the shredded cheese and baked for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, I chopped up two tomatoes, sliced half a package of mushrooms, and grabbed a couple of handfuls of spinach. I tossed these with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Take the vegetable mix and top the pizza with the veggies and sprinkle with italian seasonings. Bake for 7-10 minutes longer until the crust is baked and the veggies are heated up. Slice and enjoy!

Verdict
Win. Pizza is one of my favorite foods in the world. This was a semi healthy version of it. It makes me happy :)

Faux Fried Ravioli

2011-03-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
Frozen Mini Cheese Ravioli
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Italian seasoning to taste
Red Sauce of choice

Methods
First I cooked the ravioli as directed on the bag. Meanwhile I mixed the corneal, parmesan, and seasonings in a small bowl. After cooking the ravioli I dipped it in the cornmeal mix. I placed the ravioli on a lined baking sheet that i sprayed with nonstick spray. After they were all on the baking sheet i sprayed the tops and baked them for about 20 minutes until they were brown and crunch.

Verdict
I've done this before actually, it had just been a while. We were out at Cain's Saloon a couple of weeks ago and they had fried ravioli on the menu, which made me want some baked fried goodness. I served them with various dipping sauces -- chunky for me and smooth for David. It was a win, and a nice slight deviation from the norm :)

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta

2011-03-27T19:57:00.001-05:00

Ingredients
1 super large giant japanese radiated cauliflower
2 heads broccoli
Vegetable oil
5-6 cloves garlic
1/2 box whole wheat elbow noodles
Salt, Pepper to taste

Methods
I chopped up the cauliflower, broccoli, and garlic. I tossed them with the canola oil I had and roasted them until they had some nice roasty browning. Meanwhile I boiled up some pasta. I tossed the cooked pasta, oil and all, with the pasta and enjoyed for lunch last week. To make it a little more filling I added a little sliced chicken a couple of days.

Verdict
Yum. Easy, Veggie. Lunch. Fake Healthy. Met all my requirements.
Sort of has potential as a hot pasta salad...

Green Pasta

2011-03-17T19:26:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup basil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese mix
1/4 cup water
2 tbl olive oil
3/4 box angel hair
1 bag petite peas

Methods
Mix the spinach, parsley, basil, garlic, cheese, water, and oil in the food processor and blend! Meanwhile cook the angel hair. During the last few minutes of cooking the pasta throw in the peas and cook. Mix it all and have at it!

Verdict
Excellent. I enjoyed adding the spinach to the pesto. It was nice and different. I also enjoyed it. I stole the idea from my favorite Kashi meal - adding peas to a pesto pasta. Win. it was super appropriate for St. Patricks lunch :)

Blackberry Bread Pudding

2011-03-17T17:32:00.001-05:00

Ingredients
5-6 cups coarsely shredded challah
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
1/2-1 pint blueberries
1 tbl vanilla

Methods
Spray the crockpot with non-stick spray. then put half of the challah (or other bread) in the bottom of the crockpot. Add 1/2 the berries and then cover with the remaining bread, topping with the remaining berries. Meanwhile mix the milk, cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Dump over the bread mixture. Push down the bread mixture to make sure it is all covered and soaked. Cook on low for about 2.5 hours. It should bubble up and look nice and souffley.

Serve it up warm with whipped cream

Verdict.

Always a win. Normally I use raspberries, but I tried the blackberries for a change. Also a win. I actually forgot to put the vanilla in (which I usually use at least 2 tbl since I love vanilla) It was still great. I brought this to a Mardi Gras Party and took none home :) Win!!!!

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-03-13T19:21:00.000-05:00

Based on The Barefoot Contessa's Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients
1.25 lb Ground turkey
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Paremsan/romano blend
Olive oil
Carrots, coarsely chopped
Celery, coarsely chopped
Chicken stock
1 cup,small pasta
2-3 handfuls baby spinach chopped

Methods
First was the meatballs -- I mixed the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, and cheese. I formed a ton of mini meatballs -- they were still a little too large. They baked in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes at 350F.

Meanwhile, I chopped the carrots and celery and sauteed them in the olive oil in the bottom of my stockpot. once it was cleared up I added chicken stock and brought it to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente. Add the meatballas and spinach. Cook for 1-2 min to wilt the spinach and let the meat balls soak up some goodness.

Verdict
I made this a few weeks ago, so I think this was everything i put into it... but i'm not sure I left out onions/garlic since I was planning to share with david.. then I ate it all for myself. ooops. The meatballs were a bit large, and I would have liked more broth. Otherwise it was repeatable for sure!!!! Yum!!

Toamto and Asparagus Pasta with Flat Iron Steak

2011-02-27T20:54:00.000-06:00

Materials

Asparagus, coarsely chopped

3/4 pint grape tomatoes

olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

angel hair pasta

Flat Iron steak

Montreal steak seasoning

Methods

I took the Asparagus and tomatoes and sauteed them up in the oil with salt and pepper until warmed, and still firm with a nice bit of brown starting to occur. Meanwhile I cooked the angel hair. I tossed the veggies with the pasta and dished it up.

For the flat iron steak I started with some seasoning on the steak and seared the steak on the stovetop in my stainless. While the veggies were cooking i moved the steak into the oven and finished cooking it. I finished up the meal by slicing and adding to the pasta.

Verdict
This is my version of a simple, easy, Sarah friendly dinner (which made for amazing lunch leftovers). I really owe Lulu for introducing me to the flat iron steak. I do love it!!!! This dinner/lunch made me happy. I guess it fits the KISS principle -- it was simple and I enjoyed every flavor :)

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

2011-02-27T20:43:00.001-06:00

I needed a semi healthy yummy veggie.... here it is.

Materials
1 head cauliflower, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
coarse ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Methods
I tossed it all together and roasted for until i was happy with the crisp :)

Verdict
I enjoyed it... and so did David's dad. i think we're good :) Its sort of like Kate's DC broccoli, but cauliflower. oddly enough, I had never eaten cauliflower before last year, and now its a standard for me.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie!!!

2011-02-27T20:38:00.001-06:00

For Valentines Day I brought out one more dessert. I swear, I'm really not a dessert girl, and with the onset of March the desserts go away and the fun of non-dessert, attempting to be healthy comes back for good. I found this recipe on Our Best Bites, although I'm pretty sure it comes straight from Nestle.

Ingredients
1 pie crust [you know I used Grandma Goerss' crust :)]
2 large eggs

1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cups real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Methods
Make the Pie Crust :) I think i'm getting Grandma Goerss' crust down pat now :)

Preheat the Oven to 325F and then beat the eggs until foamy. Add the flour, white sugar, and brown sugar followed by butter and finally the chocolate chips. pour into the pie crust and bake for 55 to 60 min until the knife test midway between the edge and center comes back clean.

Verdict.
Amazing. Beyond Easy. i used 1.5 cups chocolate chips since i didn't have any nuts in my pie. I think it was too much chocolate. But still -- beyond amazing and easy. It was ooey and gooey and yummy. The ooey/gooey was due to the low flour level, not undercooked eggs... so is totally edible and amazing.

Cider Braised Pork

2011-02-13T20:48:00.000-06:00

Ingredients

2 lb pork loin roast

1 small butternut squash, chopped

2 apples, chopped coarsely

1/2 cabbage, sliced

apple cider

salt an pepper to taste

Methods

Simple stuff-- layer the squash, apples, cabbage, and pork in the crock pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a small amount of apple cider in and cook on low all day.

Verdict

This was a crockpot-ification of a pork tenderloin recipe from the December issue of Rachel Ray. I had been thinking about it since seeing the recipe and knew it was a good way to use up the leftover cabbage from the eggrolls. This was a total win. The pork was moist, the cabbage didn't overpower the remaining veggies and it was good!!!! It pretty much tasted the way it smelled and I hoped it would - which is always good. I served everything with the cider sauce on top and loved every bite! David didn't feel like the apple cider overpowered the pork and happily ate his portion too, noting it was still moist without pouring juices over it.

Peanut Butter Squares

2011-02-13T20:39:00.000-06:00

... or hearts

I made the magical cranberry bars a couple of weeks ago, however, they had lots of taboo in them -- so i wanted to make a more simple, shareable dessert. I had seen this recipe for no bake peanut butter bars at Our Best Bites and it seemed to call to me. Especially since I already had the requisite ingredients :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs (about 1 package)

1 lb powdered sugar
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted
1 12oz bag chocolate chips
a smidge of extra peabut butter

Methods
Crush the graham crackers -- I just crushed them in the bowl. The food processor might have been better. The smaller the crumbs the better.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Add in the PB and butter. Take the mixture and press into a 9x13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, adding a couple of tbl of peanut butter. Spread the chocolate mixture onto the bars, place them in the fridge, and let them cool. Cut them before they get too hard (the chocolate needs to set without getting too hard).

Verdict
Win. It was a definite win. Rather than cutting these into squares I actually used my heart shape cookie cutter to make them into reese's hearts. They reall did taste like reese's. And they were cute. Everyone who had one had more than one :)

BLT dip

2011-02-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed some super bowl sadness last week with friends. There was so much awesome food there! I know my southern friends think I was going to be walking to 'northern we don't cook here' territory, but they are certainly giving you a run for the money here. David brought wings and I decided to bring my A game with some BLT dip. You know bacon makes everything yum-tastic.

Materials

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 lb bacon

3/4 pint grape tomatoes chopped

2-5 green onions

Methods

Combine the sour cream and mayonnaise and mixed well. While the bacon cooks, chop the tomatoes an green onions up into small pieces. Take the cooked bacon and crumble into the dip. Mix and chill. The longer you let it sit the better it tastes!!!

Verdict --

Bacon makes everything taste awesome.

Cranberry Magic Bars

2011-02-06T14:21:00.000-06:00

I saw this recipe the other day on Our Best Bites and absolutely had to give it a try! I made these cookies and brought the into work for our Steelers Superbowl Party. Seemed like a hit... I know I enjoyed them.

Materials

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 stick butter, melted

14 oz. can can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

cinnamon as desired

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped cranberries

Methods

Spread the melted butter in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan. Top with graham cracker crumbs and press down to make a nice crust. Spread the sweetened condensed milk on top of the crust an top with coconut. spread the white chocolate chips an top with cinnamon as desired. top with the milk chocolate chips, pecans, an cranberries. Press own an bake at 350 for about30 min. Cut into bars and try not to eat the entire pan!!!

Let's Go Steelers!!!

Irish Eggrolls

2011-02-06T13:55:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to the Irish Pub, Claddah, with the Illini Club to watch the basketball game. One of the guys in the club introduced us to Corned Beef and Cabbage Eggrolls. They were beyond absolutely amazing. I decided I had to re-create these, so this is my take.

Materials

1/4 lb deli corned beef, cut thick.

1/2 cabbage, chopped

4 slices swiss cheese, chopped
Salt and pepper.
Eggroll wrappers

oil.

Methodology
I chopped up the corned beef into chunks. I heated them up in my nonstick pan with a little bit of oil. I added the chopped cabbage an salt and pepper to my taste. I cooked up this mixture until the cabbage was softened. At that point I mixed in the cheese. I took a spoonful or two of the corned beef an cabbage mixture an placed it in the middle of the eggroll wrapper an wrapped up the eggroll, placing it seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. I repeated this until running out of corned beef an cabbage. I sprayed the tops with oil and baked until crispy on the outside.

Verdict

Amazing! It was definitely good stuff!!! You could extend this with more cabbage (I probably would next time... it was actually a little heavy on the corned beef). You could also use it as a delivery method for leftover corned beef with St. Patty's coming up soon. These were a total win!!!! I would eat them with a coarse ground mustard or a thousand island dressing dipping sauce. Definitely enjoy the concept of doing non-traditional eggrolls!

Zucchini Fries

2011-02-01T18:02:00.000-06:00

I saw this recipe for baked zucchini fries on Our Best Bites a couple of weeks ago and mentally bookmarked it as worth trying. It was a particular go since I heard a rumor that certain people liked baked/fried zucchini loaded with breadcrumbs.
Materials
1 zucchini
1/2 cup italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Methods
Cut the zucchini into strips- I used my handy dandy veggie cutter!
I whipped up the two eggs in a bowl and mixed the panko bread crumbs and parmesan in another bowl. I took the zucchini, dipped it in the egg and dipped it into the panko mix and laid them out on a baking sheet (I forgot to spray the pan with non-stick spray, I recommend not doing that). I baked them for 12 minutes at 425, flipped them, and baked for another 12 minutes.

Verdict -- Success. The fries were yummy. I would definitely re-create these during summer when the zucchini is plentiful and dip them in some ranch! I think 'someone' might eat them again next time!

Chicken Taco Soup

2011-01-09T13:35:00.001-06:00

Materials
Shredded chicken (~1.5 chicken breasts)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
4 cups chicken stock or water
Cheese

Methods
I had leftover chicken from the Chicken Pockets (I just poached it in the crockpot overnight -- so moist and easy to shred :) - definitely a good way to cook chicken). I combined the chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and stock. I brought them to a boil and let them simmer for a while before serving. Had I gotten the day started earlier I would have just used my BFF, the crock pot, to heat them up.

Verdict
This made the cut, especially with cheese to garnish. For a simple soup it was good and filled my need for soup of the week. I ate it with a cheese quesadilla, sort of a southwestern style grilled cheese and tomato soup. I plan to eat it a la qdoba mexican gumbo over rice the rest of the week for lunch. :)

Chicken Pockets

2011-01-09T13:23:00.001-06:00

Some history.... I used to go to Washington DC every year for a conference in January. A couple of years ago I had a club sandwich at the restaurant/coffee shop up the street from our hotel, except it was a club sandwich made using puff pastry. Absolutely Amazing. We talk about it to this day, 2 years later. Kate was there for that amazing meal, so she fell in love with the concept -- she started making puff pastry roast beef sandwiches. It was fabulous. I saw a recipe for cooking a chicken breast in puff pastry, which reminded me of "the sandwich". I had to modify it and try my hand at "the sandwich"

Materials
Shredded cooked chicken (~ 1.5 chicken breasts)
1 sheet puff pastry dough, defrosted
Vermont white cheddar, shredded or in chunks
bacon
1 apple, chopped
Ranch sauce for dipping

Methods
We started out with David cooking several slices of bacon. Once cooked I chopped it up into pieces.

Meanwhile, I took the puff pasty dough and cut it into four square pieces and rolled each one out to make a larger square. One one half of each pastry square I mixed together chicken, bacon, cheese chunks, and apples (for mine). I wrapped the other end of the pastry over to form a turnover pocket and brushed the top with a little Oil. I cooked the pockets for about 20 min at 350 until the middle was warm and the pastry was cooked and golden brown.

I served with Ranch sauce for dipping for David.

In terms of thoughts... it was good, seemed to pass everyone's tests. I would think about using a semisoft cheese that was better for melting, or just more of the cheddar next time.

Green Beans and Tomatoes

2011-01-01T13:14:00.002-06:00

David volunteered me for Green Bean Casserole for Christmas Dinner at his Aunts. I had slight issue with this since I don't really do Green Bean Casserole. Turns out he just said that I made Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving. I had seen this other recipe in Ambrosia, the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary cookbook I received as a going away present so I decided to give it a try instead. It was a success. Big win, I enjoyed it!! The vegetable eaters all seemed to really like it... and David's father's comment was "This isn't your mother's green be casserole". :)

Green Beans and Tomatoes
adapted from Ambrosia, by the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary

Ingredients
2 lbs fresh green beans
1/4 cup butter (I would look at oil for next time I make this)
2 tbl sugar
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
several fresh basil leaves torn and chopped
1-1.5 pints grape tomatoes chopped

Methods
Trim the ends of the green beans and remove strings. Boil in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes and drain.

melt the butter (or oil) in a skillet. Add the minced garlic and begin to saute to infuse the garlic taste. Stir in the sugar, salt, pepper, and basil. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly softened. Toss the green beans and tomato sauce.

Squash Soup

2011-01-01T12:57:00.000-06:00

Squash Soup adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients
3 tbl olive oil
1 chopped yellow onions
3/4 -28 oz can pumpkin puree
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
32 oz chicken stock or broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup half and half

Methods
Heat the butter and oil in your stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onions/garlic and cook over medium low until translucent ~10 min or so.

Add the pumpkin puree, squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for about 20 minutes until the butternut squash is very tender.

Process the mixture using your immersion blender. Add the half and half and heat slowly. If the soup needs more flavor add another tsp of salt. For a thicker soup reduce the amount of chicken stock.. For a thinner soup, increase stock.

Verdict
Delicious! As always! I always enjoy pumpkin and squash soups. I definitely enjoy anytime I get to use my immersion blender too :) So this was a win. I love having a pot of soup to eat for lunch :)

Apple Cranberry Pie

2010-12-31T11:41:00.001-06:00

Nothing says holidays like pie, or something. The evolution of this pie: I wanted to bake a pie and use my Great Grandma's recipe and was thinking about pumpkin at Thanksgiving, but David had it covered. While traveling through South Bend my cousin Abby gave me her apple pie recipe as a substitute for the pumpkin. Later, my sister suggested substituting cranberries for the raisins in the apple-cranberry pie. A few weeks later, voila!

Ingredients
2 pie crusts (store bought... or Grandma Goerss's recipe)
8 gala apples, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 tbl lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbl all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Methods
1. Prepare 2 pie crusts and put one int he bottom of a deep pie pan.

2. Sprinkle apples with lemon Juice. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add apples and cranberries and toss to coat.

3. Place apple-cranberry mixture in pie shale and trim the pastry. Cut slits in the second pastry (I used a snowflake cookie cutter!) and place on filling, sealing and crimping.

4. Cover edge of pie with foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden. Cool and serve.

Verdict.
Good. Very good. Repeat after me: I like pie. The crust was as good as I remember, and as easy. The pie was great. I liked the cranberry add. Any time I can eat cranberries I'm happy :) They are a superfood after all! Only down side -- I used 8 small gala apples and that was too much. There was seepage out over the edge of the pie onto the bottom of the oven since I didn't do an expert job with my crimping. Otherwise happy pie.

Amazing Roast Chicken

2010-12-31T08:13:00.000-06:00

Adapted from Jamie Oliver (Naked Chef), as seen on Ezra Pound Cake.

Materials
4-5 lb roasting chicken
salt and pepper
4-5 lbs potatoes
1 lemon
1 head garlic
olive oil
rosemary and thyme
2-4 slices of bacon

Methods
Start out by cleaning the chicken, rinsing, patting dry and liberally applying salt and pepper to the inside and outside of your chicken. Preheat the oven to 375 and allow your chicken to sit while you work on the potatoes.

Bring a pot of water to boil while you peel and cube the potatoes (golf ball size?). Meanwhile, remove the garlic from its papery wrapper. Boil the potatoes with the garlic cloves and lemon for about 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and remove the lemon and garlic. Take a spoon and stir the potatoes around in the hot pot. This makes them 'chuffy' as Jamie calls them. I say it smooshes up the outsides and makes them roast even better!

Poke a handful of holes into the warm lemon. Take the lemon, thyme (or rosemary), and garlic and place in the chicken cavity. Rub the outside of the bird with oil and apply extra salt and pepper if necessary. Roast that bird for 45 minutes.

At the 45 minute mark take the bird out your pan. Add the potatoes and some rosemary and stir them up in the pan, using your chicken drippings to coat the potatoes for roasting. Place the chicken back in the center of the pan, surrounded by the taters. Finally, the coup d'etat, put some bacon across the chicken breast. Roast for another 45 minutes. Crumble the bacon into the potatoes and serve.

Verdict.
Amazingly good. Ok, maybe just good, I'm not sure. This was the first chicken I've ever roasted. I think that they can turn out badly, really dried out and bland. Rumor has it that usually happens to your first roast chicken.That didn't seem to be the case -- this chicken was extremely moist, it had a good flavor, and was exceedingly appetizing. The potatoes were good, the chuffy thing appears to work. In fact, i would say the parboil pre-roasting and chuffing thing is awesome. I would recommend going in and tossing the potatoes mid cooking to get them good and roasty on all sides though. Definitely a keeper -- I think David even enjoyed it.

I even did things up fancy. We had dinner at David's on Christmas Eve and at his Aunt's on Christmas night. This wasn't anything fancy (I had meant to steam some asparagus but lost track of time) but we did eat it off of my Christmas setting :)

Barefoot Contessa’s Lentil Sausage Soup

2010-12-23T19:15:00.000-06:00

Adapted from Barefoot in Paris (Ina Garten)

Materials
½ lb lentils
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Several springs fresh thyme leaves
Ground cumin
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb baby carrots, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
¼ cup tomato paste
1 lb turkey kielbasa, cut in half and sliced

Methods
1. I rinsed and sorted the lentils, cleaning out any shriveled lentils or rocks. I placed them in a bowl and covered the lentils with boiling water, allowing them to sit for about 15 minutes

2. Meanwhile I heated the oil up in the bottom of a stockpot and added the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and thyme. I sautéed them over medium heat until the onions were translucent. At that point I added the carrots and celery and stirred, allowing them to cook for about 10 minutes.

3. I added the lentils, chicken stock, and tomato paste, stirring and bringing to a boil. I covered and simmered for an hour to cook the lentils thoroughly. At that point I added the kielbasa and allowed it to simmer for a few more minutes until heated through.

Verdict
I have never made this particular soup, but I had it several years ago while visiting my cousin and her family in South Bend. Good memories of fun times with extended family and a realization that Barefoot Contessa‘s recipes were actually do-able for us mortal folk. Luckily, she warned me that it feeds quite the crowd, so this was my attempt at modifying and halving the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe to make a dinner for a cold rainy night and lunch for a snowy week at work. It was great - super hearty and filling and smelled amazing before eating this. I really do love soup at this time of year. Being in a land where winter is real is making my love for soup even deeper. I’m pretty sure it is not just a passing fancy since it seems to have spanned a few years now J

BTW…Barefoot Contessa recommends 1 tbl freshly chopped thyme leaves for double this amount of soup. I actually just put in a bunch of sprigs and remove the stems before serving. Also, she chops her veggies up pretty small to be closer in size to the lentils whereas I like to leave my veggies chunky, I enjoy the texture and juxtoposition of the large veggies and the little lentils.

Um yeah, I repeat. Great soup. Filling. Full of lentil fiber goodness. And flavor
BTW…I was trying to explain what lentils were to my mom, including what they taste like. Any suggestions as to how you would describe them besides merely fiber filled goodness?
　

Grove Dip

2010-12-23T19:13:00.001-06:00

We caught the Steelers-Bengals Game a couple of weeks ago at our friends place. I wanted to bring something, and dip came up. I immediately thought of Grove Dip, from the Moo Groceries Cookbook for the Vicksburg Historical Society.

Materials
2 11-oz cans corn, drained and rinsed
1 4-oz can chopped green chiles
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbl sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Methods
Drain and rinse the corn. In a bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and sugar. Add corn, chiles, green onions, red peppers, and cheese. Mix and Chill for several hours before serving with tortilla chips.

Verdict
It was delicious! I had a sample of this once before, and it was about as good as I remembered.

Things to note about the recipe -- it makes a ton of dip, and I mean a ton!!! I would definitely recommend halving it if you aren’t feeding a crowd. Likewise, I’ve actually considered two substitutions -- I would consider omitting one can of corn for a can of black beans. I would also consider subbing some strained non-fat yogurt or some greek yogurt for the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar combo. Corn, beans, and yogurt would mean you could eat as much as you wanted!

Amber’s White Bean, Bacon, and Rosemary Soup

2010-12-23T19:10:00.001-06:00

I spent the better part of 7 years in the south. While I try to lead a healthy lifestyle, I’ll admit, I have a penchant for bacon. There is just something about it -- I’ve always liked it, but it is amazing for infusing flavor. Oh lard, how wonderful you are. This soup uses the touch of bacon to go the extra mile. My friend Amber introduced me to it back in my Vicksburg days. This is my version of her version of the White Bean and Bacon soup that was originally published in Food and Wine.

Ingredients
½ lb bacon
Olive oil, as needed
1 celery heart, coarsely chopped
¾ bag of baby carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 carton chicken stock
2 cans canellini beans, drained and rinsed
Rosemary
Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Methods
In the bottom of your large stockpot or dutch oven cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain. Remove the majority of the grease, leaving a couple of teaspoons at the bottom of the pot.

While the bacon is cooking chop the vegetables -- the idea is to have somewhere around equal parts carrots, celery, and onions. After the bacon is done add olive oil as needed and cook the vegetables for a few minutes until soft.

Add the chicken stock, beans, rosemary, and thyme to the pot. I think that Amber’s recipe called for about 2 tbl of each -- I think these are some of the stars in the recipe, so I add as much as I feel like. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 30 min (or longer). Salt and pepper to taste prior to serving. Garnish with chopped up bacon and enjoy!

Verdict
OK, a little commentary. This recipe is absolutely nothing new to me. However, it is probably one of my favorite foods at this time of year. I love the beans, the bacon, the rosemary, and the thyme. I am a soup girl and this is one of my soups. The one thing I’ve toyed with is actually adding the rosemary and thyme to the olive oil and bacon renderings mixture prior to adding the veggies. I think this could really make this soup even more amazing, which I previously thought was impossible. If you try just one soup this winter, I might heartily recommend this one. I’m not sure if this was better than previously, if it always this good, or perhaps being in real wintery weather made it even more comforting and delicious.

Sweet Potato and Turkey Hash

2010-11-28T11:32:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving means leftovers. We actually didn’t have all that many leftovers, however I did come home with enough turkey for a meal or two. Rather than just eating a sandwich I took it one step further with a Sarah Original.

Materials:
Leftover turkey, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
2 slices prosciutto, chopped
Coarse ground sea salt,
Black pepper
Rosemary

Methods:
Peel the sweet potato and chop it up. Cook the chopped sweet potato with oil in your favorite skilled until softened and slightly browned on the top. I added the salt, pepper, and rosemary during this stage. I chopped up the leftover turkey and the leftover prosciutto from Thanksgiving and heated them up in the hash.
Verdict:
Amazing. First, I love coarse seas salt. So much punch. Next. I love rosemary. Finally. I love turkey, sweet potatoes, and prosciutto. Win. Epic Win. I actually added in the prosciutto at the last minute as I was surveying the fridge. Next year I would add the prosciutto while working the potatoes to impart that gorgeous pork flavor into the prosciutto. I would also add some garlic, which I was somehow out of during this escapade. However, delicious. Amazing. Worth roasting turkey breast just for this!!!!

Roman Green Beans

2010-11-28T11:32:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving I put myself in charge or providing a vegetable for David’s dad and I. Rather than the so-called traditional green bean casserole I went with a fancy fresh green bean dish from a “not so humble vegetables’ cookbook I picked up years ago.

Materials:
Olive oil
1 lb green beans
4 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 thick slices prosciutto
3 tbl pine nuts, toasted
1 ½ tbl lemon juice
Several sprigs of thyme
Methods:
First, I toasted the pine nuts on the stove. Meanwhile I broiled the slices of prosciutto until they got crispy. I cleared the prosciutto of grease and shredded it into bite sized pieces. Next the mushrooms were sautéed in a deep skillet on medium-high to high with the olive oil for about a minute. I added the green beans and cooked for about 5 minutes until they were just tender and cooked yet still crunchy. I added the prosciutto, pine nuts, lemon juice and thyme and toasted to coat and heat. Served and enjoyed J

Verdict:
Served and enjoyed pretty much summed this up. I enjoyed that it was the traditional green bean of thanksgiving, and it was even cooked in the traditional southern manner of adding pork product to your beans -- however this was fresh and tasty to say the least! I gave it two giant thumbs up!! I have several other fancy green bean recipes I want to try from various cookbooks, or I would certainly repeat it at the next fancy, or not so fancy, event.

Orange Cranberry Sauced Pork Chops

2010-11-28T10:47:00.000-06:00

Have you been wondering if this blog would even show up in your RSS feed/google reader again? I sure was. Too much travel and busy time leads to not cooking enough. I’ve done some cooking during my down time, but nothing new, nothing special at all, and I’m still awaiting camera surgery. However, in time for Turkey Day Eve I got back to the business. You know I brought out ‘old trusty’ aka the crock pot.

Orange Cranberry Sauced Pork Chops
Materials:

½ bag baby carrots
3-4 pork chops
½ can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tbl orange marmalade
1 tbl quick cooking tapioca
¼ tsp cardamon

Methods:
Place the baby carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork chops atop the carrots. Mix the remaining ingredients and place sauce on top of pork chops. Cook on low for 9-10 hours while at work.
Verdict:
Eh. This smelled amazing when I came home from work. I could hardly wait until going over to David’s to eat dinner. Alas, there was a lot of hype for nothing. The original recipe from a Crock Pot magazine called for orange cranberry sauce, which I couldn’t find -- so I added orange marmalade to my cranberry sauce as a substitute. I couldn’t really taste the orange. More importantly, the pork was somehow exceedingly dry, despite the fact that there was plenty of juices/water in the bottom of the crockpot. I thought it was impossible to cook dried out food in the crockpot. Unfortunately, I’m able to do that. I also didn’t really think the tapioca did anything -- I know its supposed to make the sauce creamy, but I wound up with glazed pork chops (the glaze was good despite the lack of orange taste) and a thin, watery cranberry-y sauce that the carrots were sitting in. I had high hopes… maybe will use the cranberry sauce and marmalade combo for glazed chops on the stove in the future.

I would like to note that I think pork pairs really well with fruit -- david had never had pork cooked with fruit. When I think of pork chops I think of cherries, apples, pears, and peaches -- I swear it’s a natural pairing.

Fall Salad

2010-10-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

I celebrated October with a simple fall salad the other night. It totally hit the spot. nothing new, nothing major, but exactly what the season ordered. Have I told you about my love affair with goats cheese. because i love goats cheese and fruit!

- baby spinach and leaf lettuce mix
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 pear, chopped
- handful dried cranberries
- goats cheese
- strawberry balsamic dressing

I mixed the lettuce and fruits and topped with crumbled cheese before adding dressing, tossing and enjoying.

Enchilladas... and a return to cooking

2010-10-15T19:38:00.001-05:00

I would like to apologize for the dearth of posts lately, however you can really blame Uncle Sam. I've spent most of the last two months out of town... which didn't lead to much cooking... only to lots of eating out.

This week I made some simple chicken enchilladas as part of my return to cooking

- 2 cups chopped/shredded chicken (i used rotisserie chicken)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 2 tbl Diced Green Chiles, rinsed and drained
- 4 (9 to 10-inch) Flour tortillas, warmed

Combine the shredded chicken, 3/4 cup of cheese, ranch, sour cream, and chiles. Mix well and split into quarters. Take one quarter of mixture and place in each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Place remaining cheese on top of tortillas. Bake for 20 min at 350F or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Verdict: I've made these before and enjoyed. David approved pending removal of chiles.

Simple Pasta

2010-09-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

Before heading out for vacation I had some produce to use so I threw together a simple tomato and pasta lunch. It was light and simple and hit the spot. Its not fine dining to report on, but it was just what I wanted!

Materials
olive oil
garlic
grape tomatoes
angel hair
coarse ground sea salt

Methods
I sliced up 2-3 cloves of garlic and sauteed them in some olive oil. Meanwhile I boiled up some angel hair. After the garlic infused the oil, I chopped up the tomatoes and let them cook up for a few minutes. I combined the tomatoes and angel hair with a generous sprinkling of sea salt and pepper.

Verdict
Like i said, absolutely nothing special, but it was just what I wanted!

Raspberry Glazed Chicken

2010-09-01T08:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, 2 posts in 2 days -- I must be crazy!

Last night I decided to try a Raspberry Chicken. I've seen a number of recipes for these types of things over the years, but never actually made one. I thought it would be a safe bed since someone other than me likes raspberries. I found this recipe for Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken Breasts over at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy and decided to give it a whirl. I used her receipe with what I had on hand and modified slightly. I also didn't measure anything, per norm for me :)

Materials
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
spice mix - 2:1 mix of rosemary and oregano
chicken broth
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
~1 tsp-1/2 tbl honey mustard

Methods
Preheat oven to 350. Rub both sides of the chicken with the spice mix. Place in shallow baking pan and add a little broth to prevent drying the chicken out while cooking. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Mis the raspberry preserves and honey mustard. Spread over the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes until cooked.

Results
It turned out pretty well. Rosemary was the dominant flavor, perhaps because i tend to use it abundantly, and the raspberry provided a little sweetness to follow up. David was intrigued by the use of a jelly product on meat. I enjoyed it and look forward to cosuming the final piece for dinner one night this week.

Some thoughts... I didn't really think it was glazed, the way I tend to think of glazed, which was a little disappointing. It was more of rosemary chicken with a raspberry sauce. I think to get that flavor/texture I would have put the preserves mixture on earlier. I also didn't really taste the honey mustard much. I would either use more or totally omit it. Finally, it was a little dried out. I would either cook this covered with foil to prevent drying the chicken out until the glaze/sauce was added or i would use chicken tenders rather than full chicken breasts. Despite the reccomended changes, it was tasty, and it was nice to get back to trying new recipes.

Mexican Minestrone

2010-08-31T11:48:00.002-05:00

I'm Back! maybe not better, but I'm back at least.

Its been a bit of a hiatus. After moving I discovered several excuses for not cooking. Namely, i Hate my kitchen in my apartment. The oven constantly sets of the smoke alarm when there is nothing smoking, and the burners aren't really fine tuned in terms of high-medium-low. Over the past couple of months, I've ruined a few easy dishes, quit cooking, and returned to cooking. Excuse number two: It is hot in the kitchen. I miss central air, and my kitchen is decidedly not well ventilated. Final excuse: my boyfriend is anti produce. Something about vegetables bringing death at an earlier age or something? If you recall my Lenten attempt at vegetarianism, this is a bit of an issue. But, I've rallied the troops and we're back on track. I'm starting off with something easy, out of my favorite kitchen gadget, the crockpot. Its not full of fresh veggies from a farmers market, but its a step into the right direction.

Materials

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3 cans stewed Mexican tomatoes

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 cup salsa

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1 cup frozen green beans

2 medium potatoes, coarsely chopped

Methods

Combine all ingredients and cook on high in slow cooker for 7-9 hours and Enjoy!

Verdict

I cooked this overnight to eat for lunch this week. I woke up at 3 AM and couldn't fall back to sleep because the smell was so enticing! Despite being full of canned goodness, it didn't fail to delight. It was about as yummy as it smelled and it was fully of yummy, fiber filled bean, tomato, and soupy goodness. a recipe for happiness! Plus,for the WW crowd it is about 4 points for a serving (recipe makes 6-8 servings).

Stay tuned for more food updates. I'm traveling a lot for work so it might be a little far and few between for the next few weeks, but I'm back to sauteing away!

Asparagus and Pancetta Hash

2010-06-09T11:32:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I've been cooking in the new place for a couple of weeks now. I've been without internet so blogging has been less possible, and have tended towards the more simple lately as I've been focused on unpacking and eating tamer food after a month of eating out.

I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen a few weeks ago and thought about it pretty much from that point on. I determined it was a must have sort of thing... so I made my way into the kitchen and gave it a try.

Materials
1/2 lb pancetta, diced
1 tbl olive oil
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped

Methods
Heat up diced pancetta over medium heat. Fry until well cooked and remove from pan. Using pancetta renderings and 1 tbl olive oil, place potatoes in pan. Salt and Pepper as desired (I like it heavy) and allow the potatoes to begin to brown. flip periodically, allowing potatoes to cook and brown nicely. Add in garlic towards the end of cooking the potatoes. Once potatoes are about as brown as desired, add the asparagus and cover. Allow the asparagus to saute in the renderings until cooked. Return the pancetta tot eh pan, stir to reheat, and serve.

Results
Amazing! It was fairly light, easy peasy, and yumm-ay! I enjoyed the one dish aspect, which happens so rarely in my kitchen. I also enjoyed the overall taste as well as the texture. It was great reheated the next day for lunch too. I will note, that I would recommend avoiding oversalting due to the giant amount of salt associated with the pancetta. By the time I finished my leftover lunch I felt like I had consumed much of the great salt lake. Still, a definite keeper and something to throw some changes to and repeat! Also, I would add a yellow onion with the garlic, as suggested by the recipe; however, I had used all my onions earlier in the week.

On Hiatus

2010-05-15T12:56:00.000-05:00

If you haven't noticed... on hiatus due to the move. more kitchen fun coming once I have a kitchen again!! :)

Rusty's

2010-04-24T17:00:00.002-05:00

I joined my crazy animal loving freinds from Paws for a great going away lunch at one of our favorite locations, Rusty's Riverfront Bar and Grill. This was my first visit since their recent remodel. The good news: The food is still great (I enjoyed the signature green beans and blacked grouper). The great news: The outdoor seating looks great, and the new room has a great bar and is a little more quiet and doubled the availbe seating! Wishing I could enjoy some more great meals with great people here :(

Yummy Cheeseburgh-er

2010-04-21T20:37:00.006-05:00

While scouting out housing options in Pittsburgh, I had an amazing cheeseburger at the Union Grill on Craig St. It was made with a custom ground beef and the artisinal cheese of the week was Kerry Gold Dubliner. Loved the yummy ground sirloin mix and the creamy cheese. Nothing fancy, but definitely a great eat!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchilladas

2010-04-13T20:14:00.005-05:00

In preparation for my upcoming move, I've been doing a lot of housework and not so much cooking; however, I decided to give it a try since its Lost night and not a work night. I found this recipe back during the meatless phase.. but didn't have time to try it before I returned to being a carnivore. I've been looking forward to making this since that time. It brings together three things i love: cheese, black beans, and sweet potatoes

Sweet potato and Black Bean Enchiladas from Closet Cooking

Materials

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 sweet potatoes, cooked

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

canola oil

1/2 cup water

1 tbl chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tbl soy sauce

4 tortillas

1 cup cheddar cheese

Methods

In a bowl mash the sweet potatoes. The original recipe called for adding cilantro and chipotles here. Since I didn't have any cilantro left and i had a crazy fear come over me about the chipotles, I just used mashed sweet potatoes.

Next, heat up oil and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Yay!. Next add water, beans, cumin, chili powder, and soy sauce. Cook down until most of the water is gone. Once again, the original recipe called for cilantro here, and I was lacking in that department. Spread 1/4 of the bean mixture and 1/4 of the potato on a tortilla. Wrap it up burrito style and place in a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and mixtures. Cover with cheese and bake for about 15 minutes at 350F.

Verdict

Wow! These hit the spot! I mentioned the missing cilantro above because they definitely could use a little something more (I totally could have upped the chili powder to 2 tbl too.. but I'm a yankee chicken). Either way, they were good and exactly what I wanted to much on for a late LOST dinner. I definitely plan to enjoy these again! If I had leftover yogurt I would have slathered some of it on.... Plus, they are fairly filling and nutritious (as usual). I use the low carb/high fiber tortillas and this worked out to 6.5 pts per enchilada :)

026/027 -- Chili Lime Steak Salad

2010-04-06T21:53:00.009-05:00

I decided to return to carnivorous cooking in a rather simplistic way. During my vegetarian phase I found a yummy sounding recipe over at Our Best Bites that called for a little bit of beef. I'm cheating and considering this two recipes -- the Chili Lime Rubbed Steak and the Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing. I made a few modifications to the OBB recipe. My version (which is 97% their version) is below. I used a flat iron steak for this recipe. Let me wax on about how I enjoy the flat iron steak. It is fairly affordable so far as beef goes, and it is not too fatty and gross, AND it cooks up pretty quickly/easily on the grill or under the broiler. For the longest time I hadn't tried the flat iron as I'm a patron of the NY strip, however, Lulu convinced me to give the flat iron a try. I'm sold. I'm still a NY strip girl when going out to restaurants, but I'm sold the flat iron for my own cooking purposes.

I started out making the rub for the steak

Materials

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lime, juiced

1 tbl olive oil

Steak, (I used a flatiron cut)

Methods

Mix all ingredients together. Pour mixture over steak and press into sit. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes. I cooked my steak on my George Foreman :) Cut into thin slices against the grain.

While the steak was marinating I made the salad dressing

Materials

1 cup plain fat free greek yogurt (I like fage or oiknos best)

1 packet ranch dressing mix

about 1/2 cup milk

about 1/2 cup cilantro

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

juice of 1 lime

Methods

Combine ingredients in food processor and process until smooth! Keep cool and enjoy!

Finally, I used the dressing, slices of the steak, romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, avocado, and black beans to make an awesomely yummy meal. The steak was really good -- and totally easy. This rub was definitely worth repeating. The salad itself was really yum-tastic. The original dressing recipe called for a green salsa and hot sauce -- which i totally forgot while at the store. The recipe was pretty good as it was, although it wasn't quite so green. definitely a good score -- fairly lightweight, filling, easy, and yummy.

025 -- Peanut Thai Noodle Salad

2010-03-28T19:21:00.008-05:00

My friend Lulu had a few of us over for dinner a few weeks ago. She had recently introduced me to this awesome food blog, Our Best Bites, which always has yummy looking recipes. To intensify my love for OBB, Lulu made their Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. I have seriously had dreams, ok well really daydreams, about that salad. It was way too yummy for its own good. Obviously (a) I have major issues, and (b) I had to give it a try of my own.

Plus, this gave me an opportunity to use my *new* blender. My parents gave me a blender/food processor combo about 3.5 years ago (I think) for Christmas. They share a base, but have different tops. Since then I have used the food processor tons of times, my general favorite thing to make being hummus. However, I had never actually pulled the blender portion out. Now I feel a lot better about it. I swear I usually don't wait that long to use gifts... the week the infamous pasta roller shows up I plan to make something special :)

In other conversational news... this was the first time I actually used raw ginger in a recipe. I usually sub ground ginger, skip it, or just skip the recipe in the first place. I think am closing in towards having cooked with most of the veggies at our little Kroger save the greens.

Materials
Dressing
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 lime
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbl rice vinegar
2 tbl soy sauce
3 tbl honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbl minced ginger
1/4-1/2 cup copped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1-3 tsp siracha chili sauce
2-4 tbl water (as needed to make dressing-y)

Salad
6 cups chopped Nappa Cabbage/Savoy Cabbage, or some other greens
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, sliced or chopped
Handful of baby carrots, julienned
1 box whole wheat linguine

Method
Combine all dressing ingredients in blender and mix. Set to side and chill

Cook linguine until al dente. Rinse in col water. While linguine is cooking chop vegetables.

Toss dressing, pasta, and veggies and serve!

Verdict
Awesome! It doesn't taste like I remember Lulu's tasting, but i could still have dreams about this. I'm sold on OBB! About the only problem i see is that it feeds a bunch! I knew it would be more than a meal or two when I looked at it, but I was dumb enough to think I didn't need to halve (or quarter) it. Really, since the dressing is the super star of this meal, you could make a pretty good meal out of just the veggies and the dressing without the noodles, but what fun would that be? So, anyone want to come over for dinner tomorrow or Tuesday? You can see the super awesome yellow kitchen in person!!

024 -- Spanakopizza

2010-03-27T20:57:00.009-05:00

The weekends are pizza time at my house. It harks back to childhood and growing up in Chicago. I had some feta cheese left over from last week's lentils, so I decided I wanted to do something with them. I had been reading some recipes on the web and decided to make a Greek spanakopita inspired pizza. MMMM pizza and spanakopita -- a combination that can't go wrong, right? I feel so Rachel Ray in naming my dish :)

Materials
Olive oil spray
1 Can refrigerator pizza dough
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Green pepper, chopped
1/4-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Spinach
Feta cheese
Oregano
Dill
Salt
Pepper
1 Lemon

Methods
First, spray the surface of a baking sheet with olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough to the desired thickness and spray the surface with olive oil again. Bake at 400 (or temperature on can) for about 7 minutes.

Pull the pizza out of the oven and start topping. I put the minced garlic down first, followed by peppers and onions. The spinach took the place as the top veggie. Spread the feta over the spinach. Top with dill, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Finally, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Bake for about 8 minutes longer and enjoy!

Verdict

Winner! This was excellent, definitely one to enjoy again. I adore dill and feta, making this a yummy combo! Plus it was pretty darn healthy. I thought that the lemon brought out the dill and oregano and made it pretty darn tasty!! Warning, since there isn't a lot of cheese (its really more of a flatbread...) the toppings like to slide here there and everywhere.

Anchuca

2010-03-25T20:01:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed a GREAT lunch with GREAT people at Anchuca today. Somehow I had never been there before. It's a gorgeous b&b located in an antebellum home in downtown Vicksburg. I enjoyed the special, a grilled salmon salad. It was to die for! The salmon was moist and flavorful, the fruit was fresh, the goat cheese and candied walnuts were yummy, and the dressing wasn't overly done. I can only imagine how great Sunday Brunch is!

023 -- Sweet and Savory Mediterranean Lentils and Rice

2010-03-24T22:04:00.007-05:00

I was looking for something 'nutritious and delicious' for lunch this week. This recipe from the AHA Cookbook promised me a sweet and savory combination that would delight so I was intrigued. Plus, it involved a 'new' ingredient for the cooking repertoire -- lentils. I've had them before, just never actually cooked with them.

Materials
2 tbl oil
1 onion, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
2 cups vegetable broth
1 small can crushed tomatoes (undrained)
2.5 cups water
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/3 cup dried currants
feta cheese

Methods
In a nonstick pan cook oil, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and onion over medium heat. This will seem like aromatherapy.

Add lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes and juice, water, rice, and currants. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes until rice is tender. Serve with feta sprinkled on top. Makes 4 servings

Verdict
Since this was lunch it went from pan to Tupperware. Don't you love my beautiful picture that was taken at my desk the other day! Thank you camera phone. I was a little worried about this one. When I finished cooking it I took a little tidbit as a taste test and it seemed like the cayenne was a bit much for me. Since this was not the first time I had this reaction recently, I decided I might need to a) buy new cayenne -- perhaps mine has increased in heat with age, or b) start using reduced amounts of cayenne in recipes again -- I used to do this when I had full on yankee tongue after growing up in the salt house. Turns out, it was ok. Perhaps the heat was just actual heat from the stove :) Or maybe the cayenne mellowed in the fridge. Either way, this was a total winner and repeat worthy. The lentils and rice were really filling -- I could barely finish it. The currants and tomatoes gave it nice texture and I loved the sweet/savory combo of cinnamon and currants/onions and cayenne. I really can't say enough about this one!

I can also say that now, not only do I feel totally comfortable cooking/eating lentils, but I no longer fear currants. I actually lost the fear over Christmas when Dad made lemon-currant coffee cake from grandma's recipe (Dad, if you are reading this I need her recipe). Until then I had major currant fear. I thought they were some sort of gross icky dried fruit that i associated with fruit cake and nothing else. Then padre let us in on a secret, they are just little raisins. Mystery solved. New food for the cupboard :)

022 -- Asparagus and Artichoke Quiche

2010-03-21T20:53:00.016-05:00

After beer and crawfish this weekend I wanted something light tonight. A veggie quiche seemed like just the ticket. This asparagus and artichoke quiche is based on a recipe from the American Heart Association uses brown rice for the crust. I liked this idea! It was something different!

Materials
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth and/or water
1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
1 cup brown rice
Egg substitute equivilent to three eggs
12 spears, asparagus trimmed to about 1/4 in. pieces
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
Methods
1. Cook rice according to directions, using water and broth. After cooking rice, place in a bowl in fridge for about 10 minutes to cool off. Mix cooled rice with your seasoning of chioce and egg subsitute equivilient to one egg.

2. Spray bottom and sides of deep dish pie pan with vegetable oil spray. Pat rice mixture onto bottom and sides of the pan to make crust. Bake at 400F for about 7 minutes until rice is golden brown.

3. Layer asparagus, artichokes, and on crust.

4. Mix substitute equivilent to two eggs, half and half, pepper, and 3/4 cup cheese together. Pour over the veggies. Place tomoatoes on top of quiche. Push down to partially cover with egg mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over quiche. Bake at 325F for about 45 minutes until egg mixture in center is set and does not jiggle.

ENJOY!

EDITED TO ADD:

This was great! I loved it!!! I really liked the layering of the vegetables. The cruchy rice instead of pie crust was a unique twist, and i liked it. I'm going to try one with cous cous sooner or later too.

If you are in my family, you know that I detest eggs.. but i'm learning if you throw enough crap in with them i'll happily eat them! Just don't ask me to consume a fried egg.

021 -- Zucchini, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas

2010-03-18T21:41:00.012-05:00

I had big plans for dinner tonight. Then I went and forgot my shopping list at home. So, I improvised. Rebecca at EzraPoundCake has a Meatless Monday thing going on. In an effort to be more cost effective, sustainable, and healthy she eats meatless one day a week, so I knew she would have some more good meatless recipes for me to choose from. She didn't disappoint. These Quesadillas are based on one of her zucchini and corn quesadillas.

I added black beans and used the super fiber reinforced tortillas that I get from the Fresh Market. This was definitely yummy! I'm not always a huge fan of cilantro, but this hit the spot. I'm not actually sure the beans were needed, especially since i used the aforementioned tortillas. This was definitely high on the yum meter anyways. I look forward to eating leftovers tomorrow.

It really is amazing how the meatless thing works out. I love the fact that its got me new vegetables, eating beans, and feeling good. Post Lent, I would like to try to do the Meatless Monday thing. I think it will be AWESOME when Farmer's Market Goodies start to come in!

Materials
olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
olive oil spray
4 tortillas
2 cups grated cheddar-jack cheese

Methods
1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large skillet heat 3 tbl oil over medium heat. Cook onion and salt, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic, cooking for about 1 minute.

2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Add zucchini and corn to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until zucchini is soft and corn has thawed. (I added beans at this step, but I would hold off to step 3 next time)

3. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and beans.

4. Spray one side of two tortillas with oil. Place tortillas oil-side down on a baking sheet and top with 1/2 filling apiece. Cover each tortilla with half the cheese. Top with remaining two tortillas. Spray with oil and press down with spatula to seal.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and quesadillas are golden brown. Remove from oven and slice. Makes 4 meal-size servings or a bunch of appetizer-y goodies.

020 -- Southwest Veggie Eggrolls

2010-03-14T22:43:00.007-05:00

While scouring the food blogs I ran across this recipe at Ezra Pound Cake. It spoke to me and I've been thinking about it ever since I read this recipe. After a great day of springtime fun it was definitely what the doctor ordered -- and at 2 WW points per eggroll it isn't too shabby on the health side. Taste-wise this was absolutely A-Ma-Zing! Plus it was good and filling. I would serve with greek yogurt or some guacamole if I had one of them on hand.

Materials
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz package chopped spinach, thawed and dried
1 1/2 cup colby jack or mexican cheese
4 oz can of diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
dash cayenne pepper
20 eggroll wrappers

Methods
Combine everything except the eggrolls and mix well.

Place about 1/4 cup of mixture on top of an eggroll wrapper.

Wrap eggrolll up. Roll one corner towards center. Continue rolling and fold sides over center. Wet final corner and roll up to seal. This recipe should make about 20 eggrolls in this manner.

Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Place eggrolls seam-side down on baking sheet. Spray top of eggrolls with vegetable oil spray. Bake for about 15 minutes at 425 F, until crispy and brown. Turn eggrolls once during cooking.

Serve and ENJOY!

019 -- Simple Baked Cod

2010-03-14T22:22:00.005-05:00

This recipe is pretty simplistic recipe i found on Big Oven. I have really come to enjoy fish, however I'm still learning to cook it. For years my fish experience was summed up in the words fish sticks. As I've gotten older I've gone outside my box and begun to eat more seafood. i can now say that I love to eat fish while out, but funny thing, yummy fish is usually covered in hollandaise or some other crazy unhealthy sauce when you eat out. So I'm starting to try to cook fish more. This was my first attempt at a breaded fish from scratch.

Materials

1 lb cod fillets

vegetable/olive oil spray

2 tbl flour

2 tbl cornmeal

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tbl grated parmesan cheese

Methods

rise cod and pat dry. spray with oil spray on both sides. Meanwhile combine flour, cornmeal, onion powder and pepper in a bowl. Dip fish fillets in flour mixture and cover both sides. Place in glass baking dish. Spray tops of fish with oil and cover with parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for about 12-14 minutes until fish is cooked.

Verdict

This was ok.. nothing fabulous, but not horrid. I imagine if i used butter instead of oil, as suggested, it would have been a ton better. I will continue on in my efforts to find an adequate healthy breaded fish. In retrospect would try putting more species into the mixture and would use panko breadcrumbs instead of the flour/cornmeal mixture. However, I think I'm just generally a bigger fan of tuna and salmon than white fish.

Recipe 18: Spinach and white bean soup

2010-03-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

I needed a quick, easy meal the other day, so i turned to my old favorite, soup :) This was a sort of quickie take on traditional pasta e fagioli.

Materials
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 box whole wheat pasta
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz can diced tomatoes
fresh baby spinach
salt, pepper, and your favorite italian herbs to taste

Methods
Cook pasta according to box. Combine stock, cooked pasta, beans, and tomatoes in large stockpot. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for a few moments until beans and tomatoes are cooked through. Stir baby spinach into soup and allow to wilt. Season as desired and serve.

Verdict
This was ok. I didn't add enough of my favorite hers and spices (i used a tuscan herb mix i had on hand), so it was a little bit bland. However, it was certainly filling between the beans and whole wheat pasta.

Recipe17: WW Veggie Soup

2010-03-11T22:17:00.007-06:00

I was wanting something veggie filled and light last weekend. I was DESPERATE to lose at least half a pound, so I thought I would try the 'staple' WW veggie soup (because apparently I don't eat enough soup?). Although, soup is one of the things I find easiest to make in a veggie form that keeps me filled up.

Materials
4 garlic cloves
medium onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 sweet pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
dried thyme
6 cups vegetable/chicken broth
2 tbl parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lemon

Methods
Combine vegetables, broth, thyme, and garlic in large stockpot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add parsley, salt, pepper, and the juice of a lemon.

Verdict
This was pretty ok and fairly filling considering that it is essentially calorically non-existent. I can see why its a 'staple' of weight loss in weight watchers. The recipe called for swiss chard, but alas our kroger was without so i bumped up the rest of the veggies accordingly to account for the missing chard. I also used a green pepper instead of red -- red would have made it even more visually appealing. WW claims that this makes 12-1 cup servings. Personally, if this is the main portion of the meal I, needed 2 cups and a fresh multi grain roll with some sort of fat product on it. I've got some of it stored up in the freezer for a soupy day :)

Broiled Italian Eggplant

2010-03-01T21:05:00.011-06:00

From the New American Heart Association Cookbook
Materials
1/2 cup italian dressing
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large eggplant
1 oz can tomato sauce
pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Methods
Combine italian dressing, rosemary, and oregano. Meanwhile slice eggplant in 3/4 in. slices.

Place eggplant and dressing mixture in a baggie or bowl and mix to cover. Allow to sit for 1 hr to marinate.

Preheat Broiler and place eggplant on a baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes per side until browned.

Layer eggplant, tomato sauce, and pepper to taste in an 8 in. baking dish. Place cheese over top layer and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes until melted and browned. Enjoy!

Results

This was super easy. It took a while just because of the marinade time. Otherwise it was a no muss, no fuss sort of supper. It was also pretty yummy, particularly for an easy meal. During the summer I would consider making this using some farm fresh eggplant and chopped up tomatoes rather than the sauce. I think that could give it some awesome texture and flavor layering. Still easy peasy! And if you were trying to think economically, it was less than five dollars for 4 servings!

Recipe 15: Slow cooker risotto with edamame

2010-02-28T19:49:00.012-06:00

I wanted something yummy while I spent more time painting this weekend. It seemed like a perfect time to try a recipe i had been wanting to give a whirl for a while, Risotto with Edamame from the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, which is one of my favorite cookbooks for some reason. I enjoy it because it isn't just 'put a piece of meat in your crock pot and cover with cream of mushroom soup'. This recipe intrigued me since I enjoy edamame and risotto, why not put them togheter? Plus, the idea of risotto in the crockpot intrigued me. This was a double bonus since i'm still in my meatless phase for a few more weeks. Any way I can get some good healthy protein in is a good one right now.

Materials
3 cups chicken broth (i used 1 can broth and 1 cup water)
1 cup shelled edamame
1 tbl olive oil
2 tbl unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Methods
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add the edamame and bring cook acording to the package directions. Remove the edamame from the broth and set aside.
Heat oil and 1 tbl butter. cook onions, stirring periodically until softened. Add rice and cook for about 2 minutes. The goal is to turn the rice opaque.

Add the rice mixture to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 1 hr 45 to 2 hr 15 until the rice is al dente with a bit of liquid left in the pot.

Stir in the cooked edamame and remaining tbl butter. Cover and and let sit for 5 minutes to fully melt butter and heat edamame. Sitr in cheese and salt and pepper and serve.

Results
This was pretty OK. I think I would make it again. I think I overcooked the rice in the pan before putting it into the crock, which resulted in it cooking up too fast and used up all of the broth. It wasn't as creamy as expected and wasn't really firm. However, I think I better understand what I'm looking for in the translucivity of the rice now. The recipe said it served 3 to 4. If I did the math correctly, 1/3 of this was 7 points for WW. I enjoyed it with a salad on the side. I look forward to either re-trying this or anoter recipe. in time I'll get the whole risotto cooking thing down pat :)

Recipe 14: Pizza Margherita

2010-02-26T22:29:00.009-06:00

Growing up, Friday night was pizza night. This Friday was no different in my household. I decided to make a pizza margherita. I also learned that margherita is not italian for a tequila filled drink, but rather italian for daisy! And margherita was a queen of italy in the late 1800's. who knew? That might explain why pizza margherita is one of my favorites! I do have a daisy dog who thinks she is a princess.

Materials
~ 1 refrigerated pizza crust
~ cornmeal
~ olive oil spray
~ 1 clove garlic
~ 4-5 roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
~ 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
~ 1/4-1/2 cup basil
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ olive oil
~ balsamic vinegar

Methods
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a little oil on the top of a baking sheet. Dust sheet with cornmeal. Spread out the pizza crust. Bake for about 8 minutes and remove from oven.

Spray the surface of the crush lightly with olive oil. Cut garlic clove in half and rub garlic on pizza crust. Arrange the tomatoes on the crust, remaining 1/2 in. clear of the edge of the crust.

Sprinkle cheese evenly across the tomatoes. Slice basil into thin pieces and spread over surface. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. sprinkle vinaigrette over pizza.. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese melts and beings to brown. Slice and enjoy!

Results

Two big thumbs up. I've said it before, pizza is comfort food for me and this totally hit the spot. It was a great Friday night meal. I think next time I'll add even more basil. One of these days I want to make my own dough instead of the prefab stuff. I accidentally forgot to spray my pan before I placed my pizza crust, but because of the cornmeal we had very few sticking issues :)

This will be a million times more yummy come summer when fresh tomatoes and basil are available. Add a little fresh, sliced mozzarella instead of prefab shredded and it would be absolutely amazing. note to self: make pizza margherita this summer. :)

Recipe 13: Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole

2010-02-26T21:31:00.012-06:00

To continue the 'vegetables i enjoy but have never actually cooked' theme, I made a broccoli and cauliflower casserole. Yes, I had never actually cooked fresh cauliflower before. This recipe was based on a macaroni and cheese with cauliflower in it. I was sick last week and i wanted some comfort food to bring me through the meal. I cut down the amount of pasta and added broccoli to up the impact.

Materials

~ 1/2 package whole wheat shells (6 to 7 oz shells)
~ 1 head cauliflower
~ 2 broccoli crowns
~ 4 slices multigrain bread, torn
~ 1/2 cup parsley chopped
~ 3 tbl olive oil
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ 1 onion
~ 2 cups extra sharp cheddar grated
~ 1 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
~ 1/2 cup fat free milk
~ 1 tbl stone ground mustard

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 400 and cook the pasta. Coarsely chop the cauliflower and broccoli. Add them to the pasta for the last 3 minutes. Remove and drain veggies and pasta.

2. Meanwhile, tear break and pulse in food processor until coarse crumbs are formed. Add parsley, 2 tbl oil, and salt and pepper. [note -- i would only use 2 pieces of bread next time] Chop onion finely.

3. Add 1 tbl oil to the bottom of the pasta pot. Cook onions, salt, and pepper until the onions soften. Add cheese, sour cream, milk, mustard, and pasta. Mix. [note -- i added cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard and mixed thoroughly before adding pasta and veggies. i recommend this method to get adequate mixing]

4. Place mixture in a baking dish and cover with bread crumbs [4 slices of bread made waaaay tooo many breadcrumbs]. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Makes about 6 servings

Results
It was pretty OK. This met the casserole comfort food standard, although more cheese or a lot of butter and full fat milk or cream would have made it much more yummy. As i noted above, waaaay too much topping. It was still good, and servings were giant!

Recipe 12: Baked Salmon with Goat Cheese

2010-02-22T22:01:00.007-06:00

To makeup for missing last week's Fishy Friday, I made baked Salmon with goat cheese, based on a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, 15-Minute Single Gourmet. The recipes aren't totally gourmet, but I really like the fact that Mitchell generally uses my favorite types of ingredients: fresh. Not having 3 days of leftovers is a nice plus too!

Materials
~ 1/4 tsp olive oil
~ 1 garlic clove, minced
~ 8 oz can of tomatoes
~ 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
~ pinch crushed red pepper
~ dash ground black pepper
~ 1 salmon fillet
~ 1 tbl goat cheese

Methods
Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until tender.

Add tomatoes, rosemary, and red and black pepper. Quarter the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to reduce the sauce.

Meanwhile, spray a baking pan with olive oil and place salmon fillet skin side down. Pour the tomato sauce over and around chicken. Place pat of goat cheese on top of fillet. Cover and bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.

Verdict

I enjoyed my dinner over a bit of angel hair pasta I had sitting in the cupboard. I felt like this dish was ok. I wouldn't say it was great but I wouldn't say it was horrible. I always enjoy tomatoes and cheese, so that worked well together.

However, today was not my superstar day in the kitchen. I'm not a fan of measuring, so I imagine I didn't have enough rosemary (but it was nice to step outside and just pull some fresh rosemary off of my bush). The original recipe called for a tsp of minced shallot instead of garlic. I would either use the shallot or up the garlic quotient. I forgot to get a shallot at the store and was down to my last clove. Perhaps a little more pepper would have done it. It just needed something to make it pop. Also, the recipe called for 1/2 cup of tomato juice, however I was being blonde and used all of the juice. I think that worked in my favor though. Finally, I'm so dense that I was out of foil. I covered the dish with parchment paper, but I imagine it would cook better with foil. So not a losing meal, just nothing super spectacular.

So in summary if I made this again i would 1. use more spices, 2. use more garlic/shallot, and 3. cover it up properly when cooking.

Recipe 11: Faux-strone

2010-02-18T21:32:00.008-06:00

I wanted soemthing hearty and soupy for supper tonight since I've been down with a sore throat, presumably due to the weather. Since I'm vegetarian for Lent (except when out and allowed to use meat based stocks due to Vicksburg being Vicksburg) and I didn't want to spend very long in front of the stove, my options were fairly limited. I threw together this faux-minestrone to satisfy my craving.

Materials
~ 1 1/3 cup whole wheat penne (uncooked)
~ 2 cups chicken stock
~ 1 can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic
~ 2 cups frozen tuscan vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, lima beans, red peppers, italian green beans
~ 1 tsp basil
~ parmesan cheese

Methods
Cook the penne until al dente according to package. Meanwhile, combine chicken stock, roasted tomatoes (including juices), vegetables, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium sized pan. Add cooked penne. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Makes 3 servings. Top each serving with paremsan cheese.

Verdict
Yummy!! A great, fairly hearty soup that hit the spot. I heart soup. It is one of my favorite things about winter. So much of a favorite that I even make it during the summer! The fire-roasted canned tomatoes really helped to give this soup a good flavor. This is definitely a keeper in terms of a quick soup with 'in the pantry' type goods. I would consider adding some red kidney beans or increasing the pasta to 2 cups next time I make this to make it a little more hearty, but that really isn't necessary.

Recipe 10: Bacon and Pineapple Flatbread Pizza

2010-02-18T20:36:00.004-06:00

I made this one a while ago, but haven't had time to get it uploaded. For me, pizza is comfort food, serious comfort food. No need to hook me up with grandma's fried chicken, bring me some cheese covered, tomato based goodness. When I think of Fridays during childhood I think of Gus's Pizza, preferably cheese or italian beef. One day I was introduced to bacon pizza (food of the gods perhaps?), and later in life we discovered pineapple and canadian bacon on pizza. My tastes are more mature now, but I still adore pizza. This was my take at a slightly more adult, and slightly less unhealthy version of the good stuff.

Materials
~ 1 large tortilla (I have fallen in love with some tortillas that they sell at the Fresh Market)
~ Olive oil spray
~ tomatoes (roma or grape)
~ 3 slices canadian bacon
~ 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
~ shredded mozzarella
~ shredded Parmesan
~ oregano

Methods
Preheat oven to 350. Place tortilla on a baking sheet and spray lightly with your olive oil spray. Thinly slice the tomatoes and place them in a layer on the tortilla. I prefer the grape because they are bite sized. I used enough tomatoes to fully cover the tortilla. Cover with mozzarella cheese (about 1/4 cup). Chop canadian bacon and pineapple into bite sized pieces. Place bacon and pineapple atop the cheese. Drop a little more mozzarella and some parmesan atop the pizza. Season with salt/pepper/oregano as desired. Bake until the tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted.

Verdict
Obviously not the full-on real-deal, but still pretty darn good! I enjoyed the pizza, particularly the fresh tomatoes rather than a tomato sauce and the fresh pineapple. Fresh is definitely key for the pineapple. The tortilla was a little difficult to cut, but that might be an artifact of the super fiber rich tortillas I'm currently loving on.

Note: I have a picture of this somewhere.... my computer and my camera just don't seem to be very friendly today.

Recipe 9: Cha Cha Chili

2010-02-16T00:17:00.003-06:00

I swear I'm not a slacker. Between travel and a kitchen painting project I haven't done too much cooking lately. However, during our recent snow day I decided some delicious crock pot goodness was necessary. This recipe is based on the 1-2-3 -4 Chili with Beef and Beans from the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Materials:

~1 1/3 lb ground round

~1 large yellow onion, chopped

~4 cloves garlic, minced

~2- 15 oz cans pinto bans, rinsed and drained

~2- 14.5 oz cans Rotel

~1- 6-oz can tomato paste

~1 Bottle Beer (preferably Mexican)

~1- 6-oz tomato paste can filled with water

~2 tsp chili powder

~1 tsp ground cumin

~1 tsp dried oregano

Methods:

1. Brown ground round and cook onions and garlic until beef is fully cooked and onions and garlic have been softened.

2. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to well to mix ingredients. Cook on high 4-5 hours, stirring towards end of cook time.

3. Serve with your carbohydrate of choice and enjoy! I topped it with some Colby cheese, nonfat yogurt and avocado chunks.

Verdict:

It was good, but had more kick than I planned for. For my Yankee tongue, the yogurt was required to bring the heat down a notch. It definitely hit the spot on a good 'winter' day, however, it isn't the yummiest chili I've ever made. I still look forward to eating the remainder over the rest of this winter's week.

Recipe 8: Falafel Pitas with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

2010-01-27T20:56:00.009-06:00

I didn't get my traditional Lebanese meal while in DC earlier this month, so I decided to try my hand at some semi-healthy falafel. This is based on a recipe published in Cooking Light. (Thanks for reminding me how I like that magazine MB!).

Materials

~ 1/4 cup minced red onion

~ 1 tsp ground cumin

~ 1/2 tsp paprika

~ 1/4 tsp black pepper

~ 1/8 tsp salt

~ 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained

~ 1/4 cup bread crumbs

~ egg substitute equivalent to about 2 eggs

~ olive oil

~ wheat pitas

~ spinach

~ cucumber

~ 1/4 cup red onion

~ 1 tsp lemon juice

Methods

1/ Mix first 9 ingredients in food processor and process. Form into four patties. Heat about 1.5 tbl of oil to medium-high in a nonstick pan. Pan fry four about 4 minutes per side.

2/ Meanwhile mix chopped, peeled cucumber, 1/4 cup minced red onion, yogurt, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

3/Combine sauce, falafel patty, and spinach in 1/2 of a pita pocket.

Veridict

This turned out OK, but was nothing to write home about. I felt like it was a little bland. I also think that I over processed it to the point that the beans were too broken down. I would recommend not overprocessing and using torn bread instead of breadcrumbs. However, I probably won't make this again but will rather try a similar recipe in the hopes of finding a super yummy falafel for at home.

I ate the falafel with spinach and tomatoes with some of the extra cucumber yogurt sauce. The yogurt sauce is similar to one that I often make for with my salmon. I brought a little something filling with my roasted greek potatoes - just potatoes, canola oil, lemon, and oregano. The sides were more yummy than the falafel -- that says it all.

Recipe 7: Vegetable Tian

2010-01-24T16:00:00.008-06:00

Last night Sandy put on the 4th annual Turducken. It was great, as expected! She was able to sucker some folks into helping her since she lost her Turducken co-pilot when Jeff and Erin moved. For those who haven't heard of this phenomena -- Turducken is what happens when you stuff a turkey with a duck which is stuffed with a chicken. I decided to use my pretty new winter serving dish that Katie Grace gave me -- which meant using a 9x13 casserole. I decided to try a recipe I had always wanted to make from Barefoot Contessa's Barefoot in Paris -- Vegetable Tian. It just looks so pretty, I had to make it.

Materials
~ olive oil
~ 2 large yellow onions
~ 4-5 garlic cloves
~ 1 lb medium round potatoes (unpeeled)
~ 3/4 lb zucchini
~ 1 1/2 lb tomatoes
~ 1 tsp kosher salt
~ 1/2 tsp ground pepper
~ 1 tbl fresh thyme leaves plus extra springs
~ 2 oz grated gruyere cheese

Methods
1/ Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile, chop onions in half and slice. In medium pan, heat 2 tbl oil and cook onions over medium low until translucent ... about 12 minutes for me. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Spread onion mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 dish. It looks like too much at first, but as the onions loses their moisture the full two onions are definitely required.

2/ Slice the potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchinis to about 1/4 in. The closer in size they are in terms of thickness and diameter, the better the tian will look. Layer the veggies in the pan, alternating to make a pretty design - but only make one layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Lay a few extra thyme springs on top. Drizzle with about 1 tbl of olive oil and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

3/ Uncover and remove the thyme springs. sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until everything is browned and serve.

Verdict
Amazing. It may not have looked quite as pretty as Ina Garden's Tian, but it still looked pretty darn fancy! I enjoyed the food, and got lots of compliments from fellow Turduckeners. The ultimate compliment was not bringing home any leftovers, although that my have been due to the size of the party more than anything else. I will definitely make this again so I can have a larger potion!! From the little bit that I ate, I highly recommend -- which I recommend everything we ate last night -- all my friends can cook!!

Recipe 6: Strawberry Napoleons

2010-01-23T15:00:00.004-06:00

This morning I attended a baby shower for a coworker, and I was asked to bring a desert... Which made me rack my brain... It sounded like time for me to step up to the challenge. I found the recipe for these Napoleons which is published in Low Fat and Luscious Desserts. They are a lot healthier than traditional napleons (or mille-feuille). A napoleon is traditionally made of a puff pastry or some other pastry with a 'thousand layers' and a cream filling. This is a spin on that concept.

Materials
~ 1/4 cup sugar
~ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
~ 3 sheets thawed phyllo dough
~ butter flavored vegetable oil spray
~ 1 pint sliced strawberries
~ 2 cups powdered sugar

~ 2 cups thawed whipped topping
~ additional powdered sugar

Methods
1/ Preheat oven to 375. Stir together cinnamon and sugar.

2/ Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a piece of parchment paper. Spray lightly and evenly with oil spray. Sprinkle wit 1tbl of cinnamon mixture. Spray both sides of next sheet of phyllo with oil and stack atop previous piece. Spread 1 tbl. of cinnamon mixture. Repeat with final slice of phyllo.

3/ Cut in half using kitchen shears. Transfer phyllo and parchment paper to a baking sheet.

4/ Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until brown and crispy. Cut each rectangle into 6 pieces. Allow to cool fully.

5/ Combine strawberries and powdered sugar.

6/ Assemble by layering 1 layer of phyllo dough, 1/4 cup whipped topping, 1/4 cup strawberry mixture, and 1 layer of phyllo dough. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 6.

Verdict
Awesome! I'm going to say that these went over pretty well at the shower since several people asked for the recipe. I did a double batch... and then i cut each 'batch' into more than 6 napoleons apiece. I loved the texture combination of the sweet and crunchy phyllo dough and with the cool whip. They were a little messy to put together, but definitely a keeper!!!

Next time I might chop the berries smaller and mix the berries and cool whip -- I think that might make it easer to put these together.

Recipe 5: Beef Barley Soup

2010-01-18T20:45:00.003-06:00

Materials

~0.75-1 lb bottom round steak

~ 1 medium onion

~ 4 cups beef broth

~ 4 cups water

~ 1/2 cup pearl barley

~ 1 bay leaf

~ 3/4 tsp salt

~ 1/4 tsp pepper

~ 2 medium potatoes

~ 3 medium carrots

~ 3 medium stalks celery

~ 2 tsp thyme

~ 1/2 tsp salt

Methods

1/ Remove all visible fat from meat and cut into bite sized pieces. Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Spray with vegetable oil. Cook meat until brown.

2/ Add onions and cook to soften.

3/ Add beef broth, water, bay leaf, 3/4 tsp salt, pepper, and barley. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for approx 1 hr until beef is tender.

4/ Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf prior to serving.

Verdict

Great! I definitely enjoyed this soup! At the kroger they didn't have a full lb of beef, so it might be a little better with a bit more beef. The thyme really came out and gave this the kick it needed (it was pretty blah and bland when i tasted before adding the veggies). However, it was still good. And, with all of the veggies and barley and potatoes it was pretty filling. The recipe said it made 6 servings -- and they are pretty good sized to say the least!

In case you didn't notice, I have a thing for soups. They are yummy and can be filling yet healthy if done properly. They are nice and easy to reheat as leftovers when I get home late or have post-work plans :) Plus they just make me feel all warm and fuzzy and happy inside.

On Hiatus

2010-01-18T12:36:00.001-06:00

So I was on cooking hiatus last week (obviously) - I was in Washington DC! The first part of the week was spent with 10,000 transportation professionals discussing things that you never thought people cared about while the weekend was spent with my sister.

Being in DC meant that I was not cooking, but I did get some great food time in. This year we tried to exit the area around the hotel and eat somewhere other than Murphys. This post summarizes some of the culinary highlights of the week.

Kate and I ate brunch at Art and Soul, where Chef Art put his spin on home cooking. We enjoyed French Toast and some apple, frisse, and blue cheese hoe cakes!
I was also able to enjoy the 'crispy club' at Open City -- a delicious combo of roast turkey breast, white cheddar, tomatoes, and applewood smoked bacon wrapped up in a puff pasty (not exactly 100% healthy... I know, but nothing is when you are traveling) - aka 'the sandwich that started it all'. I discovered this sandwich last year and Kate created her own puff pastry sandwich based on it!

Lucy and I enjoyed a fancy pants dinner at Sequoia -- a pretty restaurant in Georgetown on the waterfront. I had the pan sauteed Atlantic flounder and some amazing corn and crab chowder with a bacon biscuit. The location was awesome and I understand it is a great place to hang out in the summer when you can be on the waterfront instead of watching the fountains covered with ice.

Kate brought Lucy, Lulu and I to Founding Farmers, a restaurant that I've heard RAVE reviews of. It's DC's greenest restaurant and everything is local or independently grown and sold rather than through huge mass market factories. LOVED IT! We had a salami, ricotta,and pesto flatbread that was to die for. Everyone's meal looked great... Lucy had a pork chop that looked more like a pig quarter while Lulu's scallops looked amazing. You MUST try it if you are in town!!
Kate and I also hit up Matchbox, an awesome little bistro that she introduced me to last year. Its a converted Chinese grocery that is teeny tiny -- matchbox size :) The specialty is pizza out of the brick oven, with lots of other yummies on the menu. We shared a pizza - half whit pizza with prosciutto and half chicken pesto -- we both liked the chicken pesto best.

We joined Kate's friend Kate for brunch on Saturday morning outside the Eastern Market at Le Pain Quotidien, which I believe translates to The Daily Bread (Help me here Abby). Everything looked amazing! I had a quiche Lorraine which was quite delish! (yes successful another foray into the egg world!) I would have happily eaten eight pounds of bread, nutella, and four fruit jam there if we weren't planning to head to the Market after brunch.

It was a great trip cullinarily! Back to the home cooking grind now!!

Recipe 4: White Bean and Chicken Sausage Soup

2010-01-18T10:08:00.002-06:00

Prior to my trip I put together this soup.

Materials

~ Celery

~ Carrots

~ Yellow Onion

~ Garlic

~ White Beans

~ Chicken Sausage

~ Chicken Stock

~ Water
~ Brown Rice

Methods

~ I chopped and sauteed the celery, carrots, onions, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. The veggie mixture got added to the white beans in the bottom of my large oval crockpot. I sliced up the chicken and added it to the pot. I added chicken stock and water to cover the mixture. I cooked this up on low while at work. Once I got home I cooked up the brown rice and added it to the soup.

Verdict

Eh.. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I salted and peppered as desired, however it definitely needed more herbage. I had throught my chicken and apple sausage would provide plenty of flavor, however I was disappointed. So not great, but not so bad I wouldn't eat it again, it just needed some help.

Recipe 3: Veggie Frittata

2010-01-05T21:21:00.012-06:00

For my next endeavor I decided to do some breakfast for dinner, or brinner as my friend Jane likes to call it! The veggie frittata here is based on a low fat frittata published by the Hungry Girl. Those of you who know me well know that this was a massive step up as I DESPISE eggs.

Ingredients:
~1 1/2 cup egg substitute
~2 tbsp fat free non-dairy creamer
~2 slices mozzarella cheese
~1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
~1 portabella mushroom cap
~1 green pepper
~2-3 green onions
~ sliced grape tomatoes
~ 1-2 tbl Parmesan cheese
~ plain Greek style yogurt

Directions:
1. Whisk egg substitute and non-dairy creamer. Chop mozzarella cheese into pieces. Mix mozzarella and cheddar cheese into egg mixture. Turn on Broiler

2. Heat up an oven safe pan to medium-high and soften the mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Cook for approx 5 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the egg mixture. Shake pan to spread eggs, mix to ensure that cheese is spread and eggs get up under your veggies. Cook for 2 more minutes

3. Place pan under broiler for approx 4 minutes until egg is puffed up and fully set.

4. Let cool and slice into quarters. Serve with a fat dollup of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Verdict:

AWESOME. For a girl who doesn't really like eggs, this was great. The original recipe called for mushrooms, turkey bacon, and apples -- which also sounds good -- but this just spoke to me. I added some pepper and herbs to the egg mixture before added it to the pan. I loved all the veggies -- I knew I could probably eat half of it because it was so yummy, and it wouldn'tbe all that bad because it was all veggies. Definitely a winner -- I plan to do this low fat frittata again with other goodies in the middle!

My friends Amber and Kristen are the ones who introduced me to putting sour cream on frittata's. It totally makes it sooo much better! I highly recommend it.

Recipe 2: Zesty Lemon Tuna En Papillote

2010-01-03T20:10:00.012-06:00

For recipe No. 2, I present you with a recipe I saw on 5 Ingredient Fix on the Food Network the other day. This recipe uses the traditional french method of cooking known as en papillote. It essentially translates as cooking 'in parchment'. In this method the moisture of the food in the paper is used to self-steam.

Ingredients:
~ 1-2 Tuna Steaks
~ 2 Lemons
~ Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Zest the lemons and then slice them thinly. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place the lemons on the paper to form a bed of lemons. Place the tuna steaks atop the lemons. Top tuna with zest and salt and pepper to taste. Wrap up the paper into a tight envelope. Bake until fully cooked and tuna flakes with a fork. The recipe I followed said 18-20 minutes, but it was more like 30 for me.

Verdict:
Awesome! Absolutely Awesome! The tuna was infused with an intense lemony flavor. It was incredibly easy and incredibly good. The kitchen was filled with a wonderful lemony smell. Definitely a keeper!

On the food network they were using this tuna for a tuna salad - I plan to use the remainder of my supper for tuna salad later this week!

When I checked the recipe again I noticed that they suggested seasoning both sides of the tuna with salt and pepper. I would recommend doing that next time. I would also consider adding some other aromatic herbs.

Upon further research I found where they suggest that cooking in this method not be used for steaky seafood -- it takes longer to cook -- as I learned today. I still recommend it if you've got the time.

Last year one of my culinary goals was to cook more seafood for myself. I'm glad to say that i did cook fish a few times last year. I'm hoping to continue exploring seafood again this year. This tuna got the ball rolling!

Recipe 1: Black Bean Soup

2010-01-03T13:14:00.011-06:00

Ingredients:
~ 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
~ 1 can rotel
~ 1 can corn, drained and rinsed (or frozen corn)
~ shredded chicken
~ chicken stock

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in your crockpot and cook on low until heated through. Once heated I took the imersion blender to it. You get a nice sort of purple-y soup!

Verdict:
Pretty good. We never ate beans growing up excepd canned baked beans. Since moving to the south and attempting to 'health up' I've developed a love relationship with beans. This was nice and easy, which is key - and full of that great soluble fiber. I always enjoy a recipe where I get to use my imersion blender. It doesn't look so pretty in the picture - sort of vomitish... It isn't quite so heinous looking in person. If you don't immerse it won't look nearly so heinous either.

If you aren't being calorie conservative I would reccomend enjoying this with some cheese, maybe a little sour cream, and some tortilla chips. It could also be made vegetarian by doubling up the bean content. Mmmm!

Next time I make this I plan to cut down on the broth and just smash some of the beans for thickening. I would have enjoyed the texture of the chicken vs. the corn vs. the tomatoes vs. the beans even if it meant not using the imersion. It had too much broth, so that it wouldn't thicken with a little bit of smashing.

The Challenge

2010-01-03T11:34:00.003-06:00

I was presented with a challenge for 2010: Cook 100 new, predominantly healthy recipes over the course of the year. The challenge is right up my alley!

The challenge works out to approximately 2 items per week. I only see two potential issues: 1. when cooking for one, a recipe might actually feed me all week, and 2. too much travel could get in the way. I'll be sharing my recipes along this journey here rather than taking up so much space on Sunshine and Sarah. Once I hit my 100 recipes I'll keep on blogging away my 'Cooking with Sarah' exploits here.

Recipes you'll find here might come from my giant and underused collection of cookbooks, my favorite food bloggers, or I might just make something up. Feel free to send me recipes you think I would enjoy.

There are several of us participating in this challenge via blog or facebook. Feel free to join us, or at least comment away! Encouragement is always appreciated.