Yummy Cheeseburgh-er

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 :)