Cooking the Books

2011-08-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Slippin' and Slidin'

2009-06-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

It's barbeque season, and everybody is talking about sliders this and sliders that. Beef sliders, pork slides, turkey sliders...probably even fish sliders. What's a veg-head to do? Come up with something even better, of course! In this case, better is a multi-layered, caramelized stack of deliciousness.

The quest has twisted and turned through a couple of recipes, and resulted in Roasted Vegetable Sliders with Garlicky White Bean Spread. This began with Moomie's buns, brushed with sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds before baking. The cooled buns were split and spread with white beans pureed with a whole head of roasted garlic and lemon juice to add brightness. Then, on went the roasted vegetables--mini portobellos, green chiles, red onions, zucchini and yellow summer squash, and orange bell pepper. Served with a side of roasted green bean "fries," this scratched the deep, "I need vegetables" itch that the early summer always brings out.

I can hold my head--and my sandwich--up high at the next barbeque!

Yes, Virgina...there is a cook in the kitchen

2009-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here, allowing me a much-anticipated opportunity to get back in the kitchen. Perhaps I should be more clear...it gives me an opportunity to blog about what's happening in the kitchen. I have been in there...some. Really.

Having found myself vegetable-starved, a couple of recipes from the May/June issue of Vegetarian Times caught my eye. Off I went to the Mexican market for masa harina, zucchini, chayote squash, and jalapenos. I came home and whipped up the Oven Baked Sopes with Zucchini Corn Filling. As always with VT recipes, I found that the recipes weren't necessarily true to the results. Let's start, for instance, with the sopes. These begin with a soft dough of masa horina, Parmesan cheese (not really authentic, but it adds nice flavor), baking powder, and hot water. This soft dough sits a few minutes, then a beaten egg and some olive oil are added. Now, the instructions say to take 1/4 cup of mixture, pat it into a 3" round on a parchment-lined sheet, then pull the edges up around a drinking glass. That part all works. However, the part where it says it makes 24? Unh-uh. No way, Jose. Twelve. Exactly. No more, no less. (Well, I probably could have squeezed out thirteen, but that wouldn't be very lucky now, would it?)

Really, how hard is THIS to get right? Does anybody at VT check this stuff out? Whoever counted to 24 for the yield on this...well, let's just say their math skills need a little work. It's one thing to say, "walnut sized pieces." Maybe my walnuts and your walnuts don't really fall from the same tree. But 1/4 cup...I think they're pretty consistent.

At any rate, I put my 12 sopes into the oven. Instead of the 10-minute baking time, it took about 25 minutes, yet another sign that these were supposed to use a lot less dough. As these firmed up, I took them out and sprinkled them with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, then popped them back in the oven until the cheese was melted.

Fortunately, this extended baking time allowed plenty of time to create the filling. Onions, garlic, jalapeno, zucchini, and corn all cooked to a nice, caramelized brown. Add a bit of lime, chopped cilantro, and a dusting of chile powder, and that's all you need. The sopes came out, I filled them,and served them alongside the Nopalitos-Style Chayote Salad.

The earthy flavor of this salad was nicely set off by the bite of the radishes, the al dente cubes of chayote squash, and the lime and chile dressing. All together, this made a meal that was beyond satisfying.

Multi-National Night

2009-01-31T20:43:00.001-08:00

On Friday night, I had a little more time to cook, knowing the alarm clark wasn't going to be ringing well before dawn. It seemed like a good time to tackle a couple of interesting-looking recipes. The first was a Moroccan Green Bean Tagine. Here, green beans are sauteed until they begin to brown, then wrapped in a variety of spices that are eye opening, yet don't assault the tongue. A sauce follows, made of vinegar, wine, water, and tomatoes. The green beans simmer until tender, followed by a rapid boil to turn the sauce to an intense, syrupy glaze. The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. It would be amazing, I think, with cauliflower. It would be great over pasta. And every bite intrigues the palate, coaxing out hints of the flavors underneath.

We had this alongside Greek Pot Crushed Potatoes. What an incredibly easy weeknight side dish these would be. Ready in less than half an hour, with little fuss, these lemony potatoes add an incredibly bright note to the plate. Put a pot of water on to boil, and get to work thinly slicing a couple of pounds of red potatoes. Once the water is at a hard boil, slide the potatoes in and begin the rest of the dish. Slice (or chop, as I did) some garlic, parsley, and scallions. Juice a lemon. Check the potatoes--they're probably done. While they are draining, the pot goes back on the stove, filmed with a bit of olive oil. Garlic and water are added to the pan, simmering until the garlic softens. After five minutes or so, the potatoes get added back to the pot, with the parsley, scallions, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. A few turns to gently break apart the potatoes. That's it. Brightness on a fork.

Sweet Endings

2009-01-31T20:37:00.001-08:00

Tonight's dinners was leftovers--chimichangas made from Refried Beans with Cinnamon and Cloves. Actually, you'll read about those in a post later, which is funny, considering that they're leftovers here. But I digress. Since there was really no cooking involved to speak of, it seemed like a good time to make another dessert. I've been working my way through interesting recipes in The Splendid Table's How to Cook Dinner. Since the book works to be weeknight friendly, there are no complicated baking recipes in there. So...I was sure I'd find something quick, easy, and probably pretty darn good.

I wasn't disappointed. The Rustic Jam Shortbread Tart came to the rescue. The shortbread comes together quickly in the food processor: ground almonds, lemon zest, flour, sugar, butter, and egg yolk. Just pule them together until they begin to form lumps. From there, the mixture is patted into a buttered tart pan and partially baked. Just as it begins to brown, take it out of the oven and spread your favorite flavor of preserves over the crust, then pop it back in the oven until the jam begins to bubble. After a little bit of cooling, you can slice off a little bit of Heaven in the form of a mouthful of crumbly, buttery crust and sweet, fruity jam.

Pucker Up

2009-01-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

I picked up some Meyer lemons, that's what started this thing. I picked them up, not knowing what I would do with them, but they were there at Trader Joe's. Four perfect sunny ovals with stems--looking up at me. Since this was the first time I had ever seen them at a price that matched my budget, I figured I'd go for it. So, I took them home, admired them on the way into the crisper drawer, and promptly forgot they existed. By the time I found them, I needed to make something, and I needed to make it quick.

Fortunately, Joe over at Culinary in the Country came riding in on a white steed to save the day. Well, not really, and even if he deed, I make it a rule to allow no white steeds in my kitchen, but his blog is a great resource for all things baking. When I saw these English Lemon Shortbread Strips, I knew I'd found the solution to my lemon problem.

This recipe couldn't be easier. The first step is unique--I've never seen this before. The sugar is placed into a mixing bowl, and lemon zest is showered over the top. A little massage follows, with your fingers rubbing the two together until the sugar is soft and almost snowy, having incorporated the oils from the lemon juice. After a whirl in the mixer with the rest of the ingredients, the whole thing is scooped into a pan and baked. After it comes out of the oven, it cools a bit, then is glazed with a zest-rich topping of powdered sugar, butter, and lemon juice.

You can try to eat just one of these, but if you hear a tiny, puckery voice calling your name in the night, you know where its coming from!

Speed Dating--Blogger Style

2009-01-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

This will be the first in a series of several posts--allowing you to flirt for a brief time with all of the recipes from the past couple of weeks. There have been lots of keepers, and I don't want to lose track of them. So...I'll do what I can to relive the experiences for you!

Maybe we should start with the baking, hmmm???

I haven't baked much in years, mostly just to avoid the calories. However, I seem to have an insatiable sweet tooth lately. So I've tried to bake a little here and there, just so there's something sweet to grab a bite of from time to time. (Of course, the fallback is Trader Joe's Pistachio White Chocolate cookies, or their Southern Pecan cookies. Yum.)

One of my quests for awhile has been to find the banana bread. I've had good banana breads--lots of them. But until now, I hadn't had the quintessential banana bread. I didn't want lime, I didn't want coconut, I didn't want fancy schmancy versions.

I wanted the banana bread that takes me back to my grandmother's kitchen, to standing beside her on the stool, helping her create love that she would share at the dinner table. My grandmother was, by no means, a fancy cook. She was a resourceful cook, one who lived through hard times, and could magically feed a family on absolutely nothing. Her magic wand was a wooden spoon, and her magic carriage a well-seasoned cast iron pan. I'm sure that some of the "magic" in her food came from its just-picked state, as a trip to the garden was always a precursor to dinner preparation.

But I digress. When I want sweet, I usually want comfort, and for me, that sends me looking for the kind of recipe my grandmother would have used. When it comes to banana bread, though, no one wants to leave well enough alone, it seems. They want to tart it up a bit instead. Or the recipes are too dry, too lifeless, and have barely a hint of banana flavor.

Well, I found my holy grail of banana bread, and it was in the Martha Stewart Bakind Handbook. The name is even simple: Banana Nut Bread. Admittedly, Martha's recipe called for coconut, but I disregarded that and doubled up on the pecans. And I ignored the whole "walnut" issue in the recipe, because that's just not the way my family rolls. And the result was everything I wanted. A delicious, moist bread with a barely-crisp crust where the banana flavor intensified, bursting onto the tongue with the first bite. Quick and easy, this kept well and is very much worth the little bit of effort it takes to make.

Ribbons of Greens and Green Apple Salad

2009-01-31T17:57:00.000-08:00

Don't Let a Down Economy Interfere with a Good Dinner

2009-01-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

I love it when dinner is good enough to make two nights in a row, and the total tab for both nights is around six bucks. That was certainly the case with Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Slaw. This adaptation from the "Fast Easy Fresh" feature in the February Bon Appetit went together quickly, needed minimal clean up, and used mostly things I had on hand. It was quick and easy enough to make last night, when I was so exhausted with a cold that I needed to be in bed two hours after I got home, and it was good enough to make again tonight, when I got home late. Now, we probably won't have it again tomorrow night, but still...two nights in a row is good, don't you think?

This works best if you come in and turn on the oven as soon as you get home. You have plenty of time to change clothes, check the mail, and mosey back into the kitchen. Four corn tortillas get spritzed with cooking spray on both sides, then go into the oven just long enough to soften. If you're fast, this gives you time to drain a can of beans and mash them with a bit of cumin, salt and pepper. As the smell of corn begins to fill the kitchen, pull the tortillas out of the oven, divide the bean mixture among them, fold over the tops, and slip them right back into the oven. In just a few minutes, you'll see the tacos begin to crisp up. That's a good time to turn them over, so both sides have good contact with the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, toss a couple of cups of coleslaw mix with the juice of a lime, a splash of olive oil, a couple of chopped onions, and a handful of cilantro. By now, the tacos are crisp, ready for the cold, crunchy topping to offset the crunch of the tacos. Really, what could be easier? Grab a diet Coke, the remote control, and dinner is served!

The Soup Kitchen

2009-01-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

The weather is turning cold here again--the high was only 61 degrees at our house today. (For those of you who are buried under snow, I DO know the reality is that you would be prancing around in your Speedo if you were here, really enjoying this. My feet, however, are only warm when they are in a bathtub full of really hot water, and this is my blog, so 61 degrees is cold!!!! We now return to the regularly scheduled blog post.) Given the fact that I needed warming up from the outside in, coupled with my intense desire to try several recipes from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, I decided that this was the time to make Soup of Fresh Greens and Alphabets. And what goes better with soup than hot bread? Nothing--which gave me a chance to test drive another new cookbook, rebar modern food cookbook. One of their many claims to fame is their Rosemary Garlic Foccacia, which sounded like just the thing to go with my soup.

I started by making Cheater's Homemade Broth from The Splendid Table. I started with a base of No Chick'n Broth, and freshened it by simmering with white wine, tomatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves. After half an hour in the pot, the solids were strained out, leaving behind a very rich, golden broth which served as the base of this soup, along with several others in the cookbook.

Next, the strained broth went back into the pot with wine and crushed tomatoes, followed after a quick simmer by finely chopped escarole, chickpeas, minced onion, garlic, and basil. At this point, the soup calls for a 20-minute simmer. Although I did have a solid simmer going, it took 40 minutes for the greens to begin to "melt" and the onion to lose its crunch. I wouldn't hesitate to up the heat the next time, but I would still plan on a bit more than the 20 minutes called for. Once the simmering is done, a mere half cup of dried small pasta is added to the simmering soup, where it cooks until it is al dente.

In the meantime, I started the foccacia, setting it out for its first rise just before I started the Cheaters Broth. To give you an idea of just how much extra cooking time was required, the foccacia came out of the oven just as the soup reached a point of being edible. Yes, two complete rises, the shaping of the foccacia, and the prebaking rise--all to get the "quick" soup on the table. I have modified the recipe extensively from what was in the book, and will probably make it again with my modifications to see if I like it better. I've cut the oil and the amount of salt which tops the foccacia. I would also do caramelized onions with the garlic, and cut way back on the rosemary, possibly even replacing it with sage. Some chopped kalamata olives would be good, as well, if your husband doesn't gag on sight of them like mine does.

I wish I had glowing reviews for either of these recipes. They were both okay, but only okay. The Husband's comment about the soup was, "Well, we should eat all of it, but I wouldn't make it again." I liked it better than that, but not enough to make it my secret dinner on nights when he isn't home. So, that is two for two disappointments from The Splendid Table cookbook. I do have a couple more recipes to try from there, which hopefully will turn things around to a winning streak, as there are LOTS of recipes I've marked to try. Stay tuned. I'll keep you "posted." (Yes, folks--that's blog humor there.)

2009-01-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a couple of months since I ordered (and received) The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. However, I have only just gotten around to looking through it, and that was prompted by my beginning efforts to reorganize my cookbook shelves again. You know how it is--you've been lugging dozens of books from one spot to another, and something new and interesting catches your eye. You pretty much have a moral obligation to stop and read the new book--at least that's how I see it.

So, a quick glance turned into a day and a half of close inspection. I can't even tell you how many of the recipes I want to try. There are many recipes that are vegetarian without this being a cookbook for vegetarians. Not much modifying I have to do, then. The recipes seem focused on relatively quick and easy weeknight dinners, something else that is a plus for me. And many of the recipes just have a fresh twist that seems to set them apart from a legion of others. That was certainly the case with Pasta with Chopping-Board Pistachio Pesto--at least in theory. I liked that the pesto focused on green onions (or chives), with basil providing back up instead of taking center stage. I really liked the idea of roasted, salted pistachios taking on another supporting role, especially since I just bought a big bag of them at Costco. And I loved the idea that cheese wasn't an integral part of the recipe, since the Husband doesn't like cheese. Easy enough to add it to my finished dish and leave it out of his.

Unfortunately, the finished dish was a disappointment. I didn't even take a picture. It looked boring. It was boring. I think I'm seeing a trend in myself that I just don't love unsauced pasta dishes. I did add back in all of the reserved pasta cooking water, but it was still dry and virtually flavorless. I added more salt, lots of grated Parmesan...still nothing to make my taste buds tingle.

So, now I'm trying to come up with some ideas that will lend some excitement to the quart of this recipe that's still sitting in the refrigerator. Any ideas? Feel free to share.

Something even the non-veg friends will eat

2009-01-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great start to the new year. I've had this recipe for White Bean Enchiladas printed out and sitting around for several weeks. Somehow, I just didn't get around to making it. My loss. These were amazingly fantastic enchiladas which would be equally enjoyed by vegetarians and omnivores alike. The filling is simple: white beans zipped in the food processor with sour cream, onion, cilantro and a little cheese. Tortillas brushed with a light coating of oil and softened in the oven. The filling is scooped on the tortillas, which are rolled and placed in a baking pan, then covered with the red sauce of your choice. Our favorite is Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce. I always stock up when I get to go. A little bit more cheese over the top, and a bake in the oven yields substantial, toothsome enchiladas which exceed the sum of their parts. While they would be good served with Spanish Rice, we just had them au naturale--and enjoyed every bite.

Worth the Wait!

2008-12-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. It's been a long time. Many the time I've thought, "I really need to go blog this recipe," only to get carried away with other busyness until it just doesn't happen. However, tonight's dinner, Almost Tarascan Bean Soup, was one of those, "I really have to blog this--right NOW!" kinds of meals. If nothing else, it's beautiful. Who doesn't want to get out a spoon and dig in to this on a cold winter night?

Second, it is a great showcase for Rancho Gordo cranberry beans. For whatever reason, it has been taking me forever to get beans cooked to doneness, but I do not hold the fact that I was up until 2 a.m. making this sound against it. Not at all. I really should have known better, the way bean cooking has been going. However, this made a good-sized batch of soup, much more than the 4 servings the recipe states. This would be dead simple to double up and keep in the freezer, and the garnishing steps take only minutes on the night you want to serve it.

While the beans were simmering, plump Roma tomatoes were halved and cooked on heavy foil in a skillet, and turned several times until they began to char. Half an onion was sliced thinly, garlic was minced, and they were sauteed, along with the cooked, chopped tomatoes, until thick and jammy. This mixture is then set aside until the beans are tender. An immersion blender made quick work of the pureeing step. At that point, since we were not up for an early breakfast, I put the soup in the refrigerator, which allowed the flavors time to meld and deepen.

When it was time to eat, I spent the few minutes it took to warm the soup to quickly fry some very thin tortilla strips and thinly sliced ancho chile strips. That's right--fried dried chiles. I was skeptical, but the deep, almost fruity taste of the chiles was an amazing offset to the more staid basic soup. These two items topped the soup that was ladled into the bowls, along with sour cream, queso fresco, and some chopped cilantro. Next time, I'll try to have a lime on hand, as I think the acid would add one more layer of flavor and brightness to the finished dish. Served with warm chips and guacamole on the side, this was a memorable meal that I look forward to having again.

More end of summer bounty

2008-09-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love arugula? Yes, I'm sure that I did. So why, oh why, do I never think to buy it at the grocery store? So, many thanks to Kelly Saxer over at Desert Roots Farm (my CSA) for reawakening my interest. I don't know what it is about this leafy green that is so intriguing. Maybe it's the smell--as distinct as cilantro, but more earthy and mysterious. Or the slap-your-face bite of the raw leaves, which mellows with just a bit of heat. Or could it be the way it plays an outstanding supporting role to almost any other vegetable? Could it be that it's just fun to say, or makes people look at you like you're crazy (because most of them have NO idea what it is)? Or maybe it's all of those things.

All I know is that I now have a mighty craving for arugula. Today, I was sitting in the hospital with my mom (who, thank God, is okay, but we had quite a scare involving hot--according to her--paramedics and an ambulance ride) and trying to figure out what I could throw together for dinner when I got home. I knew it MUST contain arugula. A recipe for a roasted potato salad with arugula came with my CSA delivery, but I knew that I had other vegetable delights that needed to be used. Once again, for instance, I have the most gorgeous, tiny eggplant--some of them only about 3" long. And there was that bell pepper half. And an onion starting to look tired.

Perhaps it was sleep deprivation, or maybe just inspired instincts, but I tinkered with the recipe to include all the things I had on hand. The result--an amazing, simple, and delicious dinner of Roasted Vegetable Salad with Arugula. The potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, and onion were chunked and cooked to a crispy turn in a very hot oven. A light dressing of olive oil, grainy mustard, and wine vinegar was whisked together with just a few turns of the fork. The vegetables came out of the oven, danced through the bowl of torn arugula, and were kissed by just enough dressing to enhance the flavors. Another keeper was born.

Arugula and Eggplant--A Marriage Made in Heaven

2008-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

First, I have to apologize for no pictures. This was beautiful, but it disappeared in a flurry of flying forks before I got the camera out. This is another recipe that came from efforts to combine and use the CSA bounty. We got more eggplant this week, along with a new treat--arugula. I love arugula, and I'd forgotten how much. If you want to have your taste buds send thank you notes, toast a whole wheat English muffin, spread with some cream cheese, and top with a roasted red pepper half and some arugula. But I digress. This particular harvest burst with the earthy heat this green is known for. I started looking around at what I had in the cupboard and the refrigerator, checking out the crisper drawer, and digging deep for inspiration.

Ratatouille came to mind, but it just sounded like more work than I was interested in. I knew I liked the preparation of the eggplant I used in the stir-fry with the ginger-pepper sauce, as it resulted in a nice, meaty texture. I wanted to try that again. What else did I have? Half a bag of bow-tie pasta. A container of roasted grape tomatoes. Pine nuts. Onions from the CSA. So, I put on a pot of water to come to a boil for the pasta, sliced up the eggplant and got it in a skillet, then let inspiration take it from there.

One important step is the deglazing of the pan once the eggplant, onions, and red peppers are finished. I used a dry white wine, which added a nice undertone to the finished dish, but I'm sure you could use white grape juice, apple juice, vegetable broth, or another liquid of your liking just as successfully.

In the end, it only took about half an hour to complete the Ratatouille Pasta Toss and sit down to dinner. For now, there's nothing left but the memories.

Just...Yum

2008-09-13T19:13:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, the planets just align for a soul-satisfying meal from elements that should be just so-so. This was one of those times. With the summer season of the CSA coming to a close, I am trying to make sure I don't let any of that organic goodness go to waste. So, I started thinking about what I could do with another bag of Anaheim chiles. While we really did enjoy them stuffed with rice and beans, I wanted something else. And a dinner was born.

I thought of Mark Bittman's bean burgers that we hadn't made for awhile, and how good they would be topped with some cheese and dripping with sauteed chiles and onions. Of course, the bean burgers call for Moomie's buns. Every time I make them, I ask myself again why I EVER buy buns from the grocery store. These just couldn't be easier, and they taste 1,000 times better. Literally five minutes in the KitchenAid mixer, some rising time, slapping the dough around a bit, another half hour of rising, then into the oven to bake.

So, we got that bit out of the way, and it seemed like a great excuse to try Crash Hot Potatoes, the latest potato craze making its way around the Internet. These were pointed out to me on the Pioneer Woman's blog--a site well worth checking out if you are not already a regular visitor. This is actually the second time I've made them, the first being (in my opinion) a greasy failure. So, I'd like to share a couple of things with you that will probably make your attempt rise to the pinnacle of crispy roasted potato goodness that I reached the second time around.

I think the most important thing is to not overcook the potatoes in the boiling stage. They should cook only until they don't give too much resistance to a skewer (or fork, if you live in my kitchen). I cooked them until they were soft the first time, and they just stayed too wet and mushy.

Second, drain them really well before transferring to the baking sheet. See "wet and mushy" comment above.

Third, don't worry too much about how you mash them, BUT you do want the white part of the potato to come out on top. I tried several items to mash with--my potato masher, a glass, my hands protected with paper towels, and my meat mallet. They all mashed them, but I was always left with skin on the top, with the potato flesh sticking out the sides. This time, I mashed them until the flesh popped out, then flipped them around to get that part on time, and then mashed a little bit more. It worked out SO much better.

Fourth, do get the oven really, really hot. I did convection roast at 500 degrees. And these, my friends, were incredible. Crispy. Crunchy. Golden. Roasty. Worth the effort.

So, all of those pieces, none of them difficult or requiring any real skill, came together to a plate of goodness that made me glad to be a vegetarian, because I get the BEST food!

Global Warming

2008-09-07T17:34:00.001-07:00

Another CSA treat the past two weeks has been eggplant. Not the big, spongy, take-over-the-world eggplant. No. We've had tiny, tight-skinned globes no more than 4" long. I wanted to do these more justice than just roasting them, so I went to the cookbooks that started this blog. The winning recipe came from Mollie Katzen's book, Vegetable Recipes I Can't Live Without. This recipe is simplicity itself. The eggplant are cut into 1/2" x 1/2" sticks, then sauteed in a very hot skillet until they are brown on all sides and meltingly tender. Off the heat, a plum sauce made of plum (what else?) jam, Dijon mustard, and freshly grated ginger is stirred in, along with the standby salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

What an incredible burst of flavor this recipe delivers with such a small smattering of ingredients. The spicy mustard plays off the sweet tang of the jam, and the eggplant plays a great supporting role. This would also make a great base for Moo Shoo vegetables. I'd love to have leftovers for lunch, but it's all gone. I saw the Husband standing in the kitchen, finishing off the last of it.

If you're tiring of the summer eggplant standards, and would like to finish the season on a strong note, this recipe is worth a try.

Back into the magical world of the CSA

2008-09-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

After getting burned (no pun intended--well, actually, it was) by my previous CSA experience, I have stuck my toes back in the water with Desert Roots Farm Summer Survivor Season--just four weeks to see if this one is going to work for me. So far, so good. We purchased a whole share, even though there are only two of us, thinking that, as vegetarians, the more vegetables the merrier. I still don't know if it's too much, considering my crazy work schedule. I have to decide soon, though, because it's time already to sign up for the fall season. Perhaps while I can't sleep tonight, I can figure that one out!

For those of you who haven't heard of, or aren't sure about, CSA's, I'll tell you what I like about mine:

It's absolutely local and organic eating.
Things come to me fresh from the farm, so there is no sitting around losing nutrients in the grocery store.
My CSA farm is run by a womah. I like that.
My share comes each week with a compostable bag, so all my scraps from the farm (or other organic produce) go in there, and get picked up to add to the farm's compost pile when my new week's worth of goodies is delivered.
It stretches me and forces me to cook, as I really hate to throw food out. Essentially, I nurture myself through nourishment, forcing myself to take time to cook instead of just work all weekend.

That last part gives me the heebie-jeebies a little bit, though. Right now, I have things cooking everywhere, knowing that the weekend may be the only time I really get to do much in the kitchen. Today, for example, I roasted butternut squash. I approached the task with some trepidation, as neither the Husband nor I have ever really been butternut squash lovers. However, they were in the bag and needed to be used, so what'a girl going to do?

I got out a big, giant knife and started working on skinning those varmints. Even though mine were small, the skin was still hard. I started with a paring knife, and quickly graduated to my 9" chef's knife. I hacked off the skin, scooped out the seeds, chopped the flesh into big chunks, then tossed the whole bit with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and tossed into a 450 degree oven. I have to admit to thinking the whole time that this was a total waste, as we don't LIKE butternut squash.

To my surprise, though, it started to smell pretty good. While the squash was cooking, and winning me over with its aroma, I chopped some walnuts and toasted them in a skillet. In a short time, the squash chunks were roasted, with crispy exteriors and meltingly soft interiors. I tossed them with a bit of walnut oil and the toasted walnuts, then took the bowl to DH with two forks. And you know what? We ate it. All of it. Every last, little bit (well, except for the two bites DH gave the dog, who wagged appreciatively.) So, I think we have another winner.

Isn't it crazy how we work ourselves to death sometimes with recipes when really simple preparations are also delicious? While I can see a riff on the plain roasted squash with walnuts being a possibility (sauteed onions, browned mushrooms, delicate frisee of sage?), it was good-really good-just as it was. I have to admit to frantically looking through cookbooks for something to do with that squash, then falling back on our standby of roasting when nothing else sounded all that good.

Speaking of recipes, though, I do have one to share. It started off with a bag of Anaheim chiles from the CSA. I poked around on their website a bit and found a recipe for chiles stuffed with a can of pinto beans, white rice, and salsa. That sounded like a good starting point, but not a good way to finish. So, I borrowed the idea and improvised heavily, and the results were delicious.

I started by blanching the Anaheim chiles in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. I almost skipped this step, but I'm glad I didn't. The final recipe doesn't have much liquid in it, and I think the peppers would have been tough and fibrous without their first soak in the Chile Spa. The hot bath was followed by a quick dip in ice water to stop the cooking. I stopped there and bagged the chiles to use one night during the week. I also cooked a generous handful of basmati rice with some salsa added as part of the water, also setting that aside in the refrigerator.

On the night I made this, I got home from work and got into the kitchen. They were in the oven in about 20 minutes. I did use the can of pinto beans from the original recipe, but then went to work on some seasonings: onions, garlic, chopped green chiles, and tomatoes to moisten the mix. And cheese, of course. Hello. Beans and rice without cheese is like Thelma and Louise without a car. (I did have more filling than would fit in the chiles, so I just packed it into a small casserole dish and baked it right along with the stuffed chiles. While they were baking off in the oven, I chopped some tomato to toss over the top. About 30 minutes later, we had a dinner that we both enjoyed tremendously. Another one to go into the rotation, based on what came in my CSA bag. What's not to love?

Mashed Potatoes meets Artichoke Dip

2008-09-01T19:22:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks, I've pretty much eaten garbage, albeit vegetarian garbage. It's taken a toll on my wasteline AND my finances, as that Wendy's egg, cheese, and tomato panini with a large diet Coke costs about $5--every day. Lunches have been nonexistant or have come from the school cafeteria, neither of which is a good choice. Dinners have been a boring blur of quick standbys or take out. So, this weekend I decided I really wanted to get some cooking done ahead of time so that I could eat something that at least came from my own kitchen.

Add to that that I've had this weird craving for artichokes. I don't know why. I never had artichokes as a child, and my exposure as an adult has been limited. Nonetheless, artichokes in anything have made my ears perk up. At the same time, I've been craving some of the creamy comfort of mashed potatoes, but when you don't eat meat, it can be hard to find something to serve them with.

It was destiny, I suppose, to find this recipe for Parmesan Artichoke Potato Casserole over on the CLBB. It goes together quickly and uses few ingredients. It makes a large casserole full, so it is even economical. But best of all, it's good. There's something about the piquant tone of the artichokes that offsets the potatoes perfectly. There's just enough tang, just enough creaminess, to make it all work well together.

I put this together this morning, just to take for lunches. Then we had an impromptu gathering of our children and grandchildren. I still tossed the casserole in the oven to finish it off. Frankly, I didn't think they would eat it. Artichokes? Faggidaboutit. Mayonnaise? Their proper raising doesn't always stop them from making gagging sounds. My nice full pan of casserole? Down by 1/4. And I didn't serve it to them, which explains why there are so many spoons and little bowls in the dishwasher. Like little chicks, they just kept going back and pecking at it while we waited for our "real" lunch to be ready. So, I would say this one definitely qualifies as a winner. Sorry I have no pictures yet, but you can see it in your head. My pretty green casserole dish filled with white creamy goodness, with that crispy-cheesy topping of bread crumbs, parmesan, and paprika baked to crackly goodness. Mmmmmm....lunch will be good this week, for sure!

Yes, I'm still here!

2008-08-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten my blog, not at all. In fact, I spend a little time every day feeling guilty that there is nothing new posted for the past few months. As always, the end of school was very busy, then we were off to Hawai'i the day after. Sixteen days later, our plane landed at home, and eight hours after that, I was on another plane to Baltimore for a conference. A couple of weeks at home trying to catch up on a year's worth of tasks didn't leave much time for cooking, then I was back at work.

There have been a few new things here and there that I will share over the next few days, but we've relied a lot on improvisation and stand-bys. Tonight, I wanted to show you a light dessert that had us pretty much licking the dishes. Since our traveling wings are clipped by the resumption of the school year, we have to rely on food to take us to exotic destinations. For some reason, it is foods of the Mediterranean and the Middle East that most often do that for me. It is those foods that you can sit down with, knowing that you might have a counterpart thousands of miles away, eating the very same type of thing--not in a fancy restaurant, but outside watching a sunset, or around the table with her family.

This recipe was born out of the fact that I had figs--too many to eat out of hand. The figs were the result of an overly ambitious trip to Costco. So were the mangoes, pineapple, grape tomatoes, and oh so many other things, but that's another story. I borrowed technique from a Nigella recipe, then went with my instincts.

The figs are prepared by slicing them almost all the way through in quarters, then fitting them into a buttered baking dish close together, but opened just a little bit. I used about a dozen. Melt about half a stick of butter, and stir in a generous 1/4 cup of sugar and a drizzle of vanilla. Pour it over the figs, especially into the open area. Roast the figs in a 500 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, spoon some Greek yogurt into a dish, topping it with a drizzle of honey and some chopped almonds. When the figs are out of the oven, let them cool just a bit, then spoon them over the yogurt along with a bit of their syrup. Top with another dollop of honey and scatter some more chopped almonds over the top. (Nigella recommends pistachios, which would also be good. I even like the idea of pignolias.) Quick and low maintenance, and much cheaper than a trip to Greece.

A Sweet Ending

2008-04-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

When I was at the grocery store today, I guess my subconscious was working on what to do with all that strawberries sitting in the refrigerator, because my cart was suddenly drawn to a place I NEVER go--the forbidden zone--the cookie aisle. Seriously, why would I go down there? I don't eat sweets at all very often, and when I do, I make them myself. But I knew I wanted to do something with those strawberries and I didn't want to turn on the oven to bake a pound cake. So...this little creation came from a package of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies. There's not a recipe--just a block of cream cheese blended with some agave syrup (or sweetener of your choice), the zest of one lemon, and a drizzle of vanilla. Strawberries macerated with a bit of sugar. Put the cookie on a plate, spread on some of the cream cheese (chilled back to its original consistency), and spoon on the strawberries. These quickly became addictive, and I'm afraid that we all ate far too many. They were certainly good, though. If I were serving them to company, I think I'd go for nicely sliced fruit and skip the macerating. Perhaps even just setting some raspberries and blueberries into the cream cheese could be nice. I think I see more of these in our future!

While I haven't had much of a chance to cook the past couple of weeks, I did have this photo lying around of a recipe I haven't posted yet. And that's a shame, because this was truly an exceptional, and exceptionally quick, side dish. You start by using a microwave to bake a few potatoes--just as many as you need. I used four medium Yukon Golds. (And for those who know me well--yes, I did use "microwave" and "potato" in the same sentence. You can shut up about it now. Taunting me will not really make your life better.) When the potatoes come out of the microwave, they take a little bath in ice water to spare your fingerprints from being cauterized off of your body. Slice 'em or dice 'em, it really doesn't matter. But get some olive oil in a skillet, heat it up, and throw those babies in there. When they begin to turn golden, add lots of sliced scallions, as much minced garlic as sounds good to you, and a "generous" sprinkling of paprika. I used smoky Spanish paprika, and loved it. I guess I should mention that this is one of the "no recipe" recipes from Vegan Express. I actually have re-planned the menus that I planned on, and shopped for, two weeks ago from this book, so hopefully, that cooking will actually get done this week.

Stay tuned!

More cooking than time

2008-04-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't had much time to post this past week, I have been cooking from the cookbook I previously mentioned, Vegan Express by Nava Atlas. I picked this up while browsing through Borders a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I didn't go in to browse; I went in to purchase a specific guidebook for our June trip to Kauai. However, they were out of the book. Never one to waste a coupon, I headed to the cookbook section. Bad. Bad. Bad. This one appealed to me because of the creative-sounding recipes loaded with anti-oxidant rich veggies that could be prepared in (mostly) 30 minutes or less. So far, I have to admit that I'm not loving this cookbook. I don't think it's the cookbook's fault, though. I think we're just not "vegan enough" yet to appreciate it. We recognize that there is a process we must go through to change our taste buds' expectations for dinnertime delights. I think we can also attribute at least a little bit of my dissatisfaction to user's error. I just haven't really fully developed my vegan cooking bag of trips with some of the more popular ingredients.

I do think there's hope, though--both for the book and for us. Different just means different--not bad. We are committed to moving into the vegan camp in the coming months--maybe even years before we're there 100%. And the journey should lead us to new appreciate for flavors, ingredients, and cuisines.

So, what was on the menu this week, and how did it fare? The one I liked the best was Golden Tofu Triangles with Rich Peanut Sauce. Cute little tofu triangles were simply sauteed in olive oil, then topped with a Rich Peanut Sauce. I served these over some coconut rice that was in the freezer from a previous cooking spree. The perfect side was a Bok Choy, Red Cabbage, and Carrot Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing. Even the Husband, who doesn't like cabbage AT ALL was able to eat it (2 helpings, in fact). He did say he didn't love it, but knew it was good for him, and he could tolerate it. That's what I mean about learning to develop new tastes; you've just gotta keep coming back until a new appreciation develops. And I will say that the salad was an absolute stunner on the plate. Beautiful, beautiful colors, especially against the golden browns of the tofu, rice, and peanut sauce. (What I'm trying to say is that the tofu dish would have been B-O-R-I-N-G to look at without the salad!) I did use the optional cilantro, and in my opinion, it added the perfect piquant note to the plate.

Another dish that we need to develop an appreciate for is the Quinoa with Wild Mushrooms and Mixed Squashes. I know that quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse, but I really don't love it. I can eat it, but it will never get me all excited; it's too mushy. This dish, in particular, just didn't hit any major notes of pleasure for us. It's functional, certainly, but there's too much good food to make do with functional. However, it's possible that, again, we just haven't "arrived" at our appreciation for this. Therefore, I've included the recipe for those who might be further along in their vegan evolution--or for those who just love quinoa. In this dish, the vegetables are pan roasted. However, there are so many vegetables that they tend to steam and never develop the rich, dark fond that I love. I wouldn't want to switch them to the oven to roast unless it was done in a pan that would allow the deglazing with white wine, which does add a unique note to the dish. This could also benefit from the addition of something bright--red peppers, sun dried tomatoes--something to wake up the mouth. There really isn't anything here that does that.

I also made BBQ Flavored Roasted Tempeh with Vegetables. I think we might have liked this had I followed my instincts. The recipe called for roasting a mixture of tempeh strips, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions after giving them a light bath in barbecue sauce. However, it called for a roasting time that would merely have softened the vegetables, not truly roasted them. In my heart, I knew I should wait until the vegetables were about half done to add the tempeh to the pan, but I didn't. Instead, I put it all in at once. By the time the vegetables were done to my liking, I had tempeh bricks. I could have built a cute little adobe house model out of them, in fact. They were edible, but barely. However, the vegetables had a nice flavor, and the barbeque sauce as the roasting liquid (replacing oil) was a very nice touch.

One real winner from the book was served alongside my tempeh brick disaster--Pan Roasted Corn with Peppers and Pumpkin Seeds. I didn't have any pumpkin seeds on hand, so I can't vouch for what they would have added, but this dish melded the sweetness of corn and thinly sliced red bell peppers with the smoky hint of cumin and the bite of hot chiles. The recipe called for jalapenos, but I couldn't find the one I thought was still in the crisper. Instead, I pulled some jarred yellow chiles out of the refrigerator, minced up several, and threw them in the pan. This is a keeper side dish, one that will reappear on our menu again. I wish I'd taken a picture, as the colors and varied shapes in the bowl were vibrant.

There's a lot more on the menu this week. I have two more weeks of menus planned from this cookbook, so hopefully, I'll find more winners. If not, we've still at least eaten well and made healthy choices for our bodies. I'm now going to return to cell phone Hell. It was time to resell our souls to Verizon today, getting two new cell phones for us and adding my parents to our account. I'm going crazy trying to figure out how to set the numbers to the speed dial positions in which I want them on mine, and I'm setting up new phones for my parents--their first. I never feel older than when new technology comes to my house. That, and my beautiful baby turning--gulp--30 years old. Happy birthday, honey!

I am SUCH a bad blog mom!

2008-03-31T20:27:00.001-07:00

If my blog were a child, CPS would have intervened long ago. Fortunately, it's an e-baby, although I hope none of you have suffered from severe pangs of neglect. There was that week before vacation where I had four 16-hour days in a row, then a 22-hour day of work and travel. Then there was vacation in a charming B&B with no Internet access...and no kitchen, so what's the point, right? Then there was the week of being back from vacation in which I did cook, but didn't blog. Instead, I was trying to put my house/job/life back together. And do my taxes.

However, some cooking did take place, some of it more worthy than some of the rest. Let me start off with the best--tonight's dinner. I felt like I was hanging out somewhere in the Middle East. DH and I cuddled up on the couch with a big, Moroccan-designed platter between us. It was heaped with spicy chickpeas, fresh slices of jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and tiny little lime wedges. A basket of warm, soft naan was there as well. It became an orgy of scoop, stack, and eat. Martha Stewart, from whom the recipe for Spicy Chickpeas with Fresh Green Chiles came, would probably have blushed with embarrassment at our happy sounds--all from the food, I assure you. An added bonus? This is the kind of recipe that you can start one step, then do the next bit of prep while the first part cooks. Dinner made it to the table...or couch...in about 30 minutes. Nothin' to complain about there. This is one of my new favorite meals. I think this one will qualify for the ARF/5-A-Day Roundup hosted by Sweetnicks, too. Be sure to stop over there and check it out.

Just to bring you up to speed, I'll fill you in on a couple of other dishes that came out of the kitchen this past week, although I don't have photos to share. (All of these, by the way, are Martha recipes, from the same cookbook.) Yesterday, we had a fabulous grain salad that could quickly become a summer staple. Farro with Thinly Sliced Zucchini, Pine Nuts, and Lemon Zest went together quickly (I had precooked the barley, which I used in place of farro), is loaded with fiber, and literally explodes with fragrance. There is one step in the recipe in which pine nuts are sauteed in olive oil instead of being dry toasted. Once they begin to brown, you blast the pan with lemon zest. Oh, man, did that smell good! This would be very versatile with other summer veggies such as asparagus, broccoli, or whatever grabs your fancy. It can also be made with whatever grain really floats your boat, so have fun with it.

I also have a couple of bags of Whole-Wheat Pasta with Lentils, Spinach, and Leeks in the freezer after eating a large dinner and a couple of lunches from the original recipe. This is good, earthy peasant food. However, to plow through the rest of it later, I want to come up with something a bit more exciting. I'm thinking of trying the olive oil/pine nut/lemon zest trick on this, with the possible addition of some sun-dried tomatoes. Whaddya think? Sound good? I'm open to other ideas, as well.

The last recipe to share tonight is Jamaican Rice and Beans. In this recipe, almost a cup of dried red beans simmers in a coconut milk bath with crushed garlic and bay leaves. Another winner in the home-fragrance department. Who needs air fresheners? After an hour or so of this, rice and more liquid are added, more simmering ensues, and the result is a beautifully fluffy, light side dish. I did make this as a main dish, but wouldn't recommend it. There just isn't enough substance to it. However, I have plans for this dish in the future, as part of a meal--just not the centerpiece.

There is lots more cooking planned, from yet another new cookbook: Vegan Express. Some of the recipes sound delicious, and I can't wait to try them. I actually have menus planned for the next four weeks, along with my shopping list, courtesy of the hour and a half wait at the carwash yesterday. I may not get the recipes posted nightly, but I'll sure give it a try.

It's good to be back!

A cold winter day

2008-03-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

Well, not really--unless you consider 80 degrees cold. It is still winter, though. While other parts of the country were shivering under blankets of snow, we were totally enjoying the springtime weather. Before you hate me too much, though, I will say that I worked 12+ hours on Saturday, then spent all day Sunday trying to get ready to take my tax stuff to the accountant. Still not ready, either. However, when I did get to look out my window for a few minutes, we were delighted to see this pair of cardinals snacking on our quail block. For those not in the know, the male is bright red, and the female is almost all brown, but with the signature crest and yellow beak. This is the first time we've seen the pair in the yard together. They usually take turns. And I have to say, it thrills me every time I see them. They just don't seem to belong in the middle of the desert.

On a more blogger-ish note, we're leaving for San Francisco Friday night. I have work events every night between now and then, so I can tell you that there just won't be any food posts here. Hopefully, we'll be shooting some great photos of great food while we're in SF. I can't wait to get there!

I Have Issue with Satan

2008-02-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, sorry. I just can't resist a good seitan/Satan pun. I do have issues with it, though--the food. I think I would like the taste if I never saw it before it was cooked, but the texture just sort of does me in. It seems to feel a lot like fatty chicken in my mouth--and if I wanted to eat fatty chicken, I wouldn't be a vegetarian now, would I?

Truthfully, this Veganomicon recipe for Sauteed Seitan with Spinach and Mushrooms has good flavor. Bite sized pieces of seitan are sauteed in olive oil until they develop a bit of a crust. Onions are then added to the pan and covered to cook until softened. Mushrooms and spices dive in next, with more sauteeing. Finally, white wine and vegetable stock are added to deglaze the pan, then bright green spinach is added and cooked until wilted.

I think this could be improved with a bit more white wine, and perhaps a bit of lemon juice--maybe even a handful of capers. It's not that it was bad--I just could have used a little more flavor to overcome the wiggly, jiggly seitan. However, all is never lost when there is a bowlful of mashed potatoes and some crispy roasted broccoli to take up the slack.

So, if you haven't dug your heels in, resisting the temptation of seitan, this one is probably worth a try. For now, I'm tired and headed to bed. Sorry I have nothing truly entertaining to offer tonight, but tomorrow is always another day!

Look! There's Food in That There Blog!

2008-02-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

Finally--food. Real food. I actually did do a little cooking (and I do mean a little) last weekend. I was craving the vegetables from pot roast. Not the pot roast, just the carrots and potatoes with that rich, roasted flavor. I decided to play around a bit, and came up with a version we consider a winner. I call it No Pot Roast Carrots and Potatoes. The vegetables are cut into large chunks, then bathed in a mixture of water, olive oil, and soy sauce. They're tucked in tight under a blanket of aluminum foil, and baked for about 45 minutes--long enough to soften them. Then, the foil is removed, the heat is raised, and about 20 minutes later, the vegetables are caramelized and brown on the outsize, with a sticky, almost sweet glaze. And on the inside? Potato and carrot nirvana. Granny would be proud. (Although she would wonder why in the heck I didn't just cook the pot roast and be done with it. I don't think Granny would have spoken vegan.) Speaking of vegetables, don't forget to visit Sweetnick's ARF/5 a Day Roundup every Tuesday for lots of ways to get the healthy phytonutrients into your diet.

Yesterday, we took our oldest granddaughter to see a local theater company's production of Goodnight Moon. I wondered how on earth they would turn that simple book into a play, but they did--and filled it with humor, wit, and wisdom. They incorporated another of my favorite children's books, The Runaway Bunny. We all had many good laughs; it was a sweet time. I am so grateful that she still values times with us. At 9 1/2, we realize that the years are flying by, and that someday, much too soon, a weekend with Poppa and Grandma might be just as appealing as purple gravy (which I'll get to later). For now, though, the times are precious and we wouldn't trade a second.

After a busy Saturday, though, I spent the first 8 hours of Sunday working. There is no feeling quite as good as finally walking out of my office and taking a shower. Yeah, I'm one of those who just sits down at the computer in pajamas and works 'til I'm finished. Otherwise, I tend to get distracted. But, finished I finally was, and headed into the kitchen to do some real cooking. I had my eye on a couple of recipes from Veganomicon. In fact, my eye was on them so firmly that I had stopped on the way home from work early in the week to get the ingredients to prepare them. Of course, the week went to Hell after that, and I didn't get to them until today. Anyway, this is where the purple gravy comes in. See?

This meal started with Chickpea Cutlets, a nice, meaty center of the plate recipe. Simple to prepare, chickpeas are mashed with oil in a bowl until all the beans are broken up. Additions to this mixture include bread crumbs, vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, and a variety of spices. A bit of kneading develops the wheat gluten as evidenced by the strands that begin to form. The mixture is formed into four rectangles (or any other shape, I suppose--the chickpea police probably won't come and arrest you if yours vary) and panfried or baked. I baked them, as I already had the oven on to roast sliced zucchini. I see great potential for these. They would make a great "no-chicken fried steak," or take a breading to become a base for marinara and vegan cheese. They would make a great sandwich with sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms. In fact, they might just take over the world, as the author of Veganomicon suspects.

While these were baking, I made the purple gravy, aka Red Wine Roux. The directions for this seemed strange to me, but I followed them to the letter. The margarine and flour roux is cooked for almost 8 minutes, then minced shallots, garlic, and celery are added and cooked for several minutes more. The mixture forms such a thick paste that I began to wonder if it would ever allow me to incorporate the vegetable broth warming on another burner. When the time was right, I poured in faith, and lo and behold, the water incorporated. I then added 3/4 cup of red wine and whisked my heart out. With my first taste, my heart sank. This was bitter brew; in fact, it tasted more like it should be ladled from a cauldron than a saucepan. However, I just left it on a simmer per the recipe. Within 10 minutes, it had turned to perfection--a rich, winey sauce which paired nicely with mashed potatoes and the very toothsome chickpea cutlets.

The Husband loved this. Although I do have to say that the meal looked weird (just like you are afraid vegan food will look), it made up for it in flavor. Sort of like the blind date with a "great personality." In this case, another date will definitely be in the works.

Phhhhhhthhhhh!

2008-02-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't even know what that title is. I'm frustrated and grumpy. I am working on a BIG project that I can't really even talk about right now, and it's complicated and makes my head spin. I need to do it, but I don't enjoy it. I wanted to plan menus, grocery shop, and cook all day on my day off and alone today, but instead, I was chained to a computer. I still have papers everywhere, and need to get them in some kind of order, then hurry and go to bed so I can get up and go to work in the morning.

I tried out a new make-up look this weekend, and totally want to do it for work tomorrow. (Yes, I'm still a teenager at heart, even though I turned 48 this weekend. I like to reinvent myself a little on my birthday every year, even though it never lasts.) Anyway, if I do the make-up, I need 15 minutes for that part of my routine instead of the 2.5 minutes I usually allow for makeup. We'll see. I do have a killer dress I want to wear, too. I love it, and for some reason, rarely put it on. It's very professional, very sharp, very together.

We did get to see the family over the weekend. Birthdays are good for that, at least. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I had some avocado egg rolls (something I would NEVER have thought of) with a tamarind cashew dipping sauce which tasted neither of tamarinds nor cashews, but was good anyway. And I had cheesecake, which I don't think I've ever done at the Cheesecake Factory. I tasted my son-in-law's banana cream cheesecake, and man, do I want to figure out how to do that! My Tres Leches Cheesecake was pretty doggone tasty, though.

So, right now, I have a project I want to talk about, but really shouldn't. I have no groceries, no menus, no nothin'. I have a squeezed-tight budget, so I need to cook at home, which means trying to get the dry cleaner AND the grocery store in tomorrow night, plus the work I never picked up this weekend. I need to go to the bank on my way to work tomorrow, and a visit to the post office (a stand-in-line-kind-of-visit) is on the lunch menu. Oh, and I was craving Lucky Charms today--with milk (which I'm allergic to). I did make it to the store for that, and I'm feelin' it now!

So, if any of you would like to give me a good e-kick in the butt and get me off my pity party, feel free. Hopefully, I can get my kitchen mojo back tomorrow. I'm taking Veganomicon to work with me tomorrow in hopes of picking out at least a couple of recipes to shop for. I only looked through 10 cookbooks today, and couldn't find one single thing to make.

Thanks for listening. If any of you are actual psychologists, send me a bill. I'll be happy to pay for services rendered.

Tag--I'm it!

2008-02-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

LisaRenee over at Unique Little Bits tagged me to share 5 little bits about me. She and I have been following one anothers' blogs for a little while and find that we are, indeed, somewhat mind meshed about food. These are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names, linking to them.
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Okay, five things about me:

My favorite time of day: When everyone else is asleep. I love a quiet house almost more than anything. It is the one and only time that I feel I truly get to live my own life and breathe my own air, without sharing with anyone. Sometimes, I walk up and down the hall just so I can stay awake a little bit longer. (I'm not really pitiful; I'm just an introvert, and my job requires me to be around people almost continually--sometimes with a line out the door.)

My favorite words: My youngest granddaughter is 14 months old. Last time I saw her, I was wearing a shirt with sparkly things on it. She kept running her tiny little finger over them, saying, "Pretty, pretty, pretty grandma." I felt young again!

My longest-running craft project: A Christmas stocking I'm cross-stitching for my oldest granddaughter. I started before she was born. She's 9. And a half.

The thing I hate most: Paying bills. I don't know why. I just do. I usually put it off until it just can't wait any more, then end up giving up some of my precious "the house is mine alone" time to do it. Hate that!

My weirdest childhood hobby: I was a ventriloquist. I was really sort of famous locally. My children, however, have never seen me perform. I quit when I was 14, and have never looked back.

I tag:

Erika at Tummy Treasure. I "know" her from the CLBB and read her blog daily. She is just a nice person. Plus, she hasn't been feeling well, so hopefully this will distract her.

Alysha at The Savory Notebook. Another CLBB friend, she and I are like minded in many ways.

Ricki at Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. I've been noticing her blog lately, too, and enjoying it.

Josie, at 1 Kitchen, 2 Dogs, and a Girl. A brand new blogger, and I'd like her to come out and play.

Helene, at Le Cuisine d'Helene, a beautiful bilingual blog. I can barely keep up in one language. She amazes me!

Hello. How YOU doin'?

2008-02-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a week. Work was crazy busy, and while I did do a bit of cooking, there was no time to blog. I didn't even really get to visit and read my favorite blogs, and am just jumping in here on the fly today. I'm trying to finish up some projects this weekend, and just needed to give that priority. Of course, before work, there's always family. My oldest daughter needed some time at her work today, which was the perfect excuse for Poppa and Grandma to drop everything and spend the morning with the granddaughters. We visited the park, where the tiny one had her first ride on a big slide. She started out with her sister, but did have a solo venture later. Daredevil that she is, she laughed hysterically when she did a 360 about half way down. Of course, Grandma was right there to make sure no harm was done. The 8-year difference in their ages means that the tiny one is always stretching just a bit beyond her abilities in an effort to copy everything big sister does!

I'm continuing to cook out of Veganomicon, and still really loving it. Earlier in the week, I made Snobby Joes--another lentil version of that old family standby. DH and I both liked this one quite a lot. In fact, DH liked it so much that he took all of it to work before I got to have a proper portion. The night I made it, I hadn't had a chance to eat, and snacked so much before dinner that I wasn't hungry. Of course, I thought I'd get to take it for lunch the next day, but....Oh, well. That's over and done with. I vented to my friends and left him unscathed. Instead of copying the recipe here, I'm going to link to its location at the authors' website, The Post Punk Kitchen. Lots of cool stuff to check out there!

Friday night, I finally had a chance to really get into the kitchen. This Mexican Millet recipe, again from Veganomicon, had caught my eye earlier. Per the authors' suggestion, I served it with Black Beans in Chipotle Adobo Sauce. It made a really nice, comforting combination. I'd never really cooked with millet before--maybe once, in my murky past. Of course, that was my maiden name, so it always felt kind of weird. Like, what if there was a food named Jones or Smith--would you want to eat that? I didn't think so.

The Mexican Millet starts by sauteeing the aromatics, then toasting the grain in the same skillet. Next, broth, spices, tomato paste, and chopped fresh tomato is added, then a half an hour of simmering ensues. I couldn't resist a spoonful right out of the pot as soon as it was done. It had all the soft, almost creamy consistency that I was looking for, with nuances of jalapeno competing with the acidic bite of the tomato.

For the beans, I used Rancho Gordo Black Valentines that I had cooked previously. This recipe calls for canned beans which are enhanced by bay leaves and onion, and simmered for a good hour until they practically melt. This worked just fine with my homemade beans, too. While the beans simmer and soften, onions and garlic are caramelized, then goosed with some chopped chipotle and adobo sauce. Interestingly, this is supposed to be blended to make a sauce. I gotta tell ya', I went looking for errata in the book, because there is absolutely no liquid in this. Despite a good half hour of online searching, I found no recorded errors for this recipe. I did add a bit more olive oil, scooped the mixture into a small bowl, and used the immersion blender to mix it up. As you can probably tell from the pictures, it didn't drizzle. However, it did stir nicely into the beans. I don't know that creating the sauce and spooning it over the beans really does anything more than just stirring it directly into the bean pot, but it does make for a nice presentation. I'm also thinking that the "sauce" would make an awfully good dip stirred into some regular or tofu sour cream.

And last, I just thought this was the prettiest slice of beet ever. I had a bunch of red beets and a bunch of golden beets. I wrapped them all together in foil and roasted them, and as a result, some of the red beet juice stained the golden beats. I'm thinking I need to come up with some sort of alcohol-based vinaigrette for these, and have Tequila Sunrise Beets. For now, I have the slices marinating in a Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette, and plan to top them with some sheep's milk feta and toasted walnuts for lunch tomorrow. I don't know how much I'll be able to post this week, but stop back if you have time. I'll do my best!

Clever Title Wanted--Please Apply Within

2008-02-04T20:13:00.001-08:00

I believe I've discovered that I have a mysterious power. I am a drought buster. Yes, that's right; my next business will be consulting all over the world wherever rain is needed. I know this because it fortuitously rains every &*@#$ time I schedule a fire drill at school. Nothing like scheduling 1700 kids to stand outside in a downpour. No sirree! Think I can market it? Yeah, me either.

Therefore, I must turn my powers to something more do-able, like cooking dinner. I'm still working out of A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen with tonight's Pan-Fried Noodle Cake with Stir-Fried Bok Choy. Noodles. Cake. Pan-fried. What's not to love? This whole process was new to me, and I spent more than a few minutes trying to figure out how to make this whole thing come together at the same time. Finally, I decided to start the water for the noodles and use the time waiting for it to boil to prep the stir-fry ingredients. Once the noodles were cooked, I heated the requisite non-stick skillet after sweeping it with roasted peanut oil. LOVE that smell! I also started another skillet, readying it for stir-fry.

Once the first skillet was hot, I dumped the bowl of noodles coated with roasted peanut oil and soy sauce into the pan, pressing down hard with a spatula to form a dense noodle cake. As that cooked, I tossed the bok choy stems (and some leftover cremini mushrooms I sliced up) into the other pan over a high heat. Back to the first pan, where I slid the well-browned noodle cake onto a plate, covered it with another plate, and flipped it over, then back into the pan for the other side to brown. More spatula pressing. Back to the other pan, stir-frying the bok choy leaves, fragrant garlic and ginger, and a mixture of hoisin, water, and rice vinegar. After a few minutes of Tasmanian Devil moves--Success. Wedges of crispy noodle cake were covered with the stir-fry, and served up in no time flat.

It was only later that I read the recipe's intro in the book, telling how to make it all come out right. No harm done. This is another recipe with quite a bit of versatility. The noodle cake is a great base, and the possibilities for topping it are limited only by your imagination.

Finding Comfort in the Arms of a Chickpea

2008-02-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

It was a cold rainy day, with Mother Nature shaking her fist at the organizers of the Super Bowl and the FBR open. Add to that the fact that my issue of Veganomicon arrived in my mailbox this week (possibly becoming my new favorite cookbook just for the writing style of the authors alone), and it seemed like it was just time to make some soup. This Chickpea Noodle Soup doesn't have a very fancy name--nor even a very appealing one. However, it is a very appealing soup. The broth is a rich brown as a result of a quick deglazing of the pan after sauteeing onions and carrots. Mushrooms and spices are added in, followed by chickpeas and water. Once things have made it up to a rolling boil, three ounces of pasta are dropped in, then the whole thing is covered up until the pasta is al dente. Finally, a liberal dose of brown rice miso is added, creating a complex, almost wine-y broth. This is good stuff. It could probably kill a cold--maybe even the flu. It definitely is going to have a permanent place in my heart, not to mention my lunches. In the meantime, I think I'm going to try to think of a better name for this soup. Any ideas? This little number is so deserving that I'll send it to the Presto Pasta Night Round Up. Check in there on Fridays before planning the week's menus--every week is rife with great pasta ideas.

And what is soup without a salad? While at Trader Joe's last night, I found a nice container of imported sheep's milk feta. Coincidentally, Jack Bishop had a recipe that had caught my eye earlier--a Greek Salad with Marinated Radishes and Feta Cheese. This salad starts with tender lettuce which is tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, and tangy feta. Defanged radishes are tossed in, along with their marinade, to dress the salad, and the whole thing is served over thick slices of grilled country bread. The Husband didn't care for it much, but he doesn't like olives. Or feta. Or red wine vinaigrette dressing. So, his opinion doesn't count in this case. I, however, enjoyed it very much. Definitely worth a try.

Hopefully, this week will be a little more sane, which will mean more cooking. I certainly have menus planned, so we'll see what happens.

Rancho Gordo Heaven

2008-02-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

If you remember, a few weeks ago I got in my first order of Rancho Gordo beans. The first ones I cooked up were the Christmas Limas. Huge, meaty, and delicious, they star in Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana. This is another winner from Mark Bittman, who consistently turns out easy, delicious recipes. A quick tomato sauce is put together. I added some garlic to the basic recipe, along with a little bit of red wine to deglaze the pan after sauteeing the onions. It was a little chunky for my taste, so I gave it a whirl with the stick blender until all the big chunks were teeny, tiny chunks. The lima beans are spooned over the top, then cubes of mozzarella (I used the little mozzarella pearls) are pushed down into the beans, creating pockets of cheesy, chewy goodness after baking. A final topping of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs is the piece de resistance before the dish goes into the oven to bake off. A liberal sprinkling of chopped Parsley adds a final, bright note before taking the dish to the table.

Between the antioxidant rich tomato sauce and the phytonutrient packed beans, I think this dish is a shoo-in for the ARF/5-a-Day Roundup over at Sweetnicks. Be sure to check it out on Tuesdays for lots of great ideas to increase your intake of fruits and veggies.

Pass the Pizza, No Cheese, Please

2008-02-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

We've been wanting to make the leap to cheese-free pizza for awhile, but whenever we go out, it irritates us to be charged the full price if we ask for no cheese. So...I decided to make it myself. I started with a whole wheat crust recipe that's quick enough for a week night. I followed that with a pizza sauce that comes together in minutes. While this recipe does contain some grated Parmesan cheese, it could be left out without sacrificing any flavor. While the sauce sits to meld the flavors, I sauteed some sliced mushrooms so they would retain their meaty texture and sliced up some bell peppers and onions. About an hour after I walked in the door (with most of it spent doing other activities, I slid the pizza into the oven on the hot pizza stone. 15 minutes later--dinner was ready.

I was pleasantly surprised that I did not miss the cheese. This was good, and almost as fast as waiting at the pizza shop for them to bake us up a pie. If you are feeding more than two fairly light eaters, I'd suggest doubling the crust, as it only makes one 12-inch pie.

Reality Check

2008-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when you get to Tuesday night, and you've already worked more than 35 hours? Me, too. The reality is, this week is going to be screaming busy. There's not likely to be any cooking worth blogging about; in fact, I could (and might) live on toast and oranges the rest of the week. I did make a great dish over the weekend I didn't have time to post (started working like crazy on Sunday--about 12 hours that day alone). So, check back on the weekend, and I'll bring you up to date.

Martha Stewart + Paper Towel Rolls = Pretty Cookies

2008-01-26T21:51:00.001-08:00

But when you're baking on a whim, you might not have extra paper towel rolls just sitting around. So, my Icebox Butter Cookies aren't Martha-pretty, although I do notice that even in her cookbook, she only shows the pretty RAW dough slices. These just look a little like the frog before the kiss if you ask me. However, they are pretty good. Perhaps they would have been perfection if I had an empty cardboard tube to slip them in while chilling. Who knows?

I do know, though, that this recipe makes the best cookie dough I have ever snuck when I thought no one was looking. I made the variation with chopped pecans, and after quickly roasting the finely chopped nuts in a skillet, I put the dough together in minutes. Then, it was tidily rolled up in parchment paper, left to chill for an hour, then rolled in sanding sugar prior to slicing and baking. Were I to make these again, I think I'd roll them in more toasted nuts; the sanding sugar overpowers the delicate, simple flavor of the cookie itself.

At least they provided one last diversion from the work I need to do, as well as something to nibble with the coffee I'm now drinking to keep me awake to do it. So now, at 10:57 p.m., I think I'll get started on that.

Bean there, done that!

2008-01-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

Oooh...a new favorite food. In an admirable effort to avoid all the work I brought home to do over the weekend, I've been playing in the kitchen. I once again spent some time baking bread, with a revisit of Moomie's Beautiful Burger Buns. Then, I pulled out Mark Bittman's newest book, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, which is vying for menu space with Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. After all, what's the point in having buns if there's nothing to dress them up with, right? Bittman has a whole section on bean burgers, which sound gross, but are really, really, really good. I used black beans, which take a spin in the food processor with onion, rolled oats, chili powder, salt, pepper, and an egg for binding. From there, they can be cooked immediately or, as I did, refrigerated for awhile to allow the flavors to meld.

Once formed into patties, they are fried in a skillet or baked. I chose baking for a couple of reasons. Mine were really wet, and I just didn't think they'd make it into the skillet. So, I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, then scooped out the mixture and formed the patties right on the parchment-lined pan. I covered and refrigerated them a bit longer, as I was still waiting for bread dough to rise and bake. When I took the buns out of the oven, I cranked up the heat and tossed the whole baking pan in the oven. Fifteen minutes, turn, fifteen more minutes--success.

There was a tiny little roadblock which had me worried for a minute. When I took the burgers out of the oven to turn them, they were glued to the parchment. I did scrape them up and turn them onto a clean spot, and they were fine after that. I think the bean mixture was just so wet that it got too attached. Next time, I think I'll just use Reynold's Release or a Silpat sheet to eliminate the problem.

There are about a million possible variations on this, using any kind of bean (or even lentils) and any kind of spice. The book has directions for making the mixture into cutlets, meatballs, or meatloaf, or even changing the whole thing up with different additions.

We topped our burgers with chipotle ketchup, which was a perfect go-with. I can tell I'll be making these over and over again.

Given all the healthy properties of beans and all things legume, I'm sure you'll want to check out My Legume Love Affair over at The Well Seasoned Cook. The results of this blogging event will be posted the week of February 10. In the meantime, check out the blog itself for lots of great recipes and ideas.

Something Old, Something New

2008-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

When I made the Quinoa with Caramelized Onions earlier in the week (something old), it made a ton. I knew I needed to find something to make with it that would compliment the flavor without copying it. Another Jack Bishop recipe, Spicy Pan-Glazed Tofu (something new), was a perfect match. Now, I have to be honest. I'm still struggling with tofu. I like it crumbled and squeezed dry, then cooked, but slab o'tofu still leaves me cold. It has the texture of over-fried eggs. Plus, I made roasted Brussels sprouts again, which eclipses every other food group in my kitchen. Plus, I pretty much had a toast orgy when I got home tonight. I was starving, it was cold, and toast just sounded good. So, my appetite didn't exactly have a razor-sharp edge by the time I got dinner on the table.

With that said, though, I can still be objective about this. The warm, cinnamon undertones of the quinoa dish, and the sweetness of the caramelized onions, called out the sticky, warm notes of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in the tofu glaze. In this preparation, the tofu is sliced, patted dry, and pan-fried to develop a golden brown crust. The glaze ingredients are then poured into the pan with the tofu, where the crispy cutlets absorb the flavor but still retain their chewy texture and crisp exterior. I turned my back at a crucial moment, though, and let the syrupy glaze absorb completely into the tofu. I think I would have liked this better had I had some of the glaze to drizzle over the tofu. I really liked the glaze, and I can see using it over a crumbled tofu/browned mushroom mixture, or even to glaze braised and browned tempeh.

And I just need to work on my tofu attitude.

My new addition

2008-01-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

Over on the right side of the screen, you'll see a new addition to my blog--The Foodie Blogroll. It includes a scrolling list of tons of great blogs where you can satisfy yourself with all things foodie. Best of all for my fellow bloggers, joining automatically links you to tons of sites, boosting your search engine ranking and giving you a bit more exposure. Best of all for my non-blogging readers, it's just a great way to click across some blogs you might not find otherwise, and who knows where your next favorite blog is lurking? Jenn over at Leftover Queen manages this resource and runs a great blog to boot. Give her a visit, will you?

Dinner tonight was supplanted by a long nap on the couch. The Husband wasn't feeling well last night, and when he can't sleep, I can't either. So....I had been up since 12:30 a.m. Really and truly, I was just going to rest for a few minutes while watching the Food Network, but instead slept through Ina, Paula, and Rachel. Wouldn't have woken up then, either, but the phone rang. So, thermometer and extra blankets in hand, I'm headed back to bed, where hopefully we can both get a little shut-eye. Tomorrow, however, is looking good for dinner. I have plans involving the leftover quinoa and some glazed tofu--and a repeat visit from my very favorite roasted brussels sprouts. See you then!

I Bake Bread, Therefore I Am

2008-01-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

When I start to feel like I'm getting lost in busyness, there is one thing that always calls to me--bread baking. There is something so elemental about bread, so connected to life, that it always brings me back to myself. Maybe it's the alchemy that causes such simple ingredients--yeast, flour, water, salt--to spring to life. Or the smell that promises something that has to be good. I don't know, but I know that I needed to bake bread this weekend. And I did. Specifically, I baked an epi. I never knew what that was until I was clicking through some blogs and found a great set of pictorial directions on KitchenMage. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it. I turned to Dough: Simple Contemporary Bread, by Richard Bertinet, for a recipe and more directions. The recipe I used is just a simple baguette dough. I found Bertinet's directions less than clear, so I went back to KitchenMage. It worked like a charm; after your baguette is shaped and risen, you just use kitchen scissors held almost perpendicular to the loaf to cut almost through, then pull each leaf to alternating sides.

To get the crispest crust possible, I put a baking stone in the oven while the oven preheated. I turned a rimmed baking sheet upside down, covered it with a piece of parchment, and shaped the epi there. When the oven temp hit 475 degrees, I pulled out the rack with the baking stone, spritzed the entire oven with water, and slid the dough--parchment and all--onto the stone. Twelve minutes later, I had a beautiful, crusty, just-dense-enough loaf. Who needed anything else for dinner?

I went back to Jack Bishop for dinner again tonight, turning out Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Dried Cherries, Chard, and Walnuts. Another simple dish, this one starts with minced garlic sizzling in olive oil, followed by a huge bowlful of chopped chard that wilts down to nothing. Once the chard has had a few minutes to wilt, a handful of dried cherries is tossed into the pot, given a quick stir, then covered and taken off the heat. There is just enough moisture to allow the cherries to reconstitute without losing all of their intensity and chewiness. Meanwhile, the pasta is boiled, with a bit of the cooking water retained for finishing the dish. A few tosses with the tongs, and dinner is on the table. I will say that I thought this dish called out for crumbled feta or goat cheese; the tanginess of either would be a nice note to accompanies the sweet-tart cherries and earthy chard. For lots more great pasta ideas, don't forget to check out the Presto Pasta Night Roundup every Friday at Once Upon a Feast.

I also put together a huge pot of Pasta e Fagioli from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I doubled the recipe, which is both good and bad. It's good, because the soup is delicious, and I am working to fill the freezer for busy nights. It's bad, because some salt voodoo devil apparently came to my house and swam in my soup. It's like plucking petals off a daisy, saying, "He loves me, he loves me not." Except in this case, it's, "It's just right, it's too salty." You can eat ten bites of this soup and be in heaven, and suddenly get a bite that tastes like you ate a salt cube. I have NO idea what happened. I've added water, reheated, stirred...and laughed like crazy when the Husband literally spit a mouthful of soup into his hand halfway through a bowlful. So, I don't know if the whole bit is going to go into the garbage disposal, or if a night in the refrigerator might somehow dissipate the salt. I'll report back.

Have you met quinoa?

2008-01-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

If you've never cooked with quinoa, Bishop's Quinoa Pilaf with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pecans is a great way to start. Quinoa is considered a "supergrain" with unbelievable amounts of nutrients and protein. It cooks pretty easily and typically doesn't take too long. I don't know what happened with my dinner tonight, because it took me over an hour to get the quinoa tender and to absorb all the water. Of course, what happened is really a no-brainer; I apparently wasn't cooking at a high enough heat. I'm still in a bit of a learning curve with my Le Creuset cookware. Too high a temp and things scorch, too low and they don't get done--and the range between the two is very narrow. (I never cook above level 5--of 10 levels--when using my Le Creuset.) But, I digress.

Another thing I really like about quinoa is the way it looks after it's cooked. The grains plump up, and you can see an opaque spiral running through them. They just look very cool. The grain is also versatile, able to take on many flavors and feel right at home with all of them. One word of caution: If you're going to use quinoa, don't ignore the directions to rinse it well prior to using. The grain has a natural protective coating of a substance called saponin, which is very bitter. A good 30-seconds of rinsing is a great investment into your finished product.

This recipe starts with diced onions and bell peppers cooked for five minutes. Ummm...that doesn't really caramelize them. So, I threw them in the pan and gave them about 20 minutes, which is what it took for them to brown and take on the sweet flavor characteristic of caramelized onions. Warm spices--cinnamon and ginger--are added and toasted just long enough to bring out their fragrance. The quinoa is then added to the pan and toasted for about a minute before the water is added and the whole mixture sets to simmer. After 20-30 minutes, you should be able to fluff it up, add some toasted pecans and chopped parsley, and sit down for dinner. We were going to have this with some roasted broccoli, but it took so long to cook that we had broccoli as an appetizer while we were waiting for dinner. I love roasted veggies, but that should probably be another post entirely!

Let's Thai again!

2008-01-19T20:23:00.001-08:00

After the long, dark work week, it seemed like a good day to start off with a hike. Actually, "starting off" isn't technically correct. It was more like a "hang out for a few hours then go for a hike, then drive home really fast to take a shower so you can go to that work-related event, then leave there and drive really fast some more to meet the kids at church." At any rate, we got to spend a couple of hours at the absolutely beautiful Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. This is a beautiful desert riparian area, and for a while, we were hiking there every weekend in preparation for our upcoming trips to San Francisco and Kauai. Things happened, though, and we haven't been for awhile. Lucky for us, the creek was still running after the rain a few weeks ago and the desert was awash in green. We took the relatively flat Metate Trail (named for the large metate left behind by the indigenous people who once lived in this area) so we could always be within earshot at least of the creek.

Tonight I'm very sore, but it was a beautiful spot to get back in touch with what's real--and to have a better picture of nature than the Ikea rock prints on my wall at work.

All that hiking made us hungry, so we eventually got to each a good dinner (although I admit to vegan Boca burgers for lunch). This is another Jack Bishop recipe--Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce. I served this over Sticky Rice, but it would have also been just fine as a stew. We really liked this recipe, also. There were gentle hints of coconut, ginger, and garlic backed by the slow burn of the green chili paste and the bright finish of lime juice and cilantro. The technique is a little different. Instead of just dumping a can of coconut milk into the pot with the other liquid, the cream is skimmed off the top when the can is opened. This is why he cautions not to use the "lite" coconut milk. The cream is reduced with the garlic and ginger infusing it with flavor. Finally, the potatoes and water are added, then left to cook until tender. Finally, ribbons of chard are added to the pot, and a few more minutes of cooking time ensues. Finally, the dish is finished with the cilantro and lime juice.

This dish makes plenty, and I suspect the leftovers will be out of this world after the potatoes further soak up the delicate flavors of this dish. I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow--if I can wait that long!

Excuse me, waiter! There's a chard in my taco!

2008-01-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

Wow--what a week! There are lots of changes happening in the work place, and they have been accompanied by long, long days. The worst part is, I had this absolutely great menu plan for the week, but nothing got cooked. If I ever doubted how much of a negative impact fast food has on my body, I put the doubts to rest this week. I've stayed vegetarian, but that doesn't always mean healthy. After all, french fries and a diet coke are vegan!

Last night, the walls were closing in, so I decided to load up the briefcase and come home. Foolishly, I thought I'd get some work done here. Why, I don't know, because when I'm that burned out, my self-discipline flies out the window. Instead, I pulled myself into the kitchen and happily rinsed, chopped, minced, and diced my way to a really good dinner.

I'm still cooking out of Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I really like the way this book is arranged by season. It helps me as I try to reduce my carbon footprint, as the seasonal vegetables tend to be grown more closely to home. This book has been on my shelf for a couple of years, and was untouched until recently. Frankly, it looked too "vegetarian" for me. It features the kind of food I was always afraid I'd have to eat if I became a vegetarian. Apparently, the only thing I had to fear was fear itself. Tonight, we had Soft Corn Tacos with Garlicky Greens, accompanied by Mexican Citrus Salad and a crock of frijoles refritos.

This was really good. Who knew? I was surprised at how flavorful and satisfying the tacos were. The chard has a nice, earthy taste, which is livened up by carmelized onions, minced garlic and jalapenos. The rustic flavor of warm corn tortillas complimented it perfectly. We topped it with a jarred salsa from Trader Joe's, but any favorite salsa would work. The citrus salad wasn't anything special, but it was an easy and quick side with a nice flavor. It is short week to use a sharp knife to trim the vibrant citrus of it's pith and rind and cut it into slices. I arranged the slices on a platter before sprinkling them with lime juice, coarse salt, a whisper of chile powder, and chopped jalapeno. I loved the way this meal looked on the plate. It was like a rainbow had landed on the table.

I would suggest a bit of pre-prep work if this is to be a weeknight dinner. If the chard is prewashed and chopped, the whole thing could go together in 30-40 minutes. I hadn't cleaned and chopped my chard, so I did that while the onions were cooking. Otherwise, I would have done the citrus salad during that time. As it was, I did the salad first, then started the main.

Given the array of power-packed fruits and vegetables, I'm going to send this one to Sweetnicks for the ARF/5-a-Day roundup. Check it out weekly for lots of good ideas on ways to incorporate more antioxidant rich fruits and veggies into your diet.

My name is Michelle, and I am addicted to Brussels sprouts

2008-01-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

Mark Bittman wins again with these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic. It's that simple. It's all simple, actually. Bring those Brussels sprouts home. Cut 'em in half. Heat some oil, put the Brussels sprouts in the pan. Let them cook for 5 or 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and peeled garlic over them. Put it in the oven. Let it cook another 20-30 minutes, and hit it with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Caramelized. Sweet. Crunchy. Crispy. Smooth. Tender. Yum. Yum. Yum. This is now my go-to Brussels sprouts recipe. The Husband even ate one and said it wasn't bad. That's actually sort of high praise. If he wants any, though, he's going to have to fight me for them. I only made a pound. He can eat ice cream.

Although I know that Cate over at Sweetnicks doesn't really love Brussels sprouts, I'm going to send these over to join her ARF/5-a-Day Roundup anyway. Maybe we'll make a believer of her.

Morphing it

2008-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Since I'm really trying to be a responsible consumer (and a wise budgeter), it was important to me not to end up throwing the leftovers of the White Bean and Tomato Casserole with Bread Crumb topping into the trash. So, as promised, I did a little work with the remainder, and I'm proud to say we've finished it off. I'm glad I didn't bake the whole casserole with the breadcrumbs, as it would have really limited my options.

Yesterday, I took all of the bean/tomato/garlic/onion mixture, tossed in about 2/3 of a can of chopped green chiles, some cumin, and handful of cilantro, and some salt and pepper, then gave it a few seconds of quality time with my immersion blender. Heated, spread on crispy tostada shells (Trader Joe's corn tortillas spritzed with a little olive oil and baked until crisp), topped with some shredded cheese (any variety would work), and shredded romaine, we had great tostadas with built-in salsa.

Today, I took the remainder of that, threw it in a gratin pan, topped with some cheese, and baked until brown and bubbly. Once it was out of the oven, I scattered it with some chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions, and it made a great bean dip. I didn't have the ingredients on hand, or I would have thrown in a few tablespoons of cream cheese and some chopped jalapeno--fresh or jarred--before baking to really make an over-the-top dip. At any rate, it made good breakfast.

This is what I hope to do more of in the coming year, as it pains me to throw things out. I find that Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is really helping me adjust my thinking to one of adaptability. The thing I really love about his book (in addition to it's exhaustive reference capability and tons of good recipes) is that it virtually oozes flexibility. There are few recipes that aren't followed with several variations. In an effort to live more gently on this planet, we're making lots of changes in our lives. It seems to me that the most basic of these should be to not waste food. And that, at least in our household of two, means learning to do more with leftovers so that they all fuel our bodies instead of the landfill.

SOAPBOX ALERT!!!!

It's funny that a choice to eat a vegetarian diet has been quickly followed by other lifestyle changes. We're eliminating bottled water, and using filtered tap water instead to cut down on plastic usage. While we do recycle most of the time, I realize that we would all be better off if plastics weren't making their way into our landfills, where they don't biodegrade, and they eventually leach chemicals into the groundwater.

We're replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs as the incandescents burn out. Right now, our lighting is a little uneven, but I think of my grandchildren living in the world I help create, and it's worth it.

We've gone to biodegradeable laundry and dish soap that does not contain animal-tested ingredients.

And I know that these changes aren't enough, that we're truly leaving too large of a carbon footprint. We will continue to do what we can as we become more knowledgeable, and will continue to love and embrace those who don't. For what, indeed, is the point of saving the world if we hate everyone else in it?

Encore, please!

2008-01-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

I really want to like this Jack Bishop recipe. But I don't. Certainly, it's okay. But it's not stellar. It doesn't transport me. It just leaves me flat. Full, but flat. Part of it is ingredient error. I used Muir Glen brand diced tomatoes, and the pieces are too big. I should have chopped them up a bit, but I didn't. When I want beans and tomatoes, I want BEANS and tomatoes, not beans and TOMATOES. So, it's my own fault that I didn't fix that. But as usual, I was in a hurry. I also really like to follow a recipe without a riff the first time. After all, the author got paid MONEY to write their cookbook. I get paid bupkiss to cook from it. So, they must know more than me, right?

It seems like I've had a lot of uneven success with Jack Bishop recipes. When they work, they are sublime simplicity. They are always quick, and I like his balance of healthy ingredients when they work, and going with the less-healthy-but-better-in-this-dish when they don't. However, he just isn't one of those cookbook authors who I feel I could pull anything they have published and cook from it, ending with a happy dance. I feel that way about Ina Garten. I feel that way about anything Cook's Illustrated publishes. So far, I feel that way about everything I've cooked from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. Robin Robertson never steers me wrong, either. So why is it that Bishop, a noted cookbook author, doesn't always get it right? I don't know, but I think I must turn my recipe instincts on when cooking from his cookbooks.

But wait! There's more! We haven't talked about this recipe yet. One of my issues with this was the bread crumb topping. It's not that I don't treasure bread crumbs, for I love all things yeast-based. But I had a concern about topping a 6-serving dish with breadcrumbs, then eating two servings. What, I asked, would happen to the toasty layer of bread crumbs on the remainder of the dish as it sat in the refrigerator? Here is where I must admit that I'm not a big fan of insanely, considering it nothing but soggy bread that sat too near leaking tomatoes. I could see a bread crumb version of this salad forming on top of my casserole, rendering the leftovers inedible. So, I made our servings in two ramekins (just purchased in the Crate and Barrel after-Christmas sale, thank you very much), topped them with bread crumbs, and broiled them. I then toasted the rest of the bread crumbs in a skillet and toasted them, storing them in a plastic bag after they cooled.

Well, let me tell you, the thick layer of bread crumbs in the original servings were panzanella-ish on the bottom, although nice and crisp on the top. We ate it. It was fine. I wasn't excited about eating it again. But I did--I took it for lunch today. (Yes, this is a stealth blog entry--I made this two days ago, but had to choose between sleep and posting.) It was better today, scattered with the fully toasted bread crumbs. However, it still isn't grabbing me. However, I have a plan. I think I know what to do with the remainder that will be really, really yummy. You'll have to check back, though, to find out. I think it will be tomorrow's lunch, maybe even tomorrow's breakfast. See you then!

No beauty pageant winners here!

2008-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today started inauspiciously. When the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m., I knew I wasn't going to make it to work on time; I was in the grip of a migraine. Back to bed I went, loaded up on medication. I made a couple of false starts as the day wore on, only to be driven back to bed. At one point, I was actually dressed, wearing make up, and in the car, only to come back home before making it even a mile down the road. Not a good beginning. However, after sleeping until 4:30, I woke up absolutely ravenous, with the migraine seeming to be at bay. The only thing left on my week's menu plan was this recipe for Black Sesame Noodles from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I wasn't sure it sounded good, but it was this or leftovers, so this won.

And oh, am I glad that it did. I've had a few sesame noodle dishes, which all just struck me as okay. This one, however, transported me. Like so many of his other recipes, this one came together very quickly--less than 30 minutes from the time I put the water on to boil for the pasta. I've never used black sesame seeds before, but I will again. They have a taste just a bit stronger which really shines through. This dish is served warm, but leftovers should be fine cold. Grated carrots, cucumber, and radishes add a nice, fresh note and lighten what could otherwise be a heavy dish. I used only 3/4 pound of pasta, as Bishop's recipes are usually to heavy on the pasta, and too light on the sauce for my taste. In this instance, when I make this again, I'll go with the full pound. I would also up the shredded veggies a bit, as they could have a stronger presence without overwhelming the balance of this dish. I don't often repeat dishes, but I see this one coming up again in our future.

One of the things I'd like to do this year is participate in more Blogger events. I'm giving up my virginity in this area to the Presto Pasta Night Roundup at Once Upon a Feast--Every Kitchen Tells Its Story. This is a great site to check on Fridays before the weekend grocery shopping trip. Pasta shines in all its forms of glory.

Sunshine on a rainy day

2008-01-07T20:18:00.001-08:00

Tonight, we pulled dinner from a new vegetarian classic, Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. The Linguine with Orange Sauce and Cilantro couldn't have been easier. I squeezed a half dozen oranges, which yielded enough juice to set over a low boil with some crushed garlic cloves and sliced ginger. While that was reducing, I put some linguine on to cook. Strain the garlic and ginger chunks out of the orange syrup, add a little olive oil, chopped cilantro, and some pasta water and, voila, you have dinner. I will say that this probably wasn't a very good dinner on its own, speaking from a nutrition point of view. It needed a salad, or even some steamed broccoli and sugar snap peas tossed in the sauce along with the pasta. Sliced baked tofu would be good, too, and for those not mucking about with a vegetarian diet, the sauce would be great over chicken. Nonetheless, this was truly a 30-minute meal, and one that was refreshingly bright on a winter night.

I also came home to my first delivery of Rancho Gordo beans. The cooks over on the CLBB have been all abuzz about these heirloom beans, and company owner Steve Sando has even weighed in. He seems like a very nice guy, and he's very knowledgeable about his beans. Being much fresher than supermarket dried beans (and with much more variety available), this is reputed to be the beginning of a sublime bean relationship. I couldn't be more excited to get started cooking a pot or two of these, although it will probably be the weekend before I can even consider it. It's so hard to decide what to start with. Christmas limas? Good Mother Stallards? Black Valentines? Borlottis? Yellow Indian Woman? Ojo de Cabras (Goat's eye)? I might have to just randomly pluck, something out of the box and start cooking!

Tomorrow night is a meeting night, so I know there will be no cooking. We'll enjoy leftovers (the Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes from last night have melded into a wonderful, homey bowl of goodness) or planned overs (Sloppy Lentils with Wheatberries, or more of that Lentil Soup--oh, how I wish I'd had some of that for lunch, too). I hope you enjoy the night with whatever you decide to nurture yourself with.

Catching Up

2008-01-06T18:53:00.001-08:00

It would be far too cumbersome to try to go back over everything I've added since I last posted. The holidays were busy, but my plan was to catch up while we were out of town resting until we were bored out of our heads. Unfortunately, the place we stayed had not entered the 21st Century, and therefore, I was without a reliable Internet connection. So, I'll just fill you in on some highlights.

First, I must share this French Lentil and Vegetable Soup from the Barefoot Contessa. This is everything a soup should be--rich, brothy, deep undertones. It is definitely a go-back-for-more kind of soup, one that takes any pain out of being a vegetarian. Truly, I can't imagine anyone not liking it (even you, blonde-haired mother of my grandchildren). The ingredient list isn't much different from any other lentil soup. I think the magic is in the slow saute of the onions and leeks at the beginning, and the splash of red wine at the end. Whatever it is, it is totally over-the-top good. This screams for some hearty, crusty bread to sop up any last bit of broth at the bottom of the bowl.

Another winner is Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Attractive enough to serve to company, this is hearty and melts in yourmouth. I did the variation with sauteed leeks layered between the thinly sliced potatoes and creamy white beans. I already have leftovers packed to take for lunch tomorrow.

Although I stocked up on cookbooks at The Good Cook's after-Christmas sale (as well as their before-Christmas sale), Bittman's newest book is standing out as a favorite. I have his other cookbooks, but haven't used them a great deal. However, this one is a must-have resource. The recipes aren't complicated, but like Ina Garten's, seem to be more than the sum of their parts. Many substitutions and variations are provided for almost every recipe. They are also full of REAL food, not fake meat and other not-so-good-for-you vegetarian fake-outs. You could serve these to anyone and not feel compromised. Several of the recipes are already becoming standards in our house. Check out the Buttermilk Biscuits--they were in the oven within 10 minutes, and came out unbelievably light and rose sky-high. The Bulgur Chili is another winner, with a meaty taste despite being a vegan offering.

Check the side-bar under "Vegetarian," where I've indicated in parenthesis whether a recipe is vegan, or could be modified to vegan (by using a butter substitute or subbing vegetable broth for chicken broth). Sorry--they don't all have pictures. They were good, though.

Certainly, we are finding it easier than we thought to follow a vegetarian diet. Our resolution in this new year is to move further toward the vegan end of things, for all the same reasons we became vegetarians. I hope that I can still continue to providing you solid, family-pleasing meal ideas to help keep you healthy throughout your life. We don't like weird food any more than you do--so if we like it, there's a good chance you will, as well.

Christmas Cookies!

2008-01-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

When we got together to bake, we didn't get a whole lot done. Mostly, we made gingersnaps (which turn out to be the favorite of Miss Brooklynn) and some crazy sugar cookies. The cookies pictured here were made from the Cook's Illustrated recipe for Glazed Butter Cookies. These have a very nice taste and texture, and are egg free for those with allergies.

The next day, I decided to make some Snowballs, White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies, and my favorite Nielssen Massey Chocolate Chip Cookies.

All were good, all were eaten. I promise to be better next year and post while we're all still in a baking mood.

Four Generations of Baking

2007-12-22T19:47:00.001-08:00

Any cooking plans must start with a good, long look at the cookbooks.

What joy there is when the right recipe is finally found!

Almost everyone joined in the action.

But the smart ones found a comfortable place to hang out and wait for samples.

(Who cares about the cookies with company like this?)

Please join me for appetizers

2007-12-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

I'm going to participate in a theme that I see in lots of blogs lately--apologizing for leaving you high and dry, and falling away from posting regularly. I think it's the hazard of real people with real jobs, also trying to honor the need to stay in touch with the world and share in this forum. It's not that I haven't cooked--it's just that I haven't been willing to add the stress to my life which ensues when I spend an extsra hour a day blogging about it. So, sorry. There. I've said it. Wanna see some food now?

We had our annual family picnic last weekend. I like to do several appetizers for my guests to nibble on before the main meal. Since this is an appetizer kind of time-of-year, I thought you might be interested in some of the hits.

The biggest hit? Same as it always is--good old-fashioned chip and onion dip (yes, the kind from the package of onion soup mix). It seems like even the most sophisticated palates keep going back to that bowl. Crazy, huh? Forgive me, but I'm not posting the recipe. It's a family secret, you know.

I also made a change-up of an old familiar recipe--Chex mix--from the December/January issue of Cook's Country magazine. This one, called Fisherman's Friend Party Mix, packed a not-so-subtle wallop of heat from Frank's Red Hot Sauce and Old Bay Seasoning. It was good, but we like spicy. The magazine also had a couple of other versions--BBQ Party Mix and Asian Firecracker Party Mix--but I haven't tried those.

One of my favorites were Cheddar Cheese Rounds, from the same magazine. These also had a back burn which cut through the richness of ground pecans, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and creamy sweet butter. They are flakey and crumbly. One hint, though: Label them. Everyone thought they were some kind of weird cookie, and didn't try them without prompting. Live and learn.

Normally, I cringe at the thought of Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Too often, it's a gloppy, greasy, mayonnaise-tasting mess. Same magazine again--great recipe. The rich artichokes and spinach nicely balance a Parmesan cream sauce. Diagonally sliced mini-baguettes made the perfect dipper.

There was definitely a hot and spicy theme going on with the Honey-Chipotle Glazed Pecans as another appetizer offering. These go together in a snap. First, they take a bath in honey warmed with ground chipotle powder and cinnamon. They bake for about 10 minutes before showering in a mixture of sugar and salt. After a litlte drying time, they are ready to eat.

I'll come back later with some of the vegetarian/vegan foods we've been eating, as well as the results of our upcoming four-generation baking day. In the meantime, I hope you are able to live in the joy of the holiday spirit and focus on what matters. A blessed holiday to all of you.

Family Picnic

2007-11-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

For those in the know--and you know who you are--it's time for the annual family Christmas picnic! You also know when--and where. (And you KNOW I'm not posting those details online.) What you might not know is what everyone is bringing. If you want to share your plans to avoid duplicates, just post a message to this post. Everyone can read them, and then everyone will know everyone else's business. And if you have a question--this is a good place to ask, too (at least if you're like me and you'd rather communicate electronically than pick up a phone). We look forward to seeing you all soon!

So, after 40 years of sleep...

2007-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

...Rip Van Winkle awakens. At least that's what it feels like. The weeks since my last post have remained extremely busy, as well as full of change in our house--at least where food is concerned. On August 13, we just decided to quit eating meat.

I suppose, really, that it wasn't just that simple. We had been weighing the idea for a couple of years, and would look at each other sometimes, with that knowing nod, and say, "You know, within a couple of years, I think we'll be vegetarian." It just seemed too foreign and overwhelming to manage that kind of a change in the midst of our crazy schedules and long work days. But something clicked on that Monday--the first day of school. It just seemed like the time.

So we did it. Just that simple. Simple...but as complex as it could possibly be. I'm still floundering around with what to cook and how to manage it all. For instance, I know that I have three nights (at least) that I will be at work from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. I also spent this weekend sick, sick, sick with a respiratory infection that came on in a matter of hours and left me so weak and unable to breathe that I had to leave work and drive myself to urgent care (where I waited for three hours, sort of belying the "urgent" part of the care, but I digress). So here I am, two days later, having lost my weekend. I made it to Trader Joe's today and stocked up on some vegetarian frozen foods, but that really isn't my idea of culinary nirvana!

To complicate things even more, about a week into this dietary change, we decided that we should probably be vegan. Good-bye eggs, cheese, and milk. See ya sour cream and cream cheese. We are now having a courtship with some alternative products--soy sour cream and yogurt, almond milk, and rice cheese (it really isn't as bad as it sounds--I promise). We've also found that tofu doesn't have to be hideous. As soon as I have a little more down time, I will post some recipes that we've found that we actually like, among them a homemade chorizo substitute which went down nicely with some skillet roasted potatoes spiced up with chile powder and chipotle. At this point, we are probably a vegan minus. I just don't have the mental energy to peruse every label of every item to be sure it doesn't have milk protein or an egg buried in it somewhere.

I hope that this new journey won't leave you alienated from the blog. I hope to find and share recipes that "real" people who previously had total tofu aversions and a deep mistrust of anything vegan can make and enjoy with accessible, reasonable ingredients.

I can tell you that so far, we've slashed our grocery bill by 70%, I've lost 12 pounds and the Husband has lost about 7, we have very little grocery waste, and the strong upswing in our fiber and nutrient uptake HAS to be making us healthier. So stay with me...I'll try to make the ride with your while.

Technical difficulties

2007-08-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

Technically, I don't have time to post (or cook, either), as I have been working 15 hour days for the past two weeks. So...sorry, but it is what it is. I have made one new recipe, and have been falling back on some others. We are working on becoming vegetarians--we've talked about it, but decided to take the leap and just do it. May I just say that it might be better to undertake something like that when one has time to think (or sleep)? So, I'll check back in a few days from now, hopefully with something to share. TTFN.

The problem with "quick" cooking

2007-08-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

30 minute meals? Hah! Quick fix meals? Hrmph. Quicker, maybe. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's almost impossible to make a Rachael Ray meal in half an hour, even if you DID prep all the veggies when you came home from the market. Robin Miller has lots of good ideas for getting meals on the table quicker, but for the most part, it still takes more time than many of us have--especially if you're making more than a single dish. I don't know about you, but I want something on the plate besides steak or chicken. It's not that each dish, individually, couldn't be put together quickly, but you can only stir so many pots at one time, no?

What I am taking from Robin Miller, though, is some new thinking about putting things aside for later. Instead of leaving extra portions for "hope-overs" (as in, "I hope somebody eats that before it grows green fuzzy stuff,") I'm taking leftovers from the plate to the freezer. Today, I cooked brown rice pilaf and coconut rice, and put four 2-cup portioms of each in the freezer.

I did do something today that is certainly not the norm--I cooked lunch and dinner. Usually, it's every man for himself for all but one meal. However, I hadn't gotten to the Chicken Enchiladas with Refried Beans and Jack Cheese from Quick Fix Meals. This is the meal I've been planning to cook since Thursday. (Don't worry; it's been hours since we ate, and no signs of food poisoning yet.) Instead of using raw strips of chicken and sauteeing them as the recipe calls for, I diced two precooked chicken breasts (the leftover Unbelievable Chicken), mixed them with sauteed onions, garlic, and green chiles, then mixed in some refried beans, enchilada sauce, and cilantro. The mixture was folded into whole wheat tortillas, topped with a bit more sauce and some cheese, and popped into the toaster oven for only about 15 minutes to bake. I'll be honest--I didn't love these. However, they work. They're honest, straightforward food that is healthy and, truly, quick. The Husband asked for me to make two more for his lunch tomorrow, and I put enough filling in the freezer to make probably four more.

This brings me to an interesting point about Miller's recipes. I don't think she has any true concept of yield. I didn't have to make the recipe to know that an onion, 1 1/4 pounds of chicken, and an entire can of beans was too much filling for four 8-inch tortillas. I don't know where she comes up with some her numbers. I saw this again when I made the Red Potatoes with Capers, Tomatoes, and Onions for tonight's dinner. She called for 6 small red potatoes to make 4 servings. Um....not where I live. So, if you use her book, use her time estimates and yields as rough estimates, at best.
These potatoes were very good, and could become my favorites. To reach that culinary height, though, I need to make some changes and apply my own skills and knowledge when a recipe leaves out something I know to be important. When making a potato salad (which this is, no matter what the recipe is called), I usually cook the potatoes whole to keep them from absorbing too much cooking water and diluting the dressing. Likewise, I usually toss them back in the pot for a couple of minutes after draining, to be absolutely sure they are dried out adequately. Then, while they are still hot, I add the dressing. In this case, the piquant dressing was watered down significantly from the potatoes' residual moisture. My fault. I know better. Outside of that, though, I loved this. Capers really appeal to me for reasons I don't quite understand. In this case, they beautifully offset the ripe plum tomatoes, sweet red onion, and the classic red wine vinegar and olive oil. We ate this at room temperature, which was fine, but I think it would have really been a standout served warm, as well. It would have even benefitted from a bit of crisped pancetta or crumbled bacon.

I still had some steaks in the freezer from a large Costco package. They seemed to be just right for the Pan Seared Steaks with Garlic-Rosemary Glaze which I topped with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms. Both of these were quite good, although I don't usually pan-sear steaks. I will do it more often now, though, as it allowed me to make a pan sauce of vermouth, onion, garlic, and rosemary which cooked down to a flavorful, silky coating on the meat. The mushrooms weren't really that different from what I do without a recipe, but we love sauteed mushrooms on meat. The key, I think, is too cook the mushrooms by themselves until the moisture has cooked out and a brown crust begins to develop. Then, and only then, do you add wetter vegetables like onions, along with the recipe's salt. The recipe doesn't necessarily follow this order, but in this case, I honored my knowledge and did it right!

Attention, passengers. Tonight's menu has been delayed.

2007-08-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

The flight is grounded until tomorrow. Maybe Saturday. When I get home 30 minutes before I need to go to bed to get my minimum RDA of sleep, I just can't handle the food. I'll try really hard for tomorrow, though.

Yes, as a matter of fact. I AM an optimist.

2007-08-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

First, let's break the tension. I know it's wearing you down. Bread. That's it. The mystery kebab ingredient. And let me say that I don't want to disparage the fine recipe developers and editors at Bon Appetit Magazine. I'm sure they do a fine job. It had to be user error, really. How else to explain that I trashed the leftovers of this Sausage, Sourdough, and Bell Pepper Spiedini.

I had several reservations about this dish, but the whole bread-on-a-skewer-with-meat-and-veggies thing intrigued me. Let me break it down.

Neither the Husband nor myself like sausage. Can you tell from the picture (and the title of the recipe) what the meat is? That's right. Sausage. It was a bell pepper and onion chicken sausage I foolishly picked up at Trader Joe's, thinking we might like it. And if we did...whoa, baby. Fast meal. But we didn't. Just like we've never liked sausage. Of any kind. Anywhere.

Second, the Husband doesn't like mustard. This recipe calls for a mustard-heavy dressing that is both brushed on the kebabs and drizzled over the salad. Perhaps the Grey Poupon-ish dull yellow color won't give it away, and he won't notice the mustard. R-i-g-h-t. First thing out of his mouth--"Is that mustard?" It was doomed before he took a bite.

Third, I really couldn't see it taking 12 minutes for bread to toast over a medium-high grill. I also couldn't see bell peppers and onions cooking before the bread turned to charcoal. Just for the record...I was right. Good tasting charcoal, though. Really.

Fourth, and last, we got a new grill this summer which we have totally not figured out. We do know that it cost a lot of money. We also know that the infrared burner scares the holy crap out of both of us. It incinerates things in seconds. So we don't use it. Therefore, things are either not really grilled to that crackly crispy crunch that screams grilled, or they are burned. No happy medium, apparently.

So, is this worth making? Maybe. First, you have to like sausage. Second, you have to like mustard. Third, I would put the bread on separate skewers and cook them for just a few minutes toward the end. Last, you need to know how to work your grill.

I will say that the part that intrigued me most--the dressing-brushed bread cubes--really were good, even with the burned edges. I can totally see doing that as a side dish for something else. But squished all together on a single skewer? Never again in this lifetime, baby.

Tomorrow, I have plans for the leftover grilled chicken. I'm totally mangling another Robin Miller recipe. We'll see how it turns out. (Note to Ms. Miller: Look up enchiladas in the dictionary. You SO do not know what they really are.)

Wow! I've never seen THAT before!

2007-07-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

I can't say that very often at my age. There aren't very many things that truly astound me. However, when I got home tonight, the wind was blowing so hard that it created waves in the pool high enough to slosh over the side. Yep. Who'da thunk it? It was crazy.

Which leads me to the apology. After driving home in said wind and struggling to keep the car on the road all the way, I had no desire--zip, zero, zilch--to stop at the grocery store then come to grill. So, when the going gets tough, the tough get going--to a drive through. Yes, I hate them, but sometimes, necessity calls. Tonight was one of those nights. So, hopefully, tomorrow night will be the mystery kebabs.

Believing the Unbelievable

2007-07-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when everybody loves something, so you get all excited about trying it, then end up quite underwhelmed? That's what happened tonight. Lots of people have been raving about Lee Bailey's Unbelievable Chicken. It sounded promising. The chicken marinates overnight in a blend of cider vinegar, coarse ground mustard, garlic, lime, lemon, brown sugar, olive oil. Sounds delicious. It wasn't bad--but it wasn't great, either. What the marinade did do--in spades--was result in a fabulously moist grilled chicken breast. I'll give it that. Beyond that, the flavor didn't really seep into the meat like I thought it would. If I were to make this again (which I probably won't), I think I'd try boiling the marinade for 8 minutes or so--enough to make it safe, and to reduce it enough to make a sauce.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a good, moist grilled chicken for multiple uses, this would work. You could easily make a double batch and freeze the meat in individual or family portions. It is innocuous enough to work on a salad or in a casserole, even as the chicken in chicken tacos. So maybe I will make it again--just to put some in the freezer.

Since I never did any real grocery shopping, I just pulled a couple of frozen portions of the Broccoli and Rice Casserole out of the freezer and stuck it in the microwave while the chicken was on the grill. I didn't even take pictures. All the food was beige. And you've seen grilled chicken before, right? And since I ditched the grocery store, I don't even have any herbs or green onions--or anything--to garnish with. So, that's all for tonight. Hopefully, tomorrow's dinner will be a little more exciting. It's the mystery kebab. Check back to see!

Welcome back to me!

2007-07-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry to just abandon you out there. I have been out of town at a leadership conference held by my district. It was a great three days of focusing on our mission, networking with colleagues, and getting energized for the joys and challenges of the coming school year. We stayed at the beautiful Westward Look Resort in Tucson, Arizona. On our first night there (wish I'd taken the camera) we walked one of the nature trails where we encountered lots of local flora and fauna--including a big, gold and black tarantula who had been sunning himself on the rocks lining the path. Gorgeous. We also enjoyed a stroll through Chef Jamie's garden, and the air everywhere was redolent with herbs that were planted throughout the resort. It wasn't unusual to see one of the chefs out gathering sage for their herbal iced tea, or choosing tender buds of other herbs for various dishes. The hummingbird garden is not to be missed, as it is a prime opportunity to see the tiny dervishes everywhere--even stopping for a cool bath in the fountains.

Our meetings were held at the Omni Tucson National Resort just a few miles away. Sadly, the Omni is currently under construction for renovation, which is why we did not stay there this year. It promises, however, to be even better by the time they're finished.

Both venues served us lots of great food. By the time we had our final lunch, I could barely eat anything else. Usually, when I'm away, I miss my own cooking--but not this time!

I did cook before I left, but there just wasn't time to post. There are a couple of recipes I want to share, though. The first is Sticky Chicken, which I originally got off the CLBB and have made repeatedly since then. The beautiful thing about this is that a whole chicken is rubbed with savory spices, then tossed in the crockpot in the morning. By evening, there is a beautifully roasted, golden bird that falls off the bone...just ready to eat. This recipe can also be made in the oven, but that isn't nearly as convenient. In either case, periodically basting the bird with the cooking juices creates the "sticky" skin that is reminiscent of rotisserie chickens. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to show you. For some reason, they came out blurry.

Although not exciting, I can show you a picture of the Barefoot Contessa's Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. These were excellent served alongside the chicken with some steamed broccoli to round out the meal. I used a ricer to mash the potatoes and it worked just fine, so don't worry if you don't have a food mill. These had a delicious, slighty tangy flavor. Certainly, they're a great choice for the timeis you want mashed potatoes, but perhaps won't be serving a gravy.

I'm not completely sure just yet what this week will bring in the cooking realm. I just haven't pulled it together enough to make a comprehensive shopping list and a real meal plan--that's never good! I'm just going to grill some burgers this afternoon and serve them on the leftover Moomie's Buns that are stashed in the freezer, and I think I'll roast some potato wedges to go with them. I have chicken thawing now to go into a sweet and tangy (supposedly) marinade for tomorrow night's dinner, and I'm also tossing around the possibility of another kebab dinner that has a surprising, new to me ingredient threaded onto the skewers with the meat and vegetables. That's assuming, of course, that I don't invoke the 12-hour rule! Check back in to see what happens.

A Crazy Cooking Day!

2007-07-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today, I apparently turned into a madwoman. I spent the whole day grocery shopping, cooking, packaging, and freezing. Oh, and doing dishes. Lots and lots of dishes. I'm pretty sure I used every cooking utensil, pot, pan, cutting board, and prep tool--and some of them twice. However, the net result was a growing stash of good food in the freezer.

It doesn't make sense to do anything else, really. I'm so careful to purchase organic food, humanely raised meat, and plan nutrient dense meals. Then, I have to work 14 hours, and I go to McDonald's. Yep, that makes sense. Deplete your body with stress and exhaustion, then eat crap. So, one of my efforts this year is to develop a freezer full of quick meals, or quick go-withs. Also, I'm trying to free myself of the expectation to always fix great food. Because, if I can't, then I buy more crap. And eat it. Frankly, I could cook something better than that, even if I only had 15 minutes-as long as my freezer was full.

So, this is what I did today. First, for the Sunday Game of the Week on the CLBB, I chose to cook from Sizzle with America's Top Chefs. This is more of a magazine supplement than an actual book, but it cost $10, so I'm counting it as a book. (Speaking of way to expensive stuff, did you know that you can print out unlimited coupons for Borders for 25% to 30% off any one item in the store? Who knew?) Anyway, nothing much appealed to me today, except...this Grilled Bread with Beans and Bitter Greens. Thick sliced rustic bread is grilled until toasty, rubbed with peeled garlic, then spread with a paste of white beans cooked with garlic. That's good, right there. But then...it gets topped off with bitter greens (chard, escarole, turnip greens, etc.) which are sauteed with onion and garlic, then seasoned with red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar. This is probably my new favorite food. It was YUM-my! I could SO make this my lunch every day. It even beans out the goat cheese, roasted pepper, and arugula on a toasted English muffin. With food like this, I could become a vegetarian!

I also roasted a turkey breast, but I didn't eat any. No special reason. I just don't really like turkey. I had high hopes for this one, because it was a kosher turkey breast, and I really like kosher chicken. Alas, no. Leaves more for the Husband.

I needed something to eat too, and a Broccoli and Rice Casserole sounded good. So I made one. Hearty with brown basmati rice, full of antioxidant rich broccoli, onions, and garlic, and made with a lowfat white sauce, with some sharp cheese added for more protein, I can feel good about eating this.

I also stocked the freezer with pork wontons for Wonton Soup. This is another morph recipe left over from the Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The filling was really good, and would make great lettuce wraps, especially if you added some chopped water chestnuts. I didn't take pictures today, but I will when I make the soup. These little wontons are really cute; hope they don't disintegrate once they hit the hot broth!

Of course, it wouldn't be dinner without dessert. We have an old favorite--a cheesecake concoction made with reduced fat products and Splenda. It's called Cheesecake Parfaits, but I quadruple the recipe (yes, really) and make it in a 9x13 pan so we have it all week. If anyone is low-carbing, the crust can be made with almond meal instead of graham crackers. It's just as good, if not better. However, this makes a great company dessert layered in stemmed glasses with fresh berries or frozen berries cooked until tender with Splenda and vanilla. Either way, it's very good--a nice, light finish to any meal. (It's also good for breakfast, not that I'd know from personal experience!

Nice Buns! But don't get sloppy, Joe!

2007-07-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Moomie's Beautiful Burger Buns have long been a favorite around our house. I'm not sure where the recipe is from originally, but I think it might be from King Arthur Flour. I got it off the CLBB. This recipe easily lends itself to subbing healthier whole-grain flour for most, or all, of the white flour called for. (My favorite is King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour, which is lighter than regular whole wheat, but shares the same nutritional profile. It's just a different, lighter, type of whieat.) Granted, the bread is a little denser with whole-grain flour, but the addition of a heaping tablespoon of vital wheat gluten helps solve even that. I make these in the bread machine, where they truly are idiot-proof. I've also made them by hand, and even using the Kitchen Aid mixer and it's magical dough hook. As written, the recipe makes 8 really large hamburger buns. Typically, I make a dozen out of the recipe, which yields a more standard supermarket-sized bun. Frankly, I don't eat a burger patty big enough to fill these up when made to yield 8.

For dinner tonight, I made a "morph" recipe (Robin Miller's term for planned-overs) from Thursday's Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin. (Other recipes included for the planned-overs include wonton soup and pork fried rice.) I morphed the recipe a little more, adding antioxidant rich red and green bell peppers and chopped onion. While her recipe calls for a 5-minute simmer, I threw everything in the pan, covered it, and went and did other things for about 45 minutes. I didn't have to, but I couldn't figure out how to shred the pork tenderloin in it's original form, so I just sliced it really thin, then simmered it until it began to fall apart. It didn't change the taste, just made me happier. And it IS all about me! I was a little uncertain about the corn in this, but it ended up being quite good. Unlike most sloppy joe recipes, this one contains cumin and chili powder. It is also thinner than most, due to the addition of a can of diced tomatoes and their juice. I upped the ketchup a bit; I don't know how much--I just eyeballed it. I just didn't have enough liquid, and I wanted what was there to be a bit thicker.

This recipe was by no means a jaw-dropping WOW!!! But, it would definitely work for a weeknight. In fact, I've already packaged up two nights' worth of sloppy joe mixture to pull out of the freezer at a later date. All part of my move toward eating at home instead of eating out. I mean, seriously. This may not be a WOW!!! but it's gotta be better than Taco Bell! I've also packaged up diced pork for the Pork Fried Rice, and sliced pork for a morph from another recipe. They're vacuum sealed and in the freezer, ready to pull out for some quick, easy dinners later. Another bonus--one pan dirty. That's it!

How to use up those Herb-Roasted Onions

2007-07-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, we really enjoyed Ina Garten's Herb Roasted Onions. I knew the recipe would make a ton, but I didn't cut it down, as I had tonight's dinner in mind. It wasn't anything special; I roasted a Southwest Marinated Tri-Tip from Trader Joe's, throwing the onions in the roasting pan for about 15 minutes at the end to freshen them up. Their lemony flavor was a nice complement to the tangy beef, guacamole, and sour cream--all rolled up in whole wheat tortillas. So, the purpose of this post is really just to pat myself on the back for this baby step toward using the groceries I purchase in an efficient way instead of tossing them out the night before the trash comes!

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

2007-07-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, no pictures of this wonderful pork tenderloin recipe. Again. Sorry. It was late, we were starving, and the food wasn't pretty. It could've been pretty. I just didn't give a damn. It smelled good and we ate it. That's my only excuse. This is the first recipe I've made out of Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals. Don't know if you've caught her on the Food Network yet; I think she's pretty new. She's also a little perky for my taste, but at least she doesn't cook with her exposed boobies waving about over the stove like Giada and Sandra Lee.

At any rate, I really like the premise of her book. She has some really quick-fix meals, meal kits, and lots of "morph" recipes, where you cook LOTS of one thing, but there are numerous alternate recipes in which to use it. She's also big on pre-preparation of food for easy weeknight eating. All of her recipes include an "If you stop here" note, letting you know what to put together if you're not eating it the day it is originally prepped. She also has lots of variations, and doesn't get hung up on the "follow the recipe, stupid" like some others do. Not that that's a bad thing! Her recipes also include a note identifying prep time, active cooking time, and walk-away time, so you should be able to plan pretty well to make these meals fit into your life.

They certainly aren't all gourmet, but there are lots that sound promising. She also tries to focus on healthier choices and ingredients. I think this is going to be my current focus for cooking--until I get distracted by something else.

Anyway, back to tonight's dinner. One of the options she mentions is to halve or quarter some Yukon Gold or red potatoes and toss them in the roasting pan with the pork and sauce. I did, and man, were those some good eatin'. They soaked up the sweet and tangy sauce and meat drippings, but also roasted to a crispy golden brown. We ended up just having meat and potatoes, but it was enough. They were yummmmmmy!

Reviving an old favorite

2007-07-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

I used to make this Buttermilk Grilled Chicken all the time. The recipe somehow fell off my radar, and I hadn't thought about it for at least a couple of years. Then, while I was cleaning out a closet, I found it--and a bunch of other old favorites--crammed into a box. An overnight soak in a spice and aromatic laden buttermilk bath leaves the chicken tender and moist. It takes only a few minutes on a grill to finish this off. The buttermilk marinade includes ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, and several other flavorful additions. None of them dominates the chicken, but they all marry into a flavorful final product. Sorry; I have no pictures. I got home really late, and eating was more of a priority than photographing tonight.

I urge you to put this recipe in your to-try pile, though. A few minutes of marinade assembly the night before leaves you with a company worthy dish. I hear a rumor that it's good with pork chops, too, but I haven't tried it yet.

It's like getting the Hope Diamond wrapped in the comics

2007-07-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

When I was a young cook, just getting my feet wet, I always thought things had to be fancy to prove my skill. Ina Garten has probably done more than anyone to prove that wrong. Two of tonight's recipes came from Barefoot Contessa at Home: Chicken Piccata and Herb Roasted Onions. Each of these dishes would get a five out of five stars from me, and together, they were perfect. But...there was nothing complicated. No long, crazy list of obscure ingredients. Olive oil. Lemons. Bread crumbs. Chicken. Parsley. The very humble onion. That's about it.

The Chicken Piccata picked up an extra hit of lemon from the preparation method. Remember yesterday, when I said I would reveal a slightly different way of making this dish? In the preparation of the pan sauce, you boil the four lemon halves left from squeezing the juice in the juice and white wine. It adds a distinctive and strong lemon taste. The roasted onions also have a citrusy zing, as they are doused in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs before roasting, then the remainder is added as a dressing when they come out of the oven. By cutting through the root, the wedges of onion stay together just enough to look delicate and feathery--almost flowerlike. But again, this is nothing more than squeezing some citrus and roasting a pan of vegetables. Easy, peasy.

As an add-on, I made sauteed zucchini and summer squash from James Peterson's Vegetables. This book just doesn't get enough press. Again, a simple preparation, and just five ingredients--including salt and pepper. This is the dish that got my squash-hating husband to love zucchini.

To prove what a truly unselfish person I am, I packed up the leftovers for the Husband's lunch. It wasn't easy, though. He owes me...maybe the Hope Diamond.

2007-07-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, busy day--and a busy weekend. Following a busy week. I guess they all are. I suppose my life will be happier when I remove the concept of "down time" from my thoughts. Tomorrow is back to work after five weeks off, and I'm just having some trouble gearing up for it.

We went out for lunch at a new neighborhood place today, and after that, really felt the need for some good, home-cooked food. I did cheat a little; I had some Trader Joe's Garlic and Herb "Marinated" Shrimp in the freezer. I say "Marinated" because I think somebody told a little white lie. If they were REALLY marinated, they probably would not have been cardboard dry. Whatever. Note to self: This is why you don't buy things in boxes in the freezer case!

I did make some Broccoli Rabe with Garlic from The Barefoot Contessa at Home (bet you thought she was gone, didn't you?), and had a replay of her Mustard-Roasted Potatoes. I'm pretty sure that roasted potatoes in any form will be what we eat all day in Heaven; yum. I also made some corn on the cob, but despite it's nice, full appearance, it wasn't very good. It didn't pass the fingernail-pop test, so I should've known.

There is cooking planned for tomorrow, again from Barefoot Contessa. In case you're wondering, this cookbook came up on the Sunday Game of the Week over the Cooking Light Bulletin Board. It's number 141 on my book shelf--this week's lucky number. I have a couple more recipes planned from that, then an old stand-by that I haven't seen for years. I found it when I was cleaning out a closet. Stay tuned, and I'll reveal that one on Tuesday.

Where's the little umbrella in my drink?

2007-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's not my fault. Really, it's not. It all started with a trip to Trader Joe's. Normally, I don't even look at premarinated meat, but the Maui Short Ribs were calling to me. Somehow, they ended up in my basket, and have been staring at me every time I open the refrigerator since then. Somehow, the purchase of this convenience product resulted in a developing a couple of recipes and an afternoon of cooking. Very convenient, huh?

The "Maui" in the meat led my thoughts to pineapple, in two forms. The first was a Pineapple Vinaigrette drizzled over smokey greens and scallions wilted on the barbecue while the meat cooked, then given a rough chop before hitting the salad plate. I'd still like to work with this dressing a little bit, but it was very good even on this first go-round. I used some coconut oil in the dressing to continue the tropical theme. A little bit of serrano chile added just enough heat to wake up the taste buds.

Another go-with was Tyler Florence's Cold Sesame Noodles. These were good, although I think I need to step away from the Asian influence for a few days. The same notes are showing up too often! The Sesame Noodles would be a great picnic dish, as there is absolutely nothing in there to go bad, and they can be served cold or at room temperature.

We finished off with a dessert of pineapple and bananas brushed with coconut oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon before being sizzled on the grill, then topped with honey-sweetened Greek yogurt and chopped almonds. (I wanted macadamia nuts, but they were $20 a pound at Whole Foods--and they were rancid. Um...thanks anyway!) I also used a little bit of Tuesday night's fresh raspberry sauce to decorate the plate and add another burst of flavor.

The best thing about this meal? I was going to say that it only required six tiny minutes at the grill. But...I think the really best thing was the Husband's satisfied noises as he proclaimed each and every dish a keeper. For isn't that why we engage in this game of cooking? To satisfy the hearts and bellies of those we love.

Pineapple Vinaigrette

2007-07-12T22:10:00.001-07:00

In the mixing bowl of a food processor, combine the following:

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon coconut oil

3 tablespoons mild oil, such as canola oil

1/4 serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Salt

White pepper

Great for Grilling-A Balmy 101 Degrees

2007-07-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

What a cold snap! It was actually a nice day out today. I took the dog for a walk, and even at 8:30 in the morning, it was cool enough that we didn't have to worry about burned paws. The rabbits sure did need to worry, however, as she got up on her back legs and danced whenever she saw or heard them scurrying about their business in the desert. When we got home, I went for a swim, and it was nirvana. The water was a perfect 84 degrees, and the air almost the same. Water cool enough to be refreshing, air warm enough to prevent a chill. I could've stayed out all day.

However, there was work calling to me. I am back in the office next week, and I'm really feeling the pressure of all the things I need to get done at home. I need to feel like my nest is neat and orderly, and I'm about six months behind on that project! I also messed up my calendar and showed an appointment today that was tomorrow, so that was two hours out of my day as I had to get dressed and drive the 30 miles, only to have to go back tomorrow. Grrrr. I did want to stop at Whole Foods, though, and it was almost on the way home (only about 5 miles out of the way). Stop I did, and shop I did. I loaded up on beautiful organic produce, and I'm pretty sure I had my first taste of what a plum is supposed to taste like. I bit into one of those beauties, and it was like no other plum I've eaten. It was summer in my mouth, with a rich, jammy flavor.

While at Whole Foods, I picked up some ahi tuna, one of the few kinds of fish I can bear to eat. The August, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit has 13 must-try summer recipes, and I was drawn in by the Tuna Kebabs with Ginger-Chile Marinade. This really looked good, and it was. All the classic Asian flavors came into play, with rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, soy, honey, and cilantro, along with the mouth-awakening heat from a serrano chile. The tuna chunks were skewered with red bell pepper and Vidalia onions, and grilled until just done. (We haven't been able to master the rare tuna yet!)

As a go-with, I made the Japanese Eggplant and Tofu in Garlic Sauce from Weight Watcher's Take Out Tonight. You'll notice that the picture and recipe are conspicuously absent. It's not too often that the Husband declines leftovers for lunch, but he did with this. He did better than I, as I declined first-overs for dinner, too. It was looking pretty good, but the "extra firm" tofu chunks called for fell apart into tofu crumbles, and it looked like....well, it sort of looked like it had been previously eaten.

We consoled ourselves with another recipe out of Bon Appetit: Grilled Peaches with Fresh Raspberry Sauce. If you make this, don't leave out the lemon. I tasted it (a few times) before adding the lemon, and was amazed at the difference after stirring in the bright tasting juice. This is the first time I had grilled fruit, but it sure won't be the last. The magazine editors suggest serving this with a scoop of ice cream and shortbread cookies. We didn't do that, as we are working on losing weight instead of gaining it, but it would definitely be good.

I probably won't blog tomorrow, as I am meeting Nonni for dinner. However, there is a fun, tropical-inspired menu planned for Thursday, so be sure to check back then.

Channeling Del Mar

2007-07-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but just two very, very short weeks ago, we had just returned from our trip to Del Mar, California. I planned to blog about that, but the night before we returned home, we got the phone call that led us to the difficult decision to put our lab to sleep. It sort of wiped out the good memories of the trip.

In fact, while the whole family was trying to reach us, we were having a fabulous dinner--the best of our trip--at Sammy's Pizza. The Husband had a hankering for a pie, and we decided to check it out. We did get our pizza, but started with some selections off the tapas menu: hummus with grilled flat bread, and a wonderful chicken satay. When we got back to our room, where we had uncharacteristically left our cell phones, the sheer number of missed calls alerted me that something was seriously wrong.

Now that we've had some time, and another trip in between, I decided to recreate that meal--minus the pizza. Continuing to cook out of Weight Watcher's Take Out Tonight, and having some leftover chicken breast to use up, I made the Coconut Curry Pork Satay--but with chicken. I have no idea where the "curry" in the title comes from. I've checked the recipe twice--thrice even--and there is no curry in there. Whatever...just a disclaimer! I also made hummus from scratch for the first time. Why, oh why, haven't I done that before? I will fearlessly take on a 25-step dessert, but I've avoided making my own hummus for years. Never again.

Although it was 110 degrees outside, instead of the 65 degrees we enjoyed during our first dinner, this meal transported us back. Somehow, it was all perfect, and had an emotional impact far beyond the food. The plating just worked, and the Husband and I piled on to the couch with the food between us, and my favorite leaf-shaped appetizer plates in hand, complemented by the delicately printed green and black Ikea napkins I just picked up. I don't know what could have made it better.

The chicken satay carried just a hint of the sesame oil in which it marinated before grilling, and the sauce had a nice blend of salty and sweet, with just enough peanut taste to know it was there. The creamy hummus tasted great on its own, but the drizzle of olive oil over the top added an extra dimension, the paprika added a slightly smokey note, and the parsley brightened it all up. The flatbread, heated on the grill and brushed with olive oil, was rich and luxurious when used to scoop up the hummus. As a bonus, this went together very quickly, making it an easy repeater for any weeknight. Actually, with a little bit of prep the night before, this could be put together in the time it takes to heat the grill.

I've Got a Rocket in my Pocket!

2007-06-28T23:04:00.001-07:00

With Independence Day right around the corner, who could resist a recipe with the word rocket in the title? Not me! Any guesses about what the American equivalent of rocket might be? Arugula. It sort of makes sense, with the spicy, assertive, attention-getting taste of this green.

I'm continuing my Sunday Game of the Week quest by cooking exclusively out of Donna Hay's Modern Classics I. Tonight, I made two recipes--the Spaghetti with Lemon, Capers, and Rocket...and...Garlic Prawns (aka Shrimp Scampi). Both were very, very good. The pasta had all of my favorite flavors, so there was no way that one was going to be bad. The shrimp were rich, succulent, and had plenty of garlicky olive oil/butter for dipping. Had we had some crusty bread, it would have been great to soak up some of that yummy goodness.

This post will pretty much wrap up the week for me. We're off to Sedona tomorrow, where four generations will enjoy time together, good food, and the beautiful scenery. If we cook anything exciting, I'll post it, but so far, everyone is just choosing tried and true favorites. So...I'll see you back here in a week!

Don't roll your eyes! What if they get stuck that way?

2007-06-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

But I couldn't help it. I cooked again tonight out of Donna Hay' Modern Classics, and my eyes rolled back in my head after the first bite. The Thai Pork with Noodles delivered everything the Bolognese Sauce lacked. This dish was vibrant with flavors--browned pork, thinly sliced red chilis, lemongrass, red onion, and mint leaves, and a sweet-sour snap from a dressing of fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime. There was just as much variety in the textures, with the crisp, fresh vegetables contrasting with the chewy mung bean vermicelli. This one is a definite keeper.

Since we don't exactly have a thriving farmer's market here in the summer (my car thermometer registered 117 degrees outside while I was running errands, and it's still 101 here at 10:15 tonight), I have to get my summer produce fix at places like Whole Foods. This afternoon, I couldn't resist the heirloom tomatoes. I also picked up a basket of black figs that are at their succulent peak, bursting with juice and tasting like candy. I do envy those of you, though, who can stroll through the stalls and talk to the growers, buying locally. Somehow, talking to the Whole Foods produce guy just doesn't feel the same.

Britain and Italy do not Good Bedfellows Make

2007-06-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Although we're still reeling a bit from the loss of our furbaby, we had to re-enter the real world today. On top of everything else, the Husband had a two-hour dental procedure done, so I knew he needed something for dinner that would nourish his body and soul, without being too hard to chew. When someone needs comfort food, it would probaby be best to stick with tried and true, but I didn't. Instead, I decided to honor his request for spaghetti with meat sauce by pulling a recipe (yes, beloved daughters--a recipe. For spaghetti sauce) from Donna Hay's Modern Classics: Book 1. Ordinarily, I would make my own rich, flavorful sauce, but I wanted to play the Sunday Game of the Week on the Cooking Light boards. This game has been going on for over a year, and it just hasn't worked out. The basic premise is that a number is picked, and you go to your cookbook shelf (or shelves), find the book that holds that position, and cook something out of it.

So, Ms. Hay, being the British cooking princess that she is, had earned spot #47 on the shelf, the Husband wanted spaghetti, and there it was--Classic Bolognese Sauce. When I looked at the recipe, I knew better. I really did. It had no oregano. No basil. No balsamic vinegar. No tomato paste. In other words, it wasn't the way I--or anyone else I know--makes it. What it did have, that was new to me, was a cup of beef broth added with pureed tomatoes, to cook down and create a sauce for the sauteed garlic, onions, and minced beef. A final stir-in of chopped parsley, salt, and pepper were all the spices designed to flavor the sauce. Um....no. I tried it. Really. Then I got out the oregano, basil, and balsamic vinegar and flavored away. I'm not even posting the recipe unless someone asks for it, because I just don't think it was worth it.

In the end, the sauce wasn't bad--it just didn't have the rich, thick, tomato-ey taste we love. I plan to mke a couple of other recipes from the book, so hopefully, they will be better.

Rest in Peace, Sweet Boy

2007-06-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

Jubilee

November 2, 1998 - June 23, 2007

Today, we lost a faithful friend to the ravages of Valley Fever, a disease unique to only two areas in the world. Although our beautiful boy could be a stinker, we loved him very much, and had to make a very difficult decision to end his life peacefully and humanely. Although we weren't there when he was born, he most likely popped into the world with tail wagging, and left it the same way. We know he will be waiting for us on the Rainbow Bridge when our time comes to enter Heaven. He loved all creatures, and seemed sure that every human on Earth was put here to love him back. He also loved food, and learned to open the pantry door--along with any other door in the house. Although much of our house looked empty because he would take down and eat anything within six feet of the floor, it was full of his very big heart. We miss him already.

Embracing the East While Rooted in the West

2007-06-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently, we like Thai food. Who knew? That's one of the things I like about cooking through a cookbook. As long as I don't have to eat lamb. I'm not making those recipes. Or rabbit. I'm not into rabbit. And scallops, salmon, brains, tripe....okay, I'm only so adventurous. Anyway, we traveled the Thai road again tonight with a dish that, in its basic form, has graced many a Midwest Sunday dinner table--roast chicken. This roast chicken, however, was generously rubbed with ginger, lemongrass, and onion before roasting, then drizzled with a glaze of coconut milk, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, nam pla, sesame oil, and basil, simmered to a thick, rich reduction. I don't even know how to describe the way these flavors dance across the tongue. Every bite of this Roasted Chicken with Coconut-Lime Glaze delights the palate as it moves through the mouth. There's the vague sweetness of the brown-sugar sweetened coconut milk, the acidic bite of lime, and the hints of anise in the chopped basil. This would have been great with coconut rice, but I made the roasted potatoes from the Greek Lemon Roasted Chicken again. The flavors were a nice compliment to one another. And a bubbly glass of Pelligrino with a twist of lime was the final touch to a delightful meal.

Tower of Terror

2007-06-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was about this time a year ago that Nonni moved back into our house while we, along with the doctors, tried to figure out what was going on with her health. Well, one brain/skull/spinal surgery later (last August), she's good as new--at least as good as she's going to get, and flew out of the nest again a few weeks ago.

When she came to live with us again, we had to do a little reconfiguring of the spaces in our house to give her a place to sleep and put her stuff. That meant that, among other things, my cookbook collection had to be incorporated into the rest of the house--somewhere. The only place that gigantamongous book case would fit was in the hall, which really wasn't a bad solution. Until we found out that the Beast had an appetite. For cookbooks. For vegetarian cookbooks, to be precise. I know labs will eat anything, but this one really pushes his luck--and my patience!

For the past few months, in an effort to salvage the cookbook collection, the book case has been wrapped in lovely green plastic garden fencing, with the dining room chairs pushed up against it for insurance. Just a few weeks ago, I came home to find that the chairs had been moved, the fencing unraveled, and at least 20 cookbooks in various states of "chew" were strewn around the living room. Good thing Nonni moved out, because those cookbooks had to be moved back to safety. In an interim attempt to protect them, I moved them into the granddaughters' bedroom, since they don't come over that often until school is out. The size of the piles they made was a little bit frightening. Oh, and that box you see in the room? That's new ones I ordered and haven't even unpacked yet. They're keeping company with the pair of shoes I ordered from Zappo's right before they casted my foot, so I haven't even tried them on to see if they fit. Hope so, because I think I would be stretching even Zappo's generous return policy to try to send them back now!

Anyway, after a couple of good workouts at the gym, it was time to move the bookcase and replace the books. The Husband helped with part A, but wasn't really interested in part B. That's fine, because it was a chance for me to get acquainted with old friends. The only hard part was to keep working, and not sit down in the floor, thumbing through all the cookbooks. Since he had a work function, it was a good night for me to just have my goat cheese and arugula sandwich and move books. It was a lot of work, but I'm enjoying the end result.

Ketchup day...or is it Catch Up?

2007-06-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

Where did the rest of the week go? It was just busy, busy, busy. Somehow, I find it almost impossible to work late, run errands, go to physical therapy or the gym, cook dinner and clean up...and post in my blog, all in the same night. So, I've done it all...except post here. Sorry, but today I'll recap. There is no dinner tonight, because I spent too much time planning and shopping, plus there are lots of leftovers in the refrigerator. Time to get rid of them!

Let's start with Wednesday. On Wednesday, I fell in love, but not with my husband. Oh, I'll still let him hang around, but if my new favorite sandwich is on the horizon, he'd better get out of the way! This one is from the deli section of Take Out Tonight. These Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese sandwiches are simplicity itself, but absolutely crave-able. Start with a crisp, toasted English muffin. My favorite is the Thomas Light Whole-Grain English Muffin. At only 100 calories and 8 grams of fiber, this provides a perfect, toasty background to a thick spread of goat cheese. A silky roasted red pepper and a bloom of peppery arugula top off the sandwich and provide layers of flavor. I've had this for lunch every day since Wednesday (and twice for breakfast, too).

Wednesday night, I ventured into the Greek section of the cookbook and turned out the Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken. All I can say is "Opa!" My only regret is not using kosher chicken. I've gotten so used to the moist, flavorful results from kosher chicken that I am never satisfied with grocery stick chicken any more. However, once I tasted the potatoes, the chicken didn't matter. Quartered red potatoes begin to brown in a hot oven by themselves, and after 20 minutes, the chicken is added on a rack, and the remaining garlic and lemon infused marinade and a bit of water are poured over the potatoes. They continue to cook until they are crispy and caramelized outside, but moist and silky inside. Portion control was very difficult for this one.

Do you notice what's wrong with this picture? Yep--there is a distinctly monochromatic look to the plate.I have an excuse though, really. It was 9:30 by the time dinner was ready, and the grilled hearts of romaine and grilled zucchini I planned to serve alongside just didn't happen. When I plated up dinner, the Husband looked at it and said, "Even I know the food isn't all supposed to be the same color." Everybody can be an armchair quarterback!

Last night, we had a fiesta with Skinny Chimichangas. In this dish, ground turkey (I used 97%
lean beef instead) simmers in tomato sauce, Mexican spices, and green chills. The mixture is rolled into tortillas (we used some high fiber ones) and sprinkled with a little grated cheese. The resulting burritos are sprayed with cooking spray and baked at 400 degrees until they crisp up, which they did surprisingly well. I served mine with a spoonful of nonfat Greek yogurt and a bit of salsa on top. We both really liked these.

In an effort to use up some odds and ends, as well as up the overall nutritional value of the meal, I put together a side dish consisting of a can of black beans, zucchini in a 1/4" dice, corn, minced jalapeno, minced onion, some chopped red and yellow peppers, and garlic. I started the zucchini first, letting it sit over a medium-low heat until it developed a brown, caramelized surface, then turning it to let the other sides brown as well. Only then did I add the fresh vegetables and turn up the heat, letting the flavors meld. I added the black beans at the end, giving them time only to heat up. I finished the dish with salt, pepper, and smoked Spanish paprika, which provided a nice hint of smokey heat. I think this would be fabulous served over brown rice, with a little bit of tofu, feta cheese, or diced chicken added in.

I went through the cookbook today, and it looks like it has about 30 main-dish recipes I'd like to make, so it should keep things moving along here for at least a couple of months. So...check back often. There are lots of delicious-sounding meals on the list for the coming week.

Hello, General Tso

2007-05-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight's theme was Asian, with General Tso's Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, both from Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight. I served a Cook's Illustrated Tart-and-Sweet Cucumber Salad, spiced up with minced jalapenos, alongside. I wasn't sure it would work, but it did. I personally would've liked the chicken a little hotter, but the Husband declared it another "keeper." My taste might still be off because of my cold, but I still think I'll add extra crushed red pepper the next time. I overcooked the broccoli a bit, so I'll be more careful of that the next time, as well. The flavor was good, but the texture was off. Short posting tonight, as I'm ready to go back to bed, although I've slept most of the day. Hopefully, tomorrow I will once again be able to participate in the fine sport of breathing through my nose!

Remembering with a grateful heart

2007-05-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day...Surely, a day with growing significance in light of ongoing conflict around the world. No matter where one lands on the issue of the United States' involvement in Iraq, there is no doubt that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who are serving, those who have served, and the families of all of them.

Today was a quiet day around our house, just the Husband and I--accompanied by a bad cold which kept me moving pretty slowly. I was looking forward to a full day at home, but we decided to go see the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie first thing this morning. Although I heard many raves from those coming out of the theater, I frankly didn't enjoy it all that much. Perhaps it was the cold (which kept me nodding off), or perhaps it was just that this movie was more of the same when compared to the last two in the series.

When we got home, I started a couple of simple, but time consuming, cooking projects from the Cook's Illustrated summer supplement, Summer Grilling & Entertaining. The first thing I started was some Boston Baked Beans. Odd, it seems, that a dish virtually destined to go with summer barbeque requires six hours in the oven. These beans had a nice, smoky quality and a velvety texture. To suit our tastes, though, I think I'd add a bit of barbeque sauce, a little more mustard, and a minced chipotle to create some complexity and burn.

My next effort was a Grill-Roasted Beer Can Chicken. I started by brining the chicken for about an hour in a simple salt and water bath. After drying it, I applied a spice rub to the inside and outside of the chicken. Finally, I sat the chicken firmly on a can of Budweiser and planted it in the middle of the grill for an hour and a half. The cinnamon and allspice in the rub resulted in some fabulous aromas coming out of the grill. I'm sure the neighbors were all jealous. When the chicken came off the grill, it was moist inside, and had a perfectly crisp skin all around. We did learn not to use tongs with a serrated edge to remove the beer can, though. If you choose to try it, be sure you're standing by a sink. It leaks!

We finished the meal with some steamed corn on the cob and fresh strawberries.A dip in the pool finished off a perfect, beginning of summer day.

Purple People Eater

2007-05-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Eggplant. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some, like me, are in between. Really, it just depends. Tonight, we wanted something light and fairly simple, as we had been at a family function all day. Eggplant Parmesan Heroes seemed to fit the bill. After all, veggies, marinara sauce, cheese, Italian rolls--what's not to love? Right? Right? Um...wrong. Forgettable--so much so that it was almost gone from my mind before I got my plate into the sink. I think there is potential in this dish, but as written, this Weight Watchers recipe gets two thumbs sideways.

For one, the flavor of Parmesan cheese was indistinguishable from the rest of the dish (not a good thing in anything ______ Parmesan). Since I rarely use bottled marinara (and by rarely, I mean absolutely never), I ended up being highly disappointed with the one I had. It was far too liquidy and just soaked into the bread. The eggplant probably should have been sliced thicker than the 1/4" the recipe called for, and a little more seasoning would have been in order. Also, I think the whole wheat Italian rolls I used really overwhelmed the flavors of the sandwich. Ultimately, I think this is just one of those recipes that is functional, but not begging to be repeated.

On a happier note, Baby Brooklynn came over for some quality time. She says she likes to spend it with us, but we think she just wants to play with the dogs!

Taste of Thailand

2007-05-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

After a couple of months of Ina, then a couple more months of catching food whenever because of my broken foot, it became apparent that the Husband and I really needed to take off some weight. So, we started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be cooking primarily out of Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight, a collection of recipes featuring popular (you guessed it) take out foods.

We kicked things off with Shrimp Pad Thai, which I have never ordered or eaten before. Therefore, I have no idea if this tastes like the real thing, but I know we liked it. As he went back the third time, the Husband asked, "How many servings am I allowed to have?" Considering his hard work in the yard all day, I figured he could have as much as he wanted. I "doubled" the recipe (I didn't have double the amount of rice noodles, but had double everything else), and it made eight very generous servings.

We are off to spend the day with family visiting from Australia. I'll be taking deviled eggs and another veggie tray, although a much smaller one this time. Unfortunately, the dip I made ended up being "killer" in a not very flattering way, so it's going into the trash. I'm going to have to stop and (gulp) BUY dip. Yikes.

Baby Brooklynn is coming home with us this afternoon for some quality spoiling while her family goes to see a movie. Poppa will have to hold and entertain her while I whip up some Eggplant Parmesan Heroes, also from this cookbook. Check back and check them out.

Back in the Kitchen--Where Every Mother Belongs

2007-05-20T08:43:00.001-07:00

Wow! I feel like I've been out of the kitchen for months (probably because I have.) The broken foot really slowed me down, as any extra standing just made things worse. I am now two weeks into physical therapy (Jeff Fahrenbruck--you rock!) and five days out of "the boot," so things are looking up. This next week will be very, very busy as we wrap up the school year, but I plan to get back in the kitchen in a meaningful way right after that.

My biggest foray into the kitchen was for Mother's Day. My contribution was the veggie tray. While this isn't a dish that showcases my cooking talents, it is pretty, and I found a couple of dips in The Big Book of Appetizers that were standouts, and certainly had a little more sophistication than the ubiquitous ranch dressing. They were also very well received, and I can see more applications for them than just a crudite accent. The dip in the bell pepper (foreground) is a Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut Spread. The blue cheese taste was there, but pretty mild. Even those who aren't blue cheese fans (or walnut fans) seemed to enjoy this. I used the recommended Saga blue cheese, but a stronger flavored cheese could be used for a more pronounced blue cheese flavor. I'd actually like to try tossing this in a fondue pot and using it as a dipper for sliced apples and pears.

The other dip was a Yogurt and Green Onion blend from the same cookbook. This dip had a wonderful, fresh from the garden taste which could easily be modified by changing the herbs used. This would also make a fabulous baked potato topping.

Of course, the real reason to gather is family, and here are my two granddaughters, who top the list of my favorite family members:

How embarrassing!

2007-03-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

Well, do I ever feel like I have egg on my face. It's hard to believe, isn't it that there could be so many 12-hour days in one person's life. However, that's the cold, hard truth, and a good reminder of why I always get so off track. However, I'm looking deep inside for a way to handle it and still cook. I know this next week won't be good; 3 out of 5 nights are already obligated. So, save yourself some trouble, and don't check back until next weekend. Hopefully, by then, I will have produced something from my kitchen.

A stroke of luck...

2007-02-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today was going to be THE day. You know, the one where everything gets organized; where the larders get filled; where a PLAN is created. Didn't happen. I had already cleaned out the refrigerators (both of them) and gotten rid of all the stuff that, frankly, rotted while I was working unexpectedly long days last week. Today, we woke up to overcast and rainy, which I love. It just wasn't a day to rev into high gear.

In fairness, I really needed a weekend this weekend. Saturday was my birthday (an ugly sounding one--I'm not really acknowledging it), so there was much ado about nothing. It did result, however, in some nice visiting time with the Husband, the kids, and the granddaughters. I came into the weekend utterly spent, and it seemed like I fell asleep every time I sat down. Eventually, I just gave into it. Once I realized that today was not going to be THE day, I relaxed--really, really relaxed--for the first time in weeks. I know I'll kick myself later for all the things I didn't get done, but someone very wise has said to me many times, "You've got to go slow to go fast." I get it. This was my slow weekend.

With that said, though, dinner still needed cooking tonight. I did buy meat at Costco yesterday, so the rest became a scavenger hunt. I had some new red potatoes that had begun to sprout, some zucchini that was a little hinky on the ends, and all kinds of meat. I did NOT have any fresh herbs, milk, cream, or much of anything else. I don't keep a heavily stocked pantry, either, so it was really a challenge. When faced with a challenge, sometimes I just go do something else to let my subconscious work on it, which is when it happened. While sorting through all the magazines I haven't read, I dropped the Thanksgiving (insert embarrassed face here) issue of Gourmet (or Bon Appetit, don't really remember) on the floor. It fell open to a recipe for a spice rubbed pork tenderloin with a sauce made from pomegranite juice. Voila! Dinner.

It was really quite good, and I'll post the recipe later in the week. In the meantime, I've decided to scale back on my planning. Honestly, I shouldn't shop for more than a couple of days at a time, because it irritates me to no end to throw food away. Tomorrow will be ahi tuna on the grill--which was supposed to be today's dinner, but even intrepid desert dwellers don't necessarily like to grill in pelting rain. Off to bed, and ready to begin another week.

After all, 12 hours is only a half day!

2007-02-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

I find myself once again invoking the 12-hour rule. Crazy. Actually, I only missed it by half an hour, but cooking tonight would have also involved a stop at the grocery store, and it was just too much. I really find that it's important for me to try to have a reasonably sane Monday to keep from being really depleted by Friday. Therefore, it was Chick-Fil-A night. And even that, my friends, seemed as if the food gods conspired against me in retaliatory anger for so many non-cooking nights.

“What?” you ask. “Fast food. Chain. What can go wrong?”

Plenty. First of all, the “Fil-A” part of my sandwich only covered about half the bun. It sort of looked like two fingers and half a palm, and was about 2x3 inches overall. The coleslaw, which was my “fresh” food of the day, was definitely over its prime. But hey, the Diet Coke was just fine—nice and fizzy!

I came home and consoled myself with a slice of lemon cake, a hot bath, and a look through the stack of new cookbooks that just arrived. That’s right—I just keep feeding my addiction. Unfortunately, the Husband was home and intercepted the package. I just plead, “Hobby, honey.” He sort of secretly rolls his eyes, but it’s cheaper than some hobbies, and he benefits, too. After all, I could take up making beaded jewelry (which I secretly lust after), and I’ll bet he wouldn’t wear it. But he DOES get to eat what I cook. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!

Now I’m off to take something out of the freezer so I can cook tomorrow night without the necessity of a grocery stop.

Back in the kitchen again...

2007-02-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

Well, not me exactly, but Kira. Who can say no when you get a phone call asking, “Want me to cook dinner tonight?” Um…yeah. And it’s a good thing somebody wanted to, because I just wasn’t there yet after my atrocious work week. However, when one person gets into the kitchen, it sort of opens the portal, and pretty soon, I followed to do some baking.

Kira decided to explore Giada’s Everyday Italian,, although I do think she needed to pull her top down more to really replicate Giada’s style. (For those of you who don’t want Giada, pretend I didn’t say that. For those who do watch Giada—yep, you’re laughing.) She made whole wheat spaghetti with Checca Sauce, an uncooked sauce made with cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, Parmesan, basil, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. Just a few pulses in the blender and a quick toss with hot pasta put dinner on the table. This was good, and I’d make it again, although it wasn’t necessarily one of those “Wow! I’ve found the ultimate!” recipes.

In fact, I realized today how few of those there are. I seldom repeat meals, as I always feel there is going to be something a little bit better if I just keep looking. I think Kira was a bit discouraged because I didn’t do cartwheels—although everyone who knows me knows that it just isn’t my style—no matter what. I rarely get excited over my own cooking, either. I guess I need to put some thought into the things that I do make over and over again. Not very many, that’s for sure.

Kira also borrowed from Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life, and extrapolated a Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette from a pasta and grilled shrimp dish. We just had it over a spinach salad. It was also very good, but we forgot to toss the feta cheese into the salad, and I think it would have nicely offset the acid notes in the dressing. It was a very pretty, vibrant green color, though.

For me, it was another try at the Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Cake with Lemon-Vanilla Glaze. The first time I made it, it was a little bitter. This time, I started the glaze without the lemon zest, waiting to add that until the last couple of minutes of simmering. Perfect. All the tart, tangy goodness without any bitterness. This is going to be a go-to dessert, I can tell. See, already—a repeater.

I also made another dessert, which I’m going to keep under wraps until tomorrow. It’s really good, though, but I didn’t have time to take pictures, and I’m still trying to decide whether to dress it up or leave it as is.

For now, it’s off to bed to prepare for another (hopefully not so) long day! (I'll catch up on recipes later in the week.)

12-Hour Rule times 3

2007-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

What a crazy week! I know the full moon has passed, but apparently the residuals are hanging around. It's been one thing after another, with the 12-Hour rule being invoked four times this week. Honestly, today won't be much better, as I'm at work trying to catch up on all the paperwork that didn't get done since I was so busy dealing with people-work. Next week looks better, with only one late-night meeting. Let's all keep our fingers crossed, and I hope to be back by tomorrow with some cooking and recipes to share!

12 Hour Rule

2007-02-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Another long day, although it wasn't supposed to be. I hate for you to come here for nothing, though. In honor of all of the frigid weather around the country, I'll show you some of my favorite snow pictures from Sedona, where we encountered a blizzard (at least it seemed so to us) last spring. In the meantime, I'll bask in the balmy 80 degree days we're enjoying right now. (Stop--don't throw snowballs at me!)

It Might Be Cold There, But It Was Hot On My Plate!

2007-02-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Since I had a meeting after work tonight, I didn't get home until almost 7:00, just barely avoiding the 12-hour rule. Fortunately though, I was able to put dinner on the table in just 45 minutes--not bad for a supposedly 30-minute meal. As soon as I walked in the door, I cranked up the oven to 475 and started chopping the ends off of fresh green beans to make one of our favorite sides. Technically, they are "roasted" green beans, but we call them green bean French fries. Simply tossed with olive oil and roasted at high heat until they begin to crisp and caramelze, these are addictive just sprinkled with salt. They are best right off the pan, but you have to be careful not to burn your fingers.

I also put the big skillet on the stove and let it begin to heat, and within minutes, I had the pork chops (Rachael Ray's Pork Loin Chops with Sweet and Hot Peppers) seasoned and browning. While those were developing a nice, brown crust, I sliced yellow and orange peppers, and a new-to-us ingredint, jarred hot cherry peppers, which were all tossed into the pan, along with a generous splash of white wine, once the pork chops were done. Meanwhile, I started browning some garlic slices and, subsequently, wilting down some spinach.

The end result? An antioxidant-rich meal: garlic, leafy greens, peppers...pretty much everything a body needs. Just a warning: Those hot peppers are hot. I'm used to quite a bit of heat, but I have to admit to a little bit of watering eyes.

Fortunately, it's getting to be grilling season--84 degrees today (contrasted with barely 50 just five days ago). That simplifies things a lot, and I'm looking forward to concentrating on rubs and side dishes. Tomorrow, though, there's a dish coming up that was planned in the depth of the cold snap. See you then!

A Good Cook Always Trusts Her Instincts

2007-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

I ran across this recipe for Turkey Potato Casserole on another blog, and thought it looked interesting. To be fair, the other blogger wasn't really happy with the dish, but I thought I could tweak it and make it work. It's an interesting recipe: a layer of thinly sliced potatoes, a layer of raw ground turkey and garlic, more potatoes, then a bath of cream and Dijon mustard before baking. The final touch is a layer of cheese and crisp bacon pieces, then back into the oven to brown. I'll admit, I had my reservations. I should have listened to the voices in my head.

This dish remained soupy and my portion went into the trash. For some reason, it had an odd fishy taste--much more so than the tuna we grilled on Friday! Kent swears he's going to eat the rest of it. We'll see. I'm not even posting the recipe, unless someone really wants to see it. The other blogger and I are both accomplished cooks, so I don't think it was cook's error. I think, rather, that the recipe just doesn't work.

Last night's dinner was much better. On the first Saturday of the month, we go to dinner with Kent's family. It's just a way for all of us to stay connected in the middle of our very busy lives. So, last night, it was his parents, sister and brother-in-law, our two girls, son-in-law, and baby Brooklynn. We had some great ribs at Famous Dave's, although they really didn't have that much on the Sweet and Sour Ribs I made in the crockpot a couple of weeks ago. Mostly, it was a nice dinner out. Today was a puttering-around day for me. I have work I need to do, but I needed a day to clear my mind even more. We watched Alexander, which we've had sitting around from Netflix for....ahem.....two and a half months. Have I mentioned that we've been busy?

This week will be hectic, but I have meals planned for all but Thursday, when I know I won't be home until almost 9:00. No cookin' that late, for sure! So check back...it's gotta get better than tonight's dinner.

Can You Guess What It Is?

2007-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

What starts out looking like this?

And ends up looking like this:

One of Kent's take-out favorites--Hot and Sour Soup! This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and they almost never steer a cook in the wrong direction. I do have to admit to some doubt, though, when I first tasted the soup. The white pepper, which combines with chile oil to put the "hot" in the hot and sour, was the dominant flavor. It had a "raw" pepper taste. I set the soup aside, though, as I prepared dinner, then tasted it again. Ah...much better. I would say this rivals take-out (as any home-cooked meal should, I suppose). One variation I would make, however, is the technique given for "wisping" the eggs. I find it works much better to start with the soup at a rolling boil, then slowly pour in the beaten egg in a steady stream, stirring the soup with a fork as you pour. The eggs truly do end up as feathery wisps with that technique.

Also on tonight's menu was Soy-Ginger Ahi Fillets. Ahi is one of a very limited selection of fish that I can eat. I think it's a texture thing; the Ahi is very meaty. I picked up this wild-caught Ahi at Trader Joe's today. It was perfect; no fish smell when I opened the package, and the meat was almost satiny. I let it marinate for a few hours, then just a few minutes on the grill and it was done. The side dish is broccoli rabe steam-sauteed with garlic chips. Just can't get enough of those garlic chips! Enough for today. Some idiot scheduled my hair appointment for 8:00 tomorrow morning. Oops--that idiot would be me. What was I thinking?

Vampires Need Not Apply

2007-02-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today was Day 2 of a conference. Very informative, but boy, oh boy, is it hard for me to sit in a room for 8 hours at a time. I definitely needed a little cooking therapy by the time I got home.

Yesterday, the mailman brought me the March/April edition of Cook's Illustrated, which had an amazing-looking Garlic-Potato Soup. As you might guess, it had was a little different from most potato soups, as it had garlic, and lots of it. It even had garlic three different ways--minced and sauteed, whole heads simmered into the soup until the garlic slipped from the skins, and sliced garlic sauteed in olive oil to make crispy chips (which, by the way, is my new favorite snack).

This was a little time-consuming, but really low maintenance. After sauteing a chopped leek and the minced garlic, chicken broth, spices, and two entire garlic bulbs are added to the pot and left to simmer for 40 minutes. That's plenty of time to chop the two kinds of potatoes (russets for their thickening quality and Red Bliss for their ability to hold shape) and the herbs. Once the potatoes are added to the pot, dinner is only 20 minutes away. An immersion blender allows total control over the final consistency--anywhere from smooth to chunky, as you wish.

Also on tonight's menu was a Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Vanilla Glaze from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites. This was described as a cake for those who "can't bake." The cake was really good, but none of us were crazy about the glaze. It was tart-too tart even for us. It was almost bitter, which would make me think I got pith from the lemon when I zested it. My Microplane has never failed me, though, so I don't think that's it. It could be that I didn't measure the zest and just got too much. I think it's worth a do-over when I'm paying more attention to what I'm doing. In the meantime, I know we're sleeping safe from vampires.

The Meal That Almost Wasn't...and Probably Should Not Have Been

2007-01-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

It started with a mysteriously empty box of pasta. Only 1/4 of a box left. Hmmm. Very strange. Okay, there's another box of a different shape in the cabinet. They can be combined.

Then there was the missing can of chickpeas. Okay, half chickpeas. Half cannellini beans. I can deal.

This dinner isn't proving to be as simple a meal as it's supposed to be, but that's okay. So, I get out an onion to try out my new onion chopper I picked up at Williams-Sonoma today. Cut the onion open--it's rotten inside. That's okay...I have a red onion. It might look a little funky, but it will work. Yep, you guessed it. It's bad inside, too. So, we went with shallots. Lots and lots of shallots. (Oh, and the chopper didn't work all that well. I'm not sure it gets to live in my kitchen.)

And to add insult to injury, although this is a meal we've really enjoyed it the past, it was just...blah. Nothing. I'm eating a slice of four-day-old pizza. Yeah, that's how bad it was. So, now I have three dirty pans and a dinner I don't want. Some days, ya just gotta step away from the pasta.

(Ever watch Tim Allen's show....can't remember what it's called. You know how the neighbor, Wilson, only showed his eyes? Well, you're getting a Wilson-ized picture tonight, because there was just no way to make this pretty, either.)

Chickpeas and Pasta with Sizzling Sage and Garlic

No issues, please

2007-01-30T20:45:00.000-08:00

Just to avoid any abandonment issues since I haven't posted in two days, I'm invoking the 12-hour rule for the second night in a row. Tomorrow, I'm at a conference, so there can't possibly be any last-minute urgencies to keep me at work. Right?

East meets West

2007-01-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Nonni’s willingness to scope out some recipes and shop for ingredients, we were able to have dinner tonight, despite the fact that I’ve still just been working throughout the weekend. We started with an Asian inspired Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin that was absolutely amazing. We only marinated an hour, but that was enough time for the flavors of the honey, lemon, and garlic in the marinade to meld nicely together. What really stood out for me was the way each individual flavor introduced itself to the tongue. Usually, it seems that the flavors of a marinade bunch up like children in a schoolyard, leaving a pleasant impression, but little hope of identifying individual elements. In this case, every flavor stood out, creating a lovely harmony.

I also got a bug to do a little baking, but I needed something quick and easy. I decided to give the Barefoot Contessa’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars a try. Judging from the reaction of a foreign exchange student who stayed with us when our oldest daughter was in high school, peanut butter is not as well known other places as it is in the US, although for many of us it is the stuff that childhood comfort is made of. If I want to head straight back to golden summer days of my childhood, a peanut butter sandwich and glass of Kool-Aid will do the trick!

At any rate, these bars went together quickly, and are impressive beyond what you would imagine given the humble list of ingredients. They are tender, but not fragile. The bottom crust is firm and flakey, and the strawberry jam and chopped, salty peanuts bring it all home. If I cut these in circles, would they count as a well-rounded breakfast?