Texas travels

Where did the past month and a half go? Yikes! Yes, I've been busy. Spring has sprung. We've been busy cleaning up the yard. I planted my recession veggie garden, which includes rhubarb!, carrots, lima beans, peppers, tomatoes (including a very sexy Mr. Stripey) onions and french green beans. We'll see how the veggies fare, we got a ton of rain last week.

Yesterday I finished up the herb garden which has basil, lemon basil, thyme, rosemary and catnip and a bunch of shallots. The sage is starting to come back- she cut out a monstrous bush of it.

Last month, I made the pilgrimage to visit JoDee in Texas. Lots of good eats along the way. Here are two recipes from my travels. One is a clone of Central Market's LOVE dip (Central Market was amazing!) and the other is a fancy pants version of my favorite meal I had down there- King Ranch Casserole. Cheesy, chickeny and served with chips and rotel- hello- comfort food galore for Lori.

This came from HomesickTexan's blog-http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/

Love Dip (adapted from the Houston Chronicle)

Ingredients:1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup tomato salsa
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon or 2 leaves fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:Throw all the ingredients except lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste. Goes well with crackers, bread, tortilla chips, vegetables, chicken and fish.

And this also from her website too. Yum yum yum

Slightly Fancy-Pants King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:1 1/2 pounds of chicken, without skin and bones
4 teaspoons of lime juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, or if tomatoes are in season, can use two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno)
4 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of half and half
1/3 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
10 corn tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:1. Cook the chicken in the olive oil on medium, adding 2 teaspoons of lime juice, 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder and salt to taste.

2. When chicken is done (after about 20 minutes), shred it with two forks and set aside. Should yield about 3 cups.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder, and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

8. Heat up the tortillas (you can do this by adding a bit of oil on an iron skillet and then cooking the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side).

9. Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.

10. Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps.

11. Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese.

12. Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top.

13. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serves 6-12, depending on how big a portion you distribute. Goes great with sour cream and cilantro on top.

Another squash adventure

Tomorrow is my birthday- so I don't think I'll get a leisurely chance to write a clever post. In the meantime, enjoy this. I made this a couple of weeks ago- had the place to myself, and the series finale of Battlestar Galactica. I used the frozen squash puree option (so easy!!) and added an onion which I sliced and caramelized, a liberal amount of Penzeys Tuscan Sunset, and used some mozzarella cheese on top instead of just parmesan.

It reheated great for lunches and confirmed my love for no-bake lasagna noodles. This is from Everyday Food magazine. And really, I love a dinner that I can pop in the oven, sit down and have a glass of wine and read a magazine, and when I'm done- dinner is ready.


Acorn Squash Lasagna

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 1 hour 25 minutes

Using no-boil noodles reduces the preparation time by about 30 minutes; ricotta cheese and pureed squash make a rich, creamy filling.

Ingredients

Olive oil, for baking dish
4 cups Acorn Squash Puree, or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 no-boil lasagna noodles, half of an 8-ounce package

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash puree with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Yes, now it's veggie Wednesday

Sorry for the delay- but I totally spaced on posting. I was busy on Friday, doing the errand thing and going to the PPGI book sale.

We had this last week- and what a winner. Quick and delicious, without all of that heaviness in your belly after diner. I've had issues with making sauces before, but this came together fantastic. My trick I've learned is to pay attention to the directions, and mix in the broth a bit at a time, so no lumps form. Now I never have a problem.

Enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo - Cooking Light

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 399 (30% from fat); FAT 13.5g (sat 8g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 451mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g; SODIUM 822mg; PROTEIN 21.3g; FIBER 2g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Veggie Fridays

When I was finished with 4th grade, my family moved from Iowa City (AKA the People's Republic of Johnson County) to Dubuque. It was a huge cultural shift, from a very PC (even in the 70's), college centered town to a heavily white catholic community. We didn't celebrate Easter or Christmas in the schools, now we had parties with treats for them.

So then, I was intrigued with the concept of giving up something for Lent. In our church, it wasn't required. So I was endlessly amused by my Catholic friends complaining about no meat on Friday. And yes, I did eat pepperoni pizza in front of them to taunt them- followed by chocolate bar & soda. When I gave up eating beef or pork my Senior year in high school (yes folks, my 20th no-Big Mac anniversary is this summer!), I later came to realize that I was eating that way just about every day. And the griping still amuses me. I remember rattling off a list of meals to someone next to me while I was getting my hair cut. For me, meat was easy to give up. Now coffee, that's a whole different story. You'll only be able to pry my cuppa from my cold, dead hands.

Looking into it, I did not realize that there is a spirit of reaching out to others and volunteering your time and taking stock of your own life and values. That is something I can get behind. We often don't take time to realize how lucky we are. So, I have decided to goal for buying something, even one thing a week, when I'm at the grocery store for the food pantry. And I signed up to organize a bake sale for Share Our Strength.

Ha, and now going vegetarian is the new Green option. I read Food Matters by Mark Bittman- which really deserves its own special posting. Great read- and with yummy recipes. So, I plan on Fridays to highlight a vegetarian meal, that will lighten your grocery bill and maybe your waist line too.

We had this last week, when the weather got a little chilly. Great comforting dish- which we all need once in a while. Serve it up with some roasted asparagus or sauteed broccoli. I make it with regular gouda, for me the smoked is a little too much.

Enjoy!

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

This American classic has been updated for heightened flavor. You can use regular Gouda or any other cheese that melts well.

1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses; stir until melted.

Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)CALORIES 399 (25% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 421mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.9g; SODIUM 725mg; PROTEIN 20.1g; FIBER 3.7g Cooking Light, MARCH 2003

Polenta Pizza

Last week I was watching the Today show before work and Mark Bittman was on whipping up savory breakfasts. Among which was a polenta breakfast pizza, which looked very yummy. I started thinking and got out HTCEV and saw that I earmarked the polenta pizza to make, and Angel said she'd try it.

So, I picked up some cornmeal, beans, salsa and cheese after work and got busy in the kitchen. It's a great method for a really filling, and frugal, dinner. Feel free to experiment with the toppings, add leftover grilled veggies, swap out different cheeses. Since my cornmeal was a little finer than coarse ground, it cooked up a bit quicker. Here's the recipe, adapted from Mark Bittman.

I liked that you can make the crust the morning or even the day before and just leave it in the fridge. The leftovers heated up great, sorry I ate them all. Just a little.

Time: About 45 minutes, plus one hour’s chilling


1/2 cup milk, preferably whole ( didn't use milk, cause we were out- just increased the amount of water)
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper

Salsa
Can of refried beans
Mexican shredded cheese

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. (I just used a pie pan and a spray of Pam) In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.

2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil (I used butter) into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. I mixed a can of refried beans and some salsa together (makes it easier to spread)

4. Take polenta out of oven, spread bean mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese. Put pizza back in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt . Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.

Holiday hermits

I finally got the last of my holiday care packages sent out last week. I just got too busy over the holidays with moving, working and oh, everything to bake at least one thing to include with it. I had picked out a very classic recipe to make, which a form was displayed in Penzeys around Christmas: Hermit Bars.

As much as I adore new trendy stuff, the single orgin chocolate, mixing chipotle into chocolate chip cookies and espresso whatnot, there is something about the old-fashioned tried and true stuff that is just outstanding. And it seems to be going around- Rachel made just chocolate chip cookies this weekend- no pecans, raisins, bourbon, no ne plus ultra, just chocolate chip. And I had three.

I do confess, I did over bake this batch a wee bit as I was a bit leery about the underbaking instructions. But next time I am sticking exactly to the directions, because the bit that was underdone was quite yummy. A couple people who tried them remarked how they don't like raisins, but they liked these. When did raisins get such a bad rap? I used a great blend of three jumbo raisins, nice and plump.

This will definitely be a repeater for me every holiday season. It makes a huge batch of cookies and they keep pretty well. I did use all-purpose flour, and if you do - they recommend to increase the amount of water to 3/4 cup. And I may increase the amount of allspice and cinnamon. Hey, I'm a spicy girl.

The Very Best Hermit Bars Ever

Yield: about 8 1/2 dozen 1-inch cookies

For bars:

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
5 cups cake flour, divided use
1/3 cup water
2 cups raisins, packed

For glaze:
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar

Procedure:

1. Prepare bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan.

2. In large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, shortening and butter, beating at medium speed until fluffy. Add molasses, salt, spices and baking soda. Mix 1 minute, then stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of flour. Once it’s mixed in, add water, then other half of flour. When batter is mixed completely, add raisins and stir until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3. Bake bars 18-20 minutes, until edges are light brown. They’ll puff up in oven and top will get shiny. As soon as you see this, pull pan from oven. The top will fall back down and interior of cookies will have an almost fudgy consistency. Remove hermit bars from oven and cool them in pan on rack before glazing.

4. Prepare glaze: In small bowl, stir together milk and powdered sugar until smooth; glaze will be quite thin. Use pastry brush to brush it on top of hermit bars before cutting bars.

Source: “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion”

Restaurant Reviews

See, this is me playing catch-up.



First: Zuzap



I adore Thai food. The complexity and freshness of it just calls to me. It's like my eating life was just in black and white before diving into my first dish of pad thai. But now, I just about know the menu by heart at my favorite place. It seems just a bit too familiar.



Enter Zuzap- also owned by Liam Anivat who opened and operates Cool Basil and Thai Flavors bring us something new to the Des Moines Thai scene. Wonderful curries and noodle dishes await. Frankly, it's been a while since we ate there- but my dish was wonderful. I didn't like too much the type of noodle I selected- a wide rice noodle, but since they have 5 or 6 different types- no worries next time. My only complaint- it's too far away from my house.



Next: Fong's Pizza



Yes, an asian themed pizza joint. How can you not be excited?



Well, it was their first week. And we ended up with a mishap in the kitchen. The table next to ours got our pizza instead- and we ended up with theirs later (at no charge- but we wanted ours!) and got our speciality like 45 minutes later. We had crab rangoons to start, which were quite good. They were wrapped in egg roll wrappers for a different twist. The mistake pizza was the happy family, which wasn't really my thing- fake krab just grosses me out after a while. Our pizza was the vegetarian with the hoisin bbq sauce, which was good.



The drink menu is worth a look see- it brings that tradition of Trader Vics to Des Moines. I had a Singapore Sling, a classic. Angel had a sip and remarked that at first it didn't seem there was any alcohol in it and then said "Oh wait there it is." Yep, and that's why froo-froo drinks are deceptively deadly and you end up wearing the tropical umbrellas in your hair by #3. And the Sling was the reason I wasn't too upset about the kitchen mishap- whee!



We'll try again- am very intrigued by the homemade pizza rolls. Totino's pizza rolls were a childhood treat, nice to see a homemade version of them. (Hey, why don't I do that?) http://www.fongspizza.com/

But not last: Sweet Binneys

I got an invitation to their Spring open house and tasting. WOW! We sampled a chocolate mousse cake with a cheesecake filling, white chocolate & apricot cheesecake with oreo crust, plum and almond tart, raspberry bavarian cream torte, and a cherry & almond cake which was enrobed with marzipan. Sugar rush, oh yes. My favorite was the chocolate- but of course, I love chocolate- within a group of equals, it always outranks them just by the virtue of being chocolate. The plum tart was my second fave (I love plums) and next was the white chocolate apricot cheesecake.

And since I was there on Wed. night, I have had peanut butter pie on the brain. They had it in the pastry case and it was singing to me. Maybe next week...

I love this bakery so much- everything I've ever gotten from there was been scrumptious, and I know my pastry. Angel is quite amused by the fact that I can spot a pastry shop from six blocks away- no fooling. I love their individual desserts, just the right size for a special occasion or just because it's Friday.

http://sweetbinneys.com/

Goodbye old friend

Well, last night was the untimely end of an old kitchen buddy. My Cuisinart bowl, broke, in a serious way, along with spilling tomato sauce all over the place.

It's had a great long life. Actually it was my Grandma's- and about 25 years old. Just thinking of how many veggies its chopped, batches of pesto made, soups pureed, made me a little sad.

So, I started looking for a replacement bowl on EBay today. Which hopefully I'll find one sooner than later. And not spend $60 for it- I mean, really, would anyone spend that much??

I think that she would of approved of the menu last night. I've been reading off and on, Mario Batalli's new book "Spain, on the road again" and had 7 eggs to use up. Solution? An easy frittata with spanish goat cheese, roasted asparagus and potatoes bravas. My family tends to be more into grazing than eating a huge meal, hence I love the Spanish tapas so much. What's not to love about small plates? You get to try more things!

Here's the recipe. I used a red pepper instead of a green and added a nice tsp of Spanish smoked paprika to the sauce. The potatoes themselves were a bit bland- next time I'll add more spice or come to terms that I am seriously addicted to Penzeys 4S.

Patatas Bravas

Spanish for "fierce potatoes," patatas bravas are a common tapas offering of crisp potato cubes served with a spicy sauce. If you like fiery food, use one-fourth to one-half teaspoon red pepper in the sauce. For the crispest potatoes, stir only every two or three minutes; frequent stirring can damage them.

Potatoes:4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Sauce:1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Parsley sprigs (optional)

1. To prepare potatoes, place potato in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until crisp-tender; drain well.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat bottom of pan; heat 30 seconds or until foam subsides. Add potato to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until browned, stirring twice. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove potato mixture from pan; keep warm.

3. To prepare sauce, heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 15 seconds. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper, and tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute. Pour onion mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Serve sauce with potato mixture. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup potato mixture and 1/4 cup sauce)CALORIES 153 (26% from fat); FAT 4.4g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.4g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.5g; SODIUM 416mg; PROTEIN 3.5g; FIBER 2.9g Cooking Light, APRIL 2008

Look what I had after all!

Last night I uncovered a box of Kashi 7 grain and sesame pilaf that I haven't opened yet. I figured that since brown rice was one of the ingredients, that would make a great addition to the leftover stir fry I had slated for lunch today. And since, I love their frozen dinners- no problem.

What a great find! I am stuffed after eating one serving and have consumed by daily quota of recommended whole grains- so bring on the white bread!

I will definately have to play around with this some more.

And this morning in the shower, I think I caught a glimpse of Mischa tring to jump from the sink to the top of the door. It was a black blur slamming into the top of the door, followed by a thump, then a yowl and kitten footfalls running down the hallway. This was after he spent most of the morning on top of the refridgerator. He is the reason why we don't have lit candles in the open. He is voted most likely to set himself on fire.

I did finish Espersso Shot by Cleo Coyle, the most recent in the Coffeehouse mystery series which I really enjoyed. I just started Deadly Night by Heather Graham, the first in the Flynn Brothers trilogy. I haven't read any of her books before, but it is promising- a good paranormal mystery that takes place in New Orleans.

Pantry Freezer challenge

I am a huge believer in a well stocked pantry and freezer. It's amazing to be able to come home with just some chicken and milk from the store and be able to whip up a great dinner. With a can of tomatoes you can go Mexican, Italian or Moroccan. You can make pasta in minutes.

Managing it, is another story.

I ran into this last night which I just picked up chicken and a couple of veggies for the kung pao chicken I planned for dinner. I was going to use up the rest of the veggies in the crisper and had brown rice to cook at home.

So, after cutting up the chicken, I opened the pantry door to discover I was dangerously low on soy sauce. So much so, I couldn't make the recipe. And no rice wine vinegar. How could I have fig balsamic and sherry but no rice? And brown rice, our rice of choice, nope- had about not even a half cup which would not be enough for the planned leftovers the next day. Luckily, I had a bottle of spicy stir fry sauce in the pantry so I used that instead. Enter the steam bag of frozen rice from the freezer. So, dinner went on as planned, and really who wants to back to the store when it's after 6pm?

I did a fair job of cleaning out the pantry & freezer before moving. But, I am a sucker for buying stuff on sale and clearance because I'll use it someday. I know a lot of it stems from those lean grad school days and under/unemployment days which are behind me. (Knock wood!) But in moving, I found out that I had a lot of duplicates- I mean who needs two huge containers of corn starch? Apparently I thought I did!

So, progress in cleaning out stuff? I used some leftover frozen turkey in the curry soup. The remaining of it is in the freezer (one step forward and, well) We have two more bags of turkey! I think a couple of casseroles may be in the mix or a batch of turkey noodle soup to send off to someone.

Mental Inventory

Frozen sweet corn- totally have to use that.

Roasted hatch chillies- tortilla soup- maybe with turkey? ;-)

Frozen cherries- yum

A slew of frozen meals.

Half open package of Morningstar Farms sausage crumbles

The cheeseball my Mom snuck home with me

Sloppy joes- may be my lunch tomorrow

Duck breast

Potstickers- may have these this week- with some asparagus-

Of course, this just scratches the surface!

And having this upcoming weekend off I was thinking about a couple of cooking projects to further stock my freezer- making chicken stock and bologonese sauce. Or maybe I should work around the house and eat black bean burgers for dinner and gain some more precious free cubic inches of freezer space. Hmmm....

One my things I will have to pay more attention to is the dreaded expiration dates. My baking plans around Christmas didn't work out- so had to end up ditching the heavy cream I bought. Ditto the overage of cottage cheese that we had. And since I bought yoplait yogurt on sale (5 for $2 at Dahls), I checked the dates and bought the one slated to die first with me for breakfast. I was really in the passion fruit mood- but had to settle for strawberry cheesecake- tough life. I did put my celery in one of those green bags that my Mom gave me- so we'll see how that works. I never ever use up a thing of celery. Ever. Too bad Mischa doesn't like celery.

Of course my Mom's freezer is infamous. My friend Jamie noted that once that lone package of eggrolls had been in there the entire time he'd known me. Years. So, Ma- up for the challenge?

Inaugural Celebration

This week has been a long one it seems. I woke up this morning and felt like it should be next Tuesday. I think that peaceful transition of power that we've been waiting sooooooooo long for can do that to you.

I was impressed that President Obama placed a huge emphasis on a call to return to personal responsibility. The government alone can't bail us out or fix all of our problems. Its up to us to make changes in our lives that will get us back on track. To living within our means, planning ahead, eating better, losing weight, excising, driving more fuel efficient cars, making sure our kids do their homework and on and on.

Breaking out the White House napkins I bought one of the last times I was in DC, I cozied up to toast President Obama and Vice President Biden take the oath of office. In celebration, along with a Bellini to sip, I tried an excellent new recipe from Small Batch Baking (which every time I cook something from it, I wonder why don't I do this more often!) As much as I love cake, I don't need a whole cake sitting around the house all week.

I used raspberry jam for the filling and only used one croissant. I really can't help myself when it comes to croissants- am a sucker for the buttery treats. I prefer the richness of them and brioche to something that's sweeter. This was an excellent special occasion breakfast, not too sweet but rich. And easy!

Baked Raspberry Almond French Toast
Small Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos

Makes two french toasts- serves 2

1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 TB sugar
2 TB amaretto or 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
3 TB raspberry preserves
2 large croissants, cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 TB unsalted butter, melted
Honey, warmed or powdered sugar for garnish
fresh raspberries for garnish

1. Place the milk, sugar, egg, amaretto, cinnamon and salt in shallow baking dish and whisk to blend well.

2. Spread half the raspberry preserves over the bottom half of each croissant. Press halves together, and place in baking dish, turning to coat them with custard. Let them soak for 30 minutes to absorb the custard, turning frequently.

3. Preheat oven to 325. Grease a small baking sheet.

4. Remove croissants from baking dish. Coat with almonds and place on prepared sheet. Brush tops with melted butter. (Discard leftover custard mixture) Bake until croissants are puffed and brown and custard is set, about 25-27 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plates. garnish with honey, powdered sugar or raspberries if desired.

Since Angel was out on Tuesday evening seeing Spring Awakening, our Inaugural celebration dinner was last night. I kept it a little lighter and turned to one of our favorite recipes. I have to leave the olives out for Angel (and I forgot to put them in mine again). I love stuffed chicken breasts, but sometimes they are a pain to make. Use a sharp knife and be patient. Take care not to overstuff the chicken or it will leak out and burn. You can also vary the flavor any which way- I used a nice shake of Penzeys Sunny Paris in mine- shallots and rich sweet herbs. I also roasted some asparagus and made mashed sweet potatoes. Enjoy!


Goat Cheese-&-Olive-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Eating Well

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped black olives
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 ¼ pounds total)
1 large egg white
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used butter- I think it makes it richer!)


Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine goat cheese, olives and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.
3. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
4. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.


Goat Cheese-&-Olive-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Nutrition Information
Per serving: 235 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium.1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Falafels

Well, today has been a very good day. Aside from it being bone chilling cold, my roomie received excellent news from the doctor which was a great relief. My new neighbor snow blowed our entire driveway and sidewalk this morning- I was blown away that he did and very grateful because my fingers turned numb in the time it took me to shovel off the steps (with two pairs of gloves no less)

Now that my schedule has lightened up a bit, one of my goals is to get back to planning out the menus for the week ahead and plan ahead to prepare lunches to take to work. Because of the hustle and bustle of the holidays and moving, I fell back onto the Lean Cuisine crutch- which isn't a bad thing but I can do better.

And, when I went over to check on Angel's parents dogs- I did weigh myself. And even my jeans still fit, yeah not as good as they once did- I can do better. Their biggest loser contest is off to a fine start- I am proud of them doing it all together- woo hoo!

I was going to make risotto for dinner last night, but I'm out of arborio rice and I had some leftover soup for lunch which had rice in it. So enter one of my favorite veggie comfort meals- falafel.

Since I was on my own that night, I was sorely tempted to drive through Ted's Cony Island for a take away falafel. Yeah- and tater tots! But, budget minded- I made my own from Cooking Light, which I was looking through at Marcia's- great article which also had one of my favorite soups in it too.

Cooking Light has a lot of recipes for baked falafels- which are way more healthier than the deep fried patties of beany goodness you'll pick up when you're out.

Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Pack the cucumber-yogurt dressing in a separate container to serve with the sandwiches. Vegetable crudités such as bell pepper wedges and carrot or celery sticks will round out the meal. You can substitute fresh baby spinach for the arugula, if desired.
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, split
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended (mixture will be wet).

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chickpea mixture per patty into pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Line each pita half with 1/4 cup arugula, add 1 patty to each pita half, and spoon 2 tablespoons Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing into each pita half.

Note: Nutritional analysis includes Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 filled pita half)CALORIES 280 (30% from fat); FAT 9.4g (sat 1.2g,mono 5g,poly 2.2g); IRON 3.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 53mg; CALCIUM 81mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.1g; SODIUM 592mg; PROTEIN 11.4g; FIBER 7.3g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

This makes more than you need for the pita recipe, but it keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator. It's tasty drizzled over sliced tomatoes, or pack it in your lunch later in the week as a dip for carrot sticks.

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.Yield: about 1 1/2 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)CALORIES 8 (0.0% from fat); FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.0mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 20mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.6g; SODIUM 9mg; PROTEIN 0.7g; FIBER 0.1g

My spin-I omitted the mustard- that doesn't make sense to me. Instead, I spiced them with a tsp of Penzeys Turkish Seasoning, which I love with anything chick peas- falafel, hummus- it's just great, and another 1/2 tsp of cumin. Another yummy addition is a sprinkling of aleppo pepper, great color and flavor. And I didn't buy arugula- I just used the romaine I has on hand.

Quick dinner- I am very stoked by having a dishwasher- makes cleaning out the Cuisinart a lot easier! Of course, I think the amount of time I have saved by not doing dishes by hand has been sucked up by shoveling. So, the cheap lunch eats will help save money for snowblower.

Mischa was very intrigued by my dinner and yet quite disappointed in it. He's had a busy week- including crawling up into the fireplace- lucky we grabbed him before he could get any further up the chimney. And yes, we took pictures because when the cat gets stuck the first instinct is to grab the camera.

I also unpacked a ton of books and cookbooks last night. The cats are not happy about giving up their open shelves. Every time we cleared off a shelf when we were packing- they sat on the open shelf looking like "Why the hell didn't you do this earlier? This is *awesome*"

Now, I'm reading Janet Evanovich's new one, Plum Spooky, which I think had one my favorite lines in it- "I felt like the lone bran muffin in the pastry case full of eclaires" . I just finished Twilight by Stephanie Meyer- catching up with pop culture, I guess. Not a bad read- just a little fluff but enjoyable and made me realize that I do not miss high school in the least. I have a slew of books checked out from the library- including Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle, the new Coffeehouse mystery, Deadly Night by Heather Grahm- who I has been on my list to check out, Defiance by Nechama Tec- I mean, with Daniel Craig on the cover - how could I not resist?, the movie version of it comes out this week- I think, & Stalking the Unicorn by Michael Resnick- a down on his luck private investigator gets hired by an elf to find an unicorn.

One of goals this year is to catch up with finishing some series I've started to read. It seems like I read one or two then move onto something else. Harlan Coben's Myron Boltair series comes to mind- as his next book released this year is in that series. And I unpacked the Meg Gardiner book I was in the middle of when I moved- great series!

Chasing the chill away with curry

Hearing the forecast for this week sent a little shiver through me. After shoveling yesterday morning, I knew I needed to come home to a warm dinner- and soup sounded just the ticket.

This did take longer than I thought to come together- but I am still adjusting to my new stove. But, it made a huge batch of soup! Half of it will be frozen & I brought some in for lunch today. Penzeys sweet curry powder gave it a rich flavor and a deep golden color. Perfect winter dish to curl up with the season premier of 24- GO JACK!!

Turkey Curry Soup

From: Enlightened Soups by Camilla Saulsbury

Ingredients:

1 TB unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 TB minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 TB sweet curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped carrots
2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced
8 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups uncooked long grain rice
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
2 TB lime juice
1 14oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup flour
Optional: hot sauce

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts or cashews
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Method:

Melt butter in large saucepan (I used my dutch oven & glad I did) over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder and garlic. Cook and stir for one minute.

Add the carrots, celery, apples and 4 cups of broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions.

Puree soup- either by working in batches with a blender or use an immersion blender. Stir in turkey, lime juice, remaining broth & cooked rice.

Whisk the coconut milk and flour together in small bowl until blended. Add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes until thick, stirring constantly. Season to taste- add hot sauce if desired. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and coconut.

My changes- I used basmati rice- but I really couldn't tell that I had, so next time I'll use just regular rice. And I did only use 7 cups of broth- and still have oodles of soup. And the next time, I'll add a dash of cayenne and maybe a little garam marsala to add another layer of flavor. I didn't have the stuff on hand to garnish- but the peanuts would be nice. No coconut for me though- I love coconut milk but still don't care for coconut that much. Unless it's covered in chocolate, then I can willingly eat it.

Thai this one on

Two recipes to share- both of which turned out pretty good.

The first is actually more of a method than anything. A whole wheat tortilla topped with smashed sweet potatoes seasoned with a little cumin, black beans, a little salsa & cheese- baked until cheese melted- yum. Spice it up with some chipotle or a couple of shakes of hot sauce- I love the spicy sweet combo. Black beans and sweet potatoes are best friends.

The next one- Thai Chicken Saute from Cooking Light. This one's been marked for a long time- but gave it a go last night.

Thai Chicken Sauté

Use less hot sauce for milder flavor.

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag rice
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 cup sliced onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Keep warm.

Toss chicken with cornstarch and fish sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, and juice; cook 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Serve chicken mixture over rice with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)CALORIES 403 (24% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.4g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.4g; SODIUM 650mg; PROTEIN 42.6g; FIBER 0.5g Cooking Light, MARCH 2007

My changes- I made brown rice instead of the boil in the bag- (and by the way- those freezer steamer bags of rice are great in a pinch) and steamed some broccoli as a side. I used less than a pound of chicken and added more veggies, namely a sliced red pepper and carrots. I love adding more veggies- just love the extra color that it gives the dish. I was skeptical of sprinkling the fish sauce on the chicken- but it worked out well- oh, and I sprinkled the chicken with some Penzeys Bangkok seasoning & used sweet chili sauce, because that's what I had, and omitted the sugar. But, it came together very quick, in about the same amount of time it would take Thai Flavors to deliver- seriously! I do cook my veggies for a bit longer- I don't like them so crunchy.

And of course, I remember after I threw away the rest of the coconut milk that you can freeze the leftover milk. Next time, I'll remember! Enjoy!

A New Year & new start

Well, I know it's been forever since I've written. Now that life has gone back to a dull roar, I'll try to keep up with posting- if only to keep track of what I'm cooking. I looked on my computer at my recipe review file and found it was sorely empty for the past year- oh yeah, I ended up posting most of them on my blog.

So, as most of you know- I took the plunge into home ownership. We moved right before Thanksgiving- which moving before a major holiday and if one of your jobs is food related- I highly discourage. We are far from being completely unpacked. Between my crazy work schedule, being out of town for holidays and being sick all year (all year- no lie! I got a nasty cold from Abby) it's been a struggle. I was overjoyed last week when I found my favorite red skillet, which I packed into a box that did not have such skillet indicated on the outside listing. But, it's amazing to do laundry at home, run the dishwasher and I still get a little thrill when I unlock the door when I come home. And I'm not stressed about it- just taking it one thing at a time. My first mortgage payment came out yesterday- only 359 left to go.

My roomie's family have started their "biggest loser" challenge and I wish them all well. Having the support of everyone will hopefully make the journey easier. And, really it is a journey not a destination since maintaining that lifestyle is the key. Everyone stumbles, but the key is to get back and get going. I am lucky that I don't have huge issues with food. But, honestly, I hate being uncomfortable- if I eat too much, I know it right away and back off. And feeling well and healthy is better than a slice of cheesecake any day- trust me.

Well, since I've been under the weather, haven't cooked at all this week. And in preparation for the contest, we've taken up to restocking the freezer with some quick standbys. Take advantage of all of the great sales and stock up if you can. Weight Watchers have some really great new options- their breakfast sandwiches are delish and I just had their new chicken fajita pizza for lunch- yum. I started thinking about this week and I think in the mix is sweet potato and black bean quesdillas for tonight, a quick sir fry tomorrow and a batch of soup for this weekend (since I work Sat & Sunday with new products launching- yikes!). I got Camilla Saulsbury's new cookbook, Enlightened Soups, from the library and I may give the curried turkey soup a go, since we have a huge amount of leftover turkey in the freezer.

Should get this posted instead of wondering what else to write today. Got lots more to share.