Let me just begin by saying that I love cook books with pictures. Odds are if the book has a piece of meat with pretty grill marks, really shallow depth of field, or a cute title, I'm going to pick it up and take a look.
And that's what happened a few days ago at Barnes and Noble. I ran across a book called Super Duper Soups by Michael van Straten. "Healing soups for the mind and body," it said, as well as the deal-maker: on sale for $3.99 (I'm a sucker for a good deal).
Super Duper Soups is all about how your diet affects your health, your appearance, and even your mood. Then it goes on to recommend different soups to help cure your various ailments, whether it's a bad mood, bad skin, or lack of, uh, libido, let's say.
Having had two colds in three weeks (yes, you read that correctly), I decided to check out the immunity boosting chapter. The soup that caught my eye is called Vegetable Power. It's features vegetables that have allinase which, according to the book, "help boost natural resistance, attack invading organisms, help lower cholestorol, reduce blood pressure, and prevent blood clots." (page 17 for those of you reading along with me)
Sounds good, right?
VEGETABLE POWER SOUP
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
2 carrots, trimmed and peeled, cut into small dice
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 leek, finely sliced
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into small dice
6 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
1)Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently sautee the onion. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and sautee until soft.
2) Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well.
3) Add the rest of the vegetables, stock, tomato paste, and stir well.
4) Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
I could not for the life of me find a zucchini, so I omitted that, but I think everything is going to be okay. The soup is delicious. A little on the tomato-ey side, but that's okay. If you don't like tomato so much, cut back on it or even leave it out all together, if you're feeling especially bold.
And can I just say how much fun it is to chop veggies and watch them simmer? That might have sounded sarcastic, but it's really not. There's snow on the ground, it's three days until Christmas, and the whole process of making soup was incredibly cozy. Even though I was at work in the morning and did a lot, I feel even more accomplished now that I've made soup. Delicious and healthy soup, no less.
12/22/09
10/22/09
Chorizo and Lentil Stew
I've been meaning to make this recipe for awhile now (about two weeks, I'd say), but life kept getting in the way. And by life, I really mean "being sick and not feeling like doing dishes."
Anyway. Aric and I decided that we wanted to try chorizo, so we bought some, then looked up a few recipes. As always, I try to sneak lentils in there, because I love the taste (and lentil is a fun word to say). I also have a stash of dried lentils sitting in the cupboard, begging to be used.
Chorizo and Lentil Stew
INGREDIENTS
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, sliced
* 3/4 pound bulk chorizo sausage
* 5 ribs celery, sliced
* 1 cup dried lentils
* 3 cups water
* 1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until it turns golden brown, about 45 seconds. Add the chorizo sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in celery, and cook until the celery softens, about 4 minutes more.
2. Pour off any excess grease from the sausage, then add the lentils and water. Season with turmeric, curry powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
This is a pretty decent recipe. I cut the celery too big, so it didn't break down as much as I would have liked.
I think I would throw some chopped onion in there next time. It just needed a little something extra.
Also, I might try this with brown lentils. I used red lentils, since the recipe didn't specify. The red lentils work, but I find that when I cook red lentils, they break down very quickly - I simmered this for about fifteen minutes, as opposed to the recommended 40, and the stew ended up very pasty. The lentils lost their shape and almost disintegrated.
When all is said and done, though, it was tasty, filling, and went well with the loaf of French bread sitting in the cupboard, begging to be eaten. I also suspect that this will freeze nicely.
Anyway. Aric and I decided that we wanted to try chorizo, so we bought some, then looked up a few recipes. As always, I try to sneak lentils in there, because I love the taste (and lentil is a fun word to say). I also have a stash of dried lentils sitting in the cupboard, begging to be used.
Chorizo and Lentil Stew
INGREDIENTS
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, sliced
* 3/4 pound bulk chorizo sausage
* 5 ribs celery, sliced
* 1 cup dried lentils
* 3 cups water
* 1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until it turns golden brown, about 45 seconds. Add the chorizo sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in celery, and cook until the celery softens, about 4 minutes more.
2. Pour off any excess grease from the sausage, then add the lentils and water. Season with turmeric, curry powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
This is a pretty decent recipe. I cut the celery too big, so it didn't break down as much as I would have liked.
I think I would throw some chopped onion in there next time. It just needed a little something extra.
Also, I might try this with brown lentils. I used red lentils, since the recipe didn't specify. The red lentils work, but I find that when I cook red lentils, they break down very quickly - I simmered this for about fifteen minutes, as opposed to the recommended 40, and the stew ended up very pasty. The lentils lost their shape and almost disintegrated.
When all is said and done, though, it was tasty, filling, and went well with the loaf of French bread sitting in the cupboard, begging to be eaten. I also suspect that this will freeze nicely.
9/18/09
Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry
Ah, alliteration. Gotta love it.
So the other week I was watching Iron Chef American (it's a guilty pleasure) and the secret ingredient was coconut. The challenger is a master of Indian cuisine, and he was battling Morimoto (sp?), the Japanese master.
Frequently on the show they'll serve something that makes me go, "Ew!" But this time? All of their dishes looked fabulous, including the seafood, which I've never been able to bring myself to eat.
The dish that most caught my eye was coconut curry. Both challengers created their own versions, and they both looked so sweet-spicy-creamy-delicious that my mouth began to water. I knew immediately that I had to make some.
After hours of searching the internet, I was able to find a recipe that suited my needs. And so, I present you with Coconut Curry Chicken: Crockpot Edition. (I wish I could give someone credit for this recipe, but I lost track of whose it was and where I found it. If you are reading this and it is your recipe, thank you so much for posting it!)
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
* 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, more if desired)
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
* 2-3 tablespoons toasted flaked coconut (optional)
Directions
1.Heat oil in a medium fry pan.
2.Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides.
3.Place potatoes and onion in crock pot.
4.Place chicken breasts on top.
5.Combine coconut milk, salt, pepper, curry powder, hot sauce and chicken broth in a bowl and stir thoroughly.
6.Add to crock pot.
7.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
8.One half hour before serving, add peas on top of chicken mixture.
9.Just before serving, stir mixture thoroughly and sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using.
10.Serve over rice or Asian noodles, if desired.
I decided not to serve it with the flaked coconut, and it was great. Hardest part was not eating the food before it was ready. The whole house smelled of creamy, coconutty curry. I almost had to leave.
One hint, however - shake your can of coconut milk before you open and pour it. Apparently coconut milk seperates if it sits too long, and trying to mix it once it's in the crockpot is awkward and frustrating. Save your time and your sanity and give the can a good shake before you pour it.
So the other week I was watching Iron Chef American (it's a guilty pleasure) and the secret ingredient was coconut. The challenger is a master of Indian cuisine, and he was battling Morimoto (sp?), the Japanese master.
Frequently on the show they'll serve something that makes me go, "Ew!" But this time? All of their dishes looked fabulous, including the seafood, which I've never been able to bring myself to eat.
The dish that most caught my eye was coconut curry. Both challengers created their own versions, and they both looked so sweet-spicy-creamy-delicious that my mouth began to water. I knew immediately that I had to make some.
After hours of searching the internet, I was able to find a recipe that suited my needs. And so, I present you with Coconut Curry Chicken: Crockpot Edition. (I wish I could give someone credit for this recipe, but I lost track of whose it was and where I found it. If you are reading this and it is your recipe, thank you so much for posting it!)
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
* 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, more if desired)
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
* 2-3 tablespoons toasted flaked coconut (optional)
Directions
1.Heat oil in a medium fry pan.
2.Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides.
3.Place potatoes and onion in crock pot.
4.Place chicken breasts on top.
5.Combine coconut milk, salt, pepper, curry powder, hot sauce and chicken broth in a bowl and stir thoroughly.
6.Add to crock pot.
7.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
8.One half hour before serving, add peas on top of chicken mixture.
9.Just before serving, stir mixture thoroughly and sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using.
10.Serve over rice or Asian noodles, if desired.
I decided not to serve it with the flaked coconut, and it was great. Hardest part was not eating the food before it was ready. The whole house smelled of creamy, coconutty curry. I almost had to leave.
One hint, however - shake your can of coconut milk before you open and pour it. Apparently coconut milk seperates if it sits too long, and trying to mix it once it's in the crockpot is awkward and frustrating. Save your time and your sanity and give the can a good shake before you pour it.
Spaghetti with Sausage, Peas, and Garlic.
And speaking of sausage...
We did happen to have 1/3 of a pound of sausage leftover from our previous skillet adventures. About to go bad, I decided to use it up. I created a tasty dish which was heavily inspired by the latest issue of Rachel Ray's magazine, which features a really great article about pasta and various sauces you can make for it.
I decided to use spaghetti, since we have about three boxes sitting around. I was missing one ingredient for all but one of Rachel Ray's pasta sauce recipes - olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Super simple. 1/3 cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (I used dried, but you could certainly use fresh), and 1 tbsp. garlic. Plus a dash of salt. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, then toss with your pasta.
The cool thing about the pasta article in the magazine is that it included ways to customize the various pasta sauces and make them a little more exciting (in case garlic and EVOO aren't thrilling enough for you). The one that really caught my eye was the garlic and EVOO base with the addition of sausage, red pepper flakes, and broccoli. In true Katie fashion, however, I didn't have broccoli and had to substitute something. I settled on peas, because they're delicious and in no way resemble broccoli (which I despise).
Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage (mine was already cooked, but you could use raw), 2 cups peas, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes .Or 1/4 TABLESPOON, if you're like me and can't read. It was delicious, regardless. The red pepper flakes, garlic, and sausage played together so nicely.
And this meal couldn't have come together any easier. While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot, then combine the pasta and sauce with tongs. Boom. Done. Delicious.
Thank you, Rachel Ray, for being so awesome.
We did happen to have 1/3 of a pound of sausage leftover from our previous skillet adventures. About to go bad, I decided to use it up. I created a tasty dish which was heavily inspired by the latest issue of Rachel Ray's magazine, which features a really great article about pasta and various sauces you can make for it.
I decided to use spaghetti, since we have about three boxes sitting around. I was missing one ingredient for all but one of Rachel Ray's pasta sauce recipes - olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Super simple. 1/3 cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (I used dried, but you could certainly use fresh), and 1 tbsp. garlic. Plus a dash of salt. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, then toss with your pasta.
The cool thing about the pasta article in the magazine is that it included ways to customize the various pasta sauces and make them a little more exciting (in case garlic and EVOO aren't thrilling enough for you). The one that really caught my eye was the garlic and EVOO base with the addition of sausage, red pepper flakes, and broccoli. In true Katie fashion, however, I didn't have broccoli and had to substitute something. I settled on peas, because they're delicious and in no way resemble broccoli (which I despise).
Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage (mine was already cooked, but you could use raw), 2 cups peas, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes .Or 1/4 TABLESPOON, if you're like me and can't read. It was delicious, regardless. The red pepper flakes, garlic, and sausage played together so nicely.
And this meal couldn't have come together any easier. While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot, then combine the pasta and sauce with tongs. Boom. Done. Delicious.
Thank you, Rachel Ray, for being so awesome.
Sausage, Egg, Pepper, and Onion Breakfast Skillet
I believe I've mentioned it before, but Sunday morning breakfasts are a pretty awesome time in our house. It's one of two days when Aric and I can really spend time together, puttering around the kitchen, making toast and drinking coffee.
One of our favorite things to make is this hodge-podge of items we've always got in our kitchen: eggs (at 98 cents a dozen, how could you afford NOT to eat them), frozen diced green pepper (99 cents for a bag, and they last way longer than a fresh pepper would in my kitchen), onions, and bulk sausage.
First you want to start browning some sausage in a medium skillet. We started out using half a pound of sausage, but quickly discovered that not only was it expensive, but it was more than we could (and truly should) eat. So we've cut it down to 1/3 pound.
Brown the sausage about halfway and then add the chopped onion and green pepper. I like to let the green pepper sit out the entire time the sausage is browning because it's frozen, and I like to keep the cook time short. You could certainly use fresh, but I don't use them often enough to justify the cost.
In the meantime, crack and beat up four eggs. We used to do six eggs, in addition to the half pound of sausage, but again, quickly discovered that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Anyway, pour the eggs in and scramble them up. You can either season the eggs with salt and pepper before you add them to the pan, or afterward. I prefer before, but Aric prefers to season in the pan, and he's the one that usually cooks, so that's how we do it.
And if you're sitting there thinking to yourself, "What do you do with the raw sausage for two weeks until you use it up?" Well, we brown it all at once and then use it throughout the week. We're also thinking about portioning the sausage when we first get it home from the store and freezing the portions individually. I think freezing is going to work out for us much better, we just need to get around to doing it.
One of our favorite things to make is this hodge-podge of items we've always got in our kitchen: eggs (at 98 cents a dozen, how could you afford NOT to eat them), frozen diced green pepper (99 cents for a bag, and they last way longer than a fresh pepper would in my kitchen), onions, and bulk sausage.
First you want to start browning some sausage in a medium skillet. We started out using half a pound of sausage, but quickly discovered that not only was it expensive, but it was more than we could (and truly should) eat. So we've cut it down to 1/3 pound.
Brown the sausage about halfway and then add the chopped onion and green pepper. I like to let the green pepper sit out the entire time the sausage is browning because it's frozen, and I like to keep the cook time short. You could certainly use fresh, but I don't use them often enough to justify the cost.
In the meantime, crack and beat up four eggs. We used to do six eggs, in addition to the half pound of sausage, but again, quickly discovered that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Anyway, pour the eggs in and scramble them up. You can either season the eggs with salt and pepper before you add them to the pan, or afterward. I prefer before, but Aric prefers to season in the pan, and he's the one that usually cooks, so that's how we do it.
And if you're sitting there thinking to yourself, "What do you do with the raw sausage for two weeks until you use it up?" Well, we brown it all at once and then use it throughout the week. We're also thinking about portioning the sausage when we first get it home from the store and freezing the portions individually. I think freezing is going to work out for us much better, we just need to get around to doing it.
I'm giving my blog a complex.
Whoa, look who abandoned her blog for almost two months. Bad blogger!
I assure you, it's not for lack of eating. I've actually been eating some pretty tasty foods. It's just that life (what little life I have, anyway) has kind of taken over and made me not really want to make the clicky-clicks on the keyboard to talk about food.
And, in my renewed effort to keep this blog going and make it the best little blog ever, I am going to go through and clean up my ingredient tags. Nobody cares if I used salt - it's pretty much a given.
Anyway. On to the good stuff.
As a throwback to my last blog entry...yes, putting garlic cloves in the fridge helps them sprout. My garlics are growing quite nicely, with big green tops. What you are supposed to do is plant them in the fall, cover them with mulch through the winter, then harvest in the spring when the tops have wilted. Any time a plant comes with the instructions "harvest when tops have toppled" it makes me angry. I wish there were a more definitive sign than toppled tops. You can't measure topple. There was no Sir Isaac Topple in Renaissance Italy to invent some sort of measurement for the relative horizontal position of vegetable tops. So I feel that it's a terrible direction to give someone, "harvest when the greens have toppled." I have a tendency to think that when the vegetable top is point ever so slightly downward, it has toppled. I am, however, alarmist and generally bad at plants.
And, in further response to my garlic post, about chopping and saving my own garlic, I think it's cheaper to buy a big tub of pre-minced garlic. I can get garlic in a jar about the size of a pickle jar for about $4. Whereas I'd buy 4 cloves of garlic for about the same price, plus the cost of olive oil. And it wouldn't even last me nearly as long. The last big jar of garlic I had lasted me close to a year. Good cost savings right there, I think.
I assure you, it's not for lack of eating. I've actually been eating some pretty tasty foods. It's just that life (what little life I have, anyway) has kind of taken over and made me not really want to make the clicky-clicks on the keyboard to talk about food.
And, in my renewed effort to keep this blog going and make it the best little blog ever, I am going to go through and clean up my ingredient tags. Nobody cares if I used salt - it's pretty much a given.
Anyway. On to the good stuff.
As a throwback to my last blog entry...yes, putting garlic cloves in the fridge helps them sprout. My garlics are growing quite nicely, with big green tops. What you are supposed to do is plant them in the fall, cover them with mulch through the winter, then harvest in the spring when the tops have wilted. Any time a plant comes with the instructions "harvest when tops have toppled" it makes me angry. I wish there were a more definitive sign than toppled tops. You can't measure topple. There was no Sir Isaac Topple in Renaissance Italy to invent some sort of measurement for the relative horizontal position of vegetable tops. So I feel that it's a terrible direction to give someone, "harvest when the greens have toppled." I have a tendency to think that when the vegetable top is point ever so slightly downward, it has toppled. I am, however, alarmist and generally bad at plants.
And, in further response to my garlic post, about chopping and saving my own garlic, I think it's cheaper to buy a big tub of pre-minced garlic. I can get garlic in a jar about the size of a pickle jar for about $4. Whereas I'd buy 4 cloves of garlic for about the same price, plus the cost of olive oil. And it wouldn't even last me nearly as long. The last big jar of garlic I had lasted me close to a year. Good cost savings right there, I think.
7/28/09
Garden Plans
It's late summer and most of our plants have given us all that they have to give.
So now it's time to look to the future, plan an autumn garden, and think about next summer and what we'd like to grow.
I did some research and found that garlic, onions, and leeks grow quite nicely during the late summer. Squashes and other similar plants are also grow quite nicely, although Aric and I don't really eat those kinds of vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also possibilities.
For now, however, we are going to concentrate on the garlic. How awesome would it be to grow your own garlic?
I'm an avid fan of Sandra's Money Saving Meals (Food Network, Sunday mornings, check it out!). Sandra says that it's cheaper to mince and preserve your own garlic than it is to buy the pre-minced garlic from the store. I usually buy the pre-minced, so I'm thinking about pricing it out. Is it cheaper to buy a 99 cent bulb of garlic than it is to buy the pre-made? We shall see.
Anyway. Back to the garden. I'm researching how exactly to go about growing garlic. I know you plant one clove for every garlic bulb you want, but I'm trying to find out if you need to prepare the clove in any way. I thought I read somewhere that you have to soak the clove in water and keep it in the fridge until it sprouts little roots (something about garlic sprouting better in chilly climates). We shall see.
So now it's time to look to the future, plan an autumn garden, and think about next summer and what we'd like to grow.
I did some research and found that garlic, onions, and leeks grow quite nicely during the late summer. Squashes and other similar plants are also grow quite nicely, although Aric and I don't really eat those kinds of vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also possibilities.
For now, however, we are going to concentrate on the garlic. How awesome would it be to grow your own garlic?
I'm an avid fan of Sandra's Money Saving Meals (Food Network, Sunday mornings, check it out!). Sandra says that it's cheaper to mince and preserve your own garlic than it is to buy the pre-minced garlic from the store. I usually buy the pre-minced, so I'm thinking about pricing it out. Is it cheaper to buy a 99 cent bulb of garlic than it is to buy the pre-made? We shall see.
Anyway. Back to the garden. I'm researching how exactly to go about growing garlic. I know you plant one clove for every garlic bulb you want, but I'm trying to find out if you need to prepare the clove in any way. I thought I read somewhere that you have to soak the clove in water and keep it in the fridge until it sprouts little roots (something about garlic sprouting better in chilly climates). We shall see.
7/22/09
7/11/09
Lunch Today
This afternoon I decided to give my quiche recipe a whirl. As it baked, I made myself some lunch with the leftover ingredients, since they were sitting out already. Sandwiches are boring, so I decided to make myself a couple wraps, just to mix things up a little bit.
Layer 1 - flour tortilla.
Layer 2 - basil mayo leftover from the burgers. I don't know about you guys, but when I make wraps or soft shell tacos or anything like that, I like to put a little sauce on the bottom, to kind of act as a glue.
Layer 3 - diced mushrooms. I'm trying so hard to be a big girl and eat mushrooms. It's slow going, though, since I still think they're kind of gross. I try to sneak them in wherever I can.
Layer 4 - baby spinach. And lots of it - spinach is one of my favorite vegetables, I think.
Layer 5 - sliced ham.
Yummy, simple, and filling!
Layer 1 - flour tortilla.
Layer 2 - basil mayo leftover from the burgers. I don't know about you guys, but when I make wraps or soft shell tacos or anything like that, I like to put a little sauce on the bottom, to kind of act as a glue.
Layer 3 - diced mushrooms. I'm trying so hard to be a big girl and eat mushrooms. It's slow going, though, since I still think they're kind of gross. I try to sneak them in wherever I can.
Layer 4 - baby spinach. And lots of it - spinach is one of my favorite vegetables, I think.
Layer 5 - sliced ham.
Yummy, simple, and filling!
Simon and Garfunkel Turkey Burger
In my crazed search for ways to cook ground turkey, I ran across this interestingly-titled recipe: Simon and Garfunkel Turkey Burgers.
These are really simple to make. Just blend everything together by hand (I'm getting less and less squeamish about touching raw meat!), shape into patties, and grill away!
Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of these burgers, so you'll just have to use your imaginations.
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL TURKEY BURGERS
INGREDIENTS
1lb. ground turkey
3 slices swiss cheese
1 tsp. minced rosemary
1 1/4 tsp. minced thyme
1 1/4 tsp. minced parsley
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1) Mince all of the herbs.
2) Combine herbs, worchestershire sauce, and turkey. Salt and pepper to taste.
3) Form into four patties and grill until done.
HELPFUL HINTS
Aric and I grilled these inside on the Foreman. We set it to medium heat, and they cook for about six minutes. It works out very nicely.
We don't have swiss, and I wasn't about to make a special trip, so I decided to whip up some of the basil mayo from my previous turkey recipe. Basically I minced up a bunch of fresh basil from the garden and stirred it in a few globs of mayo. Nothing fancy, just adjust it to your taste.
The mayo was a really nice addition to the burgers. It enhanced the herbs that were mixed in with the meat, and also added some moisture. The burgers themselves were a little dry, so perhaps next time I'll had half an egg.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this recipe, and I'm definitely going to make them again!
These are really simple to make. Just blend everything together by hand (I'm getting less and less squeamish about touching raw meat!), shape into patties, and grill away!
Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of these burgers, so you'll just have to use your imaginations.
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL TURKEY BURGERS
INGREDIENTS
1lb. ground turkey
3 slices swiss cheese
1 tsp. minced rosemary
1 1/4 tsp. minced thyme
1 1/4 tsp. minced parsley
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1) Mince all of the herbs.
2) Combine herbs, worchestershire sauce, and turkey. Salt and pepper to taste.
3) Form into four patties and grill until done.
HELPFUL HINTS
Aric and I grilled these inside on the Foreman. We set it to medium heat, and they cook for about six minutes. It works out very nicely.
We don't have swiss, and I wasn't about to make a special trip, so I decided to whip up some of the basil mayo from my previous turkey recipe. Basically I minced up a bunch of fresh basil from the garden and stirred it in a few globs of mayo. Nothing fancy, just adjust it to your taste.
The mayo was a really nice addition to the burgers. It enhanced the herbs that were mixed in with the meat, and also added some moisture. The burgers themselves were a little dry, so perhaps next time I'll had half an egg.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this recipe, and I'm definitely going to make them again!
7/7/09
Grocery List
Here's the meal plan for this week, so far:
Porcupine meatballs with some kind of veggie
Turkey burgers and some kind of veggie
Aric knows more about meat than I do, so I am going to consult his wisdom when he comes home. I can look at the sale ad and pick out the deals, but Aric is the one that knows if it's actually a deal or not. Regardless, there will be some manner of beef dish - either a slab of meat or ground beef in the form of tacos.
I'm in the process of finding some kind of main course egg dish to prepare. I am thinking something along the lines of a quiche or frittata. Eggs are cheap (98 cents for a dozen at Meijer), and I'm also looking for sneaky ways to put mushrooms in my food. I think that I like mushrooms, but I'm not sure. The only way I really eat them is in a mushroom swiss burger, and I know there's a much healthier way to eat them. I just have to find it.
And while we're on the topic of egg dishes are main courses...it's very difficult to find an egg dish that does not incorporate cheese or milk or cream or whatever other form of moo juice you can think of.
Thankfully, recipezaar.com has a search parameter where you can include and specifically exclude ingredients from your search. This comes in extremely handy when you don't want any kind of dairy product whatsoever. (and for those of you that think I'm crazy and should stop complaining, I dare you to go a week without eating any kind of dairy product you can think of. It's harder than you'd think)
Porcupine meatballs with some kind of veggie
Turkey burgers and some kind of veggie
Aric knows more about meat than I do, so I am going to consult his wisdom when he comes home. I can look at the sale ad and pick out the deals, but Aric is the one that knows if it's actually a deal or not. Regardless, there will be some manner of beef dish - either a slab of meat or ground beef in the form of tacos.
I'm in the process of finding some kind of main course egg dish to prepare. I am thinking something along the lines of a quiche or frittata. Eggs are cheap (98 cents for a dozen at Meijer), and I'm also looking for sneaky ways to put mushrooms in my food. I think that I like mushrooms, but I'm not sure. The only way I really eat them is in a mushroom swiss burger, and I know there's a much healthier way to eat them. I just have to find it.
And while we're on the topic of egg dishes are main courses...it's very difficult to find an egg dish that does not incorporate cheese or milk or cream or whatever other form of moo juice you can think of.
Thankfully, recipezaar.com has a search parameter where you can include and specifically exclude ingredients from your search. This comes in extremely handy when you don't want any kind of dairy product whatsoever. (and for those of you that think I'm crazy and should stop complaining, I dare you to go a week without eating any kind of dairy product you can think of. It's harder than you'd think)
7/2/09
Old Fashioned Strawberry-Rhubarb Crips
Free rhubarb is hard to pass up. Even when you're not sure what rhubarb is, or how to use it.
Enter Aric, and his greater knowledge of food than mine.
He knew immediately that you are supposed to pair rhubarb with strawberries, and that a crisp is the perfect way to do this.
Photo courtesy of Aric.
INGREDIENTS
Filling
2 pounds rhubarb stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1) MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 3/4 cup of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to the strawberries; discard any rhubarb juice. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla to the fruit and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
2) MAKE THE TOPPING: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the ingredients together until large crumbs form.
3) Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue baking for about 30 minutes longer, until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned. Let the crisp rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
I found that the hardest part was chopping up the rhubarb. It's long and fiberous - I think it's closely related to celery.
The results are most definitely worth it, though. The topping is wonderfully crisp, while the filling is tart and sweet and gooey and amazing! What's crazy to me is that you use a cup and a quarter of sugar, and it still tastes a little bitter!
The only thing that would have made this better would be a dollop of whipped topping, to help cut some of the tang of the rhubarb (which is, quite possibly, one of my favorite plants).
Another thing - this makes a ton of crisp. The recipe says 6 servings. I don't believe that for one second. You could very easily make this and take it to a potluck dinner and happily feed everyone there.
Enter Aric, and his greater knowledge of food than mine.
He knew immediately that you are supposed to pair rhubarb with strawberries, and that a crisp is the perfect way to do this.
Photo courtesy of Aric.INGREDIENTS
Filling
2 pounds rhubarb stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1) MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 3/4 cup of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to the strawberries; discard any rhubarb juice. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla to the fruit and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
2) MAKE THE TOPPING: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the ingredients together until large crumbs form.
3) Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue baking for about 30 minutes longer, until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned. Let the crisp rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
I found that the hardest part was chopping up the rhubarb. It's long and fiberous - I think it's closely related to celery.
The results are most definitely worth it, though. The topping is wonderfully crisp, while the filling is tart and sweet and gooey and amazing! What's crazy to me is that you use a cup and a quarter of sugar, and it still tastes a little bitter!
The only thing that would have made this better would be a dollop of whipped topping, to help cut some of the tang of the rhubarb (which is, quite possibly, one of my favorite plants).
Another thing - this makes a ton of crisp. The recipe says 6 servings. I don't believe that for one second. You could very easily make this and take it to a potluck dinner and happily feed everyone there.
Kidney Bean Curry
I have a confession to make...
I backslid on the meal plan. I blatantly deviated from the plan.
But I was so hungry, and everything else would have taken far too long to prepare! And I didn't even have to buy anything extra to make this meal!
And really, you should be proud of me. I researched this recipe and combined several to satisfy my taste buds. This is ingenuity, not impropriety!
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger over med-high heat until soft.
2) Add water, tomatoes, spices, and salt (to taste). Stir to combine.
3) Add beans and stir to coat.
4) Let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.
5) Serve over brown rice.
This truly is a wonderful "emergency meal." It doesn't take much time at all to prepare, and is very filling. Aric and I each both ate a bowl full and weren't hungry until the next morning.
I backslid on the meal plan. I blatantly deviated from the plan.
But I was so hungry, and everything else would have taken far too long to prepare! And I didn't even have to buy anything extra to make this meal!
And really, you should be proud of me. I researched this recipe and combined several to satisfy my taste buds. This is ingenuity, not impropriety!
KIDNEY BEAN CURRY
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger over med-high heat until soft.
2) Add water, tomatoes, spices, and salt (to taste). Stir to combine.
3) Add beans and stir to coat.
4) Let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.
5) Serve over brown rice.
This truly is a wonderful "emergency meal." It doesn't take much time at all to prepare, and is very filling. Aric and I each both ate a bowl full and weren't hungry until the next morning.
Basil Turkey Burgers
As I mentioned before, ground turkey was an incredibly good deal, so we stocked up. Now we've got five pounds of turkey in the freezer and no clue what to do with it.
One lovely solution is to make a turkey burger. There are about a thousand different varieties - I know, because I looked at most of them. Each recipe sounds incredibly delicious, but I kept running into the same problem - I was missing one essential ingredient.
I finally found a recipe for Basil Turkey Burgers. I've got fresh basil in the garden, so I thought, "hey, why not?"
Photo courtesy of Aric.
INGREDIENTS
1) I didn't include the mayo, because the mayo we have is...well...let's just say that we don't know how old it is.
2) I didn't include the tomato because I hate raw tomato.
3) Instead of milk (which we're also unsure of the age), we used an egg. Apparently eggs are good substitutes when you need a "binder." A word of caution - one egg is too much. Try half an egg.
4) I don't have plain breadcrumbs, but I do have Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. So tasty!
5) We cooked this on a Foreman grill. I believe it cooked for about 6 minutes, but don't quote me on it - Aric is the grill master.
The burgers were deliciously moist. The basil is adds a subtle sweetness, but is quite bold at the same time. I used a red onion, which gave the burgers a bit of a kick, but not too much.
I also picked some lettuce leaves from the garden, and the lettuce is a little bitter. It was a beautiful contrast to the sweetness of the burger.
When we make these again (which I know we will), I don't know if I'll try for the basil mayo. It was all so tasty by itself, I don't really think it needs another level of flavor.
One lovely solution is to make a turkey burger. There are about a thousand different varieties - I know, because I looked at most of them. Each recipe sounds incredibly delicious, but I kept running into the same problem - I was missing one essential ingredient.
I finally found a recipe for Basil Turkey Burgers. I've got fresh basil in the garden, so I thought, "hey, why not?"
BASIL TURKEY BURGERS
Photo courtesy of Aric.INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided
- 1/4 cup fat-free milk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 pound lean ground turkey
- 4 hamburger buns, split
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon basil. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill.
- In a bowl, combine the milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining basil. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.
- Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato and basil mayonnaise.
1) I didn't include the mayo, because the mayo we have is...well...let's just say that we don't know how old it is.
2) I didn't include the tomato because I hate raw tomato.
3) Instead of milk (which we're also unsure of the age), we used an egg. Apparently eggs are good substitutes when you need a "binder." A word of caution - one egg is too much. Try half an egg.
4) I don't have plain breadcrumbs, but I do have Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. So tasty!
5) We cooked this on a Foreman grill. I believe it cooked for about 6 minutes, but don't quote me on it - Aric is the grill master.
The burgers were deliciously moist. The basil is adds a subtle sweetness, but is quite bold at the same time. I used a red onion, which gave the burgers a bit of a kick, but not too much.
I also picked some lettuce leaves from the garden, and the lettuce is a little bitter. It was a beautiful contrast to the sweetness of the burger.
When we make these again (which I know we will), I don't know if I'll try for the basil mayo. It was all so tasty by itself, I don't really think it needs another level of flavor.
6/26/09
Adventures in Cooking - Glazed Chicken
It's about a week overdue, but I'm here to talk to you about honey glazed chicken. Aric and I had this with corn bread. I figured that with the amount of honey in this glaze, corn bread would be a nice match. And a nice match it was.
When I first read through the instructions, I was a little upset, because it said that I had to gaze the chicken every "five to seven" minutes while it baked. I thought to myself, man, that's too much work for tasty chicken! That and I don't have a basting brush.
Honestly, when chicken bakes for thirty, forty minutes at the most, it's not that big a deal. Also, I didn't need a basting brush. All I needed was a teaspoon, and it worked just fine.
INGREDIENTS
6 - 8 chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Place chicken in the oven.
3) Mix glaze ingredients together. Note: the glaze should be slightly runny.
4) Glaze the chicken at five to seven minute intervals.
5) Bake chicken until cooked through completely - between 30 and 40 minutes.
HELPFUL HINTS
1) I used chicken breasts, since I didn't have tenderloins. I don't think it made much of a different - just increased the cooking time. And, as a side note, the original recipe didn't include a cooking time, it just said to cook until done. I estimate that I baked my chicken for about half an hour to forty minutes, tops.
2) I lined a baking pan with foil, then put the chicken down. There was a whole lot of liquid floating around in the pan, and it kind of grossed me out, so next time I think I'll line the pan with foil, but then find some sort of baking rack to put the chicken on, so the chicken isn't sitting in all that fat..
3) Do not taste the glaze when you initially mix it. It will taste terrible. I assure you, however, that it will taste amazing once the chicken is done.
When I first read through the instructions, I was a little upset, because it said that I had to gaze the chicken every "five to seven" minutes while it baked. I thought to myself, man, that's too much work for tasty chicken! That and I don't have a basting brush.
Honestly, when chicken bakes for thirty, forty minutes at the most, it's not that big a deal. Also, I didn't need a basting brush. All I needed was a teaspoon, and it worked just fine.
HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
6 - 8 chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Place chicken in the oven.
3) Mix glaze ingredients together. Note: the glaze should be slightly runny.
4) Glaze the chicken at five to seven minute intervals.
5) Bake chicken until cooked through completely - between 30 and 40 minutes.
HELPFUL HINTS
1) I used chicken breasts, since I didn't have tenderloins. I don't think it made much of a different - just increased the cooking time. And, as a side note, the original recipe didn't include a cooking time, it just said to cook until done. I estimate that I baked my chicken for about half an hour to forty minutes, tops.
2) I lined a baking pan with foil, then put the chicken down. There was a whole lot of liquid floating around in the pan, and it kind of grossed me out, so next time I think I'll line the pan with foil, but then find some sort of baking rack to put the chicken on, so the chicken isn't sitting in all that fat..
3) Do not taste the glaze when you initially mix it. It will taste terrible. I assure you, however, that it will taste amazing once the chicken is done.
6/25/09
New Meal Plan
Alright, ladies and gents, it's time for the next meal plan. The last meal plan and grocery adventure Aric and I had lasted us two and a half weeks.
Admittedly, we ate out a few times. There's a new Chinese Super Buffet in town (their name, not ours), so of course had to try that out. It's really tasty - they've got five buffet tables, a sushi buffet, and a little cooking station where you can choose your meats and veggies, and they cook it for you (kind of like a low-key Mongolian BBQ). The highlight of the buffet tables - the frog legs. I didn't eat them (ew), but it strikes me funny that a Chinese restaurant would serve them.
But I digress. In addition to eating in restaurants, Aric and I went to Meijer in search of snacks last week. We got our snacks, and on our way to the checkout we saw that Meijer ground turkey was on sale - 10 for $10! It was too good a deal to pass up, so we bought five. They are currently sitting in the freezer, awaiting a plan. My vote is for turkey burgers!
The plan, as it stands right now:
- Crockpot Chicken Curry
- Black bean burgers (maybe)
- Turkey burgers (also maybe)
- Tacos (ground beef is on sale at Family Fare)
- Pork loin, pasta, and a veggie (pork loin was on sale - again!)
- Strawberry and rhubarb crumble
I know that a crumble dessert is not a meal, but one of the volunteers at AccessVision brought in a ton of rhubarb and said we could have as much as we wanted. Never having had rhubarb, and unwilling to pass up the opportunity for free produce, Aric and I grabbed some. I'm not sure when we're going to make the crumble - hopefully the temperature will drop and it won't be so dreadfully humid all of the time.
In addition to making desserts out of strange plants, I would eventually like to start making my own preserves. Our garden isn't going to yield nearly enough produce to preserve this year, but even if I have to use store-bought goods, it just sounds like fun. The idea of making my own preserves gives me the warm fuzzies.
6/20/09
Adventures in Cooking - Lazy Saturday Breakfast
I usually work Monday through Friday. Aric works Tuesday through Saturday. We don't really get a whole weekend to spend together, so we try to make the most of Sundays. Sunday mornings usually involve getting up around noon and making a breakfast buffet together.
We don't have this luxury during the week. Weekday mornings, we are lucky to eat any breakfast at all, much less a complete breakfast.
So sometimes on Saturday mornings, I like to sleep in a little bit, then shuffle around the house and make myself a little breakfast. Nothing nearly as extravagant as Sunday mornings, but definitely nicer than what I get during the week - nada.
This morning I made myself some scrambled eggs and toast, yogurt with blueberries, and coffee.
This coffee we got from Horrocks - the kind that you choose the beans and grind them yourself. So delicious. The coffee pot we have was made for one person (my parents bought it for me before I moved in with Aric), and on Sunday mornings we're usually too lazy to brew another pot, so coffee lasts us for awhile. The cabinet we store the coffee in smells absolutely wonderful.
Scrambled eggs and the last of the rye bread toast.
When I was a kid, I used to love eggs. Somewhere along the way, though, I lost my taste for them. I don't know if I didn't like the flavor, the texture, or was afraid that they were under-cooked. It could be a combination of any of the scenarios.
A few months ago, though, I decided to give eggs another try. Aric started me out with an omlette, since there is more going on than just eggs. I couldn't get enough. From there I graduated to scrambled eggs. At first I was wary of cooking them myself (again with the fear of under-cooked eggs - some things never change), but then Aric made me do it.
Guess what?
I cook some damn tasty eggs! I started out flavoring them with simply with salt and pepper. While tasty, I decided that it needed something else. One day I squirted some sriracha sauce on it. Now, I love me some rooster sauce, but that was too much! The flavor was too concentrated in some areas, and others had no flavor at all.
My solution was to squirt some sriracha into the eggs before I cooked them, to ensure even distribution of flavor. It's amazing! It adds a little bit of heat and flavor, but the eggs are still the star of the dish.
Soy yogurt with blueberries.
We don't have this luxury during the week. Weekday mornings, we are lucky to eat any breakfast at all, much less a complete breakfast.
So sometimes on Saturday mornings, I like to sleep in a little bit, then shuffle around the house and make myself a little breakfast. Nothing nearly as extravagant as Sunday mornings, but definitely nicer than what I get during the week - nada.
This morning I made myself some scrambled eggs and toast, yogurt with blueberries, and coffee.
This coffee we got from Horrocks - the kind that you choose the beans and grind them yourself. So delicious. The coffee pot we have was made for one person (my parents bought it for me before I moved in with Aric), and on Sunday mornings we're usually too lazy to brew another pot, so coffee lasts us for awhile. The cabinet we store the coffee in smells absolutely wonderful.
Scrambled eggs and the last of the rye bread toast.A few months ago, though, I decided to give eggs another try. Aric started me out with an omlette, since there is more going on than just eggs. I couldn't get enough. From there I graduated to scrambled eggs. At first I was wary of cooking them myself (again with the fear of under-cooked eggs - some things never change), but then Aric made me do it.
Guess what?
I cook some damn tasty eggs! I started out flavoring them with simply with salt and pepper. While tasty, I decided that it needed something else. One day I squirted some sriracha sauce on it. Now, I love me some rooster sauce, but that was too much! The flavor was too concentrated in some areas, and others had no flavor at all.
My solution was to squirt some sriracha into the eggs before I cooked them, to ensure even distribution of flavor. It's amazing! It adds a little bit of heat and flavor, but the eggs are still the star of the dish.
Soy yogurt with blueberries.I love yogurt, but as I've mentioned before, I have issues with dairy. I'm not lactose intolerant - I'm allergic. Basically what happens is if I eat too much dairy, I get a head cold that promptly drains into my chest. Occasionally I get an ear infection - it used to happen all the time as a kid, but not so much anymore. After my parents taking me to all manner of doctors around Michigan, we finally found someone who said, "hey, this might be a food allergy."
Long story short, we went on a crazy diet to test which common food allergies I might have, and dairy was the obvious culprit.
As long as I monitor my dairy intake, I can manage it just fine. Every once in awhile I make myself sick over a piece of cheesecake or something, but hey, can you blame me? Cheesecake is amazing!
But I digress.
Yogurt is delicious, but unfortunately, made out of milk. About a month ago I was cruising the yogurt aisle, staring longingly at the containers, when I ran across soy yogurt. I almost cried, I was so happy. Now I eat soy yogurt all the time. Sometimes I remember to take some to work for breakfast, and most days it is my "I've just come home from work, I'm tired and don't feel like cooking, but gosh darn it I'm hungry" snack.
We've got some blueberries sitting in the fridge, and in a few days they're not going to be good anymore, so I gave them a quick rinse and threw them on top. In addition to being delicious, and probably my favorite fruit, they are insanely good for you. Packed with anti-oxidants and everything wonderful in this world - there is no such thing as eating too many blueberries. I'm actually hoping to buy a blueberry plant for the garden, so I can just cruise outside and pick some of my own.
So anyway, that was my breakfast today. It was delicious, pretty cheap (the soy yogurt was on sale!), and I'd wager that it's even good for you. Go me!
Long story short, we went on a crazy diet to test which common food allergies I might have, and dairy was the obvious culprit.
As long as I monitor my dairy intake, I can manage it just fine. Every once in awhile I make myself sick over a piece of cheesecake or something, but hey, can you blame me? Cheesecake is amazing!
But I digress.
Yogurt is delicious, but unfortunately, made out of milk. About a month ago I was cruising the yogurt aisle, staring longingly at the containers, when I ran across soy yogurt. I almost cried, I was so happy. Now I eat soy yogurt all the time. Sometimes I remember to take some to work for breakfast, and most days it is my "I've just come home from work, I'm tired and don't feel like cooking, but gosh darn it I'm hungry" snack.
We've got some blueberries sitting in the fridge, and in a few days they're not going to be good anymore, so I gave them a quick rinse and threw them on top. In addition to being delicious, and probably my favorite fruit, they are insanely good for you. Packed with anti-oxidants and everything wonderful in this world - there is no such thing as eating too many blueberries. I'm actually hoping to buy a blueberry plant for the garden, so I can just cruise outside and pick some of my own.
So anyway, that was my breakfast today. It was delicious, pretty cheap (the soy yogurt was on sale!), and I'd wager that it's even good for you. Go me!
The Garden
I've written a few times about the garden, so I decided it was about time to introduce you two.
So I present, for your consideration:
Aric and I decided awhile ago that we wanted to try out hand (hands?) at gardening, but agreed that we're both bad at plants (among other things). I thought it would be neat to start out with a little herb window box, but as usual, Aric had bigger and grander (more grand?) ideas.
There's this book called Square Foot Gardening. You need to check it out if you are at all interested in gardening. Basically what you do is build a 4 ft. square box, divide it up into square feet, and plant within those square feet. That way everything is in one area (which makes you more motivated to care for it) and within easy reach (really great for people who are small or don't get around so well). The book even tells you how to mix your soil (a combination of soil, compost, and vermiculite) to get the optimal growth (Aric and I still use a touch of Miracle Gro every now and again).
Even with the direction of the incredibly helpful book, the garden has been a bit of a learning experience. For example: the book says you can plant four heads of lettuce in one square foot.
Ha!
We did that with three different kinds of lettuce, and they choked each other, as well as the surrounding plants. We had to rearrange out plants a little bit, and make it one head of lettuce per square foot.
Another note about lettuce: if you plant it, you are not going to eat nearly as much as you think you will. We planted eight heads of lettuce, thinking we would eat lots of salads. We have, to date, eaten about two garden salads. I would suggest planting one, maybe two heads, depending on the size of your family.
We also had a large tomato plant, a gift from a friend. The tomato plant is a bush tomato plant, so it quickly spread out and choked out our peppers. The friend who gave us the tomato plant (and who also has a bachelor's in horticulture, or something similar) told us to move the tomato plant into a bucket with holes drilled in the bottom. We did that, and it seems to be ok. It's even working on some baby tomatoes:
We're also growing some herbs. First up we have basil, which is really taking off. It's about 1 ft. tall. It smells amazing, too - peppery and warm and fresh. I love to go out to the garden and just sniff it - I'm sure the neighbors think I'm insane, but I don't care!
We've also got orange thyme, which smells equally amazing.
We've also got two kinds of peppers going, so we can make our own salsa. I don't remember what kind they are - the tags that came in the pots blew away awhile ago. All I know is that I can't wait until they're bigger so we can use them!
Mystery Pepper No. 1
Mystery Pepper No. 2
So I present, for your consideration:
Our Garden
Aric and I decided awhile ago that we wanted to try out hand (hands?) at gardening, but agreed that we're both bad at plants (among other things). I thought it would be neat to start out with a little herb window box, but as usual, Aric had bigger and grander (more grand?) ideas.There's this book called Square Foot Gardening. You need to check it out if you are at all interested in gardening. Basically what you do is build a 4 ft. square box, divide it up into square feet, and plant within those square feet. That way everything is in one area (which makes you more motivated to care for it) and within easy reach (really great for people who are small or don't get around so well). The book even tells you how to mix your soil (a combination of soil, compost, and vermiculite) to get the optimal growth (Aric and I still use a touch of Miracle Gro every now and again).
Even with the direction of the incredibly helpful book, the garden has been a bit of a learning experience. For example: the book says you can plant four heads of lettuce in one square foot.
Ha!
We did that with three different kinds of lettuce, and they choked each other, as well as the surrounding plants. We had to rearrange out plants a little bit, and make it one head of lettuce per square foot.
Another note about lettuce: if you plant it, you are not going to eat nearly as much as you think you will. We planted eight heads of lettuce, thinking we would eat lots of salads. We have, to date, eaten about two garden salads. I would suggest planting one, maybe two heads, depending on the size of your family.
We also had a large tomato plant, a gift from a friend. The tomato plant is a bush tomato plant, so it quickly spread out and choked out our peppers. The friend who gave us the tomato plant (and who also has a bachelor's in horticulture, or something similar) told us to move the tomato plant into a bucket with holes drilled in the bottom. We did that, and it seems to be ok. It's even working on some baby tomatoes:
We're also growing some herbs. First up we have basil, which is really taking off. It's about 1 ft. tall. It smells amazing, too - peppery and warm and fresh. I love to go out to the garden and just sniff it - I'm sure the neighbors think I'm insane, but I don't care!
We've also got orange thyme, which smells equally amazing.
We've also got two kinds of peppers going, so we can make our own salsa. I don't remember what kind they are - the tags that came in the pots blew away awhile ago. All I know is that I can't wait until they're bigger so we can use them!
Mystery Pepper No. 1
Mystery Pepper No. 2We also have some celery, lettuce, and a cantaloupe growing, but I don't have good pictures of those.
In addition to the edibles, we planted marigolds. According to a variety of sources, marigolds act as a natural insect repellent in gardens. Aric and I don't want to use any kind of chemicals in our garden (I was wary of using Miracle Gro, but Aric said it was ok). We also strategically placed the peppers, as those also act as insect repellent. So far we haven't really had a problem with bugs eating our plants - some of the lettuce has holes in it, but otherwise everything is safe.
I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to grow your own produce. I can't say if it saves you money - the cost of building the square foot garden frame, buying the soil components, and then the plants was somewhat high. But what you lose in cash, you definitely make up for in a sense of accomplishment and pride - especially if you are not-so-great with plants. It's amazing to walk out into the backyard and literally see the fruits of your labor.
And it's even better to eat them!
In addition to the edibles, we planted marigolds. According to a variety of sources, marigolds act as a natural insect repellent in gardens. Aric and I don't want to use any kind of chemicals in our garden (I was wary of using Miracle Gro, but Aric said it was ok). We also strategically placed the peppers, as those also act as insect repellent. So far we haven't really had a problem with bugs eating our plants - some of the lettuce has holes in it, but otherwise everything is safe.
I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to grow your own produce. I can't say if it saves you money - the cost of building the square foot garden frame, buying the soil components, and then the plants was somewhat high. But what you lose in cash, you definitely make up for in a sense of accomplishment and pride - especially if you are not-so-great with plants. It's amazing to walk out into the backyard and literally see the fruits of your labor.
And it's even better to eat them!
6/15/09
Adventures in Gardening - Strawberries
Just a quick note today - I'm not feeling that great.
Yesterday Aric and I did some work in the back yard (I didn't take an allergy pill, so maybe that's why I'm not feeling well). Aric raked and hacked off dead limbs while I weeded the garden. I didn't even wear my gloves!
Our little strawberry plant had four of the tiniest, ripest little berries I'd ever seen, so I picked them before they went rotten. While Aric continued to toil away, I quickly snuck inside to wash the berries and cut their little caps off.
I came back outside and popped the first berry into Aric's mouth. Then I tried one.
Have you ever eaten a strawberry fresh off the plant? Pure bliss. There is nothing in this world that can compare. It was so moist and luscious and sweet beyond belief - I don't know why, but somehow I had it in the back of my mind that the berries would be bitter. Not true at all.
Now I want to camp out in the back yard and watch the garden, waiting for the next little berry to ripen to perfection.
6/12/09
Adventures in Cooking - Pork, Green Beans, and Biscuits
Again with the sticking to the meal plan. It's almost like I'm an adult or something.
As I mentioned in a previous post, pork was on sale (a better deal than the steak all around), so we had that. Aric grills the pork on his awesome Foreman grill (it's red!) with mesquite grill seasoning. So tasty. I usually handle the veggies and the sides, since I hate to handle raw meat. For this particular meal we had green beans and drop biscuits.
GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER
This is a pretty simple way to dress up green beans. Basically I steam the green beans (usually for as long as the meat is on the grill - it times out really nicely). While the beans are steaming, I grab a heaping spoonful of butter and about a clove of minced garlic and sautee them up in a pan. When the green beans are almost done steaming, I dump them out into the pan with the butter and garlic and let them chill together for a minute or two.
DILL, RED ONION, AND CHEESE BISCUITS
(taken from the awesome everybody likes sandwiches)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup red onions, finely diced
1 tbsp dried dill
a hearty grind of black pepper
a large handful of old cheddar cheese
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2) In In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, red onions, dill, black pepper and cheese. Stir in the milk and oil and mix lightly until combined.
3)Using a tablespoon, drop blobs of dough on a parchment covered or silpat lined cookie sheet. 4)Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
Makes about 6 - 9 biscuits.
CHANGES I MADE
1) I don't have dill. Surprise surprise. I read somewhere, though, that you can substitute fennel seed for dill. I can't speak to the accuracy of that statement, but I can tell you that without a doubt, these biscuits were delicious with the fennel in them.
2) I can't justify buying a carton of buttermilk if I'm only going to use a little bit. If you have the same reservations, just do what I did: mix 1 tbsp. of white vinegar in your milk, stir it, and let it sit for about five minutes. It works the same as buttermilk.
3) We were out of shredded cheddar cheese, but I had some "fake cheese" (made with soy or whatever) floating around in the fridge, so I used that. Fake cheese tends to be less moist than regular cheese, but it tastes the same, so it was perfect in this application.
THE BOTTOM LINE
These biscuits are amazing. You have to make them. They are so easy, too, and they keep very nicely - for the past two days, in fact, I've been grabbing a few of them for breakfast on my way out the door (heaven forbid I get up early enough in the morning to have a proper breakfast before work).
I have to say that I really love being able to cook up tasty meals on something of a budget. It gives me an almost giddy sense of pride that I'm able to keep myself satisfied with very little money.
And, I promise, in the future I will take better pictures of my cook endeavors. It always bothers me when food blogs don't show me what I'm making, so I will try to improve up on that.
As I mentioned in a previous post, pork was on sale (a better deal than the steak all around), so we had that. Aric grills the pork on his awesome Foreman grill (it's red!) with mesquite grill seasoning. So tasty. I usually handle the veggies and the sides, since I hate to handle raw meat. For this particular meal we had green beans and drop biscuits.
GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER
This is a pretty simple way to dress up green beans. Basically I steam the green beans (usually for as long as the meat is on the grill - it times out really nicely). While the beans are steaming, I grab a heaping spoonful of butter and about a clove of minced garlic and sautee them up in a pan. When the green beans are almost done steaming, I dump them out into the pan with the butter and garlic and let them chill together for a minute or two.
DILL, RED ONION, AND CHEESE BISCUITS
(taken from the awesome everybody likes sandwiches)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup red onions, finely diced
1 tbsp dried dill
a hearty grind of black pepper
a large handful of old cheddar cheese
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2) In In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, red onions, dill, black pepper and cheese. Stir in the milk and oil and mix lightly until combined.
3)Using a tablespoon, drop blobs of dough on a parchment covered or silpat lined cookie sheet. 4)Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
Makes about 6 - 9 biscuits.
CHANGES I MADE
1) I don't have dill. Surprise surprise. I read somewhere, though, that you can substitute fennel seed for dill. I can't speak to the accuracy of that statement, but I can tell you that without a doubt, these biscuits were delicious with the fennel in them.
2) I can't justify buying a carton of buttermilk if I'm only going to use a little bit. If you have the same reservations, just do what I did: mix 1 tbsp. of white vinegar in your milk, stir it, and let it sit for about five minutes. It works the same as buttermilk.
3) We were out of shredded cheddar cheese, but I had some "fake cheese" (made with soy or whatever) floating around in the fridge, so I used that. Fake cheese tends to be less moist than regular cheese, but it tastes the same, so it was perfect in this application.
THE BOTTOM LINE
These biscuits are amazing. You have to make them. They are so easy, too, and they keep very nicely - for the past two days, in fact, I've been grabbing a few of them for breakfast on my way out the door (heaven forbid I get up early enough in the morning to have a proper breakfast before work).
I have to say that I really love being able to cook up tasty meals on something of a budget. It gives me an almost giddy sense of pride that I'm able to keep myself satisfied with very little money.
And, I promise, in the future I will take better pictures of my cook endeavors. It always bothers me when food blogs don't show me what I'm making, so I will try to improve up on that.
Adventures in Cooking - Shepherd's Pie
True to our word, Aric and I have been sticking to our meal plan. A few nights ago we decided to make Shepherd's Pie. It was a cool evening and we had some time to kill, so we went for it.
I know I usually save the rave reviews for the very last thing, but oh man - this was so tasty! It took a lot of searching to find a Shepherd's Pie recipe that didn't call for a lot of cheese poured over the top (which I really don't think is necessary).
(Please forgive the atrocious white balance
of this picture - I promise to do better next time!)
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds potatoes
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
3 onions
1 pound lean ground beef
10 oz. frozen peas
10 oz. frozen corn
1 tbsp. paprika
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch dried sage
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Boil potatoes until tender. Mash with milk and butter. Season with nutmeg. Set aside.
2) Sautee the onions with paprika. Add the ground beef and sage, cook until meat is browned.
3) In a sauce pan, blanch the frozen vegetables for five minutes in boiling water. Drain.
4) Spread a thin layer of potatoes in a casserole dish. Add half the peas and corn, then the ground beef and the rest of the peas and corn. Top with mashed potatoes.
5) Dot the top with flakes of butter, nutmeg, and paprika. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.
WHAT I CHANGED
1) While this is a tasty recipe, it needs a punch of salt and pepper. Salt and pepper the mashed potatoes, and salt and pepper the meat. It might not sound important, but it really is.
2) I don't have sage, apparently. Nor do I have good sage substitutes. I wasn't about to stop cooking in the middle and go buy some sage, so I thought about warm, comforting flavors that I like, and the first thing that popped into my head was thyme. It tasted goooooood.
3) DO NOT FORGET TO PUT THE POTATOES ON THE BOTTOM. They make a lovely crust, help distribute potato-ey goodness, and ensure that you don't loose any meat or potatoes overboard when you serve the dish.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The taste of this dish is directly proportionate to the ease with which is it created. For not a little work, you get a HUGE meal (this meal lasted Aric and me about five days) that is delicious and only gets better as it sits. This is one of those meals that I think would be fabulous to take over to someone's house - they'll think it's fantastic and that you slaved over it all day, when really all you did was throw stuff in a pan and bake it!
And who doesn't love to be fabulous?
I know I usually save the rave reviews for the very last thing, but oh man - this was so tasty! It took a lot of searching to find a Shepherd's Pie recipe that didn't call for a lot of cheese poured over the top (which I really don't think is necessary).
SHEPHERD'S PIE
(Please forgive the atrocious white balance
of this picture - I promise to do better next time!)
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds potatoes
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
3 onions
1 pound lean ground beef
10 oz. frozen peas
10 oz. frozen corn
1 tbsp. paprika
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch dried sage
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Boil potatoes until tender. Mash with milk and butter. Season with nutmeg. Set aside.
2) Sautee the onions with paprika. Add the ground beef and sage, cook until meat is browned.
3) In a sauce pan, blanch the frozen vegetables for five minutes in boiling water. Drain.
4) Spread a thin layer of potatoes in a casserole dish. Add half the peas and corn, then the ground beef and the rest of the peas and corn. Top with mashed potatoes.
5) Dot the top with flakes of butter, nutmeg, and paprika. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.
WHAT I CHANGED
1) While this is a tasty recipe, it needs a punch of salt and pepper. Salt and pepper the mashed potatoes, and salt and pepper the meat. It might not sound important, but it really is.
2) I don't have sage, apparently. Nor do I have good sage substitutes. I wasn't about to stop cooking in the middle and go buy some sage, so I thought about warm, comforting flavors that I like, and the first thing that popped into my head was thyme. It tasted goooooood.
3) DO NOT FORGET TO PUT THE POTATOES ON THE BOTTOM. They make a lovely crust, help distribute potato-ey goodness, and ensure that you don't loose any meat or potatoes overboard when you serve the dish.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The taste of this dish is directly proportionate to the ease with which is it created. For not a little work, you get a HUGE meal (this meal lasted Aric and me about five days) that is delicious and only gets better as it sits. This is one of those meals that I think would be fabulous to take over to someone's house - they'll think it's fantastic and that you slaved over it all day, when really all you did was throw stuff in a pan and bake it!
And who doesn't love to be fabulous?
Adventures in Pet-Ownership - Bringing Baby Home
I've got some catching up to do. Life got in the way a little bit, and this blog got neglected.
Here's what happened: my boyfriend and I got a kitten last week. We already have a cat, Peanut (11 months old), but we thought she might like some company. So we went to the human society and picked out little Caprica (originally named Peaches). Caprica is about three months old and a total cutie. Take a look for yourself:
What you can't see in this picture is that she has one little spot of orange on her forehead. Nowhere else.
Anyway, in our excitement to bring Caprica home, Aric and I neglected to research the proper way to introduce a new cat into a home that already has a cat. I knew that it was important to get a younger cat, so there wouldn't be dominance issues, but that was about it. Excitement took over.
Did you know that you're not supposed to let the new cat and the old cat meet face to face right away? You're supposed to shuttle the new cat off to the back bedroom and let the cats get used to each others' smells and noises through the door before they ever see each other.
Well...Aric and I didn't know that at the time. So we let Caprica out of the box and Peanut freaked out. It was a terrible first couple of days.
One week later and the kitties are already buddies. Just this morning I watched Peanut "kiss" Caprica on the head - she put her big paw over Caprica's little back and licked Caprica's head very delicately. I just about died, it was so cute.
So anyway, I've been busy with the cats this week. Really busy. And now that they don't require constant supervision (to ensure that they don't tear each other apart), I can go back to cooking yummy foods and then blogging about them. In fact, Caprica is sitting in my lap right now, helping me type!
Here's what happened: my boyfriend and I got a kitten last week. We already have a cat, Peanut (11 months old), but we thought she might like some company. So we went to the human society and picked out little Caprica (originally named Peaches). Caprica is about three months old and a total cutie. Take a look for yourself:
What you can't see in this picture is that she has one little spot of orange on her forehead. Nowhere else.Anyway, in our excitement to bring Caprica home, Aric and I neglected to research the proper way to introduce a new cat into a home that already has a cat. I knew that it was important to get a younger cat, so there wouldn't be dominance issues, but that was about it. Excitement took over.
Did you know that you're not supposed to let the new cat and the old cat meet face to face right away? You're supposed to shuttle the new cat off to the back bedroom and let the cats get used to each others' smells and noises through the door before they ever see each other.
Well...Aric and I didn't know that at the time. So we let Caprica out of the box and Peanut freaked out. It was a terrible first couple of days.
One week later and the kitties are already buddies. Just this morning I watched Peanut "kiss" Caprica on the head - she put her big paw over Caprica's little back and licked Caprica's head very delicately. I just about died, it was so cute.
So anyway, I've been busy with the cats this week. Really busy. And now that they don't require constant supervision (to ensure that they don't tear each other apart), I can go back to cooking yummy foods and then blogging about them. In fact, Caprica is sitting in my lap right now, helping me type!
6/8/09
Adventures in Cooking - Black Bean Hummus
I love beans. I love dips. The marriage of the two (bean dips) is truly a thing of beauty.
I ran across a recipe for black bean hummus when I was searching for a tahini-free hummus recipe. It sounded interesting (especially with the seasonings), so I bookmarked it for another day.
That day came this weekend, when I found myself home alone with a miraculously clean kitchen. I have about ten cans of black beans in the cupboard, because every time I go to the grocery store, I somehow forget that I have ten cans of beans and think, "Oh, I don't have any beans at home! I should pick some up!" Perhaps I am a compulsive bean-hoarder. I don't know. No matter, though - it served me well this weekend.
My boyfriend, who claims to dislike hummus, really liked this version. I hesitate to call it hummus, because it almost has the consistency of refried beans. That and my understanding is that one of the characteristics of hummus is that it has a chickpea base.
Whatever you want to call this dip, we can all agree on one name: Delicious!
BLACK BEAN HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 2 tbsp. liquid)
1.5 tbsp. tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Add all ingredients to blender or food processor; blend until smooth.
2) Serve and enjoy!
This dip has a really nice tangy kick to it - thank you cayenne pepper! I ate it with tortilla chips, although you could certainly dip veggies in it, or even spread it on a sandwich (which I sometimes do with regular hummus). Aric and I made tacos a few nights ago and served this dip on the side - it was the perfect compliment to the meal.
I did find, however, that the tahini (which I made myself) doesn't really add much flavor to it, or much moisture. The next batch I make (which I plan to gift to a friend), I will omit the tahini and see how that goes. If it comes out too dry, I will probably substitute more of the liquid from the can, since it has the wonderful black bean flavor in it already.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Quick, easy, delicious, and healthy. And boyfriend approved. What more could you want from a dish?
Adventures in Cooking - Tahini
Remember back when I made hummus without tahini, because I thought it was hard to find and too expensive?
Well...I found a way around it. As I was cruising recipezaar.com and allrecipes.com (my go-to websites whenever I want to make something new), I found a recipe for black bean hummus that included instructions on how to make your own tahini paste.
Of course I had to try it! By sheer dumb luck I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a batch. I think it came out ok - never having purchased tahini, I can't really say. The hummus was tasty, so I guess that's all that matters.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to...
HOMEMADE TAHINI
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup tepid water
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Pulse sesame seeds in blender or food processor until they become a powder.
2) Add oil, salt, and water. Blend until combined.
TH BOTTOM LINE
Sesame seeds and oil are not something that I regularly have on-hand. I happened to have them from a time, long ago, that I tried my hand at some manner of Chinese dish. I don't remember what I made, I just remember that I didn't like it and was stuck with sesame seeds and oil, which I thought I'd never use.
I'm also out of sesame seeds, so I don't think I'll be buying them again, because I'm not sure the tahini did all that much for the hummus. I'm sure it would turn out fine without, because there were so many other liquids (I will share the recipe in my next post).
6/4/09
Grocery Shopping Report
I spent a lot of money at the grocery store last night. A LOT. But we've got a lot of meat that was on sale, so we can freeze it and it will keep for awhile. We shouldn't have to buy meat for several weeks, if we play our cards right.
We made a few deviations from the grocery list, the most notable is that instead of the chuckeye steak (which looked weird), we got pork loin (which looked better, was cheaper, and feeds us for much longer than two steaks).
We got some asparagus, because Aric likes it (I can't stand it - reminds me too much of broccoli stems). We also got some tomatoes, so Aric can make salsa. It's so tasty - there is nothing better in this world than freshly made salsa. I don't know what it is, but you can really taste the freshness - it hasn't been cooked and preserved and turned into something that doesn't even resemble a vegetable anymore.
It's weird, because the more conscious I become of what I purchase, prepare, and eat, the less I want the products I used to consider staple items. Growing up, my parents were both busy folks, so we ate a lot of Hamburger Helper, potato buds, etc. And while I don't deny that Hamburger Helper is delicious (sometimes nothing hits the spot like a little potato stroganoff), I find that I really don't crave it anymore. The last time I bought it was when I moved into my apartment over a year ago (tuna tetrazzini is my traditional "move-in day" dinner). And potato buds? Can't beat homemade mashed potatoes.
The same goes for fast food. I used to get really sudden, intense cravings for McDonalds double cheeseburgers. Now, I wouldn't always cave into them, but once a week or so I would say that I ate there. Now? Honestly, I can't really stand the place. The only green food there is the pickles (which I despise). I eat at McDonalds (and other fast food places) out of necessity, really, and not for pleasure. That being said, I occasionally get a craving for french fries, and a small envelope of tasty goodness sates that craving for about a month.
I think I feel better now that I'm eating better. I don't get sick as often (provided I don't pig out on dairy), and I feel like I have a little more energy. I find that it's a little easier to get up in the morning (granted, I get up at 8:30 because I start work at 10am).
I simply feel like a better adult when I eat well. It makes me really giddy to fill my shopping cart with fresh produce. I feel like I'm doing something right, and it's pretty exciting. Ask Aric - sometimes I start dancing around the produce aisle at Meijer.
My only fear is that laziness will someday take over and I will revert to my Hamburger Helper, pre-packaged food ways. I guess I'd better pile on the vegetables while I've still got the energy. :)
6/3/09
Looking to the Future
I've gotten a lot better about shopping smarter (read: cheaper). Most of the things that I buy are on sale. I customize my meals plans around what's on sale, and what's a good deal.
But I think now it's time to kick things up a notch: it's time to start planning meals for the whole week.
Whoa! Crazy talk!
Nah. I've read in many different places that meal planning helps you save even more money than just throwing sale items into your cart (which has gotten me into a lot of trouble lately).
So here's my meal plan for the next week or so:
Turkey Meatloaf with potatoes and some kind of veggie
Jennie-O Turkey is one sale 2 for $7, and Freshlike frozen veggies are on sale 5 for $5. Can't beat that. I've also got a five pound bag of Yukon Golds in the pantry that I'll either roast or have Aric make into mashed taters.
Tacos
Ground beef, taco shells, and lettuce are on sale. We make two pounds of taco meat so that a few days later we can do taco salads - just throw some lettuce on a plate, pile on some meat, crumble up some nacho chips, and you're good to go!
Shepherd's Pie
Like I said, ground beef is on sale, so why not give it a try? It's also one of my favorite meals, ever since I was introduced to it at Disney World (no joke - I tried it in the England section of EPCOT).
Aric also pointed out last night that we never make casseroles, and maybe we should try.
Steak, drop biscuits, and veggies
Chuckeye steak is on sale. Aric tells me that it's pretty ok meat. I don't really know - unless it's ground up or chicken, I really don't know what's good and what's not, so I bow down to Aric's knowledge.
This steak will give us a good opportunity to grill. I plan to serve with frozen veggies (or fresh, if they're a good deal). And I recently found a recipe for red onion and cheddar drop biscuits that I'm antsy to try (even though it's got cheese in it, I can eat a little. I just have to not eat cheese a day or two before).
Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts, drop biscuits, and veggies
You know this big frozen bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts? Yeah, they're on sale this week. The other day I found a recipe for honey glazed chicken tenders, so I thought I'd give it a try. We should have some drop biscuits left over from the previous night, as well as veggies. And if we don't have veggies, I'll just march right out to the garden and pick some lettuce and whip up a tasty salad.
---
I am pretty excited about the Shepherd's Pie. It's my favorite comfort food.
Of course I am going to document my recipes and adventures, so stay tuned!
6/2/09
Adventures in Cooking - Greek Tomatoes and Beans with Pasta
I don't know how many of you guys are brave enough to admit it, so I'll go first.
I eat canned vegetables.
Not only do I eat canned vegetables, but...I think that canned vegetables can be really tasty.
Me, the girl who is working on growing a garden so she can use fresh herbs. Me, the girl who revels in picking through the fresh green beans to find the perfect one, because they taste so darn good.
But let's face it - life isn't always neat and pretty and orderly, and sometimes you have to buckle down and eat the canned stuff because that's all you have in the pantry that day.
Canned food can be pretty tasty, if prepared properly. Allow me to demonstrate.
GREEK TOMATOES AND BEANS WITH PASTA
INGREDIENTS
2 cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
2 cans cannelloni beans (or comparable), drained and rinsed
1 lb. spinach
1 lb. pasta (penne is good)
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Boil water and cook pasta according to directions on the box.
2) While the pasta cooks, combine the tomatoes and beans in a large skillet. Bring to a boil.
3) Once the tomatoes and beans reach a boil, reduce to low and add spinach. Simmer for five minutes.
4) Serve and enjoy!
How easy is that? It's really tasty, too. And if you feel real squirrelly, you can add your own seasoning to the mix - sometime I add oregano and thyme.
If spices aren't your thing, you can add all manner of toppings. I like sliced black olives, crumbled feta, and pine nuts. Whatever you think is tasty.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Customizable? Check.
Cheap? Check.
Delicious? Double check.
5/29/09
Adventures in Cooking - Double Dumpling Chicken Stoup
It's been really muggy here for the past two days, so I haven't really felt like cooking. Turning on the stove or oven would be agony. And while we could have microwaved something, the idea of putting warm food in our bellies was 100% unappealing.
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
5/27/09
Adventures in Cooking - Hummus
I am a nut for garbanzo beans. Always have been, always will be. I suspect part of my love of garbanzo beans is the name - garbanzo. It's funny, and makes me think of Gonzo from The Muppets.
When I was little I called them chick peas, because I guess "garbanzo" was hard to say. It took me awhile to realize that the two are the same thing, actually.
I've also liked hummus for awhile. I found it in the grocery store one day and got really curious. It didn't look especially appetizing, but how do you turn down garbanzos and garlic? It's a match made in heaven, really.
Ever since I got my baby food processor (with the plans of making pesto - which never happened), I've been itching to make some hummus. All the recipes I found called for tahini, which is crazy expensive where I live. I can't justify spending that much money for a dip (even one that I love enough to marry). I mean, I could buy store-made hummus cheaper than I could buy the tahini, nevermind the rest of the ingredients.
So when I found the recipe for tahini-free hummus, OF COURSE I had to try it!
BASIL AND PESTO HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 oz.) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. EVOO
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine garbanzo beans, basil, and garlic in food processor. Pulse several times.
2) Use a spatula to push mixture from the sides of the bowl.
3) Pulse mixture again while drizzling in the olive oil.
4) Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Pulse until combined.
5) Season with salt and pepper.
6) Serve and enjoy!
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
This recipe needs a LOT more EVOO to really come together. I don't have an exact measurement of how much I used - I just kind of poured it in until the consistency looked right.
The hummus also needed a little punch to kind of brighten it up, so I squeezed in a little lemon juice - I squeezed in the juice from 1/4 of a lemon. It really helped everything go to a whole other level. It was complex without being overpowering or too heavy. Really tasty.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Easy easy easy to make. Relatively cheap, too. I plan on gifting this to friends, it is so easy and delicious.
When I was little I called them chick peas, because I guess "garbanzo" was hard to say. It took me awhile to realize that the two are the same thing, actually.
I've also liked hummus for awhile. I found it in the grocery store one day and got really curious. It didn't look especially appetizing, but how do you turn down garbanzos and garlic? It's a match made in heaven, really.
Ever since I got my baby food processor (with the plans of making pesto - which never happened), I've been itching to make some hummus. All the recipes I found called for tahini, which is crazy expensive where I live. I can't justify spending that much money for a dip (even one that I love enough to marry). I mean, I could buy store-made hummus cheaper than I could buy the tahini, nevermind the rest of the ingredients.
So when I found the recipe for tahini-free hummus, OF COURSE I had to try it!
BASIL AND PESTO HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 oz.) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. EVOO
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine garbanzo beans, basil, and garlic in food processor. Pulse several times.
2) Use a spatula to push mixture from the sides of the bowl.
3) Pulse mixture again while drizzling in the olive oil.
4) Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Pulse until combined.
5) Season with salt and pepper.
6) Serve and enjoy!
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
This recipe needs a LOT more EVOO to really come together. I don't have an exact measurement of how much I used - I just kind of poured it in until the consistency looked right.
The hummus also needed a little punch to kind of brighten it up, so I squeezed in a little lemon juice - I squeezed in the juice from 1/4 of a lemon. It really helped everything go to a whole other level. It was complex without being overpowering or too heavy. Really tasty.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Easy easy easy to make. Relatively cheap, too. I plan on gifting this to friends, it is so easy and delicious.
Adventures in Cooking - Salad Dressing
My boyfriend and I decided to try our hands at gardening. I don't rightly recall the reason - I think it just seemed like a good idea at the time.
I won't speak for Aric, but I am notoriously bad at plants. I try to take care of plants and they die. I leave plants alone and they die. It's frustrating, to say the least.
Aric found this really cool book called Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It is about the best thing ever. Basically what you do is build a 4' square box, then divide it up into square feet, and plant in each square foot. You get a lot of crops in a conveniently small space (it's also great because you don't have to lean way over to weed or harvest or anything).
We've got a nice variety of plants: tomatoes, a few kinds of peppers, cantaloupe, strawberries, basil, thyme, celery, and about three kinds of lettuce. The lettuce is growing like MAD, so we picked off some of the largest, outer-most leaves and had ourselves a salad.
In my last post I believe I said that I wanted to make a salad dressing for this particular salad, so that's what I did. I spent about half an hour looking for salad dressings that didn't start off with "1 cup mayo" or "1 cup sugar" - a dairy allergy is bad enough, but I don't need to hopped up on sugar to boot.
Thankfully, other cooks out there feel similarly, and I was able to find a variety of dairy-and-sugar-free salad dressings. (isn't that how it should be anyway?)
"SIMPLE SICILIAN" SALAD DRESSING
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. EVOO
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; pour over salad.
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
I think I added a little lemon juice. It just needed a little bit more of a zing to it (becaue somehow vinegar isn't "zing-y" enough for me).
I also think I would go a little easier on the oregano, or at least use fresh stuff. The dried flakes just looked kind of unappetizing floating on the top of the mixture. It didn't look bad on the salad, so I guess that's something.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Bottled salad dressing is SO last week.
I won't speak for Aric, but I am notoriously bad at plants. I try to take care of plants and they die. I leave plants alone and they die. It's frustrating, to say the least.
Aric found this really cool book called Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It is about the best thing ever. Basically what you do is build a 4' square box, then divide it up into square feet, and plant in each square foot. You get a lot of crops in a conveniently small space (it's also great because you don't have to lean way over to weed or harvest or anything).
We've got a nice variety of plants: tomatoes, a few kinds of peppers, cantaloupe, strawberries, basil, thyme, celery, and about three kinds of lettuce. The lettuce is growing like MAD, so we picked off some of the largest, outer-most leaves and had ourselves a salad.
In my last post I believe I said that I wanted to make a salad dressing for this particular salad, so that's what I did. I spent about half an hour looking for salad dressings that didn't start off with "1 cup mayo" or "1 cup sugar" - a dairy allergy is bad enough, but I don't need to hopped up on sugar to boot.
Thankfully, other cooks out there feel similarly, and I was able to find a variety of dairy-and-sugar-free salad dressings. (isn't that how it should be anyway?)
"SIMPLE SICILIAN" SALAD DRESSING
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. EVOO
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; pour over salad.
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
I think I added a little lemon juice. It just needed a little bit more of a zing to it (becaue somehow vinegar isn't "zing-y" enough for me).
I also think I would go a little easier on the oregano, or at least use fresh stuff. The dried flakes just looked kind of unappetizing floating on the top of the mixture. It didn't look bad on the salad, so I guess that's something.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Bottled salad dressing is SO last week.
5/25/09
Adventures in Cooking - Fruit Salad
I used to watch Pee Wee's Playhouse all the time as a kid. I don't watch it anymore, but that's because I don't own any episodes. If I could afford to buy a box set, I totally would. I loved that show like no other.
My most vivid memory of Pee Wee's Playhouse was the episode where Pee Wee was having a sleepover with all of his friends. They were all eating fruit salad, and enjoying it very much.
"I love fruit salad!" exclaimed Pee Wee.
"Well, why don't you marry it?" was the traditional response to such a statement.
Instead of laughing it off, Pee Wee looked right into the camera and said, "I think I will!"
Cut to a shot of an impromptu, but lavish, wedding ceremony between Pee Wee and his beloved fruit salad. The fruit salad had a veil and everything. I don't remember who was officiating the ceremony - I think it might have been Cowboy Curtis.
My love of fruit salad rivals that of Pee Wee's love. And I'm not talking about that fruit cocktail crap that comes in the can, where all the fruit is mushy and it floats around in that disgusting syrup. Although I did love it as a kid (my brother and I always fought over who got the last cherry), my tastes and nutritional concerns have changed somewhat.
Aric and I make fruit salad about once a week. We go to Horrocks and stock up on all the supplies - I can make fruit salad for under $10 at most, and it will last a week or so. It's taken us a few months to perfect the ingredients, but we've got it down.
FRUIT SALAD
INGREDIENTS
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Blueberries
Red/purple grapes
Pineapple
A NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
I'm not including amounts, because it varies depending what's on sale. Usually, though, we use on cantaloupe, two pints of strawberries, two pints of blueberries, one bag of grapes, and one column of ringed pineapple.
We've found that if you let the fruits sit for a few days before you cut them up, they get all ripe and sweet. And if you let the pineapple sit in with the other fruits for a little bit before you serve, it sucks up the strawberry juice and becomes something truly amazing.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Chop all of the ingredients into bite size pieces.
2) Mix together in a large serving bowl.
3) Enjoy!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Super versatile - as are most of my recipes, I'm finding. Really fresh and delicious, too - Aric and I are actually trying to grow strawberries and cantaloupes, so we don't have to go to the store as much. So far the strawberries are growing, but the cantaloupes are a little shy.
I've found that I like to put some plain soy yogurt on top of my fruit salad (I'm allergic to dairy, otherwise I'd use regular yogurt). It's a nice way to bulk it up for breakfast. That and the yogurt mixes with the strawberry juice really beautifully.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Aric and I "harvested" some lettuce from our little garden, so I'm looking up tasty salad dressing recipes. I can't bear to put pre-fab dressing on something that we grew with our own two hands.
I'm also hoping to find a yummy pasta salad recipe, one that hopefully includes beans. I'm trying to eat more beans because they're good for you, they're cheap, and they're just plain tasty.
My most vivid memory of Pee Wee's Playhouse was the episode where Pee Wee was having a sleepover with all of his friends. They were all eating fruit salad, and enjoying it very much.
"I love fruit salad!" exclaimed Pee Wee.
"Well, why don't you marry it?" was the traditional response to such a statement.
Instead of laughing it off, Pee Wee looked right into the camera and said, "I think I will!"
Cut to a shot of an impromptu, but lavish, wedding ceremony between Pee Wee and his beloved fruit salad. The fruit salad had a veil and everything. I don't remember who was officiating the ceremony - I think it might have been Cowboy Curtis.
My love of fruit salad rivals that of Pee Wee's love. And I'm not talking about that fruit cocktail crap that comes in the can, where all the fruit is mushy and it floats around in that disgusting syrup. Although I did love it as a kid (my brother and I always fought over who got the last cherry), my tastes and nutritional concerns have changed somewhat.
Aric and I make fruit salad about once a week. We go to Horrocks and stock up on all the supplies - I can make fruit salad for under $10 at most, and it will last a week or so. It's taken us a few months to perfect the ingredients, but we've got it down.
FRUIT SALAD
INGREDIENTS
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Blueberries
Red/purple grapes
Pineapple
A NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
I'm not including amounts, because it varies depending what's on sale. Usually, though, we use on cantaloupe, two pints of strawberries, two pints of blueberries, one bag of grapes, and one column of ringed pineapple.
We've found that if you let the fruits sit for a few days before you cut them up, they get all ripe and sweet. And if you let the pineapple sit in with the other fruits for a little bit before you serve, it sucks up the strawberry juice and becomes something truly amazing.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Chop all of the ingredients into bite size pieces.
2) Mix together in a large serving bowl.
3) Enjoy!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Super versatile - as are most of my recipes, I'm finding. Really fresh and delicious, too - Aric and I are actually trying to grow strawberries and cantaloupes, so we don't have to go to the store as much. So far the strawberries are growing, but the cantaloupes are a little shy.
I've found that I like to put some plain soy yogurt on top of my fruit salad (I'm allergic to dairy, otherwise I'd use regular yogurt). It's a nice way to bulk it up for breakfast. That and the yogurt mixes with the strawberry juice really beautifully.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Aric and I "harvested" some lettuce from our little garden, so I'm looking up tasty salad dressing recipes. I can't bear to put pre-fab dressing on something that we grew with our own two hands.
I'm also hoping to find a yummy pasta salad recipe, one that hopefully includes beans. I'm trying to eat more beans because they're good for you, they're cheap, and they're just plain tasty.
Adventures in Cooking - Garlic Bread
I wanted to challenge myself with this blog to cook something new everyday and write about it.
Well...yesterday wasn't that great, kitchen-wise. I spent some time cleaning all of the dishes that had piled up - as much as I love cooking, I hate the cleanup.
Dinner came around and Aric wanted to grill. We picked up some ribeye steaks from Meijer super cheap, and asparagus was on sale, so he grilled those. Tried a steak rub from Rachel Ray's magazine and it wasn't that great. Aric grilled the asparagus in garlic butter, which is apparently delicious. I don't know. Asparagus reminds me too much of broccoli stems, something that I am none too fond of.
My job was to bake some garlic bread. Normally I'm really great at it, but this was not my day. I stepped on SOMETHING super sharp and cut my foot open (normally I wear my slippers in the kitchen, but this was the one day that I didn't). While I was doctoring my foot, the garlic bread burned. I had just turned the broiler on to crisp up the cheese, and in my attempts to fix my foot, the bread burned in a really nasty way.
Aric ate the bread, and he said it tasted ok. I was too upset to really try it.
At any rate, it's a good recipe, when you're not bleeding all over the place. So I'll share it.
GARLIC BREAD
1 loaf french bread (I use whole grain french bread)
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
Parsley
Cheese (optional)
A NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
I usually eyeball this recipe. The amount of butter I use depends on two things: the amount of bread I'm using (I usually only do half a loaf, since it's just the two of us), and how big the stick of butter is at that point in time. I'd say I use about 1/4 stick of butter for half of the bread, but again, it all depends on how much I want and (more importantly) how much I've got left.
The same goes for the garlic and parsley. I just kind of add until it looks right. Admittedly, I am garlic-happy, so I probably add more than the average human being.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Slice bread in half, then in half again, horizontally.
3) Soften butter in microwave (about 10 seconds).
4) Stir in garlic and parsley.
5) Spread butter on bread, coating evenly.
6) Bake bread in oven for about 10 minutes, or until butter is melted and bread is slightly crispy.
7) If desired, add shredded cheese and put under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
8) Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
THE BOTTOM LINE
What's nice about this recipe is that it's easy, delicious, and versatile. You can use as much or as little butter and garlic as you like. You can use fancy cheese to top it, if you like. Sometimes I use fancy garlic cheeses from Horrocks. Last night I tried pepper corn cheese - it might have been delicious in another life.
I can sum up my feelings about this garlic bread in one sentence: I will never use frozen, store-bought garlic bread ever again.
And that's all that really needs to be said, I think.
Well...yesterday wasn't that great, kitchen-wise. I spent some time cleaning all of the dishes that had piled up - as much as I love cooking, I hate the cleanup.
Dinner came around and Aric wanted to grill. We picked up some ribeye steaks from Meijer super cheap, and asparagus was on sale, so he grilled those. Tried a steak rub from Rachel Ray's magazine and it wasn't that great. Aric grilled the asparagus in garlic butter, which is apparently delicious. I don't know. Asparagus reminds me too much of broccoli stems, something that I am none too fond of.
My job was to bake some garlic bread. Normally I'm really great at it, but this was not my day. I stepped on SOMETHING super sharp and cut my foot open (normally I wear my slippers in the kitchen, but this was the one day that I didn't). While I was doctoring my foot, the garlic bread burned. I had just turned the broiler on to crisp up the cheese, and in my attempts to fix my foot, the bread burned in a really nasty way.
Aric ate the bread, and he said it tasted ok. I was too upset to really try it.
At any rate, it's a good recipe, when you're not bleeding all over the place. So I'll share it.
GARLIC BREAD
1 loaf french bread (I use whole grain french bread)
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
Parsley
Cheese (optional)
A NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
I usually eyeball this recipe. The amount of butter I use depends on two things: the amount of bread I'm using (I usually only do half a loaf, since it's just the two of us), and how big the stick of butter is at that point in time. I'd say I use about 1/4 stick of butter for half of the bread, but again, it all depends on how much I want and (more importantly) how much I've got left.
The same goes for the garlic and parsley. I just kind of add until it looks right. Admittedly, I am garlic-happy, so I probably add more than the average human being.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Slice bread in half, then in half again, horizontally.
3) Soften butter in microwave (about 10 seconds).
4) Stir in garlic and parsley.
5) Spread butter on bread, coating evenly.
6) Bake bread in oven for about 10 minutes, or until butter is melted and bread is slightly crispy.
7) If desired, add shredded cheese and put under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
8) Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
THE BOTTOM LINE
What's nice about this recipe is that it's easy, delicious, and versatile. You can use as much or as little butter and garlic as you like. You can use fancy cheese to top it, if you like. Sometimes I use fancy garlic cheeses from Horrocks. Last night I tried pepper corn cheese - it might have been delicious in another life.
I can sum up my feelings about this garlic bread in one sentence: I will never use frozen, store-bought garlic bread ever again.
And that's all that really needs to be said, I think.
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