Chocolate for Dinner

White belt cake

2013-11-27T08:53:00.001-05:00

Julian received his white belt in Tae Kwon Do and convinced me we should celebrate every new belt with a cake of corresponding color! Yummy idea!

Julian's breakfast of champions

2013-11-27T08:46:00.001-05:00

Julian is home for Thanksgiving break today. His breakfast of choice was hot chocolate and seaweed...

Spanish tomato bread with Jamón Serrano

2012-06-24T14:28:00.002-04:00

For lunch we used ingredients from our local Farmers Market to make a Spanish tomato bread sandwich with Jamón Serrano.

Ingredients
Challah Bread from The Breadery at the Bowie Farmers Market
Tomatoes from the Bowie Farmers Market
Goat Cheese from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company at the Bowie Farmers Market
Olive Oil
Jamon Serrano from Spain purchased at BJ's

For dessert we had mini chocolate whoppie pies from the Stoltzfus Bakery at the Amish Market in Laurel (mint from the garden) Ed made homemade lemonade to drink.

Great summer lunch!

Ed's verdict: awesome.

Spanish tomato bread with Jamón Serrano

Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Tangy Summer Gazpacho

2011-07-30T21:18:00.003-04:00

The kids and I finally made our way home to DC last week. Getting back in my kitchen and cooking is high on my list of things to do. I even took the time to put together a dinner menu for nearly every day this week involving nothing but the freshest fruits and vegetables. I feel like I have been missing out on so much fine farmer's market produce! Another thing I "missed" while in Colombia was the heat. Its no secret that its horribly hot outside here (especially compared to Medellin's perfectly mild climate). One of my favorite dishes to make in the middle of such heat is summer's best friend, a cold gazpacho soup. I happen to make a pretty delicious gazpacho. And the best part is there is no cooking involved, just fresh veggies in the food processor. So, in order to beat the heat or at least give it a little competition I highly suggest trying this tangy gazpacho soup that incorporates a green pepper and a granny smith apple to produce a light yet filling summer dinner.

Gazpacho Ingredients
5 large Heirloom Tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 small Cucumbers, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Apple, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Pepper, cleaned and diced
1 Clove of Garlic, diced
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 cup High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Garnish
Bunch of Chives, finely chopped
Homemade Croutons (I used a sliced and toasted day-old french baguette)

Gazpacho Directions
Place tomato, cucumber, pepper, apple, and garlic into a food processor and mix well on medium until liquefied. (I had to do this in two batches). Pour soup into a large bowl. Mix in olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chilled. Garnish with chives and croutons.

Welcome Back Ed's Verdict: Fantastic and refreshing for a hot summer's day! The croutons add delicious texture to the soup. Yum.

Pepinos Rellenos: Colombian Stuffed Cucumbers

2011-07-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

Pepinos Rellenos or Stuffed Cucumbers are a traditional Colombian dish. However, the cucumbers used in this dish are not any type of cucumber that I had ever seen. This cucumber variety is native to Mexico and is often found in Central and South American dishes. (Click here for a picture). I'm not even sure we could find this species of cucumber in the states. Perhaps in the southwest, but I've never seen it on the east coast. To me it resembles a green pepper and has a similar mild taste. However, there is a subtle difference namely the extra soft texture of the plant.

When at the table I causally mentioned to my family that the "cucumber" was actually just green pepper with a fancy name, I was chided and assured that it most definitely was not a pepper. After tasting it, I have to agree. However, between you and me, in lieu of Colombian cucumber, I imagine a green pepper would work as a good substitute as the curry and cumin spiced stuffing and thick milky sauce is what truly gives this dish its zing. One of my favorite surprising additions to the stuffing is the inclusion of a half of a hard boiled egg holding the stuffing together on the top and bottom of the cucumber. It's a delicious addition to the mix of flavors. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe because it really is very good.

Ingredients

8 Large Cucumbers
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 cups of Milk

Stuffing
1 lbs Ground Beef
1 lbs of Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 Hard Boiled Eggs, cut in half
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1½ cups of Water
Cumin
Salt

Directions

Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and brown the ground beef and potatoes until throughly cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the stuffing becomes thick and well mixed.

Cut off the tops of the cucumbers. Clean out the seeds and put them in a large pot of water to boil for 10 minutes Add salt to the water. After 10 minutes, remove the cooked cucumbers and dry them off. Before adding the stuffing, place a half of a hard boiled egg on one end of the cucumber, then fill it with the stuffing. Once stuffed, place the other half of the hard boiled egg and seal with the top of the cucumber. Put the cucumbers back into the skillet and add the milk, butter, and onion on top to make a sauce. Put the fire on low and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with white rice.

Plantain Cake with Guava and Fresh Cheese

2011-07-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

Roasted Plantain with fresh cheese, guava paste, and arequipe

Colombian desserts most often include at least one of the following:

Baked or Roasted Plantains
Fresh Cheese
Arequipe (also known as dulce de leche or "caramel spread"
Bocadillo (guava paste)

And, if you are lucky enough, the dessert may just include all four. The first time I was faced with this unconventional combination was at Andres Carne de Res, a trendy, trippy restaurant on the outskirts of Bogota. I will admit that at first I was taken aback by the fusion of so many unique flavors, both sweet and savory. However, that was nearly 10 years ago, and I have learned to love the crispness of roasted plantains and the coalescence of guava paste with fresh cuajada cheese ingeniously topped with a portion of what is often loosely translated as "caramel spread".

In my mother-in-law's kitchen, the combination of plantains, cheese, arequipe, and bocadillo is very familiar, often served in the form of Torta de Platano or Plantain Cake. It is one of my favorite Colombian desserts. I can eat plantain cake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It seems to serve as a fine accompaniment with just about any dish. If you find the ingredients a little daunting, guave paste can be found at any Colombian Market. For those of you that live in DC, there is a Colombian Market and Restaurant in Arlington called Restaurante Monserrate where you can find all of the ingredients for this cake. Your local Latin Market may also carry everything.

I highly suggest you try the fabulous Plantain Cake recipe below that astutely combines all four of these popular Colombian ingredients.

Plantain Cake Ingredients

4 or 5 Ripe Plantains
2 Eggs
1 stick of Butter
1 cup of Flour
1 tsp of Cinnamon
4 squares of Bocadillos of Guava, sliced (found in Colombian Market). You could make it without if you can't find it.
Fresh Cheese, shredded (Mozzarella would also work) (enough to cover entire cake)

Bocadillo (Guava Paste) wrapped in a plantain leaf

Arequipe/ Dulce de Leche

Plantain Cake Directions
Peel plantains and cook them in sufficient water until they are soft. Drain water and and pure plantains. Mix in eggs and butter. Continue to mix well with a fork. Then add flour and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Grease a cake-sized pan and sprinkle with flour. Pour in half of the plantain mixture. In the middle of the cake, first add to the mixture the layer of bocadillo and then add the layer of cheese. Pour the remaining plantain mixture on top. Cook in the oven set at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let the cake set and cool for 10 minutes before serving. For extra Colombian-ness serve with a dollop of Arequipe on top.

Grilled Sea Bass and Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

2011-07-04T12:57:00.003-04:00

The kids and I are spending the summer in my husband's home country of Colombia, South America. In the month of June we spent most of our time traveling, site seeing, visiting family, and stuffing ourselves with arepas (cheese filled corn tortillas), various types of cheese filled breads, and my personal favorite- empanadas (think homemade hot pockets only much, much better).

We are finally settled into my in-laws place for the next month, and I am hoping that I might just get a chance to post some of the wonderful things we are cooking and consuming. I'm going to start with today's lunch, a grilled sea bass courtesy of my father-in-law. We served it along side grilled eggplant, zucchini, and onions. It was delicious and a lot of fun to make, aside from a small fire incident (which I feel added to the flavor of the fish). The recipe called for the fish to be grilled on a small fish-grilling board. However, shortly after the picture below was taken, the board caught fire. From there we decided the traditional way of cooking on the grill with aluminium foil would probably better suit this recipe.

Grilled Sea Bass

Grilled Sea Bass Ingredients
1 stick of Butter, at room temperature
3 gloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3 Shallots, chopped
1 Sweet Pepper, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper

Grilled Sea Bass Directions
Fresh fish works best. Cut small lines on each side of the fish so the ingredients better flavor the meat. Combine all ingredients above to create a flavored butter and spread evening over both sides of the fish. Lay the fish on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. Close aluminum foil and place on a hot grill. Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook for 20 minutes on each side or until flaky.

Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

Ingredients
Several Small Yellow Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions
Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker. Set the stove top on medium flame. Throw the potatoes in the pot, put on the lid, and give the cooker a good shaking to mix up the oil and potatoes. Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until the pressure cooker begins to steam. Cook for another 15 minutes or so still shaking the pot every few minutes so the potatoes don't burn. Serve with guacamole.

Homemade Traditional Guacamole

Ingredients

Avocados

Tomatoes, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Garlic, chopped

Green Onion, chopped

Lime Juice, 1/2 lime

Directions

Smash ripe avocado into bowl with a fork. Stir in all ingredients and serve immediately.

Ed's Verdict: The "Ed's Verdict" section will sadly be taking a respite for the next few weeks as Ed is diligently working away back home in The States. (Someone has to work and make money!)

Moqueca de Peixe: Brazilian Fish Stew

2011-05-23T09:46:00.004-04:00

Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian fish and coconut stew. It is a rich dish made with an assortment of your favorite fresh seafood. I prefer using a combination of both fish and shrimp. For this particular recipe I chose haddock and tiger shrimp. There are various ways of making moqueca. I followed an adaptation of my mother-in-law's favorite recipe, similar to one found in this edition of Cooking Light.

It is important to note that moqueca is traditionally cooked and simmered in a Capixaba Pan, a large dish made with black clay and mangrove tree sap. Since I don't have a capixaba pan (or even know where to buy one), I just used the largest pot that I own and hoped for the best. Even though it probably didn't turn out exactly the same as if it were made in the proper pot, we were satisfied with the taste. Moqueca can be served alone or over steamed rice.

This dish unites some of my favorite flavors- cilantro, coconut milk and fresh seafood- to create an exotic and flavorful meal. It's all made in one big pot and honestly not that difficult at all, I highly suggest giving it a try!

Moqueca Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Haddock, filleted

1 ½ lbs Tiger Shrimp

Marinade

1/3 cup Lime Juice

2 Garlic Cloves, diced

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ Onion, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 bunch of Green Onion, diced

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup Cilantro, minced

8 oz Clam Juice

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Coconut Milk

Salt and Pepper

Moqueca Directions

Create a marinade by combining lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and onion in a large bowl. Coat the haddock and shrimp with the marinade and store in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and set over medium heat. Add onion, red and green peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until onions until tender, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomato. Cook for several more minutes. Add ¾ of the cilantro (reserve some for garnish), clam juice, and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add haddock and tiger shrimp to the soup and cook until fish is done. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro before serving.

Ed's Verdict: It brought back memories of my years in Brasil. The fish was extraordinary. I enjoyed every second of the experience. Certainly a dish I would like to have again and again.

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos

2011-05-18T22:33:00.005-04:00

Recently, DC transplant José Andrés was named America's Best Chef during the James Beard Foundation's annual awards ceremony. José Andrés is well known in DC for his fabulous Think Food Group restaurants including Jaleo, Café Atlántico/Soon to be America Eats Tavern), Oyamel, Mini Bar, Zaytinya (my personal favorite), and China Poblano. Originally from Spain, José Andrés is responsible for some of the absolute best food in DC. In fact, as Ed and I have traveled around the world quite a bit, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that his restaurants have some of the best food ever. Period.

One of Ed's favorite Think Food Group restaurants is Oyamel, a funky, authentic Mexican restaurant in DC's Chinatown. Oyamel is well known for their creative and fresh dishes including red snapper ceviche, an acidulous baby cactus salad, and the renowned grasshopper tacos (or the equally titillating beef tongue tacos). But you don't have to be an adventurous eater to enjoy his genius- for just $3.50, his menu is full of ambrosial taco options, most involving queso fresco and fresh cilantro (ridiculously delicious homemade guacamole optional). They are truly some of our favorite eats in the city.

His recognition as America's best chef inspired me to come up with a creative taco of my own. Ground turkey cooked in a shot of tequila gives these tacos a genuine Mexican taste. It's my mini ode to José Andrés. That and any excuse to use alcohol in the kitchen ;)

Congrats to José Andrés and Congrats to DC!

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos Ingredients

1 lb Ground Turkey

1/4 Sweet Onion, diced

1/4 Red Pepper, diced

1 clove of Garlic, diced

1 shot of Tequila

Salt and Pepper

Shredded Cheese

Grape Tomatoes, diced

Squeeze of Lime Juice

Corn tortillas

Handful of Cilantro

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos Directions

In a drizzle of olive oil, saute garlic, onions, and peppers. Add the turkey and brown. Before the turkey is completely done, add the tequlia, salt, and pepper. Finish browning the turkey.

To assemble the taco, first warm the tortillas (we used corn tortillas). Then add the meat, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro. Feel free to improvise and add your favorite taco toppings. I didn't have any ripe avocados on hand, but if I did, I would have made guacamole.

Ed's Verdict: "It was a fun and refreshing way to enjoy Mexican food. You can't go wrong putting tequila on almost anything. I liked it."

Dinner in Spain

2011-05-17T10:12:00.071-04:00

We're back! Now that we have recovered from the jet lag, I am finally getting a chance to share some pictures from our trip to Spain. We had an amazing time! Spain is a beautiful and diverse country with a rich and tumultuous history full of art, culture, and food. We ate our way across la madre tierra, visiting Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, and Toledo. For me, Spain was an amazing source of culinary inspiration. The early morning's catch of seafood, crisp and colorful vegetables, and, of course, high quality ham abound. More than anything we were absorbed into Spain’s natural tendency for leisure. We spent hours wondering through old city streets searching for a quiet place to enjoy a bottle of wine, some delectable tapas, and pure relaxation. Ahhh the ocio!

Strategically we stayed at an apartment-styled hotel with a small kitchenette which allowed us to take advantage of Spain’s large and well stocked open markets. While we attempted to follow Lonely Planet and my faithful Rick Steves' guide when searching for restaurants, we often ended up getting lost in the maze of Gothic and winding cobblestone streets and dining in unknown, random eateries often hidden from the main thoroughfare. The quality of the ingredients and freshness of each dish continuously impressed us, each one seemingly better than the last. I am so grateful for such a wonderful experience, and I'm looking forward to recreating some of the dishes in my own kitchen.

Below are some pictures from our vacation. Perhaps you will even find some inspiration for your own dinner plans tonight. I suggest evaluating each dish, as I did while I was there, and imagine the ingredients you have in your kitchen that could produce a similar result with your own personal touch. Or you could just check out the pictures and imagine yourself eating it!

Buen Apetito!

PAELLA

Typical Paella Valenciana

Rabbit and Seafood Paella

Paella in Squid Ink

TAPAS

Various Pintxos (Bar snacks)

Assorted Stuffed Olives

Fried Anchovies

Marinaded Olives and Peppers

Grilled Octopus Stuffed Olives with Red Pepper

Salmon and Caviar

MAIN COURSES

Marinaded Steamed Vegetables

Shrimp topped Halibut

Cheesy Puff Pastry with Veal Sausage

Brie Quiche with Kalamata Olive Sauce

HAM

DESSERTS


Gofres- Spanish Waffles with Chocolate Sauce

Churros

Churros dipped in Hot Fudge

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich- Literally

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches are better dipped in Hot Chocolate

Easter Torrijas a.k.a. Spanish "French Toast"

Spanish S'mores on Steroids

DRINKS

Cava

Now THAT'S a case of beer!

Agua de Valencia

Hot Chocolate?

Spanish "Swiss Miss"

Dark Chocolate Milkshake

AT THE MARKET

Ed's Verdict: Ed says, "Spain has left a long lasting impression on my taste buds! I miss the ham and the wine dearly. I will forever remember the excitement I felt each time ate."

Which dish was your favorite? Which meals do you think I should recreate? Comments are much appreciated!

JUST FOR FUN

From Spain!

2011-04-11T15:08:00.002-04:00

Chocolate for Dinner is heading to Spain! We will be back in a few weeks with plenty of pictures and stories from our gastronomic adventure through the streets of the (other) motherland. Hasta luego!

Spicy Stuffed Angry Birds

2011-03-29T13:29:00.004-04:00

Like so many people with a touchscreen smart phone, Ed is recovering from an Angry Birds addiction. (Click here if you have been living under a rock and have no idea what I am talking about.) Since he uses his phone so often for work related purposes, I thought this whole time that he was just being a good employee diligently logging in extra hours. "What a hard worker he is!", I thought. However, I've just realized that instead of working, he was actually playing games on his phone, mainly Angry Birds. So, it got me thinking...

If the Angry Birds game was a recipe, what would it taste like?

I would imagine Angry Birds - the recipe- to be made with cornish game hens, not a large bird like a chicken or turkey. No, cornish hens seem more appropriate. And they would have to be spicy, really spicy. And pork would somehow have to be involved. After some more thinking, my Spicy Stuffed Angry Birds recipe was born. The Jalapeño sauce is adapted from a recipe out of a very old copy of Better Homes and Gardening. The stuffing is my standard- no recipe necessary- stuffing that I make for holidays. I love the way the jalapeño sauce tastes with the hens and the stuffing. If food could translate feelings, I would say these birds definitely taste quite miffed!

Spicy Stuffed Angry Birds Ingredients
2 Cornish Game Hens
pinch of Salt
Bunch of Baby Spinach

Hot Sausage Stuffing
1/2 lb Spicy Sausage
1 stalk of Celery, diced
1/4 cup Onion, diced
1/2 cup Water Chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of Mushrooms, diced
4 pieces of Toast, cut into small squares
1 tsp Dried Marjoram
salt and pepper

Spicy Jalapeño Sauce
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Ground Mustard
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
2 Fresh Jalapeño Peppers, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Ginger, grated
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Spicy Stuffed Angry Birds Directions
Prep cornish hens by washing them and patting them dry. Sprinkle with salt and place them in a baking dish. Stuff hens with cooked Hot Sausage Stuffing and cover birds with "Angry" Jalapeño Sauce. Place the hens in the oven at 425F for 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Let hens cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve on top of baby spinach.

Hot Sausage Stuffing
Brown the sausage in a skillet. Once it is brown, drain and set aside. Saute onions, celery, water chestnuts, and mushrooms in the same skillet. Add back the sausage. Continue sauteing for several minutes. Add the cut up pieces of toast. Then pour on enough broth to soak the entire mixture. Continue stirring and sauteing the stuffing until it is well mixed. Add marjoram, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes while you prep the hens.

Spicy Jalapeño Sauce
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until mixture is smooth and thoroughly mixed. Cover hens with mixture.

Ed's Verdict: He LOVED this recipe. Although, he thought it could be even spicier. For him, they were more like mildly agitated birds. But this is coming from a guy that orders his Rogan Josh "Indian Hot". Perhaps next time I might use 1 jalapeño pepper and 1 habanero pepper to make the dish even more furious.

Sunflower Asparagus Tapenade with Homemade Bread

2011-03-28T09:08:00.002-04:00

When we visited Germany a couple of years ago, we quickly learned the German word for asparagus is spargel. While we were there, it was asparagus season, and the word spargel was written in swirly letters on the chalkboard menus in front of every restaurant and cafe in southern Germany. Spargel soup, roasted spargel, spargel on toast- you name it, and they made it with asaparagus. The green and often white, herbaceous plant was the plate of the day in nearly every eatery we passed, highlighting the European predilection for serving regional ingredients. A hint of the Spargelsaison to come has hit our own local markets, and I couldn't help but be reminded of our trip to Germany and all of the inventive, asparagus-based dishes we consumed that week.

This recipe for Asparagus Tapenade was inspired by a similar one I found in a recent copy of Taste of Home, but of course, I adapted it and made it my own by adding tomatoes to give it a bit of piquancy and agave to add a hint of sweetness. And, considering we were having company over, I couldn't possibly serve Asparagus Tapenade on store bought crackers! So, I got out the bread machine and baked some homemade sweet bread.

If asparagus is one of those vegetables you tend to shy away from due to bad childhood memories (canned asparagus, anyone? no thanks!), pick up some fresh asparagus at your local market. Cook it just enough so that it is tender yet still crisp, and I think the flavor might surprise you. As Spargelsaison gets under way and those farmer's markets start popping up around you, give a new asparagus dish a try. I doubt it will disappoint.

Asparagus Tapenade Ingredients
3/4 lbs fresh Asparagus, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds (Pine seeds would work, too, but I had sunflower seeds on hand)
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Agave
pinch of Salt and Pepper

Asparagus Tapenade Directions
Boil asparagus in water for 3 minutes just to soften. Immediately drain and place in ice water. Drain again and place the asparagus and all other ingredients into the food processor and pulse for 1 to 2 minutes or until you reach the desired consistency. Serve at room temperature or chilled with fresh bread.

In my opinion, bread machines are great. I used to make fresh bread the long way, but with 2 kids those days are over. Having a good quality bread machine allows you to serve your family hot, fresh bread in a matter of 3 hours (with only 5 minutes of work!) It's basically fool proof and if your machine has a timer setting, you can time it so your bread is done baking just as you are wake up in the morning- There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of homemade bread! For this loaf, I used a sweet bread recipe and omitted the raisins.

Sweet Bread Ingredients
1 Egg, room temperature plus enough water to equal 3/4 cup
4 tsp Oil
4 tsp Sugar (I used agave)
2 1/4 cups Bread Flour (I use King Arthur)
1 1/2 tsp RED STAR Active Dry Yeast

Sweet Bread Directions
Layer all of the ingredients above in order in the bread machine. Select 1.0 lb loaf size and press start. And that's it! 3 hours later you will have hot, fresh bread. I love my bread machine :)

Ed's Verdict: Ed by default does not like tapenades because they remind him of olive tapenade, and he really does not like olives. Yes, I do believe our food preferences are 90% psychological. But he loved the bread, and would eat the whole loaf in about 5 minutes if I would let him. (What does that tell us about his psyche?) Next time I would like to try this tapenade with pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds, because I think the sunflower seeds made it slightly too salty. Either that or I should get the unsalted seeds, but I just used what I had on hand. Over all it came out pretty good. I think this recipe is a keeper.

Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza

2011-03-24T15:37:00.004-04:00

I am admittedly a pizza snob. If given the choice, I would rather not eat at any of the popular chain pizza places. I prefer gourmet, mom and pop-styled pizza that can be hard to find outside of Chicago or New York. That has led me to my extensive experience/experiments with homemade pizza. I would much rather make my own pizza then *cringe* order delivery. (See, I told you I was a pizza snob). When I make my own, I can control how much cheese I put on it. It's always hot when it "arrives". I get to decide the thickness of the crust and make sure that it is baked to the perfect crispness. The flavor possibilities are limitless- not dictated by how much I'm willing to shell out for extra toppings. And finally, in a household like mine, there is no big discussion about what kind of pizza we will order. 1/3 cheese, 1/3 sausage, and 1/3 kalamata olives? Not a problem! Thanks to our fresh produce from Washington's Green Grocer, this week I made a shiitake mushroom and leek pizza with extra cheese.Yum!

As for the dough, a couple of weeks ago, my friend and fellow blogger at Midnight Train to DC and I were discussing the legitimacy of cooking homemade pizza using Pillsbury Pizza Dough. (We threw down a pretty crazy Provence Herb Cheese Pizza made with salsa instead of pizza sauce). Occasionally, I make my own dough, but normally I decide on my dinner plans too late for that kind of indulgence. Although, if you are interested in attempting homemade pizza with your own dough, here is a good recipe. We, however, agreed that it was just fine to use ready made dough. To me it tastes better than other pre-baked pizza dough options. I have also heard that you can make pizza dough with a bread machine, but I haven't yet tried it. Maybe next time. What are your thoughts on using Pillsbury pizza dough in place of the real thing?

Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza Ingredients

1 can of Pillsbury Pizza Crust

3.5 oz Shittake Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1/2 stalk of leek, cleaned and sliced

1 cup Pizza Sauce

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

a few dashes of dried Italian spices (oregano, basil, etc)

Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Unroll Pillsbury pizza crust and using your hands, spread it out to desired thickness across the pan. Pour pizza sauce on top of the uncooked pizza crust and distribute it evenly. Add mozzarella cheese. Layer mushrooms and leeks on top of cheese. Dash a bit of seasoning on top. Cook in the oven for 13-17 minutes or until crust is browned to your desired crispness.

Ed's Verdict: Pizza! Who doesn't love homemade pizza? I'm sure some prosciutto or Serrano ham would have made this even better, but he really liked the mushroom/leek combo. And shiitake mushrooms taste awesome! I'm pretty sure cavemen ate lots of pizza.

Garlic Butter Scallops and Lemon Crab Dip

2011-03-21T10:45:00.005-04:00

Growing up in Indiana, if you would have told me that I would one day be making crab dip in my kitchen, I would have thought you were crazy. Being 500 miles from the Atlantic coast, Indiana doesn't see much fresh seafood. The only time I remember eating fish growing up is either at Red Lobster or Friday Fish Stick Day at school. I'm sure things have changed a little since then, but I doubt Indiana's seafood options are anywhere near what they have in Maryland. Living near Annapolis, we've been out to eat crabs several times, but I've never made my own crab dip. It's incredibly messy and involves a mallet, a sharp knife, and a bucket. Check out this video for an in depth explanation. It's quite a lot of work, but I've discovered that the taste is worth the effort.

Since crab dip doesn't quite make a dinner (although that is definitely arguable), I decided to pair the crabs with some fresh scallops. This Garlic Butter Scallops recipe is delicious and easy to prepare. They only take a few minutes to cook. In my opinion, scallops go well with light semi-dry white wines, such as a Riesling. I also served them with arugula, pears, and cheese.

Before we know it, it will be crab season here in Maryland. Dinner this weekend was just a small preview of the possibilities to come. Considering how time consuming crab picking is, I'm not sure how often I will be making crabs at home. However, as for the Maryland crab eating tradition, I think I've been converted.

Garlic Butter Scallops Ingredients
1 lbs of Sea Scallops
3 Tbsp of Butter
2 stalks of Green Onion, diced
3 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
Bunch of Arugula
1 Fresh Pear

Garlic Butter Scallops Directions
Heat butter over in a saute pan. Add garlic and green onions. Simmer for a few seconds and then add the scallops. Saute for a few minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Lay the scallops over arugula. Slice pear and place it on the side of the salad. Squeeze lemon juice over the whole dish before serving. I also added a piece of soft Swiss cheese.

Lemon Crab Dip

1 Fresh Crab! (cooked or uncooked...) I went with pre-cooked.

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Sprinkle of Paprika

Crostini for serving

Lemon Crab Dip Directions

Pick crab and reserve crab meat. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to crab meat. Mix together. Serve the dip on top of crackers or crostini. Sprinkle with paprika.

Ed's Verdict: He thought it was all awesome. I think he prefers picking the crabs himself at the restaurant. It feels more caveman-like. As for the scallops, we hadn't had them in awhile. They have to be cooked just right to taste good, and he agreed that they were ideally prepared. He also loved the taste of the pear and cheese with the scallops. And the sharp taste of the arugula really matched the soft flavor of the scallops.

The Otani Restaurant and Our Trip to Japan

2011-03-17T21:48:00.005-04:00

Ed and I are heartbroken over the events that have occurred and are still affecting Japan. I write this post with the utmost respect and concern. I encourage you to donate what you can to the American Red Cross or the international aid organization of your choice. You can also check out our friends' Katie and Masato's fund-raising page at Nakagawas Have Hope. They are hoping to raise a total of $5000 for Japan. Any amount you can contribute towards this goal would be greatly appreciated.

Next month, Ed and I were suppose to go and visit some friends of ours that live in Sendai, Japan, one of the areas most severely impacted by the disaster. Thankfully our friends are ok and were eventually able to get out of Sendai. As additional news unfolds every day, we remain concerned for the safety of the Japanese people and interested in the ongoing recovery efforts. As for our trip, it is, of course, the least of our worries at this point. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.

Last Thursday, in anticipation of our upcoming vacation, we decided to try the Japanese restaurant Otani in Gambrills, MD. The food was so beautifully presented. I took some pictures and was planning on posting them the next morning. Instead we woke up to news of the devastating earthquake.

Eventually, I still wanted to share my pictures from Otani as it is a lovely restaurant that highlights the sumptuous food from this amazing country. The presentation of each plate was absolutely gorgeous. When the food arrives at your table, it is obvious that the each dish was prepared with care and love, and that is difficult to find in a restaurant these days. If you find yourself in Gambrills, check out Otanti.

Miso Soup

Plum Wine


Mango Tuna Wrap

Red Bean Ice Cream

Again, I encourage you to donate what you can to the American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ or the international aid organization of your choice in order to support the ongoing efforts to assist in Japan’s recovery.

Sesame Seared Tuna and Gingered Carrots

2011-03-15T23:35:00.004-04:00

Ed's sister is in town this week. I felt a little bit of pressure to cook a pretty decent lunch for her considering the decision for me to start a cooking blog was partly her idea. The last time she was here visiting us, she enjoyed each dish I prepared and suggested I post my recipes online where she could see each day what we were eating. That great idea turned into my new blogging pastime. So, I wanted to prepare something that I knew she was going to enjoy. I decided on seared tuna. I mean, who doesn't like seared tuna?

Personally, I love seared tuna, not just because it is so delicious, but because seared tuna is quick and easy to make. And if you have never prepared it before, ginger goes perfectly with carrots. On the side, I served Japanese rice topped with roasted sesame seeds. Yum!

Sesame Seared Tuna Ingredients
2 Tuna Steaks
1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds
1 pinch of Salt
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Sesame Seared Tuna Directions
Mix Teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Marinate the tuna steaks in the sauce for 30 minutes. Pour the roasted sesame seeds into a shallow dish and coat both sides of the tuna steak with the sesame seeds. Then sear the tuna for 30 seconds on each side y voilà!

Gingered Carrots Ingredients
2 large Carrots, sliced
1 small Leek, sliced
1 tsp Garlic, crushed
Salt and Pepper
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Gingered Carrots Directions
Drizzle saute pan with olive oil. Saute garlic, ginger, leeks, and carrots until carrots are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It's that easy.

Natalia's Verdict: My sis-in-law loves raw food, and has a real affinity for raw fish. Luckily, raw food is easy to fix :) It was definitely a hit!

Oatmeal Breaded Eggplant with Tomato Mint Salsa

2011-03-11T18:27:00.002-05:00

A tomato, an eggplant, and a head of bok choy walk into a bar...

Ok, no, this is not a bad joke. Although, I'm sure those veggies could get themselves into a bit of trouble if left to their own devices. But no, these were actually this week's remaining vegetables I had sitting patiently in my refrigerator waiting to be consumed. It was a bit of a struggle to come up with a recipe that combined them into one scrumptious dish. Honestly, I still had the bok choy mainly because I had no idea how to fix it. So I had to buckle down, push up my sleeves, and open a few cook books. Luckily, I'm the kinda girl that has plenty of cook books lying around, can you imagine?

As it turns out bok choy isn't that difficult to make at all. Roasting it with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice takes about five minutes and has a delicious result. As for the the tomato mint salsa, thanks to my food processor, it was even easier to make. If you don't own a food processor, I highly suggest picking one up.

The oatmeal breaded eggplant was a no brainer for me. I serve breaded eggplant around here at least a couple times a month. It's a vegetarian dish Ed actually really enjoys. This is the first time I blended almond flour and oatmeal to create a breading. It ended up pretty good. Tonight I also tried using water instead of egg to bread the oatmeal in order to keep the whole dinner vegan ;) So, in the end the joke was on me. This actually turned out to be quite a tasty meal!

Oatmeal Breaded Eggplant Ingredients
1 small Eggplant, thinly sliced
1 cup of Almond Flour
1 cup of Oatmeal
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
Olive Oil

Oatmeal Breaded Eggplant Directions
To create the breading, mix together the oatmeal, almond flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Next, wash and slice a small eggplant. Instead of dipping the eggplant in egg before breading it, I just used water. You could also use milk, almond milk, or soy milk instead of egg. Coat the slice of eggplant in the oatmeal breading until both sides are well covered. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan. Once it is hot, carefully place the breaded eggplant slices. Cook for a few minutes on each side until they start getting brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a thin towel or paper towel to soak up any extra olive oil. Serve with Tomato Mint Salsa.

Tomato Mint Salsa Ingredients
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch of fresh mint
Juice from 1/2 of a Lemon
2 stalks of green onion, chopped
Pinch of Salt

Tomato Mint Salsa Directions
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse for just a few seconds or until the mixture becomes "salsa-like'. Serve over the Oatmeal Breaded Eggplant.

Roasted Bok Choy Ingredients
1 head of Bok Choy
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Juice from 1/2 of a Lemon
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Roasted Bok Choy Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut and clean bok choy and place the leaves on a cookie sheet. Drizzle bok choy with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and papper. Roast until While roasting slightly wilted and tender, approximately five minutes. Serve with Oatmeal Breaded Eggplant and Tomato Mint Salsa.

Ed's Verdict: He really liked it. He especially thought that the tomato mint salsa was good.

BBQ Rum Chicken Skewers with Warm Mango Medley and Sesame Rice

2011-03-08T10:12:00.002-05:00

When my fabulously generous in-laws moved away last summer, they gave us their beautiful, well-stocked liquor cabinet. Not only is the piece of furniture a work of art, but it came fully loaded...and mostly with rum. "What am I going to do with all of this rum?" I bemused. Thoughts of Rum Spice Cake and Rum Ginger Cookies filled my mind. I ignored Ed's incessant response of the obvious, "Just drink it". I wanted to utilize the rum in a savory manner and perhaps in a recipe that would not leave me with a compunctious hangover the next morning. When I came across this recipe from Coastal Living for BBQ Rum Sauce, I knew I had the perfect recipe to make use of a little of Jamaica's finest.

To put on the side, we had a mango, yellow squash, and red pepper left over from our Washington Green Grocer box, so I decided to make a warm mango salad medley. To round out the meal, I also served some sesame white rice.

BBQ Rum Chicken Skewers Ingredients
3-4 Chicken Thighs, chopped in to 1 inch chunks
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Dark Rum
2 tbsp Lime Juice
2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp Ginger, crushed
2 cloves of Garlic,crushed
2 tsp dried Thyme
2 tsp All Spice
2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt

BBQ Rum Chicken Skewers Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large shallow bowl. After the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, reserve about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the sauce in a separate bowl to be used for a final topping. Place the chicken to marinade in the large bowl. Leave the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour or longer if you'd like.

Once the chicken has been marinaded, carefully place the chicken pieces on wooden skewers and grill for several minutes on each side until fully cooked. After the chicken is done, brush with reserved sauce.

Warm Mango Medley Ingredients
1 Mango, diced
1/2 Yellow Squash, diced
3 Green Onion Stalks, diced
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Warm Mango Medley Directions
First saute the green onions in a drizzle of oil olive, then add the yellow squash and red pepper. Wait to add the mango and cilantro at the very end only and then saute everything for just a couple more minutes. Finally, add the lime juice.

Basmati Sesame Rice

Prepare rice as usual. When the rice is finished, drizzle a 1/2 tsp of sesame oil on top of the rice and add sesame seeds for cute effect. Serve alongside BBQ Rum Chicken Skewers and Warm Mango Medley.

Ed's Verdict: Eating meat off of a stick is very caveman-esque thing to do. Therefore, Ed was right at home with the kabobs. He thought the BBQ Rum sauce was incredible and agrees we should cook more often with the bounty of rum we have. He agreed that the mango medley and sesame rice went well with the skewers. There were no leftovers!

Tilapia Tomato Salad

2011-03-05T20:40:00.004-05:00

Between all of the lasagna and macaroni we have been eating these days, I was feeling a little guilty averting from Ed's preferred dietary regime. So this evening I fixed a quick and healthy Tilapia Tomato Salad topped with green onions and cilantro and finished with a squeeze of lime juice.

Influenced by Peruvians who (to me at least) always seem to include a hard boiled egg in whatever dish they are consuming, I decided to add egg to the salad. Nothing too crazy, just pure and simple eating. Just the way cavemen did ;)

Ingredients

2 fillets of Tilapia

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, diced

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, halved

squeeze of lime

pinch of salt

Directions

First, cook the fish. I chose to grill the tilapia, but it was not a very pleasant experience. Even though I used plenty of anti-stick spray, the fish stuck to the pan. Next time I think I will just cook the fish in a saute pan.

To assemble the salad, place the cooked fish on top of the diced tomato. Then top the fish with green onions and cilantro. Squeeze a half of lime on top and add a pinch of salt. Serve the egg halves on the side.

Ed's Verdict: He was glad to get a paleo meal. In case you are wondering just what a "paleo" diet is, the basic idea is that the way we currently eat is contrary to how our bodies evolved over the thousands of years prior to agriculture. Lean meats, fruits, non-starchy vegetables and other food that were consumed during the paleolithic stage should be the staple of our diet. Food developed after the paleolithic age- grains, dairy, beans, potatoes, sugar and packaged foods are OUT.

What do I think about all of this? Well, I get it. I guess it makes sense. Personally, I'm a little leery of a diet that doesn't include camembert or cupcakes, but I do get it.

Grilled Tofu with Spinach Mint Lime Rice

2011-03-02T21:25:00.005-05:00

So remember last week when I made Vegetable Mai Fun with Asian Molasses Balsamic Vinegar Sauce? Well, molasses/vinegar is quickly becoming my new favorite flavor combination. (And besides, I now have a whole jar of black strap molasses to use!) I have been wanting to grill up some tofu on my new grill pan, and I figured that my new favorite flavor combination would make the perfect marinade. Boy was I was right! Is there anything this sauce can't do? As a side note, if you haven't tried tofu, I highly encourage you to give it a taste. It is a very easy, versatile food that takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. If you don't know where to start- why don't you try the recipe below? Go ahead. It's good for you.

Grilled Tofu and Marinade Ingredients
1 14oz pack of extra firm tofu, drained
1 tsp of Garlic, diced
1 tsp of Ginger, paste
3 tbsp Black Strap Molasses
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
salt to taste

Grilled Tofu Directions
Drain the tofu by placing it between two towels. Place a weight on top of the towel to drain more water. Leave it for at least 15 minutes. Once the tofu has been pressed, cut it into slices. In a shallow dish, combine the molasses, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, and salt. Mix well. Add tofu and marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Once you are ready to grill the tofu, its pretty easy. Just add the tofu to the grill and sear it until crispy, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Brush the tofu with extra marinade while cooking.

Spinach Mint Lime Rice Ingredients
2 servings of cooked rice of your choice, I used Basmati
1 bunch of fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
Salt

Spinach Mint Lime Rice Directions
Cook the rice as you normally would. Then add the spinach, mint, olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Easy and Yummy!

I served the tofu on top of the rice and squeezed a lime on top of the whole dish.

Ed's Verdict: This time there were no snarky "where's the meat?" comments. He really liked it. He even had seconds. I think the taste surprised him. Make this dish for the meat lover in your life :)

Chocolate Squash Lasagna

2011-03-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

Another butternut squash arrived in my WGG box. I often replace tomato sauce in spaghetti or lasagna with either pumpkin or squash in the winter months because it is more readily available. Normally when I make anything with squash, I add a little sweetness to the sauce such as maple syrup, brown sugar, agave, etc. I had some baking chocolate left over from my chocolate pie that I have been saving to use in a savory dish. The Mexicans have mole, so I figured why not chocolate and squash? I know chocolate and squash are often mixed with a successful outcome in baked goods like breads and cookies, so I figured this should work, too.

Let me just go ahead and say that the final result was pretty good; especially the leftovers we ate the next day after it had a chance to set. However, I do think this recipe could be improved upon. I think the next time I try this dish, I may enhance the flavor a little by add some spicy chili peppers. But I had a lot of fun mixing flavors and coming up with something completely new and different.

Ingredients

1 box of no boil lasagna noodles

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

½ cup of water

3 tbsp of unsweetened baking chocolate

3 tbsp of brown sugar

½ onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, diced

Olive oil

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 15oz container of ricotta cheese

2 eggs

4 cups of shredded mozzarella

1 package of baby spinach

3 tomatoes, sliced

Directions

First, peel and dice the butternut squash. As I have mentioned in previous posts, this is not by any means an easy task. I don’t really have any good tips except to make sure the squash is at room temperature, use a recently sharpened knife, and try not to hurt yourself. I have seen already cleaned and chopped butternut squash at Trader Joe’s, but what is the fun in that?

Next, in a large skillet, heat oil and add garlic, onion, and butternut squash. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add water, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash is thoroughly cooked. Once the squash is tender, remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes before adding it to a food processor. Depending on your food processor size, you may have to make the sauce in batches. Blend until smooth. Remove the sauce from the processor and put it in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate, sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

(Full disclosure: in order to ensure proper bake times for the lasagna, these prep instructions are inspired by the cooking times and temperatures on the back of the lasagna noodle box.) Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 13*9 inch baking pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix 2 eggs, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups of mozzarella. Now you are ready to assemble your lasagna.

Your first layer should be the butternut squash sauce. Place a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Next, lay 4-5 uncooked sheets of lasagna. It’s ok if they overlap a bit.
Now place a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture and some of the extra shredded mozzarella.
Then place a layer of baby spinach and sliced tomatoes.
Now you are ready for another layer of the sauce.

Repeat this sequence a few times until the dish is full. I filled the top level with all of the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes. Then bake it uncovered for about 5 minutes to melt the top cheese level. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so before cutting and serving it. The longer it sits, the better it will set up. This makes a lot of lasagna, so it’s great for sharing with friends or saving it for the next day's lunch.

Ed’s verdict: I asked Ed what he thought about this dish. Before answering, he looked at me straight in the eyes. We both knew what he was about to say. His words fell softly and slowly across the table. “It was good”, he nodded. “But… it… would have… been… better… with… meat.”

Spicy Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese with Almond Breaded Pork Chops

2011-02-25T22:13:00.006-05:00

Inspiration is everywhere. You can even steal inspiration from other people. For example, I decided I had to make pepper jack mac and cheese while waiting in the line at the grocery store. The lady in front of me was giving whoever was on the other end of her cell phone ideas on how to jazz up traditional macaroni. I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. She made some pretty decent suggestions like adding crab, broccoli, or blue cheese. But she really caught my attention with, “How about using pepper jack cheese? Make it spicy?” She goes on to mention a few other ideas that I can’t recall and eventually the conversation fads back to another topic, but the pepper jack cheese idea sticks with me. I am usually so conventional with my mac and cheese (colby, straight up), but what if… I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I was already in the check-out line, so it would have been pretty ridiculous to get out of line to go buy the ingredients for the dish right then and there- right? haha… Right.

As for the main course, I decided on pork chops breaded in almond flour. Wheat flour is not allowed on Ed’s Paleolithic diet, so I have been using a lot of almond flour recently, which is fun and different but pretty darn expensive. One 16oz package of Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour costs about $12 (yeah, ouch). Additionally, I realize serving cheese-ridden wheat macaroni pretty much negates the entire paleo diet effort, but, after all, marriage is about compromise.

To serve on the pork chop, I made a quick cilantro, green onion, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar dressing. I also served up some grilled vegetables, carrots and broccoli, just what I had on hand. I left the veggies on the grill for a few minutes on each side and served them plain alongside the mac and cheese and pork chops.

So, below is our idea of a happy medium. Hopefully, even if you don’t make these exact same recipes, you will be influenced by my stolen inspiration to serve up a little compromise of your own.

Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese Ingredients

1 cup Elbow Macaroni

¼ cup Butter

3 tbsp Flour

1/8 tsp Dry Mustard

2 cups Milk

1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese

1 cup Colby Jack Cheese

1 cup Toasted Bread

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Chili Powder

Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese Directions

(To get the quantities right, I used the directions from the back of the macaroni box). Preheat the oven to 350. Cook elbow macaroni per the directions on the box. While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the flour, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook the flour mixture until it is bubbly. Gradually add in the milk. Continue to stir the mixture until it starts to boil. After the mixture starts to boil, add the different types of cheese stirring continuously until all of the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Then leave it simmer while you drain the water from the pasta. Then add the pasta to the cheese mixture. Carefully mix it all together and then transfer the mac and cheese to an oven safe casserole dish. Optionally, you can add a bit of crunch on top by taking some toast cut into small squares and mix in a bowl with some olive oil and then place the toasted bread on top. Finally, sprinkle the mac and cheese with chili powder. Bake in the oven about 25 minutes.

Almond Breaded Pork Chops

2 Pork Chops

1 cup of Almond Flour

1 egg

1-2 tbsp of your favorite dried seasonings from your kitchen (I used oregano, basil, and garlic powder)

Salt and pepper

Almond Breaded Pork Chops Recipe

Pre heat oven to 425F. Pound pork chops with a meat tenderizer. Beat one egg in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, pepper, and desired dried herbs. Dip the meat in the egg and then dip it in the flour mixture covering the pork chop completely. Carefully place the floured pork chops in a greased oven safe dish. Then, I drizzled the top of the pork chops with a little bit of olive oil. Cook the chops for around 30 minutes or until they reach the internal temperature of 160F.

Ed's Verdict: Ed really loved the pepper jack mac and cheese. He thought that the little bit of spice was just right. "It's the way mac and cheese should always taste". As for the pork chop, he had a hard time getting past the dressing. He majorly dislikes balsamic vinegar. I know this. Normally I can disguise the taste enough among other ingredients that he doesn't really notice it, but I guess I used a little too much with this dressing. He did love the pork chop, though (after he scraped off half of the dressing!) Yes, compromise indeed.

Nutella S'more Gelato Sundae

2011-02-23T22:41:00.007-05:00

I met up with some girlfriends last weekend at We the Pizza in Capitol Hill in order to find some good conversation, yum pizza, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the owner, Top Chef star Spike Mendelsohn. We ordered four different kinds, Forest Shroomin, The White Pie, The Spinach and Artichoke, and The Fresh Buffalo Mozz and Roasted Tomato. I preferred the latter, as The Fresh Buffalo Mozz and Roasted Tomato tasted most similar to the classic pizza that I was craving. Although it is difficult to compare We the Pizza to the frequently found gourmet pizzas in the city, we agreed that it was one of the best New York style pizzas around.

But, as you may have guessed from the title, this post is not a restaurant review or about pizza. One of the main reasons that I wanted to check out We the Pizza was to taste a stand out item from their dessert menu (yes, I frequently base my restaurant choices on the dessert options). Clearly printed on their online menu is a Nutella S’mores Gelato. So, you can understand my frustration when it got around to dessert time, and the staff informed me that the dessert was no more. Outraged at the false advertisement, I had to settle on a black and white milk shake that was awesome, yet so full of fudge I could barely suck the drink through the straw.

Dissatisfied and unsated, I did what any chocoholic female with a craving and a food blog would do, I hightailed it to the nearest grocery store and bought all of the ingredients necessary to make my own version at home. So, I give full credit where credit is due. But just for the record- although this is not my original recipe, unlike We the Pizza, my kitchen actually delivered on the goods. Below is the indulgent result!

Ingredients
Graham Crackers
Nutella
Marshmallow Fluff (I fully admit that I bought Marshmallow Fluff instead of real marshmallows because the jar was cute)
Vanilla Gelato

Directions
Do I really need to explain this? Well, first, place a couple of scoops of the gelato in the bottom of a bowl. Next, add a couple spoonfuls of nutella (yes, a couple of spoonfuls). Then add an equal amount of the marshmallow fluff. Finally, add crushed graham crackers on top and enjoy!

Ed's Verdict: I made both Ed and I an ad nauseum quantity of this dessert. I was unable to eat it all. It was gratifying yet borderline gluttonous. Ed, however, had no problem finishing the whole thing. A big gelato fan, it reminded him of his freshman year of college when he was on that ice cream kick and gained a little too much weight around the middle... (whatever!)

Vegetable Mai Fun with Balsamic Molasses Sauce

2011-02-22T16:43:00.002-05:00

This Balsamic Molasses Sauce has quickly become a favorite in my kitchen. The original recipe came from one of my favorite online cookery blogs, Gluten Free Goddess. I have enjoyed every recipe that I have made from her site. This sauce and much of my recipe is a variation of her Turkey Meatball Asian Noodles, a dish that was originally inspired by an episode of Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. However, my recipe is ultimately different and, of course, influenced by the vegetables from my WGG box. In lieu of turkey meatballs, I decided to go vegetarian and use a mushroom and red pepper base. For the noodles, in order to make Ed feel better about partaking in a carbohydrate dish, I picked up a box of gluten free brown rice mai fun. But the sauce is what makes the dish. It's an unlikely combination of black strap molasses and balsamic vinegar. The first time I made it, I was unsure of how it would taste and if Ed (or I) was going to like it, but it turned out fabulous. Now I keep the basic molasses/balsamic vinegar sauce the same and alternate the veggies, chicken, tofu, etc and various noodle types based on what we are in the mood to eat.

Ingredients
1 Red Pepper, sliced
2 stalks Green Onions, diced
1 pint of Mushrooms
1 tsp of Garlic, diced
1 tsp of Ginger, paste
1 Egg (or tofu equivalent)
3 tbsp Black Strap Molasses
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 bunch of fresh Parsley, chopped
1 bunch of fresh Mint, chopped
1 bunch of fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 box of Mai Fun Noodles (Brown Rice Angel Hair Pasta)
1 tsp Sesame Oil

Directions

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into a saute pan. Add green onions, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and red pepper. Stir fry veggies until they are tender. Then add the egg and stir it in to the veggies. Once the egg is fully cooked, add the molasses and vinegar and stir until veggies are coated with the sauce. Reduce heat and simmer. Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the box instructions. These Mai Fun noodles cooked in only 2-3 minutes. When they are done cooking, drain the noodles and return them to their pot. I then stirred in a bit of sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking. Before serving the dish, add the fresh cilantro, mint, and parsley to the saute pan and stir the greens around for a minute or two until they become tender. Serve the vegetables over the noodles.

Ed's Verdict: Coming from an austere meat eater, Ed was less than impressed with the vegetarian version of this dish. "It was lacking meat", he caviled. However, I made the EXACT SAME DISH a couple of weeks ago with chicken instead of mushrooms, and he loved it. Silly.