Cooking Cleverly with Beverly

Fogo bread

2011-09-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Technically, it's pao de queijo, but I think of it exclusively as attached to the lovely Brazilian steakhouses we go to for mega celebrations. The bread. Ooooooh the bread.

I salivate just thinking about it. I think my toes even twinkle at the thought.

There's actually a "cheaper" Brazilian steakhouse called Brazilian Cowboy in Plano that Tom and I like to go to. Now, it is not Fogo, not by a long shot, but if you treat it as a different beast--a nice, family-friendly place with limitless servings of good meat (picahna is far and away their best cut), fried bananas and pao de queijo and pretty decent frozen margaritas--well then, you'd be quite pleased. We've even been known to take out of town guests there, and they have been quite pleased.

But I am really digressing from the point of this post. The cheese bread. It starts with a tapioca flour, which seems to just meld with the other ingredients instead of remaining aloof like wheat does. Then you blend in egg, cheese and oil.... How could that go wrong? It can't. I will say, however, that I should have chosen a sharper cheese. I used mozzarella, and the taste was just... flat. It needs something with some tang. I'm thinking of using a mix of mozz and parm next time.

Also, you really do need to grease the pan. There's a reason that the only photo is of a pan full of bready goodness.

I got this recipe from Rasa Malaysia. The pretty little muffin looking breads are definitely more true to the restaurant, but I don't own a mini muffin tin and will probably not be buying one for my overpopulated kitchen any time soon.

1 egg
2/3 c milk
1/3 c olive oil
1.5 c tapioca flour
1/2 c shredded cheese (various recipes indicate you can use any kind you please. I used mozzarella and would recommend something tangier)
1 generous tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tin WELL.

Mix all ingredients together in food processor or blender until well blended. This will be very, very liquid-y. Pour into muffin tin. Sprinkle parmesan on top if you please. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Try to restrain yourself from eating the whole batch in one sitting.

Cilantro-lime-garlic roasted shrimp

2011-09-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

For my entire life, I have loved shrimp. Any time we went out to eat, I ordered shrimp. I strongly identify with Bubba from Forest Gump. Shrimp for every meal every day would suit me just fine.

A few months ago, I saw a recipe on Pioneer Woman for Lemon Parsley shrimp, and they looked awesome, but I thought I could kick it up a notch, and I subbed in lime for lemon and cilantro for parsley to give it some southwestern flair. A win.

1 pound raw shrimp (I used ez peel, but headless is the only requirement for easy eats)

1 stick butter, cut into chunks

4 cloves garlic

1 handful cilantro

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lime, juiced.

How-to:

1) Place shrimp in single layer on cookie sheet.

2) Process the rest of the ingredients. Spread goo on shrimp.

3) Bake at 375 for 12ish minutes.

Inspired by Ree, the Pioneer Woman, and her Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Skillet chocolate chip cookie with Mexican flair

2011-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

The layer of whipped cream should be as high as old school Dallas hair....

I made this for a game night Tom and I had with a few friends a few months back. I had warned the wife of said couple that Tom is a no-holds-barred kind of competitive. All the same, my jaw went slack when the word "rune" came up during a casual game of bananagrams. PJ cast Tom the casual query, "what's a rune?"

And that's when I winced, because I foresaw the future.

"You don't know what a RUNE is?" my husband asked disbelievingly.

"Uh, no...."

"Like, in TOLKIEN????"

At this point, I started making bubble cheeks of "uuuuuurrrrggggh" at my friend across the table as our husbands sorted out this rune business. In Tom's mind, everyone should know what a rune is, or at least that it is. Let's not even THINK about the people to whom Tolkien's writings are unfamiliar. Apparently, PJ often does this with medical jargon, so it was only a just dose of his own medicine (no pun intended), and Amanda was getting a kick out of the exchange. Apparently we have found our kind of people.

In addition to being generally well-matched couples regarding games, we also all appreciate desserts made in cast iron skillets. I heart my cast iron. And it gave a mighty crust to a mighty cookie cake. While this recipe was based on Martha Stewart's recipe, I amped it up a bit by adding 2 T cinnamon and 1 tsp cayenne for more Mexican chocolate flair as well as pumping up the vanilla a little. The darker color comes from the fact I used dark brown sugar, not light. I will definitely make this again. The whipped cream is at your discretion, but I thought it added a nice touch.

If you want the original recipe, it is available here.

2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
2 T cinnamon
3/4 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Sift/whisk together dry ingredients. Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla to butter/sugar. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into a 10" cast iron skillet (of course!) and pop in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

fajita feast

2011-09-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

I love Tex-Mex food.

I will confess, my at-home Tex-Mex does not taste like what you find in a restaurant, but it does taste good. It's probably because I don't douse everything in oil and sour cream (not that there's anything wrong with that, my way is just *different*).

The salsa I made, which you can find here, made the meal. I might, however, ramp up the cilantro next go round. Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs.

The tequila-lime marinade I used did not really float my boat, so I won't post it, but I will say that the steak that was simply salted and peppered before hitting the skillet for a brief sear was a win. The salsa, fresh veggies and good corn tortillas complemented that simplicity well. I would have keeled over from joy if we had grilled the steak, but our grill is currently out of reach.

Give that, here's what you need:
3-6 tortillas per person (some people seem to like to double up the tortillas; I like corn tortillas)
1/4-1/2 lb lean steak
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 sliced onion
1 avocado
1/4 c chopped white onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
jalapenos
salsa.

Sear steak. Let rest before slicing.
Grill/saute sliced onions and peppers while steak rests
Layer steak slices, veggies, chopped raw onion, chopped cilantro, salsa and avocado.
So easy even an exhausted teacher can make it.

Sushi makes my skirt fly up

2011-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

I follow Pioneer Woman. Her phrasing amuses me. One I've never really gotten on board with, however, is "makes my skirt fly up," which she says about something when she REALLY likes it.

Well, sushi makes my skirt fly up.

No, I'm not adopting the phrase. I literally was walking into the grocery store where I can buy sashimi grade fish when my skirt went WOOSH! right up. Thank goodness I was wearing a slip. My mother emphasized the need for a slip for years, and it was only when I got to my late teens/early 20s that I would put it on routinely. Thanks mom.

Also, having your skirt fly up is not nearly so mortifying as it was in my "youth." I did not die on the spot, I did not hear any mocking laughter.

I did, however, hold my skirt down all the way into the store and then all the way to the car. This North Texas wind....

This is where I start writing about this sushi. Even if I had been a 6-year-old mortified girl, the skirt incident would have been worth the sushi! This weekend is Tom's and my "we started dating 3 years ago" anniversary, and on that weekend, we went out for sushi. Being more energetic and endeavorous this year, I decided to make sushi. The delightful thing is that you only have to make the rice and slice up stuff for the rest. We are still mastering the roll assembly, but the rice recipe was awesome and the fish was delectable. Add in some crisp cucumber, crunchy jicama and creamy avocado for veggies and sriracha and wasabi mayo for dipping or mixing sauces, and we were in business! The rice recipe follows.

And, since I am on a cost kick, I rang it up. We ate 2 double stuffed rolls apiece and 3 regular rolls apiece, 2 nigiri apiece. At the cheaper local joint, that would have been $52 (granted, we ate more because we had to finish the fish), but for making this at home, it came out to a whopping $9.18. Honestly, if we'd gone out, we would have probably eaten less sushi but selected a fancier roll to go with our old stand bys, and I can at least say that in the past, cost has traditionally ranged from 38-60. Even if we go with the low end, that's still a $30 savings.

Also, we ate collectively 2 cups rice and 1/2 lb salmon, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 avocado and 1/4 lb jicama. That comes to 320 calories for the rice, 161 calories for the salmon, 90 for veggies (oh, avocado) per person.... Altogether, not a bad meal!

The rice recipe came from here, but we halved it to suit the size of our dining party. We still had about 2/3 c left over.

1 c calrose rice
1.5 c water
1" piece konbu (kelp; if I know you, I have plenty to spare or can direct you to where to find it in the area)
1.5 T rice vinegar
1.5 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt.

Rinse rice until the water runs clear. It takes a bit; the rice is pretty starchy. Drain it well. Add rice, water and konbu to quart sized pot and let soak for 30 minutes. Bring rice to a boil, cover, and bring down to a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off and let sit 5 minutes. While rice cooks, mix remaining ingredients. After rice has sat its 5 minutes, scoop it into a large bowl and pour the vinegar/sugar mix over the top. Stir until it's incorporated, but don't overmix and break up the rice. Let sit until it is cool enough to handle (about 1 hour).

There are some more photos below because I was REALLY excited.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2011-09-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

SO EASY.

ADDS SO MUCH FLAVOR.

MAKES ME WRITE IN ALL CAPS.

That may seem like an overreaction, but I assure you it is not. This is the sort of easy food that ramps up the flavor on anything you might want to add it to. It makes some mean chilaquiles, goes great with nachos, and blends well with white beans for a creamy dip.

That's without even trying.

Tom and I recently ate at a Salvadorian restaurant that was just to die for. Delicious food, hard working and good eating ambiance, papusas made right as you watch. I had a papusa with cheese and some sort of zucchini flower (I think), and the green sauce on the table made it out of this world. I could take home the leftovers but not the jar of salsa. I mean, I thought briefly about sneaking one out (soo good!) but decided that since I want to be able to show my face in that restaurant again, I had better not abscond with their property. Happily, my own rendition comes scarily close.

On the other hand, I will never master those papusas, and the ambiance of a small, independently owned restaurant is worth the occasional night out. At least I will have my salsa ready for left overs!

1 pound tomatillos (about 8, each 2 in. wide)
2 jalapenos
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 or 2 green onions, rinsed, ends trimmed, and chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro.

1) Roast peppers and tomatillos.

2) Process everything in the food processor.

Inspired by Renee Shepherd's Tomatillo Salsa found here.

Gourmet on the Cheap... seared ahi tuna with tropical melange

2011-09-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

This was my meal. It was amazing.

This is the close-up of the salad. So vibrant.

Tom and I are trying to conserve funds. Our overall income has gone down, and with it, our desire to fritter away our money.

Not that we ever desired to fritter away our money.

I occasionally did desire corn fritters.

Anyway.

One of my bigger money/food issues is that I really like good, expensive food, like seared ahi tuna. At a restaurant 'round these parts, that can set you back $15 per person before the tip, and I like my tuna with a glass of sauvignon blanc. That puts me at $22, just me, and Tom at another $15, plus tip. $22+15+6=43.

Tonight, I had seared tuna with a tropical fruit and vegetable melange for 2.98. Adding in a generous pour of wine for $3, my meal cost 5.98. Tom still only sipped my wine (when I let him), so he only cost another 2.98. Together, our meal cost 8.97. Savings of just over $34. Ridiculous.

To get this meal, you have to do 2 things:

1. Season tuna with salt and pepper and sear 1 min per side.
2. Chop up 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small jicama, 1 mango, and 1 ring of a red onion. Toss in one rinsed box of blueberries. In a separate bowl, mix 2 T chopped cilantro, juice and zest of 1 lime, and one chopped serrano. Pour over fruit/vegetable mix and toss.

We still will go out, but at least less often, and I will also be more likely to buy something really cheap because I can make the good stuff at home.

Soft pillowy pretzels

2011-08-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

As a child, Target meant one thing to me: PRETZELS. Soft, chewy bread, the memory of which makes me salivate even now, crunchy crystals of salt. With one of these in hand, I would happily wander the aisle while Mom found the necessary elements to make our life keep going. In my head, that bulls eye will always be associated with salty, chewy goodness.

Of course, I now troll the aisle of Target at least weekly because it gives me a sense of calm to find everything necessary for life in an orderly and colorful array. I do this without the help of a pretzel.

I love how the bread stretches immensely before it breaks as you pull the pretzel pieces apart. There is magic contained in the bready goodness of every pretzel.

However, pretzels are still glorious things. I saw one on a blog and knew I had to make it mine. These ended up being tasty, easy, and even better (because sweeter) than their Target forebearers. Dijon mustard would be a good fit. This is super easy and goes well with Shiner. Then again, what doesn't? :-)

Ingredients:
4 tsp yeast
1 T sugar
1 c warm water

5 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 T butter, melted

.5 c baking soda
4 c water

1) Get that yeast going in the warm water with the sugar. Let sit 10 minutes until downright frothy.
2) Mix flour, sugar, salt, butter and yeast mixture together. Knead for 8ish minutes. Let rise for an hour.
3) Divide dough into 12 equal parts, roll out and form pretzel shapes. Heat oven to 450.
4) Mix baking soda and water. Dip each pretzel in soda water and put on baking sheet. Dust with salt or flavorings to suit.
5) Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.

Recipe from Christa Rose at AllRecipes.

Egg salad with avocado, caramelized corn, fresh tomatoes and bacon

2011-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

OMG. Sometimes, I cook things and neglect to share them. They were forgettable, my photography stunk, I wasn't in the mood to blog, whatever. This, my friends, needed to be shared. Usually it takes a few days for something to get to the blog, but this was consumed less than an hour ago. I feel a real sense of urgency for changing your lives here.

The idea for this has been flitting around in my head since a few days ago when I saw Pioneer Woman's egg salad with avocado. Now, that's a darn good idea, but why stop there in summer when not only avocado but also corn and tomatoes are at their prime! And how could you have luscious avocado, sweet, bursting corn and gorgeous tomatoes without adding bacon? I can't.

This is more a dump bucket than a recipe, and I love it for that.

Ingredients:
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 ripe avocados
2 ears corn, shucked and sliced off the cob
1 T butter
4 slices bacon, crisp and chopped/crumbled
2 roma tomatoes, chopped medium
1/4 c mayo
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard

How-To
1) Sautee corn in butter. Let caramelize. Do a happy dance for the glory of caramelized corn.
2) Use a pastry cutter to slice and mix avocado and egg to desired chunkiness.
3) Add corn, tomatoes and bacon to egg/avocado mix.
4) Mix together mayo, vinegar and mustard. Stir into egg mix.

We love this straight up, on salad, on bread, in our dreams....

Public transport and spinach and feta egg casserole

2011-06-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

I ride public transportation, even in Texas.

Yes, that’s right, Texas.

I became a fan of public transport while I went to college in Boston. The city was at your fingertips! There was nowhere I couldn’t get to in a reasonable amount of time for just a buck (now more, alas). Then I moved back to Texas. Woe, woe, woe. As much as I love our great state, public transportation is just not our forte, and its cost is rather high in comparison to what I am used to.

That said, the Dallas area has been making a concerted effort, however, to improve the maneuverability of its city, and I am grateful. I actually can now ride every day to work using the dart, which means I save, at a minimum, 100 bucks a month. All the more coffee and chocolate to drink and eat! Plus I get to update my blog (hi guys!), read or work on my lesson plans on the road, all of which are much better options than dealing with Dallas drivers.

It also gives me good stories.

A while back, for example, I hopped off my train and onto my bus with my usual crew. There’s a guy I think of as iPad man because he always gets on and reads his iPad for 3 or so stops before getting to his destination. I never talk to him because he obviously wants to read whatever he’s reading. However, a guy we’d never seen before hopped on after iPad man and immediately accosted him to chit chat. The conversation went like this:

“I gotta do 130 hours of customer service,” said new dude (GREAT way to introduce yourself).

“Herm.” iPad dude

“I got traffic violations. Those guys don’t play.” New dude

“herm” iPad dude (not unsympathetically).

“Yeah, I gotta work at the Salvation army. I gotta work in the back sorting stuff and preparing food palets. They have a cooler with soda water for us and all. I just hate it. The work’s so BORING! I mean, I get my own radio to listen to, and that’s nice, but there’s not much work. I work with these Mexicans, man, and they keep saying “esse, slow DOWN! You’ll run outta work!” but I just keep working. They lazy.” New dude shining strong.

“So you’re doing this how long?” iPad man engages.

“They let me pick my own hours, so I’m just going to go when I can. I want to get my car out of hock soon though. See, they did this to my sister. She got stopped in Ft Worth and they took her car because it wasn’t registered. Then they MADE her get her license renewed because it was expired and MADE her get the car inspected and registered and MADE her get insurance. Man, I ain’t going through that rigamarole.” New dude looks for sympathy.

“Good luck.” iPad man got off the train, no reading done.

New dude=my negative image of entitled America.

However, a few stops later, this kid who goes to a nearby middle school hopped on the train and started talking to one of the women who works at a hospital close to my school. He and she have been chatting lately, and she seems to have taken him under her wing. Their conversation restored my faith in America. It went like this:

“So, I got suspended.” Guess which one.

“Really. What did you do.” Nurse. I love how some people make those statements and not questions.

“I got in a fight and sassed a teacher.” Munchkin

“Hon, you are close to the end of the school year. Don’t get rowdy now.” Nurse.

“But I KNOW everything! The teacher don’t like me because I know too much.” Munchkin.

“Now I know that’s a lie. You need to get your education and go to college. That’s the only way to make your way in this world.” Nurse. I really love her about now.

“But she grabbed my neck and smacked my head into the desk.”

“No she didn’t. If she did, you deserved it. Don’t get smart with her.”

Love.

Anyway, the rest of my day was pretty awesome as well, but by the time I got home I was wiped. I was faced with the need to cook dinner and prep lunches for the rest of the week. I ate some leftover saffron rice and leftover thai food for dinner and made our classic, go-to spinach, cheese and egg casserole. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped coarsely
1 T olive oil
1 bag frozen, chopped spinach
12 eggs
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/4 c sriracha (because I add it to everything; it tastes fine without)
2" square of feta, shaved or chunked into however much feta you like to taste at once

How to:
1) Sautee onion until translucent. While that's going on, melt spinach in microwave. I tend to pour spinach from the bag into a big pyrex bowl, melt it, and then whisk the rest of the ingredients in from there to avoid mess.
2) Preheat oven to 350.
3) Whisk in eggs, cottage cheese (added for creaminess) and sriracha.
4) :Layer onions in 13X9 baking dish. Pour egg mixture on top. Stud with feta chunks. (The sweet of the onion and salty of the feta go really well together!)
5) Bake at 350 for 25ish minutes.

Simple supper

2011-05-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Tom and I went backpacking this weekend. I loved it. Tom remembered why he did not. I will be seeking out backpacking buddies to spare him further pain.

Any which way, that meant we spent a good deal of time outside of our house. Before hitting the road, we ate a giant bowl of pho at a local Carrollton eatery. Just outside of Austin, we had some barbecue. On the trails, we ate larabars, a new favorite of mine, and when we found civilization again, we had some scrumptious home cooked goodness at the Hill Country Cupboard. Delicious. Filling. Wonderful.

There seems to have been a lot of food given that it was supposed to be a "primitive" weekend. Oops.

Now that we're back home, I want to get some scrumptious and healthy food in. I also have lots and lots of cleaning to do since both my mom and Tom's parents will be visiting before the weekend comes again. The house is a pigsty. While all family members assure me they don't care, I CARE! So I will be cleaning today, which means I don't have much time to cook.

What do I use when I am rushed, tired, busy and in need of something healthilicious?

The crockpot.

Literally all I did was strip most of the skin/fat off, rub in salt and freshly ground pepper and then rubbed again in sriracha.

Result? Pounds of meat to last the week. I took no photos because I was just too tired. Besides, it looks like juicy chicken. You all know what that looks like. I served it with roasted cabbage and okra with chacheres seasoning.

Sausage with sauteed cabbage

2011-05-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. I hate to face days over which I have little to no control, and I hate days for which I am unprepared. Today fit both bills. However, it is over and done with, and tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow starts exams, to be precise, and it starts the period of room cleaning and book boxing upping. My year has drawn to a close.

It was before my students had even left that I started missing them. Just a few weeks ago I couldn't wait for summer, and yet I wish I could keep them longer. They have grown so much in some cases, and in some cases I still don't know how to make them tick. If only I had more time with each! But that is not the way it works, alas.

Days that drain my emotional energy leave me exhausted in a general sense as well. I have said that some days I am "too tired" to cook. I need to find a new excuse. Perhaps I should just say "I feel like Thai/Mexican/Japanese food that is more complicated than the food I care to cook," as that really more closely approximates my feelings regarding food at those times. When my taste buds aren't being so persnickety, dinner can be as simple as this one, which merely required that I have the forethought to thaw sausage and buy cabbage. 1 head of cabbage + less than a pound of meat= dinner. Really.

Ingredients

1 lb, mas o meno, of sausage, taken out of the casing

1 head cabbage, sliced thinly.

How to:

1) Crumble and cook sausage in skillet until almost cooked through.

2) Add cabbage and cook until soft. I let it rest against the pan and stir periodically so as to brown bits of cabbage.

Lightning fast chocolate chip cookies (gluten and dairy free!)

2011-05-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today Tom and I went to Blue Mesa for brunch. Loveliness. Then we hit the grocery store to get the goods for the bean salad for our church picnic. In addition to a simple salad, I felt like mixing up a little something something for us. I've had cookies on the brain since someone at work mentioned that she'd made some with her almond flour. I must say, this may be a go-to cookie recipe from now on. Plus, all you cookie dough eaters out there (you know who you are!), this has no eggs and therefore no salmonella. However, it didn't stick together as well as I would have liked, so I might add an egg next time to see how that helps, and I might just use white sugar since cookies are hardly a frequently eaten food in these parts.

In terms of prep time, this came together almost too fast. I didn't even have time to take pictures or take a sip of wine! When I run out of time to sip wine, you know it's moving quickly. Plus, they will be out of the oven before I even finish typing this post. That's some easy dessert right there!

These use finely ground almond flour (not meal) for the flour, agave to sweeten and baking soda to leaven. A more innocuous dessert there never was as long as one is not allergic to nuts. As for taste, well, what could possible go wrong when almond and chocolate combine?

I got the recipe from Elana's Pantry.

Ingredients:
1/2 c oil (grapeseed recommended and used; it left a very light flavor; for those who eat dairy, 10 T melted butter works well)
1/2 c agave
1 T vanilla
2.5 c almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1) Mix wet ingredients.
2) Mix dry ingredients.
3) Mix wet into dry.
4) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Almond flour pizza crust

2011-05-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

Today was what you would call a beautiful day. A day that helped me celebrate the many things I am.

To start the day, I grumbled and flopped around, refusing to get out of bed. My cats both took turns purring and napping on my stomach to coax me into a morning mood. It worked. I took care of them before hitting the road for school. Yes, school on a Saturday. School on the last Saturday of the schoolyear (not counting next one because it's during a holiday weekend). At school, I found 80 enthusiastic teenagers ready to paint the courtyard and each other. We let them paint the courtyard (and each other). They also tidied up both courtyards nicely. On my way out, I saw the car wash benefiting a student who had suffered some injuries in a car accident. This car wash had been held in an impromptu fashion, and there was no sponsor, so I stuck around as long as I could so the kids could get home. These kids spent 5 hours washing cars without any help of an adult in order to help a friend. My heart smiled.

I then hightailed it to Highland Park for a Wellesley Club meeting. It was intellectually engaging to speak with so many classy and brilliant women and to hear a charming professor of Economics speak. I spent a few moments afterwards catching up with the other young alum in attendance, another TFA person. When I looked at my watch, I was amazed to see it was already 4:30. I was sad to see that time had progressed so quickly as it was the sort of day I wished could go on forever!

I got home and got to work on a gluten-free pizza. My friends, the day just kept getting better! This crust is FAR easier than any rising dough crust I've ever had, and it was tasty too! I simply topped it with 2/3 can fire-roasted tomatoes, a thick sprinkling of grated mozzarella, and some sliced eggplant. Simplicity incarnate. Well, in-pizza-te.

Now we're off to see Rio, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tangled at the drive-in in Ennis. What a perfect day.

Has your day been perfect? Well, even if not, this crust is easy enough that you can have the comfort of pizza soon! I got it from Elana's pantry, and its genius is completely attributed to her.

1.5 c almond flour

.25 tsp sea salt

.25 tsp baking soda

1 T grapeseed oil

1 large egg

Mix. Press out to .25”. bake 15-20 minutes at 350 or until lightly golden. Take out, put on toppings, bake til cheese melts and everything comes together. I broiled to give a little brown to the eggplants.

forty clove chicken

2011-05-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

You know how on those fashion shows they always show you teh before and after? Welllll, all I have to show you is one ugly bird... but I think this photo also shows you the simplicity of the dish, and I certainly made it more "complicated" than necessary. All you really need, to my understanding, is some salt, pepper, a chicken and 2 heads of garlic. I have every faith that such a simple meal would be scumptious indeed, but I added in some herbs, a lemon, onion and some celery so I could get meat and veggies all in one.

This is a very vague recipe. Make it your own. I'm about to make it again, possible with lemon, honey and chilis.

Ingredients:

1 chicken

2 heads garlic

herbs of choice

1 lemon

1 onion

4 stalks of celery

1) Chop the onion and celery coarsely. Layer in bottom of crockpot.

2) Peel 2 heads of garlic. I use the "smash and peel" method whereby I put a clove on a cutting board, lay the flat side of my knife against it and smack the other flat side of the knife with my fist. It crushes the garlic, letting our flavor, and ruptures the skin to where the skin slides off easily.

3) Clean the chicken. Rub it with sliced lemon, salt and pepper. Rub on seasoning/herbs of choice and put in crockpot.

4) Cook on low 8 hours. Remove chicken from pot, debone, and either put pieces back in pot or serve with the juice and onion/garlic spooned over the chicken pieces.

Pomegranate Molasses

2011-05-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

I have many fond memories of my childhood. For instance, there was the time my grandmother accidentally made grape candy from the muscadine grapes that grew along her fenceline. She intended to make grape jelly, but the boiling went on for a tidge longer than necessary, and when the glorious goo cooled, it was a delectable, spoonable treat even if it was not the desired consistency. My sister and I happily sat on the front porch and nibbled at a spoonful apiece.

Flash forward to 2011, when I am making pomegranate molasses. My house is now filled with a very similar aroma courtesy of the long-simmering molasses on my stovetop. I have already sampled the goods from a cooled spoon, and I am happy to say that this is a delicious condiment.

I had been wanting to try this Lebanese eggplant dish for a good long while, but it required pomegranate molasses, something that I just can't find in the course of my everyday life. I mean, I think I know where I could get one it if I drove across town, but these days that's just not happening much. However, when I found this recipe from Alton Brown, I knew the molasses, and thus the eggplant dish, was in my grasp. I also imagine it would be good for a pork glaze as one of Alton's reviewers recommended, and I know I've seen it required in other dishes. Plus it keeps for 6 months. Plus I can eat it with a spoon. There will be no wasting.

Ingredients:
4 c pomegranate juice
1/2 c sugar
1 T lime juice (Alton's recipe called for lemon, but I am on lime's side)

1) Combine everything in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sauce is reduced to one cup and has the consistency of a thick syrup.

Lebanese eggplant stuffed with spiced meat and vegetables

2011-05-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

OMG. Yum. Wow. Nom.

All of the above apply.

I frequently go out for Mediterranean food at a local buffet where I proceed to eat too much, every time. The variety! The flavors! The RICE PUDDING! There is no hope for any self-restraint, plus you feel that the cost per mouthful decreases if you eat more. It's a devastating belief that's hard to shake, even if you try to stick to the salad buffet.

Who really wants a salad buffet?

However, I have found something that solves the cravings while not killing the health budget. I present to you Lebanese-style stuffed eggplant, a truly delicious dish. It is a bit time-consuming to create, but it is well worth it. I actually made these on a rare Monday night when I felt like cooking and had plenty of time. I double teamed it by planning out oven and stovetop times for two different recipes, this and zucchini boats. I saved gas and cooked enough food for our week all in 2 hours.

I took this from Chicho's Kitchen, and I only changed one thing. I found that the tomato/molasses sauce was far too diluted and runny with 1 c water, but .25c allowed the flavors to spread around the meat without falling into the pan.

Ingredients:
2.5ish pounds of eggplant (three for me)
1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped finely
1 T oil
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1 T tomato paste
1 T pomegranate molasses
1/4 c water

Steps:
1) Roast eggplant at 450 for an hour, turning every 15 minutes. They should turn brownish all over and blister slightly.
2) Saute onions until translucent in olive oil. Add meat and cook through. Add spices and pine nuts and remove from heat.
3) After eggplants have cooled, slice them down the middle lengthwise and fill with the stuffing.
4) Mix together the tomato paste, molasses and 1/4 c water. Spoon over eggplants.
5) Cover and cook for 20 minutes at 350

I served this with roasted cauliflower and saffron rice.
Cost:
pine nuts: 1.61
eggplant: 2.97
beef: 2.00
onion: .25
black pepper: .05
allspice: .20
oil: .20
tomato paste: .30
molasses: .30
Total cost:
Cost per person for HUNGRY people: 2.63. Really, we should have halved each serving, but we were starved. Regardless, that's a lot less than the $12 per person we'd spend out, and overeating this is far less damaging to the waistline.....

chickpea moussaka

2011-05-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

I made this a very long time ago.

When I started this schoolyear, I was amazed at how hard it was emotionally, physically and mentally. Yet, I had to feed myself, and the best way to do this was to make a casserole of awesome healthiness during the weekends or on one evening. It had to be good enough for me to eat happily throughout the week..

I still remember the gentle aroma of this wandering up to my nose after being nuked in Ms. Whitaker's room. That is, the casserole was nuked, not me, even when it felt that way.

Ms. Whitaker is a veteran teacher who has been incalculably helpful to me in navigating the school and the profession, and she has a microwave and coffee maker. The 9th grade team huddles around our food and drink, licking our wounds, recharging our batteries, and generally enjoying each other. I'm sure that those associations only improve this dish in my mind, but even if it had been eaten in the worst of company, it would be a delight.

I got it from Cara's Cravings, and if you want to see her lovely work up, please go here. The only problem I ran into (and it was completely my fault) was that I forgot to check the lentils before tossing them in the casserole, and they weren't totally cooked. Luckily, I didn't die, but I think the texture would be *greatly* improved if the beans were, you know, cooked. Also, remember that of all the food bloggers I've seen, I am by far the laziest and cut the most corners, but it works for me, sometimes spectacularly. However, I bet my sources have more consistent results. All that said, this is one of the more complicated recipes I've undertaken, for better or worse, and it needs some time to get through.

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 c lentils (I used plain old brown in a bag)

2 c chicken stock (I rarely have veggie stock on hand)

1 bay leaf

1 T oil

3 fresh tomatoes, diced

1 onion, sliced thinly

4 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 pack button mushrooms

2 c garbanzo beans (I used the full 2 c because my eggplant were small)

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 tiny can tomato paste

4 cinnamon sticks

2 c greek yogurt

3 eggs

1/2 c grated parmesan

How to:

1) Get the party started by heating the oven to 350.

2) Cook lentils in stock.

3) Cook onions 8ish minutes until golden in a sauce pan. Add mushrooms and sweat them 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or so until garlicky goodness permeates the air.

4) Drain any excess liquid from lentils and add to pan with chickpeas, all tomato products and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let things mellow for 20 minutes. Tweak to get to your preferred consistency.

5) Pan-fry the eggplant slices until lighlty browned on each side.

6) Remove cinnamon sticks from the stew-like mixture. Start layering eggplant and the mixture in a casserole dish so that there are three layers of each.

7) Mix together yogurt, cheese and eggs. Spread over casserole..

8) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-ish.

Homemade refried beans and platanos maduros (fried plantains)

2011-05-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we are like Jack Spratt and his wife. I don't mind a little fat. Tom is very suspicious of even the slightest sheen on his foods. One place on which we differ is refried beans. From my point of view, one can bring on the lard. Tom likes his lard-free. As the sweet, darling wife that I am (insert guffaw from Tom here), I made these for him. In the crockpot.

I love the crockpot. I need to compose an ode to the crockpot. It saves my life, my sanity, my marriage on a weekly basis.

For the beans, I did this:

1 lb beans

1) Soak overnight with water 2" over beans and 1 T salt. In the morning, rinse.

2) In crockpot, cover beans with 2" of new water. Add one chopped onion, 1/4 c chopped cilantro, 1/2 T ground cumin. Set on low for 8ish hours.

3) Drain excess liquid (I used it as a soup).

4) Mash and serve.

For the platanos:

1 ripe plantain (has light brown spots on skin)

1) Slice diagonally into 1/4" slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

2) Heat up 1 T oil over med-high heat.

3) Pan-fry the slices until crispy around the edges. Flip, repeat.

I served both with cilantro lime rice. Yum. Frugal. Yay.

Gawdawful picture, good food

2011-05-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

True, true, that is no piece of art.

It's blurry, off center, and there is a general lack of composition.

However, it depicts some really good eats.

As always, I post bad pictures of good food. After all, I want you to eat good food, not print these things off and frame them. Please don't do that.

This was an easy recipe for a day when I needed that (isn't that every day?). You don't even stir til the very end. Risotto fundamentalists out there would string me up for this, but I cooked the arborio rice like any other plain Jane long grain white rice-- 2 parts water, 1 part rice, pat of butter, 20 minutes. Scrumdidliumptious. There was enough flavor in the parmesan, sausage and roasted veggies to make up for the lack of "proper" preparation. This may in fact be the most valuable lesson of my post: stirring is NOT required for a perfectly fine risotto, and the sauteing of the rice, oil and aromatics is not necessary for a risotto with powerful external flavors.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken basil sausage, broken up
2 lb zucchini, sliced to 1/4"
1 white onion, sliced to 1/4" and the rings separated
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

1) Roast the veggies and meat at 400 for 25 minutes.
2) Prepare rice
3) Mix together.
4) Nom.

Cost:
sausage 2.99
zucchini .94
onion: .13
rice: .15
parmesan: .25
Total: 4.46
6 servings: Per Serving: .74

Szechuan pork poser

2011-05-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Some days, I just can't be bothered.

I mean, I walk in, dead on my feet, so tired and cranky that even my cats, demanding creatures that they are, run for cover.

Sidebar: Lately their cover is the tent in our game room. I put the tent up there to dry out after Tom's and my ill-fated tent test in our backyard the night the latest norther blew through. The cats find it immensely captivating (thank goodness I had the foresight to keep the tent zipped up). Every chance they get, they tunnel underneath. When you look through the netting at the ground, there are two giant cat lumps giving away their location.

Anyway, back to me being tired and scary.

Even on nights like those, I can whip this up. Paired with simple white rice, there can be no wrong. Tonight is the first night I made it, and I can guarantee it will make a return. The savory flavors of American-Chinese food just make me dance. I was actually restored to my full humanity by the time dinner was served because of the aroma. I feel a little guilty---this is total poser food. Not at all authentic. It's a fake-up of a fake-up. Yet, I loved it. I ate my fill and had to remove myself from the room to avoid going back for more. I have come to believe that inauthentic does not mean that it's not a dish worth eating or sharing.

If you have a bag of veggies and hunk of meat, the rest is stuff that even after weeks of not having time to go to the grocery store I still had. I know the list looks long, but I can almost promise you can make it at the drop of a hat... or an overfull teacher bag.

I took my inspiration from Beth at Budget Bytes, but she actually used some cooking savvy for her version. Mine is just quick and dirty... yet still delicious. If you want to be fancy and use the original, go here.

Ingredients:

1 lb pork loin, sliced thinly at 90 degrees against the grain

1 bag green beans, thawed

1 broccoli crown, chopped

1 tsp sriracha

2 T oil

2 T rice vinegar

2 T soy sauce

1 T agave nectar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ginger powder

Steps:
1) Heat oil in skillet on high until it shimmers. Cook the pork until it is cooked through and no juices run pink (5ish minutes). Remove meat to a plate.
2) While meat is cooking, mix sauce ingredients (sriracha, oil, viinegar, soy sauce, agave and powders).
3) Toss veggies into skillet, broccoli first, and cook until crisp-tender.
4) Add meat back in, pour sauce over the lot, and cook until sauce reduces.

Costs:
1 lb pork loin: 1.99
1 bag green beans: .88
1 broccoli crown: .88
sriracha: .05
oil: .25
rice vinegar: .10
soy sauce: .10
agave nectar: .20
garlic powder: .05
ginger powder: .05
Total for the recipe: 4.55
Price per serving: 1.14

Pollo/Puerco Poblano

2011-04-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Don't be put off by the suspicious blob that is the sauce. That right thar is some good stuff. I do admit up front that it looks suspect, but please accept my promise that it's tasty and only made of stuff you really want to eat. I wouldn't lie to you.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? So the fact that I feel compelled to go home and try to recreate dishes I loved is really a compliment and should not be seen as lost business? Even when I share the secrets to restaurant-worthy meals at home?

Tom and I like to go to a cute Tex-Mex place known as Los Jalapenos whenever we get a hankering for Tex-Mex. Los Jalapenos has good frozen margaritas for 2.50 and a wealth of tasty food. However, I can't really speak to too many of the dishes because I always get the same thing: the pollo poblano. Best I could tell, this was grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed poblano strips and onion and smothered with a poblano cream sauce and jack cheese. Heavy but heavenly, heavenly but heavy.

I remade this recently and will actually have to find a new dish at Los just because mine was so tasty and much healthier, not to mention it was a breeze to whip together. I use pork loin instead of chicken because that was what I had in the freezer, dusted with cumin, salt and pepper and roasted. This is a pretty basic meat swap, but I feel this sauce is pretty universal and would go with fish, shrimp or steak. I also used jalapenos instead of poblanos because they were cheaper, and I roasted them before creating the sauce. This is the reason the sauce looks... questionable... but I promise it was a good move. I served this along with some cilantro lime rice.

Ingredients:
12 jalapeno peppers, roasted and seeded
1/2 c light sour cream
1 clove garlic

1) Blitz it all together in a food processor. Pour over meat of choice. Devour. Repeat if desired.

This provided enough sauce for 6 meals.

Roasted Cauliflower, mushrooms and bacon with sage

2011-04-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Alas, this is a dish that my husband does not like. I however, ADORED it. I love the earthy combination of mushrooms and sage, but Tom thinks they taste like dirt. I guess that if I feel compelled to use an adjective like earthy, he might have a point, but it's good dirt. So, if you have similar feelings as my husband about sage or mushrooms, please exert your culinary efforts on something else. However, if you, like me, like these things, please make this. I loved the firm, toothsome quality of all the ingredients. It made me feel like I was eating a lot of dense food when really it was simple and, all said and done, light fair. At 270 calories per serving, I'm quite pleased with my lunch.

The only problem is that once I start eating bacon, the cravings just don't stop. Baaaacccooooonnnnnn.......

Really, the title says it all. All you have to do is chop up said ingredients, mix and roast.

You don't believe me? Here's the recipe:
1 head cauliflower
4 slices bacon
2/3 lb mushrooms (we used baby bellas)
1 spring sage.

Set oven to 350
Chop, mix, roast for 25 minutes.

Cost:
mushrooms: 2.00
cauliflower: .88
bacon: 1.00
sage: .33
Total: 4.21, or 2.10 per person if served as a meal. For organic produce, nitrite-free bacon, etc, not bad!

Jalapeno Popper... Chicken!

2011-04-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today, students around the state picked up their perfectly sharpened Number 2 pencils and went to town on the TAKS. Kudos to all who were involved in making this happen! As a proctor, I was pleased to see students carefully working out problems and taking the test seriously. As a foodie, I dreaded the lunchtime meal. In my haste, I forgot to grab some food for the road. Had I simply packed my lunch, I would not have had to fear, because last night I made something marvelous. Now you too may make this marvelous thing.

Yesterday I shared the popper recipe I used when creating poppers for SuperBowl. Yummy, portable snack food. I also hinted that I might be inclined to make a meal out of just them, fatty and glorious as they are. Well, my friends, I tweaked the recipe to provide just that under the guise of a "reasonable" meal, and I even added bacon to the mix. The results were fantastic, though how could they not be when they had a base of cheese, cheese, jalapenos, bacon, spices and chicken?

Also, this is ridiculously easy and works well with rice, on nachos, any which way you want it.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken breast, sliced against the grain, 1/2" thick to 3/4" thick
4 slices bacon
6 jalapenos
6 oz cream cheese
2 oz cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tspish garlic powder
1/2 tspish paprika

1) Preheat oven to 350 and grease 8X8 baking dish
2) Arrange chicken slices in single layer over bottom of dish.
3) Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese together. If it's too stiff to mix, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.
4) Sprinkle seasonings over chicken
5) Spread cheese mixture over chicken.
6) Halve jalapenos and scrape seeds. Layer over chicken. (I cheated and used jalapenos I'd already roasted this weekend, so mine were already mellowed and caramelized)
7) Place bacon slices over jalapeno slices.
8) Bake for 25ish minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

homemade tortillas

2011-04-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, I'm really not kidding about this not eating wheat... I promise.... I just have some photos that are backlogged...

Actually, I had lasagna this weekend because it was served at a friend's house by another friend's teenaged daughter, a budding chef. It looked and smelled delicious, and I figured that was as good a time as any to see if gluten is really my arch-nemesis. As it turned, out, I should have fled, as I was ill all night. I guess wheat is the joker to my batman.

However, if it works for you and you like tortillas, you need to learn to make your own. The mark-up on these things is ridiculous, and it's good for your arm muscles to make them. Sure, they're not as pliable as grocery store tortillas, but they're not as fake, either.

I used whole wheat flour, but http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/, the inspiration for this dish, uses a blend.

Ingredients:

2 c flour

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 T vegetable oil

3/4 c water

Mix the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ingredients together, incorporate. Squish it all together with your hands until it stays a ball. Let rest under a towel for 10 minutes, them come back and divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll them out and then cook until they get the nifty blister bumps on a hot skillet. Munch.