The Determined Cook

Fridge Cleanout Pizza

2011-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our little one has been recovering from having her adenoids and tonsils removed so food has not been the top priority in our home. However, when she woke up from a nap craving pizza, the good parents that we are indulged her. My husband thought of this as a good excuse to clean out our fridge from the holidays and use what was still usable. Let's just say that Maya was ravenous for her Fridge Cleanout Pizza.

We used Trader Joe's herb pizza dough - it was really tasty for a pre-made dough.

Trader Joe's pizza sauce was generously slathered over the dough.

We then sprinkled Trader Joe's mix of four cheeses - not my favorite choice for pizza, but it did the job.

The only "cook-like" thing done with the pizza was the toppings mis-en-place. We had polish sausage, chopped bell peppers, sweet onions and garlic.

This masterpiece enticed our Maya Rosie to have her first "real" meal since her surgery. I think that her making the pizza with B. made it more interesting to her.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

My passion for cooking and writing has been renewed, especially by this chilly weather that we have been having in Los Angeles. Rain, dark skies, and a nip in the air are what make me want to stay in and just cook, cook, and cook. All that said, I hope that your new year brings you lots of good flavor, great new recipes, and good health. Happy 2011!

Remembering Our Parisian Walks

2010-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

During our last Spring Break, B., Maya, and I took a two week trip to London and Paris. Visiting Paris has been a dream of mine, and to spend a few days of Spring in the City of Lights was heavenly. It was cold and rainy, but the idea of being in such a beautiful city, rich in art, culture, history, and cuisine, didn't stop us from wandering the narrow, crooked streets. On our walks, we came upon lots of delicious finds.

Resolving to Eat Light - Salmon Cakes

2010-01-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

When deciding upon a New Year's resolution, it seems like a futile task because before the first week of the New Year has passed, without doubt, I will have probably broken my resolution. Most of my resolutions are weight related - exercise more, eat better, drink more water, etc. This year, I am determined to lose 30lbs, but I am determined to do it the right way - by changing my outlook on food. My emotions control my eating habits, but I have tried to educate myself to find foods that work in sync with maintaining my emotions - in a positive way. In addition, I vow to do nothing drastic. This will be a true change. Let's hope this works.
To begin with, I started out by chosing a simple dish of salmon cakes that I could eat over a few days, and with with I could vary the accompaniment. One day I had it with a small cucumber salad, and the next with steamed peas and carrots. The cakes are rather easy to make.

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 ounces canned salmon, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked salmon
1 large egg, lightly beaten (seasoned with salt and pepper)
1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Massala
1 cup of mashed cauliflower
Juice of 1 lemon

Once the ingredients were all mushed together I made my little cakes and put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that they would set. Spraying the skillet with olive oil, I put them on the pan until each side was golden brown (about two minutes a side). Then, I put them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Parmesan Chicken a la The Barefoot Contessa

2009-12-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

In the days that follow the Christmas feast, after rolling from party to party sampling everything that is rich, and luxurious, the dinner I am in search for is something light. I am still rebelling against the need to diet after packing on the holiday pounds, but my system is yearning for something that is refreshing and new. Doing away with recipes that may call for leftovers, I turned to my goddess, the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). In her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, I found her Parmesan Chicken (printable recipe).
Although this recipe calls for the chicken to be fried in butter, I chose to fry the breasts in a mixture of olive oil and butter, and I fried them until they were lightly golden on each side. The cooking process continued in the oven set at 360F for 20 more minutes. Served with banana squash roasted with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and a side of steamed asparagus spears, this was a light, satisfying meal.

Merry Christmas and All the Best for the New Year

2009-12-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Dinner with Friends at 82 Queen

2009-12-10T09:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I actually ventured out beyond the two-block perimeter that I had set for myself and joined my new friends for dinner at 82 Queen. Located on King and Queen street in the very snazzy end of Charleston, it's a beautiful restaurant with a courtyard tucked away, off the street. The weather was gorgeous, warm with a light breeze, so the hostess guided us outdoors. We stepped into a courtyard with white wrought iron furniture, a brick floor, creeping ivy and a sprinkling of fairly lights and poinsetta flowers, everywhere. It was just magical.

Our server explained the basics of the menu and the night's specials, simple, great low country ingredients that were turned into such mouthwatering dishes. Since we were looking for variety, we decided to order off the appetizer menu...this would also allow us to have dessert, and not push us off the scales. I chose a bowl of the She-Crab Soup with Sherry, Scallops with a Bacon Risotto and Pepper Coulis, and ofcourse, Creme Brulee. However, to start us on the right path, our server brought over a basket of cheddar and garlic biscuits, fresh out of the oven - served with a honey butter, this was a nice start to our meal. Served steaming hot, it a large bowl, the She-Crab soup was epicurean delight. It was lighter than other ones I have had, and did contain the roe whose flavor was brought out by the sherry. My scallop dish was indicative of the treasures that the Charlestonian shore has to offer. The scallops were perfectly seared, succulent, and flavorful...more than anything, they were fresh! Two large scallops sat on a bed of bacon risotto and the plate was drizzled with a red pepper coulis. To sweeten an already perfect meal was the creme brulee - the custard was light and the glassy sugar topping was just burned enough. Served with strawberries and homemade whipped cream, it was a great finale to a magical night with friends.

Caviar and Bananas and Sparkling Christmas Trees

2009-12-09T09:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, it rained in Charleston. It was the end of my first training session, so class let out early; however, being new in the city, and not wanting to wander in the rain, I retraced my steps from the day before, through streets I was familiar with. On my wanderings the night before, I came upon Caviar and Banans, it looked like a great place for gourment take-away, so I walked over and took a better look.

The food counter at Caviar and Bananas

Located at 51 George Street, Caviar and Bananas boasts a modern interior, an eclectic menu of organic food, a coffee and dessert bar, a great selection of wine and cheese, and flavor aides for both the amateur and professional cook. The staff are very friendly and very helpful and when I asked if I could take pictures for my blog, they were very accomodating. Everything on their menu looked delectable, so choosing dinner was a quite a task. I finally settled on two (thick) medallions of spice-rubbed seared beef tenderloin, grilled asparagus, braised collard greens, and a large crab cake...the walk and the cold left me famished!

The tenderloin was cooked to perfection - pink, soft, and moist in the middle, with a seared, spicy crust. Grilled asparagus is not something too difficult to cook, but these spears were flavored and grilled just right. Since collared greens are my new favorite vegetable I have discovered that there is more than one way to cook them - these were cooked with tasso ham. My last item of choice was the crab cake. Made with fresh lump crab meat, this one was a bit different because the crab was not entirely shredded. I tasted a hint of wasabi which made this crab cake one for my books.

A rack full of goodies...spices, sauces, pasta, dips, herbs

Food her in Charleston is relatively cheap. My dinner at Caviar and Bananas cost me under $15 which makes it a great place for the population that it serves - college students.

What a great selection of cheeses from around the world

After perusing the shelves and sampling some cheese, I had to leave, or else I would have sat there and eaten until I couldn't move. What a super little find! After my dinner adventure, I was off to the Francis Marion Park to see the sparkling Christmas Trees.

Christmas wonderland at the Francis Marion Park

Getting My Bearings and Revisiting the Swamp Fox

2009-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

St. Matthew's Lutheran Church on King Street (taken on my morning walk, as the sun is rising)

Yesterday, was a bit of a difficult day. The training was great - long, but great, but more than that, I was feeling the effects of a sleepless night and terribly missing Brad and Maya. After my training, I got back to the hotel and decided to go out and get some fresh air. Located on King Street, the Francis Marion Hotel is right next to Charleston College; it is a great, safe spot surrounded by churches, student housing, great restaurants, the Francis Marion Park, and great little shops. The city of Charleston is decorated for Christmas with poinsettas in every shop, twinkling lights and tinsel, and the mood is further set by the sound of Christmas music floating through the night air.

The lobby at the Francis Marion Hotel

I walked a few blocks to the nearby CVS and stocked up on my girlie supplies (face masks, special shampoo, and of course, a cheap bottle of Arbor Mist). On my travels, I stumbled upon Caviar and Bananas, a great little gourmet store. Besides having a great menu with organic gourmet fare, and a great selection of wine, they also have every foodies dream of bottled marinades, spices, sauces, and recipe books. Along King Street, I also came upon another gem called Handmade. From the outside, it looked like a very high end jewelry store, but when I stepped inside, the welcoming southern tone of the shop assistant and the price tags brought me to realize that I had found a little bit of shopping heaven. Hammered gold, sterling silver, turquoise, and beaded jewelry grace the shelves, were calling out my name and tempting me to buy, and buy lots.

Saw this guy on my walk last night...couldn't resist.

Whether or not I did remains to be told... The fresh air did me good, but I was still exhausted. Dinner was on my agenda, but traveling alone keeps me from wanting to sit in a restaurant, especially, when I all I want to do is curl up in my freshly turned down king sized bed. I have promised to live on local fare while I am here and that usually means seafood. The Swamp Fox was my restaurant of choice. Quiet, in the Francis Marion's Lobby, and with a good track record on its seafood, I decided on a quiet corner ordered the dinner special - a pecan crusted catfish with two sides, collared greens and southern-cooked vegetables. Dinner was absolutely delicious - the fish was soft, flaky and fully marinated and the crust was crispy.

I am now, officially, addicted to collared greens, especially the ones from the Swamp Fox that are cooked with bacon. The chef was true to his word - he promised me comfort food and he delivered. Suffice to say, I had a restful nigt.

The Determined Cook Visits Charleston

2009-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Mirrored view of my hotel room in the heart of Charleston.

The Determined Cook will not be cooking in her kitchen this week. In fact, she will not be cooking at all. I am in Charleston, South Carolina, working, missing my family, but also looking forward to the culinary adventure that awaits me. I will blog my travels this week, as all my meals will be cooked by someone else. My goal is to survey the locals, and find the hidden treasures that make Charleston the food gem that it is.

It is 11:20 p.m. I just got off the plane and made my way to Charleston proper, after getting lost in some gorgeous, Christmas fairyland suburb. As you can see, my professionally made bed awaits me, and only me tonight...I missed storytime with Maya, hugs with Brad, but am looking forward to myself.

Hotel couch, southern opulence at it's best.

Making sure that I don't get left out of the pictures.

Aaaahh! Much better...G'nite world.

No Fuss Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Thursday Dinner

2009-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Pulled pork is a dish that I have always wanted to make, but just never got down to it. Not having much time to watch it cook, I decided to use my trusty crock pot. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is the way that it is listed on the internet, and most of them call for a bottle of one's favorite BBQ sauce poured over a shoulder of pork and just left alone. Well, I poked through my pantry and found another packet of McCormick's Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork packet of spices. I buy packets of spices when they are on sale so that I can used them during the week to jazz up my dishes. This packet of spices requires a 1/2 cup of ketcup, a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar. Mixing the ingredients together, I carefully painted the shoulder of pork with the marinade and left it to marinate (in the fridge) overnight. On Thursday morning, the pork went into the crock pot (low for 8 hours) and I went to work.
On the way home, I picked up some hot rolls from Jon's market and a head of cabbage. Grammy Betty was kind enough to make her coleslaw. I don't have a recipe for this, but as soon as I do, I will post it; however, I saw her add evaporated milk, apple cider vinegar, and a bit of pepper. Dinner was tasty, quick, and comforting - what I look for on a Thursday night.

Roasted Striped Bass

2009-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

Image from www.tesco.com

In addition to our delicious Thanksgiving turkey, our table was graced with the fruits of the sea, a dish of Roasted Sea Bass (see printable recipe). I knew that I wanted to make a stuffed fish-dish that used ingredients that were citrusy, light, and delicious. Not being the best fish buyer, I set my parents to the task of buying the fish. For those of you who live in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles), the 99 Ranch Market (Sepulveda and Victory) is a little bit of food heaven. Although mainly an Asian market, the produce, fish, meat, sauce, sweets, and dairy selection can greatly benefit any recipe. My parents decided on striped bass, a fish that I had seen in various recipes, but never cooked. The folks at the 99 Ranch Market are kind enough to take care of all the icky tasks related to cooking with fish. They scaled, gutted, and washed each fish until they were ready to cook.
The day before Thanksgiving, I salted the fish and rubbed them with oilve oil. Then I stuffed them with my marinade and thick slices of lemon. I poured the leftover marinade over the fish, sealed the dish and marinated it overnight. On Thanksgiving Day, after the turkey was done, the fish were removed from the fresh and brought up to room temperature. I baked them for one hour at 350 degrees F (covered for a half hour and uncovered for another half hour). It was a great addition to our table and by the end of the meal, all that was left was a few bones...not a bad compliment to the cook.

Easy Peasy Weeknight Beef Stew

2009-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

The past few nights have been rather chilly, so I decided that Beef Stew (click for printable recipe) would be a great choice for dinner tonight. With limited prep time, I opted for a little help from my "friends". (McCormicks makes a great beef stew seasoning packet, leftover chopped onions and celery from Thanksgiving, canned beef stock, and Charles Shaw Cabernet SauvignonThe method is time friendly and can be done as you are getting ready for work. Sautee the beef in hot oil then remove from the pan. In the beef sauce, sautee the onions, celery, and a bit of crushed garlic. Once that is nice and golden, remove from the pot, and deglaze with the red wine. Once a sauce has been created add ingredients, with the remaining half packet of spice and beef broth back into the pot, and cook for a bit. Transfer all ingredients into a waiting (heated) crock pot. Set to low and cook for 8 hours. When you get home, the aroma of a home cooked stew wafts through the house. I served this with bread rolls. Make lots because it tastes better in days that follow.

My First,SUCCESSFUL, Roasted Turkey

2009-11-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving turkey has to be the centerpiece, so having the pressure of being a first-time Thanksgiving hostess, the added pressure of the turkey coming out perfect make me super nervous. My neighborhood Ralphs was where I was able to be "guaranteed" a fresh turkey (I think that I asked the butcher to bet his life that I would have a fresh bird the day before Thanksgiving). My Dad was nice enough to come over the night before and help me inject the bird with a great salt marinade. I am obsessed with marinating, so why would I not marinate a 23 lb bird. On Thursday morning, I was up at 3:00 a.m. because I had read that the turkey had to come up to room temperature to assure that it roasted well. Then, I was up at 6:00 a.m. and the race was on - rub the turkey, stuff the turkey, make sure the wings are foiled, tent the turkey, have all basting tools ready, set the temperature, and start...oh yes, and put turkey in the oven! Mr. Turkey absorbed all the marinade and herb rub and stuffing flavors, and was juicy, flavorful, and minimal of leftovers. Here's the recipe...enjoy.

Mediterranean Roasted Turkey (printable recipe)

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving this year - a late lunch for thirty of our family and closest friends. We decided upon a potluck so that we could experience the many specialties that our guests are known for. Brad and I made the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted striped bass and appetizers. Both our families together create the United Nations and as a result, our dinner table was laden with a variety of dishes. Since this was the first time we had hosted Thanksgiving Dinner, we were pretty nervous. However, everything turned out well...we have a lot to be thankful for. .

Persimmon Pudding Cake - Not!

2009-11-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

Photo from Wairere Online.

My colleague at work was kind enough to share the ripe persimmons from her tree. Not liking the fruit itself, but loving persimmon bread and persimmon pudding, I decided to make a persimmon cake. There is a nice recipe that I found at http://www.wairere.co.nz/poshnosh.mvc that sounded delicious. Getting the pulp out of the persimmons was pretty easy. I strained the fruit through fine-meshed strainer and what came out was a beautiful, orange-gold pulp. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of persimmon pulp

4 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

¾ cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

Method

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, mix the persimmon pulp, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a third at a time. Bake in a buttered glass pan at 400°F until done (about 50 minutes).

However, after about 30 minutes of baking, I realized that I had forgotten to add the baking soda and the baking powder. The cake rose in the oven, and when I inserted the knife into its center, it came out dry. I let it cool for about a half hour and found the courage to cut into it. It sliced up like a pie. It did not sink, and it tasted pretty darn good!

Roasted Chicken Breasts Marinated in a Green Tomato and Jalapeno Jam

2009-11-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Photo from the Closet Cooking Blog.

After scouring the produce section in various local markets, for the last few weeks, I finally found green tomatoes at my local Jon's market. So I grabbed a couple of pounds and the necessary ingredients to make Kevin Lynch's (Closet Cooking) Green Tomato and Jalapeno Jam. The hardest part for me was peeling the tomatoes, but the rest of the recipe (see below) was rather easy to follow.

I bathed two large, butterflied, chicken breasts in the tomato and jalapeno jam and marinated them for 24 hours. Then I baked the chicken in a casserole dish at 350F for an hour. The jam liquified and created a great sauce. Served with buttered brussel sprouts, this made for a great week-night dinner. Enjoy!

Green Tomato and Jalapeno Jam

(makes 3 cups of jam)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 jalapenos (sliced)
1/2 cup herbs such as mint and cilantro (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 inch piece ginger (chopped)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound green tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
3 cups sugar

Directions:
1. Puree the jalapenos, herbs, garlic, ginger vinegar and soy sauce in a food processor.
2. Place the mixture into a sauce pan and add the tomatoes and sugar.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens, about 45 minutes.

Grazing on Luxurious Tidbits - Lunch at Work

2009-11-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

Although leftovers are my absolute favorite for lunch, there are times when the dinner was so good that there are no leftovers. There are many a time when I have resorted to sitting at my desk for lunch, but in recent days, I have forced myself to get up and just take a break. This week, my lunch bag (heavily labeled and stored in the deepest recesses of our office fridge) is laden with goodies like pate soaked in port wine, melba toats, slivers of havarti cheese, a red pepper, snap peas, carrots, hummus, pita bread, salami, dehydrated papaya, and blackberry juice. With these ingredients, I am able to create a lunch that carries me out of the office and onto a sprawling green meadow where butterflies flit about, daffodils bloom, birds sing, and there are no signs of work.

Yesterday, I dug into my lunch box and came up with the following lunch. I started out with carrots and snap peas dipped in a garlicky hummus, then was onto a second course of a grilled pita sandwich with salami and havarti. For dessert, I feasted on dehydrated papaya.
Who says a work lunch has to be boring.

Lunch From Around the World

2009-11-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Veterans' Day, and I had the day off from school - what better reason than to host an intimate lunch with family. All guests were asked to bring a dish that was from a different country. I chose Spain and decided upon a couple of easy-to-make items. I started out with Elle's Chevre dip ( http://www.ellesnewenglandkitchen.com/) which has now become a request at every party of mine. Adding to the appetizer menu, I tore a page out of Nuria's blog (http://recipespicbypic.blogspot.com/) and deconstructed her Aphrodisiac salad into an appetizer. My contribution to the main course menu was a potato and spinach fritata loaded with good flavor from sundried tomatoes and Serrano ham. Here are the recipes...enjoy!

Deconstructed Aphrodisiac Salad
Potato Discs

4 large russet potatoes
1/4 lb Serrano Ham
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Accompanying Salsa
1 avocado
1 large red onion
2 tomatoes on the vine
3 tbsp good olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes into one inch discs and boil in salted water until medium tender. Remove from boiling water and place on a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with good olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (turning them halfway). Serve on a large platter, golden side up. Place a generous piece of Serrano ham on each piece, then drizzle again with olive oil. Serve with a mixture of tomatoes, red onion, avocado and mint that has marinated in olive oil and lemon juice.

Spinach and Potato Frittata
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 large russet potato
1 large yellow onion
5 strips of bacon

3 cloves of garlic

10 large eggs
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes
Chevre goat cheese

2 tbsp cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potato and pop it into the microwave with a bit of water (covered) for 4 minutes. In a oven-safe sautee pan, fry the bacon until medium-crisp. To the renderings, add the onion and garlic and sautee until golden. Next, add the cooked potatoes, stirring as they cook to ensure golden deliciousness on all sides. Add the spinach to the mix and cook until wilted (lower the fire if necessary) and then add the sundried tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Once all ingredients have been combined on the sautee pan, spread them around to cover the pan and add dollops of goat cheese and turn the fire off.

In a separate bowl, beat the 10 eggs and incorporate the cream. Season with pepper (no salt...makes the eggs runny and there is enough salt in the sauteed mixture). Pour over sauteed ingredients and turn the stove on to medium, until eggs seem to set. Finish the dish off by putting it in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

I served this with Harry and David's red onion and pepper reslish.

My Hubby's Favorite Dish

2009-11-03T07:18:00.001-08:00

Teriyaki chicken is my husband's favorite dish. He is perfectly happy with chicken breast marinated in a bottled teriyaki sauce, but when he tried this new concoction of mine, not only did he go for seconds, but there wasn't a crumb left on his plate.

The sauce was based on the Honey Ginger Chicken Breast found on my new favorite blog For the Love of Cooking (http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com). I decided to cube my chicken breasts and so that it would go well with my side of sticky rice and steamed peas. Matched with a dry champagne (we weren't celebrating anything in particular, just that it was a Sunday), this dish hit the spot!

Chicken Marinade (enough for two large chicken breasts)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chili paste
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp orange juice

Mix all the ingredients and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour over chicken cubes, mix, seal and marinate for at least three hours. Remove chicken cubes from the marinade and sautee in hot peanut oil until browned. Add marinade with 4 tbsp of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower the fire to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Maya's 2nd Birthday

2009-10-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Maya's 2nd Birthday Party was on Saturday. We had lots of family and friends over, and that means lots of food. Having worked all week, the menu had to be something super simple, with minimal prep time. The menu combined both Maya's Indian and Caucasian heritage. There was Chicken Curry with Potatoes, Lentil and Spinach Curry, Shepherd's Pie, and Betty's Famous Green Salad. I served appetizers beforehand using Elle's New England Kitchen's (http://www.ellesnewenglandkitchen.com/) recipe for her Chevre and Dried Fruit Spread. The table was bare and after opening presents, everyone was ready for birthday cake and Auntie M's marshmallow salad. Happy 2nd Birthday Maya Rosie!

Super-Duper Meatloaf

2009-10-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Why super-duper? Well, because my husband finished what was on his plate and because my Mum-in-Law took two helpings. You see, she is the Meatloaf Queen. A good meatloaf to me has been almost unnattainable - too dry, too soupy, doesn't stand on it's own...just to name a few of the comments I have received. So, I decided to go to the source, and "barely" added my personal touch to this one. Here's the recipe.

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper (chopped into tiny pieces)
1 white onion (pureed)
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 pkt. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (save 1 tbsp for later)
1 egg
3 handfuls of Quaker rolled oats
1 8oz can tomato puree
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients except for the tomato sauce, 1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, dijon mustard, egg, and oats. Let the mixture marinate for a couple of hours. Set oven to 360 degrees. Combine oats and egg into the ground beef mixture. Place into a casserole dish and mold into a loaf shape (keep away from sides of dish). Mix the tomato sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, and dijon mustard, and pour over the meat loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

Monday Night Comfort Food

2009-10-20T16:26:00.001-07:00

Monday nights are usually busy as we try to clean up our "weekend mess". Who likes to stay home on the weekends and clean house...that's what Monday nights are for. Without much time to cook an elaborate meal, I usually resort to the comfort of pot roast and mash. My trusty recipe for pot roast is fool proof. To feed about 5 people (with delicious leftovers) all you need is 2 1/2 lbs of top round, 1 1/2 packets of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, 1 1/2 tbsp of good olive oil, and a crock pot. Mix the soup mix with the olive oil and rub it into the meat. Marinate for 24 hours. Then comes the even-easier part. Plot the marinated roast into a crockpot that has been pre-heating on the highest setting. Add about 3tbsp of water to the crockpot. Cover and reduce the cooking heat to medium. The roast will be tender and tasty after about 6 hours.
Combined with decadent (cream and garlic) mashed potatoes, this is the perfect comfort food!

Roasted Curried Chicken Breasts with Roasted Fennel

2009-10-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I thought that I would prep an easy meal for Monday, that would allow me to spend some time with the fam, yet enjoy some comfort food. Well...talk about a plan not quite working out. Food was great, but the fam chose a chili bowl instead. Here's my recipe anyway.

Roasted Curried Chicken Breasts (the key to this is the simple marinade)
2 large chicken breasts cut into three inch pieces
3 tbsp Patak's curry paste
Rice vinegar (to make the paste a bit liquidy)
1 tsp salt

Marinate for 24 hours. Heat a large pan, and add some corn oil and fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown. Place in an oven-proof dish. De-glaze the pan with 1/4 cup of chicken broth and use as basting liquid (or you could make a sauce by adding cream). Bake at 360 degrees for 40 minutes. Easy, peezy!

Weekday Pork Roast Dinner for the Padres

2009-10-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

A good pork roast is something that I have been craving for the longest time, so over the weekend, I found a nice pork tenderloin and decided to pick it up, to be used during the week. Searching online for ways to roast a pork tenderloin, I saw that it was a slow process which started with an oven temperature of 450 degrees and then was followed by about a hour and a half of slow roasting at 250 degrees. That would be great on a weekend, but I needed my pork roast on a Wednesday evening. So, I defrosted the tenderloin and marinated it for 24 hours.

Marinade (for a 2lb tenderloin)

Patak's Curry Paste (2 tbsp)
Apple Cider Vinegar (1/4 cup)
Crushed Garlic (2 tsp)
Crushed Ginger (1 tsp)
Salt (1 tsp)
Olive Oil (1 tbsp)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl to make a "liquidy" marinade. Once mixed, pour over the tenderloin and let it refrigerate for 24 hours.

On Wednesday morning, I started my crockpot on high and put in the tenderloin for about a half hour, turn it twice. Then I reduced it to 3 and it cooked for 6 hours. After that it was reduced to 2 until we were ready to eat. The meat was tender and the tenderloin just fell apart. There was a great sauce to it that worked as a curry.

Then, I called the folks over and asked them to make rice and dahl...a perfect accompaniment to the pork roast.