Burnt to a Crisp

Meat- on the legit side

2012-01-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

Meat is sketchy these days people... hormones... eeew... feed lots... eeew...
Organic, Grass Fed, Blah Blah Blah.
At the end of the day, if you don't know where your meat comes from- you don't know what's in it.
Period.
End of story.

Enter Farmers Market.
Hello neighbor! May I ask, where did this tasty cut of meat come from? Oh, your cousin's farm up north. That sure is a pretty pasture.
Double the price? Worth every penny.
Spend it now on tasty, healthy food or spend it later on angioplasty. I don't even know what angioplasty is, but I know I don't want it.

Come over to my side of the argument, the view is so clear from here.

Also, did you know you should always look for heirloom vegetables- these come from seeds that have not been genetically modified. The Farmers Market is a wealth of knowledge- I scored some heirloom carrots that are RED. Sweet Emotion they were good.

Chateaubriand + Roasted Veggies::
Heat an iron skillet to hot.
Like searing hot.
Sear the meat for one minute on each side.
Place the skillet in a preheated oven at 200 degrees.
With this cut of meat, low and slow is the way to go. You want to let it cook until the center reaches about 125 degrees using a meat thermometer. Our cut took about 50 minutes (it was just under a pound and PLENTY of meat for two- we had leftovers).

For the veggies chop up whatever is in season- we used heirloom carrots, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. Toss in some melted butter and olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oven at about 400 degrees until vegetable slightly brown, turning about every 15 minutes. Ours took about 45 minutes.

This was such a tasty cut of beef- very similar to filet. Pair with the veggies and you have a meal fit for... well... me.

Sunny Days, Sunny Delight

2012-01-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

I got laid off my job. The week before Christmas.
Can you say pitty party?
I'm eating my feelings and they taste delicious.
These happen to be on the light side though- so I won't be fat AND unemployed.

Light Lemon Bar::
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
2/3 cup granulated sugar plus 3 tablespoons
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Coat an 8-x-8-x-2-inch baking pan with nonstick spray; set pan aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Pat mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, combine egg and egg white. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining sugar and flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, and baking powder. Beat on medium 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour mixture over baked layer in pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until edges are light brown and center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Sift powdered sugar over top (I skipped this step as I am not a powdered sugar fan). Cut into 16 bars. Store in refrigerator

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

2011-12-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon was left out of this recipe for my purposes. I inserted in though for your purposes as I assume most of you don't have a significant other who has severe disdain for this spice. Full disclosure- I have never been a cinnamon fan myself. This is Cody's reaction to anything and all things cinnamon:

This is yet another recipe from the ever talented Candice Kumai and her Pretty Delicious cookbook. I should probably be her spokesperson; I certainly sing her praises enough. These are pumpkin goodness people- perfect served with hot cocoa and Baileys and Amaretto. Yes, I said Baileys AND Amaretto. It's a tasty combination not to be missed. The cocoa part is optional.

Pretty Delicious Spiced Pumpkin Cookies::
Makes about 2 dozen (or a little more) cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing Ingredients:
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp of canned pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla soymilk b/c of convenience)

Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, approximately 1 to 1.5 min. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Chill dough for 15 min.

Heat over to 350F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and using a tablespoon, scoop dough, roll into balls, and place 1 inch apart on sheet. Flatten slightly and bake until edges are firm and the center is still soft, about 15-20 min. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack and allow to fully cool.

To make icing, sift confectioners sugar into medium size bowl. Add melted butter, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk. Whisk until completely smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let the icing harden for 10 min before serving.

Chinese Chicken Salad Chop Cups

2011-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have said it before and I will say it again... Pretty Delicious is THE BEST COOKBOOK of all time. Candice Kumai is blowin up people- and this cookbook is tits. Cody and I recently cooked for 6 of our friends and every recipe came from here. Best Christmas gift you can give a culinary expert or newbie- healthy, easy, and... pretty.

This makes a boat load, I have been eating it all week- just make sure to leave the dressing off so you can dress it over the days as you consume... I ended up making more dressing cause that's how I roll. I also crumbled the wontons on top after the initial presentation because I am lazy and when it's just a Tina I care not about presentation. This was damn good and I don't usually like Chinese Chix Salads. So there.

Chinese Chicken Salad Chop Cups::
For dressing-
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

For salad-
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
48 wonton wrappers
Dark sesame oil
1 1/2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1 1/2 cups finely chopped red cabbage
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup Asian almonds

To make the dressing: Place the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, until they're fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and ginger and whisk to combine. Add the peanut butter and whisk until completely smooth. Set aside.

To make the salad: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and grill until both sides have grill marks and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside until cool.

Press 1 wonton wrapper into each cup of a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin pan (the ends will peek up above the cups). Brush with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before gently lifting the wonton cups out of the pan. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Chop the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl and add the cabbages, carrot, scallions and cilantro.

Toss with three-fourths of the dressing. Fill each wonton cup with 1 heaping tablespoon of salad and top with the Asian almonds and extra cilantro. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.

Note: When you make salad, be light with the dressing. Save a little to serve on the side — this keeps things light and lets your friends do up their salads with as much or as little dressing as they like. The salad and wonton cups can be made a few hours ahead of time, just hold back on filling the wonton cups until right before serving so they stay nice and crisp.
Serving Size... Makes 48 mini cups

I made crayons. high five.

2011-12-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

My sister was the best color-er in the world. She outlined in a darker color and colored in with a lighter color. Her coloring pages put mine to shame. She still uses this technique to this day. By the way, how calming is coloring? I mean really. Sign me up for a coloring session any day of the week. Just don't compare mine to hers.

Yes.
I realize this post has nothing to do with cooking... other than the fact I did use an oven. But these needed to shared for the betterment of the world, so here they are. Deal with it... and make some for the small humans in your life. Happy Coloring.

This probably makes more sense if you have some old broken crayons laying around. As I have no children, there were no crayons. So I bought some... a lot actually. And I proceeded to peel the paper off of over 200 crayons to make these. Labor of love people. Labor. Of. Love.

Make Your Own Rad Crayons::
Fill the muffin tin or silicone cupcake molds full of crayons... matching colors work best as they do melt together. Shocker I know.

Place into a preheated oven of 275 degrees F. I used both mini muffin tins and large muffin tins. Watch them carefully, they will melt fast. Bake them for about 7-8 minutes. When they look melted enough, carefully and slowly remove them from the oven. You can stir them with a toothpick for a swirly look, or leave them as is. Let them cool completely (can be placed in the freezer to speed up process once the tin is not so hot.)

Peanut Brittle

2011-11-30T09:14:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can get a candy thermometer at the grocery store in the baking aisle? Ya, me neither! My sis and I made this while I was back home over Thanksgiving as a test batch for possible Christmas gifts... I don't even like peanut brittle but seems like something you make around this season ya? I think it would have gone better had we used real butter over her butter/yogurt spread so make sure you have some real legit butter on hand. Let's be honest, you should always have real legit butter on hand, its just light years better than the fake stuff.

Peanut Brittle::
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water.

Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking.

Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.

Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet.

With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces. I forgot to take a pic here, but it took ours a long time to harden--- as in hours. Perhaps we didn't let the candy get hot enough, but it started to smell like it was burning (shocker) so we pulled it out at about 270 degrees... ah well.

Donut Extravaganza: Round 3

2011-11-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Donut? Doughnut?
Which is it?
Which ever it is, I like them. A lot.

This post wraps up the doughnut extravaganza from last week. But do not fret my friends, donuts are not going anywhere on this here blog. I went vegan for the final round, seems fitting as I am constantly trying to make delicious food vegan, therefore ruining it. Alas, these were not ruined- couldn't tell the difference! Get your vegan donut on...

Baked Vegan Doughnuts::
Dry Ingredients
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar (I used raw cane sugar, but feel free to use white)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp (scant) Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients
1/2 Cup Soymilk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Egg Replacer for 1 Egg (If you don’t use egg replacer feel free to use 1 egg)
4 Tbs Earth Balance (regular margarine should work too)

Icing Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp soy milk
sprinkles, coconut, other toppings!

Preheat oven to 350F. Take all the wet ingredients and put in a small pot on the stovetop on low. Whisk ingredients together to blend well. Do not let the mixture get too hot, it should just be warm to the touch.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix. The batter will be very very sticky. Fill the donut molds.

Bake for 12 minutes. You don’t want them brown, but they should slowly pop up when pressed with a finger. Cool on a wire rack and then decorate!

Candied Jalapenos

2011-11-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

I interrupt this doughnut programming to bring you a jalapeno message...

This recipe is gonna be LEGEND wait for it and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY.

Of course I haven't actually sampled them yet, but I just happen to have a feeling about this one friends. **update- these were a massive hit, already made 2 more batches!!

The Thompsons love their spice, the hotter the better... and I love the Thompsons. Hence this recipe for a lil Thanksgiving Day Tailgate treat.
(GOOOO Texas A&M!!)

My house still smells like this and I made them three nights ago- I texted Cody to tell him that and he responded, "Might as well call it heaven." As I said, the Thompsons love the heat.

Candied Jalapenos::
3 pounds Firm, Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Washed
2 cups Cider Vinegar
6 cups White Granulated Sugar
½ teaspoons Turmeric
½ teaspoons Celery Seed
3 teaspoons Granulated Garlic
1 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper

Wearing gloves (seriously, my hands were on fire for a solid day after this, so use the gloves my friends), remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers and discard.

Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

Put the jars in your refrigerator and store them there.

Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Or don’t. You know, which ever suits your fancy.

LEGENDARY, say it with me now!

Donut Extravaganza: Round 2

2011-11-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

Ready for round two my darlings? Ya, me too. I went with a Lemon Glaze on these donuts, but I think any sort of glaze you can come up with would be dang tasty since this recipe is a mellow base. Hello Chocolate I am looking at you. Alas, I do not have a microwave to melt chocolate and last time I tried it on the stove with a homemade double broiler was, well, a disaster. So lemon it was.

Baked Buttermilk Donuts::
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (1%)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly coat a doughnut pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Combine buttermilk, eggs, honey, butter, and vanilla, stirring well with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; whisk just until combined.

Spoon batter into doughnut pans, filling two thirds full. Bake in middle of oven until doughnuts spring back when touched and are golden on bottom (about 8 minutes). Let cool in pan slightly (about 4 minutes); turn out.

I suggest not dropping them on the floor though. Do as I say, not as I do.

Lemon Glaze::
Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, stirring well with a whisk. Dip 1 side of the cooled doughnuts into glaze; let cool on a rack, glazed side up.

Donut Extravaganza: Round 1

2011-11-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

Donuts are apparently trendy right now. I would like to go on record and state that my love and fascination with donuts supersedes this new era by about 20 years. So I am not band-wagon-ing here (ya, I made that word up.) The only way my parents could get me to go to church when I was little was because the youth group sold glazed donuts for a dollar. Hello $20 bill, don't mind if I do.

I heard there were such things a donut pans a few months ago. I went into a William Sonoma and asked if they had any. The lady looked at me as if I had asked her if they sell Hitler there. Ummm hello lady- YOU SELL DONUT MIX... this is not a quantum leap. Enter Sur La Table. The best cooking store around. They did not fail me, and I walked out with TWO donut pans. Weeeeeeeeeeee!

3 recipes were made the other night. I was baking enough for a bus load of wine tasters the next morning as it was a friend's birthday and she too shares a love of all things tasty. 4 hours later we had our hands on 3 dozen donuts... the first of which I will share with you was the Baked Red Velvet Cake Donuts. Sweet emotion how good does that sound?!?! But you know I had to screw something up. Take a peek- if you know what I did wrong please let me know as I have NO IDEA. They were still tasty though, just not as pretty.

Round One Donut Extravaganza- DING:

Baked Red Velvet Cake Donuts::
makes 10-12 standard-sized doughnuts

1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder, then mix with a spoon. Add in buttermilk and egg, mixing to combine. Stir in butter. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar together, then add in vanilla. Add the mixture to the doughnut batter, then stir in red food coloring.

There is a significant difference here people. Alas, this is me we are talking about. No shocker here.

Using spoon fill each doughnut mold 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 7-8 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes before removing.

Whipped Cream Cheese Glaze::
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4-5 tablespoons heavy cream, or more depending on texture

In a bowl, whisk cream cheese vigorously until it smoothes out. Add in sugar, vanilla and cream one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. This glaze will be a bit thicker (almost like a thin frosting), so add more or less cream depending on your desired consistency. Either dip doughnuts or frost them with a small spoon, then cover in sprinkles or shaved chocolate or what ever your heart desires.

Stay tuned my friends, Round 2 & 3 are up later this week! Sneak peek::

Butternut Squash, Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

2011-11-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one big whorenado. Show me a ridiculously slutty nerd/cartoon character/sea creature/blue collar worker who doesn't have emotional issues and I'll show you my stable of unicorn thoroughbreds ridden by leprechaun jockeys. I wish I could say I am better than that. Insert great excuse here for why I once dressed as a Pirate Whore. Truly Inspired.

Last night was Halloween. I totally spaced it out... until I heard kids running around my neighborhood and had a minute of sheer panic thinking they may trick or treat me up and I was totally unprepared with ZERO candy. Who does that? THIS GIRL. I was fixin to give out lemons or cans of tuna... then I remembered I live around back and up a pair of very dark stairs and no respectable parent would send their children down that creep trap.

GET TO THE POINT TINA (says audience). Right. Well I made a fall dish. Because Halloween means Summer is over in my messed up calendar in my brain. Accept it and move on.

This was deeelish- add some smoked chipotle paprika (which I now add to everything) and some greek yogurt instead of sour cream and you have your self a legit meal.

Butternut Squash, Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas::
1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 16 oz can black beans
1 bag of spinach
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
whole wheat tortillas
3-4 cups enchilada sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss butternut squash with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place on cookie sheet and cook for 40-50 minutes until tender.

When squash has about 20-30 minutes left to cook, heat remaining oil over medium high heat in large saute pan. Add onion to pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. Add black beans, spinach, remaining salt, remaining pepper, remaining cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in squash when it is finished cooking.

Keep oven on at 375 degrees after removing squash.

To assemble enchiladas, place a few spoonfuls of squash mixture into tortilla, fold in bottom and top edges and roll up.

Place seem side down into baking dish (don't judge my baking dish decisions- gotta work with what you got peeps).

Do this with the remainder of the mixture and place side by side in baking pan. Spoon about 2 cups of enchilada sauce on top and then sprinkle cheese over top. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Get ready for the most over exposed finale shot ever. I don't even know why I continue to post photos- they are just straight up horrible.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.

And boom goes the dynamite.

That Ain't Cheese

2011-10-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

"I am making Vegan Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese tonight." Says Tina.
"Sweet, whats in it?" Says Boyfriend.
"Not Cheese." Says Tina.
"Then you can't call it Mac & Cheese." Says Boyfriend.

Balls. The man has a point.

Oh well, this was pretty a-ok... especially after we added in Chipotle Paprika. That stuff is like magic fairy dust sprinkled on a unicorn's hind flanks. Gold.

Alas, I defer to the boyfriend. Mac and Cheese should probably have cheese in it. So unless you have some dietary restriction- roll with the real thing friends.

Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze (Vegan & Gluten-free)::

1 fresh butternut squash* (peeled and chopped)
Extra virgin olive oil, S & P
1 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacer)
3/4 cup unsweetened & unflavoured almond milk (revised from 1 cup)
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
6 tbsp nutritional yeast, or more to taste
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2-3/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste) & ground black pepper, to taste
8oz or so of Quinoa Pasta or Brown Rice Pasta
Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a casserole dish with tin foil. Mix chopped squash with EVOO, S & P. Roast for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the cheeze sauce in a pot on the stove top. Add Earth balance over low-medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together milk and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch or flour) until clumps are gone. Add into pot and whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients (nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, S & P) and whisk over low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes or so).

Cook your pasta according to package directions. The sauce makes enough to cover 4 servings of pasta.

In a blender or food processor, blend the sauce with 1 cup of roasted squash... I used about 2 cups though to give it a lil more health factor.

Add cooked, drained, and rinsed macaroni into pot, along with cheeze sauce & mix-ins. Heat and serve.

In other news- check out my Honey Badger Don't Care Pumpkin on the far left.

Spiced Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Granola

2011-10-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sweet emotion if I could make ONE recipe without burning something, I might just retire from cooking.
You know, end on a high note.

Alas, I don't see that happening anytime soon... hence the name of this blog.
I burn things.

Real life. This is mine. Welcome to it.

Spiced Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Granola::
Servings: Makes about 5 cups (large batch: 15 cups)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (large batch: 2 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (large batch: 1 1/2 cups)
2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil (large batch: 6 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (large batch: 3 Tbsp.)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (large batch: 6 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground cardamom (large batch: 3 tsp.)
1 tsp. kosher salt (large batch: 3 tsp.)
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (large batch: 9 cups)
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts (large batch: 3 cups)
1 cup golden raisins (large batch: 3 cups)

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, and salt. Add oats and nuts, and toss to coat.

Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in raisins and continue baking until oats are just crisp, about 15 minutes more.

Really stir these in, don't just drop them on the top like someone I know did- cause they will... wait for it... burn.

Stir one last time, pick off the burnt raisins, then set aside to cool completely. When hard, break into chunks and store in an airtight container. Yum!

Pasta + Goat Cheese + Walnuts + Peas. OH MY

2011-10-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Goat Cheese is my friend.
Pretty close to my best friend, right next to bacon, beets, and wine... and butter. Obviously butter.

Can I divert for one moment please. It rained today in Southern California- which means it pretty much doubled my already hour long commute. And by rain I mean sprinkled... a little bit... as in the roads were mostly dry. The lack of driving ability in mediocre weather here in California drives me bat sh*t crazy. But there was a redeeming quality to the morning. We (my fellow commuters) screwed over a cheater- a lane cutter. (You know who you are) I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front when we have all been waiting nearly an hour to make our way to the exit. Stay strong brothers & sisters!

Back to our normal programming.

I made this for Cody last night, he gave it the tasty stamp as did I.

Also, did you know the gestation period for a Polar Bear is 8 months?
No? Huh, neither did Cody.

I would add in some extra garlic next time because, well... garlic is tasty. Ohhh yeah. How's that for a persuasive argument.

Pasta + Goat Cheese + Walnuts + Peas. OH MY::
salt & pepper
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 box (13.25 oz.) medium whole-grain shells or whatever pasta floats your boat (I used a tri colored veggie pasta)
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen peas
6 oz. goat cheese, softened

Bring a 6-quart pot of water to boil. Add 2 tsp salt.

In a 8- to 10- inch skillet, add olive oil, walnuts, and garlic. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until golden. Stir in 1/8 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook 1 minute less than the minimum time on the label, stirring occasionally. Add peas and cook for 1 additional minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and peas; return to pot.

Stir in goat cheese, 1/2 cup pasta water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Top with walnuts and garlic mixture and eat your lil heart out.

Vegan Thai Fried Quinoa

2011-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.
Coconut. (Didn't see that one coming did ya. Umm hmm, I'm deep)
I can't decide if I want to be your friend or your enemy.

"White girl problems" as my friend would say.
I prefer "food blogger problem", but ya- I guess white girl applies here as well.

This recipe has coconut in it- pretty dang sweet. I would recommend pairing it with something rather than making it the main course like I did. It needs a lil savory friend to mellow it out- perhaps some BBQ meat ?? Then I suppose you lose the vegan benefits though huh. Well shucks. Who knows, perhaps you will find it perfectly mellow, I found the coconut a tad overwhelming, but again we have a fickle relationship the two of us. Story of my life right there.

Thai Fried Quinoa::
1 c. dry quinoa
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. vegetable broth
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1 T. minced ginger
2 t. minced garlic
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. pineapple
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 T. lime juice
2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce

Optional garnishes: lime wedges, peanuts, cilantro, cherry tomatoes

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add quinoa, stirring every minute or so until quinoa is toasted.

Combine coconut milk and vegetable broth and add to quinoa.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray or a light spritz of oil and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute or two.

Add peas, pineapple and cilantro and sauté for an additional minute.

Add quinoa to the skillet and cook until starting to slightly brown and crisp.

Finish with lime juice and soy sauce.

Garlic

2011-09-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

The prettiest Garlic I have ever seen, compliments of my friend Danni's Mama's garden.

Mahalo.

Cooking: Camping Edition

2011-09-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm outdoorsy in that I like to get drunk on patios.

Kidding, but I really do like that saying and am pretty sure it applies to many, many of my girlfriends. (Whom I love because I too like to get drunk on patios.)

That's neither here nor there though- let's talk outdoorsy in the terms of camping. I am a Colorado girl after all. This past weekend 4 buddies + Tina ventured up to Mammoth for an epic camping trip filled with Fishing (but not technically CATCHING any fish, swear that lake was empty), Hot Chocolate + Baileys, Hiking, Laughing Until I Cried, More Laughing, and Grill Cooking.

Cooking while camping is an art form, and I think we nailed it. We each took a meal or two and were in charge... check it out friends.

Breakfast Burritos. Simple Goodness.

Famous Tick Ridge Nachos over the open flame. Cody nailed it, as always

Fire Roasted Veggies, Corn, and Sausages courtesy of Mayo and his sous chef...

Cutest sous chef I have ever seen!

Skewers. Can't go wrong here. Unless you don't cook them all the way. Um ya.

BLAT. Bacon + Lettuce + Avocado + Tomato + Horseradish Mustard = Flavor Explosion.

People this could be the best idea to hit this blog:: Resse's Peanut Butter Cup S'mores. Disregard my filthy hand.

PBR. No explanation necessary.
If you are drinking anything else while camping you are just wrong.
WRONG SIR.

Camping Buddies of the best kind!

Tofu Stir Fry

2011-09-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I always think that vegetable stir fry sounds so good and healthy. Turns out whenever I make it I never eat it. I do that a lot (soup, eew).

I am crazy. And just when you think you've reached the bottom of my craziness, there's a crazy underground garage.

This was the exception to that- perhaps it was the addition of tofu. This was dang tasty and made a grip of food- lots of leftovers for lunches during the week. I would add in some sort of a spice whether that be a chili powder or some sliced up serrano chiles.

Tofu Stir Fry::
1 pound extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 small onions, cut into wedges
9 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups shredded carrots
1 1/4 pound bok choy, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stem and green pieces separated
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon cold water

Cut the tofu lengthwise and then slice each into 8 rectangles. Place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Top with more paper towels and another baking sheet. Place canned goods on top and refrigerate overnight or at least 20 minutes.

In a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil with 1 tablespoons water. Add tofu and marinade for at least an hour. Reserve marinade.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook tofu until golden brown then set aside.

Cook onions in skillet over high heat until browned. Stir constantly. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add bok choy stems and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes. Add peas and ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add marinade, cornstarch mixture, bok choy greens, and tofu and cook until heated through.

I forgot to document this one, sorry! But here it is in my bowl for lunchy!

Guest Blogger- East Coast Stevarooski Ribs

2011-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Meet my friend East Coast Stevearooski. He is awesome and incredibly strange. The man drinks diet Sunkist and eats cinnamon apple rice cakes like they are going out of style. Don't call it a sandwich- its a hoagie. East Coast lived with me a few years back for a summer with my other roommate Justin. They wrestled and broke things in the apartment. It really wasn't an ideal situation, especially since he would let the dog eat the remote control and he would park in my parking spot. But we have since moved on from our mutual hatred of eachother and returned to being the greatest of friends. However he is still weird. And below is a fine example. I now present you with...

East Coast Stevarooski Ribs

Do you like ribs? Yeah, me too. Do you like drinking diet soda by yourself and blogging about making ribs? Again, me too. I like ribs so much I often day dream about a pseudo-”Innerspace” scenario where I’m a shrunken Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid’s character), but instead of being injected into the bloodstream of Jack Putter (Martin Short’s character), I’m injected into the meat on a rib. “Does the dream end there” you ask? No, no it does not. It ends with me getting smothered by glorious BBQ sauce and enjoying the adventure that is being grilled on an open flame. So seeing how I like ribs so much, parlayed with the fact that I’m pretty much great at everything I do (especially passing judgment on other people), allow me to share a rib recipe so good, that the second your guests even smell the rib-emissions, they’ll basically get weak in the knees and have to be taken to the ER.

Please follow the steps below for success:
1. Create a rib playlist. Any yahoo can go to the gym, walk straight through the gym into thebathroom, find the 40-year-old linebackers coach from the local high school, pay him $70 for steroids, walk back through the gym into the parking lot,catch a bus back to his parent’s house, head to the basement, inject saidsteroids into his buttocks, wait fifteen minutes for the juice to get loose and then start breaking shit; but to do so without a soothing “steroids got me, they got me bad”playlist for your iPod or MP3 player, well, that’s just plain old stupid. That being said, you shouldn’t try making ribs, let alone East Coast Stevarooski ribs, without a ribs playlist. As far as what music to include, it’s up to you, I’m no dictator, but I find anything from the “Caddyshack” soundtrack works pretty well (“Why yes Kenny Loggins, I am alright!”).

2. Get food. Onceyou have your playlist worked out you’ll want to ask a friend to borrow their car andhead over to the grocery store. I don’t have a car and I am assuming you don’t either because let’s be honest, if you have the time to make a “ribs playlist” and read this blog chances are you’re either professionally unemployed like myself, or have a really shitty job with a really shitty salary (i.e., no car).

Here is what you will be purchasing:
-pork baby back
-Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
-some salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon sugar, apple (I usethe word “some” as I am Italian and therefore don’t follow traditional methodsof measuring and simply ballpark everything)
-some Balance Bars, preferably mint chocolate or cookie dough (this is to keepup your strength as you mix your ingredients and to distract you from tearing into theglorious meat laying before you)
-some Diet Coke or Diet Sunkist (no explanation needed… tis the nectar of theGods!)

3. Prep. I liketo prep my meals the night before as it helps break up my nightly routine of sleeping with fashion models and sleeping with more fashion models. Take all your dry ingredients, dice up the ones that need to be diced, put them all over the meat, and put in fridge. (You can prep your meat in the morning if your BBQ is at night/afternoonish.)

4. Wake up. Thisis probably the easiest of all the steps and the most important. Easiest because it’s hard to fuck up waking up, and most important becauseyou can’t make these sweet ass ribs if you’re dead.

5.Grillin’. Once your friends/hired escort have arrived spark the grill and get that lady nice and hot (the grill, not the hired escort, at least not until after the ribs). Now you might be asking yourself, “Why do I need to hire an escort?” Good question. You have to hire one because although you’re very handsome and witty, you’re also an emotional tornado having beenrecently dumped and find the “dance of love” to be a bit annoying; therefore, you hire girls that will for a small sum of money (or ribs, escorts might accept ribs as a form of payment, all the good ones do) act like a girlfriend in order to show your ex (obviously your ex is still a part of your friends’ group because you live in South Bay and everyone bangs everyone down there, you’re like a bunch of gypsy’s) that you’ve moved on and couldn’t care less if she was mauled by a panther when she visits Peru in December with her current boyfriend, Sadler (although in reality you would grieve quite a bit and possibly stop giving money to that non-profit “Protect the Panthers” organization you got roped into during college). So yeah, grillin’… once the grill is nice and hot throw those ribs on there; but don’t worry, you’re not gonna just stand there like a dick in a yard, you got some further ribbin’ to do. As the meat cooks you’ll need to apply the bbq sauce; and just like a painter makes love to their canvas with their paintbrush, you too must make love to the ribs with the sauce brush.

6. Eat. Once the ribs are finished cooking and people are done complementing you on your new Pottery Barn chair that unbeknown to them was given to you by a friend from back east who moved out to LA to make it as an actor and got caught up in the whole “blowing guys for coke” scene and owned you money but couldn’t pay you back so he stole a Pottery Barn chair from some warehouse down in Long Beach, feel free to grab a cold diet soda and enjoy.
Happy eating.

Artichokes... best left to the professionals

2011-09-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

There are some things restaurants just do better than Tinas.
Meat.
Bread.
Artichokes.
(Mostly everything if we are honest.)

But let's focus on artichokes today shall we. They are so dang good when grilled to oak-y perfection. Salted. Dipped in sweet sweet creamy buttery goodness.

I tried to bring this home. And I failed. I think grilling them would have helped. Perhaps using "grown-up" artichokes and not "baby" ones... whatever that means. I was a bit disgruntled to say the least. These had hardly any "meat" on em. Bastards. Perhaps you will have better luck, as for this girl- RocknFish here I come... best grilled artichokes in the world.

Roasted Baby Artichokes::
2 lbs baby artichokes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Once prepped, cut the larger artichokes in half, but if they are really small leave them whole. Place the artichokes in a pot of water to cover.I added in a couple bay leaves and garlic just for kicks.

Simmer artichokes for about seven or eight minutes or until tender, then drain them well. When cooled slightly toss them in olive oil and bake in a foil lined glass or metal baking dish, in a single layer, in a 400 degree oven for seven or eight minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

I actually hate dipping things in butter, just grosses me out. However I had forgotten lemons and had no vegonaise (vegan mayo) so that was all I had. After further research I saw a really good dipping sauce with greek yogurt, garlic, and some sort of spice. That would have been way better. You should do that.

Fig + Gorgonzola Za

2011-09-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Figs. They are weird. Fig Preserves, now that is a whole other tasty conversation. Love me some fig preserves. As for the actual fruit (is it a fruit?!) the jury is still out on that. My friend Nikki and I went to the beach. Then we cooked. I felt the need to include the beach part because... I felt like it. We looked at my fridge, and we got creative. This is a legit made up recipe. Thanks for your assistance and guidance Nikki!

Fig + Gorgonzola Pizza::
1 whole wheat pizza dough
1 tub of Gorgonzola
10 Figs (quartered)
A few handfuls of Spinach
Balsamic Vinegar & Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

Preheat oven to about 400

Bust out the dough and roll out on a surface dusted with cornmeal- place on a pizza stone or cookie sheet that is also dusted with cornmeal. Spread Gorgonzola evenly on za and bake for about 15 minutes.

Mine had a ton of oil on top, so I drained that off and absorbed extra with some paper towels. Gross.

Meanwhile, wash and quarter the figs and set in a bowl. Dump about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar on 'em.

Spread figs evenly on top of Gorgonzola and bake for another 2-3 minutes.

Toss the spinach in a few tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar and load it on top of the za. I drizzled with a lil Balsamic Reduction too cause that stuff is bomb.

There ya go- a sweet and savory pizza. Perfect Fall food- not so perfect bikini food though. Ah well, the season is almost over anyways, right? No, I live in Southern California. Balls. Thank god for Spin and Bar Method double days!

Healthy Muffins. Yup.

2011-09-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

You heard me right friends. Healthy. Muffins. Pause a moment and mentally transform your expectations of an ooey-gooey tasty muffin. Accept it and move on.
These are not delicious. But they are pretty decent. I added in some Flax Seeds, because, well, I can and I wanted to up the health factor. These are best fresh out of the oven, but if you have to store them be sure to put them in the fridge or the apples will turn. Apparently this fact is obvious to some people, just not this person. Make these muffins to keep your muffins in check. Holla.

Apple Flax Seed Muffins::
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt (I used Greek)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium apples
optional walnuts to top

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, brown sugar, yogurt, apple sauce, and vanilla). Core and chop the apples into small pieces.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped apples just until they are evenly distributed. Try not to over stir the mixture or else the muffins may become tough or rubbery.

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper cups. Evenly distribute the muffin batter between 12 muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Guest Blogger- Grilled Peach Salad

2011-09-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

I have some of the best girlfriends on the planet and I feel so so so lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. This from a girl who had almost no girlfriends 5 years ago. Thank you sweet baby jesus I changed because although I love my buddies, there is just something about a room full of your closest gal pals. I hate that term- gal pals.

Meet Sandy. She tells really bad, but funny, jokes. She only makes bets she knows she will win. And she has one of the sweetest hearts around- check out her guest blog below and stay tuned for more from her- I have a hunch she might become a regular here on B2C. Lucky us!

Grilled peach salad? Yes
Simple? Yes
Easy? Yes
Worth a guest blog on Burnt to a crisp? Totally!

A few friends and I went to happy hour and had a few glasses of some tasty wine,

saw a pair of sparkly flat shoes also known as jellies and decided to have a BBQ after. The day before I had been watching the food network which is basically the only channel I watch (well that and Jersey Shore), I even put it on just for background noise when I’m reading. I watch it ALL the time but never make anything! Like Tina has mentioned, cooking for one is difficult but that night was the perfect time to make this delicious grilled peach salad that my favorite southern Mrs. Paula Deen made and shockingly there was no butter involved in this dish and it’s healthy!

Shopping in the grocery store after a few glasses of wine with 5 girls is comical. I think we went down every isle twice trying to find what we needed. I’m not one for following directions so I just went off of what I remembered. I grabbed 3-4 yellow peaches, a bag of mixed greens, crumbled feta cheese, glazed walnuts (which are to be found by the candy…who knew! Not us) and a bottle of Girard’s Champagne salad dressing. Paula made her own dressing which looked great and I’m sure tasted great but that I could not remember nor did I have another half hour to walk up and down every isle again to find all the ingredients, we had drumsticks in our cart and they were melting.

Finally made it out of the store and into the kitchen where there were one too many “cooks in the kitchen” if you will. There were a few opinions about how everything (our whole dinner) should be done but it was all in good fun and just trying to make everything look and taste it’s best!

(checkin the broiler after everyone gave an opinion on how the bread should be done)

To make the salad I cut the peaches in half, removed the pits and then cut them in slices. Don’t cut them to thin, we don’t want them to fall through the grills on the BBQ. I put all the slices in a bowl and drizzled some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) on them so that they don’t stick to the grill. Grill them for only a couple of minutes or until you see some grill marks on the sides and then remove them.

They are so yummy I could eat them straight off the grill but I had to share with my friends and put them in the salad. If you don’t like peaches or have never tried them, like someone I know, I highly suggest you give it a whirl, you just never know what your taste buds do to you as you get older.

The rest of the salad is easy peasy. Toss the mixed greens in a bowl, along with some feta cheese and your glazed walnuts that you may want to chop up into smaller pieces. Throw the peaches on top, whole slices or you can chop the slices into bite size, mix in some dressing and BOOM SHAKALAKA you’ve got yourself a sweet grilled peach salad ya’ll! Serve with some more wine and drumstick to follow!

From my kitchen to yours! Peaches!
Sandy

P.S. Here is the real recipe

Dressing:
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad:
3 peaches, pits removed and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups mesclun greens mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Greek Zucchini Fritters

2011-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Just got back from high country- aka Colorado.
Home of great hiking, great fly fishing, a twin sister + her rad new boyfriend, two stellar parents, micro brewerys, old friends, BBQs, a fat bulldog named Makua, Red Rocks, Northern Colorado's biggest parade, and an over all great time.

I love my home-state. It is at the heart of my personal mantra:
Want Less. Appreciate More. Always be Down for a Good Time.
It really is one of the most beautiful places on earth and whenever it comes time to leave, my heart lets out a little sad sigh.

My sis recently purchased her first home (congrats again sissy) and what a home it is- so adorable. Isn't she the cutest sissy ever?!

Bonus: she has a gigantic garden. And in that gigantic garden is a plethora of zucchini and cucumbers. Perfect staples for this recipe we made for a BBQ... not sure where sis got this recipe but it's a great one!

Greek Zucchini Fritters::
2 medium to large zucchini coarsely grated
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 green onions including green parts, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup flour
4 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
salt
olive oil

Wash zucchini. With skins on, grate them with the coarse side of a grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit and drain for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Remove the zucchini by the handful, squeezing to remove as much liquid as you can. Put it in a bowl with herbs, feta and green onions. Mix with a fork. Add the lightly beaten egg and stir. Add flour and bread crumbs. The mixture should be wet but not watery. Mix in a healthy dose of salt, I prefer coarse sea salt.

Heat olive oil in a pan about 1/8 inch deep covering the entire pan. When hot, scoop out a spoonful of the zucchini mixture and put it in the pan. Let it cook about 3-4 minutes or until brown and then flip them.

Cook another 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove fritters and place on a paper towel -lined plate to remove some excess oil. Serve hot with tzatiki sauce.

Tzatziki::
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 large cucumbers
1 1/4 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

Peel, seed and coarsely grate cucumbers. Drain well. Add garlic, vinegar, olive oil, sat and pepper to cucumbers. Mix well. Add drained yogurt and blend. How freaking easy is that?!

This Has Everything To Do With Nothing...

2011-09-08T15:25:00.000-07:00