rochellerella

Homemade Chorizo

2014-07-14T17:33:00.001-07:00

July 14, 2014

Mmmmm, I loveeeeeeee chorizo. Like, love love love it. While on Whole 30, it's hard to find some good, compliant chorizo. Even off Whole 30, most chorizos that are available are made with the gross parts of the animal--like ears, tongues...eyelids. Woof. I don't know about you, but I really like to know what's going into my food, and really like there to not be any gross parts. I'll totally continue making this chorizo while not doing Whole 30--it's stupid easy, and really tasty.

Next time, I'll double the sauce and freeze it so I can just dump it into some ground pork (or chicken, or turkey) as needed. The sauce is the most time consuming (time consuming does not mean difficult!) but I think it will definitely freeze well.

Homemade Chorizo

What you'll need:

1lb ground pork (you can substitute chicken, turkey, or beef)

3 dried guajillo chilies (I found these in the Mexican spice section)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 of an onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Here's what to do:

1. In a dry skillet on high heat toast the chiles on each side. Once they start to puff, fill skillet with water (enough to cover the chiles) and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and cover with lid for 30 minutes.

2. When chills are moist, drain the water and put the chiles in a blender with the diced onion, garlic, and vinegar. Puree until a smooth paste (like ketchup!)--you can add more vinegar if needed.

3. Add the chile puree to the ground pork (I only used half of the puree, I froze the rest for another batch!) and add the spices.

The chorizo is so versatile! I used it in scrambled eggs, on salads, and in tacos.

Steak with Chimichurri & Sweet Potato Fries

2014-07-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2014

We started our second round of Whole 30 today. Well, I guess we started yesterday but last night I accidentally tripped and my face landed in two scoops of ice cream with a waffle bowl, soooooooooo I had to start over today. I'm pretty sure this round is going to be way way way way way way more challenging than the first round. I'm not as motivated this round. And, since I already completed it once I feel like I've got nothing to prove. BUT, i need to prove that I can complete it twice. Power through, Rochelle, power through. This is one of my go-to summer meals, and it's a perfect Whole 30 meal because I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Chimichurri is a refreshing herb sauce that goes wonderfully with chicken, seafood, and shrimp, and steak. It is one of my go-to sauces for steak, Whole30 or not. Sooooo good. This pineapple sauce is inspired by a local restaurant. Naturally, I wouldn't think to pair sweet potato fries with a sweet sauce, but this is an excellent flavor combination with just the right amount of spice. Both of these sauces are super bright flavors, perfect for summer.

Grilled Steak with Chimichurri and Sweet Potato Fries with Pineapple Red-Chili Sauce

serves 2

Steak & Chimichurri
2 steaks, your favorite cut
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill to your liking.
2. In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients and process until finely chopped.
3. Serve sauce over steak.

Sweet Potato Fries w/ Pineapple Sauce
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 red chili

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet tray, toss sweet potatoes with coconut oil, paprika, and salt. Lay flat and spread out and bake for 20 minutes. Stir, and bake for an addition 10 minutes until crisp.
2. Add pineapple and red chili to food processor and process until smooth.

Sweet Potato & Bacon Stuffed Portobello w/ Fried Egg

2014-06-22T14:59:00.001-07:00

June 22, 2014

This was my very favorite breakfast during the entire Whole 30. I made it once again after Whole 30 with white potatoes (Paul hates sweet potatoes) and we both agreed that it was actually better with sweet potatoes. I love the balance of spicy, sweet, smoky, and salty. You can cut (and even cook!) the potatoes in advance so all you have to do in the morning is heat and assemble. I like to always have cooked bacon on hand--I usually just bake a whole package every week to have on hand for salads and such (Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, flip, 10 minutes longer. Reserve the grease!)

I had never cooked anything in bacon grease before this. I am now obsessed--I can't believe I used to just throw it away. So much flavor, in the trash! I will save my bacon grease forever.

I used white sweet potato for this because it is a little less sweet that orange sweet potato, and it's a little more starchy--but you could definitely use orange if you prefer or if you can't find white.

White Sweet Potato & Bacon Stuffed Portobello w/ Fried Egg

serves 2

3 slices of bacon, cooked--reserve grease (Whole30 complaint! No sugar!)

1 large white sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 eggs, fried or poached

2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, leaving the grease.

2. Add the potatoes to the pan, arrange in a thin layer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring only once, to create a nice crust.

3. Meanwhile, drizzle the portobellos with olive oil and place under the broiler (on high) gill side up. Broil for 10 minutes or until they release their water. Drain the liquid and season lightly with salt.

4. Once the potatoes are tender, add the jalapeños, and onions. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the chopped bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

5. On a plate, spoon the potato mixture onto the mushroom and top with an egg.

Enjoy, my friends!

Rochelle

Shrimp Burgers w/ Peach Salsa & Chipotle Coconut Cream

2014-06-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

June 21, 2014

This Paleo-fied burger is super-duper tasty. It has the perfect balance of sweet, savory, salty, and spicy. Paul & I ate it over lettuce instead of with a bun.

I'm not the biggest shrimp fan, I could take it or leave it--I think it's a texture thing. It's sort of like what I would imagine eating eyeballs to be like. Sort of crunchy, sort of soft. I really like the flavor of shrimp, though. In this recipe the shrimp is chopped in a food processor so you get the flavor without the eyeball texture--which for me, is a win. This recipe is super adaptable--you could ditch the shrimp and go for any white fish, and swap out the peach for pineapple or mango.

Shrimp Burgers with Chipotle Coconut Cream & Peach Salsa

makes 2 larger burgers

adapted from here.

Shrimp Burger

1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp

1/3 cup coconut flour (you could use almond flour)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 avocado, sliced for topping

Chipotle Coconut Cream

1/2 cup coconut cream (the fat from the top of a can of full fat coconut)

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 lime, juiced

Coconut Peach Salsa

2 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons toasted unsweetened coconut (make sure there’s no added sugar!)

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely diced

1/2 lime, juiced

salt + pepper to taste

Shrimp Burgers:

1. Add shrimp to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add egg, panko, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and basil. Mix until combined, then form into patties (form tightly with your hands, trying to prevent cracking).

2. Heat a skillet oven medium heat and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Cook patties until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining burgers.

Chipotle Coconut Cream:

In a bowl, stir together coconut cream, chipotle powder, lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on top of burgers, then layer with avocado and peach salsa!

Peach Salsa:

Stir all ingredients together and serve on top of burgers!

Enjoy, my friends!

Baked Eggs w/ Spicy Tomato Stew

2014-06-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2014

Hey friends! What a busy week here! I'm guest posting this week on Whole 30's recipe instagram! So exciting! So, that means I have to take pictures of my food. When I have decent pictures, that means I can share recipes on my blog! Woot woot! Slowly but surely I'll get back into this whole blogging world..

While doing Whole 30, you eat a TON of eggs. Everyday seems like eggs and sweet potatoes. Which is fine by me, I love a good sweet potato hash with a soft, runny yolk on top...Buttt, I guess it can get a little old by day 20 or so, so I tried to think up another good method to have my eggs in the morning. I tried an egg with some tomato sauce early on, because tomatoes are a great fat burner and an excellent antioxidant, but I just felt like it was missing something. I needed some more substance, like a good tortilla to dip in it. Wellll, tortillas are no bueno on the Whole 30, so I needed to find a different way to add substance. I added a bunch of stuff to the tomato sauce, and made it a hearty, tomato stew. I topped my stew with an egg and and baked it.

This breakfast was super easy, I cooked the stew up in one pot the day before. In the morning I put the stew into oven-safe bowls, cracked my egg, and popped it in the oven. AND, I was able to get stuff done for 25 minutes while it baked. Bonus! And when it's done baking, it looks like it has melted cheese on it. Double bonus!

Baked Eggs with Spicy Tomato Stew

makes 2 servings

1 whole tomato, diced

1 15oz can of tomato puree (remember to check the ingredients)

(you can swap the whole tomato, and tomato puree for a can of diced tomatoes if you'd prefer)

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 cup sweet potato, chopped

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 italian sausage link (Whole30 compliant, of course!)

1 cup kale, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon coconut/olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat oil in pan over med-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, stir for 5 minutes. Add onion, sausage, and kale. Lower heat to medium-low and cover for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato puree. Add seasonings and simmer for 5 more minutes.

3. Transfer stew to oven safe bowls/ramekins. Crack egg on each and bake for 25 minutes or until the egg white is firm but the yolk is runny.

Enjoy!

Whole 30 Tips

2014-05-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

May 29, 2014

I've had a lot of friends asking about our Whole 30 journey so I came up with a few tips I wish I would have known before starting Whole 30. This journey has been great, but it definitely hasn't been easy. Paul and I feel great and definitely notice a huge change in the way our clothes fit. We're not all the way done yet (we're on day 25) so we don't have all our results and stats.

1. Planning is key.

In order to succeed you must plan! Plan to pick 30 days that work well for you, this journey is quite a commitment and you can't allow yourself any cheats, so plan accordingly. If the upcoming month is full of weddings, birthday parties, tropical vacations, and family reunions--maybe choose to wait until the following month. There's always going to be at least one social event over the course of 30 days, but try to make it easier on yourself by picking a season of less-busy.

Planning is also key with your daily meals. Make sure you're planning your meals for the week out and grocery shopping for the week. If its 5:00 and you still don't know whats for dinner, you're more likely to order a pizza or eat something processed and junky. If you know what your dinners are for the week and you've done your shopping, you're more prepared to make something healthy and whole30 compliant.

2. Commit.

You've really got to commit to this thing. If you're "eh, sort of committed" but have plans to cheat at next week's birthday dinner, what's stopping you from cheating again? And again. And again. No cheating, friends. Or else you've got to start over. Committing also means ridding your house on non-compliant food. If it's not there, you're less likely to slip up and eat it. I went through and threw away everything in my refrigerator that wasn't Whole 30 compliant. For the things I couldn't part with/knew I would eat again once Whole30 was over, I put on the bottom shelves and covered them with towels. Out of sight, out of mind. Just know, what you eat is a choice. If you've made a commitment to stick this out for 30 days, you need to make good choices. I used to think I had no control over my cravings, and my need for cookies or the 7th slice of pizza. The commitment to 30 days has helped me realize that I can say no to those cravings.

3. It's hard, and it's time consuming.

I'm not going to lie, it's hard, especially the first week... But the further in you get, the easier it gets. It also takes a lot of time. The first two weeks I felt like I was in the kitchen or at the grocery store ALL THE TIME. But again, the further you get in the easier it gets. Grocery shopping takes twice as long because you have to read all the labels. And cooking may take longer if you're not used to chopping lots of veggies. Again, it's so worth it.

4. Read all your labels.

Every. Single. Label. You'd be surprised at how much stuff has sugar in it. Things you would never think of. Salt. Some salt has sugar in it. Bacon, yep, sugar. Deli turkey, yes again, sugar. Sugar is everywhere! So really, if it comes in a box or a jar, read the labels--even if you think it would be compliant. Just because it's organic, doesn't mean it's compliant.

5. Nutrition labels are NOT the same as ingredient lists.

In the first couple of weeks I was determined to find sugar free bacon. I called my local Sprouts to see if they carried any sugar free bacon. The butcher put me on hold to go check. He came back and said, "Yep! Our store brand of bacon has 0g of sugar." 0g of sugar is NOT the same as no sugar. I was at the store later that week and checked the ingredient list and the second ingredient was brown sugar. If there is less than 1g of sugar, they round down to 0g, but there still is sugar in it. Make sure you're reading your ingredient lists and not the nutrition labels.

6. Don't be afraid to ask to see the label.

At the deli in my grocery store I ask to see all the labels before purchasing an item. At the butcher counter, I ask them to print an item sticker with the ingredients listed of all the sausages before I buy them, even if they have the flavors of an item listed, make sure you check the label. (Example, the sausage label says, "ground pork mixed with apples and fennel" there are probably other ingredients in the sausage.)

One day I was getting turkey from the deli at Target. I asked the lady working to see the ingredient list of the turkey. She had the turkey in her hands and said, "turkey, salt, and water." Great! I bought a pound. I got home and scarfed some down and went to put it in the fridge and I read the printed sticker on the bag, "turkey, salt, water, and carrageenan (a big no no!)"... I panicked! I just scarfed this turkey down, but the lady didn't mention carrageenan! I got in my car ready to go to Target to throw a fit (I was going to have to start my Whole 30 over! I was MAD.) I couldn't believe I hadn't asked to see the label myself, I ALWAYS read the label myself. I got to the deli, ready to throw my fit, and asked to see the label. Thankfully, the label didn't have carrageenan in it, the product USED to have it and Target hadn't updated their computers yet. Phew.

Another time Paul and I decided to try out a new Paleo restaurant near our house. They were very proudly advertising sugar free, Paleo friendly food. I was so excited to not have to cook! I decided on a BLT of sorts...Before ordering I asked the owner if their bacon had sugar in it. Nope! She beamed. She seemed very confident of this. I was excited too, sugar free bacon!? YES! I asked what brand it was in hopes of finding it in the store. She went to grab a package to show me... Again, the second ingredient? Sugar. "Oh! I had no clue that was in there," was her response. Don't be afraid to ask to see the label.

7. Sugar is in everything.

I know I've already said this, but it really is in everything. You should also be aware of other names for sugar, as well as artificial sugars. In my experience, things advertised as 'sugar free!' are actually loaded with artificial sugars and chemicals. Other names for sugar include fructose, nectar, cane sugar, glucose, maltose, lactose, maltodextrin, corn syrup, ethyl maltol, diatase, etc... So just because the label doesn't say 'sugar' does not mean there aren't sugars or artificial sugars hiding.

8. Soy is in everything else.

Soy lecithin, soybean oil, soy soy soy. It's everywhere. Be wary, and read your labels.

9. Corn is a grain.

What!? Corn is a vegetable! Nope, corn is a grain, and it's not allowed on Whole 30. Make sure you remember that. (And while we're on the topic of perceived vegetables, peas aren't allowed either.)

Whole30

2014-05-12T20:55:00.001-07:00

Well, I never thought I'd be back here! But, here I am! It's been 3 whole years since I've last posted. So much has changed!

I'm inspired to start sharing recipes again because of a new journey I've just started last week. It's called Whole30, have you heard of it? Whole30 is a nutritional reset for your body. It changes the way you think about food and the relationship you have with it. For the duration of the 30 days you don't eat any sugar of any kind, no alcohol in any form (not even cooking), no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no white potatoes, no peanuts, no soy, no corn, and no carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites (it's basically Paleo without the honey or agave.)

The goal is to try to eat as whole as possible, foods with very few ingredients, to rid your body of all the excess crap. If you cheat or mess up, you're supposed to start your 30 days over. At the end you'll feel energized, have no unhealthy cravings, have a healthy metabolism and a balanced immune system.

Sounds hard, right? It's really not as bad as it sounds. I'm the girl that has dessert every night, constantly eats because I'm bored, and looooooves cheese--the thought of giving all these amazing things up for 30 days was absolutely terrifying. I was certain I was going to fail after day 1, meal 1. Day 8, meal 3 is done and Paul and I are still going strong--and already feeling great. We've noticed a huge change already with the way our clothes fit, and with our relationship with food. We're finding ourselves eating for nutrition now instead of eating out of pure boredom or because we are crrrraaaving that pizza. Or pizzookie, or brownies. (I'm not going to lie, all those things still sound AMAZING, but I just dont HAVETOHAVETHEMRIGHTTHISSECOND.)

You can follow along with our journey here, as well as on Instagram @rochelleswhole30

I'm excited to share my recipes and tips and meals from this journey, as well as our progress.

COOKING CLUB

2011-05-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

I think I've briefly mentioned my cooking club to you all before.

Every Monday morning (well, probably a little closer to afternoon than morning), I meet with some friends (usually 4 or 5 of us total) for cooking club. We all pick a house, a time (then, mentally set the time back a 1/2 hour or more), and a recipe that serves 4.

We all share our chosen recipe through email, usually Sunday night--sometimes Monday morning, then tell each person whether we want their meal or not.

I tally up my partakers, and set out shopping for my recipes ingredients multiplied by however many people want my meal.
For instance, if 3 people responded yes to my recipe--I shop for 4 times that recipe (myself, plus the 3 others).

I keep my receipt, of course, then divide my total cost by 4 (or however many people I shopped for)--and that's how much each person owes me! It ends up coming out to $7-$12 per meal--although this week, I got a fantastic $2 meal!

With this system--I don't really have to go grocery shopping ever, I don't have to make dinner, we have TONS of food (plus leftovers!), and it only costs around $40 a week (for 4 meals--l usually only end up getting 1 or 2 meals since there are only 2 of us--which brings it to under $20 a week for us!)

Get it?

We meet at the designated house on Monday ~~morning~~ afternoon, at the designated time (that's been mentally pushed back at least a half hour by all), and we all cook our ~~designated~~ chosen recipes.

We all bring containers (which I usually forget, oops!) for the meals we've ordered from everyone, for easy transport back home.

It's genius, really.

That way, if I've chosen to get everyones recipe, I end up with 4-5 meals and I don't have to cook for the rest of the week! It's sort of like a I have my own personal chefs.
Insert Advertisement: Need a personal chef? I am know a recent graduate who is looking for clients!

We even have time while our meals are cooling to do fun activities... Like go to a greenhouse and pick out lots of pretty flowers and plants!

With all the fun we have, you'd think we never had any time to get cooking done.

But we do.

We sure do.

And it's delicious!

It's fun to see what other people normally have for dinners, and to experience their cooking. It's fun to try things you never would have thought to make yourself.

I'll try to share at least one recipe a week from cooking club...Maybe I'll make a Cooking Club Monday post every week.

Yes. I will. I will dub every Monday as Cooking Club Monday.

But this week, and this week only, it will be Cooking Club Wednesday.

This week I have for you:

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Printable Recipe

This recipe was made at cooking club, so these are the only steps I had to take at home in preparing the meal = Excuse for lack of pictures.

I told you I'd show you a picture of my pretty blue pot with its pretty blue lid.

See? Pretty.

Click to see the recipe!

Yummmmm!

Enjoy.

Thank You!

2011-05-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! I'm astonished!

I won the NoshGirl Chef Challenge!
Can you believe it?!

Thanks everyone for your all your votes... You guys pulled through!
And thanks to Serena at Big Apple Nosh for hosting the challenge--It was a lot of fun!

I'll share my prize with you all once it comes!

Woot Woot!

Fish Tacos with Avocado Tartar Sauce

2011-05-08T19:20:00.003-07:00

Just a reminder! Voting is open at Big Apple Nosh for the NoshGirl Chef Challenge! Be sure to vote for this recipe on that blog here!
Just leave a comment in the comments section (again, here).

Thanks!!!

____________________________________________________________

Let me pause for a moment so we can all drool over this:

Droooooooooooool.
It seriously tastes as good as it looks.
Just ask Paul, he literally applauded while eating.

I made this dish for a challenge I entered on a blog I enjoy reading... It's called the NoshGirl Chef Challenge. Serena, over at Big Apple Nosh chooses 3 different bloggers, gives them 2 ingredients to cook with, then everyone votes and chooses 1 winner. (Like my counting there? 3,2,1.)
(Yeah, so I'm gonna need you guys to vote for me starting on Monday!)

Sounds fun, right?
Heck yea!
It's like a bloggers take on Chopped.

The ingredients for this challenge?
Avocado & Cornmeal

After several days on writing down any ideas that popped into my mind of uses for cornmeal and avocado (yes, I dreamt about it too), I finally decided (with the Boo's input) to make those bad boys up there.

Cornmeal-Crusted Fish Tacos with Avocado Tartar Sauce

(Printable Version)

The items you will need for 4 servings:
2 firm white fish fillets
1 avocado
2 cups cornmeal
1 lime
cumin
salt & pepper
paprika
chili powder
chipotle chili puree
taco sized flour tortillas
1 egg
tartar sauce

For garnish:
grilled corn, cut off the cob (we grilled out last night, so I snatched a leftover cob)
shredded red cabbage
shredded cheese (I used chipotle white cheddar)
sour cream
cilantro
lime

Phew--that's a long list.

This is how it's done:

This is the fish I used...

I would have preferred to use mahi-mahi, but I couldn't find any. You can really use any kind of firm white fish you prefer.
If it's frozen--thaw it by putting it (in a sealed bag) in a bowl of cold water. It only takes about 20 minutes to thaw.

There, thawed.

Once thawed, cut it into strips and throw it into a medium sized bowl.
To the bowl, add the juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped cilantro.

Let me say, it's really nice to be able to walk out my back door and get my cilantro from this:

Isn't she getting so big!?

Anywhooo...
Give the fish a stir, fulling coating it in all the goodness..

Then set it aside.

While that's soaking up the goodness, grab a big plate and put the cornmeal on it.

To the cornmeal, add some salt (about 1 tablespoon), and some pepper..

Then add about 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

Oooh, like a volcano.

Mix it all together with your fingers

Then, in a bowl, crack one egg and add a splash of milk to it. (no milk? water will do!)

Whisk it up with a fork.

Now we're ready to go! Woot woot!
Let's preheat the oven to 375˚ F.

To crust your fish, take a piece and roll it in the cornmeal

Then the egg wash...

Then back to the cornmeal.
Lay it on a baking sheet line with foil.

Repeat this until they are all coated. Make sure they aren't touching on the baking sheet--you want them to get nice and crunchy all the way around.

Stick them in the fridge for 10 minutes, then bake them in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the crust is crunchy and the fish is flaky.

Next, prepare the avocado tartar sauce.
Cut an avocado in half.

Remove the pit.

Scoop out one half of the avocado into a small bowl.
Mash it up and mix it around.

Add 1/4 cup prepared tartar sauce (or just mayonaise will suffice).
Then add the juice of one lime.
1 teaspoon of salt.
A couple dashes of cumin.
And a spoonful of chipotle pepper puree (I had a can of chipotle peppers, I used the juice from inside the can.)

We like it hot around here, so I added 2 more spoonfuls of the chipotle (we still felt it could have used a little more heat.)

I'm getting so excited now, we're getting close to the end!!

By this time, your fish should be done and it's time to start assembling!

Spread a little bit of sour cream onto the middle of a tortilla, then layer with some shredded red cabbage, the cornmeal-crusted fish, grilled corn (off the cob), some shredded cheese, diced avocado, some chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Serve with the avocado tartar sauce.

You're in for a treat!!

A beautiful, refreshing meal. The fish is nice a crunchy, the tartar sauce tangy and spicy--a nice balanced mouthful.
This stuff is for real.

Remember, the voting starts tomorrow! I'll post a link then, so make sure you all go vote!

Portobello Ravioli with Heaven Sauce

2011-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm backkkkk!

Well, I actually got back on Monday night--but things have been quite hectic since then. As it turns out, our power was out the entire week we were on vacation. No good. Very no good.

It was really really no good on Tuesday morning when I threw entirely everything away from my rotting, stinky refrigerator.

Next weeks grocery bill is going to break the budget, that's for sure.

But alas, vacation was splendid--it was nice to see everyone that we only get to see every half a year or so (the Hubs & I are both from Michigan so most of our family and friends are still there...)
My plants all survived the week--this year, unlike last year, I remembered to find them a sitter.

So, are you drooling from the preview of the recipe I'm about to share with you? I am. I actually made it a few weeks ago--and the thought of it still has me weak at the knees.

Portobello Ravioli with Smoky Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Inspired by Ravioli de Portobello from Olive Garden

(Printable Recipe)

What you'll need:

For the raviolis:

1 batch of pasta dough

1 pound of portobello mushrooms

1 onion

1/4 cup butter
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano

For the sauce:

2 cups of milk

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

8 ounces of smoked gouda
1 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

For the ravioli:

You'll need 1 pound of portobello mushrooms--I used the baby ones.

To wash mushrooms--I usually run them under cold water for a second, just to get them wet, then with a paper towel, just wipe off any gunk or dirt. They will probably still look dirty, but as long as they are free of dirt, they are fine. You will never be able to scrub them entirely white.

Chop the mushrooms into a fine dice...

Annnd...keep chopping...

You'll need to do the same with a small onion.

This would have been a nice time to have a food processor. If you have one, please, by all means, use it. It's worth it.

Heat a medium fry pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1/4 cup of butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion stirring until translucent, then add the mushrooms.

Cook the mushrooms and onions until they are soft. Season this mixture with salt, pepper, garlic powder (or fresh chopped garlic--I was rushed), and oregano--to taste. Set this aside to let it cool.

With the pasta dough (recipe here), I left you with your dough rolled into a ball, resting.

Uncover your dough, and start rolling it out. If it's sticky, dust the countertop with flour (it's okay to use a lot). Cut the dough into 4 sections--this will make rolling much, much easier.

At this point, I started to use my pasta machine to roll the rest of the dough. If you don't have one of those--just keep rolling! You want your dough to be relatively thin--about the thickness of a quarter.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling...Keep that pasta rolling...Rolling, rolling, rolling...Roll outtttt.

When your dough is ready--lay it out in a sheet on the counter. Spoon tablespoon sized scoops of the filling onto the dough in a grid-like pattern.

With a finger, brush water or egg yolk in the seams.
Place an equal sized sheet of dough on top of your filling-mounds.

Carefully, start pressing the two layers of dough together around the mounds...

With a pizza cutter (or a knife), cut the ravioli into squares.
Seal each individual ravioli--pressing out all the air pockets.

You may to, then, trim the edges so the pieces are more uniform in shape.

Tada!

To cook these--heat a large pot of water. Bring it to a rapid boil and throw in a large handful of salt. I cannot stress two points enough: LARGE pot. LARGE handful of salt.

You need the large pot so the raviolis have room to swim around and not stick to each other.
You need a lot of salt in the water to season the pasta. The water should taste like saltwater. This really makes a difference, I promise.

These will only need to cook for about 3-4 minutes.

For the sauce:

Git yer gouda...

And shred it. All of it.

I want to tell you a secret about this gouda.

I was shopping for my gouda--looking in the fancy cheese section of my grocery store. There they had an 8 ounce block of Boar's Head Smoked Gouda for $8.99. $8.99! For a half a pound!

Then I thought about something...
I thought, "Hmm...We used to get Boars Head Smoked Gouda at work--and it came in a big block that you have to slice like a deli does...I wonder if the deli here has it too?!"

So, I wandered over to the deli counter--and lo and behold, they had a big ole block of smoked gouda. And guess what?! It was $8.99 for an entire pound! That's half the price!

I asked the kind, deli-sir to put the slicer as thick as it would go and slice me a nice chunk of the cheese. He rang it in--and it was on sale!
So here it is, I got .62 pounds of this cheese for $4.95, instead of .5 pounds of the same cheese, just individually wrapped, for $8.99--in the same grocery store.

I should be an extreme couponer. Except without the coupons. Just the brains.

I also grated about 1 cup of parmesan cheese.

Then I chopped up some sun-dried tomatoes to have them ready.

Next, I heated my sauce pan and melted my butter.
Once the butter was melted, I added the flour.

Stir the butter and flour around until it forms a clump.
Yes, a clump. That's the best word I can think of to describe it.

Once in clump state, slowly start adding the milk.
I added about 1/2 cup at a time.

Make sure the milk is entirely mixed in before adding more.
This will prevent lumps.
It's a slow process, but it will be soooo worth it when you sauce is velvety and smooth--not lumpy and floury.

You should end up with a thick, smooth cream that tastes really gross.
So lets make it taste better!
Add in the grated cheeses--save a little of the parmesan for sprinkling later

Also, add in the dice sun-dried tomatoes.
Stir in some salt and pepper, as well as garlic powder, until it tastes how you like it.

This sauce is absolutely delicious.
Drool.....

Cook your raviolis--then just dump gobs and gobs of sauce on top.
This will be the best ravioli you've ever had.
No, seriously. It will be.
Like, I licked my plate. I really did.

Yum.

Miiichiiigan

2011-04-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts as of late.

The Boo and I took an impromptu trip to Michigan this week. We're still here, but we'll be home soon. (I'm not posting dates because I've recently become one of those people that's a freak about not telling anyone how long we'll be away, we could pop at home ANYTIME--so don't even try to break in. :) )

But, I promise, we will return home soon and I will continue my regular posting.
And when I do...

Yummm. Do not fret, it will come soon!

Easter, Deviled Eggs, & myPhone

2011-04-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Happpppy Monday!

Hope y'all had a GREAT Easter weekend! I did.

I made the Boo and I a little Easter dinner just for the two of us. In between the 5 services he had to do at church yesterday, we had a couple hours to enjoy dinner.

Of course, I forgot to take pictures of everything.
Whoopies!

I managed to snap a few pictures from my iPhone--so that's what you get.

I don't think this recipe will be too useful to you now that Easter's done--but hey, there's always next year, right? And who knows, maybe you'll make deviled eggs a weekly staple for you?
No?

Deviled Eggs

What you need:
6 hard boiled eggs
1 green onion
1/3 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard (regular mustard will suffice if you don't have dijon)
2 dashes on hot sauce
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste
paprika, for sprinkling

It starts with hard boiled eggs. Here it is, the secret recipe. It's tricky, are you ready?

1. Put 6 eggs in a saucepan.
2. Cover the eggs with cold water--1 inch higher than the top of the eggs.
3. Put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the water. (This keeps an egg from spreading if it breaks open. It helps it coagulate.)
4. Bring the eggs to a boil.
5. Let them boil for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and cover.
7. Let sit in water for 14 minutes.
8. Move eggs to a bowl of ice water--this will stop the cooking.

Tada! Perfect hard boiled eggs.

Okay. So, after the eggs have cooled, cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks into a bowl, and put the eggs on a plate.

To the yolks, add the rest of the ingredients besides the paprika.

With a fork, mash up the yolks and mix all the ingredients together.

Put the filling into a piping bag, and pipe into the eggs. If you don't have a piping bag, cut the corner off a ziplock bag.... Or you can scoop it in with a spoon.

Sprinkle the eggies with paprika, and serve cold!

Yum yum.

I literally had 3 of these. Paul ate the rest.

Not bad pics for a phone, eh?

Speaking of my iPhone. I got it 4 days ago. Immediately I ordered a phone cover off the internet.

The next day, I got insurance on it from Best Buy. (It's pretty sweet insurance, it's only $15 a month and you can break your phone as many times as you want and they just send it in and in like 3 days you get a new one. FANTASTIC, right? )

I've been doing realllllly well, trying to protect my phone.

Today--I dropped it. On the cement.
It shattered.

3 hours later, I got my case that I had ordered in the mail. Convenient.

ARG!

Well, tonight I went to the mall to send it into the Best Buy to get it fixed, and I decided to stop by The Apple Store quick, to see if there's anything they could do. (They did replace Paul's iPad (FOR FREE) when he left it on top of his car, and it fell into the middle of one of the busiest streets in town and got ran over several times before Paul went searching for it several hours later)

Welp, Apple is good. They fixed my phone. For free. No sending it in. No waiting. Fixed phone. No cracks. Free.

Yay Apple. Recommended, for sure.
(Nope, they didn't even pay me to say this to you.)

The Civil Wars

2011-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

This is completely un-food related--but I just gotta share it.

A lot of you have probably never heard of this band, but I just can't keep them to myself--they are SOO good.

The Civil Wars

They are an indie folk duo (John Paul White & Joy Williams)
They are absolutely Fan. Tas. Tic.
They have AMAZING harmonies.

I've been listening to them for quite a while now, and all of a sudden they just blew up--they're getting rave reviews by everyone.

You should download their album, Barton Hallow--it's only $7 on iTunes. It's worth the $7.

A few weeks ago, Paul & I, along with some friends went to see them here in Louisville. They are equally good live as they are on their CD--which is rare.

I just can't find the words to describe their amazingness. Really. Do you see me stumbling here? They make me stumble.

At the show--John Paul White came out to introduce the opener, and well, his fly was down. Oopsies. The Boo sent a tweet to them, letting him know:

@thecivilwars john, being a brother here.... Looked like your fly was down when introducing the opening act... Louisville!

He was grateful. they loved it, and they dedicated a song to him:

Fantastic!

We even got a picture with them afterwards...Woohoo!

Doesn't he look like Johnny Depp?

Anyways, they are absolutely fantastic and I strongly encourage you to check them out.

How To: Basic Pasta Dough

2011-04-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

Homemade Pasta > Store Bought Pasta

There is nothing quite like it. It's hard to describe--that flavor...Mmm, and that texture...Yum! It actually has flavor, and it actually has texture.

AND you can control the flavor--that's the biggest advantage I see to making pasta at home. You want spinach pasta? Add a little spinach. Want herby pasta? Add some herbs.

The dough is very versatile and you can make whatever kind of pasta you want to out of it (ravioli, spaghetti, tortellini, etc..)

It's very easy, and it doesn't take too long either!

Basic Pasta Dough

Printable Version
Recipe by Tyler Florence

You'll need:
2 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting

Get your mise en place all ready.

Mise en place means 'everything in its place', meaning measure all your ingredients and have them handy before you start cooking. The first step to mise en place is always to read the entire recipe from start to finish, so you know what to expect.

Dump the flour onto a clean working surface, mix in the salt

Make it into a pretty little mound, then create a little well in the center

Beat the eggs (Oops, I forgot to!) and

Add the olive oil as well...

Start to lightly beat the eggs, gradually draw flour into the mixture while beating.

Slowly, but surely, draw more and more flour into the mixture until a firm dough starts to form.

Then, start kneading the dough.

If the dough is too dry and hard to knead, add a little hot water.
Knead until elastic-ey, form into a ball. Dust the tabletop with cornmeal as needed to prevent sticking.

If you're using an electric mixer...It's even easier!

Put the ~~flower~~ (oops) flour in a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment...

Add the eggs and mix on low.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil...

Mix until it comes together as a dough, then dump out onto a floured/cornmealed surface.
Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic-ey.

This is what a picture looks like with horrible lighting.

Roll the dough into a ball.

Orrr...

A butt! Bahahaha.

Then cover it with plastic and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Ta da! Pasta dough.

To use the dough, simple roll it out into a thin sheet & cut it into whichever shape you'd like.

To cook homemade pasta--it takes MUCH less time. Cook in boiling, heavily-salted water for 3-4 minutes until al dente. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce, pesto, or simply butter & parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Doggy Treats & Little Miss Mae

2011-04-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

Today, this 17th day in April, 2011, is Gracie Mae's 3rd Birthday; therefore, this entire post is devoted to her.

Little Miss Mae is celebrating her third year of life. I still remember her first day with us.
Look how much she has grown! Wasn't she just a darling little peanut!?

For her birthday, we typically go for a nice long walk, or to the park, and then we go to the pet store and let her pick out a couple new toys of her choice...And, yes, she really does chose them.

We always have a little photo shoot, to document her growth, and her day. And this year, we added something new into the mix--I made her yummy homemade doggie treats (and yes, Paul & I both tried them.)

Homemade Pooch Treats

Printable Recipe

These were super-duper simple, and Gracie can't get enough. Plus, they are healthier (and cheaper) than her normal Milkbones ~~that tend to make her constipated and change her poop weird colors~~.

I did a little research before making these--a lot of recipes I came across had garlic in them, apparently fleas hate the smell of garlic, so garlicky food keeps them away. Unfortunately, garlic is bad for dogs. Like onions, garlic can cause anemia in dogs--which can cause death. No, thank you!

A lot of the recipes also had animal flavors in them, like chicken or beef bouillon. I opted not to add these because of the typical sodium content, but feel free to if you'd like.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of rolled oats..

...and 1/3 cup softened butter.

Then pour in 1 cup of hot water (just like you're making oatmeal!)

Mix it together a bit, and let that sit for 10 minutes.

Measure 1/4 a cup of cornmeal,

and grate 2 carrots.

Put the carrot shreds into a piece of paper towel and gently squeeze the juice out.

Next, chop up 1/2 cup of parsley...

..and measure 1 cup of peanut butter.

Add this all to the bowl with the oatmeal.

Next, add 3 cups of flour.

I would have used whole wheat flour if I'd had it--but I didn't...So, I just used plain ol' all-purpose flour. If you have whole wheat flour, I recommend using it.

Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup of milk, then mix it all together.

It should look something like this.

You may be tempted to eat the dough at this point--it smells like peanut butter cookies. Don't let yourself be fooled--this is going to be dog food. Remember? But mmm, it smells so good.

Mmm, smell them?

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. The dough should be firm, not too sticky. If it's sticky, dust it with flour and knead it a bit until it becomes firm.

Form it into a ball.

I rolled the dough a bit and found it was too much, so I cut it in half.

Roll your dough to about 1/4" thickness.

Use a cookie cutter to cut it into whichever shape you desire.

Lay the cookies on a grease cookie sheet. Bake on 350˚F for 45 minutes--until hardened.

Let them cool, and share them with your favorite pooch!

Exciting News

2011-04-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the big reveal!

After several weeks of eagerly waiting, anticipating, and stressing, the day has arrived that I can finally share this HUGE news with you all.

I am pleased to announce the growth in our house!
New life is blossoming here in this family, and I couldn't be more excited to finally share in this with you.

I am thrilled to be able to celebrate this joyous day with everyone!

That's right!
My herbs are finally in bloom!

I've been wanting to tell you guys for a while. To shout it from the rooftops. But I've been waiting for the basil to finally make an appearance.

On Monday, it rained and rained and rained, ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the live long day. And I, being the horrible gardener that I am, left all my pots out on the steps while I was away all day. My face paled and my stomach dropped to my toes when I was at cooking club and remembered that my pots we're still sitting outside on the porch.

They were doomed, I knew it. All that water. All the flood warnings...they were done for.

Apparently, all that rain was what they needed because the next day, this happened:

Happy, tiny, little basil sprouts started to appear.

And that's when I knew it was time. Time to share the joyous news of the growth of de herbs with you.

The cilantro made its appearance first.

It's clearly doing the best of all the herbs. It's even starting to take its shape.

I picked a piece and ate it, and it's delicious. Mucho cilantro-ey. I cannot WAITTTT to use it this summer! It will be so nice to not have to run to the store all the time for herbs.

The parsley made it's appearance next.

It's not quite as full and robust as the cilantro--but I'll take it. It will come, in time, in time. It also hasn't started to take it's signature flat leaf parsley shape. It will get there, I know it will.

Next, my marigolds started to sprout.

I'm a little underwhelmed with the state of these. They haven't done much growing since they first sprouted, and come on, where are all the brothers and sisters? They are going to need to start appearing if I am going to have the beautiful welcome plant on my front stoop like I had hoped...

Then finely, the lone basils started appearing. I almost missed them--two tiny little sprouts on the very side of the pot. Last year, the basil were the quickest growers.

They're shy this year, they must be.
Maybe that's why I can't seem to find basil at any grocery stores this year...They're shy.

Anywhoo...
Precious herbs.
I can't wait to see how they grow up.

Pssst. You may notice in the picture about that my deck is one color, and the stairs are another. This was an annoying story.

Yesterday morning I came outside of my condo to take my precious Gracie potty--there was a strange man at the bottom of my stairs with a power washer and a bottle of wood stain. He had removed all the stain from our stairs, and re-stained it. The stairs were dripping wet with stain, and there I was, stuck at the top with my dog who had to poo. I asked if I could walk on it, and the strange man replied with, "Uhhhhh....You're not supposed to."

HELLLOO--Those are my only stairs. My only way out. What am I supposed to do? Fly down? Glide down on the rail? A little warning about the staining would be nice, don't you think? Well, I picked up Gracie and we went downstairs anyway. Psh. Don't tell me what to do, homeboy.

The deck is still a different color than the stairs. Annoying.

More herby updates to come, promise.

OH! And it's Gracie's birthday on Sunday. She'll be three. I might die--my baby is THREE.

Random.

Goodbye!

Cauliflower Gratin

2011-04-12T08:50:00.001-07:00

I just have a minute, so I'll share a quick side dish with you.

Cauliflower Gratin was something I grew up eating. I loveeee cauliflower, and this is one of my favorite dishes. It's pure melt-in-your-mouth cheesy goodness. It's sort of like au gratin potatoes, except cauliflower.

Credit of this recipe goes to mi Madre. I know I poked fun of her pork steaks, but this cancels that out...Right?

Yum yum.

Cauliflower Gratin

(Printable Version)

What you'll need:
1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 oz swiss cheese

First, trim the cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

In a saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat.

Add the flour to the melted butter, and whisk until combined.

It will be kind of lumpy. This is called a roux--it's a thickener. You can add a roux to any sauce to thicken it.

Side Topic: Roux
To make a thickened sauce from a roux, melt the butter, then add the flour, then the liquid. It's always equal parts butter to flour (1 tablespoon of butter--1 tablespoon of flour.)

If you're thickening an already made sauce (or soup), melt the butter and add the flour. Then add some (a cup at a time) of the already made sauce (or soup) liquid to the roux. Whisk it until liquidy and smooth (not lumpy). When the roux is thick, but smooth, then add it to the sauce (or soup). Then, bring it to a boil. It thickens at a boil--so don't forget this step.

I'll have more on this in a later post, I promise. Maybe I'll do a How To post.

End Side Topic.

Slowly, SLOWLY, add the milk--stirring to incorporate. I cannot emphasize slowly enough, this prevents lumps.

See. Thick. Lump Free. Looks like gravy.
Add your salt and pepper, and garlic powder.

You just made what our grandma's call a "white sauce".

Pour this white sauce over the cauliflower in a 9x9 baking dish. Mix it in and make sure the cauliflower is saturated with sauce.

Then, grate your cheese.

My favorite step, clearly.

Cover the cauliflower with the cheeeeeeeese.

Stick it in the oven at 350˚ F for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden and the cauliflower is tender.

See. Yum.

Serve it with your favorite meal to make it even more delicious.

Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

2011-04-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

I know I told you I'd have this recipe for you yesterday, but it was such a gorgeous day--one of the first one's we've had this season, and I just couldn't have myself sitting at home indoors. Sorry!

I tried something new yesterday.

I went to Zumba class.
Zumba is a dance fitness workout.
Oh boy, oh boy!! Is it ever funnnnnnnnn!!!

Now, I'm not a huge workout buff--and I definitely cannot dance. I am very long limbed, and clumsy as all get out--but Zumba was fun. And I sweated. Boy did I ever. It was a great, great, fantastic workout.

Afterwards, I didn't feel exhausted like I normally would after sweating that much, I felt incredibly energized.
Have you tried Zumba?
You should.
My friend got me a Groupon in our area for Zumba--TRY it! It's FANTASTIC.

Annnyywhooooo, back to these delicious Crepes.

Deliciousness wrapped in a perfect pancake-omelet.

**I must post a disclaimer: As I said in the last post, my camera was a little wonky during crepe-time--so these pictures may be a little funky. Also, I am not an excellent editor. But please, please don't let un-delicious looking pictures distract you from the deliciousness that this meal truly was. We all have our moments**

These ended up being very similar to enchiladas (in the step-by-step, not the ingredients or flavor.) You fill them, you roll them, you bake them, and you cover them with sauce. See the similarity?

Let me tell you something, though: These were better than enchiladas.
I am a huge enchilada lover, myself--and these were better. Why am I even talking about enchiladas?
These crepes, they are not enchiladas.
They are cheesy-chickeny-herby goodness, wrapped in a sort of pancake, sort of omelet, then smothered again in creamy, cheesy, goodness.

Um, yes please.

And now, I share with you--the secret of these heavenly bites...

Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

(Printable Version)
Adapted from here.
What is required:
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, parsley, mint, or chives), or...
1 teaspoon of each dried herbs (I used thyme, parsley, and dill)
salt & pepper, of course
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 crepes (recipe here)
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 pound asparagus
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half & half, milk, or cream (whatever you have)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

First, shred the chicken into a medium bowl.

I just used 2 leftover chicken breasts leftover from the night before. You can do the same, or just boil and shred some or you can use rotisserie chicken.

Then add the ricotta.

Yep, that's ricotta--not ice cream.

Then grate some Parmesan...

My favorite part of grating cheese in when you do allll that work grating, then you finally get to lift the grater up, and you have a nice big cheese pile.

Add the Parmesan, herbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to the chicken mixture.

Mix it. Mix it good. Mix it....Mix it reeeeaaal good.

Next, you'll need a 9x13 baking dish, lightly sprayed.

In the dish, lay out 1 crepe, and spread a little of the chicken mixture on it.

Roll it up, and push it to the end.

Do it again....

And again.

Until all 8 crepes are rolled.

See, looks like enchiladas.

Stick this in a oven that's been preheated to 425˚ F.
No need to cover it. It will only be in there about 15 minutes--while we make the sauce.

For the sauce:

Chop up a shallot or 2 (I used 2, mine were small.)
Do you know what a shallot is?
A shallot is like an onion--but it has a much milder, sweeter flavor.

These are shallots:

But wait...Aren't those onions?

Nope--they're shallots. They're mini.
See:

Anywhooo, chop them up--just like you would an onion (be careful though, they're small.)

Then, get your asparagus ready.

First, cut the ends off (not the end shown in the picture--the other end....Someone in school cut off the end in the picture--oy.) You want to cut the dry parts off the end--they are just that, dry, and not good to eat.

To know where to cut, bend the asparagus gently.

It will bend naturally near the end...

Then bend a little harder...

And it will break naturally where it should be cut.

You don't have to do this to all of them, just one. Then you can chop the ends off the other ones about the same distance up as where the one broke.

*Can I just say that I'm mortified by my nails in these pictures. Please don't judge me by these pictures. Some people like chipped nails--like my old college roommate (Hi Mouch!). I; however, do not like chipped nails, and I can assure you that the problem has been addressed and the nails have since been properly manicured.*

Back to it, back to it...

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil or butter..
Then add the shallots.

Cook for about 1 minute, then add the asparagus.

Add the broth..

Then add the cream, salt, and pepper, and lemon zest.
Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, to thicken a bit.

Remove the crepes from the oven--serve with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
YUM.

See! So easy!

I'm off to start my weekend...It's another gorgeous day--maybe I can convince the Boo to take the pup and I to the park...

Do you have any big weekend plans? Anything exciting happening in your neck of the woods?

soooon.

Enjoy!

Pancake Omelets...Errr, Crepes.

2011-04-06T08:20:00.003-07:00

I had been missing out on the deliciousness that is a crepe for the first 22 1/2 years of my life.

I had my first crepe experience when the iHOP came to town. (Don't get me wrong, I had eaten at an iHOP before, they had plenty of them in Michigan--but when the first iHOP came to Louisville, people went CRAZY for it.)

So, although I hadn't been missing out on iHOP, I had; however, been missing out on crepe-ness.

The idea of this pancake thing, which is kind-of like an omelet too...kind of like a pancake omelet...a pancake omelet that can be filled with delicious pastry cremes and syrupy fruit with whipped cream and goodness... or that can be filled with melty cheddar, and salty ham, and topped with a sinful hollandaise and some grilled veggies..... That idea... it's ridiculous.

Ridiculously fantastic.
And ridiculously easy. Ya dig?

Follow me here...

Basic Crepes

(Printable Version)
All you need for these delicious pieces of heaven is:
1 cup of all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Measure milk...

Flour..

And water.

Get 2 eggs...

Add it all to a bowl:

Add 1/4 teaspoon on salt...

Then add 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Mix it all together.

It should be a thin batter.
If it's not, then you messed up.

Next, heat a small non-stick saute pan on medium-high heat. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray.
Once the pan is hot, ladle some batter into the pan.

Swirl the pan around to spread the batter evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Allow the batter to swirl a little bit onto the side of the pan. This will make it easier to flip later.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes on the first side
Start to loosen the edges of the crepe with a spatula...

Shake the pan a bit to loosen the rest of the crepe, if it releases evenly from the pan, it's ready to flip.

To flip the crepe, hold the pan in one hand push it away from your body, then quickly pull back to your body.

I had to call the Boo in to help photograph the flipping.

Let me just tell you, it's hard to take pictures while demonstrating cooking. Weird, twisted, angles and limbs occur frequently. This recipe was particularly hard because the batteries in my flash were dying, so it took about a minute for the flash to charge again. Half of my pictures turned out completely black. Oy

Okay. Rant over.
After the Boo took his picture, I decided to give it a go myself, you know, so you could see it from my perspective.

Not bad, right? I was proud.

Phew. The hard part is done.
Now, just let the crepe cook for another 2 minutes on the second side, until its just a little bit brown.

Flip it out of the pan and get started on the next!

This recipe will make about 8 crepes.

Mmmm....

You can serve these as dessert crepes--with whipped cream, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit.
Or you can stuff them with chicken, and sprinkle cheese on them with fresh vegetables.

Delicious. Versatile. Crepes.

Don't fret, I'll have a delicious recipe to use the crepes with tomorrow!

Baked Eggplant Stacks

2011-04-04T20:52:00.003-07:00

The Boo and I have been on a mission lately to try to eat a little healthier. We've been eating at home a lot more, and aside from buying two 5-pound bags of Sour Patch Kids from Target, (on clearance for $2.79, each!) we've been doing decently.

Do you have foods that you crave, but don't really like?
I do.

I crraaaaveee mozzarella sticks and their melty, cheesy, fried goodness. I order them a lot. I don't actually like them. I never do. I'm always disappointed when I order them. I order them, knowing I will be disappointed with them. I can't help it, I crave them.
I guess I crave the idea of them.

Eggplant is the same way for me.
They are so cool, eggplants. These big, squishy-ish, purple squash-like things. They feel hollow. How could you not love them?
I guess I don't. I crave ~~the idea of~~ them, though.
I drive around town, going to [literally] five different grocery stores looking for them.
I buy them, and make a simple, beautiful dish.
And hate it.
Every. Single. Bite.

I'm not selling you on this meal, am I? The Boo liked it though, I promise. He loved it, in fact.

If you like eggplant, you'll like this dish.
If you like eggplant parmesan, you'll like this dish.
If you like a combination of eggplant, cheese, and tomatoes, you'll really like this dish.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

(Printable Recipe)

adapted from here.

What You Will Need:
1 eggplant
salt
olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes w/ garlic, undrained
3 tablespoons flour
2 egg whites
1 cup breadcrumbs
6 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
6 large, fresh basil leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried basil)
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, & dried thyme

This Is How It's Done:

Friends, meet the newest cast member of Veggie Tales...

*Please disregard my quick, horrible Photoshop skills (or lack thereof)

Tom, the Eggplant.

I just realized that this is going to get incredibly morbid, incredibly quickly.

The first step is to cut ~~Tom~~ the eggplant into 1/2 inch wide slices, then ~~pour salt in his wounds~~ coat the slices liberally with salt. Put them in a strainer (in the sink, or in another bowl/on a plate) and let them sit for 30-ish minutes.

The salt will draw all the moisture from the slices so they won't get soggy later when they are baked.

While the eggplant is dehydrating, you can get started on the sauce...

...And I can show you my new pot.

Isn't she pretty? She looks really pretty on my stove.

(She looks prettier with her top on, but I forgot to get to that. I will, eventually. Pinky promise.)

That's where she lives. On my stove...whether I'm using her or not.

The Boo got her for me as a graduation present.

Did I mention I finished school? I did. I'm done. Finished. Finito.

Sorry, sorry...Back to this meal...

Heat a pot on medium high heat.

Once the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Once the oil is hot, this only takes a few seconds, add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Stir them for about 10 seconds.

Don't let them burn.

They will burn.

Quickly.

Add the finely chopped onion.

Saute the onion until softened, 5-10 minutes.

Add the 2 cans of tomatoes.

Don't drain them.

(This is what the can looks like--so you can find it easier.)

Add in the garlic powder, and herbs here.

If you like things really flavorful, you can add more.

I did.

Like double-more.

I also added dried basil (2 tablespoons) here, because I didn't have any fresh basil leaves.

Just don't add any salt yet. We'll add that later. If you add it too early it will become too salty because the liquid will evaporate and the flavor will be more concentrated.

Let the tomatoes stew until the liquid has evaporated. This will take about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.

Next, I sliced up the fresh mozzarella.

Then, I set up my breading station.

The standard breading procedure is dry, wet, dry.

Remember that. Dry. Wet. Dry.

In this case its flour (dry), egg whites (wet), bread crumbs (dry).

A note about breadcrumbs. I buy unseasoned, that way I can season them myself to whatever I like. I like to control my flavors.

So, if you're also using unseasoned breadcrumbs, now is the time to add seasonings.

I added salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/2 teaspoon), dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano, and dried parsley (1/4 teaspoon of each).

Then I added about 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

And mixed everything in really well.

By this time, the eggplant slices have been draining for about a half hour.

Rinse them off really well with water.

Then pat them dry with paper towel.

Now, we bread them, using the standard breading procedure.

How's that go again?

Dry. Wet. Dry.

Coat them in flour.

Then egg.

Then breadcrumbs.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.

Bake them 10 minutes, flip them, and bake another 10 minutes.

When they are done, they wont look too much different than when you put them in. They wont really be browned, just a little less dense.

Taste your tomato mixture--add salt if needed.

Layer tomato sauce on half of the eggplant slices.

Top with mozzarella.

The add a basil leaf. Grated parmesan. And top it with an eggplant hat.

Put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Then serve it immediately.

*I tossed the remaining tomato sauce with some pasta and served it with the eggplant.

Looks Yum, right?

OH! And it's healthy, too. Somewhere around 300 calories.

...I'm craving eggplant again....Uh-oh.

The Magical, Disappearing Seedlings

2011-04-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Remember last week when I was making my pretty flower pots? ...Well, there was a bit of a mishap. A small hiccup in my plans...

I had planned to plant my herbs (cilantro, basil, and parsley), and some marigolds for the front stoop. I also thought I'd give a shot at growing my own tomatoes this year. After a trip to Lowe's for some planters, soil, and seeds, I was ready to give my green thumb a go.

Here we were, Gracie & I, just minding our own business on the back porch, painting pots, planting seeds, and enjoying a glorious day.

My herbs and marigolds were sunning on the rail, and I was just finishing taking pictures of everything to share with you lovely folks when, suddenly, the unspeakable happened!

My tomato seeds went missing!

GASP!

Now, let me tell you, I searched high and low for this mysterious, disappearing seed packet. I thought, maybe the wind blew it off the porch and it was floating around down below. I searched, and searched, and search...No seeds were found.

Finally, I gave up my search.

I cleaned up the porch, and went inside to put my pots in the windowsill, when, finally, I found the culprit.

DUNDUNDUN

Case closed.

Oh, and I'll be sure to keep you updated on the other plants that are warming in my kitchen.

How To: Chop an Onion

2011-03-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

[From a lefty's perspective. If you're a righty...just pretend.]

What you will need:
A sharp knife
An onion
A cutting board

Grab an onion. A simple, yellow onion will suffice.

Chop the non-rooted end off.

Chop it in half.

Peel it down to the shiny-whites.

Lay it flat and put your palm on it. (Fingers & thumb up!)

Put a good slice in it, parallel to the cutting board. Watch those fingers!

And another, a little further up--still parallel to the cutting board.

Keep slicing it, all the way to the top.
Turn the onion 90 degrees so the rooted side is away from you.

Start slicing it--perpendicular to the cutting board now.

Slice it all the way across

Rotate the onion 90 degree again, back the way it was when you started.

Slice it, perpendicular to the cutting board, but parallel to the last slices.
Like a grid.
So much math involved in this.

Keep going, you're almost there.

Done!

Discard the rooted-ness.

Now you try!

Let me know how it goes.

Loin of Tender Pork (With Leeks & Apples!)

2011-03-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

While growing up, whenever we had steak for dinner, it was always pork steak.
The idea of pork for dinner now grosses me out. It's just not appetizing. My idea of pork is a dry, chewy, flavorless piece of meat. (No offense, Mom--love you!)

Needless to say, we're not big pork eaters here in this household. (Besides bacon, of course of course!)

I decided to give pork a try again. It was on sale, I had no choice.
I bought one of those tenderloins that is sealed in a marinade.
Did you know they had those?
They do.
It looks like this:

The goal here was to create a super tender, flavorful, and moist piece of meat.
Even though it was already soaking in flavor, I wanted to add some more.

In a bowl, mix together some seasonings to make a spice rub:

(I mixed minced garlic, rosemary, sage, salt & pepper, thyme, parsley, paprika, ancho chili powder, and olive oil)

Slather the tenderloin on all sides with the spice rub.
Slather it good, baby. Flavor, flavor, FLAVOR!

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Once the skillet gets hot, add about a tablespoon of oil.

Saute the tenderloin, creating a nice, crunchy crust on all sides. You don't want to cook it through here, we're just sauteing until brown to make the crispy crust and to seal in all the flavor.

Once browned on all sides, put in 350˚F oven to finish cooking. Bake for 25-30ish minutes, until it has an internal temperature of 145-150˚ F in the center.

In the meantime.....

We're gonna make our apple & leek salad to go with de loin of de pork-o. This is the best part, in my opinion.
Be gone all thee meat...Bring on thee fruits & thee veggies, YUM!

For this you need 2 leeks, and 3 red apples.

It surprises me that a lot of people don't know what a leek is. I looooveeeeee leeks. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Friends, meet Leek.

A leek is like a super huge, yet super, super mild green onion. (Word of the day: super.)

In leekdom, you only want to use the end of leek--the white and light green parts.

Cut the leek in half lengthwise, then cut it in 1-inch chunks. Fill a big bowl with cold water and put the chopped leeks in. Separate the layers and let them sit in the water for 5 minutes.

The dirt from between the layers will fall to the bottom of the bowl--skim the leeks from the top.
Make sure you dry the leeks thoroughly

Next, thinly slice your apples.

In the same skillet you used to sear the tenderloin, add a little more oil and saute the leeks until tender.

Add zeee apples...

...and stir until softened.

Remove from heat, then add 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar--season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Remove the pork tenderloin from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.

This resting step is crucial for juicy, delicious meat. All meat needs to rest once it's done cooking--if you cut it before it rests, all the juices flow out of it, leaving you with a dry piece of meat. Blah!

After 10 minutes, slice the pork into medallions. Serve with the leeks & apples.

This is delicious.
Seriously, delicious.

It's sweet, and salty, and juicy and flavorful.
No, really. It is.
I promise.
Try it.

Recipe:
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Leeks & Apples

Ingredients:
Pork tenderloin

oil for sautéing

Spice Rub:
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, halved & sliced into 1-inch pieces
3 red apples (such as Gala), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 350˚F.
Mix spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Mixture should be pasty, but easily spreadable. (Add more oil if needed). Rub mixture on pork tenderloin.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Brown pork tenderloin on all sides, remove to sheet tray.
Bake pork tenderloin 25-30 minutes, or until 145-155˚F.
Meanwhile, in the same skillet used for pork, add chopped leeks. Stir until tender.
Add sliced apples and cook until softened. Add honey and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove tenderloin from oven. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice into 1-inch thick medallions. Serve with leeks & apples.

Pot de Herb

2011-03-23T11:27:00.001-07:00

I showed you my herb garden 2 years ago. Remember? Wow, I can't believe that was 2 years ago. I never did update you on how my first attempt at an herb garden went.

Well...
It failed.
Badly.
Horribly, badly.

You see, all was well. Everything was going wonderfully in my little herb-growing land.
Everything was coming up nicely, the sun was shining A LOT that summer, and things were getting to the point where they were about ready to start using.

And then, something happened.
Vacation happened.

My Boo and I took an impromptu, week-long trip to the homeland (Michigan) and IIII forgot to hire a plant sitter/waterer/surrogate mother.

I came home to a dried up, brown, crunchy mess. It was not pretty.

And that's how my green thumb turned brown.

I took a summer off to mourn, and here I am--at it again.

I'm hoping to be a supportive, nurturing, green-thumbed mother to these herbs this time around so I can actually eat them. You guys need to keep me up to it, kay?

I made these.

Really. I did.

Want to know how? Because, I'll show you.
I will.
If you ask nicely.
Pretty please?
With sugar on top?

Okay, I give. I'll show you. It was easy, I promise. And relaxing.

Ingredients:

Some terra cotta pots

Acrylic paints, your choice of colors

Paint brushes (I used the big sponges, but it would have been nice to have a smaller brush for touch ups)

Also needed (not shown):

Exacto knife/Scissors

Paper

Printer

First you need to paint the pots the colors of your choice:
After about 7 different paint schemes, I finally settled on white & green.

Then I changed my mind after I took this picture and painted one blue.
So white, green, & blue. Perfect.

Next, print off the labels you want, in the font of your choice. The bolder the font, the better.

With the exacto knife, or scissors, trace the letters to cut then out. (We're creating a stencil here, folks.)
For the letters with a middle, (like the p, a, e....etc), leave a little connector. If you forget, like I did a few times, no worries, just keep the middle.

Then, just tape your stencil to the painted pot:

For the middle of the 'P' and the 'A' that I accidentally cut out, I just stuck a little tape to the back and taped it in place.

Then, with your paint brush, paint in the stencil. I found that dabbing or blotting works best. That way it pressed the stencil down as it painted so I didn't get and bleeding edges.

Remove the stencil, and TADA!:

Beautiful!! There were just a few edges to touch up (this is where a small brush would have come in handy.)

Repeat with the rest of your pots:

For the little flower thingy, I just used a rubber stamp with a stamp pad that I had and pressed it on for added detail.

And there you have it!
Simple, easy, and great looking herb pots!

I'm all ready to start mothering and nurturing my herbies!