Let's just make a week out of it.

Since all I want lately is pasta, and I'm basically cooking for myself this week, I decided to just quit the front and let myself eat it every night. I'm starting with Ravioli with Sage-Butter and Walnuts, trying Giada's Bolognese next, and will round out the plan with butternut squash filled raviolis in some sort of sauce (a light alfredo?? Taking all suggestions.)

Served this with a side salad—mixed greens, raspberries, chives, toasted walnuts and balsamic dressing. Hubby asked if the secret ingredient for the night was walnuts...I guess kinda, though to be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge fan, and could have done without across the board. Plus, I probably should have chopped them more—or something. There were a lot left over on my plate at the end.

Ravioli with Sage-Butter and Walnuts
1 package refrigerated cheese ravioli
4 tbsp butter (1/4 cup)
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves (or about 1 tsp dried)
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The timing is kind of weird here, so read through the rest before you continue...done? Ok, once the water boils, cook ravioli according to package directions.

While the water's boiling on one burner, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the sage and walnuts. Cook for about 3 minutes, til the butter begins to brown. Take about a cup of the boiling pasta water and carefully add it to the butter, raise heat to high, and let boil about 2 minutes.

While that cooks, combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and let boil about 4 minutes. It should thicken quite a bit. Turn off heat and cover.

Drain the ravioli once it's done, and add to the butter mixture, mixing gently to coat. Remove from the heat, toss with the parmesan and season with salt. Check the balsamic glaze—if it's thickened too much and seems to be almost solid, return to low heat until it becomes syrupy again. Divide the ravioli among plates and drizzle with the balsamic syrup and a pinch of sea salt.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

I love Bobby Flay. He comes across as such a weird mix of smart, funny, cocky, and nice guy...but more importantly, the man can cook. Having eaten at his Mesa Grill restaurant twice, I can personally attest to this, but besides that, I don't think I've ever watched a Throwdown and not cursed technology for not yet inventing taste-o-vision.

In all honestly, however, Tex-mex is not my favorite genre, because it always seems to revolve around chipotle, which can be a really strong, super spicy flavor, so I try not to use it very often. It had been a while, though, so when I found this recipe for Black Bean Chili, I decided to trust Bobby and go for it. His version calls for beef chunks and beer, but this way worked just fine. Great with cornbread, but remember...low fat cornbread only sounds like a great idea. In practice, it's only ok. Even if you can eat more of it.

Careful with this one...it's got some heat, which is why I put the chile as optional.


Turkey & Black Bean Chili
olive oil
1 pkg ground turkey
salt and pepper
half an onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile, minced (optional)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp chipotle peppers/sauce (from can)
1.5 tbsp honey
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained
Juice from one lime

To top:
finely chopped onion
shredded cheese (monterey jack or cheddar)
Cumin Crema (1 tsp cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper mixed with 1/2 cup greek yogurt or creme fraiche)

Combine cumin, chili powder, drained tomatoes, chipotle and honey in blender (or bowl, if you have an immersion blender. Have you bought one yet?)

Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper, heat a splash of oil over medium high, then add turkey and stir fry until cooked through, 5 minutes or so. Transfer meat to a big bowl. Add a bit more oil to the pot, and saute onion about 3 minutes. Add garlic and chile, if using. Cook another minute or two, then stir in tomato puree, broth and add meat back in. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat back to low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in beans and cook another 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in lime. Taste and add a little bit salt, if needed, and a bit more honey if it's too spicy.

The original recipe serves this with the cumin crema and homemade guac, but it's good with cheese and/or onion, too. Or regular sour cream. It's chili...do it how you like it.

Sorry, Borders.

Bankruptcy sucks, it really does. But I'm not above taking advantage of your misfortune...


All the important stuff-especially since we're currently searching for a new car and a new puppy (compact SUV and boxer/and or lab...we're open to suggestions on each). Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the cookbook options-first of all, they were only marked down like 20%-and kind of picked through. (As to be expected for a going-out-of-business sale) I did, however, find this beaut:


I'm a sucker for the Sandra Lee cooking philosophy, and chicken is pretty much my go-to meat, so it was an easy sell.

Unfortunately, the first shot wasn't the best. Probably my fault, since I read the directions wrong and used too much sherry, but even still, it required far too much post-recipe Sriracha and honey to make it work, and I honestly wasn't paying enough attention to actually give a recipe for all the fixes, so I choose to pass on tonight's attempt until I get to call a re-do. Cause Kung Pao needs some practice...


Good, not great. Once it's great, I'll let you know. Until then, here's the actual recipe for you to play with.

Kung Pao Chicken
Food & Wine Books
24oz chicken breast, cut into 1/2 in cubes
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp white wine/rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp cooking (canola) oil
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
4 scallions in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Toss chicken with 1 tbsp each of cornstarch, soy sauce, and sherry.

In small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sherry, 2 tsp corn starch.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat. Add nuts and stir fry until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove.

Add remaining oil. Add chicken mixture and cook til almost done, about 2 minutes. Add sou sauce mixture and scallions and simmer until chicken is done, about 1-2 more minutes. Stir in peanuts.


-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Herbed Roasted Butternut Squash

I keep hearing that people don't like squash. And I have to say...really? If you're one of said squash-haters, please share your beef (so to speak, you probably like beef). Cause I don't get it. I think most types of squash are quite delish, especially when cooked with herbs and/or spices. Yum. So when I was searching for something interesting to do with butternut squash as a side, this one jumped out at me. Roasted with whole garlic and thyme? Done.

And wow. It's not often dinner smells amazing right off the bat. But literally, this one started beckoning my nostrils after...well, how much time does it take to change laundry from the washer to the dryer? I popped my squash in the oven (adjacent to the back door, which is three steps from the garage door, which is two steps from the washer/dryer), changed the laundry, and what, two minutes later? The house smelled fab. I'm guessing it's more the smell of the chicken in the oven, but even the monsters were hanging out in the kitchen. Yuh-uh-um.

Super easy, too, if you do it the Pammy way (aka the Sandra Lee/cheat it way). Try it. Especially if you don't "like" squash. Trust me here, ok? Roasting makes it caramelize just enough to add a tad of sweetness, while the herbs and garlic give it big-kid flavor.

Oh, and I used the convection/toaster oven for this, so I only cooked it for 35 min total at 375. If you are using the regular oven, follow the given directions.


Bay and Thyme Roasted Butternut Squash
1 lb package pre-cubed butternut squash
1 package pre-peeled whole garlic cloves (aka, about 8 of them. If you're not hugely into garlic, remove before serving)
olive oil
good pinch pepper (1/8 tsp ish)
salt (1/2 tsp or more) kosher salt
3 or 4 springs of fresh thyme
2 large bay leaves

Preheat oven to 450. Combine all in bowl, tossing to coat. Spread onto small pan (in one layer), and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and put back in oven for another 25 minutes or until cooked.

Remove bay leaves and big thyme stems before serving. Great with roast chicken (totally store bought, btw) and a green veggie. Yes, I'm back on a diet. Even Ramona wanted some. Though, really, when doesn't she...

The Jamie Oliver Experiment

I'm not sure how I feel about Jamie Oliver. I mean, I hardly ever watch him, and I don't know much about him...Being British indisputably gives him that pompous air, which is bad, yet funny (you know this is true)…but he's got that laid-back vibe going on, which is good...so far, the worst thing I can find about him is that his children are named Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, Petal Blossom Rainbow and Buddy Bear Maurice. Though, really. That's, well...siiiigh. I can't talk crap about people's kids. Even if it's just their names. But come. on. Even for a big hippie-fan like myself, that's kinda much.

Anyway. Hubby bought me one of his cookbooks for Christmas, and thumbing through it, we both saw tons that looked great. So, as a heads-up, we'll be adding a lot of his recipes in the next few months.

This particular recipe came from his website; I was at work when I made my shopping list, so the first couple we're going to try are basically our 'intro to Jamie' recipes. Starting with Linguine with Tomatoes and Capers.

At the beginning, I was a little worried. A) I had never heard of tomato passata, and even me, the Google Queen, couldn't find any definitive explanations for it. Instead, it was a bunch of generic, "it's sorta tomato paste but not tomato paste and sometimes it's cooked and sometimes it's not and it's not really sauce but it's kinda sauce...and so I was forced to wing it. And B) This is basically red clam linguine, sans clam. And since I think the clam is the best part of red clam linguine, I was worried it would be pretty much blah.


All was fine. For my passata, I chopped a brown onion and about 6 garlic cloves, sauteed them in a bit of olive oil about 5 minutes, then added about half a can of tomato puree (the big can). Cooked a few minutes and then proceeded with the recipe. Easy, especially with my chopper. And I do love easy.

Final results? We both give thumbs up. Simple, fast, and tasty. Make sure and use the lemon, btw, I think it brightens it up quite a bit.

It's easier than you think. I promise.

Between being out of town a couple weekends in a row and spending as much time as we can at the new house painting and such, cooking has not been high priority when I am home.

Though as tired as I've been, you know I'm stubborn enough to refuse to engage in this, ala hubby:


As far as I know, he hasn't eaten these in 5 years. And he bought a multi-pack. Awesome.

Anyway, I insisted on Cooking (capital C). And realized how many quick (Ms. R. Ray or less) meals I rely on...or can at least fake. Dinner doesn't have to take forever, and shouldn't. (Well...not always, anyway. Sometimes it's completely worth spending way too much time cooking. It wins you points.)

So, for normal people with normal (read:busy) lives, here's a week's worth of meals for inspiration.

Pho
Think pho has to take forever/come from a take out package? Try the pho stock mix from Asian markets. It's like a boullion cube for pho...awesome. Boil some water, coarsely chop basil, green onion, white onion and cilantro, slice a lemon, slice some meat or tofu, and open a bag of bean sprouts. It takes like 10 minutes.


Chicken and Potatoes
Then there's my favorite way to cheat dinner-the pre-roasted chicken from Vons. Grabbed some potatoes and salad stuff, and dinner was not only 20 minutes to make, but like 10 bucks. And for broke asses like us, that makes me unreasonably happy.

Easy potato idea: slice, throw in the steamer with a couple sprigs of rosemary, then give them a squirt of spray butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. A bit of nonfat plain yogurt is great, too.


Pad Thai
We'd both been wanting pad thai, so I decided to try one of those pad thai sauces fom the store-I got a simmer sauce from fresh & easy (yes, I went back... again), and all I had to do was cut up/brown some tofu, boil some water for the noodles, shred a carrot, and chop some cilantro and green onion. I already had bean sprouts left over from the pho, and left the peanuts whole instead of chopping them.

Good stuff, can't complain. The sauce had a lot of tamarind, which is totally necessary for pad thai, but it made it a bit too sweet for us, so I ended up adding fish sauce and sriracha.

Steamed some potstickers while it simmered, and dinner was done in 30 minutes. And it looks like I spent all night. Love that.


Tuna Salad
I feel like I don't really talk about tuna much, for whatever reason. But I really like it. I would eat it out of the can if that sort of thing was acceptable for anyone other than Beyonce. (ok, I just spent like 20 minutes searching for a link to explain that uber random reference, and I can't find it. Just go with it.)

And now, my point. One of my favorite home-alone-so-I-can-eat-out-of-the-mixing-bowl meals is tuna salad. Mix drained albacore (in water, not oil), with as much mayo as you like(I do about 2 tbsp of light, I'm not a huge mayo fan), and chopped red onion, celery, and cucumber. Add in romaine, chopped hard boiled eggs (two, toss one or both of the yolks), and chopped tomato, if you have it. Salt and pepper to taste.





Chicken Risotto
Risotto is always a good one to fall back on, especially when both your creativity and kitchen are exhausted.

Defrosted some chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper and some dill (cause why not) and just sautéed it with cooking spray and a splash of white wine. When it was cooked, cut it up (ok, I used my hands, so I should say ripped it up, whatever), and tossed it in at the end of my risotto. (I also put some dill in with the onion and garlic when I sautéed them).

Not quite as quick as the other days, but about a half hour. My advice is to pass the time while stirring with some tivo'd Desperate Housewives and a martini.


Filet and...more filet
And finally, our quick surf and turf. Filet mignon was somehow cheaper than a new york, so I grabbed it. And rather than be responsible and pocket the savings, I spent it on a small filet of coconut crusted tilapia (I used sweet chili sauce as a dipping sauce and it was awesome). Steamed some broccoli and made Rice a Roni wild rice, and the whole thing took 25 minutes.



Inspired yet? Now put the cup of noodles down and back away slowly. Into the kitchen, hopefully...

And...

Yum. Much better than the first time around. And I'm not ashamed to say I'm not surprised...packaged broth has its purpose, and that is to make my life easier. (Thank you, Sandra Lee, for making that acceptable.)

So yeah, easy enough. Used beef pho broth with chicken, which wasn't altogether a bad idea, and topped with the usual-sliced white onion, green onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil and lemon. Mmm mm mmmmm.



-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

One Love.

It's safe to say that anyone who knows the hubby knows he has a bit of an obsession with all things reggae. His car stereo is always set to Reggae 'Riddums' on Sirius. Our best man (his best friend) wore a dread cap to cover his dreads at our wedding (he was more concerned about it than we were, he's awesome like that). Our first dance was a reggae jam (Never Let Go, by Half Pint). We named a cat Nesta (as in, Robert Nesta Marley). And my boss oh-so-kindly bought him a gigantor flag (see right) that now hangs in our upstairs window. Siiigh.

I have to say, while I may not be as gung-ho as he is, I get it. And I'm a good sport (for this, I mean). So I go with it. And if he wants to celebrate Marley's birthday (Feb. 6, fyi), it means I get a night of awesome Caribbean themed food...I really can't complain.

The menu this year was not exactly authentic (but as close as I could get, I based the rice and plantains off of Bobby Flay and Jamaican recipes I googled), but it was a really tasty, colorful, overall awesome meal: Jamaican Spiced Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salsa, red beans and coconut rice, and fried plantains. Add some Red Stripe and random rum cocktails and you're good to go. (Oh, and grilled plantains brushed with rum and brown sugar over vanilla ice cream for dessert=yum.)

I actually love this chicken recipe (based on this cooking light recipe) and use it on occasion....seemed somewhat appropriate for our theme. I used boneless thighs this time, but I prefer it with chicken breasts.


Jamaican Spiced Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salsa
Handful minced fresh cilantro
1/2 a small red onion, minced
small handful chopped fresh mint
about a tsp brown sugar
juice of a lime
pepper
pinch crushed red pepper
1 jar chopped mixed tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, mango, etc.). Sometimes all I can find is tropical fruit snack packs, which work, just use a couple of them.
Jamaican jerk seasoning
Salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

In medium bowl, combine cilantro, onion, mint, sugar, lime juice, a pinch each of salt and pepper, red pepper, and fruit. Combine and set aside. You can do this even a day or two ahead. (Or stop here and eat it all with chips. Your choice.)

Season chicken with jerk seasoning and salt. Spray with cooking spray and grill or pan-saute til done (6 minutes a side or so). Serve with the salsa on top.
Serves 4. Roughly 250 cals, 3g fat, 2g fiber

Mmmm, Posole.

I started the day with a ton of ambition-husband had to work all day and I felt bad about it, since my whole giant plan today was to make Posole and start rewatching the first season of LOST. (I'm convinced the 6th season will mirror the 1st, so I need a refresher. I'm a nerd, remember?) So I decided to go to the store and get everything for a perfect hubby-friendly-food Sunday.

He's a giant fan of fat-kid breakfast, which I never let him have at home, so I decided I'll attempt one of his favorites...but as I have zero idea what biscuits and gravy are supposed to taste like (or even look like, really), I turned to Paula Deen for help with a recipe. I figured, for once, I could depend on the butter queen for this one. I'm planning Bisquick biscuits and gravy, hash browns, eggs, and bacon. We'll see how it goes.

And I really wanted to do a good Pad Thai for dinner, since he's been wanting Asian food, but I wanted to try Bobby Flay's recipe for it, and Von's doesn't carry tamarind. Ehh...he'll be just as happy going for sushi, and that's one less thing to cook this week. Cause like I said...ambitious. I'm planning on Orange Salmon, Black Bean Quesadillas, Mediterranean Veggie Pizza, and a lemon chicken thing. All new, all to be documented, natch.

And so, after a ginormous shopping trip, I finally found everything I needed, got to the register, and realized my wallet was sitting on my kitchen counter. At home. Siiigh. So the nice girls at Von's bagged up all my stuff, stuck it in the cooler, and waited for me while I drove all the way home and back. All the while feeling like the biggest jackass in the world. Though it did make me feel better that I had made an effort to get cute before going to the store. (The 60 degree weather meant I could wear a mini and my Steve Madden boots, which the female checker got to see twice. Almost worth it.)

But today, this is about soup. I've been wanting Posole, but we haven't been to Las Salsas in awhile, and theirs is the best I've found (though the Posole Verde at Cazuelas Mary on Oak is also fantastic). I love it. It's totally the Mexican version of Pho. A bit spicy, brothy, and total comfort food. So here it is. Personal Posole attempt #2, and soup attempt of the week #3. Took awhile, but it wasn't exactly labor intensive. And turned out infinitely better than my pho attempt, so I'm happy. Let's hope tomorrow morning's fat-kid food attempt goes as well. I also did all the laundry and cleaned up the house, so he's got nothing to do but eat tomorrow...and maybe go get the massages(plural, one for me, too) I gave him for Xmas. Yes, best wife ever. I know.

Posole
About 1.5 lb boneless pork shoulder
Half white onion
Whole onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cloves
olive oil
1 tsp oregano
6 whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp salt
olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Large can hominy, drained and rinsed
Large can diced green chiles
2 cups chicken broth
Chopped cabbage
chopped cilantro
Chopped onion
Lemon wedges

Take the onion half and stick the two cloves deep into the skin. In large stock pot, put pork, onion half, whole garlic, peppercorn, salt, oregano and cumin seeds. Add water til it just covers the meat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes.

Remove meat and cut into large bite-sized pieces. Pour pork broth into a large bowl. In stock pot, heat a tbsp or so of olive oil, then saute chopped onion and garlic a couple minutes. Add pepper, cumin, cloves and red pepper, mix well. Add hominy, green chiles, pork and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook about two hours. Add more salt and/or red pepper to taste.

Garnish with cabbage, cilantro, onion, and lots of lemon. Goes great with warm tortillas and cold tequila. About 8 servings. About 370 cals, 10g fat, 7g fiber, 30g protein, 37g carbs.

Party:Impossible

About a week ago, my sister called asking if I would come to her holiday/house-warming 1960's/Mad Men-themed party...she lives in LA, which is a good hour and a half to two hour drive, so I was hesitant to commit-especially since the hubby couldn't make it and I'd have to go alone. Until she told me her roommate was going to have to prepare for the whole party alone (my sis works Saturdays at her salon) and was freaking out a bit.

We know I like to entertain. And we know I like to save the day. So I agreed to not only come to the party, but to come spend the day with roomie (the opera singer, who is delightful, btw) cooking and cleaning and generally making things happen.

But after the grape leaves debacle on Friday, my confidence was just a bit off, and once my sis gave me the menu rundown, I realized I had signed up for my very own episode of Dinner Impossible.

So, hungover from the work party the night before, I made the painful drive-in the rain, no less-to Brentwood. (Which became far more painful when my flip-flop slipped on the wet tile outside their apartment while carrying my overnight bag, purse, and two huge bags of ice. Always graceful.) But roomie knows how to make things better, so I was greeted with a mimosa at the door.

And then we did work.

Roomie and their friend (I'll call her the cancer researcher...I love these UCLA peeps) had already been busy bees-she's a list person, too, so there was a ton already crossed off...the eggs were boiled and peeled, the jello shots were setting, the macaroni salad was done, and mini cucumber sandwiches-crusts cut off, natch-were in the fridge. (The 60's had the most ridiculous food.)

So by the time my sis got home, we had finished the deviled eggs, started the meatballs, made the mini-pigs in a blanket (using flavored sausages, brilliant roomie that she is), cleaned the kitchen, polished off 2 bottles of champagne, rolled the goat cheese balls, rearranged the fridge, started the ham rolls, chilled the beer, and set up the bar area. And had the mini quiches and spanakopitas ready for the oven. And THEN we got ready. (Full costume required...here is my baby sis and me hamming it up, per usual.)


It was quite the spread when all was said and done. I especially loved my sister's gingerbread house (detail obsession obviously runs in the family). But the party was a success, the food was great, and we learned the important lesson that soda water really does get out everything. Which is helpful to know when people are drinking rum punch at 1am.

My only singular contribution was goat cheese balls, a new recipe the parallel excitedly sent me last week. Good stuff. I recommend either doing 4 big balls, or little tiny bite sized ones. Ours were a bit too big for the Triscuits. But totally interesting and a good conversation piece nonetheless.


Rolled Goat Cheese Balls

2 11oz logs goat cheese
big handful Wasabi peas (should be in the dried fruit or asian aisles)
5 or so gingersnap cookies
Parmesan cheese (about a 1/4 cup)
Fennel seeds (about a tbsp)
Anything else you want to roll them in. Go crazy. (I did a mix of parmesan, red chili flakes, garlic salt and green onion, but goat cheese will go with just about anything.)

Crush peas in a food processor or blender (a couple layers of ziplocs and a hammer also work, though it's not what I'd recommend). Spread on a plate. Crush cookies, spread on another plate. Mix cheese and seeds on a third plate. Use whatever you want on the fourth plate.

Roll the cheese into balls with your hands, and divide them into four piles. Roll each set of balls in a coating, and line them up pretty-like on a serving tray. Do this as last minute as you can so the coatings don't get warm and melty. We actually rolled the balls and stuck them in the fridge a couple hours in advance, and then just rolled them in the coatings at the last minute.

If it weren't for work, I'd be the best housewife ever.

I feel like maybe I'm shortchanging myself on the whole I Don't Bake attitude. Or maybe I've just gotten lucky lately. Since I committed myself to not cheating this week, I made us a little treat to help me through it. All thanks to Ms. Crocker, who now makes gluten-free brownie, cake and cookie mixes.

Of course, the whole time I was adding walnuts to the recipe, I had Alton Brown in my head warning me about throwing off the delicate balance of ingredients...and the dough was kinda...crumbly...so as usual, I wasn't expecting greatness. And didn't get it. But, to be fair, they're good. The flavor is there, they didn't burn...all in all impressive. For me. And I got to wear an apron while I made them. Adorable.


So by the time the husband found out one of his football buddies needed to drop by for something, I was wearing an apron over a Raiders t-shirt, a batch of cookies were in the oven, and I was chopping potatoes, garlic and onion for a crazy comfort-food inspired dinner.

All while drinking a dirty martini. Complete ridiculousness.

I took the apron off before he got there. I didn't want him to think I had totally reverted back to 1954.

Afterward, as I finished up the potatoes, the husband got to work on a salad. Nice work, babe. Quite a meal. Salad, everything potatoes, and Sherry Chicken? Well balanced and perfect for when it's chilly out. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

Sherry Chicken
1 lb chicken breasts, pounded thin
garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
pepper
cooking spray
1 tbsp butter
half an onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 package sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup sherry, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I use nonfat but a lot of times it curdles a little when you add it to hot sauces)

Sprinkle chicken well with garlic powder, Parmesan, oregano, and pepper. Brown in cooking spray about 4 minutes a side over medium high. Remove from heat, keep warm.

Add 1tbsp butter to pan. Saute sliced onion and garlic about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, saute until they start getting soft. Add 1/2 cup Sherry. Cook til everything is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken back in. Add remaining sherry and oregano. Cover, simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt. Mix well. Serve over potatoes, rice, or pasta. Serves 4.
About 220 cals, 6g fat, 1g fiber, 3g carbs, 33g protein

And the verdict is...

Delicious. Well, with a little salt (horseradish is good, too). Hubby recommends adding a pot roast spice packet. I think that means he thought it was a little bland...though he thinks everything needs as much spice/flavor as humanly possible. So do with that what you will.

Either way, having to sit and smell it for 3 hours while waiting for the hubby to get home was torturous. So I did yoga, drank wine, and watched girly tv to pass the time...rough night.

Yes, I made a salad, but all the actual work was done last night, and the most time consuming part was peeling the onions. Easiest way to do it, if the bag doesn't say, is to dump them in some boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain, then cut off each end, and either peel the skin off or squeeze the onion out of the skin. It's kind of a pain in the ass, but I love pearl onions and use them so rarely it makes it worth it. If you want to cut prep time down, just use a red onion instead.

Pot Roast
1 bag pearl onions, peeled, or 1 red onion, halved then quartered
4 or 5 medium red potatoes, halved and quartered
A dozen or so whole cloves garlic, peeled
A bag of baby carrots (or a couple cups of regular peeled carrots, cut into 2 inch sections)
Bay leaves
Beef Pot Roast
2 cups beef broth
About 2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and Pepper

Heat a bit of olive oil in large pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then brown it a couple minutes per side on medium high heat.

In cooking-sprayed crock pot, throw in the potato, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and onion. Place meat on top. Combine broth and paste in a bowl, and pour over everything. Sprinkle with a big pinch salt and pepper. Either cover tightly and refrigerate til morning, or move right along.

Set to cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Go to work/life. Come home. Eat.
Per 3oz serving of meat (plus a big scoop of veggies), about 300 calories, 10g fat, 3g fiber, 24g carbs, 29g protein.

Pine Nut Gorgonzola Salad
1 to 2 romaine heads, chopped
A little less than 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (in a small pan over medium for about 3 minutes, shaking often)
1/4 cup gorgonzola

Fruity Vinaigrette (Sandra Lee style)
About 3 tbsp Blush Vinaigrette dressing (I use Brianna's)
1 big spoonful apricot preserves (or whatever jam you have)
Big pinch fresh pepper

If it gets too sweet, add more dressing, or if you run out, like I did, add some red wine vinegar and more pepper. Toss it with salad. Serve into bowls and top with nuts and cheese.
For 2 fat kid servings, about 290 cals, 18g fat, 3g fiber, 26g carbs, 8g protein
For 4 child servings, about 145 cals, 9g fat, 1.5g fiber, 13g carbs, 4g protein
I always eat the fat kid portion, if you don't know me well enough to know.

This is not Rachael Ray's pesto.

I love pesto. It's one of those bad foods that I don't get to eat...I mean, I can eat it, it's just not worth the calories. Ever watched Rachael Ray make it? The amount of olive oil (EVOO, I should say) she pours in is out of control. And in my opinion, totally unnecessary. Then again, I think everything she does is out of control. But that's a whole other topic.

So when I do cave and have pesto, I tend to make it at home rather than order it out. That way, I can control the amount of fat and my kitchen smells like basil and garlic all night. Yum. And since it fits perfectly in my cheese phase...done.

And pesto really is easy, even though it looks and sounds fancy. And since I may have made a LOT of brie stuffed chicken last night, I decided to pretty up the leftovers with something fresh for my girl's evening with K tonight.


Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta
Pasta (4 servings)
Sun-dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed. A little less than a cup's worth.
Decent sized handful of sliced almonds
Big handful of basil leaves
Two big pinches of shredded parmesan (about 2 tbsp.)
4 cloves garlic
Large pinch salt
Lots of fresh pepper
Feta cheese

Cook the pasta in salted water. Save about a cup of liquid when you drain the pasta. In a food processor or blender, blend tomatoes, almonds, basil, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper until chopped well. Add the pasta water, and mix. Toss with pasta. Sprinkle feta on top before serving. Easy.
About 300 calories, 10g fat, 4g fiber, 42g carbs, 12g protein

Sinfully good eats.

Every time I get ready to go to Las Vegas, I get a little weirded out...Vegas is such a strange place, and since I don't like to gamble (it's hard to watch my electric bill payment spent in a matter of minutes), I'm not always sure if people watching will be enough to get me through more than 2 days.

Spent a few days there about a week ago, though, and this trip was different. We met some friends from New York (my East Coast parallel and her husband) there, and I'm fairly sure we could have been trapped in a well-stocked snow cave with them and still been entertained. But besides the fabulous company, we ate like champs. And cause I take pics of my food, I'm now going to take you on a Vegas food tour.

At 1am Saturday night/Sunday morning, the idea of shrimp cocktail is pretty much the best thing ever. And when it's advertised everywhere—for 99 cents, no less—I'm the type that makes it her mission to find said cocktail. So as the husband sat at the blackjack table at the Freemont hotel, I went in search.

For the record, 99 cent shrimp cocktail tastes exactly what it should taste like. It does the trick.

But, as we soon discovered, if you want real shrimp (not the bay stuff) and real, thick, spicy sauce, you have to pay for it. It was still Vegas, though...it was 3.99 for this one. And again, at 1am, it's worth every penny.

The weekend got better. Wait for it.

By Sunday afternoon, we made it to the strip and luckily for my girlfriend and me, our husbands were both ready for some football (shocking!). We headed over to the ESPN Zone at NYNY, where we waited...and waited...and waited. Luckily, this is what they brought us once we got seated. And we know how I feel about nachos.

That night, however, is when things got ridiculous. I know I have a bit of a Food Network obsession, and Bobby Flay is the master. So last time the husband and I were in Vegas and found Bobby's Mesa Grill, we fell in love. And we dragged our friends with us this time.

Incredible food, incredible wine, incredible bill, but omg. Everything I have ever tasted that came out of that kitchen is unbelievable. We somehow ended up getting four vastly different dinners, and then we sort of passed forks around. I got the eggplant and cheese stuffed, cornmeal crusted chile rellano, the husband got the porterhouse, parallel got the crusted seared ahi, and her hubby got pork tenderloin. And we all of course also got random sides...I had the goat cheese and chorizo tamale. Mmmm.

If I had to pick one of them to eat forever, I'd go with the pork. It totally melted in your mouth...fantastic. And a word to the wise...just go with the cheap wine. When the least expensive bottle is 40 bucks, you're not gonna go wrong. It was perfect.

By Monday night, after a day wandering the aquarium, feeding the slots, and laying by the pool, we were ready for food, preferably something to keep the parallel and her hubby on their toes (always fun). They apparently have no Mexican food in Buffalo, so we were excited to introduce them to something outside their comfort zone. Which is what made the Luxor's Tacos and Tequila perfect. Not only did they have a photo booth (hello, you can't go wrong there), but it was about 200 steps from our rooms. Done.

No food pics (it was super dark in there, and the iphone is not so much for low light) but, the drinks...wow. I had the Spicy Lover (bottom left), which was a super spicy concoction of tequila, lime, agave, cilantro, cucumber and tabasco. It was almost as good as the ceviche sampler we tried. And even better, the New Yorkers were happy. Way to go, guys.

By Tuesday morning, time was moving a bit slowly, as seems to happen after more than 48 hours in Vegas. So after our late check-out, we decided what we really wanted was pho. And what I love about Vegas is that whatever you want, you can find. Especially after downloading the Yelp app...awesome. Turns out Little Saigon is only about a mile off the strip.

And at the Pho Kim Long (which translates to Golden Dragon...which I only know cause i have an old friend—who I really need to see, btw—by the same name. Minus the Pho part. Anyway.) we found it. Only in Vegas do you come across a 24 hour Pho restaurant. Fantastic. Terrible service, but the food was good, the portions huge, and the husband got Duck Pho and it had, like, a whole duck's worth of meat for something like 8 bucks. Plus everything, especially the spring rolls, came out within what seemed like seconds after we ordered them. We also decided to be troopers and get boba teas...neither of us could finish them, but the novelty of boba is always fun. I love the taste of thai tea, but the tapioca balls are just...too much. I do enjoy that they get a special wide straw, and these came in to-go cups, but unfortunately, after that much food, there's only so much room this tummy has.

Once we were stuffed with broth and boba balls, and after a stop to the Asian pastry shop next door for Almond cookies for husband, we were on our way home. All that included was a trip to the Bass Pro Shop (omg, have you been there? Go.), a jaunt through Baker—home of the world's largest thermometer (97 degrees that day) and a Dairy Queen—and a whole lot of weird desert sights you don't quite know how to explain. I mean, it always makes me wonder...Who lives out there? Who decides, 'Hey, I want to live in the middle of nowhere...in a trailer...and work at the only gas station/random restaurant/thermometer gift shop for miles and miles'? Who does that? And why?

So not the point. The point is...if you're going to Vegas, eat well. You're there to spend money. You're there to have fun. You're there to be impressed. Do it all, preferably at the same time.

So now, I'll just leave you with my latest Vegas lesson, which is: after you've been drinking all day, do not go to the Sephora. It's nothing but trouble. Trust me on this one.