Secret Ingredient: Tarragon

So I pulled a repeat out of the arsenal the other day (I say this like I make something new every day. It's cute.) I did, however, make a new side. So it counts.

I love doing 'secret ingredient' meals, especially when you are using random herbs that you only use a little bit of (you always have to buy a whole damn package)...might as well use at least a little more and not throw the whole rotted thing away a week later. And after I bought a pack of tarragon for Tarragon Chicken, I knew for damn sure I wasn't going to use it for anything else, so I got creative.

We know you can do browned butter and sage sauces (right? If not—learn, and do.) And I had asparagus, which I looove with browned butter, so I roasted them, experimented, did some tossing, served, and waited for the review.

Given as he was cleaning up the kitchen, btw. Not exaggerating when I say waited. 

"Hey, babe, that asparagus....make that again. That was some good stuff."

Wellllll ok.

 Asparagus with Browned Butter and Tarragon
One bunch asparagus
Canola or olive oil spray
sea salt
pepper
2 tbsp butter
good pinch fresh tarragon, torn into small pieces
pinch sea salt

Heat oven to 400.
Trim asparagus by snapping the bases where they break easily. Discard broken ends.
Coat baking sheet with spray oil. Place asparagus on sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 12 minutes.

Heat butter, tarragon and salt over medium heat, swirling the pan every minute or so until all is melted and begins to turn brown, around 5-10 minutes. Once brown, remove from heat and carefully add cooked asparagus pieces (it may splash a bit). Toss gently.

Serve hot.

Just throw it in there and cross your fingers.

So you bought a whole head/bag of shredded cabbage for the cup needed for Posole and don't know what to do with the rest, huh?

I figured I better improvise or it would be yet another half used bag of vegetable, rotting in my crisper. So I threw it in a cucumber salad and hoped for the best. And it worked—it got raves from the hubby and I thought it was fantastic. We had it with steak, but it would be good with some sort of Asiany chicken or fish, too. Something fairly simple-this has a lot of flavor.

Cucumber Peanut Salad
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground chile paste like Sambal Oelek (or to taste)
Medium squirt fish sauce (or 1/4 tsp salt)
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped (I used the food processor)
Decent handful chopped cilantro, including the stems
3 green onions, just the light green/white parts, sliced
About a cup of shredded cabbage
1 green onion (the green part), thinly sliced (to top)

Combine vinegar and sugar (and salt, if you're using it) in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until all is dissolved. Turn off heat, add chile and fish sauce, and set aside to cool.

Peel cucumber and halve longways. Use a spoon to drag down the middle, removing the seeds. Slice into fairly thin slices and place in small bowl. Pour dressing over cucumber, and toss gently to coat. Put cabbage into a medium/big bowl, and top with cucumbers and sauce from the small bowl. Add peanuts, cilantro and green onion, and toss just before serving. Top with remaining green onion.

Is it still gourmet if it's easy?

When hubby asked what I was making and I told him Prosciutto Spinach Salad, his response was "ooh, gourmet."

Which got me thinking...exactly what makes a meal gourmet? Is there, like, a gourmet qualifier?

Here is how the MacMillan Dictionary defines gourmet:
Gourmet food: of a very high quality.
Gourmet cook: someone who can make very good food. 

Well. Glad we got that straightened out. Thank you, MacMillan dictionary, for that riveting and completely non-subjective definition. Sooooo. I guess the moral here is that this salad is awesome (yet super easy) and you should make it, because people will think you're gourmet and shit.

Prosciutto Spinach Salad
1 3oz pkg prosciutto
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
Spray oil
Fresh pepper
Asparagus, trimmed and cut in half or thirds
Baby spinach, one package
About 1/4 cup basil, thinly sliced
Juice from half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tap brown sugar
Parmesan cheese

On a lined cooking sheet, lay out prosciutto slices and sprinkle with tomato halves.

Coat lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle all well with fresh pepper. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Let cool and break prosciutto into pieces.

Bring some water to a boil and drop in asparagus. Let cook about 5 minutes, drain, and rinse with cool water.

In a medium bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: basil, lemon, oil and sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved. (or stick it all in a jar with a lid and shake it til dissolved, like I did.)

On large salad plates, spread out baby spinach and top with asparagus. Arrange prosciutto and tomato, and drizzle with dressing. Finish with a dusting (or more!) of parmesan. Voila.

And I guess Mac & Cheese is now out.

Mister man has been monumentally fussy lately, so I'm thinking it may be something he's eating...which means something I'm eating. Which means, again, I have to alter my diet. About 50% of babies with food issues are sensitive to dairy, so that's where I'm starting. (Full disclosure: I'm an idiot and couldn't figure out what "dairy" consisted of other than milk, cheese, and yogurt. Um, as it turns out, butter. Duh.) So buh-bye, Italian and Mexican (and cookies!!!), and hello Asian.

I'm fine with this, really. You know I'm a big fan of food with an Asian kick, but most of my favorites are also spicy, and I figure spice can't be helping E's stomach much either, so somehow I'm going to have to get used to bland(er) versions. I broke out this recipe for that reason-I started making this stir-fry in my pre-spice (AKA pre-Hubby) days, but haven't in a long time. Cause yeah, it's a little bland. Add some sriracha and it's much better. But that's just my chile-loving bias talking.

I served it with potstickers, so I also made a sauce for those...it is kind of spicy, but so good.

Sesame Chicken Stir-fry
sunflower, peanut or canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
4 small portabellas, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, cleaned, tops trimmed and sliced thickly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, cleaned, halved and thinly sliced
8oz Asian noodles (your choice), softened according to package directions.
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Heat small amount of oil in hot wok. Add chicken and stir-fry until white. Add garlic, green onion, bell pepper and mushroom, stir-fry about 5 minutes or until mushroom is soft. Add noodles, combine well, then add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss all to coat. Heat through another minute or two.

Potsticker Sauce
Combine:
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Sweet chili sauce to taste (a few tablespoons)

There's a baby in there. It's not just steak, I swear.

It's really not fair to be pregnant over the holidays. I feel like all I've done lately is eat, and I'm getting weighed—by a doctor, no less—every two weeks. It's just not right. When I cook, I can at least control some of the potential damage, but it's still hard. Especially when the hubby requests New Year's Eve dinners that are "like we went to a steak house without having to actually going to one." Right.

He specifically requested creamed spinach, which I'd never made before, surprisingly...I love that stuff. We're not the only ones, right? It's delicious. And so is this recipe. Thanks to Anne Burrell for providing the base. Thanks to me for making it way less fattening. (Without the cheese—which I did not miss at all—and with light milk and butter, you can cut out 230 calories and 23 grams of fat.)

By the way, no judging the ginormous potato and piece of steak on the plate. I feel the need to point out that I ate less than half of each. I needed to save room for a berry tartlet. Priorities, you know.

Creamed Spinach
Olive oil
Cooking Spray
2 pounds washed baby spinach (bagged is easiest)
One large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons light butter (butter/canola mix)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup 1% milk
About 1/8 tsp nutmeg
sea salt

Coat a stock pot with spray and heat over medium. Add spinach and cover, stirring and tossing often until mostly wilted, then remove spinach to a colander to drain. You may need to do one pound at a time for space reasons.

Add a splash (about 2 tsp) of olive oil to the pot. Add shallot and saute about 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add butter and allow to melt. Using a whisk, stir in flour. Cook, moving around constantly, 4-5 minutes.

Slowly whisk in milk and nutmeg. Stir frequently, allowing milk to come to a boil, then reduce heat immediately to low and continue whisking about 5 minutes or until thick. Add salt to taste, around 1/2 tsp or so. Stir in spinach. Serve hot.

652 calories total
8 servings/81.5 calories
6 servings/109 calories
4 servings/163 calories

That's it, no more turkey.

Literally, every piece of tupperware we own is currently in our fridge, and somehow there's still nothing I want to eat. Probably because I need green things at this point, not meat. Or pie. Seriously, I sauteed up brussel sprouts and baby tomatoes and called that dinner last night. (Actually, it was delicious. A little light butter with microwave steamed brussels, halved cherry tomatoes, then topped with a bit of parm, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), salt and pepper. 10 minutes total.)

With two turkeys, two racks of ribs and 10 people, I'm actually surprised we didn't have more meat left over. I'm totally sick of turkey at this point, but I feel bad just trashing it, so I'm trying my best to use it up. But I'm also trying not to cook too much, seeing that my fridge is FULL and cooking is starting to make me tired...I'm apparently a bit of a frenetic cook—I work fast and multi-task, and I just don't have the energy I had 28 weeks ago.

Speaking of 28 weeks, I finally feel like I look pregnant. Or else I just ate way too much pie this weekend. (Shaking fist at my mother for bringing—and leaving—a ginormous, delicious Costco apple pie.) Which makes me scared to see how enormous I am by the time Christmas rolls around. If I don't post any photos, it's because my face has caught up with my ass and I'm refusing to have it documented. Just a heads up.

Anyway, we had some broccoli in the fridge, so I decided to do something easy with it. It's similar to chicken divan, but easier, quicker, and heavier on the broc. Not much prepping here, and even though it looks and seems a little down-homey and rich (just enough to spread out Thanksgiving a little more?) it's really not. I based it off a vegetarian Cooking Light recipe, but got rid of the mayo and threw in some turkey for some extra protein. And because it has to be used somehow.

Broccoli Casserole
12 oz bag of steam-able broccoli (or 3/4 lb loose broccoli florets)
1 cup 1% milk
1 tbsp flour
good pinch each salt and pepper
1/3 cup sharp cheddar
2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
2 shallots, chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts
about a cup shredded cooked turkey or chicken
bread crumbs

Cook broccoli. In saute pan, combine milk, flour, salt and pepper, and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Add cheese and cream cheese, whisking til smooth. Stir in shallot.

In medium casserole dish, layer broccoli, shredded turkey, and water chestnuts. Pour cheese sauce evenly across the top. Sprinkle top evenly with breadcrumbs. Cook at 400 for 20 minutes.

Roughly 850 calories total. (213 for 1/4 casserole)

Hiding veggies like I'm Jessica Seinfeld

Dishes are for suckers.

Especially when you don't have a dishwasher. (Or when you feel guilty making your handsome dish washer hang out in the kitchen all night). So I like to do what I can to make dish doing a little easier…I clean as I go, I re-use dishes when I can, and as you know, I swear by the all-wondrous immersion blender. (Ever cleaned a blender? Totally worth the 30 bucks to never have to clean one again.)

When I found this recipe, I had to roll my eyes at all of reviewers bitching about the number of dishes it makes. So screw that. Their way: six pots/pans/bowls. My way: two dish meal, kids. It's like magic.

Speaking of magic, this Mac & Cheese is so totally healthy food in disguise (well, kinda. It's still cheese and carbs. Over it.) That awesome cheddary color is all butternut squash, but the flavor is all cheese. I'm guessing this is the kind of thing I'll have to feed the kids someday when they turn against me and refuse to eat anything but Mac & Cheese and chicken nuggets...fitting, since that's all I want these days. I've resisted the mcnuggets so far, but I had to cave for the pasta.

We actually had broccoli on the side, but we both ended up mixing it in to the pasta as we ate. Feel free to skip the broc if one veggie is enough for you (one veggie should never be enough, btw) or go ahead and add in a cup or so of lightly steamed, bite-size pieces before cooking. Or have it on the side...it's a good addition, either way.

Veggie Mac & Cheese
olive oil (1 tsp or so)
1 shallot, peeled and diced
12 oz package cubed butternut squash
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup 1% milk
salt (about 1/2 tsp)
pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
Fat free greek yogurt (2-3 tbsp)
1 cup shredded fontina (Dutch)
1/2 cup shredded romano cheese (divided)
2 cups cavatappi pasta
Italian breadcrumbs
Heat oven to 375

Boil water for pasta in large sauce pan, and then cook for about 5 minutes (about half the time it says on the package). Drain.

Rinse pan, then heat oil and shallot over medium high, and cook about 2 minutes. Add squash, milk and broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low about 10 minutes or until squash is soft.

Blend squash mix with an immersion blender (or transfer all to a blender then transfer back to pan when smooth), then stir in yogurt, salt and pepper. Stir in fontina and 1/4 cup roman until mostly melted, then add pasta and mix gently.

Coat a medium baking pan with cooking spray and pour in pasta mix. Sprinkle remaining romano cheese and breadcrumbs lightly across top.

Cook for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

I love Rice-a-Roni.

I've been totally swamped with life this week, but I realized it's been too long since my last post, so here's the quick and easy Asian feast I made myself (Hubby's off doing his football thing...yes, already) tonight. I'll post the actual cooking I did this week (Pad Kee Mow! Crab Quiche!) later.

Now, excuse me as I get back to watching my new Gossip Girl DVD from Netflix really important things. It's Friday night, and my day was ridiculous. I need a break.

I completely eyeballed the ingredients, so I'd suggest you do the same. It can't hurt. Served with Rice-a-Roni Fried Rice. Uh, huh. Classy. But soooo easy.

Quick Chicken Stir-Fry
Cooking Spray
1 chicken breast, sliced
garlic powder
half a lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
good pinch brown sugar
1/2 tp chili paste
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
squirt sriracha, to taste
package frozen baby corn, carrots, and peas

Spray a saute pan with cooking spray, heat over medium high. Add chicken breast slices and sprinkle with garlic powder. While it cooks, combine lime through oyster sauce in a small bowl. When chicken is white and cooked through, reduce heat to medium and add sauce and bag of veggies. Stir, then cover and let steam about 5 minutes or until veggies are just hot. Add sriracha to taste.

I have no idea what they really eat in Cambodia.

As you know, I love me some Cambodian Kampot pepper...and I'm always intrigued by the recipes that Pepper Project posts on their Facebook page. So when I saw one for black bean and corn salad, which reminded me of a similar salad I've made and loved, I jumped on it. Plus, the parents were in town for the evening, and I wanted to try something good yet reasonably safe...my parents claim to be adventurous, but then I'll discover that my mom doesn't like fish. Or goat cheese. Or cucumber. Sooo...

I changed this up a bit from their recommended recipe (which they don't have posted for me to link to) and it was delicious and super easy. My mom went home ready to make it the very next day. The flank steak was easy, too. I rubbed the herbs and spices on the night before, let it set in tupperware over night, then handed over to Hubby, since he's the grillmeister.



Cambodian Bean & Corn Salad
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
About 3/4 carton cherry tomatoes, halved
About 1 tsp. kampot pepper (or just use freshly-ground black pepper)
About 1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin
Small handful chopped cilantro (less than 1/4 cup)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Dash olive oil (less than a tsp.)
About 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lime
Dash of salt to taste

Combine all, serve. I think you can handle that.


Pepper-Garlic Flank Steak
1 tbsp canola oil
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp fresh, chopped oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp kampot pepper
About 1 tsp salt (I actually used about 1 tsp+ course grain sea salt for the rub, and then lightly sprinkled regular salt on right before grilling, so adjust accordingly)
Flank steak (I think mine was around 20oz)

Combine oil through salt. Rub mix all over steak, place in tupperware or large ziploc, refrigerate as long as possible (at least a few hours). Spray grill with cooking spray, and cook over high about 3-4 minutes a side or until cooked as you like. Slice thinly widthwise (across the grain) to serve.

Just squash it.

Is it just us, or do we all have people throwing excess squash at us right now? Don't get me wrong...as opposed to the six bags of grapefruit we got this spring from our neighbors—there is only so much acid this tummy can take, people!—I am NOT complaining; I will always take veggies off your hands. (Hear that, Char? Where's my okra??)

Hubby's aunt brought over a bag of mixed summer squash last weekend, and as thrilled as I was, I really wanted to find a new way to cook them besides steaming. I assume this is a common 'problem,' as I found this little gem on Cooking Light under the topic "Help! I'm drowning in zucchini!" Heh. I actually used a variety of squash for this, including yellow and green patty-pan, yellow squash, and zucchini. I love basil, so I ended up using more than they recommended, and a bit more feta, as well. Whatever, it's low fat...just be careful which brand of feta you go with. I used Athenos, which was really good, but I've used other brands, and their low-fat versions are just plain gross. When it comes to cheese, if in doubt, go full-fat. Cause trust me, nobody wants to eat gross cheese. (In case you weren't sure.)

If you're not used to cooking with leeks, here are a couple quick tips: Make sure and wash it well, which is sometimes easier to do after you've sliced it (rinse well in a colander), since dirt gets way down in the crevices. You can also go ahead and use some of the dark part...there's no reason to just use the white base. Keep in mind that they're basically just enormous green onions.


Sauteed Summer Squash with Basil and Feta
4 cups squash, cut into large bite-sized chunks or slices
2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
A little less than 1 tbsp canola oil
Salt
Pepper (I used white Kampot pepper, which gives a little kick)
About a 1/4 cup fat-free feta
handful of thinly sliced basil (1/4 cup or so)

In large saute pan, heat oil a minute or two until very hot. Add squash and leeks, and stir-fry about 5 minutes or until tender (bite one if you need to!). Turn off heat, and season with a large pinch each of pepper and salt to taste. Add basil and toss gently. Top with feta to serve.

Super easy, and went well with Spicy Turkey Meatloaf for a low-cal dinner.

Steamed veggies a la microwave.

I'm kind of in love with the new(ish) Steam Fresh line of frozen veggies. We've tried a handful of them—green beans, a few types of Asian mixed veggies...they're always 2 or 3 for $6 bucks, so I tend to just grab a couple kinds. Yesterday I grabbed some baby brussel sprouts. Gotta say...like the rest, they're not bad at all.

In fact, according to hubby, "all vegetables should be cooked this way."

Well, ok! Pretty much the best veggie review ever—especially when all I did was saute a little bit of butter (about a large tbsp of the light fake stuff, actually) with a couple minced garlic cloves, then added the microwave cooked sprouts and tossed with salt and fresh pepper. Took a total of 6 minutes. And look how cute they are!

Yes, I just called veggies "cute." But they are. And quite tasty, too...

I'm so ready to cook.

After last week's non-cooking, I'm ready for a challenge…so it's officially Jamie Oliver week. I totally got excited/ahead of myself and shopped for like a week's worth of food...only to later realize that I'd only be cooking Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (only for myself, Hubby has a game), and Wednesday...Thursday I'll be in LA hanging with Daniel Tosh (as well as two of my fave gf's), followed by a ridic weekend of LA/SD/LA/back home. So needless to say, a lot of what I bought ended up in the freezer. On the menu we have beer butt chicken, green chili, and couscous and zucchini salad...and once things are thawed, we also have gumbo and enchiladas. First, however, we're trying braised pork with greens and turnips.


I have never made collared or other greens…I've only even used kale and swiss chard like once each, so I have no idea what I'm doing. Jamie was kinda vague, so I did a quick peek around the interweb and took some advice from Ms. Paula Deen—after washing the greens, I cut out the hard center stalks before slicing them. Pretty sure this was a good call, cause they were super tender.

Jamie's recipe also calls for pork knuckle…I have no idea what that is, and the only real descriptions I found online were less than helpful ("A lean boneless cut from the tip portion which is the front part of the leg above the kneecap also known as the forecushion of the hog. Braised or "red cooked" pork knuckle is a classic Shanghainese dish"......oh.). Whatever the hell it is, Vons definitely didn't have it…so we went with pork shoulder, instead. And it was fantastic...fall off the bone-tender-fantastic.

As I served this, I told Hubby that Jamie is convinced that everyone has a favorite part, be it veggies, pork or broth, and to be ready to pick one. So once all the dishes were clean and we were settling down for the Grammys (you're so welcome to everyone who got to follow my running commentary on fb last night), I asked for his decision. His answer? "I liked the veggies...and the broth...and the meat was great."

Normally I would totally roll my eyes at this non-response, but to be honest, I totally agree. The meat was perfectly tender, the veggies were delish, and we both slurped up the broth at the end, totally face first. Next time I may even try this in the slow-cooker and see how it turns out. Cause there will definitely be a next time.

And with that, day one of the Jamie Oliver Experiment complete, I gotta say...I'm excited for the rest of the week.


Greens with Pork and Turnips
Pork Shoulder (ours was 3lbs, that was the smallest they had)
S&P
Cooking spray
4 Bay leaves
A couple large bunches of greens (I used one bunch of mustard greens and one bunch of kale, both washed and stalks removed)
2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut in big pieces
2 or 3 stalks of celery, trimmed and cut in big pieces
4 or 5 medium sized turnips, peeled and quartered
Vinegar and tabasco to serve

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Coat a large soup/stock pan with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Be sure and use a large enough pan; I started with my dutch oven, but had to relocate everything to a stock pan once it came time for the veggies. Not something I recommend. When hot, add meat. Place two bay leaves on top and cook over high for a couple of minutes. Turn meat over, repeat with remaining bay leaves, and brown the other side another couple minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add about 3 cups water. When it comes to a boil, cover and let simmer over medium low for about 2 hours or until the meat starts falling off the bone. Add carrots, turnips and celery and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. If the water is really low, add another half cup or so. Cook about 20 minutes, add greens (smash them down if you need to!), stir it up a bit, and cook another 30 minutes or so or until tender. (If you are using collard greens, they take longer, so put them in at the same time as the turnips, carrots and celery and cook about an hour total.)

The meat should be basically unattached from the bone at this point, so it should be easy to remove. Besides the bone, also remove any pieces of fat you can see and the bay leaves. Add a good few shakes of tabasco and/or vinegar before you dish it up (and we each added more tabasco at the table).

You'll probably want to serve with some bread to help mop up any extra goodness.

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...

Eating my words.

In a good way.

Proving good things come from simple recipes (and quickly). So. Good. Makes me sorry hubby didn't get any. Cause I totally didn't leave him leftovers...sorry, honey. It was soft (and not soup!!) and delicious. Hopefully your pizza was good? (If not...it was free ;) )
P.S., do we like my new camera? Haven't replaced my DSLR, but I did get a new Canon Powershot Point and Shoot, which so far...so good. Plus..how cute is it? Tiny and powder blue. Hee. Such a sucker for color.


Spinach Risotto Stuffed Portabella
Olive oil
Two-pack of portabella mushrooms
1/2 cup arborio rice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 and 1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup vermouth or white wine
Water as needed
A couple cups baby spinach
About an ounce crumbled blue cheese
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Remove the gills and stems from both mushrooms. Chopped one roughly, leave the other alone.

In Saute pan, heat olive oil and garlic til fragrant. Add rice. Saute over medium high about 5 minutes, then add vermouth. Stir frequently while it cooks down. Then add 1/2 cup stock, let cook down while stirring. Add chopped mushroom, keep stirring. Repeat with rest of stock. When almost cooked through, add spinach. When wilted and rice is cooked to taste (kinda velvety), add blue cheese and pepper. Mix in, cover, and remove from heat.

In small saute pan, spray with cooking oil, and cook whole portabella about 4 minutes a side, adding some water to help steam it. When cooked through, remove from heat.

Serve with a scoop of rice on plate, then mushroom, cap-side down, filled with another scoop of rice. Serves one with leftover rice. (To serve two, get two mushroom packs, then just serve rice in cap, not underneath).

Anyone know what Florentine is?

Me either. But I know it's spinach...and something...I'm looking, I'm looking...

Huh. Seems that you can make just about anything, add spinach, and voila. Florentine. Good to know.

Makes for a good pantry meal, I'll tell you that. We have food...I just have been knee-deep in freelance, a good new book (The Help, by Kathryn Stockett), and season 6 of Grey's. And therefore have other things to do than cook long, drawn-out meals. Even/especially when my freezer has been costco-sized (tempting to cook something good, but enough frozen chicken that I don't have to)

And so:


Chicken Florentine Pasta
2 breasts of chicken
S&P
Cooking spray
About 1.5-2 cups cooked penne pasta
One can cream of broccoli soup
Large handful (2 cups?) baby spinach
Shredded Romano cheese to top

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Spray hot sauté pan with cooking spray, cook chicken on high about 4 minutes til brown. Turn, cook another 3 minutes, reduce heat to low, add a tbsp or so of water, cover.

Cook about 8 minutes or until done. With a fork and some tongs, pull chicken into small pieces. Add soup, another pinch each salt and pepper, and cook a couple minutes. Add spinach and pasta, mix gently. When the spinach starts wilting, grate cheese over everything (as much as you want...don't be a fat ass, 1/4 cup or so should do.)



-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Lasagna, pig style.

A few years ago, back when we had just started living together, Hubby-then-boyfriend decided to buy a pig. Well, a third of a pig, to be exact. This was at the tale-end (tail-end?) of my semi-vegetarianism, so this was absolutely not my idea—I'm pretty sure the convo went something like this:

Boyfriend: So, my dad wants to buy a pig from the fair this year, and I think we should go in on it with him.
Pammy: ...like...to eat?
BF: well, yeah. We'd split it with him and a friend.
Pammy: ...you'd split it. You do realize I don't eat pig...
BF: Oh, you'll eat this. Fresh pork is different...
Pammy: (roll-eyed smell-poo face)

He was right, of course, I ate it—but it wasn't for the taste...it was out of absolute necessity, seeing that a third of a pig is approximately 6 million pounds of meat. In my freezer. Leaving zero room for ANYTHING else.

It's...interesting. You pick a pig, they load it on a truck, and it comes back to you in about 68 wrapped parcels, with everything from chops to sausage (plain and Italian seasoned!) to bacon to ribs to rump roasts. So we got creative looking for ways to get me to eat some. (He ate most of it like some sort of caveman, but I still had to help.) And I still don't love pig, let's be clear here. But I'll eat pork chops now, and I do have him and that damn pig to thank/blame for that.

The point, however, is that the best creation was the Italian sausage and veggie lasagna we came up with one night. Seriously, it's fantastic. And it popped into my head for some reason when my girlfriend Dr. N. (our first official Docta in the 'family'!) asked me to show her how to cook something new this weekend.

I think she was surprised by how easy this was...yeah, it takes a little while to cook and to sit, but that's the most time consuming part. If you want to substitute ground Italian-seasoned turkey or plain sausage, go for it. We also used the no-cook lasagna noodles from Trader Joe's, which saved us from having to wash another pot. If you don't have those, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions-you'll want them a little undercooked so they don't get too soggy.

Oh, and hubby made the sauce. Lucky us! (and lucky you, cause he told me what he put in-recipe for that is below)



Sausage & Veggie Lasagna
1 package spicy Italian sausage, casings removed (about 6 sausages)
1 package sliced mushrooms (I used brown)
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
About a half cup frozen chopped spinach
One tub low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
nutmeg
S&P
1 package pre-shredded low-fat mozzarella (2 cups)
Prepared lasagna noodles
Hubby's Marinara (or about 6 cups of store bought)
Parsley and/or Parmesan, to top

Brown the sausage over medium high heat, breaking into chunks/pieces as you cook it. When it's close to cooked through, drain out the fat, and add the mushrooms. Cook a couple of minutes, then add the artichokes. When all is cooked through (about 5-10 minutes), remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, a dash of nutmeg, and some salt and pepper (is it too Rachael Ray to say S&P?). Add mozzarella, mix well.

In casserole dish, cover bottom with thin layer of sauce. Fit noodles across in a layer, overlapping if you need to to cover. Spread about 1/3 of the sausage mix across noodles. Spread 1/3 cheese mixture across that. Add another layer of noodles, then a layer of sauce. Repeat til gone-the layers should be*(bottom to top):
sauce
noodles
meat
cheese
noodles
sauce
meat
cheese
noodles
sauce
meat
cheese
noodles
sauce
(*If it doesn't work out exactly, or you switch it up, it really doesn't matter. Don't stress about it)

If you use the no-bake noodles, let the thing sit at this point for about 20 minutes before continuing.

Cook at about 375-400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit about 15 minutes to cool before serving. Top with parsley or cheese.


Hubby's Marinara
This is still better when he makes it.

Olive oil
One onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
Large jar of plain marinara sauce
1 can tomato sauce
oregano to taste
basil to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
S&P
good pour red wine

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil. Reduce and simmer for at least 45 minutes, more is fine.

As long as my cooler's on, I'm making summer food.

This got a "this is good" not once, but twice during the meal. Agreed. I intended on making it with steak, but decided/was persuaded to leave it in its marinade and BBQ some chicken instead. Summery, no?



The original recipe calls for pine nuts and haricot verts...but my bank account said nuh-uh. One day I'll try it and compare. Til then, this will do just fine.



Green Bean, Tomato and Basil Salad
(adapted from a Cooking Light recipe)

Package green beans (about 12 oz)
Package grape tomatoes, halved
One shallot, finely chopped
Juice from half a lemon
Lemon zest (1 lemon)
1 tbsp honey
About 2+ tbsp 0% Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper
Large handful chopped or ribboned basil
About a tbsp slivered almonds, toasted or plain

Cook beans until almost cooked, rinse with cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix juice, yogurt, honey, salt (1/4 tsp or to taste) and a bit of pepper. Add tomatoes and beans. Toss. Sprinkle with basil, zest, and nuts. Toss gently to serve.



-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Do we like okra?

If you're like me, your parents grew up with Midwestern parents...who, in turn, never introduced okra into your life.(If not, pretend with me. The point is coming soon.)

Now, I know this is a southern food...cornmeal battered fried okra is kind of amazing, I've found...but I'm not from the south. I'm a Kansas/Oklahoma/ Southern Cali breed. And there's no okra in Southern Cali.

So. When I wanted to try and make this for the first time a couple years ago, I had to rely on the infinite wisdom of my husband to teach me. And let's be honest...that's a whole new realm in itself. But it's true, he knows better than me in some areas. Marinara and lasagna (thanks to his Italian side), curry (thanks to the Indian/Burmese/Texas in-law side) and, well, a whole lot else. Okra included, thankfully. Cause this ish is delicious.


Okra Tomato Stew
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
12oz boneless/skinless chicken breast, sliced or chopped
Chicken bouillon cube
Water
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 package frozen okra
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
Turmeric
chili pepper, minced (optional)
Cilantro, to top
Sriracha, to serve

Rice:
1 tbsp(or less) olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth

Saute garlic and onion about 5 minutes or until soft. Add chicken, saute a few minutes a side until white on outside. Add bouillon cube and about one cup water, canned tomatoes, and okra. Bring to a boil. Add about a 1/2 tsp salt and as much pepper as you like (at least 1/8-1/4 tsp), 1 tsp or so turmeric, and chili flakes to taste (I do a good shake).

Reduce to low. Cover. Cook about 20 min. Season to taste. (I use a bit of salt and some Sriracha)

In the meantime, cook the rice: In rice pan, heat olive oil, saute garlic a couple minutes. Add rice. Saute about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to low, cook 15 min. Let sit a few minutes, fluff with fork before serving.

Serve chicken mix over rice.

I love that he loves his veggies.

So this is pretty much a daily convo at our house:

Pammy: Hey, babe, does anything sound good for dinner?
Hubby: Uhhhh, nah. Whatever you want!

And while I appreciate the agreeableness, it gets awfully old to have to brainstorm every day. So imagine my surprise this weekend when he, seemingly from nowhere, asked his mom what was in her broccoli salad. Why? "I've been craving it."

Uhhh, you have?? Ok...I can totally make that happen. And did, even though my recipe given to me was as follows: Broc, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, Bernstein's dressing, cheese. Hmmm. Cryptic even for me. So I guessed. And judging by his reaction (and speed in which the leftovers disappeared), I guessed well. So for my future reference, as well a little summer delight for you...voila.

Broccoli Salad
Combine:
Medium head broccoli, washed and broken into bite sized piece
About 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and then roughly chopped
Half a package sliced mushrooms*
4oz of cherry tomatoes, halved, or 4-5 campari tomatoes, halved then quartered
A afcouple oz feta (or any cheese, really). I used about half the package
Hefty pour Bernstein's Italian dressing to coat

Let marinate a bit. Even better the next day, so no need to be in a hurry to eat this one.

*For the rest of the meal, I marinated some chicken in the same dressing, and then sauteed some garlic and the rest of the mushrooms. Then sauteed the chicken with the mushrooms until done.

And this, my friends, is summer.

Sitting on the patio with a glass of Pinot Gris and my fave guy, when it's warm enough to be in a tank and shorts but not so hot as to be sweating bullets...this works.

Half of our patio is decorated with Chinese lanterns, half will be done tomorrow. Flower pots are set. Add the kiddy pool we're setting up tomorrow, and watch out. Backyard supreme.

...well, maybe not when my husband is shooting a rat on the telephone wire with a sling shot, like he's doing right now.
"Babe, I gotta get an airgun."
Me: blank stare
Hub: I do.

He's now hunting Rat. With a sling shot. I'd ask WTF is going on, but this is seriously hilarious to watch.

Annnyway. Welcome to summer in Bakersfield.

Especially when I grill summer food like this:


Chimichurri Grill
from a Cooking Light recipe
Cilantro, about 2 cups
Flat leaf parsley, about a cup
Sugar, about a tsp
Sriracha, a squirt to your taste
Garlic clove, sliced
5 anchovies (from the tin)
Lime juice, about 3 tbsp
About 1/3 c water
Chicken thighs, skin removed
Jicama, peeled and sliced about 1/2in thick
Bunch of radish, rinsed, tips removed
Bunch green onion, trimmed
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper

In food processor or blender, combine cilantro through lime juice. (Yes, anchovies are gross. I agree. Just do it. Or use fish sauce. I have no idea how much. 2 tbsp?)

Blend til fine, then slowly add water, while processing, til smooth.

Heat grill. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, spray veggies with oil.

Spray grill with cooking spray. Cook the veggies over medium, the chicken over high, for about 4-5 min a side or until done.

Sprinkle veggies with sea salt and pepper and drizzle chimichurri sauce on everything before serving. I served with brown rice cooked in veggie broth and grilled corn, which all together is so much fiber our stomachs may hate us tomorrow.


Deliciously seasonal. Especially the jicama, which I understand is a pain in the ass to peel, but is surprisingly delish BBQ'd. So lets just forget about the rat and enjoy dinner, shall we? Damn neighbors and their ivy.

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.