The unluck of the non-Irish

As we know, I'm a mutt. There's some Irish in these veins, I'm sure, but I can't prove it other than my affinity for pint glasses and Mumford & Sons. And, you know, they're British, so...

Either way, Hubby and I like St. Paddy's Day. Mostly cause we have an excuse to eat and drink in excess (see Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Birthdays, Arbor Day) and cook a themed meal. So it was a bit of a disappointment to not get to celebrate at all this year. He's had non-changeable plans all week, so there has been no good excuse to spend the time cooking. And let's face it, St. Patrick's Day cooking isn't exactly something Rachael Ray could concoct in one episode...I like to make Corned Beef and Cabbage, serve some Black and Tans, and basically just act like fat kids looking for an excuse to be drunk....hmm. I swear it's less like every other weekend than it sounds.


And so I'll leave this oh so drunken, wish-I-were-more-Irish holiday to the pros. Let me point you back in the direction of my favorite fellow central cali'an Jessica. Homegirl knows how to rock a shamrock, so I'm going to invite you to join me in living vicariously through her...

The Wearing of the Shamrock

The Irish eyes are smiling, doll, and they're saying the next holiday is one we need to celebrate together. Let's make something happen :)

Counting calories.

Hubby has decided he's on a diet, which I am hoping is the boost I need to get my ass in gear and take my own diet seriously. Cause I've been half-ass dieting, apparently…I've been cutting my cals and hitting the gym at least 3-4 times a week, and so far the only thing I've lost is a pair of Reebok EasyTones (oops.).

I keep hearing it's harder to lose weight the second time around, but it seems like it came off SO much easier 3 years ago. I'm sure my body has aged a bit, but come on…it's frustrating, to say the least.

I'm glad for the excuse to obsessively count calories again, honestly…I know it works. But don't be surprised when I start cursing about him losing faster than me…as a male, he somehow gets to still eat 2000 a day in order to lose 1.5 lbs/week. Me? I have the same goal, and my calorie goal is 1350. So when he informed me his tall boy of beer wouldn't hurt since he has a good 1200 LEFT for the day after lunch…well, it was a struggle to not pour it right on his head...Iiiii want a tall boy. (pouts)

At least he likes salad and other green stuff, cause that makes low-cal cooking a ton easier. Tonight I just did a greek salad and he grilled some boneless pork chops…easy, summery (well, at least springy) and delicious. And low-cal…I'll prove it. The recipe amounts given are total, but the calorie count is per person. Makes enough for 3 big restaurant-size salad servings (yay for free lunch tomorrow!), but I was nice enough to do the math for you. You're welcome.

For the dried spices, oregano would be good in here (in addition or instead of something), but I'm all out. Use what you like.


Greek Salad with Creamy Dressing (190 cals)
8oz nonfat greek yogurt (45 cals)
Spices (dried): A good pinch each of pepper, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, dill, and tarragon (like 2 cals)
Juice of half a lemon (6 cals)
1 tbsp or 2 of roughly chopped fresh mint (another 2 cals)
12oz Grape/Cherry tomatoes, quartered (35 cals)
3/4 of an english cucumber, peeled, sliced and quartered (12 cals)
2 stalks of green onion, sliced (3 cals)
8 kalamata olives, sliced (30 cals)
5 cups chopped lettuce (20 cals)
3oz fat-free feta (35 cals)

Dressing: combine the spices and put about 1/2tsp in medium bowl (save the rest to use as a rub for the pork), and stir in yogurt and lemon juice.

Combine mint, tomato, cucumber, green onion and olives.

Arrange lettuce on each plate. Top with dressing, veggie mix, and then sprinkle with feta.

Grilled pork (160 for 3 oz)
Sprinkle both sides with remaining spice mix before you grill it for about 4 minutes a side or so. Yes, that's as detailed as I'm getting tonight, I'm sorry.

Our enormous meal was only 350 calories. If you need some reference for that, Panera's Greek Salad (without meat) is 440 cals. Islands'(with chicken and a piece of bread) is pushing 1000.

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...

Losing, pt. 2.

I have checked my twitter feed five times in the past eight hours.

DAMN YOU, CHARLIE SHEEN!

Losing.

Charlie Sheen has affected my life this week. Not due to his blatant love of winning, tiger's blood, hookers, and illicit drugs...not because his now-hiatused (is that a word?) sitcom provided moral and intellectual value to our society (it does/did not. God, it's awful)...not because I even give a rat's ass about what happens next to this freakshow. Wisely, I think, cause his days are pretty much numbered.


No, Carlos Estevez has actually affected me for two good reasons.

Reason #1: I hate Tweeting.
My train-wreck loving self finally got back on twitter to follow said wreck (why? Whhhyyyyyy???), which meant I a) finally got caught up on ShhhDon'tTellSteve (best.feed.ever) and b) remembered that I hate twitter. Both good things.

Reason #2: Reinforcement that my husband has the best boss in the world.
Enter Charlie Sheen Night with the Bakersfield Condors. Dude, it's made national news. That's freakin' hysterical. Talk about having a sense of humor, even with all the local morality police throwing fits about it. (OMG! BY PROMOTING HIM, YOU ARE PROMOTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!"...apparently the morality police are fine with illegal drug use and hookers. It's nice to know where they stand.) And I appreciate that. These guys know how to jump on a bandwagon and get some seats filled.

Even my normally pop-culture/current event stunted officemate Opie is getting in on this madness. And this is a guy who's never even seen Two and a Half Men. Ever. Yet everything out of his mouth today has to do with Winning...and he is soooo stoked for the game and doesn't at all seem to appreciate my (nor his wife's) ambivalence towards this man.

Following yet another Winning joke...
Pammy: I effing hate Charlie Sheen right now.
Op: You do not.
Pammy: I do.
Op: Come onnn...you love him.
Pammy: Normally I'd say I don't hate the player, I hate the game...but really, he's the only one playing, soo...

And unfortunately, he seems to be winning. Damn you, Charlie Sheen. I just can't look away.

I've been holding out.

I know about something awesome, in so many ways, and I haven't gotten around to telling y'all about it. So for that, I apologize.

Man, I just got myself on the edge of my seat with that intro. No, people, it's not THAT kind of announcement (one of these days, just hold your horses)…what it is, however, is something delicious and special and virtually unknown in this part of the world: Kampot Pepper.


The boss lady and her husband are quite the world travelers, which is awesome in and of itself, namely cause they always bring me back a little something (xo!)…but it seems that they have finally chosen one place—Cambodia—as one, if not the one, of their favorite places to visit, learn from, and form a lasting bond with. They fell in love with the people, the culture, and the country's stories of perseverance, and decided to dedicate a large part of their own lives to bridging the gap between Cambodia and the rest of the world. Starting from their home in the OC.

Seriously, I can't ever write those two letters together without hearing "Californniiaaaaa" in my head. I wonder what Mischa B. is up to these days…and now I also apologize for getting that song in your heads, too. You know it's there and will be for hours...my bad. Sigh. I miss Seth.

Anyway, all that being said, let me introduce you to something that really is worth thinking about, and my whole long-winded point: The Pepper Project. The site explains what and why, but here's the gist, in their own words:

"The Pepper Project is a not-for-profit enterprise devoted to introducing the unique products of Cambodia to the United States. Pepper from the Kampot region of southwestern Cambodia is our primary offering. The pepper has long been used in the finest restaurants of Europe and our goal is to make it available at an affordable price in the U.S.

We are working with various groups, such as the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) and Starling Farm to make this a reality. The packaging is created by Daughters of Cambodia, a fair trade organization that reaches out to victims of sex trafficking and teaches them the skills needed to live independently and achieve a higher quality of life."

In other words, my boss and her hubby are a selfless, amazing couple. Especially since they know how much I cook and sneak me some samples now and then (I can make anything about me, it's amazing...and I will be paying for my pepper next time, I swear). I have pretty much completely replaced my 'regular' pepper with kampot, and for good reason…it's so fresh and interesting tasting—far better than the store bought stuff.

If you're interested in learning more or trying some out for yourself, visit their website at pepperproject.org or find their page on Facebook. They also offer a wide range of Cambodian cooking and beauty products, so make sure and check out the products page.

They also have quite a few recipes on the site, a few of which I have tried, but for the most part, I just use kampot for my everyday cooking (I grind enough for a week or two at a time in a coffee spice grinder to keep it fresh). Especially good when you're using quite a bit of pepper in something…it's mild yet flavorful enough to actually inspire me to use more than I normally would. Last night, for example, was filet mignon with a light mushroom/stroganoff style sauce, and I used lots of pepper both as a rub on the steaks as well as in the sauce. And all was fantastic.



Filet with Mushroom Sauce
(based off of Cooking Light's Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy )
Cooking spray
2 6-8oz cuts of filet mignon
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
1 package presliced mushrooms
1 medium brown onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
broth (about a 1/2 cup or so)
About 1/3 cup 0% greek yogurt or fat free sour cream
small handful minced fresh parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with pepper and salt, rub in just a bit. Add steaks to pan; cook about 5 minutes a side or or until cooked—we like filets rare; do the finger test to get it how you like it. But if you purposefully overcook a good piece of steak, I will hunt you down and remove your eating rights.

Remove meat from pan and loosely cover with foil. Add onion to pan, and move around a couple minutes until it begins to brown just a bit. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan, and stir in a good pinch of pepper. If it seems too dry, add a splash of broth. Add more broth now and then until the veggies are cooked—there should be a bit of liquid still in the pan when everything is done, so if there isn't, add about 1/3 cup or so before you turn off the heat.

Place yogurt and parsley in a medium bowl. Gradually add mushroom mixture, stirring the whole time until all is combined and it thickens just a bit. Season with more S&P, and serve with the steak. Good with simple mashed red potatoes.

Serves between 2 and 4 servings depending on cut size. One 4oz serving is about 200 cals. Not bad at all for steak and sauce!

Jamie's Spicy Meat Gumbo

I know I teased more Jamie recipes last week than I actually posted about...but that was for your own good. Beer Butt Chicken was fine (and very juicy, even though I was worried my prehistoric oven over-cooked it), but nothing earth shattering...although Hubby has since insisted it was worth posting about. Maybe if I use a better rub next time. I'll keep you posted. As is, my favorite part is that it looked more than slightly inappropriate before and after cooking:


Heh.

I also made Zucchini and Couscous Salad...it made a ton and, over the course of a couple days, I ate a ton...but to be honest, it's pretty similar to my Greek Chicken and Quinoa Salad, and I prefer the latter. It was good, but something was missing for me.

Yesterday, however, I attempted one of his Gumbo recipes...and it's worth sharing. There were a few changes I had to make: his version calls for sweet potato and fresh herbs, all of which I was out of, but omitting the potato was fine, and dried thyme and bay leaves worked just as well. I also added the hot sauce, since my cayenne pepper seemed a little questionable, and used beef broth instead of chicken. Served over some white rice and we pretty much destroyed it. It was hard to just have one serving. (But I did. It's not exactly low-fat.)



I'm not going to lie and say this is an easy one...I mean, it's not difficult, but it does take time (About 2.5 hours, AKA way more than I anticipated—otherwise I would have done it on a weekend). Just pay attention to it and, as Jamie says, 'dedicate a bit of love' to it.

Also, and this is gross...I'm recommending you take the skin off the chicken either from the start or after you brown it. Between that and the bacon and sausage, I skimmed off a good 1/2+ cup of fat/attached broth while it cooked. It took forever to do, and liquid fat is just nasty to deal with.



Meat Gumbo
olive oil
1 package bone-in chicken thighs (about 6)
S&P
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or about 2 tsp Frank's or other cayenne sauce)
3 spicy sausages, thickly sliced (I used the Spicy Louisiana flavor)
4 slices of smoked bacon, chopped roughly
Large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
3 tbsp flour
6 cloves garlic
leaves of 6 thyme leaves, or a little less than a tsp dried
4 bay leaves
6 cups broth
green onion to top

Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. In a large pan (You need a big one), heat a bit of olive oil (I'm sure spray would have worked fine), and add the chicken, sausage and bacon. Let brown a few minutes over high heat, then flip and stir fry it all around for about 10-15 minutes or until everything is a little golden. Reduce heat to medium high and remove chicken from pan and place on a large plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.

The pan should have a bunch of drippings in it by now, so just add the veggies (onion, bell peppers, celery) and saute about 10 minutes (move it around a bit occasionally).

In the meantime, pour yourself a drink, grab a book, tune the station to something you like. Cause you're about to be stuck at the stove for awhile. Add the flour, and start stirring; slowly but very often is good. Jamie says it should be at least peanut-butter dark by about 10-15 minutes, but mine never got that dark, and I cooked it about 25 minutes. So...aim for darker than lighter, and cook between 10 and 30 minutes.

Stir in the broth, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and a bit more pepper. When it comes to boil, reduce to a low boil (medium low heat or so), and cook about 45-60 minutes, stirring once in awhile. When it's ready, the chicken will easily pull off the bone.

When you're ready, remove the chicken from the pot, pull off all the meat, and return just the meat to the gumbo. Season to taste with S&P and hot sauce.


He says this serves 6-8...I say closer to 8. But Jamie loves his fat-kid portions. About 245 cals (plus rice) if you aim for 8 servings.

I love vacation.

Especially when Thai places deliver.

The Russian and I are in Marina Del Rey having some girl time, eating Tom Yum Gai in bed while watching 50 First Dates. It's pretty much amazing. Lazy? Yes. But it's raining outside. The only thing that could be better is if we were watching a terrible Lifetime movie.



The soup, PS, is all broth, chicken, and straw mushrooms. In other words, it's perfection.

Way to go, Siamese Garden. (www.siamesegarden.com)

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Sushi: A Valentine's Day Story

If you're a fan of my Facebook page, you know I had a hard time deciding where to go with hubby for an early V-day dinner. My options were sushi from Toro, Caribbean tapas from Mama Roomba's, or basque from Chalet Basque. (I apparently need to talk to these people about having websites done, btw) We eventually decided on Toro, which was fitting, seeing that we inevitably drop far more cash than we intend to every time we go, and therefore reserve it only for special occasions, i.e. Birthdays and Valentine's Day.

Anyway, the night was bittersweet. As usual, it was great atmosphere with great people watching (the girl next to me was wearing a gigantor wrist corsage and face bedazzling, even though it appeared she was on a date with her mother), but it was also kind of a rude awakening, food wise. Because I finally realized I really don't like sushi.

I've always thought I loved sushi. Hubby's and my first date was at Zen 5, and while it was 6+ years ago and I have no clue what was ordered, I know we loved it (though it may have been our infatuation haze)…I love, love Sushi Deli in downtown San Diego (though my favorite thing is the scallops dynamite…which is baked…and I've almost mastered.)

So it's confusing for me, because I turn up my nose at California rolls (psssh, for beginners), yet shy away from rainbow rolls (that's a LOT of raw fish),and my favorite appetizer at Toro is seared Ahi (AKA the Screaming Orgasm).

Yum.

But no matter where we go, I'm almost always disappointed by rolls. I don't like when they have extraneous stuff on top:
I don't like too much fish, and I shy away from tempura (calories, not taste). I do like anything with eel, eel sauce, and/or avocado…and now that I've finally realized I only want Dragon rolls (eel and avo), I have no idea what the hell to order next time. Cause why go to a fancy place for a super standard roll?

Well, cause I can have Sapporo and sake, and both of those typically equal a good (yet overpriced) night for me. So next time we hit Toro, I'm going for the Korean part of the menu. (And I'm not ordering green tea ice cream. Not only should it be free, it should not be doused in ridiculousness. Really Toro? Keep it simple. WTF.) Or better yet, maybe we'll just hit up some Tapas and Sangria. Or Basque and wine...My birthday is coming up…

Jamie's Green Chili

One of the most interesting things about this cookbook is that he seems to have traveled deep into parts of the country most of us will never go. This particular dish, Green Chili, is a Navajo dish from Arizona, and it really isn't like anything else I've made. It's a little like a taco, a little like a lettuce wrap, a little bit southwestern, a little bit Cali-fusion. I mean, look at these fresh ingredients! Not exactly what I think of when I think 'chili,' which to me typically means meat, beans, and spices...maybe with a can or two of tomatoes thrown in. So this was a welcome change from the norm.


How come his and mine always look so different? Where's the tomato, Jamie??

So there's a bit of chopping involved in this one, but Jamie uses one of my favorite cooking phrases over and over here: Rough Chop. Love it. Especially since it's got a bell pepper, and it's damn near impossible to cut bell peppers evenly. Or maybe that's just me...anyway, I cut down the quantities of everything a bit, since he called for 1.75lbs of meat and I only had a bit over 1lb, but hubby and I both thought it turned out great. It's definitely spicy, but the yogurt and lime help with that, so don't skimp.


Green Chili
olive oil
package lean ground pork
dried sage, about a tsp
S&P
Really big onion, roughly chopped
large bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
4 green chilies, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
a couple green onions, sliced thin
flour tortillas
lime
greek yogurt

Heat a splash of olive oil in large pan over high heat, add pork, sage and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Break meat apart and let cook about 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic, bell peppers and chilies, stir fry everything about 20 minutes or until they start to brown a bit and all the liquid is gone. (It may take less or more time depending on what kind of pan you're using)

Add tomatoes and a bit of water (1/4 cup or so—you want it pretty dry), and let cook over medium for 10 minutes or so. Stir in the juice of a lime, half of the mint, and more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over hot flour tortillas, topped with chopped lettuce, and a bit of greek yogurt. Sprinkle with the rest of the mint and green onion.

Makes four big servings. Minus the tortilla, about 260 calories each.