Day 348: Healthy Detox

I'm not sure what it is about having houseguests, but it invites terrible food behavior from me!  Last night we said goodbye to our last guest after a week-long full house during which time I consumed a crazy amount of ice cream, burgers, and of course, booze.  Now it's time to detox.

For dinner tonight, I purchased some quinoa salad from our local store, sauteed fresh asparagus with spring onions, and grilled a swordfish steak.

The fish was prepared simply - I seasoned it with S&P, drizzled it with olive oil, and squeezed the juice of half a lemon over the top.  Then hubby grilled it.

The asparagus was easy too.  I sliced up 2 spring onion and sauteed them in warm olive oil until they were golden.  I cut the asparagus in half and through it in the pan with S&P and a few splashes of white wine.  After 5 minutes on medium-high heat, it was ready to serve.

I feel lucky to actually enjoy healthy foods - especially fresh veggies and fish.  Here's to getting back to my normal regime!

Day 335: A Mix of Old & New

Tonight's dinner was composed of one leftover and two easily prepared "new" elements.  Last night's leftover rice pilaf served as a bed for chipotle pork tenderloin, with roasted vegetables on the side.

I've made this pork several times before.  It's super easy and nice & spicy.  Slice the pork from end to end lengthwise - not all the way through - just enough to fold it back like a book.  Spread 2 finely minced chipotle peppers throughout the inside of the pork and fold it back over.  Tie it off on each end and in the middle with some kitchen twine.  Pat the outside dry and season with S&P.  Brown it on all sides in hot olive oil in a stainless steel pan and then place in a roasting dish.  Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Our veggie side dish consisted of 1 fennel bulb and 2 shallots (both cut in eighths, keeping the knot in tact), 1 bunch of asparagus (trimmed), and a few handfuls of sugar snap peas.  All of this was tossed in a little olive oil and S&P and laid out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roasted for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

An easy and tasty meal.  Why not cook at home when it's this easy?

Day 319: A Slaw Free Dinner

I couldn't bare to serve my husband slaw again, for the third day in a row.  So instead, I repurposed last night's leftover guacamole, using it as a bed for some spicy pork tenderloin.

I sliced the pork lengthwise, being careful not to cut it all the way through.  I then folded it back and coated the inside with a finely chopped canned chipotle pepper and sprinkled it with S&P.  I closed the pork back up, tied it up on the end and in the middle with cooking twine, and sprinkled more S&P on the outside.

After browning it on all sides in a pan pre-heated with a thin coating of olive oil, I placed it in a roasting pan and finished it off in the oven at 375 degrees.  It took about 15 minutes, but that timing could obviously differ, depending on the size of the meat.  Ours was just under a pound.

The pork was definitely spicy, but the cool guacamole was a nice compliment.

Alongside, I served sauteed asparagus and sugar snap peas.  I cooked them in the same pan as I had browned the pork, after pouring out the excess fat and liquid.  As usual, I used white wine to deglaze the pan and then cooked the veggies over medium-low heat for about 10-12 minutes.  After plating them, I sprinkled some toasted sliced almonds over the top for crunch and flavor.

So...there's still slaw left in the fridge and I'm kind of out of ideas for how to use it up.  I may have to toss it tomorrow.  Leave a comment if you have any ideas!

Day 317: Summer!

Our dinner tonight reflects the summery weather we've had here this weekend.

First of all, we had our first corn on the cob of the season! I saw it at the farm stand and just couldn't resist it.

We also had some yummy roasted asparagus. I cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces and tossed them with some olive oil, S&P, and 2 shallots which I had peeled and cut into sixths. All of this was spread out on a baking sheet and cooked for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

For a colorful pop (and lots of good vitamins and minerals) I made a slaw: half a head each of red and green cabbage (sliced thin), 3 large carrots (shredded), and a large red bell pepper (julienned). The vinaigrette I made was 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/3 cup canola oil, and some cracked black pepper. This was whisked well together and poured over the top of the veggies. I then tossed it all together with my hands. It's ideal to make this several hours before you are going to serve it, to allow the veggies to soften up a little bit and absorb the flavors from the vinaigrette. Just before serving, sprinkle some thinly sliced green onions over the top.

The final element of our dinner, and unfortunately - the most disappointing - was our grilled herb crusted turkey breasts. We had made this very dish for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful but tonight - not so much. It was SO dry!! We think we made the dish the same way we did the first time and the only thing we can think of is that we had a gravy to go with it last time. Maybe the turkey was dry then too and we just didn't notice because of the gravy.

Fortunately for us, our kind guests (my in-laws and a friend) ate every bite and didn't flinch. Not sure if that was out of politeness or because we'd filled them up with so much good wine that they didn't care. In any case, we thank them for their great company!

Day 316: A Real Seasonal Treat

Tonight's dinner with my visiting in-laws was full of tasty treats, but the greatest of all was the stuffed squash blossoms that I had as my appetizer.  Filled with fresh mozzarella, lightly fried, and plated with drizzles of tomato sauce and pesto. 

As I almost always do when we go to Capannina, I ordered fish.  Tonight it was sea bass served with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and grilled polenta.  Yummy.

And because we had special guests, we decided to splurge and have dessert. Of course I insisted on an order of Capannina's to die for profiteroles.  These light creme puffs are served with two dipping sauces - chocolate and caramel - and they are heaven on earth.  My hubby's choice was molten chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream.

This was a treatful night indeed.  Squash blossom season is a short one - I'll have to try to get back to Capannina again before it's over!

Day 310: Asparagus & Peas Part 1

It's asparagus season and I just can't get enough of it this year!  I grill it, I roast it, I throw it into pasta.  There are a million great ways to eat asparagus.  Tonight I made it into soup!

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends removed and stems cut into 2-inch pieces

1 shallot bulb, cut into large pieces

6 spring of fresh thyme

Small box or bag of frozen peas, defrosted

2 14-ounce cans of chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version)

High quality olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss asparagus, shallot, and thyme with 1T olive oil and a generous dose of S&P.  Lay veggies out in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet (coated with non-stick spray) and roast for 15 minutes.  

Allow the veggies to cool for a couple of minutes and then place the asparagus and shallot pieces in a food processor (do not include the thyme).  Add defrosted peas and puree everything together.  Stop occasionally and scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula.  

Once you have a consistent puree, transfer vegetable mixture to a medium sized pot.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Run soup through a very fine strainer, pressing gently to separate the liquid from the solid.  Return the liquid to a pot and simmer for a few minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle some high quality olive oil over the top.

I paired a bowl of soup with a spicy tuna roll (store bought) and a glass (or two) of sauvignon blanc.  What a great, fresh and refreshing meal!

I refrigerated the soup solids and plan to use them later this week, either as a ravioli stuffing or mixed with some pasta.  It could also be used as a brushetta topping or if mixed with some sour cream, as a dip for fresh veggies.  These fresh flavors are just too good to throw away, so I'll find something tasty to do with them!

Day 303: Fueled for the Week

If fish is brain food, then I'm fueled up for the week!  Last night I had grilled salmon at Capannina and tonight I made roasted halibut with tomatoes and roasted asparagus.

Asparagus is in season right now and it's more delicious to me than ever this year.  I've been gobbling it up at every opportunity.  Tonight, I mixed it with 2 cloves of minced garlic, about 1 tsp olive oil, and S&P and roasted it in a glass baking dish at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, mixing it once midpoint.

The fish was just as easy.  I chopped up some "Greek style roasted tomatoes" that I had purchased at our local grocery store.  After seasoning the fish with S&P, I placed them in a baking dish and covered the top of them with the chopped tomatoes.  Then I drizzled olive oil over the top and roasted the fish for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

This was such a healthful and tasty meal.  A great start to the week!

Day 290: Recession Deals & Steals

Lots of restaurants are employing new strategies to bring customers in during the recession.  In our neighborhood alone, Three Seasons offers happy hour specials, Isa has half priced wine, Mezes has introduced appetizers with wine pairing, and Izzy's is now open for Sunday brunch.

We noticed that Jardiniere, a normally pricey restaurant in Hayes Valley, recently began serving a three course prix fixe menu with wine pairing for only $45 on Monday nights.  Each week, the meal has a different theme, this week being "Celebration of Spring".

This was my third time dining at Jardiniere.  I've found their food to be a little inconsistent.  Some dishes are wonderful.  Others, not so much.  But a great deal like three courses with wine pairings was intriguing enough to get me there for another try and I am so glad because the meal was wonderful.

We started with chilled pea soup, which was perfect given the steamy hot weather we've been experiencing here these past few days.  I literally felt my entire body cool off as I ate it.  Next, we had house made pasta with asparagus, morel mushrooms, ramp greens, and parmesan cheese.  Dessert was vanilla angel's food cake with whipped cream and macerated strawberries.

To see the wine pairings, click here.

If you live in SF and know of other great restaurant deals, please leave a comment and give the what, where, and when.  I'm happy to eat and drink my way to a stronger economy!

Day 276: Farmer's Market Flavor

Anticipating several late nights at the office this week, I cooked up some food yesterday that would lead to some quick and easy dinners.

For tonight, I did the prep for pork tenderloin with kumquat-jalapeno marmalade.  I had been seeing kumquats at the farmer's market recently and was determined to try to cook them.  This recipe was very easy.  I made the marmalade yesterday and then tonight, my husband warmed it up and threw the pork tenderloin on the grill while I made my way home.  Perfect teamwork!

Our sides were steamed asparagus (also fresh from the farmer's market!) and some white bean salad that we purchased this weekend at a lovely little Italian cheese shop in our neighborhood.

Being spontaneous is fun, but during a hectic work week full of long days, nothing beats a flavorful, healthy, quick dinner on the table.  Let's hope the rest of this week goes this smoothly.

Day 275: Shepherd's Pie Purists Should Not Read This

The inspiration for tonight's dinner was a head of cauliflower that had been in my fridge for a little over week.  I decided to use that cauliflower to make a healthier version of one of my favorite comfort foods - shepherd's pie.

I love traditional shepherd's pie made with ground lamb and mashed potatoes.  And to be honest, that version is much tastier than the one I created tonight although mine was quite a bit more nutritious.

After cutting the cauliflower up into halved florets, I tossed the pieces with olive oil, S&P, an roasted them at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes (until golden brown along the edges).  Then, I placed them in a food processor with 1T butter and 1/4 cup skim milk and blended until smooth.  I used this mixture as a replacement for the mashed potatoes that are normally smoothed along the top of shepherd's pie.

For the meat layer of the dish, I used an Allrecipes.com recipe as the base with the following changes to further lighten up the dish:

- 1.5 lb ground turkey instead of 1 lb ground beef 

- low sodium chicken broth instead of beef broth

- Red Dragon mustard seed cheddar instead of plain cheddar

I also added 2T worcestershire sauce, 1.5 tsp dried oregano, and replaced the ketchup with tomato paste for more flavor.  In retrospect, a couple of cloves of garlic would have done a lot of good as well.

This dish was okay and there wasn't the usual guilt I feel after eating "real" shepherd's pie.  I'd probably try several other recipes before making this one again.  It simply wasn't all that tasty - and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the replacements that made it so.  It was more likely the lack of spice and seasoning.

Our side dish, asparagus fresh from the farmer's market, was delicious though.  I'm glad we bought two bunches so we enjoy more later in the week!

Day 274: Mt. Asparagus

We had planned to enjoy a cheese plate at the end of our meal at Absinthe tonight, but after the asparagus "shared plate" we ordered turned out to be a mountain of food, that seemed unlikely.  As you can see in the background of this photo, we also had the cured meat plate, making that cheese thing REALLY unlikely.

Asparagus is in season now and this was a wonderful way to serve them.  They were topped with burrata, roasted peppers, and arugula, with a charred onion vinaigrette.  A slice of speck was draped over the top, but we moved that over to the meat plate as there were a lot of flavors already working on the asparagus dish.

Still hoping for cheese, I chose one of the lighter entrees on the menu:  scallops with artichokes and baby fennel over pureed sunchoke.  I love scallops but unfortunately, I haven't mastered cooking them so I order them at restaurants all the time.  These were very tasty and made me want to try preparing them at home again sometime soon.

In the end, we decided to have one piece of cheese, just to help us finish our wine.  The Absinthe cheese menu is just too good to pass up.  Each cheese is served with a specially paired accompaniment and it's so much fun to taste them all.  We went with a blue cheese tonight, paired with candied kumquats.  Coincidentally, I purchased some kumquats at the farmer's market today and I have NO idea what to do with them!  If you have an idea or a recipe, please leave a comment!

Day 270: Don't Read a Book by Its Cover

If you look at my last several blog entries, it seems like I'm on a health kick or that I've gone all pescatarian on you.  Fish for dinner four nights in a row!!  

But if you knew what else went into my pie hole these past few days, you would be horrified!!  Mac & cheese!  BBQ!  Salami!  

It should have come as no surprise tonight when I could barely muster up an appetite, even after a visit to the gym.  Never one to skip a meal, I decided to saute a bunch of veggies from my fridge:  a bunch of asparagus, a handful of snowpeas, and half a red bell pepper.  For flavor, I added a few cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 of an onion, a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes, and S&P.  After the veggies were cooked (I like mine rather al dente), I added about a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley, a few sprinkled of toasted sesame seeds, and a couple of sprinkles of balsamic vinegar.

Veggie mania will need to continue throughout the rest of this week to help me out of this "I'm such a whale syndrome".  If you have a favorite healthy veggie recipe, please share it!

Day 257: Vegetarian Trend

After last night's and tonight's entries, I hardly recognize myself.  Meatless meals two nights in a row?  What is going on with me?

I can explain tonight's choice by saying that I didn't arrive home from my business trip to LA until 8:30 and my husband was out at a business dinner.  Being that it was so late and I only had to worry about my own mouth & stomach, I went with what was easy and fast:  a can of Amy's Tomato Bisque with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh asparagus we had in the fridge, and the last of this year's Girl Scout cookie purchase.  Who can resist those Thin Mints?

This was a surprisingly satisfying meal considering the lack of thought and preparation that went into it.  How long can these meatless dinners continue, though?  Stay tuned to find out!

Day 254: Carnivore's Delight

After an afternoon in wine country, I needed a dinner with substance.

Vegetarians out there may be disgusted, as well you should be.  I dedicate this and all entries from Izzy's Steak & Chops to my carnivorous readers.  

My favorite item on the Izzy's menu is their slow roasted prime rib, cooked medium rare.  It savory and juicy and so delicious.  At Izzy's you get to choose two sides with your entree.  Normally, I request a double order of steamed broccoli but tonight the waitress let me know that they had some fresh asparagus, so I had an order or each.  All those fresh steamed veggies make me feel a lot less guilty about the giant slab of meat I gobble up!

Day 253: Going Green

It was a blustery day here in SF.  Cold wind chilled me to the bone - the perfect weather for a nice bowl of soup.

Lucky for me, Capannina had a delicious soup on the specials menu tonight - asparagus and artichoke puree in chicken stock and polenta croutons.  Seriously?  Polenta croutons?  It really doesn't get any better than that!  And the soup was yummy, too.

I followed up the soup with the mixed seafood grill, which is different every night, depending I suppose on what looks the best and is the freshest on any given day.  Tonight the plate featured a piece of halibut, a piece of salmon, and a langosteen.  It also included some sauteed spinach, mashed potatoes, and a lemony sauce that was tart, tasty, and perfect with the fish.

The rest of the country is starting to warm up but it's still chilly here in the Bay Area.  Bring on some more tasty food to warm my body and soul!

Day 197: Thanks, Julie!

Our friend Julie hosted us for dinner tonight with a yummy and healthful meal.

Lemon slices tucked underneath the skin infused the roasted chicken with a fresh citrusy flavor and ensured the meat stayed moist.  Yum!

We had two side dishes as well:  steamed asparagus with sauteed mushrooms and corn pudding.  The corn recipe came from a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine and was really tasty.  Oyster crackers crumbled on top added some nice crunch - and it was served by spooning it out of the baking dish.  It seemed like a great dish to serve at a dinner party.

I love having dinner at other people's houses - I always learn something and add a new trick to my cooking repertoire!

Day 176: There's Always Good Food at Sarah's House

We love our friend Sarah.  And we love her mad cooking skills!!  

Tonight was Sarah's holiday party and her spread did not disappoint.  Her dining room table was full of tasty treats:  a variety of tiny and crispy phyllo cups were filled with wild mushrooms, smoked salmon & creme fraiche, or avocado, pinto beans, and tomatoes.  Herbed goat cheese and warm and creamy crab and artichoke dip were accompanied by toasted sliced of baguette.  A cheese plate.  Asparagus wrapped with supple and salty prosciutto.  Marinated artichoke hearts, boccachini, olive tapenade.  Mugs full of sweet savory butternut squash soup.  Everything was delish - and trust me, I tried it all!!

I must also make mention of the special holiday cocktails that Sarah's brother whipped up.  Other than homemade cinnamon simple syrup, I have no idea what was in these things - but they smelled and tasted like the holidays and I had not problem sucking them down!

The best part, though, was the company.  Sarah and I have been friends for almost 15 years and it was wonderful to be able to share the holidays with her.  Hopefully, she felt the same because I want to continue to be invited to her parties!!

Day 164: Not My Best Work :(

I've recognized a trend.  Nights when I come home cranky, I just do not cook very good food.  Tonight was one of those nights - I was cranky to begin with and only got crankier after grocery shopping & cooking complications.   

Tonight's dinner was 5-spice crusted pork with roasted cauliflower and asparagus.  Let's start with the pork chops.  My plan had been to purchase pork tenderloin, which I have absolutely mastered.  Unfortunately, Whole Foods was out of them (huh?) and with no back-up plan, I settled for a couple of super thick boneless pork chops.  I ignored my instinct to take a mallet to those chops to flatten them out a bit and speed up the cooking time and therefore, had a really difficult time cooking them through.  I managed to get a lovely crust on the outside, but the middle was still too rare so I wound up slicing and nuking them for a minute.  That, of course, caused them to toughen up and dry up.

Despite the toughness and dryness, the flavor was good.  5-spice powder is a Chinese seasoning that is absolutely divine on pork.  If you've never tried it, give it a shot.  You'll find it in the seasoning section at most supermarkets.

Our cauliflower and asparagus side dish was inspired by a recipe I found on Epicurious.com and prepared for our Thanksgiving meal.  I sliced up a head of cauliflower and laid it flat on a rimmed baking sheet and then sprinkled salt and cayenne pepper over the top.  I laid a bunch of thin asparagus over the top and salted that layer.  The veggies roasted at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  While they cooked, I melted 2 T butter in a small saucepan and whisked in 1 T olive oil, 1 T lemon juice, and 1 heaping tsp dijon mustard.  

Using a pastry brush, I coated the veggies with the mixture and returned them to the oven for another 10 minutes.

The only thing I really did wrong with the veggies was the over generous sprinkling of cayenne.  It was really a bit too spicy.

So lots of lessons in tonight's entry:  wield the mallet when necessary, take it easy on the cayenne, and when cranky...order in!!

Day 121: Sneak Peek

Sunday is my favorite day to cook.  I can start early, make something more involved, not feel rushed, and really enjoy the process.  Often, I will make two dishes on Sunday - one for dinner that night and one for later in the week.

That was my plan tonight.  It's been a wet and rainy few days in San Francisco - perfect chili weather.  But more about that tomorrow, since that's when we plan to eat it (everyone knows that chili is better a day or two after you make it).

Tonight's dinner was mustard crusted lamb chops and asparagus.  For the lamb, I revisited an amazing recipe by Emeril Lagasse.  This is a favorite recipe in my house.

For the asparagus, first I parboiled it (4-5 minutes in salted boiling water).  Then, I used some of the sauce from the chili I had cooked earlier in the day to cook it the rest of the way.  All I did was heat up a few tablespoons of the sauce (leaving the meat and beans behind for tomorrow) and then saute the parboiled asparagus in it on very low heat for about 10 minutes.

For the actual chili recipe, you're just going to have to return tomorrow.  Sneak peek tonight - all of the details then!