Day 360: What Happens When I Do Not Have a Plan

It's too bad that I had to create such a terrible meal during the last week of this blog.  The problem was that I really didn't have a plan when I went to the market - that hardly ever works out.  All I knew was that I wanted to use some of the items purchased at the farmer's market this weekend to make something healthy.  I accomplished that, but unfortunately, it wasn't very tasty.

I purchased some tilapia to make fish tacos and marinated it for about 1/2 hour in a mixture that included the juice of 2 limes, sliced fresh ginger (a 1 inch piece), a sliced jalapeno (seeds and all), 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1t sugar, and 2T olive oil.  The marinade was really tasty - but the fish just didn't suck up enough of the flavor.

I made two toppings to go in the tacos.  The first was simple - I purchased some tiny little cherry tomatoes and sliced them in half.  That's it - but their freshness added a lot of great flavor.

The zucchini we purchased at the farmer's market served as the second topping.  I ran it across the large holes of a box grater and sprinkled it liberally with salt to soften it up and pull the extra liquid out.  I placed it in a strainer and pressed the liquid out every several minutes.  Then, I mixed it with the juice and zest of a lemon and seasoned it to taste with S&P.  This was meant to be a substitute for cabbage, which what one would normally use on a fish taco.  But I've found that we found up throwing half the head of cabbage away the last few times so I thought I'd try this since we already had the zucchini.  It actually wasn't bad - but when the fish in the fish taco isn't too tasty, all the delicious toppings in the world can't save it.

Okay...my commitment to you - readers who have stayed with me for nearly a year - is to create and/or eat nothing but GOOD food for the last 5 days of this blog.

Day 354: Cook It To Death!

Two of my favorite Greek restaurants, Ethos in NYC and Mezes here in SF, offer a dish that I love - green beans stewed in tomato until they practically fall apart if you look at them too hard.  Normally, I prefer my veggies to have some crunch left in them after cooking, but there's something about those beans that makes me so happy.

We have managed to figure out how to make this dish fairly well at home.  Fresh green beans, pressed garlic cloves, a can of tomatoes, a few splashes of white wine, and lots of time and you can have these delicious beans too.  Just be sure you cook them to death!

Like last night, I took the easy way out with the rest of our dinner.  I purchased some pre-made meatloaf from the deli counter at one of our local grocery stores and just reheated it at home.  It was delicious!  Sometimes I really buy into the "why make it when you can buy it" concept!

Day 343: An Oldie, But a Goodie

The recipe for this tart is from the May 2006 issue of Saveur magazine.  I made it several times for dinner parties when the magazine first came out, but then forgot about it.  Tonight we were having some friends over, so I brushed the dust off the issue and made this delicious tart again.

I'll warn you - this recipe isn't difficult, but it takes a long time to pull it together.  But it is so yummy, so it's worth it, especially if you're making it for people who will appreciate it. 

The main course tonight was flank steak (2 lb), marinated for 6 hours in this delicious mixture and then grilled:

1.5T freshly squeezed lime juice

1T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1t hot chili paste, like Sambel Oelek

1/2t grated or minced ginger

1/2t honey

Finally, we had some grilled figs, which are a seasonal specialty that I absolutely love.  Fresh figs are lightly coated with olive oil, then seasoned with S&P, and grilled for a couple of minutes over medium-low heat.  Simple, but amazing.

I encourage you to try any or all of these recipes!

Day 342: Pretty Pile of Pasta

This beautiful bowl of pasta was a snap to put together and so tasty!  It all started with a package of fresh egg pasta, which only had to boil for 2 minutes!

Rather than sauce, I loaded this pasta with the full flavors of fresh ingredients like heirloom cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, chopped basil, and lots of grated parmesan cheese.

I tossed a pound of cherry tomatoes with about 2T olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic, and S&P and laid it all out in a single layer in a glass baking dish.  This roasted at 350 degrees for about 30 hour - until the tomatoes began to burst.

Another 4 cloves of minced garlic was sauteed with 3T olive oil and a few shakes of red pepper flakes over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the garlic was softened and mellowed out.

In a separate pan, 3T of pine nuts were carefully toasted over low heat.

When everything was ready, I cooked up the pasta (2 minutes!), drained it, and returned it to the pot.  I then added the tomatoes, garlic/olive oil, and nuts to the pot with it, along with about 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Taste and add S&P as you feel is necessary.  

Serve, sprinkle a good dose of freshly chopped basil over the top, and enjoy!

Day 339: When in Doubt, It's Taco Time

This is one of my favorite work night dinners.  It's takes little time and effort to bring it together and it's so yummy.

I normally make tacos with ground turkey since it's leaner than beef and cook it as suggested on the McCormick's taco seasoning packet.  After slicing some iceberg lettuce, chopping some ripe tomatoes, grating some sharp Tillamook cheddar, making guacamole, and warming up some tortillas, it was chow time.  If you want, you can save time by buying salsa and guac at the store rather than preparing the tomatoes and avocado yourself.

Guac is easy to make, though, and if you've never tried, you really should.  Here's my recipe:

1 large ripe avocado

Juice from 1 lime

1T light sour cream

10-15 generous shakes from the Frank's Red Hot bottle

Salt to taste

Scoop the avocado out onto a cutting board and mash it with the back of a fork.  Transfer it to a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.  I told you it was easy!

Day 338: Big Asian Flavor

This is a recipe I made a couple of weeks after beginning this blog.  I made it with chicken & snowpeas the first time and thought it was amazing.  Tonight I made it with pork tenderloin, red bell pepper, and frozen peas and it was good.  I think you could use any protein and veggies you like - it's the marinade and sauce that makes this dish so tasty.

Marinate your protein of choice in the following mixture.  This is enough for a pound of meat, cut into bite sized pieces:

> 2t cornstarch

> 1T soy sauce

> 1T + 1t rice wine vinegar

> 1t sesame oil

> 2T water

Whisk all of that together and put it with the meat in a Ziploc bag.  Allow to marinate in the fridge for at  least 2 hours.

Brown the meat (without the marinade) in a hot pan with some olive oil.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a couple of splashes of chicken broth and saute 2 cloves of minced garlic for a couple of minutes.  Add whatever veggies you have selected for the dish and cook until they are at your desired crispness.

Add back your protein and the following sauce mixture:

> 1T cornstarch

> 2T soy sauce

> 2T rice wine vinegar

> 2t sesame oil

> 1/3 cup water

> 1/3 cup chicken broth

> 1.5 tsp sugar

> 1/2 tsp salt

Bring everything to a boil and then simmer until sauce is reduced to the desired consistency.  Scoop mixture (with sauce) over rice and enjoy!

I love this dish and I hope you do, too!

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 334: Fab Fruit Salsa

Dinner tonight was grilled chicken breast with pear & jalapeno salsa with rice.  The rice was a Near East mix - the toasted almond rice pilaf to which I added a cup of defrosted peas for color and added nutrition.  I prepared the mix as suggested on the box, substituting chicken broth for the water, and the stirred the peas in after it was finished cooking.

The chicken was prepared simply.  I hammered it relatively thin and seasoned it on both sides with S&P.  After drizzled olive oil over it, my husband grilled it.

The chicken wasn't marinated because I wanted to serve it with some pear salsa on top.  I love making fruit salsas - the possibilities and combinations are endless.  The recipe for tonight's was:

1/2 bosc pear, finely diced

1/2 anjou pear, finely diced

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (kept 1/2 the seeds to maintain some heat)

1/4 large shallot, minced

Juice from one lime

S&P to taste

It's great if you can allow the salsa to sit and come together for at least an hour before eating.

This whole meal took only about 1/2 hour to pull together and it was healthy and delicious!

Day 333: Cooking One Handed

Tonight was the first night I truly attempted to cook dinner since sliced off the tip of my thumb last Monday.  I made stuffed peppers and did a pretty good job, too!  This is a recipe I made up as I went along and I didn't measure anything out so the quantities here are estimated.

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 bell peppers (color of your choice), halved, seeded, and white bits removed

3/4 lb. lean ground beef

1 small shallot, minced

3 large cloves of garlic, sent through a garlic press

1/4 cup chopped sweet pear or grape tomatoes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and gently mix all ingredients (except the peppers and cheese) in a bowl.

Place peppers on  a greased baking sheet or pan.  Fill peppers with meat mixture.  You don't have to press very hard - just place a loosely packed mound of meat in each pepper half.

Bake peppers for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top of each pepper and continue to bake until melted.  Sprinkle another round of cheese on top of each pepper and turn broiler on.  You don't have to move the pan to sit directly under the broiler - just having it on with allow the cheese to brown a bit on top.  Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't burn.

I wish I had served this alongside a salad, but in any case it was tasty.  Hope you enjoy!

Day 325: Human Blood Optional

Trader Joe's had some beautiful eggplant yesterday and so the plan was to make moussaka for dinner tonight.  Rather than slice it by hand, I thought I'd use a mandolin that I purchased years ago but never used.  So, instead of slicing BY hand, I sliced MY hand - took the tip right off  my right thumb.  

For me, this meant a lot of blood, pain and discomfort and a potentially deformed thumb for the rest of my life.  For my husband, it meant that he needed to finish making dinner (after attending to my wound like a pro).

He did a marvelous job.  The dish was delicious, despite the disaster beforehand.  The recipe we used was from page 514 of the amazing Gourmet cookbook.  I'd love to provide the recipe for you, but typing is a challenge right now.  Buy the book.  You'll love it.

Day 324: Italian Feast

During our weekly visit to Trader Joe's today, I found some beautiful basil and decided that dinner tonight would involve homemade pesto.  Pesto is so easy to make.  The following recipe makes enough to stuff four chicken breasts, but if you want to make it as a pasta sauce, you should probably double it.

Pesto:

1 packed cup of basil leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1.5 T pine nuts

1/2 + 1T freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 T butter

S&P to taste

Place basil, oil, garlic, and nuts in a food processor and mix until smoothly, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.  Add cheese and butter and mix again until all ingredients are blended.  Add S&P to taste.

Pre-heat your oven at 375 degrees.  Slice the chicken lengthwise through the middle, being careful not to cut all the way through.  You want to be able to fold the chicken back like a book.  Once folded back, coat the inside of each chicken breast with about 1T pesto.  If you'd like, lay some roasted peppers over the pesto and fold the chicken back up again.  Place the breasts in a greased baking dish and smooth about a teaspoon of pesto over the top of each breast.

Bake the chicken for 25 minutes and then sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of each breast.  Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Add another sprinkling of cheese and place the dish under the broiler until the top is browned.

Our side dish was sauteed baby broccoli (known as broccolini at Trader Joe's).  I first cooked 3 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes.  Once they were softened, I added the broccoli, a few splashes of white wine, and cranked the heat up to medium-high.  I added more wine every couple of minutes when the pan got dry to ensure that the garlic didn't burn.

The best part of tonight's dinner?  It's Sunday but there's not work tomorrow!  Enjoy your Memorial Day, everyone!

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 314: Where is the Undo Button?

I purchased the most beautiful brussels sprouts at the farmers' market today.  Too bad I kind of ruined them!

Everyone knows that brussels sprouts and bacon are a match made in heaven.  I chopped up four strips of applewood smoked bacon and fried it up in a hot pan.  Once they were crisped up, I removed them and set them aside in some paper towel to remove the excess grease.  

After deglazing the pan with some white wine, I tossed in a finely chopped shallot and a few sprigs of fresh thyme and sauteed them for a few minutes.  After throwing in my sprouts, which I had trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise, I made my big mistake.  I shook in some red pepper flakes which wound up providing too much heat, overwhelming the whole dish.  If there was an "undo" button, I would surely have clicked on it!

Just prior to serving, I pulled out the thyme sprigs, added the bacon bits back in, and squeezed the juice of half a lemon over the whole mixture.  Had it not been for the red pepper flakes, this would have been a great side dish.

Our main course was chicken breasts, hammered thin and marinated in the juice of a lemon, olive oil, 3 smashed garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and S&P.  After about 1/2 hour, my hubby took care of grilling them up.

Not a bad meal, but it would have been great had it not been for my hot pepper mistake.  I feel horrible for screwing up such beautiful and fresh brussels sprouts but at least I learned my lesson.  Next time, perfect sprouts!!

Day 312: When The Hubby's Away...

Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows that I am a frequent fish eater.  I love it - it's tasty, it's healthy, and it's usually easy and quick to prepare. 

Unfortunately, my husband is not fond of salmon and so I've had little opportunity to cook it at home, instead taking every opportunity to order it in restaurants.  The hubby is away this week, though, so the wife will play - with salmon.

It was so easy and so delicious!  I heated up some olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until it was good and hot.  I seasoned the salmon well with S&P and then cooked it for 3.5 minutes on each side, beginning with the skin side down.  Once it was plated, I sprinkled some freshly chopped dill and fresh squeezed lemon juice over the top.

My sides were salads that I bought at the grocery store.  One was a red quinoa salad with lima beans and carrots and the other was marinated white beans with celery and tomatoes.

In total, this meal took less than 10 minutes, from prep to eating.  Perfect for a mid-week dinner.  I'll have to remember this one the next time hubby goes away!

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 305: Super Soup

Dinner tonight was homemade chicken barley soup and some raw veggies dipped in Trader Joe's white bean hummus.

This is an easy soup but it does take awhile to make, so try it next time you're stuck at home due to weather, sick kids, or a seemingly endless wait for the cable guy.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into 8 parts

5 quarts (20 cups!!) of water

4 carrots, peeled and cut in half (or thirds if they are large)

4 stalks of celery, cut in half (or thirds if they are large)

3 onions, peeled and quartered

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled

6 sprigs each of dill and parsley

1 cup barley

S&P

Bring water to a boil and add chicken, continuing to boil the soup for 10 minutes.  Add carrots through garlic plus 1 heaping T of salt and reduce heat to low.  Partially cover the pot and simmer for 1.5 hours.  

Remove chicken from pot and set aside.  Remove vegetables and discard.  Continue to simmer the broth for another hour to reduce it and further concentrate the flavor.  

Taste the broth and decide whether it needs more salt (it probably will) and add to meet your desired saltiness.  Add the barley, dill, and parsley and cook the soup uncovered for another 45 minutes or until the barley is tender.  Discard the herbs.

Like most soups, this doesn't need to be made the day of consumption.  In fact, you can make it over the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week, making it well worth the time and effort!

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 285: The End of Passover (thank goodness!!)

Tonight is the last night of Passover and although I've kept to the rules (for the most part), the only Passover specific dish I've prepared this week was matzoh ball soup.  I decided to end the holiday with a Spinach Matzoh Pie recipe that I found on Epicurious.com.

I followed the recipe almost to a T, prepping the dish last night and fridging it until tonight at which point I baked it.  The only changes I made to the recipe were:

- lowfat cottage cheese

- skim milk

- 16 oz frozen spinach and a small bag of fresh spinach (which I chopped and sauteed with the onion) because that's what I had in the house

- 8 ounces of feta

This was a great way to use up all of our leftover matzoh.  And, because it could be prepared the day before, it made it easy to get dinner quickly to the table tonight.

Will I miss Passover?  No way!!  But, this recipe was a great find and I'll definitely use it again in the future.

Day 284: Tuna Tuesday

According to Anthony Bourdain, Tuesday is one of the best days to buy fish so off I went to the market today to see what looked fresh.  I walked out with a couple of pieces of great looking ahi, two nice sized bok choys, and some prepared "Greek style roasted tomatoes".

I sliced the bok choy crosswise, thinly at the end where it's thicker and wider through the leafy part, since those thinner pieces would cook more quickly.  Then I was sure to clean the pieces thoroughly.  Bok choy is like celery - it collects lots of dirt between the layers, so you really need to clean it carefully.

I took the tuna, cut it into 1 inch cubes, and tossed it in a Ziploc bag with the juice of a lemon, 2 T olive oil, and a good dose of S&P.  

After heating up some olive oil, I added 3 cloves of minced garlic and a thinly sliced shallot to the pan and sauteed them over low heat until they were softened up (but not browned).  Then I added the bok choy and 2 T white wine, turned up the heat to medium high, and covered the pot.  After about 5 minutes, the bok choy was softened but still had a little crunch.

I removed the bok choy from the pan and set it aside in a large bowl.  After pouring the liquid from the pan into the sink, I drizzled some olive oil into the pan and heated it on medium-high heat.  Once hot, I added the tuna and sauteed for about 4-55 minutes, stirring the cubes every minute or two.  Once cooked, I tossed the tuna into the bowl with the bok choy and some of the diced Greek style roasted tomatoes.

Assuming I can find those tomatoes again, I will definitely make this meal again.  They added a really nice salty, acidic note to the dish.  And as Anthony said, buying seafood on Tuesday almost always assures the freshest most flavorful fish.