dinner, dec 19

so... the molasses cookies i made last night looked amazing! and tasted not so good... bummer... just another reason why baking is not for me. once you stick stuff in the oven, there's nothing more you can do, there's no control over the baking process. you just have a hope that when you open the oven door that everything turns out. i don't like that. oh well, no more baking for me!

but tonight... i made chili for the first time! beef and bean chili, i've made white chicken chili a million times. i had 4 beef sirloin steaks in the freezer, so i decided on chili. it was super easy too! and it turned out great!
recipe:
i soaked a bag of pinto beans overnight. then in a cast iron dutch oven, cooked them in water for about an hour and then drained them.
in another skillet, i sauteed the cubed beef with green onions, garlic, green chilies, chipotle chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper. after about 6 or 7 minutes, i poured the beef and veggie mixture into the dutch oven with the beans. i added two 10 oz. cans of stewed mexican tomatoes which i cut into pieces. i also added about a third of a jar of leftover pasta sauce and about 3/4 a cup of beef broth. then a few dashes of worcestershire sauce. i also added some more chili spices and salt and pepper at this point. i put the lid on and it simmered for about an hour.
we garnished it with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions. served with blue corn tortilla chips.

christmas break means cooking a lot!

so, since school has been done, i've been on a cooking/baking spree!
first up, pasta with a homemade arrabiata tomato sauce with chicken and italian sausage


next, chicken and bean mexican tortilla soup


the next morning... homemade pancakes!


then, bacon wrapped filet mignon



just for lunch today, a chicken and bean quesadilla




right now... there is molasses cookie dough chilling in the fridge... i'll put a pick up, and the recipe up, when they're done baking... i hope they turn out!

dinner 6 december 2008

i've been devoting a lot of time to essays, studying and homework... so i haven't had much time, but on this night i was really hungry and there was nothing in the house. so i came up with making shrimp, ham and rice fritters with a garlic aioli. they make them at one of our favorite restaurants here, san chez and they're soooo good. these turned out okay, but not super awesome. next time, i'd cook my own shrimp and use that (i used canned, salad shrimp). anyway, here is the pic... i'll post the recipe later.


so...
the recipe for this recipe is actually pretty easy.
i made a pot of rice, with chicken stock instead of water and then tumeric, curry powder and cumin. i would have used some saffron, but i just didn't have any (blast!).
then, to make the fritters, i combined the cooled rice, a can of small salad shrimp, drained, some garlic, an egg, a bunch of ham that i cut into pieces and fried in a skillet, cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper and about a half of a cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs. all i did was combine into small balls and rolled the balls in some more bread crumbs. at san chez, they are deep fried, but for lack of a deep fryer and a desire to stay below 400 pounds, i just sauteed in a little olive oil in med-high heat. i just turned them every once in a while.

i wish that i had made the shrimp myself and used that. the fritters did not have a very shrimpy flavor... which is probably due to the fact that those canned salad shrimp really aren't very flavorful. oh yeah, and the aioli is just mayo, salt, pepper, lemon juice and some garlic cloves i roasted in a small sautee pan for about a half hour on low and then smashed... mix it all together, it's really good for anything! especially fries! (ever had the garlic aioli at graydon's crossings? same thing!).

dinner december 2 (last night)

I've been having an absolutely stressful last week and it will not end until next Thursday evening. In the meantime, I have been slacking in my cooking... until last night. I pretty much had to do something non stressful (like cook) or I was going to have to visit Pine Rest. So I made an amazing soup... here is the recipe:

I started with a couple tablespoons of each olive oil and butter in a large pot. I softened about two teaspoons of chopped garlic in it for a minute or two. Then I whisked in about 1/3 cup of flour. I cooked the flour and butter/olive oil mixture making a light brown roux, about 3-4 minutes on medium high. I then slowly stirred in about two cups of milk, all the time whisking as to not burn the milk.
After the milk came up to a hot temperature, I took the pot off the heat and stirred in one whole large block of sharp cheddar cheese, which I had grated. Once it was melted in, I added one bottle of Bell's Winter White Ale, about a cup and a half of chicken stock, a couple tablespoons of dijon mustard, and a few dashes each of worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. I also added some paprika, salt and pepper, and stirred with a wooden spoon until hot. At the very end, I added a bunch of leftover shredded ham from a ham roast and about 6 potatoes, peeled, cooked and cubed.
I was looking for a thick consistency and a sharp flavor... so after tasting I added a little more cheddar and hot sauce. It really was the best soup I have ever made and even tasted. I think Gabe agrees... this is a soup that I will definitely make over and over and over again!
(oh yeah, and I probably would have sauteed some green onions in with the garlic, but i didn't have any at the time... but i didn't miss them!)
(sorry, this pic is awful, but oh well)

11.7.08

turkey enchiladas...

gabe is gone in indiana for the day... he'll be home around midnight. so i decided to make something so yummy for him to come home to (and i have 3 papers due next week and i am the ULTIMATE procrastinator, and i'd rather cook than do anything else)

first of all, last night i roasted two turkey breast tenderloins in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. these tenderloins came frozen from costco, already marinated in tequila, lime juice and cilantro... best thing from costco ever! so i roasted that last night and shredded it. so from that...

*preheat oven to 350*
i sauteed about 3/4 bunch of green onions, about 10 chopped tomatillos, couple cloves of garlic, two jalapenos, a can of diced green chilies, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in some olive oil in a skillet. after it was thoroughly softened, i added the shredded turkey from the night before and also about half a can of green enchilada sauce (la preferida is my fav!).
then, in another skillet, i put in a can and a half of green enchilada sauce and let it get pretty warm. i used about 10 six inch corn tortillas in the small pan and 8 eight inch flour tortillas in the larger one.
to assemble, i put just a few spoonfulls of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. i warmed the tortillas in the microwave. then, put a decent amount of the turkey mixture in a tortilla, roll it up and put it in the pan. you can really squeeze them in... i got about 10 with the corn ones and 8 of the flour ones. pour the remainder of the warmed enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. then put the pans in the oven for about 20 minutes. after 20 minutes, pull them out and sprinkle a half a bag of monterrey jack cheese down the middle of each. place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
garnish with anything... i used sour cream and the greens part of the green onions i used earlier... but if you want to go all out.... use guacamole, rice, black beans, cilantro, lime... anything you want.
here's a picture (sorry, i had already taken one of each out the pans... haha)

clothes, clothes, clothes...

so, i recently acquired a ton of clothing from a friend who moved to vegas. about 12 dresses, a couple shirts and sweaters and multiple cardigans. all from banana republic, j crew, anthropologie and urban outfitters. i can't even guess the original value (close to maybe 1500?) i purchased them all for 120 out the door. i feel pretty amazing in them, and so does my friend arielle (who purchased about the same for the same amount).
arielle and i have also been thrifting a whole lot lately. i've found tons of things for gabe and i. tons of dresses, ( a great flapper dress, which i am already planning for my next year's halloween costume... this year, i've already decided on holly golightly) a vintage real fur mink stole ($25... they had NO IDEA what they had! i found about 30 others later that day about the same quality for $300 a piece!) a great pair of cowboy boots for gabe and a vintage leather members only jacket, of which is pictured below. anyway, so many things... it's kind of overwhelming!

i had these cute little kittens for 48 hours. they just left with a family that adopted all three. so happy for them, they will be cared for and loved! i will miss them so much though, the last two days with them have been the best two days in months!

not a specific date...

i make paella quite often for big parties... i've made it maybe 3 times since i started blogging my food, so i feel like it's about time to post it. Here's one of them from a couple months back... the recipe is pretty long, i'll write it out when i have more time (probably this afternoon while i'm in class)

so... here is how i make my paella:
first, i make sure a huge pot of chicken stock is simmering on the stove
then, in the paella pan, i use a little olive oil and brown pieces of chicken. take them out before they are fully cooked through.

add chorizo and cook thouroughly

then to the pan with chorizo in it, add green onion, red bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, green chilies and some spices (mainly oregano, paprika, cumin, curry powder, s&p and especially saffron). cook a few minutes.

then add a bunch arborrio rice and coat lightly with the sofrito (the mixture of spices and vegetables (and in this case, chorizo too)).

add a bunch of the chicken stock and a nice cup or so of white wine, place the chicken pieces back in, stir, and cook uncovered in the oven at like 350 for about a half hour.

with 10 minutes remaining, take paella out, sprinkle on frozen peas, place shrimp and mussels around and put paella back in oven. let cook until mussels open and shrimp are cooked through (10 mins) (also, at this point, if the rice is still a little crunchy and there is no more liquid, you add some more of the chicken stock that is still simmering on the stove)

take out paella, test rice for done-ness and (if done) cover with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.... and eat!!!

dinner august 13

i am in love with morning star's spicy black bean cakes....
i sprayed the insides of the buns with butter spray and grilled them on a grill pan on really really high heat for just a minute. took them off and reduced the heat to medium. put the black bean cakes on. after they were grilled nicely on both sides, but them on the heel of the bun, topped with salsa (from a jar... i know!) shredded cheese, slices of avocado and green onions. served with watermelon. perfect dinner! bread, protein, vegetable, dairy and fruit, with not much fat! gabe loved it :)

thrifting adventures

i've been on some great thrifting trips lately! my recent acquirements:
1. vintage exercise bike
2. vintage bike
3. turquoise and green housecoat
4. 2 light blue and white shirt dresses
5. gray and sea green skirt
6. royal blue pashmina 60x12 inch 3ply scarf
7. beige slip
8. gold and silver vintage owl necklace
9. yellow and gray rubber mondaine m-watch, swiss, quartz, vintage (probably early 80's)
10. pale yellow golfer's hat
11. bass tassel loafers
12. white keds
13. blue grandma-ish velcro grasshopper shoes
14. real 60's vintage shirt
15. pale purple vintage flats
16. pastel plaid 80's short sleeved shirt
17. bright yellow sweater knit tank dress

all from vintage stores except for number 17 (target, clearance)
i'm sure i've gotten more, but i just can't remember

secretssssss......

friday night and saturday morning

friday night, i made another one of these dinners that i make quite often. sauteed shrimp with pasta.





saturday morning i made loaded hashbrowns. inspired by the loaded tater tots at logan's alley



(recipes when i have more time)

breakfast may22

i made some great breakfast today! i was supposed to have class from 8-12, and then work from 1-5, but class let out ridiculously early, so i stopped at the grocery store, picked up a few things, came home and made this:

eggs benedict and florentine combined, and hashbrowns




here's the process:
1. made coffee (always number 1 in my book for breakfast!)
2. started 2 skillets with a little butter and one small saucepan with half a stick of butter.
3. in the small saucepan, once the butter melted, i added 1 cup of water and the hollandaise sauce mix (not worth it making your own, you can try it once for fun, but it's so much work!). once that came to a simmer, turned the burner off and covered it. it stays at the perfect temp for like an hour this way
4. in one skillet, dropped in the white parts of some green onions, chopped. then a big handful of frozen shredded hashbrowns, and some salt and pepper. just watched that and turned every once in a while, then added some of the green parts of the green onion just at the end.
5. halved an english muffin and dropped each half into the toaster
6. in the other skillet, put in 2 large round pieces of ham. then 2 large eggs. turned the ham after a few minutes, as well as the eggs. just after the eggs were turned, i dropped a slice of mild cheddar cheese on top of each one for melting. (traditionally, eggs benedict are done over medium, and that's the way we like them, but you can go longer or shorter if you want the yolks done more or less)
7. assembly: english muffin half, slice of fresh tomato, some baby spinach leaves, slice of heated ham, one egg with the melted cheddar, hollandaise sauce, then some chopped flat leaf parsley to top it off. (2x for both halves of the english muffin) then the hashbrowns on the side with some parsley on that too. added some strawberries for a side, and voila... a great homemade breakfast!!!!

finally...

...made dinner again. haven't been feeling too well, but gabe was busy yesterday and so i made a quick lunch. i didn't get pictures again, just because we were in such a rush, but here's what i made:
couscous with sauteed shrimp:
couscous:
i sauteed some diced green peppers with olive oil just for a minute, then added diced tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken stock, dried italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. brought to a boil and added the couscous, cut the heat and covered for 5 minutes. fluffed with a fork just before serving.
shrimp:
heated some olive oil in a large skillet with minced garlic, red pepper flakes and dried thyme. then added about 20 med. large sized shrimp. flipped after a few minutes, and served over the cooked couscous.

super easy, very quick healthy meal. i wanted to make something that wasn't too heavy so gabe wouldn't feel sleepy in like a half hour. good balance of protein, carbs and veggies. pretty happy with how this one turned out.
(wish i had gotten a picture!)

tagged...

i have been tagged by mill it over to do six quirks meme. here are the rules...

The rules are:
1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Here goes...

1. i feel like my new turquoise flats from urban outfitters are a neutral. i wear them with everything. turquoise is the new black???

2. my favorite food to make and eat is mexican, but growing up as a kid, i hated mexican food more than anything in the world. it made my stomach upset to think about eating it. the first time i had ever been to a taco bell was just like 4 years ago.

3. i like to dress up when i cook. i dress the part. when i make mexican, i wear a long mexican print dress with sandals. when i make chinese or japanese, i wear white pants, black ballet slippers and a black shirt ( i guess to me, that is chinese? haha! maybe it's more karate than chinese) french/american bistro = super dressy black dress with pearls and heels.

4. i like the smell of skunks

5. i'm very biased - i only chew my food on the right side of my mouth.

6. i can pull my arms out of their sockets. gross huh?

i am tagging gabedutton, mary esther, rachelle, arielle, lori dutton, and the pronst

this week

i have been not really with it. i have been very sick all week (still am, but i think i'm getting over it) i'm pretty sure i had/have strep throat. i just am too cheap to go to a doctor for 120 bucks to have him tell me that. i figure, if i don't feel like i'm dying... i'll probably get over it. haven't made any food at all this week, in fact, anything other than ice cream or campbell's chicken noodle soup sounds horrible. summer session starts monday... oh boy! well, i guess i don't start until tuesday. this semester = grant writing class on T and R from 830 am til noon. i don't know how i'll last.

stormy night

so, it's supposed to storm pretty good here tonight, i'm very excited. so i'm making 'mi especial'... cuban black beans and rice
black beans: in large pot, heat olive oil, throw in one green pepper, roughly chopped. then after a few minutes, when the pepper is tender, add about 5 green onions, chopped, a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped, a can of green chilies and a couple of tea spoons of chipotle chili powder and cumin. stir a few minutes more until onions become translucent. then add one and a half 26 oz cans of black beans. mash the remaining half can of black beans with a fork in a bowl. add them after mashed. add one can of tomato paste. let simmer on stove for however long you want... 5 minutes to 2 hours, just on low. just before serving, add a couple tablespoons of white vinegar and some chopped cilantro. serve with warmed tortillas, white rice, cilantro, limes, shredded mexican cheese and sour cream. yum!!! i'll post some pictures when it's done.
also, i made sangria... well, i bought sangria from the store (i've made it before, and this huge bottle from world market was only 5.99... i can't make it that cheap!) but i put it in a pitcher with a bunch of fruit... strawberries, watermelon, limes, apples, blueberries and melon. so good!

ingredients:


after about an hour simmering:


toppings:


finished product!:


oh yeah... sangria!!!:

i'm kicking myself again

i didn't take any pictures of the lunch i just made for gabe and i. here's what it was... blackened tilapia sandwich with cumin sour cream and pico de gallo
here's what i did...
to begin, i made the cumin/oregano sour cream by mixing about a half of a cup of sour cream with a teaspoon-ish amount of cumin and the same of dried oregano. then i set them aside in the fridge to cool back down.
meanwhile, i got out some lettuce leaves and some pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and jalapenos) that i bought in the deli section of the grocery store. i had already spiced the pico de gallo up a bit with some more chopped jalapenos just a few days ago, so that was all set and very spicy. (usually i make my own pico de gallo, but it's just so easy to buy it!)
i had a frozen tilapia which i thawed. i took two fillets, dipped them in a little bit of melted butter (i try to use butter sparingly, but with a light fish, you almost have to because there isn't much flavor in the fish to begin with) then dipped it in a mixture of garlic powder ( i know, i know, i'm not the biggest fan of garlic powder, but fresh garlic would have burned up in my grill pan), zatarain's blackened seasoning, salt and pepper. then i grilled them on high in my grill pan so the outsides would get nice black grill marks. they only take a few minutes on each side.
while the fish was grilling, i brushed the insides of kaiser rolls with some olive oil and placed them in the grill pan as well, just to heat them up, make them a little crunchy and get some nice grill marks.
when the fish was done, i spread the cumin sour cream on both ends of the roll, put a whole fillet of the blackened tilapia on each heel of the roll, then piled on some pico de gallo and some lettuce leaves and placed the crown of the roll on top. it was pretty amazing. i wish i could have gotten a picture!!!

salvation army 4/23

this one actually has a really great red piping collar, but you can't see it in the picture



yeah, i really went for the green/blue skirts, i don't know what mood i was in, but i think it works. everything was 50% off anyway and on top of that i get a 10% student discount, so it was worth it

after my last exam today, i decided to treat myself by stopping by the salvation army. i haven't been to a thrift store or vintage store in probably 4 or 5 months. i just haven't wanted to shop for winter clothes anymore. i was waiting for spring. somehow my "prairie mod" spring has never come to fruition, but i found some great 40's and 50's style skirts, a really cute navy dress and some (more) pearls. i should put up some pics, but i don't have a really good mirror in here. maybe i'll figure something out.(edit: i obviously did)

oh, so by the way, what this is supposed to be about is the amazing lunch i just made for myself. browned butter and thyme gnocchi. super easy, pretty healthy and lots of flavor. i should have gotten a picture, maybe next time.

I think I'll dedicate this outlet to all things food. I cook quite frequently and I can direct people here if they want a recipe or something. It happens that I've really found a love for cooking over the past few years, which I wasn't really sure was there. My mother has always been, and continues to be, such a wonderful cook and I guess maybe I get it from her. Well, look for future posts to be of that nature, until then, I'm supposed to be listening in class, so goodbye.

drove around in a convertible yesterday. best day this spring so far.