Lettuce Tacos

Remember that ground sirloin I posted a few days ago? Well it met it's fate in a lettuce taco. The recipe for the taco seasoning is here. I topped it with some shredded cheese, yellow tomatoes, homemade salsa, and some creme fraiche.

I don't have a picture of the salsa but here is the recipe:
Hull and core 5 medium tomatillos, cook over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse 1 can fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles, 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, 1 small onion, 1-2 jalapenos seeded and de-veined to remove the heat, 2 green onion, a handful of cilantro. You may have to work in batches. Add to tomatillos and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat. Add rest of sliced bunch of green onions. Season with salt or lime juice if desired.

Tomato and Mozzarella salad and Crustless Quiche

The tomato salad is pretty simple, 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, 3 tbsp. diced onion, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Add a tbsp chopped parsely and a pinch of crushed red pepper, if you desire.

The egg dish. I have been trying to remember where I got the idea from but it has alluded me. Anyways, it was supposed to have a crust, which I did not make because carbs hate me.

3-4 mushrooms chopped and sauteed in olive oil, set aside. Boil 1 sliced leek until tender, drain and set aside.

Beat 4 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper with 1 tbsp creme fraiche. Add mushrooms, leeks, and 1/4 c gruyere. Bake in greased pan on 325 for 20-30 minutes, or until eggs set and top begins to brown.

Two Egg and Mushroom Omelette

1.About 3 small mushrooms sauteed and seasoned with salt and pepper, set aside.

2. Beat 2 eggs, season lightly with salt and pepper. Add in 1 tbsp creme fraiche and a 1/2 tsbp of chives.

3. Pour into skillet and cook eggs, add mushrooms when center is almost completely cooked. Fold over and continue to cook for a minute or so. Slide onto plate. Eat. Rinse. Repeat. Just kidding!

Stuffed Eggplant

Ground Sirloin that I ground myself with the old Kitchen Aid.

So I found this recipe here. I used some of my ground sirloin, reserving the rest to make into taco meat. I found that the beef really needed something else, so I added a dash of cinnamon to make it a bit more savory. Really, I forgot to salt the eggplant and it was a bit tough, maybe it was because I bought it at Market Basket, Home of the Worst Produce Ever. It was good but I wouldn't say it was great, I may actually do my own take on this at some point, so watch out! And yup, them be yeller tomaters on to thayr.

Outta Sight Mac and Cheese and Grilled Pork Tenderloin Dinner

I think I one-upped Martha Stewart here. You know I love ya Martha, but I just had to. The Mac and Cheese comes from her Cooking School book. Which if you really want to improve your cooking skills, I highly recommend. I added a generous helping of panko top the top ans well as bacon that I cooked and chopped. But what makes this a dish-o-awesomeness are the roasted, seeded, chopped jalapenos I mixed in with the pasta before topping. Heart-attack!


Roasted Portobello: drizzle in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, top with fresh mozzarella and bake on 350 until cheese bubbles, about 10-15 minutes.

Watercress with Roasted tomato dressing, toasted pecans and goat cheese: Recipe. I toasted my pecans (about 3-4 tbsp) on 350 for about 10 minutes and let them cool. I also diverged from the recipe by using small, halved tomatoes that I had on hand.

The pork tenderloin was marinated with rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. You should really marinated it for at least two hours in the fridge. And then I ruined it on the grill by cooking it too long. Don't be like me, cook it to 155 and let it stand covered for about 10 minutes. Pork cooking guidelines have changed, and pork can be served slightly pink in the middle. I was grilling in the dark so I have somewhat of an excuse.

Grilled Tomato Risotto with Roasted Portobellos

The last time I made risotto, 5 years ago it was awful. It took about a year to cook. Well, nott hat long but I royally messed it up. So this was my second attempt ever at making a risotto. I had some ingredients that I wanted to use up and it was a Friday, so it had to be meatless. I found this (click "this" for link):

This is about halfway through before adding the tomatoes.




After adding grilled tomatoes. Don't forget to taste it and add a little salt if needed!











And this is what the dish looks like, assembled with the portobello.

I just want to take a minute here and apologize to Emeril. I know you are probably really excited to see your recipe on my blog, Emeril. I just know you check it every day. And I want to say I am sorry for thinking this recipe would be bland and boring before I actually made it. It was so good, flavorful and I know you would think I did a great job seasoning it. I will make this recipe again and again.

Spinached Eggplant, ButterHerb Grilled Chicken and Stuffed Tomatoes

This is a variation of the awesomely eggplant recipe I posted here. Add some baby spinach in between those layers of eggplanty-goodness. That's the only variation, but it was too good not to share.








Next, I'd like to give a little shout out to my favorite farm. Tendercrop Farm. These are four of their own chicken breasts stuffed with my very own herb butter and some lemon slices. Make sure the butter is cold when you put it between the meat and the skin, it melts slowly and stays on your chicken longer. I grilled these on low for about 30-45 minutes. Be careful about flare-ups that may be caused by the butter. When the juices run clear, or it reaches the right temp, it's done.


Tomatoes Provencal a la greque?
Alright, so I was trying to use up these tomatoes and I came up with this. Then I saw it in a recipe book, though slightly different and I felt really stupid.

Core the tomatoes, scooping out the seeds. Mix about 4 tbsp of feta, with a tablespoon of parsley, a small clove of garlic chopped finely, and just enough breadcrumbs to make a stuffing that loosely holds together, probably not more than a handful. Stuff the tomatoes and bake on 350 until they begin to soften. Another variation would be to use Parmesan instead of bread crumbs or feta.

A Special Dinner and One Mean Dinner Breakfast

Corn, red mashed potatoes, asparagus (click here for recipe), sauteed mushrooms, herb butter, and a salt and pepper seasoned, grilled rib eye.


German Pancakes

Asparagus with Hollandaise
And the breakfast plate

The Breakdown:
1.First German Pancake recipe here I add about 1/3 c. sugar, get it in the oven because it takes the longest, I bake mine solely in a glass pan and on 350 for about 45-50 minutes
2. Apples (peel and cut into small pieces) sauteed in 2-3+ tbsp unsalted butter with vanilla, 1/3c sugar and cinnamon to taste. When all prep is done for other foods, start these over medium heat until tender
3. Eggs, just enough scrambled eggs for your family we like 2-3 per person depending on what we're having, add a little butter to the pant and then garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste with a handful or so of shredded cheese.
4. Asparagus, season with salt, pepper and olive oil, put in oven with German pancakes for 10-15 minutes or until tender
5. Hollandaise Sauce, there are a lot of variations, some are intimidating. I halved the one I hyper-linked and cooked it over low in one sauce pot, no complicated equipment necessary. I omitted the cayenne, though I like it, my family does not. It takes about 10 minutes to make.
6. Ham, I reheated leftover ham. In the microwave.

Whew! It is a lot but I also had an egg retirement home living in my fridge and we need to eat them before they went to the Dark Side.

Strawberry Jam and Spatchcocked Chicken

This was my second and much more successful attempt at jam-making. We picked our own strawberries at a local farm, and as it was the end of the season and they were rather ripe, I dropped everything to can them when we got home. So, I followed the directions on the recipe for Sure-Jell, but this time I added almost double the pectin, and I did everything in the proper order. Simple delicious and they make a great gift. However, there probably won't be any around to give away by Christmas. I felt like my grandma was there with me when I had my first PB and J. Growing up, my grandma would always make freezer jam for me and I loved it. I even complained if my mother tried to put store-bought jelly in my lunch.

Spatchcocked Chicken

I was introduced to this method of cooking by a magazine. Basically, you spatchcock the chicken, meaning you turn it over and cut out the spine along each side, so you are left with a cowardly, spineless chicken. Then you flip it over and flatten it out. There are so many advantages to cooking it this way, one being that it cooks evenly and more quickly than other methods. So your white meat and dark meat won't dry out.

Here is what I did: Stuff the chicken with slices of lemon and cold herbed butter under the skin (probably about a 3/4 stick of butter), season with salt and pepper. Add favorite vegetables, tossed with olive oil to the pan. I used red potatoes and onion, but I suppose carrots, celery or squash would work too. Roast on 325 until juices run clear and thermometer reads proper temperature.

Now you are probably wondering how to make herb butter. Easy. Soft butter + your favorite herbs. You can mix it by hand, make small or large amounts, or even use the food processor. I like parsley, garlic, lemon juice, pepper, and chives. Add a little of each at a time to your own taste. It keeps for weeks in the coldest part of your fridge. Great on steaks too!

Ice cream for Dinner and Asparagus for Dessert.

Recently, I made Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream, which basically is any vanilla ice cream recipe, minus the sugar plus honey. I borrowed a book from the library and followed the recipe to the letter. After the ice cream had its go in the magical carousel, I swirled in some blackberry jam that I made. The jam was a little runny so it made a perfect addition to this ice cream. I ripened it in the freezer and it was amazing.








Here is the asparagus that my friend Ermentrude* made for us when she and her family visited in May. It has my children begging for more. And just so I am not stepping on any toes, she told me that this is similar to the one on the Pioneer Woman's Website. But old Erm does it her way, I hope she won't mind me sharing!

Season asparagus with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes on 400. Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese over asparagus, and put it back into oven until asparagus is melted. Before serving squeeze 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice over asparagus. Watch it disappear and pat yourself on the back.

*Ermentrude is not my friend's name.

Eggplant Not-Parmesan and Two other Tales

Eggplant is my new favorite vegetable. I've been making variations of this dish for a few months now. I believe that this dish is a combination of so many things that I can now call it my own. So here we go. Ingredients are in red, so they match the sauce.

Eggplant, about 5-7 small, Italian eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick, salted and roasted. Sliced eggplant should be salted to remove excess water and bitterness. I do mine with coarse sea salt in a colander for about 20 minutes. Italian eggplant tends to be less bitter but you can use any variety of eggplant.

Roast eggplant drizzled with olive oil on baking sheets for about 10-20 minutes, switch them about halfway through to ensure they will finish at the same time.

Alright, the sauce for this one happens to be a simple marinara sauce.
Two 28 oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes and two cloves of garlic pulsed in a food processor. Cook over medium heat with about 2 tbsp olive oil, for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add about 1 handful of chopped basil, cook for another 5 minutes or so over medium heat.

Now, leave the oven on 350, and in a 9x12 pan, spread a layer of sauce on bottom. You can start your water for your pasta here, too. Layer eggplant with sauce and sliced fresh mozzarella, and about 1/2 cup of a grated hard cheese like Parmesan or Romano. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the mozzarella just begins to brown. Serve with a pound of your favorite pasta, fresh grated cheese at the table and if you are like me, a few dashes of crushed red pepper.

I just wanted to share these strawberries that we picked at a local farm, the same one where the eggplant for this recipe came from.
Here I made black raspberry jam, it was my first attempt at jamming. The recipe came from the box of Sure Jell. I would have probably used more pectin if I had not already misread the directions and headed down the slippery slope to runny jam. It did thicken up a bit but not as much as I had hoped. However it is more than edible and I was able to use it in an ice cream recipe. The blackberries came from Costco, if anyone was wondering.

Carnitas and Rice

This is a pretty simple recipe that I make in the crockpot:

3 lbs pork loin
1 can diced green chiles
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (with or without green chiles)
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1tsp oregano
1-2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chile powder

Put it all in the crock pot and shred the meat when it is good and tender. If you really don't know how to use a crock pot and cannot figure out how to make this recipe, leave a comment below so we can all laugh at you. Sometimes I serve this with homemade tortillas (that I make with lard! that I save) but this time I served it with Acapulco's Rice, to which I made a few adjustments, such as cilantro instead of parsley. Thanks for the recipe Dad, but I think you made it better. I think Dad added a chipotle chile and some green onions to the rice and I will definitely do that next time, even if he didn't because it just sounds good. The recipe also needs more time and about 1/4 to 1/2 cup more liquid, if you are using brown rice.

Anyways, I served this with shredded cheese and sour cream. If I had thought about it, I may have garnished with green onion or a bit more cilantro.

Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce with Cumin Shrimp

Sauce:
3 poblano peppers, roasted skins peeled
1 clove garlic
4 c milk, heavy cream, or half and half
1 medium onion, diced
1/3 c flour
4 tbsp butter
1/2 c grated Parmesan (Romano or Grana Padano can substitute)
pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
olive oil

Roast the peppers in the oven, on the grill or other open flame of your choice, allow them to cool and remove skins. Once they are cool, in a food processor, pulse peppers and garlic. I was being really lazy and added my cheese into the processor so that I wouldn't have to grate it. You can do that too.

In a medium-size pot, saute onions in 1-2 tbsp olive oil, over medium heat until they begin to soften, add butter. When butter is completely melted, add flour. Stir. Add milk and nutmeg, I use whatever I have on hand, mostly milk and half and half. You can use pretty much any combination you like. Whisk until ingredients are combined and there are no lumps. Add poblano mixture. Stir often and allow mixture to thicken, reduce heat to medium-low if you prefer.

I start water for my pasta after I start the onions. Cook your favorite pasta according to directions.
While the sauce is thickening and the pasta is cooking, I make the shrimp.

Cumin Shrimp:
Olive oil
3/4 lb to 1 lb shrimp
salt
pepper
cumin

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add shrimp, season with salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. Cook until shrimp has just turned pink on both sides. Be careful not to overcook.

In order to serve this I mix the cream sauce with the cooked pasta, top with shrimp and extra sauce. You can add the shrimp to the sauce and combine with the pasta, if you like. I happen to have non-seafood eaters in the house, so I keep them separate. I top mine with a little grated cheese and crushed red pepper. Yum!

Beginning Gypsy Top Sweater and First Aran Square

The top picture is the beginning of a sweater, from the book "Nifty Knits." This will be my first sweater.

The bottom picture is my first square from "The Great American Aran Afghan." I was really thrilled to have finished the first one and to have learned some basic cabling.

Cranberry-Pecan Goat Cheese Log

Ingredients:
1 log goat cheese (I bought the 1lb log at Costco) Keep this refrigerated!
3/4 c pecans, chopped
1/2 c cranberries, chopped (a heaping cup, not a level cup)
1/4 tsp sea salt (or a pinch)

Toast pecans on rimmed cookie sheet at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Allow pecans to cool. I went upstairs and took a shower while they cooled, you could choose another activity. Chop pecans and cranberries finely and mix together in a bowl. I used a food processor and pulsed the pecans and the cranberries separately to the right size. Season mixed cranberries and nuts with salt to your taste, I used about 2 pinches or so. Spread mixture on cooled baking pan or cutting board. Open the goat cheese log and roll in the mixture, making sure to press hard and coat the ends. Serve right away with crackers, crostini, or wrap in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to enjoy.

The picture is the log all wrapped up and ready to chill. I was too busy to get a picture of it served on an actual plate and it would have looked slightly egotistical to take the picture in front of the guests.

Pantry Items

The key to getting a good dinner on the table every night is to have a well-stocked pantry. Having items on-hand will help you resist the temptation to buy convenience foods or to eat out. In short: It tastes better, is healthier and saves you money.

Here is my list of must-haves:
Pasta, a variety of shapes appropriate for the dish you are making
Rice, we like brown
Orzo, yes this is a pasta but it makes a great side dish
Couscous, again a pasta but it cooks in 5 minutes

Canned San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes
Beef, Chicken and Vegetable broth

Tamari
Light Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Red Wine
Sherry
White Wine

Honey
Molasses
Organic sugar
Unbleached flours
Cocoa
Aluminum-free Baking powder
Baking Soda
Cornstarch
Vanilla
Confectioner's sugar

garlic
lemon
ginger
basil, fresh if possible
pine nuts
onions
potatoes
tomatoes
shallots
frozen spinach
carrots
celery

Sea salt, coarse, fine, and specialty
Cayenne
Crushed red pepper
Nutmeg
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Peppercorns, in a peppermill--that you grind!

Eggs
Milk
Cream cheese
Half/Half, or heavy cream
Buttermilk, powdered or regular
sour cream
Cheddar
Parmesan
Romano

Bacon
Pancetta
Any other meat that you or your family prefer, I keep a variety in the freezer.

For vegetables, I just buy whatever our family likes that is fresh and in season.