Mashed Potato and Sauerkraut Soup: Better Than Last Time

We had some of those amazing mashed potatoes Will made last week and about a pound and a half of Bohemian sauerkraut that I froze. This time, I think it was a drastic improvement on the last time I made it.
You make it just like I detailed in my last potato soup recipe, only this time it's four cups of milk and one cup of cream. I also added caraway seeds for a little extra kick.
Will loved it; it was much more filling than usual and had better flavor than the last time I made it. He actually had two fillings of it!

Breaded Sirloin: Fast, Easy, and Delicious

Will is going to Argentina in a few months, so I figured I would make him at least one Argentine dish in order to help him prepare for the trip so he'd know of at least one thing he liked. Luckily, this dish is worked out and was successful.
First, you cube your sirloin. Next, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat two eggs and add about a quarter cup of milk.
Dip the sirloin cubes into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs, tossing to coat. Brown in a skillet with some oil.
Transfer the browned sirloin to a baking pan, cover them with slices of provolone cheese, and broil until the cheese melts.
Will made some mashed potatoes with cream, butter, and garlic powder. I thought there was too much garlic in the entire meal, but it was all tasty nonetheless. I will definitely make this again.

Root Beer Marinated Pulled Pork Panini: Delicious

I had entertained some family friends and made my Bohemian roast pork. I wound up with half a roast left over, and we had some root beer that we got in case they were soda drinkers. I decided, why not make a root beer marinade, pull the pork, and serve it as panini?

First, make the marinade by combining root beer, green hot sauce, ginger, and lemon juice to taste. Once it's got the right balance of flavor, add your leftover Bohemian pork roast and let it soak for at least four hours.
Once the pork has marinated, pull the meat using two forks. Heat your panini press and assemble your sandwiches by buttering the outside of two slices of bread and putting some pulled pork and a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses in between the two bread slices. Place in the panini press until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
These sandwiches were awesome, and the meat was super tender. I will definitely end up making these later in the week and will have to freeze some of it because I have so much leftover meat.

Gorgonzola Chicken With Penne: Quick, Easy, and Flavorful

I love using blue cheese in my cooking, so when I find a tasty recipe that calls for it, I add it to my menu. This was no different, and it turned out pretty good.
First, cut up your chicken tenders into bite size pieces and brown them in oil on medium heat. Meanwhile, cook your penne according to the package directions.
Add half a cup of white wine and scrape any browned bits off the skillet; this is called deglazing. Add a cup of cream and stir.
Once it's slightly thickened, add six ounces of Gorgonzola cheese and sage. Gorgonzola is a really salty cheese, so taste it before adding any salt; I personally thought it didn't need any.
Once your sauce is thick and flavorful, add a frozen vegetable of your choice; I added spinach, but you could easily add broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts and it would taste great. Serve the sauce over the pasta.
Will loved this dish. It's very filling, and definitely sticks to your ribs. The only thing I would have changed would be to add unsalted walnuts to it for an extra zing of flavor and for some extra protein.

Vegetarian Lasagne Alfredo: Nutrtitionally Dense and Super Tasty

This recipe has been used by my mom for years. It is one of my favorite all time recipes, and has become a winter staple for Will and me.
First, make your alfredo sauce using cream, Parmesan cheese, and a splash of white wine. Once it's thickened and tastes like an alfredo sauce, it's ready; set it aside. Saute sliced crimini mushrooms and add about ten ounces of thawed and drained frozen spinach. Once everything is warm, add it to the alfredo sauce and mix thoroughly until hot.
Cook your lasagne noodles according to the package directions; if you have oven ready or no boil noodles, you may skip this step.
While your lasagne noodles are cooking, mix together a pound of ricotta cheese, two cups of shredded cheddar cheese, half a cup of Parmesan cheese, a beaten egg, a can of drained and broken up artichoke hearts, and salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble, put a layer of three lasagne noodles in the bottom of a casserole, followed by a layer of spinach mix, followed by a layer of ricotta mix, followed by a bit of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Continue this layering until all the filling is used, ending with lasagne noodles on top. Top this with mozzarella, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 oven for forty-five minutes. Let it rest at least fifteen minutes; if you don't, the custard won't set properly.
As always, Will and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any mozzarella, but I discovered that it works just fine without.

Eggplant Parmigiana: Not Quick, But So Good

I had an extra eggplant and a ton of spaghetti sauce, so I decided to make eggplant parmigiana and use the eggplant before they went bad.
If you read my entry on zucchini and eggplant parmigiana from a couple months ago, you'll know the basic assembly; just remember to sprinkle the mozzarella and eggplant with Parmesan cheese before adding another layer of eggplant.
I forgot that I made my spaghetti sauce too runny, but it all worked out okay  because baking it seemed to have thickened it up a bit. Will and I both liked it, as we always do. Next time I'll add a bit more Parmesan, though.

Chili Rellenos Casserole: A Staple at My House

As I said two posts ago, I had a lot of leftover green chilies. One of my favorite things to do with said chilies is to make this casserole. I still had a couple more left over, so I'll be making Spanish tortilla later this week to get rid of it.
First, take your drained green chilies and split them open so they lay flat in a casserole dish. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese in each chile and fold the other side over. Don't be afraid to pack them in. Mix together four eggs, seasoned salt and pepper to taste, and a quarter cup of milk; pour this over the chilies. Sprinkle chile powder and shredded colby jack cheese over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the eggs set.
As always, Will loved it. He didn't eat too much of it, though, because if he did it would upset his ulcer, and nobody wants that.

Eggplant Muffulettas: Quick and Tasty

One of Will's favorite foods is eggplant, and I desperately needed to find a meatless recipe. Thankfully, I found this while browsing one of my holiday themed cookbooks.
First, make your olive spread by blending a cup of green olives, a cup of giardiniera, four halved garlic cloves, three Tablespoons of white wine vinegar and a quarter cup of olive oil. Saute eight ounces of sliced crimini mushrooms with one thinly sliced onion in equal parts butter and oil until the onion is clear and the mushrooms are lightly browned; set them aside. Combine a cup of flour and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic bag; place your sliced eggplant in the Ziploc one at at time, and shake to combine. Fry the eggplant in the same pan you used on the mushrooms until browned. To assemble the sandwiches, place your halved legnthwise focaccia bread on a baking sheet; I made my own, but you can just as easily buy focaccia if you aren't much of a baker. Spread the focaccia with the olive spread, place your eggplant, mushroom mixture, and slices of provolone and mozzarella cheeses and place this under the broiler until the cheese is melted, then take it out and top it with the other half of the focaccia.
Will and I loved these. Just as a warning, these are super messy; we outright had to use a fork and knife to eat them!

Pollo Relleno: Easy and Delicious

One of Will's favorite recipes in my repertoire is my chile rellenos casserole. I needed a meat meal, so this seemed to be a great option; plus the leftover whole chilies can be made into the casserole, so it's an ultimate win.
First, pound your chicken breasts to about 1/8 inch thickness between a layer of saran wrap. Mix together 1/3 cup of cornmeal with taco seasoning; I make my own using onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chile powder, a dash of cayenne, and cumin; but you can easily use prepackaged taco seasoning. In another bowl, place one egg and whisk it. Assemble the rellenos by placing a green chile near one edge and then placing a thin slice of mozzarella cheese on top of the green chile and then rolling the breast like you would a burrito. Dip each breast in the egg and then roll in the cornmeal mixture. Place them in a shallow baking dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for twenty-five minutes.
I served this with rice and mixed vegetables. Will loved it, and so did I; to give you an idea, we each ate a whole chicken breast, which is something we never do. Needless to say, I will be making this again.

Southwest Style Canterbury Lamb: My Twist On a New Zealand Tradition

My mother in-law bought a leg of lamb that was on manager's special because it was such a good deal; unfortunately, my father in-law doesn't like lamb, so we wound up getting half of it. I was going to make traditional Canterbury lamb with honey, but I lacked two ingredients to do so and thus put my own spin on it.
First, cut up your two pound leg of  lamb into pieces; in a Ziploc bag, combine two Tablespoons flour, salt and pepper to taste and three minced cloves of garlic. Add the lamb to the bag and shake the bag to combine it all.
Melt two Tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet or an oven proof pan; add the lamb and brown on all sides, turning frequently. Once they are browned, add two and a half cups water, four Tablespoons of agave nectar, fourteen and a half ounces of cherry tomatoes, three handfuls of baby carrots, and one diced onion. Bring this to a boil and remove it from the heat once it does.
Cover the skillet, preferably with a lid, and place it into a 350 degree oven for forty-five minutes or until the lamb in tender. I served this with mashed potatoes because it lacked starch; I was so happy when the recipe didn't call for adding potatoes to the lamb; I don't like the texture of potatoes when they're roasted like that. If you're trying to go dairy free, though, roasting the potatoes would be the way to do it.
I was apprehensive about substituting agave nectar for honey and fresh cherry tomatoes for a can of stewed, but it worked, surprisingly. Will and I both enjoyed it, but I think I could do better. Perhaps if I do this again, I will stray a little further from the original recipe.

Turkey Gumbo: A Holiday Favorite

I've been making this for the last five years after every Thanksgiving. Each year it's slightly different because I try something new each time I make it. Eventually I'll get it right, but for now, it's fun to experiment, and this blog will be a perfect medium to figure out what works and what doesn't.
First, I make the stock. Usually I only use one turkey carcass to make this, but this year I was given two carcasses and not enough celery to make two batches of stock. However, this turned out positive because it resulted in a very rich stock. Cut up your mire poix vegetables like you would for any other stock and add it to your carcass; cover the bones with water. Simmer this on medium to medium high for four to five hours adding only salt and pepper to taste; anything else will get bitter. Usually I cook this for eight to ten hours because that's when the meat between the vertebrae falls off the bone, but Will doesn't like finding bones because it reminds him that something died for his meal, so I made sure to get up as many bones as I could. The only parts I left in were the necks because the meat hadn't fallen off yet and the cervical vertebrae are bigger in birds than the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae. If you want extra flavor, add the giblets to the stock; I personally like to roast them and eat them straight, but that's just me. Also, don't forget to skim any fat that rises to the top of the stock; your stomach and waistline will thank you.
Once you pull out all the bones, add some extra water and rice; cook this, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked. Then add vegetables of your choice and seasoning; I add peas, carrots, corn, green beans, okra, sage, seasoned salt, and green Tobasco sauce, but you could add any combination of vegetables under the sun.
Will and I both agreed that I didn't add enough Tobasco to it, but that can be easily remedied when I reheat some later this week.

Splurge Night: Macaroni and Cheese

Normally, this isn't a splurge dish in the strictest sense, but since we were out of one percent milk, I had to use some whole milk left over from making pumpkin pies instead. It turned out richer, but that had nothing to do with the compliment I received from Will.
First, cook your macaroni according to the package directions. Meanwhile make a roux using two Tablespoons grapeseed oil, two Tablespoons butter, and a quarter cup of flour; whisk this on medium-high heat until thick. Add two and a half cups of milk, stir until thickened and bubbly; if it gets too thick, add milk. Add a couple handfuls of a mixture of grated cheeses and mix until combined; I used cheddar, mozzarella, cotija, and provolone cheeses, but you could really use anything. Add seasoned salt and pepper to taste. By this time, your noodles should be ready; drain them and put them in a casserole dish. Pour the gravy over the top and mix well; top with grated cheese. Bake this in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and the cheese is browned; serve this with vegetables of your choice.
This is one of Will's favorite recipes of mine, but I was shocked when he told me he wouldn't dream of putting any seasoned salt in it at all because this time it was perfect. While we agreed the macaroni and cheese was richer because of the whole milk, this should not be a regular occurrence when I make it; the cheese should be the highlight, not the gravy.

Cream of Tomato Soup: Will's Favorite Meal

Will mentioned craving my cream of tomato soup, so I made sure to put it on our menu for the month so he could enjoy it in case my basil doesn't survive the winter. This meal is so cheap, about $3 for a meal that serves two if it's just the soup and four if it's served with sandwiches, that I made sure to buy enough ingredients for us to have it twice.
First, stick one can of diced roasted tomatoes in a blender with 8 oz of cream cheese, half a cup of 1% milk, and two handfuls of chopped basil. Season to taste with seasoned salt and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into a saucepan, scraping the sides of the pan. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through.
If I had bread, I would have made grilled cheese and marmite sandwiches to go with this. I plan on making focaccia anyway, so I will likely make some sandwich bread as well, once I have my kitchen spotless again. I need to call a plumber before that happens, though, because our kitchen sink is so badly clogged that they don't make snakes long enough for domestic types to buy. Luckily we got most of our dishes done and our dishwasher has a pots and pans cycle. The soup, however, made up for that; Will had several helpings of it. Unfortunately he stress eats and his work has been more stressful than usual, so that explains his helpings.

Splurge Night:Shells With Jalapeno Cheddar Sauce

I went to a school where we were allowed to bring microwave meals to school and heat them up in a microwave at lunch. One of my favorites was Michelina's shells with jalapeno cheddar sauce. Last year I caught myself craving it, so I decided to engineer the sauce from scratch and serve it. It has since become a quick fix since we always have the ingredients handy.
First, cook the shells according to the package directions. While the pasta's cooking, put about a cup and a half of cream in a pan and gently heat. Grate in enough cheddar to make a pale yellow, thickened sauce. Be careful not to add too much; if you do, it will be very grainy and overall unpleasant. Once your sauce is thickened, add canned minced jalapeno slices to taste; usually I add a whole can, but since Will's ulcer was bothering him, we only added a quarter of a three ounce can of jalapeno slices. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, put it in a bowl, and pour the sauce over it; toss the pasta to coat it in the sauce.
Will and I served this with the last of the tamales, which worked really well. He took a taste of the sauce while he was stirring it so it wouldn't scorch while I sliced the jalapenos and said it was the best cheddar sauce I've ever made. He found out one way to improve the flavor of the sauce, which is to add a little seasoned salt. It definitely accentuates the flavor of the jalapenos.

Huevos al Vallejo: I Loved It, But Will Told Me Never to Make It Again

I think I have said this before, but I have a hard time using eggs before they go bad, so I try to use at least one dish with eggs for dinner. I decided to make this dish.
First, melt a Tablespoon of butter and add a sliced onion; cook until it's tender but not browned. Add two julienned Anaheim peppers and a can of whole tomatoes, cook five minutes, breaking up the tomatoes as you go. Break six eggs, one at a time, into a saucer and slide them into the skillet with the tomato mixture. Cook this until the eggs are set, spooning the tomato juice over the top of the eggs.
Will and I served this with some more of the tamales that we bought. I loved it, but Will was less than fond of the eggs. He said that if I made this with tofu instead of eggs, he would have liked it better. I agree with him and will definitely try it that way.

Stuffed Acorn Squash: Quick, Easy, and Autumnal

One of my favorite parts about autumn and winter are all the wonderful varieties of squash that come out. Last year, I experimented with butternut squash, so this year, I thought I'd try my hand with acorn squash. I was surprised at just how quick it was to prepare this meal.
First, cut two acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stringy bits; make sure to use a sharp French or chef knife otherwise you risk cutting yourself. Put them on a baking sheet, cut side down, and cover the sheet with about a half inch of water. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the squash is just tender. Meanwhile, make your stuffing by combining two chopped apples, a quarter cup of chopped pecans, and two Tablespoons of lime juice. Once your squash is done, turn them over so they're cut side up, sprinkle them with salt, and fill them with the stuffing; sprinkle the top with brown sugar. Return to the oven and cook for another ten minutes or until the stuffing is nice and hot.
Will and I both enjoyed it, but because I accidentally used seasoned salt instead of plain iodized salt, it was a bit bland. I will have to experiment further to make this dish the tastiest it can be.

Tamales With Cheese Crisp and Pico de Gallo

Will has been craving tamales for the last few months; while I would be willing to spend two or three days making tamales and my family has a recipe for them, I don't own a hard copy, so we settled with a package of frozen beef tamales from Deming, New Mexico. I was given two big things of tomatoes, too, and decided that, since Will also mentioned craving cheese crisps with pico de gallo, I would make some and satisfy that craving.
First, reheat your tamales; the microwave works best because trust me, there is no worse smell than burned corn husks. Next, make any sides you want with it; I had some leftover calabacitas that wound up freezing in my refrigerator, so we heated that on the stove, but rice, or refried beans would work really well.
To make a great cheese crisp, all you need is an oven heated to 350 degrees, a nice big tortilla, a baking stone that will accommodate said tortilla, and lots of cheese. Once your oven is preheated, pull out your baking stone; if it's brand new, season it by brushing it with olive oil the first few times you use it so it develops a patina; if it already has a patina on it, skip to the next step, which is putting the tortilla on the stone and placing it in the oven to crisp up, squishing any air bubbles with a turner as you see them. Once your tortilla is nice and crispy, cover the top with a mixture of cheddar and cotija cheeses and continue baking until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortilla are golden brown.
While your cheese crisp is cooking, make your pico de gallo. This is a big batch, so if you want a smaller batch, just cut the portions down to size. I used both containers of tomatoes, diced, two diced onions, six seeded and chopped jalapenos, two handfuls of chopped fresh cilantro, salt to taste and the juice of one and a quarter large limes.
Will and I both loved the tamales, so we will definitely go with this company again the next time he craves tamales until I get my family's recipe. I will also have to keep an eye out for green corn tamales by the same company, since green corn ones are our favorites. For those of you who have never had tamales before, they are served in corn husks; these husks are inedible. Most Mexican restaurants in our area no longer serve them in the husks because tourists have eaten the husks and then complained about it, but there are a few places that serve them with the husks, so be on the lookout should you decide to eat them.
The cheese crisp and pico de gallo were both a huge success; I have some corn tortillas that will go stale if I don't do anything with them, so I may just make some homemade tortilla chips with them so we can continue to enjoy the pico de gallo.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers: Quicker to Make Than I Expected

I was given three yellow bell peppers by my parents. I racked my brain for ideas, and then I came up with stuffed peppers; neither of us have ever had meatless ones, so it was a great opportunity to play around with flavors and figure out what works.
First, take your bell peppers, cut off the tops, pull out the seeds, and cut out the white parts. Next, cook one cup of basmati rice; if you are trying to make it gluten free, do not use minute or instant rice because they can have wheat products in it.
Place 10 ounces of defrosted and drained spinach and two chopped tomatoes in a bowl. Cook one diced onion is a bit of oil until the onion is tender; if you want a bit more flavor, cook the onion just until it starts to brown. Add the onions to the spinach, along with the cooked rice, garlic powder, seasoned salt, two ounces of neufchatel cheese, and Parmesan cheese to taste. Spoon this into your hollowed out bell peppers and top them with a bit of grated mozzarella cheese.
Place the three of these in a baking dish that will allow them to have no room to fall over, but that you also don't have to pack them into. Cook them in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is piping hot.
Will raved about how great the filling was. I have to admit, I was worried about the outcome, but it worked out really well and had a lot of flavor. Because we generally have most if not all of the ingredients for this handy and all I would need to buy are tomatoes and spinach, I will definitely use this as an inexpensive stand-by meal.

Lemon Chicken With Pasta: Surprisingly Quick

Last night I had a meeting to run to and was running late. This took such a short period of time that I was just able to eat and run out the door. Will didn't come home until nine and so I wound up making him a plate and sticking it in our fridge.
First, cut up your chicken tenders. Stick them in a Ziploc bag with half a cup of bread crumbs, garlic powder, oregano, and seasoned salt; shake the bag to coat. Place the chicken in a pan with some olive oil and cook until the chicken is brown and cooked through. Meanwhile, cook a cup of shell pasta according to the package directions. Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside and keep it warm. Make the sauce by adding a diced onion that you cook until tender to the now empty pan. Sprinkle the onions with two Tablespoons of flour and add the juice of a lemon and a cup of chicken stock. Once this is thickened, drain your pasta once it's ready and add it to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add the chicken and again toss. If desired, serve with Parmesan cheese.
I tried to serve this with a vegetable, but I didn't realize how low on frozen vegetables I really was, so I made just enough corn for the two of us. Will and I both really enjoyed this, so I will definitely do this again. Best yet, it's eggless so there's less mess and, if you didn't use Parmesan cheese like Will and I didn't, it's dairy free too.

Green Chili Casserole With Calabacitas: My Biggest Success Yet

Whenever I make enchiladas, I always get more than I need. This way if I wind up with leftovers or stale reject tortillas, I can use them to make green chili casserole, a staple among my family. My grandmother has made it for years, my mother started making it and added her own little twists, and now it's my turn to add my own flair to it.
First I cook one chopped onion with paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and a touch of cayenne pepper until the onion is clear and fragrant. While my onions cook, I start to arrange my casserole itself. I tear up as many corn tortillas as will cover the bottom of my casserole dish, add one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, half a container of low fat sour cream, two small cans of diced green chilies, and mix this together; if you use condensed soup, add half a can of milk to the casserole. Once the onions are ready, I add those too and again mix it together. Top with cheddar and cotija cheeses and bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
While that is baking, work on the calabacitas. Chop up some zucchini or Mexican grey squash and stick it in the same pan you cooked your onions in for the casserole. Add about a third of a large package of frozen corn, some plain all fat Greek yogurt, and some low fat milk; stir this together and cook until the squash is crisp-tender. Add a can of well drained roasted green chilies, oregano, and cheddar and cotija cheeses; use more cotija than cheddar and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Once both dishes are done, let the casserole sit and least five minutes before serving.
Will raved that the casserole was my best attempt and that my calabacitas were better than his mother's. I will say I did a few things different; for one, I used a non-condensed tetra pack of cream of mushroom soup; I believe it was Pacific Foods brand. I also used half canned green chilies half jarred El Pinto brand and added cotija cheese to the topping.
My mother adds canned chicken to this, but I personally prefer the meatless version that my grandmother uses. The things I don't agree with either my mother or grandmother, however, are the onions, spices, and chilies; I don't like raw onions so I cook mine, the traditional spices are just salt and pepper so I added more spice to it, and neither my mother nor grandmother like spicy food so I add more chilies to it than they do.

Enchilada Soup: Easy, Fast, and Fun

I had some leftover chicken from making enchiladas (don't worry; they wound up getting frozen) and I decided to make some enchilada soup. This is pretty easy to make and a solid staple in my house.
First, put your stock in a saucepan and add your chicken; season this mixture to taste. Because I made enchiladas verdes, I only used cumin, garlic powder, and a touch of chili powder. Once that starts to heat up, add some green chilies; we like our Mexican food hot, so I use a lot of it. Once your soup is boiling, add some chopped tomatoes; usually I add canned, but since I didn't have any, I used fresh. Once the tomatoes are wilted and the soup is seasoned to taste, serve it. I personally garnish my soup with a dollop of sour cream and some grated cheeses, but Will goes more for tortilla chips; get creative with this part.
Will loved the smell that filled our house and liked the flavor of the soup even more.

Splurge Night: Pork Schnitzel With Noodles

Schnitzel was a staple when I lived in New Mexico because it's cheap, easy, and quick. While I no longer need as cheap of meals as I used to, I haven't made this in over two years and said, why not?
First, take two pork chops, preferably thin ones; if you can only find thick cut ones, take a meat knife and split them down the middle to make thinner chops. Pound them out to about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thickness; make sure to use a ziploc bag or some saran wrap or else your chop will stick to your tenderizer and fall apart. Remember not to pound it too thin or it will fall apart; you just want it tender and all one width. Next, lightly coat with flour seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, coat in a mixture of eggs and milk, and coat in flour. Cook these in a skillet in batches until the breading is brown and the meat is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook some pappardelle or egg noodles according to the package directions and drain. Put your noodles in a bowl and coat with a bit of butter; add caraway seeds and seasoned salt and toss to coat. Once your pork is cooked, add any leftover egg wash to the pan you cooked the pork in and scramble them; you will serve this on top of the schnitzel.
Normally I serve this with broccoli or another nice vegetable, but the only frozen vegetables we had that weren't used to treat Will's concussion last week was corn, so that's what makes it a splurge night in addition to the frying, even if it is no more than a Tablespoon of oil.
Will loved the new spices I used on the noodles; usually I serve them plain. I definitely think the noodles would make a great light lunch on their own. For those of you who either don't like or can't digest pork, this is just as easy to make using chicken breasts, veal, or beef.

Carrot Casserole: Same Recipe, A Few Changes

So I had a bunch of carrots left over from when I made the clam chowder and some steamed rice from when we had Chinese food, so I decided to make a carrot casserole using the lessons I learned from the last time I made it. I learned a couple more lessons and have a better idea of how better to execute this recipe in the future.
So I did basically the same thing as I did with the last time I made this, except we accidentally added closer to five or six cups of grated carrots instead of four and I added cinnamon to it.
Lessons learned: if you add more carrots, it takes closer to an hour to cook, and it needs more than a teaspoon of salt for the entire dish, plus more cinnamon. However, all in all, this has made this recipe more flexible and accident proof.

Splurge Night: New England Clam Chowder

It was a bit chilly out, and thus a perfect night for New England clam chowder. I have tried to slim this down before by using 1% milk and potato starch, but it just doesn't work; this is not diet food, nor do I claim that it is.
First, drain two cans of boiled clams, reserving the clam juice. If the clam juice makes up less than a cup, add enough water to make a full cup. Put the juice in a pan with three cubed potatoes, four chopped celery stalks, a bit of dried thyme, and one chopped onion and bring to a boil; once it's boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Next, add 2 1/2 cups cream, a bit of poultry seasoning, and three chopped carrots; let this simmer for at least 20 minutes or until thickened. Finally, add your clams and two strips of diced rendered salt pork; make sure they're rinsed, because despite the fact that they're boiled and canned there can still be shell fragments and those aren't fun. I know a lot of you are saying that you've never seen salt pork in clam chowder, and I'll tell you that my family's from Massachusetts and that's how we've always made it. Salt pork adds an extra oomph that you can't get any other way. Also, the reason you add the clams last is, all they need to do is warm up and they get really rubbery if you overcook them.
Will, as always, loved it. What really shocked me was, we had the window open because it was really nice out and we don't have a screen door; evidently, people were walking around wondering what smelled so good, and raved about the smell of the food more than the kids did about the candy!

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes: My Stand-by Pleaser

Since it's finally started cooling down, I decided to treat Will with my homemade enchiladas verdes. While Will prefers my enchiladas rojos, his stomach doesn't, so we went with using the green sauce instead.
First, cook a sliced onion, a diced clove of garlic and a diced jalapeno in a bit of grapeseed oil and cumin until the onions are tender and the jalapeno is fragrant; try to avoid using anything red like paprika or chili powder when using green sauce because the green sauce has a lighter flavor and can turn brown if you use too many red spices. Meanwhile, poach three chicken breasts in salted boiling water.
Once they're fully cooked, drain the water and shred them with two forks. Once they are shredded, add a fifteen ounce can of green enchilada sauce and your cooked onion mixture; I use Hatch brand because it's New Mexican style; it's from Hatch, so it's considered local; and it has no preservatives.
Now it's time to heat another can of green enchilada sauce in a bowl and some corn tortillas; make sure your corn tortillas are as fresh as possible because if they aren't they will fall apart. The reason you heat the tortillas and sauce is it prevents tearing on the part of the tortillas; the sauce doesn't have to be boiling or anything, but just warm. Dip each tortilla into the sauce and coat it; wipe of the excesses and place it in your baking dish. Scoop a bit of the chicken into the center and roll it up; make sure not to stuff too much in, otherwise the tortilla will rip no matter how fresh or well coated in sauce it is. Repeat until you have filled either one large or two small casserole dishes; don't feel bad if you have leftover chicken because it makes a fantastic enchilada soup. Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over the top of your enchiladas.
Sprinkle grated cheddar and cotija cheeses over; usually, I also put enchilado cheese in with my chicken to amp up the flavor, but I couldn't find any enchilado cheese at my grocery store, so we went without. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Take them out of the oven and let the set for around five minutes; this keeps them from falling apart when you serve them.
Will, as always, garnished his enchiladas with sour cream, but you could easily do this with olives, tomatoes, guacamole and lettuce, if you prefer. They were a little warmer, but we both love the warmth one gets from spicy Mexican food.

Cheese Sauced Potatoes: Healthier Than it Sounds

We have a heck of a time eating all our potatoes before they go bad, so I try to incorporate potatoes as much as possible when I buy a sack. Unfortunately, I had only three potatoes left because I was so effective, but that only meant no leftovers.
First, either bake your potatoes or microwave them. I microwaved them because of a time clincher, but you could easily bake them; just be prepared for them to take up to an hour. Meanwhile, mix together a cup of milk, some dill, salt and pepper to taste, and a Tablespoon of arrowroot powder; heat until it's thickened and bubbly. Next, add 3/4 of a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and mix until it's melted. Finally, add 2 1/2 cups of either cooked or frozen vegetables and heat through; I choose broccolini, broccoli, and cauliflower, but anything goes with this recipe. Quarter your potatoes and pour the cheese and vegetable mixture over the top of the potatoes.
Will and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. Because I pretty much always have the ingredients to make this, I will definitely make it again.

Mashed Potatoes With Beans and Franks: Played Around With It and Perfected It

Will bought hot dogs so we could use the buns left over from the meatball sandwiches, but they came in ten packs, so he cooked five one night and there were five left over. I decided that, since I had all the supplies for the hot dog bake I made earlier in the month and Will complained about the meat content in that recipe, I would try making it with five hot dogs instead of four.
Again, if you go to my previous post, just do the same thing I did before, but with five hot dogs instead of four.
Will liked this much better, and so did I; it was definitely more filling this way.

Baked Bowties With Cheese: A Lower Fat Mac and Cheese

Will brought home some garlic bread from the store, so I figured, why not make something tasty to go with it? Here is this attempt.
First, get your water boiling to cook your farfalle. Meanwhile, cook one diced onion in two teaspoons oil until soft but not brown. Add dill and two teaspoons flour and stir til combined. Add two-thirds of a cup of milk and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a third of a cup of grated cheddar cheese. Stir this until the cheese is melted and add the cooked and drained farfalle. Spoon it into a casserole dish, cook at 350 for twenty minutes; add breadcrumbs to the top and cook another fifteen minutes.
I served this with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots as well as the garlic bread. Will raved that I got the bread nice and crispy and also that I made saucy pasta that was worth dipping the bread into.

Meatball Subs: An Effective Way of Using Leftovers

I always wind up with a ton of leftover sauce and meatballs whenever I make spaghetti, so generally all I need to do is buy or bake some hot dog buns and maybe some mozzarella or provolone cheeses and I have a meal ready to go.
All you need to do is heat the desired amount of spaghetti sauce until it's good and hot. Then add your meatballs and, once they're also hot, serve. Make sure to get a nice thick sort of hot dog bun; the cheapest ones get really soggy and can be tough to handle as a result, so your money will be well spent. If you have a grocery store that bakes bread fresh, you have a good chance of finding proper buns. As for the cheese, since it's not the centerpiece of the meal, you don't need to shell out extra money for the best; something middle of the road or even on the cheap end will do.
Will and I loved this version; we usually use fairly cheap hot dog buns that are gummy and get so soggy that you have to eat your meatball sub with a fork and knife, so we were in for quite a surprise when the buns we got actually held up enough to pick up and eat.

Spaghetti With Meatballs: Takes All Day, But is Totally Worth It

I had some leftover carrots and celery from making all my stocks, so I figured I'd make Will's family spaghetti sauce recipe. Just be warned; this is not the stuff you get in the jar. Most Americans associate spaghetti sauce with the thin marinara sauce from Sicily and southern Italy. Will's family is from the Florence area, so his family's recipe more closely resembles a meatless Bolognese sauce.
First, stick equal parts celery and onion in a food processor and pulse until it's all diced up; squeeze out the excess liquid and and add it to a very large tall stock pot with a bit of hot olive oil. While they sweat, pulse seven cut up carrots in the processor until very diced up. Add to the pot only when the celery and onion become fragrant. Once all this starts to lightly brown, add a few cloves of garlic and a pound of sliced mushrooms; add more oil and cook until the mushrooms are browned. Then start to add a 20 oz can of diced tomatoes and six 6 oz cans of tomato paste. Add water by filling all the empty cans once and stir. Then add your spices; you need half a handful of Italian seasoning, two handfuls of basil, a handful of oregano, two-thirds of a handful of chopped Italian parsley, and just enough ground clove to coat the tip of a knife. Let this mixture simmer, stirring every five minutes to prevent scorching, on medium low until thickened. If it gets too thick, just add more water. In the last ten minutes of cooking, add a quarter cup of Chianti and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.
Meanwhile, make your Italian sausage for meatballs. For every three pounds of meat, combine two Tablespoons each of sugar, garlic, fennel, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. Add a quarter cup of sweet red wine and mix all the ingredients together. Mold into balls, distribute evenly on baking sheets, and bake at 350 degrees until browned and cooked through.
Serve all this with cooked spaghetti and, if desired, garlic bread.
Will said this is my best attempt yet at making this, but that it needed to simmer a bit longer because I added too much water. I plan on making meatball subs with the leftover sauce anyway, so that's not exactly a huge deal. I plan on freezing the rest and giving some to my parents and grandmother to use, since they tend to really like this recipe.

Lemony Linguine: Fresh, Easy, and Delicious

I was looking for recipes with which to experiment, and this one seemed right. I'm glad I tried it, and will gladly try it again.
First, cook 2 cups total of spinach and broccoli; drain if necessary. Meanwhile, cook your linguine according to the package directions; drain when ready and return to the original pan. Add the vegetables, a can of unsweetened low-fat evaporated milk, a package of neufchatel cheese, a pinch of nutmeg, a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste; cook just until the cheeses are melted and serve immediately.
Will and I both thoroughly enjoyed this dish; it's flavorful, tasty, and fresh tasting. This is a great vegetarian dish packed with nutrients and is low fat to boot. If you aren't a fan of spinach or broccoli, just switch out some of your favorites instead and you'll still wind up with a nutritionally dense, quick, and easy meal everyone will love. Even better still, if you have everything ready to go instantly or a good kitchen triangle, this will take you all of about twenty minutes, so it's especially good if you have a large family you need to feed fast or, like me, one very hungry spouse.

Chicken Milan: Tasty, But a Bit Too Garlicky For My Liking

My chicken had finally defrosted, so it was time to make chicken Milan. This was not necessarily a difficult recipe, but it still left me with slightly frayed nerves.
First, heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium to medium-low heat; add four cloves of minced garlic and saute until they start to brown and add pepper to taste; meanwhile, cook some linguine according to the package directions. Pour the garlic mixture into a bowl and set it aside. Dredge your chicken tenders first in a mixture of flour, basil, salt, and pepper; then into two beaten eggs; and cook in the pan you cooked your garlic in until the chicken is cooked through. By this time, your linguine should be ready, so drain it and put it on a plate; pour the oil and garlic mixture over and top with the chicken tenders.
I liked it, but found it to be too garlicky, so the next time I make it, I'll only add two cloves instead of four. Needless to say, I'm really glad I didn't use the eight cloves the recipe initially called for. Will, who loves garlic and often complains when I don't use enough, loved it.

Penne With Creamy Mushrooms: Rich and Delicious

The chicken I had started to defrost decided it didn't want to, so I wound up making one of the meatless dishes I set up. This dish was easily something I will make again, so I wasn't disappointed.
First, melt a couple Tablespoons butter and add a Tablespoon of olive oil; once the butter's melted, add six sliced shallots and cook on low until they're softened. Add a few sliced mushrooms and cook til softened; an salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a teaspoon of flour. Add two-thirds of a cup of cream and two Tablespoons of port as well as four ounces of drained sun-dried tomatoes. Cook this for eight minutes, stirring occasionally, on low. Meanwhile, cook your penne according to the package directions; once it's cooked, drain and add the penne to the skillet containing your sauce and toss to coat.
Will and I both thoroughly enjoyed this dish. I would definitely make it again, but next time I won't add the flour; the sauce thickened way too much, like to the point of separating.

Hot Dogs With Caramelized Onions and Potatoes: Summer's Last Hurrah

As most of you know, hot dogs come in packages of eight; I had three left over and decided to make a skillet dish as a sort of last hurrah of summer before it comes time to make use of my oven again. It worked out okay, but I think it needs some tweaking before it can be amazing.
I fried the onions and potatoes in an even ratio of butter and oil so everything browns correctly. Once everything was browned to my liking, I added the three hot dogs to the mix and browned them as well and served them with vegetables.
I liked it and was happy with it, but Will complained that there wasn't enough meat. Apparently two hot dogs is not enough for a man trying to lose weight. I'm a little frustrated at his complaint, especially since he's the one telling me to use less meat in my cooking, but I guess he's always going to go back and forth on everything he says from now until eternity.

Splurge Night: Fettuccine With Onion Cream Sauce

I had some onion cream sauce left over and I decided that since I got home late from helping Will's mom repotting orchids, it would be a perfect meal to put together. I was right; there were no leftovers, as I was hoping.
First, scrape your leftover sauce into the saucepan; add cream, cheese, and a splash of dry white wine. Simmer this til it's thickened and bubbly. Meanwhile, cook your fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain your pasta when it's ready and pour your sauce over the pasta; toss to coat.
Will loved it, as did I. Sometimes all you need is a simple flavor, and this fits the bill. However, I wasn't so daft in picking something quick and easy that I forgot to add vegetables; I heated up some carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower to go with the pasta, and they complemented each other quite well.

Potato Bake With Beans and Franks: Easy and Very Tasty

As a general rule, we always have Heinz baked beans, cheddar cheese, and potatoes lying around the house, so it's a cheap and easy fix to add hot dogs and make this easy dish. This meal is so easy to make that your college roommate could make it without issue.
First, bring some water to boil and add four roughly diced potatoes; cook until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, slice four hot dogs and mix in a casserole dish with a 13.5 ounce can of Heinz baked beans. Once your potatoes are tender, drain them, add two Tablespoons of butter and seasoned salt and pepper to taste, and mash with a fork. Layer the potatoes on top and cover the potatoes with grated cheddar cheese. Bake in a 425 degree oven and cook til the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling.
Will and I really enjoyed this and, while my recipe said it was supposed to serve two people, we had half a casserole's worth of leftovers, and I used my small casserole. I used uncured all beef hot dogs, but you could easily use bratwurst or any other gourmet sausages to add some extra flair to the recipe, or tofu dogs, if you're a vegetarian or simply trying to go meatless.

Chicken Piccata: Made It With a Twist On the Fly

I made chicken piccata last night; unfortunately, I didn't realize I didn't have enough ingredients, so I had to improvise the wine sauce. Despite those setbacks, it all worked out and was tasty.
First, pound your chicken breasts to about half inch thickness; to do this without destroying your meat, wrap it in cellophane and then go to town pounding it out. Then, stick them in a plastic bag with a quarter cup of flour spiced with salt and pepper to taste and shake the bag to coat the chicken. Meanwhile, melt some butter on medium heat and add the chicken to the pan; brown the breasts. Add some white wine; I didn't have enough white wine and so had to use a bit of red as well; bring this mixture to a boil and let it simmer twelve minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add a bit of lemon juice; I didn't have any lemon, but I did have some dried lemon zest for when I make houska, so that worked well, and serve your the chicken.
While my chicken was tasty, the star of the show was a frozen mushroom risotto from Trader Joe's that I wound up doctoring using saffron, cream, milk, Italian seasoning, and provolone and Parmesan cheeses. I also served this with carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Beef Biryani: Takes a Long Time, But Is Worth It

Will and I volunteered to watch our local boy scout camp in the off season to prevent vandalism, so we needed something that took a while for dinner on Friday night because the joke is, right when you sit down to eat is when a unit needs to be checked in or someone needs directions. We got a little more than we bargained for, between the altitude and that I forgot some of the necessary equipment.
Chop one onion and put it into a blender with two chopped garlic cloves, some ginger, and two Tablespoons of flaked or sliced almonds. Add a quarter cup of water and blend til it forms a smooth paste. Stick it into a bowl and set it aside. Thinly slice a second onion into rings and heat some butter in a stove proof casserole dish; cook the onions until they are a golden brown, then transfer them to a plate with a slotted spoon. Cook two Tablespoons of flaked almonds until golden and transfer them to the same plate as the onions. Add two Tablespoons of golden raisins and cook them til they plump up and transfer to the same plate as the onions and almonds.
Heat some more butter and add a pound and quarter of cubed braising beef; cook til evenly browned on all sides and transfer to a different plate from your onions.
Wipe the dish clean, heat a little more butter, and add the spice paste; cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to slightly brown. Stir in a Tablespoon of ground cumin, half a teaspoon of ground turmeric, half a teaspoon of ground fenugreek, and a pinch of cinnamon; season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
Lower the heat and add three quarters of a cup of plain yogurt a little at a time until all of it is added to the spice mixture. Return the meat to the pan, stir to coat, and simmer for forty minutes or until the meat is tender; meanwhile, soak a cup of rice in water for twenty minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325. Drain the rice, and put in a pan with five cups of hot water; bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Drain the rice and pile it on top of the beef. Make a hole in the center using the handle of a wooden spoon. Place the fried onion mixture on top of the rice, cover the casserole with foil, and bake for thirty minutes.
Will and I agreed this was an excellent dish. I will definitely make this again.

Fettuccine With Chicken and Onion Cream Sauce: Time Consuming, But Worth It

I had a meeting yesterday and, while I normally don't make dinner on meeting nights, I had to because we didn't have any leftovers.
First, you heat your oil and saute a clove of minced garlic on medium low until it starts to color; I know the temptation will be strong to turn up the heat, but trust me that if you do you risk burning your garlic. Add your chicken breasts, raise the heat to medium, and cook the chicken until it's cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut into slices. Reduce the heat to medium low and add a diced onion; cook it until it's soft. Add a teaspoon of chicken base and half a cup of water; bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Add a cup and a half of cream, a quarter cup of milk, a half a cup of Parmesan cheese, and six scallions sliced on the bias including the green part; mix well. Let this simmer on medium, stirring frequently, until thickened. Meanwhile, cook your fettuccine according to the package directions. To serve, put your fettuccine on a plate, place a few slices of chicken on it, and spoon a bit of sauce on top.
I served boiled baby artichokes with tarragon-lemon butter on the side. To make this, all you do is trim your artichokes with a pair of kitchen shears so that all the spiky parts are removed and trim the stem and the loosest leaves. Put these in a pan of salted boiling water and cook for fifteen minutes or until tender; if you use globe, or standard size, artichokes, double the time you cook them. To make the tarragon-lemon butter, put half a Tablespoon butter, the juice of half a lemon, and a couple pinches of tarragon in a glass pinch bowl and microwave until melted. To eat, dip your artichoke leaves in the butter.
Will and I really liked this, and only half an artichoke and a little of the fettuccine was left over. I will definitely make this again because it turned out so well.

Lettuce Wraps: Quick and Fun

I was going to make pork chops and then pull the meat to make lettuce wrap, but since I burned one side of the chops while grilling them, I decided to just pull them and make the wraps instead.
First, pull your pork using two forks to pull it apart. Then add a can of rinsed and drained black beans, salsa, a diced tomato, a can of diced green chilies, cumin, salt, lime juice, and garlic powder; mix it all together and refrigerate while you prepare your lettuce. Rinse your Romaine lettuce leaves and tear off the really fibrous ends; discard them because they are useless due to the fact that they are so fibrous. Once your lettuce is rinsed and patted dry, put a scoop of the pork mixture into the center, put a little sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, and fold the leafy end of the lettuce over.
Will was really funny because when he first looked at it, he complained that this meal was a little too experimental for his tastes. Then he bit into and learned that you can't judge a meal by its appearance.  I enjoyed it, but I think next time I will add in some cheese just to add some extra flavor. This is really easy to make vegetarian or vegan simply because all you have to do is take out the meat, maybe add a few extra vegetables, and voila! You have an amazing meal at your fingertips.

Chile Rellenos Con Guacamole: Easy and Tasty

This recipe marked a few firsts for me. It was my first time roasting and peeling chilies and also my first time making rellenos that weren't baked. All in all, this was a good experience and proof positive that homemade doesn't have to be back breaking labor; it can be pretty easy.
First, roast and peel four Anaheim chilies. This is as simple as heating your broiler, putting your chilies on a baking sheet, and leaving them under the broiler until the skins are blistered. Then stick them in a plastic bag and let them steam for fifteen minutes. Finally take them out and peel them. Once all of them are peeled, cut as small a slit as you can, leaving the stem on, and remove all the seeds. Stick them in a bowl of salted water and let them sit for half an hour.
Meanwhile, make your vinaigrette by combining four Tablespoons oil, two Tablespoons white vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley; mix well. Make your guacamole by slicing two or three peeled avocados, mashing them with a fork, and adding fresh diced tomatoes, cumin, lime or lemon juice, and salt to taste. Usually when I make guacamole I use lemon juice, but since I have a lime tree with fresh limes less than fifty feet from my back door, I used limes.
By this time your chilies should be ready. Drain them, rinse them, and drain them again. Stick two chilies on each plate, fill them with the guacamole, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Will immediately smelled the vinaigrette, but said that the one bite he did try was not vinegary thanks to the guacamole. Sadly, his stomach was rather bilious from eating leftover curry so he decided not to chance it. I loved it, but forgot that the chilies I purchased were from Hatch, New Mexico. For the record, mild chilies from New Mexico are about the same as medium chilies from California. I am so glad my local supermarket had them due to the Hatch chili festival being this weekend, and that I didn't buy the hot ones!

Minestrone: Not Exactly Quick, But Easy and Tasty

I decided to make my own vegetable stock, since I had a great deal of mire poix vegetables left over from making chicken stock. As a result, I thought making a nice minestrone would allow us to get in more vegetables and make use of some of the stock I prepared.
First, making stock is pretty simple; just use more vegetables than you did when you made chicken stock and don't use any meat. Once your stock is a pretty golden color, you can add your vegetables. The sky is the limit with adding vegetables, herbs, and spices; I personally added canned roasted and diced tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Once the vegetables are tender, serve piping hot with bread and butter.
Will and I both liked it, but Will did have one complaint to make with this; I forgot that many minestrone recipes include either pasta or beans.

Tofu and Green Bean Curry: Easy and Really Good

Will and I ate at restaurants most of the weekend, so I figured we needed to eat something vegan and cook the mushrooms I got for this recipe. While Will probably disagrees with me, I don't like the taste of reheated tofu, so make sure someone in the house does or else make sure you eat it all.
First, add about a third of a can of coconut milk and heat until you notice an oily sheen on the surface. Then add two Tablespoons of red curry paste, three Tablespoons fish sauce, and two teaspoons of palm sugar or light brown sugar and mix well. Then add 8 ounces of whole button mushrooms and coat them with the sauce. Add the remainder of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Stir in tofu and fresh or frozen green beans and cook for six to eight more minutes or until heated through. Add sliced fresh red peppers and serve. I used Thai hot peppers or, as my family calls them, boonie peppers, but you could add red jalapenos to it no problem.
Will was not too happy about the boonie peppers in the curry, but it was a good thing that I made a raita with yogurt, a lemon cucumber hybrid, and fresh tomato to go with it. I also served it with a saffron rice. All it takes to make that is to add a pinch of saffron to your boiling water when you make rice, and the result is a fragrant yellow rice.

Beans: Not As Difficult As You Think

I finally remembered to soak my beans and cooked them. This is one of the first times I've made them, and I have to say they didn't turn out half bad.
First, rinse, soak, and make sure you don't have any stones in among your beans. Next, just barely cover them with water, add a diced onion, some garlic powder, and some ground thyme; boil this mixture for three hours, stirring occasionally while also making sure the beans remain covered with water, until the beans are tender. If you want to add meat to your beans, add a couple ham hocks or, better yet, a smoked turkey leg, when you add the onion and spices to the beans. This time, I made it completely vegetarian, but to each his own.
This made a great accompaniment to leftover chilaquiles, and I plan on freezing the leftovers to use in soups, stews, and sides. All in all, it was a good experience.

Chilaquiles: Easy, Fast, and Cheap

Will had Spanish class and was consequently home late. Luckily I keep supplies for this particular recipe on hand in the event that I'm not feeling well or he has a class or work that runs late. This recipe is so simple that even a ten year old could figure it out, and best yet, you can cook it in the microwave or the oven depending on how much of a hurry you're in.
First, know there are two ways of doing this recipe. The first is, you can choose to crumble up the tortilla chips that make up the chilaquiles. The second is to leave the chips intact. I prefer the latter method, and Will grew up with the former. Either way, all you do is put a handful of tortilla chips into a casserole dish, add just enough enchilada sauce to coat the chips (too much and your chilaquiles will end up really greasy) and add a handful of grated cheddar and cotija cheeses, again tossing to coat. Continue layering until the casserole dish is filled. If you're doing this in the microwave, hold off on topping this with cheese until after it's been microwaved for eight minutes, then take it out, add the cheese, and return for another two minutes. Then let it sit for five minutes, as it will be super hot. If you are doing this in the oven, top the chilaquiles with cheese and bake it in a 350 degree oven for twenty minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
This time, Will added a bit too much enchilada sauce and as a result it had a greasy sheen on the top. Other than that, it was pretty darn good. Usually we serve this with refried beans, but I didn't have anymore canned pinto beans handy and spaced on soaking some dried beans overnight. Even better, if you prefer a meatier option for dinner, just add some leftover shredded chicken or ground beef to each layer in addition to the cheese. In fact, this is why I like to make this dish a couple days after I make my exponentially expanding enchiladas.

Pappardelle With Broccoli: Easy and Tasty

I've had a gastrointestinal virus since Sunday and have been unable to cook or eat anything that isn't on the brat diet. Tonight was my first night off said diet, and while my choice was a mistake, the food was pretty darn good.
Cook your pappardelle in salted boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt some butter and cook a diced onion for four minutes or until soft. Add a half cup of vegetable stock and simmer. Then add half a cup of cream and half a cup of grated mozzarella. Stir until thickened, and add nutmeg and a pound of broccoli florets. Finally, add the pappardelle and toss to coat.
We both really liked this particular recipe. It wound up giving me heartburn, but that was more that I ate too fast and it was my first non-brat diet meal in four days.

Barbecue Chicken: Easy and Tasty

I had some leftover homemade barbecue sauce in my freezer, and thought, 'why not use it to make barbecue chicken?' While the sauce takes a bit of extra work, it's totally worth it, and freezes really well.
First, make the sauce. This will make a large amount of sauce, so marinate your meat in some of it and freeze the rest for later use. Start by sweating 8 ounces of diced onion and 1 ounce of chopped garlic in 1 ounce of oil until tender. Sweating is a process that means you're keeping it at low heat so that nothing browns but the flavor is still extracted from the foods you're sweating. Once everything's nice and tender, add 6 ounces red wine, an ounce of brown sugar, 2 ounces agave nectar, 8 ounces beef stock, 10 ounces ketchup, 1 ounce dry mustard, a spoonful of apricot preserves, and salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste, and simmer for half an hour.
Then, baste or marinate your chicken according to what you typically do; each person does it a little differently, so I won't interfere with that. Finally, stick it on a hot grill and grill, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through.
I served this with instant mashed potatoes and broccoli. I really don't like to use instant anything, but I only had one potato left, Will doesn't like rice with his barbecue, and we had this packet that my mother in-law brought over while I was sick, so we dealt with it.
Will loves this barbecue sauce, and I like that I know everything that's in it and can get an amazing recipe out of it in the process.

Carrot Casserole: Will Figured Out How To Make It Tastier

This traditional Finnish dish has been a staple food for Will and me for a year; whenever I buy too many carrots and we have a lot of leftover rice, I make this simple and tasty dish.
First, mix together a cup of cooked rice, four cups of grated carrots, a Tablespoon of brown sugar, a Tablespoon of salt, two cups of milk, and two eggs. Pour this into a greased casserole dish, sprinkle a third of a cup of breadcrumbs on top, and place a divided Tablespoon of butter on top of the breadcrumbs. Bake this in a 375 degree oven for forty-five minutes. Serve piping hot.
Will and I love to make this; it's easy to assemble and doesn't take much effort to make. Tonight, Will decided it needed something as we were eating. To be honest, it is a Finnish recipe, which means it can be rather bland, so he was right that it needed something. He added some cinnamon, and it gave the needed pop that was missing. From now on, I will definitely add cinnamon to the recipe.

Taco Salad: Experimented With Some Success

We haven't had taco salad in a couple months, so I decided to make it. This time, I added a few extra bits to try and make it a bit more special. Parts of it worked, while I would change a few things the next time I make this. I know most people will tell you that taco salad is the worst thing to order on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, but just bear with me and you'll see that in this case, homemade is the better route in this case.
First of all, ditch the chalupa (this is the fried tortilla bowl most taco salads come in; it's deep fried, which means excess fat that will kill a diet in its tracks if you're not careful). Your waistline will thank you. Second, most restaurants use iceberg lettuce in their taco salads. Not only is it very low in fiber, the only nutritional value that you can derive from it is water, so you're much better off going with a dark, leafy green like Romaine lettuce. Finally, use a lot of vegetables. Tomatoes are pretty standard, as are avocados, and some members of my family will even use canned peas.
One of the two biggest changes I made in comparison to last time was I added canned jalapeno slices to my ground beef this time. It added a nice zing to the meat; the problem was it was too spicy for my liking, which is a rarity. The other big change was we made our own refried beans, which is to say, we pureed some canned pinto beans and fried them in grapeseed oil with spices and cheese. There were a couple smaller changes, like the fact that I added cotija cheese to the cheese mix and used low fat Greek yogurt as a topping on the salad itself to help cut the heat.
Will and I both agreed that the beans were great, but the beef needed fewer jalapenos. Now I know for future reference and am glad I took the risk and tried something new.

Tomatillo Chicken: Pure Deliciousness

I must admit that I've never worked with tomatillos before, but after this experience, I will definitely work with them again.
First, start your broiler. Put your chicken breasts into a broiler or roasting pan. Once your broiler is good and hot, stick your chicken breasts in the oven about four inches from the broiler. Meanwhile, cook a chopped onion in oil until it's tender. Add six husked and chopped tomatillos and six chopped pickled jalapeno slices. By this time, you should need to turn over your chicken. Add a clove of minced garlic to the pan with your onions and stir. Add some cumin, salt, and pepper, and turn the heat to low. Meanwhile, slice some provolone cheese to put on the chicken breasts once they are cooked through. Once that happens, put the provolone slices on the breasts and cook until melted. To serve, put your tomatillo mixture over some piping hot cooked rice, and serve the chicken breast next to or on top of that. Serve with vegetables of your choice.
This was a pretty simple recipe that turned out fabulous. Will was afraid of it being too spicy for his liking, but he wound up loving it.

Garbanzo Curry With Minted Rice: Really Good and Pretty Easy

I've made the minted rice before, but I've never made the garbanzo curry that usually goes with it. Now I know this is an amazing vegan meal if you don't serve it with the cucumber salad I used as a side.
First, prepare the salad. Cut up your cucumbers, add your tomatoes and jalapeno, and mix in yogurt and salt and pepper to taste. Stick this in the refrigerator while you cook the curry and rice.
You're going to want to start on the rice because that will take the longest. First, toast a cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and cloves in oil or clarified butter until aromatic. Then add one cup of rice and toast it without burning it. The toasting for the spices and rice lends a richer flavor to the spices and adds a unique texture to the rice. Then add some fresh chopped mint and one and three quarter cups water. Bring this to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer. Meanwhile, cook one chopped onion in oil or clarified butter with a cinnamon stick until the onion is tender. Add a small amount of garlic, ginger, and curry powder. I toast and grind my own. The next time I make korma, I will have to grind some more and will gladly share the recipe. Cook this mixture a minute longer and add your drained can of garbanzo beans, tomato sauce, and a cup of water. Let this simmer to thicken. By the time it thickens, your rice should be ready. Fluff it and serve everything.
I've made the cucumber salad before, and it's always a hit. The rice was much better using fresh mint rather than dried, and the curry was awesome. This recipe is a definite keeper.

Fish Tacos: Tasty and Fun

Normally I don't eat fish because I live in a landlocked state, but tilapia was one sale and is a sustainable fish, so I went for it. Sadly it was preseasoned, so I can't take credit for the wonderful flavors that enveloped this dish.
First, take your fish out of the packaging and season it. Again, the fish I used was preseasoned because it was the only frozen sustainable fish I could find that wasn't breaded and deep fried. It had lime zest, cilantro, and salt, so it was seasoned pretty simply, which works well with tacos. Anyway, you then take the filets and cook them any way you like. I pan cooked them without any oil because that's just the way I prefer it. If you want to bread and bake them, that would work, and grilling would make some amazingly flavored fish. While your fish is cooking, cut up some lettuce and tomatoes. If you want to do Baja style fish tacos, use cabbage instead of lettuce; the reason I did is because cabbage is out of season right now, which means I'd have to go with cabbage from Chile or New Zealand, and that's just not eco friendly. Finally, warm up your tortillas. Once the fish flakes when pierced with a fork, it's ready.
Will loved it and now has leftovers for when he goes to work on Tuesday. I enjoyed it and will be playing further with this recipe.

Okra in Yogurt Sauce: Tasty and Quick

Last night I needed to make something vegetarian since my meat hasn't finished defrosting yet. I haven't yet made my vegetable stock, so I didn't want to make carrot casserole until after I did that. Thus, I had two Indian dishes I could have made. I showed Will the two dishes I had planned and he picked this one. I was pleasantly surprised on the flavor, and will definitely be growing okra next year just to make this dish again.
Heat some grapeseed oil or, if you're feeling more authentic, clarified butter. You can either get this premade at a well-stocked grocery store or make it yourself by melting butter and skimming off all the cloudy materials to make a clear substance. In doing so you raise the smoke point because you have pure fat instead of the milk solids and water that is in whole butter. Add one thinly sliced onion and two or three diced green chilies. Cook this until the onions are golden and add two teaspoons of shredded coconut, stirring constantly. Then add sliced fresh or frozen okra and cook until golden brown. Finally, add a Tablespoon of plain yogurt and two quartered tomatoes; cook until everything's warmed through. Serve it over rice.
I undercooked the rice slightly, but the okra turned out fantastic. Will and I agreed this is something worth making again. Also, just for a note, this does not reheat well so don't make extra with the intent of reheating it.

Risotto Milanese: Easy, But High Maintenance

I had some extra mushrooms and decided to make my almost famous mushroom risotto Milanese. Sadly, while I was sick, my mushrooms had gone bad, so I ended up making my risotto without them. Usually I make this as a side dish with my coffee molasses pork chops, but because I'm not feeling well, I decided this would do nicely as a plain main course.
First, melt some butter and cook a diced onion in it until the onion is translucent. Add a cup of arborio rice and toss to coat in the butter; do not let it brown. Then, add a bit of dry white wine; I prefer sauvignon blanc, but this time I used chardonnay. Once the rice has soaked it up, add a saffron tea made from saffron soaked in hot water. Once the rice soaks that up, slowly add about a quart of chicken stock to your rice; once one portion of stock is soaked up, add another portion. Stir this mixture frequently, or you will end up with a scorched sticky mess in your pan. Once all the stock is soaked up (this should take about fifteen to twenty minutes, sometimes as little as ten), add some Parmesan cheese and a bit of butter, stir your risotto well, and voila! You have a risotto that people will die to try.
Will, as usual, loved it, but he did miss the extra flavor the mushrooms impart on this dish. Although I didn't add much to mine, don't feel limited by your ingredients; you can easily dress this up and add anything. Add Romano and Gorgonzola cheeses to make an unforgettable three cheese risotto, or add asparagus to it to add some color and rich flavor. I've even heard of adding shrimp along with the Parmesan and butter; the only problem with that is, be careful with when you put them in because nobody likes rubbery seafood.

Avocado Wraps: Fresh and Simple

I've had a massive ear infection that has resulted in severe sinus issues and thus the inability to cook or eat. Luckily, I'm on antibiotics, so I'm starting to feel much better; my temperature has stopped fluctuating erratically and I can hear out of both ears again. I'm still running an above average temperature, though, so using heat is the last thing I wish to do. I had avocado wraps on the menu, so this caveat wasn't exactly difficult to take care of.
All you do is warm up some tortillas; I used plain flour, but if you want to up the flavor and fiber by using multigrain tortillas, go ahead. You want the tortillas flexible, not hot, so don't worry if they didn't get very hot. Put some slices of avocado in the middle, followed by slices of cucumber (I used hot house because they are smaller so they require less cutting and I prefer the flavor they have to your standard English), halved grape tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Wrap all this up and you have a delicious dinner. If you want to use something to help keep your filling attached, use a bit of mayonnaise or mustard, and for a bit of zing, add some Tobasco sauce.
Will and I found this a nice way to take a break, especially since it was so hot out yesterday. Will's was vegan because he doesn't like mayonnaise and didn't use any Tobasco sauce where mine wasn't because I used mayonnaise and Tobasco (they use chicken stock to make it).

Matzo Ball Soup: Easy, Delicious Comfort Food

My husband and I have colds, so I decided to make something that wouldn't tire me out, but would soothe our sore throats. This did just that.
First, prepare your matzo balls. Take two matzos and either crush them, put them into the blender, or pulse in the food processor. I was a bit woozy, so I opted for the safest method and crushed them with a meat tenderizer. Next, beat together two eggs, two tablespoons chicken stock, and two tablespoons of either chicken fat or grapeseed oil. Add your crushed matzos and pepper to taste; mix until just combined. Let that sit while you bring two quarts of chicken stock to a boil; reduce to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then moisten your hands, bring the bowl containing the matzo ball batter to the pan of simmering stock, and roll your matzo balls, dunking them into the pan of hot broth. Make sure to keep your hands nice and moist. Once the matzo balls are tender, serve the soup nice and hot.
Will and I both loved it. He even asked me if I had enough eggs to make more while we're still fighting it off, which mean he may want it again later this week.

Vegan Three Sisters Soup: This Defrosted Failure Got a Revamp

I made this soup last year and froze it despite its being an utter failure with the intent of coming back to it and making it palatable. I didn't think it was salvageable, but it came out very good.
First, if you're going to use dried beans not canned beans, soak them overnight, drain them, and go through them to make sure you don't have any unwanted surprises in the beans. You only need about two cups, so it shouldn't be a huge deal. Next, cut up two carrots and a butternut squash; set aside. Boil your beans in vegetable stock for two or three hours, add some frozen or canned corn, and your butternut squash. Simmer this for thirty-five minutes or until the squash is barely tender. Add your carrot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer until the carrot and squash are tender. Needless to say, this recipe was pretty bland. What I did to change it was added more salt, since I didn't add enough, added Italian seasoning, and added some Tobasco to it. One thing for the vegans in the audience, read the ingredient labels. Some hot sauces add chicken stock, and that kind of ruins the point of making a vegan soup.
Will and I really liked it. The squash fell apart and incorporated into the broth, which gave a velvety texture that was missing in the soup before. The Tobasco gave a nice zip that was absent and lifted the flavor of the soup drastically.

Zucchini and Eggplant Parmigiana: Time Consuming, But Can Be Nutritious

I had a massive zucchini Will received from a coworker. I baked 43 muffins and two large loaves of bread with it, and still had zucchini to spare. I realized I bought an extra eggplant at the grocery store and decided to make Parmigiana since I had the oven running. This recipe has a bad reputation of being one of the worst recipes for you, but with a few tricks it can be made less bad.
For one, there is the sauce. Most tomato sauces have a handful of spices and are full of sugar. The way I sidestep this is by making my own tomato based Italian sauce. Will's great grandfather hailed from a small town near Florence, and brought the recipe to the US when he immigrated, so every year we make a big vat of it for spaghetti sauce, Parmigiana, or meatball subs. It's basically a Bolognese sauce without all the meat. By sweating mire poix vegetables, you impart a sweetness and add extra vitamins. Also, mushrooms in the sauce add extra texture to the sauce itself and to any dish that includes the sauce, plus if you use mushrooms that have added Vitamin D, you are again getting a pleasant addition of nutrients.
For another, you don't have to bread eggplant or zucchini as heavily as you do a chicken unless you plan on deep frying it. Just enough to create a barrier so the eggplant doesn't absorb too much oil and get greasy while frying is plenty.
Finally, be judicious with your cheese. Try to use a part-skim mozzarella, and don't go crazy with the Parmesan.
Now that we have the tips to slim it down, let's go on with the recipe. First, spice your breadcrumbs; I use lots of basil and Italian seasoning in my recipe and I prefer panko to fine breadcrumbs because it takes less of them to coat the food. Don't bother with salt; in Italian food, the cheeses and sauce do the talking, so the crumbs and vegetables don't need it. Then mix eggs and milk together. Dip your eggplant and/or zucchini into the crumbs first; don't worry about giving them a thorough coating because you are just going to dip it in the egg wash. Then dip it in the egg wash, let the excesses drip off the vegetable, and put it back in the crumbs. Again, you don't have to coat all sides, just the flat parts need to be coated, and even they only need a light coating. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium-low; if you go any higher, you risk smoking the oil and burning the vegetables. Add the vegetables and cook until the crumbs are golden brown on both sides. Continue until all your vegetables are fried. Finally, it's time to layer. First get a nice deep casserole dish; if you go too shallow, your sauce will end up dripping out and onto the bottom of your oven. Layer one layer of vegetable, spoon generous spoonfuls of sauce over each slice, and put one slice of mozzarella onto each sauced vegetable. Sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan over the top, and repeat until all vegetables have been used. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Will and I both loved it; Will had one and a half helpings, and had to fight the urge to go back for thirds. Also, to help keep your weight down, leave two servings in the fridge for lunches and freeze the rest, like we do. Your waistline will thank you for it.

Fusilli with Zucchini: Delicious and Quick

I've made this once before and, since we bought two zucchini at the grocery store when we needed just one, I thought of making this recipe. I was not disappointed; in fact I think it turned out better than the last time I made it.
First, heat some olive oil on medium low and add a thinly sliced onion; cook until the onion is golden brown. Add two diced garlic cloves, and rosemary and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1 julienned zucchini and cook until crisp-tender; season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook your fusilli according to the package directions, drain, add some additional olive oil, and mix the zucchini mixture into the fusilli. If you feel that it needs Parmesan, feel free to add it.
As soon as Will walked in the house he said it smelled good. In fact, it made him so hungry that he had to go into our cupboard and get a small morsel to tide him over. We both loved it; Will must have gone up for three helpings.

Splurge Night: Blue Cheese Pasta

This was supposed to contain walnuts, but when I went to open the bag so I could measure out a cup of them, two flour moths flew out! I managed to kill one, but the other got in between the wall and my cupboard in such a way that I couldn't kill it. Hopefully it wasn't female and the two moths didn't mate, otherwise I'll have a serious crisis on my hands and will be even angrier than I was last night. Luckily we called the grocery store and let them know they had contaminated food, and they told us to return it in the next few days. What irks me is, this is a supermarket I've gone to and bought pasta from before and they are very clean. Perhaps it was the factory where the nuts were packaged that were lax, since they produce both organic and non organic nuts, and with organic products, you can't apply the same sanitation practices on packaging as you can nonorganic products. This is why I believe that some products such as grains and starches should not be sold organic; if you have to stick it in a plastic bag, it's likely to be contaminated and thus is not safe to eat.
I brought a pan of salted water to a boil and cook some penne pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, I melted a little bit of butter and added some diced shallots to it. Once they were browned I added some brandy to them; I used Grand Marnier, but any will do. Then I added a cup of cream and seven ounces of crumbled gorgonzola and let it cook til the cheese had melted and the sauce was thickened. I then added some frozen spinach and heated it through. I then poured my sauce over my pasta.
Will loved it; in fact, he went up for three helpings. I really liked it, although I was still pretty angry about the lack of walnuts, so I was kind of just eating without really thinking critically of what it was that I was eating.

Berry-Orange Game Hens: Summery, But Heats Up the House

I was considering grilling these instead of roasting them, but I'm glad I decided to roast them. This will be one of the recipes I keep on hand for a long time.
First, grate enough zest off an orange to measure about a teaspoon. Slice the orange in half widthwise and cut a thin from each half; quarter each thin slice. Take out two Cornish Game Hens and loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs; stick a quartered slice in each pocket that you have made. Season the hens with seasoned salt and pepper, put the hens in a roasting pan, and roast the hens in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine grape juice, strawberry jam, and juice from the remainder of the orange in a saucepan; bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened. Add the zest; if you add the zest too soon, your sauce will get bitter, so make sure to add it once the sauce is thickened and not before. Once the forty minutes are up on the hens, baste them in the sauce by pouring the sauce over the top of them. Roast the chickens for another 10 to 20 minutes or until the chickens measure 165 degrees for at least fifteen seconds.
I served this with baked potatoes and corn. I really liked it, and Will liked it so well that he actually ate the skin. He never eats skin because he doesn't like the texture of fat.

Stuffed Pork Chops: My Skills on Making Pockets in Meat Need Work

I decided to make orange glazed pork chops for dinner. The thing I didn't expect was, I didn't get thick enough chops, so stuffing them was a pain in the neck.
First, you saute some onions and mushrooms in oil until the onions are just tender, then take it off the heat and add some frozen spinach, ginger, and panko, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Then you cut a pocket in your pork chop, spoon some of the stuffing inside, and hold the opening shut with toothpicks. Season the outside of the chops with salt and pepper and stick them on a hot grill. Grill them for 35 to 45 minutes, turning only once and basting them with orange marmalade in the last five minutes; if you don't like orange marmalade, you could always use apricot jam instead. While the chops are resting, cook some sliced green onions in hot oil until tender; serve these next to the chops.
As I said before, I couldn't get a lot of the stuffing in because I had purchased chops that were too thin. Make sure that you have nice thick pork chops when you make this, otherwise you will have the same problem I did. The up side was, I was able to serve the stuffing as a side. I also served this with a baked potato, but really, any starch would do.
Will and I thoroughly enjoyed it; in fact, we both managed to eat a whole chop each.

Griled Portobello Pizzas: Simple and Tasty

This is one of my biggest summer hits because it is all done on the grill, and all I dirty is a plate, a cutting board, a cheese grater, and a knife while making it.
All you do is remove the stems from the mushrooms; I freeze them and use them when I make fish stock or vegetable stock. Next, oil the gills with olive oil and season them with seasoned salt and black pepper. If you like a little extra flavor, a little Balsamic vinegar is not a bad idea; I didn't add it this time, but I wish I had thought of that when I was making them rather than when I was eating one. Once your grill is heated, put the mushrooms on gill side down. While they are grilling, dice up some fresh tomatoes and grate up some part skim mozzarella cheese. Take out some frozen spinach to slightly thaw. Once the mushrooms are cooked on the gill side, flip them over, then put the spinach, tomatoes, and finally the cheese on them and cook until the cheese is melted and the spinach is heated through.
Will loved this; as I've said before, this is something I make every summer because we both like it so well. Better yet, we only eat one mushroom each, depending on the size, so all I have to do is get a third one for leftovers for Will to eat at work the next day.

Fettuccine With Sweet Potatoes, Feta, and Olives: Not Very Quick, But Still Tasty

Again, my failure to read the recipe resulted in me roasting in the middle of summer. Luckily, another thunder storm prevented my ability to grill, so it cooled down enough to roast the vegetables for this recipe without overheating the house.
First, I cubed some sweet potatoes and added some crushed garlic and olive oil, tossing to coat the sweet potatoes. I then put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and stuck them in a preheated 400 degree oven. I roasted them on one side for fifteen minutes, turned them over and roasted them another fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, I caramelized some red onion in butter. After that was done, I cooked fettuccine in boiling salted water and drained it, adding the onion to the fettuccine, along with the sweet potato, some basil, some crumbled feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Toss to coat with olive oil.
Will liked it so well that he had three helpings of it. I thought I could have done better, but it still wasn't too bad.

Summer Pasta Salad: It Has Vinegar in It, and Will Liked It

I didn't read the full list of ingredients when I put this on the menu, and was a little apprehensive about serving it to Will, knowing his dislike of all things vinegar. I really shouldn't have worried.
This is pretty simple and requires little to no electricity. First, cook some chicken and spaghetti; I poached my chicken with some dried onion and basil and used whole wheat spaghetti. Once your spaghetti is four minutes from being done, add some fresh green beans to your spaghetti. When the chicken is ready, take it out and leave it to cool; once it's cool, cube it up. Meanwhile, make a vinaigrette using grapeseed oil, white wine vinegar, sugar basil, oregano, garlic, and onion powder. Add sliced fresh zucchini, sliced crookneck squash, halved grape tomatoes, cubed chicken, and sliced red onion. By now, your pasta should be ready. Drain it and add it to the pasta. Toss everything to coat and serve.
Will and I really liked it. The only thing I would have done differently is add more tomatoes and omit the chicken.

Penne With Mushroom-Herb Sauce: Surprisingly Fresh

I have made this once before, and I must say that it tasted better this time.
All you do is saute your mushrooms in some olive oil; mushrooms absorb a lot of oil, so go easy on it. Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil. Add garlic and marjoram and cook for an extra couple minutes. Then add some dry white wine and cook just until it's evaporated. By now your water should be boiling, so add your penne and cook for ten minutes. Add about a third of a cup of cream and cook just until it starts to thicken. Once it's thickened, add a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese and the juice and zest of half a lemon. By now your pasta should be done, so drain the pasta, put it into a bowl, and pour your sauce over it, toss it to coat, and add another one quarter cup of Parmesan to the top. Serve it with some sort of vegetable; I personally used green beans, but any will do.
Last time, I didn't serve this with vegetables and Will was less than pleased. This time, not only did he appreciate the freshness of the sauce, he also liked the way the green beans complemented the pasta with minimum overpowering.

Gyoza: Difficult to Make, Tasty as Hell

I haven't made gyoza in a long time, which explains the lack of a photograph; my gyoza stayed together, but were not very pretty looking. Here is a pretty comprehensive way of making them.
First, make the filling. Take ground pork (if you're vegan/vegetarian, use cabbage, celery, and carrots), cabbage (this time I forgot to add it, but I usually do), green onions, powdered ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, and Vietnamese fish sauce (if you can't find fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce is comparable). Mix all this together until everything is coated evenly.
Take your wonton or gyoza wrappers and cover them with a damp cloth. Keep a small bowl of water nearby. Working quickly, take out one wrapper and place a small amount of meat in the center; fold the wrapper so it resembles a purse, and seal the edges with fingers that were dipped into the cup of water. Set these on a plate and repeat until all your meat is gone.
Heat some oil on medium heat and add your gyoza in a small batch. Brown the outside. Then pour some water into the pan, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Once the water evaporates, take the gyoza out and repeat the process with the raw gyoza until everything is cooked.
While you're doing that, make some ponzu dipping sauce. Pour some soy sauce into small bowls for however many you're feeding and add powdered ginger and yuzu juice; I personally can't find any yuzu in my supermarket, so I used lime juice instead. Mix it well. Serve the gyoza hot with a small bowl of ponzu.
Even though I forgot the cabbage, Will and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. It may end up becoming one of my March stand-bys, since I tend to buy too much cabbage when I make corned beef and cabbage.

Cream of Potato and Sauerkraut Soup: Simple, Effective, and Tasty Use of Leftovers

I know this sounds pretty gross, but in application it is pretty tasty. As I have mentioned before, I am a real stickler when it comes to using leftovers. I had leftover mashed potatoes, so I knew immediately that I wanted to make cream of potato soup, which is an easy Finnish recipe I had picked up on a couple years ago. I also had some sauerkraut left over from when I made hot dogs and decided, why not combine the two and put my own twist on the traditional recipe?
The traditional recipe is pretty straightforward. First, you take about two cups of leftover mashed potatoes and mix them with about two and a half cups of milk, whisking to eliminate as many lumps as possible. Once you do that, slowly whisk in about a cup of half and half; this time I didn't have any half and half, so I made my own using some whipped cream and milk. Then you put it into a pan, if you haven't already, and heat it on medium heat, whisking constantly, until it's slightly thickened and bubbly. Then you add allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Then you put some soup into mugs and top the soup with a half teaspoon of butter. The variation I made was adding the sauerkraut just before it gets to the point of boiling. I also didn't add any butter when serving because, well, it's fatty enough without adding more.
Will wasn't home to try it, since he had to work late, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sauerkraut added a nice zing to it without overpowering the potato flavor. And for those of you who are vegan, all you have to do to make this work for you is use mashed potatoes that have been made with dairy alternatives and instead of milk and half and half, use a soy milk of any other dairy alternative.
UPDATE: Will tried it yesterday for lunch. He enjoyed it as well and wants me to make it again. Perhaps on nights when I have leftover sauerkraut and not enough carrots to make carrot casserole I shall.

Cold Pork and Cheddar Sandwiches: Easy Use of Leftovers

Remember those pork chops I made earlier in the week? Well, I was afraid it would be too salty to make pulled pork with, so I decided on the next best thing: cold sandwiches served with tri-color radiatori with seasoned salt.
The trick to any good sandwich is the bread; you can have an amazing meat and really good cheese, but without good bread to emphasize the flavors, your sandwich will fall flat. I really like to use a San Fransisco sourdough bread, but any artisanal bread will do fine. Then, thinly slice your pork and cheese; if you want to add any other toppings, go for it. For example, I added sweet onion and mayonnaise, but Will had it plain.
We both really enjoyed it. While sandwiches may seem like a cop-out, they do work for something nice for a hot summer evening, especially if you make them into something more than just cold cuts and Kraft singles.

Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut and Caramelized Onions: Quick Yet Simple

It may sound not nutritionally dense, but we did this without any bread, so it's not as bad as it could be. I also used all beef, uncured hot dogs that are low on sodium and, instead of frying them, grilled them; all excess fat wound up in the depths known as my grill burners.
First, I grilled my hot dogs slowly with a smoker box full of hickory chips. The smoke can make up for the lower salt content by adding extra flavor. Meanwhile, I made my Bavarian style sauerkraut and caramelized my onions. With caramelizing onions, you don't need to use much; a little pepper adds a pleasant zing to them without compromising the flavor.
Will liked it, so well that he ate four hot dogs; he never does that.

Beer Butt Chicken: Fun and Tasty

Whole fryer chickens were on sale three weeks ago, so I decided to pick one up to make into beer butt chicken. Unfortunately I forgot to take into account that it's monsoon season. By the time I got the chicken thawed out enough to cook, it had poured; call me crazy, but cooking on a gas grill in the middle of a thunderstorm sounds like a really bad idea. I wound up making this in the oven instead.
First, you preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put the rack for your oven on the bottommost position. Meanwhile, empty half a can of beer into a glass; consider it a treat for yourself. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice; rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage go really well on chicken. Set the half full beer can in the center of a roasting pan and carefully set the chicken's cavity onto the beer can. You should be able to form a tripod with the legs so the chicken doesn't fall over. By now your oven should be ready, so carefully put the chicken in the oven. Cook this for about an hour and fifteen for a four pound bird. Once the chicken is done completely, take it out of the oven and let it sit for about five minutes. Then carefully set the chicken on its side and remove the can while wearing an oven mitt. Remember the oven mitt part specifically; that beer is very likely boiling and the metal can probably doesn't feel too pleasant either. Carve up your chicken and serve with sides of your choice. I personally chose to make baked potatoes and broccoli, but any sides will do, and the pan drippings would have made an awesome gravy, so I froze the drippings for a later date.
My entire family enjoyed it to say the least. Will said this is something I will have to do again. Between the price of fryer chickens and the fact that I can make stock with the bones, I will be happy to do this again.

Cream of Tomato Soup: A Quick, Easy Summer Recipe

This is the single easiest recipe I know how to make. All you need are a couple small ingredients that are easy to keep in and around the home and a little know-how.
All you need is 8 ounces of cream cheese; if you want to slim down, don't go for the low fat. To make it low fat, they have to add all kinds of chemicals to get the texture and consistency right. Try using neufchatel instead; it's lower fat and has no funny stuff in it, plus it's often cheaper than cream cheese. You also need a can of diced tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and milk. I used ones that are roasted with Italian herbs, but really, any canned diced tomatoes will do well. This time, my basil plant is really small (when I lived in my apartment, my basil plant was nearly four feet tall, but due to planting the plant at my house late, it's less than half the height it was at the apartment), so I wound up using dried mixed in with some of the fresh. For those of you who ask me why grow basil, let me tell you that fresh basil is really expensive and generally the first thing to go bad in the fridge. You save a lot of money simply by going outside and getting what you need off your plant; plus it helps your yard to smell fresher.
If you're like me, you hate doing large amounts of dishes. What I do is stick my ingredients in my pan and blend it using my immersion blender. This way, all that needs to be washed is the pan I cooked in and the bottom portion of the immersion blender. Finally, taste it, and alter the seasoning as necessary. Once it tastes right, heat it on medium until it's thick and heated through.
I usually serve this with Caprese sandwiches, but like I said, I didn't have enough basil to get away with that. However, we had oyster crackers, so Will went to town with that.

Sesame Crusted Pork Chops: Added a Twist, Learned a Lesson

I made the sesame crusted chops I made last month. This time, I added a touch of wasabi paste for an extra kick. That was a nice touch, but I think that next time I make this, I won't marinate this as long. It really only needs to marinate for a couple minutes.
This time I served it with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and fresh tomatoes. All in all, it turned out pretty well.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Quick, Easy Use of Leftovers

I made this before we went on vacation and decided to post it now because I forgot to due to packing.
As I've mentioned before, Will and I cannot eat an entire pork chop by ourselves. I've taken to trying to find a solution for the leftovers, and this one is by far the best. What I do is, I take my leftover chops, put them in a bowl, and pull the meat apart with two forks. If the meat is too tough to pull, I let it sit in my marinade, which will be below, and then pull it after a day in the marinade.
I mix together a bit of oil, preferably not olive; molasses, soy sauce, ginger, and a small can of unsweetened pineapple juice. I let my meat sit in this mixture in my refrigerator for at least a day, depending on how tough my meat is.
Once I deem it tender enough, I make sandwiches with it. I get my griddle good and hot, assemble my sandwiches, and get to grilling them. I like to use Swiss cheese and sourdough bread, but any combination will do. I use a panini press that is similar to the George Foreman grill in that it removes a lot of excess fat, although these don't tend to be really fatty unless Will makes them.
I  have done this for nearly two years and not only does it help us to get every penny out of our meat purchases, it also is a quick meal for when we're on the go.