Tag Archives: cooking

Back to Reality, Menu Plan

8 Aug

I have to revert my back from my bad habits over the past week and kick into productive wife mode ;)

The laundry is done, the floors are mopped and vacuumed, I have put away all of my cooking magazines, empty rocky road ice cream pints, pink nail polish, and princess movies (who doesn’t want to watch Princess Diaries and Enchanted, or any movie with Jennifer Lopez in it when they are home alone!?). Anyway, I cant just serve noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese or go out to eat when my husband returns so I picked some EASY crowd pleasing meals for his return!

Monday: Shrimp Cobb Salad (adding bacon and blue cheese, because lets face it every salad needs at least a little bit of those ingredients!)

Tuesday: Hungarian Goulash (My parents visited Hungary and brought me back authentic ingredients to make a true goulash! I will share the results and recipe after I make it!)

Wednesday: Flank Steak with Lemon Sauce (marinate the flank steak with a little olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice and a dash of paprika- then grill it! so much better flavor than cooking it inside (plus it is too hot!) Serve with grilled asparagus (coat asparagus lightly with olive oil grill 1-2 minutes per side remove from heat and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on them! Bon Appetit!

Thursday: Leftover day! Re heat the goulash and have steak sandwiches with that tasty lemon sauce to replace the Mayo!

Friday: PIZZA. We like all kinds! use this crust and get creative with toppings!

Feels good getting back into the swing of things. I don’t know how much longer I could have survived on ice cream and chips for dinner!

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Zesty Dill Dip

5 Jun

I need more veggies in my life.

I do not need more butter in my life.

This dip does not have butter in it (Cheers!).  Ignore the fact that it has mayo in it.

This dip does however allow my husband and I to eat raw carrots and broccoli and cauliflower.  That in itself is a victory.  Never mind that we are dipping them into a dip with mayo and sour cream.

You win some and lose some.  I am calling this a win.

This is a great dip to serve at a party and is a fun alternative to regular ol’ ranch dip.  I added horseradish which we adore  in our house.  Clears out your sinuses and adds a wonderful kick to your dishes.

Zesty Dill Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream (all great things start out with these two ingredients)

1 teaspoon bottled horseradish

1 teaspoon minced shallot (about 1/2 of a small shallot) or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Instructions:

1.  Combine all ingredients except for fresh dill into a small bowl.  Mix to combine.  Add dill and gently stir to combine.  Taste dip and tweak to preferences.

2.  Allow dip to rest in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Serve.

Fresh dill will actually keep for a while in the refrigerator.  Dill is a lovely herb that will brighten any dish into which it is added.  Dill pairs well with salmon, breads, carrots, cucumbers, or pickles. Excess dill can be used in this delicious looking Goat Cheese with Fresh Dill from The Pioneer Woman or in Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Dill from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Feel free to add more horseradish if you like to live life on the edge.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Pasta Caprese with Lemon Vinaigrette

31 May

Speaking of Memorial Day…

I have made the perfect summer BBQ side dish.

I think everyone loves Caprese salads.  Am I wrong?

Ripe, juicy tomatoes with fresh, creamy mozzarella and spicy basil?  Um yes!

Add in pasta (which makes everything better) and a vinaigrette that I would drink with a straw and you will be the hit of the party.

Pasta Caprese with Lemon Vinaigrette

**I took a pointer from Cook’s Illustrated and froze the mozzarella cheese prior to tossing it with the warm pasta.  By freezing the cheese for about 10 minutes, it is cold enough to not turn into a gooey mess and lose its shape when combined with the hot pasta.  By the time you serve it, the cheese will no longer be cold and will be at a temperature and texture that is just right!

Ingredients:

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

juice from 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed, dried and chopped in half

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes, 1/2 inch square

1 pound small pasta (orecchiette or shells), cooked according to directions

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1.  Make vinaigrette.  Combine first 7 ingredients into a medium bowl.  Whisk until combined.  Taste and tweak to preferences.  Taste again.  Taste again.  Then remember that you need some for the pasta.  Taste again.  Stop tasting.

Where's a straw?

2.  Marinate tomatoes.  Place cut tomatoes into bowl with vinaigrette.  Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Make pasta salad.  Place chopped mozzarella on to a large plate in an even layer.  Once pasta is added to boiling water, place mozzarella in freezer.  Right before draining the pasta, remove cheese from the freezer.  In a large serving bowl, combine drained warm pasta, cold cheese and marinated tomatoes and vinaigrette.  Toss to combine.  Stir in chopped basil and serve immediately.

This salad just screams summer.  Can’t you hear it?

For printable recipe, click here.

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Tropical Salsa

29 May

I want to be on a sunny beach, with a good book, a Mai Tai in hand (or a Corona), and nothing on my agenda except maybe an afternoon swim.  Who’s with me?  Can you make that happen?

In case Aruba does not happen in the near future, I have this tropical salsa to tide me over.

Tropical salsa, a yummy, light, sweet and savory dip.  I think that tropical salsa can be made with whatever you like.  Or in my case, whatever looks good in the commissary that day.  I had a hankering for mango and kiwi, but other ingredients that would be delicious in salsa would be strawberries, peaches, avocado, papaya, melon or pineapples.

Because I am a sucker for the sweet/savory combo, I dipped these Cinnamon & Sugar Pita Chips from Trader Joe’s into my tropical salsa.  I am really into these pita chips right now.  I know I could make them myself, but shortcuts are a must sometimes.  The only problem is that the bag is too small.  They seem to disappear so fast?

Try this version of Tropical Salsa or make up your own!

Tropical Salsa

Ingredients:

3 Roma tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced

1 kiwi, peeled, center membrane removed and chopped.

1 mango, peeled and chopped (Here is a great tutorial on how to cut a mango)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon lime juice

dash of salt

Instructions:

1.  Prepare all ingredients.  Chop first three ingredients to similar sizes.

2.  In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients.  Taste and tweak to preference.  Let mixture rest for 30 minutes, then serve.  Salsa will last 1-2 days in the refrigerator, but best consumed immediately.

**Try to chop the fruit and tomatoes into the same size small dice.  This will make it easier to EAT.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Roasted Grape Tomatoes

26 May

You know I love my quick easy sides.

Well I’ve done it again. 

I found these beautiful yellow grape tomatoes at Fresh and Easy, but you can use regular red grape tomatoes for this recipe. 

This is meant to be a side dish, buy I may have been known to just eat these roasted babies as a snack.  The tomatoes become sweet and juicy and the garlic becomes crispy, golden and muy delicioso.  It makes the house smell Awesome.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs of choice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the basil. 

3.  Place tomatoes on to a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst.

4.  Remove tomatoes from oven, add basil and stir to combine.  Serve. 

Dig in!  These beauties are great served alongside grilled chicken, fish, pork, steak, well, anything grilled and would also be phenomenal served with some pasta lightly tossed in olive oil or butter.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Black Bean and Avocado Frittata

24 May

Remember when I made this?

Well it is time to jazz things up a bit.  Boring frittatas no more.

I can clearly remember the first time I made this.  I made this frittata a couple days before my in-laws would be visiting Texas.  It was going to be our first visit with them since our wedding.

I wanted to make really good meals and assure them that their son was being fed properly!  I am actually blessed with awesome in-laws and they would never judge me for my food, but I still wanted to impress them.

So I did a practice round a few days before they came, made some changes and I think they liked it!  Personal victory for me.  I have been making it ever since and every time I make it, I think of that visit.

Black Bean and Avocado Frittata

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 onion, chopped, about 1 cup

1/2 cup black beans

1 avocado, diced and drizzled with juice from 1/2 lime

6 eggs

2 tablespoons sour cream

3 dashes hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Beat eggs in a large bowl with sour cream, hot sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3.  Heat oil in an oven proof 10 inch skillet heated to medium high.  Sauté chopped onions  until soft.  Turn heat to low and evenly add black beans and avocado to pan.  Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly stir to combine.  Allow to cook for about 1 minute or until edges have begun to set.

4.  Place pan in oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until firm.

5.  Allow pan to cool slightly and slide frittata  onto serving platter and cut into six slices.  Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Feel free to top this with a cheese of your choice.  Queso Fresco would be delicious.  I served mine with green dip, because, well everything is better with green dip.

I eat the leftovers for breakfast on the days following this frittata.  I warm a slice of frittata, then smack it in between two pieces of bread.  It makes the best breakfast sandwiches!

For printable recipe, click here.

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Marry Me Dip

22 May

I believe I have hit the jackpot.  Want the way into anyone’s heart?  Want someone to marry you?  Make them this.

I believe melted provolone cheese with garlic, rosemary and olive oil will get you just about anything you want.

I adapted this from one of Ina Garten’s recipes.  She is the woman.  She used fontina cheese.  But you know what?  Even though it is delicious, I have problems with fontina cheese.  One being that I can not find it at the commissary and when I wanted to make this, I wanted to make it NOW.  Two being that fontina cheese is expensive and provolone is not.

I also pared the recipe down to a smaller portion, fit for one or two or as an appetizer for 4.  If you would like to make this a larger amount, double or triple the recipe and put into a 9 inch pie dish or a cast iron skillet.

Ingredients:

4 slices provolone cheese, cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

dash of salt

1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary

Instructions:

1.  Turn on broiler to high heat.

2.  In small bowl, combine oil, garlic, salt and rosemary.

3.  In a small ramekin, 6 inches in diameter, combine cheese and oil mixture.  Stir to evenly coat.

4.  Place ramekin under broiler and leave oven door slightly ajar.  Broil for 5 minutes or until top and edges are golden brown.

I made the mistake of making this for the first time when I was alone.  Do not, I repeat, do not make this when you are the only person around to eat it.  Unless you want to eat four slices of provolone cheese on your own.  Which wouldn’t be so bad I guess?

Make sure to keep an eye on the dish when under the broiler.  It will burn quicker than you can say Marry Me.

Serve with a warm baguette and a smile.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Quick Tuna Pasta

17 May

On nights when my husband is not around, I often have pasta because it is always in the pantry somewhere.  This is the time where I like to play a little game called, “The Let’s Throw Whatever Is In The Pantry Into A Pan With Whatever Is In The Fridge And Call It Dinner Game.”  I think it’s fun.  A challenge.  Sometimes a gross challenge if say, all I have is days old asparagus, a can of black beans and 2 slices left of sliced sandwich turkey.  In this case, I might pop a big bowl of popcorn instead.  I do love my popcorn popper.

I love pasta with butter, cheese, red sauce, white sauce, veggies, beef, vodka, thin sauces, thick sauces, whatever.  Pasta is hands down my comfort food of choice.  A sad day, blah weather, broken nail, whatever needs comforting at the time, pasta is the answer.

Recently, I found canned tuna hidden in the pantry.  Immediately I flash-backed to college and eating it out of the can because I knew it was good for me somehow and it was CHEAP.  Instead of reverting back to those days, I decided to throw it in with some pasta.  I also had some tomatoes too, so thus started the Quick Tuna Pasta recipe.

Canned tuna, yes it’s random.  Tuna is a good source of protein and it is low in calories.  If you like tuna even a little bit, you will love this.  This is a cheap alternative to lunch or dinner that you can also feel good about it.  A far cry from some of my other sinful but delicious recipes.

Quick Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped in large chunks

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (5 ounces) solid white tuna, in water

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 1/4 cup dry whole wheat penne

Instructions:

1.  Cook pasta to al dente, according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain pasta.

2.  To a medium saucepan, add olive oil and heat to medium heat.  Add tomatoes to saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  The tomatoes with begin to break down.  Gently smash up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

3.  Add garlic, salt, pepper and tuna.  Cook for 2-3 more minutes until combined and heated through.

4.  Add pasta to saucepan and stir to combine.  Add pasta cooking liquid to reach desired consistency of sauce.  This will be a thin, light sauce.  Turn the heat to high and cook for 1 more minute.  Right before serving add basil and stir to combine.

In case you were wondering, this is what it looks like finished.

Wait, who am I kidding?

For printable recipe, click here.

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Hummus Among Us

15 May

I would like to start off by saying I love hummus.  Hummus of all shapes, sizes and types.  I don’t discriminate.

However, I wanted to show you a different way to make hummus.  Instead of using canned chickpeas, try boiling some dried chickpeas.  You won’t have to worry about added sodium when using dried beans and it is also cheaper.

But there is a catch.

After the beans are cooked, you have to peel the chickpeas.   This can be time consuming as you have to peel each bean.  But, by removing the outside of the chickpea, you get a much smoother, velvety texture with the finished hummus.  It will take you about 30 minutes.

I believe there are work intensive recipes that are worth slaving over and other work intensive recipes that just aren’t worthy of my time.  I am not getting any younger.

This is one of those recipes that I believe is worth the work if you have some extra time.

I know I am crazy, but I just like making hummus this way.  I started this habit in Kingsville.  I am addicted to this method and make hummus often.

You know when you consume something so much, your taste buds kind of get immune to the taste and you don’t like it anymore?  Am I making this up?  I swear this happened with Diet Dr. Pepper.  I probably drank 1000 cases of the stuff from grad school up until a year into our marriage.  Now I can’t look at a can of DDP.

Anyway, hummus isn’t like that.

I can eat hummus until the cows come home and because there are so many ways to switch it up, I never get bored.

This is a simple “original” hummus recipe if you will.  And is a great canvas for you to tweak, based on your preferences or add based on your whims.  I love this hummus just like it is, because it is so flavorful, but sometimes I like to throw in extras.  I hope to share more versions with you soon!

Hummus Recipe

* I adapted this recipe from Kitchen Sense, an awesome cookbook by Mitchell Davis

Ingredients:

1 cup dried garbanzo beans

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/4 cup tahini or sesame butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Mediterranean seasoning

1/4 cup liquid from pot of beans

4 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from 2 small lemons, but depends on the juiciness of the lemons)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1.  Place dried garbanzo beans in a large bowl.  Add enough water to the bowl to cover beans by 2 inches.  Let beans soak for 8-12 hours or overnight.

2.  Drain and rinse the beans and add to a large stockpot.  Add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch and add 1 bay leaf.  Bring pot of beans to a rolling boil and generously salt.  Turn heat down to medium and loosely cover pot with lid.  Simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are soft.

3.  Remove beans from heat and set aside until cool.  After cooled, the beans can be stored in the cooking liquid for up until 3 days in the refrigerator (before being peeled).

4.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, remove the bay leaf and drain the beans.  Peel the garbanzo beans.  Gently, pinch the bean at one end in between the thumb and index finger.  The outer shell will peel off and the bean will pop out.  This will be easier if the beans are fully cooked through.

5.  After peeling all of the beans, place them into the bowl of a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients, except for the extra virgin olive oil.  (This is just a basic recipe, with the ability for you to tweak the taste based on your preference).  Process beans until partially combined.  Slowly add in oil.

6.  Taste the hummus and tweak accordingly.  If you want a thinner consistency add more oil, or if you want to omit the fat, add in more cooking liquid from the beans.  I added a little more Mediterranean seasoning for this batch.  Store in the refrigerator  for up to 2 weeks.

I encourage you to try making hummus this way.  As you are peeling the chickpeas, you will probably curse me a time or two and wonder why the heck you bothered to make hummus this way and how you could totally be eating hummus right now if you had used canned chickpeas.  I have thought these things.  But please press on.  If you can multitask, you can do other activities while peeling to help the time pass.  You could employ an unsuspecting assistant that might be around or watch TV or talk on the phone.  Whatever your vice, the result of peeling the chickpeas is a creamy, smooth, velvety hummus with jam-packed flavor.

And to boot, I made some pita chips out of pita bread.  I took pita rounds, cut them into 8 slices and placed them onto a greased baking sheet.  I then lightly sprayed the pita triangles with cooking spray and sprinkled with salt.  I baked them in an oven heated to 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Yum!  Bread makes me feel like I’m living a teenage dream.

Enjoy!

For printable recipe, click here.

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Crispy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Aioli

3 May

Lettuce wraps and I are friends.  Crispy shrimp lettuce wraps and I are best friends.

I would take something healthy and turn it into something not so much.  I like to do that.  In case you were wondering, I do enjoy eating healthy foods.  I love bananas, yogurt, broccoli, whole wheat bread, blueberries, salmon, almonds, and all those other yummy wholesome foods.  The only food I absolutely will not eat is an olive.  Just thinking about them makes my stomach turn.  I do not like them alone, in food, around food, existing in general.  I have gone a little off topic.  Back to delicious lettuce wraps.

I made spicy aioli for this recipe, which is a garlic-y, spicy, mayonnaise-y sauce.  It is killer.  So good.  BUT it has raw eggs in it and if this fact gives you nightmares(or you are pregnant), then please do leave it out, or simply add some Sriracha and a little bit of lemon juice to good ol’ standard jarred mayo.  It will still be delicious.

Crispy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Aioli

*The crispy shrimp were modified from the How Sweet Blog, my all time favorite food blog out there on the big world wide web.  This recipe has many parts, but very worth your time.

Spicy Aioli Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice from 1/2 large lemon

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

Spicy Aioli Instructions:

1.  In a mini food processor, combine oil and garlic.  Process until blended together.

2.  Into the bowl of a large food processor, add egg yolks and mustard.  Process until blended together.  Keep the processor running, with the lid secure and food pusher in place.  Slowly pour oil into feed tube.  There should be a small hole at the bottom of the pusher that allows the oil to slowly trickle into the food processor bowl.  (If not, just pour the oil in slowly through the feed tube.)Pour about half of the oil into the pusher and stop once the mixture starts to come together.  This process can also be done with a whisk.

3.  Add vinegar, salt and pepper and process to combine.

4.  Continue slowly pouring in the oil but reserve about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of the oil to use later to adjust seasoning and consistency.

5.  Add lemon juice and process until combined.  At this point, test the aioli to suit preferences and add oil or seasonings if needed.

6.  To make spicy aioli, add Sriracha sauce and process until combined.

**This is the aioli, pre-Sriracha.  I think about this aioli all the time.  You know I love my dips and sauces, so this is a dream for me.  Feel free to split the recipe and leave half of it plain.  Even though “plain” is the worst word to describe it.  Making the aioli is not a fast process.  Take your time and do not rush.  Store in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days.

Crispy Shrimp Lettuce Wrap Ingredients:

For slaw:

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

juice from 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, more for garnish

For shrimp:

1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oil

12 Bibb lettuce leaves

Instructions:

1.  Make slaw:  Add all slaw ingredients to a medium bowl.  Toss to combine.  Set aside until ready to use.

2.  Make Shrimp:  Clean and remove tails of shrimp.  Pat shrimp very dry and evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and curry.  Add oil to skillet and heat to medium high.  Pour flour into a large dish and place half of the shrimp into the flour.  Lightly coat each shrimp with flour and shake off excess before placing into heated skillet.  Cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  When cooked through, remove from skillet on to a paper towel lined plate.

3.  Assemble lettuce wraps.  On a large work surface, lay out lettuce leaves.  Top each lettuce leaf with about 1 tablespoon of slaw, three pieces of shrimp and spicy aioli.  Garnish with more cilantro if desired.

I could not find Bibb lettuce at the commissary, so I used Boston lettuce.  It was not as crunchy as Bibb, but it worked ok.

I had to stop myself from eating the whole batch.

These crispy shrimp lettuce wraps should have their own facebook page.

For printable recipe, click here.

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