Zucchini Potato and Onion Latkes with Chipotle Scallion Sour Cream

Happy Hanukkah!  To celebrate the first night, I made latkes!  And I made these healthy by adding vegetables!  To those who might not know what a latke is (ahem, me before I met Jeremy), it's basically a delicious hash brown.

This recipe made 26 latkes.  Probably should've been more but I'm not very good at measuring. :)  This really should have been enough to feed a whole family, but Jeremy ate 11 on his own.  I had 5 and am stuffed.  For those of you who are good at math, that means we have 10 left.  Since Jeremy almost stabbed me when I went to take my fifth latke, I'm going to guess that I don't get any of the leftovers.  Oh well.

The sour cream with this was delicious.  Slightly tangy, slightly spicy.  A nice complement to the rich latkes.

Overall a great meal.  Now to lie on the couch and relax...

Recipe:
Latkes:
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled
2 large zucchini
1 large spanish onion
1 1/2 c. matzo meal
3 eggs
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper (or to taste)
vegetable oil

1. Grate the zucchini and onion (using the large holes on a box grater or a food processor).  Grate the potatoes. (Grate the potatoes after the zucchini and onion to avoid having the potatoes turn black.) Place the zucchini, onion, and potato in a large bowl, removing any liquid that seeps out.
2. Add the matzo meal, eggs, salt and pepper to the veggies.  Mix well.
3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Add some vegetable oil.*
4. Add 1/4 c. of the latke mixture for each cake.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping when the underside is golden brown.  Allow the second side to cook for 3-4 minutes as well.  (The latke should be fully cooked in the middle now, rip one open and taste to make sure the potato has softened completely.)
5. Repeat with the remaining latke mix, adding oil as needed to keep them sizzling (and to keep them from sticking if not using a non-stick pan).  (I kept my latkes warm in a 200 degree oven because I could only cook 4 at a time on my griddle.)


Sour cream:
16 oz. fat-free sour cream (or not fat-free... but we were eating fried potatoes... so we went with fat-free)
2 tbs. chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
3 scallions (green onions), minced

1. Mix everything. Done.


* How much vegetable oil depends on the pan.  I use a non-stick griddle so I only had 1-2 tsp. of vegetable oil (per batch of latkes... those suckers really soak it up).  If you're not using a non-stick pan, you need more oil.  Some recipes call for up to 1/4 inch of oil.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Marinara

A few weeks ago I made a huge pot of marinara sauce.  I've been getting a little annoyed by the high sodium levels in a lot of the jarred sauces on the market and the prevalence of ingredients I'd never heard of.  So I decided to make my own.  I buy canned tomatoes that have the lowest sodium content I can find (no sodium added? yes please! now I can season it myself!).  I used some of that sauce to cover a delicious braciole.  The rest of the sauce got frozen for use at a later time.  I pulled out about 6 cups of sauce for this yesterday and let it thaw overnight (because that was the smallest container I had in the freezer...).

We also bought some spaghetti squash at the public market and so I decided to make spaghetti squash marinara.  I had something similar to this once when we were out to dinner and loved it.  That was actually the first time I'd ever eaten spaghetti squash, which makes tonight's dinner the second.  :)

I hacked into these squashes with a large chefs knife.  I really had to work to get them to cut in half (was wishing I had a hack saw or an axe at various points...).  In the end I succeeded and scooped out the seeds and roasted the squash.  A delicious meal.  Would've been vegan if I hadn't added the cheese at the end... oh delicious, delicious cheese... :)

The spaghetti squash was similar to angel hair to me.  Definitely delicious.  And incredibly healthy!  You can eat a lot more squash than pasta for a lot fewer calories.  We ate most of this squash with probably one serving left over... although Jeremy might be polishing that off in a little while if the first serving doesn't keep him full.

Picture courtesy of Jeremy.  His bowl right before he dug in. 

The squash right after they came out of the oven (except for the fact that I turned them over...)

Spaghetti squash:
2 3 lb. spaghetti squashes (or 1 large... a few small...)
salt
pepper
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the squash in half (This is kind of tough... be very careful.  You can also roast them whole (there are directions all over the internet -- prick the squash with a knife first) but it will take longer.  I wanted to get the seeds out before I roasted them... so I had to cut them in half.).  Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
2. Season each cut side with a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil (probably 1 tbs. total among all the squash halves).  Brush the oil over the cut sides.
3. Place the squash cut side down on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
4. Roast for approximately 45 minutes until the squash can be pierced easily with a fork (exact time will depend on the size of your squash(es).
5. Allow to cool until cool enough to handle.  Use a fork to scrape the flesh into strands.
6.  Mix into a couple of cups of the marinara sauce (recipe follows).  Heat through.  Serve with some freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Marinara:
1/4 c. olive oil
4 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
4 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 c. dry white wine
2 medium yellow onions, diced finely (about 1 1/2 c. diced)
6-8 cloves garlic (between 1/3 and 1/2 c. minced -- I love garlic)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
2 medium carrots, grated
1-2 tbs. sugar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
5-6 basil leaves, minced
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, minced

1. Heat olive oil in a very large soup pot over medium heat.  Add crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Add onions and garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat (not saute... use a lower heat so they don't brown) for 7-9 minutes until very soft.
2.  Add carrots and tomato paste and stir to combine.  Cook for an additional minute or two.  Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan.  Add crushed and diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, basil, and parsley.  Add desired amount of sugar (the carrots add some sweetness so you may not need sugar if you're happy with how it tastes.  I added 1 tbs.)
3.  Simmer for approximately 45 minutes until flavors combine.  Use/freeze as desired.

Spicy Chili-Veggie Mac-n-Cheese

I love mac-n-cheese.  We don't eat it very often (because it's not very healthy...) but when we do have it I try to include some veggies so it isn't quite so bad.  I also cut out the heavy cream/half and half that a lot of recipes call for and use skim milk (sometimes a combination of milk and chicken stock).

I also love sloths.  I accidentally uploaded this picture that I found online before... and decided to leave it.  Don't you just love that face?

I recently bought a huge butternut squash (5 lbs!).  I diced and roasted all of it and used some in a butternut squash risotto last week (which was also delicious... Just a regular risotto with the roasted squash mixed in toward the end).  I had some left over and so I mixed that into the cheese sauce for this meal.  It was delicious.

This didn't taste like squash.  The cheese sauce was really creamy and rich without being overly fatty.  A perfect compromise. The yellow squash made the sauce look even more cheesy than it was.  If I hadn't put the peppers and onions in here, it probably would've been next to impossible to tell that there was veggie in it.  :)

I cooked the onions and peppers earlier in the day when I didn't feel like doing much else.  Then it was a snap to bring everything else together at dinner-time.

I thought this had a decent amount of spice in it.  But of course Jeremy didn't think it was spicy.  Maybe I shouldn't let him eat the raw chile tops that I cut off... might be getting him too used to eating chiles.  Not that it's really a problem.

We had a salad to go with this so that we added some extra veggies and cut down on the amount of cheese we ate at one meal.  We didn't end up finishing the whole dish of mac-n-cheese.  We probably have another 2 servings in the fridge for another meal.

The whole lovely casserole dish. 

My serving... my eyes are bigger than my stomach.  I ate probably half of that and Jeremy ended up finishing it (along with his serving that was larger than this to begin with).  He really liked this mac-n-cheese. 

Recipe:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 c. butternut squash, diced and roasted*
chile peppers, minced (amount up to you, to taste)**
1 box (13.25 oz) whole wheat elbows (or whatever pasta you want)
7 oz. sharp cheddar, grated, divided
4 oz. parmesan, grated (approximately 1/2 c.), divided
2 tbs. margarine
2 tbs. AP flour
2 c. skim milk
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. parsley flakes, divided
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute bell peppers, onion, and chili peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Set aside.
2. Blend squash and milk (in a blender or food processor) until smooth.
3. Mix breadcrumbs, 1/4 c. cheddar, 2 tbs. parmesan, and 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes.  Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt (about 1 tsp.).  Cook pasta just shy of cooked (it will finish in the oven).  Drain and set aside.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, melt margarine in a medium saute pan.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  Cook for 30 seconds until bubbly.  Add squash mixture and mix well.  Add chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and cayenne.  Add parmesan and cheddar in small handfuls and whisk until incorporated (make sure each handful is fully melted in before adding the next).  Season with salt and pepper to taste (I added probably 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/2 tsp. salt).
4. Combine pasta, pepper/onions, and sauce and mix well.  Pour mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish.  Top evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes (uncovered) until lightly brown on the top.

* If you don't have pre-roasted squash, roast the squash as directed below approximately 1 hour before you're ready to begin making the mac-n-cheese.  That way it has time to cool before you blend it.

Directions to roast squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and dice the butternut squash.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1-2 tbs. vegetable oil and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix to combine.  Roast for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.  (Time will depend on the size of the dice.)

** I used 5 chile peppers from a mixed variety we bought at the public market.  I don't know what peppers I used... although looking at pictures makes me think I had 1 chile de arbol, 3 numex twilights (from what I can guess from looking at pictures), and 1 that was longer and green-yellow-orange (absolutely no idea...).  You can use jalapenos or whatever mix of peppers you like.  You could go with none... but then it wouldn't be spicy.  Or you could substitute by putting more cayenne pepper or hot sauce into the cheese sauce.

Apple Streusel Muffins

I had a few apples that I didn't really care for eating fresh (they were a little too soft for my taste).  So I baked them!  These muffins are amazing.  Deliciously sweet and tender.  I haven't (yet) joined the pumpkin craze so baked apples is what really screams fall for me.  Yum.  My whole apartment also smells amazing. :)

I don't bake much... and when I do I usually (mostly) follow a recipe.  This one combined my normal blueberry batter with a streusel topping (and some extra spices that I like).  The batter was a little thicker than my normal blueberry batter because of all of the apple in these.  I was a little nervous that they would be dry but they were perfect.

Jeremy doesn't usually like cooked fruit but he actually enjoyed these muffins.  As he said, you can see the apple, but it doesn't feel like you're biting into one when you eat the muffin.  However, we don't need two dozen muffins sitting around so my coworkers are getting a nice treat tomorrow. :)

Hope you enjoy!

Recipe (makes 24 muffins):
3 medium apples (whatever baking apples you prefer), peeled, cored, and diced (1/4" dice)
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. c. AP flour, divided
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbs. margarine or butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper cups.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c. flour, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Cut in the margarine or butter until fine crumbs form (this is the streusel topping).  Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Beat milk, veg. oil, and eggs.  Add apples.  (I beat the eggs together and then peeled and diced the apples.  If you peel and dice the apples too early they will brown on you.  Doesn't change the taste, but it won't be as pretty.)  Add remaining cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
4. Add remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until just combined.  (Don't overmix.  It's ok if you still see a little bit of flour, it will bake out.  Overmixing will create a tough muffin.)
5. Spoon the batter evenly into muffin cups (mine were about 3/4 full).
6. Evenly divide the streusel topping among the muffins (around a tablespoon on each muffin).
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and they're golden brown and delicious.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Remove the muffins to wire wracks (run a knife around them if you didn't use paper cups) and allow to cool completely (or eat them right away like we did... hot but yummy).  Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Jeremy specifically requested that I write this recipe down.  It was very good so here it is!

I made a pound of whole wheat spaghetti for this and topped it with some grated asiago cheese.  I got 21 meatballs out of the recipe below (I probably made mine a little big... you can get more than that).  I some of the leftover meatballs in the fridge with the leftover spaghetti.  The rest are in some of the sauce in the freezer.

This sauce had a nice spicy tomatoey flavor.  It's also a vegan tomato sauce for anyone who cares... Clearly doesn't matter to me since I served it with turkey meatballs. :)

The sauce made plenty to coat the entire pound of pasta and then some.  I probably have enough sauce for another pound.  I will definitely be making this sauce again.  It was so easy to make and so tasty!  I don't often buy jarred spaghetti sauce and now that I've come up with this recipe, I may stop altogether... assuming I have time to make this and keep it in the freezer.

I put the meatballs in the oven and then began making the sauce.  The meatballs were done before the sauce.  Since I wasn't quite sure how long the sauce would take, I didn't start cooking the pasta until the sauce was finished.  You could certainly speed the meal up by making them all together.  But we still ate at a normal dinner time even with me not being entirely efficient. :)

I want to note that I use the lowest sodium
tomatoes I can find so adjust your seasoning appropriately.

Bad lighting... good food. :) 

Turkey Meatballs:
2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (I had 90% lean)
2 tbs. olive oil
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. skim milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Roll the mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs (roll lightly... don't squeeze them) and place them evenly spaced on a couple baking sheets.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked through.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. white wine (I had a chardonnay, but any dry white will work)
1/4 c. olive oil
4 big garlic cloves, minced (about 1/4 c. garlic)
1 medium spanish onion, diced
1/2 tbs. red pepper flake
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tbs. sugar

1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan.  Add red pepper flake and stir until the oil is slightly red from the pepper.
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add the wine and scrape any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomato paste and stir to mix it evenly throughout.
3. Add the rest of the tomatoes, sugar, and herbs.  Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  (If it's too thin, simmer longer. Mine was ok at 30 minutes.)

Eggplant-Pepper Pasta Sauce

This past week at the public market, I bought some cute little eggplants (they're only 3 or 4 inches long).  We found this one to be a bit humorous...

Photo courtesy of Jeremy. :) 

 I wanted to use a bunch of veggies tonight as I knew some of my bell peppers and my tomatoes were not going to last too much longer.  So I decided to make a pasta sauce out of them.  I roasted all of the veggies together in the oven and then blended them until they were smooth.  Delicious! And vegan!  We're true omnivores, but we appreciate a meal filled with vegetables. :)

This sauce was really simple to make and tasted amazing.  It was spicy thanks to the habanero and cherry pepper I put in it -- I mean, really spicy.  Cut back or use jalapenos or some other pepper if you don't like spicy food.

I cooked up some whole wheat rotini and added half the sauce.  I have the other half in the freezer, ready for another meal some time in the future. :)

This pasta ended up looking a lot like mac and cheese.  This was probably in part because of the very light color of the eggplant I had.  I love shopping at the public market.  I find so many varieties of veggies that I've never had before.  A great way to experiment with new veggies.  Farm fresh eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic - Yum!

Recipe:
6 small eggplants, chopped (about 2 1/2 c. chopped eggplant)
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, quartered
7 roma tomatoes, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 habanero pepper (optional)*
1 cherry bomb pepper (optional)*
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place veggies on a baking sheet and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.  Drizzle on the olive oil and mix to combine.  Roast for thirty minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until softened and slightly browned.
2. Place veggies in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (or as smooth as you want it).  Mix with cooked pasta and enjoy!

(Cook whatever pasta you'd like once the veggies have been in the oven for about 25 minutes.  I didn't start the pasta until after the veggies came out of the oven because I wasn't in a hurry.

* Note: these peppers added a nice spicy flavor (and it was spicy... even we were drinking a lot of water...).  You can certainly leave them out, add less, or change up what peppers you use.  Since Jeremy and I bought a selection of hot peppers at the public market, I've been using a couple of whatever I have on hand.

Wine-braised Short Ribs with Oven-baked Polenta and Green Beans

I've never cooked short ribs before.  I've eaten them plenty of times (I'm not usually the one who orders them... but I steal a bite whenever Jeremy gets them.).  Jeremy loves short ribs. So since the weather has gotten a little bit cooler, I decided to make some short ribs.  Clearly, this meal was allll for Jeremy... yeah... I'm going with that.  :)

This morning at the public market, we stopped by one of the meat counters and picked up some short ribs (along with our weekly vegetable haul... the bargains on fresh homegrown veggies are unbelievable).  The public market has to be one of my favorite things about Rochester... and we're really enjoying living here!

After reading a number of recipes, I did my usual and didn't follow any of them.  :)  I used the basic techniques and the timing of the recipes but made the flavors my own.  And the result -- delicious, amazing, beyond tasty.  The sauce had a nice sweetness from the veggies and wine (but not overly sweet) and had a very rich texture.  I used a lot of crushed red pepper flake in this meal so it was spicy.  You can cut back on that if you don't want spicy short ribs.  (As a note, the short ribs give off a lot of fat during the cooking.  You can try to skim that off.  If you cool the ribs it will congeal and can be removed.  We just scooped around it tonight, I'll remove it tomorrow.)

Don't be scared by the length of time this takes -- most of the cooking is done in the oven and so you're not really doing anything.  Perfect for a weekend meal.

I cooked the polenta after I took the short ribs out of the oven.  (I can't wait until I (eventually) have a kitchen with more than 1 oven...)  When the polenta had been in the oven for fifteen minutes I brought some water to a boil and cooked the green beans.  After draining, I dressed them with a little margarine.  Delicious!

I haven't said much about the polenta... I've made it before and it's very tasty.  It's amazing when you have dishes with a sauce or gravy for it to soak up.  And it's fairly healthy.  :)

I don't think I can adequately represent how absolutely amazing this meal was... Jeremy just asked if this can be our "Saturday meal."  While I will not make this every Saturday, this will not be the last time.

Luckily, we still have a lot left.  We probably ate only a third of the meat.  I will probably not be allowed to touch the pan again though... Jeremy gets a little protective of his short ribs.  :)

Recipe:
3 lbs. beef short ribs (whatever cut is fine)
1 medium carrot, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 medium red onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic (about 2 tbs.), minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tbs. tomato paste
2 c. red wine (I had a bottle of Yellowtail Shiraz so I used that)
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 c. chicken stock (low sodium)
salt and pepper
2 tbs. vegetable oil

1. Season short ribs liberally with salt and pepper (I sprinkled probably 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper over them in total.  Use what looks good to you.)
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Heat a large oven-proof dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add oil.  When hot, add short ribs, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, until browned on all sides (this took about 10-12 minutes total for me).  Remove short ribs and drain oil, reserving about 2 tbs. in the pan.
4. Add carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and saute, stirring frequently, until tender, 8-10 minutes.  Add tomato paste, red pepper flake, and thyme.  Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
5. Add the wine, vinegar, and stock to the pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for 4-5 minutes until reduced slightly.
6. Return the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot.  (You want the ribs to be mostly, but not completely submerged.  Add water or stock if necessary so the ribs are mostly covered (I didn't need any extra but it will depend on the number of ribs you have and the shape of your pot.)).
7. Cover the pot and place in the oven.  Braise for 4 hours.  Turn the ribs over halfway through cooking.  (Check every couple hours to see if more liquid is needed to keep the ribs mostly submerged. I didn't add any.)
8.  Remove from oven, turn the ribs around in the sauce (mine broke apart... nice and tender).  Serve over polenta.

Polenta:
3/4 c. cornmeal
3 c. water
1/4 c. milk (I use skim)
2 tbs. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In an oven-safe casserole dish (preferably with a lid), whisk together the cornmeal, water, salt, and pepper.  Cover the dish.
2. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
3. Remove polenta from the oven and add milk and margarine.  Whisk until the margarine is melted and incorporated and the polenta is creamy.  Serve.

Lentil Veggie Soup

When the cat's away the mouse will play... with lentils. (Apparently I'm a mouse...) Jeremy is away doing research in Albany, leaving me by myself in Rochester.  I've never cooked lentils before but when I went grocery shopping this weekend, I decided to buy some and try.  And the result was a delicious (and vegan!) soup.

I used a lot of veggies to add bulk and depth of flavor to this soup.  I know I'm weird but I adore vegetables.  And this soup was a great way to use a lot of them.  I'm really pleased with how this soup turned out since I just sort of threw things at a pot if I felt like using it... really my preferred method of cooking. :)

I added a bit of hot sauce to my bowl right after I took the picture.  Stirred it in just to add a little bit of a vinegar/spicy flavor.  Delicious.  (You could add a little squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of vinegar if you don't want the spice... or it was delicious as is too.)

This was a thick soup... almost stew like.  Definitely had great flavor -- tasted like it had been cooking a really long time but was finished in under an hour.  This would have been great with some nice crusty bread to go along with it.  But since I don't have any bread made right now, I'm just having a big bowl of soup for dinner.

This was also a really inexpensive meal.  Any type of bean is cheap, lentils are no exception.  So using just a few spices and veggies I turned my pound of lentils into a large amount of yummy food.  And I have a huge pot of soup leftover.  :)

Recipe:
2 medium onions, diced finely
3 large carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. baby spinach, chopped (You could substitute 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach)
1 15 oz. can, diced tomatoes (no salt added)
3 tbs. tomato paste
1 lb. lentils (rinsed and picked over for stones, etc.)
8 c. water
1/2 c. red wine (I had a malbec open, so I used that)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. tumeric
2 dried bay leaves
3 tbs. olive oil

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat.  Add olive oil.  When hot, add the onions, celery, and carrots.  Saute until the onions are translucent and the celery and carrots begin to soften (5-7 minutes).  Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add tomato paste and stir to mix it throughout the veggies.  Add diced tomatoes (with the juice from the can) and bay leaves.  Stir to combine.
3. Add lentils, water, and wine.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, and tumeric.  Simmer for approximately 40 minutes until the lentils are tender.
4. Add spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts.
5. Remove bay leaves.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Venison Bolognese

Sorry for the long hiatus in posting.  Between taking the bar and starting my job, it's been tough to find the time to write up a recipe.  Not to mention the fact that I've been throwing meals together more than making new and interesting things.  Tonight I finally found the time to both cook something and write this up.  :)

I got a new shipment of venison from my parents last weekend when my sister visited.  It's such a tasty meat.  I love having it to use.  Since I grew up with venison, I use it basically anywhere I would use beef.  And this result was delicious.

While it might not be the most traditional bolognese, it was really tasty.  This sauce came together really quickly too.  The only problem I had with this sauce is that I used too small of a pan.  I ended up spilling some of the sauce when I tried to stir it.  Oops.

I served this with whole wheat spaghetti.  Any pasta would do.  I also grated a little asiago cheese on top to finish it.

Number of seconds Jeremy went back to the kitchen for: 2. (That should say something in itself.)

Recipe:
1 1/3 lbs. ground venison
2 medium carrots, grated
1 spanish onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can tomato puree
1/2 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 c. skim milk
2 tbs. olive oil

1. Heat a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add olive oil.  Add venison, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic.  Add the salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring frequently until the meat is brown and the onions are translucent (5-7 minutes).
2. Add the tomatoes (diced and puree), milk, nutmeg, thyme, and bay leaf.  Simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.  (While the sauce is simmering, bring water to a boil and cook your pasta.)
3. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce.  Toss some of the sauce with pasta.  Serve with a little extra sauce spooned on top and some grated cheese.

Eggplant, Spinach, and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

A big thank you to my mother-in-law for the eggplant.  My in-laws came to visit this past weekend and I got 2 japanese eggplants that she had grown.  Tonight, I decided to use one of them on a pizza -- and it was delicious!

I didn't have any cheese on hand and didn't feel like making pizza sauce so we had a white pizza.  Just plenty of olive oil and garlic to flavor it.  The parmesan cheese (freshly grated... not from a can) added a nice salty flavor to the pizza without making it overly cheesy.  Overall, this was a nice healthy pizza (or veggie flatbread, I suppose).

I sliced this into 8 pieces and -- the same as always -- I had 3 and Jeremy finished off the rest of it.  Delicious. You could change what veggies you use, or add some cheese or meat.  The crushed red pepper flake adds a hint of spice (at least a hint to us...) but you can leave that off if you don't like it.  I love how versatile pizza is.  Once you have a good dough, the possibilities are nearly limitless.

You could certainly make this pizza on a stone as a round pizza if you wanted... I didn't want to bother with making a mess with cornmeal like I often do so I just went with pressing the dough into the pan.  (Plus the dough was a bit looser today than usual... the flour just didn't need quite as much liquid today I guess... so it was easier to handle it this way.)

Recipe:
1 recipe pizza dough (available here, or use your favorite crust)
1 japanese eggplant, sliced into 1/2" slices
1 roasted red bell pepper (from a jar or homemade), sliced
1/2 c. baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (optional)
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3 tbs. olive oil, divided

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle the eggplant slices with 1 tbs. olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Bake for 7-8 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through.  (You want the slices tender, but not browned... otherwise they'll overcook on the pizza.)  Set aside until you're ready to make the pizza.
2.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place 1 tbs. olive oil on a large baking sheet.  Using your fingers, spread the pizza dough over the pan, stretching it to desired thickness (I usually go for 1/4 inch or so... and I used an 11"x17" baking sheet and it covered the whole thing).
3. Top evenly with the rest of the olive oil, garlic, cheese, eggplant, spinach, and roasted red peppers. (I keep the garlic on the bottom to make sure it doesn't burn... the rest of order doesn't matter much.)  Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flake, oregano, and black pepper over the top.  Bake for 15-17 minutes until the crust is crispy.
4. Remove the pizza from the pan, allow to rest for a couple minutes, slice, and enjoy.

Roasted Garlic and Veggie Pizza

I know I haven't posted in a while... studying for the bar has been taking up way too much time.  I keep finding time to cook... just not to take pictures or write anything up.  But tonight, I decided to share... mostly because this is the first time I've ever made roasted garlic.  And it was AWESOME.

I roasted the garlic earlier this afternoon so that it had a couple of hours to cool before dinner.  I just left it in its foil pouch until I was starting to make the pizza... then I squeezed its guts out. :)

I made this vegetarian because it's what we wanted tonight... this would be delicious with any combo of veggies/meat you wanted though.  The roasted garlic added a nice flavor to the whole pizza which is completely different than adding fresh or granulated garlic.  I will definitely be doing this again.

The whole apartment ended up smelling like roasted garlic today.  I even caught Jeremy opening the pouch to steal some.  I told him not to, he said he wasn't, and then I saw him chewing and licking his fingers... garlic thief!  Then again, it really is hard to resist... I may or may not have licked my fingers after rubbing it on the pizza (don't worry... I washed them before continuing to make the pie...).

2 of the 3 slices I ate.  Jeremy polished off the other 5...

Recipe:
1 batch of pizza dough (the recipe we used is here but any dough you like will work... even store-bought)
2-3 tbs. cornmeal
1/4 c. pizza sauce
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbs. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 small onion, sliced thinly
1/4 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 head of garlic
1 tsp. olive oil

1. To make the roast garlic: preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the very top off of the garlic head (just to expose the cloves).  Place the garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle with the olive oil.  Wrap the foil around the garlic.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until the garlic is tender and golden.  Set aside to cool.  When cool, squeeze the cloves out of the garlic head.  (Yum.)
2. When ready to make the pizza: preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Put a large pizza stone in the oven to heat with the oven and don't start the next step until the oven is hot -- you want a nice hot stone to put the pizza on.*
3. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel.  Using your hands or a rolling pin, stretch/roll the dough into a 18" circle (doesn't have to be perfect).  (Make sure the dough isn't stuck to the peel by giving it a couple of shakes.  If it doesn't move, pick it up and sprinkle more cornmeal down until the dough will slide easily around the peel.  Nothing worse than a beautifully constructed pizza that won't come off the peel...)
4. Rub the roasted garlic onto the dough, spreading it evenly around the dough.  Top with pizza sauce, crushed red pepper flake, oregano, black pepper, and salt.  Continue topping the pizza with mozzarella and parmesan.  Distribute the veggies evenly over the pizza.
5. Carefully transfer the pizza to the pizza stone.  Bake for 15-18 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots.
6. Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool on the peel for about 5 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

*If you don't have a pizza stone or don't want to use one for this, you can add 1-2 tbs. of olive oil to a large baking sheet (enough to lightly coat the sheet).  Then just press the dough into the baking sheet and top as above.  Cooking time will be approximately the same. Pan pizzas are delicious too -- every so often I make it this way just for fun. :)

Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie

Yes, you read that right -- cucumber.  I had a little over half of a cucumber in the fridge that needed to be used... and since I didn't have enough other veggies to make a salad, I was looking for other things to do with it.  I decided to search and see if anyone had put a cucumber into a smoothie (because I kind of wanted a smoothie for breakfast...) and lo and behold, people had!

This smoothie was really light and refreshing.  It did taste like cucumber... but with a sweeter coolness than just a cucumber in a salad.  The blueberries were definitely in the background of this smoothie but they added a great purple color (and a lot of healthy nutrients!).  Overall, I think this was less of a milkshake-y smoothie and more like a health drink.  But still really delicious.  I will certainly be trying cucumber in my smoothies again -- perhaps with some honeydew or apple or something.  :)

One of the things I love best about smoothies is how easy they are.  Just dump things in a blender, blend, drink.  Perfect!  They're really forgiving too... maybe one smoothie will need a little extra liquid to get the right consistency but there are really endless combinations of flavors that you can create just by altering the ratios of ingredients.  I often put some wheat germ or oatmeal into my smoothies to add some extra bulk... but this one was just fruit/veggies, yogurt, milk, and some sweetener.  Lots of people also put some ice or juice in their smoothies (in place of the dairy) so that's a great way to alter the recipe too.

This recipe made 3 servings of smoothie.  Jeremy and I each had one and there is one sitting in the fridge (although he'll probably drink that as a second breakfast...).  I'm usually ok on one glass of smoothie to hold me until lunch.  Jeremy, not so much.  But these are a great way to get a healthy start to the day and get going on the fruit and veggie servings.

 

Recipe:
1 c. seeded and peeled cucumber, diced
1 c. frozen blueberries
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
1 c. skim milk
1-2 tbs. agave syrup (depending on how sweet you want your smoothie)
pinch of salt (optional, just to enhance the flavors)

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy. :)

Spicy Black Bean and Brown Rice Soup with Tortilla Strips

I haven't had a lot of time to post.  Between getting settled in Rochester, unpacking, and studying for the bar, it's been a bit busy.  I've been cooking... but it was mostly stuff I've already posted on here.  I'm hoping to get to the Public Market soon to restock on veggies.  But for tonight, I was making do with what I had left in the fridge.  (And trying to use up the brown rice I had made a few nights ago for a stir fry.)  This was a great soup.

Luckily it wasn't too hot here today.  This is certainly not a soup that I'd want to eat when it's too warm out. But it was delicious and comforting.  It's a bit spicy as written so if you don't like heat cut back on the chipotles and the cayenne (I'd cut the cayenne first... I love the smokey flavor that chipotles impart.).

I cooked the black beans just before making the soup (starting from dry beans) but you could certainly substitute canned if you prefer.  Two can would be enough... just drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup.

We have plenty of leftovers of soup but I used all of the tortilla strips I made.  They added a wonderful crunch to the soup -- it wouldn't have been as good without them.  If you don't want to make your own, you could use tortilla chips instead.  The lime was also a really great addition -- it needed a little acid to really bring out the flavor.

The red color of this soup was awesome.  (You could certainly adjust any/all of the spices to fit your taste... or to fit what you have on hand.) If you wanted it vegetarian, you could certainly use vegetable stock or water... it would still be delicious.  Definitely a very easy, tasty soup.

Recipe:
Soup:
2 tbs. olive oil
6 c. chicken stock
2 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 small onions, diced (about 3/4 c.)
2 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes (I use no salt added)
1 tbs. chipotles in adobo, minced (you can add more if you want it spicier)
3 c. cooked black beans
3 c. cooked brown rice
1 tbs. chili powder
2 tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbs. parsley flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges, for garnish (I used 1/4 lime per person)
tortilla strips, for garnish (recipe below)

1.  Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add carrots, bell pepper, celery, onions, and garlic.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Saute the veggies for 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add the tomatoes and chipotles in adobo.  Stir to combine.  Use your spoon to crush the tomatoes into smaller pieces.
2. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, oregano, paprika, and cayenne.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a simmer.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the veggies reach desired tenderness.
3. Add the beans and rice and stir to combine.  Adjust salt and pepper (and other spices...) as desired.  Once the beans and rice are heated through, ladle the soup into bowls.  Squeeze the lime into the soup just before eating.  Top with a handful of tortilla strips.  Enjoy!


Tortilla Strips:
3 corn tortillas (taco size)
1/2 tsp. salt
vegetable cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425.  If desired, line a baking sheet with foil (easier cleanup/extra protection against sticking).
2. Slice the tortillas in half.  Then slice into thin strips.  Arrange on the baking sheet to avoid overlapping (it doesn't have to be perfect...).
3. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray to lightly coat.  Sprinkle with salt.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly browned and crispy.  Give the pan a shake every few minutes to mix the tortillas around.

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

Sorry for the long break in posts.  Jeremy and I just moved to Rochester!  Since graduating we've been so busy with traveling and moving that I haven't had time to post.  I've cooked (a little) but nothing worth putting up here... just a couple burgers and stir fries.  We've just been too busy trying to get oriented in our new neighborhood and trying to set up our new apartment.

After tonight's burgers, I was feeling a little peckish and in need of some dessert.  And since my cupboards aren't fully stocked yet, I made do with what I had on hand.  These were delicious!  The mixture of spices I used was really yummy.  I would've added some ginger if I had it but I didn't.  Good anyway.  :)

I made these by hand because my parents still have my electric mixer.  (They took a bunch of stuff that I don't use frequently so that the movers didn't have to take it...)  I'll get my stuff from them eventually... By making sure that the margarine was fully softened, I was able to bring these cookies together with a whisk and a spatula.

You could add nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to these and make them even more awesome.  I didn't have any of those... so they were just spiced cookies.  So easy and so versatile.  I <3 oatmeal cookies. :)

Recipe:
3 tbs. margarine, softened
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (or the non-freshly grated if that's what you have)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the margarine, light brown sugar, and egg in a bowl.  Whisk until fully combined and creamy.
2. Add the flour, oats, and spices.  Use a spatula to combine fully.
3. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Portion out the dough into tablespoons and space evenly on the baking sheet (about 2" apart).
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Roasted Chicken with Fried Chickpeas

Tomorrow is my last law school final.  After that, it's just graduation.  So tonight, since I needed a break from studying anyway, I made a chicken.  I think there are few things more satisfying and so easy to make as a roast chicken.  Season it, throw it in the oven, take it out when it's done.  Yum.

Continuing our quest to use things up, I was trying to come up with side dishes to serve with the chicken.  I'm out of rice, pasta, and don't have any potatoes.  So a starch was hard to come up with.  I didn't want to put the time into making my own noodles tonight so I made chickpeas instead.  These were AWESOME.  Slightly sweet and spicy.  They were really quite easy to make.  Since I used dried chickpeas I had them working most of the day between soaking them and then simmering them.  But the actual time cooking them wasn't bad.  If you don't want to do all that, you can substitute canned chickpeas instead.  I always use dried beans now because they're so cheap.

I served this with some frozen green beans that I just microwaved and topped with a little margarine.  (All that's left in our freezer now is a small amount of peas and ice cubes... it looks so sad!  But all will be fixed after we move in a week and a half...)

The herbs you put on/in the chicken can be adjusted to your taste.  I often like to put some garlic or lemon in the chicken but since I didn't have any, I just left it with the herbs.  The water in the bottom of the pan helped to keep the chicken moist and it prevented the fat from burning when it rendered from the chicken.  I didn't use it to make a sauce but you could strain and separate the juices to make a gravy.

I have a lot of leftover chicken from this meal (and some of the chickpeas).  Jeremy ate a whole breast and I had half of one.  That leaves most of the dark meat and some of the white meat for another meal.  I'm already planning on making a pizza tomorrow with some of the chicken. Yum!

Overall a great meal.  Wish me luck on my last final tomorrow!

The whole chicken -- so crispy and delicious!

Recipe:
Chicken:
1 5-6 lb. whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (crush the leaves in your fingers before sprinkling on the chicken)
2 tbs. canola oil
approx. 2 c. water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the oil onto the chicken.  Sprinkle the seasonings over/in the chicken.
3. Place the chicken on a rack over a roasting pan.  Add water to the bottom of the pan.  (You want enough water to cover the bottom of the pan without touching the chicken.
4. Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until a thermometer inserted in the thigh (but not touching bone) registers at least 165 degrees (A lot of cookbooks (and my digital thermometer) recommend 180 degrees... but the USDA says 165 is sufficient...).  (I usually go a few degrees extra -- to 170 or 175... just to be safe.)
5. Allow the bird to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.  Enjoy!

Chickpeas:
8 oz. dried chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tbs. minced cilantro
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbs. vegetable oil

1. If using the dried chickpeas, soak the chickpeas for 6 hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse.  Place in a medium sauce pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45-60 minutes until tender.  Drain and set aside to dry a bit.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add oil and crushed red pepper flake.  Cook for 1 minute until the oil takes on a reddish hue.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly tender.  Add chickpeas, season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  (Adjust heat as necessary to avoid burning it.)  The onions will caramelize slightly.
3. Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine.  Cook for 1 more minute.
4. Serve and enjoy.

Eggplant Parmigiana

In our quest to use up as much of our food as possible before we move, I decided to make eggplant parmigiana.  Not that I had eggplant sitting around... but I did have breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and a half a box of pasta.  Since I have a whole chicken that I'm planning on cooking tomorrow, I decided we didn't need to have our normal chicken parmesan.  So instead, I bought an eggplant and made this.  Delicious!

While this dish took a while to put together, a lot of it was passive.  The eggplant sitting after being salted didn't need to be attended to (got plenty of facebook checking -- umm... I mean studying -- done during that step).  And once it was in the oven, you can leave it alone except for checking on the cheese (although I was cooking pasta at that time... so I didn't make it back to my books to study).  And overall, this is a really easy dish.  A few steps but nothing too complicated.

Jeremy and I had a salad first and then I served this with some whole wheat pasta in more of the spaghetti sauce.  We have 1/3 of the eggplant parm left (we were hungry...) and some of the pasta.  There might be a fight over these leftovers. :)

Recipe:
1 large eggplant (mine was 20 oz.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, divided
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
approximately 1/4 c. olive oil (or vegetable oil) for frying
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce (23.5 oz.)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2" slices.  Spread a layer of paper towel on a large cutting board or baking sheet.  Lay the eggplant in one layer.  Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Allow the slices to sit for 1 hour to draw out some of the moisture.  Pat the slices dry before continuing with the recipe.  (If you're pressed for time, you can skip this step.  But I think it makes for a more tender, tastier eggplant.)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add 1 tbs. water and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, parsley flakes, and garlic powder.
3. Grind some pepper on the eggplant (to taste).
4. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and heat until just shy of smoking.
5. Coat the eggplant slices in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.  Fry in the oil (in batches as necessary), flipping halfway through until they are golden brown on both sides (2-3 minutes per side).
6. In a 13"x9" casserole dish, spread 1/3 of the sauce.  Place one layer of eggplant in.  Top with another 1/3 of the sauce and 1/4 c. of the mozzarella and 1/8 c. of the remaining parmesan.  Top with another layer of eggplant.  Then add the remaining sauce and cheese. (My slices fit in just 2 layers... if yours don't, divide the sauce and cheese further so each layer gets some.) (Add more salt to the layers if you want... I added a pinch because my sauce was no salt added and needed a little bit.  It all depends on your taste.)
7. Bake in the oven (uncovered) for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned on top.

Triple Sec Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos with Sauteed Corn

Happy Cinco de Mayo! To celebrate, we had some delicious steak tacos (this would also be delicious with chicken, pork, etc.).  We normally would go out to dinner (because there are some local Mexican restaurants that I love...) but we expected they would be too busy  so we stayed in.  Since we're moving soon, I made a corn side dish to use up the rest of the corn that I had in the freezer.

Normally I would have marinated this in some tequila but we don't have any left.  And I wasn't buying more just to marinate some meat.  I used triple sec so the meat had a slightly sweet citrus flavor.  The skirt steak was nice and juicy and flavorful from the mix of spices.  Despite using a whole jalapeno in the marinade and some cayenne pepper, it wasn't spicy at all.  (At least not to us...)

We had some Dos Equis with our dinner (more Mexican spirit!) which rounded it out nicely.  Jeremy actually put the corn side dish into his tacos (his flour tortillas are bigger than my corn ones...).  Overall a great meal.  The only thing I'd change is that I'd add some chipotle Tabasco to the tacos.. would've been delicious!  (I didn't have any... and again, not buying it before we move...)

As a note, since I didn't know and had to look it up... the skirt steak grain runs the short way on the meat.  (Picture the 3' long skirt steak... it's 3' long by 4" wide... the grain runs b/t the two sides the 4" way...)  So this means that if you want 4" pieces, you should slice the 3' long piece into 4" pieces and then turn each of those 90 degrees and slice thinly.  This will give you the shortest meat fibers in each slice and thus the most tender meat.

Recipe:
Steak Tacos
Marinade:
1/4 c. triple sec
1/3 c. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 jalapeno, sliced

Rest of the taco ingredients:
1 to 1.5 lbs. skirt steak (I had 1.15 pounds)
Desired Toppings: lettuce, cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced onion, salsa, avocado, etc.
Tortillas: Corn or Flour, whatever you prefer

1. In a gallon zip-top baggie, mix the marinade.  Add the skirt steak.  Seal tightly and massage the marinade into the meat.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to overnight.
2. Heat a grill pan (or outside grill if you have one) over high heat.  (Mine is non-stick so I don't use any added fats.  If you need to grease your grill pan, do that.)  Sear the steak 3-4 minutes on the first side.  Flip and sear 3-4 minutes on the second side (for about medium). (Timing depends on the thickness of the skirt steak.)
3.  Remove the steak from the heat and let it rest for approximately 5 minutes.  Slice thinly across the grain.  Place a few strips in a tortilla and top with any combination of toppings you like.  Enjoy!

Corn:
1 lb. frozen corn
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, sliced (I left the ribs and seeds in, if you don't like spice, take them out.)
1/2 tbs. ground cumin
1 tbs. chili powder
1/2 c. water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. olive oil
small handful of cilantro leaves, chopped (about 2-3 tbs.)

1. Heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Saute for 4-5 minutes until softened.  Add the corn, cumin, and chili powder.  Stir to combine.
3.  Add the water.  Mix to distribute the spices.  Cover the pot and let it simmer together for 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in the cilantro and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Yes, you read that right.  Chocolate, peanut butter, AND chocolate chips -- in a pancake. Yum!

Since Jeremy and I are preparing to move, we're working on using up all the ingredients we have around our apartment.  We've been doing well with this but now I'm completely out of sugar.  Most of the pancakes I make call for sugar so most of my recipes were out.  In thinking about what I had around to use, I realized that I had all the ingredients to make these -- and it would help use up more flour.  (Yeah... using up flour... that's why I make pancakes...)

These tasted like cookies and were nice and soft and fluffy.  The chocolate flavor in the actual pancake wasn't too overpowering for the peanut butter.  The chocolate chips added a nice burst of flavor.  We didn't use any butter or syrup or anything on top of these.  Just picked them up and ate them as is (which is normal for Jeremy... but I usually dump syrup on any pancake.  I didn't have any syrup or honey left in the apartment but these really didn't need it.).

This recipe made 20 pancakes.  And we have 11 left over.  I'm looking forward to eating these again. Did I mention that I love pancakes... nothing like a soft, fluffy, yummy little cake to perk up your morning. :)

Just about ready to flip...

Ta Da! Nicely golden brown. :) 

Recipe (makes 20 pancakes... for me at least):
2 c. white whole wheat flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/4 c. baking cocoa (dutch process. NOT hot cocoa mix.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 c. skim milk
2 eggs
2 tbs. vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, baking cocoa, and salt).
2. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl (large enough to hold all the wet ingredients). Microwave for approximately 30 seconds until it loosens up and is easily mixable.
3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the peanut butter (eggs should be after the milk to make sure the peanut butter isn't too hot for them).  Mix to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined (don't overmix).
5. Heat a griddle* over medium to medium-low heat (adjust heat as needed for your stove so that they brown, but not too quickly).  Add pancake batter in 1/4 c. portions, top each with a few chocolate chips.  Cook the pancakes until they start to bubble and begin to dry on the edges.  Flip and continue cooking until cooked through. (Only like 2 minutes per side I think... I don't time this.)
6. Serve with desired toppings (if any)**.

* I have a non-stick griddle so I don't use any added fat to grease it.  If you don't have a non-stick griddle, you might need to use some margarine or cooking spray to make sure these don't stick.  (Or invest in a non-stick griddle... I love mine.)

**You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree oven if you want them to all come out at the same time.  Jeremy and I just eat them as they come off the griddle (which means I'm eating while cooking...).  Works for us. :)

Turkey Florentine Meatballs

A close-up of the meal. Topped with some additional freshly grated parm.

Tonight I made turkey meatballs -- with tons of spinach inside.  They were amazing. I made my own marinara sauce to go with them and just cooked up some spaghetti.  We had a small salad with it and it was an all-around great meal.

These meatballs stayed nice and moist and had a great flavor from the spinach.  These would be great in a cream sauce or a tomato-based sauce like I made.  We ate about half of the meatballs so we'll have enough leftovers -- if Jeremy doesn't get to them tonight.  I made one pound of whole wheat spaghetti to go with this so we have about half of the pasta left over as well.

I was using 85% lean ground turkey for these meatballs.  They were really easy to put together since it just took some mixing and baking.  It's also possible to fry them in a frying pan but that takes a lot more work than just throwing them on a baking sheet.

I used fresh spinach leaves for this since I had a lot of spinach in the fridge that I wanted to use up.  You could certainly substitute chopped frozen spinach and get the same result.

These meatballs were nice and garlicky.  I used about half a head of garlic -- you could certainly cut back on that if you don't like garlic as much as I do.  These weren't spicy to us but you could cut back or eliminate the crushed red pepper flake if you're sensitive to spicy foods.  They would still be delicious without it.

Overall, this was a great meal -- and it didn't take too long to pull together.  I will definitely be making these meatballs again.

The raw meatballs, moments before they hit the oven.

Recipe:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 c. cooked, drained, and chopped spinach*
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
2 tbs. olive oil
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Mix until everything is combined and evenly distributed.
3. Roll the balls into 1" meatballs and evenly space them on a large baking sheet. (I got 28 meatballs out of this.)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees (there shouldn't be any pink remaining in the center).
(The meatballs are ready to eat now... if you want.  I simmered mine in the sauce for approximately 20 minutes before serving with the spaghetti.)

* I started with about 3 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves.  I cooked them in the microwave for 5 minutes with a little water, just to wilt them.  Then I let them cool slightly before squeezing the liquid out and chopping them into itsy-bitsy pieces.  You could use 1 c. frozen chopped spinach, just defrost and squeeze the liquid out.

Penne and Spinach with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

Tonight I decided to make a roasted red pepper alfredo sauce.  I had a jar of roasted red peppers in the fridge so it was pretty easy to pull together.  You could roast your own bell peppers, but it's not necessary.  I didn't have any garlic on hand, so I used garlic powder.  You could certainly replace that with some minced garlic if you have it.

I added spinach to the pasta to add some additional veggies.  This would be delicious with some chicken or other meat thrown in as well.  Really, this sauce would probably be good on pretty much anything.  I know traditional alfredo sauces are made with cream... but I can't bring myself to make something where I'd be eating so much cream in one sitting.  So I thicken skim milk with some flour instead... more or less the same taste and whole lot healthier.

There are plenty of leftovers for this dish.  (Although Jeremy tells me they might not be there very long...)  We ate just over half of the meal (so far) and the rest will be leftovers, or I guess a late-night snack.

This meal was really quick to pull together.  I pureed the roasted red peppers first, then the sauce was done in the amount of time that it took me to boil the water and cook the pasta.  Not bad overall.  Certainly not much more time than opening a jar of sauce -- and this tastes wayyyy better.  Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:
4 roasted red bell peppers
1 box (13.25 oz.) whole wheat penne (or regular... if you wanted)
2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 3/4 c. skim milk
2 tbs. white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or a couple cloves of garlic, minced)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (or more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the roasted red bell peppers in a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a large pinch of salt and the penne.  Cook until al dente.  Drain.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flake.  When the oil becomes fragrant, add the roasted red pepper puree with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the flour and mix until combine.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, just to cook out the raw flour taste.  Add the milk and whisk to combine.  Bring the sauce to a boil to thicken it. Add the parsley flakes and parmesan cheese.  Whisk to combine.  Reduce heat to low until the sauce is thickened and the cheese is all melted.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the pasta is done and drained, add the spinach.  Pour the roasted red pepper sauce on top.  Mix to combine.  If necessary heat over low heat until the spinach is wilted (There was enough residual heat in the pasta/sauce that the spinach wilted by just mixing it in for a minute or so... I didn't need to turn the heat on).  Serve.  Top with additional parmesan, if desired.

Venison Shepherd's Pie

Tonight I'm using up the last of my venison until after we move to Rochester.  I will sadly not be getting another delivery from my mom and dad.  But I'm doing well clearing out our pantry so that we don't have to waste or move too much food.  Once again for this meal, I used instant mashed potatoes.  This was to use them up... they're not as good as real mashed potatoes, but they're easy.

This had a great savory flavor to it and was a really comforting dish.  It took a long time to make but that was because I simmered the meat for a long time to get it to break down.  The flour I dredged the meat in thickened the sauce into a delicious gravy.  All-in-all a great meal.

You could substitute any veggies you wanted in this.  Mushrooms too, I suppose (blech!).  This would be great with other types of meat as well.  You'd just need to adjust the cooking time/method to make the meat tender and delicious.

I cooked these in 5" pie plates.  It was probably a little more food than we needed but it was delicious.  I overfilled them a little bit... so it was lucky that I had placed the pie plates on a baking sheet.  That way it caught all the drips.  Definitely a great meal. Jeremy kept laughing at me for how many times I said "yum" while cooking/eating. :)

Recipe:
1 lb. venison (or lean steak), sliced into small bite-sized pieces
2 small carrots (about 3/4 c.) diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. water
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1/3 c. AP flour
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 tsp. pepper (plus more to taste)
1 1/3 c. mashed potatoes (or more if you like...)(this is for 2 servings... we like our potatoes)

1. Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a large resealable bag.  Add the steak and mix well to coat. (Just shake the bag around for a few seconds...)
2. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add 2-3 tbs. olive oil.  Add the steak and cook, stirring occasionally until browned.  Add the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften, 2-3 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, celery, carrot, garlic, worchestershire sauce, crushed red pepper flake, rosemary, bay leaf and water.  Stir to combine.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until the meat is tender (for the venison, I let it go several hours (like 3 1/2 today) to break it down... some cuts of beef won't require more than a few minutes -- but you can use cheaper, tougher cuts if you have the time to braise it slowly like I do with the venison).  Add chicken stock as needed to keep enough liquid in the pan so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and scorch.
4. Once the meat is tender, add the peas.  Adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Portion out the meat mixture into oven-proof bowls or individual 5" pie plates.  Top with mashed potatoes, pricking the mashed potatoes with a fork to create some peaks.
6.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until slightly browned on top.  Serve and enjoy.  (Be careful... they're HOT... don't burn your mouth!)

Moroccan Chickpeas, Veggies, and Couscous

Tonight I decided to make a moroccan-inspired dish.  I love combining couscous and chickpeas.  This has great flavor from the mix of spices but tonight I decided not to make it spicy.  It could easily be spiced up with some crushed red pepper flake or cayenne.  But it was good as is.

This is a vegan recipe... not that it matters to me.  But the mix of ingredients is quite satisfying so that Jeremy and I don't miss the lack of meat.  It's always great when I can make something healthy like this and it's just as comforting.

You could substitute other veggies if you wanted.  This would work well with other peppers, tomatoes, and even nuts and dried fruit.  And other than cooking the chickpeas, this comes together in less than half an hour, easily.

I use dried chickpeas so that I can control the amount of sodium in the beans (not to mention that they're cheaper).  You can certainly substitute canned chickpeas and skip the soaking/cooking them step.  The spices in this are adjustable.  You can adjust them to your taste and add/subtract whatever you like.

Recipe:
2 c. baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
1 red onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 c. couscous
2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 c. dried chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours or overnight (or 2 15 oz. cans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
salt & pepper to taste
1 3/4 c. water, divided

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas (if using dried), place in a medium sauce pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 45 minutes until tender.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine 1 c. water and 1 tbs. olive oil.  Bring to a boil.  Add couscous and stir to combine.  Turn off heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  At 1 tbs. olive oil.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper.  Saute for 5-7 minutes until slightly tender.  Add garlic and spinach, mix until the spinach wilts.
4.  Add paprika, turmeric, cumin, allspice, and coriander to the veggies.  Mix to combine.  Add 3/4 c. water and stir to distribute the spices.  Add the chickpeas to the veggies and mix to combine.
5.  Add the couscous to the veggies.  Mix to distribute the couscous throughout.  Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.  Serve and enjoy.

Veggie Scram-tata

After a late night out last night, Jeremy and I were both pretty hungry this morning. So instead of our usual run to a diner for a huge plate of bad food, I decided to make a veggie scramble.  It turned into more of a fritata, hence the name. (Name courtesy of Jeremy... since he came up with it when I put the plate of food on his lap.)

This was really simple to make and fairly healthy too!  It definitely hit the spot this morning and did a good job of rejuvenating both of us.  :)  It was nice to have so many veggies in the eggs this morning.  And the combo I used was so pretty!

You could certainly substitute whatever veggies you wanted for this (or add some cheese or meat or whatever).  This was what I had on hand so it's what went into it.  I also made sweet potato cakes to go with them (like hash browns but baked...).  But they didn't turn out quite how I expected so I'm not including that recipe.  I'll have to keep working on that...

Recipe:
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 c. baby spinach leaves
3 eggs
2 tbs. skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. margarine
1/2 tbs. vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a 10" oven-proof frying pan over medium heat.  Add margarine and vegetable oil.  When the margarine is melted, add the onion and bell pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until tender, 4-5 minutes.  Add the spinach and continue to saute until the spinach wilts.
2. Beat the eggs and milk together in a small bowl.  Pour the eggs into the veggie mixture and stir to combine.  Spread out the veggies so that everything is in an even layer.  Cook for 1-2 minutes on the stove-top until the bottom is set and most of the egg is cooked.
3. Put the frying pan into the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until the egg is cooked through.  Remove from oven, slice and serve.