Eggplant Victory

I have a confession to make: eggplant was my Achilles heel.  My Everest.  My other thing that means difficult challenge.  Since what my former roommate and I call the "Eggplant Incident of 2005" I have been fearful of cooking this gorgeous flavorful veggie.  I tried grilling, baking, casserole, all to no avail.  I would eat eggplant at restaurants, in the homes of friend's, and silently bear my shame.  But today, I have conquered the Solanum Melongena.  And it.  Was.  Delicious.

The impetus for conquering my fear came from my dear friend Beckham, he like me is a food lover and thanks to his lovely wife, a master of vegetarian delights.  He sent me a text last week that would forever change my eggplant-cowering life, "Last night's dinner: asian-y twice baked eggplant and roasted bok choy."  This text lead to a gchat exchange that piqued by curiosity.  Beckham is a natural cook: his paraphrased food philosophy being "take things that taste good, and apply heat and seasoning."  I generally need a safety net, ie recipe, in the kitchen, but decided to try his style and wing it based on an idea, and some basic Beckham tips.  Equipped with his instruction and inspiration, I set out to conquer my culinary albatross. Eggplant, consider yourself vanquished.

Twice-baked Asian Style Eggplant with Arugula and Edamame Salad
Serves 1 (with leftovers for later.  Yum)

For Eggplant
2 Japanese eggplant

2 large pieces of fresh ginger - peeled and finely diced

pinenuts

peanut butter (organic)

dark soy sauce

sesame oil

sriracha

aji-mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning)

Chinese five spice


For Salad

edamame - cooked and shelled

arugula

ginger dressing

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the eggplant in half length-wise and brush with olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and paper and bake for about 30 minutes or until eggplant is tender.  While the eggplant is baking, combine the next eight ingredients in a bowl and reserve.  For quantities, just eyeball it and remember: non-recipe cooking is liberating and makes you feel like a super hero.  Just trust me.  (The only reason I ended up using peanut butter was because I started out with too much soy and it was a wonderful correction.  If you haven't used these ingredients before, use a light hand with the sriracha, aji-mirin and sesame oil, and an abundant amount of soy.)

Scoop out the delicious eggplant meat and combine with all other ingredients.  (Accidentally cut through 3 of the 4 eggplant skins and don't sweat it.)  Place the eggplant mixture back in the eggplant skins and bake until warmed through, about 10 more minutes.

While this is baking plate a generous portion of arugula with the edamame and just a splash of ginger dressing.  Top the salad with two eggplant halves and enjoy.

Optional: Get so excited that you call your friend who inspired the dish when you are only halfway through eating.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pancetta and Broccoli Rabe

Well hello there, interwebz.  I've decided to post again.  I'm sure that this is the first time ever anyone has ever started a blog, and then let it drop off, so for this I greatly apologize.

I still don't know how often I'll update, but whenever I cook good food and think of funny things, I'll probably be posting.  I can't keep all this goodness to myself.

Speaking of goodness, peep that sweet potato...mmmmm.  I'll be getting to that in a minute.

My cooking style has recently changed because I'm newly single, so I'm having to relearn how to cook for one. It's annoying because I have no help in the kitchen (or with dishes, which are the bane of my existence, and the ruiner of nails),  no one to share my cooking triumphs with, and too many leftovers.  Still, there are bonuses, such as I can cook whatever I want, when I want and don't have to worry about making sure its "man friendly." I also can cook enough for two meals and leave the leftovers out on the counter while I eat dinner.  It's the little things, people.

I found a recipe in the January/Feburary issue of Food Network Magazine that perked my interest.  I used the base ingredients, but didn't bother with the cheese concoction because it seemed like too much work.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pancetta and Broccoli
2 servings, for 1 single lady, and weekend leftovers

2 Sweet Potatoes
4 Slices of Pancetta
1/2 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe, stems cut off, and chopped
1 Cup assorted Mushrooms (I used the "stir fry" pack that had shiitake, portabella, and I dunno what else)
2 Cloves Garlic, Sliced
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Nutmeg
Greek Yogurt

Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.  If you don't plan that far ahead, just nuke those bad boys for about 10 minutes until they are soft.

Chop and cook the pancetta until brown, about 5 minutes, and remove from pan to a paper towel.  Add the broccoli rabe (which I had never had or cooked before, and is awesome)  and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.  Add in the mushrooms, red pepper flakes, and garlic and saute until the veggies are tender, another 3 or 4 minutes.

Slice open the potato and add a little butter (I use yogurt butter) and a bit of nutmeg, then the rabe mixture.  Put a dollop of greek yogurt, and then the pancetta.

Eat, enjoy, and relish the fact that you have leftovers and they are all yours.

Open-faced avocado and goat cheese sandwich. Eat and have your spirits lifted.

Oh blogging...you thwart me so.  I know I've got the raw skills to be good at this and share my passion, but life and my own laziness get in the way.

I've been having what my mom would call a boude week. ('Boude' is a cajun word which means 'to pout.')  If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's more than just pouting really: it's when you are in that place where you don't like ANY of your clothes, your temper is super short, and you feel like you can't do anything right, even though in reality, you are super fantastic awesome sauce. I don't know if it's been the weather or what, but I've just felt a little off my game and bleh.

It's cyclical of course because you are in a crummy mood, so you don't feel like doing anything, so then you don't, and then you feel crummy because you didn't do anything.  Sometimes I like to refer to this phenomenon as "being a lady" because it doesn't seem to plague men.  Oh the bliss of being a dude and not putting unreasonable, emotional, expectations on yourself.

When I'm in that icky blah place, this dish will put a smile on my face.  It doesn't fix everything because duh, it's just a sandwich, but it is a step in the right direction.

Open Faced Avocado and Goat Cheese Sandwich
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp goat cheese
1/4 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
two pieces wheat bread
cherry tomatoes, halved

Mix first five ingredients together: can be done the day before.  Top bread slices with avocado mixture and cherry tomatoes. Easier to make if the bread can be toasted, but just as yum regardless.

Grilled pork chop with pineapple relish

Well hello, Saturday.  So nice to see you!  It's been a long week, and I am over the moon to be sitting on my sofa in my pjs.  I sat down several times this week to blog this recipe but never got around to it, but  c'est la vie.  I would love to say that I'll be more timely in the future, but sometimes life gets in the way.  I'm going to focus on quality in my posting, and not worry about quantity.  In fact, I think I'm doing readers a favor because it gives you less to read, and life is so busy as it is: you are welcome!  (See what I did there?)

Anyhoo, enough of my weekend rambling: on to the food!  This is a great example of how something really simple can dress up a dish in your regular meal rotation and give it new life.  I have made these teriyaki pork chops more times than I count: they are definitely a favorite for my fella.  We typically don't buy bone-in chops, but I follow the marinade recipe although I don't measure: life is too short to be that precise!  

I've also made the blueberry relish and it is great, but this week I tried something different: pineapple!  I have been famous in the past for wasting food so I'm really trying to be more conscientious about buying ingredients that I can use in multiple ways and pineapple is something we already love.  So take a recipe you love, tweak one or two ingredients, and give new life to an old standard.  This relish was great for two recipes: chops and quinoa early in the week and pork lettuce wraps later in the week.

Pineapple relish

1 cup of pineapple, coarsely chopped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minched

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

sprinkle of kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.  Can be served immediately, but flavors will deepen if given time to chill.  Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Kale and White Bean Stew

This weekend was a busy one for me with work responsibilities (retreats on Saturday and Sunday) so I didn't have as much time for cooking as I would have liked.  Also, whenever I have to eat out a lot in a short period of time I try to cook something healthy for dinner as soon as I can to balance the scales.

Don't get me wrong: the guacamole, Chinese food, cupcakes and Italian were all delicious.  You might notice that I said I ate out twice, but that sounds like more than two complete meals.  Welcome to working with college students. :)

Anyhoo, this kale and white bean stew from epicurious was just the ticket. Of course, it was 75 degrees (thanks Louisiana) but such is life.  I also think that this soup tasted WAY better than it looks.  This isn't just a commentary on my photography skills: it looks so healthy, amiright?  In my experience, something that looks this healthy might suffer in taste but trust me when I say this is de-lish.  While I'm calling this recipe vegetarian, I did use chicken stock because I just don't like veggie stock flavor as much, but feel free to substitute whichever suits your fancy.

Let me also take an opportunity to plug the Epicurious App: tons of great recipes, really easy to use, save, and share.  Check it out!

Kale and White Bean Stew (from Epicurious, with my modifications)


2 pounds kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup white wine (Elios Mediterranean White)
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon garlic red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop kale.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring, about 15 minutes (do not brown vegetables). Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. 

Add white beans, 4 cups broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes longer. 

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add remainder of broth to thin stew. Mix in red wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Squash Salad

On my new quest for more vegetables, I am trying to come up with easy salads to bring for work lunch.  This is a bit of a challenge for me because I have always been very unimaginative in this area.  For most of my life, a salad has been lettuce, tomato and dressing.  Anything beyond cucumber was exotic and perplexing.  "Olives?  In a salad?  THAT IS NEITHER LETTUCE NOR TOMATO!"

I've branched out a bit, but I'm always probably a little overly pleased when I come up with a "different" salad.  This one came together with zucchini that my fella grilled over the weekend.  I intended to do my usual spinach salad with fixins but the spinach was past its prime.  Instead, I ended up with zucchini as the base, which I liked even more.

While I'm having a salad confessional, let me also say that I don't make my own dressing.  I know how easy it is, and I have good olive oil and tons of vinegar, but I just can't be bothered.  And they just put it in bottles and make it so nice!  Who am I to put the hard working salad dressing folks out of business?

Grilled Squash Salad


3 zucchini, chopped
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon pinenuts
1 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
1 tbsp Ken's Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing

Put zucchini on foil sheets.  Cover with lemon pepper seasoning and olive oil.  Wrap and close and place on warm grill until your fell says they are done, roughly 10 minutes.  Let zucchini cool and chill until the next day. (Note: If you can't grill the squash, roasting in an oven would work fine.)

Assemble all other salad ingredients and put dressing in separate container.  Bring to work and enjoy!

Vegetarian Tacos: Support that Resolution!

Well hi there!  If you're still here, thanks!  Sorry about the radio silence: after my big trip abroad I have been bushed and out of wack.  I'm finally able to stay awake past 9 pm (party time!) so let the blogging commence.  In additional, it's taken a while for me to get back into the swing of cooking, and I am fired up about trying new dishes.  Specifically, I'm trying to recommit to a balanced diet.  With the holiday and vacation, I've had a bit of a backward slide, so I'm excited about getting "back on track" if you will.

I've decided to take things a step further and try to eat more vegetarian meals.  I don't think I will ever be a vegetarian because meat is tasty, but I know it's a healthy way to go, so I'm going to be trying to find more creative ways to enjoy vegetarian meals.  This first one is almost so simple, I feel like posting it is cheating, but it was too yum to keep all to myself.  By substituting roasted mushrooms for meat I was able to have a meal that was flavorful and tasty but light on fat.

Vegetarian Tacos

1 container white button mushrooms, rough chopped
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp olive oil
2 wheat tortillas
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
Lettuce
1/2 Avocado, sliced
1 tbsp of cilantro, rough chopped
1 tbsp salsa
1 tsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place mushrooms on baking sheet and coat with paprika, chili powder, and olive oil.  Stir to coat.  Bake for 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through but still firm.

Microwave tortillas for 10 seconds.  Put cheese on tortillas (not as pictured, but how I should have done it.) :) Add mushrooms and all other ingredients and enjoy!

Note: Wheat tortillas, although healthier than flour, still pack a lot of calories.  I typically don't eat the whole tortilla because it's a little big so I tear off about 1 inch all the way around.

Sawadee ka! (Greeting in Thai!)

I've been a bit quiet as of late, because I've been in Thailand!  It was a combination wedding/vacation and was simply marvelous.  I'm excited to get cooking again soon.  Stay tuned!

I may also do a post with some pics of food and sites because Thailand was extraordinary, and should be shared. :)

A Gift for the Naughty: Oreo "Coal"

While I was a little hesitant at first, I have become a full-fledged Pinterest convert.  It allows you to organize the internet into neat little folders, and is impressively addictive.  If you aren't familiar with it, check it out for yourself.  I won't waste time describing it because it's one of those things that you just have to play around with to really understand.

I've spent most of my time perusing other peoples boards for recipes, naturally, and came across this sinful, simple oreo bar that conveniently looks like coal.  Dessert that looks like coal?  Christmas time?  I think you see where I'm going with this.

For my work folks, I made homemade granola and these bars and put them in little bags and went around asking folks, "Naughty or Nice?"  Nice folks ended up with granola, and naughty got the coal (Hehe).  The only weird part was when students got wind of it and came to my office to say, "Hey.  I've been naughty."  I may have to rethink this process...

No Bake Oreo bars (adapted from Sweet Peas Kitchen)
2 16 ounce packages Oreo cookies
10 cups small marshmallows
8 tbsp Bummel and Brown yogurt butter

Line a 9 x 14 baking dish with parchment paper.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse Oreos until ground. In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and marshmallows for about 2 minutes until puffed. Pour marshmallow/butter mixture into the Oreo crumbs and stir until fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared baking dish and let set up for 10 minutes.  Cut bars to desired size and enjoy!

Cheese stuffed mushrooms, two ways

Let me start by saying I loooove mushrooms.  Love.  Them.  Let me also say that this photograph is not doing the deliciousness in that pan justice.  Someday, perhaps I'll upgrade from my iPhone camera, but for now, you'll just have to take my word for it.

I made these mushrooms for a potluck with my rockin' book club, and I think they turned out pretty tasty.  What I love about them for a potluck dish is that they can be stuffed a day ahead and baked in the oven right before serving, or can be stuffed in a hurry when you get back late from shopping, in about 10 minutes so that you still make it on time.

I have made the cheddar/bacon bit variety for years, just like I learned from my mom, but decided to make a second variation out of what I had on hand.  It was nice to have a vegetarian mushroom option, and both were tasty.

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 ounces mushrooms
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp bacon bits
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
2 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup spinach, finely chopped
4 tbsp plain breadcrumbs

Wipe mushrooms with damp paper towel to clean.  Remove stems and chop finely in small chopper or processor.  Saute chopped stems in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Split sauteed stems into two bowls.  Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to each bowl, stirring to incorporate.  Add cheddar and bacon bits to one bowl and all other ingredients to the other.  Mix to incorporate all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Use less salt than usual because both the feta and bacon bits tend to be a little salty.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through.

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce

Salmon is one of my favorite fish to eat, probably because it's one of the first fish I ever cooked.  I remember the dish clearly: salmon covered in dill and yogurt, wrapped in foil, and baked in the oven.  The recipe was given to me by my college mentor, who is now my supervisor: oh life, you crazy weaving ride.

So, back to the salmon.  If you aren't a fish person, salmon is one to try.  It is flavorful without being too fishy, and filled with the good fat (omega 3 fatty acids) so that is a win-win-win situation, a fish triple threat, if you will.

I have been making this recipe since I was in graduate school and had decided to make a commitment to having a healthy balanced diet.  This was pretty necessary, as a response to my questionable food choices in college.  Bad day?  Console yourself with Taco Bell.  Good day?  Celebrate with Taco Bell!  I am proud to say I have been  taco bell free for at least three years!  As for Cane's...well, I have to draw the line somewhere!

And now, for the delightfully pictured salmon. (I swear, there is a recipe here somewhere.) This is a Ellie Krieger recipe.  She used to have a show on Food Network and has a great cookbook of yummy, healthy foods.  This is a meal that can come together in 20 minutes and never fails to wow.  I have always made it with basil but tonight switched it up (due to my mutant mint bush) and it was great.  It is imperative to serve it over spinach because it soaks up the sauce and is wilted by the salmon and really makes the dish.  My version of the recipe sticks closely to hers, but I actually make the amount of sauce for two that she makes for four.  A little extra grapefruit never hurt anybody!

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce
Serves 2
2 skinless salmon fillets, 5-6 ounces each
pinch of salt, plus more for seasoning fish
2 ruby red grapefruits
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp minched shallot
1 tsp ginger powder
2 1/2 tsp honey
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsps lemon juice
1 tbsp basil or mint
baby spinach

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season the salmon liberally with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking pan and roast until cooked through, about 16 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking, prepare the sauce!  Cut one grapefruit into sections and set the segment pieces aside.  Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes  Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne pepper and bring to simmer.  Cook until sauce reduces a bit, about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and season with salt, to taste.  Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil or min into the sauce.  Put a serving of spinach on each dish and a portion of salmon on the spinach.  Spoon sauce over salmon and serve.

Turkey Beef Chipotle Chili

My fella and I happened upon a chili cook-off Friday which succeeded in whetting our chili taste buds.  I suggested that we make some this weekend, and being a good sport, he went along with it.  It has been rainy and bleh all day long, so this is perfect chili weather, other than the fact that  my dear had to go shopping for the ingredients, but the sacrifice was worth it for this collaborative deliciousness.

The photograph does not do this chili justice: it is yum!  In contrast to my previous recipe, this one is decidedly man-friendly, what with it being a big bowl of meat. We like our chili on the spicy side: I would say this has good flavor, but isn't overwhelmingly spicy.  I randomly forgot both salt and pepper, which are flavor standards, but I honestly don't think the chili suffered because of it.  I think seasoning the meat and chili separately helped to build layers of flavor.  This meal received a 100% approval rating in my house and has left plenty of leftovers for the week.

Turkey Beef Chipotle Chili (recipe inspiration from Betty Crocker cookbook)

1 1/4 pound ground turkey
1 1/4 pound ground beef (80/20)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp and 2 tsp smoked paprika
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes and peppers (original rotel), undrained
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 small can diced chiles
1/2 frozen corn
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Shredded cheddar (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Corn chips (optional)

Heat skillet to medium and add meat, garlic powder, onion powder, and 2 teaspoons  of smoked paprika. Cook meat over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until brown and drain.

In slow cooker, add all ingredients except for optional toppings.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with additional toppings.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Healthy Delicious is a blog I came upon many many moons ago and I have been starring recipes in my google reader since then.  I recently came upon this recipe for Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup and couldn't wait to try it.

This was definitely a selfish receipe: my fella isn't a big fan of sweet/savory combos so I had a feeling that he wouldn't be a big fan, but I had to give it a whirl.  I was right it wasn't his cup of tea...er...soup, but it is definitely one of my new favorites for winter.  He is a trooper and doesn't mind fending for himself when I'm feeling a little experimental, even though he did the peeling/chopping.  What a guy!

I am a sucker for anything chipotle but this soup is definitely something special. It was smooth, flavorful, and delicious.  Next time I made it I might only puree half just to give some tooth to the soup, but the flavor was spot on and comforting.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup (taken from Healthy Delicious)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger (I used dried)
2 gala apples, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
1 cinnamon stick

Heat the oil in a 3 quart soup pot set over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the apples, celery, and sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock, water, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are soft - about 30 minutes.  Discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the chipotle.

Puree soup with stick blender until smooth and serve.

Swai? Swai not! (and greens)

I came across a friend of mine on facebook that cooked swai recently, which was a fish I had never heard of, so my curiosity was peaked.  I found some at "Gucci Brookshire's" on Line Avenue and bought some.  I was feeling pretty adventurous, since I didn't have a plan for cooking it, or know anything about it.  Turns out, swai is just catfish from Vietnam, so not really all that fancy, or intimidating. Color me humbled.

Typically I like to oven fry or blacken catfish, but I was hungry and in a hurry, so I used lemon pepper seasoning and baked in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.  It was flaky, mild, and yum and at $4.24 for two large fillets, it was quite a bargain.

For sides I went with my standard collard greens recipe, via Food Network's Sunny Anderson (I leave out the tomato and find that chicken stock tastes best), roasted mushrooms, and yes, that is kraft macaroni and cheese.  Sometimes, you just need to go old school.

My Thanksgiving Traditions: Peas with Roux & Spinach Madeline

My concept of Thanksgiving has changed a lot over the years.  My earliest and most frequent Thanksgiving memories involve a gathering of my immediate family, and my dad's side of the family in Gretna.  Thanksgiving worked like clockwork: we'd eat in the early afternoon, my brother would hog all the rolls, I would stuff myself with my grandmother's mirliton casserole, we'd watch football, wait an hour, and have dessert.  You could set your clock by it and it was a delicious and comforting time, and a cherished memory.

Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, but due to my crazy life, I've spent many Thanksgivings away from my family: college in Shreveport, abroad in Germany, working at Cracker Barrel in Texarkana, grad school in Michigan, with boyfriends and friends.  Because of this, I don't really have a consistent family tradition but I've found a way to bring my family with me wherever I go by making dishes that remind me of home.

The first (not pictured) is peas with roux.  This is a dish my grandmother has been making as long as I can remember and it reminds me of home.  It takes about 5 minutes to cook, and has been known to convert a pea hater into a pea lover, so if peas aren't your thing, give it a whirl: you may be surprised.

Peas with Roux
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp dehydrated onions
1 can le sueur very young small sweet peas

Heat oil over medium for 5 minutes until almost smoking.  Add flour and stir constantly until the color of peanut butter.  Rehydrate onions and add, stir for about 30 seconds.  Add can of peas, and liquid and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until peas have thickened.

The next recipe is spinach madeline which my mother made every year to bring to my grandmother's house.  It is cheesy, delicious, and a taste of home.  Add it to your Thanksgiving rotation and you won't be sorry.  Also, it actually tastes better if you make it the day ahead, which is a bonus for your Thanksgiving planning.

Spinach Madeline
2 packs frozen chopped spinach
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup reserved spinach liquid
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 (6 ounce) box of velveeta cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Cook spinach according to package directions - drain and reserve liquid.  Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat.  Add flour stirring until blended and smooth but not browned.  Add onion and cook until soft but not browned.  Add liquid slowly stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  Cook until smooth and thick.  Add seasonings and cheese and stir until melted.

Remove from heat.  Add spinach and mix well.

May be served immediately or put into a casserole dish and refrigerated over night.  Flavor improves if kept over night: may be frozen.

Buffalo Chicken Dip: A little wrong never tasted so right

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I have some tried and true recipes to share that I made over the holiday.  I spent a few days with family in Tennessee and had a great, cheese-filled holiday.  I strive for healthy eating in my day-to-day life but I refuse to spend the holidays munching on the vegetable tray.  That's what January is for: work out commercials and remorse, amiright?

This year I made buffalo chicken dip, courtesy of a friend of mine from Murfreesboro, Heather Arrington, as it was a HUGE hit last Christmas.  It would be great for a holiday party, or a tailgate, because it is sinfully delicious.  This dip has ingredients I'm almost embarrassed to share (canned chicken.  gulp), but it's so delicious I just don't care.  The only thing you have to worry about is burning the roof of your mouth because you won't be able to wait to dive in.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 12.5 ounce cans of white meat chicken, drained

1 cup Frank's buffalo sauce

2 8 ounce packages of reduced fat cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing

1 8 ounce bag sharp cheddar cheese

Drain chicken and put in pan to warm with buffalo sauce.  Add softened cream cheese, ranch, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Stir thoroughly, pour into a 8 x 8 baking dish, and cover with the remainder of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Stuffed patty pan squash. Thank you, farmer's market!

Shreveport has a great Farmer's Market that sadly had its last market of the season this past saturday: womp womp.  Luckily, I was able to grab a few things, including some patty pan squash and I was very jazzed with the results.

I'd only cooked patty pan squash once before and didn't have a recipe on hand, but based on a brief google search I knew I wanted to stuff it.  This recipe came together by investigating what I had on hand to get rid of before going out of town for Thanksgiving. As they say, "Necessity is the mother of invention," which certainly rings true when throwing together a meal.  It makes me a little anxious to do something completely new, but it's damn satisfying when it turns out well, and let's be real, it turns out well most of the time because of my MAD skillz.

I picked up yellow bell peppers and onion and the farmer's market and decided to use mint, to once again try to hack away at the towering mint plant I have in my yard.  In an effort to do a little pre-vegetarian detox, I tried to go light and vegetarian so I added corn, cheese, and rice, and called it a day.  It was a little time consuming to cook the squash, then scoop it out, but now that I've done it once,  it'll be easy peasy next time because there WILL be a next time, oh yes.  This dish, despite the lack of meat, is also fella approved, when served with a salad.

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash (Serves 3)
3 large patty pan squash
2 servings rice (Cooked w/ chicken stock.  Cook w/ veggie or water if desired)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar.
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 ounces manchego cheese, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Heat 1 inch of water in a large sauce pan or stock pot.  Bring to boil, then add squash and cover.  Cook for about 10 minutes until a fork can easily pierce the skin.  Put to the side and let rest and chill for a few minutes.  Carefully slice the top (stem side) off and remove seeds and discard and reserve all of the squash. Add cooked rice, lemon juice, and cayenne, and taste.  Adjust seasons as necessary and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in same pan that cooked the squash.  Add garlic and cook one minute.  Add onions and bell pepper and cook until transluscent.  Add corn, balsamic, and oregano and saute for 2-3 minutes until warmed and add salt and pepper to taste.  Combine this mixture to rice/patty pan mixture and stir thoroughly.  Stir in manchego and mint and taste once more for seasonings.  Stuff squash, overflowing with mixture and cover loosely with foil.  Cook in oven for 10 minutes, until just warmed.

Realize that you actually only needed two of the squash and eat the other one for lunch tomorrow.  SCORE!


 

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti. Your body will thank you.

Spaghetti squash spaghetti is one of my FAVORITE things to cook: healthy, easy, and sneaky.  It makes me feel clever as well, which is a lot to get out of a vegetable.

I had the chance to stop by the Shreveport Farmer's Market this past Saturday and found some lovely spaghetti squash.  For those of you local, the last market of the season is this saturday, so check it out if you have time, 8-12.  There are great produce items, meats, jams/jellies, and you could see yours truly selling some Zombee Candles for my bestie over at Hesson Haus. Hope to see you there!

Anyhoo, back to the squash.  In the past I've always baked it in the oven, but I came across a great post on Steamy Kitchen about microwaving so I decided to give it a whirl.  I'm happy to report that this method was easier and quicker and I will never go back!

Spaghetti Squash is great for satisfying the craving for italian while also bypassing the carby goodness.  Sometimes you feel like a carb, sometimes you don't.  I basically use the same ingredients I would for spaghetti, and bammo, you've got a delicious meal.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
dried oregano
dried thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used Ragu this time, whichever one had lowest sodium)
1/4 cup red wine
parmesan cheese
pepperocini peppers

Stab spaghetti squash repeatedly.  Use this as a good time to take out any aggressions.  Be careful, as your squash will have the tendency to roll.  Microwave on high for 12-15 minutes, until tender and easy to insert a knife.  Let cool for 10ish minutes.

Begin sauce.  Heat olive oil to low and add garlic.  Saute for a few minutes and add onion.  Cook until translucent then add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook until veggies are tender.  Salt and pepper at this stage: light on the salt because of the lovely parmesan you'll add at the end.  Add the tomato sauce and stir to warm.  Season at will with thyme and oregano.  Add red wine and let simmer.

Carefully slice open spaghetti squash and remove seeds. Use a fork or spoon to remove all the spaghetti squash.  Add squash to sauce dish and stir to cover.  Sprinkle parmesan on top and serve with pepperocinis on the side for added spice.

Kitchen sink tacos: chicken, grilled veggies, pickled onion, etc...

Show me a day of the week and I'll show you a day that myself and my fella are in the mood for Mexican.  As I sit here and try to rack my brain for all the ingredients I used in these tacos, my mouth is literally starting to water.  If I was Guy Fieri, I'd say that I was looking forward to a "one way ticket to flavor town" but I'm not him, so I'll just say this meal was DAMN good. (Sorry mom).

The chicken was grilled on Sunday, and waiting in the wings.  (Hehe.)  I cannot stress enough the importance of grilling and how it can simplify your life by allowing you to cook multiple dishes and not make your kitchen a mess.  Hear my words.  Embrace them.

Most of this dish came together as a hodge podge of fridge leftovers.  Pickled onions and coleslaw were leftover sides from the salmon dish and the grilled veggies (mushroom, onion, and squash) were leftover from sunday's grilling spectacu-lar.  I added fresh onion and bell pepper for some crunch and garnished with cilantro, sour cream, and lime juice.  I'll be having a variation of this for lunch tomorrow and we're going out for Mexican on Friday.  I have a craving that CANNOT be satiated.  Mexican food 4 life.

Chipotle Marinated Chicken (adapted to serving size from Cooking Light community)
2 garlic cloves
2 chipotle chile
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/8 tsp ground cumin
black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place all ingredients in small chopper/process.  Pour over chicken; cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Grill chicken over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in center.

Firecracker Rice (adapted from my pal Jennifer Laurent)


Rice (4 servings)
1 can chicken stock
1 poblano, (roasted, skin peeled, diced)
4 ounces manchego cheese, chopped
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika

Cook rice according to package directions using chicken stock and a bit of water in a rice cooker.  If you don't have a rice cooker, go to the store and buy one.  Trust me: it's worth it.  Once rice is cooked, let cool for a few ingredients, then stir in all other ingredients and serve.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup: My Way

Yesterday I had the misfortune to wake-up with a pretty significant headache: not my preferred way to start the day.  There were a few things I had to get done at work, so I went in for about an hour and then came back home to wait it out.

I started to feel better around lunch time but the headache was still lingering.  (Don't worry.  In the battle of Ashlie vs Headache, eventually, Ashlie reigns supreme.)  I wanted something to eat that I couldn't normally have at work, and something that would make me feel better on an otherwise ick day.  Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich was just the thing.  This meal is probably my #1 thing to eat in the world.  IN THE WORLD. (Ok.  It may be tied with homemade nachos.  I can't pick just one #1 that would be crazy!)  There is something about the simplicity of tomato soup and grilled cheese that hits the spot.  This is "my way," for today only, because I change it up based on what I have around.  This time, I had manchego, cheddar, and arugula.  So. Good.  I had never had manchego cheese before but for some reason it caught my eye in the grocery store.  It's a sheep's milk cheese, creamy and a bit tart, sort of like a tamer goat cheese.

Before I give you the recipe, I need to alert you to something.  Are you sitting down?  Prepare yourself, because I'm about to drop a bomb.  My tomato soup starts with...Campbell's.  That's right, peeps, Campbell's condensed, full of sodium, tomato soup. Could I make it from scratch? Probably.  Even so, there is something about this can that just makes my heart happy.  I used to make tomato soup back in my college days and there is just something classic about it, that I can't abandon.

Tomato Soup
1 can campbell's condensed tomato soup
1 can organic low fat milk
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
7 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Black pepper
Sriachi to taste

Make soup according to can instructions: pour can contents into small pot.  Add one soup can full of milk, and put over low heat.  Add ingredients and let simmer for 5 minutes until ingredients blend. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir to taste.  (Note: normally I say always add salt to your dish, but this canned soup is naturally pretty salty, so you should do fine to omit extra.)

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
2 pieces whole wheat bread
Brummel and brown yogurt butter
2 ounces manchego
Small handful of arugula
2 ounces cheddar

Butter both slices of bread and heat non-stick skillet to medium. Assemble sandwich on bread, butter side down, with manchego, arugula, and cheddar. Put other piece of bread on top, butter side up and cook 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted.  Flip sandwich and let cook for 2 more minutes.  Serve and bask in its deliciousness.