Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Carmelized Onions and Asparagus

Last week, before we hit the road for the long weekend, I did a little tweaking of the traditional BBQ chicken sandwich, and here's what we came up with: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Asparagus. Rummaging through the refrigerator on Thursday afternoon trying to decide the age old question "what do we have for dinner?" I decided it would be a meat day. If nothing else, I just didn't have the presence of mind to come up with something vegetarian that we hadn't all had a hundred times. I'm generally not all about having something "new & exciting" everyday, but variations on pasta & marinara can get old, y'know? No matter how creative you are with your veggies! The kids loved this as well. They even liked the onions, though the pepper jack cheese was too spicy for their taste.

Chicken
Two large (preferably organic, free range) boneless chicken breasts, skinned and rinsed
4 Tbs olive oil (depending on the size and number of chicken breasts you use)
A generous sprinkling of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sliced Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese; reserve for later

Place chicken breasts in a shallow glass baking pan large enough so they don't overlap. Using a fork, pierce the chicken breasts several times. Drizzle the olive oil over breasts, turning to coat both sides. Sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mixture and cover. Let stand in refrigerator until ready to grill, at least 30 mins.

Asian-inspired marinade
4 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs lite rice vinegar dressing
1/4 c. soy sauce or tamari
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 inch cube fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/8 c. dried minced onions
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Asparagus
Wash and trim 3/4 to 1 lb. asparagus spears, cutting off about an inch of the bottom. Place asparagus spears in a plastic, zipper-top bag and add the marinade. Marinate for about 20 minutes.

Caramelized Onions
1 medium large yellow or brown onion or vidalia sweet onion
2 Tbs olive oil

Thinly slice onion into rounds of approximately 1/4 inch. Too thick and they won't caramelize; too thing and they'll get crispy. Heat oil on medium high in a large saute pan. When heated, add onions and reduce heat to medium. Cook onions, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes. reduce heat low and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring more frequently. If onions begin to get crispy rather than soft and sticky, add a little water to the pan and continue cooking and stirring until they are soft and Carmel colored with a sticky glaze.

While onions are cooking, preheat the grill. Cook chicken breasts over a medium flame (approx. 400 degrees) for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and browned, but not charred, on the outside. Add asparagus to the grill at about the time you turn the chicken breasts. Drizzle both the asparagus and the chicken with remaining marinade from the bag.

Cook asparagus until tender, but not floppy, and slightly crisp on the outside at the tip. Remove from grill and place in a covered serving dish.

To serve:
Slice chicken into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices. Layer chicken on whole wheat buns or other roll of your choice. Add a slice of pepper jack cheese and top with caramelized onions. If desired, spread rolls with a mixture of mayonnaise and chipotle peppers.

Serve with warm asparagus and a green salad and sliced mangoes. Delish.

Southwest Turkey Chili

I love the Cooking Light website (http://cookinglight.com) ... this AM, with company on the horizon, I needed a fast easy it-can-sit-for-awhile dinner... and I found their SouthWest Turkey Chili (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673023)

The serrano chilis gave it the best hint of fire and I used a deli prepared turkey breast, just pulled it apart and into the mix. Filling, delicious, lots of texture and flavor.... and the best part, it was in the crock pot in less than 30 minutes and simmered most of the afternoon....

And enough for leftovers tomorrow....

Freezer Recipes

OK - you asked for it! Here's a great one for the upcoming summer months. I think it's originally from Cooking Light, but was passed on to me by a friend:

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

1 lb ground turkey
¾ cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend
¼ cup salsa
¼ cup green onions
¼ cup tortilla chips, crushed
1 tsp cumin or chili powder
½ tsp garlic salt

In medium bowl, combine turkey, cheese, salsa, tortilla chips, green onions, cumin or chili powder and garlic salt; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 4 ½ “ patties.
Grill burgers on oiled rack over medium hot grill about 5 minutes per side, or until thickest part registers 160°. Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato and cheese. 4 Servings

I usually double or quadruple the recipe, lay the patties out on wax paper squares on a cookie sheet and freeze (I think it's called flash freezing). The next morning, I'll take them out of the freezer and package in a gallon freezer bag. You can take out as many as you need at a time. The ground turkey I buy at Costco is usually in 1 1/4 lb packaging, so I add a wee bit more of everything and make 5 burgers per package. We don't grill very much, so I usually make these on the George Forman - about 7 minutes or so.

The following recipe is a mish-mash of recipes I found on allrecipes.com:

Thai Chicken Pizza

1 pre-baked 12 “ pizza crust or 4 personal size crusts
1 (7 oz) jar peanut sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
8 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Green onions, chopped
½ cup shredded carrots
Red bell pepper, chopped

Stir together peanut sauce and peanut butter. Spread over pizza crust. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle on cheese, green onions, carrot and pepper. Wrap in plastic and freeze.

These can be cooked from frozen.
Pre-heat oven to 400˚. Bake until done.

This is my own version of Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I should change the name since I don't serve them with syrup. I think I got the original recipe from Rachael Ray, and then modified it for my family's tastes.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

French toast (I make mine for this with egg, milk, pepper and nutmeg)
Ham, sliced
Turkey, sliced
Cheddar cheese slices
Provolone slices
Bacon
Mustard

Layer sandwiches in the following order:
Bread
Ham
Cheddar
Bacon
Provolone
Turkey
Bread

Wrap and freeze.

Thaw, add mustard to bread slices (inside side, not the frying side). Fry on a griddle until cheese is melty.

I usually make these with a loaf of french bread. I'll make half for my family that night and then freeze the other half.

Quick Steak recipe

Since Everyday Food has been such a hit around my house, I decided to try a few of the recipes on the parental units. It is such a challenge to get their dinner on the table "on time"! Now that they are older, Mom & Dad eat dinner early...as in 5:30 is pushing it. I'm lucky if I can leave the office by 5:30 and then I still have a bit of traffic to fight before I can even get started. Luckily my office is across the street from a grocery so I can shop on my lunch break and keep my goodies in the office frig.

Season 4 flatiron steaks with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet to desired doneness. I like mine medium well and it takes about 7 minutes per side. Remove steaks from the pan and set aside covered with foil. Deglaze the pan with one cup dry white wine. Cook down until slightly syrupy. Wisk in one tablespoon dijon mustard. Add two tablespoons of capers. If the resting steaks have released any juices, add that to your sauce. Spoon over steaks and enjoy!

Where my recipes are from

I am going to not only talk about how I find and organize my recipes, I am also going to see if I can add links to this. Exciting day all around!

As I said in an earlier post, I did not have the privilege of leaving home with cooking skills and recipes and have had to cultivate that on my own. Having been mostly single until about five years ago, I didn't really feel the need to have a stockpile of recipes at my disposal. So, here I was at 33 years old with a husband who can cook a mean breakfast and little else, and I need to get a meal on the table (or at that time, on the TV stands) almost every night so we weren't living on fast food and cereal. While he would have been OK with that, I was not!

I started with people I knew could cook. Years ago, I was on a forum with some wonderful women who had all read the same book. As time went on, the forum became way to busy for me to keep up with, but I knew these were women who could cook. Although I hadn't posted for a couple years, I started trolling the recipe forum for easy, delicious sounding recipes. I would copy them from the forum and paste them into a Word document, and when I had a good number, I would print them out and put them in a three ring binder. As I tried recipes, they were either crossed out if they weren't a big hurrah, or they were re-typed and put behind plastic and put into another three ring binder. In this way, I'm creating my own family cookbook.

As time went on and we had a child, we moved from the living room to the table for our meals. After working a full day, picking the kid up at daycare and driving home; cooking dinner was getting to be more and more of a chore. I had no desire to spend an hour or more in the kitchen preparing our meal. That's when I got very interested in freezer cooking. I think it started with a trip to Dinners Ready with a couple of girlfriends. How convenient it was to just let something thaw in my fridge overnight, do minimal assembly and pop it in the oven! This was exactly what I was looking for!

I started really researching on how to do this myself and found Once-a-Month-Cooking by Mary Beth Lagerborg and Mimi Wilson. While I didn't have the perseverance to cook 30 meals at one time in my kitchen, it was a great starting point for me and I think I made 6 different meals. My husband and I even purchased a chest freezer to help with my endeavor. Looking back, the recipes were pretty bland and not ones that I would make again, but it did give me a lot of very basic information about the ins and outs of freezer cooking, and it gave me the confidence that this was something very doable.

Since then, I have become better about my freezer cooking. I have a section in my three ring binder of recipes that are good for the freezer. I double and triple batches of recipes that we have tried and given the thumbs up to. I learned the hard way not to freeze potatoes without cooking them first.

My newest recipe book that I love is Dream Dinners be Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna. The recipes seem to speak more to the palate than saving money. In my book, serving home cooked meals is almost always going to save you money over going out to eat!

I'll post recipe links and my other books at another time when I am home. This weekend I will be trying something new and teaming up with a friend of mine to cook for both of our families. I'll try and remember to take pictures and will absolutely document that experience!

Everybody's hungry, but what's the plan?

After spending over 6 hours at the beach on Sunday (yes, I am boasting as a matter or fact) we got home very tired and very hungry. The pic-nic we packed for the beach satisfied for a while, but after hours in the sun and sand, this crew was HUNGRY! After a quick shower to get rid of the grime of the day, I stormed into the kitchen. But, of course, I hadn't planned a thing and the refrigerator looked more intimidating than source of our evening meal. So, I quickly took stock of what was on hand: lots and lots of veggies. That's a start. So I began pulling things from the crisper and then from the dry basket. I decided to make two of the giant globe artichokes I had bought at the farmers' market. That would be mom & dad's main dish. But my 7 year old hates them and the toddler isn't quite ready to make a meal of them. So what else? Some rice. Some black beans, corn, peppers...

So dinner materialized thus:

Black Bean & Corn Salad with Basmati Rice and Artichokes

Black Bean & Corn Salad

2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 15 oz can organic black beans, drained & rinsed)

1 14 1/2 oz. can organic corn kernels or 1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels (fresh would be awesome!)

1 med-large red bell pepper, chopped

2/3 c. yellow, white, or brown onion, diced

3 medium tomatoes, diced or 1 generous handful of grape tomatoes, halved

8 large sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 large avocado, chopped

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbs. lite rice vinegar dressing

juice of 1/2 lime

1 Tbs. Mexican seasoning mix (or substitute cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste)

2 Tbs. bottled salsa (medium hot)

1/3 c. grated pepper jack cheese

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and toss to coat well.

Artichokes

Start with the freshest artichokes you can find. Really, they'll taste great just about any way you prepare them, but if you want the perfect artichoke, follow these instructions from foodblogga. I'm not quite that careful, but they tasted fantastic anyway. I like mine with just a little mayonnaise and lemon juice. Some fresh crushed garlic mixed in is good too. If you've got lots of time and happen to have the grill going, halve or quarter the chokes once they are almost cooked through. Then, brush with olive oil or a bottled vinaigrette dressing and place face down on the grill to finish cooking. DELISH!

Rice

Prepare your favorite rice as directed on the package or using a rice cooked. I use a pressurized rice cooker so it takes less time, is less messy, and I never worry about forgetting it and burning the rice. I like my rice slightly sticky, so I add a tad more water that called for.

For a throw together meal, on a hot evening, after a long day in the sun, this was just perfect. The kids ate rice and salad (7 year old made his into a burrito) and the grown-ups ate the whole dang thing! And, we discovered that the toddler may in fact be ready for artichokes after all. She loved them! Here she is tearing into her first leaf:

Comfort Food, Part 2

Early AM continuation and contemplation:
I often spend the first 30 minutes or so of the day with a cup of coffee and my laptop. Just a quiet start to the day. So I decided to look a bit further... and found a bunch of articles on comfort food that attempt to explain our need/desire from a variety of standpoints:

• Need for safety. We gravitate to foods that we remember from times when we felt safe and/or loved (usually as children).
• Need for pain relief: High fat meals may decrease pain perception.
• Need for satisfaction: Certain foods trigger the release of hormones that can alter/improve moods, create the sensation of satiety (I'm full).
• Need for escape: Some foods and drinks can dull the senses, thus reducing the sensation of stress or sadness.

I'm going to pursue this more. As most of you know, a lot of my job is with diabetics and obesity plays a huge role in that disease. Most of these folks are chronic overeaters (I call it Persistant Hypernutrition) and have laid their own path with poor choices and a plethora of bad choices over a lifetime. How much does the mind play a role here?

A few links if you're interested:
http://www.scq.ubc.ca/comfort-food-and-you/
http://www.helium.com/items/244774-comfort-cherish-science-attempts

Comfort Food.....

OK, so this isn't a recipe, but perhaps some idle late night musings.... and a call to open a discussion.. about COMFORT FOOD!
I had my yoga class tonight and usually after that workout, I'm not really hungry so I eat light (yogurt, with cherries and kashi tonight), but by 8 pm I'm cruising for comfort eating. The full moon was rising, and this is the night that the ashes of a departed friend will be scattered in ceremony over her land in Colorado. I know that she is in a better place, after a long battle with cancer, and I know that I'm eating from an emotional place... so I turn to my friend, the Skinny Cow Fudge Bar!
Better than jelly beans, altho I keep a bag of Sour Jelly Bellys in the pantry for emergency use!
I was thinking about comfort food tonight... mac and cheese, cheeseburgers with guac and onion rings, pizza, ice cream (Ben and Jerry's Butter Pecan, please), pretzels (sweet and salty often fills the bill)....Why do we fill our souls with the sweet, salty, sinful food? Why does it satisfy that need deep inside? We know that most of our fav comfort foods are not the best for our health and our waistlines, but we go there without a moment's hesitation... and somehow we feel better. Chocolate has been shown to increase endorphins, but what about mac and cheese? Grilled cheese with tomato soup? Fried chicken and biscuits?

Why are vegetables never comfort food? Why doesn't spinach have the same chemical reaction as Cherry Garcia?I must admit, I make better choices... Skinny Cow for 100 calories (4 gm fiber) instead of ice cream. And I find it just as satisfying.... and I'm also too lazy to get off the couch and drive to Safeway for ice cream!
So post away, kitchen divas... I'd love to hear your theories... So, what's comfort food to you?

Table for one, please.

As this is my first post here, a bit of an introduction. I'm Kara,  single thirtysomething, part-time graduate student, & full-time dork. I work in academia, where I actually get to use my education. I find it fascinating. I'm living in St. Louis, originally from a smallish town not far south of there. I've lived in the Midwest my entire life, didn't even leave the bi-state area for college. 

I've recently moved out on my own again - I lived with a good friend for a couple years after leaving the nest (again) and moved into my own place to make room for her fiance. So now I'm learning to cook for one again while trying to eat a little healthier than I have been in the past. 

While I lived with Mindy, I learned how to keep Kosher. One of the most interesting things I learned is that marshmallows are not Kosher - they're made with pork gelatin. Definitely not Kosher. They do make Kosher marshmallows, but they aren't the same. If anyone has any Kosher food questions, I can always find out the answer. 

I'm not a gourmet at all and I like to do things that are easy. In fact, tonight I was so hungry after I got home that I couldn't focus on cooking. So I made myself a little Boboli pizza. In fact, I lacked the focus to even time it properly - I almost burned my dinner. But Boboli is one of the best inventions ever. Sure it's just a little piece of flat bread that's pre-baked and packaged for you, but that makes having homemade pizza SO much easier. Especially since they have an 8" mini crust size - it's perfect for one OR perfect for a group. You can have a Boboli pizza party where everyone can make their very own pizza with whatever toppings appeal. And it's much cheaper (and probably healthier) than ordering out from your local pizza joint. In fact, I don't even like delivery pizza anymore. 

Anyway, I'll try to be entertaining. And at least I'll be accountable for cooking something at least once in a while to keep up here. 

Thai Chicken Salad

I was introduced to Thai food in college, and l0ve it, so when a friend passed on this great recipe, I couldn't wait to try it. It's become a favorite, not only for the family, but to serve when I have female friends over who don't want to eat too heavy. It's filling, but light.

Salad

2 heads Boston (Bibb) lettuce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 large carrot, julienned
1 large bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped scallions (or red onions)
1/2 cup raisins
5 ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)

Dressing

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter ( unhomogenized is better, but I've used the regular with no significant deterioration)
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspooon crushed red pepper flakes (you can use less if you want less heat)

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

Use the outside leaves of the lettuce for garnishing the plates. Shred the remaining lettuce and set aside (about 4 cups of shredded lettuce).

Heat the sesame oil in a medium skillet and cook the carrots and bell pepper strips over medium high heat until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Arrange the reserved lettuce leaves on four plates. Top each with 1 cup shredded lettuce . Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each of the bean sprouts, scallions, and raisins over each salad and arrange 1 1/4 ounces of chicken on top. Dress each salad with 1/4 cup dressing and divide the carrot and bell pepper "stir-fry" evenly for each of the four plates. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4.

Almost Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

From time to time, my Moroccan cookbook calls to me. The recipes are generally a little more complex than I do for day to day cooking, but the flavors are so amazing, they call me back and motivate me to go the distance. The recipe below, however, is my own adaptation of a traditional Moroccan style chicken and vegetable dish, and is simple and inexpensive. In fact, it's a two pot dish.

Traditionally cooked in a tagine and containing saffron, the dish is among the "everyday" fare in many Moroccan households. This version is prepared in a heavy bottomed stock pot and substitutes ras el hanout for saffron. Ras el hanout translates to "head of the shop" in Arabic, and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer. My version has only eleven spices, while an authentic version may have as many as 100! They're all easily accessible, and the mix keeps well.

Almost Moroccan Chicken & Vegetables with Couscous

2 c. vegetable or chicken broth and 1 c. water
4 medium tomatoes (or substitute 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained)
1/4 butter, margarine, or olive oil (original recipe called for ghee, which is a class of clarified butter)
3 large chicken breasts, lightly browned

1 onion, very finely chopped (I used about 3/4 of a large yellow onion and 1/4 red onion)
1-2 Teaspoons Ras El Hanout spice mix* (see recipe at end)
1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 thick cinnamon stick
4 large springs fresh cilantro
4 large sprigs fresh Italian parsley
1/2 - 1 tsp. sea salt

freshly ground pepper to taste
3 carrots cut into chunks (I used baby carrots, cut fairly small so my toddler could manage them)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1" chunks
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed (or use1 1/3 c. peas or young fava beans; I use canned beans when I can't get fresh ones.)

Peel the tomatoes by scoring a cross in the base of each one with a knife. Put them into a bowl of boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Then drop into a bowl of cold water to cool. Remove from the water and peel the skin away from the cross. It should slip off easily. Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out juice. Then chop coarsely and set aside. This step is simple and quick, but you can also readily substitute a can of diced tomatoes.

Heat butter in a large sauce or stock pan (large enough to accommodate the chicken), add chicken and brown on each side. Reduce heat and add chopped onion. Cook gently until the onion has softened. Stir in ras el hanout, turmeric, and cumin. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Add cinnamon stick and chopped tomatoes. Add cilantro and parsley sprigs to the pot. Add about 1/2 - 1 tsp. sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes. Add the carrots and zucchini and cook 20 more minutes, until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender. If using canned beans, add now and cook about 5-10 more minutes. If using fresh beans, cooking time will be slightly longer.

When chicken and vegetables are almost done, prepare couscous as directed. That's usually 1 cup boiling water, one tablespoon butter, dash of salt, and one cup couscous. Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add couscous, stir quickly then remove from heat. Let stand 4-5 minutes and fluff with fork before sering.

To serve, make a nest of couscous on the plate, slice chicken and place on top. Cover with vegetables and broth/sauce.

**Ras El Hanout**
1/2 teaspoon each of:
ground cloves
cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons each of:
ground allspice
cumin
ginger
turmeric
black pepper
cardamom
1 tablespoon each of:
ground coriander and cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons of ground nutmeg.

mix thoroughly in a bowl and store in a clean, dry jar with a good lid.

The original called for several ingredients I didn't have, and since town is not exactly a hop & skip away, I make due. Making due turned out really good in this case!

GF/CF, dairy free, soy, & phenol:

This recipe is dairy free if you use olive oil or margarine instead of butter and can easily be made gluten free as well. Just substitute rice (brown, basmati, saffron, pilaf, etc) for the couscous when serving. There are no soy products. I think the only phenol food in it is the tomatoes.

An alternative to "Fried" Chicken

Crawbaby mentioned her love of traditional Southern favorites, including fried chicken. I'm right there with her.

But let's face facts. Fried food isn't exactly health food. When I calculated the fat, fiber and calories of several fried chicken recipes, the results were horrific. A single serving ranged in calories from about 550 to well over 1000. I avoid frying food, and that includes chicken. I looked at oven fried chicken, which were better nutritionally, but not terribly palatable.

Years ago, I found this recipe. It takes a little time, but it's fabulous, loaded with flavor, and if I didn't tell the kids it wasn't fried, they wouldn't know.

Presenting . . .

Stagecoach Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2/3 cup reduced calorie ranch dressing
1 egg beaten
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

In a bowl, combine salad dressing and egg; set aside.Rinse chicken with water and drain well.Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken in salad dressing mixture. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.Roll in cornflake crumbs.Arrange chicken pieces on a broiler pan, lined with foil, if desired.Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to one hour, or until fork tender and the juices run clear.

The nutritional analysis? It serves 8, and works out to a per serving count of 288 calories, a trace of fiber, and just 12 grams of fat.Try it. I think you'll find it's well worth it. I serve it with a green salad with bell peppers and cucumbers, and dress the salad with just balsamic vinegar. Wonderful stuff, I'm tellin' you.

Enjoy!

Bunco Treats!

I am in a bunco group that meets once a month, and last night was my night to host. While I should have prepared more over the weekend for the food I was going to serve, I tend to put things like this off until the last minute. So, I got off of work a little early and headed to one of my favorite places in the world... Costco! I purchased a big veggie tray, a pineapple, crackers, assorted cheese slices and some assorted desserts from the freezer. Then off to the grocery store for two cans of crescent rolls.

When I got home, I hard-boiled some eggs for deviled eggs and cleaned up the kitchen while those were boiling. I also got some leftover chicken I had thrown in the freezer out to thaw. When I went to peel the eggs, they just didn't peel right, so I ditched the idea of deviled eggs. (Egg salad sandwiches for me this week!)

I cut up the pineapple and added it to some strawberries and grapes I had left over from another fruit salad this last weekend. One item, done! I made a chicken and broccoli braid with the crescent rolls, chicken, and broccoli from the veggie tray and put that in the fridge until right before party time. ETA the recipe:

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

• 2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 (8oz) packages refrigererated crescent rolls
• 1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375˚. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed and salt. Unroll crescent roll dough and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together preforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors (I used a pizza wheel), cut 1 inch wide solid stips in toward the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip 3 inches wide down the center with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture along the center strip, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.

Brush braided dough with egg white. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

So, fruit salad, veggie tray, chicken bread braid in the oven, little desserts are set out to thaw, cheese and crackers are set out, little plates, napkins, bowls and glassware. I was going to take a picture, but people started showing up right as I was getting everything done and that thought went by the wayside!

I got mad props for the braid and need to get the recipe out to a few people. It was new to me and one I had copied from who knows what forum a couple years ago. I'll have to add it to my repertoire. All in all, it was a big success! Just a little bit of fruit salad and a few vegetables left over, which my family and I will finish off over the next few days.

I'd love to hear about your standby party foods and appetizers!

Throw-Together Meals

So the other night, we found ourselves trying to decide what to have for dinner. My daughter is playing softball and most of her weekday games are at 6pm, which is usually the time we have dinner. So I needed to make something fast, pretty healthy and not too heavy.

I am a big fan of the recipes published in Real Simple magazine. Frequently the recipes are quick, simple and tasty. So I thumbed through my recipe box and found a ripped-out page from RS for a rosemary, chicken and pasta dish. The recipe literally only called for 6 ingredients. It turned out really great, so I thought I'd post it for you guys.

Here is the recipe:

12 ounces orecchiette pasta

1 3 1/2 lb rotisserie chicken

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

3/4 cu grated parmesan cheese

kosher salt and pepper

1.Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2.Shred the chicken while the pasta cooks.

3.Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the pasta water.

4.Return pasta to pot. Add the reserved water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt and pepper.

5.Stir over medium-low heat until sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

6.Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Since I didn't have a roasted chicken, I simply boiled some chicken breasts instead. I didn't have orechiette pasta, but did have some similar shaped pasta. Not even sure what it is called. In addition, I thought the recipe needed a kick, so while the pasta was cooking, I sauteed some leeks and diced onion in some olive oil and added that in with Step 4. I also used shaved parmeggiano reggiano on top instead of the stuff from a can.

This is the final product:

I served it with some warmed garlic sourdough bread. The whole family enjoyed it. It was so easy to make and I can think of tons of ways to switch it up. I think it was most certainly become one of my go-to dishes when time is short.

Warm Steak and Potato Salad

This is a favorite meal, based on a spinach salad with a meat and potatoes boost. As the weather gets warmer, I like having main dish salads.

1 pound small red skin potatoes
3 strips bacon (or turkey bacon, or 3 tablespoons real bacon bits --I'm not a fan of fake bacon bits)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 pound boneless beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cold water
6 ounces (1 bag) baby spinach leaves
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Put the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and cover with cold water. Salt lightly. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

While the potatoes are simmering, cook the bacon until crisp in a large, nonstick skillet. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to cool. Add onion to drippings, and cook for three minutes. Add steak and salt. Cook about two minutes longer, or until steak is no longer pink. Transfer steak and onions to a plate and keep warm.

Add honey and vinegar to skillet and cook over medium heat for two minutes. Add cornstarch-water mixture. Cook and stir for about half a minute and remove from heat.

Drain potatoes, and run under cold water to stop cooking process. Cut into quarterse and place in bowl along with the crumbled bacon, steak and onions. Add spinach, warm honey/vinegar mixture and tomatoes. Toss gently.

I love this, because in the time it takes me to cook and slice the potatoes, I can pretty much put dinner on the table.

So. I made some yummy alphabet soup...

It was SO good, especially yummy on a cool overcast day like the last few have been here - gotta enjoy the last of the cool weather comfort food - hot steamy midwest summer will be here soon enough! I pieced the recipe together using a combination of two other recipes and some of my own add ins, but I'll share it as best as I can.

ABC Soup

Olive Oil
Carrots
Onion
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 box chicken broth
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
mixed veggies (canned or frozen)
Alphabet pasta (I picked some up at Trader Joe's when we were in Chicago for Mother's Day)

Chop some carrots and an onion and sautee in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let cool and run through the food processor. Brown ground beef. Return broth to pan, add pasta noodles, ground beef, and veggies and simmer until done.

This was super thick, so we did add a cup or so of water to thin it out a little. You could also add more broth. I like my soups thick and not watery, though, so a little thick was okay with us. I served it with breadsticks. It got the Keller seal of approval.

Zooming into the kitchen

Hiya Everybody.... Wow, this kitchen is getting crowded! I love the idea and can't wait to see what everybody adds.

I'm Wendy, I live in Flagstaff AZ (where it snowed yesterday. Huh? May?) and I'm the token single gal her. My son is grown and gone and married, so its just me to cook for... and that's my constant challenge. I shop once a week, buy as much fresh and local as I can, and turn away from anything that includes high fructose corn syrup!

I'd usually rather be quilting (my other blog is http://quiltsquilts.blogspot.com/) than cooking, so I'm always looking for easy, fast, fun, healthy things that I can throw together, or prepare ahead and eat til I'm tired of leftovers! I often cook on Sundays so I have at least a few lunches to take to work (rather than indulge in the junk that my co-workers eat). And I love to make soup. My crock pot rarely cools over over the winter. Actually I have two of 'em.

The first quick recipe I'm going to share is for a shrimp scampi dish that can be made in a heartbeat and, while not totally healthy, its wonderful and makes use of lots of prepared foods that can be inventively combined. First, buy the premade shrimp scampi (I get them at Sam's Club, in the freezer dept, about $12 for 2 pounds of prepared shrimp). Take them right out of the freezer and place in a single layer in a large frying pan or wok. Cook on medium and a wonderful buttery sauce starts to emerge! Meanwhile, cut up some veggies (anything works: peppers, onions, asparagus, green beans, pea pods, sugar snap peas, cabbage, whatever falls out of the fridge). After you turn the shrimp once (about 5-7 minutes, put the veggies on top of the shrimp and keep on cooking. I use sobi noodles (produce dept, hot and spicy are my fav) and open 1 pack for every 2 diners. I heat them in the microwave for about a 60-90 seconds (pierce the package) to loosen the noodles. There is a seasoning packet in the noodles, combine it with a bit of water, pour over the shrimp and veggies, then the noodles and start mushing it all together. The added liquid will reduce and make a great glaze. After the noodles and seasoned liquid are added, stir fry for about 2 minutes. And serve....

OK, nuff for now...

Better late than never!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Janna, I’m a 35 year old graphic designer currently living in Athens, Texas with my wonderful husband of almost 11 years, our 5 year old son and 2 ½ year old daughter. I’m a born and bred Southern girl from Natchitoches, Louisiana and have spent the last several years living in New Orleans. I love food more than words can say. I love cooking it, smelling it, eating it, reading about it, dreaming about it. My husband says that I start thinking about what to have for lunch while I’m still eating breakfast.

I’m finding it hard to define my cooking style. I could definitely hang with Paula Deen, but I’m trying to make some healthier choices. Now instead of 2 sticks of butter, I only use one and a half. ;-) I’m not a picky eater and I love to try new things. I was raised on good ol’ Southern comfort food and there’s definitely a strong Louisiana influence on a lot of the things I cook. Crawfish and alligator are just as common in my kitchen as chicken or beef. Another influence on my cooking style is the abundance of Tex-Mex I have consumed while living in Texas. It has seeped into my soul and forced me on a mission to recreate the perfect fajitas and chili rellenos.

I truly enjoy getting in my kitchen and creating something for the people I love. I rarely ever follow a recipe, most everything I cook is a pinch of this and dash of that. I come from a long lime of good cooks and have known my way around the kitchen since I was a little girl. I used to be amazed at how my Mom or Nanny (grandmother) could throw a huge meal together for unexpected company at the drop of a hat, but somewhere along the way I picked up a few of their tricks. My husband is college football coach, so on any given evening I might find hungry players, other coaches or recruits and their families at our dinner table. I sometimes mumble and gripe about unexpected guests, but nobody goes hungry at my house.

I’m lucky to have a fairly large, well designed kitchen with a walk-in pantry and plenty of storage. It is open to the family room, breakfast area and formal dining room. I enjoy being able to visit with my family and guests while preparing a meal. I insist that my family sit down at the table to eat together, but if I’m home alone it’s all about cold pizza in front of the TV for me.

Currently my biggest struggle is learning how to create more healthy eating options for our family. Growing up, a big plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with cream gravy and homemade buttermilk biscuits was a common meal on my family’s table. Unfortunately, we just can’t eat like that anymore. My metabolism isn’t what it used to be and now we realize all that stuff just isn’t good for us (actaully, we knew that all along). I want my children to develop a love for healthy eating, so I’m trying very hard to adopt better habits while still preserving our tradition of good Southern eats.

I’m excited to be here and look forward to reading everyone’s ideas and contributions.

Luxury breakfast on the fly . . .

This family loves breakfast. Seriously, I think the boys ask what's for breakfast before their feet even hit the floor. They go through mountains of waffles and pancakes like Sherman marchin' through Georgia. Before I bought our most recent blender (Kitchenaid), we burned through 4 blenders in one year making smoothies. Usually, we're really in a rush to get breakfast, pack lunches and get out the door to school and work, but sometimes we have just a few extra minutes, and that's when I pull out this recipe.


Dutch Baby Pancake

5 tablespoons unsalted butter (no substitutes)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in heavy, 10-inch oven proof skillet or deep pie dish in oven to melt. Do not let it burn.While butter is melting, whirl eggs in blender at high speed for 1 minute. With blender running, add milk, then slowly add flour and salt until mixture is very smooth.Remove pan from oven and swirl butter around bottom and sides of pan, then pour batter into melted butter. Return pan to oven and bake until puffed and browned on the edges, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

When this comes out of the oven, it's very puffy. As it cools, it falls, a bit like a souffle.

To serve, you can go several ways:

Traditional: Squeeze the juice of a lemon over finished pancake and sprinkle with powdered sugar to taste before serving.

Strawberry: Top finished pancake with a pint of stemmed and sliced strawberries and pass sour cream and brown sugar as accompaniments.

Other ideas that I've tried:
I've topped it with a mixture of sliced strawberries and blackberries, sprinkled with sugar.
Powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice drizzled over the sugar.
Chopped fresh peaches and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Fried apples.

1 ten inch pancake serves 4 people a light breakfast.

One more thing . . . sometimes you wish you'd taken out the strawberries and sliced and sugared them the night before, or earlier in the day, because you'd have more juice that way. Here's a trick--pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, on full power. You may have to do this a few times, for just a few seconds at a pop, but as the berries warm, they release more juice, the same way fresh strawberries warmed by the sun seem more juicy than the ones you take home and put in the fridge. I warm the berries, add a sprinkle of sugar, and stir them roughly, and you'd never know I made a last minute decision to use them.

What you get for the money

I love my Organic Co-op with a passion. It makes me so happy to go every Thursday and know that not only am I getting great produce and supporting local agriculture (for the most part), but I'm also getting a really good price-- especially considering where I live. Most all of the produce at our market, with the exception of pineapples and mangoes, etc. comes from within 100 miles. (Though this weeks tomatoes came from Baja.) 100 miles is generally the benchmark for "local" foods.

So here is what I got last week at the market for less than $30.

Broccoli, onions, artichokes, shitake mushrooms, eggs, bananas, apples, strawberries, zucchini, tomatoes, and avocados. Not a bad haul. We fly through a carton of eggs in our house, so at $3.60 for a dozen organic eggs, we're getting a much better price than at the grocer, which charges $5.00 for a dozen eggs from the same farm!

Hello, Finally!

Hi Everyone!

A little late to the party, but here all the same.

My name is Amy and I live in a suburb of Portland, Oregon with my hubby, a teenage daughter and my son who is 19 months old. I'm 35 and currently a SAHM to my little boy.

I'm not sure what my cooking style is, really. I love to cook, but not for just myself. When I'm cooking for one, it's take-out or frozen pizzas. But when I have an audience, I enjoy cooking big meals, trying new recipes and pulling out all the stops. My family is not picky. Matter of fact, I am the pickiest of our bunch. My daughter loves everything except beans. My hubby eats pretty much anything and my toddler eats what we eat. None of us have allergies to anything. We cook most meals at home and eat take-out probably once a week on average, sometimes twice if you count lunch.

The recipes in my stash are as varied as the places I have lived. (Louisiana born and raised, then 8 years in California and now Oregon) I'm just as likely to cook a pot of chicken 'n dumplings as I am a dish consisting of fava beans, halibut and quinoa. I am proud of the fact that I have skills in cooking the comfort foods of the south and also the lighter, healthier fare of the west coast. I don't usually follow recipes exactly. I always leave out a few things and add others to make it fit our tastes.

I was shocked an amazed at the fresh produce available here on the west coast. I was 26 years old before I even knew that cherries came in any form other than marashino. Now, I can't imagine not having year-round organic fresh fruits and veggies available. 10 years ago I would never have guessed that things like leeks, purple potatoes, meyer lemons and kale would have been staples in my kitchen.

Most of the time I rely on the good ole standbys to feed my family: a meat or seafood of some sort, a starch and a veggie. Bread is usually not part of our meals unless we are having pasta, then I HAVE to have garlic bread. We aren't big dessert eaters. I don't bake anything except buttermilk biscuits. In fact, the entire concept of baking is imtimidating to me.

My biggest challenge in the kitchen is trying to not fall into ruts. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" "I dunno. What do you want?" "I dunno, what are you in the mood for?" "I don't care."
This goes on until it gets so late that I end up having to cook some pasta and adding jarred sauce. Or we go get take-out.

I know this problem could be avoided by me either A: just cooking whatever and they'll eat it or not or B: preparing a menu a week ahead. I've tried both those things, but haven't been able to stick to either one. So it always ends up back at the same ole 4 o'clock conversation. ;)

So although I love to cook, sometimes I lack the motivation. Hopefully you wonderful ladies can inspire me when I get into that rut. And who knows? Maybe I will even bake something some day. :)

chicken, part two

I wrote the other day about cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot. Here's my complete method.

Start with any regular-size crock pot (I also have a small one, which won't fit a whole bird) and a whole chicken. Do yourself a favor and get a real chicken (call me a snob, but anything with a Tyson label does not seem like Real Food to me).

Pull out the little bag of innards. (If I were really resourceful, I would do something with them. I don't know what). Rinse the bird. Put it in the crock pot. I sprinkle on sea salt and Italian herb blend to make a neutral broth, but you could get all fancy and do a rub or a flavored brine or something. I don't add any liquid, although you certainly could - this would probably create more broth that isn't quite as intense.

Cook on low for about 6 hours. Here's what mine looked like (it was a 4 lb bird):

It can keep cooking longer, but the bird may not hold together when you try to lift it out. I take it out and put it in a shallow baking dish to "carve" once it has cooled enough to handle. No knife necessary - just a fork and your fingers.

The meat has been really moist every time I've cooked a chicken this way - you don't have to worry about it drying out.

You can see a nice amount of broth around the chicken - I strain this off to use later. (Again, if I were really resourceful, I would also simmer the carcass after I've picked most of the meat off, and get even more broth. This time the bones and things just went in the garbage.)

I got about a cup and a half of serious chicken broth just from cooking the bird. My mom uses a fat separating gizmo to skim off some of the fat, but I'm lazy and leave it on. I usually water down the broth when I use it in soup, since it's so flavorful. (It makes a great addition to this Pasta, Sausage and Bean Soup.)

Joining the Party!

Hello fellow foodies! My name is Darcy and I live in Jacksonville, Florida. I am a thirty something career gal and I've been married for 12 years. My home was built in the 1940s so my kitchen presents a number of challenges; the most difficult of which is the lack of counter space. I really enjoy cooking and baking. I prefer to work with fresh, seasonal produce. I look forward to blood oranges in February, asparagus in Spring and heirloom tomatoes in Summer. I have a small garden patch where I experiment with herbs, eggplants, tomatoes and more. I also have a huge lemon tree which yields a ton of fruit.

A few weeks ago, my mom had rotator cuff surgery. I'll be preparing Mom and Dads meals for a while to come. I was raised on meat and potato type offerings. Dinner = meat+starch+veg+sweet As an adult, I don't choose to eat this way. Mom and Dad are also on the low sodium, low cholesterol kick. They use Egg Beaters, margarine, 2% milk and other faux foods. I can't stand it! I refuse to use faux foods and avoid as much processed food as possible. I insist on real butter, real eggs and whole milk for starters. Food is very much about pleasure for me and I've discovered that my parents really don't enjoy their food. I'm struggling to find healthy meals they will try and that I can prepare on a tight schedule. I can't wait to see the casserole suggestions.

Supper in a single dish

I saw Kristy's request for casseroles. I'm not certain this qualifies, but it is a family favorite. I know that it won't meet the dietary requirements, but maybe it can be an inspiration for something that does work.

Baked Beef Stew

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice, undrained
1 cup water
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 celery ribs, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 slice fresh bread, cubed

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, water, tapioca, sugar, salt and pepper.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a greased 13x9x2 inch or 3 quart baking dish.
Cover and bake at 375 for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

I like to prep this early in the day, and then pop it in the oven about two hours prior to serving.
We usually have a loaf of fresh bread and a green salad with this, but it stands on its own as well.

Enjoy!

Calling All Casseroles

I need all of your 'tried and true' casserole recipes.

I am all about the casserole.

If I can get a hodge podge of ingredients in my 9x13 Pyrex dish and in the fridge while the girls are napping, I am such a happy camper. Whip it out around 4pm, stick it in the oven, we're eating by 5, I am one happy mommy. Basically I have two, a chicken and rice version and chicken enchiladas.

Post what you've got, my Pyrex is waiting........

Hey Y'all!

I'm Cat. My family and I live in Northern Virginia, outside the DC beltway. As a military family, we move frequently, and every new place adds flavors and dishes to our table. In addition to my husband and me, we have three sons who can consume more food at one sitting than, I suspect, some third world countries.

Like everyone else, here, I am cooking in a real kitchen, with real world challenges. I'm fortunate that I have a fairly good sized kitchen, with a small pantry. On the other hand, there's not a lot of fat in our budget, which means that every penny I spend on food needs to really count. Until recently, I was a stay-at-home-Mom (SAHM), but I went back to work part-time last fall, and that's added time challenges. All three boys are in organized sports, which means that on any given night, I'm coming home, fixing supper and then beginning the evening run to soccer practices, games, and/or swim lessons.

I'm all about quick, easy, balanced meals that allow me to feed my family a sit down meal and still get everything else done. That means that I don't give up any of the tools that might help, whether it's occasionally using a convenience food as an ingredient, cooking for the freezer, or using a tool like the crockpot to get ahead. I read cookbooks like most people read novels, and I've learned so much from the women who post here.

This summer, I'm looking forward to all the fresh produce available, and the fun things that we'll choose to do with it.

Assignment completed, Finally!!!

My name is Cyn and I am from the midwest, central Illinois to be exact. I am a busy mom/business owner, which often means I find myself resorting to takeout or super quick and easy dinner options for my family, and of course we all know that that doesn't always translate to the most healthful choices.

Since I am mommy to a three year old and a five month old (who is just beginning to start his foray into eating people food), I want to be a good role model for them, healthwise. I usually try at least one new fresh and healthy recipe per week. I usually need to follow a recipe, but I can embellish or add a few ingredients with some degree of success. With summertime on the way, we grill out a LOT and eat loads of Farmer's Market fresh veggies. This year we are planting a garden for the first time and I'm planning on buying our eggs and bread fresh as well. However, because I'm in the midwest, the eating fresh trend hasn't really caught on. Our grocery stores are full of fattening processed JUNK. We are not blessed with great options like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. We make up for that by being in the middle of some great farm country, which means HUGE and FABULOUS Farmer's Markets. At least it is really easy for us to eat healthfully in the warmer months.

I'm also a Girl Who Runs, and I just started training for a local four mile race. However, after I run I am RAVENOUS and I don't always make the best decisions.... I can put it away, but I'd like to think a little more sometimes about what exactly is going into my mouth!

One other thing I need to add is that during my time at home I am constantly accompanied by one or both of my sons, the five month old or my three year old. I mean CONSTANTLY. So I need to cook things that are not only healthful, but also quick and easy enough to whip up one handed.

Finally, I'm not gonna lie. I have to be realistic. For all of my healthy living aspirations, an occasional lapse is ALWAYS going to happen in my world. Sometimes ONLY fried chicken and mashed potatoes will do. Or nachos. Or chocolate cake. And that is totally okay with me.

So there you have it. I can't wait to learn from all of you as we journey forward!

Intro

Hello! I'm Sara Joy, writing from just outside Chicago, IL.  I'm in my mid20's and work downtown Chicago for an investment firm.  I just started my MBA program which I am really enjoying so far. I have a serious boyfriend (not live-in), Andrew, who works in the film industry and we eat most of our meals together.

My father is from Latin America but I grew up in IL.  We always ate dinner at home together when I was growing up, but my mother is very basic in the kitchen. Definitely not a Martha Stewart type. In the last few years since college I have been eating A LOT of meals out at restaurants or just eating frozen dinners or something simple like a quesadilla.  My family has a history of weight struggles, but I am fairly disciplined and eating healthily and watching portions is very important to me. 

My favorite foods are chicken, avocadoes, tomatoes, seafood of all kinds, bread, hummous, etc. I don't like pork, mayonnaise or pickles. I like trying new things and pushing Andrew to eat well. He LOVES fast food and "junk"- although doesn't eat anything sweet.

 It is very important to me to learn to be functional in the kitchen, and I have been really trying this year to improve on this.  It has been a bit difficult, because at the beginning I didn't have anything stocked up, so every time I wanted to make something I had to go to the store and buy EVERY single ingredient. It was expensive which made me just want to go buy a salad or something at a restaurant. But I've tried to stick with it- got Fiestaware for Christmas which I LOVE, a good spice rack, and lots of wonderful friends have given me great cookbooks that they use and recommend. I get Cooking Light magazine which I love looking through and I really do enjoy reading cookbooks. I'm definitely a beginner, and VERY much a recipe-follower, but I have learned so much already from many of the women here and am excited to follow along on the blog!! I probably won't post much, because I really do not have much to share, but I will be reading!!

chicken

One of my recent stand-by meals is a whole chicken cooked in the crock pot. My mom got me started on this - she makes one every Sunday, and uses the meat for things like sandwiches and pot pie and chicken salad, and the broth for her vegetable soups. I don't do one as regularly, since it takes me longer to get through all the meat. I got a four pound bird today - $1.99/lb for a local, natural-but-not-organic hormone free bird (it cracks me up how many ways you can describe one chicken). I usually just rinse it off, rub in some sea salt and herbs, and throw it in the crock pot for, oh, maybe six hours. I don't know. The broth is amazing - it makes a great chicken soup with some veggies and rice or pasta thrown in - and I've used it for risotto, too. I like the idea of using the whole bird, instead of just buying a chicken breast, and buying broth separately. It feels closer to reality, somehow.

I've got a cookbook called 150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken, which I've never actually used because the idea of a roast chicken is more intimidating, and I'm hooked on the crock pot method, but I was flipping through it today for ideas on what to do with my leftovers - I'm thinking about using it on a Cobb salad, or maybe in a tortilla soup, depending on how the weather goes this week.

Hello!

I'm Jinja, and I live in Menlo Park, CA, 30 miles south of San Francisco, with my husband Joey and my cat Salchow. We live in a small apartment in an urban area with a huge variety of cultures and flavors and influences. We both work full-time at the same software company, we spend our weekends exploring the San Francisco Bay Area on public transportation, and we are definitely urbanites who love eating out and shopping and gathering with friends at cool bars or local watering holes to talk about the latest iPhone release or something equally as geeky.

I was born in England but grew up in the United States. I was raised in New York and moved to California about 15 years ago.

My cooking style is a blend of the traditional English style I was raised with and the multi-cultural influences of where I live today. A complete meal to me needs a meat, a veg, and a starch - that's what I was given growing up, and that's what makes "dinner" for me! But the "meat" is often fresh salmon or sea scallops, the veg can be fresh asparagus or zucchini, and the starch is often steamed jasmine rice or risotto - things that were never on the table growing up. My tastes have become more expensive as I've learned to love filet mignon and sushi grade tuna, and with so many quality restaurants in our area, we eat out a lot also.

My challenge is cooking for two without wasting food, and crafting creative dishes in the smallest kitchen ever (I just measured it - 5 feet wide by 4 feet deep). I don't buy a lot of fresh produce or bulk food because it goes bad before we can finish it, and with one cabinet for dishes, one cabinet for pots and pans, and one cabinet over the stove for pantry items, I don't have room for keeping a lot of supplies on hand. We eat a lot of frozen vegetables because we can portion out what we need without having to throw the rest away. Meals are on the simple side because I don't have the room to set out 15-20 ingredients while preparing food. Our fridge is only 5 feet tall, the stove is only 20" wide, and I have about 30" of available counter space. The dishwasher sits outside the kitchen!

I also need to include that I am a huge beer geek! Joey and I are craft beer enthusiasts and one of our hobbies is exploring our area to find, taste and bring home interesting microbrews. So a good portion of our undersized fridge holds our beer collection, as do a couple of shelves near the front door! We explore beer and food pairings every night with dinner.

I hope to learn more about making my meals more creative. I love trying new store-bought marinades and sauces, and I think it would be great to make more of those from scratch. I'd like to use more exotic ingredients to give traditional dishes a little more spark, and I want to figure out how to use up fresh ingredients before they spoil and get thrown away.

Jinja Out

Acronym Explanations

So in my first post I mentioned that my kitchen is gluten free, dairy free, yeast free, almost soy free, low sugar, and high phenol free. Annie has requested a bit more of an explanation, so here goes....

Much of the autism research shows that a high number of autistic kids have gastrointestinal issues that can aggravate and produce many autistic-like behavior symptoms. Two proteins in particular seem to cause much of the stomach issues, gluten and casein (dairy). My angel has had stomach issues from a very early age and everything I read sounded very familiar, so I decided to put her on the "GF/CF" diet (gluten free/casein free). During my research I discovered more foods that may be causing behavior symptoms, so I began removing these items also. Part of my angel's stomach issues may be related to a yeast overgrowth, so we do not consume products with yeast and also use very small amounts of organic evaporated cane juice (unrefined sugar), yeast thrives on sugar. Soy is number three of the top four allergens, so we try and avoid it whenever possible. And last but not least, phenols. Phenols occur naturally in almost everything we eat, some foods have a higher concentration than others. Many autistic children have a hard time metabolizing phenols, and the only treatment is to avoid them. Some common high phenol foods are apples, apple juice/sauce, almonds, cocoa, berries, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, peppers. Sucks doesn't it.

So, since February of this year, I have been on a gluten free, casein free, yeast free, soy free, high phenol free, low sugar quest. I am happy to report that I am kicking booty. It was completely overwhelming in the beginning, but now I feel like its second nature. I love love love finding new products in the store that actually taste good and the absolute best is trying a new recipe, making some modifications, having it taste good, and having my kids eat it. It literally makes my day.

This quest has led me to some very unusual cooking and baking items such as xanthum gum, coconut flour, sorghum flour, walnut oil, and pear sauce, so many of my recipes may contain items you might not have in your kitchen. But I do have a few in my repertoire that don't require the unusual items, and I can make suggestions for the items that you might not have. Most of my recipes are not low fat or low calorie and high in protein and fiber. My angel has days when food is not a priority, so when she does decide to eat, every mouthful packs a punch. The fats I use are all healthy, non-hydrogenated, and high in omega 3's. Buckwheat and coconut flour have a high protein content, and coconut flour has as much fiber as whole wheat. I've been doing my homework.

Next post will probably be Angelic Pecan Pear sauce Cake.

Regarding the quote

"An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh." Will Rogers (1879-1935)

So this quote is listed on the bottom of our blog, and the first thing I thought was "I know there's a fruit that makes me laugh."

Are you ready for it?

Kumquat.

I mean, really, is there a sillier word? Just say it out loud a couple times. If that doesn't at least make you smile, then I don't know what will.

Kumquat. Kumquat. Kumquat.

My king has arrived

“Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that
surrounds the king."
Louis Bromfield, American novelist (1896-1956)

I have often lamented the fact that I am not much of a bread baker. I love bread-- specifically home made bread-- with a passion. In fact, I may even love it more than I love bacon (and that my friends is saying a great deal).


Until recently, I avoided making anything but quick breads like banana, apple, or pumpkin bread. Delicious in their own right, they are, but just not the same as a big, dense, crusty loaf of yeast bread. I contemplated it. I bought yeast. I hemmed and hawwed, and ultimately abandoned the exercise as too time consuming, too daunting, and too much work for something bound to fail (such is the reasoning of one avoiding the inevitable). And of course the bread machine I had just wan't cutting it.


But then. Oh then, I moved to an island. And my everyday kitchen was forced to make some changes. I've already complained sufficiently about the functionality of my kitchen. But I'm learning to adjust to island life in other ways too. One of the saddest things has been the unavailability of fresh bread. There's no retail bakery here and the grocery chain sells mainly packaged bread (a decent variety). But the only freshly baked bread they have is a sugary, processed version of a french loaf that they sell to the tourists for picnics. Now, I love me up some yummy wonder-white french bread on occasion, but it can't be my staple-- not with the history of my mom's diabetes and my own gestational diabetes haunting me. I need some good quality, nutrient dense, high protein, high fiber BREAD. Bread like bread is supposed to be: the king of the table, not some second fiddle sweetheart who gives you a sugar high and leaves you used and empty feeling.


So, a few weeks ago I made my first home made yeast bread, and have made it twice since. And y'know what? I didn't have to knead it. It only took about 20 minutes (aside from the rising and baking times). And it was freaking fantastic. I used the Home Style French Bread recipe from Emeril Lagasse's Louisiana Real and Rustic cookbook (p. 286-287).


With French bread duly notched in my belt, I pestered my German neighbor Claudia (pronounced clow-deey-ah, ever so lovely) to come teach me her recipe for a German bread she makes daily. It also is a no-knead bread. So here is my first attempt. It was a little flatter than normal, but tastes just as magnificent! And this bread is a meal unto itself; rich in fiber, protein and omega 3 fats. In fact, I just ate some for lunch. :) We used fresh yeast cake which comes in a block and is generally only available from specialty grocers, but is quite inexpensive and keeps well. Claudia says you can use the active dry yeast (buy a good quality one!) but the bread won't rise as much. I'm guessing it would be just fine because this bread is dense and hearty, and unlike French bread, doesn't need to rise much anyway.

RECIPE:
We made two loaves on a baking stone. If you prefer to use
a loaf pan, add up to 1/2 c. more water to the mixture. Do not preheat your oven for this recipe.

2 2/3 c. warm water (aprox. 110 degrees F.)
40-50 grams (1/3 - 1/2 c.) fresh yeast (about 1 1/2" cube for the cake yeast)
pinch (1/2 tsp.) sugar (to aid the yeast process)
3 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar (dark will work perfectly well too)
2 c. (200 grams) buckwheat flour*
4 c. (400 grams ) whole wheat spelt flour* (we used white spelt flour
today as the store was out of ww)
*use a total of 8 c. (800 grams ) of flour; any combination you like would
do. If you don't do wheat, try mostly buckwheat with brown rice flour or
coconut flour, or an all purpose gf/cf baking mixture)

1/2 - 1 c. whole flax seeds
1 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 1/2 c. raw walnuts
1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
*use a total of 4 c. of nuts/seeds in any combination you
prefer.

Heat water in a large (4 cup) measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Add yeast, sugar, salt and vinegar. Whisk until yeast is dissolved.


Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the yeast/water mixture and, using your hands, work into a soft dough or until well blended. Add seeds and nuts and blend well.


Lightly grease a baking stone or heavy gauge metal baking sheet with olive oil. Form two loaves about 3 inches apart. Top with additional seeds/nuts if desired.


Bake in an unheated 390 degree F oven for about 50 minutes.

mother's day menu

I was on the phone with my dad yesterday, trying to plan a Mother's Day menu. He's getting salmon and strawberries, I'm doing potatoes and making a base to turn those strawberries into shortcakes. I've never actually made strawberry shortcake completely from scratch, but I do know I abhor those insipid spongy things you get at the supermarket.

I'm turning to my favorite baking cookbook - The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion - for inspiration. I poked around on Epicurious first (my favorite online source for recipes) to get an idea of what I was looking for, and found biscuit bases. While I'm no biscuit expert, I can certainly throw a batch together, no problem. So I'm going to try King Arthur's Biscuits for Breakfast, which they claim are part of "a decadent strawberry shortcake." Since King Arthur has never done me wrong, I'm willing to believe them.

On the topic of flour - I don't actually use King Arthur flour, I'm just a big fan of the cookbook. I usually buy Bob's Red Mill unbleached white flour, since even if the wheat isn't local the milling is (every once in a while I see Bob around town, and yes he looks just like the picture on the label, hat and all). Sometimes I'll stop in at the store and stock up on other things - rice, coconut, whole wheat flour, dried beans - but usually I just pick up a bag at my neighborhood New Seasons.

Labels

Blog labels, that is, not food labels.

Notice at the bottom of our posts, I've made labels for different categories? Well, there's a label for each of your names as well! When you write a post, put your name label on it for me, OK?

This way, down the road, if someone wants to look up something that one of you wrote, they can click on the label with your name and find all your entries. Mwah!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies for Tricia and her vegetable-free 3 year old

Here's a treat that any three year old would love and it's a great serving of vegetables. I'm not necessarily down with the idea of sneaking vegetables into kids' food. I'd rather teach good lifelong eating habits. But who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie? And if you can put some good in with the bad, why not? It's not a secret in my house, but then, my kid is old enough to get it.

I love this cookie recipe. Before I made it the first time, I always kind of felt like "hey, don't mess with my chocolate chip cookies!" But I can honestly say that I, and my family, (including the 7 year old!) love these cookies and prefer them over traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes.

The recipe comes from Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Since I'm still kind of unsure about the whole copyright issue surrounding recipes, I'm just going to post the ingredient list along with a link to the AVM web site where you can get the whole thing. I'm told (by a source I trust) that recipes generally don't fall under copyright control unless they are

accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or
directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there
may be a basis for copyright protection. From the US copyright office.

Since the recipe appeared in Kingsolver's book about food, I'm not sure what applies. So here is the full recipe from the book (recipe by Camille Kingsolver) and my list of ingredients below: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Zucchini%20Cookies.pdf

Ingredients:
egg, beaten
butter, softened
brown sugar
honey
vanilla extract
white flour
whole wheat flour (I usually make them only with whole wheat pastry flour; no white flour)
baking soda
salt
cinnamon
nutmeg
finely shredded zucchini (I use a food processor)
chocolate chips

Let's give it a whirl!

I'm Kristy. I've never blogged before in my life, so here goes.

I am a wife and a mother. I'm not artsy or have incredible creative writing skills, but you name it and I can organize it, schedule it, or make a list for it. I currently stay at home with our two wonderful children and will someday use my master's degree that I'm still currently paying for.

My philosophy on food is this: I read every label before it goes in the cart and if I don't know what it is, it doesn't go in. I try and buy as much whole, fresh, and local food that I can get my hands on without my husband going through the roof if he happens to go online and look at our ATM postings. I love to bake, hate to cook, so cooking needs to be as simple and easy as possible. My husband was raised vegetarian, but nowadays he's a huge fan of boneless/skinless chicken breasts and salmon, so if I do non-veggie dishes its usually chicken.

About a year and half ago I had a "dietary re-birth". I removed all processed, refined, bleached, artificial, and hydrogenated foods from our kitchen. I had a wonderfully fabulous time learning and researching about whole, local, and fresh non-processed foods. Dietary re-birth number two came three months ago when my youngest daughter was diagnosed with autism. Research changed gears, and instead discovering quirky new quinoa recipes, autism recovery became my new mantra.

So as of this moment, our kitchen is a gluten free (gf), casein free (cf), yeast free, almost soy free, high phenol free, low sugar extravaganza. All for one and one for all, so the whole family eats this way. This requires an insane amount of cooking and baking and I know more about gluten free flours than I thought possible (coconut flour is my new fave, high protein and high fiber) but I'm loving every minute of it. Watching my husband, my oldest, and my little autistic angel eat buckwheat pecan meal pancakes warms my gf/cf heart.

If you have questions about xanthum gum, tapioca starch, phenols, or brown rice pasta, I'm your gal :)

My Introduction

I’ll take you up on your challenge, Annie!

My name is Tricia and I am mom of a one, a wife (of one as well), and have a full-time job outside of the home. We sit and eat dinner together at the table almost every night and go out to eat 2-3 times a month. I have a husband who would prefer to live on beef and potatoes and would probably leave me if I tried to serve him a vegetarian meal. I also have a three year old who eats like a three year old. Processed potatoes and pizza- good! Vegetables- bad! My challenge is putting a good, nutritious dinner on the table that my family will actually eat every night after a long day of work.

I’m not a great cook, but I am a great recipe follower. If I have a recipe that doesn’t taste good, I don’t have the skill or time to add or modify it to fix-it. That recipe goes in the garbage, never to be seen again. I don’t come from a family of good cooks (sorry, mom!) and all of my current recipes are ones that I have found on my own. I also don’t want to spend my evenings in the kitchen only to serve dinner at 8:00pm.

I have found a lot of joy and sanity with freezer cooking. About every 3-4 weeks, I take a weekend to do major shopping and then spend quite a few hours of my Sunday preparing a bunch of meals to put in my freezer. I’ll make about 4 meals and double or triple the batch, lay them flat in our freezer and then transfer them out to our chest freezer once they’ve solidified. I can take out a meal the day before, let it thaw in my fridge and can cook/bake/sauté with the majority of the prep work already done.

I know a lot of people do freezer cooking to be frugal, but I do it for convenience. I would rather buy a bag of meatballs and a vat of spaghetti sauce at Costco than take the time to make my own. I also have my stand-bys for those nights I forget to take something out of the freezer. We always have ground beef and ground turkey for tacos, there’s a chicken/pasta/veggie bag and lasagna from Costco that are staples in my freezer. We have take-out/delivered pizza night most Friday nights. I’m not perfect, but I do what I can.

My next challenge is going to be trying to get my family to eat more vegetables. Even if I have to sneak them into food, I’m going to give it a try. I’ve thumbed through Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (a gift from my mom), but don’t see yet how that correlates with freezer cooking. I also don’t know about how many nutrients are actually gained by cooking a vegetable, adding 1/3 cup to a four serving meal, then re-cooking it.

I’m also new to blogging, so will take time to learn how to put in links and pictures into my writings, but that will be another day.

time for introductions

Let's see if I can keep in mind all the things Annie wants us to talk about.

I wish I could say I was all about the fresh foods, like Annie, but really I'm all about the baking. I've been baking religiously ever since middle school - I enjoy not only eating what I bake, and sharing it with other people, but also the whole process of baking. I used to be a real stick-to-the-recipe kind of girl, but now I have the confidence to make substitutions and additions that I think will improve things.

Since I'm cooking for one generally, I like recipes that hold up well for leftovers, or where it's easy to make one serving at a time. I love dairy products, and get raw milk every week from a local cow - it's delicious and creamy and full fat. I don't believe in low-fat or low-carb or low-anything, really, and I would rather eat moderate quantities of well-raised animal fat and try to cut out nasty processed fats. For a good chunk of each year, I'm basically a vegan (for religious reasons) - and it's always so amazing to go back to the world of Real Food, and gives me a real appreciation for food.

I try to buy local and sustainable food, although the budget doesn't always allow for that. I love shopping at the farmer's markets in my area - the first one opens this Sunday! So I'll probably be reporting back on what I'm getting there.

I have a small garden - although I'll likely be moving and abandoning it partway through the summer. I have more volunteer sunflowers than I have room for, and my dill is back for the third year. Still no sign of the tomatoes, but I'm hoping they're just shy. I also tried potatoes for the first time, and we'll see how that goes.

My greatest challenge is often putting together dinners, while my favorite meal is always brunch. If I have people to cook for, I'm much more likely to put thought and effort into a meal.

How important is your kitchen?

On one hand, I'm of the mind that I don't need a fancy kitchen to be a good cook. Or even to simply cook how I want to. But a well designed, function kitchen doesn't have to big or fancy, right?


Well, my current kitchen is neither big or fancy, or even well designed and functional. And what I'm finding is that because everything is a little more difficult in my current kitchen-- lack of of counter space, tiny cabinets, ity-bity sink, and crappy dishwasher -- my desire to dive in headlong to a cooking project on a daily basis is not what it used to be.


Setting up my food processor takes up half the counter now and the electrical outlets are not easily accessible to plug it in. I can fit two cutting boards easily on my counter, but that doesn't leave a place for mixing bowls, kneading surfaces, etc. My rice steamer has to sit on the washer in the laundry room when in use because the steam causes the fake wood veneer on my crappy cabinets to peel; not to mention that lack of counter space. I have a pretty decent pantry, but the space for pots, pans, dishes, cups and utensils is short, so everything is stacked and crammed in, making finding the right tool more challenging. Clean-up is a bear because the dishwasher doesn't actually wash the dishes, so I keep a dish rack on the counter for hand washing. I don't actually mind washing them by hand, but the amount of space it takes up and the time required to clean my kitchen before I can even mess it up takes away from my actually time available for cooking.


Wow, how's that for whining? I really shouldn't complain because I have a great house in an AMAZING place. I just miss my old kitchen, so it makes my current kitchen's flaws all the more glaring. You see, I got to design the kitchen I wanted in our last house because my husband built our last house himself. Okay, so really, I told the architect what was important to me and he designed it, but you know...



So, here's my old kitchen:


17 linear feet of counter space plus the island with cook-top. TONS of cupboard space, a fantastic deep sink, and a dishwasher that rocked. *sigh*

And here is my current kitchen:

Okay, so the question is, what makes your kitchen space great. Or horrible. Or so-so? What would be the most important improvement you could make to your kitchen to make it more functional? For me, the first would be counter space and second would be cupboard/cabinet space. And the thing with my current kitchen, the actual area is not that small. It's just so poorly designed. I'm just itchin' to do some kitchen remodelling!

Homework

It's assignment time! We now officially have four additional authors/contributors, and it's time get this ball rolling.

My challenge to you is to come introduce yourselves. Share your food philosophies and cooking styles. What's your angle in the kitchen? What's your greatest challenge? What makes you the queen of your kitchen?

My basic food philosophy is FRESH. I love fresh foods. Organic, locally grown. Even better if it's right out of the garden (though I admit to not being the world's best food gardener). This year I've planted my first garden in four years. The climate here is perfect for nearly year round growing, so I'm hoping that the fruits of my labor will be plentiful.

I also sort of adhere to the Michael Pollan credo of "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." And while I am an omnivore, I have lived with a vegetarian for the past 15 years, so we lean heavily in that direction. But I love me up a freshly roasted chicken, or a good piece of lamb! Not to mention Tacos. I *heart* tacos with a passion, and living in CA, I've been lucky enough to try some of the best.

My cooking style is pretty simple too, although I love to try different ethnic foods. What usually happens, in my everyday kitchen, is that after I piece together something that resembles the actual recipe, I modify it to fit my cooking style, our food tastes, and the limited availability of certain items here on the Island. For example, I love Moroccan food and I have a cookbook with some fantastic and relatively simple recipes. But I have to take a boat to the mainland ($60 round trip thankyouverymuch) to get saffron, which is itself relatively pricey. So I fore go saffron for the most part. My "Moroccan" food is certainly not authentic, but it's tasty and nutritious in the end. And it brings variety and spice to our daily life.

My greatest kitchen challenge (other than the availability, or lack thereof, of certain foods) is my kitchen itself. I used to have an amazing kitchen. We built our last home ourselves and we centered the entire downstairs living area around the kitchen. In this house, my kitchen is a throwback to a manufactured home circa 1980. And it's small with not a lot of cupboard space. *sigh* At least the view makes up for it!

Hi, I'm new here

So, how does one introduce herself to the world (more or less)? I guess manners would dictate my name.

Hi. I'm Annie. A few of you know me from that other blog.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm a wife, mother, and currently, a homemaker and sometimes PR/communications guru. I live on the beautiful island of Santa Catalina off the coast of southern California. I'm new here too. Like my profile says, I'm a wanderer, though I think I just may have finally been anchored-- at least for a while.

Check out "what's this all about" in the side bar for what we're all about. Essentially, this is yet another food blog. But I figure, if all those blogs claiming to want to give me $10K just for visiting have a right to take up band width, our new little corner of cyberspace is legit. Besides, I learn from my friends, neighbors, and strangers everyday. You just might pick up something useful. Or at least funny.