RIP, Basil.

Goodbye, little basil plant. I am not sad to see you go. I paid $4 for you and only got one decent harvest before you shriveled into this pathetic heap of self pity. That's ridiculous. I can get a bunch of fresh basil from Kroger for $3. It would have been worth it if you were as beautiful and healthy as my neighbor's basil plant. You always looked so puny in comparison and I felt ashamed. Come on, I only over-watered you once! Did you really have to react like this? Tomorrow I will pull you up by your roots and throw you away. I will replace you with something that is more appreciative of all my tender love and care, something that can handle my shady, humid, scorching-hot, urban garden. Like a cactus.


Hold on, little parsley plant! Don't give up yet! I'm so sorry for the over-watering. Ina Garten told me that the more I cut you, the more you will grow. Those few little leaves popping up since I followed her advice are giving me hope. I don't know if you were worth the $4 investment, either, though. For $0.50 I can get a big bunch of beautiful organic flat leaf parsley that lasts all week. I haven't even had one harvest out of you. If you don't get your act together, you may meet the same fate as the basil. Yes, that is a threat.

PHENOMENAL turkey burgers with blue cheese and caramelized onions

I know I know, I use the word "phenomenal" like it's going out of style, and my friends will tell you that- but really I only use it when something truly is PHENOMENAL! And these turkey burgers are- my hubby, who normally pokes fun at my thing for turkey burgers, LOVED them.  I originally saw this recipe in my new Food Network magazine, so that was my inspiration. I've adapted it so I have the adapted recipe here:


Ingredients:

• 1 pkg ground turkey
• 2 portobello mushrooms caps
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• a couple generous dashes of worcestershire
• good pinch salt
• some pepper
• a couple dashes of onion powder
• couple dashes of garlic powder

Toppings:

• caramelized onions (see recipe under "delectable pan sauce")
• blue cheese
• lettuce, tomato, and the other usual suspects (but note: mustard and blue cheese don't mix well unless you're cra-cra- that's short for crazy.)

Directions:

• dice up your portobello mushroom caps (after you've taken a damp paper towel and rubbed the dirt off of them)
• heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat
• add your diced mushrooms and let them sautee (adding a good pinch of salt) for about 5 minutes, until they are golden brown in color.  then add your garlic and sautee for a couple more minutes
• stick them in a bowl once they're done

 

don't freak out on me if you don't like mushrooms.  they add SUCH a rich flavor and "meatiness" (a word that is WAY over used in my opinion but there you have it) to the turkey burgers.  trust me

• once the mushrooms have slightly cooled, add your turkey and the rest of your ingredients
• call your husband in to do the gross part of mixing the meat with his bare hands (love you, honey)
• grill them up  and at the very end, add your blue cheese.  top with your toppings and ENJOY these delectable turkey burgers.  

 those aren't both mine.....

ok yes they are.

***note: I served these with Kate's sweet potato wedges and some fresh grilled corn.  seriously, it was a HOME RUN.

Pasta Heaven

Lately I have been on a pasta kick. I can’t get enough. I crave it every day.

Could I be pregnant?

Haha just kidding. I’m not. Promise!

But I have been craving pasta and have been making LOTS of it. Last week I made this asian-inspired pasta… twice. It’s from www.eatingwell.com (which I am currently obsessed with) and I highly recommend the recipe. Here’s a lovely picture.



As a little added love-bonus, I added some chicken for my darling carnivore of a husband. I sliced a chicken breast into thin diagonal strips, marinated it in all the same flavors found in the pasta (soy sauce, lime, garlic, ginger), then sautéed it until cooked though.

Tonight I made a masterpiece. Not kidding, it belongs in a museum. Fennel-Leek-Sausage (optional) Pasta with Meredith’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.

Blast! How do I not have a picture? I forgot to take one, sorry!

You’re just going to have to trust me and use your imagination.

Make Meredith’s marinara sauce. You won’t be sorry. The recipe can be found under her entry entitled “Lasagna” that she put up in March. I didn’t have basil… because my basil plant hates me… So I used every other herb in my garden and it turned out splendidly.

(Side note: Did you know that you can use your fennel fronds as a fresh herb? It has a lovely, new, unfamiliar flavor that I just love. I added it to the pasta just before serving, and the freshness really gives the pasta an elevated dimension.)


This is fennel. If you aren't familiar with it, because it is kind of obscure, you should be! Try it! It's so good. And see those fluffy little ends on top? Those are the fronds. Use them as a garnish, in place or in additon to fresh herbs, to enhance that wonderful fennel flavor.

(Second side note: This is turning out to be a ridiculously long post. I’ll stop now and talk about the other stuff that I’m dying to tell you another day.)

Recipe: Roast some fennel and leeks in the oven (with the usual suspects: olive oil, salt, and pepper) at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from burning. Combine with cooked whole wheat pasta and the marinara sauce… and some sausage for your darling carnivore of a husband :) Then die of happiness because you have been given the gift of this exquisite culinary experience.

it's all because of sara welch

...that I love orzo so much!!!  She made this INCREDIBLE roasted shrimp and orzo last week (see recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe/index.html) and it has had me craving orzo since.  it's simple, it's delicious, and it's LIGHT.  So since I was craving orzo, I decided I would make yet another Barefoot Contessa recipe that Sara turned me on to, and it is her Orzo with Roasted Vegetables.  Real simple, and REAL delectable- I've never had one complaint.  I'm not gonna lie, when Sara made this last Easter and told me how good it was, I thought "I'm not convinced...it's just some roasted vegetables with orzo, right?" WRONG. the basil, the feta, the lemon viniagrette, the scallions....it all works together to make this INCREDIBLE dish that can be served as a side dish or a main dish (I served it with leftover chicken noodle soup and we were quite satisfied).  You need this in your life, people.

Here we go.

roast your vegetables

cook a packet of orzo (thank you for supplying my orzo, Camille!) according to the package and drain it into a large bowl

mix in your roasted vegetables with your orzo. let cool (I stuck it in the freezer to expedite the cooling process because I needed this goodness in my body ASAP)

go take the clothes off all of your basil, dice up some feta, and add it to your cooled orzo mix (I would have added scallions here but I didn't add any.  Her recipe also calls for pine nuts but they're expensive so I don't ever add them)

I interrupt this important new story to ask WHY AM I ADDICTED TO SALT AND VINEGAR CHIPS??? ok back to the recipe.

delectable. simple delectable.

you didn't think I was going to leave you out to dry and not give you the ACTUAL recipe did you?  

Ingredients:

• 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
• 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo 

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (add more as needed once everything is mixed together)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Assembly:

• 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
• 3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
• 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

• Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

• Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

• For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables while it's still warm. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

This recipe stays good for at least a week and makes FABULOUS leftovers- it's worthier than being stuck in the "leftovers" category.  Thank you Sara, for introducing me to orzo and all of the delectable things you can do with it, and thank you, Ina Garten for your amazing recipes.  We adore you.  We'd like to come to your house for Thanksgiving, ok?  See you then. 

delectable pan sauce

Don't hate on me for not posting pics- here's the deal: often times in the kitchen i'm flying by the seat of my pants and i think "this might not turn out" so thus, i don't take pictures along the way.  I know, I know, it's no excuse to not take pictures of the final product, but i didn't. so sue me. HOWEVER, I DO want to discuss this most delicious pan sauce I made last night.  boy oh boy was it amazing.

So, I caramelized some onions (get some olive oil in a skillet, slice your onions thin, then toss them in with the skillet on high heat.  add a big pinch of salt and some fresh thyme, if you've got some)  turn the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally until the onions are WAY cooked down- like, deep golden in color and super slinky)

Then I put the onions on a plate, turn the heat back up, add some olive oil, and add some chicken that I've pounded thin and seasoned with S &P.  sear it on both sides, then stick it on a plate and let it hang out.

Now, with that pan nice and hot with lots of goody brown bits at the bottom, deglaze it with some white wine (i keep cooking wine because we don't always have white wine- it's not a "staple" as my husband says.  I beg to differ but that's for another discussion).  let this wine reduce a little bit, season it with salt and a touch of pepper.  you can also add a sprig of thyme if you've got it.

I also added some chicken stock, then I added the chicken and caramelized onions back to the skillet to continue cooking in this DELICIOUS liquid.  I boiled some rigatoni, added it to the pan, let them get soaked in the pan sauce, and served the chicken with the caramelized on top, rigatoni on the side, and sauteed some spinach for me green.

I know you can't see a picture, but trust me when i tell you it was incredible.  scott said how good it was three times- that's big, people. 

Blackberries in Lemon Creme... Among Other Things

It was my turn to make dessert for our small group last week, and I had to figure out something that would work for the three of us that are on the Daniel Fast and the three of us that aren't. I bought bunches of beautiful blackberries and strawberries (not pictured) and put them on top of some delectable homemade lemon cream for the ones who are not fasting. Even though I'm not supposed to have sugar, I may have had a little taste just to make sure it was good enough to serve :) ... It was delectable, and a nice twist on the traditional whipped cream that usually accompanies springtime berries. It's incredibly simple:

Combine approximately 2 1/4 cups of heavy whipping cream, 6 tablespoons of confectioners sugar, the zest of one large lemon and half of its juice. Mix it together, on the lowest setting of your mixer, until the cream becomes firm. This took me about 5 minutes. Adjust any of these ingredients to your liking! Serve with berries.

On a less-related note, I have to share this picture. Meredith claimed in her Maid of Honor speech at my wedding that when we were little and played dress-up, I was always the bride and always made her be the boy. Well, my mom recently found this photo, and it is undeniable proof that there were indeed times in my childhood when I relinquished the coveted bride role to my bestest pal. Mere, you can never accuse me of such atrocities again :)

I was in Tyler this weekend for my little brother's high school graduation (Congrats, Joseph!). We went out to breakfast at this super cool cafe where they serve all their food on these incredibly beautiful dishes. I am obsessed. Aren't they so cool???

And this really has absolutely nothing to do with this food blog AT ALL... but above is a picture of how I have been spending my time since receiving my Masters in Social Work. Painting. Yes. It makes me happy. Now Anthony gets to endure this super girly door in our new guest bedroom.

baked leek, potato, and parmesan frittata

I made this amazing egg casserole (let's face it- that's all frittatas really are) for one of my besties here in Columbus to help her out when her family came in to celebrate her husband's graduation from pilot training.  Hosting a lot of people is A LOT OF WORK, and being their tour guide on top of that just makes for an overwhelming weekend.  So, we agreed (her idea- she's a genius) to help each other out and make each other's breakfast dishes for when our families are in town so each of us wouldn't have to worry about it- did that make any sense? Basically I made breakfast for her family, and she's making it for mine when they're all here in about a month.  Well, along with Pioneer Woman's blueberry muffins with yogurt sauce and yogurt and granola parfaits with fresh strawberries, I made this frittata.  It was the first time I had ever made it and apparently it was a success :)  Those of you who ever need to feed about 10-12 people for breakfast, this is for you, ALTHOUGH, it is GREAT for lunch or dinner with a great salad. 

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 4 leeks (I couldn't find any so I just used a large yellow onion), white and pale green parts only, sliced into rounds then rinsed WELL
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled (I didn't) and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• coarse salt
• 8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese, drained (mine hardly drained- depends on the brand I think)
• 1/3 cup (or however much you want!) grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9x13 (I used a tad bigger pan I think) with cooking spray.
• Bring water to a simmer in a medium/large skillet over high heat.
• Add leeks (or chopped onion), garlic, and potatoes and season with a healthy pinch of salt
• reduce heat to medium low and cook, COVERED, until potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes (mine took longer- just check on them- you want them just fork tender- don't let them cook too long or they won't hold up well in the casserole)
• drain and let them cool
• whisk together eggs, egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cayenne
• fold in cooled potato mixture and the ricotta
• mix in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• pour mixture into dish and sprinkle with remaining parm
• bake until edges are set, about 12 minutes, then reduce temp to 325 and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 more minutes.

*frittata can be refrigerated for up to 2 days

I believe this recipe came from either Real Simple or Martha Stewart